《The Divine Hunter》


 Chapter 1

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 1: The Farmer¡¯s Child</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Did you hear? A horse crashed into Moore¡¯s kid.¡±


    ¡°Poor child. He¡¯s only thirteen, isn¡¯t he? I think he¡¯s bedridden for life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s old news. Roy¡¯s woken up, but something¡¯s wrong with his head. He keeps spacing out in the yard.¡±


    The farmers on the field whispered about the tragedy that befell a boy named Roy. A burly man behind them quietly put his hoe down and clenched his fists. He was infuriated, frustrated, but also helpless.


    The man was Moore, the one the farmers were talking about, and also Roy¡¯s father. He was just a lowly peasant like everyone else, and he had toiled on the fields for half his life. He wasn¡¯t handsome, capable, or rich. Nobody had wanted to marry him, until his wife hade along and done so despite his ws. He was twenty-three then.


    The couple had a child when they were twenty-five. In their time and age, most people were already parents when they were sixteen. Having a child at twenty-five meant they were behind their peers. They cared about Roy tremendously, and worried he might get hurt. Because of that, he seldom worked in the fields.


    Roy was a quiet one. He listened to his parents, kept to himself, and always had a sheepish smile on his face. He was a stark contrast to the wild children who stampeded the vige every chance they could.


    ¡°Roy¡¯s a good child. Such a pity¡­¡±


    The thought of Roy¡¯s condition tore into Moore¡¯s wound further. They¡¯d thought they would live a happy and peaceful life with their son forever, but s, it was cut short. Four days ago, a woman zed through the vige on horseback, and Roy was in her way. The horse only grazed him, but that single graze took him out.


    The vige¡¯s unskilled herbalist failed to find out what was wrong with Roy, and he thought the boy was done for. The next day though, as if by miracle, Roy woke up. However, he was a changed boy. His eyes were dead, and he was quiet, not answering when spoken to. All he did was stare into the sky like a person who had lost their mind.


    Moore sighed. It was gettingte, and he picked up his hoe before going back home. He was still worried about his son.


    The vigers¡¯ houses were primitive and ugly, made out of thatch and wood. A single gale could have blown the rickety buildings away. Kaer was a small vige, housing about a hundred families.


    Moore¡¯s house was situated on the western side of the vige. It was high noon when Moore came back, and the sun red at them without any mercy. Despite that, a young child stared back into the sun, eyes unblinking, as if he were a soulless puppet. Beside him stood a in, rough-skinned vigedy who was feeding the chickens.


    ¡°Why is he staring into the sun? What if he hurts his eyes? Susie! I thought I told you to keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t you know this is bad for him?¡±


    Moore rushed into his yard and waded through the overgrown weed to pick up his son. He ced Roy before the front door and patted his buzz cut-trimmed hair.


    A hint of tenderness blossomed on Moore¡¯s dry, yellowed face. ¡°Never do that again, Roy. Okay?¡±


    Roy wouldn¡¯t respond to anyone or anything after waking up a while ago, but when Moore called him again, something flickered within him, and his eyes started clearing up. ¡°Huh? Dad? Luo Yi¡­ No, Roy,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Right. My name is now Roy.¡±


    ¡°D-Did you just talk, Roy?¡± Surprised, Moore huddled closer to Roy, intending to confirm he was talking. Finally, he got his answer. His son, who had been quiet for the past three days, had started to speak again. At least he didn¡¯t turn mute.


    ¡°Come here, Susie! Leave the animals alone! Roy just talked!¡± Moore shouted, and Susie came a momentter, obviously in a hurry.


    The couple hugged Roy, and when he called out their names, tears streamed down their faces. Roy looked at his parents, Moore and Susie, closely. They weren¡¯t exactly good looking, but they weren¡¯t ugly either. Their clothes were made out of hemp, and they looked worn out. Their skin was rough, and they looked gaunt from overworking. They had the feel of two innocent, weing vigers.


    ¡°So they¡¯re my parents.¡± Tears welled up in Roy¡¯s eyes, and something tugged at his heartstrings. He hugged his parents back.


    At the same time, two different sets of memories fused within him. Before Roy, he was Luo Yi, a high school dropout in C Nation. At the same time, Roy was living in Kaer, a vige in Lower Posada, the southern border of a nation called Aedirn.


    Luo Yi¡¯s parents died in a freak ident, and he quit school after their deaths. He was a shut-in who became addicted to the world of games. Once he would use up all thepensation fees, Luo Yi would kill himself. He had no parents, no car, no money, and was a game addict. That was effectively a death sentence in his original society.


    On the other hand, Roy might¡¯ve only been the child of lowly, impoverished peasants, but his parents loved him. Luo Yi longed for that kind of rtionship.


    ¡°I got addicted to games just so I could fill the void in my heart. And now I have a second chance to do so. The gods are smiling on me.¡± Luo Yi inherited all of Roy¡¯s feelings and memories, which made him feel close to Moore and Susie.


    ¡°What happened to you, Roy?¡± Susie asked. ¡°You scared us!¡±


    ¡°T-The horse shocked me. All I could remember was how afraid I was. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Stop with the questions!¡± Moore roared at his wife. ¡°All that matters is that Roy is okay. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± He patted Roy¡¯s head lovingly.


    After calming his worried parents down, Roy looked around his new abode, and a bitter smile painted on his face. The walls were uneven and rickety, the house only having a firece, a steel cauldron, a few tables and chairs, and two sets of beds ?¡ª if anyone could call a stack of hay covered by pieces of worn out cloth a bed.


    Lunch was made in a short while. A few dry, hard, disfigured loaves of bread, an egg, two dried fish, and a bowl of assorted vegetable soup wereid out before him. The food was in enough, and there was no seasoning. Salt was a luxury in the household.


    Roy thought the food was weird, but despite it, he took a bite. ¡°Don¡¯tin, Roy. You didn¡¯t get to eat organic greens like this in your past life.¡±


    Because of his body¡¯s instincts, Roy epted the food¡¯s taste not long after he took his first bite. Famished after days of not eating, his hunger prompted him to wolf down the food. A short whileter, the scarce meal became scarcer.


    ¡°Slow down, son. You don¡¯t want to choke on the food.¡±


    The couple stared at their son with a grin. They kept piling the food in his te, but they didn¡¯t touch the food themselves, though they¡¯d pop some dried fish into their mouths once in a while.


    ***


    Moore and Susie left the house in the afternoon after deciding they would butcher a chicken for Roy that night. And then Roy¡¯s expression turned serious.


    Aedirn. How familiar. Roy used to y ¡°The Witcher 3¡± for many hours, and the name ¡°Aedirn¡± was no stranger to him. It was one of The Four Kingdoms. This was a world of witchers and monsters. Bandits, monsters, gues, and disasters weremonce in the world and era Roy was in. Humans struggled to stay alive, wing at the chance to live for even a day longer.


    If I have no power, I could die at any time.


    ording to Roy¡¯s original memories, he was in the year 1260. If the lore was right, the talented king of Nilfgaard, the White me, Emhyr var Emreis, wouldunch the first Northern War in three years. Even though the war would start in Cintra ?¡ª a faraway nation in the west of Lower Posada ?¡ª the soldiers might escape to their region, and chaos would follow.


    And in seven years, in 1267, the second Northern War would swing into motion, and Aedirn would not survive it.


    Do I have any power? What should I do? I must at least keep Moore and Susie safe. Even though he was only thirteen, Roy didn¡¯t have much time on his hands if he wanted to save his parents. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t cross into this world without anything to help him. Like many otherworlders, he had his own cheat to help him on his quest.


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord for updates on releases!</b><b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 2

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 2: Cheat</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Open my character sheet, Roy thought, and a slew of weird messages flooded his mind.


    ¡®Character Sheet:


    Roy


    Age: Thirteen years and seven months old


    Gender: Male (This detail will not be shown in the future)


    Status: Civilian


    (You are the child of a farmer. Up until now, you have received no professional training, nor have you studied in any field. You have not mastered any skills yet, and your talent is still hidden.)


    HP: 40 (Healthy)


    Strength: 4 (5). Strength decides the attack power of some physical attacks. Increases the weight you can carry, enabling you to wear heavier but stronger protective gear, as well as using heavier weapons. Affects your endurance to an extent.


    Dexterity: 5 (5). Dexterity decides your movement speed, attack speed, reflexes, and bnce. High dexterity enables you to dodge, react to, and block attacks. Also allows you to perform difficult movements.


    Constitution: 4 (5). As a base for your endurance, constitution decides how many hits you can take, your run speed, and your battle prowess. Affects life regeneration to an extent.


    Perception: 5 (5). Perception includes your five senses. You have a chance to predict iing danger, as well as increase your efficiency in assessing your surroundings. Perception increases your chances of finding buried treasure. Someone with higher perception also has a better chance of sensing iing danger. They can notice the secrets hidden in the void as well.


    Will: 4 (5). Will decides your resistance against mental attacks and your recovery speed from psychological debuffs, such as pain and sadness. The higher your will, the calmer you can stay in dangerous situations, leading to a perfect execution of your movements. If your will is great enough, you will be able to affect physical objects.


    Charisma: 5 (5). Your looks, aura, and speech skills factor into deciding your charisma. Charisma ys a role inmunicating with the same species. High charisma can win someone¡¯s affection easily, and those from your species will be invariably drawn to you.


    Spirit: 6 (5). Spirit decides the level of your concentration, making you focus on the task ahead of you. Can also increase your absorption rate, amount of eptance, and control over the four elements, which is also known as chaos energy. Affects the strength of spells and pseudo spells.


    PR/N: From what we¡¯ve understood, (5) refers to a healthy adult. So 4 (5) means slightly below a healthy adult, 5 (5) means the same level as a healthy adult, and 6 (5) means better than a healthy adult.


    Skill: None


    Inventory space: 1 cubic meter


    Misc.: Unknown


    EXP: 1/100 (Once the EXP bar is filled out, you may level up. Each level shall grant you one attribute point and one skill point.)¡¯


    The character sheet was Roy¡¯s cheat in this world. Thanks to it, he stayed under the sun for three days, for absorbing its energy would help him clear his confused state. At the same time, he gained one EXP from staying under the sun.


    ¡°So the sun gives me 0.33 EXP per day. In that case, staying under it for 333 days would fill my EXP bar and level me up.¡± Roy calmed down. Staying under the sun to level up was a stupid idea, but it was the safest way to do so.


    Hm, if the sun can grant me EXP, can the food here do the same? That was a nice idea, but unfeasible in reality. Roy only had enough food to stave off starvation and keep him healthy. The energy in it wasn¡¯t enough to be converted into EXP. ¡°So if I want to increase my stats, I¡¯ll have to find a way to earn some crowns and fill my belly.¡±


    A/N: Crowns are the currency of the game. The only currency in the northern kingdoms are Temeria orens, alternatively known as orens, while Aedirn¡¯s currencies are ducats and marks. That¡¯d make the exchange rate too confusing, so from now on, we¡¯ll be using crowns and orens. The exchange rate for the currency is one to one.


    If he could make enough crowns, Roy could even hire mercenaries or reputable witchers to escort his parents as they left for the city of freedom, Novigrad, located in Redania, which was northwest of their vige. Redania was involved in the Northern Wars, but the nation wasn¡¯t affected. At least the civilians could live their lives out there in peace.


    ¡°Money aside, I have to see if there¡¯s any other way to gain EXP.¡±


    Considering the game and Roy¡¯s experience with it, killing monsters would be the most likely way to gain EXP, and the world of ¡°The Witcher¡± was filled with all kinds of creatures. If he were to wander around in the wilderness beyond the vige or rivers around it, he might just bump into a drowner if he was unlucky.


    Roy was just a frail, feeble boy who had nobat prowess. If he were to go out and hunt, he¡¯d be torn to pieces by the dogs and wolves on the way. Then he¡¯d have died for nothing.


    Obviously, he couldn¡¯t respawn in this world, unlike in the game. ¡°I have to be careful. Legends start from the unlikeliest of ces. I should start with a smaller creature.¡±


    He went into the yard and threw a nce at the big, white goat that stood out from the rest of the animals. No. That goat can provide milk, and it¡¯s too big for me to handle. He gave up on killing the goat, and a few roosters leaped happily in front of him. Roy gritted his teeth and went back in to grab a knife. ¡°Dad¡¯s going to kill one tonight for me anyway. Why don¡¯t I do it myself?¡±


    Roy set his murderous gaze on a big, fat, grey rooster. Noticing the impending danger, the rooster crowed shrilly and leaped around the coop, trying to escape murder.


    If anyone were to pass by, they¡¯de across a hrious scene: a scrawny young man chasing after a majestic grey rooster. The creature continued cawing and running for his life, while the boy wouldn¡¯t stop pursuing it.


    Roy kept falling and getting up, unwilling to give up. When he was already drenched in sweat, and his legs turned to jelly, he finally caught the rooster¡¯s wings. Roy held the knife under its neck, but he didn¡¯t make the kill.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even killed anything up until now. Not even a chicken. Didn¡¯t expect my first kill in life to be a big, stupid rooster.¡±


    That reminded him of the legendary witcher, Geralt of Rivia. Geralt had many titles, some of which included ¡°The White Wolf¡±, ¡°The Butcher of viken¡±, and ¡°The Giant yer¡±. Roy thought those titles were cool and menacing.


    ¡°Nobody can know of this. What if I be a legend someday, and the bard calls me ¡°The Rooster yer¡±? That¡¯d be dumb.¡±


    That thought made Roy pick up the pace. He made a clumsy sh across the rooster¡¯s neck, and blood spurted into the sky. Some of it even sshed onto his face.


    At the same time, the rooster extended its ws and crowed for the final time in its life. A short whileter, ity on the ground, convulsing and taking itsst breath as Roy grinned.


    2/100! It worked! ¡°I knew it! This works!¡±


    He was d that nobody saw him kill the rooster, but then a panicked scream reached him, ¡°By the gods! R-Roy the fool¡¯s possessed by a monster! He killed his family¡¯s chicken!¡± A snotty, eight-year-old brat had a horrified expression on his face as he shouted out the ¡°murder¡± of the rooster. Roy swore the whole vige could have heard his scream. He was just like the screaming groundhog meme Roy saw in his past life.


    The boy¡¯s appearance made Roy¡¯s eyes shine, and he was obviously not concerned with the usation the boy made. That boy¡¯s Brandon, the son of the butcher.


    As the official butcher for a backwater vige like Kaer, every viger had to ask for his help whenever they needed to ughter their livestock. ¡°If I manage to be the butcher¡¯s apprentice, I¡¯d have loads of EXP to gain.¡±


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord for updates on releases! </b><b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 3

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 3: Butcher</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The vige¡¯s streets were uneven, rugged, and trodden, with puddles of water that could be seen all across them, glimmering under the sun. A young man and child were going toward Fletcher the butcher¡¯s house on the northern side of the vige.


    If Roy remembered correctly, Fletcher was Susie¡¯s distant rtive, and they¡¯d visit each other asionally. Maybe this can work.


    ¡°Hah! Look at you, Rooster yer. You¡¯re scrawny and weak. Even a bat¡¯srger than you. You want to be my father¡¯s apprentice? Go home and stare at the sun like you always do,¡± Brandon derided, sucking the snot that was drooling down to his lip.


    Roy trailed behind Brandon. The boy was barely four feet tall, while Roy was about five feet, four inches. As he looked down at Brandon¡¯s bob cut, Roy pressed down on the strands of hair that stood out to tten them down. Before Brandon could look back, Roy pulled his hand away.


    PR/N: Four feet is around 1.22 meters. Five feet, four inches is around 1.63 meters.


    Well, that¡¯s the spot.


    He was an eighteen-year-old man in his past life, so Roy thought there was no need to argue with a brat. He shrugged, looking nonchnt. ¡°I¡¯m already thirteen. So what if I killed a chicken? Only bumpkin brats like you would get scared. Rooster yer? That¡¯s a dumb name. Where did youe up with it? In dummynd?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool who can¡¯t even toil the field, and yet you can kill a chicken? Obviously, you¡¯re possessed by a demon, so I¡¯ll have to keep monitoring you closely. Wait, did you just call me a bumpkin?¡± Brandon wiped the snot off his lips with his fat, dirty hands, before wiping his fingers on his clean shirt.


    Brandon¡¯s financial standing was better than most families in the vige, thanks to him being the butcher¡¯s son. He never starved, and his clothes were always clean. Even though he was a young child, his peers were nothing but his sycophants. Because of that, he had a superiorityplex since he was young, and he tolerated no insult toward his person.


    ¡°Hey, bumpkin! My father saw Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia at the winter solstice festival. and he told me about that grand event every night! You¡¯ve never even stepped out of this vige, and you call me a bumpkin?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re saying that Uncle Fletcher brags to you every night, huh? Has he ever told you about magic tricks then?¡± Roy observed Brandon¡¯s expression calmly. When he heard about magic tricks, Brandon¡¯s eyes shone, and they filled with longing and admiration as he bbered about it.


    Roy was relieved to see Brandon¡¯s interest in tricks. He stopped in his tracks and puffed out his chest. ¡°If you can convince Uncle Fletcher to take me as his apprentice, then I, the great Roy, will show you one magical trick.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell that to Don Quixote¡¯s kid, maybe that¡¯ll work. I won¡¯t be¡­ fooled?¡± Brandon choked on his words, and his jaw dropped to the point someone could put an egg in his mouth. His eyes widened, and his snot drooled down uncontrobly.


    ¡°H-How did you do it?¡± Right before his very eyes, under the ring sun, the pebble in Roy¡¯s right hand had disappeared without a trace, as if it had moved away before anyone realized it.


    When Roy clenched his fist and opened it again, the pebble appeared out of thin air. ¡°See that? That¡¯s the trick I told you about.¡± Roy was satisfied with the reaction he got from Brandon. The secret to that trick was Roy¡¯s inventory space. The pebble was transported there, and all Roy had to do was think about it to make it reappear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Do it again!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it with a different item this time. Do you have any money?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Sure I do.¡± Brandon would smuggle money from his father sometimes to treat his buddies to some dried fruit and fruit wine in the inn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need one crown to do this. If you can kindly give it to me.¡±


    Piqued by his curiosity, Brandon fell for Roy¡¯s ruse. He took out a yellow coin ¡ª a crown ¡ª and gave it to Roy. He then craned his neck to see the trick. Roy closed his palm and turned his hand down, and when he turned it back up, the crown had disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°I stayed at home all the time to learn this trick. Now that I¡¯ve mastered it, I think I should show it to you guys.¡±


    Brandon, still skeptical, searched Roy, but he found no ce where Roy could have hidden the crown. Left with no excuses, he agreed to Roy¡¯s deal.


    ¡°Right. You teach me this trick, and I¡¯ll ask my dad to take you as his apprentice. This is a good deal.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing you need to know.¡± Since Brandon didn¡¯t ask for his money back, Roy kept it for himself. ¡°Don¡¯t ever call me Rooster yer, and don¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡±


    ***


    In the butcher¡¯s house stood a pudgy middle-aged man who was caressing a cow hung upside down by the limbs on a butchering rack. As he was about to ughter it, the butcher noticed Roy and Brandoning in. He ignored Roy and roared angrily at his fat son. ¡°Where¡¯d you go again, you brat? You missed the chief¡¯s sses for half a month this time! Do you think money grows on trees? If you keep on being illiterate, you can forget about being a bard! Be a butcher like me!¡±


    Brandon stared down and blushed after his father exposed his dream. He was a butcher¡¯s son, but his dream was to be a bard who traveled the world and told various stories to people he met along the way. If anyone knew about it, they¡¯dugh their socks off.


    There were only three vigers in Kaer who knew how to read and write, including the chief. Most of the vigers would have to pay if they wanted to write to their rtives. Even though Fletcher was a mere brute, he didn¡¯t want his son to be illiterate.


    ¡°If you can get the chief¡¯s praise, I¡¯ll get Tom to take you to Vengerberg, Brandon! If you can learn everything from him, I¡¯ll get you to Oxenfurt University even if it bankrupts me! Your mother wanted you to go before she passed away. Don¡¯t disappoint her!¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t think much about it when he heard about Brandon wanting to be a bard, but he was surprised after hearing what Fletcher said. This guy has a big dream.


    Being a butcher was a lucrative job, but educated people enjoyed better status in the world. Someone who could read and write themon speech of the northern kingdoms could live a great life in any vige. If they were lucky enough to be a scribe in a city, they could garner great respect. If they managed to get into a university, they¡¯d be almost revered.


    The university Fletcher mentioned, Oxenfurt, was one of the best universities in the world, and only the Nilfgaardian Imperial Academy was on par with it. Geralt¡¯s best friends, Jaskier and Shani, were graduates of Oxenfurt.


    You can¡¯t underestimate vigers, huh?


    Roy looked at Fletcher, then at Brandon.


    Fletcher was still yelling at his son and ignoring Roy. ¡°Get into the house, you brat!¡±


    Brandon gave a pleading look at Roy, and Roy went up to Fletcher. ¡°Uncle Fletcher, I¡¯m ¡ª ¡±


    The butcher waved him down impatiently and interjected. ¡°You¡¯re all healed up, aren¡¯t you, Roy? Take some meat with youter when you go back. Susie¡¯s worried sick about you, so spend some time with her.¡±


    Brandon, still wanting to learn the magic trick, croaked despite his fear, ¡°Fletcher, he wants to be your apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± Fletcher nced at Roy. ¡°I am looking for an apprentice, but you¡¯ve never even toiled in the fields. Susie won¡¯t let you. Also, you¡¯re frail and feeble. How long will it take for you to process one animal? Half a day? No, you can¡¯t be my apprentice. Just go away,¡± Fletcher said honestly.


    Being a butcher might¡¯ve been exhausting and dirty, but everyone wanted to do it. As long as they had the skill, they could earn many crowns and luxury. Fletcher wanted Brandon to inherit the business ¡ª for it would set him up for life ¡ª but since Brandon could learnmon speech, Fletcher didn¡¯t force him into it. Brandon had a better future anyway.


    Since Roy was frail, most of the ways to gain EXP were dangerous for him. He needed a safe, stable source of EXP, so a little hurdle wouldn¡¯t stop him. He cracked his fingers and put on a serious look. ¡°Give me a chance to exin, Uncle Fletcher.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked this through with my parents, so I¡¯m calling the shots here.¡± Roy paused. ¡°You said a tough body is essential for a butcher, and you¡¯re right, but more than that, a great butcher must be skilful and experienced. I think that can be attained if I put in enough work. I know you can cut up all the livestock perfectly even with your eyes closed, because you¡¯re experienced.


    ¡°I might be frail now, but I¡¯m young, energetic, and still growing. Also, I can learn fast. If you¡¯re willing to teach me, I won¡¯t let you down, I promise.¡± Roy gritted his teeth and made another offer. ¡°If I can¡¯t work well in my apprenticeship, I¡¯ll work for free. All I need is some asional meat.¡±


    After hearing the offer, the butcher grinned. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Roy. You used to be really quiet, but now you¡¯re a glib tongue. Looks like I have to take you in then. Right, I¡¯ll give you a chance for Susie¡¯s sake. Can you make the kill?¡± He moved away, revealing the cow behind him.


    ¡°If you can kill this big old cow here and keep your barf down, I¡¯ll take you as my apprentice.¡±


    He thought Roy wouldn¡¯t make the kill, for a young man like him had never seen blood. However, the soul inhabiting this body lived in a time where information was free, and gore was abundant. Roy, or to be more precise, Luo Yi, had seen worse than a cow¡¯s butcher.


    Roy took the butcher¡¯s knife from Fletcher calmly before going up to the hanging cow. He then turned back and said sincerely, ¡°Uncle Fletcher, to be honest, I had a long dream after the horse crashed into me, and I¡¯ve decided to change myself after I woke up. I¡¯m just a viger who knows nothing about toiling in the fields, but I have to learn something to support myself and the family. Moore and Susie¡¯s been taking care of me for a long time now. It¡¯s time I pay my dues.¡±


    A deafening silence befell the butcher¡¯s home. All the color drained from Brandon¡¯s face, and he held his breath. He might¡¯ve been the butcher¡¯s son, but he¡¯d never killed anything. Every time Fletcher worked, he would stay far, far away and cover his ears. The frail Roy, who was holding the gleaming butcher¡¯s knife, looked so familiar, yet so alien to him.


    Roy¡¯s not the timid guy he used to be, Brandon thought.


    Surprise red on Fletcher¡¯s glistening face. Did Roy just grow up? He¡¯s already working for his family. Then he nced at the snotty brat who was his son.


    Should I get a horse to crash into this brat? That seems like how someone would grow as a person.


    ¡°Roy, there should be a bulge around the cow¡¯s neck. I just found it earlier. Use the knife and stab into that. If you do it right, the cow should die peacefully.¡±


    The moment Fletcher said that, Roy squinted. He thought back at how he killed the chicken, and grasped the feeling he¡¯d had when he¡¯d slit its throat.


    Roy made a calm swing, and the knife made a clean, fierce stab. Roy pierced the cow¡¯s neck and pulled the knife out in a moment. The animal stared at him, wide-eyed, for the final time in its life. Tears streamed down its face, and it mooed weakly before taking itsst breath without any struggle.


    At the same time, Roy¡¯s character sheet showed he had seven EXP. Obviously, killing the cow granted him five EXP.


    It was his second kill, but he didn¡¯t retch, nor did he buzz with excitement.


    Killing a cow was different from killing a chicken. Instead of being ted about getting the experience, Roy felt sad, and also scared.


    Why do I gain EXP from killing? How does it work anyway? How many EXP can I gain if I kill a human? Are living beings nothing but EXP for my character sheet? And how does it dictate the amount of EXP I gain for the kill I make? The size? Or the life force? Or the creature¡¯s soul? Or¡­ something else? Countless questions popped into his mind, and he must kill to find the answer to those questions. He stood before the dead cow, stunned, and blood dripped from his knife.


    At the same time, Fletcher let out a heartyugh and smacked his shoulder. The impact from that smack snapped Roy out of his trance. ¡°Nice kill! Didn¡¯t expect you to be this gutsy. Say, did you get braver after almost being crushed by the horse? Either way, you made the cut. If you don¡¯t mind getting yourself dirty and exhausted,e here before dawn tomorrow. Make it through, and you¡¯ll be getting some meat. Some crowns too, if you¡¯re exceptional.¡±


    Fletcher was getting on in age. His son spent all his time learningmon speech and refused to inherit the business. The butcher desperately needed a helper. Roy might¡¯ve been frail, but Fletcher had watched over him over the years. Roy was an honest boy who knew how to give back. Because of Susie, he was also Roy¡¯s uncle, so Fletcher didn¡¯t mind teaching him the skill.


    Roy snapped out of his sadness, and resolve stirred within him. ¡°I¡¯ll be here on time, Uncle Fletcher.¡± I can barely feed myself, and an unknown danger is approaching. I can¡¯t feel sorry for a cow when I have to kill more creatures. That¡¯d make me a hypocrite, he mocked himself. Then Roy stopped feeling sorry and gripped the knife tightly.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 4

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 4: First Day for the Newbie</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    That night, Roy begged Moore and Susie to let him work as the butcher¡¯s apprentice. The couple refused at first, but they couldn¡¯t keep it up as Roy didn¡¯t stop, so they agreed.


    The couple had been by Roy¡¯s side since the day he was born, and they thought it was bizarre that Roy¡¯s demeanor hadpletely changed after waking up. He used to be a quiet, timid child, but then he became talkative and expressive.


    However, the concern shown by Roy toward them wasn¡¯t fake, so the innocent couple didn¡¯t suspect anything. Instead, they felt relieved about their son¡¯s change. They thought that the ident matured him and made him grow up.


    When the next day came, the Kaer vigers were surprised to see a frail Roy following the butcher around.


    ¡°Did Moore¡¯s kid turn insane after almost getting crushed? He¡¯s as weak as a girl. He can¡¯t butcher anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what do you know, you bumpkin? The boy had a brush with death. Of course he¡¯s going to change, but I bet he won¡¯tst the week. Not everyone can be a butcher, and it¡¯s a lucrative job. Why¡¯d Fletcher want to share with him?¡±


    The vigers gossiped about him, but Roy ignored their nastyments. All he wanted to do was work with Fletcher, but after a day, he found out that a butcher¡¯s job was different from what he¡¯d had in mind.


    After the bigger livestock were sent to the butcher¡¯s ce, Fletcher would feed the cows and goats some yellow powder that would paralyze them to prevent them from struggling as they were killed.


    Fletcher told him the powder was an anesthetic the vige¡¯s herbalist gave him. After killing the livestock came the hardest part: cutting up the meat perfectly. If they wanted to keep the muscle intact after cutting it, the butcher had to have a thorough understanding of the anatomy of cows, goats, and pigs.


    Fletcher wasn¡¯t talented enough to draw the anatomy of the livestock. All he could do was teach Roy through action.


    When Roy saw Fletcher calmly skin the cow, disembowel it, and filet the meat, he started to puke. The stench of the cow¡¯s insides filled the air, bing a miasma of everything that was foul in the world. Everywhere he looked, Roy could only see a crimson hue, the cow¡¯s blood sttering everywhere.


    His stomach churned, and he retched again. The kill wasn¡¯t much, but the disassembling of the livestock was a great test of his will.


    The butcher chortled. ¡°I knew something was off when you killed that cow so easily yesterday. Now you know how gory this line of work is. Told you it¡¯s dirty and exhausting. Why else do you think everyone else stays away from being a butcher? Well, everyone except you, Roy. Of course, you ain¡¯t going to get my business this easily. See if you can keep up until the end.¡±


    When Roy recovered from his retching, his head felt fuzzy, and his legs were starting to turn to jelly. But the butcher didn¡¯t give him time to rest.


    ¡°Come here and take the knife. I¡¯ll teach you how to make a perfect cut. Let¡¯s start with strength control. Start here, and cut upward.¡±


    ¡°I said up! The fuck are you cutting?! Dammit! Put your back into it!¡±


    Every little mistake Roy made earned him a harsh scolding from Fletcher.


    Gods, heined quietly. Not only does the apprentice have to wade through the bloody scene, they have to endure this scolding and get worked to the bone.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Roy to start feeling sore in his arms. His Constitution was four, one point lower than a healthy adult. Because of that, he would tire easily. The exhaustion from his body and soul was starting to take a toll, wearing him down.


    Why did I ask to be an apprentice? I did this to myself.


    Even though Roy was grumbling in silence, he finished the job Fletcher gave him. It was more important than his own feelings, but the point here was that every livestock he killed granted him EXP.


    I am working for someone else after all. Even so, I get to train my body, gain EXP, and I even have meat. Perfect. Nothing toin about.


    His first day of being an apprentice finally came to an arduous end after butchering two cows. The clients were from another vige, and Fletcher received ten crowns for his service. ¡°Business ain¡¯t this good every day,¡± Fletcher told him.


    Kaer only had a hundred families or so. Even if they included business from the other viges, it wasn¡¯t as if Fletcher had work all the time.


    When their job was done for the day, Fletcher, in all his generosity, gave Roy a piece of meat the size of his hand. Fletcher didn¡¯t see him as freebor either. He¡¯d pay Roy one crown per week, but Roy didn¡¯tin. He was just starting out in that line of work, so money wasn¡¯t important early on.


    ¡°What should we do with the innards, Uncle Fletcher?¡±


    ¡°Toss ¡®em out.¡±


    The world of ¡°The Witcher¡± was simr to the European continent in Roy¡¯s past life. Not everyone could stomach the innards of livestocks. After the bigger livestock were butchered, their innards would be buried in the wilds and burned. Either that, or they¡¯d be fed to the fish in a river.


    ¡°Can I take them?¡± Roy didn¡¯t care that much. He lived in C Nation in his past life, where everyone ate everything under the sun, and he had his fair share of innards. Innards? So what? Meat is meat. He was a growing boy, and he¡¯d get his hands on any food.


    As dusk started to fall, the shadows became longer, connecting them to the twilight world. Roy washed the blood from the butcher¡¯s yard and left with a heavy, bloody bag of innards. The weight of it almost made him pass out, but he endured. The day of butchering alsoted him ten EXP.


    As the sun started its descent down the horizon, smoke started billowing above the chimneys of Kaer¡¯s rickety houses. The men who¡¯d toiled in the fields for the whole day came back with their hoes thrown over their shoulders. The children, filthy after a day¡¯s worth of games, yed chase with their livestock in the yard. As the sky darkened, candlelight started illuminating the houses, providing a shred of warmth to the night.


    Roy took a deep breath. ¡°I wonder how much longer this peace willst.¡±


    ***


    When he was just a short distance away from his home, Roy could vaguely see two soldiersing to the vige. They were d in yellow armor, and they had swords hanging from their belts. Once the soldiers took a few heavy bags, they went back to their cart and left in a hurry. The vigers were already used to the soldiers¡¯ arrival, so they didn¡¯t react to them.


    Roy knew what was happening. Everyone in Kaer had to give the ruler of Lower Posada a part of their harvest as tax. The ruler took a whopping thirty percent of the vigers¡¯ harvest, leaving them with just enough to live their lives. Moore had skullcaps andmon hop in his yard, and after collecting the harvest, handed two bags of dried skullcaps to the ruler.


    Skullcaps were simr to tobo leaves on Earth. Whenever they had time, the vigers would whip their pipes out, pop the skullcap in, and puff the smoke. It was their way of living life.


    Taxes weremon everywhere, especially Aedirn. Every nation under its rule, including proxy nations, had to pay higher taxespared to the other three northern kingdoms. Because of that, Aedirn was constantly under the threat of peasant movements.


    As Roy went around to chat with the vigers, he found out that a peasant movement had blown up in Aldersberg, southern Aedirn.


    ¡°What the heck is the monarchy thinking? No wonder Aedirn lost its rights to both the northern and southern part of the nation in the end. No wonder it became a broken nation.¡±


    ¡°Danger is approaching. I have to race with time.¡±


    Food was the only thing that could stave off Roy¡¯s stress for a while. He still had some rooster meat from the kill from a day ago, and aftering home with beef, Susie cooked up a big pot of meat soup. It still wasn¡¯t seasoned, and it was still tasteless, and Roy could still taste the meat¡¯s stench. Even so, they at least had meat.


    Fletcher might have discarded the innards, but Roy took them back and cleaned them up. He then scrounged for some celery, wild greens, and salt he gleaned from his parents after a bit of begging. After that, he stir fried the ingredients.


    The aroma and stench of meat wafted throughout the house from Roy¡¯s stir-fried meat and innards. If it was the old him, Roy wouldn¡¯t have eaten a crude dish like that, but his new body didn¡¯t mind it. Food was precious in their era, and meat scarce. Also, people only had two meals here, so a growing boy like him wouldn¡¯t let go of any chance to gobble meat up.


    Meat was great, but it was a shame Roy only gained 0.1 EXP from it. And he understood that killing creatures was the best way to level up. ¡°I can level up quickly even if I only make a few kills every other day.¡± Roy was starting to look forward to his butchering life.


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord for updates on releases! </b><b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 5

    <b>Chapter 5: Inn and Gwent</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    As the night turned dark, the vigers started blowing their candlelights out. The men went to sleep with their wives beside them, while the children stared into the night sky and counted the sheep. Thompson, the night patrol, went around the vige with nothing but a torch and his rusty sword. His job was to chase away any beasts or bandits, and to signal everyone if danger wasing.


    The only ces that were still bright were the chief¡¯s home and the ramshackle inn in the vige center ¡ª Ol¡¯ Captain¡¯s Inn.


    asionally, single young men with time to spare would frequent the inn to spend the night away from home. Once they had a few drinks, they¡¯d get high and call the inn¡¯s boss ¡ª One-Eyed Jack ¡ª for a game of Gwent. One-Eyed Jack was a bearded man who loved to brag about his younger days that were spent on the seas of Skellige Isles.


    Ol¡¯ Captain¡¯s Inn was illuminated warmly by the crackling firece and the luminescent candles that hung along the walls. It was a quiet ce, one where a few customers were enjoying their drinks after a day of hard work.


    Roy was standing before the Gwent game board, and his eyes gleamed as he looked at the delicate, beautiful cards. Gods, these are actual Gwent cards!


    Gwent was first created by a dwarf as a way to stave off boredom, but it quickly grew in poprity thanks to its simple rules and interesting and ever-changing gamey. Nobles and civilians alike loved to y a few matches in their spare time.


    The characters in the cards were based on the legendary characters in the world, such as King Emhyr of Nilfgaard, King Foltest of Temeria, King Demavend of Aedirn ¡ª who was wearing a crown ¡ª and the beautiful Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia.


    Every Gwent card was a dwarf¡¯sbor of love. Their wless craftsmanship, gorgeous artwork, and perfect design were divine and impossible to forge. Some of the unique cards were created by a dwarf grandmaster, making them masterpieces.


    A normal card would usually go for a couple of crowns at most, and most shops would sell a few of them. Some of the rarer ones could cost as much as a house in Vengerberg, the capital of Aedirn, but the collectors who would sell those were scarce.


    After watching a few matches, Roy saw Nilfgaardian decks, Northern Kingdom decks, and even Skellige Isles decks, but there were no monster cards or Scoia¡¯tael decks. Monster cards were rare, while Scoia¡¯tael decks, well¡­


    Scoia¡¯tael was an alliance who helped Nilfgaard ambush the humans in the Northern Kingdoms in the war. The Northern War hadn¡¯t begun yet in the year 1260, which meant nobody knew of Scoia¡¯tael, and that meant no decks. Scoia¡¯tael decks would only emerge after the Northern War, where a dwarf grandmaster would create the expansion pack.


    ¡°Hey, Roy, why aren¡¯t you at home? It¡¯s past your bedtime. You shouldn¡¯t be in an inn.¡± When One-Eyed Jack tried to pat Roy¡¯s head with his furry hand, Roy evaded it easily.


    Roy gave him a sheepish grin. He was only thirteen, so acting cute wasn¡¯t something to be ashamed about. As long as it gets me what I need. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Brandon, Jack. He said he¡¯d treat me to some fruit wine tonight,¡± Roy lied. He was waiting because he had a deal to keep. He¡¯d teach Brandon a simple magic trick he¡¯d learned online in his past life.


    The Gwent match came as a surprise though. Roy thought he could make some money out of it, for the yers in Witcher 3 would invariably get addicted to Gwent.


    An ugly smile carved itself on One-Eyed Jack¡¯s weathered, wrinkly face. ¡°That fatso? He¡¯d steal his old man¡¯s money just to have some booze here. His wine is diluted with water though. If I didn¡¯t do that, ol¡¯ Fletcher would have found out about it and whooped his ass. Don¡¯t pick up that habit.¡± At the same time, his eyes shone, and One-Eyed Jack quickly ced a white Gwent card on the board.


    That y turned his opponent¡¯s face as white as the card One-Eyed Jack ced.


    ¡°Take this, Otter! Biting Frost! All your Close Combat cards¡¯ strength is now 1! Thirty-five to twenty! Game, set, and match!¡±


    Jack pooled the crowns to himself, the coins ttering against the table as they moved.


    Otter the farmer¡¯s face fell. ¡°Dammit. My luck¡¯s worse than the fish in Kovir. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m out for the night.¡± He darted out of the inn.


    Then Roy quickly took his ce and stared at One-Eyed Jack.


    ¡°Sit somewhere else, boy. My old friend¡¯sing, and tonight I¡¯m going to win all his crowns. I ain¡¯t taking no for an answer.¡±


    ¡°Jack, since we both have nothing to do, why don¡¯t I y with you as your warmup?¡±


    Jack shook his head. ¡°Do you even have Gwent cards?¡± There¡¯s no way a kid would have the money for Gwent.


    ¡°Aw,e on. Everyone knows Captain Jack¡¯s a collector. You have tons of cards in your collection. There must be more than one copy of some. Can¡¯t you just make a deck for me?¡± Roy sped his hands and gazed at Jack with sparkling eyes.


    Jack sighed. ¡°You used to be so sweet and sheepish. What happened to you? Did someone drill obstinance into your head? You sure won¡¯t back down.¡± Jack raised his hand to smack Roy, but then he remembered something, and he stopped.


    ¡°Fine, I owe you this. I can lend you my cards, but there¡¯s no point ying Gwent without any bets. If you lose, you¡¯ll have to clean up my inn once. Deal?¡±


    ¡°What if I win?¡±


    ¡°You get one crown.¡±


    ¡°But you got two crowns per win,¡± Roy blurted. Jack was about to fly into a rage, but Roy covered his mouth before he could say anything else.


    A short whileter, Roy had a Northern Realms deck made out of thirty-five cards. Thirty-one of them were unit cards that had a strength of six or less, and four were weather cards. There wasn¡¯t even one unique hero card. Not one.


    Gwent cards were smooth and soft to the touch. It felt even better than a teenage girl¡¯s perfect skin, and for an instant, Roy was reluctant to let them go.


    On the other hand, Roy had no idea about One-Eyed Jack¡¯s deck.


    The game started shortly after. Sometimeter, Brandon scurried to the table to watch the match, and a dark-skinned man measuring over six feet four came along.


    PR/N: Six feet four is around 1.93 meters.


    They did nothing but watch silently. Roy started the game slow, ying his cards hesitantly. On the other hand, Jack was nonchnt. He crossed his arms whenever it was Roy¡¯s turn, and he yed lightning fast when it was his. Roy, inevitably, lost the first two rounds.


    However, as the matches went on, Roy ended up turning the tables, winning match after match. Jack stared at the board, unblinking. He found it harder to make his moves, and his face fell after every loss.


    ¡°You cheated, you little bastard!¡± Jack roared as he shot up. It was half an hourter. His face was red from the tension, and he looked like an angered lion. Before he could do anything, an impossible muscly hand pushed him down to his seat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching the whole time, captain. Roy didn¡¯t cheat. I guarantee it.¡± Seeger had a sure look on his face, though a smile spread across his lips silently. He loved it when Jack lost, for Seeger never won a Gwent match against him.


    Roy gave the red-haired man a look of gratitude.


    The man was Seeger, a Kaer viger and cksmith who worked as a repairman for the vigers¡¯ farming tools. Roy heard that Seeger used to be in Jack¡¯s crew, and they had run a trade ship on the Skellige Isles. After Jack¡¯s retirement, Seeger came with him to Aedirn to settle down. Seeger wasn¡¯t born and raised in Aedirn; he was a Skellige Isles local, and the man was an honest one.


    ¡°You should thank the horse that crashed into you, Roy.¡± Seeger smacked Roy¡¯s head. ¡°You used to act like a girl, but now, now you¡¯re starting to look like a man.¡±


    ***


    After that little episode, the Gwent match went on for half an hour, totaling to eight matches in the end. One-Eyed Jack lost five of them, and a whopping five crowns sat quietly on Roy¡¯s side of the table. He¡¯d have to work with Fletcher for more than a month to earn what he¡¯d made during that one night.


    ¡°Unbelievable. Are you really siding with this brat, o great Melitele? My deck is two times better than his, but I lost five matches? This can¡¯t be real. Even if he¡¯s skilled, he can¡¯t beat me that easily.¡±


    Still frustrated over his loss, Jack glowered at Roy. Roy worried silently after being red at. Did I go too far?


    He did cheat, but nobody saw it. Roy kept two weather cards in his inventory space when nobody was looking, and throughout the matches, he¡¯d swapped his cards to freeze Jack¡¯s units. That lowered their strength, which Jack worked so hard to pile up. Gods, that was fun.


    ¡°Because I am lucky.¡± Roy tried to sound as calm as possible. ¡°Nobody is luckier than me when ites to Gwent. The great Melitele has granted me her blessing.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Jack mmed the wall, and it shook from the impact. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that damned thief, Sasha, you wouldn¡¯t have won. She stole my Mysterious Elf!¡±


    Sasha? Roy paused for a moment at the mention of that name. He thought he¡¯d met Sasha in the game, but he couldn¡¯t remember who she was.


    Brandon, the little fat kid, thought about it and shouted, ¡°Isn¡¯t Sasha the rider who knocked into Roy?¡±


    The mention of the ident made Jack give up dwelling on his loss. ¡°Forget it. If it weren¡¯t for me chasing after her, she wouldn¡¯t have panicked and crashed into Roy. I¡¯ll let this matter slide today.¡±


    Roy connected the dots and realized why Jack said he owed him, and why he was willing to lend a Gwent deck. So it¡¯s because he has a rare card, and a thief came to steal it. That¡¯s why Roy got knocked out and merged with me.


    ¡°Come here at the same time tomorrow night, Roy. We¡¯ll have a few matches. You won¡¯t be lucky forever. I¡¯ll find out how you cheat one way or another.¡±


    Roy took the offer without hesitation. He made five crowns in half an hour, so there was no reason not to let his greatest source of ie go. Captain Jack¡¯s as addicted to Gwent as those dwarves who got bankrupt because of it.


    Brandon, wanting to have a piece of the show, tugged on Roy¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Roy, Roy, teach me that magic trick!¡± He whipped out a handful of aromatic, sweet, yellowish snacks from his pocket and popped them into Roy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Those are cracklings. They¡¯re delicious, aren¡¯t they? Fletcher cooks up cracklings every time he ughters a pig. You teach me some tricks, and I¡¯ll bring you snacks every day.¡±


    Roy looked at the naive, childish, chubby boy, and smiled. He ttened out a single strand of hair that poked out from Brandon¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. We¡¯ll have to go to bed soon.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 6

    <b>Chapter 6: New Skill and Level Up</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Tranquil days passed by quietly like a flowing river. Before he knew it, Roy had been working as an apprentice for nearly a month, and he spent many nights getting into Gwent matches in the inn. Slowly but surely, Roy started to blend into the familiar yet alien Kaer.


    Over the month of working and ying Gwent, Roy managed to save up sixty crowns, most of which came from Jack and Seeger. The money was enough to sustain a trip to Vengerberg or any big city. Roy wanted to win more crowns, but Seeger and Jack started bringing their guards up when around him. They stopped ying Gwent with him, and Roy lost his greatest source of ie.


    Ever since he got to know Seeger, Roy kept asking him about his hometown, the Skellige Isles. He was trying to forge a bond with Seeger. He spent fifty crowns purchasing a dagger and a small crossbow from Seeger.


    ¡°Gotta protect myself, you see?¡±


    The crossbow was called Gabriel, named after the Forger of Verden. It was grey in color, and Roy could hold it with one hand. Seeger also gave him twenty wooden crossbow bolts as a gift.


    Any other Aedirn cksmith wouldn¡¯t have sold Gabriel to a scrawny boy like Roy, but Seeger was different. He came from the Skellige Isles, and he was an honest man. Seeger believed that a man should always possess a weapon from a young age in order to stay safe amidst the chaos. Children as young as ten would have started swinging weapons around on Skellige Isles, so he didn¡¯t mind selling Gabriel, especially when he had taken a liking to Roy.


    ***


    Compared to the crossbows that could¡¯ve been easily found in the game, the crossbow Seeger gave him was powerful. It might¡¯ve had an outdated structure, short range, and slow reload, but at least crossbows didn¡¯t demand any skill. Even weak children and the elderly could use it. As long as they held it steady and shot straight, even elite soldiers could be hurt.


    The crossbow was the perfect choice for Roy, who had nobat experience, and had a lower Constitution than the average adult. At least it was better than a melee weapon. His perception rivaled an adult¡¯s and he had a broad range of sight, making him an efficient ranged fighter.


    Roy kept his dagger and crossbow in his inventory space. It was a convenient thing for Roy. Aside from being unable to keep living beings, the only restriction was size. He could keep anything as long as it didn¡¯t exceed the maximum space. All he had to do was think about the item, and it would show up in his hands.


    ***


    As dawn broke through the horizon, the dewdrops on the weeds nking the streets started to glisten under the sunlight. Roy, as usual, was going to the butcher¡¯s ce. He would wave at the vigers on the way there, but most of them ignored him.


    Kaer was a traditional ce. The vigers held the belief that children should inherit their parents¡¯ business. They thought Roy should just toil the fields, but instead, he went to learn the skills of a butcher, spent his nights in the inn, and even made a friend out of the outsider from the Skellige Isles.


    His aberrant behavior garnered him nothing but the vigers¡¯ jealousy and nasty whispers. If he was the original Roy, he would have locked himself up where the sun didn¡¯t shine after hearing the rumors, but the current Roy didn¡¯t care about them.


    If his n went well, he¡¯d level up first before going out into the wild and hunting with his new weapons. He could just get some kills and sell the animal skins for some crowns. Of course, he¡¯d keep on learning the trade of the butcher.


    Something like a hunting license might¡¯ve existed in big cities, but a small, remote vige like Kaer wasn¡¯t bound under that regtion. Roy could hunt all he wanted.


    Once he leveled up a few more times, Roy thought he would be able to defend himself well enough. After he made some money, he¡¯d try to bring Moore and Susie to Novigrad and settle there. He¡¯d have to make sure his parents were safe before he could go off in his pursuit of strength and explore the wonderful world he was in.


    Messages started flooding his mind. Aretuza, the academy for youngdies, was located in the Thanedd Isles, Gors Velen, while Ban Ard Academy for young men was located in Kaedwen. The stronghold of the Wolf School, Kaer Morhen, was located in the Blue Mountains, which was east of Kaedwin. It was there that Vesemir lived.


    All the ces the messages told him about were in his exploration n, and Roy intended to check off everything on his bucket list. However, for the time being, he¡¯d take the first step to his momentous journey ¡ª killing more livestock. Then he¡¯d level up.


    After a month of continuous scolding and teachings from the butcher, as well as the sweat and blood Roy sacrificed for his work, his stats changed ever so slightly.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Thirteen years and eight months old


    Status: Civilian


    HP: 41


    Strength: 4¡ú4.2


    Dexterity: 5¡ú5.1


    Constitution: 4¡ú4.1


    Perception: 5


    Will: 4¡ú4.5


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 6


    You unlocked a new Skill.


    Unnamed (Passive): Level 1


    (You have killed and dismembered more than four types of animals. Your total kill and dismemberment has exceeded fifteen. You now have a bloody aura around you. The aura cannot be dispelled. You have a one percent chance to Fear any enemies within a one foot range. If the enemy has a lower Will than you, you have a one percent chance to cause it to lose control over its body. You have an understanding of the anatomy of mammals (pigs, cows, goats, dogs etc.). You know how to control your strength and weapon to bypass their skin, muscle, and bones to attack their weakness. Your damage against creatures with a simr anatomy is permanently increased by one percent. Tip: This skill will level up ording to the number and types of creatures you kill.)


    PR/N: One foot is around 0.3 meters.


    Inventory space: 1 cubic meter


    Other: Unknown


    EXP: 98/100¡¯


    ***


    After a month of intense training and enough food to eat, Roy¡¯s strength, constitution, and dexterity saw a slight increase. His face was no longer a stark contrast to his jet ck hair, but instead had a pink glow of health to it. Roy was obviously sturdier than he was a month ago. He was still scrawny, but at least he had shed that feeling of extreme weakness.


    Will was the attribute that saw the biggest increase, but Roy thought it was natural. Anyone would have an iron will after having puked for a month and kept on working in a bloody, squalid, and rancid environment.


    Roy could feel something eviling from his new passive skill. The odds of it activating and the damage increase it provided were only one percent, because it was only a level 1 skill after all. The damage increase would help in at least some situations. Besides, the skill could level up through skill point distribution and the moment Roy made enough kills.


    Hm, since I got this skill through the butcher¡¯s teaching, and it levels up through killing, why don¡¯t I call it¡­ Roy gave it a name, and the unnamed skill was called Massacre.


    ***


    On the way back to his house, Roy bumped into Brandon, who tried to ram into him.


    Brandon had a special affinity with magic. He only spent a month mastering the little tricks Roy taught him, such as the prophecy, the magical hay, and the phantom fork, and he was already performing them perfectly.


    Roy wasn¡¯t sure if Brandon could be a bard, but he knew Brandon could be a magician if he wanted to. After being harassed by Brandon for a month, Roy had already held up his end of the bargain, and he had no desire to y along with Brandon anymore.


    ¡°How many times have I told you? I taught you everything I know, so let me go, you snotty brat!¡±


    Brandon¡¯s eyes were filled with the desire for knowledge. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can get a gander of this trick I improvised on. Man, if I perform this when I be a bard, the whole Kaer¡¯s going to be surprised. No, the whole Lower Posada!¡±


    ¡°Not interested. I have a job to do.¡±


    ¡°I can give you some cracklings. Fletcher made it yesterday.¡± Brandon gave him a sycophantic smile. That was the first time the little guy had to beg for a favor. Usually it was the other way around, but after finding out about magic and falling in love with it, Brandon showed an unprecedented passion for it.


    Roy stood his ground. ¡°Then show it to your dad. Or yourckeys. Brady and the gang would love to praise you for your show.¡±


    ¡°My dad? He¡¯s going to kick my ass.¡± Brandon held Roy¡¯s hand and insisted, ¡°And I can¡¯t show those guys. They¡¯re just kids. They can¡¯t give me any ideas to improve. You¡¯re the only one around who can.¡±


    Roy stared into his eyes and cruelly replied, ¡°Stoping to me. I have a job, and I need to settle something important. Never talk to me about magic tricks ever again. If you don¡¯t have anyone to show off to, why don¡¯t you show it to your mother?¡±


    Brandon froze, and he looked down in silence.


    ***


    After Roy shook Brandon off, he went to Fletcher¡¯s house and noticed a couple of people struggling against a big white pig. Fletcher was mping down on its head, while a viger tried to pull on its tail, but the pig dragged them around and oinked loudly. Roy hastened and pinned the pig down, then Fletcher fed it the anesthetic, and it finally stopped squirming.


    Fletcher plopped down onto the pig¡¯s dirty back, but didn¡¯tin. The ps on his face trembled as he moved, and he asked, sounding nonchnt, ¡°You saw that brat, didn¡¯t you, Roy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He went to show off his magic tricks to some kids.¡±


    ¡°Call him back for me once we butcher this pig. That brat stood the chief off again.¡± Fletcher rubbed his nose and whispered, ¡°I did yell at him a bit too harshly though, so help me out. I don¡¯t want him to run around in a fit of anger.¡±


    He just doesn¡¯t know how to show that he cares, doesn¡¯t he? Roy thought, and he agreed to help out.


    With Fletcher¡¯s help, Roy killed the fat pig in one strike. Once the blood had finished flowing out, his EXP bar filled, and Roy felt a weak quake from his character sheet. He then excused himself and sat down somewhere quiet.


    When he looked at his character sheet, there was a plus sign after the EXP bar.


    After concentrating his mind on the plus sign, a new message showed up on the sheet. ¡°Level 1 (3/500).¡±


    At the same time, a surge of warmth flowed through his body. It felt like inner energy, Qi, or as they called it, chaos energy. At the same time, a plus sign showed up after every stat and his skill, Massacre.


    He gained one attribute point and one skill point from the level up.


    Roy was overjoyed, but he held his excitement back and observed his stats closely.


    His Strength was 4.2, Constitution 4.1, and Will 4.5. Those stats were weaker than an average adult. Even if he added one point to any one of them, it wouldn¡¯t provide him with any edge inbat. He could just keep working as an apprentice to the butcher, and his body would eventually grow into the stats of an adult. There was no point in wasting a hard-earned point on that.


    He had no desire to be someone who relied on their looks for a living, so Charisma wasn¡¯t in his list of considerations.


    That left Spirit, Perception, and Dexterity for him, and it was those stats that Roy was paying attention to.


    He was on par with an average adult in those stats, and his Spirit was one point higher than a normal adult¡¯s. In his case where he had little attribute points, Roy would prefer to increase his advantage rather than to be a master of all trades.


    However, Roy hadn¡¯t mastered any spell, nor had hee into contact with pseudo spells like the witchers¡¯ signs. Since Spirit would only increase the strength of spells, Roy wouldn¡¯t add a point to Spirit.


    So only Perception and Dexterity are left.


    Adding a point to Dexterity would increase his reaction speed and sight when he was moving. It would increase his efficiency in utilizing Gabriel, which would help in his n.


    Adding one point in Perception would grant him a clearer view of his surroundings. It could be used in defense and premonition. A higher Perception would also help with his observation skills and sight, which could increase his efficiency with Gabriel.


    After pondering upon the matter long and hard, Roy came to a decision.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Perception then.¡±


    The moment he thought of adding that point into Perception, Perception had its point increased by one, making it a total of six. At the same time, a stronger surge of warmth flowed through his whole body.


    Roy fell into a state of transcendence after he heightened his perception. The world itself became livelier in his eyes. Roy could faintly smell the stench of blooding from the butcher¡¯s house, and when he looked into the growths of grass, Roy could see the dewdrops on the tips of their des, and thedybug that sparkled bright red as it crossed the leaves. He could feel the flow of the air as it brushed against his fingertips before dancing away into the space ahead. The air itself felt warm to the touch, and it enveloped him in a gentle manner.


    Everything around him became livelier and more magical than Roy had ever imagined.


    He stayed in that trance for the longest time before slowly snapping out of it. And then he added his skill point into Massacre, leveling it up by one level. Massacre was currently level 2.


    It was only a one level increase, but the damage increase and activation chance spiked. They were only one percent at level 1, but they were both five percent at level 2. The addition to Perception didn¡¯t change Roy¡¯s physique though.


    Roy was delighted by the improvements he made, and he was confident that his following n would work out. The euphoria from leveling up swept everything away from his mind, and he had forgotten the request Fletcher asked of him.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 7

    <b>Chapter 7: Missing</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Late at night, Roy was sound asleep, and he had a dream about his meeting with the hook-nosed, bald man who called himself Master Mirror. This happened after he¡¯d defeated the griffin, higher vampire, and the Unseen Elder. Then his dream was broken by a panicked knock on the door.


    ¡°Moore, Susie! This is urgent! I need you to open the door right now!¡± someone called out to the couple outside. Roy struggled to get up, cold sweat drenching his back. He saw his parents standing at the door with a candle holder in hand. Before them stood the muscr butcher, but he looked terrified, and his voice was quavering.


    When a gust of the night¡¯s breeze brushed across Roy¡¯s face, he finally shook the sleepiness away.


    What happened? Why does the butcher who cusses all day look so terrified? Roy had the answer before long.


    ¡°Did something happen to Brandon, Uncle Fletcher?¡±


    Roy wore his thin hemp pajamas and went up to his parents. The cold candle light shone on Fletcher¡¯s face. His eyes were bloodshot, his lips dry. There was worry in his eyes, and he looked haggard, like a cat on hot bricks.


    ¡°That damn brat¡­¡± Fletcher¡¯s head hung low, the torch he held trembling as his hand and beard shivered. ¡°He¡¯s missing. Brandon didn¡¯te home tonight.¡±


    ¡°Did you search for him in Brady¡¯s house? Could he be having a sleepover at his friend¡¯s ce?¡±


    Roy took a deep breath and calmed himself down. ¡°And Ol¡¯ Captain¡¯s Inn too. He¡¯d go there once in a while.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Fletcher shook his head. ¡°I searched everywhere. Asked everyone, but nobody saw him since the afternoon. The brat¡¯s cheeky, but he¡¯s never stayed out thiste into the night.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Uncle Fletcher. Think closely. He might have gone somewhere else. We¡¯ll help you find him.¡±


    ¡°No, you stay here and sleep.¡± Moore sped his shoulder. ¡°Susie and I will help.¡±


    ¡°Dad, did you forget what I¡¯ve been doing for the past four weeks? I¡¯ve seen more blood in a month than most people have seen their whole lives. I¡¯m not scared.¡± Roy gave his parents a calm and reassuring look. ¡°I won¡¯t get into trouble. Trust me.¡± He held their hands.


    Moore and Susie looked at each other and sighed, then they nodded.


    They could see their son¡¯s change over the month. It became more and more pronounced with each passing day. He was no longer his old, weak, timid self. Roy was an opinionated boy, and once he had decided something, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. They weren¡¯t strict parents. After Roy had convinced them to let him join, they exited the yard.


    Fletcher held his hand. ¡°Thank you, child.¡±


    Roy felt his grip and nodded. Fletcher had been taking good care of him over the month, so he wouldn¡¯t sit out when Brandon was missing.


    That snotty brat¡¯s everything to Fletcher. He¡¯d be devastated if he lost him. Roy knew the pain of bereavement, and he wouldn¡¯t wish it on Fletcher.


    ***


    Every viger lit up their house after hearing about Brandon¡¯s disappearance. Fletcher was still on the search, followed by One-Eyed Jack, Seeger, Thompson, and three other male vigers. They were all holding torches, and some of them had a sword hanging from their waist, while the others were holding hoes and pitchforks, ready for the search.


    ¡°Is this all? So the chief isn¡¯t getting everyone into this?¡± Roy was slightly disappointed.


    One-Eyed Jack touched his beard and sighed. ¡°The older they get, the more death scares them. The chief said it¡¯s dangerous in the wild at night, and he¡¯d only send a search party in the morning. Ain¡¯t easy getting these folks to join the search. We¡¯d best hurry up, or Brandon would probably stink as much as Skellige¡¯s dead fish if we tarry until dawn.¡±


    ¡°Can you be quiet, boss?¡± Seeger then looked at Fletcher calmly and tried to console him. ¡°Brandon¡¯s probably lost outside. He¡¯s a smart child. Melitele will protect him.¡±


    Everyone knew what a kid in a remote vige surrounded by the wilds would be if they went missing. Dead. But nobody would mention it.


    An eerie chill crept up on Roy, and he recalled how harsh he was toward Brandon that morning. Fletcher even asked him to take care of the child, but he forgot about it after leveling up. If something happens to Brandon, part of the responsibility lies with me.


    ¡°Dammit. I have to find him.¡±


    ¡°Right. We¡¯ll split into two teams to cover more ground. Let¡¯s go in different directions, but don¡¯t go too far. Come back as soon as possible if you fail to find him,¡± Thompson said. He then took Roy, Seeger, One-Eyed Jack, and Fletcher into his team, while Susie, Moore, and the other vigers were in the other team.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Dad, Susie. Mr. Seeger¡¯s here, so I¡¯m perfectly safe. You guys, be careful.¡±


    The couple nodded. They could see their son was in a team that was better equipped.


    The team walked in a straight line into the darkness with nothing but torches to light their surroundings. Seeger led the group, while Fletcher followed him. Roy trailed behind the butcher, and Jack stood behind Roy. Thompson took the rear.


    Untold dangers lurked in the night. The wilds in Lower Posada were infested with rabid dogs, wolf packs, and gruesome creatures who would kill them if given half the chance.


    ***


    Aedirn¡¯s autumn night had always been chilly. The temperature was nearly zero degree Celsius, and Roy was shivering in the cold, his breath turning into mist.


    The moon was full that night, its silvery light bathing the wilds, but it provided no security. Strange sounds crept out from the depths of the wilds. They sounded like bugs, but also something else. Something horrifying.


    The golden ear of the wheat swayed along as the night breeze whispered its secrets among them, and they danced under the moonlight. The flowers ofmon hops filled the air with a faint bitter scent, but none came to taste it.


    The party started their search in the fields around Kaer, and they kept calling out for Brandon. Even with the help of torches and the moonlight, their vision was severely restricted. Most of them could only see ten feet away.


    Roy wasn¡¯t most people. Much to his surprise, he realized that his vision wasn¡¯t restricted at all. He could see things clearly even if they were thirty feet away, just like how he would in daytime.


    He knew he could do this because of the sight improvement from his Perception. Yep. I made the right investment.


    After one hour into the search, Brandon was still nowhere to be seen. Roy¡¯s search party had searched through every field in Kaer, to no avail. Worry and tension started to brew among them. They knew the chances of Brandon¡¯s survival would get slimmer the longer they tarried.


    Jack was observing his members along the way, and then he suddenly stopped. ¡°We can¡¯t find him like this. Fletcher, think carefully. Where else could that kid go?¡±


    Fletcher hunkered down and held his head in agony. ¡°The damn brat keeps saying he wants to go to a big city and be a bard, but he never even left Kaer a day in his life. The most he did was fish in the river near the vige, but he never went farther than that. I haven¡¯t fulfilled my promise to him and my wife. I have to send him to Vengerberg and Oxenfurt.¡±


    Roy sighed silently after hearing that. A short whileter, something struck him. Roy recalled he said something he shouldn¡¯t to Brandon. Show it to your mother¡­ ¡°Uncle Fletcher, I¡¯ve never heard anything about Brandon¡¯ste mother.¡±


    Fletcher still looked despondent. ¡°Anna¡¯s been dead for three years because of her whooping cough. She¡¯s buried in¡­¡± Fletcher paused. ¡°The cemetery!¡± He shot up, looking galvanized. ¡°Anna¡¯s buried in the cemetery! It¡¯s in the east of the vige. Could the brat be there? It¡¯s possible!¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for then? To the cemetery!¡±


    The cemetery where the dead vigers rested was about three miles east of the vige. There was a dirt path covered by sticks and grass between the vige and the cemetery. It was the dead of night, but the search party dashed across the path, torches held up high above their heads.


    Roy was trailing behind the men, huffing and puffing. Sweat started glistening on his forehead not long after. He was slightly weaker than an average adult, but he couldn¡¯t ask a father who was worried about his son to slow down. All he could do was grit his teeth and follow the team.


    Jack was equally out of breath. He was getting on in age, and he had copious amounts of alcohol every day. Because of that, he was physically weaker than most people.


    After running a mile, Roy sensed somethinging their way, and rm bells rang in his head inexplicably. ¡°Everybody look out!¡± he roared.


    The moment he said that, everyone noticed dots of eerie green light shing in the darkness in the overgrown shrubs around them, moving quickly as they did so. They looked like eyes, but they gleamed differently. To be more exact, they crackled like pairs of ghost fire that threatened to burn them whole. Something shuffled within the bushes, and a deep growl followed shortly, revealing a menacing wolf pack before them. It was blocking their way to the cemetery.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 8

    <b>Chapter 8: A Bolt in the Dark</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    As the wolf pack started to surround them, Roy and his team noticed more pairs of eyes staring at them. They gleamed a menacing green, and when the beasts revealed themselves under the moonlight, they saw they were surrounded by a pack of lean wolves that had different colors of fur.


    They surrounded the search party, but because of the light from the torches, stayed some distance away, though they still bared their fangs and snarled. Roy and the others could see that the wolves were ready to strike at any time. There were twenty around them at a nce, and they were all as big as calves. Their size alone was terrifying enough.


    Everyone formed a circle by reflex, and they unsheathed their steel swords.


    Roy was kept in the center by the men, and all he could see beyond was the wolf pack. The men might¡¯ve been unable to smell the stench from the wolves, but Roy could. They emanated the rotten odor of blood and meat, making Roy gag.


    When he looked closer, he could see the mindless cruelty and desire for fresh meat welling up in the eyes of the beasts. He¡¯d seen videos about wolves in his past life, and he even yed games that had them in it, but nothing prepared him for the shock he felt when he saw them in real life.


    An uncontroble shiver crept up on him. Those wolves weren¡¯t livestock that were tied up and had anesthetic fed to them. Those wolves were feral hunters, capable of tearing human flesh easily with their sharp fangs.


    One-Eyed Jack swung his torch slowly, keeping the wolves at bay with the burning mes. ¡°Look out, everyone. These beasts are known for their cunningness.¡± The old sailor obviously had his fair share of battles in his younger days. He was calm, and there wasn¡¯t a hint of fear on his face.


    Fletcher and Thompson had seen more than enough gore in their lives. The pack didn¡¯t scare them, and they held their sword steady as they faced the wolves.


    Seeger gave the animals a threatening re. He held his steel sword with both hands, positioning it at his right, the weapon¡¯s de facing forty-five degrees upward. His back was taut, his muscles rxed. Seeger bent down slightly, his left leg pointing at the wolf pack. His right was behind the left, pointing forty degrees outward. Obviously, the cksmith from Skellige was trained in swordsmanship. His sword handling was fluid and professional.


    Roy was the weak link of the team. He was pale and drenched in cold sweat.


    ¡°Stay close, men, and move slowly. Don¡¯t panic, and no sudden movements,¡± Jack said calmly. The team slowly moved toward the cemetery like an imprable fortress.


    The moment they took a step, the wolf pack became agitated, and they howled into the night, piercing the silence. The wolves facing them pounced, determined to w through their prey.


    ¡°Away, you beast!¡± Jack roared, and he mmed his leg into a wolf¡¯s head, sending it flying through the air. At the same time, he shed at the beast, drawing a silvery arc through the air, and it cut through the wolf¡¯s thigh.


    It whimpered in pain and shuffled backward.


    ¡°I might be old, but that ain¡¯t mean I can¡¯t fight, ye bastard.¡±


    One-Eyed Jack wanted to go for the kill, but the other wolves stepped in and blocked the de from their injuredrade. A pair of wolves snarled at Jack, intending to tear him apart, but they knew a frontal assault was risky. Instead, the wolves decided to kite Jack, searching for his weakness.


    Jack swung his sword and torch vigorously, trying to keep the wolves at bay, but his age showed in battle. He wouldn¡¯t hold on for much longer. He started sweating, and his movements were getting slower, clumsier.


    At the same time, Fletcher, Seeger, and Thompson were fighting the wolves one to two. Their situation was equally as precarious, and they couldn¡¯te to support Jack.


    Beyond the battle area, a few more wolves hid in the dark, sharpening their ws as they observed the fight. Once someone would show an opening, they would jump into the fray without hesitation. The team would lose the battle of attrition eventually, thought the wolves.


    After a mere five minutes, Jack, the oldest member of the party, was shed by a wolf¡¯s ws, and a bloody gash formed around his waist. He made a counter attack despite the pain, but that was hisst one. When another wolf came for him, he couldn¡¯t defend himself, and he fell down. The wolf moved onto him like a phantom and opened its maw, intending to feast.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect a beast to get the better of little ol¡¯ me,¡± Jack mumbled. When he thought he was going to die, he heard something pierce through the air, and something fell with a dull thud.


    Jack struggled to get up, and he looked around, only to see a bolt embedding itself into the wolf that was going to eat him earlier. It fought for life, but eventually, death came for it, and it couldn¡¯t outrun its fate.


    ¡°Out of the way, Jack.¡± Roy was kneeling down, holding Gabriel in his hands. He¡¯d just pulled the trigger, sending a bolt the wolf¡¯s way. Roy¡¯s nerves and fear drenched him in sweat, and even his lips trembled. The moment the battle went underway, Roy had taken out his crossbow from his inventory space. He wanted to shoot the beasts, but they moved too swiftly for him to do so. The cover of night didn¡¯t help with his aim, and he only managed to get a chance when the wolf let its guard down as it went for the kill.


    Fortunately, his bolt met its mark, saving Jack from a terrible fate. The moment it hit the wolf, Roy saw a purple light sh from the weapon.


    ¡°Is that¡­ Massacre?¡±


    Roy could see that the purple light was the added damage from his skill, and he knew that the wolf had juste into Massacre¡¯s range.


    The fact he knew his skill was able to take effect gave Roy some confidence in battle. He stopped trembling, and pulled the string back before shooting at the remaining wolf that was battling Jack.


    Another bolt flew through the air in pursuit of its prey, not unlike the scythe of the Grim Reaper. It lodged itself deep into the wolf, and the animal let out a howl of anguish before departing the earth, falling with a thud.


    Roy tuned his Perception, trying to find a way out of the battle. He could feel his heart¡¯s fierce pumping as it threatened to burst from his chest. His right hand was getting sore from reloading his crossbow, but he noticed a twenty point increase in his experience. His EXP bar was currently 23/500. Apparently, one wolf provided ten EXP.


    The double kill raised the morale of Roy¡¯s team, while the wolves slowed their attacks, scared because of theirrades¡¯ death.


    They faltered for only a split second, but it was enough for Roy to make another shot. The bolt buried itself in the leg of the wolf that was battling Seeger. It whimpered in pain, but Seeger didn¡¯t stop attacking. He raised his steel sword over his head, tensing his muscles before bringing his sword down, slicing the wolf in half. As he kicked the bloody, mangled carcass away, Seeger thumped his chest and roared in triumph.


    At that point, the team had managed to break through the wolves¡¯ encirclement. Seeger stood in the vanguard, his sword raised above his head. Everyone else shifted into a defensive stance and kept the pouncing wolves at bay. Roy stood in the middle, and being the only one who was still attacking, released shot after deadly shot at the wolves. When he had used up all twenty bolts, five more wolvesy dead. As the bodies piled up, the wolf pack finally realized that Roy and his team wouldn¡¯t go down easily. They gave up on their hunt and went back into the dark with their tails between their legs.


    The moment the wolves ran away, Roy and the others heaved a sigh of relief, and they plopped down onto a patch of grass. The battle only took ten minutes, but it drained everything from them. Everyone except Roy was injured, but everything was minor. Once they went back into the vige, got it bandaged, and rested up for a while, they¡¯d be good as new.


    Roy took a breather and calmed down. As he looked at his bloodied, haggardrades, a sense of pride welled up within him. ¡°We survived.¡±


    Jack let out a heartyugh. ¡°Looks like little ol¡¯ me has another story to brag about now.¡± Jack grinned in pain and smacked Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not bad, kid. I thought you¡¯d be scared shitless and drag us down. Didn¡¯t expect you to be the reason we¡¯d live. I¡¯ll let your cheating in Gwent slide.¡±


    Everyone else shared the same sentiment, but at the same time, they were incredulous. Fifteen wolves had been killed that night, and almost half of them were either taken out by Roy, or had the final hit dealt by him. When they were his age, most of them were still brats. Even Seeger from Skellige hadn¡¯t made as many kills as Roy did in one night.


    Seegermented, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that I sold the crossbow to you, or none of us would have survived the night. Tell me the truth, Roy. Moore and Susie adopted you, didn¡¯t they? You¡¯re the descendant of an elf or a dwarf, aren¡¯t you? Humans don¡¯t have that kind of uracy.


    Roy smiled at him, then he went to retrieve his bolts from the dead wolves. He couldn¡¯t tell them his secret, and had to say that he only made those kills by mostly luck. It was his first time using a crossbow in battle, and the wolves were too swift to follow. Even with his Perception, it was difficult to keep up with the beasts.


    He¡¯d be lucky to even make five kills during his next hunt.


    Roy joked, ¡°I did say Melitele blessed me. Even if I didn¡¯t aim, the wolves still would¡¯ve gotten shot.¡± Then he looked at his EXP bar. It was standing at 73/500. Yep. The wilds are the best ce to gain EXP. But I don¡¯t think another chance to get free kills wille by easily with these guys keeping me safe .


    Thompson nced at the mini crossbow Roy held. ¡°That¡¯s Gabriel, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s an automatic crossbow that can be handled with one hand. It¡¯s a fitting weapon for you, so keep it close, and don¡¯t lose it. Don¡¯t show it off to the soldiers either,¡± he reminded Roy.


    Roy nodded.


    ¡°Guys, how¡¯s it going?¡± Fletcher interjected. His left forearm was injured, and the worry on his face intensified. ¡°Can we still go on? Brandon might be in danger.¡±


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re going on.¡± Seeger wiped the blood from his sword with his sleeve before sheathing it. ¡°Victory is just ahead, men. Melitele will punish us if we give up on the child.¡±


    Everyone stood up and continued moving toward the cemetery. The remaining journey was peaceful, and the team didn¡¯t encounter any further danger.


    ¡°Come out, Brandon! I¡¯m here!¡± Fletcher shouted toward the cemetery when they were still a distance away.


    Everyone started getting worried. They prayed to the gods that Brandon would reply.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Roy blurted out when they¡¯d gotten past the stony cemetery walls. Something told him they¡¯de across a crisis the same level as the wolf pack encounter.


    His Perception proved to be a great help after he¡¯d surpassed the limits of the average human.


    The cemetery was quiet. Too quiet. Beyond the rusted fence was the cemetery grounds where hundreds of vigersy to rest. Ivory tombstones filled thend, and they gleamed coldly under the icy moonlight. An eerie atmosphere crept up on the team, making them shiver. A small cabin stood in the center of the cemetery. It was the abode of the gravekeeper, Granbell.


    PR/N: Excuse me, but is a cemetery supposed to be anything but quiet?


    ¡°Something¡¯s off. Quiet, Fletcher!¡±


    Thompson raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop, and they lowered their voices to a whisper.


    ¡°Even if Brandon¡¯s not in there, Granbell should have heard your shout. So why¡¯d he keep quiet?¡±


    ¡°No. Brandon must be in that cabin. Granbell must have taken him in, a-and they¡¯re just asleep. Yes, that¡¯s right. I need to go in.¡±


    Roy gasped, gathering everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Wait, what is that?¡±


    When they looked in the direction he was pointing at, everyone saw a strange hole on the outer side of the cemetery.


    ¡°It¡¯s a new grave. Someone was buried therest month.¡±


    ¡°If memory serves me right, that¡¯s where Chris is buried.¡±


    When they went up to the grave, they noticed the tombstone lying haphazardly on the ground, and the grave was already empty.


    Where¡¯d the corpse go? And who or what did this?


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy looked around and noticed that wasn¡¯t the only empty grave. A few other holes were just nearby, and they were obviously empty.


    ¡°Which bastard did this? They desecrated the dead and stole their belongings,¡± Seeger mumbled, a frown creasing his forehead. ¡°What¡¯s the gravekeeper doing?¡±


    Roy shook his head. The solemn, foreboding look on Jack¡¯s face didn¡¯t escape him, and the old captain slowly backed away. ¡°Something tells me no human did this.¡± A chilling sensation enveloped Roy.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 9

    <b>Chapter 9: Tongue</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The light from the torches shone through the dark cemetery, illuminating the area around them. When the team went to investigate the desecrated graves, they saw that most of them were upied by the skeletal remains of dead vigers. Only a fewy empty.


    ¡°The empty graves are the new ones.¡±


    As Roy assessed their situation, he remembered the tales that spoke of bloodthirsty, evil monsters. Ghouls.


    If ghouls were lurking in the cemetery, it would prove to be a problem to even witchers, and a precarious situation for normal vigers like them.


    ¡°This is a treacherous area. Everyone, let¡¯s leave!¡± Roy tried to warn everyone, but the eerie sound of a whip cracking against air reached them.


    Two short momentster, Fletcher grunted. As if he was a fish that was hooked, his limbs straightened, convulsed, and was pulled by something. Then he stumbled forward.


    Everyone shone their torches where Fletcher was attacked, and they saw an elongated, skin-colored tentacle glistening in the air, boring a hole in Fletcher¡¯s shoulder like an arrow. It almost tore through Fletcher¡¯s wound.


    Seeger reacted first. He swung his sword up in an attempt to slice the tentacle, but it whipped back into the darkness where the light from the torches couldn¡¯t reach it.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    Everyone hastened to form a circle, keeping Fletcher in the middle.


    He was sweating profusely, but he gritted his teeth, not even wincing at the pain. He tried to stop the bleeding by pressing down on the wound, but the crimson fluid didn¡¯t stop gushing out. Everything started spinning around him, and he could feel the life flowing out of him. He could see death waiting for him on the other side.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m done for! Run! Leave me!¡± Fletcher said weakly. He pushed everyone away and dashed into the night.


    Jack looked around them, and murderous intent welled up within his good eye. But it was not the time for revenge. ¡°We have to get away for now. Revenge cer! That monster ain¡¯t getting away with this easily.¡±


    He made a run for the cemetery¡¯s exit, and everyone followed.


    Seeger dragged the stupefied Roy along. It took a while for him to snap out of it, but he was still shivering from the mysterious encounter.


    ¡°That was no ghoul. What was that creature?¡±


    When he looked back, Roy could vaguely make out a hunched, humanoid form. It wasn¡¯t sleek, no. In fact, it was bloated, heavy, and its belly resembled a pregnant woman¡¯s. The creature looked like an old woman, but it sprinted faster than a cheetah.


    The creature pursued the team with tremendous speed, leaving afterimages wherever it went. It ran like the wind, and wherever it was, the creature would let out a shrill scream. It wasn¡¯t going to kill the team just yet. The creature was enjoying the chase. It wanted to y with its prey first.


    ¡°It collects bodies, looks like a hunched olddy, uses its tongue as a weapon, and lives in cemeteries.¡± As he connected the dots, Roy started to get a picture of the creature that was chasing them.


    When Jack noticed Roy spacing out, he pped him. ¡°Stop spacing out, Roy! Run, and don¡¯t think about anything else! Just run for it!¡±


    Roy snapped out of it, and he mustered all his strength to escape the cemetery.


    When they were inches away from the exit, the ghastly creature dropped from the sky, and gusts of gale swept past them as it fell. As the dust settled, the team saw what was stopping them. The creature was hideous, its face filled with lumps and moss.


    Its skin was ckish green, and they could smell the stench of rotting bodiesing from it. It almost made them gag. The creature was covered in scales that gleamed menacingly under the moon. The ws on its limbs were as long as scythes, and they were caked in flesh, blood, and mud from its prey.


    The creature was more gruesome than the witches of old, the disfigured, vengeful women, and even the monsters that haunted their nightmares.


    It extended its gnarly arms at them, intending to slice their throats open with its ws. The creature gave them a toothy grin, but its teeth were ck and misshapen. It loomed over them like a mountain, dashing any hope of escape.


    We¡¯re doomed.


    Despair welled up within them, but they wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight.


    Jack, Seeger, and Thompson held their swords with both hands, while Roy whipped out his crossbow. He gritted his teeth and loaded the bow with a bloody bolt.


    It was then that someone darted out from the darkness and rammed into the creature. The ambush caught it unaware, and it toppled, giving them a chance to escape.


    It was Fletcher. He looked bloodied and crazed, and he struggled to pin down the creature¡¯s maw, giving hisrades the opportunity to flee. ¡°Go! Find a witcher and avenge me! Avenge Brandon!¡± His eyes bulged, and crimson tears streamed down his face.


    Fletcher knew his son had met his fate, and he gave up on living. There was no point in surviving when his only family was dead.


    The moment he said so, the creature escaped his grip and sent him flying with a kick. Fletcher fell with a thud, his condition unknown. The creature, still angered by Fletcher¡¯s ambush, pounced on him, ignoring Roy and everyone else. Its ws were outstretched, and the flesh on them flew everywhere as the creature tried to tear Fletcher apart.


    ¡°Ye ain¡¯t going to be the only hero here, old timer! I ain¡¯t no coward!¡± Seeger raised his sword, and firm resolve showed on his red face. ¡°Get Roy out of here, boss, Thompson! I am a man from Skellige! We are no cowards who run from battles.¡± Before they could stop him, Seeger charged back into the cemetery and stabbed the creature¡¯s back with his de.


    Roy was trying to aim at the creature, but Jack and Thompson dragged him by the arms. ¡°Let¡¯s leave, child. Don¡¯t let their deaths be in vain.¡±


    Roy stopped struggling and put down his crossbow in despondence. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t stop running. A short whileter, he, Jack, and Thompson left the cemetery.


    They ran as fast as their legs could take them, and they didn¡¯t even look back. They could feel their bodies giving up, but they went on by sheer will and adrenaline. Finally, they caught sight of the lights from Kaer right in front of them.


    The safety of the light made Roy rx, and lethargy overwhelmed him in an instant. Everything started spinning around him, his legs started giving out, and Roy cked out.


    ¡°Roy?¡±


    Jack quickly held him up. Roy¡¯s face was red, and his eyes were firmly shut. Jack touched his forehead, and it was scalding.


    He ran around in the wilds in this weather,te at night, without any rest. It must have taken a toll on him, but he pressed on anyway. Course, there¡¯s the wolves and that damned monster. No wonder he fainted.


    Jack could understand Roy¡¯s circumstances.


    ¡°He¡¯s still a child after all.¡± Thompson sighed and piggybacked Roy back to the vige.


    The white-haired vige chief came out with a few vigers to wee them. When he saw them looking filthy and washed out, he knew what had happened. His face fell, but he had to ask. ¡°Where¡¯s Fletcher and Seeger?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t being back.¡± Jack massaged his temples. His expression told of agony, but also fear. ¡°You¡¯re right, chief. It¡¯s dangerous to go into the wilds at night. A horrifying creature attacked us when we went to search for Brandon in the cemetery. You must warn everyone to stay away from that ce.¡±


    Jack paced back and forth. ¡°No human can go against that damn monster,¡± he cursed. ¡°We need a witcher.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get someone to post a notification in the city tomorrow.¡± The vigers who heard Jack nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t risk that monster attacking us.¡±


    It had been a tense night. The vige chief went to everyone¡¯s house and woke them up to warn them about the monster. Kaer¡¯s peace was broken by the sudden news of the danger in the cemetery, and everyone was worried. On the other hand, Roy was sent back home, but his fever wouldn¡¯te down, and he fell into aa.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 10

    <b>Chapter 10: Risk</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy stayed in a groggy state for two days. His fever went down on the third, and he woke up. Moore and Susie heaved a sigh of relief. Melitele knew how worried they were over thest few nights, especially after they saw One-Eyed Jack and Thompson injured and bloodied. They thought they¡¯d lose Roy again.


    Susie sat on the haystack and held his hand, her chubby face filled with love. ¡°Thompson told us what happened in the cemetery. You did your best, my son. Don¡¯t dwell too much on the matter, and don¡¯t even think you can fight that monster. Just rest up. We¡¯d be devastated if we lost you.¡±


    Guilt welled up within Roy as he looked at his parents, who were concerned about him. They weren¡¯t getting any younger, but Roy remembered them taking turns tending to him when he was still feverish. They¡¯d feed him softened food, keeping him healthy. He knew they must have been deprived of sleep for a few days.


    Roy knew his parents were worried for him, but he had no choice. The Northern War was still a few years away, but there was already a monster lurking in the cemetery, threatening the vige¡¯s peace.


    Dammit. This is bad. The disasters and dangers of the world wouldn¡¯t wait for him to grow. He had to strike out on his own if he wanted a chance to survive. Roy didn¡¯t want to go through the helplessness he felt when he faced the monster again. ¡°What did the chief say, dad?¡±


    ¡°He went to ask the ruler for help two days ago.¡±


    Moore sounded uncertain. They knew the ruler of Lower Posada was no kind person. He wouldn¡¯t care about a death or two in a rural vige like Kaer. It was normal for people to die. The only time he showed any enthusiasm was during the tax season, where he¡¯d send his soldiers to make sure everyone paid their dues. But if any monsters were to show up, they¡¯d be the first to run. The most he would do was send someone to ask about the situation and forget about it.


    ¡°The people that went with him posted a notice on the city¡¯s bulletin board. A witcher might take the job in a month or two. They¡¯lle eventually. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Roy sighed, still feeling uneasy. He was stiff from lying on the bed for two days, and he wanted to walk around the vige, maybe even visit Jack in his inn. However, Susie and Moore insisted that hey back down, and Roy only managed to get out at noon.


    When he came out, Kaer felt different. There was barely anyone in the streets, and those who were going around were in a hurry, worry hanging on their faces. The vigers who mingled and chatted were nowhere to be seen, and the fields outside looked forlorn, for nobody toiled them.


    Most of the vigers were hiding in their homes, only taking a nervous peep outside once in a while. Everyone was worried that the monster in the cemetery woulde to the vige, so they stopped working for the time being. As Roy went around the vige, he heard the cries of babies and the sound of people arguing in the rickety houses. An eerie chill ran up his spine as he felt fear and tension hang low in the air.


    The abandoned, cobwebbed bulletin board in the vige center was cleaned, and a notice for a job hung there. Roy couldn¡¯t read it, for he was illiterate.


    When he came to the inn, Jack was sitting before the bar counter, alone and spaced out.


    A clean, white bandage covered the wounds on his waist, and the strong scent of herbs filled the air. His face was gaunt, his eyes bloodshot and sunken, and he looked harried. Losing in an instant the good friend he¡¯d known for decades took its toll on him. He aged ten years overnight, and his hair grayed further. The proud gleam in his good eye was gone, reced by a deep, dark void.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, child. Feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Roy sat beside him. ¡°Much better.¡± Then he trailed off. He didn¡¯t know what he should say, for they deserted their friends that night.


    ¡°Here, have a drink.¡± Agony shed in his eyes, and he poured two sses of wine. The strong scent of alcohol assailed Roy¡¯s nose, and he knew it wasn¡¯t the sweet fruit wine he usually had. ¡°My drinking buddy¡¯s gone. Ain¡¯t nobody gonna guzzle that dwarven liquor and y Gwent matches with me anymore.¡±


    ¡°To Seeger.¡±


    Roy was shaken, and he gulped all the liquor down. He almost choked on it, but he endured the alcohol. It numbed his pain and sadness, but it also lit a fire within him, and he came to a decision. ¡°One more. This time for Fletcher.¡± Roy took a deep breath and paused. ¡°And that snotty brat.¡±


    Jack didn¡¯t stop Roy until he got red from the alcohol, and they spoke about the recent happenings.


    The chief had sent someone to the military camp in Lower Posada¡¯s city to ask for help, but unsurprisingly, the request was rejected. Roy had expected that. The military wouldn¡¯t get involved unless arge scale monster attack or bandit invasion broke out.


    Susie and Moore had also kept something else from him a secret. Four Kaer vigers had died.


    Aside from Fletcher, Brandon, and Seeger, another viger went missing over thest two days. The young man, in all his naivety, went to the cemetery alone in the evening, and never returned. He must have encountered that monster, and most people would only get ughtered by it.


    Roy wanted to say something, but after seeing how much of a wreck Jack was, he swallowed his words and left the inn.


    He used to be a game addict, and he knew what that creature in the cemetery was. It was trapped in their dimension by the Conjunction of the Spheres. In fact, he knew of all the monsters that had been trapped in their dimension by that event. After recalling the incident that urred, Roy was fairly certain that the monster lurking in the cemetery was a grave hag. It was a monster who would suck the marrow from its prey with its unbelievably long tongue. If they¡¯d devoured all the avable corpses, some of the more aggressive ones would begin hunting in human territory. They would capture humans and bury them alive, only consuming them when the bodies had rotted.


    That was besides the point. The point was, Roy knew the grave hag¡¯s weakness. Grave hags usually built their nests near cemeteries, and the one in the eastern cemetery took over Granbell¡¯s cabin. Their weakness was the sun, making them feeble during the day.


    But even if he told that to the vigers, they would most likely not buy it. Even if they did, it was impossible for him to exin how he knew the monster¡¯s weakness. If he couldn¡¯t cobble up a team of ten or more, fighting a weakened grave hag would still be a losing battle.


    ***


    Seeger and Fletcher had no family in the vige who could inherit their belongings. Susie didn¡¯t count, for she was thrice removed.


    Their belongings were in the chief¡¯s custody. Once their deaths were confirmed, Roy knew part of it would be taken by the chief, part by the soldiers for the ruler, and part for the reward for the witcher. A hundred crowns for the job, huh? The money and precious belongings were taken away by the chief, but they still had some other items in their houses.


    Roy snuck into Seeger¡¯s house and looted it. There were fifty bolts, a steel sword that was mostly new, a torch, oil, and a few coils of sturdy rope. Roy kept it all in his inventory. And when he went to Fletcher¡¯s ce, Roy took dozens of pounds of meat and put it in his inventory too. Everything was kept fresh there, and the food would never rot.


    Much to his delight, he even managed to find a small bag of yellow powder in a cab. Fletcher used the powder as an anesthetic. A nail¡¯s amount would paralyze a two-hundred-pound creature in a few minutes after it was fed the powder with water. It was also the key to his n.


    His inventory space was filled after putting those items in. Finally, Roy took the short de Fletcher used over the years to butcher countless animals. It was as long as Roy¡¯s forearm, and it was curved at the end. The edge was ivory, but the de and spine was ckish brown. It was the dried blood of the animals he¡¯d butchered over the years. No matter how anyone cleaned it, the blood couldn¡¯t be washed away.


    Uncle Fletcher, Seeger, and snotty brat. If I have the chance, I swear, I will cut that bastard¡¯s head off with this de, Roy promised silently. I will avenge all of you.


    The battle with the wolf pack and grave hag changed Roy. His brush with death made him realize that he was no longer in the safe world he used to be in. Any attempt at peace by running away from the danger would only cause untold misery. After Fletcher¡¯s death, Roy lost his stable EXP ie, and he decided to go with the faster, riskier way to gain it.


    ***


    The cemetery was located east of the vige. The grave hag should¡¯ve been consuming the corpses of the four dead vigers for some time, and not have recently left the cemetery to hunt, Roy thought.


    However, Roy wanted to be careful. Instead of hunting east, he decided to hunt west, in the forest not far from the vige.


    He staked out in the daytime to observe his surroundings. He then picked a tree and prepared for his hunt. When Susie and Moore were sound asleep at night, Roy tiptoed out of his home. After the night patrol had gone to the other side of the vige, he snuck out and went to the tree he saw during the day.


    Roy hung raw meat smeared with anesthetics on a branch. He made it bloody and made sure the scent would go for miles, all so his prey could get attracted easily. When he was done, Roy scampered up the tree and lit the torch embedded in the branches. He took Gabriel out, loaded it, closed his eyes, and waited in silence.


    Roy kept taking deep breaths throughout his watch. He was worried he might attract a horror of the night, but he was also worried it might end up being a wild goose chase. Even so, he had to go on. He couldn¡¯t go back aftering so far.


    As the moon crept above the forest, its silvery light shone upon a young, resolved face. Roy pursed his lips and slowed his breathing. After another hour of nervous wait, he heard the barks of dogs from afar, and he knew his n had worked.


    A group of starving, rabid dogs darted out from the bushes and fought for the meat tied on the branch. Their drool spewed everywhere, tainting the ground with their bloodied saliva as they wed at one another for more meat. Two of the dogs even started tearing into each other for it. When they finished everything, they bared their bloody fangs at Roy, who was on the tree, and barked furiously.


    Roy was annoyed by the beasts. He thought they might¡¯ve had rabies, though he wasn¡¯t afraid of them. They couldn¡¯t climb the tree anyway.


    ¡°Come and bite me if you can, curs,¡± he mocked, looking down from the branch he was on. At the same time, he pulled the crossbow¡¯s trigger and shot at the beasts. Roy even put some of the anesthetic on the bolts to make sure he made the kill.


    Shooting under those conditions was exactly like a few days earlier, when he was protected by the vigers. Roy had the high ground, and after the battles from that night, he¡¯d grown as abatant, and he didn¡¯t tremble as he held the crossbow. His uracy increased, and he killed two of the dogs with three bolts.


    When the remaining dogs realized something was wrong, they wanted to escape, but the anesthetic had already started taking effect. Before they could make ten feet, the beasts had already fallen.


    Roy didn¡¯t climb down to im his kill. Instead, he stayed on the tree and made his shots until three messages about EXP gain showed up on his character sheet. That meant the dogs were dead.


    ¡®Level 1 (123/500).¡¯


    ¡°50 EXP. So dogs provide the same EXP as wolves. Well, this is quicker than being a butcher¡¯s apprentice. Eight more times like this, and I¡¯ll have leveled up.¡±


    As Roy looked at the bodies covered in bolts, a feeling of depression weighed down on him. s, no pain, no gain. At least his actions weren¡¯t for nothing.


    He rested for a while on the tree. After confirming the coast was clear, Roy came down to retrieve his bolts and tools before dragging the carcasses of the dogs onto the hard ground beside him. He piled them up, smeared them in oil, burned them, and went back to the vige.


    ***


    His operation went without a hitch. The beasts surprised him, but it was nothing to be worried about. Roy even had time to wipe the stench of blood off him.


    Over the next few weeks, Roy hunted every night. He¡¯d have beastsing for his bait once every three days during the first two weeks.


    He saw different animalsing for the meat. Dogs, wolves, foxes, boars, and even bears. The bears towered over all the beasts Roy had ever seen. It came for the food and went back into the murky forest quickly, and Roy didn¡¯t give chase. Each of those beasts provided ten EXP at most. After using up the meat in his inventory space, he carved some out of his prey.


    Thanks to him being the butcher¡¯s apprentice, cutting meat came easily.


    His hunt went smoothly in the beginning, but eventually, he ran into trouble. Even though he would change hunting spots every time he set a trap, the beasts started to stay away from his bait after half a month. Roy had even scoured the entire forest from north to south.


    After two weeks, the frequency went down from once in three days to once in five. Apparently, the beasts had their guards up. His EXP gaining speed saw a decline, but eventually, Roy filled his EXP bar a monthter, after he shot one final dog dead.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 11

    <b>Chapter 11: Witcher</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy woke up on a haystack one morning.


    After one long month of endless hunting, he finally saw the plus sign on the right side of his EXP bar.


    ¡®Level 1 (503/500).¡¯


    He finally managed to gain 500 EXP, and he had a pair of heavy dark circles under his eyes. Though he didn¡¯t manage to gain any ranged weapon skills, he was happy about the level up.


    Aside from that, his weaker stats saw an increase too. Strength grew from 4.2 to 4.3, Constitution from 4.1 to 4.2, and Will from 4.5 to 4.6. Obviously the growth rate had declinedpared tost month.


    Dexterity, Charisma, Spirit, and Perception showed no growth, and he realized that any stat exceeding five points wouldn¡¯t show any increase unless he had special training or conditions.


    Massacre was still level 2. Killing more than 40 animals wasn¡¯t enough to level it up.


    ***


    As Roy concentrated on his EXP bar and willed himself to level up, the EXP bar changed, and a message appeared.


    ¡®Level: 2 (3/1000)


    You gain 1 attribute point, and 1 skill point.¡¯


    He added the attribute point into Perception. After experiencing that magical feeling of control once more, Roy¡¯s Perception turned from six to seven. It was the highest amongst his stats, and another message showed up on the character sheet.


    ¡®You have unlocked a new function.


    Unnamed level 1: Your Perception has gone beyond the limits of an average human, evolving into a sixth sense. You may gain your target¡¯s basic information through a special observation method. The higher the target¡¯s perception, the stronger it will suppress your skill, and the less information you will get from them.


    Level 1: Increases your Perception by 1 when you observe your targets.¡¯


    Roy paused for a moment. I can get a skill when I level up my stat to a certain point? Huh, never expected that. The new skill came as a surprise for him.


    It was a tactical one. If he could observe his enemies in silence and get their basic information as well as their skills before a fight, Roy coulde up with some strategies to take out his enemies efficiently. The higher his Perception, the further his range. He could, theoretically, stay in the dark a few miles away and know everything about his enemies before they fought.


    The possibility of that happening excited him, and he thought about how he could pick out his enemies¡¯ weak points from a thousand feet away and shoot them from that range.


    Damn. If that happens¡­


    Roy willed a name change and called his new skill ¡®Observe.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t spend his skill point for the time being. Roy wanted to test his new skill before deciding to invest it in level 2 Massacre or level 1 Observe.


    Thompson and Jack were good practice targets for his skill. Roy told his parents where he would be going, and he left merrily. Not long after going out, he noticed the streets looking lively ¡ª a stark contrast to the air of despair the vige had earlier. Dozens of vigers surrounded the bulletin board in the city center, and they buzzed with excitement.


    It was as if the terror brought by the grave hag had never existed. Roy was curious about their delight, and he went to the square.


    ¡°The witchers are here! We¡¯re saved!¡±


    Three travelers stood amongst the crowd, and Roy noticed they were different, for their features and attire were outstanding.


    The man on the left side of the bulletin board had a red headband on his forehead. He had a cool expression, and his features were defined and sculpted. The man on his right covered half his face under a grey hood, theugh lines on his cheeks running deep, and a faint smile danced on his lips. He looked slightly simr to the man with the red tie, and Roy thought they must¡¯ve been rted. Both men stood at six feet tall.


    PR/N: Six feet is around 1.83 meters.


    The third man was bald, his head gleaming under the sun. He had an aquiline nose, a pair of sunken eyes, and a stern expression. He was a towering giant whose muscles were as hard as rocks. He stood over six feet four, and his arms were crossed. The bald man loomed over everyone, suffocating those around him by just standing there.


    PR/N: Six feet four is around 1.93 meters.


    The trio wore ck armor decorated with crisscrossing w marks and dried blood. A satchel the size of a fist was tied to their belts, and Roy saw vials hanging on the potion belt that was thrown over their shoulders. A pair of crossing short swords were strapped to their breasttes, and a few finger-length daggers hung from their leg armor.


    Peculiar nes dangled in front of the witchers¡¯ chest. It was in the shape of a viper rearing its head back, forming a mysterious,plex sign.


    Their swords measured four feet four long, and slept in a ck sheath. Arguably the most peculiar thing about the trio were their eyes. They were amber in color, just like the eyes of cats. They looked bizarre and terrifying.


    PR/N: Four feet four is around 1.32 meters.


    Roy stared at the bald man, who was leading the trio. He thought he looked familiar, and something swirled within Roy¡¯s eyes.


    A momentter, a translucent information page appeared out of thin air above the bald man¡¯s head.


    ¡®Letho


    Gender: Male


    Age: 80


    Status: Witcher (Viper School)


    Underwent three mutations when he was a child. Endured the Trial of the Grasses. Possesses extraordinary speed, strength, reflexes, coordination, life force, and regenerative abilities.


    Has received professional training in swordsmanship, alchemy, and has knowledge of the bestiary.


    Possesses a formidable immune system. Is immune to most gues and diseases. Can resist most lethal poisons.


    Mastered the witcher signs (pseudo spells). Possesses a long life, but is sterile.


    HP: ?? (Unable to retrieve information. Requires higher Perception)


    Mana: ??


    Strength: ??


    Dexterity: ??


    Constitution: ??


    Perception: 19


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 10


    Skill:


    Alchemy level ?? (Unable to retrieve skill level. Requires higher Perception): Crafting skill. Allows the user to create oils, potions, poisons, and bombs.


    Witcher Senses level ??: After the Trial of the Grasses, a witcher¡¯s senses will undergo a mutation that will strengthen them. Their five senses are linked to their instincts, allowing them to ¡®see¡¯ scents and voices. It also lets them discover tracks or clues that are usually impossible to see.


    Meditation level ??: Training for the body and soul. Meditating calms the witcher¡¯s body and mind, hastening the regeneration of their body, mana, and stamina. Improves coordination over time and raises affinity with chaos energy.


    Viper School ¡ª Dual Wielding level ??: A skill created by a Viper School witcher through a century of development. Allows the witcher to dual wield daggers duringbat against monsters. A secret skill not taught in other schools.


    Witcher Signs level ??: After their mutations, witchers that had no affinity with chaos energy would awaken their ability to cast simple pseudo spells. Signs are the core abilities of witchers. No incantation or materials needed. A mere hand gesture is enough to expand their mana and activate the signs.


    There are five signs:


    Quen: Creates a protective shield that blocks any attack.


    Aard: Casts a telekic force that knocks enemies back and destroys obstacles.


    Igni: Casts a stream of fire from the palm that expands into a cone.


    Yrden: Summons a magical trap that lowers the speed and reflex of anyone (aside from the user) that enters. Effective against phantom type, incorporeal creatures.


    Axii: Hypnotizes and controls the target, forcing it to do as the user wishes.


    The strength of Signs depends on the Spirit stat and skill level.


    Other: ??¡¯


    By the gods!


    Roy was shocked after reading through Letho¡¯s information. ¡°So this is a witcher? Their skills and stats are way over the top. And he¡¯s an eighty-year-old man? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Letho was already eighty years old, but he looked not a day over thirty-five. The body under that armor was strong, taut, and full of vigor. Roy could practically smell his life force from where he stood. It had a tang of blood in it.


    Most of Letho¡¯s stats and skills couldn¡¯t be seen because Roy¡¯s Perception wasn¡¯t high enough. If Roy didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d have said Letho was a beast in human¡¯s skin.


    So the witchers are as strong as they say. Saw them a lot in the game, but meeting them in real life is a shock to me.


    ***


    Letho and hispanions are from the Viper school. It was then that Roy remembered where he¡¯d seen Letho. He realized that the trio before him would assassinate the kings of Aedirn, Temeria, and Kaedwen in a few years. Everyone knew of them as the assassins from the Viper School, the Kingyers.


    Why¡¯d theye up to the north instead of staying in Nilfgaard, where their base is located?


    Letho¡¯s eyes were calm, but also dark. They swept over everyone before announcing, ¡°I am Letho, a witcher from the Viper School.¡± His voice was clear, deep, and appealing. ¡°They¡¯re mypanions, Serrit and Auckes. We¡¯ll be taking this job, but we¡¯ll need more information to decide on our pay.¡±


    The wizened chief heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Letho¡¯s announcement. ¡°At least you¡¯re not from the Cat School. Viper School is good enough.¡± The vige chief looked reassured, as if he¡¯d had bad encounters with the witchers from the Cat School before.


    As the chief was about to say something, a scraggy boy pushed through the throng and went up to the witchers. ¡°I saw that monster. I can tell you all about it.¡± The boy who spoke up was Roy.


    The witchers went to Ol¡¯ Captain¡¯s Inn with him and asked for some ale before they listened to the testimonies of the survivors, who were Roy, Jack, and Thompson. They described the horrifying events in detail.


    ¡°It¡¯s a grave hag,¡± Letho said, arriving at the conclusion without hesitating. ¡°That¡¯s worth at least a hundred crowns. Roy, is it? Tell the chief to prepare the bounty. We¡¯ll attack at high noon, when the sun¡¯s the strongest. If it goes without a hitch¡­¡± He pointed at the grandfather clock in the corner with his pudgy finger. ¡°We¡¯ll return with the trophy before three.¡±


    Letho¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change throughout the exnation, as if the killing of the monster was a trivial matter. But Roy knew that might not be what Letho was feeling. Some witchers would end up with a perpetual poker face after the Trial of the Grasses. They could never show any expression, but they would still be as emotional and sensitive as anyone else.


    I mean, Geralt always has a poker face too, but he can be passionate, like C-137 Rick.


    Perhaps annoyed by the fact Roy was staring at them for a long time, the grumpy Serrit snapped at him. ¡°Have you never seen a witcher, boy? Why are you looking at us that way? Do you think we¡¯re scums? Or horrors from hell?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. On the contrary, I think witchers can be trusted with our lives.¡± Roy looked into Serrit¡¯s amber eyes sincerely, baring his affection for witchers in the open.


    He spent many hours ying as a witcher, and it was an unforgettable experience. Roy even dived into the lore of the Witcher series so he could know more about the game and its story. He knew the witchers like the back of his hand.


    Fate was cruel on them. Most of them were taken in because wars made them orphans. Left with nowhere to go, the schools adopted them. Some, though, were given away by their parents aspensation for witchers that died during missions.


    Fun was nonexistent after they started living in the witcher schools. They were isted from the world, and all their time was upied by treacherous training that could drive anyone insane. If they wanted to explore the world, they would have to pass the Trial of the Grasses, but the death rate was impossibly high.


    They took requests from ordinary humans and risked their lives killing monsters, all so they could make a living off the bounties they received. But they were ostracized by everyone because of their bizarre looks and extraordinary battle prowess.


    Everyone thought they were uncaring, evil, heralds of hell, but only Cat School witchers and specific individuals would kill the innocent. Most witchers were reputable, upright people, but they were spared no warmth by the humans.


    Witchers could only find sce amongst themselves. After they picked themselves up, it was another day of fighting monsters. A witcher¡¯s life was filled with battles, and there they would meet their end. None died peacefully. The witchers were legendary, but also cursed by fate.


    Roy said from his heart, ¡°Witchers have saved innocent lives from monsters. You guys are better than those soldiers who take our money, but do nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡± Serrit, as if hearing something funny, smiled stiffly, but it didn¡¯t hide the mockery in his eyes. ¡°Been a while since I heard someone praise us like that. Don¡¯t waste our time, kid. Tell us what you really want.¡±


    Roy put on a serious look. ¡°I want to go with you on the mission at noon.¡±


    Serrit stood up. ¡°Impossible,¡± he said, refusing. ¡°We¡¯re hunting a monster here, not a harmless animal. We don¡¯t have time to keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, please.¡± Roy mustered his sincerity. ¡°My friend, and teacher who taught me my trade were killed by that bastard. I want to kill it with my own hands, and I see it even in my dreams. You can understand how I feel, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Serrit and hispanions looked at each other. ¡°No, child. You¡¯re wrong. Witchers don¡¯t have feelings.¡±


    Serrit was still refusing him.


    Jack, who had been quiet for a while, interjected. ¡°Witchers, Roy may be young, but he has a steady hand, and he works well with the crossbow. Take him to the cemetery with you. He can watch from afar and shoot bolts whenever he has the chance. There¡¯d be no danger to it. If you think he¡¯s still more trouble than he¡¯s worth, I¡¯ll add fifty crowns on top of the reward the chief promised.¡±


    Roy gawked at Jack, surprised he was helping instead of stopping him. And fifty crowns wasn¡¯t a small sum.


    He took the chance and guaranteed, ¡°I won¡¯t be a bother, I promise. I can stay back and wait for yourmand to shoot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a young human boy. Why would you want to face that monster? What¡¯s your reason?¡± Letho, the bald witcher, bored his eyes into Roy, and the boy felt like he was being seen through. The amber twinkle from Letho¡¯s eyes made his heart skip nervously. After a short while of silence, he said, ¡°Fine. We agree to your request, but only because you¡¯re adding fifty crowns on top of the bounty.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 12

    <b>Chapter 12: Head of the Hag</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho had seen everything throughout his years of being a witcher, but not once had he seen a child as peculiar as Roy. Not only was Roy unafraid of witchers, but he also didn¡¯t avoid them like the gue, unlike everyone else. Letho wasn¡¯t kidding. Many children would cry in fear after seeing a witcher¡¯s peculiar looks.


    Roy, however, had no such fear or disgust. He had a weird look in his eyes. Letho thought it resembled affection, or even admiration.


    I¡¯m getting old. Sentimentality isn¡¯t like me. Letho fell into a trance, but he kept his poker face.


    Letho harkened back to the days of his younger self. He¡¯d still been a young boy when someone hade to his hometown of Gulet and brought him to Gorthur Gvaed, the Viper School¡¯s stronghold in Tir Tochair.


    Back then, Letho hadn¡¯t gone through the Trial of the Grasses yet. He¡¯d look at his mentor ¡ª Ivar Evil-Eye, the founder of Viper School ¡ª as he stood on the lectern and taught the Viper School disciples the knowledge of witchers, and his life experience.


    He used to have the same look of admiration in his eyes that Roy did, but time showed him no mercy. A few decades ago, Ivar Evil-Eye went missing when he was hunting down a garkain. At the same time, Cat School witchers had been massacring humans on a whim, and it had garnered bad press from the people. Bereaved by the loss of their founder and the hatred from the people, Viper School went into a decline, and fewer people came to Gorthur Gvaed.


    The only witchers of the Viper School left were him, Serrit, Auckes, and two others whose trails were unknown. Over thest twenty years, none of the disciples managed to pass the Trial of the Grasses.


    We have to revive the Viper School, kill our nemesis, and find Ivar Evil-Eye. Those were Letho¡¯s wishes, and the reason for their activity in the Northern Realms. When he came back to the present, he gave Roy a gentle look.


    ***


    It had been a sunny day, praise Melitele.


    The trio made meticulous preparations before they went for the hunt. After all, no human could master their skills even if they¡¯d wanted to, and they didn¡¯t keep that a secret from Roy.


    They took out a vial of amber goo from the satchels they kept on their belts, and poured it on the short swords taken from their breasttes. The witchers spread it evenly and slowly, but their movements were still enthusing.


    After their short swords had been coated in amber, they checked and double checked the potions on their potion belts, the amount they had left, and how much they could afford to use. Then they tied colorful alchemy bombs where they could easily reach it.


    It was already noon when everything was done. After the witchers had departed the vige, Roy snuck out at the promised hour behind his parents¡¯ back. At the same time, a few curious vigers came along.


    Half an hourter, Roy finally made it to the cemetery after a long sprint. He was huffing and puffing as he held his stomach, and he bent over and retched. The witchers looked at the cemetery not far away from them, and they heightened their sight to observe their surroundings.


    ¡°Stay here, Roy. We¡¯ll call you once we defeat the hag.¡±


    ¡°Please let me kill that bastard myself, witchers.¡±


    Letho didn¡¯t answer. He, Auckes, and Serrit took out a vial filled with a brown potion and gulped it down. The moment they did, the blood vessels on their faces turned ck and squirmed. Their faces were contorted, and the murder in their eyes was almost palpable.


    Roy shivered, but not from the cold.


    Letho started moving, and in spite of his size, the man¡¯s actions were as fluid and as quiet as a cat as he bent down and darted into the cemetery. Not a soul stirred, not a leaf rustled. Serrit and Auckes went to the rear and followed Letho.


    The cemetery wasid bare for all to see under the sunlight. It looked tranquil, quiet, and even holy, as rays of light sprinkled upon the tombstones. But beside the skeletal remains of the dead, all the witchers could see when they looked closer were two dried corpses that had turned greyish-brown. From its structure, they deduced that the body had belonged to a tall, sturdy male adult, but it was rotten beyond recognition. The witchers couldn¡¯t discern who he was.


    The wounds on the body told of a great struggle before the victim met his fate. Bones were fractured in multiple ces, and there were holes on every joint, apparently bored through by a sharp object.


    After the analysis, Letho closed his eyes quietly, and his nose wrinkled as he searched for clues. Not even the rotten stench from the corpses could stop him from finding the monster¡¯s tracks. A short whileter, he set his eyes on the cabin in the cemetery¡¯s center. Letho took out a transparent headspace vial and continued his search around the locked cabin.


    Grave hags fear the sun. They would cover up any ces that would let the light into their nests. No sunlight should pierce through their hideout, but this cabin was prepared for the gravekeeper. There must be an entrance somewhere.


    Letho found the window a few momentster, but the grave hag had covered it with mud. It¡¯s not rock. This will work. Letho threw his knife and easily made an opening before chucking his alchemy bomb into the hole.


    The smashing of the ss window was heard, and Letho darted back without hesitating. He leaped onto the roof, not unlike a cat. He then signaled to his teammates, and Auckes and Serrit, who were already waiting, dashed to the cabin¡¯s front door, waiting to nk the creature once it came out.


    Serrit made two triangles with his left hand that resembled an hourss in the air and pushed it forward. A faint, white light shot up into the air, and a ten foot radius magical circle appeared on the ground, shing softly.


    Auckes made a sign in the shape of an upright triangle with his right hand, but he didn¡¯t push it out yet. He was waiting for the opening.


    A momentter, the door was kicked open with a loud bang, and the misshapen, lumpy creature shot out into the open. The moment it took its first step, it mmed into an invisible wall. It trembled for a moment, and fell face first.


    That was the opening Auckes was waiting for. He pushed the Igni sign forward, and a stream of fire erupted from his palm, expanding out into a cone, and the mes licked the fallen monster. Before it came out, the grave hag had already been sttered with oil by the bomb Letho tossed into the cabin. Igni¡¯s fire quickly traveled along its body, turning the monster into a writhing torch.


    Tortured by the pain of the fire, the grave hag let out a shrill scream. It raised its gnarly arms and with its body, tried to break the magical barrier Auckes had erected.


    It was then that someone leaped down from the roof and stood before the grave hag. What awaited the monster was a barrage of shes. The short sword cut through the creature without mercy, drawing arcs across its body ten times in a moment. The weapon glinted cruelly as it circled it, slowly whittling its life down with every cut.


    Roy was watching from afar, and no matter how he did it, he still couldn¡¯t see the witchers¡¯ movement clearly. It was far too swift for him. Letho was the only one attacking the grave hag, but Roy saw three afterimages around it.


    A few grueling momentster, the grave hag fell down helplessly. Most of its body was burnt and cut by the des. After, its limbs broke off from its body, as if realizing they had been cut off one second toote. What was left was a limbless creature, squirming and hanging on to life by a thread.


    Auckes went up to it and pressed down on its back with his kneecap. He had a glove over his right hand, and he quickly yanked something from the grave hag¡¯s mouth. It was a long, thin, prickled tongue out. And ignoring the monster¡¯s ghastly wails, Auckes cut it off and tossed it into a canister he¡¯d prepared.


    Letho took out a blue cloth from his satchel and wiped the green blood off his short sword, his movements gentle and meticulous. The grave hag was severely injured, but Letho didn¡¯t suffer any wounds at all. He was as calm and collected as the moment Roy met him. Nay, he didn¡¯t even break a sweat. It was as if he wasn¡¯t the one doing battle with the monster.


    The battle hade to an end at that point. The witcher with the red headband, Serrit, called Roy to join them, and he came out of his hiding spot. ¡°This monster is still living, but barely. As per our agreement, the kill shall be yours.¡± Serrit looked at the crossbow Roy was holding. ¡°Will you be ending its misery with that?¡±


    As Roy came closer to look at the limbless creature, he was at a loss for words. He had prepared a speech, but the visual impact made him forget about it.


    Even though he knew of the witchers¡¯ strength, and was prepared to see them easily kill a monster, their skills still blew his mind. The whole battle onlysted two minutes. Before anyone could warm up for the show, the deed was already done.


    The monster that had killed Seeger, Fletcher, and Brandon so easily was now a mere sitting duck before the Kingyers. Ironic. I should show some respect though. This is vengeance, after all.


    Roy had hunkered down and unsheathed the short sword on his back. He¡¯d found it in Fletcher¡¯s house. He stuck the edge on the grave hag¡¯s nape and looked at the pair of corpses in the cemetery. He put on a mirthless smile and shouted to the heavens, ¡°You¡¯re avenged, Uncle Fletcher, Seeger, snotty brat!¡±


    Roy made one final sh, separating the grave hag¡¯s head from its lifeless body, and the big, ugly thing rolled toward Letho. At the same time, a new message appeared on Roy¡¯s character sheet. ¡®You have killed a grave hag. EXP gained: 100 (103/1000).¡¯ This monster gives ten times the EXP a beast would?


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 13

    <b>Chapter 13: Convince</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho took out a gleaming dagger and cut up the grave hag. His movements were as fluid as those of a butcher who hadplete understanding of the anatomy of all livestock. Letho cut out its eyes, ears, and those mysterious lumps. Heid them out in a neat row on his blue cloth, then dug out a few twisted, misshapen pieces of meat and shook them. ¡°Lucky find. This hag¡¯s mutagen is ripe enough to make some potions.¡±


    ¡°What are those, witcher?¡±


    Letho gave Roy silent praise after the boy asked him the question. He killed that grave hag in its death throes without even blinking, and he didn¡¯t even look away when we dismembered it. What an oddity. Anyone else would have vomited their stomachs out. Including adults. Roy¡¯s bravery and courage piqued Letho¡¯s interest. ¡°This one has potential.¡±


    Letho pointed at the parts he cut out, telling Roy their names and exining their use to him patiently. Roy listened in silence, frowning asionally as he mulled over what the witcher told him.


    ¡°Right, Roy. Do you have a family?¡± Letho asked, sounding nonchnt.


    ¡°I¡¯m living with my parents.¡±


    Letho was disappointed to hear that, and he hastened the dismembering of the grave hag.


    The gas from Letho¡¯s bomb, which had been thrown into the cabin earlier, had dissipated after an hour, and they entered thete gravekeeper¡¯s abode.


    What was once a ce humans couldfortably stay in was now an eerie, horrifying hellhole. Filthy mud covered the walls, roof, and floor of the ce. Some of it even dripped off the ceiling like glue. The abode, once warm and well-lit, was now humid and dark. Here and there, canisters and bizarre containersy haphazardly. The grave hag seemed to have been making something before it had met its grisly end. The bones of humans and small creatures hung on the mud-caked walls.


    After Roy saw what was hanging on the innermost wall, he rushed to it.


    ¡°Brandon.¡±


    Nothing was left of the fat, snotty child who used to pester him about magic tricks, save for his rotten corpse. It was pierced by a ck spear, making him a human g.


    The eyes on his dried, sunken head were gouged out, leaving two gaping holes that stared back at Roy. His mouth was open in fear, and Roy could imagine the terror he¡¯d felt when he was alive.


    Roy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before taking the corpse down carefully. He hugged it without any feeling of disgust, as if he couldn¡¯t smell the stench of mold and rotten meat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I had been more patient and didn¡¯t say that to you¡­¡±


    Then, a big, warm hand patted his shoulder. ¡°Be at peace. You have avenged them,¡± the witcher consoled him, which was a rare case.


    A short whileter, Roy buried the corpses of Seeger, Fletcher, and Brandon. With the help of the witchers, he managed to finish their tombstones.


    ¡®Here lies Seeger, the cksmith of Kaer, the son of Skellige.


    His courage was proven in battle.


    Died September 1260 in a valiant battle against a grave hag.¡¯


    The other grave had two names carved on them.


    ¡®Fletcher, butcher of Kaer.


    A loving father who chose to show but not tell it.


    Brandon, friend of the Rooster yer, future bard and magician.


    He shall shine as bright as a star in the kingdom of Melitele.


    Died September 1260.¡¯


    ***


    Afterying the dead to rest, Roy went back to the vige with the witchers. Susie and Moore came up to him in tears, and they insisted on giving him a checkup. The witchers brandished the ugly head of the grave hag, showing it to the vigers before taking their reward from the vige chief and One-Eyed Jack.


    The cemetery monster crisis hade to an end with the grave hag¡¯s death, but something else happened.


    Much to the surprise of the vigers, the witchers didn¡¯t immediately leave after receiving the reward. Instead, they went to the inn and stayed in a room.


    After the grave hag had been killed, the vigers had directed their fear toward the witchers. Whispers traveled the vige, most of them showing their disgust and hatred toward them.


    ¡°The monster¡¯s killed, and they took their reward. Why aren¡¯t those mutants leaving?¡±


    ¡°Look at them. They look evil. This can¡¯t go on, chief. You have to find a way to chase them out. We can only let them stay for one night at most.¡±


    ¡°Parents, beware. Don¡¯t sleep these next couple of nights. At least wait until they leave. I heard witchers love to take kids away and turn them into disgusting mutants.¡±


    When Roy heard the ignorant words of prejudice from the vigers, he shook his head in disdain and left the crowd. He went to the inn where the witchers were chugging ale and chatting with Jack. To be precise, Jack was the one doing the talking, bragging about his Gwent skills.


    Jack, who had stayed on the Skellige Isles for decades, didn¡¯t have the same inexplicable hatred for the witchers, unlike the vigers.


    ¡°That damned brat, Roy. It¡¯s impossible for someone to be that skilled in Gwent. He won sixty crowns from me. Sixty! Witchers, you¡¯re better than me in Gwent. Can you teach that brat a lesson for me?¡±


    ***


    An hourter, Letho¡¯s perpetual poker face faltered for a moment, and he took out a handful of crowns from his satchel. ¡°Fifteen crowns.¡± He sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a tenth of the reward gone.¡±


    ¡°Alright, child. You¡¯ve won your crowns, now let us talk business. You do not fear us, and you approach us of your own volition. Why is that? Are you interested in the tale of witchers? Which one would you like to hear?¡±


    Letho and hispanions exchanged nces and sat around Roy, their interrogatory gazes fixed on him.


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he didn¡¯t hide his intentions. The boy smiled and told them honestly, ¡°So you¡¯ve realized. My goal is to be a witcher. If I¡¯m right, you live long lives, are always healthy, never fall sick, and possess unimaginable strength.¡±


    Every Witcher 3 yer had the dream of bing a witcher. He could still remember what Flourens Dnnoy wrote in his book ¡°Fairy Tales and Stories¡±.


    ¡°I wish for neither riches nor fame, neither power nor influence. I wish for a horse, as ck and swift as a nightly gale. I wish for a sword, as bright and keen as a moonbeam. I wish to overstride the world on my ck horse through the ck night. I wish to smite the forces of Evil and Darkness with my luminous de. This I would have.¡±


    Crossing over to the world of ¡°The Witcher¡± was one of his wishes in life.


    ¡°Hold it,¡± Serrit interjected. ¡°If I¡¯m understanding this correctly, you¡¯re saying you admire mutants? Is that true?¡± He looked at Roy closely. ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t thirty, Roy?¡±


    ¡°Who told you witchers were admirable? Yes, we might be strong, long-living, and free from disease, but that doesn¡¯t mean we live admirable lives.¡± Serrit chuckled. He rolled his eyes and took a gulp of his liquor. ¡°Being a witcher is a curse,¡± he spat, almost crazed. ¡°We¡¯re shackled for life, doomed to a grisly death. You shouldn¡¯t envy us. It should be the other way around. People despise us because of what we are. You don¡¯t have to go through that. Our lives are filled with nothing but hatred and misery. One moment we¡¯re living, but the next, we might just be running for our lives.¡±


    Roy¡¯s face stiffened, and he moved backward. He couldn¡¯t get used to Serrit¡¯s grumpy demeanor, sharp retorts, and facial expressions. It was unbing of a witcher. Serrit acted much younger than his age. He¡¯s more like Lambert, Geralt¡¯s friend.


    Letho and Auckes crossed their arms, keeping silent as Serrit tried to dissuade Roy.


    ¡°Boy, you¡¯re a good child, so here¡¯s some advice. Stay in the vige. Give up on going on adventures and killing monsters. It¡¯s not every day someone will defeat the monsters for you so you can take thest hit.¡± Serrit chugged some more liquor. ¡°You¡¯ll know I¡¯m doing this for your own good once you get married and have a child in a few years.¡±


    Oh, he thinks I killed the grave hag just to get a taste of adventure?


    ¡°Serrit is right,¡± Letho agreed, but he sounded crestfallen. ¡°If you want to be a witcher just because of the strength and monster killing, there is no need for further conversation. This is a path paved with pain, and pleasure is nowhere to be found. You have your own family, so just live your life as a normal human. Take that advice.¡±


    ¡°But at least you can protect yourselves,¡± Roy retorted, unwilling to give up. Before this, the only way he could¡¯ve gained EXP was by taking great risks. But now, he was shown a more professional,prehensive, and effective way to gain power. Roy felt the need to grab that chance, because he wouldn¡¯t get another. He could also see the witchers hesitating.


    ¡°If I¡¯m stronger than an average human, I won¡¯t be prey to things like that monster. At least, I won¡¯t get dismembered like my friend and mentor were.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve been in the witcher business for years, and I can tell you this for sure.¡± Auckes downed his beer and let out a heartyugh. ¡°Those monsters are going to thin out quickly, unless the Conjunction of the Spheres happens again. If it does, we¡¯ll have a monster crisis on our hands. If not, most monsters won¡¯te to hunt in Kaer. Your vige is going to enjoy many years of peace from now on. There is no reason to worry.¡±


    ¡°But monsters aren¡¯t the only threats. Humans, disease, and wars are equally as dangerous.¡± Roy¡¯s retort quieted the witchers.


    A long whileter, Serrit mocked, ¡°You¡¯re one peculiar child. What¡¯s even in that head of yours? You¡¯re certainly acting older than your age ¡ª and by a lot ¡ª and you were showing bizarre signs in the cemetery. Are you a paranoid person? I¡¯ve never seen anyone wish to be a witcher of their own volition. You¡¯re a fool.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just precautious.¡± Roy drank some of the dwarven liquor, and the alcohol gave him liquid courage. ¡°Whether you believe me or not, I¡¯ve been dreaming about horrifying things since I was a child. All I see are bloody, unfortunate events burning the earth. The dreams have gotten more frequent over thest few years.¡± Roy paused. ¡°Something tells me a great war wille in three years, and bodies will pile as high as mountains. I think I should learn how to survive before that happens, eh? Witchers are fine mentors, or at least, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    ¡°You lie, child.¡± Serrit scoffed. ¡°That is but a story you¡¯ve woven. You can dream of the future? But you¡¯re not a seer.¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t buy it.¡± Roy shook his head and sighed. He wasn¡¯t lying, for the first Northern War would start in the year 1263, a mere three years away. Maybe the war has already started somewhere else.


    ¡°I just want to be that bit stronger. Enough to keep me and my family safe. I don¡¯t have to be as strong as veteran witchers. I just need to send Moore and Susie to Novigrad. They can live a better, safer life there.¡±


    Letho tapped the table with his pudgy fingers. ¡°You don¡¯t know what witchers have to go through.¡±


    ¡°I know of their infertility and the Trial of the Grasses. It¡¯s almost certain death.¡±


    Letho froze after hearing that, and hispanions¡¯ expressions changed. ¡°How do you know that? Have you run into other witches before?¡±


    ¡°I dreamed of it, but I guess you won¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Of course we won¡¯t, but I can see you¡¯re serious about bing a witcher,¡± Letho answered solemnly. ¡°You have onest chance to think this through, brat.¡±


    ¡°No need for that. I¡¯ve been thinking about this my whole life.¡± Well, even if I train with witchers, it¡¯s not guaranteed I¡¯ll be one. Not a bad backup n though.


    Letho looked at hispanions, who nodded at him. Then he extended his big hand toward Roy. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving Kaer tomorrow. Will youe with us then, brat?¡±


    Roy shook Letho¡¯s gigantic hand, but he pretended to hesitate. ¡°Yes, but not now. I need to make enough money and settle my parents in Novigrad ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°If you can trust us, Serrit and Auckes will escort your parents to Novigrad,¡± Letho interjected, and he waved his hand at Roy. ¡°They have business in that city. You got one thing right: Novigrad is safer than Kaer.¡± Letho had given him the answer he¡¯d wanted.


    ¡°Say, what do you think of this?¡± Since Roy was going to be a trainee, Serrit changed his attitude toward him. He held the viper ne up, and told Roy in earnest, ¡°Auckes and I will set up a booth in Novigrad for your parents. They can open a business there and settle down faster. By the name of the Viper School, we promise you that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what I need.¡±


    Roy observed the brothers closely, and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that they weren¡¯t lying. That was the best oue he could hope for. ¡°But you¡¯ll be spending a lot of crowns by helping me.¡±


    Letho shrugged, dismissing Roy¡¯s worries. ¡°No amount of crowns is more important than a great disciple for the Viper School. To tell you the truth, it¡¯s been twenty years since we¡¯ve had any new recruits. No recruits, no deaths. And you performed well back in the cemetery. You¡¯re the only child I¡¯ve seen approach a witcher of his own volition, and you¡¯re persistent. You might have a better chance of passing the trial. Yes, you¡¯re not the youngest, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    ***


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    ***

 Chapter 14

    <b>Chapter 14: The Journey Begins</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy agreed to Letho¡¯s invitation. Being a witcher was not a bad choice for him, for he hadn¡¯t discovered any talent for being a mage.


    Everything went mostly ording to n. The only deviation was instead of going to the familiar Wolf School, Roy was going to the Viper School, a school that was almost gone from history, and one that was known for its assassinations, poisons, and witchers who used short swords.


    But Roy couldn¡¯t let the opportunity slip away. Staying in this remote vige would hamper his growth. The vige would have to face the Nilfgaardian invasion in the near future, and they might have to fend off new monsters. There were too many untold dangers if he stayed there.


    Even if he trained for just three years, with a veteran witcher like Letho, Roy could grow stronger by leaps and bounds, and he could learn about the trade of witchers. If he managed to pass the Trial of the Grasses, his strength would spike. So what if I be sterile? Roy had never thought about having kids, even in his old world, let alone this new one.


    Convincing his parents to move to Novigrad hadn¡¯t been a difficult task. They weren¡¯t even forty years old, and they looked forward to the big city life. They had no attachment to the vige, unlike the elderly, though they were still nervous.


    It was rare to have a witcher promise their mentorship, but Roy had a problem: his parents objected to him leaving their side.


    Roy wasn¡¯t even fourteen. Even though children in medieval society grew up faster, no fourteen-year-old would leave their parents. The teens relied on them for survival, and no parent would want their child to risk their lives training with witchers.


    Roy had to make up a lie. ¡°Dad, Susie, I¡¯m just a trainee, and I¡¯m not going to get into any battles. Think of me as his assistant, like how I was when I worked for Uncle Fletcher. The job¡¯s different though. Witchers have lousy money management skills, and they don¡¯t know how to spend the money from their bounty. Most of the time, they use up all the crowns they earn in a year in a few days.¡±


    At least Roy wasn¡¯t lying about that part. Most witchers knew nothing about money management. Risking their lives for a living drilled the need for instant gratification into them. The moment they made money from requests, most would spend it on ale, brothels, or Gwent.


    Regr maintenance of their gear and the purchasing of alchemy materials cost many crowns, and most witchers lived request to request. Geralt of Rivia was one of them. Sometimes, he even needed his friends to help him pay off some of his bills.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to manage his ounts. Think of me as a banker in Vivaldi¡¯s Bank. And we won¡¯t be separated for too long. I¡¯lle to Novigrad to visit. I promise.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, Roy, my boy. Since you were a babe, you never even learned how to read. How are you supposed to know how to count?¡±


    Susie and Moore didn¡¯t believe Roy until he showed them some basic math forms. Of course, that was thanks to Luo Yi.


    Everyone was dumbfounded at the calctions, including the witchers. Susie and Moore couldn¡¯t refuse their son anymore, so they bought into his lie, and they cried at the thought of separation.


    They spent a day packing all the valuables from their house, which only amounted to a few sets of clothes. They had to leave thend behind, because it wasn¡¯t theirs to possess. And then off to Novigrad they went, with the witchers escorting them.


    Most of the vigers came out to watch the spectacle, but none of them bid a happy farewell. Most showed contempt and disgust.


    Traditions of old had entrenched themselves deep within the souls of the vigers. To them, witchers were nothing but tools used to destroy monsters. Aside from that, they saw them as filthy mutants and harbingers of disaster.


    Their prejudice against the witchers blinded them from seeing the reason Susie and Moore were following the witchers to Novigrad.


    After their decision to move had spread throughout the vige, many vigers came to dissuade them. Susie and Moore did hesitate, but Roy managed to convince them. He was a better decision maker than they were, and after what happened to Fletcher and Brandon, Roy was disappointed in the vigers.


    Before his departure, Roy¡¯s only friend, One-Eyed Jack, came to see him off, and he patted Roy¡¯s head. ¡°Time flies. You used to be a shy littled, but now you¡¯re one brave, persistent little brat. I knew you¡¯d leave this shithole of a ce sooner orter. Ah, the light in your eyes reminds me of my younger days. I can see them speaking of ambition and secrets untold.¡±


    Really? Roy didn¡¯t think he was ambitious. He only wanted a bit of adventure.


    ¡°You ain¡¯ting back after this, are you? I would¡¯ve gone with you, but this bag o¡¯ bones can¡¯t take any more hits. Oh, right, since you avenged my dead drinking buddy, here¡¯s a farewell gift.¡±


    One-Eyed Jack handed a thirty five card Gwent deck to Roy reluctantly. ¡°This is my prized possession ¡ª the Skellige deck. No hero cards in here, but all the rare cards are present. Take it with you, and show your skills to the world. I wish you the best. Those cities always have Gwentpetitions going on, so go forth and conquer, kid.¡±


    Roy took the deck solemnly and ced it near his heart, then sent it into his inventory space. This whole deck is worth two hundred crowns, easy. Jack gave me one expensive gift.


    ¡°When you get to Novigrad, if you have the time, pay a visit to Number 320 on the east side of the river. If you see an old git named Frank, tell him I said hi.¡±


    After rying his request, Jack gave Roy a hug that almost crushed the boy¡¯s ribs, and waved him goodbye.


    ***


    As the white smoke over Kaer grew farther and farther, something stirred within Roy. Half of the soul within the body belonged to a boy who¡¯d lived his entire life in that vige. He was reluctant to leave, but that reluctance was swept away by the longing for a new adventure.


    Moore and Susie had hugged Roy for a long time before bidding him a tearful goodbye.


    Serrit and Auckes led them to the carriage, and they traveled north of Lower Posada, their first stop being the capital of Aedirn, Vengerberg. There, they would switch carriages and travel west, entering Redania through Temeria, and finally, reaching Novigrad. They could only do so by carriage, and it would take a month for them to reach their destination.


    On the other hand, Letho and Roy were in casual attire, and they hopped onto a horse. Letho would take Roy with him, for the boy knew nothing about horse riding. They traveled west to the sea, zipping through Aldersberg and passing the Mahakam mountain range on the way. The pair¡¯s destination was the kingdom an ocean away from the Skellige Isles: Cintra.


    They¡¯d lied to Susie and Moore. The pair wouldn¡¯t visit Novigrad for the time being. Letho told Roy he¡¯d need to collect the special herbs and mutagens needed for the Trial of the Grasses along the way. At the same time, he would mentor Roy and put him through tests. Letho himself would be going to conduct an investigation in Cintra. Once Susie and Moore were settled down, Auckes and Serrit would rendezvous with them there.


    This trip is just what I need, Roy thought.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re in 1260, the Lion Cub of Cintra, Ciri Fiona Elen Riannon should be around eight or nine years old. She¡¯s betrothed to Kistrin, the prince of Verden by now.¡±


    I wonder if Ciri¡¯s left home on her own yet. Roy wanted to see if Ciri was as unappealing as the paintings depicted her to be.


    ***


    <b>Join our discord for updates on releases!</b><b></b>


    ***

 Chapter 15

    <b>Chapter 15: A Night in the Wilds</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Here. Chew on this and put it over your wound.¡± Letho tossed a flower with vermillion petals to Roy, his face inscrutable. As Letho looked at Roy ¡ª who was rubbing his leg in pain ¡ª his lips curled into a faint smile.


    Letho had zipped across thend after their departure from Kaer, not stopping for dozens of miles. He¡¯d only slowed to rest in the wilds when dusk had descended.


    A burning pain was shooting up from Roy¡¯s inner thigh. When he looked into his trousers, a crimson pool was forming on his thighs where his skin was torn by rough fabric.


    He¡¯d lost 5 HP, and his character sheet showed 37/42 HP. Roy¡¯s constitution was worse than an average adult¡¯s. He wouldn¡¯t be able to ride a horse before his wound healed, which would take days.


    I can¡¯t even ride a horse. Why¡¯d I do this with witchers? They¡¯re superhumans. Am I dumb?


    ¡°What did you give me, Letho?¡± Roy¡¯s teeth chattered from the pain. He chomped on the herb in his mouth, grinding it to a pulp. It had a fine, refreshing vor, unlike most herbs, which had bitter tastes.


    ¡°Marigold. Ever heard of it?¡± Letho tossed a piece of firewood into the campfire, and the mes crackled. ¡°Kills the pain and prevents infection. You can find it outside of towns. They grow everywhere,¡± he exined patiently.


    Roy paid attention to what he said, and made a mental note of what Letho told him. Part of the reason he treaded the path of the witcher was for useful information, like the ones Letho gave him. Witchers could live for many centuries, making them a treasure trove of experience. Roy would try to get everything he could out of them, allowing him to get stronger.


    Letho tossed a few pieces of dry, hard jerky to him as he held his pot of ale and looked into the evening sky, chewing on his food in silence. A whileter, he unbuckled his sword andid on the ground, using his arms as a pillow.


    The ground was his bed, and the sky his nket. Letho looked calm and rxed, as if the wilds were his home. It was normal for witchers to camp in the wilderness for most parts of the year anyway.


    When the scent of wine wafted to him, Roy gulped. ¡°Can I have a taste?¡±


    His leg felt awkward to move after he¡¯d stered marigold on it. When Letho said nothing, Roy took the wineskin and had a taste. The moment he took a sip, his neck craned, his eyes bulged, and his tongue stuck out. ¡°What is this?!¡±


    A sour and spicy taste mixed together like a bizarre concoction, and it made Roy spew out the wine.


    Letho¡¯s face fell. ¡°Don¡¯t drink if you can¡¯t take it, child. I went through a lot of trouble to get that from Beauir. It¡¯s Est Est. Not everyone has the chance to even taste it in their lifetime. This wine is a tribute item. Savor it.¡±


    ¡°Savor it? There is nothing to savor. The wine isn¡¯t good,¡± Roy answered honestly. ¡°Ol¡¯ Captain¡¯s Inn has better wine. I like its fruit wine. Even its dwarven liquor is better.¡± And then Roy shifted the topic. ¡°You mentioned Beauir just now. If I remember correctly, that¡¯s in Toussaint, isn¡¯t it? Have you gone there before? Then you must have seen Duchess Anna Henrietta. Is she as beautiful as the rumors have it?¡±


    Toussaint was the duchy where the DLC ¡®Blood and Wine¡¯ took ce. Its fairytale-esque scenery had left asting impression on Roy. Of course, there was also the army of higher vampires, the lustful ¡®cloud sex,¡¯ and the beautiful duchess.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see the duchess. Only her husband, Duke Raymond.¡± Letho peered at Roy. ¡°You¡¯re from a pigsty in Aedirn, boy. By all ounts, you shouldn¡¯t know the duchess¡¯ name. How do you?¡±


    Toussaint was a duchy in Nilfgaard, a far, far ce from Aedirn. The more he talked to Roy, the more Letho thought he was strange. He must have a lot of secrets.


    ¡°I told you why, but you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    The witchers hadn¡¯t believed Roy¡¯s lie about him seeing the future in his dreams.


    Roy huddled closer to the crackling fire and rubbed his hands. ¡°Do all witchers live long lives like you, Letho?¡±


    ¡°Most lose their lives when fulfilling requests to hunt down monsters. Either that, or they fall in battle. Not even half make it to fifty.¡±


    Roy smiled. He knew of an old master in the Wolf School who was already two hundred. Maybe the other schools have witchers like that too.


    ¡°Do you regret your choice then?¡± Letho suddenly turned back to stare at him. ¡°Being a witcher might kill you faster than being a peasant would.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, a bit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± A faint, murderous intent rose from Letho.


    Roy quickly changed his answer. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s the alcohol talking. I won¡¯t regret this.¡±


    ¡°Those gits have sent your parents to Novigrad, as promised. If you change your mind halfway through¡­ The Viper School isn¡¯t filled with madmen like the Cat School, but we show no mercy to those who lie to us,¡± Letho warned.


    ¡°Calm down, Letho. Let¡¯s change the topic. I heard witchers always have two swords with them. Why do you only have one?¡±


    Letho¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°You should know that every school specializes in different fields. The Viper School specializes in short swords and poison for battle.


    Roy kept staring at him. Letho then shrugged, and Roy heard resignation in his voice. ¡°I think you know that witchers have a steel sword and a silver sword that can each be held with one hand.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The steel sword is for humans, and the silver sword is for monsters who are weak to silver, right?¡± Roy asked.


    Letho shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s too absolute. Some monsters are weak to silver, but steel works better on some of them. You know why I only have one steel sword? It¡¯s because even a silver-coated steel sword costs a lot, let alone a full one. The Viper School has seen better days, and now we must use our resources on more important matters, like your development.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I wonder if being watched over by a witcher is a good thing. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get a good steel sword anytime soon. Actually, I¡¯m more interested in crossbows. Are you familiar with weapons like that, Letho? Can you teach me how to use it?¡± Roy was disappointed, for he still hadn¡¯t gotten a ranged weapon skill after a month of hunting.


    Ranged weapons like bows and crossbows were morepatible with his strongest stat, Perception,pared to melee weapons. After his level up, Roy had increased the level of his new skill, thus making Observe a level 2 skill. He also had a two point increase in Perception.


    ¡°You¡¯re barking up the wrong tree, boy. Crossbows are the specialty of the Cat School and Bear School.¡± Letho looked into the night, his gaze deepening as he walked down memoryne. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a master, but I¡¯ve used crossbows at some point in my life, so I¡¯ll teach you in a couple of days.¡±


    Letho then took out a bag of brown powder and made a circle on the ground with it, surrounding the horse, the campfire, him, and Roy.


    Roy¡¯s nose wrinkled, and the stench of the powder reached him. ¡°Is that powder made out of some creature¡¯s feces?¡±


    ¡°Not bad, boy. This is made out of a wyvern¡¯s feces. Surround yourself with it, and no wild animals wille near. Gives you a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Roy¡¯s nose scrunched up, though he could still take the smell. At least it was better than when he was the butcher¡¯s apprentice. When the cold breeze brushed against him, Roy shivered. ¡°Letho, can you not call me ¡®boy¡¯ or ¡®brat¡¯? Just call me Roy.¡± Being called brat made him feel like a little boy.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to work hard so that I¡¯ll acknowledge you. I might just call you by your name then.¡± Letho didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to it from now on. Get closer to the fire if it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Once Roy had huddled closer to the fire, Letho said, ¡°Now it¡¯s time for your first witcher lesson, boy. Less talking, more thinking. Never show your weakness to anyone ¡ª not even the people closest to you. Shh!¡± Letho suddenly put his index finger against his lips, demanding Roy to be silent. He obliged, though he listened closely to his surroundings.


    A wolf¡¯s howl reached them from afar, and pairs of ghastly green eyes appeared around the camp. Roy held his breath as he loaded his crossbow in silence.


    The eyes swayed in the air, and they stared at the campfire. But they didn¡¯t move closer, as if stopped by some invisible force.


    Letho drew the Axii sign near his horse, calming the whining, disquieted animal down.


    The wolves only howled for a short while, and they didn¡¯te near them. In the end, they returned to the darkness, whimpering in fear.


    ¡°Wyvern¡¯s feces doe in handy,¡± Roy mumbled to himself. With Letho protecting him, and the wyvern¡¯s feces keeping the beasts away, Roy could gain EXP quickly in the wilds if he used his advantages to the fullest. They were in a ce where beasts were at least ten times more numerous than they were in the woods around Kaer.


    I can get a lot of EXP here. And I have some meat and anesthetic left.


    ¡°Look here, boy,¡± Lethomanded, and Roy looked back reflexively. All he saw was an inverted triangle, and an overwhelming sleepiness assailed Roy. He closed his eyes, and became oblivious to everything around him.


    Axii¡¯s effect lingered for a while, and Letho mumbled many things to the hypnotized boy. Roy thought he¡¯d heard Letho say something, but the wind blew everything away.


    Then Letho heaved a sigh of relief and dispeled Axii. He cracked his fingers and massaged the boy who had fallen asleep. Letho gazed at the young boy, and his expression softened.


    When was thest time I took a disciple in? Thirty years ago? Shame that kid couldn¡¯t even get past the first round of the trial. Will this mysterious brat have better luck?


    ***


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    ***

 Chapter 16

    <b>Chapter 16: Hypnosis and Herbs</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    As the first ray of light pierced through the darkness which was spread across the horizon, dawn broke through the sky.


    ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Roy stretched his arms and opened his eyes. Every cell in his body felt rxed, as if he¡¯d just soaked in a hot spring. It was the first time he¡¯d had a good night¡¯s sleep since he crossed over two months ago. The dawn breeze kissed him, and it took away his lethargy, making Roy feel refreshed.


    ¡°Oh, right, why¡¯d I¡­ Axii. Dammit. Why¡¯d he use Axii on me?¡± The color drained from Roy¡¯s face, and he quickly checked himself. I¡¯m fine. My clothes are intact, and I don¡¯t feel weird anywhere. He heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Good thing baldy isn¡¯t gay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, brat.¡± As Letho said good morning in his iconic deadpan voice, some thigh meat grilled to golden brown flew across the air in an arc.


    ¡°Ow, ow, hot, hot!¡± Roy tossed the meat around clumsily before finally catching it. He blew on it and asked, ¡°What did you do to mest night?¡±


    ¡°Look at your wound.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all healed.¡±


    Roy¡¯s thigh had been covered in blood since hours of horseback riding had gnawed his skin. It would have taken five days to heal, but the wound had formed scabs overnight. They were hideous, a dull reddish-brown hue, and were hard to the touch. But it didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°I hypnotized you with Axiist night and fed you some herbs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea, Letho. Shouldn¡¯t you tell me before you do that? Didn¡¯t think Axii helped with sleep, though. Wait, you couldn¡¯t have fed potions to me, could you?¡±


    Potions for witchers could harm normal humans greatly, and Roy didn¡¯t want to hurt himself when he was still in his growing phase. He checked his character sheet, but everything seemed fine to him. His Strength even grew by 0.1 point, making it 4.3. Whoa. I got stronger in a night than I could in a month. What kind of magic meds did he feed me?


    ¡°Won¡¯t be as effective if you have your guard up,¡± Letho exined. ¡°Still a long way from the Trial of the Grasses. Potions will kill you if you take them before the trial. Rx. You had special herbs made for humans. It can even make you stronger if you take them regrly.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes shone at the mention of the effect. That kind of herb exists? He stoppedining and gobbled up the remainder of the thigh. ¡°Nice cooking.¡± He clicked his tongue in praise. ¡°Meat¡¯s tender enough, and smells great. What¡¯s this made out of, Letho?¡±


    Letho¡¯s eyelid twitched, and he took a deep breath. ¡°Wolf. The same beast that tried to kill usst night.¡±


    ***


    Letho didn¡¯t ask Roy to ride on horseback with him. Instead, he took the horse and sauntered in the wilderness. It was and filled with strange nts and muddy ground that squelched under their feet, but the air was sweet, tangy, and humid. From time to time, roe deers, honey badgers, and deers would stick their heads out of the bushes, just to turn tail and run in fright at the sight of them both.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Letho was already used to Roy¡¯s incessant questioning, and he shrugged before giving a cryptic answer. ¡°Think closely, and you¡¯ll find the answer.¡±


    Roy squinted skeptically, and a momentter, one long, strange message appeared in his mind.


    ¡®Marigold: Biennial nt. Has ndr trichomes. Its leaves are alternate and circr in shape. Its flowers can be yellow or orange. Prefers cooler climates. It can survive the cold, but dies quickly in higher heat. Can help with digestion and healing of wounds.


    ¡®Buckthorn: Annual nt. Stem grows upright and has trichomes. Its leaves grow in a whorled arrangement. Prefers warmer climates and ces with sufficient light as well as air cirction. Can survive hot environments, but dies if there¡¯s too much water. Can act as an antidote for poison and a medicine for gues.


    ¡®Nettle¡­ Bedonna¡­ Comfrey¡­ Myrtle¡­ Chrysanthemum¡­ Berbercane fruit¡­¡¯


    The images, details, and medicinal value for more than thirty herbs appeared within his mind, and Roy memorized them without difficulty. He was sure he could recognize every single one of them if they were to appear before him.


    ¡°You were almost healed when we left Kaer. Time for you to learn new things.¡± Letho still held the horse by the leash. ¡°So I used a signst night to make you memorize themon herbs. They can do anything from stopping minor bleedings to neutralizing toxins. Remember them well. You¡¯ll have to use them eventually,¡± he exined slowly.


    Roy had his question answered. Over the course of one night, Letho had bestowed multiple surprises upon him. Roy became stronger, and he had apendium of herbs in his mind. He hadn¡¯t seen most of them before, and he was sure they never appeared in the game. That¡¯s normal though. This is the real world. It¡¯s not as limited as the game. Course I don¡¯t know a lot of things. However, he had a giant head start with a witcher mentoring him.


    ***


    These witchers really know how to use signs to their fullest potential. Never thought Axii could be used to bestow knowledge. I thought that only happened in novels. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave more in my head, Letho? Something like alchemy? We can continue tonight.¡±


    Letho was inscrutable. ¡°Sure. If you aren¡¯t scared of having a splitting headache for your whole life.¡±


    He then stopped before an area filled with bush. Wherever Roy looked, there was green, but the nts also came in different shapes. Some thicker, some thinner. Some bigger, some smaller.


    ¡°Now look for the herbs you saw in your head.¡±


    ¡°Which one did you feed mest night? I want to pick more of them.¡±


    ¡°Those are berbercane fruits,¡± Letho answered. ¡°Not a bad nt, to be honest. Take it every day, and it¡¯ll make you stronger.¡±


    Before Roy went to harvest the herbs, Letho told him what he should look out for. ¡°If you go in to pick them without knowing their structure and the parts that are important, you¡¯ll ruin the herb. Then, they won¡¯t even be worth one crown. Take berbercane fruits, for example. The only valuable part is the red, misshapen fruits underground. The leaves that grow above it ¡ª however beautiful they are ¡ª aren¡¯t worth a thing. You can¡¯t just pull it out however you want though. nts are a type of life form, and they can protect themselves. If you pull on it too strongly, the leaves will secrete a kind of fluid that will destroy the fruit. You¡¯ll have to be careful with how you pull them out, brat. If you¡¯re too soft, it won¡¯t work. If you¡¯re too strong, it¡¯ll be ruined.¡±


    As Letho went on with his exnations, Roy slowly paid more attention to the specifics. He never realized there were so many details to look out for, and it was a mere nt.


    ***


    Around the bushesy fallen leaves. They were covered in a sheet of sleet and dewdrops. The northern realms had always been colder than any other ce. It was alreadyte autumn when Roy arrived there, and snow had descended upon most nations.


    Roy¡¯s face was red from the cold, but still he went on with his harvest among the bushes, icy step by icy step. Fortunately for him, berbercane fruits weren¡¯t rare, and he found a bunch of them not long after his search had started. The difficult part, however, was the plucking.


    Roy had to pull the fruit out of the ground without shocking the leaves. If he made even one rough move, the green, juicy leaves would ckenpletely in an instant, and the fruit would rot in a chain reaction.


    Roy was drenched in sweat at the end, but he managed to pluck a sizable amount of berbercane fruits. They were gleaming under the sun, their crimson hue uncannily resembling strawberries, and the smell alone refreshed Roy. He ced most of them in his inventory and popped one into his mouth. Then a status that said ¡®Poisoned (mild)¡¯ appeared on the right side of his HP bar.


    ¡°Weird. My HP and stats are normal, and I don¡¯t feel unwell. Why¡¯d this status show up? If I could just find out more about the fruit¡­¡±


    Roy fell into his thoughts for a while, and a stroke of inspiration struck him. He remembered about his level two Observe skill. I made a mistake. I thought Observe could only be used on humans, animals, and monsters. But can it be used on herbs too?


    Roy swiftly found a fresh berbercane nt, and he activated Observe. His eyes turned into a gxy of knowledge as an information sheet appeared on top of the nt.


    ¡®Berbercane. Perennial nts. This particr nt is currently two and a half years old. Berbercanes can be found in the northern realms ornds that constantly experience temperatures lower than twenty degrees.


    ¡®Usages: 1. Can be eaten as food. Taking an ounce of berbercane fruit every day for a month will increase your stats gradually. It can raise your stats by one point at the maximum, and the effect will stop after your stats reach five points. 2. As material for potions and decoctions.


    ¡®Negative effects: Contains mild poison. The user must wait until the poison has disappeared fully before consuming another fruit. If not, the poison will consume the user¡¯s sense of taste. If the poison remains for more than two months, the user will lose their sense of taste permanently. The user is immune to the poison if their Stamina is higher than 15.¡¯


    ***


    The message detailed the age and dosage of the fruit. It was a perfectplement to the pointers Letho gave him. It was then that Roy prioritized the leveling up of Observe.


    After putting the rest of the berbercane fruits in his inventory space, Roy started sweeping through the bushes for herbs. It took him the whole morning to get through the patch of bushes, but in the end, he found twelve types of herbs he saw in his mind, including myrtles, crow¡¯s eyes, beggarticks, and ck hellebore. Aside from berbercane fruits, an herb called blowball could give him a minor increase in Strength, though only by one point at most. It wasn¡¯t too obvious an improvement.


    Even so, attribute points were hard toe by. He was only awarded one point with every level up, and at the time being, he needed one thousand EXP to do so. Leveling up would eventually be a steep hill to climb, which made stat improvements through herbs a sweet bonus for him.


    If Roy¡¯s Observe was correct, consuming blowballs and berbercane fruits for a month would raise his weakest stats, Constitution and Strength, to five points, making him on par with a normal adult.


    The only drawback was the fact that consuming herbs was a double-edged de. It could strengthen him, but they could poison him too. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he would lose his sense of smell and taste. Fortunately, the poison effect wasn¡¯t permanent. On the contrary, it faded fast enough for Roy not to mind it. After finishing his berbercane fruit, he popped some blowball petals into his mouth and gave it a thorough chew in case it would upset his stomach.


    Raising my stats with herbs is the easiest way to train I¡¯ve ever heard.


    ***


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    ***

 Chapter 17

    <b>Chapter 17: Drowner</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was almost dusk when Roy was done scavenging for herbs. The pair arrived at a murky river that was ten feet wide, but which had both ends extend indefinitely. Letho stopped in his tracks, and his pupils turned into slits. As Roy observed him, he was reminded of a bristled feline, though in human form.


    PR/N: Ten feet is around 3.05 meters.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is this a dangerous ce?¡±


    Letho signaled for Roy¡¯s silence, and he crept closer to the river. He pulled out a blue scale from the cracks between the pebbles at the riverside. Once he took a whiff of it, Letho moved backward. ¡°We¡¯ll have to camp further away. Something nasty is in the river.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Roy gazed at the murky waters, and excitement welled up in him.


    ¡°There¡¯s at least one drowner in the waters.¡± Letho tossed the scale to Roy. ¡°Take a look. Drowners are different from fish. Their scales are thicker, and there¡¯s a bulge in the center. And if you smell it carefully, there¡¯s the stench of rotten corpses on it.¡±


    Roy tried to do so, but since his Perception wasn¡¯t high enough, he couldn¡¯t smell anything. They stayed around for a moment, and when Roy left with Letho, his head hung low along the way.


    Suddenly, he patted Letho¡¯s sturdy back. ¡°Letho, can you show me what the legendary drowners look like?¡± he asked hesitantly. ¡°Since I¡¯m going to fight them eventually, this is a good time to learn all about them. Someone will get killed if we leave these monsters alone.¡±


    ¡°Drowners have a nickname among us witchers,¡± Letho snapped back. ¡°Newbie killers. Many new witchers have met their doom at the hands of drowners because of their damned curiosity.¡±


    Roy took a nervous step back. Even though Letho had said he was going to leave, he¡¯d saddled his horse before going back to search across the riverbank, and he found more scales. The witcher pondered for a moment, then he checked his gear, weapon, bombs, and potions.


    Roy was surprised to see Letho so serious, as if the drowner was a big threat. ¡°Is that necessary? I thought drowners weren¡¯t great at fighting.¡±


    He¡¯d killed many drowners in the game. At least hundreds of them died by Roy¡¯s hands. He could still remember their gurgles and strange nasal noises. His many battles gave him a thorough understanding of the monster. Their strength was on par with that of a normal human¡¯s, though their speed was better. Aside from being better swimmers, Roy didn¡¯t think they were memorable.


    ¡°Looks like those dreams of yours don¡¯t work every time.¡± Letho poured some light green necrophage oil on his sword. ¡°Didn¡¯t your dream tell you something? ¡®Monsters don¡¯te alone. Sometimes theye in groups.¡¯ These bastards alwayse in groups, so keep that attitude in check, boy. Never underestimate any monster, no matter how weak they are. We only have one life, and no one will spare you any pity if you get killed because of your foolishness. That¡¯s the second lesson.¡±


    Letho took out a bloodied wolf thigh from the saddlebag and tore it into pieces with his short sword.


    ¡°I understand. There will be no next time.¡± Roy looked down in shame. Letho made him remember that he was still human, and drowners could kill humans easily. If he kept taking on his enemies in such a frivolous manner, he would eventually get killed because of it.


    I¡¯ve been this way since thest adventure. That¡¯s not a good habit. Gotta change it right now.


    ¡°What should I do, Letho? How should I help?¡± Roy took out his crossbow and loaded it with bolts.


    ¡°Just stay back and watch how a professional hunts.¡± Letho paused for a moment. ¡°But if you want to help, then answer me this: What¡¯s a drowner¡¯s weakness?¡± He stared at Roy, inscrutable.


    Roy wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut and listened intently. Letho nodded in satisfaction. So he finally knows the importance of humility. ¡°Remember, drowners aren¡¯t afraid of poison. Don¡¯t try to make them bleed either. It won¡¯t work.¡±


    Roy shivered after hearing Letho¡¯s advice. He was going to use the butcher¡¯s anesthetic against the drowner. If he¡¯d done that, he might¡¯ve been the first otherworlder in the history of novels to have been eaten by a drowner.


    ¡°Drowners aren¡¯t known for their intelligence. They¡¯re stupider than a boot, so Axii won¡¯t work on them either. And their sight is terrible. If their target is more than forty feet away, they¡¯d effectively be blind, even in daylight. Course, you¡¯ll have to outrun them. They¡¯re scared of fire and anything rted to it.¡±


    Letho took out a transparent, ss canister the size of half a fist from his alchemy bag. Roy could see multicolored gas swirling within it.


    ¡°That¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Dream, a kind of alchemy bomb. It¡¯s infused with mmable gas,¡± Letho said. ¡°You¡¯re good with the crossbow, so I assume your uracy is decent? Once I lure the drowners out, listen to my signal and toss the bomb to where they group up. Then I¡¯ll light the fuse. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ***


    Letho cut the bloodied meat up into dozens of pieces before scattering them on an even spot of ground twenty feet from the river. Then he quickly came back to hide with Roy a safe distance away and stared at the river closely. Five minutester, the river that had been flowing silently started bubbling as if it were boiling. Ripples spread as something crawled out of the murky depths.


    First there was one, then two, then three. Finally, five hideous humanoid creatures reared their heads from the river and gurgled as they darted to the riverbank.


    The monsters bore a resemnce to corpses fished out from the bottom ofkes. Their skin was blue or green in color, but all of them had sticky fluids and filthy mud dripping out of their pores. Their limbs were adorned with slippery scales, and webs like those of aquatic animals were seen between their fingers. Gills that looked like fans hung from their cheeks, and a catfish mustache wiggled above their lips.


    Their bodies were deathly pale, as well as their sunken faces. Two rows of sharp teeth glistened in their mouths as they grinned. The drowners were looking everywhere in paranoia, their eyes ghastly white.


    After they were certain that no one was around, the drowners sniffed the air, and they pounced at the minced meat with excitement. They had a strange way of running, with their hands behind their backs, just like ostriches would. Roy looked at Letho, but he didn¡¯t give any signal yet. Then Roy looked at the monster that had mutated the most, and his eyes turned into a gxy of information.


    ¡®Drowner


    Sex: None


    Age: 12


    Status: None


    HP: 70


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 6


    Constitution: 7


    Perception: 3


    Will: 2


    Charisma: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Skill:


    Underwater Breathing Level 10: Allows for indefinite periods of breathing underwater.


    Mutated Body Level 10: Many think of drowners as monsters that are formed from corpses of those who died a watery death, but their bodies are structured differently than humans. Drowners are possibly artificial life forms created by magic, or an invasive species from the Conjunction of the Spheres.


    Immune to poisoning and bleeding.¡¯


    ***


    They have zero Charisma and Spirit? Are you sure they aren¡¯t dead bodies? Roymented silently. No wonder Axii has no effect on them.


    When he looked at Letho again, the witcher had already given his signal. Roy took a deep breath and pulled his right hand back before tossing the bomb into the air. It flew in an arc and dropped in the middle of the five drowners.


    The bomb was smashed into pieces as it mmed into the ground, and the colorful smoke spread ten feet in every direction, enveloping the monsters that were feasting on the meat. At the same time, Letho darted forward like the wind and casted Igni at the drowners before pulling back. The fire that touched the colorful smoke spread across the monsters quickly as if it had met something that could help it soar.


    Roy, crossbow in hand, watched the drowners in shock as fireworks rained upon them. The yellow mes gleamed within the colorful gas, and as the sound of explosions started ringing out, the sky was dyed in the colors of the smoke.


    Five gurgling, charred drowners leaped out of the explosion, and three of them ran toward the river. Letho chased after them with his short sword in hand, intending to finish them off. The other two targeted Roy, but one was shot through the eye before it could get near him. When Roy was about to reload, the remaining drowner had already closed in on him.


    There wasn¡¯t even a millimeter of hair on its pale, grotesque face, and the mes were still igniting it. When the stench of its charred meat and bad breath assailed Roy, he felt suffocated.


    Roy could see death staring him in the eye, but it left as soon as it had appeared. The drowner who was attacking him froze in its tracks as if stopped by some magical force. Even so, the inertia made it skid forward, close enough so Roy could grab it. It was a weird situation, but there was no time for Roy to think about it. He took out his short sword and sliced down on its head, making it stumble backward. As the drowner fell, Roy shot a bolt through its eyes. The monster trembled, but stopped moving a momentter.


    ¡®Drowner killed. EXP gained: 20.


    ¡®Drowner killed. EXP gained: 20.


    ¡®Level 2: EXP (143/1000).¡¯


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. Dizziness started overwhelming him, and his body was drenched in sweat. That was a close one. I was almost killed. If Fear hadn¡¯t activated back then, I might have been killed by that drowner. Best case scenario, I would¡¯ve gotten crippled.


    ¡°Know why we call them newbie killers now, boy?¡± Letho hade back from his hunt. The three drowners hadn¡¯t managed to escape, and their heads were cut off. ¡°Still think you can underestimate them?¡±


    Roy kept quiet. He didn¡¯t expect the cool witcher to be a nagging person. ¡°What should we do with these bodies? Should we throw them into the river, or burn them again?¡±


    ¡°Take their brains out. I¡¯ll teach you what to do. Drowner brains are important to make Swallow. Some sorcerers would buy it too.¡± The witcher and his disciple went around the riverbank andid the drowners¡¯ bodies out in a row. ¡°It¡¯d be best if we could find a red mutagen. Dragon¡¯s Dream costs a lot to make. If there¡¯s no red mutagen, we¡¯d be losing money.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 18

    <b>Chapter 18: Meditation Facing the Mountain</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The cold wind blew across the wilderness, making the cruel night ever so frigid. Two people sat around a warm, crackling fire as they munched on their dinner ¡ª a hot, steaming, grilled rabbit. Letho sipped from his Est Est and blurted out, ¡°I remember you asking for some pointers on using crossbows. I have some time to talk to you about that now.¡±


    Roy was a self-taught crossbowman. He¡¯d been wishing for some professional training. After starting his journey with Letho, Roy could feel Gabriel getting limited in its use. He could use it to kill normal animals, but not monsters. The only way to break the impasse was through an improvement of his skills.


    Letho asked him to take Gabriel out and talked about crossbows. ¡°Can¡¯t talk about Viper School¡¯s crossbow skills, since that¡¯s not our specialty. I¡¯ll tell you about the experience a friend from the Cat School shared with me.¡±


    ¡°You know people from the Cat School, Letho?¡± Roy asked curiously. If he remembered correctly, Cat School witchers had problematic personalities after taking their special-made decoction during the Trial of the Grasses. They would walk an extreme path, and being a witcher exacerbated that, for they were shown the darkness of the world. Left unchecked, they would spiral into madness.


    There were six known witcher schools: Bear School, Wolf School, Griffin School, Cat School, Viper School, and Manticore School. Only witchers from Cat School would ept assassination requests publicly. Because of that, the Cat School was rejected by the other schools and society, making them persona non grata* everywhere. Cat School had aplex rtionship with the Wolf School, and was the only one epting female disciples.


    PR/N: Definition of ¡°persona non grata¡±: In diplomacy, a persona non grata (Latin: ¡°person not wee¡±, plural: personae non gratae) is a status sometimes applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection by diplomatic immunity from arrest and other normal kinds of prosecution. Also¡­ I want to join the Cat School xD.


    ¡°Everyone says that the Cats are madmen.¡± Letho rubbed an old scar on his left forearm, and reminiscence showed in his amber eyes. ¡°But that¡¯s obviously nonsense. There are witchers from the Cat School who can coexist with others in peace, but I digress. Let¡¯s talk business. Tell me what you think is most important when attacking with a crossbow?¡±


    Roy fiddled with Gabriel and made an aiming pose. ¡°I aim¡­ then I shoot? Oh, the most important part is the time I pull the trigger. It¡¯s the shooting, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s the deciding factor between hitting or missing the target.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a total idiot, boy. Yes, everything you do before you shoot is for that exact moment ¡ª the moment you pull the trigger.¡± Letho circled the campfire and paused for a moment. ¡°The details can beplicated. There are five steps to follow if you want to shoot a crossbow: how you hold it, how you position yourself, how you load the bolts, how you aim, and how you shoot.¡±


    Roy remained calm despite theplicated exnation. He was already ready for that, for he knewplex details were hidden behind every simple task, and they were only revealed when a professional searched for them.


    ¡°We have time, so take it slow. Let¡¯s start with the basics ¡ª holding the crossbow. Hold it like how you always do.¡±


    Roy was used to holding Gabriel with one hand since it was smaller than standard crossbows, but he could hold it with two as well. Roy followed the instructions and stood up straight, then holding the lower-middle part of the crossbow with his left hand, he held the handle with his right.


    Letho started pushing down on Roy. ¡°You didn¡¯t learn from a master, did you? Your movements are all wrong, but it isn¡¯t toote to correct them.¡± He told him the crux of the skill. ¡°Remember, you have to center your gravity and rx. Understood? Your shoulders have to be level, and you¡¯re not supposed to support the crossbow with any part beside your hands. Since you¡¯re right-handed, you should point your left elbow and tuck it in. Don¡¯t ask why you should correct your movement every time. You¡¯ll know why after your ten thousandth shot, because the guy who told me this shot at least a million.¡±


    PR/N: Casually notes this down.


    The movement sounded easy, and it was simple to follow, but it was hard to maintain at all times, at least enough for it to be second nature. Practice would be boring.


    Roy kept cheering himself up though. Keep this up, Roy. This is the first step to gaining power. If I can¡¯t even take this, how am I supposed to pass the Trial of the Grasses?


    More than one hour of practiceter, Roy was drenched in sweat, but he was starting to hold his crossbow the right way. Letho then went on to talk about how he should load the bolt. ¡°If you want to learn how to shoot, then preparation is key. First learn how to hold the weapon and how to load it.¡±


    Three hours had passed after Roy had learned how to do the second step. As the moon rose to its peak, Roy was starting to stagger from the exhaustion. ording to Letho¡¯s way, he had to use his foot while loading the bolt. It took more out of Roy, but it was safer and more efficientpared to loading with hands.


    Roy didn¡¯tin throughout the session. Even though he was already drenched in sweat, he was focused on his training. Letho was happy with his attitude, and he thought Roy might just have a chance to pass the trial.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for tonight.¡±


    When Roy was drying his clothes by the campfire after he had washed himself off, Letho said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time to sleep. Since you asked, now you have two choices. One, I¡¯ll use Axii to hypnotize you. You¡¯ll fall into a deep sleep which will help you recover from your fatigue quickly. Maybe you¡¯ll even get something out of it. Two, you try to recover on your own.¡±


    Roy recalled the good sleep he¡¯d hadst night. ¡°Are you trying to sneak more knowledge into my mind, Letho?¡± he queried.


    ¡°I said that¡¯s going to give you a permanent headache.¡± Letho rubbed his fingers together. ¡°If you¡¯re fine with the first way, then rx and don¡¯t resist, or it won¡¯t work as well as it¡¯s supposed to.¡±


    Roy gave it a moment of thought. If Letho wants to harm me, I¡¯d be killed before I could make a move. Telling me before using Axii is already a sign of respect. He let go of any misgivings and quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    ***


    It was a peaceful week after that night. No monsters came to attack them, nor did theye across any creature. During the journey, the witcher would scavenge for herbs in the wilderness during daytime to teach Roy about them. When dusk would fall, Roy would go for a hunt with his new and improved crossbow skills. That granted him some EXP and dinner.


    Once night had fully fallen, Roy would practice around the campfire, and Letho would be the coach. After buckets and buckets of sweat, Roy was finally starting to get into the important part ¡ª the breathing technique. He could feel his shooting skill improve, but it didn¡¯t develop into a skill he could use. He needed real battles for that. Before he slept, Letho would use Axii on him to induce a deep slumber. Every morning, Roy woke up refreshed and reborn.


    One week after that, Roy¡¯s EXP bar was already at 280 points. His Constitution was raised by 0.1 points thanks to the herbs he was consuming, bringing it to 4.4. His strength saw the same increase, bringing it to 4.3. At the time being, Roy could memorize more than fifty types of herbs, their effects, where they grew, and how to handle them. Massacre could affect five more types of animals. Roy was starting to enjoy the slow but sure process of growth.


    Then, the night came when they finally got out of the remote wilderness. They could see a tall, sturdy wall over yonder. The windows of tall spires behind the wall glimmered, and white smoke billowed from the top. ¡°That¡¯s Aldersberg, the city neighboring the Mahakam mountain range and southern Aedirn¡¯sst line of defense. We¡¯ll be there by tomorrow.¡±


    Roy looked in the direction of the wall, and he saw a gigantic mountain range standing behind it, looming over them. From where he stood, the mountains looked like an ancient monster, deep in its slumber. The infinite snow and the dappled greenery was little more than ornaments for the mountain.


    That was the Mahakam mountain range. It was the giant that separated Temeria and Aedirn, the home of dwarves. Rumors had it that gnomes lived there too. They would have to go through Aldersberg and scale past the mountains before they could arrive in Cintra. But since it was gettingte, the pair camped in the wilds.


    After another satisfying grilled meat dinner, Letho sat quietly on the ground, facing the Mahakam mountain range. The depressing silence he¡¯d kept along the way faded, reced by a grounded, peaceful strength.


    As Roy stared at Letho¡¯s back, the magical energy the witcher radiated made him feel at ease. Letho said, ¡°Meditation was created by the first Sources. It¡¯s a way tomunicate and control chaos energy, or elemental energy, so to speak. It is then left as inheritance for the witchers by Cosimo Mspina, the founder of witchers. Meditation can calm humans and witchers alike. It can also cleanse negative emotions, heal bodily wounds quickly, speed up recovery, and induce deep sleep.


    ¡°But those who are sensitive to magical energy can sense the elemental energy through meditation. They can harness the power from air, water, earth, and fire. If they aren¡¯t sent to a sorcerer¡¯s academy to tame the elemental energy they channel during their meditation/ they have after they exit meditation, they will be driven mad after their powers get out of control. Worse, their bodies will twist and mutate. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll need you to go into meditation, boy. I need you to tell me if you¡¯re a normal human or a magic-sensitive one.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. So this is it. Then he was confused. ¡°What should I do to enter meditation?


    He was sure Letho had never mentioned anything regarding meditation before that night. If it was possible, Roy wished he was a magic-sensitive human. Witchers were derivatives of mages, making them less powerful than one. However, he saw nothing regarding magic, elements, or chaos energy in his character sheet. There weren¡¯t any skills or mana in there either, and Roy knew he might not be a mage then.


    Letho answered his question calmly. ¡°I hypnotized you with Axii every night before you slept.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t for deep sleep?¡±


    ¡°I did say you might get something out of it, and you took my offer,¡± Letho emphasized. ¡°To be more precise, you have entered meditation six times, so you¡¯re ready for it. Your body has adapted to the process, but since you didn¡¯t enter it yourself, you didn¡¯t remember it. Tonight, you¡¯ll have to do it yourself and tell me what you feel during meditation.¡±


    I can get something out of it¡­ I thought that was weird. So this is why. Does he trust me enough now to tell me about it? Roy was d he made the choice to be hypnotized, but he remembered nothing about meditating. All he knew was he slept well every night.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Sit like I¡¯m sitting.¡±


    Roy followed his instructions and made a weird sign with his fingers, but it felt natural to him, as if he had done it many times. Roy entered a bizarre state a momentter. He felt warm and fuzzy, as if he was in his mother¡¯s womb again. Every cell on his body was roaring as they absorbed everything around them to heal and strengthen themselves.


    The blowing winds and crackling campfire looked ever so distant, and he stared at the Mahakam mountain range, Aldersberg disappearing from his sight. The clouds that swirled above it moved in a random manner, but eventually, they formed a spiral that sucked him in.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 19

    <b>Chapter 19: Massacre</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Air, water, earth, and fire swirled around you¡­ and they left? As expected, you¡¯re a normal human.¡±


    ¡°A normal human¡­¡±


    The message rang around him, and Roy sighed. ¡°I knew it. I¡¯m a peasant¡¯s son, after all. That¡¯s what I should be. I wasn¡¯t sent to a witcher because of any ident, nor am I part elf, and I¡¯m not a magic-sensitive person. The only way I can stand tall in this world is through hard work.¡± That moment steeled his resolve to be a witcher.


    After going into meditation for the first time, a message popped up in his character sheet.


    ¡®You have unlocked a new skill, Meditation level 1. Meditation is training for the body and mind. Going into a meditative state calms the body and soul, speeds up the recovery of wounds, mana, and stamina, improves coordination, and increases affinity for chaos energy. Tip: Every time Meditation is leveled up, Constitution and Spirit will be permanently increased.¡¯


    Roy¡¯s jaw dropped. It was the first time he¡¯d acquired a skill that could increase his stats. His interest was piqued, and he wanted to level up immediately so he could level up the skill. But he calmed down quickly and set the idea aside. He couldn¡¯t cast signs before unlocking mana, so increasing Spirit wouldn¡¯t do much, since it only added to the strength of spells.


    Letho was observing him in silence. He could sense some unseen changes in Roy through his extraordinary perception, but he couldn¡¯t describe it in detail. He¡¯s one mysterious boy, but he belongs to the Viper School now. His secret shall be ours, and it will pave the way for our return.


    ***


    The pair left the wilds the next morning, and they went down the path leading toward Aldersberg. The path was strewn with carriage tracks and hoof prints, while a dense forest nked it. Dappled sunlight shone through it, and the leaves rustled as the morning breeze blew past them. The fresh scent of the earth and leaves were swept up into the air, wafting across the path.


    As the wind grew stronger, Letho pulled on the leash, forcing the horse to stop. As if alerted by something, he hunkered down and drew across the tracks before looking ahead, but there was nothing to see. Then rm bells rang in his head. ¡°Crossbow at the ready, Roy! Prepare for battle!¡± Dammit. Why¡¯d trouble have to show up at thest leg?


    Roy held down on the crossbow string made out of a cow¡¯s tendons and loaded his bolts. He wasn¡¯t worried despite Letho¡¯s warning. Perhaps his confidence came from his meditation, or maybe from Letho. As they walked along the path, Roy listened closely to his surroundings, and his muscles turned taut. Two hundred feetter, Letho stopped again, the ck cloth on his shoulder billowing in the gale.


    A shrill sound of a whistle traveled across the forest, and a group of pasty men in tattered clothes rushed out of the forest. Are they peasants? Or a hodgepodge army?


    Their clothes were nothing but ugly rags, and they were equipped with nothing but farming implements ¡ª hoes, hammers, and even pitchforks. They were in a loose, random formation, and they spat curses at the pair. They surrounded them closely, their faces filled with a cruel hunger.


    Then, a middle-aged man with a green, leather hat, yellow jacket, and ck pants came forward. He had a mole on his face. The group gave way to him, and he strutted with his chest out, as if he were a rooster. ¡°Put yer weapons down an¡¯ get down on tha ground!¡± hemanded.


    Roy held his crossbow like he practiced, and he counted their enemies. There were thirteen of them.


    Letho crossed his arms dismissively, ignoring the peasant¡¯s warning. ¡°Rebel army, huh? So you¡¯re bing bandits now?¡±


    Roy thought quietly, Rebel army? Aren¡¯t they revolutionists?


    He had heard about the peasant movement in Aldersberg when he was still in Kaer. These guys are revolutionists? They¡¯re just bandits.


    ¡°Fuck you! Did ja just call us bandits, ye nderin¡¯ bastard?¡± the leader roared in indignance, his face red. ¡°We¡¯re doin¡¯ this fer the great revolution! To topple the tyranny of Demavend and Tavik! This is justice! If yer on the side of justice, then put yer weapons down and give up all yer money for the revolution! If ya try ter resist, then yer the dogs of tyrants! And we shall judge you!¡±


    Roy¡¯s face twitched. He had never seen someone so shameless before. Did they just twist a robbery into an act of justice? And we¡¯re the bad guys because we defend ourselves? Well, what can you expect from the west? No dignity.


    A frown creased Letho¡¯s forehead. Ever since he¡¯d started running around, nobody had ever tried to rob a witcher. It was a rare urrence. If this were in the past, he would¡¯ve gone up there to kill the peasants, but since Roy was with him, he found it inappropriate to kill right away. Letho held the trinket around his neck and showed it to the peasants. ¡°Do you recognize this?¡±


    Greed gleamed in the leader¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that made outta silver? Toss ¡®em here, right¡¯ now!¡±


    ¡°B-Boss, t-that¡¯s a witcher!¡± a peasant with a long chin stammered, pointing at Letho, his face filled with horror


    ¡°What? He¡¯s a disgustin¡¯ mutant?¡±


    ¡°Look at his eyes! ¡®Tis amber! The eyes of a cat!¡± The peasants took a step back after hearing that. Roy¡¯s eyelid twitched, for he didn¡¯t expect witchers to be so feared.


    ¡°B-Boss. Witchers can kill monsters. We ain¡¯t no match fer him,¡± another peasant stuttered out.


    ¡°Whatcha so afraid of?¡± The peasant leader bellowed when his men showed cowardice. ¡°They¡¯re just one witcher and a child! We outnumber ¡®em!¡± The leader took two steps back andmanded, ¡°Charge, men! They can¡¯t fight us all a¡¯ once! Shred them to bits!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We have nuthin¡¯ to be afraid of!¡±


    Finding their courage once more, the peasants picked up their farming implements and pointed them at the pair, but none made the first move.


    ¡°Onest time! Put yer weapons down!¡±


    ¡°And let you do whatever you want?¡± Letho¡¯s face fell, and he shook his head. Roy, noticing the imminent melee, went behind Letho. He wasn¡¯t a witcher, so he needed Letho to stay in front to keep him safe.


    ¡°I can practically smell the blood on you. Been doing this robbery business for a while now, haven¡¯t you? Killed a lot too, by the looks of it,¡± Letho replied drily and mercilessly.


    ¡°Goddammit! These bastards are resisting! Face yer fate!¡± The leader was still trying to justify his actions. ¡°The revolution demands sacrifice!¡±


    Letho spent not another second in this debate. Before anyone could do anything, he¡¯d already drawn a sign with his right hand, then a red, triangr light shot itself into the leader¡¯s eyes. A momentter, a scream of horror pierced through everyone, and another peasant clutched his stomach as he staggered backward in disbelief.


    Standing before him was the peasant in the green leather hat ¡ª their arrogant leader. His eyes were dim, and he was holding a bloody sword, moving like a puppet.


    ¡°The witcher controlled the boss!¡± someone screamed.


    ¡°The boss killed Neil!¡±


    As the peasants wallowed in their shock, Letho slowly unsheathed his steel sword instead of his short swords. The broad de glinted coldly under the sun, and the witcher poised himself before rushing into the band of peasants. He was like a tiger jumping into a group of sheep.


    Letho was superior in every way ¡ª strength, reflexes, battle skills, experience. The peasants were no match for him, and Letho became a killing machine. Wherever he went, screams and wails of terror followed. Chunks of meat and broken limbs flew everywhere, and crimson blood dyed the ground red. Roy could see nothing but brilliant scarlet.


    As the sword swung along the cramped forest path, another scream was cut short, and Letho took another life away. The frightened peasants tried to scamper away, but they couldn¡¯t outrun a Viper School witcher. Soon, the forest was filled with nothing but cries for mercy.


    Roy froze up. He¡¯d killed many creatures, but most of them were just animals. He¡¯d never killed humans. But right before his very eyes, a group of humans were ughtered before they could even resist. No matter how much the peasants cried for mercy, Letho showed them none. All he did was swing his sword, again and again, as if he was the grim reaper. He moved instinctively, not deigning to use his potions or signs.


    Is this really the same guy who taught me herbology and crossbow skills? Is he really the same guy who hypnotized me every night so he could teach me meditation? Maybe this is how witchers work. They can kill both monsters and humans. Roy held his crossbow and took a deep breath. He parted his legs and lifted his arms, standing in the shooting pose he¡¯d practiced many times.


    One survivor managed to escape Letho¡¯s massacre, but his face was bloodied. Even so, he looked hopeful ¡ª albeit crazed ¡ª as he ran toward Roy. ¡°Capture him! Capture that boy! We can use him to ckmail the witcher! That¡¯s the only way to live!¡±


    He was already wobbling, but he did his best to stay on his feet, and he extended his trembling hand forward in an attempt to hold the boy by his neck. Just a couple o¡¯ steps away, and he¡¯s mine!


    A bolt arced through the air, hitting the peasant square in the face. The peasant stumbled backward, looking up into the sky, and fell down with a thud, spread-eagled. Between his widened eyesy a crossbow bolt that pierced through his skull.


    ¡®EXP gained: 20. Level 2 (300/1000).¡¯


    Roy heaved a sigh and took another deep breath before reloading his crossbow and aiming in another direction.


    ***


    The bloody massacre ended ten minutester. Letho took out a blue cloth and wiped the blood off his sword. Roy sat beside him, inscrutable. His hair and clothes were drenched in blood. A long whileter, Roy took a deep breath.


    ¡°Now do you see how low thesends have fallen? There is no right or wrong here,¡± Letho said coolly. ¡°If we didn¡¯t kill them all, trouble would¡¯ve been waiting for us if any of them had managed to return to Aldersberg.¡±


    Letho sighed after seeing Roy was still stunned. ¡°I can smell blood on them. These peasants are no decent human beings. This is not the first time they¡¯ve done this, and this is not the first time they¡¯ve tried or killed someone. Does that make you feel better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just not used to it,¡± Roy answered. He showed no pity to those men. They didn¡¯t show mercy to their victims.


    ¡°Good,¡± Letho praised. ¡°Also, you shot decently. Shows you actually listen to me.¡±


    Roy killed three injured peasants. He breathed ording to the tempo he was taught, and the moment he was going to breathe heavier, Roy pulled the trigger. His shots were true, and every single one of them was a killing blow. He could have killed more, but he¡¯d hesitated. It was Roy¡¯s first time killing humans. He couldn¡¯t be as calm as Letho.


    One life was worth 20 EXP, the same as a drowner. Roy¡¯s EXP was 340/1000 after killing three humans. This is ridiculous. So lives are the same for the character sheet? They¡¯re just numbers and data?


    ***


    A short while after the massacre, the pair moved the peasants¡¯ bodies into a big hole in the forest. Letho then poured some oil on them and lit them up with Igni. It didn¡¯t take long for the bodies to char. That was done to prevent any gues from spreading in case any ghouls were attracted.


    Letho took all the money the bandits robbed, which totaled a hundred crowns. Roy gained a lot of EXP and money in the kill, but he wouldn¡¯t wish for another urrence like that.


    ¡°You can get half of the spoils, including the drowner¡¯s brain.¡± To Roy¡¯s surprise, Letho gave him fifty crowns. ¡°Lesson three: always share the spoils,¡± Letho told him solemnly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to antagonize your partners after bing a witcher, never let greed blind you.¡±


    Roy was about to refuse. He had a bad feeling about the split, for he thought Letho was trying to tell him something else.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 20

    <b>Chapter 20: Aldersberg</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The great wall that stood thirty feet tall formed Aedirn¡¯s final line of defense ¡ª the city of Aldersberg. Lyria and Rivia stood in the east of the city, while the Mahakam mountain range stood in the west, stopping anyone from attacking. Aldersberg was almost impregnable, an iron wall between the nilfgaardian army and their conquest. In front of the city was a moat dug by the people, and the bridge above it was the city¡¯s entrance, but it was heavily guarded.


    All kinds of people traveled across the bridge: farmers who were in a hurry to get to the market, merchants who brought carriages of merchandise, and even travelers from afar. They were forming a line for the guards to perform a check before they could get any clearance. Behind them, a great wilderness unfolded, where dozens of viges that provided for Aldersberg stood.


    ¡°Letho, a witcher from the Viper School?¡± a guard asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep your head down when you¡¯re in there. The rebel army¡¯s troubling enough, and we don¡¯t want any more problems from a witcher. Understood?¡± A guard with a halberd gazed at Letho with suspicion. His gleaming armor had a crest made up of red and yellow lines emzoned on his chest.


    The crest that looked like a ming arrow was Aedirn¡¯s crest.


    After checking Letho¡¯s pass, the guard looked at the scrawny boy behind him. ¡°Is this boy with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°My employer, Roy. Hees from Kaer, Lower Posada. Wants to visit his family in Aldersberg.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you may go.¡± Roy¡¯s delicate face and frail demeanor didn¡¯t make him look like a threat. The guards let them go without any further questions.


    The vige boy, Roy, finally arrived in Aldersberg, a big city in another world. Even though a revolution was heating up, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was a bustling city.


    Behind the city gatesid a buzzing, business district. Shouts from store owners rang across the ce, and different stores unfurled before their eyes. The district was filled with people dealing with their everyday business. Even the smallest house in the city was bigger and better than Kaer¡¯s vige chief¡¯s house. Most of them had arched doors, etched windows, and domed roofs. The walls were filled withplex, ever-changing engravings as beautiful as pieces of art.


    Roy, who was used to the quiet wilderness, fell into a trance. He felt like he was in a european city during thete Renaissance. A shame Aldersberg was invaded during the first Northern War. I wonder how much of their culture can be preserved.


    Letho shook his head in mild disappointment, thinking Roy was shocked by the bustling city. After getting through the street that was behind the gates, the pair came to a clearing. Standing in the middle of the stone-paved street was a small fountain za.


    A seven-feet statue stood in the middle of the stone pedestal. The statue was that of an old man. He was in rags, but he had a wise twinkle in his eyes and a bushy beard. A crowd surrounded it, talking loudly. They had books in hand, and Roy guessed they must¡¯ve been talking about academic topics. They were in better garments than the peasants, and they had hats on top of their heads. Trinkets hung on them, and even their shoes were neatly cleaned. A team of fully-equipped soldiers patrolled nearby. ¡°Who¡¯s that statue supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Lebioda. He symbolizes wisdom. Has a lot of followers in Aldersberg,¡± Letho answered indifferently. ¡°Those people there are merchants and children of minor nobles. The real workers are working their butts off to put food on the table.¡±


    Roy went through his memories about Lebioda. He¡¯d started out as a wandering, public speaker who¡¯d promoted his philosophy and wisdom everywhere. Thanks to his charisma and eloquence, he gained countless followers who believed his philosophy fervently. He was famous in the northern kingdoms, and humans weren¡¯t the only people who looked up to him ¡ª dwarves did too.


    Eventually, he was called a saint, a seer, and a prophet. Many years after his death, he was worshipped as a deity in his temple. The mention of religion made Roy think of an infamous church. ¡°Isn¡¯t Eternal Fire the most popr religion in the north?¡±


    Letho exined patiently. ¡°Eternal Fire is famous in Vizima, the capital of Temeria, and Novigrad, the city of freedom. In recent years, Eternal Fire has shown disdain toward non-human races, bing more extreme with time. They have many followers, but are also infamous amongst many humans, dwarves, elves, and other non-human races.¡±


    Roy knew that after Radovid¡¯s session of the throne, the whole of Redania would be engulfed by Eternal Fire¡¯s me. The cult eventually spread its bigotry further, encroaching witchers and mages. Everyone who wasn¡¯t human was hunted down, but that was a story for another time.


    ¡°Aldersberg is just beside the Mahakam mountain range, and that¡¯s where the dwarves live. They make business selling ores from the mountain, and that makes them a big power yer here. They won¡¯t let Eternal Fire establish itself around their home.¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Roy mumbled. ¡°Where are we going next?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been on the road for a week. Let¡¯s rest up for a few days and see what happens.¡±


    Walls Inn, Aldersberg city center.


    Letho let himself go and ordered all sorts of wine, including dwarven liquor, kirsch, and fiorano.


    Wine filled the table, but all Letho did was taste them slowly. After every sip, he would squint in rxation and take a deep breath, as if he were enjoying the best thing in the world. He would open his eyes from time to time to look at the merry crowd in the inn.


    Labor workers, farmers, merchants, and even thugs were having fun in the inn. Status was of no importance here. As for Roy, well, he found himself itching for something once he¡¯de inside. He was itching for Gwent. The boy took out the Skellige deck Jack gave him and went to a table that was having a loud Gwent match. He was brave enough to do that because of Letho being around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s switch once you lose, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Get lost, you brat!¡± A man in a shawl red at Roy in disdain, but once Roy showed his deck, it attracted all the yers¡¯ eyes. They looked at Roy with passion and greed, as if they could win his deck.


    Roy sat on the chair and smiled. ¡°Do you want to win my rare cards?¡± he asked, inviting them into his trap. ¡°I will give them all if you win. Here¡¯s the deck, soe on up.¡±


    Roy was nning to win more money with Gwent. City life was expensive. ¡°I can win with my deck as well as my expe ¡ª I mean, my cheats,¡± he mumbled.


    On the other hand, after having twenty sses of wine, Letho was turning scarlet. Even though he was a witcher, having too many drinks made his mind foggy, though nobody knew if he was truly drunk. Not even himself.


    Most people would give a wide berth if they saw someone with a sword and amber eyes. Some gave witchers looks of disdain, but none harassed them. Letho was too fearsome a person, and everyone thought he could kill at a moment¡¯s notice. Not everyone was a bandit, and not everyone had the guts to provoke witchers.


    All but one kind of person.


    A woman walked toward Letho seductively, and she held his arms as if they¡¯d known each other forever, though it was only mere moments since they¡¯d met. She then whispered something into his ear.


    ¡°Boy!¡± Letho shouted at the crowd. When Roy looked back in shock, Letho grinned toothily. ¡°Can you stay down here for a while?¡±


    Roy couldn¡¯t object to that. He nodded in resignation and saw them off. Letho and the woman went upstairs, leaning against each other. That woman¡¯s taste is interesting. So she¡¯s interested in burly baldies. No wait, she probably smelled the scent of crowns on him.


    ¡°He can¡¯t even hold back when his disciple¡¯s here.¡± But then Roy thought about it, and he could understand it. They¡¯d killed drowners and a dozen humans over a single week. Stress was inevitable, and release was important. Roy chose Gwent as an outlet, while Letho went for alcohol and women. Their interests were different, but their goal was the same.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 21

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 21: An Unexpected Guest</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    After Letho had gone upstairs with thedy, Roy stopped cheating as much. He knew he shouldy low, so he lost a couple matches on purpose after winning a few. His opponent didn¡¯t lose too much, and people didn¡¯t think he won too much either. In reality though, he won quite some crowns. Twenty in an hour, but nobody realized he was cheating.


    On the other hand, Roy noticed his opponent ¡ª a man in his thirties ¡ª cheat right under his nose. Gee, and I thought I was shameless enough. He could see how the man was cheating clearly, thanks to his seven points in Perception. It¡¯s so dumb it¡¯sughable. He didn¡¯t make a fuss right away though. He was only a weak child after Letho had gone upstairs. If he were to anger the locals, he¡¯d have to disturb Letho¡¯s fun time.


    ¡°You won a lot, boy. Why don¡¯t you treat us to a drink?¡± The pasty, bearded man thought Roy was a gullible boy who couldn¡¯t see through his cheating. He quickly took away ten crowns from Roy, much to the boy¡¯s surprise. Roy watched on, dumbfounded, and the man scoffed at him.


    Lucky, the bearded man thought. This is one easy prey. The kid¡¯s a coward. Going to be a good day today. Once again, he tried to take from Roy, but this time, it was his deck ¡ª the Skellige deck everyone wanted.


    Everyone looked on in curiosity, anger, fear, and delight, but none stood up for Roy.


    ¡°Poor boy. Sparrow Triad¡¯s out for him.¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have stayed here alone. Should ask for the witcher¡¯s help now.¡±


    Then, Roy mmed something onto the table. All anyone saw was a sh in a blur, and next thing they knew, a dagger caked in dried blood had lodged itself into the Gwent deck, right between the bearded man¡¯s fingers. If he¡¯d gotten any closer to the deck, his hand would¡¯ve been the thing that was stabbed.


    ¡°Goddammit!¡± The man pulled back his hand as fast as possible, his pasty face turning deathly pale in shock. ¡°W-where did this daggere from? I-I didn¡¯t notice it.¡± And then he realized he¡¯d embarrassed himself. He was an adult man, but a scrawny boy had managed to scare him. ¡°Do you know who I am, you little bastard?¡± He flew into a rage. ¡°You¡¯re crossing the Sparrow Triad now, boy. Your days are numbered!¡±


    Roy ignored the threat. He touched the crowns on the board with his left hand, and it disappeared without a trace. Then, he pulled his dagger out of the cards and blew on it gently. He¡¯d changed after killing the bandits outside Aldersberg. Roy had killed animals, humans, and even monsters. The man before him was inexplicably funny despite his angry looks and threatening words.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Roy smiled mirthlessly. ¡°I¡¯de across wild dogs, drowners, and ghouls the entire time I followed the witcher around. Gotten used to having a weapon with me just in case. Well, I have to cut the heads off those monsters, or else¡­¡± Roy squinted at the man, his face contorted with an eerie cruelty far beyond his age. ¡°They¡¯re going to kill me.¡±


    The bearded man¡¯s heart sank, and he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. For an instant, he saw a bunch of crimson tentaclesing for him, and the boy was the source of them, but when he looked at Roy again, the tentacles were nowhere to be found. Even so, he felt a chill creeping up on him. This kid¡¯s weird. Better not fight him for now.


    ¡°Fine. You got guts, boy. You can live for a while longer, but only because I¡¯m not armed today. You¡¯d better watch out the next time you¡¯re on the streets. The Sparrow Triad has its eyes on you,¡± he spat, and he backed off swiftly. When he was near the inn¡¯s door, he felt something cold brushing across his head. The man reflexively touched the spot, and he met nothing but skin; his hair was gone.


    The man gasped and turned around, only to see the dagger that had almost imed his fingers embedding itself into the wall, its handle still quivering.


    ¡°You can leave after you give me back my sixteen crowns,¡± Roy said coldly.


    After the bearded man left the crowns behind and escaped in fear, everyone had lost their gusto for Gwent, fearing the revenge of the Sparrow Triad. A momentter, they scurried away in every direction.


    Roy rubbed his numb arms and retrieved the dagger. That took all I had. It almost flew out of control. ¡°That was close. I almost shot him in the head. That would have caused trouble.¡±


    Roy finally felt the side effects of the unbnced development of his body. If his Dexterity was higher, he would have had better coordination, and the dagger throw wouldn¡¯t have taken as much of a toll as it did.


    When the innkeeper noticed Roy had his head down, he thought the boy was scared. ¡°You¡¯d better leave as soon as possible, my friend. You can¡¯t take on a group of them no matter how good you are inbat.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± a rough, deep voice said, and Roy heard heavy footstepsing from behind. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself.¡± A dwarf in a beret and fitted cape came up to Roy. The dwarf¡¯s shirt extended to his knees, and he was wearing a pair of pointed shoes paired with mid-calf socks. He was a bona fide dwarf.


    Roy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time he¡¯d seen a non-human species after crossing over to the Witcher world. Or, to be more precise, an ancient species. The dwarf was barely five feet, and he was shorter than Roy, but he was tallpared to the average dwarf.


    ¡°I am Seville Hoger, a wine merchant living in Aldersberg.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Seville. I¡¯m Roy. Let me guess¡­¡± Roy steepled his fingers under his chin. ¡°You¡¯re not here for me.¡±


    Seville¡¯s belly jiggled. ¡°Yes.¡± He had a gruff, hard voice, as if he were pushing it down. ¡°I received news of a witcher¡¯s arrival in Aldersberg, and I¡¯m here for him. May I ask what school he¡¯s from? Of course, I¡¯ll chase off that little sparrow for you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not from Cat School. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Man, Cat School really knows how to antagonize everyone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that little sparrow for you as a token of my friendship. Gro, put the guests¡¯ bill on my tab,¡± he told the innkeeper before leaving without hesitation.


    As Roy saw him off, the boy¡¯s eyes turned starry for a moment. Whoa, that dwarf¡¯s seventy? Not obvious at all! So dwarves do have long lives, just like the legends told me. Nothing spectacr about his stats though. However, Roy noticed three interesting abilities of his.


    ¡®Resilience (Passive): Dwarves live long lives and possess powerful life forces. An adult dwarf has twenty more HP than humans.


    Strong body (Passive): Dwarves are known for their proficiency with two-handed weapons and their great stamina. An adult dwarf has one more point in Strength and Constitution than humans do.


    Stout (Passive): Their stout, fat bodies make them move slower than normal humans. Their looks are undesirable by every other race. Some even despise dwarves for their looks. Their Dexterity and Charisma are deducted by one point.¡¯


    Roy thought those skills could be called talents. And he wondered. If dwarves have talents, why don¡¯t humans? No, we do have talents. Or else strong, long-living races like dwarves and elves wouldn¡¯t be backed into a corner by humans.


    Then the innkeeper broke his train of thought. ¡°Lucky break, my friend. Mr. Seville came to check the ounts today. Since he¡¯s going to intervene, there¡¯s nothing to worry about now. The Sparrow Triad isn¡¯t your problem anymore.¡±


    ¡°I thought he was just a wine merchant. Does the criminal underworld fear him?¡± Roy asked curiously.


    ¡°The wine industry is monopolized by the dwarves here since they are from an ancient race famous for their wine brewing and cksmithing. As the nephew of Mahakam¡¯s elder dwarf, Brovar Hoger, Mr. Seville is responsible for the wine business in Aldersberg. The Sparrow Triad have to respect him if they want to survive in the city.


    ¡°What¡¯s his trouble then?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Seville¡­¡± Gro sighed. ¡°He¡¯s been haunted by a nightmare for months now. He thinks phantoms are the culprits.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 22

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 22: Investigation and Conjecture</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy woke up the next morning feeling refreshed after his meditation session. After recing sleep with meditation, Roy only had to rest for five hours a day, and he¡¯d wake up fully recharged. He couldn¡¯t believe he could do that, for he used to be a weak insomniac in his past life. Even though his new body was younger and weaker, it wasn¡¯t a bad one. In fact, it was better than his old one.


    Letho woke up earlier than he did. He was having wine and pie on the first floor, still looking inscrutable. If Roy hadn¡¯t known better, he wouldn¡¯t have thought Letho had a night of fun.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleeping in?¡±


    ¡°Rxing is rxing. A witcher must not deprive himself of discipline.¡±


    As they chatted, Roy was just about to bring up the dwarf¡¯s request when Seville showed up. Seville¡¯s dark circles had worsened, and he looked exhausted. Even so, he kept himself awake and talked about his troubles to them.


    Witchers didn¡¯t mind more requests, so Letho listened to him.


    ¡°The nightmares started three months ago. They keep haunting me from midnight to dawn. They¡¯re like demons who won¡¯t let me rest. I can¡¯t really sleep. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night, and after a while, my health gets affected. Can you imagine that? I used to be the squirrel of Mahakam, the dwarf who can go without sleep for three days straight. But now? Now, I doze off if I don¡¯t concentrate. I don¡¯t feel like a strong dwarf anymore. I¡¯m more like the gnomes of Tir Tochair.


    ¡°I scoured through Aldersberg, asked every doctor, but none of them knew what was wrong with me. I searched my home, but nothing weird came up, but I have a feeling something evil is in my house. It¡¯s cursing me, corrupting me, depriving me of peace. Nobody can help me, so please lend me a hand, Letho,¡± the dwarf requested sincerely, the discrimination against witchers absent from his eyes.


    Letho stared down in contemtion after listening to the request. He tapped the table with his pudgy fingers while Roy was trying to link the matter to the monsters he knew.


    Letho gave his price. ¡°Two hundred crowns.¡± It was double the reward he got for killing the grave hag in Kaer. Obviously, the dwarf was loaded, and since different employers had different economic statuses, witchers were flexible with their pricings.


    Even though it was expensive, Seville Hoger agreed to it without batting an eye.


    ¡°Now, take us to your home. We need to investigate.¡±


    ***


    As the main wine dealer of Aldersberg, Seville was a wealthy dwarf. His residence was in the western area, where the affluent lived, and it was surrounded by four towerhouses. That area took up a major part of the city. The rich, famous, and powerful of Aldersberg lived there, like the baron of Tavik, weapon and ore merchants, and wine merchants. The number of patrols and green infrastructure outnumbered that of the civilian area.


    Beyond the walls of the affluent area stood the gigantic Mahakam mountains. Some bards teased that the mountains had been made by ancient nobles of Aldersberg to keep their troops from running away. Within the residence and outside its walls stood many dwarves with braided beards equipped with giant axes and hammers. They were sentries of the residence who kept the ce and its residents safe.


    The guards bowed when they saw Seville, their eyes filled with respect. So this guy¡¯s a respectable one in the dwarven society, huh?


    Roy noticed that the outer walls were filled with patterns that resembled totems, but he couldn¡¯t make out what they meant. There were also carvings of Lebioda on some spots of the wall.


    Once they entered the house, Seville waved his men down, leaving them in peace. And he yawned. ¡°Just tell the guards when you finish checking the yard. They¡¯ll let you into the house for further investigation. I¡¯m getting tired, so I¡¯ll be taking a nap.¡± Seville suffered from sleep deprivation because of the nightmares, and he would take a nap whenever he had the time.


    Letho and Roy started with their investigation once Seville had left. Letho observed the yard¡¯s structure. There was a small fountain in the center, and neatly trimmed, decorative nts surrounded them in an organized fashion. Arge number of nts that were taller than a human were linked together, forming paths that turned into a small maze. Something sparkled within Letho¡¯s eyes, and he started searching in a direction.


    Roy knew that Letho had activated his witcher senses, making him a radar that radiated microwaves. He went up to say, ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about the way witchers track down monsters.¡±


    Letho was patient when it came to the witcher trade. He exined, ¡°After witchers go through their mutations, their senses be different from a normal human¡¯s. Precisely speaking, they can reconstruct everything they see, smell, and hear through their senses, turning them into a vague line of smell, ripples of sounds, or sets of footprints. Those can lead them to their prey.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°A witcher¡¯s senses are sharp. They can see further, hear clearer, and smell things normal humans can¡¯t, like the stench of blood that should have been long gone, the smell of monsters, and the scent of a strong perfume. And also the smell of wine in cers,¡± he added.


    ¡°If we just track while using those traces, eventually we¡¯ll reach the culprit,¡± Letho continued, then he put on a solemn look. ¡°But before you start doing that with your bounty after locating a suspicious trace, it¡¯d be best you judge what kind of enemy you¡¯re going to face ¡ª whether it¡¯s something you can handle, or something you can only hide from. If you make the wrong judgment, you might get yourself killed from facing off against a terrible monster.¡± Mncholy welled up within his eyes, as if he¡¯d remembered something sad. ¡°Whether you get it right or not depends on your experience. For example, drowners emit the smell of seaweed and the stench of fish, while ghouls will appear where there¡¯s the smell of rotten corpses. You¡¯ll see a hole in the ground with green fluids at the entrance where a pale widow burrows. And as for griffins, well, they only appear on mountains.¡± Letho exined everything in detail patiently, while Roy listened, felt, and memorized it.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve told you about the monsters, can you give me your judgment based on my teachings and the clues in the yard, boy?¡± Letho had given him a test all of a sudden.


    Roy rubbed his chin and went through the details of the monsters Letho told him about. ¡°If it¡¯s just within this yard¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°We didn¡¯t see any weird footprints, so we can eliminate vampires who can turn invisible and hypnotize their prey. Katakan¡¯s not what we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°You have a decent memory,¡± Letho said, praising him for the first time in a while. ¡°Alright, since katakan¡¯s not on the list, we¡¯ll have to go inside to search for more clues.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 23

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 23: Secret of the Cer</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho and Roy stepped over the bear skin rug, entering the great hall that glowed in resplendence under the candles. Meters away from them stood polished armor that gleamed under the light. The great hall was also lined with pastel-colored vases and china ornaments. A dozen expensive oil paintings hung on the walls, most of them portraits of other people. When Roy looked around, he realized one of the paintings depicted the emperor of Nilfgaard, Emhyr var Emreis, who took out the usurper years ago.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect him to hang an oil painting of the enemy¡¯s king in Aedirn,¡± Roy said. ¡°Seville knows how to butter people up.¡±


    ¡°The dwarves have power. As long as he doesn¡¯t try to start a coup, the army can¡¯t do anything to him. And it¡¯s normal for dwarves to like Emhyr. At least he doesn¡¯t discriminate against non-human races.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡° Roy shook his head. ¡°The emperor of Nilfgaard is just using the non-human races,¡± he mumbled almost inaudibly. ¡°Witchers and Scoia¡¯taels alike will be the victims of Emhyr¡¯s conquest of the north.¡± But now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m not letting the Viper School be Emhyr¡¯s tool.


    They left the topic there and went ahead. Two servants were watering the nts in the vase beside the staircase leading to the second floor. Roy¡¯s eyes widened when he saw who they were. He wanted tough, but he held it in. The servants were dwarves. They wore skirts and were stout, and they had beards as thick as a grown man¡¯s, but they were¡­ female.


    ¡°Respect the different races¡¯ customs,¡± Letho whispered. He took out a satchel of white powder from his alchemy bag and spread it everywhere in the residence. At the same time, he exined, ¡°This is dried ck hellebore powder. It¡¯s a nice scent for humans, but pungent for some creatures.¡±


    ¡°You have a clue about what the culprit is?¡± Roy asked, but Letho didn¡¯t answer. Roy went with him around the great hall, then the guest room on the second floor, and Seville¡¯s bedroom on the third floor. The dwarf was napping there. The witcher and Roy searched everywhere they went.


    ¡°Did you find something?¡± The dwarf who was roused by themotion rubbed his eyes and yawned. When he took a whiff of the ck hellebore¡¯s scent in the air, Seville calmed, and the frustration that had haunted him was gone.


    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± Letho answered. ¡°Do you have any secret chambers here aside from the third floor¡¯s room?¡±


    Seville frowned, but he kept quiet.


    ¡°This concerns the culprit¡¯s capture,¡± Roy said sternly. ¡°You must tell me, or I might fail to capture the creature. No refunds.¡±


    Seville rubbed his braided beard intensely. A long whileter, he sighed. ¡°Very well then. I trust the Viper School¡¯s reputation. I wasn¡¯t going to refuse, but I needed time to think. This is important. There¡¯s a trapdoor beside the kitchen cab on the first floor. It leads¡­ to the cer. Be careful when you investigate. Do not destroy my wine barrels.¡± He evaded their gazes, and when Seville came out from his bedroom, he held a key close to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll be going with you.¡±


    ¡°No. Give me the key. All you remember is that we¡¯re still searching your residence. Go back to sleep for an hour and forget everything that happened,¡± Letho said hypnotically, and he drew a sign in front of the dwarf. Seville¡¯s eyes quickly lost focus, and he dumbly handed the key over to Letho. A momentter, he closed the bedroom¡¯s door, and a loud snore came from inside.


    Roy looked surprised. ¡°You hypnotized him?¡±


    ¡°He lied to me,¡± Letho answered calmly. ¡°Sometimes you have to adapt to find the truth.¡± Since they had Seville¡¯s orders and key, they went into the kitchen without a hitch and found their way down to the cer.


    Despite it being a cer, it was actually bigger than the house upstairs. Roy estimated that it was as big as the whole residencebined. Sconces lined one side of the wall, lighting up every corner of the cer. The only thing in the room was wine. Barrels and barrels of it. There were two barrels on the ground, two on the rack, making them four barrels a group. They had signs hanging on them, showing the year and type of wine. Roy was fascinated, and he looked around.


    ¡°Grape wine from the year 1259. Honey wine from the year 1258. Nutty wine from the year 1257.¡± The barrels in front were the younger ones. The further inside the barrel, the older the wine was. ¡°Fiorano from the year 1200.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Erveluce from the year 1158. Seville couldn¡¯t have stored all the wine made by dwarves in here, could he? There¡¯s even wine that¡¯s a hundred years old. Pity I don¡¯t like wine.¡± Letho smacked Roy¡¯s shoulder, and Roy winced in pain. ¡°You¡¯ll know the beauty of wine once you be a man,¡± he lectured.


    ¡°I have no ns on bing a drunkard.¡±


    One walk around the cer would have taken them more than half an hour, but ten minutester, Letho stopped in his tracks when he passed a barrel of dwarven liquor from the year 1198. His nose wiggled like a hunting dog¡¯s, and he rooted himself into his spot. Then he caressed the barrel and knocked on it. Roy heard nothing aside from the knocking sounds, but he smelled something.


    ¡°That smell¡­¡± Roy blurted out. His high Perception lent him a keen sense of smell. There was a rotten stench lingering near the barrels of wine they were examining. It was faint, but it was there.


    Letho nced at him in surprise. ¡°Not everyone could¡¯ve smelled that.¡± Roy knew the smell belonged to a corpse, but Letho knew what kind of species the corpse belonged to. ¡°Yes, this is the smell of a corpse, but the corpse of a human. The fifty-year-old dwarven liquor managed to cover most of the smell, but it can¡¯t fool a witcher.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°You¡¯re saying there¡¯s a corpse in there?¡± He pointed at the barrel.


    Letho nodded, his bushy eyebrow arched. ¡°So that¡¯s why he wanted to follow us. He didn¡¯t want us to find out his little secret. I thought this was a little prank from a godling when I came here, but now I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s moreplex than that.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 24

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 24: Wheedling and Pamphlet</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Who does the corpse in the barrel belong to?¡± Roy brushed the cool barrel in confusion, wanting to open it up to get his answer.


    ¡°Hiding a corpse in the cer is dangerous for Seville. If he wants someone gone, he could have gone a hundred other ways. There¡¯s no need for him to hide a corpse in the cer.¡± Letho kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Maybe the corpse is rted to the nightmare that¡¯s haunting him, or maybe it¡¯s an unrted secret. A secret he wants nobody to know.¡±


    ¡°Should we open it then?¡± Roy clenched his fists, raring to go.


    ¡°Unauthorized actions will anger Seville. Not even Axii could wipe that memory from his and his servants¡¯ mind. No need to go that far for two hundred crowns. Keep your curiosity in check. Pretend we never came to the cer. I¡¯ll try to wheedle something out of himter. Do as I say.¡±


    ***


    After they left the cer, Letho went back to the third floor¡¯s bedroom and asked Seville to hide the key again. Roy was looking forward to when he would master Axii. It had helped him multiple times. If the target wasn¡¯t on guard, Axii would always take effect. Axii¡¯s a more handy sign than the others. It¡¯s one skill I must have if I want to get anything I want.


    Seville had no recollection of the events from before he was hypnotized after he woke up. Instead, he looked less lethargic and more refreshed. ¡°I slept for an hour?¡± He looked at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I slept so soundly.¡± His eyes widened in delight, and he waved his fists. ¡°That thing must be staying away now that you¡¯re here, witcher. Have you found anything today?¡±


    The dwarf waited for the answer in excitement, but Letho stayed calm. ¡°The creature¡¯s a cunning one, and it hides itself well. I¡¯d like to know more if possible. Can you tell us about your nightmare, Mr. Seville?¡±


    The color drained from Seville¡¯s face, as if he¡¯d recalled something horrifying. The usually jolly dwarf looked hesitant. He was reluctant to talk about the nightmare in detail. ¡°My nightmare is¡­ terrifyingly bizarre. I can¡¯t exin it.¡±


    ¡°Not even a witcher can help if you refuse to tell the truth.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, but I-I just don¡¯t want to talk about it. My nightmare has nothing to do with the monster¡¯s capture, does it?¡±


    Letho gave Roy a look, and he understood it was his time to talk. ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯s important for the monster¡¯s capture. Have you heard about a type of monster called hym?¡± Seville shook his head, and Roy started describing. ¡°Hyms are monsters from the Conjunction of the Spheres. They have no corporeal body, so the only way for them to survive is to live within someone else.¡±


    ¡°L-Like a parasite?¡± The little color left on Seville¡¯s face drained, and his fists clenched.


    Roy nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very particr about its target. Hyms usually live within the bodies of those who have sinned, or they might take over animals. A hym absorbs its host¡¯s fear, regret, shame, and every negative emotion to construct a nightmare based on its host¡¯s true experiences. It will evoke the host¡¯s negative emotions, corrupting their mind and eventually destroying it.¡±


    At that point, Seville¡¯s beard was trembling along with his lips. ¡°Oh Lebioda. I¡¯m haunted by a formless demon? How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Roy got into character. ¡°Listen to me. Only the host can hear a hym¡¯s murmurs. It attacks its host¡¯s mind through illusions and nightmares, taking the host¡¯s life force away. They always end up having poor sleep because they¡¯re haunted by nightmares. The nightmares will only be more frequent and more realistic. They will never stop, unless the host loses their mind, goes insane, ormits suicide.¡±


    Thest sentence finally broke Seville. He gripped Letho¡¯s right hand tightly, his face as white as a tombstone. It was marked with uncontroble fear. ¡°Letho, this demon, this hym¡­ it must be the one tormenting me. You must get rid of it for me.¡±


    Letho remained inscrutable, while Roy continued. ¡°There¡¯s a condition for that. The demon is a troublesome one. Normal attacks won¡¯t work on it. We must lure it out using your fears, and only then can a witcher like Letho kill it. That¡¯s why you have to tell us what¡¯s haunting you. You have to tell us the sin you¡¯vemitted.¡±


    Seville closed his eyes in agony. ¡°Sorry, but I-I have to think about it.¡± The mention of the nightmare made him snap out of his fear. He started getting suspicious of the pair, worried that they might find out about his secret. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll ask the servants to prepare dinner. We¡¯ll talk about this when youe tomorrow.¡±


    Letho and Roy felt slightly defeated since they didn¡¯t learn anything about Seville¡¯s nightmare. But they didn¡¯t force Seville to talk more.


    ¡°You should have cast Axii on him again, Letho. Forced something out of him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think. If I cast Axii on the same target three times over a short span of time, it could be ineffective against him. And now that he has his guard up, Axii has a higher chance of failure.¡±


    Letho shook his head when he noticed Roy¡¯s look of disappointment. ¡°Patience, boy. A smart hunter always waits for the perfect chance to deliver the fatal strike on their prey. That¡¯s how satisfactiones by.¡± Witchers didn¡¯t risk their lives solving requests just for the money. They were also looking for satisfaction upon the request¡¯spletion.


    Calling the meal they¡¯d received that night dinner was an understatement. As if trying to apologize for hisck of cooperation, Seville had treated them to a feast. Everything under the sky was on that table that night, and the Mahakam produce added more color and vor to the food. It was varied, incredible, and sumptuous. It was the best meal Roy had ever eaten since he¡¯d crossed over to the Witcher world.


    Roy was still burping when he left the residence that night, and his frustration was mostly gone. The moon had risen, blessing thend with its silvery glow.


    ¡°Come to my room when we get back to the inn, boy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To continue the tracking lesson. It was unfinished. This is the first request you¡¯re taking part in, so it¡¯s a good chance to follow up and learn more.¡±


    The pair had exited the affluent area as they spoke, entering a dark, quiet alley. Suddenly, a man in a ck cloak walked up to them. Half of his face was hidden by the darkness, but they could see it was a young, teen boy, with a scar the length of an index finger below his right eye. ¡°The tyranny of Tavik has gued thisnd, innocent people of Aldersberg!¡± He sounded fanatic and angry. ¡°The revolution shall prevail!¡± He stuffed a pamphlet into Roy¡¯s hands before disappearing into the darkness, nowhere to be found.


    Roy came out of the tunnel so he could see the pamphlet more clearly. He asked the tipsy Letho to read it out for him. ¡°The great leader of the revolution, Vernon Ryan, has toiled for the rights of the people, but Baron Tavik, in all his cruelty, detained a leader of the people for three months! If there¡¯s an ounce of conscience in you,e to the za of Lebioda at three in the afternoon tomorrow to join the protest march! The pioneers of the revolution shall never die! Their mes of purity shall burn that fool of a baron to ashes!¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 25

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 25: The Secret of the Dwarf</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Witchers don¡¯t interfere with politics.¡± Letho made the decision for Roy and tore the pamphlet apart. Roy wasn¡¯t nning on joining the march either. The revolutionists¡¯ robbery outside the city left a bad aftertaste in his mouth.


    No matter how much the revolutionists would fight against the army, the people would always be the victims. He could imagine how the army would capture the people of Aldersberg en masse during the protest march, and the wails of agony that would follow.


    When they arrived at the residence the next morning, Letho and Roy followed one of Seville¡¯s men inside. Seville had been waiting, and he waved away all his guards and servants when the pair came in.


    He stared down, biting his lip. His arms were crossed nervously as he paced back and forth. A whileter, he let out a long sigh. ¡°Can you guarantee you won¡¯t tell a soul about it? Can you promise me that? Not a single person¡­ No. Not even the ancient races can know about what I¡¯m about to tell you, nor can any other living being.¡± Seville looked up, his gaze pleading.


    Letho and Roy looked at each other. The dwarf¡¯s going to believe us without even a contract? Seville knew what they were thinking, and he answered, ¡°I have no choice. I can¡¯t take that monster¡¯s torture anymore. T-That hym is going to kill me.¡± His bloodshot eyes widened. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t rested well after Letho and Roy¡¯s departure. ¡°Besides, if promising me isn¡¯t enough, I can pay you. I believe everyone is interested in crowns. I¡¯m doing all this so I can feel safe.¡± He smiled bitterly.


    Letho arched his brow. As one of the Viper School¡¯s remaining members, his pride would never allow him to lie about a vow. ¡°Money can buy most people, but not a witcher. You didn¡¯t ask for a vow before we epted the request. Unlike a promise, a vow is the power of fate, just like the Law of Surprise. And fate does not allow anyone to go against it. A witcher never makes a vow easily.¡± Letho raised his index finger. ¡°You¡¯ll have to increase the reward.¡±


    Seville¡¯s face twitched, but he was delighted. The more serious Letho was, the more credible, or at least that was what Seville thought. Roy snuck into the conversation at that point. He showed five fingers. ¡°Fifty crowns for me. As for the witcher here, all you need to do is increase the reward by a hundred crowns, and you¡¯ll have a Viper School witcher¡¯s promise.¡±


    They had a deal. The bounty was raised from two hundred crowns to three hundred and fifty, but it was affordable for the rich dwarf.


    ¡°On the name of the Viper School, I, Letho of Gulet, promise to never reveal the secret Seville Hoger will be telling me today to any human, ancient race, or living being. If I break this promise, I shall never see the day the Viper School makes its return. The gods are my witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ on the name of Melitele, I, Roy, promise to never reveal to anyone the secret Seville Hoger shall tell me today, or¡­¡± Roy didn¡¯t believe in Lebioda or gods like Melitele, but he wasn¡¯t lying. He would take the secret with him to the grave.


    ***


    Half an hourter, Letho and Roy came into the third floor¡¯s bedroom along with Seville. Letho lit a me in the firece with Igni, and he did the same to four torches that were as tall as an average adult before cing them at the four corners of the bed. The bedroom was lit up, and no shadows could be seen.


    ¡°Please lie on the bed, Mr. Seville.¡±


    The dwarf obliged. He covered himself nervously with his nket.


    Letho said, ¡°It¡¯s only the three of us in this room. You can talk about your secret now. Talk about the nightmare that has been haunting you.¡±


    Seville closed his eyes, his face contorted in pain, but he started telling his story. ¡°This is a story about my good friend, Ken. Kenes from Redania. His father is a half-elf, while his mother is a human. Yes, he¡¯s part-elf, a being destined for greatness. He looks just like a human, but Ken is a wise man. He has a quote: ¡®Wine corrupts minds.¡¯ Because of that, he never drinks alcohol. He has helped me greatly aftering to the Mahakam mountain range. Thanks to him, I grew from the insignificant nephew of Brovar Hoger to a famous individual. In the end, I managed to wrest the right to the wine business in Aldersberg from Zoltan Chivay and the other dwarves.¡±


    Seville paused for a moment. ¡°I owe him a lot, and he¡¯s my best friend, but I know he¡¯ll never work under anyone for long. Once we came to Aldersberg, he found a new goal and left my team. Since he was a child, Ken has seen his father being tortured and discriminated against by humans because of his elven bloodline. His father has never enjoyed the same equal social status as humans, and because of that, he despises inequality and discrimination. Ken, ever so passionate, took action to go against that system.


    ¡°As you know, witcher, Aedirn¡¯s high taxation rate is one of the inequalities Ken saw, so he, in all his wisdom, gathered people who would fight against the system. Of course, he did it in secret. He didn¡¯t care about anyone¡¯s race or past. Anyone who had the passion for equality and rebellion were wee in his team. They enjoyed free food and amodation, though I sponsored a part of the expenses. The people of Aedirn might be born with a rebellious streak, and thanks to that, his team grew quickly, to the point where Baron Tavik had to pay importance to them.


    ¡°The advent of Ken¡¯s forces broke the bnce of Aldersberg, which was made up of the baron¡¯s troops, the people of Aldersberg, the Sparrow Triad, and the Mahakaman dwarves. The baron, the moderate part of the bnce, started negotiations with Ken. It went well in the beginning, and almost everyone was happy with the oue. The taxes on peasants and merchants were lowered by one fifth. I told Ken he should stop when he was ahead, but he wasn¡¯t happy with the results. After a while of peace, he started pressuring the baron again. A good man¡¯s fury can demolish the entirety of the Mahakam mountains ¡ª that¡¯s what I always say. The baron was infuriated by Ken¡¯s actions, and he issued a bounty on his head.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes shone at that point. He could guess who that Ken character really was.


    ¡°He came to me to escape the troops¡¯ search. As his friend, I took him in, of course. I swear on Mahakam¡¯s name, I hid him in the ce with the most cover in the residence.¡±


    Roy and Letho showed no change in their expressions, as if they knew nothing of what was toe.


    ¡°The cer contains too much wine for the troops to search. And I forbade them from opening the lids so my wine wouldn¡¯t get spoiled. Not desiring to cross the Mahakaman dwarves, the baron didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further. Of course, they hadn¡¯t noticed that Ken was hiding in a barrel of sixty-year-old dwarven liquor. Ken was safe. Very safe.¡± Seville smiled bitterly. ¡°But I had forgotten one thing: Ken has never drunk even a drop of wine in his life. He¡¯s worse at drinking than a newborn. When I went back to the barrel he was in, he¡¯d fainted from the scent of the liquor. Ken was lying in the liquor, his face red. He looked like he was sleeping, but no matter what I did, he wouldn¡¯t wake up.¡± Seville paused. ¡°H-He died.¡± Seville sat up and held Letho¡¯s beefy hands. He looked agitated, his heart threatening to burst forth from his chest. ¡°How ludicrous! Fate yed a cruel joke on him! A wise man who¡¯d never had any wine died in my wine cer! I would dream of Ken every night. He¡¯d demand to know why I killed him with my wine. I have let him down.¡±


    Letho had an incredulous expression after learning about the whole matter from Seville. The guy had never had a drop of liquor for as long as he¡¯d lived, but he¡¯d died in a barrel of liquor. Ironic.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a bastard. I deserve the nightmares. I know I¡¯ve let him down, but I didn¡¯t kill him,¡± the dwarf muttered unintelligibly as tears streaked down his face. He covered his face, bawling like a big child. Roy¡¯s lips twitched at the sight.


    ¡°Alright. We get the situation now. Calm down, Mr. Seville. Come with us to the cer. If what you say is true, then the cer is the ce you fear the most. If I¡¯m right, the hym will most likely show its true form there.¡±


    ¡°Huh? C-Can I not go?¡± Seville hugged himself in fear. He was in a dilemma. Seville wanted to see the monster that had been haunting him for months, but he couldn¡¯t ovee his fear.


    Letho pretended to think about it for a moment. ¡°Alright. You can wait for us outside the cer.¡±


    ¡°H-Here¡¯s the key.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 26

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 26: The Acting Witcher</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho lit a few torches when they arrived at the cer¡¯s staircase, illuminating Seville. ¡°Stay here with Mr. Seville, Roy. I¡¯ll go in and kill that monster.¡± Letho gazed at Seville, his eyes gleaming. ¡°Keep quiet and try not to feel any fear, or the hym will grow stronger by absorbing it. It¡¯ll take more work to kill it then.¡±


    Seville froze after getting this order. He would¡¯ve even stopped breathing if that were possible.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to talk to him, Roy.¡±


    Roy nodded, looking concerned. Seville Hoger¡¯s one bizarre dwarf. That corpse in the barrel is probably a big part of the reason for Seville¡¯s sess.


    After Letho had disappeared into the wine cer, Roy and Seville looked at each other, an eerie silence descending upon them. ¡°Let¡¯s y a game, Mr. Seville.¡± Roy gave him a toothy grin. ¡°Let¡¯s y something good. How about a Gwent match?¡± Money wasn¡¯t a problem for Seville, but it was for Roy.


    Seville put his index finger against his lips and turned away to look in the direction Letho left. He was uninterested by Roy¡¯s proposition.


    ¡°The more you¡¯re worried, the higher the chance the hym wille to you. Besides, is there anything better than a Gwent match to pass the time in this kind of situation?¡±


    The mention of the hym made Seville lean against the wall by reflex. He had a look of surprise on his face when Roy pulled out two Gwent decks out of thin air. Roy still had that toothy grin on his face.


    Seville shook his head and declined the offer. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t y Gwent.¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t give up, even after the refusal. On the contrary, he kept trying to persuade Seville. ¡°The rules are simple. Once you master them, you¡¯ll find it¡¯s even better than wine.¡±


    Seville¡¯s attention shifted, and he stopped craning his neck to look at where Letho went. ¡°Well, didn¡¯t expect someone as young as you to be a gambler, but you got one thing wrong. Aside from ores, wine is the best thing for us Mahakaman dwarves. Gwent is just a pastime for us. Take my advice and work with Letho. Once you make some money, open up a business, get a wife, and have some kids. Don¡¯t keep ying Gwent, or it¡¯ll bite you in the ass one day.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine.¡± Roy shrugged and stopped trying to persuade Seville. ¡°What a shame. I wanted to see what the Scoia¡¯tael deck looked like,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Seville roared, and he shot up like a bristled lion. Roy swore Seville¡¯s bushy eyebrows were standing upright. ¡°Where did you hear about Scoia¡¯tael?¡± He was curious and panicked, the urge to know pushing his fear for the hym away.


    ¡°Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s the alliance against humans made up of non-human species, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roy covered his mouth the moment he said that. Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s movements were mostly underground before the first Northern War. They hadn¡¯t appeared in public yet, but Roy had let it slip.


    Seville¡¯s face scrunched up, his expression bizarre. ¡°A few years ago, an organization by that name lured a lot of the Mahakaman dwarves away with their extremely racist ideology. The neutral Mahakaman dwarves, led by Brovar Hoger, stand against them, but only the ancient races know about it. Naturally, it¡¯s normal for me to know about it, but how did you manage to find out about Scoia¡¯tael?¡±


    Roy was about to answer when an abrupt and big crash stopped him. There was inexplicable magic within the crash, and Seville was reminded of the moment a siege weapon crashed against a city gate. Even the cer¡¯s ground trembled slightly. Roy and Seville were also shivering.


    ¡°T-this is Aard! The hym¡¯s going to die soon!¡± Roy roared before leaving Seville for the barrels in the front, craning his neck to look inside the cer.


    Seville¡¯s train of thought had been interrupted by themotion the Aard sign had caused. He¡¯d stopped asking Roy about how he knew about Scoia¡¯tael, and instead looked inside nervously.


    ¡°Your tricks are useless against me, foul demon!¡± A strong roar came from deep within the cer, and Letho leaped over the wine barrel, agile as a cat. When he nced at Roy and Seville, his face was filled with ck, gnarly veins, and he looked like a creature from hell.


    Seville screamed, worry and horror showing up on his face. ¡°Is Letho¡¯s face hurt? Did the hym curse him?¡±


    Roy stared down and heaved a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Seville. That¡¯s just the side effect of the witcher¡¯s potion. That demon is no match for Letho.¡±


    The moment he said that, sparks suddenly flew from the barrels that were covering Letho and the monster. The sparks moved gorgeously, likeets across the night sky, but the heat was contorting their surroundings, blurring the cer. ¡°That¡¯s Igni! Letho¡¯s going all out.¡± Roy gave Seville a look of reassurance, but Seville looked on in horror. Then he realized something, and the dwarf had a bitter look on his face. He requested, almost inaudibly, ¡°Be careful, Letho. That¡¯s a barrel of fifty-year-old dwarven liquor.¡±


    Letho leaped through the cer, but Roy and Seville could only see his shadow flying across the wall. He jumped everywhere, attacking the darkness again and again and again. Afterimages of his short sword lingered even after his attacks were done, and he moved like a viper ¡ª swift and deadly.


    And then they heard wails that could onlye from a monster. It was shrill, bloodthirsty, and fierce. Every time the creature shrieked, Seville would tremble in fear.


    ¡°It is done.¡± Roy had judged that with certainty, and at the same time, a bizarre shadow appeared on the wall. It was a creature with limbs as gnarly as branches, its torso as tall as the cer itself. It looked humanoid, but was trapezoid in shape, and countless twisted antlers protruded from its sides.


    Roy finally showed surprise, and he tried to recall the monsters that matched with the silhouette on the wall. Not even ignes fatui ¡ª which haunted the mists ¡ª dolls of water hags, woond spirits, or leshens of the forest were as bizarre as the creature was. The monster looked incorporeal. Its body was shifting, contorting, and trembling, as if it were a leaf being blown by the wind.


    It had only been a few moments since the monster had appeared, but for Seville, it had felt like an eternity. The shadow roared at the witcher who was taking cover behind the wine barrel, and it trembled for onest time before melting like ice under the hot sun.


    After witnessing the monster¡¯s demise, Seville heaved a sigh of relief, and he stood up straight. A heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked cheerful, energetic even. ¡°This is the end of it, then?¡± He grinned toothily.


    A short whileter, Letho¡¯s footsteps reached them, and the witcher came out from the darkness of the cer.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 27

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 27: Refusal</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho looked exhausted, his body covered with minor cuts. ¡°The hym is dead.¡± He showed his hand to the dwarf, revealing a handful of grey powder that emanated a faint, unpleasant smell. When Roy recognized the familiar scenting from the powder, he smiled. I knew it, he thought.


    ¡°Thank you, Letho!¡± Seville took the handful of powder and squeezed it, venting his fear out on it. Tears welled up in his eyes as he could finally be at ease now. Letho was far stronger than he¡¯d thought, and a chill ran down his spine when he recalled how intense the battle had been. But it worked out for the best. The monster that has haunted me for months is dead. I¡¯m a free dwarf.


    He tossed the ashes into the air and took out a note from his pocket. ¡°This is your reward.¡± He handed it to Letho with gratitude. ¡°You can exchange these for crowns in any Vivaldi, Giancardi, or Cianfanelli Bank.¡±


    Letho nced at the amount written on the note before pocketing it. He knew where the dwarven banks were; they had branches in almost every city.


    ¡°Witcher, Roy. Us dwarves have always supported the rebels from the shadows. It¡¯s to bnce the forces in Aldersberg. Civilians and merchants alike can profit from it. If anyone were to find out that Vernon Ryan, the leader of the revolutionists, died in my wine cer, the Mahakaman dwarves would be seen as the baron¡¯s forces. The bnce will be broken. That¡¯s why you must keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Letho answered. ¡°I will not tarnish the name of the Viper School.¡±


    ¡°You have my word too,¡± Roy chimed in.


    Then Seville gave them a deep bow. ¡°I shall remember what you did for me today. From now on, you¡¯ll be my honored guests. My door is open for you anytime. But let¡¯s put formalities aside. It¡¯s gettingte, so why don¡¯t I treat you to lunch?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Seville, but this is just business. Since you¡¯ve paid us, you owe us nothing anymore.¡± Letho hadn¡¯t taken thepliment. ¡°Though, we wouldn¡¯t mind a meal.¡±


    ***


    Seville left them for a while after they¡¯d returned to the great hall. Roy looked at Letho curiously, as if surprised Letho would lie. Letho didn¡¯t do anything at first, but he was angered when Roy wouldn¡¯t take his eyes off him.


    ¡°Is there really a demon in the cer?¡± Roy whispered.


    Letho¡¯s reply was a look of surprise. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Those weren¡¯t the remains of a hym. They were wyvern feces, weren¡¯t they? I¡¯d smelled that for nights. That must¡¯ve been what that was.¡± Roy was fairly certain that the ¡®ashes of the hym¡¯ Letho gave Seville was the same thing he used to chase wild animals away when they were camping in the wilds ¡ª wyvern feces.


    ¡°Since he wants to get rid of a demon, I created one for him and ¡®killed¡¯ it. Gives him peace of mind, and I hold up my end of the deal. He¡¯ll never be at peace if we never ¡®kill¡¯ the demon.¡± Letho paused. ¡°You¡¯ll get it when you¡¯re older. Sometimes, the darkness within someone¡¯s heart is more terrifying than the monsters we hunt. Now that we¡¯vepleted the request, Seville can at least sleep well.¡± Letho looked up at the illuminated ceiling as hemented the dwarf¡¯s experience.


    Can Seville really sleep after we got rid of that imaginary hym for him? Roy had his misgivings. But Letho¡¯s the experienced one here. He has better judgment than I do. ¡°I have another question. How did you make that hym shadow? I was almost fooled.¡±


    After hearing the question, Letho extended his hands out quietly, his calloused fingers entwining together, and they danced like a butterfly before the candlelight.


    ¡°Letho, you can start a career at the theater whenever you retire from being a witcher.¡±


    ***


    Seville, Letho, and Roy were having lunch in the great hall. After the threat had been eliminated, Seville finally became more talkative, though he only spoke of his experience in Mahakam and the interesting things there.


    The dwarves¡¯ homnd stayed neutral no matter how serious the Northern Wars became. Because of that, they managed to survive for a long period of time.


    No matter if it was Aedirn in the east, Temeria in the north, or Nilfgaard in the south, none managed to conquer the Mahakaman dwarves. Aside from wine, Mahakam had their ore. More than half of the ore, foundries, and forges were in Mahakam. They had countless master cksmiths who produced the best steel and weapons in the north.


    Any nation who would dare challenge the autonomy of the dwarves would incur their wrath. That nation would never get any weapons or equipment from Mahakam. That fact alone ensured their prosperity. On a side note, dwarves couldn¡¯t reproduce as fast as humans did, and they would only mature at fifty-five. Since they weren¡¯t enough to conquer, they were fine living in Mahakam.


    Dwarves had the best lives amongst non-human races, at least in that era. However, there were also those who¡¯d left their homnd or joined the underground group of Scoia¡¯tael. They¡¯d gotten involved in robberies or worked as bankers, traders, or cksmiths in human settlements. Even though their own brethren looked down on them, their talents at least provided a good life for them. There was a hint of pride and envy in Seville¡¯s voice at that point. As the dealer for wine, he had far less clout than weapon or ore dealers.


    Seville hadn¡¯t stopped talking once he¡¯d gotten into the mood. He would asionally ask Letho about his life and praise him in an attempt to leave a good impression. It was a good lunch.


    ¡°I point my weapons at my enemies, but I toast my friends. Have another drink with me, my friends.¡± After their meal, Seville came up to them and pretended to hesitate. ¡°I have one other request.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking about us disposing of that corpse for you, can you?¡± Roy said jokingly.


    But Seville¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I expected nothing less from Letho¡¯s assistant. That is what I have in mind.¡±


    What? Dispose of the rebel leader¡¯s corpse? Roy shook his head incessantly without even thinking. Just because we shared a meal doesn¡¯t mean we have to risk our lives for you.


    ¡°I heard that the revolutionists are going to have a protest march this afternoon. They¡¯re going to force the baron to release the guy who died in your barrel,¡± Roy said. Doing this at this point is suicide.


    Seville didn¡¯t give up. He looked at Letho pleadingly, but Letho shrugged after just one moment. ¡°Sorry, but that isn¡¯t what we witchers are great at. Can¡¯t make that money, I¡¯m afraid. You can ask someone else for that. Besides, you¡¯re powerful enough to find a way to get rid of the corpse. We won¡¯t be interfering.¡±


    Seville caressed his beard, looking vexed. ¡°Even though the baron¡¯s army has searched my residence, they mighte again. Honestly, the baron¡¯s listed me as someone to be kept under surveince. His eyes will be on me the moment I leave my residence, and I don¡¯t want anyone else to find out about this secret. I can¡¯t trust anyone but you two.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s really that hard, why don¡¯t you just find a spot to burn the corpse?¡± Roy suggested.


    Seville shook his head. ¡°He died because of my oversight. If I defile my friend¡¯s remains, I¡¯ll never find peace. I want to make it up to him by giving him back to the revolutionists. But you can¡¯t let them know I¡¯m rted to this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Letho said, refusing him firmly. Sending their leader¡¯s body back to them isn¡¯t an act of charity; it¡¯s an insult. Even if we ignore the dangers along the way, and the revolutionists who can show up whenever they want, how are we supposed to get away once we make the delivery?


    The dwarf stared down in humility, then looked at them expectantly. His gaze sent a chill down Roy¡¯s spine, but Roy brainstormed and came up with a n.


    ¡°Let me think about it. How big is the barrel that contains the corpse?¡±


    Seville told Roy the measurements. He¡¯d known his wine cer for decades. Seville knew every barrel¡¯s measurement by heart. ¡°Do you have any ideas, Roy?¡± Even Letho can¡¯t find a way around it. Can this in, young man do it?


    Roy pondered about it in silence. Thanks to his knowledge of maths from his past life, he managed to calcte the barrel¡¯s size. It could fit in his inventory space, albeit barely. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was fine to intervene, so he nced at Letho, and the witcher shook his head.


    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Seville. I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Seville was crestfallen. ¡°Very well, then. I won¡¯t impose myself further. But if you have a change of heart, you¡¯re wee here anytime. If you can help me with this matter, you shall be my sworn friends for life.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 28

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 28: Temporary Separation</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a smart boy, and you wanted to help Seville settle his problem,¡± Letho told Roy after leaving the dwarf¡¯s residence. ¡°But listen to me this time, and stay out of it. Witchers should always stay neutral in political fights. This is our principle, and our way of survival.¡±


    Roy thought Letho looked funny as he lectured him in earnest, for he and the Auckes brothers would break that principle in the future by assassinating the kings of the Northern Kingdoms,pleting the hardest political power y. A perfect example of what not to do. Even though Letho was holding to his principle at the moment, Roy didn¡¯t think that was a good thing.


    Maybe staying neutral is the reason why witchers go into decline. Nobody can stay away from trouble when chaos is brewing. If Roy could pass the Trial of the Grasses, he thought he¡¯d try his best to change the school. Get them to go along with the times.


    ***


    The afternoon sunlight shone onto thend, but none of its warmth reached them. Letho and Roy went past za of Lebioda on the way to Walls Inn, and a shrill wail made them stop.


    If the pamphlet the caped man had spreadst night was true, those who wanted to rebel would be attending the march at the za at the moment. However, Roy didn¡¯t see the sea of people he¡¯d expected, but instead saw the state of chaos, where rubbish was strewn everywhere, just like how tourist spots in his past life looked every time tourists left. And there was a wailing woman there.


    She was unkempt, in torn clothes, and stared dumbly at the sky, her face streaked with ruined makeup, and she was scarlet from her cries. She looked pitiful, and yet, inexplicably funny. The woman was sitting on the ground, mumbling like a madwoman as she patted the shoulder of the manying on her legs.


    The people who saw them gossiped about what had happened. There were those who pitied the woman and the man, but also those whoughed at them.


    ¡°How could the soldiers do that? The man¡¯s head was smashed in by their shields. His skull must have been crushed.¡±


    ¡°He was just asking for it when he joined the parade to go against the baron. Everyone else scurried off quickly, but that oaf just wouldn¡¯t run.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect an honest person like him to be a revolutionist.¡±


    ¡°Can you keep quiet? He¡¯d been nice to everyone when he¡¯d been alive. Also, we wouldn¡¯t be paying lower taxes if not for the rebels. Respect the dead, you lot.¡±


    ¡°That poor woman. She lost her husband, and they have no children. How is she supposed to survive?¡±


    Roy stared at the face of the unmoving man, for he had no courage to look at the woman who was in despair. ¡°Such a shame. He¡¯s nothing but the revolutionists¡¯ cannon fodder. I wonder who¡¯ll take his widow in.¡±


    Letho was as inscrutable as ever. ¡°Set your pity aside. Haven¡¯t you seen enough corpses outside the city? Politics have nothing to do with us. Let¡¯s go. I have something to tell you in the inn.¡±


    After they had left the za, a man with a cart came up to the woman and took the corpse away as she wailed.


    Once they came back to the inn, Letho ced a satchel of crowns onto the table. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have done it without your help. As per the witchers¡¯ rule, you get a share of the reward. Fifty crowns, and not one less.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re splitting the reward again?¡± Roy was surprised by the split, since Letho was the heavyweight in the whole request. Roy was just a minor character. ¡°You can keep it. We don¡¯t have to be this meticulous.¡± Letho had been the one paying their expenses ever since Roy had started following him. The boy didn¡¯t pay even a single crown.


    After taking the money from the dead rebels and winning thirty crowns from the Gwent matches at the inn, Roy had a hundred and twenty crowns at hand. That couldst him a while.


    ¡°I told you that was the rule. It concerns my principles.¡± Letho stared at him, unblinking. ¡°Also, I¡¯m officially telling you that you¡¯re going to pay for your expenses yourself starting from tomorrow. I¡¯m not going to pay a single crown.¡±


    ¡°You have to be joking.¡± Roy¡¯s face stiffened. No wonder he¡¯s splitting the money. So this is what he has in mind. But why though? ¡°Why are you leaving me to my own devices after taking me to Aldersberg? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Letho wasn¡¯t angered by the questioning. ¡°We¡¯ll have to prepare the potions and the necessities for the Trial of the Grasses for you. That¡¯s going to cost a lot. We still need a few rare ingredients and mutagens too,¡± he said. ¡°Can you not feel it? Your training is different from what the Viper School teaches.¡± Letho gesticted clumsily. ¡°If we continue with our traditions, you¡¯ll be well fed and sheltered, but you¡¯ll also be locked in Gorthur Gvaed and trained for years. You¡¯ll never enjoy anything there. Auckes, Serrit, and I think that being in this kind of state weakens the trainees¡¯ will to live. The 100% failure rate of the Trial of the Grasses over the past twenty years rtes to this. It¡¯s time to change if we don¡¯t want the Viper School to disappear. The old witchers usually only start taking requests after they finish school. But now, it¡¯s also a part of the test. Only by supporting yourself can you know how hard it is to make money. That¡¯s the only way you¡¯ll treasure it. And only by forming a deep bond with the material world can you stare death down in the trial,¡± Letho concluded.


    Roy kept quiet. He thought what Letho had said was sophism, but he had a point. One of the training methods involved locking the disciple up, while another let them do whatever they wanted. Letho went for the second one, though Roy had some objections. ¡°If we spend all our time working, how are we supposed to train?¡±


    ¡°Well, you seemed to have well handled it along the way.¡± Letho patted his shoulder. ¡°I trust you can find the bnce, boy. Don¡¯t forget what you learned. It¡¯ll help you survive.¡±


    ¡°Is this a challenge?¡±


    ¡°If you think it is. Or it can be a test, if you wish.¡±


    Roy relented. He¡¯d been angered in the beginning, but excitement welled up within him after he¡¯d calmed down. Can I survive in a big city like Aldersberg with my own skills? ¡°Are you leaving me?¡± Roy asked. He noticed the hints in Letho¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Letho answered. ¡°Just a temporary separation. I have to get an ingredient for your preparatory potion, and it¡¯s in a dangerous spot. Going solo makes it easier for me, so take this chance to explore. Once I get back, the only time you¡¯ll be alone is after you pass the trial.¡±


    Roy smiled bitterly. In other words, I¡¯m left behind because I¡¯m too weak, and I would¡¯ve been a burden. ¡°What¡¯s this preparatory potion you talked about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a potion with a lower toxicity level. It¡¯ll help you adapt to the Decoction of the Grasses. You¡¯ll need it, since it can gradually increase one¡¯s resistance to poison. Can¡¯t just take the Decoction of the Grasses right away. It¡¯s too poisonous. All the trainees would die.¡±


    Roy could understand why Letho wanted to go alone. ¡°How long will you be gone? Will I be learning anything else?¡±


    ¡°About a month or two. Give me a moment.¡± Letho took out a ck leather note from the horse¡¯s saddlebag. ¡°You know a lot of herbs now, so it¡¯s time to start potion-making. There are more than a dozen recipes here, and the note has somemon monster traits written in it. Should be enough tost you a while.¡±


    ¡°Humans use normal potions, while witchers use potions and decoctions brewed with magic. This is going to be your basic alchemy training. That¡¯s all I have to say, boy. Time is of the essence.¡± He patted Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a disciplined one. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Do you still have that Dragon¡¯s Dream you used against those drowners?¡± Roy had to get something to protect himself after Letho¡¯s departure.


    PR/N: For those who don¡¯t remember, Dragon¡¯s Dream is a kind of alchemy bomb infused with mmable gas.


    Letho thought about it before handing a green, ss canister to him. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to cast Igni, so Dragon¡¯s Dream won¡¯t be of any use. Dancing Star¡¯s a better choice. Once this canister is smashed, a circle of fire with a ten-feet radius will appear. Even if it¡¯s underwater, the effect¡¯s going tost for a long time.¡± Letho warned, ¡°Be careful when you use this. It¡¯s thest one in stock. The materials alone cost a hundred crowns. Keep this as your trump card, and don¡¯t use it unless absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Roy answered. ¡°And how am I supposed to know when you¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°I can find you as long as you¡¯re still in the city.¡±


    Letho left without another word, and a short whileter, he was but a little speck in Roy¡¯s eyes. Roy kept Dancing Star in his inventory space, feeling safer with it around.


    ***


    When he opened the old, ancient, leather notebook, the words inside jumbled up and floated around him, giving him a headache. He realized one big miscalction. I probably only know about a hundred words inmon speech, and that¡¯s including my parents¡¯ names and the herbs Letho taught me. How am I supposed to learn this on my own?


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 29

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 29: Outside the City</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy made some calctions. A room in an inn wasn¡¯t something a civilian could afford in a city like Aldersberg. Food and amodation alone would cost seven crowns a day. If Letho were to be absent for a month and a half, Roy would be spending more than two hundred crowns. That was more money than he had on him.


    And that was excluding other expenses, like lessons formon speech. He was nning on getting a ss for that during Letho¡¯s absence. Forever being illiterate wasn¡¯t on his agenda since it would hinder him in his future career. Knowledge and books came at a steep price, especially in cities like Aldersberg. Learning is going to be expensive here.


    ***


    Roy checked out of the expensive room and detailed his n out in his mind. First, he¡¯d have to rent a cheap spot, ideally one that would cost a crown a day. He¡¯d need a big, hidden space nearby to sustain his daily training. Roy wasn¡¯t going to ask Seville for help, for he¡¯d just refused the dwarf¡¯s request. Asking him for help right away would be a weakness on Roy¡¯s side.


    After that, he¡¯d have to get a job that could make him some quick money. He couldn¡¯t just spend and not earn. Roy had to be prepared for Letho¡¯s long-term absence.


    And finally, he¡¯d need a reliable teacher whom he could learnmon speech from. I¡¯ll try to haggle with them about the pay.


    Roy spent the whole afternoon asking fivendlords about their rooms for rent. Mostndlords tried to take advantage of him because he was young and an outsider. The cheapest room cost more than three crowns per day, and that was excluding meals.


    That made Roy realize that finding a cheap, suitable room in the city was unrealistic, so he went to the city gates and asked people around there. To his surprise, he managed to find a spot before sundown.


    Behind the southern gate of Aldersberg, Roy was led through a wheat field that gleamed golden by a man in his thirties. The man was gaunt and stubbled. He was wearing a white shirt, a pair of white pants, and a beanie of the same color. Eventually, they came to a piece ofnd that housed a gigantic watermill and a few houses. The man was Hank, the owner of the watermill.


    It was nearly sundown when they arrived. The setting sun sprinkled golden dust on the four houses sitting near the watermill. The smell of wheat wafted through the air as the autumn breeze blew across the fields, the fallen leaves dancing in the air. As the watermill was slowly running its course, water flowed across it. If Roy could stop time, the scene beside the river would¡¯ve looked like an oil painting.


    Roy took in the scenery as he followed Hank around. When his gaze fell on the coop on the right side of the watermill, Roy looked closer. He saw a youngdy in a white apron with her back facing them. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was bending over to feed the chickens with the feed from her dustpan.


    She was petite in stature. But that wasn¡¯t the point. The point was the youngdy¡¯s back was protruded. She¡¯s a hunchback.


    When Hank noticed where Roy was looking, he smiled awkwardly. ¡°My daughter is very ill, my friend. That¡¯s why she¡¯s in that state. Did she scare you? I¡¯ll chase her away right now.¡±


    Because of his ugly daughter, nobody would rent Hank¡¯s empty room no matter how low the price was. Now that this idiot¡¯s here, I¡¯m not going to let him go that easily. This boy is going to be easy to negotiate with.


    ¡°No.¡± Roy shook his head. He wasn¡¯t someone who wouldugh at the disabilities of others. ¡°I don¡¯t mind her. Just take me to the room.¡±


    The girl in the chicken coop heard their conversation, and she turned around. When she saw Roy and her father, the girl stumbled to hide in the storehouse. The way she ran was awkward. Her legs were of unequal lengths, and her shoulders weren¡¯t leveled. Whenever she tried to walk, she would sway and limp. Roy was reminded of a limping, old woman when he saw the girl running away.


    ***


    The room Hank was renting to him was in and simple. There was nothing but a bed made out of hay and a nket. The room was clean, though shabby whenpared to the inn rooms that were decked out in feather nkets, delicate furniture, french windows, and full body mirrors.


    Roy didn¡¯tin though. After surviving in the wilds with Letho, he didn¡¯t mind what bed he had. Ever since he came to this world, he¡¯d led an extreme, minimalist lifestyle. Fortunately, the original Roy wasn¡¯t a delicate young man, and thanks to that, the new Roy adapted to life quickly. If I was living like in my old life, I¡¯d probably have to be a noble or a mage.


    Roy was happy with the ce, though. There was a big plot ofnd beside the pond the watermill was built on. He could use that ce to train his crossbow shooting. Hank even threw in free dinner, so Roy paid him 30 crowns to stay for the month.


    ***


    When night fell, Roy came to the dining table. There, he saw Hank and his family. Aside from the gaunt owner of the water mill, there was a fat, pudgy woman wearing a gaudy, long dress and disgustingly crimson lipstick who was sitting beside Hank.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to my wife, Roy. This is Mana. She helps out at the mill.¡±


    The fat woman was all smiles. ¡°Ah, I was wondering why the birds were chirping so happily this morning. So, we have a guest. You have good taste, my friend. I guarantee there¡¯s no other ce that¡¯s as cheap and clean as ours around here. Have a nice stay. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    The fat woman covered her mouth and giggled hoarsely, her meaty body trembling along. Roy nced at Hank.


    With a wife like her, it¡¯s little wonder he¡¯s so gaunt.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a local, and your ent sounds unfamiliar. Where do youe from? Are you here for urgent business?¡± Mana took a pig trotter that was grilled golden brown and licked the fat off her fingers greedily.


    ¡°Ie from a vige in Lower Posada. A rtive of mine took me here to work ¡ª said I could gain some experience. But he disappeared the moment we arrived in the city.¡± Roy sighed on purpose and took a pig trotter to chomp on.


    ¡°Oh, what a horrendous rtive.¡± The fat woman wiped her oily mouth with a napkin, sympathy shing in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my friend. Aldersberg is a big city. If you¡¯re willing to work for it, jobs are everywhere to be found. You¡¯ll find one quickly.¡±


    Roy looked at the couple. ¡°Do you have any jobs you can rmend?¡±


    Hank shook his head as he pondered, the light making shadows dance across his face. ¡°The butcher across? No. He won¡¯t teach an outsider that trade. It¡¯s too lucrative. The executioner¡¯s assistant? No. Too much death. It¡¯s bad luck for the mill.¡±


    ¡°Take my advice, young man. Since this is your first job in a big city, why don¡¯t you lower your standards?¡± the fat women chimed in. ¡°Hank left his home to work here when he was your age. He had to work for ten years to make some money and rent this mill. He¡¯d done every job under the sun before that ¡ª hogwash disposal, and even just being a stand-in for a booth owner. I think you should try those jobs out. The market in the city center needs workers, but do look out for certain people though.¡±


    Hank continued. ¡°Mana¡¯s right. If any revolutionist gives you pamphlets, remember to stay away from them and don¡¯t buy into their propaganda. Of all the things they can do, they decide to revolt. One of these days, their heads will be under the guillotine.¡±


    ¡°I thought they were doing it to lower the taxes on peasants.¡± Roy quietly finished all the pig trotters and licked his lips. Hank¡¯s dinner was great. The trotters were soft and delectable. These would be on par with Letho¡¯s grilled meat if they add some honey onto it. Only issue is the amount. Probably only the first day¡¯s dinner can be this good.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know. Of course. Baron Tavik has relented once, and honestly, they should have quit while they were ahead. But then their leader vanished into thin air, and they insisted on ming the baron for it, forcing him to answer to them. This is just ridiculous.¡±


    Roy knew the leader¡¯s corpse was rotting in a certain dwarf¡¯s wine barrel. The baron was wrongly used in that case.


    Hank continued. ¡°You¡¯ll have to look out for the Sparrow Triad too, my friend. Rebels aren¡¯t the only danger in Aldersberg. Those bastards are evil. They do anything from scams to robberies. Don¡¯t go to the lower part of the city. That¡¯s Triad¡¯s turf. They target outsiders, especially young, frail, handsome boys like you.¡± Hank smiled eerily. ¡°Some nobles love young boys.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder.¡± Roy nodded and filled his bowl with potato soup. ¡°Oh, right, Mr. Hank. I remember seeing a girl earlier. She¡¯s your daughter, isn¡¯t she? Why isn¡¯t she here with us?¡±


    The air froze after Roy mentioned the girl. The fat woman who was chomping down on her food choked on it. She thumped her chest, face red from suffocation, and Hank put his fork down. ¡°She¡¯ll only ruin our appetite, my friend. Just enjoy your dinner. She has her own ce.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± After the fat woman had calmed down, her jovial expression was reced by a contorted one. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that wretch ever again. It¡¯s our business how we treat her. You stay out of it.¡± The fat woman didn¡¯t bother to hide the disdain she held, though whether for Roy or the girl, that remained a mystery. ¡°We¡¯re kind enough to feed and shelter her. She can forget about dining with us.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name then?¡±


    ¡°That wretch? Call her Toya.¡±


    ***


    Roy went around the ce after dinner, and saw a lonely girl sitting at the storehouse¡¯s doorstep, eating from her te. He finally saw her face thanks to the sconce on the wall. The girl had a round face and petite features that matched her face¡¯s size. Her eyebrows were thin, her lips tiny. Her cheeks glowed red under the light, and if only by her looks, Roy would say she was around his age. Quite the youngdy.


    The girl¡¯s perception was sharp. She realized Roy was there after just a moment, and she scurried away like a scared sheep.


    Am I really that scary? I¡¯m not a demon, Roy thought. He went over to see what the girl was having. Compared to the sumptuous dinner Hank and Mana had, Toya only had a shabby te of dull mashed potato. Roy wondered why Hank and his wife would torture their own daughter. Just because she¡¯s misshapen and unlikable? But Roy couldn¡¯t interfere, for he hadn¡¯t been there long. He had to familiarize himself with the ce before he could do anything.


    ***


    The moon¡¯s silvery glow bathed thend. On the plot ofnd beside the pond stood a firm, gaunt boy with ck hair and ck eyes. He was kneeling on one knee, holding a crossbow with both his hands as he aimed at a gnarly tree fifty feet away. His body was centered, his shoulders leveled. His left knee was on the ground, his left foot leaning against the earth. His right knee was pointing outward as his right foot grounded him, forming a firm triangle with his left leg, supporting the boy.


    The boy ced his hip gently on his left heel, while his right elbow was ced on the right knee, supporting the hand crossbow that was held in his right hand. Roy took a deep breath as he aimed at the tree, and he let it out slowly. The moment it ended, he pulled the trigger with his left index finger.


    The arrow soared through the air, lodging itself into its target. Then Roy performed a series of actions with his hands and feet in session, reloading his hand crossbow in four seconds. The boy dashed to the side and grounded himself again before changing into a standing position to shoot.


    He kept dashing, stopping, changing positions, shooting, and retrieving the arrows more than five hundred times. Three hours had passed after five hundred shots, and his muscles were screaming in protest. Roy ended the boring shooting exercise, but he was panting.


    The night breeze cut through him with its chill, but it couldn¡¯t douse the me within him.


    ¡®You unlocked a new skill:


    ¡®Unnamed level 1: You have begun to master the usage of ranged weapons (crossbows and hand crossbows) after receiving a witcher¡¯s lessons and shooting thousands of times. Whenever you¡¯re using ranged weapons, your uracy, effective range, power, and piercing power will be increased by 5%.


    ¡®This can also be used as an active skill, doubling the increment of the effective range, but at the same time, your stamina consumption is also doubled, and your movement speed is halved. The effectsts for at least thirty seconds.¡¯


    ***


    Roy heaved a long sigh, a smile carving itself on his sweat-drenched face. Finally, my training paid off. I finally got a weapon skill. Then Roy changed the name to ¡®Crossbow Mastery.¡¯


    Even though the increment for piercing power and damage was only 5%, it would be a 10% increase when Massacre¡¯s buff was included. Because he¡¯d killed three peasant rebels, humans were included in Massacre¡¯s list of effective targets, making the skill one that could be used in many battles. If Roy activated Crossbow Mastery, he would be a powerhouse for a while on the battlefield.


    Roy was nning on getting a crossbow, for Gabriel the mini crossbow couldn¡¯t keep up with him anymore.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 30

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 30: Market and Bullying</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was nearly five in the morning, but dawn hadn¡¯t broken past the horizon yet. When most people were still in their dreams, Aldersberg¡¯s market got lively. All of the most hardworking people in the city were toiling in the market.


    Manualborers went through the streets delivering heavy packages, while vegetable and fruit sellers dragged their carts of merchandise along the way, hollering at the people in the market, trying to get someone to buy what they sold. Some booth owners were shivering from the cold morning wind, but they quickly stacked their merchandise on the racks. Young, bearded men were adding spices to their kebabs, the smoke from the charcoal wafting across the air, bringing the scent of food everywhere. Livestock merchants were pointing at their merchandise in the coop, haggling with their customers, who were getting red from the cold.


    Roy squeezed through a few crates of muddied, freshly plucked parsley and watercress before arriving at an herb booth.


    The booth owner was a man in his forties. He was wearing one thick felt hat and a grey overcoat. His hands were hidden in his sleeves, but Roy knew the owner was rubbing them together. Wrinkles were strewn all over his face. He looked like an honest man, but his eyes had the cunning gleam of a businessman.


    ¡°What would you like, my friend?¡± The owner looked at Roy¡¯s young, handsome face and rubbed his fingers together suggestively. ¡°Something to treat hemorrhoids?¡±


    PR/N: LMFAO this old man¡­ is too much.


    Hemorrhoids? Why is he talking about that? Roy was stupefied. He can¡¯t be thinking that I was¡­ Roy looked disgusted. ¡°I¡¯m not here for herbs. My name¡¯s Roy, and I just came to Aldersberg, so I¡¯m here for a job. I heard the marketce needs workers, so I came.¡±


    ¡°I see. Roy, huh?¡± The businessman nodded. He crossed his arms and gave Roy an observing look. ¡°You don¡¯t look strong enough, so manualbor¡¯s off the list. Do you know how to count? How to read? Tell me about your strengths.¡±


    ¡°I can count, but I can¡¯t read.¡± Roy looked at the merchandise on the rack and smiled after seeing all the herbs. ¡°And I know herbs very well. For example, the oldest herb you got here is right in the center. It¡¯s a five-year-old mandrake root. A great herb to treat rheumatism, pustules, and asthma.¡±


    The merchant was surprised to hear that. He didn¡¯t expect the young boy to have such a good eye for herbs. ¡°What about this one, then?¡± The merchant pointed to the herb at the mandrake root¡¯s left. It was a yellow, cone-shaped root.


    ¡°That¡¯s wolfsbane.¡± Roy blinked. ¡°Three years old, around and about. Treats¡­ Well, it can treat erectile dysfunction.¡±


    The merchant asked him about all the herbs on the rack, and Roy had everything correct. ¡°Wow, you know this is a beggartick? Looks like you have experience.¡± The booth owner extended his hand. ¡°Roy, is it? Call me Tross. I¡¯ve been running this booth for decades, and everyone knows me. My reputation¡¯s good, and so is the shop¡¯s. Why don¡¯t you work for me? You obviously don¡¯t sound like youe from Aldersberg. Everyone else here isn¡¯t that easy to get along with.¡±


    Roy felt relieved. ¡°Can you go into the details? The job scope and pay, for instance,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m already forty-three, my friend. I have to wake up at around five every morning just to run this booth. Every day, I restock and set up business despite the cold morning winds, but it¡¯s torturous. I might die from overworking before fifty, so I¡¯m looking for someone to help me for the time being. It¡¯s best if they¡¯re familiar with herbs and know how to count. Bonus if they have a good memory.¡± Tross continued. ¡°You¡¯ll only have to stay here from four to eight in the morning, then I¡¯ll take over. If nothing goes wrong, I¡¯ll pay you five crowns a week.¡±


    Waking up at four was easy for Roy. He only needed five hours of rest after recing sleep with meditation, but the pay was a problem. Five crowns a week only amounted to twenty a month. It wasn¡¯t even enough to pay rent in the city outskirts.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to trick me, aren¡¯t you, Mr. Tross? Just because I¡¯m a young outsider?¡± Roy pursed his lips. ¡°Ten crowns a week, and I can start working right away.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t ask for that kind of pay, my friend. When I was your age, I couldn¡¯t even make that much in a month.¡± Tross squinted, and he made another offer. ¡°What about this? Seven crowns a week, and a meal to boot. You can take it from the grilled meat booth right beside us. I guarantee you won¡¯t find a better pay anywhere.¡±


    Roy stared into his eyes, and when Tross was about to lose his patience, he nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s start today, Mr. Tross. Tell me what I should do. What¡¯s the market price for the herbs?¡±


    ***


    Roy spent the whole morning at the herb booth asking for the prices of each. They were constantly changing, so Tross recorded thetest prices on a piece of leather beside the rack for Roy¡¯s reference. He taught Roy the basics of weighing and things to look out for. Finally, he told Roy toe at four the next day before letting him go.


    ***


    Roy went around the marketce again. Since his job at the herb booth would end at eight, he had a lot of time to spare, so he was going to find another job. The best one would be the butcher¡¯s apprentice. He¡¯d make crowns and gain EXP, but just as Hank told him, Roy was in Aldersberg, not Kaer. The city¡¯s butcher wasn¡¯t his rtive, so there was no way he¡¯d let an outsider have a cut.


    Obviously, he couldn¡¯t be a butcher, but there was another simr job that caught his attention ¡ª poultry selling. It was mostly helping the citizens kill their poultry. They only gave him one EXP per kill, but at least there were a lot of them.


    The poultry seller¡¯s booth was right beside the coop. The owner was Ruhr, an elderly local with grey hair. After Roy made his introduction and showed his skills in cutting up poultry by easily killing a whining goose, defeathering it, and cleaning its insides, Ruhr agreed to hire him.


    However, the pay was absurdly low. Roy would only get a crown for every thirty kills he made, but he could take on as much work as he wanted, and he could leave if he was exhausted. Roy didn¡¯t negotiate with him. He was doing it mainly for the EXP. If Ruhr was right, Roy would be dealing with fifteen chickens, turkeys, or geese every morning. In EXP terms, that meant he would have fifteen EXP in a morning. It was much better than what Roy got in Kaer.


    That was one of the perks of big cities. They had more opportunities and more ways to gain EXP without risking his life.


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh and put down his bloody knife before dusting the feathers off of him. He¡¯d killed twenty geese that afternoon, gaining twenty EXP and bettering his Massacre. More importantly, he could stand on his own two feet then. Even without Letho¡¯s help, he could live in the city by himself. After settling down at work, Roy would get a teacher to teach himmon speech.


    ***


    On the outskirts of the city, a sheet of gold rained down ¡ª courtesy of the setting sun ¡ª and Roy came back to the watermill. The smell of dirt, grass, and falling leaves wafted over him, relieving him of the stench of feces. Roy smiled, feeling light. However, he stopped in his tracks when he was a hundred feet away from the mill, looking somewhere afar.


    A group of children surrounded the haystack and firewood that were outside the rickety, wooden storehouse. They had unkind looks on their faces ¡ª one that was beyond their age ¡ª and they mocked a girl who was on the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re a camel wretch, you. Why¡¯d youe out instead of staying in that warehouse? You ruined my appetite, do you know that?¡±


    Anky, freckled boy poked at the child¡¯s head as he cursed her.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a camel wretch! Camels are adorable.¡± A cute girl with pigtails was holding a forked branch with her pudgy hands, and she jabbed it at the fallen child¡¯s protruding back. The child trembled from the jab, and she hugged her knees, her face nearly kissing the ground. ¡°She¡¯s a monster. See this? There¡¯s poisonous water inside. She¡¯ll poison the food of anyone she hates. I bet that¡¯s how my grandma died, and I bet that¡¯s how her mother died! She¡¯s a witch. A wretch. That¡¯s what the books say. She curses someone every day, casting her wicked spells. We should get a witcher to deal with her. Only a mutant can deal with a wretch.¡±


    The child who was bullied suddenly started to sob.


    ¡°Did you just cry, you ugly wretch?¡± The freckled boy smacked the back of her head. ¡°We¡¯re doing this for justice! Just like the revolutionists! You¡¯re the wretch who sides with the baron! Get her!¡± And then the children pulled her hair, kicked her back, jabbed it with branches, and some even flung pebbles and mud at her.


    ¡°What are you doing, you little bastards? Stop right away!¡± A faraway shout shocked the children who were bullying Toya. They nced back and scrambled away without seeing who it was. A momentter, only the girl who was hugging her legs was left.


    Her clean white apron was soiled with footprints and mud, the neck under her brown hair littered with bruises. ¡°You¡¯re Toya, aren¡¯t you? Hank¡¯s daughter? How do you feel? Did the little bastards hurt you?¡± Roy hunkered down beside her and extended a hand.


    The hunchback girl nced at him, her gaze terrified and alert. There were a couple of p marks on her face, looking like a ruined oil painting. She pushed herself up with her calloused hands that were filled with frostbite. Quietly, she limped into the warehouse, her back hunched like a hill, and she closed the door.


    Roy couldn¡¯t imagine how bad her life must¡¯ve been for her to have that look on her face, but he thought he should do something for her. Roy took out the marigold from his inventory space and wrapped it with a piece of cloth before putting it at the doorstep. ¡°I left some herbs for you, Toya. Just chew it and rub it on your wound. It¡¯ll work well, trust me.¡±


    ***


    When it was dinnertime, Royined to Hank about what he¡¯d seen. ¡°I saw some brats ganging up on Toya, pulling her hair and beating her with sticks. Her face is swollen. Don¡¯t you care about it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind it, my friend. That girl can take a lot of hits. Those kids can¡¯t hurt her, and teaching her a lesson makes her work harder,¡± Mana answered matter-of-factly, chomping down on the oily meat.


    Roy gasped. This woman¡¯s the stepmother. No doubt about it.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re kind, Roy,¡± Hank chimed in. ¡°But we¡¯re just a normal family. We can¡¯t shelter Toya like a princess. Can¡¯t do anything about it, you know? With her looks, she¡¯s going to be treated like a freak no matter where she goes. Enduring that tiny bit of suffering is the only way she can live. It¡¯s been more than ten years now she¡¯s been this way. That girl¡¯s grown strong.


    Tiny bit of suffering? Damn, these people don¡¯t see her as human. No wonder they won¡¯t even let her dine with them. What is Toya to them? Probably just freebor they can exploit and vent on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her, my friend. You¡¯ve been in the marketce for a whole day. Did you find a job?¡± Mana asked curiously. She was more interested in that matter than Toya¡¯s suffering.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    The couple was delighted. Now that he has a job, he has money to keep on renting the room.


    Roy went to take a look at the storehouse after dinner. He heaved a sigh when the marigold was nowhere to be found, and when he came back to his room, Roy saw a fresh, clean apple on the barrel of water at the doorstep. Under it was the blue cloth he¡¯d used to wrap the marigold.


    ¡°Is this a return gift?¡± I think I might be able tomunicate with her.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 31

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 31: Vivien</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°What will you have today? Brisket with a dash of basil powder?¡± A red-haired, big-nosed youthced the meat skewers quickly with spices. The aroma of cooked meat wafted across the marketce, and the young man who was right beside took a whiff of it.


    ¡°Sure, Emil. Let¡¯s go with that. Give me more of the heat. It¡¯s getting colder these days. The weather¡¯s not letting up.¡± Roy¡¯s face was red from the cold. He brushed the feathers off of his body and looked up at the overcast sky.


    Three days had passed since Roy hade to search for a job. It was almost the eleventh of November, and Saovine was drawing near. Roy had gotten used to the jobs in the marketce over thest three days. The poultry booth provided him thirty EXP per day, and the herb booth was doing well too. Roy made friends out of Tross ¡ª his boss ¡ª Emil the grilled meat seller, and Ruhr the poultry booth owner. His days were spent between his jobs and night training. If nobody knew better, he was just an ordinary young man who¡¯de to the big city to better his life. The traces of the witcher life were almost gone from his.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your brisket.¡± Emil handed him a smoking, piping hot meat skewer the length of a forearm. ¡°Since you¡¯re a regr, I threw in some more meat for you.¡±


    Roy went to a quiet corner and kept the skewer in his inventory space. He didn¡¯t buy the meat for himself, but for someone else. He was going to leave when dusk came, but Tross stopped him. ¡°Roy. A washerwoman called Trish ordered a bag of honeysuckle. Can you make a stop at her ce?¡± Tross asked. ¡°She¡¯s staying at number eighty-nine in the lower part of the city. I have to watch over the booth, so I can¡¯t go.¡±


    Tross had asked him to run errands over thest few days, but that was the first time he¡¯d asked Roy to deliver something to the lower part of the city. That reminded Roy of the Sparrow Triad and Hank¡¯s warning. It has been a few days though. I can¡¯t be that unlucky, can I? ¡°Sure.¡±


    Roy exited the marketce and went east, where the slums were. The sky was gloomy, dark clouds congregating in the horizon, covering the zing, setting sun. Once Roy stepped past the narrow, acrid ditch, he was met with short huts that extended as far as the eye could see. It was the slums, where everything foul was dumped.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Roy to cover his nose after he¡¯d entered the ce. Most of the huts were rickety and almost in shambles, and the ground was flooded with putrid water flowing from the sewers. The narrow alleys between the rows of huts were filled with garbage.


    The people who went past Roy looked pasty and tense. They were in nothing but rags, and when the autumn breeze blew against them, their expressions turned nk. Roy saw men who were just a few years older than he was, but their backs were already starting to deform from the strenuousbor they had to undergo. The air was filled with nothing but the stench of fish and the fetor of excrements.


    Compared to the clean, proper, affluent area, the slums were pure hell. Calling them dirty was an understatement, and even Kaer was much better. But the slums were what the world was in that era.


    Roy held down his desire to leave. He went to the washerwoman¡¯s house and handed the honeysuckle to the gaunt woman who was washing nkets outside her house. He was going to go back once he was done, but rms started ringing in his head, and it felt as if something was pointing at him. Roy turned the corner and threw a furtive nce in the direction he came from.


    Just as he suspected, two thuggish men in gaudy clothes were tailing him from a distance. ¡°What are they doing? Why are they following me?¡± Then he recalled Hank¡¯s warning. ¡°Just my luck. And this is my first time here too.¡± Roy took a deep breath and kept walking. The men went on with their trailing, unaware of the danger the boy posed.


    In the slums of Aldersberg, a boy walked straight ahead on foul streets, his head hanging low. Two men trailed him from a distance, their expressions dark. Some residents who were taking their clothes off the balcony noticed the scene, but all they did was lean forward and watch the show. Some hurried past the boy and spared him a nce before quickening their pace, unwilling to get into trouble. No one wanted to help.


    Roy quietly focused on his hidden hand crossbow and estimated the remaining space in his inventory before running ahead all of a sudden.


    ¡°Come here, boy!¡± His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden call. Roy looked up and saw a young, beautiful maiden waving at him not far ahead.


    Is she calling me? He looked back at the thugs and hesitated. ¡°Very well then. There¡¯s too many people here. It¡¯d be hard to get away if I killed them.¡±


    The moment he approached the woman, an aroma assailed him, and he almost cked out. She quickly grabbed his left arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boy. As long as I¡¯m here, those bastards won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    The woman winked at him, and the men who¡¯d been following him stopped in their tracks. One of them had a tattooed neck and he spat at them. ¡°You got lucky today, brat.¡± The men left in a hurry, but not without cursing.


    ¡°Um, thanks for helping.¡± Roy looked stiff, for he couldn¡¯t get used to the soft feeling on his arm.


    ¡°Sorry, did I hurt you?¡± The woman let his arm go and patted his head. She stood at five feet eight* and looked around twenty-four or twenty-five. Her green top and pleated skirt that covered her thighs showed off her perfect body. Her wine red hair was tied in a ponytail, and a silver trinket hung from her slender neck. Her legs were as fair as snow, and a belt wrapped itself tightly around her torso. Thedy¡¯s most attractive feature was her glittering eyes and full lips. It made her look seductive.


    *PR/N: Five feet eight is around 1.73 meters.


    It was as if her smile drove off the dark clouds.


    ¡°I¡¯m Vivien. What are you doing here alone, boy?¡± Vivien asked curiously, her voice gentle. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you it was dangerous? The Sparrow Triad will do anything for money.¡±


    Roy fell into a trance at the sight of her gleaming eyes, but since his body hadn¡¯t fully developed yet, he quickly recovered. Roy gave her a smile of gratitude. ¡°You can call me Roy, Vivien. I was out for a delivery, but I didn¡¯t expect my luck to be this bad. This is my first timeing here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and I thought those bastards were waiting for you,¡± Vivien mumbled. ¡°Where are you going now?¡±


    ¡°The herb booth back in the marketce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going there to get some stuff too. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Roy agreed to it after he stopped feeling the presence of those thugs. As they walked side by side, Roy eventually noticed that her hands weren¡¯t as smooth as her face. They had frostbite and were covered in dead skin and calluses. ¡°Vivien, does that happen a lot here? Isn¡¯t there supposed to be someone telling them off?¡±


    ¡°No, everyone¡¯s been preupied with the problems in the city center and the affluent area. The lower city is now awless ce, so you have to be careful. Nevere here alone.¡±


    Roy asked anxiously, ¡°Would those bastardse for you? You helped me.¡±


    Thedy stopped in her tracks, a look of gratification gleaming within her eyes. She looked at Roy as if he¡¯d said something that had made her proud. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    Roy was surprised to hear that, and affection toward her welled up within him. They chatted as they went to the marketce. Roy arrived at the booth a short whileter, and Vivien waved at him, telling him to go before she left.


    Tross looked surprised for a split second when he saw the woman who¡¯de with Roy. ¡°Done?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Roy paused. ¡°Tross, do you know who Vivien is? The woman who came with me?¡±


    Tross looked up, his beady eyes turning into slits, and he immersed himself in his fantasy. ¡°Vivien is a gooddy.¡± He made an outline of a cbash in the air and licked his lips. ¡°She has better curves than most women in the city, no?¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s kind too. Thanks to her, I managed to shake off the thugs who were trailing me in the lower city.¡±


    Tross realized something, and he said apologetically, ¡°I should have told you the lower city was in chaos, especially as of recent.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Nothing happened anyway. She doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid of those thugs. Do you know why?¡± Roy asked.


    Admiration showed on Tross¡¯ face. ¡°There¡¯s a three-story house in the northeastern part of the city center that¡¯s neighboring the lower city. It¡¯s the House of Cardell. It provides education for the civilian kids of Aldersberg at an affordable price, and they provide free lunch for the children. Vivien¡¯s the teacher, and she¡¯s beloved by the people. No matter how many bastards the Sparrow Triad has, the people of the city outnumber them. Why do you think they gave her a wide berth?¡± He sighed. ¡°But ill fate always shrouds the kind. Her mother¡¯s mind is addled, and she has to support her father who¡¯s a drunkard. Her life¡¯s hard, since she has to take care of her family and the poor kids. Why does a kind, beautiful maiden like that have to live in the filthy slums?¡±


    Tross looked like he wanted to help Vivien out, much to Roy¡¯s amusement. He knew Tross had a happy family. His wife and kids were healthy and alive.


    ¡°Can I ask for education in the House of Cardell, Tross?¡± Roy was interested in the House of Cardell. He had ns to learnmon speech. Since he¡¯d settled down at his job, he could take some time off in the afternoon to learn.


    ¡°I think so, since you¡¯re young.¡± Tross rubbed his chin. ¡°But the fees are going to be higher since you¡¯re not a local. But of course, it¡¯s still cheaper than asking for a scribe or someone else to teach you.¡±


    Roy was delighted to hear that. He¡¯d managed to find a ce to stay and some good jobs, and then an opportunity to learnmon speech was right in front of him. There shouldn¡¯t have been any problems if he went with this n, and he could surprise Letho when he returned.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 32

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 32: Twisted Talent</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    When Roy came back to the watermill that evening, he ced the warm meat skewer at the storehouse¡¯s doorstep and knocked on the door before going back into the living room. Roy mentioned Vivien to Hank and Mana, and the couple held Vivien in the same regard as Tross did. He then tried to ask why their daughter hadn¡¯t been sent to the House of Cardell to receive an education.


    Toya was a young girl, and being differently abled ced her in the minority. The House of Cardell might¡¯ve taken her in, so Roy didn¡¯t understand why she hadn¡¯t been sent there. The couple told him they couldn¡¯t afford the fees, and they didn¡¯t think Toya was much of a learner.


    Ah, so they¡¯re really that kind of scum. Roy spoke no further on the matter and hastily finished his dinner. When he went back to his room, he saw a rare guest waiting for him.


    The oilmp on the wall illuminated her petite figure. She was standing at the doorstep, her hunched back facing him, her shoulders lopsided. She was carefully wiping a handful of blueberries before cing them on the barrel outside. The girl heaved a sigh of relief once she was done, and she turned to go back to the storehouse. But then she saw Roy.


    Toya was stupefied, her happy smile frozen. She stared down nervously, and she trembled ¡ª but she didn¡¯t run.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Toya. I mean you no harm.¡± Roy attempted to put on his best smile, and he stayed ten feet away instead of going up to her. ¡°I just want to say thank you for the fruits. They¡¯re delicious.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Toya kept silent for a few moments, then she took a deep breath, resolving herself. ¡°Y-You aren¡¯t scared of me?¡± she stuttered. Toya¡¯s voice was silvery and childlike, but also nervous.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Roy stared into her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re any different from any other girl.¡±


    Toya forgot to breathe for a moment, and her heart skipped a beat. Nobody had ever told her that. Not even her father. She¡¯d longed for someone to say she was just an ordinary girl instead of a freak, and tears welled up when her wish was finally fulfilled.


    Roy continued. ¡°Those uneducated rascals do nothing but spread mischief and misery, whereas you¡¯re already taking care of the livestock, poultry, garden, and fields. You¡¯re self-sufficient. Toya, you¡¯re a remarkable girl.¡± Roy smiled almost too enthusiastically. ¡°I think a proper introduction is in order. I¡¯m Roy, and I¡¯m about the same age as you. My dad¡¯s a peasant in Lower Posada, and it¡¯s only been a short while since I came to Aldersberg. Toya, since you returned my gifts with your own over thest few days, then that makes us friends.¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± Toya thought friends were things she could never get. She used to have friends when she was younger, but once her back started getting hunched, her friends avoided her like the gue. She couldn¡¯t even remember their faces. All she could remember was how everyone looked when they were cursing her.


    She wouldn¡¯t even dream about having friends. Toya started spacing out, looking as if she was at a loss. But then she started easing up and letting her guard down.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we find somece else to chat? Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a normal conversation ¡ª something along the lines of what you had for lunch.¡±


    Roy looked around them. The moon had shone on the vacantnd he practiced on every night. Ripples spread across the pond as the night breeze blew across it, the moon¡¯s silvery light shrouding it.


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the girl sitting on his left. He¡¯d thought she would have run away. He¡¯d nevere into contact with a sensitive girl like her, and he was worried he might strike a nerve. This is a step in the right direction.


    Toya obviously wasn¡¯t used to the situation. She was staring down, her fingers interlocked. She didn¡¯t look at the boy beside her, nor did she look at her reflection in the pond, worried she might see a monster staring back at her.


    ¡°Rx, Toya. Hey, have you ever seen a magic trick before?¡±


    ¡°No. And what¡¯s a magic trick?¡± she asked carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trick. You know how tricks work, don¡¯t you? I can show you one. Look closely.¡± Toya was surprised that Roy was being so imperious, and she looked at him reflexively. ¡°Don¡¯t blink now.¡± Roy extended his right hand, showed her his palm, then the back of his hand. Then he rolled his wrist once, twice, and thrice¡­


    Toya counted silently, and then her jaw dropped slightly, her eyes widening in shock as a beautiful card appeared out of thin air into Roy¡¯s palm. The card featured a redhead in a red dress. She radiated the beauty of a zing me, an air of mystery surrounding her.


    Roy rotated his wrist again, and a few turnster, the card disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°H-how did you do it, Roy?¡± Toya¡¯s attention had been grabbed. It was a basic trick, but she¡¯d never left Aldersberg since the day she was born, much less seen a trick. ¡°Where did you hide the card?¡±


    ¡°A magician never reveals his secret. Take a guess,¡± Roy said. Toya held her chin, letting her hair tumble down as she immersed herself in her thoughts, forgetting her unease and fear.


    And then Roy came to sit one foot away from her, interrupting her thoughts. Toya froze, cold sweat pouring down a face that had all its color drained. Her heart thumped in her chest, but not from diffidence. Rather, it was from fear and anxiety. Her long years of being abused made her fearful of those who approached her. She¡¯d think they were there to torture, curse, or abuse her.


    ¡°Sorry for scaring you.¡± Roy gave her an apologetic look, and he showed her his palms before moving backward until Toya regained a bit ofposure. ¡°I was just trying to take the card.¡± He pointed at her white apron. ¡°Believe it or not, Toya, that card is lying in your pocket right now.¡±


    Toya searched her pocket with hesitancy, then she pulled out a card ¡ª the same one Roy had shown her. It was a shame she was illiterate. She didn¡¯t know the name of thedy on the card, but she fell into a trance looking at the lifelike, beautiful, sexy woman, a hint of envy gleaming in her eyes.


    ¡°Interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡± Roy asked. ¡°You may take the card.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Toya was perplexed. She was already surprised Roy would give her herbs and food. ¡°I can¡¯t take this. It must have cost a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary Gwent card,¡± Roy answered honestly. ¡°Most innkeepers sell them. You can give me some fruits tomorrow if you think this is too expensive a gift.¡±


    Toya held the card, looking reluctant. A long whileter, she said, ¡°Fine then.¡± She kept the card in her pocket carefully. ¡°Who¡¯s thedy?¡±


    ¡°Sabrina Glevissig. A sorceress in Ard Carraigh, Kaedwen¡¯s capital city.¡±


    ¡°A sorceress?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand that in time, trust me. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Roy sat beside her, and this time, Toya didn¡¯t start seizing. She swung her legs like Roy was doing, perhaps to ease herself.


    Two young passengers boarded the moon in theke.


    ¡°What do you do around the mill?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°I have to feed the pigs, clean the ce, and de-weed the fields. And that¡¯s on top of what you¡¯d mentioned before*.¡±


    PR/N: About her already taking care of the livestock, poultry, garden, and fields.


    Roy sighed. ¡°So young, to be bearing so many burdens.¡± Most girls her age would either be married or helping out their families, but none were having it as hard as her. ¡°Do you have any hobbies? Painting, singing, dancing, or Gwent?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Gwent is yed, so singing, probably? But I don¡¯t really do it. Mana always scolds me. Says my singing is as bad as the roosters who crow every morning. Everyoneughs at me too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them. Your voice is perfect for singing,¡± Roy said, praising from the bottom of his heart. ¡°You could have sung in theaters if you went to any other city. It¡¯s quitete now, but if we have time, may I have the honor of hearing you sing?¡±


    ***


    They talked about their lives. Roy was mostly doing the talking and asking, while Toya listened quietly, interjecting at times. Her answers were short and slow, but Roy managed to glean some useful information.


    She hadn¡¯t been born a hunchback. The symptoms had started eight years ago, and they¡¯d worsened. Her mother had died five years ago because she¡¯d worried too much about Toya, and then her stepmother ¡ª the fat, harsh Mana ¡ª hade. Since then, Toya¡¯s life was nothing but endlessbor, and her own father started bing distant.


    ***


    Roy could feel the fear and helplessness in her answers, while Toya noticed that Roy¡¯s eyes were devoid of her father¡¯s disappointment and disdain, as well as her stepmother¡¯s hatred. They didn¡¯t contain any of the discrimination the children and residents had against her either. Instead, they were filled with patience and understanding. She felt something she hadn¡¯t in a long time ¡ª respect.


    That was the first time Toya had the desire to tell someone everything since her mother¡¯s demise, but that night was not the night for it. The moon climbed higher, and it¡¯d been an hour since they¡¯d started talking.


    ¡°Do you really¡­ Do you really want to be my friend, Roy?¡± She dusted her dress off and stood, the shining moon illuminating her hunched back and lopsided shoulders clearly.


    ¡°You got one thing wrong.¡± Roy smiled. ¡°We are already friends.¡±


    ¡°Can I talk to you tomorrow too?¡±


    ¡°Of course. As long as Ie back here, you¡¯re wee to talk.¡±


    Toya heaved a sigh of relief and limped back to the ramshackle storehouse. Roy saw her off.


    ¡®Toya


    Gender: Female


    Age: Thirteen years and ten months


    Status: Civilian


    HP: 30 ¡ý (Mana corruption)*


    Mana: 120 ¡ü (Mana corruption)


    Strength: 3


    Dexterity: 4


    Constitution: 3 ¡ý (Mana corruption)


    Perception: 6


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 12 ¡ü (Mana corruption)


    Skill:


    Source (Passive): Has awakened the power to sense chaos energy. Now a magic-sensitive human. Loved by the elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Absorbs mana automatically at all times. Can control mana and release spells after receiving professional and systematic training, performing feats most people couldn¡¯t.¡¯


    PR/N: Her stats are affected by the mana corruption, hence the arrows. The mana corruption increases her mana and spirit, but decreases her HP and constitution.


    ***


    Roy was reminded of what Letho had told him during the meditation lesson. If a magic-sensitive human were to awaken ¡ª but not be sent to a school for sorcerers to undergo training and tame the elemental energy within them ¡ª they would go insane from the rampaging mana. Worse, they might be transformed into a misshapen monster because of the uncontroble mana.


    Obviously, Toya, the daughter of Hank, was one of the unlucky ones. She was given the gift of magic, but didn¡¯t know how to rein it in. Her misshapen body was, without a doubt, the effect of the uncontroble mana within her. She would die much earlier than most if left untreated.


    Roy had helped her out of sympathy in the beginning, but now, he starteding up with a n after he¡¯d found out what Toya was. He might not have had the disposition of a sorcerer, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t befriend a future sorceress. It was an investment of sorts for him. Can¡¯t be a witcher without a few spellweaving friends.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 33

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 33: House of Cardell</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The three-story house located in northeastern Aldersberg had a green roof and white windows, the fence surrounding the house forming a wide yard, and it had a sign hanging lopsidedly on the front door. On the left side of the yard was a field where seasonal vegetables were nted, and yellow vines crept along the wall on the side of the house. Behind them were colored, gnarly doodles made by children.


    A hornbeam over forty feet tall stood in the center, its dense branches covering half the yard and the house. A long table that could seat twenty people was under the tree, but it looked shabby, obviously beaten up by the elements. Roy observed the area under the hornbeam for a while. Something stirred in him when he caressed the bark of the tree. This tree¡¯s at least a hundred years old, and these weird signs¡­ Must be the naughty kids who did this.


    Roy gently opened the wooden door on the first floor, and he heard a soft woman¡¯s voiceing from within. What greeted him were children sitting in silence and a gaunt, middle-aged woman writing on a ckboard with chalk.


    ¡°Our nation, Aedirn, is located in the east of Mahakam, neighboring Temeria. Lyria and Rivia are situated in the south of Aedirn, while Kaedwen is in the north, and Blue Mountains in the east. Aedirn¡¯s king is, as of current, Demavend III, the son of Virfuril. The nation¡¯s crest is a reddish-golden arrowhead with a ck background. Vengerberg is its capital.¡± The woman paused for a moment. ¡°Since ages past, Aedirn has been the nation with the highest urrence of peasant movements. The revolutionists have been fighting fiercely against the nobles and royalty to change the cruel tax system¡­¡±


    Roy frowned after hearing that. Something feels off.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s eavesdropping, Miss Cardell!¡± A scrawny young blond boy sitting in the back raised his hand, interrupting the teacher, and sixty pairs of gleaming eyes shifted their gazes to the boy at the door. Half of the kids were boys, and the others were girls. The youngests were about five or six years old, while the oldests were fourteen or fifteen. Most of them were gaunt and in rags. Someone much older than the kids was sitting in the back, and she beamed when she saw the boy.


    ¡°What brings you here, Roy?¡± Vivien waved at him. She was obviously wearing much more conservative attire than when she bumped into Roy. Vivien was in a in grey dress, her wine-red hair tied back in a ponytail, and she looked so much younger.


    Roy hesitated for a moment, then he sat beside her. ¡°Tross said you were a teacher in the House of Cardell. There was something I wanted to learn, so I came.¡±


    Vivien nodded in approval. ¡°Good decision. Knowledge is the only way to change your fate. Wee to the House of Cardell.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Tom. Hi, Roy.¡± The boy who ratted on him extended his hand warmly, his features scrunching up as he gave Roy a toothy grin. It was a friendly yet amusing smile. Roy shook his hand.


    ¡°Keep silent, children. Read through your history lesson. I¡¯ll be going out for a talk.¡± The middle-aged woman led Roy to the office on the second floor. ¡°You may call me Miss Cardell, child. What is your name? I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re here to learnmon speech?¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Roy, and I¡¯m not a local. Can I be admitted?¡± he asked nervously. Roy didn¡¯t want to havee all this way just to find out it was all for naught.


    ¡°We wee anyone under sixteen, and you look the age. The fee will be twenty crowns a month, and you¡¯ll have to work with me so I can register your personal information, alright? Most of the people here are children.¡± Cardell had a warm gaze, but herrge, hook nose,ugh lines, and thin lips made her look terrifyingly stern. ¡°I have another question. Do you have enough money?¡± Cardell was doubtful, since most students had their parentse with them.


    ¡°I work in the marketce, so I have enough for the fees. Oh, yes, Miss Cardell, and that¡¯s also why I can only make it at noon.¡± Twenty crowns was far cheaper than what Roy had in mind. He already had enough to pay even without his jobs.


    ¡°Do as you will. As long as you can keep up.¡± Cardell kept his registration form in the cab under the desk once she was done with it.


    Roy nced at the thick stacks of forms neatly sorted in the cab. Once he paid the fee, he went back to the shabby ssroom with Cardell, and his seat was between Vivien and Tom. The moment he went in, Roy noticed a few unfriendly resing his way. So not everyone wees me here.


    A few burly boys seated at the upper right corner threw hostile looks at him when they noticed himing in. The oldest boys had looks of jealousy and warning in their eyes, telling Roy to stay away from their beloved toys. Roy didn¡¯t care about them, since he saw no need to fight with a bunch of brats. Twenty crowns a month, and locals pay a lower fee. Are they running a charity business here? The money¡¯s barely enough for the food in this area. Roy made an estimate and noticed that there were sixty-five students in the ss ¡ª excluding him and two teachers, who were Vivien and Cardell.


    Food alone would eat up a lot of the crowns, making the education almost free, and they even provided amodation for special kids.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Roy?¡± Vivien looked at him, concerned. ¡°Can¡¯t get used to the ce?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine,¡± he whispered. ¡°Is everyone from the lower city?¡±


    ¡°Yes. From ordinary families.¡± She smiled. ¡°Get along with them, and don¡¯t bully them just because you¡¯re older. Ask me if you need anything.¡±


    Roy nodded and started learning. The school was a shabby one. It had no tables or chairs. The students sat on the mat in rows. There were no quills or ink, only soot from coal that was used up. The papers were substandard, made out of grass. It was either that, or writing on the ground, erasing it, and writing it again. The conditions weren¡¯t great, but the lessons didn¡¯te easy, so the students were extremely focused.


    After teaching the new students for a short while, Cardell started teaching the basics of themon speech from the north. It was a newnguage that was born after the Conjunction of the Spheres. The alphabet and grammar were simr to the vguages from his past life.


    Roy felt bizarre ¡ª as if he¡¯d gone back to his old world. For a moment, he thought he was a young high schooler sitting in his ssroom as sses went on again. The original Roy had lived in this world for years, giving him a degree of understanding of the localnguage. To an extent, it increased his learning efficiency.


    Roy¡¯s mature thinking and brain power as well as his insight were a big help too. His Spirit that exceeded a normal human¡¯s allowed him to stay focused for a longer time. More importantly, he was someone who went through a grueling education system in his old life. He wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone in the witcher world when it came to rote learning.


    Thanks to those reasons, there was a chain reaction, and it made it easier for Roy to learn the newnguage.


    ***


    When it was almost noon, the long tables under the hornbeam were filled with people from the House of Cardell. The autumn breeze blew across the steaming food, and the aroma wafted across the yard, making the quiet children gulp. None of them made a move though. They were looking at the middle-aged woman, waiting for hermand.


    Cardell stood up straight, as if she were amander facing her soldiers before war. She nodded with approval at the children and said, ¡°Prophet Lebioda lit up three mes for the people. One is justice, the other is equality, and thest is the mes of dreams. Every child here has a dream.¡± She lectured about dreams and what they meant. ¡°Our fathers and their fathers have always been farmers. Treasure the food they earned with their sweat and blood.¡±


    Cardell waved forward, and everyone around the table moved toward the food. Everyone had hard bread, vegetable soup, pickles, and fish jerky. It wasn¡¯t great, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. The students stuffed their mouths full of food, as if it would be taken away if they were just a bit slower.


    Roy was eating slowly at first, but he was surprised by how intensely the kids fought over the food. Influenced by their gusto, he inexplicably ate faster. It didn¡¯t even take the kids fifteen minutes to finish all the food. Not one mouthful of soup was left. Even the leaves that fell into the tes were gobbled up by one little rascal.


    Roy was only half full though, and he could feel that most of the students felt the same. Tom puckered his lips. He was too scrawny to win against the other kids, even though he sat in the center. Roy had to say that was the best lunch he¡¯d had since his rebirth. It was even better than the feast Seville treated him to. The best meal is the one fought over, huh?


    Suddenly, Roy thought there was anotheryer of meaning to the speech Cardell had given them before lunch. It was one of fairness and equality, but she¡¯d let the kids fight over food after that. Is she already teaching them the harsh reality of life when they¡¯re still so young?


    ***


    The students had a short break after lunch, and they split into dozens of small groups, ying chase or chatting in the yard. Everyone was smiling, and once again, Roy thought he was back in PE ss like in his old life. He couldn¡¯t believe a peaceful ce like the House of Cardell existed in a magical world where revolution was in full swing. Roy was impressed.


    Even so, disturbance stirred in thend of peace. As long as someone was popr in a group, there would be unpopr ones. One of them just happened to be Tom, the boy who¡¯d said hi to him. He stood in the corner alone, fiddling with his fingers, staring at the other kids with longing.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to y with them, Roy?¡± A fragrant scent assailed him, and Vivien crept up on him, her gaze filled with encouragement.


    A chill ran up Roy¡¯s spine, and he shook his head. ¡°We have nothing inmon. What about Tom though? He looks like a sorry soul.¡±


    ¡°Tom¡­ Tom is an orphan. He¡¯s not like the other kids who have loving parents. The school¡¯s his home.¡± She sighed. ¡°And he¡¯s really frail, so the bigger kids keep ganging up on him, isting him,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°Principal Cardell and I tried to tell them off, but it didn¡¯t work. We have too many things to take care of, so we can¡¯t keep our eyes on him. And we didn¡¯t show him enough care.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s an abandoned child.¡± Roy nodded. Bullying was a serious matter in modern society, let alone a shabby school like the House of Cardell.


    A half-hour nap time followed the break, and then it was time for Vivien¡¯s lessons. They included simple maths, tips to make life easier, and the meaning of words inmon speech. When a boring lesson was taught by a gentle, gorgeousdy, it sounded interesting. At least the boys with Roy didn¡¯t blink as they listened.


    ***


    Once the clock struck five, parents gradually came to the House of Cardell to take their children home to the lower city. ¡°Is it safe? Won¡¯t the human traffickers from the Sparrow Triad prey on the kids?¡± Roy went up to Vivien as he looked in the direction they left.


    ¡°They kidnapped a girl five years ago. From the school. Someone saw her body in the ditch the next day. Her parents, overwhelmed by despair, spent all their savings to buy coal oil and set one of their bases on fire at night. They went into the burning base and died together with the Triad members who were sleeping. I can still remember the moment their charred carcasses were taken out of the ruins.¡± Vivien was still shocked even though it had been a few years since then. ¡°From then on, the school and everyone in the lower city pressured the Triad. Even Baron Tavik was notified about the matter. The Sparrow Triad made some concessions and never did anything of the sort again.¡±


    Roy was reminded of what Seville had told him. ¡°A good man¡¯s fury can demolish the entirety of the Mahakam mountains.¡± Alright. That¡¯s another story I can tell Toya tonight.


    ¡°Come, Roy.¡± Vivien held his arm, dragging him toward the ssroom. ¡°This is your first day, so there must be a lot you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll teach it again.¡±


    Roy was surprised she would do so. He had the feeling Vivien was overly nice to him since they¡¯d first met, but he didn¡¯t think much about it. He was more than happy to mastermon speech sooner rather thanter.


    ¡°Oh, why¡¯d youe back, Roy?¡± Tom, who was staring at the other children, hopped to him and held his other hand. His golden hair swayed with the wind, and he grinned toothily, looking like a puppy who was happy about its master¡¯s return. ¡°You don¡¯t have a home either? Why don¡¯t I y with you?¡±


    Vivien pulled his ear, and he wailed in pain. ¡°Roy¡¯s going to revise today¡¯s lesson, Tom. Since you¡¯re here too, you¡¯re revising with him.¡±


    Tom froze, and he tried to struggle free, but to no avail. Vivien dragged him into the ssroom by his ear. ¡°You keptining about being alone, didn¡¯t you? Then you¡¯re going to learn with Roy every day after school.¡±


    The boy¡¯s wails were sent up into the heavens along with the autumn breeze. The branches of the hornbeam creaked along with the wind, its yellowing leaves falling into the silence of the dusk.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 34

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 34: Picture</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sky was overcast that day. Roy gripped the goose¡¯s white, slender neck tightly with one hand, while the other held a thin, razor-sharp de. He ced it on the goose¡¯s artery and sliced. Blood spurted out, filling the wooden bucket beside him. He heaved a sigh and looked at his character sheet.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Thirteen years and ten months old


    Status: Civilian


    HP: 50


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5.1


    Constitution: 5


    Perception: 7


    Will: 4.8


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 6


    Skill:


    Massacre Level 3: Any attacking enemy within a one foot range will have a 10% chance of being Feared. If their Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their bodies. The effectsts eight to nine seconds, at most. There is a 10% increase in damage against ten types of creatures.


    Crossbow Mastery Level 1: ¡­


    Meditation Level 1: ¡­


    Personal Level: 2 (700/1000)


    Others: Unknown


    Inventory Space: 1 cubic meter¡¯


    ***


    Roy had been working in the marketce for half a month. Since he was only working in the morning, he would kill twenty chickens, ducks, or geese every day. The sheer number of kills finally made Massacre reach level three. Hard work pays off. Guess wading through that stench wasn¡¯t for nothing. He managed to make twenty-five crowns and three hundred EXP too.


    The berbercane fruits and blowballs he¡¯d been consuming lost all effect, since his weakest stats ¡ª Strength and Constitution ¡ª had reached five. It was on par with an average adult¡¯s, and it affected him physically. He was two inches* taller than he was in Kaer. Roy¡¯s height was five feet six*, and muscles were starting to show. The boy was getting sturdierpared to how gaunt he¡¯d been.


    PR/N: Two inches is around 5.08 centimeters, and five feet six is around 1.68 meters.


    Roy wouldn¡¯t lose to any adult in Strength or Constitution. His features were getting slightly more sculpted, resembling a young adult¡¯s more than a boy¡¯s. Once the goose finished bleeding, he ced it in a bucket of steaming hot water before defeathering and disemboweling it. It was noon when he was done. Roy put the knife down, took off his apron, cleaned himself up, and woke Ruhr up from his nap before leaving for the House of Cardell.


    ***


    When Roy saw Vivien in the yard, she was sweating, and he handed her a satchel of herbs.


    Vivien took it from him, but she looked confused. ¡°What is this, Roy?¡±


    ¡°Honeysuckle. It¡¯s a type of herb. Just put it in water and have it every day. Helps a lot with thedies. You know I work for Tross, so getting this is easy.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving this to me out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°As thanks. You¡¯ve been taking care of me and helping me out a lot. It¡¯d be remiss of me not to repay my debt,¡± Roy answered.


    Vivien was silent after hearing that answer. ¡°Listen, Roy. You didn¡¯t have to give me this. That¡¯s not why I helped you.¡±


    ¡°I can see that, but what¡¯s your reason then?¡± he asked. ¡°Vivien, I¡¯ve been wondering. Why do you care for me so much? You¡¯re even helping me with revision, just like how a sister would.¡±


    Vivien took a deep breath and rubbed her wine-red hair. Mncholy filled her eyes as she answered quietly. ¡°I-I have a brother, and you give me the same feeling he does, so I see him in you at times.¡±


    Roy was surprised to hear that. He¡¯d never seen Vivien¡¯s brother in the school, nor did anyone talk about him. Is he¡­ Is he dead? Vivien doesn¡¯t sound so sure about his condition either.


    ¡°How old is he now? Has he ever attended school here?¡± Roy asked.


    Instead of answering him, Vivien looked at the clock outside the door and shifted the topic. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. We should go to the ssroom now.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Since Vivien was reluctant to divulge the details, Roy didn¡¯t pry any further, but his interest was piqued, and he wanted to find out about the story behind it. Strangely, Vivien didn¡¯t ask him to stay back that evening. Perhaps she was reminded of a sad memory because of their conversation.


    ***


    The night was dark, but the storehouse beside the watermill was illuminated by candlelight. A boy and girl sat on the haystacks around it, engaged in a whisper.


    ¡°Did you memorize the words I taught you yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The girl scrunched her nose, feeling tense. Her eyes gleamed with trepidation, but also excitement.


    ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s go with the usual. Write down the words ¡®bread,¡¯ ¡®fish,¡¯ ¡®potato,¡¯ and ¡®morning.¡¯¡±


    The girl stared down and dragged the haystack away. Then, she held a piece of shabby charcoal in her calloused hand. Using that as a pencil, she drew on the uneven ground, making out skewed words.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Roy said, praising as he checked her spelling. ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl, Toya. Smarter than most people, especially those little bastards who¡¯re bullying you. Those idiots have no right tough at you. They¡¯re mere trash.¡±


    Toya blushed after being praised. ¡°I¡­ Well, you¡¯ve been a good teacher. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Raise your head, Toya. Be more confident.¡±


    Toya puffed her chest out after hearing the encouragement. Her hunched back made her look bizarre, but for once, she smiled, even though it was stiff ¡ª it had been years since she¡¯d done so.


    Roy paused for a moment. ¡°Are those little bastards stilling to harass you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Remember what I told you. Wallop them with your broom the next time theye for you. Don¡¯t just take it. That¡¯ll make them bolder. If you can¡¯t win alone, then I¡¯ll help you once Ie back. We¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡±


    Roy sat closer to her as he gave his advice, and their shoulders touched. Toya was used to physical contact after nearly two weeks of getting along with him. She didn¡¯t react as severely as before.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the conversational words for today and learn something new.¡±


    Roy pushed the haystack away and wrote the words ¡®Temeria,¡¯ ¡®Gors Velen,¡¯ ¡®Isle of Thanedd,¡¯ and ¡®Aretuza¡¯ on the ground.


    ¡°Roy, who drew a pentagram on your left sleeve? And it¡¯s only half-finished.¡± Toya was interested.


    Roy looked at the unfinished pentagram drawn in charcoal, and he thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± He couldn¡¯t think of anyone who¡¯d do that no matter how hard he tried. ¡°Probably some cheeky kid in the House of Cardell. Probably did it when I wasn¡¯t looking. Let¡¯s talk about Temeria. It¡¯s a nation in northern Aedirn. The only thing between Aldersberg and Aedirn is the Mahakam mountain range. Toya, have you ever thought about traveling to another nation?¡±


    ¡°C-Can I do that?¡± She trembled, her eyes filled with terror, but also longing. She shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s been years since I left the mill. Temeria is too far away from me. I have to feed the chickens, water the flowers, sweep the floor, and finish a lot of chores every day. Hank and Mana won¡¯t let me leave.¡±


    ¡°Just imagine it.¡± Roy twirled his finger beside his head. ¡°They can¡¯t read your mind.¡±


    Toya¡¯s eyes shone.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 35

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 35: Brother</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The leaves were falling from the hornbeam once again, and they danced in the air. Children chased them around,ughing happily, their joy spreading through the school. The ssroom stood not far from it, and Roy was leaning against the rickety wall, staring at the iplete pentagram on his sleeve, his frowning face standing out like a sore thumb.


    Vivien came up to him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling too great yesterday, so I didn¡¯t ask you to stay after school. Why don¡¯t I help you with your revision after school today?¡±


    Roy nodded, but he still looked tense, and he didn¡¯t listen closely to what she¡¯d just said.


    ¡°Oh, right. Miss Cardell wants you to see her in her office,¡± Vivien said.


    ***


    ¡°How do you feel about the school? Getting along with the other children? What about the ssroom? Anything that needs to be improved?¡± Cardell put her hands on the table and peered at Roy, who was sitting across from her. Her eyes were filled with encouragement, but herugh lines made it look like she was interrogating him.


    ¡°I think everything¡¯s good,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°Especially Miss Vivien. She¡¯s been putting in a lot of effort. I wouldn¡¯t be improving as fast if not for her. Oh yes, Miss Cardell. I have one question.¡± Roy paused. ¡°Does Miss Vivien have a brother?¡±


    Cardell shook her head. ¡°No. She only has a father who¡¯s a drunkard, and a mother who¡¯s mentally ill. They depend on her for money, and because of that, she never got married.¡±


    That only added to Roy¡¯s questions. That wasn¡¯t what Vivien had told him yesterday. ¡°I thought she had a brother. That would exin why she takes great care of me. Maybe she thinks of me as her brother.¡±


    Cardell shook her head seriously. ¡°Roy, Vivien has been helping me with the school for a decade. I see her as my own daughter, and I know her very well. She has no siblings, and she cares about every student. Vivien¡¯s paying more attention to you because you¡¯re a new student.¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t ask any more, as if epting the exnation. Cardell patted his head and smiled. Some of the boys in the school liked the young, beautiful Vivien. They would fantasize about her giving them special treatment, and she thought Roy was one of them.


    ¡°Roy, you have potential. Youpleted two months worth of sybus in two weeks. That¡¯s better than everyone else. Maybe you¡¯ll graduate as valedictorian in a few years. I¡¯ll draw your portrait then and hang it here. As a way of immortalizing you and encouraging the future children to be just like you.¡±


    Cardell opened her desk¡¯s drawer and took out a few framed portraits for Roy to see. They were lifelike oil paintings that depicted young boys and girls. Roy looked at the portraits, and he froze at the sight of one of them.


    ¡°Helheim, graduated on the twentieth of December, year 1259.¡±


    The portrait was of a boy in his teenage years. He had ck hair and freckles on his nose. The boy would¡¯ve looked ordinary and forgettable enough in a crowd, if not for the ugly scar under his right eye. Roy was sure he¡¯d seen the boy before, but he couldn¡¯t remember from where. ¡°Where do the valedictorians work?¡±


    Cardell had a proud look on her face after Roy asked her that. ¡°I call the shots for a few things in Aedirn. They¡¯re talented, but they need training, so I rmend them to other cities like Lyria, Rivia, Upper Posada, Lower Posada, and even Vengerberg. Most of them work in the literary world. Some be historians, some scribes, some librarians.¡±


    Roy pretended to have a look of longing on his face, but he thought Cardell was lying. This school isn¡¯t as simple as it seems. They have another motive.


    ***


    Vivien was exining someplex words to Roy after school when an unkempt, pudgy, middle-aged man barged into the ssroom. He looked like a human-sized meatball that was wearing a dark, brown shirt drenched in liquor and scraps of food. His hair was disheveled and oily, evident he hadn¡¯t washed it in a while. He reeked of mold and looked like a beggar.


    He hobbled over to them and looked at Roy suspiciously before turning to Vivien and extending his hand. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe homest night, Vivien? Give me money,¡± he demanded matter-of-factly. ¡°I¡¯m out of booze.¡±


    Vivien stood in front of Roy, pulling her behind him, her gentle look reced with one of anger. ¡°I have no money for you.¡±


    ¡°You damned girl. You spent it all? You know you should leave some for me.¡± A frown creased the man¡¯s forehead. He bared his yellow teeth and spat on the ground. ¡°Bring the money back tomorrow, or else,¡± he threatened before leaving, muttering something under his breath.


    ¡°Is that your father?¡± Roy asked carefully. He noticed Vivien wasn¡¯t looking too happy.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s my father, Bob,¡± Vivien answered quietly. ¡°Scary, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Roy didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for him to criticize someone else¡¯s parents. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just acting that way because he¡¯s drunk.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can say what you want about him. That man hasn¡¯t been sober his entire life, and he doesn¡¯t care about his family. The first thing he does when he wakes up is drink, and the only time he¡¯ll sleep is when he¡¯s drunk.¡± Vivien seemed unperturbed by her father¡¯s actions. She was numb to them at this point. Vivien sounded resigned and mocking. Anyone with a father like that is just unlucky. ¡°Bob has never done his job as a father. He doesn¡¯t even care about his missing son.¡±


    His son? Vivien¡¯s brother? The one Cardell said was nonexistent? Roy looked at her weirdly. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Vivien? Can you tell me about it?¡± Since he needed to persuade her, Roy added, ¡°I¡¯ve been following a witcher around for a while. To be precise, my teacher is a witcher from the Viper School. He¡¯s taught me ways to handle weird and bizarre happenings. Maybe I can help you.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± She arched an eyebrow, doubtful of what Roy had just said. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, the shape and color of your eyes are different from those witchers.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m still a disciple, and I haven¡¯t passed the Trial of the Grasses yet, so I¡¯m no stronger than an ordinary human.¡± Roy then talked about his journey with Letho.


    Vivien kept quiet for a while. ¡°Alright then, Roy. I trust you, though I don¡¯t understand why a witcher¡¯s disciple is working at an herb booth in the marketce. Since you¡¯re willing to hear me out, and you have experience, I can tell you what happened. At least you won¡¯t think me mad.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s incredible though. I can¡¯t even be sure about what my brother looks like, or how old he is, or where he is right now.¡± Sheughed to herself, and she looked conflicted. Even she herself thought it was ludicrous.


    ¡°Everyone thought I¡¯d gone insane when I first told them about my brother. Nobody had ever seen him. Not Miss Cardel, and none of my cute students either. Nobody remembers I have a brother. I tried to prove to that drunkard that he had a son by showing him boy clothes that were lying around, but he said I had a bastard son instead. My mother doesn¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. It was then I realized that everyone would¡¯ve thought me possessed by a demon if I¡¯d kept that up. They would¡¯ve burned me at the stake. Since then, I kept it a secret and led my life normally. It¡¯s been two years since then.¡± Vivien went quiet again.


    Her exnation added to Roy¡¯s questions. ¡°That¡¯s weird, Vivien. If nobody remembers him, then how are you so sure you have a brother?¡±


    ¡°Because I have evidence. I told you there were clothes that belonged to a boy in my home. I would show them to you, but that drunkard burned them all.¡± Regret shed in her eyes, then she resolved herself. Vivien was sure she wasn¡¯t imagining things. ¡°Also, since I started working with Miss Cardell, I made a habit of recording my life in my journal every two weeks or once a month. It¡¯s to jot down everything that left an impression on me, whether it be at home, the school, or the streets. It¡¯s been ten years.¡± She stopped for a moment. ¡°I would read my journal once in a while. I¡¯ve set a high bar for myself. My dream is to be someone respected and well-beloved like Miss Cardell one day, so I would correct my inappropriate actions after reading my journal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done it though, Vivien. Everyone in the school likes you, and even their parents do too,¡± Roy answered earnestly. He thought Vivien was pushing herself too much.


    ¡°No, I still have a long way to go.¡± She shook her head and spaced out at the sky. ¡°When I went through my journal two years ago, I found some strange records.¡± She stopped, but then said solemnly, ¡°Aside from me, that drunkard, and my poor mother, there was another person in my house.¡±


    Roy felt goosebumps on his skin, for Vivien¡¯s story had taken an eerie turn. She took off her ne, pressing down on it to open it. She took out a wrinkled piece of paper andid it out. It was the size of a palm, and on it was a crude drawing of two people. One of them was taller than the other, and they were holding hands. On the left was a talldy, and on her right stood a boy with red cheeks. They were beaming, and the two looked close; they were obviously siblings.


    ¡°Then I found a bunch of clothes for boys in my home. The clothes are far smaller than the drunkard could handle, and there¡¯s also this weird drawing in my ne. This is why I¡¯m sure I have a brother. But for some unknown reason, I can¡¯t remember him.¡± Vivien looked confused and frustrated, and she only continued after a while. ¡°That feeling was strongest when I helped you out in the slums. I know you and him must be really alike. Even though I don¡¯t know what he looks like, I have a feeling he exists.¡±


    Oh, that exins why she¡¯s so nice to me even though it was our first time meeting each other. But Roy still thought something was off. He decided to go along with her story to find out what was happening. ¡°Pardon me, Vivien, but can I see that part of the journal?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Ask me if youe across words you don¡¯t know. I can exin them.¡± Vivien looked tense, and she whispered carefully, ¡°But don¡¯t tell anyone about this before we have any definite evidence. This is for your own good, understood?¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 36

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 36: Journal</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy went with Vivien to the third floor of the school where the dorms were located. She would stay in her room whenever she needed to stay the night at school. Miss Cardell and the homeless students¡¯ rooms were beside hers, though nobody was there at the moment.


    Vivien led him into her room, which was far shabbier than how it¡¯d looked from the outside. The walls were cracked and filled with ck mold. There was nothing but a table, a chair, a clock, a full-body mirror, a wooden bed with a nket on it, and a brown wooden crate near the bed.


    After Vivien unlocked the crate, she took out a small stack of wrinkly, yellowed, rough paper and ced it on her desk. ¡°You should understand a bit more about how I feel once you read them.¡±


    Roy nodded and read them in silence. Vivien sat beside him nervously and exined the meaning of the words he didn¡¯t know. The handwriting was slender and beautiful, but since the quill and ink were poor, some of the words stuck together, forming ck blobs of ink. It ruined the aesthetic, but didn¡¯t hinder the reading.


    ¡®Twelfth of May, 1256. That drunkard almost tore apart the house today, but there was not one crown to be found. He has no money for liquor, and the innkeeper doesn¡¯t allow him to put it on his tab anymore. He was finally sober for a day, and his rotten conscience seemed to have healed, even if just for a bit. The day felt like a dream. The four of us sat around the table in our dingy house, celebrating my poor mother¡¯s birthday with smoked fish. O wise Prophet Lebioda, grant us your blessing, and may we have such a birthday celebration next year.¡¯


    The four of us? Roy rubbed his eyes. He thought he read something wrong. Vivien, her drunkard father, her mentally-ill mother, and¡­


    ¡°Did you have a guest over?¡± Roy looked at her. ¡°Or is this a wrong entry?¡±


    ¡°If my memory serves me right, we never had any guests over for my mother¡¯s dinner. To be more precise, nobody ever came to our house, aside from the innkeeper who wanted the money the drunkard owed him. Did you say it¡¯s a wrong entry?¡± Vivien continued calmly. ¡°I¡¯m in charge of Cardell¡¯s math ss. Do you think I would make an elementary mistake like that? I can¡¯t mistake three for four. Just keep reading.¡±


    Roy patiently went back to the journal and read another entry. It was shorter.


    ¡®Twentieth of January, 1257. He got into a fight with Miguel, who insulted our father. That man came to the school as drunk as usual, and as always, he came to me for money. Nothing but insults and profanities came from him. He¡¯s worse than the thugs from the Sparrow Triad. I agree with what Miguel had said. That drunkard is nothing but a bastard.¡¯


    Roy was curious about who ¡®he¡¯ was. From the entry, he could deduce that ¡®he¡¯ and Vivien had the same father, which meant ¡®he¡¯ might be her brother.


    ¡®Neenth of August, 1257. Miss Cardell, the person I respect the most, talked to me today. She first praised me for my contribution to the school and told me to keep up the hard work for the sake of producing great students. My ultimate goal is to get one of the students into Oxenfurt Academy. Not even Miss Cardell managed to do that. And then Miss Cardell told me about __ She suggested I should care more for __ Miss Cardell said I shouldn¡¯t overlook him no matter what, since I am his family. It was then I realized that the drunkard, my poor mother, and I have been overlooking him since a while ago.¡¯


    ¡°Did you notice something?¡± She suddenly pointed at a line on the page. ¡°Something¡¯s missing here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s weird.¡± Roy looked flummoxed. ¡°Two parts here are missing. Who were you talking about? Who should you care more for?¡± Obviously someone left this nk. Looks like a name.


    Vivien heaved a sigh. ¡°I knew I wasn¡¯t seeing things. It¡¯s obvious the nks are supposed to be my brother¡¯s name. Keep on reading. There are a few more entries like this.¡± Vivien pointed out eight other ones that had the same thing. A mysterious character was in all of the entries, but none of them spoke about the character¡¯s name, what he looked like, or his age. But he could see that the mysterious character was close to Vivien and her family, and that he had attended the House of Cardell.


    The final entry was written on the fourth of October, 1258. The date was just a little more than a month ago.


    ¡®That drunkard had too much to drink. He started going on a rampage, pping and throttling me, demanding money. If I¡¯d been even a momentte when I¡¯d pushed him away, I could have died. I ran away in tears, and __ came after me, worried about my safety. We went to the school and chatted for the whole night. There were a lot of leaves that had fallen from the hornbeam that night.¡¯


    ***


    Roy leaned back on the chair, massaging his temples as his eyes closed. When he sorted all the information that was swirling around in his mind, the first realization he had was that one of the entries contradicted Miss Cardell¡¯s testimony from that afternoon. If Miss Cardell didn¡¯t think Vivien had a brother, there was no reason for her to ask Vivien to care for someone who didn¡¯t exist. When Roy thought about it, Miss Cardell didn¡¯t look like she was lying, whereas Vivien was being too paranoid. Suspicious.


    Then Roy thought, Miss Cardell, Tross, Hank, and the journal proved that Vivien has a drunk, abusive father and a mentally unstable mother. If I include that broken family into the equation, does that mean that the gorgeous, impable Vivien has some sort of mental illness? That¡¯s a logical conclusion.


    Roy was more than ready to believe that Vivien was mentally ill, rather than her having a mysterious brother nobody had ever seen. When he looked at her closely, Roy noticed that her chest was heaving. Her breath was shallow, and her gaze was full of yearning.


    ¡°Has ¡®he¡¯ ever appeared after the fourth of October, 1258?¡±


    ¡°No. ¡®He¡¯ has disappeared since.¡± She shook her head in disappointment. ¡°The earliest entries he was mentioned in date back to 1256 and before, but since it¡¯s too far back, there¡¯s no use in thinking about that.¡±


    Roy tapped the desk. ¡°What¡¯s the newest entry after the fourth?¡±


    ¡°First of November. On Saovine.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath. ¡°So he might have gotten into an ident between the fourth of October and Saovine.¡±


    ¡°I had the same idea.¡± Vivien¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°What do you think, Roy? Do you trust me, as a witcher¡¯s disciple? Or do you think I¡¯ve gone mad, just like everyone else? Do you think I just came up with the idea of having a brother who only exists in my imagination?¡±


    Roy wanted to say yes, but he thought he shouldn¡¯t agitate her. ¡°There are many things that can¡¯t be exined in this world, so I believe you, Vivien. I¡¯ll find more on ¡®him.¡¯¡±


    Roy had a rough guess, but there was nothing to support his conjecture, since Vivien was his only lead. He needed to find more definite evidence to prove that everything was just Vivien¡¯s imagination.


    Vivien tapped her chest and sighed in relief. She looked touched that Roy trusted her, and she held his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the witchers¡¯ rule. I¡¯ll prepare the bounty.¡±


    ¡°We can talk about thatter.¡± Roy wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d do everything for free, but he would help someone who did everything they could for the House of Cardell as long as it wasn¡¯t too dangerous. A witcher should never fight an enemy he can¡¯t win against. He needed to go on some reconnaissance.


    ¡°Thank you, then. Please help me locate ¡®him.¡¯ But be careful, and don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 37

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 37: Ask Around</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Since Roy had decided to investigate the matter, he¡¯d have to take a day off from his job. Before he went back to the watermill that evening, he told Ruhr and Tross about it.


    Tross agreed to it readily. ¡°You want a day off tomorrow? Sure. You¡¯ve done great over the past two weeks. You¡¯ll still be paid the agreed wage. But why though? Do you have a girlfriend in Aldersberg? Going on a date with her? I¡¯ve been where you are right now,d, so here¡¯s a piece of advice: a woman¡¯s greed runs deeper than hell. Your crowns are going nowhere if you spend them on her. They¡¯ll never be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me, Tross,¡± Roy shot back. ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend. I¡¯m searching for someone in the lower city, but I can¡¯t tell you who I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Tross gave him a solemn reminder. ¡°Then, be careful.¡±


    ***


    After resting at the watermill for the night, Roy went to the lower city the next day. The sky was overcast. If he wanted to verify Vivien¡¯s testimony, he had to see the drunkard who¡¯de to the House of Cardell a day ago to ask Vivien for money. In other words, her father.


    There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll forget about his son, no matter how drunk he is. Roy found out where Vivien¡¯s house was a couple weeks ago. It was a rickety wooden house in the easternmost part of the lower city. The house was easy to find, and Roy had gone in the morning to avoid bumping into the Sparrow Triad thugs again, but luck was not on his side.


    The moment he stepped onto the slums¡¯ streets, he felt someone ring at him from behind. When he looked behind him from the corner of his eye, he saw a bald, burly man with a tattoo on his neck following him. The man was wearing a thick, yellow coat, ck pants, and long boots. He looked like Letho, but his expression wasn¡¯t the same. Letho was a distant man, while the burly thug looked brutish, as if his rage were about to explode any minute. He was around six feet four*, his neck short but thick, his coat bursting at the seams. The man looked like a bear standing on its hind legs.


    PR/N: Six feet four is around 1.93 meters.


    The morning wind cut through him like des. There weren¡¯t many people on the streets at that hour. Most were either still sleeping or already in the marketce, working. Roy pretended not to notice him. Instead of yelling or calling for help, he hastened his steps and left the streets, turning into a remote, dark, squalid alley. The man sped up too.


    A short whileter, they started to jog, and the chase went on for a few minutes. Roy¡¯s turns eventually made him run into a dead end ¡ª a wall filled with algae and putrid fluids that was blocking him. The man behind him took out a handkerchiefced with drugs, approaching Roy with a sneer.


    ¡°Hey man, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve crossed you, huh?¡± Roy turned and forced a smile, showing his hands to the man who was thirty feet away. ¡°I¡¯m harmless. Can¡¯t you let me go? I can give you all the money you want.¡±


    The man stopped twenty feet away, and greed gleamed within his eyes. ¡°I can take whatever I want once I get my hands on you anyway,¡± he said gruffly.¡±But you can try asking for help. See if anyone will lend a hand.¡± Their difference in size was like that of a child and an adult. The man didn¡¯t see any weapon on Roy, and he thought Roy was just harmless prey, nothing more than something he could easily kill. No harm in telling him something before he dies.


    And then a crisp ng rang out in the alley as Roy suddenly tossed a handful of crowns onto the ground, stunning the man. It was the first time he¡¯d faced such a situation, and he reflexively went to take the crowns.


    Roy asked a question. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, aren¡¯t you? The Sparrow Triad. Didn¡¯t expect thugs to be more professional now. It¡¯s not even seven, and you¡¯re already staking out here? Aren¡¯t you guys cold?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for being stupid, brat.¡± The burly man quickly took the crowns before snapping out of it and darting toward Roy. ¡°Save your questions for the mine ¡ª ¡± The man stopped moving before he could react. Thest thing he felt was pain in his right eye, and then he was gone.


    The man¡¯s brutish body still took two steps forward from the inertia before falling with a thud. He knelt on the ground before falling face first, as if he were groveling at Roy¡¯s feet. A momentter, blood started pooling around him, flowing out of the holes in his head.


    A message showed up in the character sheet. ¡®You have killed Fossa. Twenty EXP gained.¡¯


    Roy heaved a sigh, and the hand crossbow disappeared into thin air. He went to pat the carcass, and it disappeared too. After everything he¡¯d been through, human corpses were no different from animal carcasses. He went to pick up the crowns and the bolt that had blood and flesh stuck to it. Once he ced those in his inventory space, he couldn¡¯t fit in a single more thing.


    Roy was happy with his kill. If this were in the past, the bolt would¡¯ve just stuck into his victim¡¯s head if he¡¯d shot for the eye. Since the man was less than ten feet away, the bolt pierced through his head thanks to the activation of Crossbow Mastery and Massacre¡¯s added damage. It¡¯s better than I¡¯d imagined. He spent so much time talking just so he could confirm one thing.


    Being tailed by the Triad for the first time might have been a coincidence, but the same thing happening a second time ¡ª and at such an hour ¡ª couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. Someone sold me out. Not many people knew he woulde to the lower city that morning, and when he thought about why he¡¯d gone to the lower cityst time, he had a suspect in mind.


    So the Sparrow Triad was tipped off, and they were going to sell me off to the dwarves as a miner, huh? Roy sighed, his mood marred. Being sold out didn¡¯t feel good. He thought they could¡¯ve been friends after getting along for a few weeks. He thought he could have trusted that person.


    ¡°Am I too naive?¡±


    Then Roy left the alley, leaving nothing but a pool of blood behind that told of an unknown murder.


    ***


    After going through the dirty alleyways, he arrived in the depths of the lower city, and a small house sat quietly within wooden fences. Vivien¡¯s house was more dpidated than Roy had imagined. The walls were cracked and filled with dirt. The roof was leaking, and only a piece of ck, tattered cloth was covering it.


    A pudgy, morbidly obese man was sitting on a stump in the yard, spacing out. His cheeks were sickly red, his eyes murky with a drunken stupor. ¡°Who are you looking for, brat? Why¡¯d youe to this shithole of a ce?¡± Bob nced at Roy impatiently. He thought he¡¯d seen Roy before, but the alcohol was stripping him of his memory.


    ¡°You¡¯re Vivien¡¯s father, aren¡¯t you?¡± Roy went into the yard and smiled sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m Roy, a student from the House of Cardell. I need to ask you some questions.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shocker. What business does a brat like you have with me?¡± Bob snapped out of his stupor, staring at Roy in surprise. ¡°If it¡¯s about the best inn in the city and all things liquor, I can answer every question you got, but if it¡¯s something else, then sorry. No idea.¡± Bob then paused. ¡°It¡¯s the morning. Shouldn¡¯t you be in the House of Cardell? Hmm?¡±


    He sniffed the air and licked his lips. Greed gleamed in his eyes when he saw Roy take out a green bottle out of nowhere and swing it before him. Bob had been drinking for years, and he could see that Roy was holding a bottle of dwarven liquor ¡ª his favorite booze. It had been a couple days since he¡¯d had any alcohol, for he had no money to pay for it. The familiar scent of liquor broke through his defenses easily. ¡°Ask away,d. I¡¯ll answer anything as long as I can get that in the end.¡± Bob stared at the bottle like the addict he was, his gaze filled with yearning.


    Roy nodded. The best way to get an answer from him is to give him what he likes. ¡°Get a cup, Bob. I¡¯ll let you have a cup every time you answer a question.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Give me a second, and don¡¯t leave.¡±


    ***


    ¡°How many people are there in your family?¡± Roy swirled the cup of clear liquor in front of him, and Bob fidgeted. He wed at the cup, trying to satiate his itch.


    ¡°Three,¡± he answered. ¡°Me, my crazy wife, and that disrespectful daughter.¡±


    ¡°Think harder.¡± Roy ced the cup near him and moved it the moment Bob tried to get a hold of it.


    ¡°Give it to me! I said there¡¯s only three of us, you br¡­ No, sorry.¡± Bob put his palms together, his bby muscles trembling. ¡°I swear there¡¯s only three of us in the family, Roy,¡± he said humbly. ¡°If I am lying, then I shall never drink again.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Bob gulped it down and heaved a sigh filled with ecstasy, as if he¡¯d reached heaven. As Roy looked at Bob¡¯s vulgar form, he told himself to never get addicted to any substance. Royposed himself and asked another question. ¡°Five¡­ No, was there anyone who lived with you for a long while ten years ago?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Bob looked angry. ¡°They were afraid I¡¯d be a burden.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Does Vivien have any siblings?¡±


    ¡°That girl is an only child,¡± Bob answered firmly. ¡°She has no siblings. I might be drunk, but I ain¡¯t retarded. I won¡¯t forget how many children I have.¡±


    ¡°Then do you have any children who died early? Or does Vivien have any siblings who died in an ident?¡±


    ¡°Roy, my boy, what kind of question is that?¡± Bob had answered with a question, holding down his urge to drink. ¡°Why are you looking into my family so much?¡±


    ¡°Just answer me.¡± He swirled the cup of liquor again. ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll tell you. My wife only gave birth to Vivien.¡± Then he sighed. ¡°I want a few more children, but my body¡¯s wrecked since I have too much to drink. Do you understand what I¡¯m talking about? Want to hear about it in detail?¡±


    Fifteen minutester, Bob was sleeping near the stump after finishing the liquor. He denied ever having a son even when he was half-sober. I don¡¯t think he could¡¯ve lied in that condition.


    ***


    Roy left the drunken man alone and went into the rickety house. What greeted him was a gaunt, pasty woman with unruly hair sitting at a round table near the doorstep mumbling to herself eerily.


    Roy observed her in silence before going to sit across from her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I ¡ª ¡±


    The woman said nothing. Even though her gaze met Roy¡¯s, it didn¡¯t look like she saw or heard him. Apparently, she was in her own world.


    A grin would carve itself onto the woman¡¯s wrinkled face at times, but the next moment, her eyes would widen in rage. And then she¡¯d stare down, looking crestfallen. Roy was flummoxed.


    ¡°Lowry, my dear, did you get thinner? Working too hard at school again? I made your favorite. Have some.¡± The woman stared at her left and mumbled to the air gently. Then, shedled some steaming vegetable soup from the cauldron in the table¡¯s center before pouring it into the bowl on the left. ¡°Take it slow. You¡¯re ady. Wolfing your food down won¡¯t help you get married.¡±


    Lowry? Probably Vivien¡¯s nickname.


    The woman then put her hands on her hips and red to the right. ¡°What on earth did you do, Bob? You look like a mess. Did you get into a fight after you got drunk again yesterday? You smell like shit. Don¡¯t even think about getting into bed with me tonight. Do it again and you¡¯re getting the boot. Hmph!¡± She prepared more vegetable soup and dug into it. An empty bowl with adle in it now sat before her.


    Roy watched her in silence. Once she finished her soup, he tried calling out to her a few more times, but to no avail. Since he couldn¡¯tmunicate with her, Roy left the house and went around the area. He asked the residents who were smoking in the yard about Vivien¡¯s family, and as expected, they were sure that Vivien¡¯s family only consisted of three people. There¡¯s no way everyone¡¯s lying.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 38

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 38: Nonexistent</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    There was still some time before noon. Once Roy left the lower city, he quickly went back to the House of Cardell and slipped inside quietly. The students were listening to Miss Cardell¡¯s history lessons calmly, while Vivien was sitting alone in the back.


    Great. I came back just in time. Everyone¡¯s in ss except for me and the kitchendy. Roy scurried to Miss Cardell¡¯s office on the second floor, but the door was locked. He went to the leftmost part of the corridor and leaned out to look at the window closely.


    The window was open, and it wasn¡¯t far from the corridor, nor too high up from the ground. Roy took a deep breath and hunkered down on the guardrail. He squatted a few times, estimating the strength needed for him to reach the window. And then he sprung to the side, his arms spread open like wings, and he grabbed the windowsill. He moved his upper body and leaped into the room, agile like a cat. It wasn¡¯t too hard for Roy to do that, since his body was on par with that of an adult¡¯s.


    The room was in the same condition it had been in during Roy¡¯s first day. He went toward the desk behind the bookrack and tugged on the drawers and cabs. s, everything was locked, but he didn¡¯t want to leave without any clues, so he searched the rack, the sofa, and even the pencil case. Half an hourter, Roy surprisingly found a bronze key in a book called ¡®Time of the Moon.¡¯ When he tried using it to unlock the cab near the desk, the door opened for him, revealing a few stacks of neatly sorted papers.


    One of them recorded Roy¡¯s information. As Cardell had said, every new student had gone through the same process, recording their date of entry, name, gender, age, address, family, and simple description, like hair and eye color, birthmarks, as well as scars. Roy thought that if Vivien¡¯s brother did exist, and if he¡¯d attended the House of Cardell, then there must¡¯ve been records of him. There should be traces if he¡¯s a real person. Even if nobody remembers ¡®him,¡¯ the records should.


    Cardell had sorted out the papers ording to the students¡¯ year of entry. Roy counted the stacks and realized there were thirteen of them. In other words, the House of Cardell had existed for at least thirteen years. There were only a couple of registration forms in 1248, presumably when the school started operating. More students had enrolled over the years. Since around four years ago, the number of new students had been staying at thirty per year.


    Most of the new students would enter around May ¡ª the same time the older students had their graduation. Almost nobody joined in the middle of the year like Roy. These papers are the House of Cardell¡¯s historical records. They talk about the story of a school that serves the poor because its founder had a dream. It talks about how they grow in an era where chaos, triads, and revolutions are rife. The papers were light, but they held great weight.


    Roy flipped through them carefully, but he didn¡¯t read them word by word. It would be too inefficient, and he didn¡¯t know how to read some of the words. All he looked for were the year of entry, name, and family of the students. And he only searched the records that were within six or seven years, as the House of Cardell only allowed a student to stay for five at most.


    ¡°Hill¡­ No. Flick¡­ No. Vivien¡¯s not his sister. Kars¡­ No. The address doesn¡¯t match.¡± He finished flipping through two hundred registration forms in fifteen minutes. There were a few empty forms in between ¡ª perhaps used by Cardell to motivate herself ¡ª and he double and triple checked them.


    After his third check, Roy heaved a sigh and stacked the forms before putting them back into the cab. He had aplex look on his face. He didn¡¯t find anything on Vivien¡¯s brother. That made him think that his investigation was nearing its end. He thought the conclusion was logical, but also hard to ept. Is Vivien really going mad?


    Some of the records held names Roy was familiar with, names that belonged to children who were still in the school. Two of them left an impression. One was Miguel, the child who got into a fight with ¡®him,¡¯ and the other was Helheim, the boy with a scar under his eyes ¡ª the one Cardell had drawn a portrait of.


    Roy looked at the clock. There was still an hour until twelve. He was nning on asking Miguel some questions after lunch to gather some final evidence. Before he left, Roy hesitated and opened some other drawers out of curiosity.


    ¡°Hm. Books, quills, ink¡­ ¡° Roy rummaged through the drawers. ¡°Huh? Makeup products? Didn¡¯t expect the stern Miss Cardell to be someone who cares about her appearance. Huh? This is¡­ ?¡± Roy found a wrinkled pamphlet in the third drawer near the corner by ident.


    ¡°Vernon Ryan, the great leader of the Aldersberg revolutionists, was fighting for the people¡¯s rights when Baron Tavik, in all his cruelty, incarcerated him for three months. The just revolutionists who went to the protest march were defeated by the baron¡¯s forces, but the revolution shall not wane. A new team is assembling¡­¡±


    Roy finally had the answer to one of his questions. He finally realized who Helheim ¡ª the valedictorian ¡ª was. The man with the scar was one of the revolutionists ¡ª the one in the cape he¡¯d bumped into when he and Letho were leaving Seville¡¯s residence.


    Cardell¡¯s hiding this pamphlet in her drawer, but she said she sent the great students somewhere else to work. But obviously, she has a lot to do with the revolutionists. Roy made a daring presupposition and thought that Cardell was important for the revolution. He thought she might¡¯ve founded the school to raise new revolutionists.


    And then, he was reminded of his first day, when he¡¯d overheard her lessons. Back then, he had a strange feeling that Miss Cardell was biased toward the revolutionists. She criticized the nobles of Aldersberg, and even the whole of Aedirn.


    Wait, this makes sense. House of Cardell¡¯s backers are the revolutionists. If I keep this up and stay for a few more years, Cardell¡¯s going to persuade me to join the revolution.


    Roy took a deep breath, unsure of what to feel. He was there to find out more about Vivien¡¯s brother, but he didn¡¯t expect to find Cardell¡¯s skeleton in the closet. So does she have anything to do with Vivien¡¯s brother? Did she take him into the revolution, like how she did with Helheim?


    Roy dismissed that idea quickly. No matter how powerful Cardell was in the revolution, she was still human. It was impossible for her to erase Vivien, her family, and her neighbors¡¯ memories. Even Helheim had a portrait, but Vivien¡¯s brother didn¡¯t.


    Bob¡¯s testimony and the missing form were enough evidence that Vivien¡¯s brother did not exist. If Miguel denied the boy¡¯s existence too, then¡­


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 39

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 39: The Forgotten Person</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    After making sure the room was the same as before he¡¯de in, Roy went back into the ssroom like nothing had happened. He cast Observe on everyone in the school, including Vivien and Cardell ¡ª especially Cardell. He spent the most time on her, but all her stats were that of a normal person. Everyone else too. None of them were powerful entities or mysterious beings in the game.


    Roy was surprised to find out that a human female over the age of forty like Cardell had a better physique than that of an average adult. Her stats were seven on average, and she had two skills: Trained, and Dagger Mastery. Roy knew she was rted to the revolution based on that alone.


    ***


    After they had lunch, Roy went to Miguel, who was frolicking with the boys on the field. The boy was burly and had a lot of pimples, and he was about to graduate in theing year. He ignored Roy at first, looking at him with disdain, obviously disliking him. He was jealous of Roy, for he was cared for by the beautiful Vivien, something Miguel never was.


    But he became all smiles and answered Roy¡¯s question once he was paid two crowns. ¡°Vivien¡¯s brother?¡± Miguel was shocked when he heard the question. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for four years, and I¡¯m the kids¡¯ senior. I¡¯ve been paying a lot of attention to Vivien for four years, and I can say for sure that she has no siblings. I¡¯m not the only one who likes her. See those brats there? They like her too. You too, don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t lie.¡±


    When Miguel heard the next question, he gasped. ¡°Fight? Are you out of your mind, Roy? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s absurd? I¡¯ve never even seen her brother, so how could I fight him? Oh, I do dislike her father though. If I got the chance, I might just cover his head with a sack and mess him up.¡±


    Miguel¡¯s answer was within Roy¡¯s expectations. He then picked a few more younger students and took them aside to ask about Vivien¡¯s family. They provided the same answers. Roy wasn¡¯t sure if anyone was lying. He couldn¡¯t prove it either, since he didn¡¯t know how to cast Axii, but it was impossible to get every child to lie like it was nobody¡¯s business. It¡¯s credible, and more than likely.


    Roy nced at Vivien who was ying with the children under the hornbeam with a smile. He felt sorry that Vivien was mentally ill. Since his primary investigation had ended, he would go talk to her and see if there were any more leads.


    ***


    Roy and Vivien were standing outside the dorms on the third floor, letting the cold wind blow against them as they watched the children and parents leave the premises with Miss Cardell ushering them out. ¡°I have some clues about your ¡®brother,¡¯ Vivien.¡±


    ¡°You found something?¡± Vivien had longing in her eyes. She held his hand nervously and dragged him to her room. ¡°Is it a big clue?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Roy massaged his temples. He didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to tell her straight. ¡°Did you ask everyone in the school about ¡®him?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Of course I did.¡± She frowned, sighing. ¡°I told you nobody admits ¡®he¡¯ exists.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, then?¡± Roy tried to be as gentle as possible. ¡°If ¡®he¡¯ really exists, then why does nobody remember him? Not even your parents.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible to exin, and I¡¯ve been looking into that for two years.¡± She clenched her fists and paced in a panic. The setting sun¡¯s light draped over her, granting her a look of eerie holiness. ¡°I¡¯ve eliminated all the improbable possibilities, and arrived at one conclusion ¡ª all our memories about ¡®him¡¯ have been erased. That¡¯s why I asked for your help. Witcherse across weird stuff all the time, don¡¯t they? Haven¡¯t youe across something simr? Like how a mysterious monster could take away my poor brother and erase all traces of him?¡±


    ¡°Erased all traces of him?¡± Roy was surprised. He didn¡¯t want to think about that possibility, but he couldn¡¯t deny it. However, he had evidence to prove that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Have you ever thought that even if everyone¡¯s memories were erased, some things couldn¡¯t disappear?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Vivien became serious.


    ¡°The registration form.¡± Roy looked into her eyes calmly. ¡°Your journal said he attended the House of Cardell, and every student has a registration form. To tell you the truth, Vivien, I¡¯ve looked around Miss Cardell¡¯s office and flipped through almost three hundred forms that date back to a few years ago. The forms include the students we have right now, but your brother isn¡¯t there. There aren¡¯t any records about him. Do you know what that means?¡±


    Vivien shook her head in disappointment. ¡°The forms prove nothing, Roy. I¡¯m Miss Cardell¡¯s assistant, and I can see those papers easily if I want to. I know there¡¯s no record of him there, but so what?¡± She asked, ¡°If the creature can erase memories, wouldn¡¯t removing a simple record be child¡¯s y?¡±


    Roy couldn¡¯t answer that. Wow, she¡¯s more stubborn than I thought. It won¡¯t be easy to convince her. A creature that can erase anything it wants? Does she think it¡¯s Melitele or Lebioda? Where¡¯s the proof?


    Vivien continued. ¡°Did you forget, Roy? You saw the missing names in the entries. You can¡¯t think I did that on purpose, can you? Obviously, his name was removed along with everyone¡¯s memories. That¡¯s why there are nks there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. What makes you think that?¡± Roy retorted. But then he paused. An idea struck him. ¡°A nk appears where something is erased¡­¡±


    He pondered on that statement, spacing out. When he went through the forms, there were a few empty ones among them. He didn¡¯t think much about them, supposing they were just Cardell¡¯s way of padding the number of students, but after hearing Vivien¡¯s exnation, he had another idea. ¡°A nk appears where something is erased.¡±


    Could it be that the empty forms had records on them before this, but they were erased along with the memories of the missing students? That might be why they became nk papers nobody cares about. ¡°The memories about the missing people and the records as well as the pictures that prove they exist are erased, huh?¡± Inspiration struck him, and he remembered something Toya had asked.


    ¡°Roy, who drew a pentagram on your left sleeve? And it¡¯s only half-finished.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Probably some cheeky kid in the House of Cardell. Probably did it when I wasn¡¯t looking.


    ***


    Roy looked at his left sleeve where the unfinished pentagram was drawn in charcoal. It had almost disappeared, leaving nothing but a faint corner. Everywhere else seemed to have been washed away, leaving no trace. There¡¯s no way daily wear and tear could erase the pentagram this cleanly.


    ¡°No, wait. The pentagram wasn¡¯t unfinished. It should¡¯ve been aplete one in the first ce.¡±


    The simple shape had almost disappeared over the span of a few days, and Roy never imagined it to be evidence proving he¡¯d forgotten about someone¡¯s existence. ¡°The traces of the missing people would be erased too. No wonder there are none.¡± He could feel something weighing down on him, and he hyperventted.


    ¡°In other words, ever since I came into this school, I was unconsciously forgetting someone, and that someone was the student who left this mark on my sleeve. And soon, our only clue will disappear.¡±


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 40

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 40: Culprit</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy and Vivien were furiously flipping through the records in Miss Cardell¡¯s office. The owner of the office was standing behind them, looking at them coldly with her arms crossed. She was trying to find out what her student and assistant were doing after suddenly requesting a check on the records.


    ¡°1256, 1257, 1258, 1259, 1260.¡± They found five empty papers from the stacks of registration forms. Each corresponded to a year from 1256 to 1260.


    ¡°So there are five missing children. One for every year,¡± Roy whispered to Vivien. ¡°This is a pattern ¡ª not a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°What did you two find out? Shouldn¡¯t you be exining this to me?¡±


    ¡°Miss Cardell, you¡¯ve been keeping tabs on the entry of students. Have you seen these empty records then?¡±


    Miss Cardell took the papers. When she checked through them, a frown creased her forehead. ¡°These papers are custom-made. One piece for every student. They aren¡¯t cheap, and I don¡¯t waste money. But I might have put them in by mistake.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t empty in the first ce,¡± Roy exined. ¡°A student¡¯s record was on it, but they were erased along with everything that proved the student¡¯s existence. To be exact, the culprit took it away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like Vivien. We¡¯re in Aldersberg, one of the biggest cities in thend. Nobody would dare kidnap my students under my nose. Not even the Sparrow Triad,¡± Cardell argued. ¡°Unless you can produce more evidence, trying to pull a prank will warrant you an expulsion, Roy.¡±


    ¡°If you want proof, you¡¯ll have to wait.¡± He was the only one who¡¯d seen the disappearance of the pentagram on his sleeve, and he couldn¡¯t prove it to anyone else, but he had a n. ¡°Vivien, what¡¯s the date of ¡®his¡¯st appearance in your journal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read through it hundreds of times over the years. I can even recite them word by word,¡± Vivien said. ¡°It was the fourth of October, 1258. That night, Bob pped me in a drunken rage, and I came to the school, furious and fearful. ¡®He¡¯ came with me too. You even agreed that ¡®his¡¯ disappearance was between the fourth of October and Saovine.¡±


    It was the seventh of October 1260 that day. The pentagram on his sleeve had almost disappeared, and the student that drew it must¡¯ve disappeared between those dates. Since Vivien¡¯s brother¡¯s disappearance and the student¡¯s disappearance were around the same time, it couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence.


    Roy thought quickly. The incidents happening around October wasn¡¯t much of a lead, but then he considered the fact that Saovine was a month after that. The world of witchers ran the same course every living being would ¡ª it was a circle of life and death. There were eight magical dates, corresponding to the important dates in the world. They were: Saovine, Midinvaerne, Imbaelk, Birke, Belleteyn, Midaete, Lammas, and Velen.


    The days closer to those dates were when magic would be at its strongest, making magical and supernatural phenomenons normal urrences. If the culprit had chosen to make its move during those dates, it must¡¯ve been a creature sensitive to magic.


    Roy made a note. ¡®The culprit has kidnapped one child every year since 1256, and the time frame is around Saovine. It could be a creature sensitive to mana. Possibly a monster or a human with magical talents.¡¯


    The second note went, ¡®The culprit will slowly erase most traces of its victims, including the memories of people around them, the words written by the victim, the portraits of the victims, as well as descriptions rting to the victim.¡¯


    ¡°Vivien, I recall you writing in your journal that you and your family had unconsciously overlooked ¡®him.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Vivien answered. ¡°Since I want to be fair, I divided most of my attention equally to every student, so I ended up neglecting him.¡± Vivien looked down. ¡°Bob¡¯s a drunkard, so he doesn¡¯t have time for him. He¡¯s always out for liquor. Mother¡¯s not in her right mind, somunication is out most of the time.¡±


    ¡°So ¡®he¡¯ is someone overlooked by everyone.¡± Five victims. Even if the people around them have had their memories erased and the proof of their existence removed, none of their family members noticed something was wrong? None of them investigated? Roy wrote his conclusion. ¡®The culprit¡¯s target might be neglected children. That includes orphans. Maybe it¡¯s because of the culprit¡¯s selection method, or maybe it¡¯s because the culprit¡¯s cunning. Compared to popr people, if the victims are those who are neglected, then it wouldn¡¯t change the world too much. And it¡¯s harder to find out too, since it¡¯s more secretive.¡¯


    ***


    When Roy revealed his conclusions to thedies, Vivien was surprised. She noticed everything Roy had written down, and she was clear about it, though she hadn¡¯t concluded so concisely.


    Cardell¡¯s nonchnce was finally broken, but she was still skeptical. ¡°Roy, the conclusions are scary, but still, you have no evidence to support them. Maybe your conclusions are wrong. Maybe there are no missing people.¡±


    ¡°Evidence, huh? The best evidence is finding the culprit.¡± Roy heaved a sigh. ¡°Miss Cardell, please don¡¯t doubt me for now. Give me your trust. The culprit takes one child from the school every year when it¡¯s near Saovine.¡± Roy asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think something¡¯s off?¡±


    ¡°The culprit is in the school.¡± Vivien paled. ¡°Ites out when it¡¯s near Saovine to take a child away. Are you trying to say that?¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Cardell shook her head. ¡°I know everyone here well, including the kitchen maids. On Lebioda¡¯s name, I swear that nobody¡¯s the culprit.¡±


    ¡°I never said that the culprit was human.¡± Roy had cast Observe on everyone in the school, including the support staff. All of them were human, and none had the power to erase memories. ¡°It¡¯s most possibly a monster in the school.¡±


    ¡°You have an idea what it is?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure. Give me a minute.¡± Roy didn¡¯t have any monster that fit the bill in mind, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t find out about it. He went out and circled the corridor for a while before taking out the notebook Letho left him, and then he went back into the room. The notebook had records about herbs, potions, and monsters, but since he was learningmon speech, Roy didn¡¯t have time to read it.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Vivien and Cardell gave him curious looks.


    ¡°A notebook left for me by a witcher. It contains information on various monsters. Maybe we can find the monster we¡¯re looking for here.¡±


    Then they looked through the information on the monsters, and the more Roy read, the more shocked he was. He didn¡¯t know most of the monsters written in the notebook. So this world is moreplex than I thought. After going through a dozen monsters, they stumbled upon an entry on a certain page.


    It said, ¡°It¡¯s the end of autumn, the best season to hunt bears. Serrit and I stayed the night in a mountain vige. The gales blew at night, and I could feel my dder ready to burst. When I went to take a piss in the yard, my ne started shaking. It was a soft vibration, and there wasn¡¯t much of a magical trace, but I knew a new prey was calling to me. Hunting monsters was more interesting than bears, especially since I knew nothing about it. That piss was a hint fate gave me.


    ¡°I found a rubber tree around five hundred years old, and it had someplex signs on it. The mana came from that tree. I tried to use Aard, Igni, and even nekker feces on it, but nothing worked ¡ª until I used salt. It reacted to salt. The tree¡¯s roots opened its mouth in pain, revealing a deep, dark, tree hole for me. I woke Serrit up and went into the hole to fight that bastard. Disciple of the Viper School, and yes, that¡¯s you. Do not skip what I am about to tell you. I named the monster in the hole separator/childhunter/ghost in the tree. It¡¯s a slender, humanoid creature with a face that has a vague form, tough skin made out of something like wood, and sharp, poisonous fangs and ws. If it bites you, your limbs and nerves will slowly go numb. Here¡¯s a picture of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s speed and strength are on par with a regr human¡¯s, and it can regenerate quickly. Most sharp objects won¡¯t harm it fatally, but it¡¯s afraid of fire, salt, and necrophage oil. Once Serrit and I disposed of it, we found fifteen carcasses in the hole, and the next day, we went around to talk to the vigers for two weeks. After much investigation, we found some information on it.


    ¡°It spends most of its time slumbering in the tree, only awakening when it¡¯s near Saovine, then it would hunt nearby humans. Its targets are usually young humans, and it loves ones who are neglected. First, it will cover its prey in its puke, consuming it once it¡¯s died from asphyxiation. Its puke has an unbelievable effect. It can slowly separate its prey from the real world, and once the prey has been fully separated, the kill is done. Most traces of the prey will disappear, and everyone will forget about that poor soul. This is a monster that lives under old trees. One that eats people who are forgotten.


    ¡°Newbie, if you¡¯re reading this, that means you haven¡¯t passed the Trial of the Grasses yet. If you want to go up against this bastard, remember to equip yourself with the stuff it¡¯s weak against, and wear thicker clothes. If you manage to kill it, take its tongue and dry it under the sun. It¡¯s the most valuable part.


    ¡°Written by Auckes, sixth of October 1204. Location: Barry Hill, Vicovaro, Nilfgaard.¡±


    ***


    The trio looked at one another in silence.


    ¡°So that means something¡¯s living under the hornbeam?¡± Cardell was incredulous. ¡°And it¡¯s been there for years?¡± She gasped hoarsely. ¡°Impossible. How could I have not known about this?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see if something¡¯s really there.¡± Vivien clenched her fists, her face filled with resolve and hatred. ¡°I seem to recall us having a lot of salt in the kitchen.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath and looked at the pentagram that had almost disappeared from his sleeve. The one I¡¯ve forgotten could still be alive. Should I dive right into it?


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 41

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 41: Under the Hornbeam</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The salt fell along the cracks between their fingers, sliding down the hornbeam¡¯s bark. The crescent moon¡¯s silvery light illuminated the House of Cardell that night. Three people were standing around the gigantic hornbeam in the yard, covered in tight clothes. They huddled around the tree, torches in hand.


    A short whileter, a weird crack split the bark, and it expanded quickly, slowly starting to look like an open eye. Eventually, the crack stretched itself along the edge, forming an elliptical hole near the ground. When Roy shone his torch inside, he saw an incline extending downward. It was filled with vines, leaves, branches, and dirt. There was also the stench of soiling out of the hole.


    ¡°So what next?¡±


    Roy turned to thedies in pink coats. He was wearing a pink coat too, which was funny, but he had no choice. There were only two women in the school. It was already gracious of them to share a coat with him.


    There were also Letho¡¯s reminders that he had to follow.


    ¡°Since nobody has any idea, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Roy said solemnly. ¡°We can¡¯t all go down. One of us must stay outside to sprinkle the salt around the tree in case that thing in therees out. And I must go down there.¡± Roy took a deep breath. He had a great weapon in his inventory space, and if he followed Letho¡¯s notes, he had a chance of killing the ghost in the tree.


    Miss Cardell left a solemn message before sliding down the incline. ¡°This is my turf. That bastard¡¯s been staying here rent-free for years, and it took my children away. I have a score to settle.¡±


    ¡°Right, then you stay here, Vivien.¡± Roy slipped inside before Vivien could. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vivien. I¡¯ll take ¡®him¡¯ back for you.¡±


    ***


    Roy held the torch in one hand and slid down the dark tunnel with the help of the other pushing him down. Around ten feet*ter, hended safely, and then his boots became wet. There were puddles under the tree, though they only covered his ankles. It was freezing, however, and Roy gasped as he shivered. No wonder Letho asked me to wear thicker clothes. This ce is seven or eight degrees colder.


    PR/N: Ten feet is around 3.05 meters.


    When he swung his torch around, Roy noticed Cardell crouching not far ahead from him. She looked alert, and when she saw him, Cardell beckoned him in silence.


    They were in a deep, musty underground space. The walls were filled with mud, algae, and vines, while the pond was littered with misshapen rocks.


    Aside from the clearing in the middle, there were narrow holes around the ce. A normal human would have to crawl on their hands and knees to get through the holes. Croaks and hisses rang out from the holes, echoing in the chamber. Roy wondered if the space had existed under the hornbeam all this time, or if it was created by the childhunter.


    He stepped across the cold, putrid, underground puddles and regrouped with Cardell. When he scanned the holes, a frightening idea popped up. Do all the holes contain a childhunter? No, Letho wouldn¡¯t spring this kind of joke on me. He would have mentioned it in the notebook. So the monster must be in one of the holes, killing itstest prey with its puke.


    Roy and Cardell looked at each other. Cardell pointed her chin at the nearest hole before pulling out a dagger that was smeared with salt from her belt. She held her torch with the other hand and dived into the hole.


    Roy followed her soon after. The hole was a tunnel no deeper than two feet, and it was only narrow enough to fit one person. The moment he started crawling, his pants got wet, and the mud on the walls stuck to his shoulders, hindering his movement. They even quieted their breathing as they crept on, careful not to awaken anything unnecessary. From time to time, hisses and howls of the wind would assault them, annoying Roy. He was tense and nervous, worried that the slightest sound would invite trouble. What if it attacks from behind like this? How should we fight?


    He kept looking over his shoulder in case some monster showed up behind them. It didn¡¯t take long for them to finish their crawl. At the end of the tunnel, they arrived at a dry, spherical nest, filled with branches, leaves, and bones of small animals.


    The inhabitant was nowhere to be seen, but it was obvious it fed there. The nest was littered with small skulls, spines, and femurs. The bones were smaller than a full grown adult¡¯s, and they were a strange, yellow hue. The bones obviously belonged to children. Cardell picked one up, and murder shone in her eyes as she gritted her teeth. She¡¯d had her agenda when she¡¯d formed the school, but she treated her students the best she could.


    They went through a couple more tunnels and marked them with the victims¡¯ bones at the entrances. Halfway through the fourth tunnel, they heard someone ¡ª or something ¡ª gurgle, as if vomiting. They held their breaths and shone their torches ahead, revealing a ghastly figure in the darkness.


    A humanoid creature with limbs as slender as branches was lying in the corner, its body covered in mud and algae. It was spitting yellow fluid at something. The moment the torches illuminated it, the creature turned around. Its face was gaunt with nostrils that caved in, and a pair of dark holes was revealed. Its pale eyes were bloodshot, filled with rage and madness. The monster had no lips, and its gums wereid bare. Translucent fluids dripped from its teeth, as it had just vomited.


    Shocked by the light from the torch, it scurried into the shadow of its nest. The pair quickly chased after it with their torches in hand, but to no avail. Roy stayed alert while Cardell pried through the vomit, eventually revealing a head with golden hair.


    ¡°Child, can you hear me?¡± Cardell wiped the filth off his head, revealing a gaunt, clean face, and the boy stirred.


    As Roy looked at the boy, the memories in his mind unveiled themselves, and the mist cleared. He realized who he had forgotten. ¡°Oh, I remember now! So you were the one who¡¯d gone missing, Tom!¡±


    It was the boy who¡¯d said hi to him on his first day. The orphan who had a toothy, sunny grin. He¡¯d taken extra sses with Roy after school every day, and they eventually became friends . ¡°I had almost forgotten about you.¡± He patted the boy¡¯s head and smiled, Roy¡¯s fear and trepidation reced with a buoyant mood. ¡°Good thing we came in time. How do you feel, Tom?¡±


    Tom opened his eyes groggily, his voice weak. ¡°Roy? Miss Cardell? W-what happened to me? L¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    A ghastly figure pounced on Roy from the ceiling, and they rolled to the side, entangled with each other. They engaged in a scuffle, but the monster had the upper hand. The childhunter sat on Roy, shing at him. Its long, slender w gleamed menacingly under the light, targeting Roy¡¯s neck, but its advance stopped.


    Roy grabbed the w with his left hand, his veins bulging. He took a bolt smeared with salt out of thin air with his right hand, clenching and burying it deep within the monster¡¯s eye.


    The childhunter let out a cry that sounded eerily like an infant¡¯s as white smoke billowed from its injured eye, and green blood trickled down its face. It escaped Roy¡¯s grip, leaping into the tunnel with tremendous strength, screaming as it did so. The childhunter squirmed in the tunnel like a catfish, disappearing from their sights in a moment.


    ¡°Get Tom out of here, Roy. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    Cardell gave chase, the trail of blood her clue, her torch and dagger in hand.


    ¡°That was close. I almost died.¡± Roy heaved a sigh.


    The w had been millimeters away from slitting his throat open. He would¡¯ve died then.


    ¡°A-are you hurt?¡± Tom asked weakly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tom. I¡¯m fine.¡± Roy wiped the sweat off his face and pulled the boy out of the sticky puke. Roy didn¡¯t understand the science behind it, but the puke looked and smelled like melted cheese. He rolled a bit of it into the size of his fist and stuffed it in his inventory space before getting out of the tunnel with Tom on his back. He didn¡¯t run into any trouble along the way, and Cardell must¡¯ve led the childhunter somewhere else.


    When he came back to the hole, Roy tugged at the vines as he went up and handed Tom to Vivien. She was pleasantly surprised, and Vivien covered the trembling boy in a coat. ¡°Roy, did you ¡ª ¡±


    Roy interrupted her before she could finish. ¡°No time to exin. The monster¡¯s not killed yet. I have to go back and help Cardell. Keep an eye on him.¡± Roy went back before she could question him further.


    He followed the trail of the blood and found them at the depths of the fifth tunnel. Cardell and the childhunter were injured. Cardell was holding her bleeding stomach with one hand while swinging the torch with the other, keeping the childhunter at bay. She was deathly pale, obviously at her limits.


    The monster wasn¡¯t faring any better. It was blinded in one eye and had sustained dozens of minor injuries from Cardell¡¯s dagger, though they weren¡¯t bleeding. Apparently, the salt on the weapon wasn¡¯t enough to kill him. Roy thought about it for a moment and took out his hand crossbow.


    A bolt soared through the air, hitting the monster in its knee. It trembled and almost knelt, but not before it bared its fangs at Roy, letting out a guttural growl. It was poised to strike. Roy ignored it and shot its other knee. In the span of a few moments, Roy made the childhunterme. Even if it could regenerate, it would take time, meaning it couldn¡¯t move fast for the time being. ¡°Quick, Miss Cardell! Stay behind me!¡± Roy kept shooting the monster in the legs as he retreated.


    Cardell was confused about the request, but she obliged. She stayed in her defensive stance as she slowly retreated with him. The pair slowly moved toward the tunnel while the childhunter stayed in its nest, baring its fangs at the pair from twenty feet away. It swung its ws at them, threatening to rip them apart. It was like an infuriated, rabid dog, but because of the torches and weapons the pair had, it didn¡¯t advance.


    When the pair had gotten thirty feet away from the monster, Roy took out a green, ss container and hurled it through the air, and it smashed into the childhunter.


    Once the container was smashed into pieces, the whole tunnel rumbled, and the nest exploded into a great flower of mes, dancing along the sphere. It was as if the air itself had lit up, and the temperature rose by a few centigrades.


    The monster in the middle became a human-sized torch. Bright, hot mes licked it, and it screamed in pain. The beast tried to inch closer to the pair, but its legs were injured, failing it. Dancing Star was a powerful bomb. Even its sparks could quickly light up the branches around it.


    The mes spread quickly, lighting up the whole nest a short whileter. The childhunter wandered its nest for two minutes before copsing to the ground, its strength disappearing. In the end, it became nothing more than a handful of ash.


    ¡®Childhunter killed. One hundred EXP gained.¡¯


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief after getting back to the tree hole.


    ¡°We have to take the poor children¡¯s remains with us, and fast!¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 42

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 42: Cleaning Up</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The moon shone on four iplete skeletons lying in the yard. Most of them were slender and coated in a yellowish substance. Miss Cardell had a bandage wrapped around her waist, her face pale from the blood loss. She looked at the skeletons a few times with a confused expression. ¡°We killed the monster, so why can¡¯t I remember them? I can¡¯t remember their names. Only Tom¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°The notebook didn¡¯t mention it.¡± Roy pursed his lips. ¡°But I think the memory erasure can¡¯t be reversed, not even after the monster¡¯s death. The traces can only be fixed if the would-be victim is still alive, like Tom.¡± The pentagram on Roy¡¯s sleeve had fixed itself.


    Cardell shook her head, unhappy about the results.


    ¡°At least we saved Tom,¡± Roy said. ¡°And the children will never be harmed by the monster again.¡±


    Something bizarre had happened after they¡¯d taken out the skeletons. An hour after that, the hole on the hornbeam had closed, and when Roy sprinkled salt on it, he couldn¡¯t summon the hole anymore. It was as if the hornbeam lost all its magic.


    Roy had a feeling the space the childhunter lived in didn¡¯t exist in the tree, but was instead another dimension. The power needed to maintain it slowly dissipated after its death, making it impossible to find. Roy wanted to go back and cut off the monster¡¯s tongue. Auckes said it¡¯s valuable. Well, no chance for that now.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Vivien came out from the house, looking fatigued and crestfallen. The brother she¡¯d been searching for during thest two years was dead, and she couldn¡¯t even remember him. All the work she¡¯d done looked to have been in vain. ¡°Can you identify them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The memory erasure is irreversible.¡± When Roy noticed the despondent look Vivien was giving, he consoled her. ¡°Vivien, he¡¯s released from his pain. Perhaps he¡¯s now in prophet Lebioda¡¯s kingdom. We avenged him, and we, uh, found his bones. At least he can rest in peace now. Be at peace.¡±


    Vivien covered her face, took a deep breath, and wiped her tears away. ¡°I guessed he¡¯d already passed when I saw the notes. I just couldn¡¯t ept it. You¡¯re right, Roy. He must be in prophet Lebioda¡¯s kingdom now. I¡¯ll find a good spot for him to have his eternal rest.¡±


    A short while of silenceter, Roy said, ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic. How¡¯s Tom doing?¡±


    Her eyes shone at the mention of the survivor. ¡°He had a hot shower, and I rubbed some salve on him. Then, he went to sleep. He¡¯s lucky to have escaped with only a few scratches and a bite on the neck, and he didn¡¯t even remember the kidnap. All he remembered was he went to sleep, and when he woke up, he saw you guys and the childhunter. He¡¯ll be having nightmares for a few days, but otherwise, he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Roy looked up at the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about everything else tomorrow. I should be going back now.¡±


    Cardell stopped him. ¡°Wait, Roy. Where did you get the bomb used to kill the childhunter?¡±


    Roy noticed the yearning in her eyes, and he understood that Miss Cardell was trying to get her hands on Dancing Star. ¡°That¡¯s an alchemy bomb made by a witcher. Only those acknowledged by witchers can use it,¡± he said, lying. ¡°It¡¯s something my teacher gave to me so I could protect myself. I only had one. Can¡¯t use it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Cardell looked disappointed.


    ***


    Roy found Toya beside the pond when he came back to the watermill. She was staring at her reflection in the water, looking forlorn and lonely. Roy thought she would¡¯ve been eaten if she¡¯d been in the House of Cardell.


    Roy sat beside her. ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡±


    Toya trembled, and she looked pleasantly surprised. ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. I can understand.¡± Her voice was trembling with excitement. ¡°You have your job in the market. It must¡¯ve been busy today too.¡± Even though she said that, Toya was actually terrified. She was worried thest few weeks had just been her imagination. When she noticed Roy wasn¡¯t home on time that day, her fear got the better of her, and she despaired, but luckily, it was just a scare. He came back. My friend¡¯s real. Her whole body rxed as she felt relieved.


    Roy shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t because of the job. There was a bizarre incident in the House of Cardell. It¡¯s rted to the topic of magic I told you aboutst time, and also the neglected kids. Do you want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ***


    Roy ended his meditation at four the next morning and disposed of the baldy¡¯s corpse before going to Aldersberg¡¯s marketce. The herb booth he¡¯d worked at for thest few weeks stood there, and he had a score to settle with the owner. But when he squeezed through the throng, he saw that the ce was deserted. Neither Tross nor the booth could be found. It was nothing but a vacant spot.


    Frustrated, he went to Emil for answers, but he didn¡¯t expect them to be that shocking.


    ¡°Tross? I thought he told you about it. He left Aldersberg with his family and his money after yesterday¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°He left with his family? He¡¯s been here for more than ten years, and he¡¯s giving it all up just like that?¡± Is he afraid of me? But I¡¯m just a young man. Impossible.


    Emil looked surprised. ¡°What? He hasn¡¯t been running this business for ten years, Roy. Who told you that? He¡¯s just been here for two months or so. Not even that much longer than you¡¯ve been working, but his business was booming, so I wonder why he uprooted.¡±


    Who is that guy, then? Is Tross a professional scammer? Roy pondered on the matter for a long time, but all he could remember was Tross¡¯ cunning smile, and a shiver crept up on him. Fine, he can leave if he wants to. Since he couldn¡¯t work at a nonexistent booth, he spent more time in the morning working at the poultry booth. After killing the monster under the tree, his EXP bar was 820/1000, a hundred and eighty points shy of leveling up to level 3. If he could kill more chickens, maybe he could level up in a week.


    ***


    The House of Cardell was as peaceful as ever that afternoon. The children were still frolicking under the hornbeam, oblivious to the fact the lonely boy who¡¯d been watching them at the ssroom¡¯s doorstep had returned. Perhaps they never even realized that he was gone. The children who were neglected stayed neglected. Nothing had changed.


    ¡°Join them, Tom.¡± Roy patted his head. ¡°You managed to escape from a scary monster and w your way back from hell. There¡¯s nothing to be scared of. You¡¯ll have to fight for it if you want more attention and friends. Looking on like a fool won¡¯t cut it. Just fight anyone who¡¯ll try to bully you.¡± Roy shoved the surprised boy to the group of children and watched as he blushed while clumsily greeting the others.


    Cardell came up to him quietly. She wasn¡¯t looking too well, and the wound from the night before would keep her down for a while. Nobody knew about the hornbeam¡¯s hole and the monster under it, for she had kept it a secret. The dead children couldn¡¯t be remembered, nor could their traces be recovered. There was no point in making the matter public, for it would invite nothing but suspicion and trouble.


    ¡°Vivien and I buried the remains in the nearby cemetery this morning.¡± Cardell paused. ¡°And also, Roy, since you helped the school out and found the remains of Vivien¡¯s brother, as well as the children, you have my thanks. I know how witchers work, so you¡¯ll have your reward. How does a hundred crowns sound?¡±


    A hundred crowns wasn¡¯t enough to cover the cost of Dancing Star, but that was all the school could afford. ¡°That won¡¯t be enough.¡± As Roy looked at the frolicking children in the yard, something tugged at his heartstrings. ¡°I¡¯ll exchange it for a meal.¡±


    ¡°Then take this, Roy.¡± Vivien came up to him quietly and took off her silver ne. ¡°It¡¯ll bring you luck and blessing from the gods. I just know it.¡± She ced it around his neck and gave him a look of gratitude.


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord to chat about the series and get notified when a new chapter gets released! </b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 43

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 43: Mana Corruption</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    One weekter, Roy was sitting in the watermill¡¯s warehouse at night, his attention on his character sheet.


    ¡®Level 3 (0/1500)¡¯


    ¡®Skill point: 1, Attribute point: 1¡¯


    If this were before, he would¡¯ve allocated the attribute point to the stat he was the most proficient in ¡ª Perception. That¡¯d raise it to seven, but he changed his way of thinkingtely. Roy realized that every improvement should¡¯ve been done with the Trial of the Grasses in mind.


    No matter how high his Perception was, it would¡¯ve been for naught if he died in the trial. And before Letho left, he¡¯d told Roy that the disciple¡¯s will and resistance to poison would affect their chances of survival. The higher those two aspects were, the better. If Roy wanted to strengthen his will and fortify his body, he had to consider Will and Constitution. Roy¡¯s Will was 4.8, which was lower than average, while his Constitution only became average because he took a lot of herbs.


    In other words, every attribute point he gained from that day on must be invested in those stats. He looked at his skills.


    ¡®Meditation Level 1: The training of the body and the soul. Meditation calms you down, speeds up healing and recovery of your mana, as well as your body. Improves coordination over time and increases affinity with chaos energy.


    ¡®Tip: Leveling up this skill improves Constitution and Spirit permanently.¡¯


    Letho was old enough to be his grandfather, but even he hadn¡¯t managed to level Meditation up to level ten. It won¡¯t be easy. But more importantly, leveling up can permanently increase my Spirit and Constitution. Roy concentrated on the plus sign after Meditation, and then the level 1 slowly faded, changing into level 2 a momentter. Then Roy added his attribute point to Will.


    One momentter, he felt a wave of warmth surging through his body, activating every inch of his skin, muscles, bones, and even blood vessels. It felt like they were absorbing something, bing sturdier and stronger.


    His brain, the most mysterious part of him, was rejuvenated, enveloped by a cool feeling. He felt countless little hands caressing it, and every cell vibrated with excitement. He opened his eyes, and they looked like a gxy, though itsted only for a moment.


    ¡®Meditation Level 1 ¡ú Level 2


    ¡®Spirit: 6 ¡ú 6.5


    ¡®Constitution: 5 ¡ú 5.5


    ¡®Will: 4.8 ¡ú 5.8.¡¯


    After experiencing the two-point increase in his stats, Roy thought he was already superhuman. The modification was still going on, and when he stood up to crack his joints, his whole body crackled. An electrifying sensation moved across him, upsetting Roy.


    Roy¡¯s face was scarlet, and his overexcitement filled him with courage and confidence. For a moment, he felt like he could run for a whole day and night without tiring, and he could face any challenge head on.


    He took a deep breath, clenching his fists and loosening them, trying to calm himself down. Then he meditated on the haystack until he did. Normally, it would¡¯ve taken years of training for someone to increase their stats by one point, but he increased by two points in a few minutes, so it was normal for him to feel ufortable.


    His change made him think about the Trial of the Grasses. The trial would modify and increase his physical capabilities to a far greater degree, perhaps to an iprehensible level. The change would bring extreme difort and pain, which was the reason not many survived the trial.


    ***


    A soft moan could be heard from the haystack at the other end of the storehouse.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, Toya. How do you feel?¡± Roy sat beside her and slid his hand under the nket to check the girl¡¯s temperature. ¡°Your temperature¡¯s normal. So the bryonia worked.¡± He heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°W-what happened to me, Roy?¡± Toya was still in her apron, though she looked listless, her eyes¡¯ gleam lost, her lips pale. It seemed like she¡¯d just healed from a terrible sickness.


    ¡°You cked out when you were sweeping the floor, and then you contracted a fever,¡± Roy exined patiently. ¡°Hank and Mana sent you here after they found out what happened. Don¡¯t worry though. I gave you some herbs, and the fever¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Toya pushed herself up and had some water with Roy¡¯s help. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you again,¡± she said in a thankful manner. ¡°It must have been tiring, taking care of me. Why don¡¯t you take a rest?¡±


    Roy shook his head and stared into her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re friends, Toya, so tell me the truth. This isn¡¯t the first time it¡¯s happened, right?¡±


    Toya squatted on the haystack, her hand gripping her knees, and she buried her chin in them. Fear and confusion showed on her face, and her voice trembled. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s wrong with me. I seem to have a lot of illnesses. Aside from the hunchback which everyone¡¯s beenughing at, I ck out, have fevers, and mumble gibberish. Even my own father shies away from me in disgust.¡± She then mumbled, ¡°Roy, am I just a burden?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Toya,¡± Roy answered honestly. ¡°It has been great getting along with you. You¡¯re a good listener, and you¡¯re a smart, hardworkingdy. But you¡¯re trapped in a little watermill, surrounded by shallow, narrow-minded people, so that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t manage to make many friends. And that¡¯s why you were led to this wrong way of thinking.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes shone for a bit after hearing that.


    Roy nodded. ¡°Of course. How do you feel right now? I want to know more about your sickness.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°When did you start cking out? Is it getting more frequent?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± A frown creased her forehead as she thought about the question. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the first time, it was probably not long after my body started bing deformed, and I cked out once a year since then. But recently, I would faint about four or five times a year.¡± She paused for a moment to feel sorry for herself. ¡°I have the feeling I might just faint and never wake up again one day, but if this is what Melitele has in mind for me, then I shall ept it. Having painless, eternal rest is fine too.¡±


    ¡°Toya, you¡¯re still young, and your life is filled with possibilities,¡± Roy said, consoling her. ¡°Think harder. Are the urrences happening around specific times during the year? Like Saovine, Lammas, Birke, and the such?¡±


    ¡°Thest time this happened was on the day of Lammas, and it happened around Belleteyn before that.¡± Toya gasped. ¡°You¡¯re right, Roy.¡±


    ¡°So my guess is on point. The closer we get to the magical dates, the more your magical energy resonates with the world, going out of control and harming your body.¡± Roy sighed, and he cast her a look of pity. After he cast Observe on her, he noticed that Toya¡¯s Constitution had fallen from 3 to 2.8. Her life force is weakening.


    ¡°What¡¯s a magical date?¡± Toya was curious, but also fearful. ¡°And why do I have mana?¡±


    ¡°Patience, Toya. I will tell you everything,¡± Roy said. ¡°Do you remember Aretuza on Thanedd Ind, the one I told you about?¡±


    ¡°I remember everything you told me,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s a ce where they train sorceresses, right?¡± She took out the Gwent card Roy had given her ¡ª the one that had an illustration of a fiery-haired woman in a red dress, and her eyes gleamed. ¡°Sorceresses like Sabrina Glevissig can cast powerful magic. They¡¯re more fantastic than your tricks.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Roy took a deep breath. ¡°But you know, most sorceresses weren¡¯t as gorgeous as the cards illustrated them to be when they were younger.¡±


    Toya held her breath, her expression freezing. She had a strong feeling that Roy would say something that would scare her.


    ¡°Most of them started out looking like you.¡± Roy organized his words and slowed down. ¡°They were different from everyone else because of the rampant mana in their bodies, but once they started training in those schools, they eventually returned to normal.¡±


    Roy¡¯s teachings over thest few weeks had unveiled a part of the world¡¯s mysteries to the girl, and she would ept things easier then. ¡°S-so you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Toya¡¯s teeth chattered, and a crazy idea formed in her mind, suffocating her. ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the eight magical dates are when mana runs rampant around the world. The mana in your body resonates with them, so you¡¯d faint whenever the festivals drew nearer.¡± He said solemnly, ¡°In other words, you have the talent to be a sorceress if you can get into Aretuza, and as far as I¡¯m concerned, they take any girl from any corner of the world indiscriminately. But you¡¯ll have to be bound under a hard contract.¡±


    ¡°I can be just like her?¡± Toya gripped the card tightly, her fingers turning pale. ¡°Will I return to normal? And nobody willugh at me anymore?¡±


    ¡°If you can be a sorceress and get modified by mana, of course you can go back to normal.¡±


    Toya suddenly sobbed, and she leaned against the moldy wall, despondent. Tears streamed down her pale face, her expressionplex. She looked sad, but also happy at the same time. ¡°You¡¯re lying, Roy.¡± Toya couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯re my friend, so don¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°I swear, it¡¯s the truth,¡± Roy promised. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. Just giving you another choice.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Toya was wavering, but she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just a country girl who¡¯s never left the mill, and I can¡¯t go anywhere. Hank and Mana wouldn¡¯t let me go. Besides, you said Aretuza is thousands of miles away from Aldersberg. I can¡¯t get there, not in forever.¡±


    Roy was silent, for Toya was telling the truth. Most sorceresses¡¯ parents would refuse to send them to a school for sorceresses, for joining institutions like that meant cutting ties with their family. It brought no benefit to the parents, and most of them were greedy. They¡¯d rather force their daughters to be freebor until the day of their death.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way, Toya.¡± Stopping halfway through a n wasn¡¯t Roy¡¯s style. He had a rough n for a solution that had just popped into his mind a short while ago. ¡°I have to be honest, Toya. Every time you faint, your body¡¯s getting more corrupted by the mana, and it hurts you even more. I think you can feel that, can¡¯t you? Your body¡¯s weakening, and if you can¡¯t receive formal magical education in time¡­¡± Roy licked his dry lips. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you can live past twenty. Don¡¯t you want to see the outside world?¡±


    In the era of ignorance, a deformed country girl would spend her short life in agony, but Roy thought Toya should have a chance. Since he had an idea, he would form a n and go through with it. That was his creed. Besides, giving Toya a choice might mean another option for him in the future.


    Toya was trembling, perhaps from fear or excitement. ¡°Roy, you aren¡¯t just some normal human, are you? How do you know so many things, and why are you telling me?¡±


    ¡°My identity has no bearing on the matter. What would you do if you were in the same position as me? Would you help me?¡± Roy asked, and he found his answer in Toya¡¯s eyes. She wanted freedom. He held her calloused hand firmly. ¡°Friends should help each other. Just wait, Toya. You¡¯ll see the sunrise at Aretuza one day, I promise.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 44

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 44: Returning the Corpse</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was impossible for Roy to take Toya with him to Cintra and then Aretuza. It was unrealistic, and Letho wouldn¡¯t agree to bring more deadweight with him on the way to the trial. I need help from someone else.


    The only powerful people he knew in Aldersberg were Seville Hoger, the wine dealer, and Cardell, the principal of the House of Cardell, as well as a member of the revolution. If he wanted to send Toya to Aretuza, which was a thousand mile away, they were his only hope.


    ***


    The sun shone brightly that day. Seville was enjoying the sun on his recliner in his residence. It had almost been a month since the ¡®exorcism,¡¯ and life had been well since then. His circles were almost gone, he¡¯d gained more weight, and his hair and beard were looking slick.


    ¡°Been a while, Roy. You¡¯ve been living well in Aldersberg.¡± Seville beckoned a freckled, bearded maid who came with a bottle of honeyed wine. She filled the sses and left quickly. ¡°You seem taller and stronger now, though you still don¡¯t have a beard. Ah, but you¡¯re a lot more manly now. Been having dwarven liquor every day?¡±


    Roy was sitting on the cane chair beside Seville. He sipped the honeyed wine, and the sweet taste spread gently within his mouth. He replied, ¡°Of course, Mr. Seville. Dwarven liquor is on a whole other levelpared to the fake, crude wine. How are you doing? Are the nightmares still haunting you after the hym was destroyed?¡±


    ¡°The nightmares are gone, thanks to you and Letho.¡± He roared inughter. ¡°Now I¡¯m once again the strong and lively squirrel of Mahakam.¡± He clumsily turned around and held his chin with one hand while looking at Roy. ¡°But I think about my poor friend, Ken, at night sometimes. He¡¯s still in the barrel, and then there goes my appetite.¡± He paused, then Seville hinted something at him. ¡°I wonder when Ken¡¯s body will be returned to its rightful ce. He needs to rest in peace. Oh, right, Roy. I didn¡¯t see Letho today.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s out for business. Still hasn¡¯te back.¡± Roy asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you settle the matter, Mr. Seville?¡±


    ¡°Roy, if I¡¯m guessing this right¡­¡± Seville rubbed his beard, his gaze doubtful. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯d hand Ken¡¯s body back to the revolutionists alone, and nobody would see you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Seville.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed, but he didn¡¯t panic, looking reassured. ¡°Will you let me handle this?¡±


    Half an hourter, a pale man¡¯s bodyy on the ground, his eyes closed, his limbs twisted in unnatural angles. At the same time, the strong scent of alcohol and the faint stench of the body assailed Roy. His eyes widened, and he stared unblinkingly at the famous man, the leader of the revolutionists ¡ª Vernon Ryan. He was also Ken, Seville¡¯s brother, the thinker who never drank a drop of wine, but died because of it.


    The body was wearing a grey shirt that was standard to peasants and people who did manualbor, as well as a pair of tight, ck pants. His limbs were slender, and so was his body. His ears were pointed at the tips, his nose was hooked, and his lower jawline was sharp. The cheekbones that jutted out spoke of his elven bloodline.


    There was a hint of terror on his face, perhaps from the fear he felt before his death. His arms were limp by his sides. It was as if he¡¯d tried to grab onto something, but had failed. The body was wrinkled from being soaked for so long, and disgusting patches were seen on his torso. It was just like a specimen that had been soaked in formalin, like they did in his past life. No, this one¡¯s creepier, and I¡¯m here to witness it.


    Seville looked pained, but also mncholic, and he covered his nose. ¡°I¡¯ve taken him out as you asked, Roy. What will you do next? Smuggling him out at night is impossible. I heard the revolutionists are going for a second march before Saovine, and the baron¡¯s men are watching us.¡±


    ¡°Want to see a trick, Mr. Seville?¡± Roy went up to the body and observed the limbs. He tugged at the body¡¯s pants and noticed a peculiar tattoo on the right heel. It was in the shape of a handful of thick, curled fur. Wait, that¡¯s a squirrel¡¯s tail. He frowned, then had a guess, but he didn¡¯t tell the dwarf. Instead, he touched the body, and Vernon Ryan was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°What?¡± Seville¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°How did you do it, Roy? Are you a sorcerer on top of a witcher¡¯s disciple? Do you know how to cast teleportation spells?¡±


    ¡°This is a secret. I¡¯ll need you to keep this a secret for me, Mr. Seville,¡± Roy requested.


    ¡°Very well then. Dwarves are very respectful of our friends¡¯ secrets,¡± Seville assured. ¡°And please take this as my token of apology. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. The baron¡¯sckeys couldn¡¯t imagine you to possess this skill. So, will the reward be the same as how we¡¯ve negotiated?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave it until after I¡¯ve finished the request?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Seville answered. ¡°You¡¯ll be my buddy if you finish this. And I always treat my buddies well.¡±


    ***


    It had been harrowing for Cardell over thest few days. Her stomach was heavily injured in the fight against the childhunter, and it was still throbbing. Then the revolutionists brought bad news. The second march wasn¡¯t going too well. The baron¡¯s bloody counter scared off the opportunists who were weak in their conviction. Even though it was nearly the day of the march, they only managed to rally fifty people. With that amount of people, they would only be seen as a joke.


    Cardell sighed. It¡¯d be great if everyone was like Roy. He¡¯s smart, brave, knows how to fight, and isn¡¯t afraid of monsters. It¡¯s a pity he¡¯s a witcher¡¯s disciple. He¡¯s not going to stay long. Cardell went back to her office, feeling crestfallen, but the moment she went in, the strong smell of alcohol wafted across her. She frowned, but still she followed the trace to her desk. And then her eyes widened in horror.


    There was a body under her table. The face was bloated and pale, but she would recognize it even if it turned to ash, and she felt her soul leave her. ¡°The great leader and my mentor, Vernon, is dead?¡±


    Roy was in the yard, caressing the hornbeam. He saw Cardell going into her office, then she came out with a letter, looking furious, and he sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to scare you, but you¡¯re the only revolutionist I know. I¡¯m sorry. Take it as the meal you owe me.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So the House of Cardell¡¯s principal is the revolutionists¡¯ top brass.¡± Seville nodded in approval after listening to the report. ¡°My sources had known that something was wrong with the school, and I had my own suspicions, but there was no evidence. Good work, Roy. The baron¡¯sckeys didn¡¯t notice you, and my friend, Ken, is finally back to the ce he wanted.¡±


    Seville extended his hand and said, ¡°A promise is a promise. I told you you were my buddy if you settled this matter for me. No need to be formal, Roy. What do you need? Money, wine, or weapons?¡± Seville knew Roy must¡¯ve had something to ask from him the moment he took the request. ¡°Or do you need my help? I¡¯ll do it if I can.¡±


    Roy hadn¡¯t expected the request they¡¯d set aside when they¡¯de to Aldersberg to help him to this extent. He hadn¡¯t gone through much for it, since it¡¯d just been a delivery request. ¡°Mr. Seville ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Call me Seville, Roy. It¡¯d be rude if you kept the honorific.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ Seville,¡± Roy said, correcting himself, though he couldn¡¯t imagine being buddies with a septuagenarian. Formalities, I guess. ¡°Do you know any sorcerers? Someone who lives near Aldersberg, and it¡¯d be best if they were a sorceress from Aretuza.¡±


    Seville pinched his beard and gave it some thought. ¡°Sorry, Roy. As far as I¡¯m concerned, no sorcerer lives near Aldersberg. There¡¯s a ck-haired one in Vengerberg, but that¡¯s too far away. Why are you looking for one though?¡± he asked. ¡°If you trust me, why don¡¯t you spill the beans? Maybe there¡¯s another way to settle this. I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I call some shots in this city.¡±


    Roy thought about it and told him about Toya. Nothing to lose here.


    Seville had a weird look on his face once he was done listening, and he looked at Roy as if he were an exotic animal. ¡°Roy, if I¡¯m correct, you¡¯re a witcher¡¯s disciple, and you¡¯re going to be a witcher. Why are you helping an ugly country girl by sending her to Aretuza? She might not even remember you after her training. Just because you pity her?¡±


    He told Seville what he thought. ¡°Don¡¯t you think witchers and sorcerers are alike, Seville? They have a tragic childhood and are forced to make choices they don¡¯t want. I think she should have a chance to choose, and I hope someone will give me a chance if I somehow get into apromising position someday.¡±


    Seville felt something stir within him after hearing the story. He thought that Roy was interesting, though he wasn¡¯t as handsome as a dwarf, and heughed. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting guy, Roy. Most witchers I know wouldn¡¯t interfere, but you did. I¡¯ll help you because of the things you said alone. I¡¯ll send a carriage and some dwarves to escort the girl to Thanedd Ind. She should have a chance to choose, just like what you said. But whether she can get into Aretuza, well, that depends on her own effort and luck.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ll have to wait for a few days.¡± Seville stood on his tiptoes and grabbed Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s nearly Saovine, and I think the coachman has a right to celebrate it. I hope the revolutionists can stop though. I wonder if they¡¯ll pull something crazy, since they did receive their leader¡¯s body out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°I left a letter for Miss Cardell too,¡± Roy answered. ¡°It¡¯s a threat letter written a Sparrow Triad. She might not be fooled, but at least it¡¯ll distract the revolutionists from blindly protesting against the baron. That way, they might not be used for any scheme.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 45

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 45: Departure and Return</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was the sixth of November in the year 1260. Roy was wearing a yellow wool coat, sitting on the edge of Walls Inn¡¯s rooftop, legs dangling, and he held a portrait. The portrait depicted Roy and Toya, both smiling. During Saovine, he took Toya to Seville¡¯s residence behind her parents¡¯ back and enjoyed a sumptuous Saovine feast.


    He could still remember it vividly. He and Toya had had their fill of honeyed wine, messed up the songs they sang, and posed for a second-rate artist. Then they surrounded the bonfire in the yard, held hands with the bearded dwarves, and danced Mahakam¡¯s specialty dance the whole night. When the next morning came, Toya woke up from her first hangover and was sent to the carriage heading for Aretuza.


    ¡°How should I contact you once I get there, Roy?¡± Toya stuck her head out of the carriage window before she left. She held his arm, tears welling up in her eyes, and they were filled with excitement, unease, and longing.


    ¡°Witchers don¡¯t have a stable home.¡± Roy patted her head and joked, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you in Aretuza after a few years. Hope you can show me some real magic then.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise then.¡± Toya¡¯s voice had a hint of mischief. ¡°If you haven¡¯te after I¡¯ve returned to normal, I¡¯m hunting you down no matter where you go.¡±


    ***


    Roy kept the portrait in his inventory space and held the ne hanging around his neck. He hadpleted his education in the House of Cardell not long ago and said his goodbyes to Vivien, Tom, and Cardell. I wonder what Cardell did. The revolutionists have been really quiet these days. Maybe they¡¯re shocked by their leader¡¯s death.


    It was a peaceful Saovine in Aldersberg. There were no marches or gang fights. Roy stopped renting his room. He didn¡¯t leave anything for Hank and Mana even after taking their daughter away. It was their punishment for abusing her. They can try hunting me down if they want. If they can find where I am, that is. He didn¡¯t n to continue working in the marketce, and his education was done for the time being. The words he could read were enough to understand the witcher¡¯s notes. He was going to start reading through the recipe forms. When he hopped off the rooftop, entering the lobby, a familiar feeling welled up within him.


    ***


    Saovine was over, but the party in the inn wasn¡¯t. A bard was leaning against the wall, wearing tight fitting clothes and leather shoes. He was ying his lute to a beautiful tune. A group of burly men were holding their foaming beers and moved to the music on the dance floor. Many women in bustiers and heavy makeup were going through the merry inn, revealing their skin, lifting their fluffy dresses, and flirting back with the men as they beckoned them.


    The inn was merry, but someone stuck out like a sore thumb in the corner. The table for four was filled with sses of colorful wine, but he was the only one drinking. Letho¡¯s bald head and stern look made him look dark, and the sword hanging on his muscr back warned everyone to stay away.


    A woman chuckled and approached him. ¡°Alone? I can be your partner.¡±


    Letho looked at her, and her familiar smile warmed him up a bit. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not in the mood today. Next time.¡±


    ¡°How cruel. It¡¯s only been a month, but you¡¯re already acting this cold. I can still remember how strong you were. Oh, your arm is tense. Just rx and let me handle everything.¡± The woman beamed and leaned against his shoulder, then she craned her neck. She noticed the dried blood on his armor that still had a stench, but she wasn¡¯t surprised, as witchers were like that.


    When she looked down, she saw a big package that was bursting at the seamsying on the ground at the witcher¡¯s right. She could see something red bleeding through the blue package, and she asked, ¡°What is that?¡± She tried to take the package, but halfway through, Letho¡¯s muscr hand grabbed her arm.


    ¡°Keep your curiosity in check, woman. Stay out of things in which you shouldn¡¯t butt in,¡± Letho said calmly, but the dangerous gleam in his eyes shocked the woman. She trembled and got up carefully.


    The woman pursed her lips and red at him. ¡°I see. So all you want from me is my body, huh? Well, don¡¯t ask for me next time then. Hmph!¡± She then went to the dance floor and flirted with the other men.


    Letho was¡¯t frustrated. Women were just things to spice up his life, nothing more. And then he felt something, so he looked across the dance floor and met Roy¡¯s gaze. ¡°Has it been a year since we met? You grow fast.¡± The witcher looked at the boy who came up to him and steepled his hand under his chin. His sharp senses were telling him that the boy had undergone a great change. He¡¯d started out as a scrawny one, but he¡¯d changed to be more lean, lively. His eyes were shining, hisplexion healthy, and he looked better than he was.


    Most people would have to work endlessly for six months to a year for them to change so much, but it hadn¡¯t been two months since Roy had left Kaer.


    ¡°Two years, actually. So that makes it one month and two years?¡± Roy sat beside Letho and sipped some fruit wine. ¡°So, I¡¯ve been living on my own here for a long time. Have I passed your test?¡±


    The witcher nodded. ¡°You did well on your own.¡±


    Roy looked at the package the woman was curious about, and he sniffed the air. ¡°You left me here for a month just for this?¡±


    Letho felt like testing him. ¡°Guess what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°Even though you¡¯ve cleaned it and removed most of the smell, that stench can¡¯t fool me. It¡¯s, hmm, a monster¡¯s innards, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Letho tossed the package to him, and Roy scrambled to open it. He almost threw it away. The first thing he saw was an eyeball the size of a fist, and it had been wiped clean. When he touched the back of the eyeball, he could feel the nerves and blood vessels that were still red.


    Roy looked around and stuffed the eyeball back when nobody was watching, and then he took out a yellow paw from the bag. The underside had pads like those of feline creatures. Three sharp fangs protruded in the front, looking like ck scythes. It was hard and was about the length of an extended hand of a human.


    Roy imagined how easily the w could rip through a human¡¯s armor and disembowel the wearer. Aside from the eyeball and w, there was also an elliptical heart in there, a long beak with the fur removed, and a bloody head.


    ¡°A griffin.¡± The package was filled with the most valuable parts of a griffin. He murmured, ¡°You spent a month killing a griffin to prepare the decoction for me?¡± He was touched that Letho went to kill a griffin alone.


    Griffins were proud creatures. They were hard to hunt, had a superb sense of smell, a powerful body, ws and beak that were as hard as steel, and had no obvious weakness. It would be a deadly creature for any witcher. Roy also regretted the fact he didn¡¯t take part in it. It would¡¯ve been a great experience to watch the fight at close quarters.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Letho shook his head. ¡°Some problems arose, but it ended well. Come. I¡¯ll teach you the way to dismember it, and I¡¯ll check on your progress.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 46

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 46: Potion</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho reserved a room and put down his luggage before handling the griffin¡¯s parts. Then he asked Roy about the events in Aldersberg, and the boy told him about the childhunter under the hornbeam in the House of Cardell.


    ¡°That was some good luck. Childhunter¡¯s on par with a drowner in terms of battle power and danger. It¡¯s perfect for training newbies like you,¡± Letho said. ¡°As long as you dodge its fangs and ws, using fire and salt should kill it easily. Using Dancing Star was a bit of a waste, but since you lived and it died, it was worth it. Good job with the House of Cardell¡¯s case, boy,¡± Letho said, praising sincerely. He wasn¡¯t talking about Roy¡¯s performance in battle, but his performance during the investigation. A witcher who knew how to think would outlive those who only resorted to violence.


    And then Roy showed the yellow vomit he took by chance to Letho. Letho analyzed it thoroughly and nodded. ¡°Childhunters are rare, and of all the witchers I know, only Auckes and Serrit managed to kill one fifty years ago, but regrettably, they didn¡¯t manage to retrieve enough fresh vomit.¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about itsposition, but I felt my mana flow being blocked when I held it. I couldn¡¯t even cast any signs. It¡¯s not enough for the separation effect to take ce, but at least it has the effect of dimeritium. It can counter spellcasters and monsters that rely on magic to a degree. Maybe some sorcerers would buy it at a high price. Keep it well, since it¡¯s your spoil.¡± He handed it back to Roy. ¡°Keep it in a bottle for best effects. It degrades if not fresh.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed, but at the same time, he regretted not taking all the vomit with him. He didn¡¯t need to keep it in his bottle though, for he had a better way of preserving it ¡ª his inventory space. They chatted for a while, then Letho took him to a vacant plot outside the city to check on his crossbow training and herb knowledge.


    Roy had unlocked Crossbow Mastery Level 1 and trained every night. He was perfect in terms of shooting position, aiming uracy, and reaction speed, though it was rtive to his short training period. Naturally, the witcher was satisfied. Even after getting the herb knowledge imprinted in his mind by the witcher, and knowing more than fifty herbs along the way, Roy had seen more herbs when he was working for the scammer, Tross. He came into contact withmon ones like buckthorn, marigold, bedonna, and mandrake every day, and he even saw rare herbs like beggarticks¡¯ flowers, bloodmoss, and paris.


    Right now, Roy could discern more than eighty herbs in terms of habitat, effect, and appearance. Letho had nothing to add to that anymore. Since Roy¡¯s theoretical knowledge was enough, it was time for his practical lessons.


    ¡°You spent most of the month learningmon speech, yes?¡± Letho rubbed his bald head. ¡°Yeah, I forgot about that, my bad. Since you haven¡¯t looked into the potions in the notebook, I can teach you. Since I¡¯ve depleted my potions and bombs, it¡¯s time to replenish the stock. Oh, and there¡¯s the decoction for the trial. It¡¯s a troublesome one, so I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    ***


    Potion making was a branch of alchemy. The potions, decoctions, oils, and bombs made through alchemy needed mana to keep them under control. Some of them could only be used by witchers, while potions could be created and used by most people. In the game, alchemy was just a simple matter of collecting materials and pressing a button, and then the item would show up in the yer¡¯s inventory space. But there was no such thing in this world.


    Alchemy was an extremelyplex skill to master, and the same applied to potion making. For potions, the maker had to possess the skills, tools, and correct materials. The materials were categorized as either base, main, support, or neutralizer. The tools and apparatus to make potions were even moreplex, and together, they were called the alchemy workstation.


    ***


    Letho spent the day buying herbs and bottles, and then he rented a room and modified it into an alchemyb. Roy was stupefied when he went into the room. This is just a kitchen! The first thing he saw was the stove powered by a blower in the middle, and a cauldron sat on it. A mortar, bowl, te, and gooseneck distiller propped on a mini stove were ced before the cauldron. A clock was hanging on the right, used to see how long the herbs had been brewed for, and beside the clock sat dried herbs that were needed for potion making.


    The secondyer of the rack on the right had a pestle on it, used to crush the herbs in the mortar. On the left, beyond the blower, pots filled with dwarven liquor, water, oil, and other fluids were ced on the topmost rack. They were used as the base for different potions. The secondyer held the containers for the potions, and they came in various sizes.


    ¡°It¡¯s, um, different from what I had expected,¡± Roy said.


    ¡°What do you mean different? Have you seen a different workstation before?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°I just think it¡¯s a bit too crude. Does the school use this kind of workstation too?¡± Roy couldn¡¯t believe that the tools would be so basic. It felt more like a workshop that made illegal substances rather than potions. In his imagination, alchemy was rted to chemistry, and he thought they must¡¯ve at least had test tubes, alcohol burners, and retort stands.


    ¡°You¡¯re unhappy with this?¡± Letho was surprised, and he wondered why Roy was so upset, but he exined patiently. ¡°The tools in the school are of course better and prettier, but you have to understand that we have limited resources here. Having a basic workstation is already hard enough. Of course, it¡¯d be a different story if a sorcerer would lend us hisb. Those guys are perfectionists and want nothing but the best for everything, so they¡¯d have the best equipment lying around.¡± Letho continued. ¡°But this here is enough for a beginner like you.¡± Then he knocked Roy¡¯s head and lectured, ¡°Now concentrate. I¡¯ll show you the way to make a marigold potion, the simplest one there is. Only once, though.¡±


    Roy massaged his forehead and concentrated on the process.


    ***


    Letho first took a bag of marigold andtle, and then he put them on the workstation on the right to bnce them on the scale. Next, he ced and crushed them in the mortar with the pestle before handing a sample to Roy. The crushing process was a delicate one. Insufficient strength would make the potion less potent, but too much strength would cause a higher chance of overbrewing, thus causing them to fail to create the potion. The only way to gauge the strength needed under such conditions was none other than through experience.


    Once Roy had seen enough, Letho filled a quarter of the cauldron with water, an ounce of crushedtle, and two ounces of crushed marigold. Then he stirred the mixture with adle, and the liquid turned light yellow. Letho used the blower to light up the mes under the cauldron. At the same time, he looked at the clock, waiting quietly.


    Roy took the chance to ask about the amount of the main materials used in the making of the marigold potion, as well as the base. Letho exined patiently, and he observed Roy¡¯s mastery of alchemy¡¯s theoretical knowledge and herbs through questioning.


    The potion hadn¡¯t started boiling after fifteen minutes, and a faint, fresh scent wafted from the cauldron. Letho doused the fire and held the cauldron by its handle, and then poured the potion into a translucent bottle. Despite his muscr figure, Letho surprisingly handled the potion with great care, not even spilling a drop. It might¡¯ve sounded weird, but it was like seeing Letho knit a sweater with perfect mastery of the needle. Letho corked the bottle at the end.


    Roy boiled down the whole process into a few parts: add water and the materials to the cauldron, pull on the blower, cook it until it forms a slurry, then kill the heat. A funny idea popped into his mind. If he were standing behind Letho, he would¡¯ve thought him a chef cooking something up.


    ¡°You can rub this potion on your wounds or ingest it. Helps with regeneration and prevention of infection. Better than in eating the nt.¡± Letho shook the bottle, looking satisfied. ¡°You have to master this. It¡¯s the basic among the basics, and one of the most useful potions around. You aren¡¯t strong enough to take Swallow and such.¡±


    This is more like a medicinal brew than a potion, Roy thought, and he looked at Letho expectantly. ¡°How potent is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you take it after sustaining an injury,¡± Letho said. ¡°Probably halves the recovery time if your wounds aren¡¯t that serious.¡±


    ¡°Can I try?¡±


    Letho stepped aside, giving the stage to Roy. Roy rolled his sleeve up and took a bag of marigold andtle. Then he reproduced the process by memory. First he weighed and ground them into powder. He thought it¡¯d be easy since he¡¯d memorized the process, but a problem arose the moment he started. Weighing alone took a lot out of him, and he was considerably slower than the witcher.


    When he finally finished weighing and went on to the crushing, he ran into another problem. How fine should I make it? Hm, a bitrger than what mills make? As he crushed the materials, he nced at Letho, trying to get a hint, but Letho was prepared. He raised his chin at Roy, telling him to continue.


    Roy sighed. No point in thinking too much. He let go and went with his instincts. He poured the water from the pot for ten seconds and stopped when it filled about a quarter of the cauldron. He kept the heat low, and the blower only blew on the mes three times. Fifteen minutester, the potion was done, but it was much darker in color, and it radiated a sharp, pungent smell.


    Roy looked tense. Letho¡¯s potion was light yellow and smelled nice. What the heck is this? He wasn¡¯t let down though. It was normal to fail the first time.


    He went on with the bottling, but his middle finger was ced incorrectly and was scalded by the cauldron. The potion sshed everywhere, but he ignored it and poured the remaining liquid into the bottle. He shook it once and corked it before cing it on the workstation.


    ¡°You call this a marigold potion? The thing that can stop bleeding and prevent inmmation?¡± Letho took and observed the potion, his face inscrutable. When he opened it to take a whiff, his face twitched. ¡°The only thing this thing can do is ease bowel movements. Fail. Again!¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 47

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 47: Drink the Pain</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Under the dim light, a ck-haired youth stood before a workshop, his hands deftly moving between the bags of herbs, scale, pestle, cauldron, and blower. He added two ounces of dried marigold and an ounce oftle into the mortar and crushed them with half his strength, stirring them at the same time. He did it twice in one second, and he had to do it a thousand times.


    Then the cauldron was a quarter filled with water before the crushed materials were added, and then the brewing started. It wasn¡¯t difficult, but his movements were precise, calcted, and clean, as if he had an invisible ruler gauging everything he did. Fifteen minutester, he killed the heat and held the cauldron by the handle. He swirled it around and poured the hot fluid into a bottle. No longer was he impatient, but instead swift and patient.


    When he took the potion and recognized the scent of chrysanthemum, he carefully handed it to Letho, who was nearby and looking at him with his arms crossed. ¡°Here, Letho. What do you think?¡±


    Letho took a whiff and dipped his finger into the potion, then he put it in his mouth and closed his eyes to better feel it. Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead, clenching his fists, looking nervous, just like a criminal waiting for his verdict.


    ¡°Congrattions, boy.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. He opened his arms and spun, almost crying tears of happiness. God knew how thest three days had been. Aside from his regr training, he¡¯d had to start brewing potions the moment he woke up and had to go into meditation when he was resting.


    Alchemy¡¯s emphasis on details was no joke, and it was much harder and much more boring than crossbow training. Roy wasn¡¯t interested in precision in both lives, but Letho paid a lot of importance to alchemy, and he was strict on Roy. Damn, I wish I could have a skill that lets me make potions instantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than most vige herbalists¡¯, but it¡¯s effect is the real deal,¡± Letho said. ¡°All that¡¯s left is to practice. Make thousands of them, and you¡¯ll eventually improve.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, Letho. Since marigold potions are better at treating wounds than normal herbs, why don¡¯t we sell it?¡± Roy asked. ¡°Will it sell?¡±


    Letho shook his head. ¡°If you thought of that, everyone would¡¯ve too. The civilians would think it was too pricey, so they¡¯d rather buy the herbs. It¡¯s cheaper and sufficient for their daily use. The rich ones don¡¯t need it. They have famous doctors treating them in private. Healthcare involves a lot of things no matter the city. Lots of connections and power y in it. Sell it on the streets, sure. You might get lucky and sell some, but then someone will rat on you, and off to the dungeon you go. You ain¡¯t having anything else but mice for a month. Forget that idea. Potions are best used for yourself.¡±


    Roy thought that was a shame. I can make money if I try to use some of my connections, but that¡¯s going to waste too much time. I could have been a businessman instead.


    ¡°This potion can be preserved for a month or so if done right. Continue,¡± Letho urged. ¡°Make about five potions, and that¡¯ll be enough for the trip.


    ***


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Under Letho¡¯s watchful gaze, Roy made a few dozen attempts and managed to make around five usable potions, albeit all of different quality. He was seeing a slow improvement in his alchemy skills. Roy had made one usable potion for every ten attempts at first, but then he could make one for every nine attempts. Letho could make eight usable ones for every nine attempts.


    That was understandable though, since it had just been days since he started making potions, so it was iparable to the decade of experience the witcher had, and he hadn¡¯t actually started on the path of alchemy, since the skill hadn¡¯t even shown up in the character sheet. This is going to be a long journey. And with that, Roy¡¯s alchemy practical lessons ended for the time being.


    Letho took over the workstation to create decoctions, bombs, and the potion for the trial for Roy. Roy didn¡¯t just stand by either; he helped with the first few steps.


    ¡°Five ounces of drieddine and an ounce of drowner brain ground into powder. Remember what I¡¯ve told you.¡± Letho sent order after order, his face inscrutable, and his hands moved quickly between the tools. Hisrge figure was a stark contrast to his dexterous limbs working on the tools. The witcher looked more like an oil painter creating his opus, while Roy was like a wind-up puppet who was working all day in a dark alchemyb.


    Most people would¡¯ve been dizzy at that point, but thanks to his high Will stat, Roy could stay concentrated for a long time without feeling any fatigue. After taking part in the brewing, he understood the difference between potion and decoction.


    Take Swallow ¡ª the mostmon potion witchers used ¡ª as an example. The only materials weredine and drowner brain, but the steps involved were: drying the ingredients, crushing them, heating, distilling, heating again, and more. There were a total of a few dozen steps, and every one of them had to be done precisely. One wrong move or shaking fingers would end up creating a wed potion.


    The most important part came after filling the bottle with the potion. The witcher would hold it with both hands and go into meditation. When that happened, Roy could feel Lethomunicating with the decoction, though it was purely magical. Letho was trying to calm the decoction and stabilize it. If that wasn¡¯t done, the decoction would just be a half-finished product.


    ***


    Roy was engrossed with alchemy, and he didn¡¯t notice the time pass. He could still help with the early preparations for Swallow, but the oils, bombs, and more advanced potions confused him, turning his brain to mush. There were too many steps, and all of them were tooplex for him. It wasn¡¯t something someone of his level could understand, so he stopped thinking and only followed the witcher¡¯s orders.


    Even though all he learned was the making of the marigold potion, he got more proficient with the tools as he helped the witcher. It would act as the foundation of his future studies. A long timeter ¡ª perhaps a week ¡ª Letho made two Swallows, two dimeritium bombs, and a lot of potions. And then he suddenly said Roy could leave theb to have an off day.


    Roy heaved a sigh after being relieved from the intense, pressing work environment, but the next day, Letho took out a particr bottle from a row of potions. ¡°This is the potion I made for you.¡± Letho looked into Roy¡¯s eyes and said slowly, ¡°Regr intake will slowly increase your resistance to potions¡¯ toxicity. It builds your foundation before taking the Decoction of the Grasses.¡±


    All the color drained from Roy¡¯s face at the mention of toxicity. ¡°No wonder I got a day off. Even death row inmates have theirst supper.¡± Roy might¡¯ve looked like he didn¡¯t care about the dangers of the trial, but still, his instinctive defensive measures told him to stay away from poisonous substances like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boy. As it stands, your body can take the toxicity.¡± Letho noticed his reluctance, and for once, he encouraged Roy. ¡°It won¡¯t harm you, though you might squirm in pain for a short while. Speaking from experience.¡±


    ¡°Will I pass the Trial of the Grasses if I drink this?¡± Roy put the ss bottle under the light and noticed that the decoction wasn¡¯t as pure as the other potions. Instead, it was filled with green strings that looked like parasites, and the color was a heavy ck. It was also sticky and gooey, and Roy felt disturbed.


    ¡°There are no absolutes in this world,¡± Letho told him honestly. ¡°All I can tell you is that if you can get through this arduous process, it¡¯ll increase your chances of surviving the Trial of the Grasses.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. ¡°How painful will this be?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about childbirth?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask that?¡±


    ¡°ording to Rodrigues¡¯ experiment report, anyone who takes this potion will experience the same pain as childbirth.¡±


    Roy kept quiet and ignored ¡®childbirth.¡¯ He wondered if he could take it. My Will is 5.8, and my Constitution is 5.5. It¡¯s a bit higher than an average adult¡¯s, so I should be fine.


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty years since the Viper School has had new blood. If you fail the trial¡­¡± Letho trailed off, and he patted Roy¡¯s shoulder. As if by magic, Roy calmed down. ¡°So be brave and take the potion. If we were following the original n, this should¡¯ve only been taken six months down the line.¡± Letho had doubt in his eyes. ¡°Maybe you matured faster, so you reached my expectations ahead of time.¡±


    Roy knew why. He had attribute points, which was something other people didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too stressed out. You¡¯ll have two days to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Can I not take the potion?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Joking.¡± Roy forced a smile, and some color returned to his face. He couldn¡¯t back out at that point, and it was in his n anyway. Since he¡¯d chosen to be a witcher, he would see his choice through, no matter how painful it might be. And since that potion could increase his chances of surviving the trial, he had no reason not to drink it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Let¡¯s do it today.¡±


    As Letho watched, Roy took the potion and swirled it, but he didn¡¯t take it immediately. He hunkered down and meditated, clearing his mind and rxing his body. He¡¯d fully recovered half an hourter, and he nced at the clock before uncorking the bottle and gulping the potion.


    His mouth was filled with a bitter, salty, raw taste. It was as if he had raw oyster, pork, and soil at the same time. Even though the potion traveled down his stomach in an instant, the weird taste still lingered in his mouth.


    His face scrunched up, and he clenched his fists before his chest and body shook uncontrobly.


    The potion had started to take effect.


    The potion stayed in his oral cavity for a moment and rushed up into his head. Roy felt like he just smashed his head against a wall, and his consciousness started to fade. His eyes rolled back, and he was forced out of his meditation before falling to the ground. When the potion hit his stomach, it triggered a weird chemical reaction, releasing an enormous amount of heat. His torso felt like it was being grilled in an oven, threatening to cook him, to turn him into ash. He reflexively scratched at the ground and rolled around, trying to chase the heat away. His eyes were closed, his face red and tense, as if he were experiencing a nightmare.


    A momentter, the pain reached its pinnacle, and he opened his eyes. They were bloodshot. Roy let out a guttural roar, and veins bulged at an abnormal speed on his neck and temples. Letho hunkered down beside him, his face inscrutable, though reminiscence filled his eyes. ¡°Hold on, boy. The longer you can go and the more pain you can take, the better your reward will be.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 48

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 48: ns and Departure</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°You¡¯re awake. How do you feel, boy?¡± Letho asked gruffly as Roy opened his puffy eyes with difficulty. His whole body was sore, and when he looked around, he noticed he was lying on the bed of an inn room. It was nearly noon, and the light outside was blindingly bright. He could see doubles of the furniture around him, blurring his sight.


    Roy shut his eyes and shook his head. It took a long time before he stopped seeing double. ¡°How long was I out for, Letho?¡± He frowned and covered his eyes to block the light reflecting from Letho¡¯s bald head. ¡°Can you sit somewhere else? The light¡¯s hurting my eyes.¡±


    Letho shrugged and moved to the chair before handing him a bowl of water. ¡°You were out for a whole day. Frankly, that¡¯s a lot shorter than I had expected. You have a good body,¡± Letho said calmly, as if it were just a diagnosis from a doctor.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t feel so good. I swear I was dead.¡±


    Roy gulped all the water in one go, and a cool sensation flowed through him. Then he was reminded of the feeling from before, of after he¡¯d taken the potion. It was as if a fire had been lit in his chest, burning all his cells and vessels. He could feel his body scream, and it felt as if thousands of knives were piercing him. In other words, it felt like getting pierced by red-hot knives.


    ¡°You should have warned me more,¡± Roy grumbled, and a hint of fear welled up within him. He never wanted to feel that kind of sensation again. It was worse than death.


    ¡°It did deviate from what I had in mind.¡± Letho looked at him apologetically. ¡°I thought you¡¯d ck out quickly under that intense pain. Actually, most of the disciples who took the potion since thest hundred years or so didn¡¯tst five minutes. Most couldn¡¯t evenst for three. They¡¯d lose all consciousness at that point, so their pain onlysted for a short while, but you¡­¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Yousted six minutes.¡± Letho took out a grey notebook and flipped through it. ¡°You didn¡¯t make a mess of yourself, nor did you spew blood, mumble, or spasm,¡± he said solemnly.


    Roy felt a chill running down his spine, and he felt d he strengthened his stats before that. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about that before?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you? You managed to get through it.¡± Letho patted his shoulder and calmed him down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boy. That pain only shows up the first time you take the potion. You¡¯ll only feel half of that next time, and it¡¯ll eventually lessen to the point you¡¯ll only frown at it.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was the only one I had to take.¡± Roy gulped, fear showing on his face. Half of it would still be painful. ¡°How many more do I have to take?¡±


    ¡°It runs for three months, and on a weekly basis, so you have eleven more to go.¡±


    Shit. Roy took a deep breath and massaged his face, which was drenched in sweat. But I can¡¯t stop. If I do, all I did would be for naught.


    ¡°Your willpower and body are better than most disciples¡¯.¡± Letho was observing him in silence, and he heaved a sigh of relief when Roy didn¡¯t retort. Then he shifted the topic. ¡°And maybe it¡¯s because your body¡¯s more developed because of your age. The other disciples took the potion before they were even ten, while you¡¯re nearly fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so age is an advantage. If that¡¯s the case, why do witchers go for younger children?¡± Roy held back his doubt.


    ¡°Children are pure, innocent, and full of possibilities. Their guide can depict any kind of future for them.¡± Letho was patient. ¡°Children haven¡¯t fully developed their bodies yet, and they can get their bodies systematically modified by the Decoction of the Grasses. On the other hand, adults have gone through the changes of puberty and have settled down, so any modification would be harderpared to children. Most can¡¯t see through the mutation. Their bodies would break down and die.¡±


    Modifications? Break down? Roy finally understood the meaning behind the Trial of the Grasses. ¡®High death rate¡¯ was just a facet of it. The body breaks down if they can¡¯t take it, but what if they can see it through, and then do it again?


    ¡°Is the modification a one-time event?¡± Roy blurted out the question he¡¯d always had. ¡°Can anyone take the Decoction of the Grasses from schools like the Wolf School or the Griffin School once they manage to mutate once? ¡°


    ording to what he knew, every school had a different recipe for the Decoction of the Grasses which strengthened different aspects after the mutation. Cat School witchers wore light armor and had agile, phantom-like movements, so their decoction would increase their dexterity, while Wolf School was more bnced, so their decoction would increase every aspect by a bit. Griffin School witchers¡¯ strengthy in their signs, so their will would be strengthened. Bear School witchers wore heavy armor and used two-handed swords, and they would consume more potions in a short time. In that case, their decoction should strengthen their constitution.


    If someone manages to see through multiple Trial of the Grasses from different schools, what kind of witcher would he be? Theoretically speaking, the body¡¯s resistance toward poison would greatly increase after a trial. So would it make a second trial easier? Or maybe the decoctions would repel each other, killing the user. That was Roy¡¯s hypothesis.


    ¡°Are you talking about multiple modifications?¡± Letho¡¯s eyes gleamed dangerously, and he warned, ¡°That idea is preposterous, boy. In all my life, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone who¡¯d taken different Decoction of the Grasses. Not even if they took it at a different time. No such fool exists. Even if they do, they would already be dead. Right, you haven¡¯t even gotten through the preliminary period, so stop thinking about useless things.¡± Letho calmed down and held the note that was on his knee. ¡°Tell me, do you feel any change in your body? The first time should bring some benefit with it.¡±


    ¡°Change?¡± Roy put his fantasies aside and looked at his character sheet.


    ¡®HP: 30/55 (Poisoned)¡¯


    Damn. I lost twenty points. That¡¯s one poisonous potion. Compared to that, berbercane fruits and blowballs were nothing. When he looked down, he arched his eyebrow, for he saw his Will had gone up to six points. A 0.2 point increase. Well, that was one hell of a painful experience, so this is normal, but it¡¯s probably limited to the first time.


    There was nothing else aside from that. Could theck of change be because of my body being better than an average adult¡¯s? He thought he¡¯d have a skill rted to poison. Was the potion insufficient?


    ¡°Well, there is some change,¡± he said. ¡°I can feel my will and thinking bing stronger.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Letho looked disappointed. ¡°I came up with the same result after the checkup. Maybe it¡¯s because of your age, but it doesn¡¯t matter. The final results will only be known after the first phase.¡±


    ***


    After Roy had rested for two days and recovered from his ordeal, he was ready to leave Aldersberg with Letho. He didn¡¯t n on going to the House of Cardell to say goodbye, since it would only make everyone sad. Then Seville came.


    He went up to them,ughing heartily. Obviously, his life had been happy as ofte, and his beard was well trimmed, and his hair slick. He looked energetic, the traces of his insomnia nowhere to be found. Seville held Roy¡¯s and Letho¡¯s hands at the same time with his own hairy ones, looking like he was reunited with his long-lost family.


    ¡°Thanks to your help, I now have no worries. You must pay me a visit when youe back to Aldersberg. I shall receive you with open arms.¡± Roy waved him away dismissively. He¡¯d already profited a lot from the delivery request. Then Seville said, ¡°Since you and Letho are going west, you¡¯ll have to get through the Mahakams soon, but heretics have been causing trouble in the mountains, and the elder has set traps along the way. Going there without anything would be troublesome, but I will not let my friends get into trouble. Here, a letter of safe conduct. Take it, and you should get through easily. They show that much respect to me there.¡±


    He then winked at Roy, and the boy took the letter, though he felt nervous. ¡°Do you have a goal of some sort, Seville?¡± He thought the wink was suspicious.


    ¡°Oh, of course not. I am not an ungrateful dwarf. I shall never trick my friends.¡±


    Roy calmed down a bit after Seville¡¯s multiple reassurances, and he read the letter.


    ¡®My brethren in the Mahakams,


    The people before youe from the Viper School, and they are skillful, distinguished witchers who have helped me a lot in Aldersberg. They are now good friends of mine, so please show them the kindness and respect they deserve, and grant them passage through the Mahakam mountains.


    Love,


    Your brother, the squirrel of Mahakam, Seville Hoger


    November 1260.¡¯


    Oh, it¡¯s just a simple letter asking for safe passage for us. Roy stopped getting hung up on that matter, and he hesitated for a moment before telling Seville his request. He wanted him to take care of the people of the House of Cardell. Seville agreed to it.


    Not long after, Letho and Roy finished packing and rested their eyes. There wasn¡¯t much to pack. Most were just Roy¡¯s clothes, potions, and alchemy tools. Two bags and a saddlebag were enough. If this were in the past, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many clothes. Letho would have gone around alone.


    The wilds were remote, and going for weeks without a bath was normal. He¡¯d just take one at an inn once two weeks had passed, then he¡¯d share a fun night with a woman. For the most part, he was just like the sailors, coachmen, and bodyguards. The lowest echelon of society.


    However, Roy was a lot more particr, so he took a lot of baths to prepare for the future, though that made Letho slightly uneasy. As they talked, Letho and Roy left Aldersberg and walked west, where the Mahakams stood.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 49

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 49: Blood in the Mountains</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    When night fell, a bright full moon hung in the sky, and its light shone on a face filled with terror. The face was full of stubble the length of fingernails, its skin bby, bloated, and drenched in sweat. It had dark circles and eyes as big as tennis balls, though they were bloodshot, and the man looked around him frantically.


    His yellow hemp shirt was tucked in his pants, caked in mud, ck soot, and ore remnants. His tight pants were in tatters because of the sharp branches in the forest, and two holes were on his knees, while crimson liquid stuck to them. At that moment, he was backing up against the thick pine tree, his hands on his knees as he panted heavily. His fingers ¡ª ckened by soot ¡ª were trembling reflexively, but he gripped his pants until his fingers were white in an attempt to stop his fear.


    Bang, bang, bang. Then, loud footsteps boomed through the forest, and the ground trembled, leaves falling from branches. He covered his mouth with both hands in fear, curling up like a millipede. He hid behind the big tree, holding in his breath and listening to his surroundings closely. Every rumble sent fear up to his mind, making his body tremble reflexively. He held down on his nose and mouth even stronger, almost suffocating himself. He was reminded of a scene of extreme horror, and his eyes gleamed in fear.


    A long, mncholic sigh flew across the forest, and the rumble stopped five seconds after that, but for the man, it felt like an eternity. Eventually, it went farther and farther, until the man couldn¡¯t hear it anymore. He plopped down onto the ground, his chest heaving. He was like a fish out of water, and he gasped for air, for he¡¯d almost died from asphyxiation.


    Then tears fell down his cheeks. ¡°I managed to get out of that somehow. Tina, Jim, I¡¯ming back tomorrow, and then we¡¯re leaving this ce. Wait for me. Wait for daddy,¡± he mumbled to himself, and his eyes that were filled with despair slowly had the gleam of life and hope with them.


    But quietly, a vine as thick as an arm slowly moved down the rubber tree behind the man, not unlike a viper stalking its prey. Eventually, it approached the man¡¯s head, and it lifted itself up, just like how a viper would, then it coiled, storing energy. A momentter, it pounced on the man, wrapping around him, pulling him ten feet off the ground. The man¡¯s face turned red, and he frantically grabbed at the vine that was tightening around him, blood pouring from his mouth, and he kicked the air as if he were spasming.


    But it was for naught. He was lifted high up and pulled back. Everything became a blur, and all he could see was green fern growing in the middle of the air between legs that were as thick as trunks. And then he went limp, just like a popped balloon. A few branch-like creatures stabbed his body, and along with the eerie voice they made, hot liquid spurted out, just like a fountain, and that was the end of his life.


    The man¡¯s face was drained of all color in an instant, and he murmured something as his death throes. He kicked the air, and stopped breathing. Forever.


    ***


    A pale body was pierced by multiple branches, pinning him ten feet above the ground. As the moonlight shone on it, pieces of bloody entrails slid down the stomach, swinging with the chilly wind of the night. As the blood dripped onto the earth, it was greedily absorbed, and a sigh of satisfaction was heard in the dark.


    ***


    Roy let out a sigh and got up to straighten his wrinkled clothes, dusting off the leaves and stems from him. He was drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Had a nightmare?¡± Letho tossed a few handfuls of soil into the campfire, dousing the fire, then handed Roy a hot rabbit drumstick.


    ¡°It felt like someone was throttling me, and I couldn¡¯t breathe.¡± Roy chomped down on the meat and wiped the grease off his lips. He tried to convince himself. ¡°Maybe my body¡¯s telling me to watch out, because it¡¯s getting cold. But that was the first time I¡¯d had a dream since I¡¯d started recing sleep with meditation, and it was a nightmare.¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Fate works in mysterious ways. Sometimes it¡¯ll give us clues in the form of dreams. This isn¡¯t a good sign. Finish your meal quickly, boy.¡± Letho looked at the mountain covered in snow that was not far from them. ¡°We have to pass through the Mahakams as soon as possible. I hope nothing else happens then.¡±


    ***


    They journeyed on for a few more hours and came to the base of the mountains after passing through the west path. When they looked up, the peak was already hidden by the clouds and snow. Before them stood trees that had been brought low by the autumn winds, their branches swaying, and their leaves falling to the ground.


    A boy in a blue cotton jacket was hopping around the forest like a bunny, scavenging for resources. Roy and Letho were about to ask him for directions when a sturdy woman darted out from the forest to pick up the boy and turn him upside down to spank him. ¡°Running around again? What if you get eaten by the monsters? I should wallop you before that happens!¡±


    The boy bawled, much to the amusement of Letho and Roy.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, is this the way to the Mahakams?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? I¡¯ve never seen you two before.¡± The woman nced at them and brought her guard up when she noticed they were strangers. She held the crying boy in her embrace nervously, as if she were facing two terrifying monsters.


    ¡°We¡¯re not human traffickers, ma¡¯am. No need to be afraid.¡± Roy smiled warmly, though the corner of his lips twitched. I look normal, and the girls from the House of Cardell liked me. I¡¯m not that scary, am I?


    The woman said nothing, only staring fearfully at the bald witcher behind him.


    Roy looked back and realized the reason for the woman¡¯s fear. He mumbled, ¡°Poker face, weird eyes, looks cold. No wonder she¡¯s scared.¡± He then turned back to exin. ¡°Have you heard of witchers, ma¡¯am? We have to look fierce, or we can¡¯t hunt those monsters. Don¡¯t worry though, since we¡¯re just going to ask for directions. We¡¯ll leave after that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re witchers?¡± The woman observed them in suspicion, then she scrambled away with the boy in hand. She looked back at them on the way and almost tripped on a stone, but she didn¡¯t fall. Her child gurgled happily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡±


    They looked at each other, confused, then tailed the woman. They walked across the pine forest and saw white smokeing from the chimneys of the houses in a vige.


    Under the signboard with the name ¡®Svanthor¡¯ carved on it stood a red-nosed man wearing a felt hat, and a few vige women were behind him. Children were hiding behind the women, though they looked at the two people who came to their vige curiously.


    The man with the felt hat nced at the snake-shaped ne hanging around Letho¡¯s neck, and he rubbed his hands and forced a warm smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for a meal if you have the time? We have a request for you. Please,e with us.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 50

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 50: The Dead Miner</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Svanthor was located at the base of the Mahakam mountains, and there were less than two hundred families there. Most of the youths didn¡¯t work in the fields, but instead became miners in the mountains the dwarves developed. It had been that way for more than fifty years.


    Instead of using wood for their houses, the vige¡¯s buildings were made out of ores, making them sturdy and prettier. Roy sat on the rug in the chief¡¯s house, drinking a bowl of vegetable soup made out of shriveled vegetables, and he rubbed his chin. Being a witcher¡¯s lucrative. We just left Aldersberg, and already we¡¯re receiving a request. We haven¡¯t even rested enough yet.


    ¡°Mr Casis, as you were saying, there have been four deaths during thest three months?¡±


    The man with the red nose nodded solemnly. ¡°Three singleds died a bit ago, and thetest casualty is Brady. It¡¯s been a few days since we¡¯ve found his body. Two children and his wife survive him. Since their breadwinner is gone, they can only live on welfare from now on.¡± He sighed. ¡°Ever since the vige¡¯s inception, it has been more than twenty years since thest murder of such brutality. Everyone¡¯s really scared, and they say the murderers are monsters in the mountains. They¡¯re worried they might be next, so I beseech you, please find out who or what did this. The bounty is negotiable.¡±


    Letho waved him down. ¡°That can wait. We need more information. Why¡¯s there only women, children, and the elderly when we came? Where are the men?¡±


    Casis pointed at the sun outside. ¡°Everyone¡¯s still working in the mines now. There¡¯s still four or five hours until their return.¡±


    Roy gasped. ¡°They¡¯re working instead of taking care of their families even after the murders have happened? Aren¡¯t they worried they might be the next victims?¡±


    Casis rubbed his nose and smiled bitterly. ¡°Nothing we can do. I¡¯ve told their boss in the Mahakams about this, and the working hours have been reduced so they can return before dark. Also, they promised they¡¯d catch the murderer. But they aren¡¯t professionals, and it¡¯s been three months since then, but there¡¯s been no progress. So we have to rely on witchers for the job now.¡± He looked at them, his gaze expectant but careful.


    ¡°Their boss in Mahakam?¡± Roy thought about that, and he found it curious. As far as he knew, dwarves, elves, and the other ancient species were inferior in status to humans in the current society, but the positions seemed to be switched in the Mahakams.


    The humans working in the mines call the dwarves their boss. He could feel the fear and respect Casis radiated at the mention of the dwarves. Is Brovar Hoger a tyrant?


    Letho took control of the conversation and cut to the chase. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the meat of the matter. We need to understand the rough details of the deaths, like the cause.¡±


    Casis answered in anger, ¡°As the vige chief, I went there as fast as I could, and what I saw was, and still is, horrifying. I could never forget it. The monsters are nothing but cruel bastards.¡±


    Casis told them what he¡¯d observed, and Letho and Roy fell into silent ponderance. ¡°They died in the forest, their stomach sliced open, their body¡¯s pierced by a wooden thing, fastening them to the ground, and their bodies were left to be feasted on by birds and beasts.


    Letho gave Roy a look, and Roy understood what he was trying to say, so he spoke of his judgment. ¡°ording to your testimony, I am almost certain that they weren¡¯t killed by monsters, unlike what the vigers told you. In most cases, monsters wouldn¡¯t run around to hurt people. They hate open ces like forests in mountains. Most prefer lying in dark and cramped ces like graves. What you spoke of sounded more like an ancient ritual. We need more clues. We need to check the bodies.¡± Roy gazed at Casis, and it took the chief a while to snap out of it.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t a monster, then what was it?¡± He gave them an apologetic look. ¡°Also, it¡¯s impossible to check the bodies now. Everyone burned them because they were worried theds might¡¯ve turned into ghouls from being infected by the monsters. I-it¡¯s desecrating the dead, but we had no choice. It was for everyone¡¯s survival.¡±


    ¡°Wait, who told you monsters can infect people? It¡¯s not a gue or disease. No way can it spread. It¡¯s going to be hard to go on now, since you burned the bodies.¡±


    Casis couldn¡¯t find anyeback for that.


    ¡°Who told you the monsters were the murderers in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°The lords of the mountain.¡±


    Roy thought about it quietly, while Letho pped and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s normal for them to know nothing about monsters. Don¡¯t scold them, boy. Mr. Casis, why don¡¯t you take us around the vige so we can get more clues?¡±


    ¡°What about the request?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to investigate further to see if we can take this.¡±


    ***


    The moment they exited, the women and children who were listening averted their gazes in fright and pretended to be busy, though they looked clumsy.


    Roy noticed Letho¡¯s stern look and realized that the request might be a hard one. ¡°Is this a hard one, Letho? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d refuse it.¡±


    ¡°Boy, I told you to never take requests that are beyond what you can do. That message is all the more important for people like you who think they can do anything because they learned something,¡± Letho emphasized. ¡°First, know who your enemies are, or you might just die a horrible death.¡±


    ***


    They were led to Brady¡¯s house by Casis. Brady was thetest casualty. A woman with a red face and in clothes was waiting outside for them.


    After Letho introduced himself, he asked, ¡°Had your husband been acting strange before his death? Or had he left any special messages for you?¡±


    The woman pondered in sorrow and shook her head dumbly.


    ¡°What about your husband¡¯s reputation in the vige, then? How is it?¡±


    ¡°His reputation has always been good. He¡¯d be the first to help no matter who was in trouble, and aside from working in the mines, he was a great hunter. Whenever he hunted something, he¡¯d share it with everyone.¡±


    Casis added, ¡°I can be a witness to that. Her husband¡¯s reputation is fine. The threeds who died had some grudges against the vigers, but Brady was a gentle man who never argued with anyone. Everyone liked him.¡±


    At the mention of that, the woman was reminded of her husband¡¯s kindness, and she buried her face in her hands to cry. ¡°H-he stayed in the mines for half a month. I never expected that to be ourst goodbye. I-I didn¡¯t even manage to keep his body!¡± As she cried, two chubby children darted out from behind her and hugged her legs, then they cried with her.


    ¡°Poor Tina and Jim. They lost their father at such a young age. The kids are just five. How can they survive after this?¡± Casis patted the boy¡¯s head, and the boy looked up.


    He wiped his tears away with his dirty hands and stared at Roy with watering eyes. ¡°Y-you will get the murderer, won¡¯t you?¡± His sister and mother looked at him with hopeful gazes.


    Roy nced at Letho, but he was still inscrutable, as always. Roy took a deep breath and calmed the stirring in his heart, then he looked away from the boy who was crying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the other victims¡¯ homes, Mr. Casis. Do the vigers usually stay out that long?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Only Brady. He wanted to make some money to send Jim to a school in Aldersberg.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The visits went smoothly. The remaining victims didn¡¯t have anyplex rtionships within the vige. Even though they did fight with the other vigers, it didn¡¯t warrant murder. Letho didn¡¯t even need to use Axii to find what he wanted. Roy also had a feeling that the one behind the murders wasn¡¯t a human.


    ¡°Take us to thetest crime scene,¡± Letho said.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 51

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 51: The Controlled Beast</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The ce where Brady died was around two miles from Svanthor. Letho, Roy, and Casis walked down the vige¡¯s path for half an hour, and saw a dense pine forest from far away. Most of the trees were over a hundred years old and over forty feet tall. When they looked up, big branches and leaves resembling umbres congregated, blocking out the sun. The ground was also covered by ayer of said branches and leaves, and the smell of soil and remnants of fermenting nts wafted through the air. A small creature would pop out to look at them at times and scurry back into the forest after that.


    ¡°The crime scene is up ahead, you two, and there¡¯s dried blood left. I trust you¡¯ll see it right away. This is as far as I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± ording to Casis, going to ces where people had died was unlucky. Bad luck would befall those who went there. He¡¯de here once, and he didn¡¯t want toe close a second time. Roy and Letho didn¡¯t force him.


    Far away, at the edge of the pine forest, a few especially long branches from the trees bent inward in a circle, forming a ¡®tower¡¯ that measured one man tall, and beneath them, the ground filled with leaves was colored red. Flies danced above the pieces of meat and bones. Fortunately, there was no rain for the past three days, so the scene was preserved.


    When they went closer, they saw that the ground was filled with footprints presumably belonging to the vigers. There was also a lingering stench in the air. When they took another step, a soft murmur was heard in the quiet forest. Shocked, Roy curled up and backed off to where Letho was. He wasn¡¯t being a coward. It was merely a tactical retreat. Since Letho was around, there was no need for him to be in the vanguard.


    ¡°Rx, boy.¡± Letho touched his ne and stopped it from vibrating. ¡°The disturbance is too weak. It¡¯s not an attack. Just resonance from remnants of mana.¡± He closed his eyes and felt it. ¡°It¡¯s been three days, but I can still feel a weak disturbance in the air.¡±


    ¡°So the murderer isn¡¯t human?¡± Roy hunkered down and touched the ce where the tower-shaped branches connected to the ground, then he blew the sand away from his hand.


    ¡°This tower isn¡¯t natural or built by humans. It¡¯s caused by supernatural spells. I can see how the kill happened. Brady must have been caught off guard and pierced by the spear that suddenly showed up and been thrusted into the air, slicing his belly open.¡±


    ¡°So this is where he died?¡± Roy asked


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would destroy a corpse deliberately.¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t question Letho¡¯s answer. When he walked around the scene, he found another clue. ¡°There¡¯s some weird scratches on this tree.¡±


    Letho took a look and fell into silence before giving Roy a look of approval. ¡°This is the trace of getting pulled by vines. The murderer coiled Brady with vines, lifted him into the air, and killed him with a spell.¡± They then found a part of the vine in a nearby bush.


    ¡°Controls vines and uses ground spikes¡­¡± Roy was reminded of a monster, and he had a guess of what the murderer was.


    Letho hunkered down and picked up a piece of a fetid item without fear, and Roy scrunched his nose.


    ¡°Rotten flesh and animal feces. To be precise, bird and wolf feces as well as dried urine, but the amount is unusual.¡± Aside from the crimson hue on the ground, there were clumps of dried feces lying around, and Letho kept on exining. ¡°One corpse can¡¯t attract that many beasts. The body was found at the edge of the forest, while wolves should be living in the center of the forest. It¡¯s still a distance away. These aren¡¯t their hunting grounds.¡±


    Roy gave it some thought. ¡°So the beasts left their excrements here on purpose?¡±


    Letho nodded. ¡°Most probably. They¡¯re using excrements to hide and destroy any evidence that could point to the murderer, and they did it. The murderer¡¯s scent and tracks are mixed in.¡± Letho rubbed his nose. ¡°At least I can¡¯t disce¡­ I mean, trace it.¡±


    Roy¡¯s question was answered. ¡°So the murderer can control animals too.¡± He sorted out his information and arrived at a conclusion. A monster that can control vines and use ground spikes. Has the ability to control animals and lives in the mountains. A gigantic monster popped up in his mind. If that¡¯s the murderer, then this request is going to be a hard one. But he was also excited. Hunting the monster on its turf would be an insurmountable challenge. He¡¯d run away if he was alone, for he was weak. But since Letho was there, he had a heavy hitter which made everything possible.


    Letho didn¡¯t realize what Roy was thinking, and he went on with his reasoning. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is weird, boy? The murderer didn¡¯t need to do so much if they were just dealing with normal guys. Humans and dwarves can¡¯t see their traces, unlike witchers.¡±


    Roy gasped. ¡°So they did this as a countermeasure against witchers!¡±


    Letho nodded solemnly. ¡°It probably just moved here recently and started murdering all it liked. Obviously, it also knew it would eventually attract professionals. This is one experienced, cunning opponent we¡¯re facing.¡± Letho emphasized thest line, and he didn¡¯t hide his aversion either.


    Roy¡¯s breathing got quicker at that point. Up until that day, the grave hag had been the strongest monster he¡¯d faced. If he managed to get a hundred EXP by killing a monster the witchers had weakened, killing a monster even a witcher was reluctant to face would provide even more EXP. I¡¯m currently at level 3 (5/1500). Not going to let this go if I can.


    ¡°Why are you so excited, boy? Shouldn¡¯t you be scared? The target¡¯s obviously a monster far beyond what you can handle.¡± Letho brushed the fetid sludge from his hand and stood up. ¡°Sorry for getting your hopes up for nothing. I¡¯m not going to take this request.¡±


    Roy sighed silently. He had a feeling Letho would do that, since he was a cautious witcher. ¡°How should we exin this to everyone in Svanthor?¡± He felt a bit heartbroken when he imagined the looks of disappointment on the kids and women¡¯s faces.


    ¡°What exnation? We didn¡¯t take the request or make any promises, so we owe them nothing. Are you saying you¡¯re going to fight that thing because you sympathize with them?¡± Letho lectured him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re too weak to show pity to anyone.¡±


    Roy wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t expect Letho to be that caustic, but he didn¡¯t retort. The thing he should¡¯ve been doing at the moment was growing and getting stronger. Squabbles wouldn¡¯t do him any good.


    Letho looked ahead sharply, and a raven had appeared out of nowhere on the ancient branches. It opened its wings, and its beak looked like a scythe, its ck eyes having an uncannily cruel gleam to it. Seemingly surprised by the attention Letho and Roy gave it, its eyes shed crimson and flew toward the forest.


    Letho mumbled, ¡°The loyal servant is now going to inform its master, huh?¡±


    And then a crossbow bolt soared through the sky. The raven trembled for a moment before falling to the ground, dead.


    Huh? ¡°Who told you to shoot it, boy?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Did I misread you?¡± Roy shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll check with you next time.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 52

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 52: Dwarf Sentry</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Once they¡¯d checked the ce, they went back and said their goodbyes to Casis, much to the chief¡¯s chagrin. They were almost at their wits¡¯ end, and if the witcher they¡¯d waited so fervently for were to leave, their vige would be doomed.


    ¡°I thought we had a deal, Letho. I can raise the price if it¡¯s too difficult for you.¡±


    Letho crossed his arms and retorted mercilessly, ¡°Think harder. I said I¡¯d make my decision after the survey. And now I¡¯ve decided to refuse. This isn¡¯t just about the price. There¡¯s no point in making that much money if we¡¯re going to end up dead. Hunting requests are businesses, and they follow the rule of trade. You have the right to make requests, and we have the right to refuse them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any sympathy? For Tina, for Jim, for that widow, and the victims¡¯ families?¡± Casis frowned, and he started to beg. ¡°Can¡¯t you help them catch the murderer?¡± But he saw no sign of pity on Letho¡¯s face, and he stopped. Instead, his eyes filled with malice, and his attitude took a turn for the worse. ¡°It¡¯s just as they said. Witchers are cold-blooded animals who have lost all humanity. Get out of the vige and nevere back. This ce doesn¡¯t wee you.¡±


    Letho wasn¡¯t the least bit fazed by the resentment, and it wasn¡¯t the first time Roy had encountered such harsh treatment. After the grave had been killed, Kaer¡¯s vigers had turned their hatred toward the witchers. And then Casis was the second one. He wanted to chase them out the moment Letho refused to enter a contract. If we were Cat School witchers, we might¡¯ve just flown into a rage and killed everyone here.


    He shook his head, thest of his pity disappearing. Roy could understand why most witchers kept a poker face on at all times. They¡¯re numb after seeing all these incidents happen over and over again.


    ***


    They ignored Casis¡¯ look of rage and went toward the Mahakams. ¡°Letho, would you have turned that down if I were as strong as you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, boy. You¡¯ll have a chance to fight it in the future, but for now, focus on the trial,¡± Letho answered. ¡°Oh, and you killed its messenger just now, so pray that it doesn¡¯te for us.¡±


    They weren¡¯t ambushed after leaving Svanthor. Not long after that, they followed the path leading to the depths of the Mahakams. The path was nked by crags as tall as the eye could see, and its surface formed stairs of stone. Letho and Roy journeyed for around an hour when they arrived at a clearing, and they heard voices.


    What greeted them was two rows of barricades made from sharpened wood, blocking them from entering the forest. Behind the barricade stood a dwarf in silver armor and a big, ck hammer was on his back. He was talking to his equally heavily armoredrades. A dwarf crossbowman was standing sentry, looking around for any dangers. The crossbow he held was bigger and heavier than Gabriel, the hand crossbow Roy kept in his inventory. It was likeparing a model to the real thing.


    Roy was excited to see that. When he was about to say something, the sentry saw them. ¡°This is not a ce where outsiders can enter. Leave, travelers.¡± The dwarf aimed his crossbow at them, and thenguid dwarf with the hammer was alerted.


    He held the great hammer in his hand, his face contorted. ¡°The m-mahakams d-do not wee strangers. I-if your destination is Ender, t-then go through Rivia or Upper Sodden in the south.¡±


    The dwarf who stuttered was holding a hammer bigger than his body, and the hammer¡¯s head was bigger than his own. His short height made him look funny with the weapon, but the hammer wasn¡¯t to be taken lightly. Inertia alone would make it easy for it to crush human bones and mash bodies to a pulp.


    ¡°So Seville calls this a small hurdle? They don¡¯t even let anyone through.¡± Roy was annoyed. If they followed the route the dwarves told them about, their journey time would double. Letho gave him a look and left the talking to him. He seemed to understand that his fierce looks didn¡¯t help in diplomacy.


    Roy organized his words and went up as calmly as he could. ¡°Brothers ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°W-we ain¡¯t your brothers!¡± The stammering guard interrupted him. ¡°Get back!¡± He took another step forward, his beard swinging toward them, and the weird smell of alcohol and sweat drifted to them.


    Roy took a step back. ¡°Warrior, we aren¡¯t your enemies. I have Seville¡¯s ¡ª ¡± His eyelid twitched, and rm bells rang in his head thanks to his sharp perception. However, his body wasn¡¯t quick enough to react. A momentter, an arrow struck the stone beside him and deflected toward the wall. It was a warning shot.


    Roy tensed up and took another step back. Letho was faster. He quickly drew an inverted triangle in the air with his right hand, and a yellowish barrier of light covered him. Letho had nothing to fear after casting Quen. He unsheathed his steel sword, holding it at his side with both hands, pointing the tip at the dwarf¡¯s neck, looking like a bull that was going to charge its enemies.


    Tension was in the air, and everyone felt suffocated. Stubborn oafs. Roy showed his hands and took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t rush this, Letho. Let¡¯s take a few steps back.¡± He¡¯d seen how cruel Letho could be. If he was facing harmless civilians, he¡¯d take their insults, but he showed no mercy to those who tried to fight him. Thest group to do so had died. Yeah, their attitude is shit, but you don¡¯t have to kill them. And this is their turf. If you kill them, that¡¯s going to offend everyone. As if we could pass through the mountains then.


    Letho thought about it silently and gave all the dwarves a murderous re, and then he stabbed downward. Before anyone knew it, the sword prated the stone ground like it was nothing, shocking the dwarves.


    ¡°R-r-retreat!¡± the stammering dwarf stuttered meekly as he put his hammer down. He looked at hispanions, whose faces were stiff, and when they shared a nce, their gusto from before gone.


    Roy took the chance to take out the letter and bellowed, ¡°We¡¯re friends of Seville Hoger. He wrote this letter himself. Please take a look.¡±


    The dwarves heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that. Letho really scared them. ¡°Ce here. Not you, baldy!¡±


    A few momentster, the stammering dwarf took the letter with his pudgy hands, and when he was about to read it, someone smacked his head. He turned around angrily only to get scolded. ¡°You¡¯re illiterate, you dolt! Sorry you had to see that. Dwarves are smart, but sometimes idiots are born.¡± The crossbowman came down from the watchtower. Ignoring his furiouspanion, he took the letter and read it. ¡°Hm, this is Mr. Seville¡¯s handwriting and stamp alright.¡± He nodded and handed the letter back. There was no enmity in his gaze anymore, though he still looked scared while facing Letho.


    ¡°That was a misunderstanding. It is our fault. Forgive us for this show of discourtesy.¡± He tossed his hostility aside and bowed to Letho and Roy. Hispanions scrambled to do the same.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve heard of the straightforward attitude of the dwarves. Your passion for duty really opens my eyes though,¡± Roy said,plimenting them, and just as the dwarves were feeling nice about themselves, he pulled out something from his shirt and uncorked the bottle.


    A momentter, the strong aroma of alcohol appeared before them, and they craned their necks, gulping, looking like cats drawn to fish.


    The stammering dwarf¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Y-your s-shirt is s-so s-small, so w-where d-did you g-get that?¡±


    ¡°Irrelevant question. This is a gift from Mr. Seville for us to enjoy on our journey. Fifty-year-old Mahakaman liquor, and it packs a punch not unlike dwarven liquor.¡± Roy looked at Letho, and Letho was watching quietly with his arms crossed. Roy continued. ¡°But I¡¯m going to share it with all of you as friends. What do you think?¡±


    Reagan Dalba, the dwarf with the crossbow on his back, declined. ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Seville¡¯s friend is a friend of all Mahakaman dwarves. It¡¯s normal for friends to share some alcohol, but we have a duty to carry out, so we must decline for now.¡±


    Roy swirled the bottle, making the aroma waft through the air quicker, and he sized up the dwarves again. ¡°I heard dwarves are great drinkers. All of you look strong, so I bet you can drink a lot. One bottle of Mahakaman liquor isn¡¯t enough to fill you up, much less affect your job.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the stammering dwarf said, agreeing, and hispanions were obviously tempted by the liquor as well, but Reagan was still hesitating.


    Roy pulled his hand back. ¡°I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to. I shall be keeping this for the journey to enjoy alone.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Reagan finally couldn¡¯t hold his urge in, and he grabbed Roy¡¯s hand with his hairy one. ¡°You¡¯re right, Roy. This won¡¯t be enough to affect our job.¡±


    ***


    Half an hourter, the guards paid the price for underestimating the wine. The bearded dwarves were taken out by the alcohol and slept on the barricade. Then Roy positioned them so they looked like two kissing pairs of dwarves. After that, he fiddled with the beautiful crossbow and ring he took from the crossbowman. The body and string were made of high-quality material. As he held it, the weight gave him a solid feeling.


    A row of words were carved neatly onto the body. It read, ¡®To my dear brother, Reagan Dalba.¡¯


    Roy was overjoyed. He¡¯d been looking for a chance to rece Gabriel, and he found it.


    ¡°A perfect weapon needs to be triggered by a ring. This is the price for the liquor, Mr. Reagan. Once I get past the Mahakams and get through the trial, I¡¯lle back and drink with you when I have the chance. Equivalent exchange, am I right, Letho?¡± Roy¡¯s frustration from being condemned by Casis was suddenly gone. It¡¯s a long trip. Gotta find some fun.


    Letho shook his head and went on with the journey.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 53

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 53: Mount Carbon</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Mount Carbon, the hometown of the dwarves, the miracle fortress of the valley. Sunlight shone on its peak, its windows caressed by snow, its walls covered by steel and fire, and the air was filled with the scent of honey and pine oil.


    ***


    ¡°Well, this is some shit luck. Instead of getting our murderer, we got a whole group of armed dwarves.¡± Letho and Roy were captured by the dwarves not long after they got through the sentry. There was a big group of crossbowmen waiting for them, and the sheer number overwhelmed the duo. Seville¡¯s letter wasn¡¯t of any use, or to be more precise, it worked against them.


    Roy sighed, and he followed the dwarves into the forest. More than two hourster, he felt the temperature drop drastically, the trees around him covered in silvery snow. And then they were led into a valley. Dwarves were frolicking around in the za, and sitting behind it was the destination of their journey ¡ª Mount Carbon.


    ¡°I believe introductions are necessary here, witcher. What you see here is Mahakam¡¯s capital, the fortress of the dwarves, and the sanctuary of the ancient race ¡ª Mount Carbon.¡±


    Roy was shaken to his core at the sight of the gigantic fortress. Mount Carbon was embedded within the mountain, and it was made up of a main fortress shaped like a cauldron, sixteen small forts, and countless towers. The buildings¡¯ exterior was greyish-white, and was made out of cement. The walls were covered with a ck steel shell over a hundred feet tall. It looked ancient and indestructible, like a beast slumbering in the dark. If it were to awaken, devastation would follow.


    Roy didn¡¯t remember the dwarves having any fortress like that, but there it was. When he looked up at the cracks between the forts, he saw thousands of small caves in the mountain, and countless dwarves were going around, providing nutrients for Mount Carbon, just like how worker ants would.


    ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s a nice thing to see. We¡¯ll let your scheme slide this time then, Seville.¡±


    The letter was a pass and a letter of rmendation. They managed to fool the gullible ones, but not the ones in the Mahakams. Thanks to Seville¡¯s praise, they were ¡®cordially¡¯ invited to visit Mount Carbon. And they had to settle the dwarves¡¯ problem too.


    Letho looked the slightest bit curious, for it was rare to see such a great building, even after years of working as a witcher. Behind them followed dozens of crossbowmen aiming at them. Even though witchers were skillful, that many crossbowmen could still take them out easily, and the siege weapons looming over them didn¡¯t seem to be for show.


    ¡°Please forgive us for the offense.¡± The dwarf who spoke was Kaerwen Hoger, Brovar Hoger¡¯s nephew. His armor was slightly covered in snow, but his hair was whiter than that. Because of the color of his hair and beard, he looked much older than he actually was. He had a hard expression, and he talked with arrogance and superiority, something that was rarely seen among dwarves.


    Unlike most dwarves who braided their beards, Kaerwen tied it with a silver ribbon. It was daring, but also rebellious. Roy had sharply perceived Kaerwen¡¯s enmity toward him the moment they¡¯d met. He wondered if that enmity was only directed toward him, or if it was aimed at humans as a whole.


    ¡°Follow me, please.¡±


    They went into the fortress, passing through the front gates that were filled with spikes, and a heatwave assailed them. Roy felt as if he went from the Arctic to a volcano, and sweat poured, then what he saw shocked him.


    Hundreds of half-naked dwarves were nking the hall, wearing nothing but aprons. Metallic sounds nged out as the dwarves swung their hammers on the steel on their workstations. mes soared, and the dwarves¡¯ shadows were cast onto the wall, and it looked as if dark giants were swinging their arms.


    A short whileter, Roy¡¯s attention was brought to the scene beside him. Inside the mes of a forge, red-hot liquid steel flowed freely, and the base of a four-feet sword was lying inside quietly. The dwarf who was working on it solemnly took out the base, but at an agonizing speed. The moment the base was out, booms were heard, and smoke sizzled. Even the air was howling at its scalding temperature. When the base had finally shown itself, its surface that had been hammered many times was showing signs of ovepping, but it was crudepared to a finished product.


    The dwarf took it with his tongs and whispered to it, not unlike a lover to their partner. A momentter, he ced it on his anvil with his tongs in one hand, and his hammer in the other. He took a deep breath before raising his hammer, and then he swung it down on the base. Sparks hit his body that was drenched in oil and sweat, giving him a crimson sheen, and he looked like a god licked by mes.


    Roy snapped out of it and scanned the whole hall. Weapons and armor were being made during every passing moment. And then ck tongs immersed them in water, and steam billowed, filling the hall with smoke. Their movements were boring and repetitive, but there was an inexplicable rhythm to it. The rhythm breathed life into the items it created, giving them a special gleam.


    ¡°I can understand your feelings. I¡¯m a dwarf, and even I was entranced by what I saw when I first came here. The forge is our pride, for it is the ce where the best cksmiths in the Mahakams and Mount Carbone to work. It¡¯s where the best weapons and armor in the north are created. The cksmiths run on a shift system, and ores are supplied from the mines nearby, while the mes burn forever. The items that are created are sent to many nations, including Aedirn, Temeria, Kaedwen, and Redania. We¡¯re neutral. We don¡¯t take sides, nor do we oppress others,¡± Kaerwen said, bragging, and the crossbowmen raised their heads with pride.


    Roy was speechless from his shock. The cksmiths work around the clock? The number of things they make in a day must be off the charts. How many elite soldiers can they make? If their poption had beenrge enough, the whole of the northernnd would have been theirs.


    ¡°The wine cer¡¯s right under. Not that I¡¯m bragging or anything, but if all the barrels down there were to break at the same time, the wine alone would be enough to create a river. But there¡¯s no time for a visit today. It¡¯s gettingte, and Elder Brovar is waiting for you.¡±


    He invited them to go forward, and they arrived at a door that was nked by spiral staircases at the end of the hall. Kaerwen waved the crossbowmen away before opening the golden door, and then he took Letho and Roy¡¯s weapons away. Behind the door stood two axemen that red at anyone who came in. When they saw who it was, they kept their axes, revealing a path that was lit up by mes.


    Pirs withplex engravings supported the chamber, and the red carpet in the center extended to the end of the room. On the top of the short staircase stood a dwarf with a golden crown, and his eyes were on Letho and Roy.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 54

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 54: The Offer of the Elder</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Behind the ck, metal throne stood a gigantic, stone statue that was as tall as the chamber. The dwarf that sat on the throne ced his right elbow on the golden armrest and rested his chin on his right hand. His sturdy body was covered in red silk, and his forehead was creased by a frown. His face was majestic, but his eyes had a hint of frustration and lethargy.


    The dwarves in white who were beside him whispered, ¡°Elder Brovar, the people you requested are here.¡±


    Kaerwen bowed to Brovar when he went up to him.


    ¡°Letho, a witcher of the Viper School and his disciple, Roy. It¡¯s rare my nephew would praise someone so much, so I guess you¡¯re the real deal. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± The elder¡¯s voice echoed in the corridor. It was a husky voice, as if a boulder and stone were scratching against each other. There was an inexplicably ancient element to his voice that left a deep impression.


    Brovar was a muscr dwarf, but it couldn¡¯t hide his age. Dwarves had a long life expectancy, but even so, Brovar was old among them.


    ¡®Brovar Hoger


    Age: A hundred and ny-eight years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 120 (Racial trait: Resilience. +20 HP)


    Status: Great Elder of Mount Carbon (An overwhelming majority of the dwarves acknowledge him. He is the ruler of Mount Carbon and oversees all business pertaining to the Mahakams.)


    Strength: 10 (Strong Body. +1)


    Dexterity: 6 (Stout. -1)


    Constitution: 10 (Strong Body. +1)


    Perception: 7


    Will: 8


    Spirit: 6


    Charisma: 6 (Stout. -1)


    Skills:


    Ancient Crafting Level 10: Brovar Hoger has trained his skills for a century. He can create any weapon or armor. Masterful is understating his skills. He can create powerful armor out of scrap metal. Even though it has been years since he has made hisst piece of work, his skill is still among the best in the world. Any armor he makes is tantamount to a legacy item usable by any knight, soldier, mercenary, or witcher. He can even create divine items from the ancient era as long as he has the blueprint and materials.


    Two-handed Mastery Level 10: Years of training and battle granted him perfect mastery of giant axes,nces, polearms, and great hammers. Using two-handed weapons grants him a 50% damage increase.


    Resilience (Passive): Dwarves live long lives and possess powerful life forces. An adult dwarf has twenty more HP than humans.


    Strong body (Passive): Dwarves are known for their proficiency with two-handed weapons and great stamina. An adult dwarf has one point more in Strength and Constitution than humans.


    Stout (Passive): Their stout, fat bodies make them move slower than normal humans. Their looks are undesirable by every other race. Some even despise dwarves for their looks. Their Dexterity and Charisma are deducted by one point.


    Danger Sensing Level 5: Years ofbat experience has granted him a sharp sense toward impending danger.¡¯


    Brovar had higher stats than most people, but Roy had seen better, so he wasn¡¯t fazed. Ancient Crafting caught his attention, though. Letho needs a good silver sword. This dwarf here could be the key to getting it.


    Letho looked at Kaerwen, who was still kneeling, and he announced, ¡°Elder Brovar, we havee here as you have wished, but pardon my frankness. You¡¯re an influential figure in the Mahakams, and we¡¯d havee to meet you as long as you¡¯d have called for us. There was no need to bring us in like criminals.¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you, Kaerwen?¡± Brovar said, and the arrogant Kaerwen stared down quietly, admitting his mistake. ¡°Forget it. I know you hate dealing with humans, but handling business with your personal bias is uneptable. Apologize to our guests right away.¡±


    Kaerwen took a deep breath, clenching his fists, and he bowed to them reluctantly.


    ¡°My nephew has been an arrogant one, but he¡¯s not even sixty yet. If we go by human standards, he¡¯s just grown up. I hope you¡¯ll let it slide.¡±


    Heh. He sounds like he¡¯s criticizing his nephew, but he obviously spoils him. Roy looked at them both and realized they looked alike. Their beard and hair were white, and their features were simr, especially the arrogance in their eyes.


    Letho stopped pushing his luck. ¡°Let¡¯s talk business then, Elder Brovar. Why did you summon us in such a hurry? You should know that witchers deal with monsters. Mount Carbon is an impregnable fortress that¡¯s under your supervision. Not even a single monster can get through. I don¡¯t see where the problem is.¡±


    ¡°Incorrect, witcher. Yes, monsters aren¡¯t any trouble, but only if you¡¯re in the fortress,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°Miners have been dying in the mines, outside the fortress. The reason you¡¯re here today is to get the murderer, dead or alive.¡±


    Letho and Roy looked at each other in surprise. That¡¯s the same request Casis asked us to take. Well, looks like we can¡¯t escape this. Roy wondered why the seemingly superior dwarves were doing everything to ask for a witcher¡¯s help so they could aid the humans at the mountain base.


    Brovar knew what they were thinking, and he showed anger. ¡°The murderer crossed the line. Not only did it kill the human miners, it also started killing my brethren too. That¡¯s a deration of war on me and the whole of the Mahakam mountains. It must die.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Roy realized what was happening. So the vigers knew nothing about this. The humans weren¡¯t the only ones who died. Their boss died too.


    ¡°Witcher, you shall be duly rewarded if you can arrest the murderer.¡±


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then you shall go back the same way you came. And the Mahakams shall forever be closed to the both of you.¡± Roy gritted his teeth, and Letho¡¯s face fell. Brovar suddenly pushed himself up and bellowed, ¡°You ought to know that a treasure can only be gifted to someone worthy. I¡¯ve made countless weapons, and some of them still have no owner. If you manage to finish the request, I¡¯ll give you one of the swords I made. Don¡¯t worry about the quality. I shall not insult a witcher.¡±


    Letho looked interested. Any sword wielder must have heard of the quality of Mahakaman weapons, and the weapons made by Brovar were the best of the best. Having one would be of great help in future battles.


    ¡°Elder, I might only be a disciple, but I can work perfectly with Letho. I can help too.¡± Roy was tempted by the offer, but Brovar didn¡¯t share his opinion.


    ¡°You?¡± He shook his head cryptically. ¡°I think you should stay here, boy. You¡¯ll be well fed.¡±


    Roy sighed. So even the dwarves think I¡¯m weak. He could be of use too, though. Even though close quarterbat was out of his league, he could shoot some bolts and throw a few bombs. Roy winked at Letho, but Letho ignored him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the request, Elder Brovar. The boy will be staying here. Please take care of him.¡±


    Brovar nodded, then he told Kaerwen, ¡°Kaerwen, from today onward, you shall listen to Letho¡¯s every order and help him track down the murderer. Any objections shall be punished severely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the silent Kaerwen finally replied.


    ¡°Letho, your investigation starts tomorrow, and it shallst for two weeks. If you fail toplete the request by December, I am afraid you must leave the Mahakams.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 55

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 55: Special Mission</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    After Kaerwen had gotten his orders, he¡¯d led Letho and Roy out of the resplendent chamber and into the guest rooms on another floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me behind again, Letho?¡± Roy tried to persuade him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think battling this kind of monster is valuable experience for me? It¡¯s fine if I just watch from the sidelines. I won¡¯t be a burden, trust me. We¡¯ve refused the request once in Svanthor, but in the end, we couldn¡¯t escape it. Don¡¯t you think this is a sign from fate?¡± Roy talked about fate after not getting any reply. Letho seemed to like anything rted to fate. ¡°Fate is telling us to face this challenge together.¡±


    ¡°Shut it. Fate doesn¡¯t have time for a kid from a vige like you.¡± Letho kept his eyes on Kaerwen, and without even turning around, he answered, ¡°The hunt¡¯s going to take us deep into the forest, and that¡¯s its turf. Everything is its eyes and ears, so there¡¯s no ce to hide. Watching from the sidelines isn¡¯t going to happen.¡± Letho raised his voice on purpose. ¡°So give it up and stay in Mount Carbon. Go on a vacation and stroll around. Not everyone has the chance to visit this magnificent fortress. You¡¯ve been training your shots, and the dwarves here are experts. You can ask them to teach you if you have the chance. Read my notes if you¡¯re bored out of your mind.¡±


    Roy stopped insisting after Letho stood his ground. Letho got one point right though. He was willing topete with the dwarven crossbowmen, since he just ¡®bought¡¯ a new crossbow, and he was raring to go.


    ***


    They went up the spiral staircase that led to the second floor with Kaerwen in front of them. As if struck by lightning, Kaerwen served Letho and Roy quietly after getting scolded by Brovar. He brought them to the space above Brovar¡¯s chambers, which was another clearing in the mountain. When the door was opened, they were greeted by a corridor filled with doors on both sides leading to exhibition rooms and storerooms, and sconces hung on the wall. When they looked up, they saw a steel door with a rectangr observation hole at the end of the corridor.


    Roy suddenly felt the howling winds and freezing chill that came from the steel door¡¯s observation hole, and he shivered. ¡°There¡¯s windows here?¡± When he went up to the door, Roy craned his neck and was shocked by what he saw. ¡°Whoa, the dwarves sure have an eye for exquisite stuff.¡±


    The room behind the steel door was of standard size, and it was empty. There was no wall at the end of the room. It waspletely open, and snow flew in along with the cold gale, freezing the ceiling, walls, and floor. So, open air resort, eh? And with snow to boot. The guest would only have to walk a few steps to see the majesty of Mount Carbon up close, feeling the primal charm of the snow-capped mountain. They could enjoy the view of the endless pine trees and the ming sunset among the ivorynds.


    Well, they¡¯ll have to make sure they don¡¯t freeze to death in the first ce. There weren¡¯t any nkets or fireces in the room. Only races with hairy bodies and high resistance to cold could enjoy the view. Oh, if they take a few more steps, they can fall down the cliff and die.


    ¡°What do you think, boy? Make one mistake in the Mahakams, and you¡¯ll be in there for a week. Want me to make the arrangements for you?¡± Kaerwen asked snarkily as he drifted to Roy.


    Roy turned around and stared down at the dwarf, who only reached his chest, and he squinted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Kaerwen. Who were you calling a boy?¡±


    Kaerwen¡¯s face fell, but he was reminded of Brovar¡¯s orders, and he snorted. After making a few turns and arriving at the guest rooms in the depths of the corridor, Kaerwen tossed them two keys. ¡°Dinner will be sent to you. Lights off at ten, and stay in your room. Not even the great elder can save you if you barge into forbidden ces. And I¡¯ll be waking you tomorrow, Letho.¡± He mmed the door shut.


    Roy stretched his arms. Too many things happened that day, and he was overwhelmed. He needed time to process it. Letho put his index finger to his lips before tiptoeing to the door. Once he confirmed the coast was clear, he beckoned Roy. ¡°Know why I didn¡¯t let you join?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯d be deadweight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the main reason.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me straight, Letho.¡± Roy took a deep breath. ¡°I noticed it. You were misleading him, weren¡¯t you? When you raised your voice?¡±


    ¡°Good. Looks like the winds didn¡¯t freeze your brain. I do have a mission for you.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Roy sat up. ¡°I knew it. Strength is everything here, but sometimes, you need brains to pull something off.¡±


    Letho whispered, ¡°You¡¯ll be investigating the dwarves while I¡¯m away on the hunt. I need you to find a dwarf with a special mark on them.¡± He drew a strange symbol where a spider¡¯s web and antler ovepped. ¡°Remember this mark. Tell me immediately if you see it on any part of any dwarf. And don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    Roy rubbed his chin and frowned. ¡°Everyone¡¯s wrapped up inyers of clothes. It¡¯s winter, you know. How should I even check their bodies? What if the mark¡¯s on their butt? Can¡¯t ask me to pull their pants down, can you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡± Letho patted his shoulder. ¡°You did well in the House of Cardell, boy. Use your advantage here.¡±


    Roy sat on the bed and thought about it, and then he came up with a n.


    ¡°Try keeping this mission a secret. Don¡¯t let them catch you,¡± he warned Roy sternly. ¡°But if you find anyone trustworthy here, getting some help is fine. As long as they don¡¯t have the mark.¡±


    ¡°I have another question.¡± Roy asked, ¡°What if the target¡¯s a woman?¡±


    ¡°The people who¡¯d go into the forest ande into contact with the leshen are men. They¡¯re your prime targets.¡± Letho paused. ¡°If the target isn¡¯t among the men, then go for the women. You¡¯re young, and you look cleaner than the dwarven children. I don¡¯t think the women wouldin even if you do anything.¡±


    Roy thought about the hairy, bearded women, and a chill ran down his spine, but not because of the cold. He shook his head, praying that the target was not a woman. ¡°What does that mark mean? The note doesn¡¯t have anything about it.¡±


    Letho licked his lips. ¡°Alright, listen. The stronger a monster is, the morend it upies. This monster¡¯s hunting grounds range from Svanthor to the valley near Mount Carbon. It must be incredibly old, and incredibly strong. Or at least, I¡¯ve never encountered that kind of monster before. I have to prepare for the worst. It¡¯s awakened a spell that¡¯s rted to the mark. It can take the mark¡¯s host¡¯s life force, and revive on the spot even if I kill it, so you have to find the bearer of the mark. And the bearer¡¯s submitted to it, so they¡¯re probably a ve now. You must not get caught, at any costs.¡±


    Roy trembled, and the image of a gigantic monster with antlers, white skull, algae on its body, and gnarly limbs appeared in his mind. So, it is a leshen.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 56

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 56: Mission Start</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Leshens were creatures that came after the Conjunction of the Spheres, and they lived in mountains and forests. They had wild beasts aspanions, and they could summon them anytime, anywhere. They could also control nts, and because of their special appearances, ignorant vigers formed a religion around them, worshipping them, and they even made sacrifices.


    ¡°But most folklore told of leshens¡¯ kindness. They guide lost travelers and save people from bandits.¡± Roy had to say that. The knowledge he gained from books wasn¡¯t as fascinating as the authentic ounts of a witcher.


    ¡°You subscribe to that nonsense, boy? Leshens slowly suck the life force out of everything in its territory until nothing is left.¡±


    ¡°But they won¡¯t attack humans by their own volition, right?¡±


    ¡°No absolutes, remember? Some coexist with humans on the surface, but some see humans as their mortal enemies.¡± Letho seemed to dread facing a leshen. ¡°The leshen residing in the Mahakams is an ancient one. I¡¯d say it must have altars in the forest that strengthen it. My job from tomorrow on is to destroy the altars one by one to weaken the leshen.¡±


    Roy started worrying for Letho. The leshen seemed to be stronger than he¡¯d anticipated. ¡°Are you sure you can kill it? Steel weapons won¡¯t work on leshens, right?¡±


    ¡°The oils, bombs, and potions are here. Now it¡¯s in the hands of fate,¡± Letho said sombrely. ¡°If I don¡¯t manage toe back, leave the Mahakams and find a way to rendezvous with Auckes and Serrit. They¡¯ll continue your training.¡±


    Roy stopped breathing for a moment. It sounds like he¡¯s going to die. ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave right now and take the long route through Rivia and Upper Sodden?¡±


    ¡°You think you can enter and leave this ce as you please? Mount Carbon is not an inn.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°Brovar won¡¯t let us leave unless I¡¯ve met the leshen.¡±


    ***


    The servant sent their dinner that night. Even though the fortress was extravagant, its living conditions were worse than Seville¡¯s residence in Aldersberg. Aside from two beds, an oilmp, and an old clock, there was nothing else in the bedroom. Luckily, the ce wouldn¡¯t be too hot or too cold no matter the time of the year, just like a cave.


    The dinner wasn¡¯t too bad either. Two portions of charred grilled meat, frozen bread filled with icicles, frozen fruits, nuts, and honeyed wine. It was¡­ interesting, to say the least.


    Roy gave half of his meat to Letho. ¡°Have a bit more, Letho. This could be yourst supper.¡± Before Letho¡¯s face fell, Roy added, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m joking. But there¡¯s no point in going to Cintra if you aren¡¯ting with me. I¡¯d rather travel to Novigrad and run the business with my parents.¡± Roy paused, clenched his fists, and resolve gleamed in his eyes. ¡°You led me on this path, Letho, so see through it.¡±


    Letho stopped chewing before continuing calmly. When Roy exited meditation the next morning, Letho was rubbing oils on his sword and short swords, his gaze unbelievably tender, as if he were looking at his lover.


    He was a muscr man, but his hands moved swiftly, precisely. The grey cloth had a patch of yellowish-brown substance on it, and for some reason, there was strength in Letho¡¯s movement when he wiped his sword. Roy watched the whole process. A row of items wereid out before the witcher. They were his potions, decoctions, oils, and bombs. ¡°Same old. This is for you. Just in case. Keep it safe.¡± Letho handed Roy a small blue bottle with yellow rubber bands around it.


    ¡°What bomb is this?¡± Roy was delighted. He could still remember the effects of Dancing Star back in the fight against the childhunter.


    ¡°A dimeritium bomb. It can stop the leshen from casting its spell. Equally effective against witchers and sorcerers.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Letho pointed at another item and exined patiently, ¡°This here is relict oil. Increases damage against leshens. Same oil I applied to my sword. The green one is the devil¡¯s puffball. Trips the leshen up.¡±


    ***


    Kaerwen came for Letho not long after, though he still looked sullen. Roy was taken by Sanchez on a tour around Mount Carbon.


    Mount Carbon had no use for useless dwarves, so everyone had a job. There were cksmiths, wine makers, hunters, supervisors, those who took care of the residents¡¯ daily lives, and more. If we were to liken Mount Carbon to a nation, Brovar would be the king, while the other elders would be the ministers.


    Sanchez was one of the servants under themand of the king. He took care of the guests and other elders¡¯ daily lives. He wore a white robe, had his hair and beard tied up nicely, and his face was well kept. Compared to the other dwarves, he was more feminine and elegant. Roy nced at his lower body as they walked together. The beard¡¯s still full. I wonder if the ¡®eunuch¡¯ here is castrated like in other nations.


    ¡°Kaerwen led you around the forge yesterday, so I¡¯ll be taking you to the wine cer. You can have a taste of our wine. How does that sound?¡±


    Roy shrugged. ¡°Put the wine aside. Tell me more about Mount Carbon¡¯s situation.¡±


    Sanchez nodded. As they went on, he exined softly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to exin what¡¯s going on in the first floor and basement. The second floor is the cksmiths¡¯ dwellings, storerooms, and jails. Third floor is the elders¡¯ dwellings. The forts outside the main one are where the guards and supervisors stay.¡±


    ¡°What about the other miners and their families? Where do they live?¡±


    ¡°You should have seen them on your way here. They live in the caves in the mountain.¡±


    ¡°How many residents do you guys have?¡± Roy asked. Sanchez only smiled. Roy asked another question. ¡°Do the miners and hunters live nearby?¡±


    Sanchez thought it was a weird question to ask, but he said yes.


    There¡¯s no way I can check everyone, so the first thing I have to do is narrow down my scope. The only dwarves who would go into the forest are hunters or miners, which means one might havee into contact with the leshen and been marked. The women, cksmiths, and wine makers live inside. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have the chance to venture into the forest.


    His first order of business was to focus on the hunters and miners. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the wine. The valley¡¯s too cold for me. Can you take me to the bathhouse? I need to take a hot shower to warm myself up.¡±


    Sanchez thought it was weird for Roy to shower that early in the morning, but he said nothing. ¡°Of course. Come with me, please.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 57

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 57: Reunion in the Bathhouse</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the spot.¡± Steam rose from the bath, and Roy leaned against the sides, resting his eyes. Mount Carbon was freezing, but coal and firewood were abundant. Water was too, so the bathhouse ran around the clock. The cksmiths, guards, and miners would hop into the hot bath after a day¡¯s work to wash away their grime and fatigue.


    It was around nine o¡¯clock. Aside from Roy, only a few dwarves who just got off from the graveyard shift were in the bath. They covered themselves in towels, but the towels couldn¡¯t hide their round bellies, muscr arms, and hairy chests. If Roy ignored their faces, he would have thought he was sharing a bath with goris.


    Roy, on the other hand, had smooth skin and looked fairer than the dwarves, who were mostly dark. Because of that, the dwarves would nce at him from time to time. If it weren¡¯t for the fact they were straight, Roy would¡¯ve scampered off. Even so, he tightened his towel and listened closely.


    The pair of dwarves near him started gossiping about him. ¡°Is that a human boy? There¡¯s no hair on his chest, nor does he have a beard. There¡¯s nothing manly about him. In fact, he¡¯s ugly.¡± He proudly caressed his beard that was floating on the water.


    ¡°Human males are hairless pups. None of our women would fancy them, but that¡¯s not an excuse to let your guard down. They¡¯ve never stopped eyeing our women, but we won¡¯t let them get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, shut up! D¡¯ya want to get mmed in the prison? He¡¯s Elder Brovar¡¯s guest. And an esteemed one at that.¡±


    ***


    Roy was unsure about how to feel after hearing that. His view on aesthetics were that of a human¡¯s, so there was no way he¡¯d be interested in female dwarves who had beards and were as buff as bulls. He¡¯d rather have a sorceress.


    So the rumors are true. Male dwarves are inexplicably paranoid and always worry about their women getting kidnapped by ¡®evil¡¯ outsiders. Probably has something to do with their birth rate. It¡¯s super low, and the women who are supposed to bear the children are invaluable resources for everyone in Mount Carbon.


    As he let his mind wander, Roy stole some nces at the dwarves. He couldn¡¯t stare at them openly in case they took it the wrong way. The dwarves in the bath had strong hips, sturdy bodies, big legs, and strong shoulders. And something long hung between their crotches. These guys may be short, but one part of them isn¡¯t.


    I wonder who the leshen marked. Roy nced back and forth for a few minutes, but it was torture for him. He shook his head. I¡¯m going to get traumatized if this keeps up. Gotta take a break.


    Looking at hotties would be a treat, but facing stout dwarves was nothing short of getting subjected to torture. About an hourter, Roy felt a gust of wind blow behind him, and the sounds of footsteps neared. What came next was like a scene of horror to him.


    ¡°B-bet, you o-oaf. D-did you get f-fatter? Y-you¡¯re going to b-be a pig a-at this rate!¡±


    ¡°Barney, you retard! Did you just insult the Shield of Mount Carbon? I challenge you to a duel!¡±


    ¡°Oy, who you calling a retard, you fucker?! Only we get to call him that. You want a taste of this knuckle sandwich, you fuck?¡±


    The towels were off, and the naked dwarves got into a brawl. Chest mmed against chest, bats swung against bats, and wieners¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say they had a sword fight.


    ¡°You¡¯re a barbaric retard Maki took from the wilds, shithead!¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re just a l-little shit a squirrel shitted, fucker! Y-you¡¯re so thirsty you f-fuck reindeers e-every night!¡±


    ¡°Retard!¡±


    ¡°D-dammit.¡± Barney was exhausted from the fight on more levels than one. He wiped the sweat off his head and turned around. What he saw shocked him. ¡°H-hey, boss, t-that guy looks f-familiar.¡±


    Roy started sweating when he heard the familiar stuttering. Curse my luck. I just have to bump into them here of all ces. He closed his eyes and slid underwater. The footsteps stopped behind him, and he felt ripples around him.


    As the water sshed, one buff dwarf came into the bath. Barney pulled him out of the water with enthusiasm, his eyes wide. ¡°I-it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°You got the wrong person, mate.¡±


    Barney¡¯s face was red from excitement, but he couldn¡¯t say anything no matter how much he tried. ¡°Alright, stop teasing him.¡± Reagan Dalba and hispanions entered the bath. He sounded annoyed about what Roy had done. A momentter, the four dwarves surrounded Roy, their eyes solely on him, their breathing heavy.


    ¡°We¡¯ll settle thister, Bet! Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won!¡± the dwarf shouted at the guy they were fighting against earlier.


    ¡°Scared, you coward?!¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    ***


    The dwarves found themselves kissing theirpanions and were in each other¡¯s arms when they regained consciousness. Shocked, they checked their bodies, but nothing was wrong. Still, it was a humiliating experience. When they saw the perpetrator in the bath, they let the personal grudge slide first.


    ¡°You¡¯re Roy, aren¡¯t you? To think we thought you a friend. I think you owe us an exnation.¡±


    Roy forced a smile and shifted the topic. ¡°That was awesome of you guys. Those weaklings stood no chance against you. If they¡¯d tried to escape even a momentter, they would¡¯ve been messed up.¡±


    ¡°A-at least you have taste.¡±


    ¡°Roy, just because you¡¯re the elder¡¯s guest doesn¡¯t mean you can do anything you want.¡± Reagan waved his excitedpanions down. ¡°The wine¡¯s great, though we could do without the extra ingredient. It is fifty-year-old Mahakaman liquor.¡± Reagan licked his lips, reminiscing the taste of the wine. ¡°But you have to return my crossbow to me. That¡¯s my brother¡¯s gift, and it¡¯s special to me. You¡¯re too weak to use it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Reagan, I¡¯m sorry about your loss, but it¡¯s not here. You can search anywhere you want, even the bedroom.¡±


    Reagan kept quiet.


    ¡°B-boss, I-I¡¯m not taking t-this anymore!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we beat him to a pulp?¡±


    Roy frowned, thinking if he should give the weapon back, since he did feel guilty about taking something of great sentimental value to someone.


    ¡°So it seems you¡¯re taking my treasure away no matter what, Roy.¡± Reagan cupped some hot water and sshed it on his arm. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll settle this with Mount Carbon¡¯s custom, then.¡±


    ¡°Mount Carbon¡¯s custom?¡±


    ¡°Gwent, weapons, and wine. They¡¯re what we love the most. We hold three matches if we evere across anything that can¡¯t be settled with a conversation.¡± Reagan continued. ¡°The one who wins two out of three matches gets to keep the crossbow.¡±


    ¡°So a duel then?¡± Roy changed his mind. Since he didn¡¯t see the mark on them, that meant the dwarves were innocent. Gaining allies out of them would be good for Roy, since staking out at the bathhouse alone would be too inefficient. Having helpers would go a long way, though he still had the chills at the thought of their naked bodies.


    ¡°Ah, so you do have it.¡± Reaganughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be a four on one. We won¡¯t stoop so low against an outsider. It¡¯s a one-on-one duel for a total of three matches. We can start right away if you¡¯re fine with it. The warm bathhouse is perfect for Gwent.¡±


    Roy smacked a beautiful deck on the side of the bath, and he grinned in excitement. Since they¡¯re going to do this, I have no reason to hold back. ¡°I don¡¯t lose when ites to Gwent. Come.¡±


    Reagan and hispanions looked at one another weirdly. ¡°Get the board, Drew. Alright, we¡¯re counting on you now, Dave. Just win like you usually do. Get everything from him.¡±


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord to chat about the series and get notified when a new chapter gets released! </b><b></b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 58

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 58: Teach</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Put your back into it. Yeah, that¡¯s the spot.¡±


    Roy sat in the bath, getting massaged gently by the stuttering dwarf, Barney.


    Barney was smiling sycophantically as he massaged Roy. ¡°H-how does t-that feel now?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. You can probably start a career as a professional masseur here.¡±


    ¡°W-what about my d-debt then?¡±


    ¡°Later. You¡¯re not going to run away from it.¡±


    Barney wiped his sweat off. Never in his life had he seen someone y Gwent like Roy had. The boy would alwayse up with the most surprising tactics every time, catching his opponent off guard. Even Dave, one of the top ten yers in Mount Carbon, lost ten rounds, giving Roy the first win.


    Barney didn¡¯t believe that was happening, and he wanted to take revenge. But he was too stupid to y, and after his continuous losses, Barney had racked up a debt that amounted to thirty crowns. That was his sry for the whole month.


    Reagan was in the bath beside Barney, and he shivered after overhearing the conversation, feeling insulted. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on us, boy. Barney¡¯s not a deadbeat. We might be a grumpy bunch, but we have something humans don¡¯t ¡ª hot looks, manliness, loyalty, and integrity! Okay, that¡¯s technically four things, but that¡¯s not the point! Point is, anyone who tries to be a deadbeat will live their lives in shame!¡±


    Roy nodded in approval. He¡¯d heard of the Mahakaman dwarves¡¯ loyalty. Even though they loved their crowns, they wouldn¡¯t abandon their friends, and they held their promises. Zoltan Chivay was a prime example of how a dwarf would risk his life for his friends. And thanks to their integrity, dwarves ran a lot of good businesses. Cianfanelli, Giancardi, and Vivaldi were the top dwarven families in the banking world. All the biggest cities like Vizima, Beauir, Vengerberg, Novigrad, Dragon Mountains, and even Blue Mountain, had their banks. They had business in almost every city in the north.


    It was because of that Roy went along with the rules. If his opponents were either human or elf, he¡¯d be denied his winnings in the same circumstances.


    ¡°You won the first match, Roy. Do you have the guts to continue this in the archery range?¡±


    ¡°Is that a challenge I hear? I ept it. It¡¯s still early anyway.¡± Roy had always wanted to see a dwarven crossbowman in action. They changed into their clothes, but before they left, Roy stopped Barney. ¡°Barney, I can waive this debt if you do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it!¡± Barney was obviously excited about the opportunity. Thirty crowns was a big amount for him.


    ¡°Stay here and tell everyone whoes to go to the archery range. Remember this.¡±


    Barney wondered why Roy would make that request, but he didn¡¯t argue. Instead, he agreed to it readily.


    ***


    They went out of the bathhouse, walked across the za, and journeyed to the range behind the main fortress. Suddenly, Roy had a feeling he was being watched, and he frowned. But when he looked behind him, nobody was there.


    It was already morning, and dwarves were already going about their business. The males were wearing thick, dirty coats and holding their mining implements as they went to the mine outside. The females were holding gigantic containers on their heads, going to and from the marketce in the za¡¯s corner.


    Not every dwarf had a long beard. Most of the males were bushy, and less than twenty percent of the females were as hairy as the males. Some looked decent, but they were still stout nheless. Not my type.


    ¡°Reagan, if I¡¯m right, working in the mountains isn¡¯t very lucrative, is it?¡± He thought all the dwarves would be filthy rich, since they had a treasure trove beneath their feet, but the Gwent matches told him otherwise.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Reagan answered without fear. ¡°Most dwarves only make around sixty crowns a month. Wine and gear maintenance takes a cut, and we¡¯re left with not much money to spend.¡±


    ¡°What about the dwellings? Are they expensive?¡± Roy cast his gaze to the caves. ¡°How long do you have to save up for one?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, my friend,¡± Reagan replied proudly. ¡°We don¡¯t have to spend a crown on our caves. The elders give every adult dwarf a cave free of charge, but it¡¯ll be taken back if the owner leaves the mountain without permission.¡±


    Roy was envious of it. The elders go to great lengths to preserve the poption, huh? ¡°Are there many dwarves who try to make a living in the outside world then?¡±


    ¡°No, but there are some who do it every year.¡±


    Eventually, they arrived at the fighting za. It was a fenced space, albeit a gigantic one, and it was divided into a few parts. At the end of the za was the archery range, and there were targets carved into humanoid shapes. There was also a weapons training center filled with racks of weapons, as well as a fenced ring used for closebat matches.


    There were twenty dwarves upying a certain training center, engaging themselves in their daily practice. They were wearing padded armor and swung their weapons as per the instructor¡¯s order. The dwarves might¡¯ve been stout, but they swung the two-handed weapons like they were feathers, and Roy could see that the strength was not to be underestimated. They were like moving fortresses, for their armor could block any arrows, and the heavy weapons turned their weakness into a strength. If they were to engage in close quarterbat, Roy would lose in a matter of seconds. Hisbat abilities were shit.


    Roy didn¡¯t have many things to rely on inbat. His best bet was long-range shooting with his crossbow, but even though his uracy was bolstered by Perception, his shots weren¡¯t powerful enough, and that was including Massacre and Crossbow Mastery¡¯s increased damage.


    If he shot anywhere else aside from his enemy¡¯s face, the damage he dealt would be negligible. His effective range was also a weakness. In most cases, he could make perfect shots within a one hundred-feet range, but if his enemy was outside that range, the wind would affect his shot too much.


    He needed training, and Reagan, whose Crossbow Mastery was Level 5, was the perfect example to learn from. The targets in the archery range were ced at different distances. Once everyone hade in, Reagan raised his hand to feel the air for a moment.


    This guy checks the wind¡¯s speed and direction with the hairs on his hand?


    ¡°Archery¡¯s best done on breezy days, or one without wind. Come, my friend. Show me what you got. I want to see if your archery skills are as great as a witcher¡¯s sword fighting.¡±


    Reagan borrowed two identical crossbows and tossed one to Roy, while he held the other one.


    ¡°You¡¯re young, and your hands aren¡¯t that calloused. I can see it hasn¡¯t been long since you¡¯ve started training. There¡¯ll be no time limit, then.¡± Reagan puffed out his chest confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll start with the target thirty feet away, and then you¡¯ll move to the right for the next one, but the distance will increase. We get ten shots each, and the one who manages tond the most shots wins. Deal?¡±


    Roy hesitated, and he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    The crossbow and bolts Reagan handed him were made to dwarven standards. The bow was four feet long, a lot bigger than Roy¡¯s Gabriel, and it was heavier too. The crossbow was made of pine wood, and it was a deep brown due to repeated usage. The draw weight was sixty pounds, making it slightly difficult for Roy to reload the crossbow.


    Roy started with the target thirty feet away. He held the crossbow with his left hand, his right index finger docked on the trigger, and he took a standing stance. Roy took a deep breath, then raised his crossbow, aiming at the target using his right eye. Then he heaved a sigh, and in that split second, the crossbow had just been lowered to eye level, and he fired his shot.


    The bolt pierced through the air and mmed into the target thirty feet away, embedding itself deeply into the bullseye thanks to the crossbow¡¯s strength. Reagan didn¡¯t look surprised, while Roy heaved a sigh. He swung his slightly numb arm and prepared for the second shot. After that, he kept on shooting, and he hit the bullseye for the sixty-feet, ny-feet, and the hundred-and-twenty-feet target.


    The continuous shooting was taking a toll on Roy¡¯s forearm and legs. Since the crossbow was much heavier than the one he normally practiced with, he wasn¡¯t used to it. He never had a chance topete with someone during his training, and when he finally got the chance, his opponent was Reagan. That had lit the mes within him, but the next few shots had doused it out.


    He was slightly off-target for the one hundred-fifty-feet target, and more so for the following one. The next one was even worse, and he was almost out at the eighth target. He missed the shot for the ninth target, and the same thing happened for the tenth. Sweat was trickling down his cheek when he was done, and he looked despondent because of his missed shots.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it. Your uracy isn¡¯t bad, and your pose is standard. You¡¯ve received some formal training, but it hasn¡¯t been for too long. I have some advice for you.¡±


    ¡°Just what I wanted.¡±


    Reagan seemed to change into another dwarf when he held the crossbow. He hunched his back slightly and squatted a bit, his gaze sharp. He quickly took out a light bolt from his quiver and loaded his crossbow, and then he fired his shot. His movements were swift and clean, without a single unnecessary move in between.


    Roy kept quiet since he realized Reagan was at least twice as fast as him during the reload. Reagan¡¯s standing position looked simr to Roy¡¯s but upon closer inspection, there were a few differences.


    Pay attention to the crossbow. Reagan leaned forward and aimed. Roy took a step back to observe the dwarf and the crossbow.


    Three quarters. The crossbow was positioned between the dwarf¡¯s corbone and neck, around the three quarter mark of his body. That was different from Roy¡¯s positioning, and Reagan adjusted his stance to one that fit better with his style. Roy couldn¡¯t make those adjustments at his level.


    Reagan was fast and stable, and he easily fired three shots that hit the bullseye. ¡°Do you have your own crossbow?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it on you,¡± he grumbled before pulling the trigger and hitting the bullseye of the two-hundred-ten-feet target. ¡°A good crossbowman keeps his crossbow at his side at all times, even when he¡¯s eating or sleeping.¡± A bit of tenderness welled up in his eyes, as if he were reminded of his lover, but even so, that didn¡¯t affect his shot. ¡°You have to build up rapport with it, knowing its every nook and cranny. You need to know every inch of it even with your eyes closed. The more you know, the faster you can be in battle.¡±


    Reagan was almost whispering, and he kept on shooting with incredible speed. Roy almost couldn¡¯t see him aiming, and Reagan had already shot all the shots. All of them hit the bullseye, making Reagan the undisputed winner.


    Roy had no arguments about that. Reagan¡¯s Perception was on the same level as his, so Reagan couldn¡¯t see the targets clearer, but his control over the crossbow was vastly superior.


    ¡°You have to take care of your crossbow like it¡¯s your arm. A good weapon is a crossbowman¡¯s most important thing. Take good care of it.¡± Reagan took a bottle of grease and rubbed the contents on every inch of the crossbow.


    ¡°In most cases, a Mahakaman crossbow canst you a few years, but there¡¯s one condition. You must keep up its maintenance for every hundred shots you fire. Don¡¯t misfire or take too long to reload. It¡¯ll cause unnecessary damage and shorten its lifespan. If you don¡¯t maintain it, it¡¯ll cost you your life if it breaks on the battlefield.¡±


    Roy took that advice to heart. No wonder Letho does that to his weapons after every battle. I didn¡¯t pay any attention to it before, but now I will. Reagan¡¯s advice benefited him a lot. If Crossbow Mastery had an EXP bar, Roy could probably level it up a lot after listening to Reagan.


    Roy was reminded of the fact that he never maintained his own crossbow, so he asked for a bottle of maintenance oil from Reagan.


    ¡°And now we¡¯re even.¡± Reaganughed, his depression from the Gwent loss erased. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the wine battle. Elder Brovar said you can have all you can drink, yes?¡±


    Roy nodded in amusement. Ah, so he¡¯s going for the free booze.


    Drew and Dave huddled closer, almost drooling, for wine was one of the things they loved the most.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we hold the third match tomorrow morning? We have to stand sentry from noon to dawn.¡±


    Roy agreed readily. ¡°Sure. Meet up at the bathhouse.¡± He thought it was a bargain to make some friends with free wine.


    ¡°Magnificent! I¡¯m starting to like you, boy! Don¡¯t forget to maintain my ¡®baby¡¯ when you go back. I¡¯ll kick your arse if you scratch it! Alright, boys! Let¡¯s get back to the bathhouse to get that dumbass, Barney.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 59

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 59: mes</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The heavy footsteps left deep footprints in the snow. Letho flicked the snow and pine leaves on his shoulder away and looked up at the sparrows who flew away in fear. ¡°How much longer till we get there?¡±


    The dwarf panted and shuffled to Letho, his face red. ¡°About half an hour. We found the body under the oldest pine tree, and it¡¯s right in front of us.¡± Kaerwen looked around nervously. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s enough with just the two of us? Why don¡¯t we get more people?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯d mess everything up. Now tell me about the victim.¡±


    ¡°Give me a minute. You¡¯re going really fast. How did that boy keep up with you?¡± Kaerwen put his hands on his knees and rested for a bit. He wasn¡¯t as harsh when it was only Letho around. In fact, Kaerwen treated him with respect. ¡°The victim went by the name of Adrian. He¡¯s eighty, worked as a miner, and had a son and a daughter back in the mountains.¡± Kaerwen paused for a moment. ¡°The other victims were miners just like Adrian. They were killed on their way back from work.¡±


    Letho made the bark of the tree beside him rustle. ¡°Good job keeping it under wraps. The people in Svanthor thought the leshen only imed four humans.¡±


    Kaerwen smiled bitterly. ¡°We have no choice. They won¡¯t work if they know that even the dwarves are getting killed. The mines would sustain heavy losses. We have to hide it, or there will be mass hysteria. But that won¡¯tst at this rate.¡±


    ¡°Bunch of bloodsuckers.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°And who told the vigers that phantoms did this?¡±


    ¡°No idea, but honestly, I¡¯d prefer that to this. At least phantoms are easier to handle.¡±


    They crossed the mountain, and the forest¡¯s entrance was starting to disappear behind them. ¡°Letho, are you pitying those vigers?¡± Letho didn¡¯t answer, and Kaerwen continued. ¡°From what I know, witchers are heavily discriminated against in human society. They see you guys as monsters no matter how many real monsters you kill for them, or how many lives you save. You¡¯re nothing but apdog to them.¡± Kaerwen emphasized thest sentence and quickly looked at Letho, but to his disappointment, Letho showed no change in expression.


    ¡°Spit it out. I know you¡¯re trying to tell me something.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡± Kaerwen shrugged, and he hastened. ¡°I think you witchers are like us. We¡¯re deviants from those humans. You¡¯ve been a vagrant for a long time now, taking requests for a living. Haven¡¯t you ever thought about settling down?¡±


    ¡°Settling down where?¡±


    ¡°Mount Carbon¡¯s a good ce.¡± Kaerwen heaved a sigh and told him what he thought, ¡°You¡¯ll find our offer irresistible. Your skills and knowledge alone are great assets.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to recruit me?¡± Letho stopped in his tracks and turned around to look Kaerwen in the eyes. ¡°Mahakam and Mount Carbon are too boring for me. I like some excitement in my life. And I have to finish a mission, so I can¡¯t stay for long.¡± Then Letho continued into the forest.


    Kaerwen was furious about being rejected, but he calmed down quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the situation then. Do you have any idea how to settle it?¡±


    The moment he said that, Letho stopped. He looked back at Kaerwen and put his finger to his lips, and then he crouched like a leopard. They¡¯d walked a mile into the forest, and the pine trees were starting to get denser around them, but it was eerily silent. Not even the chirp of a bird or the howling of the wind could be heard. It was as if they were in a graveyard, and chills ran up their spines.


    Kaerwen held his hammer. He had a feeling that the pine trees around them had turned into stiff humans who were staring at them. Kaerwen¡¯s hands were trembling, but his morale was still high.


    Letho uncorked a potion with his mouth and gulped everything. The veins on his cheeks ckened and his muscles tensed up, not unlike a beast that was hunting its prey. ¡°Watch my back, and I¡¯ll watch yours,¡± Letho growled, and he and Kaerwen huddled closer.


    Letho traced a triangle in the air, and a faint green light shone around the triangle, much to Kaerwen¡¯s shock. And then a magic circle with a twenty feet radius appeared on the snow-capped ground. A momentter, a light yellow shield surrounded Letho. At the same time, howls pierced the air around them, and countless wolves appeared from between the trees.


    Their fur was grey, their eyes green. Mist swirled around their snouts, and they crouched, howling as they inched closer to the duo.


    ¡°Great Mahakam, what is going on? We¡¯ve never had such bad luck in our previous investigations.¡±


    ¡°Because it perceives us as a threat.¡± Letho unsheathed his steel sword instead of his short swords. The sword that was covered in oil gleamed menacingly above the snow ground. Letho held it around his waist, his muscles taut. He pointed the de at the wolves, looking like someone who was going to toil on the field. The wolves howled, and Letho taunted, ¡°Come at me. I¡¯m sure your master will be pleased.¡±


    Infuriated, the wolf pack pounced on him, but they stepped right into the trap of Yrden, and a green light shone. The wolves who were caught had their movements slowed. They froze in midair and lost a bit of their agility.


    Kaerwen mmed the wolf who¡¯d leapt at him down, drenching the ground with blood, and the wolf became pulp. ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Kaerwen roared, and he lunged forward, his hammer swinging through the air, sending the beasts who pounced at him flying back.


    Letho fought differently. He crouched, his steel sword beside his waist. He put his left foot forward, and his right foot back. He was poised to fight, and at the first chance of attack, he would dart ahead. When a wolf pounced at him, he sliced upward, burying the de in the wolf¡¯s body. And then he shed downward before taking another step, slicing a second wolf in half, spilling its innards.


    He moved his wrist, dislodging the flesh that was stuck to his sword, and then he stepped back into his magical circle, resuming his stance. His n was to take out the wolves with nothing but stabs and shes. Every time Letho made an attack, another beast would fall, as if they were taken away by the reaper. They didn¡¯t even manage to get close, and corpses were already piling up. The blood sshed on Letho¡¯s face made him look more feral.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to kill five wolves, butpared to the hundreds of beasts around them, it was nothing. Their brethrens¡¯ deaths enraged the remaining beasts, and their attacks became quicker, almost overwhelming the duo.


    ¡°Shit. Not even the wine cer has this many rats.¡± Kaerwen¡¯s hair billowed, and he swung his hammer again, sending another one flying. He heaved a sigh and made a hasty step backward, but one of the wolves noticed the opening, and then it tried to chomp down on the dwarf¡¯s left leg. But before it could, Letho stabbed it.


    ¡°Still keeping up, chap?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Worry about yourself.¡± Kaerwen gripped his hammer with trembling hands, and he smashed another wolf to a pulp.


    Letho scanned the battlefield. Alright, there are around twenty or thirty of them here. They¡¯d managed to whittle it down to the number he wanted, and he tossed the canister on his belt into the pack.


    Then, the bomb exploded twenty feet away from them, and the sound of explosions roared through the forest, the mes engulfing dozens of wolves. The air around them was filled with howls and the scent of burning flesh, while the ground was soaked with blood. More than half the wolves around them had been killed by the explosion alone, and charred corpses fell onto the snow. Some managed to survive, but they scurried back to their pack, their fur still burning.


    ¡°Holy Mahakam, that was a perfect bombing!¡± Kaerwen praised, forgetting all about his nerves, but it wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    Letho turned around and drew an Aard sign in the air, sending the wolves that were pouncing toward him flying back, creating a space between them and the wolves. Then he tossed another bomb, but instead of exploding instantly, the canister smashed into pieces, and white smoke quickly enveloped thirty beasts.


    He pulled Kaerwen closer to him before embedding his sword into the ground and quickly making a sign, and then he pushed it outward. A momentter, mes spread out in a cone, igniting the smoke. The gas that covered the beasts started exploding, causing a chain reaction, and then howls and rumbles traveled across the pine forest.


    A few momentster, the howls got quieter, as most of the wolves had been killed. The remaining survivors ran away with their tails between their legs. Half the wolves were dead, while some were on the verge of death. Only one was standing tall amidst the carnage. When he was sure they were safe, Letho stopped maintaining Quen, and his shield broke into pieces.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 60

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 60: Totem</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Once they killed the wolves, the duo went on with their mission, though Kaerwen kept quiet all the way because of his shock. But when they drew closer to their destination, he finally couldn¡¯t keep his curiosity away. ¡°Letho, are all witchers this strong?¡± Letho didn¡¯t answer, but that only made Kaerwen respect him more.


    They made it through another hill and arrived at the ce Adrian died. It was the same scene Letho had seen at the mountain¡¯s base. The branches came together to form a spike, and he could smell the stench of beast excrements under the snow. Letho squinted.


    Kaerwen exined. ¡°There are eight victims, and they were disemboweled by these spikes. I don¡¯t understand why it did this. Does the way its victims die have a special meaning to it?¡± Kaerwen asked.


    But Letho didn¡¯t answer the question. ¡°ording to your testimony, Svanthor suffered four deaths, while Mount Carbon had the same number of deaths during thest three months, making it a total of eight.¡±


    ¡°No. It has been four months. The first death was a Mahakaman dwarf.¡±


    ¡°So one victim every fortnight or so?¡±


    Kaerwen pinched his beard. ¡°Now that you say it, I think that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Letho heaved a sigh. ¡°Alright, I have a guess. You¡¯d find a new body after every full moon?¡±


    Kaerwen gasped. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s right!¡±


    Letho turned solemn. ¡°Then that proves my guess. This is an ancient ritual, a sacrificial one thates from the other dimension. The killer uses flesh as bait to activate the forest¡¯s power. Among the victims, the ones who died on the night of the full moon would create a magical circuit with the previous victim, and the killer would use that to create a permanent totem to strengthen itself.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°This is the fourth totem.¡±


    Kaerwen was surprised, but only for a moment. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the killer¡¯s been powered up four times. This is going to be a problem.¡±


    Letho¡¯s face fell. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to destroy the totems one by one. They¡¯re its limbs. Once we start pulling them out, we¡¯ll see how long it¡¯llst.¡±


    Kaerwen thought of another problem. ¡°But the forest stretches for hundreds of miles. Finding four totems here is going to be impossible.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Since it¡¯s making circuits, the totem must be in between two corpses, so you¡¯ll have to take me to the nearest crime scene.¡±


    Kaerwen nodded in respect. ¡°As expected of a professional. You managed to dig up something we failed to for the past few months.¡±


    They left the spot and moved toward the next one. While they were on the way there, Kaerwen said, ¡°The forest in the Mahakams is filled with beasts. The killer could have used animals as sacrifices, so why did it target humans and ancient races?¡±


    Letho was always patient when it came to knowledge about monsters. ¡°Humans might fight among themselves, kill their brethren, lie, cheat, steal, and do every evil deed in the books, but they are of a higher ss than the beasts. Well, normal beasts, that is. In other words, the magical energy in human flesh is higher than in normal beasts, so of course all the monsters would love it.¡±


    Kaerwen continued his questioning. ¡°So now that it has four totems, isn¡¯t it at its strongest? If we march right up its totem, it¡¯s like we¡¯re saying we want to kick its arse. What if it shows up? Won¡¯t that be dangerous? Why don¡¯t I go and bring some warriors back?¡± Then he thought his cowardice was embarrassing, so he exined, ¡°It¡¯s safer to have a bigger group. Since we have a lead right now, we don¡¯t have to risk our lives any further.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Letho stopped. ¡°If it shows up and I can¡¯t win, we can always run. I¡¯m sure we can outrun it. Besides, if it does show up, it can¡¯t stay in the Mahakams any longer, because I¡¯d know where to hunt it, and how to kill it. Also, it¡¯s an experienced, ancient, and cunning monster. It won¡¯te out that easily.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Tell me if somethinges up so I can prepare myself.¡±


    ***


    They kept walking for another hour, and then it was noon. The snow on the ground was decorated with a few long lines of footsteps, and cold winds howled through the forest, making the dwarf shiver.


    When his ne started humming, Letho held it down. Kaerwen stood at the ready with his hammer, and he crouched down, ready to fight. But there was nothing around him when he looked around. ¡°Where is it? Where¡¯s the totem?¡± All he could see was snow and forest. There was nothing like a totem there.


    Letho went up to a gigantic pine tree and saw a peculiar mark on the big trunk. ¡°Antlers and spider webs? What is this?¡± Kaerwen huddled closer and mumbled, and Letho went up to another pine tree and smacked it. And then he went for a third, then a fourth. Kaerwen saw the same mark on all four pine trees, and then he realized it formed a twenty-feet square around them.


    A chill ran up his spine, and he tensed. ¡°Are we in some freaky magic circle?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Letho turned his back to Kaerwen and looked up, and then he pointed at the sky. Kaerwen looked at where he was pointing, and his jaw dropped.


    ¡°What in the holy Mahakams is that?¡±


    Fifty feet above them, the four pine trees¡¯ leaves were squashed together, snow piling above them, blocking out the sunlight. In the center of the trees, a wooden, fusiform stake hung. It looked like a beehive from afar, but it was ancient and decrepit.


    Holes dotted the stake¡¯s surface, as if chewed out by termites. It looked as if a single touch would turn it to ash, and on top of the stake, a single, gnarly antler protruded from a hole. Tiny bones hung from it, forming ancient trinkets.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the totem.¡± While Kaerwen was still in shock, Letho was already standing underneath the totem, raising his hand to estimate the distance between them. Then he blew into his hands and dug away at the ground with his sword. The snow and soil flew everywhere, and then a gigantic antler symbol was revealed on the floor. It glowed an eerie red, looking like a scar on the ground, and it radiated heat.


    Letho brushed his hand across the mark andmented, ¡°This rune here is the core of the totem.¡± Then he made the sign of Igni and shot a stream of fire that expanded conically, burning the mysterious mark.


    On the other hand, Kaerwen was stuttering, holding his hammer as he looked around in confusion. As Letho went on with the burning, Kaerwen noticed something shocking. Four transparent tentacles appeared from the rune in the center, wriggling and squirming around. Eventually, they slithered into the pine trees that had the weird symbols on them, and then drops of ck fluid started flowing from the tree. Eventually, ck blood started gushing out of the trees.


    The burning went on for thirty seconds. When Letho finally stopped casting Igni, a loud pop was heard, and the totem that was hanging in the air fell down. Kaerwen went to take a look and noticed that the totem had turned from brown to ck, not unlike used charcoal. And it was already starting to turn into ash.


    ¡°Done.¡± Letho heaved an exhausted sigh and sliced the totem. Smoke and ash burst into the air, and a few momentster, the totem disappeared as if it had never been there before.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 61

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 61: Hidden Force</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Night descended, and the moon¡¯s silvery light bathed thend. Nobody was left in the bathhouse anymore as Roy left, his skin red. Mount Carbon was majestic in the day, but eerie at night. The fortress that provided safety to the dwarves looked like a demon dwelling in the dark, but the valley¡¯s entrance was brightly lit. The bowmen and crossbowmen were standing sentry in the watchtowers that nked the valley.


    Sconces hung on the front doors of every building between the za and the main fortress, providing good vision. Heavily armored dwarves were patrolling everywhere, and Roy bumped into the armed patrol twice on his way to the guest room from the bathhouse, much to his surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s some heavy patrolling.¡±


    Letho had already changed his bloody armor for his pajamas when Roy arrived at the guest room. He was meditating on the bed. ¡°Did you get anything, boy?¡±


    ¡°I made a few acquaintances, my hands got blisters, and I¡¯m almost traumatized.¡± Roy heaved a sigh and hopped onto the bed. He put his hands behind his neck and crossed his legs. ¡°Try observing naked, hairy dwarves for a whole day and you¡¯ll know what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Letho actually smiled for once.


    ¡°So what did you find in the forest after leaving me here?¡±


    Letho told him about the events that transpired, and when he got to the part where he killed almost a hundred wolves, Roy sighed. I lost a few hundred EXP just like that. But he could imagine how precarious the situation must¡¯ve been. With how weak he was, the wolves would¡¯ve picked him clean before Letho could even do anything.


    Even so, he was still dissatisfied and curious. ¡°Why do you want me to find out who¡¯s marked? If the elder just locks everyone up and checks them, the marked one would be caught in no time. There¡¯s no way he would realize what was happening.¡± Roy looked at Letho, but he was still meditating calmly.


    ¡°Remember what I told you yesterday? Some residents in the mountains worship the leshen as god. You can¡¯t be sure there¡¯s nobody else who¡¯s brainwashed aside from the one who¡¯s marked. It¡¯d be impossible to hide a sweep from everyone no matter how secretive Brovar would be. Once the search wasunched, the leshen¡¯s followers would just escape, making it harder to kill it.¡±


    Roy kept quiet before asking, ¡°What if it¡¯s the Svanthor vigers who got marked? I can¡¯t just go out there and investigate. It¡¯s too far from the mountain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into that tomorrow, but don¡¯t hold your breath. Leshens love to live in mountains and forests, and they won¡¯t stay too far from the people they marked. Svanthor is a bit too far from the mountain.¡± He picked up a piece of charcoal and drew on the ground. ¡°And there¡¯s something I want you to see. After destroying the totem, I asked Kaerwen about the victims and found out exactly where they died.¡± He drew a rough sketch of the mountain, and the fortress was located in it. ¡°These are the ces where the victims died.¡± He then made eight ck dots on the map. ¡°Notice anything wrong with it?¡±


    Roy looked closely for a while, but he didn¡¯t get anything. The crime scenes were spread throughout the mountain at random and seemed to have no rhyme or reason to it.


    Letho exined. ¡°The spots where the killings happened are a distance away from where the victims lived. In other words, they were shepherded to that particr spot before they were killed, and the leshen didn¡¯t choose the spots at random.¡±


    Then Letho made four lines ording to some pattern, linking one dot to the other. Then he pointed at one spot between two dots. ¡°This is where I destroyed the totem today.¡±


    I see. Roy said, ¡°You should probably have guessed where the other totems are, then.¡± Letho kept linking the dots and lines in a pattern, and eventually, Roy noticed the thing that was starting to take shape. It was an expanding web, and a vague pair of antlers. A terrifyingly eerie mark.


    ¡°The leshen is slowly including the mountain base up to the fortress in its totem. Is it trying to put the whole area under its control?¡±


    Letho nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a more ambitious leshen. In most cases, the most it can do is take over a vige. That¡¯s the extent of a leshen¡¯s power, no matter how ancient or formidable it is. This one¡­ This one is trying to control a ce that houses thousands of residents.


    ¡°Leshens are ancient creatures with great wisdom. It¡¯s quite baffling that they¡¯d make such a foolish move. No matter how powerful it is, it is still only one leshen. Mount Carbon can easily crush it. Unless¡­¡±


    Roy guessed, ¡°Unless its believers and the marked one aren¡¯t the leshen¡¯s only weapon.¡±


    Letho dusted his hand off and made an unsure guess. ¡°Or maybe the dwarves aren¡¯t as united as they seem. Maybe there are some other forces aside from the leshen that can cause some trouble for Brovar. And they could be giving the leshen a hand in its n. They¡¯re hiding in Mount Carbon, working with the leshen to carry out the n, and that¡¯s why they managed to kill so many dwarves without setting off the rm.¡±


    ¡°Should we tell Brovar about this?¡±


    ¡°This is pure conjecture. We have no evidence or target. What can we even tell him?¡± Letho had vetoed it. ¡°Just pay attention to your surroundings and see if there¡¯s anyone suspicious. But remember to find the marked one first, since our primary goal is to take out the leshen here. Everything elsees next. And be careful.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Letho went back to meditate after telling Roy what he¡¯d needed to know. The battle earlier had sapped much of his strength, and he needed to rest up as fast as possible.


    Royy on the bed, sorting out the thoughts that were swirling in his head. He took the dwarf¡¯s crossbow and his hand crossbow out to maintain them. And then he remembered that Reagan cared about the crossbow a lot. Is this crossbow special? He cast Observe on it and actually saw the weapon¡¯s details.


    ¡®Blood Brothers (Reagan Dalba was gifted this crossbow by his brother, Paul Dalba, during Reagan¡¯sing of age. This is thest gift Paul gave Reagan before he ventured out to be Yarpen¡¯s follower).


    Type: Crossbow.


    Materials: Pine wood, steel, tendon, hemp.


    Details: Weighs fifteen pounds and measures four feet. Has a draw weight of fifty pounds and an effective range of two hundred feet.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Gabriel


    Type: Hand crossbow


    Materials: Mulberry wood, tendon, hemp


    Details: Weighs five pounds and measures two feet. Has a draw weight of twenty pounds and an effective range of a hundred feet.¡¯


    ¡°So Reagan only cares about this crossbow because of its sentimental value. It¡¯s not that much better than any Mahakaman crossbow.¡± Roy started rubbing the grease on every inch of the crossbow, just like how Reagan did it. Once he was done doing it to both crossbows, he ced Blood Brothers in his inventory and held on to Gabriel as he started meditating.


    ¡°Always keep the crossbow by my side huh? It¡¯s dumb, but I hope it works.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 62

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 62: Fifth Mining Area</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy asked for a barrel of Mahakaman liquor after meeting up with Reagan and hispanions in the bathhouse the next day. Since he knew nothing about Mount Carbon, he needed some locals to help him out, and alcohol was the best way to make friends out of them. He thought Reagan was a great person to be friends with since he hadn¡¯t flown into a rage despite having his crossbow taken from him.


    The five of them went to Reagan¡¯s cave. Despite the fact that Reagan was the best crossbowman around, his cave was stark. There wasn¡¯t anything aside from a bed, table, chair, and oilmp. Not even a cauldron was in there, so obviously he never cooked himself. Wow, and I thought only single men in my world lived so simply. Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be true in another world. Guess he needs to get a girlfriend.


    Reagan wiped away the dust on the table with his sleeve before cing a dozen two-ounce cups filled with alcohol. The aroma wafted across the cave, and the dwarves indulged themselves in the sweet scent of liquor. Wow, these guys look like Vivien¡¯s dad. Roy never understood the magic of wine. He never knew why it captivated the souls of so many.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your match for the day.¡± Reagan beamed at the wine. ¡°No tricks here, and the rules are simple. We¡¯ll start at the same time, and the match ends when one of us drops. The one who drinks the most wine wins.¡±


    ¡°B-boss, you h-had a match y-yesterday, so y-you should sit t-this one out. R-rest up.¡± Barney pulled him back, his eyes filled with anticipation. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it f-for you.¡±


    ¡°No you won¡¯t, you dumbass. Remember thest time we drank? You were out cold after three shots.¡± Drew pushed Barney¡¯s face away, and then he rubbed his hands. ¡°Reagan and Dave had their chance. Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Dave didn¡¯t want to give up either. ¡°Nobody¡¯s better than me in Gwent and drinking here.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Reagan¡¯s face fell, and he chided, ¡°Look at yourselves, you idiots! The match hasn¡¯t started yet, and you¡¯re already acting like wild beasts. How are we supposed to conclude the match if everyone¡¯s out cold? No drinking for you until either I or Roy drops!¡±


    Reagan¡¯spanions stopped fighting. They didn¡¯t like the oue, but they said nothing, though they craned their necks and stared at the wine on the table. Roy nced at the wine on the table, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. If it were a fair match, he¡¯d be out cold after two shots. But it wasn¡¯t a fair match.


    Dwarves took drinking seriously. Reagan sat down and finished one shot in a single gulp, though some of the wine trickled down his beard and fell onto his chest. It looked like a mini waterfall, drenching his coat and pants.


    Roy¡¯s lips twitched. That¡¯s not drinking. It¡¯s more like sshing wine around. He wasted a third of the wine, but two can cheat at that game. Roy could put anything up to a certain size in his inventory, though he had to have control over said item. Incidentally, wine could be sent into his inventory too, and that rule could be applied to the wine in his mouth.


    He sat on his chair with his legs crossed, just like how Reagan did. Then he held the mug with both hands and glugged it down. A few momentster, he turned the mug around, showing that he¡¯d finished all the wine, much to Reagan¡¯s surprise and approval.


    Unbeknownst to Reagan, all the wine had been sent into the inventory space, so Roy didn¡¯t even feel tipsy after that. Aside from the lingering taste of alcohol in his mouth, that was easier than gulping down a ss of water.


    ¡°Looks like I owe you an apology, my friend.¡± Reagan wiped the wine off his beard. ¡°I thought you¡¯d drop from one shot, since you know, you¡¯re thin, soft, and you have no beard. Didn¡¯t expect you to be a decent drinker. You drink fast, so you¡¯re a good guy, Roy.¡±


    Wait, what does that have to do with my personality? Roy shook his head, baffled by the dwarf¡¯s mindset. He pretended to wipe his lips. ¡°I have a favor to ask, Reagan.¡±


    Reagan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he thought of something, and he refused solemnly. ¡°You can¡¯t buy my soul with one barrel of wine. I have principles. Mount Carbon forbids women from marrying outsiders. We can¡¯t get a match for you here. It¡¯s against our principles, so give up.¡±


    Barney arched his eyebrow, agreeing. ¡°Y-yeah. W-we don¡¯t even h-have girlfriends o-ourselves. C-can¡¯t let you be i-in the lead.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still single? All of you?¡± Roy hit the bullseye, and the dwarves fell silent.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong! Barney knows a nicedy. If he would just stop being a pussy and ask her out, we¡¯d already be uncles by now.¡±


    Yep, they¡¯re still single alright. Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, and fifty-nine. They¡¯re almost the same age. So, they just came of age, huh?


    ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not going to marry anyone here. It¡¯d be great if you could teach me more about the crossbow during my stay here though, Reagan. Your tip back at the archery range helped me out a lot.¡±


    Reagan burped, surprised about the request. ¡°You want me to train you?¡±


    Drew, the shortest of them all, quickly asked, ¡°Did you hear anything about him from anyone?¡±


    ¡°Um, did I say anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. Just saying you have a great eye for mentors.¡± Drew gave Dave a look, and Dave¡¯s eyes gleamed with respect for Reagan. ¡°Aside from being the three-time reigning champion of Mount Carbon in archery, Reagan is also Paul Darba¡¯s brother. And Paul was a part of the dragon hunting team along with Yarpen Zigrin. They hunted down Myrgtabrakke and looted precious gems from its treasure trove. There are sapphires that are bluer than the deep blue sea, and diamonds the size of cherries.¡±


    The more he said, the prouder the dwarves looked, and Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Shit. I¡¯m just trying to get some helpers. I never expected them to be associated with Yarpen. He didn¡¯t know who Paul was, but he knew Yarpen. Many years ago, Yarpen Zigrin hunted down Myrgtabrakke, the green dragon, alongside Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer of Vengerberg. The hunt ended up being a failure, for Villentretenmerth the golden dragon had saved Myrgtabrakke and her daughter halfway through. Even so, Yarpen managed to lead his team to safety, and that was testament to his strength.


    ¡°My answer lies in the wine.¡± Reagan smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll have to keep drinking if you want the answer.¡± Then he finished another shot.


    Roy looked around at the tipsy dwarves and thought he could probably get them to be his allies. He ¡®drank¡¯ another shot and asked, ¡°Have you heard about the murders around the mountain?¡±


    Reagan¡¯s eyes zed over for a moment, and then he flew into a rage. ¡°Everyone and their mother in Mount Carbon knows about that! That damned murderer ruined four families! He¡¯d better pray we never cross paths, or I¡¯m going to shoot his head!¡± Then he told Roy formally, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t tell this to any outsider.¡±


    Roy shrugged. ¡°Sure, I get it. But do you know anything about the victims? Like if there¡¯s something special about them, or if there are any simrities.¡±


    ¡°Simrities? Not exactly. Elder Brovar doesn¡¯t tell us much.¡± Reagan wiped the wine off his beard. He had no answer to that, so he looked to hispanions, but Drew and Dave were equally perplexed.


    Surprisingly, Barney pped his hands. ¡°O-oh, there is! A-Adrian and Fuller both w-worked in the f-fifth mining area. K-Kaerwen Hoger is in charge o-of that ce.¡±


    ¡°Two of the victims worked in the fifth mining area?¡± Roy seemed to catch on to something. ¡°Two of them?¡±


    ¡°T-they¡¯re from the h-hunting team a-and the patrol team.¡±


    ¡°How many mining areas do you guys have?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen.¡±


    That¡¯s a lot, but the leshen picked two from the fifth mining area. Roy was surprised. Is this just a coincidence? ¡°Two deaths under Kaerwen¡¯s supervision? That¡¯s one big mistake. Doesn¡¯t he need to bear any responsibility?¡±


    ¡°As if,¡± Dave interjected, a look of disdain showing on his face. He whispered, ¡°That fucker¡¯s mediocre, but he knows how to lick his boss¡¯ shoe, so no surprise he doesn¡¯t need to be punished. He¡¯s always trying to butter Elder Brovar up. Thanks to his bootlicking, he managed to be the patrol captain of the mining area, and Elder Brovar¡¯s super soft on him. He tasked Kaerwen with the job of hunting down the murderer. Kaerwen just came of age, and he has no experience or skill. He can¡¯t be the captain. The murderer picked two of his underlings to kill because Kaerwen¡¯s easy.¡±


    Then he huddled closer to Roy and whispered, ¡°You know, there¡¯s a rumor going around among us sentries. Kaerwen¡¯s not really Elder Brovar¡¯s nephew. We think Kaerwen might be his illegitimate son. Oh, keep this a secret, will you?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Dave, that¡¯s quite enough. Are you getting drunk even before you¡¯ve had anything to drink? Say one more word of nonsense and I¡¯ll boot you out of the Mahakams.¡±


    ¡°Kaerwen of the fifth mining area.¡± Roy pondered on something, and then he recalled how harsh Kaerwen was to him when they first met. ¡°Does Kaerwen hate humans? Or is he at least prejudiced against them?¡±


    The dwarves shook their heads. ¡°We¡¯re not sure about that.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 63

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 63: Scoia¡¯tael</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A few roundster, Reagan got more tipsy, and Roy¡¯s questions became more random, as if they were irrelevant to his mission. ¡°Dwarves weren¡¯t the only race to live in the Mahakams, right? I heard gnomes used to live here too, but I didn¡¯t see a single one after I came in. Why is that?¡± Gnomes were the most ancient race to have ever lived. They were shorter than dwarves and better cksmiths than them.


    ¡°Yeah, we had gnomes quite a while back. They¡¯re small, and their attitude is bigger than a dragon. But their metallurgy and cksmithing are top notch.¡± Reagan pinched his beard as he walked down memoryne. ¡°But they moved to Tir Tochair from what I heard. It¡¯s their real base. I don¡¯t know why they did, but maybe Elder Brovar does.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s a shame. Looks like I have to postpone my visit with the gnomes. ¡°Oh, right. Have you ever left Mount Carbon, you guys? Have you ever seen the outside world?¡±


    ¡°Eh, nothing good out there.¡± Dave shook his head in disdain. ¡°Mount Carbon has better wine, weapons, and women. And leaving this ce means losing my house. As if I can get a wife without a ce to live. I¡¯m not going out, ever.¡±


    ¡°There you go speaking in absolutes again.¡± Reagan put his mug down, longing sparkling in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be venturing out when I¡¯m sixty. That¡¯s a few years from now. I¡¯ll seek Paul out and train with Yarpen. If I can make a name for myself, I¡¯ll have any woman I want when Ie back.¡±


    Drew nodded, and he changed his goal from wine to women. However, Barney frowned and objected. ¡°I-it¡¯s dangerous out there. T-there are bandits, h-humans, and S-Scoia¡¯tael.¡±


    Reagan quickly covered his mouth, and Drew and Dave looked shocked. That was the second time Roy had heard about Scoia¡¯tael, the first being his talk with Seville. Seville was Elder Brovar¡¯s nephew and the wine dealer in Aldersberg, so Roy wasn¡¯t surprised he knew about Scoia¡¯tael, since he must¡¯ve had a lot of sources.


    But Barney¡¯s just a small fry here, so where did he hear about that? He sipped some wine, but this time, he didn¡¯t cheat, and his face turned red the moment he swallowed it.


    Then he continued the conversation. ¡°Have you guys ever seen anyone from Scoia¡¯tael?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Reagan shook his head. ¡°Oh, you must be hearing things, my friend. Let¡¯s drink! Scoia¡¯tael, Shmyatael, am I right?¡±


    ¡°You can talk straight to me, you know,¡± Roy said, half-joking. ¡°I hail from Lower Posada in Aedirn. Ever heard of that ce? Dol thanna is east of that. I know a group of elves live there, and they see humans as their nemesis because of an ancient grudge. They¡¯d attack us any chance they got. Lie, cheat, steal, rob? That¡¯s the least they can do to us. They¡¯re some extreme guys, and they rallied behind an elven sorceress, forming an organization. That organization came to be known as Scoia¡¯tael, because they have squirrel tails attached to them, and have the same tattoo.¡±


    Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s ultimate goal was to erase all the humans in the north and create their own nation. One that was free of the humiliation of the humans. Most of the non-human races in the north were treated with contempt in the slums, especially elves, half-elves, and part-elves. Because of that, more and more non-humans and part-humans joined the organization and raised a g of rebellion. Aside from elves, they managed to get some dwarves to join too.


    ¡°You¡¯re young, but you know more than you should for your age.¡± Reagan let Barney go, and Barney gasped for air, sticking his tongue out.


    ¡°Well, witchers tend to know more than themon man.¡± Roy smiled. ¡°Witchers aren¡¯t human to a certain extent, so you don¡¯t have to hide anything from us.¡±


    Reagan thought about it for a while before answering. ¡°Like most of the dwarves here, we¡¯ve never seen any Scoia¡¯tael members. Since their actions go against the rules Elder Brovar has established, they¡¯d be severely punished the moment they¡¯d be found out. Anyone associated with Scoia¡¯tael would be exiled.¡±


    ¡°In other words, Elder Brovar is siding with the humans, unlike the elves in Scoia¡¯tael,¡± Roy postted.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s neutral. Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s banned here because they¡¯re trying to get everyone to subscribe to their crazy ideology. On the other hand, humans can be reasoned with.¡± Reagan burped. ¡°That¡¯s all I know. Now let¡¯s drink!¡±


    Since Reagan refused to talk about it, Roy didn¡¯t force him to. Twenty shotster, Reagan Dalba plopped on the table and snored, while Roy was still sober, his eyes gleaming.


    ¡°So, I guess this is my win then, my friends.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, even Reagan lost. Seems like we underestimated you.¡± Dave looked at Roy¡¯s belly in shock, since it showed no change even after downing twenty shots. Weird. Then he blurted, ¡°Do you have some sort of dimension pocket in there?¡± Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he thought Dave had noticed something. ¡°Just kidding.¡± Dave shook his head. ¡°A promise is a promise. Reagan¡¯s crossbow is now yours.¡±


    ¡°But it looks like you haven¡¯t had enough fun yet. My turn now. I¡¯ll make sure you run for the potty,¡± Dave said.


    Roy looked around, noticing that the dwarves were raring to go. ¡°Why not. Witchers can drink a ton after undergoing their mutations. I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m made of.¡±


    ***


    An hourter, three dwarves were snoring in the cave. The only ones still awake were Roy and Barney, though his face was red, and he was almost drunk.


    ¡°Barney, the guys say you¡¯re stupid and stutter a lot, but you¡¯re obviously the smartest of them all.¡±


    ¡°Good eye.¡± Surprisingly, Barney didn¡¯t stutter after he got drunk.


    ¡°Reagan might have never seen any Scoia¡¯tael members, but I bet you have.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    ¡°Nope. Not in the past year.¡± He burped, his face getting redder. ¡°They hung out with bandits and beasts in the mountain¡¯s depths in the past. The whole mountain¡¯s on the lookout for them.¡±


    ¡°The mountain¡¯s depths? You mean the forest here?¡± Roy¡¯s voice trembled as he recalled the conversation he¡¯d had with Letho the night before. He wanted an answer, but Barney grinned toothily, and then the dwarf fell asleep.


    Roy peered at the dwarves and shook his head. Then he took Blood Brothers out and ced it in front of Reagan before leaving the cave. The crossbow meant a lot to Reagan, and since he helped Roy out, Roy didn¡¯t want to take his stuff away.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 64

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 64: Report</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    On the other hand, Letho took Kaerwen to Svanthor to investigate. The winds were chilly in the north, and Svanthor¡¯s chief was shivering at the entrance. When he saw Kaerwen approaching, Casis quickly bowed with a smile, looking like apdog that was weing its master.


    ¡°Wee to Svanthor, Mr. Kaerwen. You honor us with your appearance.¡±


    He then led the duo into the vige. When Kaerwen went past him, he warmly shook his hand. Kaerwen gave a simple shake before pulling his hand back, and then Letho saw Kaerwen wipe his hand on his shirt in disgust.


    Casis smiled sycophantically, and also nervously. ¡°Sir, do you have good news for us? Is the murderer captured?¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting us, Casis?¡± Kaerwen red up at Casis. Even though he was only at Casis¡¯ chest, Kaerwen looked like a giant who was looking at an ant in disdain. ¡°Cut the crap. This is Letho, the witcher we hired. He has some questions for you, and I want you to answer all of them honestly.¡±


    ¡°O-of course. We won¡¯t let you down.¡± Casis turned around to see who the witcher was, and he had a weird look on his face when he saw Letho. That guy¡¯s the oddball who refused our request. Heh, he said no to us so easily, but now he¡¯s still doing it. Casis smiled, feeling smug, as if he were saying, ¡°So what if you said no to us? You ended up taking it anyway. So witchers are nothing but the dwarves¡¯pdogs after all.¡± He stood up straighter, thinking he was better than Letho, though he was just delusional.


    The dwarves saw the vigers as scum, the vigers saw witchers as scum, and the dwarves respected the witchers. It was a weird circle, but Letho paid no mind to it. ¡°Is everyone home right now?¡±


    Casis looked at Kaerwen, and Kaerwen nodded. ¡°Yes. Everyone¡¯s here, except those who are working in the mines. They¡¯re scared of the phantom. No wait, they¡¯re scared of that thing, so they¡¯re staying put.¡±


    ¡°Go with Kaerwen for now. I¡¯ll walk around the vige to investigate. I¡¯ll get back to you if I need any more answers.¡± Letho scanned the stone houses around him and went around the vige, observing the women, children, and elderly inside.


    ***


    Another day had passed, and Letho and Roy finished their work for the day. That night, they sat in the guest room, talking about their findings. ¡°Did you get anything in Svanthor?¡±


    ¡°I checked everyone, but I got nothing.¡± Letho didn¡¯t seem surprised.


    ¡°Including the ones in the mines?¡±


    ¡°If Casis was telling the truth, then I¡¯ve seen everyone today. Nobody hase into contact with the leshen, and we destroyed the second totem today.¡± Letho rubbed his chin, looking surprised. ¡°But weirdly enough, the leshen didn¡¯t send any beasts after us today and just let us do what we did. That¡¯s bizarre. By all ounts, it should be retaliating fiercely right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news though. The weaker it is, the higher our chances of victory.¡± Roy recalled what happened that morning and smiled. ¡°I found something today too.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got. Did you find a clue about the marked one?¡± Letho was curious.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s one cunning fellow for sure. I got nothing on that.¡± Roy paused. ¡°But I noticed something off about the case. A dwarf friend of mine told me two of the dwarves that died came from the fifth mining area, and the one in charge of that ce is Kaerwen, the one who¡¯s helping you in this case.


    ¡°You think he¡¯s a spy?¡± Letho closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t have the mark, and he helped me destroy the totems. A believer wouldn¡¯t desecrate the totem, but since you brought this up, I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    Roy continued. ¡°Remember what you saidst night about the forces that were helping the leshen? I have some clue about that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fast, boy.¡± Letho looked surprised. ¡°Who did you get it from?¡±


    ¡°Remember the first dwarves we met? I got along with them, and I think they can be trusted, because they aren¡¯t the scheming type.¡± Roy smiled at the thought of the dwarves¡¯ drunk look. ¡°Wine¡¯s their weakness, and since Brovar said I could have all the wine I wanted, I used that to my advantage. I can¡¯t use Axii, so this is all I can do, and they let Scoia¡¯tael slip when they got drunk.¡± Roy turned solemn. ¡°Do you know anything about this organization, Letho?¡±


    Letho frowned. ¡°I spend most of my time in the south, so I never heard anything of the sort. Is it a new organization?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since their establishment.¡± Roy gave it some thought before exining, ¡°Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s made up of some extreme guys. They despise humans, and most of their members are elves or part humans. They¡¯re trying to gain more allies, and their main targets are the ancient races, like dwarves, gnomes, or halflings. Anyone that hates humans are their potential allies. They mainly move around Dol thanna and anywhere the ancient races are.¡±


    ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, then they might be setting their eyes on everyone in Mount Carbon.¡± Letho mumbled, ¡°They might try to recruit the dwarves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and Elder Brovar, in all his years of ruling the mountain, has remained neutral, coexisting with humans peacefully.¡± Roy said, ¡°He will never allow an extremist group like Scoia¡¯tael to take root here, so he¡¯s their enemy.¡±


    Roy was reminded of Vernon Ryan, the one who died in a wine barrel. He¡¯d noticed the squirrel tail tattoo on Vernon¡¯s heel when he checked, so he knew the revolutionists¡¯ leader was a member of that extremist group. Since they have members in Aldersberg, they probably have some here too. The Mahakams isn¡¯t that far from Aldersberg.


    ¡°If the leshen¡¯s goal is to take control of the mountain, then that means Brovar is its enemy too.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°The enemy of my enemy is my friend, huh? I see. So Scoia¡¯tael is helping the leshen in the dark. That¡¯s why it could attempt thatrge-scale conspiracy. If I can make one more guess here, I would say Scoia¡¯tael brought that leshen here in the first ce.¡±


    Leshen was also called spriggan. In a way, it was the protector of forests, so it¡¯d kill the people who destroyed forests and nature. There were also those who were exceptionally close to nature among the elves, like Queen of the Fields, Dana Meadbh. It was possible for Scoia¡¯tael to work with the leshen using that kind of member.


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility,¡± Letho concurred.¡±But you can¡¯t convince anyone before finding any evidence that Scoia¡¯tael has infiltrated the Mahakams.¡±


    ¡°We have to prepare for the worst, so we should tell Brovar about this,¡± Roy insisted. ¡°At least we would have done our part in preparing for whatever that could happen.¡±


    Letho gave it some thought. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do it your way. Meet Brovar tomorrow morning and tell him about this. I¡¯ll go on with my investigation. Don¡¯t want anyone to find out about our discussion, see.¡±


    ***


    The next morning came, and Brovar sat on his ck throne in the depths of the forge hall, caressing his beard as he stared at the boy before him majestically. The chamber shone resplendently, but all the guards had been dismissed, leaving only him and Roy in it.


    ¡°Where did you hear that name, boy?¡± Brovar¡¯s voice was gruff and gravelly, his face trembling, and he sounded upset. ¡°Did those drunken brats tell you about it? I told everyone to keep this a secret! They¡¯re getting it from me, letting this secret slip!¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t tell me anything, Elder Brovar,¡± Roy quickly rified, since he didn¡¯t want to drag Reagan and his friends into the mess. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Scoia¡¯tael beforeing to the Mahakams. Ask Seville if you don¡¯t trust me. I talked to him about it when I was in Aldersberg.¡± Roy told Brovar the same thing he told Reagan and his friends.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll trust you for now. But I¡¯ll rify itter,¡± Brovar murmured. ¡°But it is impossible for Scoia¡¯tael to infiltrate Mount Carbon. It¡¯s preposterous. I¡¯ve exiled those extremists and their supporters a year ago. Until this day, not a single one of them has been spotted by the patrol members or the residents here, or I would have heard about it.¡± Brovar waved Roy down, the red silk of his robe billowing in the air. ¡°Your conjecture is nothing but a byproduct of your overimagination. Never bring this up again.¡± He continued. ¡°Since the leshen is the killer here, your job is to find it, kill it, and bring it as a trophy to me. That¡¯s also the witcher¡¯s job. But you came here out of the kindness of your heart, and that must be rewarded,¡± Brovar said warmly. ¡°If you have any request, you may speak up now.¡±


    Roy rubbed his fingers together, and doubt crossed his mind. What is he trying to say? Why am I getting rewarded when he doesn¡¯t believe me?


    But he spoke up anyway. ¡°Your excellency, I request for the freedom to travel to and from Mount Carbon, as well as some skilled bodyguards. It¡¯s best if they¡¯ve also gained your trust.¡±


    His investigation would anger the Scoia¡¯tael members if they were found to be lurking in Mount Carbon. Since Letho was out for his investigation during daytime, he needed some bodyguards to keep him safe.


    Brovar agreed to it readily. ¡°As you wish. I¡¯ll announce this to everyone. You¡¯re free to explore anywhere you want, including the mines. But you can¡¯t enter the forbidden ces, no matter what. As for the bodyguards you want¡­¡± Brovar ced his chin on the back of his hand. ¡°Take Reagan and his gang with you. I¡¯ll relieve them of their duties in the patrol team for the time being. They¡¯ll be under yourmand for now.¡±


    Roy stopped breathing for a moment. Assisting him during the investigation could be dangerous, and he didn¡¯t want to bring harm to his friends. ¡°Can I ask for other people, your excellency?¡±


    ¡°They love to drink with you, don¡¯t they?¡± Brovar shook his head in refusal. ¡°Then I¡¯ll grant their wish.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 65

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 65: Interrogation</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Reagan, hispanions, and Roy met up again in the bathhouse. ¡°Are you insulting me?¡± The dwarves were surrounding Roy, washing the dirt off their legs. ¡°You won the matchst night, so why did you give this back? You think I¡¯m a sore loser? We are no sore losers!¡±


    ¡°Reagan, since I won the match, that means I¡¯m the crossbow¡¯s owner.¡± Roy was tense and serious. ¡°So I reserve the right to give it to someone better.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re giving this to me?¡± Reagan pointed at him with his pudgy finger, at a loss for words. A whileter, he sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, you know. It¡¯s your liquor, after all.¡±


    ¡°Take it as a token of friendship. Elder Brovar did say you guys will be going around with me for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Any more wine then?¡± Dave licked his lips.


    ¡°If the chancees, let¡¯s just say you can fill yourself with all the wine you want.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends from now on, Roy!¡± Dave smacked Roy in excitement, and Roy almost teared up from the pain, his skin turning red.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk business. The elder wants you guys to help me out with the murders,¡± Roy whispered. They formed a circle, and Roy nned on telling them a few things, since they were already a team. ¡°I need some help. Have you ever seen anyone with a weird tattoo on them?¡±


    ¡°What kind of tattoo?¡±


    ¡°Shh, pipe down.¡± Roy showed the marking of an antler ovepping a spider web to the dwarves and scanned their faces, but to his disappointment, they looked baffled, obviously never seeing that mark before.


    ¡°What does this mark mean, Roy? Why are you looking for it?¡± Reagan shook his head. ¡°Elder Brovar thinks beards and chest hair are enough to show manliness, so there¡¯s no need for nonsense like tattoos. That¡¯s why we never advocate that here, and not even one in a hundred of us has tattoos. Oh, but those who¡¯ve left the mountain love it though. I¡¯ve seen every guy¡¯s body here, but I¡¯ve never seen this tattoo on them.¡±


    Dave, Drew, and Barney expressed the same sentiment.


    ¡°I see. But keep an eye out for me, and keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If I ever let this slip, I¡¯ll never have any wine again.¡±


    ¡°Same thing here.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    On the other hand, a gray-haired, muscr dwarf slid into the bath as the dwarves made their promise, and he looked up as he wiped himself off.


    ¡°The night-shifters usuallye inter. I wonder who that guy is.¡± Roy shifted his attention to the neer. The dwarf¡¯s face was sagging, his sun spots apparent. Theugh lines beneath the sides of his nose were deep, and the creases on his forehead also drooped. If Roy converted his age to a human¡¯s, the dwarf would be around fifty to sixty years old.


    And then Roy¡¯s eyes turned dark for a moment. Benson Fugnar? Hm, a hundred and fifty years old, no buffs or debuffs, normal stats, and normal skills. ¡°Is that old chap over there a miner?¡±


    The dwarves looked at Benson. Dave, Drew, and Reagan tried their hardest to remember, while Barney looked smug. ¡°I might stutter, b-but I have a g-good memory. I-I recognized you first, y-you know.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point, mate,¡± Roy said.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Barney gazed at the old dwarf with respect. ¡°Mr. Benson Fugnar i-is a hundred and fifty this year. H-he¡¯s about the same age as E-Elder Brovar, but h-he¡¯s a nice guy, a-and he doesn¡¯t p-put up airs. A-all the miners l-love him.¡±


    Dwarves might live long lives, but dwarves that could live for more than a hundred and twenty years in a time where wars and disasters were rife were rare. ¡°Why is he still working as a miner then? Shouldn¡¯t he be enjoying life?¡± Roy asked.


    Barney puffed his chest. ¡°A-as long a-as we can move, w-we must work. I-if we don¡¯t work, there¡¯s no food o-on the table.¡±


    Roy shot another question, ¡°What¡¯s his job then?¡±


    ¡°T-the fifth mining area¡¯s c-clerk. H-he¡¯s in charge o-of the schedule.¡±


    ¡°The area Kaerwen¡¯s in charge of, huh?¡± Roy replied, and at the same time, Benson did something weird. He hugged his legs out of nowhere and started wailing, his cries filling the bathhouse.


    Barney, the most sensitive out of them, teared up and sobbed.


    ¡°Why is he crying? Did his family die in the murders or something?¡±


    Reagan answered that in Barney¡¯s ce, ¡°No, his family¡¯s alive and kicking, and he just got a grandchild not too long ago.¡± He sounded envious.


    ¡°His son¡¯s worse off than I am, so I wonder how on Mahakams he managed to marry the woman he loved and bore two children on top of that. Elder Brovar even baptised his kids as an acknowledgement for their contribution.¡± Dwarves were not as fertile as humans, so having two children was a great contribution to the tribe.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great honor, and it hasn¡¯t been too long since then, so why is he looking so depressed? Did something happen to the kids?¡± Reagan frowned, feeling perplexed.


    On the other hand, Roy finally had a breakthrough. I¡¯ve been staking out at this ce for days. Finally someone¡¯s acting weird. I need to look into this. ¡°Barney, shouldn¡¯t you go up there and calm him down? He¡¯s your elder, after all.¡±


    Barney scratched his head in confusion, but then he thought Roy had a point, so he didn¡¯t retort.


    ¡°Be casual, okay?¡±


    Barney was reluctant. ¡°Y-you keep t-telling me t-to pull stupid t-things like this off.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Benson watched over you guys, didn¡¯t he? Shouldn¡¯t you talk to him? At least show some gratitude for his guidance.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine. I get it.¡±


    ***


    A short whileter, Roy got some information from Barney. He¡¯s reminiscing about the past because he¡¯s getting on in age. Benson couldn¡¯t hold it in because he was thinking about therades who died on the battlefield, huh? Is that really the case? ¡°Guys, take me to his ce.¡±


    ***


    ck Metal Inn was the only inn in Mount Carbon that was approved by the elders, so it was usually packed. But because of the murders that had happenedtely, the men would stay at home when night fell to take care of their families. Because of that, the inn¡¯s business was impacted heavily.


    The inn was brightly lit as usual that night, but only a few customers were inside. One of them was a gray-haired dwarf in yellow pajamas drinking alone in the corner. He would asionally look up, turning sober for a moment and looking around nervously, as if worried something might happen.


    On the other hand, Letho and Roy were sitting beside the window. ¡°You can¡¯t be asking me out at this hour just for some wine, can you?¡±


    ¡°I have some important information here.¡± Letho deftly shaved his stubble using his short sword. ¡°Remember what you told mest night? Yeah, I looked into it and discovered Kaerwen¡¯s secret. It¡¯s a big one.¡±


    ¡°Put that aside for now.¡± Roy calmed down and patted Letho¡¯s hand. ¡°One problem at a time. Keep an eye on the dwarf right there.¡± Roy nced at the target nonchntly and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t let him catch you.¡±


    ¡°Anything suspicious about him?¡± Letho gulped some dwarven liquor, and he squinted from the strong kick of the alcohol.


    ¡°That dwarf is Benson Fugnar, a clerk working in the fifth mining area. He¡¯s in charge of the miners¡¯ schedule. He bawled like a baby in the bathhouse today. Never saw anyone doing that before.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°He¡¯s the only one who¡¯s been acting weird, so maybe he knows something.¡±


    ¡°Worth a try.¡± Letho put his mug down and gave Roy a look of approval. ¡°Good job. Never overlook anything out of ce. You never know what you might find if you look into it.¡±


    Roy shrugged. ¡°But his lips are sealed. Not even my friends managed to get anything from him, let alone outsiders like us. You¡¯ll have to be more, I don¡¯t know, witcher-y about it.¡±


    The clock in the inn struck midnight, and Benson got up drowsily. He wiped the wine from his lips, shook his head, and went out. Mount Carbon was freezing at night, and one kiss from the wind was enough to turn the wine on his beard to ice. Even his nose turned red from it, but he didn¡¯t care about it. Benson trudged ahead to the steps leading to his cave, not unlike a soulless puppet.


    He dragged himself to the dark, narrow alley behind the inn and looked up at the moon that was nearly full. It¡¯s nearly the full moon. Benson took a deep breath, his eyes filled with fear, his lips trembling. He fell into a trance, as if he¡¯d seen something terrifying, and then the moon turned red before his eyes, screams of agony piercing the air around him.


    And then Benson felt something on his shoulder, so he snapped out of it only to be greeted by someone he¡¯d never met before. The man before him was bald, had sculpted features, a pointed jaw, deep-set eyes, and a distant look. Benson also saw a part of a sword on the man¡¯s back.


    He staggered backward. ¡°And you are?¡±


    The man grinned toothily. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. And then a chill ran up Benson¡¯s spine sobering him up, but before he could do anything, an illusion yed before his eyes. Letho¡¯s fingers split into dozens and hundreds of tentacles, surrounding him, blocking his every route of escape.


    ¡°That¡¯s a whole lot of fingers for a witcher¡­¡±


    ***


    The dwarf¡¯s eyes lost their gleam and focus, and the witcher mumbled something to him. ¡°Benson Fugnar, you would cry in the bathhouse alone and numb yourself with liquor in the inn. I know the cause of that. It¡¯s from the secret you¡¯re keeping, isn¡¯t it? You bury it deep in your heart, never telling anyone, not even your family. But eventually, the secret starts to gnaw at your conscience. The guilt you feel is killing you, and not even the wine you consume can numb the pain.¡± Benson started to look like he was in pain at that point. ¡°And now a listeneres up to you. He¡¯s just a traveler passing through Mount Carbon, and he holds his promise close to his heart. He can share your pain, and you won¡¯t have to risk getting found out. Tell him your secret. Tell all of it¡­¡±


    Letho eventually stopped talking, and Roy, who was behind Letho, held his breath, staring at the dwarf unblinkingly. Benson was gritting his teeth, and the pain he showed turned into a struggle.


    He was fighting against himself, but eventually, he refused. ¡°I-I can¡¯t say it.¡±


    That shocked Roy. He never knew anyone who could resist Axii, and that alone told him that Benson¡¯s sadness didn¡¯te from old memories. Benson¡¯s a hundred and fifty years old, so he¡¯s been through a lot, and his Will is six. That¡¯s one point higher than the average human.


    Since Benson was resisting, Letho went for a softer approach. ¡°Is someone threatening you?¡±


    Benson looked up, his face contorted, but his mouth was still sealed. If they weren¡¯t careful, Benson might just crush all his teeth, and then Roy went up. ¡°Is someone threatening you with your grandchildren?¡±


    Benson¡¯s eyes shot open, and he stared at Roy in horror. Yeah, it¡¯s probably the spy. Letho and Roy looked at each other. Since Benson was reluctant to answer some questions, Axii wouldn¡¯t work as well as they¡¯d hope. However, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t get any answers, since Benson¡¯s reaction could tell them a few things.


    Letho told Roy to keep on asking. ¡°Did you bump into something by chance in the fifth mining area? Did that spy threaten you with your family? Is he working for the murderer? Were the dwarves from the fifth mining area killed because of him? Will a new victim appear tomorrow? Is it someone from the fifth mining area, or somewhere else?¡±


    ***


    The answers from the dwarf shocked Letho and Roy. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Roy muttered. After thest question was asked, Letho snapped his finger to dispel Axii and escaped the scene with Roy quickly.


    A few momentster, Benson snapped out of it groggily. He hugged himself and scanned his surroundings in terror. I seem to have forgotten something, but what? ¡°Creepy.¡± He shivered. ¡°Bless me, holy Mahakams. May I and my family get through this in peace.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 66

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 66: Drive Away</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°We know when and where the leshen will make its next kill.¡± Roy was excited. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a whooping tomorrow.¡±


    But Letho had to snap him back to reality. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something, boy. The marked one hasn¡¯t been found as of yet, so it¡¯s useless, even if we kill it. But your tip yesterday helped out a lot.¡± Letho patted his shoulder. ¡°Kaerwen¡¯s not the marked one, nor is he the leshen¡¯s believer. Even so, two dwarves from his mining area died, and he, for some reason, is hostile to you. That is out of ce.¡± Letho stopped for a moment. ¡°So I used Axii on him this morning and found out that he¡¯s been helping Scoia¡¯tael this whole time. If his information is true, then there are four members hiding in Mount Carbon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Roy frowned. He thought there would be at least a few dozen of them.


    ¡°Most of the members lurking here were summoned back to Dol thanna for some reason, leaving only four to keep in touch with Kaerwen as well as helping the leshen build its totems,¡± Letho exined. ¡°They didn¡¯t hunt us down because they didn¡¯t have enough people here. They¡¯d be exposed if I somehow escaped their ambush, so they needed to be sure they could get me.¡±


    Roy got the answer to his question. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°And one of the members is the marked one,¡± Letho said. ¡°Kaerwen will meet up with them at the rendezvous point tomorrow night. The leshen will kill at the same time too.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they let one of them get marked? That¡¯s a bit cold.¡± Roy was shocked to hear that. That means he¡¯s giving up his life for the leshen. ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t spot him.¡± He took a deep breath and enquired. ¡°But why does Kaerwen want to help them? Elder Brovar treasures him a lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s as much as I can get out of him. Any more and he¡¯d escape Axii¡¯s grip.¡± Letho stopped for a moment, and then he mocked, ¡°He just came of age, you know. Sixty years old and all. Maybe he¡¯s helping Scoia¡¯tael because he¡¯s in his rebellious phase. Teens do tend to disobey their elders, you know.¡± He continued. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going toplete this request soon. I¡¯ll be killing the leshen tomorrow.¡± Letho had made the arrangements. ¡°While Kaerwen leads you and your friends straight to the Scoia¡¯tael members. Once you see the marked one, kill him, or the leshen will revive one hour after it is killed.¡± Letho became a bit more solemn. ¡°Time is not on our side, so kill them all, but leave Kaerwen alive if you can afford to.¡±


    Roy nodded. Kaerwen might have betrayed Brovar, but that doesn¡¯t mean Brovar¡¯s going to kill him. I¡¯d keep him alive if I could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. If Kaerwen somehow finds out about it, our n will probably backfire, since this is his turf, after all. Keep this a secret between you, me, and your friends. Not even Brovar can know about this.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°If the leshen resurrects ¡ª and that¡¯s the worst case scenario ¡ª it¡¯ll be weakened for some time. If that happens, use the bomb and oil I gave you. Fire damages it lethally,¡± Letho reminded Roy. ¡°The leshen and Scoia¡¯tael willy low after tomorrow night, unless we manage to drive them away. Or until their reinforcementes. Tomorrow¡¯s ourst chance to finish this.¡±


    Letho¡¯s not scared even though he¡¯s facing the leshen alone. I have my friends backing me up, so kicking Kaerwen and those Scoia¡¯tael members¡¯ arses should be easy. ¡°Let¡¯s do it then.¡±


    ***


    The full moon slowly rose into the night sky, but the trees nking the path between the fifth mining area and Mount Carbon were shrouded in darkness, looking just like an eerie abyss. Anyone would wonder if they¡¯d get ambushed by the horrors hiding in the dark.


    Suddenly, hasty footsteps were heard closing in on the path, and a momentter, a dwarf in a thick coat jogged into the dark path with nothing but an oilmp illuminating his way.


    Buzz Ricky was one of the veteran miners in the fifth mining area, and he¡¯d worked diligently for more than ten years. He should¡¯ve been working the night shift that night and only going back home in the morning. The recent murders in the night terrified everyone, so the miners would stay the night in the mines if they got offte, only going back home when it was dawn.


    However, his n wouldn¡¯t go that smoothly. A guard came in to inform him about his wife¡¯s delivery, and Buzz must return to his family for the child¡¯s delivery, even if it was dangerous to go out at night.


    It was only a thirty-minute journey from the fifth mining area to Mount Carbon, and there would be the asional patrol going through the path, but for some inexplicable reason, the path was deathly quiet that night.


    A trail of shallow footsteps embedded themselves on the snow ground as Buzz jogged ahead, the mist he breathed out turning to ice on his beard. The mine was already a long way back, and he would be arriving in the valley after ten minutes. All he could think about at that point was his wife, and nothing else.


    His panting became heavier, and the forest heard it. As if on cue, Buzz fell headfirst into the snow, and his oilmp rolled away. Then a sharp stab of pain shot up from his calf. Buzz screamed into the night, and when he calmed down, Buzz looked down at his calf only to see a sharp arrow piercing his right calf.


    Blood drenched his hand when he touched the wound, and the snow was dyed crimson from his bleeding wound. ¡°Come out, you bastard!¡± He looked around and yelled in horror. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± he roared, but terror was starting to overwhelm him. Then he saw someone jump down from the tree beside the path.


    The moonlight and oilmp illuminated her, revealing reddish-brown hair, sculpted features, pointed ears, a protruding jaw, and two rows of white, canine teeth. Buzz trembled, but he observed the elf closely, and finally, his eyes were glued to the essory around her waist. It was yellow and made out of squirrel hide.


    ¡°Elf? No! You¡¯re a Scoia¡¯tael elf! Is Scoia¡¯tael behind all the murders?¡± He¡¯d heard rumors about Scoia¡¯tael members hiding around Mount Carbon, waiting for the right time to topple Elder Brovar, and that rumor had spread like wildfire for some time. However, ever since everyone associated with Scoia¡¯tael had been driven out a year ago, Elder Brovar had forbidden them from talking about the matter, and the rumors died.


    Buzz thought Scoia¡¯tael had all been driven out too, but apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The elf didn¡¯t answer his question. She took her bow and arrow once more and aimed at Buzz. Buzz got up with difficulty, his face contorted with pain and terror. Elves were known for their aptitude in archery. He knew she could kill him easily, since he was injured and only ten feet away from her.


    ¡°Looks like this is where I meet my end, dear Akali. In the end, I couldn¡¯t get to see you and our baby onest time.¡± The frustration and hatred within him made Buzz roar, ¡°Damn you, Scoia¡¯tael! You shall all burn in hell! Just you wait! Elder Brovar and my brethren will avenge me! This is war! And I swear all of you will burn!¡± Then he closed his eyes and waited for death to im him.


    But the stab of pain didn¡¯te, and he looked at the elf in shock. The elf turned her head to the left and gave him a look.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Should I go left?¡± The desire to live lit within him, but instead of following her orders, Buzz limped back the way he came. However, an arrow brushed past him before he could get far, and it drew blood. ¡°What do you want?¡± He was infuriated, thinking the elf was ying with him, but the elf was still only telling him to go left.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll y along as long as I can live to see my baby.¡± Buzz decided to follow the elf¡¯s orders. He would swallow his pride if it meant he could live. He dragged himself to the left, and blood trickled down his pants, leaving a crimson trail on the ground.


    The pain from his right calf was still unbearable, but he didn¡¯t do anything about the arrow that pierced him. All he could do was moan, but eventually, his whole leg went numb. The moment he entered the forest, he was engulfed by the darkness, and the terror within him grew ten timesrger. He had a feeling something horrifying had set its eyes on him.


    The elf was holding the oilmp and was following him. He wanted to escape, but the elf had her eyes on him, and he didn¡¯t make any sudden movements. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked, but no answer came, and so, all he could do was walk ahead.


    Buzz trudged on, covering a long, long distance. He kept losing blood, and the chilly winds buffeted him, draining all his color away. He could feel himself turn cold, his limbs stiffening, and his vision blurred.


    He suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around, but the elf was nowhere to be seen. However, before he could rejoice, a long, ancient sigh echoed around him, sending a chill up his spine.


    Buzz finally broke down from the pressure.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 67

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 67: Hard Battle</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The earth seemed to havee to life, and it started rumbling. The snow on the trees started falling, and the trees bowed, as if weing their master. And then a dark, narrow path was revealed.


    To Buzz¡¯s horror, two wrinkly, wooden hands held the trunks, or to be precise, the ¡®hands¡¯ were made out of countless intertwining vines. The hands pushed themselves back, revealing a gigantic being kneeling behind the path. ¡°I-is that a-a deer?¡±


    The creature¡¯s head was as big as an average adult human, with a pair of gigantic antlers protruding from the sides of its head. Each of the antlers looked like the branches of a tree, and they were intertwined. Its face was as long as a deer¡¯s, but it had no flesh on it, not even on its snout, and only a mere skull remained. Eerie mes seemed to dance in its eye sockets, sending fear into those who saw them. Its torso and limbs were made of tree trunks and vines, covered by ayer of fern.


    The monster took a step forward, and its face was just a few feet away from Buzz, its ten foot height blocking everything in Buzz¡¯s sight. The leshen was one with the darkness, spreading darkness, fear, and death to its surrounding. Buzz¡¯s hairs stood on end, and he trembled, feeling suffocated. It took all his head to blurt out, ¡°W-what the hell are you?¡±


    The leshen growled, its voice grating. Before Buzz could say another word, the leshen raised its gigantic hand and mmed it downward.


    This is it. Buzz closed his eyes in despair, but then a gust of wind howled behind him, and a deafening boom surrounded him. He heard an inhuman gasp of pain, and the monster pulled its hand back, and someone appeared beside Buzz.


    He looked smallpared to the leshen, but for some reason, Buzz thought he was infallible. ¡°Letho!¡± Buzz roared in excitement, and he started crying. He was about to die a moment ago, but then he¡¯d found out he was still alive. It was a harrowing experience to say the least.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Letho stood before the dwarf, his face filled with ck veins thanks to the potion he had, and he held his short swords before his chest, yellowish oil and crimson blood gleaming on them. The blood belonged to the elf who¡¯d led Buzz to his would-be death.


    The leshen was twenty feet away from Letho. Letho could smell the scent of soil and grass from it, but also the faint stench of blood. His ne started humming, and the ground pulsed, as if a creature¡¯s tongue was trying to coil around its prey.


    A vine whipped upward from the snow and tried to wrap them, not unlike how a python would. There was a stench emanating from it, and Buzz started shouting for help. Letho sliced the vine, cutting it in half, and green fluid oozed from it. The broken vine squirmed on the ground like a sliced worm. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there and scream, you fool! Take this!¡±


    Buzz scrambled to take the knife Letho tossed him, and he smiled wryly. ¡°You want a limp like me to fight that with this little knife?¡± But he couldn¡¯tin, for the leshen had started howling, and dozens of vines were crashing toward them like a waterfall.


    Letho grabbed Buzz and rolled away, but the vines didn¡¯t stop chasing them, and soon, they were surrounded. Eventually, the vines formed a cocoon, trapping Letho and Buzz within it. The leshen sighed, and then it went ahead and held the cocoon within its slender, wrinkly hand. And it gripped it. The cocoon that was made out of countless vines started squirming as the leshen¡¯s grip became tighter, and it turned smaller and smaller.


    Sounds of things rubbing against each other came from within the cocoon, and then a crack was heard. The leshen took an involuntary step back, and if its face still had flesh on it, it would¡¯ve looked horrified. The weird sound kept going on and on, until the cocoon suddenly stopped contracting, and the vines started trembling, murmuring into the night. They were shivering in fear, as if they¡¯d encountered a predator.


    The leshen watched quietly, and then a beam of light shone from within the cocoon, and after that, the vines fell off, drying up and dying right away. Steam escaped from some of the vines, as if they were getting cooked. The leshen opened its arms, and the forearms turned into two sharp spikes. It tried to pierce the cocoon, but what greeted it was a whip of me, though it onlysted for a moment. However, that moment was enough to make the leshen clutch its arms in agony and back off.


    Letho was kneeling on one knee, supporting himself with his sword. He was panting, his whole body red. Even though they escaped death, it took a toll on him. He was bleeding from his face, and his armor was broken, blood gushing out. Buzz was lying on the ground, life hanging on by a thread.


    ¡°Homta, morata¡­¡± The leshen started chanting while Letho was catching his breath, then howls of wolves came from afar. Letho quickly made a sign in the air and sent a green beam flying straight at the leshen. The leshen was caught by surprise, and it was stunned for a moment, forcing it to stop chanting. Letho took the chance to hurl a bomb at it.


    The canister was smashed into pieces, and white smoke with ck particles in it enveloped the leshen, blocking its magical flow and its connection with nature. The leshen howled and quickly backed out of the smoke.


    Letho crossed his short swords, creating sparks in the air, and then he pounced on the leshen. Buzz was still lying on the ground, and never once did he expect to see a witcher fighting a monster up close in his life.


    The leshen¡¯s magic had been sealed once the dimeritium bomb had been set off, and it could only engage in close quarterbat with Letho. It was like seeing David fight Goliath, except David was a witcher, and Goliath was a leshen. It looked funny, but dangerous at the same time. The leshen had incredible strength and was invincible. Its every attack left a crater in the ground, but since it lost its magic, it became the prisoner in a prison it created.


    It was as if the leshen was constricted by a shirt too small, and it couldn¡¯t exert its full strength. It¡¯d clumsily hit the pine trees from time to time, wasting energy for nothing.


    On the other hand, the witcher, while big in the dwarf¡¯s eyes, had astounding speed. He moved around as if there were wings on his legs, evading the leshen¡¯s ws by a hair¡¯s breadth at times. Whenever the leshen tried to go around Letho to attack Buzz, Letho would force it to retreat with Igni.


    Letho was a cunning and cautious fighter. He¡¯d retreat after every strike with his short sword, not giving it any openings. That was how snakes hunted. His short swords acted like fangs, biting into the leshen and poisoning it whenever he saw an opening. Then he¡¯d hide behind the trees.


    Vipers had lethal venom, and Letho¡¯s venom was the oil and poison on his short swords. The leshen had a tough hide, so the stabs wouldn¡¯t damage it too much, but all Letho needed to do was scrape its skin, then his oil and poison would invade the leshen¡¯s body, corroding and destroying it that way.


    If someone saw the fight from afar, they¡¯d see a titan roaring in the forest, while someone was swirling around it like a phantom.


    Two minutes of intense battleter, the leshen had umted countless injuries, and green blood oozed from them. Letho was hit twice, and blood trickled down his cheek. His right arm was mangled and hung limply at his side. Even so, he showed no panic or frustration. He cast one final Igni and threw the mes at the gigantic monster, and then he took a deep breath and put his short sword down.


    A momentter, green blood spurted from the leshen¡¯s countless wounds, and it fell like a boat that was sinking because of the countless holes in its hull. Letho watched closely as the giant fell with a rumbling thud. Ity on the ground, spread eagled, its chest heaving, and the light in its eyes dimmed.


    Letho uncorked a Swallow and finished it in one gulp. A momentter, the wounds on his body stopped bleeding, but he still wouldn¡¯t take his eyes off the leshen. At the same time, he moved his right arm with his left to snap the bones back into ce, giving it a semnce of an arm. He helped the heavily injured dwarf up and fed him a bottle of marigold potion. The bitter taste made Buzz frown, and he woke up.


    ¡°I-is the monster dead, Letho? Did we survive?¡± The dwarf could see that the leshen was almost dead, but the fatal hit hadn¡¯t beennded yet.


    ¡°Ash to ash, dust to dust. It was born in the woods, therefore it shall die in the woods. That is its fate, but it has to live, at least for a little while longer.¡± And then Letho¡¯s face fell, for the leshen suddenly turned into a ball of smoke and disappeared into thin air.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 68

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 68: Ambush</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Let¡¯s turn the clock back by five hours.


    Four dwarves and a human teenager were hiding behind a big tree in a snow cappednd, staring at a path before them. Two of them had crossbows on their backs, while the other ones had two-handed weapons with them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for half an hour, Roy. You sure Kaerwen¡¯sing out?¡± Reagan caressed his freezing beard, looking bored, and the other dwarves listened closely. Roy breathed into his hands to warm himself.


    ¡°Patience, my friends. I got this from a reliable source.¡± Roy injected some fear in his reply. ¡°Since we have time, let¡¯s review our n.


    ¡°Kill those Scoia¡¯tael scum,¡± Drew started.


    ¡°C-capture Kaerwen.¡± Barney clenched his fists in excitement.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Dave scratched his head, apparently not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Safety first. We¡¯ll make a run for it if we can¡¯t beat them.¡± Roy¡¯s fingers were getting white with nerves, his heart palpitating. ¡°Go with the flow, Reagan. If the leshen somehow revives when we¡¯re fighting, remember to throw some fire at it.¡± Even though Letho said there were only four members, Roy couldn¡¯t be too sure about it, since they didn¡¯t know much about the enemy.


    ¡°Got it, so rx.¡± Reagan¡¯s face was getting red. ¡°Fuck it. I¡¯ve been wanting to kick that asslicker in the balls for a while now.¡±


    And then they held their breaths, for they saw someonee out of the mine. It was a dwarf with white-hair and a white-beard, and he was equipped with a hammer as well as an oilmp.


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± They started tailing their quarry.


    ***


    The white-haired dwarf walked on the path filled with wheel tracks for ten minutes before suddenly going into the forest that was nking it. Roy and the dwarves were surprised by that, and they quickly followed.


    The moon was drowning thend in its silvery glow, and the snow ground was filled with trails of footsteps leading deep into the forest. A group of five friends traveled in the dark, silent forest, and Roy would etch the mark of the Viper School on a pine tree after walking for a certain distance.


    Half an hourter, their quarry led them to a dark cave. The white-haired dwarf suddenly put his index fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. A momentter, two silhouettes with torches in their hands came out to greet him. The dim light from the fire illuminated them, revealing their pointed ears, sharp chin, and slender, agile figure.


    The elf on the left was wearing a dark green jacket that covered his leather armor underneath. His boots looked old and were made out of deer hide. And he was equipped with a bow, quiver, and sword.


    The elf on the right had delicate features, fair skin, and had no visible weapons on her, though she had a rhombus-shaped talisman on her belt, and she was slimmer than her male counterpart. They ced their torches into the sconces on the wall and engaged in a quiet conversation with Kaerwen. Roy and his friends couldn¡¯t hear anything because it was too soft, but the dwarves who were hiding behind the bush nearby looked excited. Barney even covered his mouth in case he made any sound, but his body was trembling in excitement.


    Two elves? But there should be four? Are they in the cave? But it¡¯s not a bad thing. Even if Kaerwen is there, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to defeat them. Roy heaved a sigh of relief and scanned the elves.


    ¡®Thoth


    Age: 70


    Gender: Male


    Status: Scoia¡¯tael member


    HP: 60 (Marked)


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 6


    Perception: 7


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 5


    Skill:


    Bow Master Level 5


    One-handed Mastery Level 5


    Elegance of the Wind (Passive): Elves possess extraordinarily elegant looks and great dexterity. Charisma +1, Dexterity +1.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Lydia


    Age: 60


    Gender: Female


    Status: Scoia¡¯tael member, sorceress.


    HP: 50


    Mana: 150


    Strength: 4


    Dexterity: 6


    Constitution: 5


    Perception: 5


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 15


    Skill:


    Source (Passive): Has awakened the power to sense chaos energy. Now a magic-sensitive elf. Loved by the elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Absorbs mana automatically at all times. Can control Mana and release spells after receiving professional and systematic training, performing feats most people couldn¡¯t.


    Magic Trick Level 5: The mildest and trickiest usage of elemental energy. Expends a small amount of mana to perform daily chores. Includes cleaning, bathing, copying, lighting, makeup, and more.


    Fireball Level 3: Elementary level fire spell. No materials needed. Summons a fireball to attack after casting. Damage is dependent on skill level and Spirit.


    Lightning Bolt Level 4: Elementary level air spell. No materials needed. Releases a bolt of lightning at target after casting. Damage is¡­


    Teleportation Level 3¡­


    Heightened Defense Level 4¡­


    Elegance of the Wind (Passive)¡­


    Oh shit. An elven sorceress? Roy gasped. This is going to be troublesome. She¡¯s a lot stronger than Toya is. I mean, look at all her skills. If she notices us and manages to prepare herself, she¡¯ll be throwing fireballs and lightning bolts at us left and right while her teammates cover her. We¡¯ll all die before getting close. Good thing I noticed her. She¡¯s worse than a normal human in terms of survivability if caught unprepared. Wait, the other elf is marked?


    Realization struck Roy, and he knew the male elf was their primary target, the key for the leshen¡¯s revival. ¡®Show no mercy. Kill him when you have the chance.¡¯ He recalled Letho¡¯s reminder and pointed at the male elf before pointing at himself. Then he pointed at the female elf and pointed three fingers at Reagan, who was holding Blood Brothers.


    They loaded their crossbows and knelt down, aiming at their targets¡¯ vitals. Roy activated Crossbow Mastery and aimed at the elf¡¯s heart, while Reagan aimed at the female elf¡¯s neck. The other dwarves held their breath and watched silently as Roy whispered the countdown. ¡°Three, two, one, fire!¡±


    Two crossbow bolts flew across the air, mming into their targets. The male elf who was chatting with Kaerwen felt as if his chest had been hit by a sledgehammer, and he fell down with a contorted face as a bloody arrow pierced through his chest. Even though he¡¯d hit his target, Roy looked dark, for he noticed the elf nudging ever so slightly to the side at thest moment. Because of that, the arrow didn¡¯t manage to pierce his heart, and the elf survived, but only just.


    Reagan¡¯s shot was not much better than Roy¡¯s. In fact, it was much worse, for a white light covered her, deflecting the bolt before it could hit it.


    ¡°Gar¡¯ean! Gar¡¯ean!¡± the female elf screeched in horror before darting back into the cave, hiding within the safety of the dark. Then she started chanting, and the pressure from her eerie magic hung over everyone¡¯s heads like a reaper¡¯s scythe.


    Kaerwen Hoger charged at their hiding spot, his hammer trailing along with him, and his hair billowed in the wind.


    ¡°Drew, Dave, you guys take him on!¡± Reagan reloaded his crossbow. ¡°Roy, finish that Scoia¡¯tael scum! Barney, you¡¯ll take care of that sorceress with me!¡±


    Roy raised his crossbow and took out the bomb from his inventory. ¡°No, we¡¯ll take care of that sorceress first! That elf is just inches away from death! I¡¯ll deal with himter!¡±


    The battle¡¯s tides started to turn, and a few momentster, Drew and Dave charged toward Kaerwen with their hammer and greataxe. Kaerwen swung his hammer and barely deflected the weapons away, but he was forced backward, and he ran into the forest.


    At the same time, Roy quickly hurled the dimeritium bomb into the cave, and the white smoke enveloped the sorceress. She suddenly let out a chilling scream as the magical fire in her hands was extinguished. The light that enveloped her shattered into pieces, and blood trickled down her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Her magic backfired on her.


    Roy didn¡¯t hesitate to pull the trigger and buried an arrow into her eye. A momentter, the arrow pierced through her skull, sending chunks of flesh, blood, and grey matter flying everywhere.


    The sorceress fell back onto the ground and died, never getting the chance to cast any spell. ¡®The sorceress, Lydia, is killed. You gain a hundred EXP. Level 3 (110/1500).¡¯


    Whoa, a sorceress is worth five times more than a normal human. But that wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. He heard the howls of the winding from the cave, and a third Scoia¡¯tael member showed up, holding a greatsword. He was obviously an elf, judging by his ears, but instead of having a slim body like his brethren, the elf with the greatsword was muscr and covered in dark, grey armor. His neck and left shoulder were exposed, and Roy could see a tattoo in the shape of green leaves, branches and vines sprawled on the elf¡¯s skin.


    His face contorted in rage and sadness, and he jumped out of the shadows the moment the sorceress had died. The elf swung his greatsword, aiming for Roy¡¯s chest. The gale that brushed past Roy suffocated him, but he managed to roll away, though he was a moment toote. However, the greatsword was blocked by a ck hammer.


    ¡°Y-you want to kill him? O-over my dead body!¡± Barney¡¯s face was as scarlet as the setting sun, his eyes wide with fury. Barney mmed his leg against the elf¡¯s chest, sending him flying back into the shadows, and he swung his hammer down on the elf¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in! There might be more of those scum inside!¡± Reagan went into the cave with his crossbow in hand.


    Only ten seconds had passed since the first shot had been made, but only Roy and the marked elf were left, with thetter being near dead with a hole in his chest. Blood trickled down his mouth, and his face was contorted in rage, his green eyes filled with hatred. He bared his teeth at Roy, threatening to kill him, but to little effect.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Roy couldn¡¯t understand why Scoia¡¯tael hated humans so much, but he wouldn¡¯t spare them a shred of pity. He then grabbed a bolt out of thin air, but before he could do anything, a wrench was thrown in his n.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 69

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 69: The Last Kill</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    An arm that looked like a tree¡¯s roots tore the elf¡¯s chest open, and it grabbed Roy¡¯s right hand. The dim light from the sconce illuminated them, revealing the crimson fluid on the arm, the ferns on it, and the tough husk that looked like it belonged to a root.


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he grabbed a bolt with his left hand and tried to stab the elf¡¯s ear, but the hand mmed him in the chest, sending him flying back. Roy tumbled down and rolled around, pain spreading from his chest, and it felt as if his insides had shifted. He struggled to sit up, and to his horror, the hand that had torn the elf¡¯s chest pushed against the ground, forcing the elf¡¯s body to sit up at a terrifying angle.


    As the moon¡¯s light sprinkled over the forest, the elf¡¯s body dislocated its jaw, and inside its mouth, an eye peered straight at Roy. A ball of cold me danced inside it ¡ª a me that was devoid of any life. A momentter, the elf that had sat up was torn in half, revealing the gigantic leshen in its entirety. After the fight with Letho, the leshen had shrunk to half its size, and it was only standing at five feet tall. Tiny antlers protruded from its head, and a mask made out of a white skull covered its face. Its eyes looked more like eerie bluenterns, and looking at them sent a chill down Roy¡¯s spine.


    Its body and limbs were made out of tree trunks and vines, and they were covered in blood and bodily fluids. More than anything, it looked like a baby that just broke out of its mother¡¯s womb, albeit in a grotesque way.


    ¡®Ancient leshen


    Age: 272


    HP: 80 (Weakened)


    Mana: 120


    Strength: 12 ¡ý


    Dexterity: 4 ¡ý


    Constitution: 8 ¡ý


    Perception: 5 ¡ý


    Will: 7 ¡ý


    Charisma: 12 ¡ý


    Spirit: 12 ¡ý


    Skills:


    Vine Control Level 6: Expends a small amount of mana to hasten the growth of seeds. Summons durable, strong, and fast vines to attack the target.


    Ground Spike Level 6: Elementary level earth spell. Expends a small amount of mana to attack the target with ground spikes.


    Beast Summoning Level 7: Charms nature¡¯s beasts with great charisma. The beasts can be summoned at any time to help the user.


    Camouge Level 7: The user may blend itself with the forest if in the required terrain. Allows the user to hidepletely.


    Mark of the Leshen Level 6: An ancient ritual of blood. A strengthening totem can be constructed after the necessary sacrifices are made.


    The Forest¡¯s Murmur Level 7: The user can charm travelers who are lost in a forest, showing them an illusion, brainwashing them into devotion through great charisma.


    Child of the Woods (Passive): The user is the guardian of forests and loved by nature. Nature blesses it as gratitude for its service. As long as the user is in a forest, its stamina, mana, and wounds would recover twice as fast.¡¯


    ***


    All the color drained from Roy¡¯s face after reading the details. This is an ancient leshen? Wait, it¡¯s weakened? But it¡¯s still stupidly strong! It¡¯s the strongest monster I¡¯ve seen until now! How am I supposed to fight it? Roy was about to hurl a dimeritium bomb at it, but he realized he used it in the fight against the sorceress.


    Shit! He cursed quietly and shot a bolt at the leshen, but as expected, it got stuck in the monster¡¯s hide. Aside from drawing some blood, it did nothing. ¡®Leshens are afraid of fire!¡¯ Letho¡¯s reminder rang in his head, and he quickly tossed a bottle at the leshen, coating it in oil. The leshen was still groggy from the recent resurrection, and it didn¡¯t stop Roy.


    But when Roy went for the torch on the wall, the leshen red at him and put its hands together. ¡°Hont¡­¡± it chanted, and in the very next moment, a thick vine sprouted from the ground and pounced at Roy from behind, coiling his leg. Then it pulled Roy up, suspending him in midair, effectively taking him out ofmission.


    The blood rushed to his head, stunning Roy, and everything around him spun. To his horror, the vine was already coiling around his whole body, turning him into a cocoon with nothing but his eyes exposed. He was also suffocating from the tightening vine around his neck, and then he was reminded of the nightmare he¡¯d had beforeing to Mahakam. That felt oddly simr. Was it trying to tell me about this?


    The leshen awkwardly stood up among the flesh and blood, and then it slowly went toward Roy. At the same time, three dwarves showed up behind the monster. Drew and Dave were dragging Kaerwen along by his arms, and when they noticed the monster outside the cave, the dwarves held their weapon tensely.


    And when they saw Roy being suspended in midair, they flew into a rage and charged toward the leshen, abandoning their hostage along the way. The leshen was fully focused on Roy, obviously trying to do something to the boy, and so, it was oblivious to the dwarves¡¯ ambush.


    When the dwarves¡¯ greataxe and hammer mmed into the leshen, it howled terribly and stumbled forward, but it didn¡¯t fall. However, the leshen¡¯s tough body was injured, and green blood gushed from its wounds.


    The leshen¡¯s howls turned into a guttural growl, and it whirled around, mming the dwarves with its mangled arms. Even though the dwarves were stout and covered in heavy armor, they could move as nimbly as a calico could. They ran around the leshen once, and the moment the leshen¡¯s attack was weakened, they held their weapons before their chest, blocking the attack.


    They followed their defense by moving their weapon downward, sliding across its arms, and sparks flew. A momentter, their weapons connected with the leshen¡¯s chest and back, mming hard into the monster. Two giant cracks formed on the leshen¡¯s body, and blood spurted. Nobody could see it, but Roy noticed the leshen¡¯s HP taking a dip, leaving it with only sixty points.


    Roy tried to shout, but all he could do was let out a muffled scream, for the vines were still coiled around him. The dwarves¡¯ attack finally enraged the leshen, and it started chanting once again. It could cast spells at a terrifyingly faster speedpared to any normal sorcerer, and all it took was a split second for it tounch an attack. Most people would fail to find an opening under those circumstances.


    The dwarves thought they noticed the leshen¡¯s weakness. It might¡¯ve had great strength, but its reaction and movement speed were slower than a tortoise¡¯s. They circled it with their weapons in hand, their shadows almost a blur. The dwarves looked like a pair of hyenas hunting their prey down on a meadow, waiting for a chance to give the leshen another blow. However, unbeknownst to them, two vines shot up from the ground, ambushing them from below.


    The vines coiled around their feet and pulled them back, suspending them in midair. And then, just like Roy, they were turned into a cocoon, but the leshen wasn¡¯t as kind to them this time around. A cruel gleam shone within its eyes, and it raised its hands before putting it down.


    The dwarves were suspended further up into the air before mming headfirst into the ground. A loud thudter, the vines uncoiled the dwarves, revealing Drew and Dave who were out ofmission.


    ***


    ¡°Dave, Drew!¡± Roy shouted, but only muffled sounds came out, and he teared up. ¡°Goddammit!¡±


    An arrow soared through the air, hitting the leshen in the face, embedding itself into the mask. Reagan came out of the dark, but he looked like a mess. His hair was billowing in the air, and his right thigh was bleeding. He was obviously injured in the battle against the elves, but he showed no panic. After the shot hit its mark, he quickly reloaded his crossbow, ready for the next shot.


    The torch illuminated the cave, and Roy could see the shadow of a dwarf running toward them, and out came Barney, roaring and raring to fight. He swung his warhammer and mmed it into the leshen¡¯s head. And it howled. Forty HP remaining.


    ¡°Mo, ning, ta¡­¡± The leshen covered its face and directed its spell at Barney. The air was filled with the stench of soil, and as dust and debris flew into the air, a ground spike higher than ten feet shot up from the ground, forming a wall before the leshen. Barney¡¯s attack was stopped, but he mmed into the wall, failing to stop himself in time.


    The ground rumbled, and Barney was taken out from the recoil. He let go of his warhammer, and it fell with a thud. The leshen blocked Reagan¡¯s arrow with its hand, and then it summoned another vine to suspend him in midair.


    And with that, the battle was brought to an end. The ground was littered with corpses and the injured, and the only one standing was a rtively petite, bleeding leshen. An arrow was buried in its face, and its chest heaved as it panted. The leshen slowly came up to Roy, only to stare at him in silence. Roy smelled the scent of natureing from it, but also the stench of blood and the soil.


    That¡¯s the smell of a graveyard. Roy closed his eyes and trembled reflexively. Every inch of his body, every vessel, and every vein shivered uncontrobly as he waited for the leshen to pass its judgment. But then he thought about his friends, and a me of fury welled up within him, trying to consume him. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he struggled to break free. A few momentster, the vines around him uncoiled, but his head and back was pressed down by the leshen, forcing him to bend down with his face touching the ground.


    The leshen hunkered down and raised his head, staring into his eyes. Roy saw pity in his eyes, and that pity sucked Roy¡¯s soul into it. ¡°Kneel before me, worship me, make me your god.¡± Roy heard hundreds of people singing praises around him, and everything around him changed as the leshen showed him an illusion.


    Time passed, and Roy left Mount Carbon without Letho by his side. Eventually, he left Mahakam and settled down in a beautiful vige, in the middle of nowhere. There, Roy lived his life as a simple farmer who toiled the fields honestly. After he was done with work every day, he¡¯d worship a deer-headed god in the vige.


    Thanks to that deity, the vige enjoyed years and years of prosperity. He lived a satisfying life, and eventually, he got married, had children, and lived a quiet, peaceful life, but one thing never changed. His wife, his children, and his children¡¯s children started worshipping the same god he did, and it went on for generations, even after his death.


    ¡°No! This is all in my mind! It¡¯s fake!¡± Roy bit his lip, the sharp pain and metallic taste waking him up, and then Letho¡¯s reminder rang in his head again. ¡®Leshens will mark its believers so it can revive every time it¡¯s killed.¡¯


    Is it trying to mark me? Once that ludicrous idea popped up in his mind, Roy¡¯s struggles became fiercer, but the leshen¡¯s strength proved stronger still. It held Roy down, pinning him deeper against the ground.


    A momentter, Roy gave up, his eyes turning unfocused, as if he had relinquished all control, letting the leshen do as it wanted. The leshen felt the change within him, and it lessened its grip on Roy, allowing him to sit up a bit. Then it held Roy¡¯s shoulder with one hand, creating a protrusion with the other. Then it tore through Roy¡¯s clothes, pierced his skin, and started etching its mark with Roy¡¯s blood.


    Am I really going to bow to him? Am I really going to be its ve and food? No witcher worth their salt will bow to a monster! Roy¡¯s confusion turned into resolve, and he remembered something sleeping in his inventory space, something he hadn¡¯t used ever since he got it.


    I still have a chance! A blob of yellowish, cheese-like stuff appeared in his hand. That was the vomit of the childhunter, an item with the effect of a dimeritium bomb, and even Letho praised the substance.


    Roy clenched it tightly and looked up into the leshen¡¯s eyes. His face was contorted with rage, and he broke free of the leshen¡¯s grasp, pushing himself up, mming his hand against the arrow in the leshen¡¯s eyes, betting everything on that single blow. Roy buried it deeper into the leshen¡¯s head, wanting to crush it and turn it to a pulp.


    The leshen stopped etching the mark, and it took a step back, roaring into the heavens. White smoke billowed from its face, as if acid was biting through it. Its body trembled, not unlike branches buffeted by a gale.


    Roy finally hadplete control of his body, and he stood up before quickly taking the torch from the cave¡¯s wall and tossing it to the leshen. The fire spread throughout the monster¡¯s body once it came into contact with the oil, turning the leshen into one big bonfire. It spread its arms, jumping around the ce, howling, begging for its life.


    Roy looked at it coldly, his crossbow in hand, his bolt in his mouth, and then he reloaded the crossbow and shot the leshen. Once he was done, he switched ces and did the same thing all over again.


    The leshen couldn¡¯t get out alive from the mes, for it was weakened, and its magic was sealed. A simple me could spell the end of it, and a short whileter, the leshen¡¯s charred, lifeless body fell with a thud, countless arrows buried in its body.


    ¡®You killed a leshen. EXP +200. New character sheet unlocked.¡¯


    But that wasn¡¯t the end of the ordeal. Roy had just heaved a sigh of relief after reading the message, but an impending sense of doom filled him. He bristled and spun around reflexively, grabbing an arrow that appeared out of thin air. Then he used the momentum from the swing to stab backward, and it felt like he pierced something.


    Kaerwen held his neck, but he couldn¡¯t stop the blood from gushing out of the wound. His beard was dyed crimson, and he was slowly dying. Kaerwen stumbled backward, but his eyes never shifted from the boy. He hated the boy¡­ No, he despised him, and he felt nothing but rage toward him. Why¡¯d I lose control of my body at thest moment? And what¡¯s that crimson light behind that boy?


    ¡°Y-you s-scum!¡± Kaerwen murmured, and those became hisst words. His short sword fell from his hand, and his expression froze as he fell with a thud.


    He didn¡¯t want to die that way, but fate had dictated otherwise.


    ¡®You killed Kaerwen Hoger. EXP +20.¡¯


    ***


    Roy plopped down onto the ground. His body and soul were ravaged by exhaustion and pain, but he had a job left to do, and he tensed up. ¡°Barney! Dave! Drew! Reagan! You guys okay?¡± He stared down and started to sob, but a momentter, someone stirred.


    ¡°Rx.¡± Reagan coughed. ¡°We¡¯re tough, so something like that can¡¯t kill us.¡± It took all he had to push himself up.


    ¡°Get them up for me.¡±


    They quickly checked on the other dwarves and heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°They¡¯re alive. Unconscious, but still alive.¡±


    ¡°But Kaerwen¡¯s dead. This could be a problem.¡± Reagan held Barney up and pressed against Barney¡¯s philtrum.


    ¡°I killed him, so I¡¯ll take the me,¡± Roy decided. ¡°I¡¯m not a resident of Mount Carbon, so it¡¯s not like Elder Brovar can do anything once I leave.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 70

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 70: Job Interface</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Fifth of December, 1260.


    The weather was great for once on Mount Carbon. The warm sun broke through the snow, melting away the doom and gloom that enveloped the city, and all of the dwarves were wearing broad smiles.


    Some of the inhabitants were standing around the stakes in the za, where the Scoia¡¯tael members and leshen¡¯s head hung, and they buzzed with excitement.


    ¡°I was on guard duty that night when the witcher and hisrades dragged that monster into the valley. By Mahakams that monster was hard to look at. Its whole body was charred, and it looked more like a whole ball of arrows than a leshen.¡±


    ¡°Holy Mahakam! I have never seen such a hideous creature before in my life! I¡¯d have run for my life if it¡¯d still been alive.¡±


    ¡°Of course you would. You aren¡¯t the witcher. He¡¯s one capable man, he is. I mean, he killed off the monster that gued us for months, and he took out those scum too. I¡¯m going to raise a toast for him at tonight¡¯s banquet.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget about the witcher¡¯s assistant. He¡¯s only around twenty-seven in dwarf years, but he was already involved in the hunt. That¡¯s a real man right there! Gotta raise a toast for him too.¡±


    ¡°Our archery champion and his brothers also took part in the hunt too, and Elder Brovar is going to praise them tonight.¡± The dwarves looked envious. ¡°Those guys are going to be popr with thedies after tonight.¡±


    As if by coincidence, the dwarves omitted Kaerwen from their discussion.


    At the same time, the people they were talking about were staying in the guest room, where the witcher was. Reagan¡¯s head and thigh were bandaged, and he was exining the situation to Roy, though he¡¯d nce at Letho from time to time. Letho paid no attention to him, since he was meditating.


    ¡°Just a slight concussion. They¡¯ll be fine. Barney and theds are snoring away in the infirmary. They¡¯ll be alive and kicking at the banquet tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roy heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have forgiven myself if something had happened to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not your fault.¡± Reagan was surprisingly calm about death. ¡°If they somehow hadn¡¯t made it, then I guess Mahakam must¡¯ve loved them more. Dying in a battle in the Mahakams against monsters and Scoia¡¯tael scum would be an honor for them.¡± Reagan paused for a moment. ¡°If you think about it, those scums were behind the death of my brethren. If we hadn¡¯t stopped them in time, they would¡¯ve ruined even more families. Their deaths are necessary for the tribe, and killing them is truly a heroic deed. Our souls will be weed in Mahakam after our passing.¡±


    Roy changed his opinion on the dwarves. He thought they were ignorant drunkards before the hunt, but then he knew they were actually devout, loyal, and courageous people.


    ¡°Did you see their faces when we hauled the leshen¡¯s trophy and those Scoia¡¯tael scum back?¡± Reagan grinned and smacked his leg, but he hit his wound at the same time, and he gasped. ¡°Those guards and crossbowmen were gawking at us like idiots! Those guys were usually arrogant bastards who¡¯d insult us whenever they got the chance. Barney¡¯s got it the worst.¡± Reaganughed. ¡°Now everyone knows we took part in the hunt, and we¡¯re heroes of the tribe. You, Letho, and I were the only ones who could stand tall among them. I could imagine how charming I must¡¯ve looked to thedies.¡± Reagan grinned. ¡°Some of them were beaming at me too! I know they were looking at me, because you and Letho weren¡¯t their type. I can smell romance in the air, Roy. And it¡¯s all for me! I would have gotten my hands on one of them if it weren¡¯t for the fact I have to team up with Paul soon.¡±


    Such an optimistic guy. Roy listened in silence as Reagan babbled on and on and on, relieving him of the sadness and disgust he felt. All he could think of for the past two days was Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s hatred for him and the illusion the leshen showed him. He¡¯d often fall into a trance.


    ¡°Looks like I have to congratte you on your romance.¡± Roy grinned. ¡°But are you sure you want to leave Mount Carbon? Why don¡¯t you just marry somedy and raise a family?¡±


    Reagan shook his head resolutely. ¡°I¡¯m going to seek Paul out in Kaedwen next year.¡± The battle with the leshen and Scoia¡¯tael only made his interest in the outside world swell, since he couldn¡¯t do much in Mount Carbon.


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t shake Barney off, so he¡¯sing. Not sure about Drew and Dave.¡± Reagan pinched his beard, sounding slightly dismayed that half his squad might not follow him. ¡°Not every dwarf is ambitious. Some prefer a stable life.¡±


    Roy had a feeling he might bump into Reagan in his adventures. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll bump into each other in Kaedwen,¡± he blurted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to wee you with open arms.¡± Reagan shook his hand firmly and bumped shoulders with Roy.


    ¡°When are we going to the infirmary, Reagan?¡±


    ¡°Patience. Get ready for tonight¡¯s banquet for now. Elder Brovar¡¯s going to reward you two in front of everyone. Not everyone gets this chance, so you shouldn¡¯t miss it.¡±


    Reagan took out a grey, petite notebook, and a message that read ¡°A gift to Roy. From Reagan Dalba.¡± was written on the cover.


    ¡°Remember when you said you wanted to delve deeper into crossbows? I jotted everything I know in there, so take it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Roy took the notebook with both hands, touched by Reagan¡¯s gesture. Once he saw Reagan off, Roy quickly concentrated on his character sheet.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Thirteen years and eleven months old


    Status: Civilian, witcher¡¯s disciple


    HP: 45/55 (Lightly injured)


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5.1


    Constitution: 5.5


    Perception: 7


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 6.5


    Skills:


    Massacre Level 3 ¡ú Level 4


    (Bloody Aura: Any enemy within (one foot ¡ú two foot) of you has a (ten percent ¡ú fifteen percent) chance of being Feared by the aura of massacre. If the enemy¡¯s Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for a maximum of (one ¡ú two) seconds.


    You deal (ten percent ¡ú fifteen percent) increased damage to any species you have killed before.


    New active skill: Fear. You may cast Fear to release the aura of massacre, affecting a single target within a two feet range. The target is then forcibly controlled, and if their Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for a maximum of two seconds. Five minute cooldown.


    Tip: Fear will level up based on the number and types of creatures you kill.


    Observe Level 2


    Meditation Level 1


    Crossbow Mastery Level 1


    ***


    Level 3 (330/1500)


    Inventory space: 1 cubic square.¡¯


    ***


    After killing the Scoia¡¯ tael members, the sorceress, and leshen during that fight, Roy gained over three hundred EXP. His Massacre even leveled up to four, thanks to the leshen. It was also thanks to his new skill, Fear, that he managed to kill Kaerwen. However, that wasn¡¯t his best loot.


    He scrolled down to the new sheet that came right after his skill sheet.


    ¡®Job interface:


    You have killed a grave hag, drowner, childhunter, elf sorceress, and leshen,ing to a total of five magical beings.


    You have learned meditation from a witcher.


    You have acquired basic alchemy and monster knowledge.


    You have unlocked a job ¡ª witcher.


    (Witchers are mutants who have gone through the Trial of the Grasses. They possess superhuman speed, strength, reaction speed, coordination, life force, and recovery. Their main workes from various requests, most of which involves monster hunting.)


    Do you ept this job?


    Attention: You may only have one job at your current level.¡¯


    I can only have one job at my current level? Does that mean I can have more jobs when I level up? Roy was excited at that thought, but he stopped thinking too far ahead. He had no better choice at the time being, so he epted the job, and his level turned into his job level.


    ¡®You have gained a job.


    Level 3 Witcher (330/1500)


    Rank: Disciple (Conditions for next rank: Pass the Trial of the Grasses and kill ten types of magical creatures (5/10). Next rank: Rookie witcher.)


    School: Viper (Unconfirmed. User hasn¡¯t taken the Decoction of the Grasses yet.)


    Job perks:


    Main stat: You may choose one stat as your main stat. Be warned that this choice cannot be undone. Every time you level up, your main stat will be increased by 0.5 without any cost (Disciple).


    Evolving Arms: You may bind a steel sword, a silver sword, and a ranged weapon for this job. Bound weapons will grow alongside you, bing stronger every time you level up. You will be able to feel the connection between you and your bound weapons no matter the distance, and you may summon them no matter where they are.


    Full Recovery: You will make a full recovery every time you level up. Most injuries can be healed, including internal injuries and broken limbs. Debuffs such as hunger, fatigue, poison, gue, and curses will be removed.


    Loot Package: You receive an additional cubic meter of inventory space (Disciple). You have two cubic meters of inventory space as of now.


    Locked.¡¯


    ***


    Roy was ted. Finally! I¡¯ve been a weakling for too long! That risky leshen kill was worth it! Look at this! Full Recovery is already awesome enough! An instant full recovery was akin to second wind in the world of witchers, where danger lurked behind every corner.


    Roy could think of a few ways to use that, one of which being to keep himself from leveling up despite having a full EXP bar so he could keep Full Recovery in store. If he ever found himself backed into a corner in battle, he¡¯d use it to turn the tides. I can even use this in the trial. Roy couldn¡¯t be happier, and Evolving Arms was tailor made for him. He was about to give up on using Gabriel because it couldn¡¯t keep up with him, but with Evolving Arms, Gabriel could grow with him as long as he bound the weapon to him.


    Of course, binding the best crossbow would maximize his profit, but Roy didn¡¯t want to give up on the things he¡¯d been carrying with him if he had the choice.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not out just yet, old buddy.¡± Roy sat on the bed, caressing his hand crossbow.


    ¡®You are about to bind Gabriel to you. Are you sure you want to choose Gabriel?¡¯


    ¡®Gabriel


    Type: Hand Crossbow


    Materials: Mulberry wood, tendon, hemp


    Details: Weighs five pounds and measures two feet. Has a draw weight of twenty pounds and an effective range of a hundred feet.¡¯


    Yes. The moment Roy had that thought, he felt an inexplicable link between him and Gabriel. To be precise, it felt like a connection, or a mark. When he held it again, Gabriel felt light in his hands, as if it were his body¡¯s extension. Roy knew every inch of it byheart, and the crossbow became a coordinate he could always find, no matter the distance between them. And when he closed his eyes, he saw Gabriel floating in the darkness of his consciousness.


    Even if he was blindfolded, he could easily find it with that link between them. He cheekily tossed Gabriel at Letho, and then Roy extended his arm. A momentter, the crossbow disappeared and reappeared in his hand. This could be useful.


    He had no swords to bind, though he was nning on seeing the weapon Brovar would give Letho, and he smiled. Letho should be able to use it even if I bind it to me, right?


    ***


    He was in a dilemma over which stat he should choose as his main one. Should I go with Perception? That¡¯s my strong suit. Or should I go with Constitution or Will? That¡¯d help me pass the trial. Perception could increase the range of his vision and provide more details about his target, giving him more options to ambush, while Constitution could improve his HP. That alone showed how crucial it was to Roy. Will could be used with his new skill, Fear, providing a fearsomebo in close quarterbat. If his enemies had lower Will than he did, they¡¯d be frozen in ce the moment they got in range, and Roy would finish them off.


    Strength and Dexterity would boost his close quarterbat skills a lot, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to call himself a witcher if he couldn¡¯t swing a sword. Spirit was useless, but it wouldn¡¯t be for long. He¡¯d have to learn about signs eventually, and Spirit would boost the signs¡¯ power significantly. He could use signs once he passed the trial and unlocked his mana pool. It was hard to pass up on Spirit, since it¡¯d help out a lot in thete game.


    The only useless stat, at least to him, was Charisma. Roy caressed his young, smooth face, and his taut biceps. After embarking on the path of the witcher, Roy had changed into a lean, handsome young man, but that was useless. Not like my enemy¡¯s going to show mercy to me. And it¡¯s not like being handsome can help me survive longer. No, wait. A high enough Charisma can be used in battle. The leshen managed to get the beasts to help it with its Charisma. And it managed to brainwash strangers, turning them into believers. But he wasn¡¯t interested in using his charisma to fight.


    ***


    Roy was in a dilemma indeed, but no matter. It was still a while before he¡¯d level up, so he¡¯d choose after he¡¯d made all considerations.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 71

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 71: Danger Approaches, to the Ore Tunnel</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Looks like the leshen gave you quite a bit of trouble, Letho.¡± Roy was worried. Letho was still looking listless, even after resting up for days, obviously still affected by his wounds.


    ¡°The wounds are fine, boy. I just took too much of the potion, and it bit me in the arse. You¡¯ll run into the same problem after you be a witcher,¡± Letho exined patiently. ¡°And don¡¯t poke your nose in Scoia¡¯tael¡¯s war against the dwarves ever again. We¡¯ll leave Mount Carbon after attending the banquet tonight.¡±


    Roy nodded. If his memories were correct, the Mahakams never fell to anyone, so Scoia¡¯tael would fail even if Roy and Letho did nothing. Even so, the thought that an extremist group like that had been snooping around Mount Carbon and the Mahakams to plot a conspiracy didn¡¯t sit well with Roy.


    ¡°Has Scoia¡¯tael be Nilfgaard¡¯spdog? Are they helping Emhyr var Emreis now?¡± Roy mumbled to himself, but he tossed the questions aside, since he couldn¡¯t do anything about that as of yet.


    Then Letho asked him another question. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something there, boy. I need an exnation. How did you and your friends manage to take the leshen down? There were two spellcasters there if you include that leshen joining the mix. The dimeritium bomb I gave you should only be enough to take one down.¡±


    ¡°I have the childhunter¡¯s vomit, remember?¡±


    ¡°The thing you hid in your dimensional pocket?¡±


    ¡°What dimensional pocket?¡± Roy averted his gaze in an attempt to hide his secret.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, boy. Your stuff keeps vanishing and reappearing without a trace. Even an idiot would know something was up.¡± Letho was confused. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand. How do you manage to use a dimensional pocket when you can¡¯t even control the elements? I¡¯ve never seen anyone with that power before, excluding the sorcerers, of course.¡±


    Roy puffed his chest. ¡°I knew you¡¯d see through me eventually, so I¡¯m going to tell you my secret, right now. Prophetic dreams aren¡¯t my only specialty; I can even send anything I touch into my inventory space, and I can use them anytime I want.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie, you know. Everyone has their secrets,¡± Letho said solemnly. ¡°Fine, keep your secrets then, but remember who you are, and never do anything that¡¯ll hurt the Viper School¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The truth can be the best lie sometimes.


    A short whileter, a dwarven servant gave them two sets of clothes for the banquet, and Letho started teaching Roy how to behave like the people in high society. He straightened Roy¡¯s clothes out and ttened the creases on Roy¡¯s back gently, his gaze tender.


    But when Roy finally wore the striped jacket and the pair of tight, yellow leather pants, all he could feel was something gnawing at his skin, and he felt itchy all over. Damn, this is some shit fashion taste. Why¡¯d the dwarves have to take trash as fashion?


    Letho chided, ¡°Stand still! Don¡¯t jump around like a monkey!¡±


    Roy stiffened, and Letho took a trip down memoryne. ¡°I looked just like you the first time I wore those clothes. I hated them, but I came to understand one thing ¡ª our school can¡¯t revive without the help of those in high society. The peasants and civilians see us as mutants, heretics, and barbarians. All they offer is discrimination and noneptance, but they fear authority. If someone at the top of the food chain shows us their support and clears our name, the people will eventually ept us.¡±


    Roy was surprised that a veteran witcher like Letho would think that way. Asking for high society¡¯s help? Is that why they epted Emhyr var Emreis¡¯ recruitment, and assassinated the emperors in the north? But it¡¯s useless. Those guys aren¡¯t on the same level as witchers. They¡¯re too high up, so there¡¯s no way they¡¯d walk a mile in the witchers¡¯ shoes and listen to them. Witchers are but disposable tools to them. And witchers are few and far between. As if that isn¡¯t trouble enough, feuds always happen between different schools. If the witchers really want to end the discrimination against them, first they must end the feuds and work together. That¡¯s the only way to grow stronger. Roy had a lot going on in his head, but he pretended to listen to Letho anyway.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to all these formalities, whether you like them or not,¡± Letho advised, but then a guest came in, uninvited.


    Seville the wine dealer was still as fat and as resplendent as ever, and he nodded at Letho and Roy. ¡°Hello, Letho. Hello, Roy. We meet again. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Real fine, actually.¡± Roy crossed his arms, ring at Seville coldly. ¡°Thanks to your rmendation, we went for some great ¡®sightseeing¡¯ around Mount Carbon.¡±


    Letho patted Roy¡¯s shoulder, stopping his grumbling. ¡°And what brings you back to Mount Carbon, Mr. Seville. Will you be joining the banquet tonight?¡±


    Seville closed the door seriously. ¡°I came to help you guys. Danger approaches.¡±


    ¡°Danger? Oh, you mean the leshen?¡± Roy snickered. ¡°Toote for that. We killed it and the Scoia¡¯tael members.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Seville shook his head, pleading genuinely, ¡°I¡¯m talking about the banquet tonight. You have toe with me right away. My uncle is going to trip you up tonight, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ***


    Seville pointed out the odd things that were going on around in the za, and when Letho and Roy looked around, they did find something weird. The patrols should have been lessened after the leshen¡¯s death, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Instead, more guards were patrolling the valley and standing sentry. The crossbowmen and archers were stationed at all the high vantage points, obviously defending against something.


    Even the patrols around the streets had doubled, though they¡¯d pretend to smile and salute the witcher and his disciple when they went past them. That fact made Letho think the dwarves were trying to defend against something worse than the leshen.


    ¡°Do you see? Elder Brovar set everything up to keep you guys from escaping. If you¡¯d tried to run away, they¡¯d have shot you without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Wow. After all we did to get rid of the menace guing his city, this is the thanks we get? A goddamn trap?¡± Roy¡¯s face fell. ¡°Brovar¡¯s one ungrateful bastard. I¡¯m not going to forget what he did to us. Never.¡±


    Letho looked calm, but his clenched fist was a sign that his fury was going to explode. On the other hand, Seville looked awkward after hearing his leader getting mocked, but he forced a smile. ¡°I-I think he crossed the line this time too.¡± He observed them carefully and changed his tune. ¡°But if we put this matter aside, he¡¯s actually a fair leader.¡±


    If looks could kill, Seville would have died a hundred times right then and there. He gulped.


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t nning on breaking his promise. He has prepared your reward for killing the leshen. It¡¯s a rare weapon, a sword called Gwyhyr. It had been crafted by the gnomes prior to their exodus. Once he gives you the sword, the request will have beenpleted. Since he would owe you nothing, that¡¯d give him an excuse to execute you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ssic. They say force is thest resort, but it seems your kind leader reaches for it the first chance he gets. I see. So he¡¯s nning on giving it to us, killing us, and then taking it back. Oh, that is so smart,¡± Roy mocked, though he thought it was a shame he had to let the weapon go.


    He¡¯d managed to read an old article by chance, and it was one that talked about Gwyhyr. It was the best sword in the world, the magnum opus of ancient gnome cksmithing. It could cut through steel like butter, and anyone who wanted to buy it had to fork out an astronomical sum of money. Only gnomes can make that kind of weapon now. Their cksmithing is top notch, but it¡¯s a shame they¡¯ve moved to Tir Tochair. It¡¯s just what I need. If I can get it¡­


    Seville sighed, breaking Roy¡¯s train of thought. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have killed Kaerwen, not even if it was by ident. Yes, he did collude with the leshen in the murders, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was Elder Brovar¡¯s only son and heir.¡±


    ¡°Kaerwen Hoger was his illegitimate son?¡± Roy was reminded of the rumor Dave had told him. He¡¯d thought it was just a joke back then.


    ¡°Yes, he was, but Elder Brovar never admitted it, because it was a shameful past. Even so, everyone in Mount Carbon knew that. It¡¯s an open secret, actually.¡± Seville pinched his beard. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that they look alike? It¡¯s like they¡¯re twins. Elder Brovar¡¯s getting on in age, and he can¡¯t really sire another child now, so of course he¡¯d hate you. I mean, you killed his only son. We can¡¯t stay here any longer, soe with me.¡±


    ¡°But where can we go?¡± Roy looked around at the heavy defenses. ¡°How can we escape?¡±


    ***


    The worse the crisis, the calmer they must be. Letho and Roy went back to the guest room and kept everything in Roy¡¯s inventory space before changing into some casual clothes. Then they went to the cer with Seville, but to their surprise, their journey went smoothly. A little too smoothly. ¡°You did take the leshen down and help us out a lot. Nobody¡¯s going to stop me from taking you guys to the cer. I am a wine dealer after all.


    Seville¡¯s cer was astonishing enough, but it was nothingpared to Mount Carbon¡¯s. It was as vast as the ocean, and words failed them. The only light was from the candles littering the ce, and all they could see was unending darkness, as well as wine barrels as far as the eye could see.


    The barrel stacks were as tall as hills, and they were neatly categorized by their age and type. When Roy took a look, he noticed that the youngest wine was already at least ten years old. The aroma of alcohol and wood wafted across the air, and Roy felt tipsy just by taking a whiff of it. He felt everything around him turn into clouds, and his mind started spinning.


    Letho, on the other hand, caressed the barrels, looking captivated by them, since he loved wine a lot more than Roy did.


    ¡°Guys, you can have the wine whenever you want. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± Seville snapped them out of it and dismissed the guard before continuing down the cer.


    They came to the end of the cer fifteen minutester, and a ck brick wall stood before them. Much to their shock, Seville climbed up the barrel beside and rummaged around, and then two dull thuds were heard. A momentter, the wall slowly retracted and revealed a dark tunnel leading to Melitele knew where.


    Roy peered into the tunnel, and thanks to his high Perception, his night vision was superb. The walls were greyish-green and uneven, though there were extinguished oilmps hanging on the wall at intervals. The ground extended downward at a gentle incline, leading into the darkness. Cobwebs and insects filled the tunnel that seemed to have been abandoned for years.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s a tunnel like that doing here?¡±


    ¡°We call it Smiack. Before the fortress of Mount Carbon was erected, this tunnel was abundant with ores. The most abundant of all, actually. It was pivotal during the early years of our establishment, and its contribution was immeasurable.¡±


    Seville gazed at the tunnel with respect, and then he sighed. ¡°But ever since all the ores had been mined, this tunnel had been abandoned. If you walk straight ahead, you should reach Temeria by going through the Mahakams. Walk west for a few days and you¡¯ll reach Ender.¡±


    Roy stared at him doubtfully. ¡°How long has this tunnel been abandoned, old chap? Is it dangerous there?¡±


    ¡°Fifty years, I guess, so maybe there¡¯s something dangerous in there,¡± Seville said honestly. ¡°But if you don¡¯t want to take the risk, you can always stay back and face Elder Brovar at the banquet tonight. Maybe he¡¯ll change his mind?¡± Seville only had respect and fear whenever Brovar was mentioned.


    Roy turned to Letho, looking excited to go. ¡°What say you? Should we take the risk and face the unknown danger in the tunnel? Or should we hang back and expose Brovar tonight?¡±


    Letho stared into the darkness, murder welling in his eyes. ¡°Why should we attend a banquet when the host doesn¡¯t wee us? You ready, boy? You might have to pull your own weight this time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± Roy clenched his fist, and Gabriel, which was sleeping in his inventory, trembled when it felt its master¡¯s excitement. Roy¡¯s only regret was not having the chance to bid goodbye to his friends. ¡°Seville, tell Reagan and the boys I said goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Here¡¯s food and water.¡± Seville pulled out a big sack quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t think this much will burden Roy.¡±


    ¡°Hold it.¡± Letho turned to Seville, looking at him weirdly. ¡°I need to know something before we go in.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Seville took a few involuntary steps back when he noticed Letho¡¯s murderous aura, as if a predator were ring at him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Letho.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can get away with it? We¡¯re not going in without answers, so tell the truth.¡±


    ***


    Seville saw them off and scratched his head as hard as he could. He felt like someone had erased something from his mind, and no matter how he tried to remember, nothing popped up. ¡°Eh, not important. Elder Brovar¡¯s waiting for me to get back to him.¡± He reset the wall and left the cer.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 72

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 72 Sword and Corpse</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The wall behind them rumbled and closed, blocking their way back, leaving them with no choice but to push forward. Smiack was a narrow, winding tunnel that could only fit two people at a time, and because of the long years of abandonment, the tunnel started wearing down. Any slightly bigger movement would make debris fall, and one would worry about the whole ce caving in on them.


    Letho and Roy treaded forward carefully, and a few turnster, they came to a brightly lit clearing. There, a sheathed sword was quietly leaning against the wall. ¡°Looks like Brovar held up his end of the bargain. This recon is worth it.¡±


    Letho managed to find out about the truth after casting Axii on Seville earlier. Turned out Brovar wasn¡¯t exactly trying to make enemies out of them, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to see them again because of his son¡¯s murder. He ordered Seville to lead them to Smiack for some monster killing. At the same time, he was trying to vent his fury on them. As for the banquet, well, the dwarves would have a lovely time. Letho didn¡¯t care about it, nor did he want to attend a banquet where he wasn¡¯t wee.


    Roy changed his opinion about Brovar ever so slightly after he saw the sword, but Letho scoffed. ¡°You give him too much credit. The only reason he gave us this was to maximize his own gain.¡±


    ¡°But having this sword is going to make getting through this ce easier.¡± Roy went up to hold the handle, but the sword¡¯s weight almost dragged him down. He took a deep breath and yanked the sword out of the sheath, revealing a de of perfect craftsmanship. The de was gleaming blue, and it was weirdly humming with joy after being released from its sheath, as if there were a spirit sealed within it.


    Roy held the handle with one hand, while the other supported the de. He tilted his head and looked parallel to the sword. Then he held the crossguard with both hands and pinched it. The de was smooth and gleaming, and the crossguard had gorgeous engravings on it. The handle was just long enough to be held with both hands, but the sword was also usable with one. Its length was halfway between a longsword and a one-handed sword.


    The sword¡¯s body didn¡¯t have any grooves, but instead the ridge was protruding, strengthening the sword. The part connected to the crossguard wasn¡¯t sharpened, so Roy could hold it without a glove. That opened up more options for him in battle, and the tip of the de was the shape of an isosceles triangle.


    Roy loved the sword, and a message popped up in his job interface.


    ¡®You have obtained Gwyhyr. You may bind this steel sword to you. Do you wish to bind Gwyhyr to you?


    Gwyhyr


    Type: Steel sword


    Materials: ck iron,va, meteoric iron, pine wood, and body parts from powerful monsters


    Details: The sword weighs 3.06 pounds, and its handle measures at 9.3 inches, while the dees in at 36 inches. A spirit dwells within.


    Cirction: Heals the user for a small amount of stamina after every kill.


    Do you wish to bind the sword?¡¯


    Yes. Right after that, an invisible ripple pierced through Roy, electrifying him, and he could feel a connection to the sword he was holding, as if it were an extension of his own body. When he closed his eyes, he saw another item that gleamed blue in his consciousness. Roy had a feeling he could feel where Gwyhyr was no matter the distance between them. He held the sword for a while, immersing himself in its beauty.


    ***


    When he was done admiring its beauty, Roy reluctantly handed it to Letho. It would be a waste to keep the sword by his side when he hadn¡¯t learned anything about swordsmanship. ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you for now, Letho.¡± As long as Letho had the sword with him at all times, Roy would know his location no matter where he was. At least they wouldn¡¯t get separated then.


    Letho took the sword carefully and ced it at eye level to make a close observation. What he saw surprised him, for Gwyhyr was perfect in every aspect rtive to his own sword. ¡°Brovar gave this sword to me, boy. I don¡¯t remember giving it to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s mine is the school¡¯s,¡± Roy said sheepishly. ¡°And the same thing the other way around. Don¡¯t sweat the details.¡± I¡¯ve bound it to me, so a mere thought is enough for me to take it back.


    Letho¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°You can¡¯t use this, and I think we know why. There might be some tough battles ahead, so I¡¯ll be using this for now.¡± He tied the sword to his back, and it gleamed alongside his own sword. ¡°I should teach you about swordsmanship once we get out of here.¡±


    They went ahead, feeling slightly at ease. Letho was leading the way, raising a torch above his head, while Roy took the rear, crossbow in hand and ready to shoot. Half an hourter, they slowly came to a teau, and the tunnel was widening. Finally, they jumped down a ledge and arrived at a huge cavern.


    It was man-made, and a few tunnels were spread out on the wall before them. There were decayed stone altars in the cavern, and the ground was littered with hoes, broken tents, and clothing. The oilmps and extinguished sconces hanging on the walls spoke of the cave¡¯s former glory, now reduced to ruins. Ores of different colors were buried in the walls of the cavern, and some of them were glowing a hauntingly beautiful blue.


    Letho picked one up and fiddled with it, and he clicked his tongue. ¡°No wonder they wanted us to explore this ce for them no matter what. Abandoned mine my arse. This is a rich mine, one with immeasurable value. No, wait. Something stinks.¡±


    On the other hand, Roy tripped while he was lighting up the torches. He looked down and was shocked to see the thing that made him trip. ¡°This is a corpse!¡± A corpse rolled out from the fallen tent, and there was barely any flesh left on it. Roy could almost see the whole skeleton.


    Letho put the ore down and checked the corpse withoutint. ¡°This mine is a lot hotter than Mount Carbon, or it wouldn¡¯t have dposed at this speed. But this guy probably only diedst month.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Letho answered solemnly, ¡°Those bastard dwarves sent other humans aside from us on recon missions in Smiack. No, they sent them to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°So Brovar is just coexisting with humans on the surface.¡± Roy found it uneptable. ¡°He sees humans as nothing more than exploitable tools.¡± We are different species after all. It¡¯s not beyond him to see us as nothing but cattle.


    Letho went on with his observations, ignoring Roy. ¡°A human male. Probably around thirty years old. Right calf and left arm were torn off, and he was disemboweled. There are some bite and w marks on his neck. Take a look, boy.¡±


    Roy hunkered down to check the corpse, and he quickly scanned through his memory to see if there was any possible monster that fitted the bill. ¡°Judging from the wounds, the killer must be a necrophage, but which one?¡±


    ¡°Look to your left.¡± Letho pointed at Roy¡¯s left, and the boy peered in that direction, and he realized there was a blue fungus there.


    ¡°Longrube?¡±


    ¡°Remember what I told you? The things that appear in a ce are usually the weakness of some particr monster.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Longrubes can be used to concoct necrophage oil, so we¡¯re dealing with ghouls here? No, the wounds don¡¯t look like they were caused by ghouls. We¡¯re facing nekkers!¡±


    The moment he said that, a loud screech came from one of the tunnels around them, stopping Roy¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°Prepare for battle! Let¡¯s see what this sword can do.¡± Letho stood up and held Gwyhyr with both hands, and then he swung it forward, causing the air itself to hum from the sh.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 73

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 73: Nekkers Approach</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A hideous creature crawled out from the cave, gurgling. It looked humanoid, but its limbs had sharp ws, and its skin was wrinkly and dark. Its muscles were engorged, and it was naked aside from the piece of tattered cloth covering its crotch. Its eyes were as big as saucepans, and they had no pupils. Its teeth were long and disgustingly yellow, forcing its mouth to stay open. The flesh beneath its chin and neck extended down to its chest, not unlike the jowls of the elderly.


    ¡®Nekker


    Age: 5


    HP: 60


    Stats:


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5 (Strength in Numbers +1)


    Constitution: 6


    Perception: 4


    Will: 4 (Strength in Numbers +1)


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 3


    Skills:


    Corroding Venom Level 1: Nekkers live in ces teeming with corpses and decaying flesh. Thanks to that, their ws are imbibed with a special venom that can weaken its target, causing the target to heat up.


    Strength in Numbers (Passive): Whenever nekkers move in packs, they gain +1 in Dexterity and Will.


    Evolve (Passive): Once a nekker has consumed enough flesh over time, it will evolve into a nekker warrior.


    ***


    The nekker screamed at Letho and Roy, and then it crouched and pounced at them from the ledge. Letho charged ahead with his sword in hand. He cleaved through the air with Gwyhyr, and the gleaming de sliced through the nekker like butter. The monster was sliced in two at the waist, and blood spurted from its wound, flying ahead as its body fell with a thud. Despite having killed a nekker, only a single drop of blood trickled down the de, and it still remained gleamingly clean.


    That¡¯s a gnome-made sword for you. Roy praised it silently, and he aimed his crossbow at the remaining nekkers that wereing from above, and then he pulled the trigger. The bolts soared through the air, but he could feel the lines that connected him to it. For some reason, he could feel the speed, trajectory, and how long the arrow had flown in the air. He knew if he could hit the target the moment he pulled the trigger, and as expected, all the nekker could do was screech as the arrow pierced its head.


    ¡®You killed a nekker. EXP +20.¡¯


    Roy reloaded his crossbow and nced at Letho. Gwyhyr was humming with each swing, as if a battle-hardened spirit were singing in joy. Letho took a step forward and kicked the third nekker before chopping its head off in one clean sweep.


    The three nekkers were killed in moments, but the battle was far from over. One nekker is easy to deal with, but five is going to be dangerous, while ten is fatal. Looks like we came across a nekker nest, huh? Roy looked up and saw a group of four nekkers crawling out from the tunnels before them. They were gurgling and baring their fangs at Letho and Roy, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact it was a dangerous situation, Roy would haveughed at the way the nekkers were running. They were hunched, and they waddled like ducks to a pond.


    Despite their weird way of charging at their prey, they were moving faster than an average human, and there seemed to be no end to them, much to Letho¡¯s chagrin. ¡°You¡¯ll have to look out for yourself. This is going to be a tough battle.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± Roy went up the slope behind them and took the high ground. He activated Crossbow Mastery, and coupling that with Massacre would increase his damage by twenty-five percent. One shot to a nekker¡¯s vitals would be enough to send them to hell. On the other hand, Letho stayed in the same spot, facing the nekkers head on. He quickly cast Quen before hunkering down and pressing to the ground. The purple circle of Yrden glowed, slowing the nekkers¡¯ onught drastically.


    Letho lunged ahead and shed upward, slicing the nekker before him into two halves, its blood spraying into the air. Then he stepped back, staging in Yrden¡¯s range, and he shed down diagonally, disemboweling two nekkers at the same time. The nekkers kept crashing down on him like waves, but Letho was like a reef, unmoving and stable. He was the first andst line of defense.


    Then three nekkers came at him at the same time. He took a deep breath and turned more solemn than ever. He loosened his left hand¡¯s grip on the handle and tightened his right¡¯s, and then he lunged ahead with his right foot and spun around, slicing the chest of a nekker open. Once the revolution stopped, he backed off into Yrden¡¯s range and spun counter-clockwise, finishing off the remaining couple of nekkers. Letho repeated the same attack, and it was as if the de had be a hunter¡¯s before him, killing the nekkers no matter how many of them tried to attack. Momentster, the nekkers¡¯ attacks slowed, and there was an empty space before Letho.


    He heaved a sigh, loosened his grip, and then tightened it again. Letho spun his numb elbow and cracked his neck. His leather armor was already covered in blood, and he was starting to get tired. His arm would throb when he moved because of the wound that hadn¡¯t fully healed up yet, and a nekker found the opening. It wed at Quen, making the shield dim considerably, but Letho quickly replenished it, though more nekkers wereing at him.


    One of them got lucky and was only injured by the de. It pounced on Letho¡¯s shoulder, but an arrow then pierced through its head.


    Roy was still on the slope, firing down any nekkers that escaped Letho¡¯s attacks, and none of his arrows missed. His EXP bar grew fiercely, gaining one hundred EXP in two minutes (Level 3 Witcher (430/1500)).


    His heart was pounding within his chest, his blood roaring in his head, taking his excitement to a peak, and Roy was in the zone. His limbs almost caused afterimages to appear because of how fast he was in reloading, and then he pulled the trigger again. The arrow flew ahead, filled with the strength from the crossbow, and also his soul. The bolt tore through the air like lightning, and the nekkers were too slow to react. A momentter, one of the monsters¡¯ head had a hole in it, blood and grey matter flowing from it.


    But the bolt didn¡¯t stop at one nekker. It pierced through the chest of another, destroying its heart,ting Roy nearly forty EXP. And then dizziness washed over Roy. When he snapped out of it, one nekker was already a few feet away from him, the stench of its breath almost palpable, and its ws aimed for Roy¡¯s chest. If the attack were to connect, Roy would be killed or gravely injured, at the least.


    Even so, Roy didn¡¯t show any fear. His eyes gleamed crimson as he cast his new skill, Fear. The nekker stiffened up and lost control of its body, as if hit by a sledgehammer. Roy easily dodged the attack and shot a bolt through the side of its head.


    ¡®You killed a nekker. EXP +20.¡¯


    Roy held up his crossbow andughed to himself. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m not totally useless in close quarterbat now.¡±


    ***


    Letho managed the m¨ºl¨¦ebat, while Roy took the stragglers out with his crossbow. The witcher cleaved through the nekkers easily, while Roy kept firing his bolts, taking out the nekkers with terrifying speed. Five minutester, not a single nekker was left standing, and their bodies were strewn throughout the cavern. Some lost limbs, some were cleaved in half, some had holes in their vitals, but none died a good death.


    The bloody witcher and Roy were sitting back to back among the bodies, the boy panting heavily.


    ¡°That¡¯s Gwyhyr for you. It slices through the nekkers¡¯ bodies and bones like nothing. I can feel a weird sensation coursing through me every time I kill one of them. If it weren¡¯t for that healing effect, I wouldn¡¯t havested as long as I did, but you did spectacrly too, boy.¡± Letho took out his wineskin and gulped some liquor. Some of it trickled down his chin. ¡°Looks like the fight with the leshen helped you quite a bit.¡± He tossed the wineskin to Roy.


    Roy epted it and drank the dwarven liquor. Some color returned to his face, and he felt liquid courage bubbling within him. ¡°We should work like this more.¡±


    Letho gave him a look of approval. ¡°Rest up. The real battle is still up ahead. I bet there are nekker warriors in those tunnels, so don¡¯t let your guard down just yet.¡±


    Roy gave it some thought. I killed ten nekkers just now,ting two hundred EXP, and now my EXP bar is (530/1500). Nekker warriors are more dangerous than their normal counterparts, but that means the EXP gain is better too. For some reason, he thought Brovar Hoger was a great guy for sending him on the recon mission. It was exactly what Roy needed to level up and grow as a witcher. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re staying here for a bit.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 74

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 74: Poison and Mutagen</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Letho¡¯s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. He was still recovering from the copious amounts of potions he took in the battle against the leshen, and the wounds he sustained were still healing. The tough battle earlier took a lot out of him, and coupling that with the nekkers¡¯ venom made his condition turn from bad to worse. He leaned against the wall, looking more listless than ever. It took all he had just to stand up, so he had no choice but to sit down.


    Roy felt guilty seeing Letho in that state. He wouldn¡¯t have been in such a bad condition if Roy was a bit stronger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fight in this condition.¡± Letho sighed. He¡¯d never felt so weak in years, and he was showing it to his disciple. For once, he looked crestfallen.


    ¡°Rest up and don¡¯t push yourself. We just cleared a whole horde of nekkers. They need time to regroup too, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll attack anytime soon,¡± Roy said, consoling him. At the same time, he took out some food and water from his inventory space, sharing a meal with the witcher among the dead bodies. Then he tended to Letho¡¯s wounds with alcohol and marigold potions.


    Letho observed him in silence, feeling proud of his disciple. Roy might¡¯ve thought he was improving at a snail¡¯s pace, but Letho didn¡¯t think so. It hadn¡¯t been more than three months since they¡¯d first met, but Roy had already grown from a vige bumpkin to a fighter who¡¯d faced off a few types of monsters. He could fight them face on, and even a leshen died by his hands. Sure, luck might have yed a part, but that was still an astounding resum¨¦.


    Letho had never seen such blistering improvement before, not even from the best disciple in Letho¡¯s time. The moment he had that thought, Letho had more hope about the Viper School¡¯s resurrection.


    ¡°That may be true, but that¡¯s no reason to let our guard down. Look around and see if you can get anyfrey, wolfsbane, and longrube. These herbs can grow in caverns too. We don¡¯t have any alchemy items with us, so we can¡¯t make any potions or decoctions or bombs, but we can make some simple poison. One that can fuck these bastards up.¡±


    ¡°What kind of poison is that?¡± Roy peered at Letho curiously. ¡°You never told me you could make poison.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the Viper School. Of course I¡¯d know how to make poison.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°But most monsters are immune to poison, so it makes no difference. Just focus on alchemy for now.¡± Letho sounded reserved about poison, as if he didn¡¯t want Roy to dabble in it.


    Roy nodded, pretending to agree, but he had a different idea. Poison might be useless against monsters, but they¡¯re great against humans. This knowledge could prove useful. He went around the cavern and managed to scavenge a lot of herbs. Wow, this cave has everything. Roy managed to get everything Letho asked an hourter, and he even found some rarer ones that couldn¡¯t be found easily outside, like bloodmoss and moleyarrow. He took some of everything and kept it for future use.


    ¡°Paralyzing poison works well against them. First, crush thefrey, then extract the juices of the longrube, and then¡­¡± The cavern was brightly lit by the torches, and Letho, with Roy¡¯s assistance, brewed some paralyzing poison, the one that was the trademark of the Viper School.


    Ingesting it or injecting it through an open wound could numb a monster¡¯s limb and nerves, paralyzing them. It was much better than what the butcher¡¯s powder could do. They worked together and quickly processed all the herbs. Then Roy took out a bowl from his inventory space and mixed the materials at a specific ratio, and then he stirred them. At the same time, Letho was teaching him the skills involved in the poison¡¯s brewing.


    Eventually, Roy felt aplished about the poison he was making. It was a different high from the one he got from the monster killing. It took them a while, but eventually, they managed to make a bowl of dark green, foul-smelling paste. ¡°It¡¯s rough around the edges since we don¡¯t have any tools, but it can work.¡± Letho checked the paste and put it beside him. ¡°Now for thest step, the six-hour wait.¡± But they couldn¡¯t waste six hours on nothing. ¡°You got more space in that dimensional pocket of yours?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dimensional pocket, but whatever you say.¡± Roy stopped correcting him. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s got loads of space.¡± His inventory space doubled after his job change. His space was packed before that, but half of it was still empty at that moment.


    ¡°Good. These corpses might be ugly, but they aren¡¯t trash, I guarantee that.¡± Letho scanned the corpses and handed Gwyhyr to Roy so he could cut off a nekker¡¯s head. Then Letho calmly split the head apart with his short sword and rummaged within the sticky insides. Roy felt disgusted. Is this some kind of high-end brain massage?


    A short whileter, Letho took out a green, hairy elliptical item that was the size of a thumb. ¡°Lucky.¡± He observed the item closely, his eyes gleaming. ¡°First body, and we already got a mutagen.¡±


    ¡°Is that a green mutagen?¡± Roy was surprised to see something he was familiar with appearing before him.


    ¡°Yes. A lesser one, but it¡¯s indispensable in the Trial of the Grasses. It can slightly increase a witcher¡¯s life force and toxicity resistance. Less than one in ten normal nekkers have a mutagen within them,¡± Letho exined. ¡°Now that we¡¯re touching this subject, you ought to know that mutagens are split into three types: green, blue, and red. And they¡¯re further split into lesser, normal, and greater. The stronger a monster is, the higher the probability of us getting a good mutagen. The green mutagen that¡¯s necessary for the Trial of the Grasses increases your life force and toxicity resistance. Blue mutagens buff the signs, while red mutagens make you more agile. Of course, the better the mutagen, the stronger the buff.¡±


    Ah, so the mutagens strengthen Constitution, Spirit, Strength, and Dexterity. He stared down in ponderance. ¡°How many kinds of mutagens does our school use in the trial?¡±


    ¡°All of them, but in different ratios.¡± Letho exined, ¡°One to one for red and green. Blue¡¯s the least.¡± In other words, Viper School¡¯s Trial of the Grasses would lean their increment toward Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and toxicity resistance, and at almost the same rate. Spirit saw a lesser incrementpared to the first few, while the others showed little to no improvement. To put it simply, Viper School witchers leaned more toward close quarterbat and alchemy tools in battles.


    I see. No wonder Letho¡¯s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are all over twenty. No wonder I couldn¡¯t see through the stats. Roy was then reminded of a rtively viinous school, the Cat School. Cat School witchers were renowned for their phantom-like reflexes and extraordinary swordsmanship. They probably only have red mutagens in their trial so they can put everything in strength and dexterity. ss cannon m¨ºl¨¦e, huh?


    ¡°What about the leshen¡¯s mutagen then?¡± Roy knew Letho managed to extract a blue one from the leshen¡¯s corpse, but he didn¡¯t ask.


    Letho knew what he was thinking about though. ¡°Probably using it to make a leshen decoction, or turn it into a greater mutagen for the trial. Helps with the mana, see. I¡¯ll give it to you if your will and constitution make the cut before the trial.¡±


    Roy was delighted to hear that. ¡°Wait, does that mean different witchers of the same school will show different levels of changes after the trial? Is it because of the quality of mutagens used in the decoction?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Letho noticed Roy¡¯s excitement, so he calmed him down. ¡°But the greater the reward, the greater the risk. Greedily chasing for more power is just going to make the trial all the more lethal for you. Stay calm.¡±


    Roy thought about his Full Recovery passive. I wonder¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s it for the trial for now.¡± Letho pointed at the sea of corpses around them. ¡°See if you can get some green mutagen from them. It¡¯s fine even if they¡¯re lesser ones, since they can be merged and strengthened anyway for your trial.¡±


    Roy went back to his roots in this case. He imitated Letho and split open the skulls of the nekkers, rummaging through their mushy insides. The grey matter, blood, and flesh squelched as he moved around. He felt disgusted, for monsters smelled fouler than the livestock he¡¯d had to deal with back in Kaer.


    However, he managed to keep hisposure and swept through the corpses thanks to his will. After going through thirty something corpses, Roy only managed to get three lesser green mutagens. He put them in his inventory, but before he could even catch a break, Letho was already pushing him to another round of dissection.


    ¡°Nekkers are really valuable. Their hearts are indispensable in many decoction recipes. Cut them out and let them dry. Their lungs, liver, pancreas, and kidneys can be used in alchemy and some weapons forging. Those parts can add additional effects to some of the stronger weapons. Of course, the best of them wille from the leader of the nekkers.¡±


    Letho stopped for a moment. ¡°Sorcerers use their eyes, ears, and tongues in their experiments. You can make a tidy profit by selling those. Don¡¯t forget about their ws and teeth. Once we get out of Smiack, we¡¯ll get a decent cksmith to make arrows out of those. You¡¯ll find them to be better bolts than the ones you usually use. Oh, and their skin too ¡ª ¡±


    Roy suddenly turned around to stare at Letho, his face stered with blood. Letho felt a chill running down his spine, and he told Roy, ¡°I can see your pocket¡¯s full. Right, we can forget about the skin.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 75

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 75: Killing the Nekkers</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The cavern was filled with dismembered corpses of nekkers when Roy was done with them. The boy¡¯s clothes, pants, and leather armor were drenched in blood, and even his face was caked with clumps of flesh. He tried taking a whiff of his scent, and all he could smell was the stench of sweat and blood.


    He wanted to clean himself up, but Letho stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any water, boy. We¡¯re going to be here for at least a week. Every drop counts.¡± The witcher was wiping his sword, and he was in the same situation as Roy. Letho looked more like a bloody butcher than a dignified witcher, but he didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°I can take the stench, but at least let me wash my hands.¡± Roy thought about having to eat his meals with his hands caked in flesh, and that disgusted him.


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Letho turned around and went back to his sword. ¡°Nekker blood is worse than horse piss, but at least you won¡¯t die from thirst.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it.¡± Roy relented. Thirst was a more pressing matter than hunger, and that made water all the more valuable. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s just a week. I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, you look more like the part now, boy,¡± Lethomented. ¡°You can¡¯t call yourself a witcher if you can¡¯t handle some stink.¡± He wanted the boy to ept the circumstances more easily, so he gave an example. ¡°Have you ever heard about zeugls?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that in your notes. It¡¯s a type of necrophage that looks like ooze.¡± Roy got distracted and said from memory, ¡°It gorges on decaying flesh, corpses, and waste products. They live in sewers, swamps, and ces that are humid and squalid.¡±


    ¡°I have a story to tell.¡± Letho frowned as he recalled one particrly bad memory. ¡°I was twenty years old back then, just graduated from Gorthur Gvaed. There I was, exploring the world in my hunt for monsters and fame. It was a tough journey, but eventually, I got a request. My quarry was the zeugls living around Alba. I tracked them down, of course, and know what I saw? Heaps of decaying, bloated corpses and the shit of every living being you can think of. And also mountains of waste products that oozed poison. The whole ce was just one big stinkhole filled with putrid water.¡± Letho looked disgusted. ¡°The stench was unbearable. Even a shithole would be better than that ce.¡±


    ¡°Did you jump into that stinkhole then?¡± Roy noticed something, and he just had to feel smug about it.


    Letho closed his eyes mncholically. ¡°I had to. I managed to kill the zeugls andplete the request, but no matter how many times I bathed, the stench just wouldn¡¯te off. No woman woulde near me for a whole year.¡±


    ¡°A whole year?¡± Roy was stupefied. ¡°That stenchsted for a whole year?¡±


    ¡°Technically, Serrit and Auckes can still smell it until today.¡±


    ¡°Oh god.¡± Roy stiffened up, and suddenly the stench of the flesh on him smelled a lot better.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the exception. I¡¯ve run into nearly ten witchers in my life.¡± Letho continued, ¡°All of them are elites of their school, and all of them have had to jump into a zeugl nest before.¡± Roy had a bad feeling about what was toe, and Letho confirmed it. ¡°I think every witcher has to go through that rite of passage once if they want to grow.¡± Letho gazed at Roy. ¡°You should jump into a shithole once to train yourself if you can¡¯t get a zeugl request.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it!¡± Roy shouted, stopping Letho from telling him any further tales of the past. He was already feeling uneasy from the story. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste any water, so stop it with the shithole! There are still some nekker hearts left. I¡¯ll deal with them!¡±


    Letho stared at Roy quietly and smirked.


    ***


    Since they couldn¡¯t tell morning from night in the cavern, Letho and Roy made quiet estimations and took watch in shifts. Eventually, they had already spent a day in Smiack. It had been more than a week since Roy had had his first potion, so Letho administered the second dose. The pain wasn¡¯tparable to what he¡¯d felt with the first dose, and Roy endured it quietly without passing out. He suffered no side effects, though he sweated buckets, and his muscles felt sore.


    He then meditated and woke up feeling refreshed, as if the pain the day before had just been a bad dream. At the same time, the blood and flesh caked on him had congealed throughout the night.


    Letho moved around to see how much strength he¡¯d recovered. His stamina was all back, and the wounds from the nekker fight were starting to heal, so he could move around no problem. He told Roy, ¡°Take Gwyhyr and chop up two, no, three corpses.¡±


    ¡°Chop up?¡± Roy was getting fearful of the witchers¡¯ ideas. ¡°Are you trying to feed the flesh to me?¡±


    ¡°No, but I won¡¯t stop you if you want to try.¡±


    ¡°Save it for yourself.¡± Thanks to Massacre, chopping up a small humanoid corpse was an easy task for Roy. He cut the corpses into fist-sized clumps of meat and split them into four packages kept in the tent cloth. Their paralyzing poison had congealed and been thered onto the swords as well as three of the packages of meat.


    Letho took thest package and poured it all onto Roy, covering even his hair in the rancid flesh. The fuck? Roy was surprised, to say the least. What the fuck is this? The flesh smelled worse than the feces in a shithole, and Roy started roaring, but then he came up with a possible reason for Letho doing that. ¡°Alright, I know what you¡¯re trying to do, but at least warn me next time. This is one crazy n.¡±


    ***


    The meat was ced outside one of the tunnels, and they crawled into it. It was narrow and shabby, made out of nothing but mud. Letho had to curl up and move forward in an awkward pose that resembled how a nekker would move. Since Roy was around five feet five, he could move freely in the tunnel, and from time to time, he¡¯d touch the walls of the tunnel. I wonder what¡¯s on these walls. It¡¯s smooth, bouncy, and warm.


    He mumbled, ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯re walking through a monster¡¯s mouth, and deep down there is it¡¯s stomach. Can this really work?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I can¡¯t keep you safe this time if we can¡¯t fool those bastards.¡±


    They moved ahead, and then they looked at each other. It¡¯sing, they thought, and they hunkered down, holding their breath. Quiet footsteps came from ahead, and a nekker appeared from the corner a momentter. Its ears were pointy, its head bald, its teeth sharp, but it had something normal nekkers didn¡¯t ¡ª red paint on its face. It was crawling ahead using all its limbs, not unlike a spider, but Roy was reminded of Gollum.


    ¡®Nekker warrior


    Age: Eight


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 7


    Perception: 4


    Will: 4


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 3


    Skills:


    Leap Attack Level 2: Has great leaping ability, allowing to attack from ten feet away. Can leap toward its target quickly, attacking it with its fangs and ws. Gains +1 in strength when leaping. Lasts thirty seconds.


    Corpse Venom Level 4: Lives in ces filled with corpses and decaying flesh. Thanks to that, its ws and fangs are imbibed with venom. Its attacks can weaken its target and cause bleeding.


    Strength in Numbers (Passive): Whenever nekkers move in packs, they gain +1 in Dexterity and Will.


    Evolve (Passive): Once a nekker warrior has consumed enough flesh over time, it will evolve into a nekker leader.


    ***


    The nekker warrior noticed their movement, and it stared at them in uncanny confusion when it noticed the smell of itsrade on Letho and Roy. They stared at each other for a few moments, and the nekker epted Roy as one of its own and left.


    Roy kept his crossbow and took a whiff of the flesh on him. ¡°I knew it. It thinks we¡¯re one of them.¡±


    ¡°We can talk about thatter. Let¡¯s get out for now. This is the right way; it showed up from there after all. Its nest must be near, so we can set up bait there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± They took out the meat from the package and backtracked, tossing the meat as they went. The bag of meat wasid out on the floor when they came out, and Roy heaved a sigh. ¡°Will they take the bait? They should know it¡¯s their brethren¡¯s flesh, right?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice it yesterday? Those nekkers were skin and bones. Obviously, this ce doesn¡¯t have any food, and the nekkers have been starving for a long time. They¡¯re going to take the bait. This is too much of a temptation for them. Humans will kill their own when they¡¯re dying from starvation, so why wouldn¡¯t these monsters? Why do you think this ce doesn¡¯t have any beasts in it?¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand. How did we manage to fool them? Because of the flesh?¡±


    ¡°Drowners can¡¯t see far, and the same goes for nekkers. They rely on their sense and smell and hearing to see things, not their eyes. All they can see is an outline. Since we¡¯re covered in the flesh and blood of its kind, it should think we¡¯re one of them if we stay some distance away.¡±


    Roy was impressed by the trick Letho came up with. The witcher managed to turn the nekkers¡¯ bodies into alchemy materials, camouge, and poisonous bait. Even though he was wounded, he could still go against the monsters using his experience. I¡¯m still too green. Books can¡¯t tell me about this, he reminded himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m still wounded, so take Gwyhyr with you. Don¡¯t let even a single one escape.¡± They leaned against the cavern¡¯s wall. Letho was holding his steel sword, while Roy was holding Gwyhyr. A short whileter, they heard the rustle of footstepsing from inside. Then out came a couple of nekkers. They approached the meat curiously, sniffing it for a moment before devouring it.


    And then Roy heard the boom of footsteps as a group of pale nekkers darted out of the cave to pounce at their food. The nekkers gurgled in ecstasy as they crawled on all fours toward the meat, their putrid drool dripping onto the ground. The monsters licked the clumps of flesh and engorged on them greedily, oblivious to their bodies¡¯ changes.


    Thanks to the paralyzing poison, they were starting to be slower and slower, though they were still crawling out of the cave by instinct, for a bag of flesh was enticing them there. They stuck their heads out and looked down, ignorant to the danger about to befall them. Then they looked at their abnormally gigantic ¡®brother¡¯ in confusion. At the same time, Letho gave Roy a look, and the boy tensed, his fingers turning white.


    There¡¯s an opening. Roy took a deep breath and focused on the task ahead. He raised Gwyhyr high in the air and sliced down with all his might, executing the nekker before him. Blood spurted high into the air as the nekker¡¯s head tumbled down to the heap of corpses, thest confusion still etched on its face.


    At the same time, Roy kicked the headless body away to keep the entrance clear. Roy started to sweat from his neck, and his face turned scarlet with excitement. Never knew killing a monster could be that easy.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 76

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 76: Nest</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy executed eight nekkers and two nekker warriors with unprecedented ease. Letho stayed out of his way and only dealt the fatal blow to the stragglers. He was trying to regain his strength. Once they were done, the duo went into the tunnel to finish the remaining nekkers that had fallen for the paralyzing poison¡¯s effect.


    In the end, Letho¡¯s crude trap helped them execute twenty nekkers and five nekker warriors in less than fifteen minutes. Aside from getting drenched in sweat and his hands getting numb, Roy sustained zero wounds.


    A nekker warrior would grant him thirty EXP, while a nekker granted him twenty. The massacreted him a total of five hundred and fifty EXP, and his EXP bar was at 1080/1500. I¡¯ll level up soon at this rate. His face was scarlet, his breath shallow.


    Letho gave him a re and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t take them lightly, boy. Three nekkers will spell the end of you with how you are now.¡±


    I see. I can kill one with my crossbow, one with Fear, but I¡¯ll have to fight thest one in close quarterbat.


    ¡°You only managed to kill them easily because of the geographical advantage. This is an exception, not the rule.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Roy nodded in calm solemnity. ¡°I was just thinking about something great.¡±


    ¡°Not to burst your bubble, but stop dreaming now. The guards are all dead. That¡¯s the cue for our entrance.¡± Letho led the way, and the duo went to the end of the tunnel, leaving the bodies behind.


    Eventually, they came to a clearing where all the crisscrossing tunnels congregated, and the tunnel that led deeper into Smiack was across the clearing. The duo searched the bodies and clothing around the ce and managed to scavenge a hundred crowns. They kept it in their pockets before bowing to the dead.


    ¡°We won¡¯t take your money for nothing. You¡¯ll have a ce to rest in peace once we¡¯re done with our business here.¡± Roy scanned the area and tensed up when he saw what was in the northeast area.


    A group of pyramids stood there, but they were made out of skeletons, and the tallest of them measured two feet. Every pyramid had at least thirty skulls, mostly from humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes. Some came from small animals like mice and lizards. When the duo looked closer, they noticed the murky nekker fluid between the skulls that made the connection between them stronger. They were like some sick, crude, unfinished projects a madman created in an attempt to provoke. The empty holes where the eyes should¡¯ve been spoke of unimaginable terror the owner must have gone through moments before their death.


    ¡°The nekkers did this? Why? To brag?¡± Roy tensed up, his eyes gleaming with horror and anger.


    On the other hand, Letho stayed calm. ¡°Humans are just food for nekkers, just like how livestock is to us. Rule of the jungle, boy. Don¡¯t let it get to you. Remember, all you have to do is kill them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Roy took a deep breath and steeled his resolve to finish the mission. They¡¯re just EXP to me too.


    At the same time, Letho said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a look. The nest should be there, and that¡¯s what we came for.¡±


    The nekkers¡¯ nest was built like a weird underground beehive, and their inner side measured three or four feet wide ¡ª enough for a few nekkers to move in and out at the same time. Letho stepped on the nest and brushed against the bouncy, uneven exterior. ¡°Nekkers would usually give some of their prey to the nest, even if it was their brethren. That provides nutrients for the nest so it can give birth to new nekkers.¡±


    ¡°Like the amniotic fluid.¡± Roy craned his neck to take a look. He¡¯d always had the urge to pry a nekker nest open to take a look inside when he¡¯d toss a bomb into it in the Witcher game, and his wish would be granted at longst.


    I wonder what¡¯s inside it. What he saw was ayer of ck slurry squirming slowly, as if it were being stirred by an unseen hand. If Roy squinted, he could vaguely see a few pieces of decayed flesh floating on the surface. The stench smelled like rotten salted fish and feces that had been left under the sun for two weeks, but they didn¡¯t react to it, since they were already numb to the smell.


    The cavity above the slurry looked like the insides of a living creature. Roy could see veins throbbing rhythmically within the walls, and two nekker fetuses were sticking to it, connected by the umbilical cords on their bellies. The nekkers were greedily absorbing the nutrients from the nest, and they looked like human babies from the outside of theyer of skin that was protecting them. Their eyes were closed, and they were curled up in a fetal position. However, they wererger than human babies, and their skin was an eerie ckish-green.


    ¡°Had your fill? Time for business.¡±


    ¡°This nest is alive, isn¡¯t it? Just like how a queen bee would give birth to the young andmand the workers to work.¡±


    Letho took out thest bomb, Grapeshot. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s sentient. A lot of species hade to our world after the Conjunction of the Spheres. Many of them still remain a mystery despite our sorcerers¡¯ best efforts at researching them, even after a few centuries. Point is, new nekkers will be born in a week and run rampant in the tunnels if we don¡¯t destroy it.¡±


    Roy took the bomb from Letho and shook it, and then he hesitated. ¡°There are two nekker babies in it.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel pity for them?¡±


    ¡°No, just wishing it¡¯d be twenty or two hundred instead. That¡¯d make this a lot more satisfying.¡± Roy thought about the pyramid that was made out of pure cruelty, and he slipped the bomb into the ck slurry. Then, he hunkered down and covered his ears not a moment too soon, because he heard a dull roar a momentter. Reminds me of the time I tossed firecrackers into a fish pond.


    He looked up, and what greeted him was an eruption of slurry, limbs, and flesh. And then it rained down, spreading the stench through the air. Roy could vaguely hear a shriek of despair from the nest, and the skull that covered the surface squirmed for a moment before shriveling up like a raisin. Finally, it turned into dust, and nothing but ayer of skin remained.


    The nest burped, and smoke billowed. At the same time, Roy saw a message indicating that a hundred and ten EXP were added to his bar. So baby nekkers are worth five, while normal nekkers are worth thirty. Nekker warriors are forty EXP each, while the nest is a hundred.


    ¡®Level 3 Witcher (1190/1500).¡¯


    He noticed the number of types of monsters he had to kill to rank up had changed from five to seven. So nekkers and the nest are two different types? He was looking forward to the next hunt.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 77

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 77: Explosion</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy was squeezing a plump, green ball in his hand, the texture and warmth radiating from it making him feel like he was squeezing something erotic. Green mutagen, huh? The green mutagen wasrger and deeper in color than its lesser counterpart, and contrary to its host¡¯s disgusting stench, it smelled nice ¡ª like flowers on a breezy spring morning. At least I didn¡¯t fight all this time for nothing. The nest they destroyed wasn¡¯t the only one in Smiack, or else the dwarves wouldn¡¯t have been so averse to it. Over the past couple of days, Letho and Roy had destroyed another nest that was home to thirty nekkers.


    The nekkers took up one territory for each tribe, as if by instinct. They didn¡¯t help or hinder any of the other tribes in the quest for survival, or it would¡¯ve posed a great danger to Letho and Roy. If that were to happen, all they could do was run. ¡°Nekkers are disorganized without a leader. Keep your wits about you and you¡¯ll have nothing to fear from them.¡±


    Ever since they entered Smiack, Letho and Roy spent most of their time killing nekkers and only stopped for meals and rest. Roy was drenched in blood again and again, and even his face was caked in dried blood. He became leaner than before, but also more energetic and grown up. Aside from the green mutagen, the best thing Roy had gotten from the battles was his improvement in strength.


    His EXP bar was 1590/1500, and a plus sign appeared after the bar, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to level up. He decided to keep Full Recovery as a trump card in case things went south ¡ª at least until they escaped the tunnels. The intense battles also trained him in his control over his stats, and he felt a massive improvement on that aspect. Roy could only utilize half of his body¡¯s capabilities before that, but after the battles in the tunnels, he could use sixty percent of them.


    ***


    ording to their schedule, they should¡¯ve arrived at the heart of the tunnels on the fourth day. The duo noticed theplexity of the tunnels and the numerous routes they could¡¯ve branched into during their earlier exploration. One misstep could¡¯ve trapped them in for good, but the dwarves had drawn signs on ces with many branches when they¡¯d first dug the tunnels in case someone had needed it.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡± Letho stood before the tunnel, brushing his hand against the sign of two crossed hammers before a branch.


    ¡°That nekker stench again. Isn¡¯t there anything else in here?¡± Roy was getting tired of killing nekkers, so he wanted to face a different type of monster.


    ¡°Pray nothinges to pass,¡± Letho said seriously. ¡°We¡¯ve run out of bombs, oils, potions, and decoctions. If wee face to face with a djinn in this condition, your crossbow won¡¯t work on it, and I can¡¯t fight it alone, so all we could do is run. If we¡¯re unlucky enough to face a garkain or cave troll, it¡¯d be the end of us.¡±


    Roy stopped feeling lucky, and they entered the cavern. It was smaller than the other ones, petite, even. It was too usual, for its walls and ground were bare. Nothing, not even a de of grass or a stone.


    ¡°Something smells strange.¡± Letho frowned.


    Roy took a whiff and noticed a strange smelling from the nest, but he couldn¡¯t remember where it came from. When he looked ahead, he saw five grown nekkers wandering around, and a dried nesty behind them. It¡¯s a mini tribe. Most of the recon guys that hade from the cer had been killed by the nekkers in the vanguard, leaving the ones in the rear without food. Starvation made them skeletal and uglier than the other nekkers.


    The nekkers screeched at the sight of Letho and Roy, thinking they were food. They foamed at the mouth and leapt toward the duo. Three went for Letho, who was obviously bigger, while two went for Roy, who looked skinnier. Letho peered at them without mercy and faced them head on with Gwyhyr in hand, ready to kill, but Roy was quicker.


    His bolt soared through the air, piercing the head of a nekker, and it fell with a thud.


    ¡®You killed a nekker. EXP +20.¡¯


    The second nekker had closed the distance between them before Roy could reload. He could smell the nekker¡¯s bad breath and see its ugly, yellow teeth clearly, but Roy didn¡¯t panic. His eyes gleamed crimson for a moment and he sidestepped the nekker. The nekker jolted before freezing in surprise, thereafter losing all control and mming into the wall before it.


    The cavern rumbled from the impact, and the nekker fell with a howl of pain. Roy took the chance to step on its back and jabbed a bolt into its neck, and then blood drenched Roy¡¯s glove.


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    Letho protected himself with Quen and darted into the group of nekkers. He put his weight on his left leg and spun around, shing at the nekkers¡¯ torsos. The nekkers were still baring their fangs at him, but they were already sliced in half from the waist down, their innards squelching against the ground as they fell forward. Even so, they didn¡¯t die on the spot. The nekkers dragged themselves ahead, their innards trailing behind them. They were determined to get a bite out of Letho, their desire for fresh meat overpowering their fear and pain.


    Resilient, aren¡¯t they? Roy fired three shots and filled his EXP bar even more.


    ¡®You killed a nekker. EXP +20. Level 3 Witcher (1690/1500).¡¯


    And then all that was left was the nest, but Roy could only watch as Letho went to finish the job.


    He couldn¡¯t do anything without Grapeshot, so Letho had to finish it with Igni. The witcher made a red triangle in the air and sent a jet of me streaming toward the nest, and then everything shattered. Roy cked out, hisst memory being a bright light from Igni¡¯s mes.


    Eventually, Roy woke up, but everything around him was spinning, and the air was still filled with dust. His ears buzzed incessantly. When he touched his face, all he felt was something sticky. He looked at his hand and saw blood, but the worst thing was his whole body felt like it had been through a wringer, and his HP had fallen to thirty points.


    Shit. There must¡¯ve been a lot of mmable gas in the nest, and Igni, well, ignited it. ¡°Fuck! How could I have forgotten what gas smelled like?¡± He got up with difficulty, and then a terrifying thought urred to him.


    ¡°Letho? Letho! Are you there? Talk to me!¡± Shit. I got it bad even though I was some distance away. Letho must be gravely injured, at least.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 78

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 78: The Room Beyond the Dust</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy heard someone cough on the other side of the smokescreen, and he ran toward the sound. Letho was leaning against the corner, his leather armor blown to smithereens. His arms, chest, and legs were scraped by the debris and charred by the mes, his face ck with soot. He¡¯s a mess, but at least he¡¯s still alive. Their stock of potions had been used up, but Roy had three marigold potions left. Perfect. ¡°How do you feel, Letho? Where are you hurt?¡±


    Letho rested for a while, staring at the smokescreen with fear. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I think I broke a rib and some bones in my right leg. Damn. I never would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d almost die from my own sign.¡±


    Roy was astonished that Letho managed to live when he himself was injured from that distance. ¡°You were really close to the explosion. Any other guy would¡¯ve been blown to bits.¡±


    ¡°If not for Quen, I¡¯d be dead by now.¡± Then he asked, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re fine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because I was standing far away.¡± Roy wiped some blood from his ear and showed it to Letho. ¡°But I¡¯m not unscathed. My whole face is bleeding, see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen anyone still go around like it¡¯s nothing after sustaining that kind of injury.¡±


    Okay then.


    The duo rested until the dust settled, but the cavern they were in had changed. The explosion hadn¡¯t affected the path ahead though. Instead, the left wall had caved in, revealing a weird room behind it. ¡°Whoa, a blessing in disguise, huh?¡± Roy helped the limping witcher into the room. It was the same size as a single room in an inn, but the walls were smooth, obviously renovated by someone or something. There wasn¡¯t any bed or furniture within, so there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone living there. But even if there was someone in there, the wall would¡¯ve been blocked in the first ce. In other words, there was no exit, making the room a death trap.


    ¡°Which dumbass built this empty room in this tunnel?¡± Roy was disappointed. He thought they¡¯de across a treasure or something.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a sorcerer¡¯s abode,¡± Letho said. ¡°Only those who can teleport cane and go as they please.¡±


    Roy helped Letho to the big, gleaming wall facing the entrance, and his ne started humming the moment he touched it. Instead of the weak hum he¡¯d felt when they¡¯d fought the nekkers, the hum felt strong and invigorating.


    ¡°Something wrong with this wall?¡± Roy brushed his hand against it like Letho had, but all he felt was a hard wall.


    ¡°We have to find out no matter what. A sorcerer put a spell on this, but luckily, I have some dimeritium powder left.¡± Letho rummaged through his satchel and pulled out a handful of grey powder. It was the enemy of sorcerers and the material for dimeritium bombs ¡ª dimeritium powder.


    Letho sprinkled the dust onto the wall, and then the wall, not unlike soaked paper, turned a darker shade. The duo looked at each other for a moment before making their move. When it was fully soaked in dimeritium, ripples appeared in the center and spread out, revealing the mystery behind it, just like how a theater would raise its curtains.


    The duo observed the mural on the wall in silence. On the left, an elf with a crown was standing before his throne on the podium with his arms spread, weing his subjects that were kneeling before him.


    The mural felt cool to the touch, and then a rippleing from it coursed through Roy. He trembled for a moment, and then, as if by magic, he found himself among the kneeling crowd in the image he¡¯d seen. Roy looked up at the noble king above, who felt like an infinite ocean and an insurmountable mountain. Roy felt like he was just an insignificant bystander in the presence of the king.


    ***


    He snapped out of it a momentter and turned his eyes to the second mural. The elf king was in there too, but this time, he was swinging a crimson sword at a group of snarling invaders, while his sea of soldiers stood behind him.


    ¡°Those are humans, aren¡¯t they?¡± Roy frowned. The invaders were built like humans, but they were depicted as snarling, repulsive creatures. What came next was and drenched with blood and lit aze by the mes of war. The once glorious empire was reduced to rubbles, elf corpses strewn across thend, while the human executioners stood on top of the rubble, pointing their swords at the elf king¡¯s throat.


    Thest mural depicted the elf king who¡¯d lost his crown, and he abandoned his sword and shot an arrow at the sun above. The sun, injured by the elf¡¯s shot, rained blood on thend. It seeped into the ground, and mysterious nts broke through the soil and grew toward the sky.


    Roy fell into a long silence after he was done looking at the murals. Vivid depictions of war in all its cruelty popped up within his mind, as if by magic. Eventually, his eyes turned crimson, his breathing turned heavy, and he clenched his fists in hysteria.


    Letho gave him a tight p, and Roy yelped. He rubbed his face that was starting to swell, and his eyes were clear again. ¡°You could have been gentler, Letho.¡±


    ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures.¡± Letho gasped as his wound started to tear. ¡°You might have killed yourself if I pped you even a momentter.¡±


    ¡°So is this mural real?¡± Roy knew about the world¡¯s truth, but he wanted to hear what Letho had to say about it.


    ¡°The murals tell of the history of the humans and elves,¡± Letho said. ¡°The legends say the humans aren¡¯t the natives of thisnd. They¡¯de from thends of yore and killed most of the ancient races here, including the elves. In the end, they finally conquered the world, but legends were just that. Legends. The humans have lived here for many generations, so maybe they¡¯ve changed how history was written to hide the truth from everyone. It¡¯s hard to say who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong. Most humans don¡¯t think they¡¯ve invaded thends of the ancient races though.¡±


    ¡°What do you think then?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Me?¡± Letho scratched his chin. ¡°Witchers aren¡¯t bound by their race. Most Cat School witchers were elves, you know? All we have to do is keep to our creed, no matter the history.¡±


    Letho might not have known it, but Roy did. He knew that humans dide from other continents, and most of the human settlements like Vizima and Novigrad were built upon the ruins of elven civilization. However, elves, or to be precise, Aen Seidhe, were also beings of another world. They came to the presentnd and killed the natives and ruled thend for a long time.


    If they wanted to be more precise, the dwarves and gnomes were the real natives of thend, but they were forced to hide in a remote corner of a mountain range. Oh, the Mahakams used to be a part of the elves¡¯ kingdom too. I can see why an elven hidden room would show up here. Roy guessed, ¡°Maybe an elven sorcerer with a grudge made this room to keep the historical records to make sure everyone who cameter would know about the evil humans had done.¡±


    Letho nodded, but then shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not all there is to it. This sorcerer¡¯s goal isn¡¯t to keep history intact. Look here.¡± Letho pushed himself up and knocked on the wall, and then he pushed his hand against it and murmured. A momentter, the winds howled in the room.


    Roy looked closely and saw the mural destroyed by Aard, and when the dust had settled, something hidden was revealed.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 79

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 79: Child of the Sun</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A mini ntation was behind the mural, and ten bizarre nts stood there. They were more than two feet tall, and their petals were purple and their leaves green. They radiated life and nature, and Roy noticed a lot of wilted nts on thend beside the nts.


    Roy was overwhelmed by the urge to pluck the nts just by looking at them. He approached them and took a whiff, and then he felt refreshed, as if his whole body just went through a baptism session. Now I want them even more.


    ¡®Child of the Sun


    Alternate names: devil¡¯s tail, feainnewedd, dwarf¡¯s affine.


    Legends say a great elven archer once pierced the sun with his arrow, and thend absorbed the crimson liquid that rained from the sky. When the sun¡¯s blood came into contact with a dent on a rock, a magical nt came into existence. This is an extremely rare herb that possesses incredible effects.


    Perennial nt


    Age: Fifty two years old


    Habitat: Mahakams, Tir Tochair, Dragon Mountains, mine caves, or abandoned mines.


    Usages:Can be used in the creation of beauty pills. Cures any blemishes or ailments of the skin. Guaranteed beautification.Can be used in the creation of antidotes. Neutralizes all poison and venom.Will cause an unknown but beneficial change in the body if five ounces are consumed.


    ***


    ¡°Child of the Sun.¡± Roy mumbled its name in confusion. He might have read a lot of the Witcher world¡¯s lore, but he wasn¡¯t omniscient. The nt he was seeing right before his eyes was something he¡¯d never encountered before. Observe didn¡¯t provide him enough details, so he didn¡¯t know anything about the positives and the negatives of the nt.


    However, he had a guess that the nt might not have been native to the world he was in. The clue was in the blood that rained from the sun in thest mural. He postted that the nt came from another world when the elves tore into their world with their ship.


    ¡°Have you seen this nt before?¡± Letho was surprised that Roy knew what the nt was called. ¡°My notes don¡¯t have this in it.¡±


    Roy kept quiet, and Letho stopped asking. He knew Roy had a lot of secrets of his own, and then he hunkered down and brushed his hand against the leaf of the nearest nt. The leaf chirped in surprise and retracted itself, sticking against the stem, causing it to bend backward, as if scalded by Letho¡¯s touch.


    Roy said, ¡°Whether by appearance, reaction to stimuli, or ce of growth, they are exactly as told in the legends. Maybe this is Child of the Sun.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Letho pulled Roy¡¯s hand away from the nt. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin this. It¡¯s priceless.¡± Roy looked puzzled, so Letho hobbled around the nt and exined, ¡°My mentor, Ivar Evil-Eye, told me that there are a few magical nts in this world that are sought after by royalty, sorcerers, and witchers, but most of them have only appeared in historical records or legends. Almost nobody has ever seen them in the flesh, and Child of the Sun is one of those nts.¡±


    Letho turned around to observe the bizarre nt. ¡°Child of the Sun is the main ingredient in Divine Beauty and Omnipotent Antidote, two of the top potions in the alchemy world, but the recipe is lost.¡± Letho¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°No poison can go up against the Omnipotent Antidote ¡ª not even our school¡¯s. It can also neutralize ancient curses. If someone had taken this to Temeria eight years ago, they could¡¯ve probably lifted the curse on Princess Adda and married her before that Wolf School witcher.¡±


    ¡°Child of the Sun can even break a striga¡¯s curse?¡± Roy finally understood the nt¡¯s power.


    ¡°Anyone who has a Divine Beauty can regain their youth.¡± Letho looked astonished. ¡°And they can retain it until the day they die. And Divine Beauty can extend their lifespan too.¡±


    ¡°So I take this is valuable?¡±


    ¡°Valuable? It¡¯s priceless.¡± Letho was reminded of yet another bad memory. ¡°An overwhelming majority of women are obsessed with youth. They¡¯d kill if it meant they could regain it.¡±


    Roy was disappointed though, since both of those products were useless to him, and the recipes had been lost in time. He held one of the nts in his right hand and squeezed it. The nt squirmed around in his palm, chirping in displeasure, not unlike a youngdy who was being harassed.


    Letho was disgruntled at how Roy was hurting the priceless nt. ¡°What are you doing, boy?¡±


    ¡°Testing it out.¡± Roy licked his lips. ¡°The pill and antidote are useless to me anyway, since I¡¯m going to be a witcher soon, but we have ten Childs of the Sun here.¡± His eyes were gleaming with desire. ¡°I don¡¯t think having one is too much to ask, and I¡¯ll bet you have the same desire, no?¡±


    Roy was going for the change he would experience after ingesting five ounces of the nt. It¡¯s a good change. The elf on the mural shot the sun and grew the nts with its essence, so Roy thought the nts must¡¯ve had a strong, unknown power. His body was urging him to swallow it. Every cell was screaming out its desire for the nt, as if eating it was a feral instinct, not unlike how a lost traveler would act whening across an oasis in the desert.


    Roy wasn¡¯t doing it recklessly either. If anything bad were to happen, he would level up at will and heal using Full Recovery. Thanks to that, Roy had the courage to ingest it without worry.


    ¡°You¡¯re desiring it, boy? Are you sure you aren¡¯t hallucinating?¡± Letho was perplexed, since he didn¡¯t feel any desire to consume the nt. ¡°I have to warn you that our school doesn¡¯t know much about Child of the Sun, so nobody knows if you¡¯ll get hurt if you eat it. You might die, or worse, get cursed. You¡¯d better think this through. I suggest you clear out your pocket to keep these babies so we can take them with us,¡± Letho said.


    ¡°Trust me, Letho. This isn¡¯t going to be a problem,¡± Roy promised. ¡°And even if something goes wrong, I can deal with it.¡± Roy had made his decision, and he uprooted a whole Child of the Sun. The nt stopped chirping the moment it was taken out, and it lolled to the side, as if it had fainted.


    When he looked at the remaining nts, they screeched and covered the petals with their leaves, as if trying not to look at the viin who was about to kill them. ¡°I feel guilty for some reason.¡± Roy didn¡¯t act ording to that guilt, for he wiped the dirt from the feainnewedd he¡¯d plucked, and popped it into his mouth.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 80

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 80: Change</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Hm, hm. The texture¡¯s nice.¡± He bit through the leaves and stem easily, and a sweet juice filled his mouth as he munched on the nt. ¡°Delightfully light and sweet.¡± Roy tasted something else after finishing the whole nt ¡ª the sweetness of blood. It lingered in his mouth for a while before disappearing.


    Roy frowned and wiped the juice from the corner of his lips, and then he saw striking crimson on his finger. It was warm, just like human blood. His frown deepened. ¡°It felt like I just gobbled something that was alive.¡±


    He closed his eyes to feel the change in his body. A strange warmth coursed through him, but it waned after a moment. Roy certainly felt something within him, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cause a change. Nothing changed in his stats or job, though a line with a vague green hue showed up in his skill sheet. Roy could see the outline of words, but they were blinking, threatening to disappear at any time. A new skill is forming? It can¡¯t settle down because I didn¡¯t ingest enough? Roy confirmed the fact he had to ingest five ounces to see the change. I¡¯ll just eat more of it then. But I can¡¯t take them all. Gotta leave some for Letho.


    He uprooted another Child of the Sun, but Letho didn¡¯t stop him. Instead, he arched an eyebrow and leaned against the wall, nning to see what Roy had in mind.


    Roy ate another feainnewedd, and another, and another, and another. Once he was done with the fifth, Roy stopped eating. Then he sat down in the meditation stance and felt the changes in his body. His brows and lips were trembling as the Child of the Sun released an enormous heat wave throughout his body. His blood-caked face, neck, and forearms were turning scarlet, as if Roy were being baked in an oven.


    The heat rushed to his brain, turning into thousands and thousands of lines of ancient text. He saw thousands of characters in his head, but he didn¡¯t recognize most of them, for he¡¯d never learned that kind of alphabet. Everything was alien to him, though he could see they were rustic ¡ª ancient, even. Only a few were simr to themon speech he¡¯d learned in the House of Cardell. To be exact,mon speech was a derivative of the weirdnguage he was seeing in his head.


    He was in a trance for god knew how long, and eventually, his soul memorized all the words he saw in his mind, including their pronunciations, the way to write them, and even their meanings. Roy had mastered anguage just like that. Is this an ancientnguage? Roy snapped out of his trance, and his instincts told him his guess was on the money.


    Thenguage he¡¯d just mastered was ancient speech, the one elves used. But how¡¯d I manage to do that? Is it because of the nt I ate? He turned to his character sheet and saw something surprising.


    ¡®You have ingested a sufficient amount of Child of the Sun. You now possess the talent of the Aen Elle race. You have mastered ancient speech through the legacy of your bloodline.


    You have unlocked a skill:


    Elegance of the Wind (Passive): Elves possess extraordinarily elegant looks and great dexterity. Charisma +1, Dexterity +1.


    Charisma: 5 ¡ú 6


    Dexterity: 5.1 ¡ú 6.1¡¯


    ***


    I can¡¯t believe a few nts just changed my bloodline. ¡°So I¡¯m not a human anymore. Well, not fully, at least.¡± Otherworlders like him didn¡¯t mind their bloodlines. He wasn¡¯t scared about bing a witcher, so being an elf meant nothing to him. Now I¡¯m an elf, so what? At least I¡¯m not a dwarf or a gnome. That would¡¯ve been a shocker. And I got two attribute points for free.


    He read through his character sheet again and saw that he wasn¡¯t an Aen Seidhe elf, unlike the ones residing in the witcher world. Instead, he was an Aen Elle elf from another world. The elves shared aplex rtionship, but he knew that Ciri, the blessed girl, managed to travel through time and space thanks to her ancient bloodline, and the source of that was the elves of Aen Elle.


    Will it be possible to gain a space-time skill with this bloodline then? He shook his head and smiled. That¡¯s too far-fetched for now. I¡¯ll put it aside.


    Letho had been watching Roy quietly, and he noticed the slight changes in Roy¡¯s air and face. Roy¡¯s face had turned fairer and glossier. Not even the dried blood could cover it, and his ears seemed to grow longer and pointier, though he¡¯d have missed it if he hadn¡¯t looked closer. When Roy opened his eyes again, Letho could see a gxy in them.


    He¡¯s more conspicuous than before. ¡°How do you feel, boy?¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Roy leaped up and stretched his arms before doing a backflip. ¡°I feel more flexible and bnced. And I mastered ancient speech.¡±


    ¡°Ancient speech?¡± Letho observed him. ¡°Your looks have changed a bit too after eating those nts.¡±


    ¡°Where in particr?¡± Roy touched his cheeks, nose, eyes, and lips, but he felt nothing different. I¡¯ll have to get a mirror.


    ¡°You look more sculpted now, and your ears got a bit pointy. That¡¯s how a typical part-elf looks like.¡± And then realization struck Letho. ¡°I see. Child of the Sun is one hell of an invention. It can even change a human into a part-elf,¡± he mocked. ¡°Humans toppled their rule, and they came up with a nt that could turn humans into elves? That was a good n, I¡¯ll have to admit, but since they couldn¡¯t mass-produce them, it failed. You probably mastered ancient speech through the legacy of your bloodline.¡± Letho stopped for a moment to look at Roy. ¡°You might just be something big, boy. Most part-elves are.¡±


    Part-elves were born when either one parent was half-elf, or both of them were. Part-elves were more humanlike than half-elves, so they didn¡¯t look very much like elves. Thanks to that, they could blend in with humans easily. Only extreme racists would discriminate against them on the grounds that they weren¡¯t humans.


    Yennefer of Vengerberg, Falka who caused bloodbaths in the northern empires, and Vernon Ryan, the revolutionist leader, were all part-elves.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you not joke that way, Letho.¡± Roy was worried about something else. ¡°Can part-elves undergo the trial?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s not a problem at all. In fact, being part-elf can be a boon,¡± Letho said. ¡°You¡¯ll have a drastically extended lifespan. I¡¯d say you¡¯ll live until a hundred and twenty or thirty if you don¡¯t get into idents or have any terminal illnesses.¡±


    Roy thought about it silently. Is that the benefit of being a half-blood? ¡°Since it¡¯s good for you, why don¡¯t you finish the rest? They¡¯re useless now since the recipes for the meds have been lost in time. Not like we would have any use for them even if they could be made.¡±


    Witchers usually looked like they were in their mid-thirties or forties for a century or two. Most didn¡¯t even get that far in life, since battles would im them earlier than a natural death would. That made Divine Beauty redundant. Witchers had a high resistance to poison, and that made Omnipotent Antidote useless.


    Letho hesitated slightly before uprooting the chirping nts, and then he feasted on them. However, much to their surprise, nothing changed even after he ate four of them, whereas Roy had felt a surge of warmth after having a single nt.


    Child of the Sun didn¡¯t do anything to Letho.


    ¡°Hm, I wonder why? The mutation, perhaps?¡± Roy mumbled. Witchers technically weren¡¯t humans anymore, since their organs and genes mutated after the trial.


    ¡°Maybe the change only works on humans.¡± Letho noticed it and stopped eating. Instead, he asked Roy to keep thest one in his inventory space.


    ¡°I wonder if that sorcerer would kill us if he found out what we did to his feainnewedd farm.¡± Roy put Letho¡¯s arm around his shoulder and moved forward with painstaking effort.


    ¡°Highly unlikely. It¡¯d been more than ten years since the barrier had been strengthened, so it¡¯d been weak. The sorcerer is probably dead,¡± Letho answered. That sorcerer put in a lot of effort to make that room, but we reaped the rewards in the end. Is this also fate?


    ***


    Child of the Sun had another hidden effect that was only made known that night when Roy meditated. It was the first time he meditated after his bloodline change, andpared to the shallow meditation that only healed him, the meditation this time took him deeper into the zone, making hime into contact with the truth of the world.


    Roy¡¯s consciousness entered a densely dark zone, the novelty reminding him of his first mediation. The air around him was almost viscous, and he could see ripples that tied his consciousness down, stopping him from moving around. Then, a small me ignited in the darkness. It was far, far away from Roy, and a single breath would be enough to extinguish it. However, it was resilient, and it approached Roy bit by bit, the astounding heat and destruction within it getting more pronounced with each passing second.


    And then a yellow light appeared. It was stable and anchoring, just like the earth. Then a green one moved around nimbly, just like the wind, and finally, a blue one that calmed and soothed him, just like water. Water, earth, fire, and air. The four elements were closing in on him. If Roy¡¯s soul had tentacles, he would have tried to grasp the elements.


    The elements were just teasing him though. They swirled around him and took a whiff before disappearing into the dark. ¡°No!¡± Roy almost stopped his meditating state, but he clung on and held on to the minuscule elements around him. He could feel the elements trying to touch him, to dance and talk to him, but they seemed shy and hesitant.


    ¡°Stay!¡± Roy roared silently, but that shocked them, and thest of the elements slipped away into the darkness, despite Roy¡¯s protests. ¡°Dammit!¡± Roy ended his meditation, looking frustrated. ¡°Just a little bit more! Just a bit more and I could have grasped them!¡±


    However, he had a feeling he could build a connection with the elements as long as he mediated and kept trying. Maybe I can even unlock my mana pool before going through the trial. But at least this is an improvement. Child of the Sun did change his bloodline for the better. Roy had been absolutely talentless at magic before, but now, he had a bit of a chance to connect with the elements after ingesting the nts.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 81

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 81: Hotbed</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The duo went further into the tunnels for Melitele knew how long after Roy was done eating the nts. Since their supplies were running low, they estimated it¡¯d been four days, so they¡¯d been in the tunnels for nearly a week at that point.


    Letho managed to walk by propping up his broken leg with his short swords and a piece of cloth while using Gwyhyr as a crutch.


    Luckily for them, the journey was peaceful; the monsters must¡¯ve died from extreme starvation. The stagnant air finally began to flow, and that told them the exit must¡¯ve been near. They were close to the surface, close to leaving the darkness of the tunnels behind.


    ***


    ¡°Shh.¡± When they arrived into a bigger cavern after going through the narrow tunnel, Letho shushed Roy and put out his torch. Roy looked to where Letho was pointing, only to vaguely see a nekker warrior dragging its hands around the entrance.


    The nekker warrior was obviously bigger and stronger than the ones they¡¯d faced before. It probably ate more than its brethren. It looked like an ugly, burly, hunched man, prowling like a guard dog. Its eyes were gleaming in the darkness, its nose twitching. And then it inched closer to the duo when it smelled their scent.


    But before it could get closer, Roy pierced its head with a bolt, and it fell with a thud.


    ¡®You killed a nekker warrior. EXP +30.¡¯


    Roy kept his crossbow before going to take his spoils, but Letho held his shoulder. A momentter, two more nekkers came out of the tunnel, and then a bloody scene followed.


    They didn¡¯t notice the duo, and they were attracted by the fallen nekker warrior¡¯s body. The pair took a whiff before pouncing on it. One of the nekkers gnawed on the neck, while the other dug into the thigh. Their sharp teeth easily tore through the body¡¯s skin, severing vessels and flesh. And they gobbled everything down before looking up to the sky to swallow the flesh.


    When they were done, they licked their lips clean with their lizardlike tongue before going for another bite. The cavern was silent, aside from the sounds of chewing and tearing. Flesh and blood spewed everywhere, turning that spot into a gory mess. About thirty secondster, a considerable part of the body had been devoured, leaving nothing but bones behind. The nekkers stopped after eating a fifth of the body, and they dragged the remains into the tunnel behind them.


    ¡°Those nekkers looked starved.¡± Roy gasped, a chill running down his spine. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they finish it?¡±


    ¡°Nekkers have a clear hierarchy.¡± Letho coughed. ¡°Much like lions and wolves, the higher echelons enjoy the meat first. In this case, the warriors and leaders have the privilege to feast first. Once they¡¯re done, they¡¯ll give some to the nest, and then the normal nekkers eatst. Those guys didn¡¯t take too much because they didn¡¯t want to anger their boss.¡± He heaved a sigh. ¡°They were eating the body so they could evolve. Those kinds of creatures benefit from devouring the flesh of those more powerful than them. Evolution¡¯s more important to them than the desire to feast.¡±


    Roy nodded, but then his face fell. ¡°They have a boss? I hope it¡¯s not a nekker chieftain.¡± Nekker chieftains were stronger and harder to handle than warriors. A single chieftain could rally the disorganized nekkers and have them work together.


    The duo waited for half an hour before approaching the feasting ground. The body left trails of blood and flesh, so the duo wiped that all over them before drawing five diagonal lines on their faces.


    Then they hunched and trudged inside, not unlike the nekkers. After turning a few corners, they came to an exit and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The exit was right there, but what they saw made their faces fall.


    Thirty feet away, light illuminated the group nekkers sprawled on the ground. They were entwined, squirming, grunting, not unlike pythons in heat. There were at least ny of them, making them the biggest tribe the duo had ever seen.


    The body that was dragged in by the nekkers earlier was ced behind the sleeping tribe, where their nest rested. Most of the body had been devoured, and the ribcage was revealed. Roy was reminded of mutton and beef on disy. Sitting beside the nest was a green nekker whose skin looked like armor. It was supporting its chin with its hand, and its eyes were closed, as if it were a thinker. It could¡¯ve been one, if not for its thunderous snoring.


    As its chest heaved, its fangs would reveal themselves from time to time. Normal nekkers were only five feet four, but the green nekker was six feet. It was taller than all the others. Even when it was asleep, it exuded a cruel, violent air.


    ¡®Nekker chieftain


    Age: Twenty years old


    HP: 100


    Strength: 8 (Strength of Greed +2)


    Dexterity: 6 (Strength in Numbers +1)


    Constitution: 10 (Strength of Greed +3)


    Perception: 5


    Will: 5 (Strength in Numbers +1)


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 3


    Skills:


    Leap Attack Level 8: Nekkers have great leaping ability, allowing them to attack from ten feet away. It can leap toward its target quickly, attacking it with its fangs and ws. It gains +2 in Strength when it leaps. Lasts thirty seconds.


    Corpse Venom Level 8: Nekkers live in ces filled with corpses and decaying flesh. Thanks to that, their ws and fangs are imbibed with venom. Their attacks can weaken their target and cause bleeding as well as heat them up and cause intense pain.


    Strength of Greed (Passive): Nekker chieftains have ingested a great amount of flesh and have undergone two evolutions. They possess far superior life force and strengthpared to normal nekkers. Constitution +3, Strength +2.


    Strength in Numbers (Passive): Whenever nekkers move in packs, they gain +1 in Dexterity and Will.


    Leader (Passive): Nekker chieftains are the leaders of nekkers. Nekkers lower in rank can¡¯t go against its orders.¡¯


    ***


    Shit, Roy cursed silently. After all the battles they¡¯d fought, they¡¯d run out of bombs, potions, and oils. To make things worse, Letho was out ofmission, and it took all he had just to move around. How are we supposed to fight them? They have a chieftain with them.


    He pondered on a way to escape. There was only one option left. They had to go through the squirming swarm without alerting even one of them, or they¡¯d be dead if they were swarmed. Roy squinted in an attempt to see a way out, even if the way was a narrow path.


    Letho suddenly tugged at him and gave him a look that said ¡®Get back inside.¡¯


    Letho stared into his eyes. ¡°Listen to me, boy. You¡¯re going to leave by yourselfter,¡± hemanded. ¡°You¡¯re agile enough to get past them silently and quickly. Nekkers don¡¯t sleep for long. If you miss this chance¡­¡±


    ¡°But what about you?¡± Roy interrupted, looking at Letho¡¯s fractured right leg. ¡°You got another idea?¡± Roy sounded excited.


    ¡°Yeah. You getting away safely is better than us getting trapped here.¡± Letho paused. ¡°You can get some help when you escape. I can easily hide for a bit.¡±


    ¡°As if, Letho. You can barely walk, let alone hide from them.¡± He shook his head, refusing. ¡°It¡¯s not the time to y here. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback ride, and that¡¯s it.¡± Letho wanted to say something, but Roy said, ¡°You¡¯re asking me to be a deserter? A coward?¡± Roy started convincing him. ¡°I¡¯ll be wracked with guilt if I escape alone. I¡¯ll just be another Seville Hoger. That guilt¡¯s going to haunt me forever, and if I bring it into the trial, it¡¯ll be the end of me.¡±


    Letho took a deep breath. He got me good. ¡°Very well then. We shall fight together once again.¡±


    ***


    They tiptoed to the nekker heap to observe them for a while. Most of the nekkers were entangled tightly, leaving no space, but there were some small spots between arms, legs, or the nekkers. Just enough for them to stand in. They looked ahead and managed to find an escape route, though a narrow one.


    Roy nodded at Letho, and then they started moving. Letho was two times heavier than Roy, so giving him a piggyback ride was no small feat. Roy felt like he was being crushed by a small hill, his face turning scarlet, and his veins bulged.


    Roy¡¯s breathing turned heavy, but he kept his mouth shut. He puffed his cheeks, gritted his teeth, and tried his best not to make a sound. When he put his left foot into the space between two nekkers, a terrible stench assailed him.


    Roy could see every inch of the nekkers¡¯ faces, and they were hideous. They were filled with blotches, and their skin was disgustingly rough. They wore nothing but loincloths, the bloated flesh of their bodies in full sight. Their mouths were filled with sharp fangs that had flesh stuck between them.


    He never expected to observe a living nekker at such a close distance, but it was terrifying. He was worried they would suddenly open their eyes and attack him, but that was just his imagination.


    Roy solidified his legs¡¯ grip on the ground before taking a ten second rest. Then he stepped into the space between the nekkers¡¯ arms. But the moment he did, a single drop of sweat fell into one of the nekkers¡¯ open mouth.


    The nekker smacked its lips, its face scrunching. At the same time, Roy took a deep breath and stood rooted in ce. Letho extended his hand over Roy¡¯s shoulder, getting ready to cast Axii, but he didn¡¯t have to. A few momentster, the nekker turned around to hold itspanion¡¯s legs and snore.


    The same thing happened a few times, and it felt like the journey had taken an eternity. They felt like a guillotine was hanging over their heads, ready to lop them off at any given moment. One misstep or grunt could spell the end of them.


    However, Roy managed to control himself well thanks to his Dexterity. His Spirit helped him keep focus, while his Will resolved him to take every step without fear.


    A long whileter, someone said in Roy¡¯s mind, ¡®You have passed the third trial ¡ª The Nekkers¡¯ Hotbed.¡¯


    There were only twenty feet left, but it took Roy five minutes to finish them. Exhaustion caught up to him the moment he let Letho go. He bent over with his hands on his knees. His chest heaved, and sweat trickled down his legs. Every cell in his body felt hot and sore, but when he looked back at the nekkers, he felt aplished. I made it through without leaving myrade behind.


    But it wasn¡¯t time to celebrate. They quickly went past the chieftain, and it didn¡¯t seem to notice them. The chieftain still had its eyes closed, as if it were deep in thought. Eventually, they arrived at the exit, but it could only fit one person at a time, so Letho went ahead while he took the rear. However, a short whileter, rm bells started ringing in his head, so he turned around.


    Standing at the tunnel¡¯s entrance was the chieftain. It was tilting its head toward Roy, observing him. Its back was hunched, and one of its ws was hanging above the ground, while the other was before its chest. Its gigantic eyes gleamed smugly, and a grin broke out on its face. Then itughed.


    Roy was smeared in nekker blood, but his camouge was only effective with normal nekkers, not the sly chieftain.


    The chieftain let out a loud screech, and the tribe of nekkers awoke. Whipped into frenzy, they crashed into the tunnel, ready to kill the duo.


    Roy sighed. I guess we can¡¯t run. He gave up on escaping. He could escape alone, but that meant he would have to leave Letho for dead. The only way left is to fight.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 82

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 82: The Exit</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Fortunately, the tunnel could only fit one person at a time, so Roy could pick the nekkers off one by one. He fired a shot, the first nekker dying on the spot, a hole bored through its head. That didn¡¯t stop the attack, for the second nekker quickly leaped across the corpse and pounced at him on all fours.


    Roy couldn¡¯t reload in time, so he put his weight on one leg and swung his crossbow from right to left. Gabriel mmed against the nekker¡¯s chin and crushed all its fangs. The nekker fell back, howling in pain.


    ¡°Switch with me, boy! Take the rear!¡± Letho said hoarsely. He cast Agni, and the circle illuminated the tunnel, slowing down the nekkers. ¡°My leg¡¯s hurt, but my arm isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Letho.¡± Roy gripped his crossbow before grabbing the air and brandishing Gwyhyr out of nowhere. ¡°I can¡¯t hide behind an injured man like a coward. Time for me to protect you now.¡± He thrusted the sword forward, stabbing the nekker¡¯s chest. Then Roy kicked the nekker and yanked his sword out. The blood sttered across his face, but he didn¡¯t care. His eyes started turning crimson from the mess.


    Then he shed diagonally, and the de sliced through the nekker¡¯s chest like butter. Fighting in a narrow tunnel was great, since there was no ce to hide. All he needed to do was swing the sword around, and it¡¯d hit a target. However, since his strength and technique were inferior to Letho¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t slice the nekkers in half in one blow.


    That w gave the nekkers a chance to attack. Even though their entrails were already spilled, they managed to w at his left arm and drew blood. Roy winced.


    The scent of blood worsened their frenzy. The nekkers pushed their fallenrades ahead like they were shields, mming into Roy. Gwyhyr was stuck in the meat shield, and before Roy could get it out, he was pushed back by a great force. He was still far too weakpared to a tribe of nekkers.


    Then Letho supported Roy from the back. He tried to hold himself up despite his bones almost being broken. He forced his muscles to give him onest push, and he stood up. At the same time, he extended his right arm across Roy¡¯s shoulder before making a blue triangle in the air, and then he pushed it forward.


    The air itself exploded, and Aard¡¯s impact sent the nekkers flying back, clearing the ground for them. ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re not backing off, then stay in the vanguard. I¡¯ll cast the signs whenever you need it.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    The duo worked together once more, though their positions had switched. Roy, who had always been the rear guard, was standing in the vanguard, attacking with Gabirel and Gwyhyr, changing his weapons to fit the situation. Sometimes he¡¯d bore a hole through a nekker¡¯s head, then he¡¯d change weapons and slice their body open.


    Blood was starting to drench him, and wounds were starting to pile up, but Roy showed resolve by refusing to take a step back. Letho stayed behind him, using his battle experience to cast signs in the most appropriate situations so he could sustain himself longer. He kept Yrden up at all times to slow the nekkers, making them easier to kill.


    If it were just a single nekker attacking Roy, he¡¯d cast Axii to confuse it, creating an opening for Roy, but if they came in a group, he¡¯d send them flying with Aard.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to mesh well together. Two minutester, more than fifteen nekkersy dead at their feet, but new nekkers wed their way through a few momentster.


    ***


    Once again, Roy stabbed a nekker¡¯s eyes with Gwyhyr, piercing its head, and then he pulled the sword out. Blood trickled down the de, and at the same time, it was trickling down Roy¡¯s trembling wrist. His breathing was heavy, and he started wobbling.


    The battle hadn¡¯t been long, but already his chest, shoulders, and arms were wounded. The nekkers¡¯ venom started to work, making matters worse. He felt himself heat up, and pain coursed through his body like needles. His strength was leaving him, and his vision started to blur. And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Letho was almost running out of mana.


    Then, Roy vaguely saw a big monstere out of the nekker wave. It roared at Roy before pouncing on him, like a carriage hurtling toward its destination. Roy reflexively fired a bolt at it, and it hit the target in the eye, but oddly, the shot didn¡¯t kill it. The big monster howled in pain, but it didn¡¯t falter, though the arrow stuck out of its left eye like a sore thumb.


    Letho cast one final Axii to confuse it, and it was stunned for one second. Roy took the chance to stab it in the abdomen, and then he mustered thest of his strength to sh up, destroying its insides. Then blood spurted out of the wound.


    Most nekkers would¡¯ve lost their strength from the pain and blood loss at that point, but the big one was stronger than most. Even after being injured grievously, it could still make one final attack. It howled into the heavens and red at Roy with malice. A momentter, it slitted Roy¡¯s throat open with its w, and its attack didn¡¯t stop until it sliced Roy¡¯s chest open.


    Roy¡¯s blood, flesh, skin, and bones flew through the air, and his blood spurted on the chieftain¡¯s face. An intense pain that was beyond the one he¡¯d felt with the first potion coursed through Roy. He almost cked out from it, but before he realized what was happening, he died. His eyes were unfocused, their gleam lost. All he could feel was the great darkness enveloping him, dragging him down to his final rest, never to see the sun again.


    ¡°Boy!¡± Letho¡¯s familiarly hoarse voice became that one little ball of light that woke him for a split second, but that was enough for him. Level up. He saw a golden light sh before him, and then every cell in his body screamed in pleasure. Roy¡¯s eyes became focused once more, and they shone crimson.


    Roy cast Fear, freezing the chieftain in ce. In the final moments of its life, all it saw was a boy holding a sword, aiming for its neck. As the gleam of the sword illuminated the chieftain, everything around it started to spin, and it saw a headless body standing before the boy before everything faded to ck.


    Blood spurted out of the chieftain¡¯s neck, and it fell back with a thud.


    ¡®You have killed a nekker chieftain. EXP +100. Level 4 Witcher (600/2000).¡¯


    Roy had leveled up, but he didn¡¯t have time to check the details, for the fight wasn¡¯t over yet. He held Gabriel and Gwyhyr, preparing to fight, but the nekker tribe ignored them. Instead, they dragged their dead chieftain¡¯s body out of the tunnel. Obviously, that was a far better reward than two humans, so the nekkers engaged in a skirmish over it. They started killing their brethren brutally all for a bigger share of the chieftain¡¯s body.


    Letho snapped him out of it. ¡°We¡¯d better leave now, boy.¡± He looked at Roy¡¯s chest and neck, but there weren¡¯t any wounds, much to his shock. He had questions, but those couldeter. ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay around and wait for a new chieftain to be born.¡±


    ***


    They moved ahead in the tunnel, but the nekkers didn¡¯t give chase anymore. The sun was getting brighter and brighter, while things were starting to get more lively around them. Millipedes and spiders scurried between the cracks of the boulders, while star-nosed moles were burrowing out of the cracks, squeaking at the weird creatures before it.


    Roy was going ahead, working as hard as a mule. He was waiting for Letho to shoot his questions, but Letho hadn¡¯t seemed to notice the magical change that had happened in Roy. Even Roy couldn¡¯t believe it. The moment he leveled up, Full Recovery not only healed the lethal wounds, but also the injuries caused by the leshen. The skin of his injuries looked like it had been reborn. It was clear, clean, and didn¡¯t seem scraped.


    His whole body was healed, inside and out. His wounds weren¡¯t the only things that went away. Hunger, fatigue, poisoning, diseases, and even the exasperation after the long battle in the tunnels, had disappeared. He was, in a sense of the word, perfect. Full Recovery is more powerful than I thought. There were a lot of new messages in his character sheet, but he¡¯d leave that until they escaped sessfully.


    ¡°Letho ¡ª ¡±


    Letho knew what he wanted to say, and a smile broke out on his blood-caked face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about your secret for now, boy. Not even if you¡¯re going to tell me you¡¯re Melitele¡¯s son. You can tell me when you really want to.¡±


    ***


    The atmosphere finally returned to its peaceful state. After passing through three cobwebs, Melitele finally smiled at them. A hole appeared not far ahead of them, though it was high in the air. Dried vines and broken rope were dangling around the hole, and a brokendder swayed beside them.


    The weather became warmer after they left the Mahakams. Roy didn¡¯t feel too cold, even though he wasn¡¯t wearing much. A golden light was shining down on them. Once Roy had settled Letho down, he put his hand above his eyes and went to the space under the hole.


    The light was blinding after the week of darkness in the tunnels. He had to squeeze his eyes shut when he looked up. After taking a while to adapt, he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Gods, are you kidding me? I can¡¯t fly.¡±


    Fate seemed to be pulling another prank, for the exit was thirty feet in the air. Even witchers couldn¡¯t jump that high, and they were a lot stronger than most people. Roy was most people. He could see the blue sky, the ring sun, and some dried grass through the hole. It was alluring, but he couldn¡¯t reach it.


    ¡°Which bastard cut the rope?¡± He was like a lost traveler who saw an oasis in a desert, but when nearing it, found that it was nothing but a mirage. Roy didn¡¯t want to give up, so he fiddled with thedder. Dammit! Even if Letho could stand above thedder and lift me up, we still wouldn¡¯t reach the exit. And with how he is right now, Letho can barely walk.


    They had no choice but to give up on that exit and they went ahead, finding something a short whileter. On the wall was a sign with a pair of crossed hammers on it. ¡°Looks like Melitele hasn¡¯t given up on us.¡±


    A wall stood at the end of the tunnel, seemingly blocking their path, but a few meters ahead, the ground sloped steeply downward. Roy went to take a look and noticed an underground pond that gleamed.


    The bit of light wasn¡¯t enough to shine on the whole pond, but Roy could vaguely see conical stctite jutting out of it, as if they were the fangs of a beast. It was a nice pond, but its surface and the ground around it was covered in heaps of foul excrements. The pond was a shithole made by the nekkers. This is probably one of their toilets. It¡¯s flowing, so it probably leads outside. How else would those nekkers get their food? But a shithole at the end of the tunnel? Is this a joke? Roy felt disgusted, and he had a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°No. I have to find a way to escape through that hole. I can tie a rope to Gwyhyr and toss it up. Th-that might work.¡±


    ¡°Keep this for me, boy.¡± Letho unraveled the bandage around his leg and handed the short sword that was holding it in ce to Roy.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roy kept the short sword and looked at the pond again. ¡°Why did you do that though?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for questions. Can you swim?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°Yeah. My home¡¯s near a river, you know. I always went swimming.¡± Roy was talking about his previous world. ¡°Hey, wait.¡± He knew something was up, so he made a break for the hole, but Letho was faster. He pulled Roy back and shoved him into the pond.


    Roy¡¯s eyes widened in horror, and then he held his breath and scrambled to grab something, but to no avail. He fell into the pond with a ssh, plunging into the area with foul-smelling water.


    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯re one big step closer to being a witcher now.¡± Letho hunkered down and took a deep breath before jumping into the pond after Roy.


    ***


    Book Two: The End.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 83

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 83: The Road to Ender</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The morning breeze blew across the vast in, kissing the billowing smokeing from the vige afar, and it trailed toward a stream at the end of a roaring waterfall. The golden sunlight shone on the earth, but more particrly on a young man¡¯s naked body.


    The young boy was clutching his stomach as he retched into the stream. His face was pale, and there was nothing but bile left for him to puke. At the same time, he red at the bald man on the grasnds who was resting his eyes and using his hands as pillows. The bald man was also in his birthday suit, but his sturdy build kept him safe from the cold wind¡¯s assault.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not done yet? Man, even dwarves can¡¯t beat you in drinking, I see.¡±


    Roy rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, thanks to you.¡± And he puked again.


    ¡°I saved you, though.¡±


    The underground stream was deep and long. Roy had almost suffocated down there, but luckily, Letho had caught up to him and had taken him to safety.


    ¡°So we¡¯re even now,¡± Letho said.


    They set up a bonfire to dry themselves up. At the same time, Roy managed to find a piece of wood to keep Letho¡¯s hurt leg in ce. Then he fashioned the remaining wood into a crude crutch. When he was done with all that, he sat beside the bonfire and concentrated on his character sheet.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Thirteen years and eleven months old


    Status: Civilian, witcher disciple


    HP: 55


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5.1 ¡ú 6.1


    Constitution: 5.5


    Perception: 7


    Will: 6 ¡ú 6.5


    Charisma: 5 ¡ú 6


    Spirit: 6.5


    Skills:


    Massacre Level 4


    Observe Level 2


    Meditation Level 2


    Crossbow Mastery Level 1


    Elegance of the Wind (Passive)


    Job:


    Level 4 Witcher (600/2000)


    Rank: Disciple (Conditions for next rank: Pass the Trial of the Grasses and kill ten types of magical creatures (7/10). Next rank: Rookie witcher.)


    School: Viper (Unconfirmed. User hasn¡¯t taken the Decoction of the Grasses yet.)


    Job perks:


    Main stat: Will. Every time you level up, your Will will be increased by 0.5 without any cost (Disciple).


    Evolving Arms: You have bound Gabriel (crossbow) (leveled up), Gwyhyr (steel sword) (leveled up). Silver sword: none.


    Full Recovery: You will make a full recovery every time you level up. Most injuries can be healed, including internal injuries and broken limbs. Debuffs such as hunger, fatigue, poison, gue, and curses will be removed.


    Loot Package: 2 cubic meters.


    You have (1) attribute point(s) and (1) skill point(s) left.


    ***


    Roy powered up a lot from the spelunking in Smiack. First, he gained the Aen Elle bloodline, turning him into a part-elf, granting him +1 in Dexterity and Charisma. Aside from that, he could feel more magic when he was meditating. Next, he gained a level in his job, so his Will was increased by 0.5 automatically. He hadn¡¯t nned on making Will his main stat, but when he leveled up on the verge of death, Roy subconsciously made that choice.


    Letho¡¯s Charisma was his worst stat, followed by Will. Ten points might¡¯ve seemed a lot, but it was nothingpared to his other stats. In other words, it was incredibly hard to see Will increase. Will was also rted to Fear¡¯s effect. As long as he kept killing monsters and leveling up Massacre, Will would be more useful. He knew Fear wasn¡¯t the only skill Will could affect. The stat description itself said Will could interfere with reality when it reached a certain point. I¡¯m looking forward to it.


    Besides, Will was crucial for his survival in the Trial of the Grasses. He¡¯d been surprised when he¡¯d noticed Will as his main stat, but he didn¡¯t regret it. After lots of consideration, Roy had decided to allocate everything to Constitution and Will before undertaking the trial. Letho did promise him he¡¯d use the leshen¡¯s mutagen for the potion if Roy¡¯s physique passed the bar he set for him. Roy wanted that mutagen, so he¡¯d do whatever he could to get it.


    Roy allocated the attribute point to Constitution and the skill point to Meditation. Since Meditation¡¯s level up would add 0.5 to Constitution and Will, Roy would see a 1.5 point increase in Constitution, and a 0.5 point increase in Will. That would cause him to see a 2.5 point change in his stats, so he wanted to get used to them before adding it to his stats and skills.


    Roy was about to concentrate on his bound weapons to see their change after leveling up, but his ears pricked, and he doused the mes before hiding in an alfalfa bush with Letho. A momentter, two farmers came over with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulder, and their hoes hung across their backs.


    One of them looked delighted. ¡°Did ya see that showst night? That dancer¡¯s slimmer than a snake, I tell ya, and her face is as white as snow. She¡¯s just like a goddess. I can¡¯t believe the filthy elves would have such beauty among them. What¡¯s the troupe called? Sea Lion or sumthin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Sea Scorpion, ya oaf!¡± the other farmer spat, looking oddly arrogant. ¡°And she wasn¡¯t dancin¡¯, ya dolt. That¡¯s called tightrope walkin¡¯! And that elf¡¯s Eveline Gallo! That¡¯s a work of art, dumbass! Usually only the rich get to watch that!¡±


    ¡°Ye, I ain¡¯t got nuthin¡¯ ya told me. But if there¡¯s one thing I know, it¡¯s that I¡¯ll watch it again if she¡¯s gonna perform tonight.¡± The farmer rubbed his hands lewdly.


    ¡°Ya dolt! What if yer wife finds out about this? Ya gonna starve!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna wreck her pussy if she does that, just ya see.¡± The farmer came to the alfalfa bush and took his pants off, revealing his soft member. ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s bigger than ol¡¯ Dervish¡¯s donkey¡¯s. Only that elf could get it hard again.¡± He aimed at the bush, humming with his eyes closed, then everything turned ck.


    When he woke up, he and his friend were lying side by side. The night breeze was caressing their naked legs and chest hair. The farmers were in nothing but their underwear, though they were holding two crowns each.


    ¡°Did someone rob us?¡± The money¡¯s enough to get us new clothes though. They looked at each other, bbergasted, but then they smiled.


    ***


    Roy was wearing a set of clothes that was one size too big, and he smiled wryly. ¡°Why did I even hide from them anyway?¡±


    ¡°Reflex. You stayed in the tunnels for too long,¡± Letho answered.


    ¡°I attacked civilians though. Does that count as a vition of the code?¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb, boy?¡± Letho was hobbling behind him, wearing a set of clothes that was one size too small, his chest almost bursting out. Letho pouted. ¡°That was self-defense, got it? They¡¯d be pissing on you if you hadn¡¯t done that. And I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to go around naked.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡± I hope the crowns are enough to pay for the damages.


    The weather warmed up after they¡¯d left the Mahakams. The duo went toward the vige to see if they could catch a carriage. The ground sloped downward, pointing toward a field that had a lot of cereal nted on it. Alders surrounded the field, forming a path that led to and fro the area.


    As they followed the path, the duo was led to thekeside. Hidden behind the alder trees was a pond filled with ducks that quacked incessantly. A crude pier and lonely canoe sat quietly among the reeds, whiles and traps were set in the water.


    Roy stared at the ducks and licked his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve had it with dry food. Since we¡¯re staying for the night, let¡¯s get some meat.¡± He never expected the resources on the other side of the Mahakams to be that abundant. ¡°So, are we in Temeria now?¡±


    Letho answered, ¡°To be precise, we¡¯re in Ender, though it¡¯s Temeria¡¯s duchy.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re getting used to the toxicity after the doses, I see. We¡¯ll rest here before going to the Temple of Melitele to proceed with the trial.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He¡¯d been looking forward to that, but he was also worried. Roy stammered, ¡°Um, Letho. I¡¯ve always wanted to ask, but is your bald head a side effect of the mutation?¡± They¡¯d been traveling together for months, but aside from some stubble, Letho hadn¡¯t grown an inch of hair. On the other hand, Roy could tie his hair into a ponytail at that point.


    ¡°Why?¡± Letho arched his eyebrow fiercely. ¡°Got cold feet because of some hair loss?¡±


    Roy denied it. ¡°No! I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°Mutations happen randomly. You might not go bald, but you might lose some chest hair or some color in your skin. But that¡¯s nothing, really.¡±


    Maybe Geralt lost his mnin during his mutation. That¡¯s probably why he has white hair and looks like someone with albinism. ¡°Is there any way to prevent that, then?¡±


    Letho patted his shoulder. ¡°If you can get a sorcerer to help you out during the trial, they can alter the mutation and prevent most of the side effects from taking ce.¡±


    ¡°Are there any sorcerers in the Temple of Melitele then?¡±


    Letho didn¡¯t answer. Eventually, they arrived at a human settlement, though it was just a small vige. Rows of rickety houses lined the paths, and the barks of dogs and the crows of roosters were heard. The vigers threw curious nces at them, while the snotty brats chasing the chickens around sucked on their thumbs as they looked at the duo as if they were exotic animals.


    Roy, however, only had eyes for the circle of carriages in the center of the vige. More than a dozen people dressed differently from the vigers leaned against the carriages, chatting happily.


    ¡°Is that the Sea Scorpion Troupe?¡± Roy massaged his forehead before going up to them with Letho.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 84

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 84: Sea Scorpion Troupe</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    When the duo neared the carriage, they noticed six people leading the troupe. Two of them were youngdies, while the others were men. One of them was an elven sorceress with ck-red hair who was wearing a yellow, silk dress. She had a slim body, fair skin, beautiful features, and of course, a pair of pointy ears. This must be Eveline, the one the farmers were talking about.


    The otherdy was tanned. Instead of the reserved attire most women would don, she wore a white-striped, leather midriff top that enveloped her generous chest snugly, revealing her toned abs and sexy, muscr legs. Her nose was long, and her features were manly. She had a mohawk and mysterious tattoos on both cheekbones.


    The four men had unique getups too. Their clothes were vibrant and fashionable, unlike the vigers¡¯. There was one muscr middle-aged man with a mustache, a tall,nky man, and a pale, feminine one.


    The duo observed them, and so too were they observed. Eveline frowned at the duo¡¯s stares, but she didn¡¯t fly into a rage. On the other hand, the tanneddy was staring back at them, feral.


    A burly, mustached man standing at five feet six came out to wee them. However, he was subtly on guard. ¡°You two seem new here. I take it you aren¡¯t Shire locals?¡±


    ¡°You must be the Sea Scorpion Troupe.¡± Roy smiled warmly, his gaze gleaming charismatically thanks to his passive skill. ¡°I¡¯m a traveler from Lower Posada, Aedirn. It¡¯s across from the Mahakams. This is my uncle, Letho. He hurt his leg on the way here, so he can¡¯t move well. I heard the vigers talking about your troupe, so I came. If it¡¯s possible, can we hitch a ride?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a traveler?¡± The man looked at Letho. ¡°Very well then. You may call me n. n the Sparrow Whisperer. Our troupe has wandered across thends ande across many fabulous things. Your eyes are sharper than an eagle¡¯s and gleam brighter than the sun. I know you¡¯re no ordinary traveler. To be more precise, you¡¯re a witcher. But you seem to have been robbed.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Letho, from Viper School. This is my disciple, Roy,¡± Letho admitted.


    ¡°Tell us what you¡¯re really here for. I don¡¯t think witchers would just y a prank on us.¡±


    The members stood beside n, looking hostile. Thedy with the mohawk snarled, and she whipped out a dagger from her boot and made it dance between her fingers.


    Letho presented his hands, showing he meant them no harm. ¡°Calm down, everyone. The boy is right. I¡¯ve hurt my leg.¡± He pulled up his pants to show them his injury. ¡°You can verify it for yourself if you don¡¯t trust us. I think you know most humans are prejudiced against people like me, so that¡¯s why the boy didn¡¯t tell you everything.¡±


    The troupe members¡¯ expressions softened right away, as if they felt the same way Letho did.


    Roy took the chance to ask, ¡°Um, if I may ask, will you be going east to the Mahakams or taking the long way through Lower Sodden?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± n¡¯s eyes gleamed with longing. ¡°We¡¯re going west, where the heart of Ender is. There, we shall perform. And then we will be heading to Vizima before May Day next year to take part in a grand spectacle.¡±


    ¡°Roy and I are going to Ender to visit an old friend. Is it possible for us to ride with you?¡± Letho rubbed his leg. ¡°I hurt my leg in a battle with monsters, and it¡¯s still not healed, so I can¡¯t walk too much. Riding on horseback won¡¯t be feasible either, so a carriage would be perfect.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± n was in a dilemma. They¡¯d have agreed to it if Letho was a normal human, but he was a powerful witcher. n was worried he might kill everyone on a whim. Even though witchers were outcasts like them, n still felt like refusing him.


    ¡°We would never ask for anything without pay. It won¡¯t even take a week to get to Ender in a carriage.¡± Letho raised three fingers. ¡°Thirty crowns if you¡¯ll give us a lift.¡±


    The short, ugly member looked tempted, but Eveline refused Letho. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Letho. If you take a look at our carriage, you¡¯ll see that it¡¯s filled with necessities, props, and n¡¯s trinkets. We don¡¯t have much space left for you.¡±


    ¡°Miss Gallo of Aen Seidhe.¡± Roy went around Letho and bowed at Eveline with his right hand before his chest. ¡°You can choose not to trust Letho, since he is a stranger, but I am not. I am your brethren. That is reason enough to trust me, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Eveline¡¯s eyes gleamed, and she looked at him closely. It was then she noticed Roy¡¯s pointed ears, and his looks had subtle elven traits to them. ¡°Are you a half-elf? No, you¡¯re a part-elf, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said.


    Roy only had subtle elven traits, but he could speak ancient speech, so he said, ¡°Ensh¡¯eass beanna tede a¡¯taeghane.¡±


    Eveline was pleasantly surprised after hearing that, and she felt a surge of affection for Roy. And then she noticed her teammates looking confused, so she exined. ¡°He was saying hello in ancient speech. That proves he is one of my tribe, though your name is weird, Roy. I¡¯ve never heard anyone from a branch of the family use human names before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my foster mother gave me that name, but she has long passed.¡± Roy stared down, pretending to be sad.


    ¡°You poor thing. You aren¡¯t even thirty, are you?¡± Eveline frowned in sympathy, and then she held Roy¡¯s hands reassuringly. ¡°Call me Eveline.¡± Then she gave her teammates a pleading look.


    ¡°Fine, then.¡± n sighed resignedly. ¡°Since Eveline trusts you, you maye with us, but a word of warning. I¡¯ll have to set some rules before you go in. Break them and we¡¯ll break you.¡±


    The duo nodded, and n told them about the troupe in detail. There were about a dozen people in the troupe, including the handymen, hitchhikers, and bard. The main ensemble was n, the Sparrow Whisperer who came from Rivendell; Kanti, the de dancer from Zerrikania, the nation in the desert east of Blue Mountain; Collins, the Swallower of mes; Ferroz, the Joker; Amos, the Gwent performer, and Eveline Gallo, the acrobat from Dol thanna.


    Roy finally remembered where he¡¯d heard of Eveline before. If he was right, she was the one who would help Geraltplete the condition for Hearts of Stone, and the one who wouldter go on to steal from Borsodi Auction House. But it¡¯s still a few years too early for Geralt to get his hands on the heart of stone.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 85

    <strong>Reaper</strong><b> Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 85: Keep</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The moon shone on Shire vige where the Sea Scorpion Troupe was staying at the moment. That night, they were circling a bonfire in the vige center, enjoying a grilled meat banquet with the neers. n took the main seat and raised many toasts to the duo. ¡°I wee you to the troupe, Roy, Letho. We¡¯ll be yourrades for the next few days, at least until we reach Ender.¡± He downed that mug of wine and raised another toast. ¡°But I have a few things to mention here. Since you¡¯reing with us, you¡¯ll be following our rules. You¡¯ll have to talk to everyone before doing anything. If you break that rule and cause any trouble, we¡¯ll have to ask you to leave.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been wanderers for a long time now, so that¡¯s fine with us.¡± Letho raised his cup calmly. ¡°Oh, good wine. Castel Reviello¡¯s Pomino, and ten years of age, at that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it seems you know your alcohol, Letho. I see that folklore has demonized witchers quite severely.¡± n grinned, hyping the mood up.


    The mes were starting to crackle as therd from the pig it was roasting dripped into it. It roared higher, and the aroma wafted across the air.


    Eveline was beside Roy, talking about the interesting things she¡¯d seen after she¡¯d left her tribe. Kanti was giggling and nibbling away at Eveline¡¯s ear, her eyes gleaming. Sitting across from them was Amos, who had a hook nose and was wearing a headscarf. He was leering at Eveline, though of course, he got no response. On the other hand, the ugly Ferroz was huddling closely to Collins as they bit into the roasted meat together. Roy noticed their mouths were almost glued together, and they looked very much in love.


    They¡¯re obviously dating. Brokeback Mountain in the witcher world, huh? Roy was surprised, though the troupe members weren¡¯t. He tried his best not to show any difort by shifting his attention to the meat. The mes crackled, and the smoke was filled with its scent. It¡¯s fat-to-meat ratio is just right, and it instantly melts in your mouth. This world¡¯s people sure know how to cook.


    Letho and him looked at each other and dug into their meat, holding a silentpetition. They¡¯d been eating biscuits and dry food for a week. It was their first normal meal in a while, so they appreciated it.


    ***


    A guest came halfway through the banquet. It was an old man, who was also Shire¡¯s chief. ¡°I hear you¡¯re leaving tomorrow, but if it¡¯s possible, can you stay for a while longer?¡±


    n answered calmly, ¡°Why?¡±


    The chief sighed. ¡°Things are getting bad. Misfortune is running rampant. Boogeymen have been seen in the Mahakams, and you¡¯ll probably bump into kobolds or spriggans while on a leisurely stroll. Fairies and rusalki have been kidnapping hundreds of children from the viges around, while drowners hide in the swamp, waiting to get the jump on passing carriages. And diseases we¡¯ve never even heard about before are breaking out. It¡¯s disastrous.¡± He downed some wine, and his face turned scarlet.


    ¡°It¡¯d be a dull life without wandering troupes putting on shows whenever they pass through viges. Most of us would¡¯ve hung ourselves at this point.¡±


    Roy burped and wiped the grease from his lips. So this chief is trying to lick their boots? And where did he hear those preposterous stories from? If monsters were running rampant, we would be seeing a lot more witchers than we are now.


    n, the leader of the troupe, was also bbergasted by the sudden praise. ¡°You tter us. We aren¡¯t as noble as you think. All we¡¯re doing is giving our aid whenever possible. It¡¯s great to hear that we put smiles on Temerians¡¯ faces, especially in these troubled times.¡±


    He snapped his fingers at everyone and let out a loud whistle, then something magical happened. A small, grey falcon darted out from the dark and pped its wings as it perched on n¡¯s gloved hand, the mes illuminating it. The falcon nodded at everyone and cawed, and then it pecked at the roasted meat.


    ¡°And we didn¡¯t do it for free. Your vige¡¯s roasted meat is quite a dish. Art says it loves it.¡± n gazed at the falcon lovingly, as if it were his own son.


    ¡°I am delighted to hear that. Stay here for a while longer. Eat, drink, and be merry.¡± The chief raised a toast. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I want to tell you how I feel.¡± He clenched his fists and started talking, ¡°It¡¯s just a few days¡¯ trip to Ender, but it¡¯s not safe. You should stay here for a little while longer. At least until Ender¡¯s troops have cleared the path.¡±


    ¡°Our troupe isn¡¯t weak. We won¡¯t be stopped by mere bandits.¡± n sounded confident. ¡°And from what I¡¯ve heard, Ender¡¯s Order of the White Rose only cares about the safety of the city. They don¡¯t care about the viges around them. It¡¯d take too long if we were to wait for them.¡±


    n was trying to ask the vigers of Shire about his true goal. Everyone stopped what they were doing at once and waited for the chief¡¯s answer.


    The chief trembled for a while before resolving himself. Then he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest then. Shire¡¯s in a predicament right now. Our trader, Andre, has been gone for half a month now, and we have no news about him at all. Rowling, who went to pick some herbs near the swamp, went missing as well. I fear the worst might have happened.¡± The chief paused for a moment. ¡°And misfortune has been spreading throughout the vige for a while now. Before you came, we were suffering from missing livestock. Chickens, dogs, cows, goats, sheep, you name it. And we hear all kinds of eerie screams at night. Tom, the night patrol, is scared out of his mind and refuses to step out of his house, even now. But the situation took a turn for the better once you came.¡±


    n looked at him coolly. ¡°You¡¯re saying something¡¯s behind this, but we scared it away.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The chief nodded incessantly. ¡°We think it¡¯s either a petty thief, or a ghost, or a phantom. But since you¡¯ve arrived, the ghosts haven¡¯t shown up. They¡¯re probably scared of you guys.¡±


    The troupe members were on high alert after hearing that. Kanti licked her dagger, and she seemed to be raring to go. Eveline looked pensive, while Collins hugged Ferroz. Amos averted his gaze and curled on himself.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you guys. We can prepare a bounty for you, as long as ¡ª ¡±


    n interrupted him. ¡°We won¡¯t change our ns. The troupe leaves tomorrow morning.¡±


    The chief rubbed his hands, looking disappointed and awkward. I can understand why they¡¯re angry. Then he looked at Letho, who was already greasy and tipsy.


    ¡°Witcher, can you and your disciple stay back then?¡± He hesitated for a while. ¡°We¡¯ll pay ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Letho apologized. ¡°My leg¡¯s badly wounded. Even walking is difficult for me, let alone fighting.¡±


    Roy wanted to say something, but he stopped himself when he thought about Letho¡¯s injury. Best not to cause any unwanted trouble for now.


    In the end, the chief left, looking despondent. The night darkened, and the members were drowned in their own thoughts. On the other hand, Roy took Letho aside for a quiet discussion.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 86

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 86: Dream</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy and Letho retired for the night in a tent on the outer ring, since the inside ring of the carriage was reserved for the troupe¡¯sdies. n¡¯s tent stood out from the rest as usual, since it was set up far away from the carriages. He¡¯d take his owl out for a hunt every night, as well as take watch. At least ording to Eveline¡¯s testimony.


    After he was done with dinner, Roy looked into his details that had changed after he¡¯d leveled up. He wanted to see what had happened to his weapons.


    ¡®Bound weapons:


    Gabriel: (Gabriel used to be an old, dusty hand crossbow, but it powered up after the level up. It has also be a better match for your abilities.)


    Type: Hand Crossbow


    Materials: Mulberry wood, tendon, hemp


    Details: Weighs five pounds and measures two feet. Has a draw weight of (20 ¡ú 30) pounds and an effective range of (100 ¡ú 150) feet. A spirit dwells within.


    Simplify: Gabriel reloads automatically as long as there are bolts in your inventory space. Reload time is now 0.4 seconds.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Gwyhyr: (An ancient ck metal me sword made by gnomes. It has acquired a new skill after powering up.)


    Materials: ck iron,va, meteoric iron, pine wood, and body parts from powerful monsters.


    Details: The sword weighs 3.06 pounds, and its handle measures 9.3 inches, while the dees in at 36 inches. A spirit dwells within.


    Cirction: Heals the user for a small amount of stamina after every kill.


    Ignite: Every hit has a very low chance of igniting the target¡¯s blood and causing burn damage.¡¯


    ***


    Roy was grinning from ear to ear as he read up on his weapons. Gabriel¡¯s power up was a big surprise for him. Not only did its damage get an increase, its reload time also enjoyed a dramatic speed up. In his previous battles, Roy¡¯s enemies would have gotten near him before he could even fire his second shot, but he doubted that would happen again.


    He had to waste four seconds to reload before that, but after the powerup, all Roy had to do was aim and shoot. The system would do everything else for him. The time he saved was enough for him to fire three, or even four, shots. Even if he was nked by three enemies, Roy was confident he could take them all out before they could even get near him.


    ***


    Since Gwyhyr was already a rare sword to begin with, its powerup wasn¡¯t as drastic as Gabriel¡¯s, but having one new skill was nice, though he¡¯d want to see how Ignite could help in his battles.


    Roy wanted to test the weapons out right that instant, but he thought it would be rude. Swinging my weapons around when I just got here? They¡¯ll think I¡¯m a murderer. He stuck his head out to see if there was anyone around, but to his disappointment, the patrols were doing their job. Left with no choice, he kept his weapons.


    Since his curiosity would have to wait for its chance to be scratched, Roy entered meditation. He was exhausted, but he knew that was also the best time to power up. Eventually, he could feel the elements around him, though there were only traces of them. The elemental energy was still sheepish, but they were curious about him. Roy could also tell they wanted toe into contact with him, since they were swirling around him in silence.


    Even though it had only been days since he was turned into a part-elf, he could feel his affinity slowly strengthen. It was barely noticeable, but he was confident he would be able to control the elements as long as he kept it up every single day.


    ***


    It was a peaceful night. When Roy exited meditation the next morning, the sun was already shining on thend. Another glorious day.


    n was directing the packing, and the vigers of Shire came to help too, even though their request had been declined. Roy also noticed a group of kids huddling around the carriage. They seemed reluctant to say goodbye, and Roy could understand why. They were vige children after all, so that was probably their only chance to see a troupe perform up close.


    Letho was in the carriage, taking in the bustling but orderly scenery. At the same time, Eveline smiled and rolled her sleeves up before stuffing her carriage with some turnips.


    ¡°Eveline.¡± Even though he¡¯d managed to get close to her the night before, Roy still felt awkward after meditating.


    ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°I did. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry, Miss Eveline,¡± Letho interrupted. ¡°The boy¡¯s been following me ever since his mother¡¯s death. He can sleep in swamps, bushes, cemeteries, and even shitholes.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Letho.¡± Roy threw him a look ofint. Can¡¯t he keep quiet about the shithole? Then he looked at Eveline nervously. ¡°I care a lot about personal hygiene, unlike that dirty witcher over there.¡±


    Letho looked at him mysteriously. ¡°It¡¯s still a few months away from spring, boy.¡±


    Roy took a moment to think about that. Yeah, it¡¯s not mating season yet¡­ That¡¯s besides the point. Why do I want to leave a good impression on Eveline? And why can¡¯t I keep this urge in check? Did puberty hit me? No, the bloodline did.


    Eveline looked envious of the duo¡¯s rtionship. ¡°My, you two seem close. I bet you were lying when you said he was your partner. You guys look more like father and son to me.¡±


    ¡°As if. I¡¯m his disciple!¡±


    ¡°Witchers are sterile.¡±


    They refuted Eveline at the same time. ¡°I see.¡± Eveline pushed her hair back. ¡°Did you two hear itst night?¡± she asked nonchntly.


    ¡°Yes, but vaguely.¡± Roy went back to the matter at hand. ¡°The dogs have been barking all night, and there were growlsing from the ranch, but nobody saw who or what made those sounds. I wonder if there¡¯s actually a ghost here. Maybe it¡¯s getting up to no good now that the troupe¡¯s leaving.¡±


    ***


    Shire¡¯s chief tried to persuade the troupe to stay onest time, but n adamantly refused. Everyone finished packing up before noon and bade goodbye to Shire, where they¡¯d performed for a short while.


    Acres and acres of field that had lettuce, spinach, and turnips nted on them nked the winding road ahead of the troupe. The six carriages sauntered down the path, leaving nothing but wheel tracks and hoofprints behind.


    There were a few young men around the carriages, walking on their own two feet. Those were vagrants who joined the troupe halfway through. They mainly managed manualbor and made little money from it, but it was enough to keep them alive. And they could enjoy the scenery.


    Having a group around them made them feel safer too, since empires switched hands at a blistering speed everywhere. Disasters, skirmishes, and wars were rife. Deserters eventually became bandits and thugs in remote viges, forcing people to leave their homes. ording to Eveline, the earliest tramps came to them more than two years ago.


    Without anynd or home to call their own, more and more vagrants were born each day. The vagrants would go with the troupe until they came across thend of their dreams. There, they would settle, but most of them would probably stay as tramps for most of their lives.


    All of a sudden, Roy thought Emhyr¡¯s n for conquest wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°Why¡¯d you leave your home though, Eveline?¡±


    ¡°I think you should know this, brother.¡± Eveline had a sad look in her eyes. ¡°Everyone in Dol thanna lived in peace for a few years under the Queen of the Fields¡¯ leadership, but the Daisy of the Valleys led them back to the warpath. I have a feeling they¡¯re conspiring something big. Something terrifying. I didn¡¯t want to have more blood on my hands, so I left.¡±


    Roy thought about thedies in Dol thanna. Queen of the Fields and Daisy of the Valleys were two different factions in Aen Seidhe. The former was a pacifist who wanted nothing but peace. She¡¯d even pretended to be a normal girl and lived with the humans to that end. The queen was born with great magical talent, and she brought life everywhere she went.


    Daisy of the Valleys was a warmonger. She was the future queen of Dol thanna, and the mastermind behind Scoia¡¯tael. She¡¯d repay every violent deed done by the humans tenfold, but she would alsoe on to abandon Scoia¡¯tael for the elves. That was a story for another time though.


    ¡°Your turn, Kanti. Why¡¯d youe all the way to join the troupe?¡±


    The exotic demaster looked into the distance. ¡°The people of Zerrikania are born warriors, and I want to prove that I¡¯m the best of them all.¡± She smiled, looking ever so dazzling under the sun. Then she pointed at the tattoo on her jaw. ¡°One monster, one tattoo. I think that¡¯s fair. I got these from killing an arachas and a basilisk alone. I¡¯d love to have tattoos all over my body while I¡¯m still young. After all, can¡¯t exactly wait until I¡¯m a decrepit old woman who can¡¯t even hold a de properly.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°I have to go on this adventure. To search for the creature of my homnd¡¯s beliefs.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re looking for a wyrm?¡± Roy knew that Zerrikania¡¯s emblem was a dragon, and the leaders even built the Temple of Divine Dragons.


    ¡°A dragon, but yes.¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t know what to say to that. True dragons, like white dragons, ck dragons, red dragons, green dragons, and rock dragons, could easily destroy draconids like forktails, wyverns, dracolizards, and of course, solo witchers.


    Their physical strength was overwhelming, not to mention their fangs and ws. On top of that, they could breathe fire, acid, and even steam. There was also the golden dragon, a legendary dragon said to have mastered shapeshifting. ¡°You have a great dream,¡± Roy said genuinely.


    Kanti raised her chin proudly. ¡°I know you¡¯reughing at my ignorance, but I¡¯m not going to conquer them with brute force. Believe it or not, us Zerrikanians have a close link to dragons. I¡¯ll conquer them with my devotion.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°What about n? Why did he create the troupe? Any big dreams behind it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± There was a look of longing and romance in Eveline¡¯s eyes. ¡°n travels around the world to search for his true love. He says he can only be released from his pain after he finds the love of his life, the mother of his pets.¡±


    ¡°Um, is he a bard?¡± Roy had thought that Arri was an owl, and Art a falcon. ¡°That¡¯s weird and romantic at the same time.¡± He thought Eveline was kidding.


    Eveline threw him a look, but before he could ask, she continued, ¡°Collins and Ferroz love each other, but unfortunately, they aren¡¯t nobles. Their love isn¡¯t what those nauseating nobles call ¡®a thing of dreams.¡¯ Obviously, their rtionship isn¡¯t epted by anyone. All they got was discrimination. They can only act like a proper couple in the troupe.¡±


    Anything the nobles did would be romanticized, but the same thing was a death sentence for civilians.


    ¡°What do you think about them?¡± Eveline stared at him, her eyes sparkling.


    His heart skipped a beat.¡±Um, well, I pray for their love, I think.¡± He was on neutral grounds when it came to LGBT issues. ¡°What about Amos?¡±


    Kanti snorted in disdain. ¡°He¡¯s a bastard.¡±


    Roy rubbed his chin. ¡°He¡¯s a Gwent performer, so he¡¯s a good yer, isn¡¯t he? Does he have any rare cards? I think I can y with him.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 87

    <strong>Reaper</strong><b> Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 87: Insect Corpse</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    While everyone was having lunch, Letho called Roy and excused them from the troupe. ¡°Did you smell it?¡± They went into the bushes beside the path.


    Roy nodded. It was a group of carriages that carried a lot of merchandise. They just left Shire not long before the troupe, and everything should¡¯ve been normal, but Roy smelled blood. ¡°It¡¯s not human blood. I smell insects in it.¡±


    Letho activated his witcher senses to ¡®see¡¯ the scent particles. He went past five gnarly trees before stopping in front of a burr medic bush. Then he pulled it back, and what was inside made Roy gasp.


    There was a small hill of corpses in there, the stench of blood wafting through the air. The corpses looked like grey spiders, erged a few hundred times. Since it was winter, they were still fresh.


    The duo didn¡¯t rush to investigate the scene. Instead, they brandished their weapons and moved ahead cautiously. Letho then cast Aard on the corpses to make sure the critters were all dead. ¡°Weird. Why¡¯s there a hill of monster corpses here? It¡¯s not something monsters or beasts would do.¡±


    Letho beckoned Roy, and the boy went to check on the corpses. ¡°Their bodies are covered in fur and chitin. No distinct line between the thorax and abdomen. They have four legs and a small head. Can¡¯t make out the facial features.¡±


    Letho tried to mislead Roy. ¡°Endrega workers, huh?¡±


    ¡°Nice try. I don¡¯t see any stinger or pincers on them. These are kikimores.¡± Endregas and kikimores were insectoids born after the Conjunction of the Spheres. They usually lived in the wilds and hunted beasts or even wandering humans. They were also a threat to witchers.


    Roy turned the corpse over, revealing a soft, yellow belly that was vulnerablepared to its grey, armored back. ¡°This is why it¡¯s dead. Someone or something gutted it.¡± Its putrid, green entrails sttered on the ground, its legs covered in dirt. ¡°Must have struggled before it was killed.¡± Roy brushed his hand on the edge of the wound, looking concerned. Then he checked another body. ¡°w marks on its back. And most of its body is twisted. The killer must be strong. Look, it almost got torn in half. This one¡¯s got holes in its belly. Looks like something bit it off. It¡¯s a clean bite in the center, but the edges are jagged. Its killer¡¯s teeth are sharp. Canine-like, probably.¡± Roy continued, ¡°Oh, this one¡¯s still alive, but barely. Insects are resilient, huh?¡± Roy put it out of its misery.


    ¡®You killed a kikimore. EXP +30.¡¯ Two types left.


    Roy pulled the bolt from the insect¡¯s head. It was drenched in green blood, and Roy got some on his hand. He pulled out a handful of grass covered in dewdrops to wipe his hand off.


    ¡°Got anything?¡± Letho gave him a quizzical look.


    ¡°There are thirteen bodies here. A whole kikimore colony. The killer took out a whole colony on its own.¡± Roy was frowning, concerned. ¡°With ws sharp as daggers and teeth lethal as poison.¡±


    ¡°Probably panthers or wild dogs. Or foglets, maybe.¡± Letho had voiced his opinion, but he knew he was wrong.


    ¡°No beast is strong enough to take them out that cleanly. Foglets have different teeth. And besides¡­¡± Roy scanned the scene of the massacre. ¡°I have a feeling there¡¯s only one killer. These aren¡¯t the killing grounds. Everything¡¯s covered in grass, and there¡¯s ack of footprints here.¡±


    Letho stopped asking him about the killer. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the killer must be as powerful as a witcher at their peak. Do you still want to continue?¡±


    Roy was in a dilemma. ¡°We have to do this whether we like it or not. The troupe could get attacked at any time, and we¡¯ll be right in the middle of it. We have to at least find out what that thing is so we can prepare for it.¡±


    Roy knelt one on knee and plucked a handful of grass that was caked in red blood. The killer¡¯s blood.


    ¡°I have to tell n what we¡¯re up to in case they get worried. I¡¯ll leave the tracking to you.¡±


    ***


    After Roy had gone off to the troupe, Letho hobbled along the path for a few minutes and arrived at the source of the scent. There was nothing there except for some craters on the ground around it and barren tung trees and messy footprints. Most of them were the kikimores¡¯ footprints, but there were a few gigantic footprints among them. The most distinct part was how they only had three toes.


    There was also something bizarre in the clearing¡¯s center. Green spheres the size of human fists huddled together tightly, but there was a smidgen of reddish-ck among them, obviously caused by a w. Those were kikimorervae, but they were destroyed, leaving nothing but sticky fluids and dead young kikimores.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t leave anything behind, huh?¡± Letho investigated a tung tree and saw some w marks on the bark. He wondered if they were left by the killer on purpose, and then his eyes gleamed.


    ***


    The troupe members were starting to get restless when Letho came back. n even came to talk to him. ¡°Please don¡¯t stay away for too long next time, Letho. Everyone¡¯s been waiting for you. You might not need this advice, since you two are experienced survivalists, but don¡¯t leave the camp at night.¡±


    n waited for their answer and only left when he got their guarantee.


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°I went back to the scene after you left and found something interesting.¡± Letho looked in Shire¡¯s direction. ¡°The nest isn¡¯t that far from Shire, and there¡¯s frequent activity between both spots.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I found bones of livestock in those bodies, and also a human shirt.¡±


    Roy was surprised to hear that. ¡°So that means the chief got it all wrong. The vigers weren¡¯t harmed by rusalki or fairies; these kikimores did it.¡± Then he looked confused. ¡°The killer¡¯s doing them a favor? That¡¯s weird.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 88

    <strong>Reaper</strong><b> Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 88: A Monster Among Us, Part One</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy and Letho were talking in the carriage. ¡°Why did it kill all the kikimores? To keep the vigers safe?¡± Roy couldn¡¯t believe his guess. The killer was a strong monster from what they¡¯d seen, and none of them would go out of their way to help humans. ¡°Do you know what the killer is?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Everything else matches it, though there¡¯s no urine.¡± Letho didn¡¯t look too sure. ¡°But best not specte before we actually see it.¡±


    ¡°So why did it do this?¡± Roy asked. ¡°Is it protecting the vigers?¡±


    Letho answered, ¡°Probably a coincidence. Maybe it just moved here, and it¡¯s very territorial, so it killed all the kikimores. The troupe should be fine if they get out of its range.¡± Letho calmed himself down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, and don¡¯t tell the troupe about this.¡±


    At the same time, the troupe was keeping a close eye on the duo. ¡°You¡¯ve been getting along with them well, Eveline. I trust you know them fine enough?¡± n crossed his arms, his eyebrow arched quizzically. ¡°We don¡¯t hear anything bad about the Viper School in the north, and they look normal enough, but for some reason, I think they¡¯re hiding something.¡±


    Eveline bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sure Roy¡¯s fine. I can trust him, but¡­¡± She changed her tune. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Letho. He¡¯s a man of few words, and even fewer emotions. I get the chills every time he looks at me. It¡¯s like he can see through my soul. His injuries don¡¯t seem fake though.¡±


    ¡°They say witchers are emotionally messed up. Looks like that isn¡¯t just a rumor after all.¡±


    Collins thumped his hairy chest. ¡°Fret not, n. I¡¯ll keep an eye on those two. It¡¯s just a witcher with a limp and a little brat. They don¡¯t even have weapons to boot. We can take them down easily.¡±


    ¡°Watch it,¡± n warned him. ¡°They¡¯re our guests, so don¡¯t get on their bad side. We might need their help some day.¡± He turned to Eveline. ¡°Eveline will keep an eye on them for us. Don¡¯t let them out of your sight. Roy¡¯s interested in Gwent, right? Get Amos to y a match or two against him. He¡¯ll win some crowns for us. And Collins, don¡¯t let them run around tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Eveline went back to the carriage Roy was in, while n leaned against his carriage and let out a shrill whistle. A momentter, Art darted out and perched on his arm, holding a greyish-white feather in its beak.


    n¡¯s face fell. ¡°You cheeky boy.¡± He smacked Art¡¯s head. ¡°Pulling a prank on Arri again when she¡¯s asleep? She¡¯s your sister. You should protect her, not bully her.¡±


    Art cawed for a while before staring down like a child who got scolded. Then it pecked at n¡¯s hair, trying to get back in his good books. ¡°Alright, fine. But if there¡¯s a next time¡­¡±


    Art tucked its trembling wings in and nodded incessantly.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± n stopped his bad cop act. ¡°My boy, do you think I can find my love in Ender this time?¡±


    Art cawed again.


    ¡°Good boy. I knew it. My love is in Ender.¡± n caressed his falcon lovingly, but there was great sadness in his eyes.


    ***


    Letho was meditating and healing himself up in the carriage, while Roy was staring at the long road ahead of them, worried. The killer that wiped out a whole kikimore colony must¡¯ve been as strong as the leshen. Even though it couldn¡¯t revive, the traces it left told them that the monster was faster, stronger, and had a bigger bite than the leshen.


    Roy didn¡¯t think he could go against that monster in his current condition either. Letho was injured, and their items had run out. The whole troupe would be in danger if they were attacked by it.


    Everyone in the troupe was also Observed by Roy. Most of their stats were slightly higher than normal humans. They were nimbler or stronger too, but only slightly. Also, they had one or two basicbat skills, so the troupe members were on par with normal soldiers, but not even a dozen of them could take on that monster.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. The members don¡¯t seem too strong, so why¡¯s n so confident they could beat the bandits? Is it overconfidence? Or something else?¡± Roy thought the case wasn¡¯t so simple. From what Eveline had told him, he realized the Troupe had traveled to many countries and regions, but they¡¯d never gotten into any big trouble.


    Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, Roy ignored it and concentrated on his character sheet.


    ¡®(1) attribute point(s) and (1) skill point(s) left.¡¯


    Roy allocated the attribute point to Constitution, and then he felt a surge of warmth course through his body, as if he were bathing in a hot spring. He could feel countless hands massaging him, rejuvenating his body.


    ¡®Constitution: 5.5 ¡ú 6.5


    HP: 55 ¡ú 65¡¯


    Since he had experience adding two attribute points at the same point, adding only one point didn¡¯t burden him at all. In fact, thefort was slowly making him sleepy, but it was not to be.


    He noticed a galeing toward him, and he dodged by reflex. Annoyed, he looked up to see a card spinning back to its owner. Then out came a man in a white robe. His head was covered in a turban, his long mustache wiggling on his lips. The man wasnky, but he was built big.


    Amos the Gwent performer looked surprised when Roy had managed to dodge that. The thing he threw at Roy was a standard Gwent card. ¡°You¡¯re nimble, boy. As expected from Letho¡¯s friend.¡±


    Roy held his anger back. ¡°Is that so?¡± He sized Amos up. ¡°That¡¯s a unique way to say hi, Mr. Amos. This is the first time someone tried to kill me just to say hello. Is this your hometown¡¯s custom?¡±


    Amos leaped up to the carriage, his robe billowing. ¡°It was just a friendly greeting. Besides, you¡¯re fine, aren¡¯t you?¡± Amos leaned against the carriage smugly.


    Roy stared down and made a decision. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    Amos raised his head in provocation. ¡°Eveline told me you¡¯re a great Gwent yer despite your age. Coincidentally, Gwent¡¯s my hobby. Care to y?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Roy rubbed his hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make this spicier? Let¡¯s bet something.¡± He smiled innocently.


    Amos beamed. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 89

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 89: A Monster Among Us, Part Two</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Amos wiped the sweat off his forehead, but the heat was still suffocating him. He loosened his cor, but it didn¡¯t have any effect, so he took his turban off. It was a cool, winter day, but his dried, curly hair stuck to his head, drenched in his sweat. What¡¯s going on? Why am I losing everything?


    Amos thought he was fighting on equal grounds with Roy, since they both had wins and losses, but when he actually took the time to calcte his losses, he realized he lost everything. The right side of the board ¡ª where he¡¯d put his rare cards ¡ª was empty. On the other hand, the right side of Roy¡¯s board was stacked with rare cards, attracting everyone¡¯s eyes, as if they were precious stones.


    It was a devastating loss. Not only did Amos lose the crowns Roy paid the troupe, he even lost Vesemir, his gold card, and his Necromancer, a silver card. He went through a lot to get those cards, since they never showed up on the market.


    This sly little fox! He finally realized what was going on. Roy might¡¯ve looked like an inexperienced boy, but ever since the game was underway, he¡¯d been luring Amos in like a fisherman waiting for his fish to bite the bait. When he¡¯d realized what was going on, he¡¯d already lost everything he had. But he¡¯s just a boy? Impossible! Is he a prodigy?


    Amos looked at Roy seriously. He wondered if Roy knew what he was thinking or if he was cheating. He always turned the tables and took Amos down. Even if he wasn¡¯t the best yer, he was among the top. Amos knew he couldn¡¯t afford to stay arrogant anymore, so he pleaded sheepishly. ¡°Um, Roy. Can you¡­ Can you give me back my cards? Every Gwent performer worth their salt has a gold card, you know. Those cards are the prize of my trade.¡± Amos squeezed a tear out. ¡°I can¡¯t live without them. My life¡¯s gonna be a mess.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Roy threw him a look. ¡°How much are you going to pay for your life, then?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amos froze. ¡°I keep all my money back in Vivaldi. I can take it out once we¡¯re at Ender, though. I just want the cards. I guarantee you won¡¯t be disappointed with the price.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that when we¡¯re in Ender.¡±


    ¡°Is there really no room for discussion?¡±


    ¡°Winners keepers. You can¡¯t be a sore loser, right, Mr. Gwent performer?¡±


    Amos flew into a rage. If fury could burn, the whole ce would¡¯ve been razed to the ground. But then he nced at Letho. Even though Letho had his eyes closed, he still struck fear into Amos¡¯ heart. Since he couldn¡¯t do anything, Amos snorted and left the ce. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    Then Roy said, ¡°You might win the next game. I have Yarpen Zigrin here, you see. It¡¯s a gold card.¡±


    Amos stormed away, while Roy beamed. He¡¯d won back his crowns and a gold Gwent card as a bonus in just a few games. ¡°The bouncer back in Walls Inn said the Gwent tournament would start in the north soon.¡± I¡¯ll have to take part in it in Ender if I get the chance.


    ***


    Letho¡¯s guess was probably right on the money. The caravan was out of the monster¡¯s territory a short whileter, and they weren¡¯t attacked either. The next couple of nights were uneventful, though Roy tended to most of Letho¡¯s needs, so Letho spent most of his time recovering. Thanks to that, he regained part of his strength.


    Also, Amos seemed to be really salty about his losses, so he asked his troupe members to challenge Roy. Roy, ever the weing boy, epted their challenges and made a small fortune.


    Since then, everyone looked at him weirdly. They were fearful, but also angry. The only one who ever won against him was Eveline, and that was only because Roy let her. When Amos found out about that, he stopped haunting Eveline. He was ashamed to even talk to her, since it meant she was a better yer than him by extension.


    ¡°At least he knows his ce.¡± But he keeps looking at me like he has some ns lying in wait. Roy wanted to teach him a lesson, but he was on someone else¡¯s turf, so he refrained from doing so.


    He was also annoyed about something else. The troupe had been keeping a close eye on them, albeit subtly at times. But that couldn¡¯t escape his perception. He could feel the members¡¯ eyes on them at all times. Even Eveline was supervising him, and she was genuinely nice to him. Everyone else was just pretending to respect them.


    He never felt so annoyed before, not even back in Kaer or Mount Carbon. It was the first time he felt that upset when someone so tantly distrusted them. It was worse than facing off against a bloodthirsty monster.


    He was a human boy to begin with. Even though he¡¯d seen the discrimination faced by the witchers, the full effect didn¡¯t hit him until he was at the receiving end. Letho once told him, ¡°Monsters aren¡¯t the first problem new witchers will run into; it¡¯s the change in humans¡¯ attitude. Most spend years getting used to the discrimination. Humans are social creatures, but witchers have to learn to live alone.¡±


    I have to face monsters and humans¡¯ bad attitude, huh? Best not to dwell on it. I should meditate. Roy started spending more time on meditation, just like Letho did. And half a day had passed since then.


    Something interesting also happened over the next couple of days. Roy noticed n leaving camp one night with his owl, Arri. He went into the bushes outside the camp area, and he didn¡¯t even bring any weapons with him. When Roy looked into it, he realized n was doing the same thing every night.


    ¡°Owls are nocturnal animals, so I can understand why it goes out at night, but why¡¯d n go along? He¡¯s not much better than a normal guy. He¡¯ll get himself killed by going into the forest at night.¡±


    Letho¡¯s ne didn¡¯t detect any magic from the troupe members, so Roy knew n didn¡¯t have any magical items on him. n kept bringing Arri into the forest every night, until the fifth day came.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 90

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 90: A Monster Among Us, Part Three</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sky was overcast that day. Dark clouds hung above them, and rumblings of thunder were heard from the heavens above. After getting through the forest, the troupe came across a path that was nked by rocky walls. Halfway through the valley, the troupe stopped, for they noticed a fresh trail of blood on the ground.


    Everyone started whispering, while Roy brought his guard up. It looked like someone or something dragged the bloodied body up the path. The victim¡¯s body must¡¯ve been cut up by the sharp rocks as it got dragged along, leaving chunks of flesh behind. It was obvious that that ce was ground zero. Aside from the trail of blood, there were also strips of cloth, some boots, a few rusty hoes, and weapons improvised from farming implements.


    The trail extended ahead. Behind the boulders nking the path ahead stood a destroyed spike, though every piece was as big as a carriage. ¡°What kind of monster did this?¡±


    n quickly ordered the troupe to get out of the valley. Everyone backed off, and n decided to investigate the scene along with some of the members. The duo insisted on joining the recon team, and n failed to dissuade them, so he let them do what they wanted.


    The putrid stench of blood filled the scene. Letho sniffed the air to look for clues, and then he hunkered down to observe the flesh and blood on the ground. He touched them and pondered for a while. ¡°This is fresh. The attack probably happenedst night.¡±


    Surprisingly, nobody was shocked to hear that. Instead, they were calm, abnormally so. Roy was used to it, since he practically killed a mountain of nekkers, but he didn¡¯t expect the troupe members to be as well. So they came across something simr before.


    ¡°Be careful, Letho. You aren¡¯t fully healed yet, and god knows if there¡¯s anything in there,¡± n suddenly told them.


    ¡°I can hold my own.¡±


    The team approached the boulders ahead of them, which were as big as the destroyed blockage behind the boulders. The road narrowed to a small path that only allowed one carriage to cross.


    Roy leaped onto the boulder and looked down. ¡°This is a natural barrier. It¡¯s perfect if you want to hold the fort, and anyone who wishes to travel to Ender must pass this valley. I¡¯d stop any travelers and extort them too if I were in the same position.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Ender¡¯s official checkpoint. Shire¡¯s chief is right. The path to Ender is blocked by bandits, but these guys got caught in something bad.¡±


    ¡°Where are they right now?¡±


    The team went around the boulders and saw the three-hundred-pound blockade, then they noticed the small hill of human corpses. Some had their throats slit open, some were disemboweled, some had their spines broken, and some were torn to pieces. The tattered clothes they were wearing were already drenched in blood.


    Roy was reminded of the revolutionists he¡¯d met outside Aldersberg. The Temeria wilds are full of resources. Even if these guys hated farming, they could¡¯ve be poachers. That¡¯d still put food on the table. Why¡¯d they be bandits anyway?


    The hill of corpses finally sent the team into panic. A scrawny man stood up. ¡°W-why don¡¯t w-we g-go around, n?¡±


    ¡°Foolishness,¡± a muscr, mustached man retorted. ¡°The bandits are dead, and the blockade is smashed to pieces. Why should we go around? I say we go ahead!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± someone agreed. ¡°These bastards deserved it!¡±


    ¡°This must be retribution from Melitele!¡± a devout believer said.


    ¡°Melitele, huh?¡± Roy dismissed it. Melitele wouldn¡¯t be so cruel as to break anyone¡¯s body. He and Letho looked at each other before going in to investigate the corpses. There were fifteen of them. Most of the deceased were adults, but there were two kids and an old man.


    When Roy found twenty crowns on the corpses, the pious member went into a frenzy. ¡°See? I told you this is divine retribution. Melitele¡¯s giving me her blessing. She¡¯s always generous and helps her believers. Nobody else would¡¯ve stumbled upon those crowns.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there are a lot of crowns.¡± A guy with scabies on his headughed. ¡°Enough for a few pints, eh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! That¡¯s sphemy!¡±


    Nobody noticed Roy and Letho looking more and more worried as the investigation went on.


    The bandits suffered the same wounds the kikimores had.


    But we left that ce days ago. Did it follow us?


    ¡°What happened, Letho? Is something wrong?¡±


    Letho gazed at everyone sharply, and some of the members shivered from the intensity of his gaze. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Letho didn¡¯t answer, so n turned to Roy. Roy snapped out of it and gulped. ¡°The killer isn¡¯t human. No human has this kind of strength, nor do they have ws, and the footprints aren¡¯t human either, but the killer isn¡¯t Melitele.¡±


    ¡°What is it then?¡±


    Everyone was waiting for the answer nervously, but Roy changed the topic. ¡°Hey, you said Melitele ¡®always¡¯ helps you out, didn¡¯t you? Did she clear the path every time you guys ran into the same problem?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been traveling with the troupe for two years, and something this freaky happened twice.¡±


    Another guy backed him up, albeit without certainty. ¡°Now that you say it, it¡¯s actually true.¡±


    ¡°Once in Dol thanna.¡±


    ¡°And Ard Carraigh!¡±


    The team started making a ruckus, but one snort from n shut them up. n went up to Roy and grinned toothily. ¡°Letho, Roy.¡± He let out a heartyugh. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day, eh? The bandits are dead, and you guys got some money out of it. Now, let¡¯s go back and push forward. No matter what it is, it helped us out, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± his team said.


    Letho answered calmly, ¡°Very well then. We¡¯ll call it a day.¡±


    ***


    Roy went back silently, but once he got into the carriage, he mumbled, ¡°I saw a scar on his neck. That scar¡¯s new. We got everything wrong. The one who killed the kikimores wasn¡¯t in Shire. He¡¯s always been with the troupe. We¡¯re ying with fire.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem to be hostile at the moment, nor did it do anything unforgivable.¡± Letho looked confused too, since all that monster knew was chaos and mindless murder.


    ¡°Can beasts really possess human intelligence?¡±


    ¡°The proof is in the pudding. Let¡¯s just keep quiet and watch,¡± Letho answered. They couldn¡¯t do anything else anyway. And Letho started wiping Gwyhyr, while Roy looked weirdly at n, who was calming everyone else down.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 91

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 91: A Monster Among Us, Part Four</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The moon was hidden behind the thunderclouds that night, and a loud crack of thunderter, rain fell. Roy felt the raindrops falling on his hand, and then he pulled his arm back. ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± And then, as if on cue, the tents and carriages were buffeted by the rain. The raindrops sounded like loud drums, and the northern gale blew at the tents, threatening to uproot them at any moment.


    Then things got worse.


    ¡°There¡¯s a situation.¡± Roy went out into the rain, and Letho followed. Their shirts were drenched in an instant, but they didn¡¯t have time for that. One of the troupe members was screaming in the distance, but his voice was almost drowned out by the rain. The duo quickly went to him. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A-a monster attacked us.¡± The man was breathing heavily, his face pale, but he managed to hold Letho¡¯s hands. ¡°You have to help us, Letho! You¡¯re the only one who can do it!¡± He was shivering uncontrobly, obviously shaken to his core.


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone?¡±


    ¡°Eveline, Kanti, and the other guys went after it. They were headed to the swamp. T-they told me to hold the fort.¡±


    Roy looked into the distance, but the rain and darkness was stopping even him. He could only see twenty feet ahead of him, so going after them in these conditions would prove unwise.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Letho calmed the troupe member with Axii. ¡°The rain started not long ago. Did you manage to see the monster? What did it look like?¡±


    ¡°It was too dark, so I didn¡¯t see it clearly, but its eyes looked feral, like a cat¡¯s. Or a wolf¡¯s. And they gleamed.¡±


    ¡°I see. Where¡¯d n go, then?¡±


    The man frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t see n, but I saw Art and Arri flying east.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon, so stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Letho said.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you guys.¡±


    ***


    The duo strode into the darkness, their boots squelching against the ground. Letho was carrying Gwyhyr, while Roy was holding his crossbow. Neither of them had a torch, for the moonlight was enough light for them to go on.


    ¡°Is he out of his mind?¡± Roy was frustrated. ¡°Why¡¯d he pull this stunt on a night like this? I thought he was supposed to be the troupe¡¯s guardian. What if his members got hurt?¡±


    Letho replied calmly, ¡°He must¡¯ve realized we found him out earlier. This is just a trap.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re walking right into it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯lle for us if we don¡¯t. And he won¡¯t be friendly. We should take the bait and see what he¡¯s up to.¡±


    They went ahead, crouching and hiding in the rain. A short whileter, they saw the flicker of a torch ahead, and they heard the voices of the members who¡¯d gone after the monster.


    Right when they were about to rendezvous with the troupe members, an owl appeared before them. It cooed for a moment before perching itself on Roy¡¯s shoulder. Its wings were wet from the rain, so it couldn¡¯t fly well. It raised its fat wings and pointed to the left.


    ¡°This is n¡¯s owl, Arri. Is she giving us directions?¡± Arri heard Roy¡¯s mumble and nodded at him with an uncanny show of human intelligence. Then she opened her wings and stood up to bow at them, much to Roy¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°Is she bowing to us? You¡¯re such ady, Arri.¡±


    Arri covered her face with her wing sheepishly. ¡°Whoa, she understands humannguage. n¡¯s moreplicated than I thought.¡± Roy eased up a bit, since Arri was trying to be friends with them.


    They followed her directions for about ten minutes before arriving at a mini pine forest. The rain was blocked out by the dense foliage, and a boulder that stood at five feet sat at the end of the winding path. There, a towering figure sat.


    Roy cast Observe on it from a long distance away, but it wasn¡¯t the same data he got a few days ago. So this is Observe¡¯s weakness. It can¡¯t see through a shapeshifter. No, a cursed one.


    ¡®n


    Age: Thirty-three years old


    Status: Sea Scorpion Troupe troupe master (He is the founder of Sea Scorpion Troupe. A proactive and charismatic man loved and respected by his troupe members).


    Sparrow Whisperer (After an unexpected mutation, n possessed the ability tomunicate with his pets: the falcon, Art, and the owl, Arri. Thanks to that, he rose to fame in the show industry).


    You have uncovered his hidden identity thanks to the investigation.


    Cursed one (He is afflicted by a terrible curse. n will be a werewolf on the night of the full moon and some specific nights. The ughter begins. ording to the legends, werewolves possess the evil and cruelty present in both humans and beasts, but n seems to be immune to that. While most werewolves are nothing but mindless killing machines, n¡¯s mind stays intact.)


    HP: ?? (Requires higher Perception)


    Strength: 13 (Wereform +5)


    Dexterity: 15 (Wereform +5)


    Constitution: ?? (Requires higher Perception)


    Perception: 15 (Feral Instinct +5)


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4 (Wereform -2)


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Wereform (Passive): Half man, half wolf. All killer. Werewolves are the kings of darkness. +5 to Strength and Dexterity, but -2 to Charisma because of its grotesque looks and body odor.


    Feral Instinct (Passive): A primal instinct embedded in its genes. Grants werewolves incredible perception. Werewolves can detect murderous intent and its enemy¡¯s weaknesses. They can sense danger almost perfectly, giving them more time to dodge attacks.


    Speedy Regeneration (Passive): Its cursed flesh has incredible regeneration speed and can heal minor injuries instantly. Can consume enemy flesh to heal medium injuries and recover some HP. +10 to Constitution.


    Feral Howl Level 5: It can summon wolves or werewolves in its vicinity for help through a special howl.¡¯


    ***


    It¡¯s superior to me in closebat, but Letho¡¯s better. Roy gripped his crossbow tightly as he estimated the number of shots he could fire before n coulde near. Two, maybe.


    ¡°So, are you n? Or are you a werewolf? Why did you call us here?¡±


    The silhouette leaped down from the boulder. The moon shone on its fangs and exposed gum as it tried to grin, but all it managed was a sneer. The snout was getting in the way. ¡°Good. Seems like you guys aren¡¯t idiots who kill monsters the first chance they get. Let¡¯s talk.¡± Its voice was guttural and deep, and it wasn¡¯t attractive at all, especially not when it was inching closer to the duo, its body towering over them, its big ws shining coldly under the moonlight.


    Arri cooed happily and flew toward n.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 92

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 92: A Monster Among Us, Part Five</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The rain became heavier, prating even the dense foliage, wetting the werewolf¡¯s fur. It slowly stalked toward them, the ground squelching under its feet.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. You can talk from that spot.¡±


    The werewolf stopped thirty feet away with its arms crossed. It stared at the duo, its eyes wide. Arri and Art were standing on his shoulder, rubbing against its furry face.


    ¡°Why did you ask us out at this hour?¡± Roy was aiming at the cursed one.


    ¡°I mean you no harm, so don¡¯t pull that trigger. I don¡¯t mind you hurting me, but if these two get shot, this talk will be over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me when I say I shoot well. They won¡¯t get hurt. Not one bit.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± The werewolf looked at Letho, though Letho was just observing it in silence. ¡°You realized what I was when we were in the valley, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We thought you were in Shire, but we never expected you to be in the caravan with us.¡±


    The werewolf stared down and let out a sigh. ¡°I knew those bastards would be trouble.¡± Then it looked up at the duo with pleading eyes. ¡°But I had no choice. The troupe is my home, and the members are my family. I can¡¯t let them get hurt, so I got rid of the source of the problem.¡± It licked its ws. ¡°Do you think I was wrong?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Letho answered. ¡°They were just bandits anyway. Probably killed more than a couple of humans. They weren¡¯t innocent. I would¡¯ve done the same if you hadn¡¯t done it first.¡±


    The werewolf chuckled. ¡°I knew you¡¯d understand. Your kind does the same thing, right?¡±


    Letho didn¡¯t answer, though his silence was an answer in itself. He was already eighty, after all. There must¡¯ve been blood on his hands, and some of it had to belong to innocents. Killing some bandits would be a piece of cake for him.


    The werewolf knew it¡¯d hit the spot, so it continued. ¡°I might¡¯ve turned into a monster, but as you can see, my mind is still my own, and I¡¯ve never killed any innocent people.¡± Its voice started trembling. ¡°But are you going to kill me anyway?¡±


    Roy thought about it for a moment and stared back into n¡¯s eyes. ¡°We aren¡¯t saints, and you aren¡¯t a mindless monster. We wouldn¡¯t even havee if you hadn¡¯t lured us in. We¡¯ll just keep this up until we get to Ender, and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Can you keep this a secret, then?¡± n put his hands together in a prayer, though it looked funny. ¡°The members are my family, but they¡¯re just human. Most can¡¯t ept werewolves, so please keep this a secret from them.¡±


    ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t talk it out?¡± Roy eased up and put his weapon down. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate the cursed one who was pleading for the sake of his friends. ¡°But sooner orter, the cat¡¯s gonna get out of the bag. You can¡¯t hide it forever.¡±


    ¡°Just keep it a secret until then. Besides, we¡¯ve been working together for years. Some of them know something¡¯s up, but they never expose me.¡± n looked crestfallen, so his birds pecked at him to cheer him up.


    ¡°Why do you trust us?¡± Letho suddenly asked.


    n made his best attempt to frown, and then he smiled bitterly. ¡°I tried to ask witchers and sorcerers for help after turning into this, but they either ended up trying to kill me or making me an experimental subject. No one would help. The two of you look like level-headed, reasonable people, and you heard me out. I figured I could take this bet.¡±


    Yeah, he¡¯s just out of options, Roy thought.


    ¡°How did you be a werewolf then? And those birds of yours used to be humans, right?¡±


    n paused for a moment to think about if he should tell the duo about his past, but finally, he resolved himself to do it. ¡°This is the Cult of the Lionheaded Spider¡¯s doing.¡± n paced back and forth in frustration, recalling a painful memory. ¡°This is a curse from that cult¡¯s priestess. I turned into a werewolf, my children became birds, but my wife had it the worst. She became a frog.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, okay.¡± Roy wasn¡¯t sure how to process that. The frog prince reversed? Man, I know he¡¯splex, but that¡¯s out there, even for us.


    Roy had read about the Cult of the Lionheaded Spider though. It was one of the many evil cults on the continent. They¡¯d sacrifice live people to appease their cruel god. Their emblem was a lionheaded spider on a web, and their priestesses all possessed powerful curses.


    ¡°I see. No wonder Eveline said you were searching for your true love. It¡¯s because you guys are cursed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a smart guy, and I can¡¯t ask anyone for help,¡± he said. ¡°But I found some inspiration from fairy tales. They say true love can break all curses. I think the curse can be lifted if I find someone who loves me and my kids.¡±


    Roy was surprised that Eveline hadn¡¯t been making things up. So he¡¯s actually searching for true love. ¡°What about your actual wife, then?¡±


    ¡°Poor Sheena. She left us three years ago. Couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡± That memory brought nothing but pain. The gleam in his eyes was snuffed out, and his snout hung open.


    Art and Arri started cawing and cooing too, as if trying to mourn. Roy knew he shouldn¡¯tugh, but it looked amusing and sad at the same time. He asked Letho, ¡°Can you help him?¡±


    Letho was surprised, though he turned to n. ¡°Killing monsters isn¡¯t all a witcher can do. We know how to lift curses too, though only to an extent. We might be of some help if you would tell us your story in detail.¡±


    ¡°I-is that true? You can lift the curse, Letho?¡±


    ¡°No guarantees, but I can probably point you in the right direction.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 93

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 93 A Monster Among Us, Final Part</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    n looked up at the moon that was almost hidden behind the leaves. The rain almost muffled his voice, but the duo could hear him perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯m n, a farmer¡¯s kid from Rivendell. Most of my friends were farmers¡¯ kids too, but Sheena was an exception. She was a clerk¡¯s daughter. She was educated, kind, gentle, and had hair as beautiful as iris flowers. And she had a smile cuter than anything else in the world.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of that one incident, someone like her never would¡¯vee across someone like me. She probably would¡¯ve married the mayor¡¯s son or a noble¡¯s child. She could¡¯ve lived a wealthy life, but fate decided to throw something at her. That something was me. It was back when she was seventeen. Sheena was on a trip, and she fell into the Newi*. I jumped in to save her despite knowing the danger. We¡¯d fallen in love the moment our eyes had met, and we started meeting in secret.¡± n¡¯s eyes were starting to smile as he reminisced about the good old days. Even his fangs gleamed happily, as if they too were in love. The children felt their father¡¯s happiness too, so they swayed. ¡°A peasant and a clerk¡¯s daughter¡­ Unthinkable, but that was what fate wanted. We dated in secret for a year, and then Sheena got pregnant with the twins.¡±


    PR/N: The Newi is a river.


    ¡°Hey, wait,¡± Roy interrupted, much to n¡¯s surprise and annoyance. ¡°So Sheena was pregnant when she was eighteen? How old were you then?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-eight and still pathetically single.¡± n stared down and grinned sheepishly.


    A twenty-eight year-old peasant and an eighteen year-old daughter of a clerk¡­ Did the two of them even have any mutual topics to talk about? Roy needed some time to process that, and he was shaken when reality hit him. He wanted to say something, but decided against it. ¡°Alright, you lucky guy. Looks like fate does have some ns in store for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was fortunate that Sheena fell for me. Of course, we couldn¡¯t hide her pregnancy forever, so we eloped. Or else her family would¡¯ve probably disowned her, and the whole town would¡¯ve called her all sorts of names. We¡¯d left one night and escaped into the great forest.¡±


    He clenched his paws and looked down again. ¡°But I was a useless man. I didn¡¯t prepare enough for the trip. We got lost in the forest, and when we were about to run out of supplies¡­¡±


    ¡°You met her. That priestess,¡± Roy interrupted.


    n nodded solemnly. ¡°Rachel saved us. Took us to a rundown temple and took care of my wife until her delivery.¡±


    ¡°I need to confirm one thing.¡± Letho frowned, looking serious as well. ¡°Did she ask for anything before she helped the two of you? Something like a reward?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± n replied adamantly, but the duo realized he sounded sadder than before. ¡°After my wife¡¯s delivery, Rachel held Arri for a while. Then she said the unthinkable.¡± n¡¯s voice was starting to get hoarse, and his face contorted with rage. ¡°That bitch wanted our daughter! Arri was just an infant, but she wanted to take her away before Sheena could even see her! Can you imagine how hard it was for us?¡± n roared at them. Roy took an involuntary step back and aimed his crossbow at n by reflex. ¡°She wanted Arri to stay with her in that dark, humid, putrid ce and inherit her legacy. Rachel wanted her to be a-a hack! A servant for that disgusting spider! I would¡¯ve said yes if she wanted me as her servant, but she wanted my child.¡± n¡¯s eyes gleamed crimson. ¡°Naturally, I refused her,¡± he said coldly.


    He had a faraway look in his eyes, as if screaming at something that wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°We¡¯d convalesced at the temple for a while until Sheena had felt better. The bitch noticed us when we were about to take Arri away, and then she started making those gestures. I was reminded of the witches in children¡¯s stories and realized she must¡¯ve been cursing us. Scared out of my wits, I got a knife and plunged it in her belly.¡± n tensed up. Not even the rain could muffle his heavy breathing and pounding heart. A long, long whileter, n fell dead silent. ¡°We hid in the temple, waiting for Rachel to bleed to death, and then we saw the weird signs she¡¯d drawn on the ground using her blood. That marked the start of our nightmares.¡± He sighed. ¡°But the curse isn¡¯t all bad. At least I¡¯m free of any and all disease, and I never tire. Also, the whole family became telepathic, so we canmunicate freely. Made hunting and caring for them easier. And I started a traveling circus to take them on a trip around the world. But Sheena couldn¡¯t take it. She hated slimy stuff like frogs when she was alive. She held on for two years, but eventually, she sumbed to the curse.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I was practically a one-man-show back then, so I thought I should just disband the troupe, but my kids were why I kept going. I had to do this. To find a way to lift the curse. Then I stumbled upon the way to get rid of it, and as you know, it¡¯s true love. I thought it only existed in fairy tales, but nay. I didn¡¯t lie to my members, since that was my goal. I sought professional help, and I realized I might be one woman¡¯s kiss away from lifting this curse. I worked hard to fall for another woman, but I couldn¡¯t do it, no matter what. That¡¯s why I was never blessed with true love. And my kids have been cursed for five years.¡±


    ¡°Do you still love your wife, then?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°Of course. I would like to see her right now, but¡­¡± n looked at his children. ¡°I can¡¯t leave my children alone.¡±


    ¡°As you should. Sheena gave you two beautiful children and shared your curse. Rachel was only targeting you, but because you and your family were bonded tightly by fate and bloodline, they shared your curse without knowing it. Thanks to that, you retained your sanity despite getting turned into a werewolf. Oh, and one more thing.¡± Letho arched his eyebrow. ¡°You lied to us. The Lionheaded Spider¡¯s goddess might be evil, but her priestesses follow the ancientws nheless. There¡¯s a condition if she wants your child to be the temple¡¯s heir, and that condition is to entwine your daughter¡¯s fate with hers. Most priests use the Law of Surprise for that.¡±


    The Law of Surprise was an unwrittenw that had binding effects, even if the contract was only oral. It was as old as human existence itself. The gist of it was that a person could request something from the person they saved. Most of the time, it was something like the first thing the person saw when they got home, or something they possessed but had no idea about. Many witchers got their disciples using that rule.


    ¡°So here¡¯s my guess. Rachel did ask for something. And that something goes along the lines of ¡®If Sheena gives birth to a girl, then she must stay in the temple, but if they¡¯re both boys, then all of you may leave.¡¯ That element of uncertainty is how the Law of Surprise takes root.¡±


    Letho looked into its eyes before going closer to him. ¡°The two of you agreed to it before the delivery.¡± Letho was sure about it. ¡°That didn¡¯t happen after the birth. You lied. Threatening you after the birth would be pointless, since it wouldn¡¯t create a binding contract, nor would it be magical.¡± Letho¡¯s eyes gleamed furiously. ¡°You breached the contract first, didn¡¯t you? And you had the nerve to say you didn¡¯t take any innocent lives.¡±


    Roy looked at Letho with shock, then turned his attention to n. Instead of refuting the ims, he kept his silence. Just when the duo was about to lose their patience, n took one step forward, his body trembling, his eyes filled with an unspoken plea. ¡°You¡¯re right. I breached the contract and turned my back on the priestess, so this is my punishment. It¡¯s supposed to be mine alone!¡± He held his head in agony. ¡°I can live a long life, since werewolves are healthy, and Art can live for a few decades, since he¡¯s a falcon, but not Arri. It¡¯s been five years since then. She only has a year or two at best. Please save them, Letho. The children are innocent.¡±


    Letho crossed his arms as he gazed straight into n¡¯s eyes, and n met his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Letho sighed. ¡°This is entirely your fault, not the children¡¯s. They shouldn¡¯t suffer with you.¡± He relented. ¡°But answer me. Do you love them more than you love yourself? Be honest. This is crucial.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re my only family and the reason I keep going on.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Letho nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t save them, but you can,¡± he dered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t making things up when they said true love can lift curses. The countless tragic love stories recorded in history prove it. You¡¯re on the right track, but you¡¯re doing it wrong. Arri will be dead before you find that true love of yours. Consider this: You¡¯re the person who loves them the most, and family love is a form of love too. There is no need to find someone else to fill that role.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± n was confused. ¡°I love them more than I do myself, and they never leave my side. Even so, they¡¯re still cursed.¡±


    ¡°Every fairytale has its own little nugget of truth in it. You can find unimaginable power in love and blood,¡± Roy interrupted. He was reminded of Geralt¡¯s story. One that was uncannily simr to n¡¯s, and he knew what n had to do to lift the curse. ¡°Now that we¡¯re certain you love your children deeply, we¡¯re one step away from lifting the curse. All we need now is blood. Bloodbined with true love can end all curses and misfortune.¡±


    ¡°Be specific! What should I do?¡± n was in a hurry.


    Roy looked at n¡¯s kids, then opened his mouth, but said nothing.


    ¡°They¡¯re just kids, so we¡¯d better take this somewhere they can¡¯t hear us,¡± Letho said. He nced at Roy furtively, wondering why Roy would know the way to lift the curse.


    n had a bad feeling about it, but he told his kids to stay on a tree not far from him. ¡°They can¡¯t actually understand things that are tooplex though.¡± nbed his fur with trembling paws to calm his nerves, but what he heard next made his mind go nk.


    ¡°You¡¯re the main target of the curse, so most of it will disappear when you die, and the blood taken right before that will be enough to lift the rest of it,¡± Roy exined.


    ¡°This is the only way your kids can get rid of that curse and live their lives normally,¡± Letho said sombrely. ¡°You¡¯ll have to prove your love to them by using your very life.¡±


    n stared down in silence for the longest time. He pondered on the matter, struggling to make a decision, but in the end, he resolved himself. ¡°If that¡¯s the truth, then I shall pray for your good fortune once this is all done, but if not, I shall curse you with every ounce of my being, just like how Rachel did to me and my family once.¡±


    ¡°On the name of the Viper School, I, Letho, swear that everything I have told you about the way to lift the curse is true. If I break this promise, I shall never see the day the Viper School makes its return.¡± Letho raised his ne solemnly.


    ¡°On the name of the Viper School, I, Roy, swear that everything I have told you about the way to lift the curse is true. If I break this promise¡­¡± Roy made a promise of his own.


    n gazed at them for the longest time, and then he let out a sigh. ¡°I have one final request. Can you¡­ Can you send me off? I can¡¯t do it. Even taking my heart out won¡¯t kill me. You must cut my head off. I can¡¯t ask my family to do it. It¡¯s too cruel.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, n?¡± Roy stared back at him. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± His voice started trembling.


    ¡°Yes.¡± n looked up with relief on his face. Then, he tilted his head and smiled as warmly as he could. ¡°I told you I loved them more than I do myself, and I wanted to see Sheena as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to say goodbye to your troupe? Tell them what happened? They¡¯ve been working with you for years. They have the right to know the truth,¡± Letho reminded him. ¡°Nost goodbyes?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know if anyone else has found out about this, but I know Eveline has noticed something wrong about me, but I need you to bring my message to them.¡± n told them about the next captain of the troupe, what to do about his children, and how to deal with his funeral. ¡°I¡¯ve been tortured this whole time. Every time I see my children trapped in a beast¡¯s body, every time I think about the night Rachel died, every time I remember about my wife¡¯s passing, I feel this pain in my chest. It¡¯s suffocating. It¡¯s time. It¡¯s time to free my children from the curse and atone for my sins with my blood. Only then do I have the right to see Sheena again.¡±


    ***


    The long downpour finally ended, the dark clouds splitting apart, revealing the moon in all its splendor. The young man raised Gwyhyr high in the sky and looked at a ce not far from him.


    There, a menacing silhouette was kneeling on one knee, whispering to a pair of adorable birds. His eyes were filled with love and longing, but he knew what had to be done. ¡°Remember the game we always y, Art, Arri? Right, here goes.¡±


    He took a deep breath. ¡°Close your eyes now. Turn around and count from ten. Come and find me whenever you¡¯re done. The one who finds me first gets a bedtime story from daddy tonight. Don¡¯t peep, Art. Don¡¯t peep, you hear me? Don¡¯t peep¡­¡±


    n¡¯s final message resounded in the air for a while, but eventually, everything fell silent, hisst smile etched on his face.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 94

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 94: Cleanup</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy and Letho came out of the forest with a pair of naked children in their arms. The children were drenched in blood, and their faces were drained of all color. They were curled up in the duo¡¯s arms, but their eyelids kept trembling, as if they were having a nightmare.


    The children fainted the moment n¡¯s blood was sttered across their backs, so they hadn¡¯t seen the moment their father was decapitated. That was one silver lining in the tragedy, perhaps.


    ¡°We have a Child of the Sun here. If only we knew how to make the antidote¡­ n wouldn¡¯t have had to die.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. That was his fate. He reneged on his promise, so he was punished with death.¡± Letho looked calm about it, as if he were talking about lunch.


    Roy agreed with him, but he still felt sad when he saw thetest record in his character sheet.


    ¡®You killed a cursed one ¡ª n the Werewolf. EXP +200. Level 4 Witcher (800/2000).¡¯


    The EXP he got didn¡¯t sit well with him. He was conflicted about it. n wasn¡¯t innocent, since he did go back on his promise and repaid Rachel¡¯s help with betrayal, but at the same time, he truly loved his children and was a good father.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel sad, boy. He chose salvation.¡± Letho sighed. ¡°And you should have noticed he¡¯d wanted to die for a while.¡±


    ***


    Most of the search team hade back to the caravan. They were covered in blood, especially Kanti. She was caressing her denguidly, looking as satisfied as a beast who¡¯d just feasted on its prey.


    When the duo came back, everyone was surprised about the kids they were holding. The women quickly cleaned them up and covered them with nkets. Then they warmed the kids up near the bonfire.


    ¡°We killed some drowners in the swamp, but no signs of n anywhere. What happened, Letho? Where did these kidse from?¡±


    The duo looked at each other. They¡¯d debated about it on the way back, but in the end, they decided to do as n had told them to, even if that¡¯d draw some k. ¡°This is what really happened, but please brace yourselves for it.¡±


    The troupe members received the news differently. Some thought the duo murdered n, some started fearing for themselves at the mention of curses, cults, and werewolves, while some slowly epted the story after the initial shock.


    Fortunately, the main troupe members chose to believe the duo. They¡¯d noticed n¡¯s weird actions over the years, though they¡¯d never confronted him about it.


    ¡°I always thought Art and Arri were too close to n. Their coboration was seamless. I see, so they¡¯re his kids, the only proof of his existence. n was a good father, but he worried too much. We¡¯ve been friends for years now. He could have told us about it.¡±


    ¡°He probably didn¡¯t want us to feel sad about it. n¡¯s always been that way. He puts everyone else first. His nightly hunts with Arri were also his way of keeping us safe.¡± Kanti gritted her teeth and sighed. ¡°So what if he¡¯s a monster? Zerrikanians don¡¯t care about that as long as they¡¯re our friends.¡±


    Then Amos suddenly spoke up. ¡°n had been acting weird, but he never harmed the troupe. He was a great captain, but I don¡¯t trust the witcher.¡± He red at the duo. ¡°Witchers are cold-blooded animals who would kill any monster theye across. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d actually help n if he were a werewolf. You must¡¯ve lied to him and killed him when his guard was down!¡±


    ¡°We killed him because he wanted to free his children.¡± Letho threw him a cold look. ¡°He saved his soul and his children by giving up his own life.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I knew something was wrong with you here ever since I yed Gwent with you.¡± Roy pointed at his head. ¡°You say this is just a story we¡¯re making up to cover our murder, but what about the kids? We aren¡¯t gods. We can¡¯t just snap our fingers and make them appear out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amos was at a loss for words for a while. When he was about to retort, Eveline shot him a dirty look, forcing him to swallow his words.


    ¡°I trust them.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just like n to do this. The most important thing now is his funeral. We can¡¯t let him rot in the wilds.¡±


    ¡°His body¡¯s still there.¡± n had turned back to his human form after the decapitation. ¡°I¡¯ll take you guys thereter. But he wanted you guys to burn his body right there and collect his remains. Spread his ashes in the Newi if you ever travel to Rivendell. His wife was sent off the same way.¡±


    The troupe members were surprised to hear that.


    ¡°n wouldn¡¯t tell that to anyone,¡± Eveline decided. ¡°So now we know they aren¡¯t lying.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°n¡¯s been suffering from the curse for a long time now. He wanted to see Sheena again, but he held on for the kids.¡±


    ***


    The troupe stayed around for a couple of days to retrieve n¡¯s remains. They burned his body with normal fire and Letho¡¯s Igni for a long time, but eventually, they managed to turn n¡¯s remains into bones and ash. They collected everything.


    The caravan¡¯s mood was gloomy as everyone mourned for theirte captain for a while. Many of the members were tearing up too.


    ¡°Right. n¡¯s probably reunited with his wife in Melitele¡¯s kingdom now. First things first. What should we do about Art and Arri?¡±


    ¡°We take care of them, of course!¡± Kanti thumped her chest.


    ¡°And we need a new captain as soon as possible. Preferably someone charismatic!¡± Amos quickly voiced his opinion, only getting everyone¡¯s res in return. He shut up.


    ¡°n said he wanted Eveline to take his ce.¡± Everyone was surprised to hear that from Roy, but most of them epted it. Not Amos though, but a single vote was useless.


    Collins was huddling with Ferroz as usual. Ferroz took a deep breath and put his hands together to plead. ¡°So Collins and I have been dating for years, but we can¡¯t have any children of our own, and I¡¯m sure you guys know why. We¡¯ve been thinking about that for a long time.¡± Then his face was flushed with excitement. ¡°n treated us like family, and we¡¯re grateful for him. We¡¯ve always wanted to repay our debt, but we never had the chance. Until now. If it¡¯s fine with everyone, we¡¯d like to adopt the kids as thanks to n¡¯s help. And we¡¯ll take care of them like they¡¯re our kids. In a way, they¡¯re our dreame true.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Collins quickly backed his lover up.


    ¡°Please, everyone!¡± They held their hands together and bowed to everyone deeply for the longest time.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Everyone was taken by surprise. They never thought the gay couple was any different from other couples, but instinctively, they thought Ferroz and Collins were different from a heterosexual couple. They couldn¡¯t let them adopt n¡¯s kids.


    And so, the members were in a dilemma. Eveline and Amos wanted to refuse, but they didn¡¯t want to hurt them. Roy kept quiet for a while before stepping in. ¡°Arri and Art are special, in a sense. Not anyone can adopt them. They¡¯ve been living as a falcon and an owl for five years, so they operate differently from normal humans. Owls are nocturnal creatures who can get really active at night. They feed on frogs, insects, and other small creatures. On the other hand, falcons love to dive from high up in the air. Can you even imagine how Art would act? And besides, n wanted them to get adopted by the Temple of Melitele in Ender. It¡¯s a good ce filled with kind, gentle souls.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 95

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 95: Ender</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Art, stop!¡± Eveline massaged her temples, but that didn¡¯t cheer her up at all.


    Ferroz was trying to catch him, but Art kept dodging him. Still thinking he had wings, he ran around the caravan like a wild rooster, pping his arms, hunching his back, craning his neck, lifting his butt. The boy ran ahead like a falcon, trying to fly, but he couldn¡¯t.


    He babbled as he pped his arms, trying to speak, but his tongue kept getting twisted, much to Eveline¡¯s worry. She wondered if he¡¯d bite it off. ¡°He¡¯s cheeky.¡±


    Everyone else watched with great interest. They were both sad and amused, since Art reminded them of n¡¯s death, but at the same time, Art brought some life to the troupe.


    ¡°That¡¯s better than being depressed.¡± Roy was d Art was cheeky. ¡°Keep n¡¯s death a secret until they¡¯re older.¡±


    ¡°Arri¡¯s even more troublesome.¡±


    Roy was reminded of a hrious scene in the carriage. Arri thought she was still an owl, so she wanted to perch on the wooden club, but since she turned back into a human, she fell face first into the ground and got a bruise. Arri kept crying, but then she seemed to remember her missing father and stopped making any sounds altogether.


    But the biggest problem was the children having a limited vocabry. They couldn¡¯t talk in any human tongue either, and they were psychologically worse off than their peers. They were only sensitive to friendliness and mockery. I hope they get better soon.


    ***


    They arrived in a city in Ender¡¯s vicinity one week after that. The sky was overcast. Then they went west, eventually reaching the city of Ender. The great city was situated south of the Valley of Pontar, which was on Mahakam¡¯s west. The Valley of Pontar was also the intersection point of Temeria, Redania, Aedirn, and Kaedwen, the four biggest kingdoms in the north. It was one of the most important military strips in the north.


    As the people would say, ¡®He who controls the Valley of Pontar controls the north.¡¯ That was how important the valley was. Thanks to it being on the way to the valley, Ender enjoyed prosperity. Not only was it a military base, it was also a business hub. Of course, Novigrad remained the biggest city, housing thirty thousand citizens, but Ender boasted ten thousand residents in its city.


    Thanks to that, business opportunities bloomed. Ender¡¯s merchants set up a merchant¡¯s association in the city, taking their unique merchandise to sell in the city. Because of that, organizations like the architect¡¯s association and cksmith¡¯s association opened shop in Ender, and their business boomed. On top of that, Vizima, the capital of Temeria, was not that far away either, making transport convenient.


    There was a long line in front of the gates since it was rush hour, but even so, the guards, who were armed to the teeth, checked everyone diligently.


    Roy told Eveline to meet up at an innter before leaving with Letho. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since yourst trip to Ender, right?¡± Roy exined, ¡°From what I know, they don¡¯t take well to witchers now.¡±


    It was early 1261 at the moment. Roy remembered Geralt getting screwed over seven years ago in the year 1254, right after he was dubbed the Butcher of viken. The Order of the White Rose insulted him, calling him worthless, and then he was forced to enter a battle where he was prohibited from fighting back.


    Geralt had managed to stay alive in the end, but that angered the Order of the White Rose, and by extension, Hereward, the noble who took pride in the knight order. Even the Temerian Royal Council hadints about him. Roy thought Geralt¡¯s actions would cause trouble for Letho if someone found out he was a witcher.


    Letho shrugged dismissively. ¡°Been twenty years, but I never heard any kingdoms banning witchers from passing through. Every city has its own share of monster issues. Where there are monsters, there are requests. They won¡¯t say no to us.¡± Letho was calm but firm. ¡°And we have to replenish our alchemy stock.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s see if we can get in without getting checked.¡± Roy looked ahead and saw the Temple of Melitele. It was near the mountain outside the city. He¡¯d go right there once they settled in the city.


    ***


    The duo didn¡¯t disguise themselves too much. Roy covered his hair and ears with a white towel, while Letho wore some shabby clothes instead of his witcher attire. He didn¡¯t even show his school¡¯s emblem, his sword, or his potions. If Roy didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d think Letho was just a brawny farmer trying to get into a city.


    But things didn¡¯t go well for them. Roy managed to slip past the guards, but the guard said coldly, ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    Roy froze up for a moment before looking back, but he realized the guard was ring at Letho. He was holding his sword, ready to strike at any time.


    The guards at the entrance surrounded them, watching with great interest. The air turned heavy, and a deafening silence surrounded them. Even the travelers stopped to see what the fuss was all about.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m talking to you, big guy. Raise your head!¡±


    Letho¡¯s lips curled into a cruel smile, but only for a moment. He loosened his fists and sighed ever so audibly before looking up. Roy felt sad for him. No matter how powerful a witcher was, they had to bow before overwhelming numbers.


    ¡°Oh, we got a witcher here!¡± The guard holding a spear opened his face armor, smirking at Letho. ¡°Never seen one so shabby before. Thought you could change the color of your eyes just because you¡¯re in peasant attire? Did your brain get fried during your mutation, freak?¡± He looked at his colleagues before bursting out inughter.


    The guards were smaller in sizepared to Letho, but theyughed at him as if he were nothing more than a beggar. Letho took their insults until they were doneughing. ¡°Right, back to business. Trying to slip in, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Slip in?¡± Letho frowned. ¡°You guys screened me, didn¡¯t you? What? Ender not weing witchers?¡±


    ¡°No, but someone is interested in you. You¡¯ll have to see him first.¡±


    ¡°Is this Ender¡¯sw? Does everyone have to see him before they can enter?¡±


    ¡°No, this is an order. Bors, take the witcher to the waiting room. Don, call Tylers over here. Tell the knight the one he¡¯s obsessed about is here.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Roy came to Letho¡¯s side, much to the guards¡¯ surprise. Then he took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m with him.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! I knew something was up.¡± The guard gave Letho a mocking look. ¡°Witchers doing what they do best ¡ª kidnapping children.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m his disciple, and I¡¯ll be a witcher too sometime in the future.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 96

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 96: Order of the White Rose</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°The people won¡¯t take to us kindly, boy,¡± Letho reminded. ¡°But don¡¯t flip them off. We¡¯re on their turf, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± Roy grumbled. ¡°When in Temeria, do as the Temerians do.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Letho nodded. ¡°But if they get on your nerves, try to see them as dogs.¡± Letho gave weird advice. ¡°Every time they bark at you, throw them a bone or something. Not literal ones, of course, but you know what I mean. They¡¯ll wag their tails once their ego is satisfied ¡ª especially those knights.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡± Roy shot him a look of surprise. He never expected a straight man like Letho toe up with such a quirky idea.


    A short whileter, a pair of knights came to the clearing near the gates, where the duo was waiting. Letho and Roy bowed and observed them. The one on the left was in white armor and wore a red cape, a white rose engraved on his left shoulder piece. Every step he took made his armor creak.


    He was young, but he had a scar running down from his forehead to his nose. He could have been a handsome man, but instead he looked sinister. The knight¡¯s gaze was set on Letho, but there was only rage within him.


    Standing beside him was a short and sturdy dwarf who was wearing a jacket made of fox pelts and chainmail armor. He was looking at the duo sternly with his arms crossed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Roy cursed silently. ¡°Damn you, Murphy¡¯sw.¡± He knew the scarred man was the same knight Geralt had defeated, and judging by the look on his face, he was a tough one to handle.


    ¡°State your name, witcher. And that goes for yourpanion too,¡± the scarred knight ordered them imperiously.


    ¡°We¡¯re only nameless peasants, noble knights. Our names are nothing but an insult to you.¡± Letho bowed humbly, but he was scanning his surroundings for any high ground he could take. At the same time, the spearmen around the gates were watching them closely.


    The scarred knight¡¯s face fell, and he went closer to the duo. When he was only ten feet away from them, he looked up arrogantly, not unlike a swan that was craning its neck. ¡°I am Arthur Tailles, firstborn of the Tailles family, knight of the fourth corps of the Order of the White Rose, and a loyal servant of King Hereward. Witcher, now that I have stated my name, I demand the same from you. Any defiance will be seen as an insult to the order!¡±


    Roy arched his eyebrow. Still as arrogant as ever. Left with no choice, Letho answered, ¡°I¡¯m Letho, a witcher from the School of the Viper. This is my disciple, Roy.¡±


    ¡°How can you prove it? Where¡¯s your crest? And why are you trying to get into Ender City?¡± Tailles asked a lot of questions, and his hand was already on his de. If Letho showed even an ounce of hesitation, he would cut him down. His teammate¡¯s lip twitched, and the dwarf took a deep breath.


    ¡°I think you know why we¡¯re trying to get into Ender. We got into a few fights before this and wrecked our equipment. Most of our supplies are gone, so we need to restock in the city. And my leg¡¯sme too. Here¡¯s my insignia. Please show mercy to us, sir. Let us pass through Ender.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Arthur looked at the ne and nodded. When he confirmed that Letho was unarmed andme, his eyes gleamed. ¡°Letho from the Viper School, I, Arthur Tailles, from the Order of the White Rose, challenge you to a duel!¡± He unsheathed his sword and held it with both hands, pointing it at Letho.


    ¡°But Mr. Tailles, you¡¯re a noble knight. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of an honor for me? I¡¯m just a witcher. Not even a knight. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of this.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roy added. ¡°We¡¯re not worthy of the honor of a knight¡¯s duel,¡± he scorned himself.


    Tailles stopped them. ¡°We have a creed here. If you were the ones challenging me, then I¡¯d have the right to refuse, but since I¡¯m challenging you, you must ept, or you¡¯re nothing but a piece of worthless trash. I see you as my equal, but of course, it is just temporary.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy was shocked by the ridiculous deration. Crazy arrogant bastard. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite the logical exnation you got there. I guess you must be a fan of philosophy too.¡± The highest stat he has is seven. Damn, he¡¯s stupid. I could probably take him down if it weren¡¯t a duel of swords. If he doesn¡¯t wear his armor, of course.


    The sarcasm flew past Tailles¡¯ head, and Letho asked, ¡°What will happen if I refuse, then? Aside from being seen as trash?¡±


    ¡°Then you must leave Ender. Our city doesn¡¯t wee cowards.¡±


    The dwarf chuckled. ¡°Ah, shut up,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°You¡¯re a knight. Remember the creed. This is just shameful.¡±


    ¡°No, you shut up, Cranmer!¡± Tailles¡¯ face was flushed. ¡°This is personal! I must defeat a witcher to regain my honor! I don¡¯t mind you tagging along, but if you¡¯re butting in, then I¡¯m smashing your head in!¡±


    ¡°Try me. I ain¡¯t letting you do whatever you want,¡± the dwarf retorted.


    Arthur gnashed his teeth. ¡°Go back to your troops or I¡¯m telling on you.¡±


    Cranmer? Dennis Cranmer? Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed. Cranmer¡¯s a dwarf with a sense of justice and equality. He¡¯s going to join the army of the Mahakams in the second war to resist Nilfgaard¡¯s invasion. This guy¡¯s important to Mount Carbon. I think I¡¯ll take this. ¡°Dennis Cranmer? Are you the Dennis Cranmer?¡± Roy went up and feigned surprise.


    ¡°You know me?¡± Dennis looked at him with doubt.


    ¡°Reagan told me about you back in Mount Carbon.¡±


    ¡°Reagan? Reagan Dahlberg?¡± Dennis rubbed his nose for a while, and then he remembered who Reagan was. ¡°Oh, that boy¡¯s all grown up now, huh? He was still a snotty little dwarf thirty years back. So, is he doing fine? As a dwarf, I mean.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a master crossbowman now. And a reigning champion, too.¡±


    ¡°I see he¡¯s even more of a troublemaker than his brother is.¡± Dennis gave him a friendly look. ¡°So how do you know him?¡±


    ¡°I learned how to shoot from him for a bit.¡± Roy stared down awkwardly. ¡°But I¡¯m stupid, so I didn¡¯t get a lot of his teachings.¡±


    Dennis was excited to see someone who just came from his hometown, so he talked with Roy about Mount Carbon, leaving Arthur alone. Roy made a new friend out of him after they talked. He even spoke about the time he and Letho took out the leshen and the nekkers in the tunnels, effectively helping the dwarves.


    The dwarf patted his shoulder. ¡°Ah, I see. Now that you¡¯re my friend¡­¡± He turned around to Arthur. ¡°This is no longer personal. Roy¡¯s a part of my family now, so his mentor is my friend. You are forbidden from venting your anger on them.¡±


    Tailles glowered at Dennis. ¡°How dare you, Dennis Cranmer?¡±


    ¡°Ah, shut up.¡± Dennis snorted. ¡°Count Falwick¡¯s not even here. You have no one to rely on, and dwarves always stand up for their friends. You want to get them? Then face me first. Or you can tell King Hereward about this. Let him decide.¡±


    Arthur¡¯s veins popped, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. He red at the three of them and threatened, ¡°Just you wait. You¡¯d better not pull anything in the city, or I¡¯ll rip a new one.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better not harass them, Tailles, or you¡¯re getting it.¡±


    ***


    After Arthur was gone, Dennis turned to the duo. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you two. That bastard gets on everybody¡¯s nerves. He ruined his reputation himself. If you run into any trouble,e to the castle and tell them I sent you. I¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± Roy bowed sincerely.


    ¡°Ah, what are friends for? Let¡¯s drink when we have the time. Not good to let the guests go without some wine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one request for free,¡± Letho offered.


    ¡°Ender does have its own share of problems, but most of them aren¡¯t really big.¡± Dennis smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Letho, but I¡¯ll take you up on the offer.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 97

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 97: Temporary Goodbye</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Cranmer left them shortly after that. The duo went along the main path leading into the city, where buildings were crammed together. The sellers were hollering at everyone who went past, trying to get their attention.


    ¡°Magic salve! Get your magic salve here! Cures everything from patches to scabies! You won¡¯t get it elsewhere!¡±


    ¡°Look here. I got some talismans and pills. Get one today and regain your youth. And look at this. Hallucinative potion. One gulp and you¡¯ll know what ecstasy is like. Some swear this even gives the dead a boner.¡±


    ¡°Got a mice infestation? You came to the right ce, folks. Look at this cat. It¡¯s cute, cuddly, and catches mice faster than you can say ¡®meow!¡¯ And it¡¯s a greatpanion too! Perfect for the family!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you look like you need a tooth extraction. I bet that toothache is driving you nuts. Then step right up. I offer painless tooth extraction, and at a low, low cost too.¡±


    ¡°How low can you do?¡± Roy asked the dentist. He wondered how a dentist could work with a chair, a bottle of wine, and some rope.


    ¡°Ten copper an hour.¡± The lean dentist grinned toothily at him, but his teeth were ck.


    ***


    The duo rendezvoused with the troupe after leaving the shady street, and they hired a guide to show them the way around town. Finally, the group settled in a remote inn called ¡®Pot Belly.¡¯ The inn¡¯s lobby was mostly taken up by the troupe, much to the innkeeper¡¯s delight. On the other hand, Eveline was twirling her hair, looking troubled.


    ¡°Living in the city costs a lot. The amodation fees ate up most of the money n left us. We can¡¯t go on like this. Kanti, take some guys with you to survey the za and the crowded spots in the city. See if you can get us a spot to perform.¡±


    Kanti put her legs on the tablenguidly. ¡°Sure, boss.¡±


    ¡°Everyone else can take the day off. It¡¯s been a tiring journey.¡±


    The troupe members went to do their own stuff. Some yed Gwent, some kept drinking, and some went upstairs to have some fun. ¡°So what next, Roy? Are you leaving with Letho?¡± Eveline gave Roy a gentle look, as if saying she wanted him to stay.


    Roy nodded stiffly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling for years. Just when I finally got a friend, you¡¯re already leaving.¡± She pulled him closer, almost kissing him. ¡°Witchers live a dangerous life. Why don¡¯t you stay with me in the troupe? You won¡¯t mind, will you, Letho? After all, you have a lot of disciples, right?¡± She grinned cheekily at Letho.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy almost lost himself when she hugged him, but only for a moment. His will was getting stronger by the day, after all. Even so, he had to put on a show. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say goodbye either, Eveline ¡ª ¡± And then he felt her pushing his head against her chest. Oh, so this is how a woman¡¯s chest feels like. Feels like a dream.


    He was almost suffocating from the soft, bouncy breasts that enveloped his face. All he could smell was the intoxicating fragrance from Eveline.


    Letho crossed his arms, watching the shenanigan unfold. Then he smiled sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ll respect your choice, Roy.¡± He¡¯d given his permission, though Roy knew that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°You can pursue a career as a circus performer. I won¡¯t force you.¡± He emphasized thest sentence.


    Roy could imagine Letho hunting him down if he took Eveline¡¯s offer, and he shivered. I¡¯d like a girlfriend, but not now. Not yet. He shot up and cleared his mind. ¡°Thank you, Eveline.¡± He held her hand. ¡°But Letho¡¯s probably gonna get himself eaten by wild beasts without my help, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. Take care, then.¡± Eveline sighed and stared down in silence.


    ¡°Are the kids still asleep?¡± Roy shifted the topic awkwardly. The troupe members had been trying to work with Arri and Art over thest couple of days, but that messed up their biological clock, so they could fall asleep at any given moment.


    Evelineposed herself, but it was obvious she still wanted Roy to stay. ¡°We have to find them a home. The troupe can¡¯t take care of them forever, since we wander the world. n said the Temple of Melitele was a good ce. But I¡¯d like to see if there¡¯s anything better. I want real professionals. Oh, and I might run into you there.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hey, Letho. Is it me, or has Eveline been acting weird around me?¡±


    Letho rubbed his chin and realized something incredible. ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t get it? You¡¯re usually the smart aleck, so what happened? Taken up by your lust for a woman¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop joking.¡± Roy clenched his fist, as if threatening to crush Letho¡¯s hand. ¡°I just refused a woman all for you, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you weren¡¯t imagining it. Eveline was trying to mate with you.¡± Letho nodded. ¡°Elves aren¡¯t exactly a fertile race, unlike humans, who breed like rabbits. To make things worse, they¡¯re only fertile at certain ages. You¡¯re a young part-elf, and she¡¯s already of marrying age.¡±


    Elves were elegant and enjoyed a long lifespan, but they were also open about sex. Roy had heard stories about how elves would fuck theirrades as much as possible before they died to keep the fear of death at bay.


    ¡°But I¡¯m a minor.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. You¡¯re a part-elf, so you grow almost at the same rate as humans do. You¡¯re gonna be mature in a few years. Not to mention you can live a long life, and your looks are eptable for them.¡± Letho gave Roy a look that sent a chill down the boy¡¯s spine. ¡°Eveline¡¯s a beautiful, gentle, and sexy woman. You sure you don¡¯t want to stay with her?¡±


    Roy was reminded of the feeling of Eveline¡¯s gigantic breasts, but he quickly stopped himself from thinking about it. His body had changed ever since he ingested the Child of the Sun, as if he were giving in to his primal urges. ¡°Forget it. I prefer monster killing.¡±


    ¡°Wipe your drool away.¡± Letho stood up with the help of his crutch. ¡°Time to sell off the stuff in your pocket and restock some alchemy supplies. Then, we¡¯re going to the temple.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 98

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 98: Alchemy</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy got a lot of materials in his inventory space after the battles in Smiack. There were hundreds of nekker eyes, tongues, ears, innards, and all sorts of organs. They were going to sell everything off aside from the green mutagens, the fangs, and the ws. They had to make the potion for the trial and some bolts for Roy.


    The parts would them some money and free up some space. As Temeria¡¯s duchy, Ender was filled with all kinds of merchants selling every item under the sun. Of course, there were also those who¡¯d buy monster parts, though the price could vary. If the merchant knew the seller was an amateur, they¡¯d lowball them, but Letho was no amateur. He had lived for eighty years and knew much about the market.


    His strategy was simple: name his price to the buyer and stare at them in silence for a few moments. Some of the buyers would make a better offer after getting stared at for a short while, and about thirty secondster, they¡¯d give him the offer he wanted.


    Letho¡¯s sharp gaze, intimidating build, and scary look were enough to scare the buyers into submission. After selling the parts to three buyers, they managed to make two hundred crowns, but then they spent the money on their alchemy supplies.


    The duo had a hard time after consuming all their items in the tunnels, so the first order of business after getting out was to restock, and it was a big restock. They got a lot of items, including belisse fruits, arenaria,dine, and a lot of herbs. They also got sulfur, phosphorus, and saltpeter to make bombs. There was also Mahakaman liquor, Kirsch, and Fiorano in Roy¡¯s inventory space. Then they went to an established cksmith in the city to make bolts for Roy. Each cost twenty coppers, and Roy made a hundred of them.


    The bolts had more prative power than normal ones, and they were also heavier. The tip had some nekker venom on it so it could kill better. Letho needed to sharpen his sword and short sword, which also cost them. Gwyhyr didn¡¯t dull ¡ª even though it had gone through a few battles ¡ª thanks to the gnomes¡¯ craftsmanship. It could still slice even the thinnest hair easily, and all Letho had to do was maintain it with grease.


    Also, the duo wouldn¡¯t let a stranger get a hold on the sword. Finally, Letho went to a clothes shop to make two sets of grey leather armor and pairs of long boots. Wearing shabby clothes made it hard for him to move, and they offered no protection. The armor was not cheap.


    Then came sundown, and the whole city basked in its golden light. Roy went through the bills after their purchase and was shocked by how much they¡¯d spent. It was all the money from their sales and they¡¯d had to pay quite a lot from their own pockets. Whoa. Witchers may make a lot of coins, but it¡¯s a risky job, and it takes a lot out of their pockets.


    They only had around a hundred crowns left. Even without spending on drinks and women, finances were tight. ¡°I think we should take some requests, Letho. We need crowns.¡± Roy stared at Letho expectantly. If he managed to kill one more type of monster, all he had to do was pass the trial, and he¡¯d be a rookie witcher.


    He had never taken any request from the bulletin board ever since he¡¯d followed Letho, but he wanted to. It was a rite of passage for a witcher.


    ¡°Not at the moment.¡± Letho gave him a piercing look. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough in Smiack? It¡¯s time to rest. You¡¯re going to help me with some alchemy work,¡± hemanded. ¡°Once we are set with the potion, we¡¯ll be heading to the temple.¡±


    ***


    Letho rented a ce with a kitchen so he could change it into ab, just like how he did in Aldersberg. The only difference was he had Roy to help, so they spent half a day turning the kitchen into a makeshiftb. Roy noticed the familiar cauldron, mortar, alembic, bellows, and pestle from those days in Aldersberg, and he almost fainted. He could see himself toiling over the making of potions and bombs from day to night again.


    But he had an inexplicable desire for it. He wanted to feel a sense of aplishment when he managed to make that one potion after thousands of tries. Thus, he took the cauldron and mortar and started his ¡ª


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re starting with the marigold potion,¡± Letho interrupted him. ¡°Tell me the recipe and the steps.¡±


    ¡°Two ounces of dried marigold, one ounce oftle, and mix them together in the mortar,¡± Roy blurted, since he could never forget the recipe. It felt like it was seared into his soul.


    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s been a month, but you still remember it.¡± Letho gave him a look of approval. ¡°Now for the potion making. Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s as good as your theory.¡±


    Roy moved by reflex, as if he were a master alchemist. He put a sack of marigold andtle on the right surface before weighing them, then put them into the mortar and crushed them with the pestle.


    ***


    Fifteen minutester, the liquid in the cauldron was starting to simmer, a faint fragrance wafting across theb. Roy quickly killed the heat and poured the potion into a ss container. His grip was firm, and not even a drop of potion went to waste. Finally, he corked it.


    Letho swirled the potion. ¡°Have you been practicing?¡± He was surprised. ¡°You haven¡¯t been doing this for a month, but you improved?¡±


    ¡°Probably because of the Child of the Sun,¡± Roy said. ¡°I can control my body better now.¡± Having one more point in Dexterity certainly helped Roy.


    ¡°This is a surprise. Well, you¡¯re done with marigold potions now. Let¡¯s move on to the next one.¡± Letho paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of poison. We used it in Smiack.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the paralyzing one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not the same thing we used. This is the full version. It¡¯s harder to do. One dose is all it takes to paralyze someone entirely. It¡¯s hell for them.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes shone. He¡¯d wanted to make one ever since he¡¯d used it in the tunnels. The paralyzing poison would be a more useful tool than oils or bombs in certain scenarios, but then Letho stopped his thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ll have to promise you¡¯ll only use this as ast resort, no matter what. Effective immediately. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use this on the innocent.¡± Letho was reminded of his school¡¯s dark past. ¡°The school went down the wrong path for a very long time. We emphasized on poisons more than potions, and we took assassination requests just like the Cat School witchers. But we were worse. So much worse than they were. Because of that, our reputation took a hit.¡± Letho paused. ¡°We¡¯d ask every disciple to take in a pet and make them kill it before the training ended so they¡¯d grow indifferent.¡±


    Roy was shocked, since Letho never asked him to do that, nor did he expect the school to have such a dark past. At the same time, he was d he was born at the right time. He wasn¡¯t necessarily a kind person, but he wouldn¡¯t kill needlessly either. ¡°So you also¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, and obviously that was wrong. It sped up the school¡¯s death.¡± Letho was solemn. ¡°It¡¯s hard to stop once you start abusing your power. Eventually, you¡¯re going to lose yourself to it. If you were to turn out like that, I¡¯d take you back to the school for reeducation.¡± He emphasized ¡®reeducation.¡¯


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Very well, then. I swear on my name as a witcher of the Viper School to only use poison as ast resort.¡± Roy had made another promise. ¡°But Letho¡­¡± Roy remembered what Letho ended up doing, so he looked at him. ¡°What if you need to use this to revive the school? Will you do it?¡±


    ¡°It depends on who the target is,¡± Letho answered after a short while of silence.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s the king?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Letho refused to answer. ¡°That¡¯s it for assassination talk. Alright, let¡¯s get on with it. Remember the simplified version¡¯s recipe?¡±


    ¡°Crush thefrey, extract the longrube¡¯s juice, cut up the wolfsbane¡­¡±


    ***


    Roy spent most of his time over the next few days making the poison, resting only for meals and meditation. Thanks to his experience with the marigold potion, he finally managed to make one dose of poison on the third day after dozens of failures.


    And then his character sheet shook. A new skill was born.


    ¡®Alchemy Level 1: A crafting skill that allows you to make oils, potions, decoctions, poisons, and bombs. Rank: beginner alchemist. You now possess the skills to make: marigold potion, paralyzing poison.¡¯ Roy was excited to see that, since he finally saw the fruits of hisbor.


    ¡°Is this the only poison we can make, Letho? Or are there more?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not now. First, make five doses of paralyzing poison and five marigold potions. Keep them in your pocket. And help me with the decoctions and bombs.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 99

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 99: Taking the Request</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy was checking the items on the table, the light in theb illuminating his face. ¡°Two Dancing Stars.¡± Roy held two green ss containers and tossed them into the air. When they came down, he grabbed them and opened his palms, then the canisters were gone.


    He turned to the blue bottle with yellow bands tied around it. ¡°One dimeritium bomb. Didn¡¯t have enough dimeritium.¡± He pointed at the bomb, then it disappeared, just like the Dancing Stars.


    ¡°Two Dragon¡¯s Dream, two Swallows, five doses of paralyzing poison, and five marigold potions.¡± He brushed his hand across the crystal clear potions and five yellow potions. ¡°Everything is ounted for.¡± Roy looked at Letho, who was meditating, and smiled. It took them a week of nonstop work, but they¡¯d finally restocked their item supply.


    During that time, they¡¯d gone to take the crossbow bolts and Letho¡¯s sword at the smithy, then they¡¯d taken the leather armor sets from the clothes shop, though they were shabbier than Roy had thought. And then all that was left was the trial.


    Letho stopped meditating, though he had a concerned look on his face. ¡°Alright, leave me alone now, boy. I¡¯ll be staying here for a few days to process the ingredients for the decoction. Do not disturb me. Take a stroll around Ender.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief, though he was curious about the potion. He wouldn¡¯t push his luck though, since he was on the verge of breaking down. ¡°I can assist you, though.¡±


    ¡°Not at your level,¡± Letho refused. ¡°And this is important. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes, or the potion¡¯s going to end up killing you.¡±


    The news shocked Roy. ¡°So why do I have to wait until we get to the temple then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Letho answered. ¡°You¡¯re taking the potion the moment it¡¯s done. Like I said, I¡¯m just processing the ingredients. I¡¯m not cooking it up yet.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°I left that part out for a reason. The head priestess has a greenhouse, and I need some of the herbs there. Also, theirb is better than whatever we have here. You¡¯ll need her help for the trial too. She¡¯s a sorceress.¡±


    ¡°What if she refuses you?¡±


    ¡°She owes me one, and I have an ace up my sleeve,¡± Letho replied. ¡°She will help out. Alright. Take your potion of the week and get out. Come back in three days.¡±


    ***


    Roy exited theb wearing a ck leather armor set, and he was sweating.


    Ender was a bustling city. The sun was shining warmly, and the people were frolicking around the streets. Compared to the people in viges and small towns, Ender¡¯s citizens had a better fashion sense. Instead of the usual grey and ck, the people wore colorful clothes and stylish essories, like hats, nes, rings, belts, and brooches.


    Roy took a deep breath and stretched himself. That hits the spot. He would¡¯ve liked to have gone to an inn for some Gwent, but he had a more pressing matter at hand. Since he was alone for the time being, he wanted to ept a request all by himself, but not long after he¡¯d gotten out to the streets, a temptress beckoned him. She had heavy makeup, a luscious smile, and her hair tumbled down her shoulders.


    Roy looked at her, but he turned away and left after a moment. Youngdies would braid their hair, married women would cover themselves with a hat or a headscarf, while nobledies would perm their hair. Warriors, on the other hand, would cut it short. The only women who¡¯d let their hair stay the way it was were druids and prostitutes. It was a show of freedom and independence.


    The woman who was trying to seduce Roy was thetter, but Roy didn¡¯t give in. He didn¡¯t want to get into a bad habit.


    ***


    Roy eventually arrived at the bulletin board in the city center, but it was dusty and filled with cobwebs. He thought he could get some great requests, but reality was often disappointing.


    ¡°What the heck is this? They want me to find their missing cat?¡± He shook his head in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m not a firefighter. I don¡¯t have time for this. This woman wants me to catch her cheating husband in the act?¡± Roy mocked, ¡°An eye for an eye, then. Just start an affair yourself.¡± He looked at another request and balked. ¡°And this wants a caretaker for a paralyzeddy? Nope, sorry. I¡¯m not a caretaker. Oh, this one¡¯s interesting.¡± Roy looked at the lower right, where a new request was posted. ¡°A missing boy, huh?¡± He finally got serious.


    The request read, ¡°Look ye! This is an emergency! Help needed! Bounty hunters, witchers, or whoever you are, I shall pay you a hundred and fifty crowns for this job. My son, Berschel, went missing after he went to fish at a river outside the city. If anyone wants to help,e to the bakery in eastern Ender. For experienced people only. Amateurs back off.¡±


    The kid went missing in a rural area when he was fishing. Roy rubbed his chin, pondering the case. That doesn¡¯t narrow it down much. Could have been human traffickers or something, but this is promising. I¡¯ll look into this.


    ***


    The bakery was sweltering, but Huckle didn¡¯t care. He was neatly putting dough and more dough into the elliptical oven. Huckle had been working as a baker for twenty years, and at least a third of the citizens were his customers. Baking used to be the thing he liked to do the most. It was gratifying to see raw dough turn into brown, fluffy bread. Every time he saw theme out perfectly, it brought a smile to his face.


    But no longer. He had been gloomy over thest couple of days. He liked bread, but his son was more important. Every time he thought of his missing son, he would start to shake, and an urge to cry would seize him. Huckle knew what every missing person in Ender would end up as: a corpse, or a chewed-out corpse. Not many came back alive. I¡¯ll keep looking after this.


    ¡°Hello. Might you be Huckle the baker?¡± someone called out, snapping him out of his nightmare.


    Huckleposed himself and took his mittens off. ¡°Yes, but the kitchen is off limits. Go to the storefront for the bread. You won¡¯t find a better offer. Twenty crowns is all you need for one satisfying loaf of bread. It¡¯s all dough and nothing else. No sawdust, no y, no potash.¡± He reflexively promoted his bread. ¡°I also ept payment in terms of flour. Any type of flour. I¡¯ll keep some, but you¡¯ll get most of it back as bread.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not a customer.¡± Roy put on a smile. He noticed the baker¡¯s bloodshot eyes, and the fact he was wearing nothing but thin clothes. ¡°Mr. Huckle, I¡¯m Roy, a witcher. I came for the request you put up. Can you tell me what happened?¡±


    Huckle froze for a moment, then he sized Roy up. Crude leather armor and long boots, trimmed hair, nice nose, good eyes. Good looking, approachable, muscr, and tall. But his skin is smooth, and he looks like a kid. He¡¯s probably not even fifteen. Huckle waved him down. ¡°You¡¯re pulling my leg, boy. I need an experienced one, not a kid like you. And I¡¯m not taking any disciples now. I don¡¯t need any help around the shop.¡±


    Roy mmed his weapons on the baker¡¯s workstation, much to Huckle¡¯s shock. The sight of the crossbow and the steel sword made the baker retreat, then he picked up his baking implement.


    ¡°Calm down. You would have been dead if I wanted to rob you. I¡¯ll let you in on a secret.¡± Roy wanted that effect. Then he kept on lying, ¡°I¡¯m a part-elf, so I look younger than I am. I¡¯m of age now, and I¡¯ve taken on my fair share of requests.¡± He showed Huckle his ears. The moment Huckle took a look, Roy hid his ears again. ¡°Your son¡¯s disappearance smells fishy, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he asked seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why you need an experienced witcher. The earlier he¡¯s found, the higher the chances of survival. If you give up now, it might be a month before the next witcheres around.¡±


    The baker finally wavered, since Roy was right. He was running out of time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for the deposit. Just tell me what I want to know.¡± Roy raised his head confidently and went closer to Huckle. ¡°You can keep the money if I fail to find your son.¡±


    The baker finally stopped frowning. No harm in telling him. I lose nothing, and I get a free helper. Huckle took a deep breath before leading him to the storefront. He took off his hat, revealing his unkempt hair underneath. Then, he sat down. ¡°Want some bread, Roy? Fresh out the oven.¡±


    ¡°I had something to eat just now, so thanks for the offer. Let¡¯s talk business.¡± Roy crossed his arms sternly as he tried to put on airs.


    ¡°Your eyes are different from the other witchers, though. Everyone says witchers have the eyes of a beast, but your eyes look the same as mine.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a part-elf. All the witchers you¡¯ve seen used to be human,¡± Roy answered forcefully, staring at Huckle. ¡°Now talk.¡±


    Huckle wiped the sweat off his face. ¡°Very well, then.¡± Deciding to trust Roy for the time being, he said, ¡°My son, Berschel, just turned eighteen this year ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Yes, you said that in the request. When and where did he go missing?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-seventh of December. That was two days ago. Berschel went fishing at Wigan outside southern Ender at one in the afternoon. It had been his usual hunt. He goes there once every fortnight and spends most of the day there. Fishing¡¯s his only hobby. He lives with me and is still single, so he has nowhere else to go,¡± Huckle bemoaned. ¡°Berschel alwayses home before seven, but he didn¡¯te back that day, even after nine.¡± Huckle mmed the chair with his fist. ¡°I knew something was wrong.¡± He looked fearful. ¡°Ender¡¯s curfew starts at nine.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he stayed the night at his friend¡¯s ce,¡± Roy spected. ¡°He¡¯s eighteen. He¡¯se of age. It¡¯s normal to stay the night somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°I asked his friends, but none of them saw him.¡± Huckle looked worried. ¡°I even bribed the patrols so they¡¯d help me. They told me they saw him going out that day, but he never came back.¡±


    ¡°Ender receives a lot of people every day, so maybe the guards missed him.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Huckle denied it. ¡°I have proof. I saw his fishing rod at the riverside. There¡¯s a red cloth on it. It¡¯s Emti, his beloved rod. He¡¯s been using it for ten years. That¡¯s the only thing I found.¡±


    Roy asked, ¡°Did you find anything else? Blood, handkerchief, or anything that he brings with him?¡±


    ¡°I got some old-timers to look aroundst night, but we got nothing.¡± Huckle was getting frustrated. ¡°That¡¯s why I posted that request. Have you ever run into something simr, Roy?¡± Huckle was going to panic. He wanted to use an honorary title for Roy, but he was too young for Huckle to do so. ¡°Do you think my son is still alive?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure about that, since I don¡¯t have enough information for now,¡± Roy answered calmly. ¡°What about the knights? They should be responsible for you guys, no?¡±


    Huckle spat indignantly. ¡°The order is only loyal to the king. Their job is to protect the king and his family, not peasants like us. They put me on the waiting list. Said they¡¯d only help after they¡¯re done with the problems in the city.¡± Huckle had beef with the knights. ¡°The bread would have gone moldy by then. My poor Berschel¡¯s going to end up dead, or worse.¡± Huckle shivered. The thought of his son being dead tortured him.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s how nobles are.¡± Roy shared Huckle¡¯s sentiment, since he felt disgust toward Tailles. He tapped the chair¡¯s armrest and asked, ¡°Does Berschel have any enemies?¡±


    Huckle denied it fervently. ¡°Impossible! He spends most of his time in the bakery with me. All he does is help out with the mice problem and housekeeping. He neverins and is always happy. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d have beef with anyone. I¡¯d know if he got into trouble with someone in the city. Even if he did have an enemy that I didn¡¯t know about, there¡¯d be no reason for them to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s assume he went missing at the riverbank, then.¡± Roy stood up and strapped his weapons to his back. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the crime scene.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 100

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 100: Investigation</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy and Huckle went to Wigan, south of Ender. The boy hunkered down on a gigantic boulder jutting out on the riverbank and brushed his finger across a pebble. He looked at the gleaming river before shifting his gaze toward the rustling bamboo forest standing on the other side.


    Wigan flowed toward the south, merging with Ismena after the sewers ahead. To the north, Wigan merged with Pontar. The river was less than twenty feet wide and gleamed green because of the algae and microorganisms in it. Roy couldn¡¯t even see the bottom.


    ¡°Do you see anything, Roy?¡± Huckle was wearing some shabby clothes. He was holding a rickety fishing rod, looking nervous. ¡°Any clues?¡±


    ¡°Calm down. We just got here. I need more time.¡± Roy dusted his hands off and looked around. ¡°This is the boulder Berschel sat on whenever he fished here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Huckle nodded. ¡°I came with him many times, and he never changed spots. Berschel¡¯s an honest kid, so he doesn¡¯t change once he¡¯s made a decision.¡±


    ¡°Did you also find Emti on this boulder, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Huckle stabbed the fishing rod into a hole below the boulder. It was an easy spot to fish. ¡°I found it right here.¡±


    Roy could imagine Berschel enjoying the breeze on the boulder as he fished before disaster had struck. ¡°Let¡¯s search the ce.¡±


    ¡°But my friends and I did that yesterday, and we found nothing.¡± Huckle shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°If you want to save your son, then you¡¯ll do as I say,¡± Roymanded. ¡°If you find any scales, I want you to give them to me.¡±


    ¡°Scales?¡± Huckle was confused. ¡°I need you to look for my son, not fish! If you¡¯re craving fish, I can give you one for free. Grilled, stewed, doesn¡¯t matter! Heck, I¡¯ll even throw in a loaf of bread!¡±


    ¡°You know nothing!¡± Roy shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to tell Huckle what he had in mind, but he had no choice. ¡°Drowners have scales too, but it¡¯s different. Their scales are harder and heavier than any fish¡¯s scales, and there¡¯s a protrusion in the middle of it. Also, you can smell the stench of rotting flesh if you see one.¡±


    Huckle paled. Everyone who lived near a river knew there could be drowners lurking in the waters. If anyone were to be attacked by them, their chances of survival were slim. Huckle didn¡¯t want to believe it, so he retorted, ¡°But Berschel¡¯s been fishing for eight years! There¡¯s no drowner here!¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s changing. There might not have been any drowners in the past, but there are no guarantees now. Your son might be torn apart as we speak!¡±


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ll search the ce!¡± Only humans or drowners could have taken someone away at a riverbank. If they could find any traces or the scales of drowners, then Berschel was probably taken by drowners.


    Roy was no longer the weakling he¡¯d been. He had Dancing Stars and Dragon¡¯s Dreams in his inventory, as well as a crossbow that could fire in quick session. He could take the drowners on as long as they didn¡¯t gang up on him.


    However, he didn¡¯t get to fight them. After searching the riverbank for an hour, Roy found nothing. There were scales, but all of them belonged to the fish in the river. There were no drowners or any torn clothes in the river. Since monsters always left traces wherever they went, Roy was sure the river was free of drowners.


    On the other hand, Huckle heaved a sigh of relief. If there were no drowners around, that meant his son could still be alive. But if it¡¯s not monsters, then why did he go missing?


    ¡°Did you find the rod here?¡± Roy gave it some thought. ¡°That means he was taken away when he was fishing.¡± There wasn¡¯t any cover at the riverbank, so ambushing Berschel on the rock was unlikely. Roy looked back at the dense bushes not far from them. It was a remote ce, so if the culprit ambushed Berschel from the bushes, they could¡¯ve covered their tracks and saved a lot of time.


    ¡°Did you search the bushes yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Huckle hesitated for a moment. ¡°But not thoroughly, since I had to post the request this morning. I was going toe this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± They spent half an hour going through every single bush. Thanks to his perception, Roy picked up a faint scent of urine from a shrub. Ah, that¡¯s a clue. ¡°Huckle, does anyone else fish in this river? Any women who wash their clothes here?¡±


    ¡°No, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± Huckle shook his head. ¡°They live in the north, near the temple. The swamp is in the south, so nobody ever goes there. Only Berscheles here, most of the time.¡±


    So Berschel probably peed here. Or Huckle¡¯s friends. Roy looked in the direction of the scent and expanded his range. He parted every shrub with his hand and checked the ground. Thanks to his hard work, Roy finally found some dried blood an hourter. It seemed the blood had been sttered instead of bled out naturally. It was as if something caused it to spurt.


    He knew how the blood of nekkers, drowners, leshens, and humans smelled like. Even though he wasn¡¯t as strong as a witcher, he was slightly confident that it was human blood. And probably spilled around three days ago or less. That¡¯s when Berschel vanished. This must be a clue.


    ***


    ¡°Did you find something, Roy?¡± Huckle parted a shrub and hunkered down beside Roy. He looked to where the boy was touching and saw the blood, much to his shock. ¡°B-blood? I-is my son dead?¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Roy told him without even turning around. ¡°We don¡¯t know whose blood this is yet.¡± But he was sure Berschel was attacked by something when he peed in the bush. That something was too fast for Berschel to defend against.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± They followed the trail of the blood and noticed a blob of white that was cotton-like. Roy picked it up to take a whiff, but it was odorless. He pushed it together and pulled back, and the ball turned into sticky strings.


    ¡°This is mixed in with the blood. What is this, anyway?¡± Roy had a feeling the ball of sticky item was a clue to what the culprit was. Is it a monster? Can¡¯t really remember which monster produces this.


    They kept following the trail of blood. Roy and Huckle noticed some dried blood after covering some distance. The trail led them deeper into the forest, and eventually, the trail became thinner and thinner.


    Finally, they stopped at a clearing in the far east of Ender, where shrubs grew wild. The faint scent of flowers wafted across the air, while turnips surrounded them. There wasn¡¯t anyone around, so the turnips weren¡¯t taken. Roy and Huckle looked ahead and noticed a deep hole in the field ahead of them.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 101

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 101: Monster</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    They managed to see the outer side of the hole thanks to the sun. It was made of nothing but soil. The hole sloped downward, and they couldn¡¯t see what was inside. They hid behind a tree to see what would happen for the time being.


    ¡°The trail stops here, Roy. Does that mean my son is in that hole?¡± Huckle gulped, his fingers twiddling. Nervously, he asked, ¡°What is this hole? Did an anteater or mole dig it?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t make one that big.¡± Roy stared at the hole, thinking about the possible monsters that could have dug it. ¡°And Berschel was dragged a mile. Either it¡¯s a really big monster, or there are a dozen in there.¡±


    Huckle realized he got it wrong. ¡°Berschel is six feet tall and weighs over a hundred and seventy-six pounds. He¡¯s a sturdy boy. Not anyone could drag him like a ragdoll.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Roy didn¡¯t charge ahead in case there was something inside that could kill him. ¡°Put on your thinking cap. What kind of creature can drag him all the way from the river and leave little to no trace?¡±


    ¡°Boars?¡± Huckle looked concerned. ¡°I get a lot of customersining about the boar problem in the fields every year.¡±


    ¡°Boars wouldn¡¯t usually drag an adult human that far, and it¡¯d have to take Berschel out in the process.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°It has to kill or at least incapacitate its prey first. We didn¡¯t see a lot of blood on our way here, nor did the victim show any signs of struggle. That¡¯s really odd.¡±


    Huckle¡¯s face twitched as he thought about a more dangerous predator that could have taken his son away. ¡°What if it¡¯s a bear? What if he ran into a bear?¡± Even though it was winter, not every bear would hibernate. Some that didn¡¯t store enough fat would hunt.


    ¡°Same deal. If it was a bear, there would have been more of a struggle and more blood along the way.¡± Roy looked at the hole again. ¡°Look at the turnips. Thenpare it to the hole. The hole¡¯s just around half an adult¡¯s height. There¡¯s no way any bears could live there.¡±


    ¡°What is it, then?¡± Huckle covered his face in despair. ¡°What would hunt humans? We can¡¯t take it slow anymore.¡± Huckle stood up, his eyes filled with resolve. ¡°I can feel that he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a weapon. How are you supposed to fight the thing inside?¡± Roy pulled him down. ¡°Forget saving your son. If you charge in there without a n, you¡¯re going to get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°I was blessed with Berschel when I was thirty. His mother eloped with someone else after she gave birth to him.¡± Huckle was panicking. ¡°I raised him alone. If he dies, then I¡¯ll take my own life.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me. I have a n.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed. Since he wasn¡¯t sure if the victim was alive, he couldn¡¯t throw any bombs inside to lure the monsters out. Nor could he smoke them, or he¡¯d kill the victim. But since that monster left its den to drag Berschel back, it was a hunter. And hunters hunted. Even green dragons would get baited by a poisoned goat, let alone something like this.


    ¡°Get a chicken or a duck, Huckle. And make it quick. See if you can buy one from the people nearby.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to bait it?¡± Huckle was stunned, then he realized what Roy was doing. ¡°But will it work?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know unless we try. Get a chicken or a duck. Anything works.¡± Roy reminded, ¡°And keep its mouth shut. We don¡¯t want to bait it until the time is right.¡±


    ***


    Half an hourter, Huckle came back with a big, glossy rooster. Its beak was tied up, so it couldn¡¯t caw. Since Huckle held its wings tightly, it couldn¡¯t struggle either. On the other hand, Roy had already applied poison to his weapons.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Now, we wait. Don¡¯t make a sound.¡± Roy took the rooster and caressed it. ¡°Sorry, but you have to die so we can save someone.¡± Then Roy thered it with half a dose of paralyzing poison before force-feeding the rest by prying the rooster¡¯s beak open. Finally, he made a cut on theb and let it bleed before tossing it to the hole.


    The rooster crowed the moment itnded and jumped around the turnips, but a few momentster, the poison started taking effect. The rooster started wobbling dumbly. Huckle and Roy were still hiding behind the tree, slowing down their breaths. They stared at the rooster unblinkingly, waiting for their quarry to appear.


    Nothing happened for a while after the rooster copsed, but eventually, something shot out from the hole. It was as big as a calf and was covered in ck fur. The creature looked like a fusion between a fly and a spider, but it had no wings. It had two red eyes on its ugly head and a pair of legs on each side of its torso. Roy thought the monster could probably leap far ahead with those legs, for they were not unlike springs. It also had a pair of short, sharp pincers under its head that gleamed under the sun.


    The monster shot out a ball of white goo at the rooster, covering and turning it into a white ball. Then it scuttled back into its den with the rooster in tow. The description took more than one paragraph, but the monster actually finished its hunt in a mere moment. Even so, Roy managed to get its info in that split second.


    ¡®Arachnomorph


    Age: Two years old


    HP: 80 ¡ý (Weakened)


    Strength: 6 ¡ý


    Dexterity: 8 ¡ý


    Constitution: 8 ¡ý


    Perception: 6 ¡ý


    Will: 4 ¡ý


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Web Shoot Level 1 ¡ý : Arachnomorphs can shoot a blob of sticky web from far away. Its web is sturdier than normal rope and is extremely sticky. Normal humans will find it hard to break free.


    Lunge Level 1 ¡ý : Arachnomorphs can store their energy for one second and leap forty feet ahead, lunging at its prey.


    Corrosive Venom Level 1 ¡ý : Arachnomorphs can inject an extremely corrosive venom in its prey using its incisors, turning everything into liquid before consuming it.


    Spawning Level 1 ¡ý : Arachnomorphs do noty eggs outside when the temperature is low. Instead, they¡¯ll inject theirrvae into strong captives, turning them into a nest for their young to grow.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Arachnomorphs, huh? So that¡¯s their cobweb.¡± Roy finally understood what was going on. ¡°So that¡¯s why there wasn¡¯t much blood. The prey¡¯s covered.¡±


    And then Roy realized someone was struggling, so he snapped out of it and let Huckle go. He¡¯d been covering the baker¡¯s mouth since earlier. ¡°Sorry. That must have hurt.¡±


    Huckle patted his chest and heaved a sigh. ¡°I almost thought you wanted to kill me, Mr. Roy.¡± His face turned back to normal. ¡°What was that anyway?¡± he whispered, but his eyes were on the hole. ¡°Was that the child of a fly and a big spider?¡± Huckle was fearful. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something like that my whole life. It¡¯s scarier than a drowner.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an arachnomorph, or you can call it a monstrous spider. It¡¯s a dangerous one.¡± Roy wondered if he should retreat. Arachnomorphs were hard to deal with, so he would have run away if the creature was in top condition. But it¡¯s weakened. Its stats are lowered too. If I make the necessary preparations, I think I can take it. But there¡¯s one problem. Arachnomorphse in groups and breed like rabbits. They hunt together, so there might be a lot of them there.


    ¡°Do you think my son is still alive, Mr. Roy?¡± Huckle was circling the ce in panic. ¡°How should we deal with that?¡±


    ¡°Does Berschel fish frequently?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Once every two weeks,¡± Huckle said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s been going on for years, so I know I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°What lies in the south of Wigan?¡±


    ¡°A vast swamp, filled with poisonous bugs and venomous snakes. Nobody goes there.¡±


    So this arachnomorph probably came from that swamp and got weakened for some reason. If it hasn¡¯tid eggs and is living alone¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s probably still alive.¡± Roy didn¡¯t want to lie. ¡°Arachnomorphs wouldn¡¯t kill their prey outright. They¡¯d first turn them into human soup before slurping them up. He¡¯s probably out cold inside.¡± Of course, if worsees to worst, Berschel might have been injected with the monster¡¯srvae.


    ¡°Charging in without a n is suicide. We need a trap. A bigger one. One that can take them all out in one go. Or at least most of them.¡±


    Roy had a nice n going, but he underestimated a father¡¯s love for his child. The moment he finished exining how the monster hunted, Huckle broke down. The thought that his child could have been turned into human soup drove him mad, and he charged toward the hole, roaring to the heavens.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 102

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 102: Kill</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was a warm day, and the ins were peaceful, save for a gaunt man charging toward a hole in front of him. ¡°You bastards!¡± He grabbed a turnip and hurled it into the hole. ¡°Why¡¯d you take my son? Take me instead!¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Roy was shocked by Huckle¡¯s reckless charge. There was no time for further nning, so he quickly went to drag the baker back into the bush by his arm and body. ¡°Are you mad? That¡¯s suicide! Forget about saving your son! That thing¡¯s gonna kill you too!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I am mad!¡± Huckle was breathing heavily, fury ring in his eyes. He tried to break free, but Roy had an iron grip on him. ¡°If it hurts my son, I¡¯m dragging it down to hell with me!¡±


    The arachnomorph came out right after that. Before they realized what was happening, they saw the monster¡¯s big, red eyes locking onto them. And then, it pulled its legs close to its body. A split secondter, it leaped through the air, traversing forty feet in an instant.


    Roy was surprised, but he quickly dragged Huckle back to the bushes behind them. The baker was pale and shaken to his core. And then Roy heard something smacking against the tree beside him. When he took a look, he saw a blob of white, warm ball sticking to the trunk behind him. ¡°Goddammit.¡± Roy and Huckle tried to run away, but they couldn¡¯t escape from the monster.


    The arachnomorph scuttled after them, closing the distance at a blistering speed. A momentter, it leaped over their head andnded before them. Roy managed to dodge it just in time, but Huckle had no such luck. The arachnomorph screeched and pounced at the baker, then it shed away at Huckle¡¯s chest, creating a cross-shaped wound. Roy could see the excitement burning in its eyes as it went in for the kill.


    The arachnomorph¡¯s stench filled the air. Roy could smell the scent of soil and rotten fleshing from it. If he so wanted, he could reach out and touch the monster¡¯s fangs. Meanwhile, the arachnomorph¡¯s attention was fully on Huckle, so Roy was ignored.


    Perfect. Roy clenched his fist, and out came Gwyhyr. Without wasting a second, Roy plunged the sword into the monster¡¯s ugly head. The arachnomorph shrieked in pain and spasmed, darting away from Roy. It was a close call, but Huckle was saved.


    It red at Roy maliciously and spat a blob of webbing, but Roy knew it was going to do that. The moment the arachnomorph retreated, Roy was already rolling around, dodging its web. When he regained his bearings, Roy switched the sword out for Gabriel and fired a shot at its body.


    Thanks to Massacre and Crossbow Mastery, the new crossbow bolt easily prated the monster¡¯s exoskeleton. Roy managed to do some damage, but not enough to take the monstrous spider down. The arachnomorph leaped across the air, attempting to kill Roy. If they were on the ins, Roy couldn¡¯t have dodged it, but Roy chose to fight in the forest for a reason. The trees and bushes were all perfect in slowing the arachnomorph down.


    Roy rolled away again, this timending in a giant bush, the monster¡¯s pincers missing him by a few inches. Once the arachnomorph turned around, Roy put all his strength into his right hand and buried the sword in the monster¡¯s mouth. At the same time, he fired a shot at the spider¡¯s eye, sttering blood everywhere.


    The arachnomorph took considerable damage after those attacks. If it were a nekker or drowner in its ce, they would have died, but insects were resilient. Even after all that, it had a third of its HP remaining. But it was already spasming on the ground.


    Roy didn¡¯t attack anymore. Beasts were at their most dangerous before their deaths. Roy took the chance to dive into a bush and kited it around the forest. He wanted to draw the battle out, at least until the paralyzing poison took effect. If it doesn¡¯t, I might have to use one Dancing Star. But he knew he had a chance to kill it without using any bombs.


    ***


    The arachnomorph scuttled across the ground, its reflexes turning unbelievably sharp. It chased Roy for a few seconds before leaping up into the air and using the branches to propel it further ahead. Is that thing defying gravity? The branches were severely cut every time the monsternded on them. It saw Roy running underneath it, and before Roy could run far, the monster jumped down on him.


    Roy knew what wasing, and his eyes glowed crimson. The arachnomorph froze for a second thanks to Fear and the paralyzing poison. It only managed to cut Roy¡¯s armor open, and it couldn¡¯t even graze his skin.


    And that was itsst chance to kill him. Roy didn¡¯t get up from the ground. Instead, he held Gwyhyr over its head awkwardly before mming it into its mouth, piercing its innards. Roy didn¡¯t stop until he felt the hilt touching against the monster. The arachnomorph¡¯s blood started flowing down, drenching Roy¡¯s face.


    Roy quickly rolled out of the way, then the monster snapped out of Fear¡¯s effects. A few momentster, smoke billowed from its mouth, and it stopped moving. The monster fell ahead, mes licking its body.


    ¡®You killed an arachnomorph. EXP +70. Level 4 Witcher (900/2000). You have killed a grave hag, a drowner, a childhunter, a leshen, an elf sorceress, a nekker (normal, warrior, chieftain), a nekker nest, a kikimore, a cursed one, and an arachnomorph. You have killed ten types of magical creatures.¡¯


    Roy stared at the dead monster in surprise as it slowly turned into a big ball of mes. That¡¯s Gwyhyr¡¯s burn effect? Getting stabbed by a sword and burning up inside was a torture beyond anyone¡¯s nightmares. Roy shuddered at the thought of anything that had to go through that. Well, at least it¡¯s not me.


    The battle hadsted thirty seconds. If he were in the game, he would have had to spend a while to kill the spider. Any misstep ended in the yer¡¯s death. Roy wiped the blood off his face with the dewdrops from the grass around him. When he went back to Huckle, the baker had already passed out. He was angry about Huckle¡¯s reckless charge. If there had been more than one monster, they would have died, but that didn¡¯t happen, so Roy didn¡¯t dwell on it. Not to mention Huckle needed help, so Roy cleaned the baker¡¯s wound with a marigold potion and bandaged it.


    Then he smacked the baker¡¯s face.


    Huckle opened his eyes in fear and shot up, but then he gasped in pain. ¡°Spider! Spider!¡±


    Roy patted his back and shoulder. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s dead. You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Huckle looked surprised. He puffed his chest and took a deep breath before struggling to get up. ¡°What about Berschel? What about my son? Did you save him?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Roy pondered about it for a while beforeing to a decision. ¡°We¡¯ll save him right away.¡± If the spider¡¯s not alone, its friends would havee out by now. And Huckle can¡¯t go down alone. I¡¯ll help him out.


    Fifteen minutester, Roy rappelled down the hole with nothing but a torch to light his surroundings, while Huckle stood guard outside. The rope was secured on Gwyhyr, which was buried in the ground outside.


    Roy thought the den was humid, cold, and dark. At least it¡¯s not like the tunnels. It¡¯s one straight path down till the end. That confirmed the fact that the arachnomorph lived alone and didn¡¯t manage to expand its colony in time.


    He made thending fifteen minutester. Roy shone his torch around him and noticed that he was in a space that was slightlyrger than the tunnel. It was about the size of an inn¡¯s room, and the walls were covered in branches and leaves connected by y. That provided great instion for the space.


    There were three white cocoons in the cave¡¯s depths. The smallest one was on the left, which was the rooster they used as bait. The one in the middle was probably a mole or a roon, while the one on the right looked like a human. That¡¯s the one. It was unmoving, not unlike a corpse, but Roy noticed some breathinging from it.


    Delighted, he quickly sliced the top part with his bolt, and out came a horrifying sight. Roy could see that it was a young man. He had big eyes, bushy brows, thick lips, and a wide jaw. The man looked honest enough, but there were bulges on his face. The bulges were the size of a whole fingernail, and they were spread across his cheeks, forehead, and chin. Roy noticed the bulges squirm, obviously containing something alive in them.


    Even though the young man wasn¡¯t awake, Roy knew he must¡¯ve been having a nightmare, for he kept frowning.


    ¡®Berschel:


    Gender: Male


    Age: Eighteen years old


    Status: Civilian, baker¡¯s apprentice


    HP: 10/50 (Dying)¡¯


    ***


    Roy turned around and took a deep breath. He thought he¡¯d seen a lot of disgusting things, but the sight still made his stomach churn. Having live spiders in his body must be a torture. ¡°Can you hear me, Berschel? Say something,¡± Roy tried to wake him up, but he got no response. Left with no choice, he tied the cocoon up with a rope and dragged it up with him.


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 Chapter 103

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 103: Suspicion</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    When Huckle saw what happened to his son, he took one step back and plopped down. If it weren¡¯t for his will, he would have fainted there and then. ¡°I-is that Berschel?¡± Huckle looked at Roy. The old baker was shivering, tears streaming down his cheeks.


    Roy didn¡¯t want to lie to him, so he nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Berschel! My son!¡± Huckle scrambled over to Berschel. He stared at his son and tried to touch his face, but Roy stopped him.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not touch that,¡± Roy reminded. ¡°It¡¯s just going to make it more painful for him. Try calling his name. If he wakes up, tell him¡­ tell him whatever you need to. This might be thest time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,st time? He¡¯s going to be fine! I know he will! I¡¯m taking him back and getting the best healer in Ender for him!¡± Huckle tore at the webbing as he screamed. ¡°Can you hear me, Berschel? Open your eyes! It¡¯s me, Huckle! Daddy¡¯s here!¡±


    No matter how much Huckle tried, he couldn¡¯t get through the webbing. It was too hard for him. Roy was about to slice it open with his sword, but then, Berschel mumbled.


    Familial love, huh?


    His eyelids twitched, and he regained consciousness.


    When he saw the familiar face of his father hovering before him, Berschel could no longer contain himself. Tears streamed down his face that was filled with bulges. ¡°H¡­ Huc¡­ Huckle¡­¡± He looked excited, but all he could muster was a weak mumble. Even that was enough to make him spasm from the pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, son! Huckle¡¯s here. How are you feeling?¡± Huckle was overjoyed that his son regained consciousness. He quickly huddled closer in an attempt to hear what Berschel was saying. ¡°Where does it hurt? Don¡¯t worry, son. I¡¯ll get someone to heal you up.¡±


    ¡°I-it hurts¡­¡±


    Huckle turned to Roy, tears still streaming down his face. ¡°Please help me, Mr. Roy. Let¡¯s take him back together,¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give him a piggyback ride, then. We can go faster that way.¡± Roy looked at Berschel and hunkered down to have a closer look. He shook his head. ¡°Put him on my back.¡± Roy didn¡¯t think anyone could heal Berschel. Not even sorcerers. Sylphs are his only hope, at this point.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Berschel suddenly muttered something. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it, son?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡­ Emilia. Emily¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Emily? You want to see her? I¡¯ll find her right after we get back to town. I swear!¡±


    ¡°Wh-White Rose¡­¡±


    White Rose? Roy was surprised that Berschel would mention the knights when he was inches away from death. Order of the White Rose? Do they have anything to do with this?


    ¡°Calm down, son. Take a deep breath. You can talk about this when we get back to town.¡±


    ¡°Kill¡­ me¡­¡±


    Huckle froze and started shivering, but he forced a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be in town soon. Just hold on.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ hurts¡­ Kill¡­ me¡­ It hurts. Kill me!¡±


    Huckle took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He started sobbing, but he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking.


    ¡°He¡¯s infested with the spider¡¯s younglings, and he¡¯s weakened.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°Living is nothing but torture for him.¡± Roy told him the dark truth. ¡°Perhaps we should free him from his misery.¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re a witcher, Mr. Roy. You know how to save him, don¡¯t you?¡± Huckle suddenly hugged Roy¡¯s legs as he pleaded. ¡°Please! I can give you five¡­ No! Ten times the reward! I can give you everything! Please, just save Berschel! All I ask is for him to live!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help him,¡± Roy answered reluctantly. He knew he couldn¡¯t do anything, but he wanted to see if he could help the poor family out. What would Letho do? Roy started thinking about every alternative he had. I can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing.


    ¡°The spiders can be killed, but you won¡¯t like the idea.¡± Roy cut away the webbing around Berschel. ¡°It might even kill him quicker than the spiders would. Can you ept that?¡± Roy pried the webbing open and looked at Berschel¡¯s chest. The sight made him sigh.


    The same bulges appeared on his chest, rib, and belly. Obviously, thervae were already in there, ready to hatch. The monster babies were gnawing through Berschel¡¯s innards, nourishing themselves. Aside from the bulges, there was a clean gash on the right side of his stomach. It didn¡¯t look like a scar from the arachnomorph, however. ording to Letho¡¯s notes, Berschel most probably got stabbed.


    Ironically, the thing that stopped the bleeding was the arachnomorph¡¯s fluid. So someone hurt him before he was taken by the monster? Roy thought back to the things Berschel had said. White Rose? Emily? Is this connected to that?


    While Roy was thinking about the possible conspiracy, Huckle was contemting whether he should go with Roy¡¯s idea or take his son back to town. He couldn¡¯t decide, but then his son pleaded, ¡°Kill¡­ me¡­¡± He was already sweating furiously from the pain. ¡°Kill¡­ me¡­ Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Do it, Roy! Put him out of his misery!¡± Huckle yelled. ¡°W-whatever happens, happens!¡±


    Roy nodded and clenched his fist, then a green, long-necked bottle appeared. It was Swallow, a potion in his inventory. ¡°Don¡¯t freak out. This is just a little trick. See this potion? Witchers use it to heal themselves. Of course, that only applies to them, since they¡¯ve mutated. Anyone else would end up¡­ impaired, to put it mildly. Kills monsters too, of course.¡± Roy raised the potion up to observe its contents. It was a clear green shade, radiating hope and death at the same time.


    ¡°Once Berschel takes this potion, it¡¯ll kill the spiders in his body.¡±


    ¡°What about Berschel, then?¡±


    ¡°This potion heals and poisons at the same time, but he¡¯s too weak right now, so he might end up dying. Frankly, his chances are slim¡­¡± Roy didn¡¯t continue. Instead, he uncorked the potion and smelled it. ¡°Also, the spiders are going to wreak havoc for a short while after the potiones into contact with them. It¡¯ll make things more painful for your son. Do you still want this?¡± Roy stared at them solemnly.


    Berschel looked up at him from the cocoon, his eyes pleading. He opened his mouth, revealing his rotten cavities and tongue. ¡°Give¡­ me¡­¡±


    Huckle had a look of despair on his face, but he nodded. Roy did as he was asked.


    Berschel gulped down the whole bottle of potion, desiring the sweet release it would bring. It was still daytime, but a deafening silence enveloped the field. Not a soul stirred, save for the young man who was breathing heavily.


    Roy and Huckle stared at the poor man in silence, and Huckle sat down and put his son¡¯s hand on his chest. He gazed at his dying son lovingly, as if the deformed face didn¡¯t faze him. He whispered, ¡°We¡¯ll fish somewhere else after this, son. There¡¯s a good spot right outside the temple. The girls always wash their clothes there. They¡¯re really pretty. Tell me if you fancy anyone. I¡¯ll see if I can match you two up.¡± Huckle sniffled. ¡°You¡¯ve never even held a girl¡¯s hand before. Remember the tailor¡¯s daughter? You blushed at the sight of her. No can do, son. You need to marry and raise a family. I want a grandkid, you hear that?¡±


    Berschel¡¯s face was turning green, and his face contorted. He curled up for a moment and loosened up the next. His whole body was spasming, down until his fingertips. The hatchlings under his skin were wreaking havoc in his body, desperate to flee.


    A long, long timeter, Berschel finally slumped, and he showed no pain anymore. Even the bulges caused by the hatchlings were starting to disappear. Aside from his greenish face, he looked just like a normal, young man.


    Berschel heaved a long sigh, smiling weakly at his father. ¡°H-Huckle¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, son. I¡¯m listening.¡± Huckle held his son¡¯s hands tightly, his veins popping.


    ¡°I lov¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say, son?¡±


    Berschel¡¯s eyes gleamed as he put thest of his life force into that one final message. In the final moments of his life, he saw his father as a hero. Someone who stayed with him until the end. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, son.¡± Huckle held the corpse of his son and cried painfully.


    Roy watched on in silence. There were a few times he wanted to say something, but he kept quiet to let Huckle vent his sorrow.


    It wasn¡¯t until sundown that Huckle finally stood up, though he was wobbling. The sunset was radiant, but it failed to glow Huckle up. He looked pale and gaunt, as if he had aged ten years in an afternoon. He wiped his tears away with his grimy sleeve before going up to Roy. ¡°Th-thank you, Roy. For searching for Berschel a-and killing that monster.¡± His voice sounded hoarse, as if something were stuck in his throat. ¡°Ce to the b-bakery tomorrow to c-im your reward,¡± he stammered.


    ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t save him. And I even¡­¡±


    ¡°No. This isn¡¯t your fault. You warned me. All I can do now is ept his fate. This is what Melitele wants.¡±


    Roy massaged his cheeks to keep himself from crying. He mustered a constion.¡°My condolences. His soul is with Melitele now.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him back to town for you.¡± He looked at the corpse. ¡°You¡¯re injured.¡±


    ¡°I want to do this myself. This is thest journey.¡± Huckle hunkered down to take his son. The weight of the corpse almost crushed him, and the wound on his chest was torn, drenching the bandage. Even so, he gritted his teeth, going back to Ender in silence.


    Roy saw him off. For a moment, he wondered if he should¡¯ve told Huckle about the scar he¡¯d found on Berschel¡¯s stomach, the one that could have been caused by a human. No. He just lost his son. He can¡¯t take any more than that. This can wait until he settles down a little.


    Roy escorted them back to the city gates, where the guards flocked to them. Since he didn¡¯t want Tailles to harass him, Roy quickly darted back into the wilds, sprinting toward the silent darkness. There, abandoned ins and bushes grew abundant, but Roy only had eyes for the darkness ahead. Rage took over him as he recalled the scene of Berschel¡¯s death. A fire was lit within him, and he needed to douse it.


    ***


    It took him a long run, but he finally calmed down, though he was already in the forest by then. Roy sat down and spaced out for a while before thinking about the fight against the arachnomorph. Observe is one hell of a skill. Noticing the monster¡¯s stats and skills before the fight gave him ample time to make the necessary preparations to face it without taking a lot of damage.


    The fight also proved that strengthening his weapons was essential. If Gabriel was still the same crossbow he¡¯d gotten in Kaer, he would¡¯ve only had time to fire one shot before getting chased around by the monster. There wouldn¡¯t have been any time to reload or fire a second shot. Simplify changed everything. Roy didn¡¯t have to reload the crossbow himself, since the crossbow would do it for him. A second or third shot could mean the difference between life and death.


    However, Gwyhyr was, in modern terms, the MVP in the fight. It caused a lot of damage to the monster, weakening it for the final strike. And finally, Burn ignited it from the inside out, delivering the final blow. Of course, the monster was weaker than the actual ones, so that gave him an opening to kill it. If Roy knew how to wield the sword more efficiently, the fight could have ended sooner and cleaner.


    Killing the arachnomorph added one final monster type to the list. After the trial, he would level up to a rookie witcher. The only thing left for him to do was improve his crossbow skills.


    Roy turned some pine trees into his targets and started training. He trained his standing and kneeling shots, as well as the pace of his breathing. Gabriel had undergone a lot of changes after the powerup. There was barely any downtime between the shots. The old training couldn¡¯t keep up with the new fighting style, so Roy had to train profusely to improve his breathing.


    ***


    Roy darted among the trees, his hair dancing in the wind. The night breeze brushed across his face, taking droplets of sweat away with it. Everywhere Roy went, a rain of crossbow bolts followed. Every pine tree in the area would find itself embedded with a bolt.


    Time flew by as Roy trained. Before he knew it, it was already nine. He couldn¡¯t go back to the city since it was already curfew, so he bathed in the river before climbing up a tree to meditate the night away.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 104

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 104: Two Days</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sun had risen above the horizon, though the wind was still chilly. Roy went through the throng and arrived in the eastern part of the city. The bakery was open, but Huckle was sitting on the bench in the yard, staring up into the sky.


    The baker¡¯s hair had turned grey overnight, and he¡¯d aged ten more years. Instead of the energetic man he¡¯d been a day ago, Huckle now looked dead inside. It wasn¡¯t until Roy had approached him that he¡¯d snapped out of it. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Roy.¡± His voice was nothing but a whisper. ¡°Give me a minute. Your reward¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Roy followed him into the kitchen. He saw a ¡°closed¡± sign sitting on the doorstep, but Huckle didn¡¯t hang in on the door. His oven, which was burning from morning to night, was cold, and his tools were neatly ced on the side. Anyone who came in could see that he wasn¡¯t open for business.


    ¡°Are you done with Berschel¡¯s business? Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ve cleaned his body and registered his death with the guards. I told them everything that had happened, so all that¡¯s left is his burial.¡± Huckle moaned. He slowly took a bag of coins from the disy rack beside him. ¡°This is the promised reward.¡±


    Roy held the money bag. It felt like there were more than a hundred and fifty crowns inside, but he didn¡¯t count. After Roy ced it in his inventory space, he observed the baker quietly. His eyes were bloodshot, and his jowls were oily. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t slept a wink the night before. ¡°When¡¯s the burial?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow. I bribed the people at the morgue so I can keep him with me for a while longer. I want to see him for thest time.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°What next? Are you still going to run the shop?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Huckle started sobbing, and he buried his face in his hands.


    Roy shook his head. He had something to tell Huckle, but he¡¯d wanted to wait until the baker had finished with his son¡¯s business before telling him about it. It was time. He had to give Huckle a reason to live. ¡°I still have something to tell you, Huckle. There was a scar on Berschel¡¯s stomach, but it was caused by something sharp. It looked like a sword¡¯s sh, but his vitals weren¡¯t hurt.¡± Or Berschel would have died from blood loss even with the spider¡¯s webbing.


    The baker¡¯s shoulders shook, his face contorting with horror. My son was killed by the spider, so why does he have a sword scar on him?


    Roy looked at him closely before continuing, ¡°Your son said something despite all the pain he was in yesterday. Do you remember it? The things he said before he died?¡±


    ¡°Emily and White Rose. I don¡¯t know who or what Emily is, but White Rose¡­¡± Huckle mumbled. Then he looked up, shocked. ¡°Are you saying the knights hurt my son? But my son¡¯s not even involved with them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Roy paused. ¡°We need more information. But at any rate, your son was killed by the arachnomorph.¡± Roy was worried Huckle might just charge at the knights. It was possible, given what he¡¯d done the day before. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything reckless. I don¡¯t think Berschel would want you to throw your life away just like that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve lived in this city for more than twenty years. I know how powerful the knights are, so I won¡¯t go in without a n. Not after my son has died.¡± Huckle took a deep breath and clenched his fists. ¡°But I am his father. I have a duty to find out who hurt my son. I¡¯ll make sure his death is avenged, and I¡¯ll do it my way.¡± His eyes were zed with fury, and his face lit up with anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Huckle shook his head, refusing Roy¡¯s offer. ¡°I apologize for my reckless action yesterday. You almost died because of me, so I¡¯ll do it on my own this time, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± Roy was disappointed and relieved at the same time, so he didn¡¯t insist on helping. It was a big one, since the knights were involved. It would take a long time to settle the matter, and Roy had a trialing up. He had to prioritize that first. Only after bing a witcher could he go up against the knights.


    ¡°Now that Berschel is gone, my savings are useless. And everyone in Ender would love to get their hands on more crowns, including the knights. They keep telling everyone about their creed, but the moment you dangle a few crowns before them, they wag their tail like the dogs they are.¡±


    Ah, money makes the world go round, huh? ¡°Be careful, Huckle. Don¡¯t push yourself. I¡¯ll be leaving for the Temple of Melitele in two days. Contact me if you run into any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll send a message if I ever need professional help.¡±


    ***


    Roy left the bakery alone. He went around the streets, immersed in the case of the knights. Eventually, he arrived at the za in the city center. There was a statue of a woman in the middle of the fountain, and there was a crowd around it. Roy could hear the sounds of drums amidst the roars and cheers, so he weaved through the throng to see what was happening.


    After going past the people, he saw a familiar troupe performing in the center of the za. Collins was wearing a sleeveless jacket, showing off his muscr chest and arms. He swung the ming torch in his right hand as he went around the audience, and then he took a deep breath, puffing his chest and cheeks out. A momentter, he blew at the ming torch, creating a stream of roaring mes thatsted for ten whole seconds.


    That wasn¡¯t the end of it. Collins took a deep breath and inhaled the mes, not leaving even a single spark behind. But that wasn¡¯t all. He licked his lips and bellowed, and out came the mes from his mouth, shooting up to the heavens.


    The crowd went wild, and Ferroz took to the stage. His face was a mess of colors, and the ugly faces he was making made him even uglier. Ferroz was holding a yellow te in his left hand while juggling a few marbles in his right. His movements were so fast the marbles looked like a h hoop.


    He then went up to a little girl who had her hair tied up in pigtails, and he stopped juggling. Ferroz stuck his finger up his nose, closed one eye, and arched an eyebrow. He even stuck out his tongue, much to the surprise of the girl. Then, a wooden sculpture in the shape of a pig¡¯s head appeared on his tongue and slid down to the girl¡¯s outstretched hand.


    The girl chuckled, and a man who looked like her father picked her up. He roared inughter before tossing a few coins to Ferroz. A short whileter, more and more of the audience followed the example.


    There was a thin string connected to two wooden stakes in the middle. Suddenly, someone stepped onto it. It was Eveline. She was wearing a thin, red-striped top, showing off her beautiful curves. The dancing queen smiled sweetly at the audience as she showed off her arsenal of tricks on the string. She did a backflip, flipped ahead, and even did a handstand, never losing her bearings. Thanks to her superhuman flexibility, she put on a performance none could ever hope to match.


    Then it was Amos¡¯ turn. The hook-nosed performer swiveled his hands, and Gwent cards appeared between his fingers out of nowhere. He flicked them into the air, causing them to spin around before going back to him like thin boomerangs. Since all the cards he used were different, it looked like a colorful whirlwind to the audience.


    Everyone gasped in surprise. When they were trying to get a closer look, Amos suddenly swung his arm and kept his cards within his robe. Then he smiled mysteriously before tossing his cards to Eveline. Eveline turned around nimbly, circling in the air for a few moments as she caught every single card Amos tossed her. All but one. Then she caught it between her lips before opening her arms, not unlike a swan. Eveline then hunkered down to bring the show to a close.


    The crowd erupted into a frenzy. Fifteen minutester, the troupe¡¯s show for the day finally came to an end, but the crowd was still reluctant to leave. They talked to the performers for a while before finally going back to their business.


    The troupe made a lot of coins, though most of them were copper.


    ¡°This is my first time seeing a troupe¡¯s performance. What a show.¡± Roy praised Eveline, who was sweating from the performance, then he waved at Ferroz.


    Eveline pushed her hair back, her face flushed. ¡°Just trying to make a living.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s an art,¡± Roy said genuinely. ¡°You must have practiced hard to deliver that performance. Compared to you, the so-called bards are nothing. They only got to where they were by talent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so sweet. If you keep that up, I might just think I¡¯m a real performer.¡± Eveline beamed and held his hand. ¡°But let¡¯s not talk about that. Where¡¯s Letho? I don¡¯t see him around.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s making potions.¡± Roy smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going solo for the time being. What about Arri and Art? Are they doing fine?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in the temple. Kanti¡¯s looking after them. The priestesses are helping the kids to get used to the temple. Lovely bunch.¡±


    Roy chuckled. He could imagine how frustrated it must¡¯ve been for Kanti to y the babysitter role. ¡°Seems like everything¡¯s back to normal. What next? How long are you gonna stay in Ender?¡±


    ¡°A month or so. Have to make some money for the trip, and we have to stay with the kids for a while longer.¡± Eveline winked cheekily at him. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe with us, Roy?¡± She invited him again. ¡°Vizima¡¯s May Day is a feast for the eyes.¡± She paused for a moment and frowned with concern. ¡°I¡¯ve run into quite a few witchers over the years with the troupe. They¡¯re powerful, but also lonely. Most of them die a horrible death. You cane with us and relieve yourself of the stress.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own way of living. You guys like to perform, while I¡¯m fated to fight monsters.¡±


    ¡°I see. This might be thest time we meet, then.¡± Eveline sighed.


    ¡°Not necessarily. We have a long lifespan. Maybe the troupe will already be the most famous performance group in the north the next time we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    Roy made small talk with the other members before leaving. Letho had to keep to himself for a couple more days, so Roy went about his business. He wanted to make sure he could pass the trial, so Roy had to get enough EXP to trigger Full Recovery at will.


    To that end, Roy went to Ender¡¯s wilds to hone his skills. He hid in the bushes, practicing his archery, getting familiar with Gabriel, and gaining some EXP in the meantime. The beasts in the forest would him anywhere from one to ten EXP. After two days of hunting, he hunted two rabbits and a group of five dogs. Regrettably, he only managed to kill one dog by ambush and another by stunning it with Fear and slicing its head off. In the end, he gained sixty EXP. Right now, his EXP bar was 990/2000.


    Roy came back to the makeshiftb on the third day. The door was open, and Letho was packing the alchemy items, his eyes gleaming. ¡°To the temple, boy.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 105

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 105: At the Temple</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was the first day of the year 1261. The sun was shining brightly on thend of Ender. Letho and Roy were walking on the path toward the temple that was hidden behind the great boulders.


    ¡°The religion of Melitele is one of the oldest in the continent, but its origin is lost in history,¡± Letho said. ¡°A long, long time ago, every tribe had their own harvest goddess. The goddess protected the fields and sanctioned every marriage. The worship of Melitele gave the goddess power, and the ministers in her temple carried out their duties ever since.¡±


    When they arrived at the temple¡¯s garden, they saw the priestesses busy with their chores. They were harvesting the turnips, tending to the garden, and feeding the livestock. Most of the priestesses were young, and some were still children. Some of the friendlier ones smiled at them. Some even nodded. Even though witchers were frowned upon by most of the world, they saw none of that discrimination from the priestesses. They were just curious about Letho, and their kindness was a weed change.


    Roy was surprised to see everyone looking so happy despite the chaos that was going on, while Letho actually smiled. ¡°Melitele¡¯s temple is filled with adorable priestesses. Women flock to this ce every year, while some leave the temple to be irvoyants, midwives, healers, proselytizers, and teachers. Some even became herbalists in viges around the world.¡±


    ¡°They lead a good life,¡± Roymented. Living a farmer¡¯s life, learning how to read, and mastering a trade was the perfect life everyone wanted to lead. At least in that era, that was the case. Mother Nenneke has managed the temple well.


    ¡°The temple provides a lot of protection for the underprivileged. That¡¯s why everyone in the north and the isles respect them.¡±


    ¡°What about the south, then?¡±


    ¡°The cult of the Great Sun is the dominant religion after Emhyr had risen to the throne. Every other religion is oppressed.¡±


    ¡°Letho? Roy?¡± someone interrupted. A young, curvy, freckled priestess came out to wee them. She looked at them both before deciding to look Roy in the eyes. ¡°Mother Nenneke has been waiting. Pleasee with me.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Miss I.¡± Roy went over Letho to greet the priestess with a friendly smile. There was a faint scent of chrysanthemuming from her.


    ¡°Have we met before?¡± I stopped in her tracks and threw him a look of doubt. Her gleaming eyes reminded Roy of nymphs. She had the air of those legendary creatures. A few years ago, after Geralt had lifted the curse of a striga in Vizima, he¡¯de to the temple to recuperate. It was also then that he¡¯d slept with I. Geralt¡¯s a fuckboy, that¡¯s for sure, Roy thought.


    He asked, ¡°Do you remember Geralt? The one who came from Vizima? The one that made you break your vow of chastity?¡±


    ¡°Geralt from Vizima?¡± I froze. Her eyes were filled with reminiscence, sadness, and a faint tinge of fear. She was reminded of the days she spent with Geralt, who plunged her into a deep dilemma.


    ***


    A circle of white candles surrounded the inner temple, and a statue of Melitele stood ahead of them. A few devout believers were praying to her, mumbling to themselves.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Roy.¡± A pudgy, grey-haired woman in an oversized red robe came from the side. She looked like she was in her fifties, but Roy knew that Nenneke was already over a hundred years old. Geralt even saw her as his mother. Her gaze was warm and weing, attracting those who came close to her.


    ¡°Hello, Mother Nenneke. I¡¯m Roy, from Aedirn.¡± Roy bowed deeply. He had always thought of Nenneke as a saint, someone he should respect.


    ¡°You cheeky boy.¡± Nenneke patted his shoulder softly. ¡°What did you say to I? She looks heartbroken.¡±


    ¡°I just told her she was beautiful. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You and your little secrets. We did treat a lot of patients here, but not once did we ever ept a request for the Trial of the Grasses. It¡¯s cruel, painful, and inhumane.¡±


    Not once, huh? What did Letho do to gain her favor? Just something he did for her in the past?


    ¡°I need to confirm something. You¡¯re giving up the life of a normal human, bing sterile, and taking part in this painful trial out of your own will, right?¡± She gave Letho a stern look. ¡°This man here didn¡¯t force you to be his disciple so you can inherit his legacy, did he?¡±


    I wonder if I¡¯ll really be sterile. Roy didn¡¯t think it was a problem, since he was still young. And he could probably wave his sterility away with the character sheet in the future. He was also prepared for the pain that woulde.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this out of my own free will,¡± Roy emphasized. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning from Letho for months, and I¡¯m sure I want to do this. I want to have the power to kill monsters and protect the people I love. I want to see the world without any worries.¡± Roy was adamant about undergoing the trial. His eyes were gleaming, as if stars were embedded in them.


    ¡°That dream of yours is going to bring you nothing but pain. You¡¯ll be burned out by the life of a vagrant.


    ¡°Then I shall ept the price I have to pay. Besides, nobody can be sure what the future will bring.¡±


    Nenneke was slightly disappointed that she didn¡¯t manage to convince Roy. ¡°As stubborn as your mentor. Either you¡¯re really brave or really stupid. I hope you won¡¯t regret this. That is, if you can get through the trial in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°I will never regret this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still say that after the trial has begun, brat,¡± Letho suddenly hollered.


    ¡°Of course I can.¡± Roy thumped his chest. ¡°I¡¯m never gonna give up, even if that¡¯s thest thing I do, or my name is not Roy!¡± Well, technically, my name isn¡¯t really Roy, but you get the drift.


    Then they went into the inner sanctum with Nenneke leading them. On the way there, Roy huddled closer to Letho. ¡°What did you do, anyway?¡± he whispered. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯d make any exceptions.¡±


    ¡°It happened twenty years ago. Just by coincidence.¡± Letho was inscrutable.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine. I helped her out and told her the secrets of the school. Nenneke is an excellent potion maker and alchemist. She¡¯s interested in our decoction¡¯s recipe and how it causes the mutation in witchers.¡±


    The decoction¡¯s recipe, huh? That¡¯s every school¡¯s secret. Roy was reminded of something that would happen in the future. Someday in the future, a gang called Smandra would infiltrate Kaer Morhen to take the Wolf School¡¯s decoction recipe. They wanted to use that to make an army of mutants and take over the throne, but it ended in failure. The decoction¡¯s recipe was the heart of a school, so they¡¯d never let anyone take it so easily.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the recipe the heart of a school? Why¡¯d you let her look into it?¡±


    ¡°Because weck new recruits,¡± Letho answered. ¡°And our school in Nilfgaard is on itsst legs. If we can¡¯t get any new recruits, the recipe is as good as useless.¡± He gave Roy a hopeful look. ¡°But everything will be worth it if you can get through the trial. Besides, I only gave her the copy. The original¡¯s still with us.¡± He held his ne.


    ¡°¡®Get through¡¯ the trial?¡± Roy noticed that detail. He licked his lips, feeling pressured. ¡°How long does the trial take, in most cases?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a case-by-case basis. If your body and will are strong enough, and nothing happens in the process, two to three months should do it. But if you¡¯re unlucky, it might take six months to a year. Most candidates die in the process.¡±


    Then they arrived at a cavern. It spanned a hundred feet in length and width, while crystals covered the ceiling. The crystals blocked out the harmful rays of the sun, providing enough light for the herbs to grow and bloom gorgeously.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s see what we have here.¡± Five-leaf melitotes, and the pots there have puffheads. Oh, and this long, ck leaf here¡¯s a sawcut. There¡¯s also bloodmoss there, and are those raven¡¯s eyes? They¡¯re gleaming. The flower with the striped petals there is a mouse-tail orchid, and that¡¯s reachcluster. It¡¯s perfect for antidotes.


    Roy cast Observe on the nts there and noticed there were more than two hundred types. All the herbs were what they needed for the trial. It was a shame there weren¡¯t any herbs that could raise his stats.


    ¡°Take a look, you two.¡± Nenneke tightened her robe around her belly and looked at the cavern of herbs. ¡°Tell me what you need.¡±


    Letho stopped her. ¡°Hold on a second, Nenneke. Any news about the sorcerer? If he undergoes the trial without a sorcerer beside him, the mutations will be extremely unstable, and it¡¯ll cause a lot ofplications down the road.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I remember that. You ask a lot from me.¡± Nenneke heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve sent a message to a suitable candidate. She¡¯s a royal advisor in Kerack. Every few months, shees to the temple, and we talk about herbs. If I¡¯m right, she should be here in a couple of days, but I can¡¯t guarantee she¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Roy gave it some thought. He vaguely remembered Kerack as a seaside nation located northwest of Brokilon. Who¡¯s the sorceress again? Can¡¯t remember. He was looking forward to it.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 106

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 106: Swordsmanship and Dinner</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The duo were living in the temple for the time being. The priestesses gave them a clean room to stay in. There were two wooden beds with yellow nkets on them, an old table and chair, an oilmp, and a window with decorated curtains.


    Roy hopped onto one of the beds and put his hands behind his head. When he pulled the curtain back with his leg, he saw the priestesses spreading fertilizer in the field outside. ¡°When¡¯s the trial starting, Letho?¡±


    ¡°In a day or two. You¡¯d better pray that royal advisor will help you out.¡±


    ¡°We have some time, then. Better not waste it.¡± Roy clenched his right fist and swung it around, as if he were holding a sword. ¡°Time for that thing.¡±


    ¡°You really want to know how to use a sword, huh?¡± Letho shook his head. Then he hunkered down and rummaged through the bottom of the bed. A short whileter, he pulled out a wooden sword. ¡°I told Nenneke to put this here precisely for this.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed, then he rummaged through the bottom of his bed. A whileter, he found a simr wooden sword lying there. It felt lighter than Gwyhyr. Probably weighs a pound or so. Probably made out of birch or por. ¡°No short sword?¡± Letho was a master in the school¡¯s dual sword style. And Roy didn¡¯t want to practice with a wooden sword either. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just practise with Gwyhyr?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with normal swords,¡± Letho said coolly. ¡°No real swords, either. You¡¯ll hurt yourself easily.¡±


    They went around the temple to find a suitable training space. The priestesses were healing some patients in a room, while I was teaching the kids to read and write. Roy noticed Art and Arri in that room. They were sitting in a chair, reciting the words taught to them aloud, just like the other kids.


    Roy nodded in approval, then he went away with Letho. Eventually, they arrived in a quiet corner in the temple, where a tung tree was standing. Letho looked at Roy quietly, then he said, ¡°You¡¯ve been bugging me for a long time now, but that ends today. You¡¯re a newbie, so you¡¯re going to start from the basics. Don¡¯t think they¡¯re pushovers. Every advanced techniquees from the basics.¡±


    Roy arched his eyebrow. I killed quite a few with Gwyhyr, but Letho sounds unimpressed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Well then,e at me with everything you have.¡± Letho realized what he was thinking, so he wanted to teach Roy a lesson. He moved his wrist around and made a circle with the wooden sword. ¡°Let¡¯s spar.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± That was what Roy wanted. He stood up straight, gripping the sword tightly, but Letho was doing something strange. He held his sword with both hands and raised it above shoulder level. He was slightly crouched, his feet pointing outward. There was a solemn gleam in his eyes, as if he were in an actual battlefield, ready to die at any moment.


    Roy knew he couldn¡¯t take the training lightly. He put his left leg forth and thrusted his sword at Letho¡¯s shoulder. s, his movement was too obvious. Before it could even reach Letho, he¡¯d already blocked it. At the same time, Letho used that momentum to get into offensive range. He held his sword high, and he stabbed Roy¡¯s chest.


    Before Roy could defend himself, he felt a throb of paining from his chest. Roy leaped back in an attempt to dodge, but Letho wouldn¡¯t give him that chance. The witcher zipped ahead, this time his sword pointing downward. And then he shed upward, pointing the tip at Roy¡¯s throat.


    Roy felt like he was and that was going to be tilled by a hoe, and the thought made him sweat. Finally recognizing the gap in skill between them, Roy stopped attacking. Instead, he circled Letho, trying to find an opening, but Letho didn¡¯t have any. He followed Roy as he circled, waiting for him to attack, his tip always aimed at Roy¡¯s vitals.


    No openings. Roy decided to change his strategy. He decided to start with a feint, and once Letho took the bait, he¡¯d take the chance to start his counterattack. However, Letho wasn¡¯t making it easy for him. Letho lunged ahead and stopped Roy¡¯s feint, then he held Roy¡¯s sword using the wooden sword¡¯s crossguard. Letho yanked Gwyhyr back, and Roy was left without a weapon.


    That was not the end. Letho used that momentum to get closer to Roy and mmed his knee against Roy¡¯s belly. At the same time, he smacked Roy¡¯s corbone with the wooden sword.


    Roy howled in pain as he wobbled helplessly. His pain gave birth to fury, and that fury was set aze. Roy picked up the wooden sword on the ground, intending to charge in recklessly. He¡¯d decided he would get a hit in even if it meant his loss. Their swords crossed for a moment, and that moment was enough to decide the oue.


    Roy¡¯s cheeks were swollen. He let his wooden sword slip, and he fell down, his eyes closed in defeat. No matter how he attacked or defended, he was full of openings for Letho. He felt like a helpless child fighting against an adult. As if he were nothing but prey.


    ¡°Now, do you understand how important the basics are?¡± Letho hunkered down and patted his face, grinning coolly. ¡°I held back, but still, you didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°Am I really that weak?¡± Roy hoped Letho would give him some encouragement, but he was spared none.


    ¡°You¡¯d be dead in five seconds if you tried to fight like that.¡± He kicked Roy¡¯s stomach, and Roy quickly stood up. ¡°Stay humble, you hear?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then start paying attention.¡± Letho started from the basics of the basics ¡ª how to hold a sword.


    The basics of swordsmanship were more boring than Roy had imagined. Most people got it wrong at the very first step ¡ª holding the hilt. The majority would hold the same spot using both hands, or their hands would stay close to each other. The correct way to hold the hilt was the opposite of that. The dominant hand should be holding the spot near the crossguard, while the other hand should be holding the other end of the hilt.


    Whenever a sword was swung, the dominant hand would decide where to hit, as well as bear the sword¡¯s weight, while the other hand would provide extra mobility. It worked on the principle of leverage. If the nondominant hand swung the hilt up, the de would sh downward.


    Roy understood it immediately, for he already knew some basics to begin with. ¡°So I¡¯ve been holding it wrong, but I feelfortable enough. I killed a lot of nekkers in Smiack holding it like that.¡± The new way of holding it felt awkward for him. It would be hard to get used to.


    Letho answered, ¡°That would work against amateurs, but if you ran into pros or the more dangerous monsters, you would¡¯ve been full of openings ready for them to exploit. Your technique and flexibility would¡¯ve been a big disadvantage. You might be attacking them with all your might, but it wouldn¡¯t hit as hard as you would want it to. Don¡¯t forget about the sparring.¡±


    Realization struck Roy as he recalled how he was rendered powerless in mere moments. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Keep on practicing, but this time, do it the right way.¡±


    Roy obliged. He walked around the grounds, swinging the wooden de, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to get irked. He could swing the sword easily if he held the hilt with both hands on the same spot, but when he did it the traditional way, his hands ¡ª being in different ces ¡ª stopped coordinating. The strength would sometimes go in opposite sides, causing the de to slip out of Roy¡¯s hands. If he couldn¡¯t coordinate well and swung the de the wrong way, Roy could end up hurting himself.


    No wonder Letho wouldn¡¯t let me practice with Gwyhyr.


    ¡°Holding a sword the right way is one the basics, but its importance can¡¯t be underlined enough. If you don¡¯t perfect it, you can¡¯t master the more advanced techniques. Let me demonstrate. Look closely.¡± Letho didn¡¯t involve any footwork. Instead, he lunged ahead and shed downward, performing a simple sh and thrust. At the same time, he talked about the nitty gritty of hold strength and the key to the movements.


    ¡°Anything I need to know about this stance?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. You¡¯ll be practicing the right way to hold a sword today. Depending on your proficiency, I¡¯ll teach you basic footwork in a day or two. As for the basics of attacking, well, you¡¯ll have to wait until next week for that.¡±


    Roy nodded. After going through some training, Roy realized the way of the sword wasn¡¯t as exciting as he used to think. Even the simplest movement had a set of theories behind it, with countless battles to prove its efficacy. Spending the whole afternoon practicing a single movement was boring Roy. Eventually, his excitement started withering away.


    Letho wasn¡¯t surprised to see that. ¡°Regretting your choice? The training¡¯s only going to get harder.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Roy wouldn¡¯t back down. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up.¡± He went through the same boring routine once when he was practicing his marksmanship. Roy didn¡¯t stop training, and sweat drenched his clothes.


    When the sun had set, the sound of a bell rang through the temple. As if on cue, the priestesses stopped working and headed toward the canteen, chatting happily.


    Roy and Letho followed the crowd into a hall that was beside the main one. It was big, bright, and filled with long tables that were situated between the dozens of pirs that held the hall up. Roy thought it could house two to three hundred people.


    The tables were covered with blue-striped cloth, and candbras sat atop them. Around them were pots filled with food, and the priestesses sat around the tables, looking serene. They were speaking in a hushed tone after entering the hall.


    Roy was fiddling with the cutlery, looking uneasy among the priestesses. There was only one man around him ¡ª Letho. Everyone else were youngdies mostly in their teenage years, the best years of their lives. Their skin glowed healthily, though their clothes didn¡¯t look pretty. Their voices were soothing and silvery. They were delightful to hear.


    There weren¡¯t many men in the hall, making him and Letho a rare sight. Some of the bolder girls would stare at them curiously, while some of the shier ones would look away, though they would steal some nces from time to time.


    Most of them would only look at Letho for a moment before turning away, as if he were a monster who¡¯d gobble them up if they looked at him wrong. However, they were interested in the boy beside him, so they kept staring at him. The boy in question was feeling quite uneasy from the stares he was getting.


    Men have always been the ones who flirt first, but I think something¡¯s wrong here. Be coy,dies, Roy thought. He tried his best to ignore them by shifting his focus to the steaming pot before him. He could taste the scent of potatoes, turnips, carrots, and all sorts of veggies, as well as the aroma of chicken and pork.


    When everyone hade in, the chef started distributing the bread to them. She took the bread out of her basket and put it on everyone¡¯s te. Then everyone woulddle the soup before them into their tes. Once they were done with the soup, the bread would be soft enough to eat.


    After the chef was done giving the bread out to everyone, Nenneke, the administrator of the temple, put her hands together and started praying. Much to Roy¡¯s astonishment, Art and Arri started imitating her. She took one week to whip these two into shape when the whole troupe had trouble with them? The head priestess is something.


    Kanti was right by the kids. She noticed Roy looking at them, so she grinned and waved at him. Roy nodded at her.


    At the same time, the priestesses and the believers started praying. All sounds of talking died down, leaving only the recitals of holy prayers. Roy caught words like ¡°merciful,¡± ¡°kind,¡± and ¡°magnanimous¡± during the grace. All of a sudden, he was caught up in the solemn atmosphere. Roy then looked around and realized he was standing out too much, so he stared down and started praying.


    The prayers were done a whileter, then everyone started digging in. Letho whispered, ¡°Why¡¯d you do that, boy? nning on bing a woman?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we stand out too much if we don¡¯t pray along?¡± Roy chomped down on his potato, then the vors of spice and meat burst in his mouth. Holy shit, this is good.


    ¡°Melitele¡¯s believers are mostly women. She¡¯s the goddess of fertility and pregnancy. And she¡¯s the guardian of women inbor.¡± He popped a piece of chicken in his mouth and gulped it down, bones and all. ¡°Only women worship her. Well, in most cases anyway. Why¡¯d you y along? And we don¡¯t really need religion. Witchers don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss. I¡¯ll stay away next time.¡± Roy wasn¡¯t interested in gods anyway. Then he met the eyes of a young girl, and she quickly looked down. Roy¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°But I have some questions. They¡¯re providing food and education for girls all over the world, so it costs a lot, doesn¡¯t it? Where do they get the money then?¡±


    ¡°The priestesses charge their patients.¡±


    ¡°But most people are poor anyway. Won¡¯t they lose money long term?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but just because the wealthy are in the minority doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t a lot of them.¡± Letho finished thest piece of chicken anddled some more soup into his te. ¡°Aside from the usual diseases, the priestesses also cure infertility and some rare diseases. They don¡¯t work all the time, but a lot of nobles trust their skills. The priestesses take as much money as possible whenever they¡¯re working for a wealthy client.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°And the richer believers would tithe every year. This is the center of the religion after all. They have to keep it up at all costs.¡±


    Roy finally realized why they could keep the temple open. Nenneke¡¯s a rich woman.


    ¡°There might only be women here, but nobody would be stupid enough to attack them,¡± Letho continued. ¡°Because the men¡¯s wives, daughters, and sisters worship Melitele.¡±


    Men control the world, while women control men. That quote suddenly popped into Roy¡¯s head. Those guys can¡¯t afford to disrespect Melitele when the whole family worships her. She¡¯s one wise goddess.


    ***


    Letho went to Nenneke¡¯sb after dinner to process the ingredients, while Roy told him he¡¯d go out for a bit. The boy went to the forest nearby and spent two hours there. In the end, he managed to kill two rabbits,ting him ten EXP. After that, he went back to his room in the temple to meditate.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 107

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 107: Sorceress</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The training resumed the next day. Roy still made a lot of mistakes, but he was improving thanks to Letho. Then Nenneke came to see them. ¡°Come with me.¡± She led them to the greenhouse cavern where the herbs were. Nenneke pointed at the end of the cavern, where no light shone, and out came someone.


    ¡°This is Astrid Lyttneyd ¨¢sgeirrfinnbjornsdottir, Kerack¡¯s royal advisor,¡± Nenneke said in a slightly teasing tone. Roy was surprised she managed to pronounce that name so fast. ¡°Or Lytta Neyd for short.¡±


    Roy mumbled that name, then he looked at the woman before him.


    ¡®Lytta Neyd


    Gender: Female


    Age: A hundred and five years old


    Status: Sorceress, member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, magical advisor for Kerack¡¯s royal family


    HP: 80


    Mana: 260


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 5


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 9


    Spirit: 26


    Skills:


    Source (Passive): Has awakened the power to sense chaos energy. Now a magic-sensitive human. Loved by the elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Absorbs mana automatically at all times. Can control Mana and release spells after receiving professional and systematic training, performing feats most people couldn¡¯t.


    Magic Trick Level 10


    cial Star Level 9: Mid-tier water magic. Requires hand signs, incantations, materials, and arge amount of mana to cast. Releases a freezing shockwave that encases the target in ice. Effect is affected by skill level and Spirit.


    Aqua Healing Level 9: Mid-tier water magic. Requires hand signs, incantations, and a moderate amount of mana to cast. Extracts the essence of water from the air and activates the receiver¡¯s life force. Heals minor injuries quickly and mitigates normal injuries.


    Ice Armor Level 9: Mid-tier water magic. Requires hand signs, materials, incantations, and a moderate amount of mana to cast. Encases the user in an ice armor that defends against physical and magical attacks. Any enemy that is within a certain range will be chilled, reducing their speed.


    Fireball Level 5


    me Dance Level 4


    Lightning Bolt Level 4


    Resistance Force Field Level 5


    Ground Spike Level 8


    Teleportation Level 8


    Alchemy Level 9.¡¯


    There were twenty more skills, but Roy didn¡¯t read them all. The sorceress had red hair that tumbled down to her shoulders, and she was as beautiful as a painting. Her eyes were sea blue, her nose was noble, and her lips were as crimson as a blooming flower. Instead of a sickly pale shade, her skin was a healthy tan, just like how the people on the sunny Skellige Isles looked like.


    She was wearing a yellow cape, though Roy could see her chest easily. It was magnificent, and with her standing at six-feet tall, it only served to add to her beauty. Hercy dress could barely cover her beautiful breasts. It was just like how everyone had said. It was the object of every man¡¯s dream, but not everyone was fortunate enough toy their hands on it.


    Her stomach was t, and her hip was firm. Her legs were covered by her dress, but Roy could see their shape. The sorceress was wearing a pair of delicate purple heels, a perfect pair for her feet, for she painted her toenails purple.


    She came up to them elegantly. There was a faint, pleasant fragranceing from her. There was confidence in her eyes, though that only added to her already unbelievable charm. ¡°I presume this is Letho¡¯s disciple, Nenneke?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy nodded nkly, for even the sorceress¡¯ voice was alluring. As if her bodily charm wasn¡¯t enough. She was the third sorceress Roy had run into after being reincarnated into this world, and she was the most beautiful of the three.


    Then he remembered the fact that sorceresses would cast a spell on themselves to maintain their youth until the day they died. Calm down. He took a deep breath and bowed. ¡°Hello, Miss Neyd. I have heard of your astounding beauty, but you are even more breathtaking in person. Even the stars in the sky would lose their gleam if I were topare them to you.¡±


    Dimples formed on Lytta¡¯s cheeks as she beamed at Roy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you lovely? You¡¯re so much better than your mentor. Oh, he¡¯s a savage.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a what?¡± Roy gawked at Letho, then Coral exined. ¡°Many years ago, your mentor tried to force me into something¡­ unsavory. It was the first time we¡¯d met, and he was already asking me to open a portal for him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Nenneke, I would have turned him into a patch of soil and flushed him down a ditch.¡± Lytta looked cold. ¡°I would have left him for dead,¡± she cursed, then she smiled again. ¡°But you¡¯re different. At least he didn¡¯t rub off on you.¡± A pauseter, she said suggestively, ¡°I hear you¡¯re an interesting boy.¡±


    Then Lytta extended the back of her hand to Roy. Her skin was delicate, and her fingernails were polished with purple. Roy wondered what she was getting at, then he realized she wanted him to kiss her hand. He obliged. It was only for a split second, but the sensation of her hand made his heart pound. Why¡¯d she do that? Do I know her?


    ¡°That¡¯s a good start.¡± Lytta looked satisfied. ¡°You may call me Coral. Only my friends, close acquaintances, and those I like are allowed to call me that. I think we will be working together quite happily for some time.¡±


    ¡°Working together?¡± Roy thought she phrased that weirdly, and he felt a chill when she looked at him. It were as if she saw him as a test subject. And a good one at that.


    ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t Mother Nenneke tell you about it? I¡¯ll aid you in your trial, while you will work with me on my research. I need every detail of your body.¡± Her eyes gleamed, and she looked up in indulgence, as if she were imagining something grandiose. ¡°I have your scummy mentor and Mother Nenneke to thank for this. Now, I have the chance to witness something not even sorcerers have ¡ª the Trial of the Grasses, hormonal control, undisclosed secrets about virus cultivation, and the famous secret recipe.¡±


    She made it sound like a romantic story every woman longed to have, though Roy thought it was the crazy dream of a researcher. ¡°This is the dream of all sorcerers in the world.¡±


    Roy gulped. He had a feeling he¡¯d unknowingly stepped foot into a trap. He looked at Letho for help, but Letho looked surprised as well. ¡°Ahem, Miss Coral ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°You dare call my name, you savage?¡±


    ¡°Very well then, Miss Lytta Neyd. I have to remind you that Roy has to pass the Trial before you can conduct any¡­ experiments on him.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was unnecessary.¡± Lytta looked at Roy with great interest, then she went ahead, her chest bouncing. Roy could feel the heating from her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read something about this. In an era long past, a rogue sorcerer managed to cook up a potion that could cause mutations in the human body. His sessor improvised on that form, and many years since then, it was that sessor who controlled the mutation process with magic. But somewhere in the middle, the legacy was lost, all that knowledge about magic and strength. The witchers were left with the recipe and the trial. They have theb, and they do conduct the trial, but s, they have no sorcerer to help them with it, and thus, the trial is equated to a death sentence.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°But now that I am here, I shall not allow such transgression to happen. I cannot allow a disciple to take in that half-baked decoction, for it means certain death.¡±


    Letho turned away, as if remembering a painful past.


    ¡°I shall control the process with my magic, ensuring its precision. Once again, I shall recreate the miracle Alzur and Cosimo performed in history. I will make sure Roy does not suffer the ramifications of the mutations. He shall be the perfect witcher.¡±


    Alzur and Cosimo were the sorcerers who created witchers. Legends had it they knew how to create the perfect witcher.


    Roy¡¯s indignance toward Coral was whittled down a bit when he realized she was serious about helping him. ¡°Um, Miss Lytta ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Coral!¡±


    ¡°Right. Miss Coral. Do I have a chance to survive if I ept your help?¡±


    ¡°No questions. You need my help. You can¡¯t reject me.¡± The sorceress was being pushy, but Roy couldn¡¯t refuse her, not when she had a couple of big reasons. He tried to look away, but Roy noticed he was locked in ce by something. All he could do was look into her eyes and fall for her temptation.


    ¡°Your chances of survival are greatly increased with my help.¡±


    ¡°Greatly increased, huh?¡± Roy stared down, his mind wandering back to that ever-important entrance exam. His heart pounded furiously, as if it would burst out of his chest at any given moment.


    He might have been confident about the trial before that, but when the time actually came, Roy actually felt nervous and panicky. Roy looked at Letho solemnly. ¡°If I don¡¯t make it, promise me you¡¯ll go to Novigrad and take care of my parents for me. Gwyhyr¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Boy.¡± Letho pressed down on his shoulder. ¡°You won¡¯t die right at the beginning. It¡¯s a long process.¡±


    ¡°The witcher is right for once. The trial is split into a few sections, and there are still a few potions you¡¯ll need for it,¡± Coral said. ¡°You have enough time to write your will, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Then she covered her mouth and giggled. ¡°Just kidding. I¡¯m not letting you die.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath. ¡°Will I lose the ability to feel then? My emotions, I mean. Will I go bald? Or will my hair turn white?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask your mentor about that, but the recipe¡¯s fine. And with a pro like me by your side, you should be fine. None of this will happen. Probably.¡± She winked at him and crossed her arms. ¡°Enough talk.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Now I need to check your body.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 108

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 108: Hormone</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy was lying in the operating theater in Nenneke¡¯sb. He was surrounded by crucibles, test tubes and beakers, as well as Lytta. She was caressing his chest gently, but Roy felt goosebumps popping up all over his body. He tried to squirm, but Coral stopped him. ¡°Miss Coral, this feels weird. Can you pick up the pace?¡±


    ¡°You know what they say. Can¡¯t get to Kovir if you¡¯re in too much of a hurry. Be patient. I¡¯m almost done. Almost.¡±


    ¡°You have five minu ¡ª Hey, where are you touching? Get your hands off that ce! Let me go!¡±


    ***


    A whileter, Lytta put down a test tube that was filled with transparent fluid, and then she stared at a tube of blood with interest. She made a sign in the air, causing it to shine colorfully.


    ¡°Blood oxygen levels are normal. Heartbeat rate and blood pressure are excellent. All you took was the preparatory decoction, but you¡¯re already building up some poison resistance.¡± Her eyes were shining. ¡°Boy, are you really fourteen? Are you sure you didn¡¯t lose your memory? Your body¡¯s better than an adult¡¯s. You can probably kill a bull with your bare hands now.¡±


    Roy was tearing up, lying in the theater numbly. It felt like he had been molested, so he didn¡¯t want to answer. Instead, he asked, ¡°You call this a simple checkup?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She patted his cheek as constion, her fingers warm. ¡°Checking bodily fluids like blood and tears fall within the scope of the checkup.¡±


    ¡°Looks like I have to make things clear.¡± Roy took a deep breath and sat up. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything as you please, especially not to my body. Or else I¡¯ll have to refuse your help and go through the trial alone.¡±


    Lytta rubbed her chin, looking at him as if he were a guinea pig. All the men she had met would either blush, stammer, or freeze up the moment they met her. Most of them wouldn¡¯t defy her, but Roy was obviously an anomaly. She could see his desire to approach her, but he was also holding it back. ¡°You¡¯re an oddity. Is this your witcher pride getting in the way?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s my own creed.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. I¡¯ll ask for your permission next time, but I ought to tell you something. You won¡¯t be killing yourself that easily with me around.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy felt a chill run up his spine, and he stopped arguing with her. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. Now, let¡¯s talk business. What¡¯s the result of the checkup?¡±


    ¡°The result is¡­¡± She stared at Roy¡¯s open jaw, checking his teeth, then she gesticted. ¡°You¡¯re a fourteen year old boy,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I have news. Both good and bad.¡±


    ¡°Spill it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re older than most disciples, so you¡¯re more stable, but the process is going to be harder and longer.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll have to suffer for six months?¡±


    ¡°Not that long, no.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me an urate sess rate?¡±


    ¡°ording to Letho¡¯s data, the sess rate has always been less than thirty percent.¡± Coral crossed her hands. ¡°But you have a fifty-five percent chance of survival.¡±


    ¡°Oh, more than fifty percent, huh?¡± Roy felt a bit more confident. ¡°Then that¡¯s not much of a risk.¡±


    ¡°My boy, do you know why witchers usually put children through the trial?¡±


    ¡°Because children are easily brainwashed, and are easily controlled.¡± Roy frowned solemnly. ¡°And don¡¯t call me ¡®boy,¡¯ Miss Coral.¡±


    ¡°Just telling the truth.¡± Lytta came closer to him. ¡°And one more thing. Children are full of vitality, so they heal a lot faster than adults, and it¡¯s easier to steer their mutations in a specific direction.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Roy had a bad feeling about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do next. I¡¯ll inject some hormones to elerate the growth of your cells and immune system.¡±


    ***


    Lytta split the trial into three sections: hormone injection, virus infection, and decoction ingestion. Everything was for a sessful mutation. For the first part, Roy would have to get injected with adrenaline and many types of hormones. The process wouldst for a month so he could get used to the increased levels of hormones in his body. At the same time, he would keep taking the preparatory decoctions.


    For some reason, Lytta wasn¡¯t going to use any syringe or administer any medicine for the process. Instead, she opted for something more¡­ garish. ¡°I thought we had a deal, Coral. What are you trying to do to me?¡± Roy covered his body with his hands. Whenever Lytta would approach him, he would take one step back.


    They circled the operating theater a couple times, neither side backing down. Roy knew what adrenaline was. It was something used in emergencies, so the patient would have a chance to make it through. Of course, he was curious about it, but Roy was also feeling uneasy, since it was his first time undergoing the mutation.


    ¡°Your body¡¯s like an empty vessel. It needs some restructuring before it can amodate some new parts in it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle. It won¡¯t hurt at all.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop being so suggestive, Coral? What if someone hears you?¡±


    ¡°You started it. Well, do you want to keep this up?¡±


    Roy smacked his forehead. He knew he had no choice, but he wouldn¡¯t give in just yet. ¡°Exin.¡±


    Lytta¡¯s face turned scarlet, delighted that Roy didn¡¯t give in. ¡°If you wanted to do this the traditional way, your body would expel the hormones after a short while, so the effect wouldn¡¯tst long. That was one of the reasons the trial had such an abysmal sess rate. But if we do it my way, the results will be optimal.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°The catch?¡± She arched her eyebrow and chuckled coyly. ¡°You¡¯ll be constantly aroused, and you¡¯ll look more grown up after a month.¡±


    That¡¯s magical viagra. Roy wondered if he should take the offer, and in the end, he did. Lytta started chanting the ancient incantations, then a ck strand of an unknown substance emerged from the test tube on the table before burying itself into Roy. He felt itchy, but otherwise, everything was fine.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Magical injection?


    Lytta crossed her arms, looking amused. ¡°What did you expect? That you¡¯d faint? That everything would start to spin?¡±


    Roy started breathing heavily, his face turning scarlet, his heart starting to pound, and his muscles started tensing up. It felt like he was on a track field, just waiting for the signal for him to start his sprint. ¡°I feel¡­ I feel¡­¡±


    Lytta nced at him, and she snapped her fingers. ¡°Looks like it went nicely. Do you feel charged with energy? Like you need to vent everything out? Good. Time to go to the front yard.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Letho will teach you the way to properly channel that excess energy.¡±


    ***


    Once again, Roy was standing under the tree. ¡°Let¡¯s resume practice, boy.¡±


    Roy nodded, his face still red, his breathing still heavy. After getting injected with the hormones, he was afflicted with the ¡®Aroused¡¯ status, as if he had gone berserk. His Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina were raised by one. There was a ball of me within him, and he was easily agitated.


    ¡°You seem agitated. But that won¡¯t do. You can¡¯t let your emotions do the battle.¡± Letho was being more talkative, but he sounded dark and provocative. There was no warmth in his gaze either. Letho was trying to provoke Roy, but the boy didn¡¯t take the bait.


    ¡°Good. At least you have some self-control. Keep that hand up!¡± Letho patted Roy¡¯s forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, back, lower back, and thigh, adjusting his stance. ¡°I¡¯ll whip your swings into shape today. Of course, you¡¯re still going to hold the sword the right way.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you teaching me any footwork?¡± Roy said, louder than he had expected, much to his surprise.


    ¡°Because thates after you swing the sword, or the enemy will see through your attacks from the footwork alone.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Now suck your stomach in. Don¡¯t spread your arm¡¯s strength. Make sure it¡¯s focused on one point. And put your back into it! Literally!¡± The corrections wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Don¡¯t stiffen your arm! You¡¯ll only waste your strength! But don¡¯t rx it fully either! You won¡¯t be killing anything if you don¡¯t tense up! Now feel the strength in your arms. Hold that stance! Lift the hilt with your left hand, and swing the sword down with your right! Alright, now sh! And¡­ stop!¡±


    The sword was about to cut through the ground, but it came to a forced halt halfway through. Roy grunted, his face turning redder.


    ¡°If your fingers are trembling, that means you overexerted yourself! Never swing a sword at full strength unless you¡¯re sure you can kill your enemy! If you do that, you¡¯ll leave yourself open for counterattacks! Learn how to save your strength! It¡¯ll save your life someday! In most cases, you¡¯ll have to reserve thirty percent of your strength.¡±


    ¡°Again!¡±


    ¡°Again!¡±


    ¡°Continue!¡±


    ***


    The training went on until sundown. By then, the hormones had worn off, though Roy had also shed at the air thousands of times. His arms were so sore, and even lifting a finger was difficult, though he wouldn¡¯t realize that, since he fainted from exhaustion.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 109

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 109: The Last Witcher</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy¡¯s exhaustion and bruises from the day before were all gone when he woke. Once again, he was bursting with energy.


    ¡°You should thank Letho, boy.¡± Nenneke handed him a bowl of ck, sticky, rancid sludge. ¡°But first, finish this. I don¡¯t want to see a single drop in there.¡±


    Roy gulped the whole thing down without anyints. He¡¯d faced worse nightmares before, so a bowl of putrid medicine was nothing for him. ¡°Why? What did he do this time?¡±


    ¡°Letho might look like a brute, but he¡¯s a meticulous man. He massaged you for more than two hours after you fainted. If it weren¡¯t for that, you couldn¡¯t have recuperated overnight, no matter how spry you were.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Roy held his wrist. There had been a bruise there after his training the day before, but there was nothing left of it, aside from a faint trace. Even the blisters and swellings on his hands were already disappearing. He knew the Viper School¡¯s massage could work wonders, though he never expected them to still keep up after his enhancements.


    ***


    It was the same old routine that day: another checkup from Lytta, another data recording, and another hormone injection. Then Roy went to the training grounds, overflowing with vigor. On the other hand, Letho looked calm and collected, with a sword by his side.


    ¡°Another busy day¡­¡±


    It was, but it was also slightly different. Nobody had noticed their training for the first few, but that day, a young priestess-in-training approached them, staring at Roy with deep interest. Letho would point out Roy¡¯s mistakes from time to time, while Roy would follow his every order, as if he were nothing but a mere puppet. All Roy did was repeat two movements: a sh, and a thrust. Naturally, it was boring for the kids.


    ¡°Booorrringg. He¡¯s a two-trick pony. I¡¯d rather watch a troupe perform.¡± A girl with pigtails pouted, bored after wasting her time watching the training. ¡°Who are they, anyway? Why are they allowed to train in the temple?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably knights of the order,¡± a petite, bright-eyed girlmented. ¡°Only the knights are allowed to brandish their weapons in the temple. That¡¯s Mother Nenneke¡¯s rule.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Remember twenty-seventh? When the knights came to the templest month?¡± A slim girl with her hair tied up in a ponytail had the gleam of worship in her eyes. ¡°They were also practicing in the same ce, all so they could keep the viins at bay and protect us.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t protect any of us, because Mother Nenneke would rather spend the donations of the poor than give it up to those bloodsuckers,¡± a tall girl retorted. Roy noticed she was holding a pair of beautiful, quiet children. ¡°They were only here to escort the queen of Ender.¡± The girl was sure of it. ¡°And as for the guests, as you can see, none of them are wearing any armor, nor do they have the crest of the White Rose on their chest. Look at their eyes. That bald man over there is a witcher. I bet that boy is his disciple.¡±


    ¡°Witchers, huh? They aren¡¯t as elegant as the knights, but they deserve our sympathy. I see why Mother Nenneke took them in.¡±


    The girls talked about how weird it was that witchers had the eyes of a beast, then they started talking about something else. ¡°Queen Emiliaes every month to donate to the temple, doesn¡¯t she? Then she buys a lot of herbs from Mother Nenneke. She¡¯s the most devout believer I¡¯ve ever seen. She should be blessed with the cutest child ever, but I wonder why Melitele wouldn¡¯t grant her that.¡±


    ¡°Silence, Lily. How dare you speak of the queen like that?¡± I II red at the girl. ¡°Stop gossiping and get back to ss. If you¡¯re even one minutete, you¡¯ll be copying your homework one hundred times.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted, boy!¡± Letho smacked Roy¡¯s cheek with his wooden sword, drawing blood.


    ¡°Hey, just because I have hair doesn¡¯t mean you get to hit me like that. And why do you keep hitting my face?¡± Roy winced at the pain and shifted his focus back to the training at hand.


    ***


    On the other hand, Nenneke, Coral, and I came to the yard, observing the duo from afar.


    ¡°What do you think of the child, Coral?¡± Nenneke clutched her chest, worried. She felt that taking in a candidate for the trial wasn¡¯t a good idea, for not everyone was as trustworthy as Geralt was. The mutations are unpredictable. Both his body and mind will change. Roy might be a gentle soul now, but who knows if he¡¯ll turn into a murderer once he finishes mutating.


    ¡°Oh, Mother Nenneke. I¡¯ve told you a million times. I, Lytta Neyd of the Sorcerer¡¯s Brotherhood, am here to oversee the process. Nothing will go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me mother, Coral. You aren¡¯t younger than I. And honestly, if I had a child like you, I¡¯d probably hang myself.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, Mother.¡± Lytta chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the boy. It hasn¡¯t been a day since I came in touch with him, but he has proven himself to be an interesting one. The way he speaks and thinks is quite peculiar. I¡¯ve seen many people over the years, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not from an Aedirn vige as he imed to be. He¡¯s probably¡­¡±


    ¡°From somewhere else.¡± I nodded in assent. ¡°He¡¯s not a northerner, but not a southerner either.¡± How did he find out about my past with Geralt?


    ***


    Apparently, Roy had stood out too much. Lytta¡¯s eyes gleamed, and she clenched her fist, trying to grab something. ¡°The trial¡¯s just starting. He won¡¯t escape me. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this.¡± She turned to Nenneke. ¡°And don¡¯t beat yourself up. Go ahead with the research about their decoction. You might juste up with a few new potions. That¡¯ll show everyone how generous Melitele is. And honestly, we did something good.¡±


    Nenneke was intrigued. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°The brotherhood has done a survey. The witchers have been acting weird over the past twenty years. We suspect that no new witchers have been produced during that time. That goes for all witcher schools.¡±


    She looked up, feeling sympathetic. ¡°If this keeps up, they¡¯ll slowly but surely disappear in the ravines of time. Honestly, having nothing but mages is boring. We need more magical individuals to help out. And with my help, he might just be thest witcher ever born.¡±


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 110

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 110: EXP Problem</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy spent the remainder of the month training in the way of the sword, practicing his shooting skills, undergoing hormonal treatments, and taking all sorts of potions. He didn¡¯t get much EXP in the process, but he managed to gain more control over his body, and he was also getting used to the hormones. The effects on his temper and personality were already weakening. In fact, he was starting to enjoy the feeling of unending strength.


    He had the feeling something was growing within him. Something like a cocoon, or new strength. But Roy would have to finish the whole regime for that strength to finally show itself.


    ***


    Letho upped the training intensity by a notch after a month.


    As usual, Roy was in the yard, training. His posture was straight, and he stood with his legs apart.


    ¡°Same thing you¡¯ve always done. Practice your form, footwork, shes, thrusts, and cuts.¡±


    Roy lunged ahead with his left leg, while his right foot pointed outward. It was a simple stance, but one that took Roy a while to master. His torso was upright, while his center of gravity was grounded between his legs. The lunge made sure he could stay bnced, while bending his knees made it easier for him to move around. His body was rxed to prevent his shoulders from going stiff, or he¡¯d miss his target.


    He held his sword by his right thigh, the tip pointing at Letho¡¯s throat. It was a basic close stance. Roy stared ahead coldly, then he shed down diagonally before changing his leg for another lunge. He switched hands too, holding the sword at his left.


    ***


    Roy switched between forms and practiced his basics as he went. After a month of grueling training, he finally managed to nail the basics.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve been working hard.¡± Letho nodded approvingly, then he asked, ¡°Remember what I told you? Know why I only taught you the basics and left out the advanced techniques?¡±


    ¡°Because witchers are nimbler than humans. The basics would be enough to take them down,¡± Roy answered clearly. If the gap between two individuals was too wide, even a simple swipe would be enough to end them. Even Roy knew that much. ¡°And those techniques wouldn¡¯t work on monsters. The factors that decide the oue are the fighter¡¯s speed, strength, experience, and reflexes.¡±


    The five forms, footwork, and basic skills were important for the witcher to tap into their strengths more, since they didn¡¯t have to think about the moreplex skills. And since they were mostly hunting monsters anyway, saidplex skills wouldn¡¯te into y.


    Letho tested his theoretical knowledge. ¡°What is the core of swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°Never just block the enemy¡¯s attacks,¡± Roy answered. ¡°Always counter the attack or defeat them with their own strength.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°And don¡¯t even try to block any attacks from a stronger monster.¡±


    He was reminded of Letho¡¯s message. No matter how powerful a person is, it is impossible for them to block a dracolizard¡¯s tail, a griffin¡¯s ws, or a scorpion¡¯s pincers.


    ¡°One should always evade those attacks.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Face me. Observe my movements, my stance, and how my muscles move. Think of me as a graveir.¡± Letho stood on all fours, imitating the monster.


    Roy, as if on cue, described how the monster looked as he circled Letho, his legs crisscrossing.


    ¡°Graveirs are a species of necrophage and a cousin of ghouls. Unlike their smaller cousins, graveirs can be distinguished by the threeb crowns on their head. They¡¯re strong and nimble. Running away from them means certain death, but its fangs can cut through steel easily, so facing them head on is ill-advised. Their weakness is¡­¡± Roy suddenly stopped. He pointed his feet outward and raised his sword over his head, assuming the ox stance, the back of his leg pointing at Letho.


    Then Letho pounced at Roy with a roar. The fallen leaves were blown into the air by the gale created by the jump. Letho charged ahead like a bull, his muscr arms outstretched. Roy¡¯s hair was billowing from the wind, but he stood steadfast. He poked at Letho with the wooden sword before turning away, putting his weight on his left leg. He managed to dodge the attack by a hair¡¯s breadth, then he put his right leg down.


    Now! Roy thrusted his sword at Letho¡¯s back, aiming for the artery of his neck, but Letho was faster. The witcher blocked the sword with his arm guard and held it. Roy wanted to let go of the sword, but before he could do that, Letho had already mmed against him. Then he was beaten up again.


    The ground trembled slightly as Roy fell backward, his face pale. He clutched his chest in pain, feeling as if his insides had been rearranged. ¡°Ow, that hurts. Be softer!¡±


    ¡°Pain is how you learn.¡± Letho wouldn¡¯t let him go. Instead, he went closer and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not Coral. I won¡¯t show mercy just because you beg for it. And this makes your one hundred and fifty fourth death.¡±


    ¡°Enough. I¡¯m telling Coral about this.¡± Roy finally found a way to shut Letho up. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯ll flush you down the sewers if she gets mad.¡±


    Letho¡¯s eyelid twitched. He let go of Roy and dusted his hands off. ¡°This is for your own good. Get beaten up a few more times and you¡¯ll have more of a chance to survive.¡± Letho had been pretending to be drowners, nekkers, kikimores, and foglers in their practice matches. Whenever Roy would win, Letho would suddenly raise his strength and beat Roy down.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve been cheating in the battles.¡± Roy stood up and checked his armor. For some reason, it was torn. ¡°You keep pulling all these surprises and beat me up in the end. Aren¡¯t you worried I might just give up?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t that weak. Now don¡¯t waste my time and keep practicing.¡±


    The session went on for a few more hours. Naturally, Roy lost every battle. In the end, Roy couldn¡¯t even stand up. Hey on the ground, staring up at the sky, breathing heavily.


    For some reason, Letho didn¡¯t ask him to stand up. Instead, he looked at Roy with interest before sitting down beside him. A short while of silenceter, he said, ¡°I remember that thing you did in Smiack, boy. You came back from the dead, and all your wounds were healed. Can you do that again?¡±


    Letho was excited, but also worried. If Roy could use that skill in the trial, it would increase the chances of his survival. Of course, that meant he would pass the trial without a hitch.


    Oh damn. Roy was put in a difficult spot. His days were packed with training and checkups, so there was barely any time for him to hunt in the forest. He was no professional hunter, and the beasts were trickier than he thought, so he only managed to glean a dozen EXP or so in a day. Right now, Roy was seven hundred EXP away from leveling up.


    It would be nigh impossible to get enough EXP for his level up before the trial. He was also worried about that. If worse came to worst, he would ask Lytta to dy the trial for as long as possible. Can I tell him about that? Oh wait. He knows I have my own secrets. I guess there¡¯s no need to hide this from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can do it. Everythinges with a price, especially miracles. I paid a steep one to pull myself back from the dead.¡± He made it as vague as possible.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing that can save me from death ¡ª blood. I must kill as many beasts and monsters as possible to use that skill again.¡± Roy didn¡¯t tell him human lives would work too, since that¡¯d make him seem evil.


    Letho was still as inscrutable as ever, but the corner of his eyes were trembling. That alone was enough to say that he was shocked. ¡°I see.¡± His eyes gleamed subtly with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s training. You should see Coral now.¡±


    Roy turned around, and he came eye to eye with Coral, who was at the yard¡¯s entrance. The sorceress was waving at him, smiling elegantly.


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord to chat about the series and get notified when a new chapter gets released!</b>


    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 111

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 111: News of an Acquaintance</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    From the PR: Hey, guys! We¡¯re sorry for the dy in releases recently. Because of the trantor change, we¡¯ve had to stop for a bit. I¡¯m releasing this chapter just to show that we are, indeed, still tranting this series and not dropping it. It¡¯ll be a bit before the next chapters are avable, so we thank you for your patience. Enjoy!


    Coral had a room in the temple, and it was faithfully recreated in a sorceress¡¯ style. The design and furniture werevish. There was a dressing table made out of mahogany, and it was decked out with various makeup products. Roy noticed the crystal essories hanging around, and the gigantic storage box that was sitting quietly in a corner. There was a telescope lying around, and a big, purple bed filled with feathers sat in the middle. The weirdest thing about the room was its walls. They were covered in beast hides, but the style was jarring, for the hides came from different animals.


    Coral waved her hand, and a deer hide flew toward her. Roy stood beside the bed, taking in the girly view, and he looked at her nervously. For some reason, Roy couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her since the day before. Coral still looked as exquisite as before. Her makeup added so much to her charm, and the purple crystal earrings made her look more magical. She was also wearing an obsidian ne.


    However, she had switched her dress out for a blue silk one. The dress¡¯ design was bold, for the middle was only tied together by two straps of cloth, revealing almost her whole waist. Roy took a deep breath to refresh himself, though all he could smell was Coral¡¯s scent. It was refreshing too, of course. Every sorceress would equip herself with a perfume of her style. They loved to spend money on that too. For example, Yennefer always sported a perfume that smelled of lc and gooseberries. Anyone could smell it before she even showed up. Lytta, of course, had a distinct fragrance to her as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± She stared at the hole in Roy¡¯s leather armor. ¡°I know a bit of tailoring, and this¡¯ll work well. I¡¯ll modify your armor so it can fit you better. And I¡¯ll up the aesthetic too. Of course, this hole¡¯s going to be patched up.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡± Roy was nervous because of the bed¡¯s presence. He was worried something might happen to him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to theb. I can always get some new clothes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you worried you might bother me? Coral chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll patch this up with magic. It¡¯s really easy.¡± Coral brushed her hand across the hole in Roy¡¯s armor, and she muttered an incantation. Roy felt a gust of air brush across him, and then the hole was gone. When he looked closely, he noticed that a part of the deer hide was missing too.


    ¡°Magic¡¯s awesome.¡±


    ¡°It gets less awesome when you get involved with it,¡± Coral mumbled. ¡°Now take your clothes off, boy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°But my armor¡¯s patched up, and Letho¡¯s waiting for me. I can¡¯t stand him up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ignore him.¡± Coral looked at him, stopping for a moment when she noticed his pointy ears. ¡°You kept it a secret, but I know you¡¯re a part-elf. Don¡¯t let that go to waste. You¡¯re supposed to be elegant, not a brute like Letho out there. I¡¯ll craft a more suitable shirt for you. You¡¯re going to be the girls¡¯ center of attention. I guarantee it personally.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m a witcher, and I fight all the time. I run through clothes easily.¡± Roy never liked shy clothes. He preferred practicality over shiness.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t say no to me.¡±


    Roy took his armor and clothes off, since he couldn¡¯t refuse anyway. His shoulder, back, chest, and belly were covered in bruises. Most were starting to heal, while some were new. They were the results of his training over the past month. Coral touched his bruises, and Roy frowned, but didn¡¯t wince.


    ¡°He¡¯s cruel.¡± Coral frowned angrily. ¡°If he keeps hurting you before you heal, your body¡¯s going to be filled with bruises once the hormone injections are done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll heal eventually.¡± Roy had noints, since Letho was massaging him every day. ¡°Besides, these scars are my pride.¡± Not like they¡¯ll be there permanently. They¡¯ll be gone once I level up.


    ¡°No. No woman would love a man filled with scars.¡± Coral muttered an incantation, and a sh of bright light covered Roy. A cool sensation traveled his body, as if he were covered in a cooling salve. Coral nodded, then she stopped chanting. The sorceress gesticted, controlling the needle and thread from afar as she patched his armor up.


    Roy didn¡¯t agree with her statement though. A certain someone was scarred by a sword and had a lot of wrinkles on his face, but he was still popr with women. Flirting is all about the vibe.


    ¡°Sit right here.¡± Coral pushed him down on herp, then she leaned ahead and took his measurements with her hands.


    On the other hand, Roy stiffened at the sight of her magnificent breasts. His whole body stiffened. Not just one particr spot.


    Coral smiled. ¡°I stand corrected. The hormone injection worked well. And I¡¯m sure you know all too well about it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The hormones elerated your metabolism and growth. You¡¯re sexually developed now. Once you sleep with someone, that¡¯ll be the end of the first part of the trial.¡±


    ¡°I have to sleep with someone? Does that mean se¡­¡± Roy gawked at Coral. Are you sure you should say that to a young, hormonal teenager?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡± She winked at him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen every inch of your body when you were out cold. And I¡¯ll let you in on another secret. I¡¯m old enough to be your great-great-great grandmother. If I had any descendants, my great-great-great granddaughter would be around your age.¡± Coral took a strand of red hair off of Roy¡¯s face. For some reason, Roy thought she sounded mncholic.


    Can¡¯t imagine anyone¡¯s great-great-great grandmother looking as hot as you. Roy calmed himself down. Most sorceresses had a long life and outstanding beauty, but they could never bear children. After getting reengineered at their academies, their reproductive organs would shut down, closing the door to pregnancy. That was the pain they had to bear.


    Yennefer tried to hunt down the green dragon once, for she wanted to be fertile once more. When she was about to seed, the golden dragon swooped in and ruined her ns. After that, Yennefer saw Ciri as her daughter. Part of it was because she couldn¡¯t have her own children, so she poured her love onto Ciri.


    Some sorceresses were lucky enough to retain their fertility. Visenna was one example of that. She was Geralt¡¯s mother. But that was a long time ago. Even if there were sorceresses who remained fertile after the reengineering, the academies would require them to magically neuter themselves. That was the sacrifice for magic and eternal beauty.


    ***


    Coral kept patching up his armor while chatting with him. She sounded loving and almost motherly. Letho wouldn¡¯t do that, and when Roy thought about how much she took care of him, he felt touched.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± She patted his head. ¡°A woman¡¯s age is their biggest secret, and now I¡¯ve told my secret to you. You should tell me your secret in exchange. Where are your parents? And when did you find out you were a part-elf?¡±


    ¡°Moore and Susie, huh?¡± Roy was reminded of the fact that it had been four months since he and his parents went their own ways. He wondered how they were doing in Novigrad. I should ask Letho if I can send them a letter. He modified his background story and told that version to Coral. However, he kept his character sheet, his life in the other world, and the Child of the Sun a secret.


    Lytta wasn¡¯t satisfied with the story, so she stared at Roy. ¡°Do you know who Casiga is, Roy?¡±


    ¡°No. Who is she? Your friend? Another sorceress?¡± He massaged his temples as hebed his memories for that name, but he got nothing.


    ¡°That¡¯s her new name. It symbolizes her departure from her past life. Her old name was Toya.¡± She smiled when she noticed Roy was surprised.


    That¡¯s the hunchback I helped out in Aldersberg. Did she finally get into the academy? ¡°You saw her.¡± Realization struck Roy, and then he started concerning himself with Casiga. ¡°So Toya¡­ I mean Casiga, has joined Aretuza. How is she doing? Is everything well?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She has started her life as a disciple, and it¡¯ll go on for ten years, ording to the academy¡¯s sybus. She¡¯s probably practicing meditation with her fellow disciples. She gets along well with everyone. Even made some friends. Besides, life on Thanedd might be boring, but at least memorizing and chanting incantations is better than getting tortured by her family.¡±


    Roy heaved a long sigh, and his mood was buoyed. He smiled, genuinely happy for Toya.


    Coral noticed that smile, and she nodded. ¡°An old friend told me about it when I went for a visitst month. She talked of her past in great detail during the interview. It was then we found out that you were the reason she even got there in the first ce. Then Mother Nenneke asked me to help you guys out. When I heard you were involved, I decided toe over to see what the fuss was all about. I couldn¡¯t believe a witcher¡¯s disciple would meddle in this kind of affair.¡±


    No wonder she¡¯s so warm to me, like I¡¯m a friend.


    She thought about what had happened, and she twiddled her thumbs, her eyes filled with surprise. ¡°You helped a girl with a tragic past escape her life in Aldersberg, sending her to the Isle of Thanedd so she can join Aretuza. That¡¯s unheard of. Even in fairy tales.¡± She looked down into his eyes, her hair tumbling down the sides of her head. ¡°You¡¯re famous in Aretuza, you know.¡± She tried to see through him. ¡°If you ever go there, the sorceresses will gawk at you like you¡¯re some sort of new creature. Someone probably wants to dissect your brain and see how it works. Why¡¯d you help a deformed girl, anyway?¡±


    All Roy could smell was a nice fragrance, as if he were sleeping on a bed of roses. Coral was the only person he could see. Everything else was unimportant. His heart started pounding as he fell further into his trance. Roy started feeling lost, as if he were hypnotized, but he snapped out of it quickly. Roy looked away, then he got off from herp and stood.


    ¡°So you want to know the reason.¡± Roy licked his lips, pacing back and forth. ¡°I stumbled upon To¡­ Casiga among all the humans and dwarves in Aldersberg. That was probably fate. You know how religious witchers are about fate. Since fate decreed this meeting, and since I could help her out, that¡¯s what I did.¡±


    ¡°You pitied her?¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t deny it, though he borated, ¡°But a bigger part of it was because I wanted someone to help me out if ever I was in a pickle. This was an investment. If Casiga were to fail, then that would mean I would have done everything for nothing.¡±


    Coral suddenly chuckled. She was gorgeous whenever sheughed. Then she raised her finger, and the shirt and armor slipped onto Roy by magic.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Roy buttoned his shirt, stomped his foot, and moved his limbs around. He also realized there was a crest on his armor. It looked like a rose and a briar at the same time.


    Coral stoppedughing, though her breathing became shallow. ¡°You¡¯re a young boy, and you¡¯re talking about fate with me? Why, I¡¯m old enough to be your ancestor. I wouldn¡¯t mind if the one talking was Letho though.¡±


    ¡°At least that¡¯s what I believe.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. I¡¯ll go along with that.¡± Coral looked at him gently, her gaze full of approval. ¡°Since you helped a sorceress out, you shall be duly rewarded.¡± She leaned forward, wearing a serious look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help you out in the trial, with or without the recipe. I will make sure you pass. That¡¯s a promise.¡±


    <b>***</b>


    <b>Join our discord to chat about the series and get notified when a new chapter gets released!</b>


    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 112: An Interesting Sight

    Reaper Scans


    Chapter 112: An Interesting Sight


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Night had descended upon thend, and the moon bathed the earth in a silvery light. Not a soul stirred in the temple, save for a few in theb. The temple was dark, illuminated only by a few candles and magicalmps in the hall and theb. The priestesses had gone to sleep after a day of hard work, while Letho discussed the trial with Coral and Nenneke, leaving Roy alone.


    Roy started going through his character sheet.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Fourteen years and one month old


    Status: Civilian, witcher disciple


    HP: 66


    Strength: 5 ¡ú 5.3


    Dexterity: 6.1 ¡ú 6.3 Constitution: 6.5 ¡ú 6.6


    Perception: 7


    Will: 6.5 Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 6.5 Skills: Massacre Level 4 Observe Level 2


    Meditation Level 2 Crossbow Mastery Level 1 Sword Mastery Level 1: Thanks to your mentor¡¯s teachings over the past month, you have now mastered the basics of swordy. Whenever you use any kind of sword, your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution will be increased by 5%. You can block, dodge, and attack easier. You may cast this spell to double its effects, but stamina consumption is also doubled. This buffsts for at least thirty seconds. Alchemy Level 1 Elegance of the Wind (Passive) Job: Level 4 Witcher (1305/2000) Rank: Disciple (Conditions for next rank: Pass the Trial of the Grasses and kill ten types of magical creatures (10/10). Next rank: Rookie witcher.) School: School of the Viper Job perks: Main stat¡­ Bound weapons: You have bound: Gabriel (crossbow), Gwyhyr (steel sword), N/A (silver sword). Full Recovery¡­


    Inventory Space: Two cubic meters square. You have 1 skill point(s) remaining.¡¯


    After the intensive training and hormone injection, Roy had finally mastered the basics of swordy, and his stats showed some improvement as well, but it wasn¡¯t enough for him. Roy allocated the remaining skill point to Meditation, then a few messages popped up in his head.


    ¡®Meditation Level 2 ¡ú Level 3 Constitution: 6.6 ¡ú 7.1 HP: 66 ¡ú 71 Spirit: 6.5 ¡ú 7¡¯


    A surge of warmth coursed through his body, and Royy on the bed, enjoying thefortable sensation his skill¡¯s level up brought him. Five minutester, he opened his eyes. Time to get some EXP.


    Roy left the temple quietly and followed the usual path that winded toward the hill behind the temple. The trees were rustling as the night breeze blew through them, and Gwyhyr gleamed under the moonlight.


    Roy was thinking about setting a trap to make his hunt more efficient when he noticed someone appear before him. Letho was crouching on the ground, his head reflecting the moonlight, his gaze locked onto Roy. ¡°Nice timing. I was going toe see you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you went to Nenneke¡¯s ce. Why are you here?¡± Roy sniffed the air and noticed the stench of blood permeating his surroundings. He also realized that Letho¡¯s armor was sttered with it. Could he be¡­?


    Letho beckoned Roy before going into the dark forest behind him. A few minutester, they arrived at a clearing, where Roy was in for a surprise. There were five rabid dogs lying on the ground, seemingly out cold. Their chests were heaving, and their breaths were visible. Half of them had their legs broken, their bones jutting out of their limbs, while the remaining had bloody gashes on them, and their wounds had the stench of paralyzing poison.


    Roy knew Letho did this because of the conversation they¡¯d had that day. ¡°Did you do this for me, Letho?¡± He looked at the witcher with gratitude and confusion. Killing a bunch of dogs was easy, but capturing them alive was not. In fact, it was a hassle. I wonder how long it took him to do this.


    Roy was about to say something, but Letho interrupted him. ¡°Save the sentimentality, boy.¡± He wiped his sword and the blood off his armor with that blue handkerchief again. ¡°Kill them, and make it snappy. All you need to do right now is train. I¡¯ll do the menial tasks for you. I¡¯ll capture your prey every night until the conditions to recreate that miracle are fulfilled.¡± Letho looked at Roy solemnly. ¡°My only demand is that you pass the trial. Do not put our efforts to waste.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll make an exception this time. The goal of this ughter is for survival, not a prevention of death.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Roy abhorred the idea of enlisting someone¡¯s help in his path of leveling up. He¡¯d always seen the adventure as his own, and nobody else¡¯s. However, there was no time to be stubborn about principles. Roy raised his sword, and he killed the prey Letho captured for him.


    ¡®You killed a rabid dog. EXP +10.¡¯ ¡®You killed a rabid dog. EXP +10¡­¡¯


    ***


    Everything was proceeding as Roy had wanted. He trained his archery skills and swordy, went through the trial, and gained EXP every day. Letho had honed his hunting skills over his long years of adventuring. He always came back with different types of prey. Sometimes, it would be a pack of dogs, while others, it would be a few bunnies, mice, vipers, or boars. Roy could easily gain twenty to a hundred EXP, averaging around fifty per day. The EXP bar will be filled up after half a month.


    ***


    It was a peaceful life, though sometimes a pebble would be thrown into it, causing a ripple. After a month in the temple, Mother Nenneke made a new request. She wanted Roy to take part in the temple¡¯s prayers. Roy managed to escape the morning prayers so far, but Nenneke wouldn¡¯t let him sit out of the evening ones.


    ¡°Forget it, Mother Nenneke. You know we witchers only believe in fate,¡± Roy answered. He respected the priestesses for their all-epassing kindness, but he valued his freedom more. Roy didn¡¯t believe in gods, so he wouldn¡¯t tie himself to a religion. Most witchers didn¡¯t like gods either. They¡¯d stay away from them, but there were some who became converts too.


    Roy remembered someone called Merten who converted to the religion of Lebioda. After his pilgrimage, Merten tossed his weapons, armor, and his school¡¯s blueprints into the fountain, severing his ties with his past and bing Lebioda¡¯s believer.


    Roy would take the blueprints for himself. It wasn¡¯t his style to let a treasure go unnoticed. Nenneke didn¡¯tpromise. ¡°You¡¯re living in the goddess¡¯ temple. It is customary to show respect to her, especially when you have so much blood on your hands. You should feel the goddess¡¯ kindness so you can wash the violence away from your heart.


    They walked down the quiet corridor before arriving at the spacious hall, where hundreds of priestesses, believers, and disciples were kneeling on the ground, their hands put together in a quiet prayer. They were all wearing gray, and their attention was directed at the statue in the hall. The golden gleam of the setting sun covered them in ayer of holy light. It looked as if the statue before them were their master and their creator. Even young children were showing their devotion to it.


    An idea struck Roy. What they call ¡®gods¡¯ are just dimensional monsters, just like what demons are. They just possess supernatural powers. Priestesses shepherd the believers, and in exchange, they bless the priestesses with power or divine providence. But it¡¯s been decades since there¡¯s been a divine miracle in this world. Even so, this ce is the center of the religion. There must be something special about it.


    Goaded by that idea, Roy stared at the statue of a trinity of a youngdy, a pregnant woman, and an elderly woman, the one which everyone was worshipping. He activated Observe.


    ¡®The Statue of Melitele The Vessel of Faith, Avatar of Melitele ??? ??? ???¡¯


    rm bells started ringing in Roy¡¯s head, then he noticed the statue opening its eyes and throwing him a nce. The statue¡¯s eyes were golden. They were solemn, grand, and infinite. For an instant, Roy felt his soul being dragged out by an invisible hand. He saw himself leaving the temple, flying toward the sea, and then ending up in the void of space.


    All he could feel was a boundless fear of the unknown. The ncested for an instant, then the statue closed its eyes, but still, Roy felt like an eternity had passed. Roy snorted, and he clutched his chest, breathing heavily. He was drenched in sweat, and every inch of his body trembled uncontrobly as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.


    A drop of crimson liquid fell to the ground. Roy touched his face and realized he was bleeding profusely from the nose. He quickly covered it before looking at the crowd. Luckily, the believers were still deep in their prayer, so nobody noticed anything wrong with him. Roy quickly went back to his room.


    A long whileter, Roy finally managed to stop his nosebleed and calmed himself down with meditation. Then he looked at his character sheet.


    ¡®HP: 30/71 (Fear).¡¯


    That nce shaved off more than half of my HP? ¡°What are those eyes? Could they be...?¡± He quashed that thought the moment it popped up. ¡°I cannot Observe anything divine,¡± he warned himself. ¡°Not until I¡¯m powerful enough.¡±

 Chapter 113: Trial, Part One

    Reaper Scans


    Chapter 113: Trial, Part One


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was a sunny day. A young man was standing outside Coral¡¯s room sheepishly. He was pacing around, holding a stack of books in his hands. The boy gritted his teeth, pondered on the matter at hand, then finally took a deep breath and knocked on the door. ¡°Roy, t-these are the books M-Miss Lytta wants. I got them from the library. Please have a look,¡± the boy stammered. He stole a sheepish nce at the room and finally saw thedy he liked. The boy grinned, almost drooling.


    ¡°¡®The Arcane Mysteries of Magic and Alchemy,¡¯ ¡®Codex of Mirthe,¡¯ ¡®Dialogues on the Nature of Magic,¡¯ ¡®Natural Magic,¡¯ and ¡®Mystery of Mysteries.¡¯ All present and ounted for. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Roy held the books carefully. He only managed to get his hands on them after pleading with Coral and agreeing to some shady terms. Then he looked at thenky, freckled boy who was standing outside, fidgeting. Simp. Roy shook his head.


    The boy¡¯s name was Jarre. He grew up in the temple and was working as its librarian. He was also one of the few men in the temple. The boy was at the age where he was curious about girls, so he couldn¡¯t resist Coral¡¯s charm. He¡¯de over every other day with some excuse just to see her. If he didn¡¯t know better, Roy would think he truly liked her, but he knew Jarre would eventually shift his attention to Triss Merigold, then to Ciri, who would immerse herself in cultural studies at the temple. He even tried to kiss the runaway princess in the future. He¡¯s a yboy, that¡¯s for sure.


    Then he was reminded of something and huddled closer to Jarre. ¡°Did you confess to I II like I told you to? I can see she likes you. You gotta seize the chance.¡±


    Jarre blushed, finally looking away from Lytta. ¡°Um¡­ I¡­ Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on! Be a man!¡±


    ¡°I-I am!¡± Jarre tried his best to stand upright, but he still looked as thin as a bamboo stick. ¡°I¡¯ll confess, but I have something else to do today, so that¡¯ll have to wait. Um, goodbye, then.¡± He looked at Coral onest time before closing the door and escaping the scene.


    ¡°Ah, youth.¡± Coral smiled at Roy. ¡°He¡¯s such an innocent child. Perhaps even more than you are.¡±


    ¡°Innocent?¡± Roy shook his head. That¡¯s not apliment. He smacked the books against the table. ¡°Miss Coral, please stop teasing Jarre.¡±


    ¡°Whoops. I tried my best to keep my charm in check, but I still shine, no matter what I do.¡± She stood up and spun, showing her body off to Roy.


    Roy pouted. ¡°Time to talk business, my beautiful sorceress.¡± He patted the thick cover of the book.¡±


    She wagged her finger. ¡°Sorry, but you don¡¯t have a talent for magic. It¡¯s impossible to be a sorcerer with just some books and my teachings.¡± Coral had performed something like a test of magic affinity on Roy and realized his affinity was just slightly higher than any normal human¡¯s. And that was probably thanks to the Child of the Sun. Roy was still far, far away from being a sorcerer. ¡°Aretuza wouldn¡¯t enroll you even if I wrote a letter of rmendation for you.¡±


    Roy licked his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be a sorcerer.¡± Even though he meditated every day, his elemental affinity had barely grown. He was still weak in terms of magic. ¡°I want to power up my signs through systematic learning of magic.¡±


    If a normal sorcerer¡¯s disciple was a torch, then Roy was a match, and some of the more powerful sorcerers like Ciri and Vilgefortz were volcanoes. Sure, Roy was weak, but at least he had a spark of magic, unlike most people.


    ¡°Signs?¡± Coral was amused. ¡°Those are just simplified spells. They aren¡¯t real magic. Letho¡¯s Aard can snuff out the fire in the hearth, but if I were to cast the same thing, I could send the mes flying into the sky and turn them into stars,¡± she said confidently.


    Coral was exaggerating, but there was some fact in it. Compared to standard spells, the signs witchers used were weak. The only upside to them was that they were convenient. Roy sighed. ¡°But I do have some affinity, so does that mean my signs will be stronger than normal witchers¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That line of thinking is correct. I¡¯ll teach you some basics of magic if you can remain sane in the next part of the trial, but the chances are slim.¡±


    ¡°The next part? You mean the viral infection?¡± Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his face fell. Before he knew it, he had stayed at the temple for a month, and the hormonal injection had ended.


    ¡°Have you looked at yourselftely?¡± Coral approached him, touching his forehead with her chin, and he felt her lips against his hair. ¡°You got taller, and your face changed a little. And there¡¯s alsost night.¡± She beamed at him, but that only made him nervous. ¡°I thought I saw someonee out of a bedroomst night, probably after they¡¯d spent some time with one of the priestesses here. You¡¯re an adult now, Roy.¡±


    Roy was embarrassed, but only for a moment. ¡°You were watching me?¡± After spending the month with her and getting teased all day, Roy was starting to build up some resistance to her.


    ¡°Oh, strong words, Roy. I was just concerned. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± Then she turned solemn. ¡°Save some strength for the pain down the road.¡±


    ¡°How dangerous will this be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll survive, since I¡¯m around, but it¡¯s still going to be painful.¡± Roy could still take the hormones, but he abhorred the virus. Nobody would contract any disease willingly, but witchers were an exception.


    The viral infection was the second step of the trial. It was also the point where the trial would get more violent. Lytta put in a lot of effort to gather all the ingredients from monsters, and she developed it into a tube of ckish-green liquid. She called it the ¡®Furnace Virus.¡¯ It was also the first virus, so it was less damaging than the ones that woulde in the future.


    Roy didn¡¯t feel anything right after the virus was injected into his body. He could even listen to Coral¡¯s lessons on ¡®Natural Magic,¡¯ but then, the symptoms erupted. Roy felt a stab of pain piercing his head, jumbling up his brain. Then his chest, throat, and stomach heated up. His skin started turning crimson, as if he were being burned in a furnace. It didn¡¯t take long for him to be drenched in sweat.


    Even his tongue was swollen from the heat. He tried to say something, but he couldn''t. Coral gave him an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t relieve you of your pain. This is mandatory. You have to go through this for aplete transformation. Any additional magic might worsen your condition.¡±


    ¡°I-I can take this!¡± Roy gritted his teeth, his eyes as wide as saucepans.

 Chapter 114: Trial, Part Two

    Reaper Scans


    Chapter 114: Trial, Part Two


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was like a nightmare, except it was not. Roy could feel every ounce of pain at every moment. The virus was rampaging in his body, destroying his immune system, causing his lymph nodes to swell. Wave after wave of heat surged within him, and he contracted a disastrous fever. His lips turned dry, and blisters started popping up, but no matter what he did, he could never fall asleep or even ck out.


    It felt like a viper made out of magma was invading his body, slithering everywhere within him. He was rolling and squirming in the operating theater, his face contorted with pain. Even so, he grinned and bore the pain without so much as aint, though he did gasp.


    It was as painful as the first time he took the preparatory decoction, but he could still take it.


    Coral was holding her hands together, looking worried. She had seen a lot over her years as a sorceress, and most were more gruesome than what she was witnessing. Willingly or unwillingly, she had to take part in the dissection of those who were cursed by the ck sun, merge parts from different monsters, and perform forbidden necromancy. It had been too long since she cared for a test subject, and Roy broke that streak.


    Sorceresses were a schemeful bunch, but Lytta was true to her words. She promised she would never let anything happen to him. Roy¡¯s pain eventually made her think she should cast a spell to lessen his pain, but she squashed that thought in an instant. Calm down, Lytta Neyd. Any magic right now could destabilize him. Follow every step as nned.


    Sheposed herself and made a magical circle in the air, chanting incantations at the same time. Lights started shooting out of Roy, projecting rows of detailed data on the papers before Lytta, recording everything that was happening. Lytta steeled herself and turned her attention toward the book of records.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably go mad, even if I survive this, won¡¯t I?¡± Roy suddenly had a moment of realization as he suffered the pain. He finally realized why the disciples who passed the trial ended up having some form of mental illness. He finally realized why Nenneke wanted him to cleanse himself. Because the pain was unbearable.


    The pain seeped into his soul, tormenting him, tearing his will apart. If the candidate¡¯s perception was great enough, the pain would be even more pronounced. That went for the witchers from Cat School. They might have passed the trial, but their minds were broken, and their souls were corrupted. In the end, their will turned to the dark side.


    ¡°I have to do something.¡± Roy could still think thanks to his incredible will. Even though he was squirming and spasming, his sanity remained, but not for long. It would eventually be consumed by the madness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meditate.¡± That was the only way he coulde up with. He thought the pain would go away if he entered the void, so his mind wouldn¡¯t be broken. Roy tried to rx his body ording to a guide he¡¯d read before. He started with his head and imagined a hand gently caressing his hair, the fingers pressing down on his scalp, as if giving him a massage.


    Once that was done, he closed his eyes and rolled them around. Then he breathed in and out with his nose and mouth, rxing his face. It was then followed by his neck, shoulder, chest, stomach, back, and legs. He split his body into parts, rxing them one at a time. He failed the first time, but he did it over and over again.


    The pain interrupted, of course, but he didn¡¯t stop. It felt like a few minutes had passed since it started, but it had also felt like an eternity. Time had no meaning for him, so he kept trying and trying. Eventually, his body finally started rxing, so he started focusing on his mind.


    Roy breathed slowly, imagining himself on a raft on a greatke. He imagined the sun shining warmly on him, while the spring breeze sent ripples throughout theke, caressing his face, and kissing him with the scent of the earth.


    And then everything changed. He felt the coil on him leave him as his mind entered that strangend again. Stars stretched on as far as he could see, while the elements swirled around him, kissing him, telling him they wanted to be friends. Roy immersed himself in it, forgetting all about his pain, and time flew by.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Lytta was surprised that Roy actually stopped struggling after a night. But what was weirder was that he was sitting cross legged on the operating theater, as if he were a statue. His skin was still red, his body was still drenched in sweat, but he looked calm. Then she realized he was meditating.


    Meditation requires precision, no matter if you¡¯re a witcher or a sorcerer. It requires an empty mind, so how did he do it when he¡¯s under the virus¡¯ influence? Coral went through the recording in her crystal and saw the whole process. Itsted for five hours, but Roy eventually stopped squirming as his body started rxing.


    ¡°I see why Letho took an interest in him.¡± He has a stronger will than most adults. She didn¡¯t wake him up, since a forced awakening might hurt him. Besides, he was doing well, so she started working on the second virus, taken from the parts of arachas, giant centipedes, and shriekers. It was the total opposite of the Furnace Virus.


    It was freezing. That was all Roy could feel. He curled up before the burning hearth, trembling. He had built up some resistance after a week of being tortured by the Furnace Virus, but he couldn¡¯t fight against Ice Lake, or so Coral had named it. It was as if everything had turned to ice, including the air itself. His skin turned blue, his pores contracted, and he felt ice cold. His organs retained enough heat to work, but his skin, fingers, toes, and face were freezing. His eyes started to lose focus and were turning blue too, while his ears seemed like they would break at the slightest touch.


    However, the worst thing was that meditation worked against the heat, but not the cold. The cold was already goading him to sleep in the first ce, and his life signals were slowly dissipating. If he were to enter the meditative state, Roy thought he might never wake again.


    ¡°Roy, wake up! Don¡¯t sleep! I¡¯ll teach you about magic once you wake up! I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± She started chanting loudly, ¡°Aenye¡­ aegean¡­ deithwen¡­¡± Her fingers were dancing in the air, weaving magical circles. A few beams of scorching hot light started showing up, then she put her hands down, letting them hang limply. She didn¡¯t want to risk it even more.


    Roy¡¯s eyes twitched. He tried to hold his hand up, but his strength wasn¡¯t enough for a simple lift. It was as if he were dying.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Coral cursed. She felt frustrated, as if something were squeezing her throat. ¡°Did I overdo the concentration? I have to do something to save him!¡± She looked at Roy¡¯s face that was illuminated by the torch.


    Roy was almost freezing to death, but he could hear something rustling beside him, then he felt like something warm took him in its embrace. The weed heat lessened the cold somewhat, and Roy leaned against it out of reflex, greedily hugging it, taking all the warmth within him.

 Chapter 115

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 115: Trial, Part Three</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Was that a dream? Am I waking up now? When Roy finally recovered from the Ice Lake Virus, he could vaguely remember the thrilling sensation he felt back then. It was silky smooth and deliciously plump. What on earth happened?


    Coral acted as if nothing had happened. As usual, she teased him, much to Roy¡¯s relief, but at the same time, he was dejected. I was probably imagining things.


    A week of rest followed. He used that time to read up on the basics of magic under Coral¡¯s guidance, but to little effect. He did learn some basics about chaos energy, though. Once he regained his vitality, the third and fourth viral infection arrived. After what had happened before, the infections didn¡¯t cause a lot of trouble for Roy. His immune system had a total overhaul after the fourth infection, making his skin smoother, his features sharper, and his vitality stronger.


    Coral tuned him up with magic, making sure he was in top condition for the trial.


    It had been two months and eighteen days since Roy hade to the temple. The morning was lovely, and dewdrops fell from the leaves onto the ground, seeping into the earth. Coral and Roy went into theb for the final part of the trial ¡ª the Trial of the Grasses.


    Coral had told Nenneke, I, and even Letho to stay away from theb. If the trial ended in failure, then that was it for Roy. Before that though, Dennis Cranmer came to see Letho with a request, so Roy gave Gwyhyr to the witcher for that. He would only know about the details of the request after the trial.


    ***


    The door was tightly shut, then Coral snapped her fingers, and bright lights turned on in the corners of the hall, illuminating theb. A few empty bottles wereid out in a row on the operating table, and there were some materials lying on it. Some of it included the spinal fluid of forktails, the poison nds of manticores, and albino bruxa tongues. There were also herbs like bryonia, ribleaf, and mandrake.


    And then Coral said, ¡°Roy, a reminder. What you went through before was just a process to build your foundation for the third step. This will be the hardest and most crucial part. Most would-be witchers fail at this step. You have to be prepared to face the pain.¡±


    Roy nodded calmly. He thought the virus was the hardest part of it, so the third part should be nothing.


    ¡°But before that, you have a choice to make.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°ording to Letho¡¯s recipe and¡­ Lytta Neyd¡¯s ¡®Supplementary Research on the Trial of the Grasses,¡¯ there are three potions you have to take, namely Mother¡¯s Tears, Wildrye Juice, and Speargrass Sap. You can choose the concentration you want to take. The lowest concentration will have lesser red, green, and blue mutagens mixed in them in the ratio of two to two to one. The moderate concentration will have the usual mutagens in them, while the highest concentration will have three greater mutagens, including the blue mutagen you got from the leshen.¡±


    ¡°Does the potions¡¯ concentration affect the amplification effects?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Yes, and the more concentrated it is, the more lethal it will be for you. The choice is yours.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°You should take the low concentration potions, or the moderate ones at the most. You should pass the trial with your current physique.¡±


    Roy refused the rmendation. ¡°I¡¯ll take the high concentration ones.¡± His EXP bar was full, so he could activate Full Recovery again. If he didn¡¯t risk it, it would hurt his prospects in life.


    Coral was in a dilemma. She was stressed, and she wanted to dissuade Roy, but when she tried to say something, she hesitated and sighed. She made a few magical circles in the air and chanted, then the bottles and ingredients flew up into the air. The light of magic became an invisible hand, creating the Decoction of the Grasses on the spot.


    ***


    Roy downed a few potions. They tasted bitter, rancid, sour, and indescribable in some parts. Once he was done, Roy burped, then squinted, his eyes losing their focus. He fell onto the operating theater and started muttering gibberish.


    ¡°How are you doing, Roy?¡± Coral huddled closer, sounding worried.


    ¡°Coral¡­ Lytta Neyd¡­¡± His tongue was swollen, and it slurred his speech. He beckoned her, and she came even closer.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­¡± He burped. ¡°Do you know Geralt from the Wolf School?¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking about him all of a sudden?¡± Coral frowned in disgust. ¡°He¡¯s Yennefer¡¯s ex-boyfriend, and a shameless manwhore at that,¡± shemented.


    ¡°Letho¡­ He¡¯s crossed the line. I kept thrusting, doing backflips, blocking the attacks, rolling around, and I even spun around. I¡­ I am not a circus performer.¡± Roy was spiraling down a staircase of illusion, spewing delusions as he went. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll get a manor¡­ And then¡­ And then I¡¯ll make¡­ make him janitor. H-he¡¯ll clean¡­ clean all the toilets.¡±


    That made Lyttaugh happily, then she patted his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him about that when I get the chance.¡±


    Roy¡¯s voice trailed off, then he lost consciousness. Coral touched his forehead. It¡¯s scalding.


    Then he started vomiting, staining the ground with the remains of his food and blood. The stench made Coral frown. She clenched her fists, her hands trembling.


    That wasn¡¯t the end of it. Roy opened his eyes, looking crazed. His eyes were bloodshot, and he gripped Coral¡¯s hand, mumbling. ¡°D-don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll always be here.¡± She hesitated for a moment, then she held him in her embrace, patting his back. She gazed at him, then Roy was calm once more.


    But not for long.


    He stiffened, then started to convulse. Unintelligible screams and gurgles reverberated throughout theb, then when he stopped screaming, he started foaming blood. His face was purple, his eyes unfocused. The seizures went on for a while, urring every couple of hours or so. It stopped on the tenth day, then Roy fell into aa. His eyes were out of focus, his hands gripping tightly at his shirt, squirming around, wing for something. His breathing became harsher and louder, while cold, sticky, rancid sweat poured from his whole body.


    Half a monthter, Coral fed him the potions again, inducing seizures. Once that was done, he started bleeding from his nose, coughing incessantly, and vomited without stopping, though he could only cough up bile and water.


    One monthter, Roy¡¯s blood and sweat flowed down to the ground, and he started losing all his hair. First, it was his eyebrows, then his hair. Eventually, he became as bald as Letho. And his head probably had a brighter future than all of us.


    After that, Roy stopped moving, for he was exhausted. It was as if he were a corpse. The symptoms didn¡¯t improve over the next few days. Even though he was sweating profusely, he was still scalding. His pulse was normal though, albeit slower than most people¡¯s.


    After staying in that state for two months, a golden light shed in the operating theater, and Roy¡¯s gaunt body turned fuller almost immediately.


    Then, he opened his eyes, but no longer were they human. The shade was a dark gold, and the pupils were horizontal slits, as if they belonged to a beast.


    ***


    Book Three: The End


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 116

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 116: A Big Change</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡®My dear Roy, the boy who talks in his sleep,


    Pardon me for calling you that. First, I would like to apologize. My obviously wed research almost caused your death. If that were to pass, the whole Viper School would be hunting me down. That would also make me the first one to get hunted down by them. Fortunately, you managed to pass the trial, and you recovered at a breakneck speed. Honestly, not even the leader of the brotherhood could find out what happened to you. Even until today, I am still baffled by that golden sh. What was that?


    You¡¯re doing unbelievably well right now, so train hard. I¡¯ll find a way for you to triumph against that barbarian you call a mentor. That¡¯ll happen before he dies of old age, of course. But that does not excuse my mistake. Allow me to apologize by extending you a courteous wee to Kerack. If you can make it here within the year, you¡¯ll have a surprise waiting for you, prepared by yours truly.


    I can understand why you wanted me to stay away from that bastard, Geralt. He is infamous, yes. Even now, he¡¯s still hanging around Yennefer. Honestly, I don¡¯t get why she¡¯s obsessed with that idiot.


    And two questions before I leave you. One, why¡¯d you ask me to never go to Sodden Hill, no matter what? Two, what secrets does it hold? You must tell me the next time you visit.


    I¡¯ll leave you now. Belohun will be furious if I don¡¯t get back soon.


    Va faill!


    Your friend, Coral


    Written in the month where the flowers bloom. Temple of Melitele, Ender.¡¯


    A lean young man was lying on the hammock in the temple¡¯s yard, sighing. ¡°Dark gold iris? Is that because of the high concentration of the mutagens?¡± He kept the letter carefully, then he thought back to the moment Coral said goodbye. He vaguely remembered her standing before the swirling portal. There had been a loud rumbling around them, but he could see her waving goodbye to him. Of course, she was as beautiful as ever.


    Roy rubbed his head, feeling slightly vexed. Do I really talk in my sleep?


    He told Coral to never go near Sodden Hill, for that was where she died in the original timeline, during the first war. And it was her death that gave Sodden Hill another name ¡ª Hill of the Fourteen. He considered Coral a friend after all she did for him, so he would try to save her if he could.


    ¡°At least regrow my hair before you leave. I look weird.¡± Coral promised he wouldn¡¯t go bald, but it happened anyway. Roy wondered if it was because his choice backfired on him. Fortunately, he could feel some hair growing on his head, and at an exponential rate, so he wouldn¡¯t be bald like Letho was. Roy never expected Full Recovery to not regrow his hair. The character sheet probably doesn¡¯t think having short hair is a bad thing.


    Hair loss wasn¡¯t the worst thing in the modified trial. He would have died if he didn¡¯t have his character sheet. The deadly sensation he felt after taking the potions still sent chills down his spine. Even though he had a n to pass the trial, his mind was jumbled up in thest part of it. He almost didn¡¯t activate Full Recovery in time. If that had happened, the trial would have killed him. It was thanks to his Will that he managed to regain some sanity during the trial. That split second was enough for him to use Full Recovery.


    It¡¯s been four months, but it¡¯s finally done. He clenched his fists, feeling excited. Then he read through his character sheet.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Fourteen years and five months old


    Status: Civilian, Viper School witcher


    HP: 146 (Trial of the Grasses +40)


    Mana: 145 (Trial of the Grasses +40)


    Strength: 5.3 ¡ú 9.3


    Dexterity: 6.3 ¡ú 10.3


    Constitution: 6.6 ¡ú 10.6


    Perception: 7 ¡ú 8


    Will: 6.5 ¡ú 8.5 (Main Stat +1)


    Charisma: 6 ¡ú 7


    Spirit: 6.5 ¡ú 10.5


    Skills:


    Massacre Level 4


    Observe Level 2


    Meditation Level 3


    Crossbow Mastery Level 1


    Sword Mastery Level 1


    Alchemy Level 1


    Witcher Senses Level 1: The Trial of the Grasses modifies all witchers¡¯ organs, granting them extrasensory perception. Your five senses are now linked with your instincts, allowing you to ¡®see¡¯ scents and voices. You can track down traces normally invisible to the human eye. This skill can be strengthened by leveling it up and increasing your Perception. You can increase its level through training.


    Elegance of the Wind (Passive)


    Trial of the Grasses (Passive): After a grueling trial that involves hormonal injections, viral infections, and bodily mutations, your immune system has received a considerable boost. You are now immune to most diseases, and you have resistance to lethal poisons. You can see better in the dark. Your stats have experienced an explosive growth. Your HP is permanently increased by forty points, and you have unlocked your mana pool. Your mana is permanently increased by forty points.¡¯


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming. Then he leaped into the air, easily reaching the ceiling that was ten feet from the ground. He cracked all his joints, making them pop. I feel strong. My condition has never been finer.


    The trial increased his stats by a total of twenty points, and he unlocked his mana pool. In other words, he could learn the core skill of the witchermunity ¡ª signs. All that was left was for Letho to teach him. He was still quite far away from Letho¡¯s totalbat stats, but he was confident he¡¯d surpass the old witcher once he ranked up in his job.


    It hadn¡¯t been a year since he¡¯d reincarnated in the witcher world, but his Will was almost on par with Letho¡¯s, while his Spirit and Charisma surpassed his mentor¡¯s. Roy also had some cheat skills like his bound weapons. His battle prowess had improved by leaps and bounds.


    However, the explosive growth had also caused some trouble for him. His increased Perception heightened his hearing, so every little sound was grating to him. His Strength was double that of a normal human¡¯s, so he¡¯d crush small items easily if he wasn¡¯t careful with them. The increase also affected his swordy adversely. Roy needed some time to get used to his newfound strength, but it wouldn¡¯t take too long, since his Dexterity had also increased.


    Aside from his stats, Roy had grown in stature. He was five feet seven, and his body was toned. Every inch of him was taut and muscr. His features were sharper and more attractive, while his eyes were dark gold in color. There was a special vibe about him. Whenever he wasn¡¯t smiling, he¡¯d look like a solemn killer, but whenever he did, he was approachable. Maybe this is why my Charisma grew.


    Since his hair was only starting to grow, Roy stood out among the crowd, and those who walked the world more would recognize him as a witcher. But Roy could ept that, since his changes weren¡¯t extreme in nature.


    I¡¯m not an albino like Geralt, and I¡¯m not permanently bald like Letho, nor did I go insane. Noints there, that¡¯s for sure.


    ***


    He read through his character sheet again.


    ¡®Level 5 Witcher (2/2500)


    Rank: Rookie witcher


    Conditions for intermediate witcher: Consume another school¡¯s Decoction of the Grasses. Kill ten different monsters with a stat higher than ten (0/10). Acquire mutagens (0/10).


    Tip: The six witcher schools used to be one. It is up to you toplete the recipe.


    School: Viper


    Job perks:


    Main stat: Will. Every time you level up, your Will will be increased by 1 without any cost (Rookie witcher).


    Bound weapons:


    Crossbow ¡ª Gabriel (Not chosen yet)


    Steel sword ¡ª Gwyhyr (An ancient ck metal me sword made by gnomes. A hidden power in itsponents is awakened after its second power up.)


    Type: Steel sword


    Materials: ck iron,va, meteoric iron, pine wood, and body parts from powerful monsters.


    Details: The sword weighs 3.06 pounds, and its handle measures 9.3 inches, while the dees in at 36 inches. A spirit dwells within.


    Cirction: Heals the user for a small amount of stamina after every kill.


    Ignite: Every hit has a very low chance of igniting the target¡¯s blood and causing burn damage.


    Painful Strike (New): Every time you hit a target, there is a small chance to trigger an overwhelming pain that can take out most humans. Warning: This effect may trigger an unquenchable hatred in the target.


    Silver sword ¡ª N/A


    Full Recovery


    Mount (New): All witchers have a mount by their side on their journey. You may bind a tamed creature. You maymunicate through telepathy with the bound creature. Additionally, you may also spend a hundred points of mana to summon the creature no matter where it is. You may also heal its wounds with mana. Unlike weapons, you may unbind it at any time and free it into the wilds.


    Loot package: two ¡ú four cubic meters


    You have (1) skill point(s) and (1) attribute point(s) remaining.¡¯


    ***


    Roy was shocked about the new additions and power ups. He spent quite a whilebing through the new things he just got. First, there were the weapons. Gwyhyr can get one new effect every time it levels up? The sword had three effects at the moment. Even though the chances for them to trigger were low, once it had enough effects on it, Roy could imagine the devastation it would cause. One hit from Gwyhyr, and the target¡¯s going to get hit with all the special effects. Man, that would be a fireworks show. Not even trolls could take that, I think.


    He was delighted and almost summoned Gwyhyr back to admire it, but then remembered Letho took it to clear a request from Dennis Cranmer. If he¡¯s in a battle, summoning it back would kill Letho. Roy put that thought aside. I should wait for him for now.


    He closed his eyes to feel where Gwyhyr was, and he realized it was in Ender City. It wasn¡¯t far, but that was why he was worried, because Letho didn¡¯te back to celebrate his victory despite the fact that he loved that tradition.


    Cranmer¡¯s request is that hard, huh? I¡¯ll have to take a look. Then Roy looked at his hand crossbow, which had a different path of evolution.


    ¡®Gabriel (Not chosen yet) (Gabriel used to be an old, dusty hand crossbow, but it has regained its strength after powering up twice. It has also be a better match for your abilities. The second power up unlocks two paths of evolution for Gabriel. The paths are chosen after evaluating your stats and abilities. You may choose one path. Different paths will provide different power up choices. Effect ¡ª Burst Shot. You will fire two shots at the same time every time you pull the trigger. Please make sure you have enough bolts in reserve, or this effect will not activate. Effect ¡ª Guided Arrow. Costs twenty mana points. Fires a magically charged shot. Effective range and pration are slightly increased. The arrow will lock onto your target and is able to change directions in a 45 degree angle range.¡¯


    Roy took a deep breath. One of the paths leaned on the number of shots fired. It would allow him to fire more shots at the same time, while the other path emphasized precision and power. The arrows could even lock onto his targets.


    He had some spection of his own. If I choose the first one, then burst shots might turn into multiple shots or an AOE skill in the future. But the second path is rted to mana. I bet the effects down the road will be more on precision, range, and power. And I bet it¡¯ll synergize perfectly with my mana pool.


    ***


    What should I choose? Roy didn¡¯t think too long about it. The first path was limited, since it only relied on the number of arrows, while the second path was rted to mana, so it had more possibilities.


    Once he made the decision, Gabriel¡¯s details started changing.


    ¡®Gabriel


    Type: Hand Crossbow


    Materials: Mulberry wood, tendon, hemp


    Details: Weighs (5 ¡ú 6) pounds and measures at (2 ¡ú 2.2) feet. Has a draw weight of (30 ¡ú 40) pounds and an effective range of (150 ¡ú 180) feet.


    Effects:


    Simplify: Gabriel reloads automatically as long as there are bolts in your inventory space. Reload time is now 0.4 seconds.


    Guided Arrow: Costs twenty mana points. Fires a magically charged shot. Effective range and pration are slightly increased. The arrow will lock onto your target and is able to change directions in a 45 degree angle range.¡¯


    ***


    Roy caressed Gabriel lovingly. After the double power up, Gabriel had grown in size. It was great to touch, as if it were made of real skin. Roy wondered if it would have a soul of its own if he kept powering Gabriel up. Nope. Too early for that. He kept the weapon in his inventory space.


    Then he kept looking into his character sheet. After bing an official witcher, his inventory space expanded as expected. He could keep more items, making future battles easier. After that, he read up on mounts. Long-distance summoning and telepathy, huh? Perfect vehicle. Hmm, taming a horse needs time. Roy had another idea. The skill didn¡¯t specifically state that I have to tame horses. Can I tame other creatures? Even monsters?


    But that wasn¡¯t important. Roy had to travel to Ender and see why Letho was stuck there.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 117

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 117: The Missing Witcher</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise, boy. Never murder unless absolutely necessary. Every time you take a life, you destroy a family,¡± Nenneke said solemnly.


    Roy sighed, waving Nenneke away. ¡°Yes, Mother Nenneke. I promise I won¡¯t kill any innocents, so stop lecturing me, please.¡±


    ¡°Will youe back, Roy?¡± Jarre asked, reluctant to see him go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a present on the day you marry I II. And look after Art and Arri for me. Don¡¯t let anyone bully them.¡± And Roy left.


    He looked back at the temple onest time, sighing. It was bathed in the morning sun, as glorious as ever. The temple was where he¡¯d spent the longest time in one ce so far. It was peaceful and quiet, perfect for living a calm life. But that was not what Roy wanted. His wish was to journey the world.


    ***


    The sky was overcast, covering Ender with an air of gloom. Roy covered himself with a grey cloak, sneaking into the city. Then he arrived at the western part of the city, where a castle surrounded by arched walls stood. Before it was the bustling city square, and knights who were armed to the teeth patrolled the castle. They were on high alert, and it didn¡¯t take long for them to notice Roy. He stood out too much with his getup.


    ¡°Hey, the guy in the cloak! Yeah, you! Stop right there and raise your head!¡± a guardmanded loudly, and Roy obliged. When the leading guard noticed his eyes, he calmed down a bit. ¡°Are you a witcher?¡±


    ¡°Roy, from the Viper School.¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡± a burly knight with brown hair and brown eyes muttered under his breath, but Roy heard it clearly. ¡°I¡¯m Lnd, from the Order of the White Rose. If I¡¯m correct, you¡¯re here because of the request on the bulletin board, aren¡¯t you? Come with me. The captain has been waiting.¡±


    ¡°A request?¡± Roy was confused. He could feel Gwyhyr in the castle, so that meant Letho must¡¯ve been inside too. Even Letho can¡¯t do it? He followed the knight down the long corridor beforeing to a room beside the castle¡¯s garden, where he came across someone familiar.


    Dennis was sitting on the floor, looking dejected. It had been a month since they¡¯dst met, and Dennis had gotten gaunt, as if he had gone through something more harrowing than the Trial of the Grasses. Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling about what would happen next.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Roy.¡± Dennis forced a smile, but Roy could see he was troubled by something. The dwarf was a far cry from what he¡¯d been during their first meeting.


    ¡°Why are you alone, Cranmer? Where¡¯d Letho go?¡±


    Dennis sighed and beckoned Roy to sit beside him. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Roy.¡± He let out another breath, then stared closely at Roy. His eyes were bloodshot, obviously from theck of sleep. ¡°Wait, you seem different. You look taller. And where¡¯d all the hair go? And your eyes¡­ They changed. Why¡¯d they turn gold?¡±


    ¡°I passed the Trial of the Grasses and became a witcher. The changes you see were caused by that. It¡¯s normal. What happened to Letho, anyway?¡±


    Dennis sighed, and he covered his face. ¡°Sorry. I-I don¡¯t know how to break it to you, but¡­¡± He sounded despondent. ¡°But Letho¡¯s missing.¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡± Roy looked around, shocked. He could still feel Gwyhyr sitting nearby. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Remember when I came to the temple to ask for help?¡±


    ¡°I see the request did not go well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And that¡¯s the whole reason this is happening. Did you notice anything weird going on when you were on the way here?¡±


    Roy thought back to the things he saw on the way. ¡°Barely anyone¡¯s around. Everyone¡¯s avoiding this ce.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Some of the more gullible citizens have started calling this ce a cursed castle. Said anyone whoes near will die.¡± Dennis turned solemn. ¡°It started three months ago, after the two of you had gone to the temple. A murder happened in King Hereward¡¯s castle. The victim was a male servant, and he died horribly.¡± He paused. ¡°But that was only the beginning. The murders wouldn¡¯t stop, and they only happened around the castle. All the victims died horribly. No exceptions. And the killerid out their bodies in a¡­¡± He frowned, picking his next words carefully. ¡°¡­disgusting way.¡±


    ¡°It must have been gruesome to shake even a veteran like you.¡± Roy was intrigued about it. ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get the coroner¡¯s reportter, but let¡¯se back to the request. The killer is cunning and experienced. Of that, I¡¯m sure. The whole order scoured every crime scene, but not even one lead was found. And that¡¯s disgraceful.¡± Dennis sounded frustrated, yet oddly happy about the order¡¯s disgrace.


    ¡°The king has flown into a rage on multiple asions over this. If this keeps up, the order will fall out of favor with the king. They¡¯ll have to get their asses back in Vizima by then.¡±


    Roy shot him a weird look, and Dennis stopped talking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to hear that. The royal guards and the order have always been at odds with each other. We¡¯d love to see them disgraced, but we¡¯re loyal to our king. His majesty is increasingly worried about the case, so he wanted us to take part in cracking this tough nut. I¡¯m sure you know I¡¯m just an ol¡¯ guard. Fighting¡¯s right up my alley, but I¡¯m the furthest dwarf away from a detective. And so, I asked Letho to help me out.¡± Dennis sighed again. ¡°Mr. Letho¡¯s a real professional. Three days ago, he told us to set up an ambush outside the pce at a certain time and ce. As he had predicted, we noticed someone scurrying out of the pce. The crossbowmen started shooting, but somehow, that bastard managed to dodge every arrow!¡± The events were humiliating for them, especially for Dennis. ¡°The killer¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t human. It was like a bolt of lightning in the dark. For some reason, the killer knew we were lying in wait for an ambush, so he escaped through the alleys. We couldn¡¯t catch up, but Mr. Letho managed to follow that scum.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°It wasn¡¯t untilter that we noticed the signs of fighting at the Hanged Man¡¯s Tree. There were pools of blood and pieces of Mr. Letho¡¯s armor lying around, but he was nowhere to be found.¡±


    Roy¡¯s face fell, and the ominous feeling got stronger. ¡°I got through the trial, so you¡¯d better be alive.¡± He massaged his temples, trying to calm himself down. ¡°Where¡¯s his weapon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, his sword? I¡¯ve kept it in a nearby room. It¡¯s really safe.¡± Dennis¡¯ eyes gleamed at the mention of the sword. ¡°I might be old, but I know a good weapon when I see one. If I¡¯m right, that sword is the legendary Gwyhyr. Its maker¡¯s probably on par with Elder Brovar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s made by a gnome,¡± Roy said. Before Dennis could ask, he said, ¡°Since Letho isn¡¯t here, I¡¯ll take the sword for him. And I¡¯ll need to investigate the crime scene.¡± He didn¡¯t think Letho would just go out without a fight. There must be a clue somewhere, and my senses can see them.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 118

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 118: Francis the Coroner</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy and Dennis were walking down the lonely street when a gust of wind blew against Roy¡¯s cloak, causing it to billow in the air. He lowered his head and held the strap on his chest with one hand, holding the sword on his back with the other. The chilling sensation from the metal sobered him, calming him down.


    ¡°Roy¡­¡± Dennis pinched his beard. ¡°Why don¡¯t we forget about it. Even Mr. Letho lost to that bastard. I can¡¯t drag you into this. Just rest up in an inn and wait for the news.¡±


    Roy shook his head adamantly. ¡°My mentor is missing, and you expect me to desert him? No witcher worth their salt would do that. I¡¯d be unworthy of your friendship if I ran away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Dennis sighed. ¡°You¡¯d lose my respect if you turned tail and ran.¡±


    ¡°One more question. What did you guys find out before Letho went missing?¡±


    Dennis gripped his beard in frustration. ¡°Honestly, I have someints about that. Mr. Letho¡¯s a lone wolf. He probably didn¡¯t want us to drag him down, so he operated all by himself. Never told us about his findings. The only time he let us work with him was right before the ambush.¡±


    Roy raised his head and took a deep breath. He knew Letho was a lone wolf, since he was speaking from experience, after all, but he¡¯d never expected he¡¯d take it to the extreme. Roy thought there was no need for him to keep all the clues to himself and hunt the killer alone. Was he protecting them because the killer was too strong? Or was there something more to the case?


    They went down the street, where only a few pedestrians were treading. And they arrived at the Hanged Man¡¯s Tree. It was a gloomy alley set between a grey building and a wall filled with grime and moss. It was dark and narrow, stretching one hundred feet, leading to a dead end.


    Roy picked up a peculiar scent the moment he went into the alley. He followed it and wound up seeing a few patches of dried blood on the ground. That was the only clue. The only one visible to the human eye, anyway.


    He hunkered down and scraped some dried blood, then sniffed it and closed his eyes to process what he smelled. There¡¯s a faint smell of blood and rotten flesh. Smells like human blood, so it¡¯s probably Letho¡¯s. But I¡¯ve nevere across that other smell. What did Letho run into?


    When he opened his eyes, his pupils contracted into slits. Two invisible ribbons started floating in the air, extending beyond the alley he was in. One of the ribbons was red, while the other was ck. That was something only witchers could see.


    Why¡¯d it split in two? Roy pondered on it.


    On the other hand, Dennis was shocked when he saw the change in Roy¡¯s eyes. He instinctively grabbed his sword, ready to defend himself. For a moment there, it felt as if an apex predator had set its eyes on him. Roy¡¯s eyes reminded him of the legendary dragons, for they possessed the same color. But I thought he was from Viper School. His mentor¡¯s eyes were amber in color.


    Roy stood up, frowning. He scanned his surroundings and hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow the red ribbon¡¯s trail. The trail would thin at times, but it would be darker whenever Roy came across a patch of dried blood. Since he had a lead, Roy followed it.


    Dennis didn¡¯t know what was going on, since he couldn¡¯t see the smell, but he was experienced enough to not disturb a witcher during an investigation. Quietly, he followed Roy.


    Five minutester, Roy stopped before an old, nearly abandoned street. His face fell, but he turned around and followed the ck ribbon. He even parkoured through the roofs of the city in pursuit of the lead, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to stop in dejection.


    ¡°Did you find anything, Roy?¡± Dennis finally asked, sounding urgent.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not as good as Letho, so I found nothing.¡± The trail suddenly went cold. It was either because too much time had passed, or Roy wasn¡¯t skilful enough yet.


    ¡°The trail went cold, huh?¡± Dennis looked disappointed. ¡°Are we still gonna go on with this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not here.¡± Roy wanted to look into something else. ¡°Are the bodies at the morgue?¡±


    ¡°Yes. All six of them.¡±


    ¡°Take me there.¡±


    They went in another direction and travelled for half an hour. Finally, they came to a cold, looming tower at the end of a street. A staircase leading to the morgue underground was hidden behind a half-opened door.


    A strong stench of rotten flesh assailed them the moment they came in. Roy frowned, pinching his nose. ¡°They don¡¯t even have a guard here?¡±


    Dennis shrugged. ¡°The dead would have been swiped clean of their coins before they got sent here. Not even the poorest bandit would raid this ce. There ain¡¯t anything but corpses here.¡±


    ¡°That means you have to look out for corpse eaters. And don¡¯t forget that the killer might try to erase the evidence.¡±


    ***


    The dark corridor was illuminated by nothing but some dim torches. Roy and Dennis went past a few rooms that were filled with cabs that stored dead bodies, and there were even rooms where deformed corpses made by stitching together different body parts were lying on the steel table, much to Roy¡¯s shock.


    Dennis exined, ¡°You might think there are a lot of corpses here, but that¡¯s because someone always drops dead in Ender. idents, diseases, turf fights, assassinations¡­ The list goes on. More than a third of the bodies are unimed, and more than half of the cases are still unsolved.¡± He sighed. ¡°Six victims might seem like a lot, but if it weren¡¯t for the fact they¡¯d died near the castle and drew his majesty¡¯s ire, the knights wouldn¡¯t even have cared about it. It¡¯s the same in every city. Everyone¡¯s stretched as thin enough as is. It¡¯s impossible to crack every case, so we only pick the ones that the powers deem important.¡±


    Roy agreed. It was a medieval world where the rulers saw the lives of peasants as nothing but meremodities.


    They eventually came before a table sttered with blood. A man in an apron and face mask had his back turned to them as he handled a corpse.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going, Francia? Any new clues?¡±


    The coroner kept working, ignoring Dennis. He raised his right arm into the air, revealing a needle between his fingers that gleamed under the light. He pulled the thread and strung it across the body. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of needle poking meat in the room. The coroner was stitching the body together with perfect precision, as if he were dancing to a tune. It was as if he were working on a piece of art, not a body.


    A few minutester, he finished the final stitch. The coroner pulled his face mask off with his hand that was stained with blood and flesh, then he bit off the thread. He sighed, plopping down on the chair. ¡°Dennis Cranmer.¡± He waved Dennis off. ¡°I told you to keep quiet when I¡¯m working. Don¡¯t me me if the deade crawling to you because I failed to put their bodies back together.¡± His voice was hoarse but charismatic. Anyone who heard it would end up wanting more.


    But Roy¡¯s attention was on something else. He noticed that the coroner had a spider tattooed on his right forearm.


    Dennis scoffed. ¡°Superstitious, as usual. I¡¯ll wee the dead with open arms and a lot of wine. That is, if they cane to me in the first ce. But enough about that. I¡¯m here for business. Specifically about that serial killer.¡±


    Francis turned around, taking off his face mask and coatnguidly. The coroner was a man in his thirties. He had a femininely handsome face, a beautiful nose, and deep-set eyes, though the bags under them didn¡¯t help his looks. His lips were crimson, but his skin was pale, probably from theck of sunlight because of his job. His attire was clean, and he radiated a dark, noble air.


    The coroner leaned against the chair sluggishly, yawning. Then he turned his head to Roy. ¡°Hey, new kid.¡± He grinned toothily. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. If you want some fun, try the House of Peacocks in Goldmine. It¡¯s in the northern part of the city. Thedies there are hot. Speaking from experience.¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t budge. ¡°We can leave the brothels for another day, Mr. Francis. I need you to take me to the corpses.¡±


    Dennis introduced, ¡°This is Roy, Letho¡¯s ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°That baldy¡¯s disciple, probably.¡± The coroner started giving him a dirty look. ¡°Your getup is weird,¡± hemented. ¡°ck and yellow armor, grey cloak, a rose on the chest, and an ugly hood. You witchers have the same taste for fashion. Didn¡¯t you get the memo? You¡¯re a few hundred years behind on the trend.¡± He stretched his arm and stood up. ¡°Right, that¡¯s all I have to say. Now,e with me, but be warned, boy,¡± he said impatiently. ¡°Brace yourself, or you¡¯re going to piss your pants at what you¡¯re about to see.¡± Then he went away without even looking back.


    ¡°Um, he¡¯s weird, but he¡¯s a nice guy.¡± Dennis gave him an apologetic look.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Roy observed Francis closely. He had never seen anyone be so nonchnt when a witcher was around them.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 119

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 119: Cause of Death</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The corpses wereid out in a row in the brightly lit room, the stench of rotten flesh and preserving fluid wafting from them. Four of the corpses were starting to turn brown after spending too much time in the fluid, while the other two looked almost the same as when they were alive.


    Their skin was slowly rotting away, and all of the corpses had the signs of autopsy performed on them. A long, winding scar extended from their chests to their bellies. Some of the corpses were stitched on the waist, the scar presumably the remnants of their cause of death. One of the male corpses had a bloated head, where stitches crawled all over its face, splitting it into four parts.


    The stitches were painfully obvious, but they were also cleanly done, as if they were zipped together. The quality alone was telling of Francis¡¯ skills. At the same time, Francis crossed his arms, looking around happily. ¡°Their deaths were horrible, but I managed to sew them back together. Nobody else in Ender has that kind of skill. You seem to be reacting well. At least you didn¡¯t piss your pants.¡±


    Roy said nothing. He was looking at thetest victim, and when he realized who it was, he was shocked.


    ¡°You know this one?¡±


    Roy nodded, while Dennismented, ¡°Tailles was one arrogant bastard, but it¡¯s really surprising that he was one of the victims.¡±


    Thetest death was Arthur Tailles, the knight of the order who wanted to duel Letho when the witcher and Roy had just arrived in the city.


    The killer¡¯s sending a message to the order, Roy thought.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± Francis smirked. ¡°His death was one of the least horrible ones. Allow me to exin.¡± He made an elegant bow and pointed at the stitches on the corpse¡¯s chest. ¡°His body was found in an alleyway west of the castle, kneeling on the ground with his heart in his hands while facing the castle.¡±


    The imagery made Roy gasp. ¡°What was the cause of his death?¡±


    ¡°I found somedine in his body, probably from some crude anesthetic he took. The killer cut his chest apart and took his heart out.¡± Francis raised his chin in disdain. ¡°Honestly, theck of elegance almost made me hurl. The killer probably has no experience in surgery. The scar¡¯s ruined by something sharp. There¡¯s no beauty in it.¡± He spun his scalpel in his fingers at high speed.


    ¡°You sure it¡¯s caused by a sharp weapon instead of ws?¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting my professionalism? Well, your mentor ¡ª Letho ¡ª took a look at the wound and arrived at the same conclusion. You don¡¯t doubt your own mentor, do you?¡±


    Roy turned to Dennis, and the dwarf nodded. Then the boy went to the next corpse. It was a pudgy, ugly middle-aged man. His mouth was open, and his thighs were bloated, but his calves were nothing but skin and bones. His body was soft and full of stitches. It reminded Roy of a crushed water balloon.


    ¡°This one was not a knight. In fact, he was nothing but a maggot to them. He was a beggar.¡±


    ¡°A beggar?¡±


    ¡°Surprised, are you? And Barre¡¯s disabled. His legs don¡¯t function. All he could do was squirm around, grovel on the ground as he begged for money. I wonder why the killer took the life of a maggot like him.¡± Francis was hyperventting, as if he were getting excited. ¡°Not a shred of mercy was shown to him, even at his death. He died in the most horrible way out of the six.¡±


    ¡°borate.¡±


    ¡°He was pierced by a small tree from his anus, then it sprouted from his mouth. He was standing up thanks to the tree when he was found.¡± Francis shook his head. ¡°Death finally gave Barre a chance to stand up, though it¡¯s quite gruesome, I¡¯d say.¡±


    Roy noticed the holes on the corpse, and his eyelid twitched. Are those where the branches grew from? And why¡¯d the killer target a knight and a beggar? Is there any rtion between them? Or is this random? He massaged his forehead, frustrated.


    Francis ignored Roy¡¯s troubled look and went on with the introductions. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to the third victim ¡ª Bruce ¡°Butcher¡± Keg. He died in the least painful way possible. Lucky for him.¡±


    Bruce was a burly man. Aside from the stitches, Roy saw no wounds, making it the mostplete corpse around. ¡°It was a quiet, peaceful death. Cause of death? Anesthetic overdose. Cured his snores, too. His wife never has to suffer through the night again, and themunity is certainly safer with his violent tendencies out of the way. The killer took out a menace, in a sense. But what intrigued me was how the killer managed to haul a big boy like him to the castle.¡±


    Roy rubbed his chin, pondering on the case, while Dennis stared at him nervously. Francis shot them a nce before going on. ¡°And this handsome chap here was Boris the Fleetfooted. Three time reigning champion of Ender¡¯s horse racing event, but he¡¯s been slipping as ofte. Became a drunkard, even. Even if he were still alive, he would have flopped in the prelims. Now about his death¡­ Well, it¡¯s creative, in a way. The killer¡¯s a genius. Swapped the insides of him and his horse!¡±


    Wow, that killer¡¯s a piece of work. Makes the monsters look cute byparison, Roy thought. Humans could be crueler than monsters at times.


    ¡°His organs were stuffed into his old friend¡¯s belly, while his belly was stuffed with his old friend¡¯s insides. In a way, they died together. Would have been lovely if not for the creative ir. But I noticed some traces of torture on his horse. It probably went on for a year or two. I guess our old chap used to vent on his friend, eh?¡±


    ***


    ¡°And now the final victims.¡± Francis shrugged indifferently. ¡°A Vivaldi Bank¡¯s staff member. All fingers were cut off, and his eyes were gouged out. Cause of death: excessive blood loss. A male servant of the castle got his nose and mouth sewn shut. Cause of death: asphyxiation. Same old, same old.¡±


    Roy ruminated in silence for a moment, then he looked at Francis. ¡°Francis, I want to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think the killer did this because they have some gruesome fetish, or do they have some sort of motive?¡±


    ¡°Motive?¡± Francis tut-tutted. ¡°Getting back at the order, I presume. If there¡¯s even one to begin with. Maybe they wanted to humiliate the order so the king would send the knights back to Temeria?¡±


    ¡°Did Letho tell you about his side of the investigation?¡±


    ¡°You should know him better than I do. He¡¯s really paranoid, and he trusts no one. That¡¯s all I have for you. You¡¯ll have to ask someone else if you want more answers.¡± He raised his chin impatiently. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be arresting the killer right about now? I have a few more bodies to process today. But if you treat me to a session at the House of Peacocks, then I can let you stay for as long as you want.¡±


    Roy and Dennis looked at each other. ¡°Very well then, Mr. Francis. Thank you for your help.¡± Not long after they turned around, Roy stopped in his tracks. ¡°Mr. Francis, how long have you been working as a coroner?¡±


    ¡°Ten years, probably even longer. I don¡¯t really remember.¡± Francis had made an offhand remark, spinning his scalpel around. Unbeknownst to him, Roy had cast Observe on him, getting all of his details.


    <b>***</b>


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 Chapter 120

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 120: Suspicion</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡®Francis


    Age: Thirty-five years old


    Status: Coroner (Deals with corpses in a dank basement. A master in surgery and stitching corpses together), Poet (His poems do not rhyme, and the words have no sense of beauty, nor do they convey any meaning. Most people would think of his poems as nothing more than trash, though he finds it entertaining, at least to himself. Francis will keep making poems).


    Hidden status: ??? (You realized something is wrong with him. Francis has a hidden identity).


    HP: 80


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 10


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 8


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 6


    Skill:


    Surgery Level 10


    ***


    Francis¡¯ face fell. ¡°A warning, boy. Staring is rude.¡±


    Roy hid his surprise. ¡°Sorry, I was thinking about the case. We¡¯ll be leaving right away.¡± He took the dwarf and left the basement, pretending as if nothing had happened. Once they came back to the city, Roy felt the weight on his shoulders melt from the sun¡¯s warmth. ¡°Cranmer, how much do you know about Francis?¡± he asked.


    Some of that guy¡¯s stats are higher than your average Joe¡¯s. It was a stark contrast to Francis¡¯ weak looks. There were too many mysteries surrounding him, but Roy was more concerned about his hidden identity, for he had never seen Observe describe someone¡¯s hidden identity that way. Roy wouldn¡¯t expose him right away, though. It would alert him to Roy¡¯s suspicions and anger him.


    ¡°Not exactly. It hasn¡¯t been three months since I¡¯ve met him,¡± Dennis said. ¡°I was just a guard at the castle, so we didn¡¯t talk much. He¡¯s a quirky guy, but he takes his job seriously. He¡¯s a pro. The order should know more, since they have to visit the morgue a lot. It¡¯s part of their job. But why are you interested in him, anyway?¡±


    Roy scratched his chin. ¡°No reason.¡± He shifted the topic, ¡°I might sound like a broken record, but are you sure the target¡¯s a human? Not a humanoid monster? Did it exhibit any non-human trait?¡±


    The mere thought of the encounter was enough to send chills down Dennis¡¯ spine. ¡°Mr. Letho specifically told us to only attack when he was in close range. I was trained as a crossbowman, so I saw our target clearly, since it wasn¡¯t a dark night. It was a man. Around six feet three, muscr, long arms, but I couldn¡¯t see his face. His cheeks were puffy, and his movements weren¡¯t human.¡± He muttered, ¡°Could it have been a monster?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Roy stared up into the sky. ¡°Can you tell me more about the victims? I want to know where they lived and where they were found.¡±


    Dennis pinched his beard. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, Roy, this is just a waste of time. The knights have looked into everything and double-checked everything. And they worked with the local triad to look into some of the darker news. I can tell you that the victims were unrted to each other. Hell, they wouldn¡¯t even have crossed each other¡¯s paths. I think the killer is just a madman. This is all random.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll keep this up, then?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I think Mr. Letho managed to slow him down. He¡¯s probably tending to his injuries, so we have some time to breathe.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to apprehend him before he finds his bearings. The investigation must go on.¡± Roy finally got the information he needed.


    They agreed to meet up some timeter and went their own ways. Dennis went back to his post in the castle, while Roy went to the sundry shop to purchase a map of Ender City. He marked all the crime scenes with a piece of charcoal and linked them together, just like how Letho did back in their hunt for the leshen.


    A short whileter, he realized the points formed a circle, but no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t figure out what the sign meant. It doesn¡¯t mean anything. Did the killer really murder at random? Have I been doing this the wrong way?


    He¡¯d hit a dead end, but Roy didn¡¯t give up. Instead of heading to the scene, he went back to the inn. The troupe had taken their leave a while earlier, and there weren¡¯t many customers inside. The innkeeper was sitting behind the counter, smoking out of boredom.


    But that wasn¡¯t the point. ¡°A question, innkeeper.¡±


    The innkeeper puffed some smoke at Roy¡¯s face, shooting him a sordid look. ¡°Would you like a room?¡±


    ¡°If you can answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Ask away. There¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know around here.¡±


    ¡°Did a guy stay here a few days ago? Bald, burly, with eyes of amber?¡±


    Tom sucked on his pipe, frowning, then he remembered the guest Roy was asking about. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the witcher with a steel sword, I presume? A man of few words, he was. He booked room number four right upstairs, but he checked out three days ago.¡±


    I knew it. Roy wanted to know more. ¡°Did he leave a message for anyone?¡±


    Tom shook his head.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll book the same room he stayed in.¡± When Roy arrived at the room, it had already been cleaned by the waitstaff. There were no traces of Letho in it, though Roy went around, sniffing the air for something. And he picked up a peculiar smell. ¡°Dwarven liquor, and that sickly sweet stench. And what¡¯s this?¡± He noticed some powder between the cracks of the floor. ¡°Ghoul blood. Letho made a potion here with these ingredients.¡±


    Roy couldn¡¯t make any decoctions, but he knew the recipes for them. Hebed through his memory and found out that Letho had made ck blood, and high quality ck blood, at that.


    Letho made a dose of ck blood here. The discovery finally gave Roy another lead he needed. Not many humanoid monsters were strong enough to dodge crossbow bolts and hurt a witcher. ¡°Ekimmara, bruxa, katakan, doppler, and higher vampire.¡± A dose of high quality ck blood could turn Letho¡¯s blood lethal, making him a perfect weapon against ghouls and vampires.


    ¡°Perhaps the killer is a vampire.¡± And a higher vampire, at that. The other variants don¡¯t possess the intelligence needed to blend in among arge popce. Higher vampires can make themselves look like humans, and they aren¡¯t afraid of the sun. Garlic, fire, and stakes won¡¯t work against them, either.


    The possibility of facing off against a higher vampire scared him. If he were to make a list of the most powerful beings in the witcher world, Gaunter O¡¯Dimm would have been the strongest, if Roy hadn¡¯te across the golden eyes in the temple of Melitele. Those eyes could have belonged to a god.


    In that case, Gaunter O¡¯Dimm would be second on the list, while the king of the vampires ¡ª The Unseen Elder ¡ª would be third. Higher vampires would rank right after that. They were indistinguishable from humans, and they didn¡¯t differ in bodily functions. They didn¡¯t need blood to sustain themselves, either.


    Higher vampires were far superior than normal vampires, and their regenerative abilities were off the charts. Not even decapitation or having their heart crushed could kill them. They weren¡¯t afraid of holy water or any religious symbol either. On top of that, they could go off the magical grid. Not even a witcher could see through them, even with their senses activated.


    Geralt¡¯s friend, Regis, was a higher vampire. Even when he was almost nothing but ash after getting killed by Vilgefortz, he came back to life with the help of another vampire, though it took him years for that. A small group of higher vampires could massacre a town with a thousand people if they worked together. A regr witcher couldn¡¯t kill a higher vampire easily either, unlike what the games had shown.


    Letho could¡¯ve been killed. He wasn¡¯t sure if Letho could win against a higher vampire in a battle. Calm down. It¡¯s just an assumption. Let¡¯s go through this again. Roy rubbed his cheeks, forcing himself to calm.


    He sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, calming himself through meditation. Roy went through everything he had found and sorted them all out. Higher vampires were rare creatures. They had emotions and free will, just like humans did. In a sense, they were more sensitive than humans. Of course, there were good and bad higher vampires, at least in the eyes of humans.


    For example, Regis, who was a ¡®vegetarian,¡¯ and Detff, who fell for Sylvia Anna, were the moderates. The higher vampires of that faction were willing to coexist with humans. They wouldn¡¯t destroy human society if humans didn¡¯t cross the line.


    On the other hand, the rest of the higher vampires were hunters, or in other words, evil. They saw humans as nothing but cattle, as food for their pte. There were three factions among the hunters, distinguished by their way of raising humans. One let them do as they pleased until they were ripe for the taking; one raised them in a ranch; and the other took care of them until the day of their ughter.


    They don¡¯tmunicate with humans. We don¡¯t talk with our food, do we? If Letho did fight a higher vampire three days ago, which faction is that vampire from, then? Is it possible to establishmunication? Let¡¯s go through the details. First, he lives in Ender City. Two, he was powerful enough to have killed every soldier back then, including Dennis. But he didn¡¯t do that. Instead, he escaped to an alley to fight Letho. Could he be trying to hide his identity in case anyone was hurt? This one could be from the moderate faction. ¡°I hope so. That means Letho could survive, even if he lost.¡±


    Aside from the six deaths, Roy never did receive any report of another victim. Even the knights who were on the case weren¡¯t hurt. ¡°The killer didn¡¯t kill as he pleased. If the vampire were a hunter, everyone in his path would have been butchered. But if he were from the moderate faction, he wouldn¡¯t kill at random, much lessy a finger on the innocent.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°There must be something special about the victims.¡± The knights missed something.


    ¡°And that something is the motive for the murders.¡±


    Then he shifted his attention toward the killer¡¯s identity, and Francis was his prime suspect. He¡¯s a coroner. It¡¯s easy for him to fiddle with the bodies and hide the evidence. Cranmer said he didn¡¯t see the killer clearly, though it¡¯s obvious that he was taller than me and Francis. And the killer wasn¡¯t hurt either. That means it¡¯s stronger than a higher vampire, which is impossible. ck blood is potent enough to harm a higher vampire.


    Francis was suspicious, but Roy wouldn¡¯t confront him without any definitive evidence. Besides, he didn¡¯t know the killer¡¯s motive. Facing him off at that point would be suicide. Roy didn¡¯t think he could ¡®kill¡¯ a fake vampire either, since he was just a rookie witcher.


    Higher vampires didn¡¯t die easily. Piercing their hearts with a silver sword, decapitation, and burning them with Igni only served to put them in a deep slumber. Only a higher vampire could vanquish a higher vampire. Fighting them is ast resort. He wanted to save Letho, but he wouldn¡¯t approach the suspect if he wasn¡¯t sure he could take him down.


    That¡¯d anger him. I need to find out the reason for the murders and what he¡¯s afraid of.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 121

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 121: Investigation</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy woke up early the next morning and went to the second victim¡¯s house. The victim¡¯s name was Farquhar, a thirty-three year old man who worked at Vivaldi Bank. He lived in a beautiful, red, three-story house in the city¡¯s middle-ss area. He had two adorable children and a beautiful wife named Misha.


    He¡¯d lived a good life.


    Farquhar never expected death toe to him so soon, so he¡¯d never had the chance to make any arrangements. To make things worse, he was the only breadwinner of the family, making his death all the more devastating. Misha was on the verge of a breakdown, and she wondered how much longer she could take it.


    We don¡¯t even have any ie now that Farquhar¡¯s gone. What¡¯s going to happen to the kids?


    Misha was trudging back and forth before her front door with the kids in tow, obviously looking troubled.


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion, ma¡¯am. Might you be Mr. Farquhar¡¯s wife?¡± a gentle voice called out. She looked in the direction of that voice, but she didn¡¯t recognize the man. He was almost bald, and his eyes resembled a beast¡¯s, much to her terror. However, he was smiling warmly at her.


    She tensed and put her children behind her. ¡°A-are you a witcher?¡±


    Wow, I really stand out. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Roy, from the Viper School. My friend had been killed by the same bastard that had taken your husband¡¯s life.¡± He¡¯d sprinkled in some lies. ¡°I want to avenge him, so can you answer some questions?¡±


    The children held their mother¡¯s arms tightly, and Misha stared at Roy in fear for a while. ¡°H-how is the investigation going, t-then?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I found no leads for now.¡± Roy shook his head. He noticed the children and the woman looking pale and gaunt, so he wanted to help. ¡°I apologize if I¡¯ve scared the children. If you¡¯ll answer my questions, I¡¯ll give you some money. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯ll help.¡±


    He looked at the children. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be needing the money, so here¡¯s some. I¡¯m sorry this has gone on for so long without any news.¡± Roy could only spare five crowns, since their funds were stretched thin as they were.


    Misha stopped crying after that, though she doubted Roy would actually give her any money. But when Roy handed her a bag containing five crowns, all the doubt she had was gone. Instead, she bowed with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, sir. We can¡¯t even get any food now. The children have been starving for days. Rita, Collin! Say thank you to the witcher!¡±


    ¡°That bad? Doesn¡¯t your husband have any savings?¡± Roy asked gently.


    Misha smiled bitterly. ¡°Most of his money is spent on the mortgage and the family. We¡¯re in the red every month,¡± she answered without hesitation.


    Didn¡¯t expect this world to work just like my old one, Roy thought. Then he said casually, ¡°Vivaldi Bank is a big bank. Everyone knows it, so he should have been a well-paid man. Why was he still paying for the mortgage when he was already thirty?¡±


    ¡°It is what it is.¡± Misha patted her children¡¯s head and stared at her house. ¡°Ender¡¯s a big city, so it costs a lot just to live here. And this house is near the city center. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much it costs. It¡¯s been five years, but we¡¯re still paying for it.¡±


    Misha had a look of hatred on her face. ¡°And¡­¡± She held her hands and fidgeted.


    Roy knew it was his cue to cut in. ¡°You can tell me if you¡¯re having any trouble. I can help you out.¡±


    She stared down in silence for a moment. ¡°Are you really a witcher? They say witchers are heartless mutants. They wouldn¡¯t give away their money to the surviving family, and they wouldn¡¯t be as friendly as you.¡±


    ¡°Those are just rumors. There are both good and bad witchers,¡± Roy answered honestly. ¡°All you have to know is that I mean no harm to you. I only want to arrest the killer.¡± God, I would¡¯ve cast Axii if I could.


    ¡°You can take the money back if you want.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°And I can give you more, but don¡¯t expect too much. All I want is for you to clear my husband¡¯s name.¡±


    Roy shot her a look of surprise. ¡°Why? What happened?¡±


    ¡°The bank rescinded the interest-free loan right after my husband¡¯s death, and they used him of embezzlement.¡± Misha¡¯s face was flushed with anger. Apparently, she trusted that her husband was innocent. ¡°But we don¡¯t even have any extra crowns. We¡¯ve been married for ten years, and he¡¯s been nothing but a perfect husband! He gets home on time and never messes around! And he¡¯s never taken even one extra crown home. He was an honest, hardworking man, and his colleagues know it. You can ask them if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± She sighed. ¡°Even the esteemed Mr. Vivaldi, the bank¡¯s owner, praised him in person. My husband won the best employee award too. I don¡¯t believe for a moment that Farquhar would¡¯ve embezzled any money.¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t take the money. He was there to look deeper into the victim¡¯s background, and he didn¡¯t want to take money from a poor, single mother. The young witcher went to the city¡¯s Vivaldi Bank and waited silently in the alley beside the establishment.


    When the workers were going to leave for lunch, Roy tailed one of them silently. Since he hadn¡¯t mastered Axii, Roy covered the man¡¯s head with a sack and threatened him into answering. However, the employee was already spilling the beans before Roy could even start his routine. He was terrified, since he thought the serial killer who was terrorizing the city hade for him.


    Roy sighed after listening to the whole story. Misha had gotten everything wrong. The bank did not use Farquhar of doing something he hadn¡¯t. They had proof. Every employee had to undergo a body check before clocking off in case someone made off with more money than they should have. However, Farquhar had found a loophole. He¡¯d hid the money he stole in the restroom¡¯s secretpartment.


    But before he could cash out the money, death had alreadye knocking. The new employee who took his ce noticed the inconsistency in the ount, and finally, they realized Farquhar had been stealing from them.


    Farquhar took the bank¡¯s money. Did the killer murder him because of that? Is he a vampire of justice or something?


    ***


    Roy didn¡¯t stop after that. Instead, he went to the eastern part of the city, where the beggar used to make a living. It didn¡¯t take him long to find Jarre¡¯s friend, Jancker.


    ¡°Jarre¡¯s an old friend. I really want to talk about him, but I don¡¯t think I have the strength to even speak now.¡± The poorly dressed beggar tilted his head and smiled bitterly. He put on a sob story, as if he were genuinely sad about Jarre¡¯s death, but Roy noticed he was shoving his bowl ahead with a grimy hand.


    Roy tossed a few copper coins into the bowl, and Jancker looked at it for a moment. Then he groveled before Roy, trying to kiss his boots.


    Roy took a step back and waved him down. Money makes the world go round. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time. Did your friend start acting weird before he died?¡±


    Jancker bit the coin to see if it was genuine, then he shook his head. ¡°No. Jarre was just lying there as usual. Whenever someone went past him, he¡¯d shake his legs and tell them a sob story. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have shed a tear.¡±


    ¡°Some friend you are, talking trash about him after he¡¯s died.¡±


    Jancker was slightly agitated by thatment. ¡°Everyone¡¯s putting on an act in this line of work. That¡¯s the truth! Honestly, I envied him. He could make three days¡¯ worth of money in one just by lying there and telling everyone about his legs. Everyone else had to run around to make a living.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°He was a rich guy in our circle. He didn¡¯t even need to move to rake in serious crowns, and he was really well-fed. None of us expected him to die. He was just missing for one night, so we thought he¡¯de back eventually, but nay. I heard he suffered a lot before he was killed. Pierced by a tree, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Jancker gasped fearfully, then he cursed. ¡°The bastard¡¯s out of his mind. If this keeps up, I¡¯ll have to leave Ender and find some other city to live in.¡±


    Roy tossed him another coin. ¡°So he made a lot of money and didn¡¯t spend much. So he must have some savings, right?¡±


    Jancker took the coin happily and shook his head. ¡°We have taxes to pay. Not to the government, but the organization. Jarre only kept enough money to live his life. He gave everything else to the organization. Thanks to that, the elders kept him safe. He was their piggy bank, after all.¡±


    ¡°Did he cross anyone or indulge in anything?¡±


    Jancker squinted. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t really dwell on anything, so no. He didn¡¯t cross anyone. He spent his days either lying around or eating. Never saw him staying in an inn despite the money he made. He never went to the gambling den, either. I thought about it for a while, and I came to a conclusion ¡ª the guy loved to sleep.¡±


    Roy was surprised someone like that existed. He had money, but he wouldn¡¯t even try to have fun? No, it¡¯s more like he didn¡¯t want to move around. ¡°How would you rate Jarre, seeing as you¡¯ve been friends for ten years?¡±


    ¡°Bah, stop with that formality. We¡¯re just beggars, not scribes. We don¡¯t ¡®rate¡¯ anyone. You¡¯re asking for my thoughts, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jancker finally gave it a serious thought. He rubbed his chin for a while before answering, ¡°He waszy. Can¡¯t think of anything else. Not a schr, you see. He was really, reallyzy. The elders thought he was an honest man, so they wanted to give him a job, but he said no without batting an eye. ¡®Why should I work hard when I can make the same amount of money just by lying around?¡¯ That¡¯s what he said or something.¡± Jancker paused to catch his breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot, and he had a point. I would be grinning all day if I made as much as he did.¡±


    Roy left after that, though Jancker hoped he¡¯d stay, since Roy kept giving him money. The other beggars gave him the same answers. Apparently, Jarre¡¯sziness was known throughout the beggars¡¯ circle.


    If I assume the killer murdered Farquhar because of his embezzlement, then why did he kill Jarre? Because he hated Jarre¡¯szy and unmotivated self? Roy thought about it for a moment, then he caught on to something, but he wasn¡¯t sure if his guess was right.


    He was about to look into the servant¡¯s background in the castle when he realized Huckle¡¯s bakery was nearby. It had been four months since his son had been killed by the arachnomorph. Roy wondered how the old baker was doing. Did he find out who hurt his son in the first ce?


    <b>***</b>


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    <b></b>


    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 122

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 122: Reunion</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy wanted to visit the bakery, but before he even got near, he noticed someone banging on the door. When he came closer, he realized there were two men outside the bakery. Their clothes were in tatters, and they were armed with a bat.


    ¡°Open up, you old git!¡± A man with a big nose and a bigger braid cursed. ¡°Or I¡¯ll burn this whole ce down with you in it! You should feel lucky we even want your ce! Come out right now and sign this contract if you know what¡¯s good for you! This is your only chance. Keep this up and you get one hundred less for every day wasted!¡±


    ¡°Who are you two?¡± Roy came up to them quietly. He scanned them and confirmed that they were just humans. ¡°And why are you here?¡±


    The man with the big nose whirled around, surprised that Roy could sneak up on them. He pointed his bat at the young witcher and shot him a re. ¡°You wanna know who we are? People you shouldn¡¯t mess with. Now scram! Get your bread at another bakery.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t poke your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong, boy.¡± The other man was fat and had a flushed face, though he pointed his bat at Roy all the same. But when he noticed Roy¡¯s golden eyes, short hair, and well-built body, he started having second thoughts. ¡°O-or you¡¯re getting it.¡±


    Roy shrugged. He didn¡¯t want to waste time with the thugs, so he unsheathed his wooden sword and spun it around before holding it at his waist. He pointed the tip at the thugs and lunged ahead, his torso rxed.


    Roy might have settled this matter another way if they¡¯d been knights or officials from the castle, but since they were only thugs, Roy was confident he could beat them without a problem. Time to test my skills.


    ¡°You little twerp! Think you¡¯re some bigshot, are you?¡± The man with the big nose swung his bat at Roy, but Roy didn¡¯t even dodge the hit. Instead, he stepped ahead and made a horizontal swing, blocking the bat before it could hit his chest. He sped the bat between the de and the crossguard and slid the sword ahead.


    It hit the thug squarely in the chest, and the impact made him tumble back. Before Roy could do anything, he felt a gust of winding from the other side. The fat thug was aiming for Roy¡¯s head, but Roy crouched and evaded the attack.


    The fat thug was about to regroup when he realized his hit missed, and Roy leaped ahead silently and swung his left hand, pping the fat thug with his sword.


    The man fell down while holding his face, and dust flew around him. He gripped his bat as he got ready for a counterattack, but before he could do anything, he felt Roy¡¯s sword inches away from his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Roy shook his head and shot a warning look at the other thug, who was still reeling from the pain. Too slow. It¡¯s like ying a game with severeg. Having double the Dexterity pointspared to a normal human made it easy for him to dodge all oing attacks and dish back some damage at the same time. In the end, the battle was done within three seconds.


    The thugs would be dead if he was using an actual sword, and the battle would have ended sooner if Roy had used his skills, but he didn¡¯t need to use them. It was just like Letho had told him ¡ª if his stats were impossibly higher than his enemies¡¯, one strike would be enough to end the battle. Not that a battle like this is satisfying, though.


    Roy patted the fatty¡¯s face with his wooden sword, and he cast Observe on the thugs. ¡°Hello, Donald. Hello, Frosi. Dennis Cranmer, one of the king¡¯s personal guards, hired me to look into the murders that happened recently. Leave the bakery at once.¡± Roy shot them a threatening re. ¡°If you harass the baker again, I¡¯ll tell Dennis you¡¯re the serial killer.¡±


    ¡°N-no, sir, please! Please, don¡¯t!¡± The fatty trembled in fear. ¡°We¡¯ll piss off right away. I swear to Melitele I¡¯ll nevere near Huckle again!¡±


    ¡°S-same here!¡± The thug with a big nose tossed his bat away quickly.


    ¡°Then get out of my sight right now.¡±


    ***


    After the thugs had scrambled off, Roy ced his sword in his inventory space. He went up to the bakery and was about to knock when he heard someone shuffling within. Then, a familiarly hoarse voice asked, ¡°Is that you, Mr. Roy? Did you¡­¡± He coughed. ¡°Did you chase those bastards away?¡±


    Huckle opened the door ever so slightly, only revealing a part of him. He was gaunt as usual and had aged a lot since theyst met. His hair and beard were grey, same as his clothes. He was unkempt, and his eyes were sunken, bloodshot. Even his back was hunched. He was holding a candbra as a weapon, but Huckle knew he didn¡¯t need it once he saw who was outside. ¡°Why¡¯s your hair ¡ª ¡±


    Roy stopped him before he could ask any questions. ¡°Not a word about that. Burned off by fire.¡± Huckle thought it was weird, but he let Roy in anyway.


    They sat down face to face in the dark kitchen. Roy looked around and noticed there was barely anything in the room, save for a few chairs and the old oven that was attached to the wall. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Huckle. I could barely recognize you. Have you looked at yourself recently? If I didn¡¯t know better, I could have sworn you were a ghost.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°I know Berschel¡¯s death took a toll on you, but you should still take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Roy.¡± Huckle was filled with rage and sorrow when his son was mentioned. ¡°But I could think of nothing but avenging my son. I will find the bastard who hurt my son, and I will kill him.¡±


    ¡°I see. What about those thugs, then?¡± Roy asked. ¡°Why¡¯d they force you to sell the bakery?¡±


    Huckle sighed. ¡°I spent all my money on my son¡¯s case. I don¡¯t have any customers now, and I don¡¯t have enough crowns to keep running the bakery, so I wanted to sell it off for some money. Those bastards found out about it and started threatening me right after I listed the ce on the market. They wanted to purchase it at a price far lower.¡± Huckle glowered. ¡°I say to the shithole with them.¡± He picked the candbra up and swung it in the air. ¡°I¡¯m not a coward. They aren¡¯t getting away with it. I need the money to keep looking into the case, so I¡¯m not going to ept any offer that¡¯s lower than what I want.¡±


    ¡°And nobody¡¯s tackling this?¡± Roy realized the reason the moment he asked the question. ¡°Oh, is it because they¡¯re busy with the murders?¡±


    ¡°Spot on. The knights are busy with the serial murders. They don¡¯t care about extortions. It¡¯s trivial to them. That¡¯s why those bastards got away with it. I would have hired a mercenary to whoop their behind if I had the money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Huckle. I just told them off.¡± Roy looked at him seriously. ¡°They¡¯re getting it if they try to pull anything funny.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Roy.¡± Huckle made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you once the bakery is sold off, though it won¡¯t be much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s fine,¡± Roy declined. He wouldn¡¯t take any payment, since he hadn¡¯t spent too much time on it. They started talking about Berschel¡¯s case. ¡°So what did you find after all this time?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about a lead, then I did find something. At least I didn¡¯t spend my money for nothing.¡± His eyes glimmered when they finally started talking about the case. ¡°Do you remember the exact date of Berschel¡¯s disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Last year¡¯s twenty-seventh of December,¡± Roy said. The scene of Berschel¡¯s death was still fresh in his mind.


    ¡°The knights wouldn¡¯t venture to Wigan at that time under normal circumstances.¡± Huckle nodded. ¡°But it was a special day. I went around the city, and I can confirm that there was one group of knights who left in the morning and came backter in the day.¡±


    ¡°What day was it?¡±


    ¡°The day Queen Ermellia left the city to pray at the temple. She was escorted by a group of knights.¡±


    Roy wondered what Huckle was talking about, so the baker stopped for a moment to exin. ¡°The queen and king have been married for many years, but they aren¡¯t blessed with a child. Melitele¡¯s a goddess of fertility, so you get why she¡¯s praying to her.¡±


    That makes sense. Then Roy realized he had heard something simr before when he was training in the temple. The priestesses were talking about the queen. ¡°Wait? Ermellia? The queen¡¯s name is Ermellia?¡± Roy poked his temples. ¡°That sounds familiar.¡±


    ¡°So you remember.¡± Huckle was happy that his investigation led to something significant. ¡°My poor son said two things before he died. One was the order, while the other was Emily.¡±


    Emily¡­ Ermellia. ¡°Wait. He wasn¡¯t talking about Emily, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. My son said the queen¡¯s name before he died, and I spent a lot of time thinking about it.¡± Huckle was sure his conclusion was right. ¡°Berschel mentioned the order and the queen, so the bastard who hurt him must be among the group that escorted the queen that day.¡±


    Huckle¡¯s face was flushed with anger, and he was trembling. ¡°I don¡¯t know why that bastard left his post, I don¡¯t know why he went to Wigan, and I don¡¯t know why he hurt my son, but by Melitele, I will get my hands on him and drag the answer out of him.¡± Huckle¡¯s chest heaved as he let out a few heavy breaths. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Roy?¡±


    Roy put his chin on the back of his hand. ¡°Does Berschel know Ermellia?¡± He gave it some thought, but something seemed off about Huckle¡¯s conclusion.


    ¡°Of course he does. Everyone and their mother has seen her majesty. She¡¯s a gorgeous and gentle woman.¡±


    ¡°Did Berschel know she would visit the temple that day?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Huckle hesitated for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Berschel didn¡¯t know? Then why did he say her name?


    Huckle suddenly went to the living room and came back with a piece of wrinkled paper that had names written on it. The one who wrote the names had obviously never written before, for the writing was nearly illegible. ¡°I bribed a servant of the pce. Spent most of my money to get my hands on this list. This is the list of the knights who escorted the queen. There are fifteen of them. Take a look.¡±


    Roy was impressed that Huckle managed to go that far to avenge his son. If Huckle¡¯s assumption was true, then the knight who hurt Berschel would be among the escort team. He took the list from Huckle and read through it. ¡°Linton Forman, Simon Patrigadin, Clyde Grint, Sylvester Beidi.¡± Roy paused for a moment, since he saw a familiar name, though that particr knight was already dead. ¡°Arthur Tailles.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a copy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one, then.¡± Roy decided to tell him a bit about the reason he wanted the list. ¡°I¡¯m helping his majesty¡¯s guard for the time being, so I might juste across the knights. I¡¯ll look into this if I get the chance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Roy.¡± Huckle stood up straight and held his hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two hundred crowns if you can get that bastard for me.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°Take care, Huckle. Stop beating yourself up.¡± He didn¡¯t refuse the offer this time. Going against the knights was risky, so it was sort of a request. He didn¡¯t want to stay over for too long, so Roy took his leave.


    ***


    Dusk had descended when he left the bakery. Since it would be inconvenient to visit the victims¡¯ homes at that point, Roy went to the ces where their bodies had been found. However, he couldn¡¯t find anything. Thetest death had happened two weeks ago, while the first one had happened three months back. It had been too long since then, and the knights had searched the whole ce, ruining any clues that might have been left behind.


    Roy activated his witcher senses to see if he could pick anything up, but he found nothing. He didn¡¯t give up at first and searched into the night. Three hourster, he came back to the inn. Roy took out a journal with a ck leather cover from his inventory space and recorded the results of the investigation for the day.


    He¡¯d requested a notebook and quill from Nenneke after he became a witcher so he could record all his adventures. There were the records of the childhunter in the House of Cardell, the leshen in Mount Carbon, the nekker chieftain in Smiack, and n the werewolf in the notebook. If Roy survived his adventures, he could give the notebook to his own disciple. If he didn¡¯t, then the notebook would be proof that he lived.


    ¡®Twentieth of May, year 1261.


    The serial murders of Ender City.


    Victims investigated:


    Farquhar. Embezzled money. Had a wife and two kids.


    Jarre the beggar. Lost both of his legs. Veryzy.


    Letho is still missing. Two trails of blood found at the scene of his disappearance.¡¯


    ***


    Once he was done recording, Roy meditated for fifteen minutes to regain his strength. Then he left the inn and hid in a remote corner of the city. Not even the moonlight could prate the darkness of the ce, and no guards patrolled.


    It wouldn¡¯t be possible to keep on investigating in the dark, and he had to keep up with his training. It had been months since hest trained. Roy clenched his fists, and Gwyhyr appeared in his hand. He crouched slightly, rxed his muscles, and stood in a lunge position with his left leg forward. Roy held the sword horizontally by his face, the de pointing at where his enemy¡¯s throat would be. As usual, he practiced the five stances, the basics, and the footwork.


    Roy had gotten quicker after passing the trial. Every movement was explosive, but the transitions still felt awkward, since he wasn¡¯t used to his newfound strength as of yet. The only way to adapt was to train every day.


    Roy was drenched in sweat after an hour of training, but he didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he switched Gwyhyr out for Gabriel. There was one thing he wanted to try, and that was Gabriel¡¯s new effect ¡ª Guided Arrows. First, he fired a normal shot at a tree to see how far it would pierce through the trunk. The bolt managed to bury itself a few centimeters into the trunk.


    Then he cast Guided Arrows, and the moment he pulled the trigger, he felt something weird happening to him. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that his mana was being concentrated onto the crossbow.


    ¡®Mana -20¡¯


    The bolt soared through the air, and Roy didn¡¯t stop firing. Three secondster, Roy had fired seven shots, losing a huge portion of his mana.


    ¡®Mana: 5/145¡¯


    The moment he stopped shooting, he felt a wave of exhaustion crash down on him. Everything around him turned white and distorted, as if he were going on an LSD trip. Roy knew he was about to faint, but he bent over and held his knees to stay awake.


    The dizzinesssted for more than ten seconds before finally going away. ¡°Good thing I tested it out before going into a fight.¡± Roy realized his body would react adversely if he exhausted his mana too quickly. ¡°Gotta be careful.¡±


    After he had regained his bearings, Roy checked on the arrows that had the Guided Arrow effect cast on them. They were buried deeper in the treepared to the normal shots, around fifty percent more. The system calls this a slight increment? The power up is huge.


    Roy kept up his archery practice, and he noticed his mana had gone up by one point after an hour. He arched his eyebrow in dissatisfaction. ¡°Guess it¡¯s because I have barely any affinity with the elements.¡±


    He never expected his mana to replenish so slowly when he wasn¡¯t meditating. In other words, he couldn¡¯t keep using Guided Arrows unless he had potions that could replenish his mana quickly. Once he found out about that, Roy finished his practice for the night and went back to the inn to meditate.


    I¡¯ll test the range and tracking ability next time. Gotta get some fast and nimble targets. They make the best test subjects.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 123

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 123: Crime</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy¡¯s mana was fully replenished once he exited meditation six hourster, much to his relief. If he couldn¡¯t fully replenish his mana in one session, that¡¯d make Guided Arrows useless in battle, since he would also have to spend mana on signs in the future.


    He washed himself up before traveling to the pce. Dennis was already waiting for him, and together they went to the servant¡¯s room. Roy wanted to look into the third victim that day.


    On their way there, the duo came face to face with a few knights in shining armor, literally. The knight taking the lead was none other than the order¡¯s captain ¡ª Clevnd. He was apanied by two burly knights, and all of them looked frustrated. Roy could hear Clevnd cursing under his breath as they walked by them.


    ¡°Curses. The wanted poster¡¯s been hanging for days, but nobody managed to get anyone at all? The order¡¯s going to lose favor with his majesty at this rate. Hell, we might even get chased out of Ender.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Captain Clevnd. The portrait¡¯s too vague for anyone to see. I can understand why nobody¡¯s turning anybody in yet. Besides, Mr. Letho¡¯s missing right now. It¡¯ll be hard for us to find someone who¡¯s deliberately hiding himself in a city this big without a witcher¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°Hold up. What did you say? We need a witcher¡­ That¡¯s right!¡± Clevnd looked around, and his eyes lit up at the sight of Roy. ¡°Have you found anything, Mr. Roy?¡± He strode to Roy.


    The young witcher shook his head. ¡°It took Letho two months to track down the killer. I just got here, so don¡¯t get your hopes up just yet.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡± Clevnd froze for a moment. ¡°But the killer might be on the move again.¡± He sighed. ¡°He¡¯s already killed six civilians by now. I know he¡¯ll kill again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already looking into it, but I need time.¡± Roy noticed someone was staring at him from behind Clevnd. ¡°And who might they be?¡±


    ¡°My partners. They¡¯re the pirs of the order. This one is Sebastian Beidi, while this one is Simon Patrigadin.¡±


    Sebastian was a burly man with a huge scar on his chin, and he looked unapproachable, while Simon had lustrous golden hair that resembled a lion¡¯s mane and facial features fierce enough to pair with it. Roy could see a blue rose tattoo on Simon¡¯s exposed neck, but that wasn¡¯t the point. The point was Roy recognized their names from Huckle¡¯s list. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, knights. I¡¯ll tell you if I find anything, Mr. Clevnd.¡±


    ¡°Come to us if you need any help, Mr. Roy. We¡¯ll be happy to assist.¡± Clevnd then shot Dennis a dirty look before leaving them alone.


    After the knights had gone away, Roy asked, ¡°Is Patrigadin an aristocrat¡¯s kid?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too good-looking to be a knight. And there¡¯s something else about him, so I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Dennis walked straight into the luscious flower bed beside them and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been a guard for many years, and part of my job requires me to look into the noble families and their crests. Patrigadin used to be a big noble family in Nazair, a country south of Cintra, but ever since Nilfgaard conquered it, a part of the family moved to Temeria and stayed there. Their family worked hard for the kingdom and managed to reim their status of nobility.¡±


    ¡°What about the knight with a scar on his chin?¡±


    ¡°A native of Vizima. He¡¯s a stubborn one. Dispatched to the city along with Clevnd.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about the order.¡± Roy wanted to help Huckle out a bit with the case. ¡°The official knights, not the disciples.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked to all the members who got dispatched here. Not many. About twenty of them.¡± Dennis pinched his beard. ¡°Had to do it, you know. We guards and them knights are always at loggerheads. Gotta be on the guard in case they try to pull anything funny.¡±


    ¡°Um, can you look into these people, then?¡± Roy took out the list Huckle gave him. ¡°I want to know where they came from, their families, their idiosyncrasies, and their daily lives.¡±


    Dennis shot him a curious look, but he took the list without asking any question. ¡°Sure. You¡¯ve been helping me out with the case, so consider this a bit of repayment. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    ***


    The duo finally went to see the guy of the day ¡ª Alex. He was the roommate and friend of the dead servant, Chasel. And he was also a servant. Alex was wearing a dull brown jacket, blue pants with white stripes, and yellow boots. His face was clean shaved, and he looked slightly feminine. Alex had light makeup on, and his jet-ck hair was tied up in a ponytail. Roy could also taste the scent of perfume on him.


    For some reason, he reminded Roy of the boy toys kept by the aristocrats. And Alex¡¯s voice was soft and shrill, making Roy ufortable. The only saving grace was that Alex moved like a man instead of a woman.


    Alex was disgusting to Roy, but the young witcher held down his nausea. ¡°I¡¯m sure the knights have asked a lot of questions, Alex, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for. I need some different answers.¡±


    Dennis was ying the bad cop to make the investigation easier. ¡°This is important, so you have to tell the truth. I¡¯ll know if you¡¯re lying, and you won¡¯t get off easily.¡±


    ¡°O-of course, sir. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± Alex bowed fearfully.


    ¡°Tell me about your roommate. How did he get along with everyone?¡± Roy stared at him, and Alex looked down at the ground.


    ¡°He got along with everyone well. Says hi whenever he ran into anyone, and he was a nice guy, too. Never heard of him getting into trouble with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Was he a criminal, then? Petty thefts count, too.¡± Farquhar¡¯s case reminded Roy that not everyone was what they imed to be at first.


    ¡°No, no, no, sir,¡± the servant answered nervously. ¡°Chasel wouldn¡¯t take anything from the castle, even if it were thest thing he did. Why, that would cost him his life. Nobody would do it.¡±


    ¡°Was he azy man, then? Did he ck off?¡± Roy wanted to see if the killer had a specific trait in mind when he killed.


    ¡°No. Quite the opposite, actually.¡± Alex gave it some thought. ¡°He was a hardworking man.¡±


    ¡°Did he have any addictions, then?¡± If the killer is a vignte, decadence would be the first thing he would punish.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Alex hesitated to talk about that.


    ¡°Is that hesitation, I hear?¡± Dennis looked impatient. ¡°Keep any secrets and I¡¯ll tell the majesty you¡¯replicit.¡±


    Alex quivered in terror. ¡°No, please. I¡¯ll tell you everything. Chasel¡­ Chasel loved to take a bite out of people¡¯s food whenever nobody was looking.¡±


    ¡°He stole food?¡± Roy and Dennis looked at each other, surprised.


    Stealing food wasn¡¯t that much of a deal in the castle, but that depended on the situation. If Hereward didn¡¯t know about it, then all was well. Even if he did find out about it, he mightugh it off if he were in a good mood. But if he were in a bad mood, say because of a certain serial killer still on the loose for months on end, then he might just kill the servant off.


    Dennis wanted to ask more, but he decided against it. ¡°I won¡¯t tell his majesty about this, so tell me everything you know. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Cranmer!¡± Alex was overjoyed and nearly groveled before them. ¡°Chasel wasn¡¯t a greedy man. He never showed any desire for money or power, but he loved food. And technically, Mr. Roy¡¯s right. He stole a bit of food he served whenever nobody was looking.¡±


    ¡°A bit? That¡¯s an understatement, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roy asked.


    Alex picked his next words carefully. ¡°The servants would finish his and her majesty¡¯s leftovers. Chasel was a glutton, so he ate the most every time.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Roy nodded and waved him down. Alex heaved a sigh of relief before scurrying off.


    Roy spent a moment piecing the information he had gotten thus far together. Farquhar was killed because of his greed. Barre was killed because of his sloth. Chasel was killed because of his gluttony. Arthur¡­ If I had to say anything about that knight who tried to duel Letho, then I would say he was arrogant. So, pride, huh? We have six victims right now. The number¡¯s not right, but it¡¯s only a matter of time.


    An idea struck Roy. All the crimes the victims hadmitted could be summed up in one phrase, but Roy found it unbelievable. He massaged his temple as he processed the possibility of that concept. ¡°Impossible,¡± he muttered. ¡°That¡¯s Christianity through and through. That concept shouldn¡¯t exist here. I¡¯ve never even heard of it. I might be imagining things, but I need more proof.¡±


    If he were truly a native of the witcher world, he wouldn¡¯t have even thought of that possibility, but since he used to be an earthling, he had an idea about the bigger picture.


    ¡°Roy, about what you said earlier¡­ You were saying that Chasel was killed because he stole some food? That¡¯s preposterous.¡± Dennis broke his train of thought. He couldn¡¯t understand why Roy even posed that question to begin with.


    Since Dennis was too short to be the killer, Roy thought he could tell him a bit about his assumption. They came to a quiet room, and Roy said, ¡°I think I finally caught on to the killer¡¯s motives after all this time, but it¡¯s just a guess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do tell.¡± Dennis was getting excited. ¡°Don¡¯t keep it to yourself like your mentor did. That¡¯s going to make things hard.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start off with Tailles. What do you think about him?¡±


    Dennis tilted his head. ¡°Lofty, arrogant bastard.¡± Then he saw Roy squatting down and wrote Arthur¡¯s name on the ground before adding the word ¡®pride¡¯ under his name. Roy looked at him quietly, signaling him to go on.


    ¡°Think about the way he died. He was kneeling with his heart in his hands. I think the killer¡¯s trying to tell him to be humble.¡± Roy stopped for a moment to let Dennis process the information.


    ¡°Next, Farquhar. I looked into his case and found out he did something before his death. He tried to take money from the bank.¡± Roy added the word ¡®greed¡¯ under Farquhar¡¯s name. ¡°But he was killed before he could get away with it. His fingers were sliced off, and his eyes were gouged out. The killer was trying to send a message of self-control.


    ¡°Chasel the servant snuck food out without anyone knowing. His sin was gluttony. The killer sewed his mouth shut to keep his gluttony in check. Bruce the butcher was a hothead, making wrath his sin. Barre¡¯s sin was sloth. Boris the Fleetfoot used to be a racing champion, but he spiraled down a path of self-destruction after his loss. He envied his rivals, but he vented all that envy on his horse in the form of torture. His sin was envy.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t even love himself and stand back up, making him worse than his horse, who stayed by his side until the very end. The killer switched their insides to send a message of love. Twisted, I¡¯d say.¡± Roy stopped for a moment. ¡°The victims embodied the worst sins of humanity.¡±


    Realization struck Dennis, but that only served to shock him more. ¡°You¡¯re saying the killer¡¯s cleansing the world of sins?¡±


    ¡°These are just petty crimes in most cases, so the killer¡¯s probably a heretic or an extremist. He¡¯s trying to perform a ritual through bloodshed. And a systematic one, at that.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°He has cleansed six sins so far, so that means there¡¯s only one left ¡ª lust. That¡¯s thest of the seven deadly sins. The killer has one target left.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Roy.¡± Dennis was intrigued. ¡°Why¡¯s it ¡®seven deadly sins¡¯? Care to exin? Why that particr number? Which religion started this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard about the seven deadly sins before?¡±


    Dennis shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not a theologist, but I¡¯ve lived a long life. I had a conversation with a theologist about all the major religions¡¯ doctrines, but not even one in all the northern kingdoms has the concept of the seven deadly sins. Not Lebioda, not Melitele, not Eternal Fire. Heck, not even small-time religions like Kreve or the Lionheaded Spider ever talked about that concept. The seven deadly sins effectively don¡¯t exist here.¡±


    Roy spaced out for a moment and smiled dryly. I could have been taking this the wrong way. The killer might just be doing this at random.


    Dennis didn¡¯t want to douse Roy¡¯s enthusiasm, so he continued, ¡°Maybe I haven¡¯t been looking into this religion business deep enough. The deaths match your description, and eerily so, I might add. He might just be cleansing thend of the seven deadly sins, just like what you said.¡±


    Roy sighed. If not even the Eternal Fire or Kreve have the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins, then what¡¯s the reason behind the murders? Why do all the deaths match my assumption? Or could there be a secret religion in the city?


    Dennis broke his train of thought again. ¡°If the final sin is lust, shouldn¡¯t we be keeping an eye out on all the brothels and inns in the city?¡±


    Roy pondered on the suggestion. ¡°Yeah, but keep it quiet, or the target will know something¡¯s up. Dispatch a guard or two for every brothel and inn, and keep everyone else close to the pce. The deaths happened around this ce, and two of the victims were rted to the royal family. The killer might pick his final victim from the staff.¡±


    ¡°I need to make a trip to the temple, so get prepared in the meantime.¡± Roy thought he could find some answers about thend¡¯s religions among the sea of books in the temple¡¯s library, and Jarre the librarian could help him out too.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 124

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 124: Travel Records and Rituals</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The evening breeze traveled across the second floor of the library, making Jarre¡¯s hair billow in the air. Jarre pulled the curtains down to keep the sunlight out, then he rubbed his aching eyes and wrists. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Roy,¡± he grumbled. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking the whole afternoon! I¡¯m just a normal guy! Can¡¯t you give me a break? I¡¯m not as strong as you witchers!¡±


    ¡°Keep it up,d!¡± Roy bellowed. He was still as energetic as ever, without so much as a hint of lethargy in his voice. ¡°The sooner we find it, the sooner I can save Letho from that bastard. And you told me you saw the seven deadly sins in a travel record this morning, didn¡¯t you? Let¡¯s skim through all the travel records, then. I¡¯m sure we can find it there.¡±


    ¡°Dammit! I should have copied down all the books in the library! Before, I would have known where I¡¯d seen that damn concept right away!¡± Jarre yelled and went back to the search.


    For a while, the library was filled with nothing but the sound of flipping pages. A long, long whileter, Jarre was only holding on by a thread of consciousness. His eyes were red, and tears were starting to stream down his cheeks. Even so, he was still skimming through the pages, then he noticed one particr book, and his eyes widened. ¡°Come here, Roy!¡± He mmed the table and shot up. ¡°I found it!¡±


    ¡°Good job,d. ¡°Van Zeron¡¯s Travels to the South.¡±


    Jarre cracked open the yellowed cover and underlined the sentences with his finger. ¡°Van Zeron, born 1168, died 1239. A proselytizer of the Temple of Melitele. Traveled to Nilfgaard in 1215 and ventured the south for ten years beforeing back to the temple and authoring this book. This book details the life of the Nilfgaardians, their culture, and their beliefs. Page thirty-nine. Nilfgaard.¡±


    Roy huddled closer and read along.


    ¡®Today, I arrived at the capital of Nilfgaard, the City of Golden Towers. This magnificent city that sits beside Alba is the beating heart of Nilfgaard¡¯s empire. To the locals, only those who live in the city and its vicinity are true Nilfgaardians. Everyone else in the empire is not afforded this status.


    ¡®Yaruga is situated right beside the city, and with the biggest harbor within the city¡¯s jurisdiction, it lent a great advantage to it, making it the economic hub of the south. The City of Golden Towers is also the south¡¯s cultural and religious center. The headquarters of the south¡¯s biggest religion is situated in the city.


    ¡®Nilfgaard¡¯s biggest religion¡¯s origins started in 1207, which is seven years ago. The king back then was Fergus var Emreis, and he made a radical change to the empire¡¯s policies and religions. Most religions were banned and criminalized, save for one ¡ª the Great Sun. And thus, Nilfgaard¡¯s biggest religion was born.


    ¡®Fergus var Emreis decreed the Great Sun to be Nilfgaard¡¯s official religion and installed himself as the church¡¯s great priest. He made the clergymen the empire¡¯s officials, effectively merging religion and governance. A smart move by Fergus, since it centralized power and brought the empire¡¯s people together.¡¯


    As a proselytizer, Van Zeron introduced the religion of the Great Sun extensively.


    ¡®Glory be to the great sun. Praise the sun! ~ Nilfgaardian hymn.


    ¡®The Great Sun thus rose to prominence in the south. While the temple of Melitele employs the system of matriarchy, the Great Sun sees its system led exclusively by men. The great priests and ministers are all men, of course. Those men believe that the sun is the giver of all life in our world. They believe that the sun is a giver of life and humanity¡¯s protector, but at the same time, the sun is cruel and destructive.


    ¡®While Melitele preaches tolerance and eptance, the dark side of the Great Sun is the total opposite of this. By chance, I found out about a hidden doctrine of the Great Sun. Fergus wrote down the seven deadly sins in a hidden book as a deterrent for the church¡¯s core members. The seven deadly sins are: greed, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, lust, and pride. Every year, the church secretly picks those who havemitted the seven deadly sins from the death row inmates to perform a sacred ritual known to few on.


    ¡®They sacrifice the flesh of the sinners to appease the great sun, to pray for its cleansing of sins and the birth of all things good. They believe the sun will grant them their wish. There must not be a drop of innocent blood spilled by any partakers of the ritual, or the purity of the sacrifice will be tainted. Since most of the religion¡¯s believers are men, they usually ask for partners.


    ¡®A nice intent, but the sacrifice is inhumane. They might have sinned, or at least that¡¯s what the believers say, but that¡¯s no reason to kill. If they keep this up for a prolonged period, I believe a disaster will soone for them.


    ¡®(Afternote: as expected. It is the year 1236, and fortunately, I have a semnce of sanity left. I have heard about the news of a usurper taking over the throne of Nilfgaard. Ever since then, the Great Sun lost its dominant status in the empire.)¡¯


    ***


    ¡°The Great Sun?¡± Roy wondered about the religion for a bit, while realization struck Jarre.


    ¡°No wonder we didn¡¯t find anything in the northern religions. The seven deadly sins originated in the north, and it involves a secret ritual. The religion onlysted for thirty years and waned after the emperor¡¯s fall. This is probably the only record about the Great Sun among all the books here.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Roy muttered. ¡°The Great Sun is making aeback.¡± Fergus var Emreis was Emhyr var Emreis¡¯ father. Fergus was killed by an usurper, but Emhyr avenged his father a few years ago, killing the usurper and taking back his throne. Thanks to him, the Great Sun made aeback in the empire.


    Hamlet, witcher version. Really? Roy thought that it was possible for a Great Sun extremist to be hiding in Ender, since the religion was making aeback, and the empire was moving north with its conquest. ¡°Logically speaking, the higher vampire is a remnant of the Great Sun. ording to the records, he¡¯s killing the sinners who havemitted the seven deadly sins as a sacrifice for his god. The killer¡¯s a tall, male, higher vampire, and the believers partake in the ceremony to pray for the woman they love. This might be the killer¡¯s motive. And it¡¯s not a coincidence that the bodies were found near the castle.¡± Roy had a solemn look on his face, much to Jarre¡¯s confusion. ¡°There¡¯s a woman in the castle whom the killer likes, and he¡¯s showing his love for her through bloodshed. But killing seven people over a servant would be a bit too much. That means thedy must be of high status.¡±


    ¡°Does King Hereward have any daughters?¡±


    Roy¡¯s sudden question made Jarre jump. He thought about it for a moment and stammered, ¡°N-no. His majesty has no children. D-did you get something, Roy? Please don¡¯t scare me like that. I¡¯ve pulled an all-nighter. At this rate, I think I¡¯m gonna faint.¡±


    Roy ignored hisints. ¡°I see.¡± He remembered reading Hereward¡¯s rtive seeding his throne after his death. If Hereward had a daughter, he wouldn¡¯t have let that guy take his throne. ¡°If he has no daughter¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°Then why did the killer do this? The woman must be a coveted one.¡± Nilfgaard¡¯s Great Sun, sacrifices, pce, woman. Roy had an idea who the killer liked, but the thought made him shiver. I-it can¡¯t be¡­


    ¡°And the killer beat Letho.¡± It¡¯s probably a higher vampire. He had a suspect, but he hadn¡¯t been sure about it, until now. The guy¡¯s stats looked normal at first nce, but since higher vampires could shapeshift just like cursed ones, they could hide themselves from Observe. Roy suspected that the guy¡¯s hidden identity was a higher vampire, and now that he found out about the killer¡¯s motive, it was time to take the fight to him.


    ¡°Jarre, give this to Mother Nenneke if I don¡¯te back by tomorrow night.¡±


    The road ahead was dark and dangerous, but Roy had to press on, for Letho needed his help. He took a deep breath and checked his alchemy supplies, and he shot up.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 125

    <b>Reaper Scans</b>


    <b>Chapter 125: Expose</b>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Francis stood before the bed after the sordid deed, taking his time to tie his bowtie. A toothy, satisfied grin curled his crimson lips, his teeth gleaming under the light.


    The woman on the bed was also smiling, but her eyes were closed. Her smile was blissful and sweet, as if she were having a nice dream.


    ¡°Sleep tight, my darling.¡± Francis sent a flying kiss her way before striding out of the room.


    ***


    The House of Peacocks¡¯ business was booming that night. The first floor¡¯s lobby was filled with Enderians winding down after a day¡¯s work. The bartender was shaking the booze at blinding speed, while theborers were wiping off the sweat and beer from their chins before downing another ss of cheap, intoxicating wine.


    The gamblers were standing around the table, staring unblinkingly at the rare Gwent cards and the gleaming pile of crowns on the board. The dolled-up waitresses were moving around the lobby, serving drinks to the customers. Once in a while, some patrons would cop a feel of their butts, and they would chuckle with lust.


    All of a sudden, the bard on the stage plucked away at his lute at a faster pace, hyping the lobby up. The slightly heavy air from earlier was swept away as the musicians yed an upbeat tune with the garmon. The patrons startedughing, cheering, and dancing. They sweated, drank, and yed into the night, indulging themselves in decadence.


    Francis was looking down from the second floor. He extended his arms, closed his eyes, and took a deep, indulgent breath.


    Night


    The dress of the dancer


    Wouldn¡¯t you have a rest


    And drink in this enjoyable zest


    He nodded in approval. ¡°It¡¯s a good night tonight. Inspiration keeps flowing.¡± He went down and jostled against the throng as he twirled his fingers, thinking about his unfinished poem.


    When he was about to get to the door, someone suddenly blocked his way, and a young man with golden eyes raised a ss at him. ¡°Care to have a drink, coroner?¡±


    ¡°Oh, when did you get here? I didn¡¯t see you. Looks like indulging too much in women has dulled my senses.¡± Francis sat down in frustration. ¡°So, why did you ask for me, witcher? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s for a simple ss of wine, eh?¡±


    Roy shoved him a ss of booze. ¡°Just wondering why you would frequent a brothel at night after working with the dead for a whole day when most people would be thinking about their life choices.¡±


    Francis took a sip of the liquor and grinned toothily. ¡°Easy. The living and the dead are both beautiful in their own rights. They deserve an anthology of poems to describe their beauty. I take a lot of inspiration for my poems from the flesh of the living and the somber decadence of death.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re as passionate for poems as ever,¡± Roy praised him.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a poet, first and foremost. Everything elsees second, including my job as coroner. Poems are the most beautiful thing in the world. Nothinges close to it,¡± Francis said convincingly. His voice was piercing and passionate. Even though the lobby was loud, everyone could still hear him clearly.


    ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± Roy said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to focus on just the living and the dead for your poems. Expand your horizons. Take inspiration from something else.¡±


    ¡°For example?¡±


    ¡°Nature, buildings, and such.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is more epic than life and death.¡± He puffed his chest. ¡°Why should I stoop so low for my poems?¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± Roy shrugged. ¡°But the living and the dead are different things for me. They aren¡¯t the same species anymore, just like how monsters and humans are different.¡±


    Francis crossed his arms, and Roy continued, ¡°Corpses can spread diseases and gues that can wipe out humanity, be turned into puppets of destruction by necromancers, and some can even give birth and nourish necrophages. The dead are the enemies of the living.¡±


    ¡°I almost forgot you were a witcher.¡± Francis leaned backnguidly. ¡°I knew your kind wouldn¡¯t be artistic enough to create poems over wine. Everything is a dichotomy to you. Someone¡¯s either human or non-human to your kind. They¡¯re either prey or clients, am I right? I know you¡¯d disagree, but mere words won¡¯t be enough to change my mind. I have a dream.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Roy smiled warmly, and he finally cut to the chase, ¡°All I¡¯m saying is to not get obsessed with death and corpses. And you should never please the living with a gift of death.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Francis shot up, and the temperature around him dropped sharply. The patrons around him started curling up, as if they were assailed by a cold gale.


    Roy stood up, too. He finished the whole ss of wine and heaved a sigh of satisfaction. ¡°I came across something interesting in the city recently. A non-human has fallen in love with a human woman. And that woman¡¯s a noble. That non-human did a lot of seemingly iprehensible things to show his love for her. And no, I¡¯m not talking about dwarves or elves here.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of stories where subuses ¡®fell in love¡¯ with humans only for the men to get their life sucked out of them. I¡¯ve also heard of how an ancient higher vampire fell in love with a human woman just to be yed like a fool in the end. But none of their love was as deep as the non-human in this city¡¯s. He killed and killed, risking the exposure of his hidden identity just to please the woman he loves.¡± Roy smiled. ¡°Mr. Francis, or should I call you a higher vampire, now? I¡¯m not a fool who only demands blood. Now, let us talk in peace.¡±


    Roy¡¯s voice was drowned out by the noises in the lobby, but he knew Francis heard everything clearly.


    And then, Francis smiled at him, revealing a pair of sharp, canine teeth. Roy cast Observe on him again and realized the grey ball of energy behind Francis had turned into a gigantic, humanoid bat.


    ¡®Francis


    Age: Three hundred and ten years old


    Status: Coroner, poet, higher vampire (A higher vampire has bared his fangs at you. You have seen through the veil shrouded in red, revealing his true form. Higher vampires rest at the top of the vampire pyramid. Compared to his lower brethren, higher vampires¡¯ behaviors resemble that of humans.)


    HP: ?? (Requires higher Perception)


    Mana: ??


    Strength: ??


    Dexterity: ??


    Constitution: ??


    Perception: 18


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: ??


    Skills:


    Crimson Hunger ??: Higher vampires do not need blood for sustenance, but they can get addicted to blood. Consuming fresh blood in battle allows them to heal normal injuries quickly.


    Hyper Regeneration ??: Garlic, fire, and wooden stakes are ineffective against higher vampires. They have a long life expectancy and possess powerful regenerative abilities. Even if they are decapitated or have their hearts gouged out, they can regenerate their lost organs slowly. Some powerful higher vampires can revive, even after being turned to ash, though it would take a long time.


    In a sense, only a higher vampire can vanquish a higher vampire.


    Hypnosis ??: Casts a hypnotic spell on the target, causing them to open up and listen to the caster¡¯s orders.


    Invisibility ??: Changes the color of the caster¡¯s skin, allowing them to blend in with their environment. The human eye is unable to see through the caster¡¯s camouge.


    Spread ??: Turns into a group of bats and dodges any iing attacks. Allows for high-speed movement.


    Scarlet Summoning ??: Allows the caster to forciblymand any nearby, low-ranking bloodsuckers to assist them in battle. Including but not limited to: bats, bruxa, and ekimmara.


    Flesh of Blood ??: Releases all the power contained within the caster, turning them into a gigantic bat. The caster¡¯s stats are greatly increased in this form, and they gain the ability to fly. The caster will be overwhelmed by bloodlust and lose all sanity. They will also grow fangs and ws.


    Higher Perception required for more information.¡¯


    Roy gulped and froze.


    <b>***</b>


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    <b>***</b>

 Chapter 126: Denial

    Francis roared withughter, andugh lines appeared on his face. His fangs had already disappeared, and he didn¡¯t seem furious about getting exposed either. It was as if Roy had told him a marvelously hrious joke. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be a witcher, boy. With that kind of imagination, you could have been a bestselling author. You can write an interspecies romance novel titled ¡®A Loving Vampire and The yful Lady.¡¯ Has a ring to it, eh? I know a few guys who work in the industry. Sure, they don¡¯t have the artistic sense to appreciate and publish my anthology, but boy do they know how to sell. I can introduce them to you.¡± His eyes gleamed with mockery. ¡°The nobles love all things bizarre, boy. More than the peasants do. I have a feeling that the novel is going to be a hit. You¡¯re going to be rich, witcher. Rich. You can say goodbye to the witcher life and be a bestselling author.¡±


    Roy stared at Francis closely, but he didn¡¯t see anything that indicated that the coroner was nervous. <em>Either he¡¯s a good actor, or he¡¯s¡­ </em>


    ¡°Denying it, huh? I knew higher vampires wouldn¡¯t reveal who they really were to a witcher, not even the moderates. Speaking of which, I happen to know quite a few higher vampires from the moderate faction, like Regis.¡± He continued the lie without batting an eye. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but he actually lived in a vige in Sodden, pretending to be a human. A four-hundred-year-old higher vampire, pretending to be a human. He worked as a healer <em>and </em>a barber. That guy¡¯s one charming character. Knows how to make peopleugh, too.¡±


    Francis¡¯ expression changed for a split second, but Roy shrewdly noticed it. <em>He¡¯s reminiscing about something. Good. </em>Roy kept piling up the lies. ¡°There¡¯s only around two thousand higher vampires on the continent, and you¡¯ve been around for three hundred years, so you probably know who Regis is. And there¡¯s also a gorgeous one in Vizima¡¯s Trading Quarter. The one they call Queen of the Night. She runs a brothel.¡±


    Francis finally stopped smiling. He crossed his arms and looked at Roy seriously. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve underestimated you, witcher. You know a lot for someone your age. Come with me. This is no ce for a heavy conversation.¡± He left the inn, and Roy followed him reluctantly.


    The silvery moonlight bathed down on them silently. Using his perception, Roy realized Francis¡¯ true form ¡ª the bat ¡ª was starting to p its fleshy wings, absorbing all the moonlight, as if it were a ck hole. <em>Higher vampires are really blessed. </em>Roy was slightly envious of them, since they could grow stronger without any training at all. As long as they kept growing, they could keep getting stronger. If any higher vampire managed to survive for long enough, they could even be someone like the Unseen Elder.


    Once they left the hustle and bustle of the urban area behind, Francis went into a silent alley and leaned against the wall. Then he rubbed his right hand with his left, as if it were a weapon. ¡°Bold of you toe with me, witcher. I could just kill you here and now, you know?¡± The gigantic bat behind him opened its eyes maliciously. ¡°And nobody would know I¡¯m a higher vampire.¡±


    Roy could feel a chill running down his spine as Francis¡¯ killing intent came into contact with him, but he forced himself to shake his head. ¡°Anyone who takes part in the Great Sun¡¯s ceremony won¡¯t spill any blood aside from the sinners¡¯, because it ruins the ritual¡¯s sanctity. I¡¯ve looked into it. And that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t kill the pursuing knights. You¡¯re one sinner away frompleting the ritual, so I think you wouldn¡¯t want to ruin it when it¡¯s so close topletion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Francis looked amused, as if it were all a big joke. ¡°You think I¡¯m the killer? You think I¡¯m performing some sort of ritual? I¡¯m sorry, but you got it all wrong.¡± Francis looked at him pitifully, as if Roy had walked straight into a trap unknowingly. ¡°I¡¯m not the killer you¡¯re looking for, and I don¡¯t care about having no blood on my hands. Also, the knights didn¡¯t pursue me. You witchers did. Make one wrong step here, and I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Roy¡¯s face fell. He clenched his sweaty fists and concentrated on the bomb in his inventory, ready to toss it at Francis at any moment. ¡°Fine, keep your secrets. In the name of the Viper School, I can forget about everything and stay out of the case if you tell me where Letho is, so I can get him back.¡±


    ¡°Naive, aren¡¯t you?¡± Francis shrugged. ¡°And I don¡¯t know where the witcher is right now, nor do I care about him.¡±


    Roy was looking somber at that point. ¡°But if you¡¯re not the killer, why¡¯d Letho set up an ambush then?¡± He had a bad feeling about it.


    Francis stared up at the moon. ¡°Just like you, Letho managed to find out what I truly was, but not as fast as you did. He wasted a month before catching up to me, and he wasn¡¯t as polite as you are. Nay, he was brutish. Your mentor seemed to prefer talking through his de. He held me at depoint, threatening to expose me to everyone if I didn¡¯t fight him. There was nothing but rage and hatred in his eyes that night. I didn¡¯t understand why a witcher would think aw-abiding vampire like myself would be more of a threat than a literal serial killer. But I went all out nheless. It had been a long time since I¡¯d had such a satisfying battle, so much so that I wrote a lot of poems right after that. Couldn¡¯t help it when inspiration overwhelmed me. I didn¡¯t even care about my injuries, either.¡± Francis licked his lips, clenching his fists tightly.


    On the other hand, Roy was utterly confused. He thought Francis had no reason to lie to a rookie witcher like him, but if he wasn¡¯t the killer, why did Letho go after him? <em>Francis made Letho look like a vampire hater, but Letho¡¯s not someone who¡¯d do anything rash. </em>Roy had never seen Letho show any emotion over the months he¡¯d spent with him, but then he remembered something, and Roy realized why Letho flew into a rage.


    <em>He told me a garkain ughtered his friend before, and garkains were dangerous, low-ranking vampires. Since then, he held a grudge against all things vampire. </em>¡°How did the battle go?¡±


    ¡°A draw, but a devastating one. He was out ofmission, but I had enough strength to make an escape.¡± Francis was exhrated. ¡°The witcher came prepared. Very prepared. And he was the strongest one I¡¯d ever seen.¡± He rolled back thecy hem of his shirt, revealing two nasty scars on his stomach. ¡°The oils are as hard to handle as they say.¡± Francis sounded fearful. ¡°Even now, my injuries still hurt.¡±


    The spindly scars spanned his stomach, and Roy could still see the pieces of flesh underneath squirming and squelching. They were trying to merge, but ayer of grey substance stood in their way. ¡°The oil willst for a week, so you¡¯ll have to live with it for a couple more days or longer.¡± Roy asked, ¡°Was Letho badly hurt, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d say he was dying. Speaking of which, did he drink something before he came for me? I would have sucked him dry, but his blood was poisonous.¡± Francis half-goaded, half-provoked, ¡°I¡¯m still injured, young witcher. Injured and weak. Why don¡¯t you kill me off and avenge your mentor?¡±


    Roy cursed him silently. He couldn¡¯t even see through most of Francis¡¯ stats, and the injuries weren¡¯t looking bad either, so Roy wouldn¡¯t risk his life just like that. ¡°Assuming everything you said was true, where did Letho go after your escape, then? The knights only found his sword where you two fought.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would have figured it out by now. The witcher was hidden away by the true killer,¡± Francis answered without hesitation.


    Roy was thunderstruck, and he realized he had overlooked a clue. He saw two ribbons when he activated his senses back then. One belonged to Francis, while the other belonged to Letho, who was taken away by the killer. The ribbons went in two different directions after they exited the Hanged Man¡¯s Tree. <em>So Francis isn¡¯t the killer, then?</em>


    ¡°The witcher was interfering with the killer¡¯s ritual, so of course the killer would be targeting him. They were looking for a chance to get rid of him, and they got their opening after our battle,¡± Francis said.


    ¡°Wait, what did you say?¡± Roy suddenly asked.


    Francis was surprised, but he answered, ¡°They were looking for a chance to get rid of him.¡±


    ¡°No. The first thing you said.¡±


    ¡°The witcher was interfering with the killer¡¯s ritual, so of course they would be targeting him.¡±


    Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed as he finally managed to piece more of the puzzle together. ¡°If the killer did abduct Letho, then Letho should be safe until the end of the ritual. So I guess Letho must be locked up somewhere right now,¡± Roy murmured.


    ¡°Yes, so stop bothering me, witcher. I¡¯m aw-abiding vampire, thank you very much. Now, go and save your mentor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re letting me leave, just like that?¡± Roy was surprised, but he was starting to get used to Francis¡¯ entricity. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to save the witcher who tried to kill you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell him he got the wrong vampire in the first ce, and since I¡¯m not the killer, he won¡¯te after me again.¡± He smiled mysteriously. ¡°Inspiration¡¯s everything for a poet like me. I¡¯ve drafted a new poem, and the inspiration for it stems from the investigation the two of you have been doing. I¡¯ll call it ¡®Banquet.¡¯ I¡¯ve decided to spare your lives as thanks for the inspiration.¡± Francis dusted his sleeve off, and his face fell. ¡°But keep this in mind, Roy. You and the witcher will keep my real identity a secret from the public, and remember to never disturb me again, or else I¡¯ll hunt you down, no matter where you go,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Do you see it, chap?¡± He stared into the night.


    ¡°See what?¡± <em>Is something happening? </em>Roy tensed up and took a step back. He put his hands behind his back and held a bomb and his crossbow.


    ¡°Keep quiet and listen. I can feel inspiration gushing out like a fountain.¡± Francis turned around and went back to the street without looking at him. The leaves were falling from the trees nking the street and swirling around Francis, as if they were ribbons. He stood with his head held up high and strode ahead with elegance.


    ¡°Beneath the dark, gloomy sky


    Lies the sun, waiting to rise


    Beneath the tall castle walls


    Lies the cage to enve


    Beneath the raging, boiling hatred


    Lies a love, trampled and torn


    Beneath the mask of life


    Lies a death in wait¡±


    The bloody bat whipped up a gust of wind, and Francis disappeared into the night, leaving the echo of his terrible poem trailing around the street.


    ***


    ¡°Finally. I thought I was going to die. That crazy poet.¡± A long, long whileter, Roy plopped down on the ground and heaved a sigh, wiping the sweat off his hands and forehead. It was just a discussion, but every moment felt like torture. He¡¯d been worried about saying the wrong thing and getting himself killed, but fortunately, he survived.


    There was no time to pat himself on the back, for he had more mysteries to unravel. <em>If Francis isn¡¯t the killer, then who is? The killer got to the battlefield on the day of the ambush before Cranmer did. And then he took Letho away. Why¡¯d he manage to pull that off at that exact time? He¡¯s not quick enough, no. </em>Roy thought long and hard, then he noticed a blind spot in his deduction. <em>The killer¡¯s a mole. </em>


    The more he thought about it, the more usible it was. The killer managed to pull all the stunts off around the castle without leaving a single hint, and he managed to take Letho away before Cranmer¡¯s arrival. None of that could have been done without inside intel. <em>The killer¡¯s either a knight or the king¡¯s guard. They know the case like the back of their hand, and both sides are looking into it. Only a mole could do that without leaving a clue.</em>


    ***


    <em>The killer is performing the Great Sun¡¯s ritual. So he or his ancestors must have some connection with Nilfgaard, and they¡¯re believers of the Great Sun. I should be able to find the suspect if I look into all the knights and guards. A knight who believes in the Great Sun, huh? </em>Roy suddenly remembered what Cranmer told him before.


    <em>Patrigadin used to be a big noble family in Nazair, a country south of Cintra, but ever since Nilfgaard conquered it, a part of the family moved to Temeria and stayed there. Their family worked hard for the kingdom and managed to reim their status of nobility.</em>


    Roy thought about the handsome knight he¡¯d seen. Simon Patrigadin¡¯s ancestors came from Nazair, a colony of Nilfgaard, so he wondered if Simon was a believer. <em>He could also be the killer.</em>

 Chapter 127: Last Sacrifice

    It was only the break of dawn, but already a group of knights was huddled before the front gates. In the center of the circle was a naked man kneeling against the wall. His hair was golden, his face handsome, his body muscr. There was a beautiful blue rose tattooed on his neck, and the ghost of hisstugh was etched on his bloodless face.


    The coroner wore his gloves and pulled the victim¡¯s eyelid up to observe the pupil. ¡°Simon Patrigadin. A twenty-eight year-old male. Vice-captain of the Order of the White Rose. Time of death: six hours ago.¡±


    The scribe wrote down everything the coroner had said, and then the coroner tensed up and pulled out a springy, cylindrical item from Simon¡¯s tongue. It was white, fleshy, and bouncy, then the coroner nced at Simon¡¯s lower body and smiled eerily. ¡°The victim¡¯s genitals were cut off cleanly by a sharp item. Said genitals were stuffed into his mouth.¡±


    The knights roared into the high heavens. They couldn¡¯t believe a handsome and ferocious knight would be killed and castrated before gettingid out for everyone to see.


    ¡°That bastard! How¡­ How dare he humiliate a knight of the order?!¡± Clevnd gnashed his teeth, his fury boiling over. ¡°And this is not the first time he has done this! Now he¡¯s crossed the line! I, Clevnd, swear on the knight¡¯s order that I will make him pay tenfold for this humiliation!¡±


    Hisrades shared his sentiment, and they were flushed with anger. ¡°We¡¯ll avenge you, Arthur, Simon!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, knights. Don¡¯t get in the way of my work,¡± the coroner said quietly, but it was enough to calm the knights down. He went around the body and stared at the second wound for a moment before poking around. ¡°The victim¡¯s back was cut open by something sharp,¡± he exined calmly. ¡°Crassly and¡­ violently done.¡± There was a pair of fan-like flesh on the back of the victim.


    ¡°His lungs were pulled out and hung on his back. If you look closely, you¡¯ll see that these resemble a pair of wings.¡±


    Roy squeezed through the knights to see what was happening. The victim being Simon caught him by surprise, and it raised more questions. <em>What is going on? Francis isn¡¯t the killer, and Simon isn¡¯t either? The ritual of the Seven Deadly Sins has officially ended at this point. I hope I¡¯m right, or Letho¡¯s in big trouble.</em>


    ¡°The victim¡¯s elbows and wrists are slightly bruised. The killer twisted them, but it¡¯s not obvious at first sight.¡± Francis was slightly confused too, then he took his gloves off. ¡°The cause of death is obvious, so I¡¯ll skip that. Simon suffered no wounds aside from the one on his back and lower body. I posit that the killer pinned him down in some way, sedated him, and performed the¡­ surgery on him. The victim showed almost no signs of struggle, so he must¡¯ve been out cold. Since we¡¯re on the topic, let¡¯s talk about the killer. He should be experienced enough at this point, seeing as he killed six people, but his skills are still as crude as ever. Right. That¡¯s all I have to say. Thoughts?¡± Francis looked at the knights, but all he got was silence. ¡°Nothing? Right. I¡¯ll have to take the body back for autopsy, then.¡±


    The knights still kept quiet, obviously sorrowful about theirrade¡¯s death. Then Roy asked, ¡°Who found Simon¡¯s body in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡± A young knight came up. His chin was covered with stubble, his eyes tired and bloodshot, obviously fromck of sleep. ¡°I was with Simonst night on patrol duty. He¡­ He said he needed to take a leak, so I waited for him, but he never came back, so I went to look for him. A-and I found his body in an alley.¡± The knight pped himself, and his face swelled. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! I should have gone with Simonst night! The captain told us to never go anywhere alone! I followed his orders to a T, but the one time I didn¡¯t, this happened!¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you? Reflect on yourselfter.¡± Clevnd heaved a sigh and patted his shoulder. ¡°But you¡¯re not fully at fault here. The castle¡¯s heavily guarded, but still the killer managed to ughter one of us under our noses. Part of it is our fault, but honestly, I couldn¡¯t believe the killer managed to pin Simon down without anyone noticing, much less ughter him. And all in fifteen minutes?¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡± The other knights shared Clevnd¡¯s sentiment. ¡°Simon¡¯s skills are second to Captain Clevnd¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Second to none in swordsmanship alone,¡± Clevnd said solemnly.


    ¡°So maybe he was ambushed¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop it.¡± Roy raised his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. I have a far more pressing matter at hand, and I need answers, fast.¡±


    ¡°Ask away, Mr. Roy. We¡¯ll help out if it¡¯s about the killer.¡± Clevnd thumped his chest, and the other knights nodded.


    ¡°Tell me more about Simon.¡±


    ¡°Simon was a powerful and responsible knight. He helped us out a lot, and he spent most of his time working in the castle.¡± Clevnd looked at the body sadly. ¡°He was a noble and humble man, and he got along with everyone. On top of that, he would spend his free time helping the underprivileged in the city. If you¡¯re looking for the epitome of knighthood, then Simon would be the one to look for, not me.¡±


    There was no need to insult the dead, so everyone had nothing but praise for Simon. After everyone was done with their testimony, Roy rubbed his chin. ¡°Sounds like he was a perfectly brilliant knight. I bet he was adies¡¯ man, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Clevnd threw him a look of surprise. He wondered why Roy wanted to know about that, but then he realized Roy must have found some clue that tied into the case. ¡°Simon was a handsome and courteous man, but his background was¡­plicated.¡± Clevnd hesitated to borate.


    ¡°Something you can¡¯t talk about?¡± Roy advised, ¡°Simon would want you to avenge him.¡±


    Clevnd gritted his teeth. ¡°A true knight should never gossip about the dead, but I have no choice. Please forgive me for what I¡¯m about to say, Simon.¡± He sighed. ¡°Simon¡¯s family came from Nazair, but ever since Nilfgaard took over, part of his family moved to Ender. They weren¡¯t wee, to say the least. Because of the locals¡¯ oppression, his family dwindled over the years, and he was the only descendant of the Patrigadin family. Because of that, the local nobility refused his marriage proposals, despite him being a knight. He could have married a civilian or a merchant¡¯s daughter, but his pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to.¡±


    Clevnd could sympathize with Simon, since the order was in the same situation. ¡°The order¡¯s in a simr situation. Since our base is in Vizima, most of the kings¡¯ ministers see us as outsiders. The more obstinate ones trip us up every chance they have. If it weren¡¯t for the king¡¯s generosity, we would have been chased back to Vizima by now.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Clevnd sighed. ¡°I got ahead of myself. Let¡¯s talk about Simon. He spent most of his time working and never talked about women. Probably because he was affected by the continued refusals.¡±


    Another knight added, ¡°Some of us would wind down at the House of Peacock at times, and Simon woulde with us too, but all he did was drink. He never did sleep with anyone there. He was like an abstaining monk, or that was what we¡¯d say.¡±


    Roy observed the body closely, his hands crossed. <em>If he¡¯s as lustless as the knights say, why¡¯d the killer pick him as the embodiment of lust? Was he a hypocrite? Or a loyal lover?</em>


    Then he saw Dennis waving at him from behind the knights. Roy went up to him, and Dennis whispered, ¡°I looked into everyone on the list. Shoot, I looked into every knight. All twenty-five of them.¡± Dennis gave him a piece of parchment. ¡°Their details are written right here. Nicely done, I¡¯d say.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Roy read through it and asked, ¡°Cranmer, anyone else in the order who came from Nilfgaard aside from Simon?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Dennis shook his head. ¡°Everyone else is native to Temeria.¡±


    ¡°Anyone whose ancestor was a Nilfgaardian?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea about that.¡± Dennis almost leaped in fury. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want their ancestors¡¯ info.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Roy shook his head, his expression gloomy. <em>Simon¡¯s dead. That¡¯s the biggest suspect gone. If he was really the killer, he wouldn¡¯t have finished himself like this. There¡¯s no way. But I¡¯m not convinced he¡¯s innocent either. His ancestor came from Nilfgaard, he was an upright guy, and he never dated anyone. Even so, the killer chose him as the embodiment of lust. And the whole ritual was done for thatdy in the castle. Is there a connection between them?</em>


    Roy went back to the knights. He needed to verify something.


    Clevnd coughed. ¡°Um, Mr. Roy. Pardon me, but have you found something?¡±


    Roy stared back at the doubtful knights and nodded. ¡°I have an idea who the killer is. Can anyone here take me to Simon¡¯s ce?¡± He scanned through the knights. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the other victims¡¯ homes, and now I need to check Simon¡¯s in case there¡¯s a clue there.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 128

    The knights were silent for a while, then the young knight who patrolled with Simon came up. ¡°I used to be friends with Simon, Mr. Roy. I knew him and his family quite well, so I can take you there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, then.¡±


    ¡°Salvatore at your service. Pleasee with me, witcher.¡±


    ***


    The Patrigadin¡¯s residence was located in the northwestern area of the city. It had a moderately-sized yard, where weeds were overgrown, and the gates were rusty. The ground was also filled with fallen leaves, making the ce seem more deste. As they went down along the main path, Roy noticed a dry fountain standing in the yard¡¯s center, while a three-story building stood behind it.


    The walls of the building were discolored, the paint was curled up, and dregs of ivy were stered on them. Two stone lion statues stood on each side of the front door, and there was a date carved on the statues¡¯ tes.


    ¡®1240, month of the harvest¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s the date of this manor¡¯s establishment,¡± Salvatore exined.


    Roy looked around at the gigantic manor, clicking his tongue. ¡°Simon lived in this manor all by himself? He didn¡¯t even hire a servant? Wouldn¡¯t he get lonely?¡±


    ¡°He neverined, or at least we never heard anyints from him. His whole family probably loved their peace and quiet.¡±


    When they came up to the front door, Roy looked up and realized a window on the second floor was left ajar. Without even thinking, he slightly crouched before leaping up into the air.


    <i>Those movements aren¡¯t human, </i>Salvatore thought as Roy climbed up the wall like a lizard. A whileter, Roy entered the room on the second floor. Salvatore suddenly remembered something, and his face fell. A momentter, he leaped up and got into the room, albeit barely.


    The second floor was the residential area, housing more than ten spacious rooms that had nothing but a bed in them. There wasn¡¯t even a dressing table, cab, or even a single essory in sight. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Simon to be a minimalist, but¡­¡± Roy had a question. ¡°His family has been living in the city for decades, so why were they still poor?¡±


    ¡°You might not know this, but¡­¡± Salvatore sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t get paid well, so the money¡¯s not enough for this manor¡¯s upkeep, and Simon would use some of his money to help the city¡¯s poor. He was also generous to all of us.¡± Salvatore had a look of gratitude on his face. ¡°This is embarrassing, but I used to lead a wild life. Almost spent all my family¡¯s money, then an emergency came knocking. If it weren¡¯t for Simon, I don¡¯t know how my family would be alright now.¡± He smiled. ¡°I remember Simon had to eat a month of ck bread with me after that. Not even the poorest of the poor eat like that. It was barely edible.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Roy was still perplexed. ¡°But now that Simon is dead, and the Patrigadins don¡¯t have a descendant anymore, who¡¯s going to inherit this ce?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll send someone to Nazair and get a rtive of his to inherit the ce, but from what I heard, that ce seems to be bad news right now.¡±


    <i>Well, yeah. That ce is right around Cintra and Sodden. In two years, the Nilfgaardian troops will set up a base there before the war, </i>Roy thought. <i>Of course it¡¯s bad news.</i>


    ***


    Roy caressed the bed and rolled around on it, much to Salvatore¡¯s surprise. ¡°Why are there so many beds here anyway?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for his deceased family,¡± Salvatore answered seriously. ¡°Simon invited everyone over once. He told us the rooms were upied by his family when they were alive, and he¡¯d clean them once a couple of days or so.¡±


    Roy stared at Salvatore silently, then leaped up from the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get anything here. Let¡¯s go down to the first floor.¡±


    The first floor was fully furnished and looked more alive, but Roy wandered around aimlessly. He¡¯d touch everything in a room, and sometimes he¡¯d stomp the floor, much to Salvatore¡¯s astonishment.


    Roy was trying to find a clue, but he got nothing, while Salvatore kept following him curiously. When they arrived at the study, Salvatore started getting nervous and approached Roy. ¡°These books are expensive.¡±


    Roy looked up at the cab, brushing his hand across the books¡¯ spines, and he looked closely at Salvatore¡¯s every expression.


    ¡°Books are the most valuable things in Simon¡¯s collection.¡± Salvatore tensed up, held his sword tightly, and came closer to Roy.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Roy turned around all of a sudden, and Salvatore quickly let go of the hilt, forcing a smile. ¡°What book is this? ¡®A Knight¡¯s Romance¡¯? He had this kind of book in his home? Looks like he wasn¡¯t as lustless as he imed. Weird. The words don¡¯t look like they¡¯re printed. Did Simon write this himself? Let¡¯s see. The pages are almost torn. Seems like he flipped through the book a lot.¡± Roy muttered something under his breath and turned back to the book, staring at it intently. ¡°Every page is dated. This is a diary that¡¯s made to look like a book.¡±


    Salvatore calmed down and held his sword again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you read it aloud? I¡¯m interested in the story too. Let¡¯s see how the impable Simon Patrigadin wrote his story.¡±


    Roy nodded and cracked the book open. ¡°My friend, I, Simon Patrigadin, will have ceased to exist when you read this book. Please, hand this to her no matter what.¡±


    And then Roy started reading the contents aloud. ¡°I first met you in the sprouting month of 1258. You were as noble and dignified as the purest white of snow. I believe our meeting must¡¯ve been the work of fate. You are my love, my rose. Your smile, brighter than the whole of spring itself; your eyes, livelier than anything I¡¯ve ever seen; your lips, sparkling more than the most luscious rose. You melted my frozen heart, as if the sun itself came knocking. And thus, I tried to find everything I could about you.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It started that day. He insulted you, called you a barren bitch. It broke your heart, and I came tofort you, while you took pity on me.¡± And then Roy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something weird here.¡± He pulled something out with his index and middle finger, then he realized it was crimsoncy underwear. <i>Wow. Spicy. </i>The young witcher turned his head away.


    ¡°You seem nervous, Salvatore. And why are you sweating? Did something happen?¡±


    Salvatore¡¯s expression kept changing as Roy went on with the diary. His face was trembling, as if he were spasming, and the veins on his hand popped. Salvatore closed his eyes and took a deep breath, keeping quiet for a while. Then he replied with a squeaky voice, ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. The patrols have been taking a toll on me, and I haven¡¯t slept a wink in two days.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a nap on the second floor, then?¡± Roy suggested out of concern. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the investigation.¡±


    ¡°No. I want to hear more. This might be rted to the case.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Roy looked straight at Salvatore as he flipped to thest few pages. ¡°December 1260. You have disguised yourself prior to your departure from the temple. And then, we hid within the bushes on Wigan¡¯s riverbank, going on with our fun as always, but a fisher noticed us. In order to keep our shame a secret, I broke the creed once again. I spilled the blood of an innocent, but you med me for not killing the boy on the spot. You were worried, but that fear was unfounded. Two dayster, the poor boy¡¯s body was sent back to the city. I saw his father, and the sorrow and despair on his face crushed my soul more than anything ever could.¡±


    Roy sighed. ¡°I was in pain and desiredfort from you, but you refused me. Since then, you saw me as nothing but a mere stranger. Even when I walked right past you, you would never even look at me, much less grant me a smile. I was ashamed about taking the life of that innocent young man, and I hated your cruel, cold self, but my love triumphed over my hate. Ever since the day we slept together, I have sworn to never leave your side.¡±


    Roy suddenly turned around, facing Salvatore with his back. ¡°I will prove my unyielding love for you with a sacred ritual. A ritual of sacrifice. A ritual that demands me to pay the price of my creed, and my life. Beyond the ashes of the seven deadly sins, the most beautiful flower blooms, and I dedicate that flower to you, my lovely rose. This is the end, so farewell.¡±


    ***


    Roy¡¯s pupils turned into nothing but slits, for he was shocked about the revtion. <i>So Simon¡¯s the killer </i>and <i>the sacrifice. He fell for someone he shouldn¡¯t have ¡ª a married woman. And that makes him the embodiment of lust.</i>


    The moment Roy finished reading, sounds of metal shing against each other reverberated in the room, and time stopped for a split second. Salvatore had unsheathed his sword, aiming for Roy¡¯s nape, but before he could strike the witcher down, Roy had already pulled out Gwyhyr and blocked it with the scabbard and crossguard.


    A moment of standoffter, Salvatore felt a great forceing from the end of his sword, forcing him to stagger backward, only stopping after mming into the wall. ¡°You ¡ª ¡±


    Roy crossed his arms, shaking his head. ¡°I gave you a ton of openings, but you let all of them slide.¡±


    Salvatore didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he held his sword, cing it horizontally across his face in the traditional ox stance. There was a steely resolve on his face that said he wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight.


    ¡°I knew there was a traitor among the order.¡± Roy sighed, finally unsheathing Gwyhyr fully. He held the hilt with both hands, letting the de point down toward the ground. ¡°I knew you were lying, and you were a bad liar. Your face managed to keep it down, but your eyes gave it all away. I¡¯d been wondering why you were looking nervous since we came in. And then I thought Simon wouldn¡¯t do that to himself, since he was the prime suspect. Something was missing, but I think I know what the missing link is now. He had an aplice, and that was you.¡±

 Chapter 129

    Salvatore was still holding his sword, but he kept averting his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, witcher.¡±


    ¡°I have the proof right here, so don¡¯t even think about weaseling your way out of this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean proof? You have the evidence, yes, but I was jumpy because of my disgust for creatures like you. You mutant bastards don¡¯t deserve to live on thisnd!¡±


    Roy shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. Now, you can deny it all you want, but I¡¯ll give you a chance all the same. Tell me where Letho is, and I can grant you an honorable death, or else¡­¡± Roy snorted threateningly. ¡°You might be the next guy on a parade around town. Naked.¡±


    Salvatore snarled, crouching down like a panther hunting its prey. His fingers were getting white from his tight grip on the sword, and heughed hysterically. ¡°In your dreams, mutant!¡± Then he made a run for the window beside him. It was almost in reach a momentter, and when he managed to hold on to the windowsill, Salvatore was overjoyed. All he had to do was push himself up, and he could escape Roy¡¯s clutches.


    But it didn¡¯t go how he wanted. He noticed a white sh from the corner of his eye, then all he could hear was his own screams. Salvatore pressed down on his right hand, which was pierced by a crossbow bolt, pinning him against the wall.


    Salvatore kept shouting and screaming, but when he noticed Roy slowlying up to him, the knight held down his pain while holding the bolt with his left hand, pulling it out, inch by inch. His face was contorted with pain, and when he pulled the bolt out, Salvatore covered his wound with his shirt. He was drenched from head to toe, his face pale, and he plopped down in exhaustion.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Roy came up to him and whispered evilly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll hurt moreter.¡±


    Salvatore clutched his chest with his injured hand while pushing against the hilt of his sword with the other to stand up. ¡°You dare harm a knight of the order, witcher?¡± he growled. ¡°My brothers will avenge me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little bit toote for that?¡± Roy snorted. ¡°Do you really think they¡¯ll help you when they find out what you did? Naive. I bet they never thought the killer they wanted to apprehend had been hiding under their noses all this time. But that¡¯s understandable. Only someone in the order could have done this despite the knights and guards heavily patrolling the ce. Traitors are usually hard to detect, after all.¡±


    ¡°Do not nder me, witcher!¡± Salvatore roared. ¡°You could neverprehend the ritual¡¯s importance!¡±


    ¡°Nope, but what I do <iprehend </i>is that if anyone were to know of your crimes, that would bring shame to the order. Yourrades will abandon you, your family will be shamed, and the people will see you as nothing but a joke.¡± Roy locked his gaze on Salvatore, and he went in for the kill. ¡°Let me guess. You were guarding the room like the faithful dog you were when Simon and her majesty Emilia were having fun in bed. Did you watch the show and cheer them on, Mr. Knight?¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Salvatore finally snapped, and he pounced at Roy with his sword in hand, as if he didn¡¯t feel the pain. He moved by instinct, and he aimed for Roy¡¯s throat with every swing he made.


    On the other hand, Roy drew upon his training from the temple¡¯s courtyard. The young witcher leaped back swiftly, evading Salvatore¡¯s attacks. No matter how much Salvatore swung his sword around, Roy could always dodge it in the nick of time with his footwork. Every time he felt the sword brush against his skin, an electric current coursed through his body.


    Roy shivered, but not from the cold. Instead, he was excited about the battle. Salvatore¡¯s barrage of attacks was done a momentter, but he only needed a split second to catch his breath.


    That split second was all Roy needed.


    Roy lunged ahead and swung Gwyhyr up, shing it against Salvatore¡¯s sword. A loud boom was heard before Salvatore¡¯s sword was sent flying away from the impact. Before Salvatore could process what was happening, he saw a twisted, bloody shadow appear behind Roy, whispering horrors into his very soul. The fear gripped him like a monster¡¯s w, petrifying him. Salvatore wanted to move his body, but he couldn¡¯t even raise a finger.


    He could only watch as Roy pointed his sword at his forehead, and a momentter, he saw a drop of blood flow down from his forehead, and a handful of hair fluttered to the ground. Salvatore gulped nervously, but Roy wasn¡¯t done yet. Roy turned his sword around, walked up to him, and pressed the de against Salvatore¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Are you feeling more talkative now, Mr. Knight?¡±


    Salvatore stared down and smiled mirthlessly. ¡°Just kill me, witcher. I might lose my honor, but you¡¯ll lose your mentor forever. Kill me, witcher,¡± he requested in earnest. ¡°Your eyes aren¡¯t the only beastly thing about you. You¡¯re all animals through and through. Cold blooded animals like you won¡¯t understand the sanctity of the ritual.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t find out where he is just because you won¡¯t tell me?¡± Roy held his sword with one hand while brushing against the books¡¯ spines with the other. At the same time, he was gazing at Salvatore. ¡°You¡¯d been really nervous when we came in, to the point you¡¯d attacked me, even if it meant exposing yourself. What are you so afraid of, I wonder? Worried I might find the queen¡¯s underwear hidden between the pages of the diary? The letters Simon wrote for her? Or¡­¡± Roy noticed a moment of panic on Salvatore¡¯s face when he touched one particr book¡¯s spine, and he smiled. ¡°The hidden chamber.¡±


    Roy forcibly pushed a ck book to the side, and the cab started rumbling as it slid away, revealing a dark chamber behind it. ¡°And now it¡¯s time for you to sleep.¡± Roy beamed at Salvatore. Before the knight could say anything, he smacked the back of Salvatore¡¯s neck with the back of Gwyhyr, taking him out. Then he picked the knight up before going into the chamber carefully, using the knight as a meat shield.


    The chamber was the size of a regr living room, though Roy could barely see anything. Thanks to the light outside, he noticed a huge symbol etched on the surface of the ground. It was ayered sun painted in red. Perhaps it was done with red paint, or perhap with something more sinister, like human blood, but Roy didn¡¯t care.


    The light from the first floor and the light from the torches formed an angr shape, and the sun was split into three parts, starting from the center. The innermost part was split into the four seasons, written inmon speech; the second part was split into twelve months of the calendar, and it was still written inmon speech. The third and outermostyer was split into eight months ording to the elven calendar, but it was written in ancient speech.


    Between the different seasons and monthsy tattered, wrinkled books. Upon closer inspection, they were books rted to the Great Sun, such as ¡®Tome of the Great Sun¡¯, ¡®Revtion of the Sacred Ritual¡¯, ¡®Eternal Bonds of Souls¡¯, and ¡®Reincarnation¡¯.


    ¡°So this is Simon¡¯s actual base,¡± Roy said. Then he noticed something stirring in the depths of the chamber, and he went toward the source of the sound. When he noticed who it was, Roy was shocked.


    A burly man in tattered clothes was hanging on the wall like a piece of dried meat. His limbs were chained, and horrifying old scars were strewn across his muscr body. There was also a wound that pierced through his chest and stomach. When Roy looked higher, he noticed the man was bald, though his head was looking dark, just like his spirits. But Roy knew the head used to shine brighter than anyone¡¯s future.


    The bald man was hanging by a thread, his eyes shining amber, just like a cat¡¯s. But most importantly, the man was still alive. Roy heaved a sigh before tossing Salvatore away like trash. ¡°Been a while, Letho. Miss me?¡±


    When Letho met Roy¡¯s eyes, the old witcher finally forced a smile, though his bruised face made it nigh unrecognizable.

 Chapter 130

    ¡°The tragedy happened on the twenty-seventh of December, year 1260. That day, when Berschel went fishing at Wigan, he inadvertently saw a knight of the order, Simon Patrigadin, having an affair with her majesty, Queen Emilia. Taken by shock, the knight shed Berschel and escaped with the queen. After that, Berschel was taken away by an arachnomorph, and he eventually died.¡± Roy stopped for a moment. ¡°Ever since then, the queen has decided to cut all ties with Simon, but the knight was reluctant. Eventually, his hatred got the better of him, and thus the ritual of the Seven Deadly Sins rose its curtains. Simon and another believer in the ranks of the knights picked their targets, or to be precise, their sacrifices. After killing six ¡®sinners,¡¯ Simon eventually asked hisrade to kill him, turning him into the seventh and final sacrifice.¡± That was the end of it, and Roy kept the ck diary.


    ¡°So the one who assaulted Berschel is dead.¡± Huckle¡¯s cheeks were swollen after his non-stop crying. He couldn¡¯t believe the report, but he knew that was the closure he was looking for. ¡°He killed himself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His body is still in the morgue, though not anyone can see it. If you insist though¡­¡± Roy paused. ¡°All you can see is hisrade¡¯s charred body. The knight¡¯s name was Salvatore.¡±


    Huckle closed his eyes and kept quiet for a while. Then Roy noticed he was looking more rxed. ¡°I see. Thank you, Mr. Roy. Since the killer is dead, I believe Berschel is finally avenged. I have no regrets left.¡± Huckle stared at Roy, then he pleaded, ¡°I know I¡¯ve promised you a reward of two hundred crowns, but I only managed to get a hundred and fifty so far. Can you give me a few more days to get the remainder? Once this ce is sold, I can¡­ I can pay you. I won¡¯t go back on my promise.¡±


    Roy crossed his arms and looked around. ¡°You¡¯ve been living here for almost thirty years, right? Are you really sure you want to sell this ce?¡±


    Huckle paused for a moment, then he stared at the oven, the old floor tiles, and the rugged wall in reminiscence.


    ¡°Berschel¡¯s buried in this city. Where could you go after selling off your house?¡± Roy stared at the old man¡¯s grey hair, wrinkled face, and hunched back. ¡°Just keep the house.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Roy.¡± Huckle shook his head adamantly. ¡°But I can¡¯t ept this. Not after all you did for me.¡±


    ¡°I never said I won¡¯t take the crowns.¡± Heughed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to have a taste of your bread. Just pay it off with some fresh loaves of bread once you reopen the ce. All I need is some free bread from you the next time I¡¯m around.


    ¡°I ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that then. Hope you won¡¯t mind that I¡¯m a big eater.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe I waived a quarter of the reward off. Guess Santa came early for Huckle this year.¡± Roy shook his head as he went out of the bakery with his crowns in hand.


    He wouldn¡¯t have epted one crown less if the client was just a bigot, but Huckle was an old man who had lost his son. To top things off, Roy saw how much he had sacrificed for his son, so he didn¡¯t want to take too much from him. ¡°Just this once.¡±


    ***


    Everyone was gossiping in the inn.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± A moustachedborer gulped down his beer, and his face turned scarlet from the alcohol. ¡°I mean, who would have expected a ¡®noble¡¯ knight to be the killer?¡±


    Hispanion, a mousey man, squinted. ¡°Those bastards pretend to be our protectors, but they¡¯re just a bunch of traitorous rats who¡¯d stab us in the back at the first chance.¡±


    ¡°You got one thing wrong. There were two killers, but they fought over the spoils, and one of them was killed by the other.¡±


    The mousey man shook his head. ¡°I heard they murdered all those people because they were holding a ritual. That was why Salvatore was burned at a stake, since he was involved in witchcraft. Only witches were burned at the stake.¡±


    ***


    Roy downed a ss of fruit wine and wiped the booze off his lips. ¡°Wow, they came up with a ton of stories, huh? Disagreements, arguments, and even witchcraft came out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°It would have happened sooner orter.¡± Letho¡¯s torso was bandaged, and his face was still bruised. ¡°Hereward¡¯s a prince, a duke. Of course he wouldn¡¯t want the public to know his wife cheated on him.¡±


    ¡°Pity I didn¡¯t get to meet the queen.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°She must be out-of-this-world gorgeous for even Simon to fall for her.¡±


    It had been two days since Roy found Letho and cracked the case. Letho was healing, but he needed at least a week before he could recover fully. The knights didn¡¯t actually beat him up when he was in the chamber, though theck of food and water dehydrated him, weakening him. The only serious wound was the one between his chest and stomach, but Letho had sustained that during the battle with Francis.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay out of that higher vampire¡¯s way.¡± Roy had a lot of thoughts about Francis, but he kept them away. ¡°He¡¯s weird, I¡¯ll give him that, but he isn¡¯t evil. He only fought you because you ambushed him, thinking he was the killer.¡± Then he thought about the poem Francis recited before they parted ways, and Roy had a feeling Francis only tipped him off because he had seen through everything.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Letho sipped from his ss of dwarven liquor, and Roy wondered if he got through to the old witcher. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to business. You lived up to our expectations and passed the Trial of the Grasses.¡± Letho¡¯s eyes gleamed expectantly. ¡°And now, you¡¯re the first witcher to be born in twenty years. This is divine providence, and the first step toward the school¡¯seback.¡±


    Roy held the ne that was hanging around his neck. It was proof he was a Viper School witcher, and Letho had given him that the day before. Ever since then, he felt like the school was his home. ¡°I can feel some mana after passing the trial. Can I learn how to cast signs now?¡± Roy stared at Letho, excited.


    ¡°That¡¯s still too much for you.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°You finished a few years¡¯ worth of training in less than one. Now it¡¯s time for you to calm down and hone your skills. Besides, I bet your archery and swordy have gotten rusty after spending all that time writhing in theb.¡±


    ¡°A bit, yes.¡± Roy nced at Letho, teasing, ¡°But at least I wasn¡¯t kidnapped by two knights of the order.¡±


    Letho¡¯s eyelid twitched, and his face fell. He was going to say something, but then amotion erupted outside the inn, and the castle staff escaped the pce in droves. Some of them were servants in robes, some were fully armored guards, and one of them was a pudgy, middle-aged man escorted by a group of guards. The man was wearing a crown and a white cape.


    Regardless of who they were, they were all screaming in fear, as if something horrible had happened in the castle.


    ¡°What is it this time? It¡¯s not even breakfast hour yet.¡±


    That question was answered a momentter, when Dennis and his men came to the duo for another favor. ¡°Mr. Letho, Roy. Terribly sorry for the disturbance, especially when you¡¯re still recuperating.¡± Dennis smiled bitterly. ¡°But this is an emergency only you two can settle.¡±


    ¡°Another emergency?¡± Roy almost smiled. <i>This cuck prince is one hell of a troublemaker. </i>He looked at Letho, and the witcher nodded.


    ¡°Tell us more.¡±


    ¡°It happened this morning. One of the servants who served her majesty heard a wailing from somewhere.¡± Dennis repeated what the servant told him. ¡°The wail was filled with sorrow, hatred, furious, and everything bad you cane up with. It was as if a ghost were screaming. The servant was horrified, but she had to check on her majesty, so she went into the queen¡¯s room. To her horror, something was standing right before the queen¡¯s bed with its back against the door. It just stood there, head hanging low.¡±


    Dennis paused for a moment, trying to make sense of what he was about to say. ¡°But the weirdest thing was¡­ that thing was floating. It had no legs, and it wore a green, wrinkly, translucent dress. Its arms were spindly and patched, and the monster¡¯s face¡­ I saw it too. It wasn¡¯t human, I tell you. There were only holes where its eyes and nose were supposed to be. Its whole face was dry, green, and patchy. I think it was a ghost. The servant ran with a scream, and the ghost chased after her, but it stopped right at the doorstep. I think it couldn¡¯t leave the room, so it only paced around the door.¡±


    Roy had a guess about what the monster was at that point, but he kept listening.


    ¡°Everyone was alerted to the situation, so my boys and I went to have a look, but when we got there, what we saw was not one, not two, not three, but <i>eight </i>ghosts!¡±


    The news caught both witchers by surprise. <i>Eight wraiths in a room? That¡¯s as dangerous as a vampire!</i>


    ¡°By Melitele, I have never seen anything like that. I didn¡¯t even bat an eye when I was facing thousands of armored soldiers in the war!¡± Dennis stared down, ashamed of his cowardice. ¡°But everyone was scared out of their wits from the ghosts¡¯ screams. Even now, I can¡¯t understand why I turned tail and ran without a fight! It¡¯s like I was possessed. It took everything I had to escort the duke out with everyone else.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not ghosts. Alright, they <i>are</i>, but they¡¯re called wraiths. Their scream is a form of mental attack. One scream is enough to cripple someone, so it¡¯s not your fault you ran away.¡± Roy gave him a calming look, washing away Dennis¡¯ frustration. ¡°But there are many kinds of wraiths. Noonwraiths, gue maidens, and penitent wraiths. We¡¯ll have to take a look to figure out how to deal with them.¡±


    Roy stopped for a moment. ¡°But I don¡¯t get one thing. Why¡¯d those wraiths go to the queen¡¯s room anyway? I¡¯ve never heard of that happening before. And is the queen fine? She can¡¯t be missing, can she?¡±


    Dennis didn¡¯t answer that, but he looked somber. On the other hand, Letho was solemn. ¡°Wraiths usually wouldn¡¯t show up in human settlements, and eight of them appearing at once is unheard of. There must be a reason for that. Care to exin, Cranmer?¡±


    Dennis was still quiet, trying to decide if he should tell them the truth or not. Then he sighed. ¡°I would have wanted to keep this a secret, but at this point, it¡¯s not important anymore. There¡¯s one more thing in the queen¡¯s room aside from those wraiths. It¡¯s the queen¡¯s corpse. The queen hanged herself in the room, and her body¡¯s still in there, hanging.¡± Dennis trembled, looking more somber than earlier. ¡°You know the truth behind the case, since you cracked it after all. His majesty flew into a rage after finding out about the queen¡¯s affair with Simon, and he sentenced her to house arrest. It had only been two days, so nobody saw iting. The queen¡¯s suicide, that is. The wraiths came as a shocker too, of course.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not over yet.¡± Roy had a guess, since the appearance of the wraiths must have had something to do with the Great Sun¡¯s ritual. Simon might¡¯ve been dead, but his death brought about the Seven Deadly Sins¡¯pletion. <i>And there was a pair of bloody wings on Simon¡¯s back when he died. Did that mean something?</i> ¡°I¡¯m sure one of the wraiths is Queen Emilia, and in case you haven¡¯t noticed, there are seven wraiths aside from her. That matches the number of victims of the murders.¡±

 Chapter 131

    One should finish all of their affairs before dying. They should say their goodbyes to their loved ones, write their will, apologize to the ones they hurt. Otherwise, those lingering feelings won¡¯t let them leave this world.


    Advice for a dying man.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± asked Dennis. ¡°There is a hugemotion in the pce due to the wraiths.¡±


    ¡°You must understand the nature of the wraiths,¡± said Letho. ¡°Those who¡¯d despaired beyond the limit in their lifetime were turned into wraiths after their death. They had suffered endless pain. Maybe they were wronged, framed for something, or had their loved ones killed. There is a lot of hatred and anger in them. They have unfulfilled desire or vengeance, which is why they envy the living, who have a chance to fulfil their desires. Because of these lingering feelings, they cannot leave this ce, so all we have to do is uproot the source of these emotions they have.¡±


    ¡°Emotions?¡± asked the dwarf. ¡°Will we have to go to the families of each and every victim and fulfill their wishes? Can¡¯t we make them leave by force?¡±


    Letho shook his head. ¡°They are quite difficult to deal with. Even if I weren¡¯t injured, it¡¯d be difficult to fight eight wraiths in the narrow room as fire and poisons don¡¯t work on them. Fighting them is hardly possible. When wraiths are born, they cannot leave their birthce. So, either we deal with the reasons for their emotions or let them stay there forever.¡±


    Dennis fell silent.


    Roy led and said, ¡°Imagine you were alive and well, and suddenly, you were killed for no reason, and before your death, you were tortured so much that you wished for death. Then you became a wraith. What would be your biggest desire?¡±


    ¡°I would want to kill him,¡± said Dennis. ¡°I would want to give him the most painful death to get my vengeance.¡±


    ¡°And what if your murderer died and became a wraith too?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let him leave; I¡¯d haunt him forever.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Roy patted Dennis and said, ¡°Salvatore was burned at the stake and Simon became a wraith.¡±


    Dennis understood where Roy was getting at and said, ¡°Then we only need to get rid of Simon and the rest of the six should be freed.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, Duchess Emilia is Simon¡¯s love. She is the fetter stopping Simon from leaving and also the reason behind the ritual of the Seven Deadly Sins.¡±


    PR/N: The new TL has decided to switch ¡°Queen Emilia¡± to ¡°Duchess Emilia¡±.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Emilia is the root of everything. She was hanged in the room, unable to escape, and the rest of the wraiths were entangled with her. Get rid of her, and all the wraiths will vanish.¡±


    The dwarf¡¯s face twitched when he heard this. ¡°Destroy the duchess¡¯ ghost?¡±


    ¡°More precisely, purification. Free her from her physical body.¡±


    The witcher said, ¡°The wraiths do not have the emotions they had when they were humans, but thest obsession before their death. Let¡¯s find thatst obsession of the duchess and then purify her.¡±


    * * *


    The dwarf stroked his chin, which had a dark brown beard, and returned to the pce with two witchers.


    Along the way, he kept talking about the difficult situation the duchess had been in at the pce. Although she had been a noble,pared to Hereward, the prince of the country, Emilia was only a daughter of a Baron of Ender.


    Hereward always exploited this superiority over the duchess, and he was extremely cold to her. During weekdays, he wouldn¡¯t even look at her. To him, she was just a tool who¡¯d give birth to his child. He treated her as if she were a puppet, and since they weren¡¯t able to conceive a child, he behaved more cruelly.


    ¡°If the prince hadn¡¯t been there, Miss Emilia and Knight Simon would¡¯ve really looked good together¡ªlike their pair wouldn¡¯t have beenparable to any other, right?¡±


    An absurd thought shed through the dwarf¡¯s mind, and in an instant, he threw it away.


    ¡°The duke owes the duchess an apology, without a doubt. Maybe this is rted to herst wish,¡± Letho guessed.


    Roy was surprised. He didn¡¯t think Emilia¡¯s obsession would be rted to her husband.


    Walking all the way in the pce through the promenade made by vertical columns, the three finally met the Duke of Ender, Hereward¡ªa tall, chubby man with a beard.


    (Tl/n : Prior to this, Hereward was referred to as King of Ender or prince of Hereward. But he is Duke and Prince of Ender. So from now on, most of the time he¡¯d be referred to as Duke and sometimes as Prince.)


    He had a crown on his head, his face was flushed, he looked serious, and his back was covered by a white cloak. His movements were swift, yet powerful, and he looked quite grumpy.


    * * *


    After struggling for a bit, Dennis told Hereward about how to get rid of the wraiths. Hereward needed to apologize to the wraith the duchess had transformed into for the grievances she had suffered before.


    Hereward scolded the dwarf, and thetter was scared to death, which could be seen by the expression on his face. He could hardly respond with anything¡­


    But after venting for a while, the duke surrendered. Compared to being humiliated, he was even more disgusted with hiding in the minister¡¯s house and being considered a joke.


    Afterwards, Hereward went to Duchess Emilia¡¯s room with a group of guards protecting him. Facing the wraiths who were guarding the door, he slowly started to apologize. The scene was quite funny. A gorgeously dressed aristocrat, who treated his subjects as if they were peasants, trembled and apologized to a group of ugly wraiths.


    Only then did Royprehend Letho¡¯s intention¡ªto make the duke, who had a deep prejudice against the witchers, be embarrassed in public!


    What a joy!


    The corner of the boy¡¯s lips curled up. The pendant on his chest started vibrating. To stop it, he scanned the room and used his skill to observe, his dark golden eyes seemingly bing deeper.


    ¡®Wraith


    Age: 38


    Health: 70


    Strength: 6


    Agility: 7


    Constitution: 7


    Perception: 3


    Will: 4


    Charm: 3


    Spirit: 0


    Skill:


    Wailing Level 4: Wraiths are filled with resentment, and are born from people who have suffered and have been wronged during their lifetime. Their wailing can evoke fear in people¡¯s hearts. Enemies cannot resist. This makes them lose their courage.


    Astral body (Passive solidification): The body of the wraith is neither physical nor astral. They can solidify when attacking and get astral while defending. In astral form, they receive 0 physical damage, and normally, the physical damage is reduced by half. Theyunch insidious attacks while in astral form.¡¯


    * * *


    ¡°Emilia, I still remember the first time I saw you. I could tell at a nce that you were a beautiful, gentle and understanding woman.¡±


    The apologiessted for half an hour. At first, the duke had been unwilling to, but then he did, as if he didn¡¯t care, andstly it became ¡°sincere¡±, and the expressions of the wraith did not change at all.


    Baring its teeth and swinging its ws, it stared at him.


    ¡°Fuck! Is it that I, the son of the King and Duke of Ender, am not worthy enough to be thest obsession of this woman?!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, can you think of anything else worthy of the duchess¡¯ obsession?¡± Dennis asked cautiously, but Hereward was furious.


    ¡°Shut up! This lowly woman is not qualified to be called a duchess!¡± He stared at the roaring wraith, and after a long time, calmed himself down. ¡°My tone was too rough, don¡¯t mind it. Her love affair could only be her obsession. Before, I showed evidence of the slut¡¯s beloved to her, and then she threw it out. I was almost going to burn it. Do you think that stuff might give her peace?¡±


    ¡°The diary Mr. Roy found at Simon¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We can give it a try,¡± said Letho.


    Duke sent someone to fetch that diary. For a moment, the leading wraith banged the door like crazy, and the guys behind it also got restless, but they were all blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to get out of the room.


    ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s that thing! This bitch! Can¡¯t forget the sweet scent of her beloved¡¯s words, even after dying!¡±


    At that moment, Hereward waved his hand indifferently, asking someone to burn the diary.


    But the witcher stopped him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, even if burning this book has no direct effect, it might agitate the wraith even more. I think gentler means should be used.¡±


    ¡°Witcher, don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve lost enough face? Do you think I can be called a dignified duke after reading my wife¡¯s lover¡¯s diary?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Roy stepped forward, pretending to be generous and fearless, and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can do this for you. You can rest outside, as you must be tired.¡±


    Hereward didn¡¯t want to let others know of the secrets in the diary, so he took all his men and left the room and went far away.


    There were only two witchers near the room, and Letho crossed his arms and stood still, as if he were watching the show. As Roy slowly opened the diary, his face had aplicated expression. Never had he expected for such a thing to happen.


    A witcher, facing a group of wraiths and reciting romantic poems, this¡­ this scene was too weird.


    ¡°My Rose, the first time I saw you, I was fascinated.¡± Since he was doing this thing for the first time, Roy obviouslycked the emotions bards used while speaking. He said it too inly.


    But when the wraith heard those words, a trace of confusion shed in its eyes, and its expression was no longer malicious.


    <i>It¡¯s effective!</i>


    ¡°After meeting you today, I cannot stop myself from thinking about you¡­ My worries are blown away like there¡¯s a spring breeze when I talk to you.¡±


    Roy stuttered but continued.


    ¡°I am in the same situation as you are. Although I¡¯m a knight, I¡¯m powerless to fight for you¡­ ¡°


    * * *


    Five minutester, when he finished reading, two of the wraiths lifted their heads slightly, and their swollen and rotting cheeks glowed with memories.


    ¡°On the ashes of the seven deadly sins, the most beautiful flower in the world will bloom, and I dedicate that to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Farewell, my rose!¡±


    That was thest sentence.


    Two of the wraiths faced each other and hugged tightly ¡ª so tightly it seemed they were merging into one.


    Although they still looked like monsters, their expressions made it seem like they were at peace, as if they were happy, and that their feelings had been transformed into some substance and were overflowing from their bodies.


    A faint light was emitting from them, just like melting ice, their translucent bodies slowly dissipating. The remaining six wraiths seemed to have regained their memories, and rushed towards the two, surrounding and brutally biting them.


    Roy rubbed his eyes and looked at the scene. They were getting higher and higher.


    They were bing one by biting and embracing each other, like an illusory statue that had different expressions, entangled limbs, and was rising from the ground.


    Apanied by a burst of dazzling emerald green light, there was a deafening scream in the room, and in a sh, everything vanished.


    The wraiths turned into dust which radiated evil green emerald light all over the sky.


    The scene before them looked beautiful and came the notification in front of Roy


    ¡®Purified the wraith, experience gained +60, Witcher Level 5 (500/2500)¡¯


    ¡°Was this Simon¡¯s purpose? Getting himself killed, and by means of someone passing this diary on to the duchess?¡± Roy whispered. ¡°You couldn¡¯t stay together during your lifetime, but you wouldn¡¯t be separated after you died.¡±


    <i>The secret ritual of the Great Sun religion is really evil!</i>


    Book Four: The End

 Chapter 132

    The weather was clear and the warm sun got rid of all the shadows that had been lingering on Ender for the past few months.


    On the ever-so-lively street, two witchers headed towards the animal market at the east of the city to buy a couple of suitable horses.


    After they solved the two troubles of the pce back-to-back, the duke, who was rarely generous, gave 400 crowns to the witchers as a reward, which included a confidentiality fee.


    Their money pouches, which had shrivelled up, bulged again.


    Roy was not buying a horse just for the sake of travelling. He also wanted to try out his new skill: ¡°Mount¡±.


    ording to the description of the skill, various animals, like lions, tigers, bears, sharks, and whales; or monsters, such as cockatrices, dracolizards, griffins, sirens, archasas, or even real dragons ¡ª whether flying in the sky, running on the ground, or swimming in rivers or seas ¡ª could be tamed into a mount.


    But firstly, it was difficult to find these monsters, and secondly, the more powerful and rare the creature was, the more difficult it was to tame, so to try out his skill, he wanted to get amon horse, which was easily avable.


    A mount could be freed anytime, so there woulde ample opportunities for him to tame a rare one.


    * * *


    The duo squeezed through the animal market that reeked of the odour of various animals and was filled with the ¡°moo¡± of cows, ¡°bleat¡± of sheep, and ¡°hum¡± of pigs until the deepest of the stables.


    They found a horse dealer who wore a headscarf, a short, brown coat and long boots. He greeted them, and his big, brown face showed a bright smile in the sunny weather. Compared to civilians, merchants treated witchers well, but they didn¡¯t behave properly towards the poor.


    ¡°Two distinguished guests havee this way¡­¡± The horse dealer stretched out his hand and said, ¡°I, Defu, swear on my name that you won¡¯t find better horses in the city than here, the price is low and affordable¡­ Of course, there are expensive ones too. The looser your pocket, the better the quality. No matter what, you¡¯ll be satisfied with what you paid for!¡±


    The witcher looked around. The stable was not the biggest or smallest. It had around thirty horses. ¡°Where do you get your horses from?¡±


    ¡°Most are from the outskirts of Aedirn. There are also a few from Burdof in the south and Dol thanna in the east. They¡¯ve been fed well and are healthy. They¡¯ve never been sick from the day I got them! In terms of endurance and speed, they are much better than others in the same range.¡±


    ¡°Have you dealt with them?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°Most of them are geldings, as the non-castrated horses have temper issues and are easily disturbed by female horses. Most of the buyers have no patience to get amodated with them.¡±


    Letho nodded with his experience and he knew how to recognize a good horse. ¡°Very well¡­ We will pick our horses, and then we will ask you for the price.¡±


    ¡°You seem like an expert, so please feel free to choose the ones you want!¡± The horse dealer smiled politely and took a bucket and a rag on the other side of the stable, and started scrubbing the body of a white mare.


    ¡°Roy, which horse do you n on picking? Red, ck, grey or white?¡± The witcher grabbed a handful of grass from the barrel outside the stable and fed it to a ck horse, letting the creature smell it. And then the horse took the grass and started chewing. Seeing this, Letho tried to caress its neck with his other hand.


    The ck horse shook its head and bared its teeth, trying to bite him. Letho immediately took his hand back. He repeated this action until the horse epted him, bowing its head and letting him caress it.


    ¡°ck, grey, or brown.¡± Roy looked around the stables. He didn¡¯t n to choose horses with too much fur. It was not his style, and he emphasized, ¡°But I don¡¯t want a gelding.¡±


    ¡°Are you from an animal protection organization?¡± Letho sneered with a disdainful expression ¡°Rookies who can¡¯t even ride horses shouldn¡¯t make a choice, gelding or not. You would understand it after your non-gelding goes crazy and you fall off riding it, breaking a leg or two.¡±


    ¡°Listen to my advice, and choose a gelding¡­¡± Letho said, stroking the ck horse¡¯s neck and shoulders before patting its nose. ¡°This one is not bad. It will soon obey your orders and won¡¯t run away from dangers, abandoning you. Quite suitable for a rookie.¡±


    Roy nced at the ck horse and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too old, thirteen¡­ It can run well for another two years at most.¡±


    Letho was surprised. He didn¡¯t know Roy knew so much about horses.


    ¡°An old horse knows the road well, you know? Look at the developed muscles of its torso and hooves. Although 13, it¡¯s fit enough. I think it can still run for five more years. And this kind of experienced horse is perfect for rookies, for you, and the price is not high, either.¡±


    ¡°Forget it¡­ I¡¯ll look around.¡±


    Roy looked around, not listening to Letho¡¯s advice. He looked at twenty horses of different colors and builds, and he finally found one that could live up to his expectations.


    ¡®Horse


    Age: 3


    Gender: male


    HP: 60


    Strength: 8


    Dexterity: 8


    Constitution: 5


    Perception: 4


    Will: 4.5


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 5


    * * *


    The horse Roy chose was brown in colour, and was five feet tall. Its fur was shiny and smooth, and it had a white spot on its forehead, which looked impressive. The most important thing was that it had not been gelded, making its physique and agility highest among the dozens of horses. The others, especially the ones that had been gelded, were obviously weaker, which meant their endurance was low.


    Roy imitated what Letho did to tame his horse, grabbing a handful of tender grass from the barrel with his left hand and pointing it at the brown horse. His dark golden eyes red directly at the horse¡¯s ck eyes, trying to convey kindness, and he walked slowly towards it. This method didn¡¯t seem to be working.


    As soon as the young man got closer to it, the horse immediately raised its head and snorted anxiously. It shook its head and started retreating backwards in the depths of the stable.


    Roy slowed down looking at this, spreading his arms and then taking a step back.


    ¡°Good boy¡­ Take it easy¡­ I mean you no harm¡­ I will get you out of this cage and free you in a year or two.¡±


    ¡°Boy, you made it nervous.¡± Letho, who was at a distance, paid attention to this scene and shook his head, reminding him, ¡°Don¡¯t lean over too much, and be careful of getting kicked. It can break your bones and our trip might get dyed. You should honestly change to a more docile one. Get a gelding.¡±


    ¡°I have a unique method to tame it, so don¡¯t worry and just wait,¡± Roy said to Letho.


    Taming a fierce horse provided a unique sense of aplishment¡­ If Roy were an ordinary person, there would indeed have been no way to tame this ¡®stubborn boy¡¯, but he wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    With a thought, he used Mount on the horse in front of him, and a message suddenly appeared in the temte:


    ¡®The target has not been tamed and cannot be bound as a mount.¡¯


    ¡®Do you want to tame it?¡¯


    ¡®You can tame it using two methods:¡¯


    ¡®Natural Taming: After long-term training, feeding, and riding, you gain its trust and obedience. A high level of Charisma will speed up the process. After sessful taming, the mount will get close to you, rely on you, and treat you as a friend, rtive, or¡­¡¯


    ¡®Forced Taming: When your Will is equal to or more than twice the target¡¯s, you can use your will to forcibly make it obey you. The more your Will exceeds that of the target¡¯s, the less time it¡¯ll take.¡¯


    ¡®During the process, the target must be conscious and close to you.¡¯


    ¡®In forced taming, the target might fear you, run away from you, orunch an attack at you.¡¯


    ¡®After sessful taming, it will respect, love, obey, and treat you as its master.¡¯


    * * *


    Of the two taming methods, natural should be used by those who had Charisma as their main stat. And those who had Will as their main stat, like Roy, should use the 2nd method.


    However, the target would resist, which meant that if he wanted to forcibly tame a griffon or a dragon, he had to be ready to endure its terrifying ws and breaths.


    Unless¡­


    Forced taming required the target to be conscious, but that didn¡¯t mean the target had to be in a healthy state. If they were too weak to resist, they wouldn¡¯t harm him. Roy got excited after finding this solution to tame monsters.


    He turned around and tried to Mount Letho. Unsurprisingly, the target had not been tamed and could not be bound as a mount.


    <i>Okay, humans are also within the parameters.</i>


    A bond with someone of your own kind was not as strong as that with other kinds, and it was almost impossible to tame a human with the natural method. But if an ordinary person were tied and forced taming were used, would the effect be better than if it had been done with a monster?


    Roy nned to give it a tryter.


    ¡°Boy, what are you thinking?¡± Letho noticed his weird gaze, crossing his arms over his chest. His pupils turned amber as he observed Roy.


    ¡°I found a good horse¡­ How much do you think it¡¯s worth?¡± Roy quickly changed the subject.


    The witcher nced over the brown horse¡¯s muscr figure and slender limbs, and nodded. ¡°The payment that Hereward gave you is enough to buy it, but are you sure you want to choose a horse that hasn¡¯t been gelded? It might get agitated and you may fall and injure yourself. Don¡¯t me me then. I warned you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going with this one. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking this ck one.¡±


    After a while, the duo called the horse dealer toplete the transaction. They also purchased a pile of corn, grass, and stalks that were chopped and crushed as feed.


    They had spent all the reward money from the duke.


    After returning to the inn, when there was no one around, Roy went to the brown horse in the stable. After being taken away from the horse dealer, it became much more docile. It seemed to have understood that its owner had changed.


    Roy patted it on the neck.


    <i>My Will is 8.5, and it must be twice the target¡¯s for forced taming, which means I need to get it to a 9 if I want to force tame it. Luckily, I have one more attribute point that I haven¡¯t spent.</i>


    Having said that, Will had been a very useful attribute ¡ª it could tame pets, affect the power of Massacre, had helped him survive the pain and despair of the Trial of the Grasses, and resist abnormal mental status effects¡­


    ¡®Will: 8.5¡¯


    ¡®Use attribute points for Will?¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡®Will: 8.5¡ú9.5¡¯


    Roy closed his eyes and felt a warmth within his body when his Will increased. He could not feel any physical change, but the brown horse beside him shook its head ufortably.


    <i>Change in Will affects the surroundings?</i>


    He stroked it on the head with his right hand and suddenly activated forced taming ¡ª


    For a moment, the brown horse seemed to have seen its natural enemy and the thing it feared the most. Its legs lost all energy and copsed, making it kneel on the ground. Its slender body was trembling, but it dared not scream. The thing it feared was reflected in its pair of bright, ck eyes. A human figure with bloody tentacles entwined all around its body.


    But thissted only for a couple of minutes before everything went back to normal.


    ¡®The target has been tamed¡­ Do you want to bind it as a mount?¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The brown horse shook all over, stood up on its legs before lowering its head. It licked the palm of the man in front of it, its hairy tail fluttering lightly at the back.


    Roy clearly felt the emotion in Brown Horse¡¯s heart ¡ª awe and surrender, unable to resist any of hismands. Now he had a subordinate he couldmunicate with through his soul. So he tried to givemands in his heart without speaking.


    <i>Squat! Stand! Turn around in circles! Neigh!</i>


    It did them all, one by one, obediently.


    ¡°Very good, boy!¡± The young witcher smiled with satisfaction. Forced taming was really time and energy efficient. ¡°Starting from today, you have be one with me. And don¡¯t worry, when I find a recement, I will free you! Now, you should have a worthy, fashionable name¡­ Following the trend, let¡¯s call you Wilt¡­¡±


    In Elder Speech, it meant a ce or location far away, meaning that it would follow the witcher on a faraway journey.


    Wilt neighed happily and bowed respectfully.

 Chapter 133

    It was night in the wilds.


    The two witchers faced each other in an open space near the bonfire.


    Roy lowered his sword to his waist, his knees bent, and stayed in that position. The tip of the training sword pointed towards his opponent¡¯s neck, and his feet moved slowly to the front, his cheeks shining because of the flickering mes.


    The sturdy, bald man put his sword across his face and stayed in the ox position. The tip of the sword was locked onto Roy¡¯s face, and his stern amber eyes shed.


    No one made a move for five seconds.


    Then in the wild night came a breeze, Wilt neighing next to the bonfire.


    As if it were a signal, the battle began¡ª


    Letho took a quick step forward, and the tip of his sword was aimed at Roy¡¯s neck.


    The boy used the basic techniques to avoid getting cut at the center of his neck by slightly stepping diagonally.


    As long as he could deflect the iing de, he could make his move to aim at his opponent¡¯s throat.


    But the moment the two swords collided, Letho¡¯s sword seemed to have skilfully negated the force in his de, and the tip of his de unexpectedly arced down and sliced through Roy¡¯s abdomen. If it had been a steel sword, his organs would have already been spilled to the ground.


    Roy didn¡¯t stop. He took a step back as the wooden sword in his hand turned from vertical to horizontal. He swung forward, aiming at his target¡¯s thick neck.


    Letho blocked his attack.


    The two swords shed together. The des were pulled back before being swung back into ce, shing each other again like glue as they were pushed against each other.


    Through the gaps between the des, a pair of amber eyes and dark golden eyes stared at each other intensely.


    Letho suddenly released his left hand that was holding the hilt and immediately grabbed where the two des met. His thumb and remaining four fingers held the two sides of the de¡­ and pulled.


    The two swords were like a pair of closing scissors, and they were sliding towards his body. At the same moment, his right hand that was holding the hilt was seemingly pushed forward, as if there were a wheel turning right in front of him.


    As he was pulled forward, the hilt of the sword hit his elbow and he instinctively released his sword. He let Letho drag his weapon away, and then Letho made a gesture of cutting his throat with the weapon.


    ¡°Twentieth death. Congrattions, boy!¡± Letho put away the two training swords and sat near the bonfire. He took a sip from the wine bag, and enjoyed its taste.


    That was a dwarven spirit given by Dennis Cranmer as a parting gift.


    ¡°But don¡¯t be discouraged. Compared to thest few days, you¡¯ve made obvious progress, and you have begun to adapt to your post-mutation body.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. You won again¡­¡± Roy sighed and curiously asked, ¡°How did you disarm me just now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called Destroyer! It¡¯s difficult to use, even against a rookie like you wearing heavy iron gloves. Unless the enemy¡¯s reaction is slower than a sloth.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy was embarrassed after hearing that and didn¡¯t want to talk about this with Letho anymore.


    To feel better, he went to pat Wilt. He gently stroked its soft and warm mane, and the horse bowed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation with this horse? It has been with you for just a few days. I think it¡¯s a disguised female shapeshifter!¡±


    Letho nced at Wilt. ¡°Should we dissect it and take a look?¡±


    ¡°Neighhh!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare Wilt! As I said, I have mastered a special training method. It¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t believe me! And this method doesn¡¯t just work on horses¡­¡± Roy had a deep gaze when he said this to Letho.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk rubbish.¡± Letho felt a chill, but didn¡¯t show it on his face, and he shook his head. ¡°Sit down, I¡¯ll teach you something new tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that sounds interesting.¡±


    * * *


    The duo was around the bonfire. Roy was excited to learn something new, his eyes reflecting his curiosity, and Letho spoke in a low voice, which drifted over the zing mes and into the deep night.


    ¡°Before starting the lesson, I will give you a brief introduction to the witcher signs.


    ¡°Just like a mule, which is something between a horse and a donkey, having the characteristics of both, we witchers are between sorcerers andmoners. Our ability to cast spells is also in the middle. And so, sign is a type of trick that is much simpler than spells. The power of a sign is not as powerful as that of a proper spell, but it also has its advantages. It does not require long chanting,plicated incantation, materialponents, or wands to be performed¡­ All you need to do is concentrate on channeling what little magic power you have within your body together with making a simple gesture of your hand, and you can then quickly cast it. If you are very proficient with it, you can use the sign almost instantaneously.¡±


    ¡°No need to recite anything?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°I always thought it necessary to recite some incantations in Elder Speech to use the signs,¡± the boy said curiously. ¡°Since every time you stretched out your hand, your lips moved too.¡±


    Letho was shocked after hearing this. He hadn¡¯t expected Roy to be observing him so carefully. It was his little secret.


    ¡°That is nothing important. Don¡¯t sweat it.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m still curious¡­ What were you reciting at the time?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking so many questions, boy¡­¡± Letho¡¯s face flushed and he was a little embarrassed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay to tell you. It¡¯s a small habit of mine from when I learned the signs¡­ To say the name of the sign silently when casting it, so as to not make any mistakes and avoid confusion. It slowly became a habit and I can¡¯t change anymore. If I cast it without naming it, the strength of the sign bes slightly affected.¡±


    Roy imagined a scene in his head where he was yelling while releasing a sign. He found it to be a bit funny. Wasn¡¯t he warning the enemy in advance if he did that?


    He was going to pay extra attention and stop this from bing a habit as well.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ back to the topic at hand.¡± The witcher started pacing around the bonfire. ¡°The signs are divided into five types. Igni, a sign that controls mes; Aard, a sign that causes mental shock; Axii, a sign that is used for hypnotizing; Quen, a sign that creates mana shields, and Yrden, a sign that sets magic traps or increases objects¡¯ toughness. All have different release gestures¡­¡±


    Roy remembered that a few years ago, Geralt used Yrden to reinforce the coffin to prevent the striga from breaking in from the outside.


    Roy suddenly interrupted and asked, ¡°Is the mana shield that Quen summons mainly used to resist physical damage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can think of it as a transparent tortoise shell, which can prevent arrows, swords, but can¡¯t inste mes, frost, or electric shocks¡­ It¡¯s also effective against spells, but not as good as it is for physical attacks.¡±


    ¡°Is there a magic sign that specializes in defending against magic?¡±


    Letho stopped in his movements, and his amber eyes suddenly turned to Roy. ¡°Where did you hear about it, boy?¡±


    Roy confirmed his thoughts when he saw Letho¡¯s reaction, and did not answer the question. ¡°That kind of sign is called Heliotrop, right? But I have never seen you use it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond my ability.¡± Letho sighed. ¡°The reason why I only told you five types is because many of the signs have disappeared with time. Including the Heliotrop that you mentioned.¡±


    ¡°It is far more difficult than the other five, and the average witcher can¡¯t master it, and eventually it was lost to time¡­ But there are a few witchers from other schools who can use this sign. Another kind of Knpufa sign which can produce illusions is known by even fewer people¡­¡±


    Sure enough, there were seven types of witcher signs, but the vast majority of them only controlled five types.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Letho.¡± Roy thumped his chest and said seriously, ¡°I will bring the remaining two signs back to our school in the future.¡±


    Letho shook his head disdainfully. ¡°Wait until you learn the basic five first and can use them proficiently in battle before you realize your ambitions!¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re done with the theory, stretch out your hand. We will put this in practice¡­¡±


    ¡°Left hand or right hand?¡±


    ¡°If you are right-handed, you generally use the signs with your left hand, because your right hand has to hold a sword or other weapon¡­¡± Letho exined, ¡°The most effective way of fighting is to use both hands, so you should define the roles of each.¡±


    Roy suddenly thought of something troubling. If he used a sword with his right hand and a crossbow with his left hand, which would he use for signs?


    No, it should be based on the individual¡¯s reaction, and it would be taken care of by adapting to different variables.


    ¡°Can you use both hands at the same time, casting different signs?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too far ahead. Keep yourself grounded for now.¡± Letho stretched out his left hand in front of Roy and made an awkward gesture. ¡°Pay attention to my fingers, where each and every one of them is.¡±


    The index finger bent from the second knuckle, and the other four, fingers and thumb, stretched around, like an octopus spreading its tentacles.


    Roy shook his fist, rxing the muscles and bones, and then imitated Letho¡¯s movements, making the same gesture. Nothing happened immediately. He didn¡¯t even feel any magic.


    Then he closed his fist and opened it, repeating the same gesture multiple times.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel it! My elbow seems to be getting hot!¡±


    He was very excited as his heart raced. <i>Could it be that I have a talent for the signs?</i>


    ¡°What are you doing, boy? Just what are you doing with your hands? That¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Letho brought him back to reality. He grabbed Roy¡¯s left hand and bent his fingers in the correct ce by force.


    After spending two full minutes on that, each of Roy¡¯s left hand fingers were in the correct position.


    ¡°This is the basic gesture of Igni? Ugh¡­ My hand seems to be cramped¡­ What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Stretch out your hand and make a gesture as if you were outlining the symbol of the sign in the air¡­ Just like this!¡± Letho¡¯s five fingers were folded into a fist, and then they suddenly stretched out toward the fire. Within a tenth of a second, his index finger bent from the second knuckle. The rest of the fingers followed, bending at different angles.


    While stretching out his hand, he drew aplete sign in the air ¡ª an upright triangle.


    ¡°Boom ¡ª ¡°


    A raging fire snake spewed out of the bonfire, and the mes flourished!


    The mes rose sharply, as high as a person.


    After the time limit of Igni was over, the bonfire returned to normal.


    * * *


    ¡°Doing it is always better than simply exining it. Now, your turn!¡±


    Roy stood upright in front of the bonfire, keeping his left hand beside his waist. Taking a deep breath, he turned and nodded to Letho, who had a strange expression. Roy suddenly stretched out his left hand toward the bonfire, gesturing the sign ¡ª


    Heat flowed from his limbs and rushed across his arms, elbows, forearms, and finally, his palms. Seeing that, Roy got excited!


    <i>A miracle ising forth!</i>


    ¡°Puff ¡ª ¡°


    A spark the size of a fingernail came out of his left palm, and then it extinguished in a thousandth of a second.


    Mana -1¡­


    The bonfire was not affected at all.


    * * *


    Cold wind blew, and the brown horse, Wilt, snorted, ending the suffocating silence.


    ¡°Uh, this¡­ Why did I fail to do it right?¡± Roy retracted his left hand and watched his palm with disappointment.


    Letho suddenly turned his head to the other side, the blue veins on his neck pulsing, and he turned back after calming down, with a gentle expression on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, kid. This is normal. When you use it the first time, you are far from proficient with the gestures, and your control of the mana in your body is too crude¡­ You have to guide it. You should have felt it just now, Igni¡¯s scorching magic power flowing through the body.¡±


    ¡°Guide? How should I guide it?¡±


    Letho used a strange metaphor. ¡°Just as you know how to pee. The magic is gushing out of your arms, just like how the body excretes urine¡­ The magic sign you used just now was obviously short on mana. You have to give it more. In simpler terms, you have to pee some more.¡±


    ¡°But what if I can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then, hold on to it, uh, I mean that feeling. Do you understand?¡±


    Roy looked at the campfire and sighed. Tonight was going to be another sleepless night¡­

 Chapter 134

    The burning sunlight fell upon the swamp.


    The steam began to rise, and some green figures could be vaguely seen zooming through the wispy smokes.


    It was a band of drowners running wildly.


    Scales were loosely growing on their smooth gills, and a thin webbing was connecting their fingers and toes at the end of their limbs.


    They were like webbing from ducks so they could swim easily.


    They hadrge and sharp ears, and their white eyes werecking pupils like patients suffering from cataracts. There were sharp teeth crossing with each other in therge mouths underneath their tiny noses.


    ¡°@&%#¡­¡±


    A drowner that was dancing in the mist suddenly stopped, curiously scanning around it.


    Its nose twitched like that of a hound, and a strange smell made it look towards its right. A figure wielding a longsword appeared.


    <i>Food! Flesh!</i>


    In that instant, the drowner screeched out excitedly like a cat when smelling the scent of fish. It showed its teeth as it pounced towards its prey.


    Whoosh¡­!


    A scintiting arc was drawn in the air, and it was like thunder booming on a clear day. The drowner¡¯s running figure suddenly stopped, and a line painted with the color of blood was formed on its neck.


    Thud!


    Its headless body fell into the shallow swamp, and its cleanly cut throat had been burned to a crisp ck by a formless me. Only a little blood had actually been spilled.


    ¡°@&%#¡­¡±


    The other five noticed that something had happened and they jumped out from the mist from some distance away, and they then pounced towards the figure with ws extended.


    The drowner killer held his longsword in front of him with his right hand and then grabbed into the air. A small, gray-colored crossbow appeared in his hand.


    Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh¡­


    The crossbow string sprang, and the sound of something streaking through the air rang repeatedly.


    Roy instantly fired three crossbow bolts, and two of them changed direction mid-air. Three of the drowners running towards him stopped dead in their tracks as blood burst out between their eyes and forehead. They then dropped dead immediately.


    The other two drowners had already made their way towards him, and they opened their mouths filled with jagged teeth and minced meat, and let out a breath of hot, putrid air.


    He still remained calm until the fetid breath swayed the hair on his forehead. The crossbow disappeared and, in the blink of an eye, he drew a blue-colored triangle sign with the finger on his left hand.


    And he pushed¡­


    Aard!


    Boom! A loud explosion pushed the mist outward!


    Powerful airflow exploded from within the sign.


    A drowner was immediately flipped over.


    ¡°Fear!¡±


    The witcher¡¯s eyes turned red, and thest drowner instantly lost its ability to control its body and rammed itself straight into a de.


    Gwyhyr easily pierced under its jaw, and straight into its brain.


    Spurt¡­


    He pulled his de back, and the blood slid off the gleaming de as it sliced through the air.


    The witcher then used his right foot as support and spun around as he sliced. A giant head shot up into the air.


    In less than twenty seconds, all six drowners had be corpses.


    ¡°Drowners killed. Experience +20¡Á6. Witcher Level 5 (1020/2500).¡±


    The ¡°Drowner Killer¡± panted and kicked away the corpse of the monster as he wiped the blood from his face. He then took out a sharp dagger, and knelt down to reap his spoils.


    He opened their skulls and took out the drowner brain, and then cut out the organs, webbing and ears.


    The rotten smell, thick blood and sticky flesh didn¡¯t even cause his expression to change.


    It was as if he were simply going through his day job.


    ***


    After some time, the young witcher who had finished harvesting the materials patrolled the other half of the swamp again. When he could no longer find signs of any drowners, he then used the swamp water to wash the grime off his leather armor and skin as well as freshen himself up a bit. He then took a bloodied linen sack with him as he left.


    Outside of the swamp, an evenrger, bald figure stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Simrly, he held a bloodied sack in his hand.


    ¡°How¡¯s your harvest, boy?¡±


    ¡°Twelve ears¡­¡± He shook the sack in his hand at the bald man, his slightly youthful face filled with disappointment. ¡°Six drowners¡­ I don¡¯t have enough yet!¡±


    The bald man grinned, shing his white teeth as he raised the sack in his hand. ¡°I have fourteen. You lose. Dinner is still yours tonight!¡±


    ¡°Haah, lucky bastard! I¡¯ve already prepared half a month¡¯s worth of dinner.¡± The young witcher¡¯s expression was filled with frustration as he waved his hand. ¡°If this continues, I¡¯ll end up being a cook, right?¡±


    ¡°What are youining about? This is training your survival skills,¡± Letho said. As a thought crossed his mind, he reminded him, ¡°This time, don¡¯t you dare deceive me again and cut my rewards.¡±


    ¡°Can you trust me a bit more? I¡¯m the treasurer that you personally appointed!¡± Roy said as he began counting his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m simply trying to be frugal and save some money beforehand¡­ Since we want to build a branch for the School of the Viper in the Northern Kingdoms, we¡¯ll first need to earn enough money to buy anded estate. And then, we need to renovate, buy materials¡­ We need ten-thousand crowns at least to cover all these expenses. That¡¯s why we need to n early.¡±


    ¡°Stop! Enough! You¡¯re the boss when ites to the finances!¡± The powerful man¡¯s expression was filled with annoyance. He was getting a headache as he heard all those numbers. ¡°You can save half of the rewards, but you need to leave me some money for beer.¡±


    ***


    The two of them had left Ender for about half a month. They had also epted a few contracts to eliminate nekkers and drowners. They earned some money, but to Roy, the biggest reward was still the experience and newly learned skills.


    Witcher Signs LVL1: After being taught by the witchers, you have begun mastering the five basic signs: Igni, Aard, Axii, Quen and Yrden.


    The power of the signs is rted to one¡¯s Spirit and Skill Level.


    ***


    Roy¡¯s Spirit had surpassed the witchers¡¯, but his sign levels were quite low. Despite expending the same twenty mana, the power of his sign was much weaker than Letho¡¯s.


    But the strangest part was that every time he used a sign, the amount of mana he expended would be different. It would range from ten to twenty.


    ording to Letho, that was because he hadn¡¯t yet fully mastered the seals and couldn¡¯t use it on reflex. He still had a long way to go.


    ***


    The two of them were chatting when they reached a simple vige about 500 meters away from the swamp.


    Several strong men wearing linen clothing and headscarves greeted them while they were still far away.


    They didn¡¯t conceal the prudence in their eyes when they looked at the two witchers as they tightly held their hoes, sickles, pitchforks, and other ¡°weapons¡±, as if they wanted to expel some dire beasts.


    At this time, the vige chief who had a beard and a crooked back walked out of the crowd of about a dozen vigers. He straightened his neck and then asked with a hardened tone, ¡°The drowners are dead?¡±


    The young witcher threw the two heavy, bloodied sacks onto the ground and said in a cool tone, ¡°Twenty-six ears from thirteen drowners. You can count them. There will be no more monsters harassing you from the swamp. You¡¯re safe, at least for the next year or two.¡±


    The vige chief gave the strong viger next to him a look, and the viger immediately went over and opened the sack and began counting. He then nodded at the others.


    ¡°Correct. Thirteen drowners.¡¯


    The bearded man plotted in his mind and then had someone deliver them a bag of crowns. ¡°This is the reward that we¡¯ve promised. We no longer owe each other anything. You two can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the numbers seem to becking.¡± As soon as he held the bag, Roy realized something was wrong.


    ¡°There are only fifty crowns in this bag, right? If I remember correctly, the amount we were promised was a hundred crowns.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re fools? Do you think we witchers can¡¯t count?¡±


    This was not the first time they had encountered vigers who wanted to renege on a deal. Not all vigers knew the power of the witchers.


    Most of them were silly plebs. They believed in the wild rumors, and as such looked down and hated the witchers.


    They knew the witchers were good at ying monsters. But they didn¡¯t know the des in their hands¡­ were also used to kill men like animals.


    ¡°Those who did not know how to respect others wouldn¡¯t live long.¡±


    Roy¡¯s dark, golden pupils turned into diamonds as he scanned the men with violent intent.


    He looked like a beast that was choosing its prey.


    The bald man stood next to him with his arms crossed, and the muscles on his arms began to show. His eyes were filled with murderous intent, and his expression was so cold it could freeze men in ce.


    The atmosphere was extremely dangerous. The vige chief¡¯s skinny body trembled, but the vigers behind him were trying to raise his spirits and took a step forward towards the witchers with their hoes and pitchforks in hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we have. Take the rewards and leave! Or you won¡¯t get even one crown!¡±


    ¡°Do you think the witchers are all easy prey? That you can intimidate us however you want? You need to give us fifty more crowns!¡±


    Roy said menacingly, ¡°Or we¡¯ll take your heads!¡±


    His right hand suddenly reached to his back and he drew out Gwyhyr. There was still a sliver of blood left on the de¡¯s glistening edge. He¡¯d intentionally left it there.


    When the vigers saw that, their faces turned pale as they watched in horror. They had finally regained some of their sense. The witchers could easily kill dozens of drowners. How were they supposed to fight against them?


    At the same time, the tall and huge Letho seemed to have received some kind of signal and moved his short and thick neck¡­ And cracked his giant fists.


    ¡°Just in time. Those dozens of drowners weren¡¯t enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Stop! You can take them!¡±


    The bearded man finally sumbed and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. He quickly took out another pouch of crowns and threw it at them.


    ¡°A hundred crowns in total! Not one coin less! Are you two happy?¡±


    Roy put away the pouch, satisfied, and exchanged a nce with the man.


    ¡°The contract is concluded. Goodbye then, you fools!¡±


    ¡°One final word of advice. Not all witchers are as friendly as us.¡±


    ¡°If you try to renege on a deal next time¡­ every single person in your vige might end up dead.¡±


    ***


    Once they left the vige far enough as they took their horses with them, Roy asked curiously, ¡°If the vigers didn¡¯t want to pay up, were you going to attack?¡±


    ¡°Once they¡¯ve been beaten up and have some sores, they will naturally know the importance of trust and give up the money.¡± The witcher¡¯s voice suddenly stopped as his expression turned cold. ¡°But if they dare to use their weapons¡­¡±


    Roy understood. The bald man must have killed plenty of people in his long life.


    If they were to attack the vigers, that meant they would have to kill every single one of them. If any one of them survived, the witcher would be a wanted criminal. There were several examples in history. Roy knew several himself.


    But he didn¡¯t think too much about whether he should kill or not. His reflexes would make the choice for him.


    ¡°We will never know if the person who issues the contract is someone trustworthy or someone who will renege on the deal.¡±


    ¡°But there is one thing we can be sure of. Ny-nine percent of the vigers had not mastered the ability to kill Geralt by poking him at his waist.¡±

 Chapter 135: Tavern Brawl

    Gallop! Gallop!


    Hooves stirred up the dirt on the road as a ck horse and a brown horse galloped through the forest.


    The leading rider was obviously much better in skill. His two hands were holding the reins with just the right amount of strength as his long and strong legs tightly hugged the horse. His athletic figure was slightly bent forward, and he would keep moving forward as the horse galloped at its own rhythm.


    His entire being seemed to have be one with the horse, and he found it easy to ride it. He even had the energy to turn around and look at the rider who had fallen behind him.


    The rider behind him performed far worse as he had his entire body on the horse¡¯s back, and he was somewhat stiff as well.


    After a moment, they had left the forest and had entered an open in¡­


    It was afternoon and many people who were hungry had returned home. There were few people on the streets.


    Rows upon rows of houses with straw roofing in the vige had smoke rising from them. In the middle of the rows of houses was a building built with bricks. In front of its wide courtyard stood the signpost of a tavern.


    Neigh¡­


    Roy, who was wearing leather armor and a cloak behind him, pulled on his reins with all his might. Afterward, he jumped down the horse hastily.


    Cold sweat was all over his face as they hurried along in their journey.


    However, he was very gentle with the one that started all of this. He gently patted the horse¡¯s mane and whispered as he slowly walked forward with the reins in his hand.


    ¡°Wilt, oh Wilt. You have to be gentler next time. I feel like I¡¯m losing half my life every time I ride you¡­¡±


    Letho could only shake his head as he walked in front with his horse. His wide cloak had covered his well-developed muscles. There were straps and buckles fastened around his chest and waist, and there was a row of throwing knives and a small potion belt.


    He was surrounded by an aura warning others to ¡°not provoke him.¡±


    During this time, he kept seeing him speak to his horse. The witcher was beginning to doubt he was psychologically well.


    Could the horse even understand him?


    ***


    The two of them led their horses on the street and towards the tavern. The server greeted them and then received the reins from their hands.


    ¡°Feed them some soybeans, peas and corn. Give them some clean water as well,¡± Roy told him. ¡°No need to worry about money. Horses used for traveling need to be fed with the good stuff. Don¡¯t use something spoiled or covered with mold to deceive us, understood?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. Please,e in¡­¡± the server said as he looked at the young and handsome face under the hood.


    <i>Strange¡­ What¡¯s wrong with his eyes?</i> he thought to himself.


    He then nced at therge man who was like a small hill. He didn¡¯t recognize either of them, and it was obvious from their ent that they were foreigners.


    However, Vizima was not a friendly city.


    <i>I hope they won¡¯t start a brawl</i>, the young man prayed silently. The boss just finished the renovationsst week. If they have another brawl, the boss will have no more money to hire me.


    Roy looked behind him and sensed someone watching him with such intensity that it prickled his skin. His eyes saw a dirty male beggar covered in filth staring right at them in an alley to the right of the tavern.


    ¡°Even beggars look down on the witchers now, huh?¡±


    ***


    The tavern keeper raised his head and looked at the neers. The strangers were still wearing their cloaks and stood stiffly in front of the bar. They were without expression and without words.


    ¡°What can I serve you both?¡±


    ¡°Beer. Vizima¡¯s specialty stout¡­¡±


    The tone of the bald man¡¯s voice finally had some life in it once he spoke about beer¡­


    ¡°Yes, make it two¡­¡±


    The tavern keeper wiped his hand on the cloth apron, and then filled two chipped y mugs with a golden and vorful beer.


    The two of them sat in front of the bar and removed their cloak.


    Everyone in the tavern noticed they both had swords.


    It was normal for everyone to have swords. In Vizima, almost every man of age would carry a weapon with them. But no one would have a sword on their backs as if they were carrying a crossbow.


    The two strangers didn¡¯t find a table like the other customers. Instead, they stood still in front of the bar. The younger man with a sword behind him stared at the tavern keeper¡­ who was staring at them with unfriendly eyes.


    And so, after sipping a mouthful of the sweet beer, he said, ¡°We need two rooms. For a night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have any more avable,¡± the tavern keeper said unhappily as he nced at their boots. They were quite filthy, covered with dirt and dust.


    ¡°Go to the Temple Quarter. The faithful of Lebioda will be more than happy to receive you.¡±


    ¡°But what if we want to stay here?¡± Roy insisted. He then felt the witcher pull his hand.


    ¡°No need for lodging. We¡¯ll have some food and rest for the afternoon, and then we will leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay, even if we pay?¡± Roy asked persistently. He wanted to see these people¡¯s bottom line.


    ¡°We¡¯re full¡­¡± The tavern keeper looked at his dark, golden eyes and didn¡¯t budge.


    The atmosphere became choking.


    At this time, a short man whose face was covered with e scars approached them with his two peculiar followers.


    ¡°Do you understand what he¡¯s saying¡­?¡± A sharp voice came out from the throat of the man with e scars. ¡°Vizima is the heart of Temeria. It¡¯s a great city and we don¡¯t wee freaks and mutants like you.¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, this is the outskirts.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s the outskirts, it¡¯s still a part of Vizima. And we are proud Vizimans.¡±


    The young witcher¡¯s expression became frigid as he lowered his head, and his arm slowly reached behind his back.


    He was thinking about whether he should start pping the man¡¯s face right side first or left side first.


    But the man kept on pressing him, saying, ¡°I¡¯m giving you two choices right now. You either leave this ce and Vizima, or I¡¯ll send you off myself!¡±


    Facing the men¡¯s yelling and humiliation, Letho suddenly downed his entire mug of beer and mmed the cup on the bar with a huge bang.


    Everyone present was taken aback. But before the man with the e scars could even react, a man suddenly rushed inside. It was the server who was helping them with the horses just now.


    He then jabbered with nervousness, ¡°Sirs! Your¡­ Your horse, someone had freed one of them!¡±


    ¡°What?! Who did that?!¡±


    Roy suddenly rushed forward, and nobody knew if it was intentional, but he immediately hit the shoulder of the man with e scars. He was hit with twice the strength of a normal man.


    The man in the back could only feel his body be lighter as if he were rammed by an enraged rhino directly from the front, and he couldn¡¯t help but be thrown far to the back.


    The moment he sessfullynded on the ground, he could feel that his buttocks had been broken and his entire skeleton cracked into pieces. His two legs ttened and he immediately lost consciousness.


    ***


    When both Roy and Letho rushed out of the tavern door, one of the horses was already gone. It was the ck, old horse owned by Letho.


    ¡°Good boy, Wilt¡­ You didn¡¯t disappoint me¡­¡± Meanwhile, Roy¡¯s steed, which was that brown horse, was still staying in the stable calmly. It even nodded when it saw its master.


    The server then approached them as he shuddered and said, ¡°I was preparing the feed for your horses¡­ and I looked away for one moment¡­ But it should be that old and ugly beggar who was begging next to the tavern who stole your horse.¡±


    ¡°Right, we understand.¡±


    Roy¡¯s golden pupils contracted. In the stable, multiple ¡°ribbons¡± of different colors appeared in the air and extended outward. He locked onto the one with the most brilliant color.


    ¡°We were in the tavern for less than ten minutes. He can¡¯t outrun us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what gave him this much confidence!¡±


    ***


    Nivellen quietlyy prone in the garbage pile in between two buildings.


    He gritted his yellow, rotten teeth. He endured the stink around him, and didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly.


    He knew the witchers had eyes sharper than eagles, noses more sensitive than dogs.


    They would be able to catch him if he made so much as a little bit of noise.


    If they caught him after he released their horses¡­ Nivellen rubbed his left leg, which was numb. He was afraid he would lose even his right leg.


    ¡°Witchers¡­ It¡¯s all your fault I ended up like this today!¡±


    He began to rey the memories in his mind again. He remembered countless times thevish lifestyle he once had. Once upon a time, he was wearing clothes made from the best of linen and eating the most exotic of foods. He was even apanied by beautiful women and possessed a body much stronger than that of a mere man¡¯s. However, because of a witcher who put his nose into someone else¡¯s business, he lost everything.


    And the mostughable part of all this was that he¡¯d been grateful for that witcher at the beginning. It was only until he was forced to leave home did he understand the cruelty of the real world. Sometimes, it was easier to live as an outsider than as a normal human.


    ¡°I must have fallen under a witcher¡¯s spell to have believed his words in the first ce! They must all pay!¡±


    ***


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps rang from afar.


    Nivellen quickly held his breath as his body tightened, and he didn¡¯t even dare to move.


    <i>Get away! Get away! Get away now!</i> he kept on roaring in his heart. However, it were as if the gods had heard his prayers. The sounds of the footsteps were bing lighter and lighter, further and further, and theypletely disappeared.


    He sighed in relief as he finally calmed his heart.


    <i>Next time¡­ Next time, I will teach them a lesson again¡­</i> Just as he had that thought, he suddenly felt his back was getting lighter. There were some skittering sounds, and the garbage on his back was suddenly thrown away. The cold wind swept through his clothes that were filled with holes. It was like someone had poured a bucket full of iced water on him in the middle of June. He instantly felt the icy-cold from head to toe as his body became stiffer and stiffer.


    ¡°I¡¯m found out¡­ I¡¯m done for¡­¡¯


    As he was consumed by despair, Nivellen simply buried his face deeper into the slimy and smelly garbage.


    At this time, a demonic chuckle came from behind him, and he felt a sharp object slide on his back. His skin seemed to have been pierced through, and he could feel some slight pain.


    The two witchers seemed to be crueler than he first thought. ¡°You want to kill me, right?¡±


    When he knew he could finally free himself from his terrible life, he closed his eyes and turned around, and then pressed the left side of his chest and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Come on. Give this heart of mine one final pierce. I beg you to do it quickly and make it clean. Show this beggar onest mercy.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Roy looked at the beggar in surprise, who had the expression of someone finally being freed from his torment, as if he were going to die for a just cause.


    The bald witcher also looked at him, confused.


    ¡°Who wants to kill you? We have nothing to do with you. Why <b>did</b> you release our horses, you fool?¡±

 Chapter 136: Encountering the Curse Again

    Roy let go of Gwyhyr.


    The beggar simply snorted, as if he were unafraid of anything because he was going to die anyway.


    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you if you don¡¯t say anything?¡± Roy looked at the beggar, and his eyes turned dark, his iris slowly moving upward as he slowly lost consciousness.


    ¡°Nivellen¡­ Vizima outskirts¡­ a robber¡¯s manor¡­¡±


    How did he end up like this? To the point where he was worse off than a normal man?


    He entered another witcher¡¯s story.


    ¡°Nivellen¡­¡±


    ¡°You know me, witcher?¡±


    ¡°Not only do I know you, but I also know a white-haired witcher. Geralt of Rivia.¡±


    The moment the beggar heard his name, he immediately stood up straight from the ground.


    ¡°What?! Bring me to him now! That white-haired bastard took my happy life away from me! I looked for him for nine whole years!¡± the beggar said as he ground his teeth, as if Geralt were a sworn enemy of his.


    ¡°Then you have to tell me the reason you freed our horses, and the source of your hatred. If I remember correctly, Geralt had helped you¡­¡±


    Roy was referring to a story from many years ago called ¡°A Grain of Truth.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Nivellen¡¯s wrinkled face had a bitter smile on it. He was only around the age of thirty-seven, but he had the face of a fifty, sixty years old. The agony of life had left too many blemishes on him.


    ¡°I thought so too at first, and then¡­ As for why I freed your horses, it¡¯s simple. I hate that white-haired man, and so I hate all the witchers. I can see the confusion in your eyes. You too want to know the truth just like that man? I can fulfill your thirst for knowledge, but please bring me to him. Find Geralt of Rivera.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright, tell me your story.¡± Roy already knew what his history was, but Letho was still in the dark.


    The beggar cleared his throat and couldn¡¯t wait to begin telling his story. Perhaps, deep in his heart, he had always been waiting for someone to listen to it.


    He had kept it deep within him for a very long time. But almost everyone thought that he was simply making up the story. They would at most listen to the beginning.


    But witchers were no doubt all listeners with great patience.


    ¡°Do you want to listen to the short or detailed one? If you want to listen to thetter, then I must start from the very beginning.¡±


    Nivellen looked at the two witchers who were ready to listen. He then had his back against the heap of garbage, and began to exin.


    ¡°Sixteen years ago, my grandfather, father and I lived in avish manor in the northern outskirts of Vizima. Our family never had anyone famous, and we weren¡¯t aristocrats. Our family became rich through robbing others.


    ¡°My elders would always stop the merchants and rob them blind. We would also sometimes bring the gang to the viges to extort them for some protection money. We lived a good life, and we had gathered a vast amount of health.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve been sickly since I was little. I coughed a lot, always had runny noses, and because of my shyness, I would always be harassed by the servants in the manor. When father was still around, they wouldn¡¯t go overboard. But after my father was killed by a swordsman when he tried to rob a carriage, the servants began to harass me even more. As for my grandfather, his head had been hit by a morningstar when he was younger. So he couldn¡¯t protect me either.¡±


    Nevellen¡¯s voice stopped.


    ¡°One day, the gang brought me to Mirt in Redania, where we robbed a temple. Afterward, the white-haired man told me the temple was used to worship the Coram Agh Tera, the Lionheaded Spider.


    ¡°They kidnapped a priestess, and coerced me to use her to lose my virginity. And that was how I became a man. Just when I was still bing a man, the priestess spat at me and used foulnguage to curse me!


    ¡°She cursed at me, saying I was a man in a monster¡¯s skin, and I would soon be a monster in a monster¡¯s skin. A short whileter, she killed herself out of shame and anger.


    ¡°I ran. And on the second day, I reached home, and I realized the priestess¡¯s curse had be a reality. I became a beast with a powerful body, a horrendous head, and a mouthful of sharp fangs.


    ¡°Overtaken by fear and anger, I was dominated by my instincts. I butchered the entire manor. Everyone died.¡± Nivellen let out a satisfiedugh.


    However, the faces of the witchers darkened. They remembered n, the captain of the Sea Scorpion Troupe that they had encountered not long ago.


    Both n and Nivellen had been cursed by the priests of the Cult of the Lionheaded Spider.


    ¡°Then how were you restored to your human form?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°That happenedter. Please be patient.¡±


    Perhaps he was enjoying himself. There was somewhat less hatred in his voice.


    ¡°I stayed alone in the huge manor and lost myself for a long time. Can you imagine? A normal man suddenly bes a terrifyingly powerful monster? How scary is that?


    ¡°Until one day, I caught a ¡®thief¡¯ that tried to steal from my manor. I then chatted with him in patience and excitement.


    ¡°He was a merchant. He understood that I had amassed great wealth in my manor and that I was a ¡®kind beast¡¯ that he could converse safely with. And then, I suddenly remembered a fairy tale when we were speaking. Could true love break this strange curse on me?


    ¡°And so, I suggested we start a business. He would bring me young men, good wine and food. In return, I would give him the gold and jewels in my manor¡¯s basement as a reward.


    ¡°My business expanded very quickly. Even the leather tanner and the shoemaker became frequent guests of mine.


    ¡°I had much wealth, and my strength was not something to be underestimated. Those who dared to offend me had all died to my hands.


    ¡°And I was immune to diseases, and full of energy from morning to night.¡±


    Roy¡¯s expression was hard to describe. After seeing what happened to n and Nivellen, he wondered if the curse from the Cult of the Lionheaded Spider was a punishment or blessing.


    Other than bing ugly and losing one¡¯s mind, the cursed ones became the holders of many abilities that were beyond the reach of mortals, such as great martial power.


    Then, was there anyone in this world researching¡­ the path to power for the ursed?


    ¡°In total, I¡­¡± Nivellen counted his fingers as a smile appeared on his ugly face. ¡°I dated five innocent human females. Those were the most wonderful and happiest days of my life. Unfortunately, they had only stayed in my manor for one year, and then left with their bride tokens, found someone honest and got married.


    ¡°None of them were my true love, until I met the final girl. Vereena¡­ She suddenly appeared, and had always stayed by my side. She would stay with me and we would watch the roses in my courtyard, and dance with me under the moonlight¡­ She didn¡¯t have the greed of the other women. She didn¡¯t look down on me for my ugly appearance. With her by my side, I had slowly abandoned my thoughts of trying to be a man again.


    ¡°I thought my life would continue to be happy. But the white-haired man came.¡±


    Nivellen covered his face with his hands and mumbled, ¡°He kept telling me about the curse and the way to break the curse. We ended our conversation on bad terms. He left my manor, but came back the second day.


    ¡°And fought with my Vereena in the courtyard.¡±


    His voice began to shake. ¡°It was at that time that I saw Vereena reveal her true self. She was a bruxa.¡±


    A bruxa was an extremely dangerous, low-ranked vampire. It was much more agile than an ekimmara.


    Even someone like Letho would have quite the trouble with one.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Roy said with a straight face. ¡°A bruxa and a human in monster¡¯s skin¡­ You¡¯re made for each other, right?¡±


    ¡°But I was terror-struck¡­¡± Nivellen held his head in regret.


    ¡°A monster afraid of another monster¡­ How weird.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I had fallen under the spell of the white-haired man. I helped him kill Vereena¡­ And my hands slipped. Vereena¡¯s blood covered my entire body, and I returned to being a man. It was at that moment that I finally realized¡­ She loved me¡­ But the mistake had already been made. I lost the person I loved, and I had returned to being a man.¡± Nivellen sobbed.


    The witchers realized what happened. Because they had gone through it themselves, they believed everything he said.


    True love and blood could break the curse.


    ¡°Before I realized what had happened, the witcher simply turned around and left. After that, my nightmare had only begun. My body had returned to its sickly state. I no longer had the power to protect the wealth in my manor. Very quickly, another gang arrived and took over my manor and wealth. I was forced to escape and became a vagrant. I ended up in the outskirts of Vizima, and began my life filled with agony here.


    ¡°I was weak and sickly. Other than cheering for mypanions who robbed others, I had no other skills at all. I did not know how to make a living at all. In the end, I became a beggar. Even then, I would always be the target of the other beggars.


    ¡°The life I live now does not fit a man, and I¡¯ve been thinking for a very long time¡­¡± He raised his head and looked at the two witchers, red lights shing in his eyes. ¡°I realized that the cause of all my misery is that white-haired man, the witcher Geralt of Rivera. Without him, Vereena and I would still be living happily together. Do you still think I shouldn¡¯t hate him?! Shouldn¡¯t hate witchers?!¡±


    Roy nced at Letho, and he remained silent.


    Geralt helped Nivellen break the curse and kill the bruxa. From the point of view of a witcher, he did nothing wrong.


    But he did destroy Nivellen¡¯s peaceful life.


    Who was wrong and who was right? Roy didn¡¯t want to be the one to make the judgment.


    But all of this could not wash away the sins he had oncemitted as a robber.


    His suffering was simply a punishment for his crimes.


    ¡°Then how did your leg end upme¡­?¡± Roy pointed at his obviously twisted right leg.


    ¡°Another witcher called Berengar broke my leg when I tricked him.¡±


    The young man began to think. He seemed to have heard of this witcher from somewhere.


    ¡°In Vizima?¡±


    ¡°It was about two years ago¡­¡±


    Roy nodded.


    ¡°Your experience is quite fantastic. But all of this¡±¡ªhe added stress to his words¡ª¡°is caused by your own doing! Think about the times youmit banditry when you wore the armor of a robber, the people you killed, the priestess you raped¡­ How miserable could you be?¡± The young witcher shook his head. ¡°Can your miserableness bepared to those who died at your hands?¡±


    Nivellen¡¯s head lowered, his expression darkening.


    With one sentence, he had destroyed his shell of being the innocent.


    ¡°But I was forced by those evil servants! I was weak and I couldn¡¯t fight back! Everything that had happened afterward, and how I had be this¡±¡ªNivellen extended his neck as he argued in the garbage heap¡ª¡°it¡¯s all the fault of the white-haired witcher! Now, please, tell me where that bastard is. I want to settle my score with him!¡±


    ¡°So what if you find Geralt?¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°Will your life return to what it was like in the past after you question him? Or, perhaps, you want to once again wear the skin of a monster?¡±


    Nivellen licked his dried lips with some fear in him.


    ¡°You transferred all the hatred you felt towards your life to the witchers but ignored your crimes! Look at everything you did all these years! All you know how to do isin. You won¡¯t even do what beggars do when you are one yourself! I¡¯m not the judge, so it¡¯s not up to me to judge you for your past crimes!¡±


    Nivellen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What¡­ What do you want to do to me?!¡±


    ¡°Now, we are going to consider what you did to us on its own. You freed our horses without any valid reason¡­¡± The young man stopped as he exchanged a nce with the bald man. ¡°You will be punished.¡±


    Bang!


    After he had finished saying that, he swung the sheathed sword directly into Nivellen¡¯s face, who immediately fainted in the smelly garbage heap.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Letho. Let¡¯s see if we can get your ¡®old pal¡¯ back!¡±


    ¡°I thought you would break the other half of his leg,¡± Letho said half-jokingly. ¡°Perhaps he can beg for even more money like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already being generous for not forcing him to pay me money¡­¡±


    Roy turned around and looked at that miserable man in the garbage heap and couldn¡¯t help but sigh at his fate.


    He lived a much better life when he was a monster than when he was a man.


    Just what kind of a world was this?

 Chapter 137: Vizima

    When they were back at the tavern, the witcher tried to find the missing ck horse from the stable. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t seed as they had hoped.


    However, both of them were thinking that they were already not too far from the city itself. If the horse went missing here, it was possible it would be caught and sold to other horse dealers in the city.


    ¡°Should we go and look for it in the city?¡± Roy said as he could feel the sting in his heart. ¡°Your old pal cost us quite a few coins.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± the witcher agreed. ¡°We should also clear up your ¡®inventory¡¯ and replenish our stock.¡±


    ***


    Roy led the horse and walked on the small path in the outskirts. To his left was the wide Lake Vizima that stretched out to the horizon.


    The Temeria River was directly to their north.


    TL/PR Note: ording to the map, it should be Ismena.


    The capital city of Temeria, Vizima, was located on a giant ind in the northern part of theke. It was surrounded all around, and it was connected tond via four bridges.


    The witcher¡¯s destination was the eastern bridge, which was connected to the Trade Quarter.


    They were able to see the shadows of the buildings in the city through the bridge. The tallest one was just at the end of his sight, located on the northwestern part of the ind.


    ¡°Foltest¡¯s castle.¡±


    The origin of the castle was something he found quite funny.


    When King Foltest¡¯s own daughter-turned-striga, Adda the White, took over his headquarters, the king had no choice but to build another seat of power. He then chose to build this castle within the city. Several yearster, when Nilfgaard breached Vizima¡¯s gates, this castle had also be Emperor Emhyr var Emreis¡¯ temporary residence and pce during the war.


    ¡°I wonder how that striga is doing right now.¡±


    Speaking of Adda the White, Roy couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The Viziman legend was also someone quite pitiful.


    She was born from an incestuous rtionship between Foltest and his own sister, and she became a monster that only knew how to feed off flesh and drank blood. She had been dominated by her bloodlust for fourteen years. Even if her curse had been broken by Geralt, only five years had passed. How much of her humanity could she recover in that time?


    And how did the king treat her?


    Before Roy could even finish his thoughts, he had already reached the bridge together with the witcher.


    There were many merchantsing and going on the bridge, and it was filled with people. But the two witchers¡¯ unique outfit made themoners automatically open up a way for them.


    But the strangest thing was that when the guards at the city gates saw them, they simply nced at them curiously, advised them on thews of Vizima in a few sentences and then let them leave.


    It made the two of them feel like they shouldn¡¯t have to be worried so much.


    ¡°Looking at the guards¡¯ eyes¡­ Why do I feel like they¡¯re gloating at us?¡±


    Letho shuddered. ¡°No need to be worried about them. Let¡¯s leave as soon as we¡¯re done.¡±


    The long and narrow streets after the gate were rows of brick buildings tightly arranged together. Multi-colored flowers were ced right in front of the windows of the buildings.


    Most of the city folk walking around the city were wearing presentable clothes, and not clothes made by themonly seen x. They were high-grade fur and silk.


    They walked with confidence, with some of them growing somewhat chubby and having fair skin. It was obvious they were nothing like the inferior and skinnymoners.


    ¡°Seems like everyone who lives in the Trade Quarter are rich people¡­¡±


    The closer they got to the heart of the Trade Quarter, the cleaner it became. The ground was paved with clean cobblestones and it was surrounded by the finely decorated buildings. In this bustling trading market, merchants from all corners of the world gathered in this ce.


    After Roy and Letho dismissed a few guides who tried to sell their services, they entered the ce.


    ***


    ¡°Are you two trying to sell horses?¡±


    A short man with shifty eyes immediately stepped forward and before they could even answer, he opened Wilt¡¯s mouth and inspected its teeth.


    Bang!


    There was a crisp noise as Wilt¡¯s clean and white teeth suddenly shut, and he quickly took back his hand.


    ¡°Your horse is so lively!¡± The short man couldn¡¯t help but praise it as his eyes brimmed with interest.


    Roy patted Wilt¡¯s headfortingly. ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell his master to sell him. He would naturally get angry. I won¡¯t sell the horse, but I want to ¡®buy¡¯ one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even better!¡± The short man shed a smile. ¡°Whether you want the normal ones or good ones, the ones to carry cargo or people, or even to participate inpetitions! The Chinon Stable has it all! I can guarantee that you¡¯ll be happy with what we offer! Honored customers, this way please! Please allow Macaulkins to serve you!¡±


    ***


    The three of them walked past the heart of the Trade Quarter. Roy was shocked to notice that the merchants weren¡¯t selling anything ordinary. They sold jewels, gold and silver essories, out of print books, expensive furs, spices and other luxury goods.


    Macaulkins exined to them, ¡°This must be the first time youe to Vizima. The people living in Vizima¡¯s Trade Quarters are all the social elites. Nobles, wealthy merchants and mages live here. Even our city¡¯s casten Velerad made his home here. They are all very rich people, and this part of the market serves them. If you want to buy some ordinary items for daily use, then you would need to go to the Temple Quarter.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Roy then asked curiously, ¡°From the way you speak, it means that the Temple Quarter and Trade Quarter tend to different sses of people?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡®Poor people¡¯ like us who sell horses and socialites respectively.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also quite curious. Whose temple is it when it refers to the word ¡®temple¡¯ in Temple Quarter?¡±


    ¡°The selfless and generous Prophet Lebioda. His faithful had even built the Saint Lebioda¡¯s Hospital. They treat and house the poor who can¡¯t afford to see a doctor either for a very low price or for free.¡±


    <i>Doesn¡¯t that make it function simrly to the Temple of Melitele?</i>


    The short man continued to tempt them, saying, ¡°I can hear from your ents that you are both outsiders. If you have the chance, you must go and see our Lebioda and feel his greatness.¡±


    Roy shrugged as he couldn¡¯t care less. He didn¡¯t want to be the second witcher who was brainwashed by Lebioda.


    Macaulkins tried to press them. ¡°If you believe in the prophet, I think I can give you a discount on behalf of the Chinon Stable for a fellow believer.¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with you? We¡¯re witchers. We do not believe in gods and idols! Stop wasting your breath. What other groups are there in the Temple Quarter?¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ The headquarters of the Order of the White Rose as well as a small gathering ce for the Eternal Fire.¡±


    The three of them reached the stables in the northeast of the Trade Quarter as they chatted.


    They looked around the ce. Currently, there were only about five or six horse dealers in the stables and they were each taking care of about two or three horses that looked dispirited. Meanwhile, the Chinon Stable¡¯s horses were the most organized. There were around twenty of them, and each of them had smooth fur. In terms of their physique and appearance, it was obvious they were better than the other horses.


    Unfortunately, after the two made a round, they still couldn¡¯t find the old, ck horse Letho had lost. And then both could feel the pinch on their coin pouches.


    The short man then said, ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky. You¡¯ve just made it in time to see the newest batch of horses that have just arrived. If you¡¯d arrived half a dayter, maybe only some of the normal ones would be left behind.¡±


    ¡°That means your business is quite good.¡±


    ¡°Since Vizima has one of the biggest ports in the north, we didn¡¯t have to worry about the sales of the high-quality horses. However¡­¡± Macaulkins seemed to have remembered something, and all he could do was let out a bitter smile.


    ¡°You should choose your horses first.¡±


    Letho then checked the horses¡¯ eyes, ears, teeth, size, and muscle one by one and eventually chose a white mare.


    And Wilt didn¡¯t even wait for its master¡¯s order. It rubbed at the white mare¡¯s head with its eyes showing great excitement. It also kept on neighing, as if it had already chosen it as its partner.


    ¡°Wilt, you¡¯re only three years old! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve reached the age where you want to mate?¡± Roy couldn¡¯t help but smile as he patted the brown horse¡¯s neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing strange. The horse and the master are pretty alike¡­¡± Lethos mumbled. ¡°When you were in Ender, you were cozying up to both Eveline and Lytta Neyd. Do you miss them?¡±


    Roy raised his thin and faint brow at the witcher and said, ¡°It has been a long while since you¡¯ve looked for a woman. Is the heat building up in there, and do you need to let off some of that steam?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± At this time, Macaulkins suddenly broke their conversation. ¡°How about this ck one? I can¡¯t sell the other one.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? You told us that we can choose freely?¡±


    Macaulkins had an expression of pity on his face as he patted the white horse¡¯s back in silence.


    ¡°To be honest with you, another important guest has booked this white horse,¡± he said after he took a deep breath. ¡°While both of you are foreigners, you must have heard a little about the story of Vizima¡¯s King Foltest¡¯s daughter, correct?¡±


    Roy asked in realization, ¡°Princess Adda? She¡¯s the important guest you said?¡±


    ¡°Correct. The princess that the king deeply loved would take a white horse from our stable once every month¡­ And ording to the norms, the horse will be provided by the Chinon family.¡±


    Roy then asked curiously, ¡°Once a month? Why would Princess Adda need new horses so frequently?¡±


    And then he thought to himself wickedly, <i>Well, this is a mare. It can¡¯t have any other uses, right?</i>


    ¡°Well,¡± Macaulkins began toin, ¡°perhaps the princess hasn¡¯t yet recovered from the incidentst time¡­ So no matter how good the horses are, they wouldn¡¯t survive for long.¡±


    <i>Does that mean the princess hasn¡¯t lost her bloodlust?</i> Roy thought to himself. However, they didn¡¯t need to fight a princess for a horse, and so they gave it up without hesitation. They also sessfullypleted the trade with the short man, and bought another ck horse with a special price.


    Their rewards from cleaning up the drowners and nekkers for half a month were gone just like that.


    After they were done with the paperwork, Macaulkins even gave them stern advice. ¡°Thanks for the business. I would like to give you two some advice for free. If you meet Princess Adda in Vizima, that beautiful woman with white hair, do not show any disrespect in your words. If you can avoid her, do so. If you do anything that makes the princess feel ufortable, you two would be in great trouble.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s that arrogant?¡±


    Since they couldn¡¯t afford to draw her attention, they could at least get out of the way, right?


    The two of them didn¡¯t want to start any problems, and so Roy led the brown horse and Letho led the ck horse and they quickly left the stables.


    But before they could even reach the gates, a squad of ten soldiers suddenly stopped them in their tracks.


    They unted their sharp swords on their hips and said to the two witchers without much expression on their face, ¡°The mayor would like to invite you to a meeting. Please stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. We¡¯re extremely busy at this time.¡± Roy suddenly remembered the soldiers¡¯ gloating expressions at the gate. It must¡¯ve been something quite difficult to handle if they were so serious about it. ¡°We are booked for the year, and we no longer have the time to ept any more contracts. If you would like, you can register with us for pre-booking and wait for a year.¡±


    ¡°Then I would like you to push back the other contracts first¡­¡± the soldier said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Lord Velerad¡¯s orders. If the two of you don¡¯te, then you two will not leave Vizima either.¡±

 Chapter 138: The Mayor’s Request

    ¡°You can have the prison for yourselves¡­¡±


    As soon as the witcher had finished, the leader of the soldiers quietly unsheathed his sword. His peers from the same squad let out a cruel smile as they unsheathed their standard-issued longsword and encircled them. They slowly reduce the area the two witchers could move in.


    They believed the witchers would never resist, seeing they had absolutely outnumbered them.


    The two witchers in the circle exchanged a nce.


    ¡°All this while¡­ All this harassment! I¡¯ve had enough of this!¡±


    They heard the young witcher curse. And in the next moment, the soldier who was facing his back suddenly felt that there was a sh, and his target dexterously and swiftly jumped towards him with his back still facing him, and the pommel of his sword violently bashed into his stomach. There was a stinging pain, but the soldier couldn¡¯t even react before he fell to the ground.


    The soldiers next to him brandished their des at him after he did that, but he easily dodged. And then he spun around, and his sheathed sword mmed into the soldiers¡¯ faces.


    ¡°He¡¯s too fast¡­¡± That was thest thought he had in his mind as the second soldier fell to the ground.


    The entire street was instantly thrown into chaos. Someone let out a sharp scream, and those walking on the street quickly escaped the scene of the battle.


    The soldiers looked at their peers who dropped on the ground with fear as their bodies tightened. They held their swords and quickly stabbed right at the center of their targets.


    Next, Gwyhyr shed through the air as it let out a joyful hum. As the de of the sword refracted the light, even the sun lost its brilliance.


    The two witchers didn¡¯t make any flowery actions. They simply jumped and weaved like phantoms among the soldiers. The sheaths and pummels danced in their hands without order.


    In five seconds, the group of soldiers scattered like ants being sshed with boiling hot water.


    Six of them were alreadyying on the ground. Some of them pressed on parts of their bodies as they screamed in pain, while others hadpletely fallen, only their slightly heaving chests still signaling that they were alive.


    Seeing that the soldiers had retreated, the two witchers didn¡¯t attack anymore. But they were still on high alert as they remained prudent, back to back, guarding their side of the fight.


    The two of them held their swords with both hands and would nimbly wave their des a few times, creating a scintiting screen before them.


    No soldiers dared to approach them. Instead, each of them slowly took steps back as fear filled their faces. They seemed to hear the demons speak.


    ¡°Do you understand now? Never ever threaten witchers, especially when there are more than one of them.¡±


    The leader of the soldiers gulped. The difficult and heavy sound when he did so could be heard clearly by all.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. No one bled and no one died.¡± With that, the two witchers put their swords back into the sheaths on their backs.


    ¡°This is just a lesson for you, soldiers,¡± Roy said as he stared at the terrified soldiers, the anger in his chest somewhat subsiding. ¡°Now, bring us to the mayor.¡±


    ¡°O¡­ Of course¡­¡±


    ***


    The casten and mayor of Vizima scanned the two witchers standing in his office opposite of him. His eyes stayed on the bald man much longer.


    His previous experiences made him understand that despite the witchers¡¯ weird appearances, they were more trustworthy than normal people at times.


    He looked at the viper-shaped amulet around their neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate you¡¯re not from my old friend¡¯s School of the Wolf, but at least you¡¯re not from the School of the Cat.¡±


    He then ordered his guards to leave them before turning to the two of them once again.


    ¡°Please, it¡¯s fine for you to sit closer to me.¡± He showed the two of them the seats opposite of him and by his office table.


    ¡°Unlike the superstitious, I do not fear nor look down on you. Instead, I know the witchers have emotions, and understand more about the meaning of fairness and responsibility. At least, they are much more reputable than some detestable mercenary¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°And? Your fairness is to use power to force two witchers who obeyed thew to work for you?¡± Roy couldn¡¯t help but say in a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°I have no choice.¡± Velerad stroked the rod on his table apologetically.


    ¡°I would like to apologize on behalf of my soldiers. I told them to invite you over with the utmost respect earlier. I didn¡¯t expect they would anger you both. Not to mention that both of you have taught them a lesson, correct? You should feel better, right?¡±


    The two witchers merely folded their arms in front of their chest coldly and didn¡¯t give a reaction at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for rushing through things,¡± the mayor said with a sigh. He continued. ¡°When I heard the good news this afternoon about two witchers visiting Vizima from afar, I was thinking, ¡®Are they my saviors I have been begging for?¡¯¡±


    ¡°But the saviors you¡¯re hoping for are already very busy and didn¡¯t even have time for themselves. We have no time to deal with your problems.¡±


    ¡°Everything has a price,¡± Velerad said firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the contract. Why not listen to the price I¡¯m willing to pay? I believe it should make you feel like this journey of yours isn¡¯t aplete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°A price? Can your reward help us instantly reach our destination to the far east across the mountains and seas?¡± When Roy said that, Velerad¡¯s eyes filled with hope once more.


    ¡°I understand that both of you appeared in the stables because you needed to reach the countries to the west of Vizima, correct?¡± he said as he paid attention to their expressions. ¡°Is it Cidaris, Brokilon, Verden, or Cintra? If you want to go to these ces, I believe I can fulfill your wish.¡±


    Roy and Letho exchanged a nce and asked curiously, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°As the capital of Temeria, Vizima doesn¡¯tck powerful mages. And I¡­¡± Velerad patted his chest. ¡°I know one of them.¡±


    ¡°If both of you are willing to help me, my mage friend will be more than willing to open a portal to instantly teleport you to your destination.¡±


    Roy became interested. <i>How could I forget about this? Mages can easily open up portals. It would be very easy for them to teleport Letho and me to Cintra. No, we have to add another horse too.</i>


    He could summon his horse over at any time. But not Letho¡¯s.


    Letho then asked with vignce, ¡°What¡¯s the name of your friend¡­?¡±


    ¡°Azar Javed. A mage living in Vizima permanently.¡±


    Letho then mumbled, ¡°This name is quite unique. From his name, it doesn¡¯t sound like he¡¯s from the north or the south.¡±


    ¡°Correct. He came here to learn about magic from a country called Zerrikania across the Blue Mountains.¡±


    As the two of them chatted, Roy was shocked beyond belief.


    <i>Azar Javed? Isn¡¯t he one of the bosses leading Smandra in the future?</i>


    It was this mage, and another person called the Professor, who led the Smandra gang to invade Kaer Morhen to steal the witchers¡¯ secrets.


    <i>He¡¯s already permanently residing in Vizima? Then is Smandra already formed?</i>


    While Roy¡¯s thoughts went wild, Letho had already be swayed, especially since they had just lost arge amount of money.


    ¡°I concede. Your reward is very tempting. Then, Lord Mayor. What is your request?¡±


    ¡°Good! Looks like we¡¯ve reached consensus for the first item!¡± Velered paced happily. ¡°My request is very simple. I would like both of you to protect the princess of Temeria, Princess Adda, for a while.¡±


    ¡°What? Someone is trying to hurt the princess?¡±


    Velered stroked his nose with frustration on his face.


    ¡°If someone wanted to harm her, it might be something easier to deal with. However, the truth of the matter is that Princess Adda would willingly attract dangers. It has been five years since she regained her human body. Even with King Foltest¡¯s teaching, she still retained a part of her habits from the past.¡±


    When he said the word ¡°habits,¡± terror appeared on his face as if he remembered something that happened in the past. ¡°Fortunately, the princess¡¯s target had shifted to non-humanoids. However, because of King Foltest spoiling her without limits, the princess is somewhat proud and capricious. Wild beasts and livestock. She will need these things to make herself feel better. Unfortunately, normal monsters can no longer satisfy her. She¡¯s aiming at the monsters that are living on ck Tern Ind.¡±


    Roy stopped himself from thinking about Smandra for the time being and asked, ¡°ck Tern Ind?¡±


    ¡°An ind to the south of Vizima. There has always been a tribe of degenerate vodyanoi living on the ind.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Roy said, ¡°So Princess Adda wanted to destroy these degenerate vodyanoi so that she could protect the people?¡±


    From what he knew, the vodyanoi were amphibian monsters that would feed on fish and algae in the water. They would also sometimes catch small animals by the shores, but they wouldn¡¯t attack humans normally.


    As for its physical strength, a vodyanoy was even weaker than a drowner.


    But they all hunted in tribes. A small tribe could consist of dozens, while a big tribe could consist of hundreds.


    But the vodyanoi in Lake Vizima had already fallen. He believed they would only be even crueler.


    Velerad nodded. Even he found it hard to believe.


    ¡°Regardless, it is a good thing that the princess didn¡¯t turn on the people, and instead turned on those slippery vodyanoi instead.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not something simple,¡± the witcher said in a murmur.


    ¡°True¡­ The vodyanoi¡¯s influence was quite ancient on the ind. Their influence had even reached the swamps around the ind and theke, as well as the viges there. It was rumored that something bloody and strange would happen to the vigers in that area. The princess and the knights from the Order of the White Rose had been dispatched twice to the fringes of the ind, but both were minor engagements that ended with them dragging one or two vodyanoi corpses back. But this time, she wants to go deeper into the ind. They are already fully prepared, and they will march for the third time.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the king stop her?¡±


    ¡°The King cannot bear to yell at the princess, so all he could do was let her do as she wished and find several bodyguards who were trustworthy and possessed supreme martial prowess. As his most trusted advisor, I had to help him as well. That is why everything today had happened. I would like to ask both of you to help the princess and protect her in her adventure this time around.¡±


    Escort Princess Adda while sheunched a crusade against the degenerate vodyanoi?


    Roy shook his head without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll add another 600 orens as a reward,¡± Velerad said in a firm voice. ¡°Other than having Azar open a portal, I would pay you two an extra 600 orens.¡±


    Both witchers became hesitant. As expected of someone who lived in the capital of Temeria. He could offer him 600 orens immediately, which was equivalent to 600 crowns. It had far surpassed the rewards from the normal contracts, and it was more than enough to cover the loss of the horse. It was definitely attractive to witchers like them who were aiming to rebuild the schools.


    When the mayor saw something, he knew he had them. He then said, ¡°Please, no need to respond to me right now. I¡¯ve arranged amodations for both of you already. You can think about it after you¡¯ve moved in. If both of you haven¡¯t left by eight in the morning tomorrow, that would mean you have epted my request and I will bring you to see Princess Adda. But if both of you were to leave early, I wouldn¡¯t force you¡­¡±


    The two witchers nodded and left the mayor¡¯s office.


    They could use this time to clean up the monster materials in their inventory as well as replenish some of his alchemy ingredients.


    They also needed to find somewhere with more space. Roy¡¯s training could not be dyed.


    In the past, it was about swords and crossbows. And now, signs were added as well. He would need to expend all his stamina and mana every night before he could enter into a meditative state.

 Chapter 139: Adda the White

    The morning light streaming into the room through the window awakened the witcher who was still meditating. Roy took in a deep breath and opened his dark, golden eyes. All the fatigue from his training alleviated and he felt refreshed.


    It was another brand-new day!


    He called out to Letho to reorganize their inventory before entering the Temple Quarter together with a guard Mayor Velerad had sent to escort them through the Trade Quarter.


    Vizima¡¯s Temple Quarter was filled with dpidated streets and short buildings. Simply looking at the infrastructures and general environment, it was far inferior to the Trade Quarter. There were also few patrols in the dark alleyways some distance away from the Temple Quarter. Security in this part of the city was pretty much non-existent. Brutal and vicious affairs happen here every day.


    The three of them quickly walked into St. Lebioda¡¯s Temple located in the center of the Temple Quarter. It was at this time that they noticed a squad of knights from the Order of the White Rose blocking the alley next to the hospital.


    It was obvious that something rming had happened here.


    Under the guidance of the knights, the two witchers made their way as they pushed through the knights and saw what was in the center of the incident.


    A lithe woman with white hair reaching her shoulders was crouching on the ground with her back against them, investigating the breathless corpse on the ground.


    Roy stared at her back with his eyes focused.


    ¡®Adda the White


    Age: 19


    Identity:


    Princess (Adda the White is born of King Foltest of Temeria and Adda of Temeria. On the surface, she is the king¡¯s only daughter.)


    Striga (Five years ago, she was still a monster that fed on flesh and blood. She would hunt Vizima¡¯s citizens as food every week. Afterward, Geralt of Rivera broke her curse and returned her to her human form, but some of her old habits and inherited attributes remained. There was a possibility that the curse would return.)


    HP: 80


    Strength: 8


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 7


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    One-Handed Mastery LVL3


    Dagger Mastery LVL2


    Bow Mastery LVL2¡¯


    ***


    At this time, the princess who had appeared in countless legends and stories was crouching on the ground with her back to the witchers. She was not that graceful at all. Instead, she looked like a wandering mercenary orborer with low social standing.


    Any nobledy worth their salt would not do anything that could ruin their image in public.


    And yet she did it so naturally and so openly that none of the other knights dared to show any sign of disrespect or scorn. Instead, they all remained silent and stern.


    <i>Seems like Princess Adda is not a weak and helpless woman. But is it really alright for a princess to interfere in the security of the slums?</i>


    The witcher then turned around and looked at the surrounding knights. He noticed a familiar face among them.


    Clevnd.


    After the captain of the Order of the White Rose from Ender had been forced back to Vizima, he had be a mere follower of a royal. The difference in responsibility made him look somewhat tired.


    Suddenly, as if she had noticed the burning eyes looking from behind her, Princess Adda turned around and showed her face.


    <i>She¡¯s gorgeous¡­</i>


    The witcher¡¯s pupils shrank as the words shed through his thoughts.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine that just several years ago, this woman was still a monster feeding on the flesh of humans.


    But now? Adda, who had reached adulthood, had be a beauty.


    Her lips were well shaped and it looked like they were painted with the color of blood. Her nose was tall, and her eyes were slightly narrow and long, giving her a somewhat bewitching appearance.


    Her long hair, resting on her shoulders, was as white as snow¡­ Yes, it was the hairstyle used by the sorceresses, the druids, and the courtesans.


    Her skin was so white it was reflecting under the sun, perfectly smooth like silk.


    However, her outfit did not match her appearance at all. Everything after her long neck was covered by brown leather. She was also wearing a pair of ck gloves, and her feet were covered by light leather boots. A masterwork dagger was dangling on the left of her waist, while a spiked whip was dangling on the right.


    Overall, her outfit had nothing to do with her station as a princess. Instead, she looked like a Scoia¡¯tael assassin wandering through the wilds.


    The witcher held his School of the Viper amulet tightly as it vibrated gently. He also noticed that not only did Adda have a slim figure, but she was also quite tall. She was at least half a head taller than him. Around her neck was a ne made of a fine silver chain holding a blue-colored gem, and it was emanating faint magical energy.


    ***


    While he was watching her, Adda was also scanning the two unfamiliar witchers.


    Unlike themon women, the way she looked at them was not reserved at all. Instead, she looked at them openly. Her eyes were vibrant and invasive, as if wanting to discover everything there was to see about these two people in front of her.


    But the witchers kept their cool even as she evaluated them.


    They had trodden on mountains made of corpses. The murderous eyes of countless monsters didn¡¯t faze them. What could the gaze of a woman do?


    ¡°So, you two are the bodyguards Velerad sought out for me?¡± Adda said as she had her arms crossed. Her voice was slightly coarse, but it was somehow quite sensual.


    The two witchers nodded, but before they could say anything, the woman approached them quickly.


    Her nose twitched as she came close to them, carrying with her the fragrance of mandrake. With a slight frown, she thenmented warily, ¡°What a rich scent. Human. Elf. And something else that¡¯s non-human¡­¡±


    She then licked her lips.


    ¡°You do not smell disgusting¡­ I¡¯ll allow you to stay by my side. But if you want to be my subordinate, this isn¡¯t going to be enough.¡±


    She suddenly turned around and pointed at the fresh corpse on the ground. ¡°I heard that the witchers are experts in hunting and scouting, and I need a professional hunter to hunt down those cunning vodyanoi during my expedition. If you can find the murderer that killed the priest and prove yourself, then I will wee you into my fold. Otherwise, go back to Velerad.¡± A smile appeared on her face as she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one full day.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for one full day!¡± the bald witcher said in a calm voice as he approached the corpse together with Roy. They knelt down and began to investigate as another knight exined the situation to them.


    ¡°The victim is Harliette, sixteen years old. She is an assistant healer in Lebioda¡¯s Hospital¡­ While there is plenty of violence in the Temple Quarter, all the residents here have an understanding. Anyone with at least a little good left in them will not touch a priest or priestess serving in St. Lebioda¡¯s temple.¡±


    ¡°The residents nearby have all received help from the clergy one way or another. That¡¯s why I believe the murder might be an outsider or someone that has just moved into the Temple Quarter.¡±


    The priestess¡¯s horror-struck expression was still fixed on her pale face. Her tongue was stuck out of her mouth as her body was bent stiffly.


    ¡°Her body was found in the alley by the temple this morning. She might have been attacked while she was throwing the rubbishst night.¡±


    The thin priestess was still wearing the Temple of Lebioda¡¯s long, white robe. But the lower edges of her robe had already been shredded in half, and they could see blood.


    ¡°She died from suffocation. Someone choked her to death.¡±


    The knight pointed at her neck. There was a dark, reddish mark of a hand and thumb. And in the redness, there was a shallow and thin wound.


    The witcher said, ¡°The murderer had a weapon. He first used the weapon to threaten the unfortunate girl.¡±


    He then held the girl¡¯s thin fingers and observed for a moment.


    ¡°If the girl fought back and struggled after she was attacked, there would be skin of the murderer underneath her fingernails.¡±


    It was at this time that Adda said coldly as she got closer, ¡°If we catch this criminal, I will skin him alive and remove all his tendons. I will hang him out under the sun and expose him to the elements so that he will die in pain.¡±


    ¡°Then be prepared.¡± Roy suddenly stood up as he turned his sight to the door of St. Lebioda¡¯s Hospital.


    ¡°The killer is someone green. The way hemitted his crime is very sloppy. He didn¡¯t clean up the scene of the crime. He left behind too much evidence.¡± Then, in the witcher¡¯s senses, an obvious but faint yellow ¡®ribbon¡¯ formed by a sharp smell and footprints began to reveal itself.


    ¡°His actions were simple but brutal. He didn¡¯t kill her because he simply wanted to let his yearning loose. He is very afraid¡­ But he is smart. He knew that the most dangerous ce is the safest ce¡­¡±


    The witchers walked towards the hospital¡¯s main gate, and the knights and Princess Adda followed suit.


    In the hall, several female nurses were standing in front of the door worryingly. Patients who were asleep and cleanly bandaged were resting on the avable beds.


    Roy and Letho both walked unflinchingly towards the hall¡¯s northwestern corner.


    ¡°Does this mean that the murderer hides within the hospital?¡± Adda asked in surprise as she raised an eyebrow.


    But the witchers didn¡¯t respond to her question. Their eyes turned and looked at the middle-aged man in ragged clothing some distance away. The patient whose arm was bandaged merely sat on his bed as he looked into the void.


    ¡°Nivellen? Why are you in the hospital?¡±


    Nivellen was suddenly snapped out of his torpor by the voice. There was a hint of fear in his eyes as he looked at the knights who began surrounding him with stern eyes.


    ¡°Witchers?¡± he asked after a slight shock. He then tried to force the words out of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m so poor that I don¡¯t even have a bronze piece. Since I was wounded, I have toe to ask for Lebioda¡¯s kindness, naturally.¡±


    ¡°How were you wounded?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± Roy suddenly sighed as his dark, golden eyes began to show mixed feelings. Why did he not break his other leg yesterday?


    ¡°I leave the rest to you, boy,¡± the bald witcher said as he crossed his arms and looked at the man coldly.


    ¡°Very well!¡± the young witcher said, and he turned his attention back to Nivellen. He then asked him harshly, ¡°Why are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Afraid? I don¡¯t understand what you mean?¡± Nivellen said before turning around, trying to sway to the knights. ¡°Oh, honorable sirs, are you all going to pick on me? A poor, helpless little beggar?¡±


    ¡°Hold him,¡± Roy suddenly said. ¡°He¡¯s the killer!¡±


    While Adda could only give him a strange look, Roy suddenly stepped forward and pulled at Nivellen¡¯s arms, revealing them to everyone.


    His arms were covered with several odd, bloody marks.


    Roy then pulled open the clothing that he was wearing, and at that instant, even more scratch marks were exposed to everyone¡¯s sight.


    ¡°These were left behind by that poor priestess when she struggled, right?¡±


    Nivellen roared as he tried to fight against the witcher¡¯s enormous strength as his face turned red. ¡°You despicable witcher! You are framing me! Sirs! Your Highness.¡± Nivellen knelt down on the bed and then begged the knights. ¡°Please, don¡¯t listen to the witcher¡¯s lies! Everything he said is fabricated! He wants to frame me!¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t admit it, huh¡­¡± Roy pursed his lips. ¡°The wounds on your arms. You cut them yourselves in disguise, correct? And the wound on the priestess¡¯s neck¡­ It was from the same weapon. A dagger? I believe you wouldn¡¯t hide the weapon too far away.¡±


    The witcher observed Nivellen¡¯s expression and then turned and looked at the corner of the temple. ¡°You hid it somewhere inside the hospital. For instance, the toilet?¡±


    Horror shed in the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sir knight, can you please search the temple? Focus on the toilets. I believe the murder weapon is hidden somewhere there.¡±


    The knight gave Adda a look after he heard what he said. After she gave him a nod, he left together with his peers.


    Nivellen was still mumbling under his breath with a pale face.


    ¡°Filth.¡±


    ¡°Should I remove your pants now and see if you¡¯ve washed your ugly little thing? The scent is so strong it¡¯s making me dizzy.¡±


    Nivellen waspletely silent.


    ¡°You killed that priestess without any reason? You wanted to be that monster again?¡±


    The witcher once again remembered n from the Sea Scorpion Troupe who was willing to sacrifice himself for his daughter. Meanwhile, this one¡­


    ¡°While you had the skin of a monster in the past, at least you still had some of your humanity left in you. But now? You are just a monster with the skin of a man! And your foolish action will have no effect at all.¡± Roy shattered his final delusion. ¡°Only the priestess of Coram Agh Tera possesses the potent power to curse you. The young Lebioda priestess does not possess the power to do that.¡±


    ¡°You lie! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Nivellen¡¯s face was covered with horror when he heard that, and he pounced at the witcher uncontrobly, but the knights next to him held his arms despite his struggle and excuses.


    After a short while, Clevnd found the bloody dagger in the temple¡¯s toilet.


    Princess Adda gave it a look and gave her leather glove a press, saying, ¡°Witcher, you have really surprised me. You found the suspect in less than fifteen minutes. It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t admit to it¡­¡± Adda licked her lips, her beautiful face filled with excitement. ¡°No killer can endure my interrogation. Once I have confirmed his identity as the murderer, I will formally admit you into my expedition against the vodyanoi. But now?¡± Adda turned to look at the pale-faced beggar, who had finally realized who the demoness in front of him really was. ¡°Pray. Last a little longer. Please me, and perhaps I¡¯ll give you a quick one.¡±


    The princess of Temeria smiled brightly as she said that, and then suddenly turned to the witchers.


    ¡°This is going to be fun. Are you twoing?¡±


    Fun? Torturing Nivellen?


    While he was scum, Roy had no interest in that at all.


    ¡°How are you going to deal with him?¡±


    ¡°I will interrogate him first, then set up a wooden beam in the middle of the temple square¡­ where he will be tried by Lebioda¡¯s believers and the nearby residents!¡± Adda¡¯s white face began to flush because of the excitement. ¡°He must be tortured and his blood ran dry! To scream in pain and agony until the moment he dies¡­ To serve as a warning for all the evildoers!¡±


    Personality-wise, the princess was like a real man.


    ¡°Your Highness, Letho and I will excuse ourselves¡­ We will be reporting back to the mayor.¡± Roy shook his head. He then asked, ¡°When are we leaving and how many people are we bringing to ck Tern Ind?¡±


    ¡°You witchers are so boring!¡± Adda struck the air with her whip drearily as she lost her enthusiasm. ¡°We will leave on the evening of the day after tomorrow. I will have forty soldiers under mymand. We will first march around Lake Vizima and rest in a vige in the swamp. Then, during the next morning, we will head to ck Tern Ind at the center of theke by boat.¡±


    ¡°How many degenerated vodyanoi are there?¡±


    Adda¡¯s slim finger stroked her chin as she gave it some thought. ¡°We weren¡¯t able to reach thekest time the knights and I headed over there, so I¡¯m not sure how many vodyanoi are hidden there. But there will be no less than a hundred.¡±


    The bald man¡¯s expression became even grimmer. There was no need to be afraid of a few vodyanoi. But if they were to appear in a horde, then it would be quite disastrous for them.


    However, Roy seemed to have thought of a great idea¡­


    Vodyanoi normally appeared in theke and would consume the aquatic creatures living in its depths. They were especially attracted to the smell of fish. If they could use this to their advantage¡­


    ¡°Your Highness, if it is possible, could you send your men to prepare some things¡­? Can you please buy from the market arge amount of¡­¡±


    Adda¡¯s pretty little face first showed some confusion, but her seductive eyes turned bright once she heard everything.

 Chapter 140: Village by The Swamp

    Evening.


    In the swamp


    A long caravan was heading right into the swamp to the south of Lake Vizima. Most of them were soldiers wearing chainmail forged of silver links with longswords sheathed by their belt and bearing bucklers and crossbows.


    There were also several carts with them, each of them carrying wooden barrels that were emanating a weird smell.


    Three figures wearing light leather led in front of the caravan, Adda in the center along with a witcher to her left and another to her right.


    The woman suddenly pulled on her reins and stopped the energetic white horse that she was riding. She looked at the darkening sky and said, ¡°As per our original n, we will stay for one night in the vige in front. We will then take a boat to ck Tern Ind by boat tomorrow.¡±


    Roy nodded as hey on Wilt¡¯s back. Through the thin mist covering the swamp, he could clearly see the outline of houses not that far away.


    When he heard the sounds of the convoy arriving, the vige chief Boev quickly came over and greeted them with words ofpliment. ¡°And we wee you once again to Connor Vige, Princess Adda. And to you all too, sir knights. I will arrange your lodgings immediately.¡±


    The frail old man looked at the long line with respect.


    ¡°Unlike the previous two times, we¡¯re no longer taking this lightly.¡± Princess Adda waved the whip in her hand proudly as she announced on the horse, ¡°I brought dozens of the Order¡¯s elites. And this time, I¡¯m going to eliminate all the beasts on the ind and solve your problems once and for all!¡±


    The vige chief bowed even deeper as he said with reverence, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness! It¡¯s all thanks to your concern for Connor Vige that we have yet to be swallowed whole by those beasts from theke.¡±


    ¡°Since you are the citizens of Vizima, I¡¯ll naturally have to make sure you are all right!¡±


    ***


    When they were exchanging words, the convoy had already entered the vige.


    The vige wasn¡¯t of moderate size, with around 200 families living here. At this time, most of the vigers had already returned to their own homes to enjoy their dinner.


    White smoke came out from the chimney of the houses with thatch roofs. As the smoke rolled, some curious men and their children looked at the knights with surprise and joy as they stood by the door.


    Their joy came from the depths of their heart, as if they had seen their savior.


    The young witcher scanned the faces of the vigers.


    <i>It seems like the vigers have seen better days¡­</i> He noticed that most of the vigers, both children and adults, had ck, puffy eyes. <i>As if they¡¯ve been losing sleeptely.</i>


    Next, Adda issued her orders and organized everything that was to be done the next day. The knights set up their tents around the vige and left behind one-tenth of their numbers to take care of the horses, gear, and sentry duty.


    ¡°Listen well!¡± Adda cracked her whip in the air with her right hand. ¡°If any one of you disobeys my orders and harasses the vigers, you will suffer the consequences!¡¯


    The knights put their right hand on their chest and bowed respectfully.


    Only afterward did the woman enter the most vish¡± building together with Boev. The two witchers behind her were somewhat surprised. The princess wasn¡¯t as arrogant and bullheaded as the rumors had said.


    ¡°Wee to my simple abode, Your Highness. Please forgive me for theck of amenities. You had spent one whole day riding from Vizima, and you must be quite hungry. If you don¡¯t mind, my wife is making dinner¡­¡±


    ¡°No need¡­¡± Adda sat in the rattan chair and made herselffortable with her arms on the armrests. Her two long legs folded on one another as her beautiful face showed some sign of fatigue. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten some rations. If there¡¯s nothing important, you may leave.¡±


    ¡°And these two?¡± The vige chief nced at the tall and muscr Letho.


    ¡°These two are professional monster killers. Letho and Roy, witchers from the Viper School.¡± Adda gave the two of them a nce. ¡°They recently reached Vizima, so they still aren¡¯t familiar with their surroundings. Boev, would you be so kind as to be their guide?¡±


    Seeing that Adda had shown how tired she was, the vige chief led the two witchers out of the room.


    ¡°Sirs, how much do you know about the degenerated vodyanoi?¡±


    The two witchers exchanged a nce.


    While Roy knew most of the monsters from the Witcher world, he only knew the basics about the degenerated vodyanoi.


    After giving it some thought, Letho said, ¡°The vodyanoi are amphibians and live near locations where there are bodies of water, and they survive on algae and fish. They also have the same weaknesses that most amphibians have. They are particrly fearful of mes and bright light. Since the vodyanoi from Lake Vizima have the prefix ¡®degenerated,¡¯ that means they must be somewhat different from normal vodyanoi?¡±


    The expression on Boev¡¯s wrinkly face darkened.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as you say. The degenerated vodyanoi are even more brutal. Ever since they appeared, they had attacked the fishing boats that were on theke¡­ Everyone was worried they would be attacked and be scared of going deeper into theke to fish. Our catch has since at least halved, and everyone¡¯s living quite frugally¡­¡±


    Boev stopped. There was horror in his eyes.


    ¡°Sometimes, there would be a degenerate vodyanoy venturing ontond and hunting for small animals by the beach, and using the flesh and blood of the animals for¡­¡± There was horror from his cloudy eyes. ¡°A sacrifice. Many years ago, a fisherman by the name of Noel identallynded on ck Tern Ind and saw a structure that looked like a cooktop, although it¡¯s more urately described as an altar. The degenerated vodyanoi would offer sacrifices in the form of flesh and blood of living creatures to a terrifying monster¡­¡±


    ¡°Can we talk to the fisherman?¡±


    Boev sighed and said, ¡°Noel went missing afterward.¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡±


    Roy became disappointed. If he could learn some of the altar¡¯s descriptions, he could probably guess just what the degenerated vodyanoi were sacrificing to.


    ¡°Do you know what they were offering sacrifices to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Boev answered. ¡°Their gods?¡±


    But the vodyanoi had no gods of their own.


    Roy then turned around and asked, ¡°From what you know, how many degenerated vodyanoi are there in theke?¡±


    The vige chief shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the number, but there are definitely more than 200 of them.¡±


    Roy gave it a thought. A fully equipped knight or soldier should be able to deal with two degenerated vodyanoi at the same time, and Adda brought forty of them.


    ¡°Which means that the knights are going to be stretched to their limits¡­¡±


    Even with the two witchers.


    Now they had to put their hope on Roy¡¯s n, hoping that it would work.


    ¡°ording to your description, since there are degenerated vodyanoi, then there must be normal vodyanoi around as well?¡±


    Boev nodded as he began to reminisce. ¡°About ten years ago, none of the vodyanoi here worshiped that evil altar. They are still quite docile and they live in peace with the residents living by theke. They had never troubled the fishermen. There was an old woman from Connor Vige who passed away two years ago who had been saved by a vodyanoy after she fell into theke by ident.


    ¡°At the time, there was peace and harmony between man and animal¡­ but now, the degenerated vodyanoi dominate this area. The normal vodyanoi¡¯s living space is bing smaller and smaller. The situation they face right now is not unlike the ck Fish from theke. They are going extinct.¡±


    ¡°The two castes of vodyanoi stand opposed. Is there any way we can interact with the normal vodyanoi?¡± Roy believed they could be useful allies they couldn¡¯t ignore.


    Boev¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Even Princess Adda didn¡¯t think of that. I have heard that even now, one can see the normal vodyanoi make an appearance to the east of theke.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have the bloodlust and wicked aura surrounding a degenerated vodyanoy, and there are no ck spots on their skin. They will also not attack humans without being provoked. They can be differentiated quite easily.¡±


    ¡°But even if you can find those that have not be degenerated, normal people can¡¯tmunicate with them.¡±


    ¡°Boy, you are no druid. This won¡¯t work,¡± Lethomented.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Roy smiled without saying another word. ¡°Princess Adda has brought arge number of soldiers, aiming to attack the degenerated vodyanoi¡¯s nest and destroy the altar on ck Tern Ind. As the chief of Connor Vige, do you think that this is something that works? The princess isn¡¯t here, so speak freely!¡±


    Boev was somewhat doubtful as he said, ¡°Forgive me for being straightforward. While the knights are all quite skilled, ck Tern Ind is still the degenerated vodyanoi¡¯s home¡­ If you were to head to ck Tern Ind in such arge group, you would no doubt alert them to your presence. They will ambush your boats before you reach the ind without question, and this would cause some losses. Then, when the remaining survivors reach the ind, they would suffer a pincer attack from the front and back. It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡±


    Roy looked at the old man with surprise. He didn¡¯t expect that the chief of a small vige would have that kind of insight.


    He scanned the person one more time, confirming that he was just someone normal.


    ¡°I also have the same worry, but Princess Adda has already decided and will not listen to our advice. All we can do is make the necessary preparations and put this in the hands of Fate!¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± The vige chief sighed. ¡°I pray that Princess Adda¡¯s endeavor will be a smooth one and that you will remove those evil creatures once and for all, so that the vige may go back to fish soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    Roy then looked at the ck bags under his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why do I feel like the vigers from the vige are quite exhausted?¡±


    Boev gulped. But when he looked at the two men staring at him curiously, he couldn¡¯t help but give his white beard under his chin a stroke. ¡°That is another matterpletely. For the past year or so, all the vigers in Connor Vige have had the same dream, and everyone¡¯s sleep was pretty much disturbed. Everyone would use herbs or look to the physicians for help, but none of them could figure out what was happening. Some of them even investigated the food and water that we consume, but there was no problem at all. Masters, do you think that something evil has descended upon our vige?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll only know more after I investigate.¡± The witcher shook his head as his dark, golden eyes showed doubt.


    Could it be that there were other monsters in the swamp other than the degenerated vodyanoi?


    ¡°Then I will be in your debt,¡± Boev continued. ¡°Connor Vige wasn¡¯t the worst affected. There was another vige¡­¡±


    ¡°Was something wrong?¡± Roy asked.


    Boev¡¯s cloudy eyes looked northwest through the window. ¡°There was a vige by theke that was known for mining for y and making their own bricks for a living. Sint Vige¡­ A portion of the vigers had been killed by the crazed degenerated vodyanoi, and the remaining survivors didn¡¯t want to leave. Their mental wellbeing had extremely deteriorated. The frequency of nightmares they had was far beyond that of Connor Vige. I went over to take a look about two weeks ago, and I noticed that out of the three hundred families, a fraction of them weren¡¯t able to concentrate at all, while another fraction of them was unconscious. They would either act strangely or mutter somenguage that no one understood under their breaths like some kind of weird chant. Less than one-third of the vigers there were normal.¡±


    The two witchers suddenly fell silent.


    ¡°What kind of dreams? Can you describe them to me?¡±


    Boev frowned for a very long time as he tried to remember. ¡°My apologies¡­ I only remember that there was a blurry shadow in my dream. I couldn¡¯t really tell what it was¡­ It kept on whispering something hard to distinguish in my ears. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s not Common Speech, but it doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s anguage branched from the old tongue¡­ I don¡¯t understand a word it said. And that was why I kept on losing sleep. The other vigers were also experiencing something simr.¡±


    ¡°Other than the nightmares and mumbling, was there anything else?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any other.¡± Boev asked worriedly as he stroked his beard, ¡°Does this mean things will be even worse?¡±


    ¡°No need to worry for now. It¡¯s just a guess¡­ We¡¯ll speak of this again once we¡¯re back from ck Tern Ind.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Then, on behalf of the entire Connor Vige, I would like to wish you all a glorious victory!¡±


    After Boev left worryingly, the two witchers began to exchange their thoughts with one another.


    ¡°The ability to intrude upon the dreams of the vigers and make strange whispers in their dreams?¡± Roy¡¯s expression became grim. ¡°Is this the ability of a hym or godling?¡±


    ¡°No demon or d¡¯ao possesses that kind of power. They cannot affect hundreds of people at the same time,¡± Letho said. ¡°But this is not a coincidence¡­ Food and drinks? But they had already investigated that.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that altar¡­ the thing that the degenerated vodyanoi were worshiping?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­¡± Letho nodded. ¡°The altar might be worshiping a powerful mutant. For example, a unique vodyanoy. Just like the ancient leshen, it might possess some powers that are beyond ordinary, such as the ability to manipte dreams. Regardless, we are going to have a very difficult battle tomorrow. Now, check your alchemical bombs, potions, and everything else in your bag. We must make full preparations¡­¡±

 Chapter 141: In One Fell Swoop

    The sky was still dark, and the stars and moon were faint, but torches were already alight in Connor Vige. It was only four in the morning.


    After her first two expeditions, the troupe Adda led already understood what kind of schedule the degenerated vodyanoi were running on.


    They would sleep between three after midnight and six in the morning. Four was when they were deepest in their sleep, and when their defenses were the weakest.


    Under Adda¡¯smand, the knights all quickly made onest check on their gear. Other than their usual weapons and equipment, each squad had also brought along a ck, wooden barrel giving off some strange smell.


    And as the vigers watched, the horses carried dozens of knights, and the soldiers headed north. In less than a kilometer, they had already reached the end of the swamp.


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve discovered no signs of the vodyanoi.¡±


    Adda nodded at the scout and with a wave of his hand, everyone behind her rushed towards thekeside.


    The mist was floating on theke in the cold, morning air. A dark shadow could be seen if one were to stand at the edge of theke and look carefully, and behind that shadow were the dazzling lights from Vizima City.


    Meanwhile, dozens of wooden boats hid in the reeds by the shore, waiting shoulder to shoulder like hungry beasts in the night.


    Four knights shared a single boat. While one of them took care of a wooden barrel, two of them quietly rowed using a paddle towards the dark ind in the middle of theke.


    Each boat was about thirty feet away from each other, and they looked like arge fishing being hurled towards the ind in the middle of theke.


    The wind howled, causing theke to be wavy. The sounds of the rolling waves covered the sounds of the paddles rowing.


    Their actions became even more stealthy.


    Princess Adda¡¯s boat was located in the middle of them all. She was standing at the bow of the boat with her whip in hand as she looked at the ind some distance away. Her eyes were filled with determination as her lips pressed into a line.


    She had prepared one whole month for today.


    She had also endured for one whole month.


    While the vodyanoi and degenerated vodyanoi were both simply humanoids with low intelligence, their blood was still far more satisfying than lowly livestock¡¯s. They were enough to fulfill her desire.


    Even if five years had passed since she had regained her human mind and her red hair had slowly turned white, some things didn¡¯t change. She still retained one of her primal eating disorders¡­ her bloodlust, her hematophagy.


    To her, human blood was something even more delicious than high-grade wines.


    But she no longer wanted to be called a monster by her own people. And so, she had no choice but to take a step back and satisfy herself with animals. Next, it was the vodyanoi.


    But that wasn¡¯t the reason she had to attack the degenerated vodyanoi.


    After she had returned to her human form five years ago, she had learned to enjoy something that was much more transcendent than the taste of blood thanks to the love showered on her by a guilt-ridden King Foltest.


    Power.


    She enjoyed how soldiers would obey and charge towards her enemies or siege their cities with a simple order.


    She enjoyed being the center of everyone¡¯s attention, the way everyone would bow humbly before her.


    The vodyanoi were only her first prey!


    She cracked a smile, revealing her white teeth arrogantly. She narrowed her eyes as her white hair was carried by the wind as she stood on the boat¡¯s bow.


    Roy and the other witcher watched the high-spirited woman in front of them as they rowed the boat rhythmically, Roy¡¯s ears raised high.


    The cold mist from the two sides of the boat had obscured his vision, and he began to have a suspicious feeling. The boats had only departed for ten minutes. They had onlypleted one-third of the journey before they could reach the ind in the middle of theke.


    Roy was still rowing with the paddle as he quietly closed his eyes and used his witcher senses on the dark and deepke.


    He removed the sounds of water and wind like peeling off an onion, and he could quickly and clearly sense a strange bubbling sound.


    He could also sense the sound of something moving at high speeds in the waters.


    His sight turned to the water to his right. Under the cover of darkness, he could only see the water that was as ck as ink, as well as the waves caused by the paddling and the naturally formed ones.


    However, in those waves, he could sense something strange and roundish floating.


    It swam very close to the boat and changed its position repeatedly. Eventually, it quietly showed itself.


    A fish head that was long and t appeared out of the water. It wasrger than the head of a normal human with its forehead sloping downward. A pair of eyes like pearls were continuously shifting just above its fish-like mouth filled with sharp, uneven teeth as it observed the boat.


    And there was intense murderous intent in those eyes. And at that moment, its eyes and Roy¡¯s met.


    Both noticed each other.


    ¡°Augh¡­ Wah¡­ Gwaaa.¡±


    After letting out a strange howl, the vodyanoy¡¯s head plunged back into the water.


    ¡°Our target has been alerted. Your orders, Princess Adda,¡± Roy roared at the woman in front of him.


    Adda said nothing as she simply raised a burnt torch into the air.


    The light immediately dispelled the darkness around them. Like a signal, sounds of objects being dumped into the water could be heard from the boats. All the knights immediately opened the barrels they had prepared and began to reach inside. They threw, piece after piece, ck objects into theke, even as they were among the fishy stenches.


    Ssh!


    Objects covered with fishy stench began to rain into theke. The ¡°objects¡± were in fact coagted pieces of crushed fish and prawns that had been left to rot for days, and its smell was extremely strong.


    The knights began to cough and vomit as they couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Even Roy and Letho, two witchers who were used to such strong scents, couldn¡¯t help but block their nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s even worse than the mouth of a nekker. These things are definitely biohazards.¡±


    While these were disgusting for humans, for the degenerated vodyanoi, they were an unimaginable delight.


    The surface of theke began to roll as countless shadows began to tear into the rotten fish and prawns.


    And then numerous fish lips began to appear on the water. Hundreds of degenerated vodyanoi surfaced from the depths, the stench throwing them into a frenzy as they fought, swallowed, and chomped mindlessly. Some of them even began to bite into their own people¡­


    As the water began to ripple, the boats began to rock.


    Blood darker than the night began to float onto the surface of theke.


    One of the boats was, unfortunately, being dragged into the vodyanoi¡¯s struggle as it began to rock uncontrobly. One of the knights wasn¡¯t able to bnce himself and identally fell into the water.


    He only managed to scream for less than ten seconds before there was nothing left but bones as he was surrounded by the sound of grinding teeth.


    They could only watch in shock.


    ¡°Are they piranhas?!¡±


    No matter who fell into the water, nothing would be left of them.


    One of the knights noticed something abnormal.


    ¡°The vodyanoi are normally asleep at this time. How is it possible that such arge group of them managed to get close to us? It looks like they¡¯re preparing to ambush us.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, we have our secret weapon!¡±


    Preparing supper for the vodyanoi and to draw their attention away? Of course not. Being absorbed by them was a paralysis poison prepared by the witchers from the Viper School.


    But they still didn¡¯t know if the poison would work.


    After a while, all the ¡°food¡± in the barrels had been depleted, and the vodyanoi were almost done with their supper.


    The water was bing calm again.


    In less than five minutes, the vodyanoy that was patrolling in theke slowly floated up, unmoving.


    Only at this time did everyone manage to see what they truly looked like. Their light blue skin was covered with scales and ck tattoos, as if they had suffered from radiation burns. They had the head of a fish, but the body of a human. Some of them had much stronger limbs and they had thick scales like that of a crocodile. They even had webs in between their fingers.


    ¡°What are you still waiting for, my brethren?!¡±


    Adda scooped a handful of the water from theke that was dyed with the color of blood and gave it a lick as her body began to tremble excitedly. ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    It was at that moment that the knights on the boat unsheathed their swords, carried their crossbow, and began to attack their targets that still remained in the water.


    Roy also took out Gabriel and began to fire rapidly.


    ¡°Degenerated Vodyanoy killed. Experience +20¡­¡±


    ¡°Degenerated Vodyanoy killed. Experience +20¡­¡±


    Witcher Level 5 (1400/2500)


    His experience points increased at a rate that was observable.


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    Adda tapped his shoulder warmly. There was praise on that excited face of hers.


    ¡°As can be expected from a professional. Thanks to your idea, we have killed hundreds of degenerated vodyanoi in one fell swoop. Once we return victorious, I will reward you handsomely!¡±


    Fifteen minutester, the one-sided ughter stopped and they lit their surroundings with a torch.


    The boats were surrounded by the corpses of degenerated vodyanoi as they floated in theke. Even the water had been painted reddish-brown.


    Meanwhile, the ¡°expedition¡± led by Princess Adda waspletely unharmed, other than two unfortunate souls who had been dragged down into the wards when they were feeding them.


    However, the two witchers didn¡¯t show any sign of rxing.


    ¡°There were already at least 200 vodyanoi that had appeared here. What else is waiting for us on the ind?¡±

 Chapter 142: Strange Forest

    Under the cover of darkness, boat after boat opened a path in the mist andnded on the shores of ck Tern Ind.


    The soldiers from the Order of the White Rose disembarked methodically onto the ind and dragged the wooden boats into the nearby grass and bushes to hide them.


    Behind the grass, thend to the edge of the ind was quite wet and soft because of the long-term corrosion by theke¡¯s water, leaving behind columns of footprints.


    Under the light from the oilntern, they could see many bizarre footprints left by creatures with three webbed toes surrounding the humans¡¯ own bootprints.


    ¡°Vodyanoi¡­¡±


    Both Roy and Letho took out a bottle of ¡°cat¡± and quaffed it down their throats. ck veins began to appear on their faces as their pupils turned into diamonds at the same time, glowing in the night like a cat or wolf¡¯s eyes.


    Before they took the potion, they¡¯d had blurry vision, but now, they instantly saw better than during the day.


    Their eyes followed the tracks of these bizarre footprints. They marched away from the beach and continued into the dark forest ahead.


    An extremely lush forest grew on the ind in the middle of theke.


    ¡°Princess Adda¡­¡± Roy approached the woman and asked her in a low voice, ¡°Have you entered the forest?¡±


    Adda shook her head as she looked at him. ¡°We only explored near theke the first two times. We never reached the ind, so we had never explored the forest, naturally. What happened this time was a great sess.¡± After she finished that, she held her whip by her chin as suspicion filled her eyes. ¡°However, why are there no vodyanoi on the ind at all? Did they send out all avable hands in their ambush just now?¡±


    ¡°That better be the case¡­ Either way, we can¡¯t afford to be careless,¡± the witcher reminded everyone. ¡°Keep your eyes open!¡±


    They should be fast asleep, but the degenerated vodyanoi hadunched an ambush as if they had anticipated theiring.


    That was a dreadful sign. Who knew if there would be other traps in the forest?


    ***


    Shield-bearing knights carefully walked in front of the group as they bent their bodies. Knights with crossbows followed after them, carefully scanning their surroundings.


    Meanwhile, Roy drew a reversed triangle in the air, using his finger gracefully. There was a sh of light, and a yellowish oval globe appeared from the rune and then covered the surface of his body. Its light began to cover him, and it would momentarily appear and disappear again.


    ¡°Is this magic? There¡¯s no need for you to chant any incantations?¡± Adda, who was being protected in the middle of the two witchers, asked curiously.


    ¡°That¡¯s a witcher sign¡­¡± Roy exined in a whisper, and then put his index finger by his lips lightly, signaling her to be quiet.


    Inside and outside of the forest seemed to be two different worlds. The moment they stepped in, frigid air instantly swept towards them.


    The faces of the knights who led the group became white as ghosts the moment they stepped in. They felt a chill down their spine, as if the invisible hand of a corpse had just brushed through their skin.


    Other than the chills, something made them terrified for no reason. They were holding back the urge to simply turn tail and run.


    But their training had managed to make them hold their ground, and continue their advance.


    ¡°This ce is too quiet¡­ Be careful, everyone!¡±


    The ground they were walking on was also no longer sand and dirt, but a thickyer of decaying matter.


    Other than the dark and ck rotting branches and rotting leaves, there seemed to be something else in between. When they stepped on it, they felt something sticky. It was also oozing a faint, rotten smell.


    Their surroundings had also be darker and more constrained. Due to the radiance from the torches, the huge ancient trees cast down their threatening shadows, even as they simply stood there in silence.


    They extended their limbs to the extreme as vine after vine slowly crept down from the branches, forming a green color that shrouded around them.


    The wind blew, and the vines and branches swayed along, as if they were pulling countless numbers of webs and would hurl thoses upon them at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Boy, stay alert,¡± Letho warned as he examined their surroundings. ¡°Something strange is afoot in this forest.¡±


    Roy nodded as he closed his eyes and let loose his senses.


    After a moment, he had the impression that every one of them was standing on a giant creature¡¯s tongue and stomach wall.


    He quickly unsheathed Gwyhyr and brutally stabbed the ground. But when he drew his sword out, he noticed that other than a thickyer of damp dirt, there was no blood, no meat.


    ¡°Was I overthinking?¡±


    It was going to be another difficult period for him.


    The squad¡¯s formation once again got tighter, bing simr to a turtle shell.


    Roy quietly gave Letho a spherical, ck, and heavy item. It was an alchemical bomb, a Dragon¡¯s Dream.


    He noticed that despite the coldness among the trees, none of them had moved much. But some of the knights were already sweating profusely as they breathed heavily.


    ¡°What is happening? The knights aren¡¯t supposed to be this weak.¡±


    He clenched his fist and noticed that ayer of sweat was covering his palm. Even he wasn¡¯t spared.


    ¡°Stop! Stop right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    The bald-headed man suddenly roared, stopping everyone from doing anything.


    After taking in two breaths, the grass some distance away suddenly began to sway and a strange, sharp noise began to resonate.


    Tweet! Tweet!


    It was faint, but it made everyone shudder when it sounded in such a quiet and strange forest. A group of them held their weapons in their hands tightly as their eyes were fixed on the grass without blinking.


    The grass swayed even more rapidly as if something terrifying was going to burst forth.


    The two witchers prepared their signs as they held their hilts. They walked to the front of the group and held their position.


    The grass stopped shaking, and the thing that was hidden finally hopped out and revealed itself to them all¡­


    It was a white and fluffy animal with a pair of long ears¡­ It was a rabbit.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    A long sigh echoed in the forest.


    ¡°This little thing? It must have a death wish to jump out at us like that.¡± A young knight bent down as he cursed.


    He was a little bit too anxious just now. All the tension that had umted in his heart was instantly swept away as he couldn¡¯t help but start stroking the soft and smooth fur of the rabbit.


    However, the little animal didn¡¯t care about the friendly knight, and it kept on nibbling with its head hung low.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die soon, and here you are, still eating.¡±


    ¡°How wonderful. Even a rabbit doesn¡¯t care about a knight from the Order of the White Rose!¡±


    ¡°This thing isn¡¯t afraid of humans at all,¡± another knight said in surprise.


    Whoosh!


    A sharp sound of something whooshing through the air rang in the forest, and the rabbit dropped dead on the ground, with a bloody arrow in its stomach.


    ¡°Stay alert!¡± the witcher yelled out with a cold expression as he put away his crossbow. ¡°This is ck Tern Ind, the home of the degenerated vodyanoi. Nothing in this ce is harmless!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the knight Clevnd said as he knelt down. He then revealed the dead rabbit¡¯s stomach in front of everyone.


    Hidden in its white fur, a ck piece of flesh grew on it like a fungal infection.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Adda was unafraid. She began to touch that growth with her glove excitedly.


    ¡°The same symptom as the degenerated vodyanoi.¡±


    ¡°Princess Adda, please step back and¡­ let me investigate.¡±


    The knight then opened its mouth and began to investigate.


    The light from the torch showed its two unusuallyrge buck teeth. However, behind were a pair of extra sharp teeth growing from inside. He lightly pressed on the end of its limbs, and ws like that of a feline instantly extended.


    ¡°Hiss¡­ This thing has already mutated. It became a carnivore¡­¡±


    ¡°Seems like other than the degenerated vodyanoi, the other animals have also mutated because of something.¡±


    Letho then began to watch his surroundings. ¡°For safety¡¯s sake, I would advise everyone to leave the forest immediately and head back.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Adda¡¯s eyes were fixed to the darkness between the trees, a fire burned within her heart.


    ¡°We are already halfway through. Are you sure you want to give up now?¡± Adda questioned them loudly as turned towards her men, and she extended her arms sideways. ¡°Not to mention the pitiful vigers from Connor Vige are still waiting for our good news! Are you going to permanently quell this danger in Lake Vizima and return as heroes, or turn your backs on us and be deserters?¡±


    When the knights heard her words, they instantly became resolute.


    Meanwhile, Adda continued to charm them, saying, ¡°We¡¯ve only encountered a small animal that we easily killed since wended on this ind¡­¡±


    ¡°A mutated animal¡­¡± the witcher stressed.


    ¡°So what?!¡± Adda gave him a stare as she slightly flushed ¡°The real danger on this ind, the degenerated vodyanoi, had already been killed back in theke. We won¡¯t have any problems facing a few mutated animals if we are careful! We¡¯ll continue onward. I believe we can destroy that evil altar this time. And then I will reward all of you. I am not stingy, and you all know this!¡±


    Adda looked at all the knights who obeyed her once again, pleased with herself. She then turned to the witchers.


    ¡°Masters, this expedition is under mymand. Please don¡¯t say anything that might lower morale.¡±


    ¡°Your highness, aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± Roy argued. ¡°If the altar could affect the bodies of the animals, who knows if it could affect us as well?¡±


    ¡°Do not talk back to me again, witcher.¡±


    Adda gave him a cold, icy stare before she stepped forward, following the rest of the order.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow them for some distance,¡± the bald-headed witcher whispered as he looked at the woman striding away. ¡°If the situation gets out of control, we will use some unusual tactics, tie the arrogant princess up, and retreat!¡±

 Chapter 143: Magnetic Field

    Light from mes and the reflections from the swords illuminated the entire forest. Sounds of shes, twangs from the strings of crossbows, and the cries of ughter surrounded them all.


    A small-sized degenerated vodyanoy jumped out from the bushes, pouncing towards the young witcher while screaming in a strange tongue.


    His figure was slightly bent with his longsword horizontally positioned by his face. He maintained the ox stance firmly and didn¡¯t even flinch. When he could feel the winds from his opponent¡¯s attack, he suddenly took arge step forward, and the de followed suit. Powerful force instantly nailed the attacker midair.


    Roy disposed of the body on his sword and immediately took out his crossbow. With a wave of his hand, a mutated cat¡¯s head was instantly sted into pieces as it jumped down from the tree.


    Very quickly, the five-minute encounter had ended.


    The soldiers forced themselves to march forward as they left behind the mangled corpses. Their armor and weapons were covered in blood. Despite their fatigue, they forced themselves to focus.


    There had already been dozens of degenerated vodyanoi as well as mutated creatures appearing. They ambushed them through all kinds of methods¡­ They would suddenly jump out without warning from the bushes, or they would camouge themselves as parts of the vines on the trees, and when they were walking past them they would jump down from the trees to kill them¡­


    However, the soldiers were already in a tight formation. Even as they moved, they were able to work perfectly with one another and support each other with their swords and shields as well as crossbows. They were able to easily kill all the monsters that would approach them.


    Only two soldiers who were unfortunate had suffered some light wounds.


    Roy had also received about a hundred points of experience during this time, but he was feeling quite grim.


    Ever since entering the forest, he would randomly choose to observe the knights. He noticed that all of them had a negative status effect.


    Weakness: You have stepped into the heart of ck Tern Ind. Because of radiation from a mysterious maic field, your physical attributes have all been reduced. Stamina consumption increases by 100%.


    Warning! You will only be temporarily weakened when interacting with the maic field in the short term. If you stay in the maic field for a long time, irreversible changes will happen to your body.


    ¡°Irreversible changes?¡± Roy looked at the exnation. Both Letho and him, two witchers, had been affected by the same negative effects. Both their HP and all their attributes were red in color, and they had been reduced by about ten to twenty percent.


    Normal people were affected even more. They had only entered the forest for less than half an hour, and yet three-tenths of the knights already had pale faces and eyes without spirit. Even the hands that they were holding their weapons with were shaking. Their body was slightly bent as if they couldn¡¯t even carry the weight of the chainmail they were wearing.


    <i>How many of us other than Letho and I can still remain standing by the time we reach the altar?</i>


    ¡°Adda!¡± Roy roared out in a low voice. ¡°Look at everyone¡¯s condition! We can still make it back if we leave right now!¡±


    Princess Adda was, in the end, a woman. Physical endurance was not her strong point. Even though she was covered in sweat and her face was red, her eyes looked right in front of her.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed yet? We¡¯re already here¡­¡±


    Roy was stunned. He looked at the end of the forest trail. Suddenly, a strange prismatic light appeared over there. Its color kept on changing. Tempting purple. Warm yellow. Pure white. Abyssal ck.


    The strange light that looked like a scintiting rainbow caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Everyone, just a little bit more! The altar is just ahead!¡± Adda cried out. Instantly, all the knights regained their spirit and marched towards that light.


    However, Roy could only shake his head somewhat confusingly. He caught a strong, fragrant scent.


    ***


    One minuteter, they all entered the deepest depths of the forest. A smooth b of marble was ced on the ground.


    They finally managed to see the source of that prismatic color they coveted so much.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    Roy could scarcely believe it as he rubbed his eyes. He saw the shape of a woman from that light even as he stood among the knights.


    And then, a beauty really did walk out of the light.


    She was wearing a thin satin dress, and her face was so familiar to him. That beautiful face of hers, and those lips of zing red.


    ¡°Coral?¡±


    Below that graceful neck was a chest with curves that would make his heart beat even faster, and then the curve was like a mountain giving way to a valley as it sloped down to her t stomach, and then to her simrly well-rounded buttocks.


    PR/N: I am so over these descriptions of boobs and ass.


    And further down was a pair of long, beautiful legs under that ck dress of hers. Her jade-like feet stepped on the white marble b, showing off her toes painted in rose-red. And she was like a graceful cat as she stood on the tips of her toes, giving him a flirtatious invitation.


    ¡°How is it¡­ She¡­ Impossible?¡± Roy frowned as suspicion began to fill his mind.


    And then, a heavy, rose scent came from the woman, and it blew away all his wariness. In that instant, he seemed to have amnesia, and he didn¡¯t remember anything else other than this woman.


    ¡°Roy, do you still remember that promise you made?¡±


    ¡°I remember, but I probably can¡¯t go¡­¡±


    ¡°You little bastard, I knew you¡¯d break your promise, so I came to look for you myself! Now,e with me quietly, and see the surprise I prepared for you!¡±


    The sorceress looked lovingly at him and extended her hand to the young witcher.


    ¡°Surprise?¡± Roy¡¯s expression became suspicious¡­ The sorceress wouldn¡¯t have made such an expression to him. But it seemed like a heavy fog had descended upon his mind, and his mind became extremely slow.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I have something important. I have to finish it first. Hiss¡­ I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Something important? What could be more important than me?¡± Coral lifted the hem of her skirt and twirled.


    The young witcher was hesitating as he held her warm hand with clouded eyes.


    The sorceress gave him a bewitching smile, turned her back to him, and pulled him in the light in the middle¡­


    ***


    ¡°No! This is all fake!¡±


    Roy wasn¡¯t even halfway through when a red g was raised in his mind. At the same time, a sharp pain appeared.


    He immediately flung away the sorceress¡¯s hand and quickly retreated.


    He focused his mind and looked at his character sheet¡­


    Other than the red-colored Weakness that was affecting him, there was another one named ¡°Disillusion¡± affecting him.


    `Disillusion: You have entered the heart of the mysterious maic field. Other than your flesh, your mind has also been warped. You have fallen into a dream of your own making, unable to wake up.`


    ***


    However, his high Will had allowed him to free himself from the status.


    He bit his tongue and shook his head. When he opened his eyes again, the sorceress had already disappeared, and all the wonders he had seen were like a dream¡­


    There was no floor made of marble or shining rainbow lights here. Instead, this was a living hell!


    Unlike the ground of the forest that was filled with decaying matter, he was walking on grounds made of the flesh and blood of animals. He could even identify the bones that were protruding from the flesh and blood¡­ The animals from the inds, the vodyanoi, the humans¡­


    And at the center of thisnd of corpses, a round altar was standing tall from the ground. A thick vine that looked like a heart¡¯s vein was connecting the altar to the flesh on the ground, and it pumped continuously as if it were alive to transport nutrients to it.


    There was a degenerated vodyanoy standing next to the altar with a bone staff in her hand.


    He didn¡¯t know how old the degenerated vodyanoy was. She was so old that she was bending her back. Her skin was all wrinkled with gray colored spots and disgusting ck growth all over it.


    Her limbs were very slim, and her joints were slightly warped. Even her scales were mostly gone.


    She had a big stomach like a ten-month pregnant woman. Her bloated lips kept on mumbling as wicked incantations echoed within this ce.


    As she chanted, the knights were like puppets and zombies, walking towards the altar with nk faces.


    He turned around and saw that Letho had also suddenly trembled, and his amber-colored eyes had returned to their former rity.

 Chapter 144: Transformed

    The hideous vodyanoy priestess didn¡¯t realize that the two witchers had already freed themselves of her control. She lost herselfpletely as she chanted her vile incantations without pause.


    The ancient vodyanoy with the crooked back danced with her bone staff in her hand as her lips opened and closed. She would jump on the ground, alternating between each foot, and the bone ne on her neck and wrists rattled wildly. It was a bizarre, primal dance.


    The altar was like a Venus flytrap letting out a sweet, tempting scent, while the knights were like the insects it was luring in. They were moving towards it slowly, with the speed of a snail, and there was still some distance between them and the altar.


    Roy gave Letho a look and he took out a ck, dark bomb from his inventory and gave it a good weigh.


    ¡°You bastard, dance in the burning mes!¡±


    He threw it across the air. The Dancing Star arced through the air and fell right at the feet of the vodyanoy priestess. There was a ng and white smoke began to surround her.


    Her chant stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Waarrrggh¡­¡± The priestess let out an angry shriek, and she was then consumed in a sh of brilliant light and fire.


    The spot near the altar was instantly consumed by mes, and the booming sound of an explosion rang across the forest.


    When the chant halted and he had caused such a hugemotion, the knights who were like puppets stopped in their tracks as they woke from their dreams. They opened their eyes in confusion, a dreamy expression remaining on their face.


    It was as if they were still trying to remember their strange dreams.


    At this time, a figure lit on fire let out a painful scream as it rushed out of the ze,unching itself towards the witcher.


    Roy calmly pulled the trigger. As the string from his crossbow hummed, several bolts instantly pierced through its skull.


    Three secondster, the burnt figure dropped at the feet of the witcher as it let out a charred smell.


    ¡°Vodyanoy Priestess killed. Experience points +100.¡±


    Roy used another Igni to extinguish the mes, and then used his sword to flip the body over. He could clearly see the vodyanoy priestess¡¯s head that was charred. It looked like the head of a catfish.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Was I dreaming?¡± Princess Adda¡¯s long eyes turned to look at the witcher with a nk expression.


    ¡°I clearly saw Julie just now,¡± a knight mumbled to himself. ¡°But my Julie passed away after she gave birth to little Col. Our family was whole again¡­¡±


    ¡°My mother was resurrected, but she had already died from whooping cough. She even made my favorite chickpea soup¡­¡±


    ¡°My little Tom escaped from the vers and was just crying to me¡­¡±


    The knights mumbled to themselves, as if they didn¡¯t want to leave their delusions.


    ¡°They¡¯re all fake! Wake up, fools!¡± Letho roared as he booted the corpse of the vodyanoy, and itnded in front of them. ¡°Look. This ugly thing is the one that charmed you with its magic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all over now, so stop living in your dreams!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all fake? We¡¯ve all fallen under its spell?¡±


    Adda looked at the corpse of the vodyanoy in front of her with disbelief in her tone. ¡°Even the most powerful mage in our court can¡¯t charm so many people at once!¡±


    ¡°It should have something to do with the altar¡­¡± the witcher said with certainty. ¡°The altar has some kind of unknown power that can empower the magic of its worshippers.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a lie, a dream¡­¡± A knight cut off his words with sorrow on his face. ¡°If it can make me stay, I¡¯m willing.¡±


    ¡°I remember very clearly! It¡¯s not a dream,¡± a middle-aged knight with a bushy beard suddenly yelled. ¡°It must have happened! It¡¯s a god!¡± His eyes suddenly filled with fervor. ¡°A god used its power to grant us our wish!¡±


    At this moment, many of the troops nodded in agreement.


    The witcher shook his head, knowing that there was no use in trying to convince them otherwise.


    ¡°Now that it has lost its only guardian, we can destroy the altar!¡±


    The smoke from the explosion was clearing as the mes receded. The fleshy vines that were surrounding the shell of the altar were also cleared.


    However, the altar itself remainedpletely unharmed. Without the cover of blood and flesh, they could clearly see a piece of greyish granite filled with strange symbols that looked like tadpoles climbing all over it.


    The two of them walked towards the altar, and noticed that the middle of the altar was a ck whole. It was about the size of a person and looked like a well.


    Roy looked into the well curiously. Even with a witcher¡¯s eyesight, he could only see pure darkness. He then hit the edge of the altar with Gwyhyr, and there was a ng as the de shed with the gravel of the altar.


    When Letho saw it, his expression became grim.


    ¡°This thing is extremely tough. Alchemical bombs are useless against it. We need to use arge amount of explosives.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Destroy the altar?¡± Adda, who was behind Roy, was hesitant as she bit her lips. Her attitude had already changed, and she was not as convinced as before.


    The moment she remembered that dream, her eyes began to get wet. It was a wish she hid deep within her, a dream that could never be realized. But because of that ¡°dream¡± the witcher had mentioned, she managed to reach the top of the world. She possessed ultimate power, and she was more than happy with it.


    Not to mention, the so-called dream was so real she couldn¡¯t separate it from reality. It was not something that could be caused by taking herbs or some other psychedelic drugs.


    ¡°It was so perfect¡­¡±


    Half of the forty or so knights also had the same thought, and they were more entranced than Adda.


    Their most well-hidden dreams had been realized through the delusion.


    But the witchers had stopped everything. They¡¯d taken away their perfect world¡­ Suddenly, a group of knights looked at the backs of the witchers with dark intent.


    ¡°What are you still bumbling about?!¡± Roy turned around and couldn¡¯t help but yell out in fury when he saw that they were all unmoving.


    The tall andrge witcher stood by his side, fully alert.


    ¡°Some¡­ Something¡¯s wrong with Sir Kleist¡­¡± A knight suddenly pointed at the back of hispanion and screamed in fear. ¡°There¡¯s something growing on his neck!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Roy looked at the knight being used and he was shocked at what he saw. The knight¡¯s eyes were filled with blood as ck fish scales grew from his neck and arms that were exposed.


    Even his face was also slightly changing. His forehead was slumping as his eyes, mouth and chin began to extrude.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference without looking at him carefully.


    But the most terrifying thing about this was the knight¡¯s condition. He saw that the Weakness condition from him hadpletely disappeared. And what reced it was another red-ed condition. ¡°Transformed.¡±


    Transformed: The mysterious maic field¡¯s effect had reached its peak. After listening to the beguiling words of an Outer God¡¯s devotee, your body and mind have warped.


    Your Will is less than 6. You are officially transforming into a degenerate.


    ¡°Those who can still hear me, retreat now! Leave this damn ce and this forest! Now! If you don¡¯t want to die, do it now!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, witcher?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s transforming into a monster!¡± Roy¡¯s voice was shaking. ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, none of us are going to survive this!¡±


    The remaining knights who could still think straight were shocked by what he said and immediately retreated outwards. Meanwhile, Roy immediately carried Princess Adda on his shoulder and ran.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t transformed yet. We can still make it!¡±


    On the other side, the bald man guarded their rear tightly as they withdrew back into the forest and began to make a mad dash out of there.


    The remaining knights¡¯ transformation continued as their eyes began to be numb. They stood quietly in front of the altar, and didn¡¯t give chase at all.


    They dropped their weapons and removed their armor. Then, as they lowered their heads, their naked bodies began to twitch as every joint and bone began to warp strangely.


    The hair on their skin began to fall as scales appeared, and a brownish fishtail began to grow and burst through the skin and flesh at the end of their tailbone.


    A dark reddish fish head began to grow from their neck. Their white eyes hadpletely lost all semnce of intelligence.


    And from the well, ck water began to surge out into the air. It began to extend and coil in the air before finally forming arge, shadowy figure.


    It had no definite form as its ck figure seemingly changed repeatedly like mist, but its round, red eyes were as terrifying as the abyss¡¯s gaze.


    Countless ck threads shot out from the shadow and into the bodies of the transformed, connecting them all as one. Was it draining from them, or was it bestowing upon them?

 Chapter 145: The Extra Person

    Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Rapid sounds of footsteps echoed far and wide as a figure dashed out of the overgrown forest. Then, a second figure appeared, followed by a third¡­


    They finally escaped the terrifying maic field when they were almost out of strength.


    They took in a few deep breaths as they continued to move towards the grass by the shore, and then they slumped into the wooden boat as if the chains on them had been removed.


    The light of dawn had appeared, and the morning¡¯s golden light showered upon Lake Vizima. It dispersed the mist and brought new hope to everyone.


    <i>The Weakness condition has disappeared.</i>


    Roy calmed down a bit and he let the woman from his shoulder down. He then wiped his sweat away.


    Adda¡¯s hair was also wet with sweat as her face paled. She no longer looked as proud.


    ¡°What¡­ What happened to me?¡± she asked as she recalled what happened to her earlier. There was only fear in her expression.


    ¡°Good. Looks like you¡¯re yourself again.¡± The young witcher heaved out a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t want his charge to be emotionally disturbed. ¡°Princess Adda, I would like to ask you to listen to us and stop being so stubborn next time.¡±


    They started with around forty members, and now there were only around twenty left. They had lost around half, and they hadn¡¯t even encountered the being behind all of this yet. It was indeed a great failure.


    ¡°This was an ident, witcher!¡± Adda said as she lost her temper. ¡°It¡¯s because we didn¡¯t do enough investigating and preparation. Next time, when I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll make that monster in the altar pay tenfold, a hundredfold! Regardless, my people can¡¯t die here in vain!¡±


    With that, she once again began to order her troops. ¡°We will rest for thirty seconds! Don¡¯t let those degenerated vodyanoi catch up with us!¡±


    Suddenly, a handsome young knight walked out from the crowd. ¡°Your Highness, that thing in the altar is too bizarre. It transformed dozens of our brethren into those disgusting monsters.¡±


    ¡°We cannot allow it to spread its influence, otherwise, the entire city of Vizima will be affected!¡± The knight¡¯s eyes burned with determination as he continued with a firm voice. ¡°The forest on this ind is obviously itsir. We should use fire to burn it all away!¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡± someone called out. ¡°Burn the forest! Destroy the altar!¡±


    ¡°But some of our brethren are still inside,¡± a soldier refuted. ¡°What if they can be saved? If we burn the forest down, won¡¯t we harm the innocents as well?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing normal in that forest. All of them are evil monsters. We should use fire to purify them! We should have done that from the very beginning!¡±


    As the knights began to have differing opinions among them, Adda stroked her chin as she was clearly open to the idea.


    ¡°Witcher, in your experience, are there any chances of those ¡®degenerated¡¯ knights transforming back into humans?¡±


    The young witcher shook his head. ¡°The degeneration is permanent.¡±


    Meanwhile, Letho extended his hand to sense the direction of the wind and the temperature in the air. After sizing the forest up, he said, ¡°If you want to burn the forest, it¡¯ll take some time. Unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless someone stays behind.¡± The ck-haired knight who¡¯d expressed his opinion at the very beginning took a step forward willingly. He was still wobbling, as he hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. ¡°Your Highness, let me burn down this sinful ind¡­ As long as Master Letho is willing to lend me an alchemical bomb.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Jacques. Jacques of Aldersberg¡­¡±


    The ck-haired knight raised his right hand high with a firm expression on his face. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. Only then did Roy realize that the ears of the youthful, ck-haired knight were slightly pointed.


    <i>A half-elf? No, a quarter elf</i>.


    Roy fell into deep thoughts. The name sounded quite familiar, but the information he could see was quite ordinary. He was just a normal knight.


    Some of the soldiers knew who he was.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who just joined the Order of the White Rose.¡±


    ¡°The one who talks about the White Frost prophecy all the time.¡±


    ¡°Your courage is admirable, Sir Jacques. But do you know that you will absolutely die if you stay behind? Not to mention that you might not seed.¡± Adda shook her head as she stepped into the wooden boat. ¡°Do not make any unnecessary sacrifices. Let us leave this ce.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I have neither parents nor wife or child to take care of. My only wish now is to avenge my fallen brethren and remove this threat for Vizima¡­ I beg of you!¡± Jacques suddenly knelt on one knee, his young and handsome face filled with purpose and fearlessness.


    The woman¡¯s expression showed that she was struggling. She bit her lips and gave him onest look. ¡°Jacques of Aldersberg, since you¡¯ve decided, I approve of your request!¡±


    ¡°Everyone else, get on the boat and let us leave immediately!¡±


    The Temerian princess gave the knight¡¯s shoulder a pat and said, ¡°Come back safely! I¡¯ll promote you when you¡¯re back, I promise!¡±


    Jacques stood up and took the torch and alchemical bombs from the hands of the witcher and rushed into that terrifying forest.


    Roy stared at the disappearing figure with suspicion on his face. Was there someone truly as selfless as him in this world?


    But he had no time to think about it, and one by one, the wooden boats left ck Tern Ind.


    After about fifteen minutes, everyone noticed something strange once they reached the center of theke. All the degenerate vodyanoi corpses that should¡¯ve been floating in theke had disappeared. All two hundred of them. Not even a drop of blood was left.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be this clean, even if the water from theke washed them away.¡±


    ¡°And here I was thinking of cutting their ears off to bring them back to Vizima as proof of my valor.¡±


    There was disappointment on the knights¡¯ faces. While Princess Adda had promised they would not be penalized and would instead be rewarded, how much reward would they be given? They had lost so many people, and at the end of the day, they still had to be reprimanded by Grandmaster Rudolf.


    However, Adda was looking at the ind behind her with a bitter expression. Every knight was Vizima¡¯s precious treasure. But they¡¯d lost too many because of her stubbornness.


    She was angry, regretful, but she could only sigh in the end. <i>I have to stay low for a while now. The old man would never indulge me this much again after what happened.</i>


    But no one could foretell the future.


    After a short while, when they were onnd, ck smoke began to fill the sky of ck Tern Ind.


    Excitement burst forth from the hearts of the despondent.


    ¡°That kid seeded!¡±


    There was excitement on Adda¡¯s face as she trembled. ¡°Good. Jacques didn¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    She then turned around and looked at everyone who was already quite tired and in a much looser formation. She yelled at a middle-aged knight with a beard, ¡°Vice-Captain Powell, we are now temporarily safe. Do a roll call and see how many warriors we have left and how many we have lost.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡±


    The knight then turned around and stood next to her. ¡°Next, the knights and soldiers whose names have been called out, step forward!¡±


    ¡°Griez.¡±


    ¡°Present!¡±


    ¡°Fergurson.¡±


    ¡°Present!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Cambenel.¡±


    ¡°Present!¡±


    ¡°Viz.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After a short while, the middle-aged knight said in a bleak tone, ¡°Your Highness, there are twenty-two warriors left under yourmand. We have lost¡­ eleven knights from the Order of the White Rose, fourteen soldiers from the Vizima Infantry Division.¡±


    Adda took in a deep breath and nodded lightly. She was going to say something to bolster their morale and honor the dead when the bald witcher suddenly cut her off.


    ¡°Vice-Captain Powell, did you count one less?¡± He raised his broad arm and pointed at the back. ¡°Isn¡¯t there one more? I noticed he didn¡¯t say anything from beginning to the end.¡±


    Everyone instantly turned to look at him.


    At the end of the squad, a skinny knight was instantly separated.


    ¡°Sir, I have never seen him,¡± a knight said with an unsure tone as he stared at the knight.


    ¡°I know all the knights in the city, but I have never seen this one at all.¡±


    ¡°Did you join the Viziman Infantry Division just recently?¡± And several in the group began to agree with that spection.


    ¡°Soldier, raise your head!¡± The bearded man walked towards him sternly. ¡°State your name, age, and your designation.¡±


    The skinny man raised his head shyly.


    He looked very young and didn¡¯t look like he was older than twenty, and he looked very ordinary, with a small nose and small eyes. He had the face of someone that if you put in a crowd, you would forget his appearance if you didn¡¯t pay attention.


    His lips moved, but there was no voice.


    The middle-aged knight saw his face and couldn¡¯t help but frown as his tone became wrathful. ¡°I have some impression of most of the new recruits, but I have never seen you!¡±


    ¡°Speak! Who exactly are you?!¡±


    Everyone was shocked. They had only realized that someone unknown had snuck into their squad after the battle had finished. There was no greater shame than this.


    And all of them began to grow suspicious.


    ¡°We were steering towards ck Tern Ind when the degenerated vodyanoi were supposed to be asleep, but instead, we were ambushed. Did you tip them off that we wereing?!¡±


    <i>ng¡­</i>


    The knights unsheathed the swords by their waist with a dark impression.


    However, Roy was suspicious. Through Observe, the man waspletely normal. There was no sign that he was transforming¡­ And as a human, how was he supposed tomunicate with the vodyanoi?


    It didn¡¯t make sense if he was a traitor.


    The man merely showed his hands as everyone watched, and he shook his head calmly, signaling that he was no enemy.


    And then, he turned to the young witcher that was Observing him and used his finger to beckon him¡­


    ¡°Kili K¡­¡±


    In that instant, the soldiers, witchers, and even Princess Adda were surprised.


    Why would a human speak in such a tone? Just like¡­ he was a vodyanoy?


    And the person who did that immediately started to run towards the swamp surrounding theke, just when everyone was still stunned.


    ¡°Bastard, capture him!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the spy, the traitor!¡±


    The group of men chased after him, but the strange man was more agile than they had first thought. In a sh, he was already very far away from his pursuers.


    And the distance was still growing. Other than the two witchers, no one could chase after him.


    ¡°Is he still a man? He ran faster than the horse.¡±


    ¡°Stop chasing! It might be a trap! All of you turn back to protect Princess Adda. You, and you, follow me!¡±


    ***


    The strange man was fleet of foot. Despite the witchers being on his tail, he immediately ran into the wide swamps next to Lake Vizima.


    Then, without any sign, heavy mist suddenly rolled in from around them. In just a short while, visibility had be extremely low. Roy had immediately lost contact with Letho as he entered the mist.


    Carefully, he used the Quen sign to form a shield around him as he scanned his surroundings with his dark, golden eyes, crossbow in hand, sword in the other.


    Suddenly, a figure zoomed past in the dense mist. It was the knight that had escaped earlier.


    Roy chased after him.


    <i>Five minutester, after an intense pursuit</i>


    The fake knight led him to the East of Lake Vizima. He ran directly into theke, but then stopped in his tracks and bowed dutifully towards the clearke water.


    Lights and shadows began to dance in front of Roy. After a moment, the slender man who was wearing chainmail had disappeared. Instead, a small and short vodyanoy wearing a brownish, ruined cloak stood in front of him.


    His body was slightly crooked, and two very long and white whiskers grew to the side of his mouth. The skin on his round eyes was all white and gave the half-man with the fish head a kind demeanor.


    And inside his eyes, there was no hostility at all, unlike the degenerated vodyanoi. Instead, there was the light of wisdom.


    ¡®Zeek


    Age: 89


    Gender: Male


    Identity: Vodyanoy Hermit (A legend among the vodyanoi and has lived as a hermit in Lake Vizima for dozens of years. Has witnessed the rise and fall of the vodyanoi tribes in Lake Vizima.)


    Disciple of the Lady of the Lake (He served the goddess of Lake Vizima faithfully. And by her grace, he has obtained some spellcasting abilities.)


    HP: 80


    Mana: 120


    Attributes:


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 8


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 6


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 8


    Spirit: 12


    Skills:


    Slipstream LVL 5: Low-level water elemental magic. Uses little mana. Controls the flow of the water in theke.


    Water Arrow LVL 6: After performing a simple hand sign and a short incantation, summons a water elemental arrow to attack enemies.


    Telepathic Link (Passive, permanent): A unique, natural ability. It can be used tomunicate with most intelligent creatures through telepathy.


    ***


    Degenerated vodyanoy, vodyanoy, the altar on ck Tern Ind, the Lady of the Lake¡­


    Countless thoughts crossed in his mind, and he understood what was happening¡­


    ¡°You hadn¡¯t degenerated¡­ You¡¯re a normal vodyanoy?¡±


    The vodyanoy bowed to him with his webbed hand on his chest.


    ¡°Garu¡­ Wuliwa¡­ Hako¡­¡± (Don¡¯t be afraid. I mean you no harm.)


    Roy was very sure he hadn¡¯t learnt the vodyanoinguage. Despite every syble from his mouth seeming very alien, he was able to understand what he was saying, surprisingly.


    That was probably the effect of the Telepathic Link skill.


    ¡°Zeek, you need to give me an exnation¡­¡± The young witcher sheathed his weapon. ¡°Why did you sneak into our squad? Why did you try to draw me here?¡±


    Zeek then stroked his two white whiskers and said, ¡°Half a month ago, I received the goddess¡¯s revtion. She revealed to me that a group will being to dispatch the degenerated ones. I snuck into your group to aid you. If I hadn¡¯t, other than you and the bald witcher, everyone else would have already transformed during your short stay on ck Tern Ind¡­¡±


    Roy nodded and asked, ¡°Goddess? The deity that you serve?¡±


    ¡°The Lady of the Lake.¡±


    The young witcher calmed down. ¡°You mean, other than the evil thing in the altar, there is another greater power in Lake Vizima? The Lady of the Lake?¡±


    The vodyanoy nodded.


    ¡°My brethren all originally served the noble Lady Vivienne.¡±


    PR/N: This Vivienne is different from the Vivien of the House of Cardell.


    ¡°But I remember the Lady of the Lake lived in Toussaint.


    ¡°The goddess is born of water. She has many sisters. The light of the goddess reaches anywhere the water ripples.¡±


    ¡°So that means Lake Vizima was originally the goddess¡¯s domain.¡± A light appeared in Roy¡¯s eyes. ¡°But it was invaded by the creature in the altar?¡±


    The vodyanoy suddenly waved its arms furiously.


    ¡°Not only did the creature steal the goddess¡¯s domain, but it also bewitched my brethren and destroyed my tribe. There are less than ten normal vodyanoi left now!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ You want vengeance for the destruction of your tribe. Then the reason you came for me is that you have a way to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°Uru!¡±


    ¡°But why me? I¡¯m just a nameless disciple from the Viper School. Letho is much better than I am, and Princess Adda had much more influence than I could evermand.¡±


    The vodyanoy looked at him with a stern expression.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t appear in the goddess¡¯s revtion. You are an anomaly in that group. In the beginning, I was simply being curious. I snuck into ck Tern Ind, wanting to see just how much you could all aplish.¡±


    ¡°And then, I received my goddess¡¯smand. There was one unique individual within that group¡­¡±


    The vodyanoy crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at the young witcher in agreement.


    ¡°You, the witcher from the Viper School, Roy, have passed a series of harsh tests in the past year.¡±


    The vodyanoy hermit then pointed his finger, which was as thick as a carrot stick, towards the clearke water.


    ¡°Go. The goddess is waiting for you in theke. She will personally tell you everything else¡­ This is both a blessing and a test. It is all in your hands¡­¡±


    With that, Zeek the vodyanoy waved goodbye and jumped into Lake Vizima, disappearing underneath the ripples.


    There was hesitation on his face.


    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±


    He had some guesses about what would happen next, but there was no reason for him to refuse this chance. With that, he walked straight into theke.

 Chapter 146

    The coolkewater slowly brushed across his ankles, and the world around him started to change. Mist suddenly appeared over the surface of theke, and the waters turned as murky as the grey sky above. The water brushed across his skin, cleansing his whole body, and Roy felt as if he were reborn. Then, he heard a gentle voice speaking to him within his mind. It sounded so far, yet so close at the same time. ¡°Come here, Roy¡­¡±


    It was as if he were back to when he was still a young boy, and his mother was patting his back, telling him toe home, but at the same time, it sounded like the whisper of his lover after they made passionate love together. The voice allured him, and he went deeper into theke.


    The water washed over his thighs, then his waist, and it eventually climbed up to his torso. Suddenly, he saw a gorgeous silhouette hiding in the fog. It was too thick for Roy to see the silhouette¡¯s face, but she was waving her hand at him, telling him toe closer.


    Roy hastened over to her, but unbeknownst to him, the water had already reached his chest. Just when he was about to approach the mysterious figure, the world spun again, and he could taste the scent of flowers hanging in the air. He looked around him, but there was no one there. Suddenly, he felt something cold brushing against his back. When he turned around, the scent in the air seemed to turn even more pronounced.


    ¡°Roy¡­¡± The voice called his name, and the silhouette plunged into theke and frolicked in it, not unlike a mermaid.


    Roy could feel a chill running up his spine, and he got goosebumps all over his body, but it was not from the cold. ¡°Is that the Lady of the Lake?¡±


    After he had a glimpse of Melitele, Roy had always thought of gods as mythical and sacred beings who brooked no sphemy. However, this ¡®goddess¡¯ changed his opinion. She was alluring, seductive, passionate, and open. However, Roy managed to break free of her grasp thanks to his iron will.


    The entity giggled, and a momentter, she revealed her true self to the young witcher. Her ckish-green hair tumbled down her shoulder, and she had a petite, adorable face. Her nose was small, but it gleamed like a precious stone, and her eyes seemed to have the twinkle of the very stars within them. Her lips were like the petals of a blooming flower, as if they were taken from the heavens itself. Her skin was as smooth as silk, and as tender as a newborn infant¡¯s. The entity smelled like fresh lilies, but despite her adorable look, she had a slender neck and generous bosom. Her hair tumbled down her chest, and the fog covered her lower body, as if it were a veil. The entity was adorable and seductive at the same time, but it only made her more beautiful.


    <em>A goddess? More like a subus. </em>Roy took a deep breath, and as he admired the Lady of the Lake¡¯s beauty from a safe distance, he cast Observe on her.


    ¡®Vivienne


    Age: 353


    Status:


    Lady of the Lake (Nymph)


    (The legendary Lady of the Lake is not a single individual. Instead, they are a group of nymphs created by nature itself. They have control over the element of water. They will not fall sick or grow old, but they can and will die. They are kind, and they are the ones who came up with the creed of the knights. The Lady of the Lake are always happy to help those who are kind, and they value freedom greatly. They will choose the knight they love to stay by their side, but said knight must have passed a strict trial.)


    ?? (Increase your Perception to reveal more details)¡¯


    ***


    Roy calmed his pounding heart. <em>The Lady of the Lake is no god. They¡¯re a bunch of powerful magical creatures.</em> Back when he had a glimpse of Melitele, he felt like he was nothing but a mere ant facing a stormy ocean. The Lady of the Lake felt powerful, but they didn¡¯t make him feel like he was a helpless insect in the ocean. They could control the waters and grant their believers strength, but they didn¡¯t have the kind of power that would rob anyone of their courage.


    ¡°Lady of the Lake.¡± Roy pushed his curiosity down and bowed to the Lady of the Lake as politely as he could. ¡°Why was I summoned here?¡±


    The Lady of the Lake seemed surprised that Roy managed topose himself in such a short time. ¡°Roy of Lower Posada.¡± Her voice changed again, and this time, she sounded like a girl next door. ¡°You may call me Vivienne. I am the daughter of the Lake of Vizima. Through my eyes, I see the conviction flowing in your body, and I have seen the justice you and yourpanion carried out.¡±


    Vivienne extended her hand to him, and Roy hesitated for a while before he held the outstretched hand. The moment he did that, he jolted, and all the experiences he had ever since he came to this world were shown before his eyes. Out of all the things he had done, five were marked with Elder Speech.


    ¡°Squaess (Sympathy). You used the dwarf¡¯s favor and helped Casiga escape her wardens so she could join Aretuza.¡±


    ¡°Ydda (Courage). You came face to face with a resurrected leshen and vanquished it.¡±


    ¡°Gloir (Glory). You stood by your injuredrade and went through Smiack together.¡±


    ¡°Mire (Wisdom). You found the truth behind the ritual of the seven deadly sins and caught the real perpetrator.¡±


    ¡°Generose (Generosity). You deducted the money Huckle had to pay for your services, and his bakery remains because of your deed.¡±


    Roy was surprised about that, and hemented. <em>I¡¯ve gone through a lot, huh?</em>


    ¡°You possess all five virtues. I, Vivienne, shall now represent all creatures in the Lake of Vizima, and I ask you¡­¡± The Lady of the Lake¡¯s voice started booming, and she had a serious look on her face. ¡°Will you take my sword and carry out justice once more? Will you venture into ck Tern Ind again and take out Dagon, the evil creature who resides there?¡±


    Vivienne¡¯s voice reverberated throughout the fog, and Roy felt an invisible power lifting him and Vivienne out of the water. Vivienne¡¯s naked body was revealed fully to him, but Roy didn¡¯t even look panicked. He had matured after going through so much, and he was no longer the young man who would do anything for anyone just because they asked. He wouldn¡¯t go on a suicide mission just because Vivienne asked him to. ¡°Goddess Vivienne, allow me to ask you a few questions. Is Dagon the master of all fallen vodyanoi?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. Dagon whispered in the ears of the vodyanoi and led them to corruption. He built a dark and evil altar on the ind that twisted the bodies and wills of theke¡¯s creatures so he could absorb their strength and turn it into his power.¡±


    <em>What the hell kind of monster is that? </em>Roy was starting to get concerned about the eventual encounter. ¡°Where did ite from? What kind of creature is it?¡±


    ¡°Very well then. I shall tell you the truth.¡± Fear shed through Vivienne¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dagon is not of this world. Ites from a chaotic and twisted dimension. Many years ago, it stumbled upon thekebed by chance, and through the cracks between dimensions, it projected a sliver of itself into our world, but that act exhausted all its strength. Now its projection is corrupting theke itself. If it is not stopped, Dagon will have umted enough strength in decades or centuries at most. Once that happens, he can descend upon our world itself.¡± Vivienne¡¯s voice became somber. ¡°By then, it will be toote. The world shall tremble beneath Dagon¡¯s tentacles.¡±


    <em>Dimensions? World? </em>¡°Lady of the Lake, pardon my honesty, but¡­¡± Roy looked at the ground and answered honestly, ¡°If you are no match for Dagon, then how do you expect me to stop its n? My power is nothingpared to yours. You should search for a more powerful hero for this mission.¡± <em>I am just a young witcher. How am I supposed to fight an evil creature who¡¯s from another dimension?</em>


    ¡°Power is of no importance if they cannot pass the trial. No matter how powerful someone may be, they are not to be trusted if they fail the trial. However, you passed, and all the five virtues are shining brightly within you. I trust you, but I also understand your worries.¡± Vivienne smiled brightly, and a gentle breeze brushed across theke, causing ripples to blossom on its surface. ¡°I will not send you marching into certain doom. However, I cannot do this myself, for most of my strength is used to suppress Dagon. This creature is not that more powerful than you are, excluding its bizarre conversion spell. But I can handle that.


    ¡°But of course, Dagon is keeping me in line as well, barring me from going onto the ind. And more creatures are getting corrupted with each passing year, while the number of my believers keeps dwindling. The delicate bnce will soon be broken.¡± Vivienne¡¯s voice became weaker and weaker, until it was nothing but a whisper. ¡°Dagon will eventually take over theke and absorb me as well.¡± She looked at Roy with an unspoken plea in her eyes. ¡°Roy, you, like other humans, are wed, but that does not hide your virtues. You passed all five trials in a single year. That is proof that you have conviction, even if you do not admit it. Now, will you lend your strength for the creatures of theke?¡±


    ¡°If it is possible¡­¡± Roy stared down. Since Vivienne was already pleading, he stopped arguing. ¡°I shall kill Dagon myself.¡±


    Vivienne extended her right arm, and a ripple appeared on the surface of theke, but a momentter, it started bubbling, as if it were boiling water. Then, a deep red de pierced the surface and rose into the air. Vivienne grasped its hilt with both hands and held it up straight before her chest. Roy recalled what he did in the original game, and he knelt on one knee.


    ¡°Roy from the School of the Viper, will you ept my sword and hold true to the virtues of courage, sympathy, glory, wisdom, and generosity? Will you vanquish the evil residing on the ind for the creatures of the Lake of Vizima?¡±


    ¡°I ept the request.¡±


    The moment he said that, he felt Vivienne tapping the de on his shoulders three times, then she announced, ¡°Witcher from an unnamednd, I, the daughter of theke, ruler of water, Vivienne, hereby grant you the status of knight. I bequeath you the title¡ªRoy of the Lake of Vizima.¡±


    Roy started hyperventting and took the sword he had been waiting for. <em>The Lady of the Lake¡¯s sword.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 147

    Roy stood up, holding the hilt with one hand and the de with the other. He raised it up to eye level and looked at the sword closely. Aerondight was deep crimson in , as if it were drenched in blood for decades. Unlike Gwyhyr, the de had little to no decoration. It seemed in and quiet, just like ake.


    ¡®Lady of the Lake¡¯s Sword¡ªAerondight


    Type: Silver sword


    Materials: Tearstone, dark iron ingot, cured draconid leather, powdered monster tissue, nymph blood.


    Measurements: Weighs 6.06 pounds, hilt measures at eleven inches (0.27 meters), and the de measures forty inches (1.01 meters).


    Effect(s):


    Mana Reduction: Every time Aerondight hits a magical creature, it will¡ªaside from causing physical damage¡ªforcibly reduce the target¡¯s mana.


    Aqua Blessing: The user is blessed by the Lady of the Lake. The user can breathe underwater and walk above water. The sword causes most aquatic creatures to be friendly toward the user and lower their hostility significantly.


    Aqua Summoning: Whenever the user is in ake, they can use this sword to contact the local Lady of the Lake.


    Reminder: This sword is given to Roy by Vivienne. You are the one who passed the trial. Only you can use this sword.


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath and held the hilt with both hands while holding the sword over theke¡¯s surface. This Aerondight was slightly different than the one he remembered. It couldn¡¯t level up through killing monsters, but the extra skills came in handy. Underwater breathing and walking on water were perfect skills for him. From now on, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about drowning whenever he was adventuring. Thanks to Mana Reduction, Aerondight came in as a more effective sword when it came to killing magical creatures. <em>It¡¯s a perfect sword. I look forward to leveling it up.</em>


    Roy spun the sword around, and it felt heavy. After all, Aerondight was double the weight of Gwyhyr. A permanent,fortable sword was a mandatory piece of gear every swordsman had to have. A change in weight could affect every battle greatly, and sometimes, it was the difference between life and death. Thanks to Roy¡¯s previous training, he was already used to Gwyhyr¡¯s weight.


    He concentrated on his character sheet.


    You have acquired a silver sword that meets the binding requirement. Do you want to bind Aerondight?


    <em>Yes.</em>


    You have bound the sword of the Lady of the Lake¡ªAerondight.


    Right at that moment, all the heavy sensation and difort disappeared. It felt as if he had used Aerondight for years, and he knew every single inch of the sword by heart. A deep connection was formed between them. Now he could use it as if it were an extension of his own body. At the same time, he could sense the silver sword no matter where it was, just like how he could sense the bound steel sword and crossbow. <em>Good. I¡¯ve finally gotten all the weapons a witcher should have. A silver sword, a steel sword, and a crossbow.</em>


    ¡°Well, this is an unexpected surprise. This trip is a fulfilling one.¡± Roy happily strapped Aerondight to his back. The swords¡¯ hilts poked out behind his back, and they gleamed under the sunlight. With the final piece of the puzzle in his hands, the young man was looking more and more like a witcher.


    Vivienne watched him quietly, and dimples appeared on her cheeks as a smile curled her lips. ¡°You seem to take a liking to the gift, my knight.¡± She extended her hand to him.


    ¡°Goddess Vivienne, your generosity is boundless.¡± Roy held her hand and kissed the back of it. It felt smooth and tender.


    ¡°Then let us talk about business. Aerondight alone is not enough to vanquish Dagon. We need a careful and feasible n. What do you have in mind, my knight?¡±


    <em>Well, she paid me in advance. It¡¯s fair that she raises a question. </em>Roy nodded. ¡°Miss Vivienne, I have a lot of questions regarding Dagon. For example, how long has it existed in this world? What kind of power does it have?¡±


    Vivienne flicked her wrist, and Roy felt an invisible power gently surge underneath him, and he sat right on the surface of theke, his seat nothing but fog. If they had a table and a pot of tea between them, it¡¯d look like a proper little gathering. The light of reminiscence appeared in Vivienne¡¯s eyes, and she said, ¡°Dagon first appeared in theke more than ten years ago.¡±


    ¡°More than ten years ago? Pardon me, but¡­¡± Roy tried to be as gentle as possible. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you destroy it the very moment it appeared? Why did you allow it to gain strength?¡±


    Vivienne looked crestfallen. She stared down at theke, and the light in her eyes dimmed. Anyone else would have felt a twinge of sympathy for her. ¡°Dagon employed a special method of invasion. I didn¡¯t notice it at first, but now I see that the dreams were the first part of his insidious n. He invaded the dreams of the creatures near theke, creating murmurs, nightmares, and even illusions that fulfilled the creatures¡¯ lust for glory. The first victims showed no signs other than a weakened vigor. When the real signs finally showed, there was already no hope of salvation for the victim. The first victims were weak-willed vodyanoi. Under Dagon¡¯s influence, they eventually lost their souls to its corruption.¡±


    Vivienne¡¯s hair swayed with the breeze, and as the wind blew against Roy, the young witcher tasted the scent of liliesing from her. ¡°The dreams were like a gue. It broke out all of a sudden, and there was no way to stop it. Creatures fell in droves and became Dagon¡¯s believers. They provided the flesh, emotions, and faith Dagon needed to survive and thrive. When I realized what it had done, I was already powerless to stop it. Dagon has gained a lot of strength over the years, and now he is as powerful as I am.¡±


    ¡°He lured the creatures to corruption through dreams and sucked their emotions and faith to gain strength. That exins the bizarre phenomenon I saw in the vigers.¡± Roy massaged his forehead. ¡°So if I want to destroy Dagon, I¡¯ll have to cull his believers? His source of strength? Without any nourishment, Dagon will have no way to survive.¡±


    ¡°You can weaken Dagon that way, but it is not enough.¡± Vivenne elegantly brushed her feet against theke, and she tilted her head. ¡°And a big part of its believers are the vigers living beside the swamp. They haven¡¯t fallen yet. There is still humanity within them. Can you really cull them, my knight?¡±


    ¡°They <em>are </em>innocent.¡±¡±


    ¡°If you can relocate the vigers to somewhere more than five miles away from theke, Dagon will be unable to absorb their strength.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°So I¡¯ll have to cull all the fallen vodyanoi, chase the believers away, and summon Dagon through the altar when it¡¯s weakened so I can kill it?¡±


    ¡°Once Dagon¡¯s projection and altar are vanquished, we can cut off its connection to this world. Without its interference, I can seal the crack in the bottom of theke,¡± Vivienne said. ¡°But the only ones who are powerful enough to enter this battle are you and that witcher. Anyone else will only be nourishment for Dagon, and they will drag the battle on.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Roy clenched his fists. Fighting an evil entity from another world was an exciting but dangerous undertaking, even if that creature was just a projection. ¡°Very well then, goddess. How should I lure Dagon¡¯s projection out into the open?¡±


    Vivienne gave it some thought. ¡°My knight, you have two days to cull Dagon¡¯s underlings. Once you have done that, summon me through Aerondight. I will give you a bloodstone as bait. Dagon cannot hope to resist its allure. Before the battle begins, my believers and I will risk our lives to keep it at bay and seal most of its powers. That will create an opening for you and yourpanion to kill it.¡±


    ¡°My power alone will not be enough to defeat Dagon.¡± <em>I only agreed to help because she gave me this sword. Letho isn¡¯t getting anything yet. There¡¯s no reason for him to risk his life with me.</em>


    Vivian smiled, and she realized what Roy was getting at. ¡°If your mentor is willing to lend his strength, then our chances at victory will increase, and his work will not go unpaid.¡± She opened her palm, and a in green ring appeared within. ¡°This is a spatial ring left by a powerful mage at theke many years ago. The space within isn¡¯t big, so to speak. It only costs a negligible amount of mana to use every time. It¡¯s better than that bag you witchers saddle on your mounts. If he¡¯s willing to help, then this ring shall be his reward.¡±


    Vivienne suddenly sighed. ¡°There are a lot of useless items in this ring. Countless visitors throw coins into theke every year just to make a wish. That is utter foolishness, and they are sullying the environment.¡±


    Roy stared at her dumbly as she tossed the ring to him. ¡°Go. Ask your mentor if he is willing to help. You can give me back the ring if he refuses to help, but do please take all the waste within it away.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 148

    The witchers walked alongside each other on their way back. ¡°So you made a pact with the nymph?¡±


    ¡°Letho, that¡¯s Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake. She granted me the honor of being her knight because of¡­¡± Roy still thought that the whole event was bizarre. ¡°¡­the trial of the five virtues.¡±


    ¡°Nymphs and the Lady of the Lake appear often in folklore, and they are amicable to witchers, but I don¡¯t understand.¡± Letho looked at Roy curiously. ¡°Why¡¯d she choose a fledgling witcher like you to be her knight? So what should I call you now? Roy of the Lake of Vizima?¡±


    ¡°You mean like Geralt of Rivia, Letho of Gulet?¡± Roy thought about it and shook his head. ¡°Just call my name.¡± He wasn¡¯t obsessed with his title anyway.


    Letho nodded, and he stared at Roy. ¡°You attract women easily. You¡¯re still young, but you¡¯re already entangled with a few now.¡±


    ¡°Entangled?¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s just my employer.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Good. Women can be really troublesome. If you get entangled, you¡¯ll never be at peace for as long as you live,¡± Lethomented, as if speaking from experience. Before Roy could say anything, Letho pulled the crimson de out of its sheath and ran his finger through the de. Then he swung it around. ¡°Is this the silver sword she gave you? Doesn¡¯t feel better than the sword the gnomes made. This looks like something you can find in the marketce.¡±


    ¡°Only those who are acknowledged by the Lady of the Lake can use this sword to its full extent. Regrettably, you¡¯re not on that list.¡±


    Letho sheathed the sword, though he looked a bit crestfallen. <em>The boy has Gwyhyr and Aerondight. When can I have my own weapon?</em>


    <em>I¡¯ll find the school¡¯s blueprints and make the best gear for the Viper¡¯s witchers. </em>Roy looked at the spatial ring Letho was wearing on his left pinky. ¡°Letho, are you sure you want to join this battle? You don¡¯t have toe with me to ck Tern Ind. I can handle this my¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not doing this for you, boy.¡± Letho caressed the ring, and satisfaction shed within his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted something like this, and thanks to you, now I have one.¡±


    Roy turned around and sighed, then he asked, ¡°Does it have a lot of garbage in there?¡±


    ¡°I will tell you once we get rid of Dagon¡¯s projection.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    ***


    Princess Adda and her soldiers came to wee Roy and Letho, but they were disappointed to see that they did not have the quarry with them. ¡°Did you fail? Is the traitor that powerful?¡±


    ¡°He is no traitor.¡± The witchers asked Adda toe with them to somewhere private. She went with them to a quiet corner, and they told her about the Lady of the Lake. Of course, they had the goddess¡¯ permission, though they omitted that Roy was knighted and had Aerondight.


    ¡°The Lady of the Lake?¡± The news came as a shock for Adda. She envied the witcher for encountering such a legendary creature, though she also doubted their story. The story about the Lady of the Lake had existed in Vizima for many years. Those who live there would have inevitably heard about it. ¡°Not long after I regained my body, the teachers in the pce told me about the Lady of the Lake. She is the embodiment of beauty and freedom, and she is the real ruler of Lake Vizima. Decades ago, some inhabitants imed to have seen her, but we have heard nothing about hertely.


    ¡°I thought she is nothing but a figure in the stories those bards made up.¡± Adda muttered under her breath. ¡°I never would have thought that she was real.¡± She said, ¡°Roy, if the legends are true, the Lady of the Lake would only summon incredibly virtuous knights. Why did she guide the two of you there?¡±


    Roy knew she had her doubts, and he answered, ¡°Your Highness, I have no reason to deceive you. The Lady of the Lake shares our goal. She wishes to eradicate the evil presence on ck Tern Ind, and witchers are perfect for the job.¡±


    Adda took a while to process that, and once she did, her eyes were filled with longing. ¡°I envy your luck, Roy. Do tell me more about the goddess. How beautiful is she?¡± Mortals were always respectful but curious about gods and deities, and not even royalty was immune to that.


    ¡°No words can describe her beauty.¡± Roy looked up at the sky and recalled the Lady of the Lake¡¯s looks. She was innocent but seductive at the same time. <em>So different from all the other women I have met.</em>


    ¡°Is it true that the Lady of the Lake is immortal? Does she never get sick? Does she really live forever?¡±


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t questions we mortals have the right to know the answers to.¡±


    ¡°Roy, that is just¡­¡± Adda wasn¡¯t satisfied by Roy¡¯s answers. She bit her lip and requested, ¡°Can you lead me to her then? I wish to see her.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. The Lady of the Lake will not show herself to just anyone.¡± He lied, ¡°I possess no means to contact her. All I can do is wait for her to summon me.¡±


    ¡°I am the princess of Temeria, Adda the White. Am I not worthy enough to have an audience?¡±


    Roy refused her request. ¡°An audience with her is unrted to status or position. If she wishes to see you, then you shall be granted an audience.¡± He then kept on using the Lady of the Lake¡¯s name to persuade Adda to back off. ¡°And she has told me of her will. Letho and I shall finish the quest and vanquish the monster in theke. Stand back and let us do our job, or the tragedy on the ind will happen once more.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Adda adamantly refused. ¡°The expedition is halfway done. More than twenty soldiers have given up their lives in this quest, and Jacques is still out there. He might be in grave danger. I will not give up just like this.¡±


    ¡°You have seen how dangerous the ind can be. A normal human will face certain doom if they were to venture into the ind, and they will even be nourishment for the monster.¡±


    Adda gritted her teeth, and her face was contorted with rage, but in the end, she relented. ¡°Very well, then. As you wish, Roy, but there is one matter I wish to settle. If the deserter isn¡¯t the traitor, then the one who told the fallen vodyanoi about our ns must be one of the vigers. I must find him and avenge my fallen soldiers. He must be punished.¡±


    Adda needed to vent her fury, and she summoned the vigers to interrogate them until she found the traitor. At the same time, Roy told her about his n, ¡°Your Highness, Boyev told me about a vige near theke. A lot of vigers there are corrupted by the monster. Your soldiers should take them back here so they won¡¯t cause any problems for us. As for the spy in our midst, leave that to me and Letho.¡± <em>Get them five miles away from theke, and Dagon can¡¯t get any power from them anymore.</em>


    ***


    After Adda and her soldiers had left for the other vige, the witchers went to the stable and tried toe up with a n to find the spy out. <em>Should I cast Observe and Axii on the vigers one by one? There¡¯s two hundred of them. That¡¯s too slow. </em>¡°Here, Wilt. Finish your food and give me an idea, will you?¡± Roy picked up a pea from the feed and brushed his hand across the horse¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Stop getting any ideas, kid. Wilt might be smart, but he can¡¯t speak human tongue. Let¡¯s go. Time for the same old routine. Wheedle out some suspects and cast Axii on them.¡±


    The horse suddenly puffed, and it bit Roy¡¯s sleeve, then it nudged its neck in a certain direction. Since the horse was bound to Roy, they could converse with their minds, and Roy knew what it was saying. <em>Last night¡­ someone¡­ went around the people in armor¡­ left the vige¡­ came back¡­ reallyte. </em>Wilt grinned toothily at Roy, and there were scraps of peas on its teeth.


    <em>Good boy. </em>Roy nodded. He asked with his mind, <em>Can you point out that bastard to me?</em>


    Wilt tilted its head, and something sparkled in its eyes. <em>He left¡­ just now¡­ after the people in the armor did¡­ the path¡­ there!</em>


    <em>You¡¯re really cut out to be a spy. </em>Roy patted the horse¡¯s neck. <em>You¡¯ll be getting a lot of carrots after Ie back, boy.</em>


    Wilt craned its neck happily and licked Roy¡¯s face.


    Letho was watching as Roy and Wilt conversed in silence, and he finally started considering something serious. ¡°Did the trial damage his head or something?¡±


    ***


    A field stood two miles north of Brickmasters¡¯ vige, and a dingy thatched house resided on it. A hunched man stood before the house, looking left and right. Once the man had confirmed that he was alone, he scurried into the house. It was a stark house that only contained a thin bed and cutlery.


    The man huffed and puffed as he pulled the cracked floor open, then he dragged a thatched package out of a cramped cer. With his trembling hands, he brought the package closer to his old, wrinkled face, and he closed his eyes as he stuck his nose to the package and took in its scent. When he sighed, his tense muscles eased up, and an ugly grin cracked on his face, as if he just smelled the most delectable food in thesends.


    He took his te over and carefully opened the package, revealing the one and only item within¡ªa cured thigh with all its hairs plucked. The old man gripped his knife tightly and carved two beautiful lines on the thigh. A b of meat the size of an index finger fell onto his te, and he licked his lips. He stared at the thigh with lust, wondering if he should cut another slice out of it. <em>Oh, but I don¡¯t have much left. No, I don¡¯t. </em>In the end, he triumphed over his greed, and he covered the thigh with the thatch again, then he put his hands together in a prayer and closed his eyes to pray.


    As he popped the greyish-white flesh between his lips, he started licking it furiously, unwilling to relinquish even an ounce of vor, however disgusting it might be. Eventually, the flesh¡¯s vor ran out, and he slowly but reluctantly put it in his mouth. However, the man did not allow the flesh to travel down his throat. Instead, he let the piece of flesh stay in his mouth for as long as he wished to. The man sat quietly on the ground, enjoying the taste of flesh that lingered within his mouth. He was unmoving, not unlike a statue.


    Suddenly, the front door creaked open, and before the old man could do anything, he felt something cold and dangerous sticking to the back of his neck. Then, a terrifying voice asked, ¡°Tell me, you traitorous scum, how do you wish to die?¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 149

    ¡°Have mercy, good sir!¡± the old man howled, groveling before Roy, not unlike a dog trying to save its skin.


    Roy did not remove his sword from the old man¡¯s nape. He kicked the thatch beside him, and when the grey thigh rolled out of it, Roy¡¯s gaze became sharper than his de. <em>This man is an animal. </em>The old man was gaunt, and his hair was all grey. He was frail, and his face was wrinkled, but he looked kind. It was hard for Roy to imagine such a man to be a bastard who would feast on another human.


    Roy knew there were monsters who would feast on their own kind in this world, and there was even a group that was made up of cannibals, but it was the first time he saw a cannibal in the flesh. He was surprised to see this so early, however. After all, the Northern War hadn¡¯t begun yet, and the situation in the northernnds shouldn¡¯t have been so dire. <em>So why did this old man do this? </em>¡°You connived with the fallen vodyanoi and devoured the dead. Not even death is enough to pay for your sins.¡±


    Roy was about to execute the old man, but Letho stopped him.


    The old man quickly banged his head against the ground, and tears fell down his pasty cheeks. Fear squeezed his heart, and it made him piss himself. ¡°Have mercy on me, good sirs! I have not harmed a single soul!¡±


    ¡°Then how did <em>this </em>get here?¡± Letho kicked the thigh on the ground and choked the old man as he stared straight into the old man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I-I cut it off from the dead. I have no blood on my hands.¡±


    ¡°How did you get your hands on the corpse, then?¡± Letho interrogated.


    The old man stammered, ¡°I-It¡¯s the vigers the vodyanoi killed.¡±


    Roy held his fury back and asked as calmly as he could, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you told the fallen about our ns, and they give you ¡®food¡¯ in return?¡±


    Panta kept quiet, but that was an answer in and of itself. He slowly removed his neck from Letho¡¯s grip and curled up in a corner.


    ¡°I do not understand. The vige should have enough food for you. You are spoiled for choice, so why did you feast on a corpse?¡± Roy asked, his voice as deadly calm as still waters. <em>He doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s corrupted. He¡¯s a normal human.</em>


    Panta raised his gnarly arm and pointed at the thigh that was lying on the ground. He stared at it with passion, and he goaded, ¡°If you want to know my answer, then all you have to do is take a bite. One bite is enough. I promise you¡¯ll fall in love with its vor. Its texture and aroma are so, so much better than any meat I have ever eaten. Oh, it is such a joy to eat human flesh.¡± He licked his lips, and his eyes glinted with indulgence. ¡°Ever since I had a taste of it, I lost all desire for any other meat. It¡¯s as if they are tasteless tree bark. I would vomit every time I ate them. It was then I knew that I couldn¡¯t live without human flesh. Curing it isn¡¯t the perfect way to go. Fres¡­¡± The old man suddenly kept quiet, then he said, ¡°It¡¯s better if the flesh is stewed.¡±


    A deep sensation of disgust gripped Roy. <em>What is this? Some kind of food fetish or mental disease? </em>¡°When did you develop this¡­ unique taste?¡±


    Panta answered vaguely, ¡°I¡¯m an old soul now. I can¡¯t remember when exactly, but it has been a while.¡±


    ¡°Have you met anyone who shares your taste for flesh?¡±


    ¡°No-Nobody wants to take part in this blessing with me.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°You can keep the flesh for yourself. Now tell us how we can get in touch with the fallen.¡±


    ¡°Will you spare my life if I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Have you truly never harmed a single soul?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°In the name of Lebioda, I have never harmed a single life!¡± Panta adamantly defended himself. ¡°And I am on good terms with all the vigers. They can prove my innocence!¡±


    Letho gazed at the old man. ¡°If what you tell is the truth, then I shall spare your life.¡±


    ***


    A whileter, Panta came out of the hut looking relieved, and he led the witchers to the south side of Lake Vizima. They came to a gigantic willow tree, and the old man caressed the rough tree bark as he puffed. ¡°Every time I bury a dead fish under this patch of soil right before the tree, a vodyanoi priest would wait for me at midnight that very day. I would tell the priest about all the recent happenings in the nearby viges and all the news I managed to collect. They would grant me flesh depending on the value of the information I gave.¡±


    ¡°Can they understand human tongue?¡±


    ¡°That I do not know. Perhaps they will ry the information to their master.¡±


    The witcher checked the surroundings and cast Axii on Panta before he started another round of interrogation to confirm that he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°I have another question.¡± Roy stared at the old man curiously. ¡°Most of the vigers are gued by nightmares, and they seem tired all the time, but you don¡¯t look like you have that kind of problem. That is odd. Youe in contact with the fallen a lot more than they do, but why aren¡¯t you affected?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure.¡± Panta shook his head nervously. He knew the witcher was trying to make him confess his crimes. ¡°I do have nightmares as well, but I don¡¯t have them as much as the others.¡±


    ¡°I can answer your question, kid,¡± Letho interrupted. ¡°The nightmares Dagon creates corrupt innocent souls and turn them into bloodthirsty believers, but if the victim is already inhumane to begin with, then the nightmares won¡¯t work as well on them.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What are you talking about?¡± Panta retreated in fear and was backed to the willow tree.


    ¡°Do you have any idea about the consequences that will arise from your actions?¡±


    Panta gulped nervously and tried to weasel his way out in one final, desperate attempt. ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t told the fallen anything, they would have still killed everyone. I-I¡¯m just trying to survive. You won¡¯t kill poor ol¡¯ me for trying to live, right?¡±


    <em>Should I spare him? </em>Roy contemted that seriously, and he arrived at a decision a momentter. His pupils contracted. ¡°Panta, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve lived long enough? Sixty years is a long time in this world. You¡¯ve had your fun.¡±


    ¡°But you promised¡ª¡±


    ¡°<em>Letho </em>promised. That¡¯s why he won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Panta opened his mouth, but he could say nothing. Thest thing he saw was the young witcher tensing up, and a white sh tore across his very eyes. The world started spinning, and when he opened his eyes again, all he could see was a headless body standing right before him, blood spurting from its neck like a crimson fountain. <em>That¡¯s my body¡­ But where¡¯s the head¡­? </em>Before he could finish his final thought, his head rolled away, and he closed his eyes forever.


    ¡®Panta killed. EXP +20.¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s a line a human must never cross, no matter what.¡± Roy tore down a piece of cloth from the body and wiped the blood off Aerondight as carefully as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more merciless, kid.¡± Letho picked up the decapitated head. ¡°You would have never done this to a defenseless old man before.¡±


    ¡°He might have been human, but he was already a monster inside, and getting rid of monsters is our job.¡± Roy heaved a sigh and sheathed Aerondight. ¡°Let¡¯s clear this ce and bury a dead fish. We¡¯re going to have a little talk with the fallen at midnight.¡±


    The witchers came back to Panta¡¯s hut after they buried a dead fish in the ground, then they dug up a dozen human corpses in the fields nearby.

 Chapter 150

    As dusk fell upon thend, torches were lit up around the vige. A group of vigers of all ages were kneeling in a clearing in the center of the torches, and most of them were quiet and unmoving. However, some were howling maniacally, and the soldiers would yell warnings at them.


    ¡°Silence, you wretch!¡± Adda whipped a howling viger¡¯s face, and it drew blood. However, the pain only made the viger grunt, and he red at the princess with bloodshot eyes while he mumbled some unintelligible chant under his breath. ¡°Stop chanting!¡± The princess whipped him again. ¡°How dare you speak of your evil master before me!¡±


    Adda was whipping faster and faster, and the viger eventually ended up with countless wounds on him. As Adda went on with the torture, the viger¡¯s chant slowly became a whisper, and in the end, it took all he had just to breathe. Only then did Adda stop, but her chest was heaving. ¡°Ungrateful fools! I sacrificed twenty-five elite soldiers to save you, and this is how you repay me? By worshipping that monster?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll die if you keep that up. Calm down. We have disposed of your traitor.¡± The witchers came back and showed Adda the traitor¡¯s head. She looked at it for a moment, and sheughed heartily.


    ¡°Good. You live up to my expectations. Now my soldiers can rest in peace.¡± Adda raised her hand to stop her soldier who was whipping the crazed vigers. ¡°These are the fallen vigers from Sint vige. There¡¯s a total of a hundred and twenty-three of them. Thirty vigers are showing more serious signs, and we are unable tomunicate with them. Seven of them retaliated on the way, so they were killed.¡±


    The witchers looked at the gathered fallen vigers. Even without using Observe, Roy could feel the dark, insane air that was radiating from the vigers. The group of thirty vigers that the soldiers were keeping an extra eye on reeked of insanity, and even the quietest ones had crazy written in their eyes, and more so than the vigers in Cona vige.


    ¡°How do you n on dealing with them?¡± Adda asked coldly. ¡°If we don¡¯t do something about it, there¡¯ll be more madmen down the line.¡±


    ¡°You wish to kill them?¡± Roy asked, and the vigers from Sint started to shiver from fear.


    ¡°Why not? The moment they start worshipping that monster, they are no longer my people.¡± Adda licked her lips cruelly. ¡°If killing them means protecting the innocent, then I shall dly be the executioner.¡±


    ¡°Most vigers haven¡¯t exactly fallen. You need not take their lives.¡±


    ¡°Witcher, you told me that those who fall under the monster¡¯s spell will provide him with endless energy.¡±


    ¡°On one condition. The spell only affects them if they are in range.¡± Roy looked into the darkness beyond the vige. ¡°ck Tern Ind is the center of the spell. The closer someone is to that ind, the deeper they shall fall under Dagon¡¯s spell. If they get out of that range, they shall be safe, and that monster will be deprived of its source of strength. I suggest that you take the vigers and set up camp ten miles away from Lake Vizima. There you shall stay for three days. But of course, the safest way would be to take the vigers into Vizima.¡±


    ¡°I object.¡± Adda pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. ¡°I will not allow them near Vizima. They might spread the infection to my people.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± Roy said, ¡°Then head east. If nothing unexpected happens, Letho and I can vanquish the monster after three days and return peace to theke and the swamp. Boyev, are there any other viges in the swamp?¡±


    ¡°No-Not that I recall.¡± The frail vige chief shuffled over reluctantly, taking fearful nces at Adda from time to time. <em>The princess sounded like she wanted to kill all of us. Thank the gods that the witcher stopped her. </em>Boeyv pinched his mustache. ¡°But if I remember correctly, you wille across Mud vige if you head east. It¡¯ll take a day, but the vigers there aren¡¯t affected by the spell.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, take your soldiers and the vigers to Mud vige and stay there for three days.¡± Roy handed her two doses of paralyzing poison. ¡°If anyone starts to act up during the journey, feed them one drop of the poison. Two drops at most. Any more than that will be lethal.¡±


    ¡°I shall leave matters in your hands now, witchers.¡± Adda carefully ced the poison in Powell¡¯s hands, and she sighed in resignation. ¡°Come back victorious. Do not let the Lady of the Lake¡¯s blessing go to waste.¡±


    The princess and her soldiers started escorting the vigers east, where they would be out of the spell¡¯s range. The witchers saw them off, and they rode back to the willow tree beside Lake Vizima. Roy hid in a bush nearby and talked to Wilt so his horse would stay quiet.


    ¡­


    The moon crawled up into the night sky as midnight approached, and it shone upon the dark, quietke. Its reflectiony quietly upon the surface, but a momentter, that tranquility was broken as three gigantic fish heads broke the surface of theke, and they marched upward onto thend, leaving ripples behind them.


    The fallen vodyanoi in the center of the group muttered something unintelligible under its breath, and it turned its grotesque head around to see if there were any dangers nearby. Two vodyanoi armed with bone spears nked it, but they seemed like they were in their younger years. They were thinner than the vodyanoi in the center, and they weren¡¯t even half the height of an average human adult.


    When the vodyanoi in the center confirmed that it was face, it pounced ahead in delight and dug up the soil before the willow tree furiously. To his pleasant surprise, he found a plump dead fish buried underneath, and it gobbled its food all up right in front of itsckeys. Once the creature had its fill, it rolled its eyes and belched happily as it rubbed its round belly.


    Itsckeys stared down at the ground humbly and remained in silence.


    The vodyanoi burped once more, but that was thest thing it ever did in its life. Without so much as a warning, the vodyanoi fell back down to the ground with a sickening thud, and a bloody hole bore through its forehead. Itsckeys looked at each other nervously, and they tried to pull their leader up, but then, another arrow pierced through the air and killed one of theckeys. Seeing no hope for itself, the final vodyanoi turned around and made a run for it.


    A loud, long neigh pierced through the night, and a brown horse galloped out from the forest around theke. It ran straight toward the escaping vodyanoi and crashed into it, sending it flying into the bushes nearby. The vodyanoi rolled around a few times and cked out from the impact. Wilt, who finished its mission, ran back happily, and the witchers came out from the darkness.


    ¡°A fallen vodyanoi.¡± Roy pinched his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s see what kind of secrets you have in your mind.¡±


    A whileter, the surviving vodyanoi was tied to the willow tree.


    ¡°What are you doing, kid?¡± Letho was curious. ¡°Are you going to use Axii on it? We don¡¯t speak their tongue. You¡¯re just wasting your time.¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Just wait and see.¡± Roy pped the vodyanoi, waking it up. The creature bared its fang and hissed at the witchers, but Roy ignored it and cast forced Taming on it. However, his numerous attempts ended in failure.


    ¡®You have bound your mount¡ªWilt. You are unable to forcibly tame another creature. Do you wish to cancel the bond between you and Wilt? Your current target is under the Devotion status effect. You cannot forcibly tame it.¡¯


    ¡°I can¡¯t tame Dagon¡¯s believers because they¡¯re devoted to him? Fine. Guess I¡¯ll have to ask the Lady of the Lake about the rest of the fallen vodyanois¡¯ whereabouts.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 151: gets released!

    Dozens of vodyanoi corpses were strewn across the sands of ck Tern Ind, and it was just daybreak. Some had holes on their foreheads, some were decapitated, some disemboweled, while some were charred and disfigured.


    Two pairs of bloody footprintsy beside the bodies, and they stretched into the ind¡¯s center. Suddenly, a loud explosion was hearding from the end of the trail of footsteps. A blinding light shot up into the heavens, and three fallen vodyanois came charging out of the mist, running around like blind people trying to escape a site of disaster.


    The witchers stepped past the decapitated corpses, swinging their swords and cutting the heads of the escaping vodyanois.


    ¡°How many have we killed?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-seven, including those we killedst night. ording to the Lady of the Lake, that¡¯s all of Dagon¡¯s henchmen. It should be in a weakened state now.¡±


    The morning breeze brushed across Letho¡¯s cheeks. He rubbed his scalp and looked coldly at the burned ruins before them. The looming maze that was ck Tern Ind Forest was no more. In its ce were charred soil and ckened trunks. A lone altar dedicated to Dagon stood in the center of the clearing. Jacques did this, and the witchers were surprised that he managed toe this far.


    ¡°A shame that knight died without leaving his remains behind.¡±


    ¡°I, for one, do not think he is necessarily dead.¡±


    Without the forest keeping it under wraps, the witchers could finally see the altar in its full, grotesque glory. It was made of white marble, and it stood out like a flower amongst the muddy swamp. The altar seemed holy, but there was an air of evil hidden within it. The witchers didn¡¯t head for the altar straight away. Instead, they piled the dead vodyanois together and burned them to ashes.


    Roy came to theke and dipped Aerondight into the cold water. As the water embraced the sword, it started to boil, and the steam that formed obscured Roy¡¯s sight. A nket of fog quickly spread around Aerondight, and Vivienne asked, ¡°Why do you summon me here, my knight?¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivenne, as per your orders, we have vanquished all of Dagon¡¯s henchmen.¡±


    ¡°I thought I told you to return to me at theke, no?¡±


    Roy froze for a moment, and he could imagine the look Vivienne was giving him for forgetting her orders.


    ¡°Dagon¡¯s vile scent has permeated ck Tern Ind, preventing me from entering.¡± Then, Roy could smell the scent of lilies washing over him, and Vivienne¡¯s hand stuck out through the fog.


    Roy felt something wet on his lips as Vivienne shoved something into his mouth. The item in his mouth tasted like iron, as if it were blood. Before he could ask what it was, Vivienne smiled at him and retreated back into a fog. Then Roy spat a crimson ruby out of his mouth.


    ¡®Bloodstone


    Contains a sliver of Vivienne¡¯s blood essence.


    Tip: Bloodstones can contain blood essences as well as souls.


    ??¡¯


    ¡°My knight, take the bloodstone with you to the altar. Dagon¡¯s projection shall appear before you once it senses the stone¡¯s presence. The bloodstone can protect you from Dagon¡¯s murmurs. Your signs and silver sword can deal considerable damage against it. Remember, Dagon must not get his hands on the bloodstone, or he shall gain more strength. Once the battle begins, my believers and I will do everything to suppress Dagon¡¯s powers, but sealing it is the most we can do. Prove your courage to me once more. I await news of your victory.¡± Viviennes voice became a mere whisper in the end, and everything turned silent. The fog rose into the air, revealing theke hiding beneath it, and Vivenne was nowhere to be seen.


    Roy touched his lips. He never expected Vivienne to give him the bloodstone in such a suggestive way. <em>No wonder they say nymphs are passionate creatures.</em>


    ¡°Was that Vivienne, the Lady of Lake Vizima?¡± Letho broke his train of thought.


    Letho had seen many creatures throughout his career, but nymphs only existed in rumors for him until that point.


    ¡°Thanks to me, you got to see Vivienne in the flesh. Not all ¡®mortals¡¯ get that honor.¡±


    Letho sighed. ¡°In the flesh? Even her hair¡¯s hidden in the mist. I didn¡¯t see a damn thing.¡±


    <em>That¡¯s not my fault.</em>


    The witchers sorted out their supplies for the uing battle onest time. They each had a bottle of Swallow for continuous health regeneration, a bottle of Thunderbolt for enhanced muscle strength, one Dragon¡¯s Dream, and Letho had one Dimeritium Bomb on him as well.


    They sat on the ground and poured some brown oil on their hands, then they smeared it across their sword. Letho was holding Gwyhyr, which had three enchantments, while Roy was using Aerondight. ording to Vivienne¡¯s description, Dagon should be a relict, so they smeared relict oil on their swords, and they added a dose of paralyzing poison on it as well.


    Roy concentrated on his character sheet and spent his final skill point.


    ¡®Meditation Level 3 ¡ú Level 4


    Constitution: 10.6 ¡ú 11.1


    HP: 146 ¡ú 151


    Spirit: 10.5 ¡ú 11


    Mana: 145 ¡ú 150¡ä


    A surge of warmth coursed through Roy¡¯s body, bringing him back to his best state. The witchers looked at each other for a moment, and they stepped into the charred forest for their final battle against Dagon.


    The witchers stopped thirty feet away from the altar, and they took their potions out. They uncorked Thunderbolt and Swallow and gulped them down. The moment they did, ck veins popped up on their neck, and they crawled up to their faces. Roy could feel his heart beating like a drum, and for some reason, he felt excited. Two potions was his limit for the time being. Any more and the toxicity would kill him. Then he made the sign for Quen, and a yellow protective shield appeared around him.


    They unsheathed their swords and held them up in the plow stance, the des gleaming brown from the oil on them. They crouched down and nked the altar, getting closer and closer to it. They were moving in sync, as if one of them were a reflection of the other.


    Twenty stepster, the altar sensed the iing intruders, and ck smoke shot up into the air above the altar, swirling around it. The smoke thickened into a dark fog, and eventually, a huge humanoid monster with a grotesque head appeared within the ck fog.


    Its head was ethereal at first, but as time passed, it gained shape and became corporeal. Its nose and eyes were scrunched together on the top of its head, and its gaping maw took up most of the empty space on its face. If the witchers didn¡¯t look closely, they would have thought the monster only had a maw for a face. Its body slowly appeared within the fog from top to bottom. Four tentacles tumbled down its mouth, stretching over its short, stubby neck. Its dark blue back had muscles that looked like hills and was covered by thick, sturdy keratin scales that were arranged haphazardly. Then, the monster stretched its limb out, and it pushed itself up with its muscr arms, its ws glinting menacingly under the sunlight.


    The monster knelt on one knee, and its head was hanging low, as if it were trying to get used to the space outside the altar.


    ¡®Dagon


    Age: ??


    Status: Projection (This creature is a projection created by the real Dagon who resides in another dimension. It possesses less than a hundredth of the real Dagon¡¯s strength.)


    HP: 300 (Suppressed)


    Mana: 200 (Suppressed)


    Stats:


    Strength: ??


    Dexterity: 12


    Constitution: 30


    Perception: 12


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 13


    Spirit: 20


    Skills:


    Domain of Enrapturement (Passive): Dagon can spread its spell in the form of murmurs that can create dreams based on the target¡¯s deepest desire. It can brainwash the target and turn the target into its devout believer. The lower the target¡¯s will, the faster the target will fall.


    Cursed Waters (Sealed): Dagon can summon the filthiest liquids from the depths of theke. This liquid can corrode its target¡¯s flesh and awaken the target¡¯s darkest emotions.


    nce of Malice (Sealed)


    Others (Sealed)


    ***


    The witchers wouldn¡¯t give it time to adapt, of course. They tossed their Dragon¡¯s Dreams and Dimeritium bomb, and the canisters were shattered into tiny little pieces, releasing the white mmable gas and dimeritium dust around Dagon. Letho pushed his left hand forward, and a snake made out of mes charged toward Dagon. A great explosion blew up around Dagon, and the monster roared in pain and fury. Roy pulled the string on his crossbow and fired ten arrows in the span of a few seconds at the monster, but it didn¡¯t stop Dagon from charging out of the sea of mes. Countless white whirlpools appeared around it all of a sudden, dousing the mes that were hurting it.


    The monster stared straight at Roy with its red eyes. It cracked its neck and whispered hoarsely, ¡°Ceadmil caerme darganfod ensh¡¯eass¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t anynguage that existed in this world, but Roy knew what it was saying without any trantion at all. The monster spoke to its mind, and the spell hidden in its voice frustrated him, alluring Roy into its embrace. <em>Give me the bloodstone.</em>


    It was as if the voice were an order. Roy lost his focus the moment he heard it, but fortunately for him, the bloodstone radiated a crimson light, and the witchers shook their heads, breaking the spell miraculously. Then they pounced at their adversary.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 152: gets released!

    As Letho swung Gwyhyr at Dagon, Roy could hear a quiet buzz following the de, as if a cicada were fluttering its wings. The sword seemed to travel faster than light itself, its de cutting through the sunlight and opening a gash on Dagon¡¯s muscr thigh. Blood spurted out from the wound, and Dagon screeched in pain. Letho caught its attention, and it red at the old witcher as it brought its iron fist down on him.


    However, Letho expected that attack, and he leaped backward immediately, though he only barely escaped that m. Then he went around the creature and kept feinting. When it attacked, Letho rolled around to evade it, then he went straight back to taunt Dagon.


    Letho was not the only hunter around. While he was taunting Dagon in the front, Roy went around the monster, and he tensed up for a moment before he thrusted his de at the monster¡¯s knee. The attack found its mark, and it drew blood.


    Roy quickly rolled away once he pulled his de out. At the same time, Dagon¡¯s powerful arm swiped through the ce where Roy was standing a moment earlier. It wanted to catch its attacker and turn Roy into mincemeat, but all it caught was air.


    That failed attack created the perfect opening for Letho to strike. He held his sword with his right hand and made an Axii sign with his left as fast as he could. The moment Dagon turned its attention back to Letho, it was caught square in the face, and the spell stunned him for a split second. But that split second was enough for Letho and Roy tounch their assault at the same time.


    Letho thrusted Gwyhyr upward into Dagon¡¯s neck, and mes erupted upon the wound, then he sliced the monster¡¯s artery, creating a monstrous gash on its neck. Roy darted behind Dagon and stepped on its leg, using it as a tform to leap onto its back, its spine, and finally, Roy stepped on the monster¡¯s shoulder. He held his de up high and stabbed right into the monster¡¯s left eye. He quickly spread his arms and leaped down the gigantic monster once hended his attack. The moment he dropped down to the ground, he rolled away to minimize the impact of the fall. When he turned around and stood up again, Aerondight appeared in his hands as if by magic.


    Without Aerondight staunching the blood, Dagon had a hole on its face where its left eye was supposed to be. ck blood spurted out of the hole, and white smoke appeared from the ground as the blood came in contact with it. Dagon howled in agony, and it red at Roy with its remaining eye. There was fury and vengeance within that re, and Dagon charged right at the young witcher. As he rampaged across the charrednd, a mini sandstorm started whirling around him, and ck Tern Ind trembled beneath the monster¡¯s footsteps.


    It was as if a small hill were running straight at Roy, and the wind felt like des that could sh him if he made one wrong move. Roy felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe, but he showed no fear even before the monster. He calmly made an Axii sign and hurled it at the iing monster. At the same time, Roy cast Fear, and thanks to the double spell, Dagon was frozen for one tenth of a second. Roy darted to the side, but he was one moment toote. He heard the sound of something cracking, and Quen shattered into pieces. Without the protective shield keeping him out of harm¡¯s way, Roy was sent flying back from the impact of Dagon¡¯s rampage, and he fell down with a thud.


    A long, long whileter, Roy scrambled to get up, but he felt like his insides had be a mess, and he spat out blood in agony. At the same time, Letho was facing Dagon alone, keeping Roy out of its line of attack.


    Dagon kept mming its fists against the ground in an attempt to hit Letho, but Letho wouldn¡¯t stop dancing around its attacks. Letho was still holding his sword, but it seemed like he had all but abandoned the offense. Instead, he kept dancing and dodging Dagon¡¯s attacks. His speed had exceeded what the eye could see, and Roy thought he was seeing three Lethos around Dagon, dodging its attacks.


    ***


    Roy wiped the blood off his lips and grabbed Gabriel out of thin air. He took a step forward andunched a volley of arrows at Dagon. The arrows buried themselves into Dagon¡¯s back, and that was the final straw for the monster. The continuous injuries sapped its energy, and its speed slowed down. The light of Yrden glowed beneath Dagon, robbing it of its reaction time and speed.


    A strange scene started taking ce in the center of ck Tern Ind. Two ¡®puny¡¯ humans were circling a gigantic sea monster, attacking it whenever it showed an opening. It was as if two hyenas were fighting a huge lion on a prairie. The oue of the fight was supposed to be obvious, but the witchers were poised to create an upset. Instead of fighting the monster head on, they used their speed and agility to move around the monster¡¯s attacks and harass it whenever possible. One of them would be taking the monster¡¯s hits, while the other would take advantage of any opening to attack, and once Dagon switched its target, so too would the witchers switch roles.


    The witchers used everything they had, hacking and shing the monster with their sword, casting ailments with their signs, and the young witcher kept firing volleys of arrows. The glint of sword oil, paralyzing poison, the mes of Gwyhyr, and the enchantment of Aerondight rained down on Dagon. A minuteter, its flesh and bones had been hacked away into nothingness, and there was not an inch of skin visible on its ck shell.


    Dagon¡¯s movements became slower and slower, until it was finally backed into a corner, and he summoned what little strength it had left to swing its arms and send the witchers flying. Then it opened its maw and roared into the heavens. The soundwave from that roar undted across the battlefield, stirring up a storm of debris. As the witchers struggled to get back on their feet, they could feel Dagon¡¯s screams piercing their eardrums, and their minds seemed to be in danger of getting scrambled up by invisible hands.


    Horrific illusions unfurled before them, and they bled from their faces. However, a crimson light seemingly appeared out of nowhere and covered both of the witchers. The source of that light was none other than the bloodstone Roy was carrying.


    The witchers¡¯ eyes refocused as Dagon¡¯s spell was dispelled. Letho darted straight at Dagon and disemboweled it, while Roy leaped up to its back and stabbed its right eye with murderous fury. It was thest stretch of the battle, and the witchers circled the monster, their speed as blinding as lightning. Thirty secondster, the witchers finally bled Dagon dry, and the towering monster was brought to its knees under the unrelenting assault.


    Wisps of smoke billowed from its body, and just like a cube of ice that was left under the sun, Dagon started to shrink. Roy tried to touch it, but his hand went through Dagon as if it were a phantom. Just like a bubble, it popped under the sun, while its flesh, blood, and bones disappeared, as if it had never existed.


    The only thing it left was an ominous message that lingered in the air. The monster whispered, ¡°Ninnas geas dearme. (We¡­shall meet again, witcher. We shall meet again¡­)¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll jump into your dimension to face you, you bastard! I¡¯ll kill you for real!¡± Roy shouted at the air without fear or fervor.


    The battle with Dagon was the most exhrating one Roy had ever experienced, and he was still buzzing with excitement after the kill. He turned his attention to his character sheet, and the results were satisfying.


    ¡®Dagon (Projection) killed. EXP +300. Level 5 Witcher (2610/2500).


    You have killed enough prey.


    Massacre Level 4 ¡ú Level 5


    Bloody Aura: Any enemy within a radius of (0.6 ¡ú 1) meters has a chance of (15 ¡ú 20)% of being Feared. If the enemy¡¯s Will is lower than you, they will lose control of their body for up to (2) seconds.


    The damage you cause to creatures you have hunted is permanently increased by (15 ¡ú 20)%.


    Fear: You may cast Bloody Aura on any target within (2) feet and perform a forcible Will check on them. If the target¡¯s Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for up to (2) seconds. Cooldown: (5 ¡ú 4) minutes.


    Tip: The more types and number of creatures you kill, the more this skill will level up.¡¯


    <em>Alright. I¡¯ve killed two out of the ten magical creatures I need to advance to intermediate witcher, which are the vodyanoi priest and Dagon¡¯s projection. This is one fulfilling trip.</em>


    ***


    ¡°What are you spacing out for, kid?¡± Letho came up to him. The potion¡¯s effect hadn¡¯t passed, and there were still ck veins on his face. Sweat was turning into steam, but that only made Letho look more terrifying.


    ¡°This god isn¡¯t as powerful as I thought it would be.¡± The whole battlested for less than five minutes. Roy suffered two hits, and he only had a third of his HP left. That was including the regeneration Swallow granted him. Without that, he would have been on the brink of death. Dagon¡¯s attacks were powerful, but aside from breaking a few bones and suffering some minor internal injuries, there wasn¡¯t anything to worry about.


    ¡°The Lady of the Lake suppressed most of its strength.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°And our preparations weren¡¯t for nothing. We chased the vigers away and killed all the fallen vodyanoi. It had no source to draw its strength from, so that was why it died without using all its powers. Remember, preparation can be more important than your own strength at times.


    ***


    They went to Dagon¡¯s altar after they cleaned up the battlefield. Without the projection in there, the altar couldn¡¯t affect the witchers, and now that they had a closer look, the altar looked just like a regr marble well. <em>I wonder if Observe can work on this. </em>He cast Observe on the altar, and to his surprise, Dagon¡¯s altar was made out of the same substance as the statue of Melitele.


    ¡®Dagon¡¯s Altar


    Vessel of faith for the evil god¡¯s projection


    Faith: ??¡¯


    Back when Roy saw the statue of Melitele, he felt warmth and kindness radiating from it. There was love and hope within it, while Dagon¡¯s altar radiated obsession and devotion. It had the air of hatred, despair, and insanity. It contained the purest darkness made out of all negative human emotions. Dagon was the opposite of Melitele. <em>Melitele and Dagon are both collecting faith energy. Wait¡­ </em>¡°Faith is like currency, but the difference is that different gods ept different kinds of faith. So the Lady of the Lake i¡ª¡±


    The air around Roy suddenly felt humid and refreshed, and a happy voice cut off his train of thought, ¡°My dear knight, it must have been a hard battle.¡±


    A wave shot out from thin air and darted into the witchers¡¯ bodies. A surge offortable warmth enveloped them, and the wounds they sustained during the battle started to heal and form scabs. Their depleted health and mana were also replenished at a surprisingly fast rate.


    Roy moved around happily. The pain in his ribs and joints had disappeared, as if they were blessed by Full Recovery.


    Without Dagon suppressing her, the Lady of the Lake regained her full strength and was more powerful than she was. ¡°Thanks to you, Dagon is finally vanquished,¡± Vivienne said. Suddenly, the bloodstone on Roy¡¯s waist darted off into the air, and another one appeared in Roy¡¯s palm.


    ¡®Bloodstone: An empty vessel. It can contain souls.¡¯


    ¡°You may keep this bloodstone. It is a reward for your hard work,¡± Vivienne said, her voice seemingly everywhere. ¡°I need some time to handle Dagon¡¯s wealth and seal the crack in theke¡¯s depths. I shall see you once more once this matter is handled.¡±


    ¡°Lady Vivienne, we would have departed Vizima by then. Our meeting will have to be adjourned,¡± Roy said, sounding disappointed. However, the trip to Vizima hade to a perfect end. He had acquired Aerondight and killed Dagon¡¯s projection.


    ¡°You need not worry, my knight. Aerondight shall guide your way, and we shall reunite eventually.¡±


    At the same time, the whole ind started to shake, as if an invisible hand were stirring it around. As a storm of debris blew up around them, Dagon¡¯s altar faded into nothingness, leaving a patch ofnd behind it.


    ¡®June, year 1261.¡¯ Roy wrote down a detailed record in his leather journal. ¡®An encounter with the Lady of the Lake at Lake Vizima¡­ knighted¡­ Aerondight granted¡­ Dagon killed.¡¯ Roy drew a huge question mark at the end of the journal entry. ¡®What is the use of the bloodstone? What are gods and faith?¡¯


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 153: gets released!

    City hall, Vizima.


    Velerad rubbed his staff silently for a moment, and he took out a check from the drawer. He wrote down the number six hundred on it and handed it to Letho. ¡°Witchers, this is the promised reward. You may exchange this for six hundred oren at any Cianfanelli Bank in the world.¡±


    Letho nced at the check and handed it to Roy. The young witcher was the financial manager of the team. Adding their reward to the money in the ring Vivienne gave them, the witchers had made over two thousand crowns in this trip alone, though it was still too little for their grand scheme. ¡°This piece of paper doesn¡¯t seem too reliable. I still think crowns are more to my liking.¡±


    ¡°Sirs, you may not trust my word, but do put your faith in Cianfanelli¡¯s reputation. It has stood for centuries. They will not take your money for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I was just joking. I¡¯ll take it. So when will Azar Javed arrive?¡±


    ¡°I sent someone to notify him when you came back yesterday. He¡¯s working on an experiment at the moment, so he can only be free tomorrow. You¡¯re very wee to stay here, of course.¡± The mayor invited, ¡°It¡¯ll be Midaete in about a week, and Vizima will be holding a celebration in the town area. Do please stay around. I¡¯ll show you around town. Vizima¡¯s culture is quite beautiful.¡±


    Roy was interested in the celebration. He had heard of Midaete before. The festival would span from the night of the twenty-first of June until the wee hours of the twenty-second. It would serve as the mark of the first day of summer in the elven calendar. The elves believed that everything under the sun served a cycle. The days would get shorter after Midinvaerne, and death wouldy im to thend until the end of Midinvaerne.


    On that day, the people of thend would erect altars to praise the sun and the gift of life, though they would also admit that it was the beginning of the season of death. Mages would stand near the altars to absorb the sun¡¯s energy to strengthen their spells, while witches would use the sun¡¯s power to protect the crops and summon mes. Letho and Roy could also meditate before the temple to increase the strength of their signs, although only slightly.


    Midaete was less attractive to Belletyn, however. After all, not many young, single women would dance around the bonfire and search for a mate during Midaete.


    Letho shook his head.¡±Witchers don¡¯t celebrate Midaete, and we are short on time, so we¡¯lle at this hour tomorrow as promised.¡±


    ***


    After they left the city hall, Roy looked nervous and excited at the same time. ¡°Letho, why don¡¯t we stay for another week and join the celebration?¡± Roy spent most of his life living in a remote vige in Lower Posada, and he never had the chance to experience any festival of this world. Everything he knew was through rumors and hearsay. <em>Should I join the fun?</em>


    Letho slowed down for a bit. ¡°Celebration means trouble. I can tell you that festivals like these don¡¯t get along well with us witchers. Speaking through experience. If fun is what you want, try taverns or brothels. They¡¯re simple and convenient. You are an official witcher now. You must learn to separate yourself from the crowd and get used to being alone.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You have a point.¡± Roy shrugged. ¡°But can¡¯t I at least see it once?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in Vizima to experience that,¡± Letho answered calmly. ¡°Cintra can serve that purpose too. We can¡¯t let Auckes and Serrit wait for too long.¡±


    Letho sighed. He seemed to have remembered something awkward, and he said, ¡°If we keep them waiting for much longer, they¡¯ll find themselves a wife.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± A group of people came over and interrupted the conversation. The woman in the lead was tall, beautiful, and had white hair.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I see you are well.¡±


    Adda looked at them, and sheughed heartily. ¡°Let¡¯s skip the formalities. Thanks to you two, Lake Vizima¡¯s monster is vanquished.¡±


    ¡°You tter us, Your Highness,¡± Roy answered calmly. ¡°Without you and your soldiers controlling the vigers who had sumbed to Dagon, the quest would not have gone as smoothly as it did.¡±


    Adda¡¯s soldiers looked at Roy amicably after he said that.


    ¡°You¡¯re being modest. You are the best witchers I have ever seen in my life. Perhaps the best fighters as well.¡± Adda gave them a mysterious look. ¡°Fighting drowners and nekkers in viges and small towns is a waste of your talent.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Stay here. Stay at Vizima. You will be greatly rewarded for your services. I guarantee.¡±


    Before Letho could say anything, Roy shook his head immediately. ¡°We might have to disappoint you, Your Highness. No witcher stays in one ce unless they¡¯re too old to hold a sword.¡±


    Roy would never be anyone¡¯sckey.


    Anger shed in Adda¡¯s eyes, and she turned to Letho, but Letho refused her offer as well. ¡°Very well, then.¡± Adda gritted her teeth, and rage contorted her face. She paced back and forth, and her knights were holding the hilt of their sword. They would arrest the witchers immediately if Adda gave them the order to.


    A long whileter, Adda heaved a long sigh. ¡°Fine. You have done Vizima a great service. If you wish to leave, I have no grounds to demand that either of you stay.¡± She then turned to Roy again. ¡°But before you leave, can you grant me one little wish? Can you take me to the Lady of the Lake? You said that she would summon you after Dagon was vanquished.¡±


    <em>Oh, so that¡¯s why she tried to recruit us. </em>Realization struck Roy. <em>This woman who¡¯s drunk with power to the point she made up a fake order from Foltest is now turning her sights to the gods. </em>¡°She said she <em>might </em>summon me. It¡¯s clear that thedy does not wish to see you.¡±


    ¡°No, witcher! You <em>must </em>take me to her!¡± Addamanded sternly.


    Roy pulled a face. ¡°You overestimate me, Your Highness. I¡¯m just a mortal like you. I can¡¯t have an audience with her unless she summons me herself.¡±


    ¡°Are you really out of options, or is the Lady of the Lake only a myth?¡± Adda still wouldn¡¯t give up, and she muttered, ¡°Melitele, Lebioda, the Lady of the Lake¡­ They can¡¯t be true, right? They must be myths.¡±


    ¡°Do not challenge the gods, Your Highness.¡± Roy was suddenly reminded of how Vivienne snatched away all the faith energy in Dagon¡¯s altar. <em>Hm, so faith is incredibly precious to thedy. As the knight of Lake Vizima, I should help her in this quest. </em>¡°If you wish to see her, there is a way to do so, but you have to show enough respect.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°You need an altar.¡± Roy paused for a moment. ¡°Build an altar for the Lady of the Lake at thekeside, or a small temple if you can. Get the vigers living near Lake Vizima to worship her. You know, the brickmakers and fishermen.¡± <em>Adda¡¯s a princess. She can do this much at least. </em>¡°Once she has more believers, she¡¯ll see your respect, and eventually she¡¯ll grant you an audience.¡±


    ¡°Will she show me her powers if I do so?¡±


    ¡°I cannot guarantee that,¡± Roy answered. ¡°But a true god will never neglect their most devout believers. If you erect an altar or a temple, then you shall be her biggest worshipper.¡±


    ***


    <em>If she can gain strength through the power of faith, then as her knight, I should be able to get something out of it as well. Hm, I wonder if this will change the world though. </em>It was just an experiment of his, and he wouldn¡¯t mind even if it failed.


    Roy started painting a picture of a beautiful future for Adda. In modern words, Roy was going to pull her into an MLM enterprise rated divine. ¡°Think about this, if you build a temple at thekeside and spread the faith throughout thend, you¡¯ll be the pioneer of a new religion. You¡¯ll be the high priest. And from what I gathered, the Lady of Lake Vizima only has a dozen worshippers, and all of them are vodyanois. You are the princess of thisnd. Surely you can contribute a lot more than the vodyanois in terms of faith.¡±


    Confusion shed in Adda¡¯s eyes. She was getting perplexed about the whole matter. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you, witcher?¡±


    ¡°Why would I cross a future high priest who is also the princess of Temeria?¡± Roy looked at her earnestly, and he stared her in the eye.


    ¡°I will consider your proposal,¡± Adda answered solemnly. She was feeling nervous and jittery about the suggestion, and she needed time to evaluate its feasibility. <em>Spreading a faith revolving the Lady of the Lake at thekeside of Lake Vizima? That is an insane idea. Can I really gain an audience with a goddess that way? </em>She was filled with trepidation, but she was also excited about the prospect.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Before they left, Roy nced at the group of soldiers behind Adda. ¡°Your Highness, about Jacques¡­ Jacques de Aldersberg, is he¡­¡±


    ¡°Jacques is still alive.¡± Adda smiled. ¡°He is a lucky man. I do not know how he managed to escape the fallen vodyanois¡¯ pursuit, but escape he did. He flowed down the river and was taken to Mud vige. We met him while we were escorting the vigers there. But he¡¯s still recuperating. Once he¡¯s all healed up, he¡¯ll be working as deputymander under me.¡±


    Roy knew Jacques wouldn¡¯t die that easily. <em>I bet we¡¯ll see him again someday.</em>


    ¡°Witcher, you still haven¡¯t told me about thedy¡¯s name and her looks. I need a reference to erect a statue.¡±


    Roy described Vivienne¡¯s looks briefly. ¡°I cannot describe her beauty with words alone. If you really want to start a new faith, erect an altar first. As for her name¡­ you may call her Vivienne.¡±


    ***


    The witchers went back to the inn after they said goodbye to Adda. Roy tried to figure out how the bloodstone worked, but he got nothing. Since he couldn¡¯t make any headway, he kept the stone in his inventory, together with a Child of the Sun. <em>I have no idea about this stone¡¯s effects, but if Vivienne herself pays attention to this, then it must be special.</em>


    ***


    When the witchers came to the city hall the next day, an unfamiliar, eerie man was standing beside Velerad.


    The man looked like he was in his fifties, and he was wearing a dark, short-sleeved shirt. A pair of leather pauldrons protected his shoulders, and he was wearing an exotic scarf around his neck. His pants were made of leather, and it was tight-fitting. His beard was gruff, to say the least, and his canvas headscarf looked worn up, but it covered his hair perfectly. It was also hiding half his face, as if the man were trying to keep a scar out of sight.


    The man was also wearing countless essories. A part of his protective ne was protruding through his scarf, and a nose ring adorned his hook nose. His ears¡ªwhich wererger than most people¡¯s¡ªhad studs on them. Seven of his fingers were adorned with rings that had gemstones embedded in them. Of course, these essories weren¡¯t just for show. They were glinting with magic, so obviously they were alchemical products blessed by magical powers.


    ¡°Azar Jayed. Two hundred and fifty years old. A Zerrikanian wizard and alchemist. And the number of his spells is on par with Coral¡­¡± Roy took a nce at the man, and he thought to himself, <em>I thought wizards were supposed to be elegant. So why is this guy so ugly and haggard? Or is it only the witches who care about their appearances?</em>


    Velerad introduced the wizard to them. ¡°This is Azar Jayed. The wizard I¡¯ve talked about. He is the current royal consultant of Vizima¡¯s royal family. He came here today to open up a portal for you two.¡±


    Azar nodded at the witchers, but instead of fear or disgust, there was a desire to investigate in his eyes. It was as if he were going to cut the witchers up with a scalpel and see what they were made of.


    Roy thought, <em>This one¡¯s a madman. A mad scientist.</em>


    The wizard might be staring at the witchers all he wanted, but he didn¡¯t do anything outrageous to them, nor did he make any disgusting remarks. ¡°Witchers, I have two portals in Cintra. One is located in northern Cintra¡¯s Firetail Inn, while the other is in a forest near the city gates. Which one would you like?¡± Contrary to his looks, Azar¡¯s voice was gentle and reassuring.


    The witchers looked at each other, and they chose the portal in the inn. Roy hesitated for a moment, but eventually, he asked, ¡°And another thing. Can we take our horses through the portal? Both of them.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Azar nodded, but then he shook his head. ¡°Velerad told me there would only be two clients, and the spell is only enough for you two. Adding tworge animals to the equation will affect the portal¡¯s stability. You might end up in the sky or above a live volcano. Of course, you might also get lost in another dimension.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead.


    Letho remarked nonchntly, ¡°Forget it, kid. Let¡¯s leave the horses here. We¡¯ll buy a couple when we need them.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you can¡¯t save any crowns.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°This is a big waste of money.¡±


    Azar stopped the argument. ¡°If you insist on taking your mounts with you, I can still make it possible. But on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The witchers were on high alert. ¡°Name your condition.¡±


    ¡°I need your blood. Just a little. Enough for one small sk.¡±


    Letho wanted to refuse right away, but Roy convinced him to go with the n. <em>You want blood? I have a lot of it. Nekkers, drowners, vodyanois, and a whole lot more. I¡¯ll just mix them up and</em><em>say it¡¯s witcher blood. He¡¯s not an expert in witcherology. Not like he can tell witcher blood from other blood apart. Besides, I have my inventory space here. I can do a switcheroo easily. </em>¡°You have a deal.¡± Roy shook hands with the wizard, and the transaction went smoothly enough.


    Azar couldn¡¯t tell that it wasn¡¯t witcher blood, so he took it happily, then he started chanting aplex, mysterious spell. The room started rumbling violently, and a square-shaped portal appeared out of thin air. Despite its shape, it had a whirlpool in its center, and its outer ring shone blue. The winds that shot out of the portal ruffled the witchers¡¯ hair, but they were unfazed. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any time. You only have thirty seconds.¡± Azar crossed his legs and wiggled his fingers in the air to keep the portal open.


    Roy calmed Wilt down and looked into the door. ¡°Letho, I heard that this experience is a disgusting one.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that from? It¡¯s not disgusting. It feels great.¡± Letho tensed up, looking as if they were facing a formidable foe. It feels like¡­¡± He wrapped his arm around Roy¡¯s shoulder gently.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like death.¡±


    That was thest thing Roy heard, and he screamed a curse as Letho took him through the portal.


    ***


    The Lady of the Lake: The End


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 154: gets released!

    Firetail Inn, second floor.


    A loud neigh rang through a dark room all of a sudden, and the couple who was going at it froze. The man looked back stiffly, and he saw a big brown horse standing beside the bed, staring straight at him. Its eyes were filled with curiosity about the act it was seeing, and it neighed again. The horse grinned at the man and huffed on him, blowing his fringe to the side.


    The man stared back at the horse dumbly for a moment. Then, it was as if he were jolted by electricity, and he rubbed his eyes. ¡°Honey, I might be seeing things. Is this actually for real? Honey, there¡¯s a horse in the inn. Am I dreaming?¡±


    The woman suddenly screamed and hid in the nket. Two unfamiliar men suddenly appeared behind the horse, and the younger one gave him an awkward smile. ¡°We are so sorry for interrupting you in the middle of this. We¡¯ll leave right away. Do carry on.¡±


    The man was shocked by Letho¡¯s beastly muscles, and he lost his erection. ¡°Oh no! I can¡¯t get it up!¡± <em>I¡¯m finished for life. </em>¡°You bastards! Who are you? Where did youe from?¡± he hissed, but when he saw the intruders¡¯ amber eyes and the hilts of the swords protruding out of their backs, his voice turned into a whisper. ¡°Wh-Why our room? And what is up with these horses?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Roy massaged his temples in frustration. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of questions. I think you had better go back to what you were doing before we showed up.¡±


    ¡°You think I can go back after what happened?¡± the man roared, but his question was cut short, and the woman fell into a trance as well. Suddenly, a green inverted triangle appeared within their eyes.


    Roy quickly made the sign, and he was smirking as he did. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re still making passionate love to each other. You will forget what happened ten minutes ago, and you will keep doing this for two hours.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Letho was making the sign as well, and he shot Roy a look.


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Roy grumbled. ¡°One hour. You¡¯re a man. You¡¯re not doing it for less than an hour.¡±


    ***


    Roy wiped the nonexistent sweat off his forehead, and the witchers led their horses out of the inn, much to the other patrons¡¯ astonishment.


    ¡°Kid, why¡¯d you give your blood to a wizard from anothernd? He might curse you and put you under agony.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Azar¡¯s a shady character. I¡¯m not stupid enough to give him my own blood. We killed a lot of monsters during our journey, and I have a lot of their blood samples.¡± Roy gave Letho a look that told him to rest easy. <em>I have an inventory. Switcheroo is super easy to pull when you have a cheat on your hands. </em>¡°I didn¡¯t break the deal, technically speaking. It¡¯s still <em>my </em>blood. The blood I have with me, of course.¡±


    <em>I wonder what kind of stuff woulde out of this experiment. He¡¯s experimenting on monster blood thinking it¡¯s witcher blood.</em>


    ***


    Cintra had wide streets. They were made of bluestone bs, and the streets were twice as wide as the ones in Vizima. The buildings were minimalist, and the houses¡¯ walls were made of thick materials that had rigid lines. There weren¡¯t any decorations on the windows either.


    Breeze tinged with the scent of sea salt flowed in from the west, and the people here had different fashion tastespared to the ones living ind. As Cintra was built near a sea, and they were great allies with the forces on the Skellige Isles, the people here wore clothes simr to what pirates would wear. Most people would have headscarves, and they¡¯d wear tank tops that revealed muscr arms. The men¡¯s faces were rough and red thanks to being exposed to the sea breeze all the time.


    Some of the louder and raunchier men would go without wearing anything to cover their upper body. They cursed every time they spoke, and all they talked about were prostitutes, alcohol, and ships. Sometimes they¡¯d catcall the women who went by them, and the women would shoot them a nasty re. Then they¡¯d curse the men before leaving them to their own devices.


    It was the first time two witchers didn¡¯t get any sidelong looks in town


    ¡°Not bad. Cintra¡¯s people aren¡¯t as easily offended as everyone else,¡± Roy praised. He remembered that when Nilfgaard eventually invaded Cintra, its royalty and nobles held their ground until their veryst breath. Even on the day Cintra fell, an overwhelming majority of the people didn¡¯t surrender to the invaders. Nilfgaard¡¯s executioners didn¡¯t give them that choice either, however. The women killed their own children, and their husbands would take their wives¡¯ lives before they killed themselves.


    That event would eventually go down in history as one of the most infamous killings¡ªthe ughter of Cintra. Roy suspected that the records might be exaggerated, but it was proof that Cintra was made of brave people. Very few of them were cowards.


    ***


    They kept going ahead, and their eyes were locked on northern Cintra. Specifically the lone cliff jutting out above the coast. A gigantic castle stood upon the cliff, and it was the residence of Cintra¡¯s ruler¡ªCnthe the Lioness.


    Roy thought about Cnthe¡¯s life, and it was a legendary one. She had ambition, but s, she was a woman, and her rule was not acknowledged by the conservative nobles, so she couldn¡¯t be empress. She wanted to have a son to inherit the throne and her ambition, but after giving birth to Princess Pavetta¡ªwho was Ciri¡¯s mother¡ªshe became barren because of her miscarriage during her second pregnancy. Her first husband, Roegner de Salm, found a fertile concubine, but not long after he married the woman, Roegner died.


    The people said that Cnthe poisoned her husband so she wouldn¡¯t have to relinquish her power to anyone she didn¡¯t trust. Not long after Roegner¡¯s demise, Cnthe married her second husband, one Eist Tuirseach who hailed from the Skellige Isles. He was also her current husband, but he was nothing but a puppet king who listened to her everymand. In reality, Cnthe was still the one holding all the power in Cintra.


    As Cnthe grew older, she wanted her daughter to give birth to a boy so control over Cintra would remain in her family. However, Pavetta gave birth to Ciri, who inherited the Elder Blood and ¡®identally¡¯ went missing at sea.


    Ciri was Cnthe¡¯s only living rtive, but still, Ciri couldn¡¯t inherit the throne, and Roy had a feeling that Cnthe would be looking for another puppet soon.


    ¡°If I¡¯m right, Ciri should be receiving her education in the pce, and Cnthe should send her to meet that fat fianc¨¦ of hers soon enough.¡± Roy couldn¡¯t wait to see Ciri and use the strings of fate to finally meet Geralt of Rivia. It was the first step to the witcher renaissance.


    While Roy wasing up with the next step of the grand scheme, Letho took him around Cintra¡¯s alleyways to look for the Viper¡¯s sign on the walls and trees. Eventually, they arrived at a dpidated courtyard.


    Letho knocked on the door three times and stopped for a moment before knocking on it two more times.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± a high-pitched male voice asked, and Letho cracked a smile for once.


    ¡°As they say, always stab a drowner, and always give your old friend something to drink. Open up, fools.¡±


    The old wooden door swung open, and a deadpan face appeared behind it. The man¡¯s red hair was tied up, and when Roy looked at him, he had a feeling he saw that face before. After a while, realization struck him. <em>Hey, that¡¯s Serrit. The witcher who came to Kaer with Letho six months ago.</em>


    A momentter, another man appeared beside Serrit. He was wearing a hood over his head, but Roy could see that he resembled Serrit. It was Auckes, Serrit¡¯s brother.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you handsome?¡± Auckes grinned and shoved Serrit away, then he sped Roy¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Roy. The fourth member of the Viper School.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 155: gets released!

    Within the dingy shack stood four witchers around a Gwent board. A ss of beer that reeked of malt andmon hop sat beside every witcher. A momentter, the young witcher yed a card and grinned toothily at the caped witcher. ¡°You lose.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Auckes scratched the back of his head. ¡°Roy, are you sure you¡¯re just fourteen? You won against me two times in a row. This is one big loss for me,¡± Auckes grumbled before gulping the beer down. He wiped the foam off his lips with his sleeve and reluctantly took a shining Gwent card out of his pocket. ¡°I just got this card, and now I lost it to you.¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± Letho scoffed at him. ¡°I told you to stop at the drinks, but you just had to y a round of Gwent with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what do you know? Gwent¡¯s the best way to judge a person. And this kid here is just in disrespectful to the veterans.¡± Auckes craned his neck and red at Roy. ¡°Listen here, kid. I¡¯m going to win that card back. Don¡¯t hold me back, Serrit. Three rounds per witcher. Calm down and let me finish my chances!¡±


    Roy happily kept the card he just won. It was a familiar character. Thanks to the massacre in viken that happened many years ago, this character made it into Gwent. It was the legendary witcher¡ªGeralt of Rivia. <em>I wonder where Geralt is right now.</em>


    He looked at his fellow witchers. Auckes might look like he was nonchnt and careless, but Roy had a feeling that was just a fa?ade. After all, he hadn¡¯t spent too much time with him. <em>Eighty-one years old. Same age as Serrit. Wait. They might be twins.</em>


    Just like with Letho, Roy couldn¡¯t see through Auckes and Serrit¡¯s stats. As a full-fledged witcher, their battle experience far surpassed that of Roy¡¯s, and aside from the difference in looks, they had different personalities as well. Auckes was outgoing and a bit of a talker, while Serrit was quiet and brooding. He had a hook nose, and his eyes were nted, as if he were cooking up a scheme all the time.


    <em>How did they get along for decades if they¡¯re so different? Is bloodline also that powerful among witchers? </em>¡°Oh, right. Almost forgot.¡± Roy smacked the back of his head and said, ¡°Stop arguing, you two. How¡¯s Moore and Susie? How¡¯s their life in Novigrad?¡±


    ¡°And here I thought you forgot all about them.¡± Auckes looked at him, and Roy felt a little guilty. After all, Roy did neglect his parents in this world, and aside from a letter, he never contacted them in thest six months.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. Their business in Novigrad is going well. Without you dragging them down, they¡¯re living a great life.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roy heaved a sigh of relief, though he felt slightly crestfallen as well.


    ¡°And they want me to tell you about the good news. It¡¯s a surprise.¡± Auckes smirked at Roy, and Serrit looked at Roy weirdly.


    ¡°What surprise?¡±


    ¡°Your mother is two months pregnant. You¡¯ll have a brother or sister the next time you see them. So, are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°Wait, pregnant? I¡¯m going to be a brother?¡± A frown creased Roy¡¯s forehead, and he had mixed feelings about the matter. He stayed silent for ten seconds, and he heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not there with them after all. They¡¯re alone, so it¡¯s normal they want a kid around.¡±


    The witchers noticed Roy¡¯s sadness. They looked at one another and allowed Roy a few moments of silence. Then Letho said, ¡°Kid, you have to understand one thing. From the moment you chose to undertake the trial, you already said goodbye to a normal life. The environment you¡¯re in and the people you meet will be vastly different from what you were used to. Your path has diverged from your parents¡¯, and eventually, you¡¯ll never meet them again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯ll eventually cut ties with them?¡± Roy was slightly angered, but he was also confused.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of morality. We¡¯re essentially vagrants. Tramps. When you eventually decide to settle down, Moore will already be long gone,¡± Lethomented. ¡°You¡¯ll know what I mean in due time.¡±


    Roy stared down in silence.


    Auckes gave him a mug of beer. ¡°I have something to add to that as well.¡± He patted Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Generally speaking, the northern nations do not take to witchers too well. If you meet up with Moore and Susie too much, it¡¯ll affect their lives. We¡¯re not forcing you to make a choice here, but you have to be prepared for what¡¯s toe. From what I know, no child can go back to their family after they be a witcher. They¡¯ll have to cut their family out of their lives.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about Moore. Come on, it¡¯s Gwent time.¡±


    Roy shook his head and cleared his entangled thoughts. Someday, he would have to travel to Novigrad and face this demon head on to find his answer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys. I¡¯m not in the mood to go for another round of Gwent now.¡±


    ¡°What about some drinks? It¡¯s a tradition here. Newbies have to drink with the vets until we drop.¡± Serrit shot him a re.


    ¡°Sure, but allow me to ask you one question.¡± Roy looked at Letho. ¡°During my journey with Letho, he kept telling me that the school is on the brink of extinction, so did wee to Cintra to revive the school? Can you tell me how dire the situation is? Are we the only Viper School witchers left?¡±


    ¡°Hah, told you he¡¯d ask that question,¡± Auckes bragged to his brother. ¡°Kid, we¡¯re not the only ones left. Kolgrim is searching for lost weapons of the Viper School all over the world, while the strongest witcher of our school¡ªIvar Evil-Eye¡ªwas never heard from again after he went missing twenty years ago. There are two more as well, but those fools aren¡¯t even worth mentioning.¡± Auckes sounded angry.


    <em>Kolgrim? </em>That familiar name caught Roy¡¯s attention. <em>If I remember correctly, that guy¡¯s body is found in White Orchard, but there should be ten years left before that takes ce. He might still be alive out there. </em>¡°So we have four to eight witchers in this school then?¡±


    That was a considerable amount of witchers for any school. After all, the number of witchers was on a general decline. ¡°So how did we get to this point? And is our base located in Nilfgaard?¡±


    ¡°You have a lot of questions, kid.¡± Auckes snatched the mug of beer and took a swig, then a forlorn look appeared in his eyes. ¡°The campus is located in the mountainous region beside Nilfgaard. Tir Tochair to be exact. It¡¯s a fortress called Gorthur Gvaed.¡± Auckes looked proud bringing that up. ¡°There¡¯s a tower there, and you¡¯ll have to go up a dizzying spiral staircase to get to the top. A moat a few hundred feet deep surrounds the fortress. It¡¯s imprable. But well, it still couldn¡¯t fight against the decline. The reason for that is quiteplex.¡±


    Letho continued, ¡°For one, Nilfgaard is getting stricter onw and order within the empire.¡± Heughed to himself. ¡°But heathens like us can easily break thew with our power, and the empire does not tolerate that, so they actively oppress us. Their propaganda makes it hard for witchers to survive in the south. The people start to distrust us, and the Law of Surprise is dark magic for them. They would never give us their children as payment for the requests they make, so we have less kids to train. We did try to take in kids who lost their home in the war, but people think of that as heresy, so they report us.¡±


    Roy agreed. Even in the north, there was a general decline in the number of kids who were given using the Law of Surprise, and the people¡¯s prejudice against witchers deepened with every passing day.


    ¡°With the harsh environment and dwindling number of recruits, the school went into a decline, but I believe that this situation will change. The people and the nations¡¯ misunderstanding regarding witchers will one day be crushed.¡± Letho clenched his fists.


    ¡°However, the fatal blow against the school happened twenty years ago. That was a disaster.¡±


    ¡°Disaster? What disaster?¡± There weren¡¯t many records regarding the Viper School, and their actual address was covered in a veil of mystery as well. It was impossible to know what kind of disaster had befallen them.


    ¡°That disaster was wrought on by the Wild Hunt.¡± Letho looked at Roy. ¡°You know a lot of things, kid. Have you heard of the Wild Hunt before?¡±


    Roy¡¯s face fell. <em>That¡¯s an infamous event. Of course I know.</em>


    Letho exined, ¡°Legends have it that Wild Hunt is made up of immortal phantom knights who cover themselves with rusted armor, and they are armed with swords in the shape of lightning bolts. They ride their mounts and terrorize the skies. The Wild Hunt usually appears during winter or the long night before a war. They ravage thends, destroying orchards and houses, and they usually take some humans with them. Mostly young children.¡±


    <em>That¡¯s what the legends say, but the Wild Hunt is actually Aen Elle from another world. They¡¯re a part of the elf family. They cross between worlds and style themselves as ghost knights so they can find the heir of the Elder Blood. They want to use the Elder Blood to gain the power to travel across space and time.</em>


    ¡°The Wild Hunt is no legend.¡± Letho gritted his teeth. ¡°More than twenty years ago, because of Ivar and the fools¡¯ absence, the Viper School didn¡¯t manage to defend themselves against the Wild Hunt¡¯s onught. The children who had passed the trial were taken away, and that effectively cut off our legacy, forcing us to disband.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Roy was surprised. ¡°Are you saying that the Wild Hunt has targeted you guys more than once?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡± Serrit had an icy look on his face. ¡°Every school has their own trial, while our school used to send new witchers to face off against the Wild Hunt every decade or so. It¡¯s a trial of sorts. The Wild Hunt has been our nemesis ever since the school¡¯s inception. Our great founder, Ivar Evil-Eye, has a dream. He wants to defeat the Wild Hunt and end their reign of terror. Remember this, kid. That is the mission of all the Viper School¡¯s witchers. It¡¯s our ultimate goal, and it¡¯s as important as reviving the school.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I swear I will make defeating the Wild Hunt my life¡¯s goal,¡± Roy answered solemnly. <em>Now that¡¯s one question answered. </em>¡°So that¡¯s why the Viper School has so many records about the Wild Hunt.


    <em>This is oneplex school. It deals with assassinations, but it has a noble goal as well. </em>¡°Guys, I have another question. Why is Ivar titled Evil-Eye? What does that mean?¡± <em>There¡¯s no way this is ast name in this world. That guy must have made it up himself.</em>


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Letho had a look of admiration in his eyes. ¡°Because he gained a special ability during the mutation. He could see countless worlds, hence the title ¡®Evil-Eye.¡¯ He can see all the plundering and piging done by the Wild Hunt through his Evil Eye, and that was why he created the school with the mission to defeat the Wild Hunt in mind.¡±


    <em>I wonder if he¡¯s still alive. </em>Roy had a feeling that Ivar might just be lost in another dimension.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 156: gets released!

    ¡°So that¡¯s why we came to Cintra? For the Wild Hunt?¡± Roy asked curiously.


    ¡°Part of the reason.¡± Letho twirled his ss of wine around. ¡°ording to our investigations, the Wild Hunt appeared twice in Cintra. Once in 1252, and once in 1253. Two years back to back. Once or twice might be a coincidence, but the Wild Hunt showed up again in Cintra in 1258. They appeared three times in the same ce, and we know it¡¯s no coincidence. There must be something in Cintra that¡¯s attracting them, just like how they desire young witcher apprentices.¡±


    Letho looked sad. ¡°We came to Cintra to look into this. After all, the school is on a decline, so we are no match for the Wild Hunt. We can¡¯t face them head on.¡± He paused for a moment, then he said, ¡°All we can do is sabotage their operation and weaken them. However, things happened, and you had to undertake your trial, so we arrivedte.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the Wild Hunt hasn¡¯t gotten their hands on their victim yet, so all is not lost,¡± Auckes added. He and Serrit had arrived in Cintra one month prior to Letho and Roy¡¯s arrival, so they had been looking into the case.


    ¡°The Wild Hunt¡¯s goal, huh?¡± Roy thought about the years the Wild Hunt appeared, and he had a guess of why they showed up a whileter. <em>1252, 1253, and 1258 are connected to something. Geralt dispelled Duny¡¯s curse in 1252 and matched Duny and Pavetta up. The Wild Hunt was probably attracted by Pavetta¡¯s Elder Blood. She had a burst of mana at the banquet, and she was already pregnant with Ciri back then. Ciri was born in 1253, and the Wild Hunt came again. She left Skellige Isles for Cintra in 1258 to live with her grandmother. I see. The Wild Hunt is going after Ciri¡¯s Elder Blood.</em>


    Roy knew why the Wild Hunt appeared in Cintra, but he couldn¡¯t tell the witchers about it. The matter was rted to the Lady of Space and Time, and there were no more than five people in the world who knew about this matter. If he told the witchers, there was the possibility they might spread the news. If this action were to end up causing a huge change in the future, Roy wouldn¡¯t be powerful enough to stop it. <em>I¡¯m in Cintra now. I¡¯ll get in contact with Ciri myself.</em>


    ¡°Kid, you know something, don¡¯t you?¡± Letho had been working with Roy for six months. He knew Roy must have known something


    Roy sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about how we should start the search for the Wild Hunt.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve made some progress here,¡± Auckes said. ¡°We asked the citizens who saw the Wild Hunt, and after we pieced all the clues together, I realized that the Wild Hunt kept appearing in Cintra because they were looking for someone.¡±


    <em>Yep, these guys are sleuths alright. They are so very close to the truth.</em>


    ¡°In 1258, a five-year-old girl in the vige outside the city went missing for no reason and appeared outside her home an hourter. She was unscathed, but her mind was in shambles. She still can¡¯tmunicate normally now, and we had to use some unorthodox methods to get some info out of her.¡±


    Auckes thought about that day. ¡°She was in the forest near her home that evening, and the sky got overcast, then it started to rain not long after that. She kept running home, but she said she could hear shouts, whistles, neighs, and the footsteps of horses behind her, then she felt someone picking her up. She said she was taken onto a flying horse. When she looked back, she saw a terrifying man with a mask, and he was wearing heavy armor as well. She also heard them saying something. They said something about Cintra and the chosen person. They also said something unintelligible. We think that it¡¯s something like Elder Speech.¡±


    Auckes continued. ¡°Then she fainted. When she woke up again, she was already outside her home. She wasn¡¯t hurt, but her mind was damaged. She kept having nightmares about the Wild Hunt. We used Axii to heal her as a reward. She forgot all about the nightmares. Now this chosen person is our goal. We must not let the Wild Hunt get their hands on them, no matter what.¡±


    Roy took a swig of the wine. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Put the mission aside for now and let¡¯s drink.¡± Auckes gave Roy another ss of wine.


    ¡°The chosen person¡­ The apprentice witchers¡­ What usually happens to those who are abducted by the Wild Hunt?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking into this for a century, and as a part of us, you have a right to know,¡± Letho said. ¡°The Wild Hunt goes around the world, spreading war, disaster, and diseases like the gue. But it¡¯s not always smooth sailing for them. Sometimes they run into a few powerful characters out there, and they lose a few men because of that. So they need new blood.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Letho stared down. ¡°The Wild Hunt took one of the witchers who was in our batch. When we fought the Wild Hunt after that, we saw the kidnapped witcher among their ranks. He might be wearing their armor, and he might have been turned into a phantom, but he was still holding his weapon, and I would recognize his eyes anywhere. s, he was already brainwashed and became the Wild Hunt¡¯s puppet. That¡¯s not a rare case actually. Most of the turned humans would fight for the Wild Hunt until they died. A few lucky ones would receive ¡®mercy¡¯, and the Wild Hunt would return them to the human world.¡±


    Letho looked at Roy. ¡°The Wild Hunt prefers younger witchers. Those who are easily brainwashed, or those who are powerful are on their list as well. They think that using witchers as their soldiers would be a better choice.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying they might target me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, kid. You might be taken and brainwashed too.¡±


    ¡°Can any of you save me if that happens?¡±


    Letho shook his head. ¡°Unless the Wild Hunt releases you themselves. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone escaping their grasp otherwise, but as long as you don¡¯t show yourself in front of them, they won¡¯t notice you.¡±


    The witchers kept drinking and allowed Roy some time to process the news.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Roy interrupted. ¡°Letho, you said sabotaging the Wild Hunt is one of the reasons we¡¯re here in Cintra. What are the other reasons?¡±


    ¡°Those don¡¯t really involve you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to just because you¡¯re keeping it a secret?¡±


    ¡°Hey, kid.¡± Auckes got up groggily and held Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Letho said you¡¯re a quick learner. So how¡¯s your swordsmanship training going? He never praises anyone, so if he praises you, then you must have that special something.¡±


    Auckes burped loudly and took Roy with him, though he was wobbling. ¡°Here, let¡¯s spar and get me sober.¡± He dragged Roy out with him without giving the boy any chance to protest.


    Auckes mmed the door shut, and a whileter, sounds of sparring and metal nging were heard. The horses neighed in fear as well.


    Serrit whispered, ¡°I think he knows more than he lets on. Have you used Axii on him?¡±


    Letho had a weird look on his face. He used Axii on Roy on the first day of their adventure. He could give Roy knowledge, but he couldn¡¯t get anything out of him. It was like something was preventing him from doing that. ¡°He¡¯s not like the other guys. We can trust him.¡± Letho looked outside darkly. ¡°We know the Wild Hunt isn¡¯t the only source of pain in this world. Politics is a source as well. He has the most potential out of all the witchers I have seen, and I have thought about this. If he gets involved in this matter, it¡¯ll only ruin him.¡±


    ¡°That is not like you. And he¡¯s smart enough to find out sooner orter.¡± Letho shot him a re, and Serrit shrugged. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll keep this a secret and try to raise him up to be a real witcher someday.¡±


    ¡°Now let¡¯s talk business. Verden¡¯s ambassador has been in Cintra for a month, and they¡¯ll probably send the princess over to finish the engagement. And the troops in Erlenwald got some reinforcements as well. Is Cnthe going to do anything soon?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t professional spies. Once we send them the information, we will have repaid our debt. Cut off all ties with them after that.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 157: gets released!

    The courtyard was filled with weed, but it did not stop the witchers from sparring. As they shed swords, sparks flew everywhere. One of the witchers moved away like a phantom and spun his dagger around his hand, its speed fast enough to create afterimages.


    The witcher¡¯s target remained firmly on the defensive. He kept his gaze locked onto his adversary, and he kept changing between five stances to block and counter the other witcher¡¯s attacks.


    After Roy made another downward sh, Aerondight was caught between two daggers, and the fighters locked eyes with each other, the sparks of battle flying between them.


    ¡°Too slow.¡± Auckes grinned toothily and leaped backward, not unlike a cat. He spun his daggers around his hands and bent downward. He stuck his tongue out and licked the des in excitement as he started circling the young witcher.


    Roy held the sword tightly and kept his legs firmly sped together. He kept pointing the end of his sword at his opponent, who kept moving around. It hadn¡¯t been five seconds since the spar began, but he was already drenched. Aside from the difference in power, Auckes¡¯ air changed the moment he went intobat, and the oppressing air was exhausting Roy¡¯s mental energy. That was the difference experience brought.


    Roy¡¯s heart kept thumping loudly, and his blood was racing through his veins, while the adrenaline kept him pumped. However, he couldn¡¯t move a muscle. His reaction and speed was slower than Auckes¡¯, so he had to go on the defensive.


    Auckes was an experienced fighter. He kept circling Roy and piled on the pressure through his movements alone. He wouldn¡¯t attack easily, but eventually, he came to a corner and slowed down. Auckes flipped his dagger, and the light of the sun that reflected off it blinded Roy for just a moment, but that moment was enough for Auckes to attack.


    His eyes shone, and he leaped straight for Roy. Thanks to the deadly battles Roy had endured, he quickly put his weight on his left leg and spun in the opposite direction of the attack, and he shed out blindly.


    He heard something crack, and his shield broke. Wilt, who had been watching from the sidelines, was shocked. It raised its front legs and neighed sadly.


    ¡°I lost.¡± Roy put his sword down. He could feel the de on the nape of his neck, and his limbs turned cold. He seemed disappointed by the oue.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t half bad. Thatst counter was fine.¡± Auckes sheathed his dagger into the leather sheath in front of his chest. ¡°You almost hit me, and I could have lost the spar,¡± hemended.


    If it weren¡¯t for his great bnce and agility, he wouldn¡¯t have managed to spin around in midair and dodge Roy¡¯s attack. ¡°Say, I might have drunk a bit more than I could take. For some reason, my body stiffened up, and my mind was nk.¡±


    Roy felt a littleforted hearing that. <em>That¡¯s not alcohol. That¡¯s my skill¡ªFear. But his Will is 9.5. It¡¯s the same as mine, so he can only be stunned for a hundredth of a second. That¡¯s not enough to turn the tide.</em>


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so good. Disappointed, are we? Honestly, aside from your slightly weak and rigid swordsmanship, you don¡¯t really look like a witcher who just passed the trial. Hm, give me a minute.¡± Auckes pulled his hood back and ruffled his oily hair as he looked Roy up and down. ¡°You¡¯re about the same level as I was back when I was eighteen. You can handle a Wild Hunt soldier. No wonder Letho¡¯s paying attention to you.¡±


    ¡°A soldier? How much power did you use just now?¡± Roy asked, sounding frustrated.


    ¡°About a third or so.¡± Auckes yawned.


    <em>A third or so? </em>Roy was shocked. <em>I only managed to make him use a third of his strength? </em>Now that he thought about it, he could feel that Auckes¡¯ attacks with his dagger were sharper and deadlier than Letho¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m still a newbie here.¡± Roy sighed and looked at the corner of the yard. ¡°So what¡¯s with those sandbags and wooden puppets?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Auckes smiled mysteriously.


    When they came back, Roy talked to the witchers and found out that each of them were experts in different fields. Auckes focused on the school¡¯s dagger skills and swordsmanship. He was the top swordsman among the witchers, so Roy was no match for him.


    Letho was the best alchemist among them. He could make a lot of bombs, potions, oils, and poisons. Roy had seen that firsthand on his adventures.


    Serrit was the best tracker among them. He could track humans and monsters alike, and they couldn¡¯t escape him easily. He had seen a lot of things in life, so everyone called him the encyclopedia of the Viper School. And he was the best sign user out of the three.


    ¡°So, excited for your new adventure in Cintra?¡± Letho asked. ¡°Auckes and Serrit will join me, and we¡¯ll teach you everything we know. You¡¯ll be a real witcher.¡±


    ¡°What about the chosen person?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll handle that. You just stay here and train for a week. Rest up for today. The training will start tomorrow. I¡¯ll teach you all about alchemy, while Auckes will handle thebat. Serrit will teach you everything else, including monsters, traps, tracking, and hunting.¡±


    The witchers looked at him eerily, as if they would experiment on him. ¡°Um, hold it.¡± Roy took a step back. <em>Letho alone is torturous enough, and now all three of them are going to teach me? That¡¯s crazy. </em>He forced a smile and took his journal out. ¡°I am still learning the things you taught me. Can you give me some time to master this first?¡±


    Letho shook his head and gulped down his beer. ¡°We have to push you, kid. I know you have potential, so don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    ***


    Someone started drinking, and all of them went all out. They finished a barrel of beer in a single morning, and the three veteran witchers went to sleep on the ground, though their snores were loud enough to wake an elephant.


    Roy shook his head. ¡°They don¡¯t care about their appearances, do they?¡± He was the only one who was sober. He didn¡¯t like the feeling of losing control after getting drunk. Being tipsy was the best feeling for him.


    The witchers woke up in the evening, and Serrit gave Roy¡ªwho was meditating on the second floor¡ªa bag.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°My precious. Don¡¯t dirty it. Don¡¯t tear it apart.¡± Serrit looked at the sunset groggily and yawned. Apparently, he was still a bit drunk.


    ¡°Almanac of Creatures?¡± Roy took the bag and pulled out an old, almost torn book. The cover was curled up, and the back was almost cracked. It looked haggard. Roy rolled his eyes. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®don¡¯t dirty it or tear it apart¡¯? This books going to get destroyed if anything happens to it.¡±


    Roy turned the cover over and flipped a few pages, then the content interested him. There were a lot of creatures recorded there, such as trolls and arachas. There were even pictures too, and it was a lot moreplete than the notebook Letho gave him. More surprisingly, every page was filled with notes. They were conclusions the book¡¯s owner arrived at.


    ¡°Witchers are not oafs. We have to read a lot of books.¡± Serrit nodded in approval, seeing how immersed Roy was. ¡°You¡¯ll memorize at least two pages of this book every night, and I¡¯ll give you a test the very next day.¡±


    Roy nodded quickly. The knowledge contained in the book was enough toplement the ones he got from the training.


    Serrit said, ¡°Auckes will start training your swordsmanship at five in the morning tomorrow, then that¡¯ll be followed by Letho¡¯s alchemy lessons. My lesson is at night.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After Serrit left, Royy on his bed and concentrated on his character sheet.


    ¡®Level 5 Witcher (2610/2500)¡¯


    <em>I wonder what¡¯s the maximum EXP I can umte? </em>Roy was in no hurry to level up. He wanted to keep an extra ¡®life¡¯ in case anything bad were to happen.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 158: gets released!

    Roy started his hell week of training the next day. He would wake up from meditation every day at five in the morning and get trained in swordsmanship. Compared to Letho, Auckes¡¯ training was simpler and more straightforward. He went straight for the hands-on stuff, and he didn¡¯t even use training swords. ¡°Training swords are for kids. True witchers can even kill their own brothers. We¡¯ll be using real swords.¡± Auckes blew on his short sword and shot Roy a provocative look.


    He had a weird way of holding his short swords. He held the hilt in a reverse grip with one hand and the normal grip with the other. The short swords danced across his fingers like they weighed nothing.


    Auckes was kidding, of course. They would cast Quen on themselves before they sparred, just in case someone was hurt. However, Auckes would never hold himself back. He went full power on Roy. ¡°Guess what, Roy? I¡¯m not going to hold back like that baldy did. Nobody¡¯s going to hold back in a life-or-death battle, not even if you are a handsome man.¡±


    And with that, the young witcher¡¯s hellish training began. The usually silent courtyard was filled with the sound of metal shing against each other. The witchers would sh and break apart many times, and sparks would fly every time the metal swords met. Roy would lose at least a hundred matches in the span of a single morning. Sometimes he would lose in two seconds, as Auckes¡¯ de would already be on his neck the moment the battle started.


    If he was lucky, he wouldst ten seconds, but that was pure luck. Auckes was too fast for Roy¡¯s eyes to even catch. He could only guess how Auckes would attack by pure experience, and if he was lucky, he would guess it right and block Auckes. However, all his counter attacks would miss his adversary.


    Training with Auckes was just a massacre. Roy had no chance to counter attack or win. His confidence plummeted after the first day, and he doubted his own skills, but by the next morning, he didn¡¯t even feel anything after he lost another hundred matches. On the third day, he understood what Auckes was trying to teach. The continuous failures in battle not only taught him about swordsmanship, but also about his battle sense, danger sense, instincts, and resilience.


    Swordsmanship might be important, but the other elements were crucial to witchers too, so Roy held on. But just when he was getting used to the brutal training, Auckes switched it up a little. ¡°You can¡¯t just endure the hits. I have something else for you too. See those things in the courtyard?¡±


    ¡°You mean the tall logs, the spinning puppets, and the sandbag hanging from the tree?¡± Roy had a bad feeling about the matter.


    ¡°Yes. Serrit and I spent a month preparing those for you. So, are you surprised?¡± Auckes grinned toothily, and he had a smug look on his face. ¡°Every apprentice in the school has to go through this. They¡¯re used to train your bnce and reaction speed. You¡¯ll have to get used to them, and you will get injured in the process, but well, scars are a man¡¯s pride. Don¡¯t let us down, Roy.¡±


    And Roy had to go through another kind of training every morning. He would jump around the twelve logs in the courtyard. Roy always fell and almost broke his bones in the beginning, but eventually, he got used to it, and his movements became as agile and elegant as a cat¡¯s. He was quiet, urate, and bnced.


    Auckes would take part in the spinning puppet and the sandbag training. Roy stood in the middle of the puppets and sandbags, dodging them as they kept assaulting him. Naturally, he was still on the enduring end of the practice. Once he was done enduring, he¡¯d cast Quen, and the routine would repeat until he had no mana left.


    He had bruises all over his body after a single morning, and his head was as swollen as a balloon. And he felt dizzy because his mana had run out.


    Auckes sat with him in the courtyard, and they stared up at the overcast sky. ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum. Smile.¡±


    Roy forced a smile, and the pain made him wince.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it, Roy. Don¡¯t end up like the other two. They always look so tense.¡± Auckes winked at him. ¡°The life of a witcher is a dull one. It¡¯s either training or requests. Lots and lots of requests. We should have more humor in our life. Do something fun. After all, we might drop dead someday. If you don¡¯t have any happy memories before you die, then your life will be nothing but a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Roy agreed.


    Auckes beamed, happy because Roy acknowledged his point of view. ¡°You see. I am a handsome man¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t look bad.¡± Roy looked at Auckes. He looked exactly like Serrit, and if he were to change into in clothes, Auckes would look just like a farmer.


    ¡°I am a handsome <em>and </em>humorous man.¡± Auckes didn¡¯t seem to catch the sarcasm, and he kept bragging. ¡°Back in the day, I caught the eye of a lot of nobledies thanks to my outstanding wit and humor. Do you know how much they loved me? They wanted to bear my kids, but since we¡¯re infertile, I had to give them their freedom after I had my fun with them.¡±


    Auckes¡¯ training was a bit special, and he¡¯d always talk after he was done, so Roy gleaned some sort of fun from it. He could feel himself improving every day. It wasn¡¯t a growth in stats, but a growth in battle sense, and that would only show in battle.


    ***


    Letho¡¯s alchemy ss would follow in the afternoon. Before the trial, Roy could only make two kinds of potions: marigold potions and paralyzing poisons. However, after he unlocked his mana pool after the trial, he could craft concoctions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start by teaching you the simplest, mostmonly used concoctions. There are three of them: Swallow, for regeneration, Thunderbolt, for more muscle strength, and Petri¡¯s Philter, for more powerful signs.¡± Letho looked at Roy, and he said, ¡°Tell me about the recipes for those concoctions.¡±


    ¡°All those concoctions use dwarven liquor as base,¡± Roy answered without any hesitation. ¡°But Swallow requires five ounces ofdine and two ounces of drowner brain¡­ Thunderbolt requires two ounces of beggarticks and an ounce of endrega fetus. Wait, do we even have that ingredient?¡±


    ¡°Someone was selling it in the market this morning. Ayman. He found the fetus by chance and sold it off cheap, thinking it was a beehive. And you¡¯re paying for the ingredients. I¡¯m not paying for it out of my own pocket,¡± Letho said seriously, and he seemed slightly nervous.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. Let¡¯s continue. The recipe for Petri¡¯s Philter.¡±


    ¡°¡­Five ounces of arenaria, one ounce of specter dust. As for the specifics¡­¡±


    ¡°Now watch how I do it. I¡¯ll only do it once. Memorize the whole thing and copy it.¡± Letho started making the concoctions and told Roy about what to pay attention to in every step. ¡°First, Swallow. Take five ounces of drieddine and add it into the mortar, then crush it with the pestle, but don¡¯t grind it into a fine dust. Use about half of your grip strength and crush it four hundred times. Put the crusheddine on a te and set it aside.¡±


    ¡°Grind the smoked drowner¡¯s brain into a fine dust. About as fine as the flour you see¡­Add half a dose of dwarven liquor in the cauldron before you start this step, then light the fire and heat it up.¡±


    Letho¡¯s back would contract and ease up from time to time as he went through all theplex yet necessary steps of making potions. Once all the ingredients got to know each other in the cauldron, Letho heated them up and poured them into a sk. Then he sat cross legged and ced the concoction in hisp. He sent his mana into the potion and used it to neutralize all the conflicting elements in the concoction.


    ¡°The mana required for neutralization is a tenth of what we spend on signs, and you cannot spend it all at once. You must be slow and gradual, or you¡¯ll destroy the potion.¡±


    A whileter, Letho raised a sk of green potion, and a dose of Swallow was done.


    ***


    Of all the three training sessions, Roy was ustomed to alchemy the most. He had gone through the same kind of training twice, and the third time¡¯s the charm, so he adapted to it well. Roy¡¯s agility increased significantly after the trial, and thanks to that, his coordination and hand speed increased as well. He could weigh the ingredients, handle the base of the concoction, and use all the apparatuses smoothly at this point.


    Roy would rarely make any basic mistakes like taking the wrong weight and underheating or overheating the cauldron. After seeing Letho¡¯s presentation, Roy managed to create a dose of Swallow after ten failures. His mana was almost fully depleted, but he managed to make one, though its effect was only a third of what Letho¡¯s Swallow was. However, it was a huge improvement, as he had to go through a few grueling days to make one dose thest time.


    He mastered Swallow in two days, and the process of making Thunderbolt and Petri¡¯s Philter was about the same, so no idents happened. Roy¡¯s alchemy skills were growing slowly but surely, and he enjoyed that kind of feeling. However, the only problem was money. They spent more than three hundred crowns in a single week, and eighty percent of that was wasted.


    ***


    After alchemy and dinner, it was time for Serrit¡¯s theory ss. Roy thought Serrit would only read the text of Almanac of Creatures word by word, but instead, Serrit veered off script and brought up interesting examples every time he talked about a creature. Most of the time, the example came from his own experience, though he modified it a little.


    ¡°So you memorized two pagesst night. Not bad. Here¡¯s a question. What¡¯s the most distinct difference between drowners and nekkers?¡±


    ¡°Drowners can¡¯t see too far, while nekkers can¡¯t see too clearly.¡± Roy experienced those himself, and the memory was still vivid.


    ¡°Good. Looks like Letho taught you some basics.¡± Serrit smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to some of the more advanced knowledge. Trolls, to be specific. Not ice trolls, not forest trolls, but trolls. They are powerful humanoid creatures. They are fat, and their muscles are thick. They are nearly invincible, and they possess significant strength. They can tear off our head and arms easily and shove it up our ass. So what should you do if you run into a troll, kid?¡± Serrit looked at Roy.


    ¡°Run,¡± Roy blurted. He was still too weak to face trolls, but he thought he could run even if he couldn¡¯t fight it.


    ¡°You fool! That kind of reaction would only make it think you were a threat, and it would attack you.¡± Serrit shook his head in disdain. ¡°You would only take two steps at most before the troll smashed your bones with a boulder, and it <em>would </em>toss the boulder at you.¡±


    ¡°So what should I do, Mr. Serrit?¡± Roy looked down humbly as he requested for the answer.


    Serrit loved that attitude. He straightened his hair band and puffed his chest. ¡°Trolls might possess great strength, but they have simple minds, and they are slow. That¡¯s their weakness, and you can exploit it. If you run into them, the best course of action is to stop moving and crouch down. Cover your head with your arms, and the trolls might stop attacking, since they¡¯ll think you¡¯re a rock. Then you can slip away while they take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Um, are you sure that will work?¡± Roy was doubtful. ¡°Won¡¯t they tear me limb from limb and make me into a human stew?¡±


    ¡°It will work. Speaking from experience. That¡¯s one unforgettable memory. I was eighteen back then, and I had just departed the great Gorthur Gvaed,¡± Serrit said. ¡°I was injured after handling a ghoul request in a vige, and I ran into a troll on my way back. It was right beside the wooden bridge. I pretended to be a stone, and I managed to slip by. Then I used the same trick three times at the same spot. Back then, I wondered how a humanoid creature with such low intellect managed to survive for so long. By the fifth time, I couldn¡¯t hold my curiosity back, so I raised my hands and slowly went over to have a chat.¡±


    ¡°You had a chat with a troll?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Trolls speak human tongue as well, but they have limited intellect, and their temper is short. Naive and stupid, so to speak.¡± Serrit emphasized, ¡°If you wish to talk to them, you have to master the art of conversation, and you have to think on your feet. You must not show any kind of nervous emotion, or they will smash you into bits, thinking you want to cross the bridge.¡±


    ¡°So what did you talk about with the troll?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°It told me about bridgemaking and how to cook mushrooms, while I taught it how to count using fingers,¡± Serrit said. ¡°Trolls usually only know how to count up to five, while I taught it how to count until ten with its fingers. It was delighted, and I knew that if I were to invite him, I would gain a friend, an underling, and a goon, or a bodyguard. Trolls do not understand betrayal. That concept doesn¡¯t seem to exist, so their loyalty is guaranteed. It was a shame I had no ce to keep that giant, and it had a big appetite, so I couldn¡¯t sustain it.¡±


    Roy gulped. <em>Whoa, if I can convince a troll to join me, that¡¯d be more convenient than forcible Taming. </em>¡°How did you manage to be friends with it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wrote an article about it, titled ¡®How to Deceive an Innocent Troll Using the Art of Conversation.¡¯ All the details are in there. Interested?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ***


    It was already night after the theory ss, so Serrit took Roy and left Cintra for the wilds. Sleuth work, tracking, and hunting were included in Serrit¡¯s ss. Since witchers would have to live in the wilds a lot, hunting and survival skills were crucial to them. Letho had taught Roy the basics, but Serrit went deeper, and he easily taught Roy about the most important parts.


    First, he taught Roy about the traps he could make to catch some fish, birds, rabbits, and marmots. The traps were made using anything that was avable in the wild, including vines, twigs, and fallen leaves. They made the traps at night, and if they were lucky, they could get something the very next day.


    Then, he showed Roy how to use their witcher senses to track bigger prey using their urine, footprints, fur, and feathers. Then they would hunt down their prey, skin and disembowel it, and finally make barbecue out of it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be on cooking duty from now on, kid, so learn how to grill,¡± Serrit said nonchntly as he chomped down on the meat.


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°School tradition. Youngest witcher is on menial duty.¡±


    ***


    Roy liked Serrit¡¯s ss the most out of the three sessions. It was interesting, and Roy could train his crossbow skills, <em>and </em>he could gain some EXP as well. <em>Three birds with one stone. Or in my case, one bolt. </em>He would have fallen in love with Serrit at this rate, but s, Serrit wasn¡¯t a woman.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 159: gets released!

    The first rays of sunlight rained down upon thend, and it bestowed a glimmering sheen upon the beads of sweat on the young witcher¡¯s face.


    The training week had ended, and it was the 21st of June, 1261. Midaete had arrived.


    The veteran witchers, in all their mercy, allowed Roy a day off. He went to the marketce with Auckes to find something to eat, and he tried to get some clues about the chosen person. Roy had been to Aldersberg, Mahakam, Ender, and Vizima. Their marketce was stuffy and noisy, and Cintra¡¯s was every bit as noisy as the other marketces.


    Skellige Isles stood at its west, and the maritime delivery business was booming here. Yaruga flowed on the northern side of Cintra, and the neighboring kingdoms were Sodden and Brugge, vassal states of Temeria. Cintra had a lot of partnership with the merchants in those kingdoms.


    The merchants who came from the north and west easily filled the marketce with their stalls. Auckes took Roy with him, and they bravely delved into the throng. The moment they did, the rancid stench of sweat, body odor, the smell of feet, and the scent of poultry excrements assailed them. Roy almost passed out from the smell alone, and he grumbled, ¡°Wow, this is nastier than nekker breath.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it eventually.¡±


    There were sounds of flutes and lutes in the marketce. Obviously, bards and lutists were performing in the square, and to make things worse, there was a horn yer blowing his horn around. The cacophony of noises almost made Roy¡¯s head explode, and heined, ¡°This is a disaster.¡±


    He stood among the crowd patiently, and a whileter, he saw a few interesting things. A small crowd gathered around some halflings and watched as they made a beautiful wine pouch from leather, while two elves were selling some exquisite dolls.


    <em>Well, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a non-human race outside of elves and dwarves. </em>Halflings looked shorter than dwarves. They were not even four feet (1.2 meters) tall, but they looked a bit more handsome than dwarves were. Still, they had bigger eyes and nosespared to humans, and they didn¡¯t have majestic beards like dwarves did. However, their chest and leg hair were thick.


    Roy cast Observe on them, and he noticed that the halflings¡¯ Strength and Constitution were less than four. Obviously, they were weaker than the average human, but they had a special trait.


    ¡®Deft Hands (Passive). Halflings are shorter than humans and dwarves, but they have great uracy and talent in archery and rock throwing. Dexterity +1, Perception +2.¡¯


    ***


    After Roy was done sightseeing, the horn yer finally stopped as well.<em> Someone probably killed him. </em>¡°Hey, something smells nice. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Grilled potato, I suppose.¡± Auckes patted his money pouch. ¡°Want one?¡±


    ¡°Two. One for each of us.¡±


    ¡°I am a meat eater.¡± Auckes grinned toothily.


    ¡°You have quite the good stomach.¡± Roy spent a few crowns to buy some potatoes and wolfed it down. The unique taste came as a surprise, but it was a light snack at most, and it could not fill the belly of a hungry witcher. There were a lot of stalls in the marketce, however, so Roy got toast and smoked carp before his belly finally stopped rumbling.


    It was time for business after breakfast, and Auckes started teaching him some tips and tricks. ¡°We think that the chosen person the Wild Hunt is pursuing probably has the same traits as the Unexpected Children.¡± Auckes looked at the crowd nonchntly, but his eyes were gleaming. ¡°They must have something special about them, so open your eyes and look around.¡±


    ¡°Auckes, you could have said nothing and the oue would still not change. We don¡¯t even know the Wild Hunt¡¯s target, so how should we look for it.¡±


    ¡°Have some patience, kid.¡± Auckes still looked around. ¡°I told you the girl who was captured and released by the Wild Hunt has talent, did I not?¡±


    ¡°You mean the talent for being a witcher?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She might be young, but she already has some mana within her. She doesn¡¯t know how to control it, so our pendant resonated with her.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Roy knew who the target was, but he had to pretend he knew nothing and go around with Auckes for some investigation.


    ¡°Be on the lookout. Not every girl who has talent can cause the pendant to resonate. Some girls who seem grotesque might be the Wild Hunt¡¯s target as well. And those who act weird might be a target too.¡±


    <em>Yeah, I know. Girls like that are budding witches, just like Casiga.</em>


    The marketce had the most number of people in Cintra, and it became the first stop of their sleuth work. They walked ahead and came across a weird semicircle amphitheater. Wooden stands measuring six feet tall supported a huge canvas, and it acted as a makeshift wall around the amphitheater. The entrance was located between two stands, and a tall, freckled man who wore a short-sleeved shirt, a pair of striped pants and sailor boots stood sentry outside the entrance. A small group of people wandered before him, then they tossed him some coins and went into the amphitheater.


    The man tossed the coins into a big bag, and he bellowed hoarsely. ¡°Step right up! We got the most terrifying creature the gods have ever created! The one and only basilisk from Zerrikania! See it in all its glory! Only one crown! Step right up!¡±


    ¡°Basilisk?¡± Roy was curious. <em>What kind of fool would put that kind of monster in a packed marketce? </em>But that interested him as well. <em>Hey, if it¡¯s true, it¡¯s worth a crown. I¡¯m in need of a magical creature to test my Taming on. A locked basilisk is the perfect target.</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a basilisk before.¡± A basilisk was a lethal enemy for any witcher.


    ¡°Wanna have a look?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am trying to look for some fun, and we have to find the Wild Hunt¡¯s quarry.¡± Auckes shook his head. ¡°You can have a look yourself, but don¡¯t forget about tomorrow¡¯s training.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They went their separate ways, and Roy tossed the man a crown before he went into the amphitheater. A stage made out of wood stood in the center, and a crowd surrounded it. They were staring at the wooden cage on the stage, but a nket covered it. After thest customers came in, the man leaped up onto the stage and pulled the nket up with a wooden pole, then the stench of the animal assailed them.


    The audience took a few steps back, grumbling as they did so. Only the witcher remained still as he stared at the cage with interest.


    ¡°Do take a few steps back, audience. This creature is dangerous.¡±


    A ck beast the size of a calf was curled up in the cage. Upon closer inspection, Roy noticed it was covered in ck feathers. The man knocked on the cage with his pole, and the beast squirmed. As its skin and ws touched the cage, the beast craned its neck and let out a ghastly scream. It jutted its beak out of the cage and stuck its crimson tongue out.


    One look and Roy knew the beast was not a basilisk. He stared at it and casted Observe.


    ¡®Griffin


    Gender: Female


    Age: Three months old


    HP: 70 (Injured, weakened)


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 7


    Perception: 7


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Chimera (Passive): Griffins have the best of eagles and lions. They have strengthened digestive tracts and regenerative abilities. Dexterity +2, Strength +2, Constitution +2.


    Predator (Passive): Griffins are one of the best predators in the beast world. Its beak and ws have special structures, and the wounds they inflict will cause continuous blood loss. It has better sight and smell than other animals. Perception +2.¡¯


    ***


    <em>That¡¯s a griffin for you. She¡¯s just a baby, but she already has better stats than a regr adult. </em>Roy was delighted. <em>Looks like this is going to be a fulfilling trip after all. </em>However, there was one tiny w. As the symbol of bravery and courage, the griffin¡¯s Will stood at six, and she was only three months old. Roy¡¯s Will was 9.5. Even if he leveled up immediately, he couldn¡¯t level his Will up to 12, so he couldn¡¯t tame the griffin by force. Even so, he wouldn¡¯t let go of the chance. <em>I have to try and get this griffin.</em>


    ¡°Have a look, folks. This creaturees from the desert. It can spew venom, so please do note near the cage!¡±


    The crowd looked solemn, and none of them made sudden movements. The man nodded in delight, and he continued, ¡°This is a basilisk. It has the sharpest fangs in the world, and a single one of this beast can kill ten lions.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you catch it, then?¡± someone asked quietly.


    The man quickly answered, ¡°It¡¯s a secret. But you can purchase it if you have the right price.¡±


    Roy interrupted, ¡°That is no basilisk. No creature in the desert would look this dark.¡±


    ¡°Silence, child!¡± Enraged, the man nearly poked Roy with his pole. ¡°How dare you deny a warrior¡¯s fruit ofbor? If this creature is not a basilisk¡­¡± The man swirled around to face the audience. ¡°Then tell them what it really is.¡±


    ¡°A griffin,¡± Roy said loudly. ¡°It¡¯s not even four months old. It¡¯s weakened, starving, and its wing is broken. It has the same name in Elder Speech.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the audience is blind? There are no ck griffins in this world!¡± The man was still trying to deny it.


    ¡°Let me guess. You painted it ck. It¡¯ll reveal its true colors once it takes a shower.¡±


    The audience was starting to whisper among themselves. Elder Speech was famous in thesends, and knowing it made Roy seem like an expert.


    The man started to panic. ¡°Silence, child, or I will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Or you will what?¡± A beautiful woman in a yellow dress stepped up. Her dress was expensive, and it was obvious she was from a higher ss. ¡°Are you afraid? Have you been scamming the audience? Is that why you don¡¯t want him to exin himself?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The man looked at the woman with hesitation, then he shot a re at Roy. ¡°Fine,e here, child. Touch it, and I guarantee it will spew its venom at you. Don¡¯te crying if it does.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer,¡± Roy agreed before leaping up to the stage. The crowd was whispering, but Roy ignored them, and he went straight to the cage.


    When the griffin caught Roy¡¯s scent, its eyes turned crimson, and it started struggling violently in its cage. However, Roy wasn¡¯t fazed at all. He went even closer to the cage and stretched his hand out to quickly touch the griffin¡¯s furry head.


    ¡°See?¡± Roy teased the griffin as if it were amon dog. ¡°Where¡¯s the venom? I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s brave. Is he a beastmaster?¡± The girl who came to Roy¡¯s defense looked delighted, and she mumbled to herself, ¡°Well, now I can tell the princess all about this.¡±


    ¡°So did your ¡®venomous¡¯ creature kill me?¡± Roy mocked the man, and the man couldn¡¯t even say a word.


    ¡°Look out, behind you!¡±


    ¡°The creature is escaping!¡±


    The crowd started shouting, for the baby griffin bent its cage, and it forced the rusty nail out. The man quickly ran away, fearing he might be killed. The crowd was starting to panic, then, the griffin made one final push and broke its cage entirely, but it still took the griffin some time to wiggle out of its prison.


    Before the crowd could even gasp, Roy quickly put his hand on the griffin¡¯s head, much to the crowd¡¯s shock. Roy cast Fear on the griffin, and the creature saw countless crimson tentacles rising from Roy¡¯s back. Its guttural roar was cut short, and it kneeled before Roy motionlessly.


    Roy¡¯s higher Will took effect, and even after Fear¡¯s effect had passed, the griffin still didn¡¯t get up, much to Roy¡¯s surprise.


    The man who ran away earlier was shocked to see that as well. ¡°What in Melitele¡¯s name is going on? I don¡¯t remember that beast being so agreeable.¡± <em>All griffins are proud, including their babies. How did this kid manage to tame it?</em>


    When the crowd realized what had happened, their jaws dropped.


    ¡°Dark gold eyes, special attire. He¡¯s a witcher.¡± The girl in the yellow dress looked excited. When she realized who Roy was, she couldn¡¯t wait to return to the castle and tell the princess what she saw. <em>She has always been curious about witchers, that princess.</em>


    Roy brushed his hand across the griffin¡¯s mane and touched its warm, trembling body. <em>Hm, this beast feels like a rooster. </em>¡°You need a better cage.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± The man¡¯s face turned red in embarrassment. ¡°Ca-Can you send it home for me?¡±


    ¡°I can, but this counts as a request.¡±


    ¡°A request?¡± Curious, the man looked at Roy closely. ¡°Y-You¡¯re a witcher?¡±


    ¡°Roy of the Viper School.¡±


    The man looked surprised, and he forgot all about his griffin. ¡°Mr. Roy, forgive me for my impudence.¡± He bowed. ¡°Do you still ept requests? Oh, I don¡¯t mean locking the beast up in a cage. This is a more important request.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about that right here?¡±


    ¡°I am very sorry, my audience.¡± Gr turned around. ¡°Today¡¯s presentation has ended. But aspensation, tomorrow¡¯s show shall be free.¡±


    The crowd grumbled and muttered, but they left in the end.


    Roy could feel Gr¡¯s determination, so he named his price. ¡°I like this little one. Are you willing to sell it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Gr looked troubled, but a momentter, he gritted his teeth. ¡°If you can settle this matter for me, then I shall give you this griffin in return.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 160: gets released!

    Two silhouettes appeared on a path toward the mountain forest in northern Cintra. The shorter one was wearing ck leather armor, and he had two swords strapped behind his back. The other one was taller. He had a long face, and he was gaunt. The taller man said, ¡°Two months ago, Hadava and I went to gather some herbs in the cave, and we found the baby griffin there. It was a newborn, and its feathers were still wet. Its ws and beak were soft, and it wasn¡¯t even the size of our fists, though it was cawing at us.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know it was a griffin, so we thought it was the spawn of a vulture and an eagle. We were going to take it home and raise it until it was big enough to perform, then we would make money off it.¡± Gr sighed, and fear crept up on his face. ¡°But the moment we took the griffin, something attacked us. It looked like a human, but its back was horribly hunched. Its skin was grey, and it smelled like a dead body, and it walked on all fours like a beast. It only had four fingers on each w, and its nails were like ck hooks.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even react to its attack. It came out of the shadows and pounced at Hadava. Took half of his face in one go, and the monster pinned Hadava down, tearing him apart. I was terrified. I couldn¡¯t even think straight, so I took the little one with me and¡­¡± He started to stammer, and he looked guilty.


    ¡°And you ran?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°I left my friend for dead and ran.¡± Gr stared down, his face ashen. ¡°I am a coward. A deserter.¡±


    Roy sighed, but he didn¡¯t me Gr for running away. ¡°Running away is normal, expected.¡± Roy knew how terrifying a ghoul could be. It could induce nightmares for children and make cowards faint. ¡°Most people would either stand dumbly or run away when theye face to face with a ghoul. Not many would fight it. Most would desert even their families when theye across a ghoul, let alone their friend. It¡¯s a survival instinct.¡±


    ¡°No! This is my fault.¡± Gr still med himself. ¡°If I didn¡¯t run, if I had just hit that monster, maybe Hadava would havee out alive.¡±


    ¡°Ghouls possess greater speed and strength than humans. Their ws and fangs are sharp enough to tear through human flesh and bones. If you hadn¡¯t run, you¡¯d have ended up dead like your friend. But well, it would have been an honorable death.¡± Roy looked ahead, and they were now on a slope filled with shrubs. ¡°Toote for regrets now. Tell me about the request. You wish to kill the ghoul and avenge your friend, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want that bastard dead!¡± Gr gritted his teeth, and regret filled his eyes. ¡°And I want to collect Gr¡¯s remains. He was a warrior. A mercenary who fought countless battles, but he took an arrow to the knee, and he had to retire early. He moved to Cintra from Novigrad and started working with me. I never thought he¡¯d die from an ambush from a ghoul.¡±


    <em>A retired mercenary killed by a monster in the wilds. </em>Roy thought, <em>That¡¯s probably the fate of most witchers, too. </em>


    ¡°I am a despicable deserter, and I let him down. The least I can do is give him a proper burial. In Cintra, that¡¯s a sea burial.¡± Gr looked Roy in the eye genuinely. ¡°If you can avenge my friend, then you shall get that griffin as payment. If it is not enough, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°The reward is adequate. You don¡¯t have to put in any more money.¡± Roy didn¡¯t want to push his luck. A baby griffin was priceless for him. ¡°But you have to be prepared. If the ghoul is hungry enough, it won¡¯t be picky about its food. Bones are also on its menu. Your friend might have been devoured, bones and all.¡±


    Gr suddenly stopped, and he nched. A long whileter, he sighed. ¡°One piece of bone is good enough for me. I want to bury him and repent.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Being careful had be Roy¡¯s habit, so he asked solemnly, ¡°Last question. Are you sure there¡¯s only one ghoul in the cave? Are the griffin¡¯s parents there? I can handle a lone ghoul, but if there¡¯s anything else in there, we¡¯ll both be finished.¡±


    ¡°I remember it as if it happened yesterday. I don¡¯t think I can ever forget what I saw. I am sure the ghoul was the only thing that attacked us. It hid in the shadows and struck us out of nowhere.¡± Gr had mixed feelings about the matter. He felt d foring out with his life, but he regretted his actions too. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have escaped if there was another ghoul or an adult griffin in there, nor could I have taken the little one with me.¡±


    Roy nodded. Griffins were protective of their own children. They would never have left their child alone. <em>The baby¡¯s parents must be dead. </em>¡°A lone ghoul. It¡¯s a standard challenge.¡± Roy looked up at the sky, and he felt assured.


    Ghouls would gain more strength during twilight hours and the night, but the sun was shining brightly, and the ghoul would be weakened. On top of that, Roy had one Full Recovery in store. <em>I can take this. </em>


    Half an hourter, they came to a clearing in the forest, and a dark cavern stood a hundred feet away from them.


    ***


    Roy and Gr looked at the entrance from afar. A whileter, Gr started feeling scared, for he recalled what happened that day, but he shook his head to dispel the fear. ¡°What should I do next, Mr. Roy?¡±


    ¡°Your job is to hide outside. If you can climb that por tree, then all the better. Can you climb a tree?¡± After what happened with Hucklest time, Roy didn¡¯t want any amateurs toplicate his job.


    Gr¡¯s face was red, and he wanted to say something, but Roy waved him down. ¡°Have patience. You will have the chance to destroy the ghoul¡¯s body.¡±


    Roy bent down and tiptoed to the cave. He turned his witcher senses on, and he saw a row of colorful silk in the air. Most of them came from the wild beasts he was familiar with, but a few strands were unfamiliar. Their color and scent were the same, and Roy heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Alright. Now I know I only have one ghoul to deal with, and it just came back from a hunt.</em>


    He checked his alchemy supplies in his inventory, and he took out a dose of ghoul oil to smear it on Aerondight, then he took out ten bolts made of special materials. Roy gulped down Swallow and Thunderbolt, and ck veins popped up on his face. He made a sign before him, and a yellow light covered him a momentter. After he made his preparations, Roy snuck into the cave, sticking to the wall.


    Roy wasn¡¯t in a hurry to find the ghoul. He looked around him to see what he could work with. There were stctites on the top of the cavern, and underneath it were piles of rocks, spiderwebs, moss, and some mushrooms. The space was big, but it was still limited for a fight with a ghoul. He had to use every advantage he had.


    Roy memorized the structure of the cave and simted the battle in his mind. Two minutester, he came to a stop at a corner and hid behind a stone structure. There was a clearing not far away, and the dim light from above shone on a humanoid creature walking on all fours. Its skin was greyish-white, just like a corpse, and it smelled like rotten flesh. Roy could see bulging muscles on its limbs and back, and its legs were bent to the back at the joints, just like how a dog¡¯s legs would. The creature had a ck maw that stretched to its ears, and its yellow teeth looked like maggots that squirmed in a pile of excrements. Its eyes were ck, as if it were possessed by a demon.


    ¡®Ghoul


    Age: One year old


    HP: 130


    Strength: 12


    Dexterity: 10


    Constitution: 13


    Perception: 6


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    gued w (Level 3): Ghouls are filled with venom, germs, and viruses. Wounded targets will get feverish, weakened, and their wounds will start to fester.


    Devour (Level 3): Ghouls can heal light wounds and regenerate health through devouring flesh.


    Madness (Passive): Ghouls can store a part of the power of the flesh they consume. When their health falls below twenty percent in battle, they can activate this power and regenerate their health. +1 to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They will be more violent and resistant to pain. Lasts one minute.


    ***


    Roy held his trembling pendant and heaved a sigh of relief. His target¡¯s stats weren¡¯t overwhelmingly high, and it was extremely slow, so Roy could kite it. <em>Not to mention I have the element of surprise. </em>Roy made a sign quietly and pressed it against the ground, then the purple light of Yrden shone in the air. He summoned his crossbow and took cover. Roy took a deep breath and aimed his weapon at the ghoul¡¯s head. <em>Guided Arrows!</em>


    He fired three blue bolts, and they hit their target squarely in the head. The ghoul screeched in pain, its voice unpleasant, as if sharp nails were wing on a ckboard. The ghoul tensed up and set its sights on the ambusher who was hiding behind the rock, and it came charging at Roy, ignoring the arrows that were buried in its head.


    Roy calmly pulled the trigger and fired three more bolts before he sent the crossbow back to his inventory space, then he summoned Aerondight. After suffering six bolts, the ghoul only had half its HP left when it came to the rock.


    The stench of its body assailed Roy, and it tried to stab Roy¡¯s artery with its ws. Its rotten drool almost fell on Roy¡¯s face, but the ghoul would never reach its prey, for its movements slowed thanks to Yrden.


    Roy crouched and evaded the ghoul¡¯s attack. He came to its back and got up, then he turned around and shed the monster. The crimson de cut a gash on the nape of the ghoul¡¯s neck, revealing the bones within. The pain snapped the ghoul out of its trance, and it turned around, but a green triangle caught its mind again, and it was caught in another trance.


    Roy took a deep breath and pressed his hand against the ground, using its momentum to leap up high into the air. Just like a cat who was hunting its prey, Roy jumped over the ghoul and made a powerful downward sh. However, it didn¡¯t cut through the ghoul. The de managed to wound its neck, but the ghoul¡¯s bones were too hard for Roy to cut through.


    The ghoul let out a guttural roar, and an eerie red light appeared on its skin. Its health was quickly regenerating, and it leaped up, shing its ws at Roy.


    Roy came back down to the ground and quickly evaded the ghoul¡¯s attack. At the same time, he cast Fear again. Countless crimson tentacles appeared in the ghoul¡¯s line of sight, and they wrapped themselves around it, making it almost impossible for the ghoul to even take a step.


    A gust of wind blew through the cave as Roy summoned his silver sword again. He tensed his muscles up and shed away at the same spot for the third time. A crimson light shone within the cave, then a gigantic head flew high up into the air before it fell with a thud.


    The head rolled over to Roy, and blood spurted from the headless body of the ghoul before it too fell to the ground.


    ¡®Ghoul killed. EXP +100. Level 5 Witcher (2850/2500)¡¯


    Roy heaved a sigh and flicked his wrist to clean Aerondight of the ghoul¡¯s blood, and he eased up a little. The battle didn¡¯tst for ten seconds. Roy¡¯s target was clear, and he aimed for the ghoul¡¯s vitals, preventing it from healing. His n worked well, and thanks to the element of surprise, he won the battle. But still, the battle went too smoothly. He was used to the brutal fights with Auckes.


    Roy smiled self-deprecatingly, and he went to cut the ghoul up. To his pleasant surprise, he found a red mutagen, and he was one step closer to being an intermediate witcher. ¡®Magical creatures killed: 3/10.¡¯


    After handling the ghoul¡¯s corpse, Roy scoured the cave, and he found a few herbs, such as stramonium, reachcluster, and button-heart. There were also a lot of animal bones around the cave. Deers, stray dogs, roe deers, and even a couple of unlucky humans.


    Roy also found two skeletons asrge as buffaloes, and they were lying side by side. Judging from the beak, ws, and tails, he realized the skeletons must have belonged to the baby griffin¡¯s parents.


    Roy noticed that one of the skeletons had a lot of broken bones on it, and he deduced that the griffins must have died because they fell from a great height and didn¡¯t manage to get treated in time. The other griffin¡¯s skull was crushed. Roy used his witcher senses and found a patch of dried blood with some feathers on the wall. The cracks fit, so it was obvious that the other griffin killed itself for love.


    Roy thought it was a shame. ¡°Not even death can do them part. Griffins do love deeply, but is it really a good idea to leave your own kid behind?¡± <em>Suicide did prove your love, but your kid¡¯s really unlucky. If it weren¡¯t for Gr and his friend, she might have died. </em>The ghoul was obviously attracted by the griffins¡¯ rotting body. If Gr hadn¡¯te in time, the baby griffin would have died soon after as well.


    ***


    ¡°Hadava, my brother. I should not have left you. I am a coward! A deserter!¡± Gr knelt before a human skeleton that was covered in blue armor. Behind himy a mangled, headless corpse of a ghoul. ¡°I know you might not forgive me, but I swear I shall give you a sea burial, just like you said.¡±


    Gr banged his head against the ground, and his forehead swelled up, but it didn¡¯t stop him from crying. Gr sobbed. He spent some time processing his guilt, and finally, he got his closure. ¡°Mr. Roy, I shall give you your reward once we return to town.¡±


    ¡°I am not in a hurry. You can still keep up this exhibition in Cintra.¡± As Roy¡¯s Will was too low to forcibly tame the griffin, and it was inconvenient to take the beast around, Roy wanted someone to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious, Mr. Roy?¡± Gr didn¡¯t understand why Roy was doing this.


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep all the profit, but you have to feed the little one. Do not let it go hungry,¡± Roy said. ¡°I will check up on it regrly. Once I am prepared, I shall take the little one with me. Do you have any problem with this arrangement?¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. I shall do as you say, sir,¡± Gr agreed. ¡°After all, opening an exhibition was the quickest way to make money. I shall take good care of it, sir. Worry not.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to pull anything funny, or you will end up worse than this ghoul here. And remember to reinforce the cage. Don¡¯t let it hurt anyone. I¡¯lle to the marketce tomorrow.¡± <em>For now, I¡¯m looting all the herbs in this cave.</em>


    ***


    When Gr came back with his friend¡¯s remains, he still had a look of disbelief on his face. It had been a long day. First, he asked the witcher to kill the ghoul, then he found his friend¡¯s remains, and he could keep the baby griffin for a while too. It was like a dream.


    However, the eventful day was not over yet. When he came back to his tent, the girl who doubted him earlier in the day came up to him and grinned. Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity, and she asked, ¡°You are Gr, right? Can you tell me about your adventure you went on with the witcher this morning?¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 161: gets released!

    Cintra Castle.


    A petite girl was sitting on the windowsill in her room, swinging her legs back and forth. She stared at the roads beneath, where the kingdom¡¯s people were going about with their lives. She had grey hair and a pair of beautiful green eyes, though they were filled with frustration. ¡°Hjalmar, Cerys, where are you? I miss you two,¡± she mumbled, and the girl buried her face in her hands as she started to cry.


    ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± Sounds of hurried footsteps rang in the room, and someone suddenly picked Ciri up from the windowsill. ¡°My dear Ciri, what did I tell you? Never go near somewhere so dangerous.¡± The woman looked like she was in her forties, and she was gorgeous. There were wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, but they couldn¡¯t cover her beauty, and she had a gentle voice as well. ¡°You are my only rtive left. If something were to happen to you, it would be devastating for me.¡±


    The woman was in a resplendent, noble dress, and her eyes were as beautiful as emeralds. However, the stress lines that flowed down the sides of her nose made her look stern, while her thin lips and tall nose added to her air of cockiness.


    ¡°Put me down!¡± The young girl grunted, though she sounded like she was just ying around.


    The olderdy pressed down on Ciri¡¯s shoulder and straightened her up. They locked gazes, but neither of them refused to take a step back. ¡°I am worried about you, Ciri. Please never climb up the windowsill ever again, alright?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The girl looked up indignantly. ¡°I grew up on the Skellige Isles, and Crach told me I should be a free soul on the seas instead of a prisoner locked up in a castle. You¡¯ve kept me cooped up in this ce, and now you¡¯re taking my only entertainment away too?¡±


    The olderdy sighed. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t run away, and I will give you your freedom.¡±


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t marry me off to that pig and I won¡¯t run away,¡± the girl mocked.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Cnthe roared, and she shot up angrily. The fury in her eyes was like a storm, and she imperiously silenced the girl. Scared, the girl hung her head low. ¡°Ciri, I know you haven¡¯t been feeling too happy,¡± thedy said coldly. ¡°But as the princess of Cintra, it is your responsibility to help me govern the kingdom. Enough of your tomfoolery.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The girl¡¯s voice became a whisper. ¡°But I¡¯ve promised Hjalmar I¡¯ll marry him.¡±


    ¡°That is nonsense! That contract is invalid!¡±


    ¡°How so? Cerys was the witness, and Pavetta gave her blessing,¡± the girl whispered, and she teared up.


    Cnthe held her fury down, and she spoke painfully, ¡°I promised Pavetta that I would find a good husband for you. You have heard about the fairytale between a prince and a princess. You are a noble, and only a prince is fit to be your husband. Kistrin of Verden is the perfect choice.¡± Cnthe persuaded, ¡°Kistrin might be pudgy, but just like you, he is a child. I am sure he will grow into a handsome prince.¡±


    ¡°Then I can get betrothed to him when he¡¯s handsome enough,¡± Ciri retorted as she stomped her feet, but she did not realize the consequences of her actions.


    Cnthe flew into a rage and ordered her soldiers to keep the windows shut, then she locked Ciri in the room with nothing but dolls and books as her friends. ¡°You will be staying in your room and reflecting upon yourself. Once the timees, you will go to Verden whether you want to or not.¡± Cnthe stormed off without saying another word. The lioness of Cintra would never bow to anyone, not even her own granddaughter.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ciri red at her grandmother and hissed. She then picked up a thick book and hurled it onto her bed, knocking down a few dolls on the way. ¡°This is so dull.¡±


    Ciri grew up on Skellige Isles, and she was a more active child. She went around skiing, racing, and fishing for crabs. Books and dolls bored her out of her mind. Shey on her bed and swung her legs in boredom. A long whileter, Ciri was about to fall asleep, but then she heard someone opening her door, and she leaped out of bed in excitement. ¡°My dear Amy! You are finally here.¡±


    ¡°Please, Your Highness. Be more gentle. You don¡¯t want to fall down.¡± The girl in the yellow dress hugged Ciri happily and led her to the bed. ¡°Why are the windows shut? Did you cross the queen again?¡± The girl scraped Ciri¡¯s nose in amusement while Ciri squirmed around in her embrace.


    ¡°She¡¯s forcing me to marry that pig again. I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The girl looked troubled. ¡°The queen doesn¡¯t want this either, but the South is getting bolder¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have brought this up.¡±


    ¡°Quick, tell me something interesting.¡± Ciri held the girl¡¯s hand happily. ¡°It¡¯s Midaete today. Did you run into something interesting out there? Tell me all about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I did run into something interesting today.¡± The girl told Ciri everything about what she saw in the marketce.


    ¡°A basilisk? Wait, you say it¡¯s actually a griffin? And there¡¯s a witcher there? <em>And </em>the witcher tamed that beast? And he killed the ghoul for the owner?¡± Ciri kept gasping when her friend told her about the highlights of the story. Her face was red with excitement and she punched her bed. She really wanted to be there, but her circumstances stopped her.


    ¡°So what does a witcher look like? Are they as bizarre as the legends say? Do they have white hair and eyes like a beast?¡±


    The girl shook her head. ¡°The rumors are exaggerated. They paint witchers in a bad light. The witcher I saw looks just like you and me. Like a normal human, though his eyes are dark gold. That¡¯s the only difference.¡±


    ¡°Hey, my eyes are different too.¡± Delight and affection for the witcher welled up within Ciri¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Your eyes are prettier, but the witcher isn¡¯t half bad. His looks are decent.¡±


    ¡°So he tamed the griffin? I thought griffins would never bow to anyone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a young and weakened griffin,¡± the girl corrected. ¡°A wolf is probably stronger than it is, and it hasn¡¯t learned about a griffin¡¯s loyalty.¡±


    That didn¡¯t stop Ciri from being astonished. ¡°But it¡¯s a griffin nheless. It¡¯s not some random beast. No one I knew back on Skellige Isles managed to kill a griffin before. That young witcher is a warrior.¡± Ciri gripped her friend¡¯s hand nervously. ¡°You said the witcher killed a ghoul and avenged that man¡¯s friend, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The girl nodded.


    Ciri looked delighted. ¡°So that witcher is a warrior of justice then! He is a savior sent by Freya herself! My dear Amy¡­¡± Ciri looked at Amy hopefully. ¡°Can you ask him to save a princess locked up in a castle?¡±


    She quickly leaped out of bed and took out a bunch of jewelry from her dressing table, then she showed it to Amy. ¡°I can give them a lot of gol¡­ I mean reward!¡± Ciri looked up seriously. ¡°And I, princess of Cintra, heir to the Skellige Isles, shall grant him the title of knight.¡±


    Amyughed out loudly. She was the daughter of a Cintra noble. If she were to work with a witcher and abduct a princess who was about to marry a prince right under Cnthe¡¯s nose, she would be sent to the guillotine. Amy only thought of that as a joke. ¡°You jest, my princess. The queen is the highest authority in Cintra. No witcher would cross her while they are in Cintra.¡±


    ¡°Amy, are you just going to watch as I get married off to that ugly, rotten pig?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never met Prince Kistrin before. How do you know he¡¯s rotten?¡± Amy waved her down and lifted her dress as she walked back to the door. ¡°That is all for today, princess. I shall see you again after I find more interesting stories to tell.¡±


    Ciri saw her off, and her eyes glinted with cunning. ¡°There will always be a way.¡± Pavetta had talked about the good the witchers had done, and she put her hands on her hips. ¡°They helped my parents before, so why can¡¯t they help me? I¡¯ll get Cnthe to invite him into the pce. If she objects, I¡¯ll tell her I won¡¯t see that pig.¡±


    At the same time, a white-haired witcher was leading his horse¡ªRoach¡ªto Brugge¡¯s castle. He was now northwest of Cintra at the riverside of Yaruga. There was an important request waiting for him in the castle.


    As he walked up the towering stairs, a breeze brushed across his cheek, and his left eyelid started to twitch. For some reason, he had a feeling something important would befall him soon enough. ¡°I wonder what it shall be.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 162: gets released!

    Within a tent in the marketce, a small beast with the head and ws of a vulture and the body and tail of a lion was lying quietly in a big ck steel cage. It was staring at the witcher outside its cage, and unrest was written in its eyes.


    Roy came closer to the beast and smiled at it gently. He held a rabbit in his left hand and beckoned the beast with his right. ¡°Do you want this, griffin? I just caught thisst night. It¡¯s still fresh.¡± Roy swung the rabbit before the baby griffin and allowed the stench of blood to permeate the air.


    However, his n backfired. The young griffin was offended, and it let out a weird scream. The beast¡¯s mane bristled, as if it were facing a great enemy. It stood up on its hind legs and pped its wings, crashing against the steel bars.


    ¡°Rx. I just want to be your friend.¡± Roy took a step back and crouched down. ¡°As a token of my friendship, I have buried your parents¡¯ remains. They will not be defiled by any beast. Can¡¯t you show me some trust?¡±


    He tossed the rabbit to the griffin, but it didn¡¯t take it. Instead, the beast smacked the rabbit back to Roy and craned its neck haughtily as it pped its wings.


    ¡°Gr was right when he said you were a stubborn, resentful girl. I spent an hour every day for five days, but you still think I¡¯m a viin.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want the easy way, guess I¡¯ll go with the hard way.¡±


    A crimson light shed in Roy¡¯s eyes, and the griffin¡¯s screams were cut short. Its legs buckled, and it kneeled in fear once more.


    ¡°Fear is always useful.¡± The griffin would calm down for half an hour after it was feared, but it would start to get haughty again after that. That was what Roy observed.


    He tossed the rabbit back to the griffin, and this time, it didn¡¯t refuse it. Instead, it started to eat the animal. It held the rabbit with its ws and tore a strip of flesh down easily with its beak, then it swallowed it down.


    Roy put his hands on the beast¡¯s neck and caressed its back all the way to the tip of its tail. The beast didn¡¯t move around and allowed Roy to touch it, and it didn¡¯t show any violent tendency either. ¡°Well, this feels like touching a cat.¡±


    <em>But the feeling of satisfaction is so much higher. </em>Griffins were much more dangerous than cats could ever be. It was the apex predator, and seeing them so tame felt exhrating for Roy. He petted the beast for fifteen minutes, and it fell asleep halfway through. Then he picked out a dozen ticks before he stopped touching the beast.


    Roy¡¯s goal was to get the griffin to warm up to him so he could tame it down the road. <em>Luckily she¡¯s still young. That¡¯s why the carrot and stick routine works. If she¡¯d been a fully matured griffin, she would never have bowed down to me. </em>¡°Right, stick to the n. I¡¯ll do this every day. Someday, she¡¯ll bow down to me.¡± <em>Even if she won¡¯t, I should have fulfilled the condition to cast forcible Taming on her. Then I¡¯ll be the first witcher who can fly through the clouds. Hm, I wonder if I can take over the Griffin School. If they object, I can always tell them I have a pet griffin.</em>


    He led the griffin back to its cage before he left the tent, and Gr waved goodbye at him. Halfway back to the house, Roy bumped into Auckes, who looked like he was in a hurry.


    ¡°Roy, stop thinking about taming that griffin. They will never bow to anyone. Time for business!¡± Auckes, for the first time, looked concerned. ¡°After days of investigation, I finally found someone who might be the fated person. ¡°There¡¯s a family in Tung Tree Street located in southern Cintra. House number one hundred and eighty. They have a wretched daughter called Thelma, and her parents lock her up in the house all the time.¡±


    Roy was surprised. <em>Hey, Ciri¡¯s still in the castle, and she¡¯s the real quarry of the Wild Hunt. Where did thise from? Is that girl a potential witch?</em>


    ***


    The sun was shining on Cintra, but there were a few alleyways that were always shrouded in darkness. A young, frail girl was leaning against the wall in one such alleyway, and she was trying to catch her breath. Her misshapen, dirty face was filled with bruises, and her eyes were filled with terror.


    A momentter, a group of boys her age backed her into a corner, their faces filled with cruelty far beyond their age. ¡°You can¡¯t run anymore, monster.¡±


    ¡°My name is Thelma!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°I am no monster. I¡¯m a human, just like all of you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, ugly? It¡¯s only been two months since we taught you a lesson, and now you¡¯ve gotten brave, haven¡¯t you?¡± The boys¡¯ fat leader held the girl up by her hair and gave her a p. ¡°Look at yourself, you monster. Your face looks like it got trampled by a horse! You should have stayed where the sun didn¡¯t shine, ugly!¡± The disgusting fat boy spat at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a bastard! We know what your parents are! Now tell everyone about their job!¡± The fat boy turned to hispanions. The girl was covering her face, refusing to answer.


    However, a boy answered for her. ¡°Thelma¡¯s mother is a whore! Her father is a shit-taker!¡±


    The group of boys broke out into cruelughter, and the girl could do nothing but clench her fists and grit her teeth. Eventually, she loosened her grip in despair.


    ¡°Tell us the truth, Thelma. Did your father pick you up from a shithole? Is that why you¡¯re so ugly?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The girl finally let out a scream, and she red at her tormentors with a deep hatred.


    The fat boy sneered. ¡°Let¡¯s kill her, boys!¡±


    Before the boy could do anything, he and hispanions were already flying through the air, and they crashed into the walls around them before cking out entirely. There were bumps on their heads and faces, proof that someone had hit them.


    The moans and groans piqued Thelma¡¯s curiosity. She was curled up and prepared to be abused, but eventually, she slowly looked up and saw the kids strewn across the floors, then two men with swords on their backs showed up before her. They had eyes of a beast, and they were wearing leather armor.


    ¡°Wh-Who are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to help.¡± Roy looked at the lump of flesh on the girl¡¯s face and pulled her up, then he patted the dust on her clothes away.


    The girl was curious, but she was also nervous, though she kept quiet. A moment ago, she was about to be abused, but now, two strangers were extending their kindness to her. ¡°Ar-Are they dead?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re out ofmission, but they¡¯ll have to stay in bed for two weeks before they can even walk.¡±


    The girl heaved a sigh of relief, and satisfaction coursed through her eyes. ¡°Um¡­¡± Thelma pulled her hand back and curled up a little. She looked around, but she was still confused about the whole situation. She said, ¡°Thank you. Can I go home now?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible,¡± Auckes said gently, then he made a sign in front of the girl. She fainted right after and fell into the witcher¡¯s arms.


    ¡°This feels like kidnapping, Auckes.¡± Roy picked the future witch up and sneaked out of the alleyway.


    ¡°Better us than the Wild Hunt!¡± Auckes answered curtly.


    ¡°Hey, do all witches have tragic childhoods?¡± <em>This is the second time now, and it¡¯s the same case as Casiga. </em>At the same time, he was impressed that Auckes managed to find a potential witch among the tens of thousands of people in Cintra.


    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Auckes answered. ¡°Some witches are born with their magical powers out of bnce, and that causes them to grow up with misshapen body parts. But some are born lucky, and their magical powers are in bnce. Their bodies aren¡¯t harmed by their mana, so they can live life normally.


    ¡°Most witches do have tragic childhoods, though. They have no choice. The only way to escape the fate of discrimination and destruction is through bing a witch. But most parents won¡¯t give them over to magical academies, since they have nothing to gain from that transaction.¡±


    ¡°I see. Most witches are ugly ducklings, huh? Most of them never have the chance to grow into swans,¡± Roymented.


    ¡°Her looks don¡¯t matter.¡± Auckes patted his shoulder constely. ¡°As long as she survives, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    <em>Why does he say that? </em>


    ¡°You¡¯ll know what I mean once you have a witch as your lover.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying you hooked up with a witch before?¡±


    ¡°Hook up? If by that you mean sleep with them, then yes. They¡¯re so much more different than those nobles.¡± Reminiscence appeared in Auckes¡¯ eyes. ¡°That was ten years ago in Nilfgaard¡­¡±


    ***


    When they came back to the house with the girl in their arms, they ced her on the sofa and stared at her.


    ¡°So, how should we handle this?¡±


    ¡°Before that, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Letho tensed and crossed his arms solemnly. ¡°Kid, I need you to exin yourself. When and how did you get entangled with Cintra royalty? I just got news that they¡¯re looking for a witcher around the age of fifteen to sixteen, and he has dark gold eyes. You¡¯re the only one here who fits that bill.¡±


    ¡°What? What the heck is going on? The royals are out for me?¡± Roy was surprised, and he couldn¡¯t imagine why they wanted to see him. ¡°I was with the griffin whenever I wasn¡¯t training. I wouldn¡¯t have had any time to even contact the royals. Auckes can prove it!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on him.¡± Auckes was grinning, as if the matter wasn¡¯t even serious to him.


    ¡°Fine. No matter the reason, since they¡¯re summoning you, you have to ept that summon. Maybe you¡¯ll make some crowns on the way. Tell us about everything you gathered once you return,¡± Letho said.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 163: gets released!

    ¡°Why does he have to go to the pce? Did he notice our operation?¡± Serrit saw Roy off. ¡°If he tells anything to that bitch, Cnthe¡­¡±


    ¡°Serrit, you have to lighten up a little,¡± Auckes interrupted his brother. ¡°You know why women distance themselves from you? It¡¯s because of that attitude of yours. Besides, we finished our operation before he came to Cintra. Roy¡¯s one of us now. Trust him a little.¡±


    ¡°Alright, shut up,¡± Letho whispered. ¡°If anyone has actually noticed your operation, the soldiers would have surrounded us by now instead of sending someone to look for the kid. As for the reason, it¡¯s probably because of some request. Nobility and royalty are arrogant fools. They like those who have the kid¡¯s looks. We have more pressing matters at hand.¡± Letho looked into the house. The girl was still on the sofa. ¡°This child might be the Wild Hunt¡¯s quarry. It is just a possibility, of course. How should we handle her?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± Serrit straightened his hand out and made a slitting motion over his neck. ¡°Even if it¡¯s only a possibility, we can¡¯t let the Wild Hunt find her.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Auckes put his hands on his hips and red at his brother. ¡°How could you even do that to a poor girl? Do you think you¡¯re a killer?¡±


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t youe up with a suggestion, then?¡±


    ¡°Send her to Aretuza. Let the witches mentor her,¡± Auckes said. ¡°Unlike us, Aretuza is still powerful. Not even the Wild Hunt can infiltrate that ce. The witches will destroy them before they can even get near.¡±


    ¡°Good idea!¡± Serrit¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°They¡¯ll exhaust their strength, while we can reap all the benefits.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but first, we have to get the girl¡¯s permission.¡± Letho looked at the girl, who was moving her shoulders almost imperceptibly. ¡°Thelma, I know you¡¯re awake.¡±


    The witchers advanced like beasts, and when Thelma felt them near her, she started breathing quickly, and she curled in on herself, her eyshes fluttering in fear.


    ¡°Do not be scared. We will not hurt you.¡± Letho stopped before her. ¡°Do you remember what happened to you? My guess is that this isn¡¯t the first time. Perhaps you have lost count of the insults thrown to you. They look down on your lineage, they insult your looks, and they abuse you to no end. How long have you suffered that kind of life?¡±


    The girl froze.


    The witcher goaded her. ¡°If there is a chance for you to change your life, for you to be as beautiful as a goddess, if there is a chance for you to dole out punishment for those who have tormented you, will you take it?¡±


    ¡°Are you demons? Is the price for that offer my soul?¡± Thelma opened her eyes, and they were filled with fear and desire. ¡°Wh-What will I have to sacrifice?¡±


    ***


    The sun¡¯s blinding rays granted a golden sheen to the castle. Roy was standing right before the castle gates, and he took a deep breath to calm himself before he marched toward the soldier who was armed with a halberd.


    ¡°You are the witcher the queen wishes to see?¡± The soldier looked Roy up and down. <em>He¡¯s young, but his eyes are the color of dark gold, and he¡¯s tall for his age. </em>¡°Roy of the Viper School. You seem really young. I thought you witchers carried swords around, so where¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°I can bring my weapons into the pce?¡±


    The soldier searched him and confirmed that he wasn¡¯t bringing anything dangerous with him, then he asked four other soldiers to lead Roy into the castle. The castle gates were twenty feet tall, and two soldiers had to push with their full strength to open it. The castle¡¯s great hall stood behind the gates, and it had generous space. A luxurious red carpety in the middle of the corridor, and Roy went ahead with the soldiers at an excruciatingly slow pace.


    Expensive oil paintings and specimens of wild beasts hung on the walls that nked the corridor. Huge vases and armor exhibits lined the ends of the corridor, and elegant adornments were littered on the gigantic ss windows. There were a lot of wooden doors that led to gods knew where as well. Servants who held expensive containers and nobility in exquisite clothes woulde out from behind the doors asionally.


    The castle was like a maze, and anyone would be lost if they didn¡¯t know theyout. Roy was getting frustrated by how long the journey was taking, and they had been making a lot of turns. A long whileter, they finally came to a clearing behind a door, and an open garden stood behind it. ¡°Can you tell me why the queen summoned me?¡±


    The soldiers didn¡¯t answer his questions. They didn¡¯t even turn around. They seemed solemn, but Roy didn¡¯t take it to heart. Eventually, he came to a clearing in the middle of the garden. A middle-aged man with a mustache,bed-back hair, and a rapier hanging from his waist came to wee Roy in the middle of the flowerbeds. ¡°I have been waiting for you, witcher. I am Cintra¡¯s royal swordsman, Henrique. By the queen¡¯s orders, I am to spar with you.¡± He looked at Roy sharply, and his gaze was hostile, as if Roy had insulted him before.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we have ever met, Mr. Henrique.¡± Roy was confused. He didn¡¯t know why he was summoned, let alone why the man was so hostile towards him.


    ¡°I have been working for the royal family, while you have been fighting beasts and drowners in peasant viges. Naturally, we have never met.¡± Henrique sounded disdainful, and he started straightening his leather gloves out. ¡°As for your earlier question¡­I came on the queen¡¯s orders to test your skills and see if you are fit to coach the princess on swordsmanship.¡±


    <em>Princess? Swordsmanship? </em>¡°Oh, I see.¡± Roy finally wrapped his head around what was happening. ¡°And who might have been the one to rmend me to the queen? As for the princess¡­ Are we talking about Ciri here?¡±


    Roy put all the pieces together. He didn¡¯t know about the details just yet, but Roy wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip by. He had to get in touch with Ciri in order to meet Geralt, who was destined to run into her. Roy had to get in touch with the Wolf School to put his n into motion. ¡°Give me a weapon then. A steel sword will do.¡± Roy extended his hand, and a soldier handed him a two-handed steel sword.


    Henrique squinted. ¡°This is no game, witcher. Please do be understanding if I injure you by ident,¡± Henrique remarked sarcastically.


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t me anyone for my inferior skills,¡± Roy mocked. ¡°Do your worst, and as thanks for your concern, I shall hold back a little so you won¡¯t suffer a humiliating defeat.¡±


    Tension rose in the air, and the swordsmen unsheathed their swords at the same time.


    ***


    A group of servants and soldiers were standing around Ciri and Cnthe on the second floor. They were watching the fight from the shadows.


    ¡°Remember your promise, Ciri. When the witcher is defeated, you cannot ask for any more requests.¡± Cnthe looked at Roy. ¡°He looks different from the other witchers, but he is still too young to be a match for Henrique.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ciri was wearing a white dress, and she looked up haughtily. ¡°Just watch, olddy! He might be young, but a dragonyer is still more powerful than any mortal. He will win, just you see! You had better not go back on your promise, either.¡±


    ¡°By the gods! Ciri, mind yournguage.¡±


    The servants covered their mouths and giggled silently.


    ¡°Well, won¡¯t you look at that?¡± Cnthe suddenly smacked the armrest. ¡°That¡¯s the dragonyer you hoped for? What a joke. He might be a witcher, but this is all he amounts to.¡±


    The battle seemed to be one-sided. Henrique was holding his rapier and swung it elegantly. Every strike was beautiful and perfect, just like how his mustache was. His attacks were fast, and the young witcher could only defend himself before Henrique¡¯s barrage of attacks.


    He couldn¡¯tnd a single blow on his adversary. Henrique¡¯s strikes were clean, fast, but also cruel and dark. Every attack was aimed at Roy¡¯s vitals, and there wasn¡¯t even a single opening between each attack.


    It was all Roy could do to defend himself, but fortunately, his swordsmanship was solid, and he could change stances fluidly, keeping his defense up.


    However, everyone could see that it was a matter of time before the witcher would be defeated, or so they thought.


    Roy was controlling his strength and tried his best to pretend that it was a hard battle. It would be a dull fight if he overwhelmed Henrique in seconds. He knew aeback would be more entertaining, and it¡¯d leave asting impression. Besides, nobody would admire him for being too powerful. They¡¯d only think of him as a threat.


    Roy held back as much as he could and observed Henrique¡¯s skills. He was different from all the enemies Roy had faced. Henrique did have some level of skill thanks to his twenty years of experience, and Roy¡¯s skill was no match for him, as he had only been training for months.


    However, thanks to the great difference in stats, the speed Henrique took pride in was too slow for Roy. The swordsmen shed again, and Roy ¡®barely¡¯ dodged Henrique¡¯s stab.


    Cnthe muttered angrily, ¡°Henrique, you fool! That attack was soft! Fight like a man! Keep that up! Faster! Aim for his neck! He can¡¯t dodge you now!¡±


    Ciri swung her fists nervously and told herself, ¡°He¡¯s just pretending to be vulnerable. That¡¯s what you call a strategy. Once the mustache man exhausts himself, the dragonyer will start his counter attack!¡±


    ***


    About three minutester, Roy quit his act and switched to full power mode. He crouched down and charged toward Henrique¡¯s swing. Henrique¡¯s rapier made an arc across the air, and Roy mmed his sword against the slim weapon. Before Henrique could even pull back, he felt the sword¡¯s momentum traveling up his hand. It petrified him for a second, and he dropped his rapier.


    In the next moment, he saw a steel de resting against his neck, and Henrique stared down in fear, the sound of his gulping audible for everyone to hear.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    A dead silence fell upon everyone.


    ¡°This is nonsense!¡± Cnthe shot up furiously and stormed off.


    ¡°Nice work, witcher!¡± Ciri leaped up unceremoniously and waved her hands at Roy in excitement. Her shout caught Roy¡¯s attention, and he turned around to face her.


    As they locked eyes, Roy thought to himself, <em>Is that chubby little girl Ciri? </em>¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    She might grow up to be a beautiful woman, but Roy knew that the girl was no more than ten years old, judging by her looks. ¡°She must be around eight this year.¡± <em>She¡¯s not the mature woman I saw in the game, and she¡¯s not the ugly duckling everyone thinks she is.</em>


    Ciri noticed Roy spacing out, and she giggled with delight. ¡°We shall meet again, dragonyer.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 164

    Roy was walking across a cramped, spiral corridor lit by torches, and a smooth-faced servant with a ponytail and dressed in red was leading the young witcher up the stairs. ¡°Hey, where are you taking me? It¡¯s time for me to have an audience with the queen, right?¡±


    Hassock turned around and gazed at Roy calmly. ¡°No. The gentleman¡¯s unkempt hair and torn attire is unfit for a meeting with Her Majesty and Her Highness. I shall have to clean the gentleman up a little.¡±


    He came closer to Roy and sniffed the air, then he waved the air away effeminately before he showed Roy a look of disdain. ¡°Pardon my honesty, but the gentleman does not smell delightful at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I wash myself every day!¡± Unless he was in the wilderness and there were no viges nearby, Roy was more conscious about his hygiene than most witchers. Compared to Letho and Auckes, Roy could very well be a germaphobe.


    But when he smelled his shoulders, he knew why Hassock said he smelled. ¡°Well, I sweated during my training this morning, and I didn¡¯t have time to clean myself up. You can understand, can¡¯t you? We risk our lives in this line of work, so we have to train often to keep ourselves in top condition.¡±


    ¡°The gentleman does not have to exin himself. Come with me.¡± Hassock turned around and murmured quietly, ¡°But you do smell like a man.¡±


    Roy heard that, and he froze. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ***


    Roy¡¯s feet were immersed in a bathtub filled with bubbles, and he leaned his head against the bathtub¡¯s side. The sharp scent of the soap was lingering around his nose, and he could feel the scissors mowing down his hair.


    ¡°You have really great hair.¡± The barber deftly touched Roy¡¯s hair, and he looked like an artist creating a piece of work on Roy¡¯s head. ¡°How about trimming your hair down and tying it up in a ponytail? It fits your facial structure perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish. Just don¡¯t make the ponytail too long.¡± Roy leaned against the bathtub nervously. He remembered going bald right after the trial back at the Temple of Melitele. A few months after that, thanks to the hormones, his hair grew over his neck and became long enough to tie into a ponytail. Letho evenughed at him because of that. ¡°A witcher keeping long hair? It¡¯s hot, stuffy, and you get ticks easily.¡±


    ¡°Hey, not like you can understand the people who have hair,¡± Roy retorted, and Letho ignored him for the whole day.


    The barber stopped trimming eventually and wiped Roy¡¯s face and the nape of his neck with a piece of cloth tinged with angelica extract.


    Roy got up from the bathtub and took the towel from the servant to cover his lower body, then he got out of the bathtub and left wet footprints on the floor.


    Once he dried himself up and had a little break, Hassock came back to look at him again, then he nodded. ¡°The gentleman is more presentable now.¡± He pointed in a direction. ¡°The gentleman¡¯s shirt, underclothes, long pants, corset, and boots are prepared.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the clothes?¡± Roy frowned. ¡°I want to wear my own clothes. And what is it about the corset? Is that made for women? Tell me the truth.¡±


    ¡°Please do not make this difficult for me, gentleman,¡± Hassock answered, his face deadpan.


    Roy dwelled on the matter for a while before he wore the clothes over him, albeit reluctantly. The rough cloth and tight clothes felt stuffy for Roy, as if he were forced to cuff himself. ¡°This is a disaster. I can¡¯t even kill a drowner in this.¡±


    ¡°The gentleman would do well to watch his tongue in front of the queen and princess.¡± Hassock handed him a petite sk made of ss.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Perfume.¡±


    ¡°This is it. Get this thing away from me.¡±


    Hassock relented in the end, and Roy didn¡¯t have to spray any perfume.


    ¡°I shall teach the gentleman the basics of Cintra royalty. The gentleman shall watch as I perform the moves, then he shall copy me.¡±


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Roy said quietly. Letho had taught him about these back on Mount Carbon.


    ***


    After a grueling preparation process, Roy was led into a spacious and luxurious chamber. A long chair made of golden silk wood sat in the back-center of the room. A majestic woman with a crown and golden cape was seated upon that chair, and a young girl in a white dress, red boots, long stockings, and a barrette clipping her hair was sitting beside her. She was staring at Roy intently, her eyes sparkling.


    After a short introduction, silence fell between them. Roy nced at the girl furtively and cast Observe on her. <em>I knew it. That¡¯s Ciri.</em>


    ¡®Ciri


    Gender: Female


    Age: Eight years old


    Status: Princess of Cintra, heir to the throne of Cintra


    HP: 50


    Mana: 150


    Strength: 3


    Dexterity: 4


    Constitution: 5


    Perception: 4


    Will: 4


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 15


    Skills:


    Elder Blood (Passive): Aen Elle¡¯s most ancient bloodline. Those from this bloodline can control incredible powers. Ciri¡¯s bloodline is only in its early state of awakening. No powers can be controlled.


    Lady of Space and Time: Heirs of Elder Blood can travel across dimensions as they please. They can also catch glimpses of the future from time to time and create prophecies. She can only activate this skill in life or death situations.


    Child of Fortune: Ciri is born with a powerful instinct that allows her to dodge fatal blows in battle. Whenever she is forced to make an important choice, she can instinctively make the best possible decision.


    Source: The heir of the Elder Blood is born with incredible potential for magic. However, before Ciri is trained in the ways of magic, she will repel magic herself. Only when she is faced with dangerous situations will she activate her affinity for magic.¡¯


    ***


    Roy gasped. <em>So this is the child the Wild Hunt is looking for? The bloodline she inherited from her ancestor, Lara Dorren. </em>He tried to stay calm, but it was a hard thing to do. All of Ciri¡¯s abilities screamed ¡®the chosen one,¡¯ and Roy thought he might get the chance to gain some strength if he stayed by her.


    Roy cast Observe on Cnthe as well, but she didn¡¯t show any affinity for magic. It was like she was a normal human, but Ciri¡¯s bloodline was almost bursting at the seams. Through Observe, Roy could feel the magic surging within Ciri¡¯s body, though most of her potential was still untapped. She was still in the early stage of her awakening, so she couldn¡¯t control her powers of prophecy and space-time travel.


    <em>They say the bloodline skips a generation every time, but Pavetta had some mysterious powers herself.</em>


    ¡°Roy of Lower Posada, disciple of Letho from Gulet, do you know why I summoned you?¡± Cnthe broke his train of thoughts coldly.


    ¡°Your Majesty, pardon me, but did you summon me so I could teach Princess Ciri the way of the sword?¡±


    Cnthe shook her head solemnly. ¡°Ciri is still young. Training her in the way of the sword will only harm her body.¡±


    ¡°I am not that weak!¡± Ciri puckered her lips and red at her grandmother.


    Cnthe ignored Ciri. Instead, she looked at Roy haughtily. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Ciri is interested in you. I would have never allowed a lowly witcher to enter the pce, but you have proven yourself to be a more presentable individual. You did not cross the line during your time in Cintra, nor did you get into the vulgar habits most witchers have. That is why I shall allow you to stay in the castle and care for Ciri along with the other servants. Your duty is to make sure Ciri is happy. After Ciri leaves Cintra, I shall reward you handsomely.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry?¡± Roy was surprised. <em>She wants a witcher to work as a nanny? </em>¡°Your Majesty, you might have misunderstood our work. We are great with the sword, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you refusing me?¡± Cnthe interrupted abruptly.


    <em>The fuck is with her? She¡¯s asking me for help, but she acts like I should be grateful about it? What? She got something against witchers? </em>Roy didn¡¯t say that out loud. Instead, he answered politely, ¡°No. It is my honor to be of service to the princess.¡±


    He bowed down, but he wasing up with a n of his own. <em>Fine, if you think I¡¯m a lowly witcher, then I shall teach your grandkid all the things you don¡¯t want her to know. That¡¯s fair. And you¡¯re going to die in a few years. I don¡¯t have to get angry because of you.</em>


    Roy looked at the beautiful little girl, and Ciri grinned innocently.


    Cnthe nodded, satisfied the witcher went along with her orders. ¡°I have another question for you. Do you know a white-haired witcher who goes by the name of Geralt?¡±


    Roy shook his head and lied tantly, ¡°I¡¯m just a fi¡­sixteen-year-old boy. I don¡¯t know a lot of witchers.¡± <em>Oh hell no. I¡¯m not getting dragged into this.</em>


    Cnthe was slightly disappointed. If it weren¡¯t for Geralt, Pavetta wouldn¡¯t have married Duny and died a horrible death. She despised the White Wolf with every fiber of her being, but he was elusive, and she couldn¡¯t find him no matter what she did. ¡°You must be excited, my dear.¡± Cnthe patted Ciri¡¯s head. ¡°Be good now, and don¡¯t cause me any more trouble.¡±


    Ciri¡¯s face was red with excitement, and she whipped out a white handkerchief and tossed it to Roy. ¡°To me, dragonyer! I wish to listen to your stories!¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 165

    Ciri¡¯s room was dimly lit, and she hid herself in the darkness. ¡°You may speak freely now, witcher.¡±


    ¡°Princess, why¡¯d you chase all your servants out?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s something I wish to talk about in private.¡± Ciri put her hands behind her back and tried her best to look like an adult.


    ¡°Let me guess¡­¡± Roy whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t want to get engaged to Prince Kistrin, so you want me to help you with your escape.¡±


    ¡°Ho-How¡¯d you know about that?¡± Ciri leaped up and bristled like a cat who was shocked. She pointed at Roy and did her best to look fierce. ¡°Tell me, are you Cnthe¡¯s spy?¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand me.¡± Roy looked Ciri in the eye and tried his best not tough. ¡°Not only do I know about your reluctance to get engaged to Kistrin, I also know you have bizarre dreams from time to time, especially after you go through an intense emotional state. The dream has something to do about a group of skeletal knights hunting you down.¡±


    Ciri¡¯s jaw dropped, for she did not expect Roy to know about that.


    ¡°Coincidentally, I have the same dream as you do. Or a nightmare in this case. However, I saw you in my dreams, and you told me a lot of your secrets.¡± Roy closed in on the princess, but the princess kept retreating as he advanced. ¡°You told me about your friends: Hjalmar and Cerys. And you told me about your parents: Princess Pavetta and Mr. Duny.¡±


    ¡°Ar-Are you telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Your Highness. You summoning me is no coincidence. It is fate. We are simr, you and I. This meeting would have happened eventually.¡±


    Ciri was starting to get confused. She was too young to understand what Roy was talking about. Roy wasn¡¯t lying either. Well, not fully. After he ingested the Child of the Sun, he gained a little Elder Blood as well. ¡°If you do not trust me, why don¡¯t we have a wager?¡±


    ¡°A wager?¡± Ciri¡¯s eyes lit up, and her fear was reced by excitement. ¡°Witcher, what you said is too difficult for me to understand, but I know how wagers work, at least.¡±


    ¡°Call me Roy. I am not much older than you are, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°So how does this wager work, Roy?¡± Ciri happily dug out a sapphire ne from her drawer. ¡°This is my stake.¡± Ciri felt like she was ying a game.


    ¡°No,Your Highness. You do not need to ce any bets.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°All you have to do is remember every word I am going to tell you. Even after you are engaged to Prince Kistrin of Verden, the marriage will not happen.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I won¡¯t have to marry that pig?¡± Ciri ran around her room like a happyrk. She leaped around, and her dress fluttered.


    ¡°Also, you shall encounter a white-haired witcher on your trip to Verden. His name is Geralt, and you can call him that.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a dream about that?¡± Ciri stopped spinning, but she was starting to feel dizzy.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Roy,¡± the girl called out to him and came closer to the witcher, then she looked up at him. She was already eight years old, but Ciri was ate bloomer. She was only a little taller than four feet, while Roy was nearly five feet nine, so she couldn¡¯t even reach Roy¡¯s chest.


    ¡°What is it, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I am happy you told me about this.¡± Ciri beamed. ¡°Unlike those fools who try to keep everything a secret from me. They still think I¡¯m a child.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You are my friend, and honesty is important between friends.¡±


    A servant knocked on the door, and she asked nervously, ¡°Your Highness, are you fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ming,¡± Ciri roared at the door impatiently. ¡°Roy the dragonyer, it is time for you to tell your story.¡±


    ***


    Four servants sat with the princess around the hearth, and the light of the fire shone upon their faces, which were red with excitement. However, they did not notice that, for their attention was fully on Roy the storyteller.


    ¡°This is a tale told by a veteran witcher. Once upon a time, there was a dignified knight in Aedirn, and his name was Leon. Leon was a member in the knight corps until he was thirty years old. But because of his perpetually deadpan look, his new leader terminated his service, forcing him to be an assassin.¡±


    Ciri held her cheeks in her hands and asked Roy, ¡°What do assassins do?¡±


    ¡°Assassins are simr to witchers, though their requests mostly involve humans. They only take requests involving human lives. As Leon still had a conscience, he only took the requests that involved viins who terrorized thends. During one of his requests, Leon rescued a girl who was hunted by the authorities and local gangs alike. The girl¡¯s name was Mathilde.¡±


    <em>A girl who was saved by a knight? </em>The servants were starting to look dreamy. After all, every youngdy had a dream of a knighting to their rescue.


    ¡°A pity he had a deadpan face.¡± A servant in a red apron sighed.


    ***


    ¡°If Leon had a child, they would have been around Mathilde¡¯s age, so he took the girl in. Even though the age gap between them was huge, Leon and Mathilde went along quite well. Mathilde did all the house chores, taking care of Leon and his prized nt¡ªthe Silver Queen, while Leon made money to support the household.¡±


    ***


    ¡°They had a quiet and peaceful life. Leon and Mathilde were like a family, though they were also friends.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Roy¡­¡± An adorable servant with a round face asked carefully, ¡°How much older than Mathilde was Leon? Were they really like father and daughter? Or were they more like lovers?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s different for everyone.¡± Roy looked at the servants, and he smiled silently. ¡°Mathilde was about ten years old, while Leon was thirty. You decide if they were father and daughter or lovers.¡±


    ¡°They must have been father and daughter!¡± a frail servant said. ¡°The girl wasn¡¯t even at the age to understand what love is!¡±


    ¡°No, that just means you haven¡¯t seen enough in life,¡± a plump servant disagreed. ¡°My neighbor is forty years old, and he married his young, gorgeous adopted girl. They now have a son together.¡± The plump servant concluded, ¡°If the girl¡¯s beautiful enough, so what if she¡¯s an adopted daughter?¡± Then she covered her face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t a knighte to <em>my </em>rescue when I was little? Oh, but I don¡¯t want an old, single man though.¡±


    ***


    Roy let them discuss for a while, then he continued, ¡°The local gang and authorities eventually found Leon and Mathilde¡¯s abode. They secretly surrounded them, and when Leon realized what was happening, they were already in a dire situation¡­¡±


    ¡°In the end, Leon sacrificed himself and took the viins out with him to keep Mathilde safe.¡±


    ***


    Roy heard someone crying, and it snapped him out of storytelling mode. When he looked around, he realized half the servants were in tears.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t end up as a couple?¡± Ciri shot up angrily and swung her fists at Roy. ¡°Knights won¡¯t die that easily!¡±


    ¡°But he did die.¡±


    ¡°No! He¡¯s not dead, because I say so!¡± Ciri roared stubbornly.


    ¡°Fine. Leon didn¡¯t die. He survived the battle and lived happily ever after with Mathilde. Leon¡¯s Silver Queen got to live for a long, long time because its masters were alive.


    ¡°Yay!¡± The servants broke out into smiles, though there were still tears streaming down their cheeks.


    Ciri muttered, ¡°Even a lowly woman like Mathilde got her own knight who was willing to sacrifice herself for her. Witcher, ¡®Dragonyer.''¡± Ciri craned her neck proudly, as if she were a swan. ¡°Will you sacrifice your life for me?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 166

    The young girl rode upon the young witcher, swinging the wooden sword in her hand. ¡°The brave knightess, Lion Cub of Cintra, Ciri Fiona Elen Riannon, is here to¡ª¡± The girl stuck her tongue out and huffed. She had been talking a bit too fast. ¡°Onward, my steed!¡± She raised her sword again and growled adorably. ¡°Stop! Now ambush that bandit on the left! My dear knight.¡±


    Roy had resigned to his position. ¡°I am exhausted. Do please let me rest,¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll bite your ear off if you disobey me!¡± Ciri huddled closer to Roy and blew on his ear. She and Roy chuckled, and the young witcher took her to the ¡®bandit¡¯ they were supposed to defeat.


    The ¡®bandit¡¯ was a maid in white. She held a broom up as if it were a sword, but her face was filled with fear. There were ck marks on her face, as if someone had tortured her before. It would have been a horrifying sight had the marks not been in the shape of mustache and small animals.


    Ciri¡¯s face was also dotted with ink as well. He circled the ¡®bandit¡¯, and she tensed up in fear of his majestic air. She should have dodged Roy, but instead she just stood there.


    Ciri bellowed as fiercely as she could, and she smacked the ¡®bandit¡¯ two times with her wooden sword. The ¡®bandit¡¯ shook in fear, and she let go of the broom she was holding. ¡°I surrender. Your might has overwhelmed me, oh great knightess.¡±


    ¡°Now you know the might of the great knightess, don¡¯t you, you cur?¡± Ciri smugly patted Roy¡¯s head, and Roy held her firmly as she dismounted. ¡°I hereby announce that the thirty-second battle hase to an end. Rise, Coria. Remember, do the usual thing.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Princess Ciri. I am your most loyal servant.¡±


    Ciri looked up at Roy proudly. Sweat was already pouring down her hair and face after all that exercise earlier. Roy took a towel and went down to wipe the sweat and ink marks away. Ciri tilted her head halfway through. She was smiling and moaningfortably, as if she were a kitten who was enjoying a little massage session.


    The servant who was ying with them earlier stole a nce while she was wiping herself clean. She thought it was slightly unbelievable that Roy managed to win Ciri¡¯s trust in little more than two weeks. <em>That sly witcher has a way with kids, </em>she thought. <em>But I guess that is understandable. The princess was practically locked up in her room for years, and the people around her were either the queen or us, the servants. She had no people whom she could call friends.</em>


    Ciri might have been born on a silver tter, but she was never happy being in the pce. Nobody could tell her a lot of interesting stories like a witcher could. Nobody coulde up with interesting games and take perfect care of her like Roy could.


    <em>Perhaps Roy is like a father whom Ciri has always wanted. </em>Coria frowned. <em>Hm, something¡¯s off with that, but I can¡¯t put a finger on it.</em>


    ***


    ¡°Roy.¡± Ciri sat on her bed and swung her chubby little legs. ¡°We¡¯re friends, right?¡±


    ¡°<em>Close </em>friends. Do please keep that in mind.¡± Roy massaged his forehead. <em>It¡¯s almost time to tell Ciri another story now. </em>¡°So, what kind of story do you want to hear tonight? How does Rapunzel sound? Oh, but I have changed it a little. It¡¯s different from the one you¡¯ve heard before.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to listen to any stories tonight.¡± Ciri started to act like a spoiled child. ¡°I want to ride horses. Can you grant me my wish, my friend?¡±


    ¡°Um, but you just rode a horse, didn¡¯t you? Let me rest a bit more.¡±


    ¡°No. I am talking about real horses,¡± Ciri emphasized. She nced at her servant, who was eavesdropping on them, and she swung her little fists at the servant. ¡°Okay, Roy. I¡¯ll be honest. I want to see Wilt. I want to see if it¡¯s as smart as you make it out to be.¡±


    ¡°No can do, princess.¡± Roy shrugged. He looked like he couldn¡¯t do anything about that request. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go against the queen¡¯s orders. Why don¡¯t we y some card games? Coria¡¯s face is clean now. Don¡¯t you think she looks better with a few hares drawn on her face?¡±


    ¡°Oh gods.¡± Coria tensed up and slowly moved toward the door as she swept the floor.


    ¡°No.¡± Ciri stared at Roy firmly, and she started to tear up. ¡°This is myst wish, Roy.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to sound so pessimistic.¡± Roy shook his head in amusement. ¡°You¡¯ll get the chance to see Wilt. Someday, the queen will be convinced to free you.¡±


    Ciri licked her lips. ¡°But she¡¯s sending me to Verden tomorrow. I won¡¯t be seeing you anymore, let alone Wilt.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re leaving?¡± Roy was surprised to hear that. He had been living in the pce for two weeks without him noticing, or to be precise, he had been fooling around with a young girl for two weeks.


    Aside from leaving the pce every evening for an intense training session and casting Fear on the little griffin, Roy spent the rest of his time in the pce. ¡°Time flies, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The days were like a vacation for him, which was hard toe by. Ciri was a likeable young girl, though she might throw a little tantrum at times. But it was nothing Roy couldn¡¯t rectify. The days went by quickly, and the short vacation hade to an end.


    ¡°This is not farewell, Ciri. I told you that we¡¯re the same kind of person, you and I. Destiny has decreed that we shall meet many times,¡± Roy assured her. <em>Dang. If I can go around with the Lady of Space and Time, I can probably travel to another dimension. Wonder if the Cyberpunk world is on the list. The games are made by the samepany after all.</em>


    ¡°Will you y with me some other time?¡±


    ¡°Of course, and it will happen sooner than you think. You don¡¯t have to worry about your marriage with Prince Kistrin either,¡± Roy reassured her.


    ¡°That¡¯s a promise, then.¡± Ciri held her pinky up, and Roy made a pinky promise with her. ¡°You have to let me see Wilt. We¡¯re going to attack the pirates next, and I want to hear more stories.¡± Ciri looked up, and she smiled again. ¡°Roy, now I want to hear the story about Rapunzel.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my dear princess.¡± Roy held Ciri¡¯s warm, petite hands. She had a scent unique to children, and it was endearing. ¡°My story is slightly different from the one everyone tells you. In this version, the prince did not show up to save Rapunzel from the tower, and she had to live with her own loneliness for a long time.¡±


    Coria¡ªwho was about to leave a while ago¡ªcame back and listened to the story intently.


    ¡°So Rapunzel decided to hang herself with her hair. After she died, her spirit haunted the castle until the day her destined prince came to save her.¡±


    ***


    ¡°See you again, Ciri.¡± Roy walked off into the sunset, but before he made his departure, he waved his hand at the castle. A while ago, Queen Cnthe had given her decree. Roy was not to be allowed entrance into the castle from the next day onward.


    She was going to give him his reward, but Roy refused it. He didn¡¯t want his friendship with the Lady of Space and Time to be tinged with the lowly scent of crowns.


    When he came back to the dingy house, his fellow witchers were already waiting for him. Over thest two weeks, Roy spent the mornings ying with Ciri and trained intensely with the witchers in the evenings.


    The training sessions came to a halt a few days ago when the veteran witchers left Cintra. They were taking Thelma to Aretuza, and when they came back, Letho and Serrit looked a little roughed up. Auckes was the only one who looked smug and refreshed.


    For reasons unknown to Roy, the witchers suddenly had the stupid idea of infiltrating Aretuza to see how tight their defenses would be. The witches standing sentry noticed them, and they almost wiped the witchers out of existence. Fortunately, Auckes exined the reason for their visit in time, and he gave Thelma over to them. Only then did the witches calm down.


    Thelma was practically a future witch, and there was no reason for the witches to refuse her. Auckes used that chance to quickly befriend a witch, and she was quite the bold one as well. Auckes ¡®pestered¡¯ her, and they had a fun night, so to speak.


    Letho and Serrit, however, weren¡¯t so lucky. They were left in the great hall, where the witches who passed by would snort whenever they saw the witchers.


    ¡°Keira Metz. That¡¯s her name.¡± Auckes would brag to Roy every single day, and this day was no exception. ¡°She is a gorgeous woman, and quite a bold one too. She didn¡¯t mind having fun with a few more partners at the same time.¡± He nced at his fellow witchers, who looked inscrutable. ¡°Pity these blockheads are not romantics. I gave them a lot of hints, but they swatted them away. It¡¯d be a different story if you were there, Roy.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°I am not going to be dragged into this messy rtionship.¡± <em>Even though I do respect Keira Metz.</em>


    ¡°Hey. You have to have fun while you still live, you know. Don¡¯t get hung up on morality.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about that. I have something to say.¡± Roy looked at the veteran witchers, and he took a deep breath. ¡°I think I have to leave Cintra for a while.¡±


    The announcement broke the happy atmosphere, and the witchers stopped smiling.


    ¡°Where are you going? You want to keep being a nanny to the princess?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Kid, I¡¯ve been wanting to say this, but what is with you and the secrets? Do you think of us as your friends?¡± Letho sat up straight. A frown furrowed his brows, and his face looked tense and stern.


    ¡°I am a part of the Viper School, no doubt. I won¡¯t do anything that will harm the school.¡± Roy looked at the witchers earnestly. ¡°And all of you are my teachers. But please give me some time. I will give you all the answers after this little journey of mine. And that includes my secret.¡±


    ¡°Your secret?¡± Letho nodded, and he eased up slightly. ¡°You owe us an exnation, Roy. Don¡¯t leave us hanging for too long.¡±


    ¡°Go, Roy. All fledglings must eventually grow up.¡± Auckes grinned at him toothily and gave him an encouraging hug. ¡°But be careful. I have a lot of new training sets in store for you.¡±


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t forget to memorize the Almanac of Creatures, even during your journey.¡± Serrit straightened out his hair clip. ¡°I¡¯ll test you again once youe back from this journey of yours. And if you fail, you¡¯ll be getting it.¡±


    ¡°I shall be off for two weeks at most. We shall meet again, my friends.¡± Roy draped the hooded cape over himself, keeping him under cover. When he turned around, his eyes gleamed gold. ¡°And perhaps we might even gain a new friend. Do please keep an eye on Gr for me as well. I don¡¯t want him running away with the baby griffin.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 167

    A nket of fog covered Yaruga, the river underneath it flowing steadily. A barge with a blue g and an emblem made up of three lions hung on top of it, and it was traveling ahead slowly along the river.


    Most of the passengers on the boat were merchants and farmers, and they were taking a little nap to prepare for the day ahead. A group of soldiers in chain mail were standing at the bow of the barge. Standing before them was a young girl in a white dress. She was staring at the silhouettes of the inds hidden within the fog covering the river. ¡°How much longer will this journey take, Coria?¡±


    ¡°We shall arrive in Nastrog in three hours. That is what Mr. Krauze said.¡±


    Ciri yawned, and she counted the waves that rippled across the river as the barge sailed ahead. She was starting to look tired. ¡°There is absolutely nothing in Yaruga. This is so dull.¡± She pointed angrily at the people who were at the stern. ¡°And why should I be on the same ship as these people who know nothing but sleep?¡±


    ¡°Do please be understanding, princess. Sailing on the same ship as your people isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of. And please do not stand on the boatside. That¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Coria held Ciri¡¯s hand carefully and took her away from the boatside.


    ¡°You are such a scaredy cat. You should not havee with me.¡±


    ***


    Roy was standing among the crowd at the stern. ¡°Well, this is rxing.¡± He smiled and changed his position to enjoy the sight of the river. The first rays of the sun shone upon the yellow river, but the fog still persisted against its warmth. Waves rippled across the waters as the barge sailed ahead. If Roy could take a picture, he bet the scene would look just like an oil painting.


    It was a peaceful moment, but that moment was short-lived. Roy sighed, for someone sat down beside him and acted like they were friends. The man was gaunt, and he seemed like he was in his thirties. He was wearing an oversized, dirty cape, and there was a bronze circr brooch on his chest. He huddled closer to the witcher and cleared his throat. Even though he was inches away from Roy, he still could not see the young witcher clearly, and he squinted. ¡°Might you be a witcher, sir?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    ¡°Golden eyes, beastly pupils¡­ You are most definitely a witcher.¡±


    ¡°You must be seeing things.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you deny it, witcher.¡± The manughed heartily. ¡°I am just trying to talk to someone and kill some time. I do share a lot ofmon topics with witchers in some respects.¡±


    Roy looked at him curiously.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am Linus Pitt. Masters in Natural History and lecturer at the Oxenfurt University.¡±


    Oxenfurt was a famous ce, and one of the best educational institutions¡ªOxenfurt University¡ªcalled that ce home. Jaskier and Shani were alumni of that university.


    ¡°I see. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Linus.¡± Roy was impressed that an educated man like Linus would treat a young witcher like him with respect, so he repaid that respect in kind. ¡°Roy of the Viper School.¡± He shook Linus¡¯ hand. ¡°What is your business here in Verden? It¡¯s a long way from Oxenfurt.¡±


    Linus pulled his hand back and corrected Roy. ¡°Oh, my destination is not Verden. I am searching for a mysterious and rare species living in these waters. I have scoured Pontar and Yaruga, but these creatures have eluded me thus far.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking for them anyway?¡± Roy frowned. <em>Rare, mysterious creatures always mean danger. Lethal danger. </em>¡°Are you an animal rights activist?¡±


    Linus nodded. ¡°I have built a keep near Oxenfurt. It¡¯s home to rare and endangered species, where they can procreate safely so they won¡¯t go extinct. To that end, I would spend months every year collecting rare creatures all over the world. The theme this year is still aquatic animals. I¡¯ve heard that witchers are experts in the field of mysterious creatures. Now that I¡¯ve had the pleasure to meet you, I would be delighted if you could impart any knowledge regarding the creatures that reside in Yaruga.¡± Linus looked at Roy expectantly.


    Roy smiled. <em>This guy shares some simrities with Dorregaray. He¡¯s an animal protector too. </em>Roy was interested in the keep Linus had built, since it meant he could get a new mount and gain more EXP. If he could get on Linus¡¯ good side, Roy thought he might have a chance to visit that keep. ¡°I do not know much about this. Only enough to make conversation. But do tell me the kind of creatures you¡¯re looking for. The more specific, the better.¡±


    Linus rubbed his hands in anticipation. ¡°Legends say that this elusive creature has appeared in eastern Pontar. They took up residence in the waterways from Foam to Novigrad. These creatures would attack the ships traveling to and fro Foam and Novigrad. I tried to see if I could find them there, but s, I found no clues there, so I had to change a spot, and here I am in Yaruga. I wanted to see if they were here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°An underwater creature that attacks ships?¡± Roy jogged his memory up and went through Serrit¡¯s sses. ¡°Now that you mention it, I do have some clue of what the creature might be.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Linus was getting excited. ¡°Then surely you must have seen it.¡±


    ¡°No, but I have heard of an underwater creature taking up residence in the waters nearby. We witchers call it aeschna.¡±


    Linust paused for a moment. ¡°Can you exin that in more scientific terms?¡±


    ¡°Aeschna is a bumpy and rough-skinned water creature, four yards in length and resembling a stump overgrown with algae. They have ten paws and jaws like cut-saws.¡±


    Linus could make out a picture in his mind. ¡°Yes, that does sound like a creature belonging to the dytiscidae family.¡±


    ¡°They do, don¡¯t they?¡± Roy said, ¡°Aeschnas are vicious creatures who will devour everything that enters theirir.¡±


    ¡°A minute. Putting that creature aside, I think I need to correct you slightly,¡± Linus said. ¡°Yaruga¡¯s waters are too salty for any creature in the dytiscidae family to survive.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not an aeschna, then what is it?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard of an octopus creature the size of a small hill?¡± Linus huddled closer, looking cryptic. ¡°Legends have it that this creature can live in both freshwater and saltwater. It travels between the main rivers and ocean of thisnd.¡±


    ¡°A giant octopus?¡± <em>Yes, I know. I killed that kind of monster when I was ying the game in my past life. But shouldn¡¯t that monster be slumbering in Flotsam?</em>


    ¡°I think the creatures that attacked those ships might be its babies, but I have to see them for myself.¡±


    ***


    The conversation was interrupted by an ear-piercing scream. They turned around and saw a middle-aged woman lying on the boatside, her face filled with terror.


    ¡°Calm down,dy. What happened?¡± Everyone surrounded her.


    ¡°My son. My little Blue¡­¡± The woman pointed at the raging river in despair. ¡°He fell overboard into the waters. Please, save him. Anyone, please, save my son!¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Roy looked at the crowd. He remembered the child. He was about the same height at the guardrail, and it was impossible for him to fall overboard just like that.


    <em>A young boy fell into these waters? He is doomed. </em>Everyone shook their heads in pity.


    ¡°The boy is doomed.¡±


    ¡°Poor child.¡±


    ¡°My condolences,dy.¡±


    A muscr, mustached man gesticted at the sailors, then he tied a thick rope around his waist before he leaped into the river. The man made a ssh, and he was gone, swallowed by the waters.


    Roy approved of the man¡¯s actions, and he sheathed Aerondight. He and the crowd stayed on the boat and watched the river. The sailor tried his best to keep the barge in one spot, while the child¡¯s mother put her hands in a prayer.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 168

    A bubble of air popped up on the surface, and blood spread across the river, as if someone had poured red ink into the waters.


    ¡°Blood? Why is there blood in the river?¡±


    The passengers were starting to get worried, then a pale, hairy arm broke the surface and grabbed the rope hanging from the side of the barge, and the man who leaped into the waters earlier came back up.


    ¡°Adonis, you¡¯re hurt!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something¡­ in the water.¡± The man looked up and did all he could to get that message out. ¡°Hold¡­ him. Save¡­ him¡­ first.¡± The man¡¯s face was contorted with pain, and he raised his arm up with difficulty.


    ¡°Blue!¡± the child¡¯s mother eximed. The man was holding the young boy by his waist. The boy wasn¡¯t looking too good either. His face was as white as a sheet of paper, and seaweed covered his body. He was curled up, as if he were a prawn that just got stir-fried in a pan.


    Blue¡¯s mother leaned over the barge, and with the help of the other passengers, she managed to take the boy back onto the boat. ¡°Are there any doctors here? Please, save my son! He¡¯s not breathing!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Put your backs into it, men! Pull Adonis up!¡± The sailors held on tightly to the rope tied around Adonis¡¯ waist, and someone held Adonis¡¯ arms, pulling him out of the water. Eventually, he was fully extracted from the river, and everyone saw the red marks on his back as well as a circr bite mark on his waist.


    ¡°What the hell is in the waters?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and pull me up!¡±


    Just when everyone thought everything would be fine, the river¡¯s surface started to bubble, and two tentacles the size of an adult man¡¯s arm shot out of the water. The sailors watched in horror as the tentacles wrapped Adonis¡¯ shoulders and dragged him back down into the river.


    At the same time, they heard a vague sounding from under the water. It sounded like a sobbing infant. Foam appeared on the river¡¯s surface, as if something were sshing and iling around.


    Roy stared at the tentacles and cast Observe on them.


    ¡®Kayran


    HP: 80


    Age: Five years old


    Gender: Female


    Strength: 9


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 7


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 4


    Skills:


    Regeneration (Level 2): Kayrans have powerful regenerative abilities. They can stop blood loss almost immediately. Even if they lose a few tentacles, they can regrow them in just a few hours.¡¯


    <em>You just had to jinx this trip, didn¡¯t you, Linus? This monster must be rted to that kayran in Flotsam. </em>Roy unsheathed Aerondight.


    All the passengers were petrified by what they were seeing. The sailors were shocked as well, and they loosened their grip on Adonis. Because of that, the kayran nearly pulled him back underwater. But they were hardened sailors, and they snapped out of it quickly. The sailors quickly stopped Adonis from getting pulled back, and they began a tug of war with the monster beneath the river.


    The poor man was stuck between his crew and the monster. His face was red with pain from the force that was pulling him in different directions, but still he didn¡¯t wince. Instead, he clenched his teeth as tightly as he could, and he was starting to bleed from his mouth.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I call a man.¡± Roy couldn¡¯t hide anymore. He pulled on the rope hanging at the boatside and flew through the air, swinging Aerondight down on the tentacles that were gripping Adonis.


    The sailors felt the monster¡¯s grip disappear, and they saw its tentacles falling back into the water. Crimson blood spattered the boat and the river, while the monster howled in agony as it dipped back down into the river.


    Without the monster fighting them, the sailors pulled Adonis back up sessfully.


    Adonisy weakly on the deck and took a swig of alcohol to warm himself up. He smiled gratefully at the young witcher who just saved him. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a witcher.¡± Linus strode over and announced to everyone, ¡°This young man here is a witcher. With him on our side, there¡¯s nothing to fear from the monster.¡±


    ¡°I see. That exins his extraordinary reflexes.¡±


    The passengers gasped in surprise, and the fear from meeting the monster subsided ever so slightly.


    ¡°Witcher, will you be so kind as to get rid of the monster?¡±


    The boy woke up after a doctor treated him, though there was fear in his eyes, and hey in his mother¡¯s arms to find somefort.


    ¡°You guys stay here. We¡¯ll talk after I kill this monster.¡± Roy winked at Ciri, who looked excited to see him. However, Ciri¡¯s servant and the soldier¡¯s leader¡ªKrauze¡ªwere looking at Roy with enmity.


    ¡°Did you follow us, witcher?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. We have a more pressing matter at hand.¡± Roy came to the boatside to have a closer look. He saw something swimming underwater not far behind the barge, and when everyone looked where he was looking, they saw the tentacles that broke through the surface of the water. But when they noticed the elliptical silhouette under the river, they were once again gripped by fear.


    Obviously, the octopus did not escape after it was injured, but it didn¡¯te close that easily anymore. Roy knew these were vengeful monsters. They would hound those who had hurt them until they had their payback, and two torn tentacles were nothing for an octopus-like monster.


    ¡°Well, time to finish the job.¡± Roy borrowed a harpoon tied to a rope from the sailors and greased it with a dose of paralyzing poison. Everyone was looking at him weirdly as he raised the harpoon overhead and aimed it at the creature moving underwater.


    It was the first time he was using a harpoon, but his extraordinary dexterity, strength, and perception allowed him to get in the best position in no time. He blocked out all the noises around him and turned his witcher senses on. By then, all he could feel were the winds blowing across the river, the stream that was flowing furiously, the barge that was traveling above it, and the monster that was following them.


    It was as if time itself hade to a standstill, and all he could see were the tentacles that were thrashing around in the waters. Roy waited for the perfect moment, and he threw the harpoon out at such a blinding speed all the passengers could see was something zipping across the air.


    The harpoon made a big ssh, and it stopped the monster in its tracks. It bobbed its head up, and the passengers saw the harpoon embedded in its body. The monster thrashed in the waters, circling around and struggling to break free. s, it was futile. Blood started to spread out in the waters around the monster, and the paralyzing poison started to take effect. It eventually stopped struggling. The monster turned around and moved along with the barge.


    The sailors quickly dragged it up to the deck, revealing the full face of the monster that had been terrorizing the waters.


    ¡°Such vitality!¡± Linus squeezed through the throng and touched the monster. His skeletal face turned red with excitement as he examined the specimen. ¡°And these powerful tentacles sprouting from its belly¡­ These must be the tentacles that dragged the boy overboard. Look at its fist-sized suckers! Its gaping maw! And its sharp teeth!¡±


    ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s still alive.¡± Roy went down and smacked the tentacles that were still squirming by reflex. ¡°It¡¯s a mutated creature,¡± he concluded.


    The passengers were gripped by terror, and they took a step back. Ciri, however, came up to Roy with her soldiers behind her. She stared at the big octopus, and although she did feel some fear, a big part of what she was feeling was excitement.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re strong, Roy. So how should we handle this creature?¡±


    ¡°Kill it!¡± the passengers shouted, especially Blue¡¯s mother.


    ¡°You can¡¯t let it harm anyone anymore!¡±


    ¡°Yes, witcher! Kill that monster right away!¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough! Quiet!¡± Linus roared furiously and shot everyone a nasty re. ¡°Mr. Roy, you are the one who caught this monster. You should be the one to decide what to do with it. However¡­¡± Linus licked his lips. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I wish to purchase this monster.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 169

    <strong>Chapter 169: Omen</strong>


    ¡°Why do you even want this monster? It¡¯s a killer.¡± Roy smacked the octopus¡¯ seaweed-covered head with his short sword. He was trying to get the best angle to cut his prize open. ¡°I¡¯d love to make a grilled octopus out of this. This is the first time I get to have an octopus the size of a calf.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do please be careful, Mr. Roy. Don¡¯t hurt it,¡± Linus gurgled. He turned around and announced, ¡°Passengers, do you have any idea how valuable this octopus¡­ No, this mollusc is?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying this monster is a rare animal?¡± Blue¡¯s mother held her son close at hand, ring at Linus angrily. The boy said nothing, though he was stealing nces at the octopus. ¡°No matter how we see it, this is just a bigger octopus.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Think about it. Have you ever seen an octopus in a river?¡± Linus was starting to get excited. ¡°I am a biologist from Oxenfurt University, and I have been researching incredible animals all over the world, but this is the first time I have seen a freshwater octopus, and one at such stature, as well. There are no records about it, even in the institution. This must be an endangered species. It has to be protected.¡±


    ¡°Bollocks!¡± a passenger growled. ¡°Are you sick in the head? That monster is a killer, and you want to protect it? No matter how rare that creature is, it must be killed. It has eaten humans.¡±


    Linus was infuriated by that remark, but he held his anger down. ¡°All of you are people of Cintra. All of you live near Yaruga, so you should know the changes that have happened to the river.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat about the bush. What does that have to do with this monster?¡±


    ¡°Have some patience,¡± Linus answered. ¡°Over thest few decades, the living environments in all rivers have taken a turn for the worse, including Yaruga. If you¡¯d looked closer, you would have realized that most fish you had caught when you were kids are nowhere to be seen.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Most passengers fell into a pensive silence.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I have looked into the matter. Fifty years ago, there were more than two thousand and five hundred species of fish in Yaruga, but today, there are only less than half of that. Variegated carps are extinct, high-fin banded sharks are all dead, as well. Banded catfish, barracudas, gudgeons, and many more! All of them are dead!¡± Linus was suddenly getting galvanized. ¡°This octopus might be thest of its species in the river. If we kill it, we might be single-handedly sending a species into extinction!¡±


    Someone gasped in shock. ¡°Is the situation really that dire?¡± All of a sudden, the man found that he wasn¡¯t feeling as much hatred for the octopus anymore. They weren¡¯t directly hurt by the monster, after all.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Linus faced everyone seriously. ¡°And that¡¯s an optimistic estimation.¡±


    ¡°But it almost killed my son, <em>and </em>it hurt a brave sailor!¡± Blue¡¯s mother was still adamant about killing the monster. ¡°It cannot be released just like that.¡±


    Linus answered gently, ¡°I am more than willing to pay for the damages done to you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves.¡± Adonis limped over with the help of his crew. ¡°First things first. This monster must not be released into the river.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the sailors agreed. ¡°Or it will ruin our trade.¡±


    Linus promised them, ¡°I will not release it into the waters, of course. To tell you the truth, once we get to Verden, I will ship it back to Oxenfurt. It shall be locked in ab for further observation.¡± Linus said, ¡°It shall spend the rest of its life in a ss room, never to harm anyone ever again.¡±


    Since Linus was going that far, the passengers saw no reason to object anymore.


    ¡°I take it that the discussion is over?¡± Roy flicked the mucus on his hand away and smiled at Linus. <em>This creature isn¡¯t even a monster. None of its stats are over ten. Killing it won¡¯t progress my career. And its EXP probably isn¡¯t that much anyway. I guess I can spare it.</em> ¡°Now, you said you wanted to purchase it. What will be your offer, then?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Nice doing business with you.¡± Roy was beaming. He made two hundred crowns from the sale easily, and he finally had two thousand crowns again.


    Linus, who was ripped off, didn¡¯t seem too angry about it. He was staring at the monster, excitement bubbling within him.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve paid me handsomely, here¡¯s some free advice.¡±


    Linus didn¡¯t turn around. He had to clean the octopus¡¯ wound. The harpoon didn¡¯t deal any fatal damage, though the paralyzing poison did knock it out.


    ¡°Get the sailors to lend you a. If it¡¯s starting to die, hold it in a and dip it in the river. I can give you some paralyzing poison to keep it from escaping, too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Linus sighed. ¡°This creature isn¡¯t a random kayran anymore. I have dubbed it Peter the Octopus.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yours now, so you may call it whatever you want.¡± Roy wanted to throw a bit of shade at Linus, but he stopped himself before he could. ¡°But hauling it back to Oxenfurt is a big project. If you fail to take good care of it, Peter will be nothing but a kayran corpse at the end of your journey. Besides, there are a lot of uncertainties on your way back as well.¡±


    Linus frowned, and Roy added, ¡°Some more friendly advice. Take it to Cidaris. It¡¯s a kingdom north of Verden. Seek out a mage who goes by the name Dorregaray, and he shall help you.¡±


    ¡°Dorregaray? Who is that?¡±


    ¡°An animal protector like you. He advocates bnce, and he <em>will </em>save this kay¡­ Peter the Octopus without asking for any favors in return. He is a mage, and he knows more than you do. You might find transporting Peter back to Oxenfurt a tough mission, but it¡¯s nothing for him.¡±


    Linus eased up after hearing the exnation. ¡°Do please forgive me for my earlier behavior, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have much to discuss with you the next time I am in Oxenfurt.¡±


    Roy wanted to see the keep of rare animals that Linus had.


    ***


    Roy said hello to Ciri after he was done talking to Linus, and he gave the sailors half of his earnings from selling Peter. Without their help, he couldn¡¯t have captured the creature. He couldn¡¯t take all the money for himself. The sailors didn¡¯t refuse, either. They took the money from him and invited Roy to the cabin.


    Adonis¡¯ upper body was covered in bandages, and he was lying on the bunk bed. He looked weak, but he managed a smile. ¡°Witcher, I managed to survive thanks to you. Once we return to Cintra, you and I are going to drink our fill. It¡¯s on me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but before that, a toast to you.¡± Roy raised a bottle of dwarven liquor and downed it all. ¡°The courage you have shown is spectacr. You don¡¯t seem like a regr human.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I am.¡± Adonis smiled bitterly. ¡°I am just an old sailor. But my ancestors came from Skellige, and my grandfather always told me that all Skellige men were brave and courageous. Besides, that boy is just like my little Reggie. I couldn¡¯t just sit by when he was in danger.¡±


    ¡°To Adonis of Skellige!¡±


    Adonis¡¯ face was red from all the coughing, but he managed to take a cup of rum. ¡°And to you, witcher.¡±


    ¡°Call me Roy.¡±


    The men made small talk, and Roy asked, ¡°Have you run into any underwater creatures like that before?¡±


    Adios shook his head firmly. ¡°The waterways between Cintra and Verden have always been safe. We haven¡¯t even seen a drowner in more than ten years, let alone this¡­ kayran. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one. Never heard of it before, either.¡±


    ¡°You have never even heard of it before?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Now, that is weird.¡± Roy rubbed his chin pensively.


    ¡°Perhaps it is an omen,¡± Adonis mumbled to himself.


    ¡°An omen? Of what?¡±


    ¡°I have a nephew in Cintra. He¡¯s a soldier, and he¡¯s starting to get busytely. I have a feeling this peace won¡¯tst for much longer. Every time a disaster is looming on the horizon, there will always be evil rearing its ugly head everywhere.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 170

    <strong>Chapter 170: Arrival</strong>


    When Roy left Adonis¡¯ cabin, he was faced with Krauze¡¯s interrogation.


    ¡°We have the same destination here.¡± Ciri was beaming at him, and Roy winked at her. ¡°I just got a request back in Cintra, and my employer requires me to make a trip to Verden.¡±


    ¡°Tell me the truth, Mr. Roy.¡± Krauze stared intently at Roy, trying to bore a hole through the young witcher. ¡°You left the castle after youpleted the queen¡¯s orders, but now you take the same boat as the princess? That is no coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Roy shrugged. Ciri was wiggling her eyebrows at him, but Coria pulled the girl behind her. The servant seemed nervous, but she puffed her cheeks and tried to keep Ciri out of Roy¡¯s eyesight.


    ¡°The journey from Cintra to Verden is quite long, and I have to cross Yaruga on my way. I am just a poor witcher who can only afford a ticket on the barge.¡±


    Krauze looked Roy up and down. He didn¡¯t see any lies in Roy¡¯s eyes, so he waved his soldiers away, lest they attack Roy. ¡°Very well, then. I shall chalk this up to coincidence, but do please be mindful of your own status. Be respectful to the princess at the very least.¡± Krauze said nothing else after that.


    Cintra¡¯s warrior might be great at battling underwater, but nobody hade across a lethal octopus before, and none of them had any idea how to deal with it. ¡°The princess must not be harmed. She must be protected at all costs. The witcher might be a lowly citizen, but he is the perfect guard. He maye with us.¡±


    The soldiers ignored Roy, though they didn¡¯t allow him to get near Ciri, either. Ciri was iling in protest, but Coria dragged her into the cabin nheless.


    The river was once again safe. Roy stared at it for a moment and sighed. When he came back to the crowd, everyone kept quiet, and the air was filled with an awkward silence.


    Aside from Linus, who intended to keep Peter alive, none of the passengers stayed at the boatside anymore. They gathered in the center, though when Roy came back, they switched up their positions a little. Those who were far away huddled closer to the witcher, but those who were sitting close to Roy nudged away from him.


    All of the passengers were stealing nces at Roy, though there were different looks in their eyes. Some frowned and puckered their lips in fear, but most felt respect and fear towards Roy, with the majority leaning into fear. Those who were chatting happily earlier kept their mouths shut when Roy showed up, and they did not make any sudden movements either.


    The boy who was in his mother¡¯s arms called out to him meekly. ¡°Witcher?¡±


    ¡°What is it, child?¡±


    ¡°Y-You look different from what the legends describe.¡± The boy became bolder when Roy addressed him gently.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°My friends say that witchers have gaping maws and wolf ws as hands. They say all of you are filled with pustules, and you eat humans.¡± Dear little Blue huddled closer and stared at Roy with nothing but curiosity in his eyes.


    His mother¡ªthedy with a generous bosom¡ªcovered her son¡¯s mouth and smiled fearfully at Roy. ¡°Pardon the child, witcher. He¡¯s still a boy.¡±


    Roy grunted, but he said nothing else. He covered his face with his hoodie and leaned against the cabin¡¯s wall. He put his hands behind his head and rested his eyes as the barge made its way through the river.


    With the witcher¡¯s attention gone, the passengers started to ease up and began to chat after a while.


    ***


    Three hourster, the sailors made a loud announcement of their arrival at a pier. They pulled the sails down and tossed the anchors over. The barge started to rock as it docked itself against a pier. A sailor ced a thick wooden nk between the barge and the pier, allowing the passengers to disembark.


    Everyone started to get busy. Luggage and cargo were sent up to the shore, and Roy¡ªwho was woken up by the noise¡ªwas washed to the pier along with the throng.


    The river breezeing in from Yaruga was tinged with the stench of sweating from theborers who were pushing the cart filled with cargo. The barge Roy was on was only one of the dozen of barges that came from Cintra, Brugge, Sodden, and the other neighboring kingdoms. They congregated at the pier in southern Verden, which was also one of the three military fortresses in Verden¡ªBodrog.


    The shore was bustling with activity. Merchants were running around to make deals, while soldiers in leather armor would patrol the ce. Roy noticed that the soldiers were also equipped with steel swords, which was the standard, but they also had a hand crossbow strapped to their waist.


    Roy rubbed his chin. <em>I wonder what it¡¯ll be like if Ipare Gabriel to these hand crossbows. </em>He pinched his skin. <em>My Constitution is more than ten now. I wonder if I can cause a lot of damage with a small weapon like this.</em>


    Sometimeter, Linus came up to Roy, and two muscr men were behind him, holding a big wooden bucket that contained Peter the Octopus. The kayran was in deep sleep thanks to the paralyzing poison Roy gave Linus. They would have thought the monster was dead if it weren¡¯t for its twitching tentacles.


    ¡°Gabriel. That¡¯s the name of their hand crossbows. It¡¯s a copy of the real Gabriel, which is named after a famous weapons master in Verden.¡± Linus looked at the fortress behind the soldiers. It was filled with towers, and a deathly white wall surrounded it. After years of being corroded by the river breeze, the walls seemed like they could copse at any given moment. And on every turret stood an archer holding a hand crossbow with both hands.


    Linus continued, ¡°They might not be as powerful as regr crossbows, but they aren¡¯t as heavy either. They¡¯re more convenient, faster. Thirty seconds is all it needs for someone to fill their enemy with holes. It¡¯s an incredibly useful weapon in skirmishes and sudden attacks. Loved by bandits around Verden.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like the Cat School¡¯s crossbow.¡± Roy looked around. ¡°Thank you for that exnation, but are you sure you want to waste your time here?¡±


    Everyone at the shore gave them weird looks the moment Peter was taken off the barge. They were in a time where entertainment was scarce, and the people¡¯s curiosity proved difficult to satisfy. They would do anything to have some fun.


    Back in Cintra, a few dozen citizens spent good money on a ticket to see a ¡®basilisk.¡¯ Now it was like Linus was holding a free exhibition.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will.¡± Linus gritted his teeth and stuffed his name card in Roy¡¯s chest pocket. ¡°You may have ripped me off this time, but I will always wee you if you have any more creatures for sale.¡±


    Royughed heartily. ¡°You are a generous customer. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get a discount on the next sale. And do please seek Dorregaray out. He will help you.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Roy saw Linus off, and Ciri came to the shore with the soldiers surrounding her. She kept winking at Roy happily, and she even stomped her feet to attract his attention, but Coria held her down by force.


    Krauze gave Roy a look that told him to stay away, and he led his troop into Bodrog.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 171

    <strong>Chapter 171: n</strong>


    Bodrog¡¯s troops weed Ciri and her soldiers to the fortress. Ciri went into the carriage, but the fact that they had to leave Roy behind infuriated the girl. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ciri pulled the curtains back and scanned Bodrog¡¯s clean but boring roads impatiently.


    Coria put her hands together in a plea. ¡°Your Highness, you must be tired from the journey. We shall retire for the day somewhere, and Verden¡¯s ambassador will take you to Nastrog tomorrow to see your fianc¨¦.¡±


    Nastrog was located southwest of Verden and west of Bodrog. It was also one of the fortresses on the border of Verden and Cintra, but it also acted as Verden¡¯s capital.


    Verden¡¯s king and his son lived in Nastrog.


    ¡°This is nonsense!¡± Ciri¡¯s face scrunched up in displeasure. ¡°I have to travel all the way to Nastrog tomorrow? No. I am exhausted, and I refuse to move! Tell Kistrin toe here if he wants to see me. I refuse to go!¡±


    Ciri pinched Coria¡¯s chubby cheek. ¡°And one more thing! That pig is not my fianc¨¦!¡± Ciri clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°I will not get engaged to him! I am going to tell Ervyll to call this whole tomfoolery off! I will <em>not </em>marry that pig!¡±


    Cairo didn¡¯t pull Ciri¡¯s hand away. She said, ¡°Pwincess. Dis is the queen¡¯s orders. You must not mezz it ub.¡±


    ¡°This is injustice! Grandmother loves me! She couldn¡¯t have¡­ She couldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Ciri let go of Coria. The servant heaved a sigh of relief, but Ciri waved her fists angrily, and she snorted. ¡°If you lie to me, I-I will cut your head off once we return to Cintra. And the heads of those fools outside too!¡±


    Krauze was outside the carriage. He heard Ciri¡¯s grumblings, and he hung his head low in shame. A momentter, he smiled bitterly. <em>Sending our young princess to get engaged? This is pure humiliation. Once the news makes it out, Cintra¡¯s royalty will suffer humiliation they have never seen before. Verden¡¯s the vassal kingdom here. Princess Ciri is so much more royal than that fat dobber, Kistrin.</em>


    However, Cintra proved to be on the weaker side those days, and the soldiers had no choice but to give their princess away in exchange for military assistance. At that very moment, even a veteran soldier like Krauze was starting to feel disgruntled by Cnthe¡¯s decision. <em>The queen isn¡¯t as young as she used to be. She would have ripped the king in the south apart in her younger days if he tried to push her.</em>


    Unbeknownst to him, Cnthe just didn¡¯t want Cintra to share Nazair¡¯s fate.


    ***


    Roy came to a dingy inn in Bodrog¡¯s town area. He went inside and knocked on the rickety counter. ¡°One kirsch please.¡±


    ¡°Ah, terribly sorry, dear customer. But you are from out of town, are you not?¡±


    Roy grunted.


    ¡°We do not serve any kirsch here. How does a ck stout sound? It¡¯s a local specialty.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Roy shook his head. He never liked bitter beers, and he couldn¡¯t appreciate the so-called taste of malt. He preferred fruit wines for their sweetness and low levels of alcohol. His fellow witchersughed at him for that, but Roy didn¡¯t care. ¡°In that case, give me a cider and a grilled fish.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It will be served soon enough.¡± The sight of Roy¡¯s deep gold eyes and beastly pupils struck fear into the waiter¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t take a close look, but when he turned around, he muttered under his breath, ¡°This guy looks dangerous. Never thought he¡¯d order a girly wine. What a waste of that manly look.¡±


    Unbeknownst to the waiter, Roy heard his mutterings even though he was being quiet enough already. But Roy onlyughed it off. He didn¡¯t care about anyone¡¯sments about him anymore.


    After finding out where Ciri was staying, Roy explored the city of Bodrog. It wasn¡¯t as bustling as Cintra, naturally. Most of the barges that came here only saw it as a transit station. The passengers would head for other cities the moment they disembarked. There were a lot of military fortresses all over the world, however, and even a ce like Bodrog would be popted, though most of the poption was made up of soldiers.


    There weren¡¯t many customers during this time of the day. Aside from Roy, there were only a few exhausted soldiers in it.


    ¡°So, did you see the new guys earlier?¡±


    ¡°How can I not? Man, those guys look like beasts. One look at their gait and I <em>know </em>they are soldiers.¡±


    Two soldiers were whispering to each other, and Roy listened closely.


    ¡°Who is that big guy, anyway? Never knew the captain could bow so deeply to someone.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? That guy¡¯s not the real guest here. The one who holds all the power is the girl in the center of their troop,¡± the soldier whispered as he looked around. He stared at a man in a cape for a long time to see if they were overheard, but then the man took a swig from his cup and started looking tipsy.


    The soldier whispered something into hisrade¡¯s ears, and hisrade¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You have to be joking. W-We actually can have that honor?¡±


    The soldier who leaked the news looked proud. ¡°My wife¡¯s brother is a clerk for the baron. He told me about that, so I guess that¡¯s the truth. It won¡¯t be a secret for long, however. It¡¯ll be made public eventually.¡±


    ¡°On Lammas!¡± The soldier¡¯srade¡¯s eyes shone, and he ruffled his unkempt hair. ¡°It¡¯s nearing Lammas now. I bet they¡¯ll make the announcement on that day.¡±


    ¡°Of course. What do the bards usually say? A congrattions, it¡¯s a celebration? Oh, and you had better keep that pipe of yours shut. If you tell anyone about this, you¡¯ll be finished.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Lammas, huh?¡± Roy licked the cider off his lips. The mention of Lammas reminded him of Coral. She was gorgeous, gentle, and alluring. <em>It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t make it to Kerack. Guess I have to break a promise. </em>¡°But it¡¯s for something important. Ciri will be engaged to Kistrin on the day of Lammas.¡±


    ording to the lore, Ciri would make her escape when she was on her way to the engagement. She eventually stumbled upon a dryad¡¯sir by mistake, but thanks to her immense luck, she ran around randomly and was rescued in the end.


    The person who rescued Ciri was also one of the people Roy wanted to see on this trip. <em>Geralt of Rivia. The character I yed as for a long time in my past life.</em>


    Geralt dispelled Duny¡¯s curse and used the Law of Surprise when he stipted his reward. That reward would be none other than Ciri, who wasn¡¯t born then. Ciri was Geralt¡¯s Unexpected Child.


    ***


    Getting in contact with the White Wolf was one of Roy¡¯s goals, with the other being the Water of Brokilon. The water, which was also named as the Waters of Oblivion, was a legendary item that could change human girls into dryads as well as awaken the Elder Blood. <em>I wonder if the Water of Brokilon can improve the bloodline I got from consuming the Child of the Sun.</em>


    Roy had a few worries, however. He wondered if his actions back in Cintra would interfere with Geralt and Ciri¡¯s meeting. <em>Even if it doesn¡¯t, my actions might change something. I wonder how far the butterfly effect will go. </em>He waved his hand at the waiter.


    ¡°Do you require more wine, sir?¡±


    ¡°I have a question. What lies at the east of Bodrog?¡±


    The waiter froze. ¡°Th-The east, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A barrennd.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s further east of that?¡±


    ¡°You cannot go further than that, sir! That is a forbiddennd! We are not allowed to enter it! I-I have heard of lost travelers nevering out of that ce after they go inside.¡± The waiter was starting to get agitated, but then a look of horror crawled onto his face. ¡°A few veteran hunters have talked about hearing the sounds of creatures in that ce. They say it devours human flesh! You can¡¯t be thinking about going to that ce, can you?¡± The waiter put some distance between him and the witcher.


    Roy tossed a crown to him. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hear your stories. What lies further east?¡±


    ¡°I-If you walk five miles east, you wille across an ancient forest called Brokilon. At least that¡¯s what the old hunters call it.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 172

    <strong>Chapter 172: Fly, Zireael</strong>


    The rooster crowed, heralding the break of dawn and the sprinkle of the first rays of sunshine. Roy was lying on the roof of the house of a poor guy somewhere, and he opened his eyes. They gleamed gold, and he looked at the heavily guarded mansion standing not far away from him.


    At the same time, he heard the sound of hooves clopping against the ground. Dust swirled up into the air as avish carriage with the emblem of a yellow and ck striped shield appeared on the stone street.


    The carriage stopped before the mansion. A middle-aged man who sported an exquisite beard and a phrygian cap with a goose feather protruding from its side came out of the carriage and walked up to the mansion.


    ¡°Alright. There¡¯s Frex. The time is close at hand.¡± Roy leaped off the building and passed through a few tforms at a blinding speed. A momentter, the young witcher arrived in a quiet clearing.


    ***


    ¡°Granddaughter of Queen Cnthe, Lion Cub of Cintra, Your Highness Princess Ciri, I¡­¡±


    The great hall was a luxurious ce shone by magical lights. Ciri looked at the man who came to see her, and she rubbed her eyes. There were dark circles under them, which was rare. She shouldn¡¯t be losing sleep after her years on Skellige Isles, but the thought of her engagement scared her, making her insomniac.


    ¡°What did you say your name was again?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I am the governor by His Majesty Ervyll¡¯s orders. My name is Frex. By His Majesty¡¯s orders, I am to lead you to the castle.¡± Frex took his hat off, bowed down, and knelt on one knee to kiss the back of Ciri¡¯s hand. ¡°I shall be leading you all the way to the castle. On my life I swear that I shall take you to Nastrog safely.¡±


    ¡°That is enough, Mr. Frex. You came early enough.¡± Ciri pouted and dusted the back of her hand off furtively. Coria noticed that, however, and she smiled.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness, for I have beente. But I have not wasted a single moment ever since His Majesty gave me his decree. Two days I have spent on this journey, and two days I have not slept.¡±


    Frex looked up, and his eyes were bloodshot. It was a stark contrast to his well-kept skin, though that juxtaposition only added to the horror element.


    ¡°These viins!¡± Ciri stomped her foot. ¡°They want me there as soon as possible to get engaged to their pig of a prince, don¡¯t they?¡± she muttered. <em>I will not marry that pig. </em>Ciri held her frustration down and clenched her fists tightly. Determination welled up within her eyes, and she thought, <em>I¡¯m going to go with the n I came up withst night. It will work.</em>


    Frex had his own ideas too, however. When he knew that Cnthe had decided to marry Ciri off to Kistrin, he knew that was Ervyll¡¯s chance to gain more power, and it was his opportunity of a lifetime as well. An opportunity to change his life. <em>Cnthe fears Nilfgaard. She fears that they will swallow her kingdom whole. It¡¯s a shame she¡¯s much too stubborn and loves power more than anything. If Cnthe would just humble herself and work with the truly powerful northern kingdoms like Aedirn, Temeria, Kaedwen, and Redania, she could fend Nilfgaard off eventually.</em>


    The kings of the northern kingdoms had been trying to get their hands on Cintra, but Cnthe would never give them the chance. If she had asked Demavend, Foltest, Henselt, or Vizimir II for help, they¡¯d use that chance to take Cintra over. Even if she could fend the Nilfgaardian army off, her kingdom would eventually be taken away.


    Cnthe was only forty-three. She was healthy and had no records of being down with any illness. At the very least, she could rule Cintra through her puppet husband for about twenty more years.


    Because of her obsession with power, she opted to marry her own granddaughter off to Verden. All so she could secure her grip on Cintra. <em>If Prince Kistrin and Princess Ciri are engaged, he can theoretically have the chance to rule Cintra. The princess is still young, and she can be manipted easily. Besides, some ident might happen to Cnthe and kill her off. </em>


    Frex was getting more and more excited about that prospect, and his eyes became even more bloodshot. <em>When that timees, I shall be rewarded for my great service to the kingdom of Verden and Cintra. </em>


    To that end, Frex begged his sister to give him this chance. She was the queen of Verden, and she always thought her brother deserved more in life because he was cursed for a part of it.


    The mission was risky, of course. If anything were to happen to Ciri on her way to the castle, Ervyll would send him to the guillotine. <em>But the princess is already safe and sound in Verden. The most dangerous part of her journey has ended. Nothing could go wrong.</em>


    Ciri and Frex both had their own ns. They made some small talk, and they finally decided on the itinerary.


    After they had breakfast, a convoy made up of two carriages and twenty horses left the governor¡¯s estate. They were headed toward the city gates in the east, where Nostrag stood.


    Not long after the convoy had departed, someone appeared from the bushes near the city gates and tailed the convoy, though the silhouette kept a distance of one mile from his quarry.


    ***


    With the princess in the carriage, they couldn¡¯t go too fast. In fact, they were painstakingly slow. Ciri, however, thought it was perfect for her n.


    Coria was chuckling happily. It was the first time she had seen Ciri fidgeting like a baby beast. She kept pulling the curtains back and looking around nervously. ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t seem to hate Prince Kistrin so much. I think you¡¯re really paying attention to him.¡±


    Ciri looked up haughtily. Suddenly, she huddled closer to her servant and stared at her intently. She touched Coria¡¯s jacket and hat, then she looked at her own white dress. She said slowly, ¡°Coria, tell me, have I treated you well?¡±


    ¡°Pr-Princess, what do you mean?¡± Coria¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she retreated to a corner. She had only seen that look of determination in Cnthe¡¯s eyes before, and the same look in Ciri¡¯s eyes scared her.


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°You have treated me well,¡± Coria answered, her voice trembling. Ciri might be cheeky and mischievous, but unlike the other royals, she cared about life a lot.


    ¡°Good. Then are you loyal to me or my grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness. You know that I-I am your servant.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now listen closely.¡± Ciri huddled even closer to Coria. ¡°Now is the time to show your loyalty. We¡¯re getting out of the carriage, and then¡­¡± She whispered her n into Coria¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Princess, that is just¡­¡± Coria could not believe what she was hearing.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty minutes. Why isn¡¯t she done yet?¡± Frex was standing before a tall bush, rubbing his hands anxiously. Not long after they left Bodrog, Ciri demanded to have a little release. They couldn¡¯t argue with her, and they stopped for Ciri to do her business. Coria went with the princess, while the men stood outside. They didn¡¯t even urge her to go faster lest she felt crossed.


    Krauze didn¡¯t care that much, however. He knew how mischievous his princess could get, and he had a feeling this might be one of her tricks. ¡°It has been quite a while, princess. Are you done?¡± he asked, then called out to Ciri twice. When he didn¡¯t get any answer from her, he knew something was wrong. ¡°Princess, if you¡¯re still not answering, I will have toe over.¡±


    The bush rustled, and someone screamed, ¡°Guards! The princess has escaped!¡±


    ¡°Escaped?¡± Frex and Krauze looked at each other, and they saw the fear within their eyes. The princess¡¯ escape gripped them with terror, and they led their men into the bushes.


    What they saw, however, was Coria turning her back to them and sobbing into her hands. ¡°Th-The princess has escaped.¡±


    ¡°What? H-How did you let this happen? You shall be punished once we catch up with the princess!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and chase after the princess! Get the horses!¡±


    ¡°Horses? There are bushes everywhere! We might trample over her! She¡¯s still young! She can¡¯t have gone far! Men, search around!¡± Krauze hollered, and the soldiers searched the bushes around them.


    The very moment they went on the search, the ¡®servant¡¯ stopped crying. She tossed her hat up high, revealing the ashen hair and muddy face underneath. Despite her dirty looks, the girl had a smile on her face.


    She went back to the carriage and got up the horse, albeit with a lot of difficulty. Then she pulled on the reins, her posture perfect.


    Nobody knew Ciri could ride on horseback. It was a skill she picked up back at Skellige. She spent her time with Hjalmar and Cerys, and they had a lot of snowball fights, fishing sessions, and rode on horseback frequently back then.


    ¡°Be good, please. You don¡¯t have to be as smart as Roy¡¯s Wilt, but please be good to me.¡± She patted the horse¡¯s mane to calm it, and she looked at the east with excitement. It was in the opposite direction of where the guards were looking for her. There was a huge in in the east, and a smidgen of verdanty at the end of that prairie.


    For some reason, she was reminded of what Roy told her. It didn¡¯t make sense to her back then, but now she knew what he meant.


    When Roy was still in the castle, he once told her, ¡°Your name, Ciri,es from Zireael in Elder Speech. It means ¡®Swallow.¡¯ The bird, not the verb. Remember, Ciri. You are a free soul. As free as a swallow who flies high up in the sky. As long as you wish to fly, then no one can trap you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t marry that pig. Grandmother will no longer control me. I will not bear his children! Fly, Zireael! Fly!¡± the girl roared quietly and held the horse¡¯s neck as it charged eastward.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 173

    <strong>Chapter 173: Lady of the Lake¡¯s Guidance</strong>


    The sun shone brightly upon thends. Twenty knights were riding on their horses in a prairie, chasing after one young girl. As their horses trampled the ins, they kicked up a sandstorm behind them.


    It was a matter of time before they would catch their quarry, but suddenly, a great forest popted by gigantic trees unfurled before them, and the knights could do nothing but watch as the young girl rode into the ancient forest.


    Frex pulled on his reins, for he would dare not step into the forbidden woods. He, however, was furious about losing the princess. ¡°Damn it! I was so close! If I had two more minutes, I could have caught up to her!¡±


    Krauze caught up to him, and he stopped, though he shot Frex a surprised look. ¡°Why did you stop? The princess is just ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°And so is Brokilon, the ancient forest.¡± Frex heaved a long sigh and stared at the forest solemnly. ¡°I trust that you have heard of this ce and its stories. Brokilon is a forbidden ce in thesends. There is nothing but certain death for humans who tread those woods. Especially for men.¡±


    Krauze arched his eyebrow. He massaged his temple and scoffed. ¡°Governor, may I remind you that losing the princess will have grave consequences for you? Even if King Ervyll is ¡®merciful¡¯ enough to let you go free, Queen Cnthe won¡¯t show you the same mercy.¡±


    A chill ran down Frex¡¯s spine. <em>Damn these forbidden woods. I¡¯m charging in even if this ce is hell itself. </em>Frex finally understood where he stood. Ciri escaping under his very nose was already his fault to begin with. If he failed to retrieve her, what awaited him was an execution at the guillotine.


    Frex finally stopped hesitating and summoned his troop to enter the forest. However, the scent of the soil and trees that assailed him rattled his mind. He had the strangest feeling that his own life would change forever because of the choice he made that day.


    Unbeknownst to them, another wanderer had already entered the forest.


    ***


    Brokilon was home to countless ancient trees. An overwhelming majority of the trees were at least a few centuries old. The dappled sunlight would be absorbed by the bushes and ferns as nutrients, while fallen leaves acted as a carpet that was draped over the earth. Insects and bugs scuttled throughout the forest. Glistening cobwebs were spread between twigs, while small animals would stick their heads out to check their surroundings out.


    The woods were filled with the scent of beasts, soil, and leaves, but Roy was not in the mood to appreciate the scenery. From the moment he entered the forest, Roy bent over and stood on his tiptoes, reducing the sound of his breathing to nothing more than a little whisper in the breeze. A light yellow shield surrounded him, protecting him from harm. Roy was cautious, for he knew that the lively look of the forest was built upon a mountain of bones and rivers of blood.


    Roy came to a halt a momentter. He looked down at the ground of mulch made up of pine cones and ferns, then he noticed a human corpse that was filled with ants and various bugs. <em>Maybe it¡¯s a poacher, a lumberjack, or just a lost wanderer. </em>He bent down and picked up an arrow that was embedded between the corpse¡¯s bones.


    It was an arrow made of chicken feathers, a willow stick, and a sharpened stone. There was no metal in it. That did not mean the arrow was weak. It could still pierce through human flesh easily and kill them. <em>Dryad architecture, </em>Roy thought. <em>And Brokilon is theirir.</em>


    Unlike leshens, dryads were no monsters. Instead, they were rtives of elves. A race of humanoid creatures with emerald skin, who dubbed themselves the forest¡¯s protector. They had a deep-set hatred against humans who poached and cut down trees, and they would kill every single one of them on sight.


    The dryad race was made up entirely of women. Their leader¡ªEithn¨¦¡ªwould kill most men on sight, only keeping the strongest of them to feed her lust. Fortunately, dryads would not kill women under most circumstances, especially young, harmless human girls like Ciri, as they had other uses for them.


    Roy kept the arrow and progressed carefully. He turned his witcher senses on and captured all the clues rted to Ciri. Her scent, for example. However, the forest was aplicated maze, and there were more obstacles in his way than he first imagined. Even if he and Ciri might be inches away from each other, he still could miss her because of the nts that were in his line of sight.


    <em>Well, this isn¡¯t making the search any easier. </em>He had to carve the mark of the Viper School on a nearby trunk for every few steps he took, lest he got lost. <em>I hope the Law of Surprise works. </em>Half an hourter, Roy found something. He caught Cri¡¯s scenting from a strip of torn cloth hanging on a stick. There was ayer of small, chaotic footprints on the mulch beside the strip of cloth. Roy sniffed the air. ¡°No smell of blood. Seems like she¡¯s safe.¡±


    Roy had seen a pack of wolves and a sleeping grey bear on his way here. He held back the urge to kill them in case the dryads were offended, and he slipped by the beasts. <em>How did Ciri manage to get away from those beasts anyway? Wait. Is it her Child of Fortune skill? </em>Roy put his worry for Ciri aside for the moment and tracked the trail of footprints down.


    Just when he was about to leave, he heard the sound of someone howling in agony a distance away, then he heard someone groan in pain. A chill ran down Roy¡¯s spine, and he got goosebumps all over his body, but it was not from the cold. <em>I don¡¯t hear any beast roaring. Must have been the dryads. And those howls¡­ Must be the soldiers. Who else? </em>


    Roy sighed. He was about to check the scene out, but the howls came to an abrupt stop. Roy turned his attention to the trail of footprints and followed it. Eventually, the footprints came to an end.


    ¡°This ce is¡­¡± A crystal clearke appeared before him. He was in a clearing surrounded by trees, and Ciri¡¯s footprints disappeared right beside theke. Roy sighed, and he took a closer look at theke.


    It wasn¡¯t a bigke. For some reason, the trees granted a little spot for theke to exist. There wasn¡¯t anything over theke, and the sunlight shone directly on its surface. The waters were shimmering, a stark contrast to the generally dim forest. It was a beautiful sight, though he was more concerned about Ciri.


    ¡°That girl¡¯s stamina is great. She didn¡¯t even take a break after running for so long.¡± <em>Should I keep up the chase? No, wait. </em>Roy gazed at theke. <em>I have a great idea.</em>


    He unsheathed the crimson de¡ªAerondight. Roy dragged the de with him as he slowly stepped into theke. Eventually, the de and the young witcher were submerged in thekewater.


    Aqua Blessing took effect, and a big, translucent bubble magically appeared from Aerondight, covering Roy and allowing him to breathe underwater. Thanks to the blessing, Roy didn¡¯t face much resistance when he was moving underwater. <em>This is a magical experience. </em>The colorful fishes under the water swam past him, as if he wasn¡¯t even there.


    Eventually, the calm surface of theke started to rage, and the water started to boil, eventually bing a nket of fog that covered theke. The fog started to spread outward and eventually even covered the nearby woods as well.


    Roy walked to the center of theke, when suddenly, he felt something zip past him, and a beautiful woman shrouded in a veil of fog swam past him. ¡°That¡¯s Vivienne¡¯s token. Roy of Lake Vizima, why hast thou summoned me?¡± a voice asked Roy. It sounded like it came from the heavens, but at the same time, he heard it in his mind.


    ¡°Might you be Brokilon¡¯s Lady of the Lake?¡± Roy turned around, but the Lady of the Lake seemed to be in a yful mood. She kept swimming around him, keeping him from seeing her face.


    ¡°Yes. I am the ruler of the waters in this area. My name is Henn-na.¡±


    ¡°Gracious goddess Henn-na.¡± Roy scrunched his nose up. Henn-na put her hands on his shoulders, then she let him go and swam away cheekily. A strand of dark green hair brushed across his nose. It felt ticklish, but also refreshing. ¡°Vivienne has told me that I can summon her friends using Aerondight. And I may ask them for their aid.¡±


    ¡°Roy of Lake Vizima,¡± Henn-na said solemnly. ¡°Brokilon does not take well to strangers, but you are an exception. Tell me. What do you need?¡±


    Roy quickly cut to the chase. ¡°I am searching for a girl. She has ashen hair and is about nine years old. She just went past your territory. May I know her exact location? Her current exact location.¡±


    ¡°Simple enough,¡± Henn-na said. Roy noticed a beautiful arm appearing beside him, and the goddess waved across the waters gracefully to produce a magical screen. A young girl was shown on the water¡¯s surface. Her face was pale, and she was covering her mouth. She was lying motionlessly in a damp, dark tree hole, and Roy could hear some weird noisesing from outside the tree.


    ¡°Ciri!¡± Roy called out to her, but he received no answer. At the same time, he noticed a seaweed-like nt the size of a forearm suddenly appearing in his other hand.


    ¡°Take this. It shall guide you to the ce of the person you wish to seek. And send my regards to Vivienne.¡±


    Before Henn-na could say anything else, Roy felt a gentle strength pushing him up from the bottom of theke, and he broke the surface a momentter. ¡°Beware the vicious dryads of Brokilon. Their leader, Lady Eithn¨¦, is a powerful witch. Not even I am a match for her. Be careful.¡± Henn-na¡¯s voice lingered around him, and it disappeared eventually.


    The nt in Roy¡¯s hand suddenly pointed in a direction, as if it were apass. ¡°Hang on, Ciri. I¡¯ming.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 174

    <strong>Chapter 174: The Legend Appears</strong>


    ¡®Hees from the north, a witcher with white hair and twin swords. He leads his horse through the door of the rope maker. At the behest of the king of Brugge, he ventures into Brokilon.¡¯


    The witcher came to a halt in the forest at noon. He bent down and rubbed the fresh blood that was staining the grass. The witcher dposed the blood down to itsponents, and he searched for its source. It did not take him long to find the first body.


    It belonged to a young man who was only in his twenties. The body was lying face up, its legs spread to the sides. His face was etched with horror, as if thest thing he saw disturbed his soul until that moment. But the witcher knew that the man died instantly. He did not even feel any pain before that. The arrow pierced his eye and destroyed his brain.


    The witcher closed the dead man¡¯s eyes and stood up. His taut muscles and callused hand was proof that he had undergone intense training before his death. The corpse had been no ordinary man in life. ¡°A poacher? Or perhaps a bounty hunter who took Ervyll¡¯s offer?¡± Ervyll of Verden had always thought of Brokilon as a thorn in his side. He had been offering a huge bounty on the head of the dryads¡¯ leader in secret.


    The humans wanted to cut down Brokilon¡¯s trees to fund their business, but the dryads made their homes there.


    The witcher came to a distance of six steps behind the corpse. An arrow was embedded in the ground. Judging from the depth and the angle of the arrow alone, the witcher could see from where the dryad shot the arrow. ¡°This was a warning shot. Dryads almost never miss. This one isn¡¯t experienced enough. Most dryads shoot to kill.¡±


    The witcher was reminded of the days where dryads weren¡¯t so cruel. They would give three or four warnings to the intruders before they killed them. <em>Not now, though. </em>He shook his head and followed the trail of the bloody footsteps. He could ignore the dead, but not the living. <em>If I can catch up to them, I might be able to get them to leave. They do not have to die.</em>


    He might not admit it, but he had a sliver of kindness left within him. It was contrary to his cold and aloof look, but that was part of his charm.


    His hopes of giving the survivors a warning were quickly dashed, however. It did not take long for him to find the second, third, and fourth body. The ground around the bodies was a mess. Ferns and sticks were deeply embedded in the soil. It was obvious that the victims struggled in agony for a long time before they died.


    The witcher¡¯s ears suddenly twitched, and he caught a weak moan. It was almost a whisper, but the witcher caught it. He swiftly shoved the sticks aside and saw a hidden hole beneath it. Through the sunlight, the witcher saw a muscr man lying in the hole. He was wearing a tight shirt made out of deer leather, and he sported an exquisite beard. But he wasn¡¯t looking well. He was covered in soil, pieces of nts, and blood.


    His face was as pale as a tombstone. When he noticed someone finding the hole, he opened his eyes, albeit with difficulty. ¡°Geralt?¡± He moaned, his bloodshot eyes filled with questions. ¡°Oh no. Have I returned to Melitele? Why am I seeing you here?¡±


    ¡°You are still alive, Frex, but only just.¡± Geralt shook his head. ¡°I see getting turned into a bird did not teach you anything at all. Why did you step foot into Brokilon again?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re real? Oh gods!¡± Frex howled in agony, but he gained some color back. ¡°Geralt, you must help me. Save her!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The¡­¡± Frex coughed up blood. ¡°¡­princess.¡±


    Geralt cursed, ¡°No time to care about a fucking princess, Frex. You need to get that looked at.¡± He leaped out of the hole and tried to find a couple of por trees. Geralt was nning to make a stretcher and take Frex away.


    But he did not make it too far. An arrow zipped past him and buried itself in a tree that was the same height as him. He rolled out of the way, and three more arrows were sent flying his way. They pierced the spot where he was standing earlier. If he had not dodged in time, he would have been shot.


    ¡°Four dryads?¡± Geralt¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No matter how strong someone was, it was impossible for them to escape four dryad archers. When he heard them drawing their bows again, Geralt shouted, ¡°Ceadmil! Va an Eithn¨¦ meathe e Du¨¦n Canell! Essea Gwyn Bleidd!¡±


    The dryads gave their reply, though it didn¡¯t sound like anynguage used in thisnd. Geralt survived the attack, and he slowly raised his hands. He came on orders to broker peace, not war, and he repeated himself, ¡°Meath Eithn¨¦! Essea Gwyn Bleidd!¡±


    ¡°Vort!¡± the dryads replied.


    Geralt heaved a sigh of relief and took off his sword straps, allowing his weapons to fall down. He heard the sound of footsteps, then a dryad appeared from behind a tree. She was petite and slim, and she was in clothes made of tree bark and leaves. If he didn¡¯t look closely, he would have thought she was another nt.


    A ck bandana covered her forehead, and she tied it up behind her olive green hair. Her face was smeared with tattoos made out of peach juice. Geralt couldn¡¯t see the details of her face, though he could make an outline of it.


    She was the only one who came out. The rest of them were still hiding among the trees, aiming their arrows at Geralt¡¯s vitals.


    ¡°T¡¯en these in meath aep Eithn¨¦ llev?¡± She took six steps toward Geralt and asked him a question. Despite her aggressive behavior, she had a sweet voice.


    ¡°Ess Gwyn Bleidd,¡± Geralt started to stammer. ¡°Ae¡­ Can you speak Common Tongue? I¡¯m not that fluent in Brokilon dialect.¡±


    A dryad with hair the color of red-brick came out and asked Geralt, ¡°Gwyn Bleidd. White Wolf. Witcher?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have lived in Brokilon for a time before. At Du¨¦en Canell. Lady Eithn¨¦ knows me. Ie on orders of the king of Brugge. There is something I wish to discuss with Lady Eithn¨¦.¡± Geralt tried his best to look and sound gentle, though his deadpan face proved to be difficult to look gentle.


    The dryad with the green hair looked at the one with red hair, and she nodded. Thanks to that, the dryad¡¯s enmity toward Geralt subsided a little.


    As things were starting to calm down, Geralt said, ¡°There is an injured man in the hole. If he¡¯s not treated, he will die.¡±


    ¡°Thaess aep!¡±


    The third and fourth dryad came out and pointed their arrows at Geralt.


    ¡°Do you want him to die from choking on his own blood?¡± Geralt raised his eyes and gazed at the red-haired dryad with as little hostility as possible. He knew she was the one in charge. ¡°I promise the one in the hole and the ones you killed are no bounty hunters or poachers. They entered the forest to search for someone!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± the oldest dryad shouted in Common Tongue. She pointed at the dryad with honey-colored hair. ¡°She will take you to Lady Eithn¨¦.¡±


    ¡°What about the man in the hole?¡± Geralt asked. He could not just sit by as his friend was dying.


    ¡°That is none of your business,¡± she answered. She looked at the green-haired dryad and the hole. ¡°Go. She will take you to Lady Eithn¨¦.¡±


    ***


    Geralt followed the yellow-haired dryad to the center of Brokilon¡ªDu¨¦en Canell. He noticed the look in the red-haired dryad¡¯s eyes, though he wasn¡¯t sure if she would save Frex. All he could do was pray for his friend.


    They went past a clearing, a fog-covered valley, and a wilted forest. The dryad stopped for another check of the surroundings, while Geralt took the chance to rest on a fallen log and thought about the princess Frex was searching for.


    Suddenly, he heard a weird scream piercing the air. It was short, irritating, but also terrifying at the same time. The dryad immediately went on her knee and pulled out two arrows from her quiver. She held one between her teeth and docked the other on her bow, aiming it at the bush.


    Geralt made a Quen sign and leaped across the bushes,nding at a clearing beneath a tree. A strange creature was curled up under the tree, letting out cries that resembled a baby¡¯s voice. It was brown in color, its body as thick as an arm, and yellow legs with hooks filled its sides. <em>That is one big centipede.</em>


    The creature scuttled around the tree and curled itself up as it prepared itself for a hunt.


    ¡°A yghern!¡± Geralt said. The dryad came up to Geralt quietly. ¡°Something on the tree has caught its attention,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Hunt¡­ ignore¡­ leave,¡± the dryad whispered. She couldn¡¯t speak Common Tongue well, but she told him, ¡°Don¡¯t fight¡­yghern¡­¡±


    Geralt hesitated. He had a strong feeling that if he were to leave, he would miss out on something crucial in his life. When he gazed at the tree once more, the look on his face froze. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s a hole in the tree. And¡­ And there¡¯s someone inside!¡±


    While Geralt and the dryad were deciding to observe for a little longer, the yghern suddenly sustained injuries that seemingly came out of nowhere.


    A silhouette in a cape shot out from a bush, and he darted to the yghern, circling the creature. The sun shone upon a crimson de held by the silhouette, and as it leaped across the clearing again, thebatant swung his sword a few times, breaking the hard shell on the creature¡¯s body and drawing green blood.


    The yghern let out an ear-piercing screech, and it leaped at its attacker like a cannonball. The impact from the charge broke its attacker¡¯s shield, but before the monster could sink its teeth into the witcher, he rolled away from the attack, and the moment he stood up, the witcher shed his de upward, cutting a gash in its stomach.


    As the monster¡¯s blood started spurting everywhere, it became enraged. It gave up on its prey and decided to pounce at his attacker. It flew through the air, and every attack made a sound that was akin to someone swinging a whip. The yghern¡¯s attacker had no choice but to evade its attacks.


    But when it attacked for the fourth time, the yghern let out a screech. Scorching mes attacked it from behind, and blisters popped up on its dark shell. It swiveled around in anger, and the wind blew the second witcher¡¯s white hair, ruffling it. The witcher was not fazed, however. He made out a blue triangle with his left hand and pushed it forward. An explosion was heard, and it tipped the monster off bnce.


    The first witcher took the chance to bury his crimson de in the midsection of the monster, where the gaps between its shell was, while the white-haired witcher stabbed the monster in its maw.


    Suddenly, the monster could not move anymore, for to its horror, it saw countless bloody tentacles attacking it. Roy took the chance to slice upward, decapitating the monster. Its head flew up high in the air before it fell with a thud.


    ¡®Yghern killed. EXP +120. Level 5 Witcher (3080/2500).¡¯


    Even though it was dead, the centipede was still moving its maw, and its legs were still iling around. <em>Yikes. This is horrifying.</em>


    A gentle breeze blew past them and took away the stench of the blood that was lingering in the air.


    Geralt flicked the blood off his sword, and he looked at the mysterious man who appeared out of nowhere.


    The caped man took his hoodie off and beamed at Geralt. He had dark gold eyes, but he seemed too young to be a witcher. ¡°Hello, Geralt. I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 175

    <strong>Chapter 175: Viper and Wolf</strong>


    <em>He¡¯s young. </em>That was the first impression Roy left on Geralt. Witchers lived long lives, but all the living witchers were at least more than fifty years old, though most of them only looked like they were in their forties. They grew old slowly in that department, and that included Geralt as well.


    However, Roy looked youthful. His dark gold eyes looked bright, and his skin was smooth. He still looked like a child in terms of his features. He was handsome, but he hadn¡¯t grown out of his kid phase yet. Geralt could see that Roy was fifteen or sixteen, at most.


    And Geralt knew how violent the trial was. The potions every witcher had to drink would cause immense change in the body. <em>This witcher isn¡¯t even a young adult. At most, he is just a teenager. </em>Then Geralt noticed something else. The young witcher¡¯s ears were different from a human¡¯s. They had slightly pointed ends, and his hair wasn¡¯t fully ck either. It was slightly brown.


    ¡°Half-elf? No. Part-elf. This child has elven blood in him. Is he from the Cat School?¡± As far as Geralt was concerned, most of the witchers in the Cat School whom he knew had elven blood, and most of them were sick in the head. Just because they were witchers didn¡¯t mean they were exactly friends.


    Geralt tensed up, his muscles almost tearing his shirt apart. The dryad noticed Geralt¡¯s change, and she pointed her arrow at Roy.


    ***


    ¡°Praise the Law of Surprise.¡± <em>The butterfly I sent out did </em>not <em>create a tornado. </em>Roy grinned, and the genuine smile made Geralt and the dryad ease up a little.


    ¡°Geralt, miss dryad, allow me to introduce myself. I am Roy, a witcher from the Viper School.¡± Roy almost could not hold his excitement in. He took out the emblem of the Viper School and showed it to the man whom he admired¡ªGeralt.


    ¡°You know me. Why did you enter this dangerousnd?¡± Geralt was still tense. He could go into battle at any moment, though his instincts told him that Roy held no malice towards him.


    ¡°White Wolf, I have heard of your stories from bards all over the world. My mentor, Letho, has told me about all the schools and their current condition. He has mentioned you before as well.¡± Roy pointed at the emblem of the Wolf School hanging around Geralt¡¯s neck. <em>And I have yed as you before, </em>he added quietly, and Roy looked at the White Wolf closely.


    He was about six feet two (1.9 m), and just like any other witcher, was unkempt. He looked haggard, he didn¡¯t groom himself, his chainmail was old, and his long white hair was tied using nothing but a ck hair band. His face was slightly long, his nose tall, his lips thick, his stubbles untrimmed, and his jawline hard.


    Geralt¡¯s eyes told a story, but they were also cold. A scar traveled down from his left eyebrow and ended under his left eye. However, what interested Roy the most was Geralt¡¯s deadpan face. It was as if Geralt could not make any other expression. <em>In my world, they call this the resting bitch face.</em>


    That reminded Roy of a rumor. The Trial of the Grasses was notorious for its unique side effects. Because of that, Letho lost all his hair, while Geralt lost all his mnin, and the nerves on his face stopped functioning. Because of that, he could not make any exaggerated expressions. Even a smile was difficult for him.


    Roy scratched his nose and gave Geralt an apologetic look, much to the White Wolf¡¯s confusion. <em>Man. No wonder he makes kids cry. That kind of look and the vibe he¡¯s radiating? Scary.</em>


    Roy cast Observe on Geralt.


    ¡®Geralt of Rivia


    Age: Seventy-eight years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Wolf School witcher


    HP: ?


    Mana: 160


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 19


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 16


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs¡­


    Alchemy¡­


    Meditation¡­


    Wolf School Swordsmanship¡­


    Witcher Senses¡­


    Details: ?


    ***


    As Roy recalled, Geralt was no match for Letho in a one-on-one battle, and that was normal. The White Wolf was famous not because of his extraordinary skills, but his legendary tales and romantic history with plenty of women.


    <em>A six in Charisma? Then why did so many witches and women get so attracted to him? </em>Roy was curious. <em>Right. I have to get him to teach me some of his moves.</em>


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s natural you have heard of me,¡± Geralt remarked self-deprecatingly. ¡°I am the Butcher of viken. Everyone in thesends knows me.¡±


    ¡°That is not your fault.¡± Roy was about to exin something, but he heard the sound of footstepsing from a tree. When it stopped, Roy looked up and noticed the girl who came out of the hole in the tree. ¡°Child!¡±


    ¡°Roy!¡± Ciri was wearing a dirty jacket, and she leaped down from the tree, though Roy could see that she was still sobbing a little. The girl jumped at Roy, and he held her firmly before spinning her around.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No. I-I was worried I might never see you again.¡±


    Roy wiped the tear tracks off her cheeks, feeling amused. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re smearing your face now. Look. The monster is dead, and you are safe.¡±


    Ciri looked at the dismembered centipede and harrumphed. She buried her face in Roy¡¯s chest and muttered, ¡°I am so exhausted. Let me sleep a little, Roy.¡±


    Ciri had been running for a long time, and she was gripped by terror from being hunted. Now that the tension was relieved, shey in Roy¡¯s arms and fell asleep.


    ¡°Wait. What is going on here?¡± Geralt, who had been ignored, asked, ¡°Roy of the Viper School, that¡¯s not a dryad you¡¯re holding.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± the yellow-haired dryad interrupted them again. ¡°Yghern¡­ scent¡­ group¡­ leave!¡±


    Roy sighed. <em>Well, guess I have to give this centipede up now. </em>He was going to check and see if there were any useful mutagens he could loot.


    ***


    They left the clearing and the hornbeam in case the ygherns came after them. The dryad led them to the center, and as they progressed, the trees started to thin out. They went through a small forest on sandynds, a patch ofnd filled with bushes, then finally, they came to a fog-covered grasnd. The temperature started to drop while they were there.


    ¡°Roy from the¡­¡±


    ¡°Just Roy is enough. Cut it with the formalities.¡± Roy held the girl¡¯s thighs with one hand and allowed her to lean her head on his shoulders. Ciri was light, soft, and warm, just like an oversized doll.


    ¡°Very well then, Roy. Honestly, it has been decades since I saw a witcher your age, and not just in Kaer Morhen. I heard the other schools have stopped training new witchers for years. Our numbers are dwindling.¡± Geralt walked by his side.


    ¡°Well, sounds like I got lucky then.¡±


    Geralt grunted. A moment of silenceter, Geralt turned his sights on the girl. ¡°This girl you¡¯re holding¡­¡± Her hair had pine needles and leaves on it, but she looked clean. There wasn¡¯t the stench of smoke or oiling from her. Her hands that were on Roy¡¯s shoulder were dirty, but they were small, delicate, and were perfect. There were no scars at all.


    She was wearing a white, ck, and grey-colored jacket, so Geralt couldn¡¯t discern her status. However, her boots were made of cow leather, and that alone proved that she was no vige girl. ¡°She¡¯s a princess, isn¡¯t she? You and Frex¡¯s men came into the forest to look for her.¡±


    Roy answered with a question. ¡°You know Frex?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Geralt said. ¡°Back when he was a baron in Hamm, his lover cursed him to be a bird. I was in town back then, so I helped him out with it.¡±


    ¡°Geralt, you really are curses¡¯ worst enemy, but I can¡¯t tell you who she is. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Roy kept it a secret for the time being and winked at Geralt. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask her yourself after she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°So what will you do next, Roy?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in their territory. It¡¯s not up to you or me to decide what I shall do next, right?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave now, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Roy looked at the dryad who was taking them somewhere. ¡°Where is she taking us?¡±


    The dryad was young, slim, and beautiful. A stark contrast to her agile movements and aggressive behavior. There was impatience and a hint of fear on her tattooed face, as if she didn¡¯t want to talk to the humans behind her.


    ¡°The center of Brokilon and the real home of the dryads¡ªDu¨¦n Canell.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Everything is going as nned. </em>¡°What should I call this dryad anyway?¡± He knew the dryad was named Braenn thanks to Observe, but if he called her name out of nowhere, she would probably shoot a hole through his head.


    Geralt shook his head, and a hint of a smirk appeared on his deadpan face. He blinked at Roy. ¡°If you want to know her name, you¡¯ll have to ask her yourself. You have elven blood in you. Just talk to her using Elder Speech.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 176

    <strong>Chapter 176: Night at the Forest</strong>


    Roy went up and walked side by side with the dryad, and he was still holding Ciri in his arms. She might have had war paint made out of peach juice on her face, but Roy could see that the dryad was still young. <em>Maybe around sixteen years old. Or at least that¡¯s the age she looks like.</em>


    ¡®Braenn


    Gender: Female


    Age: Thirty-five years old


    Status: Dryad, Brokilon citizen


    HP: 100


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 10


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 10


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 6


    Skills:


    Bow Mastery (Level 5)


    Elegance of the Wind (Passive)


    Child of the Woods (Passive): Dryads are one of the forest¡¯s many protectors. They are blessed by nature. The forest showers them with blessings as thanks for their protection. While dryads are within a forest, their stamina, mana, and recovery speed are doubled.¡¯


    <em>I knew it. Dryads and elves share a simr bloodline. </em>¡°Vado xisa nakuen (What is your name)?¡± Roy asked.


    The dryad looked at him in surprise. She couldn¡¯t believe Roy was so fluent in Elder Speech, and she bit her lip in hesitation. ¡°Braenn,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Very well, then. How much longer will this journey take, Miss Braenn?¡±


    ¡°Lost¡­ trap¡­ beasts¡­ a day and a half¡­ at least.¡±


    Roy looked at the girl who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and he nodded. Going to the dryads¡¯ capital was a part of his n anyway. He wanted to meet Eithn¨¦, the queen of dryads. She was more famous than Francesca herself, after all. And he wanted to see the Waters of Oblivion.


    A whileter, he noticed that the sweating from Braenn smelled just like a human girl¡¯s, but pure-blooded dryads¡¯ sweat would smell like crushed willow sticks. <em>That¡¯s what the Almanac of Creatures recorded. That means Braenn isn¡¯t a pureblood. She was turned because she drank the Waters of Oblivion. </em>¡°What was your old name?¡±


    Braenn suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her chest heaved as she tried her best to hold her panting in, then she pursed her lips. ¡°I do not remember.¡± She turned her head away, but Roy noticed the panic in her eyes before she did.


    ¡°Looks like her past as a human wasn¡¯t all too happy.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Not bad, kid. I had to spend a lot of time trying to find out what her name was. But fair advice, don¡¯t try to court her,¡± the White Wolf advised as he patted his shoulder. ¡°Never flirt with a dryad, unless you want to stay in Brokilon for your whole life and let them drain you dry.¡±


    Roy had heard of that. Dryads were all females. If they wanted to procreate, they would have to either abduct a human or elf male they liked or turn a young human girl into a dryad.


    ¡°You forgot something.¡± Roy rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re sterile. We¡¯re useless to them. Even Frex is useful here.¡±


    Geralt sighed, He was reminded of a sad past. Even though he couldn¡¯t show his sadness, his eyes were filled with mncholy.


    ***


    The journey went by in silence, and they were making swift progress. Braenn knew the map of the forest like the back of her hand. She led them across hidden paths, over patches of grass, bushes, streams, and even swamps. She hopped through them like an agile deer running in a prairie.


    Geralt, Roy, and Ciri followed her, though the girl was still asleep. Thanks to Serrit¡¯s sses, Roy noticed at least a hundred cleverly ced traps along the way. There were pits filled with sharp wooden stakes covered with leaves, contraptions that would trigger a volley of arrows, logs that would fall out of nowhere, and a spherical structure filled with spikes. It was tied to a rope and would swing down when the target expected it least. One round was enough to kill anyone or anything in its way.


    There were dryads standing sentry everywhere as well. Braenn would suddenlye to a halt from time to time and blow a beautiful whistle, then the same whistle woulde as a reply from a nearby tree.


    She would also stop at some ces and hold an arrow nervously. She would stare at the bushes around them, but she would stop the witchers from killing any animals. Dryads would never kill any animals unless they needed to feed or defend themselves. They were a lot friendlier to animalspared to humans.


    ***


    Even though they were already making swift progress, they still couldn¡¯t get there by sunset, and they had to make camp.


    Witchers were experienced in living in the wilds, but a local like Braenn would work better than they could in the forest. She picked a high ground where the breeze would blow through as their campsite. After they had a simple dinner of fruits and jerkies, they slept on a heap of dry fern with barely any distance between them.


    That was a custom of the dryads. They would sleep on the same bed and warm one another up. Geralt took the far left spot, and Roy slept beside him, while Ciri and Braenn took up the spots on the right.


    Braenn closed her eyes and hugged Ciri tightly, obviously taking her as a source of warmth. Roy looked at Geralt, but the veteran witcher smelled like rotten food. <em>There is no way I am hugging this guy. </em>Roy nudged away from Geralt and wondered if he should treat Geralt to some liquor. <em>I have some dwarven liquor in my inventory. I¡¯ll get close to him, and once he¡¯s drunk, we¡¯ll y some Gwent, and I¡¯ll win all his money. Once he gets in debt with me, I¡¯ll ask him where Kaer Morhen is, </em>and <em>I can find out about their trial potion¡¯s recipe too.</em>


    But before he could do anything, he heard someone on the right stirring. <em>Someone¡¯s waking up. Ciri. </em>Ciri finally woke up after sleeping for so long, but she didn¡¯t wake up because she had ample rest. She was just suffocating from Braenn¡¯s hug, and theck of oxygen woke her up.


    The girl freed her head from the dryad¡¯s arms, but Braenn was still hugging the girl tightly. Ciri¡¯s face was red, and when she looked up, she saw a face filled with war paint. Under the silvery moonlight, the paint on Braenn¡¯s face made her look like a terrifying barbarian who lived in a jungle.


    The asphyxiation and shock petrified Ciri for a long moment. <em>I am sorry? Who is this? Where am I?</em>


    Roy turned Ciri around and put his finger to his lips. Ciri finally snapped out of it, and she stammered, ¡°Wh-What is th-this?¡± She crawled over to Roy and tried to hide behind him, but then she was met with a pair of golden eyes.


    And she screamed.


    The silent forest under the moonlight was disturbed by Ciri¡¯s screams. Wolves started howling, and weird voices were heard throughout the forest. They came from the mysterious entities that were hiding in the darkest depths of the ancient forest.


    Roy quickly cast Axii to dispel the girl¡¯s fear, and Ciri finally stopped shouting.


    <em>How bizarre. </em>Ciri could feel all her fear melting away in the presence of a special power, and it calmed her down. It was then she realized that the beastly eyes and weird face belonged to two different people. ¡°Roy, who are they?¡±


    Geralt stared at Ciri and tried to crack a joke, ¡°You have a loud voice, girl. Almost made me deaf. You¡¯ll have a bright career in the northern opera scene. But first things first, opera star. Shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourself before you demand someone¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ciri stomped her foot and looked at the strange people around her carefully. Eventually, realization struck her. ¡°A white-haired witcher. I know you! You¡¯re Geralt! Roy s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s just a cheeky girl who ran away from home.¡± Roy pinched her cheeks and gave her a look.


    Ciri understood what he was saying instantly. <em>Alright. I¡¯m keeping it a secret.</em>


    ¡°A girl? A princess, more like.¡± Geralt tried his best to smile, but it was an ugly one, and his face froze for a moment. ¡°You do know that there are other people out there who are looking for you, right?¡±


    Ciri snorted scornfully and nudged closer to Roy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll send you home.¡±


    ¡°I just got out. I don¡¯t want to go home!¡± Ciri red at the witcher, and sparks flew between them.


    Roy said nothing. Instead, he watched the event unfold with interest. He never expected the ¡®father and child¡¯ who were destined to meet through the Law of Surprise to get into an argument the very first time they met.


    <em>Interesting. So Geralt is a softie. He¡¯s just concerned about Ciri. He doesn¡¯t have to be so stubborn about it.</em>


    Since Roy was keeping quiet, Geralt pressured, ¡°Child, isn¡¯t that centipede lesson enough for you? You cannot survive in this forest. Where else can you go but Verden?¡±


    ¡°I can go with Roy. He¡¯ll keep me safe!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going anywhere, girl,¡± Braenn said quietly, and her voice surprised Ciri.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re ady. Fine, I¡¯ll let the earlier action slide, even though you did almost kill me.¡±


    Braenn ignored herints. She said seriously, ¡°You are so frail, yet you managed to run for so long. And you even evaded all the sentries, swamps, forests, and traps on your way. You are strong, healthy, and brave. You are useful to us.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Ciri said haughty. ¡°Even thisdy doesn¡¯t want me to go back!¡±


    Ciri did not realize what Braenn was talking about.


    ¡°Very well then, child. At least tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°Ciri!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ciri. I am Geralt of the Wolf School,¡± Geralt introduced himself seriously.


    ¡°Don¡¯te near me, weird white-haired man! Just stay there! I wanna sleep with Roy!¡± Ciri mumbled in annoyance, and she turned to Roy. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Roy. Get me something to eat! And tell me a bedtime story! You have no idea how dull the days are without you around!¡±


    ¡°What kind of stories do you want to hear this time?¡± Roy whipped out a bunch of dried fruits and smoked meat from his bag.


    ¡°Certainly not Rapunzel. You scared me back then. Coria had nightmares for two days straight. I want something interesting tonight.¡± Ciriy down beside Roy and wolfed her food down. She wouldn¡¯t have eaten anything like this in the past, but she was already starving.


    ¡°Very well, then. I shall tell you the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.¡± Roy looked up at the dark sky. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a boy in Toussaint who bought five magical beans with his cow.¡±


    Braenn licked her lips and squinted at Roy. She was also interested in the new and magical stories Roy was telling.


    Eventually, a peaceful silence returned to the campsite, and not a soul made a sound, save for the young man who was telling a story.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 177

    <strong>Chapter 177: Du¨¦n Canell</strong>


    They came to a forest made up of gigantic trees the next day. The trees were mostly made up of oak trees, yew trees, and butternut trees. They had been here for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. Their trunks were sorge, it would take a few men to surround it, and they were tall enough to pierce even the skies. Their roots protruded out of the ground, and even the roots themselves were taller than a young child.


    Braenn knelt before the forest and hung her head low devoutly. Geralt looked respectful, while Ciri¡ªwho had been hopping and prancing all the way¡ªfelt an inexplicable sense of pressure, and she stopped solemnly.


    Roy stared at the tree that had the thickest trunk, and he cast Observe on it.


    ¡®Maokai


    Age: ?? (Requires higher Perception)


    Status: Holy oak tree (Brokilon¡¯s ancient oak tree. Worshipped by dryads for centuries. Thanks to their faith energy, this tree has manifested its own sentience and became a spirit of nature. It shares a part of its energy with a part of the dryads, and they protect the forest together.¡¯


    While Roy was casting Observe on the tree, two bumps the size of human fists appeared on its wrinkly bark, then they opened up just like eyelids, revealing a pair of ancient and wise eyes beneath.


    A burst of green light appeared on the tree¡¯s roots, and it climbed the trunk before eventually reaching the top. The light looked like a long vine that connected the top and bottom of the tree, and it was the manifestation of faith energy.


    Roy thought it felt like the time he came face to face with Melitele¡¯s statue and Dagon¡¯s altar, but it was also different. Melitele¡¯s energy felt loving and epting, while Dagon¡¯s felt cruel and vicious. This energy, however, felt lively, just like the forest itself.


    Roy breathed in the green energy, and he looked at the people who were around him, but neither of them noticed something wrong. The green light on the treetop slowly became more intense, and finally, it burst. The energy scattered everywhere, raining down on the forest. Halfway through, the light motes changed direction and charged straight at Ciri.


    The young girl felt something enter her. She closed her eyes and let out a moan. The dust and soil on her face, hands, and boots were washed away as if she were taking a bath, and all her exhaustion was whisked away as well. In just a single moment, Ciri started looking refreshed and energetic.


    ¡°What happened to you, girl?¡± Geralt noticed the change that was happening in Ciri, and he felt curious. Braenn and Roy had the same question.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it? This tree¡­ Maokai. It was saying hello to its friends.¡± Ciri stared at the big tree before her and waved at it happily. ¡°It¡¯s weing me to Du¨¦n Canell. It¡¯s weing me here.¡±


    <em>The spirit noticed her Elder Blood, and it gave her a gift. </em>Roy realized what was happening, but he shook his head. <em>But she does not belong to the forest. </em>Roy knew the ending well enough. He wasn¡¯t worried about Ciri being taken away.


    Geralt, however, did not look as rxed as Roy was.


    ***


    After she paid her respects, Braenn picked up her pace. An hourter, they arrived in a humid valley that was surrounded by a forest made up of beech trees. Braenn suddenly came to a stop, and she told the witchers, ¡°Gwyn Bleidd, Roy,e here.¡± She took her and Ciri¡¯s scarves off. ¡°I have to blindfold you. That¡¯s the rule.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Geralt hade here once. He knew the rules.


    Roy shrugged. He didn¡¯t oppose it, though blindfolds would do nothing to stop his perception.


    ¡°I shall lead the way. Take my hand.¡± Braenn held the young witcher¡¯s hand. She was more willing to be with Roy, as he was part-elf.


    Ciri stomped her foot angrily and held Geralt¡¯s big, rough hands reluctantly. ¡°You had better not do anything funny, you meanie!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help then. Do you know why she didn¡¯t blindfold you, girl?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re both girls.¡± Ciri rolled her eyes. She asked, ¡°What does Gwyn Bleidd mean, anyway?¡±


    ¡°In Elder Speech? White Wolf. That¡¯s what the dryads call me.¡±


    ¡°White Wolf? You¡¯re the White Wolf?¡± Realization struck Ciri. <em>So this big guy is the one who helped Mother and Father? </em>She felt a surge of affection for Geralt, and she held his hand tightly.


    ¡°Look out for the roots! Do they call you the White Wolf because of your hair?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s because of Destiny.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You will under¡­ Whoops.¡±


    ¡°I told you to watch your steps! Don¡¯t get distracted!¡±


    ¡°And you watch where you¡¯re going, girl. I don¡¯t want to end up with a broken leg before we get to the capital.¡±


    Roy listened to the little banter happening behind him, and he smiled. He turned his attention back to his front, and through his Perception, he could feel that Braenn was leading them down a slope. The fog was starting to thicken around them. <em>We¡¯ve finally reached our destination.</em>


    ***


    ¡°Take your blindfolds off.¡±


    The fog was at knee level.


    ¡°Wee to Du¨¦n Canell. Home to the oak tree and the heart of Brokilon.¡±


    Roy took his blindfold off. He could hear the sound of water gushing around him, and the first thing he saw was a sinkhole. When he looked above him, he saw a broad treetop covering them, and a transparent veil of water stood before them. They were standing on wet soil and hard rocks, and geysers littered the ce. They would shoot out steam from time to time, covering the whole ce in fog.


    A refreshing scent of nature lingered in the air, and Roy felt like he was in wondend, though there certainly was no mad hatter around.


    The ce was magical. The witchers¡¯ pendants were vibrating as they reacted to the visible magical energy that was around them.


    ¡°Come with me, witchers. You, take my hand.¡± Braenn held Ciri¡¯s hand, and she brooked no objections.


    ¡°Wow! Roy, Geralt, look at this ce. It¡¯s gorgeous!¡±


    Ciri stared around her in astonishment and swatted the steam around her away. Geralt and Roy looked at each other, and they could see worry in each other¡¯s eyes.


    They went through the veil of water and walked a little before they were greeted by a loud, ear-piercing whistle. A momentter, a slim, ck-haired elf in a coat made of green bark approached them elegantly, walking upon the thick roots that slept outside the hole.


    Roy cast Observe on her, and to his surprise, she was a witch who had healing powers and control over vines. She looked at the four of them, though she paid a little more attention to the White Wolf.


    ¡°Ess¡¯ ae ¡®n sidh?¡± Sheughed, revealing her pearly white teeth. The elf had an adorable yet seductiveugh, but when Geralt realized that she was looking him up and down, he couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore, and he tensed.


    Royughed quietly. <em>Geralt. You¡¯re nearly eighty years old, and your hair¡¯s all white. Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be shy around women. Wait, is he so popr with thedies because of this personality trait of his?</em>


    What happened next stunned Roy. The ck-haired elf told Geralt, ¡°Bloede caerm! Aen¡¯ne caenn¡¯ wedd vort! T¡¯ess foile!¡±


    She was talking quickly, and Geralt was not fluent enough in Brokilon dialect to understand what she was saying, but Roy was. ¡°She says you are strong, and she¡¯s very interested in you,¡± Roy exined.


    The elf left, and she was chuckling all the way. Roy finally understood why Geralt was so popr with women, but there was a little issue. <em>Geralt¡¯s muscr, but don¡¯t these elves care about how he looks?</em>


    ***


    ¡°Look!¡± Ciri gasped, and Roy looked at her. ¡°Their houses look so interesting!¡±


    Du¨¦n Canell was a gigantic tree that had its roots under the big sinkhole. Ciri said the ¡®interesting houses¡¯ looked like oversized coconuts that were hanging from branches. Some of them were installed on the treetop, and Roy wondered if they would fall.


    ¡°Roy, Geralt!¡± Ciri whispered. ¡°The houses are moving! They¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re made out of trees.¡± Geralt had recovered slightly from the awkward situation. ¡°Dryads won¡¯t use any human tools to make their houses, but they can control the sticks with magic to create a natural shelter.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so adorable!¡± Ciri was apparently delighted. ¡°Roy, can I have a house like this when I go back to Cintra?¡±


    ¡°You do not have to envy them. Soon, you shall have your own home,¡± Braenn said, and she stood before a huge door. ¡°You may enter now. Lady Eithn¨¦ is waiting. Va fail!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Goodbye, Braenn!¡±


    They went into the treehouse, where the dappled sunlight shone upon the colorful walls.


    ¡°Geralt!¡±


    ¡°Frex! You old bastard, you¡¯re alive! I knew that dryad wouldn¡¯t leave you for dead.¡±


    Frex was covered in bandages Most of his injuries were looking a lot better, but he couldn¡¯t walk too well just yet. He sat up in excitement, but when he saw the little girl who was hiding behind the witchers, his excitement turned to fury. ¡°It¡¯s you! You little bastard!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not me!¡±


    ¡°It <em>is </em>you! So there you are!¡± Frex coughed, and he gurgled up blood. ¡°Princess Ciri, you little bastard. Do you have any idea how many of my men died because of you? I should break your legs!¡±


    Frex wasn¡¯t that scared of Ciri after that close brush with death he experienced earlier.


    Ciri pouted, and she scrunched her nose. ¡°I am a princess.¡± She looked up haughtily. ¡°If you do that to me, my grandmother will have your head!¡±


    ¡°Then I will dly give it to her.¡± Frex waved her down dismissively. ¡°The mission has ended in failure, and most, if not all of my men, are dead. Your servant should have told everyone that you are missing by now. Do you know what that means?¡±


    Ciri still held her head up high.


    ¡°You ruined your grandmother¡¯s n!¡± Frex hissed. He seemed furious about Ciri¡¯s childish act. ¡°What you did just destroyed whatever chances Cintra had of making an ally out of Verden. Your grandmother will have to lead Cintra¡¯s army against Nilfgaard in a year or two at most! And without any allies to aid her! Do you think she can hold the line all by herself? What you did just doomed your kingdom!¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re a liar!¡± Ciri retorted weakly. Her face became as white as bone, and her delight was reced by horror.


    ¡°Alright, stop scaring her.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°No one should ever let a young girl shoulder a whole nation¡¯s fate. It is unfair to her.¡±


    <em>Not to mention Cintra will fall with or without Verden¡¯s help. </em>He knew Cintra¡¯s fate better than anyone. Unless all four kingdoms in the north came to help, Nilfgaard would be unstoppable. <em>But they won¡¯t help. </em>


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around too much. Your wounds will reopen,¡± Geralt said, shifting Frex¡¯s attention away.


    Frex turned his attention to Geralt and startedining about the treatment the dryads gave him. He said they stuffed his mouth full of disgusting, slimy, and rancid stuff. They talked about their past, like the time Geralt dispelled his curse.


    Ciri was listening to their stories intently, and she forgot all about the fear she felt earlier.


    A short whileter, Braenn came into the tree house, and Frex nched. His lips trembled. ¡°Please, no more. Please don¡¯t feed me that¡­ that wretched <em>thing</em>! I will not allow it! Geralt, and that witcher there! Cover me, quick!¡±


    Braenn looked at him like he was an idiot, and she turned her gaze to the girl standing behind the witchers. ¡°Come here, you poor thing. It is time to leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave? Where?¡± rm bells rang in Ciri¡¯s head, and she held the witchers¡¯ hands tightly. ¡°I am not leaving! I want to be with them!¡±


    ¡°Go.¡± Geralt smiled bitterly. ¡°She will take you on a tour around Du¨¦n Canell. It is much more interesting than what we have experienced.¡±


    Ciri realized what was happening, and she whispered, ¡°Braenn didn¡¯t cover my eyes, but she covered yours. They don¡¯t want you to know the path leading to this ce, so that means¡­¡±


    Ciri started sobbing, and she stared at the witchers pleadingly. ¡°Am I never to leave this ce for as long as I live?¡±


    Braenn crept up to Ciri quietly and pulled the girl into her embrace, pushing her away from the witcher with vines. Ciri was suspended in midair, and she stubbornly extended her hand to the witchers.


    Roy could not let her go just like that, not after she looked at him with trust in her eyes. He held her hand again and was about to say something to calm her, but then a voice behind him boomed, ¡°None can escape fate.¡±


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. It was solemn, majestic, and full of magical energy. It came from the highest authority of Brokilon, and it tolerated no doubt from anyone.


    Braenn held Ciri in her arms and bowed to the voice. Geralt knelt before it, while Frex was practically prostrating himself before her. Roy, however, only slightly bowed.


    ¡°Lady Eithn¨¦.¡±


    The ruler of Brokilon had appeared within the treehouse¡¯s lobby.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 178

    <strong>Chapter 178: Water of Brokilon</strong>


    Like most dryads, Eithn¨¦ was petite and delicate. She wore a long green dress, and she held her head up proudly. She had a stern look on her face, and her hair and eyes were pure silver. It was as if there were no emotions or soul behind those eyes.


    In Roy¡¯s eyes, Eithn¨¦ looked like a great green ze, and he could not look at her directly. Naturally, that was because of her overwhelming strength.


    ¡®Eithn¨¦


    Age: Two hundred and thirty-four years old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Queen of the dryads, witch


    ??¡¯


    ***


    Eithn¨¦ did not pay attention to Roy. She went past everyone and stopped before Ciri, and she raised the girl¡¯s head to look her in the eye. A long, long whileter, Eithn¨¦ asked Braenn to take the girl away when she was starting to shiver and cry in fear.


    ¡°Rise, Gwyn Bleidd.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Eithn¨¦, ruler of Brokilon.¡±


    ¡°Wee to my forest again. But it is dangerous toe here unannounced, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Ie with a great duty on my shoulders.¡± The White Wolf still stared down at the ground.


    ¡°I see.¡± Eithn¨¦ smiled. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so brazen. Is this child yourpanion?¡± She finally looked at Roy, and an invisible surge of energy weighed down on Roy, forcing him to bow to her.


    It was then Roy realized why Geralt knelt before Eithn¨¦. He had known that he could never hope to match her power after all.


    ¡°Lady Eithn¨¦, he is little more than a boy. Please forgive his attitude just this once.¡±


    ¡°Raise your head, child.¡± Eithn¨¦ raised her hand to silence Geralt. ¡°And let me see your eyes.¡±


    And just as she wished, Eithn¨¦ came face to face with a pair of dark gold eyes. She looked into Roy¡¯s eyes intently, as if she wanted to get something out of him, but a momentter, her indomitable aura was slightly shaken, and it surprised her.


    However, sheposed herself in only a moment. ¡°Gwyn Bleidd, for our friendship¡¯s sake, the child may leave with youter.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief after Eithn¨¦ moved her gaze away from him. She only looked at him for a moment, but Roy could feel something pushing down on him. Roy kept his calm, however. Aftering face to face with Melitele, a higher vampire, the projection of Dagon, and the Lady of the Lake, he was much more immune to legendary creatures at that point.


    ¡°Now, Gwyn Bleidd, let me guess the duty you are carrying out,¡± Eithn¨¦ said. ¡°Ekhart is a fool, while Ervyll and Viraxas want my head. Out of all the kingdoms nearby, only the king of Brugge will send someone to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°It is as you have guessed.¡±


    ¡°You have to understand that Brokilon and the outside world are twopletely different things. You cannot resolve the hatred between humans and dryads just through mere talks. We have already been at war for centuries. But war is not what I wish for. I do not wish to see any more of my children die. I shall give you permission to send a message to the king of Brugge. As long as his people never step foot in Brokilon from this day forth, we can live together in peace.¡±


    Geralt wanted to say something, but Eithn¨¦ stopped him, ¡°Do not speak on his behalf any further. He will never get even an inch of Brokilon¡¯snd, no matter how much he wishes for it.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Eithn¨¦ ended the discussion. ¡°Tell him what I have told you. He will not execute a lowly witcher for failing this monumental task. If it is possible, let us talk about another matter at hand.¡±


    Eithn¨¦ finally smiled. She turned her attention to the burly and powerful Frex, who had been ignored thus far. ¡°This scalp-hunter, he is your friend, yes?¡±


    ¡°Please do not scare him.¡± Geralt gave Frex a reassuring look. ¡°You should know that he is here for the girl. You would not have saved him otherwise.¡±


    ¡°But I do not know what I should do with him. His wounds require a long time to heal.¡± Eithn¨¦ slowly walked to the bed where Frex was resting. Frex nched, and he curled up.


    ¡°Do you have any children out there?¡± Eithn¨¦ stared at him for a while. ¡°I require an honest answer.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Frex was backed up to the wall. He cleared his throat and answered softly, ¡°I am still not married.¡±


    ¡°I do not care. All I want to know is¡­¡± Eithn¨¦ stared at Frex¡¯s crotch greedily. ¡°Are you still healthy? On the name of the tree, tell me! Have you fathered any children before, or are you seedless like the witchers?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Frex iled his arms and gasped in surprise. He forced himself to look at Eithn¨¦, and he answered, ¡°Of course I have, Lady Eithn¨¦. I am a father to many bastard children, but mdy, why do you ask?¡±


    Frex noticed the look of pity Geralt was giving him.


    <em>Good luck, man. </em>Roy mourned for him quietly. <em>The governor has a strong body, and he has a well-trimmed beard. The dryads are a sucker for that. He¡¯s the perfect seed bearer for them. Shit. I can just imagine them riding him nonstop all day, every day. </em>Roy shivered. That imagery alone was enough to send a chill down his spine.


    Eithn¨¦ got the answer she wanted, and she turned to Geralt. ¡°After he makes a full recovery, he may regain his freedom, but in exchange, he has to father a dryad or two.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Eithn¨¦.¡± Geralt couldn¡¯t bear to look at his old friend.


    ¡°Lady Eithn¨¦.¡± Roy could not hold it in any longer. ¡°I have a question. It¡¯s about the girl, Ciri. What shall you do with her?¡±


    ¡°You are an interesting child. I can see nothing but a mist within your eyes. They tell me nothing.¡± Eithn¨¦ looked at him with interest. ¡°But that is not your concern. Tomorrow, you and Geralt shall leave Brokilon.¡±


    ¡°But she is no ordinary girl. She is the princess of a kingdom.¡±


    ¡°And what does that have to do with you, Gwyn Bleidd? That does not change my decision. If you wish to, you may attend the ceremony in my chambers tonight.¡± Eithn¨¦ flicked her sleeve and left.


    ***


    Evening descended soon after, and countless fireflies appeared around the treehouses. They illuminated the tree with a gentle green light, and the strange nts in Du¨¦n Canell basked in it. They swayed with the wind, dancing happily without a care in the world.


    The witchers left Frex to process his eventual fate of fathering plenty of dryads, and they went to Eithn¨¦¡¯s gigantic treehouse.


    She was kneeling in the center of the living room,bing Ciri¡¯s ashen hair gently. The girl was sitting cross-legged before Eithn¨¦. Her back was straight, and her eyes were wide open. Her face was clean, but she looked a bit deadpan, unlike her usual self.


    ¡°Ah, you are here,¡± Eithn¨¦ greeted them, but she didn¡¯t stopbing Ciri¡¯s hair. ¡°Gwyn Bleidd, I know you have never harmed dryads, rusalkas, or pixies. In fact, you are willing to protect them. That is why I invited you to the ceremony out of respect. Now, I need you to repay that respect by keeping an eye on the boy. I do not want him doing anything that might ruin this ceremony.¡±


    Geralt knelt on one knee, then he sat down, and Roy followed.


    ¡°Lady Eithn¨¦, before you begin the ceremony, I need you to listen to me. Just like what you have said, Brokilon is at odds with the outside world, and this girl does not belong to you or this world.¡±


    ¡°She will be in just a moment,¡± Eithn¨¦ said dismissively.


    Strangely, Geralt argued, ¡°Eithn¨¦, please give her to me. Let me take her back to her world. She should be the one to decide her fate.¡±


    ¡°How dare you disobey me?¡± Eithn¨¦ stoppedbing Ciri¡¯s hair and looked Geralt in the eye, and she sneered. ¡°I see. So you are thinking the same thing I am. I have heard about how witchers are sterile. And all witchers who employ the Law of Surprise desire an Unexpected Child of their own.¡± She continued, ¡°I know you meddled with the marriage of Cnthe¡¯s daughter and lifted the curse of Pavetta¡¯s husband¡ªDuny. You employed the Law of Surprise as well, hoping you could get a boy to inherit your will. s.¡± Eithn¨¦ raised Ciri¡¯s head. ¡°The Unexpected Child is a girl, and a girl can never be a witcher. She is now mine, and she shall inherit Brokilon¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Horseshit!¡± Geralt roared. ¡°Look at her! Her eyes are out of focus, and she can¡¯t move because you forced her into this! This is a kidnapping!¡±


    ¡°No, Geralt!¡± Ciri shouted defiantly. ¡°I am not spacing out! And I am not scared! Grandmother said that dryads aren¡¯t evil. I won¡¯t be in any danger here.¡±


    Eithn¨¦ughed. ¡°Do you see now, Gwyn Bleidd? This is the choice of the child with the Elder Blood. It is her fate. You have nothing to do with this.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. <em>I knew it. This witch has seen through Ciri.</em>


    ¡°The child with the Elder Blood?¡± Geralt looked somber. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Ciri is¡­¡±


    ¡°That is correct. I see a great ze and brilliant stars gleaming within her eyes. She is the heir of the Elder Blood. She shall be a part of Brokilon and walk the path of glory.¡± Eithn¨¦ waved, and a dryad came out from the veil behind her.


    It was none other than the yellow-haired dryad, Braenn. She handed a silver chalice over with trembling hands, and Eithn¨¦ took it from her. ¡°Do you recognize these runes, witchers?¡± She raised it high up in the air.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then read it. This is the chalice of Crach an Craite. The king who drank from it has been forgotten by the people.¡±


    ¡°Duetaean aef cirran Caerme Gleddvy, Yn esseth,¡± Roy read the words inscribed on the chalice. ¡°There are two des on the sword of fate.¡±


    ¡°And Ciri is one of them.¡± Eithn¨¦ turned to Ciri and ordered imperiously, ¡°Drink this, child of the Elder Blood. This is the Water of Brokilon.¡±


    <em>Finally. You¡¯re here, mysterious liquid. </em>Roy held his excitement down and turned his gaze to the chalice. ¡®Water of Brokilon. An enchanted water. Hallucinogenic. Human girls who drink it lose almost all their memories, and they will see the illusions of the past and the future. They will start to turn into dryads after that. Deadly lethal for men. This water can purify the Elder Blood. Using it with ¡®Child of the Sun¡¯ can multiply its effects.¡¯


    ***


    The Water of Brokilon would turn humans into dryads, while the Child of the Sun would turn humans into elves. And both of those originated from the ancient bloodline of Aen Elle. <em>Using them together can purify Elder Blood. </em>¡°So that means it¡¯ll be useful for me, too.¡±


    Roy felt encouraged. He had one Child of the Sun in his inventory, and he had one use of Full Recovery to deal with any possible deaths. <em>I came all the way from Cintra, sailed across Yaruga, came to Brokilon, and I finally see my prize. My n ising to fruition.</em>


    ***


    Eithn¨¦ was forcing Ciri to drink it. The girl brought the chalice close to her lips ever so slowly. It was obvious she didn¡¯t want to do this. She was hesitating.


    Eithn¨¦ was on the brink of rage, while Geralt looked furious. <em>Time to step in. </em>Roy said, ¡°Lady Eithn¨¦, I have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Talk. Before my patience runs out.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I, the White Wolf, and Ciri drink the Water of Brokilon at the same time? But on one condition. If we can all wake up and return to normal, you have to let Ciri leave with us.¡±


    ¡°Your courage ismendable, but do you know what happens to men and witchers who drink the Water of Brokilon?¡±


    ¡°They will be poisoned and possibly killed,¡± Roy said calmly. Nothing could torture him more than the Trial of the Grasses.


    ¡°Then why are you willing to do this?¡±


    ¡°Ciri is still young. She should not take it all by herself. We shall help her, but please honor the promise. If she is still willing to leave with us after she has seen her fate, then you must not stop her.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I agree.¡± Eithn¨¦ said. She noticed that Ciri¡¯s eyes were lighting up. ¡°It is a fair suggestion. Fate shall be the judge. I must admit that I had underestimated you before.¡± The ruler of Brokilon nodded at Roy as a show of respect. ¡°Well then, Gwyn Bleidd. What about you? Are you willing to take the risk for your Unexpected Child?¡±


    Geralt nodded, but he had a weird feeling that he missed something.


    Under Eithn¨¦¡¯s orders, Braenn came back with two more cups of the water, though of course they were kept in normal containers. The chalice was still Ciri¡¯s to use.


    Roy held the cup of gleaming water. <em>The Water of Brokilon. It looks like liquid stctite. </em>Drinking it had always been part of Roy¡¯s n. It might be poison, but it also contained immense magical energy. It could modify human bodies and reawaken memories of the past and future. But more importantly, it could purify the Aen Elle bloodline he acquired after ingesting the Child of the Sun back in Smiack.


    ¡°Do not be afraid, Ciri. It will be fine, trust me,¡± Roy assured the girl calmly before looking at the White Wolf.


    The young witcher raised the cup and gulped down the water in one go. At the same time, he swallowed the Child of the Sun, which he had been hiding in his mouth. Then Roy wiped his lips and fell back down to the ground as he started to move eerily.


    Geralt stared at him in surprise. He had seen this once, and the exact same thing happened back then. The one who drank the potion gasped, spasmed, burped, talked gibberish, and cked out. When that person regained consciousness, there would be nothing in his eyes but a cold, numb void.


    ¡°My turn.¡± Geralt gazed at the water gently. <em>The past? I wonder if I can still see her. </em>The person Geralt was thinking about was a witch in ck¡ªYennefer of Vengerberg. It was a gentle and happy time with her.


    Ciri was thest to drink the water, and shey between the witchers.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 179

    <strong>Chapter 179: Evolved Abilities</strong>


    ¡®Twas the darkest moment of the night before dawn, and not a soul stirred. Thends were slumbering, but a sliver of sunlight was starting to break through in the far horizon. A ram slowly appeared from the clouds high above, and a gigantic ship followed. The ship flew through the air, and an emblem with a pair of crossed swords painted in the center hung on the ship¡¯s sails.


    A caped man was standing on the bow, as if he were the captain of the ship. He had two swords strapped to his back, and a crossbow hung over the swords. As he looked down at thends that were unfurling before him, he saw countless legendary creatures screaming into the heavens.


    The dragons breathed fire, the giants swung trees around, mammoths charged across the ins, and elemental creatures appeared and disappeared across thend.


    The winds blew across the ship, taking the hood off and revealing the young face under it. ¡°It¡¯s getting windy.¡±


    An abyssal crack appeared in the skies ahead, and the ship charged straight into it. The winds turned into a hurricane within the void, and it shed the boy as if it were made of swords.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Roy opened his eyes groggily. <em>Was that a dream? Wow, that was a weird one. </em>


    When he refocused his gaze, he saw a young child staring at him with her jaw open, and she was millimeters away from him. When Roy opened his eyes, he realized that she was pinching his cheeks, and she was petrified from the shock.


    ¡°Ciri.¡± Roy¡¯s face fell. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The girl leaped back and hid behind the other witcher, though she stuck half her head out. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, Roy. It¡¯s all your fault. You were sleeping like a log. I was just trying to wake you up. Yeah, that¡¯s all. You wouldn¡¯t wake up earlier, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister.¡± Roy stretched his arms and stood up. He looked around him carefully to see if there were any dangers. Behind them stood the endless forest, while a prairie stretched before them as far as the eye could see. The sun was shining, and its light was blinding. Roy squinted. ¡°Get cheeky next time and you won¡¯t be let off this easily. Now tell me what happened. Where are we right now?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I woke up first. You guys were still knocked out, weaklings. Lady Eithn¨¦ said she lost the bet, so she let us go.¡± Ciri patted her chest and heaved a sigh. ¡°She sent a team of dryads and escorted us here. It¡¯s the eastern border of Brokilon.¡± She swung her fists proudly, and Geralt patted her head.


    Roy massaged his own. He was still groggy after that. Most of the water¡¯s poison had been neutralized, and the Poisoned status on the character sheet was nearly transparent. He seemed spaced out because he was still thinking about that dream he had.


    ¡°What is it, Roy? You seem like you¡¯re still not out of it. Is something the matter? Or did you have a strange dream?¡± Geralt crossed his arms. It sounded like he knew why Roy was looking out of it. ¡°Most people start to see the past and the future after they drink the Water of Brokilon. They¡¯re projections of the user¡¯s wishes, excitement, longing, and even fear. If you wish to tell anyone about it, you have two listeners right in front of you. Isn¡¯t that right, child?¡±


    Ciri nodded with excitement.


    ¡°My dream was an odd one. It did not make sense. I wonder if what I saw was just an illusion or a projection of the future.¡± <em>That ship looked like the one the Wild Hunt uses to traverse time and space. So why was I on it? And those monsters I saw did not belong to this world. What was that ce? </em>¡°I need time to think about this, you two.¡±


    There were a lot of things he had to clear up, but that could be left for another time. For the time being, he concentrated on his character sheet and read through it.


    ¡®You ingested the Water of Brokilon that has the Child of the Sun added to it. +1 to Will and Spirit.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Fourteen years and seven months old


    Status: Viper School witcher, knight of Lake Vizima


    HP: 130/151 (Poisoned)


    Mana: 150 ¡ú 160


    Strength: 9.3


    Dexterity: 10.3


    Constitution: 11.1


    Perception: 8


    Will: 9.5 ¡ú 10.5


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 11 ¡ú 12¡ä


    ¡®Your Massacre has reached Level 5. Your Will has reached 10 points. Fear is evolving.


    Fear: You may cast this skill to Fear any and all enemies in a (1) meter radius around you. A mandatory Will check will be performed on them. If their Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their bodies for up to (2) seconds. 4 minute cooldown.¡¯


    <em>Okay, so a single-target skill is now crowd control. I have one more skill I can use to get out of a tight spot now. </em>And Roy also realized something important. If his skill were to reach Level 5, it could evolve if the stat associated with it were to reach 10 as well. <em>So the next skill to evolve would be Meditation.</em>


    Roy kept reading.


    ¡®Your Aen Elle bloodline is evolving.¡¯


    Elegance of the Wind had disappeared from the character sheet, but it was reced by another ability.


    ¡®Elder Blood (Passive): Aen Elle¡¯s most ancient bloodline. Those who inherit this bloodline can control incredible powers. Your bloodline is too diluted. You only possess a part of the bloodline¡¯s powers. They are uncontroble.¡¯


    <em>Diluted? </em>Roy frowned, and he felt a little disappointed. <em>I spent all that time just to get a diluted bloodline and two points added to my stat? </em>¡°No. I might be unable to use the bloodline¡¯s power, but that doesn¡¯t mean the character sheet can¡¯t.¡±


    He kept reading. Eventually, he noticed that his job¡¯s perk had changed.


    ¡®Mount. You can bind a tamed mount and build a telepathic connection with it for bettermunication. You can spend (100 ¡ú 50) Mana to summon your mount right to you.


    Unlike weapons, you can unbind mounts and give it back its freedom.


    Bound mount: Wilt.


    This perk has absorbed the power of your Elder Blood and increased its space ability.


    Now you may spend 50 Mana to teleport to where your mount is.¡¯


    ***


    Roy was shocked. <em>Wait. I can teleport now? So I can return to that stable in Cintra whenever I want now?</em>


    Roy knew this was an important perk, especially in battles. If he was in a dire situation, he could teleport back to Wilt immediately, making it a perfect skill to save his skin.


    <em>50 Mana per use? I can cast it three times in a row. Perfect if I need to cover a lot of ground.</em>


    ¡°Hm, my perk can enjoy the power of the Elder Blood. I wonder¡­¡±


    Roy turned his attention to the experience gauge. ¡®Level 5 Witcher (3080/2500).¡¯ <em>Now that I have escaped the worst Brokilon could throw at me, there¡¯s no need to keep Full Recovery anymore.</em>


    He leveled up, and a surge of warmth coursed through his body, washing off the Water of Brokilon¡¯s remaining poison.


    ¡®Level (5 ¡ú 6) Witcher (580/3500)


    Main stat¡ªWill: 10.5 ¡ú 11.5


    You gain 1 skill point and 1 stat point.¡¯


    ¡°Once we get back to Cintra, I¡¯ll add this stat point to Will, making it 12.5. Just enough to tame that little griffin by force.¡±


    There was also bad news, however. He needed 3500 EXP to level up instead of 3000. <em>The EXP needed has increased. </em>Roy closed his eyes to feel the changes that had happened. He had increased his Will, though he felt no changes at all.<em> Not the point</em>.


    ¡®Bound weapons


    Hand crossbow¡ªGabriel (Can be Leveled Up)


    (Gabriel has been strengthened three times. Thanks to your Elder Blood, it has gained some degree of spatial ability. You may pick one of the two effects below.)


    Instant Shot: Costs 20 Mana. Your next shot will ignore space and reach your target immediately. Limited to effective range.


    Blink: Costs 20 Mana. You may transport yourself within the vicinity of Gabriel¡¯s bolt (one-meter radius). Limited to effective range.¡¯


    ¡°I can¡¯t use Elder Blood at will, but the character sheet has added the traits into my skills.¡± <em>This feels magical.</em>


    He had two choices. If he picked Instant Shot, his bolts could reach his target while ignoring air resistance, weather, and essentially most elements that would affect them. If his aim was true, his target would have nowhere to run, but Quen, magical shields, armor, and tough hide could still block it.


    Compared to that, he preferred Blink. Teleporting to his enemy was useful if he wanted tond more hits. If he used Fear with Blink, he could take his enemy out in moments. And it could be used to evade his enemy¡¯s attacks, giving him more flexibility inbat.


    <em>Blink it is!</em>


    ¡®Gabriel


    Type: Hand crossbow


    Materials: Cottonwood, tendon, hemp, mana.


    Details: Weight (6 ¡ú 7) pounds. Bow length (2.2 ¡ú 2.3) feet. Draw weight (40 ¡ú 50) pounds. Effective range (55 ¡ú 64) meters.


    Effect:


    Simplify: As long as there are bolts remaining in the inventory, Gabriel will reload itself. Reloading time is now 0.4 seconds.


    Guided Arrows: Costs 20 Mana. Shoots out a magical bolt. Increases its effective range and armor pration. The bolt will hone in on the target. It can change its direction up to 45 degrees.


    Blink: Costs 20 Mana. You may transport yourself within the vicinity of Gabriel¡¯s bolt.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Steel sword¡ªGwyhyr


    (Gwyhyr has been strengthened three times. Thanks to your Elder Blood, it has gained some spatial abilities¡­)


    Silver sword¡ªAerondight


    (Aerondight has been strengthened one time. Thanks to your Elder Blood, it has gained some spatial abilities¡­)¡¯


    The swords gained the same effect.


    ¡®Teleport (New): Costs 50 Mana. Teleports you within the vicinity of Gwyhyr/Aerondight. No distance limit.¡¯


    ***


    Roy felt weird. It was as if his swords had be a spatial anchor. <em>Do I have to throw them everywhere the next time I fight?</em>


    There was a reason Blink only cost 20 Mana, while Teleport needed 50. Teleport had no distance limit, while Blink was only valid for Gabriel¡¯s effective range.


    After he was done clearing things up, Roy heaved a sigh. Fear had a huge boost, and it was his most frequently used skill. His weapons and mount had their own spatial abilities thanks to the powers he gained as well. <em>Another fulfilling trip.</em>


    ¡°I might be restricted to my mount and weapons for now, but if I keep strengthening my bloodline¡­¡± <em>I will eventually open the gates of the world and cross dimensions.</em>


    ***


    Ciri quietly came to Roy¡ªwho was spacing out¡ªand she tugged his pants. ¡°Are you alright, Roy?¡± She seemed concerned. The trip to Brokilon made her realize something, and that was that Roy truly cared about her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Roy set his problems aside and picked the girl up. ¡°I¡¯ve never been better.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Geralt?¡± He smiled at the White Wolf. ¡°You¡¯re not that young anymore. Can you take the poison in the water?¡±


    ¡°After the Trial of the Grasses? This poison is nothing. But it still is lethal for humans,¡± Geralt answered calmly. He did not seem fazed by the ordeal at all.


    ¡°Child.¡± Roy looked Ciri in the eye. ¡°Do you feel any changes in your body?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Ciri pinched her chubby arm, and her face scrunched up. ¡°Roy, am I getting fatter?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a child. You look cuter that way. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know. I feel like something has changed, but I also feel like everything¡¯s still the same. I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Roy had cast Observe earlier. Ciri¡¯s Elder Blood was still in its early stages of awakening, and most of its abilities could not be controlled. <em>But it must have changed somehow. Probably only shows up when the time calls for it.</em>


    ¡°Roy, is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me? Put me down!¡± Ciri iled her legs.


    Royughed, and he put her down. ¡°So what will you do now, Geralt?¡±


    Geralt was standing on Brokilon¡¯s border, and there were two diverging paths before him. ¡°I will return to Brugge to finish my mission. Roach is still there. If you want toe with me, I think I can give you a room with a hot bath.¡±


    ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll go to Brugge, then. And I need to talk to you.¡± Roy was reminded of the witchers who were waiting for him back in Cintra, and he smiled.


    ¡°What are we waiting for, then?¡± Ciri held their hands and started going west.


    ¡°Wait, child! That¡¯s where Nastrog is. Do you want to see Prince Kistrin of Verden? He <em>is </em>your betrothed, after all. I can understand that.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ciri seemed flustered, and a frown furrowed her brows. ¡°But I just feel that something¡¯s wrong with the eastern path.¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. It¡¯s just a feeling. It¡¯s not safe there.¡±


    To the witchers¡¯ surprise, their pendants started to vibrate after Ciri said that.


    ¡°Mana¡­¡± Geralt looked at Ciri in surprise. ¡°Elder Blood. Did she awaken some kind of ability?¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. We shall head west.¡± Roy knew Ciri¡¯s Child of Fortune skill wouldn¡¯t go wrong.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Ciri changed her mind. She didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Verden anymore. ¡°We can head east. It shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then we shall head east.¡±


    ***


    Ciri¡¯s premonition came true momentster. Not even ten minutes after the trio went east, they came out of a patch of shrubs and arrived in a desert. The moment they did, a troop of soldiers appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them.


    They wore conical helms, chainmail armor, and dark grey coats that had Verden¡¯s royal emblem¡ªck and gold squares¡ªembroidered on them.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 180

    <strong>Chapter 180: Beautiful World</strong>


    ¡°Who are you? Where did youe from? And where are you heading?¡± a bald, pudgy man roared at the witchers. He stood with his legs spread, and he had a bow and a quiver filled with arrows.


    ¡°Wee from Bodrog,¡± Geralt lied as he stepped forward. He looked at the soldiers and realized that none of them knew that they were witchers. ¡°We¡¯re heading for Brugge. What seems to be the situation?¡±


    Roy quietly pulled Ciri behind him.


    ¡°We are the king¡¯s soldiers.¡± A stern man who looked like the troop¡¯s leader stepped forth. He noticed the twin swords Geralt was carrying, and his attitude took a change for the better. ¡°An unexpected situation has happened here. We have to perform a check on everyone who passes this ce.¡± He looked behind him.


    Roy sniffed the air. <em>Yep. Smells like blood alright. </em>Roy could smell the scent of human and horse blooding from behind the soldiers¡¯ leader.


    ¡°Would you take a look, sirs?¡± the man asked, and he told the soldiers to make way.


    Roy and Geralt looked at each other, then they followed the man. Roy picked Ciri up and leaned her head against his shoulder. ¡°Be a good girl now and close your eyes.¡±


    The girl did as he said and leaned against his shoulder, though Roy could sense that she was anxious from her shallow breathing.


    A big tree had fallen not far from where they were. A horse carriage covered in oilcloth stood before it, unable to progress. A few horses were lying on the ground, entangled with ropes. There were arrows embedded in them, and they were wincing in pain.


    One of the horses was still barely alive. It stared ahead, its breathing heaving, and it iled its legs. Blood drenched the ground around, and human bodies were strewn across the ce. Some were lying on the carriage, while some were crushed under the wheels.


    None survived.


    ¡°A whole carriage was attacked?¡± Geralt asked.


    A soldier with triangle eyes rubbed his hands on a dagger with blood, and he looked at the witchers and the child. ¡°It was an ambush,¡± he said, his voice rough. ¡°Brokilon¡¯s dryads ambushed the merchants and killed all of them. We¡¯re investigating.¡±


    ¡°The dryads did this?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself.¡± The soldier waved his hand impatiently. ¡°These poor merchants were attacked by a whole volley of arrows, and that was when they were on the path. Those monsters in the forest are getting crazier by the day. At this rate, they¡¯ll leave the forest soon and start attacking our people.¡±


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± Geralt asked carefully.


    ¡°King Ervyll¡¯s men, soldiers of Nastrog. We were here to wait for Governor Frex, but then we got news that he led his men into the forest. It has been three days. The governor and our guest must have been killed at this point. First them, and now the merchants?¡± The soldier gnashed his teeth, his eyes glinting with malice. ¡°We will make them pay!¡±


    ¡°An eye for an eye!¡±


    ¡°We will avenge them!¡±


    ¡°Kill all the dryads!¡±


    ¡°Those damn druids aren¡¯ting yet, but we aren¡¯t waiting anymore!¡±


    The soldiers were all too happy to kill the dryads and have their vengeance.


    <em>Druids? They have reinforcements? We can¡¯t stay here. </em>Geralt kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Very well, then. I wish you victory.¡± He turned around and waved at Roy. ¡°We should be leaving now if there¡¯s nothing else for us to do here.¡±


    ¡°Brother, wait.¡± The leader came up to Geralt. ¡°Who is that boy and the child he is carrying? Are they people of Brugge as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re my nephews,¡± Geralt lied to him. Ciri was in a neutral outfit. It was hard to tell that she was a girl.


    ¡°Your nephews seem healthy. Praise Melitele for her blessing. What enviable luck. Do please take your family and leave. Leave and nevere back, friend. The dryads are more dangerous than you think. You can¡¯t defeat them with only a couple of swords. Heed my warning, or the dryads will im your life next.¡±


    He turned around and told his men to make way for Geralt and the others. ¡°Fare thee well.¡± The man waved his hand at them. When Roy walked past him, the man patted Ciri¡¯s head, much to her horror. She huddled even closer to Roy.


    ¡°What a gorgeous child. He will grow up to be quite thedies¡¯ man. Oh, what are you mumbling about, child?¡±


    ¡°You have blood on your hands,¡± Ciri said, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s the merchant¡¯s blood. It must have gotten on my hands when I went to check their bodies.¡± The man smiled, and he shrugged it off.


    ¡°But the dryads didn¡¯t do this,¡± Ciri said. Roy pushed down on her, but she ignored him. ¡°That much is obvious.¡±


    The man¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Say that again?¡± he asked, his tone frighteningly chilling.


    ¡°Look at the pieces of wood lying around. This tree was chopped down by an axe. Dryads would never chop down trees. They control the growth of trees with magic, isn¡¯t that right, Geralt?¡± Ciri even asked the White Wolf.


    ¡°You are right.¡± The man gave his men a look, and he held his weapon that was strapped around his waist. ¡°What a smart child you are. Too¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Roy, who had been ignored thus far, shouted.


    ¡°What do you mean, enough?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we are fools? This is clearly not the dryads¡¯ doing.¡±


    Geralt attacked the moment Roy exposed the soldiers¡¯ scheme. He attacked the soldier with the triangle eyes with his sleeve. Geralt¡¯s sleeve had nails in it, and he buried it deep in the soldier¡¯s head.


    Before the soldier even fell, Geralt unsheathed his sword and leaped to two soldiers who were standing nearby. When they realized what was happening, it was already toote. Humans moved far too slowly for witchers, and Geralt swung his sword across an arc in the air, cutting the soldiers¡¯ necks open easily.


    The soldiers held their neck, but it didn¡¯t stop their blood from spurting out like a fountain. They tried to scream, but no sound woulde out.


    The other soldiers, however, took up their bows and docked their arrows. As they surrounded Geralt, he knelt on one knee and made the sign of Aard, but instead of hurling it at the archers, he directed it to the sands beneath.


    A dull thudter, a small sandstorm swept past the battlefield, hiding the three of them from sight. Geralt pushed one of the dead soldiers and charged toward the archer, using the dead body as a meat shield.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s one use of Aard.¡± Roy looked around him and hid Ciri in a hollow log. ¡°Stay in there and don¡¯te out, Ciri.¡± Roy cast Quen and looked at the soldiers¡¯ leader. He was standing not far away, and he was gaining on them.


    ¡°Ah, so you are witchers.¡± The man grinned evilly, and he held his sword tight. ¡°Come then, you abominations. I shall teach you a good lesson.¡±


    Roy wasn¡¯t going to engage in closebat. He made another sign and sent out a burst of me. It swept through the battlefield, and the conical mes engulfed the soldiers¡¯ leader before he could do anything about it.


    The man let out a bloodcurdling scream, and he ran around blindly. Unbeknownst to him, he charged straight at his own man, creating more problems for them.


    Roy was shocked that his sign managed to harm the man that much. <em>Wait, I don¡¯t remember Igni being this powerful. </em>His Level 1 sign could only cause burns and blisters before this. Burning anyone up was out of the question. <em>Is it because of the Elder Blood? Did my elemental affinity get stronger because of that?</em>


    A crossbow bolt shot through the air, and Roy spun his sword around to block it, but he was too slow. In the end, the arrow got through his defenses and shattered the Quen shield into pieces.


    Roy rolled away, then a second bolt flew into the grass beside him. Roy got up and moved in a zigzag pattern, barely dodging the third bolt. It scratched the armor covering his forearm.


    The archers stopped firing for a moment, and Roy looked at the shrubs. There were three crossbowmen aiming their weapons at him from thirty meters away, and they were reloading after they shot at him.


    <em>I can¡¯t make it in time. </em>Roy grasped the air and summoned Gabriel. He sent a bolt flying at the crossbowmen, and when it flew into a shrub, Roy cast Blink.


    For a moment there, time itself stopped. The sound of the wind, the bugs, the noises on the battlefield, the sounds of des shing against each other, the sound of something slicing their enemy¡¯s belly open¡­ All of them, gone. The world was silent, save for the sharp, quiet sound of something humming in the air.


    A ripple spread out from where Roy was standing, and the world as he knew it was sliced up into countless colorful pieces. Everything was vibrant yet blurry at the same time, as if nature itself were painting an abstract portrait.


    And Roy leaped through theyers andyers of colorful veils.


    The crossbowmen were shocked by Roy suddenly disappearing into thin air. They lost their target, and they turned around by reflex, but it was toote.


    Roy cast Fear on them. All they saw were countless bloody tentacles wrapping themselves over them, stopping them from even moving a finger, and that was thest thing they saw.


    Gwyhyr danced through the air, and it sliced the crossbowmen¡¯s necks all open at the same time. Blood spurted from the wound, and they tried to stop it, to no avail. They gurgled as they fell, and their limbs spasmed. Their eyes, until the very end, were filled with confusion. They wondered how Roy approached them so quickly, and how he managed to freeze them in ce. s, those were questions that would never be answered.


    ¡®Komas, Raya, and Trillu killed. EXP +20*3. Level 6 Witcher (570/3500).¡¯


    Roy flicked the blood off his sword. He seemed excited about using Blink earlier. It did not feel as nauseous as it did back when he stepped into a teleportation portal, and using Fear on top of Blink was the bestbination to cull mages and archers. <em>And I can use it in group battles, too.</em>


    <em>No time to celebrate though. </em>He looked back at the battlefield, and a few soldiers were running toward the log where Ciri was hidden.


    ***


    Three soldiers in chainmail armor and helmets were running away in terror. <em>That white-haired man is a demon. He killed our friends in seconds! Even our archers couldn¡¯t get through his meat shield tactic.</em>


    Their best swordsmen were still fighting Geralt, while they would go around him and catch Geralt¡¯s ¡®nephew.¡¯


    It did not take long for them to reach the log where Ciri was hidden. The soldiers charged toward it and one stretched his hand into the hollowed center. Even through the cracks, he could see the child who was hiding fearfully within the log.


    Suddenly, the soldier in the center was pulled back. When he turned around, a sword pierced through the only crack in his shield and buried itself in his chin. The de then drove itself higher, piercing the soldier¡¯s brain, and he spurted blood from the top of his head.


    The soldier fell before he could even gasp.


    The remaining soldiers snapped out of it, but not before that phantom-like attacker darted to the left and stabbed another soldier in the eye. When he pulled the sword out, his de was covered in blood, while the soldier covered his eye and spasmed on the ground.


    The witcher went into the ox stance. He ced one foot before the other and bowed his upper body a little, his sword held horizontally against his cheek. The witcher looked like a bow that was about tounch an arrow, and he aimed his de at the third soldier.


    The third soldier put the girl aside for the moment. He pulled his mace out and swung it at the witcher. His greaves and weapon glinted coldly under the sun, and if the hit were to connect, it would smash the witcher¡¯s skull.


    But his chainmail bogged him down, and his attacks slowed. To the witcher, the soldier was no faster than a snail.


    The soldier swung his mace from the right, but Roy did not take a step back. If he did, the soldier could chase after him, and he would not grant that opening. Instead, he took a step to the front left and held the mace down. Gwyhyr was pointing at the soldier, and Roy was already in the plough position. Thanks to the mace¡¯s momentum, it drove the sword right up into the soldier¡¯s neck, cutting his artery open easily.


    The soldier gurgled, and a momentter, he drew hisst breath.


    ¡®Soldiers killed. EXP +20*3. Level 6 Witcher (630/3500).¡¯


    ***


    <em>Alright. Crisis averted. </em>


    Ciri quickly crawled out of the log and pounced on Roy. ¡°Never, <em>ever </em>leave me alone like that again, Roy!¡±


    ***


    Geralt¡¯s battle wasing to an end, as well. There was only one enemy left. He thrusted his sword at Geralt¡¯s neck, but the White Wolf spun and pushed his enemy away. He swung his sword and sliced his enemy¡¯s face open. The guy staggered back and covered his face, and Geralt charged toward him. The White Wolf put his weight on his left leg and cut his enemy¡¯s artery open.


    The man shivered before falling forward into the grass. ¡°A talented bounty hunter. What a waste.¡± Geralt heaved a long sigh. His forehead was drenched with beads of sweat. The battle only took two to three minutes, but he had to deal with a lot of enemies, and it took a lot more out of himpared to Roy.


    ¡°Not bad, Viper.¡± Geralt took a piece of cloth from one of the dead men and wiped his de off. He looked at the dead crossbowmen lying not far away from them. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought you were a veteran.¡±


    Roy patted Ciri¡¯s back and praised, ¡°You did a lot better than me, Geralt.¡± Roy had a moment earlier to appreciate Geralt¡¯s fighting style, and it was individualistic. He was a graceful swordsman who swung his sword around as if he were dancing. It was fast, powerful, and explosive.


    <em>He¡¯s at least on the same level as Auckes, judging by swordy alone. At least I can¡¯t go toe to toe with him for the time being.</em>


    Geralt suddenly had a concerned look on his face. He turned around and looked at a rider who was on the back of a grey horseing from afar.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Roy unsheathed his de.


    ¡°Do you remember what these soldiers said? They were waiting for someone to lead them into the forest so they could have their revenge.¡±


    Roy had a guess. ¡°He¡¯s the druid?¡±


    ¡°Sheathe your sword, Roy. He¡¯s an old friend.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 181

    <strong>Chapter 181: Druid</strong>


    ¡°Mousesack.¡± Geralt sheathed his sword and took off his steel gauntlets.


    ¡°Geralt.¡± The rider stopped ten feet away from them. ¡°How long has it been? Never thought I¡¯d see you here. But before we can talk about old times, let¡¯s talk business. Where¡¯s Ciri?¡±


    Geralt looked at the girl, who was still pretending to be asleep. ¡°Open your eyes, girl. You¡¯ll want to see this man. And get off Roy.¡±


    ¡°Mousesack?¡± Ciri looked at the rider. His white beard tumbled down to his chest, and his eyes told of a long history. His wrinkles carved themselves deeply upon his face, but it only added to his wise look.


    He was wearing a leopard hide as a cape, and he donned a crimson shirt. He had a ck hat decorated with three antlers, and a brown, gnarly staff was strapped to his back.


    Compared to hisrge stature, the horse he was riding looked petite, and Roy wondered if it would buckle under its rider¡¯s weight.


    The man looked at Ciri, and he got off his mount to open his arms. A momentter, he hugged the little girl tightly.


    ¡°Did Grandmother send you, Mousesack? Is she worried about me?¡±


    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t.¡± Mousesack smiled at her andbed her ruffled hair, then he looked at Roy. ¡°She¡¯s drenching her belt. I hope you are prepared, princess. You will be in a lot of pain soon, and you will be shedding a lot of tears as well.¡±


    Ciri nched, and she covered her buttocks, where Cnthe frequently spanked.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Geralt looked around them carefully. ¡°This is no ce to talk. It¡¯s filled with corpses. We should deal with them first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± A few petite dryads appeared from the trees behind them.


    ¡°Braenn? Have you been listening in?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Braenn shook her head. ¡°We came to see what themotion was all about. Are these really scalp-hunters?¡±


    Geralt nodded. ¡°They killed a group of travelling merchants and shoved the me to your sisters.¡±


    ¡°Then we owe you a debt.¡± Braenn smiled. ¡°These hunters¡¯ bodies make for great fertilizer. My sisters and I shall deal with them for you.¡±


    She tossed a pouch to Geralt.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Brokilon specialty. Corynha vines and purple living bone¡¯s sprouts. Used to make potions. Take it as a reward for these bodies.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Roy pleaded, ¡°Before you take these fertilizers away, can I search their bodies? They carry some shiny things with them, and I don¡¯t think the forest needs them.¡±


    A momentter, the young witcher happily pocketed two hundred crowns and said goodbye to the dryads.


    He had to stretch every crown as much as he could to make sure the school¡¯s revival went well.


    ***


    The four of them went east, and when dusk descended, they made a bonfire in the wilds.


    ¡°Cnthe has taken back her decision,¡± Mousesack said. ¡°She does not wish to marry Ciri off to Kistrin anymore.¡±


    ¡°Royalty and their capricious personalities. This is the second time she canceled Ciri¡¯s marriage already,¡± Geralt mocked.


    ¡°Verden¡¯s king sent his men to attack a traveling merchant¡¯s caravan and shifted the me to the dryads. That is a despicable move. Even if the queen did not take her decision back, I would have never allowed Ciri to marry the heir of Verden. I have watched over her since she was a babe. Now I shall take her back to Cintra with me. Come, Geralt. You cannot run this time.¡±


    Geralt was quiet, and he turned away, refusing to look Ciri in the eye.


    Mousesack knew he could not force the White Wolf, and he changed the topic. ¡°Tell me the truth, White Wolf. Is this young man a new disciple you recruited? A new Unexpected Child?¡±


    ¡°I wish. That¡¯d be great.¡± Geralt sighed. The Wolf School was in the same situation as the Viper School. It had been a long time since they had any new blood as well.


    ¡°Young man, Geralt told me it¡¯s thanks to you that Ciri managed to escape Brokilon. On Queen Cnthe¡¯s behalf, I thank you. I shall ask Her Majesty to reward you handsomely once we return to Cintra.¡±


    ¡°You can do away with the reward.¡± Roy waved him down. The Water of Brokilon was the best reward he could hope for. Not to mention he got to know Geralt and came in touch with the Wolf School.


    Roy looked at Ciri, who was napping on the nket beside the bonfire. ¡°Ciri is a friend. I don¡¯t think a reward is needed for helping a friend.¡±


    ¡°I thought witchers dealt strictly in contracts and rewards.¡±


    ¡°For everyone else, yes. But have you ever seen Geralt demand any reward from Jaskier?¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± Mousesack shrugged. ¡°Tell me if you need anything else. I shall help as much as I can.¡±


    Roy nodded, and he cast Observe on the druid.


    ¡®Mousesack/Ermion


    Age: One hundred and seventy-eight years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Druid, mentor in the druids¡¯ circle


    HP: 200


    Mana: ?


    Strength: 10


    Dexterity: 11


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 13


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 16


    Spirit: ?


    Skills:


    Feral Change Level 8: After observing wild beasts for a long period of time, druids can fully understand their behavior and turn into one of them at will.


    Breath of the Wild Level 10: Druids can establish telepathic connections with beasts and nts. They can assuage beasts and nts, or they canmand them to attack their enemies.


    Regeneration Level 7: Costs Mana. Heals up to regr wounds.


    Elementalist Level 5: Especially powerful druids canmunicate with nature itself and control the weather. They can create rain, stop storms, raise hails, and strike their enemies with lightning.


    Details: ?¡¯


    ¡°You are a druid?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am Queen Cnthe¡¯s consultant and a member of Skellige Isles¡¯ druids¡¯ circle.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Druids could control magic as well, but theirmunity wasn¡¯t called a brotherhood. Instead, they called it the druids¡¯ circle. They worshipped nature and loved life. Druids had powerful healing spells and would heal ailing people all over the world. In that respect, they shared the same beliefs as the believers of Melitele, and they respected each other.


    Druids could connect with nts and animals as well. Some of the more powerful ones could control the weather and keep the bnce between humans and nature. Druids were, in terms of alignment, neutral good. They were knowledgeable and powerful, and they would show no mercy to poachers and those who cut down forests too much.


    Roy knew a famous sorcerer called Vilgefortz who used to train under a druid when he was a child before he switched to the side of sorcerers. Thanks to his training, he was more durable than most sorcerers, and he could handle himself well in closebat.


    ***


    Mousesack nodded, and he turned his attention to Geralt. ¡°Have you made your decision, Geralt? Will you return to Cintra with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Geralt looked at the girl, who was staring at him expectantly. ¡°I need to return to Brugge.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Mousesack came to a decision as well. ¡°Take Ciri with you. I¡¯ll handle Queen Cnthe for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°I believe in Destiny and the Law of Surprise. They are a part of thews of nature.¡± He stared straight at Geralt. ¡°The sword of Destiny¡ª¡±


    ¡°Has two des! Enough. Then I shall break the de!¡± Geralt seemed frustrated, as if he were trying to reject something.


    ¡°No, you do not understand. Your fate has intertwined with Ciri¡¯s twice now. Don¡¯t argue. I know it very well. The first time was when Ciri was born. You came to Cintra that time, and you held her in your arms. The second time was after Ciri¡¯s return from Skellige.¡± Mousesack rubbed Ciri¡¯s cheeks, assuaging her. ¡°Ciri¡¯s parents had just passed away. You came to see her, but you did not take her away because the queen begged you not to.¡±


    ¡°Geralt. So you came to see me before? Why didn¡¯t you take me with you then?¡± Ciri was still young. She thought living the life of a drifter with a witcher was more interesting than being locked up in a castle.


    ¡°Stop it, Mousesack.¡±


    The druid ignored him. ¡°You abandoned her two times, and yet Destiny stubbornly sent her to you again. To Brokilon, where dangers awaited her. Ciri must have had the shock of her life. With how Destiny has worked so far, if you¡¯re still going to abandon her this time, White Wolf, then she shalle across a far greater danger the next time.¡±


    ¡°That is nonsense!¡± Geralt shot up. ¡°I do not believe in such superstition.¡±


    ¡°No, Geralt. You know about the Law of Surprise. More than anyone else. You know what I speak of is the truth.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do? An old, tired, injured man taking a girl who¡¯s also a princess on to live the life of a tramp? No matter how you put it, it¡¯s a recipe for disaster. And the Wolf School never takes female disciples.¡±


    He turned around and held the druid¡¯s grey horse by the reins. ¡°I have to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Please, Geralt. Don¡¯t go. Stay.¡± Ciri came up to Geralt and held his pants. She looked sad.


    Destiny was a funny thing. It hadn¡¯t been a week since she met Geralt, but Ciri was already feeling a surge of affection for the big softie. She could feel that Geralt truly cared for her, but he wasn¡¯t great at expressing himself.


    Roy sighed. <em>Wow, the White Wolf can get really sentimental and pessimistic. </em>Roy was frustrated about Geralt¡¯s indecisive attitude. <em>He really needs to be more decisive.</em>


    ¡°Geralt, you¡¯re a pessimist, through and through. What are you scared of? Why do you keep running away? You should be braver when ites to things like these. No matter if it¡¯s Ciri or that witch.¡±


    ¡°What else do you know about that, Roy?¡± Geralt was surprised. He didn¡¯t remember telling Roy about Yennefer.


    ¡°Not important. Your attitude is disappointing.¡± Roy held down Ciri¡¯s shoulders, and the girl cried in his arms. ¡°Come with me, Geralt. To Cintra.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to persuade me as well, witcher of the Viper School?¡± Geralt stared at the young witcher, his eyes bloodshot.


    ¡°No. I will not force Ciri on you. I am inviting you on behalf of the Viper School. Come with me to Cintra. There are three other witchers there who are waiting for you. There aren¡¯t many witchers left now. It¡¯s not every day we get to meet. I think we should sit down and share a cup of liquor. We can talk about Gorthur Gvaed and Kaer Morhen. You guys will have a lot to talk about.¡±


    ¡°They are witchers as well?¡±


    Ciri took the chance to hold the White Wolf¡¯s arm and swung it cutely, the plea in her eyes obvious.


    Geralt had a long struggle with himself. In the end, he relented. The White Wolf sighed, and he shook Roy¡¯s hand.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 182

    <strong>Chapter 182: Rendezvous</strong>


    Two dayster, outside of Cintra Castle.


    ¡°Roy, Roy. Why are you spacing out?¡± Ciri waved her hand before Roy, and she puckered her lips.


    ¡°Sorry, Ciri. I was thinking about something else.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t ignore me just like that, you big meanie! Grandmother is about to lock me up, and who knows when she¡¯ll let me out!¡±


    Roy smiled. He picked her up and spun around once. ¡°Take care of yourself, child. Don¡¯t be too cheeky. Listen to your grandmother, and try to make her happy while you can,¡± Roy said. <em>It might be thest time you¡¯ll get to see her.</em>


    Ciri teared up, and she huddled closer to Roy. ¡°You have to keep Geralt in Cintra. I¡¯lle for you.¡± She looked at the other witcher, whose face looked perpetually deadpan, and shemanded, ¡°Do not abandon me this time, Geralt. Don¡¯t even try to run.¡±


    Geralt shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling for two days. Get some rest. Mousesack, keep an eye on her. We¡¯ll drink until we drop next time.¡±


    The druid stroked his beard. ¡°If we have the time, old chap. Until then, be safe. You aren¡¯t as young as you used to be. Don¡¯t get yourself hurt anymore. I don¡¯t want this meeting to be thest.¡±


    ¡°Destiny seldom works that way, friend.¡± Geralt smiled self-deprecatingly, and he looked at the castle that was looming over them. Even though it waste at night, Cintra¡¯s castle was still brightly lit, as if it were a lighthouse that was guiding lost wanderers.


    ¡°We shall meet again, Ciri, Mousesack.¡± Geralt waved goodbye to them and pretended to look happy, then he took Roy and disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡°G-Goodbye, Roy! G-Geralt!¡± Ciri screamed after the men. For an inexplicable reason, fear gripped her heart, and she teared up. She had a feeling that it would be a long time before she could see the two of them again.


    ***


    The witchers weaved through Cintra¡¯s streets and dark alleyways before arriving at a dingy shack. Roy knocked on the door three times, and a long whileter, someone dragged their feet to the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± the man asked impatiently. Apparently, he was angry that someone was disturbing him thiste at night.


    ¡°As they say, always stab a drowner, and always give your old friend something to drink.¡± Roy smiled at Geralt confidently, but what happened next froze his smile.


    ¡°Sorry, wrong passcode. Leave at once.¡±


    ¡°Are you mad? I said it word for word! There¡¯s no way it¡¯s wrong! Wait. Passcode? Auckes, you bastard! Open the door right now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, rx. Calm down. Did you forget what I told you? Witchers have to have a sense of humor. You¡¯re young and handsome. Don¡¯t be so uptight like Letho and Serrit. Thedies won¡¯t like you.¡±


    The door was opened, and out came a smiling man. He looked at Roy for a while, and he hugged him. ¡°You¡¯re finally back, boy.¡± Then he turned his sights to the man behind Roy. ¡°And this is?¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d bring back a friend.¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Auckes. I am a witcher from the Wolf School, Geralt of Rivia.¡±


    ***


    The dingy house was filled with the smell of rotten food. The floor and sofa were filled with empty pots and pans and clothes waiting to be cleaned. Four muscr men were sitting on one side of the table, while a young witcher took the other side.


    ¡°Roy, you left us for so long to invite the famous White Wolf on the behalf of our school?¡± Letho tapped the table calmly.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®invite¡¯? We risked our lives together, and now we¡¯re friends.¡± Geralt shot Letho a re, and he pinched his nose. ¡°And it hasn¡¯t been that long since I left, but you guys made this ce into a waste area. Couldn¡¯t you hire someone to clean it up?¡±


    ¡°Ahem. We¡¯re witchers, so don¡¯t sweat the details. We had some requests to tend to. Didn¡¯t have time to care about hygiene. Unlike you, we weren¡¯t on a vacation.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean vacation? I was doing my duty to revive the sch¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough,¡± Serrit, the most uptight and serious one in the school, said. ¡°Roy, Letho is just too worried about you. You just became a witcher, and it¡¯s your first time going on a mission all by yourself. Besides¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re courageous, curious, and you create trouble wherever you go. Do please understand Letho. He¡¯s like a father watching his child finally spreading his wings.¡±


    ¡°I create trouble wherever I go?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®father¡¯?¡±


    They red at Serrit and demanded at the same time, ¡°You¡¯d better exin yourself, Serrit.¡±


    Serrit ignored them and turned to Geralt. ¡°Apologies, Mr. Geralt. Sorry you had to see that.¡±


    Geralt shrugged, and for the first time in ages, he seemed rxed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can see that you¡¯re close. That¡¯s rare in this line of work. It¡¯s not every day I get to see so many witchers in the same ce. Most people I know prefer to be lone wolves.¡±


    ¡°We can deal with that. We¡¯re all from the same school. White Wolf, Roy said you and he risked your lives for something. How did you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°Under a big hornbeam in Brokilon. We fought a yghern together, and we dealt with a group of bandits outside that forest.¡±


    ¡°Yghern?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how the dryads call them. We call them pale widows. A gigantic centipede. Roy and I killed it together, and we had a little¡­confrontation. I have never seen a witcher like him. Most witchers would be on guard at the very least, even if they met another witcher in the wilds, but he didn¡¯t. He approached me and called my name.¡± Geralt had a weird look on his face. ¡°It was like he was an old friend who had known me for a long time.¡±


    Letho interrupted, ¡°Kid, how many times do I have to warn you? Be vignt. If you ran into those madmen from the Cat School and approached them like you did Geralt, they¡¯d have killed you before you even knew it. I¡¯m going to leave you for dead when that happens.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Letho. You weren¡¯t there. You didn¡¯t see it. I know Geralt¡¯s a good man.¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡± Serrit red at Letho.


    ¡°Then we met Lady Eithn¨¦.¡± Geralt shook his head in amusement. ¡°We drank ¡®lethal poison¡¯ just to save a girl, but thank Destiny, we got through it safely.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 183

    <strong>Chapter 183: Brotherhood of Witchers</strong>


    ¡°You drank poison for a little girl?¡±


    ¡°Gods above!¡± Auckus suddenly eximed, and he shot a piercingly sharp look at Roy. ¡°Looks like I have misjudged you, boy. You <em>are </em>a romantic after all, and quite a smart one at that. You know how to capture ady¡¯s heart at such a young age, and through such a brave act, too. You clearly are the winner here. But next time¡­¡± Auckes patted Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯lle with me the next time I go to Aretuza. Let¡¯s hope the ever-loving Miss Keira is still around.¡±


    Geralt looked at Auckes in confusion. He turned to Serrit and pointed at his head, then he circled his finger, looking to Serrit for an answer.


    Serrit nodded. ¡°It happened during the mutation. He¡¯ll lose control of his emotions from time to time, but he¡¯s generally an optimist.¡±


    ¡°And you bring him around with you? That takes some stomach.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother. Just a little more work on my part, that¡¯s all.¡± Serrit sighed. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that the people distance themselves from us, and we have to deal with a lot of dangerous monsters all the time. If we do not support each other, how do you expect us to survive in this world, White Wolf?¡±


    Geralt was silent for a while, until Roy filled his cup with dwarven liquor. He downed it all and heaved a sigh, and he said, ¡°Once a year, I return to Kaer Morhen in winter and have a chat with the old gits who are still alive, but aside from that, I almost never see any of the witchers from my school.¡±


    ¡°Kaer Morhen?¡± Roy¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°The base of the Wolf School?¡±


    Geralt nodded. He had nothing to hide here. ¡°Yes. Kaer Morhen is in the north. Specifically speaking, in Kaedwen, but a long time ago, it was ambushed.¡± Geralt paused, sadness welling up in his eyes. ¡°Since then, Kaer Morhen has be deserted.¡±


    Roy knew that the ambush was led by the elven witchers who betrayed the school. ¡°Well then.¡± Roy licked his lips and downed some dwarven liquor, but he choked on it. ¡°Geralt, ahem, to be honest, there¡¯s only me, Serrit, Auckes, and Letho left in the Viper School who can gather in one ce. A measly four of us. Pardon me for asking, but how many witchers are left in the Wolf School?¡±


    Everyone looked at Geralt.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Geralt hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any grudges between our school, and there¡¯s no need to hide this from you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. We can understand, Geralt.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to hide. There are only five of us left. Me, Eskel, Lambert, Coen, and our teacher, Vesemir.¡±


    Letho, who had been quiet until then, leaned back in his chair. He smiled bitterly. ¡°So even the Wolf School only has five witchers left. I thought our school was the only one. What kind of era is this? Will the witchers be extinct?¡±


    A forlorn feeling welled up within them. All four witchers were around eighty years old. They trained and grew in their schools, and they saw them rise and fall. Now that they were approaching extinction, they were starting to have mixed feelings about the inevitable reality.


    Except Roy. It hadn¡¯t been a year since he joined the Viper School. His love for the school wasn¡¯t that deep yet. He couldn¡¯t wallow in the past, so all he could do was face the future and make out a n for the witchers¡¯ survival.


    ¡°Witchers from the Viper School.¡± Geralt snapped out of the sadness first. ¡°If I remember correctly, your home is not in the north.¡±


    ¡°We used to be in the south. Nilfgaard, to be exact. In a fortress named Gorthur Gvaed. But it¡¯s already in a state of decline, and someone¡¯s eyeing it as well.¡±


    ¡°Why did youe to Cintra then?¡±


    ¡°Many reasons. Revival of the school first and foremost,¡± Letho answered.


    ¡°Yes. No matter the cost.¡± Serrit had resolve in his eyes. ¡°We will revive the school.¡±


    Geralt was shocked to hear about that. He asked himself, <em>Would I have the same resolve if the Wolf School was in the same situation?</em>


    ¡°Do you see, Geralt?¡± Roy noticed the look in Geralt¡¯s eyes, and he raised his voice. ¡°This is what sets us apart from you. You keep running away and will only rise to the asion when the crisis is already near, while we will run straight into the crisis and change it, even if it¡¯ll cost us dearly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The witchers stopped talking and looked at Roy, who was standing tall under the light. ¡°Your school isn¡¯t in a better situation than ours, Geralt, but have you ever thought about changing that?¡±


    Geralt opened his mouth, but he said nothing in the end.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re running around in a game of hide-and-seek with Destiny. You didn¡¯t even have the courage to take in your own Unexpected Child. If you have the chance, will you try to rebuild Kaer Morhen?¡±


    ¡°I am just a regr witcher. What can I do?¡± Geralt argued, displeased that Roy would suddenly start to lecture him.


    ¡°Then listen closely.¡± Roy looked at them, his eyes gleaming brilliantly. ¡°Have you ever heard about this part of history? A long time ago, the sorcerers who now live in some countries in thesends were seen as symbols of evil. Before they became consultants for the royal family, they used to be burned to cinders at the stake.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s history. I love history.¡± Serrit nodded.


    ¡°It was a dark age for sorcerers. They hid in every nook and cranny they could find just to live another day. They used to be in worse circumstances than the witchers are facing right now.¡± Roy told them about the history, but his voice was filled with passion. ¡°It was not until a group of powerful sorcerers came together to form the Brotherhood of Sorcerers and unite most magic users did sorcerers manage to find their footing in thesends. Since then, the sorcerers have steadily increased their influence.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Auckes realized what Roy was getting at, and he¡ªfor once¡ªlooked serious.


    ¡°Ever since I started this journey with Letho, I have been observing and thinking to myself.¡± Roy turned around and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°And I just can¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t understand why there aren¡¯t any witchers who stand up and tell theirrades we need to unite as well. Because of theck of unity, all the witcher schools are going in random directions, caring about nobody but themselves. And unsurprisingly, they end up the same way: dead and extinct.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath, and looked at the witchers, a me dancing in his eyes. He said, ¡°The sorcerers banded together and created a brotherhood, so why can¡¯t we? I remember that a group of witchers came together a long time ago and formed the Order of Witchers.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°The witchers in the order put aside their differences and faced all challenges together. Nobody could trample on them however they wanted, no matter if they were sorcerers or soldiers.¡±


    ¡°That is nonsense!¡± Auckes shouted, and he stood up. ¡°Roy, our goal is to rebuild the school, not this ¡®Order of Witchers.¡¯ Keep that naive idea to yourself!¡±


    ¡°I have heard of this order as well.¡± Serrit shook his head calmly. ¡°Hundreds of years ago, the members of the order vanquished countless monsters for the people out of chivalry. The order onlysted for fifty years before it disbanded over differences in opinion.¡±


    Serrit continued, ¡°After the witchers started different schools, those differences started to worsen, since every school had their own style of doing things. Witchers from the Bear School are resilient and cold. Most of them are men of few words, and they are really practical. The Cat School is made up of bizarre witchers. They are violent, extreme, and experts in assassination. The Griffin School emphasizes holy virtues. They aspire to help and save those who are hurt by monsters. They are knights in that sense. As for the Wolf School¡­¡± He looked at Geralt. ¡°They firmly walk the path of neutrality. They don¡¯t go too far on any end of the spectrum, and most of their attention is focused on monster-rted requests. The Manticore School is in the east of Blue Mountains. They don¡¯t reallye in contact with the northern regions. As for the Viper School¡­you know how we are, kid.¡±


    He concluded, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the madmen from the Cat School being in the same room as the knights from the Griffin School, let alone working together in an order.¡±


    Roy argued, ¡°Hey, we¡¯re getting along with the White Wolf.¡±


    Serrit snorted disapprovingly.


    ¡°Things are different now,¡± Roy said. ¡°There are far fewer witchers nowpared to, say, a few centuries ago. Survival is already a big issue, and I don¡¯t think differences of opinion is that much of a problem. Besides, the order was led by two sorcerers: Cosimo and Alzur. They might have experimented and created witchers, but they were no witchers themselves. They could not possibly understand us. An order of witchers led by sorcerers was bound to disband.¡± Roy concluded, ¡°But if it is led by a witcher, we will have real unity.¡±


    The veteran witchers were silent, but their arched eyebrows were enough to tell Roy that they were still doubtful about the order. ¡°If a beehive were to fall from a tree, not a singlerva would survive,¡± Roy growled. ¡°If we keep doing our own thing, witchers will be a relic of the past in a few decades, at most.¡±


    ¡°But you have to understand that witchers are different from sorcerers. Most of us are arrogant, lone wolves. Getting us together in one room is an impossible task.¡± Serrit paused for a moment. ¡°And different schools have different recipes for the Trial of the Grasses. How can we even work together?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you have thought about it, but how can you be sure that we can¡¯t work together if we never tried?¡± Roy said, ¡°I¡¯m the newbie here, and I am not beholden to any old rules or view. Remember, we are not trying to topple the monarchy. That is nothing but a big, fat joke. We are just banding together in an attempt to survive. So the people will stop looking at us like we¡¯re less than human. So we can walk proudly under the sun and develop like any other organization. Geralt.¡± Roy looked at the witchers who were deep in thought. ¡°This is why I invited you here today.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re young and imaginative, but you only see the problem at the surface. And that¡¯s why you came up with that preposterous n.¡± Geralt shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re ignoring a lot of obstacles, Roy. The Order of Witchers? That sounds nice on paper, but even if we gather all the remaining witchers in the world, there¡¯s only about fifty of us at most. Is there even a need to band together with so few of us remaining?¡±


    ¡°You think there are too few of us? Fine. Then we can be a brotherhood instead of an order. And we can train more disciples if we want to grow.¡± Roy paced back and forth around the table. ¡°If the disciples are scared of the trial¡¯s death rate, we¡¯ll get some sorcerer friends to help improve the recipe. Like Coral, like your lover, Yennefer and Triss. The sorcerers made the recipe, and they can improve it. All we have to do is pay the price.¡±


    ¡°Roy, do not drag my personal matters into this.¡± Geralt had a moment of sadness there. ¡°Do not bring those names up, and cease this foolish n of yours at once. Recruiting new blood is just a pipedream of yours. The people despise us. Do you know what they call us? Abominations! Monsters! That has been going on for a century, and it is worsening as we speak. No parent would hand their children to us. It¡¯s getting harder to gather the ingredients needed for the Trial of the Grasses, and without new blood, your brotherhood cannot grow.¡±


    ¡°Things will change. Trust me.¡±


    In less than two years, the war would begin, and countless children would be homeless orphans. With survival on the line, they would never refuse a witcher¡¯s offer when they had it. Even Vesemir, who had been living in Kaer Morhen for a long time, took in a disciple named Leo.


    ¡°That is a naive thought.¡± Geralt sighed.


    ¡°I understand. Getting all schools to gather in a short time is impossible, but that¡¯s not what we have to think about for now. For the first step of this n, the Viper School and Wolf School shall be allies. The brotherhood will start with two schools first.¡± Roy looked at Geralt. ¡°I wish to have a little friendly spar at Kaer Morhen this winter. Just between our schools.¡±


    Letho, who had been quiet all this time, could finally not hold it in anymore. He mmed his fist on the table and crushed his ss to pieces. ¡°You¡¯re making decisions on that scale without asking for my permission? Who do you think you are, kid? Master Ivar? The leader of the school? You cannot make that decision all by yourself!¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°Forgive my impudence, Letho, but let me do it just this once. I will tell you my answer tomorrow. You can ask any question you want,¡± Roy answered apologetically, then he turned back to Geralt. ¡°I apologize for bringing this up all of a sudden, Geralt, but please don¡¯t refuse me for now. Think about my proposition. Think about your mentor, Vesemir. He has been guarding a deserted fortress for years now. I¡¯m sure he wants to see Kaer Morhen looking vibrant and lively as well.¡±


    Geralt was silent. He wanted to refuse at first, but Roy brought up the one person he didn¡¯t want to let down the most. Vesemir was the person he respected the most in his life. ¡°Give me some time to think, Roy. I shall give you my answer tomorrow.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 184

    <strong>Chapter 184: The Answers</strong>


    Geralt spent the night in the dingy shack and bade everyone goodbye the next morning. He seldom had bad sleep, but that morning, he came out with dark circles under his eyes, and it looked like he had a lot on his mind.


    ¡°You should look at yourself in a mirror, Geralt. You look like the cobbler next door, and that¡¯s saying something. Listen to me and get some sleep. A night isn¡¯t enough to make a decision.¡± Roy smiled. ¡°You should stay in Cintra for a little bit longer. The alcohol is strong enough, and the women are beautiful. Auckes is always happy to take you on a tour, and you can take your time to think about my suggestion.¡±


    ¡°No, I had enough time.¡± Geralt shook his head. His eyes were bloodshot from theck of sleep. The White Wolf spent the whole night thinking about Roy¡¯s n. ¡°I am sober enough, and I have made my decision. I am very certain that only young witchers like you cane up with such a crazy n.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t too old yourself, Geralt. You know how long we can live. You¡¯re still a young man yourself.¡± Roy thumped Geralt¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Enough, you little bastard. Stop talking.¡± Geralt ruffled his unkempt hair, and he had a frustrated look on his face. I must have been crazy toe to Cintra with you. I was just going to y a few rounds of Gwent and get to know some new friends, but you just had to talk about rebuilding Kaer Morhen and forming a brotherhood. Now that¡¯s all I can think of, but I can¡¯t give you my answer just yet.¡±


    Even until that point, Geralt still thought of Roy¡¯s n as a ridiculous dream, though he was sure his mentor was willing to make some new friends. Geralt thought he had to consult Vesemir and tell him about this n. The White Wolf said, ¡°This is an important decision to make. I have to return to Kaer Morhen and gather all the witchers¡¯ opinions. As for our decision¡­¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m lucky, Vesemir, Lambert, and Eskel will return earlier than scheduled, and I can give you our decision this winter.¡± Geralt paused. ¡°Honestly, kid, don¡¯t hold your breath. They won¡¯t agree to this, unless they¡¯re somehow all mad.¡±


    ¡°How are you supposed to tell us your decision? We¡¯re tramps. We might not be in Cintra then.¡± Roy ignored thest part of what Geralt said.


    ¡°Before the year is over, you must find a man named Jaskier in Novigrad. He¡¯s either in a brothel, inn, or the opera house. I will tell him about the decision we made, and he shall ry it to you.¡±


    ¡°Jaskier of Novigrad?¡± Roy was reminded of a handsome bard with a little mustache who loved to brag. ¡°Very well, then.¡±


    He extended his hand to Geralt. The White Wolf red at him, but eventually, he reluctantly shook Roy¡¯s hand. ¡°Honestly, I wish I never knew you. You¡¯re hopeless, kid,¡± he said. ¡°Take my advice and give up on that idea. It will never work. If you keep this up, you¡¯ll be the butt of the bards¡¯ jokes.¡±


    ¡°If you never try, you never know. I¡¯m still young. I can afford a failure or two,¡± Roy said confidently, though he was also nervous as well. Even so, the witchers must change. He would be the one to enact it if nobody would, even if he would be the butt of someone else¡¯s joke. He knew his n was just an impossible dream at the moment, but he was fine with leaving an impression on the witchers. At least he would be more convincing if he brought it up again. ¡°But if it works, I¡¯m sure all of you will be proud. After all, you would have witnessed the beginning of an era.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I shall be watching, then.¡± Geralt shook his head and sighed quietly. ¡°I hope you can surprise me.¡± He waved his hand at them. ¡°Letho, Auckes, Serrit, I must bring the dryad queen¡¯s reply to Venv of Brugge. If I stay here any longer, that madman will be after my head. We shall meet again, my friends.¡±


    The veteran witchers waved him goodbye, but they looked tense.


    Roy said, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for the good news, Geralt! And don¡¯t forget to meet up with Ciri!¡±


    Geralt left, and he mumbled, ¡°I must be mad. Mad¡­¡±


    ***


    Roy looked at the brightening sky and waved his fist. ¡°Alright, the butterfly has pped its wings. Let¡¯s see if it will work up a storm. Don¡¯t let me down, White Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Kid, the pact you made with the White Wolf has nothing to do with me, Serrit, and Auckes,¡± Letho said solemnly. ¡°You will have to travel to Novigrad alone.¡± He med himself. ¡°The me is on me. I¡¯ve been too lenient with you. That¡¯s why you came up with that stupid idea. I will have to change the regimen to temper that arrogance of yours.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart sank. <em>Well, here ites. </em>¡°But I thought you didn¡¯t object.¡±


    ¡°Nor did we agree.¡± For the first time, Auckes looked stern. ¡°Roy, I¡¯ll just think of what you saidst night as the ramblings of a drunk fool. Never say that again, you hear?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You young men and your nonsensical ideas.¡± Serrit bore down on Roy¡¯s neck with his arms, dragging the young witcher down to earth. ¡°But I understand. We were young once.¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop dreaming, kid. There¡¯s only us here, so let¡¯s talk.¡± Letho stopped hisrades¡¯ shenanigans and went into the house. ¡°You said you¡¯d bring a friend back before you left. Were you talking about the White Wolf? Witchers almost never let anyone know where they are, or where they will be heading. How¡¯d you know where he was?¡± Letho asked. ¡°Are you a seer? And all those weird things you have been doing for thest six months¡­You need to exin yourself.¡±


    The witchers crossed their arms and stared at Roy.


    Roy took a deep breath. ¡°I have promised to tell you about my secret, because I am one of you. But can you keep this a secret for me?¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°You want us to make an oath, boy?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Roy pursed his lips and rubbed his cheeks. A long whileter, he looked up. There was hesitation in his eyes, but eventually, he said, ¡°Have you ever heard of the Elder Blood?¡±


    Letho and Auckes looked confused, but Serrit looked grim. ¡°I have heard of that,¡± he said. ¡°In a prophecy foretold by Ithlinne, the elven seer. ¡®It is the blood of all things holy; it is the blood of all things ursed. It is the blood of the executioner; it is the blood of the great savior. It is the blood of life; it is the blood of death,¡± Serrit said. ¡°Some ancient elves are born with powerful magic, spatial abilities, and prophetic powers. Those powers grow with age, and eventually, the elf bes a sage. Legend says that they have the Elder Blood coursing within them. But what does that have to do with you, kid?¡±


    ¡°I think you might have guessed it. All your questions have one answer.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°Elder Blood.¡±


    Roy came up with that answer after he racked his brain over it. The existence of Elder Blood could exin his spatial abilities and premonition powers. Those powers would be exposed in future battles alongside the witchers, or to be precise, Letho had noticed it a while ago. Instead of hiding it, he would tell the witchers and gain their trust.


    ¡°If I¡¯m understanding this correctly, kid, you¡¯re saying that you, a farmer¡¯s child from an Aedirn vige, have Elder Blood? The bloodline only elves possess?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°Unbelievable, yes, but I can prove it right away.¡± Roy had mixed feelings about what was to happen, but instead of exining himself, he led the witchers out of the house.


    The sun was shining warmly. Four witchers stood in the courtyard, and the young witcher in ck leather armor grasped the air. The veteran witchers thought nothing would happen at first, but then a hand crossbow appeared in the young witcher¡¯s hand.


    Letho could remain calm, but Auckes and Serrit looked shocked. They thought, <em>Does he have a spatial ring as well? </em>


    But the moment they had that thought, they heard the sound of Roy shooting a bolt into the air. Their pendants started to vibrate as they caught the magical energy that was lingering in the air, and a ripple started spreading from where Roy was standing.


    What happened next shocked them, for the young witcher with the crossbow disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Auckes licked his lips and looked around him. When he shifted his gaze to the stable standing at the end of the courtyard, he saw the young witcher standing there. He caressed Wilt¡¯s mane and raised his hand crossbow for the witchers to see.


    ¡°Was that an illusion?¡± Auckes mumbled to himself.


    But then, Roy shot another bolt, and he disappeared from the stable only to reappear beside a dumbfounded Auckes. And he patted the old witcher¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is one of Elder Blood¡¯s powers, teleportation. Now do you believe me?¡±


    The witchers were silent.


    ***


    The veteran witchers took Roy back into the dim house and backed him into a corner to interrogate him.


    ¡°You did not have teleportation powers until now.¡± Letho was sure of that. He and Roy had gone through a few life-and-death battles before they came to Cintra, but not once did Roy teleport them out of danger. ¡°Did you just awaken the power recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To be exact, one of my ancestors had an elven bloodline,¡± Roy lied. ¡°Ingesting the Child of the Sun strengthened the bloodline and its ability.¡±


    Letho was convinced. He was there from the start, and he noticed a lot of weird things Roy did back in Smiack. <em>Is this because of his Elder Blood?</em>


    ¡°Recently, ording to a premonition, I would meet the White Wolf in Brokilon, and the Waters of Oblivion I drank would stabilize the spatial abilities I have. And that¡¯s how I got my teleportation powers.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity my bloodline is too diluted. Casting teleportation costs a lot of mana every time, and I can¡¯t do it too many times.¡±


    ¡°That is already powerful enough.¡± Auckes grinned, his eyes filled with excitement and a little envy. ¡°It¡¯s better than Master Ivar¡¯s Evil Eye. And I¡¯m happy that you told us such a secret, Roy. Aside from you, I¡¯m sure there will be no witcher with the same abilities.¡± Auckes had believed the exnation, and he started to think for Roy. ¡°But the Elder Blood is a big thing. If someone else finds out about your powers, tell them you got it from the mutation. And tell me more about short-distance teleportation. How does it feel? Compared to a portal, of course. And what kind of limitations does it have?¡±


    ¡°Auckes, do not ask any questions you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Letho chided, then he turned to Roy again. ¡°That might not be too far-fetched, kid. But you mentioned prophetic powers and the ability to look into the past as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can catch glimpses of the past and the future sometimes.¡± Roy paused for a moment. ¡°Do you remember why I insisted on leaving with you guys back in Kaer?¡±


    The witchers thought back to the vige, and when they realized what Roy was talking about, they were shocked.


    ¡°I see you have realized. I was injured by a horse and fell into a deep sleep, but that awakened my Elder Blood. I did nothing but space out for a while because of the sheer amount of information I got from the awakening. Then I caught a glimpse of the vige¡¯s destruction by the army¡¯s hands in the future. I wanted to be your disciple to change the future of me and my family, but you guys thought I was weird. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Moore and Susie.¡±


    ¡°You told me you had a dream about it.¡± Serrit licked his lips. ¡°So you weren¡¯t kidding?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But it¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t control my prophetic powers. It only activates asionally. Roy had a solemn look on his face, and he emphasized, ¡°I even saw the future of our school. Rebuilding it alone will only destroy it faster. So that¡¯s why I brought up the brotherhood.¡±


    He almost wanted to tell them that the Nilfgaardian king would send them to assassinate the royalty in the northern kingdoms. He wanted to tell them that a witch killed Serrit, Geralt killed Auckes, while Letho lived his life as a fugitive, for he had a bounty on his head.


    They would never realize the dream of rebuilding the school, but since Roy had joined them, he would change their fates.


    ¡°You have no proof. I can make up prophecies if that¡¯s all it takes.¡± Letho wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Be specific. What did you see with your powers? I want things that have happened but aren¡¯t public knowledge yet.¡±


    ¡°I saw all the secret operations you guys did in Mahakam, Aldersburg, Ender, Vizima, and Cintra.¡±


    ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    ¡°Most of it,¡± Roy answered calmly. ¡°Tracking down the Wild Hunt is not your only goal in Cintra, nor is reviving the school. You have been spying on the northern kingdoms for Nilfgaard to prepare for the war they will wage.¡±


    ¡°I told you that this kid is too smart to be fooled, Letho. So what should we do now?¡± Auckes clenched his fists. ¡°I can¡¯t let him tell anyone about this. Might as well end him right here, right now.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you! You¡¯re acting like a wench now!¡± Serrit smacked him back into his ce. ¡°If you know all about this, then there is no need to hide. A pity Letho¡¯s efforts have gone to waste. He wanted you to be nothing but a witcher.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Roy looked at Letho, who was quiet, and his gaze turned gentle. ¡°Letho, you know that¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s an era of change and revolution. Nobody can stay out of it. Nobody. As a part of the school, I have the right to take part in all of its operations.¡±


    ¡°Including being a spy?¡±


    ¡°Stop working as a spy,¡± Roy argued. ¡°And don¡¯t put your hopes in the southern empire. Emhyr var Emreis is not to be trusted.¡±


    ¡°I can understand your hatred for Nilfgaard. You are a northerner after all, though there are plenty who worship Emhyr here.¡± Letho exined, ¡°But you got one thing wrong. Our employer is not the emperor himself. We ¡®lowly¡¯ witchers aren¡¯t worthy of his audience. Our employer is just a minor team leader in the intelligence division. He¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Letho told him honestly, ¡°Our mission is over. We have sent them all the information rted to the north. And as reward for our work, the Nilfgaardian army has given us a chance to rest. At the very least, they will not attack Gorthur Gvaed for a few years.¡± He sighed. ¡°The broken fortress can still stand for a while.¡± Letho looked at Roy solemnly. ¡°You noticing our operation doesn¡¯t mean you have proven the powers of the Elder Blood. I think you¡¯re smart enough to deduce that yourself. You still need to prove yourself.¡±


    If the boy whom he was raising to be a witcher did have Elder Blood, the power to cross dimensions, the power to see the future, and that godly regenerative ability he saw in Smiack, then Letho knew he would rece Ivar Evil-Eye in the near future as the most powerful witcher in Viper School history. <em>He is the hope of the school¡¯s revival. </em>


    ¡°Very well, then, if that is what you wish. I will prove that I have the power to see the past and the future.¡± Roy walked around the table and pleaded, ¡°But do please support my proposition. Head to Kaer Morhen this winter and meet up with the Wolf School. Make an alliance if possible.¡±


    ¡°And build a brotherhood of witchers.¡± Letho looked at Roy as if he were crazy. ¡°Why are you so sure that the witchers over at Wolf School will agree? Did you have a premonition?¡±


    ¡°No, but at least I have to try. My suggestion isn¡¯t going to get in the way of the school¡¯s revival. In fact, it¡¯s an even bigger n than that,¡± Roy argued.


    The witchers still did not relent just yet. ¡°If you can prove that you do have the powers of prophecy, then we shall apany you to Novigrad and await the Wolf School¡¯s decision. If they are mad enough to ept your request, then we shall head to Kaer Morhen and make some new friends, crazy as it sounds. But don¡¯t bring that ¡®brotherhood¡¯ of yours up. You can do that once you defeat me, Auckes, and Serrit and be the school¡¯s leader.¡±


    ¡°And now.¡± Letho extended his arm and opened his palm, telling Roy to prove himself.


    ¡°Through the river of time, I caught a glimpse of treasure hidden underwater. It lies in a secluded ce, where the treasure of witchers past dwells. Therein lies the blueprints of weapons and equipment of every witcher school.¡± Roy pretended to look like he was glimpsing into the void, and he had a spaced out look on his face. ¡°The quality of these items rival those of the dwarves and gnomes.¡±


    He promised to give all the school¡¯s witchers good equipment, and it was time to get Letho a good sword. It was also so that he could prove himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. No mention of the brotherhood. So what are you waiting for, Roy? Draw the map!¡± Auckes hollered in excitement. ¡°And then we¡¯ll get a cksmith to make all of them for us! I¡¯m sick of weapons that chip right after I attack a drowner once. A drowner! I need a better one!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Auckes.¡± Roy suddenly put his hand on the table, showing the back of it, and he gave the witchers a look.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Finding the blueprints is a big thing.¡± Roy grinned toothily. ¡°We should have a little ritual before we embark on this quest. Now put your hands on mine.¡±


    Auckes, ever the optimist, ced his hand on Roy¡¯s. Serrit, after a little hesitation, put his hand on Auckes¡¯. And finally, it was Letho¡¯s turn. ¡°You have better make sure this isn¡¯t for nothing, kid.¡±


    They put their hands together, and on that day, the Viper School finally settled their internal dispute. In nothing but a little dingy shack in Cintra.


    ***


    End of arc.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 185

    <strong>Chapter 185: Lammas and Griffin Taming</strong>


    ¡°Merten of Manticore School? Never heard of him.¡± Serrit and Auckes squinted at the marker on the map. ¡°Are you sure he left blueprints of his school¡¯s equipment in a hidden church in Toussaint?¡±


    ¡°Roy, are you sure you¡¯re not pulling some sort of joke so you can lead us to the wilds?¡±


    ¡°Believe me. Merten exists, and so do the blueprints.¡±


    ¡°And what about the thing with Kolgrim?¡± Letho looked at another marked map, and he also had a lot of questions. ¡°Many years ago, Master Ivar Evil-Eye sent him to look for lost blueprints of our school¡¯s equipment, but he suddenly went missing and lost contact with the school. You saw him die in Temeria¡¯s¡­White Orchard with your powers?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure about that. Perhaps Kolgrim has perished, or perhaps that hasn¡¯te to pass just yet,¡± Roy answered truthfully. ¡°But we won¡¯t lose anything by checking it out. If we can find any clues that lead us to Kolgrim, we¡¯ll have another witcher back in our school. Of course, that would be an unexpected but pleasant surprise.¡±


    The White Orchard was where dreams began for Roy, and he had always wanted to pay a visit to that ce. ¡°If we follow this map¡¯s guidance and manage to find the blueprints, I take it that you¡¯ll believe me and travel to Novigrad?¡±


    The witchers nodded and kept the map carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a far journey to Temeria¡¯s White Orchard, but a round trip to Toussaint would take more than a month,¡± Letho said. ¡°We can¡¯t waste any more time.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Letho. Can we dy this trip for just a few days?¡±


    ¡°Reason.¡±


    Everyone looked surprised, but Auckes rubbed his hands. ¡°You should be more sensitive to what¡¯s happening around you. It¡¯s going to be Lammas in three days. Even death-row inmates have a right to thest supper. Witchers have the right to celebrate Lammas as well. Letting loose before a big mission helps with focus.¡±


    Realization struck Roy. Lammas was one of the eight traditional festivals of this world. It signified the start of the harvest and Midaete. It was the first harvest for the fall, and it was when preparations were made for the fall. Everyone would feast on a hot meal made from the first harvest, go on a parade, and dance around a bonfire.


    ¡°Can you say something luckier? What do you mean ¡®thest supper?''¡± Serrit smacked the back of Auckes¡¯ head, and he eased up. ¡°It¡¯s been years since I had my first meal of Lammas.¡±


    Being a witcher was dangerous. Death lurked at every corner, and witchers would enjoy every good moment they had. Even an uptight guy like Letho epted that suggestion tacitly. ¡°Lammas is more solemn than Midaete, kid. You should see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    Nobody objected, and their eyes were lit with excitement.


    ¡°Good. Seems like we¡¯ve reached an agreement. As a veteran who has taken part in thirty-two Lammas celebrations¡­¡± Auckes suddenly gave hisrades picky looks, as if their attire didn¡¯t sit well with him. ¡°I will be your attire advisor. Listen to me and clean yourself up. Even witchers can please ady.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t be taking part,¡± Roy said, refusing. He needed time to tame the little griffin.


    ¡°You promised you would never miss any of the school¡¯s operations, and now you¡¯re already going back on your word? Not a chance.¡± Auckes winked at the other two, and they looked at Roy.


    ¡°Are you being shy, Roy? You aren¡¯t exactly young, you know? Boys your age have already sired children in Aedirn viges. Don¡¯t you feel anything about it? It¡¯s time to learn how to deal with your desires.¡± Auckes continued, ¡°If you feel awkward, then you can wear whatever you please. You¡¯re handsome enough to attract a drunken woman or two in even leather covered in blood and monster fur.¡±


    Roy slowly backed away to the door. <em>They¡¯re starting to give me some pimp vibes.</em>


    ***


    ¡°I can¡¯t go with them. If I make a precedent, it¡¯ll open up more chances to waste my time.¡± Roy shook his head and tossed the idea of fooling around with women away. He had the devil of desire residing in his heart, and he knew that.


    Sometimes, having too much energy was a side effect of witcher mutations. When witchers had no monster to kill, their surplus of energy would be a kind of torture for them. Even so, Roy knew some habits must not be cultivated. He went to the stable and caressed Wilt¡¯s neck. ¡°Wilt, my boy. Sorry for setting you aside for so long. We¡¯ll celebrate Lammas together. Just you and me.¡±


    Wilt listened to Roy closely only to shake his head and neighed at him. Then the stallion went to a mare and grinned at it toothily. He raised his front legs and just like that, hey on the mare¡¯s back. The horses¡¯ breathing turned hot and heavy as they moved, and a rancid smell started to fill the air.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be real!¡± Roy¡¯s face froze. ¡°A beast is mocking me? Stop!¡±


    Wilt was forced to stop, and it howled at its master who interrupted its fun so unscrupulously.


    ¡°That¡¯ll teach you not tough at me ever again.¡±


    Wilt shook his head, tears of anguish and regret filling his eyes.


    ¡°Fine, you useless beast. Carry on.¡± Roy scolded Wilt yfully, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. If he wanted to tame the griffin, then he had to give up his current mount. ¡°Wilt, even if nobody¡¯s going to talk to you anymore, never forget to stay happy, alright?¡±


    He tensed his hand and smacked Wilt¡¯s hind.


    ¡®Do you wish to unbind your mount?¡¯


    <em>Yes.</em>


    Just like that, the connection between Roy and Wilt was cut off. He closed his eyes and tried to feel Wilt¡¯s existence, but he couldn¡¯t hear the horse¡¯s thoughts anymore. It was as if something had gone missing in his soul, and he felt empty.


    Wilt, however, did not realize what had just happened. The stallion was still having his fun without a care in the world. Even though the bond between him and Roy was cut off, the teamwork between them still existed, and Wilt still acknowledged Roy as its master.


    ***


    Roy went on the streets of Cintra. The air was filled with the scent of Lammas even though the festival would only start tomorrow. The people who walked the streets looked jovial, and they would greet the people around them happily. Some young people were hiding at the corners of the streets, shyly looking at the partners they would want to have during Lammas, while families were holding hands and strode down the streets,ughing merrily wherever they went.


    Banners hung on the walls of the buildings that nked the streets, and they were filled with festival greetings written in multiplenguages. Soldiers were leading the worksmiths as they measured the streets¡¯ size and made wooden fences in preparation for the parade. Merchants who set up shop along the way were hollering and selling merchandise pertaining to the festival, including but not limited to clothes, alcohol, and fireworks.


    Everyone was immersed in the merry season of the festival, but Roy went straight to the tent located in the marketce¡¯s center.


    Gr came to wee Roy. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you came to see Gryphon, Mr. Roy.¡± He was in a new blue silk robe, and the man was beaming. ¡°The little one has lost a few pounds. It misses you.¡±


    ¡°As if. It probably has been livingrge these few days.¡± Roy approached the steel cage. The griffin had grown a little since thest time he saw it. Its fur and feathers looked lustrous and healthy.


    The griffin was lying in its cage, licking its wsnguidly like a lion who just had a full meal. When it noticed someone approaching its cage, the griffin tilted its head to the visitor. Suddenly, it raised its head and stood up, as if it were agitated.


    The griffin seemed to look angered. Its eyes turned crimson with fury, and it craned its neck. Its beak protruded through the cracks of the steel bars, and it spat its tongue out at Roy. The beast made an ear-piercing sound, and pped its wings and banged its ws against the steel bars, as if it were trying to tear Roy apart.


    Roy was sure the griffin would assault him if someone were to open the cage. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, but it¡¯s already seeing me as its worst enemy.¡± <em>Trying to tame it with Fear </em>is <em>a bad idea.</em><em>If griffins were so easily tamed, they wouldn¡¯t have been called the proudest beasts in the world.</em>


    ¡°Calm down, Mr. Roy. Gryphon isn¡¯t angry at you. It¡¯s probably in its teenage years, so it can¡¯t control itself.¡± Beads of sweat poured from Gr¡¯s face, and he hastily exined, ¡°It¡¯s been quiet recently, and it hasn¡¯t acted up during the exhibition either.¡±


    Gr was worried. If Roy were to kill the griffin, he would lose his best stream of ie.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t hurt it.¡± Roy met the griffin¡¯s gaze without fear or fervor. ¡°Give me the cage¡¯s key and leave me.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Have a little chat with it.¡±


    ¡°D-Do please have mercy on it.¡± Gr struggled with himself, but eventually, he left the room, albeit reluctantly.


    ¡°Gr, there might be a lot of noiseter, but ignore it no matter what. I¡¯m just ying with it.¡±


    ***


    Roy concentrated on his character sheet and spent his stat point.


    ¡®Will: 11.5 ¡ú 12.5.¡¯


    His Will was finally more than double that of the griffin¡¯s, and he fulfilled the condition to forcibly tame the beast. ¡°Will you resist, or will you bow to me just like Wilt did?¡± Roy touched its protruding beak, and while it thrashed around, the young witcher uncorked Swallow.


    ck veins started crawling up his face, and the potion contorted his face with power. ¡°I can chain you down and tame you forcibly, but¡­¡± Roy cracked his knuckles and neck. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t bow to me if I tamed you that way, so you¡¯ll have one chance, so listen closely, Gryphon.¡± Roy made a Quen sign in the air, and yellow light started covering his leather. ¡°If you can break free of the taming, you¡¯ll get your freedom back. I promise that on my name as a Viper School witcher. But if you can¡¯t, you¡¯ll be my mount.¡±


    Roy opened the cage, freeing that griffin. He crouched and pounced on his prey.


    ***


    Gr was standing outside the camp, horror etched on his face. The entrance to the tent was in front of him, sounds of things shing, biting, screaming, and the howls of a maning from within, as if a hurricane were brewing right inside that tent. He would take a nce within from time to time, and the cage where the griffin was locked was shaking violently, as if it would explode at any given time. If nothing else, it reminded him of a shaking bed.


    ¡°What is Mr. Roy doing in that cage? What does he want to do to that griffin?¡± Gr could picture something morbid in his mind. The young witcher was looking like a demon who crawled straight out of hell, and he was pinning down the helpless griffin, pounding it with his iron fists. Gr put his hands in a prayer and closed his eyes. His beard shivered, but he prayed, ¡°O Goddess Freya, please spare the poor griffin¡¯s life. You may take the witcher¡¯s in exchange.¡±


    Fifteen minutester, all the turmoil in the tent disappeared, and it was reced by silence. Someone opened the cage¡¯s door, and a slender silhouette came out of it. The dim sunlight shone through the tent, shining down on a young man, but he looked worse for wear. His ck leather, which was perfect before he entered the cage, was in tatters. Gashes decorated his skin, and even his face was injured. His left cheek had a big bruise on it. He seemed exhausted, and his footsteps wobbled, as if he hadn¡¯t slept a wink in three days.


    ¡°M-Mr. Roy, wh-what happened to you? Did a bandit rob you?¡± Gr asked with a trembling voice, but his attention was on the cage behind him. <em>Is the griffin dead?</em>


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. ytime with Gryphon got a little out of hand, that¡¯s all.¡± Roy whistled loudly, and a little creature that looked like abination of a lion and an eagle pounced out of the cage.


    The beast looked all banged up. Its grey hair was just as unkempt as its mane, but its eyes had a brilliant light shining within them, and it zipped over to the young witcher like the wind. The little beast gurgled softly and rubbed its head against the witcher¡¯s leg, as if he were the beast¡¯s own father.


    Roy heaved a great sigh and patted the griffin¡¯s nape with his left hand. He seemed content and happy, though the thought of the earlier battle still sent stabs of pain up his head. Compared to Wilt, Gryphon was at least ten times harder to tame. Gryphon harbored intense hatred toward Roy from the moment he activated Forced Taming, and it assaulted the young witcher.


    Not even Fear could calm it down, and Roy was just like a little canoe facing the wrath of the ocean on a stormy night. One wrong step could cost him his life, and all he could do was ride on Gryphon¡¯s back, holding its wings and mane as if his life depended on it. It was all he could do to evade the griffin¡¯s attacks and assaults. If too much distance was put between them, Forced Taming would fail, but facing the beast face-to-face would put Roy at a disadvantage. He had no ws like the griffin did.


    He had to keep using Quen to defend against the onught, but the griffin still kept attacking, even after he had exhausted his mana. In the end, the griffin took out a third of Roy¡¯s health pool, and Roy felt his muscles and bones screaming out to him in pain, but eventually, the fifteen minutes of hell was finally over.


    After what happened this time, Roy realized that some of his earlier thoughts had been so naive it wasughable. Even a young griffin could put him in danger when Roy tried to tame it by force. If he did that to a grizzled witcher like Letho or Geralt, they¡¯d probably kill him in ten seconds. His target would have to remain conscious throughout the whole process, and that would mean destroying what friendship they had if Roy tried to tame them.


    After all, humans were different from beasts. Under most circumstances, nobody would remain friends with someone who tried to turn them into their mount.


    Roy¡¯s Will was enough if he wanted to tame the Lady of Space and Time, but if he tried to do it, Roy knew her Elder Blood would go berserk and possibly kill him.


    ***


    The young witcher shook his head and killed his unrealistic thoughts. Taming Gryphon was already a great achievement in and of itself. Not everyone could meet a young griffin on their travels. His preparations were already done, and once the griffin grew up, Roy could soar through the air on its back.


    ¡°Mr. Roy, are you taking it with you now?¡± Gr asked as he licked his lips.


    ¡°You can keep it for now.¡± Roy patted the griffin¡¯s smooth back. It wasn¡¯t like he could get a free griffinsitter every day, and he would use that advantage for as long as he could. ¡°You can carry on with the exhibit.¡±


    The witcher went down and patted the ground, then the griffin rolled over, revealing its belly for Roy to rub. Roy swung his arm to his left, and the griffin stood back up to roll over to its right. When Roy swung his arm to the right, the griffin rolled to its left, just like it was a trained dog.


    Gr¡¯s jaw dropped.


    ¡°If you should find it missing sometime down the line, then it would mean it hase with me. Your exhibit wille to a close when that timees, understood?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    Roy would summon Gryphon to his side once he found a better ce for it to stay, and he would start its hunting training. After all, griffins could make great mounts, but they were the apex predator in the animal kingdom, and they were the best partners in monster hunting.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 186

    <strong>Chapter 186: Dance</strong>


    The young witcher sat cross-legged in the humble shack. His back was straight, his demeanor was rxed, and his mind was clear. The look on his face was as peaceful as a quietke. Not even a ripple disrupted its surface. He created signs in the air, and a subtle aura swirled around him. An invisible hand appeared around him, caressing his muscles and billowing his shirt.


    A colorful mote of dust came into being. It was visible to the naked eye, and the mote of dust slowly but surely went into the young witcher. Eventually, more motes started appearing, as if they were sparks that flew out of a bonfire. They burned his skin and grilled his muscles as they merged with his soul, but the witcher did not stop them from bing one with him.


    A long, long timeter, Roy heaved a long sigh, and when he opened his eyes, for a moment there, it was as if stars were born within them. He extended his right index finger, and a small me started to burn, but he didn¡¯t chant or make any signs. Still, the me came into existence and flew around his fingers like a cat weaving through tight spots.


    ¡°The Water of Brokilon¡¯s modification ends today. Never thought it¡¯d change me this much.¡± His elemental affinity was increased by ten to twenty percent. It might not be much, but his level 1 signs had the same level of power as their level 2 counterparts. More importantly, he had greater control over his signs, and mana felt more docile as well. They would do as he said, and idents like draining all his mana at once when he cast signs wouldn¡¯t happen anymore.


    Roy got up and stretched his arms, then he changed into clean clothes and went out. <em>Yeah, I¡¯m just there to see how those guys embarrass themselves. Nothing else.</em>


    It was Lammas, and the sun¡¯s final rays were shining outside, bidding goodbye to thend as dusk took over. Even though he was in one of Cintra¡¯s most remote corners, Roy could still feel the sound of the festivaling from a few streets across, and he noticed a bright light moving a few streets over. ¡°The parade should be starting now.¡±


    Roy went over to where the source of light was. Some houses were shrouded in darkness along the way, and not a sound came from within, for their owners were having the time of their lives on the main streets of Cintra.


    Roy also saw a group of married, old men building a bonfire in the nearest clearing with their immactely-dressed wives and children. They were preparing for the bonfire event that would happen in the night.


    Families could have their Lammas fun even though it was quieter than the rhapsodic event happening on the streets. The festival was so intense it bordered on rapturous. Roy was still far away from the main street, but he was already seeing groups of people dancing as if their lives depended on it.


    People of all ages and societal statuses came out to have fun. There were wealthy ones in their gorgeous clothes made out of velvet, and there were paupers who wore their best clothes that were only slightly better than patched-up hand-me-downs.


    Despite how they were dressed, all of them were gathered on the sidewalk. A man wearing a red hat had his hands on his hips as he did dance kicks. Some leapt high up into the air and waved at the center, while some were swaying their hips, waist, and even neck. Most were just moving their bodies in bad attempts at dancing.


    ¡°Mad. They¡¯re all mad.¡± When the witcher came to the crowd, the astounded look on his face turned into astonishment.


    The crowd was in high spirits, and they were hollering to whoever and wherever they could. The volume itself sounded like it could form real waves and crash against the shores of Cintra. They were all red with excitement, and they were shouting everything imaginable. Some were making loud confessions, some were cursing to the heavens, while some raised their heads up high and recited poems passionately like proper poets.


    Some were actually making explicit moans that could stoke the mes of lust of those who heard them. Eventually, those people would barge into the parade and have public sex.


    And then the dance started. The long river of people on the street split Cintra into two, as if it were a fire-breathing dragon that was meandering through the kingdom.


    Roy covered his ears. The rancid smell of sweat and alcohol made him scrunch his nose, then he backed out of the crowd. He had a feeling he wasn¡¯t suited for this kind of crazy activity, but curiosity gnawed at his heart.


    Instead of leaving, he quickly went to the spot furthest from the light. Roy¡¯s n was to hide at the end of the raving crowd, but it backfired on him. Piles of pine wood were strewn around the ce, and the night sky was tinged with the crimson light of the mes. Heavy smoke draped the darkness, and firewood crackled beside the little groups of people who were dancing away the night.


    Everything seemed to spin, and Roy¡¯s ears were assailed by a cacophony of shouts, crackles, andughter. Witchers had heightened senses, and the great stimtion felt as if there were a thousand drills drilling their way into his skull.


    He started feeling dizzy, and the crowd that came swept him forward like a wave pushing a boat further into the sea. He was flung into the throng, and as they buffeted the poor witcher, someone held his shoulder and handed him a small cup. It was filled with a frothy substance, and the scent of malt overwhelmed him. ¡°Beer? This is garbage!¡± Roy shouted and shook his head. He shoved the guy holding a barrel of water-infused beer back into the crowd, but then he felt a soft hand holding his shoulder.


    ¡°Dance!¡± A youngdy with big eyes and a slim body huddled closer to Roy and breathed in his ear. Apparently, she fancied the young and handsome witcher. She pulled on his sleeve and dragged the dumbfounded Roy into the cheering crowd. She started dancing and twirled around the witcher, head swaying in the air. ¡°Dance!¡± She snorted. The witcher¡¯s stiff attitude was upsetting her.


    Roy paused for a moment, and he tried to refuse her, but he couldn¡¯t say a word. To his horror, he realized that he seemed to have been infected by the merry air, and he started dancing to the beat along with the youngdy before him.


    <em>When everyone around you is a madman, that makes you one of them too. </em>Roy finally understood what that old adage about festivals meant. A crimson hue dyed Roy¡¯s face, and he let himself go. He started dancing with the girl before him. Even though he wasn¡¯t calm, Roy still managed to not bump into the other people who were dancing thanks to his reflexes. He moved like a cat, swift, agile, and elegant even though he was thrown into a packed crowd.


    Suddenly, amotion happened near Roy. A big, burly man took a petite girl into the darkness right outside the bonfire. The girl giggled and shouted nervously. She struggled a little in his arms, but she eventually stopped struggling and disappeared into the corner with the man.


    The man¡¯s familiar face made Roy pause. It messed up his rhythm, and he stepped on his partner¡¯s foot, earning him a re ofint. ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I just saw an old friend.¡± It was a friend of Roy¡¯s. He noticed the burly man¡¯s amber eyes and his familiar face. ¡°Auckes is already starting his party, huh?¡±


    Roy didn¡¯t have much time to think before the throng pushed him further into the crowd, and he lost sight of his partner. The people started holding hands and shouting into the skies. They moved along the street that was paved with bonfires, and when someone tripped over, the formation was broken. The people behind started breaking up into little groups.


    A group of people were throwing piles of pinewood into the bonfire closest to him. The fire roared, and the light illuminated further into the darkness.


    Roy kept going with the crowd. After that little episode, he could finally stay calm. Despite how crazy the people around him were getting, it didn¡¯t faze Roy, and he remained a calm bystander.


    A long, long whileter, the group Roy was with finally got to the end. They danced and sang on the stage, swinging the sticks that had flowers and wheat twirling on them. The crowd was shouting, ¡°Lammas!¡± into the air, while Roy was thinking, <em>What am I doing here? </em>He took himself out of the crowd. A star started to shine blindingly in the darkness, and Roy¡¯s pendant started vibrating.


    ¡°The pendant is vibrating. Something¡¯s happening.¡± Roy reflexively let his pupil dte, and he saw through the darkness easily. A curvydy in the crowd was taking her dance partner into the darkness. The bald man¡¯s shirt was already unbuttoned, revealing the big muscles underneath.


    The bald man noticed Roy¡¯s gaze, and he turned around. He gave Roy a look of encouragement before he and the woman disappeared into the darkness.


    <em>Letho is really letting himself go. </em>Roy kept looking around for Serrit, but he stopped halfway through. He noticed a woman with a ck velvet hood standing among the crowd, and she was the source of the mana he felt.


    She looked different from the raving crowd around her, and a tuft of fiery red hair tumbled out of her hood. She was wearing a pair of crystal heels, and the woman wasing to him. The sound of her footsteps sounded weirdly clear even through the crowd, and Roy could taste the scent of rosesing from her. The crowd before her fell away and made a path for her, as if they were drunk.


    The pendant¡¯s vibrations were getting stronger, and when the woman finally came near him, he felt as if an invisible mountain were pressing down on him. She was a tall woman and was about half a head taller than Roy. Her eyes were as blue as clear pond water, and her lightly tanned skin was smooth and silky. ¡°Roy.¡± She smiled at him, her ivory teeth shining in the night.


    ¡°Coral?¡± Roy was surprised to see her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be celebrating Lammas in Kerack. What brings you here? And how did you find me?¡± He stared at the sorceress, and he was reminded of that unforgettable period of time back in Melitele¡¯s temple.


    ¡°You broke your promise, young man.¡± The sorceress wagged her slender finger. ¡°Since you broke your promise, I had toe to you. As for <em>how </em>I found out, well, that¡¯s just a little trick I used.¡±


    She extended her hand to him. Roy shook his head. He didn¡¯t believe what she said, but he didn¡¯t think he was in any position to refuse her. Coral was staring intensely at him, and he finally couldn¡¯t take it. He held her hand. It felt cool, soft, but also filled with passion. She held his hand and squeezed through the throng, heading toward the stage.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to exin what we¡¯re doing on a festival night?¡± Her eyshes fluttered. ¡°Let¡¯s have a dance.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, Roy. You¡¯re lying. You danced well earlier, and I have to say¡­¡± She took her cloak off, revealing her beautiful body, then she stored the cloak in her void. ¡°You have a special style. One I have never seen elsewhere.¡± She went behind the witcher, and a breeze that smelled of rose brushed across Roy¡¯s face. She swayed around and touched Roy¡¯s back.


    The witcher stiffened.


    ¡°Come, Roy. Or are you scared?¡± She breathed down his neck.


    ¡°Scared? Fine. Then I shall show you a style thates from another world.¡±


    Roy¡¯s golden eyes met Coral¡¯s blue eyes.


    They weren¡¯t dancing in the pce, and there weren¡¯t any stifling restrictions for them, nor were there any gentlemanly rules dragging the pace down. The festival¡¯s dance was one that expressed individuality and vigor, and there were many styles too.


    Sometimes Roy and Coral would dance by themselves, while other times, they¡¯d stick to each other, and they danced happily to the tune of the festival.


    Eventually, someone started reciting a poem on the stage. ¡°Your deep-set eyes make my heart pound. The world suddenly starts spinning. The music, the singing, and you are just like sweet, delectable honey. For a moment, I feel myself being your lute, yearning for your passion to strum my longing soul.¡±


    The sound of a lute rang out in the air, and the pairs of partners that were dancing on the stage slowed down. They faced each other, fingers interlocked. They slowly spun around to the tune, and they had eyes only for their partner, as if they wanted to sear their partner¡¯s face into their mind.


    ¡°Coral.¡± Roy was looking at the gorgeous sorceress. ¡°Honestly, why did youe to Cintra?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± The sorceress seemed a little forlorn. ¡°I¡¯m lonely¡­ Oh, no. Actually, I¡¯m just bored. You caught my eye, and it¡¯s not every day we get to celebrate, so I felt like having a chat with you.¡±


    Coral was as cheeky as ever, but Roy was no longer the young man who¡¯d get flustered at every little flirt. He was reminded of that brotherhood n, and he needed the help of a powerful sorcerer. <em>Coral¡¯s a good choice. </em>


    ¡°Alright, the dance is over. Time for some business.¡±


    ¡°Business? What business? Where are you taking me?¡±


    Coral chuckled. Her fiery-red hair billowed in the night air as she took Roy and darted toward the nearest bush hidden in the darkness.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 187

    <strong>Chapter 187: To White Orchard</strong>


    Dawn had broken through the horizon, and the long, happy night of Lammas hade to an end.


    Roy took Coral and went around all the ash of the bonfire strewn across the street before eventuallying back to the house he shared with the witchers.


    Letho, Auckes, and Serrit had snapped out of the festive mood, and they seemed unfazed by it. The witchers had already packed up and were about to set off on their journey to White Orchard. When Roy and Coral came in, the witchers looked at them.


    ¡°Heavens. Are my eyes deceiving me? This is impossible¡­¡± Auckes covered his mouth, gasping in shock. ¡°Is this real? A rookie from our school actually going out with a sorceress?¡±


    ¡°Silence, you fool. You¡¯re drowning everyone here with your envy!¡± Serrit shouted at Auckes before patting Roy¡¯s shoulder approvingly. ¡°Congrattions on bing a man, Roy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking this the wrong way.¡± Roy looked at them calmly and straightened out his wrinkly, damp shirt. ¡°Coral and I talked for the whole night. It¡¯s about the n I have. Since Lammas is over, it¡¯s time to talk business.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can talk business now? Shouldn¡¯t you get a room with her?¡± Letho looked at Roy and Coral. She seemed as if she just came out of a shower. Her face was red, and her skin was glistening. Letho also noticed her leaning toward Roy, perhaps unconsciously. ¡°So, how did her lips taste?¡± he mocked, which was something he seldom did.


    ¡°Letho, I said that was not the case!¡±


    Coral noticed the hostility Letho was directing at her, and she smiled. Then she buttoned the topmost button of Roy¡¯s shirt, as if she were showing off at the witcher.


    ¡°Miss Lytta.¡± Letho¡¯s pupils contracted into slits, and he said grimly, ¡°If I recall, the Trial of the Grasses should have ended back at Melitele¡¯s temple.¡± He sounded calm, but it was nothing but the calm before the storm. ¡°Why do you stille to my apprentice?¡±


    Lytta snorted, fury ring within her. However, Roy patted the back of her hand and calmed her down. ¡°I would have turned you into ice and put you in the yard as decoration, barbarian, but I will let this slide for Roy¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Coral.¡± Roy stood between them. ¡°Sorry, Letho. I asked for her help this time. It¡¯s going to be a long journey for us, and riding on horseback will take too much time. Coral can shorten that journey a lot for us.¡±


    Many sorcerers knew how to cast portals, including Lytta. She had many secret bases in the northern kingdoms, and she could travel to and from those bases thanks to her portal.


    Roy¡¯s original n was to split them up into two groups and search for Kolgrim and Merten¡¯s treasure. Serrit and Auckes, both of whom came from Nilfgaard, had perfect teamwork. They would travel to Toussaint, while Roy and Letho would travel to the White Orchard.


    ¡°Temeria¡¯s White Orchard¡­¡± Coral rubbed her chin. ¡°Roy, I can only send you and the barbarian to Vizima. I have a house in the trade area. As for Serrit and Auckes, I¡¯m very sorry,¡± she said softly. ¡°Toussaint is Nilfgaard territory, and I have no base in the south. How does Marnadal sound? But you¡¯ll have to pass through Amell in the south, and there are dangers lurking about recently. Sightings of royal griffins are reported there.¡±


    Auckes and Serrit looked at each other, excitement shining in their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had some action. This is perfect.¡±


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough. Thank you, Coral,¡± Roy said genuinely.


    Coral gave him a gentle smile. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to see me after you¡¯re done. I couldn¡¯t get enough of that dancest night.¡± She winked at him. ¡°I want to learn more about that unique dance of yours so I can show off to my sisters.¡±


    ¡°I will be in touch.¡±


    ¡°Um, Miss Lytta¡­¡± Auckes took a deep breath and held his head up high as he came to interrupt the conversation.


    ¡°What is it, witcher?¡±


    ¡°Miss Lytta, do you have any sister whom you¡¯re close with? Can you introduce me to them?¡±


    Lytta said nothing.


    ***


    The sorceress made a sign in the air and flicked her wrist. As she muttered the magical chant, a gust of wind started to blow in the witchers¡¯ shack. Eventually, the breeze became a gust of howling wind that billowed her robe. A momentter, a vertical slit opened in the empty space between them, and it was slightly taller than a regr human.


    As Lytta muttered further into the chant, the vertical slit expanded and became a square gateway. Lytta pressed into the gateway, and the sharp gusts of wind were silenced. The portal came into being, and it reflected those who stood before it, as if it were a mirror.


    ¡°Take care of Wilt for me, buddy. If something happens to him¡­¡± Roy patted Wilt¡¯s neck. Since the road to Toussaint was a long one, Serrit and Auckes borrowed the horse from Roy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll send him back in one piece.¡±


    Lytta opened the second portal once Auckes and Serrit vanished behind the first. ¡°This leads to Vizima¡¯s trade area, barbarian. You¡¯ll go in first and scout the surrounding area,¡± she said imperiously.


    Letho noticed the murderous re Lytta was giving him, and he hesitated. <em>It¡¯ll be too easy for her to tamper with the portal and send me into a death trap. That might be what she just did. </em>¡°Miss Lytta, you didn¡¯t tamper with the portal, did you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a caldera on the other side of the portal.¡± She looked up and smiled scornfully.


    Roy said, ¡°Just go in, Letho. She won¡¯t harm you. Right, Coral?¡±


    Lytta stared down at the ground.


    ¡°Coral? Why are you looking down like that?¡±


    Lytta looked at Roy, and she didn¡¯t want him to look so concerned about her. She pursed her lips and reluctantly cast another spell at the portal. A magical wave spread through the portal and disappeared into the air.


    ¡°Y-You tampered with the portal?¡± Letho wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°I was going to punish you just a little. It wouldn¡¯t have killed you. At most, it would have made your journey an unpleasant one. You would have ended up vomiting for a little while,¡± Lytta answered matter-of-factly, as if she just did something not worth mentioning. ¡°You kept disturbing me and Roy. We have personal business to attend to.¡±


    Letho turned around solemnly. ¡°Kid, I think traveling to the White Orchard on horseback isn¡¯t bad either.¡±


    ¡°But Serrit took the horse.¡± Roy stared at Coral. ¡°Can we enter the portal now, Coral?¡±


    ¡°Even <em>you </em>are doubting me?¡±


    ¡°I will never.¡± Roy gave Letho a look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t risk having you hate and hunt me down for life. It¡¯s perfectly safe now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you with this once.¡± Letho gave Roy a look of resignation. ¡°You better follow after me as soon as possible. Do not waste too much time with her.¡± He closed his eyes, pinched his nose, and leapt into the portal.


    ¡°Finally, some peace and quiet.¡± Lytta waved her hand across the air, and a white, little paper crane folded itself in the air, then itnded on her palm. She gave Roy the paper crane and told him, ¡°There¡¯s a one-way portal in this paper crane. It leads to my workshop in Kerack. Tear this crane if you want to travel there.¡± She whispered into his ear, ¡°And remember, this portal will disappear after one person passes through it.¡± She gave Roy a tight hug. ¡°Va faill, Roy.¡±


    Roy was shoved into the portal. Everything around him spun, and colors faded from the world. He stumbled through the passage, floating in the air as if it were zero gravity in there. It felt as if he were rowing through a stormy sea on nothing but a small wooden canoe. Some would get nauseous in portals. Geralt was one example. Using a portal would be worse than death for him.


    The nausea was more intense for those with a higher Perception, but Roy held it in. A momentter, the nausea subsided. When he opened his eyes again, he was already in an unfamiliar room.


    The curtains were made of velvet, and the walls were bright yellow in color. Standard items for a sorceress like telescopes, crystals, and wooden lock boxes filled with sundry items crowded the room. A pot of lilies stood on the windowsill, and a hammock hung between two walls.


    A bald man was lying in it, looking bored. ¡°Finally willing to leave your woman? Tell me, did you start this whole affair with her back at the temple of Melitele?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Roy ignored the tease. He opened the windows and allowed the warm sunshine to fill their room. He looked at the clean street below them, and the people were dressed immactely. This was Vizima¡¯s trade area and the gathering ce of the wealthy.


    ¡°You can get a regr girl if you want a romantic rtionship. I won¡¯t have any objections to that. But a sorceress is different. She must have a goal in mind if she wants you. Think about it. She did whatever she wanted without even thinking about the repercussions. She¡¯s clearly a cunning woman. You¡¯re too young to be her match. She¡¯d eat you alive.¡±


    ¡°You underestimate the heir of the Elder Blood.¡±


    Letho asked suggestively, ¡°So what did you do with Lyttast night?¡±


    ¡°A regr checkup,¡± Roy answered calmly. ¡°Coral said she made some breakthroughs in her experiments on the trial, and she needed to check my body so she could extract the information she needed. After all, I <em>am</em> the first witcher whom she has overseen during the trial. And if I want to bring my idea to fruition¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about the brotherhood of witchers. If we want to revive the school, then we need a sorcerer who can help us regrly. Coral is a good partner. She has experience, and she¡¯s interested in this matter.¡±


    Letho needled him for answers. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You must have done something else during the checkup.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so obsessed with that question?¡±


    Letho shut up, and the air became slightly awkward. ¡°Auckes wanted to have a bet with me. Two months¡¯ worth of wine gold. I betted on you still being a virgin.¡±


    Roy shrugged and left the room.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 188

    <strong>Chapter 188: Vizima¡¯s New Changes</strong>


    Dawn had broken through the horizon like it had done for eons. The wealthy who lived in Vizima¡¯s trade area would have been lying in their soft beds at home and enjoying the sunrise in the past, but things had changed since two months ago.


    The wealthy in the trade area were starting to work even harder than the civilians, and Amat was one of those people.


    He got out of bed and left the woman alone at the break of dawn, and his pudgy body wobbled as he hastily threw silk shorts over himself. The man was like a humpty-dumpty who looked like he¡¯d keel over with every step, but he adamantly stayed upright, though the bby parts of his body wouldn¡¯t stop wobbling like jelly that was shaken. It didn¡¯t take long for beads of sweat to start pouring from his face. He had gotten out of breath, and he would wipe the sweat off his head with a white handkerchief from time to time.


    A burly bodyguard was escorting him and made sure no harm came to him. Amat used to have two bodyguards around, but he sent one away. Those who were higher on the societaldder wouldn¡¯t even bring two bodyguards with them, and he would be damned if he was seen bringing two with him.


    Of course, there were no carriages for him, and he could only rely on his own two feet. Despite the exhaustion, Amat gritted his teeth and strode ahead like a big, fat pig on a rampage.


    ¡°Sir, be careful! There¡¯s someone ahead!¡±


    The warning came toote. The huge inertia that Amat had generated made it impossible for him to stop, and he crashed into the person right in front of him. Just like a big ball, Amat bounced back, as if he just crashed into a wall, and he fell with a thud.


    ¡°How dare you, barbarian? This assault will not go unpunished!¡±


    The man whom Amat crashed into was a bald and disturbingly muscr man. He was wearing a ck cloak, and two worn sword hilts protruded from his back. Standing beside him was a smaller man, though he was also wearing a cloak.


    The bald man¡¯s feral eyes glinted dangerously, sending a chill down the bodyguard¡¯s spine. He was besieged by an urge to unsheathe his own sword and take a battle stance, but he suppressed it.


    ¡°Apologies.¡± The bald man went and helped Amat up. ¡°If it¡¯s fine with you, sir, you seem to be in a hurry. Where are you heading?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you¡¯re a local. Watch where you¡¯re going next time!¡± Amat dusted his clothes off and wiped the sweat off his forehead weakly. ¡°If I miss out on the princess¡¯ lecture because of you, there will be hell to pay.¡±


    ¡°Princess? You mean Adda?¡±


    Amat¡¯s beady eyes widened in shock and anger. ¡°You dare address Her Highness by her name?¡±


    ¡°A noble like the princess won¡¯t argue with civilians like us.¡± The young man stepped up. A short pauseter, he said curiously, ¡°From what I know, Princess Adda led a troop against fallen vodyanoi on ck Tern Ind two months ago. Did she do something again?¡±


    Amat puffed his chest out proudly, as if he were the one who led the troop to victory. ¡°That is correct. Thanks to Goddess Vivienne, Princess Adda vanquished the vodyanoi remnants and saved Vizima from impending danger. Now she is spreading the goddess¡¯ gospel to those who will listen.¡± Amat observed the men before him closely. ¡°You two seem like mercenaries. Or are you bounty hunters?¡± He extended an invitation, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me to the temple? The Church of Virtue has just been established, and it needs all the help it can get. You¡¯ll have a bright future if you join us now. It¡¯s better and safer than your line of work.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the Lady of the Lake here? The one named Vivienne?¡±


    Amat put his hands in a prayer, and worship filled his face. ¡°Praise be to our savior, Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake.¡±


    ***


    The witchers followed the fat merchant as he went past the streets in the west area. Eventually, they arrived at the temple area, and to their surprise, it was built in the slums. This ce used to be dark, squalid, and rotten, but it hadpletely changed now.


    The streets were no longer filled with vomit, excrement, or refuse. All squalor had been washed away. It still looked dpidated and haphazard, but the cleanliness was top notch. Most importantly, the streets were no longer filled with skulking thugs and bandits. Knights from the Order of the White Rose were doing their rounds of patrol, eradicating the triads that had been lurking here for ages.


    The knights only used to serve those who lived in the trade area, but now, that had changed.


    The group of four kept going on until they came to the center of the temple area, and they came face to face with a ten-feet tall, colorful statue standing tall beside the hospital of Lebioda. She had a human body, but her lower part was a fish¡¯s tail. Her seaweed-green hair tumbled down her shoulders, and her hands were put in a prayer before her chest. The look on her face radiated sanctity and solemnity. A big group of people were kneeling beneath her, and they came from all walks of life.


    There were farmers, fishermen,bor, shop owners, and the employed. Most of them were dressed poorly, but that didn¡¯t stop them from listening to the sermon with great devotion.


    A woman with white hair was standing before the crowd, surrounded by a few knights of the order. A white robe draped over her, and she stood up proudly. A crown made of seaweed and vines decorated the top of her head, and she was holding a thick scripture, reading from it loudly.


    ¡°Honor is given to those who hold on until the end; to those who bravely face their challenge; to those who never deceive¡­Sympathy differs men from beasts. Those who sympathize with theirrades, those who would never abandon the ones in need will receive the goddess¡¯ blessing¡­¡±


    The woman wasn¡¯t reading with utmost passion, but her voice was infectious. Anyone who listened would ept, acknowledge, and even bow to her.


    Roy held down his vibrating pendant. He was a witcher, and he saw a different thing through his senses. As the woman read through the scripture, he saw waves of magical energy spreading outward from the statue, washing over those who were in the vicinity. The merchant and his bodyguard felt the energy¡¯s summon, and they went into the crowd, leaving the witchers behind.


    Aerondight felt the magicing from the statue, and it vibrated in resonance. It felt as if it would unsheathe itself and fly toward the statue. However, the sword would go nowhere now that it was bound to Roy. Roy sent a thought over to it, and Aerondight calmed down.


    He started hearing voices in his head. It was the soft voice of a woman summoning her virtuous knight, Roy of Lake Vizima. She wanted him to see her at theke, but he knew it wasn¡¯t the time. He might be Roy of Lake Vizima, but he was also a witcher of the Viper School, and the White Orchard took precedence.


    Roy pleaded silently, <em>Please give me some time, Goddess Vivienna. I will see you once I have finished my work in White Orchard.</em>


    And the voice stopped.


    ¡°A hundred believers in two months.¡± The witchers were still in shock even after they left. Especially Roy. He knew he told Adda to start a religion back then, but he only meant it as a joke, and Roy had forgotten all about it after he left. Never would he expect Adda to take it as the truth and actually form a religion with Vivienne as its patron deity. Nor did he expect the religion to flourish to the point where it was starting to eat into Lebioda¡¯s territory.


    But then he thought it was actually expected. Adda was Foltest¡¯s only daughter and the child whom he loved the most. It would be easy for her to start something in the capital of Vizima.


    ¡°I felt the Lady of the Lake¡¯s powering from the statue,¡± Roy muttered. ¡°Vivienne tacitly agreed to this, and she has chosen Adda to be her messenger. A high priestess, to be exact.¡±


    Letho looked surprised, and he was thinking about this matter through a witcher¡¯s point of view. ¡°From what I know, Ladies of the Lake are simr to the ancient leshen we fought in Mahakam. They¡¯re magical creatures who can absorb their believers¡¯ faith energy to strengthen themselves, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen one who started a religion in broad daylight.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯tpare the two of them. The Lady of the Lake is far more powerful than leshens, and they have never harmed anyone. Aside from their slightly hedonistic nature, they¡¯re kind spirits,¡± Roy said surely. He didn¡¯t remember anything like the Church of Virtue showing up in the witcher world, for most Ladies of the Lake didn¡¯t care about fame or fortune. They spent most of their time in theirkes and seldom appeared before anyone.


    ¡°So why did Goddess Vivienne go with this? It¡¯s not like a Lady of the Lake¡¯s behavior. Did something change after the whole thing with Dagon?¡± Roy had a guess. ¡°So she epted the suggestion I gave Adda.¡±


    The Lady of the Lake had an edge over the likes of Melitele, Lebioda, and Kreve. She existed in this world, and she could create miracles whenever she wanted to. There were also legends told about them, making it easy to gather believers.


    ¡°History is starting to change, and some things aren¡¯t going in the direction I thought they would. We have the Church of Virtue now. Will Smandra and the Order of the ming Rose appear while this church is still here?¡±


    ¡°What is it, kid? You don¡¯t look too good.¡±


    Roy shook his head. He was filled with trepidation and anticipation at the same time.


    ¡°The believers are too fanatical. It¡¯s going to cause problems down the line,¡± Letho said.


    ¡°But the princess and her knights are all in it. Nothing bad will happen, right?¡±


    ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    The witchers left Vizima and traveled northeast. The White Orchard was located thirty miles due northeast.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 189

    <strong>Chapter 189: The Case in White Orchard</strong>


    The sun was draping thend with a golden nket. Two witchers who came from Vizima had passed Woesong Bridge and entered thend of the White Orchard. The river of Ismena cut through the vige, flowing across the orchard that was littered with various fruit trees. The orchard was home to many high quality fruit produce and the best wood in Vulpine Woods for furniture-making.


    The milk cows were nowhere to be seen on the other side of the bridge just yet, and the witchers walked slowly along the path, drinking in the beautiful scenery around them. At a nce, they saw a picturesque scene of a farm in the vige. The sky was a clear blue, and various fruit trees stood proudly in the orchard, basking in the sunshine. White flowers were blooming on the trees, and the plump, lusciously glistening fruits hanging low on the branches were inviting someone to hold out their hands and pluck them off.


    There were apples, peaches, and guavas on the trees, and their tantalizing scent wafted across the path between the trees. Magpies andrks were perched atop the branches, trilling happily. A meandering stream flowed around the vige not far away from them, and light smoke that came out of chimneys of the rundown shacks billowed in the wind. Topless farmers were working hard in the fields, while snotty brats were fooling around with the dogs and roosters in the vige.


    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± Roy praised. The White Orchard was filled with life and vigor. Even after the wars that would happen in ten years, the orchard stood tall. Not even the Nilfgaardian army could bring themselves to bring this ce down to ruins. ¡°You know, we should build the school¡¯s base in a ce like this.¡±


    Letho scoffed. ¡°Building a witcher base on a prairie that leads to everywhere is asking for death. Do you want to get yourself surrounded?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just making an example. Getting a ce with some beautiful scenery isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Be on your guard. The people here aren¡¯t exactly friendly.¡±


    Being careful was the right idea. If Roy¡¯s memories were correct, Kolgrim¡ªthe one they were looking for¡ªdied not long after he stayed in the orchard for a night. But it wasn¡¯t certain if that woulde to pass.


    Because of their deep-seated prejudice, most vigers would only hear about witchers¡¯ scandals, and they would think badly of the monster yers. They might employ a witcher¡¯s services if they were facing a monster problem, but they would spit at the witchers for being mutants. They were acting like ingrates, but that was normal for the poption, and the witchers were already used to it. They were ready for the iing hostility, but they realized that their perception was badly skewed when they finally came to the vige.


    The vige was more like a hamlet that was only inhabited by about twenty families. Some of the houses were filled with cobwebs and draped in a nket of dust. Nobody even cared to patch the holes that had formed on the roofs. On top of that, there weren¡¯t many adult men in the vige. Besides the few who were working in the fields and orchard, all the witchers saw were the sick, elderly, women, and children.


    The vigers were acting weird as well. Most were sitting in their yard, basking in the sunshine. None of them paid any attention to the pair of outsiders, nor did they show any interest. They didn¡¯t even answer the witchers when they tried to ask for directions. Only the boy who was hiding behind the stack of hay stuck his head out curiously. He was the only one who acted like a living, breathing person.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± The witchers looked at each other. The vige was giving off the vibe of a half-dead man. The air was stale, and the vigers seemed robbed of their desire because of the sufferings of life. They were hunched over, and their faces looked pasty. They showed nothing but indifference toward the outside world.


    ¡°Kid.¡± Roy beckoned the boy over, but he shook his head fearfully and scuttled off like a startled little beast.


    The witchers were left with no choice but to find some clues through someone else. In most cases, no matter how small a vige was, there were bound to be two buildings erected. One was the cksmith¡¯s shop, where the vigers could repair or buy farming equipment. It was also the ce where the hunters would get some simple traps and arrowheads.


    The other was an inn. Entertainment was scarce in viges, and most vigers would opt to have a mug of poor man¡¯s fruit wine in the local inn after a day¡¯s work. They would spend their time bragging to their friends, or if someone saw something interesting, they¡¯d tell all about it to everyone who would listen. Inns were the go-to for news, as it flew around frequently there, and the innkeeper was the one who had the most news in hand.


    ***


    The White Orchard¡¯s inn was located in the vige¡¯s center, and it was the most spacious building of all. The witchers went in hoping to get some news, but all they saw was a bored woman leaning over the counter, staring out the window absentmindedly.


    ¡°Innkeeper¡­¡± The witchers took their hood off and knocked on the counter to snap the innkeeper out of her trance.


    ¡°Praise Melitele! Finally, customers!¡± The innkeeper looked joyous all of a sudden, and she wiped her hands on her apron. She beamed at the witchers, asking, ¡°What would you like? Something to eat? Something to drink?¡±


    ¡°Two mugs of your signature, please.¡± Roy sat on the stool before the counter and scanned the inn. It was decently spacious for a vige that had few vigers. Ten tables were ced all over the establishment, but business was nothing but a whimper during this hour. There was only one customer in simple clothes sitting near the window. His back was turned to the witchers, and he was drinking in silence.


    ¡°Of course. Two mugs of mixed fruit wine,ing up.¡± The innkeeper went to prepare the order. She wasn¡¯t young anymore, but she kept herself well, and her rear looked firm.


    ¡°Ahem. Business doesn¡¯t seem too good, innkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Call me Brenna. Business is in shambles. I don¡¯t even get more than five customers every day. At this rate, I¡¯ll have to close up shop soon.¡± The innkeeper shook the wine around, and her bosom started jiggling.


    ¡°Brenna.¡± The witchers looked away. ¡°This vige is peculiar. The vigers don¡¯t seem to care about anyone.¡±


    ¡°Is that weird? You must not be from around here, then.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us more about this vige, then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Drink something first.¡± Brenna filled their mugs with yellow liquid that glistened like melting butter.


    Roy had a little taste, and the scent of mango, apple, and orange filled his mouth. He squinted happily. Letho, on the other hand, put his cup down after one sip. He preferred stronger alcohol.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I only moved to this vige three years ago because my cousin, Bram, persuaded me. I opened this inn then. The vige was still a merry ce years ago, and business was decent.¡±


    ¡°What happened, then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Breanna hesitated for a moment, and she was gripped by fear. ¡°Something happened. Something terrible. Half the vigers died, and a lot of the remaining half fled to Vizima. The ones who were left behind became empty shells of themselves. They lost their families, and it gnawed away at them. They don¡¯t like to talk anymore, nor do they care about anyone. All they do is eat, sleep, and toil away in the fields.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you move then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a widow. I spent all my gold to open this inn here in the White Orchard. Where else can I go?¡±


    ¡°What really happened back then?¡±


    The witchers kept asking, but Brenna just wouldn¡¯t tell them the reason for the mysterious deaths, and they dropped it.


    ¡°Very well then. If you don¡¯t wish to talk about it, then fine by us. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Roy gulped down the rest of his wine.


    ¡°Recently¡­¡±


    ¡°A year, two years. Maybe even further back,¡± Letho added. ¡°A man in simr attire came to this vige as well. Do you remember him? He should have stayed in your inn for the night.¡± Letho took his cloak off, revealing the ck leather jacket, pauldrons, and chains beneath. It was standard Viper School equipment. He pointed at the pendant hanging before his chest, and he stared at Brenna.


    Brenna trembled, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Witchers?¡± she said, her voice trembling.


    ¡°We¡¯re searching for a missing brother.¡± Letho stared down at the ground, his voice cold and grim.


    ¡°I know nothing!¡± The innkeeper retreated hastily, but her prompt denial told them she had the answer they wanted.


    Letho stood and slowly marched toward the innkeeper, while Roy looked around them carefully. For some reason, the only customer in the inn was gone. Roy shook his head. He thought something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. It was as if a fog were clouding his mind, obscuring some memories he wanted to remember. He went and stood guard at the door.


    ¡°Brenna, answer my question if you want nothing to happen. Where is he? Or more precisely, where is his body?¡± Letho went around the counter. He cocked his eyebrow, and his voice was filled with unbridled fury, not unlike that of booming thunder.


    ¡°I do not know! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± The innkeep held her hands before her chest. ¡°I¡¯m shouting!¡± She opened her mouth, and her face was frozen in horror, but before she could shout, Letho made a sign in the form of a green inverted triangle.


    It started spinning, drawing Brenna¡¯s soul into it like a whirlpool. Everything turned ck, and she lost consciousness.


    ¡°Where is Kolgrim?¡±


    ¡°He is¡­¡± Brenna stared at the sign nkly, like a puppet dancing by the strings. ¡°He is five miles due northeast of the orchard. In the tomb of the Verrieres Family.¡±


    ¡°Who is Verrieres?¡±


    ¡°Ignatius Verrieres. He is the baron of the orchard.¡±


    ¡°Kolgrim died at the tomb of the baron¡¯s family? Why did he go there?¡±


    Brenna answered in an eerily calm and monotonous voice. ¡°Two years ago, Kolgrim the witcher came to the orchard and stayed at my inn. The vigers saw him, and unfortunately for him, Paul¡¯s son¡ªVitty¡ªwent missing at the same time. He thought the witcher was suspicious, since everyone says witchers love to take children away. That night, Paul reported the matter to the baron and persuaded him to lead his troops to capture Kolgrim. Witchers are notorious to begin with, and the baron thought investigations were a waste of time. He dered the witcher guilty of kidnapping and sentenced him to death by hanging.¡±


    ¡°He was hanged to death?¡± Letho¡¯s pupils became slits, and his voice was as cold as the winter wind.


    ¡°No. Kolgrim refused to beg for the baron¡¯s mercy, but he requested trial by ordeal. He would clean the baron¡¯s family tomb to prove his innocence.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°He went into the tomb and never came back out.¡±


    Letho fell into silence, and memories shed in his mind. Kolgrim was young, handsome, and a stubborn witcher with a fancy mustache. He had the most talent in cksmithing out of everyone in the school. Everyone could see that he was a master cksmith. He would go on to carry out Ivar Evil-Eye¡¯s final order, but before he left, he waved goodbye to the trio who stayed back to guard Gorthur Gvaed.


    Even though it was a goodbye, Kolgrim still had a bright smile on his face. It was a more likable smile than Auckes¡¯. He could still remember what Kolgrim said to them before he set out on his quest.


    ¡°Just you wait, Letho, Auckes, Serrit. Once I bring the blueprint back and make that sword, I¡¯ll defeat all of you! Only I can be Master Ivar¡¯s sessor!¡±


    <em>But now he¡¯s dead? </em>¡°What happened next? What is the truth? Did Kolgrim kidnap the son of the beekeeper?¡± Letho asked quietly, staring down.


    Brenna paused for a long time, but eventually, she said, ¡°Not long after the witcher went into the tomb, the vigers found Paul¡¯s son downstream. He was killed by drowners, not the witcher.¡±


    Letho heaved a long sigh, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists. ¡°It¡¯s our fate to die this way, old friend. But your name should never have been sullied. I will clear it, I swear.¡±


    Roy was listening, and he looked mncholic. He had never met Kolgrim before, and now he found out that hisrade had died because of a false usation.


    ¡°Your prophecy hase true, kid. Kolgrim <em>did </em>die in the White Orchard. You have proven your powers to look into the river of time. As promised, once we find the blueprint and make the weapons, we¡¯ll travel to Novigrad with you and await news from the White Wolf.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°But before that, we must clear Kolgrim¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that, Letho,¡± Roy answered solemnly. ¡°I am a part of the Viper School. Avenging ourrade is what we should do.¡±


    Letho nodded. He draped the ck cloak over himself again, but he paused for a moment after he turned around. ¡°Brenna, what do you know about the great change that happened to this vige?¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 190

    <strong>Chapter 190: Verrieres Family Tomb</strong>


    The Verrieres Family Tomb was located in the northeastern part of the vige, and thend in a one mile radius was dead and uninhabited. Not even a beast or a bird could be seen in the vicinity, as if death itself had a grip on thend.


    The witchers arrived at the cemetery and pushed the rusty door open. The creak was soft, but it sounded deafening in the silence. There were about a dozen tombstones littered sparsely across thend, and a gnarled tree stood in the center of those tombstones. It was greyish-brown, and the bark was cracked in many ces. Its roots and branches were dry and yellow, and not a single leaf hung from the ends of the branches.


    A concrete staircase leading down into the underground was situated right beneath the tree. The dark underground tomb slept at the end of the stairs, but the witchers were in no hurry to descend. They turned their witcher senses on first and checked thend near the tombstones.


    ¡°It¡¯s dry. No signs of someone digging the ce up. Luck¡¯s on our side. There are no grave hags or ghouls nearby.¡± Roy heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°There isn¡¯t any blood or sign of a battle in the cemetery. If there are any fleders down there, they would have left signs of their hunt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Letho scanned the ce sharply and tossed Roy a torch that had a cloth drenched in oil covering its end. ¡°I sparred with Kolgrim many times, and he¡¯s as skilled as I am. But he still died in the tomb. This ce is more dangerous than you think. It¡¯ll be a tough fight even if there are only wraiths down there.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Roy nodded. Unlike most creatures, wraiths were not corporeal. In most situations, they were unaffected by fire, poison, and weapons that could cause bleeding. Brute force alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to deal with them.


    And this was no game. Roy had to be careful, even though he had a few tricks up his sleeve.


    They started checking their equipment. Their swords were greased with specter oil, their potions and decoctions were stored in the pouches on their leather armor, and the pouch on their waist was filled with alchemy bombs. In the end, they gulped a dose of Thunderbolt down, and ck veins crawled up their faces. The preparations were done, and they went down into the tomb.


    ***


    The tomb was dark, cold, and humid. That was the first impression it left. Letho took the lead, a torch in his hand, while Roy followed closely behind. He was walking sideways, looking around carefully in case any dangers were to leap out at them.


    The tomb¡¯s entrance was only wide enough to fit two people at first. The walls were smooth, and a picture depicting the tomb¡¯s internal structure was situated near the stairs. It had been many years, and the picture was starting to degrade. The tomb was cramped, and Roymented, <em>This orchard isn¡¯t really big, but the baron¡¯s family is. Man, this ce is freezing.</em>


    He gasped. Compared to the warm temperature outside, the tomb felt like a freezer in the medieval age. It was as if winter never left this tomb, and Roy could even see his own breath. The cold wasn¡¯t evenfortable. It was eerie, and the wind felt like it was blowing from <em>within</em>. The chilling air was trying to dig its way under Roy¡¯s skin, and for some reason, it was upsetting him.


    When they came to the end of the passage, they turned left and walked through a roundabout, then they came to a clearing. It was a burial chamber, and four white stone coffins sat quietly in the corner. There were more than a dozen small enves dug out on the wall, and they were filled with coffins.


    Roy lit the braziers up, and the burning mes illuminated the burial chamber, whisking away the eerie chill that hung in the air. ording to Temerian royalty¡¯s burial customs, only direct members of the family could be buried in the center of the chamber, while branch family members would have their eternal rest in the holes in the walls.


    He came to the coffin in the center. ¡°Patrice Verrieres¡­Year 1150. Died from bloody flux,¡± Roy read from the record on the coffin¡¯s side. ¡°She died more than a hundred years ago. Wonder whose ancestor this is.¡± He brushed his hand across the coffin¡¯s rough surface and eventually stumbled upon something ck and rotten. Roy took a whiff of it and realized it was rotten petals that were already at least ten years old.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s been a while since someone came for a visit,¡± he muttered. ¡°This is a noble¡¯s tomb, but nobody woulde in because of the wraith infestation. Maybe there are still treasures and jewelry in here.¡±


    ¡°Kid,e here.¡±


    ¡°Did you find something?¡± Roy crouched down between the coffin and looked at the green powder on Letho¡¯s finger. It was sparkling beautifully, as if someone had enchanted it.


    Roy was surprised to see that here. ¡°Specter dust?¡±


    Specter dust was the ash left by wraiths after they died. Witchers needed this to make many of their alchemical creations, and Petri¡¯s Philter was one example. But specter dust was rare, and one wraith could only produce half a unit.


    ¡°Kolgrim fought a wraith here, no question about that.¡± Letho kept the dust. It would be usefulter on. Then he found the second pile of dust near the left wall, and they saw a chip in the wall that was left by a sword sh.


    ¡°Still as strong as ever. He was probably in great condition. There were two wraiths. It would take a lot out of him, but nothing that could cause him any injury.¡±


    Letho was about to get Roy and venture deeper, but Roy stopped walking, and he scanned the coffin in the wall. A white candle that was melted halfway through stood beside the coffin, but Roy¡¯s attention was on the coins that were lying quietly on the coffin. He went over to pick them up and wipe the dust off them. Then he saw Foltest¡¯s hook-nosed face staring back at him from the head side of the coin. ¡°Five orens. They aren¡¯t popr now, but they can be exchanged for some crowns at Vivaldi¡¯s Bank.¡±


    Roy put them down a whileter, however. He was no graverobber, and he would not take this kind of money.


    ***


    Verrieres Family Tomb wasn¡¯t fully interconnected. They expanded inward, and every path would end in a burial chamber, though anyone who came in would have to turn around at the end of every path to find the chamber. The witchers explored three more chambers and counted all the coffins that were in the center and the walls. Combining that with the tomb¡¯s structure they saw when they came in, they deduced that there were more than two hundred people buried in the tomb.


    ¡°The Verrieres Family used to be an enviably big one, but now only Ignatius is left.¡± Roy was reminded of what Brenna said before they left. ¡°Perhaps the baron has been driven mad by loneliness. That¡¯s why he did something so outrageous.¡±


    ***


    They noticed seven piles of specter dust along the way and some dried corpses that were strewn everywhere. The corpses were badly dressed, and the witchers thought they must have been graverobbers. If they had left after they looted the first chamber, they might have escaped the wraiths, but greed got the better of them.


    ¡°Greed drives many people to insanity, kid. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re different. I can escape with my life intact, at least.¡± Roy shook his head and changed the topic. ¡°Kolgrim has killed nine wraiths up to this point, and he doesn¡¯t seem to have been injured at all. He might have killed his way to the deepest chamber.¡±


    Roy admired the strength of Kolgrim, though they had never met yet. Witchers would have to use Moon Dust of Yrden to deal with wraiths. Those were the only ways to turn the specters corporeal and deal real damage to them. Roy only had one Moon Dust on him, and Letho was a far better caster than he was when it came to casting Yrden. The young witcher couldn¡¯t affect wraiths too much on his own. If he was in Kolgrim¡¯s ce, he¡¯d stop right after he killed three wraiths.


    ¡°If that guess is correct, then there must be a formidable monster waiting for us in that chamber.¡± Suddenly, Letho raised his index and middle finger, and he curled up like a cheetah, holding in his breath.


    Roy kept quiet at the same time and stuck to the wall as he slowly moved to the corner in front of him. The closer he was to the corner, the more his pendant vibrated against his skin. They were getting closer to the source of the magical energy. The vibration was starting to get violent, but they heard no footsteps. Wraiths levitated. They wouldn¡¯t make any sound when they moved.


    And then, Letho came face to face with the monster. Letho quickly made an hourss sign in the air, and a purple light pulsed from the circle on the ground. It was big enough to cover the corner. At the same time, Roy turned the corner and saw what was happening on the other side.


    A green, translucent wraith was bound to Yrden. It was humanoid, and it was wearing a silk dress. On one hand, it was holding a bright yellowntern, but on the other, it was holding a petite dagger. Eerie green mes flickered in its eyes, and its head was nothing but a skeleton. The wraith looked menacing, but it was struggling to break free, as if it were sumbing to quicksand. Bright green light illuminated its form, and it was blinking into and from the void.


    ¡®Wraith


    Age: Twenty years old


    HP: 60


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 6


    Perception: 3


    Will: 4


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 0


    Skills:


    Ghostly Wail Level 4: Wraiths are born from the souls of those who bear grudges because of the pain they suffered when they were alive. Their wails can pierce through their target¡¯s soul and awaken the fear sleeping within them, robbing the target of all courage to resist.


    Flesh of the Void (Passive): A wraith¡¯s body is between a corporeal and ethereal state. All iing physical damage is halved. They can hide in the void at any given moment and avoid taking any damage. They can also ambush their target in this state.¡¯


    ***


    Roy wouldn¡¯t allow it to break free. He made an Igni sign, and a stream of mes burst forth, spreading in a cone. The sparks touched the wraith¡¯s body, and the mes swept over it. It flew up into the air, looking like a big fireball, and the wraith let out a wail. Invisible sound waves crashed against the walls, and dust flew up from the ground, covering the passage.


    Roy shook his head and cast away the confusion. He waved his hand before himself, and he regained rity. Thanks to his Will, he was immune to the mind attack from that wail. The young witcher charged at the wraith with Aerondight in hand, and he leapt up high into the air, swinging the de up and cutting through the wraith¡¯s hem, chest, and neck in one swoop.


    The wraith¡¯s flesh crackled as the specter dust on Aerondight corroded it. Green smoke billowed from the gash, but the wraith had no way to fight back. It was trapped by Yrden, preventing it from turning intangible, and the trap slowed its speed. It was moving as slowly as a snail, and it could never dodge any attacks from the witchers. All it could do was swing itsntern and dagger clumsily in a feeble attempt at a counterattack.


    Roy crouched and slid across the ground in the opposite direction of where the wraith was spinning. The young witcher came to the other side of the wraith and took the plow stance before stabbing Aerondight into the wraith¡¯s lower back.


    He made another sign, and the wraith froze, disappearing into thin air, but not before it let out one final wail. Glittering green dust fell to the floor and formed a pile of specter dust.


    ¡®Wraith killed. EXP+60. Level 6 Witcher (700/3500)¡¯


    ¡°Well, that was one ugly scream. Sounded like an old hag trying to shout with her throat filled with phlegm.¡± Roy sheathed Aerondight and crouched to bottle up the dust. ¡°But wraiths aren¡¯t that terrifying if you have Yrden.¡±


    ¡°Stay alert, kid.¡± Letho kept his eyes on the dark tunnel. ¡°This is just one wraith. How will you handle it if you¡¯re surrounded by two or even three of them?¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 191

    <strong>Chapter 191: Skeleton in the Coffin</strong>


    The witchers stood back to back, holding their silver weapons tightly, remaining on high alert. The mes on the walls flickered, illuminating the few green specters that were shuffling across the passage.


    They would blink into reality and let out a wail before disappearing into the darkness, staying safely out of the witchers¡¯ reach. They tried their best to capture the specters that were harassing them, but every time they blinked into existence, the air would stir, and winds would howl, giving them the best cover they could ever hope for.


    The bald witcher felt the air closely for a while, and his face fell. He raised four fingers and tapped the young witcher behind him, and both of them reached for the bombs that were strapped to their waist.


    An explosion and a white light spread across the chamber. A blinding wave of dust swept through the chamber, then four green specters appeared out of thin air. Their translucent bodies were blinking erratically, but Moon Dust didn¡¯t release its grip, and they couldn¡¯t hide in the void.


    Roy held Aerondight horizontally and leapt ahead, closing in on two of the specters. He put all his weight on his left foot, spinning and cutting through the specter. However, without Yrden keeping them down, the specters could escape at full speed. They jumped backward and easily evaded the de. Roy was about to regain his bearings andunch another attack, but the specters were already nking him.


    The specters dashed downward to Roy like two falling meteors, and they spun, theirnterns and daggers turning into spirals of death. They shed with the young witcher¡¯s de, and sparks flew between them. The sh also created a sound that was not unlike nails wing through a ckboard.


    Roy felt his hand getting numb, and he almost lost his grip on his de. He quickly retreated and took two steps to the side, going past hispanion.


    Letho stepped in and dealt with the pair of specters. Roy took a deep breath and grabbed Gabriel out of thin air, then he fired a shot at the lone specter hanging back in the distance. Ripples spread through the air, and he disappeared for a moment only to reappear behind the lone specter.


    Roy shed with his greased Aerondight a few times, cutting through the specter¡¯s neck, chest, and lower body. The wraith let out a guttural scream before disappearing into oblivion. But Roy could not rest yet. A gust of wind blew through the dark passage, and Roy quickly blocked the iing attack with his de, but he felt a stab of paining from his left shoulder. The wraith that ambushed him broke through Quen and wounded his shoulder.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Roy pushed the wraith away and nced at his wound. The skin was upturned, and the wound was the size of a baby¡¯s mouth. It was painful, but all the experience Roy gained from his battles told him not to rush in blindly. Instead, he kited the wraith with his swordsmanship and signs until it finally died of exhaustion.


    ¡®Wraith killed. EXP+60 Level 5 Witcher (1060/3500)¡¯


    Letho¡¯s battle hade to an end as well. He was sheathing his des. The wraiths didn¡¯t manage to injure him, but his breathing was shallow, and his stamina and mana were almost depleted. ¡°How¡¯s your wound looking, kid?¡±


    Roy poured some marigold potion on it. He felt pain needling him, and he frowned, but just a momentter, a cool sensation spread throughout his body. He rolled his shoulder. ¡°Just a light wound. Nothing much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Letho picked up the loot.


    ¡°This is the fifth wave, but still no sign of Kolgrim.¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡± Letho stared into the dark passage, and sadness painted his face. ¡°We only got so far by working together. Kolgrim was alone, and he should have almost exhausted his stamina and mana at this point. ording to the structure we saw earlier, there are fifteen chambers in this tomb. This is the eleventh. We¡¯re nearing the end.¡±


    ¡°We should rest and get back to top condition. I pray we won¡¯t have to fight anything big here.¡±


    ***


    It was a quiet journey after that. The witchers didn¡¯t run into any wraiths at all.


    They came to the fifteenth and final chamber. It was twice asrge as the others, and four coffins slept within it. Ignatius Verrieres¡¯ parents and offspring were buried here. But something was off. The witchers looked around, but they didn¡¯t see any skeletons. Kolgrim¡¯s remains were still unknown.


    They scanned through the coffins in the chamber.


    ¡°Could Kolgrim be in there?¡± Roy asked weakly. There were no other exnations otherwise.


    ¡°You and I know wraiths do not keep the remains of the dead, nor do they put their victims¡¯ bodies in coffins.¡±


    ¡°What can exin this, then?¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Letho gesticted. ¡°Listen closely.¡±


    The sound of wind whispered in the air.


    ¡°Is that¡­ wind?¡±


    A gust of cold wind blew in from the passage outside. It sounded as if someone were whistling eerily in the darkness. The mes in the chamber started flickering erratically, and the shadows of the witchers seemed to be held by an invisible hand, their sizes changing all the time.


    A suffocating silence fell upon them, and Roy curled up a little, casting Quen on himself. ¡°It¡¯s already night outside?¡±


    ¡°I keep feeling that something is wrong. Be on guard,¡± Letho said. ¡°Check the chamber again and don¡¯t move a single coffin.¡±


    ***


    Letho checked the coffins on the wall, while Roy took the coffins in the center. He noticed something wrong right after he checked the first coffin. There was a thin line that cut through the coffin¡¯s surface. It was nearly undetectable unless Roy looked closely. He was sure that a sword made the mark, but the attacker¡¯s strength was minuscule. That, or the strength of the attacker had degraded too far for them to make a deep cut.


    ¡°John Verrieres. Born: 1206. Died: 1255. Lived for forty-nine years. Cause of death: consumption. Son: Ignatius Verrieres. Wife: Mary Verrieres.¡± Roy kept looking. ¡°So that one was the baron¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Mary Verrieres. Born: 1210. Died: 1259. Lived for forty-nine years. Cause of death: difficultbor.¡± <em>The baron¡¯s mother. </em>¡°Florian Verrieres. Born: 1243. Died: 1257. Lived for fourteen years. Cause of death: asphyxiation.¡± <em>The baron¡¯s son.</em>


    ¡°His parents and son are all dead. Is this some sort of sign?¡± Roy muttered.


    Thest coffin had no name, date of birth, or even date of death. There was only one line etched on it. ¡®My poor child, doomed to eternal slumber before it could see the world.¡¯


    <em>Whose child is this anyway? Why are there no records? </em>Roy massaged his temples. His fear was reced by curiosity and question. ¡°¡®Doomed to eternal slumber before it could see the world?¡¯ So it died the moment it was born. Could this be Mary¡¯s child? Did it die along with its mother duringbor?¡±


    Roy thought that was logical, and he checked the dates on the other coffins only toe to another shocking conclusion. ¡°The baron¡¯s mother died in 1259 due to difficultbor, but his father died in 1255. Mary must have cheated on the baron¡¯s father and gotten pregnant with someone else¡¯s kid. But she didn¡¯t make it. She was too old and too weak to deliver the baby, and she died.¡±


    Roy was still figuring things out, but Letho had finished with his investigation, though he found nothing. ¡°Find anything?¡±


    ¡°No, but I did find something interesting.¡±


    ***


    Letho listened to what Roy had to say, but the veteran witcher shrugged it off. ¡°It¡¯s normal for the baron¡¯s wife to have a few affairs. They aren¡¯t exactly the most innocent people in thisnd. You shouldn¡¯t have wasted your time on this.¡±


    ¡°I found some clues.¡± Roy pointed at the sword¡¯s marks on the coffin. ¡°Kolgrim fought someone here.¡±


    They noticed a little path between coffins that was left by a person who squirmed across the ground, but it had almost disappeared with time. Only people with powerful senses like witchers could feel it. The path led to Mary Verrieres¡¯ coffin.


    ¡°I have a feeling Kolgrim¡¯s body is right in there,¡± Roy muttered to himself, and Letho gesticted at him.


    They nked Mary¡¯s coffin, then Letho kicked the coffin¡¯s cover. It yawned open, and the witchers assumed battle stances. They were ready to cast their signs, but nothing happened, even after a while.


    They went to take a look, and there was a lone skeleton lying in the coffin. ck leather armor was draped over it, and there was nothing on the exposed part of the body save for the bones. Nobody could recognize who it was. The clothes on the skeleton were nothing but strips of cloth, and there were holes on the chest and sleeves. Obviously, it was attacked many times before its death.


    There was also a sword lying beside the corpse. It had a horizontal crossguard, and the de was slender. The ridge was slightly protruding, and it formed a long triangle with the des of the sword. The sword was looking dusty and unassuming from all the dust that was covering it.


    Letho picked the sword up and observed the de. He tilted his head and scanned the ridge before putting it down. ¡°It¡¯s his steel sword.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Is this Kolgrim?¡± Roy was still on guard.


    Letho did not answer. He picked the corpse¡¯s pendant up and swung it around. The pendant was in the shape of a viper. He then took the tibia and weighed it in his hand. ¡°Witcher bone is denser than human bone. I can still recognize it, even after two years.¡±


    ¡°How did he perish, then?¡±


    ¡°There are no marks on his skeleton. I can¡¯t be sure just yet.¡± Letho picked the skeleton up and checked it meticulously. Eventually, he found a leather blueprint and a yellowing letter in the corpse¡¯s pouch.


    ¡®To Ivar Evil-Eye, founder of the Viper School.


    I have found the legendary blueprint that belongs to our school, but I ran into some problems. I stayed the night in a Temerian vige on my way back to Gorthur Gvaed. Those damn vigers used me of kidnapping some beekeeper¡¯s boy, intending on making me a scapegoat.


    They took me to the baron¡¯s castle for a trial, and they found one of the blueprints. It was confiscated, but don¡¯t worry. I <em>will </em>take it back. They did not find the other blueprints, of course.


    I invoked Temerianw and requested for trial by ordeal instead of epting the baron¡¯s decree. My request is epted, and I shall travel to the baron¡¯s family tomb tomorrow and cleanse it of the evil spirits dwelling within. There should be no problem at all. Perhaps I have already returned to the fortress when this letter finds you. Set the furnace up, Letho, Auckes, Serrit. It¡¯s time to make some weapons.


    Kolgrim¡¯


    ¡°Kolgrim,¡± Letho muttered, tears welling in his eyes. He took a bottle of wine from his spatial ring, raised it up, and finished half of it in one gulp. ¡°I will take you home, Brother. But first, a toast to you.¡± He breathed out of his mouth and sprinkled the rest of the wine into the air.


    There was only the sound of wine pouring onto the skeletoning from the chamber for a while. Roy was holding the leather blueprint tightly, staring at the scene. Sadness welled in his heart, but he knew this was the fate of most witchers. They would die in foreignnds and disappear under the earth without even a gravestone for them.


    The witchers stared at Kolgrim¡¯s remains and mourned in silence. But then, Roy scanned through the empty coffins, and when he realized what he had missed earlier, a chill ran down his spin.


    <em>If there¡¯s only Kolgrim¡¯s body in there, then¡­ </em>¡°Where¡¯s Mary¡¯s corpse?¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 192

    <strong>Chapter 192: Brand and Banshee</strong>


    Roy and Letho pricked their ears up and tried to hear if there were any weird sounds, but there were none. Their pendants did not vibrate either, which meant there were no magical activities nearby. There were no wraiths.


    ¡°Where did Mary¡¯s corpse go?¡± Roy tried to figure it out, and at the same time, he scanned through the blueprint. It was the blueprint for a sword, and the crossguard, hilt, and de were drawn separately. The measurements, thickness, the materials needed for them, the furnace¡¯s temperature, and the ways to make the sword were detailed extensively. It was aplete blueprint for the Viper School¡¯s steel sword. ¡°Now that we have this blueprint, we¡¯re halfway through our mission here in the orchard. All that¡¯s left is the silver sword¡¯s blueprint.¡± <em>ording to Kolgrim¡¯s unsent letter, Ignatius stole the other blueprint. </em>¡°Good. We¡¯re on our way to see him too.¡± Roy kept the steel sword¡¯s blueprint carefully. ¡°Time to collect our debt from the baron.¡±


    Letho was still thinking about the disappearance of Mary¡¯s corpse. He had been in this line of work long enough to see that something had to be wrong. ¡°Kolgrim¡¯s death and Mary¡¯s disappearance must be connected, Roy. Check the other coffins.¡±


    They would not have done that in any other situation. Witchers were no graverobbers, and they had their own creed. Opening coffins and disturbing the rest of the dead was not something they would do, but they had no other choice in this situation.


    ¡°John, Florian, do please forgive us. We have our own reasons for doing this,¡± Roy mumbled as he opened the coffins.


    There were two and a half corpses in the coffins. The baby was too small to be considered a unit, for it was only as big as an adult¡¯s fist. The witchers went and checked the skeletons¡¯ pelvis to determine their sex.


    ¡°The pelvis is thick, tall, and narrow, while the hip bone is big, narrow, and deep.¡± Letho took on the role of coroner. With decades of witcher experience under his belt, he was already familiar with the skeletal structure of humans. ¡°The pubis is connected at a higher position, and it¡¯s smaller on the lower end. These are male corpses.¡±


    Mary¡¯s corpse was still nowhere to be found, but the witchers did not n on opening the coffins on the wall. There was no need for that. Letho scanned the other parts after he was done checking the pelvis, and he found something. There was a small line of words etched on the back of the skulls of the skeletons. ¡°This looks like Elder Speech. Roy. Take a look.¡± Letho turned the baby¡¯s skull over, and he gasped. ¡°Gods. What kind of sick monster would do this to a newborn?¡±


    ¡°Let me see it.¡± Thanks to his bloodline, Roy had a better grasp on Elder Speech than Letho did. ¡°Po¡­wi¡­ca¡­si¡­?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Sacrifice? This¡­this means sacrifice in Elder Speech. They were chosen as sacrifices.¡± Roy¡¯s face fell. ¡°There are grimoires that talk about this. It¡¯s an evil spell. A forbidden one. The caster usually does something terrible to gain power or something more sinister.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Coral told me about it when she taught me the basic theory of magic back at Melitele¡¯s temple. She looked solemn.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dealing with an unknown and evil spell that involves a sacrificial ritual? Then Kolgrim¡¯s death is not as simple as it seems.¡±


    The ruler of the White Orchard and his family must have something dark to hide.


    ¡°Are we going to keep looking into this?¡± Roy looked around the eerie chamber, and he suddenly felt his blood run cold. ¡°You always say curiosity kills the cat.¡±


    ¡°Witchers are far more resilient than cats. Are you going to back off?¡± Letho looked at him coldly.


    ¡°As if.¡± Roy wore a serious look and changed his tune. ¡°Kolgrim is an important member of the school. We can¡¯t let his death be for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Good. But then there¡¯s the spell. We don¡¯t have enough information about that. All we know is that the bodies belong to Ignatius¡¯ family, and their skulls were engraved with a sacrifice rune. That¡¯s all we got. We might get some new clues after we see the baron, but I got an idea about Mary¡¯s whereabouts.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°There are three possible situations.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°One, she¡¯s in one of the coffins in the wall. Two, her body isn¡¯t in any coffin here. As for the third situation¡­ Roy, do you remember how wraiths are born?¡±


    ¡°In special environments. This family tomb, for example. It¡¯s the best ce for wraiths to live in.¡± Roy dragged up the memories of the sses he had with Serrit. ¡°And there¡¯s also the mental state of the person before they die. Those who be wraiths after their deaths usually have an obsession or unfinished business. Either that, or they¡¯re tethered by powerful emotions like longing or hatred.¡±


    ¡°And Mary Verrieres died because of difficultbor,¡± Letho emphasized.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that she became a wraith after she died and killed Kolgrim?¡±


    ¡°Correction. She did <em>not </em>kill Kolgrim. Wraiths will never move a human¡¯s body into any coffins. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Kolgrim went and hid in the coffin himself,¡± Roy muttered. He smacked his head, and a vivid image appeared in his head. ¡°He was exhausted, and he knew he couldn¡¯t fight the wraith in that state, so he went into the coffin and tried to rest.¡± <em>Well, Geralt did use the same strategy when he fought the striga back in Vizima.</em>


    ¡°But it¡¯s such a shame. I guess Kolgrim¡¯s wounds were too severe, and he couldn¡¯t make it. But where did the wraith go?¡± Roy asked curiously.


    Letho had no answer to that. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any specter dust in this room. I have a feeling Mary¡¯s wraith won¡¯t die that easily.¡±


    Roy brushed his hand against the coffin¡¯s rough surface. He stared at the empty space within the coffin, and for some reason, he jumped into it, just like Kolgrim had.


    ¡°Are you mad, boy?¡±


    ¡°I just want to see how it feels to be in a coffin.¡± Royy down in the coffin, but he didn¡¯t feel satisfied. ¡°Letho, close the coffin.¡±


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Letho scoffed, but he closed the coffin anyway.


    Darkness overwhelmed Roy, and he was locked in a cold, ustrophobic ce. But even so, his sight was enough to see through the dark thanks to his mutation. He scanned the stone b above it, then he slowly moved his gaze down. He suddenly froze up and touched the lower surface of the b, where the marks were engraved clearly. ¡°Letho¡­¡±


    ¡°Scared now, kid? Then get out and don¡¯t waste our time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something in the coffin. I think it¡¯s a warning Kolgrim left.¡±


    ¡°A message?¡±


    ¡°Kolgrim engraved one word on this b. It says¡­ <em>banshee</em>.¡± Roy pushed the cover aside with difficulty and sat up. ¡°He was telling us that Mary became a banshee.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± Letho held his own hand. ¡°I was wondering why the wraiths disappeared all of a sudden. It didn¡¯t make sense considering we had to fight hordes of them earlier, but now it¡¯s clear. Powerful beasts are usually territorial, and they would chase away any and all threats in their territory. It¡¯s the same thing for wraiths. Mary has be a powerful banshee, and her existence scares the other wraiths.¡±


    Banshees and wraiths might both be specters, but the gap between power was huge. Thetter were just evil spirits who moved solely on instinct, but banshees retained part of their human memories. It was harder for a banshee to manifest, but they had special and powerful abilities granted to them in return.


    For example, gue maidens could spread gues and diseases. Banshees, on the other hand, possessed the power to knock people out with their wails, revival abilities, and they could even leave the grave to move about. The sun couldn¡¯t hurt them.


    ¡°Mary died in 1259, and it has been two years since then.¡± Roy went to Letho¡¯s side. ¡°The banshee Mary turned into must have left this ce, but where would she go?¡±


    ¡°Mary was the baron¡¯s mother, right? So what ce would hold most of her obsession? Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to see the orchard¡¯s baron himself.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 193

    <strong>Chapter 193: Amavet Fortress</strong>


    The witchers cleared the tomb out, and no wraiths came to stop them on their way out. There wouldn¡¯t be new wraiths appearing in the tomb for a while either.


    It was already night when they came back to the surface. The moon¡¯s light wasn¡¯t bright enough to drape thend in silver, and the stars were twinkling dimly. Sparks of light flickered in the orchard, but the witchers had no ns on staying the night there. It was not a great time to visit the baron, so they camped out in the wilds.


    Roy kept Kolgrim¡¯s remains in his inventory. He would bury them in the new witcher base he would build soon. Letho agreed to that. Most witchers spent their lives fighting monsters and dangers only to die in the wilds and be food for beasts. Having a grave after they died would be a gift.


    The moon and stars shone in the sky, and the bonfire crackled, providing warmth for the witchers. Roy was sitting on a protruding boulder, meditating. He concentrated on his character sheet. There was one skill point left from leveling up after he exited Brokilon, and it was time to spend it.


    All his Level 1 skills like Sword Mastery, Crossbow Mastery, Witcher Signs, Witcher Senses, and Alchemy could be leveled up through training. Spending his points on them wouldn¡¯t be a great choice. As for Massacre, Roy was nning to level it up through killing more monsters like usual.


    In the end, he set his sights on Observe, which was Level 2, and Meditate, which was Level 4. It had been a long time since Observe had a level up, and now its ws were showing through. Roy could not see through cursed ones or higher vampires if they decided to hide themselves. If he used Observe on anything with a high Perception, he would only get question marks instead of numbers in return. It wascking as a scouting skill.


    He might have leveled that up, but after Massacre had its level upst time, Roy realized that his skills would evolve if they and their main stat were to reach Level 5 and ten points respectively. Meditate¡¯s main stats were Spirit and Constitution. The former was twelve points, while thetter was 11.1, both of which were more than ten.


    <em>So the level is the only thing holding it back. </em>Compared to Observe, Roy thought leveling Meditate up was a better choice. He spent the point on Meditate, and a cool sensation spread through his mind, while his body was enveloped in a warm, invisible nket.


    ¡®Meditate: Level 4 ¡ú Level 5


    Spirit: 12 ¡ú 12.5


    Mana: 160 ¡ú 165


    Constitution: 11.1 ¡ú 11.6


    HP: 151 ¡ú 156


    ¡­


    ¡®Meditate has reached Level 5. Your Constitution and Spirit has reached at least ten points. You have unlocked another effect for Meditate.


    Activate: You have started to master Meditate and reach the truth of this skill. While you meditate, your body will automatically absorb and store the element of water around you.


    You will receive one charge of Activate for everyplete round of Meditation you do (Aplete round is five hours). Activate can heal you for twenty percent of your Mana and HP. It can also heal light injuries.


    Caution: You cannot stack or store Activate. The charges will disappear after a day.¡¯


    ***


    Roy fell into silence for a moment. Just like fear and Massacre, Activate was an extension of Meditate. Meditate¡¯s level would affect the efficacy of Activate, and he knew it. Activate might only heal twenty percent of his HP for now, but it was faster than Swallow. Swallow might heal him for thirty percent, but its effect would take ce over ten minutes. On top of that, Activate could replenish his Mana, and twenty percent was thirty-three points. It was enough for a single use of Signs. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the ingredients or toxicity of the potions either.


    ¡°So this is like a hybrid sk in all those other ARPGs, and it automatically stores one charge after every meditating session. This is convenient.¡±


    Roy stopped thinking about that and went back to his meditation. The night went by silently, save for the crackling of the fire and Letho¡¯s calm breathing.


    ***


    When Roy exited his meditation the next morning, he touched the wound on his shoulder, and it had already closed and formed a scab. There was only a scar left underneath. ¡°So, this is Activate¡¯s effect, huh? Not bad.¡±


    A short whileter, they came to a hill on the east of the orchard, where Ignatius¡¯ fortress stood. The fortress was named after a Temerian king¡ªAmavet, and Ignatius¡¯ family had ruled this ce for generations, handling the orchard. Moss and vines crawled all over the walls of the fortress, and from where the fortress was standing, it had the perfect vantage point to oversee the orchard and its scenes. Anyone who was in the fortress could see everything that was happening in the orchard.


    Two soldiers equipped with a sword and brigandine armor were on patrol outside the gates, and they saw the witchers who were covered in ck cloaks. ¡°Halt. Who goes there?¡± the soldier demanded. The witchers were not exactly in bright attire, and they seemed too mysterious to be good. That was especially true for Letho, who looked like a small hill.


    ¡°We are here to see Baron Ignatius. There is a matter we wish to speak of with him.¡±


    ¡°You wish to speak with the baron?¡± The soldier looked at them through the slits of his helm. ¡°The baron is busy. He has no time to see you. Now leave.¡±


    ¡°We are witchers.¡±


    The answer sounded magical, and the soldiers froze for just a few moments. One of them quickly went into the fortress and came back out with a pudgy, middle-aged man. ¡°Might you be witchers?¡± The man who came was in yellowish-brown, tight-fitting attire, and he spoke politely. Even though he was faced with witchers, he showed no disdain or disgust.


    ¡°I am Letho of Gulet, a witcher from the Viper School, and this is Roy.¡±


    ¡°Good. Very good¡­¡± The man rubbed his hands, and the excitement in his eyes was palpable. ¡°You came at the right time. Your services are needed.¡±


    ¡°And you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± The man extended his hand at the witcher. He had a smooth hand, and there weren¡¯t even any calluses on it. ¡°I am the butler for the baron¡ªGrant. Pleasee with me. We can talk inside.¡±


    ***


    The witchers went into the fortress with the butler. It had simple decorations, a stark contrast to the usual decadence and resplendence of other nobility. There were no oil paintings, animal specimens, or even armor. The windows on the walls were sealed shut, forbidding the sunlight from ever shining into the rooms. The fortress¡¯ inner side felt cool and eerie. There were hardly any sources of light, save for the few magical ones hanging from the ceiling.


    There were, however, many servants who were rushing around. Grant led the witchers to the staircase in the great hall and stopped the servant who wasing down. ¡°Regina! How is the baron doing?¡±


    ¡°He had some wine to drink and fell asleep. Liv is with him.¡±


    Grant eased up a little. ¡°You may leave us.¡±


    The witchers looked at each other. ¡°This is quite decadent, isn¡¯t it? Sleeping when the sun has risen? Did he spend all night having fun?¡±


    ***


    Grant took them to his office and poured them two cups of red tea. It was rare to receive any hospitality for witchers. ¡°It has been a couple of years since west saw any witcher in the orchard. Rare guests, both of you,¡± he reminisced.


    Roy asked nonchntly, ¡°When was thest time you saw a witcher?¡±


    Grant smiled, but he did not answer. ¡°My soldier told me you wished to speak to the baron?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Letho brought up the excuse they came up with. They needed some time to look into the matter and seek the truth. ¡°Roy and I are tracking down a monster near the orchard. It is a sly one, and it managed to escape us. It eventually came near this fortress and disappeared.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that a monster is hiding in the great Amavet Fortress?¡± Grant had a weird look on his face.


    ¡°Most probably.¡±


    ¡°What kind of monster is it?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, even if we told you, nonprofessionals won¡¯t know what we¡¯re talking about. But I guarantee you that the monster is lethal, cruel, and dangerous. I don¡¯t think the baron would be too happy to find out that a monster has barged into his home. If you let us check this ce, we¡¯ll capture it for you. Nothing can escape witchers.¡± Letho noticed that Grant seemed to be in a dilemma. ¡°But if you can¡¯t make the decision, we can talk with the baron.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Mr. Letho, but the baron is in no state to see any guests.¡± The smile was wiped off Grant¡¯s face. ¡°And I can¡¯t agree with what you said. Amavet Fortress is heavily guarded. The soldiers would never allow a dangerous monster to infiltrate it. And there are many residents in the fortress. Someone would have noticed if a monster did manage to slip past the guards. We had a morning meeting, and the servants all said everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°But they are not pro¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, witchers. I am not interested in any horror story you have to say, but I do have a request for you. Care to hear me out?¡±


    ¡°Tell us more.¡±


    ¡°This is in line with your work.¡± The butler paused for a moment. ¡°The baron¡¯s mother died two years ago, and she was hisst living rtive. The baron has been feeling lonely. Since then, he has been trying to enter the family tomb and pay tribute to his family, but the tomb is now infested with wraiths, and it¡¯s stopping the baron from visiting his family. If you can cleanse the tomb of its wraith infestation, you will be handsomely paid.¡±


    The witchers looked at each other. <em>Well, this is a coincidence. We just left the baron¡¯s family tomb, and now his butler is asking us to cleanse the tomb of the wraiths haunting it.</em>


    ¡°Mr. Grant, if that is your request, then¡­¡± Roy crossed his arms, smirking. ¡°You can give us our reward now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Letho and I cleansed the tomb of wraiths yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Grant gasped. He shot up, delight crawling up his face, but it onlysted for a moment, and his face fell. ¡°Witcher, do you know what happens to those who deceive the Verrieres in the White Orchard?¡±


    ¡°You can send someone to verify if you don¡¯t believe us.¡±


    The butler gazed at them, trying to bore a hole through their souls and see if they were lying, but they seemed too confident to be lying. ¡°Give me a moment. You cleared the tomb yesterday, so this monster you¡¯re tracking down is¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you might have guessed it. Well, this saves some time for both of us. The monster you dismissed just now came right out of the tomb, and it¡¯s closely rted to the baron.¡± Roy stared straight at the butler. ¡°It¡¯s probably standing right beside the baron¡¯s bed as we speak,¡± he said, scaring the butler.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 194

    <strong>Chapter 194: The Past of Ignatius</strong>


    The sound of hurried footsteps ran through the hallway. Grant was huffing and puffing when he came to the bedchamber of the baron. He opened the door, and what greeted him was a spacious room that had a bed made out of quality wood. A pale, pudgy, and slightly drunken man was lying on the bed, apparently asleep. His chest heaved as his snores rocked the room, and a petite servant was staying beside him.


    ¡°The baron is fine. Good.¡± Grant heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I must be crazy to believe those witchers.¡±


    His worries were not unfounded, however. If anything were to happen to Ignatius, the bloodline of the Verrieres family woulde to an end. Vizima would take back the rule on White Orchard, and all the servants of the baron, including Grant, would have to return to their lives as peasants.


    Grant was already used to being thepdog of nobility, and he refused to return to a life of peasantry. Barons might be on the lowest rung of nobility, but they were nobility regardless. No matter how decadent their lives were, they still were of a nobler status than peasants. Grant resolved to never let anything happen to the baron. He closed the door and nned on sending someone to check the tomb.


    ***


    Roy took a sip of his red tea. It had a slice of lemon in it, adding a tinge of sourness to the beverage. ¡°The butler doesn¡¯t seem to be lying. It doesn¡¯t seem like the banshee has infiltrated the fortress. Maybe it has left the White Orchard entirely.¡± Roy cast Observe on everyone he passed by, but they were all ordinary people. The pendant did not vibrate either.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to find a chance to search the whole ce, then,¡± Letho said. ¡°Ignatius must have kept the silver sword¡¯s blueprint away somewhere.¡±


    ¡°The blueprint is one thing. We¡¯re going to clear Kolgrim¡¯s name, and Ignatius is going to do it himself,¡± Roy said. ¡°And the innkeep did tell us all the crimes Ignatius did in the White Orchard. He¡¯s worse than a demon. Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± The young witcher straightened out his hand and brushed it across his throat.


    ¡°Calm down, Roy. This is noble territory, not a banditir. And we can¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll invite trouble.¡± Letho rubbed his chin seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t want the whole of Temeria hunting me down just because I assassinated royalty. It¡¯s hard to make a living in the south. Can¡¯t risk my backup n here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    The door of the office yawned open, and in came Grant, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He smiled at the witchers. ¡°The baron is upstairs in his room, sleeping soundly. I assure you that the monster you mentioned isn¡¯t in the fortress. I have sent some soldiers to scout the tomb. We will have news by afternoon, but you¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Letho said. ¡°We have a few questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Ask away, Mr. Letho.¡± Grant reclined into his wooden chair and squintednguidly.


    ¡°We overheard your conversation with the servant earlier,¡± Letho said. ¡°And you say the baron only fell asleep when morning came?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret. I don¡¯t mind telling you about it.¡± Grant wore a worried expression, looking concerned. ¡°It has been an ongoing condition. He can only sleep after he exhausts himself throughout the night.¡±


    ¡°If the baron has to rest in the morning, then the job of administration will fall on his butler¡¯s shoulders. It must be hard for you.¡±


    Grant puffed his chest out, and a smug smile curled his lips. ¡°Nothing I can do about it. It¡¯s my job to solve my master¡¯s problems. The baron¡¯s health does not allow him to do anything himself. All the more reason why I have to do a good job for him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a loyal man,¡± the witcher praised, though there was a hint of mockery underneath. ¡°You must have worked here for a long time, then. The baron must value you a lot.¡±


    That was exactly what Grant wanted to hear, and he started beaming. ¡°I started to work in the fortress when I was twelve. Master John and Mistress Mary were still alive then¡­¡± Once he started talking, he could not stop, and the butler kept bragging about his past.


    The witchers exchanged looks.


    ¡°Master John promoted me to the position of butler. It was something that had never been done before. He thought I was a very capable man for my age, and my ancestors had no criminal records, after all.¡±


    ¡°Now let us talk about something more interesting.¡± Roy locked the office door and cut to the chase, ¡°Two years ago, Ignatius put a witcher called Kolgrim on trial. He was used of kidnapping a beekeeper¡¯s boy. Do you remember that?¡±


    ¡°Ye-Yes.¡±


    ¡°The baron took a blueprint from Kolgrim back then. Do you know where he¡¯s keeping that?¡±


    ¡°The basement¡­¡± Grant said stiffly. ¡°The baron thought there was no point collecting the blueprint belonging to abominations, and he told me to keep it in a box. It¡¯s in the basement with the other sundry items.¡±


    Excitement shone in Roy¡¯s eyes for a moment. He did not expect things to go this smoothly, and now he was one step away from taking the school¡¯s long-lost blueprint back. The witchers quickly asked where the basement was.


    ¡°It¡¯s under the kitchen?¡± Roy wanted to check it out right away, but there were too many eyes on them. It was not the perfect time to make their move. Besides, the questioning was not over yet. They still had questions regarding the tomb and the vige in White Orchard.


    ¡°What does Ignatius do most of the time?¡±


    ¡°The baron drinks,¡± Grant answered monotonously.


    ¡°Have you noticed any weird behavior from him? Does he tinker with containers, herbs, or mysterious liquids? Does he read books that you don¡¯t understand?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Grant answered quickly. ¡°The baron despises books. He spends his waking hours drinking or crying with his family¡¯s portrait in his arms.¡±


    <em>The baron sounds like a widower who has given up on himself, but the innkeeper¡¯s description is different. The baron she knows is not a weak person. He is violent and ludicrous.</em>


    ¡°Has he always been this way? What about his earlier days? Why did he kill more than half of the vigers in White Orchard?¡±


    That was the change the innkeeper told them.


    Grant shuddered, and he struggled for a moment, but he resumed his calmposure and answered, ¡°The people in the orchard sent a petition to Vizima¡¯s court because of the baron¡¯s actions. In the end, the court acknowledged their dissent and permitted them to leave the orchard. The baron watched as the vigers left one by one. In the end, he caved and sent someone to talk to them. But the peasants said a lot of awful things to the baron, thinking the court would protect them. And then the killings started.¡±


    ¡°That is no excuse for his murderous actions. Ignatius is a murderer! A butcher!¡± Roy said. He massaged his temples, and then he noticed something more important. The young witcher stared at Grant, and he asked, ¡°So the massacre happened because of the vigers¡¯ petition. Then that begs the question. What damning thing did Ignatius do to the vigers? What forced them to start that petition?¡±


    <em>Most peasants won¡¯t leave the ce they¡¯re toiling in if they can help it. This isn¡¯t exactly a peaceful era. </em>¡°Is he even more terrifying than bandits?¡±


    The butler scrunched his face, his muscles shuddering. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he kept resisting the sign.


    The witchers were rmed. The greater the resistance was, the closer the witchers were at getting to the secret of the fortress. They knew they were close to the answer they were searching for, but it was possible the butler could snap out of it.


    In the end, he stammered, ¡°Th-The baron ha-has a bad re-reputation. He-He can be cr-cruel if he needs¡­ needs to be.¡±


    ¡°How cruel can he be?¡±


    ¡°Th-The baron found out that his son, Master Florian, was in love with a hunter in the vige. The hunter was a man. The baron exiled the hunter, and Master Florian hung himself. To make things worse, Mistress Mary died two yearster. Ever since then, the baron has been all by himself. He spends his waking hours drinking, and his temper gets shorter and shorter. The baron became very troubled, and rumors started going around in the vige. Some said the baron was possessed by a demon, and that he would kill everyone around him.¡±


    Roymented, ¡°I guess there¡¯s always more to a story than we can think, huh? Florian¡¯s grave only states that he died of asphyxiation. I see that his father drove him down that path.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Grant continued, ¡°The baron¡­ barged into a wedding¡­ in the orchard. He forcibly¡­ took the bride¡¯s¡­ first night. He invoked his¡­ right, and he¡­ cut off the head¡­ of a viger, because¡­ he took his hat off¡­ too slowly.¡±


    He was starting to break up, and his voice became a whisper.


    ¡°This is preposterous.¡± The witchers exchanged looks of disbelief. ¡°That right has been repealed for many years. How dare he?¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡±


    Grant did not answer this time. He closed his eyes and mouth, his eyelids fluttering, as if he were having a bad dream. He then opened his eyes, and they regained rity.


    The witchers sighed surreptitiously. They were slightly disappointed, but they could not use Axii on the same person two times in a row in such a short time.


    ¡°Sorry for spacing out, witchers.¡± Grant wiped the sweat off his forehead. <em>Sweat? </em>He sighed. ¡°You know how people are after they hit forty. We space out a lot. Oh, where was I?¡±


    Roy quickly came up with a believable excuse. ¡°You would take us to the servants¡¯ rooms and let us check them just in case.¡± He did not make an obvious lie, of course. ¡°And the basement as well.¡±


    ¡°Did I say that? Do give me a moment, then.¡± The butler frowned, looking reluctant. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss further after we receive news of the tomb.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 195

    <strong>Chapter 195: Same Brand</strong>


    As Grant had promised, the soldiers returned to the fortress by noon. They brought confirmation that the witchers had killed all monsters in the tomb. The butler warmed up to the witchers after he knew that. ¡°A feast shall be held in honor of you, witchers. The baron usually wakes up at two. He shall thank you in person then.¡±


    The request to search the basement was approved as well. ¡°As butler of the fortress, I can give you permission to search the two lowermost floors of the fortress. You will need the baron¡¯s permission if you wish to search more than that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by us.¡± The witchers did not ask for more, and they went with a servant to start their search. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. All the found was evidence of petty thefts done by the servants. There were no magical vibrations or proof that a banshee was around.


    They did find something useful, however. The witchers found where the kitchen was, and they could make a rough sketch of the structure of the fortress. They also memorized the patrol schedule.


    ***


    The witchers had a sumptuous feast in the afternoon. Not long after that, the butler led them to the meeting room on the third floor. It was a spacious room, and there were braziers in all four corners. They were all lit up, illuminating the room with warmth and light.


    A pudgy, drunken middle-aged man sat on a leather sofa in the center. He was wearing a dark crimson shirt and white vest. He had dark red hair, and his face was bloated, while his skin sagged. His eyes were as ck as night, and they glinted with a cunning light. There were deep, dark circles under his eyes as well. He was sitting with his legs spread wide open. The baron looked exhausted, and he kept yawning. A servant was standing behind him, massaging his shoulders.


    ¡®Ignatius Verrieres


    Age: Twenty-two years old


    Status: Baron of the White Orchard, member of the Verrieres family¡¯


    Roy looked through his stats. He was already severely damaged from the excess alcohol, making him weaker than most people. <em>He¡¯s gonna die soon at this rate. </em>¡°Lord baron of the White Orchard, we are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Grant told me about you, great witchers from the¡­ Viper School. Roy and Letho, correct?¡± Ignatius smiled weakly and sat up straight.


    ¡°You tter us. We¡¯re just drifters wandering on thisnd. We are no great men.¡±


    ¡°I am not joking.¡± Ignatius looked at them solemnly. ¡°You managed to vanquish all the monsters infesting the tomb. You are more capable than those ipetent fools. This honor is well deserved.¡± He emphasized, ¡°You have my gratitude.¡± He handed a check to the servant behind him, and she gave it to the witchers. ¡°This is a check worth two hundred crowns. You can exchange it at any Bank of Vivaldi on thisnd. A token of my appreciation.¡±


    <em>Looks like I didn¡¯t spare your ancestors¡¯ coffins for nothing. </em>The witchers exchanged looks, and Roy tucked the check away.


    Ignatius nodded approvingly. ¡°From now on, you shall be the Verrieres family¡¯s guests of honor. The fortress is always open to you. And I shall hold a feast to celebrate your deed tonight.¡±


    ¡°The honor is ours.¡± Letho held his abdomen and bowed.


    Roy was a little shocked. The baron was a lot different from what they had heard. The rumors said he was cruel and violent, but now he was being humble and friendly. Not many aristocrats would wee witchers as guests, but Ignatius did. <em>Did he finally repent and change his ways over thest two years? Judging from the looks of it, he¡¯s not the one who left the runes on those skulls. </em>


    Roy decided to probe deeper. ¡°Lord Ignatius, there is something about the tomb I must inform you about.¡± He nced at the servant.


    Ignatius turned around. ¡°Close the door, Liv!¡± He turned back to the witchers. ¡°She can be trusted. You can say anything you have to.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± Roy shrugged. ¡°When we were clearing the innermost chamber, we realized that someone had tampered with the four coffins in the center.¡±


    ¡°The center coffins in the fifteenth chamber are tampered with?¡± Ignatius froze, and he sounded nervous.


    Roy stared at Ignatius, observing his every change. He slowly said, ¡°ording to the engravings on the coffins, one of them belongs to your mother¡ªMary Verrieres. However, her remains are missing, and she has be¡­ a banshee.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ignatius shouted and shot up from the sofa. It was then Roy noticed that he was a towering man just like Letho. However, the excessive drinking destroyed his health and made him hunch a little.


    He quickly went up to the witcher and roared, ¡°Who dares defile my family¡¯s remains? Graverobbers? No, they couldn¡¯t have gotten to the innermost chamber with all those monsters on the prowl.¡± He stared down, mumbling to himself. ¡°Mary is a¡­ a banshee? Impossible. Dear Mary couldn¡¯t have been turned into a monster¡­¡± He suddenly looked up and questioned, ¡°What happened, witcher?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡± Roy took a step forward and looked straight into the eyes of the baron, and he quickly made a sign in the air. ¡°You should know why this happened, lord baron. Think back on what you did over thest few years.¡±


    Ignatius was blocking his servant¡¯s sight, and she did not notice what Roy had done. All she heard was Roy saying something vague, and Ignatius nched. He started trembling, as if he were having an episode of fits. The baron staggered backward and finally plopped down on the sofa. ¡°Is this punishment?¡± Ignatius¡¯ face turned red, and his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Witcher, are the gods punishing me for my old, foolish ways?¡±


    The witchers were silent. They did not expect Ignatius to have such a big reaction.


    Ignatius said weakly, ¡°John, Florian, and Mary¡­ One by one, all of them died horribly. Monsters appeared out of nowhere in the tomb, my family¡¯s remains are defiled, and now I¡¯m too weak to even continue my family¡¯s bloodline. This must be divine retribution.¡± He stared down at his hands, as if in a trance. His eyes glinted with disgust and fear, and he said, ¡°I am a butcher with blood on my hands. I am a sinner who killed my family and people.¡±


    His servant quickly handed him a ss of wine. ¡°Baron, please do not me yourself for this. Have this. It¡¯ll be fine once you sleep.¡± She looked at the witchers carefully. ¡°Witchers, what have you done to the baron? Is this a spell?¡±


    ¡°No. We just forced him to face himself.¡±


    ¡°No, Liv. This is not their fault, and please don¡¯t give me any more wine.¡± Ignatius shook his head, and he said in a trance, ¡°Wine can numb my body, but it can¡¯t numb my soul. Every time I open my eyes, I face a world of pain and torture. I would do anything to reunite with them in the afterworld, but I can¡¯t let our bloodline die out.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret what you did?¡± The witchers came closer to him.


    ¡°Regret is useless. I, Ignatius Verrieres, am the one who¡¯s responsible for the state I am in today. Regret won¡¯t change that.¡± Ignatius buried his hands in his hair and ruffled it, then he started crying.


    The witchers looked at the back of the baron¡¯s head, and they froze for a few moments.


    ¡°I agreed with you at first, but please forgive my impudence, baron.¡± Roy came up to the baron, and much to his surprise, the young witcher held the back of his head down and pried his hair away.


    ¡°Cease this at once, witcher! Do not harm the baron! I¡¯m calling the guards!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Letho nced at the servant coldly, and the fierce gaze shut her up. ¡°We won¡¯t hurt your baron. We¡¯re just trying to confirm something.¡±


    A momentter, a familiar rune that was hidden underneath the hair became visible for all. It read, ¡®Po?wi?ca?si?¡¯


    ¡°So this rune existed when the victims were still alive.¡± The witchers exchanged a look. ¡°Baron, do you know that you have a mark on the back of your head?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Ignatius answered. ¡°This is the birthmark of the Verrieres family and the proof of our bloodline. All direct members of the bloodline are born with this.¡±


    ¡°Including your grandparents?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Is something the matter? What are you trying to say?¡± Ignatius stopped sobbing. The confusing questions were starting to make him nervous instead.


    Letho gazed at the baron. ¡°Baron, I can tell you for sure that your family¡¯s death is not rted to your drinking problems or past mistakes. That mark on the back of your head is no ordinary birthmark. It¡¯s a mark of sorcery.¡± Letho said, ¡°In Elder Speech, that mark means ¡®sacrifice.''¡±


    The baron felt a chill run up his spine and squeeze his heart. He opened his mouth to say something, but not a word coulde out, and the muscles on his face jiggled.


    The servant quietly stayed away from the baron as well. ¡°Sacrifice? Gods! Did a demon turn the master and his family into sacrifices?¡± For most vigers, sorcery was a worse term than magic, for it was rted to evil.


    Ignatius asked raspily, ¡°That¡¯s the reason for the end of the Verrieres bloodline too? Wh-What proof do you have?¡±


    ¡°Proof?¡± The witcher nced at the baron and spooked him. ¡°Think about how your family died. Did you really kill those innocent vigers and abuse your power because you got drunk? Or were you controlled by something more sinister?¡±


    The baron took a trip down a dark memoryne. He remembered what his grandparents told him when he was a child. They said, ¡°Ignatius, this is the proof of our family¡¯s bloodline. It¡¯s a lucky charm.¡±


    He remembered the weird incidents that happened to his grandparents as well as his uncontroble fits that would act up from time to time. He started to believe what the witchers were saying, and the baron med all his past sins to an unknown demon. ¡°No, this is not the birthmark¡¯s problem. Something else is at y here,¡± he muttered under his breath, and he held the witcher¡¯s wrist. ¡°You will help me, right, witchers? I will reward you. In the name of my family, I promise that the reward will be far more handsome this time.¡±


    ¡°Money can¡¯t buy everything.¡± Letho shook his head and backed away.


    ¡°What do you mean, Letho?¡±


    ¡°You need to pay for your sins.¡± Roy stood before the baron. ¡°Do you remember the witcher who died in the tomb two years ago because of a false usation? His name is Kolgrim.¡±


    Ignatius¡¯ jaw dropped. Roy waved his hand in the air, and the skeletal remains of Kolgrim appeared on the ground before him. The servant¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she almost cked out, but Ignatius managed to stay conscious, albeit barely.


    ¡°Do not worry. This is just a simple trick. Witchers have friends that know magic, alright? I¡¯m not going to threaten you. This is just going to be a trade.¡±


    Letho tugged on his arm, but Roy ignored him. He announced, ¡°The aristocrat of Temeria, owner of the White Orchard, Baron Ignatius Verrieres, will you beg for forgiveness from Kolgrim, a Viper School witcher who died because of your decision?¡±


    Ignatius¡¯ face was red with humiliation, and he gurgled. The witcher was still staring at him, passing judgment as if he had seen through all the baron¡¯s crimes. ¡°If you beg for Kolgrim¡¯s forgiveness, then we shall show mercy and consider your appeal. We might ept your request and find out the source of your family¡¯s misfortune.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 196

    <strong>Chapter 196: Family Tree</strong>


    Roy wondered what was more important to the baron. <em>His family¡¯s continuation, or the dignity of nobility? </em>


    A long, long silenceter, Ignatius chose the former. He slowly knelt before Kolgrim¡¯s skeletal remains, his beard trembling as he banged his head three times against the ground. His anxiety, fear, and humiliation formed beads of sweat on his forehead, and it drenched the patch of ground before the skeleton.


    Roy nodded approvingly. He came from another world, and he never thought that aristocrats were better than anyone. If they did anything wrong, then he would make sure they apologized. He did not care about their honor.


    Letho spaced out for a while. His n was to teach Ignatius a painful lesson, or he might even kill the baron if possible. Letho had killed some aristocrats before, after all. He never did think of getting the baron to apologize.


    Witchers were synonymous with barbarians and filth in thesends. Even peasants could spit on them just because they were mutants. They were no better than dirt to the people. Even so, Roy managed to make a Temerian noble bow his head down and apologize to the very same witcher they scorned, and in such an insulting manner too.


    <em>Does he have any concept of social hierarchy? </em>Letho took a deep breath and calmed himself, though his sight was starting to get blurry.


    ¡°What do you think, Letho?¡± Roy looked at the baron. He whispered, ¡°Are we still doing this?¡± <em>This isn¡¯t enough to pay for his crimes against Kolgrim.</em>


    ¡°We¡¯re going to search for the banshee first.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°Then we will judge Ignatius.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Enough, baron. I think Kolgrim has seen your sincere repentance.¡±


    Ignatius heaved a sigh of relief, and he stood up with the help of his servant. He looked ashen, and his back was hunched even further than before, as if he aged ten years in an instant. ¡°Witchers, I-I have apologized. N-Now it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your promise.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but these are two different things. We consider this a request, and that means a reward,¡± Letho interrupted.


    ¡°Of course, witchers. You shall be rewarded handsomely.¡±


    ¡°First things first. We have to know where that mark came from. I have a few questions, baron. Who does that nameless coffin belong to? And whose child is that?¡±


    Ignatius stared at the witchers in silence.


    ¡°Baron, if you want to end your family¡¯s misfortune once and for all, you will need to be fully honest. We promise we will never tell anyone about your family¡¯s secret.¡±


    Ignatius heaved a sigh and leaned back into his sofa. ¡°He was an illegitimate child.¡±


    ¡°Illegitimate?¡± <em>So that¡¯s why. </em>Roy asked, ¡°Where¡¯s his mother? We haven¡¯t seen your wife since we came to the fortress.¡±


    ¡°He had no mother, and I have no wife.¡± Ignatius¡¯ hands were on the armrest, and his fingers were trembling.


    ¡°Baron¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll talk!¡± Ignatius suddenly roared uncontrobly.


    Someone knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Are you alright, sir?¡±


    Ignatius said impatiently, ¡°Liv, leave us and don¡¯t let anyonee near.¡±


    The servant obliged, leaving the witchers and the baron in the room. ¡°Now there¡¯s no one to distract us.¡± Baron beckoned at Roy. ¡°Remember your promise, witchers. Never tell anyone about this secret.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baron. We¡¯ll leave the orchard right after we fulfill your request.¡±


    Ignatius clenched his fists. A gamut of expressions appeared on his face, and he hesitated for a long time. Roy was running out of patience, but eventually, Ignatius whispered, ¡°The child who died from that difficultbor was not mine. It was my mother¡¯s.¡±


    Roy paused for a moment. ¡°True. The grave did say that she died of difficultbor. I see that the baby is that same child.¡±


    ¡°Mother was pregnant after Father died.¡± Ignatius suddenly looked up at the witchers, and a hint of insanity appeared on his face. ¡°Do you think this isughable as well, witchers?¡±


    ¡°No. You misunderstand us.¡± Roy and Letho looked calm. ¡°This is your family¡¯s private matter. It¡¯s not for outsiders like us to judge. What you and your family do is your freedom.¡±


    Mary was a widow, and she found herself a lover because the loneliness got to her. Roy thought that was normal, since aristocrats had always been decadent. Foltest himself went even further than that, and he was the king of Temeria. <em>But his son loved a man, and his mother cheated on her dead husband. Does he not have a single normal family member? </em>


    Roy had a feeling that all of these weird urrences had something to do with their birthmark, and he intended to look more into this. ¡°There were a lot of wraiths in your family tomb. How did the soldiers manage to bury your mother there?¡±


    ¡°There were only a couple of wraiths before this, and the soldiers were enough to deal with them. Most wraiths only appeared after my mother was buried,¡± he exined. ¡°And then Kolgrim came. He requested a trial by ordeal.¡±


    The witchers kept quiet.


    ¡°What about Mary and her dead child¡¯s father?¡± Letho asked.


    ¡°Witchers, I beg of you!¡± Ignatius said rasiply, ¡°Spare me the torture of your words.¡±


    ¡°Baron Ignatius.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°You need to rest.¡± He suggested, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d like to see your family tree. We¡¯ll try to find some clues by ourselves.¡±


    ***


    They came to the bedroom on the top floor. ¡°These are for your eyes only.¡± Ignatius took out a scroll from his safety box and handed it to the witchers. He seemed exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to rest. Grant, you stay here in my ce and try to give them what they need.¡±


    Grant wondered why the baron was looking down and drab, as if he were down with an illness, but he knew his ce, and he asked no more questions. Then he closed the bedroom door.


    ¡°Come with me please.¡± Grant swung the keys around. ¡°You may search the basement now.¡±


    They went to the woodendder hidden under the kitchen¡¯s trapdoor, and they climbed down into the dark, spacious basement. The butler lit some sconces up and illuminated the room.


    The witchers sniffed the air. ¡°What are these? They¡¯re moldy.¡± Old clothes, broken armor, old furniture, and towels were piled up together. Cobwebs covered them, and hills of sundry items lined the basement as far as the eye could see.


    The butler waved the moldy air in front of him away. ¡°All of Amavet Fortress¡¯ sundry items are here, and it has been decades since anyone cleared this pce out.¡±


    He led Letho on a search for the blueprint, while Roy started scanning through the baron¡¯s family tree. The scroll was yellow, and it had a weird smelling off it. It was also slightly heavy. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see¡­ The ancestor of the family came to the White Orchard that stands in the east of Vizima, Temeria. This ce was probably deserted then. It¡¯s only been two hundred years since the first witcher was born. This is ancient.¡±


    He continued, ¡°The fortress was built in the east of the orchard in 1150. Leon and Jennifer Verrieres were blessed with a pair of twins the very next year. They were a boy and a girl.¡± Roy scanned through the family history and the family tree that had many branches. ¡°The ancestors of the Verrieres family, Leon and Jennifer, established this family. They were blessed with another child in 1154. So that means the second generation of the family was made up of three kids.¡±


    Leon and Jennifer were on the apex of the tree, and it was split into three branches for the next part. Eventually, the branches spread even more, expanding the family into a big n. ¡°The second gen kids eventually grew up, and one of the twins, Sara, married a man named Richardson. He married into the Verrieres, and they had a daughter named Laney, as well as a son called Firenze.¡±


    Laney and her family were ced in the center of the tree, and they were the core members of the family. Naturally, they were also the leader of the family as well. ¡°The other kids married women of another race, but they stayed in the fortress.¡± The family of the boys were located at the further side of the tree. Apparently, they were not as important as Sara and her family. ¡°Weird.¡± Roy had a few questions. <em>I thought aristocrats were patriarchal. Why did they put Sara in the center instead of the boys?</em>


    He kept reading. ¡°Sara¡¯s son fell off a horse and died when he was six. A man married into the Verrieres, and his wife was Laney. She was thirty-two years old then. They had a daughter called Mary. The branch families¡¯ kids married people who were outside the fortress and expanded the bloodline. They had more kids than Sara¡¯s family.¡±


    The left and right sides of the tree kept expanding into a big branch, but the branch in the center remained scarce, and it was starting to wither. Up until the third generation, all family members were buried in the family tomb after their deaths, but everything changed during the fourth generation, which was when John and Mary ruled.


    The other branches left the orchard and moved to Vizima in the west, while some moved further east, where Aedirn was. The only ones left in the fortress were Mary, her husband, and the fifth generation Verrieres¡ªIgnatius. ¡°I wonder if the ones who moved have the same mark on them.¡±


    Roy scanned through the whole family tree again and realized something shocking. ording to the records, every single family member of Ignatius¡¯ line died of diseases or idents. None lived to old age. Compared to them, the other branches lived normal lives. ¡°Is this a coincidence, or is it because of that mark?¡±


    John became sterile after he sired Ignatius with Mary, and he died because of consumption. John and Mary only had one son, who was Ignatius. ¡°The baron is the only member of his family. His parents are dead, his son hanged himself, and he¡¯s alone. He¡¯s already sterile because of how much he drinks. His family¡¯s bloodline will probably end with him.¡±


    Roy was reminded of Ignatius¡¯ ridiculous past and how he became a shadow of his former self. <em>Could it be because of the mark? </em>


    Roy immersed himself in his thoughts, and Letho eventually came back with a blueprint in his hands. It was the one that recorded the ways to make the school¡¯s silver sword.


    Roy took it and gave it a look before tossing it into his inventory, then he told Letho about his suspicions.


    ¡°If what you say is true, then this <em>is </em>suspicious. Why did the family choose Sara to inherit the position of family head instead of the boys? We need to ask Ignatius about this. And as for the mark¡­¡± Letho rubbed his chin. ¡°My instincts tell me that only Ignatius and his closest family members are affected. They¡¯re the only ones born with this birthmark, and the branch families are not affected at all. That¡¯s why his family members died horrible deaths and had few children. At most, they had two children, but most of the time, they only had one. The branch families have a lot more than they do.¡±


    ¡°They die horrible deaths and have few children? Is the mark some sort of curse?¡± Roy guessed.


    ¡°I have never seen a curse like this before.¡± Letho wore a solemn look on his face. ¡°Not even the Lionheaded Spider¡¯s high priest can curse someone¡¯s whole bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Not even the Lionheaded Spider can do that?¡± Roy fell into momentary silence. ¡°What about powerful sorcerers or mages? Ignatius¡¯ ancestors might have offended them and got cursed.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll need more clues. We need to know more about his ancestors.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 197

    <strong>Chapter 197: Specter Dust in the Attic</strong>


    The temperature in Amavet Fortress would dip in the night. Ignatius covered himself with a thick velvet coat and held a leather bag filled with warm water, but that did not stop him from shivering. He kept tossing firewood into the hearth of the firece, and the fire crackled as it burned brighter. Only then did the baron feel warm, though only slightly. ¡°To tell you the truth, my ancestors, Jennifer and Leon, had made a rule that only women could rule Amavet Fortress.¡± He looked at the witchers who were sitting across from him. They were the only ones in the whole bedchamber.


    ¡°It has been a century since then, and I do not know the reason for this rule, but when I was a child, my mother told me that this rule was made to appreciate the extraordinary contributions Jennifer made to the family.¡±


    Roy was silent for a while. There was something weird about the rule, but he could not put a finger on it. He poked the back of his head and looked at Ignatius. ¡°Do the other family members have this mark behind their heads? The branch families, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I think you know the answer to that,¡± the baron answered promptly. ¡°No, they do not. There were a few of them left in the fortress when I was a child. I was curious, so I went to check on them, but none of them have this mark, and I¡¯m sure of it. Mary told me only the main family has this mark.¡± He looked up at the ceiling with a proud expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing. A lucky mark.¡±


    <em>A lucky mark? </em>The witchers did not expect that answer. They knew the mark was evil, but Ignatius¡¯ parents thought it was a blessing. That was ironic.


    ¡°You two don¡¯t look so good.¡± The baron got nervous. ¡°Is something wrong with the mark? I did hear you talking about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baron, but Letho and I disagree with you. This mark is not lucky in the slightest.¡±


    Roy told him about what they knew, and the baron started to shiver. He said with a trembling voice, ¡°If what you say is true, then this mark only appeared because my ancestor was cursed by a powerful mage? And that curse can be passed down to my ancestor¡¯s descendants? Their goal is to wipe out my bloodline?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Roy said. ¡°How can you exin the fact that only the main bloodline ends up with so many deaths? How can you exin the absence of this mark on the branch families¡¯ members? How can you exin their great number of members?¡±


    Ignatius spaced out for a while. He could not imagine that the truth of the mark was so sinister. It was theplete opposite of what his parents told him since he was a child. <em>The mark I¡¯m so proud of is cursed? </em>¡°That¡¯s impossible. Why did Mary lie to me?¡± Ignatius plopped down on the sofa, looking dejected.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you suspected anything?¡± Roy¡¯s gaze pierced through him. ¡°Your family history clearly states that none of your bloodline¡¯s members had a good death. Haven¡¯t you suspected that mark? It¡¯s a flimsy exnation. You call it a lucky mark, but has it brought you any luck? Bad luck, yes. Good luck? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Ignatius thought about that carefully, and he realized that he had never been lucky. On the contrary, his family members died horribly, and he had let himself loose since then. He drank too much and destroyed his own health. ¡°Witchers.¡± Ignatius shook his head bitterly. ¡°I might be the baron of the orchard. I might be a noble, but I am still mortal. I have never encountered mages or witchcraft before. You can¡¯t expect me to link my misfortune to the supernatural.¡±


    ¡°Just because you didn¡¯t understand didn¡¯t mean everyone else didn¡¯t. Baron, there might be a reason why the branch families left. They could have noticed something.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Why didn¡¯t they warn me then?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? Ask your parents.¡±


    <em>But they¡¯re dead. </em>A momentary silence fell on the room. ¡°Is this mark really a¡­ a curse?¡± Ignatius pleaded, ¡°How should I break it then? Can you save me?¡±


    Letho shook his head regrettably. ¡°I have never seen such a powerful curse before. The only way to break it is to locate the one who cast it.¡±


    ¡°Witcher¡­¡± Ignatius suddenly sounded solemn. ¡°It has been a century since the days of my ancestor. Is the curse giver even alive?¡±


    ¡°Do not assume. A mage¡¯s lifespan is far longer than a mere mortal¡¯s. There are many of them who are more than a hundred years old.¡± Letho tapped his finger on the table. ¡°Baron, that curse giver might be keeping an eye on you somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I did what you asked of me. I gave you the blueprint and apologized to Kolgrim. Please fulfill your end of the bargain and find the curse giver.¡±


    ¡°We will help you if you will work with us.¡± Roy paused for a moment. ¡°Take us to the bedchambers on the upper floors. Your family used to live there, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    The baron hesitated for a moment, and he nodded. ¡°Do please be gentle. Try not to destroy my family¡¯s belongings.¡±


    ***


    All of the servants in Amavet Fortress had gone to sleep, and the baron had sent away the servant who took care of him. The soldiers who patrolled the fortress were the only ones still awake.


    Ignatius liked the silence. He took an oilmp and led the witchers out of his bedchamber. The corridor was dimly lit. Most ces were shrouded in darkness, save for small patches of ground outside the bedchambers. They were illuminated by oilmps.


    The light from themp projected their shadows onto the wall. They covered almost the whole wall, flickering like dark phantoms. The chirping of cicadas flowed inside, and quiet sounds of footsteps filled the hallway. A cold breeze whispered along the corridor, sounding like the silent cries of a woman at night.


    Ignatius stopped outside a room. ¡°This was Mary¡¯s room.¡±


    The witchers nodded. <em>So the room closest to the baron belonged to his mother.</em>


    The door yawned open, and Ignatius went in, looking mncholic. ¡°Nobody has stayed in this room ever since Mary died, but the servants would clean it up every week. Do please be careful and don¡¯t ruin anything, witchers.¡±


    The room was surprisingly simple and clean. There were no redundant essories, and a soft bed was facing the wall where Mary¡¯s portrait hung from. She looked like she was in her thirties in the portrait. A woman¡¯s prime age. Her thick brown hair was tied up in a bun, and she had a slightly long face. Her chin was pointed, and her brows were thin and long. Her eyes were glistening ck, and a flower earring the size of a palm hung from her right ear. Her lips were covered in rose-red lipstick, and she had a beauty mark under her right eye. She had a calm look on her face, and she held her head tall and proud.


    More importantly, she was not in an attire befitting of a nobledy. Instead, she looked open and passionate. She was wearing aced, sleeveless shirt with yellow flowers on it. It fitted her perfectly, and she was also wearing a ruffled skirt. Vibrant colors jumped across theyers, and patterns of mysterious nts were printed on them. She looked like a mysterious ze of mes which nobody could turn their eyes away from.


    <em>She looks like a gypsy, </em>Roy thought, but then he shook his head. ¡°There are no gypsies in this world, but Mary really looks like one.¡±


    ¡°Baron, forgive me for being honest, but your mother¡¯s beauty does leave an impression.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ignatius caressed the edges of the portrait, and love appeared in his eyes for a moment. ¡°This is the bloodline of my family. She inherited that beauty from Grandmother. Any woman in my family is beautiful enough to take part in any beauty contest.¡±


    Ignatius kept admiring the portrait, while the witchers started searching the room. The search was done half an hourter. They went through the bookshelf, closet, dressing table, bed, under the bed, the floor, the walls, and even the spot behind Mary¡¯s portrait, but there were no hiddenpartments.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± Ignatius heaved a sigh of relief, and he mumbled, ¡°Mary knows nothing about this.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet and don¡¯t talk.¡± Letho suddenly closed his eyes and listened in silence.


    ¡°Did you find something?¡±


    ¡°The sound of wind.¡± Letho raised a finger and pointed it upward. ¡°There¡¯s empty space above the ceiling.¡±


    ¡°Yes. There is an attic there,¡± Ignatius answered honestly. ¡°Every room has it.¡±


    The witcher nodded. ¡°Can we run through them?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ***


    Roy came back with adder from the storeroom and climbed up to the ceiling. It was ten feet from the ground, and Roy pushed a trapdoor open beforeing into a small, dark room. There was a wooden double bed in the corner, and a window blind was installed on the wall. A gust of cold wind came from outside through the window. There was a red nket on the bed, and it was covered in dust.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bed here. Did Mary sleep here sometimes?¡± He huddled closer to the bed, and the floorboards creaked under his weight, as if it would break at any given moment. ¡°Is this some sort of hobby exclusive to nobles?¡±


    Roy scanned through the attic and noticed a pile of suspicious dust on the floor. It was no mere dust. Roy noticed the smell of human ashing from it, and it glowed green. <em>I know what this is. </em>Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What is a bed doing in Mary¡¯s attic? And why does this ce have specter dust?¡±


    Roy came back down a whileter and told them of his findings.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even a tenth of the usual amount. Most of it must have been blown by the wind, but this is telling enough.¡± Letho looked at Ignatius. ¡°A wraith made its appearance in Mary¡¯s room. How did it manage to infiltrate this ce without anyone knowing?¡±


    ¡°The window in the attic. The wraith must have used that to infiltrate the fortress,¡± Roy guessed. ¡°But here¡¯s another guess. This specter dust could havee from the banshee who escaped the tomb. She might have returned to her old bedchamber, and someone vanquished her.¡±


    The witchers thought that was a usible idea. Mary had some obsessions left after she was turned into a banshee, and she came back to her bedchamber, guided by her instincts. However, that posed another problem.


    ¡°Nobody in this fortress is capable enough to vanquish a banshee.¡± Roy was sure about that. He cast Observe on everyone. ¡°Unless the banshee killed herself.¡±


    Ignatius was seized by great fear, and beads of sweat drenched his head. He could not believe that a monster was living so close to his bedchamber.


    ¡°Do not worry, baron,¡± Letho assured him. ¡°We do not know who did it, but the banshee is vanquished. It cannot hurt you.¡±


    ¡°No. Can you check my bedchamber as well, witchers?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Congrattions, Baron Ignatius. Your room is free of wraith activity.¡±


    ¡°Even the attic?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even the attic. We guarantee.¡±


    Ignatius heaved a sigh of relief, but he needed to get to the bottom of this matter if he wished to have peace of mind. ¡°Come with me, witchers. Let¡¯s get John and Florian¡¯s bedchambers checked.¡±


    ***


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with your father and son¡¯s bedchambers.¡±


    Ignatius kept moving like a horse who would never run out of stamina. He led the witchers to the bedchambers of his grandparents and his great-grandparents. They were the second and third generations of the family.


    The roosters were crowing when the witchers were finally done with the bedchambers. It was already time for the servants to wake.


    ¡°It has been a long night. I shall send some servants to make breakfast immediately.¡± Ignatius yawned, his dark circles getting darker. They had two more bedchambers left, but Ignatius was too weak to go on.


    Roy waved him down. ¡°Leave us. Get some rest. We¡¯ll ask Grant if we need anything.¡±


    Witchers could do without one night of sleep. They were still energized and excited. The witchers had searched seven bedchambers so far, and all of them belonged to the main family. The bedchambers they searched belonged to Ignatius¡¯ great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and son. And of course, there was also his own room.


    ¡°The dust appeared in three ces,¡± Roy analyzed. ¡°Mary¡¯s attic, the baron¡¯s grandmother¡¯s attic, and his great-grandmother¡¯s attic.¡±


    All of the dust was found in the women¡¯s bedchambers, but none were found in the men¡¯s.


    ¡°Coincidence? I think not.¡±


    The witchers noticed the women¡¯s portraits as well. They looked different, but the air they radiated was simr. They had a polite smile on their lips, and their eyes were ck and mysterious. This ovep in personality must have been because of how the family was ruled. Women took the role of leaders, and men married into their family. That rule was passed down through generations, but eventually, Ignatius broke it, for there were no other heirs. He was the only one, after all.


    Roy noticed a pattern here, but he was not sure if that was right. ¡°I think we¡¯ll find something important once we finish searching Leon and Jennifer¡¯s rooms.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 198

    <strong>Chapter 198: Mirror</strong>


    The door yawned open slowly. An annoying screech and a wave of dust assailed the witchers. They quickly slowed down and left the door ajar.


    ¡°Jennifer Verrieres, the founder of the family.¡± Roy looked around the bedchamber. It was like an abandoned antique, and time had ravaged it. The rundown wall was cracked, the ancient floorboards were gnawed away, revealing the ck patches underneath, and all the furniture was coated with a thickyer of dust.


    It was apparent that nobody had cleaned the ce in a long time, but there were still shallow footprints on the ground. Someone hade in before. ¡°Ignatius doesn¡¯t even take care of his ancestor¡¯s bedchamber. He probably only cares about his mother.¡± Roy looked at the center of the left wall. Just like the previous bedchambers, a portrait of the bedchamber¡¯s owner hung on the wall. Roy went over and wiped the dust away, revealing the face of a beautiful woman.


    Thanks to their gics, all the women in Ignatius¡¯ family were beautiful, including Jennifer. She stood out like a diamond and attracted everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Stop staring, kid. Check the bookshelf. Madam Jennifer might have records of the curse giver.¡± Letho rummaged through the bedchamber. He did not check the attic. As the first generation of the family, there was no attic in Jennifer¡¯s bedchamber, and there would be no specter dust.


    ¡°¡®The Moon¡¯s Poem¡¯¡­¡± He took a book out and dusted it off before opening it. ¡°When the moon waxes, so will love¡­ The family¡¯s founder was a poet, huh?¡±


    Roy was not interested in poems, but he did not hate them either. Every young man dreamed of being a bard. They would love to be Jaskier. He was handsome, dashing, talented, and full of stories. He slept with many women all over the world, and one of them was the wife of a duke in Toussaint.


    ¡°I need to learn more about poems and find some that fit Coral¡¯s voice. And then¡­¡± He killed that stupid thought and quickly skimmed through the book for any notes. However, Jennifer had no habit of making notes, and there were only the original words in the books.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He was about to choose the next book. ¡°Winter¡¯s Tundra, Temeria¡¯s Northern Winds, Ode to Love¡­ All of them are poem anthologies. What should I pick?¡± Roy kept scanning, and eventually he found something interesting. ¡°What do we have here? This is a weird book. Eternal Goddess? This is a religious book, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Roy took the book out. It was a ck hardcover scripture, and he remembered seeing it at the temple of Melitele once. ¡°This talks about Melitele. Why did a religious book get stuffed with a bunch of poem anthologies? Weird.¡± Roy flipped through the book, and he found something inside soon enough. It was a yellowed and decaying slip of paper with something written on it. The handwriting was beautiful, but the words were getting muddied out.


    ¡®Merciful goddess. If you exist, please show mercy on your humble believer and heal her aging body.¡¯ The message was written inmon speech, and it was easy to understand. An aging woman was telling Melitele of her desire, but it was unrealistic. The priests would help the needy and the sick, but they could and would not interfere with the aging process.


    ¡°Did Jennifer write this? Was she unable to face the truth? But it won¡¯t be easy to treat aging.¡± Roy flipped through the book, but eventually he frowned, for he noticed that a lot of the pages were missing. They were torn out by force, for the parts that were left looked rough. Roy could feel the person¡¯s rage when they tore the pages out. Not long after that, he found another piece of paper, but the content was weird.


    ¡®Child of the Sun! Child of the Sun! Child of the Sun!¡¯ The words were strongly written and almost pierced through the paper. It was obvious that the one who left this message was agitated. Roy thought pensively, <em>Jennifer left these. And what did she mean by Child of the Sun?</em>


    ¡°Roy!¡± Letho suddenly shouted, breaking his train of thoughts.


    Roy put the papers down and quickly went over to Letho. ¡°Did you find something?¡±


    ¡°I searched everywhere, but I found no traps or hiddenpartments. There is something bizarre here, however. Look.¡±


    Roy kept looking at Letho¡¯s finger as he pointed across the bedchamber. He went through the bed, drawers, closet, and rack. ¡°What¡¯s so weird about this bedchamber?¡±


    ¡°Looks like Lytta did not teach you anything about women.¡± Letho crossed his arms and shook his head. ¡°Here¡¯s a hint. Jennifer was not just a woman. She was also a beautiful one. A <em>very </em>beautiful one, but there¡¯s something missing in her bedchamber.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Roy held his chin and gave it some thought. And realization struck him. ¡°A mirror!¡±


    ¡°Yes. All the bedchambers we went through had a mirror in it, including the men¡¯s bedchambers, but there are none in Jennifer¡¯s. Don¡¯t you find that weird?¡± Letho sounded sure. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this enough times, and I can tell you that every woman needs a mirror no matter how she looks. Unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless she doesn¡¯t want to see her face in the mirror!¡± Roy answered and gave Letho the papers. ¡°If Jennifer did write these, she must have been really old then. Old enough that she didn¡¯t want to see her face in the mirror. But she didn¡¯t want her beauty and youth to disappear, so she prayed for eternal youth, but that¡¯s not possible. Melitele would not stop any mortal from aging.¡±


    Letho was gazing at the messages on the paper. ¡°The goddess wouldn¡¯t help her, but the Child of the Sun could. Do you remember what the Child of the Sun can do? More specifically, what kind of potion can it create?¡±


    ¡°Omnipotent Antidote,¡± Roy answered. He had one Child of the Sun left in his inventory, but he used it back in Brokilon.


    ¡°There¡¯s a second one.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ Divine Beauty.¡±


    ¡°Divine Beauty can add a lot of years to someone¡¯s lifespan, and it grants them eternal youth until the day they die. But obviously, Jennifer did not find any Child of the Sun before she died. She did not get her hands on Divine Beauty. So that¡¯s why she¡¯s so deeply obsessed with that.¡± Letho¡¯s eyes were shining. ¡°I have an idea, Roy. Sometimes¡­¡± He turned his eyes to the window. The sun was already climbing up through the sky, raining down its golden light to thends, draping them with a golden nket. ¡°Women can do anything for beauty. Jennifer must have had some secret she didn¡¯t want anyone to know about, but we have searched the whole bedchamber. Where could she hide her secret?¡±


    ¡°A mirror, huh?¡± Roy¡¯s eyes were glinting as well. ¡°If I were her, I¡¯d bury my secret with the mirror.¡±


    ***


    ¡°A mirror?¡± Grant looked at the witchers in disbelief. He was starting to suspect them of having an ulterior motive. First, they made the baron look deadly ill, and now they were making an outrageous demand. ¡°It has been a century since then. I doubt anyone can find her mirror.¡± Grant would not go against his master¡¯s orders, but he could not help in this case. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, witchers. I do not know where that is. I think it must have been thrown away a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Look for it. It¡¯s important. It might still be in the fortress,¡± Letho said, unsure.


    ¡°You might have to ask the baron for that,¡± the butler answered sternly. ¡°I will inform you once the baron is awake.¡±


    The witchers did not wake Ignatius up. Letho went to search the branch families¡¯ bedchambers and the basement, while Roy left the fortress. ¡°We checked Mary¡¯s coffin, so now you have to go back to the tomb and check on the other women. Ignatius¡¯ grandmother, great-grandmother, and Jennifer¡¯s coffins specifically. See if their remains are still there.¡±


    The witchers went their separate ways.


    ***


    Ignatius had woken up when the witchers were done, and he reconvened with them on the top floor. ¡°My great-great-grandmother¡¯s mirror? Oh, I do remember that.¡± Ignatius took a trip down memoryne. ¡°Mary told me about it when I was a child. Jennifer made that mirror herself, and it has a special meaning attached to it. It¡¯s kept by the women of the family. Jennifer gave it to her daughter after she died, and she handed it down to my grandmother, then she handed it to Mary. It¡¯s a family heirloom.¡± He asked, ¡°Is something the matter with that mirror?¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°You have seen it before.¡± Ignatius suddenly wore a look of sadness on his face. ¡°It¡¯s in Florian¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mary was going to give Florian¡¯s room to her next child after he died. She had a feeling the child was going to be a girl, and the mirror was prepared for her. But I never thought the child would die before she was born, and Mary did not make it through the ordeal.¡±


    ¡°Our condolences, baron. We will lift the curse from you.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Ignatius took them to Florian¡¯s room, and they saw the mirror beside the closet. They checked it before, but nothing was wrong with it.


    ¡°Maybe we checked it the wrong way.¡± Roy went to the mirror. It was taller than a man and rectangr in shape. It was as thick as a palm and curved inward slightly. It had a bronze frame coated in tinum paint, and the mirror was smooth, as if thest two hundred years had not taken a toll on it.


    ¡®Mirror


    A magical mirror. Covered in misfortune.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°The ss and craftsmanship are exquisite.¡± Roy brushed his hand across the mirror and looked at Ignatius. ¡°But we can¡¯t see anything just by looking at it. Can we open it up?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes to lift the curse, then open away.¡± Ignatius gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Mary is dead, and there are no women in the family now. There¡¯s no reason to keep it. Do it.¡±


    The mirror¡¯s ss was only as strong as metal. Letho put it face down on the floor and knocked on its back with his sword. Weirdly enough, the mirror was still fine, even after he stopped knocking it.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    The witchers exchanged a look and cast Quen on themselves, then they cast another sign at the mirror. An explosion happened in the room, and Aard shattered the mirror into little ss shards that covered the floor.


    The witchers looked through the mess and noticed a weird protrusion on the ground. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Letho wore a pair of steel gloves and brushed the shards away, revealing a dark brown book to everyone. It was as big as a hand and made of unknown materials. The book was soft but resilient enough not to break no matter how hard it was pulled. Not even the ss shards could leave a scratch on it.


    The three of them surrounded the book curiously, and Letho read out the almost unintelligible words on the cover.


    ¡°Book of Bones.¡±


    He opened the first page, and a disgusting stench assailed them. It smelled like a dead corpse that was left to rot and fester for gods knew how long. Ignatius held his throat and retched, while the witchers scrunched their noses up. For a moment there, they felt as if the book were a pile of blood and flesh instead of a real book.


    They powered through it and read the book. The first page had a line of words written in bright red ink, and it spoke of a deadly warning. ¡®Those who read this book will be cursed. Their descendants will live lives of misfortune until the day they die.¡¯


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 199

    <strong>Chapter 199: Necromancy: Rebirth</strong>


    ¡°By the gods!¡± Ignatius huffed and puffed as he scuttled backward like a bristling cat. He still had that look of horror on his face despite being already backed to the wall. ¡°Why did Jennifer have something that evil in her mirror?¡± It was then Ignatius, despite his slow reaction, understood something important. ¡°Wi-Witchers, are you saying that Jennifer was the curse giver? She cursed her own bloodline?¡±


    Roy shook his head and sighed. ¡°Most sorceresses can¡¯t have their own children. If Jennifer <em>was </em>a sorceress, your bloodline would not have existed, and neither would you.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t the curse giver? That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Ignatius heaved a sigh of relief, but what the witcher said next made him nervous again.


    ¡°She might not have been a sorceress, but she <em>was </em>the one who nted this curse.¡±


    ¡°What? A mortal can cast curses too?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet, baron!¡± Roy said coldly. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, the answers to Jennifer¡¯s secret, the mystery of the rune on your head, and the misfortune that has surrounded your bloodline are in this book.¡± He looked at Letho, who seemed surprised. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking, Letho?¡±


    Letho¡¯s finger hung in midair, and he did not flip to the next page. ¡°What are you trying to say, kid?¡±


    ¡°Look at the title. ¡®Book of Bones¡¯? Bones are usually rted to death, and this reminds me of another forbidden practice in witchcraft¡ªnecromancy.¡±


    Most witchers would probably know nothing about forbidden practices like this, but Roy used to y a lot of Witcher 3, and he collected the information on Olgierd and his summoning of the Caretaker and The ck Cat and Dog during his ythrough of the Hearts of Stone DLC out of curiosity. It was then he noticed a dark practice¡ªgoetia (also called demonology)


    There were a lot of different kinds of witchcraft in this world, but one of them was unanimously forbidden. Anyone who tried to research that would be the enemy of all sorcerer academies, and that practice was called ck magic. ck magic included a lot of things, including goetia and probably the necromancy that was written in this book.


    Letho arched his eyebrow. ¡°And where did you hear that from?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget what my bloodline is? I saw parts of it by chance. Well, keep going then. Or are you scared?¡± Roy scanned through the crimson message again, and he felt a chill run down his spine.


    ¡°Witchers are sterile. This warning can¡¯t deter us.¡± Letho flipped the page, but the thing written on it was not the book¡¯s content. Instead, it was a piece of paper scrawled with Jennifer¡¯s handwriting. ¡°This is Jennifer¡¯s private confession.¡±


    ¡°Jennifer left that?¡± Ignatius pinched his nose and came closer.


    The three men set their eyes on that piece of paper.


    ¡®The more beautiful you are, the more agonizing getting old will be. I used to have skin that glistened like velvet, looks that bewitched the public, and body so perfect it could allure even the gods. But now¡­ now all of them have be my worst nightmares. My youth is gone, and so is my beauty. I am but an old, fat hag, filled with wrinkles on her face.


    My dear Leon and children still love me, but s, I can¡¯t say the same for myself. This nightmare is my personal hell, and it is driving me to insanity. Perhaps I might be hallucinating, but I think I saw all my younger servantsughing at me, mocking me. I will not stand for this. I devoted myself to Melitele and prayed as hard as I could, but she never responded.


    I asked the city¡¯s most famous alchemist for help, and he told me of a medicine that can heal all my woes¡ªDivine Beauty. But s, I do not have the Child of the Sun, the most important ingredient for this concoction. I lost all hope. I locked myself in my room, for I have lost all courage to see anyone. I can do nothing but watch as I waste away like the flowers on my windowsill. All the colors have left my world, and I am but an empty husk.


    However, a surprise knocked on the door in my darkest moment. I looked out the window, and there he was. He looked unassuming, as if he were just an everyday merchant, but he wields powerful and bizarre magic. Words aren¡¯t enough to describe it.


    He proposed an exchange. I will have the spell that shall grant me eternal youth, but in exchange, I will have to pay dearly. I was almost drowning in my own despair, and he was the only sliver of hope I had. I agreed to it. He gave me a book, and there¡¯s a little ¡®toy¡¯ in there. A forbidden spell. I did not know what it meant then, but I was willing to pay any price, as long as I did not have to face my old, wrinkled face. I would pay any price, even if it was my soul.¡¯


    The confession stopped there, and then Ignatius gulped. He wanted to say something, but he stopped himself and kept reading as the witcher flipped the page. A conspicuous line was written in ck on the top of the next page. It employed Common Speech.


    <em>Mortals do not have the luxury of long lives like elves and dwarves, but they can achieve eternal youth. </em>¨C Necromancy: Rebirth


    The words were no longer written in red. Instead, they were purely ck, like any other book. There were a lot of minute granules mixed in among the pages, and aside from the nauseating stench of rotten meat, Roy noticed a faint scent of ashing off the pages.


    ¡°This book¡¯s pages¡­¡± Letho tensed up and brushed his hand across the page. ¡°It¡¯s made out of human skin, and the ink has ash in it.¡±


    Ignatius put his hands in a prayer, closed his eyes, and muttered, ¡°Human skin? Ink made out of ash? Gods, did the devil himself write this book?¡±


    ¡°The devil?¡± Roy mused for a moment. He connected that to Jennifer¡¯s confession, and a familiar feeling welled up within him. ¡°Who was the one that lured Jennifer into this mess? And what did he ask from her in return? Think. We¡¯re in the white orchard, and this book was hidden in the mirror. This feels really familiar, but I just can¡¯t remember why¡­¡± <em>Did someone block my memory out or something? </em>Roy scratched his hair in frustration, and his face fell. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he could feel the answering to him, but every time he tried to grasp it, it would slip back into the darkness.


    Letho patted his shoulder. ¡°Kid, you shouldn¡¯t read this if you can¡¯t take it.¡±


    Roy shook his head. He put all his thoughts aside and turned his attention back to the Book of Bones. It was a thin book that only spanned five pages, and all of the content talked about the spell of Rebirth in the practice of necromancy. ¡°Verbena, bison¡¯s grass, Fool¡¯s parsley,dine¡­ Crush all them into a fine dust and dry them out. They will be used to make a concoction. Drowner brain, specter dust, crow¡¯s eye, beggarticks, and the caster¡¯s own blood¡­ They will be used to make the potion for the rune. Make sure no coption is done. Cleanse your body and soul with a bath made out of the ingredients above. Drink the concoction on the night where the stars and moon are blocked by the clouds. Use the rune potion and imnt the sacrifice rune on your wrists, belly, calves, and scalp¡­¡±


    Aside from the rather wordy exnation, there were also pictures in the book that illustrated the details of human anatomy and its rtionship with magical energy. The more Roy read, the more terrifying the book became. Back at the temple of Melitele, Coral told him that all spells would need to channel their power into magical energy before they could be cast. Mortals would never be able to cast any spell, even if they mastered the whole process of one, but necromancy broke that rule. To be specific, <em>this </em>spell was made specifically with mortals in mind.


    Sorcerers had long lives and could change their appearances with magic. They had no need for a spell like this.


    ¡°No wonder this is forbidden.¡±


    The spell had no need for magical energy at all. Any literate mortal couldplete all the steps written in this book.


    ¡°Look at this.¡± Letho pointed at one of the lines in the book. ¡°Once the spell is cast, the rune of sacrifice will appear on the caster¡¯s partner and one of their direct descendants. The rune will be passed down from generation to generation.¡±


    This exined the mark on Ignatius and his family. Among the three children Jennifer had, Sara must have been the only one who had the mark on her. ¡°After the caster¡¯s death, they will turn into a wraith and search for their descendant who bears the mark so they can take over their descendant¡¯s body¡­¡± Realization struck Roy. ¡°So that¡¯s it!¡± He turned around. ¡°I checked the tomb this morning, and your guess is correct. The remains of the women are gone. They must have returned to the fortress as wraiths after their deaths. They wanted to possess their descendants. The specter dust in the attic is proof.¡±


    ¡°Possess¡­ their¡­ descendants?¡± Ignatius licked his lips. ¡°What does that mean, witchers?¡±


    Roy turned around and gave him an eerie look. ¡°In other words, Jennifer possessed her daughter after she died, and after her daughter died, she possessed your grandmother. So on and so forth. The matriarchy was set in ce not because of Jennifer¡¯s contributions, but because Jennifer wanted to make sure her rule over the family would never wane. There was a reason your mother, or Jennifer to be precise, risked her life to give birth to a girl. You can¡¯t have children of your own, and you have no daughter, so she had to do it herself. She was trying to create another vessel for her to possess. The source for your family¡¯s curse was your own ancestor¡ªJennifer Verrieres herself.¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Ignatius raised his hand in a hurry to stop the witcher. His forehead was drenched with sweat, and he said with a trembling voice, ¡°Grandmother and Mary was¡­ was¡­ How is this possible? That must be a lie!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth, baron. ept it,¡± Roy said coldly. ¡°All the women in your bloodline are actually the same person, and it was Jennifer, the founder of the family.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The baron let out a scream, and he bumped into the wall before sliding down to the ground. His face was ashen, as if something died in him.


    ¡°Look at this, Roy.¡± Letho pointed at the reminder on thest page of the book. ¡°If the caster is a woman, then she can only possess her female descendants. Works the other way as well.¡±


    ¡°Weird. They can¡¯t even change their sex, even after their rebirth?¡± Roy mocked. ¡°Do souls have anything to do with sex?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Letho said, ¡°Maybe you can ask Lytta about that.¡±


    ¡°The ones who bear the mark shall live with misfortune all their lives. They can and will die anytime from diseases or idents. The caster is not exempt from this cycle.¡± Roy mused, ¡°So this means if the caster dies without any descendant to possess, they will have to live as a wraith for eternity. The closer the descendant¡¯s bloodline is to the caster, the more memories the caster can keep. The members of the family have been marrying people from other families and diluting the bloodline. Less and less of Jennifer¡¯s memories would be retained, and she might forget everything about this spell somewhere down the line.¡±


    Roy wondered if that was the case, but Jennifer was the only one who could answer that, and she was not around.


    The book ended there, but the witchers had to take some time to process what they just saw. Ignatius finally snapped out of the shock, but the fact the person who raised him was actually possessed by his own ancestor upset him. Not to mention, they also had sex. He would probably be his own ancestor if the child was born, but that did not happen.


    Despair filled him, and he wiped the sweat off his face. Ignatius asked carefully, ¡°At least I know the reason behind my family¡¯s bad luck now. Now it¡¯s time to break the spell. Witchers, what will you do with the book?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your ancestor¡¯s book. Of course we¡¯re giving it back to you.¡± Roy pretended to toss that book to Ignatius.


    Ignatius wiped his sweat off more and refused. ¡°Please do not jest, witcher. I will not ept something that evil. I can give it to you. You can do whatever you want with it.¡±


    ¡°That works, too.¡± The witchers exchanged a look. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for the time being.¡± Roy tucked the book in his inventory. He actually had no ns on keeping something this sinister, however. ¡°And then I¡¯ll burn it once this whole fiasco ends.¡±


    ¡°We have a problem here.¡± Letho crossed his arms. ¡°The source of this curse is your own ancestor, Jennifer. If we get rid of her, we¡¯ll break the curse, but she has been turned into a banshee and disappeared.¡±


    ¡°ording to the book, she¡¯ll find her female descendant and possess her after death. But she did not return to Amavet Fortress. Baron, do you have any illegitimate daughters out there?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the baron shouted, as if he were stung by a wasp. ¡°I have never been with any other woman. My son is dead, and I have no children now. Nor do I have any sisters.¡±


    ¡°Are you sur¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am very sure!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Grant? You¡¯d get drunk a lot, and maybe you lost control during one of your outbursts.¡±


    The witchers went to ask Grant about it, and the butler gave it a lot of thought. ¡°The baron¡¯s illegitimate children¡­ I am not very sure about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure about it?¡± Ignatius sounded surprised. ¡°Have I done anything stupid after I got drunk?¡±


    Grant looked at the baron carefully and answered, ¡°Sir, did you forget about the thing that happened more than a year ago? You barged into a viger¡¯s wedding after you got drunk and forced yourself on the bride, taking her virginity. But it was just once. I don¡¯t think she would get pregnant just from that.¡±


    The witchers remembered Grant talking about that when he was under the spell of Axii.


    ¡°Who was the bride? Where is she now?¡± Ignatius demanded, looking crazed but excited at the same time. He realized that he might actually have a descendant. ¡°Thank the gods for keeping the bloodline alive.¡±


    ¡°I cleaned up after you, sir. As I recall, she is the wife of Bram, a viger in the orchard. Her home is in the eastern part of the vige,¡± Grant said. ¡°To be exact, she¡¯s a widow. Her husband has died from an illness.¡±


    ¡°Bram?¡± Roy fell into his own thoughts after hearing that name.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve heard that name before?¡± Grant exined patiently, ¡°Bram is the cousin of the innkeep, Brenna.¡±


    ¡°Brenna? The innkeep?¡± Roy held his head in agony, and then the air around him dropped sharply, the cold covering him with an invisible, icy cape, and the chill grasped his heart. ¡°I remember it now!¡±


    He remembered the day he stepped into the inn and saw the only customer in there. He sat beside the window and disappeared all of a sudden. The answer that eluded him had finally been caught, and he knew who the mysterious person was.


    The one who made a deal with Jennifer was no sorcerer, and it was no coincidence that Jennifer hid the Book of Bones in the mirror. ¡°An ordinary merchant that wandered to the orchard a century ago, and that customer in the inn¡­ Could he be Gaunter O¡¯Dimm, the Master Mirror?¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 200

    <strong>Chapter 200: The Misfortune Continues</strong>


    The white orchard was basking in the afternoon sunlight, and the clear stream meandered down, going on its own little adventure. The crops on the fields and the sulent fruits on the trees swayed as the breeze brushed across them, while birds sang in the air.


    It was a different sight on the other side of the vige, however. The streets were narrow, squalid, and deserted, while the scarce huts stood haphazardly. Most of the houses were uninhabited, and cobwebs filled them.


    A look of surprise painted Ignatius¡¯ face, and his jaw dropped. ¡°What happened to the orchard? Where is everyone?¡±


    ¡°Sir, did you forget what happenedst year?¡± Grant whispered.


    ¡°Last year? Oh, right.¡± Ignatius was reminded of that cruel, ludicrous night. He had too much to drink andmitted a string of heinous crimes in the vige. The vigers were aghast, and they left the orchard. Most of the orchard was deserted after all the death and abandonment left in the wake of the baron.


    Ignatius stared down at his hands. He could still see the blood of the innocent on his fingers, and the victims¡¯ cries lingered around him.


    ¡°Please do not me yourself, sir. The peasants did throw slurs and vulgarities at you. What happened was them reaping what they sowed. And you did exempt the remaining vigers¡¯ taxes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit toote to repent, don¡¯t you think, baron?¡± Letho looked at him coolly. If he was there to witness that massacre, Letho might have helped the vigers out, but it was toote for any what ifs. There was no point in condemning the baron anymore.


    Most, if not all members of royalty, had blood of the peasants on their hands. Witchers were no judge or jury. They could never dish out punishment for every single crimemitted by the aristocracy. Roy knew that witchers might not be exactly angels, but they were no demons either. They could only help as much as they could.


    ***


    The group went to the houses located in the eastern part of the vige. While they were on their way there, they could see the asional viger lounging in their yard, looking listless. When the witchers first came to the vige, the same viger did not even give them a second of her time.


    It was different when the baron made his appearance, though. The viger lost herposure and ran back into her house, as if she were a mouse who saw a cat. She also let out a scream that would put any opera singer to shame, and she locked her door tightly, as if a vile beast were facing her.


    Ignatius let out a sigh, wearing a solemn look on his face. Not long after that, they ran into the same snotty boy they sawst time. He was teasing a stray dog happily beside the warehouse, but when he looked up and saw the baron, the boy froze. As if struck by lightning, he started trembling, and his chest heaved. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and the boy fell down like a wooden stake blown back by a gust of wind.


    Ignatius¡¯ face fell, though he also seemed a bit awkward.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be well-liked here, baron.¡±


    Roy suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around. He then scanned his surroundings quickly, as if he were to looking for something. Roy was not acting like himself. He looked like a patient who was out of his mind, and he kept looking around himself. When they went past the inn, he stole nces through the window, but there was nobody besides the innkeep. He did not see the customer he sawst time either.


    ¡°What are you doing, kid? I thought we figured out what happened. Why are you looking so nervous?¡± Letho was getting confused about Roy¡¯s actions.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this.¡± Roy tensed up, the look on his face grim.


    ¡°Is it an omen? Did you feel something?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. I hope I¡¯m just feeling things.¡± Roy felt a sense of dread in his heart. When they came near the end of their investigation, he realized that the one who gave the Book of Bones away and taught Jennifer that dark spell to prolong her life unnaturally one hundred years ago might be the legendary Master Mirror¡ªGaunter O¡¯Dimm himself.


    The Master Mirror might look like a messy, wandering merchant who sold mirrors and little trinkets, but he was actually a demon who came from another dimension. It could change into anyone it wanted. Peasants, farmers, artists, butchers, and even drunkards. The demon would wander across worlds in different skins all so it could find great customers whom it could sign a contract with.


    The demon was a master maniptor as well. It would usually show up during its client¡¯s darkest hour and make them sign a contract they would never refuse. Contrary to his usual merchandise, the Master Mirror¡¯s real products were much more magical. Unlimited wealth, eternal life, steeds that could run like the wind, swords that could slice anything and everything in the world, wineskin that stored unlimited wine, or even a specific help for a specific problem. Anything could be bought, but the demon only epted one kind of currency¡ªsouls.


    ¡°You can have anything you want, but once you have it, you leave your soul behind.¡±


    Gaunter O¡¯Dimm was only second to the gods in terms of danger level for Roy.


    ***


    <em>Was that guy we met in the inn Gaunter¡¯s manifestation? Has it set its eyes on me and tampered with my memories? </em>Roy had questions but no answers, though one thing was for sure. Gaunter would keep a close eye on its possible client for every hour and every day. Roy, however, had no feeling of being watched. ¡°If it was really it, I hope it was just passing by.¡± <em>If that monster has set its sights on me, it¡¯s going to be bad news. I¡¯m not powerful enough to fight it yet.</em>


    ***


    Thete Bram¡¯s house was more like a pigsty made out of wood and hay. There was no one inside at the moment, though the chickens and ducks were making a din in their coop.


    Ignatius was not a friendly guest. In a hurry to see his only child, the baron gave his soldiers a look, and one of them kicked the front door open.


    ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯te any closer!¡± the woman screamed in terror. The baron shoved his soldiers away and darted into the house, while the witchers followed.


    The house was divided into two parts. Cooking utensils and racks filled with vegetables and items wereid out neatly. There was also a steel cauldron set over fire, and white smoke billowed in the air, slithering out through the wooden window behind it.


    A gaunt woman was standing on the bed, her back against the wall¡¯s corner, as if she were blocking something. Her face was as white as a tombstone, and it was contorted with fear. ¡°Ba-Baron?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is I, the baron of the White Orchard, Ignatius Verrieres. Is your name Rina?¡± The baron smiled, but it was an ugly smile. He tried his best to speak softly. ¡°Do not worry. I mean no harm. I just wish to see you.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯te any closer!¡± The woman started shaking, as if she was reminded of a painful past. ¡°I do not need your concern, baron. We do not wee you here.¡± She looked back nervously. ¡°Please leave immediately.¡±


    Ignatius opened his arms and closed in on the woman, ignoring her request.


    ¡°Enough, baron.¡± Roy stood between him and the woman. ¡°You will force yourself on a helpless woman in front of us? You promised you would never do it.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I apologize for my behavior, madam. I do not wish to scare you.¡± The baron shrugged, wearing an apologetic look on his face. He slowly backed away, the fat on his body jiggling like jelly. ¡°You have a daughter, don¡¯t you? May I see her? I would do anything¡­¡± The baron craned his neck and emphasized, ¡°Anything to make up for the damage I did.¡±


    The woman was standing awkwardly, as if she were protecting someone, and the baron noticed it. ¡°Is there someone behind you? It¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it? May I have a look? Please?¡±


    The baron put his hands together humbly. Ever since he apologized to Kolgrim¡¯s remains, he had put the dignity of his family aside. ¡°The poor girl needs a father, and in my name as baron of the White Orchard, I shall give her the best of what I have.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Di-Did you just say you¡¯d do anything to make it up to me?¡± Something crossed the woman¡¯s mind, and her fear disappeared. For a moment there, a hint of insanity shed in her eyes, but it was reced by confusion and shock.


    Ignatius was delighted that the woman was relenting. ¡°Yes, anything. You won¡¯t be disappointed. All you have to do is forgive me for my crimes and let me take the child.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face turned a little red, and she clenched her hands¡ªwhich were burly from all the farmwork she had to do¡ªtightly. What she said next shocked everyone.


    ¡°Then I would want you to marry me, baron. Take me and the child into the fortress.¡±


    Ignatius was surprised to hear that, and so did the witchers. Roy wondered if he was hearing things. <em>A woman who was assaulted wants to marry her assaulter? Doesn¡¯t she feel disgusted in the least?</em>


    ¡°You would marry me?¡± The baron eyed the woman from head to toe. She had decent looks and a curvy body. Even though she was wearing the cheapest clothes money could buy and looked like a country bumpkin, it still could not cover up her beauty.


    ¡°I raised the child all by myself after Bram died. I have to spend many hours working in the field and the house, <em>and </em>I have to feed the child. It¡¯s only been a year, but my whole body hurts. I¡¯m just one woman.¡± Rina spoke of her life over the past year, and tears glimmered in her eyes. ¡°You can take her with you, but you have to take me in as well.¡± She raised her head, looking agitated. ¡°I¡¯ve been a peasant all my life, and I¡¯ve had it. I¡¯ve had it with cheap clothes and bad food. I want to have new clothes too. And freshly baked bread and meat!¡±


    The woman stared straight into the baron¡¯s eyes and raised her head even higher. She shouted with all her might, ¡°I want to live the life of ady! I want you to marry me right in front of your people!¡±


    ¡°I, the baron of the White Orchard, agree to your terms, Rina.¡± The slight jowls on the baron¡¯s cheeks trembled, but he did not hesitate in giving his answer. ¡°Once you and the child are in the fortress, we shall get married.¡±


    It came as nothing short of a shock for Roy. He massaged his temples, disbelief still painting his face. <em>He¡¯s a baron, and she¡¯s a vige woman, but they got engaged just like that?</em>


    ¡°Not the most shocking thing you¡¯ll see in life, kid. You¡¯ll run into a lot more of this stuff. A baron marrying the woman he assaulted before is one of the tamer ones,¡± Letho whispered calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen someone marrying the person who killed their parents.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s his victim, and he¡¯s her assaulter.¡±


    ¡°Humans areplicated. Do you really think that woman will actually stay loyal after she marries him? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Letho noticed the desire that shed in the woman¡¯s eyes earlier, and he could guess what the woman would do after she became the baroness.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Letho did not answer that question. ¡°Let¡¯s go. See if we can find any specter dust here. What happens to Ignatius from now on is his problem, not ours.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Honey? Honey, my dear girl. I¡¯m here.¡± A petite baby was lying in the cradle, covered in white cloth. She was about one year old, and her skin was fair, her face chubby. She was sucking on her thumb, staring at the stranger before her calmly. The little ruckus that happened earlier did not even faze her.


    ¡°Look at her eyes. They¡¯re prettier than obsidian. She¡¯s my child, no question about it! She¡¯s one of the Verrieres family!¡± The baron extended his hand in delight and pinched the baby¡¯s cheek softly. The baby did not turn away at all. In fact, she extended her short, chubby arms at the baron.


    The baron was smiling from ear to ear, and he picked the baby up from the cradle. The infant seemed to like him as well, and she gurgled as he teased her.


    ¡°I promise that she is your daughter, baron,¡± the woman said gently as she stared down at the ground, as if she were already treating him like her husband.


    ¡°Baron.¡± The witchers came back and showed him the specter dust they found under the mat. ¡°See if she has the rune.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Only a member of my bloodline has this. This is my child.¡± The baron touched the back of the baby¡¯s head and patted the child. ¡°Witchers, why don¡¯t we stop here? You can im your reward right now at the castle,¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°You would break the promise we made and extend your family¡¯s curse?¡± Roy approached the cradle, and the baby stopped gurgling. She looked at the one who wasing closer, and the sight of the witcher made her bawl, as if she could feel the maliceing from him.


    Roy smiled awkwardly and backed away from the baby. ¡°Am I that terrifying?¡± He stared at the infant whom the baron was holding. She was petite, chubby, and adorable. In most cases, she would have been a likable little baby, but¡­


    ¡®Honey


    Age: One year old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Rebirthed (The soul of Jennifer Verrieres, founder of White Orchard¡¯s Verrieres family, used a forbidden spell and possessed Honey¡¯s body.¡¯


    <em>She¡¯s a baby with a soul that¡¯s a century old. </em>Roy was put in a dilemma. He could note up with a n that could satisfy everyone. <em>What should I do? The only way to break this curse would be to destroy Jennifer¡¯s vessel and the wraith she turns into. If we want to break the Verrieres family¡¯s curse, this infant must die.</em>


    He knew that was the case, but he could not bring himself to do it when the time came. <em>She¡¯s just a defenseless infant. </em>¡°Why didn¡¯t the mutation rob me of my emotions?¡±


    A deep frown furrowed Letho¡¯s brows. He was in a dilemma as well. It would be one thing to destroy a wraith, but another to kill an infant. <em>She¡¯s smaller than my fist</em>.


    The witchers looked at each other, and at the same time, they said, ¡°You do it.¡±


    Silence fell between them.


    The baron gritted his teeth and handed the infant over. ¡°Look at her, witchers. Look at her smile. She¡¯s just an adorable little girl, but if you can do it, then do it. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, baron?¡± The woman stood in front of her baby nervously. The look in the eyes of the witchers was unnerving her.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Rina. The witchers just want to see if Honey¡¯s fine.¡± Ignatius could see that the witchers were struggling to finish the job, and he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Witchers, I will end that ludicrous rule and raise her up into a finedy. Once she¡¯s of age, I¡¯ll send her to Oxenfurt and keep everything about witchcraft a secret from her. I¡¯ll marry her off to a far, farnd. She can¡¯t remember anything without that book.¡±


    ¡°Things are not that simple, baron. As long as she¡¯s alive¡­¡± Roy cast a sign and put Rina under hypnosis. He stared straight into the baron¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Your family¡¯s curse will never be broken, and she¡¯s killing your real daughter in a sense.¡± <em>His daughter¡¯s poor soul was killed off before she could even grow up.</em>


    The baron looked down at the baby he was holding. He said softly but firmly, ¡°She¡¯s thest of my bloodline. I will do anything for her, even if it means keeping this curse.¡±


    The witchers fell into silence.


    <em>Why do humans care so much about continuing their bloodline? </em>Roy had no answer to that, but he did not want to kill the baby either, so he came up with an excuse to justify that. <em>Jennifer made a deal with some entity, and that entity could be the Master Mirror. That demon has only ever epted one kind of currency¡ªsouls. If I kill Jennifer off, it would be what the demon wants. Once it has taken Jennifer¡¯s soul, it mighte for me next.</em>


    Roy decided to let the unknown entity keep chasing Jennifer around just in case he would be the next ¡®customer.¡¯ He looked at Letho. Letho could understand why he refused to kill the baby, and he nodded. ¡°Baron, you are a lucky man. Witchers usually never attack humans, especially those who can¡¯t defend themselves. We¡¯ll spare her, but as for the reward¡­¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed!¡± The baron looked flushed with delight. ¡°I¡¯ll double it! Four hundred crowns!¡± he decided.


    They came to an agreement, though it was an unexpected one. In the end, the source of the curse¡ªHoney Verrieres¡ªwas taken into the fortress, and the baron would raise her.


    Once the witchersid im to their payment, they left the fortress without hesitation.


    ***


    Dusk had arrived, and the light of a campfire illuminated a patch of the wilderness just outside the White Orchard. Roy tossed the Book of Bones into the mes, watching it as the forbidden book turned into ash.


    ¡®Year 1261, August¡­¡¯ He whipped his leather journal out and scribbled in it. ¡®White Orchard, Amavet Fortress, Verrieres family, a curse¡­ Jennifer Verrieres might have struck a deal with the Master Mirror in her pursuit of eternal youth and life. The price? Her own descendants.¡¯


    He put his quill down and took a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯re letting him go just like that?¡±


    ¡°There are fates worse than death,¡± Letho hinted, taking a swig of dwarven liquor. ¡°Especially when someone has two scheming women staying with him. He¡¯s going to end up worse than Kolgrim did. Maybe the fortress will be gone when we¡¯re here next time, and that is punishment enough.¡±


    The young witcher pped his journal shut. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Who¡¯s the father of Mary¡¯s dead child? And who <em>is </em>Florian¡¯s mother anyway? I don¡¯t see Ignatius¡¯ wife anywhere in the fortress.¡±


    ¡°You know the answer to that. You just don¡¯t want to admit it.¡± Letho cracked his neck and looked up into the night sky. ¡°Remember what the book said? The purer the bloodline, the more memories the caster can keep. I suspect that all the men who married into the family were just a cover, but we should put this behind us. Let¡¯s talk about something happier.¡± Letho stopped answering, and he asked, ¡°How much money do you have, kid?¡±


    Roy snapped out of his shock. He, too, was interested when it came to money. ¡°Ignatius gave us six hundred crowns in total. We have two thousand and eight hundred crowns now. It¡¯s enough to buy a small house for the four of us in any capital of any northern kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Five. Kolgrim¡¯s staying with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ll need and that can house a manor if we want to revive the school. We need more money for it.¡±


    Letho was relieved to hear Roy say that. He thought Roy was a stingy one, but he knew that the money would be all spent if he was the one in charge of the financials.


    ¡°Next it¡¯s the materials, and we can start some cksmithing.¡± Roy looked excited.


    ¡°Not so fast.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°The materials aside, Kolgrim was the only one who was on par with a master cksmith. Serrit, Auckes, and I can¡¯t make a perfect recreation of the school¡¯s weapons. We need to find a master cksmith first.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I have a solution.¡± Roy went through his memories and found someone who might be able to help. <em>Next stop, Vizima.</em>


    White Orchard Arc: The End


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 201

    <strong>Chapter 201: Chase</strong>


    House of the Queen of the Night, Trade Quarter, Vizima.


    The magical light hanging from the ceiling cloaked the lobby in a soft light, the soothing tune of the lute whispering into the ears of the patrons. Roy was sitting before the counter, dumbfounded. Voluptuous, scantily-d women walked around the premises. Some chatted with the customers, while some were dancing by themselves in a corner, attracting anyone who would watch.


    All of them had great looks and even greater figures. Every move they made was filled with allure, and the look in their eyes could draw the attention of anyone who looked, sucking them in like ck holes.


    Roy kept his slightly trembling hands from getting out of control, and he downed the whole Bloody Mary in one go. The fiery aftertaste of the alcohol shocked him awake.


    Rumors had it that the Queen of the night, a higher vampire, opened a brothel in Vizima. All the female employees were made up of higher vampires and bruxae. Roy believed it to be true and snooped around alone. Letho was not informed, lest his hatred for vampires lead them into danger.


    When he finally came to the establishment, Roy knew that the rumor was just a lie. The brothel was filled with beautiful women, yes, but all of them were just human.


    ***


    The scent of jasmine came from the staircase, and Roy turned around. A mature, beautiful woman slowly came down from the stairs. She had long, reddish-brown hair, and features that seemed harder than most women. Her aquiline nose and tightly pursed lips spoke of her tough personality, and her dark crimson, sleeveless dress had slits that traveled from her chest to her waist, revealing all the skin underneath.


    Her skirt barely covered her knees, and she was wearing a pair of long leather boots. She looked like someone working in a construction site wearing those boots, but it did not take away from her beauty. ¡°I don¡¯t really see someone your ageing to a brothel.¡± The woman noticed the look Roy was giving her, and she smiled at the witcher. ¡°Shall I introduce someone to you? She¡¯s a veteran. You¡¯ll love her.¡±


    ¡°Mdy, might you be the Queen of the Night?¡±


    ¡°My name is Sharika. The owner is on a trip to visit her friend. It might be weeks before she returns. Do you need to see her?¡±


    ¡°I heard that this is the best ce for information.¡± Roy tapped on the table. ¡°I am more than happy to pay for it.¡±


    A nice scent brushed across his nose. The woman sat beside Roy, staring straight at him. ¡°If that¡¯s what you need, I can answer all your questions.¡±


    ¡°I am looking for a master cksmith in Vizima. Someone who can make quality weapons.¡± Roy omitted some information. ¡°He has the eyes of a beast and used to be a mercenary.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll cost you this much. No haggling.¡± The woman raised five fingers.


    ¡°I thought it¡¯s only thirty crowns.¡± Roy cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Are you trying to cheat me out of my money?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Church of Virtue¡¯s fault. They showed up out of nowhere and attracted all the rich men in the trade quarter. Business has been badtely, so we need to bnce it out.¡±


    The look in the woman¡¯s eyes became hostile, and Roy could hear her gnash her teeth.


    ¡°Church of Virtue?¡± Roy paused for a moment. ¡°How does forty crowns sound?¡±


    ¡°This is not the marketce. No haggling.¡±


    Roy gritted his teeth and pretended to look really hesitant. When the woman was about to run out of patience, he sighed. ¡°Fine. Fifty crowns it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few hours to get the news you want. In the meantime¡­¡± Sharika pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t I get you ady?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Give me an apple cider.¡± Roy stared at the Gwent board not far away, and he cracked his knuckles. <em>It¡¯s been a while since I yed a game.</em>


    ***


    Two hourster, Sharika came back to Roy¡¯s side, looking surprised. <em>I thought there were a few customers ying Gwent here. Where¡¯d they go? </em>¡°You¡¯re in luck. My friend has news about a master cksmith that fits your description, and he¡¯s in Vizima.¡± She paused for a moment, staring unblinkingly at Roy.


    Roy handed her the fifty crowns as payment. He won it through the Gwent games he yed earlier. ¡°Where is he? And who is this cksmith we¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡°His name is Berengar. He lives in the temple area, and he¡¯s¡­¡± Sharika paused for a moment. ¡°He used to be a Wolf School witcher. He¡¯s the one who made a sword named Tor¡¯haerne, and there¡¯s news about him circting in Vizima¡¯s marketce.¡±


    ¡°A Wolf School witcher? And his name is Berengar?¡± A smile curled Roy¡¯s lips.


    ¡°But do be careful,¡± Sharika emphasized. ¡°Berengar despises that part of him. He probably won¡¯t be friendly to fellow witchers.¡±


    ***


    The remaining rays of the sun swept through thends, and two witchers came into the temple area of Vizima. The towering statue of the Lady of the Lake stood proudly in the za¡¯s center. Knights of the order were giving out food to the people who lined up under the statue. On the other hand, Lebioda¡¯s hospital, which was also in the same area, looked a lot quieter than usual.


    Lebioda was famous in the north, but he was not a real god. The best his ¡®priests¡¯ could do was scam and lie to the masses. They could never show any real miracle. The patron goddess of the Church of Virtue, however, truly existed. She could perform miracles from time to time, making her look more reputable.


    Thanks to the church¡¯s high priest, Princess Adda, the triads in the temple area had stopped their activities. Security had never been better, and the people had gained real benefits from putting their faith in Vivienne. A part of Lebioda¡¯s believers switched their belief halfway through as well.


    ***


    The witchers cut across the center area and weaved through a few dark alleyways before arriving at an area popted by short, dpidated buildings.


    ¡°Number 250, Hemp Alley, Temple Area. Not my favorite number, but whatever.¡± Roy stood before a ckened door and knocked on it. He did not get any response.


    Letho put his ear against the door, and his face fell. He heard something rustling within, but the sound quickly faded away. ¡°Go round the back, Roy. This guy is making a run for it.¡±


    The witchers went to the sides of the house and looked up. A silhouette was standing on the third floor¡¯s windowsill. He curled up and sprang to the next house,nding on the roof neatly. He held a tile down with one hand, knelt on one knee, and stared at the witchers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run, Berengar! Listen to me!¡± Roy shouted at him, but the witcher did not give them any chance to exin themselves. He ran across the roof, looking like a scared bird.


    The witchers exchanged looks, and they nked the house. A short windupter, Roy leaped up the wall and crawled up like a lizard. It did not take too long for him to get to the roof.


    Berengar had put a considerable distance between them. He was agile and could run across the roofs as if he were on level ground. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re the customers here! Why are you running? Don¡¯t you want to make money?¡± Roy chased after him. He had double the Dexterity of most people, and his bnce was superb. He too could run across roofs as if they were on level ground.


    Letho went to the other side. If Roy was as quick as a bunny, then the veteran witcher was probably nearing the speed of sound. He left afterimages behind him as he ran.


    The setting sun draped a golden cloak on the buildings of the temple area, but three little ck dots marred the perfect sight. They kept traversing across roofs, blinking as if they were stars. The chase was like a tforming game for them as they jumped across roofs like a certain game character.


    Their superhuman physical abilities allowed them to parkour across the roofs and perform impossible actions. Running on tiptoes, jumping on tiptoes, crawling like a cat, and even doing backflips in the air. They used every move in the book as long as it made running easier. It was fast and dangerous, as if they were in a deadly parkour.


    Roy had reached top speed as he traversed the outer side of the roof. He focused and took a deep breath before leaping across the air. The air around him whooshed across like wind, billowing his hair. He looked like a great bird gliding across the air. The young witchernded a hundred yards away. His heart was thumping furiously, but he rolled forward and got up just to spring into action again.


    No matter what he did, however, the distance between him and the veteran witchers started getting bigger and bigger as time passed. Their stats were almost double his, and it was a great gap to close, but he had an idea.


    A glinting arrow cut through the alleyway. The air started rippling, and something exploded. The young witcher disappeared into thin air just to reappear about forty yards away out of nowhere. He disappeared again and reappeared on the roof, blinking in and out of existence as he closed the distance.


    ***


    Letho was closing the distance between him and Berengar. He could see the witcher clearly now. The man was lean, and his attire mostly looked like a witcher¡¯s. He was wearing a grey, leather jacket and a pair of tight-fitting pants. His jacket was sleeveless, and it revealed his lean, muscr arms.


    When there were only five yards left between them, Letho roared, ¡°Stop right now!¡± He tossed a handful of gleaming crowns to the witcher before him. Letho got the coins from Roy earlier.


    Berengar was running too quickly for him to dodge the coins. They hit him everywhere, and his calves gave out. He fell down the roof.


    Letho jumped down as well, but a de flew across the air and charged straight at him. It caught him by surprise, but he sidestepped it easily, and the de whizzed past the side of his head. It sent a chill down his spine. ¡°Hold it!¡± Letho unsheathed his steel weapon.


    The de he dodged earlier flew back for a rematch, but Letho managed to block it with his sword.


    A sh of the dester, the witchers locked gazes on the roof, and sparks flew between them.


    Letho was a burly man who looked like a small hill, and a viper pendant hung from his neck. Berengar seemed lean, and he had a dark look in his eyes, but there was no pendant hanging from his neck. He held his de in an offensive stance, crouching down as he awaited his chance to pounce.


    ¡°Listen to¡ª¡±


    Berengar pounced before Letho could finish. Hits rained down on the veteran witcher, and Letho only defended. When Berengar showed no signs of letting up, it fueled Letho¡¯s me of fury, and he responded in kind.


    The screech of metal shing exploded in the narrow alleyway. The witchers crossed des, and sparks flew between them, lighting up the darkness for a moment.


    Letho swung his de down, but Berengar retreated. He sidestepped the de and thrusted his sword forward. The man was experienced, and he thrusted his sword straight at Letho¡¯s arteries, heart, throat, and groin.


    He did not get greedy, however. If his attack was blocked, he would back off and circle Letho, preventing him from attacking. Berengar had a great variety of attacks and had no pattern for Letho to recognize. Every time Letho thought he would go on the offensive, Berengar would retreat after he made a thrust. Whenever he thought Berengar would back off, he would go on the offensive and aimed straight at the fatal areas.


    He might be at a disadvantage when it came to physical capabilities, but he more than made it up with his swordsmanship. At the moment, the two witchers were in a stalemate.


    However, Letho eventually managed to find an opening. He struck Berengar¡¯s de down and closed in. Metal screeched again as they shed, and a momentter, their crossguards locked each other down. At this point, it was down to which witcher had the greater strength.


    Letho was like a human-sized minotaur. He held the hilt of his sword down and pushed Berengar back. The both of them were red with exhaustion, and they were huffing and puffing. With one hand, Letho made a sign in the air, and Aard exploded in the ustrophobic alleyway. The recoil from the shockwave sent the witchers back in two different directions.


    Letho took two steps back, but he was still standing, while Berengar was pushed to a corner and fell down, looking dazed.


    A momentter, Roy leaped down from the roof, but the battle had ended. He shot a bolt at Berengar, and it ricocheted off the ground.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Berengar let out a sigh. ¡°I lost. I yield.¡± He hung his head low, raised his sword, and tossed it aside. He massaged his numb arm, looking like a beast who was recuperating after it lost a battle. ¡°This is not my day. What brings two witchers here hunting me down? Did something bad happen?¡±


    ¡°None of this would have happened if you yielded earlier.¡± Letho took a deep breath, holding his frustration down. He scanned Berengar¡¯s de. The de glinted blue, like a sapphire. An engraving could be seen on the fuller as well. Letho then looked at his own sword. It was already worn down, and the de was chipped.


    ¡°Are you Berengar, the Wolf School witcher who made Tor¡¯haerne?¡±


    ¡°A little correction there.¡± Berengar leaned back against the wallnguidly. He eased up, seemingly already given up on resisting. ¡°I¡¯ve disassociated myself with the school many years ago, and I have never returned to Kaer Morhen. I am just a mercenary now. A pitiful tramp. Now give me a quick death. I¡¯m not fond of torture.¡±


    ¡°Torture? Is that some sort of cksmithing skill?¡± Roy joked, going up to him. ¡°If it¡¯ll help with the cksmithing, I don¡¯t mind doing that.¡±


    Berengar tilted his head curiously. ¡°You¡¯re not here for my life?¡±


    ¡°You thought we were going to kill you?¡± Roy chortled. ¡°Berengar, this is a big misunderstanding. It has been years since the Viper School had taken an assassination request, and we don¡¯t have any mission like that either.¡±


    Berengar froze for a moment. ¡°Why¡¯d youe after me like you wanted to kill me, then?¡± He looked at Letho and bared his teeth. ¡°Never saw a big guy like you running like that. I almost can¡¯t feel my legs from running so much.¡±


    ¡°What kind of assassin would use coins as weapons?¡± Letho crossed his arms. ¡°And I could say the same to you. You were obviously trying to kill me back there.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t give us a chance to exin. You just tried to run,¡± Roy added. ¡°What else could we do?¡±


    <em>He has a point.</em>


    An awkward silence fell between them.


    ¡°There¡¯s an unwritten rule in the world or mercenaries. It goes something like ¡®true friends are made in battle.¡¯ Berengar, we¡¯ve battled, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, cut the crap. All I care about are the coins.¡±


    Roy extended his hand. ¡°Very well. I shall pay for your services.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 202

    <strong>Chapter 202: Berengar¡¯s Terms</strong>


    The sun had set under the horizon, and dusk was starting to descend unto thend. The people in the temple area started lighting up their torches and oilmps, illuminating the shadowy area. Three witchers came into a house in Hemp Alley. Berengar lit the oilmp on the table, and its light kept the shadows at bay.


    Like most houses of witchers, there were no ornaments hanging around Berengar¡¯s ce. Aside from a few worn-down furniture, there was only a thin, oily bed on the ground. Empty wine bottles were strewn across the floor, and a thick nket of dust covered the floorboards. The ce was even dirtier than a dog house.


    Roy joked, ¡°You¡¯ll love Serrit and Auckes. You guys have the same taste in interior decor. I bet you¡¯ll have a lot to talk about. You might spend the whole night drinking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard making a living in Vizima. Winding down is important, and wine is essential.¡± Berengar unstrapped Tor¡¯haerne and hung it on the wall. He heaved a sigh and plopped down on his sofa that was riddled with holes. ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you? I live in fear every day. I¡¯d probably go mad without any wine.¡±


    Letho had a look of understanding and agreement on his face. They went through a lot of trials and tribtions to be a witcher, but then they had to live an even more dangerous life just to make a living. The people resented and ostracized them just because they were witchers. It was not exactly an easy life. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Berengar renounced his witcher identity.


    ¡°You said you thought we were hunting you down?¡±


    ¡°It was just a guess. I couldn¡¯t be sure about it.¡± He squinted andughed at himself. ¡°I got a job from a madman in Vizima, but decided not to ept it. Spent all of the deposit though. That guy would never let me off the hook that easily.¡±


    ¡°You thought we were debt collectors sent by that guy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but things don¡¯t look that bad at the moment.¡±


    ¡°You say he¡¯s a madman?¡± Roy did not recall such a person in Vizima before. ¡°Who¡¯s the guy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him.¡± Berengar rummaged through his sofa and whipped a bottle of beer out. He uncorked it and gulped the liquid down, then he tossed it to Letho. Letho drank withoutints. Berengar said, ¡°I guess you¡¯re here for a weapons request?¡±


    Roy and Letho exchanged looks, and the young wither handed the blueprint to Berengar. Berengar skimmed through it nonchntly at first, but eventually he started getting serious.


    Roy was getting nervous as well.


    ¡®Berengar


    Age: Seventy-nine years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Wolf School witcher


    HP: 240


    Mana: 120


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 21


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 13


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 12


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 6, Meditation Level 8, Wolf School Swordsmanship Level 8, Witcher Senses Level 10, Alchemy Level 10, cksmithing Level 10¡­¡¯


    In terms of stats and skills alone, Berengar was the weakest witcher Roy had ever met. ¡°Level 10 cksmithing? That¡¯s worse than Mahakam¡¯s Great Elder¡¯s Ancient Crafting.¡±


    If Berengar could not help them, then Roy would have to try his luck at the Crow¡¯s Perch in Velen and see if he could find that female cksmith. Dwarves were off limits. They crossed Mahakam¡¯s leader, and they would not ask them for help.


    After he cast Observe on Berengar, Roy turned his attention to the silver sword that had a V-shaped crossguard and reddish-brown hilt.


    ¡®Tor¡¯haerne.


    (Specially made by Berengar, the Wolf School witcher)


    Type: Silver sword


    Materials: Meteorite ore, silver ingot, monster blood, monster w, monster feather.


    Traits: Weighs 3.06 pounds, hilt measures at 9.3 inches, de measures at 36 inches.


    Affixes:


    Bleeding: Wounds caused by Tor¡¯haerne will bleed nonstop.


    Sharp de: Thanks to Berengar¡¯s craftsmanship, Tor¡¯haerne has double the sharpness of other swords. It can cut through light armor easily and maintain its durability for a longer time.¡¯


    ¡°Not bad. Guess this guy has some skills. No wonder Letho¡¯s sword got so messed up.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Viper School¡¯s twin des. This craftsmanship is spectacr. It¡¯s almost on par with Tor¡¯haerne. Your regr cksmith won¡¯t even know how to make this.¡± Berengar was so engrossed with the smithy, he was millimeters away from it.


    ¡°So can you make this?¡±


    Berengar smiled, and his look of dejection was reced with confidence. His eyes were shining like two little suns. ¡°I made Tor¡¯haerne. I can make these, of course, but before I start my work, I¡¯ll need two things.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡± The witchers pursed their lips, hoping that Berengar would not quote them an impossible price.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need all the necessary materials, and they must be sufficient. I can¡¯t guarantee the final product¡¯s quality otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We have them at the ready.¡± The swords¡¯ main materials were made up of four things: leather straps, iron ingots, emerald dust, and venom extract. They could buy leather straps easily from the marketce merchants, and cksmith shops had iron ingots. Emerald dust was aplenty in jewelry shops, and sorcerers used them to cast their spells. The most important material, venom extract, came from ghouls. Roy had them in stock.


    The silver sword required one extra material¡ªsilver ingots. The silver covered the iron core, and they did note cheap. Jewelry shops had them, however, and they could be used in cksmithing. The higher the silver content was in a sword, the more effective the weapon was against monsters, but the witchers did not have enough crowns to pay for that, and silver-coated swords were enough to handle most situations.


    The steel swords cost two hundred crowns each, while the silver swords cost four hundred, which was double the cost of its steel counterpart.


    ¡°Secondly, this is a business deal.¡± Berengar raised two fingers. ¡°I am going to spend a lot of time and effort making your weapons. I think a reward is in order.¡±


    Roy looked at him innocently and whispered, ¡°Twenty crowns?¡±


    Berengar¡¯s face fell, and a storm brewed in his eyes. ¡°Is that supposed to be a joke, child? Do you think I¡¯m a mere beggar?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Mr. Berengar. Two hundred crowns, no problem.¡± He looked at Letho. The veteran witcher did not like the price, but he nodded.


    Berengar was scamming his brethren. Most cksmiths would only ask for a few dozen crowns for a steel sword, excluding the price of the materials. Berengar more than doubled the price, but the witchers had no choice.


    ¡°So three steel swords and silver swords will cost six hundred crowns, right?¡± Serrit and Auckes needed new weapons too. They had the blueprint and cksmith, so might as well settle it at once.


    Berengar cocked his eyebrow, and he had a look of horror on his face. ¡°Do you know how long it takes to make a weapon, kid? You want me to make six at once? I¡¯m not a mule!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Berengar, think about this. Making weapons is a lot safer than taking requests,¡± Roy said, trying to persuade him. ¡°Six hundred crowns is enough for a year¡¯s supply of wine.¡±


    Berengar fell into a dilemma, and he struggled with himself to reach a decision. In the end, he said, ¡°I can make them if you want, but you¡¯ll have to give me a hundred crowns more for that.¡±


    ¡°How does fifty sound?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not at a brothel, kid. No haggling,¡± Berengar hissed. ¡°Either you give me seven hundred crowns, or you get another cksmith for this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, kid. We¡¯ll pay him the seven hundred.¡± Letho crossed his arms.


    Roy shot him a look, and then his face fell. <em>Seven hundred for the cksmith and eighteen hundred for the materials. That¡¯s twenty-five hundred crowns. </em>He had a feeling that his adorably full wallet had been cut up and had shrunk by a considerable degree. When he squeezed it, he could feel all the money flowing out of it. <em>We worked so hard to make twenty-eight hundred, and now there¡¯s only three hundred left. </em>¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± All the color faded from Roy¡¯s face, and he muttered, ¡°The vi, the manor¡­ All gone.¡± <em>If Serrit and Auckes bring back the Manticore School¡¯s blueprint, I¡¯ll have to fork out more crowns to make that equipment.</em>


    ***


    ¡°Good. The money¡¯s settled then, but I have another request.¡± Berengar continued matter-of-factly, as if he thought this was something the witchers should offer. ¡°I¡¯ve made the calctions, and with my level of cksmithing, it¡¯ll take me about ten days to make two weapons. Three pairs of that will take about a month. You¡¯ll have to be my bodyguard for that duration. Interruptions are not allowed when I work, especially not from my ex-creditor. I might slip and ruin the weapon, and the loss is on your head.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, what are you trying to do?¡± Roy shot him a sharp look and bared his teeth. ¡°Are you asking us to keep that madman out for you?¡±


    ¡°Just for a month or so,¡± Berengar assured. ¡°Just stand outside the shop, and he¡¯ll never get near me. Not like he can find me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Who is that guy anyway?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°Just an alchemist-cum-sorcerer. Has a few screws loose in his head.¡± There was fear in Berengar¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t tell you too much about him. Bound by a nondisclosure use.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you the deposit, and you can pay him back,¡± Letho suggested.


    Berengar shook his head adamantly. ¡°If pushes to shove, you can pay him the two hundred crowns when he shows up. I¡¯ll deduct the money from your payment. Of course, it¡¯d be best if we didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy dealing with an alchemist. We¡¯ll have to talk about the payment.¡±


    ***


    After a lot of negotiationster, the witchers finally came to an agreement, and they were already drenched in sweat. The payment was reduced from seven hundred to six hundred, but Roy and Letho would have to contact the nearby cksmiths and borrow their furnace, hammers, anvils, and other tools.


    ¡°You just won¡¯t budge, huh?¡± Roy mocked. ¡°You raise your prices however you want the moment you get a customer. I bet you have done this before.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same to you.¡± Berengar smiled, but it looked as fake as stic. The brutal negotiations had exhausted him, and he looked lethargic. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a youngd as stingy as you. You shouldn¡¯t be a witcher. You should be a merchant.¡±


    Letho was watching in silence from start to end. When the negotiations were finally over, he heaved a sigh of relief. <em>I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to be in charge of the finances.</em>


    ¡°By the way¡­¡± Berengar took a swig of his beer to calm down. ¡°Where did you get these blueprints?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know? I could have taken them from the school¡¯s archives.¡±


    ¡°As if,¡± Berengar retorted. ¡°As far as I know, most of the Viper School¡¯s blueprints are scattered throughout thesends.¡±


    Letho looked surprised that he knew. ¡°Who told you this? Kolgrim?¡±


    Brengar shook his head and answered without hesitating, ¡°Twenty years ago, I met a Viper School witcher near Dol thanna. He was searching for his school¡¯s equipment blueprints, and his name was¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ Ivar Evil-Eye.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± Roy and Letho exchanged looks of shock. Ivar Evil-Eye never returned after he left the school two decades ago, and they never thought they would find out about him in this ce.


    ¡°Tell us more, Mr. Berengar. What happened next?¡± Roy asked, sounding a little out of breath. ¡°Did Mr. Ivar tell you where he was going? Is he still in Aedirn?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I only shared a drink with him in an inn. We didn¡¯t even talk for ten minutes.¡± Berengar sighed. ¡°And it¡¯s been twenty years. I can¡¯t remember most of the details.¡±


    The air was fraught with gloom, filled with nothing but the sound of Berengar gulping his beer down.


    ¡°Give me some.¡± Letho snatched the beer from Berengar, but the witcher did not mind. He turned to the young witcher. ¡°Want some, merchant?¡± Berengar asked.


    ¡°Do you have any cider?¡±


    ¡°Only women and kids like that kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have no taste at all.¡± Roy was reminded of something, and he put on a calm and collected look as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the Viper School. How¡¯s the Wolf School doing?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Berengar bit on the lip of the bottle and kept quiet for a few moments. ¡°I¡¯ve cut all ties with them. I¡¯m just a mercenary now. I have no time to care about witchers and their politics.¡±


    ¡°How long has it been since you left Kaer Morhen?¡±


    ¡°More than ten years.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, kid,¡± Berengar stopped him impatiently. ¡°You should know when to stop asking. You two should get prepared now. I¡¯ll have to work starting tomorrow.¡±


    Roy sighed. If he could get Berengar back to Novigrad, he could truly turn the Wolf School into his ally. <em>But he won¡¯t be persuaded that easily.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 203

    <strong>Chapter 203: Start Working</strong>


    The morning breeze flew through the pond and brushed across the witchers¡¯ pale faces, reinvigorating them with a cool kiss. Letho and Roy were standing outside the cksmith shop, enjoying their grilled fish. The moat on their left flowed quietly, and the clean, wide streets before them were filled with citizens who were hurrying to the marketce for the day¡¯s errands.


    The door of the cksmith shop behind them was ajar, and not a sound came from within. Berengar had a hangover after having so many drinks with Letho the night before, but he woke up three hourster, when dawn was just about to crack. He wobbled across the streets with the help of the witchers and rented the cksmith shop by the riverside.


    Berengar¡ªdespite looking drunk¡ªstarted to work. He emphasized on the importance of a quiet cksmithing environment and chased the assistants out of the shop.


    ¡°Can we trust this guy?¡± Roy would still cringe when he thought about the amount of money they spent.


    ¡°Enough, kid,¡± Letho snapped. ¡°Berengar is not your regr cksmith. He¡¯s a master cksmith. He could work for a noble if he wanted to, and it¡¯s already kind enough that he¡¯s helping us out with this. His price and weird behavior are no problem at all. People like him have their own little quirks. Show some respect for him.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not exaggerating?¡± Roy thought master cksmiths were worth nothing, but that was only because he met dwarves, who were all cksmiths.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Letho exined, ¡°Effort and experience don¡¯t mean anything when ites to things like this. Talent is important too. Talented cksmiths are born with supernatural instincts, and they can fine tune a lot of details in ways most people can¡¯t. They can make better weapons thanks to that, and that¡¯s something people without talent can¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t have the talent to be a master cksmith then? You worked on this for more than eighty years, after all.¡± Letho shot him a look, and Roy quickly said, ¡°Alright, I was joking. If Berengar could live the life of a noble, why¡¯d he choose to live on the streets?¡±


    ¡°Because he used to be a witcher.¡± Letho looked up, and the sun was rising through the horizon, sprinkling its warmth to thend. ¡°He might not admit it, but he¡¯s more inclined to the life of a vagrant. Or maybe the nobles just don¡¯t like him.¡±


    Roy thought about that and concluded Letho¡¯s exnation with a more beautiful sentence. ¡°So witchers are born with wanderlust in them. Gotta get Jaskier to write that down in his poem next time.¡±


    ¡°And a lust for battle,¡± Letho added quietly. ¡°Remember that too.¡±


    A quiet, sizzling sound came from within the shop, and Roy stuck his head through the crack to take a furtive look. He was thinking that he would see a furnace burning brightly, and a burly, sweating cksmith swinging his hammer down on a piece of metal. s, he saw none of that.


    Berengar was bent over before the square table, holding something with both hands and stirring it up and down. Roy could vaguely see some grey, sticky sediment on his sleeve, and a small shovel filled with cement stood beside him. The handle was on the longer side, but the shovel looked like a brick with a circr protrusion. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Roy looked confused. ¡°He¡¯s a cksmith. Why is he doing construction work?¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about cksmithing, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Letho¡¯s hairless head shone under the sun. ¡°Do you think hammering is all it takes to make a weapon? Berengar is making a mold for the weapon.


    ¡°A mold?¡± A frown furrowed Roy¡¯s brows. He was not really sure how cksmithing worked. Killing monsters, alchemy, and taming were right up his alley, however.


    ¡°The mold decides what the weapon will be. Whether it¡¯s a sword, dagger, or spear depends on what kind of mold the cksmith makes. Once the soil is made into a mold, it¡¯ll have to be dried in the kiln.¡±


    <em>Oh, I see. Like how porcin stuff is made.</em>


    ¡°Once the mold is made, the sword¡¯s materials will be poured into the crucible and melted down to get rid of the impurities. The mixture is then poured into the mold. Once it cools down, it bes the base of the sword. The school¡¯s sword has engravings and grooves on the de, allowing us to inject mana into it. We¡¯ll need a skilled cksmith to make the engravings at the bottom of the mold for that. The ¡®sword¡¯ is just a base at that point. The surface is still rough, and it¡¯ll have to be scraped off after the cksmith takes it out of the mold to make the surface smoother. Then the cksmith will add all the necessary essories like turquoise, azure, the crossguard, and the hilt. The sword will then be sharpened using whetstone and water.¡±


    Berengar created the mold as carefully as he could. He did it as slowly as possible. Just like he said before, this would be a long process.


    Letho was showing Roy the basics of cksmithing, using Berengar as an example. He would also test him on the Almanac of Creatures¡¯ content from time to time while working as a bodyguard.


    A yellow me the size of a petal leapt between Roy¡¯s fingers as if by magic. The me was not hot. In fact, it was cooler than most fires used in magic tricks. All it could do was light cigarettes. This was a kind of magical training Roy came up with after he awakened his Elder Blood. Five points of mana was enough tost him fifteen minutes, and it yielded better results than casting signs all day. If he kept this kind of intensity up, he could level his Witcher Signs up by next year.


    They spent their daytime hours outside the cksmith shop, but at night, Roy would leap into Vizima¡¯s wilderness alone to practice his swordsmanship, archery, signs, and Blink. He tried his best to string those skills together ande up with a battle system he was familiar with. At the same time, he would use all the trap and survival knowledge Serrit taught him to hunt for animals. Ten EXP was not much, but Roy did notin.


    Once he was done with training, he would contact Gryphon through the telepathic link between them. Gryphon was in Cintra, but Roy could still talk about its daily life even though he was not around. The griffin was already six months old, and it was as smart as a four or five-year-old child. It could express a lot of emotions, like delight, anger, starvation, and even unease. The griffin was getting bigger now. It was the size of a pony, and locking it in a cage would stunt its growth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to find a quiet ce in Vizima¡¯s rural area and summon Gryphon.¡± Roy stared at the night sky and went into meditation. ¡°It¡¯d be great if I could disguise it, or taking it along with me is going to be a hassle.


    Time flew by when Roy had a lot of things to do. One week had passed since hemissioned Berengar to make the swords. Berengar showed exceptional professionalism over the week. He would start working first thing in the morning and only stop at midnight. He even skipped out on meals and slept in the shop, since he had to control all the changes in the materials at all times.


    His hair became a whole lot greasier in just one week, and it started to reek. He grew a messy stubble, and his eyes were bloodshot, though he seemed particrly excited. The silver sword and steel sword¡¯s bases were done. Now he just had to adorn the weapons with all the necessary adornments and sharpen them, and he would be done.


    ¡°Are all master cksmiths this crazy?¡± Roy had nothing but respect for this mercenary now. If a regr human worked like him, they would fall gravely ill the moment they were done.


    ¡°Masters of a craft are always obsessed and crazy,¡± Letho exined.


    They thought things would go smoothly until the end, but things were never easy for them. On the eighth day, a man with crazy hair came to the cksmith shop, and he was humming an eerie tune.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 204

    <strong>Chapter 204: Kalkstein</strong>


    A middle-aged man was squinting at the space ahead of him. He was humming an eerie tune, and his saffron robe billowed in the air as he swayed. He looked like someone who drank too much wine, or maybe he was having an episode of fits. He went straight to the cksmith shop, as if he did not see the witchers standing sentry outside the door. In the end, he bumped into Letho¡¯s chest.


    The man was jolted awake, as if he¡¯d been dreaming before, and his eyebrows furrowed into a frown. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He looked up.


    The man had a peculiar face. His dark-brown hair was billowing in the air, and it was glistening with grease. Dandruff filled his shoulders, and a messy goatee adorned his chin. He had a protruding brow ridge, t nose, and a mousey look. Roy squinted at him. The man looked like a baboon in a robe.


    ¡°That¡¯s our line. You should watch where you¡¯re going.¡± Roy held down the urge tough and pointed at the sign that said ¡®Closed.¡¯ ¡°The shop is closed for now. They aren¡¯t taking any customers. You cane back in two days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for the shop. I¡¯m here for that guy inside there.¡± The man sneered, and Roy thought it was impossible for a baboon to sneer. ¡°He took my money, but he didn¡¯t do his job. He vited the contract, and it¡¯s all written here!¡± The man whipped out a contract and showed it to the witcher. ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal. Even a king has to respect that. Are you going to stop me from taking my money back?¡±


    The witchers realized this must have been Berengar¡¯s creditor. <em>He¡¯s the madman Berengar talked about. He just has toe when the swords are almost done. </em>¡°Calm down, sir. Berengar is no deadbeat.¡±


    ¡°Are you his friends? Witchers from the same school? Are you paying his debt for him?¡± The man nced at Roy, stopping for a moment to look at his eyes and pendant.


    ¡°I¡¯m Roy, and this is Letho. We¡¯re from the Viper School, and you can think of us as Berengar¡¯s friends if you want. How should we address you, sir?¡± Roy looked at the obsidian pendant hanging from the man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kalkstein. I¡¯m an alchemist,¡± the man answered, and Roy cast Observe on him.


    ¡®Kalkstein


    Age: Two hundred and nine years old


    Status: Alchemist (He has mastered the pinnacle of alchemy: potion crafting, biology, chemistry, and magic creation)


    Free sorcerer (Magic flows through his body quietly. He hasn¡¯t joined the Brotherhood of Sorcerers)


    ***


    Roy massaged his temples, and he was starting to get into a dilemma. This baboon of a man before him was no simple guy. If everything went well, he would run into Geralt multiple times in the future. He was a generous alchemist who helped the White Wolf many times. His most important traits, however, was his imagination. He coulde up with a lot of ideas, and Roy remembered himing up with a famous line that went, ¡®Ghouls are our friends. They clean up rotten corpses and keep gues from breaking out.¡¯


    He could not say that Kalkstein was a good man, but he was no viin either. The man had a glorious history, like how he made bombs for Jaskier and bombed Dijkstra¡¯s underground treasure room, and how he burst into fireworks and made a sentence in the sky when Eternal Fire¡¯s witch hunter burned him at the stake. The sentence read, ¡®Eat my dick, Radovid.¡¯


    Radovid was the ruler of Redania, and they had taken over Kaedwen in the east. People feared and worshiped him, but Kalkstein was irreverent. There were a lot of unreliable rumors about him. One example was how he identally created a gue maiden while he was researching the Catriona gue on Fyke Isle. Kalkstein was called Alexander back then.


    <em>I should try to not cross him if I can. </em>¡°Alright.¡± Roy sighed. ¡°How much did you pay him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t go the way you think it will.¡± A cunning glint shone in Kalkstein¡¯s eyes. ¡°ording to the fifth use of the third paragraph in the contract, if Berengar fails in his mission, then he will have to pay me ten times the deposit. That¡¯ll be about two thousand crowns. It¡¯s a hefty sum. Are you sure you want to settle it for him?¡±


    Roy cursed silently. ¡°Sorry. We can¡¯t do anything about that, and Berengar won¡¯t pay that much money.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°And I think ten times the deposit is unreasonable. It¡¯s usury, and it goes against Vizima¡¯s localws. It¡¯d be eptable if it was double the sum of the deposit.¡±


    Kalkstein raised his head up high and shook his head. ¡°I hired a witness in Vizima¡¯s court before we signed the papers, and this is legal. Strictly no discounts. If you aren¡¯t going to pay for him, then stay out of my way.¡± He tried to go into the shop, but he bumped into Letho¡¯s chest again.


    ¡°Can you give us some time? Two days¡­ No, half a day. You cane back tonight.¡± Roy gritted his teeth. The weapons would be out in two days, and Roy would not have to defend Berengar again. ¡°He¡¯ll talk with you once he¡¯s done with his work.¡±


    ¡°Witchers are all the same. Why should I trust you? He might have escaped by then.¡± Kalkstein put his hands behind his back and shook his head. ¡°Time is money, and you¡¯re costing me a lot of crowns. I have a lot of work back at theboratory. I don¡¯t have time to waste. Get out of the way if you aren¡¯t paying.¡±


    ¡°What do you want then? Berengar doesn¡¯t have that kind of money.¡±


    Kalkstein suddenly licked his lips. ¡°Witchers have incredible resistance to acid and poison. Their recovery abilities are off the charts, and they can survive in incredibly harsh climates thanks to their mutation. You¡¯ll make excellent test subjects. If he¡¯s not paying, then he¡¯ll have to sell himself to pay off his debt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a gentler way of doing this?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Kalkstein gave the witchers a mysterious look. ¡°He won¡¯t have to pay anything to me if he finishes his job, but it seems like he¡¯s busy with your request now.¡± He paused for a moment, and he said, ¡°If you¡¯ll take his ce andplete his request, then the debt will be canceled.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! You snooped around before you came and set us up just for this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Roy gave the weird man a look. He might seem crazy, but he was more meticulous than he looked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force anyone to do anything.¡± The alchemist puffed his chest, looking all calm.


    The witchers exchanged a nce. They had a choice: pay two thousand crowns orplete a request. They chose thetter in the end. <em>Maybe this won¡¯t be a hard request. And Berengar will owe us one if we help him out. </em>¡°Fine.¡± Roy heaved a sigh. ¡°What do you need us to do, alchemist?¡±


    ¡°You gentlemen will have to sign a contract of confidentiality before we can talk about the details.¡±


    ¡°Will you do this, Letho? Or should I go?¡±


    Letho looked at the baboon of a man in front of him, searing his face in his mind. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t sign anything but the contract of confidentiality.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Roy was curious about the alchemist¡¯s request, so he left with Kalstein and went to a room in a nearby inn. The alchemist handed him a contract that was chock full of paragraphs and uses. It was then Roy realized that the contract was not just legally binding; it was magically binding as well.


    Magical contracts had spells cast on them, and they would bind the signees through magic. If any use was broken, they would have to pay a steeper pricepared to what they would if they signed regr contracts. It was the same thing with this contract. If the signee were to tell anyone about the content of the request, they would be transformed into a frog and stay that way for a year.


    <em>Berengar must have signed this contract before. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t tell us anything about the request. Turned into a frog? That¡¯s a nightmare. It¡¯s worse than hell.</em>


    Roy read through the contract and hesitated for a long time before he slowly signed the contract. Even so, he was not sure if he would take the request. If it was too dangerous, Roy would never do it. He would not put himself at risk.


    The contract had two copies. Roy would keep one, and Kalkstein would keep the other.


    ¡°Good.¡± Kalkstein broke into an ugly smile. He was warming up to the witcher before him. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk business. My request is simple. I need you to get some information for me.¡±


    Roy extended his hand and told Kalkstein to keep talking.


    ¡°I need you to infiltrate aboratory near Foltest Fortress and get an experiment journal for me.¡±


    ¡°Whoseboratory is it?¡±


    ¡°A sorcerer from a foreignnd.¡±


    Roy had a weird look on his face, and he refused, ¡°I¡¯m a witcher, not somemon thief. Your request is out of the range of my specialty. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, yes, you are stealing something.¡± He coughed and leaned back into the sofa. Kalkstein exined patiently, ¡°But skills don¡¯t matter here. Courage and an iron will do. Thisboratory is filled with traps!¡± Kalkstein sounded displeased. ¡°They¡¯re the work of Azar Javed.¡±


    ¡°Azar Javed?¡± Roy looked at him. That was the sorcerer the mayor hired after they beat Dagon for Adda. He opened a portal to Cintra for him and Letho. Azar wanted a vial of witcher blood in return, but Roy gave him a vial of mixed blood instead. <em>I wonder if he found anything from the blood I gave him. </em>¡°He¡¯s Vizima¡¯s royal consultant, isn¡¯t he?¡± <em>Triss shouldn¡¯t be Foltest¡¯s consultant at this point in time just yet. </em>


    ¡°You know him?¡± Kalkstein asked.


    ¡°Met him once. I can¡¯t say I know him, or that he¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°Good. You can¡¯t show mercy in this job.¡± Kalkstein went into the details. He and Azar were mad scientists living in Vizima. They had the same interests, so they maintained an amicable rtionship and exchanged their experiment results once every few days. However, recently, Azar would either show upte or skip the meeting altogether.


    Kalkstein shrewdly realized that he was conducting an important experiment, or he might have found a great test subject. Kalkstein wanted in on that, but Azar was adamant on not telling him anything. He shot down a mad scientist who would give everything for his experiments, and Kalkstein could not forgive that.


    ¡°Azar Javed¡¯stest experiment goes against the ethics of scientific research and discussion. He took the wrong path, and as his erstwhile friend, I have the responsibility of correcting his mistakes,¡± Kalkstein said, looking serious. ¡°But I can¡¯t enter hisboratory myself. I would set his traps off, but witchers are a lot more resilient than most people, making them the perfect candidates for this job.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what kind of logic is that? You want me to steal the fruits of someone¡¯sbor, and you call it an act of justice? The audacity.¡± Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead. Still, he disliked Azar, since he helped someone invade Kaer Morhen in the future. Getting in his way and ruining his experiment sounded fine for him.


    ¡°The operation will start tomorrow. I¡¯ll find an excuse to make him leave hisboratory. You¡¯ll use a scroll to turn yourself into an oriole and get into hisboratory to find his journal.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What¡¯d you say? Are you for real?¡± Roy had a surprised look on his face. <em>This guy is crazy. He wants to turn me into a bird?</em>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s perfectly safe.¡± He gave the witcher an ugly smile. ¡°Orioles are small enough to get past all the traps in theboratory easily.¡±


    ¡°Hold it. Hold it right there. I am not going to turn myself into some kind of animal. That¡¯s absurd, and I can¡¯t guarantee my own safety,¡± Roy interrupted. He then said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to change the terms of the contract. You need to pay me more. The reward is not enough as it is right now.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 205

    <strong>Chapter 205: Infiltrating the Laboratory </strong>


    Most alchemists could give potion ingredients, bombs, ormon potion recipes as reward, but Roy had something else in mind. He needed a disguise for his griffin, and Kalkstein knew a certain transfiguration spell. <em>He can turn me into a bird. He can surely turn Gryphon into something else. </em>¡°Mr. Kalkstein, you can¡¯t expect anyone to work for nothing. Even a horse needs its carrots. What I want is your transfiguration spell.¡±


    ¡°You cheeky little bloodsucker. You can¡¯t expect me to teach a witcher magic? That¡¯s like asking a rooster toy eggs.¡± The alchemist screeched and pulled a strand of his beard out, and he winced. ¡°Anything but that.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an extra scroll or two lying around? The one that can turn someone into a bird?¡± Roy did not push his luck. ¡°Can I have a few of those?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do with them?¡±


    ¡°I have a really big pet. Terrifyingly huge, it is.¡± Roy made a big circle in the air, roughly making out the size of the grifin¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯d probably be arrested if I took it with me in public. It needs a friendlier face.¡±


    ¡°What kind of pet? A cross between a cat and a dog?¡± Kalkstein was trying to figure out the pet Roy mentioned. It piqued his interest, and his chin did not hurt as much anymore.


    ¡°Just a regr monster.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. As far as I know, monsters are impossible to train.¡± He spun around and mmed his left fist into his right hand. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give you something after you finish the request. It¡¯s a magic crystal I made a long time ago. There¡¯s a transfiguration spell embedded in it. Just inject enough mana into it and you can turn your target into a random animal. You can use it once per day, and the effectsts for twenty four hours. Even witchers can use it.¡±


    <em>If I can get that crystal, I can take Gryphon with me everywhere I go. </em>¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Roy was overjoyed that Kalkstein had something he desperately needed, but he held his excitement down. ¡°Something that powerful muste with some sort of condition.¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Kalkstein felt awkward that Roy saw through him. ¡°Your target has to stay still when you¡¯re casting the spell, and it must trust you unconditionally. If it even tries to fight back, the spell will backfire and turn the caster into an animal instead.¡±


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Roy¡¯s face froze. <em>No wonder Kalkstein was happy to give me that. A scroll is probably more practical than this crystal. I¡¯d have to be mad to willingly turn myself into an animal. </em>The condition was not a problem for Roy, however. Gryphon trusted him unconditionally after all.


    ¡°So, what will it be, kid? Time is money, and I don¡¯t have time to waste on you.¡± Kalkstein craned his neck, staring at Roy with anticipation.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to add that new term into the contract.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Right away.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You sure you want to sign this contract, kid?¡± Letho put the contract down and gave the alchemist a questioning look. The alchemist felt offended, and he red back at Letho.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I need your opinion. What do you think about this contract?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for me, but we¡¯ll need a safety for you.¡± Letho came up with another term a momentter. ¡°Mr. Kalkstein, we¡¯ll need to have a use that guarantees our safety. It needs to be magically binding just in case something were to happen to Roy. If he¡¯s hurt or dead, you¡¯ll have to pay the price that includes and is not limited to death.¡±


    The alchemist grinned. ¡°Of course. Right away. I¡¯lle up with a new contract. You gentlemen can make your decision after that.¡±


    Roy had an escape strategy at the ready. He would leave his weapon with Letho and teleport himself away if he were to run into any unwanted circumstances. Of course, he would have to see if the teleportation still worked after he was turned into a bird.


    ***


    The crimson sun rose above the horizon the next morning, shining down on Foltest¡¯s castle. A shady man with a bandana and stud came out of a double-story vi near the castle, and a mousey art enthusiast followed. They chatted happily and went down the streets like friends.


    Right after they left, a yellow bird with ck eyes and underwings flew high up into the air, chirping merrily. It flew past the patrolling soldiers and made a beeline for the vi. The oriole circled the vi, but all the windows were shut tightly. There were no cracks from which the bird could enter. It flew up to the roof and hopped to the chimney. It craned its neck and looked down the dark chute, and a momentter, the bird slid down into the chimney, disappearing into the opening.


    The vi had spacious living quarters, but it was shrouded in darkness and silence. A weird, quiet chirping came from the firece, and a petite silhouette fell down to the coal pile on the firece before hopping into the living quarters. It tilted its head and scanned its surroundings, its eyes filled with an almost uncanny cautiousness.


    The bird then noticed a staircase that led to the second floor, and its eyes shone. It pped its wings andnded on the first step of the staircase, taking careful measures to not touch any floorboard or furniture. It stopped and waited to see if anyone woulde out to stop it, but all the bird got was silence. It pped its wings and flew up clumsily, going past three steps. Not a step more, and not a step less.


    The bird flew up another three steps a momentter. The bird realized that it was difficult to control its flying distance in this ustrophobic space. It flew a bit short one time andnded on the edge of the step. The bird almost missed the step and fell, but thanks to it holding onto the step with its other leg, the bird managed to avoid tripping on itself.


    It was a heart-pounding experience, but the bird managed tond on the second floor. The second floor was separated into a few areas. Some of them were hidden in the depths and out of the bird¡¯s sight, though it was not here to explore those areas. The bird hopped all the way to a particr room, following a weird arc.


    Orioles had weak muscles, making walking impossible. Hopping was their only way to ¡®walk¡¯ onnd. Those who did not know better would think they were dancing.


    The door was locked shut, and the bird stopped right outside. Instead of getting closer to it, it tilted its head for a moment. The bird then flew up to the ceiling and into the venttion shaft. The little creature took a few dizzying turns in the shaft and came to another opening. Contrary to the dim dark space outside, the bird noticed a magical, yellow light shining in the room.


    It stuck its head out and looked around the room. There was a row of tables in it, and they were filled with crucibles, test tubes, beakers, and tripods. Witchers would build a makeshiftboratory to make their alchemical supplies, and theboratory the bird saw was a hundred times better than what witchers would usuallye up with.


    There was a rack in the corner of the room, and it was lined with containers filled with colorful liquids. Some of them had weird limbs floating in them. There were a few metal containers standing in the room. They looked like coffins.


    <em>Alright. This is it. </em>Roy opened his beak and took a deep breath, then he charged straight at his target. Hended on a floorboard that had a lily engraved on it, and the floorboard beside it had a rose engraving on it. In fact, the whole room¡¯s floorboards were filled with lily and rose engravings.


    <em>Lilies mean safety. Roses mean traps. That¡¯s what the journal says. </em>Azar Javed was a powerful sorcerer, and he decked hisboratory out with magical traps. It was a dangerous ce, but Kalkstein was not one to shy away from danger. He had been eyeing Azar¡¯sboratory for a long time now, and the alchemist had beening up with a n to infiltrate it. He even came up with theyout of Azar¡¯sboratory behind him. Kalkstein knew all the safe spots and dangerous areas in thisboratory.


    ording to him, most of the traps were recorded in his journal, while Azar would change the rest every month. That was the dangerous part of the mission, and Roy would have to rely on his own experience and instincts to avoid those traps.


    Roy was feeling a bit magical. As a human, his physical capabilities far outssed the regr man. However, after Kalkstein turned him into a bird, Roy¡¯s physical capabilities did not transfer. He could fly and hop, but that was it. As far as birds went, he was a regr bird in terms of strength and reaction speed. He was so weak that a human child could kill him easily. The only different thing was that he had a spell on his beak.


    However, there was also something good that came out of this. Roy could still use his character sheet skills, even in this state. Observe and Teleport were two of the skills he could use, but most importantly, he still had his inventory, and he could transfer items in and out of his inventory. Thanks to these skills, Roy had more confidence inpleting the request.


    He turned his head around and scanned theboratory curiously. <em>There¡¯s an electric trap on that gilded drawer. That book on the center table is filled with magic glue. That pot of flower spreads sleeping gas in its vicinity. That oilmp will blow up if I touch it. That rhino head is¡­ safe.</em>


    Roy flew to the rhino head specimen on the east wall and observed the room from up there. <em>Experiment journal. Where would Azar hide that? In a safe box? A hidden ce? Not likely. He needs to write in it frequently, and from what Kalkstein told me, Azar is as mad a scientist as he is. He¡¯ll have to write any inspiration or breakthrough down the moment he stumbles upon them. He¡¯ll keep the journal in arm¡¯s reach. I wonder what Azar is researchingtely.</em>


    Roy looked at theboratory tables closely. Every single table was thoroughly cleaned, and not even a speck of dust could be seen. Cleanliness was the basic rule of aboratory. However, one table was not as clean as the others.


    Roynded on that exact table. There was a ck tripod standing before him, and a transparent ss tube the size of a forearm hung in the middle. It was filled with colorless liquid and what seemed like a green strand of hair.


    The tweezers and heating element were still lying on the table, and the drawers were half-opened. <em>Azar has probably been working on thistely. </em>Roy came to the edge of the table and poked his beak into the drawer, and he felt it pass through an invisible bubble.


    The spell on his beak buzzed, and the trap did not activate. Roy pulled the drawer open at a painstakingly slow speed, and halfway through, he saw a yellowing diary hidden in the drawer. There was no title on the cover, though there was a line of numbers. July 1261 ¨C August 1261. <em>July to August? I wasn¡¯t in Vizima then.</em>


    Roy flipped to the next page using his beak. ¡®Thanks to Rudolf Vris¡¯ assistant, I have finally procured a strand of her hair. This shall be the first time I have gotten a specimen of her hair. Oh, she is a wondrous yet elusive creature.


    I have decided to halt all research on witchers and turn my attention to this new creature. I do not want to do this, but I have no choice. The blood I received from the witcher is faulty. Experiments show that theponents are a mix of nekker, drowner, Lake Vizima¡¯s fallen vodyanoi, and a steed in heat¡¯s blood. Either the experiment is wed, or that brat somehow managed to deceive me under my nose. He won¡¯t get off that easily. I¡¯ll make sure he pays.


    Rudolf has been pestering me. He wants me to progress the experiment as soon as possible ande up with a feasible n.¡¯


    Roy paused for a moment, then he quickly skimmed through the journal. He did not care or worry about the content. All he wanted was to finish skimming right away. Kalkstein¡¯sboratory had a telescope and surveince crystal. Thetter would copy everything Roy saw. <em>So, magical transcription? </em>


    Roy finished skimming through the thirty-page journal and clumsily closed it with his beak. He pushed the drawer in and made sure it was half-opened, the way it was before Roy opened it.


    He was about to leave theboratory, but Roy hesitated. <em>Azar Javed has been researching witchers up until now. I wonder if he has any records of his research. </em>


    Coral was looking into witcher mutations as well, and she helped Roy a lot during the Trial of the Grasses. <em>Maybe he has something Coral will be interested in.</em>


    Roy opened the drawer under the first one. It was filled with a stack of experiment journals, and all of them were about Azar¡¯s witcher research over the years. However, there was another thing that got Roy¡¯s attention. Contrary to the soft, yellowing papers of the journals, this book¡¯s cover was as hard as a tree bark.


    The cover was worn and out of color. It seemed old, and the title was written in Elder Speech¡ªAlzur¡¯s Wiedzmindarl¡¯len (Alzur¡¯s Witcher Research Journal).


    Roy flipped it open, but he realized that the book was notplete. It was missing a lot of the content, but Roy skimmed through it and put everything back to where they were before he carefully flew back out the same way he came in.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 206

    <strong>Chapter 206: Conspiracy Arises</strong>


    The sun was slowly climbing to the center of the sky, and the temperature started to rise.


    A yellow bird suddenlynded on the balcony of a vi in the trade quarter. It pped its wings, moved its ws, and chirped a few times before hopping into the vi.


    A puff of white smoke spread across the room, and a tinge of ck appeared in it. A momentter, a slender man with dark-gold eyes came out of the smokescreen. Roy took a deep breath and looked at himself. He had returned to his human self, and not even a feather was seen on the ground. <em>This is one precise spell. I¡¯ll have to try it again if I have the chance. </em>He liked soaring across the sky, and he wanted to fly more.


    ¡°Congrattions, witcher.¡± The man sitting before the desk swiveled around. He broke into an ugly grin, and his brown-colored goatee trembled as well. ¡°It was a clean operation. You didn¡¯t even leave any evidence behind. I¡¯d say you exceeded all expectations,¡± Kalkstein praised. ¡°Mr. Roy, I have to say that you more than made up for Berengar¡¯s mistake. You¡¯ve certainly changed what I think of witchers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also thanks to your n. So, about that debt¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s forgiven. And I¡¯ll be giving you your reward. Here, the crystal, as promised.¡± Kalkstein produced a rhombus-shaped crystal the size of a fist, and it was gleaming brightly.


    ¡®Magic Crystal


    Contains a spell made by the famous alchemist¡ªKalkstein


    Random Transfiguration Level 1: Costs 100 Mana. Channel your mana into the crystal for one minute and turn your target into a random animal. Includes but not limited to: cat, dog, lizard, pig, fish, rabbit, and pigeon. One charge per day. Effectsts for twenty-four hours. Warning: the spell will backfire if the target retaliates during the channeling.¡¯


    Roy cocked his eyebrow and tucked the crystal away in his inventory. He turned his attention to the telescope that was standing upright beside the desk. It had a surveince crystal embedded in it, and the crystal had turned into a colorful screen, slowly ying the scene Roy saw in theboratory.


    Kalkstein made a circle in the air with his right index, and a quill scribbled away on a paper without anyone holding it. For a moment there, only the rustling of the paper was heard in the room.


    ¡°Mr. Kalkstein, I¡¯m curious about a part of the records as well, can I¡ª¡±


    Kalkstein tensed up, and his face fell. ¡°What did I tell you before the operation?¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he exined, ¡°I don¡¯t have to read everything. I just need thatst bit. It won¡¯t take too long. I can just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Again, witcher, this is science.¡± Kalkstein interrupted him, and the look on his face was reced by a happy smile, while Roy felt himself palpitating. His jaw dropped a little. Kalkstein continued, ¡°And science prides itself in discourse. You¡¯re a partner of mine, technically speaking. Of course you can go through Azar¡¯s journal.¡±


    Roy could see the excitement bubbling in Kalkstein¡¯s eyes, and the alchemist beckoned Roy. ¡°Come. We shall watch this together, and don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    ***


    The journal of Azar read, ¡®This is a gorgeous and magical creature. Legends are told about them, but few have ever seen their true face.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Experiments show traces of seaweed in the specimen. She might not be amphibious. Her looks might have deceived me. They can¡¯t stay onnd for too long. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be severely weakened if she stays onnd for more than one week.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®The specimen has incredibly low resistance against acid and fire. In other words, she has low defenses. If she is ambushed, even regr weapons can damage her.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Rudolf says she possesses some sort of charm magic. She can nt suggestions in the subconscious of humans and non-humans just by talking, looking, and moving. Everyone will be inevitably drawn to her, but this is not anything I can¡¯t handle. Some simple anti-witchcraft equipment should keep her spell at bay. She also takes a liking to people with virtue. I can use that.¡¯


    ***


    Roy rubbed his eyes. They were starting to feel dry. He looked away from the screen. The young witcher might¡¯ve looked calm on the outside, but he was actually shaken on the inside. He thought this was just an interesting request, but he never would have expected the journal to contain a conspiracy. ¡°That bastard is trying to find the Lady of the Lake¡¯s weakness!¡±Roy might have not contacted Vivienne a lottely, but he did take her sword, and her existence could benefit him. Roy could not stand by and watch as someone was trying to attack Vivienne. ¡°I can¡¯t let them hurt Vivienne.¡±


    Kalkstein heard Roy¡¯s mutterings, and his eyes started to shine. ¡°Vivienne? Goddess of the Church of Virtue and the Lady of the Lake? That¡¯s it! That¡¯s the creature this journal is talking about. So that¡¯s what Azar has in mind!¡± Kalkstein pinched his goatee, looking all excited, and he gushed, ¡°He¡¯s going to work with Rudolf and use the order¡¯s knights to attack a legendary creature! How could I have missed that? The Lady of the Lake! She¡¯s a legendary creature! The best specimen a scientist could ever hope for! Azar is a genius!¡± Kalkstein¡¯s eyes were turning into two little shining beacons, and his face was getting red from the excitement.


    ¡°Who is Rudolf anyway?¡± Roy stood up and gave the alchemist a look. The fanaticism he was showing did not sit well with Roy.


    ¡°Rudolf Vris¡­¡± Kalkstein mumbled, his attention still on the screen. ¡°The leader of Vizima¡¯s Order of the White Rose. Seems like he¡¯s working with Azar. The n¡¯s already in ce. It¡¯s obvious that they want to y a go¡ª No, wait. The Lady of the Lake is a legendary creature, just like how dragons are. They¡¯re ying a¡­ dragon? A Lady of the Lake? A nymph? A¡­¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart sank. <em>So the leader of Vizima¡¯s soldiers and the royal consultant are working together to kill the Lady of the Lake? Why? The Lady of the Lake is the symbol of the church, and Princess Adda is her high priest. This n is a direct vition of the princess¡¯ orders. They¡¯ll be exiled if the princess finds out. No, wait a minute. </em>Roy punched the wall. <em>It¡¯s possible that someone else gave them the permission to do this. Someone really high up in the ranks.</em>


    ¡°How did this happen? The church has only been here for two months, and now it¡¯s going to fall?¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°Letho¡¯s right. The Church of Virtue is in trouble now.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Oh, is this what you want? Alzur¡¯s Witcher Research Journal, huh?¡± Kalkstein broke his train of thought. The screen had flipped through Azar¡¯s journal, but the quill was still transcribing, though this time, it was making a copy of the ancient journal.


    Roy asked Kalkstein for a copy of that.


    ¡°I need to sort the journal out. Some of the details are confusing.¡± Kalkstein was looking at the copy of Azar¡¯s journal like it was his lover lying naked on a bed, asking him to ravage her.


    ¡°Are you interested in Azar¡¯s n as well?¡±


    ¡°And now we wait. Time to steal something again¡­¡± Kalkstein muttered under his breath. Roy could feel his curiosity flooding the air around him. ¡°Right, it¡¯s time for you to leave now, Roy.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Kalkstein.¡± Roy stared the alchemist in the eye. ¡°Advice before I leave. Curiosity begets improvement, but it can also be the source of misfortune.¡±


    ***


    Letho was gazing into the distance when Roy came back to the cksmith shop. The young witcher patted his shoulder, but Letho put his finger to his lips.


    A great fire burned in the shop¡¯s furnace, and a deep red mass of steel slept within the mes. The sea of fire burned it, tempered it, and washed all the impurities out of it. Berengar took the mass of steel out inch by inch with a pair of tongs. The moment the mass was taken out of the furnace, Roy heard it sizzle and pop. The air was filled with white smoke, and it was shaking from the sheer heat the metal was giving off.


    When the smoke faded, all that was left was the deep-crimson steel. Berengar turned it around, and Roy could see the engravings gleaming on the surface. The cksmith was gazing at the de with pride and joy. He whispered to it, as if it were his lover. A momentter, he sighed. ¡°Get in here!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The witchers looked at each other.


    Berengar roared impatiently, ¡°Will someone just get in here already?¡±


    Roy trotted into the shop. The young witcher looked where Berengar was pointing, and he saw an exquisite hilt covered with ck leather just sitting right there. Its crossguard split to two sides perfectly.


    ¡°Pick it up and hold still. Hold it like your life depends on it, and whatever you do, <em>do not falter.</em>¡°


    Roy gripped the hilt tightly and held it in the air. Berengar held the steel with tongs and pointed the base of the de at the hilt Roy was holding up. He thrusted it at the hilt slowly but firmly. A dull scorching sound yed in the air, and the stench of something burning filled the room. The de and hilt came as one, and a sword of the Viper School was made.


    That was not the end, however. Berengar held the sword by the hilt and submerged the de in a water trough. Steam filled the air as the water cooled the de down. When Berengar took it out again, the de was no longer red. Instead, it was a beautiful tinum.


    The de buzzed as it was swung through the air, and the engravings gleamed under the me¡¯s illumination.


    ¡®Viper Sword


    Type: Steel Sword


    Materials: Leather, steel ingot, venom extract, sapphire dust


    Traits: Weighs 5 pounds, hilt measures at 11 inches, de measures at 38 inches


    Affix:


    Sharp de: Thanks to its special craftsmanship, Viper Sword has double the sharpness of other steel swords. It can cut through light armor easily and has greater durability.


    Venomde: Viper Sword is naturally venomous thanks to the ghoul part that went into its creation. The wounds it causes are extremely hard to heal, and they will rot if not treated in time.¡¯


    Berengar handed the sword to Roy and started the finishing touches of the silver sword. Letho came in as well. He looked at the sword closely. Roy could see how much he liked it, but Letho said nothing about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours, Letho.¡± Roy sheathed the sword into the ck scabbard made from ck snake skin, and he tossed it to Letho.


    Letho held the sword, looking a little touched. ¡°You spent a fortune on this, kid. You¡¯re giving it away just like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to Gwyhyr and Aerondight.¡± Roy smiled. He had never nned on changing his weapons. The weapons bound to him were easier to use, after all. The three pairs of swords were meant for Letho, Auckes, and Serrit.


    ¡°You¡¯re still the strongest witcher of the school. The school gets stronger if you get stronger. You should be the first one to wield this sword.¡±


    Letho took a deep breath and unsheathed the sword. He swung it around, and gusts of wind swept across the shop. The de buzzed, and Roy could see nothing but white shes of light as Letho swung the sword around. ¡°Money well spent.¡± Letho strapped the sword to his back happily.


    Berengar handed him the silver sword a momentter.


    ¡®Viper Silver Sword


    Type: Silver sword


    Materials: Leather, iron ingot, silver ingot, venom extract, sapphire dust.


    Traits: Weights 4 pounds, hilt measures at 12 inches, de measures at 40 inches.


    Affix:


    Mana Reduction¡­


    Venomde¡­¡¯


    Letho finally got his hands on the swords of their school, and for the first time, his face was red with excitement, and he muttered under his breath, ¡°See this, Kolgrim? You didn¡¯t die for nothing. We made these thanks to the blueprints you brought us.¡±


    ¡°Recreating the school¡¯s weapons is just the first step, Letho.¡± Roy sounded delighted as well. ¡°But it¡¯s a good start. If we keep this up, we¡¯ll eventually revive the school.¡±


    Berengar was exhausted. He leaned against the wall and stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 207

    <strong>Chapter 207: Pce in the Lake</strong>


    ¡°What about that alchemist¡¯s request?¡±


    ¡°Ipleted it for you. You owe him nothing now.¡± Roy smiled. ¡°Berengar, it¡¯s an interesting request. Why¡¯d you refuse?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s <em>interesting?</em>¡± Berengar looked up at him weirdly. He had a nk look in his eyes, as if he remembered something horrifying. ¡°You got guts, kid. If I were you, I would never let any sorcerer turn me into a furry creature. It¡¯s disgusting. But I owe you one for handling this for me, so¡­¡± Berengar slicked his greasy hair back. ¡°I¡¯ll finish this job for half the price.¡±


    ¡°That request is a different thing. You¡¯ve worked really hard, and you deserve this. Besides, we agreed on the price, and Letho won¡¯t let you cut the price.¡± Roy handed the note to him, pretending to be generous. However, when he turned around, he winced, as if refusing the offer had hurt him. ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you then. Two pairs left.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks for the crowns then. I can drink all I want now.¡± Berengar tucked the note away and yawned. ¡°Now that my debt is cleared, I don¡¯t have to be on the run anymore. Time to get some sleep. I¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡±


    Berengar flicked water off his hand and stood up. He was hunched over from all the exhaustion, and he went past the witchers, trudging into the night outside.


    ¡°Remember what I said!¡± Roy shouted after him. ¡°You have enough money to go back!¡±


    Berengar paused for a moment, and his face fell. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word about Kaer Morhen.¡± He went away even faster after that.


    Letho held the swords tightly, staring at Berengar. ¡°Why¡¯d you want him to go back, kid?¡±


    Roy stretched his arms. ¡°There¡¯s only four witchers left in the Wolf School. I thought it¡¯d be great if we can convince one of their members to return.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. We haven¡¯t received any news from Geralt yet. You don¡¯t even know if we <em>can </em>go to Kaer Morhen.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°And Berengar has left his school for many years. He¡¯s used to working alone. It won¡¯t be easy convincing him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s considering it. I can feel it, but it¡¯ll take more than that for him to return.¡± Roy remembered the conspiracy against Vivienne, and he changed the topic. ¡°But first, I¡¯m going to see the Lady of the Lake. Are youing?¡±


    ***


    The moon draped thend in a silvery nket, and ripples spread across Lake Vizima. White foamy waves suddenly appeared on theke¡¯s surface, and a strange creature leapt onto the slimynd at thekeside. Its scales gleamed under the moonlight, and its limbs were thrashing.


    The creature had a fish¡¯s head, and its gigantic eyes were rolling around, as if trying to see something. The creature seemed to be an old one. There was a long pair of white whiskers growing out of the sides of its lips. A piece of tattered cloth hung around its neck, covering its back like some sort of cape, and it had webbed hands and feet.


    The creature rushed to a boulder covered in shells and shouted gibberish at it. It hissed to the air, and a pair of witchers came out from behind the boulder. ¡°We meet again, friend.¡± The young witcher went up to the creature and extended his hand. This creature was Kiko, the sage of the vodyanoy whom Roy took to Vivienne.


    Kiko¡¯s whiskers were shivering in excitement. He held the witcher¡¯s hand and coated his palm with a slimy substance.


    ¡°I know. Reunions should be celebrated, and I¡¯m really happy too.¡± Roy beamed at him. The vodyanoy might look funny with the fish head, but he was a genuine and honest creature. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡®The fallen are vanquished. The goddess has returned. We just weed the twentieth member of our tribe. It¡¯s an adorable little vodyanoy.¡¯


    ¡°Good to hear. Kiko, my friend, the Lady of the Lake did not respond to my summon earlier. Do you know what happened?¡±


    Kiko spoke gibberish again and looked at Letho cautiously. He asked a question in anguage only Roy understood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s been through a lot with me, and he respects the goddess too. I wish to take him with me this time. May I?¡±


    Kiko tilted his head and fell into silence, as if he was conversing with some invisible entity. A momentter, he looked back up and nodded, then he extended his hand toward theke.


    Roy asked Letho to follow him, and he unsheathed Aerondight. The de reflected the moon¡¯s light and shone like the sun. He swung the sword, and the Lady of the Lake¡¯s blessing covered him. He stood on the surface of theke and strolled to the center of theke with Kiko by his side.


    ¡°You want me to swim all the way there, kid?¡±


    ¡°Night swims are great for the body. You might want to consider that.¡±


    Letho gave him a murderous re, but Roy ignored him and had a little hushed conversation with Kiko. The vodyanoy pointed at Letho with his pudgy finger, and a green light brushed his head. An invisible force appeared under him, and Letho could stand on water.


    Theke breeze brushed against their cheeks, and the witchers could smell the scent of fish within it. They looked down and saw schools of fish swimming in theke. The asional ck fish would poke on the soles of their shoes, but it would dart back to the depths of theke as Roy walked on.


    Ripples spread out from underneath their feet as they walked. Eventually, they came to an area where theke¡¯s surface was so calm it resembled a mirror. The moon was reflected perfectly, and when the witchers went past that area, it felt like they were walking on the moon itself. It was a magical experience for Roy.


    Eventually, Roy saw a dreamy blue light appearing not far ahead of him. It was not the lights in Vizima, nor was it the moonlight either. The blue light came from a pce in the heart of theke.


    Calling it a pce was an understatement, though. It was not gigantic or resplendent. Eight multicolored pirs surrounded the pce, and seaweed and shellfish hung from them. Water kept dripping from them, as if they just surfaced from under the river.


    The witchers stopped in awe before the pce. It was not here thest time they were in Vizima, and they did not see it during the day.


    Kiko exined the pce¡¯s appearance to them. He said it used to be a sunken pce hidden in the depths of theke and surrounded by Dagon¡¯s evil waters. After Dagon was vanquished, Vivienne took back control of the pce and would summon it to the surface every night. There was actually an ancient empire sleeping under theke. It was home to the vodyanoi since ages ago, and Vivienne stayed there most of the time.


    ¡°An underwater ruin?¡± Roy stepped onto the stone stairs, curious to know more about the ruin. The stairs were already chipped away severely, and it led down to the bottom of theke.


    Kiko stopped in front of the final flight of stairs that would lead them to the pce. He raised his head and stood aside solemnly, as if he were a servant to nobility. He beckoned the witchers to enter, and they did. What they saw was a throne made out of colorful corals, and a big pearl hovered over it, radiating a dreamy blue light that illuminated that pce.


    Ady was lying on the thronenguidly. She held the throne¡¯s armrest, her gigantic fish tail swaying around, its scales glimmering under the pearl. Her upper body was leaning on the other side of the throne, and she held her chin with one hand. Her green, luscious hair covered half her face and all of her beautiful body, revealing nothing but her childlike face and rosy lips.


    She blinked at Roy. ¡°Roy, the knight of Vizima. Finally here to see me, are you?¡± Thedy¡¯s voice filled the throne room. Contrary to her figure, she had the voice of a child, though there was also a kind of alluring charm to it.


    Roy held his pendant down. It was vibrating like crazy. He managed to quash all the horny thoughts thanks to his extraordinary will, and he gave Letho a look that told him to keep his eyes down.


    Vivienne had changed a lotpared to thest time Roy saw her. She was even more alluring now, and she had also gained a lot of power. Mana swirled around her, and it was almost palpable.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 208

    <strong>Chapter 208: Vivienne¡¯s Request</strong>


    The moon floated far, far up in the sky, yet it generously illuminated the night. It draped a silvery dress over Lake Vizima, adorning it with the twinkle of the stars. The night breeze blew across theke and filled the throne room with a refreshing kiss of the night. Roy curled up a little, however. The cold was getting to him.


    ¡°Lady Vivienne, I have returned from Brokilon. Lady Henn-na sends her regards. It has been a while since ourst meeting, but your beauty has only grown since then.¡± Roy bowed to her. He looked at Vivienne and wondered how he should feel about her. <em>What do I think of her anyway? My liege? I don¡¯t feel fear or anything like that. Friends? But she¡¯s too passionate and alluring. I can¡¯t get too close to her. Lover? No way. No matter how big my head gets, I won¡¯t ever believe a passionatedy like her would fall for me.</em>


    There was a connection between them, however, and he could not deny that. His virtue was the thing that connected them, and they both stood to gain something from this rtionship. Vivienne blessed him with a weapon and granted him a lot of convenience in life, while he would keep her safe in return.


    <em>Just like what I¡¯m about to do.</em>


    ¡°It has been two hundred years since I saw Henn-na.¡± Vivenne reminisced in silence for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve received her regards. Might this warrior beside you be Letho of the Viper School?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is my mentor.¡±


    ¡°No need to be so tense.¡± Vivenne smiled at Letho, and the night sky lit up a little, as if the stars were twinkling brighter. ¡°I still haven¡¯t thanked you for your help during the battle with Dagon. How is the ring working for you?¡±


    ¡°It works well. Thank you for your generous gift, Lady of the Lake.¡± Letho held his hand before his chest and bowed, but he still seemed calm.


    ¡°What brings you here today, Roy? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here just to send Henn-na¡¯s regards to me.¡±


    ¡°I have disappointed you, mdy. Even though I have epted your de, I failed to spread your gospel to the people. Princess Adda has done a much better job than I could ever do.¡±


    Vivenne chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re selling yourself short. Adda is a great priestess, but she only bowed to me because you gave her that suggestion.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t agree to it.¡± Roy asked the question that had been haunting him a little all this time. ¡°If you really wanted to form a religion around you, you could have gotten the fishermen and vodyanoi to build the church.¡±


    ¡°I was a sweet, innocent nymph, until Dagon attacked. I lived a peaceful life for a long time thanks to the magic theke has given me.¡± Vivienne¡¯s voice echoed in the hall. ¡°But Dagon¡¯s attack opened my eyes to how weak and foolish I was. I had so much power in me, but I couldn¡¯t even drive a little extradimensional pest away. If I¡¯d had the faith of all residents in Lake Vizima, I could have vanquished Dagon alone. You might not even have had to help. But I have to thank that pest for reminding me to stay vignt.¡± Vivienne pursed her lips, and the air around her seemed to turn a bit colder. Ripples spread out on theke¡¯s surface, and gusts of wind blew in the air. ¡°It¡¯s time for some changes around here. I will not allow another intruder to set foot in thiske.¡±


    Roy said nothing to that. He knew Dagon¡¯s invasion would change how Vivienne saw things, but it was a good change for Roy. He was on Vivienne¡¯s side. The stronger her church was, the easier it would be for Roy to rebuild the Viper School and perhaps gain even more from it.


    ¡°So, what do you think, my brave knight? I am sure you have noticed how quickly my church is expanding. Will you take up a position among the ministers? The great priestess is my sword who will conquer newnds for me, while you will be the shield who protects the church.¡±


    Roy said nothing. He already had his nsid out, but the church was not a part of it. He changed the topic. ¡°Mdy, it¡¯s great that the church is growing, but it¡¯s gaining unwanted attention. I¡¯m really sorry for disturbing you at this hour, but I bring news of a conspiracy against you.¡±


    ¡°A conspiracy?¡±


    ¡°Someone is trying toe up with a n to topple you,¡± Roy said grimly.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not here to catch up with me?¡± Vivienne stopped smiling, and she stared down at the ground. ¡°I knew someone like you wouldn¡¯tnd on my humble home for nothing, Roy.¡± She sighed.


    Roy could see the sadness in her eyes. It was like a blooming lotus that was forced to stay down because of the rain. Anyone else would have felt sympathetic, but not Roy. Roy was no longer the innocent young man he used to be, and he was not swayed at all. ¡°Mdy, you have to listen to me. Adda is involved in this. To be precise, someone close to her is.¡± Roy told her about what he found out in Azar¡¯sboratory, and Letho handed her a part of the journal¡¯s copy.


    Vivienne skimmed through it and sat up straight, her tail moved to the ground. ¡°My knight, I trust that you will not lie to me, but I know Adda very well. I know all her secrets. She is the church¡¯s high priestess. She will not betray me,¡± Vivienne said, her voice soft but firm.


    ¡°The princess knows nothing about this, I¡¯m sure.¡± Roy nodded. Vivienne could see his past thanks to the trial of virtue, and he knew she could see through all of Adda¡¯s actions. ¡°My guess is that the royal consultant and the leader of the Order of the White Rose is hiding this from the princess. Rudolf managed to get a strand of your hair through the princess and handed it to Azar. Azar used it to analyze your weakness, but that¡¯s all I know. They could have gone further than that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great enough that you managed to bring me this.¡± Vivienne gave him a warm, gentle smile, but then she frowned. ¡°The royal consultant and the knight order¡¯s leader are betraying Adda. They¡¯re two of the most powerful men in Vizima. The only one who can convince them to do this is the king, Foltest.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°We think so too, but we have some questions about this whole matter. Foltest loves Adda a lot. There¡¯s no reason for him to do this.¡±


    Vivienne answered, ¡°Vizima is the capital of Temeria and the heart of the empire. Adda is spreading a new religion on his territory. There¡¯s a lot of things that get affected by this. The king will never allow an uncontroble entity to appear on hisnd. The church, <em>my </em>church, unfortunately, is that kind of entity. Of course he¡¯ll suppress it. I expected this. I thought that the church could grow if I had Adda at the helm. Seems like that didn¡¯t work out. Foltest is unhappy with this.¡±


    ¡°The king of Temeria?¡± Roy seemed cautious about Foltest. ¡°Why is he cracking down on your church? If he doesn¡¯t like religion because he can¡¯t control it, shouldn¡¯t he crack down on Lebioda, Eternal Fire, and Melitele? Why¡¯d he only go for you?¡±


    ¡°Simple.¡± Vivienne had a look of resignation on her face. ¡°We might live at the bottom of theke, but it¡¯s not like we¡¯re secluded from the rest of the world. We can gain knowledge about the outside world through the vodyanoi and fishermen. The religions you mentioned are at least a few centuries old, and Melitele¡¯s temples have been around for millennia. It has existed since the darkest times of thisnd. Melitele has believers and temples spread all over thend. Her faith is deeply rooted in thisnd. It won¡¯t be easy for any king or kingdom to attack her. They might cause a rebellion if they do. On the other hand, my church was only created two months ago. Yes, we¡¯re expanding fast, but we aren¡¯t as influential as the other religions are. It won¡¯t be hard for Foltest to crack down on us.¡±


    Roy shook his head. ¡°You spread virtue. You¡¯re different from evil gods like the lionheaded spider. You won¡¯t affect his rule. Why didn¡¯t he try to talk with you? His own daughter is the church¡¯s great priestess.¡±


    ¡°Hey, kid,¡± Letho said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask her that. <em>I </em>can tell you why.¡± He looked at Vivienne, and she looked back at him. Apparently, she wanted to hear his answer as well. ¡°There are barely any gods left in thisnd. If someone tells you that a drop-dead gorgeous goddess exists and is alive, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­would probably pay her a visit. I¡¯d want to witness some miracles,¡± Roy answered without hesitation.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re the regr guy.¡± Letho scoffed. ¡°Rulers possess far greater greed and desire than their subjects. They would want more than just a visit. Get what I mean?¡±


    Roy was figuring out what Letho was saying, and Vivienne nodded at him.


    ¡°What your mentor says is the truth. We are the daughters of theke. We control thekes of the world. Vodyanoi and intelligent creatures that live in these waters are easily attracted to us. They would be our believers, but that¡¯s not the case with humans. Most humans cannot stay true to their principles. They¡¯replex creatures, and most of them are ruled by greed. That is one thing they can never change. They only believe in me because I gave them something in return. If my gift fails to meet their desires, they will not hesitate to rain down disaster on me. A disaster is fast approaching now, and I need your help.¡±


    Roy held up Aerondight and knelt on one knee. Vivienne swayed her gigantic tail and came to the young witcher. He could taste the scent of seaweeding off her.


    ¡°Here, take this bloodstone. Travel to the temple area and embed it into my statue. You know what I¡¯m going to do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    <em>She¡¯s going to absorb the faith energy stored in the statue, huh? </em>Roy looked up at her beautiful hair that tumbled down her chest, her angr jawline, her rosy lips, and finally, her clear eyes. He saw desire burning in them.


    ¡°Seek out Adda once you fill this bloodstone up.¡± Scales gleamed on her arm. ¡°Give the bloodstone to her, and she¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± She then pressed down on Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Once I get through this crisis, I shall reward you, my knight.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 209

    <strong>Chapter 209: The Calm before the Storm</strong>


    The Royal Pce.


    The woman¡¯s eyshes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. She stared at the chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling for a moment before pulling her nket away and getting out of her bed. The first rays of sunshine shone through the window, illuminating her radiant, silky skin, and her slim, alluring figure. The woman was wearing nothing save for a star-shaped sapphire ne.


    She went to the windowsill and took a deep breath, looking up at the sky. She had no makeup on, but that did not make her less beautiful. A smile curled her lips and turned her eyes into slits, and joy coursed through her veins. Ever since she devoted herself to the goddess, the woman had thrown away many of her desires. Her days were filled with simple happiness.


    A momentter, her servants came in and dressed her in an elegant white-gold dress. They sat her down before her dressing table and tied her hair into a pair of braids, letting them tumble down her shoulders. The woman took a moment to admire her looks, and she fell into a trance.


    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty is waiting for you in the dining hall.¡±


    ***


    Adda went to the dining hall. A table long enough to amodate an army stood there. A dozen silver tters lined the table, each filled with a delectable dish. Honey-zed suckling pig, cod with blueberry, roasted steak, steamed mandarin fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, and more.


    A middle-aged man sat around the table. He was none other than the king of Temeria¡ªFoltest. The man was in his prime. He had light brown hair and sharp features. His eyes were gleaming brilliantly, and he was cleanly shaved. He was wearing a white shirt that was bursting at the seams from his muscles. His back was straight, and he seemed full of energy.


    He dabbed the juice off his lips with a white napkin and tapped the chair on his left. The princess took the seat.


    ¡°I waited two months just to have breakfast with you. You¡¯re really busy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Foltest shrugged. Heined, ¡°I¡¯m just a poor lonely father who wants to talk with his daughter. Will you give me that chance?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty, king of Temeria, there are a mountain of things to do. The church is still new, but it¡¯ll be better after some time. I¡¯ll give all my time to you, then.¡± The princess held her father¡¯s hand. She smiled at him and pecked his cheek.


    The king¡¯ smile faded a little. ¡°So, did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been sleeping well for thest two months.¡± Adda sounded delighted. ¡°The nightmares and insomnia are all gone now.¡±


    ¡°Praise the gods. This is great news!¡± Foltest smiled and gave her a piece of steak he cut. It was medium rare, and some blood was oozing out of the meat. ¡°You have to try this. Freshly delivered from Maribor this morning. I asked the chef to make this for you.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty.¡± Adda chewed the steak, but her mouth seemed like it was not moving at all. She did not make even one rude move when she ate. ¡°You should praise the Lady of the Lake. I was only healed thanks to her blessing. She delivered me from the evils of insomnia and bad temper.¡± Adda puckered her lips and pushed the remaining steak away in disgust. She turned her attention to the fruits, vegetables, and the plump mandarin fish.


    ¡°Is the steak not to your tastes? Did the chef ck off again today?¡± Foltest popped a piece of the steak into his mouth. It was plump, juicy, and the texture molded perfectly with the blood. He could feel his taste buds tingle from how great the steak was.


    ¡°The steak is great, and the chef is remarkable as usual.¡± Adda was feasting on the greens and fish. She said through bites, ¡°But I just can¡¯t stand the bloody taste. I¡¯d like to change my menu.¡±


    <em>She dislikes the bloody taste? </em>For a moment there, Foltest was shocked, and he was almost never shocked. ¡°Adda, you told me you loved the taste of raw meat.¡± That was putting it mildly. Adda might have been freed from the striga¡¯s curse a long time ago, but one bad habit remained. She craved blood. Adda loved bloody meat, and she would even drink fresh beast blood sometimes. Medium rare steak was one of her favorite dishes.


    ¡°That was the old me. I¡¯ve changed my mind. Bloody meat is inelegant and cruel.¡± Adda put her cutlery down and stared into her father¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have put that habit behind me thanks to thedy¡¯s teachings. Vegetables, apples, baked bread, and fish caught from Lake Vizima will be what I will have from now on. It¡¯s one way to be a better woman.¡±


    ¡°My daughter¡­¡± A frown furrowed Foltest¡¯srge forehead. He should be happy his daughter had put that craving behind her, but he was feeling more uneasy instead. ¡°Is the Lady of the Lake as powerful and virtuous as the rumors say? It has only been two months, but you¡¯ve changed. It¡¯s like you¡¯re a different person.¡±


    Foltest looked at his daughter again, but closely this time. He realized that he had missed a lot of details about her. Adda the White, the princess of Temeria and the daughter of Foltest, used to be an arrogant, independent woman who preferred light armor over dresses. She brought her dagger wherever she went, and she looked more like an assassin than a princess. However, that day, Foltest noticed that his daughter was acting like a properdy born to royalty.


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s bad?¡± Adda asked.


    ¡°Of course not. At least you¡¯re more likable than how you used to be.¡± It was a great change, of course. At least she could find a better husband this way. However, the change happened too fast. It was as if she were brainwashed, and that worried Foltest. ¡°The Lady of the Lake doesn¡¯t sound like a goddess to me. She¡¯s more like a demon who brainwashes her believers.¡± <em>I will not allow the princess to be controlled by a so-called god. </em>


    ¡°Father.¡± Adda persuaded softly, ¡°I know you will never believe me no matter how much I try to prove the goddess¡¯ power. Why don¡¯t I arrange a meeting? You can witness her power for yourself. I¡¯m the high priestess, and I can request an audience with the goddess.¡±


    Foltest shook his head. Approaching a legendary creature without a strategy was foolish, and it was not what he wanted either. ¡°I have an appointment with Old Baron La Valette. Lammas hase to an end, and it¡¯s the perfect season for bear hunting. I shall travel to the baron¡¯s estate and hunt with him. Let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± Foltest held his daughter¡¯s left hand and gave her an expectant look. ¡°Come with me, Daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it next time. Thanks for the food. Enjoy your breakfast, Father.¡± Adda wiped her mouth off and stood up. She looked outside the west window and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the morning congregation. I have to be at the temple area now. The believers need me.¡±


    Foltest stared down in slight disappointment. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Rudolf to escort you.¡± He gazed at Adda. ¡°Before you leave, my daughter, allow me to give you some advice. You¡¯re Temeria¡¯s princess first and a priestess second. Do not spend too much time on religion.¡±


    ***


    After Adda was gone, an evil-looking, male sorcerer with a nose ring and stud appeared out of thin air. The sorcerer bowed to the king. ¡°Your Majesty, everything is going as nned. Give us your word, and we willunch the attack.¡±


    ¡°Azar Javed, are you sure that her blood can grant me eternal youth and boundless vitality?¡±


    ¡°I guarantee it, Your Majesty. The Lady of the Lake is not that different from dragons. The blood of all legendary creatures are magical elixirs. All it takes is some tinkering around, and we can create potions with different but equally potent effects. Coincidentally, <em>I </em>know how to create those potions. All I need is her blood, and I can make a potion that will grant you a longer life and better health.¡±


    Foltest nodded. ¡°What about the <em>other </em>matter, then?¡±


    ¡°The medicine is entering itsst phase. Three dayster and it¡¯s done.¡± The sorcerer bowed lower and huddled closer to the king. ¡°It¡¯ll make sure the madam and her child are safe. She will deliver the prince safely.¡±


    ¡°The prince¡­ My heir!¡± Foltest stopped frowning, and a look of delight crept onto his face. ¡°What are you waiting for then? Take the medicine to me the moment it¡¯s ready. I wish to surprise her.¡± <em>My beautiful Louisa, I can¡¯t wait to show you this.</em>


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. There is only one god in Vizima, and that is you.¡± Azar hung his head lower, and a subtle smile curled his lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any gods. Just make sure Adda is safe.¡± Foltest paced around the table. There was reluctance on his face, but only for a moment. ¡°Do not break her heart if possible.¡±


    ***


    A big crowd had already gathered around the za when the witchers came, Hundreds of believers congregated under the statue of Vivienne. Some were kneeling, some were staring, while some were muttering praises under their breath.


    The witchers stood out among the crowd with their swords strapped behind their backs. Some of the order¡¯s knights came to stop them before they could even get near the statue. Fortunately, they used to work with the witchers back at the battle on ck Tern Ind, and a strong friendship was forged then. They did not point their des at the witchers. Instead, they weed them with a smile.


    They knew Adda was their friend, so they let the witchers approach the statue. Twodies in white robes stood beneath the statue. They left the center empty. The spot was reserved for Adda the high priestess. There, she would face the goddess¡¯ believers, and there she would bask in the goddess¡¯ blessing. However, she was not here yet.


    Roy came to the back of the statue. The tail blocked him from everyone¡¯s sights, and he cast Observe on it. The young witcher noticed that it was filled with golden light. The faith of the believers crashed like the ocean¡¯s waves.


    ¡®Statue of the Lady of the Lake


    Holy Manifestation. Vessel of Faith


    ???¡¯


    ¡°What is faith anyway? Why do gods desire it so much?¡± Roy took out the bloodstone and put it closer to the statue as Vivienne asked. The moment he did, he saw a stream of golden light swimming into the stone. He felt the stone getting heavier in his hand, and it started struggling, as if the stone were alive. Thissted for two minutes before it came to a stop. At the same time, the bloodstone started to gleam golden. The statue, however, was bereft of faith, as if it were sucked dry. It was just a regr statue at the moment.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 210

    <strong>Chapter 210: Rudolf Vris</strong>


    ¡°Faith sure is heavy for something formless.¡± Roy had a feeling that the faith-filled bloodstone was a precious resource. Before he could think more about it, however, Adda had appeared and broke his train of thoughts.


    She was surprised to see the witchers there, but she had no time to catch up with them. She smiled at them and came to her spot to start the morning ritual. The witchers could not leave just then, so they stood with the knights and guarded Adda for the time being.


    The Church of Virtue would hold a ritual at the temple every morning. It was like the church mass Roy heard of back in his old world, though this ceremony was less of a hassle. Adda held the scriptures and sang the hymns along with thedies standing beside her. The hymns spoke of Vivienne¡¯s holy name and her sacred deeds. The believers would listen or pray in silence as this happened.


    The witchers knew what to do. Back when they were in the temple of Melitele, Nenneke would force them to join the evening prayer every day. They had seen this happen before, and they knew the etiquette involved. Adda would then begin to recite the creed and question the believers about it. The believers would answer her questions. Most of them were on the lowest hierarchy in society. Beggars and the handicapped were present, and a minority of them were the wealthy of the trade quarter who were intrigued by the belief. They were all kneeling and were as close to the statue as possible.


    Adda stood with her head raised up high. She was proper, sacred, and seemingly glowing golden. With every question she asked, magical energy would ripple out and cover all the believers around the statue. That was the magical ability Vivienne bestowed on Adda. Her voice used to be hoarse and husky, but now it was clear and sonorous. The believers answered with fervor, and everyone was whipped into a frenzy. What started out as a mutter eventually turned into shouts and cheers.


    The high priestess would lead the next part. They would sing praises to Vivienne, and the believers¡¯ fanaticism was at a tipping point. When they sang, it was a roar of praises.


    ¡°Praise the goddess. You baptize the sinners. We are your believers. We pray for your mercy. Your mercy. Grant us your blessing.¡±


    Even the knights joined in at the end, singing the song of praise. Roy was reminded of the bonfire during Lammas. The people were as fanatic as these believers were. That fanaticism spread like wildfire, and none was spared, save for the witchers. They were no believers, but the sight of this was shocking enough for them.


    If the high priestess so wanted, she could turn these believers into a furious mob. It was then Roy understood why Foltest was so worried about this new religion.


    The believers had vented all the frustrations after all that singing, and they were smiling in peace. They lined up in a few rows, and the priests and knights took the cloth off the wooden barrels. It was filled with gifts of the goddess: oatmeal, rye bread, and soup. It was a simple meal, but a delicious one. The air was filled with a tantalizing aroma and the warmth of the food. The free food provided by Lebioda¡¯s hospital paled inparison.


    Roy kept casting Observe on the statue and the believers. They would give the statue looks of gratitude as they enjoyed their meal, and a sliver of light woulde out of them and float into the statue, replenishing it with faith.


    <em>The goddess gives them food, and they give her faith in return. </em>Roy made a connection in his mind. <em>Vivienne is like a shepherd, and her priestess rounds the sheeps for her. These believers are the sheeps. She feeds the sheeps and keeps them full, while they give her their wool and milk in return. </em>¡°I wonder where their souls would go in the afterlife. Does the kingdom of god exist?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Oh, you should have told me you¡¯de. I could have shown you around.¡± Adda came to the witchers, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that the church is growing well.¡±


    The princess of Temeria did not sound as demanding and bossy as she had thest time they met. The witchers realized that the Lady of the Lake must have changed her a lot. Roy also noticed a knight with a thick beard behind Adda.


    He was about forty years old, and he was wearing te armor. He had a sword strapped to his side, and the man was even taller than letho. He was built like a bear, and his thick ck beard was connected to his hair. His hair covered his forehead, revealing only his aquiline nose and eyes that had a cold, calcting look in them. He was eyeing the witchers as if they were his prey.


    ¡®Rudolf Vris


    Age: Forty years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Leader of the Order of the White Rose


    Strength: 11


    Dexterity: 9


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 7


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 6


    Skills:


    Sword Mastery Level 6, Horseback Riding Level 6, Crossbow Mastery Level 3, Emergency Healing Level 2


    Well Trained (Passive): Underwent rigorous military training for a long time. +1 to Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength.¡¯


    <em>This world is filled with talented people. They might not be sorcerers or witchers, but they¡¯re formidable warriors in battle, just like this guy here. </em>¡°Who might this be, Princess?¡± Roy asked carefully. He could feel a hint of dangering from Rudolf, and not many people could do that.


    ¡°He¡¯s Rudolf, the leader of the knight order. He¡¯s my bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re here for some private matters.¡± Roy emphasized thest part of the sentence. Adda realized he wanted to talk to her alone, so she told Rudolf to keep everything under control before she went into the church with the witchers.


    After they got out of the knights¡¯ sights, Roy told Adda about the conspiracy against Vivenne. Adda was silent the whole time, though she looked bbergasted, shocked, and pale with anger in the end.


    ¡°Foltest is going to attack the goddess? And he hid that from me?¡± Adda gnashed her teeth, and her face was contorted with rage, while her eyes gleamed with insanity. Her old self was pushing through again. ¡°It¡¯s their fault. Rudolf and Azar must have banded together and lied to my father! Heretics! Traitors!¡±


    ¡°What will you do, Your Highness?¡± Roy asked, sounding a little sympathetic. <em>What will she do? Take her family¡¯s side or protect Vivienne at all costs? </em>¡°Will you keep running the church in Vizima?¡±


    ¡°I follow the goddess¡¯ orders.¡± Adda had a tense look on her face, and the look in her eyes was cold enough to freeze an entireke. ¡°Those who try to destroy the church shall pay the price. If I get rid of them, nobody can deceive my father anymore. Everything will go back to how it was.¡±


    <em>She wants to make them pay? </em>Roy was surprised about that. <em>And Vivienne doesn¡¯t sound like she¡¯s going to back down. But how is she going to fight the order and the sorcerer? Azar did find out a part of her weakness.</em>


    ¡°I will take them to ck Tern Ind tomorrow. They shall meet the goddess themselves.¡± Adda gazed at the young witcher. ¡°You possess the goddess¡¯ sword. She trusts you. You shoulde as well. Come and witness the end of the scoundrels who try to conspire against her.¡±


    The witchers had no choice. If they were forced to take a side, Roy would stand with Vivienne. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Jacques de Aldersberg? I don¡¯t see him around here.¡±


    ¡°He believes in the Eternal Fire. He went to their headquarters in Novigrad to learn more about it.¡± Adda sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t induct him into the church, but I respect his choice.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°The goddess wants you to have this.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Adda raised the gemstone and the scale up. She put the gem under the sun and observed its bizarre inner workings, her face filled with delight and infatuation. ¡°Mortals can never win in a fight against gods. Now that I hold these items, I have nothing to fear from the Order of the White Rose.¡± She let out a heartyugh. ¡°But the goddess advocates mercy and sympathy. I shall grant the traitors a chance to repent.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 211

    <strong>Chapter 211: Last Chance</strong>


    Lake Vizima was covered in a nket of fog. A few boats broke through the fog like little monsters swimming toward the center of theke, and the sun shone on the silhouette of a barren and remote ind.


    ¡°ck Tern Ind.¡± The witchers stood side by side at the bow. It had been two months since the battle with Dagon. Blood was spilled, and the fallen were killed. The evil god, Dagon, was evicted from this dimension, while the fallen vodyanoi were eradicated. <em>I wonder how the goddess is going to deal with this army. They¡¯re armed to the teeth.</em>


    The knights switched out their chain mail for leather armor to ease movement on theke. They had a sword strapped to their side and a crossbow that looked like Gabriel. All of them copied Verden crossbows.


    Rudolf sent these knights here on the pretext of converting to the faith of Vivienne. He said they were here with Adda to witness a divine miracle. Rudolf and his trusted lieutenants were on the other boat, and they had a ck pendant hanging from their necks. It looked like an unassuming pebble that could be found anywhere.


    ¡°Dimeritium.¡± Letho stood behind Roy. ¡°Anti-witchcraft metal. Those nes can ward off magical hypnosis.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to show who the enemies are.¡± Roy looked through the fog and scanned the group of knights on the boats. About three quarters of them were wearing the same ne. The remaining ones were either on Adda¡¯s side, or they did not trust Rudolf. The coincidence was that they were all survivors of the battle of Dagonst time. Azar did not appear, but Roy knew that he could show up anytime if he wanted to. He kept an eye out for the sorcerer.


    The boats finally came near the ind¡¯s shore. Everyone dragged the boats into the grass and followed Adda slowly to the center of the ind. All of a sudden, Adda dropped the priestess act, taking her shoes and socks off to walk on the sands barefoot. She left a pair of footprints behind as she traversed the sands. Her bare calves were revealed, and the robe hung on to her tightly, entuating all her curves. She swayed like a pendulum, her dazzling figure attracting the eyes of the knights.


    They quickly averted their gazes and stared down. Rudolf, however, was starting to feel suspicious about the whole matter. However, none of them noticed that bubbles were appearing on theke¡¯s surface behind them.


    ***


    ck Tern Ind used to have a great forest covering it, but a certain knight burned it to the ground during thest battle. The burn marks were still visible even after two months. Charred wooden stakes stood where trees used to. Sticks and leaves that had turned to ash were strewn throughout thend, and beastly remains were scattered among the ashes.


    A statue of Vivienne stood deep in the ruins. She looked as lifelike as the one back in the temple area, but there was a difference. This statue was holding a slender sk with vines and seaweed protruding from the sk¡¯s mouth. Fish, crustaceans, and mollusks stuck to the sk¡¯s outside, and dewdrops hung from them.


    The leaves rustled as Adda made her way to the altar. She turned around and smiled at the knights. ¡°Guardians of Vizima, if you wish to be graced by the goddess, you must cleanse yourself by drinking the holy water in the altar. You must be cleansed of your putrid sins. Those whoe with malice in their hearts must drink more.¡±


    Adda held the cracked bowl beside the altar and scooped up the ¡®holy water¡¯ in it with her hands. The holy water looked just like clear water. It was colorless and odorless. ¡°Which of you wille forth and show an example for your fellow knights?¡± Adda held the bowl and looked around her. Most of the knights she looked at hesitated, and they stared down in shame.


    Even Rudolf was the same. He stared down and avoided meeting her gaze.


    ¡°No volunteers?¡± Adda¡¯s smile faded, and she finished the bowl of holy water herself. The liquid moisturized her lips and flowed down her chin. It traveled down her neck and drenched her chest, almost revealing the skin underneath.


    Roy had no idea if the holy water tasted like wine, but he did see Adda turn red after a while. She wiped the water from her mouth with her finger, and a mark of her lips was imprinted on the edge of the bowl. The knights looked at the bowl with passion. ¡°Who¡¯s going to go second? Don¡¯t tell me the order has even less courage than a woman.¡± Adda gave them a challenging-yet-encouraging look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± The young witcher epted the challenge. He epted the bowl of holy water and downed it in one gulp. He showed the clean bowl to everyone, and the mark Adda left on the edge of it had blurred. Much to Roy¡¯s surprise, the holy water was not as tasteless as it looked. It was slightly bitter at first, but then Roy could taste the sweet scent of blood in it, though he was sure it was not human blood. He felt a surge of warmth coursing through his veins, and he checked his character sheet.


    ¡®Constitution: 11.6 ¡ú 11.8.¡¯


    <em>Not bad. Got a 0.2 point increase in Constitution. </em>


    Adda promised the knights, ¡°I guarantee that the holy water contains the goddess¡¯ blessing. It grants vitality and strength to those who drink it. Nothing bad will happen! I had to pay a heavy price just to get this gift for everyone!¡± Adda said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time! Any takers?¡±


    Finally, a knight stepped forth. He was a burly man with brown hair and brown eyes. The man gazed at the princess with fiery fanaticism, and he downed the holy water in one go. Roy knew who he was. He was Clevnd, who used to be stationed in Ender. <em>Looks like he¡¯s Adda¡¯s ardent supporter now. </em>


    With Clevnd taking the lead, the knights had nothing to fear. In the end, nine more knights came to Adda¡¯s side. All of them, including Clevnd, were involved in the battle with Dagonst time. The other knights were with Rudolf. They had dimeritium nes hanging from their necks, and they remained silent. Rudolf Vris stood in the center of that group, crushing the knights who even tried to take a step forward.


    Adda heaved a sigh. She went to that group of knights, holding the bowl of holy water in her hands. The princess gave them a look, but they were unfazed. Most of the knights were nearly thirty years old. They had great resolve in their eyes, and their hands were filled with calluses from all the years of training and battles they were involved in. However, one of the knights was slightly shorter than his peers. He looked nervous, and he was breathing heavily. The knight seemed to be shivering from being too nervous.


    A smile curled Adda¡¯s lips, and she turned her attention to that knight. She went up to him, and the knight could taste a sweet scent lingering in the air. He tensed up.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Wa-Waldo, Y-Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re eighteen. How long have you been training under Rudolf?¡± Adda nced at Rudolf calmly, but the look on his face was hidden behind his beard. He noticed her looking at him, and he bowed at her.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve been taking care of his horse since I was tw-twelve. I-It¡¯s been five years,¡± Waldo stammered.


    ¡°I can see why he trusts you, but¡­¡± Adda offered him the holy water. ¡°Rudolf has a lot of capable lieutenants. He can do without you. Now, ept this gift and serve me.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I must apologize!¡± Waldo shouted and buried his head in his chest.


    ¡°You refuse this gift?¡± Adda¡¯s eyes turned into slits, and she chortled. ¡°Stubborn fools. Very well then.¡± She let go of the bowl, and it fell to the ground, shattering into little shards.


    She managed to get everyone¡¯s attention. Waldo quickly went down and picked the shards up. He presented them to the princess, and she caressed his head. She made him look up, and his neck was revealed. The princess took one shard from him, and she said, ¡°Waldo, take a good look around you. This might be yourst chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Wh-What do you mean, Your Highness?¡± Waldo blushed. The princess was being awfully friendly, and he was about to say something, but his life came to an abrupt halt before he could say hisst words.


    Adda cruelly shed the young knight¡¯s neck with the shard, and blood spurted from the gash like a fountain. It drenched her robe in red, but she was unfazed. The priestess raised her hands and opened her arms as she held her head high to face everyone.


    The poor knight held his throat, but it was toote to save himself. His eyes were as big as saucepans, and he was gurgling. He eventually fell back down to the ground, all the life snuffed out of him.


    The princess acted too swiftly for the other knights to save him. Even if they reacted in time, they still could not do anything to her. They were her knights, and they would never attack the princess. Foltest specifically asked them to protect her at all costs.


    ¡°Wh-What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?¡± Rudolf¡¯s beard was trembling. He was enraged, but he held it down, though he was already reaching for his sword.


    ¡°Rudolf, you traitorous viin! You conspired with the royal consultant and attempted to attack the goddess! I put my faith in you, but you trampled on it! This is unforgivable!¡±


    ¡°She knows! Knights, to your positions!¡± Rudolf held his hand up, and the knights formed a square-shaped formation.


    ¡°You havemitted an act of transgression against the goddess! All of you shall pay for it in blood!¡± Adda snapped her fingers, and something screeched in the air.


    A gale swept through the ind, and a terrifying sight overwhelmed everyone. More than a dozen vodyanoi broke through the soil and leapt out of the ground. They held harpoons and bats in their hands, screeching at the air as though they were prepared to kill. Their dorsal fins stood straight up, and their gills were puffed.


    It was a fearful sight by itself, but that was not the end of it. A strange gurgling was hearding from theke, and then dozens of drowners sprang from theke. They charged toward the knights, as if goaded by an unseen force.


    The knights standing with Adda were in shock, but Adda assured them, ¡°Calm down. You¡¯re one of us now that you¡¯ve drunk the holy water. The goddess¡¯ herald will only take the lives of heretics.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 212

    <strong>Chapter 212: Interrupted Spell</strong>


    Roy was watching in awe. Witchers had always been sworn enemies of monsters, but now they were going to work with vodyanoi and drowners to fight the knights. Roy did not have much time to think about the gravity of the matter, for the battle had begun.


    Adda held the colorful scale up and mumbled incantations under her breath, raining down a multicolored beam of light on the charging vodyanoi. Under the spell¡¯s influence, the vodyanoi turned bigger, and so did their muscles. Most of them were smaller than the knights at first, but now they were bigger than them.


    The knights countered by raining down a volley of arrows on the vodyanoi, but it was to little effect. The most the arrows did was prate ayer of the scales, but most of them slid off the monsters¡¯ slimy skin. The rain of arrows did not stop the vodyanoi¡¯s attack. They came bearing deadly weapons, mming straight into the formation like a spear charging into a group of soldiers.


    One of the vodyanoy got most of the knights¡¯ attention. It was even bigger than Rudolf, and it looked like a bear that just came straight out of its cave. While its brethren were holding harpoons and bats, this vodyanoi was holding a small ck alder. It spun through the battlefield with this tree in hand, and Roy could hear the wind roar as three knights and their weapons were sent flying away.


    The vodyanoi held the tree up and mmed it to the ground. A gust of wind rippled through the battlefield, and one of the knights was caught by it. His chest caved, and he bled from his face. The man died on the spot.


    The vodyanoi¡¯s gills bulged, and it let out an eerieugh as it swung its tree even more. Most of the knights focused on that big monster. They circled and stabbed it from behind, much like a group of hyenas attacking a lion.


    The mutated vodyanoy had greater size and strength, but it traded its flexibility for that. It could not turn around fast enough, and the knights outnumbered it. Eventually, a few groups of knights surrounded it and took it down.


    The vodyanoi had to fight the knights one to two. They were outnumbered and outssed. All of them might be armed, but they were so full of openings. It was as if they were fighting bare handed. In most cases, the knights would have defeated them with ease, but this time, they came prepared. They were covered in a beautiful light. With Adda¡¯s spells supporting them, pain and blood did not faze them. On top of that, all the minor wounds were healed in an instant.


    The knights were weaker than the vodyanoi, and they were in leather armor instead of their usual chainmail. One wound was all it took to defeat them, and thanks to that, the battle was in a stalemate despite the knights¡¯ superior numbers and discipline. Explosions of light happened sparsely. The knights would toss alchemical bombs at the drowners, stopping them with acid and fire.


    ***


    A stalemate was disastrous for the knights. It meant the monsters around theke could reinforce their brethren in time and kill them. Rudolf eventually made the decision to lead a group of his knights away from the vodyanoi and charge at Adda instead.


    Adda¡¯s face fell. She ordered her knights to stop them, but a few of Rudolf¡¯s men managed to break through the line. Roy then stepped in to stop them instead, while Letho stood beside Adda. His arms were crossed, and he did not show any signs of interfering.


    The attacking knights were veteran fighters. There were three of them, and they worked together seamlessly. They did not go around the witcher, since that would mean showing their backs to him. The mysterious witcher standing in their way smelled like danger. They chose to attack him instead. Two of them took the left nk, while the other charged straight at the center.


    The stench of blood in the air was almost palpable, and it fired the witcher up. He made a sign in the air, and a yellow light surrounded him. Roy charged straight at his attackers. He sidestepped the one in the center, who was about to swing his sword down on the young witcher¡¯s head. The young witcher held the de with his right thumb and swung his sword with both his hands, drawing a circle over his head.


    Gwyhyr smacked the knight¡¯s sword away halfway through the circle, and it carried on with its momentum. When Roy finished the circle, the de had made a round trip, and he held it parallel to his head. The young witcher held his sword in the ox stance, pointing at the knight¡¯s vitals. Before the knight could react, he thrusted his de and struck at the knight¡¯s throat.


    Blood sttered on the ground. The knight felt a stab of paining from his neck. He wanted to block it with his sword, but he was toote. Gwyhyr had pierced through his eyeball. One knight was taken down just like that, and the other knights slowed down. They started circling him and searched for an opening.


    One of the remaining knights raised his sword overhead and leaped ahead, swinging his sword down at Roy¡¯s head. That was just a feint. He wanted to get Roy¡¯s attention and back off while hispanion crouched down and darted ahead, thrusting his de at Roy¡¯s shins in an attempt to stop him from moving.


    Roy did not fall for that. He managed to pull his leg back in time and took half a step back. The young witcher dodged the attack and plunged the hilt of his sword down. He smacked the ambusher¡¯s head, and he fell to the ground unconscious. The other knight tried to attack him again, but he raised Gwyhyr to the left and blocked it. The des spun in the air, and sparks flew between them.


    Both fighters wanted to turn their de and thrust it into their enemy¡¯s throat, but the witcher proved to be faster and stronger. He canceled the knight¡¯s momentum and blocked the de with Gwyhyr¡¯s crossguard as he buried the tip of his sword in the knight¡¯s throat.


    The knight held his neck and let his weapon fall. Roy flicked the blood off his sword, but before he could even catch his breath, a pair of knights charged at him from the right. His face fell, and he crouched down like a big cat prowling for its prey. The witcher leaped into the space between the knight and thrusted his de sideways. He was in a lower position, and the de pierced through the knight¡¯s belly.


    The knight yelped in pain as his innards fell onto the ground. He then swiftly turned his de to the right and stopped the other knight¡¯s attack. Roy slid Gwyhyr up and sliced off the knight¡¯s arm cleanly. The knight screamed in agony, but it was cut short as Roy plunged Gwyhyr into his throat. He held his throat and fell back down. The knight died before he hit the ground, and his eyes were wide open.


    ¡®Knight of the Order of the White Rose killed. EXP +20*4. Level 6 Witcher (1200/3500)¡¯


    Roy had a deadpan look on his face. It was supposed to be a fierce and satisfying kill, but he felt grim. He did not glean a mote of satisfaction from taking the lives of the knights.


    The fight on the other side wasing to an end as well. Burly men and a dozen knights stood atop a hill of corpses, swinging their swords with both hands. They were drenched in blood and looked exhausted. At the same time, only five out of Adda¡¯s ten knights were left. They were huffing and puffing, kneeling on the ground on one knee. The knights were swaying, apparently left with no fight in them.


    Letho had not moved a muscle yet.


    ¡°Snap out of it, Your Highness!¡± Rudolf¡¯s eyes were crimson with rage. He pointed his sword at Adda and questioned, ¡°<em>This </em>is the goddess you serve? You would order the knights to kill their ownrades for her? She¡¯s no god! She¡¯s a demon!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still spheming the goddess even now, Rudolf?¡± Adda smiled gently. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± She looked around, and a drowner leapt onto a knight, pinning him down. The monster devoured the knight, sending strips of flesh flying through the air. The army of drowners banded and formed a wave of destruction, gobbling half the knights up.


    Rudolf looked around at the monsters, and then he did something bizarre. The man took his dimeritium ne down and held it in his hand.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± Roy was confused, but he had no time to think about that. His pendant was starting to vibrate crazily, and it was tightening its grip around Roy¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this much magical energy before! And it¡¯s congregating on this ind!¡± Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he realized what was going on. ¡°The sorcerer never showed up! Was he preparing for this?¡±


    The sky above became overcast, and it blotted out the light of the sun. Darkness engulfed thend, and dark clouds appeared overhead. It expanded quickly and covered the whole ind in a moment. Thunder roared in the distance, and lightning coursed through the clouds like silver snakes.


    Everyone and everything on the ind was struck by fear, and they stopped moving, as if they were petrified. The knights who were severely wounded stopped struggling and howling. Instead, they slowly took their nes off.


    The witchers cast Quen to protect themselves, while Adda backed off and stayed close to them.


    A grand incantation boomed across the ind, as if someone was passing judgment down to them. ¡°Blestcaerme¡­ hendwimmer¡­ marweasnadh¡­ gwenAlzurray¡­¡±


    ¡°Blessed fate¡­ ancient sorcery¡­ death¡¯s sigh¡­ white Alzur¡¯s Thunder¡­ Alzur¡¯s Thunder?¡± <em>Wait, is that the legendary spell? The forbidden one? The one that can destroy half a city in one go? Is he mad? The princess is still on the ind!</em>


    Roy widened his eyes and looked around. For a moment, he suddenly saw a translucent figure appearing out of nowhere beside a charred stake dozens of feet away. He had a hook nose and wore a bandana and stud. The man was making weird hand signs, and the mana around him billowed his robe, turning it into a g.


    He only appeared for a moment before disappearing again. <em>Found you, Azar Javed! You scoundrel! So that¡¯s where you¡¯re hiding. I¡¯m not going to let you cast this spell! </em>Roy crouched down and grasped at the air. A momentter, a silver sh arced across the air.


    Azar¡¯s shield was activated, and the bolt bounced off it. The sorcerer was not hurt, but he was exposed. Even so, he kept looking at the thunderous sky above him as he kept chanting the incantation.


    Roy sent another bolt flying at his shield, but it did not budge. However, Azar felt a strong sense of unease, then he noticed the space before him contort, and ripples spread across the air. A slender young man appeared before his very eyes, as if out of thin air. He had ck hair, golden eyes, and a quiver of belts hung behind him. It was none other than the young witcher.


    <em>How did he do that? </em>Azar asked himself. The sorcerer was still chanting the incantation. The spell was at its most critical moment. Two secondster, the lightning of justice would rain down on the ind of evil. <em>But it doesn¡¯t matter. The shield can hold out that long.</em>


    Or so he thought.


    Roy cast Fear, and countless bloody tentacles wrapped themselves around the sorcerer. Roy¡¯s attack ignored all shields, physical or magical. It broke through his protection and struck the depths of his mind, arousing a wave of terror in his heart.


    Roy¡¯s sword smashed the shield into pieces. The sorcerer felt a wave of pain sweeping through his body, and his incantation came to a halt. The dark clouds overhead parted in two, and a ray of sunshine shone through them.


    A look of terror carved itself onto the face of Vizima¡¯s royal consultant. His spell was broken, and it was no ordinary spell. It was the forbidden spell of Alzur, a great legacy in the world of sorcery. The more powerful the spell was, the worse the backfire would be.


    Azar¡¯s mana started rampaging in his body, and a colorful beam of light tore through his flesh, blood vessels, and bones. It crawled out of his body, turning him into a man covered in light. The mana within him turned into an explosive, and it was on the verge of blowing him up into smithereens.


    However, someone killed him off before the mana explosion happened. A crimson de arced through the air, and Axar felt a stab of pain shooting up his neck. The good news was that his fear had disappeared. The bad news was that his life went with it as well. His head flew up high into the air, his eyes still wide with disbelief.


    The mana erupted through the hole on his neck like magma pouring forth from a volcano. It flew high up into the air and billowed in it.


    ¡®Azar Javed killed. EXP +200 Level 6 Witcher (1400/3500).¡¯


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 213

    <strong>Chapter 213: The Duel Between Knights</strong>


    The dark clouds went away. The thunder and lightning faded into the distance, and the sun shone through once more. What seemed like an impending disaster moments ago turned out to be a false rm.


    As if by design, Azar Javed¡¯s head rolled over to Rudolf. The dead sorcerer¡¯s head stared right back at the leader of the order. Rudolf froze. Just a while ago they were talking about capturing the Lady of the Lake and receiving the king¡¯s reward and bing the most revered people in Ban Ard, but now his friend was dead.


    <em>Mr. Azar died just like that. Was this operation a mistake?</em> Rudolf¡¯s beard trembled, and his knuckles were white from holding the hilt too tightly. Now that their trump card was torn apart, they had no way of fighting the Lady of the Lake.


    At the same time, all the vodyanoi and drowners snapped out of their collective trance, and they charged ever closer to the knights. After that earlier battle, there were only less than half of Rudolf¡¯s knights left. All of them were covered in blood and overwhelmed by exhaustion. Even though they regrouped and held their swords before them, even though they had killed more than double the number of enemies, they still could not change the fact that they lost the battle.


    ¡°Gods! Kreve, Lebioda, Eternal Fire, Melitele, someone¡­ Please, deliver us from evil¡­¡± The knights kept muttering prayers under their breaths, but the gods were silent.


    A beautiful silhouette of a woman appeared out of thin air and waved her hand, saving the lives of every remaining knight. The vodyanoi and drowners halted their footsteps, as if they were soldiers who just received amand from theirmander.


    ¡°The Lady of the Lake?¡± the knights gasped.


    The woman in the air had dark green hair, astonishing looks, and a great, beautiful fish tail. Her smile was gentle, and the sunlight draped her in a golden sheen. She attracted the eyes of everyone on the battlefield.


    ¡°Knight of the order,y down your weapons. I believe this to be a misunderstanding.¡± Her voice was sweet, as if she were a mother concerned about her children. It reached their hearts and swept all the fear and exhaustion away. The knights were starting to let their guard down, and some looked like they had fallen into a trance. Even their dimeritium ne failed to keep Vivienne¡¯s charm at bay.


    The remaining knights, who were sober, looked at Rudolf, but the man was silent. He seemed to be struggling with himself.


    Adda trotted to the goddess and bowed at her. Their eyes met, and the princess knew what her goddess was trying to say. ¡°Knights of the order, Azar Javed¡¯s death is nothing but a punishment for his sins! You are just victims he strung along in this heretical conspiracy. The goddess is merciful!¡± The princess looked at the tired knights and persuaded, ¡°You are but misguidedmbs. Lay down your weapons and repent! Drink the holy water, and you shall have salvation! Those who are saved shall return to Vizima with their lives intact!¡± Adda announced, ¡°I shall personally speak with the king and spare you from death!¡±


    Three of the knights were wavering, and they started easing up, but when they looked down and saw the bodies of theirrades strewn across the ground, they tightened their grips on their swords.


    Adda kept persuading, ¡°Think about your parents! Your wives! Your children! You do not have to give up your lives for an evil sorcerer who has perished!¡±


    Rudolf heaved a sigh and came to the lead. ¡°The battle is lost. There is no need for any unnecessary deaths now.¡± Resolve sparked in his eyes. ¡°Lay down your weapons!¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± His knights stood around him, still willing to fight. ¡°But our brothers would have died for nothing!¡±


    ¡°Do you not hear me? Knights,y down your weapons! This is an order!¡± Rudolf pushed them back with a single re.


    Left with no choice, his knights unstrapped their weapons and tossed them away. Some of them even heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Now stand back! Back!¡± Rudolf chased his knights away and knelt on one knee. He pleaded, ¡°Your Highness, you have triumphed, but only Azar and I are the sinners here. The knights were only following orders. They do not know the truth. Please, have mercy on them.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I have promised to spare them if they are willing to repent.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Rudolf sighed and stood back up. He looked at the Lady of the Lake, and resignation surfaced within him. He knew he could never win, and then he looked at the young witcher. Rudolf noticed that the witcher killed a few of his knights easily. He was a powerful enemy and a great rival.


    Rudolf held his sword once more. He must never surrender, even if everyone else had. He was the symbol and backbone of the order. ¡°Your Highness, I have one final request!¡±


    ¡°Name it.¡±


    ¡°I wish for a fair duel before my execution!¡± Before Adda could answer, Rudolf charged at the young witcher, leaving his knights behind. The knights, shocked by the sudden attack at the witcher, followed their leader as he attacked.


    They heard a sigh ringing beside their ears as the Lady of the Lake blew at them. When her breath touched the ground, a few thick vines broke through the ground and wrapped themselves around the knights¡¯ ankles. The vines traveled up their torsos and eventually wrapped them up like a cocoon, revealing nothing but their eyes so they could watch the duel.


    ¡°Bear witness to this battle, knights. This is a duel between the king of Vizima¡¯s knight and my champion! This is a fair battle with honor and lives on the line. None shall be permitted to interfere!¡±


    Letho crossed his arms and watched this battle with the knights, though he looked worried. ¡°Don¡¯t die, kid.¡±


    ***


    Metal shed, and sparks flew. One of the swords was pushed away from the impact, and the other was free to attack. Roy leapt back to mitigate the impact. The moment he touched the ground, the young witcher opened his arms and thrusted Gwyhyr ahead. He swung his sword at the challenger, piling all the pressure on him.


    Rudolf¡¯s sword was a lot heavier than most steel swords, but it suited his superhuman strength perfectly. His reaction speed was on par with a witcher, who had already mutated, and his swordsmanship was solid. The knight held his sword before his chest in a plough stance, the tip pointing up at the witcher¡¯s throat. He bent over a little, and his shoulders were rxed. His footwork was light and precise. Every movement was perfectly executed, as if he had done it thousands of times.


    Even though Rudolf was a powerful enemy, Roy didn¡¯t n on fighting him with anything other than swordsmanship. It was a fair battle, and an unfair advantage would blemish both of the fighters¡¯ honor.


    Both fighters circled each other, closing in asionally, switching their sword¡¯s angle and position every time they moved. A moment of stalemateter, the witcher made the first move. He took a step forward with his right leg and held the sword in the plough stance, shing Rudolf¡¯s chest down from the upper right corner.


    A silver arc flew through the air as Rudolf raised his sword to defend himself. The des shed, and Rudolf managed to knock Gwyhyr away. He closed in and aimed straight at the witcher¡¯s defenseless neck. Roy, however, was faster. The moment his attack failed, he moved diagonally backward and evaded Rudolf¡¯s onught. At the same time, he swung his sword down, aiming to slice Rudolf¡¯s forearm off.


    Rudolf smacked Roy¡¯s de away, and the fighters¡¯ faces fell. They both retreated and put some distance between them, getting into a stalemate once more. The knights were watching the battle without blinking even once. It was but for a moment, but both fighters already had a brush with death multiple times.


    Letho was starting to look grim. He balled his fists, loosened them up, and then balled them again.


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh and moved horizontally. He changed hands and held the de on his right. The young witcher kept his eyes on the knight at all times, for getting distraction meant death. A drop of sweat traveled down his nose. It was his first time meeting his match. In a regr battle, he could have killed him with his bolts, signs, or even Fear. When it came to pure swordsmanship, however, he had no advantage. Rudolf might have a slower reaction speed than him, but his swordsmanship was better, and he had more experience in battle. He knew how to find the shortest attack range and how he could do the most damage even in the heat of battle, while Roy only had his instincts tobat that. Auckes trained him, and his instincts told the young witcher how to attack and defend.


    ***


    The fighters crossed des again, and sparks flew like a waterfall of fireworks. They broke apart once more, and Rudolf took a step back. He dragged his sword behind him, looking like a dracolizard that was swinging its tail around. He was getting ready tounch a fatal attack at any given moment.


    Roy held Gwyhyr above his head, as if it were ance, and his enemy was dead ahead. Rudolf was unscathed, but Roy had sustained a wound on his shoulder, and blood drenched his armor. Even so, Roy did not wince. He was still calm. He was thinking back to the first time he sparred with Auckes. He nced at the rays of the sun through the corner of his eye, noticing how its position was changing.. At the same time, he kept moving forward and backward, taking note of his distance to his enemy.


    When Rudolf came to two meters on his left, Roy turned his wrist and held Gwyhyr horizontally. At the same time, he turned it down a little bit, and the reflected sunlight blinded Rudolf for just a split second.


    A split second was enough for Roy to nab the win.


    The des shed one more time. The des shed onest time. There was no stalemate or sparks this time. Rudolf¡¯s sword was made out of regr steel. It was no match for Gwyhyr. Roy¡¯s de was abor of love from the gnomes, and thanks to his character sheet, it had been leveled up multiple times. It cut Rudolf¡¯s sword in two, and the broken part flew far, far away.


    Roy did not stop his de. He brought it forward until it reached the knight¡¯s throat and drew blood.


    ¡°I am sorry, Your Majesty. I have disappointed you,¡± Rudolf Vris muttered, his eyes closed. The defeated knight sighed. ¡°You have bested me, witcher.¡±


    ¡°No. You only lost because my weapon is superior. My skills? Not so much.¡±


    Rudolf¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, but the gaze within them was without spirit. He had given up resisting. ¡°A defeat is a defeat. This is a fair duel between knights, and you, witcher, have bested me.¡± He turned around. ¡°Brothers of the order, heed my order! Cease fighting at once! The princess shall take you in from this moment on!¡±


    The knights were screaming, but thanks to the vine, all they could make were muffled noises.


    ¡°Those who defy my orders shall be exiled from the order!¡± Rudolf smiled at the witcher onest time, and there was gratitude in his eyes. He held the witcher¡¯s de and sliced his throat open.


    Blood sttered Roy¡¯s face. The knight was still holding the de, standing up tall even when he was dying. Even when his strength was fading.


    A sliver of ck smoke departed his body and flew up into the air before it darted into the bloodstone Vivienne was holding.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 214

    <strong>Chapter 214: Secret and Reward</strong>


    Rudolf Vrisy on the ground. He was caked in blood, but the ghost of hisst smile was etched onto his face, though the light in his eyes had already gone out. Roy closed his eyes for him. He was a rival worthy of respect. His remains should be buried with dignity.


    The surviving knights had a look of despair on their faces. They gazed at the body of their departed leader, and tears of respect welled up in their eyes. None of them held any grudges though. Dying in a fair battle was no insult to a knight.


    ¡°Your Highness, please allow us to collect our brothers¡¯ remains.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡± Adda nodded. She held the bowl of holy water and came to the knights who were tied up and started persuading them to drink the water.


    Roy came to Vivienne. ¡°Mdy, the dust has settled, but I have a question. I saw a sliver of ck smoke darting into the bloodstone right after Rudolf died. What was that smoke?¡±


    Letho had been watching the whole affair, but he had not seen any smokeing out of Rudolf¡¯s body. He arched his eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not seeing things? You must be too tired.¡±


    ¡°No. And I was not seeing things.¡±


    ¡°You saw it? Then there must be something special about you.¡± Her tail swayed as she walked down an invisibledder, but then her nose wrinkled. ¡°My champion, you have returned victorious. You deserve better.¡± Vivienne did not even do anything, but Roy felt himself enveloped in ayer of refreshing water. It swept away all the blood caked on his skin, hair, and armor.


    The young witcher came back out looking clean and refreshed. Vivienne nodded in approval. Her hair billowed in the air, the sweet scent of nts wafting across the air. ¡°And now it¡¯s time for answers. Every living being leaves a trace of them behind after their death. That light is what we call ¡®soul.''¡±


    Roy heard Vivienne loud and clear, but Letho could only see her lips move. He knew Vivienne had excluded him from this conversation. Standing by while Roy battled apparently upset her, but Letho did not regret what he did. Or in this case, what he <em>did not </em>do. He nodded at Roy and went over to where Adda was.


    ¡°So you mean to say the smoke is Rudolf¡¯s soul?¡± Roy looked at the bloodstone Vivienne was holding. He could vaguely see a dozen slivers of ck smoke swimming in the crimson stone. There was more than one soul residing in that little stone.


    ¡°As you can see, the bloodstone is not merely a vessel for the people¡¯s faith; it can also store souls.¡±


    <em>Wow. That stone can store anything. </em>Roy had a feeling the bloodstone woulde in really handy someday.


    Vivienne noticed the look in Roy¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have assisted me greatly this time. Our connection is stronger now. I can tell you more about the secrets of thesends. Remember, the most important thing in thesends isn¡¯t money, power, or even weapons. The most important thing is souls. For most of the ancient entities in No Man¡¯s Land, souls are an important resource. It¡¯s a source of strength. Bloodstones that are infused with souls are a special currency. If you sell these souls, you can invoke the power of these ancients and employ their services. Of course, they¡¯re as cunning as a fox, so be careful. They might take the payment without fulfilling their end of the bargain.¡±


    Roy was reminded of a certain tramp. <em>Is she talking about Gaunter O¡¯Dimm? Hm. I guess a lot of ancients know one another well. </em>


    ¡°Does it go for you as well?¡±


    ¡°I do not dabble with souls. All I want is faith.¡±


    ¡°Rudolf is not the only one in there, is he?¡±


    ¡°No. My most devoted believers, vodyanoi that perished in battle, and valiant knights of the order reside in this stone as well.¡±


    ¡°What will you do with them?¡±


    Vivienne bit her lip, her brows furrowed in a frown. She looked sad and vulnerable. ¡°Moving their souls into this stone is the first step. You shall witness their fates in a moment.¡±


    Roy was silent for a while, and then he asked the question that had been haunting him. ¡°Mdy, if you had not interfered, where would their souls have gone after their demise?¡± He had seen countless deaths thus far, but Roy had never thought about that matter before. <em>Does the witcher world have an afterlife? </em>An ancient being was standing right before him, and she could answer his question.


    ¡°One of three things could happen.¡± Vivienne was patient with the young witcher. ¡°One, they could turn into vile creatures. Wraiths and wraiths from the painting are a few examples of the monsters they could turn into. But that is a fate worse than death. Specters linger around because they are tethered by a strong obsession. Most obsessions stem from a painful past. Staying around after their deaths would be nothing but torture for them, and this torture is eternal. They will only be released from this coil during the moment of their destruction.¡±


    Vivienne suddenly looked into the distance. Amotion was happening there. Adda and the knights who just pledged loyalty to her were chiding the captive knights. They were probably trying to coerce them into serving Vivienne. Letho was watching from the sides. ¡°Two, they could eventually disappear. A few moments, a few hours, it does not matter. Without their flesh sustaining them, souls cannot exist by themselves. And three, they could be devoured or imprisoned.¡±


    ***


    Vivenne noticed the look of shock on Roy¡¯s face. ¡°And now, my champion, it is time to witness the fate of my believers.¡± She waved her hand, and ayer of mist covered the young witcher. It took him away from the ind like a boat floating through the air, ferrying him to theke.


    Vivienne descended upon the surface of theke, her beautiful tail submerged under the water. She cupped some water with her hand and allowed it to trickle through the cracks between her fingers. She ced the bloodstone into the water and crushed it. The bloodstone shattered into pieces, and ten slivers of ck smoke darted into the river. She blew on them, and the smoke turned into rainbow-colored fish. They swam around her, touching her lovingly.


    She spun in theke, touching the fish with her fingertips. A silveryughter rang out across theke, and she had a pure look of delight on her face. The fish yed around with her for a while, and they shook their heads at her, saying goodbye as they swam deeper into the depths of Lake Vizima.


    Roy was in awe. He held his pendant, which had been shaking violently for a while now. ¡°Those fish are your believers? I mean, the souls of your believers?¡± He cast Observe a while ago and noticed that the school of fish was not real. They were made of pure mana and were more nymph than fish.


    Vivienne looked up at the sky, her face shining with grace. She said firmly, ¡°As the daughter of Lake Vizima and the goddess of the church, the only thing I can do is create bodies made entirely of water for their souls to reside in after their demise. They would begin another life in the kingdom of Lake Vizima¡¯s depths. At the very least, my poor believers would not fade into nothingness.¡±


    <em>This is the benefit of being her believer? They can live even after they die? </em>Roy was reminded of a prayer he had heard many times before. ¡°May your souls reunite in the kingdom of Melitele.¡± <em>And the kingdom of Lake Vizima¡¯s depths is Vivienne¡¯s kingdom in a sense. </em>¡°Do they get to keep their memories?¡±


    ¡°This is a new life. They will exist as nymphs. When Lake Vizima is under attack, they shall be its guardian.¡±


    Roy said nothing. Losing all their memories was better than fading into nothingness after all.


    ***


    ¡°Do you still have the stone I gave you?¡±


    Roy opened his hand and revealed a bloodstone. It was pure and had no faith or souls inside.


    ¡°I have a question. You have had the stone for more than two months, and yet there are no souls inside. Not even the soul of a beast. That is¡­ odd. This shouldn¡¯t happen unless you haven¡¯t killed anything.¡±


    Roy massaged his temples and talked about what he had killed so far. ¡°The wolves and rabid dogs in the wilds, Brokilon¡¯s pale widow, Verrieres family tomb¡¯s wraiths¡­ I never stopped killing all this time.¡±


    ¡°Which begs the question: the stone did not collect their souls, but they couldn¡¯t have disappeared for no reason.¡±


    <em>Where would the souls of the beings I killed go? </em>Roy thought about that for a moment, and then he came to a shocking conclusion. <em>When I killed Rudolf, his soul went into the bloodstone, and I gained no EXP from it. Is </em>this <em>the secret behind the character sheet? The souls of everything I killed turned into EXP for the character sheet.</em>


    ¡°Ah, I see you have your answer.¡± Vivienne approached him, and the wind blew her hair in the witcher¡¯s direction. She stared straight at the witcher, her eyes looking like whirlpools that could suck the souls of those who saw them. ¡°I told you all my secrets, my champion. I hope you can do the same in return.¡±


    Roy shook his head. He tried to say something, but he decided against it in the end. It was impossible toe up with an excuse just like that, but he would never tell anyone his biggest secret.


    ¡°You are unwilling to share?¡± Vivienne stared down at theke and shook her head. She pouted, and she said, ¡°But I will not force you. Someday, you <em>will </em>tell me all your secrets. Now let¡¯s talk about something else. You teleported to Azar Javed right before you killed him. How¡¯d you do it?¡±


    <em>So she </em>was <em>watching. </em>¡°It¡¯s an ability I acquired after I went through the trial,¡± Roy lied. Auckes told him to keep this his secret. ¡°I can only teleport short distances, and I have to spend a lot of mana to use it.¡±


    Vivienne sighed. She probably believed it, or maybe she did not. Roy had no way of knowing.


    ¡°You should be rewarded for your assistance. You have three choices to choose from. Pick one. One, there¡¯s a pile of ancient coins in the kingdom¡¯s ruins. I can give you a part of it. From what Adda told me about this era, the coins are worth a thousand crowns. Two, you can give me Aerondight, and I can strengthen it further for you.¡± Vivienne looked at the witcher, his eyes, and his pointed ears. ¡°I noticed the magic coursing through your veins, but it is far too weak. I can grant you a part of my blood to strengthen your bloodline. That is my third reward.¡±


    ¡°What about Letho?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? Your mentor did not lift a finger to help me. Obviously, he disagrees with our ideology and existence. He shall gain no reward this time.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 215

    <strong>Chapter 215: Griffin Transfiguration</strong>


    The coins and powering Aerondight up were tempting rewards, but Roy had other ways to do that. However, he had no way of strengthening his magical power. After much consideration, Roy picked the third choice.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d make that choice.¡± Vivienne bit her finger and flicked it. A golden drop of blood flew from her fingertip and approached Roy. It spun before the young witcher, and he took a whiff of it. A sweet scent of grass and trees assailed him. One taste of it made him feel warm, fuzzy, and lightheaded. It was better than the best wine in thend. The young witcher gazed at the drop of blood. He was gulping uncontrobly, holding down the desire to consume that blood.


    ¡°I am a daughter of theke. My blood contains concentrated magical energy, and with my blessing infused in it, this drop of blood is as potent as a dose of magical potion. Consume it, and you shall strengthen your magical power.¡± Vivienne gave him a cheeky wink. ¡°Do not feel guilty about it. You are the knight of Lake Vizima. The stronger you are, the safer I am.¡±


    Roy brushed aside all hesitation and sucked that drop of blood. Unlike the water of the pond, this drop of blood had the warmth of a human body, and it awakened some nostalgic memories. The witcher immersed himself in it. His eyelids started feeling heavy, and all his tension was gone. His mind slowly turned into a state of chaos. He held his legs and curled up like a fetus in its mother¡¯s womb. All he could feel was a warm liquid enveloping him and moving back and forth, as if the water of the womb were changing out all the liquids inside him.


    The young witcher fell into a deep sleep.


    Time flew when one was undergoing a magical modification. It trickled out through the cracks between fingers, like sands that could never be grasped.


    When the witcher regained his consciousness, he felt a cool sensation surrounding him. When he looked up, he was greeted by the silvery light of the moon. He looked around to see where he was. ck Tern Ind was still standing alone, as usual. There was nobody else besides him here. The silence was unnerving. Not even a cicada¡¯s chirp was heard. It was more like a cemetery here.


    The young witcher stretched his arms, and his bones cracked. He felt something cool on his crotch, and when he looked down, he noticed he was covered in pieces of solid liquid. He pried the pieces away and noticed that the wound on his shoulder was nothing more than a scar now.


    Thanks to his regr and intense training, Roy had a lean body. Sure, he was not muscr, but his muscles were taut, sleek, and filled with power. He also had six-pack abs, and it was in full-view, which meant he was as naked as a baby. The young witcher stood on the lonely ind at night, bbergasted. A momentter, he noticed the sound ofughtering from afar.


    ¡°Is she punishing me for keeping a secret from her?¡± Roy shook his head and sighed. ¡°This won¡¯t stop me.¡± He concentrated on his inventory and produced a fresh set of hemp clothes out of thin air. There was also a big cloak too. Roy liked to prepare for any situation.


    He cleaned himself in theke and changed into his clothes, then he sat on a charred stake to check the changes in his stats. He concentrated on his character sheet, and there was a notification there.


    ¡®You have consumed a drop of blessed blood (Lady of the Lake, Vivienne). Part of your stats are permanently increased.


    Constitution: 11.8 ¡ú 12


    HP: 158 ¡ú 160


    Spirit: 12.5 ¡ú 14


    Mana: 165 ¡ú 180


    Charisma: 7 ¡ú 8


    ¡­


    His stats underwent a more-than-two-point increase. It was akin to leveling up twice, and his Spirit increased the most. It could solve hisck of magical energy for the time being. His Constitution had the smallest increase, but what surprised him was that he had a one-point increase in Charisma.


    He looked into the river, but his reflection did not change much, though the details did. The outline of his face became gentler, his skin smoother. His eyes were even more deep-set, as if stars were twinkling in them. ¡°Vivienne is still as generous as ever.¡±


    Roy wasing up with another hypothesis. <em>If the Lady of the Lake¡¯s blood can increase my stats, I wonder if the blood of dragons can do the same. They¡¯re legendary beings too, after all. I¡¯ll see if I can get my hands on dragon blood once I¡¯m strong enough to face one.</em>


    ***


    It was alreadyte at night when Roy finally got used to the new changes in his body. Most of the lights in Vizima had gone out, as its citizens had retired for the night. Roy went around theke to search for something. Thanks to the moonlight, he saw a wooden boat floating around. He used all his strength and rowed himself all the way to the shore and stepped onto the wet sands. The young witcher went into the woods on thekeside, feeling the cool night breeze blowing against his skin, gazing into the deep, dark night.


    Roy got an idea. <em>Well, now that crisis is averted, I should test Kalkstein¡¯s crystal out. </em>He concentrated on his character sheet and summoned his mount. A silhouette appeared out of nowhere, and the silvery moonlight shone on a mystical beast that was lying in the grass-filled clearing. It was the size of a calf and had the head of an eagle but the body of a lion. The beast was curled up and lying on its side, its grey wings covering its back like a feather nket. The wings moved up and down as the griffin snored.


    The young witcher looked at the beast, and a smile curled his lips. He pounced at the sleeping griffin and gave it a hug. Roy buried his face into its warm, fuzzy wings and took a whiff.


    His smile froze.


    Just like most beasts, griffins had a bad case of body odor. Gryphon was locked up in a cage for a long time, and it probably never bathed, so the smell almost killed Roy.


    Roy¡¯s action woke the beast up from its sleep, and it growled in anger. It turned around to see the scoundrel who woke it from its sleep, but when the beast saw Roy¡¯s familiar face, it froze up and started gurgling. Gryphon huddled closer to Roy¡¯s chest and licked his face.


    ¡°Gods, you stink! Gryphon, stop! Stop licking me right now!¡±


    Gryphone gurgled and gulped back its drool.


    ¡°Good. Good girl. Looks like I¡¯ll have to brush your teeth and shower you every day now.¡± Roy wiped his face on the griffin¡¯s mane and dusted his hands off. He then stood up and cast Observe on the beast.


    ¡®Gryphon


    Gender: Female


    Age: Six months old


    Status: Griffin


    HP: 80


    Strength: 6 ¡ú 7


    Dexterity: 7 ¡ú 8


    Constitution: 7 ¡ú 8


    Perception: 7


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Chimera (Passive), Predator (Passive)


    ¡°Not bad. Your stats improved.¡± Roy held his left hand out and waved it like a g as he gave outmands to Gryphon. ¡°Down! Up! Roll around!¡±


    Gryphon executed all themands like a well-trained dog. A very big dog.


    ¡°Good girl. You¡¯ll be having a big dinner tomorrow. Now, let¡¯s take it up a notch! Sprint!¡±


    A powerful air current traveled across the ins as a yellow-and-ck beast sprinted at full speed under the moonlight. Unlike most quadrupeds, its hind legs¡¯ ws were as sharp as ploughs. It left many holes in every ce it ran across, and its pair of gigantic wings worked like bulldozers. Every time itnded on the ground, it would stir up a small tornado of grass des and dirt. Not to mention the beast would always cause a little rumble.


    Roy rubbed his chin, and his eyes shone with excitement. <em>No wonder griffins are apex predators. Even their young is faster and more powerful than most adults. This inertia it created is on par with what a moving carriage can make. It could probably take someone out in one blow. Even a witcher would find it hard to recover from this m alone.</em>


    ¡°Guess its main attack will be this. I¡¯ll have Gryphon practice this a lot from now on.¡± The only gripe Roy had was the ruckus it caused during its sprint. Unlike horses, cats, or even dogs, Gryphon¡¯s sprint was clumsy and inelegant.


    ¡°Griffins excel in aerialbat.¡± He looked at the pair of wings. <em>She¡¯s six months old now. She can fly, right? </em>¡°Fly, Gryphon!¡±


    The griffin hooted and came to a halt. It stood on its hind legs and pped its wings. The best stirred up an air current, and dirt and stone flew around. The griffin flew up into the air and glided ahead about five meters before falling down like a kite without a string.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    The griffin sprinted, flew, and fell once more. Roy told it to try again. And again. And again. Gryphon eventually got dizzy from all the attempts, and it wobbled. Roy could feel its dejection, and he patted its back. ¡°Come here, girl. You¡¯re still young, and you spent a lot of time in that cage. It¡¯s normal you can¡¯t fly too far. I¡¯ll train with you every day. Soon, you¡¯ll be soaring across the skies.¡±


    The griffin hooted like an owl again. Roy could feel something called passion burning within him. Once he was finished with the training, he would try riding the beast and soar through the skies.


    Once Gryphon had recovered after some rest, Roy rode on its back again, as if the beast were a horse. It was still too young and weak to carry someone through the skies, but not if it was running onnd.


    The beast hooted.


    ¡°Run, girl! Run to thekeside!¡±


    A bizarre scene was happening around Lake Vizima. A half-lion, half-eagle beast was carrying a young witcher on its back as it ranps around theke. It would screech into the air asionally, scaring the animals around away.


    Half an hourter, Roy hopped down from the griffin, drenched in sweat. He massaged his sore backside, while the griffin was sticking its tongue out, breathing heavily. Both of them were exhausted.


    Compared to riding a horse, griffinback riding was a lot rockier and much less satisfying. It was only half an hour, but Roy could feel his backside burning up. It was worse than the first time he went horseback riding, but he could understand why. Griffins were a fusion of a feline beast and an eagle. They moved onnd in a different way because of the structure of their body. Their hind legs were powerful, and there were sharp protrusions on the tips of their wings. It would take great skill and lots of practice if Roy wanted to have afortable experience riding the griffin. Not even adding a saddle and rein could change that fact.


    ¡°Gryphon is not suited fornd travel.¡± Roy reached a conclusion. In most cases, running would be better and more flexible than riding the griffin onnd. ¡°I hope it¡¯ll be better once we get to the skies.¡±


    The griffin hooted again.


    ¡°Tired? Then that¡¯s all for today. But before we go back, I¡¯m going to give you a makeover.¡± Roy happily whipped out the magic crystal, the so-called Random Transformation Stone. ¡°Now lie down and don¡¯t move. Rx and open your heart to me.¡±


    The griffin hooted.


    ¡®Mana -100. Random Transfiguration activated.¡¯


    A brilliant beam of light shot out from the crystal and covered the griffin entirely. It was as ifyers of clouds were covering the beast, hiding it underneath the magic. Roy could see arcs of electricity swimming underneath, and sizzling sounds were heard.


    The processsted for about a minute. When the clouds faded away, the griffin was nowhere to be seen. It was reced by an animal the size of a fist. It had limbs as slender as a frog¡¯s, and its fingers were tender. Its skin was translucent and green. Not only was it petite, it looked like a bad case of malnutrition. Its head was bigger than its body, and it looked like a catfish. A pair of big, ck eyes were embedded on it like little obsidians. It was looking at the witcher dumbly, but also with a lot of affection.


    ¡°Vodyanoi babies are included in the list of ¡®small animals¡¯ too? Wow, Kalkstein is¡­ creative.¡±


    The creature opened its mouth and closed it, gurgling and moving its whiskers. Roy picked it up by its belly, and it clung on to his hand like a ko. Its stubby tail wagged crazily, as if the creature were trying to please its master.


    ¡°You look a lot cuter, and easy to feed. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll fill a bathtub with cold water and turn it into your little home. I¡¯ll get some anchovies for you. It¡¯s nice having a pet around.¡±


    Roy was reminded of the time he strolled around in the marketce and the stuff he saw. ¡°I¡¯ll train you so you can perform some tricks if we have the time. We can set up a tent and sell tickets for the show. It¡¯s a way to make money, <em>and </em>you can change into different animals every day. The audience will never be bored. Once night falls, you¡¯ll turn back, and we can go on with your flight and hunting drill. We can also make some food too. What do you think, Gryphon? Sounds like a n?¡±


    The creature hung upside down on Roy¡¯s hand, and it blinked innocently. The young witcher held it in his palm and patted its head. He then tossed the creature into the cloak¡¯s hood and returned to Vizima.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 216

    <strong>Chapter 216: Looting</strong>


    Darkness shrouded Vizima¡¯s trade quarter. A silhouette was dancing across the roofs, its golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. Winds howled all around him, but they came to an abrupt halt as the silhouette stopped. He concentrated on his surroundings and saw two soldiers patrolling the path below him. The night breeze brushed across his skin, but the witcher remained unmoving on the roof. A bizarre creature hid in his hood, holding tightly to a lock of his hair. It made a sound that resembled a cicada¡¯s chirps and a frog¡¯s croak at the same time.


    ¡°Did you hear that? That strange noise¡­ It¡¯s nearby!¡±


    ¡°Mate, it¡¯s not winter yet. Of course there are strange noises. Animals have to mate, you know. I bet it¡¯s just a dog or a cat making that sound.:


    ¡°Darn beasts! They can still mate in this weather? I can feel my dick freeze over!¡±


    ¡°Wanna warm up at the House of the Queen of the Night?¡±


    ***


    When the patrols were gone, the witcher finally moved. He leapt into the open window of a certain vi. A drop of sweat trickled down his calf, pelting the wooden floorboard.


    The bald witcher sleeping in the hammock was woken up by the noise, and he looked at the young witcher. ¡°You spent the whole morning with the Lady of the Lake? Do you really like her that much?¡±


    ¡°I was just taking my reward. That¡¯s all.¡± Roy looked down at Letho and shook his head. ¡°A pity someone didn¡¯t do the work, so no reward for him.¡±


    Letho swayed the hammock. ¡°At least it¡¯s better than being blinded by greed and turned into a puppet.¡± There was a veiled warning in that reply.


    ¡°You seem to think poorly of her. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Roy took a deep breath. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. The Lady of the Lake, the Church of Virtue, and Princess Adda are just working together for amon goal. Everyone gains something from this. I won¡¯t let them control me.¡±


    ¡°Remember that well. Try to stay away from religions.¡± Letho heaved a sigh. ¡°They¡¯re filled with madmen. You might stay sane for a while, but they <em>will </em>eventually pull you down to their pit of insanity.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Get bathed. You smell even worse than a zeugl.¡± Letho tossed a towel to him and looked at the young witcher¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that toad?¡±


    ***


    Roy leaned back against the big bucket and heaved a sigh. The steam was turning his skin red, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but he was more rxed than ever. At least he did not have to worry about a lobster attack in the bucket.


    Petals floated on the surface of the water. They were Coral¡¯s collection and the stuff she used every time she bathed. Roy could use them as well.


    Letho was sitting by the bucket. He looked at his disciple¡¯s arm. Roy¡¯s skin did not look like a regr witcher¡¯s. It was soft and supple, as if he had never worked a day in his life. Every inch of skin on his body looked that way. <em>Witchers have no need to look so good. </em>Letho was starting to worry for his disciple. <em>Is the Lady of the Lake trying to turn him into her envoy? </em>He shook his head and held the ¡®toad¡¯ by its hind legs. The witcher held it up and observed it closely.


    Gryphon was a lot more timid now that it had turned into a little creature. It did not resist Letho. Instead, it was also curiously staring at the witcher, puffing out bubbles at the same time.


    ¡°What the hell is this? A vodyanoy baby? Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°Remember that mad alchemist? Kalkstein? It¡¯s a¡­ gift he gave me.¡± Roy dried his hair with the towel. He decided against telling Letho he had a griffin. Roy would save it until Gryphon and Letho had known each other better. In any case, the griffin would eventually be part of the team. ¡°You can call it Gryphon. It¡¯s a vodyanoy today, but it might take a different form tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know. Eventually.¡±


    Letho poked the creature with his finger, and it clung on to him tightly. The witcher squinted. ¡°It¡¯s cute, but not much of an asset to us? It¡¯s going to be deadweight. Why don¡¯t we sell it? I bet the richdies in Vizima are interested in something like this. We need to recoup some of the money we spent on the weapons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not deadweight!¡± Roy turned around and rested his chin on the edge of the bucket. ¡°Gryphon¡¯s going toe in handy someday. I¡¯m not selling it!¡±


    Gryphon could feel Roy defending it, and it was touched.


    ¡°Unless I get ten thousand crowns for it!¡±


    Gryphon gurgled in protest.


    Roy asked Letho about what Adda and the knight order did while he was talking to Vivienne. Roy might have broken the spell before it was fully cast, but the fishermen, bricyers, and most of the people in Vizima¡¯s town area must have noticed the weird phenomenon in the sky. Some said it was a demonic invasion, while some swore it was the herald of the end days.


    Princess Adda used Dagon as an excuse for this phenomenon. She put on an act with the surviving knights and asked the mayor to tell the citizens a little lie to calm them down. The mayor said that Dagon was once again attacking Lake Vizima, and the Lady of the Lake was working with the knights and Vizima¡¯s royal consultant to vanquish this evil. The phenomenon that happened on ck Tern Ind was just the tremors of the battle.


    The knights who perished and the sorcerer were hailed as fallen heroes, and an imminent crisis was averted.


    ¡°Foltest isn¡¯t objecting. Did Adda ruin his ns?¡± Roy was curious. ¡°How did she convince her father to stop attacking Vivienne?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask her, but things aren¡¯t looking well.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°What happened on ck Tern Ind is going to make Foltest even more cautious. The Lady of the Lake¡¯s church is going to have a hard time expanding in Vizima.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll know what happens. Eventually.¡± Roy spent hours meditating after he bathed. When dawn broke and the rays of sunshine shone on Vizima, Roy and Letho went their separate ways.


    Auckes and Serrit should havepleted their mission in Toussaint at this point, so Letho would try to establish contact and tell them the point of rendezvous in Vizima. At the same time, he would stand guard over Berengar as he made the remaining swords.


    Roy went to make a whole new leather armor. It was ck in color and looked just like his old armor. He would still have to change into new armor even without Vivienne taking his clothes off. He was growing fast. Roy was about five feet nine now, but he was still as lean as ever. Unlike Letho, Roy¡¯s muscles did not look like boulders, though they were still a lot stronger than most people¡¯s. He had grown out of his old clothes.


    Roy went to the temple area for some reconnaissance work, while Gryphon hid in his hood, staring around curiously. The creature had made a home out of Roy¡¯s hood.


    ¡°Everything looks normal.¡± Roy looked at the za from afar. It was as packed with Vivienne¡¯s ardent believers as ever. In fact, it was even more crowded than usual, thanks to the mayor¡¯s announcement the day before. The za seemed to have turned into a sea of humans. ¡°No. Wait. The princess isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Adda was not in charge of the sermon this morning. It was an important job, and she would never let anyone else do it. Roy realized that the negotiations with Foltest had broken down, and he was worried.


    Gryphon gurgled.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Gryphon. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He felt Gryphon¡¯s curiosity about this ce, so he pointed at the statue. ¡°This is a congregation. They¡¯re praying to the Lady of the Lake¡ªVivienne.¡±


    Roy was reminded of how Vivienne turned her believers¡¯ souls into nymphs. <em>I wonder if that¡¯s truly a good fate. Wonder if these people can ept that.</em>


    Gryphon gurgled again.


    ¡°Shut it. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± Roy went to Kalkstein¡¯s ce after scouting the za out.


    The alchemist seemed to have gone through something terribletely. His hair was unkempt, and his goatee and brows were gone. His face was filled with charred scars, and they were covered in ointments. ¡°I¡¯m feeling under the weather today. I don¡¯t have time for visitors. Come round when I¡¯m feeling better.¡±


    His body was hunched, and he shuffled. The alchemist weed Roy into his ce, but he looked sickly and weak. The young witcher smirked at the alchemist. <em>Hm. The alchemist knows about Azar¡¯s ns too, and he¡¯s crazy enough to reenact it¡­</em>


    ¡°Alchemist, you look like you¡¯ve been struck by lightning.¡±


    ¡°Ahem. I don¡¯t know what you mean. What lightning? It¡¯s just an ident. Something went wrong with my experiment, and things exploded.¡±


    ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s what you say¡­¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s the truth, young man!¡± Kalkstein looked at him solemnly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you telling lies. That¡¯s going to be trouble for me.¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s gonna know your secret. I promise,¡± Roy guaranteed. He whispered, ¡°I¡¯m actually here for something else. It¡¯s about Azar Javed¡­¡±


    The alchemist smacked his head, and his eyes shone. ¡°Oh dear. I almost forgot about him. Azar sacrificed himself to save the kingdom. This is a great opportunity! His vi is literally an unguarded treasure trove right now! Say, wanna partner up again? This¡¯llbe just likest time, but you have a lot of creative freedom this time around. You can destroy all the traps if you want to. How about that? We gotta move fast, or the soldiers are gonna cordon the ce off.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you even sad about this?¡± Roy was surprised. ¡°I thought you guys were friends.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I <em>am </em>sad.¡± Kalkstein wiped his gunk away with a ck finger. ¡°I¡¯ve mourned for him this morning. Never done that for anyone before. That¡¯s the most I can do for him. My research awaits!¡±


    <em>Wow. Some friendship that was. </em>Roy felt sorry for Azar. ¡°So, how are we splitting the loot?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be having all the research data. Well, you can take some of the copies if you want. Everything else belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 217: Spellbook

    Roy carefully went around the soldiers patrolling the Royal Pce and infiltrated thete royal consultant¡¯s vi. Since Roy had killed the owner of the estate, he did not have to worry about triggering the rm after destroying the traps. ording to Kalkstein, the Zerrikanian sorcerer graduated from Ban Ard, but he had never joined the Brotherhood of Sorcerers and was estranged from the sorcerer organization in the north. He did not have any sorcerer friends either. They did not have to worry about anyoneing to im Azar¡¯s wealth.


    Roy looted and pilfered everything he could. Theboratory was not the only ce he targeted; every single room in the vi was looted. Halfway through his looting, he noticed pieces of human bones under a room¡¯s floorboard. There were about ten persons¡¯ worth of human bones tucked away.


    The bones¡¯ surface was corroded from all sorts of weird concoctions. Roy could imagine the pain the victims had to suffer while they were alive. He collected all the dead¡¯s remains, nning on burying them outside the city. ¡°Azar was already experimenting on humans? He was one cruel bastard.¡±


    Sorcerers might have great power and long lives, but they had creeds they had to follow. It was the rules northern sorcerers came up with so they could live peacefully in the kingdoms. The one rule was they must never force regr humans into experiments. Most of them involved ck magic. The only exception was if the experiment was made known, safe, and had received the consent of the test subject. Anyone who was found viting this rule would receive public judgement. Most of them would end up getting their hands cuffed in dimeritium for centuries.


    Azar did not do as the Romans did, or in this case, the Vizimians did. However, he did manage to hide his experiments well. ording to the original lore, Azar could have lived for more than a decade. He would be one of Smandra¡¯s executives and perform experiments on regr humans in an attempt to turn them into witchers. ¡°Hundreds of lives are saved now that he¡¯s dead.¡±


    Azar died more than ten years before he should thanks to Roy¡¯s suggestion. Adda contacted the Lady of the Lake and set off a chain of events that brought about his early demise, and the political scene in Vizima was undergoing a huge change at the moment. ¡°Hm, now that Azar¡¯s dead, I wonder if Smandra¡¯s going to exist. If they cease to exist, that means I¡¯ve helped Kaer Morhen out. In that case, the Wolf School and Geralt owe me one.¡±


    The looting went a bit differently than what Roy had in mind. Most sorcerers could save up a sizable amount of treasure after living for so long. Not to mention they could make alchemical stuff. They could enjoy a decadent life and afford their expensive experiment materials. Azar was still Vizima¡¯s royal consultant. He should have made a ton of money over the years. He should have a stash of crowns somewhere. However, no matter how long Roy searched, all he could find was a bag of coins and sapphires that was worth less than two hundred crowns.


    ¡°Darn. I miscalcted. He must have tucked all his valuables away in his inventory. The knights have imed his body now.¡±


    Roy missed out on a fortune, so he decided to take everything in theboratory, including the rhinoceros head and the weird organs in the bottles. He could recognize some of them, such as the pale widow¡¯s organs and male endrega¡¯s mutagens. They were rare sorcery materials. There was also an arachas mutagen. It was enough to make the list of requirements to level up Roy¡¯s witcher rank.


    Aside from the decades of research data, Roy also found a hand-written leather notebook in a hiddenpartment. It was written in the Elder Speech.


    The creature that was sleeping on Roy¡¯s shoulder gurgled and extended its finger to the book.


    ¡°You can read this, Gryphon?¡±


    The creature poked its finger into its mouth.


    ¡°No. This is not food. Give me a minute. I¡¯ll get you some dried fish once we¡¯re done with this ce. You¡¯re a proud griffin. Just because you¡¯ve transfigured doesn¡¯t mean you can act like amon beast. You won¡¯t just run around and mate with any dog if you turn into a canine, right?¡±


    The witcher patted the creature¡¯s head and flipped the book open. ¡°Gwenalzurray¡­ Alzur¡¯s Thunder.¡± The first half of the book talked about the legendary spell that Azar used on ck Tern Ind. It was written in the Elder Speech. Thetter half talked about another equally powerful spell¡ªAlzur¡¯s Double Cross.


    Roy did not know much about spells, but thanks to his proficiency in the Elder Speech, he got the gist of the content. Alzur¡¯s Double Cross was a terrifyingly powerful summoning spell. Once cast, the user could summon a gigantic monster to do their bidding. This spell was created by the same sorcerer and one of the creators of witchers¡ªAlzur.


    There was a little history recorded after the spell¡¯s introduction. ¡®Alzur summoned a great centipede with this spell. The terrible beast brought half of Maribor to ruin in moments. Even now, ruins stand in that ce to serve as a reminder of this past.¡¯


    The forbidden spells were powerful, but a part of the journal was missing, and fortunately so, or else Azar would have attacked them with more than just thunder and lightning. Roy tucked the spellbook away carefully, and after due consideration, he decided to share it with Kalkstein. That alchemist might be watching me right now, and I can¡¯t guarantee I won¡¯t work with him forever.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you did not take the spellbook for yourself.¡± Kalkstein broke into a grin and pinched his nonexistent goatee. His hand froze in the air. ¡°You have proven that my trust is not misced.¡± Kalkstein shook hands with the young witcher and stood up straighter. ¡°I feel a lot better now. I shall teach you a few recipes. Three, to be exact. It¡¯s a reward for your honesty.¡±


    That was unexpected, but a wee surprise regardless. Roy requested, ¡°Alchemist, can I have a copy of the data?¡±


    ¡°Witchers can¡¯t cast spells. Why are you interested in the research data? I need your reason. Putting the regr data aside, this spellbook alone spells disaster if it falls into the wrong hands.¡± Kalkstein was serious for once.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m giving it to a friend of mine. She¡¯s a sorceress.¡± The witcher grew tender for a moment. Roy wanted to put his faith in his friend again. ¡°She¡¯s a part of the brotherhood. She won¡¯t abuse the spells.¡±


    Kalkstein stared at Roy for a moment, and he handed the copy to the witcher. After that, he went to his ownboratory to teach the witcher how to make some new potions step by step. Kalkstein¡¯sboratory was brighter and a lot more spaciouspared to Azar¡¯s, though he also had more bizarre items hanging around. There were a lot of dried herbs and powdered sulfite and sulfur lying around. It was the basic stuff all alchemists must have.


    Gryphon was still in vodyanoy form, and the creature was feasting on the fishid out on the table. A ck cat was apanying it. The cat¡¯s name was Sandru, and it was Kalkstein¡¯s pet. Cats could sense magical energy acutely and would approach sorcerers, who were walking beacons of that energy. A lot of sorcerers would take a cat in as their pet.


    ¡°Witcher, we¡¯re friends now, so I¡¯m going to call you Roy, and you¡¯re going to call me Kalk.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Roy slid the leather gloves over his hands and nced over at where the cat was. Sandru was holding its head up high like a king. Sandru¡¯s whiskers shivered as it held its paw down on Gryphon¡¯s head. Gryphon, however, ignored the cat. It concentrated on the fish before it.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve mastered five recipes: marigold potion, paralyzing poison, Swallow, Petri¡¯s Philter, and Thunderbolt. You¡¯ve got the basics down, but I need to see how you truly fare. Pick one recipe you¡¯ve mastered and make it using the ingredients and tools here.¡± The alchemist put on a stern look. He seemed more like a teacher now.


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Roy picked the mostmon potion¡ªmarigold potion. It could stop bleeding and prevent infection of wounds. He had been spending a lot of time training his battle skills and senses. Potionmaking had been taking a backseattely. However, the moment he held the ingredients and tools, he started remembering all the steps of making the potion. It was like his mind was ying it in slow motion, showing him how to make it frame by frame.


    ¡°One part marigold and one parttle. Grind them into a fine powder. Add a quarter part of distilled water into the mixture, then pour one ounce oftle and two ounces of marigold. Stir them together. Heat it up for five minutes until its color changes to¡­ And then keep doing this until the rancid smell disappears.¡± The witcher¡¯s fingers moved deftly but firmly. He pounded the ingredients and controlled the heat perfectly, as if he had practiced this countless times. Every movement had been ingrained in his soul and instinct.


    That was another effect of the character sheet. Once he mastered a skill, it would never regress no matter how much time had passed. Two hourster, the witcher handed the test tube that was filled two-thirds of the way to the alchemist. He was already sweating. Kalkstein uncorked the test tube and took a whiff of the content. ¡°Its smell, color, and amount far exceeds a regr potion. I¡¯d say this is a quality product.¡± He praised, ¡°Roy, you have talent in alchemy. Now, all you need is experience.¡±


    The witcher¡¯s precision, efficiency, and sleek moves left a deep impression on him.


    ¡°Letho taught me well.¡±


    ¡°I would have taken you in as a disciple if you came to me a few years ago. Before you became a witcher.¡± Kalkstein shook his head. ¡°But it¡¯s toote for that now. I¡¯m going to spend two to three days teaching you one recipe. We¡¯ll start with the meditation potion.¡± Kalkstein exined, ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯s between a potion and decoction. It increases meditation¡¯s efficiency by about twenty percent. Works for witchers and sorcerers alike.¡±


    The cat¡¯s meows interrupted the conversation, and the two of them looked at the creatures. Sandru was lying on all fours on the table, while Gryphon was lying on the cat¡¯s nose, holding its whiskers. It was staring at the cat, not moving a muscle at all.


    The little creature gurgled, while the cat meowed. It was as if they weremunicating in a way nobody could understand.


    ¡°Sandru noticed the vodyanoy¡¯s magical energy. It¡¯s trying to get close to the little one. Ignore them. Let¡¯s get back to our ss.¡±

 Chapter 218

    <strong>Chapter 218: Goodbye </strong>


    It was a quiet night in the rural area of Vizima. Abandoned fields were taken over by weed and bushes. Suddenly, one of the burclover bushes rustled, and a pair of long ears popped out from it. A momentter, an adult grey rabbit hopped out of it. It looked around and confirmed that the coast was clear before it came close and nibbled on the bush¡¯s leaves.


    A half-eagle, half-lion beast was lying quietly on a banyan tree five yards away. It was hiding in the shadows where the moonlight could not reach. The beast had melded with the trunk, staring straight at its prey. It did not attack right away, however. The beast hid in the shadows, unmoving and waiting for its chance.


    One second had passed. Two seconds had passed. Three seconds had passed¡­ Eventually, the beast pushed the trunk with its ws and pped its wings as it flew up into the sky. It then charged downward like a dark meteorite falling to the ground. The moment itnded, a powerful air current pushed the bushes down. The ws on the tip of its right wing closed together, locking the petite prey in a cage.


    ¡°Nice job, Gryphon!¡± A slender silhouette came out from a bush a bit of a distance away from where the beast was. He made a loud whistle, and the beast lifted its w. The poor rabbit was curled up on the ground in fear. It did nothing as the griffin licked it all over. Even though it had regained its freedom, the rabbit did not make a run for it. The fear of the apex predator was carved in its soul, keeping it from resisting.


    Gryphon turned around, its eyes gleaming with the desire for meat. It just had two muskrats earlier, but the beast was still hungry.


    ¡°You¡¯re already a big eater, and you¡¯re only six months old!¡± Roy nodded.


    The sound of flesh being torn screeched into the night as Gryphon tore its prey apart with its ws and beak. The rabbit was nothing but bones when Gryphon was done with it. Chunks of flesh hung from its skeletal remains, but Gryphon did not clean it up. It craned its neck and gurgled happily. It theny on the ground and licked the blood from its ws and feathers.


    It was the fourth day of Gryphon¡¯s training. The beast had shown marked improvement. Gryphon could glide five yards now, which was more than double its initial flight distance. There was still a long way away from true flight, but at least it would not fall the moment it flew into the air.


    Gryphon showed an even more surprising improvement in its hunting skills. Being locked for six months in a cage did not impede its instincts as a predator at all. It inherited its parents¡¯ hunting instincts. The young griffin was already making its way toward a top predator without any guidance.


    Roy witnessed the whole process. Griffins hunted in a different waypared to feline creatures. It was too conspicuous and moved too loudly to hunt from the bushes. Griffins attacked from the sky, just like eagles and vultures did. They would pierce their prey with their ws, their momentum from charging straight down granting them immense strength. If an aerial attack was not viable, they would stick to the ground and store up energy in their hind legs, waiting for the perfect chance for them to pounce at their prey. Once the prey was pinned down, the griffin would tear it into pieces.


    Gryphon was only six months old, but it was already powerful enough to kill an adult human. Once it grew evenrger, it could even threaten a witcher. <em>And once it grows even bigger, I¡¯m going to have it fight monsters with me. </em>¡°Gryphon.¡± Roy brushed his hand along the griffin¡¯s back.


    The griffin gurgled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had muskrats and rabbits. Why don¡¯t we change your menu tomorrow? Wanna hunt something bigger? How do stray dogs and boars sound?¡±


    The griffin gurgled happily.


    Roy¡¯s crystal shot out a beam of light, and the griffin disappeared into thin air. What took its ce was a fat orange tabby.


    The crystal chandelier filled Kalkstein¡¯sboratory with a warm yellow light. Roy looked up and raised a bottle of murky concoction. The witcher started shaking it as hard as he could, and the bottle left afterimages in the air. The liquid started to spin and had a change in color. It turned from white to ck, then to red, and finally it became a multicolored potion. In the end, the witcher made one final movement, and the potion turned into a beautiful ocean blue. It was like a work of art.


    ¡°Perfectly done.¡± Kalkstein looked at the potion, and he gave it his seal of approval. ¡°Congrattions on hitting all the goals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done? I mastered three potions in five days? That¡¯s unbelievable.¡± It had been a crazy period. Roy worked from sunrise to sunset. Even so, he felt a little sad to find out it hade to an end. Gratefully, he said, ¡°Thanks for everything, Kalk. I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡±


    The master alchemist might look weird and have an even weirder disposition, but he upheld his end of the bargain well. He poured his heart and soul into his teachings, and every time Roy had a question, Kalkstein could point out the key point easily. It saved the young witcher a lot of time.


    Roy¡¯s Alchemy leveled up before his Sword Mastery and Crossbow Mastery could, much to his surprise. <em>Maybe I </em>am <em>a talented alchemist.</em>


    ¡°You¡¯re diligent, talented, and you work hard. I couldn¡¯t have managed to teach you if you were a fool.¡± Kalkstein smiled and rubbed his stubble that had started to grow over thest few days. ¡°And these recipes aren¡¯t that precious. Anyone could buy it off the streets. The meditation potion and spirit potion might be of use, but thest one is far too niche. You might go your whole life without needing it.¡±


    The meditation potion would allow Roy tomunicate better with the elements and reduce the time for meditation from five hours to four. The spirit potion could replenish the user¡¯s stamina and nutrients. It could also give the user an erection. Anything that could help a man with his source of ego always sold well. Roy was nning on making some of these to sell in Novigrad. It would be great if he could make some money out of it.


    Thest potion could cure coughs and colds, but witchers were immune to illnesses and ailments. It was useless to him.


    ¡°I have upheld my end of the deal. The contract is now fulfilled.¡±


    Kalkstein had a different way of teaching someone. Compared to Letho, it was less solemn and morefortable. ¡°Kalk, can I stille here to see you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I would be happy to have a little discussion with you.¡± Kalksteitn held his stubble and said solemnly, ¡°But if you want me to teach you more about alchemy, you will need to give me something. Equivalent exchange is the basis of scientific research.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need money. If you want to learn more, you¡¯ll have to provide some special knowledge in exchange. That, or you can help me out with some errands, but I have none at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to our next coboration.¡± Roy shook hands with the alchemist. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Gryphon!¡±


    The griffin, which had turned into an orange tabby, was lying on Sandru¡¯s belly. It buried its face into the ck cat¡¯s fur and massaged Sandru¡¯s belly, while the ck cat wagged its tail and patted Gryphon¡¯s back. They were both meowing at each other.


    Gryphon reluctantly stood up and bumped Sandru¡¯s head, saying goodbye to him.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    ¡°Meow, meow, meow!¡±


    Roy picked the cat up and tucked it away in his hood. Gryphon stuck its head out and stared longingly at Sandru.


    ¡°Oh, stop it. You¡¯re not gonna get pregnant with kittens no matter how much you want to. And you¡¯ve been eating a bit too welltely. You got fat!¡±


    Before he left, Kalkstein reminded him, ¡°Roy, here¡¯s some advice before you leave. Weapons and battles are a witcher¡¯s bread and butter. You need that to make a living, but don¡¯t spend all your time on that. Don¡¯t waste it on women and wine either. You¡¯re young and full of potential. Spend more time on alchemy. It¡¯s better anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Here¡¯s some advice in return.¡± Roy said, ¡°Never try to attack the Lady of the Lake or Princess Adda.¡±


    Kalkstein saw the young witcher off, then he whipped his quill and notebook out to make another entry.


    ¡®Twentieth of August, 1261.


    When was thest time I made an entry? Five years ago? Fifteen years ago? The experiments have worn off their novelty. Their monotony is nothing but a bore. Spending all my days making journal entries is gnawing away at my soul.


    There¡¯s such a thing as living for too long. The more I know, the less I get excited. It¡¯s easier to find an endangered species than something that can excite me. I think this is the bottleneck of my life. That, or I might be spiraling down into depression.


    However, something interesting has happenedtely, and it has kept my condition at bay. I wish to make an entry about that.


    A bizarre witcher caught my attention. For over two hundred years, I thought witchers were nothing but armed barbarians who found theirpany among beasts and monsters, but this witcher changed my perception of them.


    He is obviously young and inexperienced. He¡¯s rash and impulsive. When I first knew him, I thought of him as cheapbor. He¡¯s extraordinarily obsessive about jewelry and coins, but he showed no such passion when it came to priceless knowledge.


    Knowledge is the absolute truth. I spent my whole life searching for it, but he gave it away just to curry a sorceress¡¯ favor. Calling him a fool would be an understatement. If nothing else happens, I will never ask for him again after our contract is fulfilled. He fails to see the bigger picture.


    However, surprises happen when you expect them the least. He gave me a presentation of his potionmaking. I intended to just take a look and send him on his way, but by truth¡¯s name, that witcher is faster and more precise than any alchemist who makes potions with magic. He¡¯s a walking alchemical machine. Every move he makes is perfect.


    How did his witcher mentor fool this young man into pursuing the trade of a monster yer? Damn you, Law of Surprise!


    Speaking of which, I think alchemists shoulde up with a simr rule as well. Maybe we¡¯d get a talented apprentice or two, but I digress. The young witcher is far more talented than I had imagined. He is a quick learner, and I am not saying that lightly. He mastered one recipe in just a single day. Not even I had that kind of talent back in my younger days.


    Yes, I am jealous of him. That¡¯s why the recipes I taught him are horseshit. Well, most of them anyway. Still, I watch his career with eager eyes. He <em>will </em>see great sess one day if he pursues the path of alchemy.


    A shame he¡¯s a witcher.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 219

    <strong>Chapter 219: Merten of the Manticore School</strong>


    Night had fallen on the city of Vizima. The House of the Queen of the night was filled with the stench of wine and an organ''s melody. Men and women alike drown themselves in the pit of desire, surrendering themselves to their primal instincts.


    Suddenly, someone opened the front door, and in came a group of burly men. Instead of the usual pair, this time, there were five witchers who came into the establishment. Roy and Letho were there, of course. Auckes and Serrit followed them, and Berengar the cksmith was with them as well. They took up the table right beside the door.


    Serrit and Auckes looked haggard. Their hair and beard were unkempt from them going so long without even a bath. Their hair was greasy and filled with dandruff, while their ck leather armor was caked in dried blood. They smelled of blood and rotten food.


    "Four Bloody Marys and an apple cider, please!"


    "A moment, please." Sharika the bartender smiled at them. She took out a few bottles of wine and went to prepare the drinks for them. It was a performance when she made drinks to say the least.


    "We''re one week ahead of schedule." Auckes enjoyed Sharika''s performance, though he was mostly eyeing her perfectly curvy body. He kept shaking his leg, as if he wanted to go somewhere. "And it''s all thanks to your stallion, Roy. Wilt''s a great steed. I think it''s part Mahakam. He has incredible stamina and didn''t really tire over the course of the journey. And it''s really brave too." The light was illuminating Auckes'' face, and it was red with excitement. "Remember the royal griffin on Amell?"


    "Coral warned me about it." Roy took the Bloody Mary from Sharika. It was as red as blood and smelled intoxicating. The witcher frowned and gave Auckes the drink.


    Auckes took a swig and squinted in delight. "That hits the spot. You always know how to pick the best wine. Toussaint''s grape wine doesn''t make the cut. I need something strong, and uh¡­ this ce is surprisingly exciting."


    "You mentioned a griffin?"


    "Patience, Roy. That beast probably thinks it owns Amell. It didn''t even put its guard up. Wilt baited it into our trap, and Serrit and I did it in."


    "Is Wilt alright?" Roy felt his heart skip a beat.


    "Hey, you saw him earlier. That is one smart steed. How''d you train him, anyway?" He burped. "It''s all smooth sailing after we go through Amell. ¡®Cept for a bunch of bandits who tried to rob us. That''s one way to make some money, I s''pose. The problems began once we got into Toussaint. The map is¡­"


    "Did I get the wrong location?" Roy felt his heart sink. <em>Did I remember it wrong? Or did history change? </em>


    "No. The area you pinpointed is just too general. Western Toussaint, the gaol, and a hidden church? Those are all vague clues. We had to search a lot of ces."


    "Sorry." Roy sipped some cider and pushed the creature''s paw back into the hood before it could touch the wine. "My premonition is uncontroble, and you know that. So, you didn''t find the blueprint?"


    "Alright, that''s far enough." Serrit shot his brother a re. "Make it simple, you fool."


    "Well, we ran into some issues, but it went well." Auckes sighed. "I''ll make this short. You mentioned a Manticore School witcher called Merten, right? He had a long talk with a believer of Lebioda in some Toussaint gaol. He changed right after that. Became a devout believer of Lebioda. It''s been more than fifty years since then. Finding where he is right now would be a hard task, so I came up with an idea. I pretended to be Lebioda''s believer and had a little talk with the local believers. Eventually I found out who that guy who talked to Merten is. He''s famous too. Used to be jailed in the Bastoy Prison for a while. Good thing I''m smart and talk well too. This guy here would have botched it." Auckes looked at his brother with scorn. "He can''t even form a sentence. There was no way he could find anything."


    "You mentioned a prison?"


    "Alright, alright, sheesh. Bastoy Prison lies in ruins now. It has been in a state of disrepair for many years. We went around and found someone''s skeletal remains in the end. And we got ourselves something good too." Auckes beamed, and Serrit took out a leather scroll from his backpack. "This is the blueprint for Manticore School''s steel sword. Merten must have left it behind during his time in the prison."


    "Can I have a look?" Berengar extended his hand, a look of longing ring in his eyes.


    "Of course, cksmith." Auckes raised a toast to Berengar, and both alcoholics took a big swig of their Bloody Marys. He handed the blueprint to Berengar and gave Roy a look. He had no idea how the young witcher managed to trick a master armorer into traveling with him.


    "That''s all? Where''s the silver sword''s blueprint?"


    "Patience. We found a book in the remains. It''s titled ¡®A Prisoner''s Journal.'' It points out where the church is. Obviously the believer who converted Merten wrote this. A pity he never managed to break free of prison. ording to this journal, the church is hidden in a remote cave. It''s the same cave Lebioda first received his enlightenment, and it was where Merten started his pilgrimage."


    "The witcher called Merten gave up all his equipment and his school''s weapons'' blueprints before he started his pilgrimage. We walked along the path and found something really important." Serritid the backpack out for everyone to see. There were two books in there. The first one was the book Auckes said earlier, while the other was titled ¡®Great Beggar''s Journal.''


    Besides the two yellowing books, there were also three leather blueprints inside. They detailed all the steps to make the Manticore School''s armor, boots, and pants.


    "Look! There''s something behind the blueprint!" Berengar eximed. Everyone''s attention turned to him, and he turned the blueprint over, revealing the wall of text behind it.


    ¡®Seventh day of the month of the Sun, 1203


    Grant me strength to stay steadfast!


    Grant me mercy to rid me of my doubts!


    Grant me resilience so I can bid my old life farewell and pursue this new faith!''


    The witchers looked at one another. Aside from the prayers, Merten wrote down his introduction on the flip side of the blueprint.


    ¡®I, Merten, a witcher of the Manticore School, shall begin my pilgrimage today. My journey begins in the very same cave Lebioda fasted and meditated for twenty-three mornings and nights. I swear I shall atone for my sins and walk the path of redemption. I shall cut all ties with my previous life loose to be a proud believer of the prophet. I now announce my rebirth!


    I shall travel to the temple of Lebioda and request an audience with the Great Beggar. He is a sage who has spent more time than anyone in interpreting Lebioda''s wisdom. I shall take his advice and heed his guide on this path to redemption.''


    The text roughly said how a witcher renounced his school and turned to Lebioda for guidance.


    "I was shocked when I saw this letter." Auckes chuckled to himself. "I bet he''s the first witcher to renounce his school for a religion. I can never understand him. He left this life behind just to be some sort of monk who can''t even have fun."


    Witchers had the creed of ¡®the strong survives'' drilled into their heads since they were kids. They were subjected to an endless training regime. Once they passed the Trial of the Grasses, they would risk their lives just to make a living. They had no time for gods or religions.


    Most witchers did not believe in religions. What they believed in was their sword.


    "Merten from the Manticore School. I don''t know a lot about him. Never thought he would renounce his school." Roy suddenly turned to Berengar. "Do <em>you </em>have a religion, mate?"


    The mercenary witcher looked a little miffed. Like Merten, he too had renounced his school. "Only fools put their faith in ¡®gods'' and ¡®prophets.''" Berengar answered adamantly, "I go with what my heart tells me to."


    "So has it told you to return to the fold?"


    "Kid, I''m warning you right now. Just drink. Don''t talk about that ce. Not even a word."


    "Sure. As you wish." Roy heaved a sigh. <em>Man. What does it take to make this guy cave? </em>"Is this witcher still alive? If he is, where did he go?"


    "Hisst letter said he would be going north to spread the gospel of Lebioda. He would travel past Aedirn and Kaedwen," Serrit answered. "It has been more than fifty years since then. If he is still alive, he''ll probably be in the Dragon Mountains."


    Roy made a mental note of that. "So why did Merten toss away decades of his life and choose to serve Lebioda instead?"


    "I think I can guess why." Letho finished his Bloody Mary and wiped the stains off his lips. "Master Ivar told us about the Manticore School. It''s located east of the Blue Mountains, where the far kingdom of Hand resides. Zerrikania stands right beside them. Hand has an abundant source of herbs, so the Manticore School explored the path of potions and decoctions more. They managed to find the best use for a lot of herbs." A pauseter, he said, "Their members are all addicted to potions."


    "And that''s why Merten wanted to serve Lebioda. He wants to get rid of his addiction," Serrit guessed. "That''s why he cut off all ties with his past."


    "He has multiple blueprints with him. It''s obvious he''s a powerful man in his school as well. Perhaps he''s even a founder like Master Ivar."


    <em>An elder of a witcher school started serving a prophet? </em>"And what can he get from serving Lebioda?" Roy thought of something. <em>Is theology standing at the end of this path I''m on? Do I have to choose a god to serve once I gain ultimate power?</em>


    Everyone was quiet.


    Auckes could see the shock in everyone''s eyes, and he continued, "This is just part of the blueprints. Serrit and I couldn''t finish the path. We stopped right in front of the church. ording to the mural, there''s a deep cave behind the church. It''s called the Cave of Trials, and it''s filled with poison gasses and monsters. There are drowners, endregas, fleders, and even alps."


    The sexy bartender, who had been silent all this time, winked at him. Auckes pointed at his empty mug. "It''s a pity Serrit and I couldn''t face the dangers alone. Only those who pass the trials may stand before the end of the path, where the Lake of Cleansing lies. I think the blueprint for the gloves and silver sword are around thatke."


    "Turning back was the correct decision." Roy and Letho exchanged looks. "Once we''re done with our business here in Vizima, we¡¯ll travel to Novigrad to wait for news. But first, we''ll need all the equipment recorded on this blueprint. cksmith, can you do that?"


    Berengar looked at the armor blueprints and sword blueprint carefully, a frown furrowing his brows. "Hand is a kingdom located east of the Blue Mountains. Their style is slightly different from ours. I''ll need some time to figure it out. It''ll take at least a month for me to figure out how to make all this equipment."


    "We''ll leave you to your work then. We''ll gather all the necessary materials as soon as possible." Roy took a quick look and saw that they needed dimeritium, cured draconid leather, and a lot of expensive materials to make the equipment. Those things cost a lot of money, which they did not have. Roy had toe up with a way to make money. "As for the reward¡­"


    Berengar shook his head. "I owe you one for settling Kalkstein''s request for me. No need for any reward. Just prepare the necessary materials. They aren''t cheap."


    "Start with the armor, cksmith. One set will be enough. Leave the sword forter." Letho waved his hand, and four brand new Viper School swords appeared out of thin air. "Berengar made these. It''s the school''s steel and silver swords. One set for each of you."


    "Nice, Letho!" Serrit and Auckes unsheathed the de and brushed their thumb across the sword. Their eyes gleamed. "Good stuff! Now that I have this, I can finally retire that rusty old sword of mine." Auckes looked particrly excited, but then he asked, "So how much did this cost? You made quite a few swords."


    "Spent almost all our money."


    "Wow. Roy actually paid?"


    "Are you looking down on me, Auckes? I''m not stingy, you know."


    Letho told them of Kolgrim''s fate and what happened in the White Orchard.


    "Another one bites the dust." Sadness filled Serrit''s eyes, and he gulped his wine down.


    "For Kolgrim!"


    "For Kolgrim!"


    "Woof!" A ck dog stuck its head out of the hood. It was sticking its tongue out in delight.


    The air froze.


    "What the hell is this?" Aside from Roy, all the witchers turned their sights onto the dog.


    The puppy froze up and pulled back into the hood.


    "You''re keeping a pet?"


    "Why''d it turn into a dog?" Letho asked.


    "Um, it''s Kalkstein''s stuff. This little creature can change its form every day." Roy pursed his lips. "It''s not really useful now, but that might change soon. Well, don''t pay any attention to the dog. Carry on."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 220

    <strong>Chapter 220: Meeting Coral Again </strong>


    "Serrit and I came across a gorgeous carriage when we came into the city. It had a coat of arms in the shape of a ck shield dotted with silver fleurs-de-lys on it. That''s the emblem of Vizima''s royal family." Auckes caressed his new silver sword. "And the knights are patrolling around the carriage. Someone powerful must be inside."


    "If I''m right, that guy must be Foltest," Roy said. "He went around his kingdom in disguise for a while before this." Adda told him about that.


    "Foltest?" Auckes put on an exaggerated look and gasped. "There were a few sorcerers beside the carriage. I bet the king''s going to do something big."


    "Foltest brought a sorcerer back with him?" Letho and Roy tensed up. <em>He must have found out about Azar''s death and hired a new consultant. But it''s only been a month. This is rushing it a little bit.</em>


    Auckes said something even more terrifying, "You gotta learn to listen, Roy. Not <em>a </em>sorcerer. A <em>few </em>sorcerers. As in a group. That''s what my pendant''s vibrations told me. There were twodies and a guy in the caravan, and I saw a familiar face as well. She''s none other than Keira Metz of Aretuza. Remember her, mates?" Auckes sighed. "She''s a delicate and charmingdy. Oh, but the otherdy is as charming as Keira herself. She has lovely maroon hair, a pretty face, and her body is to die for." Auckes'' eyes shone, and he made some curves with his hands."


    Serrit turned away. "That''s enough, you fool. Wipe your drool. You''re embarrassing the school."


    "Hey, it''s normal for guys to talk about women. Are you sure you can still get it up?"


    Roy listened to them quietly. He finished his drink and suddenly stood up. "You guys carry on. I have something I need to settle."


    "You gotta learn respect, Roy." Auckes'' face fell and he raised another ss of wine. "You''re not going anywhere until we''re done drinking."


    "Are you threatening my apprentice?" Letho held Auckes'' neck and yanked him away from Roy. "You''re drinking with <em>me</em>. Loser''s paying for everything." Letho raised his chin, telling Roy to leave.


    Roy quietly retreated to the inn''s entrance. Even still, he could still hear Auckes announce, "I''ve had enough of you! I, Auckes, am going to show you who runs this ce!"


    ***


    Roy left the brothel in a hurry. He breathed deeply, and the cold air of Vizima''s streets cleared the alcohol in his head, sobering him up. The fact Foltest came back with three consultants at once made him feel worried about Vivienne. <em>Hisst failure taught him nothing. </em>


    Thanks to the darkness of the night, Roy slipped to theke unnoticed and tried to warn Vivienne, but she did not respond to Aerondight''s summons, nor did Roy see the pce in theke''s center. "She went into training again?"


    Roy went back to their temporary base and paced around the house. He was nning on getting in touch with Adda the next morning to find out more about the situation. It was then that he noticed something in the middle of the room. This was originally Coral''s room. There were a few magical items sitting around the dressing table, including the telescope with crystals embedded in it. "It''s been a while since I contacted her. Gotta give her Azar''s research journal."


    Roy recalled how to use the telescope, and he rubbed its ss. Eventually it started heating up, and Roy''s mana was reduced by ten points. A bright light filled the room, and just like that, a screen appeared in the air, as if the telescope were a projector. Roy could see steam brushing against the screen, and he heard the sound of water sloshing around. A smooth, beautiful arm appeared and rested itself on the edge of the big bucket. "Someone''s bathing?" Roy''s eyes widened. For some reason, he felt like he was a peeping tom, and he turned away.


    He heard someone chiding him, and the screen darkened. He heard the sound of water sshing against the ground, the rustle of the rug as someone folded it up, and then sounds of footsteps approaching him. When the screen lit up again, he saw Coral looking straight at him. Her hair was fiery red, her eyes as blue as the sea, and her lips as full as flower petals. Her skin was gleaming, as she had just gotten out of the bath. "Roy?" She covered her lips in surprise, and she beamed, dimples forming on her cheeks.


    "Um, hello, Coral¡­" Roy was feeling awkward. It would be hard to exin himself if Coral thought he was peeking at her. "I-I didn''t know you were bathing. I saw nothing!"


    "I don''t mind, even if you did," Coral said. She stood up and pulled her hair together. She brought her chest closer to the screen, and her breasts swayed. Even though they were miles away, just the sight of this made Roy''s heart race. His eyelids twitched, and his face burned up from how bothered he was getting. He might have a strong will, but he still was a man. Fortunately, the sorceress changed her position right away.


    "Are you alone in the room?" She backed away and allowed Roy to see her from head to waist.


    "Yes." Roy took a deep breath and cleared the dirty thoughts away. His eyes cleared up. "What about you, Coral? How''s your work in Kerack going?"


    "Not exactly busy." Coral rested her chin on her hand and smiled. "You know being a royal consultant is a boring job. Nothing interesting happens. So, I assume you have good news for me?"


    "Back when we were in Cintra, you said you were interested in the mutation process of witchers, right?" Roy shifted his gaze away from her lips. "And I have something just for you." Roy took the copy of the research journal out and showed it to Coral.


    "Alzur''s Witcher Research Journal, a spellbook, experiment journal¡­" Coral could no longer stay elegant. Her jaw dropped, and she looked shocked. "Did you loot a sorcerer''sb?"


    "Yes." Roy scratched his nose. "Azar Javed ¡®heroically sacrificed himself,'' so his items were ripe for the picking. I wasn''t gonna let anyone take it, and you need them. Besides, I still need you to help out with the Trial of the Grasses." Roy had to start preparing for the second trial.


    "Who''s the new witcher?"


    "You''ll find out." A pauseter, Roy said, "But there''s a lot of this stuff here. It''s going to be hard for you to transcribe just with this telescope. I''lle up with a way to send these over."


    "No need for that," Coral stopped him. She pursed her lips, gazing at him as she slowly got closer to the screen. "Yennefer has alwaysined that witchers are as unromantic as they get. They would never give anyone gifts, but I think she could be wrong. Are you¡ª"


    "I''m just trying to get someone to help my school out," Roy said. He changed the subject. "Coral, I have a question. Three sorcerers came to Vizima today. If I''m right, they''ll be Foltest''s new royal consultants. How much can you tell me about them?"


    Coral sighed, as if she wereining about Roy being unromantic. She then remembered something fun, and she smiled. "My sisters told me about the new consultants, and they have records in the organization. Foltest told us he wanted to hire a few sorcerers to keep himself safe. ording to him, some sort of horrible monster has appeared in Vizima. It has killed the leader of the knight order and his previous royal consultant, the sorcerer from Zerrikania. It''s not every day the king of one of the strongest kingdoms in the north asks us for help. It''s a great chance to ease the strain between us and the kingdoms, so the organization sent three sorcerers who were nearest to Vizima to help out." Coral massaged her forehead. "Keira Metz of Carreras, Fercart of Cidaris¡ª"


    "Where''s Cidaris located?"


    "North of Kerack. Not that far from where I am, actually. Fercart is a megalomaniac, and Vizima is nearer to the center of power, so he tossed Cidaris away. And thest one is a young but extremely talented sorceress. She''s a girl from Maribor¡ªTriss Merigold."


    "Triss?" Roy froze for a moment. He had a trip down memoryne to the days when he yed Witcher 3. He recalled ady with maroon hair, and she left as deep an impression on him as Yennefer did.


    "You know her, Roy?" Coral arched her eyebrow.


    "You told me about her back at the temple of Melitele, remember?" Roy exined. "Geralt told me about her as well."


    "Is that so?" Coral let her guard down. "Triss <em>is </em>good friends with Yennefer, and Yennefer has a rich past with Geralt. Still going around each other even until now. It''s possible he told you about her. Oh, and one more thing about the royal consultants. Be careful of Keira Metz. Don''t be fooled by her looks and elegance." Coral scoffed. "Because she has no shame at all."


    <em>Ooookay?</em>


    "Yes, she is beautiful, but she has no concept of purity. She''s interested in every single man shees across. If she wasn''t a sorceress, she''d probably have a lot of kids by now. And rumors say she''s interested in witchers." Coral gave Roy a look.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t get involved with her." He was not going to sleep with someone Auckes slept with.


    "Triss is¡­ not bad. You can try talking to her, but don''t fall for her charms. Oh, I''m just joking. Just don''t get entangled with her."


    "Um¡­"


    "Let''s get back to an earlier question. Are you alone?"


    "Letho and the others are in the inn. They''re gonna drink through the night," Roy said.


    "Excellent! You don''t have to give me the journal right now." A gale stirred in the room, whipping up dust and billowing the curtains. A whirlpool the size of a fist appeared in the air, and it expanded until it became a fiery door. Coral came out of the door, covered in nothing but her towel. She grabbed Roy¡¯s hands, who was still in shock. "Why do your hands feel smoother than a woman''s?"


    "That''s just your mind ying tricks on you."


    "We''ll talkter. Take the journal ande with me." She chuckled, huddling closer to Roy. "Time to fulfill your promise and teach me that dance." She turned around and stood on her tiptoes. Her towel slipped down a little, revealing her wless skin that had an angelfish tattooed on it.


    Roy was pulled into the portal, and chuckles came from behind it. Roy grunted, and water sshed. Coral gasped. "Why do you have a dog in your hood, Roy?"


    "Woof!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 221

    The sun rose the next morning as usual. Sparrows chirped and hopped on the branches, and the sun shone down on three men lying on the ground like corpses. A bald, burly man was hanging upside down from the hammock, Serrit was lying spread-eagled on the ground, and Auckes rested his chin on the bucket, his rear raised. Their snores and alcohol-filled breath permeated the room.


    A loud boom woke them up. The witchers tensed and unsheathed their des, getting ready for battle. The very next moment, a colorful portal opened before them. It howled like the wind, and then someone tiptoed out of it.


    "You let me down, kid," Letho said coldly, and Roy froze. "You spent the whole night with the sorceress?" He clicked his tongue.


    Auckes was happy to see the drama unfold.


    "It''s not what you think." Roy exined calmly, "We were just talking about business."


    The witchers heard Coral snort from behind the portal, and it closed.


    "That old witch!" Letho''s veins popped. "I should never have asked her to help with the trial. Why won''t you listen to me, kid? Never get in a rtionship with any sorceress!"


    Roy shook his head and sighed. <em>Why don''t you guys believe me? Coral and I were just riding on Gryphon''s back, talked about the future the whole night, and we shared a dance.</em>


    "Why''d she have to take my young, little friend?" Auckes muttered to himself, looking frustrated. "Why didn''t she choose me? I can handle all her conspiracies."


    "Alright, that''s enough." Serrit cleared his throat and saved Roy from the awkward situation. "None of us are in any position to call him out. We partied hard at the House of the Queen of the Night too." He looked at Auckes'' neck, especially at the hickeys on it.


    The argument came to a stop. At the same time, a ck cat stuck its head out of the hood. It looked around and climbed up to Roy''s head, meowing at everyone. It looked as if Roy had a big frog sitting on his head. The young witcher hesitated for a moment, and he said, "Gryphon hasn''t had anything to eat sincest night. I''ll get him something to eat."


    "Let''s put this behind us. The sorceress and thosedies are not important." Letho still looked upset, but he brought the topic to a close. "Now that everyone''s here, it''s time to talk business."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief.


    The witchers recovered from their hangover easily thanks to their powerful constitution. They talked about the Manticore School''s equipment and came to a conclusion a whileter. Berengar and Letho would work on renting a shop and researching the blueprints, while Serrit and Auckes would take thest three hundred crowns from Roy to purchase the necessary materials.


    The Hand-style equipment needed materials that were rarer and more expensive than the Viper School''s twin des. The cheaper ones included iron and steel ingots, and the pricier ones included cured draconid leather, dimeritium te, zircon, and more. The draconid leather was not something that came from real dragons. Draconids like dracolizards, forktails, and basilisks could produce draconid leather as well.


    Even so, that was still a rare and expensive material. Most merchants usually did not have them in stock. Serrit and Auckes would have to try their luck in the marketce and auction houses. If they were out of luck, they would have to hunt one and get their hide. Most of the materials could be bought, though they would cost a lot.


    Roy did not get involved with the cksmithing process. He washed the marks left by Coral and went to the temple area. He was going to ask Adda for help. The Church of Virtue was holding a morning mass when he came, but unlike thest time Roy was here, there were only a few people wandering around the area. They looked lost, as if the faith in their heart was gone. A dozen or so believers were wandering around the za''s center, where Vivienne''s statue used to be.


    The statue was not there anymore.


    A group of unfamiliar knights were gathered nearby. Instead of giving away free food, they were chasing away the stragglers. Some were crying and shouting, but the knights took them away regardless. Most people gave up and left or chose to serve Lebioda instead. After all, they had only started believing in Vivienne for a couple of months. Their faith had not been established yet.


    Roy did not see Adda around, though he did see twodies and a man among the knights. "Fercart?" The sorcerer from Cidaris was wearing exquisite clothes. He was gaunt, and he had an immactely-kept mustache. The man looked arrogant, as if he were the leader of the knights.


    The young witcher hid in the shadows of the alleyway, stealing nces at the za. One of the two sorceresses was in a low-cut, long dress that showed all her curves and cleavage. She had a silver ankh with zircon embedded in it hanging from her chest. The sorceress was petite, and her light golden hair tumbled down her shoulders. With every step she took, the slit on her dress would reveal the skin underneath. Roy recognized her at once. <em>Keira Metz of Carreras. </em>Mostdies would tie their hair up to show how upright they were, but sorceresses would usually let their hair down.


    If anyone were to see a beautifuldy on the streets with her hair down, they would guess she was a sorceress.


    Triss was a different womanpared to Keira. She tied her maroon hair up behind her head. Her eyes were light blue, and her nose was crooked a little. Freckles dotted her cheeks, anda beauty mark adorned the corner of her lips. She looked refreshing and sexy at the same time.


    Triss looked like a youngdy who was just striking out on her own. She had a spring in her step, and her smile was innocent, as if she had been sheltered by the walls of Aretuza for a long time. She was not even forty years old yet, making her the youngest among the three. A pendant with a sapphire embedded in it hung before her chest. She would look around, smiling and staring at everything with interest.


    ***


    "I see Foltest has started his n." Roy looked away and left the za, but he realized someone was looking at him. It was a boy in a hemp shirt. He came to the young witcher and handed a slip of paper to him.


    "Someone wants to see you." The boy looked away carefully. The beastly eyes were scaring him.


    Roy tossed him a bronze coin and read the slip. He went to the trade quarter and weaved past the vis there until he came to a big building. The knights standing sentry around the ce were familiar faces. They were the ones who swore loyalty to the princess.


    As expected, Princess Adda was waiting for him in the house. "You''re here, knight of Lake Vizima." Adda had changed out of her priestess attire and wore her pce dress instead. Her hair was tied in a bun, and her face was as white as a sheet of paper.


    "I saw what happened to the za." Roy sat beside her.


    "The new sorcerers only listen to his orders. They''re getting rid of the church as we speak." She held her chair''s armrest, her knuckles turning white. "It''s like he''s a different man. He wouldn''t listen to me. Not only does he think the goddess is an evil demon, he demands that I stop my work and disband the church." She gritted her teeth,menting, "He took most of my authority away, and now the knights outside are the only ones I can use. I had no choice but to cancel the morning mass and told the believers that all activities are suspended indefinitely."


    Roy was silent for a moment, but he did not think Adda would give in that easily. "So what will you do?"


    "I will never give up the church. I spent a lot of time and effort to build it up from the ground, and I would never let the goddess'' gifts go to waste." Adda pursed her lips, her eyes filled with resolve. "If Vizima will not ept the church, we will move our base." She was not that crazy to fight her own father yet. He was the real ruler of Vizima.


    "So where are you moving it to?" Roy asked. "To the viges?"


    "I''ve contacted a wealthy merchant in the trade area. He has passed the goddess'' test." Adda looked at him seriously, her eyes shining. "He''s going to spread the gift and gospel of the goddess in a remote vige far, far away from Vizima. We''ll start over from a small ce. It''s far enough from Vizima, and Foltest''s administration can''t govern that ce yet. The church will have time to grow. Once it does, we can slowly reenter Vizima."


    "It''s not as simple as you think." Roy said, "The more remote the ce is, the stronger the locals'' beliefs are. They''ve had their faith in Melitele for decades. They won''t change that easily. Besides, once you leave Vizima, there won''t be free food every day. It''ll be hard to attract new believers without that."


    "I have no choice. I can''t let the goddess'' church fall into ruin. I need to keep some part of it alive." Adda took a deep breath. "And I''m not giving up on Vizima," she said, determination gleaming in her eyes. "The most ardent believers must stay. I have to find a ce for them to pray."


    "But the king has banned the goddess'' church from ever appearing in Vizima."


    "The surface, maybe. But what about the underground?" Adda looked Roy in the eye. "And that''s why you''re here."


    <em>The underground? </em>Roy was surprised she brought that up, but then he realized something.


    Adda noticed the change in his expression. "I see you realize what I''m talking about."


    "The sewers of Vizima, I presume?"


    Adda nodded and stood up. She walked inside the room, exining, "I''ve read through the records. Vizima''s sewers were built on the ruins of an ancient elven city, and the sewers only took up a part of the ruins. There''s arge part of it untouched and functional. These parts are connected to the trade quarter and temple area. It''s a natural and perfect ce to hide." A pauseter, Adda said, "I''ll move the headquarters underground."


    Roy looked at Adda in a new light. She managed to keep the church out of danger, came up with a n to conquer the city slowly, <em>and </em>she managed to find a hidden base for the main members of the church to. <em>No wonder Vivienne likes her. </em>


    "But we have a problem," Adda confessed. "The sewers have been abandoned for ages, and lots of dangerous monsters have taken up residence there. We need someone to get rid of these creatures so the believers can pray in safety."

 Chapter 222

    Roy gave her a solemn look. "You tter me, Your Highness, but Vizima''s sewers are as big as the city itself. There are a lot of passages in there, and it''s asplex as a maze. Just exploring the whole thing will take a lot of time, let alone clearing the ce of monsters." He exined, "These sewers are probably infested with drowners, drowned dead, and probably nekkers and ghouls too. They usually live in dark, damp ces like this. I can handle them fine, but if I run into a fleder, it would spell the death of me."


    Adda was prepared to counter these concerns. She pped her hands, and an extraordinarily young knight came up to them. He unfurled a yellowing leather map, and Adda said, "Roy, you are the goddess'' most trusted knight. I will not send you on a suicide mission, of course." She brushed her finger across the map. "I took this from the pce''s library. It''s the sewers'' blueprint. Archived right after Vizima was first established. This map shows you all the passages, structures, and exits of the sewers. Here."


    The map was wrinkled and musty from the humidity. It was an ancient map, and some parts of it have be muddied. The map shows a maze-like structure that was the sewers. All the connected tunnels covered the city above it as if it were one big cobweb. Roy looked at where Adda was pointing and saw the key to the sewers.


    The passages were connected on both ends, and a number was written on the walls of every corner. Anyone who came down would know where they were and would never get lost. On top of that, Roy noticed that the map pointed out all the exits in an even more obvious way. From the looks of it, every street had an exit.


    Adda moved her finger from an exit to a nearby one. "ording to this map, no matter where you are in the sewers, you should be able to find an exit in fifteen minutes."


    "Fifteen minutes?" Roy did not believe that.


    "I sent my men to ask the sewer cleaners, and that''s what they all say." Adda was sure about that. "With how powerful witchers are, you can cut that time in half if you run at full speed. Even if you run into something you can''t handle, you can still retreat safely."


    Roy felt more confident about the mission now that he had this info. A multitude of exits bunched together lowered the danger level considerably. He scanned the whole map again. All four sides were facing the waters. They were connected to Lake Vizima in the south, and Temeria''s river on the north. The city''s waste and excrements were taken to these waters. "Where are the ruins of the city? Why doesn''t this map show it?"


    Adda pointed at the northwestern corner of Vizima''s city area, where Foltest''s pce stood. "Most of the ruins are underneath the pce. There should be an entrance somewhere lower than the sewers."


    "It''s under Lake Vizima?"


    "Yes. It''s a well-hidden spot. My old history teacher mentioned it once." Adda said, "Don''t approach the ruins for now. Clear the monsters in the sewers. We want to give them a ce to pray. Once we set up a base, we''ll explore the ruins and try to turn them into our territory." Adda was being really optimistic about the whole thing. "And setting a base up in the sewers gives us an advantage." Adda pointed at the southern exit. "These exits lead to Lake Vizima. They are submerged in thekewater. This ce is a better conduit for the goddess'' power than the za could."


    Roy rubbed his chin and gave it some thought. "I can try, but I make no guarantees. And I need time. Lots of it. Give me one week at the very least."


    "Safety first. I can understand. The goddess wouldn''t want to see you hurt either. Clear the temple area first. The believers are more hardcore there." A pauseter, she said, "The goddess is still asleep, so this is a personal request. Tell me what you''d like, Roy." Adda upped the reward and said, "You can have anything as long as it''s not too outrageous."


    Roy took her offer and listed out all the materials needed to make the Manticore School''s armor. Adda epted his terms. The princess might have been stripped of her authority, but she still had ess to the royal warehouse.


    They agreed on their next meeting time and went their separate ways. Roy went back to the cksmith shop. Letho was still talking about the armor with Berengar.


    "The Lady of the Lake and Princess Adda, huh? Troublesome figures." Letho patted Roy''s shoulder. "I told you witchers should never get involved with religion. Serrit, Auckes, and I have our own work to do, so you''ll have to clear the sewers yourself."


    "No problem. I can handle it alone." Roy nodded.


    Letho took some items out of his ring. He gave Roy Swallow so he could heal faster, Thunderbolt for more strength, and Petri''s Philter for more powerful signs. "Remember, you can only take two decoctions at a time. If you go over your limit, you''ll be weakened and nauseous after the effect wears away. And it''ll cause a lot ofplications."


    "I understand."


    Letho was still worried, so he handed Roy two bombs that looked like coconut husks. They were Dragon''s Dreams. "The sewers are cramped and filled with swamps. There are inmmable gases everywhere. Dragon''s Dream will work well there, but use them sparingly. If you run into a fleder, throw this and run."


    "I know."


    After that, Letho patted his shoulder. "Kid, always put your safety first."


    "Don''t worry. Did you forget what I can do? I can escape anytime I want to." Roy waved Letho goodbye and left.


    The big maze that was the sewers and the multitude of monsters hiding in it meant untold dangers, but it also meant a mountain of EXP. Without Letho acting as the vanguard, Roy would be doing this solo. Chances like this did note every day. It was dangerous, but he had a good feeling about it. In fact, he was excited. Witchers were adventurous people, after all.


    ***


    "Letting a cub venture out on its own can be deadly. For the cub, of course." Berengar stepped on the blower, and the mes in the furnace burned brighter. "The sewers of Vizima are home to a lot of nasty stuff. Why''d you let him do this alone? Are you punishing him for his rash behaviorst night?"


    "Everyone was rash once. No need to punish him." Letho shook his head. "He should learn how to be a real witcher now."


    Berengar took a deep breath, reminiscence gleaming in his eyes. "He''s not even fifteen yet. When I was his age, I was still training my swordsmanship in Ka¡­ under an old git."


    "The kid has killed more than ten types of monsters, including a leshen." Letho had a look of approval in his eyes.


    "Congrattions." Berengar stopped stepping for a moment, and envy appeared on his face for a while. "Your school''s gonna live on."


    "We talked to Geralt in Cintra not too long ago, and he said the Wolf School is in dire straits. It''s been years since they had new kidsing in. Now there''s only four of them left." Letho changed the topic. "Ever thought of going back?"


    "None of your business!" Berengar crossed his arms and snapped back, "What is wrong with you and the kid? Why do you want me to go back anyway?"


    "We might be traveling to Kaer Morhen this winter to meet the Wolf School witchers." A pauseter, Letho stared at Berengar and said honestly, "We''ll be drinking away and chatting all we want. It''ll be the perfect opportunity to sit down and talk things out. Let bygones be bygones. Someone did say that there aren''t many witchers left in thesends. Nothing''s worse than extinction, so just let the past go."


    "I never regret leaving them," Berengar said. "And there''s no misunderstanding here. We only had different ideas of how things should work out." The Wolf School traitor stepped on the blower again and grumbled at the mes, "All I wanted was to raise a family and have my own kids. Can''t do that if I''m a witcher."

 Chapter 223

    Vizima''s sewers. A dark, damp ce filled with a rancid stench. What stood before every explorer was an abyss that stretched infinitely, with untold dangers lying within. Suddenly, the light of a torch appeared at the corner, shining on a cracked wall filled with moss and wastewater. Shadows were cast on the ground, getting longer and longer with every passing moment.


    Someone had entered the passage. They were a group of four that was made up of three knights in silver armor and a witcher with a viper pendant hanging before his chest. They walked in two groups of two, holding a torch in their hands. The group stood on both sides of the passage, going forward as quietly as possible, their steps as silent as a cat''s.


    A dark brown stream flowed in the middle of the path. It was made up of wasted food, excrements, and bizarre items, such as women''s clothes, torn dolls, and the leg of a table. It looked like a stream of brown mucus, and the stream filled the air with a disgusting stench.


    The witcher held the torch up near the right wall and light shone on a number painted on it. The number was getting muddied, and it was proof that it had existed for ages. He unfurled the map with his other hand andpared the number on the wall with its location on the map.


    The knight beside him suddenly stopped in his tracks after stepping in something. It was yellowish-brown, gooey, and felt warm. It also smelled as bad as fermented excrements.


    "Congrattions, Agorn!" Zerrin from the other sideughed, and it broke the silence.


    Agorn''s face turned red. He looked at the pile of excrements and held his throat as he retched. The poor guy almost puked his breakfast out. It had only been ten minutes since they came into the sewers, but the knights had already stepped in excrements. "Gods, please let me die on a battlefield. Anywhere but the sewers!"


    "Silence!" Roy gesticted, and the knights shut up.


    Roy left a deep impression on them. He might not have a great physique, but he was as agile as a speed demon. They still had not forgotten how he killed a group of their fellow knights as easily as if they were children. The previous leader, Rudolf, lost to him in a fair battle as well. Knights would only submit to the powerful, and they respected the witcher.


    Roy crouched and stirred the excrements with a stick he got out of nowhere. The stench of the sewers messed his sense of smell up, so he could not discern what kind of excrement this was. <em>Not a human''s, that''s for sure. </em>He managed to separate some bones the size of matches and the remains of half a rat. "A monster just came by. It can''t be far." He handed the torch to Agorn and took out a bottle of Thunderbolt. The witcher drank it all, and his face was filled with purplish-ck veins. His eyes were starting to glow as well, as if he were a beast.


    He leaned against the wall and walked on tiptoes, his steps as silent as a cat''s. The knights who were holding the torches remained in the same spot, waiting for the witcher to return.


    About two minutester, Roy could vaguely see something ahead. It was a humanoid creature, but its skin was green, as if it were a corpse that was fished out from the bottom of a pond. Slime and soil oozed out of its skin, and it smelled like rotten food. It was not a sewer, but it sure did smell like one. The creature was crouched in the sewage, its back turned to the witcher. There was a fin protruding from its back, and its shoulders bobbed up and down. The creature was crunching and chewing on the thing it was holding in its hands.


    "A drowner." Roy realized what it was right away. Drowners were timid, but they were stronger and faster than most humans. They were scavengers who fed on leftover vegetables and carcasses from trash piles. The sewers would be a food heaven for them. Sometimes they would ambush lone travelers and women who washed their clothes bykes. They were cruel to those weaker than they were.


    Roy did not attack right away. The Almanac of Creatures had said something along the lines of, ''Weak creatures alwayse in groups.'' Drowners were that kind of monster. Roy took a deep breath and looked into the distance. He waited in silence for a while and confirmed that there were no other drowners around before he carefully took Gabriel out.


    He counted in silence and activated Guided Arrows. The young witcher aimed at the back of the drowner''s hairless head, and a feeling of excitement bubbled within him. A silhouette arced through the dim sewers, and the back of the drowner''s head exploded. Blood rained down behind it, and it fell ahead. Before it could hit the ground, the bolt pierced its head and flew out of its eye.


    ''Drowner killed. EXP +20. Level 6 Witcher (1500/3500)''


    Roy looked at the bloodstone he had on him. As expected, he gained no souls from it. It also proved that the drowner''s soul had been turned into EXP. He approached the corpse and saw the thing the drowner was feeding on¡ªa dead chicken with half of its body devoured. The chicken''s skin was corroded. <em>I wonder who threw this away. </em>"Nice life he had. Mice <em>and </em>chickens." <em>No wonder the sewers are infested with monsters. The city''s wealthy wastes too much food and caused this infestation. </em>


    He tucked Gabriel away and observed the drowner''s body for a moment. He was nning on using it as bait to draw out more drowners, but then he might also attract something he could not handle alone. A moment of hesitationter, he gave up on that n.


    The knights came to him a whileter. They looked at the dead drowner and gulped, and then the four of them went deeper into the sewers. It was a damp, dark, and squalid ce, but there was also an ecosystem in ce. Aside from mice, pests, and the monsters hiding in the dark, the sewers had special nts and herbs growing in them as well.


    "Cortinarius¡­" Roy noticed those in the sewage. They had red caps and had a ck skull-shaped pattern on the tip. It was as big as his palm and thicker than other mushrooms. Its stem was slender and long. "They grow in damp, cold ces. Beautiful mushrooms, but slightly poisonous. It can be turned into a potion that cures whooping cough. Oh, moleyarrow. Can be used to cure bruises."


    The witcher was foraging like he was in a garden, but the knights were looking scared and uneasy. The smell was one thing, but more importantly, they had never undergone any training in a dangerous ce like this. All they had were torches to illuminate a limited area around them, and they had to explore the darkness without knowing what was in store for them. The unknown was always the most scary for them. They were hoping a monster would appear so they could get into battle, but there was nothing.


    Aside from the flowing stream, the howls of the winds, the chirps of animals, and strange noises that appeared on asion, there was nothing they could see. It was driving them mad.


    Agorn took a step forward and stood beside Roy. "Aren''t you scared, Mr. Roy?"


    "I''ve prepared myself for this," Roy whispered, still looking around in high alert. "I know all the creatures that might take up residence in the sewers. I know how they attack and where their weak points are. It''s what witchers must do."


    Agorn pleaded, "Can you tell us what we might run into next?"


    Roy nodded and whispered, "The residents of the sewers are simr to the animals living in the woods and the wilderness. They''re all territorial. Monsters who are on par with one another will split the territory up and pick their own turf. Remember that drowner? It was just left behind. We''re in drowner territory now. We might run into its brethren next."


    A weird growl was hearding from ahead of them. Roy slowed down and raised his crossbow. The knights had no time to process their shock. A dozen naked humanoid monsters with green skin, gills, and fins suddenly showed up before them.


    They were wandering around aimlessly, but the light of the torches attracted some of them. They turned around and red at the group.


    "Raise your crossbows!" Roy took aim. "Drowners are dead bodies to an extent. They''re immune to bleeding and most poisons. Pain won''t stop them, so you''ll have to take them out in one blow!" Roy shot one of the drowners in the head, and it triggered the other drowners'' anger. They bellowed and charged toward the group.


    The knights shot at the drowners, but their aim was poorer than the witcher''s. They only managed to shoot the monsters in their thighs and chests. The drowners would pause for a moment, but it did not stop their advance. Roy would kill them off the very next moment, however.


    He cast Quen and raised his de. The young witcher flicked his wrist around, and the de spun. He charged into the group of drowners, and his first attack swiped through the air, cutting the drowners who approached him in half. He then curled up and thrusted his sword ahead, piercing the drowner''s chin and destroying its brain. The young witcher sent his target flying with Aard and thrusted his sword up into its throat. He then cast Fear on every drowner and swung Gwyhyr through the air. Just like that, two more drowners lost their heads.


    He was only fighting for a few moments, but the young witcher was already bathing in drowner blood. His movements were simple, but they were as elegant as a dance. A deadly dance.


    The knights were in a trance for a long time. Eventually, they unsheathed their des and charged into the group of monsters, battling alongside the witcher.

 Chapter 224

    <strong>Chapter 224: Continue the Massacre</strong>


    Screams and howls swept through the battlefield. Two drowners nked the witcher. They swiped at the shield and crushed it. Roy crouched down and disappeared from the drowners'' sight. He put his weight in his right feet and swiveled Gwyhyr around, slicing the drowners'' knees open.


    The drowner fell down, howling. They could not fight in that state.


    Roy heaved a sigh. He remained crouched, and he rolled forward to where another drowner was. He touched the ground with one knee and looked up. Before the drowner could do anything, Roy thrusted his sword up and pierced the drowner''s brain. Rancid blood trickled down the de, drenching his sleeve and sttering his face. It did not faze the witcher, however. He remained calm.


    He could not pull his de out in time, so he let go. The drowner''s corpse fell backward with the de still stuck in its head. He held the hilt of his other de, and Roy made a blue sign in the air, pushing it ahead. A gust of strong wind stirred in the sewer. The drowner that tried to approach him crashed into an invisible wall. It wobbled and lost its bnce


    Roy took the chance to go past the drowner and lopped its head off with Aerondight. He noticed a burly silhouette standing behind the drowners. It was a drowned dead, and it was theirmander. The drowned dead was bigger than the regr drowners. Its whole body was greyish-ck in color, and its gills and fins were more distinct.


    ¡®Drowned dead


    Gender: N/A


    Age: Eight years old


    Status: None


    HP: 100


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 6


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 6


    Will: 4


    Charisma: 0


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Leader (Passive): The drowned dead are kings of the drowners. It canmand all nearby drowners.


    Mutated Body Level 10: Some humans who died in the water turn into drowners. They are built differently from humans. They are immune to poison and bleeding.''


    ***


    Unlike its brethren, the drowned dead was not in a hurry to attack. It could see that the witcher, who was drenched in the blood of its brethren, was not easy prey, and it tried to escape.


    Roy grabbed Gabriel and sent two bolts piercing through its thighs. The young witcher darted ahead and cast Fear on the crippled drowner before thrusting his sword through the monster''s head.


    ¡®Drowned dead killed. EXP +50.''


    "Knew it. The leader''s worth more than these mobs."


    The knights'' battles hade to an end as well. The sewers'' less-than-ster environment did unnerve them. They were tense at first, but thanks to their training, the knights calmed down after just a while. Thanks to their swordsmanship and the witcher''s tips, they managed to clear the remaining monsters.


    The knights plopped down on the ground, huffing and puffing. They were still holding their bloodstained swords, still reeling from the shock after the battle. One of the knights, Mars, was injured. There was a gash on his face.


    Roy tossed him a dose of potion. "Mars, you had better use this and treat your wound if you don''t want your face to rot away."


    "Is it that serious, Mr. Roy?" Horror appeared on the young knight''s face. He took the potion, though he hesitated. "They say witcher potions are poisonous. Can I really use this?"


    "Don''t worry about it. This is just some regr marigold potion. It won''t kill you." Roy wiped the blood off his de and held his hood down to keep Gryphon from sticking its head out.


    There were fifteen drowners, including the one that was left behind earlier. He killed half of them. Seven of them were regr drowners, while the remaining one was their leader. He got 190 EXP from this battle, and now he was almost halfway through his EXP bar. ¡®Level 6 Witcher (1670/3500).''


    The knights killed off the remaining seven. <em>Good thing they''re here to help me out. </em>If he had to face all fifteen drowners by himself, he would have to use the bombs and get injured just to kill them all. <em>I''ve only used Thunderbolt up until now. I can still take another decoction. I also have Activate and my bombs. Should be enough to handle most situations.</em>


    While the knights were healing and treating their wounds, Roy gathered all the drowner corpses and poured some liquid on them that could hide the smell of blood, then he cut them up. He would never waste any resources. Drowner tongue and eyes were nice alchemy materials, and Roy would take them.


    The knights were staring at the witcher as he cut up all the corpses. The torch''s light illuminated his shadow on the wall, and it looked like a humanoid demon dancing a crazy waltz. Once Roy sliced the corpses¡¯ abdomens open, he rummaged through the organs and held them up for a closer look. Sometimes he would even grin, but his face was covered in blood, so he looked more like a crazed surgeon.


    Roy was in luck. Aside from the organs, he also found a lesser red mutagen. He could use it to make drowner pheromones to hide his human scent. It could even fool monsters with a great sense of smell, like water hags. He also found a regr mutagen thanks to the drowned dead. Up until now, he had acquired four out of the ten mutagens he needed to advance his ss rank.


    "What are you doing, Mr. Roy?" Agorn stared at the witcher, who had his back turned to them. He thought he was getting stronger in mind aftering down to the sewers, but seeing the witcher cut the corpses up was still terrifying.


    Roy pulled a drowner''s tongue from its mouth. It was the length of a forearm, and the tongue was still bouncy. He showed it to the knights. "This stuff might look ugly, but they sell well, and they''re worth a lot. You guys helped me out, so you can take some." He liked money, but rules were rules. He must share.


    The knights shook their heads violently. It was normal to kill the monsters, but taking their body parts and selling them for money was as bizarre as it went.


    "You sure? I can sell them off and split the crowns with you guys." Roy cut the corpses up at a faster speed than before. "Honestly, these monsters are just like cattle to me. I''m just getting the most out of them."


    "Roy the witcher¡­ Butcher of the Sewers¡­" Agorn muttered to himself, and his eyes shone. "We''ll take some ears to prove to the princess that we also helped."


    ***


    The witcher poured a lot of mysterious liquids onto the pile of corpses and led the knights deeper into the sewers. He tucked most of the organs away in his inventory, and the knights were holding a little satchel that was drenched in blood. They were filled with drowner ears.


    The paths nearby were filled with drowners, just like what Roy said. There were no other creatures around, save for mice the size of human heads. They explored about a quarter of the sewers under the temple area, and it was starting to get dark out there, so they went to the nearest exit ording to the map. They climbed up the ricketydder and ended work for the day.


    After resting for the night, the rested witcher and knights came back to the sewers. The drowner corpses Roy left out the day before had been devoured, leaving nothing but a trail of blood and flesh leading into the darkness. They followed the trail and left the drowners'' turf only to leap into another monster''sir.


    "They eat everything wherever they go, including humans. Beware the monster that preys on flesh."


    Ghouls. A monster ruled by the desire to eat. They usually appeared in cemeteries, graveyards, and battlefields, where human bodies were abundant. Humans would balk at the stench of rotting corpses, but ghouls thought of them as a delicacy. These monsters had arms and legs, just like humans did. However, they walked on all fours like beasts, and their muscles were as hard as boulders. Their faces looked like someone had smashed them in, and their eyes were devoid of any emotion. They were dark and filled with nothing but greed and cruelty.


    ¡®Ghoul


    Age: One year old


    HP: 110 (Weakened)


    Strength: 10 (Weakened)


    Dexterity: 8 (Weakened)


    Constitution: 11 (Weakened)


    Perception: 6


    Will: 5


    Charm: 2


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    gued w Level 1: Ghouls are filled with toxins, bacterias, and viruses. Anything that they wound will start to feel feverish and weak. Their wounds would start to rot as well.


    Devour Level 1: Ghouls can devour flesh to quickly heal minor wounds and regain some HP.


    Madness (Passive): Ghouls will store a part of the energy from the flesh they consume. Once they receive heavy damage in battle and have less than one-fifth of their HP, they will activate this energy and heal themselves swiftly. They shall receive +1 to their STR, DEX, and CON. The ghoul will be crueler and immune to pain for a minute.''


    ***


    "Lucky us." Roy heaved a sigh of relief. There were only four regr ghouls and no alghouls or graveirs around, or they would have been in trouble. The ghouls'' bellies were swollen up, and they were crawling as slow as tortoises. They also smelled like shit, as if they had food poisoning. Roy''s trap was effective, and they devoured a lot of the poisoned drowner flesh.


    <em>Right. Time to kill them. </em>Roy put his finger to his lips and drank the decoction. ck veins popped up all over his face. He whipped out the necrophage oil and shared it with everyone. They greased their swords with it.


    Agorn, Mars, and the other knight held their sword and shield up, standing back to back and forming a solid formation. The witcher took up the vanguard position. He was the spear of the formation and the fighter who could deal the most damage. The witcher pulled the trigger, and the bolt arced through the air. It pierced the ghoul''s skin, but the skull defended against it.


    The arrow was powerful enough to destroy a drowner''s head, but it could not deal a lot of damage to the ghouls. The monsters were angered, and they charged at the group, shouting and screeching. Two of them were in the lead, and the other two followed. They were as big as calves, and the small group of ghouls were enough to fill the space before the witcher and the knights. They were unstoppable.


    Roy could even smell their stench from where he was standing. He cast Igni, and a stream of fire charged at a ghoul. It howled in pain and rampaged around, breaking the formation. The witcher leaped up into the air andnded on its back. He held Aerondight horizontally and brought it down. Blood sttered everywhere, and a big head flew into the air.


    ¡®Ghoul killed. EXP +80.''


    The witcher leapt down and rolled away. He stood up immediately and sent two bolts flying at the ghouls at the rear end. He attracted their attention and ran away immediately. The wastewater sshed everywhere, the narrow passage filled with the sounds of footsteps and roars. The ghouls chased after the witcher, and they eventually turned the corner, where the knights could not see them.


    The ghouls had power, and they could pin the witcher down if they nked him. Roy did not face them head on. Instead, he kept his distance, kiting them around. The ghouls growled at him in anger, keeping up the chase. However, the narrow passage was hindering their movements, and they would crash into each other, making things even more chaotic for them.


    The witcher had a chance to regroup. He switched his de out for the crossbow and turned around to shoot at the ghouls. The bolts hit the face of the ghoul on the left. It shook its head in an attempt to shake the blood off, but suddenly, the ghoul and itspanion lost sight of their target, much to their confusion.


    All of a sudden, the air started to ripple, and a slender silhouette descended on its back, swinging his de down. Aerondight buried itself in the neck of the ghoul, but it was not enough to kill it.


    The ghoul roared, but before it could do anything, countless crimson tentacles showed up from nowhere, tying them up and pinning them down. That was thest thing the ghouls saw. Roy cut off the head of one and turned around to thrust his de at the second ghoul''s eyeball. It almost killed the ghoul, but not before it screamed and regained control of its body.


    The ghoul gleamed red, and it pounced at Roy. Roy was faster. He tilted his head, and the attack missed. The young witcher leaped up into the air andnded on the ghouls back, swinging his de across its neck.


    ***


    A few momentster, thest ghoul was finally killed in battle, but Roy was hurt as well. He had a gash on his shoulder, and his vicle was showing. The young witcher took a breather before going back with the ghouls'' bodies.


    The knights only had to face one ghoul, so they won without any trouble. They formed a solid wall of shields ording to their training and kept the ghoul in a corner. They were lucky this was a narrow passage, and the ghoul could not escape. They poked at the ghoul through the cracks between the shields and killed it eventually.


    Agorn let his shield go, staring at the mangled corpse of the ghoul that was lying on the filthy ground. He was in disbelief. "W-We killed a ghoul?" He had bruises all over his face, and his body felt like it was battered countless times. The ghoul did this to him.


    "Congrattions." Roy stabbed the ghoul onest time.


    ¡®EXP +80. Level 6 Witcher (1990/3500)''


    "And now you can call yourselves Ghoul Killer. You can tell this to your kids and their kids every day." Roy swung his short sword and cut up the corpses again to collect the materials.


    Luck was on his side that day. He got one lesser red mutagen from the ghouls. "Don''t let your guard down just yet." Roy cut off the ghouls'' nails and split them between the knights. "These guys are weakened because of my poison. If they were in their top condition <em>and </em>led by an alghoul, all of us could have been injured. This is also only our second day." Roy frowned. He had a bad feeling about this. "I have a feeling we''ll run into something more dangerous."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 225

    <strong>Chapter 225: Fatal Threat</strong>


    Letho was holding a needle, stitching up the gash on Roy''s shoulder. "You fooled around with two ghouls in that kind of narrow passage? Impressive."


    "What would you have done if you were in my ce?" Roy leaned back against the chair. His arm was fully naked, and he winced as Letho stitched his wound up.


    Letho carefully pierced Roy''s skin with the needle and pulled out a stretch of bloodstained thread. "There wasn''t anything wrong with your strategy, but you didn''t have to just rely on your sword, crossbow, and Igni. Ghouls are mindless creatures. You could have stunned them with Axii too."


    Roy nodded. He was under pressure and used Igni by reflex. That was the Sign he was most used to, but he forgot that Axii would have worked better. "I need more battle¡ª" A stab of pain shot up from his wound. Letho was poking at Gryphon''s belly, telling it to spit at Roy''s wound.


    "Hold it in. Vodyanoy spit helps with healing. You''ll heal faster with its help." Letho tossed Gryphon back into the bucket once he was done with it, and he tossed a piece of dried fish at it. "It''s finally useful for once."


    "Make sure it''s tight. I need to keep fighting tomorrow."


    Letho nodded and wrapped a fewyers of white bandage around Roy''s arm. "Adda''s men sent some gifts over this morning." Letho sighed. "The princess can be demanding, but she''s generous. There''s cured draconid leather, dimeritium te, and zircon in the stuff she sent us. It''s all the stuff the armor needs and more. We can even make a Manticore steel sword with theponents."


    "d I didn''t get hurt for nothing." Roy got an idea. All the Viper School witchers had a set of swords, but Berengar only had Tor''haerne. He needed a good steel sword. <em>I should talk to them about this. Who knows? That guy might stop thinking about raising a family once he has a sword. </em>


    "You''re on this mission for the school. Do you want me to help you out? Auckes and Serrit can be of assistance too." The ghouls were the most Roy and the knights could handle. Letho thought it was enough training for him. <em>If something even more dangerous shows up and kills the future of the school¡­</em>


    Roy stared down and gave it some thought. A momentter, he grinned toothily. "Next time, maybe. I want to challenge myself.


    ***


    The young witcher curled up, leaning against the cold, moss-filled wall of the sewers. He was breathing heavily, and his face was filled with ck veins, proof that he just drank a decoction. Sweat drenched his forehead, trickling down his chin, neck, and leather armor, which was cut open.


    The veins on his hands popped as he held the sword like a crutch. He was shivering uncontrobly. He was covered in sticky liquid. Sweat was a given, but there was also blood. The battle was intense. Far too intense. Roy almost forgot to breathe. He regretted not letting Lethoe with him. Their luck ran out after killing the ghouls. On their third day, they ran into the worst possible enemy they could.


    The knights were lying in the ditch nearby. Their chests were heaving, and they were moaning in pain. Agorn''s right hand and left leg were bent at unnatural angles, while Zerrin''s arm was bent back and broken, his bones jutting out from the joint. Mars, the young knight with eyshes longer than ady''s, sustained a heavy injury to the chest. His chest caved in, and his nostril was blocked by blood. He was coughing up blood, an inch from death.


    A humanoid creaturey behind the knights. It was facing the witcher, its jaw open. Teeth of different sizes filled its cavity. Its face was t and disgusting. Roy could only see its gaping maw, but not its eyes and nose, and its head looked like an inverted arse. The monster was just a corpse now. A volley of bolts were buried in it, and gashes covered its body. There were also burn marks left by an explosion on it.


    "A fleder¡­" It was one of the lower vampires. This monster had a long, wide maw, and a t, ugly face. A pair of crimson eyes hung above its maw. They were cold and feral. This was a young fleder, and the moment it showed up, Roy hurt it badly with a Dragon''s Dream and killed it with the help of the knights.


    Much to their horror, this monster had a boss, and it descended on them abruptly. It ambushed them once and almost wiped them all out, then it escaped upward.


    Roy cast Quen and stared at the ceiling. It was filled with little craters and holes. Sometimes he would see a ck silhouette leaping across the holes, circling Roy and the knights, waiting for the best chance to attack them.


    <em>It''s moving!</em>


    A terrifying w as long as a sloth''s arm shot down from the ceiling. It was covered in ck blood, and the monster held Agorn''s leg, pulling the poor knight up. He hung in the air helplessly, letting out a scream of despair.


    Roy shot a bolt at the fleder and came out of the void, swinging his sword. Before he could get near, the demon let Agorn go and retreated to the ceiling. It repeated this process a couple of times, and Roy realized what it was doing. <em>This bastard is torturing us to avenge his dead friend. </em>


    The fleder had enough fun a momentter, and it descended on them. The monster stood five yards away from Roy, swinging its arms and screeching menacingly. The new enemy was a lot stronger and uglier than its dead friend. Its skin was yellowish-brown.


    Roy curled up, pointing Aerondight at the monster''s throat. He went into the ox stance, and his eyes gleamed dangerously.


    ¡®Fleder


    Age: Twenty-one years old


    Gender: None


    HP: 150


    Strength: 16


    Dexterity: 15


    Constitution: 15


    Perception: 8


    Will: 6


    Charm: 3


    Spirit: 7


    Skills:


    Crimson Hunger Level 2: A lowly vampire like the fleder cannot be satiated with blood. It also craves flesh. However, they will get addicted to blood. If they ingest fresh blood in battle, they can heal their minor injuries swiftly.


    Hyper Regeneration Level 2: Garlic, fire, and stakes are useless against lower vampires. They can live long lives and possess great regenerative abilities. They can heal all wounds if they have enough time, but they have more weaknesses than their higher counterparts. They are afraid of the sunlight and mes.


    Berserk (Passive): Compared to other vampires, fleders have really low intelligence. Once it feels the blood in its prey, it will go berserk. Pain and fear will do nothing to them. They will act on instinct until they have torn the prey apart.¡¯


    ***


    The monster only had eyes for the witcher. The knights, who were heavily injured, did not interest it.


    The witcher noticed how it was moving. It was not moving like a beast, nor was it walking on two legs. Its legs were bent behind, preventing it from running for a long time, but it had tremendous jumping ability. The monster bent its knees and pounced ahead. A ck bolt of lightning traversed the sewers, and it swung its ws at the witcher''s throat.


    Roy could feel the monster''s maliceing straight at him. He crouched down and rolled ahead right before the monster''s attacknded. The fighters missed each other by an inch. The fleder could not stop its momentum, while Roy took the chance to slip past the space between its legs and stood up behind it. He turned Aerondight around and thrusted his de backward without even turning around.


    The sword struck true, embedding itself in the fleder''s rear. More precisely, the center of its rear. It pierced through the monster''s anus and was only stopped by its spine, though the de was already halfway in the monster''s body. Blood spurted out from its rear as if it were a fountain.


    The monster turned around, screeching and swinging its ws around to attack the witcher, but Roy was quicker. He leapt backwards and cast Axii at the same time. The green inverted triangle charged into the monster''s eyes, freezing it for a moment. Its jaw was open, and it stood there, unmoving.


    Roy turned around to its back. His face fell, and he held the hilt of Aerondight, thrusting the de deeper into the monster''s body. The monster''s screech filled the air of the sewers. If anyone were around, they would have been scared to death.


    Before Roy could even celebrate, the fleder had flown into a rage. Its speed increased, and it turned around, hitting the witcher square in the chest. Quen was smashed, and the impact of the attack sent Roy flying backward. He mmed into the wall and slid down to the ground.


    Roy coughed up blood, his face contorted in pain. Every cell in his body was screaming out in pain, and all strength had left him. The fleder only attacked him once, and it took out a third of his HP bar. Roy mustered all his strength and managed to move a finger. He had taken Gabriel out and was about to blink away, but the fleder was already a few inches away from him.


    A loud boom spread across the sewers as the fleder smashed a hole through the wall, and dust flew everywhere. The young witcher was buried in the wall, holding up his sword weakly. He was down to thest twenty percent of his life, and Fear was still in cooldown. He needed five seconds before he could use it again.


    Roy''s face was contorted in pain, but he showed no fear in his eyes. He mustered all his strength and moved his right hand, trying to pull the trigger.


    ***


    <em>Just a bit more¡­</em>


    The fleder heaved a sigh. It red at Roy, venom dripping from its gaze. The monster was about tounch its final, deadly attack, and the air seemed to freeze.


    Just when things were about toe to an end, a grey beast the size of a fist got out from the witcher''s hood. It bristled and red at the monster that was a hundred times bigger. The little beast growled and pounced at the monster, tearing away at it.


    However, the big difference in size nullified all the beast''s attacks. The enraged fleder held the little beast and gave it a tight squeeze before hurling it away.


    Gryphon was mmed to the wall, and it stopped moving.


    When the fleder turned its attention back to the witcher, he was already nowhere to be found. <em>Where''d he go? </em>


    Thanks to Gryphon''s distraction, Roy finally shot a bolt and blinked away from certain death before reappearing ten yards behind the fleder. He cast Activate at once, and a cool sensation coursed through his body. His pain subsided, and his mana was slightly recovered. Roy could move again. He knelt on one knee and nced at the little beast. It was an inch away from death.


    Fury bubbled within Roy, and he tossed thest Dragon''s Dream. The ss bomb was smashed to pieces behind the fleder, and a great explosion rumbled the sewers. A pir of fire engulfed the fleder.


    Roy shot a bolt at the monster, and a big ball of mes darted out of the corner, screeching in agony. Roy changed his crossbow out for his de and charged straight at the monster. They shed, and Roy thrusted the de up the monster''s chin, piercing its brain. He crouched and went around it, dodging the monster''s charge. His eyes glowed crimson as he cast Fear on the fleder.


    The monster felt itself tied up by countless tentacles. It tripped over himself, losing all bnce and falling to the ground.


    Roy took a deep breath and held the hilt that was protruding from its rear. He thrusted Aerondight deeper into the monster, and this time, even the hilt had disappeared.


    The ball of mes started spasming, and a few momentster, it stopped struggling.


    ¡®Fleder killed. EXP +200 (2400/3500)!''


    "Gryphon!" Roy wobbled and almost fell. He shook his head, trying to stay awake. The young witcher went back to pick the dying beast up. He fed Gryphon a few marigold potions and concentrated on his character sheet to activate his healing ability.


    All his remaining mana was deducted, but Gryphon was healing fast. A momentter, it moved its little paw.


    "Woof!" The little best opened its eyes, and it came back to life. Gryphon licked its master''s hand, telling him that it was alright.


    "You scared me, buddy. Don''t ever do that again." Roy held it up and pressed his face against the beast''s. He heaved a long sigh of relief. "You saved my life, you know." <em>No wonder they''re proud creatures. Even their young is brave enough to face a fleder on its own. </em>"So what would you want?"


    "Woof! Woof!"


    "Alright. No training for the next two days. Get some rest. Yes, I''ll get you your rabbit meat. It''s an all you can eat buffet. Let''s go. We should check on the knights."


    "Woof! Woof! Woof!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 226

    <strong>Chapter 226: Brand</strong>


    It waste at night. Not a soul was out on Vizima''s streets. Even the patrols were nowhere to be found. A grating sound suddenly came from the corner of a street. A hunched silhouette was dragging a stretcher, moving forward slowly. There were two bloody, unconscious men on the gurney, and the silhouette was also holding a man with one arm up all by himself.


    He was pulling the weight of three men all by himself, and sweat had drenched his body. His chest was heaving, his breathing as loud as a blower blowing into a furnace.


    "Why don''t you put us down, Mr. Roy?" the knight he was holding up asked weakly. His face contorted in pain.


    "We fought the fleder together. You''re¡­ myrades." Sweat stung the witcher''s eyes, and he blinked it out. Roy gave the knight a weak smile. "I won''t leave myrades behind."


    "Comrade, huh?" Mars looked a little stunned. He had never thought this butcher would call him arade. <em>Witchers aren''t as aloof as the rumors say.</em>


    "Hold on. We''ll be there in a moment!"


    "Yeah¡­"


    Before the young witcher exhausted himself, he finally saw some familiar faces. The four witchers came down from upstairs and took them into the rooms.


    ***


    "How are they doing?"


    "Still alive." Berengar took off the apron and bloodstained leather gloves. "The guys who had their limbs broken¡­"


    "Agorn and Zerrin."


    "I''ve reattached their bones and stitched their wounds. They''ll be fine in a few months. Thest guy broke a few of his ribs, but he''s lucky that the bones broke off cleanly, so I didn''t have to clean up, and his organs aren''t hurt or bleeding." Berengar sighed. "Pity we''re not in a better ce. All I can do is treat his wounds and keep him alive. You must tell Adda to get a professional for this first thing tomorrow morning. It''d be great if the Lady of the Lake could help out."


    Roy said, "Thank you. Never thought you were a doctor too. I thought you were just a cksmith."


    "I''m not exactly a doctor. I''m a mercenary, and I always get hurt, so I eventually picked up a few tricks." Berengar looked at the witchers. "So, kid, what happened in the sewers? These guys almost died."


    ***


    The witchers gathered around a rectangr table, and two mangled, bloody heads sat atop it. They were trophies Roy took after killing the fleders. Their maws were open, and ugly canine teeth filled them. Someone pulled their tongues out and tied them up, hanging them under the chin. Their eyes were like rotten pomegranates. The monsters could not even close their eyes because of the immense pain they felt before their deaths.


    Letho brushed his hand across the horns on their heads and moved downward. Their heads felt like a cross between leather and the skin of a lizard. When he moved his hand to their maws, he stared at their teeth as if they were horses. "Judging from this one''s teeth, it wasn''t even five years old when it died. The other one''s more than twenty years old. Your luck''s even more rotten than Kovir''s rotten fish. Two in a row?" Letho looked at his apprentice again. After confirming he was in one piece, he said gratefully, "How did you do it? You only had three weak knights aiding you, and yet you bested two fleders. This is a miracle!"


    "I bet they didn''t evenst five seconds!"


    "These guys are on my list of ¡®monsters I hate the most.'' They''re fast <em>and </em>insanely powerful." Serrit crossed his arms, and he had a grim look on his face. "Even I have to be careful around these guys, or they could kill me."


    "A marvelous achievement, Roy! Nicely done!" Auckes patted the young witcher''s shoulder in approval. "From what I know, nobody in our school had ever defeated a fleder at your age. Not even the founder himself! And taking two out at the same time? You''re the only one I know." He gave Roy a thumbs up.


    Their attention was turned to the young witcher, who was leaning back on the chair. The witcher was rubbing his dog''s belly and back. Gryphon closed its eyes, its whiskers trembled, and it gurgled. "There was only one fleder at first," Roy said. "I tossed a Dragon''s Dream at it like Letho said, and I worked with the knights to take it down."


    "So there were four of you, and you guys had the element of surprise," Letho said. "It''s not impossible to kill a young fleder if you work together. They''re lower vampires. Mindless creatures, but still, the older one is not to be trifled with."


    "It joined the fight toote. Its brother was dead when it showed up, but it took out all the knights in one blow, and I¡­" Roy paused for a moment and looked at the little beast. "Gryphon saved my life," he said gently. "That''s how I managed to kill this beast."


    "The dog saved you? That''s a joke. The fleder could have swallowed it whole. It couldn''t have saved you." Auckes did not believe it one bit.


    "Gryphon pounced on the fleder and stopped its attack."


    "Are you sure?" The witchers looked at the beast in a new light.


    "Of course."


    "Then that''s one good dog." Auckes wanted to pet it, but Gryphon turned away. "It''s brave, loyal, and managed to escape a fleder. Tough dog. Once we get ourselves somend, Gryphon''s gonna guard it for us."


    "I''m not sure if it''s really a dog," Roy whispered. "But I did use a special skill to kill that fleder."


    "I never knew you had a special skill." Auckes cracked his knuckles and approached the witcher. "I taught you all you know about swords, you cheeky little brat. I know how you move very well. There''s no way you could have taken down this fleder all by yourself. Tell me the truth."


    "I had two Dragon''s Dream, and with my spatial abilities, I have the element of surprise on my side."


    Auckes was happy with that answer, and he shot Roy a look of challenge. "I see you''ve improved. Wanna spar again once you heal up?"


    "Sure!"


    "Where''s the fleder''s mutagen? That''s its most valuable part!" Serrit said. "You couldn¡¯t have tossed it away like you did the corpses, right?"


    "I would never waste anything that valuable." Roy held the chair down and pushed himself up. He put the mutagen on the table. It was elliptical and about the size of a fist. The mutagen was a regr one.


    "You can keep the mutagen, Roy. And as for the heads¡­" Auckes squinted and looked to the side. "I''ll dry them up and hang them around the saddlebag."


    Turning monster heads into specimens and hanging it on saddlebags was a hobby shared by witchers. They could show their power and keep fools away from trying to rob them. Roy did not like it, however. It was too shy. "Sure, you can have one."


    "Pity it''s not a garkain head." Auckes looked at the head of the beast, and he seemed a little sad. "Those fools would never try to attack me if I hung that around the saddlebag."


    Garkain and fleders might both be lesser vampires, but the former was a few times more dangerous than thetter. It could even kill veteran witchers like Auckes and Letho.


    "Are you stupid?" Serrit reminded Roy grimly, "Can you tell the difference between a garkain and a fleder? If you run into the former, just run. Use your spatial ability and run. Don''t fight it."


    "Alright."


    Berengar, who had been studying the fleder''s head, suddenly beckoned at them. He pried open the mouth of one of the fleders and turned its tongue around.


    "What the hell is this?" Roy huddled closer and could vaguely see a line of runes underneath the tongue.


    "You didn''t notice?"


    "I was trying to save everyone, remember? Of course I had no time to look." Roy confirmed that the line under the fleder''s mouth was written inmon speech. "¡­gray¡­ ba. Grayba the ck¡­ Grayba the ck¡­"


    The witchers looked at one another, but they were all confused. Berengar quickly pried open the other fleder''s mouth and checked its tongue. As expected, there was also a line branded on it, though it was a different one this time.


    "Coram Agh Tera¡­ Coram Agh Tera."


    Roy asked Berengar if he knew what it meant. He had no answer, and the Viper School witchers shook their heads as well.


    Roy voiced his guess. "Grayba the ck sounds like a title, and that second line is a name. Judging from the grammar, the names sound like ancient aristocrats. These names must belong to two different people. They left their own brand on these fleders, just like¡­"


    "Just like what a master would do to their ves?" Auckes asked weirdly.


    "Wait. You think someone is living in the sewers and keeping these monsters as <em>pets</em>?" Berengar had a look of horror on his face.


    "It''s impossible." Serrit sounded hesitant at first, but then he was sure of himself. "Everyone, the Almanac of Creatures clearly states that fleders have little to no intelligence. They''re ruled by their desire to kill and devour. There''s no way someone could keep them as pets."


    "Don''t speak in absolutes, Serrit. Exceptions happen," Letho said. "I have a feeling Roy did not run into the fleders by ident, nor was it because of his bad luck. Someone was controlling them."


    "How about this?" Berengar said, "Some powerful sorcerer kidnapped these fleders and branded them by force, enving them with magic. From what I know, some anesthetics and sorcery can turn fleders into servants."


    Everyone was silent. There were too many questions and possibilities about the brands. They had no definitive answer yet.


    "We''re going to the sewers next time together, Roy."


    "Yeah, but now we have to see Princess Adda." He had run out of trump cards. Roy would not enter the sewers without any protection. <em>Who knows what kind of dangers lurk down there? There might be monsters more powerful than those fleders hiding down there.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 227

    <strong>Chapter 227: Chance Encounter</strong>


    The skies of an unknown corner of thend were dyed red. Crimson whirlpools dotted the heavens, as if they were stars, as if they were the rain of meteors that would shower thend on the end days. A silhouette plummeted from the skies above, heading straight for the ground, but a great web that covered thend caught it.


    The web stretched as far as the eye could see. Every single line in it was a hundred timesrger than any regr web. Piles of bones dotted the web. There were the bones of mice, humans, beasts, and even great creatures like giants, whales, and even dragons.


    The web kept stretching into the distance. The silhouette struggled to break free, but just like someone who was stuck in quicksand, the web tightened the more he struggled. It climbed up his ankle and engulfed him just a momentter, turning him into a cocoon. Only his eyes were visible from the outside.


    The silhouette seemed to have triggered a signal, and the web started to rumble. A shadow appeared before him. When he looked up, what greeted his eyes was a spindle-shaped structure covered in ck fur. Eight spindly, razor-sharp legs protruded from the sides, and the great creature moved.


    The great creature screeched, its voice ringing out in the web. Eventually it reached a crescendo. Its voice sounded like a man and a woman at the same time. The silhouette felt horror squeezing his heart as the voice sang. It was as if a hundred voices were mashed together and forced to sing. "<em>Grayba¡­</em>"


    The creature''s abdomen retracted backward, revealing a gigantic lion''s head. Greed and cunning contorted its face, and it stuck out its barbed tongue at its prey.


    ***


    "You there, kid? Spacing out again?"


    "Sorry, Auckes. Didn''t sleep wellst night." Roy rubbed his eyes, still looking spaced out. "I had a nightmarest night. Never seen something like that before."


    "Witchers don''t have nightmares." Auckes cocked his eyebrow and smirked. "Oh, I see. You''re at that age. You need enough release or you''re going to dream a lot. Did you dream of a two-hundred-pound woman grinding against you?"


    "Shut up, fool." Serrit held his forehead. "We have an injured knight here. There''s no time for jokes."


    It was an ungodly hour in the morning. The witchers had just left Coral''s house. Serrit was pushing a cart, and Mars was lying in it. His injuries were the worst out of the three. His chest was covered in bandages, and his face was as white as paper. He was half-awake and mumbling under his breath. His colleagues were luckier than he was. They had splints holding up their limbs, and Auckes and Roy were holding up one of them each. They were also wide awake, though a bit weak.


    "It''s called humor. Something you don''t have." Auckes looked away and smiled at the guy he was holding up. "It''s a rough life. Gotta add some spice into it or it''ll be a nd dish, don''t you think, Zerrin? Feels a lot better with me by your side, doesn''t it? Even the pain is going away, right?"


    "Um¡­" Zerrin coughed and nodded stiffly.


    Serrit sighed. He gave up on convincing his brother to shut up, then he turned to Roy. "About that nightmare of yours¡­ I think there''s another way to see it." Serrit said, "Your instincts are always dead on. I don''t see you dreaming about anything trivial. This nightmare might be an omen. You should take it more seriously."


    Roy nodded and was about to go into the details of his nightmare, but his pendant started vibrating, and he tensed up. Twodies came into this alleyway. One was wearing a red low-cut dress, while the other was in a simr dress, though yellow in color. They were gorgeous, and a pendant hung before their chests. The slit on their dresses unted their skin beneath, and it gleamed under the sunlight.


    <em>Darn. Never thought this would happen.</em>


    Auckes looked down and kept quiet for once. He was not in the mood to stare. Instead, he pretended nothing was wrong and tried to slip past the women. They approached thedies and were assailed by the scent of perfume. It reinvigorated them, but the witchers could smell something else in the perfume as well.


    "Witcher!" The petite sorceress turned around when they went past each other. She touched the ankh before her chest, her eyes shining. "I know you."


    "Sorry. I''d love to know a gorgeousdy like you, but we''ve never met before," Auckes answered and tried to keep going ahead, but the sorceress stopped them.


    "No, I''m sure we''ve met," the sorceress said. "I''m not that old. We met back at the Isle of Thanedd at the northwest of Gors Velen." She turned to herpanion. "Do you remember that incident, Triss?"


    "Of course. Vividly." The sorceress with maroon hair had a singsong voice. She came to herpanion and looked at the witchers. "They tried to sneak into Aretuza but were captured instead."


    Keira pointed at Auckes and Serrit. "If I''m right, these two are Serrit and Auckes. There was another one called Letho. He''s that bald witcher. They tried to barge into Aretuza without permission, but unfortunately, the academy''s teachers caught them." The sorceress was reminded of that funny scene, and she chuckled. "But they didn''t mean any harm. Instead, they even gave the academy a great student, so they were released the next day."


    "Your memory is perfect, Miss Keira." Auckes smiled bitterly. Not even he could feel jolly now. Being caught by a bunch of sorcerers was not a proud incident. "Sorry, but it''s not the time to catch up. We have to leave now."


    "Hold on. Who is this handsome young man? I''m certain I haven''t seen a witcher this youngtely." Keira circled the young witcher, touching him with her dress and hair. She was walking like a cat, but Roy could see the me of passion burning in her eyes. It reminded him of how prostitutes would sell themselve to potential clients.


    The young witcher remained silent.


    "This is our newest brother. Roy of the Viper School," Serrit introduced him.


    "Your reputation precedes you, Roy. You''re Casiga''s savior." Keira looked at him again and smiled. "Hm, Casiga of Aldersberg and Thelma of Cintra. You gave Aretuza <em>two </em>potential sorceresses! They should give the Viper School an award and name them a friend of Aretuza!" Keira extended her hand at the young witcher.


    Roy shook it. He felt a little surprised knowing that they had already helped two poor girls so far.


    "Are you trying to get these knights treated?" Keira nodded at Triss. Triss made a gesture, and before the witchers could do anything, she started chanting an incantation. The sapphire pendant before her chest buzzed, and the light of magic covered the knights, scanning all their wounds.


    The witchers let go of their swords'' hilts.


    Keira exined, "No need for doctors. Triss is a great healer. She''s the best doctor you can find."


    Roy was reminded of something funny. Triss Merigold might be a great healer, but she was allergic to magic, so she could never heal herself with her own magic.


    Triss said, "They''re healing up well. All they need now is rest, but I can heal the one on the cart if you want."


    The witchers looked at one another.


    "What are your terms then, Miss Triss?" Auckes asked.


    "Terms?" Triss looked at the witchers and shook her head. "I know your rules, witcher, but I need no coins for this, nor do you need to help me with anything. You did send the poor girls to the academy and freed them of their suffering. This is just a return favor."


    The sorceresses were reminded of their own dark past for a moment.


    The witchers heaved a sigh of relief. It was great that someone wanted to help for free. They led the sorceresses to the nearest room.


    "It won''t take long. Just wait right here." Triss started chanting.


    ***


    "If I may ask, Miss Keira, why are you two here in the trade quarter?"


    "Call me ¡®consultant.''" Keira puffed her chest and extended her hand at the witchers. "Just a few days ago, Foltest named me Vizima''s royal consultant."


    The witchers kissed the back of her hand as per custom.


    "I''m here to see a friend." She bit her lip, and the air seemed to drop a few centigrades. "Do you know the name Lytta Neyd?"


    "Ahem." The young witcher had a weird look on his face. "I don''t think you''ll see her here. Coral is still in Kerack."


    "Coral?" Keira noticed how Roy addressed Lytta, and she was surprised. "She let you call her that? Oh, I see. So you''re as important to her as her favorite lipstick is." Keira had a look of interest on her face. "Never thought that uptight old bat would make a friend, and out of a witcher, no less. You''re young. She has good taste." Keira was starting to look at Roy like he was some sort of merchandise.


    Roy''s face fell. "It is rude to talk about a sorceress behind her back, consultant."


    "Oh, someone''s angry. Looks like she and you have a far deeper rtionship than I thought." She chuckled. "Don''t get mad. There''s a reason I called her an old bat. You know she has an angelfish tattoo, right? Read some Skellige history books and you''ll know why I called her old."


    "It does not matter." Roy shook his head. "There''s no difference between a sorceress who has lived for two centuries and one who has lived for one. Time does not mean much for witchers either."


    "Ah, so young and impulsive. If you''re going to stand guard for them, I''d best be going about my business now." She turned around and faced Serrit and Auckes. "So, have you considered my proposal?" Keira pushed a lock of her hair back, staring at Auckes. "Vizima is a big city. It''s a lot morevish herepared to the vige area. I heard they even have a rose fountain¡­"


    ***


    Roy rested his chin on his hand, sitting with the wounded knights as they watched Triss cast her healing spell on Mars. Colorful balls of light swam on her fingers, and potions kept flying out of her satchel. They formed a circle, spinning around Triss as if by magic. Roy could recognize some of the potions, but most of them were advanced potions.


    The knights were in a trance. Triss was beautiful enough, and it was more like she was dancing instead of casting a spell. Zerrin eventually started to drool.


    Roy spaced out for a moment. Triss used to only exist in another dimension. Kaer Morhen, the hot springs, the lighthouse, and Toussaint''s vineyards. He only saw her in the game during his ythrough, but now she was standing right in front of him, and just an arm''s length away too. He was starting to feel like this was a dream.


    Reminiscence passed by in an instant. She pointed ahead, and the potions in the containers covered Mars'' wounds in an unbelievable way and entered them. Eventually, Mars regained some color and stopped mumbling. He fell into a deep sleep instead.


    Triss wiped the sweat off with a white handkerchief. Her skin was not really fair, but it was smooth, and it glowed after she worked hard to heal the knight. The morning sun draped her in a golden cover, dazzling the eyes of those who saw her. "He''s alright now, but he''ll have to stay in bed for a month. He can''t do anything strenuous, and make sure the wounds don''te in contact with water."


    Roy nodded. He, Zerrin, and Agorn helped out and adjusted Mars'' position so he could lie down better.


    "Thank you, Miss Merigold."


    Triss smiled, her beauty mark and freckles dancing. She looked as lively as a teenage girl. "I thought all witchers were old men who were bigger than bears, until I met you."


    "I''ve never seen a sorceress as young as you."


    "You seem to know me."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "Because you look at me like I''m an old friend," Triss said curiously.


    <em>I don''t remember my eyesing with the talk function,</em> Roy thought. "I know you, to an extent. Geralt told me about you. You''re Yennefer''s friend. He said you were a young and talented sorceress."


    "Yennefer, huh? She hasn''t introduced me to her lover yet. I wonder how they''re doing." Triss pursed her lips, then she smiled at the witcher and extended her hand to him. "Let''s start from the top. Witcher, I am Vizima''s royal consultant, Triss Merigold of Maribor."


    <em>Ah, so Triss hasn''t seduced Geralt yet.</em>


    "Can I have a discount if I need your services next time?"


    "Of course. I''m Roy of the Viper School." Roy held her hand and kissed the back of it.


    For some reason, the moment he kissed her hand, she blushed, and goosebumps popped up all over her body. She even trembled a little.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 228

    <strong>Chapter 228: High Priest of the Lionheaded Spider</strong>


    The sewers were as dark as an abyss. Putrid, rancid liquid churned in the ditch. Mice and cockroaches scuttled in the corner, chirping loudly. Quiet sound of footsteps approached the corner, and three men with torches in their hands came to a stop.


    "The fleders'' corpses are missing," someone said.


    "Human blood is irresistible for vampires, and the blood of lower vampires is irresistible for beasts as well." Auckes touched the side of his hood and whispered, "The monsters must have devoured the fleders'' bodies."


    "Look around. There''s no flesh or bone around. It doesn''t look like the bodies were eaten," Serrit said.


    After sending the knights back to Adda. Serrit and Auckes came to the sewers with Roy. A group of three witchers could deal with most dangers.


    The witchers¡¯ eyes started gleaming, and they saw the trail of something getting dragged away. A red ribbon made up of blood floated above that trail, pointing straight into the darkness. "Here." Auckes wiped the putrid water off on his bandana and strode ahead, following the crimson trail.


    Roy and Serrit followed. Contrary to Auckes, they were more careful. They put out their torches and hid themselves in the darkness, looking around them with every step they took.


    The bodies were not dragged away very far. They went past two marked passages and came to an old wall filled with moss and small nts. It was a junction. The left and center paths were uncharted territories. This was where the crimson trail stopped.


    The witchers exchanged looks and searched the area. In the end, they found some marks on the brick of the corner wall. It was some basic runes of themon speech in the north. It was impossible for something like this to appear in the putrid, dangerous, and remote sewers, unless it was a trap. The witchers knew that, of course.


    Serrit and Auckes remained still. They had no idea what this was. Roy thought about it for a moment, and he was reminded of that bizarre dream he had. He was trapped in the web, and that spider-like creature screeched at him. "Grayba the ck¡­ gray¡­ ba¡­" <em>Oh yeah. The fleder''s tongue had that engraved on it as well. Is this a coincidence? </em>Roy looked at the runes on the wall again. <em>No. It''s no coincidence. </em>"This is the trap''s password." Roy touched the brick and told hispanions to unsheathe their des and cast some signs. A battle might be approaching.


    When he was done touching all the runes, a clear, crisp sound rang in the air, as if someone had unlocked a door with a key. Roy pushed the brick ahead, and the wall, which had not budged a moment ago, swung open. The heavy wall dragged itself across the ground, and it rumbled. Eventually, a secret chamber revealed itself before the witchers. They waited for a moment, but nothing came out, so two of them went inside to scout.


    Serrit went in first. He took out a ss ball the size of his fist and rolled it across the ground. Roy stepped ahead, walking strictly on the line carved out by the ball. They came into a narrow corridor, and the floor was covered with a crimson carpet caked in dried blood. They also saw the trail of fresh blood. The walls were dark and dank just like the sewer walls, but someone must have polished them, since they looked a bit smoother.


    A spacious hall stood behind the corridor, and a brazier burned in the corner, illuminating the hall. It was a stark ce with nothing but an altar in the center. The witchers then caught a whiff of a stench more putrid and nauseating than the one radiated by the sewer water.


    The altar was filled with bones. Hundreds, if not thousands of bones were piled up on it, forming a small hill. There were the bones of small animals, dogs, drowners, nekkers, and even humans. Most of the skeletons had been there for years. They were nothing more than bones, but some of them were new. They were dposing, and pus and blood stuck to them, while bones were poking through from the flesh.


    They also saw the fleders'' bodies there. The witchers looked ahead, and a big wooden rack stood behind the altar, while a portrait was hanging on it. There was a web in the portrait, and a lionheaded spider was nestled in the middle of the web. It had ck fur, sharp legs, and a grotesque body. That spider was the mini version of the monster Roy saw in his nightmare.


    "Grayba the ck¡­ Is it referring to this spider?" Roy paused for a moment. It was then the crimson pattern on the back of the spider started squirming, as if it were alive. It turned slowly at first, but it picked up speed until it became a whirlpool that attracted all his attention. At the same time, he heard the murmurs of a hundred people in his ears. The young witcher saw an illusion appearing before him, and he started spacing out, but his incredible will rang rms in his head. He shook his head and bit his tongue. The sharp pain crushed the illusion before it could form, and he looked away. "Don''t look at that portrait!"


    Serrit and Auckes tensed up and broke free of the illusion as well. They exchanged grim looks and stood on their tiptoes, curling up as they advanced to the altar. The room was obviously an underground base for an evil cult. <em>So where''s the priest? The brazier is still burning, so where are the believers who moved the bodies? </em>


    Serrit stopped a momentter and pointed at the corpse-filled altar. Roy looked to where he was pointing and concentrated. He heard vague sounds of breathing and heartbeats. The breathing was erratic, and the heartbeat was fast. It was obvious that the priest was nervous.


    Serrit made a gesture and attacked from the left. Roy held his crossbow and moved to the right. Auckes advanced from the center. Much to their surprise, the person who was hiding crumbled under the pressure before they could get close. "Don''t kill me! I surrender!" she screamed.


    A slim woman in a white robe stood up. She raised her hands and slowly turned around. What greeted the witchers was a youngdy. She was beautiful. Her lips were thin, her eyes were gleaming, and her reddish-brown hair tumbled down her shoulders. Her skin was gleaming white, and the thinyer of hair on her neck stood on their ends. She was in clean attire, and she looked like a girl next door. However, this girl was pale with fright, and her lips were trembling.


    Serrit did now show her any mercy. A clean, beautiful woman appearing in a squalid underground area was too bizarre. He held his de against her throat. "Tell me the truth, or I will cut your throat open. What is this ce, and who are you?"


    The woman stole a nce at her right and saw Roy pointing his crossbow at her. The sword on her de and crossbow on her right stopped her from escaping. She stammered like a frightened soul, "A-Abigail. M-My name''s Abigail. Priestess of the Great Weaver. This is its holy ce."


    "The Great Weaver?" Serrit and Auckes looked at each other. They had never heard of that name before.


    "You''re talking about that lionhead spider, aren''t you?" Roy stared at her and cast Observe.


    ¡®Abigail


    Age: Fifteen years old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Priestess of the Lionhead Spider''


    ***


    Roy was a little confused. <em>She might be a priestess, but her stats and skills are the same as any other regr girl. Why and how did she survive the sewers?</em>


    Abigail gulped and kept exining, "The lionhead spider, Grayba the ck, Coram Agh Tera¡­ Those are the great webspinner''s names. It is the spinner of the web of fate. It controls the death of all things living. It¡ª"


    "Enough!" Serrit snapped. "We''re not here to hear your sermons. This spider is clearly evil. There''s no reason for its believers to hide in the sewers and build its altar here otherwise. Vizima''s government doesn''t allow your religion to exist, does it?"


    "Master is not an evil god!" Abigail retorted, but the witcher shot her a look that shut her up. "But no. Not just Vizima either. All of Temeria has banned the great webspinner from ever appearing in theirnd. We''re forced into hiding and building our religion in a ce like this."


    Roy was starting to look a little solemn. "If I''m right, the Great Weaver you''re talking about is also the God of Omens, isn''t it?"


    "Y-You''ve heard of it before?"


    "That''s not all. I''ve <em>seen </em>it before," Roy said, sounding grim.


    The God of Omens. That was what the people called the Lionhead Spider. It was a cruel deity who believed in darkness and destruction. It expected its believers to give it frequent bloody sacrifices. Its believers saw it as the weaver who weaved human fates into a great web. The web was constantly expanding. Once a line was broken, it would mean death for a certain person. If someone were tomit suicide, their thread would break as well. The Lionhead Spider was also called the god of sudden and unpredictable death.


    The Lionhead Spider and its cultists were infamous for their human sacrifices and their priests'' evil curses. Some of the priests knew a lot of curses. They could sacrifice their own life and curse their killers, taking their lives even from beyond the grave.


    Roy had seen that twice. n, thete leader of a troupe, was cursed to change into a werewolf every night. He met a grisly end to save his own children. Nivellen the beggar also faced a cruel fate because of a priest''s curse as well.


    The cult of the Lionhead Spider was infamous in the north. Almost every kingdom had banned it, and its church was nearing extinction. However, Roy never thought a secret base would exist right under Vizima''s nose. It would have been kept a secret far longer if it were not for him clearing the ce out for Adda. "The cult of the Lionhead Spider and the Church of Virtue both want to set up camp in the sewers. Is this ce some sort of lucky spot? And the fleders!" Roy looked at the corpses before the altar. "What do they have to do with this cult?"


    Abigail leaned backward, putting a bit of distance between her throat and the de. "They were the guardians tamed by thest priest."


    Roy was shocked. "The Lionhead Spider''s priest can tame monsters? Hm, I guess so. You wouldn''t have surrendered if they were still alive." Roy looked at the priestess again. The look in his eyes made her tremble. "So, Abigail, are you a local? Where''d the remaining priests and believers go?"


    "I grew up in Vizima." Abigail looked at the brazier, her eyes gleaming. "My foster mother, thest priestess, died many years ago. I''m the only priest left in Vizima."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Positive."


    Serrit brought the de closer to her throat. He did not care about the believers or this woman. He would rather kill them all. They had created this evil cult after all, but Roy stopped him.


    He wanted to use Axii and get some answers out of her, but the young witcher pulled his finger back all of a sudden. rm bells were ringing in his head, telling him that something disastrous would happen if he kept this up. <em>The Elder Blood is warning me? </em>"What a troublesome case." He would rather face another fleder than dealing with a cult''s priestess.


    "I''ll leave this for the Church of Virtue," Roy decided. "Let''s go. Take Abigail to the princess. She wanted to set up her church in the sewers, after all."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 229

    <strong>Chapter 229: The Origin of the Striga</strong>


    Foltest was safe in his castle, sitting before the long dining table in his resplendent dining hall, lit by the gentle light of a magical chandelier. He was enjoying his breakfast, while Fercart of Cidaris, one of the new royal consultants, was making his report.


    "Your Majesty, enforcing martialw on the temple area has been a great sess. All heretics near the za have been chased off. Vizima''s people have turned away from the path of evil, returning to the embrace of Lebioda, Eternal Fire, and Melitele. If I may say, it is impossible for the Lady of the Lake to expand after this."


    Foltest chewed on his sulent chicken and wiped the grease off his lips with a silk handkerchief that had silver lilies embroidered on it. "Thank you, Master Fercart, but this is not enough." He pushed his chair back and paced around the table. "Did you forget what I told you?" He shot Fercart a re. "Fine. I suppose I shall repeat myself. Vizima is my territory. Even Melitele has to y by <em>my </em>rules. That seductress has killed the leader of my knight order and the previous consultant. She must pay the price."


    Foltest picked his knife up and speared it into the roasted chicken. "I trust sorcerers enough to let you spread magic across Temeria. Over all these years, I''ve given your brotherhood enough coins to purchase a kingdom! I think I have the right to issue you an order." Foltest looked at Fercart sharply. "I want to see her body!"


    Fercart felt his heart skip a beat, and he stared down at the ground. "Your Majesty, I apologize, but we are unable to do that."


    "And the reason is?"


    Fercart answered genuinely, trying not to anger Foltest, "The three of us have been investigating Lake Vizima every day as ofte, but we found nothing unusual. She might have left the ce. Perhaps her believers have told her of our ns, and she hid herself."


    That was not a total lie. It wasn''t every day the Brotherhood of Sorcerers coulde in contact with a legendary creature like the Lady of the Lake, but they knew she was a part of an ancient n. If they tried to kill one of them, they would make an enemy out of all nymphs of allkes in thisnd. The sorcerer would never do anything so rash.


    Foltest snorted. A long, long silenceter, he said, "She escaped my grasp this time." There was a look of regret on his face.


    "Your Majesty, I guarantee that as long as we''re in Vizima, she will never step into this kingdom."


    Foltest was giving the sorcerer a look of interrogation. Fercart could feel his back getting wet with sweat, and then Foltest said, "How''s Adda doing?"


    Fercart heaved a sigh of relief. "I don''t sense any magicing from the princess. I don''t think she''s been working on the church, but still, she <em>did </em>make contact with the Lady of the Lake." Fercart advised carefully, "Are you sure you should let her do whatever she wants?"


    "She''s going to cut ties with me if I keep stopping her from doing anything." Foltest sighed. "Just¡­ don''t force her into a corner."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "And one more thing." A pauseter, Foltest said hesitantly, "How''s the medicineing along?"


    Fercart looked at Foltest for a moment. He had heard of Foltest''s unsightly private life. Like most kings, he loved to sleep around. Even the people caught wind of his affairs. For example, Princess Adda was the product of an incestuous rtionship between him and his sister. There was also the rumor about him having many mistresses, a lot of which were his underlings'' wives. "Your Majesty, I would like to ask you once again: is it a boy or a girl?"


    "A girl." Foltest sounded disappointed. He suspected that the baby turned out to be a girl because he did not have Azar''s medicine with him.


    "Very well then, Your Majesty." Fercart said, "I guarantee that the Brotherhood''s potion will grant the princess great health, beauty, and vitality."


    ***


    Abigail was taken to a house in the trade quarter. "You''re telling me this girl is the priestess of the God of Omen?" Adda pointed her barbed whip at Abigail, who was shivering in a corner. The princess twirled her hair with her other hand. "I''ve seen them before in the books. They know a lot of curses." Adda frowned, and she touched the pendant that was hanging around her neck. Geralt gave her that after he lifted the striga''s curse so it would not rpse. "Never thought an evil cult was hiding right under my nose. How''d you find her?"


    "It''s a coincidence, really." Roy told her about how they found a hidden chamber while they followed the trail of the fleders'' bodies. When Roy got to the end of the story, Adda''s eyes shone.


    "Just what we need! A prayer room! The Lady of the Lake has blessed us!"


    "Wh-What do you want to do?" Abigail curled up. Even though she had no mana, she was still cuffed with dimeritium cuffs. A look of horror filled her face, as if she were a helpless girl.


    Adda smiled at her. "That depends on you, girl. Introduce yourself, God of Omen''s priestess. How old are you? Where are your parents, family, and friends?"


    "I¡­" Abigail was feeling nervous from being stared at by Adda and the witchers. Eventually, she said, "I had my fifteenth birthdayst month. I told them about that. I''m an orphan. I have no friends or family. All I have are my fellow believers. I was adopted by my teacher, the previous priest in Vizima." Sadness welled up in her eyes. "But she died two years ago."


    "You''re an orphan, and you''re a beautiful one at that." Adda was starting to get really interested. She flicked her hand and swung her whip around, circling the girl. "How''d you make a living in Vizima before you were adopted? The local gangs wouldn''t have let you go. Selling you to a ranch in a remote vige would¡¯ve been the best oue for someone like you."


    "I-I helped out at the temple area. At aundrydy''s house." Abigail bit her lip. She knew she could not escape, so she said honestly, "Thedy and her family kept me safe from the gangs for years. They''re all believers of the Great Weaver. They inducted me into the church, and my teacher adopted me after that."


    "The Great Weaver? You mean the weaver of fate?" Adda stared at the calluses on Abigail''s hands.


    "Yes. The Lionhead Spider weaves the web of fate. It controls the fate of humanity."


    "Don''t glorify an evil god." Roy cocked his eyebrow. "Your fellow believers fed the gangsters to the fleders, didn''t they?"


    Abigail''s silence was all the answer they needed.


    Roy continued, "And since you''re the priestess, you also have to hunt for your human sacrifices to feed the Lionhead Spider''s guards, right?"


    Abigail was beautiful enough to seduce a few perverts into the sewers.


    "That much is obvious," Adda said. She used to act as Vizima''s enforcer for a while. She knew how the lower echelons of Vizima lived. "Vizima is Temeria''s capital. It''s the most essential stop of the kingdom''s trade routes. Countless outsiderse and go every day. We can''t look into every missing case, especially when they''re so few and far between." Adda approached the girl. She held Abigail''s chin and forced the girl to face her. Since the Church of Virtue needed an underground base, the God of Omen would have to leave. Adda would show no mercy, especially when she bore a grudge against them. "Now be a good girl and tell me: how many believers are there in Vizima?"


    Abigail blinked, and she turned her head away.


    "I am the princess of Vizima." Adda''s face tensed. She threatened, "One order is all it takes for my knights to capture all the little spiders in this city, and then I will cut them all down right in front of you."


    Abigail trembled. Her jaw dropped, as if she were shocked.


    Adda crouched down and closed in on the girl. "But I won''t do that if you''re willing to work with me. You have half an hour."


    ***


    "Do you need my help, Your Highness? Using a sign on her would save us a lot of time."


    Adda froze for a moment. "I''m d you didn''t, Roy. Take it from me. <em>Never</em> use your sign on any god''s priest to control their minds. If their god is alerted, you could die."


    Roy nodded. <em>No wonder the Elder Blood stopped me from casting Axii. </em>"So what will you do to her? She''s¡­" He pursed his lips and swallowed what he wanted to say. <em>There''s no way a fifteen-year-old girl can be so weak and useless, especially in this world. She''s hiding something. </em>


    "I''ll weed out all the God of Omen''s believers. The Church of Virtue needs a ce to call home." Adda pursed her lips. "If the believers are willing to repent, I will show them mercy and grant them exile. But¡­" She tensed up and announced, "If they refuse to ept my offer¡­"


    "Be careful, Your Highness. Some of the believers can cast curses. You don''t want to cause any more problems."


    "Of course. I know their abilities well." Reminiscence gleamed in her eyes, and she paced around the room. "The striga''s curse, the one that was cast on me, is rted to that spider. The goddess has mitigated its effects, but I can still feel it lingering around my soul. I''ve seen Ostrit''s letter before. He loves my mother, and yet he cursed me. The letter talked about fate multiple times. It means something. It means the God of Omens could have been the one who taught him that curse. Lady Vivienne cured me of my cravings for blood, but she could notpletely lift the curse."


    Resolve appeared in her eyes. "I need to find a way to fully lift this curse, or I might rpse. And Abigail might just be my ticket to a full recovery."


    "The God of Omens is rted to your curse?" Roy stared down and fell into his own thoughts. <em>Ostrit, the Church of the God of Omens, the curse on Adda and her mother¡­ </em>Roy connected everything and came up with a hypothesis.


    More than twenty years ago, Foltest''s minister, Ostrit, fell in love with the king''s sister. She was Adda''s mother, whose name was also Adda. However, when he found out that the king took his lover for his own, jealousy engulfed him, and he cast a curse on Adda and her offspring. Adda died of difficultbor, and her offspring turned into a striga a few years down the road. She brought disaster to thend, and the people of Vizima lived in fear. Eventually, Geralt came and lifted the curse, though he was severely injured in the process. Since then, the princess lived as a human.


    Roy had been haunted by a question for a long time. <em>Ostrit was a minister of Temeria. How did he manage to curse Adda''s mother? He never gave his life up for that curse. </em>That question was answered today. The Church of the God of Omens had been hiding in Vizima''s sewers, and Ostrit was one of the Lionhead Spider''s believers.


    <em>He asked that god for the curse and caused a string of tragedies. </em>Roy finally found the answer, and he sighed. <em>The God of Omens cursed Adda, albeit indirectly, and now the fate of its church rests in her hands. How ironic.</em>


    Adda was rubbing her neck. She was reluctant to talk about this anymore, so she ended the conversation. "I''ll handle Abigail from here on out. Roy, you guys must be tired. Get some rest. Are the materials enough for you?"


    "Yes. Thank you for helping us," Roy said.


    "Just tell me if you need anything." She patted his shoulder. "The church and thedy will need your help eventually. I hope you won''t refuse us."


    "Of course not."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 230

    <strong>Chapter 230: Leisure Time</strong>


    The witchers'' mission in the sewers came to an end after they found the secret chamber of the Church of the Lionhead Spider. They could finally pull out of politics for a while.


    The furnace was burning brightly. Berengar was swinging his hammer around, creating the steel sword of the Manticore School. Letho, who was rtively experienced in cksmithing, helped. They stayed in the shop at all times. Serrit, Auckes, and Roy tried to help, but they were all chased out for theirck of experience in this.


    "What are we? Chopped liver? I busted my ass off to find the blueprints and materials, and <em>this </em>is what I get?" Auckes grumbled. He calmed down fairly quickly though, and his mind wandered to somewhere else. Witchers lived their whole lives working for something. They had to find ways to exhaust their energy during the lull between requests.


    Serrit and Auckes were born and raised in the south, where the Viper School was located. They had no idea how people in the north lived, so they wanted to explore Vizima. Roy had made training ns for him and Gryphon, but the intense battlestely had exhausted him. He decided to wind down a bit as well.


    ***


    Vizima housed tens of thousands of travelers from all over the world, and it was filled with all kinds of buildings, such as castles, military fortresses, temples, shops, marketces, stalls, workshops, banks, inns, taverns, and even brothels. It would take them days just to experience everything. However, the witchers were not here to try everything out. They made a beeline to one ce. Their hobbies were simrly humble. All witchers were sommeliers. There was a reason people said that.


    Serrit and Auckes took Roy to all the taverns in Vizima to have a taste of their specialties. Some served great wine, some had sweet ciders, and some had powerful liquors. This city had it all. Alcohol aside, the taverns had all kinds of interesting people doing things Roy had never seen before. It was a lot more amusing than wine for the young witcher.


    Golden Apple, Vizima Temple Area


    "Step right up, folks! Today''s special¡ªarm wrestling! The champion remains undefeated for the thirtieth time! Can he keep this streak up! Let''s watch him, folks! Cheer for Bobby the Sailor of Port Vizima!"


    The crowd burst into cheers.


    Bobby had a thick beard, and his arms were bigger than most people''s waist. His muscles were big and taut. At a nce, this man seemed to be made entirely of muscle.


    "And now, introducing the brave challenger¡­ Hm, yes. Auckes the Snake Eye from the south!"


    The guy before the champion was a lot humbler. He was wearing a grey hood and was leanly built. His eyes were amber and had vertical irises, just like a feline.


    The crowd jeered at him. Obviously, someone could see that he was a witcher. Auckes'' irises contracted, and he shot a re at the champion as he cracked his knuckles.


    "Ahem. As usual, I''ll be taking bets. No refunds, hear that? You won''t lose much, but if you win, you''ll have enough money to have a great night at the brothel!"


    The skinhead kept on bbering about the bet, and the customers around him paid generously.


    Roy was sitting before a Gwent board, a pile of crowns standing before him. His opponent was staring at his cards, thinking about the card he should y next. "Should I y that one? Or this one? No, no, no. This one? No, I don''t think so." The gaunt gambler had fallen into a trance.


    "Take your time. I don''t mind." Roy called out to the skinhead. "I bet twenty crowns that Auckes the Snake Eye will win in ten seconds."


    "Of course! So you''re betting on Auckes winning in ten seconds. A one to three ratio it is! Here''s your receipt. Don''t lose it!" The skinhead happily took the bag of coins, and when he turned around, he muttered, "What a fool."


    Roy smiled nonchntly and turned to the stage on the other side. A crowd had gathered there, and their roars were even louder. They were holding an ancient, popr, and heart-pounding event¡ªVizima boxing challenge.


    Auckes went for the arm wrestling match, Roy was ying Gwent, and Serrit went for the boxing challenge. The champion had gotten into his battle stance, flexing his towering body, bulging biceps, and big muscles. He swung his fists into the air, and the crowd screamed. Serrit was covering his fists inyers of bandages, and he winked at Roy, who was ying Gwent.


    Roy gesticted at him and bet twenty crowns on him winning the match. Boxing and arm wrestling were sports of skill, but Serrit and Auckes could overwhelm everyone with their supernatural speed and strength. Roy knew he should stop at some point, so he did not bet too much, or the bookmaker might not give him his winnings.


    Half an hourter.


    "Cheers!" The witchers raised a toast to one another. One of them got pinot noir, Roy got a mug of golden apple cider, and the other one had a mug of dwarven liquor. The witchers took all their winnings and left the tavern only to go into another one.


    "Don''t stay in one ce for too long," Auckes said. It was from experience.


    In just one day, they had gone to the two taverns in the temple area and all three taverns in the trade quarter. Their day of fun ended as the sun was setting. In the end, the witchers drank for free, and they made nearly two hundred crowns.


    "Did you see me, Roy?" Auckes almost could not hold his excitement in. He pranced, punched, and swung his fists on the streets. The witcher also took part in the boxing challenge earlier as well. Naturally, they overwhelmed everyone.


    Roy smiled. He had a great time ying Gwent as well. Vizima was truly full of professionals. It did hold the northern Gwent tournament, after all. There were some yers who managed to force a draw or even triumph against Roy. He only won a few dozen crowns in the end, but he did get his hands on a rare Foltest card. <em>Yeah. Got his card on his turf. Nice.</em> "Are we also doing this tomorrow?"


    "I''m afraid not." Serrit shook his head. He said firmly, "We''ve won a lot of money from the local gangs. There''s a line that we toed somewhere. We <em>will </em>get into a fight if we do the same thing tomorrow."


    "Calm down, kid." Auckes patted Roy''s shoulder and winked at him. "We''re gonna do the same thing in another city once we''re done with Vizima, brother."


    "You fool! Did you just call him ¡®brother''? That''s not right! You just dragged our rank down!"


    "I don''t really care."


    Serrit and Auckes bickered, while Roy listened. The stress he umted from all the killings was slowly fading away, and he felt a lot lighter. In the end, he split the two hundred crowns in three, and each of them got sixty coins. The remainder was put into the funds. Serrit and Auckes were used to Roy''s stingy behavior. They were not the least bit upset. Instead, they felt happy.


    "What should we do tomorrow?" Auckes'' excitement had faded, and he was starting to think about what he should do next.


    "Training. You guys can train my swordsmanship if you have nothing to do," Roy suggested. Auckes was still frowning, so Roy winked at him. "Keira invited you somewhere, didn''t she? You can see her if you''re bored, Auckes."


    "What do you know, kid? I don''t sleep around with just anyone." Auckes looked up, but he was starting to waver. "She did say the fountain of roses is a great ce¡­ Ah, forget it. I can get women wherever I go. Training''s more important."


    They rested for one night, and Roy started his training life the next day. Auckes and Serrit would train his swordsmanship and monster knowledge during the day, and he would take Gryphon for a spin at night. He wanted to train its flight and hunting skills. Gryphon could fly for longer durations now, but it was still too little for Roy to ride on it. He would probably have to wait until Gryphon was one year old before he could soar through the skies.


    Gryphon had changed its menu. It used to eat rats and bunnies, but now it was hunting down moose and boars. In a one-on-one situation, Gryphon could easily kill most prey if it dived down on them from the skies. Still, there were a few beasts the griffin would never fight. For example, packs of rabid dogs, wolves, and grizzly bears.


    ***


    Keira the consultant came to visit during training, and she and Auckes went out for two days. Triss never came, however.


    When they met thest time, Roy noticed that Triss'' body was special. To be precise, she was sensitive. <em>Maybe she''s avoiding me. </em>Of course, Triss was not the only sorceress around. Lytta contacted Roy through the telescope in her room every night. Most of the time, they talked about the Trial of the Grasses, mutations, and the basics of magic. It was dull work.


    Sometimes they would entertain themselves just to get away from all the work. During one particr conversation, Coral told him about her dream. She wanted to sail to the horizon on a canoe and enjoy her life on the open seas. For some reason, Roy promised he would go on this adventure with her someday.


    A week had passed, but Adda did not contact them.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 231

    <strong>Chapter 231: Rpse</strong>


    "What a lovely thing. It''s even prettier than a diamond." Auckes held the Manticore steel sword, brushing his finger across its surface. The furnace''s fire shone on the sword, making it gleam. It was slightly longer than standard swords, and ck draconid hide was wrapped around its hilt. It feltfortable and reliable to the touch. A bit of silver meteorite ore adorned it, giving the user a firmer grip on it. A manticore stood on the end of the hilt, proving that this sword was of the Manticore School.


    The sword had a horizontal crossguard. Its de''s design leaned more toward Hand''s style. Unlike the local swords, the sword''s de looked more like a kris. It was like a snake that was slithering across the ground. The de was connected to the crossguard, as if it were a snake''s tongue joined to a mouth.


    Auckes swung it around, and the air buzzed as the de sliced through it. The runes on the sword gleamed blue, and it floated in the air for a moment. The witchers passed the sword, and in the end, Roy was the one holding it.


    ¡®Manticore Steel Sword


    Type: Steel sword


    Materials: Cured draconid leather, meteorite ore, zircon, emerald dust, manticore poison nd.


    Specifications: Weighs 4.01 pounds, hilt measures at ten inches, de measures at 37 inches


    Affixes:


    Sharp: Manticore Steel Swords are three times sharper than regr swords. It cuts open light armor easily, but has reduced durability.


    Stinger: Manticore Steel Swords can inject venom into open wounds, killing the victim in mere moments.''


    ***


    "Thanks for the hard work, Master Berengar," Roy said.


    "No. <em>I </em>should be the one thanking you." Berengar''s eyes were bloodshot, but he was satisfied. Crafting a masterpiece like this was a valuable experience for him. He could master the blueprints and improve his crafting skills as well. cksmithing was more enjoyable than alcohol for him.


    "You look tired. You need to rest."


    "Rest? I don''t need any rest. What I need is my hammer. I bet Letho thinks so too."


    Letho was in a simrly excited state. Roy had never seen him like that. His perpetually deadpan face was actually red with excitement. "I can see the bottleneck now. If I can ovee it, I''ll advance to the next level. I cannot rest!"


    "Um, suit yourself, I guess." Roy paused for a moment and tucked the sword away. He had something to talk about, but he thought he would save it forter. At least until they were done cksmithing.


    Roy, Serrit, and Auckes left the cksmith shop.


    It was nearly noon. The sun was shining on thend, and the river was gleaming like a sapphire. It was a good day.


    "So, wanna spar, kid?" Auckes stood on the riverside, thrusting at the air with the Manticore Steel Sword. The air buzzed, and he almost left afterimages from how fast he was moving.


    "Sure." Roy unsheathed his sword and was about to ept the sparring challenge.


    Serrit crossed his arms as he waited for Auckes to pummel the newbie. It was his daily routine at this point.


    However, a visitor halted their ns. A knight of the order came to the cksmith shop. "Witcher¡­" It was a familiar face. Roy had seen him before. He was one of Adda''s most trusted lieutenants¡ªClevnd. "I''m here in order to take you three with me."


    "Did the princess send you?"


    "No." Clevnd shook his head. There was aplicated look in his eyes. "His Majesty the king did. The princess¡­" Clevnd gulped. "She''s in trouble."


    "What?"


    ***


    Unlike most middle-aged men, Foltest had no pot belly. Instead, he was muscr and solemn. If he was in his younger years, this man would have been beautiful. After years of being a ruler, he had be a majestic and handsome man. <em>Well, I can see why this guy has a lot of mistresses. </em>Roy looked at him and muttered, "And he isn''t even forty yet."


    He was sitting on a chair made out of dark wood, his chin rested on his hand. The king was observing the witchers, and an old dog was curled up beside his feet, trying to get some warmth. Two men and two women stood behind him. One of them was muscr and had a beard. Roy saw him before. He was the mayor of Vizima¡ªVelerad.


    The mayor was smiling at him. The other three were the new royal consultants Foltest hired. Keira was among them, of course. Everyone had a grim look on their faces, as if they were going to face a storm. The air was filled with solemnity.


    Keira introduced the witchers to Foltest. The king was silent for a moment, then he said, "Witchers of the Viper School¡­ Auckes, Serrit, and Roy, is it?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Auckes pulled his hood back and bowed. This time, he was looking serious.


    "You came from the south?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty?"


    "How are you different from the witchers in the north? What do you excel in?"


    "There isn''t much difference, Your Majesty. We only differ in our fighting styles," Serrit exined. "We mostly take elimination requests whenever there are non-human creatures concerned."


    The king shivered for a moment.


    "And sometimes we clean up magicalplications. Curses, for example."


    "Have you ever killed nekkers, then?"


    "We have, Your Majesty."


    "What about drowners? And ghouls?"


    "Those too, Your Majesty."


    Foltest hesitated for a moment, and he asked, "What about strigas?"


    Serrit and Auckes were surprised. They had never heard of something like a striga before, but Roy''s heart skipped a beat. He looked the king in the eye, surprised. "A striga? Does the princess have something to do with this?"


    "You know of what happened, witcher?"


    "I have heard of it." Roy bowed. He exined to hispanions. "A few years ago, Princess Adda turned into a striga because of a curse and rained down disaster on Vizima''s old wing. Geralt of the Wolf School passed by and lifted her curse, returning her to human form."


    "But that witcher did not do a thorough job!" Foltest gnashed his teeth and clenched the armrest, looking a bit manic. "He gave her a pendant, but it lost its effect. My daughter¡­" He plopped back into the back of his chair. "She rpsed. Last night¡­" He closed his eyes and muttered, "I was woken up by a scream. I saw a monster that was seven feet tall, and it was as big as a barrel of ale. It had a big mouth that stretched from ear to ear, and sharp teeth lined its maw. Its eyes were red, and so was its hair, though it resembled a tattered cloth. It had talons sharper than a cat''s, and it stretched to the ground. The monster killed a group of servants and guards before it escaped the castle and ran into Old Vizima."


    Old Vizima was located in the west of the Vizima penins, and a bigke separated them. Foltest''s old pce stood there, but it had been deserted for years. It was home to many paupers. Old Vizima was just like the rural areas of Vizima.


    "Your Majesty¡­" Roy sighed. <em>I knew it. The Church of the Lionhead Spider is behind this. </em>"Are you sure it''s a striga and not something else?"


    "You think I''d mistake it for something else?" Foltest stood up and kicked the dog, though he did not mean to. The dog howled in pain. "I have seen that thing before, years ago. I could recognize it anywhere. I''m sure she''s hiding in the stone coffin of the old pce. She sleeps in the day and hunts my people in the night! Damn it all! I can''t let that happen! My poor girl!¡±


    "Calm down, Your Majesty. That <em>does </em>sound like a striga." Roy had no idea what to feel about this. "But if I may ask, why did the curse reappear?"


    Roy was close to Adda. She was a toughdy. <em>The princess was trying to expand the church in secret, so why''d the curse make aeback now? </em>Instinctively, Roy was reminded of that great spider. Adda told him how she was cursed. "Adda wanted to free herself of the curse through Abigail. Did something go wrong?"


    "I''d like to know as well!" Foltest roared and broke Roy''s train of thoughts. "Just when my daughter had finally returned to her human form, she''s subjected to that horror all over again! Who did this?" Foltest''s anger was reced by sadness just a momentter. "But now''s not the time to dwell on that. Witchers, I''m asking for your help as a father. Please, lift the curse. I will make sure that you are handsomely rewarded.


    Auckes and Serrit looked at each other. They were summoned here all of a sudden and were tasked with lifting a striga''s curse, but they had no idea how to.


    "This is different, Your Majesty," Roy said bitterly. "The curse made aeback. What Geralt did won''t work this time. We can''t do anything about it."


    "My consultants have found a way to settle this, but they need your help." Foltest looked away. "Fercart, exin."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The sorcerer from Cidaris came to the witchers. Triss and Keira followed him. Thedies winked, though at different men.


    "Witchers, I trust you know the basics of sorcery. You must have heard of double curses, right?"


    The witchers nodded.


    Fercart exined, "The curse on Princess Adda is a double curse. There''s a distinct trait to it. It can take effect two times at most. If we lift the curse for a second time, the princess will be free from it. But we must be quick. We need to keep the curse''s damage to the princess'' mind at a minimum."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 232

    <strong>Chapter 232: End of a Curse</strong>


    As night fell upon thend, the three witchers made their way to Old Vizima. The night was chilly, and the air was muddied with dust. Beyond the bridge stood the old city, lights flickering in the night. The pce was abandoned and destroyed. Ruins were strewn across the city. A dpidated fence made out of decaying wood stood as the only line of defense. Within the great hall slept an uneven stone b. A flight of stairs leading into darkness stood underneath it. Beyond the stairs was a tomb. There was a big coffin fit for two corpses sitting there. It was the one where Adda and her mother were buried.


    However, the skeletal remains were nowhere to be found. Instead, a monster had turned this coffin into its home. Tents stood around the pce haphazardly, and mountains of refuse towered around them. Those were the homes of the homeless, but because of the monster''s sudden appearance, the knights had chased the people here to the temple area.


    There was nothing in this ce now. Nothing but silence. The witchers went into a rickety wooden house beside the pce, calmly and meticulously making their preparations beside the dirty table in the house. ording to the sorcerer, the striga would not leave its coffin until midnight. They still had time to prepare for the battle.


    Roy ced the bag of alchemical supplies on the table and took a bunch of ck bottles out. He took one of them, and hispanions took two each. They unsheathed the de strapped behind them and greased it with some kind of lotion. They kept smearing the des until they were covered in the liquid, then they flicked their wrists. The house was filled with the des'' gleam right away.


    Roy muttered an incantation under his breath and downed the potion he took out. Hispanions did the same as well.


    The witchers covered themselves with their cloaks and sat on the floor. Their eyes were closed, and they did not even move a muscle. Their breathing was starting to change. It became faster, as if they were hyperventting. Thanks to the decoction, their faces started to contort, and all color was drained from them. Their veins were dyed purplish-ck, and their pupils filled their whole eyes. The witchers'' gaze tore through the darkness, and their eyes gleamed.


    ***


    A quiet little screech whispered in the hall. It was little more than a buzz, but the witchers heard it. That was the sound of something pushing the coffin''s lid open. A few momentster, the stone b blocking the entrance to the tomb was flung away as well, and out came a grotesque monster that fitted Foltest''s description to a T.


    A disproportionatelyrge head was attached to a stubby neck. It was covered in red feathers, and its eyes shone red, just like a beast''s would. Unlike her human form, Adda looked like a muscr humanoid beast in her striga form, though it still retained some of her human traits, such as her breasts that were protruding from her chest.


    ¡®Striga


    Age: Neen years old


    Gender: Female


    Staus: Princess, Cursed One (Ostrit''s curse took effect the second time, turning the princess into the cruel and powerful striga)


    HP: 300


    Strength: 8 ¡ú 20


    Dexterity: 9 ¡ú 20


    Constitution: 8 ¡ú 20


    Perception: 7


    Will: 5 ¡ú 6


    Charm: 7 ¡ú 3


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    One-handed Mastery Level 3¡­


    Dagger Mastery Level 2¡­


    Bow Mastery Level 2¡­


    Cursed Flesh (Passive): This curse is a blessing and great torture at the same time. Death shall not grant the ursed their sweet release that easily. HP +100. The cursed one''s heart is no longer one of the vitals.


    Speedy Regeneration (Passive): The cursed one has an incredible regenerative factor. They can heal any minor wounds quickly. They can also heal moderate wounds and replenish their HP if they consume their enemies'' flesh. Constitution +10.''


    ***


    <em>Holy shit. She''s even more powerful than Berengar. </em>Roy was d he called twopanions over to help him out.


    The striga suddenly let out a scream. It tore through the night like an invisible sound wave. The old pce''s walls rumbled from the shout. The striga''s shouts would turn into a whisper for a moment, and it would raise its voice to high heavens the next, as if it were trying to vent something out.


    It turned its eyes to the witchers outside the pce. Their eyes met, and when it saw Roy, a hint of confusion appeared on its face. The creature seemed to have a sliver of its memory left, and it was trying to remember who this familiar man was. However, that sliver of humanity was crushed by the feral instinct within it. It charged at the witchers with its mouth open. Its maw was filled with sharp canine teeth, and it mped it shut, as if trying to provoke the witchers.


    The monster kept charging ahead, but its footsteps were so quiet it might as well have been a gust of wind. The witchers calmly cast Yrden at it, and circles of purple lights showed on the ground, creating a space of confinement. The light was a prison. The moment the monster charged into it, the light slowed it down considerably, as if it just moved fromnd to swamp. It was moving as slowly as a tortoise, and its attack missed.


    The witchers took the chance to leap away from the spell and walked around it clockwise. Their des were pointed at it at all times. It was as if three panthers were trying to take down a powerful bull.


    The monster growled and shook its head, staring at the witchers nervously for a moment. In the end, it locked on to Roy, and beads of drool fell off its fangs. The monster thought Roy was the weakest among its enemies, and it wanted to prey on that.


    Roy was not panicking at all. He kept moving around it, but the young witcher changed his tempo ever so often. He disrupted the monster, stopping it from finding the perfect opening to leap. When the monster finally could not hold it in any longer, Serrit and Auckes stabbed it from behind. They struck its calves and retreated. Their des were dyed red.


    The witchers'' silver weapons and oil could cause extra physical and burning damage to the striga. Beset by pain, the striga forgot all about its prey and turned around to roar at its attackers. The monster was too stupid to realize that this was what the witchers wanted, and it showed another opening to the young witcher behind it.


    Roy swung Aerondight across the air, and the crimson de sliced three gashes into the monster''s back. Roy did not want to kill it, so he held back, but Vivienne''s weapon was sharp enough to draw blood.


    The monster bristled and howled. It growled in anger, trying to search for an opening to attack or escape. It was for naught, however. No matter where it faced, there would always be two witchers attacking it from other directions.


    The witchers would recast Yrden the moment it was gone, and the stunlock kept the monster slow and easy to handle. It was all the monster could do to struggle, but in the end, the witchers covered its body with wounds. They did not hit its vitals, nor did they go too hard, but there were a lot of wounds, and blood trickled out of them to form a pool of crimson around the striga.


    The pool gleamed ck under the silvery moonlight. It would have been hauntingly beautiful if they were not fighting a monster right now.


    The striga slowed even more because of its blood loss, and its strength wavered. The look in its eyes turned from anger to fear. It realized that the witchers could kill it, and its instinct told it to find an opening.


    It tried to leap through the cracks between the witcher, but the monster was pushed back by Aard. A loud bang rang across the pce, and the invisible shockwave shoved the monster back into the circle of Yrden. The monster finally let out a whimper and staggered backward. It plopped down on the ground and whimpered at the witchers, as if asking for mercy.


    Auckes paused for a moment. "Hey, guys! It''s asking for mercy! I think we''ve gone too far. She <em>is </em>still the princess, and we''re technically ganging up on a girl¡ª"


    "Oh, shut up." Serrit sheathed his de and whipped out a long, heavy silver chain with a weight dragging behind it. "Lift her curse if you really want to help her."


    The other witchers took out a simr silver chain as well. The moment the striga got up, they tossed the chains at it, wrapping themselves around the monster''s shoulders and neck. The striga froze for a moment, and it started struggling. The witchers ran around it, wrapping it up inyer afteryer of the silver chain. Eventually, it became a silver cocoon and fell down on the ground. Only its head was visible. It could not even lift a finger. All it could do was howl, but it came out as nothing but a squeak.


    "Now, be quiet." Roy tied the chains up and went to the striga to pat its head. Its fur stung a little, though.


    The young witcher tried his best, and finally, he pulled the striga''s tongue out to see if there was anything underneath. "Grayba¡­" As expected, the striga had the same thing engraved on its tongue as well.


    "What''s wrong, Roy?" Serrit and Auckes came to him.


    "Remember the fleders? They had the same brand on their tongues as well. This is a spell cultists of the Omen God use to control monsters," Roy said coldly.


    "Abigail!" Serrit suddenly said. "She must be behind this whole thing!"


    Roy nodded. "We''ll hunt that bitch down eventually, but not now. And don''t tell anyone about this."


    ***


    There were about three hours until dawn, and Foltest''s royal consultants finally came. They were shocked to see the towering monster standing before them, wrapped inyers of silver chains.


    "I guess there''s a reason for your reputation, witchers from the south." Triss looked at the witchers for a while, and she confirmed that they were not hurt. At most, they were just sweating.


    Keira was looking at Auckes and Serrit in a new light. She had no idea the stupid witchers were even better inbat than they were in bed. "Look at it. They managed to turn this big, ugly monster into some docile creature." Her palms were starting to sweat, and for some reason, she wasing up with an image in her head. It was a dark night, and two men were tying up a woman on an empty field. That woman was her, of course. <em>Hm, I wonder how it''d feel if he was the one in chains? Or if I was the one they were chaining up? </em>She mped her legs shut at the thought of that.


    Fercart stopped her train of thought. "Thank you, witchers. We''ll handle the rest."


    The sorcerers started casting a spell at the weakened striga. They used the blood on the ground as paint and drew runes on the striga''s head. The incantations filled its face, and even the chains were covered in Elder Speech. There was also Ellylon and some othernguages on it as well.


    About half an hourter, the sorcerers summoned the elements and infused them into the runes. As the magic started taking ce, the striga started calming down, and its breathing was no longer ragged. A momentter, its chest started heaving, and it fell asleep. The sorcerers heaved a sigh of relief. They too were sweating.


    "You''ll have to take her back to the tomb now, witchers."


    The witchers obliged.


    The tomb under the pce was about the size of a pce''s bedroom, but there was nothing aside from the uncovered coffin in the middle. Even the candbras and sconces were gone. The sorcerers created some sconces with magic and illuminated the whole tomb. The witchers then stuffed the bound Adda into the coffin. To their surprise, there was enough space to stuff her and the chains.


    Roy went inside andy beside it as well. The monster was incredibly tall, so all Roy could see was its chest. <em>I''d rather face its chest than its head. </em>Someone then closed the lid, and darkness engulfed Roy. There was only a small crack enough for some air toe in.


    "Hey, Roy!" Auckes said. "That''s Temeria''s princess right beside you! Don''t do anything stupid! I don''t wanna see you executed!"


    "Fuck off! Why don''t youe in here then? I''d like to see you do <em>anything stupid</em>."


    "Ahem." Fercart interrupted the conversation. He handed an oilmp and an hourss into the coffin. "Sorry for having you do this, Master Roy. Stay with the strig¡­ I mean the princess until the third dawn, and the curse will be forever lifted. Don''t worry. My spell will keep her asleep until she returns to her human form. There will be someone standing guard outside as well.¡±


    Triss said, "Roy, His Majesty said you can leave if you''re in danger. He won''t get mad at you. Take care of yourself."


    "Got it." Roy held the hourss up. The coffin was too dark, and even he could only see its silhouette, but that was more than enough.


    Roy had hidden Gryphon somewhere in the wilds. He could teleport away if he was in any danger. <em>Three days, huh? Well, guess I''ll meditate then. </em>Roy looked at the striga again. He felt its breath, and eventually, he closed his eyes to meditate.


    ***


    All the sand in the hourss had fallen into the lower part when he woke up from his fourth meditation. The third dawn had arrived. Roy was not in a hurry to move. He closed his eyes and listened closely. What he heard was the sound of breathing. It was calm and quiet. When he turned around, the monster was no longer a monster. Instead, a fully naked woman was lying beside him.


    Her dark-red hair covered most of her face, and her lips were white and dry. The chains covered most of her body. All Roy could see was the top side of her breasts.


    Adda felt the witcher stir, and she said, "Roy?"


    "It''s me." Roy lit the light up with a mini Igni. He saw Adda mumbling and rubbing her eyes.


    "I just woke up. What is this ce? Where am I?"


    "Did you forget, princess?" Roy took off his armor with difficulty and handed it to her. "Your curse grasped you once more, but it is over now. You are no longer bound to it. Let''s go," he said softly. "Time to go home."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 233

    <strong>Chapter 233: Reward</strong>


    A horse carriage came out of Old Vizima and made its way toward the Royal Pce in the east. "So, Adda, tell me what happened." Roy''s cheeks were puffed up like a hamster''s. He was wolfing down the fresh vegetables, beef, bread, and goat''s milk. Staying in the coffin for three days starved him to hell. He felt like he could eat an elephant. "Do you remember why the curse reappeared?"


    Adda was sitting across from him. It was the back of the carriage. The princess was a lot more civilized than Roy was at eating. She tore the bread into strips and stuffed it into her mouth. It was an elegant way to eat, just like how a noble would. She had changed into a clean ck dress withce sewn to the hem. No longer was she naked. Her ck fascinator covered her unkempt hair, and she was also wearing the witcher''s oversized cloak. The princess was a lot more gaunt than she was a week ago.


    Roy saw that for himself. Her fit, beautiful waist had shriveled up a little.


    Adda stared at the witcher, but she was spacing out. The princess tightened the cloak around her. The cold air was getting to her. "I remember taking off the pendant and drinking the potion Abigail gave me. Then I cked out. When I woke up again, I was already in the coffin."


    "What kind of potion?¡± the witcher asked.


    "A magical one. It could break my curse." Adda was trying to remember what happened before she lost consciousness. "I asked Abigail about it, and the one who cursed my mother and I twenty years ago was Ostrit. He was a believer of the Omen God. That bastard frequented the underground meeting ce before he died. Abigail told me he got that curse from the high priest of the time. That''s how I was roped into this mess. Abigail could help me with it. She''s the priestess of the Omen God after all."


    Roy stared down at the ground. <em>I knew it. </em>


    Adda stopped for a moment and chuckled. "I can still remember the recipe for the potion. It included three drops of wolf''s blood, three drops of bile from a woman who was buried recently, and the blood of my father. Those were the key ingredients for her so-called cursebreaker."


    "Your Highness!" Roy rolled his eyes. "You trusted her too much! Blood can be a catalyst for curses. She could have cursed your father with his blood! He''s your own father and the king of Temeria!"


    "Oh, but it won''t be easy to curse a king," Adda said. "Foltest has countlessyers of magical protection on him. Most people can''t see it though. Curses are ineffective against him. There''s only one way to threaten him¡­" Adda stared at Roy. "Assassination. And it can only be done by witchers."


    Roy spewed his food out.


    "What''s wrong, Roy?"


    "Nothing. Choked on myself. Gotta eat slower." Roy wiped the milk and sweat off his face. "You jest, Your Highness. I''d never be an assassin. None of us from the Viper School would."


    "It''s just an example." Adda wondered why Roy was overreacting to that.


    "Let''s get back on track." Roy burped. "You told me all I needed to know. Abigail''s potion reawakened the curse within you. She might have never intended this, but reactivating your curse gave the consultants the perfect chance to lift the curse once and for all. You won''t turn into a striga anymore after this."


    Adda nodded, and she muttered, "We made a deal, and she swore to her god she would help me. Yet she broke her promise. I <em>will </em>hunt that bitch down. She knows the price of betrayal very well," Adda said coldly. "I''ve found out everything about the cult in Vizima. I can destroy them whenever I want. She should be afraid of that, and yet¡­"


    "Perhaps she never did lie," Roy said. "She had to reawaken your curse to fully break it. That doesn''t mean she didn''t have any other n though. She might have sabotaged the potion. We''ll find out all about it once we recapture her. But for now¡­" Roy pulled the curtains back and looked at the pce. It was already in their sights. "You should being up with an exnation for the king."


    "I don''t have to," she said matter-of-factly. "Foltest owes me and my mother this much." Adda''s mother was Foltest''s own sister, and her name was Adda as well. "Once we''re done talking to him, can you help me with the search for Abigail?"


    ***


    Foltest was sitting on the golden throne, and his consultants stood behind him. That same dog was also lying by his feet.


    Adda came in from the entrance on the other side. A red carpet unfurled before her, and the guards on each side of the passage bowed as she went ahead to meet her father. The witchers came with her, and they stopped below the staircase.


    "Adda, my daughter. Come. Let me take a look." He held her hands and looked at her closely. A moment of silenceter, he closed his eyes and sighed. Roy noticed a hint of agony in his eyes. "I failed your mother. I failed to stop this from happening."


    "This is not your fault," Adda answered calmly, staring down at the ground.


    "I''ve neglected you. None of this would have happened if I had kept a closer eye on you," Foltest said. "But fortunately, it''s not toote to salvage this. Now, tell me the name of the bastard who did this to you. I''ll skin them alive and hang them on the za!"


    "Nobody did this. You know no one in Vizima would hurt me. This is just an ident. I lost my pendant, that''s all." She pursed her lips. The consultants and Foltest did not believe her excuse, however. "I''ll exin it to you when we''re alone."


    Foltest held his curiosity down and stopped pestering her for answers. He had always been this way. "Witchers!" He looked at the witchers. "You risked your lives to save my daughter. I shall reward you. Now tell me¡­" Foltest said, almost as if he were egging them on. "What would you like?"


    "Can we ask for <em>anything</em>?" Auckes asked, his eyes filled with desire.


    Foltest wanted to say yes, but he noticed the desire in Auckes'' eyes, and the king changed his tune. "Well, most of it. There <em>are </em>some exceptions. You know how fairy tales love to end with the king marrying his daughter to the warrior who saved her. That won''t happen here."


    "Ahem." Auckes said seriously, "We aren''t <em>that </em>arrogant, Your Majesty."


    Foltest nodded. He felt a lot better about the negotiation now.


    However, Auckes ruined his expectations. "Can we have our ownnd, Your Majesty?"


    The consultants had weird looks on their faces, and Foltest tensed. He looked like he was going to choke on himself.


    There was a prerequisite for giving them a piece ofnd. The king would have to swear them in as nobility first. If the king of Temeria made witchers into noblemen, he would be theughing stock of the whole northernnd.


    There was only one case of this reward. In the near future, Geralt would save Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia by ident, and the queen made an exception for him. She knighted the White Wolf. That was how the title of Geralt of Rivia came to be. However, they were not in a warring period, and the price to pay for this reward was too much. Foltest started hesitating.


    "We don''t really need thend, Your Majesty," the young witcher piped up and saved everyone from the awkward situation.


    Foltest took the chance and asked, "How does two thousand oren sound, brave witchers?" He was willing to pay more money than give themnd.


    "We don''t really want the coins either." Roy looked at hispanions. They nodded at him, and he looked straight into Foltest''s eyes. He said, "If it''s possible, we would like to live our lives free of uncorroborated usations and infamy."


    "borate." Foltest sat back on his throne, though he was looking a bit upset.


    "You know witchers are infamous among the people. The city folks don''t show that much enmity against us, but the ignorance gues most viges. They spread untrue rumors about us, calling us perverts, abominations, and barbarians. They affix countless crimes on us even though we have never done anything like that. We''ve been suffering for a long time because of these usations. You''re the king of Temeria. All you have to do is spread some posters, and that''ll be enough to quash these lies about us in your kingdom. We don''t need to be heroes, nor do we have to be popr." Roy looked at hispanions. "All we want is to live our lives free of prejudice and false usations. That is all."


    "That is¡­ a tall order." Foltest felt Adda tugging on his sleeve, so he did not refuse them immediately. "I need time to think. I shall summon you again once Ie to my decision."


    ***


    "That''s the request you wanted to have?" The witchers left the castle. "But we could have chosen the coins!" Auckes was a little confused.


    "We don''t get to see the king of Temeria every day. We have to get the most out of it," Roy exined. "We''ll have to change how people see us if we want to rebuild the school in the north, right? We can start with Vizima and Temeria."


    "Roy''s not wrong. Money, status, andnd aren''t enough to rebuild the school." Serrit looked at the sky. "We need an edge to get new people to join us. Most witchers can only get one or two apprentices their whole lives by relying on the Law of Surprise alone. That''s not enough. If we don''t change, we might not live to see the day of our school''s revival. A king is the ultimate authority of the nation. One notice is enough to change the kingdom''s perception of us. At least more people will be interested in the trade."


    "You guys are reading into this too much." Auckes rubbed his chin. "We don''t even have thend to rebuild the fortress. Heck, we don''t even have the foundation yet, and you''re already talking about new blood? And Roy is technically an apprentice too."


    "I know. This is just my fantasy." Roy shook his head and sighed. "Foltest will probably refuse my request. It''s way too vague, but I had to try. We''ll probably end up with nothing but money in the end."


    "That''s more than enough for me," Auckes said.


    "I''m still in charge of the money, remember?"


    Auckes shut up for a moment. "Roy, you really need to learn respect. At least give us some coins for the drinks."


    "Yeah, I know. Have you scouted the sewers out? Don''t tell me you spent all your time with Miss Kiera."


    "What do you think I am, a horse? I can''t fuck someone for three days straight. Of course I went to the sewers. Abigail''s not in the chamber or the temple area. She''s gone."


    "What about the other cultists?"


    Serrit shook his head. He paused for a moment and answered, "We searched the cultists'' abode ording to the list given to us, but nobody''s there."


    "Hey, since Letho and Berengar are still busy, why don''t we keep searching the sewers and make some coins?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 234

    <strong>Chapter 234: Dead</strong>


    Dark clouds appeared in the sky as noon approached. They quickly spread, and the clouds loomed over Temeria, blotting out the sun. The sky was overcast, and cold winds blew in the air. Eventually it started drizzling. This was fall''s first rain. The weather was already chilly even though it was only early fall in Temeria. Most people were hiding under their roofs, taking shelter from the rain and the cold, though they were all shivering.


    Everyone was staying out of the rain, save for three men in cloaks. They were trotting on the street, and the rain seemed to fall off an invisible barrier around the men, never touching them no matter what it did. The drizzle eventually became a downpour, and the world was filled with the shouts of raindrops. A silver screen covered the kingdom, blocking everyone''s sights.


    Eventually, the mysterious men were drenched, and they ran to a house in the temple area''s Banyan Street to stay out of the rain. One of the men took his cloak off and shook the rain off. He stared out at the great rain that obscured everything in his sights. "Goddammit! Is the Lionhead Spider stopping us from looking into its cult?"


    The rain came all too suddenly, and the timing was really bad. It dyed the witchers'' investigation by a lot.


    "Is the couple''s home nearby?"


    "Number one hundred and twenty three of Banyan Street." Auckes stared at the door te. ¡°Yeah. We should be there if we just go north for a little bit."


    The witchers put on their cloaks again and ran across the rain until they came to an old, two-story house made of bricks. There was a big yard in front of the house. Wooden stakes with strings tied between them were strewn across the ce, and there was a big bucket too. It was supposed to have some clothes in it, but there was nothing. The greyish-ck wall on the side of the house was filled with moss and marks caused by stones. There was graffiti on it as well, and one of it depicted a family of three. The parents stood on the side, smiling and beaming, while a girl in braids stood in the middle. She was holding their hands and smiling sweetly.


    "I guess this girl is Abigail." <em>So this couple was the family who took her in, but they were nowhere to be seen after Adda''s curse reawakened a few days ago. It''s like they disappeared with Abigail.</em>


    The witchers did note in through the front door in case their target was still inside. They leapt up to the second floor and went in through a half-open window. The corridor was dimly lit, and the scarce light that shone from the window illuminated a decaying wooden floor. A dirty table sat near the window. There was an oilmp on it, but there was only half the oil left.


    That was how the poor in Vizima lived. All of the richer ones would use magicalmps. The witchers listened closely to the corridor, but there was no sounding from it. They curled up and went in three different directions to search for their target. Auckes searched the bedrooms on the second floor. Well, there was nothing but a closet, a dressing table, and a mattress on the floor. Serrit and Roy tiptoed down the stairs and came to the first floor.


    There was a wooden sofa near the wall of the living room. A squalid red rug slept on top of it, and a square wooden table stood in the center of the living room, though one corner of it was chipped. Serrit sniffed the air. He smelled something rancid in it. When he looked around, he saw a meat pie on the table, but it was half-eaten. That was odd, since the poor would never waste something so expensive. It had been there for a while now. A cockroach was having a feast in it. Aside from that, there was nothing in the living room.


    The witchers went deeper into the living room. There was nothing much on the first floor. A living room stood beside the door, and a ce resembling a kitchen stood inside. It was a cramped space with a cauldron hanging on the hearth in the middle.


    Roy stirred the pot. There was half a pot of soup in it, but just like the pie, it had been left there for three days at least. The soup had soured, and it smelled rancid.


    "Anything?"


    Serrit came in. "No. I don''t even see anyone here. All I found is this." He tossed Roy a leather book. The cover depicted a lionheaded spider in a, and its name was written on the cover¡ªGrayba the ck, Coram Agh Tera.


    Roy took it and skimmed through it. The book talked about the faith and creed of the Omen God cult. Every single creed had a few lines of notes recorded behind it. It was probably the couple''s thoughts on it.


    They noticed that the cult members mostly had traumatic experiences in their lives. For example, they lost their loved ones before. They also noticed that the cult members were either those who had frequent brushes with death, or they loved pain. Killers, soldiers, and bandits were attracted by the cult''s creed.


    They believed that death was eternal, and life was pain. They believed that every separation was temporary, and they would be reunited in the eternal web weaved by the lionhead spider. This couple lost their daughter a while back, so they took in Abigail and professed their loyalty to the Lionhead Spider. Roy could see that they missed their daughter. Their records told him that.


    Auckes muttered, "If we go with that logic, witchers are perfect believers of this god. Our job is dangerous, and we die horribly most of the time."


    "You''re going to be a believer?"


    "I believe in nothing but my sword," Auckes said. "If these guys were real believers, they would have taken their scriptures with them everywhere they went. They wouldn¡¯t leave this work behind even if they were going into hiding."


    "Yeah. Even death can''t destroy their faith." Roy suspected that they missed something, so they searched the room and found a locked basement in the corner of the kitchen. Since they had no key, Serrit sted the door open with Aard. They were first assailed by a wave of dust, and the air was filled with the scent of humidity and mold. There was also the smell of something rotten in the air.


    The witchers had gone through a lot to realize that the smell belonged to corpses. It was not too heavy, but it was fresh. <em>Human corpse.</em>


    The witchers jumped into the basement, and what they saw was a mountain of sundry items. They followed a trail pointed out by their sense of smell. Eventually, they came to the corner where the stench was thickest. One of them then knocked on the floorboard.


    "It''s hollow."


    They exchanged looks. There was a big crack between the floorboards. It was not even strengthened with nails. Someone just covered it with something. The witchers pried the floorboard open easily with their des, and what they saw was a hole underneath.


    The moment they pried it open, the stench of blood and rotting flesh was unleashed. They froze for a moment. What they saw was a man and a woman lying on the ground underneath, looking as if they were just asleep.


    They were wearing grey hemp shirts and pants. Their faces were white as tombstones, and a hint of ck was appearing as well. The couple was still holding their hands tightly, even in death. The witchers could see the wounds on their wrist. They were cut open by something sharp. Blood congealed near the wounds. It was a big, deep gash. The broken, ckening vessels and bones were exposed to the air.


    Blood drenched the nearby soil and their sleeves. There was a rusted dagger buried in the pool of dried blood. Roy hopped into the hole, and a mountain of bugs swarmed out of the clothes, escaping into the darkness below.


    Roy did not care. He had seen too many bodies at this point, and this did not faze him. He stared at the couple''s fingers. The joints stood out, and it was filled with calluses. <em>They were doing hardbor for a long time before their deaths. </em>"This is theundrydy and her husband."


    "Killed themselves out of fear?" Serrit tore the male corpse''s clothes open and checked on his body. "Scared that the princess would get back at them?"


    The witchers went through the corpses, but there were no wounds other than the ones on their wrists.


    "If there''s no foul y involved, then this is a suicide case. A double suicide from the looks of it. Died from excessive blood loss. Probably dead for more than three days. Almost the same time as the curse''s reawakening."


    "Odd¡­" Roy was surprised. "Three days should be enough for them to start a new life outside of Temeria. Adda didn''t tell the king about this either. Why did they kill themselves?"


    "Hell if we know," Auckes said. "They went through some tough shit, didn''t they? Maybe Adda''s curse was just a trigger for them to kill themselves so they could reunite with their daughter in the ¡®eternalnd.'' If they did follow the creed to the end, I could see them embracing death willingly."


    "Odd. Something''s off," Roy said. "How many cultists are left in Vizima?"


    "Including this couple? Sixteen families."


    "Let''s go. We need to check out the others."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 235

    <strong>Chapter 235: Fate in the Web</strong>


    The dark clouds that hung over Vizima for the whole afternoon faded in the evening. The rain cleansed the smog, and the sky was gleaming blue. A dreamy rainbow was hanging on it as well.


    The witchers had searched most of the cultists'' abodes, and they noticed something wrong. The cultists came from all walks of life. Some were merchants, some wereborers, some were worksmiths, some were beggars, some were soldiers, some were Vizima''s public servants, and some were serial killers. Almost half of the cultists killed themselves, including the couple they found at first.


    They even hid themselves in conspicuous ces before they killed themselves. Locked basements, storerooms under stairs, attics above ceilings, and more. It was as if they were trying to buy as much time as possible before their bodies were found.


    The couple died in a rtively better way. Some ingested rat poison, while some¡­ Well, some things were better left unsaid. The witchers were shocked to see all the disfigured and charred corpses. <em>Are they mad? Or was something else supporting them through the pain? What kind of strength was enough to keep them from shouting for help even though they were in agony? Wait. It couldn''t be¡­ They thought of themselves as martyrs? </em>


    "This is¡­ unnerving." All the ¡®martyrs'' had their scriptures around with them, and there were notes written in all of them. Some were like diaries, while some were in-depth analysis of themselves. The things they read depicted a rough outline of the cultists¡¯ lives.


    They were a bunch of people living in hell. Life robbed them of something important once, and they broke down from it. Either that, or they were twisted people. Their notes in the scriptures told of their evil worldviews. Roy was not surprised people like that were cultists. The Lionheaded Spider encouraged live sacrifices. An evil and cruel god like that could only attract madmen and weirdos.


    Most people would stay away from it. That was why the cult only had a few dozen members even though they were already around for decades. Unfortunately, the dead cultists did not point to where Abigail was hiding right now.


    The other half had left Vizima before Adda could track them down. Perhaps they thought it was not the time to return to the fold. They took everything valuable and left an empty house for the witchers to search.


    ***


    "One cultist left."


    They came to the poorest street in the temple area¡ªArch Alley. An old man in tattered clothes sat cross-legged on the stone ground in the alleyway. The ground was wet and cold after the rain. He curled his gaunt body up like a stray dog, shivering and muttering something under his breath.


    The witchers tossed a bronze coin into his empty bowl, but the beggar did not get delighted at all. His eyes were still empty and glossed over.


    "Hey!" The witcher crouched and stared straight at the beggar. The beggar had prominent cheekbones, dead eyes, t nose, and dark lips. He was nothing but skin and bones. The beggar was covered in a tattered canvas. His ribs were exposed, and his hair was unkempt. Dandruff and oil clumped it up, and there was lice jumping on his head. There was a strong odoring from him as well.


    He stared up at the witchers for a moment and went back to muttering under his breath without even asking them anything. He did not even thank them.


    "Grayba the ck," Roy said. "Coram Agh Tera."


    The beggar smiled weakly. His teeth were decayed, ck, and yellowed. "I haven''t seen you before." His voice was a whisper, as if he had not eaten in days. It was raspy, as if he had a blob of phlegm stuck to his throat. "But I know you, heretic. You''re the Lady of the Lake''spdogs. You can''t fool me."


    "You have a deathwish, you old git?" Auckes snarled at him and held the hilt of his de. The beggar stared straight at him. There was no fear in his eyes.


    "Gill¡­ Ah, I should just call you Biravis." Roy stopped Auckes and cast Observe. "Don''t look so surprised. Not only do I know your real name, I also know you were born in Maribor. You''re forty-eight years old, and you''re a believer of the Omen God.


    "Who are you?" The beggar looked surprised. He had never told anyone about that, save for his god.


    "Why don''t you answer one of my questions first? Just to be fair," Roy said. Before Biravis could say anything, he said, "Your fellow cultists either killed themselves or fled from Vizima. Why are you staying back? You''re just a beggar. The princess'' men could arrest you at any time."


    Serrit added, "Trying to get into jail so they can feed you and you won''t have to wander around?"


    The beggar was not riled up at all. He leaned against the wall and gave them a smirk. "Ah, I was mistaken. You''re no heretics. You''re misguidedmbs. Ones without a god." He was but a beggar, but Biravis thought of himself as a higher being. He was looking at the witchers with pity. "Escape is nothing but betrayal to my god. Those who escaped will be sentenced to eternal torture after their deaths. There is no such thing as escape when ites to me. If you''re willing to repent and put your faith in my lord, I can begrudgingly guide you to the path of enlightenment. I shall lead you away from the whirlpool of ignorance." The beggar was unkempt and squalid, yet he could muster a serious look, and a hint of holy light appeared in his eyes. "Serve the lord, and the lord shall grant you entrance to the eternal web."


    The witchers exchanged looks. They thought it was ridiculous that a beggar was trying to proselytize them.


    "Everyone can make themselves out to be a hero, Biravis, but that doesn''t change the fact that you''re a coward. If escape is sphemy, then why did your oh-so-respectable high priestess be a sphemer as well?"


    Biravis said nothing. Apparently, the subject of Abigail was touchy.


    "Think about it." Roy sighed. "If you''re not escaping, then why didn''t you be a martyr like the others? Are you scar¡ª"


    "Suicide was the path our great Coram showed them, but it is not my path, nor is it the great priestess''."


    "The Lionheaded Spider decides how its believers die? What''s your final destination, then?" Serrit grinned toothily, but his gaze was as sharp as his de.


    The beggar looked up and craned his neck. It was as if he were waiting for his sweet relief from the witchers.


    "We won''t kill you, you poor sod. The knights will do that for us." Roy tossed another bronze coin into the bowl and pretended to leave.


    The beggar heaved a sigh of relief, but Roy suddenly turned around and cast Axii on the beggar. The moment the sign hit him, his eyes glossed over, and he lost himself.


    "Let''s have an honest chat, Biravis." Roy kept on casting Axii, and he asked, "Why did Abigail sabotage Adda?"


    "The scroll¡­" Biravis'' eyes went out of focus, and he stopped resisting. He answered monotonously, "Adda took away the holy relic. Coram was furious. The believers sacrificed their lives to appease the lord, but it''s not enough. The lord demands revenge."


    Roy was reminded of the g that was behind the altar of flesh and bones they found in the sewers. It had the big spider depicted on it, and the thing was filled with its believers'' faith. Vivienne grew stronger after she looted Dagon''s altar and took its faith. <em>So that scroll can help her a lot too. Adda''s her priestess. Of course she would take that thing. So we''re now enemies with the cult. There''s no turning back now.</em>


    "She took the Omen God''s source of strength away. No wonder that happened." <em>She didn''t tell me about that. </em>"So where''s Abigail hiding now?"


    "She¡­ She''s¡­" The beggar was starting to break up. He would tense up for a moment and rx the next.


    "Think closely. You know where she is, right? She''s safe, isn''t she? Hiding somewhere we never thought she would?" Roy asked gently, guiding the answer out of him.


    The beggar started shaking his head violently. He straightened his arms and legs, and he started spasming. The beggar started letting out a guttural growl, and his eyes flickered back and forth between white and ck. It was more terrifying than having a fit.


    Roy backed off, and hispanions unsheathed their silver des. The old beggar spasmed for about ten seconds. When he finally stopped, his face was blood-red, veins popped on his neck, and his eyes werepletely ck. To make things even worse, his limbs turned around, and he leaned back against the wall, scuttling up the arch like a spider.


    He stared down at the witchers, his eyes like a pair of deep dark abyss, sucking in the souls of those who stared at it for too long. "Sinners, you have sphemed the lord!" The beggar''s voice had changed. It was as if countless humans of all ages were shouting at the same time, and their voices merged as one.


    A burst of gale blew in the alleyway, billowing the beggar''s hair. "Curse you, Roy, Auckes, and Serrit of the Viper School!" he roared. "In the name of Grayba the ck, I shall curse you to an e¡ª"


    Someone cast Aard and stopped the beggar from finishing his sentence. A sh of light arced through the air, leaving a mirage of a crescent moon behind. The mirage flickered out of existence, and Roy flung the blood off his de. He sheathed Aerondight into its scabbard, and a decapitated head rolled over to him.


    It was the head of that beggar. The ghost of hisst curse was still etched on his face. The moment he died, the wind went silent as well.


    "How do you feel? Feeling unwell anywhere?"


    Auckes shook his head. The battle might have ended, but he still shuddered when he thought about it. "The curse must have been stopped."


    Roy cast Observe on them. There was nothing wrong with the witchers. He waspletely fine as well. There were no debuffs on his character sheet. <em>The curse did not work. Why? </em>He gained twenty EXP from killing the beggar, and he thought, <em>Is it because I reaped his soul? All living beings are the same for the character sheet. Everything I kill bes EXP. </em>He was sure about that. <em>Biravis is never going back to his eternal web. What''s left is¡­ the void? I guess? </em>


    "I have to be faster next time." Roy was frustrated. "But he was our final lead, and we still don¡¯t know where Abigail is."


    "You''re keeping this up, kid? Didn''t your Elder Blood warn you <em>not </em>to do that? I''m putting a stop to this right now." Serrit looked grim.


    "Agreed!" Auckes shared his sentiment. "We''d best stay out of this whole mess."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 236

    <strong>Chapter 236: Goodbye</strong>


    A man and a woman sat across from each other under the magical chandelier in the royal dining hall. Adda leaned her head into the shadows, her fingers interlocking with one another. "You''re leaving Vizima?"


    The young witcher popped a piece of soft mutton into his mouth, and it melted right away. He gave her an apologetic look. "Yes. After the equipment is finished. I still have about a week."


    "What about the Omen God''s priestess?"


    He said apologetically, "I''d love to keep looking into this, but the mentors object to this. I have to respect that, since I''m a part of the school as well. I''m very sorry, but I think Abigail is no longer in Vizima."


    Adda kept quiet.


    "How''s the sewers'' renovation going?"


    "It''ll be done in about a month." The mention of the Church of Virtue lightened Adda up a little, and she sounded excited. "Twenty of the most devout believers in Vizima will move into the prayer room. We''ll go on with the proselytization of the viges as well. The goddess will shower Vizima with her glory eventually."


    "And we couldn''t have done that without your help." She pursed her lips and looked at Roy expectantly. She wanted to give it onest shot. "Are you sure you don''t want to stay and help? I''ll see if I can turn your reputation around and get you the respect you deserve." She emphasized, "I''m not the only one who needs you. The goddess requires your assistance as well."


    Vivienne had been in a slumber for a while. She seemed to be drained after turning those souls into nymphs and giving Roy a drop of her blood. <em>Or maybe she''s hiding from Foltest and his new consultants. </em>"I''m a witcher first," Roy said gently but firmly. "You know we''re nomads. We never stay in one ce for long."


    They fell into a long silence, and there was only the sound of knives cutting into meat hanging in the air.


    "Very well, then. If that''s your decision, then I won''t force you into anything." Adda seemed a little dejected, but she forced a smile anyway. "Still, where would you go next?"


    "Novigrad, the city of freedom," Roy said honestly. "It''s home to someone important to me. And I have to meet someone there. It''s about the school''s future, so I must go."


    "Is that the same nation that''s on Redania and Temeria''s borders?" Adda warned him, "Be careful. The Eternal Fire controls that ce, and they dislike non-humans."


    "I don''t think they hate witchers that much, do they?" <em>At least not at this point. </em>"And we''re not there to fight them."


    Adda was silent again for a while. She looked at him with hesitation, and eventually she said, "You''ll have to go through La Valette''s ce on your way to Novigrad, won''t you?"


    "That''s what we''re nning, yes. Why do you ask?"


    "I have a favor to ask." Adda quickly changed her tune. "You know what? Forget it. It''s nothing big. It''s just some family problem."


    Roy did not ask her anything. If he remembered correctly, La Valette''s wife, Louisa, gave birth to a boy and a girl for Foltest. <em>Did Adda already find out about her father''s affair? </em>He was not nning on getting involved with the royalty''s private affairs, so he kept quiet.


    Adda sighed and let it go. "Will you return to Vizima?"


    "Of course. We''re allies." Roy smiled. "And there are elven ruins waiting for me. I have to explore that ce." If everything went as nned, he would onlye back to Vizima after the first Northern War.


    "I see. Have a safe trip, knight. I hope you''ll have rebuilt your school when we meet again."


    "Thank you, Your Highness. And good luck to your endeavors in Vizima."


    They smiled at each other and raised a toast from where they sat.


    "And there''s one more thing you need to know. Foltest has rejected your proposal," Adda said. "But he''ll reimburse you, marily speaking. Two thousand orens."


    "I expected that." It was regrettable, but that was reality. Not everything would go as Roy wanted.


    "Foltest is getting too old. He cares too much and lost his courage," Adda said. "I would have cleared your name if I were in his ce. It''s just a few notices on the board."


    Roy shook his head. <em>Things won''t be that easy. </em>Still, he saw the me of ambition in her eyes, and he did not want to douse it. "I''ll be looking forward to it, princess." <em>Perhaps she will be the first female heir to the throne in the future.</em>


    ***


    Roy ran into a few more familiar faces in the corridor, right before he left. A few soldiers wereing in with Zerrin and Agorn, who still held crutches, as well as Mars, who was on a stretcher, but he looked a lot better. They were talking with Triss.


    "Hello, Master Roy! Didn''t expect to see you here!" The knights weed him happily, surrounding the witcher. Triss followed behind. "We''re all still around thanks to you. We''ve been wanting to thank you for your help."


    "It''s alright, knights. You helped me a lot too. No need for thanks," Roy said. The knights might be a lot older than he was, but they¡¯d all been under his care during thest operation. "How are you doing? Does it still hurt?"


    Zerrin popped his biceps. "I''m fine, but Miss Triss says I need to get at least three months'' rest."


    "You hurt your bones. You''re lucky you only got three months." Triss was smiling. She seemed to be in a good mood. The sorceress was wearing a red gown withce sewed to the hem. It fitted her perfectly. "They''ll be fine, but Mars won''t be getting up until next year.


    "I''m just d I''m still alive." Mars sat up with the help of hisrades. "Hello, Master Roy¡­"


    "Don''t move. Just sit down. I know what you want to say. Just take care of yourself. It''s not every time someone can save you."


    "Um¡­ Master Roy¡­" Agorn started stammering for some reason. "I have an idea, but I would like to get your permission to use it."


    "Is that so? Tell me." Roy smirked. "I won''t charge too much."


    Agorn choked on himself and scratched his head. "I just need you to authorize something. I might be a knight, but I am also the scriptwriter for Vizima''s opera theater. I spend my free timeing up with fresh new shows. Your fight in the sewers has inspired me. I came up with a new show that talks about your battle with the ghouls, drowners, and fleders, all while I was recuperating."


    "Sorry?" Roy''s eyes widened, and he shook his head in disbelief. Triss was covering her mouth to hide herughter. She had never heard of anyone making a witcher into the protagonist of an opera. Nobody would watch that.


    "You heard me right!" Agorn gritted his teeth. "I''ve written a script based on your story. I''ll send it to the theater if you''ll let me, and I''ll prepare for it until the time for the first performancees."


    "So what''s the show called?"


    "Legend of the Sewer Butcher¡ªEnder of Filth!"


    Triss could not hold it in any longer. She chuckled.


    "Sewer Butcher? Alright, who came up with that?" Roy''s face fell, and his eyes gleamed dangerously. "Where''d you learn how to name stuff? The sewers? That''s even worse than The Rooster yer!"


    "Why''d they call you the Rooster yer, Master Roy?" Agorn wanted to know.


    "They <em>did not </em>call me the Rooster yer. It''s just an example," Roy exined, but to little effect. As if caught in a trance, the scriptwriter muttered, "The Rooster yer¡­ Sewer Butcher¡­" He was trying to glean more ¡®heroic stories'' from that title.


    "Hey, don''t get any ideas! I''m warning you now. I''m not associating myself with the Rooster yer. Fine. I suppose I can ept the Sewer Butcher."


    "So you agree?" Agorn looked delighted.


    "Is any part of that show nderous to witchers?" Roy asked cautiously.


    "Of course not!" Agorn guaranteed, his face red. "You''re our savior! We would never nder someone who saved our lives! Why, that would be an insult to the order''s pride! I would have been robbing myself of my reason to live if I did that."


    "Calm down. I''m not suspecting you or anything." Roy rubbed his chin. "So you''re just praising me all the way to the end?"


    "Not exactly¡­" Agorn emphasized, "I''m a stickler for realism, so I talk more about how dangerous and cruel the monsters are, and how you bravely bested them."


    "I see." Roy gave in. Since Foltest refused his request, he thought he would employ the scriptwriter''s help. <em>Maybe it''ll work? Maybe our reputation will change? It''s worth a shot. </em>"You know where I live. Tell your friends to give me the script as soon as possible. I want to skim through it."


    "Of course. I''ll do it tomorrow. And here''s twenty orens. Authorization fee, so to speak. Do pleasee and see the show when it goes live."


    "Sorry, but I would not be in Vizima by then. And you can take these coins back."


    "You''re leaving Vizima?" Triss'' eyes widened. She looked surprised and a little sad. She never dide in contact with the young witcher ever since she embarrassed herself during their first meeting. Still, that did not change how she thought of him. Just like sorcerers, witchers had tragic childhoods. However, Roy felt different. He was not like the other men she hade across, civilian or otherwise.


    She also knew that he was close to Coral, a veteran sorceress, and he even saved a girl from her tragic life. The more she saw him, the more curious she got. She wanted to get along and know him more, but that chance slipped by. They were merely acquaintances for now. She had no right to pry into his personal life.


    "In a week, sorceress." He beamed at her. "But I have a feeling we''ll meet again."


    "I hope so. Oh, Roy, and a favor, please. Send Geralt and Yennefer my regards if you run into them." She winked at him cheekily.


    ***


    "Here, boy. It''s your favorite." Auckes was hanging a carrot with a stick, ying with a brown horse in the stable.


    The horse was not really tall, but it was lean, its coat gleamed, its eyes shone, and most of all, a terrifying fleder head was hanging on its saddlebag.


    The horse did not even care about the carrot. It bared its teeth and snorted, swaying its tail while spraying its drool all over Auckes'' face.


    "You ingrate! I saved you from Amell!"


    "You''re not yelling at my horse. Nobody talks like that to him but me!" Roy came and took the carrot from the hooded guy and held it close to the horse.


    Unlike how it treated the hooded guy, the horse licked Roy''s palm and munched on the carrot. While the horse snacked on the carrot, another furry little thing stuck its head out of the saddlebag. Gryphon meowed and climbed up to Wilt''s neck. It tugged on the horse''s mane and stared at its master.


    Roy extended his finger, and Gryphon leaped onto the back of his hand before climbing up and nestling itself in his hood. "Sorry, Gryphon. No dried fish for you, but I''ll get itter."


    Auckes stared at them and snorted. "So irresponsible. I¡¯ll take them off your hands if you''d like."


    Roy huddled closer to the horse and whispered something to it. Wilt turned around and shook its hips at Auckes.


    "You''re just a horse! I <em>will not </em>stand for this insult!" Auckes was shivering with annoyance, but he calmed down in the end. "I''m not going to fight with a beast. And have you finished your business, kid?"


    "Almost." Roy caressed his horse and looked at the cksmith shop. "Now it''s just Berengar and Letho left."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 237: Another Journey

    The hammerings finally came to an end. The fire in the furnace leaped in joy, illuminating two strips of shadow on the wall. The witchers were curled up, holding their des in both hands. They pointed their swords at each other, and they slowly moved around, like snakes that bared their fangs, waiting to pounce on their prey.


    They attacked at the same time,shing their des out. The witchers shed downward, upward, sideways, and they thrusted their des ahead. The air itself seemed to be wounded by the attacks, and the fight looked like a blur.


    The des danced in the air, shing against each other. This high speed battle sent sparks flying everywhere as the fighters shed, as if they were in a dance and not a battle. They moved at inhuman speeds, and soon, there were nothing but two silhouettes leaping across the shop, the shadows of their des swimming on the walls.


    A long whileter, the blur came to a stop, and the witchers sheathed their des. They stood in silence for a moment, calming their hearts down.


    "Not bad, kid. You managed to dodge a few of my attacks." Auckes smiled. "And you were just that bit slower. If you had closed in that much more, you would have hit me."


    Roy shook his head. It might look like a small gap, but it was impossible to bridge. At least not soon. Still, he could hold his own for a while against Auckes now. Roy touched his new armor again.


    Unlike his old and broken leather armor, this ck armor was simple and gleaming. The sleeves were gone, and a bronze manticore button was sewn in the middle of the shirt. It felt like quality leather. Roy was hit three times during the sparring, but not even a mark was left.


    His old tight-fitting pants were changed as well. It was yellow in color, and there were patterns of scales on it. It might look bloated, but in reality, the pants fitted him perfectly. It did not hinder his movements either.


    He used to wear short deerskin boots, but now they were changed into long boots that covered most of the lower legs. The armor, pants, and boots were the Manticore School''s set, and Berengar had just finished making them.


    Letho, Auckes, and Serrit strongly rmended him to make it ording to their weakest member''s size, so Berengar made the armor to fit Roy. It was not shy, but it provided great protection. Weapons like standard steel swords would find this armor hard to break. Besides, it was lighter than chain mail, and it did not hinder his movements at all.


    "So, the armor works fine, Roy? Does it fit you?"


    "Of course. You never disappoint, Master Berengar," Roy praised. "This armor is great enough tost me a century."


    "That''s good to hear." Berengar heaved a sigh of relief.


    "You held your promise brilliantly, Master Berengar. You deserve a reward." Roy looked at hispanions, and they nodded. He handed the Manticore sword to Berengar. "Take this. We know Tor''haerne''s your only weapon. Youck a steel sword, and this thing can extend your lifespan."


    ***


    "Are you sure?" Berengar looked at them. "This is worth hundreds of crowns, and you''re giving it away just like that?"


    "It''s what you deserve," Letho interrupted. "I''ve gained a lot working with you. You deserve this."


    "Take it before we change our minds." Auckes looked reluctant to part with the de.


    "Well then. I suppose I''ll have to take it then." Berengar caressed the de lovingly. This was his pride and joy. "And as thanks, I''ll make your next equipment at half the price."


    "You can repay us right away." Roy took a deep breath. "You shouldn''t waste your skills in Vizima, Berengar. Why don''t you leave with us this afternoon?"


    The other witchers looked at Berengar. Letho, especially, had passion in his eyes. He realized that the school needed a master cksmith after working with him over thest week. The school needed someone like him. Berengar refused to call himself a Wolf School witcher, but he got along well with the Viper School guys. It was weird, but it happened.


    "Since you''re not going back to Kaer Morhen anyway, why don''t youe with us?" Roy continued. "You''ll have a ce to stay once we rebuild the school. A room for yourself."


    Berengar looked at the witchers one by one. He was silent for a moment, and he shook his head. "You know what I''m trying to do. I''m no longer a witcher. Not now, not ever. I''m neither a Wolf School witcher nor am I going to work with any other school. All I want is to be a mercenary and a regr man."


    "Honestly, Master Berengar, we''re far more detached to humans than any other creatures are. The trial''s result is always random after all." Roy stopped for a moment. "It''s impossible for witchers to have any offspring, unless¡­ Unless you can capture a djinn and make a wish."


    There were four types of elementals living in the witcher world. They were ifrits, nymphs, godlings, and djinns. Djinns were the most special of them all. They could grant any wish, even the most impossible ones.


    Geralt ''deceived'' Yennefer while she was on her quest to regain her fertility. They had a night of fun and started dating after that.


    "But not even the strongest sorcerers can capture a djinn, let alone a lone witcher like you." Roy said nothing more.


    "A djinn, huh?" Berengar looked miffed as well. He had not even seen an elemental for as long as he lived.


    Letho interrupted, "Let''s put the children aside. It''s an impossible dream anyway. I can see that you love cksmithing more than drinks and requests. We don''t need you to return to the fold or join us either." Letho stared at him. "Just think of this as a partnership. A request. You can make more equipment for us."


    Roy persuaded him, "We''ll be finding even more blueprints, and not just the Viper or Manticore School''s either. There''s the Bear School and even Cat School blueprints waiting for us. We need a reliable master cksmith to keep working with us."


    Roy took a step back. It would make persuasion easier if Berengar were to take the first step.


    However, Berengar did not give them a straight answer. He did not refuse, nor did he agree.


    "I''ll think about it." Berengar was obviously interested, but he declined in the end. He had seen too much in life to be persuaded that easily. "Friends, it''s an honor to work with you, and I''ll never forget what we did at the brothel, but I can never return to Kaer Morhen."


    It was regrettable, but the witchers did not press further.


    "We''ll stay in Novigrad for a while. You''re always wee if you change your mind. We''ll provide the blueprints and materials. All you have to do is make the equipment."


    Roy opened up a spot for him if he ever wanted to join them. They had onest meal before the Viper School witchers left Vizima and rode their way north.


    Berengar saw them off, and he fell into his own thoughts.


    End of arc.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 238: Survivor

    The rural areas in the north were filled with fertile fields. Crops like radishes, carrots, and chillies stood high, while bushes and weeds surrounded them. A main path sat in the center of the fields, connecting Vizima to the north as far as the eye could see.


    Wheel tracks filled the path as carriages made their way to and from Vizima every day. Some were making their way to Novigrad, while some went to Gors Velen in the west. The No Man''s Land, so to speak. The witchers were not going with the path, however. As nned, they rode their mounts into the great wilderness after leaving Vizima. The wilderness was and of mystery and danger, but also one of resources and treasures.


    It was early October, and fall had descended. Wild animals pranced around in the wilderness like nobody''s business. They would run into foxes, deers, and reindeersing out of the woods, bushes, and rocks, only to frolic around. Roy even saw a family of boars running between patches of grass. Papa and mama boar were leading their kids around.


    After some argument, the witchers decided to let them go. They refused to tear this family apart. Eventually dusk fell, and the witchers split into two teams. Roy and Gryphon went to hunt, while the other witchers set up camp in a clearing behind a boulder and built a bonfire.


    The moon climbed high up into the sky, and the aroma of meat wafted into the air along with the smoke. The young witcher held a brush with one hand,thering spices and honey on the cleaned and disemboweled deer while spinning it around with his other hand. Eventually, the meat turned golden, tender, and juicy.


    ***


    The witchers gathered around the bonfire. Roy took the dwarven liquor and apple cider from his inventory. They wolfed the deer down, their lips covered in grease. The big creature became nothing but a skeleton in mere moments.


    "Say, you¡¯d be a great chef if you somehow quit being a witcher." Letho licked his fingers. He still wanted more. "They''d pay you handsomely for your skills."


    Serrit burped. "How about we have some beef tomorrow?" Serrit rubbed his belly and picked his teeth with his left pinky. He was starting to n his dinners. "And then we''ll have rabbit after that, then¡­"


    ***


    "That''s enough. I''m a witcher, not your servant.¡± Roy stuffed Gryphon with a piece of meat, shutting it up. It already had two rabbits earlier, but it wanted more.


    "You should be honored, Roy. It''s tradition for the youngest witcher to cook for his seniors." Auckes shot up and beckoned at Roy. He grinned toothily. "Well, we had our fill, so time for some exercise. And by that I mean we''re sparring."


    ***


    They had their sparring session, then the witchers cast Axii to calm their mounts down. They spread dried forktail excrements around their camp, stopping any creatures from disturbing their sleep. One witcher would stay up and watch the camp. Beasts were not the only threat in the wilderness. Monsters like endregas, basilisks, and kikimores might ambush them, and someone had to fight.


    Roy was not on night watch duty though. He would sit around the bonfire and listen to hisrades talking about their adventures in the dangerous south and how they fought off dangerous monsters. Most importantly, they would talk about theirbat experience. For example, potion usage and monster recognition. Naturally, they would also spar and train hisbat sense.


    Roy would also train Gryphon. Sometimes, he would sneak out of the campte at night and take the telescope out to chat with Coral, who was miles away in Kerack.


    A week had passed, but nothing particrly dangerous showed up, save for a grizzly bear. However, the witchers finally ran into something peculiar on one overcast day.


    Dark, clumpy clouds covered the sky. The sun was blotted out, and the air itself felt tense. A gust of cold wind blew across the wilderness, pushing the bushes down, silencing the chirping bugs.


    The witchers were still moving slowly ahead, but they set their gaze on a small path that was standing between fences. A row of dpidated buildings stood at the end of that path. It was a small vige.


    "Do you smell that?" Letho sniffed the air. There was the smell of soil, nts, and animals, but there was also something else. Something¡­ odd. The witchers sniffed the air for a while, and their faces fell. A faint scent of blood wasing from the vige, and not just animal blood. There was human blood as well.


    "Be careful¡­"


    They tied their horses to a nearby tree and took cover under the big elephant grass. They snuck closer to the vige and hid behind a small hut made of wood, soil, and hay. The witchers listened for a while, but only silence greeted them. There was not a sound, not even a moo or a cluck. They heard no breathing or heartbeat either.


    Things were looking weird, and the witchers were on high alert. They climbed up the rooftop quietly and crouched on it like cats, observing the vige from a bird''s eye view. Dozens of huts made out of hay and wood stood in front of them. Most of them were people''s homes, but there were somerger huts too. Some were inns, and some had whetstones in the yard. Those were cksmith shops. However, there were no cksmiths around.


    It would have been normal if this were an abandoned vige, but there were messy footprints, wheel tracks, and horseshoe prints on the path in the center of the vige. It was proof that there were human activities not too long ago.


    "What happened here?" They leaped down from the roof and split up, looking in the directions the blood led them to. Eventually, they found weird clues spread across the whole vige. There were signs of bloody struggles, dried blood, and cattle corpses lying around. "Well, it doesn''t seem like a ghoul attack to me."


    Roy pulled an arrow out of the livestock farm''s fence. The arrowhead was made of steel, and the workmanship was crude. It was primitive and had some faults. The maker was obviously not a professional.


    The young witcher froze up when he looked into the farm. A corpse was lying quietly in a stack of hay. He went inside to check it out. The victim was around fifteen or sixteen. She was a fair and lovelydy. All the boys in the vige would love to marry someone like her, but her life ended before it could even start.


    He confirmed that she died from asphyxiation. She was throttled and abused before she died. Obviously, there was more than one killer. He took a deep breath and balled his fists. Eventually, hisrades came in. They had seen simr things happen many times in their lifetimes, so they were not fazed.


    "I know how you feel, kid," Letho said. "We''ll bury themter. They should rest in peace."


    "Them?" Roy was surprised.


    "Come here. We found something."


    Most of the furniture in the houses were destroyed and tossed away. All the valuables had been robbed as well. There was a hearth and grilling rack outside in the yard, and the food on it was half-eaten. <em>There''s nobody here. Where''s the vigers?</em>


    The most spacious hut in the vige was the inn. Its door was kicked in, and the ss bottles on the counter were smashed. The floor was filled with ss shards and wine. The air was filled with a sickly intoxicating scent fused with the stench of blood. The trail led them to the main hall.


    The tables and chairs were destroyed and pushed aside, while a pile of corpses stood in the center''s clearing. There were thirty-five of them. The witchers took them down andid them out to take a look. There were men, women, children, and the elderly there. Most of them were gaunt, had callused hands, and their skin was rough. They were the local vigers alright, but all of them were dead.


    "We''ve checked these guys, and they were all killed by the sword," Serrit said. "Judging from the shape and depth of the wounds, I''d say there were at least ten killers, and all of them powerful men. But they''ve never been trained, and their skills are more shy than practical. Most wounds are redundant."


    Lots of the corpses were smeared with ayer of alcohol, as if the robbers were trying to pull a sick prank. All they needed was a fire, and these bodies would have turned to ash.


    "Most robbers would usually destroy the bodies, but they didn''t. It''s like they don''t care. They''re probably some ragtag soldiers passing by." Letho paused for a moment. "You should have noticed the horseshoe prints on the path. The killers are probably long gone."


    "Are we going to let this slide just like that?" Roy stared at the corpses. All of them were as white as tombstones. He might have killed a lot of drowners, nekkers, and even humans, but he was just trying to survive and stay safe. <em>Why''d they massacre everyone in a remote vige? Were they just trying to rob them? Or was it something more sinister?</em>


    "You want to avenge them?" Auckes snickered.


    "Yes." Roy tensed up and took a deep breath. "It''s our job to hunt down monsters that hurt humans. You saw the girl. Those bastards assaulted her." His eyes gleamed coldly. "Shouldn''t we kill them? There are more than ten of them. They have to stop and make camp somewhere. It''ll be easy to catch up to them if we just try."


    "Yes, but you forgot the witcher''s rule¡ªequivalent exchange, and mind our own business. We''re not knights like the guys from Griffin School. We have no time for charity," Serrit retorted. "It''s already kind enough that we bury them."


    "But I''ve taken the reward for the request." Roy flipped a bronze coin into the air. He had a solemn look on his face. "I found this in the vigers'' hut. I''ll go after them and avenge these people." Roy was not going to let them get away with it now that they ran into this massacre. He could gain EXP from killing them, <em>and </em>he would not feel guilty doing it. If hispanions would help him, then taking these ruffians out would be simple as pie. It was not much, but Roy could serve some justice.


    "I don''t mind chasing them down." Auckes shrugged. "Letho¡ª"


    "Hold it. Someone''s around." Letho looked at a tree far away from them. "Look behind you!"


    Roy swiveled around and looked to where Letho was pointing. A big banyan tree stood outside the inn''s window. It was on the other side of the vige, and a petite silhouette was climbing down the tree.


    ***


    "What''s your name, child?"


    He was a boy of about seven or eight. His clothes were in tatters, and he smelled like food that had gone sour. His face was caked in soil, dust, and dried dirt. The boy was scrawny from malnutrition, and ribs poked through his chest. He was trembling uncontrobly, staring at the witchers in fear. He leaned back against the cold, hard well, keeping his mouth shut like a scared little deer.


    "Don''t worry. We won''t hurt you." Roy cast Axii to calm him down and win his trust. When the boy''s fear had gone down, he handed some jerky to him. The boy took it and wolfed it down.


    "Ca-Carl. That''s my name," the boy finally said.


    The veteran witchers stared at the boy, and they were seeminglying up with a n.


    "Do you live in this vige, Carl? What happened here?"


    The boy choked on himself, and he coughed violently, as if something were stuck in his throat. Roy patted his back and handed a pot of water to him. When Carl calmed down, he puckered his lips, and tears fell down his cheeks. "Dead. Everyone''s dead. The chief¡­ Miss Sheena¡­ Mr. Tom¡­ Even Mr. Duncan!" the boy wailed.


    "Who did this?"


    "A bunch of meanies! Bandits!" Carl screamed a curse, baring his teeth like a wolf''s cub, but then he cried again.


    "How many of them were there?" Letho asked.


    "Sixteen." Carl huped and bit the jerky. "They rode into the vige and attacked everyone. I hid in the tree." He cried. "I was scared."


    "You did well. You''re very brave." Auckes patted his unkempt hair. "Do you have any family elsewhere?"


    The boy did not answer. His tears and snot dribbled down his face as he cried. That was what the witchers wanted to hear, and they exchanged looks.


    Before they could say anything, the boy suddenly answered, "But I have a teacher. He asked me to wait for him right here. He''ll avenge my friends."


    "Teacher? What teacher?" Auckes was frustrated. He thought he could get a new witcher for the school, but now his hopes were dashed.


    The boy licked his lips and hesitated for a while, then he slowly took a pendant out to show the witchers. It was made out of ck rope, and a silver pendant hung from the top. It was the shape of an animal''s head. A cat''s head, to be specific. Its mouth was open, its fangs bared, and its eyes were gleaming.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 239: A Bloody Path

    The sky was overcast, and dark clouds overseered thend. It felt like rain wasing, but not a raindrop fell. Thanks to that, the marks on the ground remained. The witchers tracked the bandits down with these marks. It went on for a day and a night, and eventually, they came to a great forest.


    The air was filled with the scent of blood. They settled their horses and went into the woods, the ground squelching under their feet. The umbre-like canopy blotted out most of the light, obstructing their view. The witchers could only see the tall branches and short bushes near them, though they were perfect camouge.


    They curled up like cats and darted around from cover to cover on their tiptoes. About five minutester, a moose came out of a bush, and a corpse was lying in its path. It was a man, and he was lying beside a fir tree. He looked about thirty years old, and his crude hemp shirt was covered in blood. His biceps were as big as basketballs, and his chest was filled with thick ck hair. He would fit in with a bunch of bears. Even so, someone still killed him in one blow. He failed to even draw his weapon.


    Roy checked the corpse, and the cause of death was a wound on his neck. It was precise, clean, and as minuscule as a thread. The wound was just deep enough to cut open the artery. Roy imagined how the fight went down as he touched the wound. The man was relieving himself in front of the tree, and the ambusher closed in silently. He covered the man''s mouth and sliced his throat open, then the killer retreated into the shadows.


    "He''s a pro," Letho said curtly. He touched the blood. It was still warm. "Didn''t even waste one ounce of his strength. This guy has perfect control of his body."


    "Of course he does," Auckes whispered. "Those madmen spend all their time sharpening their swordsmanship."


    Roy had a feeling that he would not get the EXP he so wanted this time. Aside from the neck''s wound, the guy was missing his ears as well. There were only two gaping holes instead. Witchers would only do something like that to monsters, not humans.


    "He''s a madman alright."


    "Probably just wants to let the kid have it. As proof that he avenged the vigers."


    ***


    The witchers went deeper into the woods and saw the second corpse lying in the middle of three trees. He was killed in one blow, and his ears were cut off as well. There was a dead deer beside him, so he might have been ambushed while he was hunting.


    "He''s patient. He followed them and only started hunting them down after they split up." Roy mocked, "It''s pretty muchmon sense to always avoid the woods. These guys went against that. Wonder how many of them survived."


    He got his answer not long after that. They came to a clearing in the center of the woods. There were about five or six tents around. A big bonfire stood in the middle. The wood was charred, but there was no fire burning. The cauldron was toppled over and lying on the ground.


    A circle of corpses were lined up around the cauldron, and they were in a much more horrific state than the first two corpses. Their shirts were turned into tatters, and their chest was mangled. There were at least ten wounds on every corpse there, but there were barely any signs of struggle. That was proof that the battle did notst very long.


    "Odd¡­" Auckes was surprised. He could not imagine how the killer managed to attack so many times in such a short period of time.


    "I think I know how." Roy unsheathed his de and stood where the presumed killer was, and he started doing something. Roy flicked his wrist, and the de spun around, clockwise. The de buzzed, and Roy moved ahead, spinning around like the wind at the same time. He was moving clunkily, however, as his basics were not solid enough yet, though it was more than enough for the veteran witchers to imagine how the battle went down.


    Auckes looked at him. "How''d youe up with that?"


    "I think I read it somewhere," he half-lied. "It''s all I can do to imitate it, and it''s a poor imitation at that. I''m still a long way away from the real Cat School swordsmanship. I still can''t show you its real form.


    "Cat School swordsmanship, eh? I''ll have to spar with that guy if I have the chance." Auckes cocked his eyebrow. He was getting interested in that sword fight.


    ***


    It had not even been two hours since these people died, and their ears were still intact. The killer probably did not have time to cut them off. He had to chase down the stragglers.


    The witchers searched through the tents. The luggage and riches were still there, but there was no one inside. A messy row of footprints sat in front of the tent, pointing toward the trees.


    Blood covered the mulch formed by branches and fallen leaves, and a crimson trail showed up in the air. The witchers went into the woods, and they found four more corpses in a sea of bushes. Roy noticed that one of the corpses had his ligaments cut, and he had to crawl. A trail of blood followed behind him, and he was still extending his hand ahead, the ghost of hisst scream etched onto his face.


    His wounds were draped haphazardly, and most of them were redundant. The fatal wound was the sword''s thrust that pierced through his back and chest. The killer must have stepped on him and pinned him down with the de.


    At this point, the killer had gone into a frenzy. Murder alone could not satisfy him, so he started torturing his prey.


    "I told you those guys are mad." Serrit crossed his arms. He had a look of disapproval on his face, clearly disgusted by what the killer did.


    "But he didn''t do anything wrong," Roy objected. "These animals aren''t worth any mercy. They should die a painful death.


    "Wrong, Roy. I do not pity him, but there''s no need to torture a dying enemy. Any unnecessary emotions will lower your efficiency and chances of winning. The enemy can also make aeback."


    Before they could finish the argument, a bush started to rustle, and they heard a ragged breathing, then sounds of footsteps approached them. A momentter, a bloody man came out of the bush. His eyes widened, the sight of the witchers a wee one for him. He thought he was saved, and surprise showed on his face. "Help¡­ Save me!" The man''s voice trembled, and he extended his hand with difficulty.


    He gritted his teeth, trudging over to the witchers. The man picked up his pace, and the witchers went to him as well, but someone was faster. A silhouette leaped out of the bushes, craning its neck and stretching its limbs like a feline.


    He jumped up higher andnded behind the man. The silhouette circled it, and blinding shes of light arched through the air. The man broke into pieces when he was done. The pieces of his corps flew everywhere, and his head rolled over to the witchers.


    His lips moved, a smile curling them. He thought he was saved.


    The witchers looked up. A leanly built man stood not far from them, wiping the blood off his de. He gave the witchers a toothy grin.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 240: Vulture

    A gust of cold wind blew through the woods, and rain poured through the cracks between the canopy, washing the blood off the mulch.


    The witchers were staring at the man thirty feet away from them. He, too, was a witcher. He stood in silence, facing the Viper School witchers. He was wearing ck armor, andpared to his muscr peers, he was shorter and a bit slim, but his limbs were slender, and his muscles were lean. There were two des behind him, and the silver sword was in its scabbard. He had just wiped his steel sword off, and he swung it around. The man was a left-hander.


    He got some blood on his face, and the man was wearing sunsses. They could not see his eyes and where he was looking. He had short ck hair, and it was well-trimmed. The guy must take care of it every day. He had an aquiline nose, thin lips, pronounced chin, and chiseled features. His ears were pointy. This man was an elf.


    Three-quarter elf, to be exact. All Cat School witchers had elven blood. It helped with dexterity. <em>So¡­ they''re ss cannons?</em>


    ''Felix


    Age: Eighty-seven years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Cat School witcher


    HP: 150


    Mana: 110


    Strength: ? (Requires higher Perception)


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: 150


    Perception: 14


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 11


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 5, Meditation Level 9, Cat School Swordsmanship Level 10, Witcher Sense Level 10, Alchemy Level 8¡­


    ***


    "You there! What''s your name?" Letho showed his hands, telling the witcher he meant no harm.


    The witcher''s lips curled eerily, forming a cold, crazy smile. "You should introduce yourself first if you want to know someone''s name."


    "I''m Letho of Gulet." Letho then introduced hispanions. "This is Auckes, Serrit, and Roy. We''re from the Viper School." He showed Felix his pendant.


    "I''m Felix from the Cat School."


    "Do you know who Carl is?"


    "The orphan, you mean?" Felix pushed his sunsses down. His eyes were greyish-green. The witcher stabbed his sword into the ground and crossed his arms. "I''ll have to tell you that the child made a deal with me, and I have just avenged his friends." He looked at the decapitated head on the ground. "The bandits are dead. I have upheld my end of the bargain. The child is mine, and nobody can take him away from me."


    Felix had a weird way of talking, and he had a drawl. Roy had no idea which country''s ent that was, but the look on his face annoyed everyone. Serrit was about to fly into a rage. He had always been the rash one, but fortunately, Roy held him down in time. "Worry not, friend. We''re not here to take the child from you."


    "I don''t see Vipers as nice as you. You followed me all the way here just to give up?"


    "Ah, but we didn''t follow you." Roy smiled dryly. Felix was as hot headed as Serrit. "We were following these bandits, but now that they''re dead, I guess we won''t have to fight."


    Silence fell between them. They were observing each other. Felix was curled up a little, and he was flicking his fingers around. He could make a move at any given moment. Serrit and Auckes looked at him calmly. This witcher was less crazy and unreasonable than his colleagues from the same school. He was a decent swordsman as well. They thought he could be a great sparring partner. Letho had his arms crossed, reminiscence gleaming in his eyes. Felix seemed to remind him of someone.


    "Why don''t we talk somewhere else?" Roy broke the ice. "We don''t run into other witchers very often. There''s much to talk about." He took out a bottle of dwarven liquor from nowhere and took a swig. It burned his throat, but he held it down and tossed it to Felix.


    Felix held it and poured the liquor down his de. "I never drink. Liquors slow me down, but my friend thanks you for the treat."


    ***


    Night descended upon thend, but the light of a fire broke through the forest''s darkness. A group of five witchers gathered around the bonfire. A disemboweled moose stood over the fire. It was golden and crackling. Its fat dripped into the fire, infusing the smoke with a meaty aroma. The scent wafted and faded into the air.


    This was the bandits'' camp, but they were already six feet under at this point. Nothing but cold, unmoving corpses. Their ears were cut off too, of course. The witchers took over the ce.


    "Honestly, I didn''t really hear about the Viper School until today." Felix cut off a small piece of meat and popped it into his mouth while it was still hot. The witcher then slurped happily. "And seeing four at once is a first for me."


    "Our school''s in the south. To be specific, it''s in Nilfgaard. Most of us never reallye to the north." Letho took a swig of the dwarven liquor and squinted in enjoyment. "Of course you never heard of us."


    "You''re based in Nilfgaard? No wonder I''ve never heard of you. Do you guys hunt in groups? Witchers don''t move in teams here." Felix looked curious. "It''s easier to make money working solo."


    "We have no choice," Letho said. "The Wild Hunt destroyed our fortress, and it''s abandoned now. The new king doubled down on witchers after he ascended the throne years ago. The south doesn''t tolerate us anymore, so we have to try our luck here. And honestly¡­" He wiped the liquor off his lips. "We''re the only Viper School witchers alive."


    Letho lied a little bit, but Felix had no idea about it. He seemed a little sympathetic about them, but all witcher schools were in the same predicament.


    "What about you, Felix? Why''d youe to Temeria?" Roy sprinkled some spices onto the meat to liven up its taste. Wilt craned its neck, and Gryphon the dog was lying on its snout. They were both staring at the food unblinkingly. Well, the drinks, to be exact. They wanted some liquor.


    "You''re cheeky, aren''t you?" Roy chided them and poured a drop onto their tongues. The animals walked away, looking fulfilled.


    Felix gave him a nce, but he did not pry. "I''m just a traveler who walks thesends looking for requests to put food on the table." He looked into the night. "And I''m also looking for someone to inherit my legacy."


    "You''re in luck. Carl''s a tough kid. He can probably pass the trial," Serrit chimed in, but he sounded a little confrontational. He gave Felix a challenging look. "Say, I''m curious about your request. Out to murder someone again, aren''t you?"


    The air froze, and tension rose. Silence enveloped everyone. Only the sounds of crackling mes and silent gulping were heard.


    "I know our school is infamous." Felix put the shank down, though it was nothing but bones now. He had a big appetite, but he ate slowly. Not even a sliver of food had gone to waste.


    The Viper School witchers had heard about the Cat School before. They were the biggest witcher school at the moment. They put emphasis on speed, precision, and dexterity in theirbat. Felix''s light armor was in line with that philosophy. Their armor was light by design to not hinder them in battle.


    Unfortunately, their morality and political stance was as flexible as theirbat was. A big part of this school''s witchers would ept unorthodox requests and work as killers and assassins just to make some coins.


    These fallen witchers'' actions affected everyone in this trade. They were like rotten apples that would poison the whole crate if left unchecked.


    "But we''re not all mad. We''re not made up of assassins or executioners. Arge chunk of us still go with tradition and only kill monsters." Felix looked frustrated. It looked like he was affected by his schoolmates'' actions as well. His school''s reputation turned into infamy because of them.


    "I have a feeling you''re a man with his own creed." Auckes tossed his prejudice behind and raised a rib toast to him.


    Felix raised a shank in return.


    "Mr. F¡ª"


    "Call me Vulture."


    "How''s the Cat School doing, Vulture? It''s better than the Viper School at least, right?"


    Felix was silent for a while, then he said, "Probably not as good as you think. I have no idea what those fossils are thinking. They keep taking in violent brats and unleashing their darkest side with the trial. It''s been a long time since they started this, and all the important guys in the school are now made up of madmen and sadists." He sighed. "I have no idea how to talk to them. It''s been more than ten years since I went back to the fortress. Everything I know, I know from another witcher''s mouth."


    Roy fell into his thoughts. <em>Every school''s recipe for the trial is different. Maybe the Cat School''s recipe is wed. Or maybe elven blood isn''tpatible with it. </em>"So what will you do with Carl? He has to take the trial in the fortress eventually."


    "No. He doesn''t have to do it in the fortress," Felix answered. "And I''m not in a hurry. He''ll probably need a year of training and adapt to his new life. I''m going to find a ce for him to live in Novigrad."


    The Viper School witchers looked at one another, and Roy was delighted. <em>So Felix takes the recipe with him everywhere he goes?</em>


    "Hey, the boy from Viper School. Roy, right? You don''t seem too old to me."


    "He just went through the trial about six months ago," Letho answered. "He''s not even fifteen."


    Felix''s eyes shone up, and he looked at Letho and Roy. "Can you tell me all about his trial? I want to know every single detail."


    "Oh, that''s going to be a <em>long </em>story."


    "I can listen to it all day. Trust me."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 241: Meetup

    The darkness of the night had draped over the forest. Shadows danced before the sole bonfire as the witchers circled each other. Their eyes met, and to them, nothing else mattered but the sparring partner before them. They were like beasts, waiting for the perfect chance to pounce at their prey.


    Serrit leaped ahead, the leaves beneath him jostling and floating into the air. He swung his steel sword upward, the air buzzing from his speed. The sword arced toward the silhouette in front of him. The silhouette swung its light, narrow de ahead, sliding down the back of Serrit''s sword. Sparks flew, and the silhouette pushed the attack''s momentum away.


    Felix put his weight on his left leg, turning clockwise. He evaded the attack and thrusted his de at Serrit''s waist at the same time. The attack missed. Serrit leaped backward, but Felix clung to him like a leech to its host, the tip of his de still pointing at Serrit''s vitals.


    Serrit gave up running away and stood still, but he swung his de around, forming a defensive wall in front of him, attacking Felix at every angle, but Felix managed to dodge them all. Sounds of metals shing against each other screeched into the night.


    Felix moved around like a phantom. Every attack Serrit made passed through him like he was just a ball of fog. At the same time, it looked like two Felixes were attacking the wall of des in front of Serrit. It was like waves that kept crashing at the reef of the coast. It went on and on, unending until the end of time.


    Felix would leap back every time Serrit blocked his attack, making space for him to jump away from his counterthrust. At the same time, he turned around and readjusted himself to stand in a position to attack his back or abdomen.


    The sparks created by the shing of the metals illuminated the darkness of the forest. Felix''s swordsmanship was simple and straight to the point. There were no feints at all. Every attack was swift, deadly, and precise. It was the art of an assassin. Eventually, beads of sweat started forming on Serrit''s forehead. He could only defend himself thanks to his strength advantage.


    There were only a few times where he could counterattack, but Felix was as slippery as an eel. All of Serrit''s counterattacks missed.


    The battle turned more and more intense as time went on. The two witchers eventually fell into a stalemate, and Felix lost his patience. He leaped back and held his steel sword overhead, then he spun around. His strength and momentum swung the sword ahead, and Serrit was forced to retreat.


    Felix backed off, but he kept the spinning de dance going on. His sword spun, as well as his wrist and body. The air around him buzzed, and leaves flew into the air. Felix stepped forward, swinging at least five times in just a single moment. The witcher was like a storm of des, covering him and Serrit alike.


    Serrit failed to dodge in time, and the sharp winds from the attacks shaved off a lock of his hair. He barely managed to defend himself, then he rolled on the ground and backed off from the battleground.


    "That''s enough, Vulture! Stop!" Serrit cast Quen, and the yellow shield covered him.


    Felix kept going on, but his de stopped five feet away from Serrit. He took a deep breath and slowly sheathed his sword. The de vortexsted for mere seconds, but it exhausted him more than the whole battlebined. He was already drenched in sweat.


    "It''s my loss," Serrit said. He was overwhelmed in terms of swordsmanship alone, but it did not discourage him. If he was allowed to use his signs and everything he knew, the oue could have been different.


    Serrit''spanions were in awe of the battle. He was the third best swordsman in their school, and nobody expected a witcher who came out of nowhere to overwhelm and force him to cast a sign. It was not something they saw every day. The witchers were not discouraged, however. A sparring of the des was not the same as a life-and-death battle. The ebb and flow of battles would change every moment, and victory was uncertain until the end.


    "You''re not half bad either, Serrit," Felix praised. "You''re one of the top ten swordsmen in my personal list. My body would have given out if we had kept that up."


    "You''re just being modest. A win is a win. But I have a question. What was with that de vortex?" Serrit had a swig of wine to chase his frustration off.


    "It''s a Cat School secret," Felix said curtly, and Serrit did not pry.


    Every school had their own secret techniques. Poison would be the Viper''s specialty, and swordsmanship would be the Cat''s, while signs belonged to the Griffin''s. There was an unwritten rule among the schools, and it was that every school''s specialty could only be shared among those who came from the same school. Those who exposed their school''s secrets would be branded as traitors, and they would meet a far more gruesome end than Berengar did.


    "So who''s the top swordsman you fought?" Serrit was curious.


    Felix sat back down around the bonfire. "Treyse, one of the Cat''s leaders." He sounded a little reminiscent andmenting, as if he had an unforgettable past with Treyse. "Well, we had our chat and sparred for a bit. Why don''t we get back to Roy''s trial?"


    ***


    The witchers came out of their tents at dawnbreak. There were a dozen horses cantering around the woods. They belonged to the bandits. It was a pity they were in the wilds, or the witchers could have found a better owner for these horses. They had to let the creatures go in the end.


    There were also some coins left in the tents. The bandits robbed the poor people they ran into along their way. The Viper School''s witchers did not take the coins. They left them for Felix, since he was the one who killed everyone.


    They rode on horseback for a day and came back to the destroyed vige the next morning.


    "Look who''s back, you little monkey!" Felix rode to the banyan tree and yelled at it. A scrawny kid came down right away. Felix picked him up and put him on the horse''s back. The witcher pinched the boy''s dirty face happily. "So how have you been thest two days? Scared? Hungry?"


    "No!" Carl looked at Letho and the other witchers gratefully. "They left some food and water for me, so I didn''t starve. What happened to those bastards, master?" He stared at Felix, desperately wanting an answer.


    "Look what I got you." Felix handed the boy a bloody package.


    Carl opened it, but the sight of the content made him shiver. He tossed it down, and a bunch of ears rolled out. The boy''s teeth were chattering from fear. "Wh-What is this, Ma-Master Felix?"


    "There were sixteen of them, so there should be thirty-two ears in total. Tally them up," Felix said seriously. "I told you I wouldn¡¯t let a single one of those killers escape, and this is proof of it."


    Roy sighed. <em>He is so unreliable. The guy only left a wineskin''s worth of water before he left for the bandits. Guy didn''t even leave a piece of jerky. What was he thinking? The boy would starve if we hadn''te by. Carl has a bumpy road ahead of him, and his master isn''t going to make it any easier for him. </em>Roy felt sad for Carl.


    ***


    Carl mustered his courage to tally the ears up and tossed them into a fire. The ze burned all the sinsmitted by the owners of those ears, including the murder they rained down on this ruined vige. Speaking of fire, the weather was starting to get warm. The witchers burned all the corpses to keep them from festering and attracting any ghouls. At the same time, Carl banged his head against the ground, saying his goodbyes to the graves behind the mes. He left with the witchers, tears still streaming down his cheeks.


    "So where to next?"


    Felix, just like Roy, was heading to Novigrad next. After a lot of consideration, Felix made the decision to join the Vipers for a while. They could share their experiences too. Felix might look like a cool guy who loved wearing sunsses all the time, but he was actually one for straight talking. He went about everything in life based on his preferences and instincts. He could be talkative when it came to the right person.


    Besides, he acknowledged Serrit''s swordsmanship, and he was sure that if the Vipers wanted to kill him, they could do it easily. He would have no chance in a four on one battle. Since that was the case, he would rather just go with them.


    Roy did not tell him about his ns about the alliance just yet. He still had a lot of time for that.


    ***


    "Hey kid!" Auckes was finally calling someone besides Roy that. This time, he was talking to Carl. He looked really beautiful after the grime and dirt was washed off his face. The boy looked more like a girl, given that he was scrawny, and his voice had not changed yet. "Are you crossdressing or something?"


    Auckes was giving him a weird look, and Carl retreated into Felix''s embrace. He was starting to feel intimidated that a lot of burly witchers were staring at him. Their feline eyes were unnerving him.


    "Shut up, you oaf!" Serrit came to Auckes side and gave the boy a reassuring gaze, but that only scared him more. "Do you think Vulture is blind? Carl can''t be an apprentice witcher if he''s a girl." Girls could not be witchers, or that was the case in this world.


    "It doesn''t matter even if Carl is a girl." Felix patted the boy''s head, and what he said next shocked the witchers. "The Cat School''s potion works on girls as well. We ept girls into our fold too."


    The witchers were shaken to their cores.


    "I have never seen a female witcher all my life¡­" Auckes muttered to himself. Serrit and Letho shared his sentiment as well. Female witchers were even rarer than endangered animals. For some reason, they started envying the Cat School. It would have been great if the Viper School had some girls too.


    Roy''s eyes shone. He was starting to get a lot of ideas, and he thought of Ciri. <em>Wonder how she is doing now? </em>He muttered, "A little girl growing up in a witcher school. Grows up to be a witcher and scouts out more girls to be new witchers. Hmm¡­" He thought of something really weird. "The Girl Effect?"


    Roy held his ideas down and rode up to Felix. He handed the witcher a bottle of white lotion.


    "What the hell is this?"


    "Vulture, your apprentice will need it tonight. Trust me on that." Roy smiled at him.


    ***


    Not everyone was as lively as Roy. As expected, Carl started screaming right after they set up camp for the night. Riding on horseback the whole day was torture for Carl, who had no experience on horseback riding before. Ayer of skin was peeled off from his crotch. It looked frightening. Roy was reminded of the days he set off on his journey with Letho. He went through the same nightmare, but fortunately the lotion helped with his condition.


    ***


    However, something worse happened the next morning. The recent tragedy took its toll on Carl, and the witchers'' emergence made him ease up too much. He came down with some kind of sickness. Carl started having fevers and a case of diarrhea. He was dragging the witchers down severely.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 242: Sleepwalking

    The weather cleared up and stayed sunny for many days, though it was steadily heading intote autumn now. The witchers had been heading due northwest for a week, closing in on Pontar. They would, ording to n,e to La Valette''s turf on the east of Velen, then they would take a boat to cross Pontar and head to Oxenfurt on the north coast. That journey alone would take a week to finish.


    Carl was finally getting used to surviving in the wilds after one week. He spent all his time camping out and filling his stomach with nothing but wild greens and grilled meat. He was also feeling a lot better after he healed up from that disease. The boy was also starting to put on some weight as well.


    Still, he was just about seven years old. The boy had not matured yet, and a strict training regime did not suit him. Felix only taught him some simple Cat School body training movements. Sometimes he would also tell him all the habits and weaknesses of beasts that roamed the wilds.


    Auckes and Serrit hadints about this training style, but Felix stuck to his guns when it came to this. He refused anyone from taking the fun away from training his own apprentice, so he ignored theirments. They even got in a fight with him because of that.


    Roy had also asked Felix to teach him more about swordsmanship over thest week. Cat School''s swordsmanship leaned more toward practicality, and they were a lot sharper than any other styles Roy had seen. Felix managed to attack his vitals in under a minute, and he lost without even knowing how. Still, the incredible efficiency made Roy improve at a blistering pace. He had a feeling Sword Mastery would level up soon.


    ***


    The witchers finally arrived at Velen''s borders, and they set up camp in the center of some oddly-shaped boulders.


    "Can I y with Gryphon, Roy?" Carl came over and stared at Roy. He fell in love with Gryphon after he saw it by chance. Every young child loved cute things, and he was no exception to that.


    Roy held his forehead, though he was amused as well. Gryphon loved hounding him for snacks, but it was acting weirdly after Carl kept trying to y with it. The griffin even lost its appetite for dried fish, and that was its favorite. "How many times must I tell you this, kid? Gryphon is not your toy. You can''t keep trying to y with it. And don''t look at me like that. It''s normal if you''re a girl, but not when you''re a boy. You''d be in trouble if you ran into some boy-loving aristocrats."


    Carl started tearing up, and his lips puckered.


    "You can''t cry yourself out of monsters or bandits, kid. You know what? Forget it." The boy had just lost all his family. He needed some sort ofpanion. Roy dragged the orange tabby out of his hood, despite how much it was meowing at him.


    "Hi, Gryphon." Carl held the cat, but it was struggling to break free. He caressed its back, looking delighted. "Master and I got some buckthorn today. Wanna have some?"


    "Don''t feed it anything stupid, kid. I''ll spank you if anything happens to Gryphon."


    ***


    Roy came back to the bonfire. He started skinning and fileting the deer, then he sprinkled some spices and wine on it before putting it over the grill. His cooking skills improved dramatically after grilling almost every kind of beast in the wild. Something weird was about to awaken in his character sheet, but that was nothing he cared about. He spent most of his time on his witcher training.


    Auckes and Serrit were bragging about something on the other side of the bonfire. Roy could hear them talk about sorceresses and higher vampires. Felix was right in front of them. He was wearing sunsses and trying his best to look like he did not care, but the fact that he was bent over and listening told Roy what he had in mind. He was interested in women as well.


    "He''s so dishonest with himself," Letho muttered and sat down beside Roy. "You get along well with the boy. Are you trying to get an apprentice yourself?"


    "I''m not even good enough to get out of apprenticeship yet." Roy rolled his eyes. "And I''m not interested in crybabies at all."


    "Crybabies, huh?" The bonfire''s me danced in Letho''s eyes, and he spaced out a little. "Honestly, I''ve never seen you cry ever since I took you under my wing. You don''t even act your age."


    "Of course." Roy smeared ayer of spicy powder on the marmot. "I''m not a regr kid."


    "I know, so what kind of apprentice are you looking for, Mr. I-Have-Elder-Blood?" Letho took a swig of his wine. He liked the feeling of talking with hispanions around the bonfire.


    "First, I''ll be improving the school''s recipe. Coral can help with that," Roy said. "And then I''ll get a girl as my apprentice."


    "Are you serious about this?" Letho frowned. "It''s not easy to care for a girl."


    "I don''t think so," Roy said. He was trying to keep a straight face, but hisughter almost broke through. "A male witcher and a female apprentice is the bestbination for efficiency. We don''t have to spend our money on inns or brothels just to have fun."


    The witchers bantered, ate, and drank the night away. Eventually, silence fell upon the camp as everyone went to sleep.


    ***


    Roy felt something licking his face, and it broke his meditation process. He snapped out of it and saw a fat cat''s face inches away from him. The young witcher pushed it away, and the first thing he saw was the moon shining in the sky, while stars were twinkling down at thend. It waste at night, but the bonfire was still crackling. "What are you doing, Gryphon? You can''t just disturb me like that. I''m not going to feed you for a day!"


    Felix came to Roy''s side and put his finger to his lips. "Shh¡­" He pointed at the boulder beside the camp. The moon shone on a scrawny silhouette. He stood up tall, his back turned against the witchers. His limbs were stiff, and his head lolled to the side. He stood unmoving, as if he were a statue.


    "Carl? What''s he doing at this hour?" Roy tucked Gryphon into his hood and slowly closed in on Carl with Felix.


    The other Viper School witchers had already woken up. They were also observing Carl. They came to the boy, but the look on his face was deader than the cemetery. He was staring into the night outside the campsite, as if the witchers did not exist.


    <em>He''s sleepwalking. </em>The witchers exchanged looks and kept silent. There were a lot of rumors going on about sleepwalkers. One of them was no one should ever wake a sleepwalker up by force, or they might leave undesiredplications. None of them moved, but all of a sudden, Carl did.


    He darted into the night, and the witchers followed. Much to their surprise, it felt like the boy was on steroids. He ran for an hour, as if he were a moose. They chased after him for more than ten miles. The moon and stars eventually faded away, and the sky started greying. They kept running until they came to the borders of a swamp.


    It was covered in a nket of fog, and the patches of swamp hid underneath the shallow puddles. The boy stopped in front of a stump. A bloody dagger was buried in it. Carl pulled it out and slowly raised it to his ear. He was snarling, looking like he knew what he was doing.


    "Damn it!" Felix darted ahead and swung his sword at the dagger, smacking it away from Carl''s hand. He shook the boy violently, as if trying to tear him apart. "What happened, you monkey? Did something possess you?"


    "Master, I¡­ I¡­" Carl''s pupils contracted for a moment, and confusion surfaced on his face, as if he just woke up from a dream. "I can''t remember what happened¡­"


    "You were trying to cut your ear off, kid," Auckes said. "I''ve never seen any sleepwalker do something this stupid.


    "They would have all died if they did what Carl did," Serrit said.


    Roy stared at the swamp and said solemnly, "Guys, that was obviously not sleepwalking. Something in this swamp guided him here. Think about it. He''s just a boy, and his will is the weakest among us. Some infernal monsters could have mesmerized him easily."


    Everyone fell into silence. Nobody expected this ident to happen. They had no idea what was happening either. This would have ended disastrously had the witchers not kept their guard up even during their sleep.


    Letho had been checking the stump. "Roy''s right." He raised his right hand and held up a bloody ear between his fingers. "This dagger and what Carl did was no coincidence, nor was it a case of sleepwalking." His eyes glinted coldly. "Something''s behind this."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 243: The Omniscient

    Impoverished viges, rude bumpkins, and remote swamps. That was what most Temerians thought Velen was made up of, and now, the witchers were right in that swamp.


    "I swear I''ll make it pay for trying toy a finger on my apprentice!" Felix roared into the skies. He was in the center of the group, holding Carl''s hand and chasing after that trail of blood in the air. It would lead them to the ear''s owner.


    Letho was in the vanguard, scouting out their path with his silver de, while Auckes and Serrit took up the middle. They were looking around cautiously. A swamp covered in a nket of fog was never safe. These were the feasting grounds of ghouls, drowners, water hags, and necrophages. One slip up and they would be food for monsters. Roy was in the rear. His Manticore Boots would sink into the soil with every step he took. It hindered his movement.


    He looked up at the sky. It had brightened up. The sun was starting to shine, the temperature was rising, and the drops of water were turning into steam, draping this dangerous ce with a veil of silk-like fog. The witchers could only see about twenty yards around them. The soil was filled with weed and murky puddles, and trees stood around those puddles. Sometimes they would alsoe across decaying animal corpses as well.


    They heard cawsing from the corpses, and a few gleaming crows would burrow out of the bodies before flying up into the sky.


    A breeze swept across the swamp, and ripples spread out across the murky waters. It was as if something was trying to break through.


    "M-Master, I''m scared¡­" Carl''s face was white, his eyes filled with terror. He was holding Felix''s muscr arm, trying to find a sense of security.


    "Remember what I taught you, monkey." Felix held the boy''s hands and stared into the swamp''s depths. "Swamp dwellers share one trait: they love the smell of a coward''s blood and heart. The more afraid you are, the faster you''ll die."


    Carl shivered. He craned his neck and mustered all his courage to say, "I-I''m not scared anymore."


    "Good." Felix sneered. "But don''t worry. I''ll slice them up if they try toy a finger on you."


    "Look!" Letho suddenly called out to everyone and pointed at a piece of moss-covered, decaying log floating on the swamp. It was swimming not far away from them. Everyone turned their attention to it. The log looked like any other regr wood, but upon closer inspection, they noticed that something like a mushroom was growing in the little pit on the top. The nt was shaped like a whirlpool.


    "Is that an ear?"


    "Yeah. A human ear. It''s rotten. Must have been here for quite a while."


    The witchers were silent. They had a feeling that this bizarre setup was a part of something more sinister.


    Roy massaged his forehead, muttering, "Ears in the swamps of Velen¡­ Is the Whispess behind this?"


    "What are you mumbling under your breath, kid?"


    "I just remembered a story about this ce."


    "Did you see it in a book, or is this one of your ''feelings'' again? Tell us about it."


    "This is about some of the most ancient beings in thisnd¡ª" Roy was just starting his story, but he was forced to stop.


    Someone was singing in the swamp, beyond the fog. It sounded eerie, and nobody could make out what the lyrics were talking about. Their attention was grasped by the song, and they listened closely as they approached the direction of the voice.


    "We sisters three, hand in hand. Cross thend, scare the men. The turn goes: Three times thee, three times me, three times more. Nine¡­" They came to a rickety hay shack, and fields of celery and bulrush stood before it. A man was singing in the yard. His singing could bring an army to their knees, but still he kept singing as loudly as he could.


    The man was about forty years old. Life tarnished his face with wrinkles, and he was in hemp attire, just like anyone else in a vige. The man was hurt, however. His right cheek was covered in a bandage, and there was blood on it.


    The man was engrossed in his singing, as if that was the only thing in life for him. He sshed golden liquid onto his crops as he sang, oblivious to the approaching witchers. He got the shock of his life when someone patted him on the shoulder. The oily, transparent liquid in hisdle fell to the ground, and the man''s face was contorted with pain.


    "Who are you? Did you have to be that quiet? You shocked me!" the man growled. He did not wee the witchers at all.


    "Sorry, brother, but we''re witchers who''re just passing by. We need to ask you something." Felix squeezed through the group, and it was then he realized that not only was the man''s right cheek hurt, his left ear was missing as well. Half of his hair was missing, literally. One side of his scalp had no hair on it, while the other side had thick brown hair growing out of it. His eyebrows had been shaved off as well, and his left leg was reced by a wooden prosthetic, though it looked like the leg of a table. The man looked funny and weird at the same time.


    The veteran witchers were keeping their eyes on the man, while Roy stared at the fields. The crops were plentiful. It was the sign of a bountiful year. Roy looked at the bucket beside the man. It had a golden liquid in it, and it smelled like oak. <em>This is no ordinary fertilizer. It''s some kind of oil extracted from oak fruits.</em>


    "What''d you say?" the man yelled at the witchers. "I can''t hear you!"


    The man''s hearing was ruined when his ear was cut off. Felix approached and huddled to his ear, then he told him what he said earlier. The man waved him off impatiently. "I don''t know why you''re here, witcher. It''s just a backwater ce, and I have no requests for you. I don''t even have the coins to pay." He pointed to the west, and as if he were chasing them off, he said, "Try your luck out at the Hunched Swamp or Lower Velen if you need any requests."


    "That''s not why we''re here!" Felix''s patience ran out, and he whipped out the exquisite dagger. "Do you know what this is?"


    The sight of the dagger horrified the man. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. His teeth were mostly decayed, and he stammered, "Y-You have b-sphemed¡­"


    "Shut up!" Felix stuffed the man''s mouth with a bloody ear and shut him up. He held the man up by his shirt, and the man swung a leg around. "You''d better not try anything stupid, you bastard. Now answer my question. What the hell is in this swamp? How did it turn you into this wreck? And why''d it try to take my apprentice?"


    If looks could kill, the man would have died a few times now. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head, and he was shivering, perhaps from both fury and fear.


    "You can''t expect him to tell you anything when you just stuffed his mouth with an ear." Roy took the ear out of the man''s mouth.


    The man heaved a sigh and growled menacingly, "You fool! You''ve removed the holy relic from its ce! God shall judge you!"


    "Did you just threaten me?" Felix pped the man, but he controlled his strength. It was only hard enough to leave a mark on his face. "I''ll make you wish you were never born." Felix started casting a sign, but Roy held his arm, stopping him.


    "No. Don''t use Axii."


    "Give me a reason not to." Felix was surprised Roy would stop him.


    "Roy''s right," Auckes agreed. "We almost got in trouble thest time we tried to use Axii on another god''s believer. Never do that." He was talking about that beggar who believed in Coram Agh Tera. "We''ll search his house. You keep an eye on him, Vulture."


    Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Roy went into the rundown shack, while Felix stuffed the man''s mouth with a ball of cloth to stop him from cursing at them.


    "What''d you stuff his mouth with, master?"


    "To be a witcher is to hold your curiosity down, little monkey, but I''ll make an exception this time. They¡¯re the pants you wore when you wet your bed two days ago."


    The man''s hands were tied behind his back, and he fell back to the ground, pping around like a dead fish.


    ***


    The house was stark, and even more so than most viges¡¯. There was nothing but a thin mattress, rickety tools, and a gigantic oil painting on the mottled wall.


    "An oil painting in a rundown shack in remote Velen?" Letho stood before the painting, looking surprised. The painting was ancient, but it was well kept. The engravings on the golden frame still looked smooth and even. There was not a single mark or a speck of dust on it. Obviously someone cared for it a lot. Three lifelike, beautiful women stood in the painting. They wore ck silk dresses, their skin was fair, and their curves were perfect.


    Their feet were bare, and they were huddled together, head on one another''s shoulders. The women were elegant, as if they were elves who were frolicking in the woods. It was as if they would walk right out of the painting once they were done with their nap.


    It was a mesmerizing painting. Even Auckes and Serrit were captivated when they saw it. Roy, however, scanned the painting and confirmed that it was just a regr item. He then searched the mattress and found a thin, yellowing book. It was titled ¡°She Who Knows¡±.


    "Legend has it that Velen has fourdies. The Motheres from and far, far away. Tortured by her loneliness, The Mother made three daughters from dirt and water¡­"


    "What''d you find, Roy?"


    "A myth." Roy looked at the painting. "It''s probably about how thosedies came to be."


    "Read it aloud, kid." The other witchers huddled closer and listened to the story.


    "A long, long time ago, there was only one ruler in Velen, and her name was The Mother. She created three daughters to ease her loneliness, and the four of them lived happily. But bliss did not stay with them for long. For some unknown reason, The Mother started losing her mind. She became a tyrant. The madness eventually overwhelmed her, and she wished to massacre the whole of Velen. Her daughters rose against her, killing The Mother and sealing her soul beneath The Whispering Hillock.


    Since then, The Mother''s daughters took over Velen. The people of Velen would pay tributes to them, while they, The Ladies of the Wood, would grant them health and bountiful crops in return."


    ***


    A long silenceter, Roy said, "So those women in the painting must be the Ladies of the Wood." <em>More precisely, the Weavess, the Brewess, and the Whispess, </em>Roy added. He exined, "But I don''t think you should trust this bookpletely. The Ladies of the Wood must have embellished the story and made themselves look like angels. I''ve seen another version of their story in another book, and thesedies were no angels. The Weavess makes clothes out of human hair, so that guy gave her half the hair on his head and all his eyebrows. The Brewess is a master at cooking meat. If I''m right, that''s how the guy lost his leg. The Whispess cut his ear off and hid it somewhere in Velen to spy for her."


    The witchers paused for a moment. They could not imagine the beautifuldies in the painting doing something so horrific.


    "So you''re saying the Whispess influenced Carl?"


    Everyone turned around. Felix hade inside.


    "I thought you were supposed to keep an eye on that guy."


    "Don''t worry. I knocked him out. He won''t wake up for a while."


    "Where''s Carl?"


    "He''s outside, keeping an eye on the guy. He''s been following me for days. It''s time for him to work."


    "Shit!" Roy shouted, but it was toote.


    They heard screams and an eerieughtering from outside. When they came back out, all they saw was a big murder of crows flying through the sky and disappearing in the horizon like a big, ck cloud.


    Carl was nowhere to be found, and the man''s limbs were all cut off. He was lying on the freezing ground, coughing up blood and his innards. Despair, frustration, and agony shed in his eyes as he spasmed a few more times and took his final breath.


    A message was written on his chest. It was bright red and bloody. ''Border Post,'' it read.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 244: Lower Velen

    Lower Velen was located on a mountainside. It was a small, insignificant vige in the vast southern Velen. Carson, the vige chief, was basking in the afternoon sun outside his house like usual. He was looking at the row of fields in the vige, where the vigers were toiling at. Some were loosening the soil, while some were spreading fertilizer around.


    The carrots, chillies, and turnips were growing in plentiful amounts, and the golden liquid only made them look livelier. "Another bountiful year, and all thanks to the magical acorns thedies gave us."


    It had been more than six months since the spring banquet on Bald Mountain. The vigers had turned the magical acorns into oil and fed thend with it. They were still as magical as usual. Carl touched his right ear and closed his eyes to think. The wrinkles on his head deepened. "It''s time to pick thedies'' sacrifice again. What should I make this year? And who should I pick?"


    Carson still could not figure it out no matter how long he took. He drew a deep hit from his pipe and puffed out smoke from his nose. It was then he saw a few silhouettes appearing behind that wall of smoke he just blew. Five strangers on horses slowly approached the vige.


    ***


    "Who are you people?" Carson stopped them at the entrance. Lower Velen would never receive any guests for months on end in most cases. Five of them showing up at once was rare. To make things weirder, these guests were sturdily built. They were also equipped with two swords. The look in their eyes was different from anything Carson had seen. The look in their eyes reminded him of experienced hunters and beasts like vipers and falcons. He frowned.


    "Hello sir, we''re travelers who came from the swamp in the east." The youngest visitor smiled at him and looked at the wooden sign at the entrance. "We''re witchers who go around thesends. Do not worry. We only kill monsters, not humans."


    Carson took a step back and looked at their pendants cautiously. He froze up the moment he saw Felix''s pendant. "A Cat? What business do you have with my vige?"


    "We just have a question for you. Have you seen any crows passing through your vige?"


    "Crows? There''s no crows in my vige!" Carson raised his voice. "You have to leave now. You''re not wee here."


    Carson''s shout alerted the young men in the vige. They came holding hoes, scythes, and pitchforks. The vigers surrounded the witchers, obviously loath to see them here. The witchers found it odd, however. Most people would never threaten them with violence no matter how much they disliked witchers, especially when there were five of them there. That was basically a death wish.


    <em>What makes them so confident?</em>


    Tension started rising in the air, and Felix was already holding the hilt of his de. He was in a hurry, and patience was not something he had in abundance. <em>Carl''s missing, and the kidnapper led us here to this vige. The vigers aren''t even scared of us. Why''d the kidnapper lead us here? Are they ying with us? Or do they want us to kill everyone here?</em> Felix''s eyes gleamed crimson for a moment. His knuckles were getting white from holding the hilt of his de too tightly. Serrit and Auckes were tensing up as well. They could start fighting at any time.


    Letho and Roy exchanged looks. "Calm down, Vulture," Roy said, then he turned to the vigers. "Vigers, we bear you no ill will, or we wouldn''t havee through the entrance in the first ce." He looked into Carson''s eyes. "We would have ambushed you at night if we were actually here for your lives." He smirked. "Your wives and children would wake up to see you dead if that were the case."


    Roy''s warning spread fear across the vigers, as if by magic. However, it riled up some of the more aggressive vigers instead. "I''ll kill you!" a viger with thick chest hair roared. His eyes widened, and he thrusted his pitchfork ahead at Roy. Roy, however, was not fazed. He stared at the viger and allowed his attack to go through.


    The yellow shield around him broke into pieces, but the pitchfork could not prate the armor, no matter how hard the viger tried. The man noticed an eerie silence falling around him, and he gulped. He gave the other vigers a weird look, as if he were asking, ''Why''d you guys stay back?''


    "You''d better think long and hard before you attack," Roy said. "Your pitchfork isn''t nearly as sharp as my swords, and you''re not nearly as tough as the monsters we have to deal with. I can defeat you easily. Wanna try?"


    The vigers took a step back and tossed their ''weapons'' away.


    "What do you want, witchers?"


    "An answer." Roy took the dagger from Felix and showed it to them. "It doesn''t matter if you haven''t seen the crows, but you must have seen this dagger before. Now calm down. This is a token thedies gave us. They guided us here. I think they must have some message for us."


    ***


    Lower Velen was a sizable vige with about a hundred families in it, and Carson''s house was in the centermost part of the vige. "Are you sure thedies gave you this holy relic, witcher?" Carson was observing the dagger and confirmed that it was the one in the north of the swamp.


    "You can see it that way if you want." Roy was standing beside the window, looking at the vigers who were going about their lives. Velen was Temeria''s poorest ce, but the vigers looked surprisingly healthy. They were not scrawny or pasty like most malnourished vigers. In fact, they looked strong. "I''ll tell you what happened. The Lady of the Woods left a bloody message on that unfortunate bastard and led us here. We buried the guy, of course. You''re the chief here, Carson. Tell us how to take back the child she took from us."


    "Thedy took your child away?"


    "She stole him from us, to be precise! She stole my apprentice, an eight-year-old child, right under my nose!" Felix roared angrily. <em>She kills her own people without any hesitation. I don''t think she''s going to be nice to my apprentice.</em>


    "Hold your tongue! Do not nder thedy of Velen!" Carson flew into a rage, then horror grasped him. He tossed the dagger back to the witchers. "Leave. I will not allow your foolishness to drag this vige down."


    "Oh, we''ll leave. As soon as you tell us what we want." Felix closed in until he was inches away from Carson. He red at the old man, and his voice dripped with venom. "Tell us where to find her. Tell us how to take the child back."


    Carson''s face turned red with fear, but he kept his mouth shut no matter how fiercely Felix was ring.


    "You won''t talk, huh?" Felix grabbed his beard. "Why don''t I keep you mute then? Permanently, of course."


    Auckes grinned toothily and added to the threat. "We can always kill all the vigers if we can''t find Carl."


    "Fine. I''ll talk." Carson sighed. He exined, "But understand that I''m not talking because you threatened me. I''m just doing what thedy wants me to." He took a deep breath, possibly praying to thedy, then he said, "I think I can guess why she led you here."


    "Exin."


    He heaved a few times to calm down, then he exined, "She wants you to learn one basic rule¡ªsacrifice something to her."


    "What kind of rule is that?" Roy looked at the wall. The portrait of the Ladies was hanging on it as well.


    "Velen is the Ladies'' territory. Every living being must live by their rules, witchers included. You''ll have to give them something of equal value if you want the boy back."


    "What? That''s daylight robbery!" Felix sneered. "The boy is mine! She must give him back to me!"


    "No. Everyone and everything in Velen belongs to the Ladies. They can take anyone and anything they want no matter for what reason," Carson said stiffly. "You should be d. The children taken in by the Ladies live happy lives."


    <em>By sleeping forever under their bellies¡¯ skin? </em>Roy added quietly and calmed Felix''s rage down.


    "Fine. We ept their terms. So what kind of sacrifice should we make? And will they give the boy back in one piece if we do that?"


    "Your ear, hair, limbs, and eyes. That''s usually what they demand." Carson''s eyes glinted. "Well, just some of it."


    "Impossible. We''re not lizards. We can''t regenerate our body parts."


    "You can give them something else." Carson paused for a moment. "The Ladies prefer powerful men or magical creatures."


    "You mean they want monsters from the swamp?"


    Carson nodded. "The stronger the monster you hunt, the happier they''ll be. Perhaps they''ll give the boy back if you give them a good monster."


    "<em>Perhaps</em>?" Felix was upset by the vague answer.


    "Don''t worry. Do your best and the Ladies will grant you your wish."


    "Just like how she granted yours?" Roy gazed at the chief. "They grant you bountiful crops and safety in exchange for some sacrifice?"


    "That is correct," Carson admitted. He looked like he was proud about it as well. "I know that the people of Lower Velen are a lot happier than everyone else in thisnd."


    "I wonder if the people who had their legs, ears, and eyes taken from them think so as well."


    "At least it''s a better fate than death!"


    "Then you are nothing but livestock," Letho mocked. Serrit and Auckes scoffed as well.


    "You know nothing, witchers!" Carson retorted, "Not everyone is blessed with powers like you. Velen is a poor, dangerous ce. We need someone to rely on if we want to survive. Half of these people would have died if not for the Ladies. They gave us the right to survive!" Carson''s voice was starting to tremble, and respect filled his eyes.


    <em>They sacrifice a few to save the many, huh? </em>It was a decade earlier or so, but the situation was just like how Roy pictured. The people of this impoverishednd enved themselves and called a trio of monsters their masters. <em>I''m not wasting my time changing their minds. </em>"What should we do after we bring the sacrifice back?"


    "I''ll tell you about that when the timees," Carson said. "But be quick. Come back with the sacrifice tomorrow if you can."


    ***


    The witchers left in a hurry.


    "I noticed something just now," Letho said. "The women in the portrait¡­ Their eyes were moving."


    "Carson got one point right," Roy said. "Velen is their turf. They have a lot of ways to spy on us. Through that portrait, for example."


    "Are we actually going to do this?" Auckes looked frustrated. "I don''t like being ordered around."


    "I can''t do this alone, my friends. We''re dealing with a group of legendary creatures here." Felix took off his sunsses and gave hispanions a pleading look. "Can I make a request? Please work with me and save Carl. As for the reward¡­"


    "I wanna whoop your ass once after we get out of this alive." Auckes wrapped his arm around Felix''s shoulder and held it tightly. "We''re not doing this to help you, Vulture. Carl is a nice kid. And¡­" He looked ahead coldly. "I''d like to meet these <em>Ladies of the Wood</em>."


    "You can whoop me ten times if you help me out." Gratitude shed in Felix''s eyes.


    The other witchers exchanged looks. Since Auckes wanted to help, then they would as well.


    "We''ll expose their fraud," Serrit growled.


    "I''d like to meet this ruler of Velen." Letho looked indifferent.


    Roy hesitated for a moment. The Ladies of the Wood were not powerful fighters per se. They were on par with the leshen in terms of power. The veteran witchers could defeat them in a fair battle if they wanted to. However, the problem was they knew a lot of spells, and their summoning trick was the hardest one to handle.


    <em>It won''t be easy defeating them on their own turf. </em>Roy''s eyes glinted with cunning. "We''ll save Carl no matter what, but we won''t go with the crones'' n. We need an exit strategy too."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Remember that book? She Who Knows? The book spoke of the Ladies and the mother whom they sealed." Roy looked to a hill standing far from where they were. "We''re ditching the swamp for The Whispering Hillock. We''ll go straight for The Mother and find out her daughters'' weakness."


    The witchers finally understood what he was getting at, but it was preposterous.


    "Are you sure The Mother is real and not just some made-up entity?" Serrit crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. He did not believe the book.


    "Yes. There''s a reason for Carl''s sleepwalking and the vigers'' unusual hostility against us." Roy was sure. "And I have a feeling that a powerful magical entity is sealed beneath that hillock. It can only be The Mother. And this won''t be a wild goose chase either. The Whispering Hillock is a good hunting ce with or without The Mother."


    The Viper School witchers had perfect faith in Roy''s prophetic abilities after they gained the blueprints for the Manticore and Viper equipment. They nodded in silence.


    Felix could see that they hade to a decision, and he clenched his fists. "Then to the Whispering Hillock it is!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 245: The Whispering Hillocks Whispers

    The Whispering Hillock was not far from Lower Velen. It looked like a humble hill surrounded by green pasture. The sun was still setting when the witchers came. Its rays of light shone on the pasture, pointing out a trail for the travelers. The grass gleamed, as if it were emeralds dancing on a magicalnd.


    The Whispering Hillock. It could be a ce where lovers whispered their devotion to each other, but it could also be a ce where mysterious entities blew sinister whispers into those who inadvertently walked into their trap. "The whispers are everywhere. That''s how this ce got its name."


    "Why are we even here anyway, Roy?" Auckes was confused.


    "To seek out The Mother. The crones fear her. And we''re also gonna hunt."


    The witchers kept quiet and felt the air for a moment.


    "There''s a ce like this in Nilfgaard as well," Serrit said. "A famous geologist said that this phenomenon happens due to the hourss structure hidden underground. The winds'' howls travel across the ground and reach the surface through the holes."


    "I don''t need to know about thend''syers!" Auckes had a different opinion. "Are you sure it''s not Gryphon''s stomach rumbling, Roy?"


    <em>Yes, I''m sure.</em>


    Gryphon stuck its head out of Wilt''s saddlebag. The fleder''s head sat atop of it, and it stared innocently at everyone. It finally turned to Roy, its whiskers trembling in excitement, as if it were asking, ''You called?''


    "Not the time to get cheeky, girl." Roy poked its forehead and gave her an acorn. The chipmunk slowly retreated to the saddlebag.


    Felix cocked his eyebrow. He had noticed this shapeshifting creature for a while now. He wondered what it was, but since it was Roy''s secret, it would be rude to pry unless the young witcher offered the information.


    "Do you guys feel off somehow?" Roy rubbed his chin. "These voices¡­ They unnerve me." He noticed a debuff on his character sheet after they came to the hill. ''Frustrated.'' He could feel the desire to destroy mounting in him, but his iron will held that desire down.


    The witchers nodded. They had a solemn look on their faces.


    The group kept going ahead and noticed an old wooden sign buried on the ground. A message was written in red, ''Crazy beast ahead. Trespassers will be killed and eaten.'' It was probably a warning sign written by the vigers.


    The witchers were not scared of mere beasts, of course. They held their des and led their horses to a mountain some distance away. A great oak tree stood between the grassy hilltop and the golden skies. It had existed for centuries. Even though the witchers were still some distance away from it, they could still see its roots entangling thend, and its canopy that covered the ground in shadows.


    The whispers became more frequent the closer they came to the tree. It failed to sway the witchers, but not everything else. As they came close to the tree, a pack of berserk wolves appeared from behind it and attacked the witchers.


    Felix stepped ahead and thrusted his de at a wolf''s lower body. He pulled his de out and stabbed another one before the first one could even let out a howl of pain. Not a drop of blood sullied his de, and Felix killed the beasts silently, just like how a phantom would.


    Serrit watched his back, focusing on the battle. Every time a beast tried to attack them, he swung his hand and sliced its belly open, and its innards spilled. Three wolves surrounded Auckes, but the witcher only sneered at them. He turned around, spinning his de with him. The momentum of the de sent three wolves flying, and he cut another one in half as well.


    Letho crossed his des, and sparks flew between them. He stepped ahead and thrusted one into a beast. At the same time, he thrusted the de on his left hand into the beast''s body. He held it up in the air and tossed it into the grass. The witcher then started spinning around. His des turned into a vortex, tearing the beasts in his way apart.


    Roy kept firing his bolts. Everywhere he shot, a wolf would burst into a cloud of blood. ''Wolf killed. EXP +10.''


    It had only been moments since they fought the wolves, but the witchers had disposed of most of them despite their number disadvantage. Still, the battle was far from over. Countless beasts kept popping up from the bushes. There were rabid dogs, boars, and even grizzly bears.


    All the beasts in the woods came to fight. There were at least a hundred of them.


    "Dammit! This is bad." Roy cast Igni and burned a vulture to ash before its attack couldnd. He then cast Fear to keep a pack of wolves in ce. Roy spun around and killed a group of beasts around him before jumping back up to his horse. Wilt raised its front legs and neighed, then it kicked a wolf that was growling at it.


    "Disengage and run for the hills!"


    Auckes, Serrit, and Letho cast Aard to push the beasts around them back. "Get on the horse, Vulture!" Auckes shouted.


    Felix was fighting a burly grizzly bear. The bear was bleeding profusely under the elegant de dance, but the bear seemed to show no signs of pain or exhaustion. It was still trundling at Felix, intent on tearing him apart.


    The beasts were regrouping quickly, and Felix finally hopped onto his horse. They ran toward the hills, keeping their horses calm with Axii.


    ***


    A group of witchers were escaping from a great herd of beasts. It was as if a group of animals were going through an exodus. Dust and grass swirled in the air, covering the setting sun''s light. It was magnificent. However, the beasts came to a halt when they came to the Whispering Hillock. It was like an invisible wall was stopping them. They paced back and forth outside the hill, snarling and growling, but none of them took a step further. They waited for a long while, but the witchers did not reappear. In the end, they roared onest time at the hill and left in the direction they came.


    "What happened?" Auckes looked surprised, but he was also excited. The beasts chased him all the way to the hill, and it felt more exhrating than a battle.


    "Too obvious." Serrit tied his bandana. "They''re terrified. Something on this hill scares them."


    "They''re scared of something on this hill¡­" Roy huffed. He had the worst stamina out of everyone. The young witcher said, "So we''re at the right ce. The thing sealed under this hill must be the Ladies'' creator¡ªThe Mother. Legend says that The Mother is intimidating enough to scare any beast. That must be it."


    "So does that mean she''s also behind the whispers?" Serrit asked.


    "Be patient. You''ll have your answer soon."


    "Any ns for after we meet The Mother?" Felix was still worried about Carl. He was in a hurry. "Her daughters are sick. I don''t think she''s any better than they are."


    "You''re right. Safety first, so we''ll have to get rid of its helpers." Roy ruminated. "We need to get an edge before we get into a negotiation, then we can find out what the Ladies'' weakness is. A backup n is always good to have."


    They settled their horses down and headed to the oak tree on the hilltop. The whispers were getting worse the nearer they got to the tree, but it still did not affect them. These whispers were just deterrents for the beasts.


    "Keep looking, everyone. See if there''s any cave entrances or trapdoors."


    They split up, and Roy turned his attention to the tree. He brushed his hand across its grey, uneven bark. The first thing he felt was something thumping in it, as if it were a heart. He could feel life force oozing out of the tree. He looked up, and the canopy was gazing at him like how an old man would. It was trying to tell Roy something.


    Roy had only seen this kind of sentience in the woods of Brokilon. He was sure that this tree was not a regr nt. It was a great and venerable life form.


    ''Ancient Oak, Nature''s Avatar


    Mulberry ficus


    Age: One thousand two hundred and fifty-four years old


    ??''


    "A thousand-year-old tree?" Roy massaged his forehead as he went through the tree''s information. "Is the core buried under this tree?" he whispered.


    "Hey guys! Come here, I found something!" Serrit found a dark cave at the hill''s downward slope. It was hidden and covered by the slope. Everyone would have missed it if they did not look carefully. "I''ve seen caves hidden behind these ces a few times before. It can''t fool me."


    The witchers leaped down the slope carefully andnded on a narrow, rocky surface. They stared at the cave that was about a man and a half in height.


    "Do you feel it?" The witchers could feel their pendants vibrating, but it was not too violent. There were monsters inside, and it was time to fight them.


    "Don''t just rush in there. We have to make sure there''s no traps or anything else inside. This cave is too small for all of us to fight efficiently." Letho took a Dragon''s Dream out of his inventory ring.


    Roy took out everything he had, including two Dragon''s Dream. If hisst ythrough meant anything, there would be werewolves and a bunch of endregas in the cave. They had the element of surprise. There was no need to risk their lives for this.


    They tossed all the Dragon''s Dreams into the cave, and someone threw a torch into it. The witchers covered their ears and crouched, their backs turned to the cave.


    A momentter, the cave rumbled, as if it were hit by an earthquake. The tree shook, and birds flew into the skies. Shrieks came from the cave. It sounded like bugs chirping, and they also heard the howls of wolvesing from within. The shrieks were overwhelmed by the explosions, and silence fell on them about thirty secondster.


    White smoke was still billowing from the cave''s entrance, however. It faded into the air about five minutester.


    ''Ten endregas killed. EXP +300.'' A smile curled Roy''s lips. Gaining so much EXP delighted him, but he noticed that something was missing. He cocked his eyebrow. "I''m missing a big one here though."


    "Still as cunning as ever, you two." Auckes red at them, gulping. He could never bring so many Dragon''s Dreams around with him, nor had he seen anyone wasting so many at once.


    "It''s called being careful!" Letho and Roy said at the same time, and the bald witcher turned his attention to the cave.


    "That was a big explosion. You could have destroyed the cave and buried The Mother."


    "That didn''t happen though. Come with me, and be careful. There''s still something inside. I can feel it." Letho unsheathed his silver sword and cast Quen before he scurried into the cave.


    Hispanions followed suit.


    The cave was dark, humid, and ustrophobic. The walls were made of limestone and mica, and green vines crawled all over them. The floor was filled with tattered bodies of animals that looked like an erged fusion of spiders and dragonflies. Those were endregas. Roy had no idea how many of them were there, but they were all blown to smithereens thanks to the Dragon''s Dreams. Their green blood and flesh were sttered everywhere.


    Auckes looked surprised. An ambush from this many endregas could hurt them if they were not careful.


    ***


    The witchers unsheathed their silver des when they saw what was ahead. A gigantic humanoid creature was leaning against the wall, huffing and puffing. Its charred fur was covered in dust and soil. An army before his chest limply. The creature turned its eyes around when it noticed the witchers. It opened its snout and let out a guttural roar.


    ''Werewolf


    Age: Thirty-three years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: The Heart''s Guardian (It protects the Whispering Hillock''s Cave), Cursed One


    HP: 64 (Badly injured)


    Strength: 13 (Badly injured)


    Dexterity: 12


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 15


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Wereform (Passive): Werewolves are rulers of the night. They are natural killers. +5 to all offensive stats (including Strength and Dexterity).


    Feral Instinct (Passive): An instinct carved in all werewolves'' souls. Possesses incredible perception. Werewolves can detect bloodlust and all openings on their enemies. They can sense danger and evade attacks easier.


    Cursed Flesh (Passive)...


    Speedy Regeneration (Passive)...


    Feral Howl Level 2: Werewolves can let out a special howl to summon nearby wolves or werewolves to assist them in battle.


    ***


    A rancid wind blew as the werewolf pounced onto the witchers.


    A bolt arced through the air and smashed through its left eye like aet. The air itself exploded, and the air current made it wobble, slowing its charge.


    The witchers surrounded the werewolf, des in hand. Their shadows swirled on the walls as they circled the injured werewolf, as if they were hyenas attacking an old and wizened lion. The werewolf roared furiously, swinging its arm around. However, its wounds and Yrden kept it in ce, and soon it was overwhelmed by bolts, signs, and a vortex of des.


    A cage made out of vortices of des kept the werewolf in ce as it awaited its eventual death. It cried out in despair with every stab, and yet it failed to stop its blood from spurting out like a fountain.


    Ten secondster, the werewolf fell, his bodycerated with grievous wounds. His charred chest was still heaving, but he was a hair''s breadth away from death.


    "I''ll leave the cleaning up for you, kid."


    Felix did not find it weird. He thought they were still training Roy on the ins and outs of the trade.


    Roy went and looked at its snout. Its canine teeth glinted menacingly, and its ws were as long as scythes. Roy swung Aerondight down on the werewolf and lopped its head off.


    ''Werewolf killed. EXP +180.''


    "Help me out here. Let''s cut this sacrifice up."


    The witchers crouched and peeled the werewolf''s heart, eyes, and teeth out. They also found a little something for themselves¡ªa red mutagen.


    "They''re getting a werewolf as a sacrifice. Should be more than enough even for those crones.¡±


    The outermost corner of the cave rumbled as they worked through the werewolf, and an old, majestic female voice spoke to them.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 246: The Truth of the Core

    "Begone, you dogs! You are nature''s enemy!" the voice roared. It was like a crone''s shout, but it was amplified by a hundred. It sounded crazy and hysterical. A violent air current swept past the cave as the shout overwhelmed them. The stctites were trembling, and ripples spread across theke''s surface.


    The witchers were undaunted, however. They went through the water passage in the center and came to the cave''s deepest parts. There was nearly no light here. The dim illumination shone on a gigantic, bloated creature. It hung from the walls and top of the cave like a fleshy mountain filled with disgusting tumors.


    The biggest and most conspicuous part of the mountain was located in its center. It was shaped like a heart, and the mass of flesh was still pounding. As if by magic, the whole cave was responding to its heartbeat, raining down debris and dust on the witchers. The flesh mountain was covered by ayer of rough, hard tree bark covered with yellow needles. It was as if the mound of flesh were protecting itself with a spikyyer of armor.


    The witchers'' pendants were vibrating violently. The air was filled with mana. Perhaps this mound of flesh itself was a magical creation.


    "A tumor¡­" Letho said.


    "It''s the tree''s core," Roy corrected. "It''s connected to the roots of that oak tree on the hilltop." A thick root surrounded the core, squirming like a snake.


    "Begone!" the crone shrieked again. Its voice echoed in the cave, and it was then the witchers realized that the thing that spoke was this core in front of them. "Leave my territory immediately, or you shall suffer!" the core roared. The root pulled itself out of the wall and circled the air, pointing its sharp end at the witchers.


    "You misunderstand us, madam." Roy cast Observe on the core, but it was covered in a light greenyer of energy. It was a natural camouge. All he could see was the same details as the tree. He could not see through the core''s real identity. "We are witchers, not dogs."


    "You lie! I could sense your scent from the moment you came into this hillock. It''s the same stench as those ugly, vile bitches! I know that stench anywhere, and you killed my guards!" the core screamed. "Leave if you want to live!"


    "And what if we refuse?" Serrit was annoyed by the attitude. He pointed his de at her and retorted, "Your werewolf and endregas are dead. You''re in no position to threaten us."


    "Try me." The core was not afraid in the least. "And you''ll find the cave copsing on you before you can even attack!"


    The witchers'' hearts sank.


    "Calm down, madam. I think I know where that stench came from." Roy tugged on Serrit''s arm and tossed the dagger to the core.


    The core flew into a rage and mmed the root into the dagger. The root iled like a whip, and winds blew everywhere in the cave. Sounds of something getting smashed filled the air, and the witchers took a step back in case the root hit them by ident.


    The core was done venting after a moment, but the ground had a small hole the size of a few arms. The witchers gasped. <em>How much does she hate the Ladies of the Wood?</em>


    "Now do you believe us, madam? We would never have allowed this ''sphemy'' to happen if we were really those bitches'' dogs."


    "Why do youe here with their dagger then? And how do you know I''m here?" The core was still suspicious.


    "We made a deal with thedies, but it''s not what you think." Felix went ahead and exined everything they experienced. He kept emphasizing Carl in that story.


    "The crones held Carl hostage. We had no choice but to hunt for the sacrifice in this hillock, but we won''t let this slide just like that," Roy exined carefully. "I''ve read about you in a book. The crones sealed you, didn''t they? You''re their sworn enemy, no doubt about it, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That''s why we''re here."


    "You want to work with me to fight them?"


    "Yes. Or at least we''d like to teach them a lesson." Auckes grinned toothily, but he sounded dangerous. He hated threats the most.


    The core swayed her root around. She said, "We can talk about thister. Witcher, what is the name of the book you mentioned? And where did you find it?" the core asked, but it sounded weird.


    "She Who Knows," Roy answered. "We found it in a cripple''s house in Velen."


    "And you believe what the book said?" The core sighed. "I need to correct you on one thing. Those vile women destroyed my body, but they could never seal my soul. I chose this holy tree as my vessel. It''s one of the only two things that can house my soul in Velen." The core kept quiet for a moment. "But I was never able to break free of the tree since then."


    The avatar of nature that saved her soul became her prison. The core could not make any expressions, but the witchers could feel its sadness and resignation. They slowly sheathed their silver des.


    "What else did the book say?"


    "Who you really are. It calls you the mother and creator of the Ladies. ording to it, you''re The Mother, the most ancient being in Velen. They only tried to kill you because you lost your mind and tried to massacre the whole Velen."


    The core roared inughter, and the cave rumbled. There was no mirth in itsugh. Only mockery.


    "I would have killed myself if I were really their mother. I would never have created anything so repulsive and evil," the core spat in disgust and hatred. "How dare they call themselves my daughters? I am nature''s protector! Yet they im that I would have rained down destruction on Velen? Well, that''s touching. They must be heroines!" The core roared, "As if! Those bitches are no heroines at all!"


    The witchers shook their heads.


    The core continued, "You know who the Whispess is? Yes, she''s one of the crones. She loves cutting off human ears and turning them into her spies. The Weavess loves to make silk clothes out of human hair and cover her ugly, oversized body. The Brewess brews soup made of flesh for her sisters. Sometimes she would invite random creatures to join in the feast."


    Roy knew that. One of those creatures was the infamous Wild Hunt.


    The core slowed down. "So, do you think they''re actually angels?"


    "I see. So you''re not The Mother, nor did you create the crones. And they''re not actually goddesses who keep the people of Velen safe."


    "I see you understand what I am saying." The core heaved a sigh of relief. "Sorry. It''s been a long time since I had a good chat. I lost my temper for a bit."


    "We understand." Letho nodded. They would go mad as well if they were trapped in a tree for a century. "Who are you, actually? Will you help us fight the crones?"


    "Very well. You were willing to listen to a monster''s ramblings. I suppose I can tell you some of Velen''s truths."


    The core stopped for a moment, and the witchers paid full attention to it.


    "I am a member of the Druids'' circle. I protect the woods and swamps of Velen, keeping the bnce of nature and its ecosystem. You may call me Kunguran. The crones, or as the people call them, Ladies of the Wood, are monsters from another dimension. They descended on Velen during the first Conjunction of the Spheres. They can absorb mana from the earth and control the fates of nearby creatures."


    She continued. "They wish to steal thisnd, so they destroyed my body and sealed my soul in this tree. Nature, my ward, protected me and kept me safe from the crones'' conspiracy. Nature is furious that her guardian died. She created The Whispering Hillock and awakened the beasts'' primal instincts. She sent them on a rampage and stopped the crones'' henchmen from harming me. Witchers, the crones have hurt both you and me. If you wish to work with me, then I have a request."


    "What is it?"


    "Release me from this tree I reside in."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 247: Second Seal

    The sun was setting, and dusk descended. The witchers came out of the cave and split into three teams.


    "A crow''s feathers, the core''s husk, and a ck mare. This is a strange ritual. It feels like we''re releasing a demon." Letho and Roy were side by side on horseback. "Are you sure it''s fine resurrecting that ugly monster? Did your blood warn you against that?"


    "I''m sure the core is no demon." Roy looked at the southern part of the hillock. It was dark, and beasts were supposed to be out and about, but they were hiding in the bushes. Unlike earlier, they did not attack the witchers.


    The witchers were covered in the green juice the core extracted from the root. They smelled like nts, chasing away the berserking beasts. It was like the juices turned them into allies.


    "But she''s not a kind soul either. I know she used to be a member of the druids'' circle, and some records did say that the circle existed in Velen a long time ago. Still, she made the crones out to be vile demons, but that''s not what we saw," Letho disagreed. "We saw Lower Velen. The Ladies demand sacrifices from the vigers, but they blessed them with bountiful crops and healed sick fruits. They also saved them from the beasts and monsters of Velen. The crones are fair to an extent. This is a bloody and strenuous bnce. Do you have a better recement if you break that bnce?"


    "Letho, they kidnapped Carl. We have to make them know that witchers are not as weak as they think."


    "But releasing the core is not the only way." Letho rubbed his chin. He still stood by his opinion. "She''s an unknown creature filled with a century''s worth of grudge from being imprisoned in that tree. She will demand revenge once she''s freed. That means disaster for No Man''s Land. Releasing a terrible monster to get back at the crones is not a good idea, kid."


    Roy heaved a sigh. He frowned for a moment. "Fine. I actually have another n. Yes, the crones are no saints, but the core is not to be trusted either. In that case¡­" His eyes gleamed, and he said coldly, "Remember the bloodstone Vivienne gave us? This is what we''re going to do. You''ll be doing¡­"


    ¡­


    The moon climbed up into the night sky. The witchers had left the hillock and fought back a group of drowners who ambushed them in the swamp. They came to another small hill in the center of three oak trees. The moon shone on a green stone tablet standing in the center of the hill. The tablet was elliptical, ancient, and cold. Time tore it down and filled it with cracks. Tufts of grass were growing from the cracks of the table.


    Roy crouched and brushed his hand against the surface. He could feel some rough and twisted runes carved into it. There were scalene triangles, stars, moons, and some crudely-drawn beasts. It was some ancient stone carving, and Roy had no idea what it was saying.


    "What does this mean?" Roy looked at Letho.


    "The Druids'' circle created these runes. We had no department that tackled this, and I''ve never learned about this before. I don''t get what it means, but I''m sure this is the core''s grave."


    They looked at the clearing before the grave.


    "You wanted us to dig your grave, Madam Kunguran. Forgive us for this." The witchers unsheathed their swords and dug through the ground. They excavated some bones from the hole and barely made out a humanoid shape from the bones. The remains had limbs and a skull, but there were canine teeth protruding from the mandible. Long, shriveled nails protruded from the ends of the fingers, but most importantly, the remains were petite. It was not even a third of a regr human''s size.


    ''Unnamed remains


    ??''


    "See? This isn''t even human at all." Letho had an rmed look in his eyes.


    "Maybe it''s the remains of an old woman?"


    Letho shook his head adamantly. "I''ve seen a lot of skeletons, including one who lived to more than eighty years old. Most of them were hunched, and their bones were porous and twisted, but they don''t look like this. This is too small for a human, but it hasn''t even begun to turn to dust yet."


    "Maybe it''s the remains of a dwarf, halfling, or even gnomes."


    "They don''t have teeth this sharp," Letho said. "And all of them have more ribs than this one."


    "So what is this thing? It''s not human, but it was a druid?" Roy was confused. <em>Were ancient druids non-human? I''ve never read this in the lore, nor have I seen them in the game.</em>


    "I don''t know. Maybe only the ancient druids have the answer."


    The witchers whispered for a while longer, then they tucked the remains away and went back to the hillock. At the same time, Felix found a crow''s nest on the branches of a great oak and got some ck feathers. Serrit and Auckes found a ck mare dozing off on the ins near the Hunched Swamp in the west of the hillock, and they cast Axii on it. They came back with all the materials, meeting up at the entrance beforeing back to the core.


    "You''ve found everything, witchers? What are you waiting for? Start the ritual now!" The core''s voice was trembling with excitement. Sheshed out at the ck mare with the root, circling it, as if it was a viper hunting its prey.


    The mare noticed something, and it neighed impatiently, trotting about in the same ce.


    "We do have everything, madam." Roy whipped out the package of remains from the saddlebag and held it in his hands. "But we have a few questions before we can proceed."


    "Ask away!" The core was in a hurry.


    "Do you remember our terms, Madam Kunguran?"


    "You still refuse to believe me?" The core was upset. "I''ll say it once more. Once I''m free, I''ll shield you from the crones while you infiltrate Bald Mountain and teach them a lesson they won''t soon forget." It said grimly, "But a fair warning. Don''t expect too much from this mission. Don''t even think about killing any one of them. They''re powerful sorceresses, and they can summon an army of monsters from other dimensions to help them. Including the Wild Hunt."


    "The Wild Hunt?" The Vipers'' hearts skipped a beat. They did not expect the core to talk about the Wild Hunt. They were the Viper School''s nemesis, and they knew how powerful the Wild Hunt was.


    "You heard of the flying phantom knights as well? Their top knights would join the crones'' feast every year. They get along well thanks to this ancient tradition." The core sighed. "You''ll have to defeat the Wild Hunt if you wish to beat the crones, but you''re not powerful enough to do that just yet."


    Roy went through his memories. ording to what he knew, the crones would hold a banquet on Bald Mountain every spring. All the powerful monsters in Velen were invited. The vigers would provide them with sacrifices as well¡ªa young, beautiful boy and girl. The crones would return a part of the ''rebirthed'' children the next day and bless the vigers with oak oil that would grant them bountiful crops. It was a primitive symbiotic rtionship, one that needed a sacrifice.


    The core''s exnation confirmed one of Roy''s earliest guesses. <em>The Wild Hunt did not take part in this banquet just for fun. They must have been involved with this ''trade'' in Velen. The crones probably sold a part of the children they got to the Wild Hunt. These guys are searching for new blood across dimensions after all. </em>"Don''t worry. We''re not nning on fighting thedies just yet."


    "Smart choice."


    "But how are we going to teach them a lesson if we can''t fight them on their turf?" Serrit asked.


    "We can burn it all down," Auckes growled.


    "On their turf? They might put out the fire before we can even burn anything, and thedies would kill us for that," Letho objected.


    The core fell silent for a moment. The witchers could feel her struggling and hesitating. A long whileter, she answered, "I have a better idea. They would probably scream if you could burn down that oak tree on Bald Mountain."


    "The holy oak?" Roy was reminded of the overly bountiful crops in Lower Velen and the acorn oil the vigers used to water their fields.


    "That was a seed I spread before my death. The crones took over it after they killed me and used it to bless the people of Velen. The acorns can be turned into oil. Water the fields with it, and you''re guaranteed to have a bountiful harvest. Healers can use the oil to remedy any diseases too. The pink and golden acorns are incredibly great for the human body too. They''ve existed for a hundred years or two, after all." The core was silent for a moment. "Taking the acorns away will still hurt them, even if you can''t burn down the tree."


    "The oak tree and the special acorns, huh?" The witchers'' eyes shone.


    The core urged, "I''ve told you about an important secret. That should be enough. Now start the ritual. ce the feathers and skeletal remains under the heart."


    Roy and the witchers exchanged looks, and he took the crow''s feathers from Felix. "I present the feathers of a crow." He ced the feathers before the heart solemnly.


    The core answered with full formality, "I shall be freed from the cage of mortal flesh!" The echoes sent a magical shockwave across the cave, making it rumble.


    At the same time, Roy cunningly asked, "Madam Kunguran, how can we slip into the mountain undetected then?" Roy moved the skeletal remains around as he asked.


    The core was moments away from freedom, and she answered, "With my blood. Take some of my blood when you cut my body open. The crones can''t detect you if you smear yourself with it."


    Satisfied, the witcher ced the skeletal remains underneath the heart. "I present your remains."


    The core shouted, "I shall be free once more from the cage of mortal flesh!" A gust of hurricane blew into the cave, piling the feathers and bones together. The core shouted, "Witcher, bring me the horse and have it drink my blood!" The core took off the spikyyer of armor, revealing its tender insides.


    Felix led the mare ahead, while Letho unsheathed his de and held its point against the core. Roy would not be the one to kill her. The core would turn into nothing if he was the one who struck the final blow. Still, he asked, "Will you exact revenge after you''re free, Madam Kunguran?"


    "What revenge? This is not the time for jokes, witcher!" the core said coldly. She was about to fly into a rage.


    "No. You know what I mean." Roy asked, "Will you kill the people of Lower Velen? From what I know, they tried to kill you because of the crones'' orders."


    "How''d you know?"


    "You told me about it. Or have you forgotten?"


    "Really?" the core said. "Sorry. I don''t think I forget things that easily."


    Roy stopped hesitating and gave Letho a look, just like they nned. Letho swung his de down, and the coreughed. A gash appeared in the core, and blood spurted out of it. Part of it flowed into the leather bag the witchers prepared, while most of it drenched the materials on the ground. The blood, bones, and feathers merged as one. The mare gulped down the blood, and silence fell upon them.


    For a moment, there were only the sounds of drinking and gulping in the air. When the mare was done drinking, it raised its head, revealing a pair of blood-red eyes. "I''m free!" It raised its front legs and cheered. The mare had the voice of a young woman. "Spirit of nature, at longst, I have regained my freedom! I will avenge myself! I will kill¡ª"


    Someone suddenly caressed ck Beauty''s mane. "There''s one more step to the ritual, Kunguran."


    "What?"


    Letho had not sheathed his de yet. At the same time he said that, he sliced ck Beauty''s throat open. The flesh split, the blood spilled, and tendons and bones were exposed to the air. The blood rained like a waterfall, drenching the ground in red.


    "Why?" That was ck Beauty''sst words before she fell to the ground. Her hooves were twitching. She had just gotten her freedom, but she died before she could even gallop around The Whispering Hillock. She refused to die like this, but thest thing she saw was the bald witcher staring at her coldly. He was holding a gemstone that gleamed crimson. That would be her final resting ce.


    "Done." Roy heaved a sigh of relief and took the bloodstone from Letho. He fiddled with it. There was a sliver of ck smoke inside, trying to break through the stone, but to no avail. He closed his eyes and tried to tuck the stone away in his inventory, but he failed. <em>I knew it. I can''t keep it in the inventory once it''s loaded with a soul. I have to take it around with me now. </em>"I have freed you as promised, Madam Kunguran, but I like it better if you''re trapped in here."


    "You locked that core''s soul in that stone?" Serrit stared at the lively but humble smoke in disbelief. "That little thing is a soul? Does every soul look like that?"


    "This is no simple stone. Only the stone Vivienne gave me can trap souls in it. Most humans and monsters share the same core anyway," Roy exined patiently and gave it to Serrit for closer inspection.


    Auckes and Felix were filled with curiosity as well. They had never seen a soul''s corporeal form until today.


    "So what are you going to do with her?"


    "She ims to be an ancient druid, so we''ll get a real druid to see if that''s true."


    They discussed for a while, and Letho looked around, then he delegated work. "We''ll stay in the cave for the night and make preparations for the mission. The kid and I will cover ourselves in the core''s blood tomorrow to slip through the crones and find that oak tree on Bald Mountain. Vulture, you will go with Auckes and Serrit to present thedies with your sacrifice and bring back Carl. How does that sound?"


    "We''ll do just that."


    The moonlight shone into the cave, and the witchers exchanged looks.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 248: Ladies of the Wood

    A warm dawn shone on thend, and a gentle breeze danced through The Whispering Hillock, the Hunched Swamp, and the beautiful, verdant fields. It pranced through the muddy paths on Lower Velen, refreshing the witchers.


    "Bald Mountain, the crones'' base of operations, and that mysterious oak tree¡­" Auckes was holding the bloody package of sacrifice with one hand and the horse''s reins with the other. He sighed. "Darn it. Why couldn''t I go with Roy?" Auckes swung the package in frustration. "Lower Velen''s a shit ce. Running errands is so boring."


    "Shut up, you fool!" Serrit followed behind him, looking around cautiously. After confirming that the fields and bushes were not rigged with ears, he whispered, "Don''t ruin the n! The crones'' spies might be around!"


    "I know. I just don''t like this. Why does Letho get to take the most important job?"


    "Obviously because you talk too much!" Serrit retorted, and he smirked. "This isn''t really a boring job if you think about it. Perhaps we will get to see thedies'' beauty this time." Serrit sounded expectant. "It''d be really great if they were as gorgeous as the paintings made them out to be."


    "Quit dreaming." Auckes snorted and shook his head. "The core told us the crones are old, wrinkly women. But if that''s your standard of beauty, I guess they''re pretty too."


    "Are you sure the core didn''t lie?" Serrit gave him a mysterious look. "Auckes, I might be a worse swordsman than you, but I understand women better. They would hurl every curse under the sun at their enemies. I think the truth ispletely different from what we''re told," Serrit exined. "The crones are powerful. It should be easy for them to stay young."


    Serrit''s adamance made Auckes waver. He rubbed his chin. "If they''re still beautiful, then I suppose I can see them."


    "You get it now, don''t you?" Serrit added, "So what if they''re crones? What''s important is they''re beautiful and sexy enough."


    Felix was right in front of them. He shook his head. <em>They''re still fighting even now? Are they stupid or mad? Or are they actually calm? </em>"Is this how Vipers rx?" Felix shook his head. Lower Velen was in sight now, and he clenched his fists.


    ***


    "Have you brought the sacrifice, witchers?" Carson was smoking at the entrance, and he puffed the smoke at the witchers¡¯ face.


    "Have some faith in our reputation, old man. We always keep our promises," Auckes said. He tossed the package to Carson. Carson looked surprised and horrified when he saw the contents.


    A great, snarling werewolf''s head was facing him. Its eyes were gouged out, leaving two little holes behind. Its tongue was cut at the base, and blood was still flowing. Its teeth gleamed under the sunlight, almost blinding Carson.


    Carson gulped, and he gazed at the witchers. "Take it to the clearing behind the vige. There''s an altar there. You have to present this to thedies yourself. That''s thest step of the sacrifice." He pointed in right the direction for the witchers.


    "Aren''t youing with us?"


    Fear shed in Carson''s eyes. "I cannot disturb thedies unless they summon me." He turned around and chided the vigers who were watching them. He shot a re at the guy with thick chest hair. That guy was staring dumbly at them. "Yeah, you! Don''t just stand there! You can''t kill anyone with that pitchfork! Do you want to see thedies too?"


    The burly man let out a scream and ran away. The other vigers left as well. They scurried back to their houses like scared children and huddled near their windows to see the witchers off. There were looks of fear, disgust, and schadenfreude in their eyes, as if they were happy that the witchers would be faced with cmity.


    "Why don''t you go first?" Auckes lost his fervor. He started hesitating.


    "No, brother. You should go first. You love to be the vanguard," Serrit refused.


    Felix held up the bloody package and went ahead before they could argue any further.


    ***


    A stone altar half the height of a regr adult stood in the center of the clearing. The altar was covered in dried blood and crimson handprints after countless sacrifices. It was already the color of metallic brown. Vulture ced the werewolf''s head on the altar. As its blood seeped into the altar, a magical wind started blowing out of nowhere. It was filled with mana, and the witchers'' pendants vibrated.


    They took a step back, holding the hilt of their des and casting signs by instinct. A cacophony of noise rang in the air. It was eerie and flowed fluidly like water. There was a woman''s sigh, the roars of beasts, and silveryughter that belonged to children. The voices merged and became whispers that hung in the air.


    In the end, they heard the sound of something falling behind them. The thing''s footsteps sounded heavy, and the ground shook with every step it took. They were reminded of giants and enormous creatures. They swiveled around and pointed their des ahead. Three silhouettes suddenly appeared before them. When they saw what the silhouettes were, the witchers cursed silently, <em>This is bullshit! Kreve! Melitele! Eternal Fire! Any god out there. Open your eyes! Something this ugly shouldn''t exist!</em>


    Auckes and Serrit''s fantasy was shattered into a million pieces. The gap between expectations and reality made them purse their lips tightly. For a moment there, they almost retched. It was almost impossible for someone who had dealt with disgusting creatures like necrophages and nekkers to retch.


    "Put your swords down, little ones," one of the crones said. It was raspy and vile, just like the typical voice everyone imagined when they thought about old, vile witches who dwelled in swamps and forests.


    Auckes squinted at them, as if he were worried their grotesque faces would burn his eyes. The crone who greeted them was the Weavess. She was hunched and stood on the right. Most of her body was covered in a dark brown cloth that resembled a canvas or some dirty handkerchief. Only her thin, four-fingered arms and two gigantic feet were exposed. A red witch''s cap covered most of her head, and a brown eyepatch made of hair covered her right eye. Her left eye was made out of a tumor that looked like adybug. The witchers wondered how she could see. Her nose was red and as long and sharp as a crow''s beak. Her lips were pale and cracked. The weirdest thing about her was a pair of child''s legs growing out of the cloth covering her belly. The legs swayed as she breathed, as if they were nothing but trinkets.


    "They look even better in the flesh," the crone in the middle said quietly. She was the Brewess, the mightiest and fattest of the sisters. Her arms were as thick as pirs, making it easier for her to swing her big spat in her cauldron. Her legs were as big as small dams, and her waist was as gigantic as a bucket. Her belly was as round as a cauldron, and she was about three or four heads taller than most humans. The Brewess looked just like a moving, fleshy mountain. Her bulging body was covered tightly. Instead of calling her the Brewess, it would be far easier calling her the Pig Lady. She looked just like a swine who just learned how to stand on its two hind legs. Unlike her sisters, she did not hunch. She put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out. Her face was covered in a cage made out of hay, perhaps to cover her horrifying face.


    "I like the one in the middle. I prefer men with his looks," the Whispess said, looking at Auckes. She was standing on the left. The Whispess looked like the Brewess, and her face was covered with a reddish-brown silk cloth. Her size stood between her sisters. She was moderately sized, and her back was hunched. Her muscles were big, and the way she stood resembled something between an ostrich and a kangaroo. Her skin was pale, wrinkly, and filled with growths of different sizes. The one thing that attracted everyone''s attention was the big cloth bag hanging from her waist. It was covered in blood, and a child''s arm was sticking out of it. The stench of rotting flesh drew the flies in. They circled the air above the cloth bag.


    Auckes held his disgust down and pulled his sword back a little. "Ahem. Thank you for the praise,dies." He said as calmly as he could, "But you don''t resemble the paintings at all."


    "Ah, but the paintings did not lie, witcher. That was what we looked like when we were young. We loved living our days out with strong, handsome young men like you." The Whispess chuckled. "s, Velen is filled with malice and negative emotions. They''re more destructive than the most potent poison you can find. They gnawed at us, and we grew old."


    "Ladies, the people of Lower Velen and Velen atrge praise you," Felix interrupted. He had no interest in guessing whether that was the truth or not, nor was he intrigued about flirting with a monster like her. "We''ve given you the sacrifice as promised, and now it''s your turn. Give Carl back to me."


    "Yes. We always keep our promises." The Weavess grasped at the air with her spindly hands. "The poor child was as thin as a stick when he first got here. He was tired, scared, and couldn''t even stand."


    "We''ve been taking care of him as best as we could." The Whispess shrugged innocently.


    "We treated him like our own," the Brewess added.


    "s, he would not listen to us. Tried to escape a few times." The Weavess sighed. "We loved him for nothing."


    "Where is he? Why didn''t you take him here?" Felix gnashed his teeth. The veins on his face popped, and he was holding the hilt of his de tightly.


    "Calm down, witcher. We did not hurt him. He''s waiting for you somewhere safe. He''s fed and clothed." The Whispess fiddled with the hand in her cloth bag. "The crows just sent him to the vige chief''s house in Lower Velen. He''s waiting for you there."


    Felix wanted to leave right away, but the Brewess stopped him. "A minute, please. I have a proposition for you." She went to the altar and picked the werewolf head up. She sniffed it, and it almost made her drunk. "A perfect sacrifice. It has enough mana, and¡­" The Brewess paused for a moment. "It''s dipped in The Whispering Hillock''s madness. You have breached the forbidden area, haven''t you, witchers?"


    "So what?" The witchers stood side by side.


    "Have you seen a tree''s core there? It''s incredibly big." The Whispess grasped the air. She observed the witchers, but the looks on their faces did not betray their thoughts. "I would like you to go back and destroy that thing for us."


    "Is that a request?" Auckes mocked, "Or are you going to kidnap one of us again to force us into submission?"


    "We will reward you adequately this time, witchers." The Whispess exined, "The first time was merely a test."


    The Weavess said, "Not every witcher is willing to talk to us. At least we''re off to a good start. We held up our end of the bargain, didn''t we?"


    The Brewess scratched her gigantic body. "If you help us, we''ll show you that even an impoverishednd like Velen has its own treasures too. They''ll be worth the work."


    ***


    The witchers exchanged looks. The core''s soul had been taken by Roy the night before, but the beasts were still rampaging on the hillock, so thedies did not notice that.


    "We need more information on this request. What is the core? And what do you have to do with it?" Auckes pretended to be interested in this. "And Felix has to take the boy first. They have to leave Velen."


    The Whispess said, "Speaking of which, this reminds me. Where are your otherpanions, witcher? I remember there were two of them."


    "They''ve left Velen," Auckes lied. "Not every witcher works in teams." He smiled.


    "Is that so?" The Whispess stared down and felt thend quietly, but her spies did not give her any information to prove that this was a lie. Her doubts were cleared.


    Auckes heaved a sigh of relief. <em>That''s all the time I can buy for you two,</em> he thought.


    ***


    About three miles from the west of Lower Velen, two witchers smeared in the core''s blood came to Bald Mountain. They walked on their tiptoes, moving as silent as cats. The witchers slipped past thedies'' priests and guards, heading to the top of the mountain.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 249: Oak and Acorns

    The crones lived in Ard Saerbyn due west of Velen. It was surrounded by a mountain and waterfalls. Theke reflected the peak in that ce. It was not majestic, but it was filled with life and greenery. A small vige stood at the base of the mountain, and the vigers had been serving the crones for generations.


    Every spring, the crones would hold a night banquet at Bald Mountain. Their believers were invited to the banquet, where they could ept the sacrifices over thest year and the magical acorns the crones blessed them with.


    A blind priestess would pick three chosen ones from the believers to spend a lovely night with thedies. They were either young men or beautifuldies. The believers who spent a night with thedies would return the next day, happily forgetting their names and most of their memories as they went on with their new lives.


    Roy kept thinking about the lore he read about this ce. Bald Mountain would be heavily guarded during the banquet. It was filled with sentries and demons the crones summoned. It was nigh impossible for the witchers to infiltrate it. However, it had been more than six months since the banquet, and most of the sentries were gone. The crones had gone to Lower Velen as well. This fortress was as good as unguarded.


    The core''s blood covered the witchers'' scent. The Whispess'' army of ears and guards did not see them. They climbed up the treacherous cliff and came close to the peak without any troubles. Eventually theynded on a teau. A gigantic oak tree stood on the mountain''s top, its branches expanding everywhere. It stretched down over the cliff, covering the mountain like a kraken''s tentacles.


    A single tree could not make a forest, but this oak was an exception. It was the size of a small forest by itself, and it seemed to have mutated. Its bark was as ck and slimy as mud, and it was covered in vines and spikes. The tree radiated the stench of evil and rotting flesh. A great amount of mana and chaotic energy covered its enormous canopy, and the witchers'' pendants vibrated.


    They held their pendants down. This used to be a sacrednd of the druids hundreds of years ago, but the crones destroyed Velen''s circle right after they came, and they corrupted the oak tree too.


    The witchers came to the entrance. It stood nearly twenty feet tall and was made of ancient wood. They had to pass this entrance if they wanted to reach the peak. They walked on their tiptoes and pushed the door on both sides. Surprisingly, it was not locked, and they opened it easily. They exchanged looks, held their des, cast their signs, and darted inside.


    The sun was shining brightly. It illuminated the inside of the door. What greeted them first was a long, dark passage. Light-yellow ferns covered both sides of the passage, and sounds of heavy breathing came from the end of the corridor.


    Someone, or something, was dozing off in the cave. The witchers were on high alert. They stood on their tiptoes and leaned against the wall, controlling their breathing and heartbeats. Roy even found something on their way to the end. The ferns growing on the walls were no ordinary nts, unlike blowballs, sages, ordines.


    ''Paesia elmeri


    Fern


    Age: Two years old


    ce of origin: Ard Saerbyn, Tir na Lia


    Used to: Treat whooping cough, create alchemical items''


    "Tir na Lia?" Roy thought about it for a moment, and he frowned. This was not the name of any country in this world. It was the capital of Aen Elle''s hometown in another dimension. <em>The crones''ir has nts that only exist in the Wild Hunt''s world? Yep, they''re in cahoots alright.</em>


    Roy wanted to get some samples, but he pulled his hand back before he could touch it. It would be bad if Fugas or the crones found out they were here. He held his urge back and went on with the mission. They turned a corner and came to a clearing.


    The ce was draped in yellow light. There were piles of candles in the corners. There were two paths before the witchers. One was on the left, and it led upward. The other was behind a stone protrusion, and a great monster was guarding it.


    It was sleeping on its back. The monster was snoring. It was in a deep sleep, and the witchers'' arrival did not wake it. They could attack the monster and get away with it if they wanted. Still, the witchers did not make a move. Instead, they held their breaths and observed the creature.


    It was overweight, to say the least. The monster was as round as an oversized ball. It looked like a troll who had too much food for its own good. From where the witchers were standing, they could see its big belly bobbing up and down as it breathed.


    The monster was almost naked, save for a piece of loincloth covering its groin. Its skin was crimson, as if it were scalded by hot water. However, its waist, arms, and forehead had ck engravings on them. It had hooves like a cow''s, and it was covered in thick ck hair. Its hands were ck, bloated, and only had three pudgy fingers.


    A pair of curved horns protruded from its forehead. It was the hallmark of a demon. Roy was reminded of a chort. He sniffed the air. There was a weak scent of sulfur permeating it. <em>Yep, it''s him alright.</em>


    ''Fagus


    Age: Three hundred and fifty years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Demon (A weaker archetype that possesses lower intellect), the mountain''s guardian (It guards the path to the peak for the crones)


    HP: 320


    Mana: 130


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 8


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 6


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 13


    Skills:


    Sulfuric mes Level 5: Intermediate fire magic. Costs a moderate amount of mana. Fagus can spit out poisonous mes using the element of fire and its own sulfur. Inflicts scald, burn, and poison.


    Lesser Demonic Body (Passive): Demons possess incredible vitality. +120 to HP. They can heal any minor wounds quickly. Immune to poison. Possesses incredible digestive ability. Increased durability thanks to its tough skin.


    ***


    Roy knew there was a certain test in Kaer Morhen that involved a gigantic creature as well. The apprentice witchers must try to sneak past a sleeping cyclop. Anyone who wakes it would be eaten. Fagus was a lot less threatening than that monster. Judging from the information they had, Roy and letho could kill it if they worked together, especially since it was not even defending itself. That was not a n they could use, however. They would alert the crones to this attack if they did.


    Roy turned to the path on the left and went into it. If he was right, this was the path to the peak, and Letho followed him. They carefully avoided every little pebble on the ground. Thanks to the blood, they managed to slip past Fagus. The witchers went through a dark path and ended up at the back of the mountain.


    A gale was blowing, and the sun shone on the beautiful nts decorating the mountain. The buildings in the vige were just the size of a mote of dust from where they stood. A slithering stone path led the witchers up to the oak tree at the top of the mountain


    ''Arendelle, Corrupted Oak


    Deciduous Flowering nt


    Age: One thousand and sixty years


    ce of origin: Velen


    ??''


    Acorns hung from the tree like stars in the sky. Most of them had already been harvested during the banquet in spring. They were given to thedies'' believers. Most acorns were brown and only as big as broad beans, but these were as big as fists, and they were ck, just like the tree trunk.


    A few golden and pink acorns dotted the tree. They were hidden deep inside the oak, high up in the sky. Most people would find it impossible to reach, but not witchers. Letho rolled his sleeves up and rubbed his hands.


    "What are you doing, Letho?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Letho crossed his arms and stared up at the oak tree. For once, he sounded a little childish. "Auckes and I used to climb a lot of trees in Gorthur Gvaed. That was a long time ago. This is nothing for me. Just wait. I''ll get those golden acorns right away."


    Roy rolled his eyes. "Hold it."


    "We don''t have time. The crones areing back soon. We''ll die if they find us here."


    "Don''t you feel it?" Roy whispered. He put his hand on the trunk and closed his eyes. "It''s crying," he said gently.


    Letho''s face fell, and he frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "Letho, you know I can talk to Wilt and some nonhumans. Gryphon, for example," Roy exined. "But I can''t talk to nts most of the time. This is an exception though. It''s sentient. Almost like it''s a human."


    The oak told Roy of her sadness when he was Observing her. The young witcher saw a helpless woman covered in the filthy mud of the bog in his vision.


    "What did she tell you?"


    "Try to listen."


    ***


    "Kunguran¡­ Kunguran¡­" A woman''s voice spoke to the witcher''s heart when he ced his hand on its trunk. It was a calm, gentle, and reliable voice, but it would tremble and crack sometimes. Obviously, it was under some kind of torture.


    Roy took a deep breath and whipped out the bloodstone from his bag. The soul in the stone started ramming its prison, while the woman''s voice was filled with delight. It was like two lovers getting reunited after a long separation, two soulmates meeting again after a long time. However, the bloodstone stopped them from seeing each other. It was then Roy knew that the core was actually a druid. There was no other reason for the oak to sound so delighted.


    "Kunguran, help me. Save me¡­"


    <em>What should I do? </em>Roy asked in his heart. He looked up at the great tree. <em>I can''t take this whole tree with me. That''s not possible. I''d have to be as powerful as an elven sage.</em>


    "Pain¡­" The woman could not make a coherent sentence like humans could. She was straight to the point. "Cleanse me¡­ Rid me of evil¡­"


    "What kind of evil?"


    "Crones¡­ take¡­ magic¡­ from thend¡­ evil¡­ torture¡­ me¡­"


    Letho was also listening, but he pulled his hand back and massaged his forehead. "So you''re saying the crones extract magic from Velen''snd and corrupt you with the waste?"


    The oak started shaking its branches in response. Leaves and acorns fell, and a cold gust of wind blew in the air. They could hear a woman''s sobs around them.


    "Calm down." Roy caressed the tree''s bark. "We''re sorry about what happened to you, but we''re just witchers. We don''t have any magic, unlike sorcerers and druids. We can''t help you, and we don''t have much time. We have to leave now." Roy looked at the sky nervously. He had a feeling the crones were on their way back.


    "If you can''t¡­ then¡­ let Kunguran¡­ do it!"


    "How?" Roy could guess what the oak was nning, and he shook his head violently. "No!"


    "Please¡­ let Kunguran¡­ take me¡­ nature¡­ rewards¡­"


    Roy held the bloodstone up. He was struggling with himself. Kunguran would destroy the tree if he let her go. The people of Velen would lose their acorn oil. <em>They''ll die of starvation. But should I really break this pitiful ''bnce''?</em>


    "Kid!" Letho shook his head. "We don''t have time. Destroy the acorns now and leave!"


    "I''lle back and release you from the curse." Roy looked at the oak onest time and gritted his teeth. "But not today!" He fired a few bolts at the biggest acorns on the tree. Three pink and golden acorns fell with a thud.


    "Let''s go!" Letho waved his hand and tucked the acorns into his ring. He held Roy up by his arm and ran furiously down the mountain. A ck cloud of crows appeared in the horizon, and it was fast approaching the mountain.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 250: Confrontation

    An angry roar swept across the peak of the mountain. A storm of mana spread across the mountains. The ground itself rumbled, and beasts that were hiding in the woods scurried off into the distance. The witchers were long gone by then. They boarded a raft and went with the river''s flow, then they rode their mounts and galloped east. Their horses were covered in the core''s blood as well. There were patches of brown and grey on them, as if they were camouging. The sun was shining brightly, and the blood was almost dried up.


    The witchers wondered if the blood had lost its effect, but their concerns were ultimately useless. They came to the ins on Velen''s borders in the afternoon, meeting up with the other witchers there. Felix was present as well. He was on his horse, and Carl was in his arms. The poor boy must have gone through a nightmare after he was abducted. He was curled up and sickly. His face was pale, as if he were down with an illness.


    "Did youplete your mission on Bald Mountain, Letho?" Felix patted Carl''s head. He sounded unenthusiastic, and a frown was furrowing his forehead. He managed to save the boy, but the sight of those crones left a deep impression on him. It was borderline traumatic. He had a bad feeling about this whole affair. His instincts were screaming out to him.


    Letho took a golden acorn out of his ring and tossed it into the air. "Yeah, but things are different from what we thought." He sighed. "We crossed the crones. We didn''t mean to, but it''s going to be hard to get into Velen next time."


    "What do you mean?" Everyone''s hearts sank.


    "You''ll have to ask the kid," Letho grumbled. "We only wanted to steal a few acorns, but we got a lot more than what we bargained for. We just ruined decades'' worth of hard work. The crones won''t let this slide, but this is not the time to talk about this. We need to head due north and leave this ursed ce right away. It''d be best if we could reach La Valette''s territory in three days."


    Roy pulled the reins, and his armor rubbed against Wilt''s belly. He looked at hispanions. "I''ll exin after we settle down."


    The witchers rode ahead and left Velen, but they did not get too far. They heard cawsing from behind them, and hundreds of crows circled the air above them. They were like a ck cloud chasing the witchers. The horses were fast, but they could not outrun the crows. The crows eventually caught up to them, and they screeched uglily. They attacked the horses with their talons and beaks. The witchers could barely protect themselves with Quen and Agni. The horses had no armor or spells. Their eyes and ears were gouged out, and they shrieked.


    The horses bucked and tossed the witchers off, then they ran off into the distance. The witchers rolled around. When they got back up, they knelt on one knee and held the hilt of their silver des.


    Wilt was a smart horse, but he was helpless against the crows.


    Roy dismounted. "You have to hide, boy! Go find your friends!"


    Wilt was reluctant to leave, but in the end, it neighed and chased after the other horses.


    The crows let the horses escape. They surrounded the witchers and turned into wisps of ck smoke. The ground started to rumble, and thedies came out of the ck cloud.


    "You''re fast, little ones." The Brewess put her hands on her hips. She stood before the witchers, her mountainous figure looming over them. "You almost exhausted us." Her sisters agreed.


    The Brewess and Whispess'' faces were covered in a cage and. The witchers were not sure what kind of look they were making, but they could see the Weavess giving them a look of mockery.


    Auckes stayed calm and pretended they did nothing wrong. "Ladies, we''ve refused the request. Are you going to abduct us like you did Carl just because of that?"


    "This is not about the request!" the Brewess shrieked.


    "And to think I liked you the most! You''re a liar!" The Weavess pointed her spindly finger at Auckes. "You told us yourpanions had left Velen, but they were on Bald Mountain all this time!"


    The Whispess held the child''s hand and swung it around. "You slipped past poor Fagus and reached the top." She scanned Roy and Letho. They were still caked in dried blood. "To think you used that bitch''s blood!"


    "You broke our hearts! You stole the golden acorn!" The Brewess pointed her butt at the witchers and smacked it. "You will pay for your foolishness!"


    A gale blew on the ins, and thedies'' voice filled the air.


    "Ladies, I''m sorry, but this must be a misunderstanding," Auckes exined and regrouped with hispanions. "We''ve never heard of Bald Mountain, and we would never steal from you."


    Everyone huddled closer.


    "Stop lying, witchers. I can recognize that scent anywhere." The Weavess sniffed and turned her gaze to Letho. "I''m sure you have the acorn,d. We can smell it from a mile away. You can''t hide it. Not even if you tucked it away in your ring."


    Letho stiffened up, and his knuckles started turning white.


    "Calm down,d. We won''t search you, though your muscles are to die for."


    The Brewess said, "What you stole isn''t worth our time, but him, on the other hand¡­" She turned to Roy. "You have an important item with you, little one. It''s covered in <em>her </em>stench. It sullied my home. It''s bad luck taking something that''s not yours. Hand Kunguran over."


    Roy took a deep breath. This was the first time he saw the sisters. They were uglier and eviler than the legends said they were. They were like beasts from the abyss, waiting for their perfect chance to pounce and devour him. Most of their stats and skills were shrouded in mystery too. They were deadly monsters.


    "You mean this?" Roy took out the bloodstone and approached thedies. A crimson silhouette swam around the stone, as if it were a ripple that was spreading across a pond. It was gentle and soothing.


    The crones almost drooled at the sight of the stone. This was not the golden acorn, but it was an important item for them. They could sense a familiar soul residing in the stone. It was an unsettling, uneasy, and disgusting feeling. They knew that soul anywhere.


    "That''s her! It''s that bitch''s scent!"


    "It''s the core! The ancient druid!"


    "Kunguran!"


    Thedies sprung into action. They stuck their bellies out and spread their fingers. They made a few bizarre poses and brainstormed for a moment, then they said gently, "What did the evil spirit promise you, child? Why did you release her? Why did you steal?"


    Roy smirked. "I don''t think we''re the thieves here,dies. <em>You </em>are. You stole the tree, and you stole Velen. We''re just giving them back to their rightful owner."


    "Don''t fall for her lies!" the Whispess persuaded. "She''s a conspirator! A capricious demon! Once she''s used you, she''ll turn her back on you faster than you can say ''witcher.''"


    The Weavess said gently, "You can read She Who Knows. You''ll see who she really is, and who you can really trust."


    "Youdies wrote that book." Roy shook his head.


    "You should trust us! Give us that stone, and all will be forgiven. We''ll give you the acorns Arendelle worked so hard to raise as well!"


    Roy''s eyes glinted, and he pretended to be interested.


    "We''ll still wee you, and you will be invited to next year''s banquet."


    "Eat, drink, and be merry! It''s a feast fit for a king!"


    "We never go back on our word," the Whispess emphasized. "We never break our promises."


    <em>You want us to feast with the Wild Hunt? That''s a feast fit for a dead man. We''re not that stupid as to surrender ourselves to those knights. And they''re our sworn enemy. </em>Roy''s lips trembled, as if he was excited, but he held his stone tightly. "Give us a minute."


    "What more do you need to consider?"


    The crone''s eyes glinted. She grasped the air, and a crow flew out from the smoke. It pounced at the stone, but Roy pushed it back with Aard. It broke apart with a sickening crunch.


    "You incorrigible brat! Are you challenging us? We''re the will of Velen!" the Whispess screeched. "Do you know what you''ve done?"


    The Brewess swung herdle around and announced, "The sacred tree has fallen into a slumber after Kunguran''s departure. You took her precious acorns away, dooming Lower Velen''s vigers."


    "Arendelle will not have enough acorns for next year. The crops cannot grow without the oil. The vigers will never receive the fruits of theirbor," the Weavess added. "They will starve, and the cold shall kill them."


    "This is a sin!" the Whispess screeched as she put her hands on her hips.


    "Indeed it is." The Brewess took a step forward and swung her gigantic belly upward.


    "Stop this foolishness, witcher!" The Weavess swung her gnarly hand in the air.


    The crones might look like nightmares, but they were decent orators. Roy would have believed them if he had no idea that they cooked human flesh and worked with the Wild Hunt.


    Things had gotten out of hand. They did not want to antagonize the crones, but they would not go down without a fight. Roy looked from the corner of his eye. Hispanions had changed their stances slightly so they could hold their des that much quicker. They then nodded imperceptibly at the young witcher.


    They were out of Velen, and the crones could no longer absorb mana from the earth. Their chances of winning just went up a little.


    "You have a point,dies." Roy nodded and took a step forward. He was less than ten yards away from them. The stench of soil, grass, and rotten meat just became heavier.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 251: Battle

    The young witcher smashed something, and a cloud of smoke infused with ck sand surrounded thedies nearest to him. The Whispess and the Brewess screeched in agony. They were about to turn into crows and flee, but their bodies flickered. Green arcs of electricity burned them. The dimeritium bomb turned the space around them into a vacuum of mana, stopping them from casting any spells.


    Thedies tried to retreat at the first sign of trouble. Carl ran in the opposite direction, while the witchers gave chase to the monsters. They were more agile and faster than the monster. The witchers closed the gap immediately and surrounded the fat Brewess.


    Their des glinted under the sunlight. The witchers swung them at the monster, and the air buzzed from the attacks alone. The Brewess was overwhelmed by the des and magical attacks, but just like a roly poly, she remained upright no matter how many attacksnded on her.


    She was shed at least twenty times in mere moments. Most monsters, including higher vampires, would have been bleeding from twenty wounds at this point, but the Brewess was more durable than the witchers had expected.


    Her humble clothing and cage that covered her head was sturdier than chainmails. It protected her vitals firmly. Her motley, bby flesh provided anotheryer of protection. It felt like hitting a leather pouch with a stick. The fat in her body wobbled and reduced the impact of the attack every time it hit.


    The double protection nullified the witchers'' des. All they managed to do was break her skin a little. The wound did not bleed. Instead, a white, translucent liquid seeped through. It was like they just hit a moving corpse instead of a living being. Fortunately, their relict oil worked on the Brewess. She screeched from the burning sensation, and she could not even mount any resistance.


    They could have killed her if they just had time, but the Brewess'' sisters would not give them that luxury.


    Weavess had been hiding behind and chanting curses all this time. She grasped the air, and a stretch of thread darted out of her bloodstained sleeve. It grew from a thin thread into a thick rope in just a moment. The rope flew at the witchers.


    Roy felt a gust of winding from behind. He spun and turned his de around, shing upward and cutting the rope in two. That did not stop the rope, however. They kept iling around like eels and harassed Roy''spanions.


    It broke their tempo, and the Brewess could catch a break. She stomped her feet, and much to the witchers'' horror, the monster leapt up into the sky like she weighed nothing.


    The Brewess fell like a meteor, and the ground rumbled. A great cloud of dust flew into the air, creating a mushroom. A great shockwave swept from where the Brewessnded, pushing the witchers away. She took the chance to escape the dimeritium mist and regrouped with her sisters. The monster held her knees and huffed.


    The Brewess touched the wound on her belly. She bent over and spread her arms like they were wings. "That was not wise!" she yelled.


    "Foolish witchers! You shall pay for your transgression with death!" The Weavess grasped the air again, and something popped. A yellow light descended on them, and another giant appeared between the witchers and the monsters.


    "My masters¡­" The giant held its crimson belly with one hand and caressed its short, stubby horns. It bowed at thedies, although barely, and it red at the witchers. "I will crush these bandits and¡ª"


    A crossbow bolt hit its chest before it could finish. Blood spurted, and Fagus froze. Another bolt flew toward its eye, but it smacked it away. "I will cook you and devour your flesh, witcher!"


    "I''d like to see you try, fool!" Roy uncorked a Swallow with his teeth and downed it. Veins popped on his face, and he beckoned at the demon. "You like slumber? I''ll grant you an eternal one!"


    "Shut up!" Fagus darted toward Roy. The demon was like a moving castle, and Roy escaped right away.


    The other witchers split up and fought their own adversaries. Auckes and Serrit fought the Brewess, Felix took on the Whispess, while Letho pointed his de at the Weavess, stopping her from casting any more spells.


    des shed against invisible shockwaves, and the light of signs crashed into the darkness of the monster''s spells.


    ***


    The ground rumbled with every step Fagus took. The demon was heavy and deadly, but its stubby legs slowed it down. It was only slightly faster than a regr human, and the witcher was far faster than it could ever be.


    Roy was running as fast as a cheetah, and that was him controlling his speed. He made Fagus think he was only an arm''s reach away and managed to lead him away from the battlefield. The young witcher downed another decoction on the way, and this time, it was Thunderbolt. ck veins started popping on his face this time.


    When he felt Fagus breathing down his back, the young witcher rolled around to stop his momentum. He knelt on one knee to store his strength for a moment. Roy pushed into the ground and tensed up for a moment, then he performed a somersault and jumped over Fagus,nding on its head.


    "Where''d he go?" The giant was slow on the uptake. The witcher''s disappearance stunned it. It looked around dumbly and scratched his stomach, but then realization struck him.


    Roy cast fear, and countless tentacles wrapped the demon up. The young witcher''s eyes turned crimson. He unsheathed Aerondight and held its hilt tightly. The witcher pointed the other end of the de at Fagus'' head, and he stabbed downward.


    The demon''s skull was harder than metal. Even Aerondight only managed to cut through its scalp. The skull deflected it, and it slid into Fagus'' neck. The de drew a gash, and the demon''s brownish-yellow blood spurted.


    Fagus howled in agony. It swung its neck around, trying to shake the witcher off. The young witcher curled up in the air and spread his limbs. He eased up andnded in silence only to step back in right away. The witcher thrusted his de at Fagus'' waist.


    The moment the de connected, Fagus blocked it with his other hand. The reflected damage almost made Roy lose his de. A ball of me appeared in its hands, but Roy did not hear any chants, nor did he see any movements. It was brighter than the sun, and the ball of me was getting bigger.


    "Damn it!" Roy scrambled to dodge sideways, and not a moment too soon. He felt a great wave of heat and wind zip past him. He held his hand up to his face and gasped. His hair had turned to ash, and his sideburn was gone. The fire would have burned all his hair off if Fagus had aimed just a little bit higher.


    "Faster, witcher. I don''t want you to get caught in the mes. It ruins your taste." Fagus held the gash on his nape. He was grinning in pain, but he sent another fireball flying at the witcher again.


    "Very well!" Roy leapt out of the way, barely keeping the other side of his hair. He changed his tactics and started circling the demon, attacking its legs every chance he got. He was like an agile mouse ying with a big, fat cat.


    The demon was a lot slower than the witcher. It clumsily turned around, but still it failed to catch the witcher. Instead, it sustained more injuries at its ankles. The demon stopped moving in the end. It leaped up into the air andnded like a meteor. The shockwave made the witcher wobble and lose his bnce. It opened its maw and shot out a stream of fire.


    Roy dodged it a moment toote, and the mes licked the back of his left hand. The smell of burning flesh wafted in the air, while burns and blisters popped on his hand. Poison seeped into his skin, and it numbed him, slowing him down. Still, he managed to find an opening. Fagus could not move when it was spewing that stream of fire. It was nothing but a big, fat target.


    Roy ignored his pain and cast Axii. The green inverted triangle crashed into the demon''s mind. It erased everything in the demon''s head, and Fagus froze. Roy attacked it three times at once.


    He swung his de from left to right, blinding Fagus in both eyes. He then made a deep cut on its neck, and Fagus'' blood sttered the witcher''s face. Finally, he sliced the demon''s belly open with his full might, revealing its innards.


    Roy was exhausted after that. Fagus had broken free of Axii, and it furiously punched Roy in the gut. The young witcher''s shield broke into pieces, and he flew into the distance like a ragdoll.


    The demon wished to give chase and pulverize its enemy before it lost all its blood, but all it could see was darkness. It lost its sight, and it could not rely on its sense of smell or hearing to find the witcher. Fagus could feel its warmth leaving rapidly, taking its strength away. For the first time in eons, it felt fear.


    "No! The great Fagus shall not fall to an insect!" Fagus roared manically. It rolled its mangled eyes while holding the gash on its neck and pushing its innards back inside. "You sly little bastard¡­" The demon huffed. "G-Get back here! Get back here and fight, you filthy coward!"


    Fagus was hunching more and more. It was trudging along, stopping for a moment with every step it took. The demon left a trail of blood and smoke in its wake, but its wounds were starting to heal and stop bleeding.


    Roy held Aerondight''s hilt and held himself up with difficulty. He spat out blood and cast Activate. The young witcher could feel a cold sensation sweeping across his wounds, and his abysmally low HP and mana were replenished.


    The young witcher held his breath in and grasped the air. Gabriel appeared in his hand. He fired a shot at the demon, and Roy teleported. Aerondight appeared out of thin air, the witcher holding it. Roy plunged the de into the demon''s throat, and blood flew everywhere. He could smell the stench of sulfur and smoke as the blood burned through the ground.


    The young witcher rolled on the ground, dodging the demon''s swirling arms. He went around, knelt down, and cast another sign. The air itself burst, and Aard hit the demon squarely in the back.


    Caught by surprise, Fagus lost its bearings and staggered forward. He fell with a loud thud. The ground rumbled, and dust covered half the battlefield. The gigantic momentum from its fall pushed Aerondight deeper into its throat, slicing its spine apart. The demon lolled its head, and its limbs spasmed as it entered its death throes.


    Roy pushed into the ground with his feet and leapt into the air, not unlike a big cat pouncing at its prey. His de glinted under the sunlight, and Gwyhyr sliced through the demon from top to bottom.


    ''Fagus killed. EXP +200!''


    The young witcher rolled away. Sulfur flowed from the demon''s corpse, and silence hung in the air.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>https://dsc.gg/reapeics</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 252: Fought Back

    Roy sat down, huffing and puffing. His face was still filled with dark veins, and he winced from the pain. It felt like his bones were crushed, and his liver felt like it was in chunks. Reality was cruel. That punch from Fagus reduced his HP to twenty percent, critically hurting him. He would have never gotten back up without that Activate. "That guy was like a retired boxer, but more demon-like."


    The young witcher spat out more blood. His body felt like it would fall apart. Every cell and every bone was screaming, especially the right side of his torso near the liver. His broken rib was pointing downward, and waves of pain swept past him, spreading to his fingers and toes. It took him back to the days of his trial.


    The pain made him curl up like a cooked lobster. He spasmed, and sweat drenched him. The agony was too much for him to bear, and the sunlight did not help. He was starting to lose consciousness, his eyes bing unfocused. He wobbled, and an alluring voice in his mind said, "Sleep. Just sleep."


    "I''m tired¡­ I want to sleep¡­" His ears started to buzz, and he was seeing doubles. The young witcher would fall into a deep sleep if he was not careful. He shook his head and muttered, "I-I can''t sleep yet. Th-They need my help!"


    He bit his tongue. The pain and taste of blood made him open his eyes and refocus. All of a sudden, he saw a familiar face staring at him. "Wilt? I thought I told you to run! Why''d youe back?"


    The brown horse licked the witcher''s cheek, then it bent down and knelt.


    "You''re a brave, lovely horse." Roy held its neck with difficulty and mounted the horse. Carl was on horseback as well, and Gryphon the cat was behind him. They were looking at the young witcher with concern.


    "A-Are you alright, Roy?"


    "Don''t worry. Still alive," Roy answered weakly, lying on Wilt''s back. Gryphon came over and licked his right hand. It was burned. The cool sensation of its drool helped with the pain. He took a marigold potion and a spirit potion from his inventory and gulped them down. It helped a lot with his wounds.


    It was the perfect moment to down a Swallow and speed up his recovery, but he had used Thunderbolt and Petri''s Philter before this. He could not take a third decoction with how he was at the moment, or the decoction would hurt him more than it could heal. "There, Wilt." Roy patted Wilt''s neck and looked at the faraway battlefield. "Find some cover, and don''t get too close. I don''t want the crones to notice.


    The witchers and the crones were engaged in a heated battle. The Brewess whipped out an enormousdle made out of ck metal after she escaped the dimeritium mist. She held it with both hands, swinging it like it was a two-handed hammer or battleaxe.


    She held the handle and put her weight into her right feet, pirouetting like an athlete who was about to toss a disc. The sixty-feet longdle flew through the air like a meteorite, drawing a beautiful arc. The air itself howled, while grass and dust flew into the air. The space around thedle was filled with the power of death and destruction.


    Roy was peeping from far, far away, and even still, he could feel the power behind this attack. Nobody could take it head on. It could smash even metal into pieces, let alone humans.


    Auckes and Serrit were dealing with her. They were experienced hunters and the school''s elite. Over their years of working as witchers, they had killed wyverns, griffins, and countless giants before. Their teamwork was immacte, and their experience helped them greatly in battle. They could go toe to toe with the Brewess.


    Their incredible instincts helped them dodge the Brewess'' hurricane of death, and they danced on its edges. They were waiting for an opening most of the time. Impatience was their greatest enemy after all. Most attacks would always slow down, and they couldnd a hit of their own.


    Swinging a giantdle was exhausting. The Brewess would stop and catch her breath every two to three spins, and that was the perfect chance to attack. They moved in swiftly, swinging their des that were covered in oils and poison. Just like vipers, theyshed out at the Brewess and injected their venom into her every time they attacked. The Brewess tried to fight back, but the brothers had already retreated by then. They would switch positions and go on with the assault. The brothers were patient and meticulous. They were waiting for the time when their venom would tip the Brewess over.


    The Brewess was already covered in wounds, and her strength was leaving her. Her clothes were in tatters, and her disgusting flesh was revealed. Her cage of a helmet was broken as well, revealing a single, fleshy lump of an eye. She huffed and puffed, swinging herdle to push the witchers away.


    The monster produced a reddish-brown bottle. She uncorked it and tried to down the potion, but then a crossbow bolt arced through the air and pierced the bottle. The potion sttered everywhere, and a bloated eyeball fell out.


    "Who dares¡­" The Brewess was enraged, but Auckes and Serrit were already trying to attack again, and she had to defend herself.


    Roy hid behind the bush again. His arm went limp, and he gasped in pain.


    The Brewess'' name told of her power. She owned a cauldron in Bald Mountain, and her specialty was turning sacrifices into potions. Most of those potions were soups infused with human flesh. If she drank her potions, it would grant her all sorts of powers, and Roy would not allow that.


    The Brewess lost her strength and chance to counterattack without her potion, and the scales were tipped in the witchers'' favor.


    Felix, however, was not as lucky. He was fighting the Whispess not far behind the brothers. Like usual, his swordsmanship was precise and powerful. He circled the Whispess, pointing his de at her vitals. He was fast enough to leave afterimages in the air. It was like Felix was attacking from multiple spots at once.


    Unlike her sister, the Whispess was not as durable, nor was she good at close-quarterbat. However, she possessed a strange ability. She would mutter under her breath between moments of lull. It was some kind of weird, insane murmur. The whispers were like an invisible hand, slowly gnawing away at the witcher''s mind.


    Something bizarre would then happen. There were a few times where Felix would stop attacking right when he was about to hit. The witcher would then ease up and space out, as if his mind were caught in quicksand.


    The Whispess would then turn into a puddle of mud and seep into the earth. One momentter, she would pop up right beside Felix and w at his torso.


    When the pain finally snapped Felix out of his trance, the Whispess would have been long gone. The Whispess would have disemboweled him if it were not for Quen. Even so, he was covered in blood. The injuries were slowing his reaction speed.


    The Whispess was not faring too well either. A part of her arms and calves were missing, revealing the bones beneath. Her silk mask was torn, revealing her disfigured features. Her skin looked like chicken skin. The Whispess'' fingers were trembling as well, and the speed of her chants had slowed to a crawl. The battle could go to any fighter. One slip up was all it needed to decide the oue.


    Letho was facing Weavess by himself as well. He was holding the Viper School''s silver and steel weapon. The look on his face was grim, but his head was shining as brightly as usual. His muscles were taut, and he charged ahead, spiraling around like a killing machine.


    The air was filled with colorful tapestry. They circled the witcher like a wheel, blocking his sight and absorbing his attacks. They were trying to trap him.


    The Weavess was the youngest of the trio. Unlike her sisters, she had no desire for flesh, nor did she like to collect anyone''s ears. She loved making tapestries out of the hair given by the vigers, including the hair of the children during the hair-trimming ceremony. She spent all her time making tapestries. She filled them with her mana, and they eventually turned sentient. They defended her against all enemies, as if they were her children.


    The Weavess was the only one who was unhurt. She had a dark smirk on her face, and it looked like she was making a furball. At the same time, tapestries kept flying out of her sleeves, as if they were infinite.


    The tapestries could not deal as much damage as the Brewess''dles or the Whispess'' ws, but they were more durable than either of them. The Weavess had created tapestries for hundreds of years, and they seemed endless. She was nning to go into a war of attrition and exhaust the witcher.


    Letho tried everything. He tried slicing the tapestries and burning them with Igni, but they just kepting. In fact, they were closing in on him, as if they were a boa constrictor trying to trap its prey.


    "Dammit!" Letho cut another tapestry in half again. He was starting to sweat. Things were not looking too good. If he lost all his strength, the Weavess could kill him easily.


    However, a sudden scream of agony caught everyone''s attention.


    Roy''s eyes widened in delight, and he smiled. Auckes and Serrit finally cut off the Brewess'' arm, and its hand was still holding thatdle. The brothers did not stop attacking, even then. They stabbed her belly and sliced upward, drawing two more gashes on the monster.


    Her innards spilled, and she fell backward. She was almost dead, and part of it was thanks to Roy firing bolt after bolt at her.


    The sight of her dying sister made the Whispess screech. Her eerie whispers turned into shouts, and they swept through the battlefield. The witchers felt as if their minds and ears were being sliced. They covered their ears, their faces contorted in agony.


    The witchers wobbled, and the Weavess took this chance to sweep the Brewess away. She looked like she wanted to keep fighting, but in the end, she sighed.


    They could deal with the witchers easily if they were in Velen. That was their turf. s, they were <em>not </em>in Velen. They were not gods on this battlefield.


    "I will not forget this, witchers!" the Weavess hissed. She and her sister turned into crows and flew into the air, taking their dying sister along with them. "You will pay for what you have done the next time we meet!"


    Her message faded in the air. What was left on the battlefield was a broken arm and some wounded witchers.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>https://dsc.gg/reapeics</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 253: Loot

    It was a midsummer''s night. Stars twinkled in the heavens like gemstones that glinted under the sun. Silvery moonlight showered thend, and the night breeze murmured to the prairie. Cicadas chirped in the trees, and toads croaked in the fields. Sometimes pairs of green eyes would open in the darkness and dart across the ins.


    "Mmph¡­"


    "You''re awake, I see."


    "How long was I out, Letho?" Roy struggled to get up. He was on a makeshift bed made out of some hay, and a bonfire crackled beside him. His armor was taken off, and the right side of his chest was covered in bandages.


    Letho was right beside him, tossing firewood into the bonfire. Auckes, Serrit, Felix, and Carl were lying across from them.


    "About ten hours. It''s almost daybreak." Letho took a rabbit''s leg that was grilled to golden brown and handed it to Roy. The aroma of meat wafted in the air. "Eat. You need a lot of food to heal up."


    "Is it that bad?" Roy tried to turn his waist and neck, but it tore on his wounds, and a wave of pain crashed over him. He checked his character sheet. His HP had gone up to forty percent, but the ''heavily injured'' debuff was still there.


    "Broke a rib, but your organs are intact. Didn''t get disced either. You were lucky. And we treated your wounds while you were out. You probably have to rest up for a month, so stay put. Don''t do anything that''ll drain you, and that includes your swordsmanship training."


    "A month?" Roy bit into the rabbit''s leg, but he looked frustrated. "I¡¯ll get rusty if I don¡¯t train for a whole month." Roy looked at the character sheet. He was really close to leveling up. He thought he could use Gryphon to kill more animals and gain enough experience to level up. That way, he could use Full Recovery to heal.


    "Stopining, kid. Any other guy would have to rest for three months, and it''s not easy surviving a dangerous battle like that." Letho arched his eyebrow. "You have to get used to this."


    Roy touched the burn marks on his left hand, and he lost his appetite.


    "You can do some training if you''re bored, but nothing physical. Analyze the battle. Think about the mistakes you made and try to not make the same mistake in the next battle. Fine-tuning your battle sense is more important than the battle itself, to an extent." Letho looked at the zing bonfire. "It''s not fun, but it helps with survival."


    Roy nodded.


    "You probably can learn a lot from your battle with that red giant."


    Roy licked the grease off his hand like a cat and cheered himself up. "Of course. I mean, what doesn''t kill me makes me stronger."


    Roy and Letho''s conversation woke everyone else up.


    "So, does it still hurt, Roy?" Auckes plopped down beside Roy and wagged his wineskin. "Wanna have a drink and clear your head?" He smiled.


    "I''m fine. I just can''t move too much for a while." Roy sniffed Auckes'' liquor and rolled his eyes. "You can keep your liquor to yourself."


    "Are you stupid?" Serrit snatched the wineskin right away and took a swig. "He broke a rib. He can''t take any liquor or he''ll have to stay out of action for two more months. And you still don''t get it after all this time? He doesn''t like liquor."


    "No, <em>you''re </em>stupid. Liquor cleanses the soul and works well as pain relief. Are you my brother or not? Why can''t you understand me? And give me back my booze! I''m warning you! Stop! Leave some for me!"


    Serrit and Auckes started arguing again, much to everyone''s amusement. They also envied the brothers a little. No matter how dangerous the battles were, they could always stay optimistic after that. It was probably some kind of talent. The witchers just hoped the brothers could stay so optimistic forever.


    ***


    Auckes and Serrit were unhurt, and so was Letho, but they looked exhausted. That was the side effects of their decoction and overexerting themselves. Felix, however, was worse for wear. The Whispess'' weird attacks destroyed his armor. He looked even worse than a beggar.


    Roy could see theyers of bandages under the cracks, and blood was seeping through them. Felix had a lot more endurance than most people though. He looked like the wounds did not even bother him. Felix pushed his sunsses up to cover the bruise on his face, then he slowly greased and kept his de sharp.


    Carl was crouched beside him like a curious puppy. He stared at his teacher and turned his attention to Roy from time to time. The nightmare of the Ladies seemed to have no grip over him anymore.


    Felixmented nonchntly, "Well, we made the crones mad. They''ll be giving us a really warm wee the next time we pass Velen. A red, hot wee."


    Auckes tossed his wineskin to Felix and grinned. "If you ask me, Vulture, we don¡¯t have to worry about those ugly witches. Serrit and I almost killed one of them. They''re not that scary. The next time we''re in Velen, we''ll kill them!"


    "Oh, shut it!" Serrit snapped. "The Ladies'' poweres from thend of Velen. They''ll be severely weakened if they leave their turf. We had an overwhelming advantage during the battle." He fell into a pensive state for a moment. "They couldn''t summon the Wild Hunt in time. That''s the biggest threat for us."


    The Vipers fell into silence. They knew how lethal their nemeses were. A momentter, Roy touched his wound by ident. His face turned red, and he coughed violently.


    "You''re really banged up. Are you sure you can go on?"


    "I''m not your regr guy. I''m not as weak as you think. I can go on horseback¡ª" Roy coughed.


    "Why don''t we open a portal?" Auckes winked at Roy. "You''re close with Lytta. Why don''t you ask her to open a portal when we get to La Valette''s turf? I bet she''ll be happy to help. We''ll leave the training for next time."


    "Coral has work back in Kerack. She doesn''t have time toe over." Roy shook his head. "I''d rather not disturb her over something like this." He cocked his eyebrow. "And I''m not the only one who''s friends with a sorceress. Why don''t you guys ask Keira for help? I''m sure she''ll be happy to lend a hand."


    Auckes smiled sheepishly. "It was just a fling. We just neededfort. Besides, she''s probably busy with things back in Temeria."


    Everyone shut up about the sorceresses.


    Letho looked at Felix and Carl. "You see how it is, Vulture. Roy''s hurt. We might stay around at La Valette''s turf for a while. At least until he''s all better. If you need to leave¡­"


    "I need to rest up for a bit as well." Felix took his sunsses off and looked at the Vipers. He downed Auckes'' liquor and shrugged. "And we promised we''d travel to Novigrad together. Carl needs your pointers too."


    The witchers exchanged smiles. The deadly battle earlier closed the gap between the Vipers and Cats.


    ***


    "Before we meditate, I think we should first check our loot." Lethoid out a pile of items beside the bonfire. There was a mutagen the size of a fist, a sharp pair of ck, curled horns, and a cleaned, gigantic heart filled with mana. Roy got these from the fallen demon, Fagus. There was also a three-fingered arm covered in sickly patches, engorged flesh, and regenerative tissues, an enormous ckdle that measured over eight feet and weighed more than a hundred pounds. The veteran witchers got these from the Brewess. Finally, three acorns that gleamed pink and golden sat beside the bonfire. The witchers took these from Arendelle, the oak tree on Bald Mountain.


    "Pick two, Vulture," Letho said generously. The other Vipers nodded as well.


    If it was in the past, Roy would be managing all the loot, but they couldn''t do that now that Felix and Carl were here. Felix might feel insulted if they took all the loot. It would be more trouble than it was worth to make an enemy out of another witcher.


    "Carl will need the mutagen after he bes a witcher. You can take it if you want. The demon horns are perfect craftingponents. Berengar would love them. I think we can sell the heart to a sorcerer. I have no idea what this arm does."


    Roy cast Observe on it, but all he saw was, ''An unknown item brimming with mana.'' He turned around and met Carl, who was staring at him curiously. Roy smiled. "I have no idea what this does either. The sorcerers or schrs probably do, but I don''t think you guys are going to need this." He brushed his hand across thedle. It felt cool to the touch. "It''s a sturdy weapon. Maybe we can melt this down into craftingponents, but it''ll be a hassle to bring it with us."


    Everyone turned their attention to the acorns. Kunguran''s message still rang in the witchers'' minds. "The golden acorns can strengthen your body and extend your lifespan."


    Carl was staring at the acorns. He could feel something stirring in him, and the boy licked his lips.


    "Does it smell good? You want the acorn?" Felix patted the boy''s head. Carl was weak and scrawning. If the acorn could strengthen his body, it would help a lot with the trial.


    "Yeah. I¡­" Carl looked expectant, but when he noticed the witchers staring at him, he looked down sheepishly.


    "Felix, Carl, I''m more than happy to give you the acorns, but I have to tell you that you can''t eat them just like that." Roy raised an acorn up. It gleamed even brighter with the fire shining on it. This was Roy''s first timeing in contact with this thing. "The core did not tell us everything. The golden acorn can strengthen Carl''s body and help him with the trial, but not without a price." Roy paused for a moment. He cast Observe on the acorn.


    ''Forgotten Acorn


    Beech family, oak


    Age: Two hundred and four years old


    ce of origin: Ard Saerbyn, top of Bald Mountain, Holy Oak¡ªArendelle


    Effect: The fruit can heal major injuries swiftly and adds 3 to 5 points in Constitution on consumption.


    Warning: The golden acorn has absorbed part of the Corrupted Oak''s poison. Consuming the acorn will damage the brain to an extent. Anyone with a Constitution lower than 20 will lose arge part of their memories if they consume this. Anyone with a Constitution higher than 25 will be immune to the poison. Anyone with a Constitution higher than 30 will not be affected by the acorn.''


    ***


    Roy fell into his own thoughts. <em>I can''t even see Letho and the guys'' Constitution. I can''t let them eat this. It''d be bad if they lost their memories. As for me¡­</em>


    <em>I know Full Recovery can restore my memories, but I can''t do that if I forget about the character sheet. </em>After a lot of deliberation, Roy decided to keep this acorn as his trump card. He could use it to heal himself if or when he would be lethally injured. <em>And I''ll have to keep this until my Constitution is 25 and above. I wanna maximize its effect.</em>


    "What kind of price?"


    "Remember the legend we heard?" Roy said, "Every year, thedies would invite three young men and women to spend a night with them during the banquet. Every year, they would return the next day with their memories wiped clean. They would forget even their names and start life anew."


    "So you''re saying¡­" The witchers were surprised.


    "Yes. They probably had this acorn, but these acorns we have are a lot older than the ones they had."


    "And how''d you know that, kid?" Serrit was curious. "You haven''t had one before."


    "Well, that was just my deduction." Roy sighed. "But I just know the price is steep."


    Eventually, Felix decided to take one of the Forgotten Acorns for Carl, but he seemed to have another n of his own. He was not in a hurry to have the boy consume it. He declined the Vipers'' offer to take another item, so Roy tucked everything into his inventory space.


    It was now four cubic meters after that upgrade. Roy filled it with necessities, herbs, cleaned monster organs, crossbow bolts, and misceneous items. Even so, he still had some space to stuff things.


    "So what are you going to do with that bloodstone?" Letho was talking about the stone Kunguran was trapped in.


    Roy held it in his hand. "I thought I told you. Kunguran calls herself a druid, so I''ll hand her to an actual druid. Nature''s children will find a way to save her," Roy answered.


    "Most druids follow the rules of nature. They live in seclusion and protect endangered animals and nts. Nobody knows where they are. Are you sure you can find them?"


    The controller of weather and nts were as rare as witchers.


    "I know one. I''ll find the time to give him this stone."


    "Who are you talking about?"


    Roy smiled mysteriously. "Remember Geralt?"


    "The white-haired guy who promised to meet us in Novigrad?" Letho rubbed his head. He had only seen Geralt once. It was back then Roy talked about the brotherhood of witchers.


    "Yes. I got to know a druid thanks to him. It was back at Brokilon''s border."


    Mousesack (Ermion) was Geralt''s old friend. He was also the consultant for Cintra and Skellige. Mousesack went to Brokilon for Ciri under Cnthe''s orders. It was there he ran into Roy and Geralt, who was escorting Ciri.


    Thanks to that, Roy got to know this old druid. Mousesack was the elder of Skellige''s circle of druids. He was powerful and knowledgeable, but most importantly, he was a kind pacifist. He would help everyone in the world if he could. Roy thought they could make a lot of money if they gave the acorn to him.


    The witchers talked about their itinerary for a while and went to meditate.


    The skies were overcast the next few days. Dark clouds hung overhead, and the air itself felt wet. They went on slowly, since they had to take care of Roy. Still, they managed to reach La Valette''snd by the third day''s noon, a ce located in the borders of Redania and Temeria.


    End of Arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>https://dsc.gg/reapeics</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 254: The Barons Land

    It was morning, but the skies were still dark and overcast. The air itself hung heavy. The witchers were going slow because of Roy''s injuries, but they managed to arrive at La Valette''snd by noon.


    Roy did not waste his days doing nothing. His ribs were still hurting, and he could not do anything strenuous, so he spent his time honing his archery skills. He whipped out the archery tips and tricks Reagan gave him back at Mount Carbon and read through them.


    Thanks to his unrelenting training over the past year, Crossbow Mastery finally leveled up, bing the second skill to reach Level 2 after Alchemy, and the first skill to do that through pure, hard work.


    ¡®Crossbow Mastery Level 2: After countless shots, you have deepened your mastery over hand crossbows and crossbows. Your uracy, effective range, and armor pration will be increased by (5 ¡ú 10)% when you use crossbows. You may cast this as a spell and double the effects, but you will spend double the stamina for every shot as well. Your movement speed will be reduced by half. This buffsts for at least thirty seconds.''


    Roy was lying on his horse''s back, spacing out at the horizon beyond. A smile was curling his lips. Crossbows were an important part of his arsenal. Blink and Guided Arrows'' strength were proportional to his Crossbow Mastery''s level. The higher its level, the more powerful Roy was.


    Leveling up through hard work was different from leveling up through skill points. Every step wasden with sweat and blood. He felt more satisfaction from it. <em>I guess the next one to level up is probably One-handed Mastery.</em>


    ***


    Thend of La Valette was the La Valettes'' fief in Temeria. It was in the northern part of the kingdom and the southern coast of Pontar. A white bridge sat right beside it, and Redania was right across that bridge. It was faster and more convenient than traveling with a dpidated and dangerous boat. The La Valettes'' ran thisnd for generations, controlling the trade and river routes around the area. Thanks to the family''s continuous expansion, the fief was Temeria''srgest and sturdiest line of defense in the north.


    "Have you ever been to La Valette''s town area?" Felix rode on the uneven, muddy path, staring far ahead of him. A quaint vige and lively fields unfurled before him. Peas, lettuce, gourds, onions, and tomatoes were growing aplenty in the fields. Unlike Velen, the farmers of La Valette grew enough crops to sustain themselves even without the acorn oil.


    Letho shook his head. "What''s different about it?"


    "I used to think Vizima was the best Temeria had to offer, until I paid a visit to La Valette''s castle. The pce, or fortress, whichever you like, is as big as any capital in the north." Felix shook his head. "But words aren''t enough. You''ll get what I mean once you see the fortress."


    The witchers picked up the pace, and a rainstorm fell a whileter.


    ***


    There was an inn in a nearby vige called Henhouse. The wooden door screeched open, and five drenched witchers came inside. They took up the seats before the counter. Letho was the one in the leftmost spot. Auckes sat on his right, followed by Serrit, Felix, and Roy. Carl took up the rightmost spot. They sat in descending order of height, looking like a mountain range from the back. It was weirdly aesthetic.


    "Five Vizima stouts!" Letho knocked on the table and looked around. <em>This is a henhouse alright. Cooped, narrow, dark, wet, and dirty. It''s a chicken coop, just bigger.</em>


    There were about ten customers having lunch in the corner. A part of them were local peasants, while some were merchants and travelers who just came to the city. The witchers gained everyone''s attention the moment they came in. Not everyone had the air of a hunter and walked around with two swords.


    The sounds of conversation died down. The witchers felt the patrons'' gaze, but only for a moment. Still, they were sharp enough to notice that one of the patrons had disgust in his gaze. He disliked the witchers. "Gods, this is impossible. These abominations are working in groups now? And they even have a boy with them. Poor family must be crying over their missing kid. And he''s so frail. These bastards must have been torturing him."


    The witchers heard the pudgy man''s mutterings, but they stayed calm and ignored them. They were used to this. Most people disliked them, but they had no time to deal with the public''s opinion.


    "What else do you need?" The bartender/innkeeper poured the drinks and looked at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was pointing at twelve. <em>Lunchtime.</em>


    "Six grilled fish and some smoked pork," Letho said.


    "And an apple juice," Roy added. "I''m not in the mood for any alcohol, including beer."


    "Well, I still ain''t gonna waste this." Auckes pushed the mug of stout to the right, and it stopped right in front of Carl.


    The big, cylindrical mug was filled with dark, foamy beer, and the scent of malt wafted in the air. Carl took a whiff of it and squinted. The boy seemed to be getting tipsy. The two-pint mug was bigger than his head.


    "''Tis your first time having lunch with us. It''s a formality. A tradition of sorts. Finish that mug of stout, and we''ll be brothers."


    Serrit did not smack Auckes'' head this time. Instead, he looked at Carl quietly.


    "Um¡­" Carl gulped and looked to his mentor for help.


    Felix took his sunsses off and shot Auckes an icy look. "Are you trying to intimidate the boy, Auckes?"


    "Don''t take this the wrong way," Auckes said immediately. "I''m just trying to help. He can pass the trial easier if he builds up tolerance to alcohol. You know that potion is a lot more awful than stout. And he''s already eight, isn''t he? A boy should have his beer." Auckes thumped his chest. "I think I had my first beer back when I was four. Or was it five?"


    "Yeah, right. You''re just getting back at me. You lost to mest time, but you didn''t want to fight me, so you pushed Carl into this," Felix retorted. "Juste at me. I told you I can take a few wallops."


    "I''ve been waiting for that." Auckes smirked arrogantly. "We''re in an inn, so this time, we''ll drink until we drop. First one to pass out loses." He raised his big mug at Felix.


    "I was going to hold back, Auckes. You lost to me in a battle of swords, and now you''ll lose this drinking contest too!"


    The witchers'' eyes met, and sparks flew in the air.


    Roy covered his face and sighed. He patted Carl''s head and shared some apple juice with him. "They can have their stupid drinking contest. We''re fine with just the juice."


    ***


    "You''re a decent cook, innkeeper." Roy chewed the smoked pork. The tinge of heat and spice tingled his taste buds. He¡¯d never experienced such a taste before. The young witcher squinted, and as the dim light of the inn shone on the innkeeper, he started bing blurry and spindly. But when Roy refocused, the innkeeper returned to his normal, overweight self.


    "Thanks!¡± The innkeeper rubbed his beer gut. "I don''t mean to brag, but my special smoked pork brings all the customers back. Aside from my drinks, of course. Some of them evene all the way from another kingdom just to get my smoked pork."


    "Yeah. You don''t get to taste this everywhere. It hooks people in, and me included.¡±


    Barton''s grin widened, and he felt like chatting. "You gentlemen look like mercenaries? Are you mercenaries?"


    "Mercenaries?" Roy shook his head and took out his pendant to show Barton. "We''re witchers from the Viper School. One of us is from the Cat School."


    "Witchers. Tramps and nomads without a ce to call home. Master hunters who vanquish monsters," Barton said a line that sounded like an opera, and he even warmed up a bit more.


    "Aren''t you scared?"


    "Oh, there''s nothing to fear from witchers. Can''t say the same for humans." The look in Barton''s eyes turned a lot more mysterious. "I''ve been running this ce for more than ten years. Seen a lot of customers in my life. I know witchers abide by the rules more than I can say for most people I''ve seen. They say witchers are bloodthirsty killers and child abductors, but I say it''s horseshit! Some people I''ve seen can pass for regr civilians, but the things they do¡­ It makes your blood run cold."


    Roy gazed at the innkeeper. He did not expect someone in a rural area to see through the lies. The young witcher thought this man just became a lot more agreeable.


    "Speaking of which, La Valette''s turf is a good ce for you gentlemen. The city''s filled with all kinds of people. And where there''s people, there''s always problems. And where there''s problems, there''s always a mountain of requests waiting for someone to take."


    "Oh, we''re not here to take any requests." Roy heard someone shout, and he turned around. For some reason, Letho and Serrit had also joined the drinking contest. The witchers were egging one another one, challenging each other to another drink. Even Carl was not spared. The witchers force fed him a few swigs of stout, and the boy looked red in the face. He was blowing a bubble out of his nose.


    The patrons were infected by the asion, and they hyped things up as well. They shouted, drank, and egged each other on to have more drinks.


    "We''re going to stay around the city for a while and head to Redania through the White Bridge," Roy said honestly. He took another bite out of the smoked pork, indulging in its taste. The wound in his ribs even felt a little less painful.


    "Ah, it''s a pity then. The White Bridge is not open for the public right now," Barton said, much to the young witcher''s dismay.


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"


    "You''ll have to find that out yourself, witcher. I can''t talk about my own baron behind his back. He''ll execute me if someone reports this to him."


    "Mdy! My dear, Louisa!" One of the patrons stood on his chair and raised his mug overhead. He swayed around drunkenly. "Am I not good enough for you? Why did you betray me? Why did you have an affair?"


    The viger''s friend stood up as well. He raised his pitch on purpose and lifted his pinky. Apparently he was imitating a woman. "My dear baron, I know you love me, but you''re too old to give me what I want. I wish to be satisfied as a woman. And I''d love to be the queen if I can!"


    "Get out of here!" Barton hurled a mug to the ground, sobering the patrons up. "Do you have any idea what you just said? Do you wanna die?"


    The customers froze for a few moments. When realization struck them, they looked at the other customers in fear and ran from the inn.


    "Hey, you need to pay for that, you bastard! Darn it! It''s on your tab!" Barton sighed and turned to the other customers. "Sorry you had to see that. They usually get up to no good when they''re drunk. That was just some nonsense they said. Just ignore them."


    Roy nodded, but he did not take that seriously. He was thinking about the names spoken by the drunk patrons earlier. <em>Louisa and Baron La Valette? They''re the current baron and baroness.</em>

 Chapter 255: An Old Acquaintances News

    The rainstorm had gone on for a day and night, but it eventually stopped. The sky was an almost translucent azure, and if someone were to look down, they would see a great crowd standing around the looming fortress beside Pontar. Four gigantic, sturdy walls that stood more than sixty-five feet tall stood on four sides of the castle, and a beautiful city slept within. The line of Odefense spread out across the east of Temeria, covering nearly a fifth of the kingdom''snd. The long shadow of the walls that oversaw Pontar was like a beast hiding in darkness, waiting for the perfect chance to pounce at its prey.


    The city gates beneath the walls were the beast''s maw, devouring the crowd that was pushing through it. A group of elite soldiers in heavy armor stood sentry outside the gates. The La Valette coat-of-arms were imprinted on their chest. Countless crossbowmen stood atop the walls, ring sternly at the people who were entering the fortress.


    The witchers allowed the soldiers to check them. Letho tucked their weapons into his ring just so they could pass the check.


    "Four Vipers and a Cat with his apprentice. You came from Vizima?" The young soldier looked at the group of six, especially at the pendants hanging around their necks. The soldier paused for a moment when he saw the witcher''s brown horse. The stallion was staring straight into his eyes, as if it knew what the soldier was saying. "This is unprecedented."


    He felt a chill down his spine. The soldier had seen witchers before, but those he saw were lone wolves. This was the first time he saw them moving in a group. <em>Five witchers moving around together? I''ve never even heard of that before. They''re incredibly adept fighters on their own. Five of them is a force to be reckoned with. It¡¯ll be fine if they don''t do anything stupid, but if they were to start something in the city¡­ And one of them is a Cat. Everyone knows Cats are mostly madmen. If this guy somehow snaps¡­</em>


    <em>I have to stop this disaster before it can even happen.</em> The young soldier was getting goosebumps, and he said sternly, "Tell me your names, ages, and reason and duration of your visit." The scribe behind him was holding his quill tightly, ready to take records.


    This was the first time the witchers ran into a registration process of this level. It was even more of a hasslepared to when they came to Vizima, but they could understand. La Valette''snd was thest line of defense between Redania and Vizima. It was strategically crucial, and they had to be careful of enemy spies.


    The witchers told the soldier about their details, though they had agreed on what to say and what not to say.


    "We came from Vizima. We''re going to stay for half a month and go for some sightseeing. Then we''ll be traveling to Novigrad through the White Bridge."


    "Most of the merchants are heading to the free city," the soldier said impatiently. "Sorry to say that under the baron''s orders, the White Bridge is closed until further notice. Nobody can pass unless they have a special permit. If you wish to cross the river, you may get a boat in Velen. It''s due west.¡±


    "You just don''t want to let us in, do you?" Letho muttered.


    The young soldier admitted, "The city is under martialw by the baron''s orders. We can''t allow any suspicious individuals into the city. You''ll have to leave."


    "What''s taking so long?" the merchant behind themined. "If you''re not getting in, then get out! You''re wasting my time!"


    Roy turned around and shot the overweight merchant a death re. It shut him up. He then took out a white envelope with golden outlines and handed it to the soldier. "You might want to see this letter. It might change your mind."


    The soldier nced at the envelope, but when he saw the Temerian lily on it, he froze. When he finished reading the letter, he turned his attitude around. "Forgive my ignorance, gentlemen." The soldier forced a smile, fearing for his life. "I did not know that Mr. Velerad is your acquaintance."


    Foltest rewarded the witchers with a lot of coins as thanks for their help with Adda''s curse. Adda gave them this letter before they left. Vizima''s mayor wrote it himself, and there was his seal on it too. He gave permission to Roy and hispanions to pass through every city in Temeria.


    As Temeria''s senior administrator, Velerad had power. With his letter, the baron would let the witchers pass, so long as they did not toe the line and break thew.


    "Can we get in now?" Auckes crossed his arms and smirked.


    "Of course!" Ed bowed down and handed the letter back formally. He was just a lowly soldier in a fief. Crossing the mayor of the capital would mean death for him. "Speaking of which, the baron is friends with Mr. Velerad. He''ll be more than happy to wee you."


    The witchers exchanged looks.


    "What about the White Bridge? Can this permit let us pass?"


    "Anytime you need." Ed gave the soldier behind him a look, and the crossed halberds blocking the gates parted ways, revealing a path ahead.


    "And another thing¡­" Before they went into the fortress, Roy said, "You mentioned that the baron ordered a lockdown on the White Bridge and dered martialw on the city. Why is that?"


    Ed looked surprised. He hesitated for a while and said, "Come with me. I''ll tell you about it." He led the witchers to a corner behind the city gates and exined, "Lady Louisa gave birth to the baron''s second daughter about a month ago. It was supposed to be a celebration, but¡­"


    "You mean the old baron''s daughter?"


    Ed nodded and continued. "Yes, Baron Baron La Valette, our lord. He''s fifty-four this year and is just blessed with a daughter. As celebration for her birth, he pardoned some of the lesser criminals. He named his daughter Anais La Valette." Ed looked a little happy. He was really delighted for his lord.


    Roy looked at his face closely. He confirmed that Ed was not mocking the baron or being sarcastic. It looked like he was sure the girl was the baron''s real daughter.


    <em>Odd. </em>Roy was a little perplexed. <em>Even a couple of peasants in the inn outside the city know about this scandal. Anais is the product of Maria Louisa and that guy in Temeria. A product of an affair. Why don¡¯t the soldiers know? And if things are going the way I think it will, Louisa will bless that guy with a son in a few years. </em>"Keep talking."


    "Not long after Lady Anais was born, the baron''s eldest son, Sir Aryan fell sick. It''s a weird illness. He''s been unconscious for a long time, but he''s showing no signs of recovery, nor is he waking up." The soldier sighed. "The baron looked into this and found out that a performer from another city cast a sleeping curse on Sir Aryan. The witch doctors and healers nearby tried their best, but they couldn''t do anything about Sir Aryan''s condition. The baron dered martialw and locked the White Bridge down for this reason. He wants to capture the culprit and save Sir Aryan."


    Ed gnashed his teeth. He suddenly pointed at the wall of a tower. There was a wanted poster there, and the man on it looked regr. He was covered in a brown headscarf and a white silk robe. His nose was crooked, his lips were thin, and the look on his face was dark. He looked like a man who came from anothernd.


    All the people who tried to get in or out would be checked. The soldiers would go so far as to see if they had disguised themselves.


    "The baron has dered an indefinite lockdown on the White Bridge until the culprit is captured. He''ll reward anyone handsomely if they can provide any clues about the culprit, or if they can heal Sir Aryan." Since the witchers were already going into the city, Ed said, "You look mighty, gentlemen. If you''re skilled in tracking down a target or lifting curses, you can give this a shot."


    "I don''t have time for this. I need to train my apprentice," Felix refused.


    "Hey, we''re gonna be here for about half a month for Roy to heal up. Might as well find something to do," Auckes disagreed.


    Letho stared at the poster and said curiously, "Hey, he looks oddly familiar. Have we seen him before?"


    Ed''s heart skipped a beat.


    Letho noticed the look Roy was giving him, and he waved the soldier down. "Oh, sorry. Wrong person. The eyes and nose look simr to a guy we know though. Nothing else matches him. His mouth''s too big, and his eyes are too long."


    "Look closer, gentlemen," Ed suggested. "You can visit the za if you''re still unsure. The culprit¡¯s aplices are being tortured there."


    ***


    The witchers went inside, where the center of La Valette''snd was. It was shielded by tall, thick marble walls, and nothing could be seen from the outside. The inside, however, was something else. Calling this ce a castle was a severe understatement. To be precise, it was a gigantic family of buildings that was formed after generations of sweat and blood. It was a great ce surrounding countless turrets and a main castle measuring more than sixty-five feet tall. This was an indomitable fortress. The real thing was a lot bigger than thend Roy had in mind.


    A circle of tall houses made out of stones stuck to the city walls. The roofs were conical and sharp. There were no redundant decorations on the outside. Most of them were greyish-yellow, and they were stark. More importantly, their walls were incredibly sturdy. Roy wondered if they were made out of the same material as the walls.


    The streets were filled with people and animals pulling heavy cargo. The ground was covered in ayer of pebbles and sand. It was filled with footprints and wheel tracks. The path was uneven, and a roofless carriage stood on the roadside. There was a well in the path''s center, and the witchers noticed animal droppings and urine sullying the path. The air itself smelled rancid.


    The city buzzed with life. They could hear men''sughter, women''s whispers, and cries of babies. There were also soldiers going around shouting at anyone who stepped out of line. La Valette''s fortress was a squalid, chaotic ce. Vizima''s trade quarter was far cleaner and neater than this ce, though this city was also filled with life and its own brand of vitality.


    The witchers stared into the distance. There were catapults and ballistas atop the side of the wall neighboring Pontar. They needed to fend off Redania''s threat.


    The group of witchers weaved through the throng and turned a few corners. The city was split into a few regions, and walls stood between each region. There was the living quarter, trade quarter, and the convent in the east, as well as the tower in the north. That was the baron''s abode.


    They came to a circr za about fifteen minutester. The crowd was roaring, and everyone who passed this ce stopped to see what the fuss was. They whispered among themselves about what was taking ce on the stone stage in the center.


    Roy looked past the fountain adorned with Kreve''s statue. His eyes were set on the four stakes on the stage. His heart sank when he saw the criminal tied to the rightmost stake. It was ady. Her clothes were in tatters, but her curves were perfect, and her ears were pointy. She was injured, but it did not cover up her beauty.


    The one beside her was a woman with Mohican hair. Her skin was tanned, and her body was muscr. On her left was an ugly, middle-aged man the size of a dwarf. All of them had been whipped and tortured. They were covered in wounds, and they looked exhausted. The criminals were struggling to keep themselves conscious.


    "I knew we''d seen that guy before." Letho crossed his arms, and realization struck him. "It''s the Gwent performer from Sea Scorpion Troupe. Amos, right?"


    "Yeah, it''s them." Roy heaved a sigh. He was reminded of the ex-leader of that troupe. He was cursed, and he sacrificed himself to save his children. The criminals tied to the stakes were the other members of that troupe: Eveline the elven dancer, Kanti the Zerrikanian demaster, and Ferroz the Joker.


    The one beside Ferroz was supposed to be Collins, the Swallower of mes. He was nothing but a charred, cold, and grotesque corpse now. The man had been burned to death.


    Roy took a deep breath. He could feel his ribs starting to hurt, and for some reason, he heard a quiet whisper. Eveline opened her eyes, and they were devoid of anything, but then they met Roy''s golden eyes despite him being in the crowd.

 Chapter 256: Sleeping Curse

    Eveline thought she saw a pair of beastly eyes. There were a lot of emotions swirling in them, and it pulled her out of the abyss of pain. She was starting to have some hope. The young man in the crowd looked familiar to her. She knew that face, but it was different from what she remembered. For a moment there, she could not recognize him.


    It had been more than six months since she¡¯dst seen Roy. He had not gone through the trial yet. The young witcher had grown a lot since then, and his face and body went through a dramatic transformation. He grew taller, and his features got more chiseled. His skin got softer and leaned towards looking like an elf. He felt more dependable too.


    <em>Who is he? </em>Eveline frowned. A few men appeared beside the young witcher. When she saw the bald, burly man, she realized who the young witcher was. <em>Letho of the Viper School. So that young man must be his apprentice. </em>"Roy," Eveline murmured almost inaudibly. It felt like forever since she saw him. He was that young quarter-elf who loved calling her name. "He''s grown so much."


    ***


    "Hey, kid." Letho huddled closer to Roy. "So what are you gonna do? Do you want to help?" Letho looked at the remaining troupe members. He said, "Amos did try to sabotage you, and he''s annoying, but Eveline was nice to you. She cared about you, and she really wanted you to stay. She took n''s kids to Melitele''s Temple. I wonder if they''re doing well."


    Eveline used to shine like a diamond, but now she lost her gleam. She was like an elf who lost all hope for life. Herpanions were worse for wear too. Kanti was a vivacious woman, but she was silent. Ferroz looked numb, like he had lost his soul.


    They were already in a bad situation, but the crowd would toss rotten vegetables and garbage on them, calling them names like ''sinners,'' ''abomination,'' and ''witches.'' Nobody stopped them. They were here for someughs.


    <em>How''d this happen? </em>"Should I help him?" Roy muttered to himself. The ''criminals'' here were people he knew. He couldn''t stay out of it. "I guess I just love to mettle in somebody else''s business."


    "You know these sorry sods, Roy?" Auckes and Serrit looked at them curiously.


    "Technically, they''re my friends." Roy pursed his lips. <em>But Eveline''s only close to me, not them. I can''t possibly ask them for help.</em>


    "Well, what are you waiting for then? You can''t stand around while your friend gets burned." Auckes went straight to the stage. Everyone followed him, including Felix. He held Carl''s hand, and his eyes gleamed coldly. The Vipers helped him back in Velen. He would repay his debt if they needed it.


    The soldiers'' leader who stood in front of the stakes held his whip tightly. He was about tosh at the criminals again, but then he saw five men barging onto the stage. His face fell. "Wait! Who are you people? This is against the rules! I know you''re excited, but stand aside!"


    The soldiers around the instructor surrounded the witchers and held the hilts of their des. The crowd wanted things to heat up even more, and they egged thebatants to fight. They would love to see a bloody battle.


    "Calm down, soldier. We''re not here for trouble." Auckes frowned and stopped in his tracks. He raised his hands to show that they meant no harm. "Can we talk to the criminals for a moment?"


    The instructor scoffed. "Who do you think you are? This is an executioner''s stage, not an inn or a public bath. You can''t talk to the death-row inmates just because you want to. Now stop getting in my way and leave!" The instructor waved them down impatiently andshed at the troupe members again.


    The whip cracked and arced through the air like ck lightning. Spikes unfurled like legs on a centipede, and the troupe members tensed up. They were horrified. Apparently, this whip left an impression.


    Roy gnashed his teeth. He could imagine how the whip chipped away at the troupe members. "Mr. Dn, we can''t help the baron if you won''t let us get near."


    The instructor froze. He was caught by surprise. "How do you know my name, young man?"


    "That''s not important." Roy looked back, and hispanions nodded. "We need to arrest that criminal who cursed Sir Aryan, and we have to talk to them."


    "Sorry. I have no confirmation about anyone taking the baron''s request yet. I can''t let you go." The instructor stubbornly blocked the young witcher''s way.


    "Fine. Then we can see the baron if you want." Roy stopped for a moment and looked at the soldiers. "You can''t expect me to escape with the criminals with all these soldiers surrounding me."


    The instructor froze for a long while, then Roy approached him and produced the white envelope. Dn''s eyes widened, and he slowly made way for Roy. "You have a letter from him. Then you may talk to the criminals, but make it quick, and don''t do anything stupid. Cross the line and you''ll end up in the coroner''s office, witcher.¡±


    "Of course." Roy told hispanions, "Keep an eye on Wilt for me. I''ll be back real soon."


    The soldiers evacuated the civilians, while Roy came to Eveline alone. The elvendy was tied to the stake by a rough rope. The rope had cut through her flesh and deformed her body a little.


    Eveline used to smell of fresh flowers, but now she only radiated the stench of blood and sweat. Eveline was wearing a yellow coat, or what was left of it. It was in tatters after she was whipped and tortured. She was barely covered in anything, and her skin was mostly bruised. She was covered in wounds, both old and new. The only ce unhurt was her face, but it was covered in dust and grime.


    Roy looked into her eyes seriously. "It must''ve been hard on you, Eveline. I''ll try to save you guys."


    "Roy¡­ I didn''t expect¡­ to see you here¡­" Eveline said, but her voice was barely a whisper. It was like she had gone for days without food. She looked embarrassed, but also grateful.


    Kanti noticed the littlemotion, and she turned around, though she was surprised to see Roy. "Wait, you''re the boy? It hasn''t been too long since west saw you. What happened?"


    "I passed the test, so I grew up a little. I don''t grow the same as regr humans now," Roy exined. "How do you feel? What can I do?"


    "Water. That''ll be enough," Kanti requested as she licked her cracked lips. She had been tortured for a while, but the Zerrikaniandy was still filled with motivation and desire to live. She had faced down many beasts before, after all.


    Roy spent some time convincing Dn to let him get some clean water from the Kreve fountain. He surreptitiously poured some marigold potion into the water and fed it to thedies. Ferroz did not react, however. He would open his eyes from time to time and gaze at the charred corpse lovingly.


    "Let Ferroz be, Roy." Kanti sighed. "The poor soul needs some peace and quiet. He''s been a bit¡­ entric ever since he watched his lover die. It''s been two weeks since hest opened his mouth."


    Roy stared at Ferroz. He looked numb, and it upset the young witcher. He used to be prejudiced against couples like Ferroz and Collins, but now he had to admit that they did love each other, and it was a deep love.


    "This is unjust." Eveline stared down and sighed. She then turned her sights to the statue on the fountain. "Torturing innocent souls in front of the great Kreve? That''s a transgression."


    Roy looked at thedies closely. "Ladies, tell me what happened. Why''d the baron capture you? Why''d he sentence you to this humiliation? Did Amos really curse Aryan La Valette?"


    "Lies!" Kanti growled. "Roy, you''re a witcher. You''re good at investigations and analysis. You met Amos before. Do you think he looks like an evil sorcerer? A sleeping curse? What a joke!" The stake was trembling from her struggle.


    "Calm down, Kanti. I trust you. Of course I do," Roy assured her. "Amos could be a scapegoat, but I need more information to make a deduction. Tell me everything you''ve gone through aftering to this ce. I want as many details as possible."


    Eveline coughed.


    "Dammit! The rope''s too tight! I''ll loosen it up." Roy tugged on the rope, but Eveline smiled at him weakly.


    "Don''t worry, Roy. It''s been a month. I''m used to it. I''ll tell you what happened." The elvendy looked up into the sky and started talking about their experience.


    ***


    "After we went our separate ways in Ender, we went to Vizima, Oxenfurt, Dorndal, and eventually came to La Valette''snd. That was two months ago. We stayed in the fief and performed for the merchants who traveled through the White Bridge. It was business as usual. And then a big ticket request came to us. The baron''s butler liked our performance, and he hired us to perform at the castle to celebrate his daughter''s birth."


    "Lady Anais, the daughter of Maria Louisa."


    "Yes. The baron was blessed with another child. At his age, it''s a celebration." Eveline smiled, as if reminiscing the event. "He invited a lot of guests of prestige to witness that. Everything went perfectly. We put on a nearly perfect performance for the baron''s guests that night."


    Kanti added, "I promise you, Roy, that was the best show ever since n''s death."


    Roy cut thedies off. "Hold up. Did you see a man among the guests? About forty years old, short, reddish-brown hair, and amber-colored eyes. The baron probably treated him with care too. Did you see anyone like that?" <em>If I''m right, Foltest left Vizima about a month ago. He might have traveled to the fief just to see his daughter.</em>


    Eveline pursed her lips and fell into her thoughts, then realization struck her. "Yes, Roy. I remember now. I did see the man you speak of. He was majestic. The baron spent most of the time tending to him. He paid more attention to that man than his own family. We thought the man must¡¯ve been an important official of Temeria. That, or he was royalty."


    Kanti nodded, confirming her friend''s guess.


    <em>I pity you, Baron. You''re raising someone''s kid, and you still don''t know it, </em>Roy thought. Thedies had no idea that the girl was not the baron''s real daughter. "What happened next?"


    "It was¡­ sudden. There was no warning at all," Eveline recounted. "We had a break in the side chamber after the performance. Sir Aryan took an interest in Amos'' Gwent tricks. He hung around Amos and wanted him to teach a few tricks in private. Lots of guests saw that. And¡­" Eveline stopped, fear welling in her eyes. "It happened. We heard a servant screaming, and everyone rushed to see what happened. We found Sir Aryan in a bedroom, except he was on the floor, and he wasn''t moving. Amos was nowhere to be seen."


    Eveline had a look of confusion on her face. She had no idea where Amos went, even until now.


    "Odd." Roy massaged his forehead. "Amos had no reason to attack Aryan."


    "All of Sir Aryan''s valuables went missing. Someone said Amos cast the spell on Aryan because greed got the better of him."


    Kanti stared at the young witcher and pleaded earnestly, "But we''ve worked with him for years, and Amos is no fool. Yes, he likes coins, but he wouldn''t do something that stupid. He would never cross a baron. That would be the end of him. The whole of Temeria would try to hunt him down. And this is just too obvious. There''s no way someone could hide a crime of this scale."


    "Yes. He''s not a fool," Roy said solemnly. "And he doesn''t even know any sleeping curses." Roy had cast Observe on Amos before. He was sure the performer was a regr human.


    Roy fell into his thoughts andbed out the clues he got. "I think I get the gist of things now. If I''m right, Amos is just a scapegoat. The real culprit is still atrge. We''ll have to look around the baron''s castle if we want more proof." Roy stopped and looked at the troupe members. "I''ll talk to Dn and see if he can let you guys go. We''ll head for the castle after that."

 Chapter 257: Baron

    "What brings you to La Valette, Roy?" Eveline held Roy''s shoulders with trembling hands and slowly moved herself with the young witcher''s help. She tore the wounds on her body with every inch she walked, and she clenched her teeth in pain.


    "We''re on our way to Novigrad. nning on crossing the White Bridge." Roy wrapped his arm around her lower back and held her up. He looked at her closely. The elven dancer was nothing more than skin and bones now, and her chin was unusually sharp.


    Eveline''s wounds were severe. From what Roy read about medicine, the incessantshings and malnourishment had destroyed her body. Even if the wounds were to heal, she would be left withplications like arthritis. Eveline was oblivious to that for the time being, however.


    "The city in Redania? I heard that''s where the Eternal Fire''s headquarters are. They''re hostile to non-humans." She was looking at the young witcher''s ears and hair. Eveline could see that his elven blood had thickened. He was no longer a quarter-elf. Roy was slowly turning into a pureblood, much to her surprise. <em>Atavism?</em>


    "Novigrad the free city, to be exact." Roy waved his hand before her and exined, "It might be in Rednia, but ever since the negotiations between a representative of Temeria''s previous king and Radovid III, Novigrad has been a free city. It belongs to no kingdom, and everyone''s happy about it. As for the Eternal Fire¡­" Roy hissed, "I''ll forget they exist if they stay out of my way, but if they don''t, mypanions and I will teach them a lesson they won''t soon forget." <em>The Eternal Fire isn''t as tyrannical at the moment. Radovid V the Stern isn''t powerful enough to support them yet.</em>


    "You guys have something to do in Novigrad?" Eveline looked around her. A dozen soldiers, Dn, and Letho were following them. Roy convinced Serrit, Auckes, and Felix to settle into an inn and keep an eye on the horses. They were on a reconnaissance mission, not a battle. There was no need for a big team.


    It was the first time Eveline saw six witchers, apprentice included, going around in a team.


    "Technically, yes." Roy fell silent. In the end, he said honestly, "But I''ll be seeing my parents as well. It''s been more than a year since I saw them. We''ve been separated ever since I left with Letho. I wonder how they''re doing."


    "Um, I thought you said your parents were dead." Eveline stared at Roy unblinkingly.


    "Um, uh¡­ It was just a little white lie. Don''t think too much about it." Roy hemmed and hawed, and much to his relief, Kanti stepped in to change the subject.


    "Witchers have parents too?" Kanti stubbornly refused Roy''s help. She dragged herself ahead despite her wounds. Her beautiful, muscr feet were abraded, as she was walking barefoot. A trail of blood followed her, but she paid it no heed.


    "Of course." Roy heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. "We didn''t just appear out of nowhere, you know."


    "You mightugh at me, but¡­" Kanti guffawed, but it quickly turned into a wince. She¡¯d pulled her wounds. "I always thought witchers came straight from a sorcerer''sb like some sort of emotionless homunculus, but now I see I was dead wrong." Kanti turned around to look at Letho, then she stared straight at Roy. "Most witchers look cold and emotionless, but you''re actually regr humans inside. You came to our rescue even though you knew the baron was out for us. You put yourself in harm''s way for us." Kanti patted his shoulder. "Thanks, Roy."


    "I just happened to be in town." Roy thought pensively. "Never thought I''d hear about you from the soldier. You guys are my friends. I couldn¡¯t just do nothing."


    Everyone fell silent this time.


    "It''s harrowing how far the troupe has fallen." Eveline had a mncholic look on her face. "It''s like we lost everything overnight."


    "This happened because n died. I''m partly responsible for this," Roy said to himself. If things were to take their own course without any intervention, Eveline would be The Ermine and help Geralt with a heist involving the Borsodi Auction House. Things changed though. If Roy had not arrived in time, everyone in her troupe would¡¯ve died, including her. The baron''s fury would burn her whole future away. Roy had an epiphany. <em>I''ve changed at least a few people''s fates so far. Adda, Ciri, Verrieres of the White Orchard, the Ladies of the Wood, Kunguran, and the Sea Scorpion Troupe. </em>Roy was reminded of the butterfly effect, and a smidgen of fear tickled him. He would lose the element of surprise in the future if he made one drastic change.


    <em>No use thinking about that though.</em> Roy took a deep breath and held those thoughts down. He then asked the troupe members of their experience over thest few days.


    Ever since Amos ''escaped,'' the baron took his fury out on the remaining troupe members. He locked them in the dungeon and tortured them for answers. He demanded to know where Amos was hiding.


    "I''d love to know where Amos is right now." Adeline craned her neck, tears welling up in her eyes, a frown furrowing her brows. "The soldiers tortured us, day in and day out. Whips, hunting knives, and red-hot pokers." Fear filled her eyes.


    "More importantly, these bastards wouldn''t even give us anything to eat!" Kanti growled. "All we had was a bowl of dirty water and a piece of bread that was as hard as rocks. I couldn''t escape, even if I wanted to. Didn''t even have any energy."


    "What are you talking about with the women, witcher?" Dn shot him a look of suspicion.


    "Nothing, Dn. I''m just trying to know more about the case. Speaking of which, are we getting there yet?" Roy noticed that the walls were getting thicker, while the civilians were thinning out. The number of soldiers increased, though.


    "In about five minutes." Dn warned, "And don''t pull anything funny." He ignored them. Roy did give him some coins. It would be rude if he pushed them too hard.


    ***


    "They locked us up for about two weeks, but they couldn''t get any valuable information out of us. Of course they couldn''t. We know nothing about this. The baron''s fury mounted." Eveline lowered her voice to a whisper. "So he told his men to parade us on the za. The city''s people spat at us and hurled every insult in thend at us. It was torture for the soul." Sometimes torturing the mind was worse than physical torture.


    Roy sighed. "What about Collins?"


    "Those bastards insulted Ferroz, and all he could do was watch. They were horrid. Didn''t hold back at all. He cursed the baron in his face, and Collins was burned to death. He was a gentle soul. He shouldn''t have met that kind of end."


    Thedies looked dejected, and they gnashed their teeth. They would have that terrible scene in their minds forever, but they couldn''t change a thing. Aristocrats could kill any civilian on their turf easily as long as they wanted to, let alone a crime suspect.


    Roy had seen power abuse firsthand before. Verrieres of the White Orchard was a prime example. He killed off most of the people in the orchard and still got away with it. The people died for nothing. The lords of thends controlled the lives of everyone who lived in it, at least in this era. "Do you hate him then?" Roy whispered.


    Eveline said nothing, while Kanti hissed, "I feel sorry for the boy, but that''s no reason for the baron to torture us." mes of fury burned in her eyes. "I am a Zerrikanian. We always collect our debts. I will make sure the baron and that bastard who made Amos his scapegoat pay for what they did."


    "Don''t tell anyone about that. Keep quiet and wait for an opening," Roy said seriously. He looked up and saw a great castle looming over him. The castle was taller than the buildings around him, and it even dwarfed the walls.


    "We''re here."


    ***


    The chains rattled, and the witcher followed the soldiers into the castle. The city was filled with squalid paths, haphazard walls, and misshapen houses, but the castle was a different story. It was the definition of luxury. The ceiling was filled with magical crystal lights that illuminated the halls and corridors. Silk curtains filled with intricate embroidery hung from the windows on both sides of the corridor. Expensive antique vases, clean armors, beast specimens, and all sorts of trinkets stood in every corner. The La Valettes had umted enough wealth over the generations to rival the collection in Foltest''s castle.


    Roy expected this. Baron La Valette might only be a baron, but hisnd was crucial to Temeria. Thanks to that, he had more power and soldiers than any other lord in Temeria. Foltest stayed out of La Valette''s affair as much as he could, giving them the chance to unite everyone in the surrounding area. It was nigh impossible to interfere with La Valette''s rulership. Besides, it would be disastrous if Baron and his forces were to side with Redania if he was pushed too far.


    The soldiers did not give the witchers any time to tour the castle. They were led up a flight of spiral stairs after a thorough body check, while the troupe members were taken back into the dungeon.


    The witchers came to the study on the third floor.


    "Tell me your names, witchers." Baron was standing upright before a bookshelf filled with books. His tight top covered with beautiful embroidery and precious gold gleamed under the light, but not even that gleam could hide the look of exhaustion on his face. His back was slightly hunched, and stress lines traveled down both sides of his cheek. The wrinkles on his forehead and eyes wereyered, as if they were little mountains. He had neglected to groom himselftely. His stubble and grey hair were glistening with grease. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had not been sleeping welltely.


    "Letho of the Viper School."


    "Roy of the Viper School."


    The witchers looked at the baron. He was older and smaller than expected, though he still had that same arrogance present in every aristocrat. Every time he looked at them, it was like he was assessing them. He stared at the young witcher and asked raspily, "You are Roy of the Viper School?"


    There had been a line of people styling themselves as some sort of powerful saviors who imed they could save his sontely. They turned out to be chatans in the end, and Baron had enough of this fruitless waiting.


    "That''s me."


    "I think I''ve heard that name before." He paced around like a cat on hot bricks and mmed his fists together. "Oh, right. An old friend of mine told me about a new y in the capital''s opera. It''s called Legend of the Sewer Butcher¡ªEnder of Filth. The protagonist is a witcher called Roy. Is that you?"


    Roy exchanged a surprised look with Letho. <em>Well, Agorn works fast, that''s for sure. </em>"It''s surprising that you''d take an interest in the y, lord baron. Yes, the protagonist is based on me."


    Baron nodded, and the look in his eyes turned just a bit gentler. He asked, "Did you really wipe Vizima''s sewers of all the monsters like the y said, Master Roy?"


    "Ahem. That''s an exaggeration, but I did kill a lot of monsters," Roy answered humbly for once.


    "Well, then I hope you''re as good a tracker as you''re a monster killer." The baron said, "You know what happened, so I won''t waste my time repeating the case. Do please bear in mind that my son has been bedridden for a long time now. He''s the heir to thisnd, but he''s dying because he can''t even eat. If you''re willing to help, then I would like to see Amos within one week. As promised, you shall be rewarded handsomely if he lifts the curse from Aryan. I swear on the honor of the La Valette family."


    <em>Your wife tainted that honor a long time ago, </em>Roy thought. He said, "Pardon me, baron, but our mission is to save Sir Aryan, not catching that circus performer."


    "What''s the difference?" The baron clenched his fist, displeased about Roy''s question. "If you can arrest him, he can lift the curse he cast on my son."


    "I don''t think so, baron." Roy''s eyes glinted. "I''ve talked to the troupe members not too long ago. And judging from what they said, it''s obvious that Amos is not the curse giver."


    "Witcher!" Baron raised his voice. "Someone told me the same thing before, but they failed to prove it. Nobody can prove that the performer is not behind this. Instead of wasting your time finding this¡­ culprit, I suggest you track Amos down and bring him to me."


    ***


    "Have you heard of the name Ignatius Verrieres?" Roy suddenly asked.


    "The White Orchard''s lord?" Baron frowned. He wondered why Roy was bringing up someone irrelevant to the situation.


    "Yes." Roy stared into his eyes. "Baron Ignatius used to be in your situation as well. Letho and I cracked the case for him and made sure his bloodline got to go on."


    "Witcher, lying to a lord is a severe crime." Baron put his hands behind his back and pushed his belly forward. He gave the witchers a sidelong nce. "And we tolerate no liars. They''re either burned or hanged."


    "You can always send someone to Amavet and get the confirmation you need," Roy said confidently. He knew the baron had no time for that. "I''m just saying that you should trust us. Give us time to look into this."


    The baron fell silent. He was wavering.


    Roy kept pushing. "Baron, you should have searched everywhere at this point, and nothing happened. Why don''t you change your approach? Take it from the top and find out who the hidden culprit really is."


    "What do you have in mind, witchers?"


    "We''ll be checking the crime scene again. Everyone who worked on the banquet must be present too," Roy said. "I''m sure you missed some details."

 Chapter 258: Investigation Part One

    "Come with me, please, witchers." The sounds of footsteps rang across the castle''s hallways. A maid with a generous bosom appeared. She was in a blue blouse and apron withce. The apron''s strings were tied in a ribbon behind her back, while her neck and wrists were decorated with floral trinkets. She had a curvy body, and Roy could see it perfectly from where he stood. He was reminded of Lytta. They kept in touch using the telescope even when Roy was traveling the wilds, but it had been a while since they had a date after leaving Vizima. He missed her.


    "Hey, kid!" Letho broke his train of thoughts. "It''s been a month. Can we even find anything?"


    "I can''t." Roy held his chest. "But maybe you can." That was why he wanted Letho toe along. His witcher senses allowed him to see clues most people or even dogs failed to track. They could even see clues dating back a year ago if the scene was remote and untouched.


    ***


    They came to the banquet hall on the second floor. It was the same ce the banquet was held a month ago. The bright light shone down on the long, beautiful table in the center of the hall. The chairs were neatly kept, and the dance floor was empty. There was almost not a speck of dust on it. Roy took a quick look at it. "Lady Sylvia, you have to clean this ce a few times every day, don''t you?"


    The servant looked haggard and spaced out. She stared at Roy dumbly for a few moments and answered, "Lady Louisa is particr about her home. She demands absolute cleanliness, especially after she gave birth to Lady Anais. The sight of dust alone ruins her appetite, so we clean the dining hall three times a day. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at night."


    <em>Three times a day? What is Louisa, a germaphobe? </em>Roy thought. "They probably ruined all the clues with all that cleaning." Roy massaged his temples. <em>But I can''t expect the baron to keep his home uncleaned for a whole month.</em>


    Letho scoffed. He was used to living in the wilds and going for weeks without bathing. Any cleaning work was a waste of time for him. "You can''t get any work done if you spend all your time cleaning."


    "We''ll need a list of the banquet''s guests, Sylvia. In the meantime, we''ll be searching the hall."


    Sylvia stared down and hesitated. She then remembered the baron''s orders and left to do her job.


    The witchers exchanged looks and went to opposite ends of the hall. Letho''s eyes shone when he activated his witcher senses. It was like a wolf''s eyes in the dark. He scanned the hall and saw light, messy footprints on the ground. There were marks of brooms and mops dragging across the floor. The pirs and armrests had marks of someone pushing down on them as well.


    Ribbons of varying colors appeared in the air. Letho brushed his hand across the table and chairs, then he approached the ribbons and sniffed them. "Let''s see what the baron had yesterday. Apple pie, bread, grilled sausages, Cote-de-Blessure, blueberry cod, and smoked pork. Hm, the pork smells familiar. Now, where have I smelled this before?" Letho tried to recall where he smelled those spices before, and he was reminded of Henhouse''s specialty dish. "So the baron is a regr at Barton''s inn, huh?"


    ***


    Roy was on the other end of the dining hall. He leaned against a pir and crossed his arms. The young witcher quietly scanned every corner of the hall, including those where the light did not reach. His eyes gleamed. A long whileter, he came to the edge of a window and stuck his head out to look downward.


    The outer walls of the castle were made of big marble bs. They were ancient, but the walls were still smooth to the touch. There were no nooks or crannies for anyone to hold on to. About twenty yards underneath them was a man-made ditch that surrounded the castle. The sun shone down on the water, and it gleamed like stars.


    "I bet the servants switched out everything in this room twice. At least." Letho came up to Roy. "They don''t even know how to preserve evidence. There''s nothing but yesterday''s dinner and today''s breakfast''s smell. And also their footprints. And marks of their cleaning work." He sighed. "What about you, kid? Find anything?"


    Roy shook his head. "We probably can''t find anything here, but I did notice something. I''ve been keeping an eye on the structure of the castle ever since we came in. I wonder how the culprit managed to sneak in and out."


    "Probably not from the windows." Letho looked down the walls of the castle. Not even a witcher could climb up or down the walls. "They''d make a lot of noise if they jumped out the window. The culprit would''ve fallen into the ditch and alerted the soldiers."


    There were a dozen fully-armed soldiers standing guard outside. From what Roy saw, there were even more soldiers patrolling the first floor of the castle. There were no blind spots at all. The front gates were even more tightly guarded. Nobody coulde in without the baron''s invitation.


    "Assuming Amos isn''t the culprit, then the real curse giver must be an insider. Either it''s the baron''s servants, or one of the guests who went to the banquet. And they know the castle really well too," Roy said. "That''s why they could get rid of Amos so quickly and quietly."


    ***


    "This is the list you requested, witchers." Sylvia handed the witchers a leather paper with gold edges.


    Roy scanned through it. There were about twenty names there. "Elvis, Austen¡­"


    "There were twenty-four guests that night," Sylvia exined. "Twelve of them merchants who reside in the fief, five of them the baron''s most trusted men, six of them the baron and thedy''s rtives, and thest one¡­" Sylvia huddled closer to the witcher and looked at the first name on the list. "Setlov. He''s an official from Vizima and one of the baron''s good friends."


    Roy could smell a nice scenting from Sylvia. He wondered who Setlov was, and then the corner of his lips twitched. "Setlov, huh?"


    "Do you know him?" Sylvia looked at him curiously.


    "Saw him once. Setlov is¡­ a really close friend of the baron''s," Roy said mysteriously. "But I digress. Sylvia, the baron trusts you enough to let you help with this case. Surely you know all of the guests on this list?"


    Sylvia ced her hands on her lower belly and nodded solemnly.


    "How do they get along with Sir Aryan then?" Letho interrupted. "Tell us your judgment. Are any of them distant or hostile to him?"


    Sylvia answered without hesitation, "Oh, I can answer that. I''ve been with him every day since he was born, up until he was thirteen." A motherly love glinted in her eyes. "I promise that Sir Atyan is a brave, kind, and upright young man. He''s as brilliant as the sun. He dreams to be a knight, and he''s been following their creed too. He''s nice to everyone. The guests, everyone in the castle, and the people of La Valette adore him. Nobody hates him."


    "What about the guests'' children then? Did they ever get into any conflicts? Especially those who''re his age?" Letho kept asking.


    Sylvia shook her head adamantly.


    "How are you so sure?" Letho wondered why she did not even hesitate.


    "Witchers, my family has been working for the La Valettes since the time of my grandmother. It''s our job to raise the family''s children. I raised Sir Aryan myself."


    <em>Ah, so that''s why. No wonder Sylvia is so sure about her answers. She probably thinks of Aryan as her own. </em>Almost every aristocrat and royal family would hire professional nannies to take care of their newborn. The children''s mothers lived their whole lives in luxury. They couldn''t take on the roles of a mother. That, and having nannies was a way to flex their wealth.


    Roy tucked the list away and said, "Sylvia, we need to see the side chamber. We need to see where the troupe stayed when they were here, and also we have to see the room where Sir Aryan disappeared. Let''s start with the troupe''s room."


    Sylvia nodded, but before she turned around, she pleaded earnestly, "Witchers, please capture the culprit as soon as you can and save Sir Aryan. H-He adores witchers."


    "What do you mean?" Letho and Roy had weird looks on their faces. As far as they were concerned, it was already a miracle that children of aristocrats didn''t look down on them. Adoration was out of the question.


    Sylvia pursed her lips and walked down memoryne. "Sir Aryan loved listening to the tales of witchers every time he couldn''t sleep. He was just a child back then, and I told him all about it. He especially loves the tale of the White Wolf and Renfri. And also her gang. He thinks the White Wolf is an outstanding swordsman."


    "Well, Geralt''s famous." The witchers had mixed feelings about this. They assured her, "Sylvia, you can trust us. We took the request, and we will do everything we can to save Sir Aryan."


    <em>But most importantly, the troupe, </em>Roy added quietly. "Now lead the way. Time is of the essence."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 259: Investigation Part Two

    The chamber beside the banquet hall was filled with sundry items. There were a few long benches inside, and this was where the troupe stayed during the banquet. The room was stuffy, and not even a window was in sight. The witchers searched it carefully, but much to their disappointment, this room was also thoroughly cleaned. They failed to find any clues, so they asked Sylvia to bring all the troupe members over.


    "Eveline, do you remember the exact time you guys retired to your room after the performance ended. Be as precise as you can."


    "I''m sorry, Roy." The soldiers led Eveline up from the dark dungeon. Her feet were cuffed, and she had a confused look on her face. "It''s been a while, and I can''t remember the details. All I remember was the troupe started performing at about seven, and we retired for the night at about eight, after the performance was over."


    "What about you, Kanti? Do you remember anything?" Roy turned to Kanti, but she shook her head as well.


    "I deal with des and archery. Memory games aren''t my forte."


    Ferroz was useless. He looked like he had lost his soul. The man was just moving on instinct.


    Eveline bit her lip. She hesitated for a moment, but she said, "Roy, Master Letho, we always record the flow of our performance, including the exact time they start and end. We need to reflect and gain experience from our mistakes, after all. n used to be the one making the records, but I took over after he died."


    "So where''s the journal?" Roy asked.


    "The baron''s soldiers took all the troupe''s stuff away," Eveline said. She nced at the soldiers at the doorstep. The one in the lead was Dn, the instructor who led them back from the za. He was in charge of the dungeon as well. The man had five soldiers behind him, and a big chain of keys and ck whip hung from his waist. He looked frustrated and impatient.


    "You took the journal, didn''t you? Give it to me right away." Roy''s eyes glinted coldly. He looked at Dn closely and nodded. The young witcher came to a decision. "This is precious evidence. Do not ruin it, or it''d make the investigation harder."


    Dn was irked. He could see that the young witcher was ordering him around like ackey, but the baron told them to work with these mutants, so he didn''t resist. He came back with the journal a whileter. "Here''s the journal you want."


    Roy took the yellowing journal. It was as big as his hand. He looked at the frustrated Dn and said, "Eveline, Kanti, and Ferroz are important witnesses. They need to stay with me at all times for the investigation. You and your soldiers should leave if you have nothing else to say."


    Dn''s face turned red with fury, while the troupe members looked smug, and they gave Roy looks of gratitude.


    "Witcher!" Dn finally couldn''t hold it in. "The baron won''t allow dangerous suspects like them to roam the castle. I have to keep an eye on them!"


    Sylvia had been quiet until that moment. "Dn, it''s safe as long as the witchers are around. Leave, now!


    ¡°But Sylvia¡ª"


    "Enough! This is the baron and thedy''s orders! And they allow no insubordination!"


    Dn red at the young witcher, but then he froze. He saw an eerily horrifying scene unfurling before him. The world itself turned crimson, and terrifying tentacles protruded from the witcher''s back and the bloody pools on the ground. Theyshed out at him and kept him wrapped, like a boa constrictor slowly tightening on its prey. They were everywhere, and he felt himself suffocate. Dn froze up, his eyes rolling rapidly, as if he were having an episode of fits. It was like something had possessed Dn. His limbs, chest, and fingers were trembling violently. He was already drenched in sweat in mere moments, and his pants had a wet patch on it. It reeked of urine.


    Roy smiled. "You don''t want to do evil, Dn. Spirits will haunt you." His pupils contracted into slits, as if he were a predator hunting a prey.


    Dn was shaken, and he was in tears. He scrambled to escape, and his soldiers followed.


    "Master Roy, was that¡­" Sylvia covered her mouth in surprise.


    "I didn''t do anything, Sylvia. You saw me. The guy had an episode of fits. Maybe it''s terminal." Roy put his hands behind his back and shook his head. "Thanks for trusting me though."


    Sylvia smiled. "Dn spent too much time in the dungeon. It changed him for the worse. Nobody likes him. It was fun seeing you teach him a lesson. Still, do please save Sir Aryan as soon as possible." She led the way.


    "Scaring the baron''s soldier on his own turf?" Letho stood behind Roy, finally breaking his silence. "What the hell were you thinking?" he whispered.


    "I can''t let him threaten my friends, can I?" Roy clenched his fists and loosened it. He felt a ball of fire burning within him, and his face fell. "If they try anything funny¡­"


    "We''ll make a break for it. You and I both," Letho promised as he cracked his neck.


    ***


    ''Fourth of June, 1261. Castle of La Valette. Night. Seven twenty. Kanti the Target Destroyer, Collins and Ferroz, the mes and Balloons, Amos the Mystical Hurricane of Gwent, Eveline the Fluttering Dance¡­'' The witchers flipped to thetest entry. "Four shows, and itsted for an hour and twenty minutes. So you guys ended the performance at eight forty and came to this room right after that?"


    "No. We gave a speech for about two minutes." Eveline nced at the grandfather clock in the corner. She said, "We came back to the room at about eight thirty-five."


    "Is that so? Was there anyone else in here? Besides your troupe members?"


    Eveline shook her head. Roy kept asking, "Did Amos do anything peculiar while he was in the room?"


    Eveline looked at Kanti, and they both shook their heads. "Amos was acting like himself. Trying to impress Eveline after the show like he usually would. Eveline rejected his advances, and he practiced his tricks in the corner. Everyone can vouch for that."


    "So when did Aryane in then? The exact time?"


    "Not too long after we came back. Less than ten minutes."


    "About somewhere between eight forty-five to eight fifty, then. Aryan and Amos left the room." Roy mused for a while. "Then you, Kanti, Ferroz, and Collins waited until the ident happened?"


    "That''s right." Eveline exined, "We left the room when we heard a scream?"


    "So who found Aryan then? And when was he found?"


    The troupe members shook their heads. Too many things were happening at once. They were distracted by the scream and didn''t pay attention to the time.


    "I can answer that, witcher." Sylvia huddled closer and said, "I can''t remember most of the points in time in this case, but there''s one thing I won''t forget. I always put Sir Aryan to bed every night before ten. That''s the baron and thedy''s rule. It''s been that way for more than a decade." Sylvia looked up and took another trip down memoryne. "It''s been a while since Sir Aryan was gone. I was worried it was time for him to sleep, so I looked at the time. It was nine twenty. There were forty minutes until bedtime. I even heaved a sigh of relief, but then Rosie screamed."


    "Who''s Rosie?"


    "A good friend of mine. She''s also a servant. I talked with her about it after that. Someone toppled a ss of water over her in the hall, so she went back to her room and got changed. It was then she saw Sir Aryan unconscious beside her bed." Sylvia paled. "It''s all my fault. None of this would have happened if I had checked on him sooner."


    "It''s not your fault, Sylvia." Roy looked at her. She had not an ounce of muscle on her. Sylvia was a gentle and softdy. She was not strong, nor was she a sorceress. "If you had checked on him sooner, the culprit could have killed you off easily. And let''s get back to the case. You said Rosie found Aryan unconscious in her room?"


    "Servants don''t have any room all to themselves." Sylvia exined, "Rosie and the other girls live in amon room. It''s on the most remote corner of the castle''s second floor."


    "Is the room usually locked? Are there any guards patrolling the ce?"


    Sylvia shook her head. "The guards were only patrolling the banquet hall''s gates and the stairs leading to the first and third floor."


    The witchers exchanged looks and sighed. They fell silent for a while. <em>The culprit knows where to hide.</em>


    "Let''s go over all the clues we have. ording to the troupe and Sylvia, Sir Aryan was attacked between eight fifty and nine twenty." Roy looked at everyone sharply. "Eveline, you and your members have enough alibi to prove your innocence. Sylvia, I don''t think you''d hurt someone you raised either. Which means our suspects are: Amos, the guests who left the hall halfway through. Or¡­" Roy gazed at Sylvia. "The castle''s servants."


    Sylvia had a grim look on her face, and she shook her head. "I-I know the girls very well. They''ve been serving the baron for generations. Theye from regr families. There''s no reason for them to hurt Sir Aryan. Nor are they brazen or powerful enough."


    "You have a point," Roy said. "Honestly, we have almost no reason to suspect the servants, so our first course of action will be¡­" Roy took out the list of guests and looked at the names. "Finding out who left the hall between eight fifty to nine twenty."


    The banquet hall was huge. It was enough to house a hundred guests, but there were only twenty-four that night. It was less than a quarter of how many people this hall could house.


    "Can we ask the guests toe back?"


    "Sorry, but most of them have left La Valette. I need to ask the girls." Sylvia said, "The lord anddy assigned one servant for each guest that night. It''s to show respect. I think they should know where the guests assigned to them went."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 260: Setlov

    A few dozen servants were standing in a line in the corridor outside the castle''s storeroom. Most of them were youngdies. They were slim, beautiful, and their skin was soft. They were polite, and their attire was beautiful. It was a nice sight to behold. <em>The baron can be really decadent. </em>Roy scanned thedies, and he thought, <em>Can he even deal with so manydies at his age? </em>He tossed that thought out and shook his head. Observe told him that every single one of these servants were regr people. They did not have an ounce of mana or special skills. The best of them only had stats on par with a regr adult.


    They were shivering in fear every time the witchers looked at them. Not even a whisper was heard. <em>It doesn''t look like the servants did anything. Someone else might have hurt Aryan and taken his valuables. Or¡­ that''s what the culprit wants us to think! </em>Roy looked at the servants once more. "I assume Sylvia told you everything. Work with us and answer our questions. It won''t take too long."


    Sylvia was leading them. She said solemnly, "Sir Aryan''s life is at stake here. Please work with the witchers. You know what happens to anyone who lies or hides the truth." Sylvia made sure everyone heard that, and she had a steely resolve in her eyes. "You first, Adele."


    "Yes, Sylvia." A cute, thin girl came forward and followed the witchers into the storeroom. The witchers locked the door, and the servants shivered. A heavier silence fell on the corridor. Not a soul stirred.


    "Were you assigned a guest that night, Adele?" The witchers crossed their arms, standing side by side. They stared intently at the youngdy who had her back against the corner of the wall.


    The girl gulped, looking like a scared little deer. "I-I was assigned to Elvis that night, witchers."


    "Elvis. The baron''s main seller for his spices." Roy whipped the guest list out again and looked closely. "You stayed with Elvis all the way through?"


    Adele frowned, trying to remember that night. "The lord specifically told us to never leave our assigned guests, witcher. I-I didn''t ck off!"


    "Good." The witchers exchanged smiles. "Do you remember what Elvis did between eight fifty to nine twenty? Did he leave the hall?"


    Adele looked perplexed. Apparently she had no idea of the exact timeframe they were talking about. Roy said, "Alright, simply speaking, that''s the time after the performance has ended and before Aryan was found."


    Adele patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. "Witchers, I promise Elvis had never stepped out of the hall. He remained in it the whole banquet."


    "Think closely, girl," Letho said. "We need the truth. Are you sure he didn''t sneak out when you weren''t looking? He could have been gone for five minutes or even less."


    Adele stared at the bald, deadpan witcher dumbly. "Trust me, witchers. One of the Vivaldi Bank''s managers was there. His name is Austen. He was talking business with Elvis for the whole banquet. Adeline can prove that. She was assigned to Austen."


    "I see." The witchers exchanged looks and asked a few more questions. Adele thought it was confusing and irrelevant, though. "That''s all we needed to ask, girl. Call Adeline in."


    ***


    The witchers'' interrogation went on smoothly. They had gone through eighteen servants in an hour, and all of them said the same thing. The guests they were assigned to never left the hall. Half an hour was just enough for them to get a few sses of wine. Besides, all the guests that night came from upper society. They had a lot of mutual interests. Women, business, political games, and things that were happening near Amell. They had a lot of fun just chatting with one another. None of them had time to leave. The servants could prove that their colleagues were telling the truth, so the witchers had no reason to doubt.


    Some of them were being too nervous, so the witchers would just cast Axii on them to get the answers they wanted. Nobody knew what was happening inside anyway. The door was locked. In the end, the witchers found out that it was just the servants being really jittery. They failed to provide any valuable clues for the witchers.


    Until the neenth servant came in.


    "Beattie. That''s my name, witchers." A plump woman with long brown hair and some freckles beside her nose came in. She was about thirty years old and a lot more mature than the other girls.


    "Who''s the guest you were assigned to?"


    "Setlov." Beattie looked at the witchers and answered carefully, "A guest from Vizima."


    A smile curled Roy''s lips. He raised his voice, "Well, that''s an important guest alright."


    Beattie agreed. "The lord wanted to spend some time with Setlov himself, but Setlov dislikes too much attention and formalities, so the lord assigned me to him." Beattie looked a little smug and muttered to herself, "Perhaps the baron thought I was the smartest of them all, so he assigned me to him."


    "So you stayed with Setlov all the way through the banquet then?"


    The servant pulled her hair and answered, "I remember him watching the troupe''s performance for a while. Even had a few sses of wine too."


    "Did he talk to anyone?" Roy asked.


    Beattie had a surprised look on her face. "Now that you mention it, he only did talk to the lord for a while. Probably doesn''t know the other guests very well. He is from Vizima after all."


    Roy thought this was a clue. He asked, "Did he stay in the hall after the performance ended?"


    "No. He had a little too much wine. It''s starting to make him tipsy and stuffy," she said. "He told me he wanted to get some fresh air."


    The witchers heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Finally, a different answer. </em>"So where did he go? Did you follow him?"


    "There''s an open air garden about two minutes away from the banquet hall. The servants'' room is further than that. Setlov must have gone to that garden." Beattie smiled dryly. "The lord told me to serve him well and never go against his orders. He wanted to be alone, so I didn''t follow him. I stayed back in the hall."


    Roy fell silent for a while, and an idea struck him. A dangerous idea. "Do you remember how long he was gone for?"


    "About fifteen minutes?" The servant was not sure. "I''m sorry, witchers. All I remember was that Sir Aryan was found unconscious not long after Set¡ª" Beattie came to an abrupt halt. She covered her mouth, and her eyes widened in horror. A whileter, she asked, "Witchers, are you saying¡ª"


    An inverted triangle appeared in her beautiful blue eyes, and she tensed up like a puppet on strings. The witchers then whispered to her. It felt like an instant, but also an eternity at the same time. When she snapped out of it, she forgot almost everything she said. "Sorry, witchers. I spaced out for a moment. Where was I?"


    "The baron assigned you to Setlov. You''re an older servant, but you''re smart and considerate." Roy grinned toothily. "We''re done here, Beattie. You may leave now, but tell the next servant toe in five minutester."


    "Okay." Beattie was a little surprised. <em>I haven''t even said that much, and they''re already done? </em>Still, that was the witchers'' orders, so she obliged.


    "Remember. We need some time to sort our clues out. Send the next servant in five minutes."


    "Of course, witcher." The door creaked shut.


    ***


    "This is too weird to be a coincidence. Aryan fell after Setlov left?" Letho looked at Roy. "But you know who he is, don''t you? You sounded really weird when Sylvia gave you the list. And you were acting really weird just now."


    "You still don''t get it? You really need to train your mind more instead of your body, Letho." Letho shot him a warning look, and Roy smiled sheepishly. "Oh, you know this guy too. Auckes, Serrit, and I met him once. Read the name in reverse and you''ll see."


    "Voltes?"


    "Read it a few more times."


    "Voltes¡­ Voltes¡­ Fol¡ª" Letho froze up and stared down in silence.


    "I see you figured out who the guy is." Roy spaced out at the wall and said grimly, "The servants'' room is only a stone''s throw away from the garden, and the garden is the best ce to practice Gwent tricks. It''s possible the culprit moved Aryan from the garden to the servants'' room. There were no patrols there, so voil¨¤. We found our prime suspect. But the problem is, we have no proof, nor do we know what his motives are. More importantly, we both know how sensitive his identity is. We need to be really careful. Can''t tell anyone about this."


    "Then we''ll have to check the garden out after this." Letho leaned back against the chair and sighed. He had no idea what to feel. This was a hassle, and he couldn''t solve it with violence alone. "We should see the victim now."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 261: In the Garden

    The autumn sunshine shone through the impluvium, gracing the beautiful flowers dancing in the yard. Roy could taste their gorgeous scent in the air. A woman was walking down the pathways between the flowerbeds, her green low-cut dress drawing out her perfect curves. A wooden stroller sat beside her, and she was watering the potted nts.


    "That''s Lady Louisa." Sylvia was at the garden''s entrance, and she pointed at Louisa. She whispered, "She''s been a bit depressed because of what happened to Sir Aryan, so she visits the garden every day."


    "Won''t we be disturbing her then?" Roy asked.


    "I''ll have to ask her, witchers. Pardon me," she apologized. "But she worried about Sir Aryan. I''m sure she''ll work with you. Probably."


    The witchers nodded and saw Sylvia off, then they talked with the troupe members and told them to wait outside. They were still seen as the culprit''s aplices. Louisa would be upset to see them, of course, given that she was the victim''s mother.


    ***


    Roy sneezed and rubbed his nose. She looked at thedies in the garden. All he saw was Louisa''s back, but just the curves of her hips and beautiful neck was enough to tell him of her beauty. "She just gave birth barely a month ago, and she''s already so slim. That''s impressive," Roy praised. He thought that most women would lose their beauty fast after they had children. That was the rule no matter how beautiful she used to be.


    Going out of shape and gaining weight was the norm, especially for vige women. Nobody would keep themselves in shape just to please their peasant husbands after they gave birth. "I wonder what''s her secret."


    "She''s also the mother of a teenage boy, kid," Letho whispered. He looked surprised as well. "And she''s not even thirty. Twenty-seven? Twenty-eight? Either way, she had her first child when she was just seventeen or so."


    Letho stopped talking. Sylvia came back and invited them in. "Thedy wishes to see you, witchers."


    ***


    Roy looked around the garden. There were more than ten types of flowers there. Rosemallows, chrysanthemums, and white jasmines. Thest one took up more than half of the garden. "Jasmine represents loyal love. Is this the baron''s idea?" Roy smirked. He thought it was ironic. The baron was much older than his wife. Coins and flowers alone wouldn''t keep the rtionship warm. She still cheated on him in the end. "These flowers¡­" He sniffed the air again not long after he came in. The fragrance left an impression on them even before they came in, and it only got stronger the deeper the witchers went. It was like they were enveloped in a sea of flowers.


    All the witchers could smell was the flowers. Their sense of smell was a lot sharper than most people after all. Anything would be lethal in excess, including the scent of flowers. They would rather taste the scent of blood. It kept their edge and minds sharp. The witchers frowned, but when thedy turned around, their annoyance was reced by surprise.


    The gods gave all their blessings to this woman. Most white women would start to show wrinkles at her age, but thedy''s skin was still as smooth as silk, and it had a healthy tan. She was not wearing any ring or earrings. Her hair was tied up in a simple bun, and her hazel eyes were gleaming as brightly as the sun. Her lips were like blooming roses, and her cleavage drew the witchers'' gazes in. She had a slim waist and a pair of long, beautiful legs. This woman was drop dead gorgeous.


    <em>A nine in Charisma? </em>Roy only had eight. It was a bit lower than her. He cast Observe on her, but Louisa''s body was not modified by magic, unlike the sorceresses. Aside from Charisma, her stats were ordinary. She was a natural beauty. <em>No wonder he fell for her.</em>


    "Witchers, I am Maria Louisa La Valette, wife of the baron. Thank you for taking this request. The boy is nothing but skin and bones now. He would have died if not for the witch doctor''s spell." Louisa looked exhausted and forlorn. Her voice was raspy, but she was stillfortably gentle. Unlike her husband, she was not arrogant. She held her hands out, facing downward. The witchers held them up and kissed their back.


    "Worry not, mdy. The gods watch over kind souls like Sir Aryan. This could all just be a test for him to grow up into a better knight."


    "I do hope so. My poor boy is only eleven. This is too much for a young child like him." The thought of her unconscious son made her frown, and she teared up, but she nced beside her. There was a stroller there, and a petite baby was wrapped up in a nket. The sun shone on her cute, chubby face. She looked adorable.


    The baby was sucking on her thumb, her eyes alternating between Louisa and the witchers. They were filled with curiosity and naivete. Louisa pinched her cheeks and heaved a sigh to calm herself down.


    "Anais La Valette, I assume?" Roy watched the heartwarming scene quietly. This baby was more than met the eye. If things happened as they should, she would go through a lot of changes and be the only legal heir to Temeria. Of course, Roy was the only one who knew that future.


    "Sylvia told me you''ve done a lot of investigating yourselves, witcher." She pursed her lips, and the witchers could see that she was in a hurry. She asked coldly, "Did you find out where the damned curse giver is hiding then?"


    "Calm down, Lady Louisa. We have our own guess about the case. For example¡­" Roy looked at her closely. "It''s possible that Sir Aryan and Amos practiced their magic tricks in this garden. The culprit might have been hiding somewhere and attacked Aryan all of a sudden. He fell unconscious and was moved to the servants'' room. Still, there are no perfect crimes." Roy looked at the dumbfounded Louisa. "Maybe the criminal thought he covered his tracks perfectly, but he left us clues in ces he never expected. Perhaps it''s hard for regr humans to see those clues, but not for us witchers."


    "I do hope you''ll bring me good news soon," Louisa requested. "Please, save Aryan from his misery. And now¡­" She held the stroller''s handle. "I''ll leave you to your investigation. I should take Anais to her brother now." Before she left the garden, she said, "The witch doctor''s session should be over soon. Do see Aryan too. Sylvia will lead the way."


    "Of course, Lady Louisa."


    ***


    Roy saw the baroness off and praised, "Lady Louisa is a great mother, Sylvia."


    "She has always loved her children. Sir Aryan and Lady Anais are her whole world, if I do say so myself." Sylvia looked sad. "Thedy is really depressed after what happened to Sir Aryan. She can''t even sleep or eat."


    "Still, she''s still as beautiful as ever." Roy asked, "She was the center of attention back at the banquet, wasn''t she?"


    Sylvia nodded. She remembered something funny, and she covered her smile behind her hand. "You weren''t there, so you didn''t see it, but the baron bragged to everyone. He wanted everyone to know she was his wife, and she gave him two beautiful children."


    "Well, he does have the right to brag. With a gorgeous wife like that, who wouldn''t?" Roy said enviously. "But you said Lady Anais joined the banquet as well, despite the fact that she was a newborn?"


    "The lord anddy took her around the hall and asked the nanny to take her back to the room. They didn''t want to scare her."


    "And Lady Louisa just let her daughter out of her sights?" Roy asked nonchntly. "She did leave for her baby halfway through, didn''t she?"


    "Yes. Thedy wouldn''t let Lady Anais out of her sight. She''s just a newborn. She was really busy, but thedy still took the time to see Anais for a bit."


    "You don''t see mothers like that in the aristocracy now, but I digress. Now, let''s talk business." The witchers got the answers they wanted. They exchanged looks and searched the garden.


    ***


    "Achoo!" The witchers came back out an hourter, covered in soil. They sat down across from each other, leaning against the garden''s pir. Letho crushed the jasmine in his hand and looked at the garden cautiously.


    They did a thorough search of the garden. They did not destroy it, though they had searched everywhere they thought possible, but they found nothing aside from flowers, soil, water, bees, and a mouse. The witchers looked like a proper mess, but they still found nothing.


    "He probably cleaned the blood even if he did kill Amos here." Letho rubbed his nose vigorously, and it turned red and swollen. "It''s almost impossible to find any clues with how many flowers there are in this garden." He stood up and punched the pir.


    Roy looked at the sea of flowers with resignation, but when he nced at the pir before Letho, the young witcher froze.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I think I found something, Letho. Move away." Letho went up to Letho. The veteran witcher watched curiously as Roy touched the blue pir, then he saw what Roy was touching. It was an extremely light crimson mark the size of a nail. The mark looked like a child''s random scribble or natural coloring from the flowers at first nce.


    The witchers huddled closer to have a better look. They sniffed it, and they could smell the scent of blood hiding under the fragrance of the flowers. Only witchers, who possessed supernatural senses, could see what it truly was.


    "Blood!" Letho took a deep breath and circled the pir, staring at it intently. "There was a murder here! This is probably the original crime scene. But who''s the victim then?" He thought about it for a while.


    Roy fell into his thoughts as well, and he had a guess. <em>Amos, the missing performer. </em>He could see what happened vividly. Amos the performer was ambushed in the garden. He was grievously injured, and as he struggled to escape, the performer touched the pir by chance, leaving this clue behind. "Or this could be a clue he''s leaving for us."


    They moved their gaze upward to the ceiling. At the far end of the ceiling, there was a corner of the roof that tucked inside. The space above that corner was hidden in darkness, shrouded from everyone''s sights.


    Letho climbed the pir as quickly as a lizard would, and he extended his arm into the corner. He whipped something out andnded on the ground. When he opened his hand again, a hard card with intricate patterns on its back was sleeping in it. "A Gwent card? What the hell?" Letho arched his eyebrow and fell into his thoughts.


    "Smart guy. He left us a clue. Only a Gwent magician can hide a card in that corner without anyone suspecting anything. Not even the killer and the castle''s servants saw this." Roy turned the card around, and he saw a familiar face staring back at him. "This is the king of Temeria of the Northern Realms faction. <em>Foltest</em>." Roy''s guess was validated. "And he has another identity¡ªSetlov, the guest who came to get some fresh air during the banquet."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 262: Witch Doctor and Lost in Dream

    "Amos left us an obvious clue. Foltest is behind this." Letho kept an eye on Sylvia and where she was going. He rubbed his hairless head and said, "Now all we have to do is find out what happened between Foltest and Amos. Then everything will be clear."


    Roy nodded, telling Letho to keep going.


    "But something''s off. Foltest changed his name. Aside from us, the baron, his wife, nobody knows Setlov is Foltest in disguise. Amos is just a nomadic troupe performer, so he shouldn''t have seen Foltest before. How''d he find out who Setlov really is and leave a clue behind?"


    "I have a guess why." Roy licked his lip. He was looking a bit excited. "Amos and Aryan were both in the garden. They probably saw him by chance and overheard something they shouldn''t have."


    "Wait. It can''t be¡­" Letho thought he knew what Roy was getting at, but he couldn''t put a finger on it.


    "It must have been a beautiful night. The flowers were in full bloom, and the paths were covered in their petals." Roy looked at the flowers and continued, "Do you really think Foltest was just getting some fresh air? When he had the perfect scene for romance right in front of him? Get real. Remember what Sylvia told us? Lady Louisa left the banquet hall too. She ims thedy went to see her daughter, but I don''t think that''s the whole story. We need to talk with thedy." Roy fell silent for a moment, and he added, "Alone if possible."


    ***


    The witchers opened the door. It creaked, revealing a warm, spacious bedroom behind it. The brilliant sunshine shone through the windows, illuminating the pasty young man lying on the bed. He was gaunt. His cheeks were sunken, and his cheekbones almost pierced through the skin. The young man''s illness made him look a lot older than he was. He was covered in a slightly thick nket, and his eyes were closed. His breathing was almost nonexistent, as if he would be snuffed out at any given moment.


    Louisa was beside the bed, leaning against it. She was wiping the young man''s face gently with a wet towel, but she stopped when she heard the witchersing inside. "Witchers." She wiped the tears off her cheeks and stood up. Louisa held her hands in front of her belly, and she asked rather hurriedly, "Did you find any clues in the garden?"


    "We went through the garden and the servants'' bedchamber, but we found nothing," Roy lied and shook his head. He and Letho approached the bed. Roy scanned the young man, and he frowned. "This must be Sir Aryan. How is he looking?"


    Louisa had a forlorn look on her face. She sighed. "The witch doctor did his best, but Aryan is barely surviving." She turned her gaze to the other side of the bed. A wizened man in bizarre attire stood near the saffron curtains. He donned a cape made out of bear hide, a ne made of chicken feet hung around his neck, and his yellowish-green hemp robe extended to the ground. It was old and tattered. The young witcher was reminded of the unkempt herbalists who lived in the viges.


    His sideburns were grey, and there was barely any hair on the top of his head. Wrinkles covered his face, but unlike most of the elderly, this man stood up straight, and he was well built. His eyes were gleaming with energy.


    ''Sasilie


    Age: Eighty years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Witch doctor (Most witch doctors are nothing but chatans who survive on the masses'' gullibility. Some of them are spellcasters who know a few spells, but their affinity for magic lies somewhere between regr humans and sorcerers).


    HP: 60


    Mana: 150


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 6


    Perception: 12


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 15


    Skills:


    Ancient Secrets Level 5: A system of spells simr to the druids'' nature magic. Includes curses, healing spells, defensive spells, and divination. Witch doctors are less perceptive to chaos energypared to sorcerers. Because of that, these techniques require moreplex rituals and materialspared to regr spells. They''re more primitive and unrefined, but they have their charms.


    Meditation Level 5


    See More''


    ***


    "Witchers, this is Sasilie. He''s a witch doctor the baron hired from Velen. Aryan can''t eat while he''s unconscious. Regr doctors can''t do anything about it. Even sorcerers can''t deal with this problem, but the witch doctor did. He saved Aryan''s life. With just one talisman." Louisa nodded gratefully at the witch doctor and pulled the nket down a little, revealing the yellow talisman hanging around his neck. It was made of juniper berries and silver fir.


    Roy could smell the scent of buckthorn hanging around it. There was also a ball of light swirling around the talisman.


    "It''s a pity he can''t wake Aryan up."


    "It''s impressive he kept Sir Aryan alive," Roy said. <em>It''s one thing to go without food, but Aryan can''t even drink while he''s unconscious. Most people would die from severe dehydration in a few days, but the witch doctor miraculously kept him alive. </em>Roy looked at the old man. He hade across many sorcerers before. He could sense that familiar feeling on Sasilie, though he also smelled the scent of wild herbs, animals, and livestock on him. The man felt like a spellcaster that was between druids and sorcerers, and Roy thought his attire looked familiar. <em>Sasilie of Velen. I wonder where I''ve seen him before, </em>Roy wondered.


    "Oh, you''re here, Vipers," the old man spoke first. He put his hands on his hips and said in a strangely high pitch, "Aryan is waiting for you."


    "You know us?" Roy looked at Letho. Letho shook his head, saying he had never seen the witch doctor before.


    "The divination told of your arrival." Sasilie turned around and looked outside the window. He recited the mysterious prophecy. "''Arrive they will. Those drenched in blood but filled with mercy. A veil will be pierced, and a grotesque truth spilled. The bloody reflection they shatter, to awaken the one in slumber.'' That''s what the prophecy has said, and you havee, just as promised."


    The witchers looked surprised and cautious after hearing that. Louisa quickly exined, "Master Sasilie can be a bit entric, witchers. He speaks in riddles. We don''t know what he''s talking about most of the time, but he means no harm."


    Letho nodded in understanding. "There''s a group of people in thesends who have the power of prophecies. Witch doctors, magical beings, and even blind men. Were you talking about our future, witch doctor?" Letho decided to take a little leap of faith. He asked, "Can you tell us who the real criminal is? Can you tell us how to wake Sir Aryan?"


    "I''m a witch doctor, not a god." The old man was still looking stern. He shook his head. "I followed my ancestor''s guidance and crossed the quietke. The moonlight showed me a vague scene of the future. Aryan is destined to be rescued by witchers, and that will be you two. This is beyond me, and my talisman can''t hold on much longer. It will lose its magic in a week."


    "A week?" Louisa nched, and she was filled with anxiety. "What will happen to Aryan then?"


    "Worry not, Lady Louisa. The prophesied men are here. Aryan will be safe." The witch doctor waved at the witchers. "Look at him. The poor boy. I''ve seen many strange ailments in my life, but this? This is rare, even for me. It doesn''t even look like any curse or poison, nor did I feel any chaos energy in his body."


    "Please, witchers, help Aryan." Louisa put her hands in a prayer and looked up at the witchers, a silent plea welling in her eyes.


    "Don''t get your hopes up, Lady Louisa. We''ll do our best, but we make no guarantees. If the sorcerers and witch doctors can''t save him, I don''t think we can. We''re worse healers than they are," Roy said. He looked at the old man and asked curiously, "Do you live around Fyke Isle, Master Sasilie?"


    "How''d you know where I live, witcher?"


    "I heard there''s an all-powerful, entric witch doctor who lives there," Roy exined. He paused for a moment, then he said, "Do you have a goat named Princess?"


    "All-powerful? I am but an old man. I''m not as powerful as the rumor makes me out to be," he scoffed. "Most of our healing rites require goat''s blood, but I don''t have time to rear a goat. Though I do like that name." The old man rubbed his chin andmitted that name to memory.


    <em>You don''t have time to rear a goat just yet. He hasn''t gotten that goat now. </em>Roy thought this was probably the oddball who sent Geralt on an errand to search for his goat. <em>Didn''t think I''d run into him here. But I have to say he has skills.</em>


    ***


    ¡®Aryan La Valette


    Age: Eleven years old


    Status: Heir to the La Valette family, eldest son of Baron La Valette, apprentice knight


    HP: 3050 (lost in dream)¡¯


    "Lost in a dream¡­" Roy massaged his temples and wondered what that meant. <em>Aryan is lost in his own dream?</em>


    "Did you find something, kid?"


    "You first."


    Letho had checked on the young man. "I share the witch doctor''s opinion. Aryan is in a strange state. There''s no trace of poison or curses, and I don''t feel any residual mana either." He pulled the young man''s slender right leg out from the nket and knocked on the spot under his knee. Aryan kicked by reflex. "His reflexes are still working, so he''s not exactly unconscious." He pulled Aryan''s eyelid up, and everyone noticed that his eyeballs were rolling around at high speed. His irises were almost a blur.


    The terrifying sight shocked Louisa. "What''s happening to Aryan, witchers?"


    "It''s alright, Lady Louisa. This is normal." Witchers knew more about human anatomy, reflex movements, and physical movements than most healers. "This happens to most people when they''re starting to wake from their sleep. To be precise, Aryan is having a dream right now." Roy took a deep breath. "He''s stuck in his dream."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 263: The Truth Hidden Underground

    "You mean to say my son has been trapped in a dream for a whole month?" Louisa''s jaw dropped a little, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Everyone dreams, so why is my son trapped in his?"


    Roy looked at her closely. Her shock and disbelief didn''t seem fake. It was like she had no idea what happened in the garden that night. <em>I wonder if we''re taking this the wrong way. She probably didn''t go to the garden that night.</em> Roy''s heart sank. <em>No. Louisa is Foltest''s favorite mistress. She''s more cunning than we think. She acts really well. It''s like that novel quote back in my old world. The prettier a woman is, the better she is at lying. We''ll have to use Axii on her.</em>


    "You''re right, Louisa. Most dreams onlyst for a night. Sir Aryan''s condition is really rare." Letho kept quiet for a moment, and he said, "From what I know, there are three possible reasons this happened."


    "Go on, witcher." The witch doctor stared at Letho and asked curiously, "What do you have in mind?"


    "One, Aryan subconsciously doesn''t want to wake up."


    "Why? Why does he want to torture himself like this?" Louisa''s voice was trembling, and her fingers were white.


    "Maybe he doesn''t want to face the truth. Something happened in the garden. Something repulsive and unbelievable. That''s why he ran away from everything and fell into a deep sleep." Roy stared at the woman, and he saw a sh of panic appear in her eyes.


    "My son is trained by the best knights in the city. H-He''s more resilient than most adults. He''d never run away like a coward," Louisa answered weakly, oblivious to the fact her nails were digging into her hand. "That can''t be the reason."


    "Then let''s move on to the second possibility. The previous suspect, Amos, is a Gwent performer. However, he might also be a professional hypnotist. He could have nted suggestions in Sir Aryan''s head and put him in a deep sleep."


    The witch doctor and Lady Louisa held their breaths and focused on what Letho said next, "But we''ve talked to the troupe members, and from what they told us, Amos is no hypnotist. He doesn''t even know any hypnosis."


    "So you don''t think he''s the culprit?" Louisa licked her lips, and she tensed.


    "Amos and Aryan are both victims here," Roy said confidently.


    Everyone fell into a moment of silence. <em>If it''s not Amos, then who did it? </em>The witch doctor looked curiously at the witchers and Louisa. He had a feeling they were hiding something from him, but the witchers were not on Louisa''s side.


    A long silenceter, Louisa asked raspily, "What''s the third possibility then?" Half of her head was hidden in the shadows, where the sun didn''t shine.


    "Ah, that involves a little secret of the castle." Roy nced at the witch doctor. "We''d rather talk about this in private, Lady Louisa. If it''s fine with you."


    Louisa weighed her options and smiled apologetically at the witch doctor. "That''s all for today, Master Sasilie. You may leave. Sylvia will show you to your amodation. We''ll keep this up until the talisman loses its magic."


    "Do you dislike me that much, witchers?" A frown furrowed the witch doctor''s brows. "I''ve told you about the prophecy, and this is how you repay me?"


    "This might be moreplex than you think, Sir Sasilie. We don''t want to drag you into this," Roy said genuinely, then he turned to Louisa. "We''ll exin everything in time."


    The witch doctor put his hands on his hips and left the room reluctantly. He shouted, "You promised me a proper guest''s treatment, Sylvia, so get me a baby goat right now! I want a female one!¡±


    ***


    Louisa closed the door and shut out the voices from outside. "May we go on now, witchers?"


    "Of course, Lady Louisa. Let''s talk about the third and final possibility." Roy smiled. "It''s about something we found in the garden." Roy took out the card they found in the garden and showed it to Louisa. "Amos left us this clue before he was injured."


    Louisa looked at the man on the card, and she froze. "Is this a joke, witchers? What does this card have to do with Aryan''s case?"


    "Do you know this man, Lady Louisa?" the witcher asked. "He is none other than Foltest, the king of Temeria, but he is also the one who put your son to sleep!" Roy announced, and he exchanged a look with Letho.


    Louisa took a deep breath and frowned in displeasure. "Witchers, if this is your idea of a joke, then it''s not funny. using the king of Temeria of a crime? That''s impossible. He was handling the nation''s affairs. He couldn''t make it here in time. There''s no way he''s behind this."


    "We''re not joking," Roy said solemnly. "ording to our investigations, Foltest did join the banquet, but under the pseudonym of Setlov. You do know him, don''t you? The important guest from Vizima."


    Louisa nched, and she stared at the ground.


    "The servants told us everything. His Majesty went to the garden at about the same time Sir Aryan fell. He''s a prime suspect, and this card points him out as the criminal."


    Louisa sped her hands together "No, witchers, you misunder¡ª"


    She was about to exin, but Roy cut her off. "Lady Louisa, Princess Adda of Vizima is my friend. To be exact, I saved her life." Roy circled Louisa. "She told us His Majesty left Vizima on a trip about a month ago. It''s a coincidence your banquet was held at that time. Or is it? Why don''t I ask your husband about it? There should be some clues to point out that His Majesty did leave Vizima somewhere."


    Louisa wanted to deny it, but she heaved a sigh in the end. "Very well. You''re great investigators, witchers. No doubt about that. Setlov is His Majesty''s pseudonym, but there''s a reason for that. His Majesty is friends with the baron, and the baron''snd is critically important to Temeria. It''s normal that His Majesty snuck out and came to celebrate our girl''s birthday, isn''t it?" She bit her lip. "But he''s not the one who hurt Aryan. I promise!"


    "And why are you so sure about that?" Roy looked at her, but she was averting her gaze. "Oh, it can''t be¡­ Lady Louisa, did¡­ did you have a tryst with Foltest that night?"


    "Silence!" Louisa shrieked. No longer was she the weak and dejected woman. She looked up and red at Roy darkly. "I called you here to save Aryan, not to sully my name! Do you have any idea how disastrous it would be if someone heard that lie and told everyone about it?"


    Letho crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He wanted to see how Roy would settle this.


    Roy shook his head and let out a sigh. "Why should I care? From what the servants told us, you and Foltest were the only ones in the garden. Oh, we figured that part out ourselves. And you two were the only possible people who could hurt Aryan."


    "That''s a lie! Do you have any proof? Show me! Not this Gwent card, of course. It''s a joke! For all I know, you could have nted false evidence," she shouted hysterically, but then she lowered her voice when she heard the sounds outside.


    "Proof?" Roy shook his head. "The way you reacted is the best proof. And I think the baron would believe it if we told him his wife had an affair with the king."


    Louisa tensed. She was no longer the elegantdy she was a moment ago. She knew the old, impotent, and controlling baron would do anything to find the truth about this affair, even if he had nothing but rumors to go on. And that scared her. The La Valettes had more coins than they could count, and an army to be reckoned with. They would crush anyone and anything who challenged their authority and dignity.


    Even in the original timeline, Baron La Valette would have a fallout with Foltest, and one of the reasons was this affair. He saw his wife having a tryst with Foltest, but Louisa kept denying it.


    "What do you want, witchers?" she hissed. "What can you get from threatening a defenseless woman like me?"


    "Oh, we''re not threatening you, Lady Louisa. All we want is the truth. What happened in the garden that night? Why''d my friends get used for something they didn''t do? Why''d you do that to the troupe?" Roy took a step forward, and Louisa took a step back. "Tell us the truth, and we''ll keep your little affair a secret. You know, we could have gone to the baron right after we found out what happened, but we came to you first."


    Louisa turned even whiter, and beads of sweat trickled down her cheeks. She could feel the bed against her back. She held her hands under her chin, her fingers trembling violently.


    What Roy said next finally broke her down.


    "Oh, and we know a special sign too. It turns our targets into honest puppets who''ll spill their dirty little secrets to us. All we have to do is ask. But it''d leave a bad taste in our mouths if we used that on a baroness, so we tried to be amodating, but you spent almost all our patience." Roy stared at the terrified woman, and he took another step forward. "If that''s not enough, we also know how to prove if a child is rted to their father, and it''s simple, really. Just a few easy steps. Wanna hear? Step one¡ª"


    "Stop!" Louisa finally gave in. "You win, witchers. I''ll tell you everything. I''ll tell you the truth, but please, stop with the threats." Louisa looked up at the witcher. There was fear and indignance in her eyes, but Roy also saw relief in it. She kept checking the door and confirmed that the coast was clear. Louisa, for the first time since they met, cursed, "Damn it! I should have stopped you before you even entered the castle!"


    ***


    Maria Louisa patted Aryan''s face with a wet towel again, as if trying to hold her fear in. "You know this already, of course, but His Majesty and I agreed to meet up in the garden that night¡ª"


    Roy interrupted, "Lady Louisa, when exactly did you start having an affair with the king?"


    Louisa growled quietly, "Do you really have to pick apart a poordy''sst shred of dignity?"


    The witchers said nothing and ignored her plea. Roy knew how cunning this woman was. She could have been a great diplomat.


    "Fine. It was during fallst year, at the king''s banquet. That was the first time heid eyes on me." Reminiscence shed in her eyes, and she looked a little delighted thinking about it. "He was a very dominant man. Wouldn''t take no for an answer."


    "Wait. This whole affair startedst fall?" The witchers exchanged looks, and they thought, <em>And Anais was born about a yearter. Foltest is a ''powerful'' man.</em>


    Roy thought, <em>Man, Foltest is really crazy. Princess Adda is a product of his incestuous rtionship with his sister, and then he started an affair with his underling''s wife? The baron might snap and start working for Radovid if he finds out. </em>"So what happened next?"


    "What else? What can a couple do when they''re alone?" Louisa mocked.


    Roy scratched his nose. <em>Wow. A married woman having sex with a king in her husband''s garden. Straight out of SOD, but medieval.</em>


    "Aryan and that performer just had to show up right when we were about to climax. They overheard our conversation and realized that Setlov was His Majesty. Aryan was raised to be a knight. He has a strong sense of justice and won''t tolerate any misdeeds. He came right out and confronted me." Louisa had a look of agony and shame on her face. "I was shocked. I couldn''t think straight. I had no idea how to exin this, and Aryan¡­ Aryan stormed out of the garden."


    "Are you sure you''re not lying?" Roy asked, "Did you really let Aryan go just like that? What if he told the baron what he saw?"


    "What else could I do?" Louisa asked, almost roaring. "Did you expect me to attack him? He''s my own son! I-I just hoped he would calm down and keep it a secret from his father. For my sake."


    "So what happened next wasn''t your fault?"


    Louisa shook her head in agony. "I should have gone with him. Nothing would have happened if I did, but Amos was a bigger problem. We had to deal with him."


    Roy had more questions now. <em>This isn''t what we expected. Are Amos'' disappearance and Aryan''s curse two different cases? </em>"What''d you do to Amos?" Roy asked, "I''ve seen him before. He''s an annoying guy, but he doesn''t deserve to die. Where are you hiding him? And don''t tell me he ran away!"


    Louisa stared at the ground. She said darkly, "Amos the Gwent performer. He was an insatiable man. His Majesty has promised to give him a mountain of coins. Enough for him to live in luxury his whole life. All he had to do was keep things a secret, but that wasn''t enough for him. He tried to ckmail His Majesty into granting him the title of nobility. Laughable, isn''t it, witcher?" Louisa scoffed. "A lowly, traveling performer, trying to be an aristocrat overnight. We couldn''t give him what he wanted, and His Majesty dislikes threats. He prefers negotiations. He pretended to agree so he could approach Amos. Then he stabbed the performer with a dagger, and¡­" Fear shed in her eyes. "Strangled him with a talisman."


    "But we never expected that the performer would leave a clue behind in the form of this Gwent card. And then you two found it. You know the rest," Louisa said weakly.


    "He''s a cruel man, that Foltest." Roy sighed. He was shocked about how easily Foltest could decide onmitting murder, but then he thought it was just natural. Foltest must have led an even worse life before he ascended the throne. It would have been impossible to be a king if he wasn''t cruel.


    "So where''s the body?" Letho asked. "You framed Amos <em>and </em>got rid of his body in less than half an hour without anybody noticing."


    "Oh, that''s surprising. You couldn''t guess where we hid the body?" Louisa heaved a sigh of relief and smiled smugly. "It''s a garden. It''s filled with flowerbeds. What better ce to hide a body?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 264: Appear

    "The garden? You guys buried him in the garden?" Roy thought he had underestimated Louisa a little. He regretted not digging up the whole ce. "The smell of flowers covers up the stench of rotting bodies perfectly. That <em>was </em>the perfect ce to hide a body. Sylvia told us you''d spend some time in the garden every day. You were actually there to destroy the evidence of your crime, weren''t you? Poor Amos. He thought he was getting the chance of his lifetime, but instead he became fertilizer for the flowers. I wonder if he had any regrets." Roy was just doing lip service. He didn''t really pity Amos. <em>His greed got the better of him, and he threatened a king even though he couldn¡¯t fight a whole country. He was stupid.</em> "So what about Aryan?"


    Louisa looked at the young man on the bed, and she said softly, "His Majesty cleaned himself up and left after we buried the body, while I went to search for my son, but I had no idea where he was hiding. The baron might¡¯ve gotten suspicious if I was gone for too long, so I went back to the hall. I should have kept looking for him."


    "Had you searched the maids'' bedchamber beside the garden? Was there anyone in there?"


    Louisa shook her head. "I only found out what happened when Rosie screamed."


    The witchers thought they could trust that. There was no need to keep what happened to Aryan a secret, not after she told them about the affair and murder. "So who did that to Aryan, then? Did he pass out from his trauma and sorrow?" Roy killed that thought as soon as it showed up. <em>That''s a flimsy reasoning, and something tells me there was someone else in the garden besides Louisa and Foltest. That''s the real curse giver. </em>"There''s no way the servants could¡¯ve done this. We''ve interrogated them. So who am I missing?"


    "I''ve told you everything I know, witchers," Louisa broke Roy''s train of thoughts and pulled her hair back. "If you have any questions, ask away. I''ll tell you whatever I know, but please keep this affair a secret."


    Louisa was no longer nervous now that she had spilled her secret. She looked calm and elegant once more, just like how she was a while ago. "The family will be humiliated if news gets around. A-And the baron might just snap. He might have a fallout with Foltest. There''ll be war in the city. The people will be dragged into it. Lives will be lost. You don''t want that to happen, do you?"


    "We''re not running a charity. I don''t care what happens to the baron''s people," Letho snapped. He then said, "But we did promise you. Amos is dead, and there''s no changing that. We''ll keep this affair a secret as long as you clear the troupe''s name, give them the justice they deserve, and pay for their damages. You caused a lot of damage to them."


    Roy looked at Louisa and said, "I wouldn''t want to make an enemy out of Temeria''s king unless absolutely desperate. Nobody likes to be a fugitive." <em>Yeah, that''s the case, but I can still use this secret to my advantage.</em>


    Roy and Letho were both looking deadpan. Louisa had no idea if they were lying, so she had no choice but to believe them. She sighed. "Very well. I''ll convince the baron to let your friends go and pay for all the damages we''ve caused." She pursed her lips. "But only if Aryanes back to us safe and sound. If anything happens to him, then the baron <em>will </em>kill the troupe."


    "Only the curse giver can lift their own curse," Letho said. "The only way to save him is to find out who cursed Aryan."


    "And that''s the problem." Roy exined, "All the clues point to you and His Majesty, Lady Louisa. But you were busy getting rid of Amos'' body, so you have an alibi. Which means we''re at a dead end." <em>Who else could curse Aryan in secret? And they''d have to do it around the same time these two were dealing with Amos'' body. And for what? Money? </em>"We''ll have tob through our previous investigation and see if we missed anything. We''ll need to summon the guests back to the castle. I don''t think we can make any meaningful progress for now. Sir Aryan might not hold out until then."


    Louisa teared up. She held her son tightly and sobbed.


    Roy stayed silent. He thought it was a little ironic. Most witchers have been separated from their parents since they were children. They never had the luxury of family, like Letho, Auckes, and Serrit. It had been a while since Roy saw his parents too. This woman might have betrayed her husband and became an aplice to murder, but she did love her son.


    Time passed, and Louisa eventually calmed down. She wiped her tears and pursed her lips. Louisa said curiously, "I have a question. I don''t understand. I know your investigations show that Foltest had gone to the garden, but how''d you find out I was with him? Just because I left the hall too? You thought we were having a tryst just because of that? That¡­ That''s preposterous!"


    Roy fell into silence. He knew Louisa had an affair with Foltest due to the game he yed. He knew about the events that were going to happen, so he had this idea right after they started investigating.


    Letho has his own reason as well. "The Henhouse." He exined, "We saw a great show in that inn. A couple of brazen alcoholics talked about your affair with the king. Even put on a show about it."


    A frown furrowed Letho''s eyebrows. He realized something was wrong. ording to what he saw in the castle, Louisa kept her affair under wraps. Nobody knew about it, except Foltest and her. Not even the maids and Baron knew about it. Aryan only found out about it on that night in the garden. <em>So how''d two drunken alcoholics in an inn miles away knew? That''s odd. </em>"Uh, maybe they''re Redanian spies?" Letho muttered. "Maybe they put on a show for us on purpose?"


    "Is that a joke, witcher? A pair of peasants told you about the affair? Impossible!" Louisa frowned in displeasure. <em>Excuses. But¡­ </em>"You mean the inn near the fief?"


    "You heard it too?" The witchers looked at each other, and they started to think things were getting weird.


    "The baron took us on a trip in spring, and we went by an inn, so we had lunch there." She looked down and said in an even sadder voice, "I still remember how that meal tastes. The smoked pork is delicious. It''s irresistible. Almost magical. Aryan fell in love with it. I asked the servants to purchase some almost every week. Poor Aryan¡­" She caressed her son''s face and cried.


    Roy was reminded of their investigation in the hall. It was filled with the smoked pork''s smell too. "Have you had that dishtely?"


    "The servants went to the inn yesterday. The innkeep is a smart man. He sets aside enough smoked pork for the castle every week. The baron loves it too, after all."


    "The innkeep? You mean Barton?"


    "Perhaps. I don''t remember." Louisa asked, "Why do you care about him, witchers?"


    Roy ignored her. He leaned back against the wall, his brows furrowed into a frown. The young witcher massaged his temples, confusion creeping onto his face. "What does he look like anyway? I can''t remember. What about you Letho?"


    Letho shook his head solemnly. "Now that you mentioned it, I can''t remember what he looks like either. Are Barton and those peasants someone more powerful than we thought? If so, who are they?"


    ***


    "You don''t have to dwell on an innkeep and some peasants. That''s a waste of time. I''m sure it just slipped your mind." She took a deep breath, and as if the witchers were herst hope, she said, "Please, look at Aryan again. Save him. The prophecy did say you''ll wake someone who''s in slumber?"


    "The prophecy¡­ Maybe it has the clue we need!" Roy quickly asked, "How did the prophecy go again?"


    Louisa almost jumped, while Letho answered, "Arrive they will. Those drenched in blood but filled with mercy. A veil will be pierced, and a grotesque truth spilled. The bloody reflection they shatter, to awaken the one in slumber."


    Roy fell into his thoughts. <em>Hmm, only a part of it sounds interesting. </em>"The bloody reflection¡­ What kind of reflection is it talking about? Water? Walls? Or¡ª" He muttered under his breath, but then his eyes widened in shock. It was hot, but Roy felt his blood run cold, as if someone just poured a bucket of freezing water on him. He got goosebumps all over him, and the young witcher tensed up like a beat. "<em>Mirror</em>? It can''t be. The real culprit is¡­ is¡­"


    Roy''s mutterings came to an abrupt halt. He could feel an eerie silence crushing his neck. When he looked up, Letho''s mouth was open, revealing his teeth and gums, but he couldn''t say a word. Even his muscles stopped moving, as if they were stopped in time.


    Maria Louisa was still beside the bed, craning her neck and caressing her son. She leaned ahead, looking at Roy expectantly. However, it was as if her face were made out of a mold. Unlike her lively, beautiful self, it looked stiff and dead.


    That wasn''t all. Everything else came to a halt, including Letho, Louisa, Aryan''s breathing, heartbeat, the sunshine, and even the wind. It was like an invisible hand just pressed ''pause'' on the remote control that controlled all life.


    All life, except Roy. The young witcher felt someone looking at him, and he slowly turned his gaze to the window. It was open, but he heard no chirps, despite the fact that there were birds outside. When he looked downward, he saw someone staring at him. It was a man, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss.


    A smile curled his lips, and the wrinkles on his cheeks deepened. His eyes turned into slits, and smile lines appeared on the corner of his eyes. The man was smiling eerily, while his face kept changing from one man into another. Roy saw those faces before.


    Tross, the stall owner who went missing in Aldersberg, Boyev, the chief of Cona Vige, the customer in the White Orchard''s inn, the chief of Lower Velen, and Barton, the innkeep of Henhouse.


    They were familiar faces, but Roy kept forgetting them. In the end, all those faces turned into one of a skinhead man with a crooked nose and untrimmed stubble. "Ah, so you''ve noticed me, Roy." He smiled.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 265: I Can Grant You Anything

    Countless ck butterflies fluttered behind the man, forming a pair of gigantic wings. He pped them and leapt into the air. The man rose higher than the window and slowly stepped down a flight of invisible stairs. Eventually, hended on the bedroom''s floor, revealing himself fully to the witcher.


    He was neither tall nor strongly built. The man was ordinary, save for the fact that his eyes were all ck. Other than that, he looked just like a regr man in regr clothes. He was wearing an old, yellow coat paired with tight, blue pants. His shoulder bags'' straps made a cross on his chest, hanging from both sides of his waist. They looked filled to the brim with things Roy didn''t know. His ck deerskin boots looked ancient. The tips were disfigured, and the edges were caked in dirt.


    He looked just like a traveling merchant from the outside. Dirty and unkempt. He would blend right into the crowd. Nobody would pay any attention to him. However, when the man looked at Roy, he could feel needles pricking his skin. At the same time, Roy felt like he was naked to the man. As if he could see through him.


    The witcher bit the tip of his tongue, and the taste of blood made him snap out of it. He curled up and tensed up like a cat. He held the ground with his toes, his temples throbbing.


    ***


    The man greeted, "It''s a lovely afternoon. Perfect for a reunion with old friends." Gaunter O''Dimm crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. There was a special allure to his voice. It was clear, and he enunciated things slowly, as if he were reciting a passionate poem. However, the young witcher caught the glint of cunning in his eyes that told of his philistine nature. He was more like a veteran businessman ready to sell his merchandise.


    "Who are you? Do I know you?" Roy pretended he had no idea who this was, but he felt even more rmed, and he took a step back.


    At the same time, Roy was genuinely curious. He couldn''t even get any useful information on the man. Gaunter O''Dimm was shrouded in mystery.


    ''Gaunter O''Dimm


    Age: ? (Requires higher Perception)


    Gender: ?


    Status: Master of Mirrors, Man of ss (A traveling merchant who sells mirrors)


    ? (Requires more information to unlock Gaunter O''Dimm''s secret identity)


    Stats: ?


    Skills: ?''


    ***


    "You can call me O''Dimm. Gaunter O''Dimm. Or the Master of Mirrors. Rx. I mean you no harm. I just wish to have a friendly conversation.¡± He shrugged, putting on a friendly smile. "And it''s odd you think you''ve never seen me before. Let me jog your memory. We met in Aldersberg, the White Orchard''s inn, and the Henhouse not too long ago. And I''ve given you a lot of ''favors'' on your journey."


    Roy frowned and tried to remember, then he felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that bad feeling he sensed back at the orchard wasn''t for no reason. Gaunter O''Dimm hadn''t shown himself back then, but he had been keeping an eye on Roy. To make things more terrifying, he never noticed that something was wrong. It was like his perception stopped working, and a small part of his key memories had been locked by some kind of power. It became really vague, and he had no idea why that happened for a long time. "Why are you stalking me, Master of Mirrors?"


    "''Stalking'' is such a strong word," Gaunter said. "I''m just doing some surveys. I hold myself to a high standard. I need to pick my customers carefully."


    "Customers?"


    "I''ll exin. Most people, like these three here, are sands in an hourss, a de of grass on the grounds of a forest. They''re not worthy enough of my attention. But you¡­ You''re special, stowaway. Your mind is veiled. You have a power no one else has, and you''re smart enough to wield it effectively." Gaunter paused for a moment. "I''ve noticed that all the lives you took lose their souls. That was way back in Aldersberg. And I confirmed that guess in the orchard. But how''d you do it even without a contract?"


    He clenched his right fist, and his eyes turned into slits. Every muscle on his face was trembling with joy. "You''ve taken the souls of the mad, the despair, the devout, and the mysterious. Will youe with me and bear witness to miracles?" He scrunched his nose and took a deep breath in Roy''s direction. He was like a cat who smelled a fish, a starving man faced with a feast. There was indulgence in his eyes, and also a deeply-hidden greed. It was hair-raising.


    ***


    Roy''s face fell. <em>He called me a stowaway? And he knows the things I kill lose their souls? </em>Gaunter pointed out his biggest secret, and he felt uneasy. <em>But so what? </em>Roy thought. <em>He came to talk instead of rob. There must be some sort of limitation he''s adhering to.</em>


    "And you took a token of mine away." Gaunter looked at the witcher closely and stretched his arms backward, then he took a deep breath. "I know that smell anywhere."


    "What token? What do you mean?"


    "A book," Gaunter said. "A book you took from Amavet. A book they call the Book of Bones. It''s merchandise belonging to another old customer of mine¡ªJennifer Verrieres. But you took it away and burned it. You ruined a perfect trade and allowed the baron to take Jennifer away. Now the lovely girl is gonna live her life in luxury. No longer will she be tied down by sickness and hunger. She''ll probably live a long life." He paced around, sighing. "That''s a big loss for me. I can''t get my reward on time now. Have to push it back by decades."


    Gaunter shifted the subject and said dly, "But there''s a silver lining in everything. After what you didst time, I''ve decided to end the survey early and start doing business with another great customer as payment for my ruined trade." He pointed at the young witcher.


    Roy shrugged and sighed. "Well, what if I give the book back to its owner then? Will you leave us, Master of Mirrors?"


    He refused. "Wars and suffering would cease to exist if everything was as simple as that."


    "Can you release them then? This is no ce to talk business." Roy looked at Letho, Louisa, and Aryan. They were still not breathing, and their hearts were not beating. They were stuck in an eerie limbo. He was worried that they might be irreparably damaged if they stayed in this state for too long. More importantly, he was worried Gaunter would whip out a spoon.


    "Calm down. It''s just a simple trick to keep them quiet." Gaunter crossed his arms and shook his head. "They''ll go back to how they were once we''re done doing business."


    <em>He calls stopping time a ''simple trick''? </em>Roy wondered if he shouldugh or be terrified. Gaunter''s power was more than he could have imagined. He could probably kill Roy like he was squashing a bug, but he didn''t do that. <em>Either he needs my help, or he''s restricted by something. </em>Roy suddenly rxed a little. "We can do businesster. I have a question for you, Master of Mirrors. You''re obviously not a regr merchant¡­" Roy stared into his eyes and guessed, "And you''re no regr spellcaster either. Your skills are a lot stronger than regr spells. So what kind of being are you? Are you a demon or a god from another dimension?"


    He had been haunted by this question for a long time. He wanted to know ever since he was in his previous world. The secret records and research imed that Gaunter O''Dimm was a demon who traveled countless worlds to make contracts and collect souls, but Roy thought things were not that simple. Gaunter''s powers were beyond the world''s rules, and the demons in the records were far inferior to this being. He might be limited by the rules of the worlds he traveled, but he was unquestionably of a higher realm than most lifeforms. He was like a god fooling around in the human world.


    Gaunter O''Dimm nodded. He liked Roy for being so rxed. "Curiosity is the first step to improvement, but I can''t answer that yet, unless it''s part of a trade. I can draft a contract if you''d like. It''s fine if you don''t. I have nothing to do with the demons and gods in folklore. Just remember that I''m a merchant," he said seriously. "Business is my everything. It''s more important than my own life. Not like my almost eternal life means anything to me anyway. Ah, but you got one thing right. I''m no regr merchant," he said ''humbly.'' "I have some special abilities, though I won''t abuse them. It''s usually used to make sure the trade goes smoothly. For example, the scene you see before you. I provide a wider selection of itemspared to most merchants. Tangible, intangible,mon, special, and even indescribable items. I create the object of my customer''s deepest desire, granting them the wish only they want. Take this little one for example." Gaunter sniffed the air and looked at the sleeping Aryan again. Unlike when he was facing the witcher, Gaunter obviously looked delighted. He was not filled with greed, but delight at his imminent reward. "Ah, he''s a pure soul, but his grant and wanton mother destroyed him. As he wished, I granted him the best of dreams to escape this cruel, cruel reality, until¡­ he''s released from his mortal coil."


    "I see." <em>So this guy is behind the curse. </em>"Why''d you take his valuables? To mislead the investigators?"


    Gaunterughed happily. "Hey, watching a bunch of ''detectives,'' sorcerers, witch doctors, and bounty hunters going on a wild goose chase is fun. But they''re a bunch of fools. None of them found the clue I left behind. What a letdown. You, though¡­ You saw through it."


    Roy asked, "What about the reward? What did Aryan promise you in return?"


    "His soul. That''s the only currency I ept. ording to the contract, I''ll take Aryan''s soul on an interesting adventure after he dies." Gaunter flicked his wrist and pulled out a golden parchment from the air. It was filled with spindly, indecipherable words.


    Roy huddled closer to take a good look, but Gaunter tucked the parchment away. Roy questioned, "Are you sure you didn''t pull any tricks in the contract? He''s just a boy, after all."


    "Nobody can go against the contract. Not even me." Gaunter raised his head and said calmly, "Everything I do follows the rule. I grant the boy his wish, and I get my reward. It''s fair and square. I''ll wait for him just outside his bedroom, right up until he draws hisst breath. He has enough time to ''enjoy'' his dream."


    "No, you don''t get it, Gaunter," Roy said. "A simple hypnosis isn''t worth a soul."


    "Value is different for everyone," Gaunter retorted. "Aryan is a young boy filled with a sense of justice and virtue. But his world shattered when he found out his own mother was having an affair. Still, he refuses to hurt his mother. Instead, he tried to save himself. He found himself a quiet spot to heal, and he picked a nice dream. He could have asked for more, but he didn''t. That was all he asked."


    Gaunter approached the witcher and goaded, "As for you, Roy, if you think one wish isn''t worth your soul, then I can grant you two, or even three wishes. I can write them out in the contract. Just imagine. I can give you a weapon that slices through anything, wine as much as you want, a horse as fast as the wind, infinite wealth, immortality, and even¡­" Gaunter paused. "The power to revive your school."


    "Sorry, Gaunter, but I''m not interested in trading my soul." Roy looked into his eyes and shook his head. "I still think I have to work for the things I want on my own. Nothing will belong to me otherwise."


    "Get real, bud," Gaunter growled. "You''ve interrupted my business the moment you burned the Book of Bones. You can''t stay out of this anymore. It''s fine if you don''t want to get into a contract now. I''ll keep watching you. Someday, you''ll need my help, but things will be different then. You can''t make any demands you want. Oh, in case that doesn''t happen, <em>this </em>might." Gaunter shifted his gaze to Letho and rubbed his stubble. He appraised Letho, as if he were an object. "Not everyone is as stubborn as you are. The people around you¡­ Yourrades, friends, and even your family¡­ They might be more than willing to trade with me."


    "Is that a threat?" Roy''s heart skipped a beat, and his blood froze. <em>This guy is a demon! It''s like he knows what humans think. </em>He pointed out the scenario Roy never wanted to see happen. <em>Letho, Auckes, Serrit, Moore, and Susie might fall for its trap and be its prisoners. </em>The young witcher gritted his teeth. Hesitation filled his eyes for a moment, then it was reced by resolve. <em>I won''t let anyone or anything hurt them. Not even this bastard. Not even if I die!</em>


    "Oh, no. It''s not a threat. I''d call it a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I''m generously helping the poption by granting them their deepest desires." Gaunter smiled and looked at Letho. "I''ll be keeping a close eye on him. Maybe lend a hand or two. What do you think?"


    Roy kept quiet for a long time, and his heart started to race. He could feel it almost bursting through his chest. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his breathing was heavy, as if he were a blower. <em>Very well. I''ll take the challenge, even if it costs me my life. </em>"Hey, Master of Mirrors." The young witcher gave Gaunter a toothy grin, but his eyes were glintling coldly. "Want a bet instead?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 266: Challenge

    "Changed your mind? Finally willing to trade?" Gaunter looked at the witcher coldly, like a spider waiting for its prey to fall into its web.


    Roy shook his head in disgust. "And get involved with you my whole life? No thanks. That''s nightmare fuel. I have a counter proposal to get away from you forever. Let''s have a bet." Roy had mixed feelings about it. He was fearful, but he pretended not to be, and yet he also felt adrenaline pumping through his veins.


    Getting into a bet with the Master of Mirrors was like making a deal with a devil. No matter how grand he made his promises sound like, it was nothingpared to the payment he required. Vivienne told him how important and irreceable souls were. It was worth more than any wish. Not to mention he had no idea what Gaunter would do to his customers'' souls. <em>He might devour them instead of taking them on a ''great adventure.''</em>


    Roy had no intention to try, so he refused the offer. The problem was Gaunter threatened him with his friends, family, and parents who lived in Novigrad. He wanted to just abandon everything and do whatever he wanted, but that was not an option. He wasn''t strong enough to be free of any constraints yet, so he went for a confrontation. Running away would justnd him in bigger trouble.


    <em>Winner takes all in this bet. Loser gets nothing. </em>"Wanna make a bet with me, Master of Mirrors? If you win, you can take my soul."


    "A bet? Is that a challenge? This is the first time someone made that request in thirty years. I apud your courage, child. What is your request then?"


    "If <em>I </em>win, then I''ll need the whole process for the Manticore School''s Trial of the Grasses, including but not limited to the potion recipe and step-by-step instruction for the mutation and modification of the trial taker''s body. And I''ll also need a tried and proven guide to strengthen my Elder Blood."


    Roy was worried Gaunter might take back the powers and treasures he granted someday if Roy made that wish after he won, but if all he asked for was a path to power, then the fruit of hisbor would be his and nobody else''s.


    "A minute, please." Gaunter disappeared into thin air, like a mist that was blown away by the wind. All that was left was a yellow afterimage.


    Roy froze, and his jaw dropped. <em>What is this? Teleportation?</em>


    Gaunter reappeared a couple momentster. He smiled apologetically at Roy. "Thanks for waiting. The stuff for Elder Blood took longer than I thought, but I did it. I''m fine with those requests. Anything else you need?"


    Roy stared into Gaunter''s eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "If I win this bet, then you''ll have to leave this world and nevere back. And you cannot use any of your power to approach or corrupt the world.¡±


    "Sorry, mate," Gaunter interrupted, and a smirk curled his lips. "That''s a bit too much, don''t you think? Yes, you''re a great customer, but you''re not the <em>only </em>customer. This world is filled with people driven by nothing but their desires. It''s more than I can even count." He mocked, "You expect me to give up a whole forest for a tree? To give up a whole garden for a single flower? To give up countless customers for <em>one </em>unique soul? You expect me to put myself in exile? No way." Gaunter wagged his finger, obviously refusing the proposal.


    "You just said you can grant me any wish. Taking back your word so soon?"


    "Ah, but I never said I couldn''t haggle. This is an important part of business," Gaunter exined easily. "You''re only as valuable as your soul, and your terms are now worth more than that. I can''t go into a contract if I risk making a loss."


    The witcher met his gaze for a moment, but Gaunter wouldn''t let up. He sighed quietly and took a step back. "Fine. Change of terms. It won''t be an eternal exile." Roy fell silent for a moment, trying toe up with the best duration. "If I win, you''ll stay away from this world for a hundred years. And you''re forbidden from trading with me or my friends and family."


    <em>A hundred years should be enough for my family to live their whole lives in peace. Most people I know won''t live that long anyway. And if I''m still alive a hundred yearster, I''ll probably be strong enough to fight him.</em>


    Gaunter rubbed his chin. He was weighing his options, and Roy waited for his answer.


    "The young witcher and Aryan''s soul, eh?" Gaunter rubbed his hands together and nodded. "Change of terms. If I lose, I''ll nevere near the people you care about. Forever. I can write that into the contract, but I won''t impose a self-exile. As for you, you''ll have ten years of respite. Neither I nor the other¡­ <em>businessmen </em>wille in contact with you."


    "Ten years?" Roy massaged his temples and fell into his thoughts. <em>I''m taking all the risks here. Can I grow strong enough to fight this guy in ten years? Still, at least the people I care about won''t get dragged into Gaunter''s deals now. </em>"I have another ter¡ª"


    "That''s no way to haggle, witcher."


    "Really? Is my soul only worth that much? Besides, you said haggling is an important part of business," Roy insisted. "I took a step back, so now it''s your turn, Gaunter. Or all bets are off."


    "Very well. State your term. But don''t cross the line. You know what I''m talking about." Gaunter relented. "Stay within that line."


    Roy looked at the young man on the bed. "It''s about Aryan. If you lose, you''ll have to null his contract and change him back before you leave this world."


    "As you wish, <em>samaritan</em>." Gaunted nodded, and his grin widened. "So we have a deal. What''s the game then? Gwent?"


    "No. A challenge. You''ve been <em>observing </em>me all this time. You should know I specialize inpleting difficult requests. Give me a request." Roy tried to keep his voice from trembling. "But it''ll have to be within my skill level. You can''t make ridiculous requests like having a trout swim in fire or hunt a whale in the deep sea. Nothing like getting the moon or the stars either. It has to be reasonable."


    "So many conditions." Gaunter mused about it for a while. "But it''s fine. A challenge with no way out is a boring challenge anyway. Then let''s make a deal." Gaunter waved his hand, and golden mes burned in the air. A yellowing parchment appeared out of nowhere and fell into Roy''s hand.


    At the same time, Gaunter wrote in the air, and lines of runes and words appeared on the parchment. It detailed all the terms and conditions of the bet. The contract was written in four differentnguages. There was Elder Speech, northernmon speech, and a kind of writtennguage Roy hadn''t learnt before. It looked like esoteric runes. He had no idea what the words meant, but he could understand it when it formed a sentence. <em>Thenguage of demons? Gods? </em>The fourth and finalnguage was none other than English, the one Roy was familiar with. <em>Hm, so this contract sees through my very being. It sees through my soul.</em>


    "Just a friendly reminder, witcher, but look <em>very </em>closely. Don''t miss even a single word. I don''t want you calling foul y and ruining this trade."


    Roy read through the contract a few times, including the fineprint. When he confirmed that there were no loopholes Gaunter could use, he signed his name. He then bit his finger and put a bloody seal on it.


    Right after he ced the seal, he could feel himself connected to the contract, as if something important to him was locked inside it. Gaunter beckoned, and the contract flew into his hand all furled up. He tucked it away.


    "Can''t I have a copy? And don''t you have to sign it too?"


    "No. This is the only copy, and I''m the contract itself. I can''t betray myself."


    Roy fell into a moment''s silence. "Don''t you have to brand me or something?"


    "The contract''s power is more than enough. No need for brands." Gaunter smiled. "But I can help you out if you want it. Maybe a victor''s brand if you win this?"


    "No." Roy shook his head. He put Gryphon the cat and that bloodstone into Letho''s pocket.


    "That''s an interesting transfiguration, and you have a nice soul there too," Gauntermented.


    Roy was about to say something, but thest thing he heard was two ps, and everything went dark. He couldn''t even see in front of him. The world itself started spinning, as if he were falling down a deep, dark abyss. He felt himself spinning around, and Roy felt like throwing up. He could feel a powerful, suffocating air current zipping past him. <em>Huh. Feels like my first time going through a portal. </em>"Has it begun?"


    He didn''t have time to think. A few momentster, the darkness was pierced by the light, and Roy could see again, but he found himself in a strange ce. Roy was on a squalid patch of ground. The night sky above was overcast, the dim moonlight shining on a deserted wastnd. The ce was littered with shrubs, shriveled trees, and gnarly stone formations.


    "Where is this ce?" Roy shouted at the sky. He pushed himself up, barely holding down the dizzy feeling in his head.


    Gaunter''s voice boomed everywhere around him. "You want to y? Let''s y." He sounded like a jester going into a game. There was a hint of excitement in it. "I have a riddle for you. Solve it and grasp the answer in your hands. Do that, and you and Aryan will be freed. I''ll stay away from you for ten years too."


    "And what if I fail?" Roy looked around himself. He knew he had never been to anywhere like this, nor had he ever seen any ce that resembled this wastnd. Still, it was a band, and he felt depressed here.


    Gaunter''s maniacalugh boomed around him. "Then a crazy and colorful adventure shall await us merry few. You said so, didn''t you?"


    "Tell me the riddle then." Roy took a deep breath and paid full attention.


    "To all things men and I appertain, and yet by some am shunned and distained," Gaunter said, as if he were singing. As if he were reciting a poem.


    "Fondle me and ogle me til you''re insane, but no blow can harm me, cause me pain.


    Children delight in me, elders, take fright. Fair maids rejoice and spin.


    Cry and I weep, yawn and I sleep. Smile, and I too shall grin.


    What am I?"


    ***


    Roy stared at the ground and thought about it for a few moments. He smiled. "You''re losing this bet."


    "Is that so? I won''t be so sure about it. But if you''re so confident, then find me before the hourss runs out of sand."


    A petite hourss fell into the witcher''s hand out of the sky. He grasped it and held it close.


    "I have a little gift for you before we begin. Just to make things fair. You''re all banged up as is."


    Roy could feel a warm sensation filling up his right chest, as if a masseur were relieving his clogged veins. He almost moaned from howfortable it felt. The warmth went away eventually, and Roy touched his ribs. To his surprise, the injury he sustained from the battle with the Ladies was gone, and his ribs were good as new. He stretched his arms and moved around. His joints cracked. The young witcher took Gwyhyr and Aerondight out of his inventory and strapped them to his back.


    He was about to do something else, but Gaunterughed, stopping him in his tracks. "I see you''re ready now. Let''s begin! I''ve tucked away a lot of surprises on this journey. Have fun, and no cheating!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 267: Jest

    "What the hell kind of ce is this?" Roy climbed up the hill filled with strange rock formations and came to a long, winding path. He stared into the distance, where a mountain range was hidden behind the fog. Behind them stood a gigantic moon. It shone clearer than the surface of Lake Vizima, drawing the eyes of anyone who saw it. Roy felt like he could touch the moon and the mysterious mountains if he just stretched his hand out.


    "Like it? There''s more to see. But remember. You have to find the answer before time runs out," Gaunter said again, his voice booming everywhere. The Master of Mirrors was hiding somewhere, watching the witcher struggle.


    Roy ignored him. The hourss in his hand was petite and beautiful, but the sand wasn''t flowing quickly. <em>I probably have¡­ about an hour. </em>Roy tried to summon something from his inventory again. Hisst ythrough of the game told him about the riddle''s answer. If he could use his oil, potions, and water, this would be a cinch. However, his inventory did not respond to his summons, as if it were locked by ayer of unknown magic.


    Roy held his des up and let the moon shine on them. He looked at the swords, but they were covered in ayer of white membrane. They looked like sword-shaped pearls now. They looked muddy, impossible to show his reflection. "Knew it wouldn''t be that easy." Roy went and dug a hole in the nearbynd. He looked around and pissed in it, but for some reason, the ground absorbed his urine right away. <em>Well, so much for that n. So this is what he means by cheating. I''ll have to find the answer through the right way.</em>


    Roy leaped into the air, charging ahead like a cheetah hunting its prey. It was as if he were blinking through the air. The wastnd was eerily quiet and dead. There was not a sound but his footsteps. He didn''t even hear any cicadas chirping. The air was filled with a thinyer of cold mist. Weed and dead, gnarled trees stood by the path, as if they were sentries guarding a gate to the underworld.


    There was antern hanging from the trees'' branches every few feet. The light was an eerie red, as if the space around it were drenched in blood. Roy was starting to have a bad feeling about this. He kept running, but he could feel his temples throb, and his instincts screamed at him. About five minutester, he knew why.


    Two silhouettes came out from behind the stones on the path. They charged at Roy, and he scrambled to defend himself, though he didn''t panic. He reacted in time thanks to hisbat reflexes. He charged ahead and rolled through the opening between them. Roy dodged their attack and turned around. He unsheathed Aerondight and cast Quen. The silhouettes tried to attack him, but he circled them, finding an opening to attack.


    ''Silhouette


    Age: ???


    HP: 80


    Strength: 8


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 5


    Will: 4


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 4''


    ***


    These monsters were unlike anything Roy had seen before. They were all ck, and they devoured all the light around them. These monsters smelled of violence and destruction. They weren''t even alive. Roy could see their outline, and they looked like a monstermonly seen around bodies of water¡ªdrowners.


    They were hunched and had big bellies. Their limbs were shriveled and spindly. They went all out every time they attacked. These monsters attacked with their sharp ws, but unlike drowners, they wouldn''t squeal or shriek when they attacked. <em>Maybe they can''t.</em>


    When the witcher figured out their attack patterns, he turned around and dodged their attack, then he pushed his hand forward. A powerful air current charged ahead, smashing the monsters like a hammer. They staggered backward and lost their bnce.


    Roy held Aerondight horizontally, charging ahead at them. He swung the de down three times, and it struck their necks, chest, and thighs. The de wasn''t even bloodstained even though Roy had cut the monsters open. The silhouettes fell back down and disappeared into the air like wisps of mist.


    ''Silhoutte killed. EXP +20¡­''


    ''Silhoutte killed. EXP +20¡­''


    ''Level 6 Witcher''


    "I can get EXP from killing these guys?" Roy was surprised. He recently found out that the source of EXP came from souls. <em>And these monsters he created have souls? What kind of power is that? </em>"Well, this is a nice surprise. I should get enough to level up if I can kill a bit more of these." <em>No time to farm for EXP though. I wasted about a minute here. I need to pick up the pace. </em>Roy shouted into the air as he ran, "Hey, you said nothing about monster attacks!"


    "This is my world, so you y by my rules!" Gaunter retorted. "And that was just the appetizer."


    "So I''m not in the witcher world anymore? Where am I then? Another dimension? Or somewhere this guy created?" Roy didn''t figure out the answer. Somewhere on his left side stood a short flight of stairs. A pair of rednterns shone on an old and dpidated pavilion. Roy stopped in his tracks and approached the pavilion.


    It must have been at least a hundred years old. The elements had weathered it down. Its roof was almost nonexistent, and the remaining parts were covered in fern. The pirs were made of the gnarled branches instead of concrete. It looked eerie and felt wet to the touch. Roy felt something slimy and disgusting on them too.


    There was an ancient well in the center of the pavilion. Roy looked inside. Thenterns shone on it, but it had dried up. The bottom was filled with animal skeletons and a few shriveled branches. <em>No water at all. </em>Roy frowned.


    "This well oughta give you a hint, mate." Gaunter''s voice came from the well. "Wannae inside? I''m right here."


    "Your tricks won''t work on me, O''Dimm," Roy answered. "There''s nothing but your echo down there. It fulfills part of your riddle, but not all of it. It''s not the answer."


    "I see you''re not a total idiot, witcher."


    "I can say the same to you."


    ***


    Roy went back to the path and came to a rickety wooden bridge. A canyon that stretched into infinity yawned beneath the bridge, and dark clouds swirled in it. Yellowish shes of light blinked in the clouds, and a cacophony of buzzes followed it. A gust of hot, pungent air blew up from the abyss. Roy tasted sulfur in the air.


    "Is there ava river down there?" Roy stood on the bridge for a moment and had a moment of vertigo. He could imagine how horrifying it must be if he fell from this altitude. He would probably ssh into theva and turn into air. Roy looked away, but then an eerily childlike voice called out to him.


    "Roy! Help!"


    "Huh?" Roy''s heart skipped a beat, and he took a trip down memoryne. He knew that voice. It belonged to his childhood friend. "Been a long time since I heard that voice. Am I starting to hear things?"


    He turned around and saw a gaunt, spindly arm holding the wooden bridge, and a boy''s head bobbed up. He had a bowl cut, his chubby face as red as wine, and snot dangled from his nose. The boy looked like he was about eight or nine, and he was amusing, but Roy couldn''t evenugh. "This has got to be a joke. Gaunter''s casting this spell." Bad memories came flooding back. <em>Can he actually take the souls of the dead and imprison them in his world? </em>Roy shook his head and calmed down. He decided to ignore the boy and went ahead.


    "Save me, Roy! It''s me, Brandon!" The boy''s screams turned even louder, and he trembled in fear.


    Roy hastened, and the bridge started wobbling.


    "Did you forget about me? I introduced you to Fletcher! And he took you in! You owe me one. Please, help me! I-I don''t wanna die!"


    "How''d you get here, Brandon?" Roy asked, but he didn''t stop. He was slowly getting near the other side of the bridge.


    "I-I don''t know. I didn''t do anything, but I found myself in this ce right after I woke up. The river''s hotter than the sun! It hurts! It''s gonna cook me like a pig!"


    "Hello, friend!" someone else bellowed, cutting the boy off. "Mount Carbon sends you its regards. Fancy seeing you here. Are you dead too?" A thich, short hand held the bridge''s ropes, and a bearded dwarf showed up. "Quick, give me a hand!" The dwarf struggled to hold the rope. He was dangling from the bridge, swaying with it. The dwarf looked tense, but he forced a smile. "Pull me up and we''ll save the boy. Then we have some catching up to do. And we''ll have an archerypetition. I wanna see if you''ve improved. Life is shit down here. Good thing dwarves are tough."


    Roy didn''t stop or hesitate, and the dwarf panicked. "Where are you going, Roy? Help us! Don''t leave your friends behind!"


    "Sorry, but Barney''s still alive, and he''s a lousy archer." Roy waved at him.


    "Look here, witcher! It''s me, Berschel! The old baker''s son!" A humble young man with pus all over his face crawled up. "Your potion destroyed my insides. I couldn''t even die painlessly because of you. I can still feel it churning in my belly. Please, pull me up. Pay for your sins. Please, help me. I wanna see my father!"


    ***


    "Sorry, but I can''t waste my time saving you." Roy gnashed his teeth and held the hourss tightly, but the sand wouldn''t stop falling. He finally got across the Bridge of Memories. The past did almost torture him, but they failed to make him waver. "The dead can''te back to life. They''re all fake."


    The familiar voices disappeared behind the veil of fog. They were taken away by the winds into and far, far away.


    "You didn''t even care about your friends, witcher," Gaunter mocked him. "Did the mutation wipe all your feelings away? Turned you into a heartless monster? They should call you Roy, the Stonehearted. You''re still ad, but you''re inhumanly heartless.¡±


    "Hey, O''Dimm!" Roy retorted, "I''ll catch you, I swear!"


    "That''s all it took to rile you up? Give up, my friend. Release yourself from this misery."


    "In your dreams, O''Dimm!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 268: Women, Wealth, Precious Items

    Roy went ahead and ran into another stiff silhouette. She was about five feet seven, but she was hunched, not unlike a wizened crone who was about to die. The silhouette was as ck as the first two Roy met. It reeked of soil and corpses. A pair of bony protrusions grew on her back. They looked like wings. Its hair looked like a bunch of seaweed clumped together. Her ws glinted more menacingly than a werewolf''s. They looked like a row of ck, sharpened chisels. When it saw Roy, it pounced at him, just like the earlier silhouettes did.


    "A grave hag this time, huh?" Roy took Gabriel out and pulled the trigger while the silhouette was approaching him. The bolt flew through the night and buried itself in the silhouette''s forehead. It didn''t even have time to react. The bolt pierced through its forehead and flew further behind it.


    If this was a regr grave hag, it would have wailed in pain and pulled the bolt out. That would have been the opening Roy needed to approach it, but the silhouette was different from a real grave hag. It would not tire nor respond to pain. There was no blooding out of the wound either. All the silhouette did was stop for a tenth of a second, then itshed out its tongue at the crossbow, just like how a frog would hunt its prey.


    The ck tongue arced through the air. Roy couldn''t even move, and the putrid, slimy tongue had hit Aerondight. It left smoke and vile slime behind. The tongue was slender, but it had great power. The quick attack almost numbed the witcher''s hand, and Aerondight nearly flew out of his hand. Smoke sizzled from the part of Gabriel that was hit as well. <em>Its tongue has acid.</em>


    Roy skidded back like a weasel and took cover behind a boulder on the path. Thest time he faced a grave hag was back in Lower Posada. He watched as Letho, Auckes, and Serrit dealt with it. They had a great advantage back in the vige. Theyid out a trap and just waited for the monster to fall for it. It was killed in under two minutes.


    Now that he was facing a grave hag head on, he realized how cunning this monster could be. It wasn''t that powerful, but its tongue slithered around like a snake in the shadows, waiting to strike at its prey. It would hurt if the tongue hit him. The tongue couldn''t pierce his armor, but the acid would still hurt him. "No need to go all out with this. There''s something worse waiting for me after this."


    Roy fired two bolts at it. It destroyed the first one with its tongue. The second one hit its big belly, and the witcher cast Blink. Ripples spread through space, and Roy appeared behind the monster. His de swung across the air, slicing the nape of the grave hag open. Aerondight got stuck between its bones, and blood sttered everywhere.


    The silhouette howled in pain. It turned around, iling its arms. The witcher ducked under its armpits and went behind it again. His eyes turned crimson as he cast Fear. The silhouette froze in ce, standing stiffly like a puppet. Roy raised his crimson de, slicing at the monster from left to right. The sword became an arc, and the monster''s head flew high up into the air before it fell with a thud.


    Its mouth was still opening and closing, and a ck, disgusting tongue lolled out of its mouth. The headless body turned around twice, then it fell with a loud thud.


    ''Grave hag killed. EXP +80¡­''


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. This grave hag was the fourth wave of monster he ran into. The second wave was two drowners, and the third was a ghoul. He had gained enough EXP to level up after killing them, but Roy didn''t do it right away. He needed to keep Full Recovery for emergencies. The monsters were getting tougher to kill. He might run into something he couldn''t handle soon. He looked at the hourss. <em>Half an hour left.</em>


    "That was abysmal. Poor performance. You spent half an hour just to get here?" Gaunter mocked. "Look at yourself. Hiding behind the boulder like a coward. I can''t believe you passed the trial. Did your mentor help you out?"


    Roy snorted and brushed it off. He kept running toward the moon in the sky. A few cornerster, he came to a hill filled with weed. A beautiful voice of a woman said, "Come here, Roy. Let me take a look at you."


    Roy turned around curiously, and he saw a familiar face looking back at him. She had fiery-red hair that tumbled down her shoulders, and her eyes were filled with passion. Her full, luscious lips looked like petals of a blossoming flower. Roy felt like having a taste. This was a woman in the ripest period of her life. "Coral?" Roy spaced out for a moment.


    Coral leaned against the ground and waved at him. She looked surprised. Her chest swayed as she waved at him, not unlike a great wave crashing against the sea. Her legs were crossed, her beautifully polished toenails looking like gemstones. She beckoned at him. "Where have you been?" She gazed into his eyes and asked, almost like she wasining, "Why didn''t youe to me? I''ve missed you. Hey, say something. Are you tired of me already? I know. Why don''t we change it up? Remember the bathtub in theb?" Coral blushed.


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. He looked down and avoided meeting her gaze. A beautiful memory welled up in his mind. He could never forget the days he shared with Lytta in Vizima. He would step through portals to go on dates, talk about mutations, and just fool around like normal people. It was simpler and happier back then.


    The days he spent with Coral made him grow at a blistering rate. He used to be uncertain before. He wavered at one time, but eventually, he got over it and changed. No longer would he fall for women or panic for anyone that easily. Letho was right. Everyone used to be crazy once. Everyone had a few memorable rtionships before. These experiences were necessary for growth.


    "We''ve been talking through the telescope every day, Coral. I''ll see you when I have time." He waved her goodbye and turned around. "But not now. I have business to settle."


    He left the hill, but the illusion did not end. Silvery, beguilingughter filled the air. Through the corner of his eye, the witcher saw many beautiful silhouettes appearing on the hills, waving at him, and not just humans either. There were beautiful dryads with green skin, subi with tattoos covering their horns, hooves, and faces, pale, aloof higher vampires, mermaids with beautiful voices, and more. There were more women than Roy could count, and they were even more alluring than reality. Still, his Will triumphed over the illusions. He tensed up and kept walking as quickly as he could.


    Gaunter asked jovially, "I knew this would work,d. Surprised? So, who do you like the most?" Gaunter was watching in delight as Roy tried to escape the illusion.


    "You date your customers, O''Dimm?" Roy calmed down and kept walking ahead. He retorted, "Is that why you know so many races? You remember their traits quite well. It''s surprising that a being like you actually has human emotions."


    "I''m ttered, witcher, but a reminder. The wind is still howling, and heavy rain isn''t stopping. Your life is still in danger." He said darkly, "Get it? You don''t have much time left."


    ***


    Roy came to a spacious cave behind the hill. It was on the left side of the path. Unlike most caves, which were dark at night, this cave had golden light shining from within. It was even more dazzling than the moon itself. Roy was reminded of the cave where dragons hoarded their treasure.


    "Go and take everything. Infinite wealth is right in front of you," a voice whispered into his ear.


    As the financial manager of the school, Roy had to keep track of every expense. Equipment, food, shelter, armor, travel all cost coins. Rebuilding the school and buying a vineyard would cost an astronomical amount of money too. They needed money, and a lot of it. Roy took a look inside the cave. Thanks to his supernatural senses, he saw four big wooden crates near the walls of the cave. All of them were open, and they were filled with valuables.


    Most of them were coins. Cute, little crowns, orens, gold coins, and ancient currencies. Roy couldn''t recognize most of them. There was a mountain of precious stones too. Sapphires, rubies, obsidians, crystals, agate, diamonds, topaz¡­ Any sorceress would kill to get their hands on this hoard.


    "Pity I can''t take these." Roy gulped and turned his gaze away. He left the cave, much to Gaunter''s surprise.


    "Hmm?"


    If this maze was the same as the one Roy remembered, he knew he could take the treasure and leave unscathed. However, the Bridge of Memories, the illusion, and this cave of wealth never appeared in the maze Roy had in mind. <em>I wonder if the way to the riddle''s answer has changed. </em>Roy was starting to get nervous.


    <em>I have to be careful. That''s the only way to survive. A few seconds might mean life or death now. I can''t risk this. Besides, my inventory space is locked. I can''t take too much anyway. And I only have twenty minutes left.</em>


    ***


    Roy noticed something standing on the path. It was a dark sword, firmly embedded in the soil on the tform. The moon shone on its de, and it reflected its light. Its crossguard curled on both sides, and its de was slender. The sword looked simr to the Viper Silver Sword. After taking all those sses from Berengar, Roy could see that this was a great sword. He only needed a minute to pull it out and take it with him. <em>A pity I can''t.</em>


    Roy looked at it onest time and gritted his teeth. He held the hilt of his des to cheer himself up. "I have Gwyhyr and Aerondight. That''s enough. I can''t waste any more time." He hastened and left the sword behind.


    "Wow." Gaunter pped. "Is Lebioda your ancestor or something? You didn''t even stop for treasures or the sword. Aren''t you tempted? To be honest, I thought you only had ten percent chance to win this, but now it''s doubled.¡±


    Roy ignored Gaunter and climbed past a few big flights of stairs, went past a dead oak tree that was three stories tall and had an enormous canopy, then he came to the end of his journey¡ªa quiet mansion.


    The mansion stood on a piece of barren wastnd. Not a sound came from within. Unholy crimson light shone from the closed windows, not unlike a wolf that was hunting down its prey at night.


    Roy took the left spiral staircase and went up to the mansion''s front door. There were beautiful carvings on the walls, and a gigantic stone statue stood in the yard. The statue was made in a woman''s image. It was solemnly holding a baptism basin for infants. <em>She''s probably a priestess. </em>Beyond that statue was the moon that had been looming over Roy all this time. For some reason, Roy thought there was a circle of evil red light around the moon. It unnerved him.


    There were about fifteen minutes left until the end. Roy went up the flight of stairs and moved his gaze to the mansion''s doorstep. He froze.


    A silhouette knelt on one knee. He was lean and looked too much like Roy. His muscles were taut, and two des were strapped to his back. He also had a crossbow too. The silhouette was disturbed by the sudden entrance, and the pendant before his chest vibrated. Fake Roy made a Quen sign in the air, and yellow light swirled around him.


    Two two witchers locked eyes, and sparks flew between them.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 269: Unbreakable Mirror

    The witchers stood under the moonlight, facing each other. Nine feet of space separated them. Roy curled up and put his weight on his feet. He circled the enemy in an anticlockwise direction. He kept Aerondight pointed at the silhouette before him.


    The enemy this time was no dummy. He didn''t pounce at Roy the moment he saw him. Instead he mimicked Roy and circled him. The way he held his de, his pose, and his steps, were remarkably simr to the real Roy. They were like two peas of a pod, just that one of them was a reflection. Roy stared at his reflection, thinking that this was a bit surreal. <em>This is the big gift Gaunter had for me? </em>He wondered how much of his power his reflection had. <em>Does he copy everything like the doppler?</em>


    His forehead and palms were sweating. Roy held the hilt of his de tightly with his right hand and made an orange triangle in the air. A stream of mes shot across the air, licking the reflection''s body. The silhouette cast Igni at almost the same time and shot it back at Roy. The mes hit their targets, and Quen shattered into pieces. Roy took a step to the side and flung his singed hair aside and crashed into the silhouette.


    Roy had the advantage. The silhouette was that bit slower than the young witcher due to its slightlycking intelligence. Roy swung Aerondight up and aimed for its chest. Sparks flew in the air as the silhouette blocked Roy''s sword. Roy could see that the silhouette equaled him in strength.


    Roy changed his attack. He flicked his wrist, and Aerondight slid up the back of the silhouette''s de, cutting off its right ear. The ear disappeared into the air, turning into a puff of ck smoke.


    Most people would be distracted by the pain, but not the silhouette. It cast Aard without missing a beat, pushing Roy back. And then it leapt ahead and thrusted its de at Roy''s throat.


    Roy put his weight into his left leg and pirouetted like a top. He smacked the ck de away with Aerondight and thrusted it into the enemy''s chest. The silhouette blocked it with his sword, putting the fighters in a momentary stalemate.


    They spun clockwise, sparks flew between their des. They were like a grindstone working on a piece of metal, but eventually, they broke contact, yet they quickly jumped back into the fray, swinging their des, blocking iing attacks, dodging the enemy''s blows.


    There were no feints in this fight. Every attack was deadly. The fighters aimed for their enemy''s vitals. Metals shed and nged against each other. Even the air buzzed with excitement with every attack they made.


    Roy spun, dodging yet another attack. He let out a guttural growl and thrusted his de at the silhouette''s neck, but the silhouette swung its sword and swatted Roy''s de away. It tried to attack Roy''s belly, and Roy jumped backward.


    He was huffing and puffing. Sweat glistened on his face, chin, and neck. His hair was glued to his forehead, and there was almost ayer of steaming from his body. It had only been a minute since the battle started, but Roy had exhausted more stamina than he expected.


    The reflection Gaunter made not only possessed his physical capabilities, and it also had the samebat senses, movements, and reaction. Thanks to that, the silhouette could easily figure out what Roy was trying to do. Of course, that also meant Roy could see through his enemy''s every attack as well.


    They were like old enemies getting into a fight. The battle was heated up, but none could defeat the other. This was a true stalemate and the worst case scenario for Roy. There wasn''t much time left. He had to finish this quickly.


    Roy made a bold decision. He gave up on all defense and charged straight at the silhouette, thrusting his de downward. The silhouette failed to dodge this, and its belly was pierced, but it didn''t fall back either. It pressed onward and stabbed its de into Roy''s thigh. Blood spurted from his wound, and none of the fighters were pulling their weapons out.


    They were inches from each other, and Roy made onest, final bet. His golden eyes turned crimson once more. Bloody tentacles wrapped the silhouette, freezing it in ce. The silhouette''s eyes did not turn red in response to Roy''s Fear though. It might have copied most of Roy''s capabilities, but not the skills his character sheet had optimized for him.


    <em>The battle is over. </em>Roy pulled his de out and sliced the silhouette''s head off. The head flew up high into the air, disappearing as a puff of smoke.


    ''Roy (fake) killed. EXP +180.''


    "I win. A fake can never triumph over the real deal." Roy''s face was contorted with pain, but he managed to smile. He was in a bad situation. The Manticore armor had a few dents in it. He didn''t even need to take it off, and he knew there were bruises on him. Just touching them sent pain searing up his head. It made him shiver.


    Roy howled in pain and spat out blood. There were chunks of flesh in it. Even his organs were hurt. <em>But I can''t stop. The end is right in front of me. Only ten minutes left. </em>"Activate!" A cool sensation washed over his body, and most of his minor wounds were gone.


    He managed to push himself up, though he was wobbling. Roy tore part of his shirt off and tied it around the wound on his thigh. He used Aerondight as a crutch and dragged himself toward the mansion''s door, wobbling like a drunk.


    The insides of the mansion were a lot less impressive than its walls. The first floor''s lobby was like a generic inn, filled with a few tables, cutlery, and cabs. Every table had a candle on it, and they shone on a flight of stairs in the center that led downward.


    The witcher trudged downward, eventually finding himself in a dark, ustrophobic passage. At the end of the passage stood a bronze, diamond-shaped mirror with decorated edges.


    Roy recited, "Fondle me and ogle me til you''re insane, but no blow can harm me, cause me pain. Children delight in me, elders take fright. Fair maids rejoice and spin. Cry and I weep, yawn and I sleep. Smile, and I too shall grin." Roy went down the passage and stared into the mirror. "It reflects my actions and shows me my face. The answer¡­ is a reflection. Is this where you''re hiding, Gaunter?"


    Gaunter''s maniacalugh filled the air of the passage, and Roy felt the ground beneath him give way. It caved and broke apart, then Roy fell down into an underground chamber. The mirror at the end of the passage was no longer in sight.


    "You look like shit, mate, but it''s not gonna end just like that."


    Roy gritted his teeth and pushed himself up from the debris. He still looked calm, as if he were unfazed by losing that mirror. He knew this would happen. Roy trudged along the corridor and came to a clearing. It was a za behind the mansion.


    What greeted him were nothing but ruins. The tiles were chipped away, scratched, and covered in dust. The floor in the middle looked like it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. A great crack leading to an abyss slept there. Three spiral staircases each led up to a looming tower. Roy could vaguely see the mirrors in the tower. There were more than a few too.


    He dragged himself and went for the nearest one, but the mirror shattered into pieces before he could touch it.


    Gaunter, who was hiding somewhere, had yed another trick. He mocked smugly, "Another point for me."


    Roy changed his direction quietly and came to the fountain in the middle of the za. It was all dried up, but there was a red mirror in the middle. He tried to touch it, but just like thest mirror, it shattered into a pile of ss sand before he could touch it.


    "Do your eyelids feel heavier now, witcher? Ready to give in to despair? Give up. Release yourself from your misery."


    Roy shouted into the air, "You can break ss, but there''s a mirror you can never break!"


    "Well, then search for it, witcher. You might just find it."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 270: Shatter the Reflection

    Roy stopped going for the mirrors in the rest of the towers. Instead, he went into the fountain and headed for a light grey stone wall standing right beside it. He closed his eyes and stuck his ear against it. The wall was smooth and hard to the touch, and he could hear the sound of flowing water hiding behind the stone wall.


    A smile of relief curled his lips. "The process didn''t go exactly as I thought, but the endgame is still the same. All I have to do is smash this wall and fill the fountain up with water. You''d better keep your promise, O''Dimm!"


    "We''ll see," he answered nonchntly.


    Roy made a blue triangle in the air. Mana flowed out of his hand, and he pushed the triangle at the wall. A powerful air current mmed against the wall, creating a loud bang. Dust rained down, but the water didn''te gushing out like Roy expected.


    The wall was still standing. Aard failed to break it. "Everything went ording to n. It should have been done¡­" Roy was starting to panic. The sand in the hourss was almost out. He had five minutes left.


    A few momentster, he mmed the wall again, but to no avail. His blood ran cold, and his heart sank. His breathing was getting ragged. Reality was cruel. His mind told him that his mastery of Aard was not powerful enough to break the wall. That was one thing he neglected. Even with the Elder Blood, his Signs were at Level 2 at most. He was surprised he couldn''t break the wall, but that was to be expected.


    "The school''s not revived yet. I still have to create the brotherhood. And I have to meet Moore, Susie, Coral, and Ciri again. I can''t lose!"


    "Face it, mate!" Gaunter mocked. "The chance to break this spell is right in front of you, but you let it slip! Not my fault you can''t break the wall. Nowe with me. You and Aryan are going to see a magnificent world!"


    "No!" Roy shouted. He could almost see the Master of Mirrors smiling eerily at him. <em>Who knows what''ll happen if I go with him? He might devour my soul.</em>


    He was starting to hallucinate. An endless darkness and void was swallowing him up, erasing all evidence of his existence. The young witcher darted to the wall and thumped it frantically. He punched the wall as hard as he could, but all he did was injure himself.


    Eventually his fists were nothing but a mess of flesh and blood. He could see his bones exposed in the air. His Strength was double that of most people''s, but he was nowhere near breaking a sturdy marble b.


    "Hahaha!" Gaunterughed. "What happened to your confidence? I can''t believe you got into a bet with me just to take a soul I rightfully gained! I admire your courage. Even so, you''re still a coward who won''t ept his own death. Just take my blessing already."


    "Shut up! I haven''t lost just yet!" Roy looked at the hourss. He was almost out of time, but he wasn''t giving up yet. "I still have time. There must be a way."


    Gaunter watched his performance, and he kept mocking, "Oh, I forgot to tell you this, but I''m not about to waste your body either. After I take your soul, I''ll use your flesh as fertilizer for the flowers in my world. You''ll be the nutrients for the most gorgeous and deadliest flower there is!"


    The young witcher suddenly stared down at his hands and stopped movingpletely. He looked at the blood on his fists, and realization struck him.


    "An unbreakable mirror¡­ water¡­ liquid¡­ blood¡­ the bloody reflection they shatter¡­" He kept muttering to himself. "The bloody reflection they shatter¡­ I see!"


    "Poor witcher. Broke down because of this¡ª" Gaunter was cut off abruptly.


    The young witcher made a run to the dried-up fountain. There was not a drop of water in sight. The structure that used to spout out water stood tall like ayered cake. The higher it went, the smaller its surface was. A basin the size of a baptism basim stood on the topmostyer.


    The young witcher stood on the top, looking at the basin coldly. He put his left hand into it, then he brought Aerondight down on his own hand. The sword was hard enough to cut through steel easily, let alone flesh. His hand was cut off right away, falling into the basin. Blood spurted out of his arteries and filled half the basin in just a few moments. There was about less than a quarter gallon of blood in it.


    The excessive blood loss should have thrown Roy into a world of agony, but he ignored the pain. His forehead was drenched in sweat, but he quickly huddled closer to the basin, staring into the pool of blood.


    Ripples spread through the basin, showing the witcher''s reflection. Standing behind him was a familiar figure. His head was almost bald, his nose was crooked, and his eyes were ck. Gaunter was standing over his shoulder, staring right back at him.


    Roy pulled him with his remaining hand, dragging him by the cor. He pulled the Master of Mirrors out into the real world. "Got you." Roy grinned toothily.


    Gaunter stared at the witcher solemnly. There was also a look of approval in his eyes. <em>"Ouw se on coq e coq se rwa an le pil fimie ay¡­" </em>He patted the witcher''s right hand and chanted some weird, mysterious incantation under his breath. His cheeks nched and caved in, while ck blood vessels filled his face. He looked like a dying man.


    "Not bad. This is another way to do it, but there''s no meaning to this victory." He looked at Roy''s missing left hand. Gaunter could see his cut artery and bone jutting out from the wound. "Once you leave this world, you''ll fall unconscious and die from excessive blood loss. Even if you survive, you''ll end up disabled. Poor, poor witcher."


    "Oh, I don''t think so. Look again." Roy put his broken arm closer to Gaunter, and something miraculous happened.


    Flesh and bone were starting to sprout, and tiny tentacles appeared. They grew quickly, restructuring the missing hand in less than ten seconds. Roy''s face, which was white from blood loss, recovered quickly. The wounds from his continuous battle quickly went away as well.


    Roy looked energetic, his eyes shining like stars. He looked so lively, it was as if he had never gone through the maze''s tribtion.


    "What a surprise, witcher. Anything else you''re hiding from me?"


    "Leave, Gaunter O''Dimm!" Royughed heartily. "You''ll never find out!"


    <em>"Shen ggonia monerie, ara scdebi!" </em>Gaunter chanted something else, and white light burst forth from his body. He broke free of the witcher''s grasp, falling back into the pool of blood. He pped his hand and moved backward, falling down into the pool. mes started burning around his body, and crimson patches covered him.


    Two golden parchments flew out from his pockets. They charged into the mes and turned to ash. A ck leather journal that contained the Manticore School''s top secrets and the way to strengthen Roy''s Elder Blood floated in front of him.


    At the same time, Roy felt a searing paining from his right wrist. It felt like a poker was stuck to his skin. A momentter, an ancient, crimson rune showed up. It was the shape of a messy, bloody ball of strings.


    "You win this time, witcher, but the test ten yearster won''t be this easy. You had better grow strong. You''re as weak as an insect right now. Strengthen your soul. There''s an even more exciting game waiting for you."


    Gaunter cackled, but hisughter soon turned into the guttural growl of a beast. He was burned to cinders and fell into the deepest parts of the pool, engulfed by a ball of golden sun. Roy felt everything spin again, and he cked out.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 271: Aftermath and Strengthening

    Lynx Inn, La Valette''s fief, northern area. Some time had passed since the encounter with Gaunter O''Dimm.


    A ck-haired witcher flung the door open and went straight to a round table in front of the counter. "One apple cider, please!" He snapped his fingers at the curvaceous bartender and took a seat beside the veteran witchers. Roy grabbed the stewed meat in front of him and wolfed it down.


    "Stop eating and tell me what happened to the request." Letho took a swig of dwarven liquor. The other witchers and a scrawny kid looked at him curiously.


    "I almost got myself killed saving Aryan. I wasn''t gonna leave without a grand reward. I wouldn''t let the baron skimp on this one!" Roy winked at his fellow witchers and wolfed down a brisket the size of a fist. He then tossed a bag of money onto the table. "I got the reward as promised."


    The coins rattled in the bag, and the witcher in the grey cape''s eyes hone. He quickly counted the coins, but his excitement went away immediately. "A hundred orens. <em>This </em>is the great wealth the baron of La Valette promised us? Does he think we''re beggars?"


    "This is not the full amount, of course. The baron might be a temperamental jerk who looks down on civilians, but he''s every bit as generous as Foltest is. I saved his son, after all." Roy chomped on the beef and grinned toothily. <em>He paid for the services. Of course I''m taking as much as I can.</em>


    After settling all the problems for Ignatius, Foltest, and Baron La Valette, Roy had umted quite a good sum of wealth. He had almost two thousand orens left even after spending a lot of their money on their gear back in Vizima.


    "This is for the alcohol. I''ll be keeping the rest of the money. We''ll need the money in Novigrad," Roy said.


    Letho fell into his thoughts. Auckes let out an exaggerated sigh, a hint ofint shing in his eyes.


    <em>I shouldn''t try to haggle with him, or he might take all the money. </em>He quickly held the bag and muttered, "You''re paying for dinner, Roy."


    "Can you not be so obsessed with money?" Serrit red at Auckes and took the money bag from him. He tucked it away and turned to the young witcher. "I need you to exin yourself. You went missing for almost an hour in the pce, and when you showed up again, Aryan woke up at almost the same time. What happened during that hour?"


    Letho looked at him coolly and wiped the wine off the corner of his lips. "If you''re ourpanion, then you should never keep everything to yourself, kid."


    Roy pursed his lips.


    "You don''t have to worry about us." Felix took his sunsses off and looked at Roy. "I can protect Carl well enough." He patted the boy''s head. "And I owe you guys big time. If I drag this out too long, it''ll affect my work."


    "Fine." Roy had no choice but to tell him, though he was moved that hispanions cared about him so much. "I''ll tell you what happened, but don''t worry too much about it. The danger has passed."


    The inn''s magicalmp bathed the space with a warm light, and the bard yed on his lute. As music started to fill the air, the young witcher recounted that dangerous encounter with the Master of Mirrors.


    "I was gone for an hour because someone named Gaunter O''Dimm dragged me into a game. The first time I met him was way back in Aldersberg¡­"


    Roy told them about all the encounters with Gaunter O''Dimm. He was telling the truth most of the time, only omitting his level up and cutting his hand off. He also downyed the fierce battle too. Since Gaunter O''Dimm lost the bet, he could never approach the people close to Roy, so there was no need to keep it a secret.


    ***


    "Just when I had less than thirty seconds left, I crushed the wall with Aard, and the water filled the fountain up. Fortunately for me, I caught the Master of Mirrors thanks to the reflection in the water. I won," Roy said, still looking a bit fearful.


    This was a bloody lesson for him. He realized he should never rely too much on the knowledge of this world he had. Battles were ever-changing. "As promised, he''s gone, and we won''t have to worry about the guy anymore."


    Roy told Louisa a different story, however. He said a creature called a hym was behind this.


    Letho, Auckes, Serrit, Felix, and Carl fell into silence. Everyone''s eyes were shining, while Carl''s jaw dropped. It felt like he just heard a bedtime story where a knight went on a quest to defeat an evil dragon. The Master of Mirrors was the dragon, while Roy of the Viper School was the knight who defeated it and saved humanity.


    "Are you sure it wasn''t a dream, kid?"


    "Maybe. Maybe a powerful entity created a dream world and invited me to y with it. And I saved Aryan in the process." Roy looked at the red rune on his right wrist. It looked like a ball of strings made by two halves of thread entangled together. <em>Still looks weird to me. </em>It was a brand and a protective barrier that wouldst for ten years.


    "No way it''s a dream." Auckes rubbed his chin and processed what he just heard. "The guy can grant any wish and take their soul in return? He stops time just by waving his hand, and he can cross dimensions? That''s even crazier than what gods can do."


    "He''s probably not a god," Serrit disagreed. He looked at the young witcher. "I think I heard about it somewhere. It''s probably something that invaded our world after the Conjunction of the Spheres. It possesses a lot of powerful abilities." He knocked on Roy''s abs and asked, "You came out of a bet with something like that alive? And your ribs are healed? How''d that happen? Did you suddenly get invincible?"


    "No, because I''m smart." Roy took a swig of the cider and poked his temples. He joked, "And cats have nine lives thanks to their affinity with chaos energy. I''m not as great as cats, but I have two lives. Ask Letho about it."


    "You''re just lucky you got out alive!" Letho doused his joy. He felt weirdly exhausted after leaving the castle. Now that he knew what happened, he realized it must have been the aftereffects of Gaunter''s spells. <em>I didn''t even know I was under someone''s spell. Calling this despair is an understatement.</em>


    "Calling its name and talking about him might draw his attention. We need to y this safe. From now on, nobody is allowed to say its name," he said solemnly.


    The air got grim all of a sudden. The witchers looked around. They realized the danger was far more threatening than they could imagine, and they wondered what they should do next.


    Auckes broke the silence and raised a toast to Roy. "Why the long faces, mates? Don''t ruin the mood. Not like we haven''t run into any danger before. Who cares what it is or how powerful it is? Roy won and came out alive. That calls for a celebration. Let''s raise a toast to the victor!"


    Everyone heaved a sigh and shed their grim looks. They raised their mugs.


    "And me!" Carl stood on his tiptoe and raised his mug too. It was blueberry juice, of course.


    "Meow!" Gryphon stuck its head out and mewed.


    The witchers, an apprentice, and a cat raised a toast. Drinks flew everywhere, and the scent of alcohol wafted in the air. It swept away their grim feeling.


    "Let''s put this case to rest," Letho said. "Aryan''s awake, and Lady Louisa should release the troupe members as promised. They''ll be getting their rpense too."


    "On the way," Roy said. "We''ll be getting the news tomorrow afternoon at most. And we should be leaving soon. I''m fully healed. No need to stay around anymore."


    Roy wondered how the baron and Louisa would pay for the damages they caused to civilians. Their greed and ego destroyed the troupe, and they lost two members forever: Collins and Amos. <em>Wonder how that''s gonna work out. </em>Roy looked ahead coldly. <em>Perhaps they''ll need my help.</em>


    ***


    Felix and the other witchers took Carl to a training ground after the little celebration. They were bored. Letho, Serrit, and Auckes had lived a long life. Training an apprentice was a fun thing for them. They volunteered to teach the kid alongside Felix. The four of them were whipping the boy into shape.


    Roy used to train under Letho, and it was a grueling period. Letho forced him to work to his full potential. He could still remember the training hell like it was yesterday. Roy had gotten his basics down after a year of training. He was more than capable of handling himself in some situations.


    The Viper School witchers let him do whatever he wanted. Most of the time, he would ask them to train him himself. Carl was going through the same hell he did, only worse. <em>Four of them at the same time. That''s gonna be harsh. </em>Roy sympathized with him for a moment and happily went to the stable behind the inn.


    He refilled the trough with some peas and patted Wilt''s mane, then he took Gryphon out of his hoodie. It was wobbling and mewing from the alcohol it had. Roy held it in his arms and patted the cat. He had been neglecting themtely, but the critters had been loyal to him all this time. He didn''t have to stay with them all the time, but they would always be kind to him.


    He yed with them for a while and sat on the stable''s hay. The young witcher took out a journal and recorded his trip in the baron''snd. He wrote down the case from start to finish, the careless mistakes he made during the investigation, the analysis he made for every decision, the mistakes he made in the maze and the battles in there, as well as Gaunter''s details.


    ''23rd of October, year 1261. La Valette''snd. Aryan saw his mother having an affair with the king. Traumatized by the events, he fell for the Master of Mirror''s promise and was trapped in a dream. Gaunter O''Dimm is something like a¡­ demon? God? It''s almost omnipotent, but it''s restricted by the contract when ites to soultaking¡­ Has a degree of freedom when ites to certain stuff, like killing someone.''


    Roy categorized Gaunter as a relict. It was more powerful than The Unseen Elder, the leader of higher vampires. After Roy was done with the records, he took out the loot he got from the maze¡ªthe details of the Manticore School.


    Roy went through it slowly. There was a reason he picked Manticore School''s recipe as his reward. Roy had a rough idea where the Wolf School, Bear School, and Griffin School were. Felix from the Cat School was traveling with them, so he could probably exchange the form down the line.


    The Manticore School was located in Zerrikania, east of Blue Mountain. He had no idea how to get there, making it impossible for him to get the form. Gaunter saved him a lot of time. "Manticore School''s Trial of the Grasses form: green, blue, and red mutagens¡­ Mother''s Tears, Wildrye Juice, Witch''s Herb. It''s made up of different things from the Viper School''s potion. No need for a griffin mutagen. Good, Gryphon is safe."


    "Meow, meow?" Gryphon stuck its head out and rested on its master''s shoulder, looking around curiously.


    Manticore school''s potion was a lot different from the Viper School''s. Green mutagen took up arge part of the ratio. Red and blue mutagens took up a lot less of the ratio. The ratio was about six to one to one. <em>A trial that increases Constitution and decoction tolerance, huh?</em>


    Roy''s Constitution would rise if he could take the trials, and he could ingest more decoctions at one go as well. The problem was he had to make it through. Nobody knew how dangerous a second trial would be.


    "Once I get the Cat School''s form from Felix, I''llpare them and prepare for one. Then I''ll fill my EXP bar and wait for the next Full Recovery."


    There were some special steps in the Manticore School''s trial as well. The aspirant must make a special inspiration potion made up of wolfsbane, the leaves of beggarticks blossom, and a few hallucinogenic herbs. They would then have to drink it, and then they woulde face to face with their deepest desires.


    The aspirants would keep doing it and increase the dosage every time to train their mind and soul. Some of them emerged stronger, but some became addicts. <em>Yep. Just like the Merten guy who defected to Lebioda. </em>"They''re the best decoction makers, but they''re tortured by the same addiction. That''s one hell of a cautionary tale."


    Once Roy sorted out the Manticore School stuff, he turned his attention to the strengthening procedure of the Elder Blood. He treated this carefully. The procedure Gaunter found was no orthodox ''strengthening.'' He came up with another way. This procedure would use different potions to stimte it, making it fight and destroy any new bloodline that would take its ce. In short, the Elder Blood would get stronger through battling other bloodlines.


    However, since it was the top bloodline in the witcher world, not everything could fire it up. Roy would need the blood of a higher vampire, a dragon, and a powerful sorcerer, then he would need to gather a few herbs. He would have to go through a grueling process to make a potion that could motivate the Elder Blood to fight. It wasn''t life-threatening, but it would put Roy in a world of pain.


    Aretuza would have the sorcerer he needed. Roy could ask Coral for help, but dragons and higher vampires were beyond him at the moment. "This is more than enough for now. I''lle up with a n down the line."


    Still, he managed to find a way to strengthen the Elder Blood, and most importantly, he did not have to hurt Ciri for that.


    ***


    Finally, it was time to power himself up. Roy concentrated on the character sheet. After the trial with Gaunter, Roy finally leveled up. ''Level 7 Witcher (360/4500).


    Main Stat (Will): 12.5 ¡ú 13.5


    Remaining stat point: 1. Remaining skill point: 1.''


    Roy allocated the stat point to his main stat.


    ''Will: 13.5 ¡ú 14.5.''


    He felt a weird dizzy feeling emerge from his soul. He spaced out a little and lost himself. When he regained his focus, he heard the sound of a needle popping a balloon, as if he broke through some barrier. His Will had changed his body somehow. Roy closed his eyes and tried to feel it, but he felt nothing.


    The young witcher moved his gaze downward and allocated the skill point to Meditation.


    ''Meditation: Level 5 ¡ú Level 6


    (A full Meditation cycle grants one use of Activate. Activate heals you for (20% ¡ú 30%) of HP and Mana.)


    Constitution: 12 ¡ú 12.5


    HP: 160 ¡ú 165


    Spirit: 14 ¡ú 14.5


    Mana: 180 ¡ú 185.''


    Roy had been growing rapidly after the trial. His Strength, Dexterity, and Perception grew a little.


    ''Strength: 9.3 ¡ú 10


    Dexterity: 10 ¡ú 10.6


    Perception: 8 ¡ú 9¡¯


    ***


    "Whew¡­" A surge of warmth traveled through his body. The young witcher''s face was getting a little red. It felt great to get stronger little by little. His Will and Spirit had surpassed all hispanions¡¯, including Felix. This was probably another path witchers could take.


    "No need to be obsessed with a particr school. All I have to do is get stronger." He made up his mind and calmed down, then he grabbed a de out of his inventory space.


    ''Gwyhyr


    (You have a Brewess'' arm in your inventory space and adle made out of unknown metal. Gwyhyr shall now be strengthened¡­


    Requires higher Constitution. Strengthening canceled.


    Thanks to your powerful Will, Gwyhyr has gained another effect in this powerup.)


    Type: Steel sword


    Components: Dark iron ingot, magma, meteorite ore, leather, pine wood, powdered monster leather.


    Specs: Weighs 3.06 pounds, hilt measures at 9.3 inches, de measures at 36 inches.


    Effect:


    Cirction, Ignite, Painful Strike, Teleport


    Suppression (New): Your Will can interfere with reality now. Every time you swing Gwyhyr, your will of massacre will interfere with your enemy''s body and soul. Any enemy with a lower Will than you will be suppressed. Their stats will receive a small debuff, and their focus will be drained that much faster. They will get distracted easily and fall into emotions of anxiety, fear, and terror. Suppression ignores all defenses and gets stronger with every passing moment.''


    ***


    Roy sighed regrettably. "I wonder what Brewess'' arm and thedle are gonna add to the sword." <em>It''s a pity I need more Constitution. </em>"Suppression is okay, I guess. A continuous debuff." <em>Some sort of domain or something? </em>Roy thought, <em>This has its pros and cons. Most battles won''tst too long, especially a battle between swordsmen. It''ll be done in mostly ten seconds. Suppression will probably need more time to take effect, but the battle will have ended by then.</em>


    <em>However, if I run into some troublesome monsters or a skirmish, I''ll gain more advantage the longer the battlests. </em>"This is somete-game skill."


    ***


    He tucked the de away and pulled out a crimson sword.


    ''The Lake Lady''s Sword¡ªAerondight


    (Aerondight has received its second powerup. Thanks to your powerful Will, it now gains another effect.)


    Type: Silver sword


    Components: Tearstone, dark iron ingot, cured draconid leather, powdered monster tissue, nymph blood, silver ingot.


    Specs: Weighs 6.06 pounds, hilt measures at 11 inches, de measures at 40 inches.


    Effects:


    Mana Reduction, Aqua Blessing, Aqua Summoning, Teleport.


    Suppression (New).''


    "Yep." Roy caressed the de. "Suppression works better with silver swords. It''ll shine in battles with monsters."


    ***


    ''Gabriel


    (Gabriel was a rudimentary hand crossbow at first. It has dramatically changed after its fourth powerup. Now it''s as good as any great weapon. Thanks to your powerful Will, it now gains a new effect.)


    Type: Hand crossbow


    Components: Mulberry wood, tendon, hemp, mana.


    Specs: Weighs (7 ¡ú 8) pounds, measures at (0.7 ¡ú 0.73) meters, draw strength (50 ¡ú 60) pounds, effective range (64 ¡ú 73) meters.


    Effects:


    Simplify, Guided Arrows, Blink


    Stun Bolt (New): Fills your bolts with willpower. If your enemy''s Will is lower than yours, they will be stunned for 0.1 second. This effect ignores any defenses, but it consumes a lot of focus.''


    Roy''s eyes widened in shock. The new effect wasn''t weak at all. In fact, it was incredibly powerful. Thanks to Simplify, there was only a 0.4 secondg between each shot. If the enemy was stunned by every shot, there was no way they could win any battle.


    He could see it in his mind. They were in front of a wooden bridge in a vige. Letho, Auckes, and Serrit were attacking a guardian troll in front, swinging their des and casting their signs, while he kept firing bolts.


    The troll would try to hit the Vipers, but it would keep trembling as if it had an episode of fits. In the end, it fell to its death, covered in wounds and bolts. Not once did it manage tond a hit.


    <em>Stun Bolts, huh? Gonna be great in team battles. I don''t even have to bother with Blink and Fear if we''re targeting a sorcerer that''s casting a spell. Guided Arrows, Stun Bolts, and continuous shooting thanks to Simplify¡­</em>


    <em>I can break through most defenses in two blows and kill my target in three. And I get to stop their spells too? </em>"What am I? An anti-sorcerer?"


    Roy held his excitement down and tested his weapon somewhere near the stable. He practiced all five starting stances for his swordy. Since hispanions were not around, he had no idea how effective Suppression was.


    His marksmanship was more important at the moment. <em>Let''s see how many Stun Bolts I can fire at one time. </em>He shot a few bolts, and they arced across the sky. A row of shivering bolts were buried in the wooden stake beside the stable.


    About eight boltster, Roy started feeling weak in his body. His mind was starting to get jumbled up too, and he couldn''t stop it. He got dizzy after ten bolts, and he couldn''t even focus. At that point, he lost most of his battle power.


    Roy kept on with regr marksmanship training after that. Ten minutester, the symptoms started to fade, and he made a full recovery in thirty minutes.


    "So Stun Bolts are supposed to be used in short bursts. Eight bolts should be enough to deal with most emergencies," Roy said. "And I should gain more uses as my Will grows." <em>So now I have Suppression for melee and Stun Bolts for ranged battles. It''s a good powerup. It''s time to head for Novigrad and wait for a reply from Geralt. And I wanna see if I can get the Cat School''s trial form from Felix.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 272: Sudden Change

    The skies were grey the next afternoon. A nket of fog that came from Pontar draped the baron''snd, filling the air with humidity and the stench of fish and riverweeds.


    Thedies of the troupe were escorted by a soldier, and they were led away from the castle. Their hair was wet, apparently because they bathed earlier. Their rancid smell was gone, and their cuffs had been taken off. Their greasy, squalid clothes were changed out for clean ones, and they looked different.


    "You''re lucky Sir Aryan woke up in time, bitches. Count yourselves fortunate the baron decided to let you go." Dn was pushing thedies, cursing, "Now take your stuff and make yourself scarce. Leave the fief in three days. You can go wherever you want, but nevere back, or the next time youe will be yourst."


    "Pee yew. You''re less civilized than my cat." The young witcher came out of the tower behind them, eyes shing with anger, and he cracked his knuckles. "Nowy your disgusting hand off thedies. They''re no longer prisoners you can torture. Touch them again and the next time will be yourst."


    Dn looked livid and irked, as if he just heard the most offensive thing in the continent. He bared his teeth, but then he remembered that horrifying encounterst time, and he swallowed his words in horror.


    The Zerrikaniandy suddenly stuck her tongue out and drew a finger across her throat.


    ***


    "So, how does freedom feel,dies?" Roy saw Dn off, smiling happily, and he went to thedies'' side.


    "I knew you wouldn''t leave us for dead, Roy." Kanti wrapped her arm around Roy''s shoulder and leaned closer to him. "You caught the culprit and cleared our names, didn''t you? Thedy gave us a lot of coins as rpense.¡±


    Roy nodded. <em>The culprit is just some bullshit I came up with. There''s no way the baron would believe anything I say about Gaunter. Who''d believe something that powerful exists? Thedies probably wouldn''t either.</em>


    "Where''s Ferroz anyway?" Roy looked around, but only thedies were here. Ferroz the Joker was nowhere to be seen.


    "Ferroz is¡­" Kanti suddenly hung her head low, her smile wiped away.


    Sadness welled in Eveline''s eyes, but she said nothing.


    It was then Roy noticed the three hemp sacks behind thedies. He sniffed the air. One of them smelled like burned flesh, the other smelled like flowers, and thest one smelled like a slightly rotten corpse. "Is he¡­"


    "Yes, his corpse is in there." Kanti sighed. "Right after the servants told us the culprit was caught, he killed himself."


    "You sure it''s a suicide and not a murder?" Roy looked at the sack darkly.


    Eveline shook her head. She said, "He lost his will to live, but he wasn''t gonna die until his name was cleared. Now that the truth is out, he went ahead to see Collins."


    Roy was shocked. <em>I racked my brains and challenged the Master of Mirrors to save you guys, and one of you killed himself? </em>"So Amos and Collins are in here too, aren''t they?"


    Collins was one of the troupe members, but the baron had executed him by fire. Roy saw his charred body on the za before. <em>And Amos was buried in the garden because of that bitch and her affair partner.</em>


    "Yeah. We want to take the bodies and bury them together once we leave the city. It''s thest thing we can do for our friends."


    The air was glum for a moment. Roy stared at the hemp sacks, and he could see the shape of the distorted corpses within. He pitied Ferroz, though he was angry too. <em>He watched his lover die, and he didn''t even think about getting revenge on the guy who ordered the execution? He''d rather kill himself than avenge his lover. What a coward. </em>But then Roy shook his head.


    <em>I have no right tough at him. He''s just a performer. He has no power to strike back against someone like the baron. There''s barely anyone who would rise up against the nobility who treats them as less than humans. They''re just one among the countless. Those who tried to rise up were forced to hide in the mountains and make a living as bandits.</em>


    ***


    "Here." Eveline led the way. Roy was holding one sack. He and Kanti were following her. "This isn''t the way to the inn. Where are we?" Roy asked curiously.


    Eveline pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She answered without looking back, "Roy, Ferroz might have died, but we won''t forget what you did for us. I''ll repay this debt in the future."


    "You''re my friend, and I''m saying it again, but you don''t need to repay me. And why the future anyway?"


    Roy was about to say something again, but then Kanti huddled closer and held his arm. "Eveline''s right. The people of the dragon never forget their debts. You saved me from that treacherous dungeon, and thus I owe you my life. I''m more than willing to fight for you, Roy. Of course, I can also do all sorts of things. You''ll be happy with it." She suddenly licked her lips.


    Kanti spread her arms and spun around, showing off her tanned, beautiful body. She had an aquiline nose, deep-set eyes, full lips, and her cheeks were tattooed. This woman was feral and exotic. "You''re not as muscr as the dragon''s people, but you''re handsome," she said seriously.


    Eveline exined, "Roy, Kanties from a ce east of the Blue Mountain. Her people are excellent warriors who have mastered the art of battle. They''re loyal and dependable. Every Zerrikanian is a brilliant mercenary. All the merchants and officials dream of hiring a Zerrikanian bodyguard.¡±


    "And?"


    "Slow down. Most importantly, Zerrikanians are simple people. You saved her life, so she''s willing to be your mercenary free of charge. She''s doing this to repay her debt to you."


    "You missed one thing, Eveline. I''m also brilliant in everything else. Not just fighting." She puffed her chest confidently, trying to sell herself.


    "Are you sure she''s a bodyguard and not some sort of concubine?" <em>They sure are open, </em>Roy thought. He averted Kanti''s passionate gaze He was reminded of Borch Three Jackdaws. That man, or to be more precise, that shapeshifted golden dragon was Geralt''s acquaintance. He had a pair of Zerrikanian sisters following him around.


    The sisters were not just capable fighters. They were capable in bed as well. There was this one time where they had a foursome with their master and Geralt.


    "Sorry, Kanti, but witchers don''t need bodyguards orckeys." Roy took a deep breath. He couldn''t imagine himself hiding behind a woman in a battle with monsters. <em>That''s not what a man should do. </em>He shook his head.


    "Do you think I''m weak, witcher? Do you think I''d drag you down?" Kanti unbuttoned herself, revealing her skin. Roy noticed an ugly scar under her corbone, and a green scorpion was tattooed at the edge of her breast. It was lifelike enough to inspire fear.


    "I got this scar from killing a scorpion in Zerrikania. It was bigger than a buffalo and stronger than a regr man, but I killed it alone. This tattoo marks my victory. And I''ve killed many thugs and beasts over the years of travel with the troupe. All I need for battle is a sword and a crossbow and bolts."


    "Kanti, I don''t doubt your skills. You''re an indubitably great warrior, and¡­ Oh, please button your shirt." Roy looked away and said seriously, "Youdies make great friends, but once you be my mercenary, there''s going to be a gap between us. It''s not something I want¡ª"


    "I don''t mind." Kanti suddenly held Roy''s arms. "Witchers fight dangerous monsters all the time, don''t they? That''s what I want. I want to kill more monsters, get more victories, and gain more tattoos. There''s no greater purpose for me." Thedy''s eyes were starting to shine.


    "But you have a better way out here. Listen to me." Roy pulled his arm away. <em>Oh no. I''m not letting you take my EXP away from me. </em>"Lady Louisa reimbursed you, didn''t she? You can build the troupe again with that money."


    "It''s toote." Eveline pursed her lips. She had a sad look in her eyes. "Our members are dead, and the others have left us. We''re the only ones left. We can''t evene up with aplete show. Kanti and I talked about it. Once we bury our dead members, we''re going our separate ways. She has nobody else she can rely on in the northern kingdom. It''d be best if you can take her in."


    "I''ll have to talk to mypanions about this," Roy said. "But why are you going your separate ways? I thought you were friends. Mypanions won''t mind taking two more people to Novigrad. The free city''s trade is marvelous. You''ll find work easily there, and it should be safe for a few years. Life is a lot better there too. At leastpared to the baron''snd.¡±


    "Sorry, Roy, but I have other ns." Eveline looked up into the sky and sighed. She finally resolved herself. "I''m going home."


    "Home?"


    "Evelinees from Dol thanna. It''s somewhere in the Blue Mountains¡­ In a ce the northerners call the world''s edge," Kanti exined. "She should have brought it up before."


    <em>That''s one familiar name. Never been there before. </em>Roy massaged his temples, and he rummaged through his memories.


    Dol thanna sat under the Blue Mountains. It was due east of Lower Posada, Roy''s hometown. Elven folk used to own the ce a few centuries ago, but ever since humans invaded it, Dol thanna became Aedirn''s eastern border. The local Ain Seidhes were forced into the Blue Mountains.


    Even until today, the elves would destroy the fields and learn about agriculture from the humans. All while they were plotting how to take back Dol thanna.


    Humans and elves had been fighting in Dol thanna for a long time, and the battle was getting more intense as the Northern War was getting closer. There was one important figure in Dol thanna, and her name was Francesca Findabair. She was the future queen of the elves as well as one of the leaders of Dol thanna elves.


    ***


    "Why are you going back all of a sudden?" Roy asked. "Because of what happened to Ferroz and Collins?"


    Eveline stayed silent, but then she stopped in her tracks and looked ahead. Roy realized that they were in a narrow alley. He looked in the direction Eveline was staring, but when he scanned the innermost wall of the alley, his pupils contracted.


    There were four silhouettes standing on the wall, as if they came out of nowhere. They were crouching on the looming wall, and the leader was¡­ an elf. There were blue highlights in his ck hair, and his features were chiseled. His eyes were big, and they shone. His ears were pointy, and he was in tight green brigandine. A slender sword hung around his waist.


    Roy held his vibrating pendant and tensed up. He had cast Observe on the group of people. They were all elves from the mountains, and all of them looked like the typical ancient Ain Seidhe. <em>Purebloods.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 273: Goodbye, Scotiatael

    "Sorry for beingte, Findabair." The elf in the lead leapt off the window and looked at Eveline with concern. "It''s good to see you well."


    "You''re still going to ept me even though I''ve left Dol thanna for years?" Eveline started sobbing, tears welling in her eyes.


    "Everyone''s been through the phase, Eveline. It''s not toote if you will juste back," the elf assured her. "Everyone still trusts you. The mountains are more than willing to take in a child that''s returned to the path." The elf approached her. "The Blue Mountains and Dol thanna will always be your home. We''ll always be your brethren."


    ***


    "Roy, Kanti, meet my friends." Eveline brushed her hand across the air, falling into memoryne. She said, "They''re my brethren back on the world''s edge. We grew up together."


    The world''s edge was synonymous with the Blue Mountains, a mountain range that upied the eastern part of the northernnd.


    "This is Ser." Eveline pointed at the elf who was talking to her just now. The elf was in an oversized green shirt with a sleeveless shirt of the same color inside. She was also wearing tight leggings and a pair of boots.


    Roy wondered where he saw that outfit before. It looked familiar.


    "This is Varselie." Eveline pointed at a middle-aged, female elf. She had long eyshes, but her skin was almost abnormally white. Her neck was wrapped in a lot of leather nes filled with golden birch sticks. She was holding a birch staff carved withplex patterns. Some mana was swimming between her fingertips and the staff. This elf was a sorceress.


    "This is Toluvair." Toluvair was a petite, arrogant elf holding a worn-down lute. Long, ck hair tumbled down her shoulders, the locks of hair beside her cheeks braided. She looked like a bard, and there was a colorful piece of cloth hanging from her waist to her knees.


    "And this is Kenzafa." Kenzafa was a male elf wolfing down carrots and turnips. He looked grumpy, as if everyone owed him a million orens.


    Roy nodded at the elves, though he was observing his surroundings at the same time,ing up with a strategy. The Blue Mountains elves didn''t take kindly to humans due to the long war. He would be at a disadvantage if they were to fight in a cramped alley like this. Roy also realized that the elves were gaunt and pasty, as if they were malnourished. They were not much stronger than most regr humans, but they were veteran fighters. Roy noticed the little formation they were making, and they also had skills like One-handed Mastery and Bow Mastery. Nobody would have that kind of skill, unless they fought a lot.


    The elves were observing Roy and Kanti as well.


    The elf with the lute piped up first. "Eveline, I know this Serrikania girl. Kanti, right? She was imprisoned like you were, but who''s this guy?"


    "Roy. One of my best friends," Eveline said.


    "You never told us you''d bring an ape man along." The elf stared at the witcher, confusion glinting in her eyes. "Wait. He looks familiar."


    "How so?" Kenzafa chomped on his carrot.


    "His ears¡­ And his face. Look closer!" The elven girl with the lute plucked a string quickly and tried to speak in elven tongue. "Queglosse? Quel''enpaviennell''ea?"


    "Nell''ea," Roy answered in fluent Elder Speech. "T''enpavienn Aen Seidhe."


    "I knew it! Did you hear that?" Toluvair looked at Kenzafa. "This ape man knows the tongue! Ahem, sorry. He''s an Aen Seidhe too! No wonder he doesn''t smell like the other humans."


    "Ape man? Is that how purebloods like you see humans?" Roy thought the description was amusing. He could see that Toluvair was warming up to him thanks to his Elder Blood.


    "Roy, right? You look young, but you''re strong. A lot better than the men we have back at home. We need people like you back home. Come with us."


    "Stop it, Toluvair." Ser looked at Roy''s eyes and the pendant hanging around his neck. "He can''te with us. Don''t you see? He abandoned the path and became a witcher instead. You can''t expect a witcher to stand with us and fight the humans."


    "He''s a witcher? You mean thepdogs who would help humans for money?" Toluvair pouted. She was reminded of a not-so-happy past, and she lost interest in Roy.


    "Now, now, calm down, guys," Eveline quickly exined. "I owe Roy my life. If it weren''t for him, I couldn''t havee here safely."


    "A witcher saving an Aen Seidhe?" The elves exchanged a look of surprise.


    Ser froze for a moment and bowed. "I apologize for my unbing behavior, friend. If you did save Findabair, then that makes you a friend of ours. You''re always wee at the world''s edge. Just tell my brethren I invited you. Not now, though. We''re quite short on time." He turned to Eveline. "Lord Fvandrel is waiting for you at the mountain. We should be going now if you''ve settled everything."


    Eveline nodded and turned to Roy and Kanti. She was struggling with herself, as if trying toe up with a proper farewell.


    "A minute, everyone," Roy interrupted. "I have a question. How''d you guys manage to get in touch with Eveline if you were in Dol thanna? That''s hundreds of miles away." <em>The troupe''s been under the baron''s constant supervision. They shouldn''t have been able to get in touch with the elves.</em>


    "I''ll exin." Ser stepped forward. "She carved her name on the za''s stake in Elder Speech. Some of us saw that, and they brought the news back to the Blue Mountains."


    "Some of you?"


    "Not all of us are hiding in the mountains, you know." Ser smiled confidently. "Our people are spread far and wide, and there''ll be more of us on the way."


    "So you''re taking Eveline back to Dol thanna?" Roy asked. He sounded upset, wanting to object.


    "That''s right. Is there a problem with that, witcher?" Toluvair was starting to get annoyed with Roy''s questions. She said impatiently, "And to think I defended you. Are you trying to stop a child from returning home?"


    "Patience, Toluvair. Roy, are you objecting to Findabair''s return?"


    "Yes." Roy looked at the elves and took a step forward. "Returning to Dol thanna isn''t the right choice."


    "Why? Give me a reason, Roy," Eveline said. She looked at him tensely.


    Roy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed toe up with an appropriate exnation. He finally remembered where he saw Ser''s outfit before. It belonged to the infamous Scoia''tael. They were exploited and oppressed by Aedirn humans. These elves were forced into hiding in the mountains. All Ser needed was an essory made out of squirrel hide, and he would look like a bona fide Scoia''tael member. He remembered that Dol thanna was one of Scoia''tael''s bases.


    If Eveline were to return, she might join that infamous group. Once the horns of war were blown, she and her brethren would join the battlefield. Most of them would die. Thanks to Francesca and Emyhr''s deal, Scoia''tael''s purpose changed. They started out as anti-non-human exploitation activists, but after that deal, countless elves and dwarves formed ambush teams, killing off the troops of the northern kingdoms. They even murdered human civilians. In the end, they were all sold out by the queen they were loyal to, then Emhyr gave all the top brass to the northern kingdoms in exchange for a ceasefire.


    Scoia''tael was a pitiable, despicable organization. Only less than a third of the members survived until the day Francesca took Dol thanna back and built a home for the elves. Roy would hate to see his friend end up in this mess, but he couldn''t tell them what would happen in the future. "Look at them. They''re so gaunt, they''re practically ghosts," Roy said. "If I''m right, your friends aren''t doing too well in Dol thanna. They don''t even have enough food to feed themselves."


    The elves fell silent. Even Kenzafa opened his mouth and stopped chewing. The witcher was right. The Blue Mountains was a harsh ce for elves. Food was scarce, and most of them never had enough to eat. They didn''t possess a talent for agriculture like humans did either.


    Roy continued. "Humans have Dol thanna under control. Elves can nevere out in droves unless they want to get killed. But crops don''t grow on mountains, and Fvandrel is too proud to trade with humans. Eveline''s gonna starve if she goes back to the mountains. And she''ll be facing the elements as well. If she falls ill¡­" The witcher kept talking and painting a bleak picture for Eveline if she should return to the mountain. "Elves have incredibly long lives. You''ll be going on all by yourself for a long time. Your numbers will dwindle, your health will decline, and you will suffer. In the end, all you''ll have left are young but soulless elves and frail women like Toluvair."


    "Ahem." Toluvair coughed, breaking the flow. She then held her breath, her face turning red.


    "Since you''re slightly rted to me, I have some advice for you,dy," Roy said. "Your breath reeks of consumption. You won''t have long to live at this rate. And you''re gonna spread it to your brethren. And consumption isn''t the only sickness you have to worry about. With how harsh the mountains are, you might die from anemia or scurvy too." Roy continued, "Think about it, Eveline. You''re not gonna live in luxury like the merchants and aristocrats in the city, but you won''t starve or die from any disease that easily."


    "Enough, witcher! Silence!" the sorceress shouted. She pointed her staff at Roy, and his heart sank. He was about to cast Fear on them and lop their heads off in one fell swoop, but then he remembered they were Eveline''s friends. He did kill a few Scoia''tael members back in Mahakam, but now he was already part-elf, and they were not his sworn enemies. <em>Fine. I''ll let you go for Eveline''s sake.</em>


    He stopped retaliating and let an invisible hand cover his mouth, stopping him from talking.


    "How''d you know all this, witcher?" Ser gave Varselie a look, and she reluctantly lifted the spell.


    "The White Wolf and Jaskier. They went to the world''s edge once, and they told me about their unpleasant trip there." Roy looked at the dumbfounded Toluvair. She was still thinking about her condition. "You snatched that lute from Jaskier, didn''t you?"


    "I did not snatch!" She coughed. Toluvair said, "I gave him a new lute!"


    "Jaskier, huh? That bard has one big mouth. I should have let him for dead in the fields." Ser sighed. "Roy, that was¡­ mortifying. For us. Yes, the mountains are harsh, but we won''t be staying in the mountains for long now. Once Her Majesty takes Dol thanna back, our suffering will be over. And do you think Findabair knows nothing about this? What you said can''t influence her, Roy."


    "Roy," Eveline said. She looked at the young witcher, conflicting emotions welling up in her eyes. "I appreciate the concern, and thanks for the advice, but what Ser said was right. Dol thanna''s my home. I grew up in the mountains. I''ve lived there for decades. I know their situation. I didn''t leave because I hated the life there. I just didn''t like how my people hated humans." Resolve filled her eyes. "But I changed my mind. I''ve thought about a lot of things when I was imprisoned. And I understand a lot of things I previously couldn''t now."


    Eveline tensed up, her eyes turning bloodshot. "I thought about how the troupe ended up destroyed. We just wanted to make a living, but the baron arrested us, put us on a parade, allowed his people to insult and humiliate us, locked us in the dungeon at night, made us starve, and he allowed that tormentor to put us through hell! We''re innocents! And yet even after the baron knew he was at fault, all he did was get hisckey to give us a bag of orens and kicked us out of his city like we''re disgusting creatures. He wouldn''t even apologize to us!" Eveline shook her head, a look of mockery filling her eyes.


    "I refuse to live in this twistednd, Roy. As long as human aristocrats exist, there''s no way the non-humans can have any freedom or dignity. No. Those aristocratic pigs won''t even spare their own people freedom and dignity. And besides, noamekend (we cannot trust those who are not our kin). Ever since I thought I was going to die in that dungeon, myst thoughts were about returning to the mountains and standing with my brethren. I would fight with them and regain Aen Seidhe''s freedom and dignity. Can you understand why I insist on going back now?"


    Roy sighed. <em>If she''s already gone that far, then I have nothing to say. What am I supposed to do? Tell a pureblooded Aen Seidhe to betray her home and people? </em>"I see. Stay safe, Eveline. I''ll deal with that bastard, Dn."


    "Leave him for me. Kanti wille to you tomorrow once we''re done here. And¡­" She took a deep breath and hurried over to Roy. Eveline stood on her tiptoe and looked up, then she kissed him.


    Roy could feel her hair brushing against his cheek, and he felt her warmth on the corner of his lips, even though it was only for a moment.


    She gazed at him onest time. There was affection and a hint of reluctance in her eyes. She was trying to sear the memory of his face into her mind. "Please, don''t forget about me."


    Eveline, Kanti, and the Aen Seidhe left the alleyway, with three sacks in tow.


    <em>Was that a goodbye kiss? </em>Roy touched the corner of her lips. He had a forlorn look in his eyes for a second. <em>The elven dancer went on a totally different path because of my intervention. Once she makes it back to the mountains, will she join Scoia''tael and join the battlefield? I just hope our reunion won''t happen in a battle.</em>


    ***


    They came back to the main street. Ser looked around and stammered, "The baron gave you some¡­ rpense?"


    "I know what you''re getting at." Eveline held her hair. She said, "Our people are starving. I''ll give all the coins to the cause. We''re going to return with some supplies, but first, we''ll have to bury some old friends, and then¡­" Eveline looked at Kanti. The Zerrikaniandy''s eyes shone.


    A hint of fury painted her face. "That bastard did a number on us for a month. Time for some payback."


    "Wanna kill that baron while you''re at it?" Kenzafa put his carrot down and brushed a finger across his throat.


    "Killing an aristocrat that controls the border of two conflicting kingdoms right now will throw His Majesty''s ns into disarray and expose us unnecessarily. We can always kill that bastard next time, Eveline." Ser looked at the imposing castle and gnashed his teeth. "Soon. Soon he and every single human will pay for their sins. They will burn in a sea of blood and mes!"


    End of Arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 274: Enter Redania

    It was a cool night, a good night, but the witchers were sparring in the field outside their abode. Roy held Gwyhyr tightly by his side, pointing the tip at the throat of his sparring partner. He stood firmly, slowly moving to the side, holding up the ox stance.


    Auckes crouched a little, pointing his de at Roy''s eyes. He held his other de in his right hand, pointing the de backward. The veteran witcher stood on his tiptoes, circling Roy.


    Eventually they shed, and sparks flew in the air. Their des were nothing but blurs zipping through the air. They glinted under the moonlight like little shooting stars. The witchers shed for a few dozen times before they eventually broke up. Once again, they started another staring contest.


    Roy was holding Gwyhyr by his cheek. He looked like a bull pointing its horns at an enemy. He kept circling Auckes, his de pointed at the veteran witcher. The young witcher was ready to fight, but his hand was trembling. His chest was heaving, and sweat drenched his whole body. Roy was exhausted.


    A drop of sweat fell from his chin.


    When that glistening drop of liquidnded on the ground, Auckes heaved a sigh and let go of his des. He held the hilt of his sword, holding it like a crutch. For once, there was no smile on his face. His magical shield had been broken, and a lock of his hair was cut off. "Well, I guess it''s finally time for someone to take my ce. From now on, you''re our top swordmaster." Auckes tilted his head, staring at Roy. He looked a littlementable, but there was also a smirk in his eyes. He held his sword and poked the air three times, as if he were knighting Roy.


    "What are you doing?" Roy rolled his eyes. He swung his de around and sheathed it. "I lost to you a thousand times. This is just one win. It''s nothing to write home about."


    "You don''t understand. I''m eighty years old, and yet I was distracted in a battle. That hasn''t happened since I was fifty. It''s mortifying." Auckes pulled his hoodie down to cover his look of embarrassment. "Serrit wouldugh his boots off if he ever heard of this."


    "He won''t. This''ll be our little secret." Roy smiled. He held hisughter down and asked, "Why''d you get distracted anyway?"


    "I dunno. I was probably seeing things, but I saw a bunch of bloody¡­ stuff, and they broke my flow. My muscles felt sore right after I started sparring with you." Auckes massaged his arm. He muttered under his breath solemnly, "I probably had too much to drink with Felix."


    "Bloody stuff. Tell me more." Roy wanted to know more.


    "It''s some sort of tentacle." Auckes spread his arms and wiggled them, trying to imitate how molluscs would swim underwater. "Looked like octopus tentacles, but they were red. And they were wriggling right behind you. I must have been seeing things. Just looking at them brought back bad memories." Auckes looked at Roy curiously.


    "Why are you staring at me?"


    "That was really odd. Are you still haunted by the guy you met in the castle?"


    "Impossible. You just had too much to drink," Roy lied. <em>Red tentacles? So that''s how everyone sees my bloodlust. That''s a spooky way to put it. Why tentacles though? I''m not an eldritch god, </em>Roy thought. He put that aside and reyed the sparring session in his mind.


    He could only activate Fear once every four minutes, though it was a powerful skill. Suppression was a continuous debuff, though it was a lot gentler on his enemies than Fear was. Ten minutes wasn¡¯t enough to do any damage, but if the battle were to drag on longer than that, his enemy would start to slip up.


    If the battle could run up to twenty minutes, Suppression could reduce Auckes'' speed and strength by a third of their original amount, and it could distract him as well. Roy made use of that opening and, for once in a thousand battles, triumphed against the veteran witcher. He wasn''t happy about it though. He lost more than thirty times in that sparring session before Suppression took full effect and gave him that opening. He would have died more than ten times if that was a real battle. Suppression wouldn''t even have enough time to take effect. <em>Well, he has more than ten points in Will. Any other creature would have fallen in less than twenty minutes, </em>Roy told himself.


    "Take ten. I need to sober up before we continue." Auckes sat down. He was about to meditate.


    Roy smiled apologetically. <em>I can''t let him find out I''m using Suppression on him. </em>"Why don''t we change things up a little? Let''s try out my marksmanship this time. You said you could deflect crossbow bolts with nothing but your sword."


    "Sure. I''ll show you how I deal with crossbowmen. You''ll love it." Auckes smiled confidently, wrinkles forming on his forehead.


    ***


    Ten minutester.


    Auckes was nothing but a moving target for Roy. He leaned against the stables and looked up into the sky. There was a look of astonishment on his face. He wondered if the side effects of his trial were starting to kick in again. "I''m probably getting old. That''s sooner than I thought. I really have to cut down on the alcohol."


    Roy was cleaning his crossbow, though his thoughts were on something else. Gabriel had gone through a few powerups. Thanks to Crossbow Mastery, he could destroy Auckes'' Quen in two shots. Thanks to Guided Arrows, it was nigh impossible for Auckes to dodge the bolts, no matter how agile he was. On top of that, he just got Stun Bolts. Even if he managed to deflect the bolts with his sword and shield, Auckes would still be stunned for 0.1 second. It wasn''t much, but it was enough to mess with his tempo, putting the witchers in a stalemate.


    Roy managed to pin the veteran witcher down thanks to his crossbow. It took all Auckes had just to deflect the arrows. He couldn''t evenunch a counterattack. However, he could turn things around after Roy exhausted all eight Stun Bolts, so the young witcher fled into the house before Auckes could realize what was happening. <em>He looks confused.</em>


    ***


    Dawn eventually shone on the city, basking the statue of Kreve in its golden glory. The majestic god''s statue was ring at the za''s corner, as if he were raining down divine punishment on the filth of thisnd.


    The people of the fief came to the za, huddling around a stage. There were four wooden stakes on it, and one of the troupe members was burned to death here once. That day, they witnessed another corpse on the stake. It was a horrifying sight. A wooden stake bigger than a human''s thigh pierced its body, its tip protruding from the corpse''s mouth, tearing its face apart. The corpse''s eyes bulged, its face contorted in fear and terror. Its neck, arms and body were covered in gashes and bruises. Apparently, it had been subjected to hellish torture before it died. The corpse looked like a rotisserie chicken from afar.


    An obese woman gasped. "Gods, what''s happening? This isn''t the first time something like this happened here." She muttered a prayer under her breath, "Open your eyes, o great Kreve. Put the violence to a halt. Protect your people, prithee."


    Her prayer was drowned out by the people''s noise.


    "There''s no way this is a natural death. Someone did this. It''s the devil! The devil is sacrificing us to summon an even worse evil! It''sing for us all! Run!" an unkempt tramp shouted hysterically.


    "Shut up, fool! This is obviously divine retribution! Don''t you see who this guy is? It''s Dn the executioner! He''s killed more innocents than we can even count! And now his sins have caught up with him!"


    ***


    "Let''s go, Kanti." Roy looked away from the body and quickly retreated from the throng.


    "You have no idea what he did to us, Roy. He deserved it." Kanti stared at the corpse, gleaning a grim satisfaction from the sight. She sighed. "I honestly wanted him to die a bit slower though. He should''ve suffered like we suffered."


    "I can understand why you did this. You did nothing wrong. A quick death is nothing but a gift for someone like Dn." Roy thought this wasmentable though. Eveline had changed. She had to. A tender soul could never survive Dol thanna. She had to be tough and cruel if she wanted to survive the fight between humans and elves. "She''s probably back in the mountains by now."


    ***


    Roy took Kanti back to the witchers'' abode. He told hispanions about her the day before. Kanti was an agile fighter who was also adept with a bow and fighting on horseback. She was a straightforward woman and could talk with anyone if she wanted. She didn''t care about identities or outward appearances. Everyone agreed to take her to Novigrad with them.


    Before they made the journey, Sasilie came and invited them to Fyke Isle. He needed their help with a request. However, the witchers were thedies'' sworn enemies. Until they were sure they could vanquish the hags, they would never step into Velen, lest they incurred thedies'' wrath. Sasilie''s request was turned down. Roy told him he could try his luck at Vizima. If Berengar was still around, he might take the request. If Berengar wasn''t around, he could also contact Kalkstein. The mad scientist had an imaginative mind, deft hands, and great power. He might be interested in Sasilie''s request.


    After Sasilie was gone, the witchers, Carl, and Kanti rode on their horses, passing through the White Bridge. It was once again open after Aryan was saved. Once they made their way across the misty Pontar, the witchers, atst, officially left the fief. Temeria was already behind them. They eventually stepped into Redania. It was only a river across, but Redania was a different beastpared to Temeria.


    Redania was a kingdom with developed trade and agricultural systems. It was the granary of the north. Wheat was their main crop. Mostnds were upied by wheat. Not long after the witchers made their way past the bridge, they saw fields of wheat nking the path. There were merchant carriages ahead of them, and they were filled with goods.


    It was already October, the time for harvest. The wind blew through the fields, dancing with the wheat. The air was filled with the scent of the crops, as if they were blessing the travelers'' journey ahead.


    ***


    "Will you quit it,dy? You''re choking me!" Roy was on Wilt. He was holding the horse''s reins with one hand and patting Gryphon the owl''s head with the other. "Someone''s blocking the path, and Wilt''s not even going that fast. You wouldn''t fall even if you let me go."


    "You''re not going anywhere, Roy!" Kantiughed heartily. She tightened her hug, leaning closer to Roy. The young witcher could feel her chest pressing against his back. "And you should rx a little. You''re stiff as a board. I''m holding your lower back, not your neck. There''s no way you''re being choked." Sheughed again. "I''m a mercenary. It''s my job to keep my employer safe."


    Kanti started joking around after she got along with the team, though her jokes could be crude at times. She also loved embarrassing Roy.


    Roy couldn''t do anything about it. That was how Zerrikanians worked. "Kanti, how many times do I have to tell you that you''re not a mercenary? You''re a friend. Isn''t that right, Wilt, Gryphon?"


    Wilt neighed, and Gryphon hooted.


    "Stop resisting it, kid. Just go with the flow." Letho was riding a red horse. He huddled closer to Roy and looked at Kanti''s mohican hairstyle. He, for once, winked at Roy. As long as Roy''s girlfriend wasn''t a scheming sorceress, he could date anyone he wanted.


    "We''ll keep it a secret, Roy." Auckes suddenly pulled on the reins and rubbed his thumb and index finger together. "I''m not telling anyone as long as I have money for booze. But if I don''t get drunk once in a while, I''ll grow grumpy and let everything slip to Lytta. I''ve been in your ce once, Roy. And an angry sorceress is a scary sorceress."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Roy red at him without hesitation.


    "Who''s Lytta?" Kanti asked curiously.


    "Alright, stop messing around." Serrit stared into the distance. There was a long line of carriages in front of them. There was a checkpoint outside the gates, and the soldiers were vetting the people. Everyone fell silent.


    The checkpoint was made out of two rows of big wooden logs with sharpened tips. About a dozen armed soldiers were standing right behind the obstacles. The emblem of Redania was emzoned on their chestpiece. The coat-of-arms was made up of a red background and a pattern of a silver eagle holding an evil spirit in its talons. Its wings were spread, and a ck shield with a golden cross covered its chest.


    The soldiers looked solemn. Everyone had a role to y. There were archers, shield-bearers,ncers, and even a cavalry. Thanks to Redania''s wheat, the horses grew big and strong, making Redania''s troops a force to be reckoned with.


    The merchants had to stop for the vetting process, and the witchers were no exception. Because of the White Bridge''s previous lockdown, most of the merchants'' stock had piled up, and the vetting process was eating up even more time, costing them more money. The good news was that everything went fine.


    This was the third checkpoint after they passed the white bridge, and it hadn''t even been a day. The witchers were in a peculiar spot. If they went due northeast, they would reach Tretogor in two days. If they went due northwest, they would pass Pontar''s delta that led out into the sea. The famous institution, Oxenfurt, was located nearby. If they keep going northwest of Oxenfurt, they would reach Novigrad in no time at all.


    As the border between two nations and a ce that neighbored multiple crucial cities, the paths were filled with checkpoints and patrol teams. One, they had to keep the spies out and arrest any escaped fugitives, and two, there was profit to be made here. The trade route between the White Bridge and Novigrad had been established for years. It was safe and developed, making it the top choice of most merchants. The checkpoints could ensure the merchants'' safety, and they could tax them on their merchandise. The tax was low though. Even though they had to pass through a few checkpoints before reaching Novigrad, the merchants barely felt a dent in their profit.


    Naturally, there were stingier merchants who would rather take their chances with the wilds of Redania. It was filled with ferocious beasts and dangerous monsters. There were also bandits along the way as well. One wrong step was all it took to lose their money <em>and </em>lives.


    The witchers were lucky they didn''t have any expensive items on them. Roy and Letho tucked their valuable weapons away, so the toll was all they had to pay.


    ***


    They spent their first day in Redania going through checkpoints and traveling to Novigrad. When the skies were turning yellow and the sun was starting to set, some of the convoys had started making camp in the fields beside the wheat fields. There was a distance between each convoy, though not too much.


    Some opted to keep going on despite the imminent descent of night time, though only a few of them. The night was far more dangerous than daytime.


    The witchers made camp on a big boulder beside the path. They tied their mounts to a tree and created simple beds made out of hay and ferns. And then they made a campfire.


    Auckes whistled at Roy and looked at the empty cauldron above the crackling fire.


    "cking off again, Auckes? You''re gonna hunt, or you''re gonna starve."


    Auckes sighed. "When I meet Lytta again, I''ll¡ª"


    "Stop!" Roy sighed. He looked at his otherpanions. Felix was training Carl. The boy was getting clobbered with a wooden sword. Sometimes he would spin around like a top and end up confused and disoriented.


    <em>Huh? Wh-What happened?</em>


    Serrit and Letho were sitting right beside them, talking about the boy''s performance. They ignored Roy''s withering re. The veteran witchers refused to move.


    Roy heaved a sigh and grabbed his crossbow. He went into the fields with nobody but Gryphon. Good thing it was an owl. Owls make for good rabbit hunters.


    "Take me too, Roy," Kanti volunteered herself readily.


    "You''re still hurt."


    "It''s alright. Zerrikanians can still hunt even if we''re paralyzed. Why don''t we race and see who''s the better hunter?"


    ***


    The moon had climbed up into the sky, and the campfire was swaying in the night. Smoke billowed in the air from the campfires of the other convoys.


    Roy came back with a pair of fat rabbits, a snake the size of an adult''s forearm, and some humble nts.


    "See? Told you I''m a good hunter." Kanti came back with him, holding up two colorful pheasants happily.


    Roy nodded. "Help me out. You''ll have a feast today." Roy skinned the animals, fileted, and disemboweled them. He had be a great cook thanks to his days of surviving in the wilds. Most of it was because the veteran witchers were toozy to hunt for themselves.


    Thanks to Observe, Roy could easily get some herbs that would spice up their meals, like fennels, cloves, and nutmegs. Because of that, the food he made was vastly superior to most witchers'', who only focused on filling their bellies.


    ***


    "Letho chomped into the glistening, golden brown rabbit drumstick. The salt and spices added to the vor, and the texture of the meat was sulent enough to make Letho close his eyes in enjoyment.


    "Make us a grilled boar tomorrow, Roy. It''s been a while since we had one." Auckes took a swig of the snake soup. The meat melted on his tongue, and a unique sweetness exploded in his mouth. He could feel his taste buds dance just from taking a sip.


    "Nah. I''m sick of that. I''d like a grilled marmot next. I like how chewy it is." Felix gave Carl a piece of glistening pheasant meat. The boy rubbed his belly. He frowned, but he powered through and finished the meat.


    Kanti was holding half a pheasant, wolfing it down. She''d stop and lick her fingers like a cat sometimes though. Sometimes she would speak through a full mouth. "Dis ish the ''est grilled ''eat I ''ad e''er ''since I le''t ''erri''a''ia."


    "You can have as much as you want." Roy crossed his arms and looked at them. He felt content for some reason. <em>I wonder when we''re going to see all six schools having a feast together. </em>"What kinda ce is Zerrikania anyway, Kanti?" Roy sipped the snake soup.


    "I''s di''erent ''rom the ''orthern ''ands." She stopped for a moment to swallow all her food, then Kanti said, "Deserts as far as the eye can see. There''s the asional oasis, though the ce is crawling with gigantic bugs. Venomous bugs. We got a lot of beautiful but deadly creatures there too. Zerrikanians worship dragons. We spend our whole lives trying to chase them down. That includes me."


    The northerners considered the Blue Mountains as the world''s edge, though only a few of the people had the guts to take on the challenge and make the hike. Even fewer make it through and reach Zerrikania. Roy was curious about thend. "I''ll have to see it for myself if I ever get the chance."


    "You''ll love the ce. I can be your guide and give you a tour." Kanti licked the meat off her lips, her eyes shining.


    "Is that a promise?"


    "Of course. Zerrikanians never go back on their word."


    "Hey." Auckes tossed the pheasant bone away and tore off its pygostyle. He popped it into his mouth. "Tone down on flirting. We have children here. Put your homnd and dragons aside. We have much more immediate business at hand." He burped. "We''ll be reaching Pontar''s delta in a few days. Say, wanna take a look at Oxenfurt?"


    "Sure," Serrit said. "It''s one of the two shining beacons of the world. One is Nilfgaard''s academy, and the other is Oxenfurt. We saw the academy, so might as well take a look at Oxenfurt."


    "I wanna see Oxenfurt too, master!" Carl held Felix''s leg. His eyes were shining. Most parents encouraged their children to make their way into Oxenfurt if they could, though most kids couldn''t even go to a proper school. Carl was one of those kids.


    "We''ll be visiting Oxenfurt then. I heard they have a faculty for herbs and medicine. And there''s even a faculty for alchemy. I think that''ll be of some help to me," Roy said.


    Roy had an acquaintance in Oxenfurt as well¡ªLinus Pitt from Natural History. He was the one who bought the kayran from Roy back on the boat in Yaruga. <em>I wonder if Peter the Octopus is still alive. Jaskier and Shani are the academy''s alumni. Even Geralt dropped in before. I''m not gonna pass this chance up.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 275: Oxenfurt

    As dawn approached, Roy opened his eyes, the light of the elements shining in them for a moment. He extended his right index finger and curled it a little. The water droplets in the air quickly converged and formed a water droplet the size of a fingernail. It spun around Roy at hismand. He dispeled it a momentter and created a ball of fire in the air. It leaped around for a moment before a gust of wind blew it out, and a ball of mud danced with it. Water, earth, fire, and air. Those were a few little tricks Roy cast with the elements.


    Ever since his Meditate leveled up, his affinity with the elements had upgraded as well. His control over the elements had strengthened, and he could cast Signs on a more fluid level. His meditation improved as well. Aside from the elemental particles, Roy could feel four vague, great light balls hanging in the skies far, far away. Those light balls were producing chaos energy around the clock.


    ording to Letho, the lights were the dimensions where godlings, djinns, nymphs, and ifrits lived. The better his meditation was, the greater his elemental affinity was. His connection with the four elemental dimensions was getting deeper, and he could feel them clearer. Legends had it that some sorcerers were powerful enough tomunicate with the elemental dimensions just by meditating. They could capture and tame the elemental spirits through a special skill and gain tremendous power.


    Well, Roy had no chance to master that power just yet. He was even worse than an apprentice sorcerer at the moment. All his meditation could do was replenish his stamina, mana, and recharge his only use of Activate every day. Most witchers had to meditate for decades to even level Meditate up to Level 6. Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Felix were about that level. Roy, however, skipped through all that training through his skill points. He was more than content with that.


    <em>All I have to do is level Meditate up and strengthen my Elder Blood. Someday I''ll get to cast all the spells I want. </em>He kept that dream tucked away and stretched his arms. Roy stared into the horizon. The first rays of daybreak were shining on a small town. <em>Beyond that, Oxenfurt.</em>


    ***


    The sun was shining, and a gust of wind blew from the delta in the south. The scent of seawater hung in the air for a moment. The little group of horse riders were slowly riding down a muddy, cramped street while they looked around Oxenfurt. It was a colorful town made out of wood. Oxenfurt was smaller than imagined, especially considering it was one of the most famous ces on the continent. The streets were cramped, and the buildings were petite. Their roofs were pointed too.


    Their poption was roughly what most small towns would constitute, though it had everything here. Life could function properly. The riders looked at the multitude of workshops, stalls, and shops littered throughout the town streets. Tens of thousands of products were produced and sold in this little town. They had everything from necessities to rare product designs produced by the brilliant minds of the people in the academy. Some designs imed to have unbelievable functions, while some were nigh useless if produced. Still, merchants and clients from all around the world would vie for them.


    The people who came to this town would eventually be new blood for the ce. Oxenfurt relied on the academy for everything. The academy was a cradle for the world''s most brilliant minds, and brilliant minds loved to enjoy the finer things in life.


    Aside from the boring workshops, Oxenfurt was also filled with all kinds of hostels, inns, observatories, cottages, counters, and grills. These ces were filled with the best food. The ingredients, spices, side dish, and even garnish were unique to Oxenfurt. Only the locals had the privilege to enjoy these all the time. Knowledge could change lives. And it could create the best things life had to offer.


    The witchers turned their horses around and carefully avoided the drunken men who were rampaging across the streets. They were wearing nothing but a pair of white pants, and their faces were red. These men were reciting poems even though they were drunk. The witchers thought these must be the students from the faculty of poems.


    The patrons of the town''s inns would raise a toast and grinned toothily at the students. The witchers had no talent to appreciate the poems, and they kept heading toward the ind where the academy stood.


    They crossed the crowd and entered a noisier ce. Sellers, small merchants, and scammers were hollering, trying to sell the products and services they were providing. These only added to the confusion.


    "Grilled marmots! Get yer grilled marmots here! It''s so crispy and tender, you won''t believe what you''re eating!"


    "Get yourvender spray right here! It''s the perfect cure if your feet stink! You''d smell better than a rose if ya use this!"


    "We got all kinds of cats right here! Male, female, tabby, you name it! Yer charged based on the time you y with the cats! y with them all you want! And it''s cheap to boot!"


    "How cheap are we talking about here?" Roy bit down on his grilled cuttlefish. It was about as hard as a pair of boots. He stared at a calico curiously.


    "Two coppers for every minute you y with the cats!"


    Gryphon got jealous. It pulled on the back of Roy''s head, and Roy rode away. They passed by a barber shop, an ocarina shop, and a brothel named Rose Bud. It had dark red curtains as its entrance. Carl looked at it curiously, and the witchers quickly left. Felix got down and held the reins. They were headed straight toward the Gates of Philosophers located behind a bridge. It was the academy''s front doors.


    They ran into some trouble at the gates though. Two burly guards with a bat stopped them. "Sorry." They looked at Letho and realized they were a bunch of witchers. They gulped. "You''ll have to make your reservation three days in advance if you''re an outsider. You can''t go in right now."


    "There''s a registration book, isn''t there?" Roy asked. "Can''t we just sign our names and get inside?"


    "Sorry, no can do."


    The witchers hadn''t realized this, but they never cleaned up once during the trip from White Bridge to Oxenfurt. Three days had passed since they started the journey, and all of them looked gritty and unkempt, especially the veteran witchers. Their stubble was getting too thick, and their hair was getting too greasy. They also reeked of sweat. Even some homeless beggars looked better than them.


    "Can''t we get a special pass?"


    "Sorry."


    "That''s a shame." Auckes heaved a sigh.


    "We''ll make a reservation then." Felix looked at Carl. The boy had an expectant look in his eyes. "A three-day dy should be fine, right?"


    "It''s alright." Roy told the guard, "I know one of the lecturers here."


    "And who might that be?"


    "A master tutor and lecturer of the Natural History faculty¡ªLinus Pitt. Can we go in now?"


    "A moment, please. I''ll have to confirm the veracity of your ims."


    "And when''d you get to know an Oxenfurt lecturer, kid?" Letho crossed his arms.


    "Remember the time I left you guys in Cintra? I knew him when we were crossing Yaruga." Roy befriended the White Wolf and escorted Ciri out of Brokilon back then.


    ***


    Five minutester, the guard came back with a gaunt man in an oversized grey shirt.


    "It''s been a while, Mr. Pitt." Roy waved at him happily.


    The man did not answer right away. He huddled closer and stared at Roy for a few moments. They were only millimeters away from each other. Realization struck him, and he smacked the back of his head. "Oh, Master Roy! Pardon myck of manners. You know how bad my eyes are." Linus looked at Roy''spanions. "And what brings you to Oxenfurt, Master Roy?"


    "Oxenfurt is a famous academy. We were passing by, so we decided to visit. Oh, and these are my friends."


    "Wee, everyone." Linus squinted so he could look at the witchers clearly. He shook their hands and introduced himself. The stench they gave off did not faze him. "It''s my day off today. I''ll be giving you a tour, and I need to thank Master Roy for his advice." Linus gave the guards a look, and the guard quickly led the horses to the stables.


    Roy straightened his hoodie to make thingsfortable for Gryphon, then he followed Linus into the gates and introduced the otherpanions. "Did I give you any advice, Mr. Pitt? What were you talking about?"


    "It''s about the kayran. Or should I say, Peter the Octopus. More specifically, it''s about how I transported him back. You told me to seek out Dorregaray of Cidaris, did you not?"


    "You must have had a lot to talk about." Roy remembered that, and he smiled.


    "Yes, Master Roy." Linus praised, "Dorregaray is a brilliant man. His knowledge of wild animals and thews of nature is enlightening, to say the least. We hit it off and pulled an all-nighter. Once dawn swung by, he opened up a portal to Oxenfurt and sent us back to the academy.


    "So, how''s Peter the Octopus doing? Alive?"


    "You''ll see." Linus kept it a secret at the moment. "And now¡­" He noticed the curious looks everyone was giving, so he puffed his chest out proudly. "Let me introduce the great academy to you."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 276: A Tour

    They walked down the path behind the gates. The academy was built differentlypared to the town. Nobody was fighting over thend here. Everything was beautiful. It was as if they took a trip down memoryne that dated back to hundreds of years ago. The academy felt like an isted sanctuary.


    "The academy isrgely the same. Not much has changed since the days of elven rule. Have you ever heard of that history, everyone? Just like Vizima, Oxenfurt is built on the ruins of an elven city."


    Roy nodded and looked around. They were now in a spacious alleyway, and colorful stones paved the way. Petite, beautiful chambers, hollowed-out fences, walls, canals, bridges, flowerbeds, and gardens adorned the sides of the path. Only a few gigantic, shabby residences stood in this ce. It was obvious someone built this after the elves were gone.


    It was clean, peaceful, and solemn here. There were no merchants around ruining this scenery. Instead, the paths were filled with students focusing on their books or parchments. There were some lounging on the grasnds, benches, and flowerbeds, talking about their holiday homework or ying some murder mystery games. The professors were chilling out as well, chatting intensely or engaged in polite arguments.


    "That''s Professor Lind of the Innovative Technology Faculty." Linus pointed at a man with a balding head and deep stress lines. "And the one in front of him is Professor Kausko of the Applied Archeology Faculty." This man was fully bald, perhaps from the stress of work. He was in a particr humble attire. It was almost shabby. He looked different from the other people, who were obviously living in luxury.


    <em>It''s hard to make money if you''re an engineer, but you''re doomed if you''re an archeologist, </em>Roy thought.


    "That one on the field is Mr. Lott Lichtmann¡ª" Linus stopped, and he looked a little awkward.


    Roy looked at where he was looking. A handsome lecturer was staring at one of the female students'' hips. The student was holding an oil painting canvas. Her skin was far, and she looked cute.


    "Ahem. He''s probably thinking about the body ratio of Melitele''s statue. Let''s forget about that fool." Linus led the witchers deeper into the academy, weaving through the maze of alleyways and fences. They crossed a cubical structure looming over the canal. Roy could smell the scent of hydrogen sulfide, potassium alum, and calcium oxide hanging in the air.


    "That''s the building of the Alchemy Faculty. They do a lot of experiments every day to test out as many chemical reactions as they can." Linus looked at the peculiar building. "It''s filled with unpleasant odors. They''re polluting the academy''s air. Perhaps they''re also hurting the academy staff''s health."


    Letho scrunched his nose up and shook his head. As an alchemist, he had a differing opinion. "It won''t hurt anyone''s health." He rubbed his chin and suggested, "Judging from the smell, the Alchemy Faculty''s techniques are different from ours. I''ll have to talk to them if I get the chance."


    "With those workaholics? They almost never leave the building. It''s nigh impossible to see them," Linus said, worried. "But if you do get to talk with them, can you ask them what they''re doing exactly? I''m worried their experiments might send the academy up in smoke someday."


    Everyone smiled in amusement and left the faculty. They passed the faculty of medicine and herbs before running into a group of female students in light green capes. Roy took interest in one of the girls. She had dark-red hair that was cut short, and the girl was slim. Her hands were behind her back, and she was humming a nursery rhyme.


    ''Shani


    Age: Eleven years old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Oxenfurt Academy Faculty of Medicine''s freshman.''


    "An eleven-year-old Shani. She''s already in the academy at this age? She''s a genius, alright." Roy just remembered that this world''s system wasrgely different from the one in his previous world. There were no entrance exams at all. The first and most important aspect to get into a world-famous academy like Oxenfurt was money. The exorbitant tuition fees stopped most aspirants from entering, save for the exceptionally talented. Roy wondered if he should say hi to Geralt''s future friend and doctor.


    "Who''s Shani?" Kanti heard the witcher''s mutterings, and she looked at him curiously.


    "Oh, I got the wrong person." Roy shifted his sights and managed to fool Kanti. He decided to say hi another time.


    Serrit suddenly asked, "Mr. Pitt, what''s the most famous faculty in Oxenfurt? Nilfgaard''s academy prides itself on the Military Theory Faculty."


    "Hm¡­" Linus held his stubble, reminiscence ring in his eyes. "That''d be Natural History, though that''s old news. It was followed closely by the faculty of poems, then the faculty of medicine, and then¡­" Linus was starting to look a little mortified. "But as of recent, the most popr faculties are the Faculty of Espionage and Faculty of Applied Destruction."


    "Oh, the faculties that produce spies and warmongers?" Serrit cocked his eyebrow.


    "You heard of them before? They''re half-independent faculties created by our king, Vizimir II." Linus sighed. "Through money and power, he corrupted the academy, a ce of knowledge."


    Roy fell into his thoughts. From what he knew, Radovid drafted most of the faculty members in Oxenfurt for the third Northern War. Only the members of the Philosophy Faculty were spared. They were useless to Radovid, after all.


    "They''re pollutants of a perfectly fine academy." Linus cursed at the air and curled up a little. "You won''t tell on me, will you, witchers?"


    "We''ll have to get the chance to see him if we actually want to do that."


    ***


    "So we''ve seen the faculty of medicine, alchemy, tech, and theology. What next?" They had left the heart of the academy and were heading toward a quiet spot.


    "Next is the most exciting part." Linus'' eyes lit up. "I''ll be taking you guys to my workce. Aside from Peter, you''ll be seeing a lot of rare samples."


    "Are you researching Redanian history, Mr. Pitt? Do you work in the history records chamber?" Carl stood on his tiptoes.


    "National history isn''t what I specialize in, girl. My work involves natural history. More specifically, the change in the ecosystem since the Conjunction of the Stars," Linus exined patiently, patting the boy''s head.


    Felix took his sunsses off and reminded him, "Mr. Pitt, Carl is a boy."


    "Sorry. He does look beautiful."


    "Can you borate more on natural history?" Carl blushed and tilted his head curiously. "Is that a useful job?"


    "Hm¡­" Linus went silent for a moment. "I guess people like me drive a sense of bnce into the ecosystem?"


    Carl looked at Felix. His mentor mentioned that before. The ecosystem''s bnce was an important part of Almanac of Creatures.


    Linus led the group further into the academy. He said, "This world needs bnce. Especially between species. Humans, animals¡­ Every creature has their own predator, and their predator has other predators. The chain of life eventually goes full circle, creating a perfect ecosystem. Break any part of it, and the whole ecosystemes tumbling down. My work involves investigating and searching for endangered species, ensuring their survival and maintaining the bnce of the ecosystem."


    "Sounds like what the druids would say," Auckes said. "Do you include the species thate after the Conjunction of the Spheres in your work?"


    "Of course."


    Everyone had weird looks on their faces. They were monster hunters, and they disagreed with Linus.


    He suddenly stopped, and everyone realized they had left the crowd behind. They were now under a big spruce, and a building with the same color as the tree was standing beneath it. It was cubical, and there were no windows around. There were only a few holes in the warehouse, and nothing more. "We''re here." Linus whipped out a bunch of keys from his pocket.


    "What is this?" Roy pointed at the wooden bucket outside the warehouse, and he scrunched his nose. He could smell blooding from it.


    "Food, but not for us. Can you help me push the door, witchers?" He unlocked the door and requested solemnly, "Follow me, and rx. Stay quiet and move as gently as you can. Don''t do anything without my orders, and tuck your weapons away, alright? Rare animals are powerful and sensitive. Oh, you call them monsters."


    ***


    "We mostly kill wild monsters that are on a rampage," Letho said.


    The witchers exchanged looks and nodded. They took the cover off the bucket, and the stench of blood filled the air. There was also the stench of fish and fresh pork. There were a few buckets of them, and the bloodstained meat must have weighed a few hundred pounds.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 277: Chamber of Rare Animals

    The steel door yawned open as Linus gave it a push. The scent of grass and the stench of livestock came rushing out into the open air. A warehouse about a hundred square meters unfurled before their eyes. It was bigger than it looked. The walls were covered in greenery, looking like a mini ancient forest. The floor was made up of ayer of branches and dead leaves. Ferns, raspberries, artichokes, gigantic napier grass and lots of medicinal herbs grew on theyer of dead leaves. Roy noticed melilotes, raven''s eyes, mouse-tail orchids, mandrake roots, and other rare herbs growing around.


    There were nts growing on the ponds as well. They were scattered in this little forest, and the weeds turned the surface yellowish-green. Pink lotuses swayed in the water, and something underneath the surface seemed to have noticed the new guests. It swam around, spreading ripples throughout the surface. This was the lowest rung of the chain. The spruce''s branches spread throughout the air, filling the top part of the warehouse with its canopy, protecting the weakest creatures from the elements and allowing enough light to pass through.


    The warehouse was not fully enclosed. Half of the ceiling was carved out, allowing the sunlight to pour inside. The light was then filtered by crystals and steel mesh, providing life to the creatures in this warehouse. The tree was not a boring sight at all. Soft, supple vines hung between the branches, and mistletoe adorned them. Sparrows and woodpeckers chirped among the trees, hopping from one nt to the next.


    It was then they heard something rustle within the napier grass.


    "Be quiet," Linus whispered quickly. He spread his arms and curled up a little.


    Everyone tensed up and imitated him, putting their weight into their lower bodies.


    And then a weird creature popped out of the napier grass, revealing itself to everyone. The moment they saw the creature, all the witchers tensed up by reflex and held their des. Auckes was about to cast a sign as well. It was an ugly creature.


    It looked like an oversized ostrich without even a single feather on it. The ostrich was about the height of one and a half regr adults, but its eyes were as small as beads. Its elliptical maw stretched until its neck, revealing two rows of sharp, uneven teeth. Thick, yellow spit dripped from the corner of its mouth. There were chunks of meat in its saliva. The creature''s skin was white, but it was as tough as a lizard''s. Its keratin was hard, and its talons were glinting menacingly. It had a web underneath its arms. They were presumably its wings, and it was dragging a long, barbed conical tail behind it.


    The moment it came out, it looked at the group coldly. The monster was nervous about the neers, and it let out an ear-piercing scream. Carl covered his ears, the veteran witchers held their des, and Gryphon held Roy''s hair angrily. The young witcher cast Observe on the creature.


    ''Gliding dracolizard


    Age: Five years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: ?


    Mana: 120


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: 18


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 9


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 12


    Skills:


    Subdragon (Passive): Gliding dracolizards have the blood of dragons flowing through their veins. +20 to Constitution. Its hard keratin grants it decent endurance against physical hits. It also grants a decent amount of resistance against fire, corrosion, and poison.


    gue Bite (Passive): Gliding dracolizards consume rotten flesh at times. Their teeth and talons are filled with fatal viruses and germs. Those who this creature hurts will get feverish, weakened, and start having hallucinations.


    Tail Whip Level 4: This creature can store its strength andsh its tail out at its target quickly. This attack has enough force to break bones and inject its venom into the target''s veins.


    Firebreath Level 4: This creature can spend a small amount of mana to create a chemical reaction between the mmable gases in its body and the fire element in the air to spout a stream of scorching mes at its target.


    Sonic Wave Level 5: Thanks to its special throat and vocal cords, this creature can fire off a sonic wave with a special frequency to any target within five meters. This skill stuns and disorients the target.''


    ***


    Roy knew this was a tough opponent. He unsheathed his silver de, and Kanti pulled her bowstring back to its fullest. She bared her teeth, getting ready to fire.


    Linus quickly exined, "Listen to me and don''t make any sudden movements. Tuck your weapons away. It won''t hurt anyone as long as I am here."


    The witchers fell silent for a while and cast Quen on themselves before backing off.


    "Sorry. Force of habit. Can''t shake it off that easily, but are you sure it won''t attack us?" Letho asked.


    "I raised this creature myself. I know how it behaves. Just stay quiet and don''t do anything. It''ll be fine," Linus said confidently. He put his right hand up and moved it up and down, trying to calm the creature down. "Your favorite food''s here, Jacob." He tucked his other hand behind him and beckoned the witchers.


    They got what he was talking about. The witchers took a piece of meat out of the bucket and tossed it at the creature. The meat arced across the air and plopped down on the ground in front of the creature, but it didn''t move.


    It wasn''t until Linus picked it up did the creature snap the meat up and bite it off in half. It chewed a few times and gulped it down, then it looked at Linus with desire in its eyes, though it was certainly less aggressive now. "Good boy, Jacob. A few more pieces of meat please, witcher."


    ***


    "This is surprising." Auckes watched as Linus fed the creature and patted its neck. He was astonished. "This is the first time I''ve seen this. It''s like a cross between a wyvern and forktail. I never thought a human could raise it."


    "It''s hard to tame a cold-blooded creature like crocs and snakes," Felix agreed. He held down his trembling apprentice.


    "I don''t think it''s a wyvern. Look, it has feet. Look at its ws," Serrit said.


    "Look at its wings. It''s not big enough for long flights, but just enough for a glide. It''s a gliding lizard. Or a gliding dracolizard. It''s more terrifying than you think it is," Letho concluded. He had a concerned look in his eyes.


    Dracolizards came after the conjunction. They were one of the most dangerous creatures in the wilds. They could attack their prey with their ws, teeth, and barbed tails, and they could also use sonic waves and fire breaths too. Not to mention their speed and strength were off the charts.


    "And they provide good EXP. Two hundred? Three hundred?" Roy''s eyes shone, and he muttered to himself. <em>ws, teeth, sonic waves, fire breath, and venomous tail. Dracolizards aren''t to be trifled with.</em>


    "What''d you say?"


    "Nothing. This dracolizard is big. It''s gotta weigh a few tons."


    "Pipe down. It''s looking at us."


    The dracolizard had finished half a bucket of meat while the witchers were talking, and it had stopped eating. The creature started getting a little drowsy after a meal. It licked Linus'' right hand and rubbed its chin against him. Linus took the chance to pat its head. A momentter, Linus said, "Had your fill, Jacob? Let me introduce some new friends. No attacking, alright?" Linus introduced the witchers seriously, then he patted its chin, though the dracolizard probably had no idea what he just said.


    The creature let out a delighted shout and slowly went back into the napier grass.


    A long whileter, Letho said coldly, "Exin yourself, Linus. You didn''t tell us something this dangerous existed. Is it an endangered species as well?"


    "Of course. There''s less than ten dracolizards in the whole of Redania. They''re in dire need of protection." Linus smiled nonchntly. "You don''t have to worry about it. It won''t hurt you. Jacob''s been living here for five years. It never broke any rules. It''s even more obedient than a stray dog."


    "For now. You''re just lucky." Serrit disagreed with keeping dangerous creatures like that in captivity. "Dracolizards are cold-blooded creatures. It won''t warm up to you like cats or dogs. Humans are just walking food for them. It''ll eat everything it sees if it gets too hungry, including you. Or maybe someday it''ll decide that enough is enough, and it''ll tear you to shreds."


    "You''re trying to spook me, witcher." Linus held his stubble, his eyes filled with obstinance. "Every living being is capable of forming a bond with humans. They can form an understanding between each other. That''s what I gleaned over the decades of research. You saw that as well.


    "I''ve seen the body of a girl in a dracolizard before. There was barely anything left of her," Letho said.


    "I took Jacob back here when he was just an egg. I saw it hatch, and I raised it up. Gently, of course." Linus was still stubborn. "It''s a lot less violent than wild dracolizards. And its hormones are at safe levels. But truth is more powerful than words. Come with me if you still have doubts. Jacob is not the only creature here, and yet they get along with one another. That''s proof my hypothesis is correct."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 278: Society of Animal Protection

    The witchers pushed the cart of buckets into the napier grass patch. They saw dried dung on the ground, and the air was filled with the stench of urine.


    "You know how ecosystems work as well, so you know a lot of animals mark their territory with excrements. We''re in Jacob''s territory now, but it had lunch, so it''s resting in itsir." About ten meterster, they saw the dracolizard leaning against a redwood, possibly trying to scratch itself.


    "I''ll show you another specimen." Linus said goodbye to the dracolizard and led them into an area filled with sand and rocks. An obviously modified boulder sat in the center of the area, and two triangr nests stood on it. Linus whistled in the direction of the nests, and two pointy heads stuck out of the nests. A couple of gigantic creatures leaped down the boulder, dragging their wings as they quickly huddled closer to Linus.


    One of the creatures had a thick ck mane, while the other had a white mane. They had the bodies, ws, and tails of lions, and beaks and wings of vultures.


    "A family of griffins?" The witchers were dumbfounded. They couldn''t imagine how griffins could live with a dracolizard. Griffins were special creatures, ording to them. They had virtues most humans didn''t. For example, bravery. They weren''t afraid of battles. Loyalty was another one. Griffins only have one mate for life. If their partner were to die, they would fight the killer to the veryst breath, or they would stop eating and die alongside their partner. However, they were impulsive and dangerous as well.


    "Try not to meet gazes with it for too long. They''ll take it as a challenge and start a duel," Linus warned them, though he masked it behind his humor. He pushed the buckets toward the griffins. They were fully tamed and had no idea about protecting their own food. They huddled around Linus, pecking away at the food he was holding. Linus petted the griffins. Thanks to their incredible metabolism, they had high temperatures.


    Roy watched as the griffins interacted with Linus. He never thought he would see any griffin as tame as Gryphon. Not to mention they were adults. These griffins were capable of battle.


    ''Griffin


    Age: Three years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 300


    Strength: 30


    Dexterity: 18


    Constitution: 30


    Perception: 13


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 7


    Skills:


    Chimera (Passive): Griffins have the best of lions and vultures. Their digestive and recovery abilities are buffed. Adult griffins have +8 to DEX, STR, and CON.


    Predator (Passive): Griffins are apex predators. Their ws and beaks are specially built. The wounds they cause will never stop bleeding. It has a better sight and sense of smell than most animals. Adult griffins have +6 to Perception.''


    ***


    The witchers were observing from a distance. Carl looked astonished, while Kanti looked like she found her prey. She rubbed the tattoo on her neck, her eyes shining with the urge to fight. Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Felix had seen griffins before. They killed quite a lot of them as well, so they were a lot calmer than the others.


    "Do you want to have a go as well?" Linus patted the griffins and smiled. "Wanna feed ke and Chelsea? It''ll be fine as long as I''m here."


    "I''ll do it," Roy volunteered. He approached the griffins and lowered his head just like Linus told him to. He slowly picked the meat up and ced it in front of them.


    The griffins looked at the meat for a while and picked it up after the professor gave his permission.


    They started eating. Roy felt envious of Linus. He was just a regr human, but he tamed a dracolizard and a family of griffins. Roy had Forced Taming, but all he did was tame a horse and a mount that wasn''t really useful outside of being a mascot. <em>I have a long way to go before I can soar the skies. Hm. I wonder if I can borrow the professor''s griffins if I manage to befriend him.</em>


    While Roy was thinking about his little n, Gryphon was starting to squirm around. It sensed its brethren nearby. Eventually it got out of the hoodie and fell down to the ground, then it rolled straight to the griffins like a ball.


    The griffins stopped eating and stared at the slimy little vodyanoi. They purred, looking at it curiously.


    "Don''t worry. For some reason, ke and Chelsea like this little creature. They wanna y with it." Linus held Roy back, his eyes gleaming in surprise.


    "Are you sure they just wanna y?"


    ke pushed Gryphon to Chelsea, and Chelsea pushed it back. They pushed the little vodyanoi around about a dozen times, as if it were a little ball of yarn. Gryphon was getting dizzy at the end. Eventually the griffins howled in satisfaction and stopped pushing Gryphon. They licked its belly, as if they werebing their brethren''s hair.


    Gryphon expended its webbed hands angrily and held the griffin''s talons. At the same time, it attacked them with bubbles, but Linus pulled it up right away. He patted the griffins'' necks and told them to go back to their nests. "This is a vodyanoi, isn''t it? A brave one at that." Linus looked at Gryphon curiously. "It''s not even scared of the griffins."


    Roy held Gryphon by its tail and hung it upside down. He flicked the creature''s belly as a little punishment and let it blow bubbles at him. Gryphon started throwing a little tantrum, seeing that its master wasn''t going to do anything. "It''s a long story. Gryphon''s origins can be a littleplex." Roy changed the subject. "Did you raise those griffins as well, Mr. Pitt?" He only managed to tame Gryphon thanks to Forced Taming, and he wondered how a regr human like Linus did it.


    "A forest-watcher stole both of them while they were still eggs. He sold them in the Oxenfurt marketce, and I ran into them. I recognized what the eggs were immediately and bought them off. I made some nests for them to hatch in after that. It''s been three years since." Linus pinched his stubble proudly. "Like most creatures, griffins form a bond with the first living being they see after they hatch."


    "You must know a lot about griffin rearing then. Like how to make them healthier and grow faster, perhaps?" Roy pinched Gryphon''s belly. His eyes were filled with expectations.


    "Of course. Raising a child is easier than a griffin, especially the six months after their hatching. Their food, nest, deworming, and amount of exercise take a lot of time to figure out. If you''re interested, we can talk about it after the tour."


    ***


    Linus had more animals than the witchers thought. Aside from the dracolizard and griffins, they met a basilisk. It looked dumb, but it was actually a dangerous species. Of course, they also saw the kayran that was locked in the pond. There were also animals that were not so dangerous. There were about fifteen to sixteen specimens of endangered species here. Linus raised and tamed them since they were young. Most of them, anyway. Unlike their wild counterparts, they were less aggressive. Thanks to that, they managed to live together in peace.


    Some of the more rebellious ones were locked in a cage or tied to chains, then he would train them slowly.


    Roy made the calctions in his head. If he destroyed all the creatures here, he could fill up most of his EXP bar, and the mutagens he got would be enough for the Manticore School''s trial. <em>But I can''t kill his pets, not after he took us on this tour. I''d rather keep them as backup mounts. I''ll eventually get the chance.</em>


    ***


    Even a knowledgeable witcher like Auckes thought he learned something from the tour. He teased, "Mr. Pitt, might you actually be a druid who''s just pretending to be a Natural History lecturer?"


    "You jest, witcher. I''d have gone to Skellige''s druid circle if I had an ounce of talent for magic." Linus grinned. "A pity I''m a regr human who can''t even sense chaos energy. I can never be a druid my whole life. All I can do is research endangered species ording to the records and train the creatures to be a more docile version of their feral counterparts. I spent more than two decades building this little ce up."


    Everyone looked at Linus with respect. It might be a silly endeavor, but it was impressive he hung on for this long.


    "Are you going to keep these creatures in your warehouse forever?" Serrit asked.


    Linus shook his head. "I''ve been looking for a suitable ce to release them, and I''m ready to dish out adaptive training if the day of their release were toe. I have a job to keep the bnce of the ecosystem, remember? It''s a pity the world is crawling with humans. The only ce that''s unconquered will be the barren wastnd. I don''t think the animals are gonna survive that. And we''re short on manpower. It sounds unbelievable, but there are fewer people with the resolve to protect rare animals than the number of rare animals themselves. So I need some help¡­" Linus squinted, and he gazed at the witchers. He said, "You''ve seen the little forest. What do you think of it?"


    "You can cut to the chase now."


    The witchers exchanged looks.


    "I need your help. I have this little association here. It''s called the Society of the Protection of Endangered Animals."


    "What''s that?" Auckes was a little shocked.


    "The Society of the Protection of Endangered Animals, or SPEA for short. Master Dorregaray and I came up with this idea after a long discussion. The main goals of this¡ª"


    "No!" the witchers said unanimously. Even Kanti shook her head. They were hunters, not protectors.


    "I respect your actions and ideas, Mr. Pitt, but you''re taking this the wrong way. Witchers kill dangerous monsters for a living." Letho asked, "Do you expect us to turn away from our tradition?"


    "Not even the mini ecosystem could change your mind?" Linus was starting to get agitated, and he was buzzing too. "I just proved that even dangerous creatures like griffins, dracolizards, and basilisks can be tamed with effort. Why can''t you try toplete your requests in a gentler way instead of killing the monster every time?"


    "What do you mean?" Auckes was starting to get impatient. He hated lectures.


    "I''ll cut to the chase. For example, if someone wants you to get rid of a basilisk, you don''t actually have to kill it. You can subdue it and settle it down somewhere else, and it''ll be the same thing aspleting the request. If you don''t have the patience for that, you can take the specimen back to Oxenfurt. To me, specifically. I''ll train the creature. I''ll pay you handsomely. Double or even triple of what they''ll pay you. You won''t be disappointed."


    The witchers fell silent. Roy was in a dilemma. <em>If we let the monsters live just for money, I''ll have no way to gain any EXP. You can''t expect me to kill livestock and humans. I can''t agree to this.</em>


    "Battles are always unpredictable. Your ''endangered animals'' are, more often than not, deadly. Showing mercy to them in battle will cost us our lives," Letho said sternly.


    "That''s just an excuse, witchers. You''re more than capable of subduing a creature without killing it. You just have to work together."


    "We can''t abandon our tradition," Felix objected.


    Carl nodded.


    "Tradition?" Linus took a deep breath and tried to exin calmly. "I know all about it. Witchers were called monster killers. After the conjunction happened, witchers traveled thends and made a living by getting rid of monsters who threatened humanity. But things are different now. You''ve killed too many of these monsters. Basilisks, wyverns, cockatrices¡­ They''re all endangered. Those who managed to survive are forced to live in barren wastnds and suffer their whole lives."


    Linus stopped talking, and he said grimly, "Most monsters don''t kill because they''re invading human territory. It''s the other way around. Humans are invading their living space. Can''t you show them mercy? Give them a chance to grow?"


    A long silence followed. The witchers still looked tense. They still disagreed with the idea.


    Roy heaved a sigh and changed the topic. "We''ll think about your suggestion, Mr. Pitt. Let''s set it aside."


    "I see."


    "I have a question. How much do you have to spend on these creatures? It must cost a lot." The buckets were filled with food when they first came in, but the creatures finished them all in no time t. <em>If he has to feed them once every day¡­ </em>Roy was shocked by the amount of money that would cost. <em>All the money I have won''t evenst for more than a few years. </em>"Do you even make enough money to cover the costs?"


    Linus shrugged. He didn''t mind the money. "Do you remember the business district in front of the Philosopher''s Gate?"


    "Business is booming, yes."


    "My family owns twenty percent of the shops there."


    <em>Oh.</em>


    Linus said nonchntly, "When the academy was first built, my ancestors noticed the potential this ce had, so they snagged somend up. Didn''t expect it to grow so big though."


    <em>So you''re born to money. No wonder you came up with that stupid association. No, wait. You just have too much money to spend, </em>Roy thought.


    "It''s gettingte." Everyone looked at the skies. "Why don''t we talk about things over dinner?"


    "Sure. Oxenfurt has a lot of rare delicacies. I''ll introduce them to you," Linus said. "And I need your help on another thing as well."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 279: Missing Assistant

    They came to a Renaissance-style restaurant in Oxenfurt. The sea breeze blew through the windows, and the gentle sunset shone on the great food on the table. The witchers were wolfing the food down. Their speed and ferocity when they ate shocked the academy''s faculty members. Most of them came from rich families. They either scoffed at the witchers, gave them weird looks, or observed curiously. The witchers did not care. They just kept eating.


    "You should give the stewed triggerfish a go, witchers. It''s limited." Linus pointed at a yellow fish soup. It had butter in it. He praised, "The fish only live in the area between the river and sea near Oxenfurt. It''s fresh and barely has any bones. I managed to get one because I''m a lecturer."


    Roy put his caviar biscuit down and had a taste of the fish soup. He closed his eyes in enjoyment. "This is life. All the stewed fish I had is nothingpared to this. But Mr. Pitt, if this fish only exists in that area, doesn''t that mean it''s endangered too?"


    Linus shook his head and exined, "Don''t worry about it. It''s protected byw. Nobody can catch too many of it at once. And the academy''s Natural History Faculty spends some time cracking down on illegal fishing of the triggerfish, so their numbers are at a safe level. It''s not endangered. I might spend my life saving endangered animals, but I''m no vegetarian. Here, have a taste of the steak. It''s stewed in broli juice, and the students love this."


    All the Oxenfurt dishes surprised the witchers. They had great ting, taste, and bnced nutrition. The food provided by the inns were no match for this.


    "I can get used to this ce." Auckes leaned into his chair and rubbed his slightly bulging belly. He let out a burp. "Aside from Roy''s cooking, this is the best food I ever had."


    Everyone nodded. They had a little cider. The academy''s cafeteria didn''t provide any liquor to keep the intellectuals from running amok on campus. It wasn''t of much use, though.


    Letho cleared his throat. "We''ve seen the mini ecosystem and had our fair share of Oxenfurt delicacies. Now let''s get back to the topic, Mr. Pitt." Letho stared into Linus'' eyes and smiled. "Cut to the chase. What do you want? Is it a request? And please don''t bring the association up. We''re not interested in it."


    Linus looked at Roy. The young witcher shook his head. Linus heaved a sigh. He said regrettably, "I won''t force you into this if you don''t want to, but please don''t tell anyone about the mini ecosystem. Some aristocrats love endangered animals, though they only want the creatures to be their ythings. Some of them would even kill the creatures off to make a trophy. I will never allow those bastards toy a finger on the creatures."


    "You did treat us to a good meal." Letho nodded. "We''ll keep the secret. It''s a witcher''s promise."


    Serrit half-joked, "We can''t join your association, but personally, you''re a visionary, Mr. Pitt. The world needs more leading experts like you."


    The number of monsters were dwindling, and the witchers knew that. Perhaps all monsters would be nothing but specimens in a museum decades in the future. However, they wouldn''t change their hunting tradition just because of Linus'' opinion.


    Now that Linus had gotten the answer for his question, he made his request. "The ecosystem aside, I did run into some troubletely. I''m busy taking care of my creatures, so I don''t have time to look into it. I need your help."


    "Tell us more."


    "I hired a couple of assistants to look after the ecosystem. They''re students of my faculty, and they passed my test. They''re honest people whoe from honest families. I can trust them."


    Roy remembered him talking about that before.


    "But one of them ran into some troubletely." Linus sped his hands. He said worriedly, "He took three days offst week to settle some family matters, but it has been seven days since he left, and he still hasn''t returned. He didn''t even send any letters either. I''m concerned. Can you travel to his home and see if he''s fine, witchers?"


    "I see." Letho looked at hispanions, and they nodded at him. "It''s not a hard request. Sounds like a little errand. We can handle it. Tell us more about him. We need his details, his address, and who he knows."


    Linus was delighted, and he exined everything to them. The missing student went by the name of Whishaw. He was tall, had short grey hair, and his eyes were ck. The student was twenty-one years old and a freshman in Linus'' faculty. The guy was a little naive, but his reputation was decent.


    "Did he get into any fights with anyone?"


    Linus shook his head.


    "Where''s his home?"


    "On a small hill about three miles due northeast of Oxenfurt. I''ll mark it on the mapter."


    "It''s out of town?"


    "Oxenfurt is an expensive ce. Whishawes from a family of farmers. He doesn''t have enough money to buy a house in town. But he works hard. He managed to pass the entrance exam, but even after that, he spent a lot of time on work every day just to make enough money for his tuition fees. I hired him partly because of that. To be honest¡­" Linus praised, "Whishaw has potential to be a schr. He''s a greatd. He''s been working for me for six months now, and he finishes his job excellently. And he keeps up with his studies too. One of the top students in my faculty." Linus talked about Whishaw''s life on campus.


    Roy sorted out the information and confirmed that nothing was missing. He said, "We''ll take the request. Don''t worry about it. He''s probably still busy and can''te back. It''s not easy sending messages when he lives in the wild."


    "Three miles due northeast of Oxenfurt? I''ll be going on horseback. I''ll bring back some news tonight. If nothing else happens."


    "My turn to shine, mates," Auckes quickly said. "I did nothing but watch you guys do everything in La Valette''s ce. My skills are getting rusty. This is the perfect chance to get back in shape. I can do it alone."


    "Take me with you," Kanti said. She had been eating for free the past few days. Kanti thought she should do something in return. "I wanna see how witchers deal with requests."


    The witchers discussed among themselves.


    "Do as Auckes say, Kanti." Roy patted her shoulder.


    "No prob. I won''t drag him down." She smiled heartily, excitement shining in her eyes.


    It was settled. Auckes and Kanti would scout the situation out, while everyone would stay back at the academy and wait for their news. They would also keep touring the ce."


    "Oh, and about your reward¡ª"


    "We''ll talk about thatter. If everything is fine and dandy, then this meal is more than enough for the reward." Letho was being generous for once. "We''ll talk about the reward <em>if </em>everything is not fine and dandy."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 280: Montes Distanse

    Not long after Auckes and Kanti set off, Linus went through the system and gave the witchers temporary student IDs. For the next three days, the witchers could drop in any lectures they wanted, save for anything rted to the alchemy faculty and espionage faculty. These faculties were strict and would never ept any drop-ins.


    It was a day off though, so they didn''t need the IDs. "Mr. Linus, I''d like to know more about griffin rearing."


    Roy gave it some thought and decided to be honest with Linus. He told the professor about Gryphon''s real identity.


    "You transfigured it with an item? And it''s actually a female griffin? It''s not even one year old yet?" Linus held Roy''s hand, his eyes filled with excitement and delight. "Master Roy, I couldn''t believe you tamed Gryphon instead of killing it! You''re different from the other witchers. You''re on my side, aren''t you? Protecting endangered animals is¡ª"


    "I''m partly on your side," Roy interrupted right away. "I need your suggestion. How can I raise a griffin more efficiently?"


    He pinched his stubble. "I''ll need to see your griffin and perform a full-body checkup before I cane up with a n."


    "So you double as a vet, too?"


    "I spent my whole life in the zoo. I''m in charge of everything, so I have to know a bit of everything, though I''d say I''m on par with most vets in Oxenfurt."


    Roy nodded. He wanted to see if he was raising Gryphon correctly, and if it had some underlying problems like malnourishment. "You''ll have to wait until night time before Gryphon can turn back."


    "Can you leave it with me? I need to study it."


    "Sure."


    The witchers did their own stuff that afternoon. Roy went to the library alone, while the other witchers went with Linus. They wanted to see more of the endangered species. They preferred live specimens over books.


    ***


    As one of the most famous academies in the world, Oxenfurt had a lot to offer. Its library was gargantuan. Unlike most libraries, which only took a single story in a building, Oxenfurt''s library was a three-story building hidden among the woods. It was even bigger than the library in the temple of Melitele. The first two stories were open to the students and public, but the third floor was only open to the teaching staff.


    The structure was simr across every floor. Both sides of the halls were filled with bookshelves. Roy made a rough estimation and realized that there were about three to four thousand books per side. With literacy being as low as it was, books were as valuable as coins and gemstones. Oxenfurt was really rich if they could purchase this many books.


    Rows of long, rectangr tables sat between the shelves. The ce was enough to house two to three hundred people at once. Pots of beautiful nts stood between the tables, filling the air with a refreshing and lively scent. The hall looked spruced up with just the nts alone. The library was attractive enough to be one of the most popr spots to hang out, even on days off.


    The library was filled with students immersed in books, gleaning every sliver of knowledge they could. Everyone tacitly remained silent. The only sound in the library was the rustle of quills on paper. The young witcher walked around silently. He took out a book titled Rare Herbal Potions and Diseases from a bookshelf with ''Medicine and Herbs''beled on it. Since his Alchemy was already Level 2, he decided to delve deeper into the field of medicine.


    The witcher walked around, but he found no empty spots on the first floor. Roy went to the second floor, though the only spot there was the one beside the restroom. The medical information in this library was exactly what he needed. He didn''t have a lot of potion recipes, and some of them were taught by Kalkstein, though they were incredibly niche.


    Now that he had gotten his hands on this, he could take his time to figure out all kinds of precious potions recipes. Eventually, he got engrossed.


    ***


    Time flew when he was focused on something. Roy had no idea how much time had passed. All he knew was that he felt peoplee and go a few times. In the meantime, he managed to memorize the potion recipes to heal three of the mostmon diseases: flu, fever, and acid reflux.


    Something was egging him on, and he was drawing something in the air. His itch for alchemy was acting up again. There was one thing worthy of note here. Even if he did master the recipes and create the potions, it was strictly for private use. Anyone who wanted to sell potions in cities of the northern kingdoms would have to pay an exorbitant amount of coins for the patent. Patentws in the north were well developed, especially in trade cities like Redania. Using Oxenfurt''s studies to make money was against thew.


    Selling the potions in viges or smuggling them somewhere else was a different story altogether, though.


    Just when Roy was immersed in his thoughts, he felt a gust of warm air brush against his face. Someone was standing before him, and he cleared his throat.


    "And you are?" Roy looked up. The guy was a man. He was in impable clothes, and a yellow bucket hat stood on his head. His eyes were sparkling with the power of youth, and he looked like a perfectly typical schr. The man was smiling at Roy.


    "I''m very sorry to disturb you, sir," the man whispered. He would hate to disturb anyone else. His eyes were starting to glimmer with excitement, though. The man was ncing at the young witcher''s right hand. More specifically, he was looking at the crimson mark on it.


    Roy quickly rolled his sleeve down. Gaunter''s mark hadn''t been doing anythingtely. He had almost forgotten about it.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I''m Montes Distanse, a researcher of the ult and a student of the Applied Archeology Faculty. Your eyes seem different, good sir. You are a witcher." The man stopped for a moment, trying to organize his words.


    <em>A researcher of the ult? </em>Roy considered that fact for a moment, and he closed his book. The young witcher stood up and shook the man''s hand. "Good afternoon, Mr. Distanse. I''m Roy of the Viper School. Pardon me, but you don''t look like a Redanian."


    The man had a slightly long face, crooked nose, deep-set eyes, and his Common Speech sounded rigid, but he did not sound like Letho and the others, who were from the south. The way he spoke was a bit retroflexed.


    "I''m an Ofirian. By chance, I came to further my studies in Oxenfurt, and I''ve been here for eight years."


    Ofir was located beyond the ocean. It was far, far away from thend they were in. "Did youe here by ship?"


    "Yes. I was at sea for more than two months. Ran into quite a lot of problems, but through sheer luck, I lived to see thisnd." He smiled dryly. "That was a long and arduous trip."


    Roy looked a little disappointed. "So why did you¡­ Wait. Where have you seen this mark before?"


    "In a book belonging to my mentor. Let''s talk more about it outside, shall we?" The man looked around. Some students were already upset that they were discussing in the library.


    ***


    The sun was warm, and the grass was swaying in the wind. The young witcher and Montes were walking down a golden path in the woods.


    "What kind of book is it? A record of legends, poems, or folklore?" Roy asked.


    "Folklore," Montes said. "It''s a record of about a dozen strange tales of thend."


    "For example?" Roy asked, interested. "I''m interested in these stories. Tell me more."


    "On the day of the sr eclipse, a poor girl was born on the outskirts of Oxenfurt. When she was ten, her parents, terrified for their lives, abandoned her in the woods. She was forced to live a life of suffering. The girl resorted to petty tricks like theft and deception to make a living. She was even forced to sell herself sometimes. She eventually joined a group of bandits and lived a life of crime. And so she lived, until the second eclipse came. She led herrades back to her hometown and killed everyone who abandoned her." He stopped for a moment. "She stripped herself naked and traveled into the woods, drenched in blood. Nobody saw her ever again, but since then, a grave hag who would ambush travelers took up residence in the forest."


    "That''s obviously nonsense." Roy looked ahead coldly. "A story to demonize girls who are born during eclipses. Same kind of nonsense as the Curse of the ck Sun."


    The Curse of the ck Sun was a prophecy left by Eltibald. ording to that prophecy, sixty girls who were born during eclipses would eventually turn into cruel creatures and sacrifice countless human lives to resurrect a demon called Lilit to bring about the end. Because of that prophecy, girls who were born during eclipses were far more infamous than witchers, even until now. They were hated, and they suffered worse fate because of theirck of power like witchers.


    Countless baby girls were tortured and dissected by mages. If they were not dissected, they would be locked up in towers and die alone. The most famous victims of that were Sylvia Anna and Renfri. The former was the sister of Toussaint''s duchess. Most people knew that the curse was a lie, but a few of the superstitious mages took it as truth.


    "We''re still not sure about the curse''s veracity just yet. Too early for conclusions." Montes shook his head. "The stories are based on two of the human civilizations that are extinct. They gleaned these stories from the Wozgor''s mausoleum and the Dauk''s stele. There''s some grain of truth to the prophecy. Of course, you can ignore it if you''d like."


    Eventually, they arrived at the edge of the ind. The young witcher looked down at the river. It was gleaming under the sun. He rolled his sleeve up and revealed the mark. "And what about this mark? Any stories about it?"


    "An old and clich¨¦d one," Montes said. "Once, there was a gambler who lost all his money and incurred a great amount of debt. The great debt crushed his family, leaving him with nothing to live for. The man, beset by despair and rage, went to a quiet alleyway and tried to hang himself on a tree. Just when he was about to hang himself, an old, hunched hag in a cloak appeared out of nowhere and saved his life."


    "Wait. Are you sure it was an olddy?"


    "That''s what the story said. Not only did she save his life, she even gave him a priceless treasure¡ªa teapot that could produce gold. That teapot granted the man all the money he could ever want, and he went on gambling."


    "What about the price? Or the side effects, if you will. No free lunch in this world."


    "Smart, witcher. There was a condition to get that gold. The owner had to put themselves through great agony. The greater the agony they put themselves through, the more gold the teapot would give."


    "Let me guess. The man went too far and killed himself to get as much gold as he wanted?" Roy mocked.


    "No." Montes shook his head, smiling. "A short while after he got that teapot, someone saw the man, injured and bruised, drowning himself in a river. Someone searched the area, but they found nothing. Neither the man''s body nor the teapot was found. Some creative souls wrote down the man''s story, and interestingly, that man had the same mark as you do."


    Roy mused on it. <em>Dramatic enough. Sounds like a Gaunter production. The guy went missing all of a sudden. Bet he''s on a </em>great adventure<em>. Why''d he disguise himself as ady though? I know he changes his appearances a lot, but he''s always a guy.</em>


    "ording to my mentor''s investigations, this mark has appeared throughout the world at least a dozen times. Each of the bearers had gone through great changes in their lives and fell into despair. Before they went missing, they would run into a mysterious figure who could change their appearances at will. Though most of them ran into an olddy in a cloak. It provided a solution for the bearers'' problems, but only for a time. Their lives would, invariably, end tragically." Montes shrugged regrettably.


    "These are mere records or testimonials from witnesses. They''re not detailed enough. It''s nigh impossible to analyze anything, let alone delve deeper into the ult section of it. Until today. You''re a living example!" Montes pleaded, "Can you tell me more about your story? Make it a request if you will. I''ll pay you handsomely."


    Roy massaged his temples. He thought about it for a moment. Instead of answering, he said, "You''re a researcher of the ult. Do you believe in demons and devils then?"


    "I''ve never seen those, but over the years of learning from my mentor, I''ve witnessed countless phenomena that can''t be exined by science. Though they''re all eerily simr. Something mysterious is controlling these phenomena. Something most people can''t sense," he answered confidently. "And that''s why I believe that demons exist. They''re just living somewhere I can''t see."


    "And my story will drag you into this whole mess. You''ll get involved with these beings. You can and will die. No. Death is actually merciful if you''re dealing with demons. Do you still want to seek out the truth then?" Roy said coldly, as if he were threatening him.


    Montes froze.


    "Lad, let''s put this discussion to a stop. Don''t look into it. And stop investigating the ult. Transfer to another faculty." Roy patted his shoulder. "Leave while you can. Get married and have a child. It''s not toote yet." <em>No way a regr human can fight them. Not when it has you in its sights.</em>


    "Witcher, wait!" Montes clenched his fists, pacing back and forth nervously. "I might be too young and inexperienced to deal with something of this level, but someone isn''t."


    "You mean your mentor. What''s his name?"


    "Premethine Shakeslock. Oxenfurt''s ult professor. Ever heard of him?"


    Roy was surprised. He was reminded of a sage old man. <em>Shakeslock. The guy Gaunter trapped in a circle many yearster. The blind old guy tortured by nightmares and hallucination. </em>He was a man worthy of respect. Premethine was a regr human, but he kept fighting Gaunter until the very bitter end.


    Roy fell into silence.


    Montes thought he had a chance. "Professor Shakeslock has been researching the ult for decades. Nothing is too mysterious for him. But he''s out for work at the moment. He''ll be back in two weeks. Can you give us that much time? You''re a bearer of the mark. You must have gone through despair yourself, but the professor can help you."


    "I''ll be gone by then. Forget it." Roy shook his head and left. <em>I might kill Premethine early if I get in touch with him now.</em>


    "Where will you be going?" Montes followed Roy, huffing and puffing.


    "Novigrad. We''ll talk about this if we get the chance."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 281: News

    The sun was setting, and dusk descended on thend. Auckes had returned from his investigation.


    "Did you see him, witcher? What''d he say?" Linus quickly asked Auckes. "Why was he absent for a week? He needs to exin himself!"


    Auckes and Kanti exchanged a look. There was a solemn expression on their faces. "He can''t. Mr. Pitt¡­"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Mr. Pitt, there''s nobody in your assistant''s home. The door was open. Even his mother was missing."


    Linus frowned in disbelief.


    Auckes then turned to everyone else. "You know our senses are sharper than most people¡¯s. I smelled blood in the air, so I tracked the scent down and saw a few patches of dried blood on the ground. It had been there for about a week. This is no missing person case. And the door was brutally kicked down. The lock was distorted," Auckes said. "There''s marks of it getting kicked down, and the ground outside was covered in footprints and horseshoe marks. There were about seven or eight of them. Bandits or criminals. Either or."


    "There were invaders there? And about a week back?" Linus'' jaw dropped. He froze. "So he ran into trouble the moment he got home? Is fate out for his life?" He sighed. <em>What a shame. </em>Whishaw was a good soul. He came from a farmer''s family and worked hard all his life to get into Oxenfurt. He would¡¯ve graduated in two years, gotten a good job, and said farewell to poverty forever. He could¡¯ve helped his mother too. <em>Why did this happen? </em>"Is he still alive? Any chances of his survival?"


    Auckes fell silent.


    Linus clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. "Witchers, please rescue Whishaw and his family."


    "I''m not finished yet." Auckes shook his head. He said grimly, "I''m sorry, but Whishaw and his family are dead. We searched around the house for any suspicious marks, and we dug out their corpses in a field about thirty yards away. One of them was a youngd in his twenties. Someone smashed the back of his head in. He looks like the guy you described. The other was a crippled woman in her forties. Died the same way he did. She was possibly his mother."


    Auckes extended his hand and loosened his fist. He was holding a golden student''s crest of Oxenfurt.


    ''Whishaw


    Natural History: First Year''


    Linus took the crest with trembling hands, his eyes filled with sorrow and sadness. Tears were welling in his eyes.


    "Our condolences, professor. We buried them right after we took the crest." Kanti said, "And we erected a couple of wooden steles for them."


    Linus looked a little better after hearing that.


    "Did he tell you anything before he left? Or did he start acting weird?"


    Linus shook his head.


    "Looks like an unnned robbery and murder then," Roy piped up. "They''re probably bandits living near Oxenfurt. That, or they came from somewhere else."


    "Oxenfurt''s bandits are killing people near the academy? This is the center of Redania''s academia. Is safety that bad even in this town?" Felix cocked his eyebrow.


    "No. It''s been more than two years since anyone was killed in Oxenfurt''s vicinity." Linus clenched the crest and gnashed his teeth. "The bastards. How dare they kill a student? I''ll tell the management about it. The king will never let these bandits hurt the kingdom''s talent. Witchers, will you help us track these bandits down? It''s a personal request. I''ll give you two¡­ no, three hundred crowns. Is that enough?"


    Roy exchanged looks with hispanions. They agreed, and he nodded. <em>Bandits, huh? More EXP for me then. No reason to give this up. Besides, Linus is paying for food and lodging. And he''s gonna reward us. No reason to say no.</em>


    A pauseter, Auckes said, "Mr. Pitt, there''s something I''m curious about. There were marks of torture on their corpses. Lots of it. Bruises around their wrists and ankles, burn marks from candle wax on their skin. And they were pped too. If this was an actual robbery, there was no need to torture them. The house was dpidated, and there was nobody but an olddy inside. There''s nothing valuable there. Even if there was, why''d the bandits torture them?"


    Everyone fell into silence.


    Auckes guessed, "Maybe the killer had a grudge with Whishaw. Or they might be trying to wheedle something out of him. That''d exin the abuse. Probably held his mother hostage too," Auckes guessed.


    Serrit suggested, "Or maybe the killers are deranged. Torture might be some sort of fun for them. Or maybe Whishaw got on their nerves, so they tortured him. Mr. Pitt did say he was an honest and stubborn man. It''s possible he angered the killer."


    "If that''s the case, we''d be left with no clues," Letho said. "I''ll go with Auckes'' theory for now. The killer probably knows Whishaw and was trying to get something out of him. It''s possible that his acquaintances are behind this. Think closely, you two. See if you''ve missed any clues. Maybe you missed a few witnesses?"


    Kanti looked at Auckes. She wasn''t great at investigations.


    Auckes was upset. He red at them. "I double checked the ce, and there was nothing there! You can see for yourself if you don''t believe me!" Auckes sighed. "There''s nobody around his ce in a five-hundred-yard radius. There''s only a path to Oxenfurt further away, but carriages travel that path a lot. I won¡¯t find any good leads."


    "We have no better choice then. Let''s start by questioning Whishaw''s acquaintances," Letho decided. "What do you think, professor?"


    "That''s the only way," Linus said. "I like thed, but he''s only been my assistant for less than a year. All I know about his family is that he has no other rtives aside from his mother who lived alone in the shack. But I know more about his connections at school. His friends are the other assistant, Ben, his roommates¡­"


    Linus kept listing his acquaintances. "And then the other faculty students. But I don''t think they''d do something this heinous."


    "Leave the interrogation to us," Letho said. "It''s hard to lie to a witcher, especially when you''re a schr. You''ll need to gather the students for us though. We won''t punish the innocent. The guilty, however¡­"


    Linus nodded. It was alreadyte, though, so they had to leave it for tomorrow.


    "Professor, aside from the people on campus, who else did Whishaw get in touch with? I mean in the town," Roy asked. He thought things were not this simple.<em> The killer''s probably not anyone among the students.</em>


    Linus massaged his throbbing forehead. "Whishaw''s in charge of purchasing the creatures'' food. The only guy in town he talks to would be the meat seller. He was an honest kid. He would jot down all the spendings down to the smallest number. I''ll get the records for you."


    Once they got the records, the witchers started discussing anding up with ns, then they went to sleep at the dorms.


    ***


    Linus asked Roy to stay, and they went into the zoo. They made a promise, so he had to check on Gryphon.


    Roy noticed his exhaustion. He said, "You can do this after we''re done with the case. I''m not in a hurry."


    "It''s alright. Work and personal life are two different things." Linus massaged his cheeks and perked up.


    "I''ll be counting on you then."


    Roy practiced his swordy and marksmanship for hours. When midnight came by, a cloud of smoke appeared in the zoo, and Gryphon was back to normal. It was the size of a calf. Its body was brownish-yellow, its wings greyish-ck, and its eyes were shining. Gryphon grew a little over the past month. It was starting to look like an apex predator.


    "Take it to the operating theater, Roy. Pin it down, but don''t hurt it."


    The magical light shone down on the griffin. A pair of pale, gaunt hands were caressing the creature. Linus would pry its beak open to check its tongue, pull on its ws, and check on its mane and wings.


    Even though Roy was right there, the griffin still growled quietly. It felt mortified.


    "Alright, Gryphon. Be patient. You''ll be having a feast after this."


    The griffin roared.


    The checkup was done half an hourter.


    "About seven months old. It''s growing well. Master Roy, the griffin is in great state. I don''t see any parasites or fleas on it. I can see you''ve been raising it well." Linus pulled his hands back and took his gloves off. The look in his eyes was a lot gentler now. He thought Roy was an animal protector just like him. "Do trim its nails every month. Gryphon is transfigured most of the time, so it doesn''t have enough time to sharpen its nails. They might grow inward and hurt it. And Gryphon needs to exercise more."


    "I need to keep it under disguise if I want to go around," Roy exined, then he shook his head. "But this is my fault." He hugged the griffin. "I''ll keep an eye out for that."


    Linus nodded. "Gryphon will be staying at the zoo for the next few days if nothing else. It''ll get its exercise. I''ll test its flight and hunting skills. And I''lle up with a menu for it."


    "I''ll be counting on you." Roy gave Gryphon a look that said, <em>Stay in touch. </em>He hesitated for a moment, then he asked, "I have a question, professor. Have you ever tried riding ke or Chelsea?" Longing appeared in Roy''s eyes. "You can soar through the skies¡­"


    "I get what you''re saying." Linus shook his head. "In most cases, griffins can carry one person when they''re ten months old. However, I''m scared of heights, and griffins are far too proud to let anyone ride on them. They''ll get angry if I force them into it."


    <em>Ten months, huh? That won''t be long now. </em>"It''s alright. Gryphon is a good girl. It''s not as aggressive as the other griffins. Riding it is the best way to form a bond." He patted Gryphon''s head and smiled at her. "Am I right?"


    Gryphon roared in confusion.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 282: Suspect

    Dawn had just broken through the horizon, but Oxenfurt''s marketce was already starting to swing in full gear. It was filled with all kinds of people as usual. Coachmen pushing carts filled with merchandise ahead, coolies who were dragging their trishaws, and Oxenfurtians who came to the marketce for their daily purchases.


    The marketce''s air was filled with the stench of sweat, crops, meat, and something rancid. Even if the witcher could cover his nose, he couldn''t block out the cacophony of noises in the marketce. Shouts of the sellers, heated haggling, calls of livestock, cries of children, and the sound of people spitting on the ground.


    "How much longer, Roy?" Kanti frowned.


    "Patience, Kanti. In a moment." Roy looked at the logbook. He softly pushed away the pudgy, sweaty man ahead of him. Before the man could even turn around, he held Kanti''s hand and darted into the crowd. They stopped at a grilled bar. The seller''s eyes were red from the smoke. Roy tossed him two coins and picked up two grilled cuttlefish from the stand. He chomped down on one of them and gave Kanti the other. "Nothing better than some grilled cuttlefish in a ce like this."


    Kanti chomped on her cuttlefish. The throng buffeted her ahead, and she curiously asked, "Roy, how''d you guys manage to stay focused for so long? Don''t you need to rest or anything? You just finished that case back in the fief, and now you''re already starting another investigation? Don''t you guys get exhausted?"


    Kanti was reminded of the investigation the day before. She saw the house and thought it was a regr house, but Auckes saw the house and found a huge amount of clues. He was calm and efficient, not unlike a machine. If it weren''t for the fact that she witnessed the witchers'' banter, she would have thought they were a bunch of monsters who got their emotions erased, just like what the rumors said. <em>Roy fits the bill though. If he still had any emotion, he wouldn''t have refused me.</em>


    Roy finished his cuttlefish and smacked the grease off his hands. He grinned at the girl. "What kind of life do Zerrikanians idealize anyway?"


    "A life of battling powerful monsters for honor," she answered without hesitation.


    "Taking all kinds of requests and making a living out of it is a witcher''s idea of an ideal life. We''re born for this. We''ll keep working until we retire. At most, we just reduce the number of requests we take."


    ***


    "Seafood! Get your fresh seafood here! Just caught them this morning! And it''s going for cheap!" A gaunt seller with a bandana around his head was standing in front of a row of fish tanks, yelling out at the passing people. His face was pockmarked from a life at sea, and his skin was a reddish-brown hue. "Trouts, sturgeons, carps, crabs, octopus, lobsters! You name it, I got it!"


    "Ron Rick?" someone asked. A silhouette showed up before the seller. He was a lean man in light armor. He had an aloof look on his face, and his eyes were a special golden. It scared the seller a little, but heposed himself and bowed a little.


    "What would you need, sir? Fish? My fish are the cheapest and freshest in the market. I guarantee it."


    "I''m not here for your fish." He looked around. The fish tanks were filled with aquatic lifeforms from the sea and Pontar. <em>This is the biggest aquatic produce supplier in town. </em>"I''m here for answers. Do you know who Whishaw was?"


    "Why do you want to know?"


    "None of your business."


    "Sorry," the seller said cautiously. "I might be a lowly seller, but I''m still a businessman, and integrity is important in business. I will not sell my customers out just like this." He emphasized thest part of the sentence.


    The witcher and thedy beside him exchanged a look and smiled. "Give us a one-pound carp then."


    "Will do!" Ron beamed, but he said, "I wee any buyers, but I still can''t answer your questions. Leaking a customer''s details is against the rules. Nobody''s gonna buy my stuff if I break the rules."


    "I''ll have two pounds of carp then."


    The seller was not convinced.


    "Ten pounds then." The witcher sighed. If they weren''t in a crowded marketce, he would have cast Axii on the seller and made him kiss his lobsters.


    Ron was starting to waver, but he was still on guard. "Why do you want to know anyway? You trying to steal my customers?"


    "Do you think I look like a fish seller?" the witcher snapped.


    Ron leaned on his fish tank. He rubbed his chin, looking at Roy closely. "You look like them ganglord''sckeys. Younger and a bit more handsome than they are though."


    "So do we have a deal or what?"


    "Sure do. Ten pounds of carp it is. Been a while since he came." The seller made a decision. "But you''ll have to pay me first. Two crowns, please."


    ***


    "Whishaw was a big client." The seller weighed the coins and put them in his pockets. "He came here every other day for thest six months. Every time he came, he''d purchase a hundred pounds of fish, but the guy went missingst week. Another guy from the academy took over for him."


    <em>The other guy? Oh. Whishaw''s roomie and Linus'' other assistant¡ªBen. Are theypetitors? </em>"You should know him well, given that you''ve been dealing with him for months," Roy said.


    "Not as well as you might think, but yeah," Ron answered calmly. He wasn''t as close to Whishaw as Roy thought.


    "So what kind of man do you think Whishaw was? His personality, the way he talks. Anything. And don''t lie." Roy pointed his skewered carps at the seller, his eyes filled with warning. "Or you''ll be having carp sashimi for breakfast."


    <em>Sa¡­ what''s he talking about? </em>The seller trembled. Roy might be a young witcher, but the look in his eyes scared Ron anyway. He had seen a lot of customers who came from all walks of life, but none of them were as chilling as the young witcher. "Of course, sir. You bought my fish, and I''ll give you the answers you want. It''s a fair deal." Ron stood up straighter and thumped his chest. "Everyone knows that ol'' Ron Rick is a reputable man. Ask around," said the man who sold his customer''s details for ten pounds of carp.


    Roy nodded. "Continue."


    "Whishaw was¡­ a man of few words. Honest to a fault. Inflexible," Ron grumbled. "He wouldn''t allow any mistakes. If he wanted a hundred pounds, he''d take a hundred pounds. Not even one pound less. Heck, sometimes the fish came up to a few ounces less than a hundred pounds, but he just wouldn''t let it go. A loyal guy to his employer though. He records all his spendings in the logbook. I saw it sometimes. He wouldn''t even lie."


    Roy nodded. What Ron said fit the description Linus gave them. "Did he exhibit any strange behavior after hisst purchase?"


    Ron thought about it seriously. "He told me he needed to go home for some family business, so he might not be here for the next purchase. It''s been a week since then, and the otherd is the one who managed thest three purchases. He''s as efficient as Whishaw, but I do miss him. It''s been a while. Where did Whishaw go, witcher?"


    Roy stared at the seller for a long time. In the end, Ron averted his gaze. Roy said, "None of your business. Did Whishaw get into any argument with someone here? In the marketce, I mean."


    "Argument?" Ron''s eyes widened. He froze for a few moments and shook his head.


    "Did anyone ever ask for his details then?"


    "You jest, sir." Ron nodded at him. "That''s what you''re doing right now."


    "Aside from us," Roy said coldly. Ron hesitated. "So you <em>do </em>know something." Roy pointed the carps at the seller, swinging them around like they were his sword. The carp''s head thrusted ahead, almost giving Ron a kiss. "Answer me."


    "Put it down, sir!" The seller craned his neck backward weirdly and sighed. He smiled dryly. "Being a businessman is tough. Cross the wrong person and it''s game over. Please, don''t point the fish at me. I''ll tell you."


    The witcher removed the fish sword.


    "It''s nothing much. Some local thugs wanted to know about him," he exined. "He kept spending big money for six months. Anyone''s gonna be curious about it. They were just asking around." He kept looking around.


    "Just asking around?" Roy sneered. He didn''t believe the seller. "You sure they didn''t have anything else in mind?"


    "I don''t know what you mean."


    "No matter. So tell me, who are those thugs?"


    "I''m not doing your business anymore. I''ll give you back the money. Give me back my fish!" Ron shook his head in terror.


    "Are you sure?" Roy thrusted the carp into Ron''s mouth. He wriggled his wrist and turned the fish around in his mouth, as if he were brushing Ron''s teeth.


    Ron''s arms were held down, and he kept struggling. Eventually he rolled his eyes and made muffled noises. His face was red. When he was almost out of breath, Ron finally nodded.


    Roy took a deep breath and let go.


    Ron coughed violently, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Darn it, fine! I''ll talk!"


    ***


    Roy and Kanti left happily a whileter. They had twenty pounds of carp in their hands. Roy bought another ten pounds as an apology for what happened earlier. "This''llst Gryphon for a bit. I wonder if the thugs'' friends are behind this. Whishaw did make the purchases every other day. He''d be buying about a thousand pounds of stuff over six months. Even if all he bought were carps, they''d cost about a few hundred crowns. That''s no chump change. Anyone would be interested."


    From what Ron told them, the thugs who wanted to know more about Whishaw were unemployed guys living on the outskirts of Oxenfurt. They were incorrigible bullies andzy bastards. Every now and then, they woulde to the marketce and threaten all the merchants into paying them money. It was some sort of racketeering. They were also the members of some gang. There were about a few dozen members in it. Ron didn''t work with them, but he didn''t tell the truth in case the thugs came after him.


    Still, these thugs were just small fries. They wouldn''t go too far. At least, robbery and murder were out of their realm at the moment. "Suspicious. But it''s a pity they didn''te. I could confront them and probably crack the case otherwise."


    "What about the other assistant? Is he a suspect too?"


    "Ben? Letho''s dealing with him. He''ll make sure Ben tells him everything."


    ***


    They went to the butcher market and asked the seller for details. It was almost the same thing Ron told them. At this point, the thugs were the biggest suspects.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 283: Arrangement

    It was nearing noon. The sun was shining high in the sky. Linus was gathering the students at the Faculty of Natural History.


    "Did you get anything, guys?" Roy leaned against the wall of the building and looked at the nervous student, then he turned his sights to hispanions.


    Auckes cleaned the cracks between his teeth and sighed. "There are thirty-five students in this faculty, including the masters. We grilled them for answers, but we found nothing."


    "They''re a bunch of weaklings. Schrs and honest guys." Letho rubbed his head. "All it took were some scare tactics, and they told us everything. Their rtionship with Whishaw, the age they stopped wetting their pants, and even who their crush was. We didn''t even have to use Axii. Carl probably has better guts than these people." He patted the boy''s head.


    These intellectuals of the faculty lived in luxury. They had never seen bloodshed before. Of course Carl was braver than they were. The boy saw his family and friends killed before his eyes, and he survived the wilds with the witchers.


    "So the other assistant is no longer a suspect then?"


    Letho nodded. "Ben''s a selfish guy. He did try to sabotage Whishaw from time to time, but he''s not the mastermind behind the murder."


    "Ah, so that leaves only one avenue." Roy heaved a sigh and smiled at hispanions.


    "You guys found something, I assume?"


    "Yeah. The sellers told us something interesting." They told the witchers what the seller said.


    The witchers mused over it. Before they could say anything, Linus suddenly appeared behind them. "A couple of thugs were snooping around for Whishaw''s information?" Linus'' face tensed up, and confusion welled in his eyes. "Why''d they wanna keep an eye on a poor student?"


    Felix took his sunsses off and looked at the professor. "Isn''t it obvious, professor? They weren''t interested in a poor student. They were interested in all the purchases Whishaw made. They wanted to get into the business and make a profit out of it."


    "I agree," Felix said. He looked at everyone. "I had to stay in touch with the local thugs back in the south for work. They''re a bunch of impoverished people, but they''re despicable scum who wouldn''t work a day in their lives. They''d do anything to rob the merchants of their money. They love crowns, but not the honest work involved to get it. They can do anything for money. <em>Anything. </em>Your student didn''t have any bodyguards like those merchants do, nor was he a noble or anything. He was the best target for the thugs. They could easily rob him of his money."


    The corner of Felix''s lips twitched. His eyes narrowed, and he trembled. The professor roared, "Damn those bastards! They attacked a student of the academy? This is the northern kingdoms'' center of academia!"


    The locals were respectful of the academy people. They didn''t want the academy to punish them if they stepped out of line, and they wouldn''t want to get in the bad books of someone who might be wildly sessful in lifeter on. There was barely anyone who would attack the students.


    "They couldn''t have survived Oxenfurt if they were not smart." Auckes said, "And that''s why they didn''t attack Whishaw in the town. They waited until he went back home. Remember what we found? Whishaw and his mother were tortured before they died. It''s proof that the thugs wanted to make Whishaw tell him more about the ''business.''"


    Linus stared down. He looked a little confused. "But I''ve been a resident for decades. And I''ve been raising the animals for years. A few of my students, before they graduated from the academy, had been purchasing the animals'' food for a while at that point. That was before Whishaw''s time. So why did they attack him now?"


    "Who knows?" Roy shrugged. "Maybe they just needed more money."


    Letho said, "Or maybe there''s another reason. The killer might be someone else. We''re all justing up with spections. We have no proof. But the thugs remain the biggest suspects. Keep an eye on them."


    ***


    "The seller did say the thugs belonged to some sort of organization." Roy said with uncertainty, "Something called the Redanian Free Company?"


    "What is that?" Everyone was confused. "Some sort of local gang? Do you know anything about it, Mr. Pitt?"


    "The Redanian Free Company." Linus frowned. There was displeasure and disdain in his eyes. "Every Oxenfurtian knows of it."


    "Tell us more."


    "It''s a fourth-rate organization made by some declining aristocrats living on the outskirts of Oxenfurt and Novigrad. They''re involved in petty crimes and racketeering businesses, but only on a small scale. Never thought they''d attack our students."


    "Do you know where their base is, Mr. Pitt? Or the address of their important members?" Roy wanted to make the first move. A momentter, he said, "They haven''t been threatening the marketce sellers for days. They''ve probably gotten all the info they wanted from Whishaw."


    Linus massaged his temples. He was a schr who spent most of his time researching endangered species. He had no time for thugs. "Sorry, but I don''t know much about them. All I know is their members are mostly made up of farmers'' kids."


    The witchers weren''t surprised.


    "So what next?" Letho looked around.


    "I''ll deal with it."


    "What''s the n, kid?" Everyone gave Roy encouraging looks.


    Roy looked at Roy, Auckes, Serrit, Felix, Carl, and Kanti. "Auckes, Serrit, Letho, you guys will be looking for intel in the inns, hostels, and brothels."


    "Sure thing." Auckes thumped his chest. "Just wait for the news."


    "Try tracking the mastermind down if you run into anyone or anything suspicious." Roy clenched his fists. "Find their base, but don''t attack right away." He said solemnly, "We''re in Oxenfurt. This is a holy sanctum of knowledge. Do not take any lives that easily." <em>I don''t want anyone going around calling me the Butcher of Oxenfurt or anything. At the very least, we''ll need to have enough proof before we can kill anyone.</em>


    Linus looked at him gratefully. He thought Roy was being considerate.


    Roy nodded and turned to the others. "Kanti, Felix, Carl, you guys stay with the professor and keep him safe."


    The three of them agreed readily.


    "If they managed to extract any information from Whishaw¡­" Roy looked at Linus. "You''ll not be the only one in danger; your zoo is at risk as well."


    Linus had a horrified look on his face. He spent an astronomical amount of money to raise the animals. They were more precious than gold. <em>Is that what those bastards are trying to do?</em>


    "You forgot someone, Roy." Auckes wrapped his arm around Roy''s neck menacingly.


    Roy was starting to get red from suffocation. "I''m a free man. I''ll be going to anyone who needs me."


    "What?" The vipers red at the young witcher. "You gave all of us jobs to do while you can ck off? Get real."


    "Fine." Roy finally managed to break free of Auckes'' grasp. He heaved a sigh. "I''ll be staking out right outside the ind. Happy?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 284: Olgierd von Everec

    Northwestern Oxenfurt, a certain building near the sea.


    A great hall stood behind the steel gates. Empty wine bottles and leftovers were strewn across the floor. The air was filled with the rancid stench of rotten meat and wine. Apparently, a great party had been thrown not too long ago in this ce.


    Most of the guests were gone after the party. Only one drunken man remained in the hall, lying in the middle of the bottles. He was smacking his lips, snoring loudly. The man was about twenty years old, and he had a Mohican hairstyle. Aside from a thin strip of hair, his whole head was bald. The man was muscr, and he was wearing a sleeveless leather jacket embroidered with beautiful patterns. His chest and arms were revealed, and the man looked fierce. He was a hardened man.


    He burped, his pungent breath wafting into the air. He muttered, "I, Vlodimir, will¡­" He burped again. "...will revive the Everec name!"g


    Someone flung the door open, and in came a giant of a man. He strode over to Vlodimir, huffing and puffing. The giant yanked Vlodimir''s arm. "Wake up, Vlodimir, bad news!"


    Vlodimir snored.


    "Keep sleeping and our ns are gonna be ruined!" The man rubbed his hands nervously. He picked up a wine bottle and poured the content onto the drunk man''s face.


    Vlodimir jolted awake. He let out a bizarre scream and sat up, his eyes wide with rage. "Who did that? I''ll kill you!"


    "It''s me, Punk the Barrel." The pudgy guy looked scared. "I have something important to report. I didn''t mean to disturb your sleep."


    "What do you want?" Vlodimir was rubbing his cheeks. They were swollen from his hangover. He muttered and snatched the bottle from Punk, pouring thest drops of wine onto his tongue. "You woke me from my sleep. If I''m not happy with your answer, you''re not getting a single copper from this deal."


    "Something happened in the academy. One of our members told us. Linus Pitt gathered all the Natural History students for interrogation. He must have found Whishaw."


    Vlodimir patted Punk''s belly with the back of his hand. "My dear cousin, that''s all it took to make you nervous? You''re as big as humans get. Calm down." He put a hand on his hip and leaned against the wall. Vlodimir said, "It''s been a week. Those guys must have found something, no matter how stupid they are. But believe me, they won''t find anything useful. They won''t affect the organization." Vlodimir said, "Besides, the purchase guy just sent the herbs over. All we need now is a chance." Vlodimir''s eyes were shining. "Once we take the stock to that person, we''d make enough crowns tost us for years. And the great Everec Family will get through this crisis." Vlodimir smiled. "And my brother won''t have to worry about money anymore."


    "But Vlodimir¡­" Punk hemmed and hawed. "I heard that witchers are involved in this. Those weirdos are terrifyingly powerful. If they find anything, they''ll ruin our ns¡ª"


    "Shut your mouth!" Vlodimir''s face fell, and he red at Punk. He looked like a lion, ready to pounce. Hisnguid attitude was reced by a serious look. "Nobody told me we had witchers in town. They''ve gonex!"


    <em>But you held a celebratory feastst night! </em>Punk thought. "They just came yesterday."


    "They just had toe right now!" Vlodimir took a deep breath and paced back and forth. "Barrel, tell the smarter guys to keep an eye on the Philosopher''s Gates. I want them to tell me everything right away. We''ll leave the witchers alone if they haven''t realized what we''re after, but if they do, we''ll get rid of them. We''ll show them the power of the Free Company."


    Punk was still hesitating. He had heard a lot of incredible rumors about the witchers, like how they could fight a hundred men on their own and how one of them butchered the whole of viken. <em>Can we really deal with those monsters? We don''t even have sixty members. </em>"Why don''t we tell your brother about it and see if he has anything to say?"


    "He needs to stay in contact with our client. He can''t leave just yet, but I''ll tell him once hees back. Before then, you guys do as I say, got it?"


    ***


    At the same time, a man and a woman were holding hands, walking along the Everec manor. Flowers were in full bloom everywhere.


    The man was tall and handsome. He had a reddish-brown mustache, giving him a manly look. The girl was petite. She was beautiful, her skin as fair as snow, and her hair was a lustrous ck. She looked like an angel who came out of a portrait. Not even the blooming flowers couldpete with her looks.


    The couple would huddle close for a moment and part the next. They enjoyed their little thrills. Olgierd von Everec suddenly plucked a violet rose and ced it between the hairs of the girl. He stared at her. He was the prodigal son and the next-in-line for the Everec Family. Olgierd only reserved his gentle side for this woman before him. She was Iris Bilewitz, the daughter of a rich family and his soon-to-be bride. She was also his beloved.


    "My love." Iris held his hand, staring at him. "I need to talk to you." A moment of hesitationter, she said, "My father¡­ He''s¡­"


    "He wants to know about my debt again?" Olgierd let the rose go and turned around. He said calmly, "Tell him I''m going into a deal with someone important in Novigrad. Once the deal is done, I''ll repay all my debts, and my family will rise to prominence once more."


    Olgierd sighed. A long time ago, the Everec Family were nomads, but they fought bravely and contributed greatly to Redania. They were granted the rank of noble and made their way into the upper society. They were at their peak of power. Everyone wanted to please them. The Everec Family was prominent for a time.


    However, generations passed, and the family fell into decline. Recently, they were hit by a number of catastrophes. It was as if theirnds were cursed. Everyone else''s crops would increase year by year, but they harvested almost nothing in recent years. They had to keep pumping crowns into the fields and see if they could recoup their losses. To make things worse, the woodcutting factory he invested in earlier was a scam. He lost all his investment and owed a mountain of debt.


    Even his fianc¨¦e''s family was starting to look down on him. <em>But the nightmare will be over soon. I have a n. </em>Olgierd''s fury faded a little.


    "I''m sorry, my love. I shouldn''t have brought this up during these trying times." She shook her head. She thought he was just trying to make her feel good. "But my father is worried. He''s a merchant. He has his own vulgar attitude when ites to money. He puts too much emphasis on profit, and¡­" She pursed her lips. "He seems to be objecting to our marriage. I think¡­"


    Olgierd turned around and hugged his lover. "Nobody can take you away from me."


    "Don''t worry. I won''t leave you." Iris leaned into his embrace. She said lovingly, "No matter what they say, you''re the only one I love."


    "Trust me. I''ll repay my debt in one week at most. Then I''ll give you the best life you can imagine."


    "What kind of business is that? Is it the same scheme you were up to?" Iris was worried. She was reminded of something else. The Everec Family only had a hodgepodge army called the Redanian Free Company. When he was younger, Olgierd led thepany once and robbed passing merchants and farmers. It had been years since he stopped that, but his men started another shady business.


    "Don''t worry. It''s a legitimate business." He put her left hand on his chest and kissed her hair. Olgierd looked at the estate''s flowers, excited. "A great collector in Novigrad has set his eyes on some merchandise. My men and I will purchase it and toss in a free gift. Your parents are merchants. You know how the rich guys are in the free city. The reward is great. More than enough for my family to get through this crisis." Olgierd could imagine his future. Even after he repaid his debt, the remaining crowns would be enough to please his greedy inws. "Then I''ll hold a great wedding. I swear!"


    "I believe you." Iris smiled sweetly and leaned against his chest.


    The flowers under the shade swayed in the wind, and the couple came closer.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 285: Tailing and Misleading

    Punk got Vlodimir''s message and set off for the academy''s ind with the smartest men he had. They saw their targets right after high noon. Three witchers came out of the Philosopher''s gate. One of them was wearing a cape, another had his hair tied up, and he was deadpan. Thest one was a bald man with a body as powerful as a beast. They were none other than Auckes, Serrit, and Letho, who were out to gain intel on the Free Company.


    Punke left one guy behind to stake out the gates, while he and two other men went ahead. They didn''t get too close though. The rumors about witchers scared them. They tailed the witchers from far, far away, following them from the academy all the way to The Chancellor''s Home in the eastern side.


    The trio split up into two teams and went inside after the witchers were inside the inn for five minutes. It was daytime, so the inn didn''t have anymps on. They relied on the sunlight, and it was a bit dim. Most Oxenfurtians were busy at work at this time. They''d onlye to the inn at night, so there were only a few customers around.


    The innkeep was a bard. He was ying his lute on the stage. It was a slow, sleepy tune. The witchers were not far from the counter. Their table was filled with wine and meat. They were chatting, and they were loud. Punk and one of his men heard them talking about vulgar, sexual things. They were in a corner, keeping themselves hidden in the shadows. Unlike the witchers, they ordered two mugs of the cheapest dwarven liquor and borrowed a Gwent board from the innkeep to pretend they were ying. The other guy took up the window seat alone. He looked like a merchant who lost all his money in business. The guy acted well. He was looking at the passing people sadly.


    "I don''t think they''re here for anything other than liquor, boss." Rov tossed a card and gulped. He stopped ncing at the witchers.


    "Just shut up and do your job." Punk was surprised as well. He thought the witchers were here for intel, but after they ordered their liquor, they didn''t talk to anyone else.


    "Just y your cards and stop looking at them. The mutants have great eyesight." Punk tossed a card and looked at the board. He smiled. "Fifty-four to thirty-five. You lost, Rov!" He downed the liquor, and Rov looked enviously.


    The weird taste made him frown, but he finished the liquor and heaved a sigh. He worked at the Oxenfurt port for half a day to make enough money for the liquor. <em>I''m the third-inmand of the Free Company, and this is all I can afford. I feel sad for myself.</em>


    Back when the Everecs were still rich, Olgierd and Vlodimir would reserve the whole inn and have an all-you-can-drink session with the gang. They would get the hottestdies in Oxenfurt for the boys as well. It had only been ten years, but the Everecs had declined. Their business was going downhill, and their investments were nothing but failure after failure. They also had to fork out some money to help the gang. Most of the members were unemployed, and they refused to toil in the fields. The Everecs had a mountain of debt. They were in critical condition.


    "Once Olgierd makes the deal, we''ll have enough money to get through this. I won''t let these meddling witchers ruin it." Punk''s eyes glinted coldly.


    ***


    "Remember the time when we tailed that griffin in Amell?" Auckes wiped the wine from his mouth and winked at the other witchers.


    Serrit chomped on the bloody, sauce-drenched steak and grinned. "Of course. We borrowed Roy''s horse and used it to set a trap to lure it out." Serrit snorted. "And there were some beasts that tried to ambush us too. How many were there?"


    "You''re drunk. You forgot about it?" Auckes raised one finger. "It was one boar. Was probably famished. It really needed food, so it thought we were prey, but it was just a beast at the end of the day. It wasn''t smart enough to see that we were not to be trifled with. We chased it all the way to its home and made its whole family our dinner."


    "No, <em>you''re </em>drunk." Letho put his ss down and burped. "I remember it was three boars."


    "You sure?"


    "Positive."


    The witchers kept chatting and exchanged smiles, then they went back to their food.


    ***


    The witchers left the inn and went to a brothel called Silver Cloud.


    "I think we were worried for nothing, boss. These guys are here just to have fun. They didn''t notice anything." Rov was hiding in an alleyway near the street''s exit. He saw the witchers holding a woman each. They were huddled together, and all of them went into a room. The guy was green with envy.


    A momentter, Punk said, "Tell Vlodimir about this, and don''t embellish anything. Larry, you stay with me and keep an eye on the witchers."


    "Leave it to me, boss." Rov left happily, but unbeknownst to him, a silhouette was hiding on the roof right on top of him, tailing him like an agile cat. It hopped and skipped through the roofs without making a sound.


    ***


    The same building in northwestern Oxenfurt.


    "We tailed them as you said. Three of them went and had some fun in an inn and brothel. They didn''t say anything about us. Didn''t do anything weird either." Rov sounded confident. "I don''t think they realized we were behind Whishaw''s death."


    Vlodimir''s hands were behind his back. He stepped around and kept his silence for a moment. "There are five of them. Where are the other two?"


    "In the academy with Linus."


    Vlodimir frowned. He looked worried.


    Rov pursed his lips. He said, "Boss, I think we should pick up the pace. We should¡­" He lowered his voice. "Kidnap the rare specimens in the next couple of days. It hasn''t been two days since the witchers came to town. There''s no way they could have found out about our n, but if we don''t do anything, they might¡ª"


    "I know! I don''t need you to tell me that." Vlodimir red at him and sighed. The n was ast-ditch one, and mistakes would not be tolerated. He clenched his fists. "Are the boys in the delta prepared?"


    Rov was delighted. "Of course. You just saw them two days ago. They''re waiting for your orders."


    "Did you check the boat, meds, and equipment?"


    "I do that with Punk every day. No problem with them."


    "Tell Punk to gather all the boys here tomorrow morning." A pauseter, he said, "We''ll be starting the operation tomorrow night at thetest."


    "What about Olgierd?"


    "I''ll tell him right away."


    A sound came from the second floor, stopping the conversation. Their hearts skipped a beat, and they went upstairs, but all they saw was an empty bottle rolling on the floor. The window was opened, and a gust of breeze blew in. A fat tabby cat was lying on the windowsill. It meowed at them, surprised that they showed up.


    "Where''d this cate from? That scared me. I thought someone was listening in." Rov patted his chest.


    Vlodimir heaved a sigh of relief as well. He picked the cat up and patted it. As he looked at the people outside, he finally made his decision.


    At the same time, a young man was crouched on the roof outside the second floor, his amber eyes glinting. "The Free Company¡­ Vlodimir¡­ Olgierd¡­ the rare animals¡­ I see¡­"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 286: Before the Operation

    The afternoon flew by. As the sun was setting, the young witcher left the academy''s gates and rendezvoused with hispanions in the abode outside the ind.


    "Where did you guys go?" Roy sniffed the air and caught a whiff of alcohol and cheap women''s perfumeing from the Vipers. "I thought you guys went for recon."


    "Shut it. We have serious business here." Letho hid and gave Auckes a look. "Tell him what we found."


    Auckes shot Roy a happy re. He said slowly, "Someone followed us the moment we left the academy." He snorted. "I bet they never researched us. We saw through their acting right away. It was obvious, so we yed along."


    ***


    Auckes told them what happened, and they could imagine how it went down. Vlodimir, the leader of the Redanian Free Company, kidnapped Whishaw, who made big purchases frequently at the marketce. They managed to extract news about the rare animals and set their sights on them. The Free Company had an agreement with some important guy too, so they were nning the kidnap for a while now. They had boats, meds, and equipment. Auckes thought the meds were sedatives for the animals. They would infiltrate the academy the next night to steal the animals and move them to Novigrad.


    "And I had no idea about it!" Linus nched, and he was drenched in sweat. He couldn''t imagine the agony he would feel if he lost his animals. "Good thing they underestimate you. Witchers¡­" Linus gave them a pleading look.


    "Enough said, Mr. Pitt." Auckes smirked. He put his hands together and cracked them. "We''re gonna finish the request. We''ll take them all out. Since they''re gonna gather at that ce tomorrow, I say we arrest them all."


    "It won''t fly." Linus said, "You saw through their ns, but you have no proof they killed Whishaw, nor can you prove they''re after my animals. And you also said Vlodimir''s involved¡­" Linus stopped for a moment.


    "So what?" Auckes was curious.


    "My faculty colleague told me that Vlodimir''s a rare name. If I''m right, he''s a direct descendant of the Everec Family, and their ancestors founded Redania with Radovid I. They''re the descendants of Redania''s founder. I can''t believe they would fall so far just to make a living. Oh, and their coat-of-arms is a boar."


    "Are they hard to handle?"


    Linus shook his head. "Quite the contrary, in fact. The Everecs are on a decline. They''re no longer the same family they once were. Barely an aristocratic n, but they''re still influential to an extent. We can''t do anything to Vlodimir unless we have definitive proof.¡±


    Felix, who had been silent, interrupted. "Mr. Pitt, witchers judge things a bit differently from you guys. These guys are crooks. They''re unemployed, and they''re a menace to the people. Now, they''re also murderers. Do we have to find proof of their crimes before we can judge them?" He said, "We can incapacitate all of them with a single bomb, and five witchers plus a Zerrikanian deswoman is enough to block all the exits and capture them all. And then¡­" Felix shed his hand across his throat, his eyes glinting coldly. "We''ll kill them. That''ll be the end of it. That''s the best choice."


    Carl was shocked by the suggestion. He curled up a little. Everyone else looked surprised. Linus was pale. He said carefully, "Master Felix, I don''t think they deserve death just for the crimes they did. It''s a bit too much, don''t you think?" Linus detested them for what they did to Whishaw, but he was still mostly rational and gentle. He preferred to judge these killers byw.


    "Worry not, Mr. Pitt." Letho shook his head. "He was just kidding. Oxenfurt is not a good ce to kill anyone. We''ll go byw."


    "I was not kidding," Felix said seriously, patting Carl''s head.


    "We''ll go with Mr. Pitt''s suggestion. He wants proof? Then we''ll catch them red-handed," Letho decided. "We''ll pretend we know nothing. They can go ahead with their operation, then we''ll catch them when they infiltrate the academy."


    "That''s for the best." Linus heaved a sigh of relief. "I''ll tell the security department to get a few of their men to work with you, witchers. We''ll make sure they''re all captured."


    "No." Serrit declined. "Having outsiders is just gonna make things chaotic. What do you think, Roy? Roy?!"


    "Huh?" Roy snapped out of it.


    "It''s not like you to get distracted at a time like this, kid."


    "Sorry. I have nothing to add. We''ll go with this n." Roy was still out of it. He was thinking about something else. "Vlodimir¡­ The Everecs. That''s someone I know." <em>The Everecs are still around. Guess the Hearts of Stone storyline hasn''t taken ce just yet.</em>


    ***


    The next day, seaside vi.


    "You don''t look too good, Olgierd. Didn''t sleep well?" Vlodimir looked at his brother. He had dark circles under his eyes. He teased, "Couldn''t sleep because Iris wasn''t around?"


    The Everec brothers were muscr. Olgierd was handsome, while Vlodimir had a chiseled face, so he looked a little fierce.


    "Enough. I don''t want to hear her name today." Olgierd massaged his forehead in frustration. Iris'' parents took her back the day before, but that had nothing to do with his loss of sleep. It was because he had a vivid nightmare. The scenes he saw confused him, but he was terrified as well. It was a pit of despair. <em>Dreams are usually the opposite of what happens in real life, </em>he told himself.


    "My poor brother. Look at you. Don''t push yourself too hard." Vlodimir wrapped his arm around Olgierd''s shoulder and turned around to face the four dozen men in the hall.


    These men were all twenty to thirty years old. They wore humble clothes, and their skin was tanned from the sun. They were lean, but they had this violent look in their eyes, unlike most peasants. They also looked excited and full of desire.


    "They''re ready. Once we get the merchandise and take our reward, we''re gonna reserve the whole Silver Cloud and party!"


    Olgierd took a deep breath and held his unease down. "What about the business at the marketce?"


    "Don''t worry about it. Punk ''convinced'' the fish and meat seller to add the <em>stuff </em>into their meat. All we have to do is wait for Linus'' guy toe and purchase it. We told him to put a big dosage into it. It''s enough to knock a dragon out. The sedative will start kicking in two hours after the animals have their meal. They''ll be out for at least a day and a night. As for the witchers¡­" Vlodimir sneered. "They''re still having fun like yesterday. They''re not a threat."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 287: Destined Failure

    It was midnight in no time. There was barely any light left in Oxenfurt. A deep silence fell upon the town, and the moon was shining down on the delta. Ripples spread across the waters as a dozen slender wooden boats rowed across the river, slowly closing in on the academy. Most of the boats were upied. The men were armed with crossbows and curved des. They looked cold and determined. Their trip went smoothly, and theynded on the coast outside the ind.


    Vlodimir got off first. He stepped into the river and looked around. About five minutester, he swung his arm down, and a dozen of his men set up woodendders. They climbed over the walls and entered the academy.


    Vlodimir pulled his brother up. He whispered, "Olgierd, you stay outside and keep an eye out on the boats with some of the men. Make sure we have a way out if anything goes wrong."


    Olgierd tensed. "This is not what we agreed on, brother. You''re staying behind."


    "No. Listen to me!" Vlodimir held his shoulders and pulled Olgierd forward. He pressed his forehead against Olgierd''s, staring straight into his eyes. "Don''t forget how this works. You stay behind ande up with a winning strategy, while I lead the men into battle. That''s how we got so far, and we''re sticking to that n. And I don''t have a lover or anything. I don''t have anything holding me back, so I can go all out. You don''t. You have the duty of reviving our family, and you also have Iris to think about."


    Vlodimir looked around. Most of their men had infiltrated the academy, and they were waiting for their orders. "Think about Iris. Only a hero like you is worthy of a gorgeousdy like her." He said enviously, "What would she do if anything were to happen to you? Do you want to see her cry her heart out every day and die from sorrow?"


    Vlodimir pulled his brother down from thedder and climbed up himself. He looked back for a moment. For some reason, Olgierd was reminded of that bizarre nightmare he had. He wavered, and he stayed back.


    ***


    The academy was not as quiet as they thought it would be. A lot of the rooms were still lit, since the students were burning the midnight oil. Vlodimir was in the vanguard. He crouched and moved stealthily from one tree to another, moving through the path he was visualizing in his mind. He hadbed through the academy''s map dozens of times.


    About thirty silhouettes were following him silently. Things went smoother than they thought. They came to a giant spruce a whileter, and they saw the warehouse that was coated in camouge paint. Vlodimir heaved a sigh of relief andughed at himself for being too cautious. He asked his men to pry the door open with the tools they prepared.


    "Boss." Punk huddled closer to him. "Your idea was great."


    "What idea?"


    "You asked our man to eat more animal innards. Some of them got their night blindness cured. We only got this far thanks to your idea."


    "Shut up." Vlodimir heard the chains getting broken, and he kicked Punk''s behind. He had no time to chat. "Let''s go. You''re leading."


    "Huh?"


    "Scared of the knocked-out animals, coward?"


    Punk stared at the entrance. It looked like a void. The guy looked a little miffed. He cursed silently and carefully went inside.


    "You, and you¡­" Vlodimir told two of his men to stand guard outside.


    ***


    The zoo was a scary ce at night. It was eerie, like the sewers. They heard chirps in the darkness, and weird trees and shrubs stood on both sides of the paths. They would rustle too, perhaps from the movements of some animals.


    Punk was holding a torch up, but his arm was trembling. He kept advancing through the path carefully. Everyone moved quietly as well, looking around them cautiously. They were worried that some kind of monster would pop out from the darkness.


    "It''s alright. I''m safe," Punk whispered to himself. "The animals are in deep sleep because of the sedative. Even if they aren''t, my brothers will beat them into submission. Melitele bless me¡­"


    His prayer seemed to have worked, since they found their first target safely a momentter. A scaly reptile with sharp fangs, ws, and a forked tail was lying in the grass, unmoving.


    "A dracolizard?" Punk gulped and tossed a stone at it, but the creature did not respond. He did the same thing three more times for safe measure, then he wiped the sweat away from his forehead. "I knew it!"


    "Good job, cousin." Vlodimir patted his shoulder in encouragement. This monster in front of them was like a gold mine. He quickly told his men to move the creature onto the stretcher and take it to the entrance. "The sedative worked. We''re splitting up into teams of ten. We can cover more ground that way, and make it quick. I told you all about the animals, so don''t take anything worthless. Make it quick. The quickest guy is gonna get a bonus."


    "Yay, you''re the best, boss!" The men were delighted, and their fear was abated a little.


    "But remember, if you run into anything that''s not knocked out, shoot them with your tranq arrows, got it?"


    After Vlodimir gave his orders, three teams split up and disappeared into the darkness. Vlodimir led his team into the northern part of the area. He could vaguely see a pond there, and it was reflecting the moonlight. Halfway through the path, one of his men stopped everyone. "I-I think I saw something moving in the grass, boss."


    Everyone''s heart skipped a beat. They took their tranquilizing arrows out and aimed at the darkness. Vlodimir frowned and held the hilt of his de. "Are you sure that wasn''t a false rm?"


    "I''m sure." The witness'' teeth were chattering. "They were like a cat''s eyes or something. Amber and greenish eyes. There!" He suddenly shouted, pointing at the grass ahead. Everyone turned their sights to it, and their torches shone on a patch of rustling napier grass. They wondered what was behind it.


    They could even hear the sound of their gulps. One of the men got too nervous and pulled Gabriel''s trigger suddenly, sending a bolt flying into the grass, and the rustling stopped.


    A moment of silenceter, they heard a meow arcing through the air. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    "That scared me. This is one exciting operation, boss."


    "A little cat scared you? That''s embarrassing." Punk shook his head and strode over to the patch of grass. He was going to teach that cat a lesson.


    Vlodimir frowned. He had a feeling something was wrong. "Careful, Barrel. Don''t go there! Come back! Come back, did you hear me?"


    "Right away, boss." Punk stood in front of the grass and slowly turned around. What hisrades saw shocked them. A thin, vertical line appeared on the center of his face. It started from his forehead and extended down to his chin. It was like a bloody line broke his face in two. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Punk asked, curious.


    "Your face¡­"


    "What''s with my face?" He touched his forehead and felt something warm on his finger. When he took it down, he saw nothing but blood. "Blood? This is a joke, isn''t it? I¡­" Punk started gurgling, and the line on his face broke. Blood spurted out of his wound, sttering his face. He fell backward, his eyes wide with disbelief. Even in death he couldn''t believe he was killed.


    "Punk!" Vlodimir shot at the grass patch with a vengeance, but something moved faster than him.


    A silhouette leaped out of the grass, and they could see that it was humanoid. It was curled up, but its limbs were outstretched, looking like a puma that was hunting its prey. It leaped across the air and glided past the nearest Free Company member. A de glinted in the air, blinding them. The de appeared for only a moment, then it followed the silhouette into another patch of grass.


    Blood spurted from the neck of that member, and something meowed. A man mocked, "Run, little mice."


    "Damn you!" Vlodimir fired shots at the grass, and the other members huddled closer to him in fear, shooting as fast as they could. Someone then gasped and held a part of his body. He froze, apparently getting shot by a bolt that came out of nowhere. His vitals weren''t shot, but the bolt numbed him, stopping him from moving.


    "It''s poisoned! Be careful!"


    Another member fell, and they lost four men in mere moments, yet they didn''t even see who the killer was.


    "It''s the mutants!" Three of the members kept Vlodimir in the center of their circles, and some charged toward the bushes. "It''s a trap! Run, brothers! Boss, you need to leave!"


    "And tarnish the name of the Everecs?" Vlodimir trembled with rage. His eyes turned crimson, but he was powerless to do anything.


    "Honor is nothing without life. You gotta make a run for it, or it''ll be toote! You need to tell the others, boss! Tell Olgierd!" Two of his men dragged him away and made a run for it, ignoring his protests. The other was left behind. He held his fear down and roared.


    That was thest sound he made in his life, and it was cut short a momentter. Vlodimir managed to barely turn around. All he saw was a phantom silhouette circling around the guy they left behind. His sword danced with him seamlessly, slicing the guy up.


    ***


    Battles erupted in the other regions too. Screams flew into the air, des shed, and some of the fighters were wounded by swords. The path they traveled when they came in seemed short enough, but now traveling that same path out felt like a lifetime. The men who dragged him out were gone. They were buying time for him to leave.


    Fear finally kicked in. He ran toward the entrance like his life depended on it. He held a torch up and ran on all fours like an animal. <em>I need to tell Olgierd about this. He''s the only family I have. The brother I adore most. </em>"He needs to marry Iris and continue the bloodline. I will not allow anything to happen to him."


    He saw the entrance. Hope was inches away, and he almost cried tears of joy, but just when he thought he could escape, reality denied him. The door was locked. Vlodimir crashed into it, holding out for the hope he could still leave. He kept crashing into the door. Eventually, he was injured, but the door did not budge. It looked down at Vlodimir coldly.


    When he finally lost his strength and plopped down to the ground, he realized that silence fell suddenly upon the warehouse. There was nothing but the sound of silent footsteps drawing closer. Eventually, a young witcher with two des strapped to his back showed up.


    "Vlodimir von Everec, correct?" Roy smiled genuinely. "Sorry. I wasn''t gonna kill everyone. Murder within the walls of the academy isn''t something I enjoy. But the Cat moved in for the kill before I could stop him, and he was stubborn about it."


    Vlodimir huffed and puffed. He was looking at Roy closely, trying to see the demon who rained down destruction on them. "We underestimated you, witchers." He closed his eyes, sighing. "How much did Linus promise you?"


    "What? You wanna bribe us?"


    "Yes." He took a deep breath. "Just turn your back on the warehouse and let us leave. I can split the profit in half with you. Do you have any idea how much we''re getting? It''llst you for years, even if you split your half with yourpanions."


    Roy rubbed his chin, pretending to think about it seriously. "That''s a tempting offer, but I refuse."


    "Why?"


    "No reason." He sneered and cast Axii on Vlodimir. "Sleep. You''ll see your family again when you wake up. In the gaol."


    Vlodimir''s sight blurred, and he lost consciousness. Roy looked at ke the griffin. It was on the stretcher.


    Roy''s eyes glinted. <em>I only got eighty EXP from killing the small fry, but if I take ke''s life, I can get 300 EXP right away. I''ll also get the Trial''s mutagen </em>and <em>me this on the invaders. Casualties happen in battles, after all. But the big guy has never harmed anyone, and it can''t hurt me either. Should I do it? Should I kill a monster that can''t even fight back?</em>


    ***


    On the other hand, Olgierd was staring at the looming walls. His gut was starting to scream at him. Something bad was happening. Olgierd was starting to sweat from anxiety, and everything before him was starting to get twisted. Eventually, he saw someone appearing in his sight. A bald, towering man appeared on the walls, staring coldly at them.


    The men around him fired at the man, but he dodged most of the bolts. One of them was deflected by a yellow shield around him. "Witcher?" Olgierd knew who the man was now, and he was shocked. "So Vlodimir failed?"


    The bald witcher didn''t give him time to think. He leaped down from the wall and rolled on the ground, then he charged toward the boat like a human siege machine. The witcher flung his de and smacked one of his men away easily. He then pushed his hand toward Olgierd. The air itself converged, and a powerful air current smashed into Olgierd. He lost his bnce and fell into the water. He caused a little ssh, but nothing more.


    Letho ignored Olgierd. To him, the guy was just a regr Free Company member. He charged toward the other guys, as if they weren''t terrorized enough already.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 288: Call of the Crossroads

    A cool morning breeze blew across the delta, taking away with it the bloody air that loomed over the academy. Linus and the witchers were going around the zoo, cleaning up the mess of the battle.


    "Witchers, the operation was a sess. We got their weapons, sedatives, and boats. It''s all proof they were going to abduct the animals. They can''t deny it. The criminals are now imprisoned."


    "What''s the verdict?" Roy asked. "How long are they gonna serve time?"


    "The judge is still going through it. It''ll take a few days to reach a conclusion, but the Redanian Free Company is done for." Linus looked really excited. "Murdering an academy student and stealing from the academy aren''t the only crimes theymitted. They were also involved in a multitude of robberies a few years ago. Killed quite a few merchants too. Vlodimir will be sentenced to death for those crimes alone, and his men will be sentenced to torture. Even if they survive that, they''ll be incarcerated for most of their lives."


    "Now do you think I went too far, Mr. Pitt?" Felix asked. He was holding Carl''s hand.


    "Of course not!" Linus scrambled to exin himself. "I feel nothing but gratitude for you, witchers. It''s all thanks to you that none of the animals were hurt, and I managed to escape with my life." He tried not to look straight at Felix. The guy was a cold-blooded killer. His lust for blood was terrifying, to say the least. About forty members of the Free Company infiltrated the academy the night before, and he killed seven of them. Everyone else held back. That was the only reason half of the infiltrators survived.


    "Mr. Pitt, I''m afraid that your zoo is now exposed. After what happened, you can''t keep it a secret anymore." Letho asked, "How are you dealing with the aftermath?"


    Linus said, "Well, we''ll see. At least it''s better than having my babies stolen away. There''ll be more people who''ll try to steal the animals now, but it¡¯ll be manageable. Just a while ago, everyone in the Natural History Faculty volunteered to keep the animals safe. It''s surprising how passionate they are about this. Perhaps I''ve been too paranoid." He shook his head, smiling. "Perhaps the organization Dorregaray and I came up with will finallye to fruition thanks to this."


    "The organization aside, are you sure all the Free Company members have been caught, Mr. Pitt?" Roy interrupted. "Did we¡­ miss anyone?"


    "Honestly, yes. Three of them are missing. Two of them are farmers'' kids, so there''s nothing to fear from them."


    "And the other one?"


    Linus hesitated for a moment, then he answered. "His name is Olgierd von Everec. Vlodimir''s brother and another direct descendant of the Everecs. He escaped in the heat of battlest night, but not for long. The soldiers have stered his wanted poster all over town. As long as he''s in Oxenfurt, there''ll be nowhere to hide." Linus sighed. "And another thing. Investigations say the von Everec brothers owe a huge debt. They tried to kidnap the animals so they could make money and pay off the debt. At this rate, the Everecs'' estate will go on auction at the end of the month to raise money for the debt. The Everecs used to be a great family. Their estate is one of the biggest ones around. If you''re interested, I can give you a letter of rmendation for the auction."


    "Witchers aren''t really rich to begin with¡­" Roy declined the offer. Oxenfurt was not his ideal ce for a fortress. He had another thing in mind. <em>The estate''s auction shouldn''t happen for at least a few more years. Why the speedup? </em>And then realization struck him.


    <em>It''s us. We''re the ones who changed the timeline. </em>If they hadn''te to Oxenfurt and meddled with the operation, the Free Company would have seeded in their ns, and the von Everec brothers would have made a lot of money from this deal. Enough to keep their family afloat for a few more years. <em>What about Olgierd? Now that his family''s demise is brought forward, will Gaunter step in?</em>


    ***


    Olgierd was on the ins beside the river outside Oxenfurt, huffing and puffing. His chest was heaving violently. After the witcher pushed him into the river with his Sign, he swam down the river and eventually got back tond, but he fell asleep right away. He woke up finding himself outside Oxenfurt, and it was already noon.


    Olgierd was a mess. His clothes were drenched and creased, his eyes were bloodshot and dreary, and his hair and beard were clumped together. His face was a sickly red. He had a low fever. "How did this happen? Where did it go wrong?" <em>Those mutants saw through our n. That operation yesterday was a trap, and I led my men straight into it! </em>Fury and self-me filled Olgierd.


    Not too long ago, he went into the town and got some intel, but there were soldiers patrolling every entrance. He even saw his wanted posters on the walls of the town. To make things worse, his manor was surrounded too. He couldn''t even go home. <em>The academy is behind this. No way the soldiers woulde after me so soon otherwise.</em>


    <em>But I have one ce left to go. </em>He pushed himself up and wobbled slowly like an old man. Olgierd was heading to Oxenfurt''s northwest area. A few hourster, an exhausted and hungry Olgierd finally came to a remote manor hidden among the trees. It was a quiet ce.


    This was the home of his fianc¨¦e, Iris. It was the manor of the Bilewitz Family. Iris'' parents were famous merchants in Oxenfurt. They were rich and powerful. It would be great if they could offer him a hiding spot, but ever since his family went on a decline, the Bilewitz had been trying to break him and Iris up. They would probably make things harder for him, but he had no choice. He had to hold out for this sliver of hope, no matter how slim it might be. He washed his face at the pond outside the manor and straightened his clothes out before approaching the manor''s gates.


    "Halt! Who goes there? State your name!" A pair of muscr servants stopped Olgierd from entering. They looked at him closely and frowned at his outfit. "Why did youe to this manor?"


    "You must be new here. I don''t me you for not knowing me." Olgierd was infuriated that a pair of mere servants would take that tone with him, but he was in no position toin. He put on a polite front. "I''m Iris'' betrothed, and I am here to see my fianc¨¦e. This is urgent, so stay out of my way."


    "You''re Olgierd von Everec?" The guards'' faces fell, and they grabbed the hilts of their des. "Sorry, but the master has revoked your marriage with the miss this morning. You''re no longer affiliated with the Bilewitz Family. Leave. You are not wee here!"


    "He revoked the marriage? Damn that old bastard!" Olgierd''s heart sank. <em>Shit. They know what I did. They''re cutting ties with me. </em>"Fine." He held his rage down. "I''ll leave after I see Iris onest time!" Olgierd still wanted to see her, even in this dire situation.


    "The master has taken her to town." The guard was losing his patience. He was about to pounce on Olgierd. "Stay away from her if you know what''s good for you, or else."


    Another guard said, "Honestly, if Miss Iris hadn''t told us to spare you, we would have taken you into town and collected our bounty. Leave. Get as far away from Oxenfurt as you can. That''s thest thing Miss Iris can do for you. With how you are now, you''re not worthy of Miss Iris. Do you expect her to go on the run with you?"


    "I''m not worthy of her?" Olgierd froze, his rage doused. Reality was slowly sinking in. He lost his brothers, he lost his home, he racked up a huge debt, and now he was a fugitive. "Why did I evene here? I can''t possibly ask her toe with me. She has a great life ahead of her. I can''t ask her to give all that up for the life of a fugitive."


    He shook his head bitterly, trembling in despair. The man gave the manor onest look, and he left.


    ***


    Olgierd was left with no avenues of retreat. He wandered the wilderness like a lost soul. After what felt like an eternity, despair and confusion finally ate away at his sanity. All he could see in his head now was that nightmare again, but this time, he hesitated no more. Olgierd decided to take that only sliver of hope like a man who was about to drown. He moved ahead to the crossroads he saw in his dream.


    The moon hung high in the sky. A man tortured by hunger, exhaustion, and illness came to the crossroads. His fever worsened. His vision blurred, his chest was stuffy, and he felt nauseous. His brain felt like mush, preventing him from thinking straight.


    Everyone around him was bizarre. The sunflowers, bamboos, and even the shrubs beside the path were swaying around violently, as if possessed by some demon. The chirps of insects and the howls of winds were slowly getting farther away from the man, but then they would suddenly shout out like they were inches away. It felt like he was hearing murmurs in his head.


    Everything was strange, but there was one thing getting clearer and clearer. A mysterious figure in a ck cloak was standing at the crossroads. It extended his gaunt, spindly arm and waved at the man.


    "I-Is that a fortune teller?" Olgierd wasn''t sure if he was seeing things, or if this was reality. He dragged himself dumbly to the old woman and copsed into a heap in front of her.


    The woman slowly pulled her hood back, revealing an old, ugly face covered in keratosis. The hag had a big nose, a sharp chin, and her face was covered in odd paint. She looked as horrifying as the witch in his dream. "Did youe into my dream to warn me of this?" he asked, bbergasted. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The witch shook her head. "My name isn''t important. I was just passing by, and I noticed your concern, so I showed one of the possible futures to you in the form of a dream," she croaked. Her voice was grating, like a knife dragging itself against a smooth surface, but it also sounded weirdly rhythmic.


    "Why''d you lead me here? So you couldugh at me?"


    "Olgierd von Everec, to most people, you''re in a dead end with no way out, but I''ll give you a chance to choose. Look around you."


    Olgierd was beguiled by the witch, and he looked around himself. What he saw were a few crossing paths leading into unknown futures.


    "The crossroads are a magical ce. They, like fate, point to different oues born of different choices. And now you''re at a crossroad, literally and metaphorically speaking. You need to make a choice." She pointed to the left path. "This path leads you far, far away from Oxenfurt. It takes you to a remote vige where you can live your whole life in peace and quiet." And then she pointed to the path on the right. "While this path leads you to a way out of your predicament."


    "How?" He muttered to himself. Olgierd shot up and turned to the right. What he saw there was an opened tome and a ck dagger.


    "Summon the great entity ording to the instructions written in the book. They''ll grant you any wish you want."


    "A great entity? Do you mean demons? They can actually grant you wishes?" If this was in the past, Olgierd would only take it as a joke. He was still sane back then. But even his dream was turned into reality now. He''d put nothing beyond the realm of possibilities. He didn''t care about what was true and what was not, nor did he care about the price he had to pay. The man held the book. "What should I do?"


    He flipped over the page with difficulty, brushing his hand across the parchment paper. He could read it thanks to the moonlight, but the book wasn''t written in Common Speech. He had no idea what it was talking about. There was a picture of a big magical circle with the star of David in the middle. The outer circle was filled with esoteric runes.


    "Patience,d. Let me teach you¡­" The witchughed eerily. She was happy with Olgierd''s choice. "Now, you''ll need to draw out the circle on the ground with your blood, then you''ll need to chant the incantation."


    Olgierd cut his wrist without hesitation. The agony made his face contort, but he didn''t even whimper. Instead, he looked relieved. "If this is nothing but a dream, then please, snuff out the life from me."


    His blood trickled down his hand and fell to the ground. The crimson liquid bloomed on thend. When he was done drawing the circle, Olgierd was already dizzy from the loss of blood. He could see stars around him. It was all he could do to kneel in the circle. Olgierd was covering his wrist with a piece of cloth torn from his shirt.


    "Well done. The Great One shall smile on you. Now, say it after me. <em>Bloede blethe col d'' yaebl dice dwimmer¡­ easnadh evellienn geas hav'' caaren¡­</em>"


    ***


    Olgierd felt himself getting colder and colder as blood kept trickling out of his body. His life force was absorbed by the magical circle. Everything was freezing, and he was shivering, but he stubbornly stayed awake, chanting the incantation after the witch.


    Winds started howling, and something invisible was hanging in the air, fidgeting around. And then the magical circle shone brightly, as if it were lit on fire. Olgierd fell. His eyes were rolled back, and he was spasming like someone having an episode of fits, but still he kept chanting.


    Eventually, something popped, and the bizarre phenomenon went away. Olgierd stopped spasming, and he copsed into a heap. It took him a moment to snap out of it, and he looked around nervously.


    The sound ofughter boomed in the air, followed by a long, long sigh. Olgierd felt a gust of wind zooming past him. He looked up nervously and saw a skinhead in a messy vest.


    The man stood under the moonlight, and the space around him rippled like it was water. Not even light could escape the ripples. They were sucked into it. The man was one with the shadows. It felt like he was darkness itself.


    The witch bowed at the mysterious man and retreated into the trees. The man spread his arms and took a deep breath. Light shone through his body. It was like the man''s body was broken and forcibly patched together. "Olgierd von Everec. Impable timing. I shall grant you an additional reward."


    "Wh-Who might you be?" Olgierd stammered. He clutched the cloth on his wrist. The man was terrified but excited at the same time. <em>This¡­ bizarre creature that appeared out of thin air is a demon? A demon that can grant my wishes?</em>


    "You may call me the Master of Mirrors. I am a traveling merchant," he said raspily. The man''s voice alone sounded magical, almost hypnotic. "I have responded to your call, now state your wish. And then we''re going to sign a contract. You and I are going to make a deal. A fair one. You aren''t worth more than one wish, but this time, I''m willing to make an exception. You can make three wishes."


    "Any wish?"


    "I''ll be the judge of that."


    Olgierd froze in disbelief for a moment, then joy filled his soul. <em>He can grant any wish? And I get three wishes? So he </em>is <em>a demon. This is unbelievable! </em>Olgierd covered his mouth. He broke into a sob, and then he burst out inughter. He was shivering in delight. Not even the sweat on his face could bother him. The first thing he thought of were his men. The witchers tortured them, and he had no idea if they were still alive.


    "I¡ª" Olgierd was about to say something, but he came to an abrupt halt. For some reason, he was reminded of the old legends spoken in thesends. It was a story of untold horror. <em>A wish from a demon alwayses with a price. Which means¡­ </em>"What''s the price, Master of Mirrors? What''s the price for my wishes?"


    The Master of Mirrorsughed. "I collect my payment in the form of souls. Nothing but souls."


    Olgierd stared down at the ground. A lump had formed in his throat. His mind was in turmoil, and his heart was beating fast. <em>A soul? What would I be without my soul? An empty husk. There''s no reason for these wishes then. All of them would be for nothing! </em>But it was impossible for him to give up this chance. <em>My men, my lover, my family. I can save them all. </em>He couldn''t let this chance go. Olgierd gritted his teeth, clenching his bloody hand into fists.


    "Is that a no? I don''t have time to waste on you, partner," the Master of Mirrors said impatiently. "Waste my time, and all bets are off!"


    "No, wait. I-I do have a wish. Hear me out!"


    The Master of Mirrors was delighted by this turn of events. "Well, I''m listening."


    "First, I want my brother, Vlodimir, to show up right here, right now. And I want him to be safe and sound. Second, I wish for a powerful and invincible body!" He could still imagine how that bald witcher killed off his men in mere moments, as if they were nothing. <em>If I have that kind of strength, I can have all the wealth and power I want. And Iris¡­ Iris wille back to me.</em>


    "Of course. Sign the contract, and I''ll grant you your wishes."


    "H-How are you gonna grant me my second wish?" Olgierd asked with a trembling voice. "Can you be more specific about it?"


    "I''ll give you a magical heart. One that''s as hard as stone. You will gain invincibility. Nobody can kill you, and you can master a lot of magical spells too. How does that sound?"


    Olgierd nodded. He was starting to tremble uncontrobly. Excitement and terror were welling up within him. <em>One more wish, and I''ll have made a pact with the devil. He''lle for my soul soon. I won''t get to enjoy my wishes for too long, but the alternative is¡­ uneptable.</em>


    "What will your third wish be?" the Master of Mirrors asked raspily.


    A gust of wind zipped by him, and Olgierd shivered. He regained a sliver of his sanity, but he had no idea what his third wish should be. "I don''t know what I should wish for. Can I save it for another day?"


    "Hah! Do you take me for a fool, Olgierd? If you''re ''saving'' that wish until the very day you die, then I would have gotten nothing out of this deal." The Master of Mirrors pped in condescension.


    "No. It won''t take too long," Olgierd said nervously.


    "I''ll give you a time limit. Tell me your third wish in a month. Before that, I''ll only grant you your first. Once you made up your mind, I''ll grant the rest. And read the contract closely. Especially the wishes you can and cannot make." A pauseter, the Master of Mirrors extended his arm and grabbed a golden parchment out of thin air. It was filled with terms and uses, but a line was missing in the middle. "If you still can''t make up your mind in a month, I''ll take it that you''re giving up the wish. And your soul will be mine."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 289: Disappearance and Departure

    Three days had passed since the criminals'' apprehension. The morning sun covered the academy in a golden nket. Linus was standing outside his zoo. The breeze was gentle, but the look on his face was solemn. "Vlodimir von Everec, leader of the Redanian Free Company, escaped prisonst night."


    The witchers had a bad feeling about this. "Calm down, professor. Tell us more about it. I don''t think anyone would do a prison break in Oxenfurt." The witchers had seen Oxenfurt''s prison. It was a town within a town. The ce was heavily guarded. It was a maximum security prison. They couldn''t imagine how Vlodimir managed to break out of it.


    Linus was unnerved. He was fidgety. "From what I know, Vlodimir disappeared into thin air. The inmates saw it. It sounds ridiculous. Like¡­ Like it was magic."


    "You sure they aren''t making this up?"


    "I talked to some of the witnesses, and their reactions seem genuine."


    "Have they noticed anything else? Like minor earthquakes, weird sounds, strong winds?"


    "I didn''t ask that," Linus answered slowly.


    "We should have killed all of them back then." Felix''s eyes shone dangerously.


    Everyone fell silent. A grim aura hung in the air.


    "So what do you think?" Letho rubbed his head. He too looked solemn.


    "I''ll take a guess. Vlodimir must know some kinds of sorcerer. I know some powerful sorcerers can bust someone out of prison without making a sound."


    Kanti frowned. "You''re forgetting something. Vlodimir''s brother is still on the run. He might have contacted a sorcerer."


    Serrit shook his head. He argued, "No, that''s impossible. I know how mages work. They''re not gods. They can''t grant wishes with the snap of a finger. They''ll need a portal to transfer a living human from one ce to another. There''s no way a portal wouldn''t rm the guards and inmates."


    "Some sorcerers can block out human senses, or at least disorient them. It''s possible what they saw wasn''t the truth." Felix paused for a moment. "Magic''s involved in this. Mr. Pitt, we''ll need you to lead the way. We want to know more about this."


    "Of course. As long as we can recapture the escaped criminals." Linus was confident they could capture Olgierd, since he was alone, but now that Vlodimir had gone missing, he was worried the brothers mighte back for revenge.


    Everyone was trying toe up with a n, but Roy was frowning. Something told him that it was not a sorcerer who broke Vlodimir out of jail. <em>Are we back to square one? Did Gaunter O''Dimme back to help Olgierd out? If it wasn''t him, then who?</em>


    ***


    Vlodimir was starting to stir. He looked around himself groggily. The sky was dark, the moon shone on the woods around him, and the soil underneath felt soggy. The leaves on the greenery around him were covered in dewdrops. He could smell the water in the air. The cool breeze kissed him, and he shivered. Vlodimir rubbed his eyes. This time, he was sure this was the wilds, not the prison or anywhere near it.


    "What happened?" Vlodimir remembered talking with his men a moment ago. They were going to deal with the soldiers and the torture. Everyone was watching them. <em>So how''d I get out here? This is bizarre. </em>"Is this an illusion? Or am I dreaming?" Vlodimir tried to p himself. His strength almost failed him. After all the torture he went through at the hands of the soldiers, it was a miracle he could muster an ounce of strength.


    The dull sense of pain told him that this was no dream.


    "Yes, my dear brother. This is no illusion," a familiar voice said. Vlodimir felt a chill run down his spine.


    He turned around and was met with a tall but exhausted man. "Olgierd! You¡­" Vlodimir''s jaw dropped. His eyes widened in surprise. And then he felt confused. <em>It''s only been two days at most, but something''s different about Olgierd. And not on the outside.</em>


    Olgierd was still looking sharp, handsome, and devilishly charming. He was pale and exhausted, but there was no mistaking the excitement in his eyes. Compared to how he was before, Olgierd now felt mysterious, as if he were hiding something beneath him.


    "Why are you here, Olgierd? Did you bust me outta prison?" He staggered ahead. Olgierd quickly held his arms, but Vlodimir thought his fingers were deathly cold to the touch.


    "Vlodimir, you''re the only family I have. I couldn¡¯t leave you tonguish in prison. Of course I had to bust you out."


    "How''d you do it?" Vlodimir looked at his brother and saw a crimson rune on Olgierd''s right forearm. He knew Olgierd all too well, and he was sure there wasn''t any tattoo on his forearm before this.


    Olgierd noticed where he was looking. He gave Vlodimir a tired smile and covered the rune with his sleeve. "Long story, so I''ll make it short. A great being has shown mercy to me and granted me a new life." He shook his head. "Details for another day. Now we must leave Oxenfurt. There are pesky insects out and about, hunting for us. We can''t stay for long."


    "A great being?" Vlodimir was stunned. <em>That''s not like anything Olgierd would say. </em>But he didn''t press further. "Are we leaving Oxenfurt alone, brother?" Vlodimir asked. "You busted me out. Can you do the same for our men? Those bastards forced us to tell them everything we did. Almost everything. Most of our men have a list of crimes under their belt. They''ll be tortured at this rate."


    Olgierd shook his head and sighed. "Sorry, but I don''t have enough power to do that at the moment. We''ll have toe back for themter. Once we settle down elsewhere. Don''t me yourself, brother. This isn''t over yet." A crimson gleam shed in Olgierd''s eyes. "Linus, the witchers¡­ Everyone who did this to us¡­ I''ll make them pay! But not now. Not until I take the manor and Iris back."


    Vlodimir hung his head low. "But where can we go? Those Oxenfurtian bastards locked out the manor. And they''re hanging posters of us everywhere."


    "We''re gonna rise back to prominence right here in Oxenfurt. But first, we''ll need a ce to settle. Somewhere in the outskirts of Oxenfurt. Then we''ll make our ns." <em>And I''ll have to see if I can use my third wish to deal with the Master of Mirrors. </em>Most people never had the chance to meet any demons. They had no idea about demons or how they operated. He needed an expert in the ult to give him some tips to deal with the Master of Mirrors.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 290: Studying in the Academy

    They went through the cells and found mana residue in the prison. They asked the witnesses and soldiers about it, and their answers were about the same as what Linus told them. Thanks to that, everyone thought a sorcerer assisted Vlodimir in his jailbreak. Sorcerers could go around a lot of ces in a short time thanks to their portals, so everyone gave up on arresting the escaped criminal. Regrettably, they had to close the case.


    Linus asked the witchers to stay around for about two to three weeks, at least until the Free Company''s members receive their due punishment. He was worried the von Everec brothers woulde for their revenge.


    The witchers agreed. There was still time until their meeting in Novigrad, so they stayed back in Oxenfurt.


    ***


    Felix wanted to drop in at the Faculty of Espionage and Faculty of Applied Destruction, but these faculties never took any dropins. In the end, he had to keep Linus safe alongside Carl and Kanti. The three of them would care for the animals in the morning. They would purchase their food, feed them, clean their excrements up, or y with them (under Linus'' guidance). They had to make sure these animals got the exercise they needed, just like dogs.


    They would spend their time in the Natural History sses, learning something from the lecturers. They learned about the habits of the animals, their hazard levels, weaknesses, predators, and how to give first-aid if needed. Linus brought up the concept of protection of endangered animals many times.


    Felix was not fazed at all. He was a veteran witcher, and he knew he was a monster killer. Linus'' lectures did nothing to change his mind. Carl, however, was a different story. Thanks to Linus'' lectures, Felix''s student got along really well with the animals, and he would talk about things like ecosystem bnce and animal protection.


    Felix wondered if he should feed Carl the acorn they got from the Ladies and make him forget the stupid ideas Linus was teaching him.


    Kanti was sucking all the knowledge up like a sponge. Her ambition was to hunt powerful creatures and have badges of honor tattooed on her body. Everything Linus taught her woulde in handy.


    Because of the zoo''s exposure, almost the whole Natural History Faculty members volunteered to help out, and it relieved much of Linus'' stress. The once-quiet zoo was now bustling with life.


    Everyone else had their own thing to do. Auckes dropped in at the Faculty of Poems. He wanted to master one branch of the arts and flirt with thedies with poems like the bards usually did. The witcher wanted to have a change of taste. He would love to flirt with the wives of rich men this time around. Roy wondered if what Auckes learned would be useful though.


    Letho went to the building of the Alchemy Faculty. He was a student of the Nilfgaardian academy in his younger years, though only for two years. Naturally, he wouldn''t let the chance to learn from the best alchemists the northern kingdom had to offer slip. He spent all day working with those mad researchers. Whenever Roy would pass by the building, he could see Letho in a room, arguing vehemently with the messy, stubborn researchers in there. He thought it was fun.


    Serrit chose the Faculty of Innovative Technology. He wanted to make some new gizmos and small items, so that was the best ce to learn. He also wanted to see what thetest tech was like. It would be great if he could get some ideas from the brightest minds and modify his traps further. The traps would be essential for his dumb brother''s safety.


    Roy was a lot busier than hisrades. He was now a griffin trainer. He had to train Gryphon''s sprinting, gliding, flight, and hunting skills ording to Linus'' training menu. Of course, he gained some EXP during the hunting sessions. He also had to make meals packed with all kinds of nutrients that involved fish, meat, and greens. Not to mention he had to trim Gryphon''s hair and ws. The young griffin grew well thanks to the regiment. It could fly for a long while now.


    Aside from the griffin training, Roy spent his time on swordy, marksmanship, Signs, or researching herbs and medicine. Thanks to its leading status in the world of academia, Oxenfurt''s Faculty of Medicine had the most advanced andplete apparatus in itsboratory. Roy used Linus'' letter of rmendation to buy a bunch of new apparatus and switched the old alchemical items in his inventory for the new ones. <em>This is gonna be helpful.</em>


    He kept making marigold potions, paralyzing poisons, meditation potions, spirit potions, and all the potions he mastered. As practice. These potions could be useful for their trip in the free city, but someone was hurt in the process of all this potionmaking.


    Roy called Carl over every time he needed someone to test out the potion he made. He used ''adaptive training'' as a pretext. Carl drank a lot of potions because of that. Very slightly poisonous potions. He puked after doing it for two days, and he cried after a week. The poor boy fell ill after two weeks of this torture, but still he kepting. The other witchers approved of that steely will he showed.


    The witchers were clear how deadly the trial could be, especially Roy. Even with Lytta''s unreserved help, he still had to expend one charge of Full Recovery just to get through it. If Carl could get through this pain, he might have a higher chance of passing the trial, where failure meant death.


    ***


    After that little torture Roy put Carl through, Felix finally decided to put the trial for his apprentice in motion. He was going to pick a day and have Carl take the potion, while Roy would start negotiating with him once they get to Novigrad and see if he could have the recipe.


    ***


    Everyone spent a nice two weeks at Oxenfurt, learning everything they possibly could. The date of the verdict came eventually, and the leaders of the Free Company were sentenced to death. The regr members were sentenced toshes, then they were either imprisoned or exiled to barren wastnds. The von Everec brothers didn''t show up, not even during the execution. It was then Linus knew that the danger had passed. "If you don''t mind, I''d like to invite you to an opening ceremony tomorrow. It''s for the Society for the Protection of Animals."


    The witchers were surprised that Linus actually managed toe up with that organization in half a month. He was ahead of his time.


    "It''s alright, Mr. Pitt. We''re leaving Oxenfurt tomorrow." Roy shook his head. "And you can''t expect monster hunters to join that kind of organization."


    "No, you took this the wrong way. I am not forcing you to join us. I''m just trying to say thank you," he said gratefully. "Without your help, I couldn''t have managed to keep my zoo, let alonee up with the organization." A pauseter, he said, "Witchers, this organization is the first of its kind on this continent. This is a historic moment. It''d be a shame if the key people who made this possible weren''t there."


    The witchers exchanged looks. They were obviously thinking about it. Carl was all for it too. "Just the ceremony?"


    "Just the ceremony."


    "Very well."


    ***


    The ceremony was as simple as Linus said it would be. He, the witchers, Natural History Faculty''s dean, Carl, and Kanti were holding a pair of scissors each. They were outside the Philosopher''s Gate, and the Natural Faculty''s members, some academy''s lecturers, and the crowd witnessed as they officiated the ceremony. There were no cameras around yet, or these people would have said ''cheese'' and beamed.


    There was an abundance of artists in the academy though. They made a quick sketch and fleshed the artwork out, creating a lifelike portrait just a whileter.


    The witchers got one of the portraits as a gift. The Vipers stood in the front row. Felix and Carl were by their side, and Kanti was in the picture too. It was like a family photo. Roy tucked it into his inventory space carefully.


    After the ceremony, Natural History Faculty''s members gave the crowd free sweets and drinks, and they made an important announcement too.


    Linus finally got over it. Instead of hiding the zoo, he thought it would be safer to showcase it to the public. With a lot of excitement, he announced that the zoo would be open to the public in the near future, and tickets would be sold at a low, low price. The Natural History Faculty''s members would act as guides, talking about the endangered species of animals to the visitors along the way. Linus hoped this would change the public perception toward these animals. If they didn''t see the animals as invaders or dangerous predators, he could carry out the organization''s mission more easily.


    The people were curious about the creatures too, and the faculty members exined everything patiently.


    While everyone was going on a tour around the zoo, nobody realized that the witchers had left the ce.


    "Why are you looking so tense, Roy?" Kanti was still thinking about the ceremony. "You don''t think the organization will work out? Or do you think Linus would fail?"


    Roy shook his head. "The SPA can only survive in peacetime. The people won''t care about animals if they''re starving themselves." Roy was trying to search his memory for this organization, but he didn''t remember the SPA existing in the witcher world. <em>Perhaps Linus is just a little speck of dust in this great wheel of time. Eventually he and the organization will be forgotten by history.</em>


    "But the Northern Kingdoms are doing well, aren''t they? It''s been years since a war broke out in Redania," Kanti asked curiously.


    "Peacetime has gone on far too long," Letho said. He looked at the skies far, far away. It was clear just a moment ago, but now dark clouds were starting to show, and they were expanding fast. "Change ising soon, and perhaps not for the better."


    End of Arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 291: Moore

    ''My dearest Roy,


    It has been a year since we separated. Months have passed since yourst letter came to us.


    Susie and I would sometimes think about the time we spent in Lower Aedirn. We had nothing but a rickety shack and an almost barren tobo field. Those were hard days, but at least we were all together. That was the most important thing.


    How are you doing, my son?


    In yourst letter, you mentioned dealing with parasites, bugs, man-eating beasts, and monsters. We''re worried about you. Susie even lost sleep over it, and we''re just ordinary humans. We can''t do anything but pray to Melitele and hope that she watches over you. Master Letho is an expert here. He has years of experience under his belt. Listen to him. Master skills and defend yourself against all the dangers that maye your way. Please, be safe no matter what. Live to fight another day.


    When we meet again, and that will be real soon, I want to see my son growing up into a strong, handsomed, not someone who''s lost an arm, leg, eye, or ear. Your mother would be devastated if that happened. But enough sad talk. I have good news for you.


    Your brother, Mino, is now a month old. Praise Melitele, he''s been free from any sickness ever since he was born. He''s a healthy, lively boy. He''s got beautiful ck eyes, a tiny nose, and a little mouth. You should see him yourself. He looks just like you when he smiles.


    The boy''s smart. Real smart. And an anklebiter too. Gurgles all day. We think he''s trying to say your name. He can''t wait to see his brother and hear his tales of adventure.


    That''s all for Mino. I wanna talk about our business. I just found out Novigrad''s the biggest city in the north. There''s more than thirty thousand people here, and not just humans. There''s elves, halflings, dwarves, and more! Food''s always in demand, so business has been going well. We make three to four crowns a day. It''s a lot better than farming in the vige. Enough to put food on the table in this city.


    We have Auckes and Serrit to thank. They helped us establish ourselves in Novigrad. They''re nice men, though I must say they are a bit of an oddity. You didn''t tell me how you''re getting along with them. But if you ever get into a fight with the witchers and have nowhere to go,e to Novigrad. You can live with us, like how you used to back in the vige.


    We have a lot to talk about. Don''t keep us waiting.


    Always loving you,


    Moore and Susie.''


    Thest stroke was drawn, the candlelight flickering. A young, plump blonde in a tight bustier stood up. She held the letter up and blew on the ink. "As you requested, I''ve finished the letter. I''ll be reading it aloud now. See if it needs any corrections."


    "It''s alright. No corrections needed." A gaunt man with a hunched back took the letter gratefully. "Thank you, Vesp. Sorry I had to trouble you." He tucked the letter into his shirt and patted it, then he took out a money bag caked in dirt. "As usual, here''s one crown for your work."


    Vesp shook her head. She looked at the man again. He was barely forty years old, but his hair was graying, and his face was covered in wrinkles. His skin was dry, and he looked like a farmer that had been through the roughest patches of life. He would ask her to write a letter every month for thest six months, but he had no idea where the recipient was living, so barely any letters were sent. He stacked them up, waiting for his son toe home and read them.


    She nced at him again. The man was abused not too long ago. There were bruises on his cheeks. He looked a little funny, but also pitiable at the same time. "The thugs came and threatened you again, didn''t they, Moore? You need the money. Keep it. Buy Mino some good stuff. Don''t let him starve.


    "Thank you, Vesp, but you need to make a living too."


    "I''m not short on money. Just take it back. Or take it as a little loan."


    Moore kept quiet. His wrinkles huddled closer as he hesitated for a moment, then he tucked the crown away. His son did need the money.


    "Moore, this may sound rude, but is your eldest a mercenary?" That was what Vesp gleaned from the look on Moore''s face and the letter''s content. "Do you want someone to try and contact him?" She pursed her lips. "If he''s staying in Novigrad, maybe those bastards will stop extorting youpletely."


    Moore took a deep breath and shook his head. Nobody could escape the jaws of the four gangs, not as long as they were in Novigrad. That was especially true for regr citizens like them. He changed the topic. "I should leave, Vesp. Susie is at the stand with Mino. I can''t leave them waiting."


    ***


    The sun barely shone through the cracks between the dreary houses in the city. One worried man was passing through the alleyway. Novigrad was trudging down the riverside on the outermost area of Novigrad. It was filled with dpidated, rickety houses, upied by the impoverished and ostracized. Thetter meant elves.


    Across the river stood a city of great buildings and business areas. There was a port right by the river. There were also two ughterhouses, three warehouses, and four watermills. The people were hustling inside these establishments, and all this was only one part of the free city.


    The city''s resplendence grew the further north someone traveled. The buildings were splendid, and the citizens who lived there enjoyed a higher status. On the northernmost side of the city stood a lone ind, separated from the main city by a bridge. It was the headquarters of Eternal Fire, the most authoritative figure in the city.


    The Eternal Fire was in control of the city, and they were more powerful than the gangs of Novigrad. Even so, Moore and his family preferred the ancient goddess, Melitele.


    "O great Melitele, deliver us from those bastards, I pray." Moore turned around and made way to the marketce not far from the entrance. The sounds of hollering filled the air, and everything became merry.


    Moore saw merchants in weird outfits who came from all over the world selling their merchandise here. He thought their ent was weird too. And then he thought about their lives over thest six months.


    They started off pretty good. With Serrit and Auckes around, the gangs didn''t evene to harass them or demand any protection racket. But once the witchers were gone, those thugs came back with a vengeance. Not only did they start taking protection racket, they even demanded the part Moore and Susie ''owed'' them from back when the witchers were still around.


    They were just a couple of regr citizens. These local gangsters made them go through their savings quickly. Their business was bing unsustainable from the constant harassment. "I hope everything goes well today."


    "Gone to write another letter for your boy, old chap?" A halfling barber rubbed his reddish nose and waved his furry hand at Moore.


    "Yeah."


    "I envy you. You have a family, but you need to hurry. I just saw some whoresons heading to your stand."


    Moore''s heart sank, and he hastened his steps. "Sorry, moving through. Excuse me." He squeezed through the throng. When he finally got to his stand, he heard a baby''s cries and the howls of a woman. Moore''s breathing became ragged, and his eyes turned crimson with fury.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 292: Reunion

    Moore''s stand was in the northeastern corner of Novigrad''s marketce, but all the baskets were strewn across the floor. The okras, turnips, and potatoes rolled everywhere, making a mess out of the ground.


    A mousey man was crouched before the stand, violently chomping down on a sulent radish. "Susie, we''re generous enough to give you a one-day extension on the fees. Either you pay us what you owe, or else."


    A pasty woman was curling up in the corner. She looked terrified, but the woman tried to calm her crying baby anyway.


    "I think I need to make this clear. You know, my brothers get really fidgety and angry when they don''t get what they are owed. And they get really violent. They might¡­ Oh I don''t know, hurt that little baby of yours. You don''t want that to happen, do you?"


    "You''ve taken all we have, Vincent. We don''t even have one copper left." The woman looked at him carefully. She pleaded, "Please, have mercy on us. We need to make a living too¡­"


    There wasn''t anyone in the vicinity of the stand. The sellers and people stayed away from trouble. There would be some curious souls who tried to get a better look, but the thugs would just shoot them a re, and they''d leave right away. Even the guards who were supposed to keep the peace were staying away as well.


    "What about the money you make?"


    "We just opened up for business. We haven''t even made a single copper. Nobody''s going to buy anything from us after what you did to us. We haven''t sold anything."


    One of the thugs rubbed his hands together and exchanged a look with hispanions. "Then don''t evere back again!" He kicked a basket toward the woman, and the baby cried even louder. "The marketce is Wiley''s turf. If you can''t pay up, you can''t do any business here. Pack up your stuff and get outta here. Do it yourself, or we''ll <em>help with it</em>."


    The woman broke down into tears. She was out of options. She tried to ask the crowd for help, but most of them were apathetic. A few of them sympathized with them, while someughed at their misfortune. None helped.


    "Please, stop. Have mercy," an old, raspy voice said. Moore hade back to his stand. He sighed. His wife and son were in pain, but he couldn''t do anything about it. The old man clenched his fists for a moment, and he loosened them up.


    He wanted to sacrifice himself and drag those thugs down with him, but then he realized his impulsive action would bring an even worse disaster on his family.


    These thugs belonged to one of the four gangs in Novigrad, and their boss was the legendary Alonso Wiley. He was a cruel man who had taken the lives of many. If Moore were to retaliate, by the next day, his family would suffer the repercussions of his actions. They might have their limbs cut off and their bodies stuffed into sacks just to get thrown into a watery grave.


    "You''rete, Moore. Where have you been, the Spear''s Pit? Dumped your wife and kid for some prostitutes? They might run away with some other man, you know?" A bald, scarred thug patted Moore''s cheeks.


    The old man''s face burned, and he stared down at the ground. "I-I went to make some money, Vincent." Moore forced a smile and took his pouch out. It pained him to do so, but he handed the man one crown.


    "Do you think I''m a fool, Moore?" Vincent snatched his pouch and rummaged through it only to find another lonesome crown. "You only made <em>two </em>crowns the whole morning? The tribute''s <em>ten </em>crowns, you old fool! This isn''t even half of it!"


    "But that''s all we have." Moore held his hands out. "We''ve only moved here for less than a year, and we know nobody in Novigrad. I-I couldn''t make that much money in such a short time. If you need more, then please, give me two more days. Once we sell off all the vegetables we have, we''ll have enough to pay you."


    Moore was almost on his knees at this point. "Please, take the crowns if you want. It''s a gift."


    One muscr thug shook his head and gave Moore a sidelong look. "Are you blind, you old git? There''s three of us here. Two crowns ain''t even enough for meat and wine. Either you pay up right now¡­" The man clenched Moore''s cheeks and stretched them as far as he could. They swelled up eventually, and he pped Moore, almost making him tuble. "Or you take your family and scram!"


    Moore hung his head low, not saying anything.


    "Daniel, how many times must I have to tell you? Don''t abuse the elderly. You kill him and the boss is gonna have to clean up after you." The mousey men sneered. "You''re in a predicament, Moore. But you''re a good man, and I''ll give you a tip on money making. It''s on the house."


    He looked at the baby the woman was holding in her arms, and he smirked. "The King of Beggars is hiring people for his ''beggars troop.'' He takes in everyone: the homeless, the crippled, even children. Your kid''s adorable. Whip him into shape, and he could make money off those women who love children far too much for their own good. Why don''t you sell your kid to him?"


    The muscr thug added, "We can help you with it if you don''t want to dirty your hands."


    "And your wife can work at Spear''s Pit too. Or any brothels, really." The bald thug looked at the woman. "She''s not young anymore, but she''s still good-looking. Skin''s still smooth. Some rich guy would probably take her."


    Moore looked horrified, and Susie nched. <em>He expects me to sell my son to the King of Beggars? He''d grow up to be a thief or some crippled child beggar. And I can''t sell my wife to the Spear''s Pit. I''m no animal! But these thugs don''t seem to be joking. </em>Moore was sure these evil men would do anything for money. "Can''t we talk this out, gentlemen?"


    "Don''t push your luck, old man," Vincent hissed. "Do as we say, and nobody gets hurt."


    Moore was silent. Just when the thugs were about to lose their patience, he blurted, "Gentlemen, you demand payment from us twice every month, but only once from the other stands." He sounded really grim and solemn. "We never said a thing about that. It''s been going on for six months. Is that still not enough?"


    "You''re bringing that up again? Do you <em>want </em>to die?" Vincent flew into a rage and sent Moore tumbling down with a kick. The crowd gasped, but he ignored them. "Let me tell you something, Moore. Cleaver''s gonna take over this marketce soon, so we''re gonna have to squeeze every crown we can from you before that happens. And six months isn''t enough to clear your debt. The witchers broke every single rule we have to protect you two. Caused a lot of harm to my brothers."


    Vincent was growling at them, but the memories only brought him fear and hatred. He touched his left knee. No matter how much he tried, he could never forget how those Vipers defeated more than twenty of them in mere moments, and none of them could even put on a fight.


    The witchers shed his knee with their swords, and it left¡­plications. He almost couldn''t walk upright whenever it was raining. Wiley was in a turf war against Cleaver back then. He had no time to deal with the witchers, so they had to suffer the consequences themselves, and Wiley was embarrassed. That was why Vincent went down hard on Moore and his family. Wiley loved torturing his victims until they lost their minds.


    "The witchers aren''t here. You don''t get to talk terms with me." Vincent raised his voice. "Unless you can call them here again. Do it! Do it, you old fool!" He pped Moore. "Those mutants are emotionless bastards. They probably forgot all about you. Give up!"


    "Please, stop!" Susie screamed, and the baby cried. The thugs cackled with delight.


    "Oh, that reminds me. They say you have another son. He''s a mercenary, isn''t he?"


    Moore bit through his lip and struggled to get up, but Vincent stomped on his back, keeping him down. Heughed. "Not bad. My brothers will give him a warm wee when hees to Novigrad. He can help you with most of the debt. Let''s see¡­ He''ll have to work¡­"


    The man pretended to count his fingers, and he announced, "His whole life!" The manughed. "Your son will be the great Alonso''s ve his whole life!"


    "And you''ll be long dead, scum!" someone growled coldly. It sent a chill up Vincent''s spine.


    The thug stiffened up like a rat who was in the sights of an eagle. He could feel a terrifying air of animosity crashing down on him. He was still smirking, but the man couldn''t even make a sound or move a muscle.


    And then a searing pain rained down from the top of his head. He felt a great force pulling his hair, and he was lifted into the air. Someone tossed him back, and everything turned blurry. With a sickening crunch, he fell back down.


    "Who are you? Unhand me!" He let out a guttural scream of agony. From the corner of his eyes, he saw hispanions getting dragged away from the marketce by a muscr silhouette in a grey hooded cloak.


    They took big strides and ran like the wind. When he looked up, he was met with a pair of amber, feline eyes. "Mutants? You''re a witcher!" He let out another scream of terror, but before long, they were dragged into the dark alleyway outside the marketce.


    ***


    Moore felt a weight getting lifted off his back, literally. The pain eventually went away, and he opened his eyes. The old man was greeted by a familiar face, though his eyes were feline. And he was more grown-up and handsome than Moore remembered. He coughed. "R-Roy? Is that you?" He was in disbelief.


    "Sorry for the wait, Dad, Mom." The young witcher pulled his hood off and hugged his father. He took him to Susie, who was shivering and almost in tears. And then he hugged her. "I''m here. You don''t have to worry anymore. Nobody will hurt you ever again." His eyes glinted icily. "Not even an emperor."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 293: The Situation of Novigrad

    "Are you really Roy? Our son?" Moore tilted his head. He looked at the young witcher. His delight had been reced by a slight suspicion. The lean, handsome young man was too far removed from the gaunt, sickly boy whom he called his son. Even counting the days when they were separated, his son should have been fifteen at most. However, this young man didn''t have that lively, happy look at all. He was more grown-up, like a guy who was about to hit his twenties.


    Roy was looking at the alleyway the thugs got dragged into. There was no sympathy in his eyes. Only anger existed.


    Moore only saw that kind of apathy in butchers who had run their business for decades or quiet adventurers who frequented inns. Most people would stay away from them, and Moore would too. But for some reason, he felt connected to thed, like he was family.


    "Are you blind? Of course he''s our son. I carried him for ten months! He''s our boy!" Susie pulled the baby closer and held Roy''s hands. "It''s been more than a year. He was a growing boy when we were separated. Of course he''s changed. Look at his face. Of course it''s Roy." Susie looked at her son, happy that he changed for the better.


    "You''re taller and stronger. Letho taught you well. You used to be a sickly little carrot, but now look at you. A tall, strong man. You''re all grown up now." She looked at his eyes and noticed that his ears were a little pointier. Curiously, she asked, "What happened to your eyes and ears, my boy?"


    "I passed the Trial of the Grasses and became a witcher, so my looks changed a little. I''ll spill the details when we get home." Roy held his parents'' hands assuringly, but when he turned around, a frown furrowed his brows. There were conflicting emotions in his eyes.


    It had been a year since he started this journey. Moore and Susie were getting older. Their hair was graying. Still, he could see that they were still concerned about him, but unlike his old self, he couldn''t get used to that. "I saw what they did to you, Dad. How are you feeling? Are you fine?"


    "Ah, your old man''s tough. I''m fine."


    "Let me see your wounds." Roy stubbornly checked up on Moore, and his heart sank. His lower torso, waist, back, and neck were riddled withplications from abuse. They affected his constitution. Those wounds might look like they had healed, but at this rate, they might get set off one day and severely wound him.


    He cast Observe on Moore, and the man''s Constitution was only four points. He was weaker than a regr person. "You had it hard." Roy clenched his teeth. He whipped out a marigold potion and had Moore drink it despite his protests.


    Decoctions were lethal poison for regr humans, but the potions Roy made in Oxenfurt could be used on regr humans as well.


    Moore felt something warm traveling into his belly, and the pain from his bruises subsided just a little. He held Roy''s hands, tears welling in his eyes.


    "Look, Roy! The little one recognizes you!" Susie called out to Roy. The baby in her arms had calmed down. He was staring at the young witcher, his eyes shining like the stars in the skies.


    Babies had sharp instincts. He held out his arms to Roy, as if he could feel that the young witcher was his brother. Moore and Susie were surprised. "Looks like Mino likes you. Well, you <em>are </em>brothers after all."


    "Mino, huh? Cute little thing." Roy crouched down. He tickled the baby''s feet and pinched his chubby cheeks. He then dragged out Gryphon the sleeping dog from his hood and stretched its mouth open. The baby gurgled with delight. It melted Roy''s heart a little, seeing himugh.


    It was a surprise to find out he had a brother after a year of separation from his family, but it was good. At least his parents would have someone to stay with them when he inevitably left again.


    "Do you wanna hold him?" Susie looked at the unusually docile dog, but Roy had tucked it back to the hood before she could take a closer look.


    "In a minute. You three stay here." Roy patted the baby''s head and stood up. "My friends will clean up the stand. I''ll deal with the scum."


    "Roy¡­" Moore said, "Don''t cross them too much, or they''ll make life impossible for us."


    "I know what I''m doing." Roy turned around, and his smile faded. The crowd watched in horror as he went into the alleyway.


    ***


    "Taught them a painful lesson. Emphasis on painful. They''re a lot more¡­ agreeable now." Auckes cracked his knuckles. He looked like he wanted more.


    Vincent and his thugs copsed in a heap in the corner. They were drenched in sweat. Roy saw no wounds on their bodies, but they were a mess of snot and drool. The thugs stared into the sky, muttering to themselves like maniacs. Their earlier arrogance was reced by despair.


    Witchers knew human anatomy well. They could easily torture someone until they broke without leaving a single wound.


    "The local gang tried to stir up trouble at Moore''s stand when Serrit and I were still around. Tried to collect tribute. We taught them a lesson, and they stopped." Auckes shook his head. He said coldly. "Never thought they''d me everything on your parents right after we left. It''s my fault your family''s dragged into this. I should''ve destroyed all of them when I had the chance."


    "You''ve done enough," Roy said gratefully. He turned his attention to the thugs and waved his hand in front of them.


    He received no response. Roy smacked their faces three times. The thugs snapped out of it, covering their swollen cheeks, and then they backed up further into the corner. Their eyes were filled with horror, and their pants were drenched with urine.


    "You demons! Witchers! You''re demons!" Vincent felt like pping himself. He didn''t believe the mutants would show up and help Moore just like that. <em>I just had to say it. </em>More terrifyingly, this time there were four of them, not two.


    "Shut it. I''m going to show you some undeserved mercy here. Answer my questions, and nobody gets hurt." Roy kicked the mousey man who tormented Moore. "Vincent, is it? Who''s your boss?"


    Vincent red at the witcher, but he said nothing.


    However, the muscleman in a tank top hissed, "Don''t get cocky, kid. The boss is gonna avenge us. He''ll destroy you and your freaky friends."


    And then Auckes sent him rolling with a kick. "Someone hasn''t learnt his lesson. Why don''t I¡­ tear your arse apart?" Auckes beamed at the man.


    "No, please, stop! Don''t tear my arse apart! I''ll talk!" The man gulped nervously. He stammered, "I-It''s Alonso. A-Alonso Wiley. He''s our boss. H-He rules Novigrad''s biggest gang."


    "Work with us and you won''t get hurt." Roy smacked Vincent''s chin. He rummaged through his memory for this ce.


    When Geralt was moving around in Novigrad, he too ran into members of the Big Four, though that wouldn''t happen until ten years in the future. It was when King Radovid of Redania endorsed the Eternal Fire''s crusade. Those cultists sent witch hunters to cull any non-human creatures and sorcerers in the city.


    The four gangs seized the chance of that chaotic time to build their power in secret, slowly bing the infamous Big Four. They were powerful, and obscenely so. Even the king of Nilfgaard and Redania had to negotiate with the Big Four before they took over the city.


    However, the war hadn''t started yet, and things weren''t that bad. The four gangs obviously had less power now, but they were still more powerful than the people could imagine. "Who are the other leaders? Aside from Wiley."


    "Don''t hurt me! I''ll talk!" The thug answered, "There are three of them. Cleaver, Francis Bem, or also known as the King of Beggars, and Orloff Byrd, the Collector."


    Roy''s frown faded. He had heard of the first two names, but not thest. <em>I don''t remember any guy with that name in the Big Four. It should be Sigismund, no? No, the guy''s a spy. He''s probably working behind the scenes, so it''s not his time yet. </em>Roy thought that was more or less the right guess, and he asked, "And what do the gangs deal with in Novigrad? Specifically, the businesses they run."


    "Why do you ask, witcher? What''s that matter to you?"


    "Answer my question. One more irrelevant word and I''ll feed your tongue to the dogs."


    Roy shot Vincent a look, and he curled up. He answered, "The King of Beggars controls the thieves and beggars of Novigrad. He''s in control of the thieving and begging business. Cleaver is in charge of all the money lending and most of the racketeering business. He''s gonna take over the marketce soon. The Collector runs all bathhouses and most inns. Anyone who wants to hold any banquet or event in Novigrad is gonna need his services."


    "What about Wiley?"


    "Our boss?" Vincent fell into silence. "He runs casinos, brothels, and the ring."


    "Does he have a son called Cyprian Wiley?"


    The thug looked shocked. "Y-You know the boss'' son?"


    <em>Alright, that answers my question. So Alonso is Whoreson Senior. His son is gonna grow up to be more infamous than his old man. Whoreson Junior, huh? That name alone tells me how much he''s hated. </em>Whoreson Junior was a twisted man who loved to inflict torture on his victims. He wanted to harm Ciri.


    <em>But from the looks of it, Whoreson Junior hasn''t grown up to be a patricidal maniac.</em>


    ***


    Roy asked them about the Eternal Fire and the top brass of Novigrad, but these thugs didn''t know much. They were just regr members of their gang.


    "Alright, that''s all for business. Now it''s personal. Last question. Why do you keep extorting and threatening Moore? Are you doing it because you want to, or is it an order from your boss? An order from Alonso?"


    "Um¡­" Vincent looked at the towering witchers fearfully. A lump formed in his throat. He clenched his teeth and said, "Witchers, Moore is just a peasant. He doesn''t have any connections or any money. Is it really worth it to cross us because of them?"


    Roy snarled at the thugs, and he made a green inverted triangle in the air.


    Vincent''s eyes glossed over. His face stiffened up, and he answered, "It''s Wiley''s orders."


    Roy''s face fell. "Why does the boss of a gang want to torment a guy like Moore?"


    "Six months ago, the witchers humiliated the boss by helping Moore, and he''s holding a grudge against that," Vincent mumbled, fear shing in his eyes. "The boss¡­ The boss enjoys watching the peasants and nobodies squirm and quake in terror. He says it''s poetic, so he told us to take our time with him. He wants¡­ He wants to get back at them."


    Roy took a deep breath. "He''s a psychopathic bastard, and you''re his aplices. You will <em>also </em>pay the price."


    He unsheathed Gwyhyr. The de glinted under the sun, and the thugs nched.


    "Calm down, kid. We''ve got a lot of eyes on us." Serrit looked at the terrified thugs icily. "It''s gonna be a hassle to clean up the mess if you kill them now. You at least have to make sure you leave no mess behind."


    Roy tilted his head for a moment. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "You''re right. Killing some small fries won''t solve the problem. I''ll have to cut off the roots. But still, they have to be punished for what they did to Moore in our absence."


    He was reminded again of what the thugs said to Moore. A hint of fury welled in his eyes. <em>I got into a bet with the Master of Mirrors himself to keep them safe, and these cowardly bastards tried to destroy their lives in my absence? How dare they?</em>


    The young witcher circled the thugs and swung his sword a few times. Patches of crimson flowers bloomed as three arms flew into the sky. The thugs held the bloody stumps where their arms used to be, and they rolled around, howling and squirming like some sort of oversized maggot.


    "I know the rules. Might makes right. This is the appetizer. Serve it up to Whoreson on a te, and tell him the main course ising tomorrow, courtesy of me."


    "Correction, kid." Letho, Auckes, and Serrit stood beside him. "Courtesy of <em>us</em>. We''re going to serve up a feast for those sons of bitches."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 294: Jaskiers News

    Unlike the bustling business district in the north, there were only the slums in the south, near the canals. Dpidated shacks huddled closely to each other, covering dark alleyways in their shadows. Sheets and clothing were strewn haphazardly on both sides of the path, left there to dry. The ground was uneven and covered in squalid liquid. Heaps of refuse sat everywhere, the air contaminated by their stench.


    The slums were where Moore and Susie lived.


    "Wee, witchers." Moore was feeling a lot better after having the potion. He almost looked like he was in the pink of health. The man smiled. "Wee to my humble abode. We don''t have anything really great here, but please, sit."


    "Serrit and I lived here for a while, or did you forget about that?" Auckes went inside and made himself at home. Hey down on the worn-down sofa near the wall. "I think the house is nice. At least better than sleeping on hay, with nothing but bugs forpany. Witchers don''t care much about where we live."


    The house wasn''t really big. It was about the size of a regr room in an inn, and it was stark. There was only a table, chairs, a candbra, a worn-down sofa, a rack near the walls for veggies and cutlery, and two baskets. There wasn''t even a kitchen in here, though there was something resembling a campfire in the center of the house, and they were surrounded by stones collected from the riverside. A rusty cauldron sat above it.


    That was all the living room had. The second floor was separated into two bedrooms. The beds were more like floor coverings made out of hemp cloth and old, yellowing cotton balls. A few hemp clothing were hung on the drying rack outside the window. The most expensive thing in the whole house was a wooden stroller.


    Roy thought this looked familiar. He quickly realized that theyout was the exact same as the house they lived in back in the vige. Rent would have cost a few crowns if they were in a vige, but they were not. It was a few times more than that, even if they were in the slums. This was Novigrad after all. The free city.


    A few crowns weren''t a big deal for the witchers. They had money. But it was a big deal for Moore and his family, especially after the thugs took almost all the money they had.


    Roy gave Moore about two hundred crowns, saying that the man would need it for food. He wanted to give Moore more, but the man wouldn''t ept it. He would have to improve their living conditions in another way then.


    "We wrote a lot of letters for you over thest six months, but you and Letho don''t have a permanent address. We couldn''t send them to you. Will youe with me and take a look at the letters?" Susie asked lovingly.


    Roy couldn''t refuse her, so he went upstairs. The other witchers stayed back on the first floor.


    "Roy''s been out of it ever since he met his parents." Auckes chomped on a crunchy turnip. "Poor kid. I wonder if he''s confused, sad, or touched."


    "Home is the heart''s shelter. Family reunions are priceless," Serrit answered, perhaps a bit philosophically. "He''s just fifteen. I bet he''s gonna cry his eyes out."


    "You give him too little credit," Auckes disagreed. He shook his head. "Witchers are mutants. We''re not that emotional."


    "Auckes, we can''t really understand how a regr human feels." Serrit stopped for a moment. He and his brother were taken to the fortress when they were mere children. They never saw their family, nor did they know their names. Parents were nothing but another word in the dictionary. "But Roy''s lived most of his childhood as a regr person. It''s been a long time since he saw his family. Most people would cry during family reunions. He''s just too embarrassed to do that in front of us."


    "I don''t think so. Wanna bet on it? I bet a hundred¡­ Twenty crowns! I bet twenty crowns!"


    "You stashed away more money than I thought." Serrit stared at his brother, and he smiled. "Bet taken, but I''ll be the banker. Any more takers?"


    "Me. I bet twenty crowns Roy is going to cry," Felix said coolly. "I taught him swordy for some time. His stances tell me that he''s a sensitive and emotional kid. He''s easily moved."


    "What kind of reasoning is that, Felix?" Kanti joined in, smiling. Zerrikanians had their own philosophy on this. "Tears are products of impotence. I never cried once since I killed my first arachas when I was thirteen. Roy killed more than I did, and he''s a man. He won''t cry. I bet ten crowns on it."


    "Alright, that''s enough!" Letho, who was on the sofa, massaged his temples. He hissed, "Roy finally gets to meet his family after one whole year. This isn''t the time tough at him. And you even started betting on something stupid like whether he''s going to cry? He''s yourrade. Have some sympathy!"


    Carl was the only one who felt confused and mncholic. He was reminded of the parents the bandits killed. The other witchers didn''t feel a thing, like they were orphans.


    "Ahem." Since everyone wasn''t saying anything, Letho scratched his nose. He said, "I bet fifty crowns he won''t cry. He''s not as weak as you think he is. Nobody knows him better than I do."


    ***


    Fifteen minutester, Roy came down the stairs happily, ying with the baby in his arms. "Smile, Mino. I''ll get you some candy."


    After a long talk with Susie, Roy stopped holding back his emotions and went with the flow. He then realized that the living room was a bit too quiet. Roy looked at hispanions and realized that they were looking at him as if they were interrogating a criminal. "What''s going on, people?" Roy nodded at Letho.


    For some reason, Letho nodded back, and he seemed happy. Auckes and Kanti looked at him smugly too. Felix and Serrit, however, sighed. They looked a little ashen. "What did you talk about with your mother, Roy? You seem happy." Serrit rubbed his thumb and index finger together. "Don''t you feel the least bit sad and touched? Don''t you feel any urge to cry?"


    "Wait, why should I cry?" Roy was confused, but then realization struck him, and he confiscated all the bettings.


    Moore came back from his grocery shopping a whileter. Surprisingly enough, a beautifuldy came back with him. "Roy, witchers, allow me to introduce you to the lovely Vesp, a bard from Kovir. She''s in Novigrad, making a collection of the folk songs here. She lives next door and has written a few letters for us. It''s not every day youe back, so I invited her over for lunch."


    "Vesp of Kovir?" Roy looked at the youngdy. She had a curvy figure, and her golden hair tumbled down her shoulders. A purplish blue jacket and tight pants clung closely to her, and a red hat with a colorful feather poking out of it decorated the top of her head. She looked like a poet of sorts. Roy hadn''t heard of that name before, but he thought he had seen her outfit somewhere before. He just couldn''t remember where.


    "Vesp, this is my son, Roy. He''s a witcher. And this is his mentor, Letho. And this is Auckes¡­" Moore pointed at everyone and introduced them to Vesp.


    Roy smiled and shook hands with Vesp. Her palm was smooth as silk, and it was deft too, but her fingers were covered in calluses from her years of being a bard. "Thank you for taking care of my family in my absence. I''m grateful for that. Tell me if you ever need my help."


    Vesp looked at the witchers, especially at Letho. He was a giant, and his muscles looked like mountains. She covered her mouth in awe. "To be honest, Master Roy, this is my first time seeing a witcher, and five of them at the same time is¡­ incredible." Vesp was really curious about them. "I thought you were a mercenary."


    Auckes interrupted merrily, "Were you expecting a beast of a man? Or maybe you thought we had an extra arm or leg? Maybe you thought we were cannibals?"


    "I''ve heard rumors about witchers on my journey. Lots of them, but I can see they''re mostly false." Vesp chuckled. "At least they have more of a sense of humor than the rumors say."


    ***


    They gathered at the dining table, enjoying the feast Roy made for them. He made stewed beef with potatoes, stuffed cheese pancakes, cod stew, fried pork cutlet, and more.


    "Where did you learn how to make these, son? It''s better than the food the inns serve. Do all witchers have to be great cooks as well?" Susie popped a piece of potato into her mouth. It melted right away, and the vors exploded. She could feel her breath filled with the aroma of spices and potato.


    Letho was in a speed eatingpetition with Auckes and Serrit, but he froze and raised his head. The witcher cleared his throat, organizing his exnation. <em>I can''t tell her it''s because we made him cook all year long. </em>"Roy''s a talented cook, and the wilderness has more than enough fresh ingredients. Thanks to that, Roy''s cooking improved really fast."


    "You know what I always say¡­" Auckes slurped a piece of the cutlet up. He chomped down on it and spat out the bones. "When Roy grows too old to be a witcher, he can always be a cook. It''s gonna make great money."


    Everyone nodded quickly. They couldn''t speak with their mouths full.


    "Ah, this is just average stuff. I took a page out of the Oxenfurt kitchen and modified them." For once, Roy was being humble, but the little smile on his lips showed what he really thought.


    "They aren''t kidding, Master Roy." Vesp elegantly dabbed the stew sauce off her lips. "I once joined a banquet held by the Kovir royalty. You used simple, humble ingredients for your cooking, but it''s actually better than what the royal chefs came up with. It''s a pleasure to have this meal."


    Halfway through the meal, Moore stopped for a moment. He asked, "Roy, about the thugs¡­ How''d you deal with them?" He only realized that after he had his meal.


    "Oh, we just taught them a little lesson," Letho answered before Roy could. It was a vague answer though. "They can still run around no problem."


    <em>Yeah, crippled though. Lost an arm. Still better than dying.</em>


    "We''ll handle the gangs ourselves. Just stay at home for a few days, you two. Don''t set up shop for now. I promise it''ll only take a week at most, and it''ll be business as usual. Those thugs won''t trouble you ever again."


    Moore felt a little relieved. "So how long will you and Roy stay this time?"


    Susie listened closely. She was holding a fork with a piece of potato on the other end of it. The baby had already opened his mouth, waiting for Susie to feed him, but the food never came.


    He opened his eyes and realized he was ignored, but the baby didn''t give up. He stuck his little tongue out like a puppy and licked the potato on the fork.


    Letho looked at Roy. "Depends on how his n will go, but we have business to settle here as well. It''ll be at least two months before we leave."


    "Only two months?" Susie and Moore were disappointed. They thought Roy would at least stay for six months.


    "At least two months, " Roy added. "I''ll try to spend as much time as I can with you two."


    "So why''d youe here? Is it about a request? Tell us," Moore said. "We know a lot of merchants in the marketce. Perhaps we can help."


    "Dad. Mom¡­" Roy shook his head. He smiled and popped the piece of potato into Mino''s mouth. The baby rolled his tongue back and rested his eyes. "I''m afraid you can''t help me this time." Roy didn''t think his parents would know the flirtatious bard, Dandelion. "However¡­" He turned his attention to Vesp, but he didn''t say much after that.


    "What do you need, Master Roy?"


    "Ms. Vesp, you''re an outstanding bard, it seems. Do you know who Dandelion is then?"


    "Dandelion? Oh, do you mean Julian Alfred Pankratz?"


    Roy stiffened up a little. "I don''t think there''s anyone else with that name. Yes, Dandelion the bard."


    "Ah, I see." Vesp let out a rather melodious gasp, and she frowned. She had a weird look on her face. "I know him, yes. He''s the industry''s darling. A talented man, but¡­" She stopped for a fraction of a second. "He''s narcissistic and fools around too much. And his personality leaves a lot to be desired. Why are you looking for him?"


    The witchers exchanged a smile. "Do you know where he is then, Ms. Vesp? Our sources tell us he''s a resident of Novigrad."


    "Yes, but regrettably¡­" She pursed her lips. "I don''t know where he is. He''s probably having sex with someone right now. Maybe a man, maybe a woman, I don''t know," she said, almost like she wasining. "But someone does." She took a sip of the stew. "A poem enthusiast would invite him to Novigrad''s Rosemary and Thyme every middle of the month and share his work with Dandelion. I joined that gathering once. Dandelion has a lot of lovers, and money is always a problem. He''s almost always out of it. This is a perfect chance to get some sponsors. He always attends it."


    "The middle of the month? That''s in a couple of days." Roy thought, <em>So we''ll just have to wait at the inn.</em>


    "To be precise, it''s tomorrow."


    "Who''s this poem lover then?"


    "I think you''ve heard of his name. He''s a gang lord." Vesp was starting to go into poet mode, and she recited, "Brutish and rich to no end, elegance and romance he befriends. If I remember correctly, his nickname is Whoreson Senior, and his name''s Alonso Wiley."


    Everyone froze for a moment. <em>The boss of those thugs?</em>


    "Fate sure does love to pull funny jokes on its subjects." Roy then remembered some details he had forgotten. Alonso Wiley a.k.a. Whoreson Senior, was an ardent lover of poems. Before he met his demise by his own son''s hands, he even left an inn called Rosemary and Thyme to Dandelion in his will.


    And then Dandelion changed that inn into a ballroom.


    "Alright, that just saved us a lot of hassle." Auckes cracked his neck in excitement. "Time for a big one, boys."


    "What''s he talking about?"


    "Just a joke. Ms. Vesp, you''ve helped us out a lot. Thank you. About that gathering of poem lovers tomorrow¡ª"


    "Oh, I have a request as well." Vesp looked at all the witchers. She requested, "I''ve traveled a dozen kingdoms from Redania to Aedirn. I wrote poems of every genre, but inspiration has eluded metely. It''s been six months since I made myst work. But now that I have the honor of meeting you, I just got an idea for a poem." Vesp''s cheeks were rosy with excitement. "I can make a poem about witchers. It''s an interesting theme. And interesting themes mean innovation and inspiration. Can you take me along when you''re going around Novigrad for your work?"


    <em>She wants to write a poem about witchers?</em>


    The witchers were shocked. They said nothing. This was the first time they ran into something like this. Technically the second, but at least Kanti was a decent fighter herself, but Vesp was just a bard who had nobat experience. Everyone vetoed that idea.


    "What do you think, Roy?"


    Roy didn''t answer. Instead, he looked at Vesp seriously. Realization struck him. "Pardon me for asking, Ms. Vesp, but do you go by any other names?"


    "My stage name is Callta. You may call me Prisci."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 295: Rooftop

    Night had fallen, silencing the slums of Novigrad. Aside from the stars above the sky, no light was seen anywhere. Roy was perched on the rooftop, staring at the gleaming light in the business district across the canal. He was swinging his de with one hand, ying with a small ball of fire with the other, making it dance around his fingers like it was magic. No, it was literally magic.


    A powerful air current zipped through the air above him. The darkness of the night shrouded a griffin the size of a calf, flying happily.


    Roy heard sounds of footsteps. He quickly sent a telepathic message to Gryphon, and the griffin flew into the distance, disappearing into the night.


    A woman in short clothing climbed up thedder leading to the building. She came and sat down beside Roy, dangling her legs over the edge of the roof. "Wiley''s thugs aren''t going to do anything tonight, it seems." Kanti pulled her sideburns back. Her usually handsome, tattooed face was looking gentle under the moonlight. She had a look of concern in her eyes as well. "You should go down and get some rest, Roy. Talk to your family. I''ll take over."


    It had been a year since he was separated from his family. Kanti thought he should have a lot to talk about with them, but reality was quite different. He didn''t talk too much with his parents or brother. Most of the time, he was just listening to his parents and answering their questions. When Mino started crying for no reason and distracted Susie and Moore, Roy took the chance and hopped onto the roof.


    "Thanks for the concern, but I''m fine. I just want to get some fresh air." Roy felt her almost sticking to him, and he dangled his legs as well.


    He was conflicted when he saw his parents. In fact, he was a little nervous after not seeing them for so long, especially when his father was talking to him in an almost ingratiating manner. He felt a little sad about it, so he ran to the rooftop.


    But now that he got his fresh air, he realized that he needed to make sure his family could live peaceful, happy lives, even if he wasn''t a part of their lives.


    "We''re now in Novigrad, Kanti. What next? Will you go and work for a local troupe? Go back to your old job?" The witchers and Kanti had gotten along well since they left La Valette''s ce. They didn''t hold back on banter or drinking while they were on the journey. It was like they were friends.


    Still, Roy thought it would be weird taking ady along with him all the time, and journeys would alwayse to an end. Everyone had their own paths to take.


    "Are you in a hurry to chase me off?" She shot him a re and huddled even closer. She could kiss him if she just got in even a little bit closer.


    He could feel her breath on his face, and it tickled him. "I won''t chase a friend off. You can stay as long as you like." Roy turned around and pretended to heave a sigh. "But you saw what happened. The first day we got here, and we already got on the bad side of the local gang. All because of my personal matters. I can''t drag you into this."


    "Zerrikanians are no deserters. We''re not scared of battle." She puffed her chest. "If those cowards try anything stupid, they will answer to my des." She tensed up and unsheathed the short sword behind her boots, then she swung it around.


    "But this battle has nothing to do with you."


    "Did you forget how you saved my and Eveline''s life in La Valette''s dungeon?" She pursed her lips and looked at the witcher. There was resolve in her eyes. "I owe you my life, and I''m not leaving until the debt is repaid."


    "So how are you going to repay the debt?" Roy was a little miffed. <em>Why do I feel like I owe her something?</em>


    "It''s a suggestion, but I can be your mercenary and work for free. I''ll do <em>whatever </em>you say. That''s the best idea." She held his right arm to her chest and licked her lips, her eyes shining. "Or¡­ you can turn me into a witcher. Auckes told me about it. If I take the potion, I have a chance of being a witcher."


    "What kind of stupid idea is that? Darn you, Auckes," Roy muttered under his breath. "That''s nonsense. Women can''t be witchers. At least for the Viper School, that''s the case. And you''re an older woman. Taking the Trial of the Grasses is suicide¡­ Don''t get mad. You''re olderpared to literal children."


    "What a shame." She hung her head low and sighed.


    "Just stay in Novigrad and take care of my family, especially when I''m gone."


    "Of course. I promise no harm wille to them. I''ll protect them until my veryst breath." Kanti noticed him relenting, and her eyes glinted cheekily. She hugged him tighter and leaned against his shoulder, trying to move in even closer to him.


    There was nothing but the sound of the breeze brushing through the night. Roy and Kanti sat side by side on the rooftop, letting the wind blow across them. Their legs were dangling over the edge of the roof.


    It was a moment of peace and quiet for both of them, but for some reason, Roy felt nervous. He kept having to look over his shoulder, worried that a portal might open up behind him, then a woman in red would hop out and turn him into a mouse before flushing him down the sewers.


    ***


    Someone suddenly coughed behind them, and Roy leapt up into the air. He turned around, prepared to exin everything to Lytta, but then he heaved a sigh of relief, half amused and half annoyed.


    Standing right behind them was Felix. His arms were crossed, and he was wearing sunsses as usual. The witcher was watching them, as if he knew what was going on.


    "Can you stop showing up all of a sudden, Felix?" Roy said. "At least make some noise. Give us some warning."


    "You practiced Cat School swordy. You know stealth is its core. And work habits are hard to shake, especially when you''re an assassin. I''ve trained for decades. I can''t change my habits." He took his sses off and gave him an apologetic look. "But I didn''t mean to interrupt your dat¡ª"


    "No, you were not interrupting us." Roy changed the subject. "Why do you want to see me all of a sudden? Where''s Carl?"


    "The boy is asleep." Felix crouched down on Roy''s left, looking like a cat licking its fur. "I''m here to tell you something. Auckes, Serrit, and Letho already know about this. Carl and I are going to leave in a few days. Novigrad is a nice ce. We can get anything we need here, and there are no pesky aristocrats to deal with either." Felix stared across the darkness, setting his sights on the ind where Eternal Fire''s HQ were located. "It''s time for the next phase of his training. Three months of it, and the kid''s going to take the potions that¡¯ll prepare him for the real trial. Then it''s time for the real deal."


    A moment of silence fell upon them.


    After going on the journey along with them for months, Felix had left a deep impression on Roy. He was a man who looked apathetic, but just like Letho, he had no idea how to express himself. The man was a more practical witcher who preferred actions over words. Roy was getting used to them working together. It felt a little sad knowing they were going to leave soon.


    He did think about inviting Felix with them to Kaer Morhen if the Wolf School okayed their idea, but with how infamous the Cat School was, bringing him together would be disrespectful to the Wolf School.


    Kanti looked a little mncholic too. She quietly went behind Roy and rested her chin on his shoulder, staring at Felix.


    "When are you guys leaving?"


    "Once we''re done with the trouble here. Tell me whenever you''re ready to go."


    "You noticed."


    "Your face was literally spelling murder earlier. Even a blind man could feel that." Felix''s face fell. "I''d do the same if I were in your ce. Anyone who tries to attack Carl will die."


    "Sure, I''ll tell you when the timees."


    "I talked to Moore. The third house beside this shack is still empty, and the rent''s pretty affordable. Carl and I are gonna move in."


    "Are you serious?" <em>Hees all the way to tell me he''s gonna leave the team, and now he''s renting a house right beside my dad''s ce? We''re practically neighbors now. We can meet up anytime we want. Is this a joke? </em>But then he realized something. <em>Is he doing this so he can keep Moore safe? </em>He thought that was usible.


    Roy was moved, and a little vexed that Felix wouldn''t just tell him about it. He thumped the veteran witcher''s chest.


    Felix raised his eyebrow and tensed up, holding down his urge to retaliate.


    "Have you collected all the ingredients you need for the Trial? It''s not easy to find all the stuff you need." A pauseter, he said, "Tell me if you need anything. We''ll find a way through it."


    "I do need a few regr mutagens, but that''s no big deal. I can get those in a bit. The Cat School''s recipe isn''t asplex as the other schools''." The light in his eyes dimmed a little. "It''s iplete, so to speak."


    Roy had heard about it. Even in its early days, the Trial of the Cat School had a hidden risk associated with it. Even if the aspirants were to make it through the trial, they would still sufferplications rted to the mind. Those people would lose all their emotions, sumb to their madness, or lose all their intelligence. Still, the recipe had an effect unique to it: it could turn elves and women into witchers.


    Roy thought about it for a while, then he said, "No matter the school, you''ll still have to get a professional to help out and mitigate the side effects as much as you can. And you''ll have to do it <em>before </em>the Trial. Do you know any sorcerers who can help?"


    Felix didn''t answer. He had no one like that. The guy was a lone wolf. Or Cat in this case. Yes, he had a few lovers, and he did kill a lot of sorcerers, but he had no one among them whom he could call a friend.


    "If you don''t mind, I think I <em>can </em>get someone for you, but that''s an if. How does an experienced sorceress sound?" Roy wasing up with a little scheme now. "She helped me with my trial back in Ender''s temple of Melitele."


    Felix was a little moved. "Mate, if you can pull that off, I''ll owe you big time."


    Roy smiled. <em>I was counting on that.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 296: Message

    "You cheating scum! You worthless singer!"


    In an alley in northern Novigrad, a slender, feminine elven male stood on the roof beside a narrow house painted in pink. He was in nothing but his pajamas. The elf was surrounded by pots of flowers. He grabbed one of the pots and was ready to hurl it at the man on the ground.


    The man on the ground had a delicate mustache, and he was wearing an olive hat with a feather jutting out of it. He leaped backward like a goat, barely dodging the iing pot. The pot missed him and shattered into a thousand shards.


    A lute came flying straight at him. The man scrambled to evade it. "Please, Ariel!" he shouted. "Don''t trust them! They''re lying! I''m loyal to you! I''ve never slept with any other man! I swear, if that was lie, I''d stay celibate my whole life!"


    "You lying fiend! Stay away from me!" The elf stormed back into his house and mmed the windows shut.


    "Why won''t you believe me? No man can everpare to your looks. Well, only man. Women are excluded." The man picked the lute up, muttering under his breath. He looked around cautiously, like a marmot that was wary of any potential predators jumping out of the shadows.


    He heaved a sigh of relief after knowing that he was safe. He straightened out his blue cor and tight-fitting top. "Well, there''s always a ce for me somewhere. Time for me to join that guy''s banquet. If I''m lucky, I might get a stroke of inspiration."


    The bard resumed his calm and collectedposure. He plucked the strings of his lute to see if they were still in tune. He crossed the ustrophobic alleyway, ying a sad tune.


    "Oh the air is filled with the scent of fall,


    Its bluster a thief of my words of love.


    To love and part is natural, so¡­


    Don''t let your tears fall."


    ***


    "Wee to the gathering of poem-lovers, Master Dandelion." Two guards with blue armbands outside Rosemary and Thyme bowed at the neer. "It''s been a month since ourst meeting. Have you made any new works?"


    "Around your house now white from frost, sparkles ice on pond and marsh¡­" Dandelion recited the first line, and then he gave the guards a sidelong look. He refused to talk about art with someone so vulgar. "Might you be trying to listen to Winter before your boss could?"


    "No, of course not! Ah, so your new work is called Winter, huh?" The man backed off. He looked horrified for a moment. "Master Alonso isn''t in, so Mr. Bogut is hosting the gathering. He''s waiting for you. Please,e in."


    The bard opened the inn''s door arrogantly.


    Rosemary and Thyme was one of the biggest inns in Novigrad. The lobby on the first floor was huge enough to house a hundred customers at the same time.


    All the tables and chairs were pushed to the sides. Foods of all shapes and sizes wereid out on it, and alcohol and juices stood among them. A gigantic bonfire stood in one corner, and a skewer hung over the fire.


    Bunches of mistletoes and rhododendrons hung high up on the walls. The magicalmps that lined the sides of the roof shone on a red banner that had ''Gathering of Poem Lovers Novigrad Chapter'' emzoned across it.


    Wreaths made out of garlic hung all around the inn. It was a tradition to ward off vampires, who nobody had ever seen before.


    Dandelion put his lute down and picked a ss of wine up. He took a sip and looked at the stage in the center of the venue.


    The ce was packed, but nobody was making a ruckus. Guests from Novigrad and nearbynds were gathered here. Most of them were rich merchants, bards, and regr aristocrats who only joined because poetry was the cool thing. Wiley''s bodyguards and goons were standing quietly in the corner. They were enjoying a performance put on by a youngdy.


    Thedy was in an elegant dress. She was on the stage, ying a tune with the lute on her knees. Thedy was about twenty years old, with perfect curves and golden hair that tumbled down her shoulders.


    Dandelion came a bit toote, so he only heard her singing thest few lines of her song, and she had a lovely voice. The crowd broke into cheers and a thunderous apuse, but thedy only nodded. Her hair swayed.


    "Ladies, gentlemen, and friends¡­" The innkeep raised his mug of beer up. "Once again, thank you for the great show, Miss Vesp. And thank you, Mr. Alonso, for sponsoring this event. Thanks to him, we are gathered today to profess our love for poetry."


    "To Vesp! To Alonso Wiley!"


    A man in exquisite attire was standing on the left side of the hall. He was Alonso''s butler, and he raised a toast to his master. The guy had a look of reverence on his face.


    ***


    Eventually, the bard got through the crowd. "Hi, Dandelion."


    "Hey, Vesp. Great song. You really improved your repertoire. Did you reference someone else''s work like I told you to? I mean, the well of inspiration runs dry sometimes."


    "Not exactly," Vesp retorted. She grinned toothily. "Not many songs I can use as reference. It''s either they have vulgar lyrics, or their tune is just¡­ nd. The crowd won''t like it. What about you, Dandelion? Made any new songs? Been a while since I heard news about you."


    "I don''t me you." Dandelion sighed. "The ces I go only invite the most famous and talented artists around, and I''ve never seen you there."


    Vesp turned bright red with anger and embarrassment. She blew her fringe away. "Oh, your boss won''t like it if he hears that. There''ll be no ce for you in Novigrad."


    And now Dandelion turned red. He only joined this little gathering to put food on the table and make some crowns. Alonso might be passionate about poetry, but he was not cut out to be a bard, even if he was a big fan of Dandelion''s works. Not to mention he was a gang lord. Dandelion was only ying along, but in reality, he scoffed at Alonso.


    "Enough with the banter, old friend." Dandelion changed the subject. "Mr. Bogut is waiting for me. I should go now."


    "That can wait." Vesp shook her head. She looked at Bogut, and her eyes glimmered. "The butler is busy with some important guests. He has no time for you."


    "What? There''s no guest more important than me." He looked at Bogut''s table and found three unfamiliar figures there. Unlike the modernly dressed, pudgy, or gaunt guests, these men were wearing simple clothes, and they looked powerful. He could only see their backs, but that was enough to tell him that these men were professionals.


    "Are they fans of poetry who came from anothernd?" Dandelion noticed that one of them had feline eyes, and it reminded him of an old friend.


    "No, they''re witchers, the main characters for my next work."


    ***


    "Alonso isn''t here?" Auckes raised a toast to the man. "That''s a shame. Here, a toast."


    There were three witchers in the inn. Roy and Serrit were beside Auckes, while everyone else stayed back home with Moore.


    A few thugs stood beside the butler. They looked hostile and cautious. Some of the guests who tried toe over and raise a toast left the moment they saw who was around.


    Roy scanned everyone. Something in his eyes glinted, and he cocked his eyebrow. He wasn''t surprised that they would have some burly bodyguards, but someone else caught his eye. A man in grey robes was drinking with the bards not far behind Bogut. He had a silver ankh hanging from his neck, and Roy could feel magicing off him.


    <em>They managed to hire a sorcerer to keep an eye on things. Rich.</em>


    Not all sorcerers could be royal advisors. Most of them had to eke out a living by working as herbalists or bodyguards.


    There were too many bards around, and Alonso was absent. This was not a good time to do anything, so the witchers enjoyed the event like everyone else.


    Alonso''s butler was sitting right across from them. He was about forty years old. The man had a crooked nose, thin lips, and deep stress lines. He looked stern. The man scanned the witchers before raising a toast himself. "I am Bogut, the butler of this manor. You''re here for those bastards, I presume?" he asked calmly, though the air itself seemed to be turning solid just from him talking.


    "Yes." Auckes decided to cut straight to the chase. He said, "Mr. Bogut, we had a deal. You stay away from Moore''s family, and we stay away from your gang. Why did you not honor the deal?"


    Bogut took a deep breath and held his frustration down. Aside from Alonso, nobody in Novigrad had the guts to talk to him like he was nothing. Thest guy who did this was tied to a boulder and tossed into the ocean, but it was difficult to pull the same thing on witchers. Last time there were two of them, and this time there were nearly a dozen. <em>Who knows if they''ll send an army next time?</em>


    "Vincent has been going rogue for a while. It''s not until recently I found out about this." He put on a look of fury. "It''s my fault Moore and his family suffered."


    Roy was surprised that one of the top leadership of the Big Four would acquiesce so easily. Even Bogut''s bodyguards were surprised as well. They knew Bogut was as cruel as Alonso. He would bow to no one.


    Bogut ignored everyone''s looks of surprise. He said, "I''ve interrogated them, and those bastards extorted Moore of a hundred crowns." He summoned the innkeep over and whispered something into his ear.


    The man quickly went off and came back with a big, fat pouch. He shook it, and they heard coins rattling within. And then the pouch wasid out in front of the witcher.


    "Here''s two hundred crowns. Please, take it. Aspensation for Moore."


    The witchers exchanged looks, but none of them moved. They had made a decision to settle the score their own way.


    "And¡­" The butler added, "An arm is too light a punishment for the rulebreakers."


    Someone presented a sack drenched in crimson liquid to the witchers. There were three tongues lying within.


    "They abused their power and extorted the people in the gang''s name. By doing that, they have tarnished our name and crossed all of you. In order to stop anything like this from ever happening again, and to give you a peace of mind, I''ve cut off their¡­ tools of crime, so to speak."


    Bogut made it sound like he just swatted a few pesky flies away. "And Master Alonso has ordered the members not to harass Moore and his family. I''ve told Cleaver about it as well. Once he takes over the marketce next month, he''ll exempt Moore from his payment. Special treatment. Is that enough, witchers?"


    "Bogut, cut the bullcrap and get to the point." Roy wasn''t here to negotiate. <em>Nobody in the Big Four is innocent.</em>


    "Is that enough, witchers?" he asked stubbornly.


    "Why does the answer matter?"


    "If that is enoughpensation, then it''s time to talk about another thing." Bogutughed, as if a weight had been taken off his shoulders. He reclined into his chair and gave the witchers a look of condescension. The man hissed, "Those men may be bastards, but they''re still one of us. Even if they did break enough rules to warrant a skinning, that''s still our business, not yours. But you cut their arms off without even notifying us. That''s against the rules."


    "Master Alonso has more coins, fame, and women than he could ever want, but he would never allow his pride to be scratched. Everyone knows what happened to Vincent and his friends now. Everyone is waiting for a conclusion. If he can''t protect them, he''ll lose authority among our men. Should you fail topensate us as well, the whole gang wille after you. Me included. Should you refuse and fight us, Master Alonso will avenge us." Bogut looked at the witchers sharply. It was obvious he wanted to threaten them.


    Roy shook his head. <em>This guy''s been waiting to spring this on us. Good. Just what I wanted.</em>


    "What kind ofpensation would you like?" Auckes grinned toothily. This wasn''t the first time he was faced with a threat. Civilians, aristocrats, and even other witchers had tried that before. "Do you want us to cut off our hands as well?"


    Bogut''s bodyguards held the hilts of their des. Tension filled the air. "No, of course not. Master Alonso proposed something more¡­ peaceful. It''s a win-win solution." He said, "I''ve had the honor to see you in battle, witchers. You''re far more capable than the regr man, and yet your talents are wasted on fighting those disgusting monsters in the wilds."


    "Sorry, but just like you guys, we have our rules as well. We can''t join your gang."


    "That''s not what I meant. I''ll be honest." Bogut shook his head. "I''d like you to win some matches for us. In the fighting ring, of course. Master Alonso owns the rings, but he doesn''t have anyone strong enough under hismand. Because of that, Cleaver''s men end up as the winners every time. It''s a shame, really."


    Bogut finally told them what he wanted.


    "Master Alonso has promised that if one of you would win all the matches in the ring and be the Fists of Fury, everything you''ve done against us would be water under the bridge, and you''ll gain a friend in us. Believe me, Novigrad''s a heaven for our friends."


    Roy stared at the ground. He was calm on the outside, but thoughts were racing in his mind. <em>Alonso, you''re a hypocrite. You pushed all the me onto your goons and made your ambassador a hero. You''re actually using the carrot and stick routine on us? </em>Roy would have wavered if he hadn''t found out the truth from the thugs.


    "We need to think about this." The witchers exchanged looks. It looked like they were enticed.


    "Be quick about it, witchers," Bogut persuaded. "Ny percent of the winnings will go to you should you be the Fists of Fury. The other ten will bepensation for the guys who just lost their arm and tongue. And to assuage everyone. I expect your answer in two days." Bogut handed them a card. "Whether we be friends or enemies¡­ Well, that''s in your hands now."


    "Wiley Manor, huh?" Roy looked at the address on the gold-ted card. He nodded and tucked it away.<em> Fuck the match!</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 297: The Wolf Schools Answer

    "You''re smart men, witchers." Bogut pushed his chair back and stood up. He shook the witchers'' hands. "You know what''s best for you. Made the right choice. And now, let''s enjoy the show."


    The witchers took their leave a momentter. Before they made their way to Wiley Manor, they had to get the answer they wanted from Dandelion. Back in Cintra, Geralt said he would tell Dandelion about the Wolf School''s answer, and he would tell Roy about it.


    Roy was nervous. <em>Will Vesemir invite us to the fortress?</em>


    ***


    "Hello, friends. Prisci told me you were looking for me?" Dandelion came over to them with Vesp. He was holding a ss of wine.


    Roy looked at him. Dandelion was born in 1229. He was in his early thirties, and the man was more handsome than he thought. <em>Almost as handsome as I am</em>. He was mature and elegant too. Not to mention he was a fashionista. Roy could almost feel the decadenceing off him. There was a smirk on his lips, and his beautiful blue eyes had a perpetual glint to them. <em>No wonder he''s popr with thedies.</em>


    "Let me guess, Dandelion the bard? The one whose name is known throughout thend?" Auckes raised a toast and shook the bard''s hand with glee.


    Dandelion''s smile froze. The witcher''s passionate gaze and powerful handshake made his heart skip a beat. <em>Who is he? Has he taken a liking to me? But he''s not my type, and I don''t want to cheat on Ariel. </em>He pulled his hand away quietly. "That is I. And you are? Have we met?"


    "Dandelion, they''re witchers of the Viper School. This is Auckes." Prisci stepped forward and pointed at the witchers. "And this is Serrit. This is Roy."


    <em>Three witchers? </em>Dandelion froze. He knew what witchers were. One of them was even his friend, but the guy had always been a lone wolf. Dandelion never saw him moving around with hispanions. <em>I don''t remember witchers being somonce.</em>


    "Your reputation precedes you, Master Dandelion. I''m Auckes. I was privileged enough to be a drop in at Oxenfurt Academy''s Faculty of Poetry. And I''ve read your works. Time of the Moon and The Adversities of Loving. The lyrics and imagery are superb. They''re timeless works." Auckes'' eyes shone with worship. "I''ve always wondered how long I would have to work on my poetry to reach your level. It''s amazing that I got to see you in person."


    "Ah, so you''re a lover of poetry as well. What''s your favorite poem?" Dandelion nodded. It was his first time encountering a witcher who liked poems.


    "Love, I''d say. It''s so gorgeous, so lifelike. I could feel myself in the world of the poem itself. Honestly, I''m just a casual fan of poetry. I''m not studying poetry for the love of it." Auckes cleared his throat and whispered, "Master Dandelion, can you tell me how to be a poet that''s loved by the richdies?"


    Dandelion''s eyes went wide with surprise, and he spewed his wine all over Auckes'' face. "Oh, I''m sorry. So sorry."


    "It''s alright." Auckes wiped the wine away. "I''ve smelled Kikimore urine before. Everything else is the same to me, aside from alcohol and blood."


    "Alright, stop it. Let''s talk business." Roy pushed Auckes down to his seat, and Serrit covered his brother''s mouth. "Dandelion, we''ve only met today, but a friend of mine has told me about your¡­ past." Roy said earnestly, "And we asked Prisci to contact you exactly because we want to talk about this friend."


    Dandelion mused. <em>Oh. </em>"Geralt, huh? He talks about me a lot? Ah, I bet it''s nothing good." Dandelion shook his head. He obviously didn''t think what Roy said was true.


    "You and I know the White Wolf is a kind person at heart. He''s a man of few words, but he''s impressed by your talents." Roy held back the urge to puke and downed some juice to clear his throat.


    "So what did he say about me?" Dandelion asked curiously.


    "He said you once caught a flying arrow with your bare hands."


    "Hah!" Dandelion looked smug. "So he finally believes me."


    "So, did it jog your memory, Dandelion?" Roy quickly continued, "Did Geralt give you any message you wanna tell us? It''s supposed to be for the Viper School witchers."


    "The Vipers¡­ Roy¡­ Oh yeah, he did say that." Dandelion looked at the viper pendant hanging from Roy''s neck. He said, "You guys came early. Geralt told me the appointed time is about the end of the year. You''re about a month early."


    He muttered under his breath and looked around. <em>Alright, nobody''s watching. </em>He huddled closer to the witchers. Everyone was waiting with bated breath. "Half a month ago, Geralt suddenly came to me, and he wanted me to tell Roy that he''ll see you in Kaer Morhen when Yule swings by." Dandelion came to an abrupt halt, and nobody noticed the nervous look on his face.


    Yule was one of the months in the elven calendar. It ran from 21st of December to 1st of February in Gregorian.


    <em>And he''s seeing us in Kaer Morhen? </em>Roy was visibly delighted. <em>Alright. The wait wasn''t for nothing.</em>


    "So does that mean Geralt''s mentor agrees to see us? Vesemir, the leader of the Wolf School, agrees to this?" Auckes rubbed his chin.


    "This is a good start. We need to meet up with them and get down to the negotiations." Serrit was excited too, but he was also a little confused. He thought the talks between the Vipers and Wolves was a joke, but they actually pulled it off. He didn''t hold onto any hope to begin with.


    <em>But they probably just wanna make some new friends. The brotherhood''s still not gonna happen.</em>


    "How should we get to the fortress though?" Roy''s smile froze. The Wolf School''s fortress was located in Kaedwen, hidden in the Blue Mountain. Barely anyone knew it, and Blue Mountain was a big ce. Going around without a direction would take them years just to locate the ce.


    "What did you not tell us, Dandelion?" The witchers set their sights on the bard.


    He shivered. "Ca-Calm down. Now don''t do anything rash¡­" Dandelion hid behind Prisci.


    She had no idea what they were talking about. The conversation confused her. "Calm down, witchers. I''ll ask him. Mate, stop hiding any secrets. Just tell them what happened, and I''ll tell them to go easy on you."


    Dandelion rolled his eyes and shrugged. He said awkwardly, "Actually, that message was written on a map, but¡­ I lost the map."


    "You <em>what</em>?"


    The witchers shot up like beasts who got challenged. They approached the bard. <em>At this critical time? </em>Roy took a deep breath. He thought he would explode. "Where is it?"


    The witchers looked murderous. Dandelion had a feeling that if he said he didn¡¯t know, the witchers would dismember him. He felt that these witchers were not like Geralt. They wouldn''t engage in any friendly banter with him. He smacked the back of his head and pretended he just remembered where he left the map. "Oh, I remember! I left the map in my lover''s ce."


    "And where is your lover?"


    "I''m not sure¡­" Dandelion puffed his chest proudly, but he shrunk back when the witchers shot him a withering re. "I have six lovers, and all of them live in different ces."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 298: The Yule Promise

    An eerie silence fell on them. Auckes'' eyes went wide with envy, while Prisci pouted. She had a look of disgust on her face. Roy felt sorry for Dandelion, but only for a moment. <em>He showed his true colors right in front of Prisci. Can he even date her in the end?</em>


    "I knew it. Dandelion, you''re a master of the art of love. You''re a casanova." Auckes wiggled his eyebrows at Dandelion.


    "Um¡­" <em>Oh, they''re a little calmer now. </em>He heaved a sigh of relief. The bard argued, "Chasing after inspiration is a poet''s instinct, and inspirationes from all things nice, including humans. I am just doing this for art."


    "Alright, I don''t care about your reason. Just tell me where your lovers live, Dandelion."


    "I have a condition." The bard pressed on despite the great pressure the witchers were giving off. "I need you to promise you won''t interrogate them with any illegal means."


    Geralt was his friend. Of course he knew how witchers could extract information from the people they wanted. "I''ve only spent a single night with some of them, but I don''t want them to suffer because of me."


    "Well, at least you''re not total scum," Prisci mocked. The witchers agreed to the terms.


    "Fine. You ask them out." Roy looked around and whispered, "Then we''ll infiltrate their ce to look for the map."


    Dandelion thought about it, and he nodded. Two of his lovers were working at The Golden Sturgeon and The Kingfisher Inn respectively, one was married to an aristocrat, one was a tailor, one was a middle-aged madam, and one was an Eternal Fire cultist. He had a broad taste in women. Humans, part-elves, teenagers, and even married women.


    Roy stared at the bard for the longest time. It made Dandelion ufortable. <em>Wow, he has a lot of lovers. Even more than Geralt the Stud himself. Honestly, this guy might actually be the protagonist of this world.</em>


    Roy asked himself if he could do what Dandelion did, and he shook his head. Not everyone could fall in love with everyone they came across, nor could they handle a bunch of women at the same time.


    "You gotta take care, Dandelion. Or you''re gonna exhaust yourself at this rate." Auckes patted the bard''s shoulder. He was concerned.


    Dandelion, however, wasn''t embarrassed. In fact, he was proud. "Don''t worry about me, witcher. There are always men who have greater needs and skills out there. They enjoy being wanted by women, and I''m one of them."


    "Bragging about your natural abilities in front of witchers. You''re a brave one."


    "Oh no. Compared to you, I''m not impressive. I haven''t passed the trial, and my member''s still in the range of an ordinary person," he said humbly. The bard then asked, "So that''s the n then? When are we gonna execute it? And if I may say something, setting up a date that''s attractive enough for thedies does take a lot of coins, so can you sponsor me?"


    The witchers'' jaws dropped. They had a feeling they just got scammed. Prisci covered her mouth and chuckled.


    "I''m curious. What did you guys and the butler talk about?" Dandelion didn''t think the top leadership of a gang had anything inmon with the witchers.


    "He wanted our help with a request, but we refused."


    ***


    They left the inn. Two hourster, the little team was moving down the streets, with the witchers standing on both sides of Dandelion like they were his bodyguards. The bard strutted down the street and winked at a youngdy whose braids extended down to her hips. The girl covered her blushing face and ran away.


    Roy stared at the ground. He was immersed in his thoughts.


    A beautifuldy with golden hair and blue eyes was following them. She was staring at the witchers, jotting something down on her parchment with her quill.


    ''The Hunting Vipers


    Hair as ck as a raven''s wings, as lustrous as the night sky.


    Eyes as golden as a slumbering lightning.


    ''Twas a man who looked as steely and ice cold as the pendant he wears. Sharp enough was the look in his eyes, it could almost kill¡­"


    ***


    "A reminder, Dandelion. Just because we''re guarding you doesn''t mean you can do anything you want. Dial it back a little."


    The witchers searched the rooms of the waitresses and the madam for over two hours, but s, the map wasn''t in their rooms.


    Dandelion distracted thedies by taking them to another room and spending the witchers'' money on a meal and <em>entertainment</em>. He was done with them within ten minutes every time. The bard had to spend precious minutes asking them about the map, so he spent really little time on the¡­ real action. It was a far cry from the skills he bragged about.


    <em>Honestly, how''d he hook up with the duchess of Toussaint? With his oratorical skills?</em>


    "Calm down." The bardughed dryly. "I think we''re closing in on the target."


    They came to the pink house a whileter. The witchers hid in the alley and watched in disbelief as an angry elf in full drag yelled profanities at Dandelion from his balcony. For ten minutes. And he didn''t use the same profanity twice.


    Eventually, he calmed down and took Dandelion away. The bard looked a little out of it though.


    The witchers infiltrated the house, but instead of finding a map, they found a whole room of thetest fashion. Lawyer outfits, princess gowns, aristocrats'' outfits¡­ you name it. They had all kinds of uniforms here, and all of them were fashion for women.


    "I had no idea he was such a¡­ broad-minded person." Prisci looked a little shocked.


    "Man, are all artists this decadent?" Roy had to say that Dandelion had great taste in women. The waitresses and the madam were plump and hot, but his taste for men was¡­ <em>It''s weird in this era, really.</em>


    "Hey, what are you doing with that skirt, Auckes? Where''d you hide it?" Serrit shouted. It seemed like he found something interesting.


    "Shut up! Be quiet!" Auckes covered his brother''s mouth quickly. He noticed the look Prisci and Roy were giving him. He smiled sheepishly and tossed the skirt onto the ground. "I just think the skirt''s out of ce, so I''m helping him out. Trust me. Hey, don''t give me that look. I''m not that kind of person!"


    Roy picked the skirt up and smirked. "I''ll keep this for you, Auckes. You might need it eventually." <em>Like when you''re drunk, </em>Roy added silently.


    The date went on for a while this time. Ariel the tailor was the one who came back first. He looked glistening and glimmering, like he just had a revitalizing bath.


    Dandelion came back a while after him. Unlike Ariel, he looked pale and weak, like he was diseased, and he was sweating too.


    "Do you have to take a rest, Dandelion?"


    "No!" Obstinance shone in the bard''s eyes, and he held the witcher''s shoulder with trembling hands. The bard did nothing but make up praises for Ariel as hard as he could. Praising someone took skill, especially when it would go on for a while. "I will not let you down. We will find the map today."


    The witchers nodded. They gave the bard a smidgen of acknowledgement.


    Their next target was the Eternal Fire cultist. Her house was in northern Novigrad. More precisely, a civilian housing area near the bridge leading to the ind. The group ran into a little problem in an alleyway.


    Eight men in ck outfits and leather caps approached the group, but they maintained a little distance. The men spread out in a single line, blocking the alleyway. They were holding some sort of ring-shaped object that looked like ropes. The witchers looked around and rolled their shoulders. They could feel a hint of animosity and cautiousness from the men.


    Dandelion whispered, "Calm down, witchers. They''re guards of the temple." He said with uncertainty, "They''re probably going to search you, since you do look different."


    <em>The temple guards. Protectors of the Eternal Fire, huh? </em>Roy scanned the weapons these guys were holding. They were no ordinary whips. Instead, these weapons were Lamias.


    "Chappelle¡­"


    The man called Chappelle stopped in his tracks and looked at the group closely. Roy realized that his unusually icy eyes were reflecting the color of metal, and his forehead was drenched in sweat. His cheeks were covered in red spots as well.


    "The talented Dandelion, and Prisci." He looked at the witchers'' pendants and said loudly, "And witchers of the Viper School. Are you traveling to the ind of the temple? Going to pray to the Eternal Fire?"


    "That''s not actually it." Dandelion wiped his sweat away. "I''m just going to see a friend of mine."


    Chappelle nodded at the witchers, but they didn''t answer.


    "They''re bodyguards I hired," he lied. The bard said, "You know how some people in Novigrad envy my looks. They use me of seducing their wives and daughters. I hired these witchers for my safety. Some insane men might send an assassin after me, after all."


    "Is that so?"


    The witchers nodded quietly.


    "I can prove it, Chappelle," Prisci said gently. "The witchers are indeed hired by Dandelion."


    "Very well." Chappelle looked at the witchers suspiciously. "You may travel around in Novigrad freely, but I have advice for the witchers. I know some cities have a monster problem because of theck of the Eternal Fire there, but none of those filth exist in Novigrad. Use your weapons and Signs carefully, witchers. Do not point them at the people and the believers. They''re all kind souls."


    "Of course." Roy nodded. <em>Yeah, the gang members aren''t exactly kind.</em>


    "Witchers are no murderers. You do not have to worry."


    "But most importantly¡­" Chappelle emphaasized, "I heard you witchers hold no beliefs. I respect that, but I hope you''ll respect the Eternal Fire as well. Do not spheme it. Anyone who sphemes the Eternal Fire will be burned at the stake, and I will personally see to it. Their wealth will be confiscated as well. That''s all I have to say. And remember this¡­ The Eternal Fire watches all life." Chappelle drew a circle in front of his chest. He stared at the group for a while and turned around. As he left the alleyway, so did the armed soldiers. They followed him in a single file and left.


    Dandelion saw them off and heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh gosh."


    Prisci was obviously relieved as well.


    "Who was that guy? You look terrified of him. And how''d he know us?"


    "That''s the Chancellor of Security. Novigrad''s intelligence agency is a derivative of the church. He''s no priest, but he''s the highest ranking official. The guy wields the most power in this city, and he''s also the most dangerous man around. All the citizens¡­ No, even the city council and guilds are terrified of him. There''s a lot of dark incidents surrounding him. Disappearances, torture, assassinations, threats, extortions, and even petty theft, you name it. He''s behind all of these crimes. You''re lucky he let you guys go so easily, witchers."


    "He''s right, witchers. If you ever run into Chappelle, turn back. And you''re involved with a gang now too. Don''t let him catch you." Prisci looked wary as well. "Or he''ll make sure your stay in Novigrad bes a permanent one."


    The witchers nodded. They took the advice to heart.


    ***


    About fifteen minutester, Dandelion met that cultist. She was a cut, sheepish youngdy with freckles on her face. Surprisingly, thedy handed the map over before the witchers could search her room.


    The witchers got what they wanted, but the map wasn''t a detailed one. It was just a simple sketch of Kaedwen borders. More specifically, an area at the base of the mountain. There were no specifics of Kaer Morhen''s location. The Wolf School didn''t give them all the details. They would send someone to wee them at the rendezvous point during Yule.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 299: Wiley Manor

    11th of Saovine, year 1261. Dawn.


    An unexpected downpour pelted the city. The winds were howling, and silver strands of rain fell from the sky, covering the city. Two silhouettes in ck cloaks were moving down the puddle-filled street.


    On a closer look, the raindrops that fell on the silhouettes were deflected by an invisible barrier. A yellow light swirled around them. The silhouettes were traveling in the rain, but strangely enough, they didn''t get wet.


    Ten minutester, these silhouettes arrived in the northern part of the city. They came face to face with a solemn courtyard.


    A guard in brigandine armor armed with a sword was hiding from the rain under the eaves of the door. He extended his arm and stopped the silhouettes. "Who are you, and why are you here?"


    The figure pulled his hood back, revealing a young, handsome face beneath. His eyes were golden. "I''m Roy from the Viper School, and this is Letho. We made an arrangement with the butler at Rosemary and Thyme yesterday. We''re here for a visit."


    The guard took the card from Roy and squinted at the witchers for a while. He searched them and confirmed that they were not carrying any lethal weapons or dangerous objects before knocking on the door.


    Two fully armed guards pulled the door open and waved at the witchers, then they led their guests into the manor.


    Roy took a few nces out of the corner of his eye. <em>The walls are sturdy. And looming. There''s a few crossbowmen in raincoats standing sentry in the turrets.</em>


    Roy looked ahead and cast Observe. There were a lot of flowers in the yard, and it was also packed with armed men in¡­ bizarre outfits. They were all in brigandine and chain mail. Some wore nothing to cover their chest and legs. And they had towels on their heads. They were all armed with weapons like swords, short swords, and one-handed axes.


    These men were skilled, well-trained soldiers. Theirbat stats were a lot higher than most people''s, and they had weapon mastery skills.


    Roy made a rough head count. There were about two dozen of these men patrolling the left, right, and center buildings. They were all hiding under the eaves, taking shelter from the rain. These men were not happy to see the witchers. Roy could feel the animosity in their eyes. <em>Probably because of what Auckes and Serrit did.</em>


    Still, Roy was surprised at how heavily guarded this ce was. It almost resembled a heavy-security prison. "Wiley sure is cautious."


    <em>But I can understand why. </em>Alonso was one of the biggest rulers of the world''s most bustling city. He had a lot of questionable businesses under him. There was a hugework at work here, and a lot of people''s livelihoods depended on him. Still, more people out there would want him dead so they could rece him. He had to be on guard all the time and keep himself safe, even when he was in his own home.


    The witchers kept observing theyout and defenses of the manor as they followed their guide into the ce. Eventually, they arrived at a beautiful and resplendent three-story vi.


    The brooding butler came out. "I see you''ve arrived at a brilliant conclusion, witchers." He grinned. The butler extended his spindly hand and shook the witchers'' hands. "Wee to the family. Once you win the matches in a few days and bring home the glory that is the Fists of Justice, I shall show you¡­ heaven on earth."


    He invited the witchers into the vi. They took their cloaks off and handed them to the servants before following Bogut inside.


    The floor was covered with a soft, bright-colored rug. It felt reallyfortable. Anyone would want to take their shoes off and run around on it.


    A magical crystal light hung from the ceiling, covering the ce in warm yellow light. The walls were filled with beautiful patterns, and that was not all. A lot of artwork hung from the walls, but unlike the usual oil painting or portrait, only poetry hung from the walls. Framed poetry. And Dandelion''s works were on the walls too. Roy noticed The Adversities of Loving and Time of the Moon among the works.


    And there were some weird poems on the wall as well.


    ''Something goes moo, hoot, woof, and aah.


    Cow goes moo,


    Monkey goes hoot,


    The dog goes woof,


    And the lovelydy on my bed goes aah!


    ~ What Does the Lady Say, by Alonso Wiley.''


    Roy felt his eyes twitch. He removed his gaze from the poem, and Letho almost couldn''t stop himself fromughing.


    <em>The more youck something, the more you wanna try topensate for it. The guy doesn''t even have an ounce of talent for poetry in him, but still he holds gatherings for enthusiasts just to show off his </em>level of culture<em>? Boy, he must love poetry a ton.</em>


    Aside from the framed poetry, there were a lot of other things around. They traveled down the spiral staircase and came to a corridor. There were also fully-armed guards around, and expensive artwork stood along the ce. Roy saw luxurious armor hanging from a wooden rack and rare books in the ss cab. Alonso was really rich if he could afford all of this.


    ***


    The butler led them to the rightmost office and told the servant to light the firece up and make two cups of hot tea. He then took a seat behind the desk. "Let''s get to the meat of the conversation, witchers. I''ll tell you the details of the matches as well as the top fighters working for Cleaver, The Collector, and the King of Beggars. Their strengths, weaknesses, anything, you name it." Bogut said, "This is necessary for a perfect match."


    "A minute, please." Roy and Letho exchanged a look and retorted as nned, "Mr. Bogut, I have a suggestion concerning the request."


    "Is that so?" Bogut''s face fell. He pushed down on the table and leaned ahead in an attempt to look more intimidating. "Tell me about it. If it''s reasonable, I can agree to it in ce of Master Alonso."


    "Sorry, but this is incredibly personal. I can''t tell it to just anyone." Roy pursed his lips and put on a sheepish look. "I need to talk to Alonso personally. That''s the least bit of respect I request. If you can''t give me that much respect, then the deal is off."


    Bogut leaned back into his chair and rubbed his chin. He mused over it. "I''ll have to ask Master Alonso about it. And in the case that he agrees¡­" He looked at Letho. "You alone can see him. Letho must stay back."


    <em>A young and unarmed witcher can''t do anything when he''s surrounded by our elite.</em>


    Roy agreed readily and left the center building a momentter. They went into the left building and made their way to the third floor.


    As they went up the spiral staircase, Roy could vaguely hear the sound of ragged breathing and the screams of a womaning from a room on the second floor. When he came to the study on the third floor, the screams became weak howls. <em>Is someone getting tortured downstairs? </em>He frowned.


    "Sorry you had to hear that, witcher." Bogut noticed the change in his expression. "Master Cyprian is at an unruly age. He can be yful. Pay him no heed."


    He opened the door. What greeted Roy was a beautiful room lit by dim yellow light. A man was sitting on a chair in the center of the room, his back turned to the witcher. There were five soldiers and a sorcerer beside him.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 300: The Killing Starts

    Roy was in Alonso''s room. The light from the magicalmp shone on the people inside the room. Roy nced from the corner of his eye. The soldiers here were equipped with the best gear, and theirbat stats were higher than the two dozen bodyguards outside the room. The sorcerer was the same one he saw back at Rosemary and Thyme. His name was Chester, and the silver ankh in front of his chest was shining with magic.


    <em>Seventy-five years old. Still young for a sorcerer. But judging from his skills, his power''s not that strong. At least way weaker than Lytta.</em>


    The bodyguards and sorcerer stood near Alonso. They were staring at the guest cautiously. They were tense, and they took an offensive stance against Roy. It was obvious that Alonso was still on guard against him.


    "Have a seat, Master Roy. Now, tell me, why do you insist on talking to me personally? Is your secret that important?" he said raspily. The man turned around, revealing a gaunt, brooding face. There was a hint of madness in his long, nted eyes. His nose was crooked, and his lips were thin. He had red spots on his face and dark circles under his eyes. Apparently he didn''t hold back on the nightly activities.


    ''Alonso Wiley


    Gender: Male


    Age: Forty-two years old


    Status: Boss of the Wiley Gang (The gang started off as a minor organization. Thanks to Alonso''s leadership, it is now one of the Big Four in Novigrad. He has ruled the gang for twelve years), poet.''


    ***


    "If you''re down with any disease, I can hire the best doctors in the northern kingdoms for you. If you want to find someone, I can mobilize everyone in my gang to scour thend of Novigrad. In exchange, you must win the contest."


    "Alonso, what I''m about to tell you is top secret." Roy shook his head and looked at the bodyguards. "Can I have a minute with you? Alone?"


    "Worry not. Aside from Chester, I raised these men since they were children. Their loyalty is absolute, and they''ll keep a secret." He slumped back into his chair and tapped his desk lightly. "They''ll take your secret to their graves. I promise you, on the name of my family. But if you insist on going through with that unreasonable request." He rested his elbows on the table and held his chin with the back of his hands. The man stared at the witcher. He hissed, "Then I''ll assume you have an ulterior motive."


    "Very well." Roy shrugged. He took the seat and stared back at the man behind the desk. "Alonso, I have a question I need answered."


    "Ask away."


    Roy took a deep breath and enunciated, "If I hadn''t returned in time, what would have happened to Moore and his family? Would you have tortured them to death and turned them into one of yourckluster poems? Oh, I''m sorry. Did I sayckluster? I mean bullshit and badly written."


    The bodyguards unsheathed their des and surrounded Roy. They were breathing heavily, and all of them would fight the witcher at the drop of a hat.


    "I''m only going to warn you once. Do <em>not </em>insult my work. Not even one word of it." Alonso took a deep breath. Anger shed in his eyes, but only for a moment. He wagged his finger in front of Roy, almost poking his cheek. He growled, "Thest person who did is food for the corals in the ocean. You wouldn''t want to suffer the same fate, would you?"


    The witcher was not even fazed.


    "Now where were we? Ah yes, I believe it''s a misunderstanding. The people who threatened Moore and his family have been punished. You saw their arms and tongues. Is that not enough? Must you take their lives?"


    "Oh, but that''s not what I heard." Roy looked at him. "Vincent and his goons clearly told me you were the one who sent them after Moore."


    Alonso stayed quiet for a few moments, and he sneered. "Witchers and their habit of finding out the truth. How redundant." He narrowed his eyes and shook his head in disdain. "So what if you know the truth? Do you really want to get yourself killed, young man?"


    "There''s no need to fight us for a couple of nobodies." Alonso''s eyes glinted coldly. He kept trying to entice Roy with a great future. "Work with me, and you''ll have everything you want. Women, power, wealth? Anything. Once you win the matches and get that no man''snd, you too can start your own business there. And then it''s goodbye to a life of fighting drowners in squalid ditches and rundown viges for only a couple hundreds of crowns. What kind of life is that? You risk your neck and gain no dignity in return."


    Most witchers would be tempted to say yes to that offer.


    "This is simple maths. Even a moron can see which one''s a better deal. There''s no need to make an enemy out of us and lose so much money." Alonso slumped back into his chair again. "Let me tell you something. Everything in this world changes eventually, but not money."


    "A tempting offer, but sorry. There''s only one reason I''m here." Roy looked around. The bodyguards held their des tightly, ready to attack. The sorcerer was right beside Alonso. He was ready to cast a spell. Roy could see the light of elements dancing at his fingertips.


    The young witcher grinned. His pupils contracted as he locked onto his prey. He was like a viper ready to pounce. "To settle a score!"


    <em>Fear!</em>


    The bodyguards froze for a moment. Wriggling, squirming tentacles appeared in their sights. Horror crept onto their faces, and they lost control of their bodies for a moment.


    Roy extended his hand and grasped a glinting de out of nowhere. He spun around, and the de arced through the air like a white rope.


    Five crimson patches bloomed in the air like liquid fireworks. The burly bodyguards held their necks, but it did nothing to stop the blood from spurting out. They fell down without a sound, drenching the desk in red.


    Alonso had seen more than his fair share of battles, and assassinations were a dime a dozen in his life. The massacre did not faze him. He pushed his desk and swiveled around, then he slid away.


    Chester took a step ahead. A scorching me was forming in his hand, heralding the arrival of a fireball of destruction.


    Roy grabbed a hand crossbow out of thin air and pulled the trigger.


    The arrow flew through the air and hit the sorcerer''s neck, but a light blue barrier deflected it like nothing.


    A single arrow was not enough to pierce the shield. Chester was about tough, but his half smile froze.


    The bolt was deflected, but he could feel a strange energying from it. It passed through the barrier easily and hit his robe. And then it was like a lightning bolt just hit his soul.


    His eyes rolled back into his head as he fell into an eerie stupor.


    His fireball spell was cut off, and the mes went out. The recoil from the unfinished spell made him bleed from his face. He grunted.


    Roy leapt into the air andnded softly, then he cut his de across the sorcerer''s throat. Chester''s head flew high up into the air.


    The blood that spurted from his neck colored the beautiful wall red.


    ''Chester killed. EXP +120.''


    Alonso looked back through the corner of his eye, and what he saw stunned him.


    The witcher was curled up and facing him. His de was held up by his cheek, pointing at him like a bull''s horn.


    Blood was flowing and squirming under his feet, as if it were alive. It formed a puddle, and the crimson liquid swam up him, covering the witcher.


    It looked like the witcher was covered in crimson mes. At this point, all Alonso saw was a silhouette covered in red.


    The crimson light twisted and turned. The will of the kill was almost palpable thanks to Suppression. Alonso saw scarlet tentaclesing out from the void, and it hid behind the witcher, swaying and¡­ almost whispering to him.


    Alonso felt fear and despairing from the tentacles. The sight made him woozy and nauseous. His memories, even those he thought he had forgotten, welled up in his mind uncontrobly.


    He saw himself brutally extorting and toying with the civilians just because he could. He saw how he tormented families and destroyed them in the end. He saw how he dismembered his victims, and most of all, he saw the powerless people prostrating themselves before him, writhing and howling in pain.


    These memories leapt out of the crimson mes, turning into evil spirits that came after him, tearing him apart.


    "No! No! Stay away!" Alonso was crying in fear. He couldn''t stay calm anymore. The man burst through the door and ran outside while soiling his pants at the same time.


    Roy leapt ahead and caught up to him in one single moment. He thrusted his sword upward, embedding it into Alonso''s head and holding him in midair like he was skewered meat.


    ''Alonso Wiley killed. EXP +20.''


    The witcher pulled his de out and flicked his wrist to fling the body and blood off his de. And then he strode into the corridor.


    Two of the gang members showed up at the corner. They were swinging their weapons, yelling murder as they charged at Roy.


    Roy didn''t even bother to dodge. He took one step forward and thrusted his de ahead. The weapons shed, but Roy had the advantage in strength and skill.


    The enemy''s de was pushed away. Roy slid his de up the back of the enemy''s weapon and buried Gwyhyr in the thug''s neck.


    One of the gang members fell, and his blood stained the expensive rug underneath.


    The other was about to swing his spiked hammer down, but his hand hung in midair. The man''s eyes turned wide with fear, as if he just saw an unspeakable horror unfolding before him.


    His eyes turned red, and the man started shivering uncontrobly.


    The witcher held his ground and thrusted his sword downward without hesitation. The de pierced through the cracks between the thug''s helmet.


    The thug''s right eye was dyed red. His head slumped, and he fell forward like a sinking ship.


    "Huh. Suppression works really well against humans with super low Will."


    He went up the second floor.


    ***


    A man with amber eyes was crouched on the walls of the manor, hiding in the rain. He was holding a sword, but for some reason, his weapon disappeared into thin air.


    It was as if a signal were sent. The man grinned. He tossed the corpses in the turret aside and leapt into the manor with hispanions.


    They went through the rain, but not unnoticed. The armed forces patrolling the buildings summoned theirpanions, and together they rushed the witchers.


    The witchers mmed into the army of guards. The guards might have the number advantage, but that advantage might as well have never existed.


    Auckes unsheathed his de and jumped into the enemy crowd. He started spinning around, and an arc of light flew through the air. His de cut through two of the guards.


    Blood sttered everywhere, and the bodies that were cut in two fell to the ground.


    ***


    Felix spun around as well. He moved forward like an elegant dancer, and his de moved with him. He was like a tornado of death,ying waste everywhere he went. His de glinted brightly. Anyone who came near him would have their limbs cut off and die a painful death.


    ***


    Serrit pushed his hand forward. Aard smashed through the air, and the shockwave tore through the enemy defenses. Everyone in a conical shape before him was pushed back, creating space for the witcher.


    He took a step ahead and thrusted his de into an enemy''s eye while they were disoriented.


    He pulled the de out and shed sideways, cutting another enemy''s throat open.


    He let out a sigh and held his de vertically by his cheek. The witcher peered at the enemy lines and charged through them like they were nothing.


    ***


    At the same time, Letho was talking with Bogut, but then he stopped for a moment. "Conversation''s over, Mr. Bogut. Your time is up."


    "What do you mean?" Bogut was hitting his stride in the conversation. <em>I''m parched. </em>He sipped some tea and pricked his ears up. And then his face fell. "Wait. What''s that sound outside?"


    "Time to say farewell."


    Thest thing Bogut heard was a sigh, and his vision blurred for a moment. He felt the world spin as he flew high up in the air. <em>Why''s there a headless corpse below me? Look, it''s spurting blood from its neck.</em>


    ***


    A bloody battle broke out in the manor, but the screams of battle, the sound of des burying themselves in flesh, and the sttering of blood were all covered by the sound of the downpour.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 301: Alonsos Treasure

    Roy stepped past the puddle of blood, leaving the corpses behind him. He went to the second floor and made his way to the room where the screams came from.


    The young witcher knocked on the door.


    "ir? Is that you? Just give me a minute. I''m doing it."


    Roy knocked on the door harder.


    "Stop knocking, you bastard! You wanna die? I''ll skin you alive!" someone cursed. Roy heard hurried footsteps approaching the door.


    The man within opened it, revealing a young man. It was Whoreson Junior, an infamously perverted psychopath. He wasn''t even twenty yet. He had blond, greasy hair and blue, bloodshot eyes. He got his nose and lips from his father.


    The young man was gaunt. He wasn''t wearing any shirt. There was nothing but skin and bones on him. It felt like the boy''s growth was stunted.


    His temper was as short as him as well. His face was scrunched up, and the boy kept cursing. "Don''t you know the rules around here, you son of a bitch? You don''t disturb me when I''m having fu¡ª" Cyprian halted abruptly. He had a confused look on his face. "No. Wait. Wh-Who <em>are </em>you?"


    The stranger outside was a lean, handsome man. He was at least ten times more good-looking than the burly guys in the gang. <em>And his golden eyes¡­ That eerie red light behind him¡­ And his bloodstained sword¡­ </em>Cyprian gasped, and his eyes twitched.


    "I''m just here to take out the trash." The witchershed out at Cyprian''s belly. He flew through the air and fell with a sickening crunch. Cyprian held his stomach as he howled in agony.


    Roy strode into the room, sword in hand. He looked around, and what he saw was¡­ startling.


    The room was luxuriously decorated, and a gigantic bed sat conspicuously in the center of it. A dressing table stood beside it, and it was filled with every kind of torture tool avable. Tweezers, scalpels, steel needles, and even whips.


    There was someone on the bed, her face buried in the sheets. She was naked, her back covered in whip marks and signs of torture. The witcher could see that she was not breathing anymore. Obviously, she endured a great deal of torture before she died.


    "He''s ten years younger, but still as insane as he grows up to be, but this is thest time he''ll beying his hands on anyone."


    Roy''s eyes glinted with resolve. He swung his de around, getting ready to cut this menace down before it could grow up.


    "Please don''t kill me! I-I''ll let you in on something!" Whoreson Junior roared in ast ditch attempt to save his skin.


    Only moments had passed since the bloodstained stranger barged into his room, but Cyprian knew what must have happened. <em>If he got this far, then everyone''s dead. Including Father! </em>And then he remembered something. He heard faint screamsing from outside a while ago, but he was too excited to care. Now the truth finally dawned on him.


    It was unbelievable, but that was the reality he was facing. Death was drawing near, but he refused to die. <em>I haven''t had enough of their screams. I don''t want to die just like this.</em>


    Roy''s de stopped one millimeter away from Whoreson Junior''s throat. It drew blood, but that was it.


    Before Cyprian brought that ''secret'' up, all Roy wanted to do was cut this canker down before it could infect Novigrad deeper. He never wanted any treasure, but things changed a little when Cyprian brought it up.


    The Vipers needed coins, and Alonso must have a mountain of it. He ruled one of the Big Four for decades, after all.


    <em>He''s not moving. I-Is he sparing my life? </em>"Ahem, sir¡­ Good sir, you¡­ you killed Alonso, didn''t you?" He put his hands together in a prayer and groveled before Roy. He pleaded, "I know where he hides his treasure, an-and I can take you to it. I-It''s in a secret chamber. Coins, jewelry, artifacts¡­ He had everything. You''d be set for life! Please¡­ just let me go."


    "So you can get back at me?" Roy cocked his eyebrow.


    "No, no! I won''t sir! Believe me! Alonso deserved it!" Cyprian looked horrified. He actually started cursing his own dead father. "I''ve waited for this day my whole life! I would have skinned him alive if I could! He was a demon! A demon! Look, look at this! He did this to me!"


    Cyprian turned around and showed his back. It was grotesque, to say the least. His back was filled with scars, swellings, and scabs from all theshings his father gave him. "That arse tortured me every single day. And just because of some random reason! If he was upset, he''d take it out on me. If he was happy, he''d take it out on me! And whenever he felt like it, he would just take it out on me!"


    Roy was a little surprised. <em>Like father, like son. Alonso was a ruler. He had everything he could want, and yet he subjected his only family to hell. Perhaps Cyprian grew up to be an evil piece of scum partly because of what Alonso did to him.</em>


    Cyprian heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Good, he''s looking calmer now. </em>He tried to force a smile, but it only looked like a grimace. He tried his best to ingratiate himself with Roy. "You killed a sworn enemy of mine, and for that, I''m grateful. I would never try to hurt you. If you would love to, then I, Cyprian Wiley, shall be your most humble servant. I shall quell any and all obstacles for you."


    <em>Still not enough to justify what you did, Whoreson. </em>"Sorry. I''m going to the chamber and taking all the treasure anyway. And as for you¡­"


    Roy shook his head. He nced at the corpse on the bed and made a sign in the air. Axii worked its magic and froze Cyprian in ce. The light in his eyes dimmed as he turned into a puppet that would answer any questions Roy had for him.


    Roy started questioning Cyprian, and he answered stiffly. Two minutester, Roy had gotten all the answers he wanted. He thrusted his sword forward, and it pierced through his eye easily before turning his brain into literal mush.


    Whoreson Junior fell forward to his eternal, painless slumber.


    "Cyprian Wiley killed. EXP +20."


    ***


    Auckes swung his sword backward. The de buzzed, and the gang member that tried to ambush him froze. He held his throat and gurgled something, but the witcher didn''t hear what it was.


    He fell into a puddle of his own blood and spasmed for a moment, then eternity imed him.


    Auckes heaved a sigh and tore a piece of cloth away from the corpse. He wiped the flesh and blood stuck to his de and looked around.


    Serrit and Felix had ended their battles as well. They were cleaning things up. Aside from the witchers, everyone else was dead.


    About forty corpses were strewn across the yard. Puddles of rainwater and blood decorated the ground, signaling the end of the surprise attack.


    ***


    The trio went into the vi and searched the ce. Eventually, they met up with Letho and Roy. The witchers were barely hurt, but they expended most of their mana and stamina. They could use some rest.


    "Guys, I found something." Roy looked at his bloodstainedpanions and announced the good news. "I found a chamber filled with treasure."


    "And I found something too." Letho swiveled around and nodded at the kitchen. "If I''m right, there''s a straggler in there."


    The witchers found a chubby chef hiding in the corner like a scared piglet. She was covering her face, pleading for her life. "Please, please don''t kill me. I didn''t see anything. Nothing happened here!"


    Letho looked at hispanions. "What are we gonna do with her?"


    The destruction of Wiley''s gang was a big sess. All of their members were dead, and the rainstorm kept their operation a secret. However, one little thing was throwing a wrench in their ns¡ªa witness.


    Auckes and Serrit exchanged a look, while Roy massaged his temples.


    Felix crossed his arms. He was passing judgment on the chef. And then he blurted, "I say we kill her and be done with it."


    The chef trembled even more. She screeched, "Please, have mercy on me! My child''s only three! They need their mother!" A puddle of¡­ something formed beneath her feet.


    "We promised we''d only kill the gang members." Roy gnashed his teeth. He did have blood on his hands, but he had his own creed. If possible, he would not kill any innocent people. "We shouldn''t drag any innocent lives into this. I have a better idea, but you''ll need to help me out. I haven''t mastered the Signspletely. Can any of you wipe her mind about the operation with Axii?"


    "That''s easy." Auckes¡¯ usual optimism was reced by a frown. "But are you sure about this? That''s not a foolproof solution. At most, she''ll regain her memories in a year or two. A sorcerer can get her memories back easily too."


    "Don''t you think it''s a little toote for mercy, Roy? You didn''t show any to the thugs." Felix scoffed. He objected to this. "If we''re doing this at all, we should always go for the kill. Leave no loose ends."


    "I see you''ve made your decision." Letho turned to Serrit.


    Serrit mused on it for two seconds, and he drew a finger across his throat. "I''m going with Felix''s idea."


    "No, please! Spare me!"


    "Then you''ll be quiet! What about you, Auckes?"


    Auckes shot a re at his brother. "I say we spare her."


    "And I agree. The other gangs and the Eternal Fire are still going to look into this even if we do kill her," Letho said. "Now it''s three to two. What''re you going to do, Felix?"


    Felix scanned the woman once again. "Fine. I guess she''s lucky. Axii her."


    ***


    The witchers left the mindwiped and unconscious chef behind and arrived at Alonso''s room five minutester.


    Roy found the hardcover book on the bookshelf and turned it around once. A keyhole showed up on the left side of the wall. He then inserted the key he took from the warm, dead body of Alonso.


    And then he turned it.


    The contraption was released, and the walls slowly moved sideways, revealing a ustrophobic chamber behind it. There were three treasure crates in it. One was filled with crowns, one with jewelry and gold, and thest with ancient books.


    ¡°Sapphires, diamonds, fluorites, and even spinels! Each of these costs at least fifty crowns." Auckes held up a clear ruby the size of his fist in awe. "No woman can resist a gemstone this big. Those sorceresses are gonna be really happy if they have one of these. Bet they''ll go on a really long date with the guy who gave them this. It''s yours now, Roy."


    "What? Why?" Roy froze up for a moment. He was a bit confused.


    "You''re gonna make Lytta a very happy woman with that. And take this too." Auckes tossed a gorgeous pearl ne to Roy. Every pearl was the size of Roy''s pinky tip.


    The young witcher red at Auckes, but he tucked the ne into his inventory anyway, then he fiddled with the books. "Winter¡­ The Adversities of Loving¡­ These are all poem anthologies, and all of them are handwritten. Out of print as well. He actually valued these as much as jewelry? Alonso was a poet at heart, I guess."


    Letho, Serrit, and Felix were fiddling with the crate of crowns. The obscene amount surprised even the veteran witchers.


    "Fes, we just struck it big. This is about two or three hundred pounds heavy. There''s at least ten thousand crowns in it. If we exchange the gold and jewelry into coins, factoring in their worth ording to Novigrad''s market value¡­ we''re looking at at least¡­" Serrit rubbed his chin and made the calctions in his head. "Thirty thousand crowns. At the very least."


    Most witchers would have to work a few decades to make that kind of money. Thirty thousand crowns was enough to set a civilian up for life.


    "This is one hell of a quick way to make money."


    "With all these crowns, who cares about a house?" Auckes'' breathing got heavier, and his eyes gleamed even brighter than the gold. He swung his hand down and announced, "We can buy a whole castle in Kovir! No! A whole piece ofnd for our new base!"


    "Alright, snap out of it, you big oaf." Serrit smacked Auckes'' cheek. "We gotta share the earnings with Felix too."


    "We can talk about itter." Felix calmed his slightly ragged breathing. "I''ll just take two thousand crowns and no more."


    He was just nning on helping for free. The witcher did have a debt he had to repay. Still, this amount of coins was tempting, and Carl needed a lot of money for his Trial.


    "We don''t deny ourrades their fair share," Letho said. "Two thousand crowns is too little to be considered a fair share. We''re splitting them evenly, and that''s final."


    "Felix, if it''s fine with you¡­" The Vipers exchanged a look. "Roy and I will be keeping all these for a while, or it''s gonna be hard to take everything with us."


    "Very well."


    Roy tucked the gold and jewelry into his inventory space, while Letho tucked the crowns into his ring. Auckes picked the most lovable poem anthology from the stack and left everything else untouched.


    The witchers came back out and locked the chamber up. It was a happy day for them.


    <em>I wonder if they¡¯d have gone mad if they found nothing but poem anthologies in a chamber thought to be filled with treasure.</em>


    ***


    Roy thought it was regrettable though. The wealth hidden in this chamber was not even a tenth of what Alonso allegedly had. At least ording to Cyprian''s testimony. Alonso knew he couldn''t put all his eggs in one basket. Most of his wealth was hidden somewhere else, and he never told Cyprian about it.


    A big part of it wasundered and deposited into Novigrad''s Vivaldi. It was about ten thousand crowns. The interest on that alone was sizable.


    With the empire setting up military camps in Amell, the Northern Kingdoms'' economy was predicted to take a hit in the future. As a free trade city and the most economically advanced city in the north, the crowns made in Novigrad held the highest value. It was a safe choice to deposit them in a bank and get some interest on them.


    It was a shame the witchers couldn''t have them. Only Alonso himself could withdraw all that money.


    "I guess I should be content. I paid them back for what they did to my family and made a whole lot of money. The question is how should I spend the coins now?"


    Roy was contemting that question as he followed the other witchers out of the yard and into the rain.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 302: Fear

    The rainstorm went on for a whole day and night, but it eventually stopped. The sky was clear, and the sun shone warmly on thend. A gust of cool breeze touched the city.


    Wiley Manor.


    Corpses covered in white cloth wereid out on the flowerbeds in the center of the yard. Chappelle and his men were checking for clues that might lead them to the murderers.


    "Is that everyone?"


    "Yes. All fifty-six of them." A young enforcer in chain mail bowed. "All of Wiley Gang''s core members, including Whoreson Senior and his son, are dead. The only survivor is the fatdy in the kitchen."


    Chappelle covered the body that was cut in half and followed one of his men to another corpse. The corpse''s face was contorted in fear, and his eyes were wide as saucepans. It was as if the victim had seen something horrifying before his death.


    "Alonso, you son of a bitch. Death finally came for you." Chappelle looked delighted. Alonso had been a menace for decades. The Chancellor of Security of course knew everything there was to know about him.


    Alonso himself hadmitted a long list of crimes, as did the casinos, brothels, and fight clubs he owned. Him and his thugs had taken the lives of hundreds of civilians too. Chappelle had always wanted to bring an end to him, but he was connected to many of the big names in Novigrad. His gang was possibly the strongest of them all. In fact, they were bing a threat to the church''s rule.


    <em>He''s the one grease spot the Eternal Fire couldn''t burn away. With him out of the way, Novigrad''s finally going to regain a semnce of bnce. </em>"I wonder who''s the hero who drove away this darkness."


    Chappelle brushed his right hand across the corpse''s mouth. A sttering of dried blood stuck on it. He turned the body around and froze for a moment. Chappelle saw a long and slender cut on the nape of the corpse''s neck.


    He started imagining how Alonso''sst moments in life must have been. The killer must have attacked from behind and pierced their sword through Alonso''s nape and mouth. <em>Probably held him in the air for a few moments. The wound is clean, and the attack was swift. That weapon must have been made out of something special.</em>


    He then thought of the corpses he just checked on. Some were cut in half, some were struck in their vitals, while some lost their limbs and died from excessive blood loss. <em>That''s how the killer worked. Or should I say, killers.</em>


    "This is not the work of one man." Chappelle took his leather glove off and rubbed his chin. ¡°But not more than six either. They''ve been hunting down these people, staked out right outside of the manor, and covered their tracks with the rain."


    The young enforcer looked shocked. <em>This is unbelievable. </em>"Sir, you''re saying five men did¡­ all this?"


    <em>Not everyone has the skills to fight off so many enemies all by themselves, unless¡­ </em>"They might be talented mercenaries, assassins, or¡­ they might not even be humans." Chappelle was somehow reminded of the ''bodyguards'' Dandelion imed he hired.


    <em>They''re professionals, and they don''t look human. They have superhuman speed, strength, reaction, and pseudo-spells. These are our prime suspects. </em>"Could it be them?"


    "Who are you talking about, sir?"


    Chappelle stared at the ground. He didn''t answer the question. Instead, he asked, "What about the survivor?"


    "She''s not hurt in any visible way. Well, a little out of breath, but that''s because of her size. She''s really lucky to have escaped this." The enforcer thumped his forehead in frustration. "But she can''t remember anything. Thest thing she felt before she passed out was something striking her from behind."


    "Is she a part of the gang?"


    "No."


    "They killed all the gang members and let a woman live. Odd principle." <em>But that means I can negotiate. At least they''re not irrational maniacs.</em>


    Chappelle paced around the corpses. One moment he would be frowning, but the other smiling. A long, long whileter, he took a deep breath. The Chancellor of Security had made his decision.


    "Do you know who the killers are, sir? Give the word, and we shall apprehend them immediately."


    "Of course! But you''ll have to be the vanguard and possibly lose your life."


    "Um¡­" The enforcer stared at the ground in embarrassment.


    There were more than fifty corpses here, and most of them were skilled, powerful men. The thick calluses on their hands proved it. One of them was a sorcerer, even, but he died before he could cast any spell.


    <em>The killers are far more powerful than any one of us. There''s no need for believers of the Eternal Fire to die meaningless deaths. </em>At least Chappelle didn''t want his men to die that way. "Calm down, rookie. Yes, the Eternal Fire shines on all life and drives away the darkness, but¡­" He said solemnly, "Gang members aren''t under its protection."


    "Sir, do you mean¡­" The enforcer was getting an idea of what Chappelle was saying.


    "The killer spared an innocent life. This is nothing but an internal feud. The other gangs can deal with this. Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    <em>Alonso is dead. The businesses he ran are now free for all. The other gang lords are going to fight for them soon. They''re taking his treasures, so they''re going to deal with the killers as well. They''re not about to let someone who can take out a whole gang that easily run around as they please.</em>


    "Cleaver, Bem, and Orloff will contact the killers before we do. We''re in no hurry." <em>And the church might stand to gain something out of this.</em>


    "Smart move, sir."


    "Don''t just stand there. Did you search the manor?"


    "Everyone else did."


    <em>There should be something in there. </em>"Did you find anything else aside from corpses?" <em>Part of Alonso''s wealth should be here. If the church can get it, then we can share it with more believers.</em>


    "Well, they did stumble upon a chamber, but¡­" The enforcer had a weird look on his face. "There''s only a crate of bizarre, useless poems."


    <em>Huh.</em>


    ***


    Spear''s Pit. The most famous brothel in Novigrad. The people loved it, and it was one of Wiley''s assets. The brothel was usually open all day long, and it would be packed with people looking to release their lust, but for some reason, it was closed that day.


    Hundreds of gang members formed a blockade outside the ivory-decorated entrance. They chased away the customers and curious pedestrians who tried to get a look.


    The gang members were split into three distinct categories. In one corner stood a big group of gaunt beggars in tattered clothes, and in the other stood burly, tattooed humans wielding all sorts of weapons. And in thest stood a group of proud dwarves armed with warhammers and axes. There were a few part-elves and gnomes among this group as well.


    These were the members of the remaining gangs. They had beef with one another, but all of them were keeping a semnce of calmness at the moment.


    The lights in the brothel''s lobby shone on the ground. Three distinct gang lords sat around the table, forming a triangle.


    "I got the news. Three days ago, five witchers entered the civilian area through the northern gate and got into a fight with Wiley''s thugs in the marketce. The thugs were then dragged into an alleyway. And then Alonso''s butler met up with them the next day in Rosemary and Thyme. And after that¡­ you know what happened yesterday." The man stopped for a moment. He rested his chin on the back of his hands. He had a wary look in his eyes. "All fifty-six core members of his gang, killed."


    "Are you sure the witchers did this, Bem?" A fair, handsome man in purple silk robes pinched his elegant goatee. "You mean to say five of them took out more than fifty people? Is that even possible? If I recall, Wiley hired a sorcerer to protect him."


    "Nothing''s impossible. I''ve fought them before. Even a half-mutated witcher is inhumanly strong and agile. Not even the best warrior back in Mount Carbon can hold a candle against one of them. And we''re talking about five here!" Thest gang lord was a dwarf. He stood up, looking red with anger. The light shone on his glistening mohican hair. It was¡­ conspicuous.


    "In all my life, I''ve never seen witchers moving in a group. Wiley and his gang didn''t stand a chance in hell if they were working together. Hell, even if all of our men tried to take them on, they''d destroy us without even breaking a sweat! You wanna try it out?"


    "Cool it, Cleaver." Bem narrowed his eyes. He growled, "We''re not your men. We don''t need to hear yourints. Now use your head ande up with something useful. How should we deal with the witchers? We can''t let them run around as they please. They might wake up one day and feel like attacking us the way they did to Wiley and his ilk. Do you want that to happen?"


    Cleaver harrumphed and sat back down reluctantly.


    "My men saw them up close before. Four of them were wearing viper pendants, and one wore a cat pendant. The Vipers aside, you know how crazy the Cats are. They''re temperamental. Impulsive. It''s not beyond them to destroy Wiley and his gang if those fools got on their bad side."


    "So you''re saying the witchers are our prime suspects. And the Cat is a¡­ variable. He must be eradicated." The Collector held his zircon pendant. The look in his eyes was dripping with venom. "I say we work together and get rid of these pesky intruders. And I have a n. First we prepare some dimeritium and bombs, then we take the initiative and attack them. That''ll take care of their <em>pseudo-spells</em>." The Collector sneered, his cheeks red with excitement. "Witchers are nothing without their spells."


    "What, you think they can do nothing without their spells? They''re armed." The dwarf chortled in disdain. He straightened his hair up. "But I guess you can send your men in as the vanguard, while my and Bem''s men will y backup."


    "Is that a challenge, Cleaver?"


    "No, it''s a simple statement. We should learn from Wiley''s mistake, and really, it''s a bloody one." Cleaver''s face fell. "A group of witchers is far more powerful than you think. Even if we <em>can </em>take them out, we''d have to pay a heavy price ourselves. A price heavier than you can imagine."


    Bem thought about the massacre at Wiley Manor again, and he sighed. He wasn''t as young as he used to be. Instability was not something he would like to see. "Cleaver''s right. We can''t go straight to violence. Vipers and Cats are famous assassins. If even one of them escapes our grasp, that''s goodbye to a good night''s sleep. And they can fight a small troop all by themselves. They''ve proven their worth. Respect where respect is due. We''re holding a negotiation. We need to know what they''re thinking and what they''re going to do. If we cane to a permanent peace treaty, then all the better. They stay in theirne, and we stay in ours. That''s the only way to prosperity, or our work will be for nothing."


    "Are you serious? There''s hundreds of us and only five of them, but <em>we </em>have to bow to <em>them</em>?" The Collector''s eyes went wide with rage. "The King of Beggars and the Cleaver¡­ I never thought I''d say this, but you''re cowards."


    "Orloff, I know you''re a <em>noble sorcerer</em> who scoffs at non-humans and collects <em>forbidden items</em>, but you''re blinded by your false sense of superiority." Bem stared straight at The Collector''s eyes. "And I never said I''d bow to them. This is nothing but a fair negotiation. If this n fails, well, we always have a backup in store. Prepare the dimeritium and bombs," he said solemnly.


    "We can always take them down with us as ast resort. Cleaver and I have made our choice. If you go straight to the backup n before we can even negotiate, then that''s fine with us. But we won''t help if the witchers decide to wipe you out as well."


    If looks could kill, Bem and Cleaver would have died. A momentter, Orloff sighed. "Fine. Contact the witchers and try toe up with a treaty."


    "I have the best ce for that." Cleaver caressed his carefully-braided beard. His hair swayed like the crown of a rooster. "Whoreson and his son are dead, but his gang''s fighting matches must go on. We''ll get into talks at the ring. It''s on our turf. The witchers won''t do anything stupid. There''s too many people around."


    Bem nodded, and his eyes shone. "And now let''s talk about Wiley''s assets. His casinos, fighting rings, and brothels. Including the one we''re in. We''re splitting them up and having our men take over this afternoon."


    "And remember, save some for those bastards of Eternal Fire." The Collectorbed his purple hair. He looked reluctant to say that. "Or we can''t take over in peace."


    ***


    A slender figure stood on the roof of a house outside the civilian area in southern Novigrad, swinging his sword.


    He held his sword over his head and squared out his shoulders. His muscles were rxed, and his legs were sped together, but the tips of his feet were apart. The figure started out with the roof stance, then he switched to the ox stance, and then the plow stance¡­


    In the end, he went for the tail stance, looking like a dracolizard that was swinging its tail around.


    The witchers moved fluidly and easily. The sword cut through the air, and it gleamed under the sun. It almost left an afterimage with every swing the witcher made.


    As the witcher moved around, it buzzed like a gust of wind blowing through the air. Compared to how it used to be, Roy''s swordy had a sharper edge in it that came from the Cat School''s philosophy of swordsmanship.


    A momentter, he heaved a sigh and sheathed his sword, then he scanned his character sheet.


    ''Sword Mastery Level 2: You have increased your mastery in swordy. You gain a (5 ¡ú 10)% increase in STR, DEX, and CON, allowing you to defend, block, dodge, and attack more urately in close-quarterbat.


    You may activate this skill and double its effect. However, you will also expend double the stamina in battle. This buffsts for at least thirty seconds.''


    His swordy improved after that massacre in the manor. And he realized an issue at the same time. <em>Gwyhyr''s Suppression worked a lot better than I thought when it came to regr humans. They got interrupted and start spacing out in about ten seconds instead of minutes. It''s like they saw something horrifying, and it stopped them from even fighting.</em>


    "This is really going toe in handy for group battles. Wonder how it''ll hold up against a few dozen enemies."


    Roy was starting to imagine it, but his train of thought was broken. A young, chubby girl in braids and red dress came into his sights. She went past the narrow alleyway and came straight to his house, then she knocked on the door.


    Roy leaped down three stories andnded behind the girl safely.


    She turned around, looking pale with shock. The girl very nearly cried, but in the end, she forced a smile. "A-Are you the witcher?"


    "Yes."


    "Master Francis Bem sends his regards." The girl handed him a slip of paper.


    Roy patted her braids and stuffed a copper coin into her sweaty palm. "So they want to negotiate at the ring? And in two days? I honestly saw thising from a mile away. Guess it''s time to see the bosses of the Big Four¡­ Three, I mean."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 303: Our Turf

    The year was 1261, and Novigrad''s battle tournament opened its curtains one fine morning in a modified warehouse beside the southeastern canal.


    The tournament had a long history that spanned centuries. The first record of it was during a celebration of the humans'' victory against elves. The rulers eventually decided to keep it around to train their people so they could serve during skirmishes, which happened frequently.


    Time passed, and this tournament became a beloved sport second only to Gwent. Any city, inn, and alleyway in the northern kingdoms were filled with burly men drenched in sweat either engaged in battle or cheering the fighters on.


    "Ladies, gentlemen, and our fearless fighters, wee to the annual fightingpetition of Novigrad," the slick-haired announcer shouted. "Had enough of boring, sleepy Gwent games? Then step right up for the spectacle of the year. A free-for-all, exhrating match! You''re in for a treat! This is a feast of gore and blood!"


    The announcer scanned the burly fighters from the gangs. The men swung their fists and shouted like apes. The air was filled with the scent of tension and men.


    "Are you ready, everyone? Oh, don''t tell me. The excitement on your faces is all the answer I need, but before that, a few words from yours truly." The announcer smiled. "This is, after all, the best entertainment, and what''s entertainment without booze and a feast? And music, of course. Nothing''s more exhrating than the shouts of battle."


    The audiences on the outer ring were red with excitement. Some of the older women were touching the muscles of the fighters, and then they started shivering.


    The audience quickly swarmed the man with baskets tied to his waist. They tossed bags of coins, and then they spewed in his face. This was crazier than the marketce in the morning.


    "Ten crowns on number thirteen¡ªDark Scarecrow!"


    "Twenty crowns on number thirty-five¡ªSnakeskin Alligator!"


    "Fifty crowns on number sixty-eight¡ªDesert Butcher!"


    ***


    "There''s only one way to win in these brutal battles. You either incapacitate your opponent or make them surrender. Thest man standing shall be the Fists of Fury." Francis was on the second floor of the warehouse. He held the guardrail, watching the crowd underneath. "But of course, no cheating is allowed. Any cheaters will be eliminated and have their limbs cut off. A permanent ban, so to speak. A fair rule, I''d say."


    Roy and hispanions were about five yards away. The young witcher looked at the gang lords and their thugs, then he exchanged a nce with hispanions.


    Only Letho, Serrit, and him came for this meeting. Auckes and Felix wereying low just in case this was a trap. It was a surprise that the gang lords woulde for the negotiation themselves. It was an honor, to an extent.


    The King of Beggars was as kind-looking as he thought. When the Eternal Fire was starting their crusade against sorcerers and non-humans, Bem was the one who provided a safe haven for the oppressed in the Putrid Grove. All he asked was a small fee in return. This man hated fanatics and discriminators, and Roy respected that part of him.


    Cleaver had the same hairstyle Kanti did, but he was less grumpy than Roy pictured. He and his sturdy thugs were silent in the presence of the witchers.


    Roy was surprised to find that Orloff was a sorcerer. The talismans and rings on him were vibrating with magic. There was disdain and enmity in his eyes. It was honestly surprising to see a sorcerer here, as most of them would spend their time on research, not status or power. <em>But those who would are always evil conspirators.</em>


    "Of course. Without rules, there will only be chaos," Letho answered. "And that''s why all we did was punish the evildoers, not the innocent."


    "The moment I found out you spared that poor wench, I knew you were men with principles." The dwarf swung his hand down. A muscr, bearded dwarf woman appeared with a bottle of wine. She poured a ss for everyone. The witchers and the gang lords all took one.


    "And I admire men with a creed. They''re like me. We''re all friends as long as you don''t cross the line. But if someone <em>does </em>cross it, I''ll pull that bastard''s innards out, tie it all up, and toss him to the sharks." He raised his ss. "A toast to you, witchers."


    The crowd was roaring, while the gang lords and witchers raised their sses. And then they downed it.


    "Right, we had our wine, and we had our little chat." Orloff put his ss down. He hissed, "Time to exin yourselves, witchers. You came into Novigrad and killed one of our colleagues right away. That''s a grave crime, despite whatever reasons you had."


    "And? You n to take revenge?" The witchers shot him a withering re. It felt like daggers were pointing at Orloff. His heart skipped a beat, and his mana stopped flowing for one moment.


    His men came forth and surrounded the witchers.


    "Calm down! Orloff, tell your men to back away. We agreed on a peaceful talk," Bem demanded.


    Orloff scowled, but he told his men to back off.


    "Settle down, witchers. We aren''t trying to interrogate. This is a peaceful negotiation. Let''s talk about our differences and see if we can settle it."


    "Of course. We''d rather not kill if we can help it," Letho said.


    "We know what Alonso did." Bem rubbed his golden ring and nced at the ring downstairs. Two burly men were already fighting there. "He did get on your bad side at first, but taking down his headquarters and killing him without giving him a chance to exin himself is¡­ cruel, don''t you think? Is the Cat here? Can you represent him?"


    "Bem, we''re hisrades. We risked our lives in more than one battle. We can represent him. If you''re upset with what we did to Wiley, then I''m sorry, but¡­" Serrit took a step ahead and stared straight at Bem. He announced, "That''s how witchers do things. Just like Cleaver, we have lines that must never be crossed. Anyone who does will die at our hands."


    They had to make a strong stand. If they hadn''t made an example out of Wiley, he would have turned around and killed them all.


    "But what <em>are </em>your lines?" Cleaver suddenly raised his voice. "We gotta make that clear and set some rules. This is a tragedy we don''t ever want to see again. We have to know what your line is, or our men might cross it without any knowledge about it, and what happens next? You take us all out?"


    "There''s a need for rules, yes." Roy looked at hispanions, and they nodded at him. He announced, "And our rule is simple. Stay away from our friends and family, and violence won''t be necessary. That''s a nice and easy rule to keep in mind, yeah?"


    Bem heaved a sigh of relief, though he was surprised too. "That''s a reasonable term, but are you sure it''s that simple, Roy?"


    "Of course. We never wanted to make an enemy out of Novigrad''s rulers." Roy stared at the ground and sighed. "But Wiley backed us into a corner. We had no choice but to retaliate."


    The gang lords arched their eyebrows. <em>Just because you were backed into a corner doesn''t mean you can destroy his whole gang.</em>


    "Very well. From today onward, I, Francis Bem, Carlo Varese, and Orloff Byrd will warn our men to never cross any of you, or I shall apprehend them myself and give them over to you."


    "If his word is not enough, then by the rules of Novigrad, we shall make a contract," Cleaver suggested.


    "We can do that." Letho looked calm, as if he knew this would happen.


    "And now for one important question. What will you do from here on out, witchers?" Bem told hisckey something and looked at the ring. The battle was getting heated. The bloodied fighters were engaging in a brawl, rolling around on the stage.


    Thedies'' screams of excitement were almost deafening. "Will you stay in Novigrad, or will you make your departure?"


    The gang lords were especially interested in this matter. None of them would want to see a whole group of witchers stay around.


    "The future is always uncertain." Serrit suddenly smiled. "We''ll be visiting our friends from another school in a few months. Ever heard of the Wolf School, gentlemen?"


    "They did extend an invitation to us, so we might give them a return invitation. A tour around Novigrad sounds nice, don''t you think?" Letho said. "You know witchers are few in numbers. If we don''t band together, someone''s bound to exploit us, even if there are rules we''re supposed to stick to."


    ***


    The gang lords fell into silence. The Vipers and Cat were already hard enough to handle. If the Wolves were to join in, the threat would be far too much to handle. It was possible that the witchers were bluffing, but there still was enough reason to be wary.


    Even The Collector dropped his ns of threatening the witchers.


    "So you''re nning on staying then, witchers?"


    "Novigrad is the richest city in the north. Traders buy and sell here all the time. It''ll be easy to feed a dozen or so witchers if we set up a base here." Roy was finally getting to his point. "We''re not greedy. All we need is a small percentage of what you make. And it''s less than one percent too."


    The gang lords were feeling slightly better. They were worried the witchers might set up another organization of their own and vie for power.


    "We have a gift for you, <em>friends</em>." Bem was going through with their ns as well. "Before his untimely demise, Wiley and us made an agreement. The winner of this year''s tournament will be the owner of a piece of unownednd. It''s a street in the business district, but thanks to your actions, that agreement is now¡­ Well, you get what I mean." Bem heaved a sigh.


    "We''ll give you two of the shops in the street at no cost. And we''ll write it into the contract. The shops will forever belong to you. You don''t have to pay us anything at all. Well, the monthly tribute to the church notwithstanding," Cleaver said. "And you can do anything with it. You wanna set up an apothecary shop? Go for it. Fashion stores, smithy, sundry shops, it''s up to you. We''ll deal with the Eternal Fire."


    "As long as the gangs exist, and as long as you follow the rules. No provoking or sabotaging." Orloff sighed. He didn''t like how things were going, but the advantage was not his. There was no choice but to relent. "The contract is in effect as long as you y by the rules."


    "But if you don''t¡­" Bem warned solemnly, "If you break the rules and try to kill anyone, my colleagues and I will make sure that you pay in blood, even if it destroys us."


    That was the conclusion the gang lords came to. They would give the witchers two shops to run, and that was it. That was the only way to make sure they yed by the rules¡ªgive them something to care about. After all, there was nothing more terrifying than an unbridled lunatic. Besides, the gangs didn''t actually give up anything. They actually gained a lot more from what the witchers did. The only guy who lost everything was Wiley.


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath and held his excitement down. <em>Honestly, I wonder if we''ve beenying a bit too low. We suffered indignity and humiliation for so long, but the moment we let loose, we get a mountain of fortune in return?</em>


    He mused for a moment and realized the real reason this happened. <em>No, this is the power of unity. The gangs are wary of us because we''re working together. If a lone witcher did all this, he would have to be on the run for his whole life. Still, this is a one-time offer. We can''t pull this off multiple times.</em>


    ***


    Serrit and Letho exchanged a look. They realized they were both feeling a bit odd about this. They spent decades going around the continent and eking out a living by taking requests. Never did they expect tond any estate outside of Gorthur Gvaed and their new fortress, but here they were.


    Letho was a bit dazed. He was an expert in battles, tracking and alchemy, but not business. He had no idea how to run a business.


    Serrit, however, looked excited. He was the wise guy of the team. He had always wanted to try making money through another way. <em>As long as it doesn''t go against the school''s revival.</em>


    "We''ll take the offer, gentlemen!" Serrit grinned. "If it''s alright with you, we can sign the contract right away."


    A momentter, four copies of the contract were signed and stamped. The process went fairly smoothly.


    The men shook hands.


    "Pleasure doing business with you, witchers." The gang lords felt a weight being taken off their shoulders, and they smiled. "My men will be bringing you the deeds."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 304: Apothecary Shop and Ballroom

    It was business as usual in the business district that was one river across the slums, though one tiny thing was different. Five witchers, one Zerrikaniandy, and Carl were standing right outside two empty shops. Their smiles were as bright as the sun that day.


    One of the shops was bigger than the other. It was about the size of a regr inn, while the smaller one was enough to convert into a clothing store.


    ***


    "Are you serious,ds? We own this now?"


    "Yep. Here are the deeds. Doesn''t get more serious than this." Serrit showed off the deeds to his colleague. Kanti and Carl looked at them curiously.


    Auckes happily went around the shops, knocking around. It was like he just saw an empty shop for the first time. He clicked his tongue. "This is the fanciest stretch ofnd in Novigrad. It''s gonna cost a boatload of crowns just to buy these shops."


    "Twenty thousand crowns, to be exact." A smile curled Serrit''s lips. His voice was almost trembling with excitement. "And nobody would be so stupid as to sell it."


    This was the most popr stretch ofnd in the Northern Kingdom''s center of economy. Unless they were being stupid with operations, any moron could make money easily just by setting up shop here. The money they make would be enough to feed their families.


    "They''re generous." Auckes suddenly sighed. "I should have gone with you yesterday. We''d have been more <em>persuasive</em>. And perhaps we could have gotten more out of this deal. Like a third shop, perhaps. When that happens, I''m gonna quit taking requests. They''re nothing but filthy, life threatening problems. I''m running a shop instead."


    "What about the school''s revival?" Roy clenched his jaw and shot him a re, though he was amused by the idea of Auckes being a shopkeeper.


    "Doesn''t contradict the idea of running a shop," Auckes retorted, cocking his eyebrow.


    Everyone mused on it. Having a business didn''t contradict their goal of reviving their school. Instead, they would have a constant stream of funds going toward that goal.


    The problem here was that witchers weren¡¯t normally businessmen. Most witchers had no talent for business. All they ever did was follow the tradition of taking requests and killing monsters.


    "Fate wants us to do this." Auckes strode into the shop and spread his arms. He closed his eyes and spun around. <em>I can smell the crowns. </em>"We justnded ourselves <em>two </em>shops, and we have no idea what to do with the fortune we found. Until now. We can renovate these babies and set up shop right away."


    He turned his sights to Felix and thumped his chest confidently. "If you ask me, Felix, I say you should invest your share of the fortune in the shops. It''s gonna make you more coins than you can ever imagine."


    Felix cocked his eyebrow. He hesitated for a moment. Cats were humble witchers. They spent their lives taking requests, fighting monsters, and taking what life had to offer them. That was all.


    They almost never ventured into any other fields of work. <em>Is this investment really reliable? Especially when the guy who brought it up is the biggest braggart of the team? </em>He looked at Carl, who was really dazed about everything. <em>Should I do this for Carl? </em>He was hesitant. "What kind of shop are we running? Do any of you even know how to run a shop?"


    The witchers fell into silence.


    "Any ideas, Kanti?"


    Kanti scratched her head. She looked lost as well. Business was not part of her n for the future. She had no idea how to run a store either. "A clothing store?"


    The witchers vetoed that idea.


    "I''ve actually thought about this¡­" Roy tossed a dried anchovy into his hood. He said, "Why don''t we make this smaller store into an apothecary''s shop? Potions are a lot easier to makepared to decoctions."


    Roy counted his fingers. "Ingredient purchasing, setting up the workstation, potion making¡­ You''ve done all that for decades; you can practically do it with your eyes closed. There''s no need to even learn it all again."


    <em>Besides, I recorded lots of potion recipes that remedymon ailments back in the academy. With the gang lords helping us, we don''t even have to worry about patent issues. </em>On top of that, he had a trump card given to him by the genius alchemist, Kalkstein¡ªthe spirit potion. Or in simpler terms, liquid Viagra.


    A while back, Roy and Felix made poor Carl take that potion with the pretext of toxicity endurance training. The effects were¡­ exceptional. Carl felt what it was like to have a boner a few years before he was supposed to get his first one. And there were no side effects.


    No matter the world, any potion that could strengthen that particr aspect of the body was a profitable item. <em>Very </em>profitable. And easy to make too. Moore and Susie could help with the simpler tasks. No longer would they have to work their backs off just to make a few crowns from selling vegetables.


    "Good idea. Potionmaking is easy for us."


    "And there''s not much need forbor or logistics either. I think that''s doable."


    Everyone agreed. Felix was tempted to join. If they could open up this shop, he could train Carl''s alchemy right here.


    "No objections? Then we''ve reached an agreement," Letho announced. "The shop on the left is gonna be converted into an apothecary shop, and we''re hiring renovators this afternoon."


    "Once we calcte the total expenses¡­" Serrit said, "You can decide whether you want in or out, Felix. You''ll own no more than twenty percent of the shares, of course."


    "Sure. What are we gonna call the shop?"


    "How about Gorthur Gvaed? Tomemorate the fortress in the south," Auckes suggested.


    Felix had no objections, so the ns to renovate Gorthur Gvaed went underway. However, everyone had their own opinions on what should be done with the other shop.


    "I say we open an inn." Serrit gulped. "This whole city''s filled with alcoholics. We''re gonna have a steady stream of customers. And where there''s customers, there''s money. Simple logic."


    "I know what you''re <em>really </em>after. You''re after that free alcohol, aren''t you?" Auckes shook his head in disdain. "Inns are a hassle. Getting a steady source of alcohol is a big problem alone, and the customers can be hard to handle. You gotta be on the ground at all times. There''s no way you can open it up and just let things run its course." And then he said, "We ought to turn this baby into a brothel. If we''re doing it anyway, we might as well go all in. Invest all the coins we have and make it as big as Spear''s Pit. Monopoly sounds like a good idea to me."


    "That''s the best idea you have? A brothel? That''s as much a hassle as an inn." Serrit shot him a sidelong nce. "And <em>I </em>know what you''re really after. You''re gonna recite that mushy, stupid poem of yours to all the more decent ''employees'' we''ll inevitably hire, aren''t you?"


    ***


    Roy''s face fell. <em>A witcher who opens a brothel? What the hell are they thinking? Pimping out women and kill the guys who try to fuck for free? Wait, what the hell am I thinking? This isn''t a proud profession. </em>He objected to it.


    "Shut up, you two. Neither of your ideas are feasible," Letho said. "I say we open up a smithy. We''re not master cksmiths like Berengar, but we do have some skills. Forging regr weapons and farming tools isn¡¯t beyond us. All we have to do is hire some apprentices, and we can absolutely handle the business."


    "I say we open up a swordy training center," Felix argued. "Everyone knows we''re skilled. They''re gonna want to have a witcher to train them. And with how powerful gangs are in Novigrad, everyone will want to train themselves." <em>If we actually get to open a training center, I can train Carl right here in Novigrad too.</em>


    "We''ve killed enough in our line of work," Auckesined. "I say we open a brothel."


    "We''re setting off for Kaer Morhen soon. I say we open an inn."


    "I still think a smithy''s the better option."


    Roy held his forehead and turned around. He met Kanti and Carl''s gazes. The three of them sighed.


    ***


    "Sunshine warms the heart, akin to a long-awaited reunion. An old friend sends his regards, and to you I greet, my friends. Hello, witchers, Lady Kanti, and young, lovely Carl."


    A handsome man in conspicuous red pants, floral shirt, and purple hat approached the group. He sported an elegant mustache over his lips. A plump, gorgeous, blondedy was standing by his side.


    "Dandelion, Prisci, good morning. Fancy seeing you two together." Roy looked at them suspiciously. Their bodynguage told Roy these two were back on good terms. <em>Prisci''s pretty kind, huh? She forgave him just like it. It hasn''t even been a week.</em>


    "You might have heard of this, but¡­" Dandelion sighed. He had a mncholic look on his face. "Just a few days ago, Alonso was surrounded by the other gang lords. He and his men were massacred. Rumors say he broke some secret treaty. I lost my only sponsor in Novigrad. Making a living in this city just became that much harder for me."


    The witchers stopped their discussion and exchanged a look. <em>So the gang lords took the me. Probably so the Eternal Fire can look good in front of the citizens. Not bad, </em>they thought. <em>At least we aren''t gonna be called Butchers of Novigrad.</em>


    "And now¡­" Dandelion continued, "Prisci and I are going to Rosemary and Thyme down the street to reminisce about the good old times and talk about the contributions Whoreson Senior made for the world of art. My colleagues and I are going to write amemorative epic for him."


    "Yes." Prisci looked a little sad as well.


    For most Novigradians, Whoreson Senior was a bully and a demon, but for bards, he was one of their greatest allies. After all, he was a poetry enthusiast.


    Roy then remembered something. <em>If history took its intended course, Dandelion would inherit Rosemary and Thyme many yearster. He and Prisci would renovate it and open up their ballroom. And then a tragedy by the name of Carnal Sins struck. But that fanatical katakan hasn''te to Novigrad just yet, and because of my actions, Whoreson Senior died an early death. The gang lords took over that inn, and Dandelion is locked out of it. I think I just destroyed his dream. Or if you look at it another way, I also saved Prisci.</em>


    ***


    "What were you arguing about, witchers?" Dandelion looked at the group and the empty shops curiously.


    "Let me exin." Roy smiled. He said, "We pooled our funds together and bought these shops. We''ve decided what to do with the smaller one, but not the bigger o¡ª"


    Before Roy could finish, Auckes approached Dandelion warmly and thumped his chest. The bard gasped in pain and held his chest. He almost howled in agony.


    "Perfect timing, Dandelion! We''re going to turn this ce into Novigrad''s biggest brothel. You''re a talented bard. You''re the perfect man to make a poem about this new ce." Auckes wrapped his arm around Dandelion''s shoulder and shook him excitedly.


    Dandelion almost saw stars.


    "We were going to make it an inn!"


    "A smithy!"


    "A training center!"


    "Hold it, hold it¡­ Hands off me, ow!" Dandelion managed to escape Auckes'' grasp and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "So you''re saying¡­ Ow¡­ You haven''t decided what to do with this shop?"


    "We''re still talking about it." Roy shot the witchers a look of unspoken plea, and they shut up. "Dandelion, Prisci, you''ve been in Novigrad for a while now. You know business better than we do. Do you have any suggestions for us?"


    Prisci contemted the question.


    Dandelion stared at the shop. A desire was building up within him. It was a wish he had kept hidden; a dream he never told anyone. He could never realize that dream all by himself, but now he had a chance.


    The bard gulped. He chose his words carefully and suggested, "You have decent ideas, witchers. Why don''t¡­ I mean, why don''t you mash them together and give it a little twist?"


    "What are you trying to say, Dandelion?" The witchers set their gazes on him.


    The bard froze for a moment and tried to put on the biggest smile he could muster. "How does a ballroom sound? You can drink, have fun, and even train in a ballroom."


    Prisci pushed her hair away, and her eyes sparkled as well. She had always dreamed of having a ce to perform.


    "You can do all that in a ballroom?" Auckes was surprised.


    "Yes. Well, an actual ballroom anyway. Nothing carnal involved. The customers are provided with a more luxurious experience in a ballroom." Dandelion was trying to paint a pretty picture for the witchers. "There''s only gonna be weak alcohol involved. Something like wine. That''ll keep the patrons from getting too drunk and smashing things around, so to speak. And then we''ll start every session with a drama, keep things going with some wine, and end it with poetry. And a little dance before everyone retires for the night." Dandelion smiled. He had a look of longing in his eyes. "That''s how the upper society enjoys life. If we can take that enjoyment and introduce it to the people, it''s going to be a hit. Guaranteed."


    "So that means my poems can finally see some use!" Auckes kept winking at Serrit.


    Serrit sighed. "Fine. Wine is still technically alcohol. I guess we can go with a ballroom." <em>I''m the older sibling here. Just bear with it, Serrit.</em>


    "Hold it. Are you sure that''ll work?" Letho and Felix asked. "We''re monster killers, and you expect us to run a¡­ a ballroom? Everyone''s going tough at us. You don''t see farmers running an opera theater."


    "More importantly, we don''t have time to run something this intricate."


    "Do not fret, witchers. If you think my idea works¡­" Dandelion put his hands in a prayer. He pleaded, "Prisci and I are more than willing to run the show for you. You''ll get ny percent of the profit. We only need enough to put food on the table. The contract will flesh this out."


    Prisci was surprised. <em>He''s dragging me into his mess again. </em>But she couldn''t resist. Prisci bit her lip and put her hands on her lower belly. There was trepidation and longing in her eyes. "If you give us a chance, we''ll prove that this is a profitable endeavor."


    "You''re only saying that because you two want to open up a ballroom. If we find out that you''re lying to us after we let you run the ce, the consequences will be <em>dire</em>."


    "I would <em>never </em>try to cheat you out of your coins." Dandelion stood up straighter. For once, he was being brave. "And I''m a resident of Novigrad. People know me, and as you can see, I''m just a frail little bard. I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape even if I wanted to."


    "How much is this going to cost?"


    "We''re going for the theater style when ites to renovation, so that''ll probably take two thousand crowns. And then we''ll have to hire dancers and actors. That''ll cost¡­" He rubbed his chin and made the calctions in his head. "No less than four hundred crowns per month, but no more than five hundred. But I promise I''ll record every single expense. And you can audit it anytime you want. We''ll close up shop if we make a loss for three consecutive months. That''s a promise."


    Felix looked at Serrit. He made the calctions in his head, then he nodded. Both of them had no objections.


    Letho sighed. "You took care of Moore and Susie in our absence, Prisci. That''s a big help for the kid. I''ll grant you your wish."


    The bards were delighted. They stared at Roy. Now all they needed was his approval.


    Roy thought this was a magical twist of events. What he did to Wiley inadvertently caused Dandelion to lose Rosemary and Thyme, but now these two came up to him and suggested converting this ce into a ballroom. <em>I wonder if fate decreed so. </em>Well, he was more than happy to give Dandelion what he wanted. At least he and Prisci would have a happy ending.


    <em>But ballrooms are frankly a new venture. Profit is uncertain. Time to sweeten the deal. </em>"I have a condition." Roy mused. "I don''t object to your idea, but you have to at least make a performance about witchers once a month. Poetry, drama, opera, you decide. But at least once every month. I don''t need you to praise witchers, but at least tell the people the truth. Tell them what witchers really are. You know what I mean, don''t you?"


    <em>Even if I lose this investment, the marketing alone would be well worth the coins. Novigrad is the trade center of the north. It affects the whole northernnd. This is the best ce to test out my theory.</em>


    Felix frowned. He had no idea what Roy was thinking. The Vipers, however, had a guess.


    If they wanted to revive their school and take in new blood, turning the image of witchers around and breaking the ugly stereotypes were necessary. They must leave a good impression among the people.


    Foltest refused to help them back in Vizima. They were willing to try it out again in Novigrad.


    Dandelion and Prisci exchanged a smile.


    "Witchers, I promise I will create at least two new works every month to extol your virtues to the people. If everything goes well, I''ll put even more effort into it. The poems and scripts will be written by yours truly. They''ll be on par with that show in Vizima. The one they call Legend of the Sewer Butcher."


    Roy''s lips twitched. <em>Can you give that a rest? </em>He shook his head and held Prisci''s hands. Then he patted Dandelion''s shoulder. "We can sign the agreement right away."


    He suddenly huddled closer to Dandelion and whispered, "Dandelion, you have to stop flirting around. And protect Prisci. Do <em>not </em>let her get harmed, got it?"


    "Huh?" Dandelion was a little confused. <em>Did I break Prisci''s heart before? Nah, not important. The ballroom takes precedence! </em>"As you wish, witcher!" The bard held his chest and bowed.


    "Once the ballroom opens up¡­" Roy looked at the couple. "I will be submitting a work of my own, and I would like Prisci to present it. I look forward to a brilliant interpretation."


    "And I shall be waiting." Prisci bent her knees and nodded at the witchers.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 305: Beneath the Temple Island

    The golden sunlight shone on Vizima for yet another day.


    The two empty shops in the business district were packed with dwarves. They were the construction team Cleaver rmended, and as a special favor for the witchers, they charged ten percent less than they normally would.


    The shops were going through renovations at the same time. It cost the witchers twenty-five hundred crowns. Felix had a twenty percent stake in that.


    The hammers banged away, and dust motes covered the air. There was the stench of paint hanging around as well. The renovations were well underway.


    Kanti and Carl were in charge of supervising the renovations of the apothecary shop, while Dandelion and Prisci were watching the ballroom. Moore and Susie were holding Mino. A big smile hung on their faces as they watched the dwarves work.


    At the same time, the witchers were a few hundred yards west of the temple ind on the northernmost point of Novigrad. Eternal Fire''s HQ and the People''s za were located right on that ind.


    Four figures were standing on a lone boulder near the sea. They stared down at the reef buffeted by the unrelenting waves. The droplets that sprayed into the air broke the sunlight down into a rainbow.


    "Are you sure Roy''s premonitions work?" Felix stared at the sun in the sky through his sunsses. "There''s actually a secretb under the temple ind, and you''re telling me a Cat is held prisoner in that sameb? Are you sure it''s not a hallucination he got from a drunken episode?"


    "Felix, just trust us." Auckes crossed his arms, staring at the ocean that stretched into the distance. "Every witcher gains a different ability after their mutation. And Roy¡­ Roy''s really lucky. He gained the ability of precognition after his Trial. From time to time, he can see glimpses of the past and the future."


    "Do you know how we got these swords?" Serrit unsheathed his steel sword and caressed the back of it. "Roy caught a glimpse of the past and told us where the blueprints were. It was how we found them and got these weapons made."


    They couldn''t possibly tell him Roy had Elder Blood, so that was a little lie.


    "The kid''s precognition has never been wrong. If that''s what he says¡­" Letho was holding Gryphon the cat. He said confidently, "Then you''re in for a surprise very soon."


    "Precognition? He gained the ability to see through time? That''s almost one of a kind. I just hope it''s right this time." Reminiscence glinted in Felix''s eyes.


    Ever since he left the declining Cat School and started his wandering life, it had been years since he saw another Cat. <em>Wonder who''s the unlucky bastard. Wonder if I know him.</em>


    ***


    While everyone was waiting, Roy was swimming like a fish in the water. He was wearing nothing but a pair of short pants and was armed with Aerondight. The young witcher was closing the distance between him and the ind. He was searching for the path that would lead to theb.


    Thanks to Aqua Blessing, ayer of elements was covering him. Not only could he breathe underwater and walk on water, but he could also move freely in the waters like an aquatic animal. The resistance became a force that propelled him forward. His legs were sped together and moving like a fish tail, while he swung his arms in rhythm with every swing of his legs.


    He was darting back and forth around the five-yard depth, searching for the crack between the boulders and the base of the sea. If someone were to look down from the sea''s surface, they would see something resembling a dolphin ying in the waters.


    After the gang problems were solved and the shops'' renovations going underway, they had some free time to spare. Roy wouldn''t waste time, so he set his sights on one dangerous spot in his ns.


    A poor Cat School witcher was imprisoned under the temple ind. There was ab with multiple Cat School equipment blueprints in it.


    Five minutester, Roy had moved from the western side of the ind to the northern end. All of a sudden, rm bells rang in his head. He scanned the depths of the sea and noticed two slimy humanoids with blue skin, scales, and webbed limbs quickly closing in on him.


    <em>Twenty yards¡­ Ten¡­ </em>Eventually Roy could see what they were. These creatures had white eyes and holes for a nose. Their maw was filled with sharp teeth. "Drowners?"


    Roy flicked his arms calmly and steadied himself. He made a yellow inverted triangle in the air, and Quen covered him. The young witcher grasped the air with his right hand, and Gabriel appeared out of thin air.


    He pulled the trigger, sending two bolts flying through the water. It broke through the resistance, making two belts of bubbles under water. The bolts hit them square in the face. Thebo of Guided Arrows and Stun Bolts pierced through the monsters'' skulls easily.


    Crimson liquid sttered everywhere, but the seawater washed them away easily.


    The pair of drowners died before they could even touch the witcher. They turned belly up and slowly floated to the surface of the sea, but Roy didn''t tuck his hand crossbow away, as three more drowners were approaching him from the darkness.


    His eyes glinted with murder. Two bolts flew through the water and destroyed the drowners. Roy was just about tounch another bolt, but he could sense the stench of thatst drowner closing in.


    It was already inches away from him. Roy could see its pale eyeballs and teeth in disgustingly clear detail. Still, he switched Gabriel out for Aerondight without missing a beat.


    <em>Fear. </em>The fighters shed. Roy''s de cut through the water, and the drowner''s blood was swept away unceremoniously. Both halves of its body slowly floated to the sea''s surface.


    ''Five drowners killed. EXP +100. Level 7 Witcher (1130/4500).''


    ***


    Roy broke through the surface of the waters and spat a mouthful of saltwater out. He swam to a beach that was between the ind and the sea.


    Roy took a towel from his inventory space to dry himself, then he changed into Manticore armor. The young witcher whipped out a short sword and cut up the bloody drowner corpses easily. He plucked their teeth, nails, tongues, and eyeballs out, then he shed their bellies and extracted all the valuable organs.


    The young witcher rummaged through their brains and found a red mutagen the size of half his palm. "This is a pleasant surprise. I''ll put this in the ''items for next Trial'' section."


    Once he was done with the drowners, Roy easily climbed up the uneven rock wall near the beach. When he couldn''t find the entrance after scouring the whole area, he realized he must have gotten the wrong idea.


    <em>Maybe the entrance isn''t underwater. Maybe it''s hidden among the mountains.</em>


    The scorching sun shone on a humanoid figure that was climbing around the rocky cliffs at an inhuman speed. He was like a lizard crawling through walls. Not even a master in rock climbing could have that kind of speed.


    Roy searched around for a bit, and he eventually found what he was here for¡ªa precarious path hidden behind a boulder and covered in grass and moss. Roy went down this path and arrived at a narrow cave about two minutester.


    "Finally."


    ***


    The cave was lit by nothing but the fire of a torch. Shadows of different sizes hung on the wall. Five witchers were staring at a wall filled with rocks.


    "Are you sure the entrance is right behind this rock, Roy?" Auckes stood on the pile of rocks. He was holding up the torch with one hand and knocking on the cold hard surface with the other. Obviously, he was unconvinced. "You sure about this? What are we supposed to do? Blow this ce up?"


    "The gang lords will think we''re robbing the treasury if we do that."


    "Bombs won''t do anything, you fool. Don''t you feel the elements in the air?" Serrit held his vibrating pendant. He had a wary look in his eyes. "The elements are converging in this ce. This is no regr wall."


    "This is a powerful illusion cast by a sorcerer." Letho brushed his hand across the wall. It took him down memoryne. "We saw a simr illusion back in a cave at a riverside in Nilfgaard. And also in Mahakam."


    "We found the secretb of an empire''s advisor for magic and got ourselves a big sack of light essence and infused dust." Serrit had a trip down memoryne too, and it was a good trip.


    "So Roy''s right? There''s actually a secret chamber underneath the ind?" Felix adjusted his sunsses. He probably thought of something, and he stared at the young witcher.


    He was the youngest and weakest witcher of his school, but at the same time, he possessed a powerful ability that allowed him to practically search for any kind of treasure that everyone would miss.


    "I need everyone to try and dispel this illusion." Roy massaged his temples. He was wracking his brains here. This illusory wall would have been easily dispelled if he had the Eye of Nihaleni given by Keira Metz, but he didn''t have that thing right now.


    "Remember how we got through this in Smiack back at Mount Carbon, kid?"


    "You mean the mural that protected the Child of the Sun?" Realization struck Roy. He recalled what happened back then. A limping Letho brushed his hand across the mural, and his hand was covered in some kind of powder. "Oh, dimeritium!"


    "At least you''re not a total idiot."


    Roy reluctantly took the expensive dimetirium powder out of his inventory space and tapped some of it on the wall before them.


    A golden patch appeared on the spot he touched, and it spread through the wall. Like a burning paper, the wall started burning away, until it disappeared in full, revealing a dark cave behind it.


    There was a dark sensation billowing from the cave. It sent chills down everyone''s spine.


    "Stay on guard, everyone." Roy doused the torch. He warned solemnly, "I have a feeling something evil is waiting for us inside."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 306: Golem Guardian

    Sounds of someone swallowing something spread throughout the cave. The witchers all drank a dose of Cat, and ck veins crept up their faces.


    They scanned the dark cave like animals looking through the night. Eventually the potion kicked in, and the dark cave became as bright as day for them.


    Roy looked around. <em>It''s a narrow cave. Weird stone formations everywhere. The roof''s filled with stctites, and there''s fungus everywhere.</em>


    Roy could feel a chilling sensationing from somewhere deeper. Something horrifying was hiding in the darkness further ahead. Roy put a finger to his lips. Everyone quieted their breathing and stood on their tiptoes. They walked ahead as silently as feline creatures would.


    Two minutester, the witchers passed through a cramped passage and came into a clearing. It was spacious and empty, almost as if it were a za.


    Man-made stone pirs stood just somewhere before them, hiding in the darkness. The floor was made up of marble bs, most of which were ancient. Doused braziers sat along the way. It was obvious this was an abandoned ce.


    The witchers hid behind the pirs, their eyes on their surroundings at all times. A dried-up fountain stood in the center of the za. The witchers shifted their gazes to the side, and what they saw shocked them.


    A dark, gargantuan¡­ thing stood beside the fountain quietly. It had humanoid limbs and a head, but the thing was at least nine feet eight, and it was imposing. Circles of glowing light surrounded it from head to toe, and the circles were made ofplex magical runes. Charcoal-like stakes protruded from its limbs and head. This thing was weird, terrifying, and almost weirdly amusing to look at, all at the same time.


    ''y Golem


    Status: Guard (the golem guards this ce. It chases off and kills any and all intruders).


    HP: ?


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: 12


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 10


    Will: N/A


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 20


    Skills:


    Body of y (Passive): y golems are the product of y and magic. It possesses incredible strength and durability. +10 to CON and STR. y golems do not need food or water to sustain themselves. Its magical core and runes on its body absorb the elements from the air and provide it with the energy it needs to sustain itself. Immune to all mental status ailments like Fear. Immune to bleeding, fire, and poison. Weak to strong acids.''


    ***


    <em>Holy smokes. </em>Roy was surprised to see it immune to so many ailments. <em>Good thing I called them over. Fighting this thing one on one would¡¯ve ended badly for me. This guy is durable. I''d probably die of exhaustion if I tried to cut it down. And that''s if it even lets me. And it has no Will. In other words, it''s as tough as marble. It cannot waver.</em>


    Roy didn''t think Fear would have any effect on the golem.


    ***


    Golems were conspicuous and infamous. The witchers were experienced enough to recognize it at first nce. They were either wary or excited.


    This was almostmon sense. Lots of powerful sorcerers would purchase or make golems themselves. They made for great guardians. Golems were a lot more expensive than trolls, but they had no need for food and water. They were also too rigid to even talk to their masters, but that was a good thing. Unlike dumb trolls, they wouldn''t be duped by humans.


    <em>So we can''t skirt around this battle.</em>


    Letho fell into a moment of silence and whipped out some elementa oil from his ring and gave it to everyone. Elementa oils were made out of dog tallows and puffballs, both of which weremon ingredients. Letho kept some of it in his ring at all times for any situation.


    The witchers took the oil and sat down cross-legged. They greased their des with the oil at their own tempo. They were moving at different speeds, but they were in harmony.


    All of them downed a bottle of Thunderbolt, and the ck veins turned darker. Letho drew the sign of Aard on the ground, then he pointed at himself, Auckes, Serrit, Felix, and finally, Roy. That was the order they would be casting Aard in.


    He mouthed a few words. ''Dodge its charge.''


    If something that big were to charge at them, its impact would be as big as a basilisk''s charge. Nobody could deal with that.


    The witchers nodded and made Quen signs. Yellow light surrounded their bodies. Roy took Gryphon the cat out of his hood and told the tabby cat to stay there.


    And then preparations were done.


    Letho looked ahead solemnly and led the charge. Hispanions followed him, but they went in different ways and quickly surrounded the giant.


    Five pairs of eyes glowed in the dark, as if they were wolves surrounding a lion with the cover of the night.


    The golem was alerted of the intruders. All of the runes on its beefy body lit up. It swung itself around and let out a deep roar.


    The whole cave was shaking from the roar, but before it could do anything, Letho pushed his hand ahead.


    The air itself vibrated, and the shockwave made the golem stagger. It was disoriented.


    And then a purple magical circle lit up. Yrden cut down the golem''s speed and reaction even more, and the witchersunched their assault.


    The greased des arced through the air like silver ribbons of death. Sparks flew, and metals nged against the golem, yet they couldn''t hurt its core.


    The golem swung its gigantic arms at its side and swatted the des away. It let out another roar, but instead of making any movement, the golem tensed up, obviously trying to store its strength.


    Another explosion rattled the air as Auckes mmed the golem''s back with another Aard.


    It stopped the golem from storing further strength, and it clumsily wobbled ahead.


    The witchers took the opening and assaulted the golem with their des and signs.


    Eventually this became a loop. The witchers kept casting their signs without stopping. The golem was forced to take a defensive stance. It couldn''t evenunch one full attack under that kind of assault.


    Five loopster, the witchers had lost most of their mana, while the runes that revolved on the golem had significantly slowed down. Their light had dimmed out, and the golem was riddled with holes. It was at the end of its line.


    However, its creator had programmed it to make one final desperate attack before it would meet its demise. The golem broke free of Yrden as if it had gained its full strength back, and then it leaped into the air.


    The golem smashed into the floor like a meteor. A dust storm flew into the air, and the shockwave sent the witchers flying back. The golem set its sights on the young witcher, and it charged at Roy with speed it had before never disyed.


    Roy was two yards away from the golem, and rm bells rang in his head. He felt everything around him darken. The wind made his hair dance like crazy, and every inch of skin on his body tensed up.


    He had less than a fraction of a second left. That was not enough time to dodge or summon Gabriel to blink away, but there was hope. His mount was hiding far, far away from the battlefield. <em>Teleport!</em>


    The golemnded, but all it did was crash into an afterimage.


    Roy had disappeared into thin air. He reappeared at the corner of the cave, right beside Gryphon the cat. It was crouched on the ground.


    "Mew?" Gryphon looked at its master curiously, and it grabbed Roy''s pants.


    <em>That was too close forfort. </em>Roy red at the clumsy golem and shot multiple bolts in session.


    The golem expended thest of its life force and fell with a crash.


    ''y golem killed. EXP +50. Level 7 Witcher (1180/4500).''


    ***


    "Weird. Fifty EXP for all that?" Roy picked Gryphon up and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He and the other witchers approached the golem. He was really surprised about the abysmal amount of EXP for this battle. <em>Does it have no soul? Or is its soul broken? It''s only an empty shell? Is that what man-made lifeforms are? Is that what all elementas are? Soulless creatures?</em>


    Auckes dug out three items from the remains of the golem. Everyone''s attention was on a smooth, reddish-brown item. It was as hard as a jade and shaped like a heart.


    "This is the golem''s core. The most valuable part of its body. Worth a few hundred crowns. A sorcerer can quickly make another golem with this." Serrit said. "But the golem''s essence and infused dust are fine too."


    "Can I have the golem''s essence? Is that alright?" Felix actually requested something for once. "Cat School''s Trial needs it. I''d like to save it for Carl."


    "It''s yours now." The Vipers had no objection.


    Roy tucked the other items away and sat down cross-legged. He went into meditation along with the other witchers to replenish his mana and stamina.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 307: Skeleton

    The witchers went on with their exploration after an hour, when they had recouped part of their lost strength.


    The fountain as well as the braziers that nked the sides showed them a clear path ahead. The witchers lit the braziers up, and the light drove away the darkness. They went up a flight of almost rotten stairs and came to a closed door.


    The light from the mes shone on an ancient rune on the door. There was a hint of magic swirling in it, and the witchers'' pendants were vibrating.


    Auckes knocked on the door and tried to push as much as he could, but it didn''t budge. "It''s too hard, and with that kind of magic protecting it, Aard won''t do a thing to it."


    He turned to Roy.


    "Why are you looking at me?"


    "This is probably an illusion too. Wanna give dimeritium another go?"


    "Did the drowners eat your brains?" Serrit knocked on his brother''s head. "There''s a keyhole here. This isn''t an illusion, you fool."


    "My dear brother, allow me to warn you¡­" Auckes curled up and red at his brother. He snarled, "Just because I went with your business idea doesn''t mean you can insult me. Do it again and I''ll¡ª"


    "Shut up, both of you!" Letho held both of their necks, and the brothers said nothing more. They looked like kittens who got lectured by their mama cat. "This is not the time to fight. We need to look for the key. If I''m right, that poor bastard''s probably locked behind that door."


    Felix tensed up, and his hand trembled a bit.


    Roy nodded. He was flipping through his memories again. "The golem''s dead now. We''ve cleared the biggest threat for the moment. I say we split up and look for clues, but be careful. This cave is right beside the sea. It''s cold and damp. Some ces are probably filled with swamp gas at this point. If you smell anything funny, stay on guard."


    "You don''t have to tell us that, kid."


    They split into two teams. Auckes, Serrit, and Felix would search the western part of the cave, while Roy and Letho took the east.


    They headed into a narrow path, and everything went well. There were a lot of puffballs and mistletoes along the way, and the witchers picked them up. They also saw a remarkable nt: glowing mushrooms. These mushrooms grew on the roof of the path, and they were shaped like a bunch of spiderrvae. They emitted dim green light like they were natural magicalmps. It was hauntingly beautiful.


    The witchers walked down the dimly illuminated path and passed by a cold little pond.


    "Remember thest time we went for a dive, kid?" Letho popped his head out of the water and got back onnd. He wiped the water off his face, and the veins brought on by the potions subsided. The witcher looked a little bit gentler now. <em>It''s been a year since he started on this path. Time flies. He used to be a cheeky apprentice.</em>


    "Don''t bring that up." Roy pulled some moss off and dried his hair. He was reminded of that pond back in Smiack. It was filled with nekker excrement. Just thinking about it made him nauseous. "You kicked me down a shithole. Literally! I lost my appetite for days!"


    "That''s the tradition." Letho shook his head. "But I remember you feasting on meat that very same night after we met the troupe¡ª"


    And then their pendants vibrated. The witchers took a battle stance and unsheathed their silver swords.


    The mushrooms on the roof shone down on something armed with a sword andntern. It was a wraith in translucent robes. The creature appeared out of nowhere and howled raspily as it pounced onto the witchers.


    They made a sign and covered themself in a Quen shield. Letho held his sword behind him in a tail stance and darted to the wraith, like a dracolizard running to its prey. He swung his sword upward, deflecting the wraith''s de and cutting its illusory body open.


    The wraith froze for a moment. Letho dropped down a little and ran around it. He pressed his hand against the ground, and a purple circle showed up. Yrden locked onto the wraith, forcibly dragging it from the void into the real world and robbing it of its immunity to physical attacks.


    Roy fired multiple bolts imbued with Guided Arrows and Stun Bolts. The bolts hit the wraith on its back and petrified it.


    Letho swung his de three times in quick session. It hit the wraith''s torso, and the silver started corroding its flesh. Smoke billowed into the air.


    The creature let out a haunting scream, sending invisible ripples hurtling across the air. All it did to the witchers was make them shake their heads, however. They snapped out of it easily thanks to their iron will.


    ***


    Roy''s crossbow and Letho''s de worked in perfectbination. For two whole seconds, the wraith was locked in one spot, standing helplessly against the rain of attacks.


    All of a sudden, Letho stopped attacking and hopped back, but Roy kept shooting.


    Two bolts buried themselves in the wraith''s shriveled head. Its life came to an end, and its body started glowing a beautiful green. And then it started burning up as if an invisible fire were licking it. The ghost of itsst scream hung in the air for a moment, and it vanished just like the wraith.


    Motes of light fell to the ground and formed a small pile of green specter dust. There was also a lesser green mutagen hidden in it as well.


    ''Wraith killed. EXP +60. Level 7 Witcher (1240/4500).''


    Roy waved his hand and tucked the dust and mutagen into his inventory space. <em>This is gonnae in handy during the Trial.</em>


    The obstacle was cleared, and the witchers looked to the depths of the tunnel. The walls were covered with protrusions, and the mushrooms shone on a human skeleton lying quietly in the distance.


    "Hold it, kid. It''s not the time to go." Letho sheathed his de and looked at the spot beside the skeleton. He sniffed the air and noticed the rotten scent of some squirming white fog hidden in the corner.


    This was obviously poisonous gas. It was nothing to be worried about if they had Golden Oriole. However, Golden Oriole ingredients were hard to find, and the witchers had not prepared them.


    They exchanged a look and cast Quen over themselves. Letho shot a stream of Igni at the gas from some distance away and ignited it. Sparks flew into the air, and a minor explosion shook the ce a little, but the gas was burned offpletely.


    The witchers burned the spot a second time for good measure before approaching the skeleton.


    Letho held up the skull in one hand and the hip bone in another for a closer look. "The victim was a male. Reasons of death¡­ A great impact to the skull and multiple bone fractures puncturing his organs. There''s traces of magical corruption in his bones, and I feel trace amounts of elemental energy. He was a sorcerer. Body was magically enhanced, so I don''t know his age, but he was at least dead for a few decades. Probably where the wraith originated," Letho muttered.


    "But why here? And does this have anything to do with that door?"


    ***


    "I think I know why." Roy pulled out a parchment paper from the soil. He dusted it off and read through it.


    <em>Issued by: Jehuda L?w. Purchaser: Irenues var Steingard</em>


    <em>Good purchased: Guardian </em><em>golem</em><em>, y (porcin)</em>


    <em>Warranty: In the event of damage to the ceramic, please report immediately to the nearest branch of Jehuda L?w and Apprentices. The golem can only be serviced by qualifiedpany personnel.</em>


    "So this poor bastard was a golem repairer?" Letho had a weird look on his face. "Something went wrong with his work and turned the golem against him. He escaped to this cave after he was grievously injured and here he took hisst breath."


    "I think so. Look at the clothes. They¡¯re grey and outdated. This guy must have been a repairer."


    <em>Well, this is ironic. </em>The witchers exchanged looks of amusement.


    There was another important detail on this parchment. "Irenues var Steingard¡­ That''s a hard name to pronounce." <em>The customer''s the owner of this golem. </em>"He''s probably the real owner of this secretb."


    Roy asked curiously, "Have you ever heard of him? I think he came from a time when magic was more widespread. Can you imagine it? Shops that sold all kinds of golems. That''s exciting."


    <em>Golems aren''t only made out of y. Some are made out of rocks, like gargoyles.</em>


    "I''m not informed about the north''s history." Letho shook his head. He stood up. "Let''s go. Those fools might be wasting their time on useless banter as we speak."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 308: Stare Into the Abyss

    The witchers came out of the east and swiftly moved to the west. They climbed across two mounds along the path the vines showed them and sted off a few more patches of swamp gas.


    Eventually, they arrived at a spacious wall with neat marble flooring. Unlike the crude and abandoned cave, this room was resplendent and exquisite.


    The witcher stopped at the stairs behind the door and stared at a stone stele written in Elder Speech. Roy kept looking at it and easily recognized what it was saying thanks to his bloodline. "Look to the depths and be lifted up?"


    As if responding to Roy, a cold gust of wind blew from within the hall. Roy cocked his eyebrow, while Letho fell silent.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Roy asked. <em>It feels like the death throes of a man in despair. He walked down the wrong path and found it to be almost insurmountable only to be rewarded in the end? Is that what it is?</em>


    "Fanatical and extreme. That means danger. This is not good news." Letho looked at the center of the hall. Auckes, Serrit, and Felix were standing beside a cylindrical pir. "Let''s go. No time to waste."


    ***


    "Did you find the key? Don''t tell me you''ve been staring at this thing the whole time."


    It was then Roy and Letho realized how terrifyingly tall the pir was. It was at least thirty feet tall, connecting the ground to the ceiling. Patterns that resembled paddies were engraved around it. This ce felt like it was a huge cage, but the spaces between the pirs were big enough for anyone toe and go anytime they pleased.


    A humanoid stone figure stood between two pirs. They looked like cold, inscrutable giants hiding in the dark, staring into the future.


    "We killed a wraith and found something." Auckesid out an old parchment in front of Roy and Letho. The content read like a research journal.


    ''We started researching drowner genes as per the orders of our teacher¡ªIrenues var Steingard. All subjects lose consciousness after they''re fed with puffer fish toxin. Twenty-four hours after that, they lose all life signatures. It is impossible to go on with the experiment.


    Taken by: Matteo Sig.''


    ***


    "Alright, we found a lead." Roy whipped the earlier parchment out andpared the two side by side. His findings excited him. "This guy''s teacher was the same guy who bought the golem¡ªIrenues var Steingard! He''s the owner of thisb. He must have the key to the door!"


    "Calm down, kid!" Serrit doused his excitement. "We''ve searched the whole ce. There''s nothing but this journal and a dumb wraith. Not even a mouse. We found no key."


    "Thisb has probably been abandoned for years. Who knows where the sorcerer might be?"


    "See? Bombs are needed. What did I tell you?"


    "No, wait. You ran into a wraith? So that means a body should be lying somewhere," Letho said.


    "Sorry. We didn''t find any bodies, but¡­" Felix approached one of the statues and looked up at the pir. There was actually a lever there. "I found some doohickey." And he pulled the lever down.


    The floor rumbled, and dust flew into the air. The statues that were facing the witchers turned ny degrees clockwise.


    "If we turn these in the right direction, we should get what we want: the body and the key."


    "Damn sorcerers and their annoying contraptions. Alright, let''s do this." Auckes went over to the lever on the west side of the hall. "I''m going to crack this case."


    "When you can''t even solve basic arithmetic questions?" Serrit scoffed. "You don''t even know how many possiblebinations there are. It''s going to take you forever just to crack it."


    Roy looked around. <em>There are seven statues, and each can face four directions. Four to the power of seven. We''re looking at the chances of¡­ </em>Roy''s heart sank. "One in more than sixteen thousandbinations. Those are our chances."


    Everyone was shocked.


    "So what? We smashed the Trial of the Grasses. We have enough time to crack this." Auckes scratched his nose. He got fired up again in just a moment and pulled the lever on one of the statues. "Even if we''re going with trial and error, it''s still better than standing around and twiddling our thumbs."


    "Hold it, you fool! Leave a mark! You do that without making records and I guarantee you''ll forget how manybinations you made in an instant!" Serrit went and worked with Auckes, and Felix helped.


    There was a fire burning within him. <em>I must crack this contraption and meet that Cat in this ursedboratory.</em>


    ***


    Roy stood in the same spot, staring around. He started brainstorming. All he knew was that ab was hidden underneath the ind, but he couldn''t remember how he should crack the contraption that would lead them to it.


    "Help us out, kid!"


    "Something''s off with this journal. Letho, drowners are supposed to be immune to poison." Roy wasn''t nning on going through with trial and error. <em>There must be a way to solve this. </em>He asked a weird question. "So why''d the drowners ck out and die after they were injected with puffer fish toxin?"


    "I''m not a sorcerer, and I''ve never done any experiments like that, but what I know is puffer fish toxin is different from any other poison. It''s a nerve toxin, and its power is unparalleled. That toxin works differently from any other poison. It doesn''t corrode or hurt the flesh. Once it''s absorbed, the toxin attacks its victim''s nervous system and shuts it down. The victim is robbed of all life functions, and they die. Even drowners have nervous systems too."


    "I see."


    Letho went back to the lever pulling after he answered Roy.


    Roy flipped through the journal and receipt, then he searched the hall twice, but he found nothing.


    "Roy, you can''t just ck off while everyone else is working their butts off." Auckes threatened, "Move your arse, or if we crack the contraption, anything valuable belongs to us. You''re not taking anything."


    Roy shook his head. He shrugged that little banter off and mumbled, "This is aplex contraption. There''s no way the researchers could memorize them. There must be a clue."


    <em>But I went through the papers and searched the whole ce. </em>"Did I miss something?" <em>What did I miss? </em>He closed his eyes and imagined everything he saw ever since they came into this cave.


    Two minutester, he opened his eyes, and something glinted in them. "Wait a minute¡­" <em>That cryptic message on the stele! </em>"Look to the depths to be lifted up."


    <em>Look to the depths. That''s it. These statues look like they''re staring at something. So all I have to do is turn them around until they''re facing the depths. That should unlock something. But what are the depths?</em>


    Roy looked around again. The uneven walls outside the hall had nothing resembling the depths at all. <em>Which means¡­</em>


    He went past the witchers and entered the circr clearing surrounded by the statues. Roy hunkered down and knocked on the marble floor. <em>It''s hollow. </em>"Alright, that''s enough, guys. I think I get it now."


    ***


    Two minutester, the witchers turned all the statues until they were facing the center area.


    A crisp crack was heard, and the floor parted to the sides, revealing a deep, dark pond in it.


    There wasn''t much light shining on it, and something seemed to be moving under the water. Ripples were spreading across the pond.


    "So this is what the quote meant. This is the depths."


    "We''re getting too old for fast thinking. Gotta leave that department up to the youth." Auckes gave Roy''s shoulder a pat of approval, and then he quickly cast a Quen shield on himself.


    Auckes rubbed his hand and nodded at the pond. He swung his hand down and announced, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s get down there and kill that monster!"


    The Vipers hopped into the pond and created a ssh, while Felix and Serrit stayed back as insurance.


    The pond''s surface started to churn and bubble. A few momentster, five drowners showed up on the surface, but they were all dead.


    Thanks to hispanions leaving thest hit for him, Roy made another one hundred EXP.


    ''Level 7 Witcher (1340/4500).''


    They came back up dragging a skeleton draped in strips of cloth.


    ''Human skeleton.''


    Even after he was dead for years, there was still magic swirling around his bones. He was probably a sorcerer before he died.


    "I wonder if this was supposed to be the owner of thisb or his student." Roy looked curious.


    "Who cares? We got the key, and now it''s time to see that poor bastard." Auckes was holding the rusty key they got from the skeleton. He looked excited.


    "How did he die though?"


    "There are bite marks all over the bones." Serrit picked a fib up and mused. "He fell into the pond for some reason and was devoured by the drowners."


    <em>No matter who this was, both Irenues and Matteo performed horrible experiments on drowners. The puffer fish toxin experiment was a prime example of that. Wonder if they ever imagined ending up as their test subjects'' food. Look to the depths to be lifted up? Maybe. Or maybe this guy went to hell. </em>"This is not a good sign."


    Auckes puffed his chest out. As if reciting a poem, he said, "The architect, killed by the golem he repaired; the researcher, devoured by his test subject. Will we one day die at the hands of the very monsters we hunt?"


    And that sent a chill running down everyone''s spine.


    "You shut your mouth!" Serrit snatched the key from him. "Let''s get to that door."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 309: Real Pain

    Lit braziers nked theboratory''s entrance, the light of their mes shining on the figures before the door.


    "Before we open this door, there''s something I want to say. My precognition tells me there''s something wrong with the witcher locked in theb. He''s filled with the desire to kill, and his eyes look like¡­ red lightning bolts. There''s no hint of sanity in him."


    Roy looked at Felix. He was nervous. "I think he''s lost all semnce of sanity and can''t recognize friend from foe." Roy sighed. "He might attack us the moment we go in. And he won''t stop until he''s dead."


    "So you mean that poor bastard''s a madman now?" Auckes stopped turning the key for a moment. "Can''t you cure him? What''d your precognition tell you?"


    "I can''t be sure, but the chances of him regaining his sanity are slim." Roy was a little frustrated and sad. What he remembered was that the witcher inside thatb had be a terrifying creature after all the torture he endured. He was no longer human.


    Roy looked at Felix. "Do you have anything to say, Felix?"


    Felix was sticking his ear to the door and listening intently. His eyes were closed, and then he clenched his fists. "What you saw was probably the side effects of the Trial. He lost control of his emotions and fell into insanity. There <em>is </em>some chance of bringing him back. And there''s five of us, but one of him. We should be able to pin him down easily. And then we''ll decide what to do with him."


    "We''ll go with that n." Letho looked at hispanions, and they nodded. "But just to be clear, if things go south, we''re putting ourselves first. I hope you can understand that."


    "As you should."


    "Very well. We''ll stop him from moving with our Signs and then tie him up so we can conduct further observation."


    Roy took a few ropes the size of an adult''s forearm out of his inventory space and tied them up before giving them to everyone.


    Auckes opened the door, and the witcher came into a spacious lobby. At first nce, the ce was split into two parts. The right side was the living quarters and experimentation area. Bizarre alchemical apparatuses stood on the right. There was also an unknown metal canister the shape of a gourd there, and it was the size of an adult man.


    There were also necessities, furniture, and bookshelves around. Obviously, someone had lived and worked in this ce for a long time in the past.


    The ce right in front had a flight of rotting marble stairs with floral patterns engraved into them leading downward. The stctites that hung from the ceiling turned this passage into a narrow one.


    Hundreds of white candles were burning quietly at the end of the passage. The light illuminated the whole clearing, and a hexagram made out of white ash covered the ground.


    The witchers froze. A slender humanoid creature was kneeling in the center of the circle. His back was turned to the group, and he was facing a statue that resembled a cheetah. The creature himself was maintaining a meditating stance.


    His back¡­ was not pretty, to say the least. His skin was charred from the mes and electric shocks. Twisted crimson scars and lumps of flesh hung on his back. The skin on some of his back was burned off, revealing the muscles, tendons, vessels, and bones underneath. Weirdly enough, there was no blood.


    Roy stared at the horrifying creature and cast Observe.


    ''Kiyan


    Age: Ny-three years old


    Status: Cat School witcher, test subject (After undergoing extreme experiments and getting his body modified by unknown energy, his spirit and body are now incredibly twisted. There''s another unfamiliar existence dwelling in his body.)


    HP: 200


    Mana: 160


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 16


    Will: 3


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 16


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 6, Meditation Level 9, Cat School Swordy Lavel 10, Witcher Senses Level 10, Alchemy Level 7¡­


    Cryptic Strength (Passive): A modification by unknown energy. Strengthens HP and Mana. +5 to Constitution and Spirit. -5 to Will. Loses all sense of pain. Loses the need for food. Can absorb elemental energy from the air to replenish any spent energy. Gains powerful regenerative abilities.''


    ***


    The veteran witchers were in disbelief. <em>What the hell happened to him to make¡­ this?</em>


    Felix was livid. He was clenching his teeth so hard, everyone could hear it. The veins on his neck popped, and his eyes were getting bloodshot. <em>No. Saving him takes priority. </em>He took a deep breath and cast Quen over himself.


    The Cat held his sword in one hand and the rope in the other. He charged ahead of his otherpanions, distracting the creature.


    The Vipers followed closely.


    When the silhouette noticed their presence, it picked up the de beside it, and then it stood up. When it turned around, what greeted them was a more horrifying sight than the creature''s back.


    It was like a human who had his skin peeled off. It looked like something that came out of a horror story. His muscles, tendons, and bones merged into a grotesque armor that covered what remained of his flesh.


    This creature looked like a monster who just crawled out of a grave. It set its sights on the witchers, and just as Roy had warned, they were cruelly crimson. There was no emotion within it, neither was there mercy. Only a void remained.


    "There is no¡­ justice¡­ or evil¡­" the creature growled. His voice was as unpleasant as knives scratching a ckboard. "There is only¡­ pain."


    It swung its sword around and pounced at the witchers like a cheetah arcing through the air. It hit Felix first, and it sounded like a mini explosion had just happened. Sparks flew in the air as they shed des.


    Felix dipped down to dodge the de and thrusted his sword at the back of the creature''s hand.


    The creature cast Quen without missing a beat, and the sword hit the shield. It shattered immediately, but for some reason, Felix was blown back by the recoil.


    The creature held its sword up in the ox stance and tried to thrust it into Felix''s throat, but the Vipers were alreadying at it from the sides and behind.


    The air rumbled. Auckes cast Aard from its left, and the shockwave almost knocked the creature down. On its right, Serrit pushed his hand down, and a purple light shone. Yrden caught its target easily.


    The creature dropped down a little the moment Yrden caught it. Its speed and reaction slowed.


    Letho went around it and quickly made the sign of Axii in the air.


    The Sign hit the creature, and it froze up for a moment like it was struck by lightning. Its muscles loosened up, and it was starting to let go of the sword.


    Roy hit the creature''s right hand with Gwyhyr and disarmed it.


    Once its sword hit the floor, all five witchers tossed a rope at the creature from five directions, tying up its neck and limbs.


    The creature growled and struggled to break free, but a single witcher couldn''t fight against five.


    Just a momentter, it was helplessly dragged to a pir.


    The witchers quickly tied it up around the cold, hard, and big pir. Roy thought it wasn''t enough, so he whipped out more ropes and tied the creature up with everyone''s help. Eventually, the only part that wasn''t tied was its head.


    The young witcher rubbed his chin and nodded. "Now we''re all set. Not even a chimera can escape these."


    "There is no good¡­ or evil¡­ There is only¡­ the void." Even though it couldn''t move, the creature kept muttering that indecipherable message. It was staring at the witchers.


    "So what now, everyone?" Serrit touched the creature''s head. It was filled with crimson scars that looked and felt like dried jerkies. Not a strand of hair could be seen.


    "We''re checking his body and seeing what he has gone through." Felix kept staring at the creature as he tried to remember who this was.


    "Can you recognize him?"


    Felix shook his head. He thought the creature looked familiar. <em>Maybe I''ve seen him once many years ago. </em>But he couldn''t remember who the creature was. He even wondered if this guy was one of them. <em>I don''t see the pendant anywhere.</em>


    ***


    The witchers split up their work and went for it. Felix and Letho checked the man''s body, while Roy and the others searched theb for clues.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 310: Laboratory Notebook

    Roy, Auckes, and Serrit split up their jobs. Auckes and Serrit would look through the living quarters and experimentation area on the right, while Roy picked Kiyan''s sword up. He flicked it around to see how it felt.


    The young witcher sped his index and middle finger together, and he brushed them along the back of the de. A frown furrowed his brows. There was actually a hint of rust on the de, perhaps from theck of greasing.


    He held the hilt with one hand and the de with the other to observe the back of the sword closely.


    ''Moonde


    Type: Silver sword


    Components: Dark iron ingots, cured draconid leather, powdered monster tissue, silver ingot¡­


    Specs: Weighs 5.06 pounds, hilt measures 11 inches, de measures 40 inches.


    Affixes:


    Strengthened Yrden: Yrden has slightly increased strength when you''re equipped with this sword.


    Freeze: Whenever you hit an enemy, there''s a small chance to freeze the target. -10 to Dexterity when Frozen.''


    ***


    "Not bad. The freezing effect is gonna make big, slow monsters easier to hunt." <em>It''s as good as Viper swords, but Kiyan hasn''t been taking care of it. </em>"Hold on for a bit. I''ll give you a good shower once we get out of this ce."


    He tucked Moonde into his inventory space. <em>We''ll decide who gets this when we leave.</em>


    Roy went to the end of the passage in the center and approached the hexagram Kiyan was meditating in.What he saw surprised him. He didn''t notice it earlier, but now that he was closer, he noticed a bunch of thick blueprints on the ground. When he picked them up and saw what they were, the young witcher was delighted.


    <em>Feline trousers, feline gauntlets, feline boots, and feline armor. Four blueprints all at once, and they detail how to make every part. </em>"Well, this is a big haul."


    Even an official Cat like Felix was only wearing regr armor. These blueprints were more valuable than anyone could imagine.


    "Gonna give them a surpriseter."


    Roy now had two Viper diagrams, four Manticore diagrams, and four Cat diagrams. <em>These will be important to the school''s expansion. </em>He tucked them away in his inventory space and looked at another thing on the floor¡ªa humble leather parchment.


    Roy picked it up and flipped to the first page.


    ''Day 1.


    Luckily we were teleported directly into myboratory. It''s good to be home. I had grown sick to the gills of that leaky tub. I hope that storm I summoned smashed it into those craggy rocks off the Grassy Knoll shore. The experiments which my students conducted on drowners in my absence did not yield the expected results. As usual, I must do everything myself.


    I will administer a brew of medicinal opium to the subject. This "milk of the poppy" will keep the witcher in a state of half-consciousness, and thus incapable of resistance. Commencing studies.''


    "Well, this answers some questions." Realization struck Roy. "Theb''s owner wrote this journal. He could summon storms. This is no ordinary sorcerer. Perhaps he''s a famous one too." <em>And yet this cruel bastard actually wanted the boat to crash and kill everyone on it.</em> "And his student was Matteo, the guy who killed drowners with puffer fish toxin."


    Drowners were one thing, but performing these experiments on a witcher was not what Roy expected. <em>That damn sorcerer. Did they kill their own humanity while they were doing all those experiments? </em>"Milk of the poppy¡­ He used that to numb Kiyan and took him back to thisb."


    Fury lit up in his eyes, burning his soul. Ever since he became a witcher and went through all the trials and tribtions that came with it, he saw himself as a proud member of thismunity. <em>Anyone who would do something so horrible to my colleagues will pay the price.</em>


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath and held his anger down. <em>No. Saving that man takes precedence.</em>


    He flipped to the second entry. The gist was that Kiyan told the sorcerer about the Cat School''s details and how they would train would-be witchers. After he was thoroughly tortured, of course.


    Irenues noticed that most Cats had elven blood. He suspected that an Aen Seidhe started the Cat School, and his guess was right. Roy knew the founder of the Cat School was a part-elf who had the worst of life thrown at him. <em>But to torture a witcher just to get this information? </em>"Unforgivable!"


    The Brotherhood of Sorcerers specifically prohibited anyone from performing experiments on humans, and that was inclusive of dwarves, elves, and witchers. Anyone who broke thisw would be subjected to dimeritium cuffs and a century of house arrest. Serious offenders would be kicked out of the brotherhood.


    Of course, consensual experimentations and anything that had a contract of safety guarantee was another story. Of course, experiments no one knew anything about were as well.


    ***


    Roy flipped through the entries, and every one was worse than thest. The sorcerer''s experiments elevated into total perversion. Torture, poison, fire, ice, starvation, and dehydration weremonce.


    That kind of hellish lifested for months, and Kiyan turned into something resembling a monster.


    "When I see Coral again, I''ll ask her if this bastard''s still alive." Roy made up his mind. <em>That body out there probably belonged to Irenues or Matteo. Either way, one of those scums survived, and I intend to give them a warm wee. Oh, a very warm wee indeed.</em>


    ***


    Roy thought he had seen everything, but thest page''s content made his eyes bulge.


    ''Conclusion: As I suspected, the witcher is a superb energumen! A demon trapped in such an excellently prepared body will be death incarnate, vengeful wrath made flesh ¨C and ced under mymand. No one has seeded in creating a being of such power since the times of Mspin and Alzur.''


    "So Kiyan''s mind is not his own anymore?" Roy turned to the captive creature. "Is mindless murder all he knows? No¡­ No, that''s not it." He refuted himself in the same breath. <em>Observe showed me one important message. His spirit and body are twisted, and something else is within him.</em>


    "To be precise, there''s something else dwelling in his body, and that¡­ is the demon. Somebody used this hexagram to summon it."


    Roy thought of another possibility. <em>Two wills are fighting for control, so Kiyan''s Will is far lower than most people''s. The witcher''s soul is trapped in this beat-up body, while that demon Irenues summoned pinned Kiyan down and took control. How the heck can I save him?</em>


    ***


    Roy shut theboratory journal and held his vibrating pendant down. He looked at the statue standing over the hexagram. It was surprisingly realistic. Roy could almost see a cheetah lying on the tform, staring into the void. <em>It would have been a cheetah if not for its abnormal number of ws, split ears, and protruding spi¡­ Hey, wait a minute. Why''s there a tabby cat on the statue''s spine? It''s yawning and scratching its chin.</em>


    "Mew?"


    "Gryphon? How''d you get there? Come back down!" Roy picked Gryphon up and tucked it into his hood. He scanned the feline statue''s tail, but it didn''t seem like any feline animal he had seen.


    ''Statue of an unknown animal.''


    <em>There''s elemental energy surrounding it, and this feeling it''s giving off is really weird. Unfamiliar, even¡­</em>


    ***


    <em>Wait. Unfamiliar? </em>Roy got an idea. He had no idea how this statue came to be or what its use was, but it had something to do with the demon dwelling in Kiyan.


    "Time for a discussion." Roy was a little excited. "There''s five of us, and those guys are veterans. They might actuallye up with some kind of exorcism and bring that guy back."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 311: Felixs Past

    The candles in theboratory were still burning as usual. Roy told Letho and Felix what he found, and the findings shocked them. This sickly madman that was muttering under his breath had an abnormal heart rate and breathing, and that waspared to witchers as well.


    He had not an inch of unhurt skin on him. Judging from the scars, he was at least burnt, frozen, and electrocuted, and his body had been modified. Those were just a few of the dozen tortures he had to go through.


    These tortures were a lot worse than the Trial. Most people would have died under that kind of pressure. Even witchers, who had their immune system strengthened, would die from infections and multiple organ failures.


    But Kiyan lived for some reason. He lived on in a grotesque, inhuman manner. His wounds, muscles, organs, and vessels merged, formed scabs, and healed up. He looked like a mummy, but Kiyan was extraordinarily lively.


    "He''s been locked up for at least a couple of decades." Felix was staring into Kiyan''s crimson eyes in an attempt to find a hint of sanity, but only a void stared back. "How''d he live without food and water?"


    Letho said nothing, but he had an answer. <em>This guy is not a witcher anymore. No, to be precise, he''s not even human.</em>


    "Hey, look at what I found!" Roy shouted.


    Surprised, the witchers huddled closer to him. Roy handed out the diagrams to Letho. He passed them down after he was done, and when Felix finally held them, his hands were trembling for once.


    "Four Cat diagrams. So this guy <em>is </em>a cat." Auckes looked at Felix sympathetically.


    Serrit shook his head. "It''s possible, but he could have stumbled upon these blueprints on a hunt. We don''t see his pendant anywhere. He can be from another school."


    They''ve searched the living quarters and experiment area, but all they found were irrelevant books and expired alchemicalponents.


    ***


    When Roy showed them Moonde and the journal, everyone fell silent. Eerily silent.


    And then everyone gnashed their teeth and growled.


    "Irenues var Steingard¡­ Matteo Sig. Very well. I won''t forget these names."


    "Curse those bastards! Sons of bitches! Nobody experiments on witchers!" Auckes'' fists were cracking from him clenching too hard. "They''d better hope I don''t get my hands on them, or I''ll skin them alive and chop them up into pieces! They''re gonna die a slow and painful death, and I¡­ I will enjoy their screams."


    "Which is still a merciful death," Serrit answered coldly. "If I were you, I''d do to them what they did to Kiyan. And again. And again. And again and again¡­"


    "Most sorcerers would die before you could get through half of those tortures," Letho said calmly, but there was a chilling fury in his voice. "We''ll have to hire a healer and keep them alive when we torture them. Best if they can stay conscious until thest dregs of their pitiful lives fizzle out."


    "Sorry. The drowners killed one of them, so we only have one guy left." Roy shook his head. <em>They''re a lot crueler than I am.</em>


    Felix kept brushing his hand across Moonlight. He stared at Kiyan''s burnt face and crimson eyes, and then memoryne came to invite him.


    His mind traveled back to decades ago, when he was traveling in the wilds with a certain Cat. Reminiscence overpowered his fury and rage for a moment.


    "You''ve recognized him, haven¡¯t you?"


    "Moonde, red eyes, and these diagrams¡­ If I''m right, he''s an old friend of mine. His name is¡­ Kiyan." Felix sighed.


    "Tell us more." The Vipers huddled closer.


    Felix started recalling his memories. "I don''t remember the exact year, but it was about fifty years ago when I first met him. I took an assassination request in Cintra and bumped into him when I was on my way to Temeria. Like me, he''s a rational guy. He''s helpless about the school''s situation, and he was no bandwagoner, so he walked the path of a drifter and eked out a living by taking requests. We had the same experience, and we shared an outlook on current affairs, so we became fast friends. We journeyed together for a month. For a month, we''d drink in the wilds and talk about alchemy, battles, and our adventures."


    They had a fun time sharing drinks and stories a long time ago. Felix never thought their reunion would be this bad. He never thought Kiyan would be tortured until he lost his sanity.


    "Hold it." Roy looked at Kiyan. He was still murmuring. "What do you mean he''s a rational guy like you? You guys have factions in your school?"


    Roy was curious about the Cat School. He knew nothing but vague facts about them. These temperamental assassins lived the lives of drifters and had no ce they called home. Their school was almost deserted.


    "Rational is just a euphemism. What I mean is any witcher who doesn''t undergo a drastic change in personality and emotions after the Trial. There aren''t many of us." Heughed at himself. "Any Cat who retains a sliver of control and humanity won''t kill anyone outside of their requests."


    Roy was reminded of two individuals. One was Aiden, the friend of Lambert, and the other was Kdin, a Cat who gave up his ve business. They were both rational Cats.


    "Aside from the rational guys, the other Cats lose control easily because of their personality defects andck of control over their emotions."


    "How did the Cat School''s Trial cause this defect?" Roy blurted. He would take the Cat School''s Trial sooner orter, but he didn''t want to go insane.


    Letho shot him a look of warning. He didn''t like that Roy was so blunt.


    "That''s no secret, really," Felix answered. "Every school''s Trial suppresses the aspirant''s emotions to an extent, making them less sensitive to emotionspared to regr humans. Of course, there are exceptions like Auckes. Instead of getting affected, they remain optimistic and happy."


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>Is that praise or a jab at him?</em>


    "The sorcerer who created our Trial aimed to weaken the aspirant''s emotions more. He wanted to create an emotionless killing machine, but that backfired. The Trial strengthened the aspirant''s emotions, especially dark ones.


    "Most of the Cats who took the Trial had their fear, fury, and sorrow amplified to the point where they went out of control. Murder''s the only way to calm those raging emotions. But that only darkened their hearts. Eventually, they turned into madmen and drove the school to infamy. Kiyan and I are the lucky ones. We didn''t get affected, mentally speaking." Felix went silent for a moment and took a deep breath. "Never thought he would be tortured. Vipers, can you help me?" He looked at the Vipers and pleaded, "Please, free Kiyan of this madness. Bring him back."


    "That''s why we''re here." Roy exchanged a look with hispanions. "But are you sure he can ept his current state?"


    <em>If I were in his ce, I''d probably find this uneptable. Look at him. He''s like a corpse that got burned and skinned.</em>


    "At least give him a chance," Felix insisted. "First we get his sanity back, then he can decide if he wants to keep on living as a ghost of his former self. If I were in his ce, I''d want someone to snap me out of it as well."


    "Okay, that brings us to the problem. Kiyan''s body has been taken over by the demon that bastard summoned." Serrit rubbed his chin. He looked solemn. "How are we supposed to drive it away? I can deal with curses, but a demon from another dimension is out of my depths."


    "Guys, notice that statue and magical circle?" Roy asked. "I have a feeling they have something to do with that demon in Kiyan''s body. I bet the way to drive it out lies somewhere in there."


    "Okay. Let''s take a look."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 312: I am Kiyan

    The witchers surrounded the hexagram and the statue. They had a closer look to see if there was anything out of the ordinary, but there was nothing. The magical circle was just a summoning circle made out of powdered ivory and blood. Most ancient records detailed that out. There were many extradimensional creatures who would respond to that call.


    The incantation andponents for the summoning circle were gone, and they were the key to this whole thing. Too much time had passed for the witchers to find any clue with their senses, so they had no idea what demon was possessing Kiyan.


    They had no way to deal with it, but they could sense something wrong with the statue. It was covered in dark emotions.


    "This statue''s not made out of any regr stone. There''s some conductor for mana mixed in it. Zircon, obsidian, or something else." Serrit brushed his hand across the statue''s sleek back. "It absorbed all the mana I injected, but nothing happened."


    "Irenues couldn''t have gone through all the trouble to ce this statue here for no reason."


    "I say we smash this thing!" Auckes rubbed the statue''s tail. "That demon probably needs this statue to survive. If we destroy it, we destroy the demon, and Kiyan can return to normal."


    "Breaking it before we figure out how it works is risky." Felix shook his head. "It might be the only chance to heal Kiyan. I don''t want to risk it."


    "You guys searched the experimentation area and living quarters, but none of you found any books on summoning or storage items?" Roy was bummed out. "We found the key to thisb. There''s no way we can''t find anything on this."


    "One of the researchers was devoured by drowners, but one lived. The survivor probably took everything with him," Letho said. "So he has more than one crime under his belt. Experimenting on humans and summoning extradimensional demons to harm innocent lives¡­ If we tell the Brotherhood about this, they''re going to kick him out of the club."


    "<em>If </em>we can even find him."


    Everyone broke into discussion. They thought the statue was rted to the demon, so they took Kiyan back to the hexagram. They made him kneel in the statue''s direction and observed his reaction quietly.


    "There''s no good¡­ or evil¡­ There''s only¡­ the void. There''s no evil¡­ or justice. There is only¡­ pain."


    <em>Okay, that works. </em>Kiyan''s murmurs slowed down when they moved him nearer to the statue. He was attracted by something. They could see that he was ncing at the statue.


    "I recognize that look." Roy moved around him. Kiyan''s murmurs picked up the pace when he noticed the ''intruder.''


    "It means affection and longing¡­" Serrit muttered.


    Auckes and Letho dragged Kiyan over and tied him up with the statue. They figured skin contact would do something.


    Kiyan closed his eyes and stopped struggling right there and then. It felt like he was a wandering kitten who found his mother, but that state onlysted for a few moments. Eventually he started murmuring again and alternated his stares between the statue and the witcher.


    Even so, that was enough for the witchers to notice a clue.


    "The demon possessed this statue when it first came to our world. Or to be exact, the statue Steingard made from special stones attracted it here," Serrit guessed. "And then he somehow magically tucked this demon into Kiyan, who was barely holding it together. That ambitious bastard tried to control this abomination and tried to make it work for him."


    Letho concluded, "But his conspiracy failed. Kiyan can''t be controlled. Murder and destruction are all he can think of."


    "And then¡­" Roypleted the story in theb. "Either Steingard or Sig was devoured by the drowners. The survivor gave up on the experiment, abandoned the whole ce, locked theb with some illusion, and escaped to who knows where. Maybe he''s doing the same experiment on someone else out there as we speak. As for the way to save him¡­"


    "We''ll reverse the summoning." Felix paced around the statue. "We''ll open up the passage linking Kiyan to this statue and attack the demon until it goes somewhere safer for it. Namely this statue."


    "We can''t go with our regr monster hunting tactics here." Letho said, "Why don''t we try Axii?"


    They had a n, and the witchers put it to work.


    The passage could be made by creating an anchor point with blood, and then it would connect two entities.


    One of the witchers cut Kiyan''s wrist open. They took a few drops of blood and dropped them onto the statue.


    A few momentster, Kiyan''s wound stopped bleeding and started healing. It was unbelievable how full of life this modified body was.


    And then Felix decided to cut open his friend''s whole wrist. A big gash formed on the wrist, and ck blood sttered across almost half of the statue. With Kiyan''s blood as the anchor, his wrist and the statue came together.


    He became more docile right away. A momentter, the witcher could feel motes of lighting from the space around the statue, and mana was starting to hop around. But that was not enough


    The candlelight shone on the witchers who were making Signs as fast as they could. They cast Axii at the same time and attacked Kiyan''s spirit with it, and they did not stop.


    ***


    Two minutester, Felix, Auckes, and Letho had exhausted their mana. Only Roy and Serrit had some left.


    They were about to give up, but then Kiyan suddenly trembled, and Roy''s eyes went wide with surprise.


    <em>Something''s about to happen!</em>


    A ball of ck light the size of an adult''s fist wobbled out of Kiyan''s body. It spun over Kiyan''s head like a drunken man, then that ball of light darted toward the statue below it.


    Roy looked through the fog and saw a petite feline creature lying within the ball. Its eyes were crimson and filled with murder and destruction. There was no mercy in it at all. It was a stark contrast to its¡­ adorable appearance.


    <em>You''re the demon Irenues summoned? You''re the one who took over Kiyan''s body? You think you can stay in this statue until the next poor bastardes along and unleashes you into my world? Piss. Off! </em>Roy''s eyes contracted. <em>Fear!</em>


    A crimson light appeared out of nowhere, and sounds of crashing waves roared in the air. A sea of blood formed behind the young witcher, its stench nauseating. Bloody tendrils wriggled out of the void, and they swung at the statue.


    The ck ball that escaped only realized that it had fallen into a trap. The tendrils constricted it easily. They tightened up until the ck ball was torn into pieces.


    Eventually, the back ball shattered into shards that were covered by ck smoke. The shard tried to escape in all directions, but the suckers on the tendrils opened up like a maw trying to feast on something good. They absorbed all the shards, leaving not a single one behind. And then Roy swore he heard a faint sigh of satisfaction.


    ''You have devoured a demon (cat). EXP +300. Massacre has now powered up.


    Massacre: Any enemies within the range of (2 ¡ú 3) meters have a 20% (lock on required) to be Feared by Massacre. If they have a lower Will than you do, they will lose control of their bodies for (2 ¡ú 3) seconds at most.


    You permanently inflict (20 ¡ú 25)% more damage to the creatures you have hunted before.


    Fear: You may cast Massacre to Fear single, multiple, or all targets within the range of (2 ¡ú 3) meters and perform a mandatory Will check. If they have a lower Will than you do, they will lose control of their bodies for (2 ¡ú 3) seconds at most. Cooldown: (4 ¡ú 3) minutes.


    Tip: This skill levels up as the types and number of creatures you kill increase.''


    "Whoa, that''s a boatload of EXP. Thates from a demon?" Roy was overjoyed. Thest time he got 300 EXP was a long time ago. His enemy back then was Dagon''s projection.


    <em>And Massacre got a big boost too. Fear''s range got bigger, the CD''s shorter, </em>and <em>the duration is longer.</em>


    But that was not the biggest reward. Roy finally realized that Fear was fatal to any creature that was in their soul form. It could destroy the souls and gobble them up. <em>All I have to do is summon the tentacles, swallow up the souls, and gain EXP. It''s so simple, I wonder if there''s something more behind it. Massacre is the first skill I got, and it''s deeply rted to the character sheet.</em>


    ***


    While Roy was trying to figure things out, the other witchers were staring at the man tied to the statue. They were oblivious to the change that had happened.


    Now that the demon was vanquished, when Kiyan opened his eyes again, it was no longer devoid of emotions. Instead, he looked puzzled.


    "Me?" he asked. His voice was raspy from how damaged his vocal cords were.


    "Kiyan, my old friend!" Felix took a deep breath and took his sunsses off. He held Kiyan''s hand happily. "Wee back to reality."


    "Kiyan¡­ I-Is that my name?" Kiyan looked around and saw a few men with feline eyes around him. They had a kind look in their eyes.


    He stared at the ground and mused over it. Eventually, realization struck the tortured man, and his eyes refocused. "I was¡­ I <em>am</em> Kiyan of the Cat School!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 313: Lets Leave

    Kiyan was sitting on the statue. He took a deep breath and sat up straighter. When he saw his upturned, almost inhuman arms, he was shocked. "What happened to me? How did I be a monster?"


    He looked at his thighs, torso, and shoulders. Kiyan touched his back, neck, and pockmarked cheeks with trembling fingers.


    Reality finally dawned on him. <em>My body''s filled with disgusting scars of the torture that was inflicted on me. I don''t even look human now, do I?</em>


    "Did you forget what happened, mate? A bastard called Steingard kidnapped you and took you here." Felix also took a deep breath, then he told Kiyan the truth. "He tortured you, his test subject. Again and again. The ways he tormented you¡­ They were hideous. Eventually, a demon took over your body, but the Vipers drove them away and brought you back."


    "Test sub¡­ Shit. That experiment!" The muscles on Kiyan''s face started to tremble like they were going to cramp up.


    His breathing became heavier, and memories crashed in his mind like waves. <em>The boat, the seas, the storm. There was¡­ fury¡­ curses¡­ howls¡­ and¡­ nothing.</em>


    Shards of memories and conversations slowly connected and restructured themselves. Eventually, everything was in ce, and Kiyan could make sense of it.


    <em>I remember it now. Before I was spirited away, I was on the Flying Stag, working as security. And then one day, the captain told me I had to share my cabin with someone named Steingard because of ''insufficient space.''</em>


    <em>Unlike most humans, that sorcerer didn''t scoff at witchers. He was soft-spoken and well-mannered. His eyes twinkled with wisdom. Everyone who talked to him felt respected.</em>


    After some time, he started letting his guard down around the mage, and he didn''t realize it.


    Unbeknownst to him, the sorcerer had some dark ns lying in wait. While he was meditating one fine night, Steingard numbed him with magic and drugs. Things were a blur for him after that. He could hear waves crashing against the boat, storms raging on the seas, ships shing, and the crew howling in agony.


    Steingard cared nothing for that. He took Kiyan back to theboratory against his will. And thus, his days of torment began. The operating theater was his bed caked in dried blood. The tortures were relentless, and so was the pain.


    It slowly overwhelmed him. Kiyan resisted in the beginning, but eventually he broke down and begged for mercy. He told the sorcerer all of the Cat School''s secrets, but still the nightmare went on. The demon never showed him any mercy.


    He kept pushing Kiyan on, until his mind was numb to everything. Everything but death. Thest thing he remembered was meeting the gaze of an animal statue. The crimson eyes sucked him into them, and his soul was freed from its prison of pain only to be trapped in yet another prison.


    He had no idea what was happening outside, nor did he dream. There was no delight nor sorrow in that state. He would hear the asional shuffle and feel a faint glimmer of light.


    And now that nightmare hade to an end. The darkness could no longer bind Kiyan. Every breath he took smelled like freedom. He wanted nothing. Nothing but revenge.


    ***


    "You saved me, my friends." Kiyan took a deep breath and snapped back to reality. He had never seen these witchers before, and he wondered why they would save him. "But why? Do I know you?"


    "Allow me to exin. This is Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Roy from the Viper School. They went through a lot and saved you from a grim fate."


    The Vipers nodded at Kiyan.


    "And I am Felix. We met once fifty years ago, while I was heading to Vizima. Do you still remember that?" Felix took on a warm attitude, for once. "You told me about your dream. You wanted to tuck away a mountain of crowns, get a big house, marry someone, and adopt a pair of children. We parted hastily at Vizima. I had a request to handle, after all. I didn''t even tell you how to contact me." Felix looked a little sad. "It''s been fifty years since then. I couldn''t stand by when an old friend of mine was suffering."


    "Felix¡­" Kiyan closed his eyes and fell into silence. "I remember you. You''re six years younger than I am. You were in the batch right after me. And the Trial didn''t drive you insane. You''re one lucky bastard. We got along, didn''t we? We''re both in our right minds." A glimmer of light shone on Kiyan''s grotesque face.


    "That is true."


    "Felix, Vipers, you have my gratitude for pulling me from the abyss." Kiyan hopped off the statue and bowed at the witchers. "And your deed will not go unforgotten. I swear it shall be repaid."


    "And we''ll talk about it another day. How do you feel?" Auckes heaved a sigh of relief, and then he started looking at Kiyan curiously. "Do you feel unwell? That damn demon took over your body for three years, after all. And it just left."


    Everyone looked at the statue. They thought the demon would scurry back into the statue after it was exorcized. The blood on it had dried, but there were no changes to the statue. The magic around it felt even weaker, in fact.


    Everyone looked surprised, and Roy yed along.


    "Maybe we killed the demon. Not many can withstand a barrage of Axiis."


    "Well, that saves us a lot of time and effort."


    ***


    "I feel¡­ powerful." Kiyan closed his eyes again and touched his chest. It had been too long since he could feel his own heartbeat.


    He rolled his limbs and neck around, cracking his joints. Kiyan then clenched his fists and leapt high into the air effortlessly. His face was grotesque, but this body''s lifeforce was beyond his wildest imagination. His reaction speed and strength were, for theck of a better word, monstrous. "I''ve never felt better in my life!"


    ***


    Roy cast Observe on Kiyan again. To his surprise, something in him changed drastically after the demon was devoured.


    ''Cryptic Strength (Passive): Kiyan''s body has been modified by unknown energy. His mana and lifeforce are increased. +5 to Constitution and Spirit. He loses all sense of pain.''


    Before this, Kiyan could sustain himself through absorbing the elements in the air, just like a golem could. He also had hyper regeneration, but all of those traits were gone. However, his Will had bounced back to its original level.


    "Kiyan only managed to survive without food and water for decades because of that demon."


    The demon locked Kiyan''s soul away while it was in charge. After it was exorcized, it left a powerful body for its victim. <em>I guess this is a blessing in disguise.</em>


    Roy was reminded of the powerful cursed ones he met on his journey. <em>Curses and demonic possessions. In some ways, these are shortcuts to power. Evil paths, though.</em>


    ***


    "What year are we in, my friends?"


    "18th Saovine, 1261," Serrit answered. "One more month until Midwinter."


    "1261¡­" Kiyan mused on it for a moment, and his eyes became unfocused for a moment. "So thirty years have passed." <em>Since that fateful day on the Flying Stag.</em>


    The witchers were astonished. Most people would have died from dehydration if they were locked in ab for thirty years, but Kiyan was still alive and kicking. Besides his horrifying figure, he was healthier than most people. This was nothing short of a miracle.


    "Are you sure you''re alright?" Serrit was staring at him. He wanted to know all about Kiyan''s modified body. "I think you need a full-body checkup and a magic healing session tailored for you."


    Kiyan said nothing to that. He said icily, "I have a question, my friends. Have you seen any sorcerers since you came to thisb? There are supposed to be two of them." He narrowed his eyes.


    His emotions didn''t rage at first. His long imprisonment within his own flesh had erased all of that. However, as memories of his fate started to awaken, so did his desire for vengeance.


    He had to close this chapter of his life and cut all ties with his past. History might judge his actions as evil and vindictive, or justified and merciful, but that was the path he had to take to free himself of the shackles binding him.


    "You mean Steingard and Sig?" Letho crossed his arms and shook his head. "We found a body. One of them''s dead, leaving you with one enemy left. He escaped theboratory, and we don''t know his whereabouts."


    "I see¡­" Kiyan clenched his fists and nodded.


    "Thirty years is a long time, old friend. The world has changed a lot, and it''ll take some time to get used to it." Felix extended his hand. "Come with us. You need to settle down somewhere, then we can talk about your vengeance."


    Felix was extending an olive branch for a reason. What happened with the gang lords back in Novigrad was a grim warning. Witchers had to band together if they wanted to stand tall among these people. The Vipers had gathered four members, and Felix thought he should get a Cat on his side as well.


    "What''s outside? A city in the north?" Kiyan shook Felix''s hand. "The Flying Stag was heading to Novigrad''s port before it was wrecked."


    "We''re in a secret cave under the Temple Isle. It''s on the northernmost tip of Novigrad."


    "Do you think I can go around when I look like a monster?" Kiyan looked at his horrifying body and forced a smile. It had been decades since he smiled. His facial muscles had atrophied, making his smile a stiff one.


    With his monstrous look, he would scare the living daylights out of someone if he were to walk around the city.


    ***


    "Kiyan, you''ve been in this trade for decades. You know witchers don''t care about looks," Auckes lied.


    Even a veteran like him was shocked when he first saw Kiyan. Truthfully speaking, even a ghoul looked like a cute puppypared to him. <em>But I gotta weave a white lie. Don''t wanna hurt his pride.</em>


    "The world''s a big ce. ''Slong as you''re healthy, have an appetite for food, battles, and Gwent, you''ll always find something to do."


    "But if you really care about how the world sees you¡­" Serrit gave Roy a look, and the young witcher understood what he needed to do. He whipped out a set of clothes from his inventory space. "Here''s a cloak, hood, mask, and sunsses. It''s enough to keep anyone from seeing your true face."


    "I have a ce beside Novigrad''s canal. Change into these clothes ande with us, old friend." A hint of desire red in Felix''s eyes. "And I just took in a new apprentice. His name''s Carl. A little timid, but he has talent. Perhaps you can teach him something as well."


    Kiyan contemted his answer. He was all alone in this world, without anyone he could call a friend. "Very well. Thank you for taking me in."


    Kiyan took the set of clothes and covered himself with the ck cloak. He pulled the hood over his head and hid his face behind the mask and sunsses. He looked like a thief alongside a group of witchers.


    ***


    The Vipers exchanged a look. Unlike Felix, they didn''t know Kiyan that much. There was barely any trust between them. They sent the youngest member to see what kind of man Kiyan was.


    Roy pushed the weapon and diagrams he had acquired to Kiyan. "Now that your mind is your own, I think I should return these."


    Kiyan took Moonde and caressed it. He swung the de around, and a silver ribbon flew through the air. The witcher looked excited to be reunited with his trusty de. He then looked at the diagrams.


    "Moonde is all I need." He owed them a debt of gratitude, and repayment was always due. "You may take these diagrams. Of course, I still owe you my life." Kiyan paused for a moment. "But as I recall, I used to have five diagrams with me. One of them must have been left behind on the ship. Once I find the shipwreck and retrieve the diagram, I shall give it to you."


    "We can''t ept that!" The Vipers exchanged surprised looks. <em>He''s being awfully generous. Guess he''s not a bad guy after all.</em>


    "Just take them, Roy," Felix persuaded. The Vipers did help out a lot in this rescue mission. "You deserve these. But once you retrieve all the diagrams, we would¡­ like to take a look."


    "But of course." Roy ''reluctantly'' took the diagrams back.


    ***


    They packed everything up and looted theboratory before they left, but this time, all they took were the books. The alchemy apparatuses were left behind. If they could kill the escaped researcher, thisboratory could be converted into a Cat School secret base.


    <em>Building a non-human secret base right under Eternal Fire''s HQ. Thrilling.</em>


    The witchers didn''t leave the statue behind either. Roy tucked it into his inventory space. After all, this statue was tempting enough to a demon from another dimension. It shoulde in handy if he could learn a thing or two about it.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 314: A Perfect Day

    Golden sunshine pierced the window, shining on a scar-filled face. Kiyan opened his eyes and looked at the yellowish-brown ceiling over his head.


    He turned around on his bed. The walls were yellow and cracked, and the room was small but clean. His bed was made of nothing but hay and hemp cloth. Even so, he mustered an ugly, genuine smile.


    <em>So it''s true. I''m not trapped anymore. I''m back. </em>For the first time in thirty years, he had a good night''s sleep as a regr human should. And he even had a dream.


    He dreamt that his body was healed, and he had also retired from the world of monster hunting. Kiyan dreamed that he was running a business in Novigrad and bought a house with the profit he made. In that dream, he married a woman with generous buttocks, and they adopted a pair of ankle-biters.


    His family lived a simple, happy life of working as small merchants. <em>But s, it was nothing but a dream. I still have to face this cruel, cruel reality in the end.</em>


    Kiyan touched his gaunt body and shook his head. He changed into a grey shirt, a pair of tight leather pants, a cloak, and a hood. Of course, he couldn''t forget about the most important things: the mask and sunsses to hide his face.


    <em>If I reveal any part of my body, everyone in Novigrad is going to think I''m a ghoul.</em>


    The door cracked open. Kiyan enjoyed the sunlight and breeze that wasing from the canal. He narrowed his eyes.


    It was early dawn, and the young Viper was in the yard. He was humming as he brushed the fur of that unneutered stallion called Wilt.


    Wilt was clearly enjoying this. It flipped its lip up, revealing a row of teeth as it spewed saliva everywhere. The stallion rubbed its teeth against Roy''s neck and cheek affectionately.


    A petite blue-gray finch with a maroon beak stood on the star-shaped mark on Wilt''s forehead. It craned its neck and trilled happily before hopping into the witcher''s hair and making a little nest there.


    The little creature kept on singing as if it were cheering for the young witcher. Roy kept on moving his brown brush across Wilt''s body with the bird perched on his head. There was a gentle smile on his face.


    Kiyan felt his frustration relieved a little just from seeing this. <em>I think I needed something more for my dream. That''s right. Animals. A cat and a dog would work fine.</em>


    ***


    Kiyan was about to say hi, but then a well-builtdy with a Mohican hairstyle came barging in and approached Roy just to happily grab his arm. She then took his brush and helped him with Wilt''s grooming. Thedy would keep touching Roy with her shoulder and back.


    Kiyan''s smile froze, and his hand hung in midair. <em>I can''t believe they''re flirting right in front of me! </em>He shook his head and sighed. <em>Things aren''t looking good for me.</em>


    Even back when he was on the Flying Stag, Kiyan was already nning to save up enough money to retire and find someone to marry, but his n was ruined. Even drowners would find his looks deplorable, let alone women.


    "Hey, Kiyan." Roy gently pushed theughing Kanti away and smiled at Kiyan. "So, how are you feeling? Getting used to the ce yet?"


    "Compared to that hard-as-rocks operating theater? This ce is heaven."


    "Then you should get some sleep. Thirty years of being awake must have taken a toll on you."


    "No. On the contrary. I''ve been sleeping for thirty years and two days. I''ve had more than enough sleep." Kiyan shook his head, smiling bitterly.


    His raspy voice and mysterious past caught Kanti''s attention, but she didn''t ask him any questions. Roy told her it would be rude if she did.


    Kiyan was starting to look forward to the new day. "I just wanna stroll around Novigrad and see what the years have done to the world. Where''s everyone else?"


    "Probably at the apothecary shop right now. They''lle back at noon. Let''s go, Kiyan. I''ll take you on a tour around this ce."


    Roy led his horse back to the stables and told the little bird to keep an eye on things before stuffing it into the saddlebag.


    They left the house and went through the winding alleyways before passing an ancient stone bridge that led into the bustling business district.


    Kiyan stared around him curiously. The free city changed faster than anyone could keep up with. It had been this way forever. The Novigradians were a lot more stylish than they were thirty years ago. Back then, people were wearing nothing but ck, grey, and white shirts. Now they were in purple, red, blue, and all kinds of colors. The clothes looked different, and they even paired them up with essories like rings, belts, earrings, nes, and head essories.


    Fashion was alive in all Novigradians, regardless of their status.


    "As long as you don''t ck off, you can always find a job and survive in Novigrad." Roy was looking around as well.


    It was the early hours of the morning, but Novigrad''s streets were already packed with people. Coolies pushing carts filled with cargo, merchants with pot bellies that were resplendently dressed, as well as regr people who were there to sweat off. All of them looked lively and ready to face the day.


    "But if you don''t try to keep up, you''ll be eliminated soon enough, and people like that live worse lives than sewer rats."


    ***


    The trio went past a store selling vegetables and dried fruit and entered the center of the district. Surprisingly, the Eternal Fire guards nearby were alerted to their arrival.


    The sun was shining bright, and Kiyan''s outfit looked out of ce in this situation. Even in a city that gathered every kind of person imaginable, Kiyan still stood out. On top of that, he was apanied by a witcher and an obviously exotic woman. This group stood out among the people.


    Two guards in chain mail quickly approached them.


    "Halt! Mandatory checkpoint. Please remain silent."


    The guard was looking at them suspiciously, especially when it came to Kiyan.


    Kiyan''s heart sank. An overzealous look of judgment didn''t sit well with someone who just broke out of his prison of thirty years. He instinctively tensed up and got ready to battle, but Roy gave him a look that said, ''It''ll be fine.''


    ***


    The young guard with green stubble took a step ahead and was about to search them, but hispanion grabbed his arm. He noticed Roy''s pendant and his feline eyes. Just a while ago, his superior told him to give the witchers a wide berth, and that fact alone made him wary.


    "He''s a new guy, witcher. He needs more training, so don''t take it to heart. We''re very sorry we interrupted you and your friends." He nodded apologetically and dragged his confused colleague away.


    Kiyan was astounded. He thought those guards would try to bully him. From what he knew, aside from the kingdoms of Kovir and Poviss, which were inhabited by scientists, madmen, and adventurers, everyone in every other kingdom and city bore nothing but scorn against witchers.


    <em>Did something big change in the thirty years I wasn''t around? Did someone turn our reputation around? </em>"What was that, Roy? Did the guards of Novigrad just bow to us? They bowed to witchers?"


    "We were in dire straits when we first came to this ce." Roy grinned. "But Cats and Vipers worked together and flexed on the gang lords of this city. Novigrad upholds the creed of ''might makes right.'' The more powerful you are, the more respect you gain. After that, we went our own ways and never interfered with their business. United we stand."


    Roy gave Kiyan a knowing look, and the Cat mused on it. Over all the decades of working in this line of work, this was his first time witnessing witchers moving as a group. All witchers used to be lone wolves, and there were no exceptions.


    "Is teamwork the trend now?"


    "We''re here."


    Kiyan heard dwarves hammering away at something. The trio saw theirpanions outside the shops. Auckes, Serrit, Letho, Felix, and Carl were there.


    Felix waved his hand and led Carl to his friend.


    The boy had dark circles under his eyes. He greeted Felix carefully.


    "Good morning, Kiyan." And then he was reminded of Kiyan''s horrifying face.


    "Had another nightmare, did you?" Kiyan joked. He patted the boy''s head, and Carl started shivering in fear. All the color was drained from his face. "I think you should train him more, Felix. Courage training, that is. If he''s this timid, he won¡¯t pass the trial."


    "What training?" Felix cocked his eyebrow and remarked, "Looking at your face every day <em>is </em>already training for him."


    The Catsughed heartily and bumped their fists.


    Kiyan was a lot more resilient than Felix thought. Even after being transformed into a monster because of the hell a bastard put him through, he still faced the challenge of having to disguise himself bravely.


    The Vipers respected that.


    ***


    "What''s the deal with this apothecary shop?" Kiyan looked into the shop curiously and saw a few dwarves hammering away at the walls. "Are you guys going to retire and start a business?"


    "The Vipers bought this ce, and I invested some money into it," Felix said. "Just some insurance just in case we lose our jobs down the line. And this isn''t the only shop we have. The ballroom next door belongs to them too."


    Kiyan''s eyes sparkled. He might have lived in seclusion for thest three decades, but he knew how valuable Novigrad''snd was. "Did you rob a whole treasury?"


    "Well, not <em>technically.</em>" Auckes wiggled his eyebrows. "But we did strike a bit of gold together."


    "So, you wanna work with us, Kiyan?" Roy half-joked. "We''ll call you the next time something like this shows up."


    Kiyan leaned against the wall and deliberated over it. "You might have to wait. Once I find that missing diagram on the Flying Stag, I''ll hand it over to you, and then I''ll make that bastard pay for what he did to me."


    "But first, you need to rest," Serrit said. "We''ll try and see if we can heal you. There are healers, druids, and priests of Melitele who can help."


    "He''s right, Kiyan. The blueprint and that bastard can wait," Felix said. "We need to get you healed."


    "Thank you for your concern, my friends." Kiyan shook his head bitterly. "But nobody knows my situation better than I do. I was skinned alive, and the wounds formed scabs. They healed up in an abnormal way, and there''s no way to heal this. Magic''s not omnipotent, or at least that''s what my experience tells me. Not even sorcerers, priests, or druids can wave the scars away and regrow my skin. Nobody can."


    Roy was reminded of something else. During the Battle of Sodden Hill, Triss lost her hair and sustained multiple burns on her body. Even after using incantations, healing liquid, holy items, and herbs, there were still a few scars left. Because of that, she seldom wore her beloved low-cut dresses after the battle.


    It was the same thing with Filippa. She couldn''t have her eyes regrown. <em>Magic''s not omnipotent.</em>


    "There''s no way out of this. Unless I make a wish to a djinn. Either that or I live with this face my whole life," Kiyan said surely.


    "Sorcerers might be unable to heal you, but I won''t put a certain something else beyond that." Felix then stopped talking.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Remember the holy acorns we took away from the crones in No Man''s Land, people?"


    "What kind of acorn is that?" Kiyans'' voice was starting to tremble with hope.


    "It''s a magical fruit that possesses powerful healing abilities," Roy exined. He still had three acorns and the Brewess'' arm anddle sitting in his inventory space.


    "The acorn contains the oak''s essence. It can heal anything, even broken limbs. A dying man can get a new life just by eating it."


    Kiyan was starting to tremble.


    Roy didn''t want to dash his hope, but he said, "But there''s a little side effect. You lose most of your memories if you eat it."


    Kiyan stopped trembling. He stared at the ground and started engaging in an internal struggle. His fingers were shivering, and a momentter, he shook his head. "That''s a shame. I''m not me if I lose my memories, and just when I regained control of my body after three decades too. I don''t want to lose myself a second time, so I''ll pass. By the way, do you need anyone to work in the apothecary shop? I''d like to make some crowns while I search for the diagram and the bastard, but nobody''s going to hire me when I look like¡­ you know, a monster. I''d have to meet up with the employer for any requests I take, and they won''t hire me if they see my face." He pleaded. "I''m a decent alchemist. I might have been locked away for decades, but I still have my experience. All I need is some practice, and I''ll be good as new."


    This was a new life, and he couldn''t possibly rely on his friends forever. He needed a source of ie.


    Roy looked at hispanions and extended his hand. "We''d love for an alchemist to join us."


    The young witcher had his own ns, of course. From what he knew, Kiyan was a cruel man even before he was locked up. He took a lot of assassination requests, and a lot of the victims were innocent people. But after he talked to Kiyan, the Cat surprisingly wasn''t loud or insufferable. He had a line he would never cross, but that wasn''t enough to deem him passable for the job.


    Since the Vipers would set off for Kaer Morhen, they needed some capable men to look after their business premises in Novigrad. Felix and Kiyan were the best they had, and as a cherry on top, they could also guard the ballroom.


    "Happy to be on board." Kiyanughed raspily. He felt a weight getting lifted off his shoulders.


    "As long as you don''t mind the lower rates. And there aren''t many witchers left. We should band together."


    The witchers put their hands together.


    Kiyan felt like roaring in delight. This was the best day in his life after being freed of that demon. He never felt this level of trust and selfless help before from anyone. <em>Perhaps I should stay after I get my revenge?</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 315: A Talk With Coral

    Silvery moonlight shone on the slums of Novigrad, the cold fall breeze blowing through a grey hemp curtain and swarming the small bedroom behind it.


    A magicalmp showered the room with a dim yellow light, while a young, slender man with golden eyes was caressing a telescope on a steel tripod. He touched the diamond-shaped crystal on the telescope, and motes of mana flowed from his fingers into it.


    A brilliant light bedazzled the room, and a translucent light screen appeared over the telescope. The screen kept blinking, as if something were interfering with it.


    Eventually, a beautiful woman showed up on the screen. She had fiery-red hair that tumbled down her shoulder, and her eyes were as blue as ponds. Her nose was aquiline, and her warm, full lips were like the petals of a rose.


    The woman was in a white silk robe that showed off all her curves. The young witcher could vaguely see purple curtains and a fluffy white bed behind her. <em>Probably her bedroom in Kerack.</em>


    "Well, look who decided to show up." Lytta crossed her arms and frowned. She scoffed, "What brings you to me, Roy of the Viper School? It''s been two months since you bothered to call. I guess I should be thankful, shouldn''t I?" The sorceress started firing off a barrage of questions like ady who hadn''t seen her boyfriend in months.


    "Um¡­" Roy nervously wiped his forehead. He pretended to be calm and collected, but his heart skipped a beat.


    Work overwhelmed himtely, and he neglected Coral for months on end. Things weren''t like this back when he was traveling from Vizima to Velen. They ''talked'' through the night for more than a month.


    Roy could see that Coral was mad. She didn''t even bother to keep up her look of elegance and showed her true self instead. The only time he saw her acting this way was when they danced all the way back in Cintra.


    He stared into her eyes and bowed his head. "I''m sorry for neglecting you, Coral. Work demanded my attention, and I barely had time for anything else."


    That assuaged Coral, albeit slightly. She rested her chin on her right hand and leaned forward on her dressing table while pushing her hair away with her left. "Make it quick and don''t bore me. Tell me all about your adventures, and I''ll judge if you''ve done well."


    ***


    Five minutester, Coral leaned closer to the telescope. "Roy, you heartbreaker! No wonder you''re calling me. You need my help, don''t you?" It felt like she could step out of the screen anytime with how close she was to the telescope.


    <em>What does she mean ''heartbreaker?'' Don''t give me that. I never said I liked Kanti. </em>Roy cocked his eyebrow and stared back into her eyes. "Irenues var Steingard has the capability to summon storms. He must be famous among the brotherhood. I take it that you know him, Coral?"


    The sorceress suddenly turned around. All her anger had disappeared, reced by a slight smile. It was as if she only pretended to be angry. Coral rubbed her chin and paced back and forth in front of the telescope.


    The screen swayed, and Roy could see her great bosom close up. She was showing it off on purpose. This wasn''t his first time witnessing her beauty, so the young witcher managed to stay calm.


    "You don''t hold back, do you? Fine. I''ll help you, but only because the stuff you sent me back in Vizima was good. Steingard is one of the top twenty sorcerers in the brotherhood. He''s a mad scientist who specializes in biological experiments. That man constantly walks the line of thew." Mockery welled in her eyes. "He used to be an authority in the brotherhood, and he had ardent followers who supported his ideology. Much of the brotherhood knew he was doing illegal experiments in the shadows, but nobody managed to find any proof to incriminate him. Never would have thought him to target witchers. That''s a recipe for disaster."


    "Has he been showing up in the brotherhoodtely?" Roy asked.


    Lytta shook her head. "It has been a few decades since west saw him. If I''m right, he has missed three consecutive Aretuza Conferences. Most people think he''s dead or imprisoned somewhere he can''t escape."


    <em>So that body under the pond was most probably Steingard''s, which means the guy who escaped was his student¡ªMatteo Sig. Alright, target acquired.</em> "I¡ª"


    "I can guess what you want to say." Coral wagged her fingers, but contrary to her attitude, she had a soft look in her eyes. "You''re a kind heartbreaker. You want me to heal that poor Cat, don''t you?"


    "Yes. Do you think he can be cured?" Roy asked. "Most of his skin was peeled off in the experiments, and he was burnt and cut. Most of those wounds have closed up and formed scabs, though."


    Coral rested her chin on both hands and stared down in quiet contemtion.


    Roy waited for her answer in silence. He stared at her perfectly beautiful face calmly. Watching a gorgeous woman while she was thinking quietly was one of the nicer things life had to offer.


    "Sorry, but magic isn''t omnipotent. I don''t mean to brag, but my healing powers can rank in the top three in the brotherhood, but not even I can patch him up. All I can do is touch up his scars so they don''t look so horrifying. Don''t even think about regrowing his skin," Lytta said. "And it''ll take a lot of time just to make that happen. I''m talking years, and I have to stay with him the entire time. The things he''ll need for the treatment can easily cost five figures. Unless he''s one of the brotherhood''s leaders, a top aristocrat, or one of the richest merchants out there, I don''t think he can afford that kind of treatment. But that''s my rough guess. I''ll have to check on him to know the details."


    Roy pitied Kiyan. He wouldn''t take the acorn, and now he couldn''t afford this treatment either. <em>He''s never gonna marry someone at this rate.</em>


    Coral noticed the dejection in Roy''s eyes. She said softly, "I''ll do you a favor. I cane over and check on him sometime. How does that sound?"


    "And dash his hopes of getting healed? No, thanks." Kiyan wasn''t a close enough friend for Roy to spend all his money just to heal his scars.


    "If that''s all you have to say, then it''s time to say goodbye. I need to get my beauty sleep." Or at least that was what she said. However, she didn''t leave the telescope. She was wondering if Roy had anything else to say.


    "Actually, I have another question." Roy pushed through his embarrassment and asked, "How much do you know about the Cat School''s Trial?"


    "That''s an infamous school." Coral looked a little disappointed. "I''ve never seen their recipe myself, but the brotherhood has records about it. Their Trial is seriously defective. The aspirants who go through it will most probably develop some kind of mental illness. But you''ve taken the Viper''s Trial, so why are you interested in the Cat''s? Wait. Did you get your hands on the recipe?"


    Lytta swept her disappointment away, and her eyes shone with delight.


    "I know a Cat, and his disciple is going to take the Trial in three months," Roy said honestly. "If you''ll help him out with the Trial, I can get the recipe for you."


    <em>My chances of passing the Cat''s Trial will be better if Coral already has experience with it.</em>


    "I guess you''re not a total heartbreaker. At least you still remember what I like. Tell the Cat that I shall be visiting Novigrad in three months and helping that rookie with the Trial. Make sure he gets the recipe ready." Coral shot up and started pacing back and forth again. And the risks this time are higher. Such is the Cat''s Trial. Tell him to be prepared for failure. No, wait. I''ll personally talk to him when I get to Novigrad in two days."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 316: Ship on the Sea

    The young witcher and the gorgeous sorceress were engaged in a delightful discussion under the magical light.


    "Coral, I didn''t just get the Cat''s recipe. By a twist of fate, I also got my hands on the Manticore''s recipe."


    "Hm?" Lytta froze for a moment. She was receiving a lot of good news at once. Her eyes glossed over, and her jaw dropped a little. She even looked a little adorable. "You didn''t tell me you went to Haand. Where''d you get that recipe?"


    Coral had never seen any Manticores, but ancient records said that they came from either Zerrikania or Haand, which werends in the east of Blue Mountain.


    "I bought it off a mysterious merchant, and it was¡­ pricey, to say the least." Roy held hisughter down. Coral would never lose herposure as she was right now, but Roy loved to see her like this. She felt more human. <em>I guess I''ll have to surprise her more.</em>


    He showed the recipe, and Coral made a record of it. "Ratio of green, blue, and red mutagens are at six to one to one. That''s different from the Viper''s Trial. Mother''s Tears, Wildrye Juice¡­ Even the ingredients are different."


    She stared at the paper with fervent, almost fanatical, glee. Roy had no doubt she would have started experimenting if she could. Most sorcerers were addicted to doing experiments.


    Two minutester, Roy asked, "Now that you''ve seen the recipe, can you tell me something? Which trial is safer? The Cat''s, Manticore''s, or Viper''s?"


    "I can''t be sure until I hold all of them at least once, get their real-time data, andpare them side by side. Up until now, I''ve only held your Trial, but ording to the recipe and my personal opinion, the Cat''s trial is more dangerous than the Manticore''s."


    <em>So should I go with the Manticore''s Trial for my next goal? </em>Roy massaged his forehead and pursed his lips. In the end, he made the decision to throw out that shocking question. "Can a witcher who''s already gone through one Trial take a second one, but with a different school''s recipe this time?"


    "Where''d you get that dangerous idea?" Lytta put the recipe down and crossed her arms as she huddled closer to the telescope. She said sternly, "You can''t fuse two recipes together. Don''t do anything stupid."


    Roy''s heart sank.


    "Every recipe has gone through generations of research and has been improved hundreds of times. The improvements only stopped when the witchers became enemies of the sorcerers who researched their mutation. After that, the recipes were finally settled. They might ovep in some ces, but they contradict one another as well. Take the Viper and Manticore''s Trials for example. You can take them at the same time or at two different times, but the result remains the same. You can''t stop these Trials from fighting in your body. It''ll bring you to ruin and rain agony down on you. And with how fatal the recipes are to begin with¡­" Something glinted in her eyes. "You might possibly die."


    "So you mean the second Trial is deadlier than the first?" A hint of fear shed in Roy''s eyes. He could still remember how agonizing those months were, all the way back in the temple. If it weren''t for Full Recovery, he would have been long-dead by now.


    Even so, he had to walk this path despite the dangers. That was the road he had to take to raise his witcher rank. <em>Besides, the road to power is always paved with risks. </em>"But logically speaking, once someone passes the first test, they should see exponential growth in their resistance to decoctions. That resistance should carry through their second Trial and raise their chances of surviving it."


    ***


    "You have a point, but I don''t have any data to support that, nor have I heard any witcher taking two different Trials. All I have is my experience. The Trials will go against each other and make it more dangerous than ever."


    She took a closer look at Roy and said gently, "I can probably guess what you''re thinking. You want to gain more power through a second Trial, but you''d better not. Compared to the elevated risk, the power gain is nothing. The Trials ovep. A second Trial''s powerup isn''t as big as you think it is. You''re still young, Roy. There''s much joy to be had in your long, long life. There''s no need to risk a second Trial. Learn about the witcher''s path from that baldie and take each step as theye. That''s the way to go."


    "If I have an absolutely crucial reason to go through a second Trial¡­" Roy looked into her eyes again, this time with an unspoken plea in his gaze. "Will you help me, Coral? You''re the only sorceress I know."


    Coral pursed her lips and turned around angrily, her chest heaving. She only calmed down after a while. "You mean now?"


    "No. A few months down the line, after the Cat''s Trial is done. I haven''t gotten everything I need for it." <em>I need to fill my EXP bar. It should be enough after wee back from Kaer Morhen.</em>


    "You''re stubborn. Do you want to die that much? Fine. I''ll help. Maybe I can improve the recipe, if even just a little." She sighed. Coral wondered why the young witcher was so eager to face death. She whispered, "If things don''t go well, at least I''ll be the one to send you off."


    Roy''s face turned red with embarrassment and fear. He patted his chest and took a deep breath. "So are we okay with the Trial?"


    She harrumphed.


    "And now for the third point¡­ Do you have any powerful sorcerer friends? One of the top three in the brotherhood in terms of power, perhaps?" Roy asked. <em>I can try asking Coral for a mage''s blood essence. I need it to power my Elder Blood up.</em>


    "You keep asking and asking. I''m not some sort of magical wish-granter." Coral raised her chin and gave Roy a look of displeasure.


    She pped her hands, and the light screen faded.


    Silence fell upon the room, and the young witcher was alone, with nobody but the night breeze as hispanion. "Looks like I backed her into a corner. I haven''t even given her the gift." Roy sighed. He felt a little guilty too.


    <em>I guess I shouldn''t keep asking for favors when we just met after two months. </em>And he learned something from this. <em>I should always be nice to thedies before I request anything. First I shouldvish them with praise, then¡­</em>


    And then the lights came back on. The magical screen reconvened, and Coral was sitting right behind it. She could see the young witcher opening his jaw in shock and regret. The sorceress covered her mouth andughed happily. Roy could see her cleavage through the robe.


    "I just love seeing that look on your face. You''re so dumb." She pointed at the screen as if trying to poke his head, but then she stoppedughing. "But you''re cute when you''re dumb. Now, tell me what you want before I change my mind. I know powerful sorcerers, of course, but why do you want to see them?"


    "Um¡­" Roy massaged his burning cheeks. <em>Are women that capricious no matter their age?</em>


    "Can you hook me up with them? I have a business proposition. I need some of their blood essence."


    "What''d you say?"


    "Their blood essence." <em>Oh, she''s not looking too happy. </em>Roy quickly exined, "We can sign a contract for that. I won''t use it to hurt them."


    "Do you think it''s that easy, Roy?" Lytta shook her head. "They won''t even give you a drop of blood, let alone their essence. Sorcerers at their rank think a lot more than just the surface reason, but there <em>is </em>a way." Lytta stared down and hesitated for a moment.


    "Forget it." Roy didn''t want to force his friend to do something she didn''t want to. <em>There''s always another way. </em>He grinned. "And before we say goodbye, I have a present for you."


    "What is it?" And then a strong gust of wind blew inside the room. The curtains flew out the window, and a square portal appeared in the air.


    Lytta leapt out of the whirlpool. Just a moment ago, she was in a white robe, but now it was changed into a purple, low-cut dress. And she had light makeup on too. The sorceress was gleaming and ready to go.


    She huddled closer to the witcher, and they could hear each other''s breathing. Lytta was all smiles, looking forward to the present.


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. <em>Why do I feel like she''s already prepared for this? </em>"It''s¡ª"


    "We can talk about thatter," Lytta interrupted him and held his hand. She waved her hand and chanted something. The sheer amount of mana made Roy''s pendant vibrate.


    A second portal opened, and the two of them entered it. The air current blew everything in the room away.


    They made a ssh when they left, and Letho came in just a momentter. All he saw was an empty room and a warm telescope. The bald witcher sighed. <em>That woman took Roy away. Again!</em> "She''s going to suck him dry sooner orter."


    ***


    The silvery moon shone on a couple on a boat. They were sitting across from each other, their knees touching. A vast ocean slept around them. Gusts of sea breeze blew through the boat, billowing the sorceress'' hair and kissing the witcher''s cheeks.


    Roy could taste the scent of roseing from her, but he was a little confused. <em>What''s going on? Why the beach? And why are we on a boat? I thought she was going to have her beauty sleep.</em>


    "You didn''t disappoint, Roy. So where''s the present?" Lytta peered at the young witcher and extended her hand.


    "Here. I hope you like it." Roy scratched his nose and took the pearl ne out of his inventory space. He looted it from Alonso''s chamber, of course. Kanti took the zircon. She was going to embed it into her des.


    The pearls glinted under the moon, reflecting its silvery shimmer. Nobody could take their eyes off something so gorgeous.


    Lytta stared at the ne in delight. Her joy was almost palpable. No woman could resist the allure of jewelry, not even her. However, she didn''t take it in a hurry. Instead, she turned around and pushed her hair aside, revealing her slender neck.


    <em>Wait. What is she trying to say? </em>Roy looked at the ne and her neck. <em>Oh.</em>


    He carefully ced the ne around her neck. As he brushed his finger against her supple skin, he could feel her life force bursting underneath.


    She turned around and held his hand. Lytta stared at Roy, almost pursing her lips. "So, how do I look?"


    Roy looked at the moon, the stars, and the twinkle in her eyes. <em>Alright, Roy. Time for praise. You got this. Remember what Auckes always says.</em>


    "You shine like a beacon, like glittering stars on a cloudless night sky. Colors most vibrant glimmer in your eyes. As beautiful as the moon is, your smile proves more captivating."


    "Someone has a glib tongue. Where''d you learn that from?"


    "I can''t remember. Auckes probably told me about it. You don''t like it?"


    "Not at all. Give me more."


    Roy started reciting as the boat slowly swam into the coast, the waves propelling it ahead. The couple eventually started whispering closely.


    "Is this your dream, Coral? A vacation on the sea?"


    "What? You don''t want toe with me?"


    "No. I just heard that Ofir is a faraway kingdom. We might have to row for months."


    "We''ll get there eventually. All we have to do is progress."


    "What if the storms and waves break our boat?"


    "Then we''ll get another boat. But I have a question for you. You''ve been reluctant to talk, but¡­" She asked, "Why did you tell me not to travel to Sodden Hill?"


    "It¡¯splicated. And it''s a long story. It''s about a dream I had."


    "It''s alright. The night is still young. Tell me all about it. I''d love to hear." Lytta leaned against Roy''sp, and she stared at him gently.


    Roy rowed the boat while he told Lytta about the entire story.


    The couple was steadily heading in the direction of the moon that was hanging over the sea.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 317: One-Eyed Jacks Acquaintance

    Roy woke up when the first ray of dawn shone upon thend. He was lying on a haystack, his eyes slightly unfocused. The young witcher stared at his empty right hand. He swore he could still feel Coral there. The smell of roses seemed to be swirling on his fingers still.


    But Coral was no longer there. After a night of rowing through the seas, Lytta shoved him into the portal and gave him a parting gift.


    He was holding a beautiful tube in his left hand. It was filled with a crimson liquid, and the magic that shone from within was almost palpable, almost like it would shoot out of the tube.


    ''Blood essence.


    A powerful sorceress'' essence. Filled to the brim with magic.''


    ***


    Lytta was one of the most powerful sorceresses in the brotherhood. Naturally, her blood could temper his Elder Blood, though Roy was surprised that Lytta would put her trust in him, even though she could potentially be cursed and maimed.


    Roy was moved. He held the tube and tucked it into his inventory space. "I won''t take this for free. Next time, I''m giving her more surprises."


    ***


    "Hey, kid. Did you mess around against night?"


    The Vipers surrounded Roy the moment he came down. They wanted all the details. Letho was displeased, while Serrit and Auckes were eager to know what went down.


    "What did that hag do to you? Why are you so attracted to her?"


    Roy rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Don''t give me that! I''m not some guy who''d spend all my time on a woman. We talked about business the whole night, and I had to work my butt off to convince her, but convince her I did. She''lle to Novigrad in two days and talk about Carl''s Trial. And she''ll check up on Kiyan''s wounds."


    Auckes and Serrit''s smiles froze, while Letho looked away awkwardly.


    They were a lot older than Roy, but they couldn''t help the Cats as much as Roy could, and that fact embarrassed them.


    "I see the sorceress is useful." Auckes scratched his nose and patted Roy''s shoulder. "Try to keep her happy as long as you can, Roy. Get her on our side, no matter what it takes. We need a sorceress we can trust if we want to expand."


    "We have a powerful ally, and it''s up to you to keep her around. If we need any magical help down the line, you''re going to call her. It''ll save us a lot of money," Serrit analyzed.


    "I know what I''m do¡­ Wait, what do you mean ''keep her happy''? And she''s not some sort of cheap sorceress we can summon anytime we want!"


    "Kid, you have dark circles under your eyes, and you look like a ghost. Obviously you''ve been working hard, and you need replenishments. We''re going to make some spirit potions for you just in case."


    The Vipers scurried off, and Roy sighed.


    ***


    Carl was practicing swordy in the yard by himself. The boy leaped around the dozen wooden stakes like a monkey swinging between trees.


    Roy asked him where the Cats were, and Carl told him they were searching the beach in Novigrad''s outskirts. The Flying Stag''s shipwreck and thest diagram should be there.


    ***


    The shops were still under renovation. Kanti was overseeing it, and everyone else had work to do. Roy found himself with some free time on his hands, so he took Gryphon the dog with him to the marketce to see his parents. He pulled Gryphon''s cheeks back and made little Minough.


    The witchers had enough money to support Moore and Susie for life, but the couple had toiled all their lives. Living a life of luxury was a strange concept for them, so Roy didn''t go through with it.


    After making small talk with his family, Roy decided to pick up an old hobby of his to kill some time. <em>It''s Gwenting time. </em>But when he whipped his deck out, an old memory floated to the surface of his mind.


    More than one year ago, One-Eyed Jack asked Roy to send his regards to an old friend. This friend of his lived in Number 320 beside Novigrad''s canal, and his name was Frank (see Arc 1, Chapter 14 [fourteenth chapter overall]).


    "Without Jack''s help, I could never have joined the Vipers." <em>And he gave me an expensive deck. Now that I have time¡­ </em>"It''s time to finish this little side quest."


    ***


    The slums were big. It surrounded the canal, and Roy went around until he found a dpidated two-story house in the southwestern area. There was a wooden board hanging outside. It read ''Number 320 beside the canal.''


    "Is someone there?" Roy knocked on the door. "Frank, you in there?"


    The door creaked open, and out came a dejected man. He was in histe thirties, and his face was chiseled, though his cheeks were protruding.


    His face glistened with grease from theck of grooming, and his stubble extended up to his ears. Clumps of brown, greasy hair hung around his shoulders, and they smelled like expired food. The man''s eyes were bloodshot from theck of sleep. Despite how exhausted he looked, the man was built like a bear.


    He was about six feet four, and to say he was made of nothing but muscles would be an understatement. Raw power radiated from every breath he heaved, and his hand was covered in thick calluses. Roy also noticed an old scar above the man''s corbone.


    ''Todd


    Age: Thirty-five years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Mercenary''


    ***


    "Who are you?" The man stared at the witcher. <em>Dark leather armor, leanly built, and golden eyes. This isn''t a regr civilian.</em> He leaned ahead and frowned. The man tried to look imposing, and the wrinkles on his forehead added a troubling air to this man.


    "I can ask you the same question." Roy stared back at the hulking man. "If I remember correctly, this house belongs to a man named Frank," he said coldly.


    <em>He''s a mercenary, and a tough one at that. Guy must be trying to attack Frank.</em>


    The man shook his head and stared at the canal behind the witcher. He moaned sadly, "I don''t know who you are, but if you''re looking for the geezer, you''re toote. He''s been dead for five years. I''m the only guy in this ce."


    Roy was perceptive enough to know he wasn''t lying, and he heaved a sigh of disappointment. "I came bringing regards from an old friend of Frank''s. One-Eyed Jack says hello. I guess I''m one step toote."


    "You mean the one-eyed widower who used to run a ship in Cintra before he settled down in Aedirn? The avid Gwent card collector?" The man sounded a little intrigued.


    "In Skellige, to be precise."


    "Ah, I guess my memory is muddied. Come in then, my friend," the man beckoned.


    Roy followed him into the house, and then he frowned. The air was filled with the stench of sweat and rotten food, and the young witcher felt like gagging. <em>Smells like socks that''ve been left out for days and moldy bread.</em>


    Like most middle-aged men who achieved nothing in their lives, Todd''s house''s floor was covered in dust and strewn with unwashed cutlery. There was a worn-down sofa covered withundry and a mountain of empty wine bottles.


    The man plopped down on the sofa and shoved theundry onto the floor, revealing a spot covered in brown patches.


    "I''ll just stand."


    "Suit yourself." Todd shrugged it off and forced a smile, but it didn''t erase the sadness lingering between his wrinkles. "How''s Jack doing? Still well? Can he run around like he used to?"


    "Of course. He''s as healthy as ever. Even killed a few wolves, but that was a year ago, and it''s been a while since I went back to Lower Aedirn." Roy looked around. A rickety wooden staircase led to the second floor, where a few smaller rooms stood.


    "I''m Todd, Frank''s son. I''m a mercenary who just came back to Novigrad a while ago."


    Roy shook his hand. "Roy of the Viper School."


    Todd froze for a moment. He narrowed his eyes, and then delight came over him. He stood up, shivering with excitement. "I should have known. Golden feline eyes, lean, muscr body. So you''re a witcher!"


    Roy thought his reaction was interesting. Most people wouldn''t even smile at him when they knew what he was. Todd, however, was overjoyed. <em>There''s only one reason for that.</em>


    "Fate must have arranged this meeting, Roy." Todd''s face shone with hope. "I heard that witchers possess unimaginable powers, and one of them being the ability to track. They say you can track people down better than any hound can."


    "And? What are you trying to say?" Roy crossed his arms and nodded. <em>I can smell a requesting my way.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 318: Missing Daughter

    Like most people in Novigrad, he was born to a regr family. His mother was a tough yet gentle woman, while his father was a sailor who worked under One-Eyed Jack for decades. He spent most of his life on the seas of Skellige.


    Todd seldom saw his parents. His mother was the one who raised him, but the man got his obstinance from his father. He was unsatisfied with a peaceful life, and he wanted to make a name for himself.


    Even after he was married and had a daughter at twenty, Todd stubbornly departed Novigrad on a quest for the thrill of adventure.


    Fifteen years went by. He roamed thends of the northern kingdoms, heading in the direction of mayhem and destruction. Todd once helped Prince Hereward squash the rebellion in Ender. At another time, he helped a group of farmers rebel against the bandits who exploited them. When they finally imed victory, he became Hoghton''s honorary citizen.


    Todd survived hundreds of battles and skirmishes in these long years and became an elite mercenary. As a consequence, he became a more heartless man than his father. Not once did hee home to see his parents or family.


    The man was already thirty-five. At Cnthe''s behest, Todd took on the job of being a spy in Amell. One year after that, Todd finally felt tired of this life. He was lonely, and he wanted to go back to a simple life.


    Fifteen years. All he had to show was money and nothing else. He never quite made a name for himself, and his soul was urging him to go home. He knew that it was time.


    Todd put aside everything he worked for and returned to thend he once loved and hated¡ªNovigrad. "I thought I''d have a family and a feast waiting for me." Todd stared at the magicalmp, his eyes glossing over, his voice sorrowful.


    Roy had conflicting emotions after hearing that. To an extent, Todd''s life was akin to the witchers''. He was a vagrant who had no friends besides death and battles. <em>Of all people, he had to learn his father''s ruthlessness. He had a wife and daughter, and yet he never treasured them. He left his mother, wife, and daughter just to sate his thirst for adventure. They were all alone for fifteen years. Now that''s irresponsible.</em>


    "But all I came back to was an empty house." He hung his head low, his cheeks red. Todd put his hand on his knee and wiped his tears away. "Dead. All of them."


    Roy''s heart sank.


    "Olena, my mother, died of consumption ten years ago. Kolleen, my wife, died of the same disease eight years ago. And Frank died from drinking too much five years ago."


    Todd stopped talking. His chest heaved, and he was huffing.


    Roy was quiet as well. <em>That''s how most people die in this world. They either die from diseases or idents. Living a long life is a pipedream.</em> He sighed. "You said you had a daughter. Where is she?"


    "And that''s why I need you, Roy." Todd had a bitter look on his face. "This is about my only family. My little Elsa. I''ve been searching for her since I came back to this city."


    Todd sobbed, but then he controlled himself. "From what I know, Elsa lived alone ever since Frank died. She survived on the family''s savings until six months ago. The savings dried up, so she moved to southern Novigrad and worked in a flower shop. She''s been living in the shop since then."


    This discovery showed the weary mercenary another path in life. Roy saw longing and hope in his eyes. "Things didn''t go as you expected them to, I guess," he said.


    "When I got to that shop, the shopkeeper told me Elsa''s been missing for a month," he said coldly. "She left the shop one morning and disappeared without a trace."


    He felt fury welling up within him. Todd got up and paced back and forth, but he managed to hold himself together. "The employees searched everywhere, and the Eternal Fire soldiers helped as well, but it was no use."


    Roy shook his head. <em>A beautiful youngdy going missing in a city like Novigrad? Fate will not smile on her.</em>


    "Searching at random won''t be of use, so I went to Francis Bem, the guy with the most intel in Novigrad. Nothing escapes him in this city," Todd said. "I promised him a lot of coins, and he promised he would do everything to help me with my search."


    "It''s been more than two weeks, and Bem hasn''t returned with any news." Todd slumped down onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling once more. There was almost nothing left in his eyes. He started trembling and shedding tears. "Gods, please, just let me find her. I''ll do anything just to see her again."


    Roy had a solemn look on his face. <em>Not even Bem the intel king found anything? This is no simple missing person case.</em>


    "Roy, I know witchers have unbelievable powers, and tracking is one of them. If you can find my Elsa¡­" He craned his neck and gnashed his teeth. "I''ll give you all the money I made from my work as a mercenary. And I can give you this house too."


    He went to the second floor and came back down with a peculiar military knife. "If that''s not enough, I''ll throw this in. I got this after I killed a bandit. I''ve used it for years, and it''s a lot better than most steel swords."


    Roy pulled the knife out from the leather sheath, and a silver light arced through the air.


    The glint was almost blinding. This de was different from any sword in the north. It was almost straight, and its curvature was a lot softer than most curved swords. Its edge was smooth and bright, while the tip curved ever so slightly. Its hilt was embedded with a sapphire, while beautiful patterns adorned its back.


    ''Ofir Military Knife


    Type: Steel sword


    Components: Dark iron ingots, magma, meteorite ore, leather, pinewood, powdered monster tissue


    Specs: Weighs 4.05 pounds, hilt measures 9.4 inches, de measures 36 inches.


    Affixes:


    Improved Signs: When Ofir Military Knife is equipped, Aard, Igni, and Axii receive a small boost in power.''


    ***


    Roy brushed his finger across the edge, and he felt a cold stab of pain on his finger. It almost wounded him. "Not a bad weapon." Roy looked surprised. He sheathed the knife and handed it to Todd.


    "Is it not to your liking?" Todd asked nervously.


    "Keep it. You need the money, and I don''t need this house either." Roy shook his head. He didn''te here to make any money. "I was going to send Jack''s regards to your father, but since he''s not with us anymore, I guess I''ll tell his granddaughter that Jack said hi. I''ll find Elsa, free of charge." <em>This is for you, Jack. Thanks for your help.</em>


    "I can''t possibly ask you to do this for free!" Todd was overjoyed but perplexed at the same time."


    "I''m just helping out a friend. If you want to thank someone, thank Jack."


    Todd wanted to say something, but words failed him. He looked at Roy gratefully.


    Roy cut to the chase. "Todd, I''d like to be honest with you, if you don''t mind. The reason Elsa went missing lies with you. If you hade home earlier and stayed with your family, none of this would have happened. Your parents and wife could have lived, and Elsa could still be here."


    "I know. This is a sin I must carry. I was blinded by my ambition¡­ my greed." Todd teared up and pped himself. He roared almost hysterically, "And I must atone for my sins. Please, Roy, you have to help me!"


    After a decade and a half of going around the northern kingdoms, Todd finally realized that making a name for himself wasn''t what he wanted. That was just a fantasy he concocted in his youth. The treasure he yearned for had always been there for him¡ªfamily. And yet he neglected it.


    When he finally opened his eyes to that fact and tried toe back for it, his family was gone. That was ironic.


    Roy said grimly, "Todd, reality is often disappointing. The results of my investigation might be uneptable to you. You have to prepare yourself."


    Todd nched. He knew what Roy was saying, but he didn''t want to give up any hope he had. "I know, Roy. If Elsa really is dead, then I would want you to find the killer and hand them over to me. I want to deal with them myself."


    Todd hung his head low and hid his face in the shadow as he clenched his fists.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 319: Residue Mana

    Winter was drawing near. Cold, dreary winds that blew from the seas brought chills to the citizens.


    It was another slow day for Yarrin, the shopkeeper of Lucky Cat. Her jasmines, lilies, and lotuses hung low, looking as sleepy as their owner. Sleepiness got to Yarrin eventually, and she started snoring lightly. As she scrunched up her nose a little and closed her eyes, the young shopkeeper fell to the side.


    And then she let out a gasp. Her eyes were wide open, but the dark circles under her eyes showed unmistakable exhaustion. She rubbed her forehead quickly, for it was swelling up from knocking on the wall. "I wish Elsa were here," Yarrin muttered, staring at the ground.


    She was reminded of her nice colleague. When she was still around, the girls would take turns watching over the shop, and life was good for Yarrin. But ever since she went missing two months ago, Yarrin had to take over all the work here.


    Lucky Cat was a flower shop catered to the elite, and they only hired beautiful shopkeepers. It was no easy task to find another passable employee on short notice. <em>Which means I have to hang on for at least a month more.</em>


    Yarrin felt a little dejected. She lost a lot of sleep over worrying for Elsa, and now she couldn''t even take a nap. At this rate, she would go mad. "You have toe back and save me, Elsa. Please be fine."


    And then someone knocked on the counter before her.


    Yarrin almost leapt in shock. <em>I didn''t even hear theming in. </em>"This is a mysterious one." She looked up at the neer with a sweet smile and was met with a stranger.


    The young man had wild, golden eyes and a slender body. He was wearing greyish-ck armor, something unusual for her usual customers. <em>No. He looks like a¡­ </em>A hint of fear shed in her eyes. It was then she noticed two sword hilts protruding from his back.


    "Wee, dear customer. This must be your first time in Lucky Cat. Are you picking a gift for your wife? We have the mostprehensive list of quality flowers at your picking, sir." She forced a smile but tried her best to avert the young man''s gaze. She sweetened her voice. "If you don''t mind, can you tell me what you''d like? I can guide you through the store''s offerings. There''s bound to be something you would like."


    "Sorry, but I''m not interested in flowers. At least anything that''s not a rose." Roy looked around the shop. It wasn''t big, but it was beautiful and colorful. The first thing he smelled when he entered was the scent of flowers. It was rxing. <em>She''s the only one here. </em>Roy gave a look at the burly man outside the flower shop.


    "Wh-What do you want?" Yarrin noticed the look this young witcher was giving hispanion. Realizing something was wrong, Yarrin quickly leaned on the wall, shivering in fear.


    She quickly whipped out a few coins from the drawer. "Please don''t hurt me. I''ll give you all the coins I have. This shop is under Master Orloff''s protection. You don''t want to cross him, do you?"


    ***


    "I''m not a bandit. Keep the coins." Roy shook his head. He loved coins like any other guy, but robbing a helpless girl was beneath him. "Calm down. I have some questions for you. Work with me, and you''ll be fine." He ignored the girl''s plea and made a quick sign in the air.


    Axii worked its magic once more, and the light in Yarrin''s eyes went out. She hung her head low like a puppet that lost its strings.


    "Name and age?" Roy leaned on the rattan chair behind him and crossed his legs. Straight interrogation was his preferred method of questioning.


    "Yarrin. Twenty-five years old," the girl answered inly.


    "You''re the shopkeeper, I reckon? How many people have worked in this shop over thest six months?"


    "Two. Me and Elsa. She went missing two months ago, leaving me alone to deal with this shop."


    "How would you describe your rtionship with Elsa?"


    "She was like my sister. We did everything together."


    Roy nodded. Yarrin''s testimony lined up with Todd''s. <em>Seems like she''s not the suspect. </em>"Do you know if Elsa has any friends or acquaintances in Novigrad? How do they get along?"


    Yarrin paused for a few moments. She might have lost her own will under the effect of Axii, but she still had to try and recall things to answer questions. A momentter, she shook her head.


    "Elsa has been working here for less than six months, and she''s a timid girl. Aside from the customers, she almost never talked to anyone else. And she rarely ventures far. Most of the time, she would stay in the shop or her quarters. And this center area."


    "That''s a simple life." Roy tapped his finger on his temples. "Elsa''s a beautiful and innocentdy. There must¡¯ve been customers who harassed her on the regr, wouldn''t you say?"


    Yarrin thought about it again and told Roy about the three men who would harass Elsa. They were a jewelry merchant''s son, a minor aristocrat, and the shopkeeper of a sundry store.


    Roy made a note of those names. He would pay these people a visitter at night.


    And then only Roy and Todd were left in the store.


    "Did Elsa exhibit any strange behavior prior to her disappearance? Did she say anything weird?" Roy pulled a beautiful rose out of the flower basket and smelled it.


    Yarrin said no.


    "Last question." Roy fell into a pause before he asked, "What do you know about Elsa''s disappearance? Tell me everything that happened that day. I want every single detail."


    "On the ninth day of the ninth month, Elsa and I opened up shop at eight. After that, she left the shop to make some purchases at the marketce as usual¡­"


    ***


    Five minutester.


    "Wee, dear customer. It must be your first time here. Are you picking out a gift for your lover?"


    Yarrin was wearing a sweet smile, but there was a hint of embarrassment in her eyes. She was sure that this young man saw her dozing off. <em>But I feel like I''ve seen him before. Was it a dream?</em>


    The young witcher winked at her mysteriously and left a crown on the counter. Yarrin watched curiously as the young witcher picked up a rose and left her shop.


    ***


    "What were you two talking about, Roy? Did you find any clues?" Todd caught up to Roy as fast as he could. The wind was blowing the stenching off him in Roy''s direction.


    The young witcher rubbed his itchy nose and answered, "You''ll know soon."


    ***


    <em>Judging from her testimony, Elsa went missing while she was on her way from the shop to the marketce. That''s about twenty minutes on foot.</em>


    Roy led Todd around to scout out the geography of the ce. Almost every shop in the business district catered to the elites. Security was tight, and armed soldiers would patrol this ce every fifteen minutes. <em>It''s not easy kidnapping a beautiful girl in broad daylight here.</em>


    And the path that led to the marketce was mostly bustling and packed with people. Everyone was heading to the marketce at eight. <em>There''s no way anyone could kidnap her without making a ruckus. Unless Elsa gave herself up willingly.</em>


    The only ce where Elsa could be kidnapped was the long, dark alleyway between the business district and the marketce. It was situated near the fringes of the slums.


    Compared to the bustling path, it was a shorter path to the marketce. <em>A girl should reach the marketce in ten minutes if she walked normally.</em>


    "What is this?" Todd crouched down and pointed at a crooked wooden stick in a putrid puddle in the alleyway.


    "A pipe for tobo." The witcher picked the stick up despite how dirty it was. "This is a perfect ce for the addicts to gather." He looked at the stick closely.


    The walls on the sides were filled with moss, and some parts of them were covered in slurs and indecipherable graffiti. The ground was wet and slimy, and a few makeshift beds made out of hay and hemp cloths were stacked in the corner. Rotten garbage littered the ground, and some parts of the alley were filled with disgusting excrement. There was barely a clean spot here.


    "Addicts? Are you saying those bastards kidnapped Elsa when she was going through this alley in a hurry?" Todd mumbled, a look of worry appearing in his eyes.


    "I won¡¯t exclude that possibility. They might have taken a liking to Elsa and knocked her out." The witcher added, "But if things were that simple, Chappelle and Bem would have found out about it."


    <em>Bem didn''te back with any news, and Eternal Fire didn''t find any clues either. This is a cruel guess, but I don''t think Elsa is still alive.</em>


    All he could do was try his best to check the crime scene and fish for the culprit. But it had been two months since Elsa went missing, and there were a lot of disruptive factors at the scene. Roy spent half an hour looking for clues in the alleyway, but he came up with nothing.


    But something unexpected happened.


    "Roy, I think the miasma of this alleyway is getting to me, but your pendant is vibrating." Todd pointed at Roy''s pendant curiously.


    "You''re not seeing things." Roy could feel the vibrations, and he moved to the spot where they were most violent. The young witcher spread his arms and felt the air for a while, then he froze up. In the center of the alleyway floated a light ball the size of his fist. It was almost hiding in the moss-filled corner, and the ball was very nearly extinguished.


    "Not much, but this is chaos energy. Someone cast a spell in this alleyway before." Roy said, "And in this dark, damp spot too. Also the spell was cast about two months ago. The timing makes sense."


    Shocked, Todd stammered, "Y-You''re saying Elsa is k-k¡­"


    Roy''s experience told him one thing: anything that was rted to magic was always dangerous and hard to handle. "I hope it''s just a coincidence." Roy sighed. "Or this is going to be more trouble than I imagined."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 320: Lady of the Black Sun

    Roy went to an apothecary shop in Novigrad''s business district.


    "Elsa? You mean the girl with gold hair and grey eyes who works at Lucky Cat? Of course I know her. She''s a polite and likable girl, and she''s the same age as my little Jasmine." The shopkeep sighed. "Elsa would say hello to everyone she passed. Much more polite than my own girl."


    Roy took a marigold potion from the rack and twirled it between his fingers. "You''ve heard of what happened to her, haven''t you? Did you see her back on the ninth day of the ninth month?"


    "I''m sorry, but¡­" Confusion shed in the shopkeeper''s eyes for an instant, and he said regrettably, "All I remember was I didn''t hear her saying hello to me that day. It''s strange to not get greeted after six months of hearing good mornings from that girl. I talked to Pwilt next door, and we thought she must have taken the day off to settle some family matters."


    The shopkeeper didn''t think the girl would go through that dangerous alleyway.


    "I didn''t expect security to have fallen this far, and in the business district too. A young girl disappearing just like that? Horrendous." The shopkeep started raising his voice in aggravation. "What kind of monster would do that to an innocent girl like Elsa? Ever since she went missing, a part of my heart went with her. It''s like I lost my own daughter. Even running this shop lost a bit of its appeal to me."


    A moment of silenceter, Roy snapped his fingers and lifted Axii from the shopkeeper.


    The pudgy man shivered and woke up from his stupor. "I''m so sorry for the grumbling, dear customer. But poor girl, that Elsa." The shopkeep was still wallowing in his sadness. Heined, "The Eternal Fire soldiers came to ask as well, but those bootlickers didn''t mean to find her. They don''t care about the girl. All they did was search the surrounding area, and that was it."


    The shopkeeper looked at Roy. "Do you think she could still be alive?"


    Roy did not answer.


    ***


    Afternoon slowly turned into evening as the sun descended down the heavens. Roy asked everyone down the street who could have possibly seen Elsa, but he found nothing.


    When the sun finally set behind the horizon, Roy and Todd slithered through the night and searched through the homes of the sundry shop owner, the jewelry merchant''s son, and the minor aristocrat. These were the people Yarrin imed to have harassed Elsa.


    Aside from the addicts in the alleyway, these men who harassed Elsa were suspects as well.


    ***


    Surprisingly, Roy found nothing suspicious in their houses. And Axii proved their innocence too. The jewelry merchant''s son and the minor aristocrat had powerful wives that controlled their lives, so all they did was tease Elsa and nothing more.


    The sundry shop owner was weirder. He was actually interested in Yarrin, and the only reason he teased Elsa was to get Yarrin''s attention. He never interacted with Elsa aside from when they were in the flower shop.


    The investigation ended up providing no results. Everyone around the flower shop imed they didn''t see Elsa on the day of her disappearance, and the suspects were cleared of their suspicions as well. That proved Roy''s guess. <em>Elsa must have gone into that alleyway on the day she disappeared.</em>


    At the same time, a sense of unease was brewing within Todd''s heart.


    ***


    Number 320 beside the river.


    "That resident in the alleyway is a big suspect. We need to get them." Two men were seated around a round table in a squalid room, the dim yellow light shining on the young witcher''s eyes.


    "Why don''t we stake out the alleyway tomorrow and see who shows up? Keep an eye out for any suspicious characters, especially the thugs and addicts."


    Roy had two guesses about this case. One, the addicts, thieves, and thugs in the alleyways kidnapped Elsa and took her away. Or two, the disappearance was rted to the magical energy he saw in the alleyway, which meant a sorcerer kidnapped Elsa without anyone knowing. That would exin why Bem''swork couldn''t find anything.


    <em>But that raises a question. Why would a sorcerer take interest in an orphan girl? Just because she''s pretty?</em>


    ***


    "Todd, is there anything special about Elsa that you know about?" Roy thought the sorcerer might have taken interest in Elsa because she had a predisposition for magic.


    "Anything special about her? What do you mean, like a birthmark?" Todd heaved a sigh and rubbed his cheeks as he answered regrettably, "She has no birthmark, and I left my home when she was one year old. Fifteen years I''ve never seen her. I don''t even know what she looks like."


    "You left when she was just a year old?" Roy stared at the dimmp in disappointment.


    "But there''s something about her that I remember. She was born at a different time than most children." Todd remembered something, and he quickly asked, "Could that have something to do with this, Roy?"


    <em>She was born at a different time? </em>Roy nodded at Todd, telling him to continue.


    Todd stared into the distance and recounted, "Elsa was born in the afternoon. The sun was scorching, but then all of a sudden, everything went dark. You know what I''m talking about. A ck circle engulfing the sun. It was daytime, but it was cker than night. All my life, I had only seen that phenomenon once, and it left an impression."


    Roy sat down on the dirty sofa without hesitation, and he heaved a sigh. The look of sadness on his face was making Todd worry.


    "She was born on a day of the ck sun, and then there''s residue magic in that alleyway. I think I know what happened to her on that day."


    What Roy said next plunged Todd into a pit of despair.


    "Todd, have you heard of the Curse of the ck Sun?"


    "Y-Yes I did."


    "Then you should know your daughter is a girl of the ck sun. So¡­ she might have been killed by a sorcerer."


    Todd''s eyes lost all glimmer, and his lips started to tremble. He knew all too well what kind of fate was in store for a girl of the ck sun. Girls of the ck sun were born during eclipses, and that cruel, cruel title came from the prophecy of the mad sorcerer¡ªEltibald.


    He thought a group of girls of the ck sun would gather one day to summon an evil god that would bring about the end of days. Back in Oxenfurt Academy, Roy talked about this prophecy with Montes, a student of the ult.


    Roy thought this was mere superstition propagated by the stupidity of humanity, but the sorcerers and foolish citizens disagreed. Decades ago, the Curse of the ck Sun was a popr prophecy that made its rounds around the continent, and with it, a group of unfortunate children was born.


    Renfri was an example of that, and Sylvia Anna was another.


    "That prophecy has been debunked!" Todd muttered in disbelief.


    "But some still believe in it. If the culprit is one of the believers, then they have a motive to kidnap Elsa," Roy said. "Eltibald used to have a lot of fanatics whouded his prophecy as true and just. They scoured thends for girls of the ck sun just to capture and lock them up in towers. And then they torture, kill or use them as test subjects for their inhumane experiments. A lot of these fanatics are sorcerers."


    <em>Huh. Taking girls of the ck sun only to use them as test subjects. Why does this sound so familiar?</em>


    "That can''t be, Roy!" Todd shook his head. His eyes were bloodshot. <em>It''s been decades since the prophecy''s heyday, and everyone treats it as a joke. Nobody takes it seriously, and they''d never capture any girls of the ck sun.</em>


    Todd was starting to get agitated. He would rather believe that his daughter had been killed than been captured by some mad sorcerer. Human experimentation was a worse nightmare than death.


    "Calm down, Todd. That''s just a possibility." Roy slowed down. "Andining won''t do you any good."


    Todd roared for a while before he quieted down and hung his head low.


    "Calmed down, are we?" Roy massaged his temples. The case was getting more troublesome than he imagined. If it was possible, he didn''t want to antagonize any sorcerers. Fighting a magic user was a lot more of a drag than battling regr humans.


    Fortunately, he hadpanions here, and he was confident they could pull this off. Besides, he had some skills that were perfect to counter sorcerers. "And now we have to search all the sorcerers in Novigrad to find out who''s the culprit."


    "Too slow, Roy. Do you have any faster ways?" Todd was pacing around nervously. <em>It''s only been two months since she disappeared. If she was captured by a sorcerer who believes in that prophecy, then she might still be alive. But if we keep dragging this on¡­</em>


    "You want a faster way to find her?" Roy frowned and closed his eyes to think properly.


    Todd stayed silent for fear of interrupting him.


    Five minutester, the witcher said something nonsensical. "Then we''ll need someone who can dream in daytime."


    "Dream in daytime? What do you mean?" Todd stared at the witcher.


    Roy kept repeating that phrase for a while, and then excitement red in his eyes. "That''s right. We''re in Novigrad!"


    Todd quickly said, "Stop talking in riddles and tell me what you''ve realized, witcher."


    "Novigrad Dreaming." Roy looked back into Todd''s eyes. "Perhaps someone might be able to see through dreams and give us an answer to Elsa''s whereabouts. They can lead us where we need to go."


    "Who are you talking about?" Todd felt his heart thumping, and he held his breath. He was scared that the witcher might suddenly tell him it was a joke.


    "Do you know what an oneiromancer is?" Roy asked quietly. He was reminded of another time in his past when he was ying as Geralt, and an oneiromancer in Novigrad helped him find a clue about Ciri.


    "I think I heard of that when I was a kid. Oneiromancers are a very rare type of¡­ diviner? Are you sure they''re not scams?" Todd was doubtful.


    "Dream divining is more powerful than you think," Roy half-lied. "And I''ve read about them in a book back in the temple of Melitele. It talked about a family of oneiromancers in Novigrad called the Tillys. They''re not famous, and they''re hiding in in sight, disguising themselves as hypnotists and herbalists. I am fairly sure there''s a real oneiromancer in this city."


    "There are tens of thousands of people in the city, and the roads are built like the pathways of a maze. Where are we supposed to find an oneiromancer?" Todd was in a dilemma. "Elsa doesn''t have that much time."


    "We gotta go with the traditional way, Todd, and you''re gonna help. Bem can''t find out where Elsa is, but he should be able to locate an oneiromancer. Tilly isn''t amon family name."


    "I understand." Todd took a deep breath and resolved himself. "I''ll travel to the Putrid Grove to see Bem. He''s going to help, or he''s going to weep."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 321: Novigrad Dreaming

    Corinne Tilly led a regr life much like any other citizen of the city. She would go to the lobby in the morning and treat the insomniacs her friend referred to her and close up shop in the afternoon to enjoy the breeze beside the window on the second floor.


    Some tea and sunshine would add to her enjoyment, and then she would close her eyes to clear her mind. Teatime was not only an enjoyment, but her daily training. Because of her profession, Corinne hade in touch with patients from all walks of life. She had seen many dreams. Some were bizarre, some hrious, and some terrifying.


    The pain, hunger, abuse, and negative emotions the patients felt in their dreams would be projected onto her. Coming in touch with these negative emotions in the long term ced a lot of stress on her mind. In the end, she had to spend every afternoon meditating and regting herself.


    But then someone knocked on the door downstairs. Corrine cocked her eyebrow and turned around only to see two unfamiliar faces below the windowsill. One was a brutish man, while the other was a handsomed who was walking silently like a cat. In just a few moments, that young man was already inches away from the entrance to her abode.


    She looked down and was met with a pair of wild eyes, and then all color was drained from her face. ¡°Damn those fools! They took my money and told these people where I live?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Are you training your body,dy?¡± The young witcher blocked the backdoor, stopping Corinne from escaping.


    She had her back turned to him, and her legs were swinging over the window. Unlike her petite body suggested, she was an agile woman, but Roy¡¯s summon made her freeze. A momentter, Corinne gave up escaping and went back to the balcony. As her dress fluttered, the gentlemen were treated to the sight of her legs, and they saw a crimson rose blooming on it.


    Roy finally could see her face. She was about twenty years old, and her skin was tanned. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders, and she looked great, though she was scantily d, just like some sorceresses. However, she had no protective talisman around her neck, and the chaos energy swirling around her body felt thin.


    ¡®Corinne Tilly


    Gender: Female


    Age: Twenty-five years old


    Status: Oneiromancer (She can glimpse into the past and future through dreams and filter out the useless hints to find out real clues about the past and the future.)¡¯


    Roy was surprised by what he saw. Oneiromancers had low levels of mana, and they weren¡¯t that much more talented than him in magic. ¡°They have their own unique talents like soothsayers do, but their magical abilities aren¡¯t really great.¡±


    ***


    The woman stared at the witcher nervously. Her face was white, and her voice was raspy and filled with terror. ¡°Are you Chappelle¡¯s soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Chappelle?¡± Roy was reminded of that brooding man armed with a Lamia. They ran into that guy back when Dandelion was searching for that map. He was the head of patrols and the Chancellor of Security for Novigrad.


    The man was cruel and nigh-omniscient in Novigrad. He was in charge of all the forbidden items in this city and would never allow any monsters prohibited by Eternal Fire to appear in public, or that would be negligence of his duty.


    All the small-time viins and anything ¡®heretical¡¯ in Novigrad were terrified of Chappelle and what he could do. Oneiromancers were no different. Naturally, she was scared of them.


    Still, Chappelle was in a tacit agreement to stay out of the witchers¡¯ and the gangs¡¯ business.


    ¡°This is a misunderstanding,dy.¡± Roy smiled apologetically. <em>Should have informed her before we came. </em>¡°We¡¯re not Chappelle¡¯s thugs, nor did we mean to cross you. We just need your help.¡±


    ***


    Corinne was surrounded by Todd and Roy on the first floor. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t tried searching for someone through dreams before, but it¡¯s not easy.¡± Corinne was seated on a chair, but she was fidgeting.


    After the witcher exined himself, she was clear they were no thugs of Chappelle. Even so, the witcher still felt imposing. That sense of pressure was even worse than the retired soldiers who had PTSD. <em>He won¡¯t kill me all of a sudden, right? </em>She shifted her gaze away from his ears and took a deep breath.


    ¡°If you can do it, you¡¯ll be handsomely rewarded.¡± Roy sweetened the deal and tossed a bag of something onto the table. There were two hundred crowns in that bag, and all of them were straight out of Todd¡¯s savings.


    The coins rattled beautifully in the bag. Corinne pushed her hair back and narrowed her eyes at the money bag. For a moment there, fear was not on her list of problems.


    Most of the patients she took were only peasants, and they could never give her any big rewards. Not to mention she had to pay Cleaver a hefty sum of tribute every month just to keep his mouth shut.


    Finances were always an issue for her, and she wouldn¡¯t dare get in touch with the wealthy. Chappelle would prefer if the rich insomniacs prayed and tithed at the church, not ¡®waste their money¡¯ on oneiromancy.


    The Tillys lived a careful life. That was their only way to survive in this city, and the money Roy was paying her could change her life for the better.


    She could buy some new clothes like any regrdy. It had been two months since she had a new dress, and that was uneptable for a properdy like her.


    But she was still hesitant. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything. Oneiromancy isn¡¯t all-powerful. There are a lot of limitations at y. You have to at least establish contact with your target. Or you need to share a bond. The deeper the better, or I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    Todd said, ¡°It¡¯s my daughter. My blood flows in her. Is that bond deep enough?¡±


    Corinne thought about it for a moment. She picked the money bag up and shoved it into her cleavage. ¡°What are we waiting for, then?¡± She looked at the two of them. ¡°I need to be alone with Todd. A quiet environment is conducive for dreams.¡±


    Two minutester, Roy stood outside the closed room, muttering to himself, ¡°I wonder if she can find Elsa.¡± The young witcher rubbed his chin and paced around. Then he stuck his ear against the door to listen in.


    Todd was lying on the bed, while Corinne was on the chair beside it. She was holding his hand gently, brushing her fingers across his like she was giving him a massage.


    There was a look of mncholy in Todd¡¯s eyes. He was reminded of a simr scene that had taken ce more than a decade ago. His wife, Kolleen, was still alive back then, and she did something simr. <em>I let her down.</em>


    ¡°Take a deep breath and rx.¡± Corinne noticed the sadness and guilt in Todd¡¯s eyes. She dimmed the lights further and said, ¡°I¡¯ll guide you into your dream, but first we have to build a mental connection. I have a few questions for you, and you have to answer them. Honestly.¡±


    Todd took a deep breath and held down the urge to resist telling her real answers. He had to let his guard down, and that was not easy to do, considering he¡¯d been a mercenary for years. It took about five minutes to do that. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Tell me a bit about Elsa. The memory that left the deepest impression on you will be best. If you don¡¯t have a memory of her, tell me about the opinion about her you heard from someone else. That left an impression on you, of course.¡±


    Todd looked into the distance and flipped through his memory.


    ¡°My dear Elsa was born in Novigrad. On the day she was born, the sun¡­¡±


    ¡°The day she took her first steps, she vaguely called my name¡­¡±


    Todd kept talking for about fifteen minutes, and he started tearing up.


    ¡°Calm down and don¡¯t let your sadness take over you.¡± Corinne stayed calm and put her hand on his forehead. ¡°Now you have to lie down and rx. Hold my hand and tell me everything about Elsa. Tell me what you think happened to her, why she disappeared, and where she might be right now.¡±


    Corinne lit up her scented incense, and white smoke that smelled like grass wafted into the air.


    The smoke slowly obscured Todd¡¯s face, and as he answered Corinne¡¯s question, the cloud of smoke slowly changed shape. Todd¡¯s voice slowly became softer and softer, until it was gone.


    He closed his eyes and breathed quietly.


    Corinne stood up to take a closer look. Once she determined he was in a deep sleep, she took a half-finished shirt beside her dressing table and started knitting it.


    The smoke engulfed Todd and Corinne, merging them into one.


    ***


    ¡°Elsa? Elsa!¡± a silvery voice called.


    Todd snapped out of his sleep, his eyes refocusing. The first thing he saw was a petite, beautiful girl waving at him happily.


    There was fog covering her, keeping the girl out of Todd¡¯s sight. Around her stood baskets of flowers, but they too were shrouded in the mist.


    <em>Lucky Cat? And that girl seems familiar. Where have I seen her before¡­? Oh, right. She¡¯s Yarrin, the shopkeeper.</em>


    ¡°Lost sleep again, Elsa? Thinking about someone, were you?¡±


    ¡°<em>You</em> were thinking about someone, not me!¡± Todd said, but he wasn¡¯t in control of his body. He heard himself giggle like a girl and left without turning back.


    <em>What¡¯s going on? I thought I was asleep. But I can¡¯t control my body.</em>


    The world around him spun, and Todd realized he was leaving the flower shop. The sun was shining down on the streets, and the throng was jostling. Rows of shops littered the streets, and all kinds of merchandise were on sale.


    But everything was shrouded in the mist, and Todd finally realized what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m in a dream! And they called me¡­ Elsa. Elsa?¡± <em>Oh, I¡¯m like a ghost who¡¯s living in my daughter¡¯s body, reliving her day. </em>¡°Oneiromancy sure is a magical thing.¡±


    For a moment, Todd was moved and had conflicting emotions at the same time. He never expected his reunion with Elsa to go like this.


    <em>Fifteen years. It¡¯s been fifteen years since Ist saw her, and now we¡¯re connected by something magical. </em>His heart finally calmed down as he felt contentment rising in his soul. ¡°You¡¯re all I have, Elsa. Please be alive.¡±


    Elsa hopped and skipped down the street as she made her way to the marketce in the south. She looked happy and lively, apparently over the sadness of losing her family.


    Todd was d. His wish was for Elsa to live in peace and happiness. Todd tried to control the body just so he could see her face. <em>I wonder if she takes after her mother or me.</em>


    He tried to embrace her just like how he did a long, long time ago, but s, he couldn¡¯t. All he could do was watch and change nothing. This was the past, and he couldn¡¯t change that.


    ***


    Elsa came to an abrupt stop when she arrived at the crossroads. A frown knitted her brows, and she looked to the side, where a dark alleyway stood between the tall building.


    The confusion in her eyes mounted. She looked around her, but everyone seemed to be normal. <em>So why do I hear something? </em>She leaned in to hear more.


    Todd¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was reminded of what happened on that day. ¡°No, don¡¯t stop. Don¡¯t take this corner. Just keep on going ahead, girl. Please, I beg you!¡±


    ***


    A hauntingly beautiful voice sang from the alleyway. It felt like a siren was singing to her. The voice was angelic and seductive at the same time. Elsa was drawn to it immediately. Even a spectator like Todd was drawn to the voice. He turned to the alleyway as Elsa did, and they walked into it uncontrobly.


    ¡°No! Get away! Get away!¡± Todd snapped out of it in the end, but fear welled up within him. He screamed at the top of his lungs, but he couldn¡¯t stop Elsa from heading into the alleyway.


    There was nobody in the alleyway. Elsa trudged ahead almost mechanically, like she was a puppet held by strings.


    And then the voice disappeared.


    A sh of red light appeared, and out came a man with a crystal-clear pendant hanging around his neck. However, his face and body were shrouded in ayer of shadows, obscuring him from sight. He murmured some esoteric incantation that felt like pity or order. Todd wasn¡¯t sure.


    <em>So </em>you <em>did this? Why did you take my daughter away, you bastard?</em>


    Fury and sorrow gripped Todd. He felt like his heart would burst into pieces, but he couldn¡¯t move his body at all.


    Scared, Elsa took a step back, but the mysterious man gesticted in the air. ¡°Aec¨¢emm!¡±


    Invisible energy wrapped around Elsa and shut her mouth up. She stared around in horror, and her limbs were turned backward as she flew over to that mysterious man¡¯s side.


    A powerful air current blew out of nowhere as a square door frame appeared out of thin air. The winds howled in the alleyway as the man took Elsa into the portal.


    ***


    The world spun, and Todd was engulfed by darkness and dizziness. He was trapped for gods knew how long, and when he opened his eyes again, Todd found himself in an unfamiliar ce.


    The ceiling was pitch-ck, the lights were blinding, and long, wooden boxes lined up around him. In the center of those boxes stood wooden beds covered in white cloth.


    Todd was lying on one of the wooden beds, and standing before him was a burly man in a mask and bloodstained apron. He was holding a scalpel in his hands, and thest thing Todd saw was that man stabbing that scalpel into his eye¡­


    ¡°AAAHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°Todd!¡± Roy stormed into the bedroom and held Todd¡¯s shoulder down.


    The mercenary sat up stiffly and covered his eyes. He was drenched in sweat, but he kept shouting and sobbing. Roy could see his chest heaving.


    ¡°Calm down, Todd. That was a nightmare. You¡¯re safe now. Tell me what you saw.¡±


    Todd didn¡¯t answer at first. He screamed in rage and buried his face in his hands as he cried his heart out.


    ¡°Elsa¡­ My Elsa¡­ She¡¯s no more.¡±


    He was like a patient afflicted with madness. Roy couldn¡¯t talk to him when he was muttering to himself, so he turned to Corinne.


    Corinne put her half-knitted shirt into the box behind her carefully, and then she rubbed her cheeks in exhaustion. She too participated in that dream and saw everything Todd saw, and she was still shocked by the events that took ce.


    Roy used Axii to calm her down, and it worked, though Corinne still shuddered when she thought about it. Slowly, she said, ¡°I saw what happened to Elsa on that day. She ran into a man in the alleyway. Possibly a sorcerer. He controlled her with supernatural powers and took her with him. Left in a portal.¡±


    ¡°A sorcerer, you say?¡± Roy¡¯s face fell. <em>This is the worst-case scenario.</em>


    ¡°Dreams are usuallyced with lies among the truth.¡± Corinne sipped some water and heaved a few long sighs. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t be sure about the kidnapper¡¯s identity, since I couldn¡¯t see his face.¡±


    She gave Todd a look of pity. <em>He witnessed hisst family member getting taken away. That must have been harrowing. Anyone would suffer a mental breakdown if they saw this. And there¡¯s that strange man.</em>


    Just thinking about that man made her shiver. It felt like someone was watching her somewhere.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t see him?¡± Roy was disappointed.


    ¡°Give me some time to figure this out. I need to repeat that dream,¡± Corinne said hesitantly. ¡°Perhaps I can find out what the culprit looks like.¡±


    Roy nodded. ¡°Thank you then.¡±


    ¡°You did pay me a handsome sum of coins. I would sully my family¡¯s name if I couldn¡¯t find anything.¡± Corinne shook her head and frowned. She started recalling the dream again, and she said, ¡°Oh, and I saw a man in a mask and apron in the second dream sequence. He was in a room filled with corpses. And he was holding a scalpel. He looked like a¡­¡±


    ¡°He was wearing a mask and apron? And he had a scalpel? Could he be a coroner?¡± Roy was reminded of his experience back in Ender.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s possibly a coroner who works in Novigrad¡¯s morgue. So that means Elsa is¡­¡± Corinne covered her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to make conclusions, but time is not on our side,¡± Roy said. ¡°Todd and I have to pay the morgue a visit.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 322: Morgue

    ¡°Feel better now?¡± Corinne was holding a petite pipe and puffing some smoke at Todd.


    The mercenary was leaning against the bed stiffly. He held his head in agony and seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Thest scene he saw kept reying in his head, and his heart felt like it would be torn apart.


    The morgue and coroner could only mean one thing: the daughter he was searching for was no longer alive.


    Just when he thought his hopeless life was finally showing a sliver of light, it was dashed right away. Compared to the physical pain he sustained in his line of work, this torture was far worse.


    But his long mercenary life polished his will enough to make him shake off his sorrow quickly. ¡°Sorry you had to see that," Todd answered raspily, like he just healed from sickness. His eyes were bloodshot, but he got up anyway.


    "It''s alright. I can understand." Corinne puffed another circle of smoke. There was sadness in her eyes. She was reminded of a distasteful past. "Nothing''s more painful than losing your family. That pain can never heal."


    They fell silent for a while.


    "Let''s go. We don''t want to keep Roy waiting."


    "Yeah." As Todd turned around, he felt the world spin. For a moment, he thought he saw that mist-shrouded man again, and he buried his nails in his palm. "When I find Elsa, I''ll make him pay for what he did¡­ in blood."


    ***


    The skies of Novigrad yellowed as the sun slowly descended. Roy and Todd raced to the morgue only to find it guarded by a pair of armed soldiers.


    That was bizarre. Most of the time, nobody would assign patrols to the morgues, since the corpse collector would have searched the corpses and taken the valuables away. There was nothing for anyone to take. Even if necrophiliacs were to show up, the coroner and his assistants would chase them away.


    <em>There''s no need for soldiers, unless¡­</em>


    Roy and Todd exchanged a nce.


    The soldier on the left asked sternly, "What are you two doing here?" He looked at the unlikely pair and stretched his arm to stop them. "Stay away and don''t make any trouble. This ce is off-limits."


    "Good afternoon, guardians of the Eternal Fire. I''m Roy of the Viper School." Roy stepped forward and scanned the soldiers. He said, "My friend''s daughter ran into some trouble, and her corpse is right in there. Can we go inside to look for her?"


    The soldier saw the pendant hanging from Roy''s neck, and his face fell. Even so, he craned his neck and stubbornly protected the entrance. "We''ve never crossed you, Viper. Please don''t trouble us whenever you feel like it. A murder just happened here, and it''s of great importance. Please do be understanding." The soldier emphasized ''whenever you feel like it.''


    "I see. I need to have my reasons, correct? You''ve been standing under the sun a whole day. It must be exhausting. You know witchers are good trackers, and perhaps I could help the ''great Eternal Fire'' out. Tell me what happened. I''ll look into it free of charge. If I manage to find a clue or two, Chappelle will reward you."


    The soldiers exchanged a look. It was a tempting offer, but they were still hesitant.


    Roy winked at Todd, and the mercenary realized what he needed to do. He tossed a bag of coins to the soldiers, and that worked like a charm. The soldiers told them the reason for the patrols.


    Two days ago, the coroner and his assistant were found dead in the morgue, but there was something strange about their demise. The Eternal Fire''s soldiers tried to look into it, but they found nothing.


    Roy had a bad feeling about this case. <em>Todd dreamt of Elsa showing up in the morgue just a while ago, and now the coroner''s dead? </em>"Is this a coincidence? Or are they rted?"


    Todd paid the soldiers again and managed to slip into the morgue. The soldiers told them what to look out for and left them to their own devices while they went to Spear''s Pit for some fun.


    Novigrad was the city of trade. Everyone was working for profit, life, and connections, and coins were necessary for that.


    ***


    The morgue was situated lower than ground level, though not that far beneath. Corpses could remain fresher for a long time in this environment. The thicker walls made sure the room would stay cool almost perpetually.


    Unlike the warm and bright outside, the morgue was humid, dark, and cold. Sconces hung from the wall, but their dim light provided little illumination. Shadows would drag on forever on the walls like ck snakes waiting to pounce on their prey.


    The morgue was split into six smaller chambers that hadplex structures. It felt like a shaelmaar''s abode. The stench of medical preservatives and rotten flesh hung in the air.


    Roy and Todd kept going ahead for a while and went past a few empty beds. Most of the stuff there was either standing haphazardly or stuffed into a corner. It was obvious they were hit recently. Messy footprints lined the ground, and sttered blood dripped from the walls and pirs.


    Roy activated his witcher senses and saw ribbons of flesh and blood intertwined with one another. <em>The murder happened very recently. </em>"The coroner struggled before he was killed, but the murderer was too powerful to even fight back against. A dozen fifty-pound wooden beds crashed in different ces. Most people would destroy themselves by doing that."


    The young witcher found some human dander around the bed. <em>Wonder if the coroner or the murderer dropped this.</em>


    Roy went on with his investigations before eventually reaching the deepest room. He stopped in his tracks and held the vibrating pendant. <em>Something''s up.</em>


    "Might you be Casimodo the corpse collector?" Roy saw a gaunt, hunched man before him. He had a mask on his face and an apron around his waist. A basin of transparent liquid sat under his hands. Roy sniffed the air and realized it was medical preservatives. The soldiers told them that Casimodo took over the morgue''s work after the coroner and his assistant died. It would go on until Oxenfurt sent another coroner their way.


    The man jumped a little and turned around to look at them weirdly. He took his mask off and answered, "Yes, that''s me. And you are?"


    "This is the deceased''s family, and I''m a witcher working for the Eternal Fire by their request."


    Roy told them the story both of them agreed upon, and at the same time, he looked at the man closely. <em>He''s got a hunchback, and it''s not from overworking. </em>He had a grotesque face, his hair was almost nonexistent, his eyes were as small as beads, his nose resembled a garlic, and his teeth were yellow and rotten. Any baby would shut up in fear if they saw him.


    ''Casimodo


    Age: Thirty-six years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Corpse collector''


    ***


    Casimodo was horrifying. He was second to Kiyan in terms of ugliness. <em>And he''s afflicted with all kinds of conditions. Probably because he¡¯s worked in this environment for too long. And his stats are nothing to write home about. </em>Roy said, "We need to check the corpses again."


    Casimodo obviously doubted their story, but for some reason, he decided to go with it. He pointed to where the coroner and his assistant''s bodies were located. They were on the outermost beds, and white cloths were draped over them.


    Two mangled corpsesy underneath the white cloths, but Roy could vaguely see that they were males. One was in his mid-thirties, while the other was a teen younger than twenty.


    Todd whispered, "I''ll find Elsa in the other room."


    Roy stayed behind to check on the corpses. First, he noticed their eyes, or theck thereof. Their eyeballs were gouged out, leaving empty sockets behind. And then he noticed marks of stitches on their bodies. Apparently, Casimodo had checked on them thoroughly.


    "I''ve never seen someone die so gruesomely." Casimodo stood behind the witcher, and his eyes glinted strangely. "Their whole bodies were covered in a bunch ofplex wounds. Bone fractures, cuts, and bite marks."


    "Bite marks?"


    Roy knew what he meant when he saw the heads of the deceased. Part of the cheek was chomped away, and a bit of the scalp was gone too, but judging from the mark, Roy was sure that the assant wasn''t a wolf, bear, or even a ghoul. <em>It was a human. Who the hell would do this? And they didn''t just kill the coroner; they were torturing them. </em>"How do the insides look?" Roy asked.


    Casimodo didn''t answer right away. He gulped. "They''re missing some organs. You sure you wanna see it?"


    The young witcher nodded. He took the scalpel and cut the bodies open. Five minutester, he stitched the wounds back up cleanly and took the bloodied gloves off.


    He didn''t see any chaos energying from the coroner or his assistant, but they were missing some internal organs, and there were even more bite marks inside their bodies. <em>The murderer is no ordinary human. </em>"And what''s with the bells?"


    Roy noticed a silver bell dangling from between the deceased''s ankles, hanging from a rope. He shook it, and the silver bell nged.


    "It''s to prevent anyone from moving the bodies. You know how perverted some Novigradians can be."


    "Yeah. I''ll look around." Roy went to the other side of the room.


    Casimodo followed him nervously. "Be careful. Don''t ruin the bodies.¡±


    The room inside looked normal. Unlike the room outside, there weren''t a lot of marks of a battle here.


    As Roy felt his pendant tremble, he checked up on every corpse, searching for Elsa. And what he saw was surprising. Novigrad was home to all kinds of creatures. Humans, part-elves, dwarves, and more. There were bodies of almost every humanoid species here. There were a lot of causes for their deaths, but most of them were due to battles.


    More than a dozen gangs of different scales ran rampant in Novigrad. Gang wars were the most prevalent reason for their deaths. Diseases and hunger were next, while idental deaths werest. No matter the reason, these bodies looked ugly after they were dipped in preservatives and patched up by the coroner.


    "Poor bastard." Roy looked at the records of a corpse and covered the dwarf up. <em>Died because he got drunk and fell into a shithole. </em>He turned his attention to a half-elf. He died because his lover''s husband castrated him after finding the half-elf sleeping with his wife.


    "This ce would drive anyone crazy. But why is this guy''s mouth open?" Roy pried the half-elf''s mouth open more and pulled out a strand of ck hair. "What the hell is this? Beard? Nose hair? Or hair?"


    He tossed it away and went on with his investigation. When he reached the thirteen body, Roy finally got serious. His pendant was trembling violently. Roy eased up quietly for a moment before he pulled the white cloth away, revealing the body of a young woman underneath.


    <em>About fifteen or sixteen. I expected as much. </em>The girl was beautiful, and her skin was fair, but her face was pale and lifeless.


    Roy''s hand trembled. She looked so serene, as if she were asleep. There wasn''t any obvious wound on her body. <em>She''s like Sleeping Beauty, but whose kiss is going to wake her?</em>


    Roy cast Observe, and a page of information showed up.


    ''Corpse filled with chaos energy


    Gender: Sixteen years old


    Status: Civilian


    ???''


    Todd looked in Roy''s direction, and the sight of that girl''s body petrified him.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 323: Check

    Under the dim light of the morgue stood a man as burly as a bear, but he was sobbing before a cold, wooden bed. "Elsa, please open your eyes." Todd leaned beside the girl, holding her cheeks and pressing his forehead against hers.


    He knew who she was the moment heid eyes on her. She looked just like her mother, Kolleen. "I''m a coward, a sinner, an irresponsible man. More than ten years I left you to fend for yourselves. I''m a sorry excuse of a father, but please give me a chance to atone for my sins." Todd whispered resolutely into the girl''s lifeless ear, "I shall avenge you, but I might need your help in finding the murderer."


    ***


    <em>I wonder if she''s actually dead. </em>Roy''s brows furrowed. After a rough checkup, he concluded that Elsa wasn¡¯t breathing and didn¡¯t have a heartbeat. Her pupils were dted, and her temperature was horrifyingly low. She looked like a dead person if he was judging her on these criteria, but some parts of her weren''t as dead as a corpse should be. Her hair was lustrous, but a corpse''s hair should be dry and spindly. Her skin was fair and supple, not bloated. <em>No internal bleeding. No scars either. Not even a fatal wound. </em>There were calluses on her hands and feet, but that was par for her poor background.


    There was a bell on her ankle, and her cause of death was not stated. <em>The coroner couldn''t find out the reason for her death, or did he not make it in time?</em>


    "And she''s surrounded by chaos energy¡­" <em>Perhaps that''s the reason her flesh is kept fresh and beautiful like she was in life. And now she lies there like Sleeping Beauty, who won''t and can''t resist anything. So the question is: who took her body here, when did they do it, and from where? If we find these answers, maybe we can get a clue that''ll lead us to the murderer Todd saw in that dream. And the coroner and his assistant died horribly too. Does this have anything to do with her? Or is this a coincidence?</em>


    "You saw her?" The hunchback came up behind Roy and looked at the dead. "A shame." He sighed. "She''s a gorgeousdy, but she died before she could see what this world had to offer."


    Casimodo spared the girl a look of sympathy. "She doesn''t belong to this cold, dark ce. I wonder what bastard did this to her."


    Roy swiveled around and stared sharply into Casimodo''s eyes. "Almost forgot about your actual work. You were a corpse collector, weren''t you?"


    "Yes. I collect all corpses in Novigrad and take them here to this morgue. I took this girl here too."


    "When and where did you find her body?"


    "Um¡­" Casimodo paused for a moment. Apparently, he was hesitant to answer. He thought this young guard was a little too curious. "Does this have anything to do with the coroner''s death?"


    Roy kept staring at the hunchback. Then he lost focus for a moment. The young witcher quickly made a sign in the air, and Axii worked its magic. "Do you have something to do with the deaths of the coroner, his assistant, and Elsa?"


    "No."


    <em>That''s a bit disappointing. </em>"Tell me everything you know about her."


    ***


    Casimodo stared at the ground and swayed his body. Dumbly, he answered, "In the evening, three days ago, news about the robbery and murder of a merchant in the northern area reached me, so I went to collect his corpse, but I saw her on my way back." He pointed at Elsa. "She was lying in the bush beside the path. I thought she was out from drinking too much. Or maybe someone knocked her out. When she didn''t answer my calls, I checked up on her and realized she wasn¡¯t breathing and didn¡¯t have a heartbeat. She was dead. After the guards came and checked the ce out, I took her back here. Once I handed her to the coroner to find out her cause of death, I left."


    ***


    <em>Three days ago in the evening? That''s one day before the coroner and his assistant were found dead. Elsa was taken back to this ce, and then the coroner and his assistant were found dead the next morning. That''s no coincidence. </em>"Did she look like this when you found her? Anything different?"


    Casimodo shook his head.


    The young witcher asked, "Did the coroner exhibit any strange behavior when he took the body from you? Or did you see anything you thought was out of ce?"


    The hunchback frowned and thought back to that day. "He was as cold as usual. Didn''t say a word to me."


    "So¡­" Roy turned Elsa around and confirmed that she had no wound on her back. "Do you think the coroner and his assistant would perform any autopsy on the bodies you sent to them that very same night?"


    "I only collected the merchant and this girl''s corpses that day. From what I know about the coroner, he would retire for the night after he was done checking the corpses. That''d be about a while after midnight."


    "Where''s the merchant''s corpse?"


    Casimodo led Roy to the doorstep, and the young witcher flipped through a file in the drawer. "Bed number twelve¡­ Aino the wood merchant." <em>Left from Elsa. </em>The young witcher took a deep breath and pulled the cloth down.


    Lying underneath the cloth was a middle-aged man with a big belly. His body was covered in preservatives, and his chest had a stitch mark on it. His body was almost green, and his skin was pale. <em>Someone has done something to this corpse. </em>"Were you the one who checked this body?"


    Casimodo shook his head. "It was the coroner."


    <em>So the coroner must have died after he performed the checkup on this body but before he had the chance to do that to Elsa. Didn''t see any wounds on Elsa''s body. So they were attacked after the coroner checked on the merchant?</em>


    Roy looked at Elsa. <em>That''s the only guess I have. He must have been attacked before he did the checkup on Elsa, or she would have had wounds on her body.</em>


    A gust of cold, dark wind blew into the room, and the witcher shivered. Time passed, and the sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon, bringing its warmth along.


    "Did you find something, witcher?" Todd shifted his attention away. He thought he caught a clue, but he couldn''t put a finger on it.


    "About Elsa''s case? Not yet. But I know more about the deaths of the coroner and his assistant now. The murderer was a human or a humanoid creature, and there was more than one of them." Roy was sure about it. "The coroner and his assistant''s bodies and insides were bitten and devoured. The marks show that the murderer''s teeth had incisors, canines, premrs, and mrs. Leaning more to a herbivorous teeth structure than a carnivorous one."


    "Then they''re regr humans," Todd said. Mercenaries had to learn about human anatomy, and he didn''t spend a decade on the battlefield without learning more about it.


    "There are marks of abuse and wing on their bodies. Those are human traits." Roy looked at Elsa''s body. <em>Her nails are clean. </em>"And there are wounds left by a scalpel. sh marks, cut marks, stab marks¡­ The weapon of murder is one of the tools here. Only humans and humanoids can use a scalpel that deftly."


    Roy noticed something else. The crimson air was mostly enclosed within this room. There wasn''t a lot of blood found outside, not even at the doorstep. The murderer seemed to have teleported away within the room and didn''t leave any clues for his witcher senses to pick up. It was odd, but Roy couldn''t figure out why.


    Casimodo shook his head. Axii''s effect had worn off, and he sobered up in time to hear Roy''s analysis. He answered without hesitation, "Yes, that''s what I deduced as well. The killer must have been a human, a madman."


    Only madmen would kill someone with their teeth and nails like animals and devour their flesh afterward. "What has the worlde to?" Casimodo sighed. "There are nekkers, drowners, and ghouls outside the city, and monsters in human skin hide within the walls. Who do you think the killer is?"


    "Not sure. For now." Roy shook his head. <em>Humans can be crueler than monsters sometimes.</em>


    The sun was setting, and dusk settled in. Casimodo stared at the skies and said a hesitant goodbye before leaving for home. The Eternal Fire guards still hadn''t returned, leaving Roy and Todd alone in the morgue.


    "Odd guy." Roy realized Casimodo had been acting strange every time he was giving them answers. It felt like he was putting on an act. <em>But he''s not the killer, nor is he a higher vampire. What the hell is he?</em>


    Todd had a solemn look on his face. "Roy, you mentioned the tragedies following the prophecy. The sorcerer, the man in the dreams, is one of those who''d poison, capture, or chase out girls of the ck sun like Elsa. He must have performed some kind of experiment on my daughter to turn her into¡­ this."


    Todd brushed his hand across Elsa''s cheek. Her body was already frozen stiff, but she still looked like she was alive and asleep. That only confirmed his guess that Elsa had been modified from the inside. What the sorcerer did to her must have something to do with that sted prophecy.


    ***


    "I wish to check on her further. I need to find out the cause of her death." Todd quietly picked the scalpel up from the tray. Before Roy could do anything, he had already cut Elsa''s wrist open.


    Roy wanted to stop him. He thought Todd would at least leave the body untouched, but he didn''t seem to care anymore. <em>He''s too far in. If I stop him, it''d only make things harder for him.</em>


    The skin was cut open, but weirdly enough, her blood didn''t even ooze out or stain the scalpel. Instead, it felt like it was stuck to the skin.


    Roy kept staring at it.


    "What did that bastard do to her? What kind of powers does he have? I need to find out!" Sorrow and fury filled Todd''s eyes. "And then I''ll inflict all that pain back tenfold on them."


    Todd kept cutting Elsa''s skin open, and another gust of wind blew into the room. The candlelights flickered, and the sobs of a girl rang out in the air.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 324: Matteos Ritual

    "Did you hear that?" Roy looked around the bodies in the chamber. Aside from the sound of Todd cutting open Elsa''s skin, the air had been eerily quiet. When the young witcher tried to listen again, the sobs disappeared.


    Todd said nothing and went back to cutting Elsa open.


    <em>Was I hearing things? </em>Roy shook his head, but he kept an ear out for that voice. "I''ll help you." He went over to Elsa''s side and pulled her eyelids open. Her pupils were grey, and that was something exhibited only by people who had been dead for days. The young witcher then moved her joints around, but they didn''t feel stiff at all. They were supple, in fact, but her temperature was a lot lower than the environment¡¯s.


    He couldn''t ascertain her time of death. He found some ash lodged in the body''s nose, mouth, and ears. It felt like she had been buried in peat before, though he wouldn''t suspect it just by seeing how clean she looked.


    Roy thought, <em>Peat. Where can I find peat for warmth and heating in Novigrad? That''s a key location.</em>


    ***


    After cutting the wrist open, Todd drew the scalpel up Elsa''s forearm, elbow, and shoulder. The skin parted away, revealing the crimson muscle tissues underneath. Unlike most corpses, there was no blood or fluids oozing out of the incision.


    Roy was a little surprised. All her blood was congealed like jelly and stuck to her skin.


    "Have you seen something like this before?" Todd stopped for a moment.


    "Basilisk venom does that." Roy put the other arm down. "But that''s not the smell of poisoned blood. The blood of any basilisk venom victim would smell like livestock shite."


    Roy huddled closer to the blood and smelled it, but all he gleaned was a faint aroma. It felt like her blood was infused with luscious honey. There wasn''t any stench of livestock excrement at all. <em>If everyone''s blood smelled like this, the vampires would go crazy for us. </em>"Either Elsa has taken some sort of potion, or a sorcerer has modified her blood."


    Todd almost exploded with anger. He could imagine how much agony Elsa must have been in.


    A moment of silenceter, he cut the other arm and her legs open, but they all showed the same result. Aside from the jelly-like blood, her muscles, tendons, arteries, and blood vessels were kept intact. There were no wounds or marks of torture.


    Todd took a deep breath. <em>Time for the organs next. </em>But when the scalpel touched Elsa''s organ, it started trembling.


    Roy blurted, "It''s getting colder." He rubbed his hands. <em>Feels like the temperature just dropped like a rock. It was about sixteen degrees a few moments ago, but now it''s like one or two degrees. Maybe zero. Brr. Freezing.</em>


    Even an enhanced human like Roy found this hard to bear. Without the whispers of the wind, even the air itself seemed to have frozen up.


    "Can you stay quiet, witcher?"


    Roy shrugged his shoulders and stopped shivering. "Of course. I won''t disturb you again."


    But he started looking around cautiously. <em>I miss Gryphon. In her crow form, she can be the perfect scout. Wonder if I should summon her.</em>


    Todd made a diagonal cut on both sides of Elsa''s chest that met in the center, and then he kept cutting downward until the scalpel touched her belly button, forming a thin, deep Y-shaped gash. "Give me the rib spreader."


    Roy picked up the supersized mole grips from the tray and handed them to Todd. The mercenary pointed them at Elsa''s ribs and tried to spread them, but then the fire of the sconces on the walls and pirs suddenly went out.


    The duo was shocked, and Roy quickly tensed up like a cat. He curled up a little and took a defensive stance, but just a momentter, the mes lit up again, shining on every corner of the room. Everything was still the same as they were. The body was still lying on the bed, and Todd was still holding the rib spreader.


    "I think something''s really off. Why don''t I call Letho and Auckes? Or we can continue tomorrow morning?" Roy vehemently suggested.


    "It''s alright. Let''s go on," Todd insisted. He ced the part of the rib he cut out on the tray and aimed at the other side.


    <em>Elsa was modified, so she probably has some chaos energy left over in her body. That was probably just the energy releasing itself, </em>Roy told himself, but then someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    "Casimodo? But I thought he''d gone home."


    There were a few doors leading to this ce. The morgue was separated into a few rooms, and they were in the deepest one. Only the steel door was closed, while the others were left open.


    Roy went and opened the door, but nobody was outside. Only the dim light of the mes hung in the air, and silence was itspanion. The guards were still nowhere to be seen.


    "This is peculiar." Roy locked onto the weapons in his inventory space and came back to Todd, pretending nothing had happened. This time, he left the door open.


    Todd was holding a ckish-brown organ in his hand. It was Elsa''s lungs. They were supposed to be smooth, but instead they had ckened and were covered in fluids and neosm.


    The observation was surprising to Todd. Only nicotine addicts of many years would develop these kinds of lungs, but Elsa was not even twenty years old when she died. <em>No way this is possible. </em>"Is this consumption?"


    Roy touched the ckened part and smelled his finger. "No. More like burn marks. Smells like something is overcooked, but I''d say this is medium."


    <em>My daughter is not a steak.</em>


    "Alright, fine. No joking anymore. But with her lungs burnt to this degree, her whole body should have been charred, and yet she looks perfectly fine."


    The duo was thrown into another web of questions, and Todd decided to cut off all the organs, including the heart, liver, and pancreas. As expected, all of them were as burnt as the lungs.


    "Guess we found the cause of death." <em>This begs the question. How did Elsa''s skin manage to stay intact while her organs are burnt? Or </em>is <em>the skin really intact? </em>"I need to have a closer look."


    Roy took the scalpel and checked the skin again, but this time, he cut open the fat and muscles to separate the whole skin.


    What he found surprised him. <em>Ink marks? On the skin?</em>


    Todd and Roy pushed the skin back, and they unraveled something horrifying. A huge pattern was carved into Elsa''s skin from her chest to the back. It looked like a circr disk surrounded by conical protrusions. <em>Like the sun projecting ck light.</em>


    There were a lot of indecipherable runes carved in the center of that disc, and Roy noticed that line of ancient numbers. His proficiency in Elder Speech allowed him to read that line, and subconsciously, he said, "Year 1271, fortieth day of Lammas¡­"


    "What do the numbers mean, Roy?"


    "That was the day Elsa went missing." Roy tried his best to make sense of the remaining runes on the skin.


    "Dammit! What did the bastard do to her?" Veins popped on Todd''s face, and he went very nearly berserk. He could recognize some of the runes thanks to his extensive experience on this continent, but everything else was unknown to him. All he could do was worry.


    "Calm down, Todd." Roy massaged his temples. He recognized a part of the runes. They ovepped with Elder Speech, Common Speech, and Nilfgaardian tongue, which he read into a little before. However, they were also different.


    He read about this writing before in the temple of Melitele''s library. It belonged to the Wozgors and Dauks, two already extinct races. The young witcher didn''t manage to have a good grasp on Wozgorian, as his stay in the temple was a short one. He only recognized less than a fraction of the runes on the pattern.


    All he had to go on was limited knowledge and conjectures. "Oh, I get it now! These runes record a ritual!" A hint of horror shed in Roy''s eyes.


    "A ritual?"


    "Pardon me, Elsa," Roy muttered and quickly cut the body''s hands, feet, scalp, and belly open. Six parts of the body, and all six parts had runes engraved on them. From what Roy knew of the ult, hexagrams mean a lot of things. They could be summoning circles, a symbol of evil worshipping, and of course circles for a lot of other rituals.


    "What do these runes mean?"


    "Curse¡­ born on the day of light''s absence¡­" Roy tried to decipher the runes, and what he gleaned was chilling. "Day of the light''s absence¡­ That''s the eclipse. Born on the day when light was nowhere to be found¡­" Todd was looking grim. "That means girls of the prophecy like Elsa."


    Roy looked at the runes on the left hand. "Torture¡­ despair is the mother of destruction." <em>Her insides were burnt. That''s one form of torture.</em>


    "I wonder if this autopsy counts as torture," Todd muttered. He regretted this a little, but their work must go on. <em>I must find the answers.</em>


    Roy advanced to the next line of runes. <em>Right hand. </em>"sphemy¡­ corrupted purity¡­ So the murderer set his sights on her because she was pure. Taking that purity away is part of the ritual."


    Todd remained silent, but his eyes were red with fury, and yet he held it down.


    <em>Now for the left leg. </em>"Sacrifice¡­ the living must die¡­"


    Roy couldn''t decipher the runes on the right leg, so he moved on to the belly. "Hunt¡­ the dead shall be ws¡­"


    "What''s the holdup, witcher? What did thest line say?"


    "Revive¡­ the dead shall return to life¡­ I see!" Realization struck Roy. "I think I know who killed the coroner." The coroner''s missing scalp and some ck hair he found in the half-elf''s mouth gave him the answer. <em>The killer used every part of their body to murder the coroner. That was one mad killer, and nothing''s madder than a dead body that came back to life.</em>


    "Hold on. There''s onest line, Roy."


    "Absorb¡­ ripe¡­ Sorry, I can''t understand this."


    <em>Hmm, there''s an Elder Speech phrase here. </em>When Roy realized what the word meant, his expression froze, and then his face fell. "Matteo¡­ Matteo Sig¡­ Collection item?" Roy''s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, his breathing stopped.


    Realization dawned on him. <em>So even after he''s escaped thatb, he''s still¡­ </em>"Hiding in Novigrad? That godforsaken bastard!"


    As if responding to the witcher, someone mmed the steel door shut, and the impact made the morgue shudder.


    Then the bells started to ring. Roy and Todd froze up as the bodies on the beds suddenly sat up.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 325: Revived

    The pendant trembled so violently Roy thought it would fly away. At the same time, the two dozen corpses looked at Roy and Todd unblinkingly.


    The air itself froze for a moment as the dead who seemingly came back to life turned their necks like puppets. Eerily enough, their heads made a one-eighty turn just to stare at Roy and Todd. <em>This looks like a certain scene from a movie back in my world.</em>


    The light from the sconces shone on the bruises, mangled wounds, dark patches, and rotting parts of their bodies. If this hadn¡¯t been a horrifying scene, these bodies would¡¯ve looked almost clownish.


    Roy and Todd froze and huddled closer by instinct to cover each other''s backs.


    "I''ll cover you, Roy. We''ll make a break for it!" Todd held the scalpel with his left hand and the rib spreader with his right. There was obvious excitement and fear in his voice. Anyone else would have lost their minds if they were facing a horde of living dead.


    "Remember, don''t get scared when you''re facing a bunch of hungry, rabid dogs. The more afraid you are, the worse they''ll be. The moment you run away, bastards will swarm you, and tear you apart. Running means death. But if you stand your ground, you might be able to kill some of them."


    Roy downed a dose of Thunderboltand Petri''s Philter and tossed the empty container away. ck veins crawled up his face, and a sword engraved with runes appeared in his hand. He swung it around, and the de shone under the light as the witcher red at the living dead.


    ''Revived


    HP: 80


    Strength: 8


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 4


    Will: N/A


    Charisma: 0


    Spirit: 2


    Skills:


    Flesh of the Dead (Passive): Revived by unknown energy. A body without a soul or sense of pain. Immune to mental attacks and poison.''


    ***


    Roy quickly looked around him. He could face off the monsters if only five of them came at him at one time, but there were too many of them, so that n couldn''t fly.


    The bodies didn''t attack right after they were revived. Perhaps they were slow to action, or perhaps they were observing their enemy. Either way, this gave the duo an opening to escape. "Don''t make any sudden movements. Slowly move toward the entrance. Emphasis on slowly."


    "Understood." Todd looked at Elsa¡¯s cut up body. "Can we take her with us?" He was reluctant to leave his daughter with these demons.


    "We won''t even have a chance to do that. The moment we touch her, these bastards will tear us apart." He pointed his sword at Elsa, and the living dead were whipped into a frenzy. They let out guttural roars, not unlike a bunch of rabid dogs that were ready to tear them apart.


    "Laugh while you can, sons of b*tches."


    The duo slowly moved toward the entrance. The outermost door was shut, but the door of the room they were in was still open, and that was their way out. <em>I wonder what the mastermind is thinking. I have a feeling he has another goal here. Like torturing us, perhaps?</em>


    ***


    Roy and Todd kept moving, but the living dead wouldn''t stay away from them. They slowly and clumsily shuffled toward the duo, their bones cracking along the way. Roy thought these bodies looked oddly funny. The revived were covered in ugly stitches from the autopsies they underwent, making them look like oversized dolls that were torn and stitched back together.


    The coroner wasn''t a good stitcher, and it deformed these corpses. Their necks were skewed, their eyes weren''t level, and they had a limp. If someone were standing far away, they would have thought these bodies were a bunch of weirdly-dressed models sporting bizarre styles walking on some sort of runway that only existed in cemeteries.


    The leader of the pack was the castrated half-elf. There was nothing on his crotch, not even a single strand of hair. His mismatched legs forced him to sway his hips with every step he took. If he wasn''t dead, the half-elf would have looked alluring.


    The dwarf who died in a shithole stood beside him. The coroner''sckluster stitching skills failed to keep his guts inside. The dwarf was towing his intestines behind him like a cat with a big, fat, fleshy tail.


    As Roy and Todd made their retreat, the revived kept pressing closer. It was like an unspoken dance where each side would take a step only after the other side did. There was no tune ying, but an eerie rhythm started ying out.


    <em>One, two. One, two. </em>Roy was humming quietly as he made his retreat.


    ***


    A dance with the demons was slowly unfolding in the morgue.


    "Why are you humming?"


    "To rx."


    The moment the duo exited the room, the revived''s patience finally ran out. They bared their ck, rotten teeth at them, spewing rancid air from their maws.


    "Come, ye bastards. Let''s dance!" Roy pushed Todd to the door and held his sword against the steel door with one hand while holding a ss container with the other. "Let''s start this off with a bang!"


    Roy tossed the bomb like a bowling ball, and it rolled amongst the revived.


    The witcher''s taunt worked. The half-elf charged at Roy and arced through the air at an astounding speed.


    "Fear!"


    Crimson tentacles protruded from the void, but just like Roy expected, monsters withous a will or soul wouldn''t fall for that.


    The elf''s charge went on, and the witcher changed his defense. He mmed his foot into the half-elf''s chest, sending him skidding backward to the ground. His pair ofpanions took his ce, and Roy could almost smell the stench of their breaths.


    But before they could even hit the witcher, the corpses howled and retreated to their pack, bodies sizzling.


    A stream of mes shot out from the witcher''s hands and ignited the corpses, but it didn''t stop there. The mes licked the bomb on the ground, and the witcher quickly closed the door. Then he and Todd blocked it with all their might.


    A great quake shook the inside of the room, and the shockwave almost put the mes out. Debris fell like rain, and dull thuds rang behind the door. They even heard howls and screams tearing the air apart.


    The rumbling went on for about five minutes before everything went silent. The duo exchanged a look and heaved a sigh.


    "You knew something like that would happen, didn''t you? Is that why you brought that bomb along?"


    Todd had a look of surprise and solemnity on his face. He didn''t even see how the witcher whipped his bomb and weapon out when there were no pockets or bags visible.


    "Witchers are split into a lot of schools. I subscribe to the Explosive Viper philosophy. Researching the art of explosion is my thing, get it? And setting off some bombs in an enclosed area like this morgue is the perfect chance to express my art."


    Roy waved Todd down nonchntly, but he still looked as grim as ever. <em>Only two EXP notifications?</em>


    ''Revived killed. EXP +5.''


    ''Revivied killed. EXP +5.''


    ***


    ''Level 7 Witcher (1800/4500)''


    There were more than two dozen monsters in there. Roy didn''t expect one bomb to take them all out, but only killing two was dismal. It was far from what he expected, so he whipped out a few more bombs. <em>Their EXP is abysmal. Guess soulless monsters aren''t worth much. If one bomb can''t take care of you guys, what about a few more? You wanna ambush me? Now have a taste of your own medicine!</em>


    But Roy didn''t manage to execute his n. Before he could even toss his bombs, the air was suddenly nketed by white fog. <em>What the hell are they up to now? </em>"Stay close to me, Todd, and watch your back!"


    Roy tucked his bombs away and lifted Aerondight up.


    Ten secondster, the fog had engulfed the whole room and restricted the duo''s view to just a meter or so. They leaned on the door and stood back to back.


    Silvery ngs rang in the air, and then something big hit the door. Roy felt like he got hit by an elephant, and the young witcher was sent flying into the air, but his high Dexterity saved him from a terrible fall. He adjusted his position midair like a cat and tensed his limbs up while arching his back.


    And then he hit the floor rolling.


    Roy felt something whooshing past his head. If he hadn''t rolled around, he would have been hit in the face.


    He heard something grunt in the fog, and Roy''s face fell. The young witcher made a Quen sign, covering his body in a yellow shield before he crouched and made his way to the monster. He didn''t think Todd could defend himself with a scalpel and rib spreader.


    But then he smelled the stench of burnt flesh and preservatives wafting across the air, and a pair of revived appeared out of nowhere. They blocked the witcher''s path and nked him, leaving the middle part wide open.


    <em>Come at me! </em>Roy stopped in his tracks and pushed the revived on his left back with Aard, and then he swung Aerondight across the fog, cutting through the monster on his right in half from the waist down.


    Green and crimson liquid sttered the ground and filled the air with its stench. Roy quickly leapt to the left and stabbed his sword into the revived''s head, and then he pulled it out right away.


    The young witcher flicked his wrist and sttered the blood on his sword onto the ground.


    ''Revived killed. EXP +5.''


    "The head is the weakness?"


    The revived that was cut in half still tried to crawl over to Roy. Roy pierced it through the heart with Aerondight, but it didn''t stop.


    "They only have one weakness, huh?"


    Roy shoved the body away, but then more bells rang, and three half-burnt revived snarled at him.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 326: A Nightmare?

    Aard smashed the white fog and pushed down two of the growling bodies. Thest one was already inches away from Roy, arms outstretched towards the witcher''s waist. It opened its maw and tried to chomp on Roy''s artery. The bite was powerful and audible, but it didn''t manage to reach the witcher. Instead, one of its teeth went flying.


    It shook its head in confusion, for its target had gone missing. The witcher stood on his tiptoes and spun his body, dodging the body''s attack while circling around to its blind spot simultaneously. His lean muscles went taut as he raised Aerondight and swung it down on the body.


    One big head flew into the air before it fell with a thud.


    The headless body remained in a half-kneeling position as ck blood spurted from its neck, and its head was still snapping at the air uselessly.


    Roy heaved a sigh. It might have looked effortless on his part, but just those few moments of battle expended most of his stamina. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his armor was drenched, but there was no time for respite.


    Two more monsters came charging at him. Roy remained in his spot, but all of a sudden, he grabbed a hand crossbow out of thin air. The young witcher pulled the trigger so quickly it left afterimages, and he didn''t have to lock or aim either.


    Before the bodies could even reach him, Roy fired two bolts, and they hit the monster''s head, sending it flying back with the impact.


    The bolt destroyed the body''s brain before it came flying out of its head.


    As the first body hit the ground, Roy lifted Gabriel up straight and mmed it into the attacker on his left. At the same time, the young witcher hit its face with his sword''s hilt.


    The monster howled as it lost its bnce, but the witcher gave it no chance to rest. Roy thrust his de deep into the monster''s eyeball, and it went limp.


    ''(3) Revived killed. EXP +15.''


    "Good thing these bastards don''t know how to use their brains." Roy heaved a sigh. If he were facing a troop of highly trained soldiers with the same physical capabilities, he would be hard-pressed to defeat them.


    The young witcher made another Quen sign to cover himself with the yellow shield. Roy flicked his wrist again to cleanse his sword of the blood. As the battle dragged on, Roy cast Fear again, and the crimson tentacles squirmed in the air.


    But it didn''t work against something without a will like the revived. Roy darted into the fog and charged full speed ahead to the ce where he heard the grunt.


    The fog and dim light restricted his sight, but his super senses more than made up for that. Roy was listening to his surroundings and sniffing the air. The sounds and smells were telling him where he needed to go.


    The stench of preservatives wasing from ten yards to his left, and two distinct footsteps wereing closer to him. The bells that rang from their ankles told Roy there were two revived there.


    It was a weird feeling. Even though his sight was failing him, his smell and hearing alone gave him enough information to make out a rough map of the monster distribution around him.


    "Here!" <em>The smell of fresh blood. It''s different from these monsters'' rotten blood.</em> He took a few steps ahead and heard the sounds of someone huffing and puffing. Through the fog, he could vaguely see the silhouette of a human leaning on the ck wall.


    "Todd?" Roy cast a mini Aard and blew away the fog ahead of him. Then he came face to face with the mercenary.


    Todd was in a worse state than him. Part of his right thigh was gone, most of his body was covered in blood, and his face was as pale as a ghost. Roy had never seen him look so bad before. His scalpel was gone, and the rib spreader was all he had. Filthy flesh and blood were stuck to it, and a revived with a smashed heady beside him.


    "Shh!" The mercenary was crouching behind the wall''s corner, pointing to his left nervously and telling Roy to be silent.


    Roy nodded and sat down beside him quietly. As if by magic, he produced a marigold potion and tossed it to Todd, telling him to drink it. He then pointed to himself and raised all his fingers. <em>I killed sixteen of them.</em> He then pointed a questioning look at Todd. <em>How many did you kill?</em>


    Todd raised five fingers.


    "So there''s at least fourteen left."


    Roy held his de up and was about to go left, but Todd quickly held him back and shook his head.


    He mouthed something silently, and Roy managed to read it. "There''s a big one?"


    Bells started ringing in the air again, but it was different this time. A dozen of them were ringing at once. It was as if a bunch of revived were moving at once. At the same time, a head poked out from their left.


    Calling it a head was slightly incorrect. That ''head'' was something like a bloated mass of flesh smashed into smithereens and then stitched together with a dozen faces. All of the mouths opened and closed at the same time, and fluids made of drool, blood, and tissue fluid dripped to the ground.


    Its multitude of noses were sticking to the ground, sniffing it like they were hunting dogs. And then all of its eyes moved to look at the witcher and mercenary. It felt like a big fly was looking straight at them, but that was not the end. A bigger shadow emerged from the fog, and then out came a big torso with a bunch of limbs attached to its side. The monster looked like a gigantic human centipede, if you could call something like that a human.


    ''Gigantic Revived


    After getting its body sted into smithereens, this revived went on a search for its missing body parts, but instead came to the conclusion that everyone else''s parts looked better than what it had. The desire to devour engulfed it and merged these bodies together, and thus, this gigantic monster was born.


    HP: 200


    Strength: 16 (+8 due to its size)


    Constitution: 20 (+10 due to multiple hearts)


    Dexterity: 10 (+5 due to its sheer number of legs)


    Perception: 14 (+10 due to all around perceptive organs)


    Will: N/A


    Charisma: 0


    Spirit: 2


    Skill:


    Flesh of the Dead (Passive): Revived by unknown energy. A body without a soul or sense of pain. Immune to mental attacks and poison.¡¯


    ***


    "This is the thing that mmed the door and sent me flying?" Roy scowled. He thought he had seen a lot of disgusting creatures in his life, but this one broke the record on his disgust meter. <em>This is the stuff of nightmares and horror stories.</em>


    A gust of stomach-churning breath wafted over the duo. Roy held Todd''s arm and tossed him away. The mercenary grunted, but that was the least of their worries. Then the witcher slid ahead on the ground the moment the creature tried to tten him.


    He managed to hide underneath its head, but the monster mmed into the wall, and everything shuddered. It created a big hole in the wall, but the monster also looked dazed and stunned. The headbutt had injured it as well.


    Todd, who barely escaped with his life, struggled to get up, but what he saw made him gasp. <em>If that thing had crashed into me, I''d be mincemeat by now. But where''s Roy?</em>


    He looked around nervously and saw a crimson light sh from underneath the monster. Three of its right legs were cut off, and a bloody man with a sword rolled back out.


    Roy was not in his best state. He overestimated his skills. The monster didn''t crash into him head-on, but it still smacked the witcher''s back. It sent agony screaming up into his head, and his organs were injured, but luckily, he managed to create a big hole on the monster''s soft belly and brought down half of its HP.


    But the crisis was not over. "Activate!"


    A cool sensation coursed through his body like a masseuse giving him a rxing massage. His HP and Mana were healed by a third of their values, and Roy was reinvigorated.


    Getting injured sent the monster into overdrive. The eyes on the back of its head focused on Roy, and it turned around to pounce at its attacker.


    Roy was one step too slow this time. He was sent flying into the mist, and his magical shield broke, but it managed to offset the impact. Hended safely and staggered backward, but Gabriel was still trained on the monster.


    Once again, he let off thebo of Guided Arrows and Stun Bolts at the monster''s grotesque face. Then he tossed Dragon''s Dream and cast a jet of mes at it the moment the bomb broke.


    The mes ignited the smoke and mist, and the explosion made the room shudder again. There was also the sound of something crying and howling in pain.


    As Roy peered through the smoke, he saw the gigantic revived rolling on the ground in an attempt to put out the fire that was burning it like a ming porcupine. Its eyes were still firmly on Roy, and there was murder in them.


    Roy switched his hand crossbow out for Aerondight and cast another Quen over himself. He held the sword behind him calmly like a dracolizard swinging its tail, and then the young witcher charged straight ahead at the humongous monster.


    He leapt into the air and stood firmly on its gruesome head before burying Aerondight in the monster''s skull. As he ran down the monster''s back, Aerondight made a smooth cut along its nape and back, opening a long and bloody gash.


    When Roy''s attack came to an end, so did the monster''s life. It fell with a crash, and its body split into two halves from its head.


    ''Gigantic revived killed. EXP +50. Level 7 Witcher (1900/4500).''


    "Whew!" Roy felt his strength leave him as he slumped onto the ground. He didn''t even have the energy to lift a finger.


    "That''s it? We won?" Todd limped over, still holding that rib spreader in his hand. He stared at the mountainous corpse dumbly, still in disbelief that it died. He didn''t see how the witcher killed him, as the mist obscured his sight.


    "<em>That''s it? </em>You think that was a walk in the park? I would have left you behind if I hadn¡¯t been able to win just now!" Roy barked. And then he realized something. With the death of the gigantic revived, the mist that was covering the chamber was slowly fading away, and their sight was not obscured anymore.


    The duo held up their weapons and took defensive stances as they looked around, but what they saw was a shocker. All the corpses of the revived and the gigantic revived were gone, leaving behind nothing but bloodstains.


    It was like the battle just now was a dream, but Roy''s EXP did increase, and Todd was badly injured.


    The duo held themselves up and went into the morgue once more, but the deeper they went, the more surprised they were. All the corpses they fought just now had been returned to their original ces by some sort of mysterious entity.


    The corpses that came after them like crazed beasts were lying on the beds once more like the lifeless bodies they were.


    Eventually, they turned their sights to a certain bed: the one Elsa was on.


    Roy arched his eyebrow, while Todd''s jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.


    The cuts they¡¯d done earlier were all gone, and the organs and ribs that were on the tray had disappeared as well.


    <em>Where did those things go?</em>


    Elsa was once again whole and unharmed. There was not a single wound on her, and she was sleeping on the bed like a little princess cursed by an eternal slumber.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 327: Dual Identity

    mes from reignited braziers kept the room warm, and a pair of shadows stood stiffly on the walls as Roy and Todd stared at each other.


    "Was that a dream? Were the revived bodies and that monster fake?"


    "Touch your wound. Does it hurt?"


    "Ow! Wait, so it was real? Why did everything disappear, then?"


    Todd gasped. He then realized something more terrifying, and the man shuffled over to Elsa''s body. He put his hand against her head, but her temperature was still deathly low. There was no breathing or heartbeat. She was still dead, but that only surprised Todd more.


    ***


    Roy pulled down some of the cloths and examined the other bodies. <em>Dwarves, half-elves, and humans. </em>They were the same corpses as before, but the dwarf left an impression on Roy. He decapitated that dwarf in the battle earlier, but now the head was reattached to its neck like magic.


    The young witcher scowled. <em>This is a headache. Never ran into something like this before.</em>


    He almost got himself hurt in that battle. Just when he finally destroyed his enemy, it was returned to its original state. The battle felt like a joke and a performance put on by a court jester. <em>So who''s the king watching the show?</em>


    He turned his attention to Elsa''s body again, but his eyes narrowed warily. She was unsullied, pure, and beautiful, unlike the rotten squalor that was surrounding her. <em>The living must die, the dead shall return to life. That matches the runes I deciphered. The coroner and his assistant died after she was sent here. So Elsa is the one behind the paranormal activities. But what </em>is <em>she anyway? She''s just a corpse, and yet she can cast a spell of this magnitude? Is this some sort of forbidden necromancy?</em>


    "What''s happened to Elsa, Roy? Is she still alive?"


    "Not sure. This is my first time running into something like this." Roy paused for a moment. "But she''s probably in suspended animation. She¡¯s not breathing, has no heartbeat or even body temperature, and her flesh cannot rot. Her soul is trapped in that body!"


    "So you mean she can still be saved?" The news delighted Todd.


    "Sorry, but this is beyond me." Roy fell into another pause, and he said coldly, "The only one who can undo this is the one who set this up." His face tensed up, and his eyes were filled with cold fury. "We need to find that bastard Matteo Sig if we want to save her."


    <em>And I have a score to settle with that whoreson. When I find him, I''ll call Kiyan and make sure he gets his revenge. </em>"Crisis averted for the night. I don''t think anything else will happen. We should leave for Corinne''s." <em>Maybe the oneiromancer can give me more clues.</em>


    ***


    They went to a white three-storey house in the slums, and the magicalmp shone on three different faces. The burly man with a bandage on his leg looked pale and sickly, while the handsome witcher was quiet and brooding, and the beautiful, voluptuous woman in a robe was yawning at every moment. Her brows were furrowed into a frown, and she looked angry.


    "Do you have any idea what time it is? Three in the morning! By Melitele''s name, staying up at night is every woman''s enemy! I''m almost thirty years old now! Can''t this wait until tomorrow?" Corinne''s chest was heaving with fury. "I know you gentlemen paid me, but that doesn''t mean I''m your ve! I can''t take your requests at any hour of the day. And barging into ady''s house at three in the morning is inappropriate, especially for gentlemen like you."


    "I''m very sorry, Corinne. We didn''t mean to interrupt your sleep, but this is an emergency. Someone¡¯s life is on the line." Roy tapped his finger on the table and stared into her eyes. Corinne backed off a little the moment she met his intense gaze.


    "Same thing as we discussed earlier. You''ve gone into Todd''s dream a few more times, haven''t you? Did you see the culprit''s face?"


    Corinne suddenly crossed her arms and pursed her lips. She was hesitant to tell them the answer.


    "You found something, didn''t you?"


    "Before I tell you the answer, you need to promise you''ll keep this a secret and never tell anyone about this. Do <em>not </em>drag me into this mess." She tensed up and said stiffly, "Or I''ll just give you back the money and refuse your request."


    Roy and Todd exchanged a solemn look, and they answered, "Of course. On the honor of the Viper School¡­"


    "On the name of my family, I¡­"


    "I did see his face." Corinne nodded and circled the table as she described his appearance, "Short, purple hair, lush silk robes, handsome face, and fair skin. His goatee was perfectly maintained, and a zircon pendant hung around his neck."


    <em>Wait a minute, </em>Roy thought. <em>That sounds really familiar.</em>


    He went back to the day they met the gang lords in the modified warehouse. <em>A kind-looking man with a gold ring. That''s Bem. Cleaver the outgoing dwarf with a Mohican hairstyle, and¡­</em>


    Roy heaved a long sigh and stood up. He had a hint of surprise in his eyes, but then realization set in, and he muttered, "No wonder there''s peat under Elsa''s nails. The bathhouse is his turf, and hot water needs a lot of peat to be heated. I should have known. He''s called the Collector <em>because </em>he collects his test subjects. That sted hobby of his is just a pretense for his monstrous experiments."


    "Y-You know the guy, Roy?" Todd was breathing heavily and nervously.


    "Yes. ording to Corinne''s description, that man is one of the gang lords of Novigrad¡ªOrloff Byrd the Collector." Roy looked at both of them. "You just returned to Novigrad. I don''t me you for not knowing him, but that man has another name. He is Matteo Sig, the one who took your daughter. I''ve been looking for him."


    Todd stopped breathing for a moment. He clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth in fury.


    Corinne looked a little pale. That was precisely why she was wary. The Collector was in charge of one of the biggest gangs in Novigrad. Even the Eternal Fire was wary of his forces. He could make her disappear with just a single order.


    "Roy, Todd, do not forget your promise." Corrine nervously said, "No matter what you''re going to do to him, never drag me into it."


    Roy nodded. "This is a feud between men. Of course we won''t drag you into it. But we''re still friends after this, aren''t we? Can I make another request after that?"


    "Huh?" Corinne bit her lips. "If you keep your promise and never tell anyone I told you this, I won''t refuse you, of course." <em>And if you make it back alive.</em>


    ***


    "Thank you for your help, Roy." Todd took a deep breath and stood up as straight as he could. There was a resolute look in his eyes. It was as if he were making his final speech. "Now it''s in my hands. I''ll find that bastard and make him return Elsa to me."


    "What are you going to do?" Roy shook his head and asked curiously, "What can a regr mercenary do to topple one of the biggest rulers of Novigrad? Not to mention said ruler is a sorcerer."


    "I have some savings left, and I''ll exchange them for dimeritium. That should be enough to deal with him."


    "And what about his henchmen? Are you sure you can get close to him?"


    Todd turned red with embarrassment. He hemmed and hawed for a moment before answering. "The Collector is too powerful. I can''t ask you to help me out."


    Roy was a bit happy that Todd was at least considerate. <em>At least I didn''t help him for nothing.</em>


    The witchers had signed a treaty with the gang lords and couldn''t go to war with them. After the massacre at the manor, if Orloff were to die or go missing, the church, Bem, and Cleaver would turn their suspicion to the witchers, and the peace treaty would probably fail. <em>And after everything we went through to set that up too.</em>


    But now that the witcher knew who the Collector really was, he would make sure to im that life.


    "We''re not just helping you here. We have a score to settle with that whoreson too," Roy said. "But brute forcing our way through is not the best n of attack. We need toe up with a better way. Come with me, Todd. We''ll meet up with mypanions ande up with a way to settle this."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 328: Replace

    Yet another bout of rain fell upon the city of Novigrad. Chilly winds blew through the curtains of the witchers'' abode beside the southern canal. Bells rang, and magicalmps swayed in the wind, shining on the faces of the witchers gathered in this house.


    "Vipers, we have aplished our mission. Killed some drowners that were in our way, dived into the cold waters of Novigrad, and found the Flying Stag''s shipwreck." There was a hint of pride in Felix''s eyes as he whipped out a yellowing diagram from his bag and ced it on the table.


    Roy picked it up and had a look. "Feline Crossbow¡­ dark iron ore¡­ ruby dust¡­ monster w¡­ This is magnificent! Perfect structural integrity!"


    Judging from theponents alone, the Feline Crossbow was more powerful than Gabriel in its base form, but after a few powerups, Gabriel was a lot more powerful than this new crossbow.


    The Vipers passed the diagram around, and everyone praised it. It was a surprise that the Cats were collecting their diagrams faster than they were.


    "We have five diagrams now. All we need are the diagrams for our silver and steel weapons, and that''ll be a full set." A smile of excitement curled Felix''s lips. "You''re not a real Cat if you''re not wearing a full set of legacy armor and weapons."


    Ever since the Cat School''s founder and his team left Stygga a century ago, nobody had managed to collect all the missing diagrams. Until now.


    "I think I know where the rest of those diagrams roughly are," Kiyan said raspily. "One is in the ruins of Est Tayiar around Oxenfurt. Well, all seven diagrams came from those ruins, actually."


    Kiyan stared at the ground in silence, perhaps because he was reminded of an unsavory past. "A few decades ago, I followed a team of archeologists from Oxenfurt into the ruins and brought six diagrams out with me. Four were left when Steingard abducted me. One was left on the Flying Stag, and thest one was entrusted to Prince Adrien, thest heir of the Sky Cats Dynasty. It''s in Drahim Castle on Novigrad''s southern side. But from what I know, the castle is nothing more than ruins now."


    The witchers kept their mouths shut and pressed for no details. Even the usually curious Auckes held back in consideration for Kiyan''s feelings.


    "Gorthur Gvaed is still under renovation. If you don''t mind, we can travel to the castle and retrieve that diagram. It''s not that far from Novigrad anyway."


    "Sorry, but we have a more pressing matter to settle," Roy interrupted solemnly. "I have found the escapee, Matteo Sig."


    "<em>What?!</em>" A me was lit within Kiyan, and he shivered with excitement and fury, not unlike a volcano that was about to erupt. "Where is he?"


    "Right here in Novigrad."


    ***


    Ten minutester, Todd told them all about the curious case of Elsa.


    "That bastard escaped, changed his name, and climbed his way to glory?" Disbelief glimmered in Auckes'' eyes. "He''s now one of the big three?"


    "Thest time I saw him, I knew that whoreson was no good. He''s deeply discriminatory against non-humans, and I wondered why. So <em>this </em>was the reason."


    "Even if he were the king of Novigrad, that''s still not enough to erase his sins." Letho rubbed his head and stared ahead venomously. "He tortured and tormented a witcher, and he must pay the price in blood."


    "We <em>just </em>signed a peace treaty with them, people." Serrit shook his head. "If we break that treaty, it''ll spell disaster. The shops will be taken back, and the whole of Novigrad''s going to hunt us down. We need toe up with a n."


    ***


    "That''s enough. You guys stay out of this." Every muscle on Kiyan''s body was trembling with rage, but he managed to keep a calm look. He said, "You''ve done enough for me. This is my vengeance. I''ll do this alone. Not like anyone in Novigrad has seen my face." Heughed. "All I have to do is take this disguise off, and nobody''s going to think I''m a witcher."


    "Oh no. You don''t get to exclude me." Felix crossed his arms and frowned in displeasure. "I went through hell to bust you out, and now you want to fight alone? You''re gonna end up dead. If you think of me as a friend, then you''ll forget about fighting alone. Cats move together."


    "I''m not a fool, people. Do you think I''d barge in and get myself killed?" Kiyan patted Felix''s shoulders and took a deep breath to calm down. "I''m taking this slow. Thirty years of torture tempered my patience. This vengeance of mine will be delivered slowly but surely. Once I see that Collector and ascertain that he''s my tormentor, I''ll keep a <em>very </em>close eye on him. Come rain, wind, or shine, I won''t avert my gaze. When he shows an opening, I''ll move in for the kill."


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. <em>Whoa. If I knew a disfigured Cat was out for my life no matter what, I''d be living in fear. And everyone knows Cats are famous for their assassination skills.</em>


    "Kiyan¡­" Todd huddled closer to Kiyan and gave the Cat a pleading look, though he couldn''t see the witcher''s disfigured face. "May I be a part of this operation? I need to capture that bastard and get him to heal my daughter. She''s in suspended animation, and only he can deal with this."


    Kiyan looked at Todd and nodded. "You seem like a reliable man. You cane, but you''ll have to listen to me."


    ***


    "I''m going too!" Auckes took Kiyan''s side and grinned. "I''m not sitting this out. Not when a friend is in trouble. And the Collector discriminates against us. Not to mention he''s a bloody pervert, and we don''t ally ourselves with perverts. Besides, Roy still has a lot of coins." He added, "If we get on Novigrad''s bad side, we can just settle down in Kovir anyway."


    Serrit had conflicting emotions about this. <em>Auckes is really not helping us here.</em>


    ***


    "Stop with the pessimistic talk. There must be a better way," Roy interrupted. <em>The problem is how we can capture that whoreson without exposing ourselves and destroying the treaty?</em>


    "Why don''t you ask for a mage''s help?" Serrit looked at Roy. "Ask Lytta. She might have an idea on how to deal with a sorcerer."


    Roy hesitated for a moment. He owed the sorceress a lot, and this time, he didn''t want to rope her in.


    "Or we go with the stupidest way and create an alibi. We show up around the gang lords'' turf and hire someone to abduct the Collector," Auckes suggested.


    "You fool! Do you know how much that would cost?" Serrit scoffed. "And even if someone were to take that request, they would sell us out and get that bounty money the first change they got."


    "Well, do you have a better idea? We need to capture him alive <em>and </em>make sure Eternal Fire, Cleaver, and the King of Beggars don''t realize something''s amiss? That''s mission impossible!"


    "Why don''t we get in touch with Eternal Fire, then?" Felix said. "They never liked mages, and this ''peace'' is just a fa?ade. If we work with them, they''re going to get rid of Matteo for us and clean up any mess that might happen as a result."


    "And you think they like witchers? After they get rid of Matteo, they''re going to sell us out and work with the remaining gang lords to get rid of <em>us</em>," Serrit argued.


    <em>That''s possible. Highly possible.</em> Everyone fell into silence. The conversation was back to square one.


    "We can''t let anyone know the Collector is missing." Letho rubbed his head again andmented, "Unless we can get someone to take his ce after we kidnap him."


    "You mean to hire a performer who can disguise himself as the Collector?" Auckes shook his head. "That''s too much of a hassle, and he might sell us out too."


    ***


    <em>Wait. Someone who can take the Collector''s ce? </em>Roy had a stroke of inspiration, and he flipped through his memories. He just realized that there was a special creature hiding in Novigrad, and not many knew of it. "Why don''t we make that recement permanent?"


    "What do you mean, kid?" Everyone gave Roy a look of confusion and curiosity.


    Felix mused, "Talk is easy. Action? Not so much. Do you think nobody can see through that disguise?"


    ***


    "If the disguise is worn by a regr man, sooner orter they''ll slip up. But there''s a certain creature who can mimic anything they want to. Recreating something in someone''s image is as easy as breathing to them."


    The witchers were stunned for a moment, but then they realized what Roy was talking about. The creature was rare, but they had seen it once, and their eyes lit up.


    "Oh, <em>that </em>thing. It''s been decades since Ist saw one." Letho sighed. "I thought they went extinct."


    "Not exactly." Roy shook his head.


    Auckes rubbed his chin. "Problem is, their disguise is perfect. How are we supposed to find something like that?"


    A mysterious smile curled Roy''s lips. "I just glimpsed into the future again. There''s one right here in Novigrad, and I might have seen it before. Now that I think about it, his behavior was more like an act. Perhaps he''s actually a lot younger than his disguise is."


    "What are we waiting for then?" Auckes got fired up. "Time to move out, people!"


    Everyone was ready to do this.


    ***


    "I shall be paying the oneiromancer a visit to get another clue to confirm my guess," Roy said.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 329: Doppler

    Dawn rose once more, but the sky was overcast, and ck clouds were getting bigger with every passing moment. Cold winds blew through the empty streets, and Casimodo, or to be more precise, Gawain Samsa, curled up and shivered.


    His mind drifted to the smoked chicken, grilled cuttlefish, and mushroom pies at the marketce. Home was in the slums, and the morgue wasn''t that far away. He would get some piping hot food every time he went to and from work.


    Work was just him dozing off for half the day at the cold, dark morgue and pushing his cart around the city in the afternoon. "I''m just a little corpse collector, and I want no trouble."


    Gawain halted and struggled to crouch down before pretending to dust his boots off. At the same time, he stared behind him through the space between his legs, but there was only an empty street and trees that swayed in the wind behind him. <em>Not even a soul is there.</em>


    Ever since he left his house, he could feel something¡¯s gaze prickling at him. Unlike most humans, creatures like Gawain had a special talent. Moremonly known as danger sense, these creatures were sensitive to any gaze on them. He had no idea where his pursuer was hiding, but he was sure they were there.


    He started feeling nervous, and he sighed. <em>Just when I thought I could have a peaceful life, these guys show up. And they''re going to mess up my schedule again. Gods, this is worse than living as a beggar. But it''s not the time toin.</em>


    Gawain tried his best to pretend everything was fine, but he hastened his pace and went past a mother who was holding her child, and then he turned a left corner, where a dark, narrow alleyway awaited.


    This was a path he treaded countless times. Moss and weed covered the walls and ground, filthy water flowed in a hundred directions, and the paths branched off like a maze.


    For most people, these branching, interconnected paths were akin to abyrinth they could never hope to escape, but for him, this was the perfect ce to protect himself. Many a time had he passed these alleyways, and Gawain had memorized all the paths. This web of alleyways was his buffer zone, and he was confident about shaking off his unknown pursuer just like the countless times he had with the Eternal Fire pursuers.


    <em>I''ll just pull a manhole up and go into the sewers. Once this passes, I''ll just change my identity and live a new life here. Other ces aren''t as good, and they don''t have good food. Can''t even have anything from my hometown either.</em>


    Gawain smiled bitterly and started moving faster, but then a ck silhouette zipped past him and leapt down from the wall like a cat pouncing on its prey.


    Gawain could feel a gust of wind assailing him, and he ran back, but his pursuer was faster than he thought. He felt a powerful hand push down his shoulder firmly, and it stopped him from escaping.


    A weird incident was taking ce in the dark alleyways, where a slender man was holding down a burly hunchback''s shoulder, but the burly man was sweating and remained unmoving.


    "Hello, Casimodo, I''m Roy of the Viper School." Roy turned the man around and grinned toothily at him. "We''ve met once, remember?"


    "Ah, Roy, good morning. Fancy running into you here." Gawain grinned bitterly, revealing his rotten, yellow teeth. "I''m on my way to work. Are youing as well? Didn''t you conclude your investigationsst time?"


    Roy stared at Casimodo for a moment and winked. "I''ll cut to the chase. Don''t even think about hiding who you are. I know exactly <em>what </em>you are, but don''t worry, I mean you no harm."


    "I-I don''t understand. I''m perfectly human. I''m just a little morgue guard. A grotesque man with not many coins to my name." Gawain averted his gaze nervously, still putting on the look of an insecure man.


    "Is that so? It matters not. I''d love to see what the legendary doppler looks like." Roy suddenly grabbed a wine ss out of thin air, and it was filled with silver powder.


    The young witcher sshed the powder at Gawain, and the doppler started trembling violently. His skin and bones started bubbling and contracting like boiling water, while his disfigured face faded into nothingness. Now it looked like a mixture of mud and flour that was squirming from getting kneaded by invisible hands.


    A few momentster, the hunchback was nowhere to be seen, and in its ce was a bizarre humanoid creature. He was wearing a pair of oversized suspenders and was as tall as a dwarf. His head was disproportionately big, his features mashed together, his eyes beady and yellow. His nose was round, his lips were thick, and his ears were short and pointy. His face was covered in wrinkles like an old man, and there was no visible neck. His torso was connected to his head, and his limbs were as long as a spider''s. His arms extended over his knees like a gori''s, and his hands were bigger than most people''s. There was ck fur covering the back of his hands and equallyrge feet.


    ''Casimodo/ Gawain Samsa


    Gender: Male


    Age: Twenty-five years old


    Status: Doppler (a humanoid creature that can shapeshift at will)


    HP: 60


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 6


    Perception: 7


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Mimic (Passive): Every doppler can mimic most creatures'' voices, the way they think and act, as well as their technical skills from the day they were born. However, there are some limitations in ce.


    Crisis Sense (Passive)


    See more¡­''


    ***


    Roy stared at the creature closely, and he was in awe. <em>So this is what dopplers look like. Not beautiful, and not as strong as I thought they''d be.</em> "Showing your true face before any negotiation is basic etiquette. Now what should I call you. Mr. Gawain, or Mr. Doppler?"


    The doppler didn''t answer right away. Instead, it stared straight at the witcher, and its skin kept bubbling and changing colors.


    "Stop, I''m warning you. Keep doing that and I''ll be forced to use violence."


    Roy was staring at the doppler. If the creature kept shapeshifting, Roy would cast Fear on him and stop the change, but before he could do anything, horror filled the creature''s eyes. All the changes it was undergoing disappeared, and it was dumbly rooted to its spot.


    The dark clouds overhead finally opened the floodgates, and rain fell onto the doppler''s head. The creature covered his face in horror and cowered in a corner. As if he had seen something terrifying, he howled, "Mercy, Roy! I''m just a regr,w-abiding doppler! I''ve never harmed a soul or used my powers to dupe anyone before! Please, spare me!"


    "Shut it. I''m not going to hurt you." Roy shrugged and took one step back. <em>The guy needs space. </em>Most dopplers were either neutral or kind,w-abiding creatures. They would only y some pranks at most, and silver weapons couldn''t kill them. All it could do was return the doppler to its original form.


    At their core, dopplers were simr to most non-human races. If he wasn''t desperate, Roy wouldn''ty a finger on him.


    "I-Is that true?" He peered through the cracks between his fingers and asked the witcher carefully, "Wh-Why did you stop me then?"


    "Because I wish to strike a deal with you. If we pull this off, you can live your whole life rich, but I had to be sure you were a doppler first."


    "I-I can live my whole life rich?" The doppler stopped trembling, and so did his voice. He put his hands down, and his eyes glinted with a cunning light. "What kind of deal are we talking about? You won''t toss me away or kill me after we''re done, will you?"


    Gawain had enough of hiding and assuming the role of grotesque figures his whole life. He would rob a treasury if it meant he could escape this lifestyle.


    "I called you a doppler, not any other slurs, didn''t I?"


    Shifters, mimics, doubles, imitators, and pavrats. Those were what people would call them, but dopplers preferred to be called dopplers. Anything else was a slur to them.


    "I think dopplers and witchers are equal. I respect you, therefore I won''t lie to you," Roy said. "But can you answer a few questions?"


    "Of course." Gawain was slumped in the corner, but he was tense and in a defensive stance.


    "Were you trying to mimic me?"


    "No! I was just trying to change into a more agile creature so I could run away!" <em>Can''t make him mad. </em>He quickly exined, "But the moment I tried, my whole body felt like it would explode in pain. You don''t even look that much taller or heavier than me, but I just couldn''t mimic you. This is the first time I''ve seen something like this." Gawain was puzzled.


    Roy nodded. <em>I guess character sheet swooped in to save the day again. If the doppler wanted to mimic me, he would have to mimic the character sheet as well, but he doesn''t have that kind of power.</em>


    "Can you mimic anything from the ancient races to humankind? Dwarves, halflings, gnomes, Aen Seidhe, or even witchers?"


    Roy remembered that Geralt fought a doppler once, and it copied all of the White Wolf''s abilities. It almost cost Geralt that battle.


    "I''ve copied everything you suggested," Gawain answered. "And they''re not that hard to mimic, really."


    "What about anything outside of humans?" It wasn''t every day Roy could see a doppler, so he wanted to know everything he could. "Cats, dogs, wolves, bears, and humanoid monsters like drowners and ghouls?"


    "Um¡­" Gawain pursed his lips for a few moments. "I think I can do dogs, wolves, and cats. As long as their size and weight don''t outss me too much. Can''t do big creatures like bears."


    <em>Can''t be too tall and heavy, huh? So big animals and monsters are off the table.</em>


    "As for humanoid monsters¡­" Gawain had a weird look on his face. "I''ve never tried changing into those monsters, and I don''t n to. The moment I change into a certain creature, I''ll base my thinking on their habits and instinct. Monsters don''t have great mental capacity. That¡¯s how they¡¯re born. I might forget who I really am if I mimic them and never change back. Might start to attack humans too."


    "What about mages and higher vampires? Can you mimic anything with mana?" Roy''s eyes were starting to shine. Gawain felt a little worried, since the look in Roy''s eyes reminded him of someone who was seeing a mountain of treasure.


    <em>If he can mimic a higher vampire, I wonder if his blood will meet the requirements to power up my bloodline. Maybe this is a shortcut. No harm in trying.</em>


    "To tell you the truth, I <em>have</em> tried to mimic a mage. I can do it after a while of observing them, but the spells I cast won''t be as strong. My mimicry can''t control too much mana. Never seen a higher vampire before, so I can''t say anything about it."


    "Can you maintain the form of the creature you transform into? Indefinitely?"


    "Yes. If I wish to."


    <em>This is the perfect ability for me! </em>The light in Roy''s eyes shone even brighter. "You are a spectacr shapeshifter, Gawain. Why do you hide in a ce like a morgue and take on the figure of a cowardly hunchback?"


    Gawain pursed his lips again, but nervously this time. "The Eternal Fire is hunting me. They''re hunting all the dopplers." His fingers were shaking, and he muttered hysterically, "I want to live, but I don''t want to leave this city. If I can disguise myself as a man ugly enough not to raise any suspicion from the soldiers, I can live my life in peace. It''s been two years since I started doing this, and now youe. How did you notice me?" he asked carefully. "I don''t think I''ve slipped up or shown you my real form."


    "Witcher instincts. Let¡¯s just put it at that." <em>And the oneiromancer''s help too, of course.</em>


    Roy had new questions. <em>The first war isn''t even underway, and the church is already culling non-humans? </em>"Why''d the church hunt you down? Do they have a beef with you guys or something?"


    Gawain''s face turned red with anger. "No! They pped some ridiculous crime on us because they''re scared of what we can do!"


    He angrily exined why the hunt for them started. Dopplers could mimic anyone and gain their memories and and will, which would grant them the ability to take over everything a person had. That ability proved that the soul and flesh are one, which was the total opposite of what Eternal Fire was preaching.


    That posed a threat to the church and culminated in an intense hatred against dopplers, and it resulted in the hunt for dopplers. Most people were wary of these creatures as well, and that wariness tranted into istion and hatred.


    Besides, a doppler''s disguise could be seen through with silverware, so they were hunted into near extinction. Now they were creatures that only existed in legends. Or very nearly only existed in legends.


    Roy sighed. He knew dopplers were mostly kind creatures who wouldn''t hurt humans, but paranoia was a powerful poison of the mind. If kind creatures had the ability to mimic everyone and take over their lives, it was no wonder that paranoid people would want to hunt them down.


    ***


    Gawain took the witcher''s silence as the end of his questions. He stood up and took a deep breath to hold his anger down. "Is that all, witcher? Can we talk business now?"


    "Of course." Roy ended the conversation. "But rulese first. No matter what happens at the end of this negotiation, you cannot tell anyone what I''m about to say." The look in Roy''s eyes turned sharper and sharper, until it was almost palpable. "Or the church won''t be your only enemy; a bunch of witchers will be hot on your tail too. But if this deal works, you can have anything you want in life. You''ll have ess to the luxuries of the richest men in this city."


    Gawain''s heart skipped a beat, and he gulped. That threat sent chills down his spine, and he was about to refuse, but then he realized he was face to face with someone he couldn''t mimic. <em>No way I can win in a fight. Can I even refuse him? He''s going to kill me if I do. And I had enough of poverty! Now I have a chance to turn things around. Come on, Gawain. Be a man and take this challenge! </em>Gawain told himself.


    He was starting to tremble again, and his face was red with excitement. In the end, he nodded. "I promise if I ever say a word of this to anyone, then the gods shall smite me with the worst fate possible."


    "That is enough, Gawain. We are friends now." Roy shook his hand. "And now, to the meat of the conversation. What do you think of the gang lords in Novigrad? Specifically the big three."


    "You mean Bem Francis aka King of Beggars, Cleaver, and Orloff Byrd aka the Collector?"


    "Yes."


    Gawain wondered why Roy was asking him that, but he said, "I''m neutral to the first two, but I despise the Collector. He''s a mage supremacist who hates all non-humans, including people like you and me, witcher. And I heard he has some¡­ unsavory hobbies. He collects corpse specimens. Says it''s for art, but I know what he is. He''s a piece of perverted scum."


    Roy nodded. <em>Okay, this is getting better. Things are heading where I want them to. </em>"He''s not fit to keep helming one of the biggest gangs in Novigrad, don''t you think? Someone like him having too much power¡­ Not the best prospect for the people."


    "What do you mean?" Gawain took one step back. He deduced what the witcher was trying to say, but the mere thought of that n almost made him shiver, and horror crept up in his eyes. "A-Are you saying we take him out? No, no way. Orloff is one of the most powerful men in this city. He''s surrounded by a bunch of bodyguards at all times, and he''s a mage! He has a ton of magical items with him!"


    Roy smiled and said confidently, "My friends and I will take care of that pesky bastard, while you will stay behind until it''s time to change into him. Then you shapeshift into that whoreson and take his ce in the gang. You''ll take over everything he has, and we''ll also be your allies. Not a bad deal, if you ask me."


    Gawain gulped. His face had frozen up in fear and shock.


    "Gawain, I, Roy of the Viper School, ask you this: will you rece the Collector?" He held out his hand to catch some rainwater, and then the young witcher spread his arms as he stared calmly at the doppler. "Will you work with us and take that son of a whore out for good?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 330: Disaster

    Winter was drawing near. Rain pelted the streets, and cold winds blew from the seas. The people on the streets were shivering as they tried to find shelter from the downpour.


    mes crackled in the hearth on the second floor of Spear''s Pit, and magicalmps shone on one resplendent room. The hands on the clock pointed to twelve.


    Orloff was leaning on the windowsill, his eyes narrowed. The mage was staring at the marketce downstairs through the curtain of rain. Sellers and customers were haggling in the shops and underneath the umbres that covered the stalls. They were shivering and twisting their clothes dry while every breath they took became visible in the air.


    This was Orloff''s favorite time of the day. Lounging in the room reserved for upper society and picking out the ''lucky ones'' from Novigrad''s people so they could contribute their useless flesh for science. These people were just that bit better than lowly non-humans. <em>They would never have the chance to know anything about magic. These fools should be honored I''m giving them this chance. They should die happy. And most of them would still die without achieving anything in their pitiful lives, but those chosen by me, the great pioneer of magic, the exalted Collector, shall be part of my exquisite collection. These honored people shall live in eternity.</em>


    The name change didn''t change Orloff''s hobby and rotten personality. Compared to the dead Steingard, he liked collecting stuff more, but every collection had to go through some modifications before he would consider adding them to his collection. Take, for example, the beautiful and innocent girl of the ck sun he found two months ago.


    "Life is nothing but a better test subject. They''re useless unless they can be a part of my collection." Orloff kept staring at the marketce and muttered under his breath, "Let''s see which one of you will be the lucky guy today."


    ***


    A pair of burly men with thick chest hair in tight jackets were standing under the Spear Pit''s que. They stared at every customer who came in and out of the establishment solemnly.


    A pair of men in grey cloaks squelched through the wet ground and slowly came into their sights. The guards extended their hands and crossed them, stopping the neers and taking their weapons.


    But the cloaked men quickly made two inverted triangles in the air, and a green light shed before them. The guards fell into a stupor and followed the men into the rain, and then three more lean, cloaked men entered the premises.


    The lobby was dimly lit and filled with the sounds of indulgence, but the trio ignored them and went toward a table in the corner, where a Gwent game was heating up. The yers were almost getting into an argument, and a crowd was watching. One of the audience members was a bald man, and the witchers huddled closer to him as they scouted out their surroundings.


    <em>One, two, three¡­ Three in the shadows. What are they looking at? Oh, the customers who''re having fun with the whores. </em>They looked up and saw a pair of burly men standing guard outside the leftmost room like they were gargoyles.


    The witchers exchanged looks, and Auckes went to the madam in thick makeup. He smiled, cocked his eyebrow, and rubbed his hands like some guy who was going to make his pick. They started chatting happily, and the bodyguards on the second floor turned their attention to Auckes and the madam. Mostly because the witcher was loud.


    Letho stood behind the bald man and blocked the sight of the bodyguards, and then Serrit patted the man''s shoulders.


    "Do I know you? Don''t get in my way. I want to watch this match!" The bald man cursed for a moment, but then he started trembling. His eyes spaced out in confusion, and then they went wide. A deep frown hung on his forehead, and then his lips curled downward in fury.


    The man started trembling in rage, and Serrit quietly stuffed a purse of money into his pocket before leaving the table with Letho.


    They slowly advanced toward the bodyguards in the corner while the bewitched man earlier shouted, "Damn you, rascal! You cheated! Nobody scams me out of <em>my </em>coins! You''re dead!" He shot up and flung the game board upside down.


    Wine bottles were smashed to pieces, and the Gwent cards and coins fell everywhere. Amotion exploded in the lobby as the crowd started chattering about this fight. On the other hand, the bald man angrily shoved an equally furious Gwent yer down before engaging in a brawl with him.


    The crowd cheered them on while they picked the coins up for themselves, but surprisingly, the bald man swung his arm back and dragged a bystander into the brawl, much to everyone''s shock.


    ***


    The pair of bodyguards in the corner were rmed by thatmotion and came to them snarling like beasts. At the same time, the customers and waitstaff in the lobby were gripped by the brawl. Even the bodyguards on the second floor were distracted as well.


    Auckes was still chatting up the madam, while two of hispanions easily darted toward thest bodyguard.


    The mustached, red-faced man was about to call for reinforcements, but before he could do anything, he saw a hand with its ring finger curled hanging before him. An electric current coursed through his body, and when he looked at the witchers again, a bizarre smile curled his lips.


    He went up the stairs while two bodyguards in the lobby were teaching the bald man a lesson. One of them was holding the man up by his arms, while the other kept punching his stomach. Nobody noticed thest bodyguard going upstairs.


    ***


    The bewitched bodyguard produced a purse of money and waved at hispanions on the second floor eagerly. One of them was attracted by the rattling of coins in the purse, and then¡­


    A few minutester, five burly bodyguards wereid out on a bed in a luscious room. All of them were snoring thunderously.


    Auckes and the madam were nowhere to be seen. Peace and quiet finally returned to the brothel. The remaining witchers were following an honest man upstairs, and then they made their way to the room in the corner.


    ***


    Orloff was observing an ugly man with a big nose and an even bigger mouth who was in the marketce. "That beast has an interesting look. Wonder what his parents are. A toad and a dog? Hmm, I wonder how I should modify him into a part of my perfect collection?" Orloff rested his chin on the back of his hand, his eyes glinting cruelly.


    And then a sh of light appeared before the mage as a beautiful ss container flew into the window and fell beside his feet.


    The bomb came too fast for the mage to do anything. His heart skipped a beat as the container was smashed into pieces, and the shards flew everywhere. Motes of light squirmed out of the container and filled the room like stars.


    When they started covering Orloff, arcs of electricity started buzzing all over his body, and his mana was locked down. He couldn''t use even an ounce of his magic no matter how hard he tried. "Guards!" Orloff darted toward the door.


    The mage wasn''t panicked. This was not the first time he ran into trouble over all these years of ruling Novigrad, but then a crossbow bolt flew into the room, and the air rippled.


    A slender man with ck hair and golden eyes appeared from the ripples like magic, but the mage no longer ran. Instead, he turned around and lit up the ruby ring on his index finger without any gestures or incantations.


    <em>Instant Fireball!</em>


    A small ball of fire charged toward the intruder like a little meteor, burning the air around it. In just a few moments, the fireball increased the temperature by leaps and bounds, distorting the air with its heat.


    The witcher couldn''t react in time, and the fireball hit him squarely in the chest. mes faded, and Quen shattered. The impact sent Roy flying back, and he grunted in pain. <em>A third of my HP gone.</em>


    "Foolish. You think a dimeritium bomb alone can take me down?" Orloff snarled at the witcher and touched the obsidian ring on his middle finger.


    Electricity arced across the room, lighting it up as a silver bolt of electricity slithered out of the ring and hit the fallen witcher. <em>No. That''s his afterimage.</em>


    Roy had rolled away before the attack could hit, and the electric bolt only managed to hit the red carpet, charring a corner of it. The young witcher grasped the air and produced a hand crossbow. He quickly pulled the trigger twice, and a pair of enchanted bolts came flying toward the sorcerer, but he wasn''t fazed.


    Orloff held the pendant around his neck, and three attacksnded on him. The bolts were deflected by the magical shield, but the Stun Bolts made him stop for 0.2 seconds. Any other mage would have suffered from the recoil of a failed spell, but not him. The equipment he made could cast spells immediately. Without any preparation time, there was no recoil.


    After his shield deflected the bolts, Orloff still had some power to cast another spell. <em>Resistance Force Field!</em>


    A wave of white airshed out around Orloff and charged across the room. It was like a typhoon just razed the whole ce. The sheets, mirrors, and magicalmps were blown away by the force field and taken apart.


    Roy just Blinked to Orloff, but the air current smacked him around like a ragdoll and smashed him into the wall beside the window. Pain seared his body, and strength left him. Agony red in his eyes, but he clenched his teeth and held on.


    <em>Activate! </em>A cool sensation coursed through his body and calmed his pain.


    ***


    Before Orloff couldunch another attack, all the color was drained from his face as his soul got plunged into sheer terror. For the first time in this battle, he was horrified. And that was also thest time he showed that expression.


    The crimson tentacles he saw pierced his shield like it was nothing, and then they wrapped themselves around his body, his will, and his soul. He couldn''t move an inch, not even his fingers.


    Roy got back up right away and Blinked toward the sorcerer. <em>Take this! Hilt attack!</em>


    And the sorcerer fell face first into the ground and lost consciousness.


    "Whew." Roy heaved a long sigh. <em>Never had that hard a time with a mage before. </em>"I shouldn''t underestimate mages, especially when they''re well-prepared for battle."


    Roy grabbed the mage by his arm and dragged him to the center of the room before opening the door.


    "Did a ghoul bite your head, kid? What happened to you? That guy doesn''t even look tough."


    "Shut up and close the door, Serrit!" Roy hunkered down and took off all the sorcerer''s rings and pendant. "How''s the situation outside? The fight was pretty loud in here."


    "Don''t worry. The whoreson''s bodyguards are asleep like big, fluffy babies. It''ll be fine. <em>Orloff </em>will exin everything, after all."


    "Very well, then. Gawain, the stage is all yours." Roy looked at the regr guy amidst them.


    The man crossed his fingers before his belly and took a nervous step forward. He kept staring at Orloff, and the witchers peered at the doppler as they waited for the results with bated breaths.


    This was their first time seeing a doppler in action. No way they would miss any detail.


    A momentter, Gawain''s features melted away and turned into something that resembled a ball of kneaded dough. His torso, limbs, and bones started contracting into the ball of mudlike item in the middle.


    A squirming ball of mud appeared, and a green light shed. It was as if an invisible sculptor were making something out of that ball of mud. The limbs, neck, and head appeared quickly. The features were vague at first, but that soon changed.


    Just a few momentster, Orloff''s ''twin brother'' showed up.


    Roy touched the doppler''s arms and neck curiously and handed the magical items to him. "Just like the real thing. You even mimicked his clothes."


    "Yep. Not even his parents could tell the difference now," Serrit said.


    "Our n is perfect." Letho patted the doppler''s shoulder and said heartily, "Gawain¡­ Whoops, you''re Orloff now. Orloff, we''re partners now. We''re your most trusted allies. Tell us if you need any help. Of course, if <em>we </em>need any help, we hope you''ll lend a hand."


    The doppler suddenly held his stomach and retched. "Gods be damned! This guy is more horrifying than I thought! He fucking collected a whole house of dried bodies!"


    "You gained all his memories?" Roy asked curiously.


    "Regrettably, yes."


    "I think we should set a rule here." Serrit said seriously, "You can''t mimic your allies without permission."


    "Alright, enough talk. Orloff, you go and wake your bodyguards." Letho stared daggers at the unconscious Collector. "And we''re taking this bastard to that ce. Don''t want to leave Kiyan and Todd hanging," he said coldly.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 331: Giving In

    Sorrowful rain poured down onto the city, draping the solemn Temple Ind in a silver dress. On the fringes of the ind slept a path long forgotten by the ages, and that path led into a dark cave facing the sea.


    Light from candles and braziers shone upon the stctites embedded in the walls, and a hexagram sat on the ground of theboratory.


    A disheveled man in tattered clothes was lying in the middle of the magical circle, but then he was jolted awake, and his eyes opened. At first, he looked around in confusion, but then fear settled in and drained all color from his face. He started breathing heavily and tried to move his limbs, but they were cuffed in dimeritium shackles.


    It had been thirty years since he left this ce, but the days of him toiling away here had left an indelible mark in his mind.


    "Remember me, Matteo Sig?" a raspy voice rang out in the air. It sounded like a hundred nails were scratching across a ckboard.


    A few men appeared from behind the shadows of the stctites. The man in the lead had dark red skin, and his eyes were as crimson as an abyss of blood. He was staring straight at Matteo with palpable hatred and murder. If looks could kill, Matteo would be dead by now.


    The men in armor standing beside him had feline eyes, and they too were staring at him.


    "I don''t know who you''re talking about!" Orloff answered without hesitation, and he realized who the men in armor were. "So it''s <em>you</em>, Vipers! You kidnapped me! Do you know what this means?" he yelled hysterically, his facial muscles distorting from fear, and no longer did he look handsome. "You''re breaking the treaty! You''re breaking the highestw of Novigrad!"


    He was spewing saliva everywhere. "If anyone finds me missing, you''ll be in trouble! Let me go if you know what''s best for you, or you shall have no ce in Novigrad!"


    "Huh?" Auckes sneered. "You don''t seem to realize the situation you''re in, Matteo. You can''t even save yourself, and you''re trying to threaten us? Just shut it. Do you remember this ce? Do you remember Kiyan, the man you hurt, tortured, and disfigured?"


    Matteo puffed his chest, the veins on his neck popping, and his lips trembling, but his eyes were fully on the face of that nightmarish man. He knew who the man was. <em>He''s the one Steingard and I tortured. The witcher who lost his mind when that demon took over, but he doesn''t look like a possessed man. There''s sanity and hatred in there.</em>


    Matteo hesitated for a moment. <em>A possessed regaining his sanity. This has never happened before. How did he do it?</em>


    Kiyan darted over and grasped him by the cor. Matteo could taste the foul stench wafting off him, but before he could say anything, Kiyan mmed his knee into the mage''s chest and flung him away.


    The mage felt his chest throb, and blood welled within his mouth, but he couldn''t say a word.


    An almost inhuman face filled with grotesque scars huddled even closer to him. It was as if the disfigured witcher were judging a dead man, but then his lips curled, though the smile was mirthless. There was even a hint of insanity in it.


    "Never expected this day toe, did you, whoreson? I swore I''d repay the pain tenfold¡­ <em>No</em>, a hundredfold! And today¡­ today, you will feel my pain!"


    The mage could feel the rage, hatred, and sick delight in the witcher''s voice, and his heart thumped furiously because of it. He stared ahead dumbly, his breathing and heartbeat almost stopping in fear. Just the thought of what this anguished witcher would do to him made him shudder. <em>We made his life hell. I have no doubt he''ll do the same thing to me.</em>


    "But¡­ But you''re a lucky man. Please, take a deep breath and enjoy thest happy moments in your life." Kiyan suddenly let him go and stepped back. "Here''s another poor soul wronged by your actions."


    And then a burly, exhausted man appeared from behind. His face was contorted with sorrow and fury, while his eyes were filled with tears. The man was holding a slender girl in his arms. There was barely any color on her face, but it didn''t take away from her beauty. <em>She looks familiar. Ah yes, the girl of the ck sun. Been observing her for days, but she''s still unripe. And now she''s once again in front of me.</em>


    Matteo led his whole life believing in science, but now he wondered if there was a god of justice in this world. <em>No other exnation for two enemiesing to me at the same time on the same day.</em>


    Todd gently ced Elsa in front of the sorcerer and caressed her golden hair. He then widened his eyes and grabbed Matteo by the neck before lifting him up into the air. "You son of a bitch! Release Elsa''s curse right now and wake her up!"


    And then he tossed Matteo away like a ragdoll. The mage coughed and wheezed as he said, "S-So the poor orphan has a father." He looked at the witchers for a moment and turned his attention to the cuffs. <em>My mana''s locked away, and my gear''s gone. The witchers are out for my life. There''s no way I can get out of this, so why should I work with them?</em>


    "You unartistic brutes. You want me to destroy a piece of perfect art?" Matteo held the bruise on his neck and shook his head. "If I''m dying anyway, why shouldn''t I take the girl with me?"


    And then someone punched him on his cheek, and he fell holding the bruised part of his face. If anyone could call that piece of skin a face, that is.


    "You''re <em>negotiating</em>? Fine, I''ll turn you into mincemeat then!"


    Abuse rained down on Matteo, and the mage was like a punching bag that was about to have his insides punched out. Still, he didn''t grunt or flinch. All he did was stare at everyone smugly.


    Eventually, the mage fell face first into the ground. His nose was pushed sideways, and blood spurted all over his face.


    Todd stopped to catch a breath, and then he raised another fist.


    "Killing him so quickly, Todd? Didn''t know you were that merciful." Serrit sneered and showed a wooden crate to Matteo. He took the lid off and showed what was inside: a bunch of small, glinting torture tools. Tweezers, scalpels, pliers, steel nails, drills¡­


    Serrit whipped a scalpel out and caressed its back with his finger. He whispered evilly, "I heard most sorcerers are trained in mind control resistance. Signs won''t work on you, so why don''t we go for something more¡­ exciting?" His eyes were glinting with delight. "Let''s ce a bet. If you can hold on for two hours, we''ll let you go. If you can''t¡­ let''s just say the results won''t be pretty."


    "Hey, you''re not hogging all the fun!" Auckes crouched down and picked up a pair of tweezers. The light from the mes was shining on his teeth. "Let''s take turns. Half hour for each of us? But we can''t push this too far. Don''t want our toy to break."


    "Ah, rx. I have a bunch of potions with me. Marigold potions and some Swallows will be enough. Guy''s a mage. He''s magically enhanced. Of course he can take a few potions and live to tell the tale." Roy shrugged andid out a row of pretty potions in front of Matteo.


    The mage''s arrogance was stomped out, and his face twitched as his body trembled violently.


    "There''s an arachnomorph in Novigrad, if I remember correctly. Get it here and lock it up with him for a month. We should have enough hatchlings to make some spider barbecue." Letho looked at the mage. "Ever done that kind of experiment? Ever felt spiderrvae moving in your body like little insects? Great feeling. Even better than what you can get from the whores in brothels."


    "Too much of a hassle. I''ll skin him and rub some salt on the whoreson''s muscles, <em>and then </em>I''ll cut his flesh off bit by bit like a steak." Kiyan and Felix stood side by side, staring at the mage like hungry beasts eyeing their prey. "Feline specialty. Dates back a long time. Three hundred sixty strokes, and the victim dies after thest stroke is inflicted."


    Kiyan picked up the scalpel, but then Matteo shouted, "Hold it!" He stared at the ground, and the mighty gang lord of Novigrad knelt before the witchers.


    "I''ll remove the spell, but please, just give me a painless death." Matteo stared at them, his eyes filled with tears of fear and humiliation. "No torture, please."


    "So you''re nothing but a coward. But at least you''re willing to work with us now. Tell us how to lift the curse, and we''ll cut your torture in half. A hundred and eighty strokes." Kiyan held the mage''s shoulder down and swung the scalpel around Matteo''s eyelid.


    It drew a thin line on the mage''s skin, and blood trickled out of the wound, drenching one eye in red. "My patience is running¡­ thin. You have three seconds. Yes or no?"


    Matteo gulped.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 332: Didnt Make It

    Flickering mes shone on a man shackled by dimeritium cuffs, but that man was making a speech confidently and loudly, as if he wanted to expend all his energy on one final talk.


    "Elsa is what I call a corpse-bound soul. She is already dead, but her soul is trapped within a runic body, and that soul is filled with hatred. Of course it is. It went through unimaginable horrors before it died."


    "What did you do to her, you bastard?!"


    "Calm down, man." Roy held the livid Todd back. "Let him finish. We need to save Elsa."


    Todd huffed and puffed, but he held himself back, though he was still staring daggers at the mage.


    "By day, her soul sleeps within its vessel, but by night, it wakes and struggles within its fleshy cage, radiating its hatred to its surroundings." Matteo was staring at the beautiful girl almost fanatically. "She''ll instinctively cast a spell to revive all nearby corpses and drive them to kill the living so she can absorb their soul and life force. Then she uses what she has absorbed to strengthen herself.


    <em>It''s not a real revival, </em>Roy thought. <em>What she did was summon the living dead. They have no soul. That meager amount of EXP proves it.</em>


    "Once her soul absorbs enough nutrients to grow, it will break through its vessel and be a vengeful banshee." Matteo squinted at the body. To him, it looked more like a perfect piece of art, not some deranged product of a psychotic madman. "And that banshee is as powerful as a gue maiden. A shame, however, as she''s not even a tenth through her growth."


    The witchers exchanged looks. <em>This guy''s a maniac.</em>


    "So you let the corpse collector take her? And where did you learn of this wicked ritual?" Letho asked. "I''ve never seen a corpse-bound soul, and man-made banshees are never heard of."


    "Aside from the Griffins, all witchers are a lot more powerful than regr people. You''re not blessed with the luck to feel magic at a close range. It''s normal that you have no idea how deep this field of knowledge stretches." Matteo looked at them smugly. The guy was going to die soon, and he had nothing to fear.


    "This is a magnificent ritual created by Steingard and yours truly. It took us more than a decade just to glean this ritual from the Wozgors'' mausoleum and the Dauks'' obelisk. Eltibald the Mad was right. Girls who are born on the day of the ck sun are more special than any other girl. My previous experiments prove that cursed girls are built differently than most people. Their heads and spines have red sponge-like structures in them, and their organs are all in different ces. Some of those organs are even missing. All of their innards are covered in fur and chunks of pink and blue flesh."


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. <em>We didn''t see that when we performed the autopsy. Did this guy revert her insides to resemble a normal human''s, or is he just making this up as he goes?</em>


    Matteo exined, "Regr girls can''t be turned into corpse-bound souls, nor can they react to chaos energy. Only girls of the ck sun can. They''re special. But gods be damned. All these years, I only managed to find one cursed girl that fits the bill. The others are either held captive, dead, or living in remote areas. And you can''t know who''s a cursed girl from the surface. Because of that, my experiment slowed to a crawl."


    ***


    "You''re an animal." Auckes spat at him.


    "You''re insane. The banshee you nned on creating through this ritual would¡¯ve wreaked havoc across Novigrad. What do you gain from getting your own turf destroyed?" Letho asked curiously.


    "You''re nothing but brutes, witchers. You''ll never understand why I do art," Matteo said proudly. "If I can create a perfect work of art, what''s a few hundred lives? These people are going to live their whole lives achieving nothing anyway. Might as well sacrifice them for magic. It''s a higher purpose."


    "You are no god." Serrit cocked his eyebrow. "You don''t get to decide who lives and who dies."


    "No." Roy shook his head. "Even gods can''t take lives as they want."


    "Enough talk, people." Letho turned to the mage. "How should we save Elsa?"


    Todd looked at Matteo nervously.


    "Weren''t you listening? I can lift the curse, but I can''t revive the dead." Matteo stared at the group of people, especially Todd. And then he smirked. "I''ll tell you how to lift the curse and free the girl''s soul from her prison. She''ll stay around for a few moments for thest goodbye, and then poof. Into the void, she goes."


    "You bastard! You''re saving her, you hear me?" Todd charged at the mage like a man possessed, and he grabbed Matteo''s shoulder. "There must be a way. Tell me!"


    "I told you, I can''t. The witchers can''t do it, either." And then he suddenly said, "But if she can fully grow into a banshee, then the girl can be reborn in another way. She can still keep some of her human memories if she bes a banshee."


    Todd froze up.


    "Shut up, whoreson!" Felix interrupted. "Don''t listen to him, Todd. Only eternal pain and suffering await banshees. Death would be a sweet release for her."


    "A release, huh?" Todd hung his head low and went to Elsa''s side. He stared at her silently, but his heart was screaming in pain. <em>We got the bastard, so why¡­ why can''t I do anything to save her? Everything I''ve done feels like a joke. A meaningless joke.</em>


    The witchers remained silent. They were no gods. Life and death was something far beyond their capabilities.


    "Have you made your peace, mate?" Kiyan''s eyes were focused on the mage. He was raring to make Matteo pay for what he did. "Do you <em>want </em>to lift the curse?"


    Only the sounds of breathing filled the air for a moment.


    A long, long whileter, Todd closed his eyes and took a deep breath. <em>Two months. Two months Elsa was trapped within this body. Her soul must have suffered. I need to release her from these shackles. </em>"Tell us how to lift the curse, Matteo."


    "Easy. Pluck her heart out, rub silver powder over it, and then toss it into a fire. Then the curse will be lifted," Matteo answered. "Her soul will be cleansed and separated from the flesh."


    ¡°And then I can see her and say goodbye?" Todd asked. Most people couldn''t see spirits anyway, so he had to ask.


    Matteo pursed his lips for a while. When Kiyan shot him a warning re, he shivered. "You''re her father. Draw a circle around the body with your blood, and her soul will linger for a few moments. I''ll teach you how to do it. Her soul will stay for about five minutes. In that state, even regr humans can interact with her. Physical touch is possible, too. Only for five minutes, though."


    "You know what will happen if you lie," Kiyan growled.


    Matteo nched, and his body trembled uncontrobly. "Remember your promise, witchers. No matter what you do to me, you must put me to rest in one day."


    Matteo handled a lot of specimens back in the day. He had seen how they howled and broke down under the pressure, and he knew how painful these experiments must¡¯ve been. If the alternative was to suffer that kind of agony, he would rather go with a quick death.


    The witchers and Todd went to the other side of theboratory to prepare for the ceremony, while Roy hung back and huddled closer to Matteo.


    "Tell me something. How did you manage to summon that demon and make it possess Kiyan?" <em>300 EXP for every demon killed. No way I''m letting this baby go.</em>


    "Why are you interested in the forbidden spells, witcher?" Matteo''s eyes narrowed into slits. He stared at the young witcher, and realization struck him. "If I tell you what you want, can you tell that monster to give me a quick death?"


    "Sorry, I don''t think I can."


    "It doesn''t matter." An eerie smile curled Matteo''s swollen lips, and his shackles rattled delightfully. "I see you''re interested in magical experiments, so I assume you took the statue as well? It delights me to see someone who shares my passion amongst witchers. Listen closely. The incantation goes¡­ And these are theponents needed for the circle¡­ These are the gestures¡­"


    ***


    Everyone gathered around the wall where the statue used to be. Elsa was lying quietly in a magical circle made out of blood, and a zing brazier sat beside her. ck smoke billowed in the air as the mes burned a certain something into cinders.


    The smoke disappeared about fifteen minutester, and a translucent silhouette appeared from the corpse. She was covered in a green light reminiscent of a wraith''s. She was hovering above the ground, her hands crossed before her chest, and her eyes closed. She had a beautiful face, and her body was as clear and glimmering as crystal.


    She was wearing a green, frilled dress and a pair of leather shoes. The girl looked innocent and adorable, not unlike an elf wandering thisnd. The witchers pushed their aggression down and calmed down. They were worried their air might burn this innocent soul.


    Elsa opened her eyes, and confusion struck. She then turned around to see where she was, but her brows quickly furrowed, and her eyes were filled with horror. "Wh-Where am I?" She had a silvery voice, but that quickly became a shriek. "Who are you? Don''te any closer! Don''t touch me! Get away!"


    Dark memories came flooding back, and she wiped off nonexistent tears with her hands. The green light shed even brighter, and rotten patches appeared on her skin before spreading quickly across her body.


    <em>She''s going to turn? </em>The witchers quietly held their des.


    "Don''t be afraid, Elsa." Todd took a step ahead and approached his daughter''s soul. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at her. Love etched itself on the seasoned mercenary''s face, and he said gently, "I''m back, Elsa. Todd''s here."


    "Todd?" The green light stopped expanding, and the girl''s eyes went wide with surprise. The look on her face changed from horror to curiosity. She was staring at this burly man ahead of her, and the patches on her face quickly faded away.


    The man called Todd was a stranger, but Elsa felt connected to him, like she was his family. <em>But it''s my first time seeing him. </em>That sense of connection felt the strongest to a soul like her. Ever since Kolleen, Olena, and Frank died, she never felt this connection anymore.


    "You''re Todd? You''re my father?" The girl''s jaw dropped in disbelief.


    She had never seen her father before. Everything she knew about him came from her mother and grandparents. The girl stared at Todd with anxiety and longing, and then she asked him several questions about her family, her date of birth, and the ck sun.


    Todd answered all of them correctly. "I''m sorry, Elsa. Forgive me for noting home. I''ve let you, Kolleen, Olena, and Frank down." The mercenary''s face was red, and he was sobbing and shivering as tears of shame streamed down his cheeks.


    He left his family and worked for fifteen years for his selfish dream, and he never came back to see them once. Because of his heart of stone, he had no idea that his family died, and his daughter was captured by a deranged mage. He was responsible for all these deaths. Todd was ready for his daughter to reprimand him, to renounce and see him as an enemy. But¡­


    "You''re finally home!" Elsa covered her mouth and sobbed, and then she gave her father a hug.


    Todd hugged her back, and he caressed her cheeks. <em>This feels like a dream. </em>Elsa was frail and fragile, but to Todd, he was holding his whole world. Not once in his life did he feel as happy and content as he was in that moment. He could faint from all the happiness he was feeling.


    The girl wiped her tears away. "Why didn''t youe back sooner? Colleen and the others didn''t even get to see you."


    "I''m sorry. I-I''m a bastard!"


    What Elsa said next almost made him bawl his eyes out.


    "Don''t say that! You''re not a bastard!" Elsa stared at her crying father with love and worship in her eyes. "Every day, Kolleen would tell me that you were a hero. You were the best husband and father in the world. You risked your life to make money for us so we didn¡¯t have to starve."


    <em>And you believed that? You silly girl.</em>


    "Grandma and Grandpa thought you were the best son in the world. They missed you every day. Told me about your stories, too."


    Todd was petrified. <em>Why? I left this home for fifteen years and never once came back. I never did my job as a husband, father, or son. Kolleen, Olena, and my sailor dad, Frank¡­</em>


    "Don''t you guys hate me?" Todd held his daughter tightly and closed his eyes. If guilt could burn anyone to cinders, Todd would have been a pile of ash by now. <em>Why didn''t you yell at me? You should. I didn''t do my job as your father!</em>


    "Mom would sew a shirt for you every year, and Grandma made a few boots for you. I made a pair of gloves for you too. They''re in the bottom drawer of the closet back at home. We were waiting for you toe back so you could try them on," Elsa gushed. "Frank had a bottle of dwarven liquor hidden underneath the kitchen floor. He was going to share it with you when youe back. Stopped drinking for ten years because of that. They kept waiting and waiting, but you never came back."


    Tears kept streaming down Todd''s cheeks. <em>What have I done?</em>


    ***


    Time was up. Todd didn''t manage to say goodbye, and his daughter disappeared into beautiful motes of light that fluttered into the distance. Eventually, they were out of his reach.


    "Elsa? Elsa!" Todd bawled. "I''m sorry! I''m sorry I couldn''t be better!" The burly man hugged the air and knelt on the floor, howling because of his bereavement. Because of the happiness that should have been.


    For a moment, there were nothing but howls of sorrow and sighs of regret filling the air.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 333: Development

    ''Matteo Sig/Orloff Byrd killed. EXP +160. Level 7 Witcher (2200/4500).''


    Light from the mes shone on the mad mage as he took his final breath. He fell to the floor as thest dregs of his life left him. There was not an inch of skin left on his body, but as the end of his life drew near, a smile curled his disfigured face. <em>Finally, sweet release. I don''t have to suffer this anymore.</em>


    As promised, Kiyan inflicted all the pain Matteo did to him so long ago.


    ***


    Roy stood before the body and sighed as he flicked the blood of Aerondight. EXP was not the only reason he wanted to deal thest blow. Only by destroying the mage''s soul could he never be a wraith and terrorize thesends.


    ***


    Kiyan finally got his revenge. He stared at the mangled remains of his nemesis in grim satisfaction, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes.


    Steingard died to the drowners, and Matteo suffered before he took hisst breath. His hatred that spanned thirty years came to an abrupt end, and he was robbed of his motivation. It felt like a void was forming in his life.


    ***


    On the other side of theb stood a few brooding witchers. The Vipers were staring at the burly man who was holding his daughter''s lifeless body. They had conflicting emotions about the operation. The culprit was vanquished, but they didn''t manage to revive the girl. This wasn''t a good ending, and that was regrettable.


    ***


    "Let''s go, people. We killed the whoreson and got our revenge. Time to go home." Felix patted Kiyan''s shoulder. "Stay in Novigrad from now on, Kiyan. Start a new life."


    "How should I thank you, my friends?" Kiyan took a deep breath and looked at everyone gratefully. If it weren''t for the Vipers, gods knew how long it would¡¯ve taken him to find Matteo.


    "Eh, it''s alright." Serrit shook his head. "We''d have killed this bastard even if we hadn¡¯t known what he did to you anyway."


    "You''re running the apothecary shop from now on, Kiyan. Get ready for it." Auckesughed. "Once the shop is done with renovations, you''re going to show us how you make potions. I hope your alchemy skills can still keep up."


    <em>Ah yes. I''m Gorthur Gvaed''s employee from now on. I''ll be their alchemist and repay my debt. </em>Resolve once again shone in Kiyan''s eyes, and he put his disguise back on.


    ***


    The witchers and Todd came back to the surface. It was still raining, but there was a glimmer of light shining on them.


    "My condolences, Todd." Roy walked with the bereaved man across the passage and toward the cave''s exit. "Elsa was a kind soul. She''ll be reunited with her family in Melitele''s kingdom."


    "Yes¡­" Todd nodded stiffly. He looked as pale as a ghost, and he was downcast. All that crying earlier took everything he had, and he looked like a walking dead.


    "What next, Todd?"


    "I''ll bury Elsa with my family and buy a house near the cemetery. I''ll stay with them until my timees."


    Roy wanted to say something consoling, but he couldn''t do it. Todd was partly responsible for this tragedy, and he should atone for his sins. <em>Time will tell the rest.</em>


    ***


    Novigrad was still working and running like a well-oiled machine as usual. A lost life meant nothing to it.


    A month had passed since Matteo''s death. Sunlight shone through the window and rained down on the young witcher sitting cross-legged on his bed.


    A fat, white cat slid through the window and mewed. It tugged at the window''s edge with its stubby legs and tensed its whole body up to store energy. And then it leapt across the air before falling straight into the witcher''sp.


    Roy slowly exited meditation, and when he saw what was in hisp, his lips twitched. The young witcher yed with Gryphon until it started purring before putting it into his hood.


    ***


    Roy went into the yard and saw a pair of silhouettes standing under the sun.


    Carl was swinging his practice sword at a lifelike dummy, thrusting, poking, and shing it. His lips were pursed, his eyes were narrowed, and his face was tense. The boy was young, but his attacks were far fiercer than most adults¡¯.


    Another attack from Carl sent the dummy spinning. Once again, he hit the vitals spots, just like how Cat School swordy should be.


    Felix was beside him, also holding a practice sword. He looked at his apprentice sternly and started picking out all the faults with Carl''s swordy. "Put your back in it! That was weak! Where do you think you''re putting your left foot? Do you <em>want </em>to get it sprained?"


    "Even drowners get to sleep, mate. You can''t train the boy from morning until night. You''re going to kill him at this rate."


    "This is for his own good. He doesn''t have much time left." Felix smacked the boy''s shoulder with his practice sword. The boy stiffened up a little and quickly rxed his muscles to correct his posture. "The Trial starts in two months. If we drag it out any longer, he''ll get older, and the risks get higher. He needs to spend every waking moment training and absorbing the preparatory potion to up his constitution and endurance, or that scrawny body of his won''tst the Trial. He''s just going to end up dead like his friends and family."


    Carl nched, and his form went awry. Felix smacked his rear with the practice sword, and the boy corrected his form.


    Roy shook his head. <em>Reminds me of the days I was training for the Trial. </em>"You have an acorn, don''t you? If he can''t get through the trial, just feed him that."


    "I don''t want my apprentice to lose his memories and be a big baby. We''ll see when the timees."


    "Sure. Good luck with practice, but the ballroom''s opening is this afternoon. There''s going to be a nice performance. Be sure toe."


    "Yeah. Now go on your way."


    Roy waved them goodbye. Two weeks ago, Coral came to Novigrad and negotiated with the Cats. They handed her the recipe, while she would help them with the Trial for free. In other words, Roy finally got his hands on the Cat School recipe. <em>Nothing to worry about in that department.</em>


    The young witcher went through alleyways and the bridge before arriving at the bustling business district. A young, handsomedy with Mohican hairstyle was standing outside the apothecary shop. Her eyes lit up when she saw Roy, and she quickly approached the witcher just to grab his arm.


    "Did you finish your work today?"


    "Got all the herbs before dawn even broke." Kanti talked about work and went into the apothecary shop with Roy.


    She took up menial jobs around the shop and started practicing her alchemy skills. Even after the witchers left for Kaer Morhen, she could still find work at the apothecary shop.


    ***


    Auckes was standing in front of the counter, wearing an oversized blue robe. Still, that failed to cover up his muscles. Overwhelmed by boredom, he was ying with his hands.


    Two gigantic racks stood behind him, and a few dozen dried herbsid out within one of them, while the other disyed the potions they had on sale. All of them were contained in little ss tubes, and they were glimmering in different hues of colors.


    These were the regr potions meant to treat coughs, flu, and indigestion. Each of them cost about ten crowns, which was slightly cheaper than most apothecary shops.


    "Are you dozing off again? That is not a good attitude for work!" Roy waved his hand in Auckes'' face. "Look alive, mate!"


    "Ah, shut it. You were dozing off when <em>you </em>were handling the shop a few days ago."


    "I was training my meditating skills. How''s business going? How many potions did we sell?"


    "The usual. About a hundred crowns a day." Auckes suddenly wiggled his eyebrows. "Medicine potions don''t sell that much, but spirit potions take up half our sales numbers." A big, smug grin spread across his lips. "The richer the poption, the more they need something like this. Told you so. If we had gone with a brothel instead of a ballroom, we''d be raking in crowns by now."


    Roy shook his head, amused, and he quickly made some calctions in his mind. <em>A hundred crowns per day, huh? Thirty percent of that goes to cost and taxes, which leaves us with seventy crowns. Twenty-one hundred per month in total. Even after giving Felix his cut, we''re still left with about sixteen hundred crowns per month. It''s like doing a dozen requests, only this is not dangerous or risky at all. This is just one small shop, but we''re raking in the coins.</em>


    Roy was now sure opening up a shop was the right thing to do.


    "Where did Letho and Serrit go?"


    "Where else? The dopp¡­ Orloff invited them to train his men at his manor. That''s a lot more exciting than just handling the shop. Don''t worry. It''s a big day today, so they''ll be back by noon."


    Roy nodded. The doppler was now great allies with the witchers, since they had dirt on each other. Gawain had enough of his old life. Now that he was one of the biggest rulers in Novigrad, there was no way he would give that up and go back to being a nobody. He knew he owed all this to the witchers, and he made a pact with them.


    The witchers would cover for him and deal with Eternal Fire''s inspections, while he would support the witchers and give them whatever they needed. To deepen the connection between him and the witchers, Gawain spent big money to hire the Vipers and Cats to train his men every week at the manor. The training was mostly about swordy andbat.


    After he took Orloff''s ce, the doppler was slowly enacting a series of changes. The people on his turf used to discriminate against non-humans, but now they were tolerant and epting. He ordered his men to not iste or bully non-humans like dwarves and part-elves. From what Roy knew, Corinne took this chance and moved to Orloff''s turf.


    The biggest benefit that coulde from this alliance was theirbined power. Now that the witchers and Orloff were allied, their power was second to Eternal Fire. Not even Cleaver or Bem could match them in terms of strength. Now they were starting to have a firmer grip on Novigrad. <em>And the guy is going to open up an orphanage after a while.</em>


    ***


    Kanti took over, and Auckes went to get some fresh air. Roy pushed the blue curtains back and went into the inner room.


    A magicalmp was shining on the room, and Kiyan was working swiftly around the alchemical tools. He was wearing a jacket and blue apron.


    Alcohol burner, test tubes, pestle, mortar, and crucible. Kiyan moved through them swiftly like a magician, weighing, crushing, heating, and filtering the herbs¡­


    Every movement was precise and perfect. He was like an artist dancing to the perfect tune, creating a magnificent performance.


    Most of the potions sold in the shop came from Kiyan. The potions he made were second to Letho. Not even Felix, Auckes, and Serrit couldpare. Naturally, Roy was even further behind in terms of skill.


    It was thanks to him that the Vipers could have time to settle other matters. Roy kept staring at Kiyan. Compared to how he was a month ago, the scars on his face were slowly fading. They were still horrifying, of course, but there was some improvement, and it was all thanks to Lytta.


    She checked his wounds back when they were talking about Carl''s Trial, and as expected, there was no way to heal Kiyan, but she could lessen the scars slightly. She left a bottle of salve that could lighten scars as well as its recipe. Kiyan would have to rub the salve on his face every day for a few years, and his scars might lighten up a bit. At most, he would look like someone who got disfigured in a fire.


    He could then put on a thickyer of makeup and say goodbye to his disguise. At least nobody would think he was some sort of drowner anymore.


    "What brings you here, Roy?"


    "Getting used to this life, mate?" Roy shook his hand.


    "It''s alright. It''s all thanks to you guys that I get another chance at life." Kiyan grinned toothily. He still looked grotesque, but the smile was warm.


    Ever since he had his revenge, Kiyan lost that air of violence and found some kind of peace. "These hands used to kill, but now they''re making potions, and good potions too. I''ve always dreamt of this life." And then he lowered his voice a little. "It''d be perfect if I had a wife and kids."


    "It''s alright, mate. Keep on working and you''ll get your wish someday. Not every woman cares about looks."


    "About the remaining diagrams¡­"


    "We''re not in a hurry. We''ll talk about it after we return from Kaer Morhen. Just keep up the good work." Roy patted his shoulder. "And remember toe for the show in the afternoon. It''s right next door."


    Roy then went to the ballroom. It was renovated and looked resplendent.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 334: Wolven Storm

    It was noon in Novigrad, and the sun was shining down from the zenith. After one month of renovation, the ballroom was finally open for business. The weather was warm for once, and everyone was delighted to walk around. They were watching the ballroom curiously.


    Several blue vases stood on both sides of the door, and the flowers in them had dewdrops on their leaves and petals. A gust of breeze sent their scent flying everywhere, and their petals danced in the air.


    A big ckboard stood in front of the vase like an out-of-ce essory. There was something written on it, and the words read, ''Twenty percent discount for everything. Opening day special!''


    Novigradians were born smart. Even if they were illiterate, they could still see discounts where discounts were happening. The customers started heading into the new establishment to see what the fuss was all about, and to see if the discount was worthwhile.


    Magicalmps rained down gentle light on the lobby, which looked like something between an inn and a mini theater. Wreaths made of mistletoe, spruce, and pine hung on the amber wall, ready to wee Midwinter. Red embroidered curtains hung from the windows, and the stage curtain was closed.


    The beautiful fences around split the lobby into two floors, and the stairs on both sides were connected to the entrance, giving the patrons more space to move about. They could opt for the VIP seats on the second floor and watch the show on the main stage in peace. The second floor offered a wider vista, but they could also go for the first floor. There were seats around the wooden table that nked the lobby. They could eat and drink with their friends and family. Fresh fruit, sulent meat, and good wine were provided.


    ***


    It was noon, and the hungry, curious customers had taken their seats. Novigrad was a big city that housed tens of thousands of people. Entertainment was always scarce, and people loved trying out new stuff. For that reason and some other factors, all the tables had been filled in just a bit.


    There were gaunt, pasty people among the crowd as well as merchants and nobles in hats, fashionable clothes, and essories. There were also shy bards equipped with flutes and ordions who came to show support for their fellow bards.


    This was the scene Dandelion was aiming for. A ballroom thatbined theater and inn was perfect for both upper and lower society. Everyone could have fun, regardless of their status.


    The witchers were in the frontmost left seats. They were beyond the dance floor, and the main stage was just an arm''s length away. At Dandelion''s vehement insistence, the witchers changed into more appropriate attire. Complex underclothes, doublets, trousers, and tight tops. The attire was suffocating the witchers, and their muscles were threatening to tear the clothes apart. It was akin to a peasant in a king''s clothes or an illiterate trying to recite a poem. In a word: awkward.


    Serrit took a swig of the wine and frowned. He looked at his cor in disgust and tried to make it bigger by pulling on it. "This is your surprise, kid? Making us wear these clothes and subjecting us to torture in a ballroom? I bet myst crown I can''t even kill a boar in this outfit."


    "That''s right, Roy. You''ll have topensate us for this." Auckes finished half a bottle of the wine in one go and wiped his lips. "I thinkst month''s profit from the apothecary shop sounds nice."


    "He has a point. If the bards can''t put on a satisfying performance¡­" Letho put his elbows on the table and sped his hands. He rested his chin on the back of his hands as he came up with an idea. "You''re going to take one for the team and dance onstage."


    Carl choked on his wine and clutched his belly. His face kept twitching, and he turned around to hide hisughter, but Roy could see that his face was already red from holding it in.


    Felix, who was right beside him, quickly refilled his ss with wine. "No wasting."


    Carl stared at his mentor, and it killed hisughter. He held his ss up, a bitter look hanging on his face.


    Kiyan was still in his usual cloak, hood, sunsses, and mask. His outfit garnered a lot of curious looks, but he just went on with his business without a care in the world. Sometimes he would pat Carl''s head, but there was a forlorn look in his eyes.


    "There are performers for the stage, mates. I don''t have to dance. And what''s the rush? The show''s only starting." Roy stuffed a purple fruit in his hood and raised a toast to the smiling Kanti and his reserved parents. Even Mino was here.


    ***


    A blonde appeared on the wooden stage holding a light yellow lute in the shape of half a pear. She was in typical bard attire made up of a tight blue shirt with red sleeves, and her pants were half yellow and half blue, while her leather boots had pointed ends.


    She was sitting on the stool, a confident smile curling her lips.


    Standing beside her was a handsome man in a purple hat and silk shirt. Dandelion cleared his throat and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I am Dandelion, the manager of this ballroom, and I hereby announce our opening starting this lovely afternoon! Thank you for your support. We greatly appreciate it!"


    Dandelion held his chest with his right hand and bowed to everyone.


    The crowd turned silent. Even the people who worked the lowest jobs knew they had to be silent before a performance.


    "I''m known amongst lovers of poetry, and most of you have probably read some of my works¡­"


    "Like The Adversities of Loving?" one of thedies gasped.


    "Yes, that is one of my works."


    A smallmotion erupted. Apparently quite a few customers recognized Dandelion, and a few of the beautifully-dresseddies were starting to give him beguiling looks.


    "Midwinter is drawing near, so allow me to wish you a good Midwinter in advance. And now a few words from yours truly. I''ve spent thirty years of my life wandering from city to city, writing thousands of poems and meeting countless lovelydies along the way, but in the end, I chose to settle in Novigrad. Do you know why? Because this city amodates you. It doesn''t care who you are or where you''re from; anyone can gain peace in this city. Of course, like any other city, Novigrad has its fair share of evil and unsavory memories, but there''s kindness, tolerance, life, and prosperity to be found. That''s why I wanted to realize my dream of opening a ballroom here. I want people of different races toe together and have fun. I want to put on performances that everyone can enjoy, no matter who you are."


    "And today, I finally got my dream fulfilled. Special thanks to witchers from that Viper and Cat School for sponsoring this. Roy, Letho, Serrit, Auckes, and Felix, thank you for your generosity."


    Dandelion and Prisci bowed to the witchers. "And by my name, I guarantee that witchers are as noble as they are generous. Believe not in the rumors flying in viges. Those are nothing but nderous remarks against these brave and noble souls."


    "That''s it for my little talk, and you guys must have had enough of it. And now, the esteemed Prisci shall present a song for you. Roy of the Viper School made this, and it talks of a hauntingly beautiful love story. The song is dubbed¡­ Wolven Storm. Please, enjoy the performance."


    Dandelion moved the stool to the center of the stage, and Prisci started ying a tune on the lute.


    When the first note started ying out, the crowd started falling silent. Not even the sound of eating or drinking was heard. Everyone''s eyes were on the gorgeous bard on the stage.


    ***


    A slow tune hung in the air, and Prisci sang.


    "These scars long have yearned for your tender caress


    To bind our fortunes, damn what the stars own


    Rend my heart open, then your love profess


    A winding, weaving fate to which we both atone¡­"


    ***


    As Prisci yed out that song, Roy narrowed his eyes. He was moved. Never would he expect to see Prisci perform this song live, right in front of his eyes. He only dreamt of this before, but now he finally had the chance to experience it. <em>Perks of traveling to another world.</em>


    Roy''spanions lost their nonchnce, and the bored looks on their faces turned to brooding expressions. Witchers had no talent for poetry or singing, but they lived far longer lives than most humans, and rtionships came and went all the time. That experience allowed them to connect with the song more, and they resonated with it.


    Even the disfigured Kiyan was feeling a little mncholic under his disguise.


    ***


    "You flee my dreame the morning


    Your scent - berries tart, lc sweet


    To dream of entwisted raven locks, stormy


    Of violet eyes, glistening as you weep¡­"


    ***


    The song was in its second verse, and the witchers kept their eyes on the bard. Everyone in the hall seemed to be frozen in time. They were listening closely to the song, not even making a sound. Some of the more emotionaldies were already tearing up from the sad tune and sorrowful lyrics. They could see how this rtionship would end, it seemed.


    Moore and Susie were sping their hands and stared into each other''s eyes. There was bliss gleaming in them.


    Mino was sucking on his thumb, his eyes also on Prisci. Even a baby like him remained silent while the performance went on.


    Roy looked past the crowd, Corinne, and even Todd. He set his sights on the window beside the entrance. A handsome man with short purple hair was standing in front of the window, staring intently into the lobby. The pendant hanging around his neck was shining.


    The man was the doppler who took over Matteo''s ce. Roy invited him as well, but he seemed reluctant to enter. After all, he was one of the most powerful men in this city. If he went around like nobody''s business, it would cause amotion.


    Roy nodded at him.


    ***


    "I know not if fate would have us live as one


    Or if by love''s blind chance we''ve been bound


    The wish I whispered when it all began


    Did it forge a love you might never have found?"


    ***


    The crowd was immersed in the questions posed by the song, but Roy suddenly cocked his eyebrow. He felt someone''s foot slithering over to his and stepping on his shoes under the table.


    Roy turned around and saw Kanti winking at him as she cracked a toothy grin. The wine was getting to her, and a red hue colored her cheeks.


    <em>What are you doing? </em>Roy asked quietly. Kanti moved in and put her leg on his. The young witcher took a deep breath and turned around.


    The performance was nearing its end. After Prisci yed out the final notes, she bowed to the audience. Everyone pulled themselves out of the mncholic ambience and either heaved a sigh of relief or regret. But one thing was for sure¡ªthey pped thunderously, and for one whole minute too.


    Dandelion and Prisci exchanged a look of excitement. If they could keep this quality of performance up, the ballroom could stay open for a long, long time.


    ***


    Then it was intermission. The lobby got lively again as the customers ate and drank.


    "That was an excellent show, kid." Letho downed a ss of wine. "You don''t have to dance this time."


    "When did youe up with that song?" Auckes craned his neck and rested his head on Roy''s shoulder. He muttered enviously, "I didn''t know you had a talent for songwriting."


    The other witchers turned their sights to Roy.


    "I didn''te up with that. Saw it in a glimpse of the future," Roy exined while pushing Kanti''s leg away.


    "Do that a few more times and have Dandelion slide the songs into their performance." Felix puffed his cheeks and chewed down on the meat. "We need to make money."


    ***


    Music started ying again, but this time it wasn''t about a sad love story. Instead, a dozen bards took to the stage and put on some sort of orchestra. The tune felt lively, quick, and fluid.


    Some of the younger customers hopped onto the dance floor and moved their bodies happily. The delight spread in the air and infected everyone. One by one, the customers jumped onto the dance floor and danced all they liked while they had their wine.


    Dandelion and Prisci started a ballroom dance, while Moore and Susie started spinning slowly as well. And then there were the witchers, who danced like beasts, moving their bodies in violent ways. Thedies and girls screamed in terror at the sight of these monster hunters dancing.


    Kanti approached Roy out of nowhere, but the young witcher wasn''t as on guard this time. He held her hands and danced his heart out with her. Things eventually started heating up, and everyone tossed their worries away. They enjoyed the here and now, and their shirts were eventually drenched with sweat.


    And then in came the sorceress with fiery hair and a ck dress. She seemed a little angry foring toote, but her gorgeous looks attracted everyone''s eyes.


    She barged onto the dance floor and snatched the young witcher away from Kanti. "I''m not opening a portal for you until we dance, you heartbreaker," she whispered.


    <em>Portal? Oh, yeah. Today''s the day we leave this city and head for Blue Mountain. We need Coral''s portal for that. </em>Roy was in a daze, but he went on dancing with Lytta anyway.


    Kanti wasn''t mad at all. She just kept dancing alongside the witcher and the sorceress.


    Roy stared at the people dancing on the dance floor, and a resolute smile curled his lips. <em>I''ll protect this until the day I die.</em>


    ***


    End of arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 335: Blue Mountains

    Blue Mountains. A great mountainous range that separated the northern kingdoms from the sands and prairies of the east. Home to snowy caps, foggy valleys filled with rivers, and verdant ancient forests, these mountains were a natural, gargantuan maze.


    The witchers spent most of their time ascending the mountains after they left the portal. Ever pursuant, they kept heading ahead ording to the directions left to them on the simple map.


    The witchers didn''t have to worry about survival supplies thanks to Roy and Letho''s storage items, nor did they have to carry any heavy items. The trip had been convenient, and not to mention there was a handsome sparrowhawk flying overhead, leading them in the direction they needed to go.


    Still, this was a rocky and dangerous path. The ever-rising altitude could rob any regr human of their consciousness in an instant, and the gales that howled perpetually in the valleys threatened to sweep any traveler away into a gruesome death, should they even lose focus for one moment.


    But not the witchers. The witchers were blessed with incredible bncing skills. Their cloaks might billow in the winds, but that didn''t hinder their movements. They leapt and ran across the narrow path, but they were always as steady as a boulder. Sometimes they could even look down at the magnificent valleys too.


    Thend they left behind turned into nothing but a speck of dust. The infamousnd of Kaedwen, helmed by Henselt, a hater of non-humans, was pulled back into the horizon over yonder. Everything was left behind.


    ***


    The Vipers traveled from noon to dusk, and they finally hit a downward slope. The path before them twisted and turned like a snake, and a colossal valley unfurled before them. Thich pine trees swayed below on thend, and streams of water flowed into this valley before the witchers.


    "That''ll be all for today, folks." Auckes tucked the map into his pocket and looked at the sky. The sun was starting to set, and dusk was fast approaching. "Let''s camp for the night and resume our journey tomorrow."


    The witchers walked down the path covered with pebbles and grass, eventually reaching the valley before nighttime. They set up camp under a protruding boulder,ying out haystacks and setting up a campfire.


    As usual, the youngest witcher would be on hunting and kitchen duty for the night, while everyone else stayed back at camp to scout out their surroundings.


    Roy didn''t bother to object. He was used to this. The young witcher walked on his tiptoes across the mulch, traversing between the bushes and trees of the valley while holding his pendant down. Mana was abundant in the aire winter, and his pendant would vibrate most of the time, necessitating the action to stop it almost every time it happened.


    He then held up Gabriel with his left hand and put his right on the trigger. If Roy so wanted to, he could fire off a lethal shot anytime. At the same time, he looked around cautiously. If anyone was here, they would see a pair of wild eyes staring at them through the glistening cobwebs hanging between the trees.


    Roy pricked up his ears to receive any and all information from his trusty little helper¡ªthe sparrowhawk. It was zipping through the air above Roy, searching for prey and looking out for any potential danger.


    It screeched, and a silver bolt flew through the woods. A small animal underneath a bramble bush thirty yards away fell to the ground, a bolt buried in its flesh.


    ''Rabbit killed. EXP +5.''


    "Looks like it''s grilled rabbit for dinner." Roy gave the sparrowhawk a thumbs up.


    Gryphon cooed and perched on a branch to p its wings in excitement. It loved being praised.


    Roy hunkered down and quickly approached his prey, but he came to an abrupt halt and stood beside a big pine tree. The young witcher held his breath, the look on his face turning grim. <em>The ground''s shaking. And something big''sing. Yech. Something stinks too.</em>


    Gryphon noticed the change in the air as well. It remained perched on the branch, but the critter craned its neck and transmitted what it saw to its master.


    Through Gryphon''s eyes, Roy saw a grizzly bear popping its big head out from behind the bush, and then its whole body followed. The bear measured about six feet seven in length and four feet eleven in height when it was on all fours. Its bbyyers of skin wobbled with every step it took. The creature would have looked adorable if not for its long, sharp ws and tough, muscr limbs. This was no animal to be trifled with.


    The big guy lowered his head and picked the rabbit up with a single stroke of its tongue. It sat down and tore into the little creature, breaking it into little pieces to make it easier to eat.


    ''Grizzly Bear


    Age: Ten years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: ??


    Strength: 21


    Dexterity: 10


    Constitution: 25


    Perception: 10


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 5


    Skill:


    Hibernation (Passive): Grizzly bears are born with a bodyposition that allows them to store fat before winter arrives and food bes scarce. They will then follow their instincts and hibernate in a remote tree or cave. Their energy and stamina consumption will then be lowered, allowing them to pass the winter safely.''


    ***


    "You should have remained in hibernation, you big oaf, but you chose death instead." Roy shot an icy look at the bear and caressed his weapon. "Now I''m going to put you on ice. Thanks for the big haul. I''ll make sure to cook you well."


    Roy gesticted, and Quen covered him. He then pulled the trigger, and his pupils contracted.


    Two silver shes of light arced through the air and destroyed the bear''s eyes before it could even react. Agony sent it into a frenzy, and a great roar that shuddered the trees and sent birds flying tore through the night.


    The bear stood up, the fur on its chest bristling as it tried to pull the bolts out of its punctured eyes, but Roy wouldn''t let him do it. Two more bolts buried themselves in the bear''s paws.


    The creature quickly went on all fours and tried to sniff out where the witcher was. Even without its eyes, its excellent sense of smell quickly locked onto its target, and the bear charged at Roy like a big tank.


    The woods were trembling from the bear''s charge. It moved at an unbelievable speed, traversing thirty yards in less than two seconds. The bear opened its maw as it swung its paws at the witcher. The sheer strength behind those gigantic paws was enough to shatter Quen in one blow and crack Roy''s bones in two.


    But Roy was faster. He held his hand crossbow up and set his sights on the air behind the bear, and then he pulled the trigger. Ripples spread across the space where the witcher was before he disappeared into thin air. Then he reappeared beside a tree about thirty yards away.


    The bear crashed into the oak, its ws peeling off ayer of bark, and leaves rained down on it. Before it could reorient itself, two more bolts embedded themselves into its hind legs.


    The bear swiveled around in fury and charged ahead again relentlessly, but it was a futile attempt.


    Roy had the high ground, and he kept blinking around the battlefield like a sorcerer. Every time the bear was about tond an attack, Roy would evade it at thest possible moment only to appear in another spot and fire a few more bolts.


    His Mana reserve and the healing effects Activate brought were enough for him to cast Blink eleven consecutive times.


    Not even one minute into the battle, the bear had already demolished more than a dozen ancient trees, but it had nothing to show except for a few dozen bolts on its body. The bear looked more like a porcupine at that moment. It couldn''t even muster up enough strength to roar.


    Its chest was heaving, and its breathing was heavy, but not once did it manage to hit the enemy. The bear finally realized the predicament in was in, and it started running toward the woods'' exit.


    Night had epassed thend, and a full moon hung in the air, shining on a solemn hunter standing between the trees.


    Roy held his sword downward and knelt on one knee. Gwyhyr remained pointed at the ground. When the bear finally came near the witcher, he leapt into the air and fell like a meteor onto the bear''s back. The momentum and gravity pushed and pulled Gwyhyr down to the ground, piercing the creature''s head while it was on its way.


    As the bear''s brain turned to mush, it came to an abrupt halt and skidded five yards beforeing to a total stop. Its head was buried within the mulch, and not a sound came from its mouth.


    ''Grizzly bear killed. EXP +150. Level 7 Witcher¡­''


    Roy leaped off the back of the bear, and Gryphon flew down to perch on his back. It pecked his hair lovingly, and Roy patted its head.


    The young witcher wiped the blood off his sword with the bear''s fur and pulled out the bolts from its dead body. He was delighted by the hunt. <em>Two minutes. I killed that big guy in two minutes and tried out a newbat tactic. This is a good haul.</em>


    Someone interrupted his moment of delight. "Did you step in Kovir''s salted fish today, Roy? That''s a big haul!" A hooded witcher leapt off a branch and lifted up one of the bear''s paws, and then he gave Roy a look.


    Roy grabbed the other paw, and they made their way back to the camp.


    "A shame we can''t sell the hide for much. You put too many holes in it."


    "I can''t engage in close-quarterbat with it as I am right now. Too risky." Roy was confident about killing the bear in just moments if he used Axii and Fear in closebat, but he would have to get injured to do that. <em>Not a perfect battle for me.</em>


    ***


    Smoke billowed in the air, obscuring the moon for a moment. Four bear paws stood beside the campfire, and a young witcher was brushing honey and spices on them while he turned the paws over the open fire. The paws started crackling and oozing oil as they cooked, the aroma wafting in the air awakening the witchers'' appetite.


    "Get in line, people. I dragged this big guy back, so I''m taking the front paw." Auckes licked his lips and rubbed his hands while gulping like a starving wolf.


    "And you need to learn respect!" Serrit waved off the bugs that were flying in the air. "So I''m taking the other front paw." And then he sighed. "Thest time we had bear paws was three years ago."


    "Yeah. We were still in Nilfgaard back then. ''Twas in a mountain near Gorthur Gvaed. Ah, those were the days." Letho set his sights on one of the hind paws. They weren''t as tight and tender as the front paws due to their rtiveck of activity, but they were juicier and more sulent. "Things just kept piling on since we got to the northern kingdoms. We were busy, and your bear traps weren''t put to good use. This is really unexpected, kid. Getting a bear before Midwinter? That''s some luck."


    "And this is just the first day of our trek. Fate decrees it so. This is a good start." Roy was grinning and drooling. "I bet we''ll befriend the Wolves when we get to Kaer Morhen, and perhaps we can talk about something more than that too."


    "Put that thought on hold and don''t talk about the brotherhood," Letho retorted. "We''ll see how they react to the visit. If everything goes well, we can invite them to Novigrad."


    The Vipers exchanged smiles. While most of their brethren were still ekeing out a living by taking deadly requests, they had already opened up a lucrative shop. They could live their whole lives without even doing anything, and that was an aplishment, even though most of the coins were kept by a certain guy.


    "So, what did White Wolf say thest time you saw him? How many Wolves are left?" Auckes picked the paw up and took a bite. The temperature scalded his tongue, but he narrowed his eyes in enjoyment as the meat melted in his mouth.


    "Four. Same as us. Geralt, Eskel, Lambert, and their leader, Vesemir." Roy stared at his ever-optimistic friend and smirked. "I think you and Lambert will be fast friends."


    "You''ve never even seen the guy. How would you know?"


    "Oh, instinct." Roy smiled but didn''t borate. He looked at the bear''s corpse beside the fire. Nobody was even touching it after they cut its paws off. "And we''re just going to waste all of the bear?"


    Serrit shook his head in disgust. "There''s something I need to tell you, Roy. From a veteran bear-hunter to a newbie. Aside from their paws, bears are made up of literal fat. They smell like shite no matter how you go about it. Just cut off the gall dder and peel the hide off. That''ll make a good gift for the wolves. Bury everything else and give it back to thend."


    "Sure." Roy turned the skewers again and cut off a small part of the bear''s neck before tossing it into his hood.


    Gryphon held it between its beak and gulped it down. The sparrowhawk wasn''t picky about its food.


    "How long until we get to the rendezvous point?"


    "At our current speed? Two, three days at most."


    Roy stared into the night and through the woods and mountains. He could almost see a looming, ancient, but dpidated fortress. <em>I''ming, Kaer Morhen!</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 336: Eskel the Welcomer

    Dawn had not yet broken, but the witchers were already well on their way.


    Meandering, twisting paths popted the Blue Mountains. Some led to the mountain depths, while some led through the mountain range. Most were only dead ends, and even more of those paths were home to dangerous beasts.


    Auckes led the way. Thanks to their extensive experience in traversing mountain ranges and the clues on the map, the witchers went around the incorrect and most dangerous pathways, passing through the valleys, woods, and ravines with their backs always against the walls.


    Two uneventful days went by. The witchers hunted five beasts, had a few feasts, and earned some animal hides in the meantime.


    Then came the third day. Golden sunlight broke throughyers of clouds, shining on the Blue Mountains'' snowy caps. The witchers found themselves in a barren, meandering, and vast valley. Rocks wereid out haphazardly from one end of the valley to the cliffs on the other side. A wide stream flowed through the center of this valley, and the witchers were standing in the upstream area.


    Standing across the river was a dpidated, moss-covered wooden shack in a ce filled with rocks and tall grasses.


    Auckes had grown a stubble throughout this little journey. He looked at the X-shaped mark on the map, wiped the sweat off his face, and grinned. "We''re here, people."


    ***


    Auckes knocked on the door gently, and the witchers waited for a while, but no one came to take the door.


    "I think we might be early." Roy massaged his temples. He didn''t look too pleased. "It''s the twenty-third today. We''re two days into Yule. They might onlye in the second month when Yule is nearing its end."


    "It''s just a month away. The mountains are full of resources to fill our bellies until then." Letho hunkered down before the door and scooped up a handful of soil. "But you had better look around before you speak. The door might be locked, and there''s no sound of human activity inside, but this ce was clearly inhabited not too long ago."


    Letho pulled the grass away, revealing some incredibly light footprints. "Judging from the strength of his steps, this is a witcher alright. Probably went out for a hunt."


    ***


    The Vipers looked up and pricked their ears. As if answering Letho''s call, the sounds of footsteps flickered from the ins over the hills behind the house. A silhouette leaped through the forest''s trees elegantly. He didn''t even have to stretch his arms to keep his bnce. Not even a monkey could move as fast as he did.


    The silhouette blinked through the trees and didn''t even touch any branches on his way. Suddenly, he leapt down a tree and rolled on the ground to stop his momentum just to run all the way over to the Vipers.


    And then what greeted them was a muscr man at about six feet four. He was wearing a red with ck stripes shirt, and his broad shoulders pulled the fabric taut. His pauldrons were embedded with some metallic studs, and two sword hilts protruded from his back. The man was wearing standard grey witcher pants and a pair of leather boots.


    His hair was brown and parted in the center, and the man wasn''t handsome by any means. His features were rough, his nose was tilted to the right, his eyes were feline and amber, and his cheeks looked bby and swollen. His mustache wasn''t cleanly shaved, and some stubble remained.


    But the most eye-catching feature was his scar that extended from underneath his right eye to his chin. If this man were to step into any city, anyone would think he was a deranged serial killer.


    ''Eskel


    Age: Eighty-two years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Wolf School witcher


    HP: ?


    Mana: 150


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 16


    Will: 12


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 15


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 10, Alchemy Level 8, Meditation Level 8, Wolven Swordy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 8


    Others: ?''


    ***


    Roy observed the witcher before them. He thought Lambert would be the one to wee them, seeing as he was the more unorthodox one, but Eskel was a surprise.


    Eskel was the most mysterious Wolf out of the four remaining Wolves. His lore was scarce even in the game and books. If Roy had to say one thing about him, it''d be his personality. Eskel was like a hardworking mule and a down-to-earth man, though he did have some outstanding battles in his life as well.


    Back in Roy''s world, Triss said, "If there is one man who emanates more powerfully than Geralt, then that would be Eskel."


    As if by fate, Triss married the man whom she thought emanated most powerfully¡ªEskel. Of course, things were still uncertain in this timeline, since Triss hadn''t even met Geralt yet.


    ***


    "You must be the Vipers." Eskel stood five yards away from the witchers and looked at their pendants. Surprisingly, he knew all of them. "Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Roy. Good morning. I''m Eskel of the Wolf School. Came from Kaer Morhen."


    He raised the bloody deer in his hand. "It must have been a long trek for you. Come in and fill your bellies. You must be hungry. We''ll talk over breakfast." Eskel had a deep, reassuring voice.


    ***


    The house was stark and dpidated. Grass grew from the cracks between wooden panels, and cobwebs hung around the corners of the house. Aside from a haystack, there were only a cauldron, grill, and some yellowing wooden bowls around the house.


    The witchers sat on the hide rug around the cauldron, sipping down venison stew that had turnips, carrots, and potatoes added into it.


    Eskel tossed more charcoal into the fire. He looked surprisingly gentle, and his scar looked a little less intimidating. "When Geralt came back three months ago, he told us he befriended a few friends in Cintra and wished to invite them over. It had been decades since he brought anyone to Kaer Morhen. Not a friend, not an apprentice, and not even a woman."


    "I thought he had a lot of friends. Why didn''t he invite anyone to the fortress before?" Roy asked.


    "I mean, yes, he hunted dragons with dwarves, saved Foltest''s daughter, and even slept with more than a few sorceresses." Eskel shook his head andmented, "But he''s not the bestmunicator. Keeps a distance from everyone like he''s worried they might get separated if he approaches anyone."


    <em>That''s right! </em>Roy nodded his head. From what he read about Geralt, he was a badmunicator who just wouldn''t say what he really felt.


    "It''s surprising that he invited four guests at once." Eskel looked at the stew in his bowl and shook his head. "I thought some fools got to him again and tried to mount an attack on Kaer Morhen."


    <em>Again? </em>Roy knew why Eskel said that. Kaer Morhen was once invaded at arge scale many years ago, and they went into a decline since then.


    ***


    "So how did you guys decide?" Auckes smiled.


    "Vesemir checked him from head to toe. Inside, outside, wherever you can think of. When it was clear he wasn''t under a spell, it was time to vote." Eskel shrugged. "It had been a while since Kaer Morhen had guests. The ce is rundown. Everything of value''s been taken away, so we don''t mind some guests from time to time."


    "I chose not to vote, but Lambert objected to it for some reason. Geralt and Vesemir were fine with it, so¡­ I''m on weing duty." Eskel slurped some of his remaining stew. "I thought you''d only arrive in the first month. This is early. Midwinter just passed, and I hadn''t hunted anything big yet. I was going to make a feast."


    Roy was a little disappointed that Geralt didn''t tell hispanions about the brotherhood.


    "We settled our business in Novigrad and had nothing to do, so here we are." Roy fell into a pause. "I thought Vesemir would have objected to this."


    Roy''spanions shook their heads as well. They thought Vesemir would be the most conservative of them all, given his age.


    "Geralt convinced him. Told him all he knew about you, and Vesemir''s interest was piqued." Eskel scanned the Vipers again.


    "So what did he tell Vesemir?" Auckes asked curiously.


    "Letho''s a bald, reassuring man. Serrit''s a calm sage, Auckes is an¡­ unorthodox witcher who might get along with Lambert."


    Auckes'' jaw dropped. <em>Alright, that''s it. I''m seeing this Lambert the first chance I get.</em>


    "And you, Roy. You''re the youngest Viper, filled with courage and imagination. You''re bold and daring, like a fearless young cub who just ventured into this world without knowing any danger it holds."


    There was mncholy in Eskel''s eyes. He probably was reminded of someone. "And you, um¡­ You would blurt out something outrageous from time to time. That''s what Geralt said, not me. You loveing up with spectacr but insane ideas. Anyone would think you¡¯re a madman when they first hear your idea."


    Roy put his bowl down. He looked upset, and he lost his appetite. Letho tensed up and looked away to contain his smile, while Serrit''s lips twitched.


    Auckesughed out loud. "That''s an apt description! If he wasn''t a part of us, I would have thought he was a madman too, but I know him too well."


    Eskel said, "But then Geralt said when he stopped and thought about it, he thought you had a point. So, what <em>did </em>you tell him anyway?"


    Roy wanted to say something, but Letho quickly answered, "He''s the one who brought this visit up. You know how people his age are. Imaginative and boisterous. We had just met in Cintra, and he was already telling Geralt how interested he was in Kaer Morhen. Said he wanted to befriend you guys. It was rude, if you ask me. Too soon to ask for a visit, especially when they were just meeting for the first time."


    "I see." Eskel nodded. <em>Proposing a visit to another witcher''s base on their first meeting. Anyone would think these people have some ns in mind, but Geralt''s always had good intuition. He agreed to the visit, so he must trust these people. </em>"You''re not here just to get some new friends, are you?" Eskel asked.


    "Right on the head." Auckes thumped his chest. "Things are a changing now, mate. Witchers aren''t as powerful as they were before. Everyone and their mother are insulting us how they like." He stopped borating. He would leave the brotherhood talk to ater date. "So it''s always a good idea to make some new friends. At least we can help each other out when we need it."


    Eskel''s gaze turned downcast. This was his first time hearing such a straightforward suggestion. Most witchers only cared about themselves and would never befriend anyone from another school. <em>These people are a bit too straightforward about their goals, but that''s not a bad thing. </em>"Wee to the Wolf School, friends."


    The witchers raised their bowls and finished the stew.


    "I assume you''ve rested enough? If we set off now, we can reach Kaer Morhen before dark."


    ***


    Eskel led the Vipers through the valley''s vast depression, across the woods between stones, and down the stream through the valley''s nadir. They passed through the differentndscapes like it was nothing.


    They eventually reached a high point of the valley and came face to face with a thick, long trunk held up by some boulders. The bark was dark and covered in moss and ferns, while the branches had no leaves hanging on them. Anyone with bad bnce would fall and get badly injured if they walked this path, but anyone who wished to reach Kaer Morhen had to take this road.


    "This is the Killer." Eskel noticed Roy''s look of curiosity, and he exined, "It encircles Kaer Morhen and is beset with obstacles to stop any intruders froming close. And it changes every year. The Vipers have something like this around their fortress, no? It''s good training for new apprentices."


    "Um, I think the dummies provide enough training."


    ***


    The witchers easily passed through the Killer which were made up of lone log bridges lodged between boulders or steep mountain paths clinging to the cliffs. Through the morning, afternoon, and evening they traversed across another valley up to a semicircle hill.


    Eventually, they were starting to see the legendary fortress. It was lying in ruins beside the steep walls, and the stair-shaped walls were torn in half. The gates and outer castle were rubble, but the main castle was still standing tall. It was enough to house hundreds of people.


    "Look at that beauty!" Auckes whistled audibly. "On par with Gorthur Gvaed."


    The other Vipers looked solemn. Kaer Morhen was bigger but more dpidated than they thought, but that only made things more shocking.


    They spent about a minute staring at it before stepping onto the only bridge hanging over the moat. Eskel led them through the path in the yard to a steel gate, and standing behind that rickety gate was a dark corridor.


    There was a silhouette standing within the corridor. "Wee to Kaer Morhen, Vipers," a deep voice said.


    And the Vipers were surprised to hear that voice.


    "Hello, Geralt."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 337: New Wolves

    Two men were standing in the corridor. The one in the lead, with hair as white as snow, was Geralt of Rivia. He was still as badly dressed as ever. Grey jacket, yellowing shirt, and tight pants. His white hair was slicked back to his head, his stubbles almost overgrown. It was forever since hest groomed himself, and the White Wolf was waving at them.


    Eskel approached him and stood by his side like his brother.


    There was another witcher with Geralt, and he was the youngest among the Wolves. His hair was ck and cropped short, his hairline was receding, his eyes were amber, his nose was crooked, and his skin was so pale it was red. A little stubble also circled his lips and chin.


    The Wolves seemed to be cursed with scars on their face. Just like his friends, this witcher had an intimidating scar extending from the right of his forehead to his cheek. His arms were crossed, and the witcher was judging the neers arrogantly.


    ''Lambert


    Age: Fifty-two years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Wolf School witcher


    HP: 200


    Mana: 120


    Strength: 19


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 13


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 12


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 8, Alchemy Level 6, Meditation Level 5, Wolven Swordy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 7.''


    <em>He''s fifty-two? Not bad for a man his age. At least he only has a receding hairline, notpletely bald. Witchers stay young for quite a long time, huh? Like a certain alien warrior race.</em> He looked past Lambert and peered into the courtyard, but Vesemir wasn''t there. <em>I''m not in a hurry.</em>


    "Wee to Kaer Morhen, friends. It''s been a few months, and you still look as good as ever." Geralt smiled stiffly and shook their hands. "Didn''t lose any weight or limbs."


    "You put on a few pounds, Geralt. And thanks for the invitation." Roy beamed and shook Geralt''s hands.


    "You''ve gotten to know Eskel on the way, and this here is Lambert, the youngest Wolf around." Geralt turned around and gave hispanion a warning look.


    Lambert nodded, but he was by no means happy about it.


    Auckes stared at the guy judgmentally for a few moments. He was starting to get a little curious. <em>He doesn''t jive with me at all. There''s not an ounce of quirk in his soul. Unless you count arrogance and scorn as a quirk.</em>


    "Lambert, this is¡­"


    "It''s gettingte, and the winds are howling. Air''s a bit chilly too. Come with me."


    The witchers went past the grated gate and walked down the dark corridor before arriving at the yard. It was as big as Aldersberg''s fountain za, but it was a lot more run-down than expected. The floor was made of wooden boards and rocks, and the grass was growing everywhere.


    The yard was mostly empty, and ancient wooden scaffolding was supporting the chipped stairs and fortress walls.


    Under the rickety walls stood the Wolf School''s training tools: wooden stakes, spinning dummies, and pendulums that hung under a horizontal bar. There was also a whetstone to sharpen weapons.


    The veteran Vipers exchanged a look. Kaer Morhen looked older than Gorthur Gvaed, and more dpidated too.


    They trotted up the stairs and were greeted by a big oak tree with a great canopy standing in the center of the clearing. It danced as gales blew on it, and its shadow covered a side of the castle walls.


    Kaer Morhen was standing right in front of them. As the Vipers looked up, it almost gave them reverse vertigo. Towers and turrets stood around the main structure. Even the shortest tower was more than sixty-five feet tall.


    The witchers would be able to see the dense woods underneath them if they just stood on one of the many towers and turrets. If they so wished, even the snowy caps could be within their vista.


    The great wooden doors yawned open, and they arrived in a dimly-lit hall. It was starker than all of the castle halls Roy had ever seen. There were no resplendent decorations or beautiful ornaments hanging around.


    Aside from the candbras and haphazardlyid out alchemical tools, there were only tables, chairs, book shelves, and wine vats lying around. What left a big impression, though, were the stone pirs connecting the ground to the ceiling. "That attack left Kaer Morhen with nothing."


    Lights from candle mes and the firece shone on the empty clearing in the center of the hall.


    "Sit around,ds." Geralt pointed at the sofa near the firece. "I''ll see how dinner''s going. Eskel, take the alcohol. Sorry, but you guys came a bit earlier than expected. The alcohol''s probably not as good as intended."


    "It''s fine. We don''t mind as long as it''s drinkable." Serrit shrugged.


    "Lambert, you stay back and entertain our friends. And watch your tongue."


    Lambert let out a reluctant snort and plopped down onto the torn sofa.


    Geralt was about to leave, but Letho said, "Do you need help in the kitchen?" He gave Roy a look. The young witcher was looking around the castle anding up with a n for another adventure. "He''s a decent cook. Better than most cooks in any inn."


    "That''d be rude of us. You''re the guests here. We can''t possibly have you helping us out with the chores. Just enjoy your stay." Geralt really wanted to say yes. Wolf School''s food was mostly edible, and taste wasn''t the priority.


    None of them ever polished their cooking. Even Vesemir''s food was not bad at best.


    "It''s alright, Geralt. We''re brothers here," Auckes quickly said. "And brothers fight together! Kitchen''s a warzone, and we''re sending someone in to help. Roy won''t disappoint you!"


    "That''s an interesting saying, but you have a point." Geralt looked at Roy. "There''s boar meat, rabbit meat, turnips, yam, and pumpkins in the kitchen. Can you whip something up with those?"


    Roy heaved a sigh. <em>Why do I have to work everywhere I go? </em>He quickly went with Geralt, and the other witchers started goofing around.


    "Get your Gwent cards and game board out, Letho. Time for some warming up with Lambert before dinner."


    "Before that, I wanna know something about you guys. You''re from the South, aren''t you? Moving in groups is trending there? Don''t you guys think that''s a little bit stuffy? Won''t you guys fight amongst yourselves? If I have to stay around for one more winter, I would bash everyone''s faces in. Geralt only has one expression, and Eskel''s face is just annoying."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 338: Feast at Kaer Morhen

    Down a few wooden doors and through some twists and corridors they went. Eventually, they came to the left wing, where the kitchen stood. There was a basket of vegetables and rows of dried pork and meat hanging around.


    An elderly man was working in front of the cauldron in the center of the kitchen. He was wearing armor made of cotton, chains, leather, and metal. The man was muscr, and his hair was slicked back. His hair was brown, and he looked younger than Geralt. There was a little mustache hanging above his lips.


    Deep worry lines and stress lines decorated his face, but his skin was glistening, and his eyes were glimmering. He looked a lot younger than his age, and if Roy had to say, this man looked like a regr fifty-year-old guy. Even though he was no longer as handsome as he used to be. Roy could see that this man was as big a heartthrob as Dandelion was back in the day.


    <em>But this guy is almost as ancient as Kaer Morhen itself.</em>


    ''Vesemir


    Gender: Male


    Age: Three-hundred and four years old


    Status: Wolf School grandmaster (proficient in all Wolf School skills)


    HP: 200


    Mana: 160


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 15


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 8


    Spirit: 16


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 10, Alchemy Level 10, Meditation Level 8, Cat School Swordy Level 10, Wolven Swordy Level 10, Ursine Swordy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 10


    Crisis Sense (Passive)


    See More¡­''


    "And who is thisd, Geralt?" Vesemir ced hisdle into the stew and looked at the young witcher gently.


    "It''s an honor seeing you, Vesemir. I''m Roy from the Viper School. Mypanions and I just got here." Roy gave the grandmaster a look of respect and smiled at him. He had always wanted to see Vesemir, especially after the Battle of Kaer Morhen in the game.


    "It''s been decades since I¡¯ve seen a witcher as young as you. Or was it a decade or so?" Vesemir pinched his mustache andughed. "And you''re handsome too. Reminds me of my younger days. Can youe closer? I wish to relive my youth for a moment."


    Roy approached the grandmaster, and Vesemir gave him a quick bear hug, and then he shook Roy''s hands. "Wee to Kaer Morhen, Roy. We''re going to have some long talks down the road. It''s been a while since these walls have seen any guests."


    "Of course."


    "I envy the Vipers. Theye all the way from the south and <em>still </em>managed to get a new apprentice who passed the Trial." Vesemir noticed the slight difference in Roy''s eye color, and then he was reminded of the dire situation his school was in. "But why do you look at me like I''m an old friend, boy?"


    "Geralt talked to me about you before." Roy looked at the smiling Geralt. "You''re a magnificent mentor and the protector of Kaer Morhen."


    "Oh, stop with the pleasantries, boy. You''re making me envy the Vipers more every moment." Vesemir picked thedle up and ced a butcher knife on the stove. "We''ll talk over a drink, and now it''s time for you to cook. Make us something good. Don''t let them wait for too long."


    Roy looked at the pork and the cauldron, and he smiled.


    "Don''t just stand there, Geralt. Get us some tomatoes!"


    Night eventually descended, and it was time for a feast. Sconce mes and candlelights shone on the table of tantalizing food: grilled venison, a cauldron of stew, seasonal greens, and fruits.


    The Vipers and Wolves sat around the long table draped in a red tablecloth.


    "It''s been years since we had any guests at Kaer Morhen. Four guests at once calls for a celebration. Geralt, Lamber, Eskel, raise a toast to our guests!" Vesemir raised his mug and downed the booze all in one go.


    Everyone followed suit, and foam flew everywhere. As the witchers burped, Vesemir announced, "Dig in, friends. Be at home."


    "Don''t mind if we do!"


    Merry was the air at the table, and the witchers spoke as freely as they wished.


    "What do you call this, Roy? This is superb! Howe you never made this before?" Auckes was drenched in sweat, and he speared a long strip of boar meat covered in sauce. He swallowed it whole without even so much as chewing once, and then Auckes wiped the grease from his lips. Then he closed his eyes in enjoyment.


    "I''ve never had something like this, Viper." Lambert speared a thin piece of potato and popped it into his mouth. The spicy taste made his tongue burn, but he kept taking more from the cauldron. "Is this a Nilfgaardian recipe or an original one?"


    "It''s my first time trying this out. d you like it." Roy grinned at the sweating witchers.


    Even Vesemir was eating as fast as he could. Despite his age, he could move fast.


    "How did youe up with this?" Lambert sighed. "This kind of cooking never even crossed our minds. Decades of food wasted!"


    "I drew inspiration from us gathering around this table even though our schools are hundreds of miles apart. So I thought, why don''t I add everything I have into one big pot and cook them together? As you can see, a fusion of food makes things so much better."


    And then a jolt of pain seared the back of Roy''s foot. He turned around and gave Letho a look, but the veteran witcher kept digging into his leg.


    Vesemir fell silent for a moment. He put his cutlery down and raised his mug again. "It''s not every day you see a young man who can cook even better than me. This is exquisite. To Roy!"


    "To Roy!"


    "So, Letho, why did you guys move to the north?" Eskel gulped down his yam. "The north isn''t exactly fertile grounds for witchers anymore. Monsters and requests don''te as much, and the people despise us."


    He was reminded of a bad experience andughed at himself. "Any family with kids is always on guard against us no matter where we go. Rural areas, cities, it''s all the same. Is the south even worse?"


    "No. Emhyr hasn''t been hostile to non-humans." Letho took a swig of his liquor and grumbled, "At least he''s better than Radovid of Redania or Henselt of Kaedwen, but he wanted our fortress. He thought Gorthur Gvaed was located in a strategic location. Emhyr was nning on taking over by force, but he gave up for some reason, and we''re safe for the time being."


    The look on Vesemir''s face changed. He was also reminded of an ugly past. "We had it worse than you, honestly. A long time ago, a bunch of peasants, thugs, and mages banded together and ambushed this very ce." He recounted, "They took over the fortress for quite a while and killed off most of the Wolves. Ran off with a lot of our valuables too."


    Vesemir sighed. He was the swordy instructor back then, and he only escaped death by hiding under the corpses of his brethren, though Vesemir was out cold as well. Geralt and Eskel weren''t even born yet back then. "Vipers and Wolves aren''t what they used to be. Only four of us from each school remain."


    Everyonemiserated with one another.


    Letho exined, "Auckes, Serrit, and I realized we couldn''t put our fates in the hands of nobles. We needed to find another way out, and thus we came to the north. It proved to be the right decision, as we found a new member less than a year after we came." Letho looked at his apprentice, who was munching on a chicken drumstick. "But before we find a ce to rebuild our school, we thought we should firste and say hello. Build up a rapport."


    He scanned the Wolves. "We''re all witchers here. We know what difficulties we have to face. If we run into any trouble, at least we can help each other out, especially in this environment. No matter what we do, everyone thinks our existence is wrong. I know you understand what I mean."


    Geralt nodded. Eskel downed his alcohol solemnly.


    "Letho has a point. You seem to be calm and reasonable people. We''d be happy to build a partnership." Vesemir paused. "As long as we never go against our creed of neutrality in politics. And I''d say don''t pin too much hope on us. The whole Wolf School is just the four of us, including me. We can''t do much."


    "You''re being modest, Vesemir," Letho said. "You might be the oldest living witcher yet. Your experience alone is worth three or four witchers in weight."


    Vesemir nodded and drank some alcohol. "We''ll talk about the termster. After all, time is on our side." <em>I need some time to observe these Vipers.</em>


    "A toast!"


    "Tell me how you guys managed to convince this kid into joining you." Lambert frowned. "Law of Surprise isn''t as useful as it used to be. I tried using it for decades, but nobody would join us. How did you find one in less than a year?"


    "Patience. You''re still young. There''s much to be seen," Geralt answered.


    Vesemir and Eskel took the chance to finish the remaining meat in the cauldron.


    "You''re <em>still </em>relying on the Law of Surprise to get new blood, Lambert?" Auckes suddenly shouted, and it gained everyone''s attention. "The Law of Surprise is outdated. We need to keep abreast of the times." He raised his mug, the light from the mes shining on his face. "Roy''s not a product of the Law of Surprise. How he joined us is a story worthy of a page in the history book of witchers."


    Letho choked on his beer, and Auckes said mysteriously, "But that''s a tale for another time." <em>If I bring that up now, the kid''s going to also bring up the brotherhood.</em>


    "Very well. I shall await your tale." Lambert didn''t press for details. "So how are you nning to rebuild your school? First, you''ll need coins. A lot of coins." Lambert counted his fingers solemnly. "And you''ll need an officially certifiednd. Getting a kingdom''s seal is not something coins can solve. Third, how are you going to recruit new blood if you''re not going to rely on the Law of Surprise? The people are going to think you''re kidnappers."


    Vesemir stopped eating, and the wolves listened closely.


    "We have enough coins. Our business in Novigradted us a whole treasure trove," Serrit said. "Andnd isn''t that hard to find." <em>We still have thatb under the Temple Ind if pushes to shove.</em>


    A smile curled Serrit''s lips. "And this is a big world. There are plenty of orphaned, starving children who would mor to join us as long as we extend an olive branch to them."


    "But these children can''t form a bond of Destiny. They''re no Unexpected Children." Geralt put his cutlery down and argued, "The Trial is nothing but a death sentence for these kids."


    "But I''m an exception." Roy looked at Geralt and Eskel. He argued, "So what about Unexpected Children? Not like they''d be apprentice witchers anyway. We need to change if we want the schools to continue existing."


    Eskel touched the scar on his face, and Geralt froze. He was reminded of the girl he left back in Cintra.


    "We shouldn''t talk about something to somber during dinner." Vesemir knocked on his te. "Let''s talk about something lighter."


    "And we''re gonna start with Geralt!" Lambert gushed. <em>I have been waiting for a long time. Time to tell our guests about our luck with women. </em>"How many women have you slept with this year? And then I''ll talk, and then it''s Eskel''s turn."


    "Are you sure you want to bring that up?" Geralt shot his friend a look of disdain. If his face could make an expression of disdain, that was.


    "You''re not going to say anything? Why? Did you stay celibate for a year?"


    "Why don''t I go first?" Auckes asked. "I dated a sorceress in Aretuza earlier this year. She''s a petite blonde."


    The sconce mes and candlelights shone on a few lewd faces as they exchanged their ''experiences.''


    Vesemir even stopped taking the meat and slowly moved toward the discussion area.


    Roy heaved a sigh. <em>Looks like it''s going to be a long night.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 339: Heliotrop

    Sunlight shone through the rusty bars of the window, raining down on the tattered rug. Roy was woken up by a cold gust of wind, and he found himself on the best wooden bed in the school.


    The other witchers and Vesemir gave him the best room in this castle, as he was the youngest witcher, cook, and dishwasher. Even so, their best room was as stark as everywhere else. There were barely any decorations or furniture. There was only a bed made up of a few wooden boards, a crate of clothes, and a chair. There were a few hides on the door and walls. Roy recognized some of them as wolves, stags, and pumas.


    It was the first time in a while since Roy had a good night''s sleep. At the same time, he sorted through the ns he wanted to execute here. First, he wanted to make an alliance with the Wolves. Letho thought it was fine enough to reach a little agreement to help each other out, since this was their first visit.


    But Roy had to tell them about the brotherhood and try to get them on his side. There was little more than a year left before the first Northern War would erupt. <em>Time is not on our side.</em>


    He would have to gain the Wolves'' trust by finding their missing diagrams. Roy memorized all six diagrams'' locations, and they weren''t far from the castle. Finding them would be easy.


    And finally, the Wolf Trial''s recipe. Roy had the Manticore, Cat, and Viper''s Trials'' recipes in his hands, so that was nearst on his priority list.


    There were also a few side quests, like witnessing the Circle of Elements, meeting Old Speartip, the trialmaster of Wolf School, summoning a demon in a remote ce, sparring with the Wolves, and learning some new Signs. <em>If I''m right, the Wolves have more than five Signs. </em>"Wonder if they''re awake."


    The witchers talked about their romances untilte at night. If they weren''t in a castle surrounded by woods as far as the eye could see, Roy had no doubt they would have gone around to have some fun.


    He changed into his armor and strapped his swords behind his back, then he stuffed a piglet into his hood. The young witcher stepped through the door, and his lips twitched. "You''re heavy."


    Cold winds blew from the fields and mountains. It felt like icy des were cutting through the air. Brutal was the winter of these mountains, and the oak in the courtyard was shivering like a wizened hag. It swung its branches against the winds, leaves raining to the ground.


    A silhouette was already in the training grounds going through his routines. His stance was solid, and he raised his sword over his head. His shoulders were rxed, and his upper body was straight. His feet were joined in an L shape, and even though he wasn''t moving, the man was reassuring to anyone who saw him.


    He took two slow steps backward and fought with the enemy he was visualizing, and then he swung his sword downward. A white line pierced through the air and made it buzz. The air current that gushed from this strike sent all the leaves around the man flying.


    He stopped swinging as the de formed a horizontal line before him. Then the silhouette pulled the sword back like a giant holding a mountain. It felt like the man would almost produce a mountain and toss it into the air a momentter.


    He stopped moving and raised his de up, positioning it beside his left cheek. The de was at a slight angle.


    The silhouette was in the ox stance, and he tensed up like a bow, while his de was his arrow pointing at the enemy he saw in his mind.


    The man charged ahead while thrusting his de forward. The beast trampled the ground, and leaves fluttered around him.


    Roy blinked. The man might have had his back turned to him, but he felt like the thrust wasing straight at him. Even the air felt like it was going to break under pressure.


    The young witcher tensed up, but the silhouette wasn''t done. He pulled his de back to his lower back and took a plow stance. The man started spinning his sword around as he stepped ahead. His sword spun around and around his body like a whirlwind of death.


    Glints of metal shone throughout the training grounds. Unlike Cat School''s swordy, the man''s spin was not as agile or precise. Instead of steps, he took strides, and his de was pushed down at a lower angle, giving him more area of damage and power.


    The man would change how he attacked even when he was spinning. Upper slice, downward swing, thrusts, and many more.


    Roy was entranced. The swordy went on for five more minutes before the man came to a stop.


    He heaved a sigh and turned around. An ugly smile curled his lips, and his face glistened with sweat. Roy could almost see steam wafting from him, and it almost made his scar look even more menacing.


    "Hello, Eskel. You''re up early. Everyone is still asleep, right?"


    "I''m used to it. Feels weird if I don''t move around every morning. I thought you were going to sleep in. Want to train with me?" Eskel picked up a training sword beside the stakes and tossed it to Roy.


    Roy took it and swung the sword around as he stepped into the training grounds. His left foot was forward, his right foot back. The de was held on his right side, the tip pointed at Eskel''s throat. Roy was smiling and filled with motivation to fight.


    Ten minutester, the young witcher was sitting beside the stake, sweat-drenched and brooding. Viper''s dual des were cunning, Cat''s swordy was precise and fatal, while Wolf''s had variety. But no matter which school it was, no matter who he was fighting, Roy was always on the losing side. He could hardly throw a counterattack if they were only engaged in swordy.


    "Letho told me it''s only been a year or so since you joined. You''re already a decent swordsman." Eskel gave him a pat of approval and handed him a wineskin. "I had to put my neck on the line just to kill a drowner at your age. You will be the Vipers'' leader in time."


    "A loss is a loss, Eskel." Roy took a sip of the liquid and arched his eyebrow. <em>It''s not water. What''s this green liquid? Some sort of juice that quenches thirst and replenishes stamina? </em>"Pardon me for asking, but who''s the strongest out of the four of you?"


    "Battles ebb and flow. They''re affected by physical and psychological variables, so I can only make a rough guess." Eskel leaned on the stake and scratched his head. "Lambert''s the weakest no matter what in terms of swordy or Signs. He''s still not at a witcher''s prime age. In terms of swordy, Vesemir is the best one around. Geralt''s not bad either."


    Roy nodded. Vesemir was three times older than any of them. Not only did he master multiple schools'' swordy, he also had the experience.


    "I''m about average," Eskel said. "Mostly assisting them in battles."


    "You''re too modest, Eskel. I don''t think you''re a worse swordsman than Geralt is." Roy saw the White Wolf''s swordy in Brokilon. It was as elegant as a dance, while Eskel went for a wilder approach. "Can you teach me more about Signs after this, Eskel?"


    "I would say it''s a discussion more than tutge. Cast the Signs you know."


    Roy made some strange gestures in the air and cast all the Signs he knew at the dummies. Five colors shone in the air, each representing a different Sign. Yellow for Quen, purple for Yrden, crimson for Igni, green for Axii, and blue for Aard.


    Roy cast them in a loop.


    "That''s enough, Roy. That was a surprise." Eskel crossed his arms and stared at Roy. "You''ve only passed the Trial, but you''re already mastering your mana to this degree. Excellent. Your casting is fine. The gestures are correct, but you need practice. A lot of practice. Try to shorten the time needed to cast the Signs."


    Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead and heaved a sigh. Thanks to his Elder Blood, his elemental affinity saw a big increase, and his control over the Signs had improved greatlypared to how it was before.


    "But why did your mentor only teach you five Signs?"


    "That''s the total number of Signs we have." Roy smiled and looked at Eskel expectantly. He asked, "Are you suggesting there''s a sixth?"


    "It''s not a secret anyway. Listen closely." Eskel puffed his cheeks out and paced around the yard. "We call the sixth Sign Heliotrop. Like Quen, it''s a defensive Sign, but Quen is mostly used for physical attacks, while Heliotrop is used for elemental attacks. Magic, so to speak. It can defend against fire, lightning, and frost as well. And we know that Sign."


    They had Vesemir, after all. Roy wasn''t surprised they knew one more Sign.


    Eskel held his palm out and made a strange gesture. His index and ring fingers were held to his palm, his pinky was half-curled, while his thumb and middle finger remained erect. He pushed his palm ahead, and two identical ck triangles with a line in the lower parts appeared in the air. ck light shone and crept up the witcher''s body, covering him like a dark shadow.


    "Got any Mana left? Shoot an Igni at me."


    Roy made a gesture and pushed it ahead. A stream of fire licked Eskel, but the moment it touched the ck light, Igni disappeared, while the ck light only faded a little.


    Roy stopped casting Igni, but he seemed excited. If this was Quen, his Igni would have burned through the shield, even if their most proficient Sign user, Serrit, was the one casting it. <em>But Heliotrop can still hold on for a bit. This is a must-have for any battles involving monsters with mana. And I''m a mage-killer. No way I''m letting this go.</em>


    "I see the sixth Sign is a special one. Pardon me, Eskel, but can you¡ª"


    Roy''s request was interrupted by the gate''s opening.


    A group of witchers came out, and they had dark circles under their eyes. Not even the sun could liven them up.


    Auckes stretched his arms. "You two are early. What are you guys doing?"


    "Did all the Gwent games blind you, Auckes?" Lambert scoffed, "Obviously the most hardworking lot of both our schools are training together. You''re the veterans here, but a newbie is more hardworking than all of you? You should reflect on yourself."


    "Ah, shut it, Lambert." Auckes shook his head. "Everyone slept in, including you. If you feel <em>so </em>ashamed, why don''t you hang yourself on the stakes right there?"


    The witchers started arguing, while Vesemir went straight for the stairs beneath the oak tree. He nodded at Roy and nced at the training swords beside the stakes. "Hello,d. How did the sparring go? Did Eskel go too hard on you?"


    "I was going to ask him about Heliotop, and¡­"


    The Vipers listened closely. They hated the fact they only knew five Signs. Now that the sixth was right in front of them, they wanted to know everything about it.


    "Have you mastered it, then?" Vesemir gave Roy a gentle look of encouragement.


    "Sorry. I''m not talented enough to master it yet."


    "Well, what are you waiting for, Eskel?" Vesemir shot Eskel a re. "You have one week! Make sure thed masters Heliotrop!"


    "That''s alright, Vesemir!" Letho quickly stood beside Roy and said apologetically, "Thank you, but the kid''s overstepped a few lines here. Ignore him. Signs are precious secrets. You can''t possibly hand it over so easily.


    Roy turned around and rolled his eyes. <em>He''s not helping me, </em>and <em>he wants me to be the bad cop here?</em>


    "It''s alright, Letho. Don''t scold him for a good thing," Vesemir said. "You came with gifts, and it''s natural that we return the favor."


    "We''re not that kind of people, Vesemir," Serrit argued. "And the things we brought were practically things you can find anywhere."


    "It''s alright, I insist. There''s only four Wolves left, and this is just a little trick we know. If we insist on keeping it a secret, the only ce we''re taking it is to the grave."


    Since Vesemir insisted, the Vipers epted the gift graciously. Roy''s respect for Vesemir mounted. <em>He''s not the grandmaster for nothing. Generous and wise. Since you''re teaching me Heliotrop, then I''m giving you something nice in return.</em>


    Roy thought that witchers had to share everything they knew, from Signs to diagrams, if they ever wanted to really expand. Keeping secrets was counterproductive. Vesemir had that kind of spirit, but Roy wondered if he would ept the concept of brotherhood.


    Vesemir looked at everyone. "Eskel''s going to teach Roy the sixth Sign, and we''re going to have a little discussion about Signs with everyone else.


    And then something interesting happened. The Wolves and Vipers split into teams of two, and the Wolves started teaching the Vipers how to cast Heliotrop.


    Roy stood before the spinning dummy and curled his hand up in a strange gesture. He was used to swinging his weapon with his right hand, so he cast his Signs with his left.


    His gesture was simr to Eskel''s, but on closer inspection, his fingers were curled at different angles. It was far from perfect, so to speak. Learning a new Sign was a boring process. It was like practicing the five sword stances.


    From a distance, it looked like someone was pulling and pushing his hand in an infinite loop, and that someone''s hand was curled up like a little octopus.


    When Roy first made that gesture, his mana was like dead, unmoving water. The elements felt like they were frozen.


    After mastering five Signs, Roy noticed how they worked. Igni utilized the element of fire, Aard and Yrden used wind, Axii used water, and Quen used earth.


    Just like Quen, Heliotrop utilized the element of earth. Roy kept doing the gestures, and Eskel kept correcting him patiently. Just like how he looked, Eskel was patient, meticulous, and never in a hurry.


    Lambert, however, was different. "Honestly, Auckes, did you cheat your way through the Trial? I have never seen anyone with fingers as uncoordinated as yours. You''re a fucking donkey!"


    "And you''re shutting the fuck up! I have never seen anyone who talks shit like they eat it every day! Stop buzzing around like a fly or I''m changing partners!"


    Lambert and Auckes were arguing, while Geralt and Letho exchanged a look of resignation. Serrit, on the other hand, was learning quietly from Vesemir.


    Four hours and a thousand failurester, Roy finally had a stroke of inspiration. He pushed his left hand ahead and curled his index and ring finger at the same time. His pinky was half-curled, while his thumb and middle finger were erect.


    The Mana in his body rippled, and part of the earth element swam into his limbs, coursed through his arm, got into his palm, and came out of his fingertips.


    A ck triangle appeared in the air, and ck light covered Roy''s body. Then a message popped up in his character sheet.


    ''You have learned Heliotrop. Heliotrop: Creates a barrier around you. The barrier can deflect elemental attacks.


    Eskel was surprised. "You''re a talented swordsman <em>and </em>Sign caster, Roy. I spent three days just to learn this, but you did it in hours."


    Geralt was staring as well. "I spent two."


    Everyone huddled around Roy, staring at the ck light around him curiously. They couldn''t believe an apprentice learned a new Sign faster than the veterans of their school.


    In terms of magical talent, Roy''s Elder Blood ced him on top of the witcher pyramid, and the magical training he created helped him out.


    "I spent a week, fuck! This is unbelievable!" Lambert was jealous. "Did you check his magical talent? Are you sure he''s not supposed to be a sorcerer?"


    "He''s indisputably a witcher," Letho said. There was approval and praise in his eyes.


    Vesemir suddenly came up and patted Roy''s shoulder, and then he winked at everyone. "His magical talent is on par with a Griffin¡¯s. It''d be a waste if he didn¡¯t pay a visit to Kaer Seren. Why don''t you lend thed to us for a bit, Vipers?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 340: Sacrifice

    The witchers spent their day on the training grounds. Heliotrop training aside, something interesting happened. Lambert and Auckes got into a fight twice from their constant bantering, and Vesemir was the referee.


    Lambert got the beating of his life twice. Auckes was far more experienced in terms of swordy and Signs after all, but Lambert refused to give up and kept fighting.


    ***


    Roy decided to sit this one out. While everyone was busy training and watching the fights, he went on a tour around Kaer Morhen, and Eskel was his guide. In days long past, these turrets and towers were inhabited by hundreds of Wolves. Roy could imagine how prosperous this castle must have been once upon a time.


    Marks of ages long past lingered in the halls. Old portraits and paintings hung on the walls, and some of them depicted pictures of famous Wolves, like Rennes, the leader of the pack, Vesemir, thest grandmaster, and Vesemir''s apprentices.


    There was also a portrait of another school''s witcher, namely George of Kagen, the Dragonyer. In the portrait, he was casting Igni with one hand and Aard with the other. Standing before him was a green dragon close to its defeat.


    ording to Eskel, their school''s teachers thought having their apprentices see how George bravely took down the dragon would work wonders for their training, but in reality, George died a humiliating death.


    After he killed the treacherous dragon, he was barely left with any energy in the tank. The famed Dragonyer couldn''t even muster up enough strength to drink a potion, and a thief smuggled his gear and diagrams away. He pretended to help only to kill George in the end. And thus the Dragonyer came to an unceremonious end.


    Irony at its finest. A Griffin who abided by the knight''s creed lost his life to humanity''s darkest side after killing a vige-burning monster. The Wolves never respected this Dragonyer despite his heroic deed. They drew a mustache and some male genitalia on his face.


    But that was in the past. Kaer Morhen was mostly deserted now. Not even a silhouette could be glimpsed in most ces, and they had barely any decorations. Winds blew through the corridors with ease, and not an echo was even heard. This was a fortress that stood alone and deste.


    ***


    Roy and Eskel went through the corridors and up the spiral staircase. The Wolf exined everything about every room and building, from its use to its history. Past the drawing room, training grounds, lectern, alchemy room, cksmithing hall, and library they went. Most of the rooms were broken and unusable, however. Only their basic functions remained.


    "Has it always only been the four of you here, Eskel? How long have things been this way?"


    Eskel fell into a long silence. "There used to be about eight of us, but most of them died in a witcher tournament."


    <em>A witcher tournament? Is that some sort ofpetition between witcher schools? </em>Roy flipped through his memory. <em>The tournament happened in Geralt''s younger years. Radowit II of Kaedwen convinced the Cats to betray the Wolves and sent them on a massacre mission. At the same time, the king sent out his troops on a mission to vanquish all mutants. The ploy failed, but most of the Northern witchers died in that battle. Geralt only escaped with his life thanks to Ermion''s interjection.</em>


    "We also have a few missing Wolves and traitors, but I guess they too died in a battle somewhere out there."


    Roy shook his head in silence. <em>I won''t be too sure about that. One of those traitors, Berengar, is alive and well in Vizima.</em>


    "It has been more than twenty years since we had any new blood. Thest one was an orphan Vesemir brought back with him, but without any sorcerer''s help, he failed the Trial. Death was¡­ an unpleasant experience for him.


    There was dejection in his eyes. "The four of us have been holding this whole ce together. For more than twenty years now. Vesemir spent most of his time in the castle, while Geralt, Lambert, and I would return every winter to eat, drink, and talk about our experiences. Spring woulde, and the cycle would continue."


    Roy felt a little sad for Vesemir. Geralt and his friends could at least go on adventures and have some fun, but Vesemir had to stay in this forlorn castle for decades. All by himself. Roy wondered how that must feel. <em>But why? Why wouldn''t the Wolves make any change? Are they just going to let the annals of history take them?</em>


    He asked, "Vesemir aside, have any of you taken in new apprentices?"


    Eskel froze in his tracks and touched the scar on his face again. He was reminded of the one who gave him this scar. It was his Unexpected Child. Eskel made the choice to let her go. She didn''t be a witcher, though her life took an unexpected trajectory toward brilliance. "Geralt and I don''t have much luck with apprentices. Witchers are bound to fate a lot of times. Our rise and fall are but pages in a history book. If the Law of Surprise dictates that I can''t get any apprentice, then so be it."


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>Never took him as a pessimist. He''s just going to wait for an apprentice to show up all wrapped up like a present from Destiny? Nothing goodes from waiting and twiddling your thumbs.</em>


    "Eskel, if none of you are willing to make a change, there''s only going to be fewer of you who cane back every winter. Doesn''t that make you sad?"


    ***


    "I''m used to it." Eskel shook his head. "Witchers die all the time. You went through the Trial. You know how painful the mutation is." Eskel stared at the empty hall and said something Roy would remember for the rest of his life. "Every Unexpected Child who goes through that Trial is a family broken. Every aspirant that passes that Trial bes a mutant haunted by loneliness and discrimination from the world."


    "But that paines with a reward. The sacrifice means something," Roy argued. "At least witchers possess incredible power and lifespan. We can knock back bandits and intruders and survive in most hostile environments. The world is our oyster!"


    ***


    "You''re still young, Roy. I don''t me you for not understanding where I''ming from. Most people prefer a peaceful life." Eskel shook his head. "Witchers stand to lose far more than what they gain. At least that''s what most people think. And we lost our sorcerer a long time ago. Nobody knows how to use most of the alchemical tools here. Holding the Trial in these conditions is too risky. A death sentence for the aspirants, if you will."


    "Is that what Geralt thinks as well?"


    Eskel didn''t answer. Or to be precise, that was a silent yes.


    <em>No wonder they wouldn''t talk about change. Vesemir is probably the only one who still takes in new students. Lambert is in an awkward position, so the fall of this school partly lies on Eskel and Geralt''s shoulders. They don''t want to see any more children suffer the Trial, so they gave up on their Unexpected Children. If Destiny never gives them an orphaned child, they''ll probably never take new students.</em>


    Roy heaved a sigh. It wouldn''t be hard to get into an agreement with the Wolves, but Roy had a strong feeling that getting them to join the brotherhood would be a tall order. <em>How should I change their perception? No, first I gotta gain their trust.</em>


    ***


    "Let''s go, Roy. You''ve seen all there is to be seen. Time to make dinner."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 341: Missing Diagrams

    Dinner wasn''t as sumptuous as the one they had before, but meat, stew, and greens were avable. Training exhausted the witchers, and they could¡¯ve devoured a whole bull. They chomped through the meat and bones easily, eating as fast as they could. It was like apetition of who could eat faster, and in five minutes, there was nothing left of the deer but its bones.


    Letho put down the leg bone and gave hispanions a look, and then he raised his mug. "Thank you for your tutge, Vesemir. A toast to all of you. To the Wolf School! To Kaer Morhen! To evesting friendship!"


    ***


    The Wolves returned the toast, though someone harrumphed a little. "Just because you''re more experienced than I am in battle doesn''t mean you''re a better drinker, Auckes." Lambert raised his mug as a challenge to Auckes. mes shone on his eyes where determination flickered within. "Wanna have a go?"


    "Sure, but we gotta have some stakes," Auckes epted the challenge. "What if you lose?"


    Lambert announced, "Then I''ll bang my head against the ground and apologize to you."


    "What if you go back on your word?"


    "That is enough!" Letho shot Auckes a deadly look, and thetter shut up. "Sorry. Auckes is a straightforward man. Never filters what goes off his tongue."


    "Lambert is the same." Geralt looked at the bantering witchers. "He only shoots off at people he likes. It''s his way of showing concern."


    "Huh?" The bantering witchers turned their attention to Geralt, the intensity of their gazes making the White Wolf shudder.


    "I said that''s enough. Now let''s talk business." Letho scanned everyone. "As thanks for your generous tutge, we''ve decided to give a return gift. Or to be exact, we''re giving back what is rightfully Kaer Morhen''s."


    Sounds of chewing and cutlery ttering against tes disappeared, reced by a deafening silence.


    "What do you mean, Letho?" Eskel was confused. "We couldn''t have lost anything. Seventy years I''ve been here, and I didn''t know we had any stolen treasures. How did you guys know about it?"


    Lambert, Geralt, and Vesemir were equally befuddled.


    Letho looked at Roy. "This has something to do with the kid. The Trial granted him a special power. Premonition, if you will. He can see glimpses of the past and future, especially when he''s under pressure."


    Roy took over. "The first time I saw Kaer Morhen, I was assailed by my instincts. They were telling me something." Roy stared vacantly in the air as if there were something terrifying hiding there. "When you brought up the attack on Kaer Morhenst night, I saw something. Smoke rose from this fortress, and mes were licking it. A great army surrounded it, and sorcerers rained down the full might of the elements on the castle. Wolves and their apprentices alike fell in the pools of their own blood and lost their lives."


    The witchers'' breathing almost stopped as Roy told them about the scene he saw. Vesemir took a deep breath. Memories kept flooding into his mind, and he took a big swig of his liquor, though that didn''t stop his hand from trembling.


    "Hold it." Lambert scratched his chin, and a frown furrowed his brows. "You sure that wasn''t a drunken hallucination? If I''m right, that attack happened two centuries ago. Vesemir aside, Geralt, Eskel, and I were probably still in our father''s ballsacks. You''re telling me you can glimpse back to two hundred years ago?"


    "Perhaps it was some kind of mana reflux?" Geralt suggested. "Maybe that''s why you had that nightmare. And what does it have to do with the things Letho said?"


    Roy didn''t answer. Instead, he continued, "I saw two sorcerers in the ruins near the castle. If I''m right, they must have been the mages who worked in Kaer Morhen a long time ago. While the castle was under siege, the mages were in their rooms, using their magical tools to analyze a set of beautiful armor and weapons. They were trying to make out thepositions of those items ande up with their diagrams, and they stayed in touch with another witcher through a telescope."


    The Wolves fell silent again. Roy''s story was starting to have some veracity to it. Resident mages and telescopes only existed in Kaer Morhen before that conflict centuries ago, and none of them had told Roy about it.


    "That witcher was in the cksmithing hall, making the equipment drawn out on the diagrams, but he was interrupted before his work was done." Shock filled Roy''s eyes as he recounted the ''horrifying scene'' he saw. "The thugs and troops were already infiltrating Kaer Morhen. They outnumbered the witchers ten to one. Try as they might, the witchers couldn''t turn the tables."


    "So Letho was talking about the diagrams, wasn''t he?" Geralt turned to Vesemir. He was never told of any Wolven diagrams existing, but then Vesemir nodded his head.


    "Can you give me the names of the mages and witcher, Roy?" Vesemir asked with an almost imperceptible tremble in his voice.


    "The mages were Hieronymus and Chird, while the witcher was Varin."


    Vesemir closed his eyes and leaned into his chair. He was too rxed and looked like a big blob of jelly, but everyone could see the sadness and hint of joy on his face.


    "Varin was¡­ an old friend," Vesemir muttered. "I just hit my eightieth birthday before that cmity happened. Was still a sword instructor here. Varin was thebat and cksmith instructor. He spent his whole life searching for the legendary witchers¡¯ armor and weapons. He aspired to recreate those items and gear all new witchers up. Couldn''t whip those stiff-as-rocks newbies into monster hunters otherwise. Varin was already making a breakthrough when the attack happened. Just before he could turn his ideas into reality, those thugs broke through, and he defended Kaer Morhen with everyone else. Lost his life in battle."


    "The castle, watchtowers, and fortress were ransacked and almost demolished. I tried to search for the diagrams, but to no avail. Thought the intruders took them away too." Vesemir fell into a long pause. "I was the only survivor in the castle. The handful of witchers who were venturing thends escaped that terrible fate as well."


    ***


    And then everyone fell into a sorrowful silence.


    Dozens of witchers and some resident sorcerers were a force to be reckoned with, but still they were almost annihted when faced with a horde of frenzied invaders. They were crushed and smashed apart like a lone wooden boat in a raging sea.


    Resolve glinted in Roy''s eyes. <em>I won''t let history repeat itself. We must change for the better, and first, I need to gain their trust.</em>


    "So Roy''s premonition was spot on?" Lambert gulped in disbelief. "He''s a talented swordsman and Signcaster, and now you''re telling me he''s a irvoyant? Is he even really a witcher anymore?"


    "Of course he is. This is beyond your imagination though." Auckes patted his shoulder. "He''s the sign of the Viper School''s rise."


    "Ah, shut it. A single witcher can''t change anything."


    ***


    Roy looked around. "Vesemir, Wolves, if you''d like to, we can set off for the search anytime," he said genuinely. "I saw it. The diagrams weren''t taken away. They''re hidden in a ce nobody knows about, and we have to use a portal to get there."


    Vesemir looked at Roy calmly. He had a feeling this witcher was different from them. <em>He''s full of life. </em>"Are you really going to give those diagrams back to us?"


    "Of course. But we''d love it if we could have a copy."


    Vesemir nodded. "We''ll set off tomorrow. Get enough rest and prepare yourselves. It''s been years since anyonest stepped into that ce. It''s probably infested with monsters now." He knocked on the table. "Once dawn breaks, we''re setting off."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 342: Watchtowers Portal

    Kaer Morhen''s ins were once again visited by a chilly dawn zephyr. Snow fell on the fourth day after Midwinter, draping thend in a silver coat.


    Pine trees swayed on the ins as horses trekked through the snow. Eight riders in thick cloaks sat atop the mounts as they made their way west of Kaer Morhen.


    "Nice horse, Geralt. A mare, isn''t she? What''s her name?" Roy patted the ck horse beneath him. He was reminded of Wilt, who was stationed far away in Novigrad.


    The Blue Mountains weren''t easy to trek, so he didn''t bring Wilt along. <em>Wonder if Kanti is feeding him well.</em>


    "Roach. She''s a lively girl." Geralt held the reins with one hand and patted her mane with the other. There was a gentle smile on his perpetually stiff face. "She''s mostly obedient, but sometimes she gets jittery and flings me off her back in battle. And sometimes she just goes against my orders."


    Roach bared her teeth and made a weird noise of protest.


    "Roach¡­ Sounds like an insect''s name." Roy was reminded of something interesting, and he smiled. "She hops onto someone''s roof sometimes, doesn''t she?"


    "And how did you know that?" Geralt frowned. He stared ahead at a red horse, where Auckes and Lambert were vying for control.


    "Got a premonition when I saw her? How did she do it? Did she grow wings and fly onto the rooftops?"


    "A witcher''s horse is no regr beast. The potions and Signs affect her throughout her adventures with me. Now she''s more like a¡­ human, not a horse." A yawn escaped Geralt''s lips, and then he stared ahead. A ramshackle watchtower was standing over the snow-capped hill in front of them. "We''re here."


    ***


    To the pine trees the horses were tied, and up the meandering path the witchers went. The watchtower looked even more run-down upon closer inspection. Centuries ago, a powerful magical attack had hit the tower in the middle, breaking it in two. Most of the tower''s insides were filled with debris from the walls, rotten, ckened wooden beams, and stairs.


    Yellowing grass grew on the ground, and a few frozen trees stood around the tower.


    "Are you sure there''s a diagram here, Roy?" Vesemir stopped looking around. "I searched the whole ce after that siege, but I found nothing."


    Geralt and hispanions were confused as well. Growing up at Kaer Morhen meant exploring the fortress and areas around it for fun, but they didn''t find anything either.


    "Perhaps you were too besieged by sorrow to find anything. But there''s eight of us here now," Roy said confidently as he led the way into the watchtower. "I saw Wolf''s mark and a crystal in my premonition. Find them, and we can find the secret passage."


    ***


    The watchtower was only the size of a regr inn, and eight witchers scouring it made for an efficient search team.


    But something happened fifteen minutes in. A screech that resembled a baby''s cry rang out, and a purplish-brown humanoid monster came crashing down while pping its wings. Like an eagle hunting for its prey, this monster went straight for the scrawniest of the team.


    Roy felt a gust of winding down on him, and he instinctively ducked and rolled away. Once the winds were gone, he stood up and came face to face with a repulsive creature.


    The creature''s wings were over six feet long, its humanoid body was covered in ugly cuticles like it was the victim of a fire, and long, ck talons hung from the ends of its limbs. One stroke from those ws would be enough to shred Roy''s flesh off. Its head resembled a human''s, but there was a huge beak where its mouth was supposed to be. The monster gnashed its teeth in fury, the screech from its teeth mashing together grating.


    ''Erynia


    Age: Five years old


    HP: 100


    Mana: 89


    Strength: 7


    Dexterity: 10


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 7


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Chimera (Passive): Erynias possess the strengths of eagles and fish. They can fly and move underwater. Their stomachs are powerful enough to handle rotten and fresh meat. Human flesh included. +2 to Dexterity, Constitution, and Perception.''


    ***


    After missing its first attack, the erynia pped its wings again in an attempt to take to the skies, but Roy shot the monster an icy look as he quickly shot an Aard at it. The Sign hit, a loud explosion rattled the air, and the monster was sent tumbling down to the ground.


    Screams of agony escaped the monster''s lips as it tried to p its wings and escape, but it was toote. With Aerondight in his hands, Roy leapt into the air and swung it down on the monster, easily cutting into its flesh.


    Roy thennded back on the ground and flicked the blood away from his de. At the same time, the erynia stopped moving. A crimson line appeared on its ugly, bby neck, and blood spurted everywhere.


    As if in slow motion, the monster''s ugly head moved from its neck ever so slowly. It eventually hit the ground and rolled over to Roy.


    ''Erynia killed EXP +80. Level 7 Witcher (3080/4500).''


    "That''s what you get for trying toe after me. Thought I was easy prey, didn''t you?"


    Roy whipped a short sword out and went to dissect the monster. "Monster guts, monster feathers, oh, an eye of erynia. Good alchemicalponent."


    Lambert whistled from the other side of the watchtower. "Good job, kid! A clean, deadly hit. And the Sign was perfectly cast too. I see my younger self in you."


    The battle was done in two seconds. None of the witchers managed to get any hits in either.


    "Yeah, right," Auckes scoffed. "I bet this ugly bastard could whoop your fifteen-year-old ass like it''s nothing."


    <em>I''m just going to ignore their bantering. </em>"It''s odd seeing an erynia on Kaer Morhen''s grounds though." <em>Erynias usually live near the sea like their close cousins, the harpies. Cintra and Skellige Isles are their homes, but Kaer Morhen? Oh, there''s another about erynias.</em>


    Roy pulled out the innards while taking a trip down memoryne. <em>Coral told me a merchant told her she was as lovely as an erynia, and she teleported him straight to the nest of one. He could see he made a wildly wrongparison, and that was thest thing he saw.</em>


    While Roy was reminiscing about his time with Coral, Vesemir looked around him. "Seems like we should be cleaning up once in a while. See if you can find any erynia nests here."


    The witchers spent some time looking around, but there were no monsters to be found. The assumption was that this erynia probably got separated from the main group and wound up lost.


    About ten minutester, Letho found something within the broken walls on the west side of the watchtower. Lying underneath ayer of snow was the mark of a wolf''s head made by something sharp. The pattern was minute, vague, and easily missed. The elements over the years all but erased it.


    The witchers pried that brick open and revealed a small box lying within, and in it, a blue crystal slept.


    "Your premonition was spot on. There''s something hidden here." Vesemir stared at the crystal. There was reminiscence and guilt on his face. "I can''t believe I missed this for so many years."


    <em>If I had found the diagrams and geared those rascals up, maybe more of us could have survived this treacherous world.</em>


    Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel were staring at Roy as well. They hadn¡¯t taken the premonition talk seriously, but now that doubt was gone. And yet it only shocked them more, for the power Roy possessed essentially made him a prophet.


    "So this thing can open a passage or something?" Lambert rubbed his chin. "Okay, so what next? How should we tinker with this and open up that passage?"


    "This is obviously an energy source for a portal. But it seems broken." Serrit held the cold crystal in his hands. "It can''t be used." And then he looked around. "Anyone can repair magical items here?"


    "Sorry. I''m a sword instructor. Portals are out of my depth." Vesemir shook his head.


    "I''d do it if this were simple magic, but this is beyond me." Geralt shrugged. "We need a professional. Like the resident sorcerer who was here two centuries ago."


    "Hey, Auckes, you''re tough, aren''t you? A better swordsman, Signcaster, and drinker than I am, aren''t you?" Lambert raised his chin and challenged, "If you can repair this trinket, then I''ll say you''re better than me."


    "I can''t do this, but¡­" Auckes kept winking at Roy. "Roy can! You can do it, right?"


    "I think you guys are forgetting something." Roy went past the witchers and stared at the crystal.


    "What is it?"


    "If we can''t repair it, just brute force it. Like <em>this</em>!" Roy made a blue triangle in the air and pushed it at the crystal.


    Aard''s air current smashed into the crystal, and a brilliant blue light shone from the trinket. At the same time, a green whirlpool appeared right over the wooden splint hanging over the edge of the walls on the witchers'' right.


    There was nothing but a straight fall on the other side of the whirlpool. Not even a little rock to hold onto. The sheer height of the fall almost gave everyone vertigo.


    "Complex little mechanism. And a pretty one too. A parallel portal, huh?" Eskel looked at Geralt, whose eyes were twitching. He teased, "So are we going to jump through this? It might kill us."


    "Look at the color, people. We can still see the grass underneath. This portal is obviously iplete." Letho said, "We''re going to break our bones, if not die, if we jump into the portal right now. There''s another crystal here, and we need to find it."


    ***


    The witchers almost cursed their resident sorcerer foring up with a creative ce to hide the second crystal. Instead of keeping it in the watchtower, the sorcerer decided to hide it somewhere near the cliff outside, and an hour went by before they even found it.


    Once again, they cast Aard on it, and the crystal lit up. Finally, the portal turned a deeper green and covered all the ground underneath.


    The witchers were impressed. Two centuries had gone by after that siege, but the crystals still worked, though they weren''t sure if the items were safe, given how long they had existed.


    Nobody knew what was in store for them on the other side, and they argued about who should go first. Vesemir volunteered, but the other witchers wanted to go first as well. While they argued, Roy handed his little duck to Letho and exchanged a look with him.


    He cast two Signs, covering himself in yellow and ck light, protecting himself from physical and elemental harm.


    With confidence in his heart, he left the squabbling witchers behind and leapt into the whirlpool.


    Everything around him spun as he hurtled through the portal into a seemingly different world. One moment he was in thends of Kaer Morhen, but the next he found himself in a dark, ustrophobic ce.


    "Jumping through a portal sure is better than walking through one." <em>Didn''t feel nauseous at all. </em>He snapped his fingers and produced a small me with his left hand.


    As his surroundings lit up, Roy slowly realized he was in a dark, narrow cave. The ground was covered in rocks and twinflowers, while yellowing vines slithered down the top of the cave. With shields covering him, a small ball of fire in his left hand, and Aerondight in his right, Roy slowly moved ahead.


    White light shone from the nearby exit, and a ball of green light popped into existence. A wraith equipped with antern and short sword charged toward the witcher, screeching and screaming.


    Roy put his hand against the ground, and purple light shone into the air. He swung Aerondight around and held it near his waist, pointing the tip at the creature facing him.


    The moment the wraith was constricted by Yrden, Roy thrust his de a few times at its chest, and the silver burned through it. The young witcher wasted no time in getting around the wraith through its underarms and burying his sword into its back.


    The wraith extended its burning body and let out a harrowing scream, but it was useless against Roy''s powerful Will and the power of Heliotrop. <em>Time to finish this!</em>


    Axii and Fear locked the wraith down like a pinned prisoner, and Aerondight swallowed it in a wave of crimson cuts.


    The wraith didn''t evenst a single moment. It screamed and howled, but not even its desperate attempts could save it from being turned into a pile of dust.


    ''Wraith killed. EXP +70. Level 7 Witcher (3150/4500).''


    "Whoa. Ten more EXP than regr wraiths." Roy tucked away the specter dust and a lesser green mutagen, thetter of which was a surprise. "That''s almost enough specter dust, and this is a remote enough ce. Wonder if I should summon a demon here?"


    Roy left Gwyhyr around as his teleportation waypoint.


    He kept pushing forward and found a skeleton at the edge of the cave. Roy searched the skeleton and found four dusty but intact diagrams on it. <em>Armor, gauntlets, trousers, and boots. </em>And there was also a note written by a shaky hand.


    ''Cannot move. Spine broken, liver (perhaps spleen?) pierced. Knew jumping into portal was extremely risky with only 1 crystal powering it - but still better than certain death at hands of enraged peasants. Mob broke into tower, cut off path to second crystal. Had to flee. Grabbed diagrams for Wolf School gear before going - hoping Varin wille save them, if not me. Perhaps he wille still, will jump through the portal, retrieve his diagrams, rescue me... A foolish hope. My time is very short.''


    ***


    "Probably one of the sorcerers keeping watch over this tower. Wonder if he was Hieronymus or Chird? He managed to finish the diagrams right when the keep was attacked. A sorcerer forced into a corner by a mob with torches and pitchforks. How ironic."


    It didn''t matter if this man was a witcher or sorcerer. They couldn''t save themselves from a horde or angry mob on possible steroids¡¯ witch hunt.


    "But I''m different. I can blink and teleport away." Roy tucked the sorcerer''s remains away and slid down the cliff outside the cave.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 343: Resident Sorcerers Dead

    "So he got his liver hurt and didn''t live to see another day." Vesemir sighed and turned his eyes downward. He seemed downcast.


    "What do you think about them?" Geralt handed the diagrams to Eskel and Lambert after he took a look at them. <em>This armor is a lot sturdier than the rickety ones we have. But making it won''t be easy. The alloys andponents aren''t something regr cksmiths can handle. Only a master cksmith is up for the job.</em>


    "Chird and Hieronymus were kind souls. They weren''t arrogant and temperamental like their brethren. Their kindness extended to even the apprentices." Vesemir could almost see the images of a balding man in purple schr robes in his mind.


    He never interacted much with the sorcerers during his sword instructor days, but he was grateful for their contribution to the school.


    "I have a question. Where did the sorcererse from? Aretuza or Ban Ard?" Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead. "What''s the difference between them and the mages who attacked the keep?"


    "Your mentor never told you about that?"


    Letho scratched his nose. "Gorthur Gvaed had long lost its resident sorcerers when we joined."


    "So you passed the deadly Trial all by yourselves. Not bad." Vesemir exined, "Most resident sorcerers graduate from academies. They''re experts in mutation and human experiments. Most of them are friendly to the first witchers and are willing to coexist with us. They''re an indispensable part of any witcher school. Trials are that much less lethal thanks to their help. But the mages who whipped the peasants into frenzy are on a different end of the spectrum. They see witchers as disposable test subjects and a treasure trove of experiment results they could take by force whenever they want."


    "Their test subjects will be of no use to them the moment they get their hands on what they want. Apparently, they finally got what they wanted. Most mages don''t think highly of us now, nor do they hate us. They''re just uninterested in us."


    <em>I don''t think so. </em>Roy shook his head. He was reminded of a certain woman he knew, and she was the best candidate to be the Viper School''s resident sorceress. <em>But I have another question. </em>"Are you one of the first witchers, Vesemir? Have you seen our founders, Alzur and Cosimo then?" <em>They''re Rissberg''s resident sorcerers to an extent.</em>


    "Technically, I''m a second-gen witcher." Vesemir shook his head. "I''ve never seen our founders, but the first-gen talked about them before. The creed held by the Griffins came from Alzur. Before he was a mage, Alzur was an apprentice knight who did his best to help the people and gain recognition. His mentor, Cosimo, had the soul of a researcher. His boundless curiosity led him to create the first witcher. Decadester, he found a new goal and left the fractured witcher group with his apprentice. There are stories about them all over thend, but none had ever seen them again."


    Nobody knew if Cosimo and Alzur were alive or dead. Once the founders were gone, the witcher group had no leader to speak of. The difference in opinions led them to set up new schools of their own. They set off with theirrades and some sorcerers to settle in different parts of the continent.


    "Storytime''s over. Next stop,d." Vesemir pped his hands and snapped everyone out of their stupor. "Keep these." He gave the diagrams to Roy. "We''ll discuss what to do with the diagrams once the search is over. And don''t rush ahead next time. We don''t push our young in front of us when danger is facing us."


    ***


    The next diagram was also hidden in a ramshackle watchtower. It was located northwest of Kaer Morhen.


    Onwards the witchers rode, but halfway through the journey, one little episode halted them. Three grizzly bears appeared from behind a snow-covered pine tree. Their roars shook the trees and sent the birds flying. Even the horses flung their riders off out of shock, but the witchers broke into two teams and cast Quen on themselves.


    And then the hunters became the hunted.


    Surprisingly enough, both schools fought in simr ways. First, they trapped the bears with Yrden, then they cast Axii to bemuse the beasts, and finally, they buried their swords deep in the bears'' heads.


    ***


    Lights of sword and magic shone between the woods, and the beasts'' roars slowly became whimpers.


    The beasts fell in less than thirty seconds, drenching the snow with their blood. They were hanging on, but just barely, and Roy dashed their hopes of living by thrusting his de through their eyes before wiping the blood off on their hide.


    ''Grizzly bear killed. EXP +170. Level 7 Witcher (3660/4500).''


    "What is up with the bears in Kaer Morhen, Geralt? Did they mutate like Roach and ditch the need to hibernate?" Roy asked. <em>Man, I love these bears, A few more of them, and I''ll make enough EXP to level up!</em>


    "You gotta brush up on your Almanac of Creatures, kid!" Lambert made a face at Roy. "They can''t hibernate before they have enough fat stored up. You think they''re that stupid? But honestly, though, it''s weird. We''re on a lucky streak since you guys came. First the diagrams, and now bear paws? I''d think a festival ising." Lambert slit the bears'' necks and pulled their hides off. The witchers took good care not to ruin the bears'' hides this time.


    "And it would have been a festival without you shooting your mouth off!"


    Vesemir shook his head. He noticed something interesting. The Vipers asked them to leave thest blow to Roy. They said it was for his training, but Vesemir didn''t believe a word. He looked at the excitedd curiously, thinking to himself, <em>Does the boy have any other power aside from his premonition?</em>


    ***


    The next watchtower was located in a prairie. It was surrounded by some crumbling walls, and the witchers went inside easily. The moment they did, their pendants started trembling. A ball of light popped into existence, and then out came a wraith covered in rotten patches.


    Bravely, or very stupidly, it charged toward the group of witchers all alone.


    The veteran witchers decided to sit this one out and leave the wraith all to Roy.


    Roy had enough experience dealing with wraiths. He cast Heliotrop and Quen at the same time before charging ahead with Aerondight in hand.


    As usual, Yrden trapped the wraith, and Aerondight rained down terror on it. The wraith died after a few moments, leaving some loot behind.


    <em>Essence of wraith, specter dust, lesser green mutagen, and sixty EXP.</em> Roy''s heart leapt in delight. <em>I love killing monsters for loot.</em>


    ***


    Giant debris blocked the watchtower''s entrance, denying the witchers entry. However, they found some skeletal remains outside the tower and dug out one Wolven silver sword diagram from underneath the bones. And there were also notes left behind by Chird, the sorcerer''s assistant.


    Chord said he locked himself in the watchtower to defend against the angry mob led by sorcerers. In the end, the mob broke through and took or burned most of the treasures in this ce before killing poor Chird off.


    "So that skeleton you found must have belonged to Hieronymus. Both of our sorcerers are dead." The light in Vesemir''s eyes dimmed, the delight of finding the diagrams gone. "I shouldn''t have held onto any hope. This is what fate had in store for Kaer Morhen."


    "Why didn''t Chird escape through a portal? Why did he stay back?" Roy was bemused.


    "Maybe he didn''t know how to use a portal. He was an assistant, after all," Letho guessed


    "Wait. Look, these notes mention a couple of names. I''ve heard of Varin," Geralt said. "He was a sword instructor in Vesemir''s time. But who''s Elgar?"


    "A legendary cksmith," Vesemir answered. "One of the first witchers who migrated to Kaer Morhen, but we lost track of him when he was out on an adventure. These diagrams are made from the equipment he left behind."


    "But these are almost perfect, and they''re only imitations?" The witchers were impressed. "If Elgar himself were here, I can''t imagine how powerful the items he would make must be."


    Roy was reminded of one thing. <em>Elgar could have been on par with the likes of Ivar Evil-Eye, but he too disappeared. Where did the witchers of old go? Did they die in some unknown corner of the world and leave nothing but some items behind?</em>


    "Time to go,ds. Onest diagram left." Eskel tucked the sorcerer''s remains away. "Once we find all the diagrams, we''ll give them a proper burial."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 344: Shadows of the Past, Long Obsession

    Gales howled across the ins among the mountains, and snow covered the witchers'' cloaks as they rode to the ancient fortress west of Kaer Morhen. Once there, they were greeted by a circr building reminiscent of a coliseum.


    Grass and bushes popted the ce since thest time anyone stepped in there, a barren za standing in the center of it all.


    "Remember this ce, Eskel? We were trained here before." Geralt had a trip down memoryne.


    "Yeah. Went on for a few years before we took our Trials." Eskel went down thatne with Geralt, and he looked at his mentor. "Vesemir would keep chasing us here and make us practice our swordy from dawn to dusk. Our arses and arms would end up swollen, and our backs sore. We helped each other with the salve, remember?"


    Eskel paused for a moment, and a smile curled his lips. "Your arse is round and firm, Geralt. Even more so when you''re in tight pants."


    "Ahem!"


    "Is thatining I hear?" Vesemir pinched his mustache. "If I hadn''t trained you that way, you''d have been drowner lunch by now. And you''re the best students I''ve taught."


    "Hey, wait. What about me? Howe I never got to train here?" Lambert raised his head defiantly and screeched, "You only let me jump around the stakes in that narrow yard! You took my childhood away, Vesemir!"


    "Ah, this ce is as run-down as everywhere else. There''s nothing to see here. And I wasn''t as young as I was when you came. Couldn''t muster the energy to go back and forth just to tutor you." Vesemir shook his head. "Besides, Geralt and Eskel trained you. That should have been enough."


    "Look alive, people!" Letho shouted.


    Some ''old friends'' showed up in balls of green light, and out came wraiths.


    "There are wraiths here?" A surprised Auckes said, "And you guys didn''t notice them?"


    "There used to be no wraiths here." Geralt unsheathed his silver sword. "They probably popped out of the void. Midwinter just passed, and mana is still plentiful in the air."


    Eskel swung his sword at the wraiths in front of him. "I think they''re invaders. Something is tethering them to this ce. Must be something to do with our old friends."


    ***


    The witchers pounced at their enemies, and a big battle broke out again after more than seven decades of silence and loneliness. The sound of metal broke through the air, and ghostly screams tore through the battlefield.


    The battlested for ten whole seconds, and Roy was already picking up the loot. <em>Alright. That''s five more piles of specter dust. Now I have all theponents for the summoning circle.</em>


    ''Level 7 Witcher (4000/5000).''


    The witchers started exploring the ce.


    ***


    A third skeleton was found hidden among the grass and snow. This one was Varin, the cksmith and sword instructor who was also Vesemir''s colleague. They found thest diagram underneath his body and uncovered a page of his chipped diary.


    The entry talked about what happened on that fateful day. Varin was about to make a powerful silver sword with the guidance of this diagram, but the mob started attacking before he could even start up his furnace.


    He joined the defense team and defended the keep with hisrades, but s, he died. The sorcerers met their demise without seeing any reinforcements either.


    Vesemir hunkered down and grabbed hisrade''s remains with a piece of cloth. The sorcerers and Varin shouldn''t rest in the wilds. Kaer Morhen was their home, and that should be their final resting ce.


    A somber feeling tinted the air, and Vesemir aged years in an instant. Seeing the remains of threerades in one day was a harrowing experience.


    Kaer Morhen was invaded, and only a handful of Wolves were left. Two hundred years went by, but Vesemir failed to bring Kaer Morhen''s glory back. Instead, he witnessed its horrible decline. <em>I let these people down. </em>Guilt made his face tremble, and the Wolves were grasped by a slight sadness.


    ***


    "Job''s not done, people." Roy held his trembling pendant. "We still haven''t found the thing that tethered those wraiths to this ce. There''s mana around here. I bet it''s nearby."


    The witchers went back to work and searched the ce, but they couldn''t find anything.


    In the end, Vesemir posited a guess. Their pendants were trembling, but they couldn''t see where the mana wasing from, and their witcher senses were showing nothing. He said this invisible mana came from the dead''s obsession. For some reason, that obsession was rooted in this ce and never left. They had to make that obsession corporeal through a ritual and find out how to deal with it.


    Vesemir made a magical circle out of infused dust at the ce they felt mana vibrate the strongest. A moment of waitingter, two ck, translucent silhouettes appeared in the circle.


    The silhouettes were vague. All they could see was a bald witcher with two swords strapped to his back and a scrawny little boy.


    The silhouettes were blinking and ying out a scene like a recording. There was only one line, but it felt like the silhouettes were talking to them. "You''re holding a sword, not a whisk! Swing it with your wrists, not your elbow! Again!"


    And the image disappeared. The powder had ckened into a soot-like color and lost its magic.


    "Impossible¡­" Vesemir''s lips were trembling. He couldn''t believe he just saw an old friend of his. "Varin?"


    "You mean this sliver of obsession dates back to two hundred years ago?" Lambert was incredulous. <em>How the hell did this thing stay around for two hundred years? What kinda obsession is it?</em>


    "Yes, that was either Varin or his apprentice."


    ***


    And that wasn''t the only image they found. Another one was hidden behind a battered shack, and Varin''s image was still chiding his young apprentice. "You halted your training without my permission. Get back up and continue! Bleeding is not an excuse to stop! Pull that bandage down and keep training! You''re not getting any chance to heal until I say you''ve passed your training!"


    ***


    "Wow, he was a lot stricter than Vesemir. At least he would let us bandage our wounds." Lambert shook his head and muttered, "Weird. It''s been decades, but I still can remember how Vesemir yelled at me."


    Everyone fell into unanimous silence. Every witcher there had undergone harsh training from their mentors. It was a painful experience, but looking back, they were memories they cherished.


    "This is reality, people," Geraltmented. "Happiness doesn''tst. The only thing you remember is pain."


    ***


    They found a third image on the walls.


    "War horns?" The witcher¡¯s silhouette shouted, "Something''s wrong! Hide and wait for me! I know you''ve trained with real swords, but your skills and strength are awful! Now hide behind that boulder and don''t make a sound!"


    ***


    "Hey, I don''t know if you''ve noticed this, but Varin''s the only one who''s talking. What about the kid?" Serrit said, "He''s never said a word. What is he, mute?"


    "No." Letho looked at the corner of the city walls and saw the skeletal remains of a child. "He''s the source of this obsession. He never forgot about his mentor''s teachings."


    Not even after two hundred years.


    The witchers fell into a stupor again. Just like the apprentice, they were trained in these walls and lived in the keep for decades. The ones who left the deepest impression weren''t their lovers, friends, or even enemies, but the mentors who trained them harshly when they were kids.


    The Law of Surprise bound witchers to their apprentices in a bond beyond time and death.


    ***


    Geralt held the apprentice''s remains up, and fury shed in his eyes. Even two hundred yearster, the witcher could still see the wounds on the bones. Judging from the condition of the remains, the apprentice was just a regr human who hadn''t taken the Trial, but the invaders didn''t spare him.


    "The child''s soul lingers still within these walls. His obsession is tethering those wraiths to this ce," Geralt said. "He still remembers his mentor''s teachings long after his death."


    "I think his biggest regret was never gaining Varin''s recognition and bing a true witcher," Eskel said. "We''ll give him a proper burial once we return to Kaer Morhen and equip him with two weapons. It''s tradition. He has to rest in peace for this obsession to depart."


    "Yeah."


    Roy scanned the Wolves and smiled. The younger ones weren''t recognizing the witcher trade anymore, especially Geralt and Eskel. They were reluctant to pass it down, but Roy purposefully guided them here to witness a soul that still calls himself a witcher long after his death.<em> That should tug on some heartstrings.</em><em>Or at least I hope so. And we''ve got the full set of diagrams. They should be convinced of my premonition powers now. Maybe I can convince them to join the brotherhood after we return to the keep. I''ll tell them what the premonition tells me about it.</em>


    ***


    They left the Bastion holding four skeletal remains. As they made their way back to Kaer Morhen, mes of sorrow and fury welled up within the witchers'' souls.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 345: For the Future

    Night descended, and the witchers mourned for their fallenpanions before their graves. A somber dinner took ce after the group trudged back to Kaer Morhen. Everyone seemed to be more unenthused about the food than they were a couple of days ago.


    Roy scanned his silent friends. Everyone had a different look on their face. Some were sad, some dejected, while some were furious. Emotions took hold of them, and none came forward to break the ice.


    "We''ve given our fallenrades a proper burial, but that''s far from enough," Roy said. "This is a lesson written in blood, and we must learn from it. That is the role of the survivors."


    The witchers snapped out of it and turned their attention to Roy. They wanted to hear what he had to say.


    "A single school can never fight against a mob, especially when a sorcerer is ming them. Not even when they''re at their prime. We need to act and make sure the tragedy that happened two centuries ago never takes ce again." Roy stood up and raised his voice. "We need to band together and defend ourselves from any possible danger."


    "Are you talking about an alliance, Roy?" Vesemir gave the young witcher an understanding look and turned to his apprentices. Everyone nodded. "That''s not a problem, but about the details¡ª"


    "An alliance isn''t what I''m talking about." Roy gushed, "I mean a closer, deeper connection. We need to merge our schools and build a bro¡ª"


    "A! Hem!" Letho interrupted Roy and shot him a look. "Let''s talk about something more practical. Now that we''ve found all six diagrams, what next? Will you make some equipment?"


    "That can wait." Geralt waved Letho down. "We''ve all seen the diagrams, and we need more alloy if we want to make the new equipment. That''s going to cost a lot, and we don''t make enough coins for that. Even if Lambert, Eskel, and I scrimped and saved for a whole year, we still wouldn¡¯t make enough for the gear."


    Looks of embarrassment filled Eskel and Lambert''s faces. They were traditional witchers who only took monster-hunting requests, which were the most dangerous and expensive requests. Equipment maintenance, potions, healing, and travel fees took a lot out of the coins they made. Even after years of saving up, they still didn''t have enough coins to refurbish the whole fortress.


    The Vipers had seen the diagrams as well, and they were astonished by Elgar''s skills. The engineering was state-of-the-art, and the price andplexities were beyond all diagrams they had seen so far. An estimate of about four thousand crowns were needed to make a full set, and that was a conservative estimate.


    This was a huge amount of coins. Had the Vipers not stumbled upon the manor''s treasury, they would only have about two thousand crowns in reserve.


    ***


    "Coins aside, we need the right man for the job. The process involved in making these isplex. Nobody can recreate these unless they''re a master cksmith." Eskel shook his head.


    "Not even Vesemir can do this?"


    "Varin was the cksmith instructor, not me." Vesemir shook his head sadly. The sight of his fallenrades still lingered in his mind. "My skills are passable. You live for a few hundred years and you''re bound to pick a few tricks up. But my talents leave a lot to be desired. I''m no master cksmith. Only Be¡ª" Vesemir quickly changed the subject. "We can''t make these at the moment. You should make a copy of these first."


    ***


    "We''ll talk about our cksmithter. Vesemir, we have a suggestion if it''s money you need," Serrit said. "Would you like to hear it?"


    "Of course."


    "Taking requests isn''t the best way to make money. We''ve found another way to get more coins. Not too long ago, we struck it big in Novigrad and managed to take two shops from one of the wealthiest men in town."


    "Whoa, what did you do? Do they still have that request up? Wait a minute¡­" Lambert looked at them suspiciously. "Did you people rob someone?"


    "Not the point." Serrit''s lips twitched. "We''re running an apothecary shop and a ballroom. And we''re friends with one of the rulers there. We''re nning on setting up new branches in other cities once Novigrad''s apothecary shop establishes itself. Since we''re forming an alliance, you can help us with the branch. All we need are your skills, alchemical and martial alike. It''s a lot better than taking dangerous requests. But if running a shop sounds too boring, we also have another way to make money. Novigrad''s Collector is a friend of ours, and he''s more than willing to hire a few powerful, noble witchers to train his men and guard his turf. And time is flexible. He also pays well."


    Giving out some benefits to the Wolves and strengthening the alliance was one of their ns. Lambert was obviously interested. A young witcher like him wasn''t averse to trying out new stuff.


    "I have a feeling you had this all nned out. First you help us with the diagrams, and now you''re trying to convince us into this little scheme of yours because we need the coins for the gear." Geralt looked at everyone else. "But I''m sorry. Tradition says we make a living by killing monsters. We''re not witchers if all we do is alchemy and protecting wealthy men. But thank you for the offer."


    "You guys are traditional." Roy shook his head in resignation and exasperation. He just couldn''t understand why the Wolves were such sticklers to tradition.


    <em>They hold their tradition up like the Bible, suffer the world''s insult, live in poverty, watch their schoolnguish, but can¡¯t make enough coins to refurbish it, and they still won¡¯t change. Not even when we''re giving them a chance. Why won''t they try it out?</em>


    Roy couldn''t keep quiet about this anymore. He wanted to change this. Letho noticed the look in Roy''s eyes, and he gave the young witcher a warning re, but Roy shook his head. He was resolved to see this through.


    "Very well. We won''t push you into this, but I''d like to talk about what I think of you guys. Just from my observation alone." He scanned all the Wolves.


    "I knew you had no concept of respect, kid." Lambert cocked his eyebrow and smiled. "But I like your honesty. So you have a problem with us? I''m all ears."


    Roy counted his fingers as he told the Wolves about their obstinance. "I''ve noticed what you do. You guys rely on the Law of Surprise to recruit new blood, but you gave up on your Unexpected Children. Yeah, I''m talking about you people. Geralt, you gave up on Ciri of Cintra, and Eskel, you refused to take Deidre of Caingorn back with you. She''s the one who left that scar on your face."


    The looks on Geralt and Eskel''s face changed. Eskel didn''t remember telling Roy who his Unexpected Child was.


    Vesemir was staring at the young witcher in silence, while Lambert wiggled his eyebrows at his beratedpanions.


    "As if that''s not enough, you insist on only making a living by taking requests. What, you think that''s a noble pursuit? Most employers won''t thank you. You''d be lucky they didn¡¯t insult you! And the number of monsters are dwindling by the day! Coins won''te by as easily anymore. If you keep holding onto those traditions, you''ll eventually run out of coins to even heal your wounds. And you can forget about making your gear!" Roy raised his voice. "If you don''t change, sooner orter Kaer Morhen is going to be nothing but a ghost town!"


    ***


    "That''s enough, kid!" Letho rebuked.


    "You might be a guest, but that doesn''t mean you get to lecture us!" Lambert mmed the table and shot up angrily. "You''re not even half my age! What do you know? Just because you''re young doesn''t mean you get to run your mouth!"


    The other Wolves said nothing.


    "I didn''t say anything wrong. Even the ghost at the Bastion remembers the glory days of Kaer Morhen. Even he wished to be a witcher long after he died. Don''t you want to revive your school? It''s not every day we get to gather around the same table. The chance to change is right in front of you. Don''t you want to take it?"


    "I said that''s enough!"


    "It''s alright, Letho. Let him speak." Vesemir crossed his arms, but there was praise in his eyes. "The young should always be rambunctious. Speak your mind, Roy. Tell us what you think of Kaer Morhen. We''re too old and stubborn to see the error in our ways, but perhaps a bystander would be astute enough to point it out to us."


    Roy took a deep breath and stared at the Wolves. "I know what you''re worried about. Geralt, Eskel, you think witchers give up more than they gain, so you refuse to take in any new students lest they suffer the trials and tribtions of our line of work, am I right?"


    <em>They''re both more than eighty years old, but they never took in even a single apprentice. Or maybe they won''t.</em>


    Vesemir nodded quietly.


    "You know the pain we have to go through, Roy," Geralt argued.


    "Of course. I had to go through months of hell for the Trial." Roy said, "But that can be solved. We can improve the recipe and up the chances of survival! Reduce the suffering. We''ll do it like how Alzur and Cosimo did. Create a better future for the witchers whoe after us!"


    A few of the witchers had longing in their eyes. All witchers would love to reduce the death rate of the Trial.


    "Told you you knew nothing, kid." Lambert scoffed. "Even if we band together, what can a few witchers do? Not like we have enough knowledge to improve the recipe. Without a sorcerer, we can''t even use those alchemical tools. And the death rate will still not change!"


    Roy rebutted calmly, "First, I am on good terms with a sorceress, and she''s interested in witcher mutations. She helped me with my Trial, and she''s willing to help more apprentices out in exchange for data!"


    The looks on the Wolves'' faces changed.


    "And Geralt, you know Yennefer. She''s a royal consultant and a decent mage. Why haven''t you asked her to help you guys with the Trial? Don''t tell me you haven''t thought about it."


    Geralt had nothing to say. He and Yennefer went back a long way. They dated and broke up many times, but not once did he ask Yennefer to help with the Trial. Geralt was more of a ''go with the flow'' type of person who abided by the creed of neutrality. He upheld tradition but never considered his dying school''s future, and Roy''s line of questioning embarrassed him.


    "Think about it. You keep talking about how theck of a sorcerer makes the Trial risky, but none of you ever tried to change that!" Roy''s voice was getting louder. "We''ll band together and pool our resources to build the brotherhood''s foundation. And then we''ll hire mages and spellcasters to grow that brotherhood. We live far longer lives than most people, and we have enough time to n and reach our goals. I know that''s a difficult mission, but giving up without even trying anding up with an excuse is just running away from the problem. Only cowards do that."


    Roy stopped for a moment to let reality sink in. Silence grasped the hall, and the Wolves stared at Roy in surprise. The Vipers didn''t look too happy either.


    Serrit stared daggers at Roy. "I thought we were just going to build an alliance this time, kid," he hissed.


    Letho sighed. <em>The boy''s all grown up.</em> Auckes was wiggling his eyebrows approvingly at Roy, while Eskel gulped down his liquor. His scar seemed to burn under the light of the mes.


    "So that''s what he said to you back in Cintra, Geralt."


    Geralt nodded and took a swig of his booze as well. The barrage of questioning and mention of Yennefer put him in a bad mood. He was ming himself for the decline of Kaer Morhen, and he had to say that Roy made some good points.


    "You''re imaginative and bold." Vesemir sighed. Thest time he heard something so daring was more than a few decades ago. He too was once as boisterous as Roy was, but the grandmaster wasn''t even fifty years old back then.


    Eventually reality knocked him on the head, and he relented. Roy''s speech was idealistic, but it was filled with life. Compared to him, the Wolves were like stagnant water¡ªunmoving and never changing. "You''re only fifteen, so why did youe up with that kind of idea? The idea of a witcher brotherhood is unprecedented."


    Roy noticed the encouraging look in Vesemir''s eyes, and he pursed his lips. "I identify as a witcher, and I hate how dead everything is. I despise the people''s hostile attitude toward us. And that stemmed from baseless rumors. I¡­ We''re doing everything we can to change this."


    "You''re brave. Is every irvoyant as ambitious as you?" Lambert quipped. He was tempted, but only a little. The youngest Wolf still had aspiration in his heart, but working in a new organization meant responsibility and countless menial tasks. He didn''t have time for that.


    "You''re like some sort of prince who''s trying to revive his country. You know, like the ones in stories."


    "What I said might sound mad, but I am no madman. Toppling the monarchy isn''t realistic." Roy shook his head. "All we want is a space to survive, and we need to band up for that. We shouldn''t live our lives hated by the people like some sort of gue. We want the same rights as any other organization. The right to live proudly, to grow, and to prosper."


    The Wolves were slightly invigorated by the pep talk.


    ***


    "So what do you think, Wolves?" Roy kepting up with a better future. "We''re moving past the alliance. Vipers, Wolves, and even the Cats in Novigrad. We''ll build a base together and share everything we have with the members. Alchemy recipes, diagrams, swordy, Signs¡­ And we''ll look for witchers from all the other schools. We''ll get some sorcerers we know to be the resident mages, and they can improve the Trial so fewer aspirants will die. We''ll take all the good parts from every school''s training regime ande up with the best training n for new witchers."


    "Hold on. You said we''re going to band with Cats?" Vesemir asked.


    "Yes. We befriended a couple of them in Novigrad. The rational ones, so to speak. They''re not bloodthirsty murderers, and they''ve agreed to join the brotherhood."


    Serrit covered his face. <em>I don''t remember Felix or Kiyan talking about this. But I don''t think they''ll object.</em>


    Geralt was stunned. He always thought Roy''s idea was naive and unrealistic, but he didn''t expect the young witcher to convince two Cats to join his little band. <em>Is it because they''re all mad? </em>But he had reason to be more concerned now, since Roy was starting to show sess.


    ***


    "Sorry, Roy, but this is a big deal. We need to think about it." Vesemir exchanged looks with his apprentices. "We''ll give you our answer before you leave."


    Roy pouted. <em>What''s that supposed to mean? Hey, I know you''re just trying to cate me. </em>That was not what he wanted, but then he thought the Wolves had a reason for that. They had been neutral and passive for a century. <em>No way they''ll change just because of what I said. </em>Roy''s eyes shone. <em>But if they won''t make the change, then I''ll give them a reason to change, whether they like it or not!</em>


    "I''m sure you know of my abilities after everything that has happened."


    "Yeah, yeah, stop showing off, <em>prophet</em>." Lambert snorted.


    Roy turned his gaze onto the young Wolf until he stopped smiling.


    "You have proven your abilities, Roy." Geralt nodded.


    "There''s a reason I brought this up today, people. An important one," Roy slowly said. He gave the Wolves a look of pity and shame.


    Their brows furrowed at the same time, and a bad feeling surged within their hearts. <em>Did he get another glimpse of the future?</em>


    "I saw a future of despair. In ten years, an enemy more horrifying than the mages and mob who attacked the keep will mount another siege against Kaer Morhen. It''s a battle far bloodier than the witcher tournament. If none of you will change and seek out help, your home, Kaer Morhen, will be burned away into nothingness. Only witchers can save witchers. Either we band together, or we die!"


    Roy had taken out Azar Javed, the head of Smandra, but there might be more enemies out there waiting to get their hands on the Trial recipe. Not to mention the flying knights of the Wild Hunt and Vilgefortz the mage were hiding somewhere, scheming to take down the keep.


    Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert looked upset.


    "Are you sure there''s something else they can take from us?"


    "No. All I saw was a powerful enemy. As powerful as an army."


    Vesemir''s gaze turned downwards. He didn''t know how to feel about this, and silence once again grasped them.


    <em>The diagrams, the Cats joining us, and Kaer Morhen''s dark future. I''ve given them all the reasons to join. If this still fails, then¡­</em>


    "Thank you for the reminder, Roy." Vesemir took a deep breath. "I support your idea, actually. If I were fifty years younger, I would join your cause. But now I''m too old for this. If the day of your prophecyes true¡­" He turned around and looked at the keep lovingly. "I shall stay with it until its very end."


    "We stand with Kaer Morhen as allies, Vesemir," Letho said.


    Vesemir stood up and gave them a grateful yet apologetic look. "I''m exhausted. Time to retire for the night. Ask the youngins if you want them to join the brotherhood. They have some fight left in them."


    Geralt gave Vesemir a knowing look before turning his attention to hispanions. "That''s one hard question you tossed out, Roy. We''ll get back to you after a discussion."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 346: Summon the Demon

    Unlike usual, all after-dinner activities were canceled, and the Wolves went away. Letho, Auckes, and Serrit went back to their rooms with the diagrams in hand. They were going to make a copy of everything. Roy was left alone in the hall like a guy who got on everyone''s bad side. Left with no choice, he returned to his room.


    "Do you think I might have gone a bit too far? Maybe I was in too much of a hurry." Roy patted Gryphon''s furry head. He wondered if he should have taken Letho''s advice and juste to a simple agreement with the Wolves.


    Gryphon pecked his palm and spun its chubby little body on Roy''sp while pping its webbed feet.


    "You support me, don''t you? And that''s reason enough not to give up." Roy stared outside the window, where stars shone in the night sky. Resolve shone in his eyes once more like how the stars twinkled in the sky. "If they still won''t agree to the idea, then I''ll convince them one by one."


    Roy still had a lot of information about the future he didn''t get to use, and they were all about the Wolves.


    ***


    A sigh escaped Roy''s lips. The candlelight in his room flickered, and Roy disappeared into thin air.


    Everything around Roy spun, and when he came to, Roy found himself in the cave where he killed the wraith that morning. Winter''s nights were silent, and there was nothing but darkness in the passage. Not even the stars would shine on this ce.


    A cold draft blew from the entrance. Roy rubbed his cheeks and tied his torch to the vine-covered walls. He then picked Gwyhyr up and set it down beside Gryphon the duck. Then he started meditating to replenish the mana he spent for the teleportation and daytime battles.


    Two hourster, a golden sh shone within the cave. Roy had regained his lost mana, and he waved his hand. A stone statue of a cat the size of a cheetah appeared out of nowhere, its obsidian eyes glinting eerily. The statue seemed like it woulde to life at any moment.


    And then a loud screech tore through the air. Gryphon had returned to its original form. Ity beside the witcher, its eyes staring at the statue like it was an enemy.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright! This is a fake!" Roy patted its furry neck and stared at its burly body.


    Ever since Roy took Linus'' advice and raised Gryphon ording to his program, the griffin had been growing at a rapid pace. Now it was the size of an adult male lion. Silky and lustrous was the mane around its neck, and sorge was its wingspan it could overshadow an adult male easily. Its talons, scythe-like and gleaming, its body sleek and muscr, not unlike a modern-day car.


    Before Roy knew it, his little griffin was growing into a fine predator. "Alright, girl. Go around and y." Roy brushed his hand down the griffin''s spine until he touched the tip of her tail. And then he whistled.


    It made the griffin jolt. Gryphon rubbed her head on hisp before she flew into the snowy night, roaring happily.


    ***


    Around the statue went the witcher, spreading white dust made up of arge amount of wraith essence and specter dust in a circle. Long he had hunted, and finally, with the killings of the Bastion''s wraiths, he finally had everything he needed for the summoning circle.


    Slowly but surely, a white circle with a hexagram in the center started to form. The young witcher was performing a summoning ritual taught to him by thete Matteo Sig. Lines of runes were drawn in the space between the circle and hexagram.


    He cut his hand open with Gwyhyr, and blood trickled down into the circle. A hue of red slowly took over the white circle, and Roy uncorked two potions. When Thunderbolt and Petri''s Philter reached his stomach, ck blood started flowing in his veins. His face was covered in ck, snake-like veins, and they contorted his face.


    Matteo might have set up onest trap in the form of this summoning ritual, and the witcher knew better than to go in unprepared. <em>I''ll fight the demon for a bit. If it fails, I''ll just teleport to Gryphon and run away!</em>


    Roy quickly cast two Signs with his left hand. The ck triangle of Heliotrop and yellow triangle of Quen appeared in the air. The double shields provided a sense of security, but Roy thought anotheryer of protection woulde in handy. Once more he cast a Sign, and the purple light of Yrden shone on the ground.


    He took on a solemn look and started chanting the incantation of yore.


    <em>Elder Speech, huh?</em>


    (Ancient soul)


    "Hen saov"


    (From the ck valley over yore)


    "Aep beann'' shie vort dhu dol"


    (Make an oath of farewell.)


    "Zvaere va faill¡­"


    ***


    Like a whisper, the incantation began, but over time, Roy''s chanting picked up speed and volume. As the incantation went on, lightning and thunder boomed within the cave, as if heralding the arrival of a storm.


    Deafening was the sound of thunder, and debris fell from the cave''s roof. Gales howled within these walls, and the vines danced like they were possessed. mes on the torch flickered and surged.


    The statue''s shadow on the ground started wriggling for no reason, but it couldn''t escape the prison Roy had created for it.


    The incantation came to an end, and an audible crack came from above the magical circle. A visible gash appeared in the air. Beyond the darkness within, eerie crimson light shone. The scent of blood slithered around like tendrils, filling the air with a heavy feeling.


    Roy could feel his heart race and his pupils contract. A feline paw as dark as night appeared from within the gash. It wasn''t even the size of a regr thumb, and all of a sudden, the paw held down the gash''s edges with its sharp, lethal ws. They glimmered and glinted like daggers primed to slit the throats of their victims.


    And then a ck cat the size of an adult''s palm stuck half of its body out into the open air. At a nce, the cat was adorable and sweet, but the look in its eyes was anything but. Its eyes were crimson and filled with nothing but wanton destruction. They were almost mind-bending and hypnotic.


    ''Cat


    ?


    Status: Demon (An extradimensional creature that exists in the form of souls)


    Stats:


    ?


    Skills:


    Flesh of the Void (Passive): The cat is even more untouchable than wraiths. Immune to all physical damage.


    Overshadow (Passive): The cat can take over the body of any creature. If their Will is low, the cat willpletely take over the victim''s body and turn them into a mindless killing machine.


    Demonic Howl (Passive): The cat can emit a sound wave that attacks the soul. It knocks out anyone with a low Will.''


    ***


    When thest syble was finally uttered, the cat made its full appearance in this world by leaping into it. Its tail stood up high in the air as it slowly stepped down an invisible flight of stairs. Into a ck ball of light it turned, and to the statue it went.


    It let out a meow, and an invisible wave of soundshed out at everything around it, including the witcher. Thankfully, Heliotrop stopped the attack.


    "You can''t run, bud. I have a better ce for you to stay." Roy locked onto the target, but he was in no hurry to use Fear. First, he made a blue triangle in the air and shoved it at the ck ball of light. The air rippled as an air current shot out from Roy''s hand and hit the demon.


    It was pushed from its intended trajectory, and the air current stunned it. Once again it let out an ear-piercing scream, but Heliotrop whittled the attack down.


    Without missing a beat, Roy shot Igni at it. The mes licked its body, but they couldn''t do anything to damage it. Still, the witcher''s repeated provocation stirred the demon''s anger.


    It bristled and roared, its tail standing up. It bared its fangs and swung its ws as it charged at the young witcher.


    Wrong move.


    <em>Fear! </em>Crimson light surged, and sounds of waves crashing against reefs rippled across the air. Behind Roy stood an ocean of blood, the breeze blowing over it nauseating and disgusting. Blood-covered tentacles wriggled out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around the cat. They contracted, constricted, and tore the soul into pieces with ease.


    Like a greedy eater, the suckers on the tentacles opened up and consumed the destroyed demon.


    Just one momentter, the weird phenomenon disappeared, and peace once again returned to the cave, as if the demon had never been here before.


    ''Demon cat devoured. EXP +310. Level 7 Witcher¡­''


    "Whoa, Matteo wasn''t lying. I can actually summon demons with this." Roy swung his fists in excitement.


    This demon provided ten more EXPpared to the one on the ind. <em>It''s more powerful, but Fear destroyed it easily anyway. Demon summoning is a reliable way to farm EXP. But theponents for this circle aren''t easy to scavenge, and one circle only has a limited amount of uses.</em>


    He stared at the warm circle made up of blood and powder. It seemed to have lost something after the summoning was done, and Roy could feel it.


    "But it still has one more use before total destruction. I can fill up my EXP bar with it."


    Roy started meditating again and waited for Fear''s cooldown to finish. Another draft came again. It was chilly, but his jovial mood couldn''t be marred. <em>Tonight is going to be a good night.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 347: Lambert the Guide

    Dawn arrived, and Roy exited his meditating state. One look at his character sheet, and he felt like roaring in delight. Even though he used up theponents he spent a month collecting, he gained more than 600 EXP in exchange. It was worth it. <em>EXP bar is full. Full Recovery can be used anytime, and I have almost everything the Manticore Trial needs.</em>


    Roy was getting closer to fulfilling the terms of bing an intermediate witcher.


    ''Witcher rank: Beginner


    Rank up conditions:


    1. Take another Trial (non-Viper)


    2. Kill monsters who have >10 in any single stat and gain their mutagen (8/10).''


    <em>Two more mutagens and I can ask Coral to hold that Trial for me once we''re in Novigrad next time.</em>


    ***


    He tucked Gryphon the squirrel into his hood and went down the stairs. <em>When I see the Wolves again, I''m going all out with the convincing, and Geralt''s gonna be my first target. I know all the people he cares about. I can hit him where it hurts most.</em>


    Roy ran into Lambert when he exited the tower.


    He was in ck armor and tight pants. Two sword hilts protruded from his back, and his hair was slicked back. The witcher seemed like he was going on a long trip. Roy noticed him muttering under his breath, and there was excitement in his eyes. "Is your offer still up?"


    <em>So they agreed? </em>A delighted Roy quickly said, "I never lie, Lambert. The brotherhood always wees you."


    "Not the brotherhood, kid." Lambert shook his head in disdain. "Just listening to your speech almost put me to sleep. Building an organization and researching the Trial recipe? Talk is easy, but I''m no fool. That wasn''t enough to convince me. If I waste my time on something that stupid, I''d have no freedom to speak off." Lambert scoffed. "I have no ambition or dreams to speak of. If anything, I''d rather be a mercenary who gets all the girls and ys Gwent all day. The brotherhood is too heavy a burden to bear."


    "You have easier options."


    "If that was supposed to be a lie, you aren''t doing a very good job at it."


    Roy nodded. "What about Geralt and Eskel? What was the result of your discussion?"


    Lambert shook his head. "We think your idea isn''t bad, but it''s too radical. Too ahead of its time. An alliance is the best for now. Gathering around a bonfire every winter to talk about our triumphs and losses is the way to go for now. The brotherhood should wait until things are more established."


    <em>Not like the Northern War is going to give us that much time. You sure you don''t want to do this? </em>Roy thought to himself, but he said, "Time is of the essence. You have no idea about the danger that is toe. Ten years down the line¡ª"


    "Ah, that again? Who knows what the future holds?" Lambert shook his head. "If that timees, we''ll deal with it."


    Roy squinted at him. <em>Looks like I''ll have to go with n B and convince them one by one. And this loudmouth is gonna be my first target.</em>


    Lambert changed the subject. "Let''s talk about the jobs you mentioned. The alchemist and bodyguard jobs. I''m <em>very </em>interested in them."


    "But I thought Geralt said Wolves only take requests for a living. Doing anything else would be breaking the tradition." Roy wondered why Lambert was willing to take the opposite stance.


    "Geralt, Eskel, and Vesemir are made of the same stubborn mold. There''s a generational gap between us. A few gaps if Vesemir is included." Lambert''s face lit up. "But I''m young. Just about thirty years older than you are. I don''t reject non-traditional work. Working as an alchemist or a bodyguard for a year or so is a-okay."


    "You don''t seem to like Vesemir very much." Roy paid attention to his expression.


    "Precisely speaking, I hate him. If he hadn''t forced me intoing to this remote castle with the Law of Surprise, I''d have been a grandfather by now. But let''s not talk about him. Are you gonna take me for the job or nah?"


    "Of course. Just travel to the ballroom and pass some tests."


    "And I thought I''d get epted immediately. Hey, we fought together once, so can I get paid more coins?" Lambert wrapped his arms around Roy''s shoulder and headed to the castle entrance. "Damn weather is freezing my arse. Let''s talk while we walk."


    They went past the training grounds. On most days, Eskel would have been training here, but he was absent for some reason. To make things weirder, Roy didn''t run into anyone no matter how much he walked around. The fortress was terrifyingly quiet.


    "Wait. Where are you taking me?" Roy knew something was off. "Where''s Geralt, Vesemir, and everyone else?"


    "You slept in for too long. We ran out of meat, so they went out for a hunt this morning. Can''t just eat bear paws every day. And I stayed back for a reason. Eskel took you around the castle, but not outside. There are a lot of beautiful ces around Kaer Morhen, and I''m taking you for a stroll."


    ***


    Across the grated gate they went and into the snow fields they traveled. Lambert changed directions and led Roy into a downward path at the hill behind the keep. "And now we''re circling behind the pond. You''re going to see the first Trial for every Wolf¡ªthe Circle of Elements."


    "What''s that?" Roy pretended to have no idea what that was.


    "A ce of magic. Man-made. It''s filled with chaos energy and is almost as old as Vesemir. Anyone who passes the Trial will undergo their first trial there." Lambert turned around. "The first time you meditate in a ce of magic, your mana will be permanently increased. And you might even get a substantial reward depending on how talented you are. Sorry if you''re talentless though."


    Delight welled up within the young witcher. <em>This is a big gift!</em>


    "Wolves have to pass a ton of Trials. Once they meditate for the first time in the Circle of Elements, they''ll get a Wolven badge that represents their faction. Letho told me you haven''t returned to Gorthur Gvaed, not even after you became a witcher. You''ve nevere in touch with a ce of magic, so don''t miss this." Lambert grinned.


    Roy nodded. "But even if I pass the trial, I''m still a Viper. I won''t dump my friends to join Kaer Morhen. But it''s a different story if we build that brotherhood."


    "Is that all you think about?" Lambert turned his head away stiffly.


    They went through a hill by the cliff and leapt above the rotting fence on the edge. Verdant ins covered in snow slept underneath, and a pine forest swayed over it. In the distance stood a hillock draped in a nket of mist, and a stream meandered into the valley between mountains. Roy could hear the sloshing and swishing of the water.


    "If we want to pass that mountain, we''ll have to swim across the river, right?"


    "We''ll be rowing." Lambert leapt down the two-meter slope as easily as a puma. And Roy followed.


    "Is being an alchemist a busy job? How long do I have to work every day?"


    "The apothecary shop is selling a popr potion. It enhances men''s sexual energy, so we''re doing better than most shops. We sell about ten of those every day, and since it''s a potion, you spend considerably less time making itpared to decoctions. Eight hours of work per day or less, five days a week. And Vivaldi''s business insurance policy on the house. And we provide food and amodation."


    "Not bad." And then the look on Lambert''s face changed. "You''re a bloodsucker! How did you manage to master the art of capitalism? I almost fell for it!"


    Through a wooden bridge the witchers traversed and into the hillock with a meandering path they went. The witchers ran like the wind and went straight for the clearing in the woods.


    And then they ran into trouble. Their pendants trembled, and six ugly, winged humanoid monsters appeared from behind the mountain walls around them. They circled overhead, screeching and snarling at the witchers.


    Roy stared at the ugliest of the bunch and cast Observe.


    ''Harpy


    Age: Six years old


    HP: 80


    Mana: ??


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 9


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 8


    Will: 4


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Chimera (Passive): Harpies have the best traits of eagles and fish. They can fly and survive underwater. Their strong digestive system allows them to ingest rotten and fresh meat. Human flesh included. +2 to Dexterity, Constitution, and Perception.''


    ***


    "What are they, the erynias¡¯ family? They''re as ugly as them. No, erynias are more colorful." Roy quickly grasped the air and brandished a hand crossbow. At the same time, he cast Quen and covered himself with a yellow shield.


    "Look out for yourself, kid! It''s every man for himself!" Lambert unsheathed his silver sword and went into the ox stance. He half-crouched, ready to strike at first notice.


    A white sh flew through the air, and the bolt hit its target.


    The harpy let out a scream before it fell like a kite that lost its string.


    Footprints appeared on the snowy ground as Roy dragged his de and pounced at the harpy like a cheetah on a hunt. He fell down like a meteorite and thrust his de through the harpy''s de.


    ''Harpy killed. EXP +80.''


    "Look out!"


    Roy quickly ducked and rolled away.


    The ws that were intended for his nape missed, and a harpy made itsnding. The impact from its ws stirred up a little storm made of snow and grass.


    It was getting ready to make the next attack, but it never came. Roy got up right away and pushed his left hand forward. The air current made the harpy fall, and the young witcher took a step ahead. He stepped on the monster''s chest while plunging his de into its neck. Blood spurted like a fountain, and its head rolled away.


    He turned around and brandished his hand crossbow. Right away, he fired two bolts that pierced the back of a harpy''s head, and it fell down beside Lambert.


    The Wolf flicked the blood off his sword. He too had taken care of two harpies. "Not a bad shot, you."


    "And you swing a mean sword." Roy gave him a thumbs up and went to loot the monsters.


    Fifteen minutester, the witchers packed up and made their way to the boat beside theke.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 348: Vodnik

    A ckish-brown boat tied to a protruding boulder sat quietly between thekeweed. Lambert untied the boat and hopped onto it. Then he rowed. Roy took up the bow happily and scooped up somekewater to clean the blood off his armor.


    As he stared at the fog-covered hills and glimmeringke, a delightful sensation bubbled within his heart. "This is a good ce to talk about the past. Lambert, care to tell me how you came to Kaer Morhen?"


    "Just a banal story." Lambert didn''t mind talking about his past. "Drunk dad went for a piss in the woods at night and stumbled upon a nekkerir. The passing witcher saved his butt and said a few magical words before bringing up the Law of Surprise. Demands ''the first thing he sees when he gets back home'' as a reward. Namely me. So I was given in exchange for that pissant''s life, and next thing I know, Kaer Morhen." He tilted his head and smirked. "Eat, slept, shat, and trained together with a bunch of apprentices, passed the Trial, and became ''a mutant that does acrobatics.''"


    Roy stayed silent. <em>I guess most witchers don''t have a happy childhood.</em> "A drunk dad? Most alcoholics have a short fuse. Did he ever abuse you?"


    "Told you he was a pissant. Course he did. And my mother was usually dragged into it too."


    "So Vesemir saved you, in a sense." Roy said, "He won''t do anything to you if you were to go home now."


    "I did return once, but that old bastard was already six feet under. Killed my mother before he went though." Lambert teared up a little. "I could have helped her out if Vesemir hadn''t taken me. Maybe she would have lived."


    "No. If he hadn''t taken you with him, your father would have killed you as well," Roy said solemnly. "Vesemir truly changed your life. He took you away from constant abuse."


    "So you mean to say I should thank him for subjecting me to training that''s far worse than any beating I got? Should I thank him for letting me witness my best friend get torn apart by that cyclops?" Lambert stopped rowing and sneered. "What did Vesemir feed you? Why are you defending him?"


    "I''m just telling the truth. Think about the power and skills you have, Lambert. Think about the freedom you''re enjoying. There''s always a price to pay for that."


    "Not by my volition. He forced me into this!"


    "Will you take your own students then?" Roy asked a weird question.


    "Why not? If I can find one, that is," Lambert answered without hesitation.


    Roy shot a question. "If you think being a witcher is hell, then why would you extend this hell to someone else?"


    "Um¡­" Lambert had no answer for that. <em>Yeah, if I hate my job so much, why would I want to take in an apprentice?</em>


    ***


    They reached the other side of theke and crashed into the soft soil. Lambert leapt ontond in unusual silence.


    Roy followed him. A short whileter, he was about to say something, but then the young witcher stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. "Smell that? Rotten stench of water."


    The witchers unsheathed their des and hunkered down a little. Their muscles tensed up as they got ready for battle. With swords in their right hands and Quen shield surrounding them, the witchers were ready to take on the unknown enemies.


    Bubbles appeared on the surface of the water around the reeds as if it were boiling. And then a big ssh burst forth before a slimy humanoid with webbed limbs and green scales hopped out of the reeds. More came after the first one, and eventually, a group of six formed.


    The scent of fresh meat whipped the drowners into a frenzy. They rolled their eyes around and snarled viciously at the witchers.


    While they were charging the witchers, Roy gushed, "Lambert, this fortress is a treasure trove of monsters!" He swung his de and pointed it at the drowner who looked different from its brethren.


    It was ckish-green in color. A pair of gills jutted out around its ears, and catfish whiskers decorated its lower lip. Its beady pupils within the crimson eyes shone with cunning as it ran toward its prey.


    ''Vodnik


    Age: Eight years old


    HP: 100


    Strength: 7


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 4


    Will: 2


    Charisma: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Skills:


    Mutated Body Level 10: Some would say drowners are incarnations of people who met their demise in the waters, but they have a distinctly different, non-human body structure. It is possible that drowners are magical beings or invaders left behind by the Conjunction of the Spheres. They''re immune to poison and bleeding.


    Leader (Passive): This one is a leader of this pack. It''s slightly more intelligent than its brethren. Possesses the ability tomand and organize its pack members.''


    ***


    "I know you love these monsters. Look at them, they love giving warm wees. Say hi!" Lambert leapt ahead, swinging his de at three drowners at the same time.


    Roy followed quickly and stopped the other three before they could surround Lambert. He joined the fray and held Aerondight up horizontally. The young witcher put his weight into his left leg and spun in the direction of the drowners. A crimson line zipped through the air, and blood rained down the battlefield.


    One drowner was sliced in half, and its guts spilled to the ground. He sent the second drowner flying back with Aard, and it fell with a thud.


    A gust of wind blew his hair, and the vodnik ambushed him from the side. It went straight for the witcher''s neck, its viscous, disgusting drool almost dripping down to Roy''s shoulder.


    Roy''s forearm tensed up, and he flicked his sword hilt upward without even looking back.


    The hilt mmed into the monster''s cheek and shut its maw close. Blood spurted like a fountain, and the vodnik''s tongue fell out of its mouth.


    Roy turned around and gave the monster''s lower belly a kick that made it keel over. While the monster was howling and wobbling, Roy held his de''s unedged midsection with one hand and the hilt with the other.


    And then he thrust Aerondight down like it was ance. Blood drenched the reeds as Aerondight cut through the vodnik''s spine.


    ''Vodnik killed. EXP +100. Level 7 Witcher¡­'' Roy swung his sword backward and cut open yet another drowner without even stopping to clean the blood. He took a step forward and thrust his de while holding it with both hands.


    The young witcher pulled his de out, and the drowner staggered backward, its eye broken. Eventually it fell and spasmed before taking itsst breath.


    A sigh escaped Roy''s lips, and then he went to loot the bodies. Delight found its way to Roy''s face as he plucked a small, wrinkled mutagen from its cold, dead body. <em>One more to go!</em>


    Lambert''s battle came to an end as well. He left the bodies behind and wiped his de elegantly. "That was not a very nice wee. Could''ve been gentler. Look at them. They look even more hideous than before." Lambert stared at the young witcher and shook his head.


    "I would have been nicer if they weren''t trying to bite my head off." Roy pulled on a dead drowner''s tongue.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 349: Meeting Old Speartip

    Once the drowners were dealt with, the witchers weaved through the fog and wends before arriving at a cave. Roy suddenly stared into the fog and listened closely.


    "What are you doing, kid?"


    "This is the perfect habitat for monsters like foglets. They usually disguise themselves as hapless kids to lure their prey in."


    "You''re imaginative, but no foglets for you today." Lambert stood before the dark entrance solemnly and handed Roy a decoction. "But there''s something more dangerous. Wanna see? But take a dose of Cat and keep your eyes open."


    The witchers uncorked their decoctions and downed them, and then ck veins crept up on their faces.


    "Listen closely. Once we get in there, follow me closely, and don''t do anything stupid. Don''t wake the big guy up."


    "What big guy?" Roy feigned ignorance and stared into the cave. There was a cold sensationing from within, not unlike a great beast''s breathing. The gust of wind made his skin crawl.


    "A cyclops that goes by the name Old Speartip." Lambert''s eyes narrowed in hatred. "This has been its home for more than a century now. It''s one of the trials for the Wolf''s insignia."


    Roy asked, "So that guy is the one who tore your friend in half?"


    Lambert''s eyes became bloodshot, and cold fury crept up his face. His fists clenched one moment and loosened the next.


    Roy noticed his trembling fingers. <em>Is it fear or excitement? </em>"It''s been a long time since Kaer Morhen took in new apprentices. There''s no need for the trialmaster to remain. Why didn''t you call Geralt or Vesemir to get rid of Old Speartip and avenge the apprentices it killed?"


    "You have no idea how powerful that monster is, kid. Do you think I <em>don''t </em>want it killed? But there''s a reason it''s called Ogrekiller! And it''s at least as powerful as a Dragonyer! There''s a nursery rhyme in Kaer Morhen that goes like this¡­" Lambert hissed in a quiet voice, "<em>Old Speartip is a deep sleeper, wake him up and you''ll sleep deeper. </em>We can''t suffer any more casualties!"


    Roy stared at the guy. <em>He''s dishonest too. Says he hates Kaer Morhen and Vesemir, but he still thinks about them.</em> "What if we stab his eye in his sleep?"


    "He''s not gonna be blinded even if you take out his whole eyeball. And you won''t get to his dried-up brain either. One finger and we''re mincemeat! So drop all stupid ideas and don''t wake him up!"


    Roy said nothing more.


    ***


    Into the cave the witchers went, and Roy scanned the ce. The cave was bigger than he thought. The stctite-covered roof was ten meters away from the ground, giving the cyclops enough space to move.


    Through his witcher senses, Roy saw grey ribbons lingering around the gigantic footprints on the ground and the nts around the cave before they traveled deeper into the cave.


    Roy was walking on his tiptoe like a cat. Slowly, he went forward while leaning against the cold, hard walls. He thought he was slow enough, but Lambert was slower. "Can you pick up the pace? And stop your hands from shaking."


    "What do you know? Going slow is better than being dead!"


    It was a two-hundred-yard journey, but it took the witchers ten minutes to finish. They didn''t even use Aard to make the path smoother lest Old Speartip wake up. Instead, they climbed.


    The deeper they went, the worse the stench of the air was. It felt like something poisonous was hanging around them. Eventually, they reached a point where they froze up and held their breath.


    A thunderous snore ripped through the cave, and they were greeted by a humanoid creature the size of a small hill. It was lying on the ground, its chest heaving, its eyes closed. The creature was seemingly dreaming. It measured about thirteen feet tall, and its skin was as white as a corpse. Hanging around its gigantic head was a ck sack with a hole in the middle. A big, closed eye was shown through that hole, and the creature wasn''t wearing anything to cover its upper body. Only a pair of long, ck, greasy, and tattered pants were covering its lower body.


    Even though the creature was humongous, it didn''t look bloated or fat. Its arms, chest, and shoulder seemed to be made out of nothing but mountains of muscle. If Roy didn''t know better, he would have thought this creature was an erged bodybuilder. Its hands were big enough to hold an adult man in it and crush the mountain walls with ease.


    ''Cyclops


    Age: 220 years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: ?


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: 15


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 4


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Ogroid (Passive): Ogroids possess far superior life forcepared to regr creatures. +20 to Constitution. Its thick hide increases its resistance against physical attacks and heals minor wounds quickly.


    Gaia''s Strength (Passive): Cyclops are connected to the earth by a mysterious bond. They can strengthen themselves with thend itself. Whenever it steps on the earth, cyclops gain immeasurable strength. +20 to Strength.''


    ***


    Roy was hiding behind a stone pir, pinching his nose. Sweat was starting to wet his palms. The cyclops was far more terrifying than he thought. It had immense strength, imprable defenses, and decent speed.


    Roy had to give up on his n. Even if they got everyone from Kaer Morhen here, it was still uncertain if they could kill the cyclops without sustaining any injury. Blinking around and kiting it would only end up exhausting Roy''s mana without causing any significant damage, but if the cyclops managed tond a hit, it would kill Roy easily, even if he was wearing a full set of steel armor.


    "The big guy has a weakness. It''s even less resistant to poison than drowners, and that''s what Vipers do best." Lambert turned around and noticed the sweat on Roy''s forehead, and his eyes glinted smugly. <em>That''ll teach you not tough at me. You''re not that much better off.</em>


    He pointed his chin at the space beside the cyclops, telling Roy they had to move there.


    Fortunately, Old Speartip was fast asleep in the center, leaving enough space for them to scurry past in silence. They quickly zipped past the clearing and wriggled into the passage like mice who just saw a cat.


    And then, fresh air. The witchers bent over and breathed heavily. Roy just noticed Old Speartip''s other special ability. "Do all cyclops smell that bad, Lambert?"


    Roy almost fainted from the body odor when they went by the sleeping monster. Unlike most beasts or monsters, Old Speartip''s odor seemed to have a life of its own. It spread through the air and wriggled around in the noses of everyone who smelled it.


    It wasn''t rotten or fishy, but the pungent smell could kill anyone who was caught unaware. Roy felt blood umting in his nose, and he lost five HP just from the journey alone. <em>He''s a walking damage-over-time monster.</em>


    "That''s all it took to make you whine?" Lambert rolled his eyes. "You haven''t smelled his shite yet. That''s a literal bioweapon."


    "Keeping him around is a disaster." Roy looked around. <em>He has a weakness I can exploit. </em>Roy thumped his chest and guaranteed. "I''ll deal with this bastard before I leave Kaer Morhen. We''ll avenge the Wolves it killed."


    Lambert scoffed, "You can talk about that <em>after </em>you defeat me."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 350: Troll on the Mountain

    Extended before them was a long, narrow valley overseen by steep cliffs. Pebbles and rocks slid down the slopes, barring any regr humans from hiking up the walls. But this was the only path to the Circle of Elements.


    Halfway through the path, a dumb voice called out to the witchers. "Oi, Troll own mountain! No outsiders! Leave, or Troll smash you!"


    Roy raised his head and saw three humanoid creatures staring down from the top part of the slope. They were as tall as they were wide, and Roy thought he was looking at three wobbly stone bs looking down at him. Their limbs were made up of nothing but muscle, the skin on their chest was yellow, but their backs, necks, and top of their heads looked green. Stones and pebbles grew on them like ayer of natural armor.


    Roy was reminded of a certain y golem.


    The creatures'' beady eyes looked lethargic and listless, as if they would close at any moment. Their noses were t, and their teeth were yellow. For some odd reason, they looked adorable for a moment.


    Roy stared at the leader of the trolls and cast Observe.


    ''Stone Troll


    Age: 120 years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 250


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 7


    Constitution: 25


    Perception: 4


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 8


    Skills:


    Regeneration (Passive): Every troll has powerful self-regenerative abilities. Their metabolic rate far surpasses any other creature¡¯s, giving them immunity to bleeding and quick healing of minor injuries. Weak to poison.


    Stone Wall (Passive): Trolls possess immense strength and thick hides. They are resistant to physical attacks. Any attacks with sharp weapons will dull and damage the weapon. +10 to Constitution and Strength.''


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh. Once again, he was filled with delight. News about trolls wasn''t new to him. Rumors said they were loyal, honest, and naive to a fault. They used to hunt humans, but not so much anymore.


    It was the first time the young witcher was meeting a troll face to face. He waved at the small pack of trolls and tried his best to sound polite and gentle. "Hey, Trolls! We mean no harm! We just wanna go to the Circle of Elements. Not here to take your turf. Let us through!"


    "No!" The second troll tossed a boulder at the witchers. It hit thend and formed a crater around it. The troll protested, "Witchers kill monsters with pointy sticks! Trolls monsters too! You want kill Trolls!"


    "I thought you said they were stupid, but these guys don''t look stupid." Roy asked Lambert, "So what now? How did you guys pass this trial?"


    "This is a trial of reaction speed. They didn''t really mind us, since we weren''t big threats to them. We just rush through this valley."


    "What are we waiting for then?"


    The witchers exchanged a look and cast Quen at the same time. Once the shields covered them, the witchers broke into a sprint, much to the trolls'' dismay.


    They shouted, "Stop! Bad witcher, stop!"


    "Bastards!"


    The witchers ignored their shouts and went through the valley easily. They managed the hundred-yard travel in just seconds. The trolls had magnificent strength behind their throws, but they were no professional pitchers. Not a single boulder they threw hit the witchers.


    They slid into a passage and sted the rocks that blocked their way with Aard, but what greeted them almost made them reel back.


    The trolls were standing right outside the entrance to the Circle of Elements. Their arms were crossed, and they were ring at the witchers like they were invaders.


    "Didn''t listen. Witchers, bad!" The leader pointed at the witchers. "Nowhere run! Count ten¡­ six!"


    "Leave!" The other trolls picked up rocks the size of human heads and took a throwing stance. "Or heads smash!"


    "Throw in cauldron! Eat with mushrooms!"


    ***


    "Six¡­"


    "Have they ever killed any witchers?" Roy suddenly asked.


    Lambert shook his head. "But a lot of poor bastards got knocked out by their rocks."


    "Five¡­" The leader curled one of its six outstretched fingers up.


    Lambert shot them an icy look and unsheathed a silver sword. He had no ns on entertaining the drivel of a troll.


    "Four¡­"


    "Step back or I will kill you."


    "Wait, Lambert. Let me talk to them!"


    "Three¡­"


    The trolls were getting more vicious now. Their muscles tensed up, and they crouched. These monsters were ready to battle. No longer were they the dumb, friendly creatures they were a moment ago.


    The witchers held their breaths. Tension was filling the air, heralding an inevitable battle.


    "Two¡­"


    The trolls tensed up even more.


    Roy took a deep breath and roared, "Ten!"


    That shocked the troll. It forgot to count down and froze up like a statue. The vicious air it was radiating a moment ago disappeared like a puff of smoke.


    It turned its gaze to its hands. Six fingers were outstretched again, and confusion rose within its eyes. "What number again?" it muttered under its breath.


    "Ten!" A female troll poked the leader''s chest adamantly.


    Another female troll opened its hands and counted six fingers. "And then what? Six?"


    "Ahem. Believe us, trolls. Wee in peace!" Roy whipped out a puppy from his hood and pressed it close to his face. And then the witcher and his dog stared innocently at the trolls. "Witcher and trolls friends. Like me and the dog!"


    "Woof!"


    Roy tucked the dog away into his hood and whipped out a bottle of uncorked liquor. He swirled the bottle and unleashed the liquor''s aroma into the air.


    The trolls tossed their countdown out the window and bent down to sniff the air like oversized dogs. And then they closed their eyes.


    Lambert gave Roy a weird look, but he remained vignt.


    <em>It worked. </em>Roy heaved a sigh of relief. He was going through that book Serrit taught him¡ªHow to Deceive an Innocent Troll Using the Art of Conversation.


    <em>Trolls love booze and bridges. They''re naive, and violence isn''t the only way to deal with them.</em> Roy came up with a little n, and he said, "You''re good trolls. We only kill bad monsters. We''re here to make some friends. Here, this liquor is a gift."


    "Liquor?"


    "Gift?"


    The leader trembled for a few moments and finally processed what Roy said. Poor guy wasn''t the smartest thing in the room, and its jaw dropped in surprise. They had been living all by themselves in these parts for more than fifty years. They had no friends, nor did anyone give them any gifts. The troll felt like crying, but it shook its head. "You broke rules. Ran."


    "Don''t hold your promises. Bad people," one female troll agreed.


    "We couldn''t wait to give you this gift! You guys were on the mountain, and I was in the valley. I couldn''t toss this all the way up, so I had toe right here."


    The troll scratched its back like a gori and asked, "Why Circle of Elements?"


    "The grass and fruits around it are needed to make the best vodka." Roy''s eyes shone with genuine friendship. "Here, have some."


    The troll grunted and hesitated.


    Roy gave Lambert a look that said, ''Rx. Sheathe your de.'' The young witcher bowed and held up his left hand as he slowly took the liquor to the trolls. He stared at them once he got closer and thought they¡¯d be adorable if they didn''t move or talk. Compared to Old Speartip, they looked absolutely beautiful.


    Roy ced the liquor before them, the liquid within the bottle swirling and glimmering. Eventually, the trolls were intoxicated by the liquor''s scent alone, and they gulped.


    "Have some Novigrad vodka, trolls. We''re friends forever!" Roy beamed and invited them to drink.


    "Vodka? Friend¡­" The leader looked at hispanions. They gulped and nodded quickly, and then the leader turned to Roy. "Drink, witcher. Friends drink vodka!"


    Lambert couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Roy and the trolls were sitting down in a circle and drinking vodka like friends. The trolls took big swigs, while Roy took little sips. Every time they finished one bottle, Roy would magically produce more booze. Vodka, beer, dwarven liquor¡­ He had everything. <em>What is he trying to do?</em>


    "How long have you been here, trolls?"


    "Six¡­ Six¡­ Six¡­" The leader kept saying ''six'' like a broken record while letting the booze flow from the cracks between his teeth. Apparently, it couldn''t count over a certain number, much to Roy''s dismay.


    "Very well, friends. Come closer. I swear I will teach you how to count over ten!"


    "Over ten?"


    The trolls were stupefied. They opened their hands and put all of them together. Then they started counting from one to eighteen.


    "If all of you are together, you can count up to eighteen!"


    The shocked trolls kept trying and counting a few times. Once they memorized how to count until eighteen, they looked at Roy as if he was a god. "Roy, you give wine. Teach us count. Good witcher."


    "Helper!"


    "Friend!"


    "Drink!"


    Roy burped. "I thought you guys were monogamous." Serrit''s theory stated that trolls practiced monogamy for life. If their partner were to die, they would not marry again. Trolls were a lot nobler than humans when it came to love. <em>But there''s obviously one male leader and two females here. Did this guy go against tradition and start a harem?</em>


    "This, wife. Big Sesame." Troll pointed at his wife, and the female troll grinned at it.


    "This, daughter. Big Mushroom." Troll smacked the head of his slightly fairer daughter, and she thumped his chest yfully. The stones on Troll''s body flew everywhere.


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>If that hits me, I''d be looking at a few broken ribs. </em>"Do you know Old Speartip, the cyclops in the cave?"


    "Old Speartip dangerous!" Troll shook its head. "Don''t fight it."


    "Okay, I won''t. Are you guys interested in going around? The world outside is a beautiful one. Liquor and stew everywhere."


    "Troll like mushroom," Big Sesame said.


    "And there are mushrooms too. vored mushrooms. Frogs, snails, slugs¡­" Roy almost gagged, but he kept going through Serrit''s thesis in his mind. "They''re nice."


    <em>If I can get these trolls to Novigrad, nobody''s going to trample on us again. Even if I don''t make enough to support them, the merchants will be more than willing to pay handsomely for some troll bodyguards. And then I''ll just make a small profit from the price difference.</em>


    The trolls were tempted. They sucked on the bottles and stared at each other for a long while. But they shook their heads in the end. "Kaer Morhen, home. We protect home. Cannot leave."


    <em>That''s a shame. </em>Roy didn''t press any further, but he said, "The rickety castle there is filled with pretty stones. Is it your home too?"


    "Castle many stones. Not boring. Choice of home. But four witchers there. Too powerful. Agile like rats. Stone can''t hit them. Pointy sticks hurt." Troll stared at the castle with longing and wariness.


    <em>Oh, I can use this. </em>"If someone tries to attack the castle, will you help?"


    The trolls held their hands together and hesitated.


    "I live there too. The castle is my home."


    "Friend''s home?" Realization struck the troll, and it thumped its chest. "Troll help Roy protect. Chase invaders away. Roy wee at mountain anytime!" the troll promised.


    <em>That''s what I wanted to hear. </em>Roy grinned happily and gave the trolls another bottle of booze.


    Half an hourter, alcohol overwhelmed the trolls, and they fell asleep, snoring as loudly as elephants.


    "Man, you are cunning. You managed to take them out." Lambert approached Roy and put his palm against his neck, and then he drew it across his throat. "Their metabolic rate is really fast. The alcohol won''t knock them out for long. We should kill them while we have the chance.


    Roy wondered about that suggestion. He stared at the defenseless trolls that were showing their bellies at him. Their mutagen was tempting, of course. It was perfect for the Manticore''s Trial.


    But he eventually decided not to do that. Roy wasn''t an emotionless robot that would kill anything for EXP. "Didn''t you hear? They promised they would protect Kaer Morhen if it were ever under attack.. You can ask them for help if you need it. I spent a lot of time and effort just to get that favor from them. And you want to waste it all?"


    "You sure you wanna let them go, kid?" Lambert looked horrified. He was too grumpy to evenmunicate with any monsters, let alone befriend them. "What kind of witcher doesn''t kill monsters?"


    "We only kill bad monsters," Roy said. "You''ve hung out with Geralt for so long. Didn''t you learn how to befriend monsters from him?"


    "We''re two different people."


    "Don''t just go straight to murder every time. You should visit Oxenfurt''s SPA and learn from them a little. Change your mind."


    "The hell kinda ce is that?" Lambert reluctantly left the trolls behind and went to the Circle of Elements with Roy.


    "A ce of knowledge."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 351: Circle of Elements, Dimension of Flames

    A small me flickered in the air, shining on the stonentern around it.


    The witchers had arrived at the Circle of Elements, and they both held down their trembling pendants as they looked around. Glimmeringke slept underneath them, while the peak overhead was covered in snow.


    The Circle of Elements was made up of a bunch of boulders covered in runes written in Elder Speech and broken into four parts. Spring represented the element of water, the source of life. Summer represented the element of fire, the source of heat. Autumn represented the element of earth, the source of bounty. And winter represented the element of wind, the source of silence.


    The runes and unique structure of the circle attracted a ton of chaos energy. Even without his witcher senses, Roy could still sense the elements dancing around and creating weird phenomena. Winds howled across the air, mes flickered before his eyes, water brushed atop his skin, and the scent of earth tickled his nostrils.


    A numbing sensation flowed across his limbs as the mana within him resonated with the energy in the air. Every inch of his skin was vibrating gently, as if it were dancing to an unheard rhythm.


    Roy was sure he could replenish all his mana and stamina if he meditated in the Circle of Elements for just three hours instead of the usual five.


    "Told you this won''t be a waste of time. This is one of the best ces for newbie witchers to explore." Lambert loved the look on Roy''s face. "Now cast some Signs and use up your mana. Prepare for deep meditation."


    Roy cast all six Signs in the air. One loop and a halfter, his mana was all gone, and the world started spinning.


    "You only have one chance, so listen closely. Get as deep as you can during the meditation. There is a very slim chance, but¡­" Lambert''s flippant attitude was wiped off and reced by solemnity. "If you see any elemental dimension, get as close to them as you can. The closer you are, the more you can get from them. Maybe you can even level up your Sign. Most witchers can only increase their Sign intensity though."


    Roy stared at the ground and memorized everything Lambert told him.


    "Now, meditate. I''ll stand guard and make sure nobody disturbs you."


    Roy nodded and sat down in the circle. He rxed his muscles and slowed his breathing. Eventually, the light around him dimmed, and his soul entered a bizarre ce.


    Lambert was making a weird gesture with his hand, activating the runes in the circle. His eyebrow arched when he noticed Roy getting into the state so quickly. "That was fucking fast. For some reason, it feels like he meditates better than I do."


    Under most circumstances, the better the meditator, the lower their presence would be in the material world. Their soul would be closer to the elemental dimensions and could absorb chaos energy better. <em>I''ve only felt this kind of feeling from Geralt and Eskel, and they''re both a few decades older than me. </em>"Nobody can get to this level unless they''ve meditated for six or seven decades." Lambert was shocked. Once again, he saw Roy in a new light. "But that''s impossible. He''s not even twenty."


    <em>Even talented mages can''t get to this level, and that''s if they started meditating when they were babies. </em>Lambert shook his head. <em>The kid gave me more surprises in days than a year''s worth of adventure.</em>


    Lambert had no idea Roy cheated with skill points. He closed the big gap with that.


    ***


    The world of meditation was mostly made up of darkness and the void, but this time, it was different. Usually, the elements would be scattered around in all corners of this dimension, but the elements in the air were ten times more bountiful than usual.


    Orange mes, blue water, yellow earth, and green wind surrounded the witcher''s soul like curious fireflies attracted to a neer.


    They were touching his body gently. Most of the time, the elements would only touch him carefully and break contact right away. Roy would have to chase the elements and catch them to replenish his mana. And he would use them to modify his body to better adapt to chaos energy.


    Meditation usually took five hours, but not this time. The air was packed with elements, and they had to push each other away just to have some space to breathe. Of course, some of them fell into Roy''sp involuntarily.


    <em>But this is no time to enjoy them fawning over me. I need to find the dimensions.</em>


    The young witcher hunkered down and leapt ahead, flying into the distance easily. The elements crowded around him, eventually bing a pair of beautiful wings that pped around the witcher, propelling him where he wanted to go.


    Eventually, his eyes feasted on four shining balls of light within the dark dimension of meditation. Elements flocked to these balls and danced around them.


    <em>The elemental dimensions.</em>


    Thanks to the elements, Roy was that much closer to touching the dimensions. Their light was almost blinding, and Roy could feel the elements around him. Winds were murmuring, the earth was trembling, mes were burning him, and freezing water sshed down on him.


    He felt weakness and desire welling within him. At the same time, the elements that pushed him so far had gone away. Not an inch of a step could be taken anymore, and the young witcher stopped a few yards away from the balls of light.


    They wereid out in a line, and the ball closest to him was burning and wriggling with fire. Through the veil of mes, Roy saw something he would remember for the rest of his life.


    It was an ancient abode nked by cliffs that stretched high up into the sky. A humanoid creature with reddish skin stood in the valley over the river of magma. Its back was as wide as a mountain, its arms were slender, and its lower body was nothing but a ball of gas. The creature had the physique of a troll, and its veins were shing bright like fire.


    Its nose and eyes were big, its fur was red, and a mane of mes surrounded its neck and chest. A wreath of smoke and magma hung underneath its curled horns like a crown. A pair of long, canine teeth protruded from its mouth, and mes red from its eyes, nostrils, and teeth.


    ''Ifrit


    ?


    An elemental who resides in the dimension of mes.''


    Roy was only looking at it for one moment, and the ifrit had already taken notice of him. It suddenly turned around and stared at the one who was looking at it.


    Its eyes widened with rage, and the creature roared. The river of magma exploded into the air like a waterfall, and then the valley was covered in mes. The ifrit suddenly became ten timesrger and came dangerously close to the young witcher for one moment. In that moment, the ifrit seemed to have ignored the limitations between dimensions.


    Its eyes were burning, and another roar escaped its throat. "Aenye!"


    The air itself seemed to fizzle out from the heat that was covering Roy. It suffocated him, burning every inch of his skin and soul. The agony engulfed him whole, and the light erased him into nothingness.


    ***


    Roy frowned and heaved a sigh before exiting his deep meditation mode. The moment he opened his eyes, a sh of red glinted within them.


    The magma, mes, and that horrifying creature were nowhere to be seen. He could feel the breeze caressing his body gently, and what he saw were the stone walls around the Elemental Circle as well as a concerned Lambert.


    "How do you feel?" The witcher noticed the weird look on Roy''s face, and he quickly huddled closer. "Did you see the dimensions? What did you get from them?" he gushed.


    "Stop. How long was I out for, Lambert?"


    "About two hours."


    "Give me some time. I need to think and sort things out." Roy sat back down and concentrated on his character sheet only to find a new message popping up.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 352: Igni Furyfire

    ''You havepleted meditating in the Circle of Elements for the first time.


    Spirit: 14.5 ¡ú 16


    Mana: 185 ¡ú 200


    Witcher Signs: Level 2 ¡ú Level 3


    You have approached the dimension of mes and listened to the legendary ifrit''s murmurs of fury. You now understand more about explosions. Your Spirit is now >15.


    Igni has undergone a change.


    Igni (Base): Shoots out a conical me to burn your enemies.


    Igni Furyfire (New): You mayunch a ball of Furyfire at any target within twenty meters. Furyfire will track the target you designate. When Furyfirees in contact with your target, it will explode and cause a chain reaction with the fire elements in the air to raise its explosion impact and temperature.


    Furyfire is affected by Spirit and level of Witcher Signs.''


    ***


    <em>One meditation session, and I raised my Witcher Signs by one level and gained more than a one-point increment in Spirit. And Igni mutated. It''s now a ranged fireball. A ranged, </em>tracking <em>fireball. Perfect trip, I''d say.</em>


    But even after Roy had exited his meditating state, he could still feel his skin burn whenever he thought about the ifrit''s roar. It felt like a pair of ming eyes was staring at him through the void.


    Fear started spreading through his soul, making it shiver. Roy clenched his teeth and tried to meditate in the circle again. He wished to face that creature once more to conquer his fear. When he entered the state again, he realized that although the elements were still dense, they couldn''t form that pair of wings to push him ahead again.


    With his Meditation still at Level 6, he couldn''t even get close to the elemental dimensions. "No wonder Lambert said it''s only a one-time thing." Roy took a deep breath and reluctantly epted reality.


    He stared at the expectant Wolf and stayed quiet for a moment. <em>If I want him on my side, I''ll have to show my strengths. </em>"My Sign intensity increased a bit, and it changed too."


    Lambert''s jaw dropped, and surprise shed in his eyes. <em>He''s so fUcking lucky. </em>"You saw the elemental dimensions?"


    "One of the creatures in the dimension of mes, yes."


    Lambert''s cheeks twitched, and jealousy shone in his eyes. "I''ve read about them. It''s called ifrit, one of the four elementals. Most witchers go their whole lives never seeing one, let alone make a wish to it."


    "What kind of wish?" Roy was confused.


    "Oh, you don''t know? Ifrits can grant wishes like djinns do, but you gotta pin it down before you can make your wish."


    <em>Oh, okay. The thing sent me all the way with a roar. No way I can pin it down.</em>


    "Are you Lady Luck''s child or something, Roy?"


    "Maybe." Roy epted the praise graciously.


    "Shoot a Sign at me. I wanna see how much you''ve improved. An Aard is enough." Lambert beckoned at him from two yards away. His legs were opened as wide as his shoulders, and he was half-crouched.


    "Shouldn''t you cover yourself with Quen first?"


    Lambert thumped his chest. "Don''t hold back, kid. You can''t hurt me. My body''s tougher than you think."


    "Fine." Roy rolled his eyes and shot a big dose of Aard at Lambert.


    The air exploded, and Lambert was pushed down with a thud. He rolled back like a ball for a few moments before he got back up on his legs. "That was brutal, but not bad." Lambert rubbed his chest. "Still a far cry from me though."


    <em>So what if he''s talented and has irvoyant powers? I''m still a better swordsman and Signcaster. </em>Lambert regained a bit of his confidence. "Try the new Sign on me next."


    "You might get hurt. Just stand back and watch." Roy shook his head and stepped out of the Elemental Circle. His eyes were set on the bunch of azaleas beside the path. Swiftly, a red triangle formed in the air, and Roy pushed it forward.


    A crimson fireball shot out of the triangle and flew into the azaleas. The fireball exploded, sending soil, debris, and grass flying everywhere. For a moment, the patch of ground where the azalea stood turned scorching hot, and smoke billowed in the air.


    A small crater was left in the wake of the smoke and explosion. The mes ckened the nearby soil, and sparks of fire were branching out to the surroundings.


    "Whoa, that was like a small Dancing Star exploding." Roy quickly put the sparks out with Aard. <em>The area of effect is considerably smaller, but the explosion is more lethal. Not as fast as a crossbow bolt, though. And it can''t fly as far either.</em>


    ***


    Roy closed his eyes to relive the experience of Furyfire and find its difference from the regr Igni. When he cast Furyfire, the elements became more vtile, and they moved within his body at a fiercer pace. His hand felt like it was burning and breaking up just from casting that Sign.


    <em>And Furyfire costs twenty mana. It''s the same as a regr Igni, but it has far greater power.</em> He could see the great potential in this modified Sign, but Roy needed time to find out what he could do with this new toy.


    Roy had some ideas on how to incorporate Furyfire into his battle tactics. With Furyfire joining his arsenal, he now had two ranged attack options. Gabriel could shoot Guided Bolts, while Furyfire was a tracking fireball all by itself. <em>Wonder if I can shoot a bolt and cast Furyfire at the same time. It''s going to be a lot more explosive than melee attacks. Very mana intensive though. Can''t do a double attack too many times, not even with 200 Mana.</em>


    ***


    "That''s on par with a sorcerer''s fireball. I don''t think Heliotrop can stop it." Lambert was a little mncholic, and a sigh escaped his lips. Just when he regained some confidence, Roy showed him something unimaginable. <em>He''s the one in a hundred. Thed''s gonna grow into an important guy someday.</em>


    Lambert was envious of Roy''s good fortune. Suddenly, he whipped out a pendant from his pocket and tossed it at the young witcher. At the end of the pendant hung a miniature wolf''s head with its mouth open.


    "Take it, Roy. You passed the trial, and you deserve an insignia. Vesemir, Geralt, and Eskel want you to have it as well."


    "But I''m a Viper," Roy said.


    "It''s alright. We''re not going to take you from Letho." Lambert then said, "But you''re now an honorary Wolf."


    "Um¡­"


    "Just take it if you''re a man!"


    Roy tucked the insignia away, though he was still wearing the Viper pendant around his neck.


    Lambert blew the candlelight out and looked at the skies. Sun was starting to set, and dusk was only an hour away. "Time to go. Eskel has probably skewered the goat andthered spices all over it. They''re probably waiting for us."


    "What did you guys get from your first meditation in the Elemental Circle?" Roy caught up to him and went down the slope.


    "Geralt''s Axii mutated. He can turn his targets into puppets, and his Axiists a long time. I just know he seduced those women with his mutated Axii. They wouldn''t fall for him otherwise. Look at his face. It''s forever one expression. But I have no proof for that." Lambert shook his head. "Eskel, Vesemir, and I didn''t get a lot of stuff out of it. There''s like a Blue Mountains worth of distance between us and the elemental dimensions."


    <em>White Wolf probably got his magical talents from his mother''s side. That''s why his Sign mutated. </em>And then he had another question. "Why didn''t you guys wait until you could meditate better before you took this trial?"


    "Most witchers don''t have the luxury of time. Rather than dying inbat,ing here to power up a bit is the better choice."


    Roy nodded. "The Elemental Circle aside, I have a tip for you, as thanks for your help today."


    "Don''t talk about the brotherhood. To be honest, everyone wants me to tell you to give it up." Lambert finally told Roy the truth.


    "It''s not about the brotherhood, and you can''t change my mind." Roy shook his head. "Know a Cat called Aiden?"


    Lambert came to an abrupt half and shot Roy a re of displeasure. "Are you also a telepath, kid? How do you know that name?" he hissed.


    "What do you know? I might be a telepath," Roy said. "I saw through your soul. You acknowledge my idea, and you can''t wait to join."


    "Is that your premonition again?" Lambert shook his head in disdain. "Don''t look into anyone''s secrets with that ability. Keep bragging about it and you''ll end up dead."


    "Thanks for the reminder, but I can''t control this ability. The information I receive is very random. It ranges from anything to anything. Let''s talk about Aiden."


    "He''s my best friend." Lambert crouched and pinched his nose before they reentered the passage. "I''ve only known him for less than a year, but I love his style. Ever worked with someone that meshes so well with you, it''s buttery smooth? And he''s so understanding. He just gets my humor."


    "You seem pretty funny to me now." Roy gave Lambert a weird look.


    "Shut it. I would have proposed to him if he were a girl," Lambert answered seriously. "But being a friend is fine. Geralt and Eskel are my friends too, but they''re a far cry from Aiden. Why did you bring him up though?"


    "Be warned, Lambert." Roy''s face fell. "I have seen his future. He''s going to get caught in a conspiracy a few years down the line and hunted to death by a bunch of elite mercenaries."


    Lambert nched. There was suspicion, shock, and sorrow in his eyes. <em>He''s the first friend I¡¯ve meshed so well with in fifty years, and he''s gonna die? </em>He stared daggers at Roy. "You know what happens if you lie."


    "I have no reason to lie."


    "Who''s the culprit?" asked Lambert nervously.


    Roy stared into his eyes. "A bunch of powerful royalty. Aiden lifted the curse of a duke''s daughter and got on their bad side, so they hired a bunch of veteran mercenaries to kill him."


    "How the hell did you even find out about something that hasn¡¯t even happened yet?" Lambert roared. "How the fuck did Aiden get on their bad side?"


    "Because he got in their way." Roy shook his head regretfully. "And Cats are really infamous among the people. Some nobles hate their guts. Killing them is something they do for fun. That''s all."


    "But Aiden''s not a bloodthirsty maniac! He almost never harmed any innocents!" Lambert said. "That shouldn''t be his end!"


    He paced around like a cat on hot bricks. <em>C''mon, c''mon. Work, brain. How can I help him? </em>"What if I tell him not to take any request from any dukes?"


    "Maybe he lives, or maybe someone else slits his throat." Roy shrugged. He loved the look on Lambert''s face. "Witchers believe in fate, and you know fate isn''t that easily overturned."


    A draft blew from the river, silencing Lambert.


    Roy broke the silence. "I told you the Cat who joined the brotherhood is also one of the sane ones, and he went through a grueling experience. A sorcerer set his sights on him, knocked him out, and took him back to theb just to perform all kinds of experiments on him. Painful experiments."


    "He was jailed and lived his life in hell for thirty years. We only busted him out a while ago. He didn''t do anything to deserve that." Roy hopped onto the boat with Lambert and started rowing. The bow sailed through the waters, and Roy raised his voice. "Don''t you get it, Lambert? Weakness is a sin! If you aren''t powerful enough, or if you don''t have anyone protecting you, this world is going to swallow you whole. I won''t be surprised if one of us dies in a ditch or something if we don''t have enough power."


    "Weakness is a sin?" Lambert murmured to himself. And then he looked at the talented, ambitious young witcher. "Can you promise me that Aiden won''t die if I join the brotherhood? Can you promise that Kaer Morhen will weather the storm?"


    "Sorry, but no guarantees for that, but there''s no harm in trying." Roy looked at him.


    It struck a chord with Lambert, and that intense, hot-blooded feeling welled within him again. He had a feeling that Roy would change the history of witchers one day. <em>While I squander my life doing nothing, leaving my home and my best friend to die a horrible death? No, there''s a chance to change that, and it''s standing right in front of me.</em>


    "Do you need any helpers with the work in Novigrad? I can go with you. Even join the brotherhood."


    "Sure." <em>Gods, finally. </em>Roy extended his hand. "We''re always recruiting."


    "Can you take Aiden in as well? I''ll take him to you and join up together. Remember your promise. We''ll watch each other''s backs."


    "That''s one of the brotherhood''s missions, but he''ll have to pass probation first."


    "That''s a deal then."


    ***


    The witchers rowed the boat across theke. A gentle breeze strolled past the air, caressing Lambert''s face. For some reason, he felt energized.


    "You convinced me, kid, but everyone else is going to be a hurdle. Your lecture scared them off. They''re staying away from you and had me represent them."


    "I thought that might be the case." Roy smiled. "But don''t worry. You''re about to witness a miracle. A few miracles, actually."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 353: Future and Past

    Night had covered Kaer Morhen when Lambert and Roy made their return, and a crescent moon ascended into the air.


    Just as Lambert predicted, a goat was hung over the open fire, but the other Wolves already had dinner and went back to their rooms. He didn''t even get to see them. <em>They''re still avoiding me.</em>


    "We got what we came for, kid. Don''t push your luck." Letho was leaning on the firece.


    Roy shook his head. If he couldn''t change the Wolves'' passivity, this alliance would be useless.


    ***


    <em>I got to Lambert. This n works, and I''m going through with it.</em> He went straight to the highest floor of the main castle and knocked on Geralt''s door.


    The moment Geralt saw who it was, resignation filled his eyes.


    "Good evening, Geralt. We need to talk." A toothy grin hung on Roy''s lips.


    Geralt forced a smile. "Don''t you think it''s a bitte? Can''t this wait until tomorrow?"


    Roy stopped the door from closing by putting a foot down. "But you might go fishing tomorrow or hiking through the Blue Mountains the next," Roy teased before pushing Geralt into his bedroom. "I''ll cut to the chase. Don''t hide from me. I''m not Yennefer."


    "Can you not bring her up? We''ve broken up for years," Geralt muttered under his breath.


    "But you still think about her a lot." Roy sat down on the only chair around.


    Geralt''s room was starker than he imagined. There was only a wooden bed with a beast hide on it, a crate of clothes before the bed, a clothesline, and¡­ nothing. <em>Man, this ce is big enough for two swordsmen to spar. </em>"Odd. Where''s the unicorn? Where''s the white unicorn?"


    "What is up with you? You keep talking about weird stuff." Geralt plopped down onto the bed and stared at the moon outside the window. "There''s no virgin in Kaer Morhen. Unicorns don''te around."


    Roy nodded. <em>Ah, so Geralt and Yennefer haven''t experimented that far yet. Sooner orter they''re gonna fuck on a unicorn, the clouds¡­</em> "Just take it as advice."


    He stopped smiling and continued solemnly. "Geralt, what do you think about the brotherhood? Are you joining?"


    "I thought Lambert told you clearly." Geralt shook his head. "The alliance we have is perfect, and now we''re about to talk about the details. We''ll find some time every year to gather somewhere and talk about how the year went for us. And we''ll help each other out if need be. That''s an easier partnership. A brotherhood is going to be a big organization, and running one isn''t as easy as you think. Rules and regtions, for example. Have youe up with a rulebook? Found someone to manage the whole thing? Who''s going to handle all the menial tasks like food, lodging, remuneration, and jobs? Witchers aren''t great managers," Geralt said seriously.


    "So you <em>have </em>thought about it. Someone else will handle the menial tasks if you don''t want to. And we won''t force our members to do anything, or Lambert wouldn''t have joined." Roy smiled.


    "Lambert <em>agreed</em>?" Geralt was really resigned at that point. <em>I''m disappointed.</em>


    "Yep. He''lle to Novigrad with us once the first month is up."


    "I knew I couldn''t rely on him. We reached an agreement, and he promised he''d make you forget about the idea, but now he took your side?" Geralt growled and massaged his temples. A sigh escaped his lips. "Lambert is still young and yful. He probably just wants to see Novigrad. It''s a big city, after all. Sooner orter, he''s going to get bored, so take his word with a grain of salt."


    "I don''t think so. Lambert is showing promise," Roy said. "He''ll prove that joining the brotherhood is the right choice. And don''t you care about the cmity that''s going to happen ten years down the road? How are you going to deal with it without any help?"


    Geralt looked even more somber at that point. "Are you sure you didn''t make a mistake? I don''t think Kaer Morhen has anything left to steal."


    "Except for the witchers themselves. Poison, heat, and extreme climate resistance. Best test subjects. And the recipe for your Trial is priceless for some people. Will you give them the recipe in exchange for the castle''s safety? Or will you convince Vesemir to leave this ce?"


    Roy stared at Geralt intently. He knew what the answer would be. Sticklers to tradition until the very end, the Wolves would refuse to give in even if that was thest thing they did.


    "Your premonition is more powerful than I thought, Roy. That was¡­ very specific. Is the recipe why we''ll be attacked again?"


    Geralt believed Roy''s premonition a little. He was considering joining Roy''s brotherhood and having all the witcher schools band up, including the never-seen-before Manticore School. He wondered if their brotherhood could fight back the evil forces and change their future. <em>And we have a talented witcher who''s also a irvoyant on our side.</em>


    Roy noticed his conviction wavering, and he went all in. "There''s another reason for the sacking of Kaer Morhen."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s about your Unexpected Child."


    Geralt cocked his eyebrow. He was reminded of a beautiful, tomboyish, grey-haired girl who had a loud voice and even louder movements. "How so?"


    "Remember Ciri, the daughter of Pavetta and Duny? Princess of Cintra? Have you visited hertely?"


    "I''m just a lowly, rude witcher." Geralt shook his head. "I have no right to disturb Her Highness. Even if I were to see her, Cnthe would think I was trying to do something to Ciri, and she¡¯d have my head."


    ***


    "That''s how you always are. Ciri, Yennefer, you treat them the same." <em>What is this, some sort of romance drama with the protagonist being a badmunicator?</em> Roy continued loudly, "You can''t assume that! Go there and ask what they think! Find out if they want to see you or if they''re leading you on a chase."


    "Get to the point, Roy," Geralt muttered.


    "I''ve seen Ciri''s future as well. We''ve gone through Brokilon and ran into Eithn¨¦. She told us who Ciri really is. Do you remember what she said?"


    "She possesses Elder Blood," Geralt said. Gales charged into the room, billowing the tattered curtains. ck clouds obscured the crescent moon, dimming its light.


    "Elder Blood is a lot more precious than the Trial recipe," Roy said. "Powerful forces have set their sights on her, and they will not stop until Ciri is in their hands. You couldn''t deny Destiny anymore, so you stepped in. In the end, Ciri brought danger and devastation to Kaer Morhen."


    "Impossible. She''s the heir to a kingdom," Geralt argued. "With Cintra''s royalty and Skellige''s rulers protecting her, none can harm Ciri. She doesn''t need a witcher''s protection."


    ***


    Roy smiled but didn''t borate.


    Geralt wondered why the young witcher didn''t answer, and then he realized something. He might be a traditional witcher who stuck to the creed of neutrality, but that didn''t mean he was cut off from the news. Throughout his travels in Brugge and Cintra, he heard rumors about Nilfgaardian troops setting up camp not far from Amell. If they kept advancing northward, eventually the troops would be invading Cintra''snd. It was obvious that the south wanted to conquer the north at this point.


    And then he was reminded of something else. Back in Brokilon, Frex the nymph breeder castigated Ciri for ruining Cintra and Verden''s alliance by running away. He berated her for weakening Cintra''s forces.


    ***


    "She needs a witcher''s protection because the ruler of the kingdom that''s supposed to protect her is¡­"


    Geralt was shocked. Night breeze blew down his neck, and sweat glistened his skin. He looked at Roy again, but this time with conflicting emotions. The alleged prophet easily told him about the direction a future war would take ce. <em>This is unreal.</em>


    "Would you turn a blind eye if Ciri were in danger?"


    Geralt asked himself that and shook his head. And if he were to step in, Vesemir, Eskel, and Lambert would help out as well, even if they might bite his head off for putting the school in danger. <em>It''s very possible we¡¯d drag Kaer Morhen into danger if that happened.</em>


    "You know how powerful the Law of Surprise is, Geralt," Roy said. "Even if you distance yourself from Ciri, Destiny will still send her your way. You''ll have to face this enemy together. If there''s still only the four of you by then, you stand no chance against the enemy, not even with our help. We''ll all die."


    Roy took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the White Wolf. "If you still won''t change and join the brotherhood, if you won''t try to bolster our strength, you''ll be powerless to change Kaer Morhen or Ciri''s fate."


    "Gods be damned, are you a demon? Do you have to be that direct?" Geralt shot up and paced around angrily. He roared, "Even if I join the brotherhood, what then? You think a small group of witchers can fight back against a whole army?"


    "At least it''s better than doing nothing and dying." Roy stared back into Geralt''s eyes without fear or fervor. "Join us and train the newbies up. At least we have a chance at changing things. We''re not letting ourrades sacrifice themselves needlessly. Everyone''s gonna have a shot at happiness."


    ***


    "Come, Geralt." Roy extended his hand. "Come to Novigrad and fight for a better tomorrow for witchers."


    "You''re a fucking devil," Geralt muttered. He held his hand out and paused for a moment before shaking Roy''s hands. The young witcher thought Geralt''s palm was sweaty. "Don''t make me regret this, and I''m not handling the menial tasks."


    "Don''t worry. I''m not about to let an amateur mess the management up. And we have a deal. That sure was a long talk." Roy turned around and went for the door. "I think you''ll need time to sort this out."


    <em>The enemies who are out for the Trial recipe and Elder Blood. The war between Cintra and Nilfgaard. Geralt will need some time to process that.</em>


    Geralt''s face was red, and his hair was drenched with sweat. He needed to process the whole thing, but just like a man who was drunk on wine, Geralt was drunk on information. He wanted to know more.


    Geralt stopped him. "Roy, can you see anything you want through your premonition?"


    Roy shook his head, smiling. "No. I told you it''s very random."


    "Then how did you know so much about me and Kaer Morhen?" Geralt peered at the young witcher.


    <em>Because you''re the goddamn protagonist, </em>Roy thought to himself. "Because I''vee into contact with you guys more, so it''s easier to see things rted to you."


    "Is that so?" Geralt''s breathing stopped for a moment. He plopped down onto his bed and sped his fingers. "I have a question about a particr person," he asked nervously.


    "Ask away, but my ability is still a very random one." Roy shook his head regrettably. "I might be unable to give you an answer."


    The look on Geralt''s face changed a few times, and eventually, he spoke.


    "Do you know how I arrived at Kaer Morhen, Roy? It wasn''t because of the Law of Surprise."


    <em>Oh, I know what he''s gonna ask. C''mon, memories, give me something.</em>


    Geralt took a deep breath and smiled bitterly. "A woman gave me to Vesemir. To be precise, my mother abandoned me when I was a child. She left me at the gates of Kaer Morhen, and Vesemir took me in. Showed me the ways of the witchers. Unbelievable, don''t you think? Under most circumstances, mothers would beg witchers not to take their children away, but not mine. She seemed horrified by me."


    "Maybe she had a reason," Roy said. <em>Yeah, bad constion.</em>


    Geralt ignored that and muttered to himself, "I kept wondering if I would run into the woman who left me here. If we did meet, I wonder how she would react to me being a witcher. I kept thinking about the things I should say to her, the questions I should ask. Like why she abandoned me." Geralt was tearing up a little. "I waited for almost eighty years, but Destiny never reunited us. All I got from Vesemir was her name¡ªViseanna. She''s a druid and sorceress. I want to know where she is right now. Can your premonition help, Roy?" Geralt stared at Roy with hope.


    "I need a minute." Roy closed his eyes and pretended to ''glimpse'' into the past. For a moment, the White Wolf''s nervous breathing was the only sound in the room.


    ording to the original timeline, Geralt would meet his mother two yearster when he sustained some serious injuries. She would heal him and leave without saying a word. Geralt failed to get the answers he wanted. <em>Wonder if that would change if I step in.</em>


    "I see her. She''s pale and gaunt, the pr opposite of you." Roy shook his head. "Like most druids, she''s traveling the world and taking up the mantle of a healer. But she''s a nomad who travels from ce to ce. I can''t find her."


    Geralt''s gaze turned downward.


    "But I also see something else. It''s about your past." Roy took a deep breath and exined why Visenna abandoned Geralt. "A white-haired man saw a hallucination right before his death. He saw a man killing hordes of monsters, and that man called himself Geralt of Rivia."


    Geralt snapped out of his misery feeling surprised. <em>I don''t remember seeing a man like that. When did that happen?</em>


    "The man, Korin the human warrior, told his wife¡ªVisenna the sorceress¡ªabout the things he saw. Their unborn child shall be named Geralt of Rivia, and he prophesied that Geralt was a witcher born with feline eyes. Thinking it as Destiny''s guidance, Visenna honored her husband''s dying wish and sent her son to Kaer Morhen to be raised by witchers." Roy kept staring at Geralt. "With Destiny''s help, the child named Geralt passed the Trial and became a Wolf. Eventually, he would form a bond with the heir to the Elder Blood through the Law of Surprise. Duettaean aef cirran Certme Gleddyv (The sword of Destiny has two edges)," Roy said. It was something Eithn¨¦ told him before. And then he finished it. "Yn esseth (And you are one of it)."


    "You will change the world."


    A long silence ensued. Geralt was sorting out his thoughts. His lips were pursed, his look solemn and confused. "So Visenna didn''t abandon me. I was taken to Kaer Morhen because of the hallucination of my dying father, Korin?"


    "Perhaps it was <em>not </em>a hallucination." Roy smiled. "But if that makes you feel better, you''re free to see the whole event in that light."


    "If you want to know more, then you''ll have to wait." Roy paused. "But we''ll talk after we return to Novigrad."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 354: Dont Tell Them

    Over the skies above, the warm winter sun hung. Morning breeze fluttered across the ins of Kaer Morhen, bringing golden sunlight onto the walls of the ancient fortress.


    Heavy breathing wasing from the training grounds. A pair of swordwielding silhouettes were engaged in a furious battle. A thrust and chargeter, the fighters came closer and shed like two bolts of lightning,


    Metal nged against metal a dozen times in an instant. Sparks flew everywhere, and sunlight glinted dazzlingly on the des.


    Eventually, the fighters parted, but they remained in the plow stance, ready to attack or defend at any given moment. The air was fraught with tension as the swordsmen started a staring battle, but eventually, Roy sheathed his de and held up a lock of cut hair from the nape of his neck. He could feel sweat drenching his body already.


    <em>That was intense. </em>"I thought you''d let me win, Eskel. It''s no funing down so hard on a newbie like me."


    "You''re no simple newbie." Eskel shook his head and plopped down onto the ground beside the stakes. "I don''t think Letho would show you any mercy either." He gulped down some water from the waterskin. "He''d train you up and push your potential to the fullest." The Wolf turned around and said, "But he never told me how he took you in. Was it the Law of Surprise or something else?"


    Roy sat down beside Eskel and exined calmly, "About a year ago, a grave hag was terrorizing a certain vige in rural Aedirn. A few people died, and the vigers were terrified. Everyone kept to themselves, hiding in their houses. Letho and hispanions showed up one day and took the request to take the monster out. I told them I wanted to be a witcher. Power is an enticing factor, you see. So I said goodbye to my family and stepped on this path."


    Eskel''s eyes went wide for a moment. The exnation given sounded a bit too oundish for him. "So they found a new witcher out of nowhere?"


    "In a way, I found three mentors who taught me all they knew."


    "You learn something new every day." Eskel nodded, though he had a weird look in his eyes. "You''re an oddity. Most people think we''re disgusting, but you volunteered to join us. Aren''t you afraid of our unusual looks and attitude?"


    "Feline eyes aren''t bad." Roy joked, "At least nobody would trample all over me. And I''d prefer a straightforward attitude if a fa?ade is the alternative."


    Eskel choked. He cleared his throat and looked at Roy. "But your parents are still alive, and they don''t owe the witchers anything. Did they hand you over to them? Or do they not like you?"


    "Their hearts were broken. Tried to dissuade me, but I convinced them," Roy said. "I was almost fourteen back then. I have the right to decide what I do with my life."


    "Can you really take this path when you know you can nevere in contact with them again?"


    "I don''t remember that being the price I had to pay," Roy said gently. "Auckes and Serrit took my family to Novigrad. They''re living a better life than they did in the vige. A lot easier than being farmers. And they got themselves another kid too. I can see them anytime I want."


    Eskel took a deep breath and stared into the distance, where the snowy, golden ins sat. All the witchers he knew eventually drifted away from their families due to the Law of Surprise or the machinations of Destiny.


    Most witchers led their lives in loneliness and istion, no matter which school they were from. <em>But this one is different. </em>Eskel asked, "What was going through your mind when you decided to join us? Just because you wanted power?"


    "The grave hag killed a friend of mine. I realized then that regr humans are too fragile. Too weak. As if society isn''t enough of a trial, they had to face killer monsters too. Power is the only way to survive. Status, coins, strength, either of the three is needed for survival." Roy mused, "And I saw my future. The vige would face a terrible fate. Had I remained a farmer there, my family and I would¡¯ve died beneath the hooves of war." Roy announced, "Change was needed. I had to strike out if I wished to change my fate, and I made the right choice."


    He made a lot of friends and ran into bizarre encounters along the way. Slowly but surely, he was changing from a frail young man into a witcher. Roy never regretted his choice, and he would keep walking this path.


    "You''re¡­ special, Roy," Eskel praised. "You possess a few nuggets of wisdom most people your age don''t."


    Eskel was impressed. Roy was far younger than he was, but he changed his and his family''s fate all by himself. On the other hand, he found himself at the mercy of Destiny, training and living the life of a witcher for decades alongside hispanions at Kaer Morhen. For the first time in a while, he was getting some ideas. Hopeful ideas. <em>Perhaps thisd can change the fate of witchers as a whole.</em>


    "Don''t just talk about me." Roy stared at him. "Tell me how you came to Kaer Morhen."


    "I have a feeling you asked Geralt and Lambert that."


    "If I wanna work with you guys, I have to know more about your past."


    "Same old story as most witchers." Eskel nodded. "A witcher invoked the Law of Surprise, and Vesemir brought me here. Can''t remember why or how it came to be, but I don''t see the need to dig up the answer." He continued, "All I know is from the moment the Law of Surprise bonded me to this pce. Kaer Morhen is my home, and Vesemir is my father."


    Roy kept staring into Eskel''s eyes and suggested, "Would youe to Novigrad and join the brotherhood, Eskel? To protect your home from the invaders that will inevitablye?"


    "You cheekyd." Eskel sighed. "You just keep bringing that up, don''t you? The brotherhood is a good idea, but I don''t even see an outline for it. How are we supposed to join?"


    "I''ll need every member''s opinion toe up with aprehensive rulebook surrounding the expansion of our forces." A brief pause ensued. "Geralt and Lambert agreed to join."


    "What did you feed them?" Eskel''s eyes narrowed. He was surprised that even Geralt agreed to join. Lambert joining was no surprise, since he half-expected that to happen. <em>But Geralt is a tough nut to crack.</em>


    "I told them about the problems they''d be facing in the future," Roy answered honestly. "The alliance isn''t strong enough. We need to build up the brotherhood, gather most living witchers, and train up an army of new witchers. Or the problem won''t solve itself."


    "Is that so? Well, tell me what I''ll be facing then," Eskel said. He was waiting for Roy to convince him.


    Roy''s gaze turned downward, and he pretended to fall into his thoughts. Then he said seriously, "You''re going to fall in love with some horned women, and they''re going to suck you dry."


    <em>Oh, um¡­ </em>Eskel fell into silence, a weird look creeping up to his face. He frowned, but only for a single moment. "You''re talking about a subus, aren''t you?"


    "Yep. Bullseye. Unorthodox taste, but nothing to be ashamed of."


    <em>I''d rather nobody know about this fetish.</em>


    "But that''s the least of your worries," continued Roy solemnly. "There''s something else I haven''t told Geralt and Lambert."


    Eskel waited for the continuation quietly.


    "The future I glimpsed showed me the siege on the keep¡­ as well as a casualty."


    Tightly, Eskel held his waterskin, and his breathing turned heavier. "Who''s the casualty?"


    Roy pursed his lips, but he reluctantly answered, "The one you see as a father."


    Eskel froze up in shock and leaned on the cold, hard walls. His eyes were closed, his mind in turmoil.


    Roy looked at him silently. That was a cruel answer, and he had no ns on bringing that up, but Roy had no idea what else would convince Eskel. The man whom he saw as a father was the closest thing he had to a family. Only the news of his eventual death could change the witcher''s mind.


    <em>I''m doing this to save Vesemir from a terrible fate, </em>Roy told himself.


    ***


    Eventually, Eskel asked, "If Vesemir moves with us, can he evade that fate?"


    "I can''t be sure about that." Roy was surprised Eskel would ask that question. He should know Vesemir would never abandon his home. "Maybe he can, maybe he can''t. But running away isn''t the answer; getting stronger is. If we band together and grow stronger, perhaps we can¡­" Roy clenched his fists. "Curb the danger before it even rears its ugly head."


    Something jolted Eskel, and he stood up. He stretched his arms, and so did his shadow. It felt like a beast had just woken from its slumber, ready to hunt. "Promise me you''ll keep this a secret from them, Roy."


    "I will." Roy nodded. "So, are you going to join?"


    Eskel stared at the young witcher. "We''re going to pay you a visit, but be warned. Geralt, Lambert, and I have a voracious appetite. Monstrous, if you may. Prepare enough food and alcohol."


    ***


    "Alright, three down, one to go." Roy swung his fists happily. <em>At least my efforts aren''t for nothing.</em>


    But he wasn''t in a hurry to see Vesemir. Now that he was certain about the brotherhood''s establishment, it was time to sort out all the gains he got from the Elemental Circle. He bade Eskel goodbye, left the castle, and went for the clearing under an oak tree.


    Once again, he entered a state of meditation only to exit it a momentter, and then a sigh escaped his lips. Ever since he left the Circle, Roy had given meditation many tries, but not once did the elements propel him toward the elemental dimensions. <em>I wonder when I¡¯ll get the chance to do that again.</em>


    "Just seeing the ifrit and hearing it roar mutated Igni. Wonder if the other Signs would also mutate if I saw the other elementals. Guess I''ll find out sooner orter." Roy had a feeling he would. <em>If I can level Meditation up to Level 10, I can reach the dimensions without any help.</em>


    ***


    The changes in Igni made him realize something. One deep meditation session increased his Sign intensity and Spirit. <em>This means the whole witcher power system is already affected, and every part is getting closer together. If I can raise my swordy, Signs, witcher senses, and alchemy skills to a certain level, will they improve one another?</em>


    Roy held that idea down and started practicing Furyfire. He made a red Sign in the air and shoved it at a nearby mound. The explosion shattered the mound into pieces, sending soil and grass flying into the air. What remained in the wake of Furyfire was a big crater.


    Furyfire was on par with that fireball Matteo shot at him back in the ambush at Spear''s Pit. It was a lot more potent than Igni and worked differently. Furyfire would activate the fire elements around Roy''s target and whip them into a frenzy. Ignition and burning aside, Furyfire could also explode.


    One Furyfire had enough power to rival a mini Dancing Star. Quen couldn''t defend against it, not even if Serrit cast a Level 10 Quen. But if Heliotrop was involved, all Furyfire could do was destroy the shield.


    ***


    Roy tossed out five Furyfires into five mounds, expending half his mana. And then he started his second training¡ªcasting both his long-range attacks at once. On one hand, he had his hand crossbow, which boasted greater speed and range. On the other hand, he had Furyfire, which was superior in area of effect, potency, and noise.


    Roy half-crouched and set his sights on a big oak tree in the distance. He made the sign of Furyfire with his left hand and held Gabriel in his right, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.


    Eventually, a bolt buried itself in the oak''s bark, and Furyfire came right after it. Half the bolt was blown away, and wood shavings sted into the air. Part of the tree bark was ckened, and smoke billowed, but Roy put the sparks out with Aard.


    <em>Not even Quen, Heliotrop, or a mage''s magical shield can fend off thisbo at the same time. But I still need to master it. If my target''s static, they''re dead meat, but battles don''t work that way. And there are enemies who move too fast to be seen. It''d hamper my uracy, and that''s with both the bolt and Furyfire having an in-built tracking system.</em>


    "If Furyfire and the bolt can merge and be something like an exploding fire arrow, that''d be perfect." <em>It''s gonna have the speed, range, and silence of a bolt as well as Furyfire''s potency.</em>


    But he tucked that idea away and went back to practice.


    Roy charged and turned directions as he shot bolts and fireballs at the oak tree in the distance. Eventually, his mana ran out, so Roy returned to the castle to see Vesemir.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 355: Vesemirs Past

    West tower, top floor


    Vesemir was leaning into his old rocking chair, basking in the winter''s sun. As he recalled what he saw during lunch, a smile curled his wrinkly cheeks. Eskel and Geralt had been staying away from Roytely, but now they were goofing around like usual. <em>I see they''ve reached a decision about the brotherhood.</em>


    Kaer Morhen had been a quiet ce for far too long. Vesemir thought Eskel and Geralt had be too depressed. Geralt, especially, was bing emotional and introverted. Witchers could live long lives. If they couldn''t go on with their lives in happiness, it would be torture. Vesemir would be more than happy if Roy could change Eskel and Geralt for the better.


    Someone knocked on the door and approached Vesemir.


    "So, how did things go,d?" Vesemir didn''t even turn around. "Convinced those stubborn mules, have you?"


    "You know about it?" Roy went to his side and handed Vesemir a bottle of vodka.


    Vesemir took a swig, and his beard was drenched. "I can see the kind of person you are. You have a strong will and will do anything to get what you want.


    "Yes. We''ve reached a decision." Roy went to the window and stared at the sun delightfully. "When we leave for Novigrad, Lambert, Eskel, and Geralt wille with us. Including the Cats, we''ll have three school members talking about the brotherhood.


    "Did Letho agree to it?" Vesemir asked. "He seemed to be against the idea."


    "He was just worried about offending you. But Geralt and the others aren''t that petty. And the brotherhood doesn''t go against the Viper School''s revival. It''s actually helpful. Building a strong school all by ourselves isn''t realistic. We need to strengthen our sharedmunity if we want to change our fates.


    "A sharedmunity, huh? That''s a new idea, but you have a point." Vesemir handed the rest of the vodka to Roy. "A word of advice, Roy. Don''t neglect or hurt anyone who cares about you."


    "Thank you. I''ll keep that close to heart." Roy took a sip. The alcohol shot up into his head, reddening his face. He asked, "Will you join us for the trip, Vesemir? The pack isn''tplete without you."


    "I''m getting a bit too old. Can''t move around too much. Bones creak, muscles squeak. And someone needs to stand guard over Kaer Morhen. I''ll be fine here."


    Roy''s lips twitched. He remembered how easily Vesemir avoided the White Frost. "You jest. If you can''t move around, then that makes me a cripple," Roy joked. "And you have experience. That''s valuable. Once we return to Novigrad and take more students in, you''ll be the perfect mentor for them," Roy said. "Don''t you want to relive your youth and whip the new kids up into shape? Tell them about your stories?"


    And then the rocking chair stopped rocking. Vesemir raised his head up, his eyes ring with the me of youth. Memories were flooding his mind. Memories of his lively past, but the mes died out a momentter.


    "I''m too old for this, but how are you going to take in new people?"


    "The orphanage," Roy answered. "There''s darkness even in Novigrad. Lots of kids are abandoned the moment they are born. They can''t fend for themselves, so most of them end up as beggars or die horrible deaths. We''ll talk to the rulers of Novigrad and set up a legal orphanage. Then we''ll pick some of the most talented and strong-willed of them. Course, it depends on whether they want to join us. We''ll train them up and improve the Trial recipe with some sorcerer friends."


    "That''s a bold and innovative idea," Vesemir muttered. He wanted to ask a few more questions. <em>What if you can''t find any mages? What if the improvement fails? What if the Novigradians start to protest? </em>But he held his tongue.


    "Aren''t you gonnae?" Roy asked. "No excuses. Don''t tell me you don''t want to leave Kaer Morhen now."


    "I''ve left this ce less and less since fifty years ago. Living too long isn''t all good. Aside from Geralt and his friends, most of the people I know are dead." Vesemir shook his head. "I leave this ce a month or two every year to take some requests and move around, but that''s it."


    "Your friends are all dead, you say?" Roy''s eyes shone, and he shook his head. "I don''t think so. Someone close to you is still alive."


    Vesemir was surprised. "Who''s the one you saw?"


    "I''m more than willing to tell, but don''t forget toe to see me after you meet your old friend." Roy smiled.


    Vesemir nodded, but he said nothing.


    Roy started talking. "It was winter in 1234. A fleder had made its appearance in Oxenfurt. A request was posted to the bulletin board, and a witcher showed up. That was you. You went by a manor on your hunt for the monster and locked eyes with the daughter of the manor''s owner. Love sparked, and she sent her governess to give you a letter she wrote."


    Vesemir started rocking his chair again. As Roy recounted his ''glimpse,'' Vesemir was taken back to his glory days.


    "You would see her at night every night. But then her father heard the sounds of your sordid little affair one night, and so you escaped. But you left your armor behind. Her father issued an arrest warrant for you since then, and your rtionship came to an end. Eventually, she married an old count."


    Vesemir looked dejected.


    <em>Didn''t expect Vesemir to have this kind of past. </em>Royughed quietly and continued. "But her husband died soon, and she survived him, bing the Countess of Mignole. She''s old and wrinkly now, but she''s still single. Owns a mountain of wealth and hangs onto the memories of her youth just to live." Roy wiggled his eyebrows and teased, "Your old me''s governess sent you her letter, you guys did it in the garden, and then you escaped through the window just so you wouldn¡¯t get found out. You were wild, Vesemir. I don''t think even Geralt canpare."


    "Is that so odd? I used to be young too. And I was adies'' man." Vesemirbed his hair back. There was fire in his eyes, and he seemed to straighten up a little. "I was popr."


    "Do you still miss her, then?"


    Vesemir said nothing, but silence was an answer in and of itself.


    Roy shouted, "So you haven''t forgotten about her. What are you waiting for, then? Go to Oxenfurt! Don''t leave thedy hanging. The Countess of Mignole has never forgotten about you either."


    "I-I''ll think about it."


    ***


    The rocking chair rocked harder.


    Roy slowly left the room, but before he did, he nced at Vesemir again. The young witcher was reminded of the original timeline. Before the battle for the keep descended, Vesemir and Geralt had a talk about this.


    "Will you see her?" Geralt asked.


    "Perhapster. Once this is all over," Vesemir answered.


    But there was no <emter </em>for Vesemir. The grandmaster died as a hero, never to awaken again.


    <em>You still have time, Vesemir. The attack hasn¡¯t happened yet, so grab your chance, </em>Roy cheered him on silently. <em>Catch up with your past ande to Novigrad in your best shape.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 356: The Vipers Discussion

    Night fell once more, and the four Vipers were found sitting on the ground in a stark bedroom on the top floor of the main castle, discussing something.


    "Are they mad?" Serrit stared at Roy in disbelief. "They failed to make you give up <em>and </em>decided to y along?"


    The veteran Vipers let Roy do what he wanted, as they thought Roy''s n would end in failure and teach the young Viper a lesson, but their n backfired, much to their dismay.


    "No. They made the right decision. They know we have to band together if we want to live and prosper." Royughed happily. "Once theye to Novigrad with us, we''ll have nine members in the brotherhood."


    Two Cats, four Vipers, and three Wolves. Nine witchers to witness the beginnings of a brotherhood.


    Stars shone and candlelight flickered. Letho took another trip down memoryne. <em>When was thest time something like this happened? About fifty years ago? Ivar Evil-Eye was on the za of Gorthur Gvaed, delivering a speech to us. </em>"The kid''s done it." Letho gave Roy a look of approval.


    He took the kid in over a year ago, and he was still very much a newbie, but he managed to gather witchers from three different schools together for some reason. And he convinced them to join the brotherhood, which was still a new concept.


    No matter what would happen to the brotherhood, what Roy did was an act that would go down in history. Either he would be the butt of everyone''s joke or a legendary figure praised by legions of witchers.


    "I knew you''d manage." Auckes grinned and thumped his chest. "Nobody''s gonna mess with us now that we have nine witchers on our side. We can mess with anyone in Novigrad!"


    "Shut it, fool. You think Eternal Fire''s army is a bunch of noodlearms? So what if there''s nine of us? Lay low!" Serrit smacked his head. "Only three Wolves? Vesemir isn''ting?"


    "Not sure. He has a lot to consider, but he might change his mind." Roy shook his head. He didn''t push Vesemir too much, since the grandmaster <em>was </em>an ancient man. <em>Who knows what he might do?</em>


    He would rather convince him with a gentler approach. <em>I hope he''lle to Novigrad and spend his life teaching newbies after he''s done meeting up with his old me.</em>


    "What''s going through your mind, kid?" Letho knocked on the red tablecloth and asked, "You put too much effort into the brotherhood. What about the school''s revival?"


    "That''s a big problem, Roy," Auckes interrupted. "I''ve been looking forward to buyingnd in Kovir and building a new fortress. But if you do this, we''ll be spending a lot of time in Novigrad. We won''t have enough time to rebuild the school."


    "There''s something you guys need to understand," Roy said patiently. "Even if we throw in a crate of coins to buy up a plot ofnd and build the strongest fortress we can imagine, it''s still useless without any new blood. Instead of building an empty castle, I think we should spend the coins on recruitment and rebuild our fortress when we have a sizable troop."


    Roy shot up and circled the veteran Vipers. He pointed into the air and gushed, "And then we can tell the newbies, ''Look, people. This here is our home!''"


    Letho smacked Roy''s head.


    "Ow!"


    The veteran witcher pulled his hand back and nodded. "Don''t pull that stunt on us, kid. Sit back down."


    Roy pouted and sat back down.


    Letho scanned hispanions. They nodded at him, and he paced around solemnly. "The fortress and solidarity among new witchers aside, this brotherhood is going to take up a huge amount of coins. Supporting nine witchers alone is already a monumental task, and now you want to establish an orphanage? Raising children is a costly endeavor. Food, clothing, and shelter don''te cheap, and Novigrad''s prices are a cut above the rest. Even if Gawain is generous enough to sponsor most of the coins, we''ll have to cough up a huge sum every year. In the short term? Yes, maybe. But the money will dry up sooner than you can say ''drowner.'' And that''s including the crowns you have as well as the profit from our shops."


    Roy rubbed his chin. "I think we can save on the orphanage costs if we open it up in the rural area."


    "Not enough. You''re still missing the whole picture," Serrit continued. "We need to run the orphanage <em>and </em>improve the Trial recipe at the same time. Training the kids without mutating them is just going to be a waste of time. We need aboratory. A good one."


    "We have one under the Temple Ind."


    "And what about the mage?" Serrit asked. "We''re being serious this time, so we need a permanent mage, not some contractual, part-time guy. Lyttaing over once every few months while holding down a job isn''t what we''re looking for. And you don''t know any other mage either. How are you going to convince her into giving up her lucrative job as a royal consultant just to work for us? Our future is uncertain. You think she''s going to work for love? All sorceresses love money, and hiring her is going to cost a mountain of crowns. And that''s not it. You still have to include the costs for the recipe improvement as well as preparations for the Trials."


    The barrage of questions was slowly wiping Roy''s smile off his face. <em>Shit. I don''t have enough coins to deal with this. Coral''s case is gonna be an issue. I can''t ask ady to work for free. But how can I get her to work with us?</em>


    Auckes suddenly wiggled his eyebrows. "Roy, you can always sleep with her as payment."


    "I am sorry?" Roy shot Auckes a dirty re. <em>I''m not that kind of person!</em> He shook his head and muttered, "And I don''t think I''m strong enough to satisfy her needs."


    "What did you say?"


    "I mean, this isn''t my decision to make." Roy said solemnly, "We don''t have enough coins, but we have nine witchers. All of us can work and make money for the cause. We have enough time toe up with another ie stream before we use up our assets." Roy had an idea. Some special resources were going to be incredibly valuable when the first Northern War inevitably came. <em>And that''s our ticket to crown town. I''m going to talk with Gawain ande up with a sch¡­ n.</em>


    The talk about money came to an end.


    "We''re gonna have to choose a leader once we return to Novigrad. Any suggestions?" Serrit puffed his chest proudly.


    "We''ll talk once everyone is here." <em>Excluding everyone else is just being petty, but for the brotherhood''s future, I think we should pick one from the Viper School. Either Letho, Serrit, or¡­</em>


    Witchers were mostly proud, so democracy would work better.


    "We have a lot of details to flesh out." <em>Like the mission, short and long-term ns, responsibilities, and more. We''ll hold a discussion with all members once we return to Novigrad.</em>


    The brotherhood business was put aside for now, and Roy raised a question. "How much do you know about cyclops?"


    "Why do you want to know about something that dangerous?" Auckes'' interest was piqued. "Do they have one here in Kaer Morhen?"


    Roy nodded. "There''s one in the mountains, and they pose a big problem for the Wolves. I want to get rid of it before we leave Kaer Morhen."


    "Let''s talk about something else. There''s something you haven''t told us." Letho crossed his arms unhappily. "You didn''t tell us what happened at the Elemental Circle. Did your Sign change?"


    "You''ll see soon enough."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 357: Old Speartips Demise

    Golden sunset rained down on the rivers of Kaer Morhen. Away the winds blew, and the riverbanks cleared, revealing seven witchers hiding in the patch of reeds, staring at the dark entrance of the cave.


    A fat deer was lying silently on the ground, a great gash opened on its back. Its body was drenched in red, and the stench of blood wafted into the cave.


    "You sure this will work, Letho?" asked Lambert curiously. He wiped his sweaty palms off, his eyes still on the entrance.


    "No guarantees, but the possibility is high." Letho pulled a reed beside him away and whispered, "Not even the green dragon can resist the allure of cooked ''mutton.'' You think cyclops are smarter than dragons? Unless something very special happened to it, this n is going to work."


    "But Old Speartip only eats fresh prey. That deer''s unmoving. Looks dead too. It''s not his usual menu."


    "Shut it, Lambert. You''re worrying too much." Auckes looked at him. "That only happens under normal circumstances. It''s winter now. Beasts are in hiding, and prey is scarce. I bet Old Speartip would love it if someone wrapped his food up like a present for him." Auckes continued curiously, "But you sure the poison will work? I think we need a bigger dosage for a guy his size. Not like we''ve killed cyclops before. We have no idea about their capabilities and how fast they can heal themselves."


    "Have some faith in Letho." Roy looked at the fainted deer. "Not even drowners can survive puffer fish toxin, let alone a cyclops. And it''s fine even if we can''t kill it with poison. As long as we can weaken it, we can get into a war of attrition and wear him down."


    Two days. That was how long the witchers spent catching puffer fish in the nearby waters. It was their ovting season, and the witchers took out their ovaries and innards to make their poison. They were paired with bedonna and winter aconites, and Letho the poison master concocted the brew.


    The deer lost all consciousness five seconds after ingesting the poison, turning its whole body into a big vat of deadly poison.


    ***


    Geralt suddenly put his index finger to his lips, and the witchers stopped moving. At the same time, they listened closely to any movementsing from the cave.


    A strange rumble came from within the cave, shuddering the earth ever so slightly. Eventually, the rumble became stronger, making the reeds tremble. The sound of heavy breathing howled across the air. Bushes were pushed lower into the ground, and the air was filled with a foul stench that could knock anyone out if they came even remotely close to it.


    And then the footsteps slowed. A humanoid, muscr monster that stood over thirteen feet tall emerged from the entrance, revealing itself to the hidden witchers. Its eye was bulging like a jaundiced patient''s, and its nostrils erged as the monster sniffed the air.


    The witchers submerged themselves in the water, holding their breath.


    Old Speartip eventually heaved a sigh of relief and grinned toothily. If the rotten, yellowing things in his mouth could be called teeth, that was. Murky, viscous drool trickled down its mouth and fell to the ground, and a sigh of delight escaped Old Speartip''s lips as he picked the deer up and returned to his cave.


    ***


    Winds turned into gales, sending ripples spreading across the water.


    And then a hairless head popped out of the water. "How long do you think it''s gonna take him to finish that whole thing?"


    "About fifteen minutes," Geralt said. "He loves eating his food alive. No cooking involved. And that deer wouldn''t be enough to fill his belly anyway."


    "Well, what are we waiting for, then? Get ready to rumble, people."


    The witchers exchanged looks of encouragement. Some sat down, some crouched down, while some stood up and greased their sword using a piece of cloth. Twoyers of oil were added to the des. One was ogroid oil, while the other was a concoction made of puffer fish toxin.


    ***


    des were unsheathed and glinting dangerously. Some bottles were uncorked, and the witchers downed their Cat and Petri''s Philterbo. ck veins crawled up to the witchers'' faces, and their eyes shone like beasts'' eyes.


    The witchers curled up and slid silently into the cave. Lambert was in the lead, given that he knew the structure best. Everyone else followed him, putting some distance between themselves. Through the dank cave they went and up the steep incline they climbed. Despite no signboard in the cave, they could still smell where Old Speartip was at.


    Eventually, the witchers covered themselves with the shield of Quen and took their positions behind the stone pirs of the cave clearing. Old Speartip was lying on the ground, his breathing weak. The carcass of an animal was lying beside his leg, blood covering the ground.


    ''Cyclops


    HP: ? (Weakened)''


    ***


    The poison had kicked in and knocked Old Speartip out before he could even finish his dinner. That lifted some weight off the witchers'' shoulders, but none of them approached the monster.


    Roy and Letho suddenly produced a container with glimmering, dreamy gas in it¡ªDragon''s Dream. As nned, they hurled the bombs at Old Speartip. The containers broke, and the cyclops was covered in a nket of gas, but the monster remained unconscious about the danger it was in.


    Roy''s eyes glinted coldly, and he made a strange gesture in the air. A crimson triangle formed out of nowhere, and a fireball shot through the air like a miniature meteorite. Like a fadinget, it rushed into the gas.


    Problem was, that gas was inmmable, and Old Speartip was trapped in a deep sleep. The mes hit him square in the face, and a loud explosion rattled the air itself. Great mes shot up into the air, and crimson mushroom clouds bloomed within the smokes like lightninging down from ck clouds.


    A heat waveshed out everywhere around the cave. The witchers felt their breathing stop for a moment, and their hair and beard were singed.


    The cave rumbled, stctites fell, and it felt like everything coulde crashing down any moment.


    But then, a horrific roar ripped through the air. A ming, bald, charred cyclops emerged from ground zero and charged toward the cave''s entrance.


    Two bolts flew through the night and hit the monster in its back, but they only prated its skin. ck blood spurted out of the wound and melted the ground.


    The witchers hopped out of their hiding spots and shed away at the back of the cyclops'' ankles. Their cuts run deep thanks to their ogroid oil, and bloody gashes formed.


    But Old Speartip ignored his wounds and scorches. All he cared about was making his escape, but the witchers hounded him like a pack of wolves after their prey.


    About a hundred yardster, Old Speartip came to a halt at the entrance and turned around. His breathing was ragged, his eyes wide, but all he had within him now was hatred. Hatred for the witchers.


    The cyclops extended his arms and iled them around like big, deadly sticks. It charged toward Roy like a bulldozer, and the ground rumbled with every step it took.


    Even the winds that he stirred up felt like sharp razors, but the monster was one step too slow. The poison was corroding his nervous system, and him running only elerated that process. After he was scorched by that explosion, every move he made felt like the death throes of a dying creature.


    He was weak and slow.


    As the cyclops loomed over Roy, the young witcher cast Axii and shoved it in the monster''s face.


    Old Speartip lost focus for one moment, and Roy rolled away.


    When he snapped out of it, Roy was nowhere to be found. In his ce was the wall of the cave. Old Speartip crashed into it, and a crater was formed after the rumble.


    The witchers ganged up on Old Speartip again, this time shing away at his charred skin. Bloodycerations opened up on the cyclops'' body, revealing the bones underneath.


    Blood spurted out like little fountains all over his body. Old Speartip howled and roared as he dragged himself out of the rubble. It swung its arms behind it and tried to kick the attackers away, but the moment it turned around, another Axii flew into his eye, stunning him for another deadly moment.


    Once again, the witchers quickly circled him, tossing Igni or cutting his skin open even more. Sometimes there would even be poison and Yrden added to the mix. It didn''t take long for Old Speartip to be covered in wounds.


    ***


    Roy suddenly took a big leap behind and tossed Furyfire out while pulling Gabriel''s trigger at the same time.


    A scorching fireball and poisoned bolt hit its chest at the same time, exploding and stunning the monster. Another howl escaped Old Speartip''s lips, but then he froze up again.


    It iled its limbs erratically like old, creaking warhammers. Gusts of wind blew across the battlefield, and the ground was covered in holes just a whileter. Soil and leaves flew high up into the air, but Old Speartip''s life force was nearly six feet under. The poison had seeped too deep into his body.


    He was too slow and weak to even hit the witchers. Under the unrelenting barrage of Signs and swords, Old Speartip eventually became slower and slower, his breathing turning heavier and heavier.


    Eventually, Roy leapt over his swinging arm like a big cat and cast Fear on the monster. Crimson tentacles wriggled out of the void behind Roy, tying Old Speartip up. Eventually, it became a gigantic cocoon, unable to lift a single finger.


    Roy held Aerondight up and shed horizontally from left to right. The de cut its mangled, seared belly easily, ripping a big gash on it.


    His guts and innards plopped down to the ground like heavy, nasty excrements. Blood sshed down like a waterfall and flowed like a river, drenching the soil under the cyclops.


    The monster''s gigantic body trembled and fell like a ship sinking into the depths of an ocean. Thest thing he saw was a witcher with dark gold eyes holding his de up solemnly, and¡­


    ''Cyclops killed. EXP +400. Level 7 Witcher¡­''


    Roy heaved a long sigh and pulled his de out of the cyclop''s chest. Hispanions were drained and drenched in sweat, but they too had looks of relief in their eyes.


    "Is it dead?" Lambert went ahead and stepped on the gigantic monster that smelled like grilled meat, blood, and shit.


    "Yes, Lambert. Letho''s puffer fish toxin worked, especially on ogroids." Eskel wiped the sweat off his face and said, "Old Speartip is no more. He shall not be a menace to Kaer Morhen now. Wonder what''ll Vesemir think if he knows this."


    "He''s thinking about something important. Probably a big decision. Don''t disturb him." Geralt shook his head.


    "Told you I''d get rid of this bastard, and here we are." Roy extended his hand to Lambert.


    And the Wolf gave him a high-five. "You stuck to your word. Guess we''ll be making that Novigrad trip after all." Lambert approached the body and spat at its mangled head. "This is for Voltehre, you sucker!"


    ***


    And then it was time for the loot. The witchers carved their prey up like giddy little kids opening up presents. Cyclops were the apex creatures of the ogroid ss. They were as rare and powerful as green dragons. Perhaps only losing out by a hair''s breadth. Every part of this monster''s body was valuable.


    Serrit sliced off a piece of its squalid, rancid, but exceptionally sturdy skin. "Pity it has holes all over it, or we can make four or five sets of armor out of its skin. This is a lot sturdier than cured draconid leather."


    "Guess we can still make one, even with these holes in them." Auckes finally managed to pull off some skin the size of a whole nail after somebor. He ced it in front of his chest and filled it with the skin. "This''ll make a fine bracelet."


    Everyone else was carving up the fallen monster happily too.


    Letho cut through the ribs and plucked its organs out, tossing the intoxicated parts away.


    Eskel was cutting the spine open to collect his spinal fluid.


    Geralt was hacking away at its head in an attempt to find the mutagen within.


    Lambert was trying to hack the eyelid away and pluck the eye out. It was bigger than his head. "This is its most valuable part. Some rare and ancient recipes need this."


    Roy had his arms crossed. He looked at his busypanions for a moment and turned his gaze to the parts between Old Speartip''s legs solemnly.


    "What are you spacing out for? Come over and help!" Lambert grumbled.


    "He''s big."


    "What?" Auckes craned his neck curiously.


    "<em>That </em>part."


    "Whoa. It''s like a loaded catapult."


    "Yeah. Bigger than the one in Oxenfurt. I bet someone''s going to take great interest in it." <em>And we can sell it for a boatload of coins.</em>


    Roy''s eyes twinkled. He was reminded of an old friend in Oxenfurt¡ªLinus Pitt.


    "Maybe he can get me a big client. And then we''ll get paid handsomely for the genitals and skeleton. But the skeleton is like a mountain. Can''t pack it into my inventory space even if I cut it up."


    Roy put the idea of taking the skeleton aside for the moment.


    The witchers worked for more than an hour. When the moon was finally rising and the waters were nketed by ayer of mist, the witchers happily rowed back to the other side, their pockets filled with loot.


    Geralt managed to pull out a great fleshy, ball-like structure from the cyclops. It was on par with a greater green mutagen and was thest mutagen Roy needed to rank his witcher rank up.


    It was corrupted by puffer fish toxin, but Roy tucked it away in his inventory space anyway. <em>One step away from ranking up.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 358: Soar Through the Skies

    One week in Kaer Morhen and Roy hadpleted most of his goals. He learned Heliotrop, found the gear diagrams, proved that demon summoning worked well as an EXP farm, befriended a family of trolls, saw the Elemental Circle and an ifrit, and also witnessed the demise of Old Speartip.


    The ten mutagens needed to rank him up were sitting quietly in his inventory space. Most importantly, he got three ''old friends'' to join his brotherhood. The only thing left was to get the Wolf Trial''s recipe, but he wasn''t in a hurry. Once they returned to Novigrad, he would eventually get the chance to do it.


    ***


    Roy wanted to return as soon as possible, but the Wolves demanded a full-month stay. Roy didn''t mind waiting for a bit, so he stayed. And then regr life started. Every day, he would wake from meditation before dawn broke and practice his swordy on the training grounds.


    Eskel was the only one who trained with him at first, but everyone else eventually joined. Six veteran witchers put Roy through a hellish training routine. Even though he was imaginative and full of bold ideas, Roy was still no match for veteran witchers inbat.


    "Faster, kid! Even a sloth can dodge better!"


    "I don''t feel any back in that! What''d you do? Have a whole night of wet dreams? Hold it in, you!"


    Lambert enjoyed every moment of training Roy, especially when he could mock the young witcher. After so long, he finally regained some confidence, seeing that Roy was a worse swordsman than he was.


    His tongue was sharper than his de, but Roy ignored Lambert''s mockery. <em>Weaklings roar the loudest. Once I surpass him, I''ll show him hell.</em>


    Geralt, Letho, and everyone else would spar with one another as well, though their battles were a lot more entertaining. More back and forth, so to speak. Roy loved it. In terms of swordsmanship alone, Auckes was the best, while Geralt was on par with Letho. Serrit and Eskel followed closely, and Lambert trailed behind. Roy was deadst, of course.


    Vesemir left Kaer Morhen about two weeks ago, looking really happy for some reason.


    ***


    Roy could feel his swordy improving bit by bit through training and watching the witchers spar. He loved the feeling of improving himself every day. It hadn''t been more than a year since he started training. Roy was still a beginner who had no style of his own, nor did he have any finishers, but thanks to the help of the veteran witchers, he knew he would create his own style someday.


    ***


    The Wolves and Vipers came up with some other sses aside from swordy. They too were done in the morning.


    It was Kaer Morhen''s specialty, dubbed ''Gauntlet'' by Lambert. Roy would have to walk on the stakes blindfolded and dodge all the pendulums that were swinging at him. The training was to level up Roy''s bnce, reaction speed, and endurance.


    Roy was familiar with the stakes. He spent a lot of training time on them back in Cintra, but going through the same thing blindfolded was a different thing. Perception and Dexterity weren''t his best stats, and Gauntlet was hell for him at first.


    He would end up with injuries and contusions every day, but thanks to Activate, he could bounce back to top form the very next day and hop back into training. <em>No Viper massage needed.</em>


    ***


    After some strenuous physical activity, it was time for lunch and theory sses. Either a Viper or Wolf woulde to teach Roy about the knowledge they knew. Most of them were based on the books in the castle, like Post-Conjunction: New Species, Dangerous Beasts, Secrets of Alchemy, A Summary on Herbalism, and more.


    The witchers would infuse their own experiences and talk about monsters, their organs'' value, as well as the herbs'' uses.


    "Aguaras made their appearance after the Conjunction of the Spheres¡­"


    Roy was in a room filled with books, and Geralt was writing on a rickety wall with a charcoal pencil. He exined softly to Roy, "Like dopplers, aguaras can change their forms, but they''re limited to three: humanoid, vulpine, and half-humanoid."


    Roy''s eyes twinkled with curiosity. He didn''t remember aguaras existing in this world, but then this world was broader and moreplex than the one he knew.


    "Their reproduction is peculiar, to say the least. They kidnap children and turn them into one of their own." Geralt paused and looked at Roy knowingly. "So parents would bring them up to scare naughty kids into submission."


    "Sounds like a childhunter." Roy pretended he didn''t hear that. "I killed one in Aldersberg. It was hiding under a tree, and I hadn''t even passed the Trial back then. Its vomit is even more potent than dimeritium. And then I used that to kill a leshen. Granted, it was extremely weakened by then."


    "I know you''re exceptional, Roy." Geralt arched his eyebrow. "But I''m the teacher here." <em>I can''t believe you survived a childhunter.</em>


    Geralt waved Roy down. "Listen closely and stop interrupting me. Let''s get back to the aguaras."


    Whenever the Wolves were on lecture duty, they would also talk about the Wolf School''s code of neutrality. They would bring up how witchers should avoid getting dragged into political fights and remain neutral.


    Roy respected their creed, but he disagreed with them. The whole world was changing. If the witchers refused to change as well, they would soon be eliminated and be a page in the annals of history.


    But neither of them could convince each other, so Roy would prove that change was necessary once the brotherhood was established.


    ***


    After theory ss, it was alchemy time. The witchers used their alchemical apparatuses and herbs they could find around Kaer Morhen for that. They mostly taught Roy the decoctions and oils he could prepare at his level of skill. For example, ogroid oils made of bear fat and ginatia petals, hybrid oil made of dog tallow and white myrtle petals, as well as Cat, the frequently used decoction that improved night vision.


    Of course, there were also alchemical substances like aether, hydragenum, and vermillion that Roy had to work with.


    He spent theter part of his afternoons working through the apparatuses and filled all kinds of tubes with the potions he made. Like a sponge, he absorbed knowledge and experience with every potion he made.


    One of the Wolves or Vipers would be teaching him, but then everyone else would either y Gwent, run around the valleys, hike, swim, fish, or even ski down a snowy hill with some primitive sled.


    This was the happiest period of time the Vipers had since they came to the north. Besides theck of women, everything else was great.


    ***


    After dinner, it was all free time for Roy.


    The snowy ins of Kaer Morhen glistened under the moonlight. A griffin was shooting straight into the skyscraping woods happily with its rider on its back. Compared to most beasts, the griffin looked clumsy when it ran.


    It grabbed the ground with its wed hind legs and leapt ahead with the momentum from the spring. Snow, leaves, and grass flew into the air as it jumped ahead, and then it would stop. Its wings would unfurl and hit the ground before it leapt ahead again.


    There was a pause every time it repeated this action. Even a horse could run faster than it did. About a hundred yardster, it suddenly stood on its hind legs and sped its outstretched wings together.


    And then¡­


    The griffin pped its wings. The gust of wind billowed its mane, and snow on the ground danced. Into the air the griffin soared, its magnificent figure arcing through the night like aet hurtling through space.


    Chilly night winds zipped through the air around the griffin, and its rider huddled closer to the beast, almost kissing its back. He held the griffin''s mane and buried his head into its furry neck. Even so, the winds still almost cut the nape of his neck open.


    Roy stared straight down. The ins stretched far into the deep mountains, and snow fell from the swaying pine trees. Crescent moon reflected itself on theke''s surface, and Kaer Morhen was slowly left behind in the shadows. Everything seemed to turn smaller and smaller as he flew further ahead.


    "Good thing I''m not afraid of heights." Roy grinned.


    It had been over twelve months since he came to this world, and Roy could finally fly. <em>In a world where nes, helicopters, and hot-air balloons don''t exist, I''m the first witcher to fly. On a griffin''s back.</em>


    Roy did something most mages couldn''t. Even they could only hover in the air for a short while with a force field. Flying was out of the question.


    Riding a griffin and soaring through the air while watching everything beneath him turn to little specks was a magical feeling. Roy could do this all night. He narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath greedily. The air in the high heavens was a lot fresherpared to the ground.


    Gryphon pped its wings again and rose to nearly a hundred feet in the air. Roy felt like he could catch the stars if he just stretched his arms.


    His delight reached Gryphon, and the beast roared happily as it circled around and glided through the air. It wasn''t until Roy patted its neck andvished it with praise did it fly toward the mountains draped in mist and darkness.


    Through the pine forest, hillocks, and bramble bushes they went. All of a sudden, Gryphon roared in excitement. The pping of its wings slowed, and it hovered in midair.


    It looked downward, and Roy stared in the direction Gryphon was looking. He could see a pair of curled goat horns popping out from the redbud bush. They belonged to one of Kaer Morhen''s goats. It was draped in white fur and minding its own business, oblivious to the fact it was about to be a griffin''s supper.


    It was grazing on the grass and looking around cautiously for any possible predators, and one was certainly closing in.


    "Wanna have some barbecued goat tonight, Gryphon?"


    Gryphon growled happily.


    Roy made a red triangle in the air and shoved a Furyfire at the goat. A fireball shot out from the triangle and flew downward like a mini meteorite. The goat noticed the scent of mes galloping through the air. It bleated and quickly turned around to make a run from it.


    Oddly enough, the fireball should have missed, but instead it turned ny degrees in the air and shot at the goat''s back at a greater velocity.


    A great ball of fire bloomed in the night, and the poor goat was sent flying away as if it were rammed by a carriage. It rolled around the ground, on fire and billowing with smoke. The animal bleated and spasmed a few times, but eventually death imed it.


    ''Goat killed EXP +5 Level 7 Witcher¡­''


    A few momentster, something big descended from the air,nding beside the charred body of the goat. Roy leapt off Gryphon¡¯s back and put out the fire with Aard. He grasped a short knife out of nowhere and carved and skinned the goat. Most of it went to Gryphon as a reward for its work.


    The young witcher set up a cooking area and skewered the goat''s leg. White smoke wafted into the air, the aroma of meat spreading through the night. Roy stared into the stars twinkling in the sky, and he smiled. "Good job, Gryphon." Roy massaged the griffin''s wings anded its hair.


    Gryphon gulped down the meat and narrowed its eyes happily.


    ***


    Over thest few weeks, Roy would hunt with Gryphon every night. It could carry him now. On one hand, he needed to build the spirit of teamwork with Gryphon, and on the other, he wanted to farm some EXP.


    There were a lot of ways they could hunt. Roy could be the attacker, shooting bolts and Furyfire at their prey. Both of those attacks could track his target, so they never missed. And the prey couldn''t even hit them while they were in the air, putting them in a safe spot.


    Sometimes Gryphon would swoop in for the kill. It would descend and break through the prey''s flesh with its sharp ws and beak, or it would catch the prey and rise up into the air just to toss it down like a ragdoll.


    The duo were the apex predators of these mountains, and the wild beasts were living in terror of them. Blue Mountains was a big ce filled with an abundance of resources. Even in the winter, there were more beasts herepared to the city or rural areas.


    Goats, rabbits, wolverines, deer, and everything else. The duo had hunted them. Their most dangerous prey were hungry grizzly bears, wolf packs, and even an invisible foglet. Even so, they were no match for the witcher-griffin duo. They couldn''t hit them, and they couldn''t outrun a griffin.


    Everything became Roy''s EXP and food. And Gryphon''s too.


    Roy would have stayed for a while longer and have Gryphon carry him deeper into the mountains to search for some lost treasure, but that would have to wait. They were returning to Novigrad in two days.


    "Wonder if Vesemir has caught up with his old me. Don''t keep us waiting."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 359: Last Night at Kaer Morhen

    Another dawn of winter came, and snow fell on the beautiful and delicate town of Oxenfurt, draping the roofs and street white.


    A woman holding up a ck umbre walked down the street all by herself. She wore avish, embroidered dress that covered every inch of her skin. She was wearing beautiful earrings, nes, and rings. Her hat had a veil raining down from the edges, covering her face.


    But there was one thing she couldn''t cover.


    The best years of her life were behind her. Her skin was no longer supple, and wrinkles ruined any beauty she had. No longer was her hair ck and lustrous. Instead, it was grey and dry. There was a hint of sadnessing from her eyes, and memories of her past flooded her mind.


    Twenty years had passed since her husband died. They were blessed with no children, and she became the loneliest woman in Oxenfurt. Marena Mignole, a rich woman, and yet no one pitied or cared for her.


    She had a manor, but it was empty and horrifyingly quiet. Every day, she would ride her carriage into town just to escape the suffocating loneliness. Her servants would be sent away, while she would trudge down the narrow streets or purchase something she liked in the auction house.


    Herte husband left her enough wealth tost her a few lifetimes.


    Sometimes she would be buffeted by mncholy. Twenty-eight years ago, she was still a single, unmarried woman. She knew nothing of the world, and it was then she met the man she opened her heart to.


    His eyes were feline, and he had an unusual air about him. Despite his advanced age, she still fell for him. He had humor, courage, and unimaginable strength.


    Their love came incredibly fast. The moment their gazes met, passion sparked and burned. She slept with him many nights, but s, they had to separate. Twenty-eight years passed since then, and she collected all the weapons and armor she thought would match him. That was the only way she could assuage her lonely heart.


    ***


    Once again, Marena went to Borsodi Auction House and looked inside. There weren''t a lot of people there. <em>I wonder if I''ll get something good again today. Perhaps the weapon of the first witchers?</em>


    A boy suddenly came to her from the streets on her left. He was huffing and puffing, but the boy bowed to her anyway. "Good morning. Might you be Countess Marena Mignole? I''m Tobio."


    Marena looked at the boy and nodded at him. Most countesses would have berated the boy for disturbing them, but Marena wasn''t like them.


    "A gentleman wanted me to ask you this: do you still have the Wolven gambeson from 1234?"


    "I am sorry?" Marena asked, seemingly confused.


    "The Wolven gambeson," Tobio repeated himself.


    Gusts of morning breeze traipsed across the streets, blowing Marena''s veil up and revealing an old, wrinkled face underneath. The woman was no longer calm. Instead, she covered her mouth just in case that gasp would escape her lips. "What''s his name? What does he look like?"


    The boy mused. "He didn''t tell me his name, but he was an elderly man. Said if you''d like to return the gambeson, you can meet him at The Golden Sturgeon."


    ***


    Marena gave the boy one crown and held her dress up to trot across the streets. <em>To hell with decorum.</em>


    Five minutester, a panting Marena found herself face to face with The Golden Sturgeon. This was the ce he brought her to after sneaking her out of the manor that night. They drank a lot of blueberry wine, and he kept flirting with her.


    ***


    She took a deep breath and straightened herself up. <em>Decorum is important in this case.</em> And then she opened the door.


    ***


    The lobby was illuminated by magicalmps on the ceiling. Aside from some men who drank through the night, there was barely anyone else in the inn, but she saw someone peculiar before the counter.


    He had a weird getup. Strapped to his back were two long swords. He was tall and muscr, though the grey armor he wore looked old. Still, they were well-maintained. And he was also wearing a funny top hat that was popr a few decades ago. Most men would go around wearing one, but they were mostly out of production at this point.


    As if feeling something, the man turned around. He locked eyes with Marena, and both of them froze.


    Marena had a good look at him. His hair was slicked back with gel, and his beard was shaved off. The man looked just like a youngd, but he felt more trustworthy. There was a happy smile on his lips, and the pendant around his neck swayed. He looked just like he was when they first met twenty-eight years ago.


    Marena felt her heart flutter, and it just wouldn''t calm down. Two minutester, she sat down on a stool beside Vesemir. "You look the same as you did so many years ago, Vesemir." She put her hands on the counter and took the gloves off, revealing a pair of gaunt, shaking hands.


    Vesemir patted the countertop and poured her a ss of liquor. It was her favorite blueberry brandy.


    "You too, Marena. Still as charming and gorgeous as you were so many years ago."


    Marena said nothing, but there was a smile twinkling in her eyes. Silently, she heaved a sigh of relief. <em>I''m old, but at least he doesn''t mind. </em>"Where did you go, Vesemir? You''ve been missing for so many years."


    "Kaer Morhen. It''s a fortress on the edge of the Blue Mountains. Did nothing but waste my time there." Vesemir grinned. "A youngd who came to visit told me about you. Said you were still single. And I realized I must have really let you down, so here I am." He slowly turned his gaze to her. "Have you been doing well, Marena?"


    Marena froze for a moment. A lump formed in her throat, and she sped her fingers. Gone was her usual smile, reced by trepidation. Still, she raised her head and forced a smile. "Good. I don''t have to work or worry about money. I live life as I please. Happier than most people in the world, I daresay. I love spending my coins. Especially at Borsodi''s Auction House. I buy anything and everything I like. Especially witcher gear, because of the gambeson you left behind. I''ve bought quite a lot of armor and weaponry over the years. Viper gear, Wolf gear, Cat gear¡­ They''re all in my manor. I''ll take you there when we have time."


    Just staying with Vesemir chased away her sorrow and sadness. She started feeling alive for a moment. Sometimes she would giggle like a girlpleting a puzzle as she told Vesemir about her daily life. She could finally tell him about how lonely she felt, despite all the luxury she had.


    Vesemir was smiling and listening quietly to her, the light in his eyes shining brighter than ever.


    "So how long are you going to stay this time?" She turned to him nervously.


    "That depends on you." Vesemir suddenly put his big, warm hands on her dry, gaunt ones. He could feel her hands trembling. "If you need someone to talk to, and if you would like mypany, I''ll stay with you until you''re tired of me."


    Marena held his hands silently.


    ***


    "A toast!"


    Things were looking merry at the fortress. mes danced in the firece, shining on seven silhouettes in the great hall. They were feasting on the food and chatting the night away. It was mostly about Vesemir''s love life, though.


    "Hey guys, think Vesemir can get his lover toe back to him?" Lambert shouted. It wasn''t every day he had dirt on Vesemir, so he abused the chance to bring it up every time he could. "I''m taking bets. Ten to a hundred crowns. Let''s bet on if they can get back together."


    "He didn''t live three hundred years for no reason. The countess is just a lonely woman who needspany. Easy for Vesemir to handle." Auckes gulped some vodka and gasped. Then he tossed a small purse of crowns on the table. "Fifty crowns say he can handle her, no problem."


    "Vesemir''s just like Eskel. He''s always clumsy when ites to the women he likes." Serrit rubbed his chin and borated. "And he left thedy alone for nearly thirty years. No way she''s forgiving him that easily. A hundred crowns say he can''t. At least not this time."


    Eskel was drinking from his mug, listening quietly. And then he pulled a face. <em>What does that have to do with me?</em>


    "You guys don''t know him," Geralt muttered. <em>But I do. </em>"Vesemir isn''t as slow as you think he is. His mind is still sharp. Never told me about his romantic life, but I have a feeling he used to have many lovers too. Probably a master flirt like Dandelion." Geralt looked a little happy bringing up his old friend. "I bet he''ll manage to convince her and start a rtionship with the countess. We''re usually out adventuring, and he''s old. He needs someone to be with him. A reasonable and single nobledy is the best partner he can hope for. A hund¡­ Fifty crowns say he can do it."


    Letho kept nodding. He put his crab down and bet fifty crowns as well.


    "That''s enough! Just when he finally finds his life partner, you guys are making bets on the oue? That is so disrespectful!" Roy mmed the table and angrily tossed a purse of crowns out. "A hundred crowns say he can do it!"


    Lambert shot up like mes were licking his rear, and he gave hispanions their coins back. Then he stared daggers at Roy before taking a swig of the vodka. "I''m not stupid enough to bet against a fucking irvoyant. Let''s talk about something else."


    "Like the brotherhood''s details?" Roy suggested.


    "Shut up!" The veteran witchers red at Roy angrily. Solemnly, they said, "We promised no work and business talk on thest day. Only entertainment."


    Roy smiled sheepishly and backed off.


    "Speaking of entertainment, it''s either Gwent or women for us." Auckes rubbed his hands and smiled lewdly. "We talked about our romancesst time. Let''s get into our favorite types this time. You''re gonna find the kind of women you want in Novigrad. They have everything, especially in a ce called Spear''s Pit."


    "Do they have horned women?" Eskel asked. Ever since Roy said he would fall for subi, he started paying attention to any news about them. Practicality was his credo. If he would fall for a subus sooner orter, he would rather do it sooner.


    "Subi, huh?" Auckes whistled, and the other witchers were interested as well. "Didn''t know you were aiming for something like that. Nah, Spear''s Pit doesn''t have that kind of woman, but somewhere else in Novigrad maybe. Still, I wish you luck in your endeavor."


    Auckes downed a whole mug of vodka, and his face turned red with excitement. "He likes subi. Now it''s my turn. I like petite blondes. Keira Mets from Aretuza''s a good one." And then he shouted, "Bottoms up! Or you''re dealing with me!"


    Everyone downed their alcohol. The veteran witchers had vodka, while Roy had honeyed booze made from fermented potato peels.


    "I prefer curvy ones," Letho said. "But not too curvy, or it looks too masculine for me."


    "Bottoms up!"


    "I¡­" Geralt burped. "I like women with ck, curly hair. Best if their velvet clothes are embedded with obsidian." Geralt stared at the firece, reminiscence ring in his eyes. "Better if they''re sorceresses who smell like lc and gooseberries."


    "You fucking dolt! I knew you couldn''t forget about that whore!" Lambert scoffed. "It''s been years. Stop chasing her, will you? There¡¯s more than one woman out there!"


    "You shouldn''t say that, Lambert," Eskel said, defending Geralt.


    "Did you fall for her spell too, you buffoon? Dammit. Bottoms up! Your turn, Serrit!"


    "Reasonable and knowledgeable women." A serious frown furrowed Serrit''s brows. "I don''t want amon wench who''d argue with anyone, anywhere."


    Everyone nodded.


    Lambert took a deep breath. "My preferences are a bit unorthodox. Don''tugh or insult me for it. I¡­ I like other women¡­"


    "What? Make it clear, mate!" Auckesined and pushed a mug of vodka into Lambert''s face. "What do you mean <em>other women</em>? Exin, or you''re drinking ten of these!"


    "Other men''s women¡­"


    Everyone fell into a deep silence and gave Lambert weird, cautious looks before moving away from their morally questionable friend.


    <em>Oh, yeah. I remember. In the original timeline, Lambert is going to sleep with Geralt''s woman. Man, he''s not a good friend.</em>


    "Don''t give me that look!" Lambert yelled. "I don''t sleep with my friends'' women! I''m not that kind of man!"


    Geralt and Eskel exchanged a look and nodded. "Lambert, you''ll have to change that habit if you want us to stay friends."


    "Don''t you guys trust me?"


    And then everyone turned their attention to the youngest, most handsome witcher. Some were giving him encouraging looks, while some were waiting to see him make a joke out of himself.


    "I¡­" Roy licked his lips. <em>Okay, let''se up with something. That''s it! </em>He loudly announced, "I¡­ I like my women!"


    "That''s cheating!"


    "Listen here, you little shit¡­"


    "What''s that supposed to be, a non-answer?"


    "I call that mutual feelings!" Roy argued, but that onlynded him in more trouble.


    "Just be open with it." Letho had a look of disappointment on his face. "You like curvy, mature, older sorceresses. Like Lytta Neyd!"


    "I¡­"


    "No excuses! You''re still lying to us right now? Can''t you be honest? We''re friends!" Auckes held his forehead. "You need to be punished!"


    "That''s right!" The other witchers took the chance to vent their frustrations at Roy. He managed to convince them into joining the brotherhood without fear or fervor, and thed wasn''t even twenty. If this went on, he would be bolder in the future.


    <em>Uh oh. Not good. </em>Roy tried to run, but Lambert hit him with an Aard. The witchers pounced at him like tigers and held his limbs and neck. They held him up in the air, and Roy wondered if he should teleport himself to Gryphon and escape this.


    But the young witcher gave up on that idea. <em>They have to vent sooner orter. Keeping it suppressed for any longer isn''t gonna end well for me. </em>He stopped resisting and was subjected to some sort of weird game. The witchers ran across Kaer Morhen''s great hall and mmed his crotch against the stone pirs until Roy''s lower spine started to hurt.


    Someone whipped out a wooden funnel and stuck it in his mouth. And then they poured five bottles of vodka into the funnel.


    Roy got drunk against his will. His eyes were glossed over, and his mind was fuzzy. Roy was starting to see triples. The veteran witchers looked like they upied the whole room, and that was thest thing he saw before he lost consciousness. <em>I''m getting them back for this!</em>


    Twenty-fifth of the first month, 1262. Night.


    On theirst day in Kaer Morhen, Viper School witcher and honorary Wolf, Roy, was sleeping soundly beside Vizima''ske, and he had a great dream.


    ***


    End of Arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 360: Return to Novigrad

    A square-shaped portal appeared out of thin air, apanied by strong gusts of wind. Seven men with strange eyes and two swords strapped to their backs appeared from within. And three horses emerged after them.


    "Man, a one-time, one-way portal is sweet. We can travel anywhere we want with it." Lambert looked around curiously.


    They were in a dark cave filled with stctites. A path made of stone tiles sat in the middle, while alchemical apparatuses and gigantic containers stood on the right. Dusty bookshelves leaned on the stone walls, and a few wooden boards filled with holes formed a makeshift bed. There was also a big cauldron supposedly used for cooking.


    "And this portal is expensive. Use it once and it''s done. I had to almost beg Coral to give me one." Roy shot Furyfire into the brazier and lit up the hall. "This is a one-time deal. Next time, we''ll have to make the journey."


    "You''re in the brotherhood''sboratory, guests from Kaer Morhen!" Auckes went to the center of the hall and spread his arms. "This is going to be the ce where we improve our recipes and hold Trials."


    "Where are we, a cave in rural Novigrad?" Geralt looked around.


    "A hiddenboratory under the Temple Ind," Letho exined.


    "You guys are bold." Eskel looked surprised. He patted Scorpion to ease its unease. Scorpion was a horse he got from invoking the Law of Surprise. "I can''t believe you set up ab for non-humans right under Eternal Fire''s headquarters. They might hunt you all down."


    "They''re powerful, but not omniscient. None of them are going to suspect anyone of pulling this off right under their noses. Let''s look around the ce."


    The Wolves looked around theboratory and listened to the stories that happened there. When they heard how Kiyan got his satisfying revenge, they started bing curious about the Cats.


    And then they handed their weapons and insignias to Letho for safekeeping. They also had to disguise their appearances in case Bem, Cleaver, or Eternal Fire''s men found them out. Three unfamiliar witchers entering the city without anyone realizing would raise questions.


    When their disguise was finally good to go, the ''burly manualbor'' left the ind and split into two teams. Most of the witchers made their way to the slums and settled the Wolves down, while Roy paid his parents a visit before heading to the ballroom in the business district.


    It was only ten in the morning, but there were already more than ten customers inside. All of them were in the VIP seats on the second floor, and all of them were in silk robes. <em>The rich, huh? Not the day off, so guess everyone else has to work.</em>


    They stared intently at the stage in the center through the curtains made out of crystal beads.


    Roy bought a ticket and found himself a spot on the first floor. He dined on the peas, pickled olives, and octopus on his te as he watched the show unfurl.


    A few differently-dressed actors were performing aedy on the stage. A gaunt, pasty farmer was struggling in the ''mud,'' while the ''monster'' on the ground who was covered in a ck horse nket made weird noises as he slowly moved toward the farmer like a patch of sentient soil.


    And then the protagonist showed up. He was a guy with a ponytail and prop swords strapped to his back, and he looked like a witcher.


    Roy narrowed his eyes. <em>That looks like me.</em>


    The witcher charged at the ''zeugl'' in the ''trash heap'' and warned it solemnly before going in for the kill. After a whole presentation of some fight scenes, the farmer escaped from his predicament as the ''zeugl'' died from the witcher''s little dance.


    Unfortunately for the farmer, he had no coins to pay, and he agreed to the Law of Surprise. The first thing he saw when he got home would be payment for the witcher. Hriously enough, the first thing he saw was the salted fishid out in his yard.


    The y obviously embellished the witcher. Instead of getting angry, the witcherughed heartily, not unlike a gentleman who loved to lend a helping hand. "This is what destiny decrees. We''re even now."


    The farmer, his fat wife, and gaunt son kept bowing at the witcher, and the curtains fell as thest delightful note yed in the air.


    The VIPs seemed to love the story, judging from the looks on their faces. Of course, there were some whoined about the illogical end to that story.


    ***


    "It''s been a while, Roy." Dandelion appeared from backstage. He was in his usual hat and oversized purple shirt. There was a big smile on his lips, and his face was red with excitement. "Good news, Roy. Business boomed this month. It''s a miracle. We''re making money faster than trolls can build bridges. It''s only the first month, but we''re already making a profit."


    "Is that so?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. This came as a pleasant surprise, since his n was to use the ballroom as a prop to turn the infamy of witchers around. It would make his next n easier. Dandelion proved that he was a man of his word with the show earlier. <em>Didn''t think it would make money. Novigradians adapt really quickly, huh?</em>


    "I knew you and Prisci could do it, Dandelion. Where is she?" Roy patted Dandelion''s shoulder happily.


    "Coming up with a new script. I think it''s called ''Witcher and the Subus.'' She wrote the show you just watched. What do you think?"


    "Not bad, but I think you''re making witchers out to be some selfless characters." <em>Dumb, if I might add. </em>Roy suggested, "If it were me, I would have at least gotten a meal with the Law of Surprise. One salted fish isn''t enough for a snack."


    "There''s a reason for that. Exaggeration is a crucial ingredient for dramatic effect." Dandelion started talking about the profession of stage y. "Take the y for example. They equated a life with a salted fish. Don''t you think it''s hrious? And it paints witchers in a noble light. Look around you. The important guests just couldn''t keep their eyes off the y, even though they kept criticizing it."


    "Yeah. Humans are du¡­ As long as it works." Roy nodded. "You talked about profit, didn''t you? So how much did we make?"


    "Take a guess." Dandelion''s excitement was almost palpable.


    "Five hundred crowns?" Roy made a conservative estimate. <em>Don''t want to hurt his confidence.</em>


    And then Dandelion looked at Roy smugly. "That''s a conservative guess. We made a thousand eight crowns and fifty coppers." His smile was starting to get toothy.


    "Net profit?"


    "Yes. All expenses ounted for."


    <em>That''s good to hear. At least we''ll have money for our next n. </em>"And I have good news for you too. Geralt is in Novigrad."


    "What?"


    "I''ll take him here once they''re settled down."


    ***


    Roy paid the bill and left Dandelion to swim in his own excitement. When he entered the apothecary shop next door, Kanti the cashier noticed someone looking at her. She raised her head and saw a slender, golden-eyed man in grey armor staring at her.


    She beamed and came out from behind the counter confidently. As usual, she held his arm and huddled closely to him, her eyes shining. "You''re back! So, how was Kaer Morhen? Was it fun? Tell me everything!"


    "Yeah, just came back today. You''d love Kaer Morhen. There''s an abundance of beasts in the woods. Harpies, foglets, and cyclops too. You''d get a few more badges of honor if you tried hunting there." Roy looked at the racks of herbs and potions. <em>Oh, there''s some new potions.</em>


    And then he turned his gaze to the tattoo on Kanti''s face. Roy whipped out a dagger with a bone hilt and green de and handed it to Kanti. "Here. A dagger made from cyclops teeth and bone. A memento for you."


    Kanti beamed at the young witcher and left a kiss on his cheek. She was delighted to know that Roy didn''t forget about her. <em>And he''s nicer to me too. No prey can escape me, the huntress. Not even in the field of romance.</em>


    "So, how''s business? Is everything fine?"


    "With Kiyan and The Collector protecting us, nobody''s stupid enough to look for any trouble." Kanti fiddled with her new toy happily. She swung her wrists and cut through the air before sheathing the dagger into her belt. "And business is good. Sales are rising. We''re averaging eighty crowns of profit every day. After deducting taxes and Felix''s share of the profit, we''ve made sixteen hundred crowns since you guys left. As promised, it''s all in the bank. Expenses and revenue are recorded in the ounts. You can check it if you want."


    <em>So we can make twenty six hundred crowns from both shops per month. That''s enough for our n. </em>"It''s alright. I trust you." Roy pursed his lips and looked into Kanti''s eyes. "Thanks for running the shop. We couldn''t have had time for anything else if not for you."


    Kanti let out a loudughter and winked at Roy, and then she puffed her chest. "I''m your mercenary. It''s normal for mercenaries to serve their employers. Don''t be so formal."


    "At least take some coins. You can''t just do it for free."


    "You guys provide food and lodging. I don''t really need any money." Kanti gave him a knowing look. "If you think I did a good job, you can always give me some gifts and surprises. Like this dagger, for example. And praise me more. And take me on hunts. Pick out some new tattoos for me, and that''d be enough."


    Roy was speechless. Kanti was really reliable and loyal, evenpared to the trolls on the mountain. <em>Well, guess I owe thedies even more now. Good thing I can leave things on my tab for a while longer. </em>"I''ll take you on a hunt someday."


    They made small talk for a while before Roy went into the shop''s room.


    ***


    It had been a month since he saw Kiyan, and the Cat changed a lot. He ditched the usual disguise and opted for a simple ck shirt and a simrly ck hat instead. The scars on his neck and face were still hideous, but Kiyan looked a lot more at ease.


    "How are you doing, Kiyan?"


    "Roy,ddie!"


    The witchers high-fived and hugged each other.


    "So, how''s work? Did you get used to the ce?"


    "Work''s not tiring at all. It''s fun." Kiyan put his work aside and whipped out some white wine from underneath his work station. He poured a ss for him and Roy and took a sip himself. His smile was almost glimmering under the light. "Feels like I¡¯m back to my younger days. Spent all my time making potions. It''s simple and delightful. No killing, no politics. Only work." He said seriously, "I love this life. So, how did things in Kaer Morhen go?"


    "The Wolves are in Novigrad." Roy stared at Kiyan and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he asked, "Do you want to see them? It''s about an organization I talked about. Sorry to drag you into the brotherhood without asking your permission."


    "Yeah, I''ll see them." Kiyan stood up without hesitation and took his cloak from the hanger. "You saved my life and gave me a job."


    "Don''t keep saying you''re indebted to us. We''re witchers. Witchers together strong."


    "Weird saying, but here''s something I learned, Roy." Kiyan shook his head. "The moment we''re given life, we owe someone something, and we''ll live our lives repaying that debt. We owe ourselves that. We work our lives to repay that debt, and I''m still working because I don''t think I''ve repaid what I owe." Kiyan extended his hand, his eyes glinting like rubies. "I''m going to help with the brotherhood''s establishment."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 361: Mission

    Within the living room of a three-storey house in Novigrad''s slums sat nine witchers around a long table. One was bald, some had amber eyes, one looked like a fire had disfigured him, some had scars on their faces, one had white hair and beard, and one was a young, handsome witcher who looked rtively normalpared to hispanions.


    Since nobody was talking, the young witcher stood up and scanned everyone. "Everyone here is from different schools. Everyone has their idea about how the brotherhood should be run, and everyone can voice their opinions. First, we''re going to talk about the mission, basic rules, short-term and long-term goals of the brotherhoo¡ª"


    "Hey kid, I need some answers." Felix turned his displeased gaze to Roy. "I don''t remember agreeing to this brotherhood."


    And the meeting went off to a less-than-ideal start. The Wolves stared at Roy. <em>He told us this was going to be magnificent. Said the Cats have joined, but that part was false?</em>


    ***


    Roy was about to say something, but Letho exined, "Felix, I know it''s a bit rude of him, but he means well. You traveled with us for a long while now. You should know the predicament we''re in. Time is not on our side. If we keep to ourselves and refuse to work together, we''ll be wiped out at this rate. Don''t you remember? We only managed to establish ourselves in Novigrad because we worked together."


    Kiyan gave hispanion a look of plea.


    "It''s alright, Letho. I wasn''t trying to berate him. This is just a reminder for him to tell us before he makes another decision involving me the next time." Felix said, "From now on, I''m a part of the brotherhood."


    Felix was a Cat, but he didn''t feel at home at the school. Almost everyone there was a bloodthirsty killer. He sat back down happily. "Guess I have a team now."


    The little episode notwithstanding, the meeting was heading in the right direction.


    Lambert red at Roy. "You probably told a lot of lies to get us here, didn''t you?"


    "No. Only this one. I should have talked to Felix sooner," Roy admitted.


    "It''s alright. Not like we can change the past, and you were already punishedst night. I''ll just let this slide," Lambert interrupted.


    Eskel and Geralt nodded as well. The Cats might have only joined a moment ago, but the fact was they supported Roy''s cause. Now that the Wolves were here as well, they must go on with the brotherhood.


    Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead. <em>Good thing I didn''t resistst night.</em>


    "Let''s talk business. I suggest our mission be unity and teamwork." Lambert looked at everyone. He announced, "We''re uniting every witcher we can find. Cats, Vipers, Wolves, and everyone we might run into in the future. Manticores, Griffins, Bears¡­ Us aside, we''re going to find as many witchers as possible and lead them into the brotherhood."


    Eskel shook his head. "A caveat. We''re denying entrance to witchers who have done unspeakable horrors."


    "Agreed. We''re allowed to fight in self-defense, but harming the innocent is taboo," Geralt said.


    The Vipers nodded as well. The Wolves had a code of neutrality to follow, and the Vipers weren''t the kind to kill innocents either.


    The Cats exchanged a look, and Kiyan said, "I''m fine with it. Thirty years in prison taught me something. If I hurt someone for no reason, then I''m no better than the scum who abducted me just to perform their experiments on me."


    They were impressed that Kiyan could still be rational even after he was locked up in his own body for thirty years.


    "I''ve heard of your tale. You''re a real man." Eskel gave him a thumbs up.


    Lambert had nothing but respect for the guy. He was shocked when they first met, and that was rude of him. Fortunately, Kiyan didn''t really mind.


    Kiyan nodded at the Wolves.


    "Very well. We''ll go with the code of neutrality." Felix shrugged and looked outside the window. In the yard stood a scrawny boy swinging his sword on a spinning dummy. He said, "But we''re not going to sit around when danger festers. If we notice any possible threats to us, I suggest we get rid of them before they be a menace. We''ll decide if something is a menace through a majority vote."


    "I second that."


    "Agreed."


    ***


    "Teamwork is a simple creed." Lambert continued, "If any member runs into something they can''t settle, we''re obligated to help them. Barring heinous acts, of course. We''re a team here, and team members help one another out. We''re going to make sure nobody tramples on the brotherhood."


    Roy left the table and wrote down two big words on the wall with a charcoal pen. The words read ''Unity'' and ''Teamwork.''


    "Anyone else have any idea about the brotherhood?"


    "Expansion." Letho said, "Aside from uniting all witchers, we need to make some changes. We need to improve the Trial recipe and train up new witchers. New blood is key to the brotherhood''s longevity and our strength in face of all the threats that mighte our way."


    Everyone nodded. This was the core of their missions. Out of all the witchers here, only Letho and Felix had students. Everyone else was looking forward to taking in one of their own, especially Auckes. The Law of Surprise wasn''t a surefire way to get a student, however.


    Lambert smiled and looked at hispanions. "This is why we''re here. If we can''t recruit new blood, we''ll be the only ones holding up this whole show. A few dozen witchers can''t handle the crisis Roy told us about."


    Roy nodded and wrote down ''Expansion'' on the wall. Then he raised his right hand.


    "I think that''s enough for the missions," Auckes said. "We''re just starting out, so let''s keep things simple. The problems will show themselves once we start running the show. We''ll rectify them by then."


    "I disagree." Serrit shook his head. "If we want the organization to grow, we need to look out for any potential problems before they even rear their heads."


    "Alright, then I''ll add one more." Roy fell into a pause. "Equality. I think members should get along like family and share all the resources we have. Everyone is on equal footing. Nobody is superior to anyone else."


    "Let''s take that a step further. If the brotherhood does be sessful enough to rival any force of thesends, should we see ourselves as superior to anyone else like the nobles of today?" asked Serrit. "Should we think of ourselves as the betters of humans or any other ancient race? Should we look down on them like they''re beneath us?"


    Serrit''s questions threw everyone into silence.


    "You think too much, mate. That day will nevere." Lambert shook his head. "And we don''t scorn sentient life forms just like how we hate being looked down on. Simple as that."


    "I think Serrit has a point." Geralt tapped his finger on the table and attracted everyone''s attention. "We''re not better than anyone else. In other words, all sentient life forms are equal."


    The White Wolf raised his head and said aloud, "We treat our members, humans, and non-humans equally. Arrogance isn''t our creed. Discrimination only leads to downfall."


    Felix cocked his eyebrow. "I don''t mind treating humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, and gnomes as equals, but do you include monsters in that list of equality?"


    "Of course. Harmless monsters have the right to live," Geralt answered seriously.


    "You''re truly a friend of monsters, Geralt. Protector of beasts." Felix shook his head. "But we''re not the Circle of Druids. Sorry, but I disagree with your opinion. First we treat our members as equals, and then humans and ancient races. That''s all." Felix argued, "Monsters aren''t on that list. How are we supposed to get ourponents for the Trials if we can''t kill monsters?"


    "There''s always going to be evil monsters for us to kill."


    The brotherhood finally got into its first argument about equality. In the end, everyone cast their votes, and the majority would win. Geralt was the only one who agreed on treating harmless monsters as equals. Even Eskel and Lambert disagreed with their friend.


    Roy agreed with part of Geralt''s ideals, and he did let go of the beasts in Oxenfurt''s zoo as well as the trolls in Kaer Morhen, but he didn''t think they should impose that line of thinking on everyone else. At least not at the moment.


    In the end, the brotherhood''s missions were finally settled. They were unity, teamwork, equality, and expansion.


    ***


    Expansion took precedence. Unity was limited to non-evil witchers, and equality would start within the brotherhood before they extended it to everyone else. Geralt thought it was a shame they couldn''t reach an agreement on equality, but he didn''t push his ideals on everyone else.


    "Alright, now for the rules." Roy heaved a sigh of relief. "Me first. Traitors will be punished. Nobody is allowed to work with any outsiders to sabotage the brotherhood. No conspiracies either. If you run into any disagreements with the members, you''re going to settle it among yourselves and only turn to the brotherhood if the disagreement esctes."


    "Once we get to the next stage and open up the recipes and diagrams to all members, they''re not allowed to leak any of that information to anyone else. We''ll have to vote for that to happen." Roy looked at Letho.


    Letho had a solemn look in his eyes. "Anyone who betrays the brotherhood will be hunted down by every single member. It is a crime punishable by death."


    "Agreed." Lambert looked grim as well. "Traitors make me sick to my stomach. Loyalty is the baseline of every organization. They enjoy all the privileges we offer, so they must bear the same level of responsibility."


    Nobody objected to that.


    "My turn." Eskel suggested, "No harming civilians and marring the brotherhood''s reputation. Anyone who''s already a member or will be a member must follow this rule. Building up a reputation is hard, but destroying it is easy."


    ***


    Roy wrote down two rules on the wall.


    1. No betraying the brotherhood and its members.


    2. Nomitting heinous acts unprovoked.


    Everyone kept discussing and fleshing out the details of the brotherhood.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 362: To Roy

    Before the witchers knew it, the sun was already starting to set. The sounds of arguments and someone writing on the wall was getting softer and slower.


    After a heated argument, the witchers finally settled down on the four missions: unity, teamwork, equality, and expansion.


    There were also six absolute rules they had to follow. Any rulebreaker could be facing house arrest to the death penalty.


    1. No betraying the brotherhood and its members.


    2. Nomitting heinous acts unprovoked.


    3. Equality and fairness.


    4. No interfering with politics without the brotherhood''s permission.


    5. Follow the brotherhood''s orders.


    6. No politicking in the brotherhood.


    (Subject to change)


    ***


    "Now for the nitty gritty." Roy said, "So expansion is our goal, and we need manpower for that. We need a source of new blood. We''ll be going with our n and working with Orloff to build an orphanage. He''s one of Novigrad''s big three. You''ll be picking the children you want and mentoring them before administering the Trials. We need to contact The Collector and pick a spot for the orphanage."


    "Hold on. You mean to work with one of the biggest gang lords around?" Geralt shook his head. "He''s got blood on his hands. No way he''ll work with you. Even if the gang lords would put in work for charity, they must have something to gain from it."


    Lambert and Eskel were doubtful as well.


    "Ah, allow me to tell you a story." Felix stood up and exined, "The Collector is more than meets the eye¡­"


    Felix finished his story in a few minutes, leaving the Wolves dumbfounded.


    Geralt was utterly impressed. "You built ab right under Eternal Fire''s nose, had a doppler rece a gang lord, and then partnered up with him."


    "That is incredible. You guys are geniuses." Lambert was shaking with excitement, his eyes glinting with glee. "I love it."


    "When we trained his slowpoke thugs, we knew he was as kind as most dopplers are. Since he''s an orphan, he sympathized with all the children born into this world alone." Felix said, "But he used to be hunted by the Eternal Fire. Hiding from them was already hard enough, let alone taking care of the poor orphans. Things are different now, however. He''s now one of the biggest rulers in Novigrad. Money is no problem for him, and he gets to call a lot of the shots in Novigrad. Just like us, he wants to build an orphanage to take all those lonely kids in and provide them shelter until they can stand on their own two feet. Most importantly, those kids will be safe from the traffickers if they have a ce to stay."


    The witchers nodded. The ve trade was rampant all the way from Skellige Isles to the continents.


    "While you guys were in Kaer Morhen, the Collector shortlisted three houses as a potential orphanage. He was waiting for you guys to make the call." There was a hint of respect in Felix''s eyes. "And he promised he''d invest eighty percent of the money to build the ce up and keep it running."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. <em>At least we don''t have to worry about money for a while.</em>


    "But he had a condition, and he wishes to talk to us about it." Felix added, "It''s probably about the children who will be taken in. He knows how hard our training can be, and he''s worried we might go too far and hurt the kids."


    "We''ll see him tomorrow, then," Auckes suggested. "We need a lot of people to work on the orphanage. Everyone needs to lend a hand."


    Just like that, they already had something to do the next day.


    ***


    "We can''t just expand externally. Relying on the orphanage alone takes too much time. The kids will at least take a year to pass the Trial. Unity should be further up on our list of priorities." Lambert said, "We''ll gather all wandering witchers and have them join the brotherhood. As long as they are willing to negotiate and pass the test. Their schools don''t matter. And I know one witcher who can join¡ªAiden of the Cat School." Lambert gushed, "I''ve worked with him a few times. We''re good friends, and he''s a man of principle. We can trust him. I can travel to our rendezvous point and wait for him or leave a hint telling him toe to Novigrad."


    Lambert was looking forward to meeting Aiden.


    Kiyan and Felix exchanged a look. "I remember Aiden. He''s a ck-haired and green-eyed kid. Wasn''t even fifteen when west saw him. So that makes him fifty-something this year? He''s not consumed by madness, however. A worthy ally for us."


    "Never seen you so excited about seeing someone before, Lambert." Auckes wiggled his brows. "Is he your lover?"


    "I would''ve been done with the wedding a long time ago if Aiden was a girl," Lambert answered proudly.


    "Since we''re talking about the people we know, I suggest we be honest about everything," Letho quipped. "Tell us every witcher you know. If we can trust them, try contacting them and tell them about the brotherhood. We need to bolster our foundation. Every veteran can at least handle a few apprentices, and that''s crucial for our growth."


    "If I''m right, Vesemir knows <em>exactly </em>where Kaer Seren is. It''s somewhere between Kovir and Poviss." Eskel mused. "Once he''s here in Novigrad, maybe we can get to the Griffin School through him."


    "Griffins are worthy allies. The creed of knights is the truth they live by," Geralt said. "They''re even more traditional than us, but that''s the reason their numbers are dwindling. They''re in an even worse position than any other school."


    "So we have Aiden and the Griffins¡­" Roy recorded that in a leather journal and scanned everyone. "Any other leads?"


    "It''s been more than ten years since I saw any witcher outside of the Wolf School. Excluding today." Eskel shook his head.


    "I''ve been locked up for thirty years." Kiyan sighed. "Sorry."


    Felix said nothing.


    "We met someone in Vizima." Serrit looked at the Wolves. "He''s a former Wolf and current mercenary named Berengar."


    "Berengar is still alive?" The Wolves exchanged a look of relief and delight. "When did you see him? Is he still doing well?"


    "About six months ago. We asked him to make some gear for us. He''s a real master cksmith. In terms of cksmithing alone, he''s even better than Vesemir," Serrit said. "He''s doing okay. Still makes a living by taking requests and never kills any innocents. Upholds the Wolven code of neutrality. We invited him toe with us before we left Vizima, but he refused. He told us he wanted to turn his body back to normal so he could have kids. That''s why he hates Kaer Morhen for changing him into a witcher."


    Felix scoffed. <em>Yet another fool. He has an incredibly long life and a powerful body. This is the price he must pay. This isn''t some kind of fairy tale where you can sell your cake and eat it as well.</em>


    Kiyan sympathized with Berengar, and he nodded. His biggest wish was to gain back his old appearance.


    "He''s a master cksmith, but still he left the school without hesitation. Nobody can convince him toe back." Geralt muttered to himself, "Berengar still hasn''t changed." And he sighed.


    Eskel and Lambert''s gazes turned downward as they reminisced about their life with Berengar.


    "You''ve known him for decades. Do you think you can convince him? Can Vesemir do it?"


    The Wolves shook their heads.


    "Unless we can somehow get a container of djinns and make a wish for him, I doubt he''d ever join us."


    Geralt narrowed his eyes, regret filling his face. He had a chance to have three wishes granted, but his foolishness cost him two of them. And he wasted thest one on a rtionship because he got the urge for one, and that rtionship left the deepest impression on him.


    ***


    Roy put Berengar''s name at the tail end of the list. He was the hardest witcher to convince thus far. "So all the potential members we know so far are Kiyan of the Cat School, the Griffins in Kaer Seren, and Berengar of Vizima." He said, "Once the early stages of the orphanage''s establishment is done, we''ll send someone to persuade these people."


    "Think outside the box, Roy. There are more witchers out there. We can just post a request on the bulletin board and wait for someone toe to us," Aucke suggested. "This is a big city with a ton of people living in it. I think someone shoulde by within a few months."


    ***


    After the topic of the orphanage and unity, someone brought up another issue.


    "Roy, back in Kaer Morhen, you promised you could improve the recipe and reduce the death rate of the Trial." Eskel asked, "Ourb is certainly big, but where are we going to get our mage?"


    And then everyone turned their attention to Roy. Some gave him nervous looks, some winked at him, while some wiggled their eyebrows. If they had no mage, then the brotherhood would just be like all the witcher schools: stagnant and left with no chances to improve or expand.


    "Calm down, people." Roy puffed his chest and strutted around the table confidently. "I have a few candidates. Mages, alchemists, druids, you name it. But I need to dup¡­ convince them to join. Ask Felix. He knows what I''m talking about. He saw the sorceress and made an agreement with her. She''s going to hold the Trial for Carl."


    Felix nodded, and the Wolves heaved a sigh of relief. They were looking forward to Carl passing the Trial. He would be the first one to pass it since the brotherhood''s establishment. That was an event to look forward to, as it had been too long since they witnessed a sessful Trial. They needed something to confirm that their choice was correct.


    "And I''m not the only one who knows a mage, Geralt." <em>Time to drag the White Wolf into this. </em>"I think you can try <em>persuading </em>her into joining, if you catch my drift. If I''m right, she''s a consultant in Aedirn''s Vengerberg, isn''t she? If she''s willing to be our resident mage, you guys can be together again."


    "Ahem." Geralt waved his hands. "We''ve broken up for years. It''s been a while since she contacted me, and she doesn''t owe me anything. She might even hate me for what happened before the breakup. It''d be bad if <em>I </em>tried to convince her."


    Roy rubbed his chin. <em>They keep breaking up and getting back together only to live their lives together in the end. But Ciri is a key part in their rtionship. She''s like a daughter to them, after all. With Ciri out of the picture, there''s no way someone like Geralt can convince Yennefer. I''d rather take my chances with a higher vampire.</em> "Forget it. We''ll talk about thatter."


    And he stared at hispanions once more. "Today, we''ve settled on the brotherhood''s missions, rules, and short-term goals. I hereby announce that the brotherhood is officially established!"


    Roy produced a bottle of white wine brewed in rural Novigrad and sold in the ballroom, and then he poured a ss for everyone. "A toast for a great day. Today is the beginning of everything!"


    Serrit stopped him. "Hold it! You''ve overlooked something important, kid. We''re a brotherhood, so everyone''s equal, but there must be an eldest of the brothers here." He announced, "We need a leader. He doesn''t need to give every order for every little thing, but he needs to guide us to a better future. He needs to make ns and give a wide berth to any dangers we can''t win. When we can''t decide on something difficult, he <em>must </em>make the final call. We need someone to lead us into glory!"


    Serrit looked at everyone present. "What do you think? Who''s the best one to lead us all?"


    "Why don''t we decide through a trial of battle?" Auckes was raring to go, but Serrit shot him a look.


    Geralt disagreed. "We''re a brotherhood now. Combat prowess isn''t the only defining trait for a leader."


    Lambert agreed for once. "Just because someone''s a goodbatant doesn''t mean he''s wise. He could be a fool. I think we should vote on this."


    "Agreed."


    "But I have something to say." Lambert pursed his lips. "Every school has a different number of members here. That might affect the final results."


    The Vipers exchanged looks. They knew Lambert was talking about them.


    "Rule number six, Lambert. You broke it." Felix purred, "Politicking will affect the results, not the number of members each school has. You have nothing to worry about if you don''t have any ulterior motives."


    "On the name of our school and the brotherhood, we swear we''ll pick the best man for the job. No biases." Letho took a deep breath. They had the most number of members around, so he thought there was a need to exin.


    Kiyan said, "Don''t forget, we did talk about abolishing the schools and uniting everyone under one banner once the brotherhood hits its stride. Don''t sweat the details, Lambert."


    Geralt patted Lambert''s shoulder, and Eskel looked at him.


    "It''s alright. We''ll just cast our votes."


    "I trust you''ll make the right choice." Geralt smiled. "Wouldn''t havee here otherwise."


    ***


    The votes were counted, and the results were out. All witchers smiled, save for one.


    "Are you guys serious?" Roy was red with anxiety for the first time. "Why me?" <em>Everyone voted for me but me!</em>


    "You know the reason we''re gathered here," Lethomented.


    Everyone''s eyes twinkled.


    Roy might be the youngest of them all, but he got all the witchers together.


    "Because you''re a irvoyant." Lambert was half-amused, half-annoyed. "Who else can take the spot but you?"


    "But we''re not here to work for you," Felix blurted, and Kiyan nodded. "You can only point us in the general direction."


    "And if your decision proves to be wrong¡­" Auckes grinned. "Punishment awaits."


    "And now, a toast." Geralt stood up, raising his ss of wine. "To the brotherhood!"


    Eskel raised his ss as well, the sun shining on his slightly red face.


    Everyone shouted, "To the brotherhood! To Roy!"


    Roy was still bemused and confused. But he knew what he had to do. <em>A great future awaits!</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 363: The Orphanage

    Geralt stared at the skies, where the purple light of dawn was starting to shine through. He could see the silhouette of The Collector''s mansion standing nearby, and he thought back to what happened the night before. "Thank you for everything you did for Jaskier."


    "So you''ve met him."


    "Auckes took us to the apothecary shopst night, and then we saw a show in the ballroom." There was a smile on Geralt''s lips. He was happy for his friend.


    "He''s already thirty years old, but the guy just won''t settle down. Flirts with everyone, from a noble''s daughter to aundress. Professes his love for almost every youngdy he runs into. Like Lambert, he frequently sleeps with someone else''s woman. I spent a long time worrying if he might fall from a balcony and die during an escape from a particrly furious husband. But now he has a job he loves, and it''s all thanks to your investment."


    "You give him too little credit." Roy smiled. "Even if he can''t survive Novigrad, he can always get a job at Oxenfurt Academy. He''s talented enough for that. And we''re not helping for free. The ballroom is making a profit, and we''re taking most of it. But most importantly, Dandelion and his friend can turn witchers'' infamy around. It works in our favor, especially when we''re trying to open up an orphanage."


    The Wolves exchanged a look. They were starting to approve of their new leader, who was also a irvoyant.


    ***


    The fat guard in a green robe took one look at Felix and bowed to the witchers as he opened the steel gates. "Master Orloff has been waiting, witchers. Come with me, please."


    A servant led the witchers across a garden filled with tall trees and decked out with a fountain in the center. They eventually entered a mansion with a triangr roof and colorful walls.


    "You sure they work for the Collector? Feels like they work for you." Lambert gave Felix a look of surprise. All the guards in the manor wouldn''t even meet Felix''s gaze. It felt like they were mice who saw a big cat.


    "I''ve been training these fools for two months." Felix grinned toothily, his eyes glinting. "They know what happens if they get on my bad side."


    The manor wasvishly decorated. The ground was covered in exotic Ofir rugs, and oil paintings, antiques, and porcin items stood everywhere for everyone to see. Despite the size of the house, there weren''t a lot of servants around. The Collector preferred a quieter environment, it seemed.


    When they came to the second floor, they were met with a pale, handsome, purple-haired man with a mustache sitting behind his desk, going through a bunch of files and ounts. He seemed to be in a rut.


    A star-shaped pendant hung before his chest, and he was wearing a silk robe, while nearly ten magical rings clung around his fingers. Compared to a month ago, the Collector looked a lot more listless, and dark circles hung beneath his eyes.


    He noticed someone looking at him, and the Collector raised his head. When he saw who it was, a smile broke out on his weary face. The man waved his servants away. "Friends, witchers. It''s been a month, and you still look as dashing as ever." He happily approached the witchers and shook their hand.


    Rather than a ruler of Novigrad, the Collector felt like more of a friend. "And these are?" He turned his attention to the new faces.


    "Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert of the Wolf School. They just came to Novigrad," Felix exined. "They''re one of us now. We just gained three more members for our alliance."


    "Best news I''ve heard recently. Our alliance''s roots are gaining more ground. Even if they know I''ve reced the real Collector, the Eternal Fire can''t hunt me down openly now." The Collector''s excitement was almost palpable. He kept staring at the Wolves like a cat who smelled fish.


    Eventually, his gaze became a little too much for the Wolves. <em>You sure this guy is a doppler?</em>


    The Collector noticed the looks on his guests'' faces, and he quickly massaged his temples. "Sorry. The guy was a perverted mage, so I inherited some of his more unsavory parts. Disgusting ideas pop into my mind the moment I see new things. Including humans."


    "It''s alright, Orloff. We know how dopplers work. Don''t apologize." Lambert shrugged.


    "We''re friends here. Call me Gawain or Samsa. That''s my real name." Gawain waved it off.


    "You don''t look too good, Gawain." Roy plopped down onto the sofa. "So, what happened over thest month?"


    "Thanks, but I''m fine. I live in a manor and eat the best things thisnd has to offer every day. It''s a lot better than my old life." Gawain smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in his eyes. There was a price to pay when it came to a life of luxury. "But honestly, upper society isn''t as easy as it seems. I have to check on every single estate andnd I have. And the reports are just endless. Everyone just keeps inviting me to this ball and that party every single day. cksmith association, merchant association, town hall, other gangs¡­ If there are thirty days in a month, I can go to thirty different events hosted by thirty different organizations. I''d be gone if you came two hourster."


    "Can''t you refuse some of it? Or just let your assistant handle them?" Roy asked.


    "I did, but refusing these invitations too much is bound to raise some eyebrows. I don''t trust anyone but you either. Everyone else might realize something''s wrong with me and tell the Eternal Fire about it."


    The Collector put his hands behind his back and shook his head. He was still wary about the church that had hunted him for most of his life. "I have to hang on no matter what."


    "Guess the burdenes with the luxury." Auckes let out a sigh as well.


    "Alright, everyone''s here now, so let''s talk business," Letho said. "We''re told you found three potential spots for the orphanage?"


    Gawain unfurled a map on his desk. It detailed Novigrad and the geographical structure near the city. Every single house in the city was drawn on the map, and three spots were circled out. Two were in Novigrad''s slums and business district, while thest one was in a rural area outside the city. It was a thirty-minute ride away from Novigrad.


    ***


    "I have an empty plot ofnd in the business district. Say the word and I''ll give it to the orphanage." Gawain looked at the witchers. "It''s just a few yards away from the marketce. If we build the orphanage here, it''d make life so much easier for the kids."


    "It''s not in the central area, but his plot ofnd still costs a ton." Geralt shook his head. "You might not mind, but I don''t think it''s the best ce for an orphanage. It''ll attract too much unwanted attention."


    "And the yard isn''t big enough. Sure, it''ll work if you want to rear some ducks and small animals, but¡­" Serrit peered at the map and stretched his thumbs and index fingers out. "It''s not enough for the kids to move."


    They needed a big enough space to train new witchers. At least enough to ce some wooden stakes and pendulums.


    Gawain nodded. "What about the spot in the slums then? It has a big enough yard to hold a tournament. And ites with three houses, enough to house a hundred kids. Rent is lower than a hundred crowns a month. And it''s less than twenty thousand crowns if you''re buying the ce. I''ll be paying the bulk of the price too, as promised."


    It was a tempting offer, and the witchers discussed among themselves.


    "The slums are filled with Bem''s men. He''ll know what we''re doing if we build an orphanage here." Roy shook his head. "He might find out what we''re after, and if he tells the Eternal Fire we''re training apprentices in this city? Either them or the town hall''s army is going toe after us."


    Most people were still holding onto the notion that witcher training was a pretext for human trafficking and evil rituals.


    "We need to avoid getting into any conflicts with Novigrad''s rulers. At least before the orphanage has established itself." Serrit mused. "Keep a low profile and see how that goes."


    ***


    Gawain nodded. He expected the witcher to have this response. "So you''ll go for the one in the rural area, then? Not bad. The price is negligible, and I''ve bought the ce. It''s surrounded by wilderness, rivers, and woods. The kids have enough space to run about, and it''s remote enough to not raise any suspicion."


    The witchers nodded.


    "I have a question. Does the Eternal Fire have an orphanage?" Eskel asked. "If we build one, won''t that be a cause for conflict?"


    "I''ve looked into this. Orloff is a part of the council, and he knows stuff." Gawain sighed. "The Eternal Fire has been taking in orphans, but the slots are incredibly limited. About a dozen or so every year. Most of the time, they just give the kids free porridge. A show, of course, for the people of Novigrad. They need more believers. Compared to orphans, they prefer adult believers who can give them their hard-earned crowns. Because of idents, diseases, and all sorts of reasons, there are at least fifty orphans being born every year in this city. And that''s excluding the kids in the viges outside. The Eternal Fire rejects them, and fewer than one out of ten can survive this ce. Either Bem takes them in and turns them into beggars, or they leave for somewhere else. Some would live in the temple of Melitele, while some¡­" The look in Gawain''s eyes sharpened. "Go missing."


    "Novigrad has an oversupply of poption. Building an orphanage for the kids is a good thing. The church and town hall would beg for someone to share their burden and keep Novigrad stable. That''s all I have to say. Want to see the ce? We can open up shop tomorrow if everything goes well."


    "Sure. We''ll talk about details on the way."


    Roy turned his attention to the doppler, and there was a hint of respect in his eyes. Dopplers weren''t even an ancient race. They were hated and despised for their abilities, but instead of getting back at the people who wronged them, they chose to show mercy instead. "Guess they''re saints."


    Gawain took his purple cape off and donned it, and then he led the witchers out of the manor and into a ck carriage. "I have a few conditions regarding the orphans. I hope you can understand where I''ming from."


    "Sure."


    "I''ve heard of your training. Even strong, powerful adults find it to be great torture, let alone undeveloped children." He looked at the witchers. "So, what''s your n? Are you going to make every child who joins the orphanage go through the training?"


    "You''re worried we might force them into this, aren''t you?" Kiyan shook his head. "That''s unnecessary. We do not force the children if they refuse to. And our training is strictly about the basics. Instead of harming them, it helps them. If they''re interested in more advanced training, then we''ll teach them that, but until then, it''s all basics."


    The Wolves nodded. If these people had tried to force orphans into the way of the witcher, they wouldn''t have joined the brotherhood.


    "You can alwayse for a visit after the orphanage is up and running. Or you can get someone to oversee the ce."


    Gawain nodded and pulled the curtains up, revealing the patches of grass outside. They had departed the city and headed into the wilderness. "Can you tell me more about the training? The specifics, please."


    "Swordy. And it''s only wooden practice swords, so no worries about injury," Serrit exined. They talked about it before in the meeting. "And a little bit of physical training. They''re going to dodge spinning dummies and leap across wooden stakes. It''s a bit hard on the body, but we''re professionals. The kids won''t lose a limb or get in any danger."


    "And we can stop the training at any time," Geralt added.


    Gawain finally stopped objecting to the training.


    "And then herbal sses. Even if they aren''t going to end up as witchers, they can still be a healer or some alchemist''s assistant. They''ll at least survive in this world."


    "But the kids are illiterate." Gawain rubbed his chin. "I''ll have to hire a teacher for them, then."


    "Hardly necessary," Roy said. "Aside from me, everyone else is old enough to be someone''s grandfather. They know the Northern Kingdom''s Common Speech, Nilfgaardian tongue, and even Elder Speech. They''re experienced enough to be the kids'' teachers."


    "You''re going to teach them how to read as well?"


    It was an important part in building rapport.


    Lambert''s lips twitched. He was a little disgruntled. <em>I''m only in my fifties. Not like there''s a big generational gap between us. Howe I''m also a grandfather?</em>


    Gawain nodded.


    "And then we''re gonna talk about the Almanac of Creatures. It includes all kinds of dangerous beasts and monsters," Serrit continued. "It''lle in really handy if they want to survive the wilds. And that''s about it for their basics."


    "I still hope you''ll teach them somethingmon folk do. At least it''s a surefire way to help them in the future." Gawain suggested, "Like farming and husbandry."


    "Well, how about this? We turn a few patches ofnd around the orphanage into farnds and ask the kids to spend some time farming every day," Roy said. "And we''ll give every kid one chick from the moment they join the orphanage. They''ll be required to feed the chicks until they be chickens."


    Gawain froze for a moment. <em>The kids can train their body, learn how to read, and practice farming and husbandry at the same time? </em>It sounded like a perfect n, but he thought something was off. "And here''s the crucial question. Witcher mutation is unpredictable and dangerous. How can you guarantee the children who undergo the mutation willingly survive it?" Gawain asked. "We cannot allow the orphanage to be the poor children''s grave."


    "We won''t let them go through the Trial before we''re sure they can handle it," Letho exined. It was the promise everyone came up with. "I assure you, we''re raising witchers, not killing children."


    Gawain finally stopped questioning them.


    They came to a halt before a forest. Through the little path and some roads they went before they finally entered a clearing surrounded by alders. The witchers were greeted by four dpidated but spacious wooden houses, and the walls and roofs were made up of whole logs. The houses were surrounded by woods, and sounds of flowing water came from the other side of the forest. This was a decent ce for anyone to live.


    ***


    They went around the houses for a better look. The houses were big, and shared bedrooms were already set up. These houses could house about a hundred orphans in total. The beds, sheets, nkets, furniture, and necessities were already prepared. Someone probably cleaned this ce before, as it seemed almost spotless.


    "Not bad. It''d be perfect if we had some stakes and pendulums here. You must have put a lot of effort into this, Gawain."


    "As long as you''re happy with it."


    "So where are we getting the children?" Geralt asked.


    "I''ll tell my men to keep an eye out for vagrant children under ten around Novigrad," Gawain answered. "And I''ll tell people about the news of the orphanage."


    "Count us in," Letho offered. "We''ll search for kids as well."


    Gawain nodded. "I''ll send a cook and a correspondent over tomorrow. Just tell the correspondent if you need anything."


    "And what should we call the orphanage?" Letho looked at everyone.


    "How does Kaer Morhen sound?" Lambert asked.


    "This orphanage belongs to all witchers, not a single school." Auckes snorted and shook his head.


    "We can''t call it House of Witchers either, or that might invite our enemies right over," Eskel said.


    "How about House of Gawain, then?" Roy looked at hispanions. "We''re not running this ce out of the kindness of our hearts, but Gawain is. He put in time and effort and asked for nothing in return. People should remember him for the deed he''s done."


    And as long as the witchers were teaching the orphans, they were in control of the ce. The name was nothing to worry about anyway.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 364: Montis New Life

    Winds blew in from the sea, carrying ck clouds over to the skies of Novigrad. In a dark, moss-filled, sludge-covered alleyway of the slums hid a boy. He was curled up in a ball, the winter winds billowing his clumped hair and tatted clothes.


    He was like a shivering chick hiding among reeds. His lips were pale and cracked, and his yellow eyes were filled with fear.


    Cold and hunger assailed him, but his mind remained vignt. Once again, he was taking a trip down memoryne. The boy used to have a happy family. His parents were merchants who sold a certain spice from Skellige Isle in the city, and they made more money than most people in the city.


    They led a simple but happy life, but fate had something dark in store for them. A cargo ship that was ted toe back ran into a storm, killing his father and sinking all the cargo they purchased.


    And then the nightmare started.


    The debt collector came in droves, taking their expensive ornaments, furniture, and valuable clothes. Eventually, their house was sold off by Vivaldi''s dwarves to settle their debt. Left with no choice, the boy''s ailing mother rented a small house in the slums and worked as aundress to support the family.


    She lost sleep most nights and cried in silence. The hardbor and frequent contact with cold water exacerbated her coughs into pneumonia. She died not even a yearter, as they didn''t have money to treat her.


    Monti could never forget thest moments of his mother''s life. She was lying on her deathbed, holding his hands. Her lips were trembling, but she couldn''t make a sound, though tears kept streaming down her pale, gaunt cheeks.


    Monti was eight when his mother died, and he started wandering the streets. But even beggars needed licenses in Novigrad, and they hated kids like Monti. His pride stopped him from humbling himself into putting on a sob story to make money from the people''s sympathy. He was dragged from one street to another and ran like a pup who had no one to turn to. One disobedience would earn him another beating.


    Left with no choice, he begged the church for help. When his father was still alive, their family would tithe every year to pray for the Fire''s guidance in the darkness. They prayed for light and hope, but Monti realized that the tithe didn''t work. All the priests did was give him some watery soup, and then he was chased away.


    Only a select few out of the many vagrant kids could stay in the church. Once again, he led the life of a vagrant. Whenever he was starving, he would pick up fallen vegetable leaves or dumpster dive for food. But Monti onlysted three months in that kind of life.


    ***


    A downpour graced Novigrad again, drenching Monti''s clothes. He curled into himself tighter and saw everything around him turn. A few scenes shed in his mind, one being the corpse collector, d in ck, picking up a gaunt corpse with yellow eyes and taking it into the darkness ahead. And then he saw his parents floating in the air, waving their hands at him. Oddly enough, they seemed almost transparent.


    "Father, Mother, you''re the only kind souls I know. Nobody has an ounce of decency left in them." <em>Nobody would even lend me a hand. </em>"Nobody." Tears of anguish welled in Monti''s eyes, and everything turned ck.


    ***


    He felt himself bobbing up and down like he was on a sea. The water that caressed him felt like his mother''s touch. It washed the exhaustion, grime, and cold away from Monti, and then he saw a sliver of light peeking through the darkness. His dying soul mustered up what little strength it had and ran straight for the light.


    "You''re awake, child."


    "Wh-Where am I? What happened to me?" His eyes refocused. The first thing he saw wasn''t the squalid alleyway or the raging skies, but an enclosed space with a ceiling overhead. He had almost forgotten how it felt to stay in a house, sheltered from the elements.


    The walls smelled like mold and mildew, but there wasn''t a speck of dust or cobweb to be seen. And he was sure that warm feeling on his back wasn''t the ground. He was lying on a bed.


    "You passed out in the alleyway," a gentle voice said, and an unfamiliar face huddled closer. "We brought you here."


    He had an aquiline nose and a tired face. A scar shaped like a lightning bolt ran down the right of his face, while his eyes were feline and amber. There wasn''t any warmth in them, not unlike a beast''s.


    Monti opened his mouth and tried to scream, but he saw a purple triangle shing before his eyes. He saw the man murmur something, and it felt like a breeze just touched his heart. Fear and anxiety disappeared like magic, reced by peace and calm. It felt like he just came back home.


    The peculiar face staring at him no longer looked terrifying, and Monti realized something. "You saved me?"


    "It was nothing,d." The man forced a smile. "You''re safe. Don''t worry. And your fever''s gone down too. You must be hungry." The man turned around anddled a bowl of hot soup for the boy.


    Monti sniffed the air and drooled. He took the bowl and gulped everything down. There were carrots, potatoes, and even meat in the soup. He had almost forgotten the taste of good food. For a long time, even rotten food in the dumpster was a luxury to him. The boy finished everyst drop of the soup, letting nothing go to waste.


    Monti leaned back and rubbed his slightly bulging belly and heaved a long sigh. He licked the grease off his mouth and stared unblinkingly at the cauldron, but the boy didn''t ask for seconds for fear of angering the man.


    "You''ve been starving for too long. You need to control your hunger, or it <em>will</em> ruin your body. I suggest you only eat that much for now."


    "Sir¡­"


    "Call me Eskel."


    "I-I''m Monti. Can you tell me where I am, Eskel?" Monti asked carefully. He feared that this was a dream he would wake up from if he so much as raised his voice.


    "The House of Gawain. It''s an orphanage," someone else answered before Eskel could.


    A bunch of men swarmed into the room. One was bald, some had scars, and one looked like he had albinism. Everyone was surrounding the boy. They were even more muscr than the sailors on his father''s ship, and they felt different from everyone Monti had seen. He saw hilts of swords protruding from their backs, and it scared him. He curled up a bit.


    The one standing in the center of these men had dark golden eyes. He was the youngest of them all, but the look in his eyes was as sharp as a hunting eagle''s. It felt like the man was staring at the prey he was about to pick off in a moment. "Wee to the House of Gawain, Monti." He put his hands on his hips and smiled. Monti swore he saw the man''s eyes shine. "Congrattions on bing the first one to join this household."


    Monti muttered what the young man said under his breath, and then he puckered his lips. Not too long ago, the church denied him asylum, but after he almost died, he woke up finding himself in an orphanage.


    It felt like fate cracked a cruel joke on him. He could feel Destiny''s de on the nape of his neck and on the verge of killing him, but just before the executioner could swing it down, the de was turned into a loaf of bread, and he was gently fed it.


    Joy and sorrow overwhelmed him, and the boy rubbed his eyes as he cried. "Why didn''t you guyse sooner? Father''s dead¡­ and Mother''s dead too¡­"


    "Don''t cry, Monti. You''re a man, aren''t you? Now focus!" Eskel held the boy''s shoulder down, and Monti sat up straight. "Listen closely. These are the caregivers and teachers of this household. The one in the middle is Roy, and the baldy on his left is Letho¡­"


    Monti looked at the men carefully through the cracks between his fingers. He was quiet, but also delighted and nervous. The boy wanted tough and yet also cry. He had no idea why these peculiar men would help him.


    <em>I''m just a grimy boy living in the dumpster, but they gave me somewhere warm and clean to stay. Aren''t they worried I might dirty the ce?</em>


    The witchers exchanged looks, and a man in a cloak and mask exined gently, "Your fever just went down, and you''re still not healed yet. Rest up for the day. We''ll start your training tomorrow morning." The man in the cloak had eyes as red as rubies.


    "Can I really stay here? Sleep on this bed?" Monti held the nket, his eyes twinkling with surprise.


    "You can sleep however long you want." The man with white hair sighed, his eyes glinting with reminiscence. <em>What kind of horrors must he have seen to be so sensitive? </em>"Just stay and be at home."


    "What do you mean by training, though?"


    "You''re going to learn how to read and strengthen your body. Depending on your choice, you''ll have to learn some farming and husbandry. It''s all part of life here." Lambert stared at the boy who obviously had something to say. "Are you refusing, child?"


    "But I don''t have money for that," Monti answered quietly. The boy was born to a wealthy family, and he knew a bit about the world. No matter where or when, knowledge must be bought with money or something with simr value.


    "Did the fever get to your head, child? This is an orphanage, not some private school. Everything is free. We''ll train you up to be a useful member of society," Roy exined. <em>As for which society you''re joining, well, you''ll know soon enough. </em>"Not a single copper is needed."


    "It''s free?"


    Roy nodded with a smile. <em>But free things always cost the most. Not like kids know that, though.</em>


    "You won''t chase me off?"


    Auckes narrowed his eyes. "As long as you''re a good boy."


    Monti held the nket tightly and shivered, his hair shaking along with his head. "I promise I''ll be good. Pl-Please let me stay. I don''t wanna have to go through dumpsters again."


    Serrit shot his brother a re and gave everyone looks. "He''s just messing with you. Just stay in the room and be quiet."


    And then everyone left. The boy stared at the witchers for a long while. He then switched positions and knelt on his bed, staring at the alder trees outside the window and the blue skies above.


    Monti took a deep breath, and the air smelled of soil and grass. For the first time in his life as a vagrant, the world was kind to him. "I survived, Father, Mother. I wonder if they''re as kind as you were."


    ***


    Everyone was staring in through the crack of the door.


    "So, how''s the kid? Talented enough to be a witcher?" Auckes asked.


    "Checked on him when he was out cold. Suffered a ton of wounds, but it''s alright. He''s young and can heal fast. Just need to feed him and he''ll be fine." Eskel said, "Has okay talent. Definitely far weaker than Roy, though."


    "We got a new kid, so it''s time to prepare." Auckes scanned the empty yard and cracked his knuckles. "Gotta set up the stakes and dummies."


    "So what''s the n?"


    "Three of us are gonna stay behind to teach the kid, and everyone else is going to keep searching for orphans around Novigrad. Gawain''s men will help. Don''t do it alone, or the Novigradians will think we''re kidnappers. And we have an issue. Monti is the first kid to move in on the first day. We need to guide him onto the path of a witcher as soon as possible," Felix said. "We need to make sure he joins us as soon as possible."


    ording to their promise to the Collector, they could only train the child if they wanted to, and the witchers were above lying.


    "He needs some guidance, but we''re too crude for the job. Carl can deal with this," Roy said. "He''s about Monti''s age. Perfect to guide the boy. Felix, Carl can train with the new guy. Let thempete. Now call him here. I have some tricks I wanna teach him."


    ***


    "Hi, I''m Carl. I''m eight years old. What about you?" Innocent little Carl quietly entered the room and extended his hand to Monti, smiling sheepishly. Felix told him to do it, of course.


    Monti hesitated for a moment before answering. "I-I''m Monti. I''m eight years old too."


    The boy before him was about half a head taller and a lot leaner than he was. Monti wanted to be as strong as Carl too. Back in Novigrad, a lot of orphans beat him up just to get a spot at the church. He had almost never seen someone his age so friendly, and he wanted to know more about Carl. "Are you also a part of this house?"


    "I came with my mentor. He''s Felix, the cool guy with sunsses."


    "Is he your father?" Monti asked, his voice filled with envy.


    "No, he''s my hero." Carl puffed his chest, his cheeks reddening with excitement. "He avenged my parents and killed the baddies who murdered them."


    Monti''s heart skipped a beat. <em>M-Murder? Vengeance? </em>For some reason, a hint of excitement welled within him.


    Every boy had a dream to grow up as knights, travel thends, and date nobledies. "Is he powerful?"


    Carl snorted and bragged, "He can defeat a group of big, strong men all by himself because he''s a witcher. He has the speed of a cat and the strength and stamina of a bear. He''s not an evil mutant like the rumors say. They only kill heartless people and men-eating monsters. If they want to, they can cut off the heads of any viin." Carl raised his voice, "I''m training under my mentor right now. I wanna grow up to be a witcher!"


    He leapt into the air and turned around, holding the air like it was a de. And then he thrust his hand forward, poking Monti''s chest.


    It was a standard thrust, and Carl performed it like it was a dance. Obviously, he had been training hard.


    Monti stared dumbly at Carl, as if he had just seen a beautiful performance. He was reminded of himself and how he could do nothing but hold his head while rain kept pouring down on him.


    <em>If I was as skilled as Carl is¡­ </em>He felt a surge of emotions welling within him. Monti licked his lips, his eyes welling with anticipation. With a trembling voice, he asked, "Ca-Can I train and be a witcher too?"


    "Bing a witcher is a hard task. You''ll have to go through a ton of super intense training." Carl was looking solemn for once, but his eyes were shining. "You need to be tough and willing enough to change your fate. If you start whining because of some training, you can forget about being a witcher. Learn how to read, farm, and rear animals instead." Carl raised his head high. "You can be a farmer when you grow up."


    Monti clenched the nket tightly, his face scrunched up in a dilemma. This was a tough decision for a young boy. He didn''t want to be a peasant when he knew something as magical as witchers existed. Monti really wanted to say yes.


    "Training starts tomorrow morning." Carl looked around the room. For once, he looked cunning. "Come and see for yourself if you can take it. I''ll train with you, and more friends are on their way."


    Carl was delighted he could show off his training results to someone else. "We''ll work together."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 365: First Lesson

    A dash of grey appeared on the horizon, heralding theing of dawn. Monti''s sleep was abruptly disturbed by a sharp whistle, and his new friend, Carl, came into his room, dragging him off his warm, lovely bed.


    He was changed into a new set of clothes made of wool, hemp, and beast hide, though it was a bit oversized for him. And then he changed into a pair of sturdy brown leather boots before he set off to the yard with Carl.


    A bald, burly man was already waiting for them in the center of the yard. He looked at the boys coolly and announced, "Begin."


    ***


    Frosty winds howled through the yard, and a shivering Monti was found stretching his body under the bald man''s guidance. He stretched his thighs, calves, back, chest, and waist, all the while moving his neck and ankles.


    For the most part of his life, Monti was running away from one ce to another. It had been a long time since he had proper exercise, and the boy was already sweating a small whileter.


    "Rx your neck and straighten your back, Monti. You''re a boy. Don''t hunch your back like a geezer, or you''ll be shit out of luck with thedies." The bald man pushed down on Monti''s back. Just like magic, the boy''s posture was corrected.


    About fifteen minutes of warm upter, Monti seemed like he had just gotten out of a bath, but he was no longer sleepy.


    The bald man then gave him a choice, much to his curiosity. "You decide what to do next. Either you run around the yard a few times or train with Carl. You make the call," he emphasized.


    Monti mustered up his courage and asked. "Is there any difference between the two?"


    The man''s feline eyes might look scary, but Monti thought he could trust the guy. Gently, the man said, "The first one is just regr exercise. It''ll train you up and keep any illnesses away from you." Letho exined, "The second one is witcher apprentice training. It sharpens your movements and senses, making it easier for you to stay out of harm''s way and counter your enemies, but it''s a lot harder than regr exercise. Don''t worry about it. Take your time to make the choice. Depending on what you choose, your sses and even your fate might take a different path."


    Monti had no idea what the man was talking about. He mused over it for a moment and eventually picked the second choice. Carl was staring at him with sparkling eyes, after all. Monti just got here, and he instinctively went with his friend''s suggestion.


    Letho heaved a sigh of relief in silence and led the boys to the south yard, where a row of stakes was standing.


    Monti and Carl weaved through the space between the stakes like two mice that were being hunted down by a big, ugly cat. They spun and turned all the way from the first stake to thest, and then they did the same thing from thest stake to the first.


    This was harder than regr running. It only took ten minutes for Monti to heave and look like he just came out of the bath again. Carl, however, weaved through the obstacles easily and went at twice the speed Monti was. The young apprentice even told his friend he could give up anytime he wanted.


    That only stoked the mes in Monti''s soul. They were both eight, and he thought he could do whatever Carl could. In the end, he kept weaving across the stakes for twenty more minutes before he found himself out of breath and strength. Sweat was pouring down his chin, drenching the ground.


    Letho nodded. <em>His body needs work, but at least his will is strong enough. Guess he didn''t survive the streets all by himself for nothing. We can improve his body through training and potions, but if he was a weak-willed bastard, it''d be hard to change.</em>


    Monti rested for ten minutes before going into the third exercise¡ªstanding on one leg. His back and neck were upright, and his hands were in prayer. He would also put one leg on the knee of the other, not unlike a rooster. And then he would also have to be blindfolded.


    The bald man said this could train his speed, reaction, and bnce. It was a suitable exercise for undeveloped children like them.


    Monti couldn''t even maintain his bnce. On his first try, hested for five whole seconds before he started to wobble and almost fall like a bamboo buffeted by a gale. But Monti wasn''t discouraged. Carl was doing the same thing on a stake as if he were trying to brag.


    His eyes were closed, and he looked as calm and stable as a stone statue. More shockingly, Carl leveled up the difficulty by leaping across the stakes. He would even spin around in midair, as if leaping around on one leg wasn''t hard enough. And then to make things even harder, Carl would swing his practice sword around like a reindeer passing through a forest, smashing everything in his way.


    Monti wanted to be able to do that someday. The boy gritted his teeth and tried the exercise for half an hour before he could finallyst for twenty seconds. An hour and a half had passed since the morning exercise started.


    ***


    Letho nodded at the boy, who was red and out of breath. "That''s enough, boy. You passed, for a newbie," he said calmly. Nothing Monti did manage to impress him. "But you didn''tin even once. You''re a man."


    Monti felt himself tearing up and holding his rumbling stomach.


    "That''s all for today. You must be hungry."


    Carl led him into the room, and the first thing Monti smelled was the aroma of meat. He gulped, and what he saw petrified him with surprise and shock. The boy looked like he was struck by lightning.


    There was a feast on the table. Potatoes and stewed meat, baked bread, fresh crabs taken from Novigrad''s ports, lobsters, and a lot of other stuff. A fatdy was sitting on the chair at the doorstep, smiling warmly at him like he was her family.


    The meat stew he had the night before was already a luxury for Monti, but what he saw now was something like the Eternal Fire''s blessing. No, Monti lost his faith in the Eternal Fire. <em>This is the blessing of House of Gawain!</em>


    "W-We get to have breakfast?" he asked, his voice shivering.


    Most families in Novigrad only had two meals a day. Once in the afternoon, and some light snacking at night. It was an unwritten rule and a tactic to save money.


    "Most rules don''t apply to us. If you''re hungry, you eat. You can''t train if you don''t fuel your body." Carl wiped his sweat away and filled a bowl with meat stew covered in basil leaves, turnips, carrots, and potatoes. And then he picked up a piece of bread drenched in soup before handing those to Monti. "Don''t worry about it. We''re young, and we need food. Starving ourselves is absolutely out of the question."


    Monti took the bowl, but instead of wolfing it down, he asked carefully, "Why are you so nice to me? I have nothing, and I''m an idiot who knows nothing. Even the beggars hate me."


    Not even the orphanage run by the church on their ind itself provided this much to the kids. <em>The witchers saved me from the brink of death and treated me like family. What are they up to?</em>


    "Don''t you get it, Monti? The moment you join this household, we''re already a family." Carl told him what Felix asked him to. "And we don''t abandon family. We help them."


    <em>Family? </em>Monti''s jaw dropped, revealing a row of teeth with big cracks between every tooth. He teared up and fell into a stupor, still in disbelief about everything he was seeing. Ever since his parents died, nobody told him he was their family.


    Like Felix ordered, Carl observed Monti''s reaction quietly and told him, "Don''t get sentimental." He sipped some stew. "So, how''s training? Can you hold on?"


    "It''s a lot easier than begging for food in the city." Monti sniffled and shook his head. He wolfed down the bread and held his tears back.


    "It''ll only get harder and fiercer from now on."


    "Still better than being a beggar."


    "Don''t forget what you said."


    ***


    After breakfast, it was time for another ss, but the guy who trained them in the morning was nowhere to be found. Instead, a man with short brown hair and a scar shaped like a lightning bolt on his face appeared.


    "Carl, Monti, there are a few rules you have to follow in this household, or things might get out of hand. You might be the first kid here, but no bullying the ones whoeter, understand? I want to hear you loud and clear!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    "And you''ll have to follow the teachers'' orders. No throwing tantrums or making things difficult."


    ***


    Monti and Carl were seated in a ssroom, listening quietly to Eskel''s lecture. Sometimes Eskel would write something down on the yellowing wooden board in front of him with a charcoal pencil.


    Monti had some education before thanks to his father. He could read a little and could see Eskel was writing in Northern Common Speech. Compared to the private tutor his father hired, Eskel''s sses were more entertaining. His lectures were never boring. Even an insignificant little letter or phrase could have an interesting story behind it. Monti was engrossed in the sses before he knew it.


    ***


    And then it was time for survival ss. This time, their teacher was the man with red eyes and scorched skin. Monti was scared for his life the first time he saw the man. He kept his gaze downward, refusing to have eye contact, lest the man pounced at him like a drowner.


    Kiyan noticed Monti''s reaction, but he didn''t mind. Softly, he told the boys about the ways of survival. Just like Eskel, he was a great storyteller, and Monti eventually let go of his fear of Kiyan''s appearance.


    "The House of Gawain is built in a forest. It''s possible to run into various beasts, and there are a few you need to look out for. For example, if you two were to enter the forest by ident and run into a hungry boar and a pack of drooling, growling wolves, what would you do?"


    "I''m gonna run!" Monti answered without hesitation. The story had captivated him. "And I''m going to shout for help."


    Kiyan shook his head and spared Monti a look of pity. The boy noticed that look, and his breathing stopped for a moment.


    "Sorry, but you''re already dead. Look at yourself. Your arms and legs are barely thicker than a wooden stick. Even a rabbit can run faster than you. The beasts will catch up to you in mere moments and tear you to shreds. What would you do, Carl?"


    "I''ll climb up a tree." Carl puffed his chest confidently. "And then I''ll shout for help. One of you will eventuallye to me."


    "You''re not a total fool. Looks like all the training didn''t go to waste." Kiyan nodded. "But it''s winter now, and beasts don''t move around as much. You won''t run into any beasts as long as you don''t venture into the forest."


    ***


    Kiyanid out an orangish-yellow flower with oval leaves in front of them. "Guess what this is."


    "Chrysanthemum?" Monti sniffed the air. The flower smelled like a certain spice his family used to sell. The petals were almost the same color as well.


    "Sunflower?" Carl grinned.


    Kiyan smacked his head. "You don''t see sunflowers in full bloom during winters! Did you sleep off Felix''s herbalism ss?"


    Carl begged, "Please, don''t tell Master about this, Kiyan."


    "That depends on you. Monti was partially correct."


    Delighted, Monti swung his fists.


    "This is a marigold. Part of the daisy family and one of nature''s blessings." Kiyan wrote down the flower''s name on the board. "If you were to get lost in the wilderness and have nothing to eat, this can stave off your hunger for a bit. If you get scratched, grind this down and consume part of it. Use the remaining petals on the wound to stave off inmmation. Now eat this and remember how it tastes."


    ***


    The first day of ss was split into three parts: morning training, arts and science ss, and survival ss.


    Monti was delighted and in disbelief. Not only could he train his body and learn more about the world, but he could also have great food to boot. It felt just like a dream to him. <em>Is this really something a boy like me can enjoy?</em>


    ***


    When the sun finally set beyond the horizon and dusk had descended, eight witchers were found discussing the next day''s arrangements around the bonfire, while the youngest witcher entered the dark woods, taking nothing but a suspiciously sentient owl with him.


    Carl came back to the room after an hour of extra training andy down on the big bed. He kept talking about his ambitions, how powerful witchers could be, and how they led their lives. He kept smiling at Monti, and the stories nted a seed in Monti''s soul. <em>I wonder if I can be as carefree as Carl if I be a witcher.</em>


    He had a strange dream that night. In that dream, he saw a man with greyish-green eyes in front of Carl, drawing something in the air. His hand was locked in a strange gesture, and the man seemed to be muttering something under his breath.


    A man with white hair was doing the same thing to him, and Monti started sitting cross-legged as if he was once again in his mother''s womb. Motes of light started twinkling in the night sky and flew around like curious fireflies, and they yed with him the whole night.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 366: Children

    Their instructor for the next day was a foul-mouthed, hot-tempered, and balding man. Monti was still very much clumsy in his training, and Lambert mocked him for an hour and a half. Very much like something Lambert would do, even to a child. It took Monti everything to hold it in.


    Something delightful happened after breakfast. The orphanage received two neers. One was anky boy wearing ck, tattered clothes and torn shoes. His hair and eyes were ck, and his face was freckled.


    The girl beside him looked adorable, though her face was caked in grime. Her blond hair tumbled down her shoulders like dried paddy. She looked gaunt and apparently malnourished. Her sickly white hand was holding onto one of the witchers. It was the one with dark gold eyes.


    Monti had to say he was the most handsome and charming witcher of them all. If he was the neers, he would be willing to get close to Roy too.


    Carl grinned toothily and greeted the neers. "What''s your name? How old are you?"


    Monti hid in the corner and watched.


    "Acamuthorm." The ck-haired boy quickly wiped his hands off his shirt before shaking Carl''s hand.


    "You''re part-elf, aren''t you?" Carl looked at his slightly pointy ears.


    Acamuthorm started trembling. The fact that he was part-elf earned him a lot of beatings in Novigrad.


    "Worry not, child. I''m a part-elf as well." Roy pointed at his ears and promised, "Nobody will look down on you in this household."


    The sheepish Acamuthorm squeaked quietly.


    "I-I''m Vicki¡­" The girl stuck her head out like a nervous squirrel. She had a pair of beautiful purple eyes. "I''m seven years old." She stared at the boy hiding in the corner.


    Monti stood stiffly and stammered, "I-I''m Monti¡­"


    ***


    House of Gawain was starting to gain traction. Every two or three days or so, the teachers would take in new kids. Two weekster, they had twenty kids in the orphanage, and the numbers stagnated. The witchers had stopped searching for new kids, as they wanted to try out some new things with the children. If their teachings worked, they would continue the search.


    Most of the kids were boys, and only seven were girls. All of them were homeless kids in Novigrad and the viges around it. Monti recognized a couple of them too. They were the ones who lost in the fight for a spot at the church''s orphanage.


    ***


    The kids started to get along after a while and let their guard down around one another. Monti eventually realized that everyone''s sses were different.


    When the clock struck six in the morning, all the children would wake up and train. The boys would go for the obstacle course and one-leg-standing practice, while the girls who slept in the other big room with Stacy the cook only had to run around thepound a few times.


    ***


    Breakfast was at seven-thirty, and when the clock struck eight, all the kids would sit in the same ssroom and learn how to read and count. Eskel the lecturer loved to pick one kid at random every day to answer the questions he threw out.


    And he would also give every student a square wooden board dubbed ''test papers.'' All the test papers had something called ''questions'' written in charcoal pencil. The kids would be tested on their mastery of everything taught so far, and Eskel would mark every student''s test paper seriously.


    Fortunately, there were no punishments for low scorers, but the high-scorers would get a little reward. If they umte ten rewards, they could have one little wish granted. Mostly it was something like singing nursery rhymes in front of the kids or having an extra thirty minutes of break every day.


    This system instilled excitement and a little anxiety among the kids.


    sses went on until twelve. Lunch and break took up another hour, and then two kinds of sses would begin after that.


    When morning training finally got to the swordy basic stances and post-standing, most of the boys gave up, and Carl called them peasants. On the other hand, he called himself, Monti, and two other boys who kept going on as reserve witcher apprentices.


    The reserve apprentices would take sses on monsters and herbs in the afternoon, while the farmers went to do their toil on the farms around the orphanage. The teachers would take them there after nap time every day and show them how to till the soil and dig up little trenches.


    The kids would sow seeds of carrots, radishes, spinach, and garlic just like regr farmers would, but they were working at a much slower speed.


    The farmers also had to feed the livestock and reap the crops alongside the girls as well.


    Aside from the reserve apprentices, all the orphans received a gift¡ªa little chick. They had to raise them into chickens with their own hands.


    The children would often run around the yard happily, while their little chicks followed closely.


    The kids were free to do whatever they wanted after dinner every day. The girls would y with jump ropes or make crowns out of mint leaves and see who could make the prettiest crown in the shortest time. Most of the time, Vicki would win.


    The boys would either arm-wrestle or run around the yard and have a little tussle. None could win against the reserve apprentices though. The difference in speed and reaction was starting to show just after two weeks.


    Those weren''t the only ways the kids could have fun. Sometimes they would get together and y hide-and-seek. Carl would end up winning every time. Monti had a feeling he must have learned some tracking skills from his mentor, since every time he was ¡°it¡±, he could find everyone in less than half an hour.


    Eventually, the kids surrendered whenever Carl was ¡°it¡±, and they started the next round right away.


    The teachers came up with some weird but interesting games as well. They said it was to promote teamwork. The children had never heard of any games that went by the name of ''three-legged race'' or any game that would pick someone at random and make them dance in front of everyone. But the kids all had fun.


    Before they went to sleep, everyone would gather in the yard and listen to the teachers'' stories. Every night would be a different teacher telling different stories. Like most boys, Monti liked the stories Roy told the most. He would flip through his notebook and tell the kids fairy tales, though most of them were modified into dark fantasy versions of the ones most people knew.


    The girls would close their eyes and ears while screaming their hearts out, while the boys woulde to their defense proudly.


    ***


    Every weekend, the kids would have one day off, and they spent it fruitfully. The bald teacher would teach them some woodworking. They had an abundance of wood nearby anyway, and then he would make some little trinkets like windmills or wooden ponies for the kids who wished for it. Or he would make chairs and benches and teach them how to make miniature houses out of wood.


    The white-haired teacher would talk about how practice swords were made to the boys who wanted to know and show them some swordy.


    The one who looked like his skin was scorched would lead the children into the woods to forage for herbs and teach them how to dry them up. He would also teach them how to catch beetles and butterflies hiding among the bushes and observe little creatures like rabbits and deers.


    Eventually, everyone warmed up to the man with frightening looks but gentle demeanor. They started smiling at him, calling him Mr. Red Eyes.


    ***


    Only those who lost something knew the value of life. The orphans had a dark past that molded them into more mature counterparts of their peers. They were grateful for House of Gawain''s care, protection, education, food, and joy. And they repaid it by following the rules and never getting into fights with their friends.


    But there was an exception to every rule. One little episode happened right after lunch one day. One of the witcher apprentices, Charname, got into a little tussle with one of the farmer kids because of a little argument.


    The witchers'' faces fell when the news got to them. There was almost murder in their eyes. A gust of freezing wind howled across the dining room, and the kids fell silent.


    Charname and the farmer kid cried from fear. Just when they thought the teachers would beat them up and boot them out of the orphanage, Roy came up with a weird punishment.


    That night, Charname and the farmer kid were forced to stand atop a bench in front of everyone and hug like they were long-lost rtives, though they looked like a pair of wriggling catfish when they did that.


    Ten minutester, everyone burst intoughter, including Stacy.


    Roy''s punishment worked, however. Since then, Charname and the farmer kid became great friends, and the other kids felt a little moved.


    It was as if something magical was binding the children''s fates together under the supervision of their witcher teachers. That month felt like a dream for all the children in the orphanage. Monti, Acamuthorm, Vicki, Charname, Lloyd, and many more. If this was a dream, they never wanted to wake up.


    This was the most joyous period of their lives. Their teachers were vibrant and distinct. Some were strict, some were nice, some were humorous, while some in particr, had a sailor''s tongue, but all of them left indelible marks on the children. They were like a family there.


    ***


    A silent night descended, bringing with it a beautiful river of stars, and they shone upon the witchers in the yard. They were standing under the wooden stakes, staring at the sleeping faces of the children in the orphanage.


    The brotherhood''s foundation was a little bit shaky before this, but now they felt confident. In just one month, they managed to find twenty orphans, though only five became reserve apprentices. Still, it was more than any school could manage in thest few decades.


    "This isn''t the right way to train, kid. They need more trials and bloodshed." Serrit frowned. For some reason, only the witchers around him could hear his whisper. "We''re training witchers here, not royalty. If we keep this up, they''re going to end up weak. It''s time to show them what the real world is like. They need to be hunters, not kids living in a secluded orphanage in some woods."


    "I smell jealousy, Serrit." Auckes shook his head. "But I have to say they¡¯veughed more in a month than we did during our years of training back in Gorthur Gvaed." He sighed. "Why didn''t our mentor train us like we''re training the kids?"


    Letho blinked. Gorthur Gvaed wasn''t the best ce on thisnd. Pain and agony were the Vipers'' friends, and joy was just some kind of distant rtive who came to visit once in a while.


    Lambert cleared his throat. "Our <em>irvoyant</em> dide up with some special training. Are you sure we can whip them up into passable wichers? Gawain''s representative came for a few visits, and he looked at you like you were some kind of saint. We spent more than five hundred crowns this month on the children. Not a single orphanage is as generous as we are, though Gawain did sponsor most of the money. And I''ve watched the kids closely. Their hands shake whenever they''reughing. Not good for sword training. If this keeps up, they''re going to be more vulnerable and weak-willed in the future. Worry and pain are the ingredients for growth, but an excess of fun shreds willpower."


    Felix had his arms crossed. He was reminded of his own apprentice and how happy he had beentely, and that was worrying. He wondered if Carl could hold on until the Trial. <em>The agony he has to suffer might make him give up.</em>


    "You''re a fool, Lambert." Geralt shook his head. Unlike his peers, he wasn''t worried at all. "And since when are you a philosopher? There''s no rule that apprentices must suffer before they take the Trial. I think Roy''s right. At least now the kids see this ce as home and their friends as family. Family, friendship, and joy are deep bonds. They''ll help with the pain of the Trial. And I''ve talked to Dandelion. Oxenfurt Academy''s child psychology professor told him happy children are strong children. They can take more pain than children who suffer for most of their lives."


    Serrit scoffed at that theory. "Joy is poison. Once the Trial hits its peak, they''ll die."


    Kiyan and Eskel said nothing, but they were deep in thought.


    "Alright, just listen to me," Roy stopped them and circled the stakes, and then he looked at Serrit. "You guys overlooked one thing. The kids were vagrants before they came here. They''ve suffered enough. Society has punished them enough, and you suggest we do it again? If nobody gives them love and sympathy when they need it the most, they''re going to be sociopaths when they grow up."


    Roy''s statement pushed everyone into silence. The witchers joined their schools due to the Law of Surprise, but none of them led a life of suffering like these kids. Vilgefortz, the infamous mage, had a twisted personality thanks to his lonely childhood.


    Roy said, "We wantrades who can watch our backs when we need it. They need to feel happy and loved. They need to feel at home with us. With the orphanage. At least for now they have to. Training is a process. We can''t rush it or inflict more punishment onto the children, lest they be maniacs who¡¯ll end up killing innocents on a whim. And you know the kids are smart, Serrit. They''re more mature than their peers, which means they have a higher chance of passing the Trial."


    ***


    "Alright, fine. I''m convinced," Felix blurted. "Don''t let me down."


    "So we''re going ahead with the same training?" Serrit asked.


    "Yes." Everyone nodded.


    A moment of silenceter, Kiyan asked, "Should we train girls too? Our recipe works on girls as well, but we''re only training boys at the moment."


    "We''re putting that on hold." Lambert shook his head. "Your school''s recipees with a severe drawback."


    "So which recipe should they choose?" Geralt asked. It was an important question.


    For obvious reasons, all the witchers were biased toward their own school''s recipe.


    "Third rule of the brotherhood: equality and fairness," Roy said. "We''ll have to get a mage and have her analyze every factor for the aspirant before we decide on the recipe that suits them most."


    Everyone nodded.


    "The orphanage is now up and running." Roy took a deep breath. "I should be going to Kerack and convincing Coral to join us."


    "I''ll be traveling to Tretogor tomorrow and waiting for Aiden," Lambert said. "I''ll try to return with him in a month."


    "Kiyan and I will be going to Est Tayiar to find the remaining Cat School diagram and get some mutagens for the Trials," Geralt said.


    The remaining witchers would run the orphanage and the search in Novigrad.


    "Come back soon." Eskel and Letho grabbed theirpanions'' shoulders. "Don''t leave the kids hanging, or they might cry if their favorite teachers go missing."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 367: Ordeal at Sodden Hill

    Kerack. A small country situated between Cidaris and Verden. It waste at night, but the room of Lytta Neyd, royal consultant for magic, was lit up. The crackling mes and moonlight shone on a pair of silhouettes in the room.


    Lytta ced her ss on the table, the sound of the ng attracting her guest''s attention. "What brings the infamous heartbreaking Viper to my humble abode? This is¡­ mystifying." She turned around, her hair swaying, her eyes filled with questions. "This is the first time you wanted to visit me in my own home. Did something big happen?"


    "Just wanted to see you. It''s been more than a month." Roy lied as naturally as he breathed. "You mentioned an obstacle in your jobst time. Have you settled it?" He looked at Lytta closely.


    Her peach-colored rouge softened the sharp edges of her cheeks, but they failed to hide thempletely. Her coral-red lipstick made her lips shine beautifully, and almost too perfectly. Her red hair was natural, and there was a tinge of brown in it, reminiscent of summer and fox fur. Most redheads would have a lot of freckles, but not Lytta. Her face was as smooth as opal and as warm as a hard-boiled egg.


    Roy felt himself heating up, and a slumbering desire was slowly awakening.


    "First time you''re so eager toe. This is a surprise. I settled the matters with my job." She rested her chin on her hand, her polished nails gleaming under the moonlight. "But there must be a reason you came sote at night." She smiled.


    Coral huddled closer to the witcher, and he could smell the scent of rosesing from her. He took a deep breath and stared at her face and simple white dress. The dress was simple enough for him to enjoy her beautiful curves and the ne she was wearing. It was the one he gave herst time.


    Coral loved his reaction as well. She picked this outfit herself. Roy was in ck, while she was in white. It was the symbol of bnce in the ult.


    "You''re not saying, huh?" Coral stood up, chuckling. "Come with me. I''ll show you myb."


    "I''d love to see it. Hope it''s as professional as the rumors say.


    ***


    Lytta''sboratory wasn''t far away. They traveled down the corridor for a short while, and then Lytta opened a door that led to a spacious but dim room. The air inside was filled with a sweet scent that tickled Roy''s nose. All the racks around the room were filled with herbs and parts of nts. The long tables that sat in the center had countless ss containers and porcin apparatuses lying on them.


    Lytta waved her hand and snapped her fingers. A ball of me started burning in the furnace that was shaped like an oversized hourss, illuminating the room. Around the oven stood ss containers of different sizesid out in the shape of a web. Some of them were curved at the tip, while some were spiral-shaped. One of the containers had a barrel underneath, and something was dripping into it.


    Roy stared at the oven curiously. "An actual oven. And it''s linked to an alembic, rectifying column, and condenser. Nice alchemical tools, but they''re a bit old. Over fifty years, I think?"


    "You''ve seen newer ones?"


    "Yeah, in a witcherb in Novigrad. They have better stuff there. You cane whenever you want."


    "When it''s time for the Trial."


    Roy nodded and held out his finger to catch the falling drop of liquid. He licked it and asked, "What is this, alcohol?"


    "Distilled mandrake fluids. You probably have heard this, but sorceresses love to make something called the Salve of Seduction, and this is the ingredient. The salve increases a sorceress'' charm." She picked a measuring cup up and scooped up some of the liquid in the barrel before handing it to the witcher. "But you can drink the fluid too." She stared at him. "It''ll perk you up. Wanna have some?"


    Roy hesitated.


    "Oh, are you worried I might have poisoned it?" Coral smiled mysteriously. "I''ve dried up and prepped the mandrake. The fluid''s filtered, so there''s no poison in it at all. No side effects, trust me."


    Roy said nothing. <em>If I''m right, mandrakes can destroy someone''s willpower and work as an aphrodisiac. Why do you want me to drink a whole cup of aphrodisiac sote at night?</em>


    Roy took a sip and downed everything. A surge of warmth welled within his belly and shot up his nose, causing him to tear up. "That''s strong. Even stronger than vodka with White Gull in it."


    Coral drank a cup of the fluid as well. She wiped the smear off her lips, and her cheeks turned red.


    "You''ve seen theb and had your alcohol. Now tell me why you''re here." Coral''s breath smelled like mandrake. The night breeze blew a lock of her hair onto Roy''s face, and she pushed his chest, her nails almost digging into him. "Or you''re not going anywhere."


    ***


    The couple sat side by side on the french window by theboratory. A big telescope on a tripod stood beside them, and through it, they could see the ships docked by Kerack''s port.


    "Do you remember what I told you thest time we were out at sea?" Roy stared through the night, and all he saw were beautiful buildings with semi-spherical roofs looking down at him like giants.


    "Don''t go to Sodden Hill. You''ll get yourself killed." Coral was moved and amused, and she pursed her lips. "You even think about me in your dreams? But dreams are the opposite of what will happen in reality. You worry too much."


    "No, listen to me. That wasn''t some random dream. It''s a feeling I had. A very strong feeling. Some sort of premonition I got after the Trial." Roy looked at her solemnly. "The glimpses I saw have happened in the past and will happen in the future. I have proof of it. I found our school''s long-lost diagrams, escaped lethal dangers countless times, got in touch with the Wolves and Cats and became allies."


    Coral''s eyes glinted. She was the one who opened the portal leading to Kaer Morhen for the Vipers one month ago, but she didn''t expect Roy to convince the conservative Wolves. "The Wolves are already in Novigrad?"


    "The brotherhood of witchers awaits you."


    <em>The brotherhood?</em>


    Lytta swiveled around, and Roy pretended he didn''t see the beautiful angelfish tattoo on her thighs.


    "I can''t imagine a witcher possessing the powers of irvoyance. And without using any tools or the stars either. That''s impossible. You only managed to convince the Wolves because you''re a good negotiator. You do have a glib tongue after all."


    Coral pulled her hair. She was still doubtful of Roy''s abilities. "You only think it''s premonition because your guess is correct every time. I have no reason to visit Sodden Hill, much less die there."


    "Actually, the things I saw were rich in detail. It''s like I was seeing something through a telescope," Roy argued.


    "How rich in detail are we talking about?"


    "You went to Sodden Hill for a battle. It was a war." Roy stared straight into Lytta''s eyes and upped the level of severity of her future. "You were dragged into this mess because you''re both the royal consultant and a member of your brotherhood."


    "Wait, there''s going to be a war near Sodden Hill?" Lytta stared at the ground. As the royal consultant for Kerack''s king, politics was something she had to learn, but no news was pointing to a war at Sodden Hill. Yaruga split that ce into two distinct pieces ofnd, and she couldn''t see why a war would break out there.


    "Upper Sodden is Cintra''s vassal state, while Lower Sodden belongs to Temeria. Who started the war? Who''s the enemy?"


    "Nobody in the North." Roy shook his head. "Nilfgaard will invade us."


    The frown on Coral''s forehead deepened, and her eyes narrowed. Coral looked like a cougar that would eat Roy at any given moment, and she grabbed his arm. "Are you cracking a joke? Emhyr is insane if he thinks he can invade the North. We''re a big ce." She exined, "I''ve heard news of his troops setting up a base at Amell, and he does want to take over the North, but if he has an ounce of intelligence, Emhyr would pick Cintra as his first conquest. They''re nearer and weaker. Why did he go straight to Temeria instead?"


    "Oh, but he <em>didn''t </em>go straight for Temeria," Roy answered coolly.


    A cold night breeze whispered through the air. Lytta''s dress failed to shield her from the cold, and she shuddered, huddling closer to the witcher to share some warmth. Silently, she muttered, "If he was already attacking Temeria, then Cintra must have fallen."


    Roy nodded. "Coral, believe it or not, Emhyr''s troops are far more powerful than you think. Emhyr var Emreis, the White me Dancing on the Grave of His Foes, has trained his troops all these years for one thing: conquest. He wishes to dominate the world, and until he conquers the North, he will not rest. Cintra alone couldn''t stop his troops'' invasion, nor did it sate his appetite for domination.


    ***


    "But if Nilfgaard tries to invade Cintra, Brugge and Verden will step in," Lytta argued. "If they work together, they can buy enough time for reinforcements toe."


    "They''re not big enough to stall Nilfgaard." Roy shook his head. "And all the biggest kingdoms in the North have their own troubles. Well, bickering, to be honest. Redania''s Vizimir II and Temeria''s Foltest are fighting each other with customs tax and tradews. Aedirn''s Demavend and Kaedwen''s Henselt would never stop their feud. Kovir and Poviss'' House of Thyssen and Caingorn''s Hengfors'' League are also at war. None of them would help Cintra, nor did they expect the Nilfgaardian troop to be so unstoppable."


    Lytta had no arguments for that. The Northern Kingdoms bickered among themselves all the time and would never work together to fend off any enemies unless their ownnd was in trouble.


    Lytta pulled her legs back and rested her chin on her knees, her eyes glinting.


    "Nilfgaard conquered Cintra in no time t and sent their troops to carve a path to the North through Sodden. The rulers finally realized how dire the situation was, so they sent their troops to intercept the Nilfgaardian army. The Brotherhood of Sorcerers, an organization deeply affiliated with northern royalty, sent their members into the fray as well. And you''re one of them."


    Coral stopped doubting Roy. Instead, she leaned her head against his shoulders and listened quietly.


    Roy took a deep breath and stared through the night as if he could see the fires of war far, far into the future. He said aloud, "I heard the screams and shoutsing from Yaruga''s northern coast near Lower Sodden. A great number of soldiers had amassed near the passages in the north and the south. Nilfgaardian soldiers wearing ck cloaks and winged helmets nked the passages. The infantry fought in the center of that battlefield and turned the whole ce into living hell. That battle imed many lives and crippled even more. The mages who lived their whole lives in luxury were forced to fight in this war, and they were situated in a small castle on the top of that hill." Roy kept going on, but his voice was grim and cold. "Over forty mages, the south included, fired off a barrage of spells against each other. Streams of fire, ming arrows, and exploding firewalls zipped through the air. I heard screams and shes. The sky was almost lit up by the mes themselves, and the ground itself rumbled. There was every spell raining down on the battlefield, from fireballs to Alzur''s Thunder. As the battle came to a close, most of the mages started bleeding all over their faces from overusing their power. Some selfbusted from an overload of chaos energy within them."


    "What about me?" Coral interrupted quietly. "How did I die?"


    Roy said nothing, but he suddenly held her hand. <em>Cold. </em>"Don''t worry. You''ll live, since I am here. I''ll take you with me. We''ll leave this ce. That''s a promise."


    Before her death, Lytta suffered a great deal. She was lying in a pool of blood, all her limbs lost, and she was screaming like a banshee. She and the others who died were called the Fourteen of Sodden Hill. They were hailed as heroes who died defending the North from the invading Nilfgaardian army, but that didn''t change the fact that she died.


    "So when will the war happen?"


    "Next year."


    "So I only have a year to live unless I make a change?"


    ***


    The sorceress and the witcher locked gazes. She suddenly stood and let out a chuckle. The chuckle eventually turned into augh, and her chest bounced with every movement she made. "That was an interesting story, you little heartbreaker. You should consider working as a bard."


    Roy stared at the ground and sighed. "You don''t believe me?"


    "On the contrary." She hopped down the windowsill and hugged Roy from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder and whispering down his ear. "I tried to make sense of it, but the battle just sounds preposterous. And yet you made an excellent point about the rtionships between all Northern Kingdoms. You''re right in every regard in that department."


    She knew Roy was most probably right, but that didn''t change how she felt about this whole affair. Nobody could remain calm if someone told them the oue of a war that would affect everyone, especially not when that war was still a year away. She felt like she was dreaming. "I don''t think you''re lying. The source of your premonition aside, how did you know so much about politics? You''re just a witcher."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Good. At least I didn''t waste my time for nothing.</em>


    "When the momentes, I would have no choice but to defend Sodden Hill. Just like how you said I would." She turned Roy''s head around and huddled closer to him. Their noses touched, and she stared into his eyes like a cute little kitten. "So, how will you save me, you little heartbreaker?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 368: The Sorceress Terms

    Firelight from the oven shone on a pair of silhouettes on the windowsill. Roy could taste the scent of roses and the warmthing from Lytta. "This might sound rude, but if you want to escape this battle, you need to give up on your job and leave Kerack. When you''re no longer a royal consultant, Viraxas will have no reason to force ady to fight while the men stay behind."


    Lytta massaged her eyebrows. "I''ve been working in Kerack for more than a decade. Mostly I wasing up with ns for thete king, and thanks to that, I''m living in luxury. This is kind of like my home now." She shook her head, her red hair smacking Roy''s cheeks. "And you want me to throw all my work behind and leave? It''s a bit hard to say goodbye."


    Coral had a weird look on her face. It sounded like she was sighing over something she couldn''t change. As if she had made a decision. "Will things change if I convince the king to stay out of this battle?" she asked. "There''s a great distance between Kerack and Sodden. If Nilfgaard wants to take over Kerack, they''ll first have to go through Brokilon on the east and south. Brokilon is the dryads'' turf. Eithn¨¦ will have her archers teach the invaders a painful lesson if they try to tread the woods. Kerack is just a small kingdom, and it''s not situated in a militarily advantageous position. I don''t think Nilfgaard would sacrifice their troops just to get a piece of inconsequentialnd."


    Roy had to say that her analysis was correct. The invasion didn''t affect Kerack that much. They only sent out their troops because all the other bigger kingdoms forced them into it. If Kerack''s king was shrewd enough, he could have gained a lot from the war between Nilfgaard and Temeria. <em>But if you don''t leave Kerack, the brotherhood''s going to find you.</em>


    "But even if you manage to keep Kerack out of this, as long as you''re a kingdom''s consultant, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers can contact you easily. Can you really refuse their conscription? You''re one of the top members, aren''t you?"


    Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, leader of the brotherhood, would lead twenty-two mages, including the royal consultants, to face the invaders on Sodden Hill. Even if Coral could convince the king of Kerack to stay out of the battle, she still couldn''t refuse the brotherhood''s orders.


    And she quickly realized what Roy was trying to say. "You want me to leave Kerack and hide until the war is over?"


    "Conducting a closed experiment for a year or two is nothing for mages. You guys can live really long anyway." Roy stared into her eyes and suggested, "And you can''t receive any messages during the experiment. That doesn''t count as a betrayal in the brotherhood''s eyes."


    "If I do that, I''ll lose my reputation among the brotherhood. By a lot. All just to escape an uncertain war?"


    She took a deep breath and looked at Roy closely in an attempt to see through him, but as usual, she failed. Roy was immune to mind-reading, and his eyes were filled with genuine concern.


    "Are you reading my mind?" She went into theboratory and circled the tables. She asked, "How many mages are involved in the war?"


    "Twenty-two."


    "How many died?"


    "Including you? Fourtee¡­ Thirteen," Roy corrected himself. "One of them was heavily injured, but the official number included her in it."


    Coral pouted. <em>He didn''t even think. It''s like he''s telling me something written in the history books, except what he said hasn''t even happened yet. And he''s immune to mind-reading. I can''t tell if he''s telling the truth. If this is all made up, then Roy is a lot scarier than I thought.</em>


    Her dilemma did not escape Roy, and heughed at himself. "I know telling everyone to make a run for it is cowardly. I thought I should try and change the oue. Contact the rulers, like Cnthe of Cintra for example, and tell them about theing war. Maybe they can change their fates, but then I''m just a lowly witcher. Even if I can meet the rulers, they''re going to think I''m a mad peddler and they¡¯d kick me out of their castles. Some of them might think my prophecy a curse and burn me at the stake."


    Coral stared at the ground again. Even though she was the royal consultant, telling the king about something so uncertain would make her look mad in his eyes, let alone the witcher.


    "The brotherhood of witchers has just been established. We''re not powerful enough to influence a war." Roy approached Coral and held her hands tightly. "All I can do is change the minds of the people around me. The people I care about. Those are the only ones I can save. Leave Kerack, Coral. Come with me."


    Their gazes met. For a moment, Coral had conflicting emotions about the suggestion. She stared at him, as if trying to pierce through Roy again, but all she could see was the young witcher in front of her. A whileter, she turned her face away and chuckled. "Was that a confession?"


    Roy was going to say something, but Coral changed the subject. "It''s not hard leaving Kerack, but where should I hide? How can I evade the brotherhood?"


    She circled the witcher like a little cat, and her paws were wing at his chest and back. Roy shivered from how ticklish it felt, and she continued. "I''m not going to be a herbalist in some backwater vige and live with pests. But where else can I get an easy job that pays as much as the royal family does? It doesn''t have to be an increase, but at least they can''t pay me too little. How else am I supposed to maintain this lifestyle otherwise? If I can''t buy thetest clothes I want, it''d be a nightmare."


    <em>You have enough clothes, but you barely wear any, </em>Ro thought to himself. He held her arm and stopped her from circling him. "If you ask me, you shoulde to Novigrad. The brotherhood of witchers is established, and we''re expanding. We''re always recruiting, especially mages. You can work with us. Research and improve the recipe for our Trial. Be our resident mage. You like looking into witcher stuff, don''t you?"


    Coral mused. "A brotherhood of witchers. Did you get that idea from the brotherhood of sorcerers? You''re trying to unite all witchers and expand your organization?"


    "Yes." Roy held her hand tightly. With resolve, he said, "You know the predicament we''re in. I don''t want the people to look at me and think I''m a kidnapper, a mutant, an abomination. I don''t want to die knowing the people will hate my guts because of some unfounded rumors. That''s why we went to Kaer Morhen and convinced the Wolves to join us. And then we persuaded the Cats into this, so now we have a brotherhood. It''s an organization made by witchers, for witchers. One day, we''ll tell those bastards to shut up and stop the lies they spread about us. And we also want to keep the line of witchers going on for generations. You''ve looked into the Trial recipe. You know the death rate is absurdly high." Roy peered into her eyes. "We need a mage''s help. A mage whom we can trust."


    The fact that Roy trusted her made Lytta feel warm inside, and a happy smile curled her lips.


    "And we won''t make you work for nothing." Roy knew bringing uppensation right now was a bad look, but he had to. Or else he would have no chips to convince her. "I''m sure you won''t be disappointed. How does a thousand crowns a month sound?"


    <em>We can afford that with how much we make right now.</em>


    She huddled closer again. "Are you sure about that? Women are greedy creatures, you know. We want everything and more."


    The voluptuous Coral was slightly taller than Roy. All the young witcher could see were her pointy chin and soft, luscious lips. "I swear¡­ in the name of Roy! Do you trust me?"


    Lytta was starting to see Roy in a new light. "You''re different from all the stubborn witchers I''ve met so far. You''re full of life, and I bet that was why you came to me tonight. You want me to work with the brotherhood."


    "If you agree, then it''s all fine and dandy. It''s alright if you don''t." Roy shook his head. Slowly, he said, "But never, ever go to Sodden Hill. I won''t let you die for nothing."


    ***


    The look in his eyes tugged on her heartstrings. She took a deep breath and turned around. "I need to think this through."


    A barrage of thoughts overwhelmed her. She was already nning on leaving Kerack, but if she cut off contact with the brotherhood of sorcerers, she would have no choice but to side with the brotherhood of witchers. <em>Does he know about my predicament? </em>"Tell me, what did you hear?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "About the policies Viraxas passed once he ascended the throne."


    Roy shook his head. "I don''t know much about this king."


    "But your suggestion works so well with one of his policies, I thought you two were in cahoots."


    "Can you borate on that?"


    She said derisively, "There''s one policy that affects me heavily. Kerack now ouws any magic within its borders. Mages are not allowed to own any property or treasure. They either spend all their coins to get a permit, or they have to leave this kingdom. This policy is made specifically for me. No other mages live here, and Viraxas insists on executing the policy. All he gave me was some time to think about it. I was already nning to search for opportunities in the wider world, though it''ll be a reluctant goodbye to Kerack. And now you came to me with the proposal of joining your brotherhood."


    Roy cheered for Viraxas in silence. <em>You''re a real G, Viraxas. Thanks for the assist, though you don''t know it. </em>"You worked with them for decades, and yet they are ungrateful to you." Roy said solemnly, "Kerack has no ce in this world. It''s not worth your time. Sell this vi off and get a new one in Novigrad. There''s a sea nearby. We can row to Ofir likest time when you''re not researching stuff."


    ***


    Coral was tempted. "But it''d leave a bad taste in my mouth if I just leave like this." She shook her head and stared at Roy. "I need to teach them a lesson before I leave. Will you help me?"


    "Who are you going after?"


    "The royal family who passed this policy to chase me away."


    Roy considered it for a moment and decided to refuse if Coral wanted him tomit regicide. <em>I will not let history repeat itself. </em>He held her hands tightly. "I''ll try my best. What should I do?"


    She huddled closer and gave him a kiss. Roy thought her lips were really soft.


    "We''re not in a hurry. Let me exin. Do you know how Viraxas ascended to the throne?"


    Roy leaned in to listen closely.


    "He used to be a prince. His father, Belohun, exiled him to the sands. A decade or so went by, and everything changed when Belohun crowned a new queen about a year ago."


    She paused for a moment. "I know the bride. Her name is Ildiko. She used to be a student at Aretuza, but they expelled her during her third year because ofrceny. Belohun and Ildiko stayed in the castle and waited for the people to bless their wedding, but then tragedy struck. Belohun suffered a sudden death."


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. "From over excitement or a heart attack? Or was there something more?"


    "Anyone could see there was something more." Coral shook her head scornfully. "But the doctor imed the king died from a stroke caused by asphyxiation."


    She strained her throat and imitated the voice of a man. "His body was tainted by polluted air. It destroyed his organs. The cause of it? The recent storms. Storms heat blood up. This is beyond us, and we can''t save him. Our king is dead."


    Coral shook her head. There was a hint of regret on her face. Belohun was the king who would let her do anything she wanted. "I think the doctor must be blind. I can''t believe he didn''t see the marks on Belohun''s neck. They were red as an apple."


    "Who would kill the king on the day of his wedding?" Roy asked curiously.


    "You''re about to find out." What Coral saw that day left asting impression on her. "The moment Belohun died, his son, the exiled prince and current king, Viraxas, came running back and took histe father''s ce as king. He made up an ''ancient'' tradition on the spot too. Said it''s been recorded in the books for generations. If the groom dies before his wedding, the bride marries his next of kin who''s single. So Viraxas married Ildiko, who was supposed to be Belohun''s queen."


    "They''re acquainted, aren''t they? Viraxas and Ildiko," Roy asked.


    "Yes, this is a conspiracy. The prince and the new queen worked together to im the throne. I''ve done my investigations," she said confidently. "Ildiko gave Belohun a magic ne as a token of their love, and then she cast a spell during their wedding day and killed him. This is a scam. A conspiracy."


    Roy was petrified. <em>The exiled prince made a majestic return, took the throne, and married his father''s wife. What is this, Hamlet? </em>He was impressed by Viraxas'' actions. <em>He let his woman marry his father just to take the throne. Man, this is¡­ impressive in a sense. Even if the wedding was fake, Ildiko must have fucked Belohun anyway.</em>


    "Ildiko''s the reason Viraxas wants me gone. I saw what she did back in Aretuza, and she holds it against me. Now she''s making me pay for it." Coral looked angry, and her chest heaved.


    "Over thest six months, she''s been scrutinizing my every move. Anything that slightly displeases her can be reason for her to tell on me. It''s happened a lot of times, and it got worse. Viraxas is already forcing me to leave. And I''ve had enough. I''m leaving this ce, but not before I get back at that bitch."


    She pushed a lock of her hair away and stared into Roy''s eyes. "Can you get some dirt on her for me and make her pay for what she did?"


    Roy sighed silently. <em>She wants me to sabotage a queen? I have to go so far to get a mage on our side?</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 369: Scalphunter

    Dawn arrived, and the sky turned light grey. A vast wilderness stood between Kerack''s capital and Brokilon. Traces of human habitations only became scarcer the further east someone traveled. Buildings and paths were reced by hills and bushes. No longer was human civilization dominating the ce; an ancient forest was.


    The sound of horses cantering broke the silence in the air. On a ck horse rode a rider in a grey cloak. Through the juniper and ash woods the rider went, riding ever closer to the ancient forest popted by incredible trees.


    The horse eventually came to a halt. There was a slope before it, slowly leading upward and connecting to the forest. The rider crouched beside the patch of raspberry and hollyhock bushes at the base of the slope. He brushed his hand across the horseshoe marks on the ground and plucked a few leaves just to take a sniff at them. And then he closed his eyes.


    When he opened it again, his eyes glinted. A dim ribbon appeared in the air and extended up into the hills before disappearing into the patch of grass on the top. <em>This smells fresh.</em> Roy was reminded of what Coral told him.


    "That bitch has two items she treasures. They''re two beautiful statues the size of an adult arm, and they contain a secret of hers. Important secret. Yeah, it''s dirt on her. She even got someone to escort the stuff all the way back to Brugge, where she lives. But fate didn''t let her have her way. When the cargo passed Brokilon, some bandits robbed it, took her stuff, and killed almost everyone. But she didn''t tell anyone about it, not even the king. Nobody can know her secret, so she just took the hit."


    "Wait, if her <em>husband </em>doesn''t know about this, how did you?"


    "Don''t give me that look. She forced my hand. I had to keep my eyes on that bitch at all times in case she tried anything funny. This is myst chance. If I can find those statues, I can teach Ildiko a lesson she won''t soon forget and get something out of her. Oh, and the robbery happened a year ago. If I''m right, the bandits are actually Brokilon''s scalp-hunters. They patrol the area around the forest most of the time and sneak into the woods to hunt down the dryads. Aside from Venv of Brugge, Kerack and Verden''s royalty have issued really attractive bounties on dryads'' heads, but these people kill both dryads and humans. They''ve gone mad. Witchers are great trackers, Roy, so can you help me out here? You can do whatever you want to the scalp hunters."


    Roy took a moment to think about it, and he agreed. The young witcher left Coral''s abode before dawn even broke. On the back of a horse and in two hours, he found himself standing outside Brokilon. And then he spent two more hours chasing the lead before he arrived at his destination.


    ***


    The horseshoe marks, the stench of human excrement, sweat, and the slightly salty taste of blood told the witcher where he had to go. He crouched and hid in the patch of grass. Like a viper, he slithered through the grass, advancing closer to the top of the hill.


    Eventually, he reached a teau, and Roy crouched even lower. His breathing slowed, and he looked into the distance. His sharpened senses allowed him to see everything there. There was a clearing in the center of the peak, surrounded by a few alder trees. Within the clearing stood a makeshift campsite.


    There were about a dozen tents around an extinguished campfire. From where Roy was staring, the campsite looked like a slumbering camel. There was no one around and about. It was still early in the morning, and the poachers were asleep.


    Yet the witcher didn''t want to raise any rms. He decided to confirm his targets'' status first, and so he whipped out a parrot from his hood. He patted its yellow crown and red cheeks, telling the parrot telepathically what it had to do.


    Gryphon held down the urge to caw and pped its wings as it slowly flew over the campsite. The parrot circled around the air and stared down, transmitting what it saw to Roy. Within the makeshift tents made of some tattered clothes and wooden poles slept a ton of people on some haystacks.


    They were wearing dirty jackets, and the weapons beside them glinted menacingly. Their chests were heaving, and some of them were gnashing their teeth and passing gas. One of the men in grey clothes and an iron helmet was standing guard, but he was dozing off.


    "Fifteen scalp-hunters. All asleep. And a guard dog too. Good thing I didn''t charge right in."


    ***


    Roy was alreadying up with a n, but Gryphon kept scouting the area. Roy took off all the heavy stuff he was holding and chucked them into his inventory space. At the same time, he cast Quen and Heliotrop on himself. The double shields could cover him and most of his body odor. He learned this back in Kaer Morhen.


    The young witcher stepped across the patch of grass quietly, slithering closer to the camp and adjusting his position until he was inches away from the hunting dog.


    "Bunch of evil poachers. They hunt dryads down for their scalps, rob passing carriages, and kill humans too. They will not be missed, so I guess killing them isn''t a bad thing?"


    The look in Roy''s eyes was almost icy enough to freeze the whole campsite. He grasped the air, and out came Gabriel. The young witcher put his finger on the trigger and aimed it at the sleeping dog on the haystack.


    A silent whoosh rang out as a bolt flew through the air and hit the dog in the head. Its skull was pierced, and blood bloomed like a rose. The canine stretched out its legs and lolled its head as death slowly imed it.


    ''Hunting dog killed. EXP +5.''


    Roy quickly moved to the side like waves crashing against the beach. Like a crab walking on the sands, he switched positions and took aim with the help of Gryphon. And then it was bolts galore. Roy did five headshots, taking the lives of the guard and four scalp-hunters in the tent like a silent reaper.


    Just like that, there were five bodies in the campsite.


    ''Piyet killed (5) EXP +20 (The witcher gave you a painless death, which is more than you deserve).''


    The remaining scalp-hunters were hidden by their tents, and Gryphon couldn''t find a good angle. Roy tucked his hand-crossbow away and whipped out a dagger made of cyclops bone. He spun it around a few times before he crouched down again and slowly made his way to one of the tents.


    ***


    A gloved hand held down the mouth of a bald scalp-hunter, and another hand quickly slit his throat. Blood spurted out like a fountain, but an invisible shield deflected it before it could hit the ambusher.


    The man woke from his sleep, his eyes wide with terror. He tried his best to make some muffled sounds, but a momentter, he was already unmoving.


    ***


    <em>Sixth one, </em>Roy thought to himself. He just received the notification. Roy exited the tent and looked to his left. There was a tent with white lilies drawn on it, and underneath the nket within the tent slept a curvy figure. "Is that a woman?"


    While he was staring to his left, someone on his right suddenly sat up. He was a guy with a rotten tooth and hair that resembled a rooster''s crown. The moment he sat up, he was greeted by the ambusher. "We''ve got an intruder!" the man shouted, though that was thest thing he did. A bolt pierced his head, and blood bloomed as he fell backward in shock.


    But it was toote. The remaining scalp-hunters were awake. They picked their weapons up and came charging at the witcher, yelling and hollering.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 370: Maria Barring

    A crossbow bolt hit one of the poachers'' head. He was in the vanguard and the nearest poacher to the witcher, and yet he couldn''t cross that little distance and hit his enemy. Rage and fear filled his eyes as he fell back with a thud.


    The second poacher found his neck pierced by a bolt. He let out a guttural roar before falling forward into the cauldron and spilling the cold leftovers on the ground.


    Everyone else advanced, swinging their swords, hammers, and morningstars, but the witcher didn''t take one step back. He spun, beautifully evading a de that was about to hit him. His de spun with him, drawing an arc and wounding the man easily.


    It almost looked like the man slit his throat open willingly. He held his open neck as he fell down and colored the grass red.


    Another scalp-hunter swung a morningstar at Roy, but he crouched and thrust his de upward. The sword evaded the morningstar and went through the cracks in his armor, piercing the man''s armpit.


    Blood trickled down the edge of the de, creating a puddle on the floor and dyeing Roy''s boots red. Eventually, something seemed to ignite the blood and cover the witcher from his boots to his armor. The mes wriggled and converged like they were alive.


    The poachers who came to attack Roy froze up as if something held them in ce, and their eyes went wide. Crimson tentacles appeared from within the mes, a hint of ck billowing from them. They stood behind the witcher, swaying in the wind and protecting him like he was their master. The air around him started rippling, and the suckers on the tentacles swayed like wind chimes.


    They spread the murmurs of fear and agony. They drowned the poachers and made them relive their worst memories. Unbridled terror ran free within their hearts, and their hands trembled.


    They started moving back as slowly as they could, and Roy hopped into the scared crowd. The tentacles stuck by him as they moved through the crowd at breakneck speed. When Roy thrust his sword ahead, the tentacles got ready to pounce and constricted any enemy Roy told them to.


    The gap in willpower petrified the enemies, sticking them in ce. Their brain was turning to mush from terror while the tentacles kept wrapping themselves around them. At the same time, Gwyhyr bathed in mes and sang with every swing Roy took.


    It was a song of blood sung by a thin de as it sliced through its enemies'' limbs. Crimson blood hit Roy''s magical shield, but he had no time to wipe it off. He heaved a sigh and swung his de until eventually, there was nothing but corpses around him.


    He wiped the sweat off his forehead and tossed Furyfire at the back of an escaping man. The fireball ignited his armor and hair, and the man fell down, howling in pain as his flesh was slowly getting cooked.


    An arrow was about to hit the witcher, but Roy deflected it quickly with a swing of his de, and then he set his sights on thest enemy. She was a tall, muscr woman, and she was drawing back her bow.


    Roy charged toward her without even bothering to deflect the arrow with his sword. Quen did the job for him.


    The woman knew she had nowhere to run, so she tossed her bow and arrow away and whipped out a short sword before she too charged at the witcher.


    Thebatants shed, and the woman''s dagger flew out of her hand. Roy held Gwyhyr against the disarmed woman, drawing blood. Something told him he should show mercy.


    "D-Don''t kill me! I''m not a poacher!" She raised her hands, her cheeks twitching, and her eyes filled with fear for the first time in this ordeal. "I''m not one of them, I swear!"


    Roy looked at her coldly and snapped, "But you attacked me."


    ''Maria Barring


    Gender: Female


    Age: Eighteen years old


    Status: Hunter''


    ***


    "I-I didn''t do it until thest moment. I was forced. I-I was terrified," she stammered as she looked at the young, handsome man carefully. "I-I was seeing things. Th-There''s something terrifying behind you. Th-They''re like tentacles o-or something. They''re still there!"


    Roy swung Gwyhyr around and sheathed it. At the same time, the tentacles disappeared. The woman heaved a long sigh of relief and plopped down onto the ground. She was drenched in sweat.


    Roy started looking at her closely. She was a beautiful youngdy, or to be precise, a teenager. Her thin grey shirt and short pants showed off all her curves, and her legs were taut and muscr from all the exercise she did. There was not an ounce of excess fat on them.


    Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, her chin was sharp, and her eyes were feral brown.


    The girl noticed the witcher''s staring. Unlike most men, there was no lust in it, but she curled up nheless. At the same time, she prayed that this man would let go of a captive like her.


    "I won''t kill you, but answer my question. Have you seen a pair of humanoid statuettes about the length of my arm?"


    The girl pursed her lips and wondered if she should answer. The man had shown unparalleled prowess in battle. He could swing a sword like nobody else, cast fireballs, and summon terrifying tentacles. She had no chance of winning, so the girl decided to answer. "Are you talking about the statuette of a man and a woman? The ones who look really beautiful and almost indistinguishable from real humans? Then I <em>have </em>seen them." She looked at the tent with white lilies drawn on it. "Suad carries them along like they''re treasures. He takes them out and stares at them every day. I''ll take you there."


    A few minutester, Roy found the statuettes Coral wanted in the tent of the dead poacher boss. Thedy statuette was made of jade, and it glimmered under the sun. The statuette of a man was made out of basalt, and it looked tough.


    Roy noticed the trembling of his pendant and tucked the statuettes away before turning to the nervous girl. "Now tell me. What''s your name. If you''re not one of the scalp-hunters, why did you hang out with them?"


    "I''m Maria Barring, a huntress," she answered. "I met this group of scalp-hunters a week ago and was forced to stay before I got to know them well. Had to work with them a few times against my will and hunted a few critters." She paused for a moment and asked carefully, "What''s a scalp-hunter?"


    "Is that a trick question? Almost all the kingdoms around this ce have put up bounties for dryad heads. And you''ve never heard of that?" Roy peered into her eyes, and she looked back defiantly, though she was also a little scared. "These people kill Brokilon dryads and cut their scalps for bounty money."


    "I have nothing to do with them!" Maria put her hands in prayer. She thought the witcher was here to avenge the dryads, and she shouted, "I swear I''ve never hurt any dryad. Please let me go."


    She backed off a little, but the witcher kept staring at her. She felt like he could see through her clothes, and the thought unnerved her.


    "Where are you from, Maria? You don''t dress or talk like a local."


    "I-I''m from Upper Sodden."


    "And where did you learn how to shoot an arrow?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. "That was a quick arrow. Any regr warrior would have died before they could get close to you."


    "My father taught me. He used to be a forest protector." She stared at the ground, her shoulders trembling. Roy could see she was sad and afraid. "But he''s gone now. I needed to feed myself, but I couldn¡¯t read or do anything else, so I became a huntress. People told me Brokilon had an endless supply of prey, so I came."


    <em>The beasts aren''t your only prey, </em>Roy thought to himself. <em>If you dress yourself up, you can marry yourself off easily.</em>


    Roy rubbed his chin and circled the silent girl. <em>Shees from Upper Sodden, her father was a forest protector, and her name is Maria Barring. She looks the age and acts like her. </em>Roy cast Axii to get more urate answers from the girl.


    When Maria snapped out of it, Roy was looking a lot gentler. He knew now that this girl was one of the most important members of Geralt''s team during the search for Ciri in the second war.


    She was a reliabledy and one with a tragic background. Even when she was pregnant, she insisted on helping Geralt find the missing Ciri. But she overworked herself and suffered a miscarriage. After that, she even refused to stay with a noble who took a liking to her.


    Her fate came to an end during the ambush of Stygga, and she died from an arrow, bing one of the three heroes who died in that battle.


    Roy felt for her. He thought Maria was a legendary figure who would grow up to be a woman with epics written about her, but now she was just a young girl.


    Brokilon''s dryads hadn''t abducted her, and she hadn''t reached an agreement with Eithn¨¦. Naturally, she still wasn''t a spy.


    Once again, he stared at the nervous and curiousdy. <em>If she''s gonna end up helping Geralt and Ciri, I might as well help her. </em>"You''re no scalp-hunter, but you still worked with them. Don''t you want to avenge them?"


    "I''d rather poison their food and escape while they writhe in agony." Maria''s eyes glinted angrily. She hissed, "These people are the lowest of the low. They think every girl named Maria is some country girl they can harass and molest. If their boss wasn''t fond of me, I would have been dead by now." She stared down at the ground, shuddering from one particrly bad memory.


    Roy stared at her. <em>She''s not faking the fear. </em>"Since you haven''t killed any dryads or humans, you may leave."


    Maria didn''t move. Her mind told her to leave and not say anything, but her legs felt like lead, and she couldn''t move. This man was younger than her, but he descended like a god and killed all the scalp-hunters easily. Still, he showed her mercy at thest moment.


    His bizarre act lit up a me of curiosity within her, and it slowly took over her mind. "Wh-Who are you? Can you tell me your name?"


    "Roy. I''m a hunter just like you, but I only hunt human scum and evil hunters. I won''t borate any further, so no more questions. And one word of advice: Brokilon is filled with dangers. It''s not as simple as you think, so don''t try to hunt outside anymore."


    Roy whistled, and Gryphon shot into his hood. He left the ce, leaving the scalp-hunters'' loot for Maria.


    She stood among the corpse, seeing Roy off. Maria held her beloved bow and stared dumbly into the distance, but she had a feeling she would meet this mysterious figure again in the future.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 371: Transfiguration

    The castle''s garden used to be the temple''s property, but it had been expanded by thete kings of Kerack. Stone pirs and chambers were erected, and pavilions sat under the shade of trees, providing shelter from the sun for the nobility.


    Viraxas was standing right in the garden''s center. He was wearing a ck shirt embroidered with golden and silver strings, and a trooper hat hung on his head. His hair and eyes were ck, his nose was aquiline, and his skin was tanned. He looked more like a Zerrikanian than the king of a kingdom that neighbored the sea.


    The slim, gorgeous blonde beside him was wearing a simple white dress with some bedazzling diamonds on it. A mink cape hung from her shoulders, and when she looked at the man beside her, there was love in her eyes.


    But when she turned her eyes to the other woman in the garden, they were filled with hostility and disdain.


    Lytta was wearing a green crepe dress with a unique butterfly embroidered on the chest area with some glitter on it.


    There was a circle of frills at the end of her dress. The dress might be in vogue ten years ago, but it fitted Lytta perfectly, making her look even more charming. There was an emerald ne hanging from her neck, each emerald the size of an almond. One of them was so big it could attract anyone''s attention. And her hair was as zing red as fire.


    "Lytta, I''ve told you we don''t need any more consultants for magic," the man said. "If you want to stay, then you''ll have to purchase a license, and then I''ll generously let you stay as a doctor. But you''ll be paying ten percent more taxes than your non-magic counterpart. And you''re not allowed to interfere with the kingdom''s politics. Directly or indirectly." He then caressed his queen''s hair, his eyes filled with love.


    The woman was happy about her husband''s decision, and she held his arm tightly.


    "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please give me some time. I need to sell the vi, and there are a few matters I need to settle here," Lytta answered.


    "How long is it going to take? Give us an exact time!" Ildiko raised her voice, her eyes glinting smugly, and her face lit up. "His Majesty''s patience is running thin. Don''t even think about stalling for time!"


    <em>So what if you''re an Aretuza graduate? I still win in the end. I''m a queen, and you have to listen to me!</em>


    "One week," Lytta answered. "One week, and I''ll leave Kerack and nevere back." She then smiled as if she felt something.


    "If you have nothing to report, you should leave now." Viraxas yed with his wife''s hair and waved Lytta down without turning back.


    ***


    The light from a magicalmp shone on the pair of statuettes on the table. Thedy statuette was made of jade, while the statuette of the man was made out of basalt. They seemed almost lifelike, almost indistinguishable from real people. Even their freckles were sculpted out.


    Lytta held the jade statuette up and gave it a close look. Dimples formed on her cheeks, and her face reddened with excitement.


    "This is it! Ildiko''s treasure! They hide her most important secret!" She put the statuettes down and, for the first time, hugged the witcher in excitement. "You never disappoint me, you little heartbreaker." And then she kissed his cheek.


    "Give me a few days. Once I get back at that bitch and make her pay the price, I''ll go to Novigrad and start improving the Trial recipe."


    Roy stared at the statuettes and saw mana and some weak life forceing from them. "They''re no simple statuettes, are they?"


    "So you''ve felt it as well. Yes, you''re smart, and you have a lot of incredible powers. Of course you''ve heard of this." She pursed her lips and answered, "It''s Artefact Compression, aka Human Compression." A smile curled her lips. "It''s a special spell that canpress the target into a shell made out of jade or stone until they fit in your palms."


    Roy realized what she was talking about. He had heard of this spell before. Coral knew this spell as well, and she loved pulling pranks on anyone who crossed her with this. The statuette of a nobleman and a soldier were formed. If the timeline of this world wasn''t altered, Triss and Yennefer would also bepressed eventually. "So these are breathing, living people? Ildiko justpressed them?"


    "They can still breathe right now, yes."


    Roy nodded. <em>No wonder I couldn''t chuck them into my inventory space on my way back.</em> "Do they have to eat when they''repressed?


    Coral answered patiently, "The victims are in a state of suspended animation. Their need for food is minimal, and they have no idea what''s happening around them. Some of them can live for years in this state. But the longer they''repressed, the higher the chances for side effects to manifest once they''re dpressed. Organ damage and memory loss, for example. I''ve figured out Ildiko''s spell frequency, so I need to unravel this spell and grill them for secrets."


    ***


    A pentagram was drawn on the floor of a spacious room on the second floor. Eight magical runes decorated the pentagram. Three of them were the symbols of Belleteyn, Lammas, and Saovine. Lytta lit three ck candles and ced three candbras equipped with reflectors on these magical runes.


    She checked a few times to confirm there were no errors, while Roy stood at the doorstep with his arms crossed. He was looking out for Lytta.


    A momentter, she took a deep breath and ced the statuettes in the middle of the pentagram. And then she raised her hands and chanted an incantation in a hurry.


    The candles started shining as bright as little suns, and the reflectors started lighting up, reflecting the lights to the statuettes in the center of the pentagram. The green and grey hues of the statuettes started turning golden, and then they became invisible.


    Colorful mana burst in the air, and Roy held his trembling pendant down as he waited for the results of this spell.


    Lyta''s incantation wasing to an end. One of the candbras'' shadows covered the ground, and the three runes started wriggling like they were alive.


    The statuettes were slowly shivering and trembling as they grew in size and changed forme. They looked like wisps of smoke expanding on the ground only to disappear a momentter.


    Mana stopped flying through the air, and two humans were seen in the center of the circle. One was ady with yellow hair, while the other was a man with grey hair. Both of them were lying on the ground, clutching their chests and coughing violently.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 372: Love Potion

    Within the pentagramy two writhing, howling, and spasming humans, their faces contorted in pain. The man was wearing a pair of thick sses and a grey robe. An apron was tied around his waist, and he resembled a herbalist. Thedy was beautiful and wore a blue silk robe, reminiscent of a pce servant.


    "What''s your name?" Coral was breathing heavily. Lifting two Artefact Compressions at the same time took a lot of effort and mana at the same time.


    The dpressed figures were clutching their stomachs, their pain clouding all their senses.


    "<em>Answer me!</em>" Coral hissed.


    "So-Sonia¡­ AAAHHH!!!"


    "Va-Varsili¡­ Freya help me!"


    They thumped their fists against the ground and retched, but there was nothing to worry about. Those were normal dpression symptoms. Roy had cast Observe on them, and fortunately, these two were fine aside from some lethargy. And they were regr humans.


    Coral heaved a sigh of relief. <em>They can understand my questions and answer them. Good. Their brains are still intact. </em>She whispered something into Roy''s ear, and the young witcher left the room only toe back with two big sses of water.


    The screams eventually stopped. The man and woman instinctively held each other up and looked around them curiously. They didn''t seem to be fazed by the mage and the witcher, but their eyes lit up when they saw the water.


    The pair crawled like babies andpped up the water greedily. It didn''t take too long for them to finish the water, and both of them heaved a sigh of relief. They were lucky they came back from a near-death experience. Then they sat together and stared up at the strangers.


    "Wh-Who are you people?" the woman with grey eyes muttered. "What happened to me?"


    "It''s Ildiko. That treacherous snake did this to us!" The man''s face fell, and veins on his neck popped. "She cast a spell on us!" he shouted.


    "Lady Ildiko did this?" The woman''s eyelid twitched, and she curled up in fear and hatred. "I remember now. She waved her hand, made an odd gesture, and chanted something in anguage I couldn''t understand. And then I-I passed out? I don''t remember anything besides hunger and thirst."


    "<em>Constant </em>hunger and thirst¡­" the man repeated.


    "Congrattions, your memories aren''t scrambled. And no part of your body is turned into artefacts." Lytta smiled. "You should be fine if you just take a break. A long break. But now it''s time to repay your favor." Coral said, "I exhausted myself just to dpress you two."


    "Wh-What do you mean?"


    "You were stuck in the form of statuettes for at least three months. That''s why you felt so disoriented, to say the least." Coral looked into their eyes. "If I hadn''t dpressed you, you''d have remained as Ildiko''s statuettes. Something for her to y with for the rest of your lives."


    Sonia and Varsili shuddered. Just a few moments ago, all they could feel was darkness and the void. They had no idea what was going on outside, but their bodies still hungered for food and water. It was a fate worse than death, and living like that their whole lives would be a death sentence for them.


    And then they looked at Coral and Roy. "Who are you people? What reward would you like?"


    "All you have to know is we''re enemies of Ildiko, and <em>I</em> want her to pay." Lytta said, "Now tell me her dirty little secrets. I know it''s why she turned you into statuettes. Tell me what she''s hiding, and I''ll let you leave."


    Sonia and Varsili remained silent. They were still not out of their predicament. The mage before them might have saved them from a fate worse than death, but she was equally capable enough to inflict that kind of fate on them once more. Just the thought of that made them shiver in fear.


    "You promise you''ll let us go if we speak the truth?"


    Roy looked at Coral. He wondered if the mage would keep her promise.


    "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Lytta spoke in an alluring voice. And then she threatened, "Besides, what choice do you have?"


    ***


    "My name is Sonia. I was Lady Ildiko''s servant for ten years. Been working for her way back in Brugge, when she was still thedy of a family." The servant licked her lips. "I was in Aretuza with her, and I''d create opportunities for her to hit up anyone she liked. I witnessed her falling in love with Viraxas at first sight."


    Sonia shook her head. There was pity in her eyes, but hatred also stood alongside it. "But everything changed after Lady Ildiko married Viraxas in 1261. She started getting paranoid and scared. Scared that her husband would fall for another woman. Scared she might lose his love and the position of queen. She lost sleep over that insecurity."


    Roy gave Coral a knowing look. <em>Oh, no wonder she hates Coral''s guts. It''s not only because of what she did to her in Aretuza, but because she''s also jealous. She doesn''t want any woman around her husband, especially not pretty ones.</em>


    Coral noticed the look Roy was giving her, and she replied with a gentle smile.


    "Lady Ildiko''s worries were not based on nothing." Sonia stopped for a moment. There was disdain in her eyes. "She sacrificed herself and strangled Belohun with the ne just so Viraxas could ascend to the throne. But the truth remains that she still slept with thete king. Viraxas let that fact get to his head after he ascended to the throne, and he started pushing her out of his life."


    <em>His woman sacrificed herself so he could ascend to power, and the moment he did, the guy dumped her. Viraxas is a piece of shit, </em>Roy thought to himself while massaging his temples. <em>If the king has problems with his wife sleeping with his dead father, then he wouldn''t sack his consultant like Ildiko wants. We have a chance.</em>


    "Lady Ildiko tried everything to gain the king''s love back. Magic was one of them, but any mage worth their salt wouldn''t help someone whom Aretuza expelled."


    Coral shook her head. "I''ve never heard of anything that can make anyone fall hopelessly in love with someone else."


    She looked at Roy and made a crypticment. "Love has nothing to do with magic. That is something Destiny weaves."


    "Yeah." Roy pretended to nod in agreement. <em>Nope. The elementals have the power to tie someone to someone else.</em>


    "After she was denied by the magicalmunity, Lady Ildiko turned to the regr citizens. Money and her royal status helped." Sonia took a second to look at the man beside her. "And eventually, she found him."


    "I''m a herbalist. My father and my father''s father worked in Kerack and ces around it, healing those who needed it. Our ancestors passed down their skills for generations, and thanks to that, life is pretty good for us." The man''s muscles looked stiff after living as a statuette for too long. His smile looked almost bitter. "But healingmon diseases isn''t what I do best. I have a certain secret form that has been passed down for generations." He looked at the pair before him. <em>She''s beautiful, and he''s handsome.</em> "My love potion can create undying love between a couple. Anyone who drinks it will remain loyal to the man or woman they love, no matter how little their love to them used to be. And they will never have eyes for anyone else."


    "Okay, that''s interesting." Roy crossed his arms. <em>Wonder if Full Recovery can clear that debuff.</em>


    "I swear to Freya I¡¯m telling the truth." The witcher scared him, so Varsili insisted, "If even one word of that was a lie, I''ll turn back into a statuette and live with the hunger and darkness until they consume me."


    "Freya again?" Roy and Coral exchanged a look and cast away their doubts.


    People who live by the sea put their faith in Freya, a goddess who had simr duties as Melitele.


    Varsili sighed. "But most people who buy that potion only want to use it on the people who don''t love them at all. Of course the potion won''t work, and I''ve never made a name for myself with the potion."


    "How does this potion work?" Coral asked curiously.


    "Blood from the couple, mixed in with some specialponents. Doesn''t matter what kind of rtionship you''re in, both sides have to drink that potion and sleep for a night. Once they wake up and approach each other, their bodies will produce hormones that keep them attracted to their partner. They''ll cast aside any misunderstandings, and hate will no longer interfere with their love." Varsili''s face was red, and his voice was passionate. It was as if he were announcing an incredible invention. "Only love remains, until death does them part."


    Silence fell upon the room, shadows flickering on the upants'' faces.


    Roy cleared his throat and pretended he didn''t see Coral staring at him. "So Ildiko fed the king your family''s love potion, and that''s why he fell in love with her? That''s why he''s doing everything he says?"


    "I saw him making the potion." Sonia nodded. "And it works. His Majesty''s love for Lady Ildiko is magnified almost infinitely. They fell madly in love once more and wouldn''t stay away from each other."


    "So she turned you two into statuettes because she was worried you guys might leak her secret?"


    "That''s the only reason." Varsili shook his head and gritted his teeth. "But there was no need for that. Even if Viraxas found out what she did, he would just brush it aside out of love. But she had to go the extra mile and set us up. That woman is a witch."


    Sonia looked a little dazed. "She could have killed us, but she didn''t. Maybe there''s some good in her."


    "<em>Good? </em>Turning us into statuettes and letting us die a slow death is anything <em>but </em>good!" Varsili red at Sonia. <em>That witch is not worth her sympathy.</em>


    Coral and Roy sorted the information they got.


    "Love potion? More like love poison. Keeping love alive through a potion is cheap." Coral turned her attention to Varsili. "One more question. Do you have anything that can reverse the effects of your love potion? Can we destroy a love that''s built on falsehoods?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 373: Compensation

    Varsili shook his head weakly. Apparently, he was reluctant to answer the question. "Nothing can reverse the effects. This potionsts forever."


    "Are you sure about that? We won''t tell anyone about your secret if you tell us." Roy cracked his knuckles and smiled. "But if you don''t¡­"


    "Onest chance, Varsili." Coral grinned. "I''m a mage. I know my way around the art of interrogation. You''re tired of being a stone, so why don''t I turn you into a frog next?"


    "Please, no! I''ll tell you everything!" Varsili shivered and relented. He licked his lips and, with a trembling voice, answered. "Wolfsbane, white myrtle, mandrake root¡­ Ratio is five to one¡­ Make a dose of that concoction and add in lover''s tears. That''s it. If one of them ingests this potion, they will fall asleep, and the love potion''s effects will be lifted in a day."


    Varsili shook his head and sighed. "ording to my family records, once the love potion''s effects are gone, the couple''s eternal love will be tainted. The hatred and disgust that were suppressed will once again surface, but this time, they''lle back with a vengeance. The emotions will be strong enough to destroy their rtionship. They''ll turn from lovers to enemies to sworn nemeses. And there will be no way to rekindle their love, not even with the potion."


    He looked at Roy and Coral again. Weakly, he said, "Breaking a couple up is a sin. Ponder the gravity of your actions long and hard before you go through with it."


    "She put you in a living hell, and you''re worried about her? Man, you''re a saint." Roy was confused.


    "You can take her life and I won''t even blink an eye. I just don''t want to see the potion fail." He muttered, "There''s barely anyone who can make use of my family''s potion. Most of the buyers'' love is unrequited."


    ***


    "Lover''s tears. Ironic," Coralmented.


    The potion kept the love between a couple alive, but once the effects were lifted, their love would be destroyed. A seemingly perfect rtionship, gone the moment the potion was gone. That kind of rtionship was worth nothing. At most, it was dying the inevitable.


    "Did you tell Ildiko how to lift the potion''s effects?"


    "She turned me into stone before I could even do it."


    "Thank you for your help." <em>Alright, I got what I wanted. </em>She nodded and exchanged a look with the witcher. "Stay here. Food wille soon."


    "I''ve told you everything I know,dy. I swear." Varsili and Sonia started getting worried. "Can''t you let us go?"


    "I would, but Kerack''s castle is just nearby. The queen has eyes and ears everywhere. Where can you even go?" Coral smiled, but it was a threatening smile. "You know her most well-guarded secret. As long as you stay in Kerack, you''re in mortal danger. And if you''re caught this time, she won''t show any mercy. She <em>will </em>kill you."


    Sonia and Varsili huddled together. They knew they had no way to escape the queen all by themselves.


    "Once I settle my score with the queen, I promise you may leave."


    Varsili and Sonia nodded in resignation.


    Before she closed the door, Coral looked back and looked through the crack. "You''re a fugitive in Kerack now, Varsili. Why don''t you sell me the form for your potion? I''ll pay you handsomely."


    ***


    Coral led Roy to theboratory and moved her hand deftly in the air. The elements shone, and an invisible hand whipped up a bag of dried herbs from the rack. Then it poured some of the contents into the mortar. The pestle, oven, and measuring cup danced in the air and seemed to work all by themselves.


    "So how are you going to deal with her? Lift the love potion''s effects?" Roy was watching the sorceress work on the potion. She was taking all the exactponents Varsili spoke of for the love potion''s antidote.


    "You have no idea what she did to me, Roy. She cost me my job." She harrumphed and raised her chin, her eyes shining smugly. For a moment, she looked almost naive. "She must pay dearly for that." And then the smugness in her eyes was reced by cold fury. "Or I <em>will </em>inflict unimaginable pain on her."


    Roy shrugged. <em>Never cross a woman. Especially not when that woman is a sorceress.</em> "You want me toe with you?"


    "No." She patted his cheek. "Just stay here and wait for my news."


    "Okay, I guess."


    ***


    On the castle''s yard the warm sun shone. Ildiko was lying in a chair, basking in the sun. She was wearing a light gold dress that day. The dress had holes on the shoulder and arm sections, revealing Ildiko''s perfect skin under the sunlight.


    Her face was perfect, her skin white as snow, her lustrous golden hair tied in a braid. She looked just like a doll, and that doll loved the life she was having. She was a queen who wanted for nothing, and the man she loved was staying right beside her.


    Sometimes, she could even use her privilege to punish the sanctimonious, arrogant Aretuza graduate. <em>That bitch is old enough to be my grandmother''s mother!</em>


    Ildiko gleaned great satisfaction from seeing her trip and fall, and that woman could do nothing about it. But once again, Lytta came to her again like an annoying fly that just wouldn¡¯t die.


    "My husband gave you a week to leave. You''re early. I assume you''ve finished your business?" Her eyes were still closed. She didn''t even deign to look at Lytta as if she were trying to insult her. "But he''s still in his castle, talking to a guest from Kovir. It''s a big business deal, you see. Maybe it''ll take about two days. If you''re done with your business, you may leave Kerack now."


    "Thank you for your exnation, <em>Your Highness</em>." Coral hung her head low behind the queen like a faithful servant. "But I''m not here for the king. I''m here for you."


    "I don''t think we have anything to talk about, Lytta." Ildiko shook her head. "You''re one of the older graduates of Aretuza and one of the most famous members of the brotherhood. You''ve been in the field of magic for more than <em>eighty years.</em> But I''m just a student who got expelled in my third year. I''m just a youngdy in my twenties. I''m not as adept in magic as you are, and I don''t think you''re where to talk about magic."


    She turned over and rested her chin on her hand, her eyes staring straight into Coral''s equally blue eyes, and a smirk curled her lips. "Are you trying to apologize? Trying to gain my understanding? You want me to convince His Majesty to let you stay?" She let out a heartyugh. "In your dreams, Lytta! As long as I am queen, you are not wee in this kingdom!"


    Lytta suddenlyughed as well, and her polite look earlier was reced by an expression of confidence. "Very well, Ildiko. I''m not here to request an extension of stay. No longer will I be your punching bag. I''m here forpensation."


    Ildiko froze, and she twirled her hair. "You are delusional. Did you get your mind addled?"


    "On the contrary, I am very much sober." Coral winked at the queen. "You need to listen to my demands, because I know a little secret of yours. I know the king is under the spell of a witch''s love potion."


    Ildiko shot up from her chair like she was electrocuted, the smile on her face freezing. She was clutching her dress tightly, the joints on her fingers popping. But the shock onlysted for a moment, and she calmed down.


    Coldly and calmly, she asked, "You dare nder a queen, Lytta? One word from me and I''ll ruin your reputation. Nobody will take you in as their consultant. You will have no choice but to go into hiding and live your life in squalor. Forever!"


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you. You see, I have two important guests who might want to see the king. What''s their name¡­ Ah yes, Sonia the servant and Varsili the herbalist." She stared straight at Varsili. "The poor souls you so mercifully turned into statues."


    The queen narrowed her eyes, realization and regret striking her at the same time. <em>I should have just killed them. </em>Still, she fought back, "Do your worst. Who do you think the king will trust? The woman he loves, or a lying bitch and two equally deceitful peasants?"


    Lytta grinned and went in for the kill. "Ah, but this love poison''s antidote might clear his mind. Give him a chance to make a better judgment." She whipped out a gleaming test tube, and even the sun seemed to lose its lusterpared to the liquid within.


    ***


    "A likely story, but there''s no antidote."


    "But Varsili told me how to make this. Wanna know? Wolfsbane, white myrtle, mandrake root¡­ Ratio is five to one¡­ If that''s still not convincing, you or the king can try this potion out and see if it works. You don''t have to drink it, though. Skin contact is more than enough to lift the love potion''s effects."


    Ildiko was pale with fear, but Coral kept staring at her face. She mocked, "I have been in this field for <em>eighty years. </em>You know how easy it is to make an antidote. Wanna see how effective it is?" She kept instigating and pressing with an onught of words. "Varsili told me any couple that takes this antidote will be sworn enemies who will never fall in love with each other ever again."


    Ildiko turned around, but her shoulders were shivering.


    "Wanna try it out?" Lytta pretended to throw the antidote.


    Ildiko remained silent and refused to dodge. But eventually, she snapped and roared, "Why do you always want to one up me? Just because you''re a high and mighty sorceress? Just because you can gain status, power, and beauty whenever you want, you think that gives you the right to look down on ''failures'' like me? You think you can y my rtionship like it''s a piece on your chess board? You think you can threaten me and get away with it?"


    "Slow down, Your Highness. <em>You </em>came after <em>me </em>first," Coral raised her voice and slowly approached the queen until they were only inches apart. The queen''s body was nothingpared to Coral''s perfect curves. "I have the same question for you. Why do you keep humiliating me? Why do you try to exile me?"


    ***


    Ildiko couldn''t answer Coral''s questions, and she eventually teared up. She turned around and snapped, "Because of <em>him</em>! He took me, ravaged me, and then he tried to abandon me! I gave him everything I had. I helped him ascend the throne. He promised me everything! Love, wealth, and status, but the moment he gained what he wanted, he cast me aside like a worn doll. And he set his sights on you! He desires your beauty! Beauty modified and maintained by magic! He wants to conquer you. Ask yourself, Lytta. If Viraxas wanted to marry you, would you refuse him?" She screeched, "Can you swear to the source of magic that you aren''t the least bit interested in the position of queen?"


    Coral fell silent. She was reminded of a certain handsome young witcher.


    The queen shook her head and plopped back down onto her chair like a defeated lioness. She covered her face with both hands and whispered, "I had no choice. I''m just a poor, defenseless woman. The only way to keep him close to me is to exile allpetition. It''s double insurance. That''s what I need to do to keep my hard-earned happiness. I won''t reinstate you as consultant, Lytta. Not even if that''s thest thing I do."


    Coral shook her head. "You got one thing wrong, Your Highness. I told you I was leaving this ce, but not before youpensate me for my losses. And don''t you think love that''s bound by nothing but a potion is finicky at best?"


    Ildiko argued vehemently, "No, the potion is the best weapon against those cheating bastards! It''s divine providence! All I need is for them to have even a sliver of regret, and that''s it! They''ll fall for the spell!"


    <em>Well, she''s gone down the deep end. Just lost all interest in messing with her. No need to torment a sister, anyway. Besides, I''m nurturing a healthier rtionship. It''s a more perfect love than whatever she has. I''m happier than she is. </em>Lytta didn''t even bother to hide the pity in her eyes. "I wish you luck in your endeavor, Your Highness. Just give me enough to cover my losses, and I''ll leave. I''ll even deal with the potential danger to your rtionship too. Ten years worth of remuneration is fine with me. Of course, I won''t object if you''d like to give me more. I can swear by the source of magic''s name if you don''t trust me."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 374: You Never Walk Alone

    Three dayster, a ship was setting off from the port of Kerack, the foamy waves gleaming beautifully under the sun. Roy and Coral were nodding and smiling at the old ship slowly leaving the port. They could hear the sound of the horning from it.


    Underneath the red g with a silver arm embroidered on it stood Sonia and Varsili, happily shouting goodbyes and waving at the two people who came to see them off.


    "Honestly, I didn''t expect you to let them go, Coral." Roy looked at the sorceress. Sunlight draped her in a sheen of golden. She looked like a mermaid who was lying on the reef of a beach, though she didn''t have a fish''s tail.


    "Do you think I''m a witch who''d break her word?" Lytta shot him a nasty re and held his arm as they left the pier. "They''re just poor souls who were roped into this situation against their will. They did work with us, and naturally I gave them a chance to survive. They can start anew in Kovir." A smile curled her lips. "Don''t you see? They were already a couple long before we met them. And their love only strengthened after they were turned into statuettes. We did a good thing. We let a couple live."


    "Well, that about sums Kerack''s cases up. So when are we setting off for Novigrad?" Roy asked quietly.


    "Someone''s in a hurry, but we''re not going to Novigrad so soon. You''re staying for a few more days. Kerack has been my home for decades, and I want to bid it a proper goodbye."


    Coral held Roy''s hand, their fingers interlocked. Just like the day before, across the park and marketce they went and through Kerack''s city gates they traveled. Eventually, they came to a stop at the top of a nearby hill.


    Royid out a red pic mat, and they sat down to enjoy the view of the pier and the city.


    ***


    "You''re starting your second Trial right after we get to Novigrad, aren''t you?" Lytta pushed her hair back and gave Roy a worried look. "I don''t understand. Why do you insist on this? It''s dangerous and unpredictable. Unlike the Viper''s Trial, the Manticore''s Trial is unknown territory for you. It''s dangerous." There was an unspoken plea in her eyes.


    "There are people in the brotherhood who have more chances of surviving the poison. Letho, Auckes, and Serrit, for example. Why don''t you ask them?"


    "This has nothing to do with them." Roy pursed his lips and insisted, "This is my own choice, and you have to keep this a secret. I don''t want them to worry. You''re the only one I told."


    Coral calmed down a little.


    Roy continued. "I''ve been getting the same premonitiontely. I find myself on a ship, but not on a sea. The ship is flying. Like a ghost ship. I see the ship cruising through the clouds, and ck and white sails billowing in the wind. I stand at the bow, my eyes no longer golden. That can only mean one thing."


    "You went through multiple mutations?"


    "Yes. Just like how I saw the Battle on Sodden Hill unfold, I have a feeling this too is one of the things that will happen in the future."


    Roy smiled, and his eyes red with confidence as he announced, "Destiny wants me to go through more than one mutation. Perhaps more than a few too, and I will pass them all."


    Roy''s confidence stemmed from something else. Over thest couple of days, he collected enough essence of wraith and specter dust for another summoning, and that was what he did. He almost had enough EXP to level up twice.


    Roy exined, "And the Trials'' data is crucial for the brotherhood, especially for the kids in the orphanage. They need a safer method to be witchers."


    "You have an orphanage?" Lytta was slightly confused, and she listened closely.


    "The House of Gawain. The brotherhood and a ruler of Novigrad worked together to set it up. We take in orphans, and it doubles as a filter for future apprentices. There are more than twenty kids there, and they''re all really nice. You should take a look."


    Lytta was tempted. An overwhelming majority of sorceresses were barren, so they loved kids. "Fine. I''ll improve the recipe as promised and hold the Manticore''s Trial for you. I''ll stay until next year. It''ll be a probation period. If the battle does not happen¡­" Lytta narrowed her eyes and scrunched her nose up. She opened her mouth and threatened to bite, but it looked adorable instead of fierce. "I''ll show you what happens to those who lie to a sorceress. But if it does happen, then I''ll be working with the brotherhood." Delight filled her eyes, and she winked at him. "If you <em>are </em>a irvoyant, then I''m going to side with you."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. <em>That''s one mage convinced. </em>They talked for a while more, and things were getting really interesting. "So, how did you reach an agreement with Ildioko?"


    Roy kept asking her over thest few days, but she only smiled at him. This time, however, she answered honestly. "We made a bet, and the stake is their rtionship. I bet she wouldn''t take the potion or hand it over to the king."


    "What happened?"


    "Obviously, she wouldn''t see the truth that their fairytale-esque love was nothing but an illusion based on some sort of potion. It won''t hold up against any obstacle, but she opted to drown herself in the dream and never wake up. Artefact Compression isn''t abat spell, and she can''t fight me, so the only choice was to work with me. I dealt with all the problems she might face and had everyone who knows about her secret leave the kingdom, including me. And I gained a great reward for that." She leaned on the mat and rested her chin on her hand. A lock of red hair covered her left eye, and she stared at the witcher. She looked almost as curvy as an hourss. "Five years worth of remuneration."


    Roy was pushing her hair back, and his hand froze. The young witcher turned around, and his eyes shone. <em>So she''s super rich now!</em>


    She continued. "I gave a part of that money to Varsili so they could kick start their new life easily. And I also bought his love potion''s form."


    "Why did you buy that?" Roy was perplexed. The potion was a redundant one, since a couple that was in love didn''t need it, and the user couldn''t use it on anyone who had no love for them. <em>But maybe I can try selling it in the shop? I think it''s gonna make more money than the liquid viagra.</em>


    "It''s only for research. I won''t spike your drink with it." She shook her head, smiling. "Not even Varsili used this on his lover. That''s enough to tell me the potion is not reliable. It''s not true love if it''s not fated and hasn''t passed any trials."


    Roy nodded. He listened to Coral talk as hey beside her and stared at the sky in the horizon.


    Coral paused for a moment and turned around to stare at the witcher. "So, are you the fated man of my life?" Before Roy could answer, she muttered, "I remember telling you Ie from Skellige. I adore the sea, and I love basking in the sea breeze. I used to have the same dream¡­" She stared back into his eyes. "I would dream of being out at sea, and I was alone on the boat. I rose the sails and rowed the boat by magic, traveling into the infinite seas. The waves and sunlight were my onlypanions. The sea was warm, and its breeze would whisper in the air like a wise old man. I was alone at sea, and I enjoyed my ownpany as I drifted into the far ocean." Shey down on the grass. "But then, one day, I saw someone else on the boat. He was right beside me¡­"


    A gust of warm sea breeze blew through the cliffs outside Kerack, and roses bloomed in winter.


    Roy entered that patch of rose, answering, "From now on, you''ll not be rowing alone."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 375: Everyones Battles

    Tretogor, Redania''s capital, was built on the ruins of an elven civilization. Unlike Novigrad, it wasn''t a city that never slept, and unlike Oxenfurt, it was no beacon of knowledge or academia, but it was home to the chambers of Vizimir II.


    Chilly northern winds blew across the gs in the corridors of the pce, whispered down the stone streets, and blew the doors of Night Cat open.


    A pair of witchers took up a table in the corner. They were sitting side by side, and in front of them were a few tes of greasy grilled meat and dozens of sses of wine. Vizima stout, Fiorano, Kirsch, acorn wine, dwarven liquor, and more. Most of the sses were empty, however.


    The witchers raised a toast again, and drops of wine flew everywhere, filling the air with the scent of hop and malt. Then they downed their booze in one go and burped.


    "Been a while since we met. You''re a better drinker now. Can''t believe you''re on par with ol'' Lambert. Did you go into training just for today?" The man with a receding hairline wiped his sweat away and smiled at his slightly red friend.


    The man before him had a gaunt face and short hair. He was wearing brown leather armor, his eyes were reddish-brown, and his nose was slightly crooked. The man scratched his nose and scoffed, pulling the burn mark on his chin wider. "Yeah, right. You''re not a drinker at all, Lambert. You got wasted in Rinde and climbed your way into the peasants'' farm. The cow wouldn''t stop mooing the whole night. They thought you were a vampire and drenched you in garlic juice. The smell didn¡¯t go away for a whole week, and all the coins we made went towards the repairs." Aiden narrowed his eyes. "So, which poor animal are you subjecting to your terror tonight?"


    "That''s a lie." Lambert looked miffed. "I didn''t fuck any cows. I just hugged it like a pillow. It felt like a warm nket. That was in the middle of winter, and all I did was do what my instincts told me, got it? And speaking of which, you were sober, but instead of taking me to my room, youughed at me!" Lambert snapped. He stared at Aiden again like he just saw him for the first time. "You''re a traitor, Aiden. You stabbed me in my back."


    Aiden raised his chin. "Still better than someone who''d fuck a cow in their sleep."


    The witchers engaged in a staringpetition, and sparks flew. Like children, they pointed at each other and started calling names and bringing up old embarrassing stories, only stopping to eat and drink.


    Eventually, all the wine was gone, and the witchers high-fived. Both of them let out a heartyugh and sighed. That banter earlier released all the tension they had been holding inside them.


    "Alright, we had our fun, Lambert. One more cuss and you''re sewing your mouth shut." Aiden crossed his arms, a frown wrinkling his forehead. His face was red from all the alcohol, but the look in his eyes was serious. "So, tell me. Why did you leave Kaer Morhen ande all the way to Tretogor for me? I had a ghoul to kill. Did you run into something? Say the word and I''ll help."


    "I was counting on that, but I''m not the one who needs help. <em>You </em>are." Lambert stared silently at Aiden. He was worried about his friend.


    Aiden shook his head. "Don''t talk in riddles, Lambert. You''re not a bard, so get to the point."


    "I have a¡­ friend. A trusted friend. He gained the powers of irvoyance after the Trial. And he told me you''d be running into a lethal crisis a few years down the line." Lambert shrugged. "But your good friend¡ªthat''s me¡ªwouldn''t let that happen, so I traveled all the way here to Tretogor. Just to save your ass."


    "You''re telling me a <em>witcher </em>is irvoyant?" Aiden''s cheeks twitched. The look in his eyes said, ''You must be mad.''


    "Allow me to borate." Lambert told him about Roy''s prophecy about the duke, his daughter, the request, political ys, and the nobles who despised Cats.


    Aiden shrugged it off as some joke Lambert conjured, but the more he listened, the more he realized this might be no joke. When Lambert was finally done, a solemn Aiden rested his chin on both his hands, contemting what he just heard. "That was¡­ vivid. I don''t think an idiot like you could havee up with such an borate story."


    "I¡¯m not lying!"


    "Fine, I''ll believe you for once. I promise I won''t take any requests involving any ogroids." Aiden took a deep breath. He and Lambert might fight every time they met, but they were actually good friends, and they trusted each other. "Can you tell me who made this prophecy? Eskel, Geralt, or was it Vesemir?"


    "He''s an honorary member, mate." Lambert looked a little disappointed, and then his eyes lit up with respect. "His name''s Roy. From the Viper School, and he''s their best hope at revival. No, he''s every witcher''s hope. Under his guidance, we, the Cats, and the Vipers are now settled in Novigrad. And we set up a brotherhood there."


    The shock in Aiden''s eyes failed to escape Lambert, and he felt smug about it. Lambert pushed the stool away and walked around the empty inn.


    Aiden was frozen as if his mind lost control of his body. The notion of witchers of different schools banding together was as preposterous as putting a lion in the same cage as a tiger and expecting them to get along.


    "That''s right. We''ve set up an orphanage in the city too. And we''ve got ourselves some promising kids, but there''s only nine of us at the moment, and we need more people to chip in." Lambert gave his friend a knowing look. "And you''ll be a fine new addition to the brotherhood. We averted a crisis for you, so¡­"


    "Hold it, slow down. Who do you have on your side?"


    "Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Roy of the Viper School. Kiyan and Felix from the Cat School. And barring Vesemir, all of the Wolves are there. Heard of them before?"


    Aiden was fidgeting like a cat. The Vipers were mostly active in the south, and he had no idea who they were. But he knew who the Cats were. They were the sane Cats who existed a few decades before his time. Kiyan had gone missing for decades, and hearing his name again came as a surprise. On the other hand, Felix had always been moving around.


    "Lambert, this is a serious question. You mean to say witchers from three different schools established a <em>brotherhood </em>in Novigrad? That''s impossible. The way they think and do things are too vastly different to even be reconcble." Aiden cracked his neck.


    Lambert knew his best friend enough to know that meant business. <em>No joking around. </em>"But we have amon goal," he argued. "In the name of our friendship, I swear I am telling the truth. If I¡¯m lying, then I will leave and never see you again."


    He was starting to exaggerate a little. "I had my doubts at first. Like you, I thought there was no way witchers could band together, but that kid changed my mind. He created miracles. It''s like he could convince anyone if he wanted to. You might be wondering why he didn''te to see you himself, and that''s because he has a job to do. We''re all equals here, and we''re all ying our part. His part is to get a mage on our side. We need a resident mage, after all. Not to mention the mage is his lover, so he''s the best guy for the job."


    Aiden massaged his cheeks and picked two sses up. He wanted to drink something, but the sses were empty. Then he felt something firing up within him.


    ***


    "You''re older than me, Aiden. You know about the tragedy that took ce during the tournament." Lambert almost flew into a rage. "The rulers thought us threats, so they fanned the mes in an attempt to get rid of all the <em>mutants</em>. Even before that, the mages who set their sights on the Trial form and tomes conspired andunched a siege against Kaer Morhen and Kaer Seren just to get what they wanted. If we don''t change, witchers are going to be nothing but an extinct species. We don''t have anyone to fall back on, but after we set the brotherhood up, everyone in Novigrad respects us. Nobody even scoffs or sneers at us.


    "Nobody can call us names anymore. Nobody can hurt us. Aiden, my brother,e with me. I won''t force you to join us." Lambert''s eyes twinkled with genuine concern, and he extended his hand to his friend. "Just take this as a vacation to Novigrad. We have much to show. The orphanage, the apothecary shop, and even theb. You''ll have friends there. You can make your decision after you''ve seen what we have to offer."


    Aiden was struggling with himself for a moment, and then he shook Lambert''s hand. "I''m not going to ignore a friend''s plea."


    ***


    On the south of Tretogor, wilderness stood, its neighbor Oxenfurt. Underneath the cover of dense foliage and rocks stood the ruins of an ancient pce. Towering pirs stood in a circle, and geraniums and bittersweets were covering its cracked, dpidated walls.


    In the center of the pce, an uneven flight of stone stairs led downward into a dark passage, straight into the main part of the pce long buried underground.


    A loud bang tore through the silence, and in came three battling figures. Two pairs of feline eyes shone in the dark, and Geralt and Kiyan circled a humanoid monster in the center, swords firmly in their hands.


    The monster had a head that resembled a bat, a face that was t and grotesque, and a maw filled with sharp, uneven teeth. There was nothing but bloodlust and carnage in its crimson eyes, and a pair of miniature horns that curled to the back protruded from the sides of its head.


    The monster had a hairless body filled with pus, but its hide was grey and tough. The witchers thought they were fighting something with sturdy leather armor. The ws on its limbs weren''t long, but they were as tough as iron. Tearing a human body apart would be easy for this monster.


    The witchers came to a halt and stood face to face with the creature. Geralt made a blue triangle in the air and shoved it at the fleder.


    The fleder was leaping at its attacker from five yards away, but Aard hit its chest and sent it flying backward. It fell, and dust swirled in the air. The monster skidded backward, but then a crimson sh blinked in the dust cloud, and in came Kiyan, his face covered in ck veins.


    Kiyan thrust his sword at the nape of the fleder''s neck, and blood spurted, but Quen deflected it. The witcher pulled his de out and retreated to the dark walls, leaving the monster howling in agony.


    It opened its mouth wide, and a crimson tongue danced within its cavity. The monster ditched Geralt, turned around, and curled its legs up, preparing to leap.


    A dark silhouette flew through the air, and a gust of wind howled. The monster bared its fangs at Kiyan, but the witcher was prepared for this.


    He quickly rolled away from the assault. The monster missed his quarry and crashed into the walls instead. Still, it started attacking the wall, and the power was enough to tear a big hole in it, sending debris flying everywhere.


    Someone cast Aard at the monster''s back again, burying it in the walls. Its back was turned on the hunters, and it tried its hardest to break free from the stones, but it was toote.


    Geralt swung his sword and thrust it into the back of the monster''s head, and Kiyan followed quickly, stabbing the fleder in the same spot. ck blood rose into the air before it fell and drenched the ground.


    The fleder slowly fell backward and hit the ground with a thud. Its pupils were starting to dte, but its mouth was still moving by reflex.


    "Not bad."


    "You too."


    Geralt heaved a sigh and high-fived Kiyan. And then he started cutting the fleder up. "The mutagen mighte in handy for Carl."


    "Take its innards and skin too. Time to start making the pre-Trial for the kids." Kiyan whipped out his short sword and cut the fleder''s belly open.


    The witchers made swift work of the fleder''s body and took about half of it. They cleaned the blood up and lit their torches before advancing further into the passage.


    About a minuteter, they found some skeletal remains outside a broken portal and got what they came for¡ªCat silver sword diagram. And there was also a bonus too¡ªProfessor Sigismund Gloger''s notes.


    Kiyan grabbed the notes, and for some reason, he started looking dejected and remorseful. He handed the notes to Geralt and waited for the White Wolf to chastise him.


    "What''s wrong?" Geralt asked. He seldom saw Kiyan look so vulnerable. The man toughened out thirty years of imprisonment and was a nice teacher to the kids.


    Kiyan shook his head and looked at the notebook. "You''ll know once you read that. It''s a record of what my greed did."


    The skeletal remains belonged to a member of the Oxenfurt team of archeologists. Decades ago, Prince Adrien of the Sea Cats Dynasty sponsored them on this trip to Est Tayiar to search for the treasures of the legendary King Maeglor.


    Kiyan was the bodyguard the prince hired for the team, though he had another secret mission too: retrieve the diagrams and take it back to Adrien. The schrs found the diagrams in the armory during their excavation, and as per the prince''s orders, Adrien asked them to hand the diagrams over.


    The team refused that demand. They were adamant that everything they retrieved must be shared with the academy. Kiyan ughtered most of the team members and took the diagrams. He had a job toplete. Just like most Cats, he would kill toplete a request and think nothing about it.


    Kiyan muttered to himself, "That was a terrible mistake." He crouched down and stared at the yellowing skeletal remains dumbly. "And the gods punished me by subjecting me to years of torture. I reflected on my actions when I was imprisoned. When the people who tortured me died, I thought I had let everything go, but when I see this¡­ this innocents who died because of me, I know I owe them something."


    Geralt said nothing for the longest time, and he shoved Kiyan''s shoulder. "Remorse is normal, my friend. Especially for witchers. But you can''t shoulder every single me. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone incurs debts, but not every mistake can be rectified. Not every debt can be repaid." Reminiscence flickered in Geralt''s eyes. "Destiny decreed that we survive, and we must look forward. That is the role of the survivors. Guilt gnaws away at you because you have the blood of innocents on your hands, so save even more innocent souls. The children, for example. Raise them. Teach them how to survive. If that makes you feel better, then concentrate on it and put your guilt aside."


    Kiyan closed his eyes for a moment. Then he heaved a sigh and held the skeletal remains up. "You have a point. I should look forward and leave my guilt in the hands of Destiny. Imitted a grave crime against these people, but I have to protect those who still live, or I''ll never live this down." Kiyan shook his head, resolve ring in his eyes. "Time to go, Geralt. To the abandoned Drahim, where thest diagram is. I''d like to see if Prince Adrien is still around."


    ***


    A couple was standing outside the gates of Oxenfurt. The man on a grey horse had a ck hat atop his head and two swords strapped to his back. He sent a flying kiss to thedy in the ck dress and veil, and then he left. One month had passed since he came to Oxenfurt, and after a reluctant goodbye to his lover, Vesemir rode happily to Novigrad, the winds blowing his saddlebag open, revealing a part of the armor and weapons sleeping within.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 376: Meeting

    The yellow sun started climbing through the skies, and the kids'' morning exercise came to an end. Thirteen sweating, glowing boys and seven chattering girls took up their seats at the tables in the yard.


    The kids could always deal with food fast, especially when they were starving. The fish, chicken, and bread couldn''t stop their unrelenting onught, and the kids enjoyed breakfast like it was made of the best food in the world.


    A piece of fish fell amidst all the feasting, and Acamuthorm picked it up in a sh. At the same time, he shot hispanions a re. He could see the two of them were about to take that piece of fish for themselves.


    "You''re not hyenas, Monti, Carl. Stop taking scraps. This is my fish. If you want more, just walk to the next table and get some more. If you can''t be bothered to make that little journey, I don''t mind telling the teacher. They might break your legs, though."


    "Hey, your food flies around when you eat. How is that our fault? We were just looking out for ourselves. Next time, be careful when you eat." Carl licked his te and rubbed his ballooned belly.


    The kids then turned their attention to the girls at the next table and smiled like stooges. After their training and breakfast every day, watching the girls eat became some sort of entertainment for the boys.


    Unlike the boys, the girls had a more polite way of eating. They took every bite slowly like a princess, and it was nice to watch. They would sometimes show their teeth when they were eating, their cheeks would puff, and their freckles would dance.


    Carl shook his head. Most of the orphans came from regr families, and barely any of them were beautiful. Most of them had freckles, wide chins, and big foreheads. Vicki was the only one who looked like she came straight out of a portrait. After a month in the orphanage, her skin and hair were no longer dry. Instead, her skin was supple, and her hair was silky.


    Carl and the boys would steal some nces at her if they could, and Vicki noticed their stares. She turned around only to notice all the boys stealing nces at her. She turned pink and almost buried her face in the table.


    "Beautiful and reserved." Monti muttered, "She''s the best girl I''ve ever seen."


    "And only the best swordsman is worthy of her." Carl licked his te again and grinned at hispanions. "Once I pass the Trial, I''ll marry her. You two can be my best men, I guess."


    And then someone smacked him in the head.


    "Who did that?" Carl shot up angrily and was met with an icy looking from a pair of greyish-green eyes. The boy froze up and hung his head low like a defeated puppy. "Felix¡­"


    Felix stared at his apprentice icily. "I see you didn''t train enough this morning. Talking about girls, are we? You have fifteen minutes before ss begins. Get to the stakes and do two sets of pendulum. Right now."


    "What about them?" Carl looked at his silentpanions in an attempt to drag them down with him.


    "They need to rest. Now go!" Felix kicked his rear.


    Carl forced an ugly smile and went to the training area reluctantly. Once Felix was gone, Monti and Acamuthorm held their stomachs andughed quietly.


    "Carl got one thing wrong. She''s worthy of a man with brains," Monti muttered, and then his eyes went wide.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Acamuthorm put his hand on Monti''s forehead.


    "Gorgeous."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "She''s prettier than Vicki!" Monti tried his best toe up with a praise. "Her lips are like¡­ blooming morning glories!"


    Everyone looked at the orphanage''s entrance. There was a woman standing under the que. It looked like she came out of nowhere, but more importantly, she was gorgeous. Her white dress clung to her perfect curves tightly, her fire-red hair tumbling around her shoulders, and her skin seemed to be glowing.


    She was as beautiful as a goddess, and standing beside her was Roy, who had been gone for a week. Thedy was holding his hand like a gentle wife, and the kids were dumbstruck to see them together. Their jaws formedical ''O''s.


    "Well, if it isn''t Lytta. Wee to the House of Gawain." The witchers in the orphanage came to wee them.


    Auckes made a face to the mage and spread his arms for a hug, but the sorceress stared at him coldly. Auckes pulled his hand back without missing a beat and wiggled his eyebrows at Roy while giving him a thumbs up.


    Letho stared at their interlocked arms and heaved a sigh. He then took a deep breath and shook the mage''s hand. "Let''s talk inside, Lytta. And we have some new friends you might want to meet." Serrit nodded and smiled.


    "A minute, please." Lytta beamed and pushed her hair back. "We have a few more people on their way."


    "Who?" Felix and Eskel hade out as well.


    "Miss me, cubs?" an old, invigorating voice said from the woods, and in came Vesemir on his horse. He had a hat on his head, and his saddlebag looked packed with items.


    Lambert and a man with short ck hair and a scar on his chin appeared as well, and they were engaged in a conversation. A pendant resembling a cat''s head was hanging around the neer''s neck, and then Geralt and Kiyan trailed behind them.


    "Well, looks like everyone''s here." Auckes'' jaw dropped, but he looked excited. "Come in, people. We''re going to have a long talk in the conference room."


    ***


    Twelve people were gathered in the simple conference room located in the leftmost part of the orphanage, and warm sunshine shone through the window.


    "Brothers, thedy before you is Kerack''s royal consultant¡ªLady Lytta Neyd." Auckes bowed as low as possible and pointed at the onlydy among them. He looked like an usher who was weing an esteemed guest.


    Lytta nodded at everyone, but she corrected, "<em>Was </em>Kerack''s royal consultant. I have epted Roy''s invitation to work with the brotherhood. I understand we have a Trial to improve."


    "What did I tell you, Aiden? They''re lovers. He''s the right man for the job," Lambert whispered into Aiden''s ears before raising his head smugly.


    Aiden was bbergasted. Never did he expect a mage to work with them in this day and age, and he turned his attention to Roy. <em>He managed to get a mage on his side. This isn''t your ordinary witcher.</em>


    Vesemir gave Roy a look of approval, and the other brotherhood members were stoked. Their n of building an orphanage and taking in orphans had been going well so far, and the addition of a mage in their ranks boosted their confidence.


    "Thank you foring today, Lytta."


    "Well, I have my little heartbreaker here. Of course I had toe." Coral shook her head,ughing. Then she held Roy''s arm without any concern of embarrassment.


    The veteran witchers exchanged looks, and Geralt looked a little dazed. He used to be like that with Yennefer, but now he was just a bystander in someone else''s rtionship.


    "Ahem, we''re all brothers and friends here. Remember the rules. Respect and teamwork."


    ***


    "My turn. Look here. We have Aiden from the Cat School with us. I told you guys about him." Lambert and Aiden stood up at the same time.


    "Aiden, they''re the brotherhood''s¡ª"


    "Remember me,d?" Felix looked at Aiden.


    "Of course. I saw you decades ago, Felix." Aiden had respect in his eyes. He nodded and turned his attention to the grotesque Kiyan.


    "Got into some trouble and got myself hurt. Serious injury, but it''s all in the job description." Kiyan shrugged the weird look off. "Know who Joel and Gaetan are?"


    Silence grasped Aiden for a moment. "Joel is my mentor, but it''s been a decade or so since west met. You know how we are. We go around the world and have no ce to call home. The Trial venue changes all the time. We don''t get to know where they''ll hold the next Trial."


    Felix nodded. "The school''s filled with madmen. You don''t have to stay in touch with them. You''re one of the sane Cats. They''re not the people you should hang out with. Want to join the brotherhood and fight with us? We''re a family here, I promise."


    Aiden fell into silence again, and he looked at everyone.


    Lambert interrupted. "Give him some time, people. Once he sees what we have to offer, he''lle to a decision."


    "And you''ll be giving him the tour," Letho said.


    Lambert nodded and gave the happy Vesemir a knowing look. "You had fun in Oxenfurt, Vesemir. Looks like some of your hair is turning ck again. Didn''t think you''de back after spending a whole month in Countess Mignole''s manor."


    "Shut it, Lambert. I''d like to see you get ady." Vesemir scanned everyone and announced, "And I didn''te back empty-handed. I have a few weapons and armor in my saddlebag. Mignole''s courtesy to a friend. I have a full Viper''s set and some bear armor pieces. Do with them what you will."


    "The countess is rich, isn''t she, Vesemir?" Lambert rubbed his thumb and index finger together. "Can you¡­"


    "Lambert, once again, shut it. Who do you think I am?" Vesemir shook his head. "She''s already kind enough to give us a part of her collection. You can deal with the money problem yourself. Building and expanding an organization isn''t an easy task. You have to deal with more matters than you can imagine, and all of you are still too young to deal with the nitty gritty. You need an experienced guy to help you out with the management. Someone like me."


    And then everyone smiled.


    "Wee to the brotherhood, Vesemir." Eskel beamed. "I''ll give you a copy of the rules and give you some tasks."


    ***


    "The trip was smooth sailing." It was Geralt''s turn to report. "We found the Cat School weapon diagrams. And now we have the full set of diagrams for the Cat School gear."


    They headed for Drahim right after leaving Est Tayiar, and they found Prince Adrien''s remains on a rickety balcony. The guilt of telling Kiyan to ughter all the archeologists gnawed away at him, and he hung himself eventually, bringing an end to the Sea Cats Dynasty.


    The final Cat School diagram sat beside his remains. Collecting it gave closure to Kiyan, and he buried his guilt of killing the archeologists deep in his heart.


    ***


    Now, the brotherhood had a full set of Wolven diagrams, a full set of Cat diagrams, the diagrams for Viper swords, and the diagrams for Manticore armor and steel sword. That was about half of all the missing diagrams of all six schools.


    "So now we need a master cksmith to research the diagrams and new alloy and make the best gear possible." Roy told Vesemir about Berengar. He hoped the grandmaster could convince Berengar intoing back.


    Vesemir was silent for a moment, and his brows knitted together. Then he shook his head. "It was his choice to leave Kaer Morhen. Not even I can convince him. He''s not going to join the brotherhood unless someone forces him to."


    "We''ll put the cksmith business on hold," Serrit said. "We have enough armor and weapons for now, and Vesemir brought back enough to gear most people up. Research, development, and cksmithing will cost a lot of money, and we''re not in a hurry to make new weapons. We need to spend the money on something more important, like improving the Trial."


    Everyone nodded. The brotherhood''s first and most important priority would always be the apprentices.


    ***


    Introductions and reports were done. Roy cleared his throat and stood up. "That brings our first phase to a close. Good job, everyone. And now it''s time for the second phase. Coral will be doing her research on the Trial for the Wolf, Viper, Cat, and Manticore School in the undergroundb from tomorrow onward."


    Felix interrupted. "Lytta, I''m counting on you for Carl''s Trial."


    "And I have something to say about that." Coral pushed her hair back. She kept quiet for a while before continuing. "Felix, are you sure you want Carl to take Cat School''s Trial? I have helped Roy with his Trial and roughly went through the pros and cons of the recipes I have."


    All the witchers stared at Coral. They were interested in what she found.


    "Your school''s Trial has a rtively low death rate, but the side effects can possibly be disastrous and unpredictable. Even if he passes the Trial, Carl''s negative emotions can be amplified and destroy his mind. It can turn him into a madman."


    Coral looked at Vesemir, and he smiled at her. "I haven''t gotten my hands on the Wolf School''s Trial just yet, but it''s obviously safer than your school''s recipe."


    She then said something uneptable for Felix. "But if you want my honest opinion, Carl would have the best chances with either the Viper or the Manticore''s Trial."


    "No!" Felix''s face fell. He protested, "He''s been taking Cat School pre-Trial for months. You can''t just tell him to take another school''s Trial <em>now</em>. Can''t you improve my school''s recipe? You have nearly two months left."


    Coral shook her head, and Roy squeezed her hand. "Felix, you have to know that improving the Trial is an intricate process. It''ll take at least a year to make any progress, and I''m just one mage. I can promise you I''ll do my best, but that is it. And don''t worry. The pre-Trials aren''t as different as you think they are. At most, they increase his resistance against poison a little. If he takes the Manticore''s Trial, he only has a thirty percent chance of dying. Forty percent if it''s the Viper''s Trial, and there won''t be any side effects either. If he goes with the Cat''s Trial, he''ll have a fifty percent death rate. And that''s under my supervision."


    She would need Roy to pass the Manticore''s Trial first if she needed more data on that.


    "So in other words, it''s a seventy percent sess rate?" Everyone''s breathing was gettingbored.


    "Dammit! It used to be thirty percent for us!" Lambert smacked his knees in frustration as he thought of his friends who died in the Trial. "We should¡¯ve kidnapped a mage!"


    Vesemir was surprised as well, but more than that, he looked d. Felix spat angrily, but he said, "Fine, Manticore it is."


    He preferred the Cat School Trial, but he wanted his apprentice to live. "They''re still witchers."


    Kiyan nodded and held his friend''s shoulder. "Carl''s going to be the first witcher to take the Trial after the brotherhood''s inception. This is symbolic, and he must pass. Think about the big picture. And remember rule six. No politicking. We promised we''d start abolishing the schools after we joined."


    "It doesn''t matter which Trial is it. What''s important is it helps the apprentices," Auckes interrupted.


    Coral smiled and exchanged a look with Roy. "Then I shall be researching the Manticore''s Trial from tomorrow onward and increase its sess rate even more. I will need an assistant. Roy will be perfect. He knows how I work."


    Letho and Serrit gave Roy looks of suspicion. <em>Are they going to spend a whole month dating in there?</em>


    "Kid, I don''t want to hear any news of Coral getting pregnant when the research is done."


    Unlike usual, Roy didn''t get embarrassed from just a tease. He shook his head, smiling. "Maybe she''s going to be pregnant with twins." <em>Yeah, I''m sterile and she''s barren. No way we can have kids.</em>


    "Shut it!" Coral bristled like a cat, and she shot Letho a nasty re. But then she thought to herself, <em>You pitiful fool. You have no idea that your own apprentice is going to undergo a second Trial for the brotherhood. Only I do.</em>


    Coral took a deep breath and held herints down. "Roy and I will try to make sure Carl passes his Trial. As for theponents¡­"


    "I have two sets of it. I''ll give them to youter," Felix said. "The mutagens arergely universal, and there''s that."


    ***


    "So, is it time for me to know what I''m going to do?" Vesemir nced outside the window, and the kids hid underneath the windowsill. "There are a few rowdy ones among the kids, and I think we need to whip them into shape. Why don''t you let me try it?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I feel younger with the kids. Probably can live for a few more years."


    Everyone stared at the grandmaster.


    "Vesemir is right. The reserve apprentices have too much energy and nowhere to spend it," Letho answered. And he looked at a lock of hair poking out of the windowsill. "It''s time to increase their training. Free time is canceled. Now it''s the second swordy lesson, and Vesemir will be the instructor."


    The boys who were listening in froze up, and their faces scrunched up. They looked at one another and started sobbing in silence.


    Coral noticed something, and then she leaned on Roy and chuckled.


    ***


    Everyone talked about sending someone to the Poviss coastline to find the remaining Griffins. Vesemir told them the exact location of Kaer Seren, but he didn''t rmend them making a move so soon. "Keldar is tougher than a rock that''s survived years of the elements and more traditional than I am. And he''s a tough customer who won''t change his mind so quickly. Without any achievements to call our own, we won''t convince him. I suggest we get in touch <em>after </em>we''ve raised some decent apprentices."


    ***


    In the end, Roy and Lytta would start their experiment in theb the next day and record the Manticore Trial''s data to make things easier for Carl. Letho, Auckes, Serrit, Lambert, and Vesemir would teach the kids, handle the shop, and train Gawain''s men. Aiden would survey the ce, while Felix and Eskel geared themselves up with the items Vesemir brought back and prepared some vampire oils. They were going to clear out the monsters hiding in Novigrad sewers and take their mutagens to prepare for more Trials.


    Lytta opened a portal and sent Geralt and Kiyan to the Velen''s countryside in search of Griffin diagrams. They were the only ones who could go. If any of the Vipers went, the crones would swoop down to kill them.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 377: Second Trial

    After so many years, the oven in the undergroundb was once again ignited, the mes shining on two silhouettes standing within.


    Roy had changed into more breathable wool attire, and he was sitting on the cold operating theater. Standing before him was a solemn, frowning sorceress who was weaving her fingers across the air. Colorful lights of magic converged and blinked on top of her fingertips before they flew into Roy''s body and glimmered.


    A quill started scribbling lines and lines of data on aid-out parchment without anyone controlling it. For a moment there, only the sound of scratching echoed in the air.


    About eight minutester, the magical lights faded, and Lytta stopped casting her spell. Then she picked the records up. "Blood pressure, heartbeat, oxygen levels, rate of respiration¡­ All normal. You''re very healthy."


    "Told you I prepared for a whole year just for this. It''ll be fine." Roy thumped his chest.


    "Didn''t take you for a braggart, Roy. So you''re saying you''ve started preparing for your second Trial right after your first one ended?" Lytta scrunched her nose and shot him a yful re, then she smacked his knee. "Now sit down and don''t interrupt me. Dark golden eyes, ck hair, slightly pale skin¡­ Measures at 5 feet 8 inches, weighs 170 pounds, and your muscle density is a lot higher than most people''s."


    She stared at him and poked his chest. "You''re at least twice as strong as regr humans. As strong as a bull."


    "Is that apliment? Well, you know my body best." He smirked and stared at her lips. "But won''t I feel heavy when we do¡­ that?"


    "Alright, no nonsense now." A hue of red painted her cheeks, and Coral pinched Roy¡¯s arm.


    Roy gasped and rubbed it.


    Lytta ignored him and continued. "Aside from that, your skin is unusually smooth. Even most women don¡¯t have skin as smooth as yours. There''s not even a scar or a w. That is impossible." She stared at him with envy. "You don''t look like a witcher. They usually brave the elements and fight numerous battles. Are you a sorcerer from Ban Ard? Did you take over my little Roy?"


    "If you know I have no scars at all, then you must''ve been really thorough. You''re a good doctor." Roy held her hand and kissed the back of it. He stared at her, the desire in his eyes almost overwhelming. "I wish to repay you."


    "That''s as far as jokes go." She shivered and patted his face. "You''re not a child anymore. You need to hold it in, got it? Especially when you''re going through a Trial. You need to be focused."


    Roy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and then he shook his head. "Sorry, Coral. I just don''t know why I feel so fidgety these days. I just keep thinking about random things, like my mind is addled or something."


    "It''s normal for people your age. You just need to get used to it." Coral went around him silently and grabbed his shoulders. Then she made him lean on her before kissing his forehead. "Remember how the Trial goes?"


    "First, the hormones, then the virus, and finally, the decoction. Are you sure you can do this in one month, Coral?"


    "You''ve passed the Viper Trial and are a lot more resistant to poison than the adepts who are going through the Trial for the first time. We can skip through the resistance buildup and finish this in one month. Since you used the Furnace Virus and Ice Lakest time, you''ll need stronger viruses this time. I''ve picked three out of the four recipes: Fear, Finch, and Silencer. Your immune system will bepromised for a while after you contract the disease, leaving you without an immune system. You''d be malleable enough to undergo the change of the Manticore Trial."


    Roy wiped the sweat off his head and gulped. "So, what do the viruses do?"


    "The first one tortures your nervous system and makes you spasm like a patient going through an episode of fits. And you''ll feel needles poking over your whole body. The second one affects your brain. Records say the infected would produce sounds resembling a finch. Don''tugh. It''s worse than you think. And the third one is the most dangerous of them all. It cuts off all your five senses, but your mind remains awake. You''d be like a vegetable¡­ No, ten times worse than that."


    The witcher took a deep breath. Indeed, the effects worried him, but that was not the end.


    "That''s not all. Thest part is even worse. The Manticore Trial and your Viper Trial will fight for control. When that happens, it''ll be a life-or-death moment. One month. That''s all it takes to know the oue. But don''t worry." She leaned over and rested her head on his right shoulder, rubbing her cheek against his. Calmly, she said, "If you can''te back from the edge, then I shall end your misery myself and do it onest time with you."


    "Are you sure I''ll feel anything if I''m nearly dead?"


    "Noints. You made this choice." She patted his head, her eyes twinkling. "Your hair grew a little, and the style is out of fashion. You need a makeover." She produced a pair of scissors and held his sideburns. Before he could even protest, she snipped his hair off, and they fell to the ground.


    Roy leaned on her soft bosom and took in her scent. "Just shave it all off with magic." He didn''t care much about his hairstyle now. A ponytail, short hair, or going bald made no difference to him.


    "Don''t even think about it!" Coral''s face fell, frustration filling her eyes. Sternly, she warned, "If you''re taking after Letho''s style, I''m going to ignore you for a whole month! At least!"


    Roy froze. "But the mutation is unpredictable. What if the Trial turns me bald?" Not even Full Recovery could help with that. A bald head wasn''t technically a debuff.


    "Going bald at your age? Sorry, but bald heads don''t fly with me." She purred and hissed, "I''d have to convince myself into epting that new style, or¡­ And stop moving! Sit down!"


    Five minutester, a short-haired and resigned Roy found himself going around theboratory as per Coral''s request.


    The sorceress put her hands on her hips andmented on his new style.


    And then it was the first step of the Trial¡ªinjecting the elixirs. Coral weaved her fingers through the air and chanted under her breath. An amber needle as thin as a strand of hair leaped into the air and pierced itself through Roy''s chest.


    The young witcher felt a cold sensation coursing through his body with every beat of his heart. A shiver traveled up his body, coloring his neck and cheeks in red. An incredibly heat welled up within him, not unlike a furnace building itself in the witcher''s belly. He felt great surges of heat traveling through his body, and Roy licked his parched lips.


    To the sorceress he went, mes almost bursting from his eyes. "What was that, Coral? Mandrake fluid? You''ll have to cool me down yourself if that''s the case."


    "It''s adrenaline. You used it once in the temple, remember? I just increased the dosage." Lytta smiled. "Now you need training. Lots of training. Now move!"


    "I-I need you to do this with me!" Roy breathedboriously and held Coral''s hand.


    Ten minutester, Coral was heard counting in theb. "One thousand and one, one thousand and two¡­"


    A young, lean man who was naked from the waist up held his hands against the ground as he moved up and down like a well-oiled machine. Sweat poured from his skin and fell into a little puddle on the floor.


    Roy was doing pushup after pushup, and Coral was found sitting on his back. Her face was gleaming, and a smile was curling her lips. Sometimes, she would smack Roy''s deltoid to encourage him. "Don''t ck off. You''re doing three thousand of these."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 378: Intruder

    It was a rest day. Dappled sunlight shone down on the orphanage and the children in it. For once, the sun was shining in the winter. When afternoon swung by, the kids followed Auckes and Serrit into the woods to forage for goods.


    All the kids had baskets strapped to them. They sang nursery rhymes as they hopped and skipped through the woods in search of treasures like petite shepherd''s purses, dark, wrinkly cabbages, and wild onions growing within the cracks of rocks. Buckthorns and marigolds were on their list of items, and sometimes they came across little surprises as well. Bird eggs on low-hanging branches, sour cherries, and alfalfas for Wilt, Roach, and Scorpion.


    The air was dry and filled with the scent of soil and tree bark, and the kids enjoyed themselves. Two witchers were leaning on a tree, chewing on foxtails. Their eyes were closed, and sometimes they would tell the kids to not stray too far from them.


    ***


    Vicki broke that rule. Surreptitiously, she went in the opposite direction of the orphanage and almost buried herself in the patch of grass to get the marigolds. She was the top scorer for every test and would carry out all the tasks given to her perfectly.


    Unlike the other kids, she wasn''t cheeky. Vicki had no grandiose dreams to speak off. All she wanted was for the teachers topliment her, especially when they patted her head and praised her in front of the kids for her good grades.


    Her heart would leap with joy every time that happened. She would do her best to get all the important herbs just for thepliments. Fruits and greens were not what she would go for; only herbs.


    The grass hid her from everyone''s sight, and the girl kept going forward. Unbeknownst to her, the noises were getting quieter. Eventually, sweat started dripping from her face, and she raised her head only to find herself in an unfamiliar part of the woods. There wasn''t anyone around. Not her friends, and certainly not her teachers. They were all left behind.


    A gust of breeze rustled the leaves and bushes. The alder woods felt like a beast that had woken from its slumber, staring at her.


    Vicki curled up and little and held her basket tightly. Her fingers were pale from overexertion, her breathingborious. "A-Am I lost? Serrit? Auckes? Are you there? Lenna? Renee? Hello, is anyone there?"


    Nobody answered her shouts.


    "Calm down, Vicki." Vicki wiped her snot away and balled her fists. "Remember what the teachers taught you. Find your way out of the woods." She calmed down and hunkered down to stare at the trees'' shadows. With a shivering voice, she told herself, "I-It''s the afternoon. The shadows are in the east, and the orphanage is in the west. I-I should go in this direction. I can do it. You can do it, Vicki."


    She took a deep breath and steeled herself. The girl ran and kept her breathing in check like she always did during the morning jogs. For a moment, she was like a squirrel hopping through the woods, but less than a hundred yardster, she bumped into something and fell back down. She held her backside and started to pout. Tears were welling up in her eyes.


    There was something like a giant in front of her. It was at least six feet four and twice Vicki''s size. The silhouette was as gaunt as a ghoul, and it was wearing a ck cloak. Vicki noticed the stench of sweat and urineing from the silhouette like it hadn''t taken a bath in forever. And there was the smell of animalsing off him too.


    His back was turned to the sun, his face hidden in the darkness. Vicki could vaguely see a long face and bloodshot, sunken eyes. And the thick, unkempt mustache hanging under the man''s nose. He grinned, then darkness swooped over the girl.


    ***


    Auckes spat his foxtail out and dug the soil under his nails out. There was a frown on his forehead. "Did you hear that, Serrit? I have a bad feeling about this. Kids, gather round! Right now!" Serrit raised his left arm and shouted. "Anyone who isn''t here in thirty seconds won''t get dinner tonight!"


    "I''m not giving up dinner!"


    "Go, people, go! Don''t let the teachers take our dinner away!"


    "Pick up the pace! What are you waiting for?"


    Horrified, the children ran as fast as they could to the teachers and stood right in front of him. Less than twenty secondster, the kids were already lined up as they used to every morning. Four rows and five columns, and not a limb out of the formation. One of the kids lost their boot, however, and was walking barefoot, but nobodyughed at her.


    The witchers took a nce and noticed someone missing. "Who''s not here?" Serrit''s face fell, his voice filled with anger.


    "Vicki''s not here, sir!" Monti raised his hands and shouted. The reserve apprentices wanted Vicki to be their wife, so everyone had been paying attention to her.


    "That''s Vicki''s position!" Lenna, the girl with the missing boot, said. She knew she looked embarrassing, but that didn''t matter.


    Carl was stomping his foot nervously. "Vicki''s lost? I can''t let my wife go missing. Sir, say the word and we''ll search for her."


    The kids started making noise, and Serrit shouted, "Shut up and stay right here, kids! We''ll be finding and bringing Vicki back."


    He gave Auckes a look, and thetter leapt to the ce where the children were ying earlier. Like a beast, he looked around and saw ribbons of different colors hanging in the air. They represented different children, and most of them led to the kids.


    However, one of them disappeared into the patch of grass and led into the unknown forest. Auckes whistled loudly, and an eagle with grey feathers flew down and perched on his shoulder. The eagle knocked on his armor to say hi.


    "Roy told me you were a smart girl, Gryphon. You understand what I''m saying, right?"


    Gryphon whistled.


    "Good. Follow me. I''ll need you to track someone."


    Gryphon whistled again and flew out of the woods, circling in the skies. At the same time, Auckes darted into the forest in pursuit of that ribbon.


    A silhouette was flitting across the forest. The man had long limbs, and he took big steps. The tree trunks, roots, and mulch couldn''t even slow him down in the slightest. He was moving as deftly as an ape in the woods. His ck cloak billowed behind him, and a petite figure rested in his arms.


    Her hair was unkempt, her face was pale, and her eyes were half-closed. Her head was on the man''s shoulder, and she was locked in an iron grip.


    Before she was taken, Vicki only had time to leave her hair band, and then she lost consciousness. Before she did, she could feel despair grabbing her. Just when she finally found a ce to call home, she was taken away unceremoniously. <em>This man is a kidnapper. Where is he taking me to? Skellige Isles? Is he going to marry me off to some old geezer?</em>


    Regret welled up within her, and she made one wish. <em>I just wish the teachers would praise me one more time. Just one more time.</em>


    ***


    An eagle descended and scratched the man''s face. Gashes were made, and blood was drawn. The man grunted in pain and slowed down. An air current mmed into him, sending him flying back.


    The branches and leaves cushioned his fall, and the man quickly stood back up.


    A silhouette in brown leather armor leapt out of the bush beside him, his amber eyes filled with murder.


    The gaunt man in a grey cloak refused to release the girl in his arms. He grabbed the hatchet hanging from his waist, but then he heard someone scoff, and thest thing he saw was a colorful firework. He cked out without seeing what hit him.


    "Nobody touches our children." Auckes spat in the man''s face.


    He checked on Vicki''s breathing and heartbeat and heaved a sigh of relief.


    He pinched her nose, and the girl eventually regained consciousness. When she realized she was in Auckes'' arms, her lips puckered, and her hair swayed. Then she cried. "I-I''m sorry, Auckes. I shouldn''t have run around."


    "Youngdy, the next time you go on an adventure, you tell me first. But you''re smart."


    Vicki was overjoyed that she was praised. Even though she was almost kidnapped moments ago.


    Auckes tied her hair with the hairband she left behind and turned his attention to the would-be kidnapper.


    He was gaunt, his face was almost skeletal, his mustache wasn''t cleaned, and his hair was clumped. But most importantly, he reeked of animal urine and nature.


    "Oh, he''s a hunter? I see how he managed to dodge my traps." Auckes raised his leg and brought it down hard against the unconscious man''s face. Once, twice, thrice, and even more.


    "I''m going to break your face, or my name isn''t Auckes!"


    Marks of Auckes'' boot were imprinted on the hunter''s face. His nose was broken, and his cheeks swelled. Though he was unconscious, the man spasmed.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 379: Meeting at the Seven Cats

    "How do you feel, Vicki? Are you alright?"


    Vicki was back at the orphanage, and everyone huddled around her. They were inches away from her, the worry in their eyes palpable.


    "Does it still hurt?" A girl with pigtails and no front teeth held her friend''s hand and blew on the bruise.


    "I''m alright, Renee. It doesn''t hurt." Vicki nodded. She was moved that her friends cared so much about her. The girl announced, "You didn''t see it, but Auckes was awesome! He beat that bad guy down before he even took me out of the forest!"


    "Who''s the bastard?"


    "A kidnapper, perhaps?"


    "We''re making him pay for what he did to Vicki!"


    The boys were infuriated. Carl, Monti, and the other reserve apprentices stepped forward. Their eyes were glinting viciously, and they announced to Vicki, "We''re kicking that kidnapper''s butt for what he did to you!"


    "He''s going to wish he never did that!"


    "We''ll make him cry like a little baby!"


    Protecting their friends at the orphanage, especially the pretty ones, was their responsibility. Or at least that was what the reserve apprentices thought.


    "Yeah, you guys are tough, fast, and the teachers taught you how to swing a bat!" A short-haired girl with freckles around her nose agreed, and she swung her fists happily. "You can beat him up if you work together!"


    "Hey, they aren''t bats. They''re practice swords!" Carl quickly exined, and then someone smacked him on his head again. "Ow!" The boy held his head.


    "Did you just say you were going to smack someone, kid? Look at yourself. You''d do nothing but scratch him."


    Vesemir made his appearance, and the kids quickly went into their formation and held their heads high. Even Vicki did the same. And this time, no one lost their shoe.


    Vesemir looked at the kids and thought they reacted decently. <em>The brotherhood''s training works. </em>But he didn''t show that recognition outwardly. "Kids, you''re to stay in the ssroom from now on. No leaving the orphanage without permission, and no going into the woods."


    Monti raised his hand. "Sir, how will the kidnapper be dealt with?"


    "He will receive due punishment." Vesemir looked at the shut door behind him, and worry shed in his eyes for a moment. And then he beamed at the children. "And the five of you areing with me to ''swing a bat.'' Plow stance! The rest of you, return to the ssroom and go through yesterday''s lesson. You have a test to take!"


    ***


    The chamber was lit by nothing but a flickering candle. Within it was a man tied to a chair, his eyes ssy. Sitting before him was an old and ckening wooden table, and it was covered with tweezers, pliers, and scalpels.


    A group of men with viper eyes were standing around him.


    "Name?"


    "Jurgen."


    "Age?"


    "Forty-two."


    "Who are you, and where do youe from?"


    "I''m a bounty hunter from Nimnar."


    "Nimnar''s a city in the northeast of Novigrad," Aiden exined. He knew geography better than most people there. "It belongs to Redania."


    Serrit was still casting Axii, and he kept asking, "Why were you in the woods? Why did you kidnap the child?"


    The man shook his head, and his eyes started to glint. There was a struggle happening in his mind.


    "Not talking, eh? We have time." Auckes picked up a scalpel and twirled it around his fingers, but he didn''t get to y.


    Jurgen answered, "A request¡­ to keep an eye on the orphanage¡­ kidnap a girl¡­"


    The witchers'' eyes glinted fiercely. The orphanage was their source of new witchers, and they would not allow anything to happen to the children.


    "Wonder if it''s the sted kidnappers," Lambert guessed.


    "One kid isn''t enough for those hyenas, Lambert." Letho shook his head. "If they want to take the children, they''re going to be a lot louder about it."


    "Why did you want the girl? Where were you going to take her?" Serrit asked. "Who''s your boss?"


    "I was taking her to the southeast outskirts. An alleyway behind Seven Cats Inn. Going to hand her to¡­ to the employer. I don''t know his name or who he is."


    "What does he look like?"


    "About thirty years old. A man. About six feet tall. Fat. Really fat. More than two hundred pounds. Reddish-brown hair, t nose, beady eyes, pale skin, no facial hair¡­"


    The witchers wondered where they had seen that kind of man before, but they couldn''t put a finger on it.


    "I don''t care who the bastard is, but I will cut his hands off for trying to kidnap our kids!" Letho roared while thumping the table.


    "That''s all?" Lambert''s scar turned slightly red. He screeched, "I''ll toss him to the ghouls and watch them tear him apart!"


    They hadn''t been with the kids long, but the witchers wouldn''t let anyone touch them.


    Aiden was raring to go. It wasn''t every day he got to fight alongside a group of witchers, and he wanted to see how adept the brotherhood was at fighting.


    "Calm down, people." Serrit asked, "When were you going to meet up with him?"


    "In a week."


    Serrit grilled Jurgen for a password, possible hidden partners, and the reward for doing this. And then he knocked the hunter out. "We''ve beenx. Can''t believe we allowed a pest to crawl around for two weeks." Serrit shook his head and chortled. "But he''s brave. Charging straight into a dragon''sir for three hundred crowns."


    If more than ten witchers worked together, they could kill a green dragon. In a sense, they were more dangerous than a dragon, and theirir had no gemstones to speak of. No matter what, infiltrating theirir was a wrong and foolish choice.


    "So what do you think?"


    "Probably a request from Bem or Cleaver." Auckes rubbed his chin. "We tried to stay in the shadows, but they probably found us out. Couldn''t let us grow our forces, I think."


    "Might not be the gang lords. Don''t forget who else we''re dealing with," Letho said. "The church is even more on guard against us. Cleaver and Bem at least have an agreement with us. It''s unlikely they would break it."


    "I disagree." Serrit shook his head. "The church isn''t hunting us down as aggressively as they do with other non-humans. Stealing a child isn''t their style."


    "People, may I suggest something?" Aiden interrupted. "Bem, Cleaver, and the church aside, the town hall might be involved in this. You know the upper society hates us for no reason. They take pleasure in getting rid of us."


    Lambert told him he would die because a noble set him up. Of course he had to be more careful.


    The air was somber. None of the witchers ever thought of this before, but now that they thought about it, they did have a lot of hidden enemies. The church, the town hall, Cleaver, and Bem. Any of them would be hard to handle if they came after the witchers.


    "We need to have a contingency n." Letho rubbed his shiny head. "Call Gawain and listen to what he has to say. We''ll prepare for the worst-case scenario ande up with a n to fend off our enemies." He looked at the unconscious witcher. "And we need to make this guy submit. Then we''ll y along and drag the real mastermind out into the light. I want to see who''s behind this kidnapping."


    "It''s been a while since I got some action." Auckes grinned toothily and cracked his knuckles. "So, Alonso''s manor all over again?"


    "Count me in this time." Aiden''s eyes glinted, the burn mark on his chin widening as he smiled.


    "Did any of you think this through? Modern problems require modern solutions!" Serrit retorted. "We pull another Alonso''s manor, and we''re gonna be fugitives!" He said, "Even if we have to fight, we need to keep the battle at a minimum. Don''t ruin the city too much. We''re not only working for ourselves now. The orphanage needs to go on."


    "Should we call for Roy, Eskel, and Felix?" Lambert asked.


    "Not at the moment." Letho answered, "We''ll have to cover for them. One extra patrol for the night, and tell the kids to stay away from the woods. You keep an eye on them ande up with an exit strategy. I''ll see Gawain in the afternoon."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 380: Gawains Suggestion

    Underground Laboratory, Temple Ind.


    On theboratory theater was a lean, slender man in thin clothes curled up like a fetus. He was clutching his belly, shivering and chattering. The trembling undted across his body, starting from his belly. It ebbed and flowed like waves, crashing against even the man''s fingertips and every strand of hair on his body.


    Beads of sweat trickled down the man''s cheeks, drenching the operating theater. His face was contorted in agony, and his eyes were closed. He was clenching his teeth so hard, they could be crushed at any moment. His gums, like his skin, were red, as if they had been dipped in boiling water.


    The veins under his skin wriggled and writhed like catfish stuck in the mud. Standing beside the operating theater was a gorgeousdy in a ck silk dress. With one hand, she patted his back, and with the other, she touched his forehead.


    Her beautiful eyes were clear, iridescent blue, but her lustrous crimson lips were pursed. There was worry and reluctance lurking in her eyes. The n was for Roy to handle Fear all by himself, but Lytta''s heart went out for him. Thed was in agony.


    "I''ll try to relieve some of the pain."


    "No, you will not!" Thed regained a sliver of his sanity and tried his hardest to turn around. A hint of resolve shed in his golden eyes, and he gave Lytta a look of reassurance. He extended his scorching, trembling hand and held Lytta''s hand tightly. "Trust me. I can deal with this."


    Roy did not like this hell one bit, but he had to go through it. The virus had to destroy his immune system if he wished to be the perfect vessel for the Manticore''s Trial, and yet his powerful body was proving to be a burden in this hurdle. This was just the first of three viruses. <em>Everyone''s putting in all they have. I can''t fail them.</em>


    "Breathe¡­"


    Roy''s cheeks were almost distorted from the suffering he was going through. Sweat poured forth from the skin like water spurting through a fountain. His muscles were wriggling and writhing like earthworms digging through the soil, while sweat and tears trickled down the corner of his eyes.


    Yet the young witcher held on. He clenched his teeth and concentrated on his character sheet only to find his HP nearing zero. <em>Activate! </em>And with that, Roy regained fifty-one points of HP.


    A cool sensation traveled from his head through his body, and it finally coursed into his veins. The pain was no longer unbearable, and he could turn aroundfortably. Gurgles escaped his lips, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Then it seemed like a current of electricity ran from his head to his toe.


    He grinned at the sorceress, as if the virus failed to affect him at all. "The brothers will take care of the kids. I''ll handle the mutation."


    ***


    A certain manor, Novigrad''snd of the rich.


    Gawain was in a purple silk robe that day. He was having tea in the drawing room as he awaited his weekly sword practice to begin. He was no swordsman, but Gawain took pleasure in the exercise. But more importantly, if he had the witchers around him, then no longer would he have to fear the church.


    Someone knocked on the door, and in came a bald, burly man. "Good afternoon, Gawain."


    "Hello, Letho. Shall we begin?" Gawain stood up, all ready to go. He spun around with some difficulty and raised his hand up as if he were holding a de. Then he moved his palm and forearm forward in a weak attempt at the ox stance. "My men can''t wait to learn some new moves. Like the Angel''s March you told us before."


    "Sorry, but I have to let them down today." Letho sat down behind the desk, while Gawain poured some tea and listened to what Letho had to say.


    "We found a little pest roaming in the alder woods."


    Five minutester, the Collector was no longer smiling. He was leaning on his spinning chair. "Nimnar''s bounty hunter is kidnapping the orphans on someone''s orders?" He massaged his temples. "Sorry, but I''ve never seen that bounty hunter before, nor do I have any recollection regarding a pudgy man with reddish-brown hair. But this isn''t a total disaster. The employer isn''t a powerful noble, and he doesn''t hold much power." Gawain said, "I didn''t join those gatherings for nothing. The employer isn''t the leader or deputy of any guild. I''ve memorized all the faces of everyone in upper society thanks to Orloff''s memories and my own experiences."


    "What about the church?" Letho asked.


    "The church is a looming giant. It has branches and believers all over the world. Novigrad is where its headquarters is located. The hierarch is helming the church. He''s been spending more time iming political control than worrying about the welfare of his people. He has no time for a few witchers, not when he''s expanding the church into other cities. And Chappelle, the man who has been on my tail for years, is under my watch. Yet he exhibits no bizarre behavior.


    "The orphanage hasn''t infringed on their rights either, and we''ve been taking great care to never step out of line. There is no reason for the church toe after us. Even if they want to, they need incriminating evidence before they can do anything. Even if they''reing after us, they''d have sent soldiers equipped with swords and dimeritium cuffs, not some random bounty hunter from out of town."


    Letho nodded. Gawain came to the same conclusion they did.


    "But there''s another possibility: the town hall. Some no-name bastard is probably behind this," Gawain guessed. "They probably abhor the fact that witchers are involved in an orphanage. You should know that arge majority of the ruling ss are racists. I''ll keep an eye out for that man the next time they call for a meeting. There are about a hundred council members, and I can''t remember all of them."


    "Thank you, Gawain." Letho paused. "Another question. Is it possible that the other gang lords are involved in this?"


    "It''s been a month or so since Cleaverst contacted me. And Francis is acting really suspiciouslytely." Gawain pushed his chair back and trudged to the windowsill. He put his hands on the sill and answered, "I''ve received troubling news. Over thest couple of weeks, the number of beggars on my turf increased by a quarter, but it makes no sense. Beggars usually dip in numbers when winteres."


    "I noticed that on my way here. They are on high alert and always looking out for something," Letho quipped. "I see Bem is trying to keep an eye on us as well. It''s possible that one of those two sent the bounty hunter after the children."


    Letho sighed. If possible, he would rather not break the peace treaty they worked so hard to get. "Gawain, assuming that either Bem or Cleaver is behind this attempted kidnapping, what do you suggest we do?"


    "No impetuous move, that''s what. I know your team is capable enough to get rid of a couple of regr men. In fact, I have no doubt you can destroy most of their men without breaking a single sweat and ruin their gangs. But there will be hell to pay."


    Gawain knocked on the window, and resignation filled his eyes. "If you do that, you''ll be breaking thew a second time. And this time, all hell will break loose. We''ll be public enemy number one. The church, the town hall, the associations¡­ All of them wille after us."


    "We can''t do anything reckless." Gawain sighed. "You''re our trump cards. Something to intimidate our enemies, to keep them in check. We cannot ask you to fight all the battles. That''s usually done with skirmishes and negotiations. I''ll arrange a meeting with Bem and Cleaver. We''ll talk and find out what their ns are. Then we''ll settle our differences," he suggested. "If they did send that bounty hunter after the children, they will pay for scaring the kids. This act of brash bravado will not go unpunished."


    "Very well."


    ***


    "Is the captive still alive?"


    Letho shrugged. "We''re using him as bait."


    "I see. If you can find out who the employer is, we''ll have more chips on our side during the negotiation. I''ll dispatch a team of fifty to guard the orphanage and the children. Do not worry about their food and lodging. I''ll deal with that."


    A sneer curled Gawain''s lips. "If someone tries to invade our turf and hurt the children, lethal force is permissible."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 381: Keeper of Secrets

    The time was eleven, and the sun was shining bright. And yet Seven Cats Inn was still dark and dreary. The dpidated inn located in Novigrad''s southeast outskirts rose to fame thanks to the seven stray cats roaming around the premises.


    Naturally, the number of cats exploded over the years, though the thugs and goons would kidnap many of the new kittens every year. Still, even more kittens were born, keeping the number of cats roaming around the ce at a consistent ten or so.


    Jurgen was in his usual ck, greasy cloak, and the bounty hunter trudged down the path filled with feces and potholes. His face was covered in bruises, and a visible scab formed on the bridge of his nose.


    There was a heavy sack hanging from his shoulders, and his mustache was untrimmed. He looked just like a hunter who came back from a hunt in the woods. Every step he took made a sickening quelch, and he eventually arrived at the inn. Underneath the peeling white wall, a fat tabby cat meowed with every step Jurgen took. For a moment, it felt like an unskilled musician was holding a mini-performance outside the inn.


    Jurgen looked unfazed as he made a slow turn into the dark, dank alleyway. He left the drawing of a dagger on the moss-filled walls with a charcoal pencil and advanced deeper into the alleyway. Then he leaned on the wall and rested his eyes.


    Sounds of hurried footsteps traveled through the air, and in came a man fully covered in a ck cloak and hood. He went past Jurgen and left through the other end of the alleyway, and then the man circled the inn for five minutes before returning to the alleyway.


    "Take the child ande with me, Muskrat," he whispered quickly at the bounty hunter as he pulled his hood off. Underneath it was a fair, pudgy, and solemn face. His eyes were nted, but the look in them was as sharp as a knife. His cheeks were so heavy they were jowls.


    A frown furrowed Jurgen''s brows, and he opened his eyes, though there was anxiety within them.


    Before he could say anything, the fat man had already nced at the sack on his shoulder, but there was no child within. The only thing inside was yellowing hay. Shocked and rmed, the pudgy man tried to run, but a silhouette leapt down from the walls and stopped him from escaping.


    The first thing the pudgy man saw was a pair of amber, viper eyes and a scowl of fury. He then heard someone jumping down behind him, and the man realized he was surrounded. He hung his head low in defeat and raised his hands to surrender.


    ***


    Jurgen and his correspondent were tied to a chair in a dark chamber sleeping in rural Novigrad. He was looking around nervously only to see a few men ring at him. Letho, Auckes, and Gawain were contemting what to do next.


    "This is Sebastian," Gawain said. "He''s one of the council members and the owner of two boutiques in the business district. His clientele? The rich and the powerful."


    Sebastian was nervous.


    "He acquired a spot on the council through his donations," Gawain said, raising his voice to let the man hear him. "It''s been less than two years since his addition to the council. And now I ask you, Sebastian, why did youe after my orphanage? And why do you think you can challenge the witchers and me? Just because you have a bounty hunter on your side? Or do you think your businesses can support your endeavor?"


    Sebastian chose to remain silent.


    "I''ve told you everything I knew, witchers. Please, spare me!" the pale, gaunt Jurgen begged.


    "Shut up, you!" Auckes taped Jurgen''s mouth and turned his deathly sharp look to the pudgy man. If looks could kill, Sebastian would have died. "You''re not making things easy for us, Mr. Senator. We might be forced to take some¡­ extreme measures. Witcher Signs, so to speak. Oh, no, wait. That''d make things too easy for you. Bear with us here, for soon you''ll lose control of your own bowel movements. Imagine this: your immacte, bespoke attire soiled and caked in your own shit and piss¡­"


    "No, wait, I''ll talk!" Sebastian shouted. "Orloff, witchers, please, calm down." Sebastian tried to force a smile, but it was stiff. His eyes were glinting with cowardice and fear. "You got me. I''ll tell you whatever I know."


    The witchers nodded at him, and the men stared at the senator.


    A sigh escaped Sebastian''s lips, and panic disappeared, reced by dark sadness and sorrow. He looked like a man who had just lost all hope in life, and the light in his eyes seemed to dim.


    "I had no choice. Before I came to Novigrad, I was a resident of Redania''s capital, Tretogor. I ran a tailor shop there and lived with my daughter, Marianne. It was a simple but happy life. Ever since my wife died from abnormalbor, I''ve cherished Marianne. She''s the light and soul of my life. And yet fate yed a cruel joke on us. Four years ago, my lovely Marianne came down with throat distemper. Try as I might, I couldn''t find any cure for her. And she died fromplications."


    He shed a tear, and snot seemed to be drooling from his nose. "I moved to Novigrad and started anew to forget my past. Thanks to my craftsmanship, my business started to boom. And then two years ago, I ran into a girl in the slums by chance." His lips were trembling, and his eyes were glistening with tears. There was a hint of a smile on his lips. "She looked just like Marianne. I was overjoyed. Ecstatic. I thought perhaps that was the Eternal Fire''s blessing. It blessed me with another daughter. A chance at redemption."


    He was almost shouting at that point. "I swore I would take her in and provide her with the best things life had to offer. But then a few brats chased her away, so I ran after her, shouting and calling out to the girl." There was regret in his eyes. "And yet she kept running away. I couldn''t catch up to her, all because I was fat. I tried my best to find that girl. Even set up a request on the bulletin board, but in the end¡­" He gave the men a fearful look.


    "She joined the orphanage, didn''t she?" Auckes gave the man a knowing look.


    "Yes."


    "What''s her name?"


    "I don''t know, but her hair shines as brightly as the afternoon sun. She''s about seven or eight years old, and she''s a frail kid. But she has a beautiful face."


    "Why didn''t youe to us, then?" Gawain asked. "If you were nice to her, she might have gone with you."


    Sebastian''s jowls trembled. He gulped and stared at the men carefully. "Y-You''re an infamous man, and I thought you had other ns for the children. You did build the orphanage in a fairly secluded ce, so I thought I shouldn''t make any outrageous requests."


    Gawainughed and shook his head. <em>Oh yeah. Everyone still thinks Orloff is a pervert.</em>


    "Taking someone who belongs to you would spell the end of me." Sebastian turned his attention to the silent bounty hunter. "So I hired a veteran to take Marianne away when your attention was elsewhere. I''m sorry I-I crossed you." The man struggled. His eyes were filled with genuine guilt, and it looked like he might grovel to the men to pay for his mistakes.


    "I''ll take any punishment, but please, let me see the child!"


    A long silence ensued, and the men exchanged a look.


    All of a sudden, Auckes snickered and ruined the dramatic air, and then he pretended to p. "That was remarkable acting, senator."


    "The movement of your brows, the frequency of your blinks, and even the tremblings of your facial muscles. They were perfect," Gawain continued. He spent most of his life pretending to be someone else, and the experience granted him some insight into acting.


    "And that''s the biggest w." Letho smiled. "You were kidnapped by a few mutants and the infamous Collector¡ªI mean infamous before a particr moment in time, Collector. Pardon me¡ªand yet you managed to y the part of a worried father looking for his daughter even in a dire situation like this. But then a perfect act is also why we know you''re a fake."


    "Did you graduate from the school of theater? Or are you one of their acting staff members?" Auckes sped his hands together and cracked them as he snarled at the senator.


    The witcher stabbed a scalpel into the table''s surface. "Since you love acting so much, we''ll y with you. This time, you''re ying a hero who won''t yield no matter what, while we''re going to be your tormentors." Auckes smiled at Gawain. "You might want to leave, Collector. It''s going to be bloody."


    Gawain was not worried in the least. In fact, he was gushing with excitement. The instinct bubbling within Orloff''s body was telling him to stay and witness the bloody interrogation, but he held it down. "Don''t kill them, you two."


    "Naturally."


    And then the door was shut. But then the screams started.


    "No! Not there! NOOOOOOO!"


    Gawain leaned on the wall and closed his eyes. The screams and howls of terror were like nectar to his ears. He felt his chest heave, and his cheeks were getting red with indulgence, but Gawain quickly shook his head and pped himself.


    He muttered something under his breath and left the ce.


    ***


    Half an hourter, the witchers emerged from the chamber looking all solemn.


    "Did you find anything, witchers?" Gawain approached them. "Is he rted to Bem, Cleaver, or someone in the council?"


    Letho shook his head, the look on his face grim. "We used Axii on him and subjected the guy to torture, but his answer is still the same."


    "Maybe we made a mistake." Gawain rubbed his chin. "Perhaps he was telling the truth."


    "No. Something''s telling me he has a secret." Auckes looked sure of himself.


    Letho rubbed his shiny head. "There''s another possible exnation for this: Sebastian is a master at keeping secrets because he was trained for it. Neither Signs nor torture can affect him, but only the people of an ancient, gigantic kingdom have the resources to build an intelligence department capable to administering that kind of training."


    Something somber was hanging in the air. They could smell theing of another crisis, and Gawain turned his gaze to the ground. <em>Is there no avenue to make the man tell us his true goal?</em>


    "Witchers, I have an idea." Gawain balled his fists and loosened them up. There was a hint of trepidation hanging on his face. "I can mimic Sebastian and read his memories. I <em>am </em>a doppler after all. And I can find out why he''s really here."


    Delighted, the witchers were about to ask Gawain to go on with it, but they noticed the dilemma in his eyes.


    "There''s a restriction to that, isn''t there?"


    "I am a rtively young doppler, and my powers are limited," Gawain answered bitterly. "Once I change into someone else, switching back to Orloff will prove to be a difficult task, unless I can witness his corpse again. Hisplete corpse. s, you''ve tossed him into the waters."


    If Gawain changed into Sebastian, he would never be able to change back into Orloff. He would lose his life of luxury and all the power he had, while the witchers would lose a powerful ally.


    "Forget it. There must be another way." Letho shook his head. "At least we have a lead now. I''ll scour his house and see if there''s any other clue."


    Auckes said, "Gawain, contact the other gang lords and find out what they''re doing. See if they''re rted to this guy."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 382: Anonymous Tips

    It was a sleepy winter afternoon in Gildorf, thend of the wealthy in Novigrad. Gildorf was decked out with every kind of amenity and resplendent house, making it one of the best districts in the city after the business district.


    Gorgon Inn stood beside the rowdy marketce, and there were three groups of people standing silently in a triangle formation. On one side stood a group of dwarves equipped with warhammers and axes. Standing in the lead was a proud dwarf with a Mohican hairstyle and a butcher knife hanging around his belt¡ªCleaver. Standing beside him was a bald man in a hooded cape.


    The two of them seemed to be allies, and the bald man was fiddling with the gold ring hanging on his index finger as he stared at the opposition in silence.


    Before him sat three burly, powerful witchers and a man in a long, purple robe. "Francis, Bem, thank you for joining us in these uncertain times."


    "What do you want, Orloff Byrd?" Cleaver spat. "Spit it out. I don''t have time to waste on people I don''t like."


    Auckes and Serrit were surprised. Cleaver''s attitude underwent a drastic changepared to thest time they met. At the very least, he was still polite back in the underground ring, though only on the surface. This time, however, they could almost feel his enmity overflow.


    Bem looked around him. The unkempt beggars hiding under the bridge, the alleyway entrance, and some quiet corner looked back at him. Even the gentle king of the Putrid Grove was starting tosh out at the witchers, unlike his usual self. "I know Cleaver''s temper leaves a lot to be desired, but at least he''s no hypocrite. The Collector, witchers, I have a question. Are you as genuine as Cleaver here can be? Or is the ballroom nothing but a mask for your true intentions?"


    "I don''t think I''ve crossed either of you, have I?" The Collector was confused. "And the witchers didn''t break the treaty either. Why do you take such a hostile stance against us? There must be some misunderstanding we can settle."


    "You know what you did." Cleaver pinched his beard and scoffed at the witchers. "I am no saint, but I don''t kill innocents however I like. I have a creed I would never break. There are some things you should never do. If any of my men tried to dabble in forbidden dealings, I would have chopped them up and fed them to the dogs."


    Bem shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. "I am no saint either, but I am no animal. There are things I mustn''t do, or I will wind up in hell when I die."


    "Wait, what are you talking about?" Letho rubbed the top of his head again. "We''ve done nothing but run the orphanage and take in homeless children. Is that what this is? Is this about the orphanage?"


    "So you confess!" Cleaver snorted.


    "And? What do you propose?" Serrit mocked, "Leave them to their fates? Do nothing or we''re condemned to hell? Please, we''re doing charity here. There is no need to twist our actions to fit your narrative."


    The dwarf sat up straighter and scraped his knife. With a voice as hoarse as rocks grinding against one another, he said, "The children have lost their homes and parents. Fate has already tormented them enough. Why did you subject them to even more pain, witchers?"


    Bem stopped fiddling with his ring. "We know witchers abduct children of innocent citizens through the machinations of the Law of Surprise. Unlike the lies told by the ballroom''s actors, we know witchers take those children to a remote ce and subject them to inhumane mutations. Your goal is to turn them into abominations who have viper eyes and monstrous bodies. And the test subjects have to go through hell only to end up as mutants. And I know only three out of ten children survive the mutation. Witchers, I know you didn''t establish the orphanage out of the kindness of your hearts. You''re trying to create more mutants like you."


    The Vipers exchanged a look. They knew the gang lords were privy to what they were doing, yet they didn''t think what they did was wrong. <em>But who told them about the Trial''s sess rate? Not everyone is privy to that.</em>


    "And yet that is still not enough for you." Cleaver shot Gawain a nasty look. "You roped the Collector¡ªa mad scientist who''s also a fan of human experimentation¡ªinto your experiments. You turned him into your sponsor and protector while he tortures the children even more. Don''t even deny your crimes, Orloff. You didn''t clean them up as much as you thought. The innocents who died by your hands can fill up a whole bathhouse. And we''ve also heard of your bloody exhibit. It''s why you changed how you view the witchers so quickly. You love human experimentation, while the witchers are experts in the subject of mutation."


    The witchers and Gawain finally realized where the misunderstanding stemmed from. Bem and Cleaver had a point. As they didn''t know better, they would think a pervert like Orloff would work together with the witchers¡ªfalsely infamous for child kidnapping¡ªto experiment on orphans.


    "Pardon me, but allow me to ask you a question. Who told you about this?" Serrit asked. "Is it a senator called Sebastian?"


    The witchers noticed the gang lords'' confusion. It was apparent the name was unfamiliar to them.


    "We don''t know any senators here. An anonymous letter came our way and told us of your evil ns." Cleaver shook his head. "And anyone who''s not blind knows what you''re doing, or at least they have a good guess about it. And you called this meeting just in time. Bem and I are going to retract the peace treaty!" the dwarf shouted. His brethren exhaled heavily, ready to fight if a battle broke out. "And from now on, you''re forbidden from taking any poor orphans off the streets of Novigrad. Humans, part-elves, half-elves, or even dwarves. Break that rule and I''ll show you what my little friend can do." Cleaver took a step forward, and his brethren followed.


    "I see you would like to be reunited with thete Alonso, Cleaver." Letho smiled.


    Cleaver froze up like he was strangled. Then he took a step back, the color on his face slowly fading away.


    "Now can you hand over the letters so I can refute every point it makes?"


    "It''s not with me!" Cleaver''s hair was swaying sadly.


    "Let''s get back on topic. How far along have you gone in your experiment?" Bem asked. "How many children are left? How many are alive?"


    "They''re all alive." Serrit raised his head up, a smile hanging on his lips. He wasn''t even mad at the question. All he did was brush it off.


    "Don''t bullshit me." Bem arched his eyebrows.


    "Oh, it''s not bullshit. The little tykes are alive and well," Auckes retorted. "And they''re doing a lot better than the kids working under you, the orphans the church took in, or the kids sold to Skellige."


    Bem froze as well.


    "I don''t think you''ll believe us with no proof." Letho suggested, "Rather thaning up with preposterous, uncorroborated crimes for us, why don''t you pay a visit to the orphanage yourself? Ask the children if the perverted witchers and Orloff have tortured them in the least. Or if we''ve experimented on them."


    "Fat chance." Cleaver shook his head. "You just want to lure us into a trap so you can take us all out."


    "You may bring a few more associates if that will make you feel more secure," Orloff suggested. "We don''t mind. Oh, don''t tell me the gang lords of Novigrad are scared of a small group of witchers?"


    "As if! If you pull any tricks, I''ll drag you down if that''s thest thing I do!"


    ***


    At the same time, a young boy was standing outside the Eternal Fire''s headquarters on the Temple Ind. He looked around and, when the priestess in white wasn''t looking, slipped a letter into the donations box. He then bowed at the Eternal Fire and made his departure as if he hadn''t done anything.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 383: Real Goal

    Theboratory


    The Manticore''s Trial was now in its critical phase. Roy entered a strange state after he was infected with the third strain of virus. Everything around him was a floating fog, thick and viscous, and all he could see was darkness. There was no sound nor light around him. Most of his senses were robbed from him. He couldn''t even feel his limbs, and even time itself seemed to stop.


    However, his mind was still awake. The void was fear. The void was terror, and that same terror was slowly growing within the young witcher, engulfing him. His consciousness was starting to fall deeper into the depths of this dark void, but eventually, something warm touched him. It felt like his mother was patting his back. Her gentle murmurs shone bright like a beacon, showing his soul where he should go. Roy finally broke free of the long, dark dream and stepped onto the path that would lead him toward the light.


    Lytta was right beside the operating theater. She held his hand and brushed her finger across his palm. The sorceress hummed and whispered softly into the witcher''s ears.


    Serenity. That was what Roy looked like. He looked at peace, almost as if he were sleeping, but the bulging veins under his skin almost made him look like a monster.


    Sometimes his brows would furrow as nightmares took a hold of him. And then the sorceress would caress his forehead like a gentle mother.


    A bulky, yellow griffin was lying right beside him. It licked Roy''s face and let out a harrowing howl, as if it could feel the agony its master was going through.


    "Don''t worry, Gryphon. He can do this. Trust him," Coral said, though it sounded like she was talking to herself.


    ***


    The House of Gawain was standing peacefully among the alder woods, but they were receiving a group of uninvited guests that day.


    Hundreds of armed dwarves and gaunt, unkempt men were nking the entrance. Leading this troop was Cleaver and Bem, and they were looking around. Within the yellow fence stood five wooden houses neighboring each other. They weren''t as grand as the houses in the city, but they looked adorable.


    Colorful doodles that decorated the walls gleamed under the sunlight, and the racks in the yard had little trinkets hanging from them. A breeze blew across the orphanage, and the miniature windmill started to turn, bells chiming.


    The ce looked like a peaceful abode hidden away from the chaos of the world. Not one fallen leaf was found in the yard, and the ground was even, unlike the muddy paths littering most viges. Apparently, the showrunners took some time and effort to fix this ce.


    Cleaver and Bem nodded. At the very least, this orphanage didn''t look like a ughterhouse or torture chamber, but they kept looking. A row of bizarre wooden stakes stood in the corner of the yard, while the children were all gathered in the ssroom. Some were giving the gang lords curious stares, and a wizened witcher was writing on the wooden board in front of the ss.


    The remaining witchers were standing side-by-side with the Collector. They were on high alert, not unlike bodyguards. There were two new faces in addition to the Vipers and Cats the gang lords sawst time.


    "I didn''t know you guys gained new allies." Cleaver looked at Lambert and Aiden warily. "Last time we met, there were five of you. Who are these new guys?"


    "Cats." Letho crossed his arms and looked at the troops brought by the gang lords. Calmly, he said, "We''re short on manpower, so we enlisted some help. Witchers live as long as dwarves, we''re literate, and we fight well. We can be the kids'' teachers and protect them at the same time. Kidnappers are always prowling around Novigrad, so there''s a need to be careful."


    "What about the stakes and the log hanging from the tree?" Bem gave the witchers sharp looks. Cats were infamous for their unsavory actions, and their presence served to deepen his suspicion. "I''ve never seen those before. Are those your torture tools?"


    "No. It''s training equipment. Witcher schools have it, but not anywhere else." Letho exined, "Running around these things can sharpen the children''s reflexes. And jumping from stake to stake while they dodge the pendulum is a good way to train their bnce and reflexes."


    "Can''t believe you guys came up with that idea." Cleaver was wondering if he should get a set for his men as well. "So what''s the houses'' deal?"


    "From left to right: the toilet, kitchen and store room, boys'' bedroom, girls'' bedroom, and thest one is the ssroom. The children are in ss right now. Vesemir''s teaching them."


    Bem had conflicting emotions about this. There were about two hundred of them surrounding the orphanage, but the witchers were still going on with ss like nobody''s business. <em>Aren''t they worried?</em>


    "Do you have any other houses in the woods?"


    "No. Sorry, you don''t get to see theb."


    The gang lords exchanged a look.


    "Can we look around?" Bem gesticted.


    "Be our guest," Gawain said. "But you''d better leave your men outside. I don''t want them to scare the children."


    "Oh, yeah. True. Sorry." Cleaver barked at the dwarves behind him, especially the one closest him, "You, yeah, you! The fuck you ring at? You''re scaring the kids!"


    "But sir, you told me to ''look menacing''," a dwarf with slicked-back hair and a beer gut said to his smirking leader.


    "Like that''d be useful in the face of death! Now piss off!"


    The dwarves took a huge step back. Bem gave the same order, and he asked, "Since you im that this is a regr orphanage, then tell me, how do you schedule the children''s daily life?"


    "Good question." Auckes bragged, "We came up with a rigid schedule that''s sure to raise them up into contributing members of society."


    The gang lords shot Auckes weird looks, and the witcher shrugged. "Okay, fine. That was an exaggeration, but they can still get a job when they grow up. They wake up at six in the morning for exercise. The boys train around the stakes, while the girls run around the yard."


    "You''d ask the girls to train as well?" Cleaver grabbed his beard.


    Most girls didn''t even know the concept of training. Handling the chores, feeding the livestock, and cleaning up was hard enough for them. Daughters of nobility might hire tutors if they wanted to learn how to swing a sword or ride a horse, but that was all.


    "Hey, can''t afford to get sick if you''re dirt poor. They have to train if they wanna stay healthy. But back to the point. Morning exercise goes on for an hour and a half, then it''s breakfast time."


    A suspicious Cleaver interrupted once more. "You''re making breakfast for a bunch of orphans?"


    "Yeah, we''re not tormentors, for gods'' sake. Training makes people hungry, and we won''t let them starve. They need to eat," Letho answered matter-of-factly. "On the name of my school, I swear we never skimp on food for the kids."


    "I''d say we provide better food than the orphanage in the church." Lambert thumped his chest and opened the kitchen''s door.


    There was a cauldron sitting over a fire, and the fatdy was stirring the stew. She was shaking her hips and humming a tune, though she was a bad hummer.


    Steam rose into the air, and pieces of meat, carrots, and potatoes rolled around in the stew. The basket around the cooking area was filled with cooked eggs, bread, and fresh lobster and crab.


    Cleaver sniffed the air. He could smell the tantalizing scent of onion and lemon juice, and his stomach started to rumble. As always, the dwarf went to the cauldron and tried to take a crab, but the fatdy smacked his hand with adle and shot him a re.


    Cleaver pulled his hand back like it was scalded by hot fire.


    "If you''re still hungry, you can have an egg and bread." Serrit stood before the fatdy. "Then we can have lunch. You''ll see how the kids are ''tortured.''"


    "I''ll pass on the food, thanks." Cleaver wiped the sweat off his hands on his shirt. The stern attitude he took on earlier was not as intense anymore. "I have to say you provide good food. It''s better than what we eat. But this must cost a lot."


    "Can''t starve the children."


    "That''s generous of you." Bem narrowed his eyes. "Did you put on a show just for us?"


    "Hasty conclusion. You should see more before you make your decision. Time to see the bedroom. The witchers share a room with the boys, while thedy here shares the girls'' bedroom. And don''t give me that look, Cleaver, or I will make you kiss your own ass. Witchers aren''t pedophiles."


    Cleaver looked away sheepishly.


    "ss starts after breakfast. The kids learn how to read and write. Mostly in northern Common Speech. And then it''s lunchtime."


    Letho kept exining how the orphanage was run, and the gang lords listened to him. Eventually, they found themselves on the bench in the yard, staring at each other. No longer were they fierce and righteous.


    Cleaver was looking at the witchers weirdly. He thought they were mad, but what they did was deserving of respect. The voice in his head told him the witchers were telling the truth. They never tortured the children, nor did they perform any dangerous experiments on them. He was sure of that after witnessing how happy and healthy the children were.


    Bem heaved a sigh. "Witchers, the Collector, are you rted to Lebioda in some form?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    "Because what you''re doing is simr to the actions of a saint. Are you telling me you''re actually altruists?" There was disbelief in Bem''s voice, but he also sounded kind and friendly. "You''re providing better lives for the children than most families in Novigrad can, and to what end? Are you trying to raise students smart enough to study in Oxenfurt?"


    The witchers smiled and changed the topic. "I take it the misunderstanding is cleared up, gentlemen? Why don''t you talk to the children? Perhaps they''ll give you a different answer."


    Cleaver hung his head low like a defeated rooster.


    "No. We''re not blind, nor are we fools." Bem circled the group and sighed. "But we made the wrong move. The tip misguided us, and our prejudice led us on an incorrect path."


    The witchers shrugged it off. "Can we see the letter?"


    The gang lords whipped out a letter, and the witchers read through it. "Hm, the handwriting''s the same. ''Witchers and Orloff are performing evil experiments on the children in the House of Gawain, an orphanage operating in rural Novigrad¡­ Theponents include Mother''s Tears, Wildrye Juice, wolfsbane, and bedonna¡­ Only three out of ten can survive the experiment. Even if they pass the experiment, they will be forever disfigured and their minds ruined.''"


    The witchers looked grim. "This isn''t a total lie. Someponents are correct, but some are wrong. Bedonnas and wolfsbane aren''t used."


    "And the part about the sess rate is frighteningly on point, if we don''t have a mage''s help, that is." Lambert massaged his temples in frustration. "They took their time to look into us."


    Gawain wagged the letter. "How did you receive this letter in the first ce, gentlemen?"


    "Some mysterious guy generously donated a few crowns to a beggar boy under the bridge two weeks ago and told him to bring this letter to us." Bem shook his head. "The boy said the donor covered themselves up entirely. He didn''t know what he looked like."


    "Two weeks ago, one of my most trusted lieutenants drank too much at Spear''s Pit, and then he woke up to a letter beside him," Cleaver answered. "He read through it and thought it was an emergency, so that''s how I got the letter. And then I paid Bem a visit. Reached a decision to cease the treaty and disassociate ourselves with child abusers. However, I see now that it was rash. I''m sorry, witchers." He bowed down shamefully, his beard touching the ground. "We believed the rumors too readily and sullied your name when you''re actually doing good."


    That bow was the greatest apology in dwarf culture.


    "I''m ashamed that nobody saw who the guy was, and I have spies everywhere in this city." An apologetic Bem bowed as well.


    "That guy wasn''t your regr Novigradian." Letho''s lips curled downward. He guessed, "They''re good scouts who know how to escape detection, and they''ve done their research on witchers. I take it that you don''t know who Sebastian is?"


    "Never saw that guy." The gang lords shook their heads.


    Lambert shot the quiet Aiden a look, and he went into the restroom only toe back with their captives: Jurgen and the fat man.


    "Please, have mercy. I¡¯m sorry!" The fat man''s face was as swollen as a big balloon from all the torture. He was almost unrecognizable, but the guy could still shout. He groveled before the witchers like a sniveling kid and banged his head against the ground. "Have mercy. I won''t kidnap the children again. Please! Please don''t lock us in the toilet."


    "Are you going to talk?"


    "But I''ve told you everything I know!" The crying senator raised his head in confusion and begged for his life. He was an inch away from kissing everyone''s boots.


    "Yeah, keep talking." Aiden taped his mouth again.


    "These guys were nning to steal one of our kids two weeks ago, but we caught them," Serrit exined. "And that''s about the same time you received the letter. Both of these events are a n to ruin us, and I don''t think that''s a coincidence."


    "But I don''t know these people." Bem rubbed his ring.


    "Never seen these sons of bitches." Cleaver spat and pped the fat man again, making his cheek swell even further. "Tell me, did you send this letter? Were you trying to pit us against the witchers, you bastard?"


    The senator made muffled noises.


    "Guy''s a tough nut to crack. Told us the same story every time, but I bet the guy who gave you the letters is rted to him."


    "I don''t care who the guy is. They yed me like a fiddle, and I''ll tear them apart. I''ll stuff them in a sack and feed them to the sharks, or my name is not Cleaver!"


    "Calm down, Cleaver. Now is not the time to unleash your fury." Serrit gave hispanions a look, and they took the captives back into the toilet. "Our priority is to find out how these events are connected. They''re trying to nder us using these letters and force us into breaking the peace treaty. And¡ª"


    Bem frowned and interrupted calmly, "But there''s one thing I don''t understand. If that pig''s employer is trying to ruin you, why wouldn''t they go straight to the church or the town hall? Why did they take the roundabout way of tipping us off? We''re not the judge, jury, or executioner."


    "Because they want you to call the peace treaty off so we''re all alone and isted. And the church is an official organization. They need evidence to convict us." Serrit said, "Yes, they need evidence. The guy had to kidnap one of the children and brainwash them into thinking we were the abusers. If they have a witness on their side, it''d be a deadly blow to us."


    "Even if the witness'' testimony was fake, it wouldn¡¯t matter. We''d be seen as monsters and abusers. We''d be left with no allies or help, and the church would¡ª"


    Thunderous footsteps were approaching the woods, and everyone turned around. A big group of people appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and they were approaching the orphanage like a wave crashing onto the shore.


    There were at least two hundred people, and all of them were in ck clothes and leather helmets. A sword hung from their belts, and every single one of them was equipped with amia.


    The one in the lead was a pale, sickly man with rashes on his cheeks and eyes that gleamed like metal. He was in a tight, white shirt, and this man was none other than the Chancellor of Security and the leader of the church''s guards¡ªChappelle.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 384: Our Home

    "Orloff, Bem, Cleaver, and witchers. Why are you gathered here? Trying to hold another tournament? Or are you going for another Wiley''s manor?"


    Nobody said a thing. They were still in the dark about the whole situation.


    "I''m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your activities muste to an early end." Chappelle turned his attention to the witchers and said sternly, "Witchers, someone told us you and Orloff are conducting inhumane experiments in this orphanage, torturing innocent orphans."


    Gawain paled a little. A hint of fear appeared in his eyes, and he hid behind the witchers. It had been two years since he saw Chappelle in person, but he was still as stern and cold as Gawain remembered. Just the sight of him alone reminded Gawain of the stench of blood and the howls of non-humans. But something was off. The silver item Chappelle always brought along with him was nowhere to be seen, and Gawain fell into his own thoughts.


    The witchers stared at all the soldiers surrounding them, and they curled up a little while they reached for their weapons. If need be, they could fight at a moment''s notice, but then Serrit gave them a look. "Calm down, people. This is not what we expected, so let''s see what happens first. For the children."


    The witchers tensed up.


    "Chappelle, this is a misunderstanding." Bem stepped forth and exined, "Like you, Cleaver and I were duped by the very same letter. The letter that used the witchers of inhumane conduct. Believing it to be true, we came and demanded an exnation."


    "And?" Chappelle asked.


    "And we found it to be horseshit. We''ve checked the whole ce, but there''s no hint of any experiment being conducted here. This is nder. A prank. Someone''s ying us like a fiddle."


    A long silenceter, Chappelle cocked his eyebrows. With three soldiers and a priestess by his side, he entered the orphanage. Most of the soldiers remained beyond the fence, on guard against the gang lords'' men. "May I have a look at your letter, gentlemen?"


    Chappelle held the letters and went through it, then he took out the letter he received topare the three. Momentster, an unpleasant smile curled his lips. "Francis, Cleaver, you know no good wille from deceiving the church." Chappelle threatened, "Even if you''re the rulers of the underground, that is no excuse for deception."


    "On my name, I swear I am telling the truth and nothing but the truth," Bem answered without missing a beat.


    Cleaver roared furiously, "I swear I am telling the truth. If I told even one lie, I''d cut my tongue off!"


    Chappelle nodded and shook his head. "Evil can hide themselves far deeper than you can imagine. You''re not professionals, so you might have missed something."


    He swung his hand down, and the remaining guards swarmed the yard.


    The witchers exchanged a look, and Chappelle said, "Witchers, if you wish to prove your innocence, then you will allow my men to search every inch of this orphanage. And summon the children. All of them. We''ll have to ask them questions and check for any signs of abuse."


    "Keep your men in check. They''re not allowed to destroy any facilities we have here," Letho growled like an angry lion. "And don''t scare the kids. Oh, and we have two would-be kidnappers held captive in the toilet. You can deal with themter."


    ***


    The sun had risen to its zenith. On most days, the kids would be having lunch, but now they were silent. There were a lot of people in the yard, and it looked like a huge group of ants were gathering for work. Every inch of the orphanage was taken up by people, including the flowerbeds and fields outside. They were doing their best to dig up everything they thought was suspicious, and they wouldn''t stop until they found some secret chamber or corpse.


    The chicks were chirping loudly, while the children were told to line up beside the ssroom''s wall, and Vesemir made sure they didn''t step out of line.


    The children were staring at the people who were going around their home, and they were keeping a nervous eye on their pets, but none of them were afraid.


    Chappelle went through the throng and approached the children. "Are they all here, witchers?"


    "All twenty of them. One is a witcher apprentice," the Collector answered. "We''ve told the town hall about this. It''s all registered."


    "Very well." Chappelle gave his best attempt at a warm smile, and he pped. "Children, I am Chappelle, the church''s Chancellor of Security. One of my duties is to keep children away from harm. I''m only going to ask you some questions, so don''t be afraid. Do please tell me the truth, for your future''s sake."


    "We''re not scared!" one of the taller boys shouted. "The teachers will protect us!"


    "One at a time now. Answer the gentleman''s questions, and we can all go back to ss." Vesemir smiled.


    Chappelle looked at the boy who answered his question and noticed his pointy ears. <em>A part-elf. </em>"What is your name, boy?"


    "Acamuthorm."


    Chappelle turned to the witchers. "May I have a second with the boy, witchers? I won''t harm him, don''t worry."


    ***


    Chappelle and the boy were standing in the corner of the yard, away from everyone. The man hunkered down and forced another smile, though it looked tortured. "Acamuthorm, I understand you''ve been here for two months. How is life for you? What do you think of your friends and teachers?"


    "Life has never been better," the boy blurted. "This is probably what heaven feels like."


    Chappelle froze in shock. "Can you borate? Why do you like this pce so much?"


    "We have great food, a roof over our heads, nice teachers, and caring friends."


    "Are you sure?" Chappelle''s lips twitched. "The teachers¡­ I mean the witchers, they never abused you before?"


    The boy stared at Chappelle''s face and shouted, "Of course not!"


    "We have time. Think it through," Chappelle lowered his voice and pointed at all the guards around. "Don''t worry about your teachers hearing us. Look, these soldiers are here to keep you safe. Even if you tell me the truth, the witchers won''ty a finger on you."


    "They didn''t abuse me!" Acamuthorm answered with adamance in his voice.


    Chappelle poked his temples and stared at the boy. He didn''t look like an orphan or a part-elf who would get picked on easily. He was more like a cult member. <em>Look at him. He''s healthy and full of energy. The boy probably eats better than my soldiers. </em>"Did the witchers tell you to take any weird potions or food like mice and bugs?"


    Acamuthorm shot Chappelle a look of disdain that said, ''What are you, a pervert?''


    "You''re strong, boy. Next."


    The next child was a girl with pigtails and missing teeth called Renee. She stared at him, and her cheeks started to quiver.


    "Now, Renee, if you tell me how the orphanage abuses you, I''ll take you to the church. We''ll raise you into a noble priestess. You shall be the center of everyone''s attention," Chappelle goaded her gently. "Everyone will respect you. You will be loved. All you have to do is tell me the truth."


    "Huh?" The girl grabbed her pigtails, and she frowned. She stammered, "But I can''t make things up."


    "Just tell me the truth."


    "I can''t make stories up. We''ve never been abused," she answered stubbornly as she clenched her fists.


    Chappelle went on with the next one, and the next, and the next, all the way until thest child. Surprisingly, none of the children had anything bad to say. Some of the rowdiers boys even rolled their eyes at Chappelle.


    This was the first time Chappelle encountered something like this. All orphanages were corrupt in some areas. All of them abused children to some degree. Some would yell at them or ration the food, while some went even further.


    Having a filling meal was a tall order in this era, and feeding so many mouths would cause problems eventually. If the showrunner had a bad temper, the kids would be on the receiving end of abuse. Even in the church''s orphanage, the priests were stern and heartless. The food they provided was only enough for the children to fill their bellies.


    All of them hadints, but that was not the case with the House of Gawain. The children didn''t look like orphans. They were more like kids who grew up in a happy family.


    ***


    The questioning came back with no results, but the priestess who checked the children found something.


    "Witchers, you im there''s no abuse here, so how do you exin these bruises?" Chappelle demanded.


    "Chappelle, that''s normal. Some kids are rowdier than most, and you''re telling them they can''t whip those kids into shape? Do you expect the witchers to treat them like royalty?"


    "Cleaver is right." Bem rubbed his ring and nodded. "Parents have the right to discipline their children, and the witchers are the kids'' guardians now. They too have the right to guide them onto the right path. And these bruises aren''t even that serious." Bem nced at Carl, who was reluctantly letting the priestess check on him.


    There were bruises on his back and thighs. And Bem also saw some old wounds on him. He scoffed. "Even if you bring this to the court and hire a professionalwyer to defend your case, the witchers will still win, hands down."


    Chappelle rubbed his chin and fell into silence.


    Serrit stepped forth and exined, "Chappelle, these bruises aren''t caused by any abuse. The kids often fall from the stakes or get hit by practice swords during training. If you look closely, only five of them are bruised. They need to learn a skill or two. If they master some swordy, at least they can be mercenaries when they grow up."


    Chappelle looked at the priestess, and she nodded. But the answer wasn''t what he wanted. He looked at the children coldly, and the stubborn man said, "This is inconclusive. Further investigation required."


    "Chancellor!" one of the children piped up. A beautiful girl with golden braid came forth and stood in front of the witchers, much to everyone''s surprise. She spread her arms like a chicken protecting her chicks.


    He lips were pursed, and her eyes were filled with terror, but it was soon reced by resolve. "I will not allow any nder against the teachers to continue. They have never abused me. Nobody is kinder and nicer to me than they are." Vicki''s face was red with anger. She pointed a beautiful finger at the gaunt Chancellor of Security and roared, "They''re my family, and this is my home. I won''t let you ruin it!"


    Monti and the reserve apprentices came forth to defend the witchers. Carl broke free of the priestess and gathered around his friends. They red at Chappelle and bared their teeth like angry lion cubs, but they weren''t convincing.


    And then the boys came forth. Then the girls. All twenty children held hands and formed a wall in front of their teachers. They were small and frail, but still they defended their teachers from Chappelle and his fully armed guards. Despite their young age, the children were brave, and they shouted, "Leave!"


    "You can''t destroy our home!"


    "We won''t let you hurt our family"


    "I don''t wanna go back to living on the streets!"


    The children protested, and their hearts thumped furiously.


    Chappelle was dumbfounded, and the adults were at a loss for words. A long momentter, Vesemir heaved a sigh and turned around to rub the corner of his eye.


    Aiden heaved a few long sighs, his heart racing as well. Never did he expect the day woulde where he needed a bunch of children to protect him. It was a weird feeling. <em>So this is the brotherhood. Even the children are different.</em>


    "You wanna get an ass-whooping again, you brats? Get back here. I don''t need your protection!" Lambert was touched, but he growled at the children and tried to take them back, but he kept his force at a minimum.


    "No, we won''t!" The kids refuted him for the first time.


    The Vipers exchanged a look and were about to say something, but Chappelle suddenly shouted, "Silence!"


    The guard behind him unsheathed his de, and it glinted under the sun.


    Cleaver held his hammer with both hands, and the witchers held the children in their arms. The air was fraught with tension for a moment, but Chappelle shot his soldier an angry re. "Tuck that away, you bastard. You''re blessed with a weapon to protect the citizens, not hurt them!"


    His gleaming eyes scanned the witchers, Gawain, and the terrified, shivering children who were still adamantly protecting their teachers.


    "Witchers, I know you have a Sign that can control people''s minds." He wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed. "But this time, I''ll believe that you''re innocent. No demon or animal could have raised children as brave and as loyal as them, nor would they gain any child¡¯s love and respect."


    "You''re finally seeing sense, Chancellor," Cleaver blurted loudly. He was spewing his drool everywhere as he said, "We told you everything in the letter is a lie. It''s a nder against the witchers. Someone wants to see us fight. Someone wants to see the witchers isted, alone, and demeaned."


    "Well, who is it?" Chappelle asked.


    "You might have to ask a certain fatso for that."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 385: From Redania

    The orphanage was surrounded by plenty of soldiers, and people from the most powerful organizations in Novigrad were found gathered there. The witchers, the gang lords, and the church. Nine men were surrounding the bounty hunter and Senator Sebastian, while the brave children were led back to ss, where Vesemir was teaching them the basics of ideologies.


    ***


    "Someone tossed a letter into the donation box the day after Sebastian was caught." Chappelle mused. "This is no coincidence."


    "Chancellor." Letho rubbed his shiny head again. "I take it you have no luck in pinpointing the sender, just like Bem and Cleaver?"


    "Witcher, you need to understand that Novigrad is a city inhabited by tens of thousands of people. There are at least thousands of believers who pass the donation box every day. How do you expect us to locate the sender?"


    "Fine, I get it, but you can''t deny that Sebastian is a part of this scheme." Serrit said, "My gut tells me the sender is a failsafe he set in ce."


    The witchers stared at Sebastian''s face closely in case his expression changed in the slightest.


    "This pig knew what would happen. He told his mate to send you guys the letter if he was captured. You''d send a troop to surround this ce and arrest us under the charge of child abuse while he gets off scot-free."


    The witchers were making a strong usation, but Sebastian looked confused. He didn''t even blink. It was like he knew nothing of this.


    "But you failed!" Lambert pointed at the fat man angrily. "We never did anything evil! Your nder didn''t work! And look what that got you into!"


    "Witchers, that''s your spection. You have no proof." Chappelle shook his head and held the fat man''s head down like he was inspecting a dead body. "But everyone has witnessed his crimes. He hired a kidnapper to steal a child, and he shall be charged with the crime of human trafficking. The stake awaits him, and Jurgen shall be punished as well. Let me go through the wanted posters. Perhaps they''re on the list of wanted fugitives."


    Jurgen and Sebastian''s eyes went wide with horror, and they wriggled on the ground like maggots.


    "Tell me, Senator. Why did you nder the witchers?" Chappelle asked. "What did they ever do to you? Tell me everything, and you may enjoy a quick and painless death. Perhaps you might only end up with an exile."


    Sebastian shook his head like crazy, snot covering his whole face, and his eyes were filled with an unspoken plea.


    "It''s no use, Chappelle. Nothing works on this guy." Auckes shook his head. "We went with magical and regr interrogation, but his story remains the same. He ims he did this because the girl resembles his dead daughter."


    "What if that''s the truth?"


    "No." Letho shook his head. "My gut tells me he''s lying. He''s hiding something, and my instinct has saved me countless times."


    "Why don''t I take over for you guys?" Chappelle caressed the Lamia hanging from his belt, and his eyes narrowed. He looked like a viper staring at its prey. "I''ve been doing this for ten years, and I''ve seen my fair share of stubborn souls, but none havested longer than half an hour when I stepped in. It''s disappointing." He shot the fat guy a cruel smile. "Maybe the senator can break my streak."


    Lambert wanted to say something, but Gawain held his hand. "I trust Chappelle. We might actually find some answers if he''s doing the interrogating."


    Everyone who knew the real identity of Orloff was shocked. <em>What the hell? The doppler is praising someone who''s been hunting him down for most of his life?</em>


    But something even more shocking was waiting for them. Chappelle and Orloff exchanged a look and nodded at each other. It was as if a bond were formed between them.


    "Then that settles it." Gawain had made up his mind. "Chappelle will be interrogating Sebastian."


    "I need a quiet room." Chappelle smiled. "Somewhere enclosed where I can be alone with him."


    ***


    The interrogation went faster than everyone expected. Chappelle had his answers half an hourter, and he came out of the toilet with an unconscious Sebastian. He whispered something into the priestess'' ear, and she led the soldiers back, away from the woods.


    "What did you find, Chancellor?" Cleaver rubbed his hands in anticipation.


    Chappelle heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. "I promised, and I delivered. He told me everything."


    The witchers were surprised. <em>Chappelle''s just a regr guy. How did he make Sebastian tell him the truth when not even Axii could do it?</em>


    "Thank you for capturing this man, witchers," he said genuinely. "He ims to be the owner of two boutiques and a senator who misses histe daughter, but it¡¯s moreplicated than that. In fact, he''s a threat to the city''s proud heritage."


    <em>What proud heritage?</em>


    The people were wondering what Chappelle meant by that, but they quickly realized what the heritage was. Novigrad was part of Redania, but it was akin to a sovereign country free from Redania''s control. With its natural, gigantic port, it could trade with all Northern Kingdoms and Skellige Isles without trouble.


    Thanks to its free and bustling trade, Novigrad rose to prominence and became the north''s richest city. Redania, Kaedwen, Temeria, and Aedirn were trying to get their hands on the wealth of Novigrad, but none of the rulers wouldunch an all-out attack for fear of Novigrad''s administrators destroying the port, burning the ships, and emptying the treasury. Thanks to that concern, Novigrad managed to be a free city.


    Letho and hispanions exchanged looks. They were reminded of the time they interrogated Sebastian. He had an iron will and resilience that allowed him to endure the power of Axii.


    "Is he some kind of intelligence agent?"


    Chappelle smiled but didn¡¯t borate. "Patience, people. Kasha shall return with evidence in an hour, and you will know the truth." He then smiled apologetically at the group. "Witchers, the Collector, I apologize for believing false rumors without verifying."


    "Apology epted," Letho said. "And we hope there won''t be a next time. I don''t like soldiers scaring our children, or it might result in a tragedy."


    "I''m sorry for my impetuous actions. I just wanted to find out the kind of people you are." He scanned everyone, and his dark, cold look changed into a livelier expression. "Are you butchers who would destroy families and conduct inhumane experiments on the poor orphans, or are you kind souls who provide for these children while asking for nothing in return?"


    "And what''s the conclusion you''ve arrived at?" Letho asked.


    "I think we can work together, and you''re reliable people." He paused for a moment. "Can I be a part of the peace treaty you''ve agreed upon? As long as you follow Novigrad''s rules and do no harm, then the church is more than willing to coexist with you."


    "That''s more like it!" Cleaver''s face was red with excitement. "Can''t expand this city if we keep killing people, right? And sooner orter that karma''s gonna bite us in the ass. I am down for this idea."


    "A question." Bem caressed his ring in an anticlockwise direction. "Chappelle, if memory serves, you have an intense hatred toward non-humans. You''re a lot stricter when ites to dwarves, part-elves, and gnomes, and a big part of our group is made up of non-humans. Yet you wish to sign the peace treaty? Is this a dream?"


    "People change. We grow." Chappelle smiled, and he set his sights on Orloff. "The Collector used to harbor the same hate I had for non-humans, but he changed his policy all of a sudden. You started epting them and ouwed any discrimination."


    Orloff smiled at Chappelle. It looked like he found someone who understood him.


    Chappelle continued. "And I''m just a human. Unlike mages, I don''t possess the power to see through human minds. Yet personality is the most important aspect for me. Francis and Bem were willing to antagonize you out of their concern for the children. I can see they have their own creed."


    Bem didn''t even respond to that attempt at a praise. He thought the change in attitude from Chappelle was odd, but him signing the peace treaty was good for him, so he didn''t object to it.


    "And the witchers have provided much for the orphans. No doubt they''re men of integrity," Chappelle continued. "We need people of integrity and who have kind, tolerant souls if we want to keep thriving."


    Letho, Auckes, Lambert, Aiden, and Vesemir exchanged a look.


    "We need some time to think."


    "Take as much time as you need. Once you''vee to a conclusion, meet me at Spear''s Pit two dayster, and we can sign the agreement."


    The witchers nodded.


    "Chancellor, we have a question. Can we keep taking in orphans?"


    "Of course. As long as you don''t break anyws, there won''t be any restrictions imposed on you."


    For some reason, the tension in the air was lifted, and everyone was having a peaceful discussion. Aside from Chappelle, everyone was feeling nervous. They were waiting for an answer.


    An hour went by quickly, and the priestess and soldiers came back with a fourth letter. During the earlier interrogation, Chappelle found out their secret spot.


    "Sebastian''s aplice has been arrested, and this letter will answer all your questions." He tore the envelope open, and this time, it wasn''t a letter of nder.


    ''Master Dijkstra,


    Novigrad''s situation is ever-changing. Mission is progressing slowly.


    Months ago, an agreement was reached with Alonso Wiley, one of the biggest gang lords in the city. He agreed to be your pawn, but tragedy struck.


    Five witchers invaded his manor and ughtered everyone, including Wiley. Our partner died. Then they signed a peace treaty with the remaining gang lords: Cleaver, Bem, and Orloff.


    The gang lords convinced the church they were behind the massacre, and they took the loot that is Alonso''s estates.


    Chappelle, the current Chancellor of Security, fears the witcher and wishes to gain something from this pact. Not only did he not apprehend the criminals, he cleaned up after them. This is a disgrace.


    The witchers sold themselves out for two shops, and now they''re living in peace. Dandelion the famed bard began working for them. He came up with new scripts to change how the public perceives them.


    I thought that was the end of the witchers'' antics. I thought Novigrad''s politicalndscape would finally settle. Thus I turned my attention to Orloff and managed to convince him into a partnership.


    We would clear all obstacles and await His Majesty King Vizimir''s arrival in Novigrad. s, after much research, I realized he was befriending the witchers. To be more precise, they brainwashed him.


    He changed his ways and forbade his men from bullying non-humans. Many part-elves, dwarves, and oneiromancers started moving to his turf.


    Something big must have happened to elicit this change. Something unknown. Something dangerous. It''s a shame, but I have to kick him out of our list of candidates.


    After some reflection, I realized why our operations have failed. The bulk of the me lies on the witchers. They came out of nowhere and scrambled our ns.


    Their actions changed the city''s politicalndscape. Like a fierce school of fish, they muddied the waters, and I couldn''t do anything about it.


    I thought about making them our partners, but witchers would never interfere in politics. Also, they have Wolves and Cats among them. The former follows a code of neutrality, while thetter is just a school of madmen.


    Many years ago, Kaedwen held a tournament only for it to be a witcher massacre that almost wiped out all witchers in the north.


    The survivors harbored an intense hatred for all northern official organizations. They''re more trouble than they''re worth. If we wish to go on with our n, then we must destroy these variables.


    Just a while ago, my sources told me the witchers were working with the Collector in an orphanage project. They''re opening an orphanage in rural Novigrad.


    ording to what we''ve learnt about the witchers, they will subject children to an ''evil'' experiment and torture them physically. Only three out of ten can survive this mutation.


    All we have to do is capture one child and force them to use the witchers of abuse and inhumane experimentation in front of the council, and we''ll be rid of this nuisance forever.


    And I''ve hinted Cleaver and Bem about this. They''ve harbored a grudge against the witchers, and their men are keeping an eye on them.


    I also have a failsafe at the church, just in case my first n fails. My employee has already made his move, and soon, the witchers will find themselves in a predicament.


    The next time we find another partner, we can be sure nothing will stand in our way.


    Good news ising your way.


    Your loyal servant,


    Sebastian de Fretas


    1262, first day of the third month.


    ***


    "Vizimir II?" Serrit''s eyelids twitched. "So Sebastian is a spy of Redania."


    "In the flesh."


    "This Dijkstra guy is probably a bigshot in the intelligence department."


    "This is the decree of Destiny. You''ve ruined his ns one too many times and earned his ire. And this is his retaliation."


    The witchers exchanged a look of amusement. <em>We got on the nerves of a Redanian spy, and we had no idea about it until two seconds ago, but it matters not.</em>


    The witchers'' faces fell. <em>They tried to harm the children, and they will pay for that, no matter who they are.</em>


    Chappelle didn''t seem surprised at all. He didn''t seem to care about the repulsive actions outlined in the letter. He continued. "Conspiracies, fanning the mes, and nder. Spy tactics, alright. It''s not the first time the Northern Kingdoms have sent their pests into the city, but most of them hide in the shadows. Sebastian and hisrade are just the tip of the iceberg. But they picked the wrong people to mess with."


    Sebastian looked defeated, dejected, and out of breath. He had epted his fate.


    Bem said, "Any spy is an invader, no matter where they''re from. They wish to devour the wealth of the citizens and ruin this tenuous bnce. They wish to ruin our business."


    Chappelle nodded. "All the reasons Novigradians should band together and cut the canker out of our tree, but that''s all for today. We''ll meet again in two days. I''ll be taking these two with me."


    ***


    The witchers were still dazed even after the soldiers were gone. In just one day, things took more twists than they could ever imagine. Not even veterans like them had the chance to see something like this happen every day.


    "Feels weird, doesn¡¯t it?" Gawain smiled. He looked at ease, as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.


    "Yeah, especially how he acted," Letho said. "He''s a bit too friendly to us."


    "He wanted to work with us in the first ce. That was an act to see if you were trustworthy partners," Gawain said. "Principled men of integrity are the partners he''s looking for, and he''s no regr Chancellor of Security."


    "What do you mean?" Vesemir pinched his beard.


    "If you couldn''t drag Sebastian''s secrets out of his mouth, there''s no way a regr human could. He only had one way to do it."


    "Which is?" Letho and Auckes were wondering what the answer was.


    "My way."


    "He copied Sebastian''s memories?" Auckes looked shocked.


    "That''s not the Chappelle I knew. That''s why he let it slide when you guys killed Alonso. He was using the gang lords to cover his disguise up, and the gang lords prefer this version of Chappelle," Gawain exined, and he suddenlyughed. "I can feel it. He''s just like me. He''s a doppler, but he''s more powerful and a better actor than I am."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 386: Manticores Trial

    Within the undergroundboratory, over a great fire stood a cauldron, and murky liquid roiled and bubbled within. Its color was ever-changing like a surprised cuttlefish.


    Crushed bryonia, ribleaf, and mandrake root swam within the liquid. A blue concoction flowed through the swirling test tubes and distillery beside the cauldron. Slowly, the concoction dripped into a hot vat. On the rightmost work surface, an alcohol burner was heating up a gigantic graduated cylinder filled with purple liquid, and green smoke billowed from within.


    A beautiful sorceress in a blue dress stood before her apparatuses, casting her spell like nobody''s business. The light of magic swirled around her, and she pointed at the cauldron, the vat, and the graduated cylinder.


    Sacks of dried herbs lying on the racks were cut into pieces, and crimson monster organs were in containers.


    "Ghoul mutagen! Number one!" Lytta announced. The witcher behind her went ahead and tossed a red, fleshy mass into the cauldron.


    The viral infections had changed the witcher by a considerable degree. Gone was the leand, reced by a gaunt figure. His clothes, once snug, were now oversized and baggy. His lustrous hair was as dry and yellow as hay. There was barely any meat on his face, and his cheeks almost poked out of his skin.


    His golden eyes were abnormally big, not unlike a pair of healthy almonds. But his eyes were bloodshot and crazed. Thed looked like a terminal patient, but he was fine within. His eyes seemed to re with fire, and his pale cheeks were red.


    "Arachas! Number two! Fleder! Number three!" Lytta gave a couple more orders.


    Like a golem filled with chaos energy, the witcher carried out her orders perfectly. The duo kept on working, and five minutester, Roy added the base mutagens to all three concoctions ording to the preordained six to one to one ratio.


    The sorceress started chanting, her fingers weaving signs at a speed faster than the eye could see. At first, the chant was silvery and singsong like a humming stream. But as the chaos energy started to saturate the air, Lytta raised her voice. Her incantation became the hymn of nature. Roy heard everything from the chirps of cicadas in the summer to the roars of the waves that crashed on the reefs and shores of thend.


    A powerful gust of wind appeared all of a sudden, billowing her hair. It looked like mes dancing in the air, and her dress danced like a g that was kissing the wind.


    Thed could vaguely notice dark clouds hanging from the ceiling. The liquids in the containers started bubbling like water in the hot springs. An invisible hand was hastening the process, finishing the boiling and extraction in one fell swoop.


    The liquid was drying up at a breakneck speed, and colorful gases flew into the air. A bizarre smell¡ªsomething akin to the mixture of honey and blood¡ªfilled the air.


    Lytta''s incantation stopped, and so did her gestures. Three blobs of clear jelly-like liquid hovered in the air only to crash down into the sses on the workstation.


    Lytta wiped the sweat off her nose with a handkerchief. Her chest was heaving, and she let out a long sigh. She extended her hand and picked up the first cup of concoction. A moment of hesitationter, she turned around to face the witcher, her lips pursed.


    "This is the first of the three concoctions for the Trial¡ªMother''s Tears." It was emerald green, just like the river of life.


    "This is the Wildrye Juice." The concoction was blood-red, just like a fatally alluring ruby.


    "And this is Speargrass Sap." Thest one was as blue as the sky, drawing the eyes of anyone who saw it.


    "These things are going to kick in really fast and hard if we go with injections. It''s risky for you. I rmend drinking them and relying on your stomach to deal with it. But do it in five minutes, or the effects will wane."


    Roy tried to take the first concoction, but Lytta grabbed his hand. Her shoulders were shaking, and she stared into his eyes. With a voice as soft as cotton, she said, "It''s not toote to give up. You can heal back up in six months at most. But if you drink these, then there''s no turning back. Either you live, or you die in agony."


    A griffin the size of a lion rushed to its master''s side and rubbed its head against his leg. An unspoken plea hid in its eyes. The ever-loyal Gryphonid witness to its master''s changes over the days. The drastic change scared it. The prospect of losing the man who raised it struck terror into its heart.


    Roy patted its mane and caressed its neck in silence. He turned his attention to Lytta, and an ugly smile tugged on his lips. "Remember the prophecy? This will work. It''s going to be hard, but it will work."


    Confidence shone in the witcher''s eyes. Softly and firmly, he said, "And I won''t leave you behind." He huddled closer. Despite his being skin and bones, the witcher was emanating a surprising level of heat. His eyes, though bloodshot and lethargic, seemed to be filled with stars.


    He stared at the ss she was holding and took it from her. "I need to do something before this." He took a deep breath and turned around. He held the surprised sorceress and gave her a kiss. Long was the kiss, but they eventually parted when Lytta''s lipstick covered his lips.


    And he heaved a long sigh. "Trust me. Whatever happens, do not use magic."


    The witcher downed all three concoctions in one go andy on the operating theater. His head was resting on Lytta''sp, and she caressed his hair with one hand while holding his hand with the other. She stared at him without blinking once.


    The Trial finally took ce, and a tired Roy closed his eyes like he was going to sleep. His breathing was calm, and all his vitals were fine. His limbs would spasm asionally, however, and his veins would wriggle like worms. They would swim around for a moment before slinking back down.


    A few hourster, something happened. Blood flew up high in the air, and Lytta touched her cheek in surprise. She looked at her hand and was greeted by a big patch of blood.


    Beads of blood were flowing down the witcher''s face. The sorceress thought she heard the subtle sound of Roy''s blood vessels bursting. Blood kept trickling out of his skin, and the young witcher coughed up even more blood.


    His body temperature was rising at an rming rate, not unlike someone who was infected by a deadly disease.


    The young witcher kept bleeding. Ten minutester, he had lost a tenth of his blood. His silk shirt was drenched crimson, and he looked like he just came back from a deadly battle.


    Lytta was worried. She didn''t even bother wiping the blood from her face.


    But that was only the beginning.


    The Trials were fighting, rampaging across their host''s body like two rabid dogs. Eventually, they started tearing him apart. The skin on the left side of his nose broke down, revealing the muscles and veins underneath.


    The crack started spreading from his face to his chest, then his back, and then all the way to his limbs. They resembled a big, grotesque cobweb on fire, and Roy was like a fragile item that would break at any moment.


    Lytta bandaged him and stitched his wounds as fast as she could, but it couldn''t stop the bleeding.


    ***


    Her hands were covered in sweat and blood, all from the man lying in his own pool of life force.


    She stared at Roy. He looked pale, and his back was icy, as if he were in a chilling freezer.


    <em>His skin is peeling off, and he''s bleeding out too fast. Is this it? Is he going to fail? </em>She thought it was sad. <em>I shouldn''t have let you do this. No witcher can take two Trials. I guess it''s a failure, but I won''t let you die.</em>


    She bit her lip. A healing spell was starting to converge on her fingertips, a holy light burning bright. But then she remembered what Roy told her before he undertook this ordeal.


    <em>Do not use magic.</em>


    It was but a moment''s hesitation, but that indecision granted her the chance to witness something bizarre. Or, to be exact, something miraculous.


    The unconscious witcher let out a grunt, and all the cracks on his skin pulled back and stitched themselves back together. It was as if an invisible hand were healing him. The witcher was still very much hurt and unwell, but the bleeding had finally stopped, and his temperature was going down. His blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate were going back to normal as well.


    Lytta dispelled her spell and clutched her chest in great relief. And then she heaved a sigh. But then she started wondering about something else.


    ***


    The moment Roy took the Trial, his attention was fixed closely on his character sheet. Debuffs like bleeding, high fever, and affliction kept popping up. His HP also took a drastic dip, bringing him an inch from death.


    Activate, once again, swooped in for the rescue, and he managed to keep his condition under control.


    "So that''s what she meant when she said no witcher could take two Trials."


    The Manticore Trial''s toxicity was nothing to fear, but the sh between the two Trials was. Roy could feel two balls of invisible energy vying for control within his body, destroying his bones, vessels, organs, and even genes.


    <em>I need to get over this hurdle. At least I need to survive. I can''t use Full Recovery just yet. If I stop the mutation halfway through, I''ll be an iplete mutant.</em>


    And thus, the charge of Activate he received from meditating every day was imperative in this deadly battle that was raging within him.


    He slipped into the void of meditation and hugged the beautiful elements. Beyond the horizon stood four beautiful, ancient dimensions of the four ssical elements.


    All the sorceress saw was a witcher lying there in peace.


    ***


    And then the Trial segued into the part Roy was familiar with. The Manticore and the Viper would sh within him once every day, using his body as their battlefield. They would run rampant through his veins, marrows, and organs like two knives shredding him piece by piece.


    And the witcher would bleed, contract a high fever, have episodes of fits, bleed all over his face, murmur like a madman, sleepwalk,ugh for no reason, and yell at the air. Sometimes these symptoms would happen at the same time.


    But thanks to Activate, he managed to heal thirty percent of his HP and save himself from certain doom every day. Thanks to that, he could hang on in this battle.


    Lytta was shocked to witness Roy''s miraculous resilience at first, and then she was numb to it.


    She showed great understanding and care to Roy throughout the whole ordeal. The young witcher would look like a mess after the battle every day. He would be covered in blood and sweat like a foul beast, and yet Lytta didn''tin.


    She would wipe the filth off his body every day with a soft towel drenched in warm water. She would take the time to cook a delicious and nutritious seafood meal for Roy every day, feeding him during the short time he was conscious.


    Once, Roy even joked that if any hospital in thend had a nurse who was as beautiful and caring as Lytta, all the men in the city would willingly make themselves sick just to see her.


    ***


    Three days remained until the month-long process ended, and Roy was inching ever nearer to perfection. He was getting better every day. Pain was not the only oue of the internal battle. There was also a great change as well. His skin, muscles, veins, organs, and bones were destroyed and rebuilt time and time again. Through this destruction, his strength grew. And so did his life force. Now the young witcher possessed an incredible regenerative factor.


    What was once a gaunt man was now lean and strong. He regained his lost muscle mass and became stronger. All the wounds on his body formed scabs and healed up, leaving nothing but scars behind.


    And he gained some height as well. Lytta was slightly taller than him before the Trial, but now he could stare into her eyes without looking up. His hair grew at a blistering rate. Before long, it had tumbled down his neck, and a hint of grey appeared in his otherwise ck hair. His heart was beating even stronger, not unlike a metal machine. It felt as if his heartbeat would ring through time itself.


    ***


    Roy was going through another day of battle once more. His eyes were closed, but instead of darkness, he saw a terrible battle.


    A gigantic, yellowish-grey pit viper with diamond-shaped scales was fighting against a lion that had the tail of a scorpion. The viper contracted its body, constricting the manticore until it was covered in blood. The viper then hissed and gulped the manticore''s head, but the manticore refused to yield. It let out a roar that rumbled the earth and buried its stinger into the viper''s flesh, tearing it apart.


    The battle eventually came to a close. Exhausted and out ofmission, the beasts slowly merged into one, their blood still trickling from their countless wounds.


    And then darkness fell once more.


    Roy felt a powerful surge of life force coursing through his body, raining down on his every cell, strengthening them. The young witcher absorbed this life force greedily.


    Every muscle, every blood vessel, and every inch of his skin was filled with great power. His heart was beating as loudly as a drum, threatening to leap out of his chest.


    Roy needed to let this energy out. And then he opened his eyes. They were gleaming with power. His right eye was still dark gold, but his left was split into two colors. Half of it was dark gold, while the other was shining grey.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 387: Intermediate Witcher

    Lights of theb shone on the silhouette that just sat up on the operating theater. His face was covered in scabs, but his body was chiseled and lean. Slowly, he turned his attention to the sorceress beside him.


    Their eyes met, and Lytta covered her mouth in disbelief. She stared at him, her eyes filled with delight and tears of joy.


    "I did it, Coral." The witcher beamed at her and pulled her into his embrace. And then he hugged her as tightly as he could.


    He rested his chin on her shoulder and caressed her fiery red hair that smelled like roses. Then he kissed her shoulder.


    Their cheeks were pressed against each other, and Lytta closed her eyes in relief.


    Silence reigned for a moment. The two of them enjoyed a moment of peace, listening to nothing but their heartbeats.


    A long whileter, Roy heaved a sigh. "Thank you for your help, Coral. Allow me to repay my debt."


    But Lytta didn''t answer, much to Roy''s curiosity. He took a closer look and noticed that Lytta was already asleep in his embrace. Her eyshes were fluttering, and a few momentster, quiet snores escaped her lips.


    She was exhausted. The Trial might be torture for the witcher, but the mage who hosted it was under equal stress as well. Over the past month, Lytta had to wake up in the middle of the night every day to check on him. She never had a good night''s sleep.


    Roy looked at her guiltily and kissed her forehead. He picked her up and gently put her on the operating theater, and then he covered her with a nket. He caressed her cheek with his hand and stared at her for a long while.


    Eventually, the witcher turned around and put a finger to his lips. His griffin was wagging its tail too quickly, and Roy didn''t want to wake Lytta up.


    Gryphon stopped moving right away. It waited for its master to approach it. Roy held it tightly and buried his head in its mane. He took a deep breath, and a frown furrowed his brows. "Gryphon, you haven''t bathed in more than two weeks, have you? You smell even worse than me."


    Gryphon rubbed its head against Roy''s leg and turned over, revealing its belly to him. Like a child throwing a tantrum, it kept turning around until Roy gave it some belly rubs. It let out purrs of satisfaction and slowly fell asleep.


    ***


    <em>She''s asleep. </em>Roy''s eyes gleamed. He balled his fists and loosened them again, taking in his new strength. He turned his head and started warming up, pushing into the ground for a moment before leaping up into the air.


    Like a gust of wind, he flew through the air easily. "Not bad. My dexterity and strength improved a lot."


    But that wasn''t the biggest change. He concentrated on his character sheet once more, and a red message greeted him.


    ''You have passed your second Trial. Your stats are dramatically increased. And you are now an intermediate witcher.''


    ''Roy


    Age: Fifteen years old


    Status: Viper, Manticore, honorary Wolf, Knight of Lake Vizima


    HP: 170 ¡ú 300 (+80 from the Trial)


    Mana: 200 ¡ú 280 (+80 from the Trial)


    Strength: 10.5 ¡ú 14.5


    Dexterity: 11 ¡ú 15


    Constitution: 13 ¡ú 22


    Perception: 9.5 ¡ú 11.5


    Will: 14.5 ¡ú 15


    Charisma: 8 ¡ú 9


    Spirit: 16 ¡ú 20


    Skills:


    Massacre Level 6, Observe Level 2, Meditation Level 6, Crossbow Mastery Level 2, Sword Mastery Level 2, Alchemy Level 2, Witcher Senses Level 1, Witcher Signs Level 3.


    Elder Blood (Passive)


    Trial of the Grasses (Passive): You have endured the Trial for a second time. The trials and tribtions you endured have gifted you enormous boosts for your body. You are now immune to most gues, diseases, and lethal toxicity. Your eyes can see better in the dark now. Your stats have increased dramatically. Your HP is permanently increased by (40 ¡ú 80) points, and your mana is permanently increased by (40 ¡ú 80) points.''


    ***


    Roy massaged his temples and sorted his new abilities out. Satisfaction and disappointment appeared in his eyes at the same time. "I got a 24.5-point total increase in stats. About twenty percent more than what I got from my first Trial."


    Roy thought that was the result of both Trials merging at the very end. "Strength, Dexterity, and Spirit all saw a four-point increase, while Constitution leapt up by nine points."


    Green mutagens¡ªthe mutagen of life and poison resistance¡ªhad a ratio of six in this Trial, while the mutagens of strength and dexterity only had a ratio of one. That difference in ratio ended up pulling a bit of distance between Roy''s stats, but the increase was disproportionate to the ratio.


    <em>Hm, perhaps the Trial doesn''t work too well on stats that are higher than rank two.</em>


    "My Constitution is now twenty-two. I could only take two decoctions at one time before this. Maybe I can take three now? If I can get my Constitution to twenty-five, I can take the acorn without losing my memory. That acorn is gonna save a life someday."


    His Constitution outstripped half of the brotherhood members¡¯ Constitution. The Cats and most Wolves had lower Constitutionpared to him. And his Trial of the Grasses passive skill increased his HP by eighty points. He was more durable than regr witchers now.


    His strength and dexterity were still a far cry from most witchers'', but his Spirit was higher than everyone else¡¯s. They were trained in close-quarterbat and swordy, while Roy was a better marksman and long-range DPS.


    It was impossible for him to face a veteran swordsman when his swordy was only level two. Of course, if he could use everything in his arsenal and fight to the death, he wouldn''t be afraid of anything.


    He had Fear, Stun Bolts, Blink, a huge mana pool, Activate''s great support, and his powerful mount. Roy was a powerhouse inbat.


    He took a deep breath and went for a few more sets of exercises to adapt to his new strength. After they made their return, he would have to spend some time training his new body.


    ***


    Stats aside, Roy''s appearance underwent a big change as well. He was about five foot ten now, and his bulking Constitution bulked his muscles up. One flex, and all his muscles under his shirt would go taut.


    But he was nowhere near Letho''s muscle size. He still wouldn¡¯t turn any heads in horror just yet. <em>Still not a rock-hard guy. </em>Not to mention he had Elder Blood flowing in his veins, and elves weren''t known for their bulky body shape.


    His face was more chiseled and mature. No longer did he look like a child. Roy was more of a youngd in histe teens now. And half of his left eye was grey instead of gold. <em>Feels like I''m heterochromatic.</em>


    There was a special air about him, and his high Charisma would make him a heartthrob. One look and they would remember what he looked like.


    Last time, he lost all his hair from the Trial, but this time, that didn¡¯t happen. In fact, his hair and brows grew even more. There was a hint of grey among them.


    "Coral''s worries were for nothing." Roy looked at the sorceress. "I''m still not bald."


    Once again, he turned his attention to the character sheet.


    ''EXP full. Do you wish to level up?''


    "Yes."


    ''Main stat (Will): 15 ¡ú 17''


    Roy felt like he was struck by a lightning bolt, and his mind froze. He thought he was hearing the air ripple and shimmer like water. At the same time, an electric current coursed through his body, and every cell felt numb. Yet there was a feeling of euphoria filling him.


    The torture and torment he endured over the past month was waved away. Roy felt refreshed and energized, not unlike he just had a good night''s sleep and a big breakfast. A smile curled his lips.


    Once again, his character sheet changed.


    ''Level 8 Witcher


    Rank: Intermediate


    To gain the rank of advanced witcher, you must:


    1. Go through all the remaining Trials


    2. Kill a monster with any single stat that is >20 (0/10)


    3. Acquire a greater mutagen (0/10)


    Trials passed: Viper, Manticore


    Job perks:


    1. Main stat (Will). Every time you level up, you gain a two-point increment for your main stat (No stat point investment required)


    2. Bound weapons


    3. Full Recovery


    4. Mount: Gryphon


    Inventory space: (4 ¡ú 6) cubic meters.


    Remaining skill point: 1. Remaining stat point: 1.''


    ***


    "Okay, so I can take more resources with me now. Dammit. I have to go through all the Trials if I wanna rank up?" Roy massaged his temples again, but this time, he was frustrated.


    He had no n of going through another Trial. First, he had to take some time adapting to his newfound strength. Second, he had two Trials sleeping within him, and adding a third into the mix would only cause another raging battle that would be even fiercer than the one he already had.


    He might not be strong enough to get through it as he was.


    "I should check my gains out."


    Roy allocated his stat point to Will.


    ''17 ¡ú 18''


    A purple lightning bolt flitted across his eyes, stunning him for a moment. He thought he saw an invisible door before him.


    As usual, he allocated his skill point to Meditation.


    Meditation: Level 6 ¡ú Level 7


    (You gain a charge of Activate every time you perform a full meditation [5 hours]. Activate heals you for (30 ¡ú 40)% of your HP and Mana. It can also heal minor injuries and alleviate regr injuries.)


    Constitution: 22 ¡ú 22.5


    HP: 300 ¡ú 305


    Spirit: 19 ¡ú 19.5


    Mana: 270 ¡ú 275''


    ***


    His skills were getting stronger the deeper into this world he ventured. Meditation didn''t grant a lot of stat increments, but it could heal Roy and replenish his mana by nearly half of its maximum value. And it could alleviate regr injuries as well. This was a lifesaving skill.


    Now he was one step closer to the dimension of the elements.


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh of satisfaction and grasped the air.


    A yellowish-grey hand crossbow appeared in his palm. It was fifty percentrger than its original form. Holding it with one hand felt awkward. And its string felt as warm as flesh. Roy almost thought he was touching an animal''s skin.


    ''Bound Weapon ¡ª Gabriel


    (After its fifth powerup, Gabriel is no longer the same regr weapon it used to be. It is now a top-notch crossbow. You possess a cyclop''s tendon and hamstring in your inventory space. Gabriel is powered up again)


    Type: Hand crossbow


    Components: Mulberry wood, cyclops tendon, cyclops hamstring, hemp, mana


    Specs: Weighs (8 ¡ú 10) pounds, draw strength (60 ¡ú 120) pounds, effective range (73 ¡ú 123) meters.


    Affixes:


    Simplify, Guided Arrows, Blink, Stun Bolts


    Ogre''s Fury (New): Gabriel has extracted and absorbed the cyclop''s body part. Effective range is increased by fifty meters permanently, and Gabriel''s attack power is increased drastically.''


    ***


    "Whoa." Delight filled the eyes of the witcher.


    This powerup didn''t add a lot of new powers, but it was simple. Gabriel''s effective range was more than a hundred meters, and its damage was almost doubled. With Guided Arrows, Stun Bolts, Crossbow Mastery Level 2, the damage increase from Massacre, and Observe''s support, Roy could destroy any Quen or magical shield in one blow, even if the other fighter was a hundred yards away.


    <em>Headshots all the time. </em>Roy caressed it like it was his lover and put it on a table. He then held a glinting de in his hand. The hilt was made of leather, and it looked like it was alive. It was sturdy and slightly sticky to the touch. It was as smooth as ever, but five star-shaped runes formed a semi-circle in the middle of the de.


    ***


    ''Steel Sword ¡ª Gwyhyr


    (An ancient sword made by gnomes. Gwyhyr is now even stronger after its fifth powerup. You possess Brewess'' magical limb and a metaldle. You have more than twenty points in your Constitution. Gwyhyr is now powered up.)


    Type: Steel sword


    Components: Dark iron, magma, meteorite ore, leather, pine wood, powdered monster tissue, Brewess'' limb, unknown metal, mana.


    Specs: Weighs three pounds, hilt measures 9.3 inches, de measures 36 inches.


    Affixes:


    Cirction, Ignite, Painful Strike, Teleport, Suppression


    Devour (New): The Brewess uses herdle to stir her cauldron, cook and consume her victim''s flesh, absorbing their life force in an attempt to suppress the negative emotions and poison thend of Velen is assaulting her with.


    Gwyhyr has inherited part of her abilities. Every time you injure an enemy, Gwyhyr can devour a part of their life force and store it within itself. Once all five stars light up, the user may expend all stars to heal them for a quarter of their HP. This skill can also heal minor injuries. (Your Constitution is more than twenty. The negative effects of monster flesh do not affect you).


    You may also expend the runes to cast a powerful sh.


    ***


    "Not a bad skill. Defense and offense at the same time." Roy swung his de around, tearing through the air. He could vaguely hear the screams of the Brewess surrounding the de.


    "Gwyhyr''s Cirction heals my stamina with every kill, and Devour can heal my HP."


    <em>Group fights? Call Gwyhyr. And I have Activate. Now I have 300 HP too. I can fight for a long time even if I''m surrounded. Perhaps I can even fight on forever if I have enough enemies surrounding me.</em>


    ***


    He thrust the de forward and ced it beside the crossbow before he produced a crimson de.


    ''Silver Sword ¡ª Aerondight


    (A sword granted by a Lady of the Lake. It has gone through a third powerup and gained a new power.)


    Type: Silver sword


    Components: Tear stone, dark iron, cured draconid leather, powdered monster tissue, nymph blood, silver, Brewess'' limb, unknown metal, mana.


    Specs: Weighs 6.06 pounds, hilt measures 11 inches, de measures 40 inches.


    Affixes:


    Mana Reduction, Aqua Blessing, Aqua Summoning, Teleport, Suppression, Devour (New)


    Note: This sword was granted to Roy by Vivienne, a Lady of the Lake. Only those who pass her test may wield this sword.''


    Roy crossed his arms and smiled at his weapons. It had been a long while since hisst level up. The more he leveled up, the more he had to fight for the next level up. But this time, his power level surged to an incredible level.


    He wanted to spar with someone, but before that, he patted his mount''s furry head to calm it down and stared at the sleeping sorceress. "I have to thank Coral properly first."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 388: Arrangement

    Yet again, the sun slowly set behind the horizon. The children at the orphanage had their dinner and were ying with their chicks. Two months had gone by since they received their pets, and most of them weighed two pounds now. The chicks were clucking and following the children closely.


    Some of the chicks looked a little famished though, as their masters would sometimes forget to feed them.


    Monti was tossing a chick around, but then he stopped suddenly. The boy turned his attention to the woods outside. His jaw dropped, forming aical O.


    There was a man and a woman approaching the orphanage. The man was wearing the familiar Manticore armor Monti had seen so many times. A pair of swords were strapped to his back, and he looked like a mountain under the sun.


    The woman was in a white dress. Her hair was fiery-red and billowing in the wind, while her beautifully tanned skin was glimmering under thest rays of the sun. A smile tugged on her lips. She was holding the witcher''s arm and leaned closely on him.


    "Hey, people! Roy''s back! Surround him! Don''t let him get away! And thedy''s here too!"


    The kids let out happy shouts that shook the earth. They quickly surrounded Roy and stared at him innocently like puppies wagging their tail and waiting to be petted.


    Their chicks were clucking loudly behind them, and the scene was chaotic.


    "Did you miss me, kids?" The muscr witcher took his sunsses off and patted the children''s heads. "You grew a bit, Acamuthorm. Monti, you put on some weight. Did you ck off? Charname, stop looking so glum. Carl, you''re even prettier now. The girls might think you''re one of them."


    Carl blushed.


    "Renee, open your mouth. I wanna see if you''ve grown any teeth."


    "Ahh¡­"


    "Oh, as neat as ab. And Vicki, your eyes are glimmering again. So, how many full marks this time?"


    The beautiful girl with twin ponytails stared at the ground and tugged on the hem of her clothing happily.


    "We thought you weren''ting back, Roy!" Monti shouted.


    Roy smiled and looked at the children. "I won''t leave you kids behind."


    The children started gushing and throwing a lot of questions at Roy.


    "Your eyes are different. They''re different colors now."


    "Did you grow taller, Roy?"


    ***


    "Halt!" Roy smiled and looked at the sorceress standing behind the children. She was smiling at him. "How about you kids y with Lytta?" He winked at the sorceress. "Take care of the kids, Coral."


    "Huh?" Lytta''s jaw dropped a little. There was confusion and anticipation in her eyes. Deep inside her, she wanted to y with the children, but one was enough. This was too many.


    "You wanted to y with the kids? Here''s your chance."


    Roy put Vicki''s hand in Coral''s hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead before he left the orphanage. Getting bombarded by so many questions was more tiring than going through a Trial. Even now, he could still hear the kids asking Coral questions.


    "You''re so beautiful, Lytta. Are you a nymph?"


    "Are you Roy''s bride?"


    "How old are you? Auckes and Lambert told us to call you granny."


    And Lytta''s smile was wiped off her face.


    ***


    "One month. Can''t believe you came back, kid." Letho was leaning on the wall outside the ssroom, his arms crossed. There was a solemn look in his eyes. "Now do you see why I told you to stay away from them? I hope you''ve learnt your lesson."


    "Yeah, Roy." Auckes showed up on the other side of the ssroom. His eyes were narrowed and filled with envy and sarcasm. "You need to be really strong to date a sorceress. Their bodies are modified, and their stamina is on par with ours. Slip, and they''ll drain you dry. I can''t believe yousted for a month. Made us proud."


    Serrit emerged from the ssroom. "Odd. Instead of losing weight, you gained muscle. And some height."


    "Of course he got taller. He''s at that age. His eyes, however¡­" An energized Vesemir came out right after. There was approval in his eyes, but also a question. "I might be old and forgetful now, but there are some things I don''t forget. Like how your eyes used to be dark gold. But now they''re heterochromatic."


    All eyes turned to Roy, especially the grey part of his left eye.


    "Did you really think I was there for a vacation?" Roy smiled. "I went through a lot of potions just to optimize the Manticore Trial. Some of them affected me and changed my eye color."


    And he gained a look of gratitude from Felix. He knew Roy did that to protect Carl and elevate his chances of sess.


    Roy continued. "But don''t worry. I went through it because my premonition said it would be fine. And I have a special healing skill. Aside from this change in eye color, nothing else happened. The optimization is a big sess. All that''s left is for Carl to take the Trial."


    Letho mused. He was reminded of Roy''s regenerative ability, but he still looked displeased. "You were supposed to assist her, not test her drugs out. Did she force you into this?"


    "On the contrary, we almost got into a big fight because she tried to stop me."


    "Then why? Why did you do that? Are you stupid?" Serrit shook his head and pointed a finger at Roy. "If something had happened to you, we''d have lost our seer. Who would¡¯ve taken over?"


    "You didn''t go through the Trial, did you?" Eskel blurted. He had been quiet until now.


    "I''m not stupid. Of course not." Roy lied as naturally as he breathed. He shook his head. "I''d die if I took a second Trial. It''d sh with the Trial I have. Look at me, I''m fine. And one month isn''t enough to hold a Trial. They were just regr potions."


    The witchers fell silent, but their doubts were starting to wane.


    "Heterochromia isn''t something trivial." For once, Auckes was serious. "Your luck will run out sooner orter. Gic mutation is unpredictable. If you had lost an eye or a nose, Lytta would have dumped you."


    <em>She wouldn¡¯t. </em>Roy was sure of it. Her taking care of him over the past month told Roy enough of her loyalty.


    "Next time something this dangerous pops up again, tell us about it." Geralt patted Roy''s shoulder. "We''ll talk it through. Can''t let a youngd take all the risks."


    Lambert thumped Roy''s chest. "If you think of us as your friends, that is."


    Eskel and Kiyan gave Roy a look of concern. Aiden was staring silently. The veteran witchers might be chastising Roy, but he could see they were worried about him.


    Aiden was a little envious. Gatherings rarely happened between Cats, let alone showing concern. Even if someone did show concern, they usually had something to gain.


    Eventually, Roy gave in to the lectures. "Fine, I promise I''ll tell you before I do anything like this next time."


    "Don''t even try to bullshit your way out of this, kid." Letho shot him a withering look.


    "I''ll leave the brotherhood if I break that promise."


    Everyone calmed down a little.


    Roy changed the subject. "So, did you guys do anything while I was gone?"


    "Lots of things." Vesemir pinched his beard and told Roy about the tale of Sebastian. "So¡­"


    ***


    An image of a two-hundred-pound, six-feet-six man popped into his head. <em>Geez. Looks like a pig that just got a shower.</em>


    If memory served him right, Redania''s intelligence agency manager was that towering man in his mind¡ªSigismund Dijkstra.


    He was a controversial man with many ws. Hiding in the shadows while cooking up conspiracies was what he did best. Still, he was truly loyal to Redania, his home country. <em>Didn''t expect a fight with Sigismund to break out so soon, and we actually won.</em>


    But that was not the end. He didn''t think Sigismund would give up so soon. <em>There must be more Redanian spies lurking in Novigrad. Heck, spies from every kingdom, perhaps.</em>


    ***


    Roy did remember a part of Chappelle''s history. A few years ago, he died from a heart attack, and a doppler was wandering close by, so he took Chappelle''s ce and started doing charity with the power he had.


    But ten yearster, Redania invaded Novigrad and had the church under control. The doppler was found out and burned at the stake. <em>That won''t happen this time. I''m here now.</em>


    Roy fell silent for a moment. "So we have two dopplers in Novigrad now. At least he''s a better neighbor than the evil chancellor. This is good news."


    Serrit smiled. "This is Destiny''s decree. Not only did Redania''s spy fail to thwart us, but they made us look like saints. Chappelle recognizes our efforts and is now in on the peace treaty. We just signed the revised treaty at a brothel a while ago. The church is our ally now, so long as we don''t do anything illegal."


    "We can get Gawain to convince his friend to join our alliance," suggested Roy.


    "And he''s working on it. Chappelle needs us to cover his ass for the hierarch. He will have to join the alliance whether he likes it or not," Letho answered.


    "We''ve cleared all obstacles." Lambert was shivering in excitement. "Now nobody can stop our expansion."


    "We gotta take it one step at a time. We''re not in a hurry to take in new students." Vesemir looked into the distance. Coral was sweating from answering all the questions the children were throwing at her. "First, we have to raise the ones we have. They''re plenty brilliant."


    The witchers were reminded of the day these kids defended them from the church despite them being so outnumbered and outssed. Even though they were scared and terrified, they still stepped in bravely.


    "You raised them well, but only less than a quarter of them can be witchers." Vesemir said, "We know how witchers are traditionally trained. And what about the regr children? What do you think? Should we just go on with the sses and activities like usual? Are we going to tell them to leave once theye of age and strike out on their own?"


    The Vipers exchanged smiles. "We were just waiting for that question, Vesemir."


    "The brotherhood is only made up of witchers, but there''s no rule saying we can''t work with regr people." Roy started exining his n. "We''re spending a lot of time and effort raising these kids. It''d be best if we could maintain an amicable bond. We need all kinds of people for the brotherhood to work. Once they mastermon speech and identify themselves as a part of ourmunity, we can go into specialization. Since they would put themselves in danger to protect you, I think they''ve already thought of themselves as one of us." Roy looked at hispanions. "Some prefer medicine and alchemy. They can learn from Letho, and we have a workce for them to practice."


    "I''m a decent alchemist too." Kiyan pushed his sunsses up, revealing his eyes.


    "Of course. You''re one of the best people who can teach them. And some of the kids prefer farming and husbandry."


    "You expect us to hire a druid to teach them?" Felix cocked an eyebrow.


    Roy smiled, but he said nothing.


    "Let me guess. Some of them are interested in poetry and culture." Lambert asked curiously, "Should we get Dandelion to teach them, then?"


    "No. Let him enjoy his retirement." Roy shook his head. "They can further their studies in Oxenfurt Academy. Don''t underestimate intellectuals. If they make a name for themselves, they can write books and epics that''ll alter how the public sees us. That''ll help our mission."


    ***


    A long silence ensued.


    Vesemir broke the ice. "That''s a big dream,d. A dream that needs a lot of time and money. A decade, at least. And a lot can change in a decade. Perhaps reality will not end up as ideally as the vision you have in mind."


    "That''s where wee in. Novigrad is the perfect ce for us, so we have to try." Roy''s eyes shone. "We''ll raise and guide them. They can work for the brotherhood, and we can help them out as well. cksmithing, alchemy, farming, culture¡­ No matter which field it is, when the regr children make a name for themselves, they''ll be a big boon to us. We can leave the regr work to them while we concentrate on expansion."


    "Too early, if you ask me," Eskelmented. "We should raise the kids we have and build a solid foundation for them."


    "No. I think we should be prepared." Serrit suggested, "We should build a furnace and workstation near the orphanage. Then we''ll find a spot to set up a garden." Serrit rubbed his chin and ran the calctions in his head. "We''ll need about a thousand crowns."


    Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and Vesemir suggested something as well, and they reached a decision.


    ***


    Roy turned his attention to the witchers who just came back from clearing the sewers and finding the Griffin diagram. "So, how did things go on your end?"


    "Your premonition was spot on. Six diagrams, all ounted for." Geralt nodded with a smile. He was wearing green leather armor with chains covering his vitals. It was the Viper armor Vesemir brought back.


    On the other hand, Kiyan was wearing heavy Ursine armor. His chest and torso were covered in chainmail, while his hands were covered in te armor. And he was wearing brigandine armor that draped down to his knees.


    "Wasn''t an easy trip. Harpies, drowners, wyverns, wraiths¡­ We killed them all. Got nearly ten mutagens."


    "I''m getting the next mission, right?" Lambert wiggled his eyebrows. "Staying here all the time makes me rusty. Don''t you think so, Aiden?"


    "Yes." Aiden''s interest in the brotherhood was growing, but it wasn''t enough to make him join. He needed a good battle.


    "You''d throw away an easy job for battle?" Vesemir chuckled.


    "Easy jobs are for you, old man." Lambert snorted.


    Roy rolled his eyes and turned to Felix. "So, how did the sewer cleaning go?"


    "Eh, a nice trip. And good training, but¡­" He looked at Eskel, the guy who went with him.


    Eskel rubbed his arm, and Roy noticed a bandage under his sleeve. "The sewers are filled with drowners and ghouls. Felix and I killed about a hundred of them in a month."


    "The church should make you model citizens." Roy smiled.


    "I got ahead of myself, and one of them got me, but it was just a scratch. Nothing more."


    "And we gained a lot from this trip." Felix pushed his sunsses up, his eyes twinkling with a smile. "Monster organs and mutagens galore. If we add Geralt''s loot onto the pile, we''ll have enough to make two doses of the Trial and a lot of pre-Trials. And a lot of decoctions too."


    "There''s a passage we didn''t clear in time." Eskel paused for a moment. "We''ll finish the job tomorrow."


    "You stay here and rest." Roy wanted to take this. "It''s been a month since I had some action. I''d like to fight."


    "Count us in." Aiden and Lambert raised their hands.


    ***


    Nobody was sent out for any mission. Everyone stayed back to prepare. They were looking forward to Carl''s Trial. He was the first one to take it since the orphanage''s inception.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 389: Through the Darkness

    Another bustling day for Novigrad came. One sorceress in a red dress was found going through the shops with Felix, purchasing the items they needed for Carl''s Trial.


    ***


    On the other hand, Vesemir and Geralt were adjusting and making sure the apparatuses in theb were running as usual. They needed everything to be right.


    Mignole aside, this was the second time in a while Vesemir was looking forward to something. Geralt''s heart was thumping furiously. Thest time he felt this nervous was during the breakup with Yennefer.


    Thirty long years had passed since thest witcher was born, Roy excluded. The Wolves were waiting for a miracle to happen.


    ***


    Auckes and Letho hunted for a furnace and alchemy workstation in the marketce and smithy.


    ***


    Eskel and Kiyan stayed back and managed the children.


    ***


    Roy, Lambert, and Aiden, unlike theirpanions, were venturing through the dark sewers of Novigrad.


    Sounds of footsteps echoed in the dark passage. The ditch was filled with sewage. Wet moss lined the ground, and the stench of refuse fouled the air. Here was the resting ce of many critters and unknown creatures.


    Three silhouettes were venturing across this passage. One had amber eyes, one was heterochromatic, and thest one had red eyes, not unlike flickering, intangible mes found in cemeteries.


    The passage was not quiet at all. Grotesque toads covered in pus and slime croaked in the corner, grey rats the size of human heads scuttled across the sprawling sewers, and dark shadows shuffled and murmured in the dark.


    The witchers came to a halt. Roy crouched a little and leaned onto the wall, ck veins squirming on his face. He could see a crimson ribboning at them from the passage before them, and he sniffed the air. It was befouled by the smell of weed and the repugnant odor of bloated corpses floating on the sewers.


    Roy looked at hispanions, and they unsheathed their des. With one hand, they held their weapon before their chest, and with the other, they cast a Sign in the air.


    As Quen enveloped them in its safe yellow shield, a drowner that gleamed dark green reared its ugly head. Its bulging, sickly eyes scanned its surroundings, and it saw three prey before it.


    The drowner opened its maw. If it weren''t a monster, it would have looked like a big grin. Viscous drool trickled down to the ground, and its canine teeth were almost glinting.


    A sharp sound of something zipping through the air rang in the passage, and the drowner was no more. A firework of blood reced what was supposed to be its forehead. The bolt''s damage exceeded even its user''s expectations. Like a siege hammer, it sent the drowner''s body flying back.


    It mmed into the walls and fell into the squalid ditch along with a few pieces of debris. A big hole bore through its forehead, and its brains drenched the ground in red.


    Howls of drowners were heard, and a herd of them appeared from behind the corner. The witchers charged straight at them without fear.


    Lambert thrust his de at a drowner''s neck, killing it easily. Then he swung his de aside, slicing off another drowner''s head easily. Blood spurted, and the witcher was excited.


    Aiden ran into the group of drowners, cutting them down like weed. Some had their eyes destroyed. Some had their necks pierced, while some had their chins annihted. Aiden did not miss.


    His de danced across the air, and for a moment, it seemed like there were nothing but two silhouettes pirouetting and killing the monsters.


    Roy leapt straight into the fray. He put his weight on his left leg, and his muscles tensed up. The veins on his face wriggled and squirmed. A surge of strength welled within him, coursing into his arms. Aerondight spun around, slicing the drowners open with ease.


    Blood and innards spilled across the battlefield, and three drowners were cut in half. They howled and screamed, clinging to dear life. Unbeknownst to them, their flesh was being absorbed by the crimson de, lighting up three runes on its fuller. They gleamed a bright yellow.


    But that was not the end. Roy charged ahead to another group of drowners. He crouched a little and held his de closely by his side. At the same time, he made a blue triangle in the air.


    The ground squelched beneath him, but Roy paid it no heed. He went straight to the monsters and shoved the Sign ahead. A powerful air current smashed into the screaming, howling monsters. Two of them wobbled and lost bnce, not unlike someone who stepped on a banana peel. The one in the lead bore the brunt of Aard, and it fell back down.


    Roy crouched even lower and darted ahead. He stepped on the fallen drowner''s belly and rammed Aerondight straight through its neck. A drowner tried to attack him, but he quickly stabbed it in the eye. A third one came right after, but Roy moved his elbow and mmed the sword''s hilt into its face.


    Pain made the monster stagger back, and its jaw dropped like it was a fool, but that was thest thing it did. The witcher''s de pierced its mouth and destroyed its brain.


    ''(6) drowners killed. EXP +120.''


    Roy flicked his wrist and cleaned his de of blood. All five runes on the fuller were lit up, and they looked like stars twinkling in the night sky.


    "I can''t believe they didn''t leave more for us." Lambert wiped the blood off his de with a piece of cloth. "We''ve been down here for one hour, and that was the only group of monsters we ran into. Not close to enough."


    Aiden looked dissatisfied as well. A battle that onlysted for ten seconds couldn''t sate their desire for battle.


    "Don''t worry, mates." Roy hunkered down and cut the drowners open. "I have a feeling there¡¯ll be a big gift waiting for us down the line. Try not to cry tears of joy."


    "Roy, what''s the deal with your Gabriel? It sent that drowner flying." Aiden stared at Roy, but he didn''t see that hand crossbow anywhere. "But it''s so small. Are you sure it''s not a ballista?"


    "I asked Coral to enchant it for me, but I paid a heavy price for it." Roy smiled. "If you wanted it, you''d have to date a mage."


    "May I¡ª"


    "Weapons are like my undies. I don''t let anyone see my undies."


    ***


    They looted everything useful from the drowners and asked Roy to safeguard it for a while, and then they kept going on in the passage.


    To the veteran witchers'' disappointment, encounters with powerful monsters didn''t happen. They did see carcasses of drowners, ghouls, and nekkers, however, and they were covered in bizarre bite marks.


    Perhaps another monster dragged them all the way here after Eskel killed them.


    Their journey was a quiet one, but the witchers were getting more careful. The crimson ribbon they were following hade to an end, but the only thing greeting them was a dead end.


    A stone coffin sat quietly before the wall in the distance. It was closed and covered in intricate patterns. Skeletal remains slept around it like a big circle, and some had flesh dangling from the bones.


    The witchers held their breath and exchanged a look. Then they cast Quen and Heliotrop.


    They unsheathed their des and greased them with vampire oil, and then it was time for another dose of Thunderbolt and Petri''s Philter.


    ck veins wriggled under their skin once more, this time almost covering their whole face.


    A sigh of relief escaped Roy''s lips. Including the dose of Cat he took when he entered the sewers, he had taken three decoctions, but he could still go on. His Constitution granted him incredible poison resistance.


    The witchers'' eyes glinted in the dark. They held their breath and approached the coffin as quietly as they could, surrounding it.


    Roy made a gesture, and hispanions nodded. He hunkered down and pressed his hands against the ground. The purple light of Yrden shone through the darkness, encapsting the coffin.


    For every action there would be a reaction of equal force. The coffin shuddered violently, and the ground rumbled. The bats on the ceiling extended their wings and flew away.


    To the back the coffin''s lid slid, and a monstrous creature sat up. The creature was humanoid and resembled a pregnant woman. Its back was hunched, its body was dark grey, its legs were bent backward like a werewolf''s, and dark, sharp ws protruded from its limbs.


    The monster had the head of an oversized bat, but a pair of horns jutted from the center of its forehead, and another pair protruded from its temples, covering its ears.


    Most of its face was taken up by its maw. The teeth on the outeryer looked like corn kernels, and the teeth on the inside resembled fish bones. It had a ck, needly mane around its neck, and it extended down to its waist. That mane rivaled even the dwarves'' beard.


    ''Katakan


    Age: Fifty-three years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Higher vampire


    HP: 260


    Mana: 150


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: 23


    Constitution: 26


    Perception: 18


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 15


    Skills:


    Hyper Regeneration Level 7: This creature is immune to garlic, fire, and wooden stakes. They possess a long lifespan and incredible regenerative abilities. They can quickly heal their wounds and regenerate slowly even after their head and heart are destroyed.


    Invisibility Level 7: Katakans can change their skin color to blend in with their environment. Most people cannot see through their disguise.


    Instant Teleportation Level 6: Katakans can disappear into thin air and appear behind their victims tond a fatal blow.


    Crisis Sense (Passive)¡¯


    ***


    The moment the katakan appeared, the witchers were already thrusting their des into its ugly head. The vampire oil on their des burned the katakan''s flesh and bones, its blood diffusing into the air with the white smoke billowing from its wound.


    A wail of agony escaped its lungs, but Yrden stopped it from hiding itself or teleporting away. The monster could do nothing but toss and turn in rage and pain. It iled its ws in a feeble attempt to force the witchers back, but the coffin locked it in like a prison.


    Not only did it fail tond a single blow, but the monster also fell into another of their traps. It saw a green triangle, and its mind nked out.


    The witchers pulled their des out only to m them into its head again, and the katakan now had six holes in its head.


    It broke free of Axii''s hold, but it was already toote.


    <em>Fear. </em>Roy wouldn''t give it any chance to move. Crimson tentacles leapt out of the void beneath the monster, turning into a red cocoon. There was nothing but agony in its eyes right now, and yet the assault did not stop.


    Then came the third round. Lambert''s swords flew across the monster''s body, cutting its belly and chopping its innards up. Aiden stabbed his sword in the monster''s eye and destroyed its brain, while Roy held Aerondight close to his chest, its tip pointing up.


    Murder and cold fury red within the young witcher''s eyes, his muscles pulsating with every breath he took. Roy pointed his de at the monster''s neck and thrust the sword up in a diagonal angle.


    mes sparked and grew enough to engulf the sword. Aerondight resembled a fiery g more than a de now. It tore through the air and the katakan''s hardened skin easily. A spark of crimson me flew into the darkness and left a mark on the sturdy wall.


    Debris fell, and the headless katakan fell back into the coffin. The wound on its neck cauterized. Smoke billowed from it, and not a drop of blood trickled out.


    Roy held his de up. The head of the katakan hung from the de''s tip. Its eyes were bulging, the ghost of itsst scream forever etched on its face.


    ''Katakan killed. EXP +250.''


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. He held the hilt of his sword with his right hand and brushed his left fingers on the de''s fuller. What were once shining runes had lost their light. Devour was more powerful than he first imagined.


    Not even an ancient vampire could fend off its power. If Roy had that kind of damage increase before he went in for any kill, all he had to do was Blink into close range and cast Fear on his target, and most monsters would die.


    And this battle proved something. Katakans were higher vampires and possessed some simrities with humanoid higher vampires, alps, and bruxae. They were near indestructible. Unlike phoenixes, they couldn''t be reborn from ash, but decapitation and destroying their hearts wouldn''t stop these creatures.


    However, there was no chance for it to return if Roy was the one who made the kill. Its soul would be converted into EXP and more strength for Roy.


    ***


    The witchers bumped fists.


    "Not bad, kid." Lambert gave Roy a thumbs up. "You weren''t deadweight. That higher vampire was nothing. Did you see its face? Dumb and ugly. A log could have fought better."


    "You need more training, Lambert." Aiden hunkered down and helped Roy cut the katakan''s body open. He took its innards out and gave his friend a look. "Roy''s on par with you. Not in terms of swordsmanship, but real, honest, life-or-death battles. He''s powerful enough to go toe to toe with you. He does have an enchanted Gabriel and that sword."


    The look on Lambert''s face changed, and he shook his head. "I''m not stupid. I''m not going to engage in an all-out battle. Besides, if it''s a spar we''re doing, then he''s only allowed to use regr weapons. And I''m not necessarily the weakest brotherhood member." Lambert shot his friend a knowing look.


    "I haven''t made up my mind just yet." Aiden rubbed his scar and shook his head.


    "The Aiden I know isn''t this indecisive." Lambert pushed his friend. "It''s been a month, and you <em>still </em>haven''t made up your mind? Is it something about the brotherhood?"


    Aiden said nothing, but a frown furrowed his brows. Most of his life was him wandering thend all by himself. It had been a long time since he joined a group. He wasn''t sure if this kind of lifestyle would suit him. He needed some time to think.


    Roy ignored the filth on his body and whipped out the katakan''s mutagen and tucked it away in his pocket. <em>One down. Nine to go.</em>


    "Let''s make a deal, mate." Lambert stared into Aiden''s eyes. "If Carl can pass his Trial, then you''ll join the brotherhood. You can''t deny Destiny. But if he fails, then you can do whatever you want."


    A long silenceter, Aiden grunted. He was reminded of the moment where the children came to their defense. It would be a waste if they didn''t be witchers. Raising new witchers was the duty and calling of all witchers, including him. The temptation was too much to resist. "It''s in Destiny''s hands now."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 390: Carls Trial

    Dawn broke through the horizon over yonder. Gusts of cool morning breeze danced across the woods, caressing the patches of grass between the trees, kissing the fields surrounding the fence, pushing down dewdrop-covered lips, and entering the quiet orphanage.


    Carl was in the yard, taking a deep breath. He could smell the scent of life poking through the soil and the aroma of charcoal and meat hanging in the air.


    The bonfire. He could still remember it vividly. His friends stood in a circle, hand in hand. Standing in the center was the famous bard who went by the name of Dandelion. They danced andughed to the merry tune he yed, and the night was filled with nothing but delight.


    A small smile tugged on Carl''s lips. A hint of happiness lit his little face up, but that happiness died a momentter. He was reminded of something terrifying, and his brows furrowed. There was unease and even fear in his eyes.


    "Carl, it''s a day off. Why are you up so early?" Monti rubbed his eyes and sat down beside his friend, pulling Carl closer. "You look sad. Did you stay up all night? You don''t want to leave us, do you? Why don''t I tell them to let you stay? You don''t have to go for the special training."


    "Yeah, Carl. You can still train at the orphanage. You don''t have to leave." Acamuthorm had appeared as well. He too sat beside his friend, licking his lips.


    Lloyd and Charname made their appearances shortly after. All the reserve apprentices were gathered.


    "Training''s going to be boring without you." Charname slicked back a lock of his hair and put on a look of disappointment. "Training with these talentless fools is a boring chore. They aren''t tough enough to motivate me."


    The boys snarled at Charname.


    "And you''re the pretty boy." Lloyd blinked and sighed. "If you''re gone, the girls won''t even look at us as much anymore. That''s gonna take the fun out of training."


    Monti took a deep breath. His fringe was shaking, hesitation filling his eyes. But in the end, he resolved himself. "If you stay, I-I''ll let you marry Vicki."


    Monti puckered his lips. He felt like crying, but still he continued. "I-I''ll be your best man when you get married."


    "Yeah. We''ll just stop thispetition," the boys agreed. They put their hands on their friends'' shoulders and pressed their heads together in the center like a human chain, as if doing that would bond them tighter.


    "No forcing or giving up on love. Didn''t you guys see how Roy wooed Lytta?" Carl shook his head and put on a precocious act.


    "Wait, you saw them?" Curiosity lit up the boys'' eyes.


    "Um, once. When I got up to pee, I saw them going into the woods at night, and then I heard someone purring like a cat. Happened almost every day after that. I call that romance. I bet Roy recites a lot of poems to her every night." He muttered, "And they also fight naked. That''s how he made her fall for him."


    The boys'' jaws dropped. The story was shocking, and they nodded like they had learned something from it.


    "If you want true love, you''ll have to have charisma and strength. Or all you''re gonna get is a fake," Carl said seriously. He patted the napes of hispanions. "Thanks for your concern, but I must leave. Worry not. I''ll be out for about six months at most. It''s going to be the most critical point in my life."


    Carl tilted his head and cooked up a story. "If I get through this, I''ll be awesome like a swan. You know, the story of the ugly duckling."


    "But you''re not ugly."


    "Shut it! Then I, Carl, will gain enough power to be an actual witcher apprentice, not a reserve member." He teased, "Don''t ck off. I won''t wait for you guys. If you don''t catch up, we''ll drift apart."


    Curious, Acamuthorm asked, "What if you <em>can''t </em>get through it?"


    A long silenceter, the kids quickly covered his mouth. "Shut it! Don''t jinx it!"


    Acamuthorm''s eyes almost rolled back into his head, and he almost fainted.


    Carl turned around while hispanions kept up the banter. Then he noticed all the girls and the fatdy staring at him in silence. There was concern and blessing in their eyes.


    <em>Are they sending me off?</em>


    Felix showed up out of nowhere. This time, he didn''t smack his student''s head. Instead, he patted it. "Ready, Carl?" There was a hint of warmth in his otherwise dead voice.


    Carl nodded. He shouted to the kids, "Wait for me, people. I''ll return triumphant!" A tear trickled down his cheek.


    The kids waved their hands. "Bye, Carl!"


    ***


    Not much time had passed since theboratoryst saw a deadly trial, and now another adept came to the very same chamber where Roy underwent the harrowing ordeal. The boy was sitting on the operating theater, naked and filled with trepidation. He looked like a little beast scared of a new ce.


    Even though he had gone through a dozen pre-Trials and put himself in danger, the prospect of facing the real deal still scared him.


    Felix patted his shoulder tofort him. And he flipped through the records of Carl''s data. The remaining witchers were leaning on the nearby walls with their arms crossed and their lips sealed. They were nervous, and Lambert and Auckes were close to holding their breath.


    Lytta picked a ck bottle out of her grand collection of potions. She uncorked it, and a sharp stench wafted through the air. Roy took the bottle from her and ced it in a steel box.


    "Carl''s a sturdy boy. His training went well, I see. All he has to do is work with me, and the Trial will be feasible." She paused for a moment. "But just in case, ready that acorn. He might need it if pushes to shove."


    Felix stared at the ground, his eyes dark. <em>Carl would lose his memories if he ate that thing.</em>


    "That''s all for the briefing, witchers. You should leave me to my work now." She put the ck bottle down and picked up a green one to swirl under the light.


    The witchers didn''t leave. They didn''t want to.


    Lytta rolled her eyes, her hair swaying around her shoulders. "Don''t just stand there. Do you expect Carl to run around you like you''re training stakes? And it''s cramped in here. If you topple anything over, it''s not going to end well for the boy. Oh, but he can stay and help." Lytta shot Roy a nice smile, but that smile was wiped off her face when she turned her attention to the other witchers. "You''ll have to leave. Do whatever you want, but just don''t get in my way."


    "No!" Felix shot up. Adamantly, he said, "Lytta, he is my student. I''m the only one who can stay with him during the Trial. I need to keep an eye on him at all times."


    "This is my ce, I''m the host of this Trial, so I get to set the rules." Lytta refused to budge. "Break the rules, and I''m not taking responsibility for any idents."


    Felix froze. He gritted his teeth and looked at Roy with an unspoken plea in his eyes.


    Roy sighed. "Why don''t we let him stay?"


    "I''ve overseen my fair share of Trials," Vesemir piped up. "I assume you''ll be administering the hormones for Carl?"


    Lytta nodded.


    "Total silence isn''t required for that step. Once the adrenaline hits, he needs someone to guide him. To show him how to release his excess energy. The rowdier the better for this step, and witchers know how to be rowdy."


    "We won''t get in your way, we promise," Serrit added. "Let us stay."


    The witcher stared at Lytta, the anticipation in their eyes almost blinding. Apparently, they paid a lot of importance to the boy''s Trial.


    This time, Lytta said nothing. She went over to Carl instead. "This will be painful. Hold it in, child."


    "Yes." Carl sat up straighter.


    Lytta spread her arms open and started casting a spell. Her fingers weaved across the air deftly, the liquid in her bottles flying up and splitting into needle-like structures. They darted into the boy''s chest, and streams of colorful lights flowed from Lytta''s fingertips into the boy''s body.


    Carl trembled for a moment, and his face went from pale to red in a moment. That hue of red spread down his neck and across his body. Trails of steam shot out from his nose. He balled his fists and leapt up into the air, thumping his chest like an excited monkey.


    His skin was as red as someone who had been in a hot spring for a whole day.


    Lytta turned around, her arms crossed, and she raised her head proudly. "He''s your problem now. You insisted. Now, Roy,e with me."


    Felix quickly said, "Take your time. Enjoy the date." He looked around and picked the perfect spot for Carl to train. It was the same ce upied by the statue a while back.


    "You''re in luck, Carl." Auckes rubbed his hands and grinned. "You got ten witchers guiding you through this. Nobody has gotten that kind of treatment."


    "Enough, you fools. He''s my student, and I''m the one keeping an eye on him. You should go back and keep an eye on the other kids."


    "Don''t worry. Gawain''s got it covered." Kiyan pushed his sunsses up and cracked a joke for once. "And we''re all brothers here. Your student is my student. We have a duty to help him out."


    The burly witchers surrounded the boy and smacked him around like a top with their practice swords. Sometimes, they would stand around like wooden stakes so the boy could run, jump, and swing his practice sword around them.


    Delightful. It was delightful for the witchers. Like they went back to simpler times where they just yed around with simple toys.


    On the other hand, Carl spun around and roared. The world was spinning, but he kept going on like an unyielding wolf pup.


    ***


    Lytta held Roy''s hand with one hand, waving at the air with the other. Magical light sprung from her fingertips, and a swirling portal appeared before them. They hopped into it and out onto a rickety wooden boat.


    The boat sat silently on the endless ocean. Winds howled, and seagulls squawked.


    "You''re using this as an anchor?" Curiosity welled in Roy''s eyes. "The waves could have destroyed it, and we could''ve found ourselves swimming on the sea."


    "Half of this boat is magic. It won''t get destroyed that easily." Lytta grabbed his hand and pried his fingers open. "And so what if it''s destroyed? You don''t want to swim with me?"


    "Of course I do." Roy kissed the back of her hand.


    "They''re going to make a din for a while. Carl needs some time to get that excess energy out of his system. In the meantime, we''ll be making some memories." Lytta stretched her arms and leaned on his chest like a mermaid lying on a reef.


    Her eyes were glistening, and the witcher held her hair, taking in the scent that wasing off her. His eyes were glinting.


    The second mutation filled his body with almost inexhaustible energy, and with great energy came great dilemmas.


    "Carl''s Trial will take at least three to six months. We can''t see each other that much. Once a week is the best I can do, so let''s make it Sunday."


    "Yeah."


    "Don''t stand me up."


    "Okay, then I have a request. Don''t get too close to the adepts during the Trial, no matter who they are. Alright?" He stared at the sorceress solemnly. Roy could be jealous if he wanted to, and Lytta''s love got him through his Trial.


    Lytta chuckled and caressed his cheeks. Her hair brushed across his lips, her eyshes fluttering like a butterfly''s wings.


    "Why are you giving me that look? And why are you being quiet?"


    "I''m trying toe up with a surprise to cheer you up." She smiled and huddled closer.


    ***


    "Alright, I''m cheered up. Incidentally, do you know any sorceresses? Whom you are good friends with?"


    "Why do you ask?" Lytta was starting to get cautious.


    "Well, sorcerers can work too. I just think you being alone takes a lot out of you. Takes a lot out of our time too."


    "You''d like to rope more mages into this brotherhood, huh?" She looked back and smiled at him. "I know a lot of mages, famous or otherwise. Margarita, Keira, Yennefer, Tissaia, Triss, and the one you saved¡ªCasiga."


    She listed out a dozen mages before she came to a halt. And then she looked at Roy. "Would you like to see Casiga?"


    Hesitation grasped Roy for only a moment. The witcher answered, "She has her own life to lead." <em>I''ll see her when she''s older.</em>


    Lytta nodded happily and caressed his forearm like it was a cat. "Aside from me, nobody''s going to work with the brotherhood. You aren''t exactly esteemed at the moment. Besides, do you even have enough money to hire a second mage?"


    Roy mused pensively. Lytta didn''t take the coins the brotherhood promised. First, thepensation Kerack''s queen gave her was enough tost for years. Second, she didn''t want to sour the rtionship with things like profit or coins. Roy didn''t want to, but Lytta still did him a favor in the end.


    Still, it was a favor he loved. The orphanage''s upkeep, the Trials, and recipe improvement cost them a lot. Thetter two took up most of the costs. What money they made from their shops wasn''t enough to keep up with this. And they still had a lot of ns in the future, like gear upgrades and big item purchases. They would have to sit down and talk with the dopplers should they want to hire one more mage.


    "Don''t shoot for the moon just yet. It''s only been a year, but you''ve doubled your team members and opened an orphanage. That''s good enough," Lytta said gently. "You''ll get the second mage sooner orter, but for now, Carl takes precedence, get it?"


    "Yeah. But can you handle his Trial though?"


    "Not sure. You were nearly fourteen during your first Trial. That''s about five years older than most if not all adepts. Carl''s not even ten years old. He''s at the perfect age for a Trial. The effects are going to be far stronger than the Trial you took, but that also means a higher risk."


    <em>Come on. Is everybody gonna hold my age against me? </em>Roy shook his head.


    Lytta continued. "And Carl''s not like you. He can''t create miracles or possess multiple powers. You''re a seer, a monster tamer, and you can heal yourself just by making your body sparkle. He doesn''t have that kind of power. And by the gods, I''ll make you spill your secrets someday."


    "You''ll have to keep cheering me up."


    "Uh huh." mes of desire red in Lytta''s eyes, and she bit her lip.


    The skies were peaceful, but the seas weren''t. Waves undted over the surface, and a wooden boat was seen floating across the waters. All of a sudden, it started to rock, and for a long time at that.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 391: Griffin Attack

    The skies were brilliantly blue. A gust of wind blew across the riverside on eastern Novigrad. Two gigantic silhouettes pped their wings in the heavens, circling each other.


    One had the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. It was covered in brownish-yellow fur, and its eyes were icy ck, filled with the arrogance of an apex predator.


    The other silhouette was even bigger than the predator. It was the size of an adult buffalo. Its body was nearly ck in color and sleek like a feline. Scales and feathers grew on its body, and wed wings protruded from its back. It had the long tail of a serpent and the head of a rooster. Its beak was short but sharp, and its crown was crimson red. Its eyes were amber and filled with cunning.


    A loud screech tore through the air, and the griffin charged toward the basilisk.


    The beasts found themselves entangled in a heated battle. The basilisk pecked away at the griffin''s head and neck, but the griffin clutched its adversary''s wings with its own, holding down its talons with its ws. Screeches and howls echoed in the air as the beasts spiraled and hurtled through the skies.


    At a nce, they looked like a couple venting out their hatred at each other. Blood, feathers, and scales rained down, and the beasts parted a moment after the initial attack. Both of them sustained deep injuries on their bodies.


    The battle had no clear winner, but the griffin was still young. It lost out in size and strength, and unlike its enemy, it had no scales to protect itself. The basilisk''s attack left a deep wound. The light in its eyes dimmed a little, and the griffin turned around, pping its wings.


    A howl escaped its maw as it descended to the ground.


    The basilisk let out a squawk of delight, its amber eyes twinkling with malice even more. It pped its wings and followed its quarry closely, but then someone pulled the trigger, and a silver light flew from the bush.


    The basilisk''s crown burst into a flower of blood. It let out a scream and plummeted like a kite that had lost its wings. Before it could hit the ground, a ball of fire zipped through the air and mmed into the monster. mes licked it, swimming up to the basilisk''s neck.


    Finally, the monster fell with a loud thud. It rolled around in an attempt to put the mes out, stirring up storms of dust while doing so. Soil and chunks of nts flew into the sky as it pped its wings.


    Before it could even put the mes out, someone emerged from the bush. Someone tall and muscr. He pulled his weapon''s trigger and weaved a red sign in the air, and a sh of silver followed by a fireball flew the basilisk''s way.


    Left with no avenues to defend itself, the bolt pierced through the basilisk''s left eye. And then the fireball exploded, covering it in even bigger mes. Even when it was tossing and turning, the mes roared on.


    Roy cast Observe.


    ''Basilisk


    Age: Twelve years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: Lightly injured


    Mana: 120


    Strength: 26


    Dexterity: 20


    Constitution: 28


    Perception: 9


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 12


    Skills:


    Subdragon (Passive): Basilisks are distant rtives of great dragons. +10 to Constitution. Its sturdy and hardened scales shield it against physical attacks. It possesses decent resistance against fire, corrosion, and venom.


    Tail Whip Level 5: A fast attack with the tail.


    Sonic Wave Level 6; Thanks to its unique throat and vocal cord structure, basilisks can fire off a sonic wave at a unique frequency in a five-meter range, stunning and disorienting its target.''


    ***


    The air rippled, and a phantom silhouette traveled ten yards in a single moment. As the witcher appeared over the basilisk''s head, his eyes red with fire, but the look on his face was that of ice-cold fury.


    He held a crimson sword over his head, muscles tense and veins popping. The de was brought down swiftly, embedding itself within the monster''s spine. Blood covered the de, and one of the five runes on it shone.


    An almost deafening scream came from the basilisk. Wriggle and squirm it did, in an attempt to bring down the maggot standing over its head, but then crimson tentacles appeared before it, strangling and keeping the basilisk in ce.


    The basilisk curled its wings up in an attempt to block the tentacles, leaving its back unguarded.


    And the injured griffin seized its chance at revenge. It mmed its hind legs and wings into the ground and pounced at the basilisk like a golden carriage. Through the scales, fur, and skin the griffin tore, and eventually, flesh and blood were pulled from the basilisk.


    The witcher pulled his de out of the monster only to bring it down once more on the wound of its beck.


    ***


    Deeper and bigger the wound became, and blood drenched the grass around it.


    But the basilisk did not die that easily. Fear couldn''t keep it still for long. When it broke free of the spell, the basilisk shook its body in fury and charged straight ahead, leaving the witcher and his griffin behind.


    It pped its wings and flew into the air, but once again, the basilisk revealed its back to the pair of hunters.


    Sounds of swishes filled the air as the witcher pulled the trigger and cast his fireball spell at the same time. The bolts and fireball rained down on the basilisk''s left wing and broke it.


    The basilisk hadn''t even risen thirty feet into the air, and it was already brought back down to ground. It raised its head again, but this time, its amber eyes were tinged with red. In ast ditch attempt to survive, it relinquished all defenses and charged straight at the witcher, but its wounds greatly slowed its speed.


    It was a mighty charge, but the basilisk telegraphed its attack too obviously. The witcher was prepared, and he saw through the attack. Like a dancer flying across a dangerous dance floor, the witcher led the basilisk on a little hunt, expending what little stamina it had left. Every time the witcher rolled on the ground, he got back up faster and thrust Aerondight up into the monster.


    The draconid oil burned the monster, while Devour took in all the blood and lost life force. Despite the advantage, not once did the witcher go in for more than one attack at a time.


    Slowly but surely, the runes were starting to light up. Two times the basilisk''s tail grazed Roy, but Quen absorbed most of the impact. It tried to use a sonic attack, but Heliotrop held up against it.


    The witcher was barely hurt, and his injured griffin, like its master, went for every opening it could every time the basilisk revealed its back. Once the basilisk turned its attention to the griffin, the beast would take to the skies immediately.


    The witcher and his griffin worked together, nking the monster for about one minute. Then a lean, tanned Zerrikanian girl with a Mohican hairstyle emerged from the trees nearby. She too joined the battle. Almost every shot she fired with the hand crossbow hit its mark. The extra enemy spelled disaster for the basilisk. It was covered in bruises and wounds at that point.


    The longer the battle continued, the more Suppression kept the monster in check. Bloody tentacles that floated behind the witcher would strangle the monster like boa constrictors from time to time, stunning it for a few moments.


    The basilisk''s speed dropped, its amber eyes losing their luster. Its breathing was ragged and heavy, and its body was wobbly. It was close to falling.


    It made a half-hearted attempt at a wing p, and Roy easily walked around it. He held his sword up high and swung it down once more. mes covered his de, and the metal cut through the basilisk''s flesh, tendons, bones, and even the ground underneath. A straight line of mes and blood billowed in the air for a moment, and then an oversized chicken head rolled over to the witcher.


    The massive headless body fell with a sickening thud, stirring up a storm of dust and grass. Its wings and legs were spasming, while the wound on its neck was billowing with smoke, cauterized by the fire.


    ''Basilisk killed. EXP +260.''


    Roy wiped off his de and looked at his EXP bar. Over thest few months, he had been summoning demons every month and hunting in the wilds with Gryphon. The bar was filling up at a blistering rate, but Roy was in no hurry to level up.


    Like a yful child, Gryphon covered its head with its wings and shook its rear at the dead basilisk. It let out weird screeches like it was showing off at a corpse.


    Kanti pierced her des into the ugly head the size of half a human and held it in the air. She covered her fingers with its blood and drew two crescent moons on her cheeks. Then, she wrapped her arms around the witcher''s neck and spun around, showing off her beautiful body.


    "You did good, Roy. If you were in Zerrikania, you''d at least be a five-star hunter."


    Roy wiped some sweat off his forehead. After the second Trial, most monsters that had more than twenty in their stats were no threat to him, not even the difficult subdragons.


    He hade up with a perfect battle n. First, he would take down the enemy''s mobility with Furyfire and Gabriel. Then he would get close and light the runes on his sword up. If the enemy tried to attack, he would dodge, ambush, and keep fighting on with Activate. Now that he had 300 points of Mana, he could dish out heavy damage before he needed to rest.


    That n worked every time. And once the runes were all lit up, it was time to go in for the kill. If Gryphon was helping him, it would be even easier to kill the monsters. A few of the harder creatures died when he used that n.


    "All thanks to you and Gryphon."


    "You''re too modest. I did nothing, really. Just a minute amount of damage." She bent over and skinned the monster. Happily, she said, "It''s thanks to you we managed to defeat this beautiful creature. It''s fiercer than a venomous basilisk. I''d say it''s worth two tattoos. Can you pick the style for me?"


    Roy kept quiet.


    "No? Then how should I thank you?" Kanti''s eyes were gleaming bright.


    "It''s alright. You''ve done enough taking care of the shop and my family. And I promised you a hunt. I keep my promises." Roy hunkered over and cut the monster up. Subdragons were worth a ton. And since the basilisk had stats that were over twenty, Roy was one step closer to being an advance witcher.


    Kanti paused for a moment. "Then I''ll make a pair of nes out of its ws and teeth. One of them is for you."


    Roy agreed.


    "Thanks, partner. Next time I find a big one, I¡¯lle for you again." She breathed down his neck.


    "Yeah."


    "Your ''hunting dog'' is injured."


    "Thanks for your concern." Roy tucked the mutagen into his inventory space and looked at Gryphon. The beast was munching on the herbs to heal itself. "Gryphon was born with really fast regeneration."


    Roy activated his mount''s healing skill. His Mana was slowly getting drained while Gryphone''s injuries were healing at a blistering pace.


    The beast quickly approached its master and rubbed its furry head against Roy''s leg.


    ***


    Once done with the basilisk''s carcass, the hunters cleaned themselves in the nearby river.


    Kanti returned to Novigrad with some teeth and ws. She was going to make a pair of nes out of them. On the other hand, Roy rode Gryphon and flew back to the orphanage.


    Yellow was the sky, the setting sun sprinkling thest of its golden rays upon the orphanage.


    The new alchemyb stood on the ssroom''s right, and Letho was exining the basic steps to make potions to a few children in theb. These three children were picked from the regr kids. They loved alchemy and had a talent for it. These kids were Vicki, Renee, and a short boy named Conrad.


    Standing behind the children was the familiar alchemy workshop. Purses of dried herbs stood on the surface. There were also mortars, pestles, and a bubbling cauldron.


    Roy paused for a bit. Alchemy had been part of his life so far in his witcher career. Over thest few months, he had mastered five new decoctions, including ck Blood.


    He turned his attention to the yard. About twenty yards away from the orphanage, a furnace made of bricks stood underneath a rickety wooden roof. mes roared within, and Vesemir was standing around it. He wore a thick grey cotton apron and a pair of cotton gloves. In his left hand was a charcoal clip, and with it, he extracted the burning red base of an item.


    Then he put it on the work surface and held up a hammer with his other hand. He brought it down on the base, hitting it at a specific rhythm, turning it around as he shaped the final product.


    Sparks flickered in the air like fireflies, and the outline of an item slowly formed. A pair of children in aprons¡ªQuintus and Fyodor¡ªstared at the old man intently, listening to him as he spoke. Within their eyes, stars sparkled. Like the three kids earlier, this pair was chosen for their talent.


    Standing nearby were a row of hoes and pitchforks.


    ***


    Roy kept staring at his left. Standing outside the fence were the fields, where carrots, turnips, and spinach grew. Auckes and Serrit were swinging their hoes down, teaching Oreo, Terry, and Bhim how to till the soil and nt the seeds for veggies and eggnts.


    The young witcher was taken back to that day three months ago, and he was amused. After the kids started to learn how to read and write, none of them were too eager to be full-time farmers. It wasn''t until the witchers promised to teach them archery and traps did three kids fall for the offer.


    ***


    Four little silhouettes stood on the training grounds. Monti, Acamuthorm, Charname, and Lloyd were sweating from the training they were doing, but still they swung their practice swords, practicing their basic stances from the high stance to the tail stance. They were still too weak to pose any threat, but their stances were decent.


    A white-haired witcher was pointing out all the little mistakes they would make, correcting their stances even more.


    ***


    "Done with the basilisk, Roy?" Lambert and Aiden emerged from the woods. "You didn''t need any help?" He winked at the young witcher.


    "Nope. But I had Gryphon to help me out." Roy tossed a ck talon to Lambert.


    "She''s not even a year old. Don''t take her on these dangerous missions." Lambert froze and stared at the creature flying in the skies above the orphanage. "Can''t you convince her? Let us have a turn. We should have the same privilege as the children."


    Roy set up a new reward for the kids. Anyone who did well could ride the griffin under his supervision.


    The witchers were shocked at first, but eventually they epted the fact that Gryphon was actually a griffin and not a shapeshifter. After all the surprises Roy sprung on them, one more to the list wasn''t earth-shattering anymore.


    In fact, some of the witchers wanted to ride the beast and soar through the skies, but the proud griffin refused to do it. It only tolerated the children because Roy was around, and that was already bad enough. Having witchers on its back was uneptable.


    Gryphon tossed a patch of grass, and it hit Lambert squarely on the forehead. A roar of disdain escaped its beak, and Lambert caught the patch of grass sadly.


    "What about you guys? Caught the kidnappers?"


    "Been going at it for four months. Those bastards aren''t rearing their ugly heads anymore." Aiden shook his head. "The operation with Chappelle is a great sess. Those petty criminals are in hiding now."


    Over thest few months, the witchers contacted Chappelle through Gawain, and they included him in the alliance. In order to consolidate his position in the church, Chappelle came up with a new policy and doubled down on preventing human trafficking in Novigrad.


    As his allies, the witchers helped out with this mission. The brotherhood''s members patrolled the streets and cracked down on ten groups of kidnappers and ve catchers. For their hard work, they were rewarded with a thousand crowns. The higher-ups didn''t take to this well, but Chappelle and Gawain handled that part of the operation.


    This operation inspired a script by Dandelion and Prisci. A show apuding the witchers was created, touting them as ''the protectors of Novigrad,'' ''the allies who tread the line between good and evil.''


    The ballroom and apothecary shop were doing well as usual.


    "Kiyan and Felix are still in theb, aren''t they? It''s been more than four months. Wonder how it¡¯s going," Lambert muttered under his breath.


    A loud bang tore through the air out of nowhere, and a square door appeared beside the orphanage''s yard.


    All the witchers in the ssroom, alchemyb, smithy, and fields looked at the portal. Then out came Lytta, her lips crimson, and her dress ck. She looked around and finally found the witcher whom she hadn''t seen in a while.


    Scent of roses wafted through the air as Lytta skipped up to the young witcher. She gave him a tight hug and pushed herself up onto her tiptoes. And then they kissed.


    The children in the ssroom were shocked. Their jaws dropped. On the other hand, the reserve apprentices stared in silence. They were reminded of what Carl told them before he left.


    Geralt smacked them on their heads.


    Lambert was jealous and furious. "You''re kissing right in front of everyone! Can''t you get a room, you two? We have children here!"


    "Ahem."


    "Shut up and fuck a cow, Lambert!" An angry Lytta turned around and shot him a look.


    The witcher froze, and his face fell. <em>Goddammit. </em>For the first time in his life, he regretted having too much to drink that night.


    Aiden almostughed, but he turned his head away.


    Lytta straightened Roy''s clothes out, but she had a solemn look on her face. Her frown was deep, and she said, "Witchers, it is time. Come with me."


    Vesemir had made his appearance, anticipation hiding in his eyes. "I take it you''re saying¡­"


    Everyone was waiting with bated breath.


    "Carl''s Trial ising to an end."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 392: New Witcher

    Once again, the witchers found themselves gathered in the familiarb, the fires of the braziers shining on them. Auckes and Lambert were pacing around like cats on hot bricks. Letho, Eskel, Kiyan, and Geralt looked calm, while Vesemir, Serrit, and Aiden were leaning on the wall with their arms crossed. Anticipation was welling within their eyes, but so did anxiety.


    The witchers were waiting outside a closed metal door like fathers awaiting the birth of their children.


    Long did they wait. Their patience was wearing thin, but eventually, the door was opened, and out came Felix. There was exhaustion in his eyes, his face as pale as a tombstone. His back, usually straight, was hunched, and his glimmering eyes were dim.


    He could see the anticipation in hispanions'' eyes, but he leaned on the wall in silence, refusing to tell them about the results. Instead, he rubbed his cheeks weakly.


    The witchers felt their hearts sink. <em>Did it fail?</em>


    "You look like you lost your kid, Felix. Did something happen to Carl?" Auckes shook Felix''s shoulder like a madman.


    Felix hung his head low, still holding onto the silence. His face was hidden in the shadows.


    Lambert was more direct. He strode into the room and went straight to the operating theater.


    The boy was lying on the surface. He was in a grey silk robe, his eyes closed, and he was unmoving. The boy looked a little more grown up than before he took the Trial. His chin retracted by a bit, but he still looked clean and innocent. He looked like he had departed this world and fallen into a deep slumber.


    Roy was standing around the stgmites, holding Lytta in his embrace with one arm and her hand in his own. He was whispering something into her ear, perhaps some constion.


    Lytta was leaning onto Roy''s chest, her face pale, her eyes filled with tears.


    "Where''s the acorn? Why didn''t you use it?" Lambert extended a shaky hand to touch the boy. The witchers behind him looked solemn, their eyes filled with sadness.


    But when Lambert made contact, he wondered what all the fuss was about. "He doesn''t feel dead to me."


    A moan escaped the boy''s lips. He felt someone touching his forehead, and when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw were pairs of wild eyes staring at him. Shocked, Carl narrowed his eyes into slits. "Lambert? Vesemir? Why is everyone here?"


    "Dammit, you guys! That was an act, wasn''t it?"


    Lytta chuckled. "I hope you liked it."


    A smile curled Roy''s lips as well. It had been a while since he saw hispanions losing theirposure, and it was fun.


    Anger only held the witchers'' minds for a moment, and then they broke into smiles. The reason they came all the way to Novigrad and joined this new organization was for this exact moment. Months and months of effort finally culminated in the birth of a new witcher. It was worth it.


    Excited and exhrated, the witchers extended their hands to Carl. Before the boy could react, he was already drowning in pairs of muscr arms. The witchers wanted to see how the new apprentice was faring.


    Felix let out a heartyugh and pulled his sunsses down again. He puffed his chest out and approached his student. "Hey, he''s my student. I''ve trained him for almost six months. Of course it''d work out. This Trial is nothing."


    "Hey, you wouldn''t stopining and worrying about him at first." Auckes scoffed. "And he passed the Trial no thanks to you. It''s all because of Lytta."


    "Yes. Lytta did the heavy lifting." He gave Lytta¡ªwho was holding Roy''s arm¡ªa grateful look. "She made sure Carl had everything he needed to pass the Trial. But even so, without a mentor who taught him every day, Carl wouldn''t have passed the Trial at all. Don''t you think so, Carl?"


    "Hey, that''s enough. Stop it!" Serrit pulled the boy out of the crowd and looked at him with concern. "Carl, I need you to tell me something. How do you feel? Any side effects from the Trial?"


    Carl''s hair was unkempt, and he was suffocating from theck of air. The boyy down on the operating theater and heaved a few sighs. "I¡­" Fear shed in his eyes. He was first reminded of the hell he had to go through.


    First, he was tossing and turning and squirming like a maggot. An invisible knife was gouging out his bones and organs, keeping him awake at all times. And he had to go through the agony fully awake.


    He couldn''t stop crying. The pain was almost too much to bear. That was the one time he had cried so much in his life. Lytta even told him his heart stopped beating three times. And Carl swore he wouldn''t go through this a second time.


    Eventually, the pain stopped. When Carl clenched his fists once more, he felt full of energy. A great sense of confidence welled within him. "Lytta checked on me, and there''s no side effect at all. I feel great."


    He leapt off the operating theater and ran around the veteran witchers barefooted. The witchers noticed the change in Carl. No longer was he frail and fragile. He looked like a twelve-year-old instead of a nine-year-old now.


    The new apprentice clenched his fists by his side. He put one leg forward and stood upright. His shoulders were rxed, and he got into the plow position. But as he wasn''t used to his newfound strength, his stance lost all form.


    Roy cast Observe once more.


    ''Carl


    Age: Nine years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Manticore


    HP: 160


    Mana: 90


    Strength: 4 ¡ú 9


    Dexterity: 4 ¡ú 9


    Constitution: 4 ¡ú 16


    Perception: 5 ¡ú 8


    Will: 5 ¡ú 6


    Charima: 5 ¡ú 6


    Spirit: 5 ¡ú 8


    Skills:


    Sword Mastery Level 1''


    ***


    Roy was a little envious. <em>So this is how mutations go for younger kids. A thirty-point increase in total stats. That''s ten points more than me on my first Trial. </em>And Coral also told him Carl would see great improvements in his stats over the years. They would peak at about twenty years old.


    Thanks to the Manticore Trial, Carl''s constitution would be better than most witchers, but his strength, dexterity, and spirit wouldg behind.


    ***


    "Good job, Carl." Felix pulled his student closer. He used to be tall enough to reach his chest, but now Carl was at the height of his neck. He had grown from about four foot seven to four foot eleven.


    "That''s better than most adult men can do. Now you''re more like a man, but you need some time to adapt. Your newfound strength must be controlled. That stance was definitely not optimal. You need to keep your power in check, got it?"


    "Yes, sir!" Carl grinned toothily and gave the witchers a grateful look. "I''ve never felt this great before. Power just keeps bubbling inside me. I feel like I can fly."


    He spread his arms and leapt into the air. Like a deer trotting across the woods, hended about three yards away and rolled around.


    When he stood back up, he said, "Once I get back to the orphanage, I can kick Monti''s butt. No, I can take all of them at once!"


    Lambert shook his head and pulled on Carl''s arm. "You dumbass. From now on, you''re an apprentice. You''re not allowed to bully the children. Training will resume as usual, but now you''re also going toe with us on select requests. You need to kill some monsters and grow as a witcher."


    Suddenly, Lambert held Carl over his head by the boy''s armpits, and the boy stared at everyone innocently.


    "Look at his beautiful eyes. His handsome little face. He looks just like me back in the day."


    "Dammit!" Felix shoved Lambert away and took Carl back.


    The witchers started fighting, leaving Carl bbergasted. The other witchers were watching in silence.


    A long whileter, Serrit rubbed his chin. "Quiet, people. I think it''s still too early for him toe with us. He needs to train, learn some signs, polish up his swordy, and learn alchemy before he can evene on a mission."


    "I disagree." Eskel shook his head. "The first time we killed a monster was right after the Trial. He needs to kill a drowner."


    "He''s trained enough. Now it''s time for the real deal." Geralt smiled at Carl. "I think you''re eager to be a monster hunter, aren''t you ?"


    Carl nodded. He looked excited and nervous at the same time.


    "Felix, your student has passed the Trial. I think you know what to do." Vesemir pinched his beard. "This is a witcher tradition."


    "I won''t forget about his gift. Not even if I forget about anything else." Felix bent his hand backward and unstrapped the swords. He then presented them to the boy.


    He wore an encouraging smile and said gently, "You''ve passed the Trial, and you deserve a gift. Vesemir brought these back with himst time. They''re the Viper swords, and they''re now yours. Take it. They will be your new gear for training. You won''t be using the wooden sword anymore."


    "These are for me?" Carl took them, but he still was in disbelief. He looked at his mentor and the other witchers, asking for permission to take them.


    The witchers nodded at him, smiling and encouraging the boy to take them. This was a decision made by the brotherhood. They spent a lot of money on the first apprentice they raised, but Felix would have to foot the bill. He''d be low on the priority list next time the brotherhood found any loot.


    ***


    Carl unsheathed the silver de. It was as smooth as silk, and the runes on it glimmered under the light. The boy brushed his finger across the fuller, a smile of indulgence tugging on his lips. He just couldn''t stop touching them.


    The boy held the hilt with two hands, trying to hold the de up before him. The swords were heavier than the wooden sword he was used to, and the length was more than he could control. It looked like he would have some trouble wielding it properly.


    ***


    <em>There''s supposed to be a gift for anyone who passes the Trial?</em> Roy looked at Letho.


    The bald witcher raised his head and mouthed, ''Gwyhyr.''


    Roy froze. Letho shook his head and handed the boy a notebook that had all his alchemy tips and tricks recorded within it. "Feel proud, kid. Nobody else has so many mentors. I have a gift for you too."


    The other witchers presented their gifts as well. Things like beautifully crafted wooden dolls, journals that recorded the witchers¡¯bat experiences, leather gloves and boots made by the witchers, and more.


    Lytta also gave him a magical pendant that contained a one-time spell in it. The Magic Shield could save his life in a dire situation.


    Roy gave him a bottle that was filled with the teeth of more than a dozen monsters, including the basilisk and katakan. He considered giving Carl the notebook he always carried with him. It detailed all the experience he''s had since he stepped onto this path. But he changed his mind in the end. He was reluctant to part with that book.


    Auckes'' gift was the worst of them all. It was an anthology of stupid love poems he spent most of his days making. Solemnly, he said, "Carl, I know you like Vicki. Now listen to me. She''s a shydy who can''t resist romantic poems. Hold this close. It contains all my masterpieces. Once you''ve memorized them all, recite one to her. She''s gonna feel so moved, she''s going to marry you on the spot."


    Carl turned red, and he tucked the book away carefully, and then he looked at Roy and Lytta. He nodded. "Sirs anddy, may I show these gifts to Monti and the boys?"


    "They belong to you now. You may do whatever you wish." Roy nodded. <em>That''s the reason we''re giving you these gifts. We''re counting on you, Carl. Lure them in.</em>


    Carl held the gifts tightly. He looked at everyone around him, and tears started to well in his eyes. His shoulders started to tremble, and sobs escaped his lips.


    "Why are you crying? You''re a little man now." Felix wiped the tears off Carl''s face. He was a little miffed, but also moved.


    "Nobody has ever given me so many gifts before. Nobody has been this nice to me," Carl answered shakily. He looked at the witchers'' pendants and licked his lips. "But why don''t I have any medallions? Did I fail my Trial?"


    "Ahem. You''ve passed the Trial, but you need to pass the brotherhood''s Trial of the Medallion to get this," Vesemir said. "Once you''ve killed ten monsters all by yourself and meditated at a Circle of Elements, you''ll be granted a medallion."


    The brotherhood was alsoing up with a solution to the apprentice''s medallion. His mentor was a Cat, but witchers from three different schools came to educate him, and the Trial he took belonged to the Manticore School. And so the problem came: what medallion should he wear?


    After a lot of discussions, Felix relented. Carl could pick his favorite medallion from the six styles avable. Vesemir and Lytta would make it for him.


    Lambert and Auckes even brought up an interesting suggestion. They said the medallion should have more variety in it. They thought bringing in leshens and dragons would be nice, but the majority of the witchers rejected it.


    "Alright, time for business, people. We have a new apprentice now, and this is a significant breakthrough. A historic moment." Vesemir looked invigorated. He looked at Roy. "I didn''t take Roy''s theories seriously back in Kaer Morhen, but now he has proven himself to be a visionary."


    Eskel and Geralt fell into silence. They didn''t really like the Trial of the Grasses, but after getting along with the children and bearing witness to the birth of a new witcher, they changed their minds a little.


    If they could ensure a high sess rate and low chances ofplications, the Trial could be a way to a better future for orphans like Carl.


    Kiyan was smiling all the way. The light in his eyes was gentle, and even his scars looked less intimidating. He was reminded of what Geralt told him back in Est Tayiar. <em>Destiny decreed that we survive, and we must look forward. That is the role of the survivors. </em>He did that, and it bore great results. Kiyan would keep training these orphans as long as he could.


    Lambert, Serrit, and Auckes were raring to go. They wanted to pick one of the remaining kids and trained them to be new witchers.


    Letho smiled, but he said nothing. All he did was look at Roy and Carl. This was the second apprentice he taught. He did something nobody in the Viper School ever did in decades. If they kept sticking to the brotherhood''s mission, he knew the school would be revived in the end. <em>No. Not just the school. The entire witchermunity will benefit from this.</em>


    Carl whispered something into Coral''s ear and pulled his arm away. He then approached Aiden, the only one who was watching from the sidelines. "Look here, people. Today is not just Carl''s graduation." Roy shot Aiden a knowing smile.


    Aiden was reminded of that bet they had in the sewers. He took part in most of the brotherhood''s business and worked for amon goal over thest few months. Eventually, he saw the brotherhood as a ce to rest.


    Now that he had bore witness to the birth of a witcher who suffered no side effects like his tormented colleagues, he had no reason not to join.


    "Brothers, you''ve been creating miracle after miracle. I''ve been watching from the sidelines, and I have a dream." Aiden''s eyes glimmered with a plea. "May I have the honor of joining this great brotherhood and fighting by your side as a brother?"


    "You''ve finally thought it through!" Lambert thumped Aiden''s chest and held his arm happily. Then he wiggled his eyebrows at the confused Carl. "You''re my lucky star, Carl. It''s good news all the way today."


    "Wee to the brotherhood." Letho extended his hand.


    The witchers huddled closer to Aiden, and they put their hands together in the center. Aiden, Lambert, Letho, Auckes, Serrit, Vesemir, Geralt, Eskel, Felix, Kiyan, and Roy. All witchers extended their hand


    Lytta rolled her eyes and chortled. Then she too ced her hand on the top of the pile.


    Felix shot his apprentice a look, and onest, petite hand ced itself on the top of the pile as well. It belonged to Carl, and he was a new witcher.


    Everyone exchanged a look, their eyes filled with resolve and ambition.


    ***


    End of Arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 393: Poviss Coast

    Gawain''s Residence, Gildorf.


    The Collector was staring at the endless city outside his window. The sky was overcast, torn apart by silver lightning bolts and booming thunder. Raindrops as viscous as oil washed away the dust collecting on his windowsill, but they failed to wash away the darkness he felt within his heart.


    "I believe it has been a full year since you took over Chappelle''s ce, Jiji. Have you encountered any¡­ dilemmas during that period? Something like the original body''s thoughts invading and corrupting your own mind?" Gawain said darkly, "I see some¡­ unsettling scenes from time to time, like dissecting a poor soul''s body all for the pleasure of experimenting. If it were in the past, I would feel nothing but disgust and abhorrence toward these acts." There was genuine fear in Gawain''s voice as he spoke. "But now, every time I see blood, all I feel is ecstasy. Like I had too many Est Ests to drink." His shoulders trembled. "This¡­ This maniac''s perverted mind is corrupting me. How should I deal with this?"


    ***


    "I understand where you''reing from, mate." Chappelle was in a ck, tight shirt. He approached Gawain and grabbed his shoulder. "Twenty years ago, I too lost my way. I was confused." Reminiscence lit up his eyes. "Without my elders showing me the path forward, all I could do was press on by myself, exploring my power. Well, ''abuse'' would be the correct term. I shapeshifted into many beings, extracting many memories. Too many. In the end, it turned my brain into mush. I had depression and schizophrenia.


    "I couldn''t focus, I wasn''t interested in anything, and I kept seeing things in my head. Things that were illogical, irrational, bloody, and horrifying. Had I gone on with that path, I would¡¯ve ended up losing my mind and taking my own life like a lot of the older dopplers did." Chappelle, or to be exact, Jiji, continued. "But then I met the church. It represents an undying me, the symbol of life, the light within the darkness, and most importantly, hope."


    Like a preacher and evangelist, Jiji said, "And it woke me. Hope. That was what I desired. A beacon in what''s otherwise an imprable fog. A warm, shining light that points me to the right path. All the chaotic thoughts, all the fog that clouds our heart and soul, will melt away under that light of hope. Only those without hope or a beacon in their life will see nothing but darkness before them. They sumb to the thoughts of all the people around them, losing their own self in the process."


    "I''m not telling you to convert, Gawain." Jiji gave him an encouraging smile. "What I''m saying is you should think for yourself. About your goals. The beacon in your life. You''re no longer the same person you once were. No longer do you have to run away from the church. You should take some time to find that beacon in your life. Put your faith in something."


    Gawain mused pensively. For most of his life, the shadows were his home. Things like goals and dreams were too lofty for him. After he took over the Collector''s ce, he was busy with the alliance and his business. There was no time to sort his mind out, but now he was putting some serious thought into this.


    ***


    "Are you for real, Jiji?" Lambert was on the sofa behind the dopplers, looking confused. "You found hope in the Eternal Fire? You, a doppler?"


    "Sounds like an ironic fairy tale, don''t you think?" Jiji turned around. Lambert and Aiden were wolfing down the snacks before them. The dopplerughed at himself. "The church has been hunting me down for many decades, and yet its doctrines gave me salvation. But perhaps that is what Destiny has in store for me. I had run into thete Chappelle and taken over his ce, all so I could pave a path to my dreams and goals."


    "So, what is your goal, anyway?" Lambert gulped down a piece of pumpkin pie sprinkled with cinnamon powder. The unique sweetness surprised him, and he let out a grunt of approval.


    "Witchers, I thought you''d have noticed. We''ve been working together for months." Jiji shook his head. Solemnly, he said, "As I have taken over as Chancellor of Security, I shall devote my life to the church. It has given me salvation, after all."


    Lambert choked on the pie, and he thumped his chest.


    Jiji ignored that and looked at Gawain. "I shall rectify what is wrong with the church. Oppression of non-humans, exclusion of different doctrines, and cruel punishment over petty matters. Those are the cankers of the church. I will¡ªat least in this city¡ªreform the church until it walks its talk. The belief is to lead its people through darkness and into a brighter tomorrow. And to do that, first we must erase all hazards. Kidnappers, for example. Why do you think I worked with you?"


    "Are all dopplers this merciful, Jiji? You have my respect." Aiden nodded. But he asked, "But if you do things too differently from how the real Chappelle used to, the hierarch¡ª"


    "And the dissenters among the councilmen might hunt me down?" Jiji confidently said, "The hierarch is a man with great dreams and ambitions. He devotes all his time to the gospel, spreading the fire to new kingdoms. As long as I don''t do anything evil, the hierarch won''t crack down on me. And there''s no need to worry about the dissenters. As long as Gawain, Cleaver, and Bem have my back, they''re nothing."


    "I see." Lambert said, "The orphanage is going to expand a few months down the line. We''d need your help to get the permit."


    "Of course." Chappelle nodded. "It''s time to build a bond between witchers and the church." He suggested, "Keep taking down the kidnappers and ask Dandelion toe up with a few more scripts to improve how the public perceives witchers. Once the public perception changes, the church might want you to be our sword instructor."


    ***


    "What are the other witchers doing?" Gawain picked up a cup of tea and sat down before the witchers. Jiji''s advice cheered him up a little. The frown on his forehead was gone. "It''s been a while since I saw Letho."


    "Same old, same old." Lambert crossed his legs and dug his ear. "Guy''s teaching the kids how to do alchemy."


    "What about the others?"


    "Auckes and Serrit are teaching them how to farm and hunt. Even built a garden for the kids." Aiden took a sip of the tea. He added, "Vesemir''s the cksmithing instructor now."


    "Geralt and Eskel are teaching the children how to swing a de," Lambert said, huffing. <em>They keep talking about how they won''t teach the kids, but they sure are happy about it.</em>


    Carl had returned, and a show of strength ensued. His friends, motivated by Carl''s power up, put even more back into their own training every day. The next Trial mighte in less than a year, but that all depended on how Lytta''s research would go.


    "Felix takes Carl around for some real-world training."


    Their training were just simple battles with drowners, wolves, and dogs in the wilderness of Novigrad. "While Kiyan stays back and teaches the children how to read and write."


    "This is an intricate teaching system, witchers. It feels like an academy to me." Jiji let out a sigh. "Fortunately, you have enough people around to teach the children. Most orphanages don''t even have that kind of resource. At most, they''d just gather the kids around every morning and teach them some random stuff for two hours."


    "The kids are left to their own devices most of the time. And what about Lytta?" Jiji asked. He only decided to join this alliance after he saw the gorgeous sorceress.


    "Doing magic stuff as usual." Lambert smirked. He joked, "But she''s not in a good mood. Understandable, though. It''s their honeymoon period, but her partner insists on going out for work. She does <em>not </em>like that."


    "And who is her partner?" Gawain was reminded of something. A smile curled his lips, and with curiosity, he asked, "Why did he leave his beautiful wife at home all alone?"


    "Her partner''s none other than the seer and diplomat, Roy. As for where he is right now, well, he''s in hell. Like usual."


    ***


    July had arrived, and nature was draping Redania''s wilderness in a nket of green. But not even that hint of life could extend its arm to the chilly north.


    Across the Gulf of Praxeda stood the kingdom of Kovir, with Poviss situated even further north. A snow-covered kingdom for most of the year, this kingdom had almost barrennds with barely any produce every year.


    The higher the altitude, the less warmth this already freezingnd enjoyed. Poviss stood in the northernmost part of the continent, with its back against the Dragon Mountains. Icy gales blew down on it, and the air''s temperature could reach a freezing fourteen degrees Fahrenheit.


    In the snowy skies, a witcher flew. Not even he could fend off the icy winds. He curled up and held his griffin''s mane to keep himself warm as he looked down at thends.


    Sand as far as the eyes could see, and waves crashed on the reef jutting out of the shore. The sea glimmered gold under the sun, the coast resembling a golden moon. Beasts prowled across the shrubbery on the coast, but they were norger than ants from this height.


    But Roy was in no mood to enjoy the view. The cold winds were taking all his body warmth away at a terrifying speed. It felt like an over-time spell that gradually took his life away. Even Heliotrop could onlyst for fifteen minutes before it broke into tiny little pieces.


    Two hourster, Roy''s mana was almost empty. His cheeks were red, and Gryphon was starting to chatter as well. It was impossible to reach Kaer Seren''s mountains under these conditions. Rest was a must.


    Theynded in a yellow ginkgo forest not far from the beach. Before they even made theirnding, Gryphon easily caught a deer with its talons and galloped around the forest with its prey in its mouth.


    The cold had gotten to it. Ayer of frost covered its beak and mane. Had Gryphon been an adult griffin, it could have fended off the cold, but it was still very much in its youth.


    Roy collected a pile of sticks and hay as fast as he could. He piled them up beneath a jutting rock and tossed Igni at it. Igni''s magical mes turned all the water on Roy''s body into vapor. Sparks flew, and the mes crackled.


    Gryphon happily rolled around its master.


    "Don''t get too close, or the fire''s gonna burn your hair off." He took off his freezing armor and put it beside the fire to dry it up. Then the witcher easily cut the deer in half and tossed most of it to Gryphon.


    One of the deer''s legs hung on a makeshift grill, covered in spices and oil. Royid out a beast hide before him.


    After Carl''s sessful Trial, the next part of their n was to seek out Keldar, the leader of Griffin School. But Vesemir had too much fun teaching his cksmithing prot¨¦g¨¦s, and he was nning on another trip to Oxenfurt, this time spending a week with his beloved Mignole.


    Vesemir did not think this negotiation would end well. The only support came in the form of a yellowing map made out of beast hide. It detailed the exact location of Kaer Seren. The fortress was located on the cliff of the border of Poviss'' coast and the northwest of Dragon Mountains.


    The brotherhood would not ask Vesemir to make this trip, so the job of negotiation fell upon Roy once again.


    Lytta was livid when she found out. Four months. That was how long she took toplete the Trial for Carl. It had been too long since they were separated. They barely had time to see each other. After the Trial was done, Lytta was nning to go on another date on the sea under the moonlight, but Roy came and told her he had a job to do.


    He would like to spend some time with her, but work came first. An anguished Lytta opened the portal to Dragon Mountains reluctantly and kicked Roy into it. Before Roy left, she said, "Piss off to Poviss!"


    And the unfortunate witcher found himself on the coast of Poviss, a hundred miles away from Dragon Mountains.


    Even after a day and a night on Gryphon''s back, he was still far from his destination. The weather was getting colder too. That was Lytta''s punishment for him.


    ***


    Roy turned the map around and ced it on hisp. He tossed a piece of wood into the fire and turned the glistening deer leg on the skewer. His eyes were on the mountains covered in snow and fog. Beneath the mountain stood the kingdom situated on the northernmost part of the Continent¡ªPoviss and Kovir.


    The only wealth they had were sand and seawater. That was supposed to be a joke, but nobodyughed once salt factories were invented. Kovir and Poviss monopolized the salt and ss market all over the world.


    Even so, most Northern Realm people thought this kingdom was far, far away from them. It was located in a hostile environment, and their people were even worse than the weather.


    The kingdom was the butt of everyone''s joke. Teachers would tell their students, "If you don''t like my ss, you can piss off to Poviss."


    And so, Poviss became synonymous with hell. As word spread about the kingdom, rebels, adventurers, mad scientists, innovative engineers, and visionary businessmen, all moved to this barrennd in the north.


    But then these immigrants came back with shocking discoveries. This presumed barren nation was, in fact, a treasure trove. They had an unbelievable amount of ore deposits, and the profits they gained from those ores were more than the profits of Redania, Kaedwen, and Aedirnbined. Only Temeria''s Mahakam had more ore deposits than them.


    But Poviss'' gold, dimeritium, and tinum took up three-quarters of the world''s market. Nobody ever looked down on that kingdom after that.


    Roy tore off a strip of flesh and popped it into his mouth, then hey down on Gryphon''s warm belly. Redania once sent its troops to invade Kovir and Poviss in an attempt to steal its wealth, but the kingdom responded by sending out an army of well-equipped mercenaries. That band of mercenaries pulverized Redania''s army, forcing them to retreat.


    Ever since then, Poviss and Kovir signed a peace treaty with all the major kingdoms in the north and became a permanent neutralnd.


    "Poviss is a good ce. It''s even more epting of non-humans than Novigrad."


    Auckes wanted to visit this ce badly.


    "I''ll take a look once I see the Griffins."


    ***


    Roy heard the sound of a twig breakinging from afar, and he produced a diamond-shaped crystal in his hand. Colorful magical lights illuminated it, and it covered Gryphon. The beast was rmed as well.


    Poof, and the griffin turned into a little ck cat. It scurried up Roy and hid in his hood. The little cat mewed and stuck its head out to see what was happening. Roy wore a pair of sunsses and kept his heterochromatic eyes hidden.


    He tucked the bones and campfire into his inventory space and quickly hid in an arrowwood bush.


    About thirty secondster, two burly men in thick, grey cotton clothes entered the woods.


    "I think I saw smoke rising here. And I can fucking smell the taste of meat in the air. Even heard a cat meow like it was in heat." A man with green hair, a nose resembling a garlic, and a chin resembling an eggnt showed up. He then looked around carefully.


    "Ah, you''re just hearing things, you coward. There''s no cat around here, dumbass." The other man''s face was red, and he clicked his tongue. "So, did you tell Igsena? Did she agree?"


    "Gotta hand it to you, mate. I told her I was gonna buy a whole sack of coal, and she agreed to the deal." The man with green hair rubbed his hands. "I bet she''s gonna steal her father''s coal and sell them to us. Tonight."


    "Good. Perhaps we can even have some fun."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 394: Night

    Ginkgo trees shone under the moonlight like glinting canine teeth. Gusts of wind blew from the depths of thend, carrying the sorrowful cold of the northern realm.


    In the woods stood a girl. She was tall and lithe, and her hair was ck. Her cotton-padded jacket was thick and grey, and it was paired with a brown dress and an apron. In one hand, she held a torch, and in the other, a fat bup sack covered in ck powder.


    She did not have the strength to haul it, and thus the girl dragged it across the ground.


    "Where are you, Henri? I know you''re there! Come out!" The girl came to a halt under a tree, staring around like a curious marmot. Her beautiful face was red from the cold, and a hint of fear filled her violet eyes. Then she thumped her chest to cheer herself up.


    "Sorry, Igsena. I just got here." From the darkness, a burly man emerged, mes illuminating his green hair andical jaw.


    He stopped about five yards away from the girl, but his eyes never left her. There was an almost scary passion burning within them, and Igsena backed up to the tree out of fear.


    "Didn''t think you''d show up." Henri narrowed his eyes and put on the warmest smile he could muster. There was a shred of radish stuck between his yellowing teeth. "It''s the dead of a cold, cold night. And the woods are dark and dangerous. You''re braver than the other girls."


    "There''s no danger here. Home is ten minutes away, and the hunters have killed all the predators here. And you''re with me. There''s not gonna be any danger, unless you have something else in mind."


    The man''s face fell.


    Igsena forced a smile and dragged the bup sack ahead. "Stop your yammering and pay me. It''s freezing out here. Staying out for too long is gonna make me sick in the morning."


    "True." The man nodded and approached her. He then whipped out a few yellow coins from his pocket. "Ten bizants for a sack of coal, right?"


    "Wait, that''s not our deal!" A frown furrowed the woman''s brows, and she said shrilly, "It''s supposed to be twenty bizants for a sack! That''s only half the money! You lied to me!"


    "I''d rather get my coal from your father at that price. No need for this deal." The man shook his head and chuckled. "Please, Igsena, I had to work my ass off for two weeks to make twenty bizants. I can''t spend it all on a sack of coal. What am I going to eat then?"


    "You lying bastard! You son of a bitch!" Igsena teared up and pointed at the man''s chest. She cursed, "I snuck out in this goddamned weather, and this is what I get?"


    "It''s just goddamned weather. I''m willing to pay the money, but there''s another condition." There was a hint of uncontroble lust in Henri''s voice. He rubbed his hands and started to leer at Igsena.


    "Spit out your fucking condition or I''m gonna leave!" Igsena shouted.


    "I''d like to fuck you." The man grinned and put on a sad look. "I''m already thirty years old, and I''m still not married. Do you know how tormenting it is, seeing you go around all day but never getting to fuck you? I can''t take it anymore! Just¡­ Just let me have you, alright?"


    Henri took another step toward her. Even the scent of onions, potatoes, and pickled radish smelled sweet to him.


    Igsena took a hurried step back and held the sack up as a shield, albeit with difficulty.


    "Just do it this once, and I''ll buy a sack from you every month. I know you¡¯ve been saving up bizantstely. I''m the most helpful guy in the vige. I''ll help you out, so long as you fulfill my wish."


    "You cur! You lying bastard! Away! Get away from me! I''m not a cheap woman!¡± Igsena clicked her tongue and threw charcoal at the man. "If you wanna fuck someone, fuck a pig or something! Or a hole. There''s a hole in the tree behind you! Stick your dick in it!"


    She turned around only to freeze in fear. Another man appeared from the bush behind her. His face was red, and his body bulky. It was obvious this man was another miner.


    "C-Cud? Why are you here?" She swiveled around and shot Henri a nasty re. "What are you doing? Don''te any closer, o-or my father will hear about this! He''s going to break your legs!"


    "Oh, don''t you get it, my sweetdy?" Cus narrowed his eyes. Tendrils of steam flowed from his nostrils, and greed filled his eyes. He could gobble this countrydy if he so wanted to. "If Rhade finds out that you''ve been making deals behind his back, he''s going to break your legs first. And you''re going to get jailed."


    "And¡­" Cud hissed, "He''s going to sell you off to Ol'' Cripple next vige because you''re dating a mutant."


    All the color drained from Igsena''s face. Her lips trembled, and not another word escaped her tongue.


    "You thought you could keep it a secret?" Henri piled up on the pressure. "News goes around fast. We know you''re seeing that mutant. You two met at the riverside and kissed till your lips were swollen. He might have infected you with all his parasites. We''re stopping you for your own good. Nobody knows about your secret. Nobody but us. If you want us to stay quiet, you''re gonna have to work with us."


    "You''ve given yourself to that bastard from the mountains. You threw yourself at that mutant, so why can''t you do the same for us? We''re your neighbors."


    The men inched ever so closer to the woman. She backed up against the tree and opened her bup sack. She whipped out a bunch of charcoal and hurled them at the men. "Don''t make me do this. Stop right there. I''m warning you. I have to pick ten vats of greens every day. Take one step closer and I''ll crush your balls."


    She gnashed her teeth and made a threat, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable. She was single, and yet she had a sordid rtionship with a witcher. If this went out, her reputation would be ruined, and her father would kill her.


    "We''re not trying to force you or anything. Work with us, and nothing will happen. Refuse, and we might let your secret slip. Think about it, Igsena. I¡¯m actually as good as any bard in poetry. And I can use my tongue well." Henri leered. "How about some poetry?"


    Winds of the night howled across the air, and two thuds tore through the night. A silhouette zipped past Igsena, and purple light appeared out of nowhere. And then her eyes went wide, and she covered her mouth.


    As if they were possessed, the men who threatened to assault her gave each other a bear hug. So tight was their hug that anyone would think they were holding their lover in their embrace. And then they started to kiss. Violent and sloppy. That was how they kissed. And then they started tussling on the ground.


    ***


    A muscr figure appeared beside the men. His hands were on his hips, and a pair of sunsses hung from the bridge of his nose. His armor was greyish-brown, and two sword hilts protruded from his back.


    Moonlight shone on him, revealing a handsome face. He quickly made a Sign in the air and calmed Igsena down.


    For some reason, Igsena calmed down. She had a feeling this man could be trusted. "Wh-Who are you?"


    "Don''t worry, Igsena. I''m a mutant. The kind these bastards were talking about. Call me Roy. I was just passing by, and I heard these idiots spewing shit, so I punished them a little. But don''t worry. They won''t die." Roy smiled warmly and showed her his medallion. "They''re going to be doing it so much, sex won''t even register in their heads anymore. And then they''ll pass out for an hour. Now, let''s talk about that mutant they mentioned. I want to know who the guy is."


    Igsena looked away from the squirming men. A moment of hesitationter, she started speaking.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 395: Take Me Away

    The winds of the night, they kissed the forest. Branches shivered and rustled, and silvery moonlight showered the ground. A crackling campfire was lit in the woods, and around it sat a man and a woman.


    The woman''s violet eyes were set on the night sky. With passion, she said, "The mutant they mentioned goes by the name of Coen. Have you heard of him, Roy? You''re a witcher too."


    "I have, yes." Roy took Gryphon out and ced it on hisp. Then he patted its soft little belly. It rolled around happily and smacked the witcher''s hand around like a stick.


    The girl felt more at ease when she saw the cat. "Hees from the base of the Dragon Mountains. Lives on a cliff by the sea. And he''s a graduate of Kaer Seren. A Griffin, so to speak." Unlike how she was a few moments ago, Igsena had a gentle look in her eyes, and the moonlight gleamed softly on her face.


    "So you went to Kaer Seren before? Can you even find it?"


    "Coen took me for a tour before, but I don''t think his mentor likes me very much. Didn''t want me to stay around for too long. The fortress lies in ruins now. Coen told me most of the buildings were destroyed in an avnche many years ago. He and his mentor are living in the few buildings that remain."


    Roy nodded. He tried to remember anything he could about Coen, but all he remembered was his teaching Ciri swordy in the future. He could remember a lot about Keldar, though. More information was needed if he wanted to rope these Griffins into his brotherhood.


    "Ahem, I mean no harm, but I might have to visit the fortress in the near future. I''d like to know more about the Griffins. Are you going out with Coen right now?"


    Observe didn''t show any special stats. This woman was just a regr country girl with regr stats. However, she was lithe, beautiful, and had fairer skin than most country girls. Beauty was a good trait of hers, though her chest was t.


    She hung her head low and stayed silent for a moment. "Yes," she whispered. "We''ve known each other for more than a year."


    Roy nodded. <em>Alright. Coen owes me one now.</em> "I heard what these fools said. Your vige doesn''t take to witchers too well, does it? So how did you run into Coen?" Roy paused for a moment. "It''s alright if you don''t want to say. But if it''s okay, I''d like you to go into as much detail as possible.


    "I¡­" Igsena ced her hands before the fire to warm them up. A hue of red painted her cheeks, and she looked at the men lying on the ground nearby. Their ''activity'' hade to an end, and now they were sleeping together, their snores filling the air. "Is it really okay to leave them like that, witcher? What if they wake up?"


    Roy gave the men weird looks. "Sorry. Never expected them to finish this fast. They might have to see a doctor for that. But it''s alright. They won''t wake up for an hour. Continue."


    "I used to think witchers were monsters, executioners, bandits, and heretics. That was what the vigers told me." The woman recounted her tale. "Witchers hide among the mountains, where powerful snow monsters and savage wolves reside. They drink the blood of their enemies and rob all passing travelers, but their most heinous act would be the kidnapping of children. People say they love to sneak into viges and spirit children away, some who are just babies."


    Roy heaved a sigh and massaged his temples. <em>That''s no witcher. That''s an animal. It''s going to be hard to change the public perception toward witchers. Especially in remote ces like these. </em>"Haven''t you guys asked for a witcher''s help?"


    "It''s been less than twenty years since our vige''s establishment. Most of the people there get their information on witchers through stories and rumors." She shook her head. "Last summer, I was doing theundry at the riverside, and some slimy monster appeared from the waters. It held my feet and tried to drag me down into the river."


    "That''s a drowner," Roy interjected.


    "Yeah, that''s it. The people in my vige talked about it. They drag humans down into the river. If it''s a man, they kill him and devour his flesh. But if it''s a woman¡­" Igsena took a deep breath. Fear shed in her eyes, and she lowered her voice in terror. "They are taken back to a nest, where the drowners will breed them."


    "Lies." Roy rolled his eyes. "Humans can''t breed with drowners. They have no idea how cross-breeding works." <em>Please don''te up with anything stupider than this.</em>


    "I will never forget that day. He showed up out of nowhere and shot fire out of his hand like magic. His mes burned that monster to a crisp." Ignesa shook her head. There was love in her eyes, and her voice was gentle, unlike how she was a while ago. "He saved a poor, foolish girl. I was drenched, and I swallowed a lot of water. I was shivering and scared for my life, lying on a boulder without any strength. But Coen helped me."


    She continued. "He took me into the woods and lit a campfire so I could dry my clothes and get warm. And he fed me a vial of green liquid. He told me it was a potion to stave off the cold. Very caring, Coen was. But I was scared. Worried he might hurt me. I wouldn''t look up at him, though I did steal some nces."


    Ignesa was starting to sound even gentler. Roy felt like he was listening to her recounting a love story. "He''s tall and strong. His hair is ck and lustrous, and he has a little beard. Very manly. There are some pockmarks on his face, perhaps an aftermath of smallpox. But what caught my attention were his eyes. His eyes have many colors. White, yellow, green, and more."


    At that point, Roy looked a little concerned. The harder the mutation, the more color a witcher''s eyes had. He almost died from the Trial, and his eyes only had two colors. <em>Coen must have gone through worse stuff than me.</em>


    "I thought he would say something, but once I regained my strength, he was gone," she said. "Without saying a word. After I went back home, I gave the ordeal a lot of thought, and all the stories I heard regarding witchers seemed so preposterous." She said solemnly, "Witchers aren''t viins, unlike what the people make them out to be. Coen saved me like a knight in shining armor."


    "Congrattions, you saw through the world''s lies." Roy nodded. "Griffins follow the code of the knight. Altruism is part of them."


    Roy admired the Griffins and Vipers out of the six witcher schools. The former was righteous and cared about their brethren, while thetter were people who would give up their lives just to revive their school. Every other school eithercked a goal or camaraderie. That included the Wolf School.


    ***


    "I didn''t manage to say thank you." Ignesa went on. "And I told nobody about it. The next day, I went back to the river and the woods where he helped me out. And the next. And the next¡­" She stared at the ground, muttering to herself, "I would go back like a woman possessed. And three monthster, I saw him again by the river. So I went and said hi. The big guy smiled at me, though it was a stiff and awkward smile."


    ***


    "I loved every part of him. His mannerisms, his deep, reassuring voice, his beautiful eyes, his warm hands, and even his heartbeat." A beautiful smile curled Ignesa''s lips. "We fell in love. We''d see each other at the riverside once every two weeks. And we''d talk about everything. We''d also connect. Physically speaking."


    Roy held the cat up and huffed at it. <em>Alright, that should stop the boner. Good kitty.</em>


    "But I had enough of this underground rtionship. Yet I couldn''t afford to let it slip, or everyone would call me a slut. Including my father. They would burn me at the stake." Resolve red in Ignesa''s eyes. She balled up her fists and sat up straight. "I''ve decided to leave. I will save enough coins and move to the city with my love. Either Lan Exeter or Pont Vanis will do. The city is filled with people from all walks of life. They don''t hold up ignorant superstitions like the people in these viges either. Witchers won''t be discriminated there."


    "But you''ll need a lot of money," Roy said. The cities she mentioned were Kovir and Poviss'' winter and summer capital. Both of these ces were bustling and teeming with life. "You''ll need to work for years just to save up enough money. Even if you''re stealing from your own family. And did you tell Coen about this? Are you sure he''s willing to move with you?"


    Ignesa hesitated for a moment. "I¡­ I was going to save up for a little more and surprise him, but¡­" She turned her attention to the sleeping men on the ground. "How will you deal with them, Roy?"


    Roy tucked the cat away in his hood and put on his sunsses again. <em>That''s about as much as I need to know. </em>"Here''s an idea." He shot up and did the slicing motion near his neck with his hand, his eyes glinting with the ferocity befitting of a Viper. "You''re Coen''s partner, which makes you our friend. Why don''t I take them out permanently? They already had enough fun."


    "No. Just let them be." She clenched the hem of her dress, creasing it. And then she spat at the men. "I want them to remember what they did when they wake up. An-And if it''s possible, I have a request." Her voice faltered at first, but she regained herposure. "You''re going to Kaer Seren, aren''t you? I''d like to go with you. And I know where the entrance is."


    Roy hesitated. <em>This technically counts as eloping, and she''s someone else''s woman. Why should I take her along, though? She''s a liability. </em>But Roy didn''t refuse her in the end. If he took her along, Coen should be thankful enough to repay this favor even if Keldar refused to budge. A little bit of ckmailing, but effective enough for knights like the Griffins.


    "Are you sure you want toe with me and let these two go? They might nder your name right after they wake up. Your reputation would be ruined, and my Sign isn''t enough to wipe their memories just yet." Roy stared at the woman and said seriously, "Think about it. Take all the time you need. Once you leave, you cannot return. You will never see your family again."


    "I''ve had enough of my family. Abusing me is all he does. And I''ve had enough of these pathetic neighbors. They''re nothing but fools and maggots."


    Ignesa had snapped out of Axii, and her having a heart to heart with Roy convinced her. She didn''t even hesitate for a moment. "Please, help me."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 396: Kaer Seren

    Silent was the night, moonlight shining on a typical house in a certain vige. It was surrounded by a fence and decked out with a barn, stilt house, chicken coop, garden, and a pile of fertilizer. And there was a charcoal kiln standing somewhere as well.


    Igsena calmed the ck dog down and tiptoed into the house, holding a sack on her shoulder. Before the main house she knelt, and she muttered words of repentance and pleas for forgiveness. She was saying herst goodbye.


    The girl stood back up and tied her hair up into a ponytail. Her lips were pursed, and she had finally steeled her resolve. She balled her fists, and took a deep breath. "Let''s go, witcher."


    Roy looked at her. "I thought you hated your father. So why did you say goodbye to him?"


    "He might have abused me all my life, but he''s still my father. He raised me," she whispered. There were tears in her eyes. "Once he realizes where he went wrong, perhaps I mighte back with Coen and tend to him until he takes his veryst breath."


    <em>People can be so dishonest with their feelings. </em>Roy shook his head and went into the darkness with her. Toward the beach and the looming silhouette of the Dragon Mountains they went.


    ***


    Unlike citydies, Igsena wasn''t a fussy girl. Roy didn''t even stop once from midnight to the next afternoon. The sun was shining bright in the sky. Vapor filled the air, and cold winds that blew in from the sea cut through the girl like invisible des, but still she didn''t flinch or stop to rest.


    Roy and Igsena arrived at the coast neighboring the Dragon Mountains during high noon. Far and wide the mountains stretched, like a dragon lying down to rest. On its westmost pointy the sea, flowing into the little enve near the end of the mountains.


    Roy craned his neck and stared up as much as possible. The snow gleamed golden under the sun, and a narrow stone path meandered up the slope. The higher parts were covered in mist, hidden behind a veil. Roy took his map out once again and wondered if he should scout from the skies with Gryphon.


    Igsena approached the snow-covered pine tree beside the stone path, and delightfully, she spun around while holding the bup sack. "We''re just in time, Roy! Coen left a sign. He''s still in the fortress!"


    "I see Destiny wishes for you to meet. Let''s go."


    The two of them ascended the stone path. Snow nked the path like two long strips of white silk. Pawprints covered the snow tracks like embroidery on fabric. About ten minutester, Roy stopped in his tracks and took his sunsses off.


    Atop the snow slope a silhouette appeared. It was approaching Roy and Igsena, but the silhouette wasn''t walking. It was skiing straight down. The silhouette hit the ground with its ski poles, keeping its bnce while evading all the sticks and stones on the path. As it jumped across big boulders, the silhouette spun around like a ballerina and left skid marks on the ground.


    The silhouette skied across the ground as smoothly as a dolphin leaping and swimming across the seas. The silhouette changed directions about ten yards away from Roy and Igsena, their skis sitting parallel to the witcher and hispanion.


    Snow flew into the air and scattered everywhere. The man took off his skis and held his ski poles under his armpits as he approached the duo.


    An excited Igsena approached him and held him tightly like a ko. The man spun around with her in his arms. Her slender legs drew a circle across the snow, much like her dress did.


    The man took his ck mask off, revealing a pale, hardened, handsome face. His hair was ck, and he had a short beard. His cheeks and the spot under his lips were covered in pockmarks, residue of his smallpox infection. Instead of ruining his look, these pockmarks made him look rugged.


    He was muscr, strong, and calm. A pair of green sword hilts protruded from his back, and a big smile hung on his lips. He was delighted to be reunited with his lover.


    Once again, Roy cast Observe.


    ''Coen


    Age: Forty-eight years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Griffin School witcher


    HP: 160


    Mana: 200


    Strength: 17


    Dexterity: 16


    Constitution: 16


    Perception: 12


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 20


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 8: Quen, Axii, Yrden, Igni, Aard, Heliotrop.


    mp: Expend a low amount of Mana to dispel illusions or create illusory clones around the caster.


    Griffin Arts Level 3: Dual-handed Sign casting. More potent than single-handed Sign casting, but it also costs more Mana.


    Alchemy Level 8, Meditation Level 6, Griffin School Swordy Level 7, Witcher Senses Level 8.


    Others: ?''


    ***


    Roy''s eyes shone a little. This was the first time he saw a witcher with twenty points in Spirit. And his Meditation was on par with some of the veteran brotherhood members¡¯. <em>They are specialists in Signs, alright. </em>He wanted to know more about the seventh Sign and the secret arts of the Griffin School. Roy had a feeling this trip would prove to be bountiful.


    "What brings you here, Igsena?" Coen happily held thedy''s hand. "Our next meetup is still a week away. Did your father hurt you again?"


    Igsena pursed her lips.


    "And who might this be?" Coen''s eyes were white, yellow, and green. They looked weird, but his gaze was clear and friendly. Roy couldn''t possibly hate him.


    "Might you be Coen of the Griffin School? I''m Roy." Roy waved his hand at Coen. "I''m from the Viper School and a member of the witcher brotherhood. I came all the way from Novigrad in search of the legendary Kaer Seren. This is very much a diplomatic mission."


    "You''re a Viper? And you''re from some sort of brotherhood?" Coen was still holding Igsena''s hand, but he fell into silence for a while. Then he looked at Roy''s pendant. "Sorry, but this is the first time I''ve seen a Viper."


    "It''s alright. Our base was in Nilfgaard. It''s quite a distance from Kovir and Poviss," Roy said. "We only moved to the northst year."


    Coen nodded, and he continued. "And what of this brotherhood you speak of? Sounds like the Brotherhood of Sorcerers to me."


    "Ah, that''s a long story." Roy looked past Coen. "How about we sit down and talk about it? I promise Ie in peace."


    "My love, Roy saved me. That''s why I brought him here." Igsena vouched for Roy. Unlike how she was toward the would-be assaulters, she was gentle and soothing.


    She recounted the harrowing ordeal. Coen first felt furious, and mes red in his eyes. And then he heaved a sigh of relief. Gratefully, he said, "Thank you for saving her, Roy. It would have been a disaster without your help. I owe you one."


    He extended a hand, and Roy shook it. A big smile curled the young witcher''s lips. "Anyone with a conscience would have stepped in. I was just doing the right thing. Don''t mention it."


    Coen nodded, the look in his eyes speaking of approval. "Come with me, then. Keldar is there as well. He will be pleased to see you."


    ***


    As the path meandered on, the signature cold of the north started invading the air. The deeper they went, the colder it was. The winds were nothing but a breeze, but the cold it brought was not unlike icy steel that could cut open a traveler''s skin.


    Igsena and Coen huddled closer, sharing each other''s warmth and flirting among themselves.


    Roy pulled his hood up and stuffed his cat into his cor, telling him to roll up. It felt better feeling the cat snuggling against his chest, but it was a smallfort without his lover by his side.


    Steeper and steeper the path became. It was already seventy-five degrees upward, and most of the path was taken up by snow, leaving a narrow road for them to go through. Rime stuck on the needles of the pine tree, shimmering like a rainbow under the sun.


    The sight was breathtaking, but Roy wasn''t in the mood to enjoy it.


    The path sloped downward half an hourter, unfurling into the coastline in the west. And not too longter, the three of them arrived at their destination.


    What was once the great fortress of Kaer Seren stood on the cliffs of the Poviss coastline. Most of its buildings were buried under the snow, bing nothing more than ruins. Only a handful of buildings poked through the snow. They were barely abodes, and even these houses were dpidated. They were crumbling, and their walls were cracked. Most of them were grey and drab, but some looked lighter in color. Apparently, someone refurbished the walls not too long ago.


    The roof was covered in snow, and icicles hung on the overhang. This was not the most pleasant ce to live in. Most people would balk at the idea of staying in a ce like this.


    "Wee to Kaer Seren, Roy. Sorry about the state of the ce." Coen finally let his girlfriend go and turned around to smile proudly at Roy.


    "Don''t sell yourself short. This is a famous fortress in its own right. It''s iconic for the witchermunity. Can''t judge a book by its cover. I''m very interested in its history."


    Roy stepped into the fortress and headed down the yard. Eventually, he arrived at the edge of the cliff, where a stone stele stood. The elements had weathered it down, but the stele was free of snow. The words ''Kaer Seren'' and a date were carved on it in Elder Speech.


    <em>Saovine, Year 1029. That''s more than two hundred and thirty years ago. </em>He stared past the stele. Underneath the cliff, the seas raged. A whirlpool spun around, stirring up furious waves to crash against the reef. Roy almost had vertigo just looking at it.


    At the same time, his pendant vibrated. This time, it was violent enough to almost break free of Roy''s grasp and fly away like a bird. The witcher held his medallion down, but the palpable chaos energy flowed into his body, keeping his mana full at all times. And then he saw the light of magic flitting before him. "This is a ce of Power?"


    A deep voice spoke. "Correct."


    Roy turned around and saw an elderly man emerging from the tower in the middle. He stood underneath the overhang, where the sun didn''t shine. He was in a reddish-brown robe, and his greyish-brown hair tumbled down his shoulder. His back was straight, and a perfectly-maintained beard hung around his lips. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, perhaps because the mancked rest.


    His cheeks were slender, and his face was handsome. Unlike most witchers, his amber eyes shone not with the light of ferocity, but of wisdom. He was holding a book in his left hand and a quill in his right, while a canvas purse hung around his waist. It contained books and paper records.


    Unlike witchers, he wasn''t wearing any leather armor. Instead, he looked like a professor at Oxenfurt Academy or the librarian for some noble''s library. Keldar looked like a man in his forties.


    ''Keldar


    Age: A hundred and ny-three years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Griffin School grandmaster (Mastered all Griffin School skills)


    HP: 170


    Mana: 270


    Strength: 16


    Dexterity: 16


    Constitution: 17


    Perception: 14


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 27


    Skills:


    Witcher Signs Level 10: Quen (Mutated), Axii (Mutated), Yrden (Mutated), Igni (Mutated), Aard (Mutated), Heliotrop (Mutated), mp (Mutated).


    Griffin Arts Level 8: Dual-handed Sign casting. Can harness the chaos energy lingering in the air by modifying the roars of elementals. Increases Sign intensity drastically.


    Alchemy Level 10, Meditation Level 9, Griffin School Swordy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 10, Teleportation Level 6, Magic Maneuver Level 3.


    Source (Passive)


    See More.¡¯


    ***


    "Thisnd pulses with chaos energy. The elves saw what thisnd had to offer, and they built a fortress on this cliff." Keldar was still writing in his book, but he was looking at Roy. "What brings you here, friend? You havee a long way."


    "Keldar, I am Roy of the Viper School." Roy bowed with deep respect. Keldar was the backbone and protector of the Griffin School, much like Vesemir is the guardian of Kaer Morhen.


    Kaer Seren''s destruction was even more total than Kaer Morhen''s. There were nothing but ruins here, and yet Keldar remained. He might be stubborn, but he managed to raise one student from the ashes of this fortress, and that student was Coen. Thanks to that, his school could live on for decades.


    This man was worthy of respect, and not to mention he had a lot of powerful skills. The only mutated Sign Roy had was Igni, but all of Keldar''s Signs were mutated. And he had a secret art that was rted to the elemental dimensions that could intensify his Signs. Still, Roy had an odd feeling about the information he got, and he cocked his eyebrow. There was something off with it, but he couldn''t put a finger on what it was.


    He continued. "Vesemir told me about you and this remarkable fortress. Out of curiosity and respect, I decided to pay this ce a visit. This is also a part of my training." He handed Keldar a letter.


    "Vesemir? The old chap from Kaer Morhen?" Keldar carefully tucked that letter away into his bag and ced his quill behind his ear. He skimmed through the letter, and the air of suspicion around him went away a little.


    "It''s been years since Ist saw the old chap. Is he still well?"


    "Thank you. Vesemir is quite healthy. And he''s happy with his life." <em>Also, he''s going to meet up with his lover. Probably already in Oxenfurt by now.</em>


    Keldar looked pleased, and he caressed his beard. "That old chap has an eye for people. Since he''s vouched for you, then you are now a friend of the Griffins. Come in,d." Keldar looked at Igsena.


    She was a little confused and sheepish, and then she bowed at Keldar. There was respect and a hint of fear in her eyes.


    "Coen, you fool. Can''t you see we have a regr human among us? Take your lover inside. Do you want her to freeze?"


    "Yes, sir!" Coen nodded quickly. He seemed a little afraid of Keldar as well.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 397: Purpose of Existence

    The building was bigger on the inside. Much bigger than Roy thought. The lobby and living quarters were merged together. There were tables, chairs, and necessities in the quarters, and wolverine and snow leopard hides hung on the walls. On the walls above the firece, the head of a fleder hung.


    There was a tightly-shut door in the corner of the room''s depths, leading to the basement. Roy had a feeling the room was hiding something big within. Perhaps it was connected to the underground fortress.


    Roy kept looking around. Before the fox-hide sofa stood a wooden bed, and a crate of clothes sat beside it. A wooden bookshelf stood behind the bed. It was filled with old tomes and parchments, but these books were well-kept.


    There were versions written in northernmon speech and Elder Speech. He saw one of the books in Coral''s room. It went by the name of Magic and Its Arcane Mysteries. That was one of Aretuza''s basic textbooks. Most witchers couldn''t learn it, much less use it. Keldar was an exception.


    "We haven''t had guests in a long time, Roy, especially not someone as young as you. You seem younger than Igsena." Keldar took a seat beside the desk. He took a book titled The Transfer of Chaos Energy and flipped it open.


    "I''m nearly sixteen," Roy said calmly. "It''s been a year or so since I passed my Trial."


    Keldar turned around in surprise. "Did your school improve upon the recipe? Your magic shines even brighter than Coen¡¯s. I almost thought you were End''s apprentice. Speaking of which¡­ Coen! Stop flirting and serve our guests something. There''s stew in the cauldron."


    "Yes, sir!" Coen answered stiffly and left the room, leaving Igsena alone. She held the hem of her dress and hung her head low. Anxiety bubbled within her, and she kept looking away from Keldar. She took a book and pretended to read, but she was flipping too fast to even remember a word. Or she might just be illiterate.


    Roy smiled and whipped his cat out. He ced the cat on hisp and rubbed its belly. "No. We didn''t have any mage''s help. The recipe has been the same for decades. You think I am different perhaps because I have a smidgen of magical talent."


    "<em>A smidgen </em>is an understatement."


    "Compared to you, my talents are nothing." Roy rolled his cat up and tossed it between his hands. He asked, "You and Vesemir are peers, aren''t you?"


    "Yes." Keldar smiled. "We''re old fossils now. But you''re still young and lively. Oh, why are you giving me that look? Did I scare you?"


    "No. I just feel honored to be in the presence of a grandmaster." Royposed himself and took a deep breath. "You''re a Source, aren''t you? So why did you be a witcher and not a mage? It''s a better job, isn''t it?"


    Silence fell upon Keldar. Light of the candle me flickered in his eyes, but Keldar had a faraway look. He brushed his finger across a page of his book only to freeze halfway through flipping the page.


    "Difference in opinions. I prefer how the Griffins do things, so I became a witcher. I spend my time swimming in the ocean of knowledge and fooling around with my students. It''s the life I wanted. Believe it or not, it''s been decades since I swung my de or cast a Sign." Keldar finally flipped the page.


    "And why did you join the Viper School,d?" Keldar sounded curious. He was staring at Roy from head to toe. "If you''ve only undergone the Trial a year ago, then that means you were only fourteen. You were at least three years older than most adepts. No school would take in anyone over the age of eleven. Those heterochromatic eyes of yours is proof that your Trial must have been a deadly one. Are you an Unexpected Child?"


    "This is the decree of Destiny." Roy didn''t give a straight answer. "I passed the Trial without suffering any side effects, and I''ve gained some special abilities from it as well."


    "The Vipers are blessed. It''s impossible to raise new witchers in this age." Keldar flipped another page. "Pardon me, but how many members of your school are left?"


    "Not much. Four, including me. Everyone else is over seventy years old."


    "Hot stew,ing right up. Get some and warm yourself up." Coen came in with a steaming cauldron and ced it on the table. Hedled the gleaming yellow stew and filled five tes with it. Even Gryphon got one.


    Gryphon meowed. She loved that Coen treated her like equals, and she raised a paw of approval.


    Igsena took the te and gulped her stew at high speed. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her back. No longer did she have to flip through the book she knew nothing of while going through weird thoughts in her mind.


    "Keldar told me this is our future. Nature intends it to be this way. The number of witchers are dwindling, no matter which school it is." Coen spoke with solemnity and sadness in his voice. "There aren''t many requests for us to take anymore. Eventually, witchers will be nothing but pages in the annals of history."


    Igsena held his hand, offeringfort.


    "That might not necessarily be true." Roy speared a piece of carrot and popped it into his mouth, but it scalded his tongue. He stuck it out and huffed weirdly. "We know a lot of people. Like the Wolves. Vesemir included."


    The Griffins listened closely.


    "We also have three Cats and a new Manticore with us." Roy smiled. He announced, "The twelve of us are living in Novigrad. And all of us are witchers."


    Silence fell upon the room. Only the sound of Gryphon ying with her potatoes were heard.


    "You''re all living in Novigrad?" Keldar closed his book and turned around to face Roy. There were wrinkled above his brows, and the look in his eyes spoke of gravity. "Are you sure it''s not mercenaries or peasants?"


    Royughed. "If you don''t believe me, you can always travel to Novigrad and see for yourself. You shall be treated as esteemed guests. Or you can just cast Axii, and I''ll tell you the truth." <em>I''m immune to mind control anyway.</em>


    Coen and Keldar exchanged a look.


    Coen asked, "Is this the brotherhood you mentioned?"


    "Yes. It''s a brotherhood made up of witchers." Roy said, "To be precise, witchers and a sorceress."


    "Not even witchers of the same school can stay together in a same ce for long." Keldar shook his head and stared into Roy''s eyes. "Geralt and his friends would go mad if they had to stay with Vesemir in Kaer Morhen all the time. And everyone else will have even less patience. They were trained and taught differently since they were kids."


    Roy''s confident smile didn''t waver. He kept sipping his stew without worry.


    Keldar tapped the table with his finger. "Even if we put their differences aside, why do the witchers gather? For what purpose? To what end?"


    Roy put his fork down.


    "One witcher can take down an elite troop all by himself. Twelve is a safety hazard," Keldar continued. "Novigrad''s rulers will not stand for this, and not to mention you have a mage on your side."


    Igsena crossed her hands before her belly nervously. Coen sped his hands and rested his chin on them, his eyes too spoke of solemnity.


    "Our goal is simple. Like you said, the number of monsters are dwindling, and so are the requests we can take. Not one school has had new students for thest twenty years. At this rate, we''d be nothing but history." Roy smiled, and he announced, "And our mission is to turn this trend around. Our n is to grow the brotherhood and alter how the public perceives us. No longer will we tolerate insults and nders to our name. We fight under the name of equality, teamwork, unity, and expansion. Even the rulers of Novigrad have agreed to work with us. No longer will theye after witchers."


    "You''ve interfered with politics?" Keldar''s gentle demeanor was reced by anger, and every muscle in his body tensed up.


    But Roy remained calm, and he stared at Keldar. "Dealing with safety problems and arresting kidnappers don''t count as political interference."


    Keldar shook his head, smiling and easing up.


    "We''ve established ourselves in Novigrad. The apprentices'' training is ongoing, and we''re also improving the recipe so the children can pass the Trial safely without suffering any side effects."


    Roy paused for a moment and looked at the Griffins. "I''m cutting to the chase. We''ve achieved a major breakthrough. Not too long ago, a nine-year-old boy took the Manticore Trial and passed it. He''s the twelfth member of the brotherhood."


    Kelder''s cheeks twitched. He changed positions and crossed his arms, while Coen sat up straighter, apparently invigorated by the news.


    Igsena, however, was in a daze. She wasn''t too sure what the witchers were talking about.


    "But we need more people if we want to expand," Roy continued. "And that''s why I''m here. Of course, I''d very much love to visit this ce and witness the great fortress. It''s the least I can do after a grandmaster has spent his life guarding the ce. But of course, I''d also like to extend an invitation to you. An invitation to Novigrad, where we can exchange our experiences and stories. The decoction recipes, Trial recipe, Signs, and diagrams are open to our members." Roy was trying to tempt these two into joining. "We''ve found a whole set of Manticore gear diagrams in Velen."


    Coen looked surprised.


    "It''d be perfect if you would join us," Roy genuinely requested. "But if you refuse, it''s alright. Keldar, you know more about Signs than Vesemir does, and you also know the Griffin School''s secret arts. Is it possible for you to contribute to our cause? Vesemir is also a part of the brotherhood."


    Keldar''s expression didn''t change much. He was still frowning, but his hands were clenching the armrest of his chair tightly.


    Coen took a deep breath and looked at his mentor. "Novigrad is a city more lively than Lan Exeter. Aren''t you worried someone might notice the Trial? And how do you n on getting new apprentices? By relying on the Law of Surprise alone?"


    ***


    "We might be holding a Trial, but we''re not torturing the children. We treat them like family, and we y by Novigrad''sws. There''s nothing to fear here." Roy smiled. "And yes, where we get new blood is an important question. To that end, we''ve established an orphanage. We take in these poor, tormented children and provide them with a ce to stay. Nothing we do goes against the creed of knighthood. And then we pick the willing ones from the children and train them. Eventually, the ones with a stronger will are left.


    "Currently, we have twenty children residing within the walls of the orphanage, and a quarter of them are witcher apprentices. One of them has passed the Trial, and we''re nning on taking in double the number of orphans next year." There was a me roaring in Roy''s eyes. There was also pride in his voice as he spoke. Gryphon sat up straighter as well, looking around as if to gloat.


    "You might not believe this, but our primary mission now isn''t to wander the Continent or make a living by taking requests. Our job now is to raise the children. We teach them how to read, write, farm, and hunt. We teach them how to make weapons, armors, and everyday items. We teach them medicine and alchemy. All the children are treated fairly and equally. They learn together, eat together, and y together. Just like a family. Even if not all of them will be witchers, at least they''ll have learned something from us. They can contribute to society. Get a job for themselves."


    Coen could imagine the scene in his head, and he gasped. Ever since he came to Kaer Seren, the only people living in these ruins were him and Keldar. Never had he seen a witcher academy so lively, and he looked forward to it. But then the constant nagging of his mentor''s teachings in his head doused his anticipation.


    Igsena, for some reason, felt envious of the children. If she had grown up in an orphanage like that, she might have been actually happy. At least it was better than getting abused. <em>Perhaps I would have opened up a shop in the city by now.</em>


    Keldar was still unconvinced. He cracked open the second book, and it was titled Key to Wars of Attrition.


    ***


    "Roy, you know how infamous we are. The people call us uncivilized savages, mutants, kidnappers, man-eating monsters." Coen took a deep breath. There was unease stirring in his heart, and he asked, "Why are the children willing to take the Trial?"


    "You''ve never experienced homelessness, have you?" Roy shook his head. "Being an apprentice is a lot better than being a tramp. And witchers aren''t that infamous in Novigrad. We''ve been trying to change how the public perceives us, and it''s working."


    It was all thanks to the ballroom and their coboration with the church in therge-scale manhunt for kidnappers earlier.


    "But where do you get the money?" Igsena asked. "Roy, I don''t get most of what you said, but one thing I do know is orphanages cost money, especially in big cities. Not to mention you''re providing quality education for the children."


    "And Trial research burns through coins fast," Coen added.


    "We''ve set up shops in Novigrad. An apothecary shop and a ballroom," Roy said. "Witchers can run a business too. Not against thew. And we''ll expand the apothecary shop next year. We get enough funds for our operation from our business." Roy concluded, "Times are a-changing, and the brotherhood is changing as well. It''s how we got this far."


    ***


    <em>They''re running an orphanage, teaching the children how to survive, working with the officials to stop kidnappers, and they''re also running a business. Aside from the teaching part, none of those are witcher jobs.</em> Coen rubbed his cheeks. He wanted to say something, but he didn''t.


    Igsena''s eyes shone. She had forgotten about Keldar, and now she was holding Coen''s arm quietly.


    "You''re young, but you sure can argue. I can see why Vesemir asked you toe." Keldar shook his head and sighed. "Why is the brotherhood creating new witchers? Just to expand the organization?"


    And then he started speaking of the past like he was talking about an absolute truth that nobody could change. "Three hundred years ago, monsters ran amok on thisnd, ughtering our people. The mages went into research and created the first group of witchers. They were born to fulfill a purpose. The number of witchers bolstered, and they made it their mission to save the people. It was why they killed monsters. But the number of monsters are dwindling now, and the people no longer need witchers. There''s no need for witchers to exist inrge numbers. Expansion will do nothing but disrupt the cycle of the world."


    "Keldar, do you really think witchers exist as nothing but essories for someone else?" Roy stood up, confused. He stared into Keldar''s eyes, but the old man didn''t budge. He looked at Coen, and the younger Griffin sat up straight, listening intently.


    "I do not share the same opinion." Roy shook his head, Adamantly, he said, "Witchers are beings independent of others. Like how humans procreate, making more witchers is an instinct in all witchers. We do not wish to interfere with any kingdom''s politics, work for gangs, or be mercenaries. All we want is a unitedmunity so we can break free of discrimination. Witchers are witchers," he said hoarsely. "We have wild eyes and inhuman capabilities, immunity, and lifespan, but we can''t procreate. Keldar, if witchers have no reason to exist, then why did you bring Coen into the fold?"


    "And that''s why I only took in one student." Keldar flipped through his book. "One is enough to inherit my will and protect Kaer Seren."


    Roy froze. For the first time, he felt powerless. He never saw anyone as stubborn and obstinate as Keldar. It was as if Keldar was more of a spectator of history than a witcher.


    "Don''t waste your time on me,d. No matter what you say, I won''t go to Novigrad with you," Keldar said. "But since Vesemir vouched for you, you can stay in Kaer Seren for a while. Coen will teach you the Signs, alchemy, and wisdom on monster hunting, but don''t bring up that brotherhood. It won''t work on us."


    Gryphony down low in defeat. Roy turned around. Coen looked red and dazed, as if he weer deep in his thoughts. <em>If I can''t get through to Keldar, I''ll try getting through to Coen.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 398: Past

    Once again, night descended upon thend, the silvery moon on the heavens smiling at its reflection in the deep, dark sea. Silvery moonlight shone on the fortress, draping it in a sheen of silver. Silent were the mountains, save for the whispers of breeze sailing through the path of snow and the crashes of the waves against the reefs.


    The journey had exhausted Igsena, and she had retired for the night. Coen, obeying his mentor''s orders, took Roy around for a tour. The young witcher took a gander at their library and the remarkablycklusterboratory. At the same time, Coen told the young witcher about the fortress'' past.


    "So, tell me. How did your school and Kaer Serene to be?" Roy hunkered down and ced Gryphon on the ground. The little one scurried off into the darkness, and then a gigantic silhouette was seen flying into the distant skies.


    "Ah, it''s an intricate story, one Keldar has tirelessly recounted many times. He saw to it that I memorized the history of our school. Remember the stele you saw?" Coen pulled his clothes tighter. Even he was affected by the winds. Roy heard him sniffle. "An elven mage discovered thisnd and established that stele in the courtyard. Then came the eleventh century."


    He paused for a moment to hunker down and dust the snow off him. "Our creator, Alzur, came along and built this fortress with his men. But as you can see, most of those buildings are mere rubble now. However, Kaer Seren started off as ab. Ab to experiment on witcher mutations. Didn''t end too well at first. Corpses piled up in the great hall. Corpses of the failures. And then there were the curses invoked by the souls of those who never became witchers. Alzur and his men abandoned this ursednd in pursuit of new ventures."


    Roy breathed into his palms. The story unsettled him. <em>Huh. Looks like Alzur was a bastard. He saw humans as nothing but disposable test subjects.</em>


    "At the same time, themunity of witchers dissolved and broke into the different schools you see today."


    Coen''s eyes glinted under the moonlight, and he perked up. "End of Larvik led thirteenrades-in-arms in pursuit of Alzur''s footsteps. It took them here, to Kaer Seren. They cleaned up the corpses and gave them a proper burial. It was then they dered their sovereignty over Kaer Seren and founded the school. It was named ''Griffin,'' in remembrance of his mentor. He came up with a battle system that puts great emphasis on pre-battle preparation, flexibility, and magic, and it was with that system that he raised a generation of Griffins. At the same time, the Griffins are taught about A Knight''s Honor and Virtue''s Guide, both of which are books that talk about the virtues of a knight. It was one of the reasons End established the school."


    Roy cocked his eyebrow.


    "His wish was to change how the people thought of witchers. It was his wish that one day, the people would put their prejudice aside and show witchers the respect and gratitude they deserve."


    Roy paced forward slowly and stared at the remains of the fortress. For some inexplicable reason, he felt strengthing from it. The Griffins were idealists, that much was certain, but what befuddled Roy was End''s actions. "Alzur abandoned us, didn''t he? So why did End follow in his footsteps?" <em>So he can lick Alzur''s boots?</em>


    "To quote Keldar, End despised Alzur''s inhumane act. He abhorred the fact that Alzur saw humans as nothing but mere test subjects." A sigh escaped Coen''s lips. "But he acknowledged the intention behind it. The intention of saving the people. He wished to find Alzur and Cosimo. To demand an exnation. He wanted to know if they had abandoned their ideals. He wished to turn them back to the straight and narrow."


    Roy shook his head. <em>He went to challenge his creator on their morals? Brave, but¡­</em>


    "Naturally, End failed." Coens hook his head darkly. A long silence ensued, but he eventually continued. "He never saw the creators, let alone persuade them into turning back to the right path. But it was thanks to his journey that he managed to find this ce and establish Kaer Seren. And then he spent his whole life building it up from scratch. Many allies of justice were born in this fortress, some of them famous. For example, George of Kagen, the Dragonyer."


    Roy puckered his lips. In most people''s eyes, the Dragonyer was synonymous with foolishness and misfortune, not courage and strength. "Do you think they''re dead, Coen? The creators, I mean," Roy asked.


    "None knows." Coen sighed. "It has been centuries since theirst sighting."


    ***


    "The founding of Kaer Seren was followed by the appearance of all the other schools. The schools worked independently of each other, maintaining a tenuous bnce. And thus, we enter the golden age of witchers. This period spanned from the eleventh century to the twelfth."


    Coen curled up a little. He made a sign with his right hand and covered himself with the ck shield of Heliotrop. It kept the cold away, and he stood up straighter.


    Roy cocked his eyebrow again. He couldn''t even see how Coen cast his Sign.


    "A hundred years ago, End noticed something. The number of witchers had grown to a point where there was ack of monsters for us to kill."


    Roy took a deep breath. Memories of his days as a witcher flooded his mind. He had conflicting feelings about it. "When there were no monsters left to kill, the people began to see witchers as monsters."


    Coen shot Roy a look of surprise. "Your wisdom extends beyond your age, Roy. Yes. When humans feel that they are free from the threat of monsters, the power we witchers possess is seen as a threat to them." There was irony in Coen''s voice. "At the same time, Temeria was facing a gue crisis. Fearing the ever-expanding witchers, the churches started spreading rumors about them. Rumors that they were the cause of the gue."


    "That''s dirty." Roy asked, "Who did that? Church of Kreve?"


    "To be very clear, what I''m going to say next is the objective truth. No biases," Coen emphasized. "Listen closely. <em>Churches. </em>Plural. Kreve, Melitele, Eternal Fire, you name it. Their hierarchs saw us as a threat to their proselytization efforts, and thus they started ndering us."


    Roy hung his head low. He was reminded of the temple of Temeria he used to be in. He was reminded of the gentle Nenneke and the priestesses who took in orphans selflessly. It was ironic that a religion founded in kindness had a history steeped in malice.


    "To make things worse, the mages were eyeing the treasure trove of tomes Kaer Seren had."


    "Vesemir told me about it," Roy interjected. "The secrets of Kaer Seren became the object of Aretuza and Ban Ard''s desire. They wanted to get their hands on those tomes."


    Coen stared into the moon, a hint of pride showing on his face only to be reced by sadness a momentter. "Yes. The previous Griffins researched and collected tomes of magic from all over the world to satiate their obsession for magic. And End, who followed the creed of neutrality closely, refused to share those secrets with the mages, who are notoriously known for their political meddling. And thus, the mages plotted a siege on us. The churches provided them with the best ammunition, and they came to us under the banner of justice. Quietly, they caused an avnche. A catastrophic one that was grand in scale."


    Coen said grimly, "The avnche destroyed Kaer Seren, burying it under a snowy grave. And it happened during a winter night. Griffins would spend most of the year hunting, onlying back for a gathering during the winter. They were all meditating in their rooms when disaster struck. Most of them died."


    "So the avnche took ce a century ago?" Roy asked. "Only Keldar survived?"


    Coen nodded and shook his head. "He was once the monster knowledge instructor, and by chance, he survived. End was in the courtyard when the avnche struck. He watched helplessly as his life''s work was turned into rubble within moments, taking many of his brethren with it. He witnessed how humanity''s greed could drive them to the extremes of cruelty." Coen clenched his fists and loosened them. "He lost the drive to go on, and after he helped Keldar leave and healed him up, End left. All he left behind was a book titled The Hunt. It detailed all his life experiences. Since then, nobody knows where he went. A hundred years have passed." Coen sighed. "I might be a Griffin, but I never got to see the fortress in its glory days."


    <em>Okay, so the survivors made different choices. One stayed behind, while the other left in disappointment. </em>A hint of sorrow filled Roy''s heart, and anger came with it. <em>This is an unkind world. One where witchers cannot live in peace.</em>


    Up until now, Roy had learned about four witcher genocides. One was the Wild Hunt''s assault on Gorthur Gvaed, another was the mage-led assault on Kaer Morhen, the third was a witcher tournament held by the king of Kaedwen, and the fourth was an ambush on Kaer Seren organized by mages and churches who were hungry for the fortress'' secrets.


    <em>They destroyed the fortress with no effort at all. Hasn''t End thought of revenge? Why did he leave this ce behind? </em>Roy shook his head. <em>But then again, one man can''t do anything against the mages and the churches. Perhaps End''s selflessness and knightly honor became his own worst prison. Obstinance filled his soul, and he refused to hurt humans no matter what they did to him.</em>


    ***


    Roy stared at the stele. A long silenceter, Coen heaved a sigh andposed himself. "But that''s all in the past now. Keldar and I are living a quiet life, and it''s fine."


    <em>Some people don''t ask much out of life. I can''t change their minds with simple persuasion.</em> "Did End evere back?"


    Coen shook his head.


    "Perhaps he''s still searching for Alzur in a remote corner of the world."


    Roy fell into silence. Most of the earliest witchers were missing, even until now. Ivar of the Viper School, Elgar of the Wolf, and End of the Griffin. <em>If they''re still alive, why didn''t theye back and see how their schools are doing? If they''re dead, there should be news about it. Did they all die in a remote ce or something?</em>


    Roy thought that was possible, but he had another, bolder guess. <em>Or maybe they''re all locked up in somece we don''t know.</em>


    ***


    "You two are the only Griffins left. Do you still follow their tradition of hunting most of the year anding back in the winter?" Roy asked.


    "That''s what I do." Coen looked at the house in the middle. Light shone through the crack of the ajar door. "Most of the time, I¡¯m hunting, but from what I know, Keldar hasn''t left this ce in more than twenty years."


    There was respect in his eyes. "Keldar would rather write down everything he knew instead of going out for some monster hunting. Besides some necessary requests, he spends most of his time studying. He goes through tomes and parchments beside the firece every day, writing down everything he gleans from them. When the sun sets, he studies in his room. That goes on untilte at night. It''s been this way for many years. Nobody can match him in his thirst for knowledge."


    "Does he like to teach, then?"


    Coen hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded. "He''s a tough teacher. Every time I answered his questions wrong when I was a kid, he would mercilessly mock me. But I can feel his love for teaching. It''s only second to his love for knowledge."


    Roy put his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth around the sconces. "Very well. Coen, do you think Keldar woulde to Novigrad?"


    Coen shook his head. "Nothing can make him leave this ce. Nothing."


    "What about you, then?" Roy did not give up. "Will youe and meet the kids and the witchers?"


    <em>Keldar is hard to convince, but Coen seems to be open to suggestion.</em>


    Coen rubbed his chin in silence. A dilemma warred in his eyes.


    Roy continued. "Your lover has abandoned her vige. She crossed a couple of the local thugs, and that basically barred her from ever going back. Are you nning to keep her in Kaer Seren forever?"


    Coen said nothing, but a frown started furrowing his brows.


    "If you''d want her to move to a city, why note to Novigrad? She has nobody to rely on in Kovir and Poviss, but the brotherhood can help her out if shees to Novigrad. We can easily get her a job. And the mage is good friends with me. Should you ever get tired of Novigrad and wish to return to Poviss, just say the word, and we''ll portal you away."


    "Why do you help us, Roy?"


    "I''m a witcher. Of course I help witchers. Don''t give me that look. Think of it as an investment. Perhaps the day maye when we need your help," Roy said solemnly. "We won''t make you vite your creed, of course."


    He finally wavered. "You have a point. I''ll ask Keldar and Igsena. If they''re fine with it, we''ll go to Novigrad."


    He too wanted to see what witchers from other schools looked like. Coen stared up at the moon and pleaded, "But please stop asking me to join the brotherhood. Keldar won''t let me, and you''ll be putting me in a hard spot. We will never go back on our creed."


    Roy shrugged and nodded. And yet he goaded, "I won''t bring this up again. You are your own man. Make your own decision. Just take this as a vacation. Have your honeymoon in Novigrad."


    Roy the diplomat had finally reached an agreement with Coen.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 399: Three Secrets Arts

    Chilly winds started howling once more, chasing the stars into obscurity. The signs of Draco and Sagittarius were blown away.


    "A minute more of your time, Coen." Roy noticed Coen''s incessant ncing at Igsena''s room. "The Griffins are masters of Signs, and sources say you possess skills strong enough to rival a mage''s spell. I''d like to see if the rumors are true if you don''t mind."


    ***


    "Ah, you tter us. Every school has its own specialty. We put more of our time into Signspared to say, swordy and alchemy. And we did make some progress. Though it might not be as much as you say it is," Coen said humbly. Not an ounce of arrogance even showed.


    But Roy thought he should be proud. The elements are what made this world. Witchers who specialized in the power of the elements like Signs had a better future than any other witcher.


    "Keldar did say I can teach you all the basic stuff, and I''m more than happy to oblige. Our Signs are different mainly because of the three secret arts." Coen started exining, and Roy listened closely.


    "Dual Signs, mutation, and the powerup provided by ''Roar,'' or as I like to call it, ''Wingp.''"


    Coen stared at Roy, and the young witcher fell deep into his thoughts.


    Coen continued. "Dual Signs is something our school spent many years perfecting. It''s a skill that gives you the ability to cast Signs with both hands. Not different Signs on both hands, however."


    Letho, Serrit, Vesemir, and Geralt could cast Signs with two hands, but they were different Signs. Technically, they were consecutive castings, not concurrent. Roy tried to do that, but his Signs were only at Level 3. Hecked skill. He could cast Signs normally with his left hand, but his right wouldg behind by a beat.


    "Dual Signs require you to cast a single Sign using both hands. You''ll expend more mana in the process while multiplying your Sign intensity."


    Coen waved his arms in the air, performing swift gestures that almost left afterimages. Roy thought he was seeing a flower bloom, and moonlight shone on a crimson sign blossoming in the center of that flesh-colored flower.


    As the witchers'' pendant vibrated violently, a burst of me hurtled through the air, tearing apart the darkness of the night, shining upon Coen''s face.


    The mes flew across the air turning a snow mound five yards away into a puddle of water. Coen pulled his hands back, ending the Sign. The mes died down, but a horizontal trail of smoke appeared between the air and the snowy ground.


    Even though Roy wasn''t facing the Sign directly, he still felt a slight burn on his skin. Dual Igni''s intensity was on par with Furyfire. This was nothing to scoff at. At the same time, Roy was figuring out how Coen did that. The gestures on both hands were simpler when Dual Signing, butbined, it wasplete, not unlike how Roy would cast a Sign using one hand. None in the brotherhood knew this skill, not even Vesemir. This was an art exclusive to the Griffin School.


    ***


    That brought Coen''s demonstration to an end. He rubbed his fingertips and, with fear in his eyes, said, "When I was little, Keldar once cast a Dual Yrden on me. Mutated Dual Yrden. He could lock onto a single target with that Sign. I was chained to one spot and starved for a day and night. It was as if an invisible cage had locked me up. The elements itself formed a wall around me, and I couldn''t move at all."


    Roy was shocked. Yrden was an area spell that could onlyst for five minutes. And it would lose effect once its target moved positions. And the Sign could only slow the targets down or force ethereal creatures into the material world. That was a far cry from the Yrden Coen was talking about.


    "Dual Signs is a secret art of the school." Roy''s interest did not escape Coen. Apologetically, he said, "I can''t tell you more unless Keldar agrees to it. You can ask him tomorrow."


    Roy gave him an understanding smile and changed the subject. "Tell me about the remaining arts."


    ***


    "Mutation and Wingp are rted to elementals. You''ve meditated in an Elemental Circle before, haven''t you? You should know that only a select few witchers cane in contact with the elemental dimensions during that meditation session and resonate with one of the four elementals."


    "The elementals are avatars of the elements themselves," Coen said. "While they''re in their elemental dimension, every roar, every growl, and every sound they make contain immeasurable power. They can tap into the elemental powers around them as easily as we breathe."


    Roy would never forget how the ifrit''s roar burned him.


    "If a witcher hears any roar from the elementals, the Signs he possesses can mutate and gain new powers." Coen was patient with his exnation. "To be precise, ifrits affect Igni, djinns change Aard and Yrden, nymphs affect Axii and mp, while godlings mutate Quen and Heliotrop."


    Roy''s Igni only evolved into Furyfire because the ifrit roared at him. "Hey, do you think there might be an eighth Sign?" Roy exined, "Ifrits only affect one Sign, but the other elements can affect two. Wouldn''t that shift the bnce?"


    "Well, you can try toe up with an eighth Sign," Coen joked. "Anyway, a part of the Griffins possessed magical talents that rivaled mages, especially the first fourteen, End included. All of them came in contact with the elemental dimensions during their meditation in the Elemental Circle. And through that session, they concluded four kinds of roars. All of them are recorded in The Hunt. In their own way, they recorded the secret voices of the elementals for us to listen and feel."


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. He was already fortunate enough toe in touch with one elemental. Most witchers never had the chance to see any of the elementals, but the Griffins saw all four. <em>Guess they aren''t magical for nothing. </em>"So all your Signs have mutated, then."


    "No. I let Keldar down. All I have is the Dual Sign art." He shook his head, smiling bitterly. "An elemental''s roar is not to be understood in the normal sense. Anyone who hears it will undergo a change, physically and mentally speaking. Only those who possess expert meditation skills and special traits can pass the change safely. People with an iron will, or those who are Sources to begin with."


    Coen sighed. "If anyone whocks those qualities were to attempt the change, they might selfbust, freeze their innards, turn into stone, or even break into little pieces. Roy, if you possess the qualities to undergo that change, perhaps Keldar might give you the opportunity to witness The Hunt and feel the elemental''s voices."


    Roy massaged his temples. <em>Okay, so I guess the requirements are: level of Meditation, high Will, and elemental affinity. I allocated all my skill points to Meditation. Most witchers don''t even have that kind of level of meditation. Guess I make the cut? No problem in the Will department. I have a higher Will than most living things. And I''ve awakened Elder Blood. That ramped my elemental affinity up. Sign mutation is practically made for me. I''m taking it.</em>


    ***


    "Wingp is a modification of the elementals'' roar. It''s designed to support the Signs." Coen paused for a moment. "Do you know why Signs are weaker than spells?"


    Roy leaned forward to listen closely.


    "Because Signs expend the mana within us, and we only have a limited reserve of mana. That limitation limits our Sign''s power." Coen''s eyes glinted. "While mages also expend their own mana, it''s not the only source of their spell''s power. Their own mana is nothing but a guide. Once their spell is released, it takes in the chaos energy lingering in the air. And chaos energy is infinite. Limitless. It''s why their spells are a few magnitudes more powerful than Signs.


    "But of course, there are ws in that spell system as well. They need a longer time to prepare, their spells requireplex steps to cast, and they also requireplex materials, incantations, and talismans to aid them in spellcasting.


    "End was a Source. He did extensive research on Signs and spells, listing out their pros and cons. Eventually, he improved our Signs." There was deep respect in Coen''s eyes. "He simplified our Signs and fused them with the modified roars. It''s akin to adding a simple incantation, but without the chanting. We can still cast the Signs as swiftly as ever."


    "The modified Signs, when cast, can tap into the chaos energy lingering in the air, strengthening them." Coen exined, "These modified Signs resemble the first time a bird ps its wings to fly. It chirps and flies into the air, traveling to a new horizon. Once modified, these Signs will be as potent as spells, and with a significantly faster casting speedpared to their spell counterparts. But just like Sign mutation, Wingp involves the roar of the elementals. You''ll need to possess some specific qualities to ess it. Expert meditating skills, an iron will, or being a source."


    Roy heaved a sigh, and he said nothing for a long time. These secret arts were more powerful andplex than he imagined. Sign mutation and Wingp, especially, seemed to be designed for him. <em>I need to get my hands on those.</em>


    Coen looked at the house again. "Roy, I do not possess the power to master the remaining arts. Therefore, I cannot put on any demonstration. That will be it for today. You need time to sort out all the information I just told you, so I''ll leave you at that."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 400: A Night of Blood

    Within a dark room of Kaer Seren, a witcher sat, his face illuminated by naught but the moonlight that shone through the window. His eyes were closed, and his legs were crossed. The witcher was in a state of meditation.


    A little white dogy beside him, night winds billowing its fur. The dog was sleeping with its belly revealed, a snore escaping its nose ever so asionally. Its legs would twitch, perhaps because it was running in its dream.


    A peaceful night this would be, if not for one fateful moment. Whispering winds turned into howling gales, blowing away the bluish-grey curtains up. Moonlight showered the room with no interference, a dark, circr silhouette appearing on the illuminated ground.


    It poked through the ground like a ball of viscous mud, until eventually, a ck, muscr, humanoid creature with two swords strapped to its back formed without a sound. It first knelt on one knee, but eventually the monster stood up, its hand on the hilt of its sword. Moonlight shone on it, but like a ck hole, the monster absorbed it all.


    The witcher''s pendant vibrated all of a sudden, waking him up. Roy leapt into the air like a sh of a lightning bolt, while Gryphon barked and turned around to hide in a corner. He grasped the air, producing a hand crossbow that glimmered red, and he stared at the silhouette in silence.


    Roy tugged at the trigger, pointing his weapon at the enemy, and he cast Observe.


    ''Kosti


    Age: A hundred and twenty-four years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Griffin School witcher, spiritual entity (a being that''s between a soul and a living thing)


    HP: 190


    Mana: 260


    Strength: 18


    Dexterity: 16


    Constitution: 19


    Perception: 14


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 7


    SpritiL 26


    Skills:


    Strengthened Witcher Signs Level 3, Alchemy Level 8, Meditation Level 8, Griffin School Swordy Level 8, Witcher Senses Level 9


    Griffin Arts Level 6


    Teleportation Level 2, Magic Maneuver Level 1


    Source (Passive)


    ***


    The moment Roy was done going through the information, he pulled the trigger. At the same time, the silhouette madeplicated gestures in the air. It looked like six pairs of hands were making circles at the same time, creating a gigantic, golden Sign at incredible speed.


    Roy''s enchanted bolt flew through the air, and a crackling of electricity popped into existence. Magical lights shone, and the bolt hit its target. A blinding golden light exploded before it shattered into pieces, raining down on the room.


    But that sh of light hadpleted its mission. The silhouette was unharmed, and the bolt was deflected, flying back at Roy at an even greater speed.


    Shocked, Roy rolled away. A gust of wind flew by his cheek, cutting off a lock of his hair.


    The silhouette froze for a split second from the bolt''s enchantment, and the next moment, both fighters made a Sign at the same time. It was Axii versus Yrden, and yet Roy was still slower than his opponent. Even though the silhouette was making a Sign with both hands, it still managed to cast it at an incredible speed, finishing its Sign before Roy could.


    It shoved Axii at Roy, and the hypnotic Sign made him freeze. As if fallen under a spell, his eyes glossed over, and his muscles tensed. His hand crossbow fell to the ground as his arms hung limply by his sides.


    The silhouette muttered something under its breath as it slowly approached Roy. It kept Axii going on with its left hand, while it held its right hand up before its chest.


    But before it couldnd an attack on Roy, a crimson light shed in the room. Aerondight tore through the air, forming an arc from left to right.


    The de hit its target''s neck and cut the curtains behind the silhouette in half. A wooden rod fell into the snow-covered ground, and moonlight shone on the young witcher.


    Roy''s eyes were clear. The Sign failed to affect him. His Will was great enough to shield him against any mind control. And now for the finishing blow.


    The crimson tentacles of fear rooted that monster in ce, and Roy went in for the second attack. He crouched and put his left leg forward while swinging his de diagonally downward, cutting the silhouette''s chest open.


    If this were a body of flesh, it would have been cut in half, its innards spilling everywhere. But this was no body of flesh, and Roy''s de tasted no blood. In fact, Roy thought he was cutting at air, not a monster.


    The monster''s body rippled like water. Its body shed bright like stars before the monster faded into the air. Another shadow hopped out of its left side, sticking closely to the wall beside the window. It made another Dual Sign and shoved it at the momentarily defenseless witcher.


    A crimson primrose appeared in the air, blossoming in the night. And then a deafening, destructive roar screamed across the room until it disappeared into the far, far distance.


    Crimson mes. That was the only thing Roy saw. And yet he advanced with his de pointing at the silhouette''s eyes. He relinquished all defense and charged forward with his crimson de, crashing into the silhouette like two lovers having a violent quarrel.


    Roy''s de shattered his enemy, while he was engulfed by the monster''s mes. A great pir of mes, bloody light, and the gleam of a sword pierced through the room, rumbling the earth itself.


    Sounds of explosions filled the air. There was also a grunt and a sigh of relief, but all onlysted for a mere moment.


    The fierce battle came to an end in just a few moments.


    ''Kosti (spiritual entity) killed. EXP +300. Massacre Level (6 ¡ú 7)


    Bloody Aura: Any attacking enemy within a 3 meter radius has a 20% chance (locked) to be Feared. If their Will is lower than yours, then they shall lose control of their body for 3 seconds at most.


    You now permanently cause (25 ¡ú 30)% more damage to any creature you have hunted before.


    Fear: You may cast Bloody Aura, Fearing single, multiple, or all targets in a 3 meter radius around you. If their Will is lower than yours, then they shall lose control of their body for 3 seconds at most. Cooldown: (3 ¡ú 2) minutes.


    Note: This skill levels up whenever you cross a threshold of type and number of creatures killed.''


    ***


    Gone was the silhouette, leaving nothing but a pile of smoking blue dust behind. Only Roy remained on the battlefield, but he was kneeling on one knee, and smoke billowed from his body. The battle burned him badly. He gasped in pain and let Aerondight go. The agony almost made him fall, but he held himself up with both hands.


    Roy was in bad condition. His cheeks had turned into jowls covered in twisted blisters and burns. No longer was he the same handsome witcher he once was. Smoke was all that came out when he opened his mouth, and blood trickled down his mouth. The flesh on his scalp merged with his charred hair. His face, neck, shoulder, and chest were horrifyingly red. Most of his skin was cracked, revealing the crimson flesh underneath.


    His shirt and pants were charred ck and tinged with crimson.


    Gryphon barked and came to lick Roy''s hand, but the scalding heat made it stick its tongue out and howl in pain.


    Even breathing was torture for Roy. An ungodly amount of heat resided in his body, sending waves of hot electricity coursing through his body. The heat of the mes within and without him were cooking him, and his brain was a mush. All he wanted to do now was level up.


    And that was what he did.


    ''You gained 1 skill point and 1 stat point.


    Will: 18 ¡ú 20


    You now have twenty points in Will. Bloody Aura, Fear, and Suppression are now powered up. They can alter reality now.''


    A cool sensation covered Roy. He felt like he just leapt into a pool of cool, clear water after getting scorched under the afternoon sun. Every pore was breathing in as much as it could, and every cell on his body was cheering in joy.


    All the ugly scars and burn marks went away. Once again, Roy''s skin regained its luster. It was smoother than silk. His almost-depleted HP and Mana were replenished to full bars.


    He stood up and flicked his sword before sheathing it. Then the witcher quickly covered himself with the golden and ck shields of Quen and Heliotrop. He touched his whole body, his hand freezing when it got to his head. Roy''s hair did not grow back. Once again, he was bald. "This again?"


    ***


    Once Roy confirmed that he was in no more danger, he hunkered down and checked for any suspicious clues. The silhouette might have turned into a pile of dust, but that pile was still brimming with magic.


    "An assassination attempt? Here, in Kaer Seren? Did Keldar do this? mes that fell from the sky, some mutated Dual Sign that''s fused with Roar."


    Roy''s memories were dragged back to the moment when the silhouette let out a terrifying roar before he could finish it off. That powered-up Igni crashed down like a meteor, taking out almost all his HP. He¡¯d been dying at that moment. That Igni was as powerful as a cyclops'' attack.


    Before he could figure anything out, someone opened the door, and moonlight shone on the Griffins. Both of them looked at Roy, surprised to see that his clothes were charred, but his skin was glimmering, while his head was bald.


    "What happened to your hair? And what was that noise?" Coen stared at Roy''s head, and his cheeks twitched. He wanted tough, but he had to hold it in and stay serious.


    "And why is it so hot in here? Did you burn yourself while practicing how to dual cast Igni?"


    Keldar looked around the room. He saw the cut curtains and the fence. He saw burn marks on the ground, as well as the blue powder that was brimming with magic. And he noticed how Roy was staring at them. There was interrogation in the young witcher''s eyes.


    <em>They''re in their jackets and unarmed. Didn''t look weird when they came in. And even if they wanted to attack me, they would have gone with an honorable duel, not assassination.</em>


    Roy eased up and calmed down a little, though a smile of irony tugged at his lips. "This might sound preposterous, but someone ambushed me."


    "What?"


    "That''s right." Roy took a deep breath and raised his voice. "To be precise, a Griffin ambushed me."


    Five minutester, Coen stared at the pile of ash in disbelief. "In my forty years of living in this fortress, I have never seen another witcher." He noticed the look in Roy''s eyes, and he said, "On the honor of my school, I swear this has nothing to do with us. We have no idea this happened. If a word of what I said was a lie, let my name be spat on and insulted forever."


    Coen looked at Keldar.


    "For the past forty years, there have only been two witchers in Kaer Seren: me, and Coen. And perhaps we''re the only remaining Griffins in thisnd." Keldar was staring at the pile of powder as well, and he frowned. "The would-be assassin was shrouded in ck, and you couldn''t discern its face. It must have been a spiritual entity."


    He extended his fingers and waved them across the air, feeling for some lingering trails of the battle. "It used a Dual Sign and imbibed it with a Roar."


    Roy rubbed his shiny head and tried his best to imitate that weird sound. "I think it went like this¡­"


    Keldar shook his head, displeasure glinting in his eyes. He looked at Roy like he just gained the worst grades in an exam. "That''s incorrect. You''re missing a key skill in producing the sound, but it resembles one of the four Roars."


    "It was using Igni," Roy said. "But not from its palm, no. From the skies above, and I couldn''t evade it. It''s how I ended up like this."


    "Your testimonial points to a mutated Igni we call Skyfire." Keldar pinched his beard. "From what I know, there were two Griffins who possessed this power. They were called Kosti, and Modan." He sighed. "But they perished in that avnche. I buried them behind Kaer Seren, where they rest forever with more than sixty brothers. But if what you said is true, then one of them has turned into a spiritual entity and started this fight."


    Roy crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. Things were getting more shrouded in mystery now.


    ***


    "So the spirit was attacking Roy?" Coen was shocked. "But why did it show up tonight of all nights ande after Roy? Why not me or Keldar or Igsena?"


    "Perhaps it sees me as an intruder," Roy proposed. <em>But I did nothing. Didn''t disrespect the school either.</em>


    Coen was still suspicious of one thing. "A mutated Igni is powerful beyond measure, and yet you only lost your hair? Your clothes are charred, but there''s not a single burn mark on your skin. That is odd."


    <em>I can''t tell him that I almost died and used a revive chance on myself. </em>And so, Roy gave all the credit of his healing to the Trial. "I gained some powerful regenerative abilities from my Trial. I''m not like most witchers. My wounds heal incredibly fast, and they leave no scars behind."


    ***


    "You do not have to tell us about your secrets. These battle marks tell me of another story entirely," Keldar interjected. "We know not of what the entities want, but you should stay the night in Coen and Igsena''s room. Just in case the entities were toe again. Don''te out until dawn breaks. I''ll look into this and see if I can get any answers."


    "Take me with you." Anger red in Roy''s eyes. <em>I got ambushed and was forced to use a Full Recovery. No way I''m letting this slide.</em>


    "No. There''s no guarantee that was the only entity." Keldar shook his head. "If you were toe with us, it might anger them further and cause unnecessary problems. Some of the dead were as powerful as I am. Worry not. I wille back with an answer."


    Roy stayed silent for a moment, and he nodded.


    ***


    And then peace ensued, though for how long, nobody knew.


    Roy was in Coen''s room, holding Gryphon in his arms as he fell into his thoughts.


    Coen was holding the sleeping Igsena in his arms. The vigedy knew nothing of themotion that took ce.


    "Sorry you had to go through that, mate."


    "It''s not your fault." Roy patted Gryphon''s head. He was not at all sleepy after that ordeal. "But if you have any information, please tell me." He paused for a moment. "Do you receive many guests in this fortress?"


    Coen shook his head. "This is a remote ce, and Keldar doesn''t like being disturbed. We''ve only received a dozen or so guests. Most were lost travelers, some were witchers. That includes Vesemir."


    "Did anything of the sort happen to them while they were here?"


    Adamantly, Coen answered, "No. You''re the first."


    ***


    Keldar held up a candbra as he slowly descended down the spiral staircase, heading deep into the dark underground. On and on he went, until he finally reached the base of the fortress. To one particr tome on a bookshelf he approached. Beautiful andplex were the patterns embroidered on its cover, but its beauty was tainted by a ck cloud surrounding it.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 401: Tough Customers

    Night was slowly sinking into the horizon, giving way to dawn. Roy returned to his bed and concentrated on his character sheet once more. <em>Skill point goes to Meditation again.</em>


    Meditation Level 7 ¡ú Level 8


    (Every time you perform aplete meditation cycle, you will gain a charge of Activate. Activate heals you for (40 ¡ú 50)% of your HP and Mana.)


    Constitution: 22.5 ¡ú 23


    HP: 305 ¡ú 310


    Spirit: 20.5 ¡ú 21


    Mana: 285 ¡ú 290


    Stat point allocation confirmed.


    Will: 20 ¡ú 21''


    ***


    Roy closed his eyes and felt the changes in his body. A sigh escaped his lips, and he opened his eyes. A strip of white light protruded from the horizon, breaking through the grey skies. Cold winds came in from the seas beyond, waking those whom it kissed.


    The young witcher turned around, but Igsena and Coen were still fast asleep. Amused, he shook his head and tucked Gryphon away into his hood, and then the young witcher tiptoed out of the room.


    Beyond the snow-covered courtyard sat the cliffs that overlooked the seas underneath, and on the cliff, Keldar stood. His back was turned to Roy, his attention fixated upon the raging seas underneath. If Roy didn''t know better, he would have thought Keldar was an ancient statue that had overseen the ocean for eons.


    There was history sleeping within him. Long,plex history intertwined like spiderweb, and yet this supposedly human being didn''t feel alive at all.


    "Did you find anything, Keldar?" Roy stood beside the grandmaster, sparing him a nce. "Do you know what caused this?"


    There was mncholy in Keldar''s eyes, but also reminiscence and¡­ reluctance. Reluctance to part with something he held dear. "I have you to thank,d. Thanks to you, I''ve found something I''ve overlooked for far too long. s, you must forgive me for keeping this a secret. Your question must remain unanswered, for revtion would mean baring the school''s secrets under the sun," Keldar said. "And you <em>must </em>leave Kaer Seren as soon as possible. Before night descends."


    "Are you joking?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were filled with interrogation. "Is this how you treat your guests? You expect me to leave without getting an answer?"


    "That is the way of the world. Fate throws hurdles in your path. Hurdles you never seeing. And fate will never change for anyone," Keldar answered coolly. "Should the chance present itself, we shall dulypensate for the damages our school has caused."


    "What did I do wrong?" Roy refused to give up, a hint of anger ring in his eyes. "Was it because of my idea of the brotherhood?"


    "Do you see me as someone with such a narrow mind? No, this has absolutely nothing to do with your proposal. Yes, the brotherhood is ostentatious and a transgression against thews of nature. Yes, it treads dangerously close to the territory of political meddling, but it is not totally worthless. I will not interfere with your operations, but nor will I join you. That said, you have performed perfectly." Keldar''s eyes never moved from the seas, and a sigh escaped his lips. "Too perfectly, in fact. That is precisely why you''re in mortal danger. Last night''s assault was a mere taste of what is toe. It will not stop until it ims your life."


    "Who''s behind the attack? <em>What </em>is behind that attack?" Roy kept asking, refusing to back off. "And why did ite to me? What does it wish to gain from me?" <em>If theing attackers are on par with Kosti, I¡¯ll be in danger.</em>


    "The details are top-secret information, on the same level as the secret arts. Forgive me, but I cannot divulge any information. Once Coen and Igsena wake up, bid your goodbyes and leave," Keldar answered calmly. "And send my regards to the old chap."


    ***


    A frown furrowed Roy''s brows. <em>Goddammit, this geezer is obstinate. Something''s off with him. And something was wrong with the history Coen told me. This guy is hiding something? </em>Roy held his anger down. For now. "Can Ie back to Kaer Seren again?"


    "That I cannot answer for sure. Perhaps the threat will be gone in the nearest future." Keldar didn''t give a straight answer.


    "I''d like to invite Coen to Novigrad. To see how the brotherhood works."


    "Coen is his own man. He can make his own decisions. If he so wishes to, I will not stop him."


    "Pardon me, but before I leave, may I take a look at how Dual Signs and Roar work?" Roy licked his lips.


    "If this were in the past, I would have let you read it, but not now. The knowledge it contains is¡­ dangerous."


    <em>It? The knowledge it contains is dangerous? So it''s a book.</em> Roy found himself a clue. "So that''s it? I may never see that knowledge again?"


    "It depends on what Destiny wishes to put in our path."


    <em>Okay, that answers nothing. What does that entity have to do with the book? And what on earth is that thing? Why is Keldar so wary of it? In just one night, he bes a pessimistic hull of himself. Now he''s trying to chase me away, citing that the future is uncertain.</em>


    Roy tried his best to get more answers, but Keldar refused to provide any. The look on his face remained mncholic, and his tone stiff.


    When dawn finally broke, and golden sunshine shone upon the snow, Keldar returned to his house.


    Roy caressed the stone stele, his eyes set on the seas and the horizon. He rode his train of thoughts, but that was quickly cut short by sounds of hurried footsteps closing in on the fortress.


    Keldar was standing under the overhang, his arms crossed before his chest, the look on his face turning from mncholic to solemn.


    Coen and Igsena left their bedroom. Thedy was rubbing her hands, her ears and head covered with a fur hat. Her cheeks and nose were red, and an oversized cloak hung over her. Roy thought she amusingly resembled a kobold.


    The four of them stared at the slope leading up to the fortress, and out came a silhouette. Then another. And another. Eventually, twenty men in grey cotton jackets appeared. They were armed with hoes, pitchforks, and pickaxes, huffing and puffing like angry creatures trying to tear their prey apart.


    Roy snarled, for he noticed two disgustingly familiar faces amongst the crowd: the man with green hair, and the one with the red face.


    ***


    The elderly man in the lead had a face as wrinkly as an elephant¡¯s hide, his skin roughened up by the elements. His beard was unkempt, his body was gaunt, and his back was hunched, not unlike a typical country man. But his eyes were violet, and the man was staring at the front doors of the fortress. When he locked eyes with his daughter, he gnashed his teeth and muttered curses under his breath.


    All the color drained from Igsena''s face. She quickly let Coen''s hand go, but the witcher held her tighter.


    "Unhand me daughter, ye mutant! Lest we clobber ye!" The old man spewed curses at Coen, though he was about as threatening as an alpaca.


    The witchers remained silent.


    "What are you guys doing, Rhade? I never asked you toe!" Igsena quickly exined, "I came here of my own free will. Nobody forced me!"


    "Ye old man''s here, you idjit girl! E''eryone''s here. Those mutants ain''t gonna hurt ye! Come back!"


    "Yes, Igsena." The green-haired guy who fucked his friend the whole night stepped in. There was smugness in his eyes, but there was also a hint of darkness. "The mutants deceived you with trickery and lies. We''re here to save you. To free you from their clutches. Come back."


    The men roared and shouted, but none took one step further.


    ***


    "You must be the vigers of Charcoal Bourg. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding." Keldar gave the angry vigers a look as calm as stillkewater. Matter-of-factly, he said, "My student embodies the virtues of a knight. He would never abduct anyone''s daughter."


    "That right there is proof, ye lying twat!" Rhade pointed his pickaxe at Keldar. "That''s me daughter, there! She''s a sweet gal. And there ain''t no way she''d scurry off to this here mountain without so much as a word! Why, this ce is more rundown than a doghouse!"


    "A woman and three men staying in a fortress all by themselves?"


    "What is this, a whorehouse?"


    The men swung their farming and mining tools, shouting at the witchers.


    Henri said adamantly, "If you ask me, that guy with different-colored eyes and pockmarks on his face must''ve been the kidnapper."


    "That''s right." The man with a red face looked at hisrades and announced. "We''ve seen it! We''ve seen how that mutant bewitched Igsena! They were at the river. And Igsena was spasming like she had fits! That mutant had mes all over his body! We saw how he cast a spell on her! He convinced her to steal from her family and give all her coins to him!"


    "Henri! Cud! You curs! You sons of bitches!" Igsena cursed loudly. "You criminals almost defiled me! How dare you insult me?" She roared at her father, "Don''t listen to them! Those bastards tried to defile me, but fortunately, a witcher was passing by, and he saved me! I''d be nothing but a cold, dead corpse if not for him!"


    Rhade cocked his eyebrow and looked at the men suspiciously.


    The man with a red face turned around and spread his arms. He spoke loudly, his voice as grating as rusty chains turning around. "Look here, people! See how the witchers have bewitched the girl? Do you see how they have manipted her into thinking we''re the viins here? Henri and I spent a day and a night searching for Old Rhade''s daughter. And just when we were about to save her, she uses us as criminals! This is preposterous!"


    "Snap out of it, Igsena. Stop your lies." Henri stared at the ground and shook his head like he was actually sad. "If we had actually tried to defile you, we would have run away instead ofing straight to you. Do you think everyone here is a fool?"


    Someone shouted, "Rhade, your girl''s brainwashed!"


    Rhade''s face was like thunder. With his pickaxe in tow, he approached his daughter. The young men who followed him also took one step into Kaer Seren''snd.


    Roy cracked his neck and wrists, his joints popping like firecrackers. The young witcher advanced toward the iing vigers, and it silenced them. They were reminded of the witchers'' rumors. Of how inhuman their strength was.


    Roy possessed strength more incredible than any human, especially after he took the second Trial. He was in his armor, and a pair of sword hilts protruded from his back. His head was as bald as Letho''s, and his terrifying heterochromatic eyes scared the vigers.


    "Roy, please, stand back. Let me try." Igsena put her hands before her belly, her fingers intertwined. She turned her gaze to Coen and Keldar, an unspoken plea filling her eyes. "Calm down. I''ll exin everything. Don''t attack them."


    The witchers exchanged a look and kept their silence.


    "I need no exnation. Now get back here, you idjit girl!" Rhade beckoned her.


    "No, Rhade!" Igsena''s eyes welled with tears, her fingers fidgeting around like little twigs. With a voice as rough as a stony path, she shouted, "You''d rather believe two criminals over your own daughter?"


    "Well, I know they won''t kidnap my girl!" Rhade looked at the witchers warily. "Nowe with me! The chickens need feeding, and the greens need pickling!"


    "No! No longer am I the girl you can lord around!" Igsena wiped her tears and tugged at Coen''s hand. She raised her head and gave him onest smile. Then she turned around. "I, Igsena, daughter of Rhade, hereby announce my departure from the Charcoal Bourg! No longer do I belong to you. Any of you! I wish to be with Coen forever! If you think of me as your family, then bless us. Bless us and leave this ce!"


    Rhade pointed a gnarly finger at his daughter, his chest heaving violently. He was hissing like a serpent, but not a word escaped his lips.


    "Don''t waste yer time, Rhade. She''s lost it. We''re going in!" a few of the burly minors shouted.


    "Yeah! Show those mutants no mercy!"


    "They try anything funny, and it''s a one way trip to hell!"


    ***


    "I''d like to see you try." Coen took a step forward. Veins popped on his face, and he shouted loudly, "It is Igsena''s wish to stay, and her wish takes precedence over yours. No one can make her do what she doesn''t want to. Try, and I''ll give you a taste of your own medicine."


    He flicked his wrist, and a yellow spark appeared in his hand, flitting around his fingers like magic.


    The vigers gulped and took a few steps back. All their bravado was lost, and Rhade looked like a defeated chicken.


    "Witchcraft!" Henri and Cud shouted.


    "That''s what''s controlling Igsena! Charge! Bring judgment down on that sorcerer!"


    Nobody moved. Not even Rhade.


    "Let''s bring this to the baron! He''ll subject them to the stake!" another fearful voice shouted.


    "Ah, I see you''re a sensible one. To enlist the baron''s help and not opting for violence is wise," Keldar siad. He was still standing under the overhang, his voice oddly calming. "But do not forget where we are. This is Poviss, a free kingdom made up of immigrants. We do not have pesky rules and tradition, unlike most kingdoms."


    All the vigers heard him, and they put their weapons down.


    "Coen is right. Her decision trumps your will. Igsena is already of age. She has the right to decide what she wants to do. Not even her family, her father, or even her mother has the right to change her decision."


    Keldar shook his head, a smirk curling his lips. "You may bring this to the baron, but not even he has the right to impose his will on an adult woman. Not even if he brings it to the court of Lan Exeter.¡±


    Rhade was huffing and puffing, sweat pouring from his face. There was agony and frustration in his eyes. He might have the guts to cross the witchers, but he would never cross the nobility.


    His daughter took the side of the witchers. If they were to enlist the baron''s help, they might only gain mockery and punishment in return.


    "Do not be afraid, people!" The man with a red-face turned redder. He looked like an apple now. "This is nothing but witchcraft. They have Igsena under their control. This is not what she really¡ª"


    Something tore through the air, cutting the shouts of Henri and Cud short. They were sent flying backward as if a sledgehammer had just hit them. Eventually, they mmed into the stone walls and fell with a thud. And then everyone noticed the holes in their foreheads.


    Crimson blood, crushed bones, and brain matter drenched the earth, their faces destroyed. It was a horrible death. They died without their heads.


    "They''re dead! The mutants killed them!"


    Someone shouted, and the vigers scrambled back the way they came.


    Roy tucked Gabriel away. Coen was still holding Igsena''s hand, though he was frozen. Igsena covered her mouth with one hand, while Keldar sighed. He darted ahead like a lightning bolt, casting multiple Signs at the escaping people at the same time. His forearm spun, and his fingers weaved. Signs blossomed from the buds of flesh, and a roar once again graced the yard. A great, stormy, powerful roar.


    Powerful winds blew across the people, and they froze. They stiffened up like puppets, their eyes rolled back in their heads. Keldar stood in the center of the crowd, and hemanded, "Return home and sleep. You shall forget all that has happened over thest three days, including today."


    The vigers trembled. They hung their heads low and left the mountain, their faces as nk as lifeless puppets.


    ***


    The sun shone upon Keldar, and he slowly turned around. The shock and confusion in Coen and Igsena''s eyes did not escape him. And so did Roy''s realization. They were all looking at Keldar''s face and the back of his hands. Or, to be precise, the rotting part of it.


    The shadows beneath him did not escape their notice, either. Or, to be exact, the <emck </em>of shadows beneath him failed to escape their notice.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 402: The Hidden Truth

    The vigers returned to their homes eventually, and peace came back to the fortress. Golden rays shone upon the yard, but they failed to wash away the loneliness Keldar felt.


    The grandmaster put his hands behind his back, his eyes fixated on Roy. He was inscrutable, but there was a hint of admonishment in his eyes. "Taking their lives was unnecessary, Roy. That was impetuous of you." Keldar spoke before anyone could ask.


    "I showed them mercy. Time and time again." Roy shook his head. He argued, "I let them live, and yet they saw my act of mercy as a sign of weakness. They were insulting our integrity and the innocence of a woman. With the pull of a trigger, I ended their lives without causing any pain. I call that¡­ mercy."


    Roy''s eyes shone with respect. "But the strength of your Axii was astounding. I never thought it could hypnotize a group of people at the same time. And without eye contact as well. Is that the true power of Roar and Wingp?"


    "Power is not something to be abused,d. You should not have used them to harm humans."


    "I disagree." Roy stared into Keldar''s eyes. He argued, "You call them humans, and yet they have crossed the line no human should. What makes them different from a monster, then? And witchers kill monsters."


    "Their operation was doomed to fail from the beginning. What they were doing was a fruitless struggle. There was no need to take extreme measures." Keldar shook his head in disappointment. "Apparently, your goals differ from our school''s values."


    Roy''s cheeks twitched. <em>He got brainwashed by his school''s values. I might be the knight of a Lady of the Lake, but not even I am that stubborn. </em>It was understandable to not kill innocents, but not when humans were threatening the witchers'' very lives. <em>That''d be a waste of power. Power would be nothing but mere decoration if not used.</em>


    Roy did not budge a single inch, but he was obviously stiffening up.


    Coen took a deep breath. There was hesitation in his eyes, and yet he spoke. He spoke with respect, but a bigger part of it was concern. "Keldar, what happened back there? Why¡­ Why do you not have a shadow?"


    ***


    A gust of cold wind blew from the seas, climbing up the cliff and billowing Keldar''s hair, almost blowing him off the ground.


    "What happened to your hands and face?" Coen couldn''t shake the earlier memory off. He wondered why Keldar''s cheeks and hand paled and started to rot while he was chasing down the vigers. Even now, he could still see signs of the rot. "Are you hurt? Or cursed?"


    Igsena held Coen''s arm tightly. She too saw what happened. At first, she was delighted. Delighted that Keldar settled a nigh unsolvable problem effortlessly. But then that delight was reced by fear.


    "I will tell you in due time," Keldar said slowly. "But now is not that time."


    "Excuses. Keldar, even now, you still wish to deceive your own student?" Roy shook his head. "You will never tell him the truth."


    Roy was starting to sort out everything he saw over thest couple of days. Keldar and Vesemir were born in the same era. Vesemir was already three hundred years old, but oddly enough, Keldar was more than a hundred years younger than him. <em>A hundred years ago, the avnche almost killed every single Griffin. Keldar has no shadow, and his body is rotting.</em>


    Roy had a vague guess about what the truth really was, but he needed more information. "Look in the mirror, Keldar. I''ve seen that look before." Roy said, "Letho made that kind of face right before he charged into imminent death."


    He turned to Coen. The younger Griffin was tense, his fists balled. And yet Keldar did not speak.


    "You wish to face this crisis alone. Keeping it a secret from your own student." Roy stared at Keldar''s old, pale face. "But are you sure you can face this all by yourself? I thought you''d be more honest at your age, so why can''t you tell us about your woes? Coen can help, and I can chip in too."


    Roy genuinely said, "I might be a newbie. My capabilities might be limited for the ns I have in mind, but I do not fight alone. I am not alone." He put an emphasis on thest part.


    "I have the backing of eleven witchers and a mage. I disagree with how you conduct yourself, but that doesn''t mean I deny your whole outlook on life. I too am a witcher. Say the word, and I will help you," Roy emphasized. "You can even treat this as a request if you don''t want me to help for free. Just pay me however much you like."


    Keldar was having an internal struggle. Under the sun he stood. A long, long timeter, he heaved a sigh, his eyes speaking of resignation and sorrow. "Come in, then."


    ***


    They entered Keldar''s abode and sat around the table. A seal covered up the basement''s entrance, and light from the sconces shone on Keldar''s face. With a hoarse and sorrowful voice, he told a story. A story regarding the great avnche that befell Kaer Seren. It was a story Coen had told him, but the one Keldar spoke of was a different version.


    And Keldar''s version¡­ painted an even darker history.


    "A hundred years ago, mages who eyed the secrets hidden within these wallsunched an ambush on us, saying they were allies of justice who came to vanquish the evildoers. They sent an avnche crashing down on us, burying the fortress and <em>all </em>witchers in it."


    "But you lived," Coen interjected nervously.


    Keldar looked at his student. There was a small smile on his lips, but yet he dashed his student¡¯s hopes mercilessly. "No. I, too, perished in that tragedy."


    "Impossible. This cannot be true. For forty years I''ve lived with you, and you''re no different from a regr human." Coen shot up in disbelief. He held Keldar''s hand and felt the warmth of lifeing from him. "You''re still alive!"


    Igsena held his hand. She didn''t want to do this, but she shook her head.


    A bitter smile hung on Keldar''s lips. "I, too, thought I was alive. I thought I was fortunate enough to survive. That the avnche failed to bury the lowest room. Through the snow I wed. Through the cold, dead bodies of my brethren, I wed. And eventually, I reached the surface."


    His voice started to break, and his eyes glossed over. "But the snow was not what I broke out of. What I broke out of¡­ was a grave. Sixty-six gravestones stood around me, and one of them had my name carved on it."


    Coen plopped back down like a discouraged little lion, his face nk. Roy kept his silence, but his eyes were as wide as almonds. This did note as too much of a surprise for him. <em>So that''s why he''s about a hundred years younger than Vesemir, even though they were born in the same era.</em>


    Roy imagined how Keldar must feel when the first thing he saw after he came back out were the graves of him and his fallen brethren. And he could just imagine how despairing it must feel to see his home buried in snow. <em>Which begs the question. Who or what kept Keldar alive for a hundred years?</em>


    "I apologize for the lies, Coen." Apologetically, Keldar said, "End is a true knight. A knight who upholds the values taught to us. He was the only one who survived the avnche, given that he was stargazing. Our corpses were retrieved and buried in the mountains. End promptly left after that final deed. I do not fault him for his actions. He had faith in humanity. He had faith that his efforts would change how the world viewed witchers. s, he failed, and his faith crumbled. And his brethren died along with the death of his faith. Left with nothing to hope for, End left the fortress."


    Roy heaved a sigh. His opinion on End changed a slight bit. He watched his life''s work destroyed and his brethren killed in one fell swoop. His faith was crushed, and he was left with nothing to live for.


    Keldar stared at the crackling mes in the firece, his eyes glinting with reminiscence and gratitude. "Before End departed, he left a letter that detailed his life''s experience. And his personal notebook titled The Hunt. He buried all the experiences and knowledge he had gained in my grave. And his notebook changed everything."


    Softly, Keldar said, "It was a series of coincidental events. I can''t exin why it happened, but the notebook underwent a change. Thisnd¡­ the avnche¡­ the grudge held by the souls of all who perished in the tragedy¡­ Something affected the change."


    Keldar looked at the locked door. There was love and hate in his eyes. "It gave the notebook life and magic. Strange magic. And the book¡­ it <em>chose </em>me. It freed me from death."


    "Hold it." Roy massaged his temples. "Are you sure you were saved by a book? Sure it wasn''t something else?"


    Keldar nodded.


    Igsena''s eyelid twitched. <em>This sounds like a horror story.</em>


    Coens shook his head in disbelief. "You mean the same notebook I read revived you? The one where I learned everything I know?"


    "To be precise, the book''s cover had <em>dhu saov morc </em>written on it. In Elder Speech, it means Book of Shadows," Keldar answered. "A pact was made between us, and a bond was formed. With the powers of thisnd, it revived me. At first, everything was normal." There was a hint of delight in Keldar''s voice.


    "And I thought I gained a magical item all for myself. Book of Shadows possesses an incredible ability. It can record all the knowledge in my mind without the need of any ink or quill. Including the knowledge in the books I''m still reading and all my life experiences. The book has an endless supply of pages. For every full page, another nk one takes its ce. It''s more efficient than any spell mages cane up with. The only reason for its existence is the pursuit of knowledge."


    Roy was awed. He smacked the struggling Gryphon and almost whistled. "The item of every schr''s dream."


    Keldar nodded. "And dream I did. I loved books more than swords. The Book of Shadows was made for me."


    <em>Ah, so that''s why the book chose him.</em>


    A smile finally cracked Keldar''s lips, but that smilested for only an instant. It was reced by a look of depression. "Foolishly, I thought the Book of Shadows was a gift of fate. I spent the first two years of my new life swimming in the ocean of knowledge. But I eventually set out for the wider world in pursuit of End. By instinct, I recorded even more knowledge within the pages of the book."


    Coen''s cheeks trembled, and he wanted to ask something.


    Keldar interrupted him. "As you can see, Coen, I had the ability to enter and exit the fortress as I pleased for more than eighty years. I could travel to the ends of the world and nothing would happen to my body. However, the Book of Shadows cannot depart the fortress. There exists a bond between it and thend."


    "What if you take it with you anyway?" Roy asked.


    "Then it shall disappear and return to this ce." Keldar paused for a moment. "I lived my life as most witchers did. On one of my journeys, I found myself passing through a Kovir vige, and that was where I found you."


    Keldar stared at Coen gently. His voice softened a little. "You were only seven when I found you. Skin and bones, I''d say. Afflicted with smallpox and covered in pus. Your poverty-stricken parents abandoned you. I took you back to the fortress and nursed you back to health. I spent years raising you into a fine Griffin."


    Coen hissed loudly, tears welling in his eyes.


    Roy thought, <em>Keldar saved him. Their bond isparable to one tied by the Law of Surprise.</em>


    "Things remained the same until the eighty-fifth year." Keldar shook his head. "It was then the side effects began to show. It mattered not how much the sun shone, my shadow remained hidden. I lost it. Forever. And I stayed out of the sun for fear of this¡­ phenomenon being noticed. And yet the tortures did not stop there. If I were to leave Kaer Seren, my body would begin to rot. My skin would start to peel, and my flesh would emit a foul stench. The longer I leave thisnd, the stronger the effects are."


    A smirk tugged on Keldar''s lips. "That proved to be a great dereliction. Should I ever want to leave the fortress, I have to don a thick cloak that is drenched in palm oil, dust, and grease. All to keep the stench of my rotting flesh in. If word got out, they would think I was a necrophage."


    And now there was resignation on Keldar''s face. "And yet that was not suffering enough for the book. The corruption began to eat into my mind. If I were to leave this ce for more than ten minutes, I would lose all semnce of sanity and return to this fortress like a walking dead."


    Roy gasped. At first he thought the Book of Shadows was just a helping partner to Keldar, but now he knew the book was nothing but a vemaster.


    "I see." Coen''s face fell. Hoarsely, he said. "For thest decade or so, I''ve always wondered why you''ve never left this ce or basked under the sun. You would spend your days readingte into the night, either in your house, under the overhang, or beside the table. I see the reason now."


    Coen punched the table. He seemed to me himself for this. Most of the time, Coen would be out hunting. Only during the winter would he return. He ignored all the odd habits Keldar exhibited, waving them away as some regr lifestyle.


    "Coen, you silly boy. ountability is one thing, but being a scapegoat is another. This has nothing to do with you." Keldar patted his shoulder. "This is what I chose. The book yearns for knowledge, as do I. I thought we would be perfect partners in this pursuit of knowledge." A heavy-hearted sigh escaped Keldar''s lips, and he took a book out of the shelf. "But afterst night''s unhappy event, I see now that it was just wishful thinking on my part. That book thinks of me as a mere tool to ess more knowledge."


    He fell silent and opened the book.


    "And tools eventually fail." Roy looked at the tensed-up Coen."


    "Exactly. It did not attack Roy for nothing. The book was choosing its next tool." Keldar stared at the young witcher. "You have ambition,d. And something inside you piqued the book''s interest. Not even Vesemir managed to rouse its excitement. It didn''t choose my student. Instead, itid its eyes on you. It wishes to defeat you all so it can take over your body and create another tool for its insatiable longing. But the sun is its enemy, and so night is its battlefield. Its first attack failed, but the book will not stop at one attempt."


    Shock shed within Roy''s eyes. <em>The book knows I''m different? And it wishes to enve me? Howughable.</em>


    "But Keldar, how did it manage tomand the dead Griffins? Why? It shouldn''t have that kind of power."


    "Ah, it is all thanks to Roy that I found this. I should have realized this matter sooner. The Book of Shadows details all the life experiences of the Griffins." mes red in Keldar''s eyes. "Those who perished in the avnche are imprisoned within the pages of the book. It absorbs their knowledge and memories like a greedy, insatiable glutton for knowledge. And from now on, I dere the Book of Shadows my enemy."


    Keldar looked at the sealed basement. There was gratitude in his eyes, but there was also hatred. "I must find a way to vanquish the book and release my suffering brethren from its grasp."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 403: Phylactery

    "Can''t you just destroy it?" Igsena asked carefully. "Burn it with fire, or¡­ or cut it up into pieces. It may be an odd book, but it is still just one book."


    "It is not as simple as you think," Keldar answered calmly. "The Book of Shadows shares a bond with the verynd we step on. Its rich mana keeps the book safe at all times. Regr methods do not work on it." Warily, Keldar said, "I tried Igni, Aard, and even burned it in the firece the whole night. It did not work. It''s no metal, but the book is stronger than diamond and possesses more flexibility and heat tolerance than draconid leather."


    The four of them did not look happy to hear the news.


    "Roy, since you wish to help, why don''t you ask your brotherhood''s mage what she thinks of this? Perhaps she may have a way to dispel this curse." Keldar stared into Roy''s eyes. "Of course, I won''t ask you to help for nothing. Once we release my brethren from their prison, you will have the privilege to research our secret arts. You and you only."


    Roy was about to say something, but Coen clenched his fists and interrupted. "Sir, what happens to you if we destroy the book?" He was worried. Keldar only lived because of the book. If it were to be destroyed, then death would reim him.


    "Do not be pessimistic, Coen." Keldar suddenly patted Coen''s head. "Deathes for us all. That is thew of nature. I should have died a hundred years ago, and yet I cheated death." He smiled. "I''ve lived my life for no one but myself. In Kaer Seren I stayed. In Kaer Seren I hid. I live the simple life of a schr, and I raised you."


    "No¡­" Coen shook his head. He was reluctant to go on with the n, and he wished to change Keldar''s mind. "Perhaps they''re not tormented. Perhaps they''re used to the book. It is possible that they do not wish for release."


    Coen''s eyes went red, and he shouted, "We should keep things as it is."


    "Coen!"


    Coen froze, but this time, he refused to budge. He stared straight into Keldar''s eyes.


    "Why do you not understand, Coen? I''ve lived for far too long. More than what I desire." He sighed. "Yes, this extension of life is a dreame true, but extend it long enough, and any dream would inevitably be a nightmare. Be it a dream or nightmare, we must wake from our sleep. But with nightmares, you wake with a scream."


    It was the truth. And it hurt.


    "I''ve woken. And screamed I have. No longer can I turn a blind eye to my brethren''s suffering, not even in the pursuit of knowledge. And my life as a tool is fasting to an end. Change must happen. I have one wish remaining. Do you want to deny me that?"


    Coen buried his face in his hands, his mind reeling in shock. Igsena huddled closely to him, her eyes tearing up.


    Roy¡­ Roy sighed. He had conflicting emotions regarding the matter. It was not every day he came across someone who wished for death, and yet he would not want to refuse. "I am more than happy to help, but I have a question. Once the Griffins leave the book, they will not be allowed to remain in the material world. Their souls will soon vanish, and only the void awaits. Are you sure this is a good idea?"


    Keldar shook his head. He asked, "Roy, if you were in their ce, would you rather live on as an entity imprisoned in a book that is your master? Or would you sacrifice your life if it meant you could be free of the chains that bound you and step into the real world, even for just a moment?"


    Roy froze. He had no answer to that.


    "No Griffin would prefer a caged life. I am the only one who''s different. I know my brethren. To them, their homes will always be the skies, the wilderness, and the mountains. Not a cage. No."


    ***


    A long, long silenceter, Roy licked his lips and turned his gaze to the basement. And then he looked outside the window. The sun was still shining bright upon the ground.


    "Keldar, first we must see that tome. The sun is still shining. I reckon it can''t do any harm just yet?"


    ***


    The stony walls of the mountains gleamed gold, white snow shimmering on the ground. But one speck of darkness ruined the purity of the snow. One ck tome with golden highlights sat in the center of the ground. The tome was at least three timesrger than most books and had the thickness of a balled-up fist.


    Upon the dark cover, the words <em>dhu saov morc </em>were emzoned. In Elder Speech, it meant <em>Book of Shadows</em>. Dark mist as viscous as honey overflowed from the cover, surrounding it, and keeping it out of the gleaming sunlight.


    Two witchers in armor made of brigandine and chain stood around the book. Apanying them were Roy and Igsena.


    ''Book of Shadows


    Type: ?


    Components: Leather, mana, souls, knowledge¡­


    This book contains all of the Griffin School''s secrets. The magic of thisnd has granted it a soul.


    ??''


    ***


    Roy grabbed his vibrating medallion. "Keldar, does it understand our tongue?"


    "This book has been given life. It would take a human ten lifetimes to learn all the knowledge within it. But it grows differently than us." Keldar had conflicting emotions about the book. "Despite being a one hundred-year-old entity, its intelligence remains at an elementary stage."


    He made a detailed description. "Its behavior is governed by what I suppose is a system akin to instinct within feral beasts. And its instinct only has four goals: the pursuit of truth, the protection of thisnd, the search for its next tool, and self-preservation. If anyone can cause enough damage to it, that is. It does not do much aside from the aforementioned actions."


    "It has chosen me as the next tool. Are you sure it won''t summon a soul to attack me out of the blue?" Roy was still worried.


    "You may touch it, but do not open the book."


    Roy touched the cover with his index finger, then his thumb, and then his whole hand. Unlike how its exterior would suggest, the book felt different to the touch. It was warm and smooth, not unlike a warm breeze that just kissed Roy''s skin. A feeling offort welled up within him, and a voice spoke within his heart. It was silvery, but there was an urgency in it.


    "Open my pages. Read me. Record¡ª"


    Roy let the book go without hesitation. That level of temptation was nothing before his iron will. Coen and Igsena touched the book as well, and they let go easily.


    "Did you hear a voice when you touched it?"


    "What voice?" Igsena stared at Coen in confusion, and her lover shook his head as well.


    "Definitely odd." Roy nodded. <em>The book is only trying to entice me. What are you trying to gain, book?</em>


    ***


    "I shall prepare a magical circle to weaken its contact with the chaos energy lingering in the air." Keldar started delegating duties. "Coen, retrieve my specter dust and my collection of potions and decoctions. A difficult battle awaits."


    Coen froze.


    "Go. <em>Now</em>." Keldar kicked Coen''s arse, and the younger witcher shuffled into theb. The grandmaster shook his head and turned his attention to Roy. "You should contact the mage. Or would you like me to open a portal?"


    "There is no need for that. I have a telescope. Coral should be doing her experiments at this hour. However, the entities in that book will prove to be a great threat once this ritual is underway. I''ll get some of the members here to help us out."


    Stubbornly, Keldar shook his head. "I cannot afford the services of so many witchers. This battle is an affair of our school. And with the sun on our side, we alone shall suffice."


    ***


    The telescope''s crystal rendered a rainbow out of the sunlight that shone upon it. A slender, powerful hand rubbed the crystal three times, and his Mana dropped by fifty points. Blinding light shone from the crystal, congregating in the air. Ripples spread across the screen at first, but it eventually refocused.


    A beautiful silhouette in a red dress stood before a boiling cauldron. Magical lights flowed from her hands as she weaved the spells needed for her experiments. Her fiery hair danced across her shoulders, and dried herbs flew from atop the shelves into the cauldron, causing little sshes.


    She noticed Roy''s summon, and the mage turned around. Her eyes were filled with surprise, and a big smile curled her beautiful red lips. Slowly, she approached the telescope, but what she saw made her cover her mouth in surprise. "What happened to your hair, Roy?"


    "Um, Keldar taught me some new tricks. I went and cast it before I managed to master it, and it burned my hair off. But don''t worry. It''ll grow back soon enough."


    The sorceress clutched her belly, a string of giggles andughter escaping her lips. At the same time, she made a gesture with her left hand. "I need to take this down."


    A blinding sh covered the screen, and Roy''s face fell. <em>Oh gods, why do I have to go through this?</em> "My dear Coral, this is an emergency. You canugh <em>after </em>you help me out."


    "A second, please." Coral raised her head abruptly and tried her best not to smile. She sighed at the mirror, anticipation glowing in her eyes. "Say that again?"


    "I need your help."


    "No, before that."


    "My dear Coral¡ª"


    "Good. I''ll let this¡­ disfigurement slide." Happily, she nodded. A hue of red flooded her cheeks. "I''ll help you just this once."


    Roy finished the story in half an hour, and Lytta was rubbing her cheeks, deep in her thoughts. "That item is sentient, has control over spiritual entities, is able to devour shadows, and shares a bond with a ce of Power. I almost can''t believe it''s a book. It almost sounds like a phctery. It''s something necromancers use."


    "It''s a phctery? So it''s man-made?" Roy''s heart sank. "Is it possible it came into creation because of the ovep of a few unfortunate circumstances?"


    "I would not rule out that possibility. This is a big world, and anything is possible, especially when ites to magic. There are mysteries we would find almost impossible to crack."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief, but he remained vignt.


    Lytta crossed her arms and leaned over. "Regr methods will not work on a phctery, if destruction is what you seek. You must attack its core."


    "Its core?" Roy stared at Lytta''s bosom. Once upon a time, he spent one week just ying with Coral''s chest.


    "Its soul. You need to conjure a spell that can destroy its soul. It''s the only way to kill the phctery and give its prisoners a final release. But be warned. Phcteries can and will retaliate fiercely."


    "Do you know any spell that can be useful against it?" Roy stared into Coral''s eyes nervously.


    Regrettably, Lytta shook her head. "This is necromancy. A long, long time ago, the brotherhood forbade the practice of necromancy and demonic summoning. Most of their archives are destroyed. I cannot help you. And no friends of mine know much about necromancy. This is obviously beyond you, Roy. Do <em>not </em>attempt this." Lytta spoke sternly, but the concern in her voice was unmistakable.


    "I know. I won''t do it. That''s all for now. I''lle back soon." Roy nodded, but then he imagined how he would go about this. <em>Hm, Fear can devour demons. If I''m right, this core is also a soul like those demons. Wonder if Fear can work.</em>


    Roy was about to turn the telescope off, but Lytta shot him a nasty re, and her face was ck as thunder. "Hey, aren''t you forgetting something?"


    "<em>Muah</em>. Goodbye, Coral."


    "Hmph!"


    Roy shook his head and ced his chipmunk in a corner. He scratched its chin, telling it to hide, and then he left the room.


    ***


    Back in the courtyard, Keldar had already drawn out a magic circle made of specter dust, infused dust, and otherponents. The circle was divided into two parts. The outer part was further broken down into four parts, each having the basic elements written down in Elder Speech. The inner circle was filled with words like istion, seal, and mana exclusion.


    Roy could feel the mana within him running slower just by standing close to the circle. Within the center of the circle sat the Book of Shadows, its magical light confined within itself.


    The circle and sun managed to cut off its mana supply, even when it was lying on its ce of Power. No longer did it shine like it used to. It was as dull as most tomes now.


    "I have an idea." Roy told the Griffins about Lytta''s suggestion. She might not have the power to solve this matter, but Roy possessed something she didn''t: the spell Fear. "I willunch an attack at the tome every two minutes. You guys are on the defensive. If the tome deems me a threat, it most possibly will attack me with its soldiers. I leave them in your hands."


    Roy wasn''t sure if reincarnation worked in this realm, but if he were to be the one whonded the kill, all those souls would be annihted. And he would never want to annihte a Griffin''s soul.


    Coen wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. Keldar shook his head.


    "Focus, Coen. Remember the lessons I taught you. A difficult battle lies in wait for us. If you are distracted, it would mean the death of yourrade. That is not the way of the Griffin."


    "I-I understand, sir." Coen hung his head low and balled his fists.


    After much persuasion, Igsena left with a reluctant heart and hid in the mountains, leaving the witchers free to surround the book. They stood in a triangle, and Keldar distributed the potions and decoctions.


    Everyone had a juiced up Petri''s Philter to increase their Sign intensity, a powered up Full Moon to level up their Constitution, and an Ekhidna''s decoction to heal them every time they spent any Mana.


    As they would avoid killing the spiritual entities, the battle would be a defensive one. Roy gulped down all the decoctions. Their sickly sweetness, bitter taste, and spicy kick exploded in his belly, and a surge of warmth coursed through his limbs.


    ck veins crawled across the witchers'' chins and cheeks. They stood around the circle, exchanging nces before the battle.


    Keldar suddenly let out augh, the breeze billowing his hair and beard. "Do it, Roy. I''ll watch your back. In the name of my school, I swear I shall protect you, even if the price is my life."


    "I swear!" Coen shouted as well, his face red with fury.


    Roy nodded and covered himself with the shields of Heliotrop and Quen. Then, his attention was finally turned to the tome.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 404: The End

    Once more, Roy cast Fear, but this time, something was different. The young witcher had sshed the pure white snow with crimson liquid. Multiple tentacles came forth from the ground, wrapping the book and holding it up into the air.


    The tentacles swayed, their suckers expanding and contracting. Blood and sulfur flowed from them, corroding the book. Smoke billowed from it, and Roy was shocked. Fear used to be an attack that purely targeted souls and minds. Touching their target was out of the question, and yet the tentacles could attack physically now.


    <em>So this is what it means by ''altering reality.'' Not an exact alteration like a certain powerful stone, but I get the picture.</em>


    Keldar and Coen were staring at the wriggling tentacles, their eyes burning crimson. They might not be the primary target, but still they witnessed the tentacles, and suffice to say, these things did not look righteous or kind at all. On the contrary, they looked evil and threatening.


    Keldar shot Roy a look of suspicion, but it was toote for regrets.


    A shout akin to the cry of an infant tore through the air. Magic ripples spread across the air around the book trapped within the cage of tentacles. Invisible shockwaves hurtled across the snowynd, stirring up a wave of snow and revealing the holes underneath. Stones and twigs were blown away, and the witchers got out of the attack''s way.


    Three secondster, the book was free of its prison. As it fell back down into the circle, a ck light shone from the book. Into a silhouette it became, and twin swords were strapped to its back. It raised its head, but there was no face to speak of. And yet the bloodlusting from it was unmistakable.


    It was directed at Roy. The silhouette made a Sign with both hands, and a bright crimson rune shone. A surge of terrifying heat descended upon them, covering Roy.


    The young witcher''s face fell. "Again?" <em>I don''t have another Full Recovery to help me out this time.</em>


    But before the attack could hit, something else roared, and Roy thought he saw a huge, impregnable mountain erecting itself over him.


    Keldar crossed his arms and made a Heliotrop sign at a blinding speed, and a ck triangle shone. The grandmaster raised his right hand, not unlike someone opening an umbre to keep themselves out of the sun.


    A gleaming ck dome shielded the witchers, and not a moment too soon. The pir of mes had rained down upon them, but before Heliotrop, the attack faded away into nothing.


    Keldar pulled his hands back and dispelled his Sign. The veins on his face wriggled, and he coldly swung his arms.


    A charge of Aard flew toward the silhouette. The Sign threw it off bnce, and it fell back down like a clumsy tortoise.


    Roy suddenly had a feeling that the silhouette took the hit on purpose. <em>Is it trying to resist the book? Does it have a mind of its own?</em>


    Keldar then cast Yrden at the silhouette. Right when the silhouette got back up, invisible chains tied it up. Its arms were sped closely to its ribs, while its legs closed tightly. Like a silly, unarmed creature, it tried to struggle free from its chains, and yet it couldn''t even make any Sign to attack.


    ***


    Reassured, Roy turned his attention to the tome. Fear seemed to have taken a toll on the book. There were obvious tentacle marks on the cover. A faceless head within the book was crying out in fear, but Roy spared it no mercy. He sneered.


    One minute remained until he could cast Fear once more. But the battle was far from over. The book summoned more of its minions, and this time, it was three at once.


    The silhouettes leapt out at Roy. One of them unsheathed its de, while the others started casting their Signs.


    Roy and Coen shoved a couple of Aards into the silhouettes, cutting their signcasting short. Keldar shot another Yrden at the silhouette that was unsheathing its de, locking it in ce.


    Coen was fully in charge of defense, Roy yed support, while Keldar kept on the offensive with Yrden. Their teamwork was running well, and the book''s power had considerably weakened thanks to the sunlight.


    Twenty secondster, the roaring waves of battle came to a halt, and four silhouettes stood in the yard, restricted by invisible chains.


    ***


    Fear''s cooldown was finished, and Roy sent his tentacles after the book once more. Once again, it was lifted into the air. An ear-piercing, evil scream ripped through the air, and the ck tendrils of smoke that surrounded the book turned into vapor.


    A white crack the size of an index-finger unfurled across the cover. Roy had a feeling he was one Fear away from destroying the crux of the phctery. The book knew that much as well, and itunched an all-out retaliation in the face of imminent doom.


    For the third time, the book summoned its minions, and this time, it released everything it had.


    Ten silhouettes appeared on the snowy ground. When they raised their eyes, the witchers thought they saw the silhouettes opening their eyes, even though the monsters had no eyes to speak of.


    Shocked, Roy quickly cast Quen and Heliotrop over himself, while Coen stood in front of him, his arms crossed as he took a defensive stance. Once again, Keldar cast another Heliotrop, enclosing them in a dome.


    Terrifying roars shook the very air of the fortress, reverberating across the cliffs and mountains. The roars tore through the heavens, and magical light gleamed like twinkling stars. Roars of chaos energy hurtled across the battlefield, waves of mes and gales soaring across the air, engulfing Keldar''s shield.


    For a moment, Roy thought he was witnessing the endless seas crashing down on Keldar''s indomitable mountain.


    And the mountain lost.


    Keldar managed to let out a grunt before an invisible hand clutched him and tossed him far, far away.


    The grandmaster fell with a sickening thud, blood spewing from his mouth. And yet he was determined to get back up, and charged straight at the silhouettes.


    The gales blew Coen off his feet, and he tumbled backward into the snow. Roy, who was well-protected, suffered the least. All he felt was himself swaying.


    But the assault wasn''t over. Five of the silhouettes unsheathed their des and came at Roy from all directions, while the rest kept casting Signs. Lights filled the air, heralding theing of another wave of magic.


    ***


    Roy decided he would not wait anymore. He sent one of the silhouettes flying away with Aard and produced Gabriel with his right hand. A flying bolt crushed the ankle of one of the silhouettes, while Coen made his appearance from behind. He pushed both hands forward, enclosing him and Roy with the golden shield of Quen.


    The des failed tond, and the attackers were deflected. A hint of agony shed on Coen''s face. Blood trickled down his lips, and yet the resolve in his eyes never wavered. Once again, he started casting another Sign.


    At the same time, the silhouettes that were casting Signs came face to face with Keldar. They assailed the grandmaster with waves of mes and winds, while Keldar defended himself with the ck shield of Heliotrop.


    For a moment there, Heliotrop was holding its own against the wave of magical attacks, but then the side effects of Roar overuse surfaced. Blood poured forth from Keldar''s face, but still he did not waver. Before his erstwhilerades he stood, with courage in his heart.


    Two battles were raging in the courtyard. On one hand, Roy and Coen were dealing with the sword-wielding silhouettes. Magic was severely weakened on the edges of the circle. Back to back they stood, their swords swiftly arcing across the air, and bolts would fly from time to time.


    Silhouettes circled them like a ck tornado, trying to cut the witchers down. Their des gleamed like a thousand shooting stars, but fortunately, the sun weakened their battle prowess.


    And Aerondight''s Suppression was starting to take effect. Once again, crimson tentacles appeared from the void, appearing in the material world thanks to Roy''s iron will. They attacked alongside Aerondight, ignoring the silhouettes'' defenses.


    Every time they attacked, the silhouettes would be stunned for a split second, taking away some heat from Roy and Coen.


    Still, their impable teamwork was no match for the group of veteran witchers, even if those witchers were nothing but spiritual entities. In just one minute, the snow around them was drenched in red, and so were the young witchers'' bodies.


    A deep gash tore a strip of flesh on Roy''s shoulder and chest, while Coen''s sides were cut, revealing a bloody gash.


    Those were the bigger injuries. They had sustained multiple minor injuries as well. And yet the young witchers had it better.


    Keldar''s hair and beard were charred, his face was bruised, and his arms and neck were covered in burns, bruises, and gashes. If it weren''t for Full Moon and Ekhidna''s decoction, he would have fallen in battle a while ago.


    ***


    Keldar gnashed his teeth, huffing and puffing like a bull. His eyes were as wide as saucepans, and he was trying to discern who the silhouettes were supposed to be.


    One of the monsters stopped casting its Sign. It unsheathed its de and pounced at Keldar, swinging its weapon down at the grandmaster''s shoulder.


    With a trembling hand, Keldar sent it flying back with Quen, but another silhouette shoved an Aard at the grandmaster.


    He tried to cast another sign, but he had lost his speed. The air itself exploded around him, and he fell forward, his head dizzy. Before he fell to the ground, Keldar felt something whizzing over his head, and he rolled away.


    s, it was toote.


    When he realized what was happening, he found his necking face to face with the edge of a ck de. It grazed him, drawing blood, and yet the de did not advance.


    All of a sudden, the de began trembling. Despite theck of a face, the silhouette managed to convey the feeling of agony. And it wasn''t the only monster feeling that way. Itspanions had stopped their attacks. They were all spasming like humans having an episode of fits.


    The ck smoke that surrounded them melted away like snow under the sun. It rose into the air, turning into vapor. Arcs of electricity danced across their bodies, and Keldar looked around.


    He saw at least fifty silhouettes dotting the mountains, and standing before them was his student. Coen was holding himself up with a sword, while Roy held the Book of Shadows high in the air. No longer did the book possess the light of magic, and the young witchers smiled.


    ''Your efforts have borne fruit. You have devoured the core of the Book of Shadows. EXP +600.''


    "See? We did it!"


    ***


    "You''re fine, Keldar!" A long sigh of relief escaped Coen''s lips. He clutched his sides with one hand and dragged himself over to Keldar with his sword as a crutch. "You''re still alive!"


    A toothy grin curled his lips, and tears welled in his eyes. He looked like a child who just won in a race. It was the best oue he could hope for. The Griffins were freed from their prison, and his mentor survived.


    But before he could reach Keldar, things started to change. The ck tendrils of smoke that haunted the silhouettes were no more. In their ce were blue, translucent souls. Eventually, those souls became entities that possessed faces.


    They stood before the fortress, standing under the sun like knights. The souls were burly, their eyes wild, and twin swords were strapped to their backs. With delight, they looked at themselves. Some even started touching their cheeks. And thenughter ensued. Loud, heartyughter that flowed across the seas and mountains.


    All the souls went past Coen, huddling beside Keldar. There was approval and gratitude in their eyes. With delight in their voices, they spoke.


    "You saved us, old sport."


    "Nicely done."


    "Grindstone. You''re the smartest out of us. I knew you could do it."


    "Finally. I thought I was going to be imprisoned forever."


    "You did it, Keldar!"


    "I love the taste of fresh air, brothers!"


    Despite how bruised Keldar was, he managed to crack a smile. He was shivering in delight, and he shook their hands, hugging them. Laughter filled the ruins of Kaer Seren as long-lost brothers were reunited.


    Roy stood beside Coen, the Book of Shadows in his hand. He watched the scene unfurl, keeping his silence.


    "It has been a hundred years. Things have changed, brothers. They changed a lot. I''ll show you around." Keldar led them to the dpidated houses among the ruins.


    "Ah, we might be imprisoned in the book, but we know what happened."


    "You kept the ce running for a hundred years, <em>and </em>you got yourself a student."


    The spirits gave Coen looks of encouragement, and Coen held his head high like a soldier getting evaluated by his superiors.


    The spirits walked from one house to another, theirughter filling the air. Keldar thought he was transported back a hundred years, when witchers were at their peak.


    Every winter, the Griffins would gather around a bonfire in the great hall, sharing their adventures and triumphs. They would spar, sing, and drink the nights away. For a moment, Keldar thought he saw the fortress in all its glory, and he felt like he could fly.


    "Come in. Sit. I''ll make stew for you."


    ***


    "Sorry, old sport. But we don''t have time for that." One burly man with an exquisite mustache patted Keldar''s shoulder. With a smile, he said, "We''re departing soon."


    The group of spirits held one another''s shoulders, forming a chain of spirits. All of them stared at the fog-covered mountains, and one by one, they started to fade away.


    Keldar saw his old friends off, and sobs escaped his lips.


    Someone began to sing a song. A song about their school. The Griffins began to chime in. Their singing rang in the air, the crashing waves providing some background sound. Their song filled the air of the fortress, fluttering ever so slowly to the skies that lingered above, flowing down into the ocean that crashed beneath them.


    They sang and sang, until eventually, their spirits popped like bubbles. Shards remained, but eventually, those shards were gone with the wind as well.


    Keldar sat before the ruined walls. He patted his knees, still humming the song under his breath. Eventually, he stopped.


    "Come, Coen." He waved at Coen. The young Griffin approached his mentor, but what he saw made him cry. Keldar''s flesh was starting to rot, his face bulging and wasting away. "Do not cry,d. Hold it well."


    Roy approached Keldar as well, and he gave the grandmaster the book. Keldar held Coen''s hand as tightly as he could. When blood was starting to trickle from his skin, he handed the book to his student.


    Tears of blood trickled down what remained of Keldar''s cheeks. There was reluctance and worry in his eyes. And there was also the look of sweet relief hiding in them.


    "Find yourself a student and teach him the values of our school. Be smart. Don''t just say yes to anything. Understand? Answer me!"


    "Yes, sir!" Coen shouted as hard as he could, his hands holding onto the bones of his mentor.


    Keldar only had his right eye left, and he looked at the courtyard onest time. For a moment, he saw through time itself, where a witcher with a Mohican hairstyle and a tattoo of an eagle hanging on his neck holding the hand of a gaunt boy with greyish-brown hair. They were venturing on a long, dark, and narrow path.


    The journey was difficult, and yet they traveled. The man noticed Keldar''s stare, and he looked back. Their eyes met, and the man smiled. He nodded at Keldar.


    ***


    The sunset was gorgeous, but it failed to wash away the sorrow in the ruins. It shone down on the skeletal remains of Keldar. The dying grandmaster looked up in the sky and extended his hand to the man he saw. "End¡­"


    Try as he might, he couldn''t cross through time. And then his hand froze, the ghost of hisst smile hanging on for one single moment.


    His rotting body started to crumble like a corroded statue. First his fingertips, then his arm, and then¡­ nothing remained. Ashes flew into the air, and Coen tried to hold him in his hands, but he failed.


    All he held was a handful of ash.


    "<em>Keldar</em>!"


    A scream tore through the air, and a quiet sigh followed.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 405: News About Casiga

    The sun was setting, painting the skies with a beautiful hue of crimson and gold before night took over.


    Lytta had gotten herself a luxurious room in Gildorf. Her sheets and nket were made of swan feathers, and the veil around was made of dreamy purple silk. An oversized closet stood in the corner, and bottle after bottle of makeup products lined the dressing table.


    Lytta was in a white robe. Carefully, she applied mascara on her eyshes. And then she painted her nails with purple nail polish. She pulled her hair together and smoothened the flyaways before she finally stood up and touched the crystal on the steel rack.


    Bright light filled the dark room, and beautiful motes of magical energy danced over the crystal, forming a screen of light. A vague silhouette appeared on the screen, and it was glinting. The projection was still unstable, but it did not take too long for the screen to focus.


    Ady with the face of a teen appeared on the screen. She was tall, blond, and wearing a low-cut green dress. Her face was as beautiful and smooth as white jade. Only a perfect sculpture of a goddess or nymph could hope topete with this level of beauty.


    "Hello, Coral." Margarita Laux-Antille smiled at Lytta. "To what do I owe the pleasure? It''s been a year since Ist saw you. It''s unbelievable that you have time for me," she jokingly grumbled. "Did Kerack''s new king fall for you already?"


    Lytta shook her head. She was happy to see her friend again. "Margarita, you know I''m no longer Kerack''s royal consultant. I will not stay in that minuscule kingdom. Its king does not know how to treat me. He can live out his fairy-tale life with his jealous queen. Thisdy found a new job months ago."


    "Is that so?" Margarita rested her chin on the back of her hand. With a silvery voice of delight, she said, "It must be a really great job if you gave up on your position as a consultant for it. Let me guess. You would like to further your ambition and serve Foltest alongside Merigold and Keira." A momentary pause followed, and the glint of anticipation gleamed in Margarita''s eyes. "Oh, wait. Are youing back to Aretuza to teach?¡±


    Lytta shot up and showed her friend the ankh that was hanging fron her neck. A smile curled her lips. "No. I''m a free mage now. I work for myself."


    "I''m sorry? Did I hear that right?" A hint of shock shed within Margarita''s eyes. "You''re taking all the risks of running a business? Did you check your purse? Do you have enough money to sustain yourself? Won''t it worry you if your reserves start to run dry? What if you don''t have enough coins to get thetest dress or essory? What if you can''t even afford the new makeup?"


    Margarita suggested, "If you ask me, you shoulde back and work with me. We''ll raise more generations of mages."


    "I have five years worth of reserves." Lytta raised her head confidently. "It''s enough for two years of research. And that''s why I''m calling you. I shall be conducting a secret experiment in istion for the next two years. And I will cut off all contact in the meantime, including but not limited to the telescope and holograms. I shall not be attending the summit until 1264 at the very least. Don''tin. Two years is nothing for us."


    Disappointment filled Margarita''s eyes, and she stretched her arms. "You''re still researching witcher mutation? My dear, you should really reconsider your choice. This is a futile attempt. Witchers will be snuffed out of existence in the near future. This product has no market. Your efforts will be for nothing. It''s a waste of time and money."


    "Profit isn''t the only reason we do research. And it shouldn''t be. This is a passion project, so to speak." Lytta stared outside the window, a sweet smile curling her lips.


    "Oh, I know that look." Margarita let out augh. A hearty, beautifulugh. Her foundation almost creased, and she scrunched her nose. "Love is in the air. I can smell it on you, Lytta. I see you''re dating a witcher. I take it you''re doing this research for him?"


    Margarita huddled closer to the telescope. "Tell me everything. No, let me guess. He''s head over heels for you. Fallen for your charms, has he?"


    Lytta said nothing, but a hue of crimson painted her cheeks.


    "Aw, don''t be shy, Lytta. It''s not wrong to seek pleasure." Margarita winked at her friend. "Your choice of partner is unorthodox, but as long as they can pleasure us, it doesn''t matter if they''re a witcher."


    Coral finally nodded. Gently, she said, "By day, we work on the research like a pair of professionals, but by night, he falls for my charms and tells me everything."


    ***


    "You <em>still </em>don''t believe me, Roy? Why did your body sparkle during the Trial? And don''t tell me that''s magic, because I know what magic looks like."


    "My dear Coral, this is a blessing. Just think of it that way."


    "Can''t you be more specific? What kind of blessing? Divine or bloodline?"


    "Um, it''s hard to exin. I''m not knowledgeable enough to describe it to you. But I will contact you once the time is ripe. Or you can just read my mind if you''re so eager to know."


    "But I can''t read your mind. That''s the problem."


    ***


    Lytta pouted and broke that train of thought off. She continued. "He loves me, but I''m a little scared by how much vigor he possesses. Yes, young men should have more vigor, but he can be a bit <em>too </em>lively. Like a lion that never tires, he keeps asking for more. During the rare times he falls asleep, he cuddles me like I''m the embodiment of love for him. He haspletely fallen for me. And he does everything I ask him to. Yeah, that''s right."


    ***


    "Get back here, Roy! It''s not even dawn yet!"


    "Sorry, but we have ns. I need to travel to Poviss and look for Kaer Seren."


    "I don''t want you to leave. The Trial just ended. You have to make up for lost time."


    "But I made a promise. I can''t go back on my word."


    "You''d rather go all the way to a freezingnd and convince a three-hundred-year-old man into joining your brotherhood than give some time to your poor, lonely girlfriend? Get back here, right now! Don''t tell me you''ve found a new girl."


    "I love you, Coral. I do. I''ll make breakfast for you. Oysters, eggs, and freshly-caught crabs. How does that sound?"


    "Piss off to Poviss!"


    ***


    "I envy you." The love in Coral''s eyes did not escape Margarita. She felt a little jealous, but she was also happy for her friend. "Fine. You can leave the brotherhood and Aretuza to work for someone else. Enjoy your time with the witcher." Margarita nodded. "I''ll tell Tissaia and the brotherhood about your leave."


    "Thank you." Lytta heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Good. I can stay away from the battle now.</em>


    "So where''s yourb?"


    "That''s a secret."


    "Ah, I see you''ve built your love nest," Margarita said. "What''s next? A wedding?"


    "Mm hmm."


    "Should I prepare any presents?"


    "Where there''s a present, there''s a return favor." Lytta said, "Stay in the academy for the next couple of years. A friend of mine told me it''s dangerous to be out and about, and I trust his judgment."


    "I won''t be stepping out of this ce for the next decade anyway. Won''t change a thing." Margarita held the obsidian talisman hanging on her neck. "Oh, I almost forgot. The girl has been pestering metely. She wants to see you. Sends in a request once every two weeks. It''s been about a dozen times now."


    "You mean Casiga?"


    "Yes. The girl from Aldersberg. The one you sponsored. Do you want to see her?" Margarita smiled. "It''s the day off. I can summon her here right away. You''ll have ample time to talk."


    The smile was wiped off Lytta''s face, and her eyes glinted. A momentter, Lytta nodded nervously.


    ***


    The telescope shone once more, but this time, it revealed a round, petite face behind it. The girl looked like she was in her mid-teens. Her skin was fair, and her looks were beautiful. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, her eyes brimming with innocence. Her nose and lips were dainty, and her cheeks were chubby. She looked adorable.


    The girl was delicate, a big red robe covering her body, not showing even an inch of skin. She was wearing a pair of pink shoes, and she looked like the Little Red Riding Hood.


    When she saw who was on the other side of the mirror, she sped her hands before her chest, her eyes filled with surprise. "Coral!" Her voice was as silvery as the chirp of a bird. Dimples formed on her cheeks as she smiled, and happiness filled her eyes. "You''re finally here."


    "Sorry, Casiga. It''s been a busy period for me." Coral looked at the girl''s neck and shoulders. With concern, she asked, "How is your recovery? Do the wounds still hurt?"


    "Not at all. Didn''t even leave a scar. My skin is as smooth as silk. Even the calluses are gone." Casiga stood straighter, her robe clinging closely to her chest. She spread her arms and spun around. There was a spring in her step.


    With tears of gratitude in her eyes, she said, "This is all thanks to Aretuza and you, Coral."


    "Good to hear. How''s school? Does anyone bully you?"


    "No. Everyone''s been nice to me." Casiga shook her head, a genuine smile curling her lips. She was not the only one who used to be disfigured. The same tragedy found its way into the early lives of many of her friends. They could understand each other.


    Still, that didn''t mean conflicts didn''t happen. ss discrimination existed everywhere, butpared to her old life, this was heaven. "I made three friends. Alice, Rose, and Missi. They''re my roommates."


    "I see you''re adapting to your new life. Your next step should be a change of attire. Get something fashionable. Also get some earrings, rings, and hats." Lytta rested her chin on her hand. She stared at Casiga from head to toe. The youngdy felt anxiety welling within her. She held the hem of her robe, her cheeks reddening.


    "See Margarita. She will dress you up. It''s a gift from me. Sorry I missed your birthday."


    Surprised, Casiga shook her head. "No. You''ve spent a lot on me. You bought me a contract of free education and paid for my tuition and necessities. I owe you too much. I can''t begin to fathom how I should repay my debt. And this robe is beautiful. It''s clean. I like it."


    "This ispensation. I do not take no for an answer," Coral answered sternly. She made a patting gesture, and Casiga bowed. At the same time, she tilted her head.


    Innocently, she asked, "Why did you say it''spensation? You don''t owe me anything."


    "No. I said it was a gift. That''s it. Speaking of which, how is your progress with magic?"


    Casiga counted her fingers and seriously answered, "I''ve passed the tests for Meditation, Magic Maneuver, and Magic Shield."


    She gained a nod of approval from Coral. "Keep it up, Casiga. Perhaps you can be my assistant someday. When you''ve mastered enough spells."


    Casiga nodded seriously.


    Coral asked Casiga to talk about her daily life before telling her she would cut off contact for two years. Casiga was reluctant to see her go, but Coral wanted to cut the contact off right away.


    However, the girl stammered, "Coral, um, do you have news about him?"


    She stared at Lytta''s lips. There was anxiety and anticipation in her eyes. Her only worry was that Coral might say no.


    The smile on Lytta''s face froze. She pursed her lips and yed dumb. "Who are you talking about, Casiga?"


    "Um¡­ the apprentice witcher." Casiga gritted her teeth and raised her voice. "The brave knight who rescued me from my predicament¡ªRoy of the Viper School."


    ***


    A long silence ensued. Lytta turned her back to the screen. Her teeth were clenched, and her eyes were filled with the mes of fury. But when she turned back to face Casiga, she was wearing a beautiful smile again. "Oh, him? He''s fine. Real fine," she answered curtly.


    Casiga patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. She held her fists up, cheering herself up. "Did he pass the Trial? Do you know where he is right now?"


    "Ah, he''s a real witcher now." Lytta tried her best to sound calm. "He''s adventuring innds afar. Killing monsters. Casiga, the Trial''s modification is on par with the ones we experienced," she said mysteriously. "He looks different from what he used to be. Taller and stronger than most humans, I''d say."


    And then she started exaggerating things. "He even lost his hair from the mutation. I have a picture of it if you want to see."


    Lytta waved her hand, lights of magic dancing across her fingers. And then the image of a handsome, heterochromatic, bald man with a resigned look on his face appeared before the telescope.


    "Huh?" Casiga''s eyes went wide with confusion and shock. Her jaw dropped far enough to stick an egg in her mouth.


    She couldn''t imagine Roy had changed this much in two years. He used to be gaunt and handsome. He was the one who gave her the precious Gwent card and showed her respect for the first time in her life. She couldn''t imagine the boy who danced with her in the house of the wine seller would turn into a bald young man. And the almost aggressive passion in his eyes was almost palpable.


    Casiga curled up a little and patted her chest. <em>No matter what he looks like, he''s still Roy. But why does he look so miffed?</em>


    "He''s ugly, isn''t he?" Casiga''s response was just what Coral wanted. That nervous look in her eyes, especially. <em>Good thing I caught this picture.</em>


    "Not exactly," Casiga answered seriously. The initial shock had left her. "He might be bald, but he''s still better-looking than most people. Still, he grows fast. He has muscles all over him now. And he''s at least one head taller than I am."


    A frustrated Casiga kicked the floorboard. "Why didn''t hee to Gors Velen? It''s been two years since he promised to see me."


    Casiga twiddled her fingers and stared at Coral. She bowed and pleaded, "Coral, can you ask him why he won''te to see me? He made that promise way back in Aldersberg. Oh, and I have a letter. Can you hand it to him?"


    ***


    "He made a promise to you?" Cold fury glinted in Lytta''s eyes, and her chest heaved. A long whileter, she sighed. "Fine. I''ll give him the letter, but don''t hold out for him." She shook her head. "Roy''s an unpredictabled. He has a lot of ns. I can''t guarantee him going to Aretuza, nor can I be certain that he will write a return letter. But at the very least, I''ll send him your regards."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 406: Settle Down

    Morning light rained upon thend, bringing with it glorious sunshine. The House of Gawain stood tall in the woods, the rustling of the leaves and warm breezes brushing across its walls.


    Carl and hispanions sat on the stakes in the training grounds, swaying their legs about. A meeting of the reserve apprentices was well underway.


    "Carl, you can beat all of us easily now, ever since you passed the Trial." Monti tugged on his shirt, allowing the winds to kiss his belly and cool him down. He shifted his gaze to the conference hall beside the fence. There was respect in his eyes.


    "That''s not all he did." Acamuthorm was loudly kissing Carl''s ass, but there was evident schadenfreude in his voice. "He killed a drowner and a nekker. And hested five seconds in a spar with Felix. He''s worthy enough to join the conference, but they won''t even introduce the new guys to you. And Roy wouldn''t even tell you why he became bald again. They still think you''re a kid."


    "Carl''s not even ten. He <em>is </em>still a kid, technically speaking." Lloyd patted his chest. Quietly, he said, "They have their job, and we have ours. We should just train. If they see us cking off, they''re gonna punish us."


    "This is too much!" Charname shook his head in annoyance. "We''re reserve apprentices. Sooner orter, we''ll be witchers. We should fight for our rights to join the meeting. And we need to ask them why we still can''t take the pre-Trial. It''s been six months since we started training. When can we take the Trial? I can''t wait. Carl, you gotta help us out. Ask them."


    Carl''s lips twitched. He rubbed his wrist and looked away from the flying griffin. The boy pushed himself off the stake andnded gracefully. And then he tiptoed toward the conference room. His friends followed closely. They hid under the windowsill and listened in to the meeting.


    "So Coen is the only remaining Griffin?" a deep voice asked. Carl could tell it was Letho.


    "For now, yes," an unfamiliar voice answered. The youth in that voice was unmistakable, but there was also depression lingering within it.


    A long silence ensued.


    "Our condolences, Coen," a slightly hoarse voice said. "Keldar rescued his imprisonedrades. He died a hero. That''s the best way any witcher can go out."


    "Yeah."


    "So what''s the n now?" a voice of reason asked. "Do you want to stay at the orphanage for a bit? It''s our base. Makes it easier if you need someone to talk to. I''ve always wanted to see how Griffin Signs work."


    "Thank you for the offer, but I''d like to rent a house in the city. And Igsena needs a job."


    "Easy. Kid, take them to the business district. Dandelion needs some new staff members, if I remember correctly."


    "Oh, and your girlfriend''s there too, but she looks absolutely miffed. Speaking from experience, don''t let her wait too long. Tell her everything. Be honest. And chuck a Swallow just in case."


    "What experience? That time you fucked a cow?"


    "Enough, Aiden. Stop with the nder, or I''m telling everyone what you did at The Pike''s Grottost time."


    "You''re making an embarrassment out of yourselves, fools," someone growled. "Sorry you had to see that. If your partner finds a job at the ballroom too demanding, Gawain can get her another job on his turf."


    "You have a ballroom?" a silvery, lively voice asked. "There''s theater and dances? I love that, but I''m just a country girl who can''t even read. I wonder if I can handle the job."


    "Worry not,dy. There''s a ton of different work there. And you''re still young. You can learn."


    ***


    "Ahem. May we have the honor of witnessing the cause of this tragedy¡ªthe Book of Shadows?" a lively voice asked. It was filled with curiosity and anticipation. "We''ll check it for you."


    The boys could feel their heart leaping out of their chests.


    "Shut it, you fool. That book is the Griffins'' top secret. You think they''d let you see it just like that?" The voice of reason lost its cool. Apologetically, Serrit said, "Sorry, Coen. He got his head banged up by kikimores and bear traps. He''s intellectually challenged. Please, don''t take it to heart."


    "That will be all for now, friends. We''ll be in contact again once Vesemir returns."


    ***


    The discussion hade to an end, and someone opened the door. The witchers emerged from the room and went back to their positions. Some went to the cksmithing area, some went to theb, some went to ss, and some went to the farm.


    The reserve witchers had returned to the training grounds and went on with two-on-two sword fighting. They were wiping off their sweat as if they had been training for a long time.


    Carl put one hand behind his back like a teacher and pointed out all the mistakes his friends made.


    But still, they failed to escape the witcher''s eyes.


    "You kids love to eavesdrop, don''t you? How did listening to the meeting feel like? Fun?" Geralt approached the children and smiled stiffly. "You can have all the fun you want now. Everyone, get on the stakes and give me three hundred squats. Carl, you''re doing a thousand."


    "Geralt, no!"


    ***


    Coen noticed the little scene, and he looked a little envious of how well things were going on here.


    Roy smiled. "They''re good kids most of the time. But they get up to things from time to time."


    Coen looked around at the smithy, theb, the farm, and the ssroom. Witchers were teaching children the skills they needed to survive. As surprising as this was, Coen said, "You did it. You found so many apprentices."


    "No. Only five of them are actual apprentices. The other kids are regr students. They''re only learning how to read, write, and support themselves when they grow up." Roy suggested, "If you''d like, why don''t youe over and teach them for a day or two?"


    It was a tempting invitation. Keldar left him a mission before he passed, and this ce might be perfect for the continuation of Griffin values. But the thought of Keldar brought him sadness. "Perhaps another day, Roy. Lead us to the ballroom, please. Once Igsena has settled down, I shall lend you the Book of Shadows as we promised."


    "And I''d like that very much." Roy held his excitement down. One of the reasons he risked his life was for the chance to read the Book of Shadows.


    "But please don''t make this knowledge public." Coen gave him a look of unspoken plea.


    Roy hesitated for a moment, but he nodded in the end. Not even Vesemir¡ªa good friend of Keldar¡ªhad the chance to learn the Griffins'' secret arts. Roy got that chance just by fighting. He knew he shouldn''t ask for more, but Roy would try to slowly change Coen''s mind until he would willingly contribute to the brotherhood.


    Most of the members weren¡¯t Sources. At most, they could master Dual Sign. Geralt was perhaps the only one who could master Roar. Still, Roy wanted to broaden the members'' horizons.


    ***


    The trio left the House of Gawain. Through the alder woods they went and across the refurbished path they walked. To Novigrad''s southern gates they went. A long, bustling line waited before the great gates. With each passing second, more people entered the city.


    Coen noticed an odd phenomenon here. In most cities, the guards would approach witchers for interrogation. Most of them would have grim faces. But to his surprise, the church''s guards were respectful to Roy. They looked at him like he was some important figure, and they were courteous to him.


    They were allowed entrance easily.


    ***


    Novigrad''s roads were bustling with activity. They would get the asional looks, but unlike in most cities, they weren¡¯t discriminatory. Still, some weren¡¯t friendly, but all of them remained calm. Some were even genuinely curious.


    But what puzzled Coen were the things they muttered. Things like ''butcher of the sewers,'' ''guardians of justice,'' and ''killers of kidnappers.'' <em>Why do they look at us like we''re some sort of public figure?</em>


    Roy noticed the surprise in Coen''s eyes, but he didn''t exin. They still had a long way to go before sess would wave its hand at them. Their work would only be done when Novigradians saw witchers as people they could look up to.


    ***


    It was early in the morning, but despite that, a third of the ballroom''s seats were filled. Roy scanned the first floor, but when he saw who was on the second floor, he froze.


    A gorgeous sorceress in a long, purple dress was resting her chin on her hand, showing them a perfect smile. But theint and frustration behind that smile did not escape Roy. His heart sank, and a drop of sweat dripped down his forehead.


    Lytta beckoned him.


    "Coral. No wonder I didn''t see you back at the orphanage. What brings you to the ballroom?" Roy took the seat beside her.


    He wrapped his arm around her waist as he took in the scent of rosesing from her hair. And then he introduced the neers to her.


    Coen and Igsena took their seats. They looked at the couple and exchanged a smile before they dug into their breakfast. At the same time, they watched the performance that was unfolding upon the stage. It was one that talked about witchers. One where the witchers took a request to eradicate the city of kidnappers.


    "Why do you think I''m here?" Lytta picked up an oyster with one hand and squeezed some lemon juice onto it. Then she fed it to Roy, a big smile curling her lips. "Say ''ahh.''"


    "Slow down. Slow down."


    "Well done!" Loud cheers and apuse erupted. Even Coen and Igsena looked invigorated. The handsome actor was dancing on the stage with a prop sword in his hand, fighting through the horde of despicable, dirty kidnappers.


    "Slow down, my dear Coral. I can do this myself¡ª Ow! Okay, okay. You do it."


    After she stuffed five raw oysters and three hard-boiled eggs into his mouth, she happily wiped his lips with a napkin. She grabbed the top of his head with her right hand and turned him around. "So, baldie, I just met a youngdy from Aretuza. And she told me a certain someone rescued her from the clutches of an evil couple and made a promise to see her. I think that certain someone has ns for her."


    Lytta stared straight into Roy''s eyes. She had a big smile on her face, but that smile said something along the lines of, <em>You''d better spill everything.</em>


    "Don''t call me a baldie, Coral. I promise it''ll grow back in two weeks at most." Roy flinched and quickly gulped down some stew. "Are you talking about Toya of Aldersberg? It was nothing. Anyone with a conscience would help. I''ve forgotten all about it."


    The answer did not make Coral happy. She brushed her fingers across his arm and drew circles on his forearm. She pinched him and let go, her eyes glinting coldly. "Her name is Casiga. It''s been two years, and you still remember her old name. You even remember where shees from. You still care about her."


    There was jealousy in her voice. "She''s still a little girl, you pervy little¡ª"


    "Ahem. Lady Lytta, Master Roy, and hello, new friends. Wee to Novigrad''s ballroom. I am Dandelion, the manager of this establishment." An attractive voice spoke. Dandelion elegantly approached the table and gave them a bow with his hand to his chest.


    His purple top and the feather on his hat gleamed under the light of the magicalmp.


    "This is Coen of the Gryphon School and Igsena of Poviss." Roy heaved a sigh of relief and pulled his arm away. He then gave Dandelion a grateful handshake and bumped shoulders.


    Dandelion gave him a subtle wink. "Good afternoon, my new friends. What do you think of the performance?"


    "Incredible," Coenplimented. There was still a hint of sadness in his eyes, and he instinctivelymented, "But the embellishment is a little over the top, the actor''s swordy leaves a lot to be desired. And the eyes don''t look natural enough. Props? Anyway, the movements are¡ª"


    And then only muffled sounds could be heard. Igsena covered Coen''s mouth and smiled sheepishly at Dandelion. "He means it''s perfect. We''ve never seen anything as innovative as this particr performance. It''d be a miracle for the bards and poets <em>not </em>to nder witchers, let alone praise them."


    With pride in his heart, Dandelion puffed out his chest. "It is exactly why I take the path less traveled. My conscience tells me I <em>must </em>correct the wrong perception the public holds of the witchers."


    "So, Dandelion¡­ Igsena just came to Novigrad, and she needs a job and a ce to stay. Do you think she can work here?" Roy tried his best to ignore the withering looks Coral was giving him.


    "I think she''s fine. Business is getting better. I''m dealing with more than a dozen shows every day. Our acting staff is exhausted. The first thing they do after they get back to the dorms is sleep." Dandelion nced at Igsena. "Igsena has an eye for good performance. All she needs is some training, and she''s good to go."


    "A-Are you sure?" Surprised, Igsena finally let Coen go. He huffed and puffed and gave his excited girlfriend a weird look. "But I can''t read. I won''t even know what the script is talking about."


    "Redania''s most famous performer, Tarantino, started out as a farmer. Performers care not for who you are, only your talent and effort. I shall lead you to the office where my lovely Prisci is," Dandelion said. "She shall provide you with a position and a ce to stay. But you will only start out with a regr pay and a house in the slums. I trust you''ll understand where we''reing from."


    "Thank you!" With her hands tightly sped before her belly, Igsena bowed at Dandelion, excitement welling in her heart. She then bowed at Roy as well.


    Dandelion nodded. "Oh, Roy, I need to tell you something as well." Dandelion touched his perfectly-maintained mustache. His eyes were sparkling, and his face was lit up with delight.


    "The duchess of Toussaint, honorable Lady Anna Henrietta, has given me an invitation. She wishes for me to perform in her kingdom before Lammas arrives." There was pride in Dandelion''s voice. "This is an honor no bard can refuse. There''s two weeks left until Lammas arrives, and I shall be setting off in two days. I will be absent for a month, and I would like Auckes to apany me. He shares a deep love for poetry like I do."


    Roy paused for a moment. <em>Oh, right. Dandelion''s performance is held during Anna''s husband''s absence. And this guy managed to beguile Anna with his talents and fucked her.</em>


    "Sure. Just ask Auckes if he wants to go."


    "He told me to ask you. Probably worried you might have other ns for him."


    "I see. A month, huh? Auckes will go with you, then." Roy was touched that his friends thought of him. He then looked at Dandelion closely and patted his shoulder, much to the bard''s confusion. "Dandelion, you once told me monogamy is not for you. I hope you''ve changed your mind since then. You have a lover waiting for you right here in Novigrad. Don''t ever forget that. Do <em>not </em>cheat on her."


    "I am a changed man!" Dandelion''s eyes glimmered, and he looked beyond the fence. "I turned all of my love into poems for Prisci, and I gave her my entire heart. I have spared none for any other woman. That''s the truth."


    Coral scoffed in disdain.


    "Dandelion, this is for your own protection. You''d do well to remember my advice."


    ***


    Once they finished lunch, Dandelion led Coen and Igsena downstairs. Lytta was trying her best to see if Roy still had lingering feelings for the girl. A long whileter, she finally had the answer she wanted. The mage shot him a look and reluctantly pulled out a letter from thin air. "Here''s the love letter from your little girlfriend, Casiga. Take your time and enjoy it."


    She turned her back on Roy and pretended to dig into her salmon.


    Roy held the letter, but he was in no hurry to read it. "How is she doing? Better?"


    "Magically modified. Her disfiguration is gone. A beautiful flower waiting to blossom, I''d say."


    "Is she doing well in Aretuza?"


    "She made three new friends. Happier than she has ever been. Still misses you, though. You never wrote to her, and it broke her heart." The jealousy in her voice filled the air.


    Roy nodded and handed the letter back to her, much to Lytta''s surprise. Gently, he said, "My dear Coral, she''s just a young acquaintance of mine. I harbor no romantic feelings for her. If she''s fine, then that''s all I need to know. No need to read this letter."


    Lytta froze for a moment, and then delight welled within her. She stared into his eyes, and dimples formed on her cheeks as a warm smile curled her lips.


    "Oh, I''m not that petty. We can read it together." She rested her chin on his shoulder, her cheek huddling against his. She breathed down his ear and wrapped her arm around his other shoulder.


    Roy opened the letter.


    ***


    ''To my dearest friend, Roy,


    Two years have passed since ourst goodbye in Aldersberg. Every time I stare into the seas crashing beyond the academy''s windows, I think of you and what you told me¡­''


    ***


    Roy didn''t even pay attention to the letter.


    "So, how long will you stay this time?" Lytta drew circles on Roy''s palm, and it tickled him.


    "A month at the very least. I need to learn the Griffins¡¯ secret arts. The Book of Shadows contains invaluable magical knowledge, some of which might be useful even for you. But I''ve promised Coen to never tell anyone else what I saw. I''ll try to convince him otherwise, however."


    ***


    ''Whenever I encounter a problem concerning my magic, your smile always shows me the path ahead.


    Lytta has shown me what you look like. You''ve changed so much. I nearly couldn''t recognize you, but my heart tells me you''re still the same boy I know. These changes are nothing but growth for you.


    I will do my best to follow in your footsteps and grow alongside you. And I did grow. I do hope you will be the witness to that.''


    ***


    "So I assume you''ll be studying during the day. What about at night?" Coral''s voice was almost ethereal. He felt her lips on his cheeks, and he could feel her legs rubbing against his.


    ***


    ''I would like for you toe to Gors Velen, my friend. It would encourage me very much.


    There is a pond on the ind filled with lotus leaves and mayflies. ck fish swim beneath the surface, and an elm tree stands beside the pond.


    We can ride a boat together, but this time, I shall be the one performing a magic trick for you.


    Always yours,


    Toya/Casiga (you may call me whatever you please)


    Written in Aretuza, thirteenth of July, year 1262.''


    ***


    "I''ll spend the night with you." Roy sighed and folded the letter. All he remembered were the opening and ending. The content went by his head, and he couldn''t remember a thing. All he remembered was going home with Coral and messing around with her the whole afternoon, night, and morning.


    And then he went straight to Coen''s new house happily in the afternoon.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 407: Mutated

    An old house made of wood and stones. With a red roof and white walls. That was where Coen stayed. An oilmp shone on theckluster living quarters and the witcher who was reading a book on the sofa.


    Once again, Roy had gotten the Book of Shadows from Coen. But unlike how it used to be, the cover was no longer gleaming and shining. The power of infinite recording was no more. All the knowledge regarding Keldar and the souls trapped within its pages disappeared with the destruction of its core.


    Two thousand pages of content remained. Most of the content was written in northernmon speech. End had already established Kaer Seren when he started writing the book, though a small part of the content was written in Elder Speech and its variants.


    Roy skimmed through the book. On its yellowing pages was the history of all the witchers who saw it, written in the form of notes and addendums. The book was divided into a few main parts: a brief exnation of the school''s mission, swordy, Signs, the secret arts, alchemy tips and tricks, secret magical knowledge, and monsterology.


    Every part of it was then broken down into even smaller parts. For example, the alchemy section was divided into regr potions, decoctions, bombs, and oils. There were examples for everything on every page.


    For example, the arachas section had with it the records of End''s battle. He cast a mutated Igni and Yrden, burning its mouth and turning all three arachas into grilled crabs. At the end of the story, End wrote that the poisonous arachas meat would be safe to consume as long as it went through ten minutes of intense cooking.


    ***


    A few pagester, Roy found himself engrossed by End''s creative battle tactics and Sign usage. Swordy aside, the depth andplexity of the knowledge contained within this book was far superior than the Almanac of Monsters and the stories the brotherhood members told him.


    The Griffins took prep time to an extreme and made it an art form. But Roy was not here to read these things. He flipped through the pages and arrived at thest part of the book: the secret arts.


    He skimmed through Dual Signs and went straight to the section that held his interest: the Roar. The thing that could change Signs. He could still vividly imagine how Keldar bravely faced off against multiple Griffins all by himself. Roy desired the power to cast arge-scale protective Sign and send invisible chains after his targets.


    The section read, <em>Elementals. Creatures of the elements. Controllers of chaos energy. With a single magical roar, these creatures can summon the power of elements themselves. Hurricanes, lightning, mes¡­ Nothing is beyond them. Pioneers spent years and years within the depths of the void of meditation. Through the elemental dimensions they went, searching for the elementals that reside within.</em>


    <em>The pioneers risked their lives and wrote down the four roars of the elementals for us to learn. But be warned, adepts. Should you attempt this, incredible talent and an iron will will be needed to pass the trial. Should you pass on the first try, you shall gain the privilege to learn this power. Should you fail, do not push yourself, or the consequences shall be dire.</em>


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath and slowly flipped the page. What greeted him were a passage written in Elder Speech and a beautiful picture.


    In most cases, people could onlymunicate through sounds through a face-to-face encounter or by recording it with magical means. However, the pioneers took another path. They utilized the equally magical Elder Speech writing system andbined a few basic letters. If anyone could pronounce thisbination, they would have imitated an elemental''s roar.


    But pronunciation was not the only thing this secret art contained. If the user wished to use this power, then alongside the Roar, they had to also create a vivid imagery of a certain rune in their minds that corresponded with the element of the roar.


    zing mes, blue waters, wispy clouds, and sturdy mountains. All were elements, but all were different. Imagining these wasn''t hard, but not when the user had to create a lifelike image with perfect details of it in their minds.


    Roy memorized thebination for water and its rune. He tried to pronounce it, but the word couldn''t roll off his tongue easily. It felt like someone jumbled up different letters that couldn''tbine well with one another and forced them to work together.


    Roy sat cross-legged, calming his heart and clearing his mind.


    Five minutes went by. The young witcher took a deep breath, and he let out a roar that reverberated through the living quarters. "Gynvael!"


    ***


    A gust of wind flew into the house. Roy closed his eyes to feel if any changes had taken ce, but his mana remained silent. His character sheet showed no new information either.


    A frown furrowed his forehead. <em>My pronunciation needs some improvement. I sound like a babbling toddler.</em>


    It was his first try. The rune he imagined had nothing but the shape of a drop of water. He couldn''t imagine what its color or edges looked like. The imagery was veiled behind something.


    "I guessed as much. Shouldn''t expect less from a Sign that requires its user to create vivid images in their heads. No, perhaps it requires a great affinity for elements. Real Sources can easily create that image in their heads. I''m just a guy with some Elder Blood within him. Still a long way away from a Source." Roy shook his head, but discouraged he was not. He gave himself one month to figure this out.


    ***


    Roy spent the whole day in Coen and Igsena''s house, but he made slow progress. Even after the sun had set and Coen hade back with Igsena, Roy still couldn''t make out the rune.


    The look on Roy''s face failed to escape Coen''s notice. He asked, "Mate, are you trying to imitate a Roar?"


    Roy nodded. "The element of water''s Roar."


    "Take it slow." He took a deep breath. "Keldar spent three days creating a full image in his head. It was then he learned the first Roar and powered his Sign up. I spent a whole month trying to do it." Coenughed at himself. "But the moment I made that sound, I passed out. The elements raged within me, knocking me out. Once I regained consciousness, I gave up hope on mastering a mutated Sign. That''s what Destiny wants for me." He shook his head, sighing.


    A confident smile tugged at Roy''s lips. He closed the book and looked at the couple. "So, how was your first day in Novigrad? Did it go well?"


    "I went around the city. It has been a while since I saw a ce as bustling as Novigrad." Coen eased up a little. "It''s even more bustling than Lan Exeter and Pont Vanis. Novigradians are friendlier than I thought. The brotherhood''s efforts are showing results. At least the locals do not bear that much ill will against us. Even took an easy request from the bulletin board. Found a missing cat that belonged to an old bat living all by herself. Made five crowns from that." A sigh escaped Coen''s lips. "It''s like free money."


    Roy nodded, smiling. "Stay awhile, and you''ll fall in love with this ce." <em>And then you''ll join us.</em> "What about you, Igsena?"


    The youngdy turned red with excitement, and she spun around while holding Coen''s hand. Her white dress swayed with the wind, though her dancing still looked unpolished. "I love this job. I love this ce."


    She kept gushing like a child who just got treated to a big feast. "I don''t have to pick any greens. I don''t have to feed the chickens. I don''t have to do any of that. All I have to do is dance, sing, and listen to poetry and music. This is the life I''ve always wanted. I <em>will </em>be a Novigradian."


    "I thought Dandelion said work was demanding," Roy joked.


    "Oh, do not think of me as a woman of the city. Work of this magnitude is but child''s y for thisdy." She was starting to talk in rhymes, though it was a little off. "Compared to the work I had to do at home, this is heavenly."


    "I see." Roy looked at Coen. He was a quiet, honest guy, while Igsena was full of vigor and curiosity for a new world. <em>I have a bad feeling about this. This is a world filled with temptations. I wonder if they can hold on.</em>


    "I''ll put the book here. Get some rest. I''lle back tomorrow."


    "Where are you going, Roy?" Sleep was not in Igsena''s n that night. She said, "Let''s go moongazingter."


    "You should stay with Coen," Roy declined with a smile. He was thinking of the woman who would be inviting him to share a bed with her. <em>Can''t let her wait. Guess it''s another sleepless night.</em>


    ***


    Roy''s life went on with nothing eventful to take note of. By day, he would read the Book of Shadows and practice his Roar and imagery, learning the Sign of mp. By night, he would either stay with his family or Coral. Sometimes, they would do it in a room, sometimes in theb, and sometimes in a boat on the sea. For more reasons than one, Roy was d he went through a second Trial, or he would¡¯ve wrecked his body doing something so extreme.


    At the same time, Dandelion had dressed himself up majestically and set off for Toussaint with a gaudy Auckes by his side. On their merry way they went, where the celebration of Lammas in Toussaint awaited.


    Auckes set a course to Toussaint''s Mont Crane Castle. He would scout the ce out and set down a portal waypoint.


    Vesemir had returned from his short honeymoon trip. The news of Keldar''s death came as a shock to him. He asked Coral to open a portal so he could pay his respects to his old friend. But Roy did not think Vesemir was too sad about this. In fact, he thought the grandmaster felt happy for his friend. Envious, even. Dying after a great battle was one of the greatest ways a witcher could go.


    Vesemir was particrly caring for Coen. When he wasn''t teaching the kids cksmithing, he would summon Coen to the orphanage and ask him how he was doing.


    Eventually, Coen lost a little of his wariness of the ce. Sometimes he woulde for a visit, though he was still adamant about not joining the brotherhood or sharing the Book of Shadows.


    Still, it was a good sign. Eventually, he would give in. The kids were too adorable to resist.


    On the other hand, Igsena was improving by leaps and bounds. Perhaps she did have a talent for theater. Not too long ago, she started to perform, though only as a supporting character. Still, her efforts wereuded by the acting staff. Everyone loved the straightforwarddy who had a sailor''s mouth.


    Coen dragged Roy to one of her shows. She yed the part of one of Cindere''s stepsisters


    ***


    One weekter.


    Roy was in Coen''s room, the sun shining on his anxious and solemn face. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again, something glinted within them.


    He weaved aplex gesture with his fingers that fluttered like a butterfly''s wings. At the same time, he took a deep breath and let out a roar. The mysterious, primordial roar ignited the chaos energy that lingered in the air. A gust of airing from Roy blew the curtains away, the tes on the table falling everywhere.


    Azure lights shone and glimmered, and not a momentter, a slender figure popped into existence. He had ck hair and heterochromatic eyes, and he was wearing Manticore armor. The silhouette leapt over to Roy and sat down with his legs crossed. It was as if two identical witchers appeared in the room.


    They looked like twins, but one was inscrutable, while the other had a deep frown on his forehead. Roy stood up and cracked his joints, and the silhouette repeated his movements as uniformly as a shadow.


    A sigh of relief escaped Roy''s lips, and he concentrated on his character sheet.


    ''You have learned the seventh Sign.


    mp (Original): Dispels illusions or creates an illusory image of you. The duration of the image is affected by your Spirit and Sign level.


    mp, Mirror Image (Mutated): You have listened to a nymph''s roar (imitation). Your Sign has mutated. The image is no longer a decoration. It possesses part of your stats and passive skills. You have fullmand of the image. The image will disappear after sustaining a set amount of damage. You may also dispel the image yourself. The duration and amount of power it possesses is affected by your Spirit and Sign level. If you embed a Wingp into the image, it shall concentrate all the water element around it within its body. When the image disappears or is destroyed, it will release a frost nova around it.''


    ***


    Sixty secondster, the image disappeared into thin air, and a frost nova engulfed the surrounding area with chilly winds and ice. Even the ground was covered in frost. Roy tried to wipe it off, but all it did was hurt his hand.


    "Offensive power aside, if someone gets hit by this, they''ll get slowed at worst and frozen at best. The imagests for one minute and is only as strong as a regr adult man. It has most of my passive skills, but the thing is stupid. It can''t use any Signs. A bit useless in battle, unless I embed it with a Wingp. A walking frost bomb that does anything I say is a good crowd-control skill. It mighte in handy in some situations." <em>Like stealth bombs.</em>


    ***


    Roy turned his attention to another Sign. The Roar of the water element could change two Signs: mp and Axii. Axii had mutated as well.


    ''Axii (Original): Axii infiltrates through your target''s eyes, controlling their minds and movements for a time. The potency is affected by your Spirit, Sign level, and the target''s Will.


    Axii Puppet (Mutated): Axii can control your target''s mind and actions. The Sign can work even without casting it at your target''s eyes. The mind control is deeper, and it can change the target''s perception.


    Wingp effect: The water element that lingers in the air will power Axii up. You no longer have to cast Axii into your target''s eyes for it to take effect. Axii''s duration and effect is now doubled.''


    ***


    Roy rubbed his chin. "Okay, this isn''t mass hypnosis, unlike Keldar''s Axii. Guess this is a single-target effect. I can control their perception of things, huh? Wonder if I can get anyone to harm themselves?" He cocked his eyebrow and got an idea. "Or maybe I can change how they see themselves. Like maybe they''ll think they''re chickens or something. That''s¡­ terrifying. This is the worst kind of torture imaginable."


    Roy held his fluttering heart down and started getting himself used to the Roar to see how powerful Wingp and mutated Signs were. And then he realized a pattern. Roy had to wait for five minutes every two times he used Wingp. If he cast a third time in session, the chaos energy in the air would backfire at him, just like how it did to Keldar.


    ***


    And the training went on. One month had passed. There was a case of insubordination during that month. With Carl''s support, the remaining reserve apprentices cut off all their hair and strapped their swords behind their backs like witchers.


    They went on a protest. They demanded to know when they could take the pre-Trial. It had been six months since they started training, and still they had no idea when their Trial would take ce.


    The protest failed, however. The reserve members were taken down and subjected to a week of toilet cleaning. Roy cast his mutated Axii on the leader¡ªCarl. He made Carl think he was a girl. The boy changed into a dress and tied his hair into a braid. Then he yed jump rope with Vicki and the girls for an hour.


    Since then, the kids toned down their shenanigans.


    There was a reason they couldn''t administer the pre-Trial, and it was simple. After Lytta started trying to modify the form, she realized it was harder than she thought. Once, she tried to weaken the effects of the mutation to increase the rates of sess, but it had little effect.


    The orphanage would not conduct another Trial until she made a breakthrough. The witchers had a change of mind. They could not afford to lose any of the children.


    ***


    The orphanage was running smoothly, and Roy''s training was well underway, aside from the time he and Kanti flew to the nearby mountains on Gryphon''s back to kill a graveir. Most of the time, he stayed in the city.


    Every week, Roy would learn a new Roar, and his Signs would power up. The second week was the Roar of fire. Igni had mutated into Ignifire, and with Roar and Wingp, the fireball would absorb the fire element in the air and double its power. Now its effective range was forty meters instead of twenty. It was on par with a real fireball spell.


    ***


    The third week was the Roar of earth. This time, Quen and Heliotrop mutated.


    ''Quen Sanctuary (Mutated): Summons a five-meter diameter dome around you, shielding you and your allies from physical attacks.


    Wingp effect: Earth element in the air will gather around the Sanctuary, bolstering its defense dramatically.''


    Heliotrop Sanctuary had a simr effect, but against magical attacks. These two Signs boosted Roy''s supportive abilities in group battles by a lot.


    ***


    The fourth week was the Roar of air. And this time Aard and Yrden mutated.


    ''Aard Staticshock (Mutated): You may create high friction between the elements in your body and create a lightning bolt to burn and numb any target within twenty meters.


    Wingp effect: Air element in the air resonates with your Sign, causing your target to be hit by a second bolt of lightning.''


    ***


    "Damn, I thought this was gonna be some Rasengan kind of skill, or a shockwave. But lightning? And Wingp can summon another one to hit the same target? Lightning never strikes the same ce twice? Yeah, ditch that." <em>Wonder if this will cause a lightning storm if I keep powering it up.</em>


    Roy shook his head and tossed that ridiculous idea out the window. Now he had three offensive ranged attacks. Furyfire, Staticshock, and Gabriel. Already he hade up with abo. First, he would cast mp and have the image get close to the target. Then he would invoke the frost nova. And then a Stun Bolt would keep the target in check, followed by Staticshock''s numbing effect. Finally, Furyfire would swoop in and explode.


    Roy was like a mix between an archer and a mage now, but he couldn''tst long. Twenty fireballs, lightning bolts, and stun bolts would take all the mana he had. Unlike a Source, he couldn''t tap into all the chaos energy lingering in the air and go on until the recoil took ce.


    But he had an advantage. His spells needed no incantation or gestures. All he had to do was Roar and cast the Sign. He could send out a barrage of Signs before a mage could even get through their incantation.


    ***


    And then for the final Sign.


    ''Yrden Halo (Mutated). Summons a circr halo in a three-meter radius around you. The halosts for five minutes. Any enemy that steps into the halo will have their speed lowered and reaction time increased. Ethereal enemies will be forced back into the material world, and instant teleportation''s effect is drastically lowered in this halo. The halo moves with you.


    Wingp effect: The halo''s area of effect, potency, and duration doubles.''


    ***


    "It''s not invisible chains, but at least the trap can move now." <em>Let''s see how the wraiths like this. If I cast this and Suppression at the same time, it''ll cause a double debuff for my enemies. It''s like getting rooted to one spot and being unable to leave.</em>


    ***


    And with that, all seven signs had been mutated. Their powers had risen to a level beyond Roy''s imagination. He had two systems he could go with in battle. The first one was the aforementioned long-range system involving a frost nova, stun bolt, lightning bolt, and fireball explosion.


    The second one was a contingency for situations where Roy had enemies closing in on him. He would use Suppression alongside Halo to wear his enemies down, or he couldbine Fear with Devour to end the battle swiftly.


    ***


    <em>Aside from End, I''m probably the only one who possesses all mutated Signs now.</em>


    He turned his attention to thest skill he learned.


    ''Griffin Arts Level 5: You have learned mutated Signs and Wingp.''


    ***


    And that left Dual Sign to be learned. But if he did that, he couldn''t use his sword or hand crossbow. <em>I''m a witcher. Gotta be able to switch between ranged and close-quarterbat.</em>


    Roy was in no hurry to learn Dual Signs. One month had passed, and it was now the middle of August 1262. It was time for the next part of his n.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 408: Geralts Change

    The rain had passed, the ck clouds gone. Once again, clear blue skies graced thend. The great sun shone far above the heavens, its light refracting into all colors of the rainbow through the droplets in the air.


    Beneath that rainbow stood an orphanage living in the quiet woods. The rainbow smiled at the small, picturesque ce that changed the lives of some poor orphans forever.


    Another glorious morning for the children. They were reciting a poem with Kiyan leading them. It was a poem regarding witchers, written by Dandelion before he left.


    Vesemir was in the smithy, still wearing his apron and mittens as usual. cksmith apprentices were going about their day, creating new items with Vesemir giving them orders. A few scissors and hoes stood on the wooden rack in the corner, though they left a lot to be desired.


    Letho was in theb, overseeing Vicki and her friends making spirit potions. The kids were young, but they could already make a dozen or somon potions like marigold and spirit potions, though the quality wascking.


    Beyond the woods stood a few scarecrows made of bup sacks. Serrit was on the farm, teaching the kids how to shoot an arrow. Auckes would usually be there with his brother, but the guy was in Toussaint and still hadn''t returned just yet.


    Roy had handed all the brotherhood''s coins to Serrit and handed the business management to him as well. Since Roy had to be out and about, Serrit the math whiz became the finance manager.


    ***


    A brown, gleaming horse stood in the stable beside the orphanage. It grinned and made weird noises through its teeth. At the same time, the horse rubbed its head against the witcher. Its ears were pricked up and pping like little wings.


    "Alright, I know I''ve been neglecting youtely. I shouldn''t have left you in the hands of the kids. Look, I brought you more food, and I''m gonna massage you." Roy patted Wilt''s face and ced a bucket full of carrots, medicks, and corn beside the trough. While Wilt was eating the treat, Roy brushed its back.


    Wilt munched on the carrot and let out a happy snort, and then he breathed down the witcher''s face.


    "You''ve forgiven me? Good boy. Tell me if this feels good."


    Wilt whinnied.


    Roy patted its neck and scrubbed even better.


    ***


    Lytta was standing under the shadow of the elm tree, smiling at the witcher. A breeze billowed her ck dress and fiery-red hair. "You''re raising a horse and a griffin. You should consider a career as a druid, not a witcher."


    She patted the cat''s head. Gryphon mewed in protest, but she pushed it down her cleavage.


    "Perhaps I might learn the ways of an animal tamer." Roy gave Coral a knowing look. "I heard druids are masters of nature, and to an extent, they possess powers akin to wild animals."


    Coral raised her head and bit her lip. "Well, should I open a portal to Caed Dhu, then? You can learn from the druids. I''m <em>eager </em>to see what kind of surprise you might bring back with you."


    "That''ll have to wait. At least until I''m done with the business at hand." Roy turned around. A witcher in Bear School robes and twin swords strapped to his back approached them. He was none other than Geralt.


    "Did the kids get on your nerves again?" Roy smirked at the children who were behind Geralt. They were scrambling to dodge the pendulums that were swinging down on them.


    "They''ve been working hardtely to catch up to Carl." Geralt shook his head. He looked at the couple and joked, "Is it a good time to talk? I''m not interrupting, am I?"


    Roy cocked his eyebrow and put his apron on the stable fence. "Geralt of Rivia, a joker. Never thought I''d live to see the day."


    "I was born with a sense of humor. Oh, very well. Eskel, that old dog, found a woman with horns. And he wouldn''t stop showing off. Lambert has been out and abouttely, and he seems lively. I did not think he would look so happy just being a sword instructor. He must have slept with someone''s wife or girlfriend. It''s getting on my nerves." Geralt shook his head, a hint of exasperation hiding in his voice.


    <em>Yeah, the guy needs some love, </em>Roy thought. Geralt had been quiet for a while since he joined the brotherhood. At least Roy never saw Geralt sleeping around with anyone. And now, Vesemir, Lambert, and Eskel all had a partner, but Geralt was still single. <em>Poor Butcher of viken.</em>


    Roy looked at the sorceress, and Lytta shot him a warm smile, though she was surprised Roy would suddenly turn around.


    Geralt''s lips twitched, and he took a deep breath.


    "You''re not here just to crack a joke, White Wolf. So, what is it this time?" Roy crossed his arms, and Lytta approached him, grabbing his arm.


    Gryphon seized the chance to escape the suffocating cleavage. It mewed loudly as it climbed up Roy''s head, burying its face into Roy''s short hair, though its eyes were fixated on the sorceress who almost suffocated it earlier.


    There was hesitation in Geralt''s eyes. A moment of silenceter, he heaved a sigh. "Do you remember the prophecy you told me back in Kaer Morhen? About the end of Cintra? If memory serves me right, the invasion is soon."


    Worry hid deep within his voice. If war were to take ce, Princess Ciri, Geralt''s Unexpected Child, would be deeply affected. She was still residing in the kingdom right now. The prospect of war worried Geralt.


    "It''s mid-August of 1262 now. In less than one year, the war wille. Somewhere during July of 1263." Roy''s smile was wiped off his face. Grimly, he said, "The Nilfgaardian troops will cross Amell, pass Erlenwald, and invade Cintra." <em>That marks the first Northern War.</em>


    "Thends between Yaruga''s south coast, Amell, and Cintra will be incinerated by the mes of war."


    Lytta spaced out for a moment. ording to Roy''s prophecy, she died in the Battle of Sodden Hill, an event triggered by the Nilfgaardian invasion. <em>But everything has changed. </em>She huddled closer to Roy.


    The young witcher continued. "The situation is obvious. Cintra''s king and queen have noticed Nilfgaard''s goal. Nilfgaardian troops are gathering in Amell as we speak."


    "It is as you have said. I''ve not been in Cintra for a while, but I did hear some news. Cintra''s royalty has invited ambassadors from numerous kingdoms to talk of a solution." There was a somber look in Geralt''s eyes. "Verden, Kerack, Cidaris, Brugge, Skellige Isles, and Lyria and Rivia. Those are the ones I know. Perhaps there''s more."


    <em>One of the ambassadors is Raymund himself. He left his wife alone to join this conference and gave Dandelion the opening to sleep with Anna.</em>


    "Things are not looking good," Geralt said.


    "The conference will yield no results." Roy sighed and patted Gryphon''s neck. It hopped onto Wilt''s back and climbed up to its head, all the while swaying its tail. "ording to my premonition, Cintra will face the Nilfgaardian army alone. None of the kingdoms saw the threat Nilfgaard posed." Roy shook his head. "They thought Nilfgaard''s army was a bunch of untrained amateurs who could be defeated with no effort at all. And Nilfgaard is showing them just that by pretending they can''t break through Cintra''s defenses."


    "But the real situation is very different, I imagine?"


    Roy''s credibility was going up with every passing moment, and Geralt had to ask.


    "Exactly. The Northern Realms let their guard down and underestimated the strength and number of the invaders. Cintra fell before the strength of the southern army."


    A somber silence fell upon them. Wilt noticed the sorrow in the air, and it licked the back of Roy''s hand. Gryphon stood up and patted Roy''s head.


    ***


    To an extent, all three of them were people from the Northern Realms. Geralt might have followed the code of neutrality and stayed out of wars, but he despised wars. Especially invasive ones.


    Lytta was a schr, and she too hated wars. Mages would be forced to join the front lines and take the lives of many with their magic.


    "Geralt, we cannot do anything about this." Roy shook his head regrettably. "There are barely a dozen of us. That''s far from enough to change the oue of a war. If you try to interfere, all that''s waiting for you is certain death."


    "You misunderstand me. I am but a witcher. I do not possess the ability to save everyone, and I do not wish to see my brothers throwing themselves at imminent doom. Yet, I must try to save Ciri," Geralt answered. He wasn''t that proactive a person, but after joining the brotherhood, a huge change in his life, he would want to do more changes if he could.


    "We must travel to Cintra and have an audience with the queen. Tell them what will happen no matter what." Geralt had resolve in his eyes, his ponytail billowing in the wind. "We must see Ciri."


    Geralt looked at the alder woods. He could almost imagine the hellscape Cintra would be once the war broke out. Ciri would be homeless and tormented. Reflexively, he said, "If it''s possible, let''s bring Ciri back to Novigrad. She can live with the other kids. Make her one of us."


    His voice was almost a whisper. A whisper that most people couldn''t hear. But in the end, that whisper filled with resolve. "It might not be the same luxury she has, but at least she won¡¯t have to suffer the fate of a princess who has lost her homnd."


    Roy paused for a moment, and then he felt proud of Geralt. <em>Looks like I didn''t waste my time. The old Geralt wouldn''t have said something like that. He''d just passively wait for Destiny to hand him everything. The brotherhood is changing everyone.</em>


    "Never thought you''d say that, Geralt. You''ve been thinking about it, haven''t you?" Roy agreed with Geralt''s sentiment.


    Geralt nodded. "Ciri and I formed a bond thanks to Destiny. But I could never ask her to lead a life of poverty. Not when she''s a princess. But now that I know what the future has in store for her, I have no reason to stay idle. We have enough to support her. It is time to wee my Unexpected Child. It''s fine even if Cnthe disagrees. But if Ciri doesn''t want toe, then I shall wait."


    <em>Well done. </em>Roy cheered for Geralt in his mind. <em>There''s no reason to react when you know what will happen. Make the first move and change whatever oue you can.</em>


    "Geralt, Ciri is one of the more important parts of my n. I shall go with you." For a moment, Roy saw the tomboyish girl with ashen hair and emerald eyes again. "Ciri is a good friend of mine. I need to help her."


    "Hold it," Coral interjected. She looked at them suspiciously before finally setting her eyes on Roy. "You never told me you knew the princess of Cintra."


    "Don''t give me that look, Coral." Roy looked miffed. "She''s not even ten years old. Now that''s just being paranoid."


    The doubt in Coral''s eyes didn''t go away. It thickened, in fact.


    ***


    "This is not farewell, Ciri. We''re the same kind of people, you and I. Destiny has decreed that we meet in the future."


    ***


    <em>Oh shit. </em>Roy decided tounch a preemptive strike before Coral could tear him apart. He pushed away Lytta''s fringe, pulling her closer and whispering into her ear, "What were you thinking, my dear Coral? Cast any more doubt on me and I''ll show you what mp can do. You won''t even have the strength to get out of bed the next day."


    Coral felt her heart flutter and her face burn. She shot Roy a dirty look, but the mage leaned closer to Roy and kept quiet.


    Geralt saw everything. He let out a long sigh in his heart. Like a wolf that was licking his wound, he remained silent and mncholic. A tiny tear drop welled in the corner of his eye. <em>I wish Yen was that gentle. </em>Geralt imagined something that would never happen.


    "Sorry you had to see that, Geralt. Back to the matter at hand. We''ll be going to Cintra together, but first, we''ll make a detour to Vizima."


    "Why do you want to go to Vizima?" Geralt asked.


    "Those brats want to take the pre-Trial? Well, it''s their lucky day." Roy looked at the boys. They were starting a two-on-two sparring session. "Coral can''t do the modifications as fast as we want her to do all by herself. It''d be years before she could increase the Trial''s rate of sess."


    Coral nodded. The more she researched, the more she realized it was nigh impossible to modify the Trial all by herself.


    "And so, I''m going to enlist the help of an acquaintance. A mage and genius alchemist who goes by the name of Kalkstein. Ever heard of him?"


    All the color drained from Lytta''s face. "Ciri is one thing, but you know that madman as well?"


    "What? Is something the matter?"


    "No. He''s not exactly a criminal, but¡­" She had a weird look on her face. Coral wanted tough, but there was respect in her eyes. "Kalkstein is a gifted alchemist. He''s an expert in mes, explosions, and matterposition. His mind is filled with bizarre ideas, and he''s an adventurous soul. But he hates rules the most, and the man is fearless. Once, he experimented on himself just to see how his new bomb would affect magical shields. It was in Ban Ard''s dorm, and he seeded. Seeded in turning the dorm into rubble. Fortunately, he was the only one around, so no deaths, but still, he was expelled. The magemunity still talks about it to this day."


    She paused for a moment. "Any magic academy graduate has heard of him before. And the man is an unpredictable ball of chaos. Hard to get along with."


    Roy''s lips twitched. He just had a glimpse into the past of that unkempt, mousey man, and he expected no less from that maverick. "He''s fine. At least he never goes back on his word, and he''s a genius in research."


    "Are you sure you can convince him?" Lytta looked at Roy suspiciously.


    "I have to try." <em>Luck ys more of a factor than persuasion skills. If he''s interested in the Trial, then everything will be fine and dandy.</em>


    ***


    "And Berengar lives in Vizima as well. We''ll be needing more manpower after the expansion next year. nning in advance never hurts. I''ll try to convince him to join us. Even if I fail, it''s fine. I''ll just keep talking until he changes his mind."


    And Roy gained Geralt''s respect. <em>I''ve never seen any witcher who''s this persistent. And shameless.</em>


    There was also a third reason. He needed to see Vivienne and Adda. The information about the first war could be used as a bargaining chip to exchange for some useful stuff. And the Church of Virtue should take the brotherhood''s side.


    ***


    "One week." Roy held Coral''s hand and looked at Geralt. Solemnly, he promised, "I will return even if the mission ends in failure."


    Geralt nodded. "I shall be waiting for the good news then."


    "So, care to open a portal to Vizima, Coral?" Roy took Gryphon and ced it on his shoulder.


    Coral sighed.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 409: Vivienne and Adda

    A reflection of the sun slept on the surface of Lake Vizima. The waters shimmered and glimmered, dancing with the wisps of fog that nketed it all. Before theke, a young witcher stood. On the other side of theke was where the bustling trade quarter sat, covered in a thin, foggy veil.


    A morning breeze blew, bringing with it the scent ofkewater, seaweed, and fresh soil. Into the waters Roy went, his destination the center of theke. Slowly, the water covered his boots, then his pants, and then he was already waist-deep.


    Aerondight swam through the water, cutting the water thaty ahead of it. It trembled and dispersed mana into the water, and Roy''s pendant shivered.


    A beautiful silhouette emerged from the depths of theke, circling the witcher at unbelievable speeds. Like a beautiful mermaid, she swam around him, celebrating his return. Eventually, the silhouette broke through the surface, revealing a slim, slender body. Beads of water slid down her silky-smooth skin, her body gleaming like a gorgeous pearl under the sunlight.


    She flung her hair around, letting it tumble upon her shoulders before flinging it onest time, covering half of her face. Her face was as petite and gorgeous as a doll, her nose aquiline, her eyes as clear as gemstones, and her lips as lustrous as the petals of a blooming rose.


    An innocent smile tugged on her lips, bewitching those who had the honor toy eyes on it. Her dimples were like little whirlpools, sucking in the attention of those who would stare for a moment too long.


    ''Vivienne


    Age: Three hundred and fifty-five years old


    Status: Lady of the Lake/Nymph, patron goddess of the Church of Virtue


    ?? (Requires higher Perception)¡¯


    ***


    "A lovely morning to you, Lady Vivienne. Roy of Lake Vizima hails you." Roy sheathed Aerondight and put one hand before his chest as he bowed to Vivienne.


    "I have been waiting, Roy of Lake Vizima." Vivienne''s tail swayed under the water, and she slowly approached him, her eyes trying to see through his soul. Surprised by what she saw, she said, "It has been but a year, and yet your powers have grown tremendously. I sense power in your bloodline, your flesh, and¡­ something beyond that. Something terrible."


    A frown furrowed Vivienne''s brows, and she took in the scent around her as if she wanted to feel something. But then she let that curiosity go.


    "You were but a fledgling a year ago, but now you possess the strength to fend for yourself. This is a very pleasant surprise."


    "It¡¯s all thanks to the Trial. I''ve passed my second one." Roy held her outstretched hand and kissed the back of it. For a moment, all he could smell was the scent of lilies. He ignored thest part of Vivienne''sment and answered, "But you too have grown, and at a much faster rate than I. You shine like a star in the night sky. I cannot begin to fathom the depths of your power."


    Vivienne kept all her magical energy in check, and nobody could tell how powerful she was. The fish tail aside, she would look like a beautiful girl next door, but every movement she made radiated a sense of regality. Whenever Royid eyes on her, he would see the whole of Vizima within her. He could see countless whirlpools spiraling around her. She was nature itself. She was Lake Vizima itself.


    During his training, Roy vaguely saw the nymph of the elemental dimensions, and Vivienne reminded him of that.


    "Leave the pleasantries for your lover. We shall do away with the formalities." Vivienne smiled and waved her hand. "Let''s take this somewhere else. I don''t want to get them in trouble. And you should see Adda as well."


    Clouds of chilly fog epassed Roy and Vivienne. Everything around Roy spun, and he lost his footing, but the young witcher didn''t resist. A momentter, he found himself standing on solid ground once more.


    Vivienne had taken him to her mist-covered pce. The pirs were as dpidated as thest time Roy saw them. Seaweed and dewdrops hung from them. Vivienne had taken her seat on the throne. It was something made out of a gigantic seashell decorated with pearls and seaweed. She ced her arm on the armrest and rested her chin on the back of her hand, her tail swayingnguidly before her. She was like a fish who left its habitat that pped its tail around.


    A sigh escaped her lips, and bright lights shone in the air. Within the light, an irregr, spherical item sat, and then it burst apart like fireworks. A lean woman in an oversized white dress appeared in the pce seemingly out of nowhere.


    Her rosy brown hair tumbled down her torso like a gleaming waterfall. Her skin was almost shining, and not an inch was blemished. "Good morning, Lady Vivienne. Is something the matter?"


    Vivienne smiled at her and nodded at the witcher standing behind Adda. Her behavior suggested a sisterly rtionship between her and Adda instead of a master-servant bond.


    "Roy? What brings you to Vizima? You should have told me you wereing." Adda''s eyes squinted as a big smile curled her lips. She happily approached the witcher and extended her hand.


    Roy bowed and looked at Adda calmly. Not a hint of makeup was seen on her face. The hard lines around her face spoke of her stubborn nature, but her eyes were slightly nted, granting her a certain allure. A confident smile tugged on her lips. The same confident smile sessful men had.


    "It has been a year, Princess Adda. You seem a lot healthier." Roy looked at her hair. No longer was it as pale as it used to be.


    "Oh, don''t call me princess. You saved my life. You''re my friend. Just call me by my name." Adda noticed where he was looking, and she twirled her hair. "My hair color changed not too long after you lifted the curse. Lady Vivienne said that''s the sign the curse is truly gone. My hair is now back to its original color. Speaking of which, you changed as well."


    Adda stared at his hair for a moment before she shifted her gaze. "You used to be about my height, but now you''re half a head taller than I am. And your eye color changed. And you got muscly."


    Adda pinched Roy''s arm, and Roy''s cheek twitched.


    "Didn''t expect you toe. So, finally decided to join the church and make a change?" Anticipation glinted in Adda''s eyes.


    "I''m already a member of another organization."


    "That''s too bad."


    Roy looked at thedies for a moment and changed the subject. "Adda, Lady Vivienne, it''s been a while since I was here. How''s the church doing? Everything well?"


    Adda looked at Vivienne, and the nymph nodded.


    "We made the right move changing our n." Adda raised her head and circled the witcher with pride in her heart. "Two-thirds of the one hundred and twenty-eight viges in rural Vizima have opened their hearts to the church. We have overwhelmingly more believers than the Eternal Fire and Melitele in Lake Vizima and nearby Temeria River." She balled her right fist and swung it up happily.


    "Our believers now number in the thousands. Excluding ten priests and thirty vodyanoi." With a wave of her hand, another light screen appeared in the air, this time showing devout faces of the churchgoers. They were all praying to Vivienne''s statue.


    "Incredible." Roy''s eyes were filled with surprise. In just one year, a nameless church managed to amass a thousand believers, and that was just in Vizima. Roy couldn''t imagine how much power they would hold if they expanded.


    "This is what Destiny wants, Roy. This is an eventuality that would have happened one way or the other." Adda looked at Vivienne with respect in her eyes. "Unlike the other gods, Lady Vivienne requires no tithing. All she wants is pure, unadulterated faith. She just needs her believers to pray once every day."


    Vivienne switched positions. She ced her hands before her belly and sat up straighter. It was an attempt to look holy, but when Roy looked at her, she shot him a wink.


    "And thedy provides her blessing in return. The church has helped with the fishing, changing the lives of fishermen for the better. No longer do they have to worry about how they will get their next meal. No longer do they have to worry about floods or drowners."


    She nodded. "Our more fortunate brethren have also chipped in for the underprivileged believers, tiding them through tough times."


    Roy nodded. Vivienne never did anything evil. She never stepped out of theke, and she did her best to keep theke monsters in check, keeping the civilians safe. Adda was the high priestess and the only member of the top brass. Her ambitionsy in expansion. She would never take any donations for herself.


    Roy thought the church''s mission of guiding its believers to the light of kindness and living by the knightly order was a bit too idealistic, but having some idealists around was not a bad thing. At the very least, the church cared for its believers, and its patron goddess would grant her blessings from time to time. Roy could see how they managed to get this far.


    "What about Foltest? What''s his stance on your operation?" Roy asked. "Still trying to keep you guys down?"


    Adda took a deep breath, her chest heaving. With frustration in her voice, she said, "That old git got his royal consultants to do his dirty deeds. Those whores go around barely wearing anything in an attempt to seduce every man they meet. Theye to thekeside and disrupt our activities."


    "Scantily-d women?" Roy interjected. "You mean the sorceresses?"


    "Yes. Keira Metz and Triss Merigold, who else?" A tense Adda shook her head, scoffing. "Cunning women, they are. They scare off the believers but don¡¯ty a finger on them. Theyplete their task and don¡¯t get on thedy''s bad side, but they''re getting on my nerves."


    Adda continued. "It''s worse in the city. Anyone who''s caught mentioning the name of the church or thedy is carried off to the dungeons for interrogation. Same thing goes for anyone who prays to thedy. The city folk have no choice but to do their prayers in the sewers. The same ce the Lionheaded Spider set up its altar. But you cleared it out. Foltest is incorrigible." Adda shook her head. Matter-of-factly, she said, "The church''s rise will not topple his reign. On the contrary, it''d build rapport with the citizens, consolidating his rule. But he is blind to that fact. He insists on the act of oppression. Even tried to marry me off to that Redanian brat. But I refused."


    <em>The Redanian brat? Wait, is she talking about Radovid the heartless?</em>


    "But his oppression will fail." She chuckled. Adamantly, she announced, "In a matter of years, the whole of Lake Vizima and Temeria River will be filled with thedy''s believers. By then, even Foltest will have to think twice before trying to oppress us again."


    ***


    Roy turned his attention to Vivienne. She was ying with her hair and giving him a gentle smile.


    "The church will see a sessful rise, no doubt about that. But if I may ask, what''s the purpose of expanding the church''s influence?" Roy asked softly, "Once you convert everyone around Lake Vizima into Lady Vivienne''s believers, will you set your sights on all theke areas in the Northern Realms? What then after that? Will you set foot in the south and expand your influence there as well?"


    "Worry not, my knight." Vivienne finally spoke, her voice as silvery and delightful as the spring breeze. "The otherkes belong to my sisters. I have no desire to take their territory from them. My ambition does not extend that far. Our expansion will eventuallye to an end," she said seriously. "All I want is for the people of Lake Vizima and Temeria River to put their faith in me and live in peace. When my believers meet their eventual death, they can start a new life in my kingdom."


    Roy was reminded of the time Vivienne converted some souls into creatures that lived in theke.


    There was a hint ofint on Adda''s face. Her ambition extended much, much further than just Lake Vizima and the river, but she wouldn''t go against her patron goddess. "Thedy''s wish is my dream."


    "Then perhaps I can lend you a hand in this journey of yours." He looked at thedies once more. "And that brings us to the point of this visit."


    Two pieces of information. He was going to use those in exchange for a favor or two. The first one would be the news of Foltest''s illegitimate daughter. The one he sired with Louisa. But then he promised Louisa to never tell anyone about this affair. Dragging an innocent girl into this matter was low, so he forgot about that.


    He organized his words and cut straight to the second piece of news: the first Northern War. Or at least part of it.


    At first, Adda looked bemused about the news, but then her eyes shone. "The Nilfgaardian troops will be invading Cintra and annihting it by July next year? Are you sure you''re not joking, Roy?"


    "My premonition is the result of my Trial, and it has withstood the test of time. I can guarantee it''s real." Roy turned his attention to thedies once more. "And this is what I saw. Cintra, once a regal country, reduced to a hellscape filled with the blood of its people. The smokes of war billowed in the air, and the Nilfgaardian army pilfered and plundered the fallen nation. You might think it preposterous, but it''s true. Whether you wish to believe it or not is up to you."


    "My knight, I can glimpse into moments of the future and the past through the waters." Vivienne smiled. "I''ve been expecting this visit, and I knew you''de with important news."


    <em>Thedy believes him? </em>Adda swung her fists in ecstasy and quickly paced around the chamber. "This changes everything! Now that I know how that war will end, I can concoct a n around it. I can make a huge profit and gain even more following. If I''m lucky, I can even change how Foltest sees us. This is a big boon, Roy." In the heat of the moment, Adda gave Roy a tight hug.


    The young witcher enjoyed the hug. The princess smelled nice. After all the teasing Lytta did to him, this was nothing.


    "How should I thank you?"


    "There is no need for that." Roy shook his head. A witcher could never gain anyone''s trust in Vizima. The information would be wasted on him, but if he divulged it to the princess, then that could change the game. Adda could maximize the profit gained from this nugget of knowledge.


    "Six months ago, I and a few witchers established a brotherhood in Novigrad. But we only have about a dozen members as of now. The brotherhood''s foundation is still shaky, and expansion will prove to be difficult."


    Roy pleaded, "Lady Vivienne, Adda, if it''s possible, I would like you to lend us a hand when the brotherhood finds itself embroiled in a crisis it cannot handle alone. If it''s possible, I''d like thedy to step in herself."


    "Roy, you are the knight I personally appointed." Vivienne shook her head, her tail pping the wet ground. "Even without this nugget of knowledge you so generously shared with us, I would¡¯ve still lent a hand if you were in trouble. I trust you would do the same for me."


    "You underestimate the importance of this information, Roy. You deserve an extra reward." Adda put on her princess act and said seriously, "Say the word. What would you like? Coins, or something else?" With praise in her voice, she said, "I like your idea of the brotherhood. You''re different from the other witchers. All they do is wait around and twiddle their thumbs."


    Roy rubbed his chin. "Well, if you insist, then I''d like some Temerian orens. The brotherhood will be needing more funds in theing year."


    "How does ten thousand orens sound? I can get more if you need."


    ***


    And with that, Roy managed to fill his dried-up money reserve. <em>That''s n one done.</em>


    "Stay for a bit, Roy." Adda patted her chest. She offered, "I''m going to pay for all your expenses. And I might need your help. Some of our areas need professionals."


    Roy was ready to hear what Adda needed, but Vivienne interjected. "Adda, Roy has something else to do."


    She waved at the witcher, her eyes clear as water. "Do what you have to do, my knight. We can solve our problems ourselves. But don''t forget that you always share a bond with us. We''ll have your back. Come visit if you have time."


    "Thank you."


    Before Roy left, Vivienne said something cryptic.


    "A piece of advice before you leave. I sense the presence of something terrible and ominous within you. It was there thest time we met, but the feeling wasn''t that pronounced. But this time, I can feel it wriggling and squirming right at the edge of reality. Control your power. Use it wisely. Do not let it corrupt you. Don''t lose yourself to it."


    <em>Is she talking about the tentacles? But that''s the sign of my will. </em>Roy nodded. "Worry not,dy." He had a strong feeling that his power would never devour him. He had a feeling that was an absolute truth. "I will always be the same Roy you know."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 410: An Exchange

    Noon.


    The sun hung high in the sky, scorching the air of Vizima. Gusts of dreary hot wind trudged through the streets and entered the temple area. The hot wind''s kiss overwhelmed the people with a sense of drowsiness, excluding a certain someone in a moss-filled alleyway.


    A muscr witcher with wild eyes appeared in the alley. Whaty behind him was a pile of rotting garbage that filled the air with a rancid, nauseating scent. Flies buzzed in the air, and two men gobbled up all the rotten food from the dump, barking like dogs.


    Roy tossed the orens into the air and wiped the disgusting water off his boots by scrubbing the soles against the ground.


    Back when the church was still around, the knights would patrol these areas, scaring off any petty criminals frommitting any crimes. The safety and hygiene of this ce saw a huge boost, but now that the church was gone, the temple area once again became synonymous with squalor and street crime.


    Roy was just passing by, and already two men tried to rob him. Lebioda''s hospital and the church of Eternal Fire were just nearby. This was a transgression against what was holy. Roy, in all his magnanimity, purged a few of the pieces of scum from Vizima. He used Puppet and made them think they were dogs. And then he robbed them.


    "Berengar¡¯s not here." Roy sighed, his eyes dim. Roy wanted to see Berengar, but he was nowhere to be found. After some digging around, he was told Berengar had left Vizima for two months. Nobody knew where he went. "Guess that mission will have to be put on hold."


    Roy made someplex gesture with his left hand and tossed the coins into the air. He caught them with his right hand, but when he opened his hand once more, the coins were gone.


    ***


    Roy stood in front of a vi in the trade quarter. Slowly, the oak door creaked open, and a shrill male voice spoke in delight. "Roy, my boy! Come in! Motherfucking Destiny brought you to me at the right time!"


    Onto the blue rug the witcher stepped, and through the porch he crossed. The house blotted out most sunlight, and for a moment, darkness greeted him. But then the lights turned on, and the door swung shut all by itself.


    Within the spacious lobby stood a man in a saffron robe. He strode over to Roy, the magicalmps shining on him. His greasy, dark brown hair was stered to the back of his head, and dandruff covered his shoulders. An unkempt goatee hung from his chin, and his brow ridge jutted out. His nose was t, and his face looked mousey. This man was like an anthropomorphic animal in a robe.


    Roy held back hisughter. "Still as¡­ unique as usual, Kalkstein."


    The witcher and the alchemist shook hands. The witcher''s arm was powerful, while the other was covered with ck hair. If Roy didn''t know better, he would have thought he was shaking hands with a baboon.


    Kalkstein rolled his bloodshot eyes and his face broke into a bizarre grin. There was this weird excitement shining in his eyes. He led Roy to the sofa and poured him a cup of steaming ck liquid that smelled like herbs.


    "Been ten years since west met, eh? So what brings you here? You wanna learn more alchemy?" Kalkstein pinched his goatee and looked at the young witcher from head to toe. And then he nodded. "Heterochromatic eyes, body stronger than a bull''s, and I can practically feel the magicing from you. Did you go through a second Trial? Must have improved, then. And you came at the right time."


    "Kalkstein, it hasn''t even been two years since west met." Roy cocked his eyebrow and pulled a squirrel out of his hood. He ced it on the table and told it to test out that liquid for him.


    "Ah, pardon my poor memory. Researchers have a bad habit of losing track of time." He looked away for a moment and continued calmly. "But that''s not the point. Point is, I ran into some trouble, and I need someone strong to help me out. But I can''t be arsed to put up a formal request, so can you help me out here?" He scratched his head, and dandruff flew everywhere like snow. "I can teach you some advanced alchemy techniques in return."


    "A minute, please. I didn''te here to learn. It''s about something else." <em>Time is money to him. Guess I don''t have to beat around the bush. </em>He cut to the chase. "I''d like you to improve the Trial of the Grasses for me. But you might have to move to Novigrad for that."


    Kalkstein tilted his head and held his right hand beside his ear. He huddled closer to the witcher and asked, "What''d you say?"


    "You might have to move to Novigrad."


    "And what do you want me to do?"


    "Improve the Trial of the Grasses."


    The smile was wiped off Kalkstein''s face. He put his hands on his hip, his beady eyes going as wide as they could. With wariness in his eyes, Kalkstein stared at Roy. It was a simple question, but Kalkstein made it look like it was a matter of life or death.


    Roy too kept his silence. A smile curled his lips, and he stared back at the alchemist with genuine plea in his eyes.


    Thirty secondster, Kalkstein shook his head. "Not interested. My request and yours are two different things entirely. If you help me out, you can have anything you want, but not that. I can''t waste a year on this. That''s twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and sixty-five days." He spat a string of numbers, but his eyes did not leave the witcher. In the end, he raised his voice. "That''s about a hundred thousand orens."


    Roy gasped. <em>Wow, he''s demanding. </em>"Ten thousand orens," Roy haggled curtly.


    "What''d you say?"


    "If you help us, I''ll pay you ten thousand orens?" <em>I can feel the savings. It''s even less than what I proposed to Coral.</em>


    Kalkstein froze for a moment, but his hand trembled. Shock and humiliation welled in his heart, and he hissed, "You think this is a market, boy? What are you, a merchant? A ny percent cut is ridiculous. Do you have any idea how much I can make in one minute?"


    "Well, if you can''t do it, then you''ll have to find someone else to do your request." Roy shook his head regrettably. He picked Gryphon up, but he noticed something wrong with it. "Oi, wake up!"


    The squirrel stood on his palm, holding his index finger with its two little paws. It was wobbling and shuffling around, and Roy saw it burp.


    "Don''t worry. I put some dwarven liquor in that. It''s probably drunk." Kalkstein snapped his fingers, and a soft meow came from the shadows of the second floor. Down came a fat, ck cat. It attempted its best catwalk and leapt onto the table before the firece. The cat raised its tail high up into the air and meowed once more.


    "Hey, Sandru. You got fat. Life has been well for you, I see." Roy rubbed Sandru''s belly, and the cat kept stretching its paw at the drunk Gryphon. Apparently, it could recognize its old friend.


    "Leave your pet in Sandru''s care, Roy. I guarantee no harm wille to it, or I''ll be your ve. Now let''s talk about my request. You''ll love the reward."


    ***


    "Not interested. Do you have any idea how much I can make in a minute? I am not going to waste my time here. Novigrad calls," Roy mocked. He stood up and rubbed Sandru''s whiskers, holding Gryphon by its bushy tail and swaying it before the cat.


    Kalkstein winced, his golden tooth shining under themp. He held his fists together and contemted his options. Finally, he said, "Fine, you little tyke. If you can finish this job, I''ll help you out with the Trial. Free of charge. But only for a year. Once it''s up, I''m leaving. I have other fish to fry."


    ***


    It was Roy''s turn to be surprised. Never did he expect the mad alchemist to relent without much resistance. "I take it this is a difficult mission?" He ced Gryphon on Sandru''s back, and the cat darted off to the second floor. "So, what kind of bird are you turning me into this time?"


    "It <em>is </em>slightly more difficult than yourst mission." Kalkstein rubbed his fingers together. "But your magic feels so powerful. More powerful than most witchers. I''d wager you possess unusual strength. With my exquisite equipment and potions, I''m sure you can get me a living sample."


    "No. I am but a regr witcher who does not charge into imminent danger." <em>I have a bad feeling about this. </em>"So tell me, what''s the target this time?"


    "A higher vampire."


    Silence fell upon the room. The only sound was the alchemist''s heartbeats. Roy stared into his beady eyes, trying to see if he was joking.


    "I am not joking. Your target this time is a noble of the bloodsuckers. A higher vampire that possesses the appearance of a regr human."


    Roy kept quiet and tried to leave.


    "Hey, wait! Wait, you bloodsucker!" Sweat poured forth from Kalkstein''s head, but he managed to pull Roy back down.


    The young witcher rubbed his cheeks and heaved a sigh. Be it as it may, his recent powerup still might not be enough for him to wage battle against a higher vampire. Their stats were ridiculously high. At least thirty points in Dexterity alone. That was double what Roy had.


    But he was tempted. He needed the blood of a higher vampire to strengthen his own Elder Blood. And yet he faked a sigh of resignation. "So tell me, you brilliant alchemist. What kind of research are you doing this time? And where did you find this higher vampire?"


    "Hah! I knew you weren¡¯t a coward like the others." Kalkstein scratched his balding hair and put his hands behind his back. Slowly, he circled the sofa. "Not too long ago, the House of the Queen of the Night''s owner contacted me."


    Shocked, Roy asked, "You expect me to take her down in battle?"


    "No. You misunderstand me." Kalkstein shot Roy a look of surprise. "I see you know who she really is."


    "I am a monster hunter. Of course I know what she is." Roy said, "She''s a higher vampire."


    "Yes, and a powerful one at that." Kalkstein nodded. "To cross her would mean my death. So I kept an amicable rtionship with her. She''s a regr. Buys a lot of aphrodisiacs from me and sells them to her customers."


    "But I thought she was a pacifist?" Roy asked.


    "Technically, yes. She hides well, and she never breaks anyw. Never kills any innocents. She employs a more peaceful way to get her food. A way that''s fun, so to speak. And she never oversteps her boundaries. And so, she has lived among us safely for decades."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. This part was exactly like how he remembered, but the Queen of the Night''s underlings were humans, not bruxa. At least that was what he knew. If she had employed bruxa, the officials would have sniffed her out immediately.


    "I am curious about them. I''d like to dissect one and see what they''re made of. A nigh invincible body is something worth researching, but never would I make a move against them." Kalkstein said warily. "She has an equally powerful lover residing in Fen Carn. Not to mention she''s a generous customer. Unless absolutely necessary, I''d like to stay on good terms with her.


    <em>Huh. So her lover is Regis the barber, I guess.</em>


    "But I really want a specimen to examine. It''s an even more tempting subject than the Lady of the Lake." He stared at the corner of the room, muttering to himself. "But making a move against thedy is equally foolhardy. Not too long ago, the Queen of the Night purchased top-quality ck blood. Blood witchers use against vampires. Oh, don''t look so surprised. I''m more than two-hundred years old. Of course I''d have picked up a trick or two. But then it begs the question: who would she be poisoning with that?"


    It sounded like a question for Roy, but the young witcher thought Kalkstein was also talking to himself.


    "And so I conducted some investigations of my own. And I found out about some murders. Murders that took ce in rural Vizima. The victims were torn apart like they were eaten by feral beasts. And the Queen of the Night would make her appearance at the crime scenes with the ck blood she bought from me."


    "So another higher vampire has made its appearance in Vizima?" Roy blurted. "Some uninvited guest came and broke all thews, killed innocents, and sucked their blood without a care in the world. And its actions angered her."


    Kalkstein pped loudly. "I expected no less from a monster hunter. That was the conclusion I had arrived to as well. A new higher vampire has made its appearance, and it has crossed a local. This is my chance."


    "It is possible that a lower vampire might be the criminal. Or perhaps it was a werewolf."


    "None of those would draw her eyes to them," Kalkstein argued adamantly. "Trust me, Roy. My instincts are never wrong. The killer must be a higher vampire, and I want to capture the intruder, imprison it, and make it my perpetual test subject." Bright lights shone within the mad alchemist''s eyes. He looked like a starving man who just saw a feast unfurling right in front of him. He was trembling uncontrobly, his voice filled with near-fanaticism.


    "A higher vampire canst me for half a century. I, the great Kalkstein, shall leave my peers in the dust and be the first mage to research the magical creature called higher vampire."


    ***


    "Full marks for bravery, Kalkstein. But think long and hard. There''s a reason why your peers wouldn''t attack a higher vampire." Roy crossed his arms and destroyed Kalkstein''s fanaticism without a shred of hesitation. "You can''t kill a higher vampire with any regr methods we know. Imprisoning one is ying with fire at close range while you have kerosene smeared all over yourself. If it escapes, the results will not be pretty, and I''m talking about a Vizima-level threat."


    "You have heard of this near-immortal species as well. Aren''t you the least bit curious about their secrets? If you can imbibe the Trial with some of their powers¡­"


    Roy made that assumption and ran some tests in his head, and his heart skipped a beat.


    "Risk is part and parcel of research." The goading went one. "This might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I''m not about to give up. If you find out where it is and manage to capture it, I''ll share some of the research results and work for you for a year."


    "Why don''t you ask the Queen of the Night for help, then? You''re both interested in the intruder."


    "I did, but regrettably, she wouldn''t let me take it. My guess? Some powerful restriction of their race is prohibiting them from doing so."


    "And that''s understandable. No matter how brutal or unreasonable that higher vampire is, she would not let anyone dissect her kind. Only a traitor would do that."


    Kalkstein shook his head again. "And that''s why I need your help."


    Silence took over for a moment. Roy still had his concerns. "I''m no match for a higher vampire in battle. Especially a one-on-one fight."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be helping you." Kalkstein took a deep breath. With confidence in his heart, he said, "My items and your prowess are top-notch even by themselves. Butbined? Combined, we will be unstoppable. And no need to hold back for my sake. Just go all in and incapacitate it. Cut its head off, pull its heart out, what do I care? Turn it into mincemeat, and I''ll still take it."


    <em>So the mad alchemist will be helping me on this dangerous hunt. A hunt for a higher vampire that has killed innocents. </em>A raging urge welled within Roy''s heart, telling him to test the limits of his abilities with this battle.


    Once again, he turned his sights to Kalkstein, a deep frown furrowing his forehead. "I make no guarantees. I will do this to the best of my abilities, but if anything happens, my safetyes first. And we''ll have to sign a contract. A <em>fair </em>contract. The items you provide for the hunt must be a part of the reward we agreed upon. And no refunds on that part."


    Kalkstein looked reluctant, but he gritted his teeth, and his face contorted with greed. "You have a deal."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 411: Investigation and Triss

    A nket of fog draped over the clear skies of rural Vizima. A stream happily gurgled down its way to the sea, but the young witcher cared not about it. What he cared about were the woods beyond the stream.


    "This is thetest crime scene." He said to the crow on his shoulder, "Perhaps there''s some clue left."


    Gryphon gave his arm a peck of agreement, and Roy patted its head. "Keep an eye out for me."


    Into the air the crow went. It swiftly perched atop of a tree, staring around cautiously and jumping around from branch to branch like a little detective searching for clues.


    Roy straightened his cloak out and crossed the river. Once on the other side, his eyes shone as brightly as a beast''s. Something changed in the air. He started seeing ribbons floating in the air and hiding in the grass. Some were almost palpable, while some were almost nonexistent.


    He saw blood, bodily fluids, excrement, and footprints of humans and animals alike. As if painting the grass, the footprints came in different colors. Red, green, grey, and more.


    "No trace of a higher vampire. But that''s to be expected. Theye and go as they please. Not like regr humans can fend one off."


    He hunkered down and carefully parted some grass, revealing a dark, circr patch of blood. He sniffed it. "Young victim. Younger than twenty. Kalkstein''s right on the money. Was probably attacked when he came to collect his fish. Blood sttered everywhere. That monster punctured his artery here." Roy approached the forest, where the ribbons were almost palpable. Once again, he parted the grass, and once more he found patches of blood. On and on he went, until he found five patches of blood.


    Unlike cast-offs and passives, spatter stains urred from the first spurt of blood that came from a wound. The murderer injured its victims in multiple areas. "If the killer is a low-level vampire, it would incapacitate the guy during its first attack and tear him apart in its second. It could have ended things in two blows. A higher vampire couldn''t have made this mess."


    Roy rubbed his chin and looked around the scene. Cicada chirps carried across the air, breezes swaying the tree branches.


    Roy had an idea. "It was ying with its prey. It kept injuring its victim and keeping it alive but fearful. But higher vampires dislike the blood of terrified prey."


    Back in Kaer Morhen, Roy went through a book that was titled Hamlets: Establishment and Growth of Human Communities. It was a literature work about vampires. ording to the book, humans would produce noradrenaline and cortisol when they are in a state of great fear. Noradrenaline and cortisol would sour the taste of their blood, and most higher vampires would balk at it.


    <em>So why did this one go out of its way to strike fear into the victim''s heart? </em>Roy frowned. He had no idea at all. Toplicate matters, the other traces had been muddied by the vigers, investigators, and passing beasts.


    ***


    That higher vampire hadmitted five murders in the span of one month, all done in remote corners of Vizima. At least that was what Kalkstein said.


    The next crime scene Roy visited was a quiet ce a few miles away from the nearest vige. Gryphon would scout the surroundings way up in the air, while Roy took the ground route. It did not take long for them to arrive at the scene¡ªa hillock covered in myrtles. A gust of wind cantered across the hillock, and the grass danced in its presence.


    Roy turned his witcher senses on and searched the bushes for any clues, but s, the higher vampire left nothing behind. Simr to the first ce, spatter stains littered this scene. The victim was tortured before the tormentor took their life.


    "A girl. About seventeen or eighteen. Fresh and young. Our customer is a picky one. Twice it has gone after younger people. Could have been a coincidence the first time, but not the second." Roy plucked two gleaming mangosteens off the tree branches. He popped one into his mouth and tossed the other into the air.


    A loud caw shot up into the skies as a ck silhouette zipped past the mangosteen. Gryphon perched atop a branch, craning its neck as it gulped down the fruit Roy tossed into the air earlier.


    "Might be dealing with a psycho higher vampire here. Probably killed for fun instead of sustenance."


    Roy took a deep breath. For some reason, the air got chilly all of a sudden. Higher vampires possessed superhuman strength and incredibly long lifespans. Some, like Francis the coroner and Queen of the Night, might abide by humanws, but most higher vampires saw humans as nothing but lowly creatures. A source of food for them, so to speak.


    To them, humans were nothing but mere ves. ves whom they could torment and look down upon. The higher vampiremunity was divided into three factions. One would insist on cooping humans up and using them as mere food, one would let humans roam free and hunt them when the need arose, while another one would learn to care and coexist with humans.


    ***


    Just like how some humans would hunt boars, wolves, and other wild animals for fun, some higher vampires would torture humans for pleasure. But most of them had gone into hiding over thest century. Some lived in mountains, some in the wilds, and some hid in deep, dark caves, while some blended in with humans.


    Their ability to disguise themselves was second to none. On par with dopplers, in fact. If they ever so wished it, not even a witcher''s medallion could sense their energy signature.


    It had been many years since a higher vampiremitted murders of such magnitude in the Northern Realms. Roy spected that the Unseen Elder must be behind this.


    ***


    "We have a rogue maniac on our hands. An invading high vampire." Atop the hillock stood the witcher, his gaze set on the myrtle, the mangosteen trees, the verdant ins, and the viges that slept yonder. "The Queen of the Night came straight to Kalkstein to get some ck blood so she could apprehend this monster. Didn''t even try to talk it out. Perhaps I should just destroy it instead of giving it over to the alchemist."


    He stared at the ground, and then he noticed something off.


    "What is this?" Roy hunkered down near a tree and held up a petite mushroom between his fingers. It was the size of his nail, its cap was red, and its stalk was white. <em>Looks like a fly agaric back in my old world.</em>


    "It''s a glowing mushroom," he muttered. <em>But glowing mushrooms don''t grow under trees. Maybe some beasts spread their spores here.</em>


    He let out a loud whistle, and Gryphon circled the hillock, but no cave was found. Roy made a mental note of that.


    ***


    Across the ins and meandering stream the witcher went. Half an hourter, he went to the third of the five crime scenes¡ªa clearing surrounded by parasol trees full of nuts.


    He was still a hundred yards away from the scene, but the young witcher stopped and hid within a bush. Gryphon perched atop a nearby branch, brushing its feathers while staring at the crowd beneath.


    There were six people going around. Five were in shining silver armor and crimson capes. The emblem of a white rose decorated their left shoulder, and a sword hung from their belts. They were all burly and powerful. <em>Must be the Order of the White Rose. </em>And they were doing a thorough search in the woods.


    The sixth member of the group, the one in the center, was ady. She was in hunting attire, making it easy for her to move. She was wearing a tight, leather shirt that had green pauldrons and russet loop sleeves. The shirt was slightly low-cut, revealing her skin underneath. Her pants were as tight as her shirt, and she paired them up with leather boots.


    Thedy was beautiful, and all her curves were set in the right ces. Her chestnut hair was tied behind her hair, her eyes were as blue as cornflowers, her nose was aquiline, and her cheeks were freckled. There was also a beauty mark in the corner of her lips.


    She radiated the air of an innocentdy, and a sky-blue pendant with silver and diamond embedded in it hung from her chest, swaying as she turned around. She''d draw a lot of attention if she went around.


    ''Triss Merigold


    Age: Forty-one years old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Mage, Temeria''s royal consultant.''


    ***


    "Why is Triss here?" Roy rubbed his chin. "Did these murders make their way to the top brass of Vizima? Oh yeah, this is probably what Adda wanted me to help her with." He muttered, "Triss is helping the knights with their search for the murderer." <em>Triss, you have no idea what you''re dealing with.</em>


    "She <em>is </em>technically an acquaintance of mine, even though I only met her in the game. I should help her." And Roy was reminded of something else. Just like Coral, Triss was one of the ''casualties'' during the Battle of Sodden Hill. She might have survived the terrible ordeal, but her wounds¡ªboth physical and mental¡ªnever did heal.


    "Maybe I should tell her about the war, but she''s not Coral. She won''t believe the premonition story. Wait, I have an idea."


    The knights and Roy had amon goal, but he would try to keep his operation a secret if he could. <em>That monster might have some friends. If they find out I''m hunting it down, they coulde for me instead.</em>


    ***


    Fritz was a knight with some zits on his face. He stared at the scorching sun, his face scrunching up like wrinkled paper. He tried to block out the sun with his hand, but to no avail. The blinding light made his head spin and his stomach churn.


    He rubbed his belly, and then it rumbled. A tinge of red covered his cheeks, deepening when the sorceress looked his way. <em>Oh my god. I can''t believe I embarrassed myself in front of the lovelydy. Is this punishment for my gluttony?</em>


    <em>Dammit, why did I have to eat that steakst night?</em> He wanted to hide in a hole.


    "If you need to relieve yourself, relieve yourself." Clevnd, their leader, smiled at him. "We''ll keep an eye on things. Don''t worry. It happens to the best of us." He patted Fritz''s shoulder.


    "Just take a shit, Fritz."


    "You''re a man. Don''t be shy."


    "I saw a good tree. You can shit there if you want."


    His colleagues tossed joking mockery at him.


    "Thanks, Clevnd." Fritz clutched his churning belly and sped into the forest as fast as he could. He could feel the sorceress staring at him.


    Just before he soiled his pants, Fritz found a tree and squatted. <em>Ahh, sweet relief.</em>


    He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, and a smile curled his lips. A moan escaped his lips, and his cheeks turned rosy from delight. He thought he was literally on cloud nine, and for some odd reason, he saw a beautiful fairy with butterfly wings fluttering before him like she was dancing.


    His little smile turned into a stupid grin, and he plopped down on his own pile of excrements.


    "Sorry, mate. Didn''t mean to. But this is a rite of passage for every man. Still better than falling into a shithole." An apologetic voice was speaking. "Now, tell me all about your investigation. What do you know about the victims and the killer?"


    "A-All the victims are between the ages of fifteen to eighteen," Fritz answered, his voice monotonous andcking any emotion. "Three boys and¡­ two girls. Came from different¡­ viges. Some died during the day. Some died during¡­ the night. They¡­ didn¡¯t have many friends. Never¡­ got into any big fights. These were no¡­ revenge murders. Their deaths were¡­ horrific. Torn to shreds."


    <em>Yeah, so you guys won''t realize they died from an excessive loss of blood.</em>


    "The coroner¡­ checked on them. Said¡­ it wasn''t a beast assault. The chancellor of security¡­ thinks a ghoul or nekker might have done it."


    Roy shook his head. <em>No, they don''t tear their victims to shreds. They chew and devour them.</em>


    "B-But Triss noticed¡­ something. The victims¡­ were virgins. Maybe that was why¡­ the killer picked them."


    "Damn that psycho vampire. He terrorized virgins and took in their fear-tainted blood," Roy said. "His pte is certainly unorthodox."


    He had a bad feeling about this monster. Only ancient higher vampires were so picky about their food, and the older a higher vampire was, the more powerful they were.


    "A-And that crossed the necrophages o-off our list of suspects." Fritz paused for a moment. "Triss thinks the killer¡­ might be a werewolf. They might be hiding in some vige, pretending¡­ to be human."


    Roy shook his head once more. Certainly, the signs of their death pointed to a werewolf being the killer, but werewolves had a certain trait about them. Their body odor was far more repugnant than most beasts. If the killer were a werewolf, there should be some lingering odor around the scenes, even after days or weeks. Roy would have picked that up, but he smelled no odor.


    "W-We''ve searched¡­ all twenty-five viges around the¡­ crime scenes. N-No unfamiliar individual went in or out. Merigold also used her¡­ telepathy on the suspects. N-None of them did this."


    <em>Well, that saved me a lot of time. This was a fruitful trip.</em>


    "W-We asked the vigers to search around. Th-Three-mile radius, but we found nothing. The investigation has grinded to¡­ a halt. Triss thinks there are¡­ clues we missed. So we came back and¡­ patrolled the area."


    "Did you see this, then?" Roy whipped out the glowing mushroom.


    "Y-Yes. Clevnd found some. B-But no one paid it heed."


    <em>They overlooked something as important as this? Are witchers the only ones who consider everything during an investigation?</em>


    Roy shook his head. He knew his earlier guess was right on the mark, or close to it, at the very least. <em>That vamp isn''t hiding in any vige. It''s hiding in¡­</em>


    "So what are you guys gonna do now?"


    "Bait it out. W-We looked into it. The killer kills once every¡­ week. It''s almost time for its next¡­ murder." Fritz spilled everything without any resistance. "W-We will be sending out a sixteen-year-old knight to lure the¡­ killer out."


    "When and where?"


    "Tomorrow. Night of the full moon, at eight. About¡­ a mile and a half east from Hop Vige. A clearing on the shores of¡­ River Kree."


    <em>Huh. That monster isn¡¯t gonna fall for the bait that easily. The Queen of the Night would have caught the bastard by now otherwise. But it''s worth a try.</em>


    Roy slowed his gesture down and gave Fritz an apologetic smile. "Alright. Once you wake, you will forget you ever saw me. You won''t remember what we talked about. You will feel exhausted from shitting for too long. And you fell in your own poop. Um¡­ you''ll regain your strength in thirty seconds after you wake."


    He stared at the zit-filled face and quickly added, "You''ll reflect upon your life while you restter. What you have experienced today is a cruel trial, but only blood or the stench of rot will give rise to a rose. You will not feel humiliated. Instead, you will delight at letting go of the shackles that bind you. You are now one step closer to knighthood. The real meaning of knighthood is close at hand."


    And then the witcher disappeared into thin air.


    Fritz shook his head, waking up in a pile of his own piss and poop. He sniffed the air and touched his rear by instinct.


    As he stared at his filthy, foul-smelling hand, a big smile curled his lips. No longer was there doubt in his eyes. There was only resolve. Disgust, cowardice, and humiliation had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt like he just returned triumphant from a momentous battle. There was no longer anything that could stop him. He could do whatever he wished.


    The knight wiped the filth on a tree''s bark. He pulled his pants up and wore his armor once more. With pride in his heart, he marched back to his colleagues. mes of resolve red in his eyes, and adamantly, he said, "Fritz, from now on, you are a real knight of the order."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 412: Clear

    Roy made his way to the remaining crime scenes, though he found nothing. The killer was swift and made sure it left no traces behind. And it was torturing its victims before it went for the kill. Glowing mushrooms¡ªthat were only supposed to exist in dark caves¡ªlittered the scenes, and that narrowed the scope of Roy''s search down.


    The young witcher sat down on a big, jutting boulder on the river shores andid his map out. With his charcoal pencil, he marked all the twenty-five viges and crime scenes. And yet he didn''t see any possible ces of hiding for the higher vampire nearby. His gaze was drawn to the northern area, where mountains were aplenty.


    "The vigers have searched the nearby area. I need to go further and see if there are any caves around."


    He did a double-check of his gear and items. Most of the items were provided by Kalkstein, like vampire oil and top-quality ck blood. Kalkstein also gave him three dimeritium bombs and three y bombs, which were his newest invention. The bombs had an effect that could restrict the area of effect to a narrow radius. One of these contained enough punch to knock out a basilisk.


    And Roy was also decked out with twenty splitting crossbow bolts made of dimeritium. These bolts had vampire oil in them. He also had a pair of sunsses that could see through any invisibility skill, a ring that could release a powerful magical shield when activated, and a grey cape that could lessen the sounds he made while he was on the move.


    With Heliotrop and Quen added into the fray, thisbination could cover the sound of his footsteps and his body odor. Not even a higher vampire could notice him.


    Thest item he had was the most important of them all¡ªa coffin covered in dozens of sealing magic circles. If Roy could capture the vampire, then he would put it into this coffin.


    All of these items cost Kalkstein everything he had. He imed he sold all his perfect creations just for this operation. And ording to the contract, even if Roy were to fail, he could keep these items, provided that he did his very best in the mission.


    Aerondight and Gwyhyr''s runes were all lit up. Roy could go in with his strongest attack anytime he wanted.


    With slight confidence in his heart, he tucked all his items away into his inventory space and made his way to northern Vizima rural. Gryphon stayed behind to keep an eye on the knights, reporting their every move to Roy. If anything were to happen, Roy would summon Gryphon back or teleport back to it.


    ***


    Roy leapt down to the ground. He charged full speed ahead like a stallion, grass flying into the air with every step he took. He was moving five times faster than regr humans. From afar, he looked like a phantom who would blink in and out of existence.


    Through the ins he ran. Through the ravines he sprinted. Through the woods, the bushes, and the fallen trees he charged. Two hourster, he found himself in front of a dark cave standing within the clearing of a forest, the sun hanging over him.


    The witcher tiptoed to the cave and turned his witcher senses on. The air was filled with colorful ribbons that gurgled and meandered like streams of water congregating within the cave. He sniffed the air. Most of the ribbons smelled like the blood of wild beasts, but Roy also caught the faint stench of rotten meat.


    "Nope, not a higher vampire. Probably a necrophage." Roy heaved a sigh of relief and looked into the cave again. "But that doesn''t mean I''m gonna let you live."


    The witcher didn''t use any oils or decoctions this time. He was nning to do some warm up for the eventual battle with the higher vampire. First, he cast Quen and Heliotrop over himself, then he slithered into the cave, sticking to the walls like a lizard.


    Roy looked around. Stctites hung from the ceiling, pointing at the spacious chamber. Piles of stones, cobwebs, moss, and mushrooms littered the ce. Skeletal remains of little critters slept in the corners of the cave, and alongside them were mangled, rotten corpses.


    Roy turned a corner one minuteter and stopped in his tracks. He hid behind the jutting boulder and stared into the chamber. Dim lights shone on three humanoid monsters circling a pile of bones on all fours. One of them looked bigger than the others. It looked like hyenas surrounding a tiger.


    The smaller monsters had skin as grey as corpses, and the stench of rotten meat surrounded them. Their limbs and back were covered with gigantic muscles, and their legs were pointed backward like dogs.


    Their maws were ck, sturdy, and extended to their ears. Within the maws were teeth as yellow as maggots. Their eyes were as ck as the void, as if there was nothing but a demon within that shell of a body.


    The biggest of the three monsters had ck, hardened skin, and obsidian spikes jutted from its back. It walked slowly, its tongue lolled out like a dog, and growls that resembled the sound of metal grating against metal escaped its maw.


    ''Alghoul


    Age: Five years old


    HP: 220


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 16


    Constitution: 22


    Perception: 8


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    gued w Level 7: Ghouls are carriers of various toxins, bacteria, and viruses. Any wound caused by their ws and teeth will cause the victim to lose their strength and contract a fever. The wounds will also rot as well.


    Devour Level 8: Alghouls can heal regr wounds and some damage by consuming some flesh.


    Madness (Passive): Alghouls will store some of the energy they gain from regr flesh consumption within themselves. Once their HP is lower than twenty percent, they can tap into this reserve energy and quickly heal themselves. +4 to STR, DEX, and CON when this happens. They will ignore pain and entire a frenzy mode. Lasts one minute.


    Leader (Passive): Alghouls are leaders of ghouls. They can gather a troop of ghouls if they so wish. They possess a higher intelligencepared to ghouls and graveirs. This level of intelligence grants them the ability to organize their lessers to mount an effective attack on enemies.''


    ***


    Thanks to the Cape of Silence and Roy''s shields, the ghouls and alghoul failed to realize his presence, despite how close he was to them. A toothy grin cracked Roy''s lips, and his gaze was drawn to the leftmost ghoul. A hint of murder glinted in the witcher''s eyes.


    Without making a sound, he quickly weaved aplex sign in the air, and a crimson rune shimmered. A blinding sh of light covered the dark cave as Roy shoved the rune ahead. The yellow fireball hurtled through the air and hit its target squarely.


    Sparks of me scattered everywhere like ethereal ss shards, shining upon three grotesque faces. Even the air trembled before the incredible heat given off by the fireball. Howls of pain echoed within the chamber, but before the ghouls could react to the initial attack, the witcher was already making another Sign. A purple bolt of lightning arced across the ground, burning a gash within it. Soil and moss broke into little pieces, dancing in the air.


    Once again, the attacknded on the same ghoul. Its charred head turned a darker shade of ck, its brain matter fried. It tried to howl, but its voice came out as a whimper.


    But then a red light shone from it, and the ghoul started regaining some life. It and itspanions charged straight at Roy, but the witcher pulled the trigger without hesitation. A bolt pierced through its head, sending it flying through the air. It fell and rolled around, and it stopped moving.


    A big hole had torn through its charred ugly face. The witcher killed it before it could even get close.


    ''Ghoul killed. EXP +100. Level 9 Witcher (3760/6500).''


    ***


    Five yards. Five yards and the remaining ghouls would be upon Roy. They snarled and roared, filling the air with their stench.


    Roy could see the strips of flesh on the ghouls¡¯ teeth, but he was unfazed. He shoved a ck Sign ahead and took a deep breath.


    And then he roared. A loud, magnificent roar that shook the stctites overhead. The chaos energy that lingered in the air ignited, and the stctites finally came raining down.


    A surge of blue light appeared before the witcher, and a silhouette hopped into existence. It swung Gwyhyr around, charging at the iing ghoul and entering a fight with it.


    Roy held Aerondight in his hands. He crouched and leapt into the air only to bring the de down on the ghoul on his right. Like cutting through butter, Aerondight sliced through the ghoul''s body, and another blinding sh of light shone for but a moment.


    Once the light was gone, Roy had alreadynded, and behind him stood a headless body. Blood gushed through its neck as it slowly fell to the ground. He made another purple Sign with his left hand, and a halo of light shone beneath his feet, its patterns swirling and changing like a kaleidoscope.


    At the same time, the alghoul smashed Roy''s clone into pieces. The elements that hid within the clone''s body exploded in the form of a first nova, covering the alghoul in ice as if it had been standing in a blizzard for an hour.


    Its speed was half of what it used to be, and Roy seized the chance to attack. He turned around and charged ahead with a sword in his hand. The de reached the alghoul''s neck, but it was stopped by the monster''s tough bones.


    Roy pulled back and quickly circled around the monster like an agile cat, attacking it whenever it showed any opening, his de the conductor of a song of death.


    With the halo and frost nova in effect, the alghoul was now moving slower than a ten-year-old, but Roy was still as fast as ever. Like a bolt of crimson lightning, he attacked every time the alghoul showed an opening, bringing his sword down on the monster''s injured nape.


    Every time the de made contact, it would elicit a howl of agony from the alghoul. But howl as it might, the witcher still kept on his relentless attack. There was no one there to watch this dance. No one but the dim light of the cave.


    Ten secondster, crimson tentacles shot out from the void behind Roy and wrapped themselves around the alghoul like a boa constrictor.


    The moment they lifted the monster off the ground, Roy swung his de downward, slicing through the monster''s flesh and bones. A mangled head rolled over to the witcher''s foot, but its blood was deflected by Quen.


    ''Alghoul killed. EXP +240 Level 9 Witcher (4000/6500).''


    Roy flicked the blood off his de and hunkered down to cut the corpses open for his loot. He took their ws, eyeballs, and even their innards. "That was a goodbo. Hope it''ll work on the vampire."


    The battlessted for less than thirty seconds. He didn''t even have to use Fear or Energy sh. Just a year ago, it took him everything to kill just one ghoul, but now he could defeat three at once.


    One of them had more than twenty points in one stat, but it was helpless before Frost Nova and Halo. "Oh, this is a big surprise."


    A smile curled his lips, and a happy Roy whipped out a greater red mutagen the size of a fist. <em>Alright. One step closer to the next rank.</em>


    ***


    Roy searched the cave and found the remains of two unlucky bastards in one of the corners. He took the ten orens they had and buried them nearby. Adda might have given him ten thousand orens, but he wasn''t one to waste any money.


    ***


    Roy spent his afternoon going through the caves in rural Vizima. He scoured the east and north region, but there were no signs of any glowing mushrooms or the higher vampire. And he didn''t run into any other monsters either.


    There was a family of grizzly bears in a cave, but they didn''t attack Roy, so he spared them.


    ***


    The sun eventually set, and night came. Roy set up camp on the big oak tree overseeing Hop Hamlet. He didn¡¯t n on making any moves during the night. Higher vampires might not fear the sun, but they still preferred night time more. If he were to run into the monster at night, Roy would have a lower chance of victory.


    Gryphon had returned from its scouting mission, and with it were some interesting scenes. Right after Roy left, a gorgeousdy met up with Triss.


    She was slim and petite, her hay-colored hair long and straight. She was wearing a pair of heels made of the hide of a horned dragon, and her dress was green and translucent. Triss was already scantily d, but this woman was even more so.


    "I see they''ll be trying to catch that <em>werewolf</em>." And concern welled in Roy''s heart. <em>Please don''t get that guy''s attention tomorrow, or you guys are gonna die.</em>


    ***


    Keira and Triss lived in a resplendent vi in the pce. Thedies were bathing in a gigantic wooden barrel made of cedar at the moment.


    Keira sshed some water at Triss, who was clearly spacing out. "You''re spacing out, Triss. Did you take a liking to one of the knights? Finally decided to get into a rtionship?" Keira scooped some water up and poured it down her chest, a big smile curling her lips. "So, you think Fritz will make a good partner? You like his courage, right?"


    Triss shivered, ripples spreading across the water. She could never forget what she saw that afternoon. "As if."


    Fritz came back from relieving himself looking like a changed man. There was confidence in his eyes, and he cared not about the smell that came from him. Nor did he care about his colleagues'' mockery. He went to work without even cleaning himself, muttering something weird under his breath. Triss vaguely heard things like ''true knighthood'' and ''training.''


    Since that moment onward, Triss vowed to never let Fritz go near her. Even if she wanted to date a knight, she''d want someone who could bring more value into her life.


    She held the pendant hanging around her neck, her wet hair sticking to her glimmering, supple skin. "This isn''t about love. It''s about tomorrow''s operation. Wonder if we can catch the creature."


    "Why do you care so much, sweetie?" Keira leaned over, her chin touching the water''s surface. She raised her hand and held Triss'' chin. "This whole thing has nothing to do with us. We''re members of Temeria''s royal council. Our job is to solve any magic-rted problems for Foltest, not y monster hunter in some dirty, backwater vige.


    "I can''t go with you every time. Yes, you''re being kind. I know you help the poor vigers during our hunt for the Lady of the Lake''s church, but that''s a job for witchers and the chancellor of security." She waded through the water and sat down beside herpanion, her arm wrapping around Triss'' shoulder. "If you really want to help, post a request at the town hall''s bulletin board."


    Keira stared into Triss'' eyes, caressing her red hair. "Remember what Tissaia told us? Don''t get adventurous. Don''t put ourselves in the way of danger."


    Triss pursed her lips, voicing her disapproval in silence. She did post a request, but for some reason, Vizima''s witchers didn''t take it. It was like they disappeared into thin air. She had to do it herself.


    And Triss had a little wish of her own. This monotony in her life? She hated it. She wished for an adventure. Something different from everything she had done so far.


    Suddenly, Keira chuckled and narrowed her eyes. "If you really want to help, you should make Foltest fall for you first. If you gain his favor, he might mobilize his troops and catch the monster for you."


    Triss raised her head and stared at Keira. She mocked, "You''re getting horny, aren''t you, Keira? You actually want to seduce the king?"


    Keira touched the silver cross before her chest and smiled, a hue of crimson donning her cheeks. Without fear or fervor, she said, "Of course. I''m always ready to sleep with Foltest. He seems healthy, unlike most ministers. And certainly unlike most men."


    Keira stared outside the window with a feral desire in her eyes. "If he so wished it, I would be willing to carry his child. And he can rail me anywhere he wants. <em>Anywhere</em>. And then I shall have all the wealth I desire."


    <em>Well, that''s exaggerating. </em>Amused, Triss chuckled and smacked Keira''s hand. "Dream on, Keira ''who-wants-to-be-pregnant'' Metz. First, we <em>can''t </em>get pregnant. And second, the king only has a third of your lifespan. If we can''t birth any descendants for him, we¡¯re nothing but pretty toys he can abandon anytime."


    The light in Keira''s eyes dimmed. She leaned back and rubbed her belly, mncholy recing the delight in her eyes earlier. A sigh escaped her lips. "I was joking. I know. We poordies have to depend on ourselves if we wanna live the best life we can."


    And then she clutched Triss'' hand. "But please, listen to me. Do not go after that monster."


    She pulled Triss into her embrace and patted her head. "Please, I don''t want to wake up one morning to find you dead or dismembered. I do not want to lose another friend."


    "Then help me out and get me some items," Triss answered, her voice soft but filled with resolve.


    A cloud of steam veiled them, but it didn''t stop their conversation from being overheard.


    A cat hopped over the roof and disappeared into the night.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 413: Kidnap

    Night had arrived once more. And it was a night of hunting. Lonely stars twinkled in the night, the brightest pointing at the full moon.


    Silvery light rained down upon the river and meandered down the stream. A nket of mist covered the oak forest and fields beside the stream.


    Roy hid at the edge of the mist, behind a big, fallen log covered in moss and fungi. His silhouette was hidden in the darkness, and his eyes were set on the river not so far away. On the shore stood a lonely young man. ck hair, blue eyes. About mid-teen. He was in a cheap jacket, crouched on the ground. Deftly, he set up small fish traps, but Roy noticed the tremble in his shoulders.


    He was terrified. Not even a veteran knight could stay calm if he was tasked to lure out a werewolf during the night of a full moon. Not even if he was covered in a protective magic circle.


    But Roy''s attention was not on the boy. His gaze was drawn to the patch of tall napier grass about twenty yards away from the bait. He put his detection sunsses on and saw more than twenty red heat signatures. Some were strong, and some were weak.


    "Twenty knights of the order and Triss the sorceress."


    Not an inch of ribbon was seen on them. Roy posited that they must have cast some spell on themselves. This spell could fool a witcher''s senses and werewolves, to an extent. If their enemy were a werewolf, that was.


    But their enemy was no werewolf.


    ***


    Triss was crawling on the cold, viscous soil, holding her breath. The soil dirtied her beautiful clothes, but she paid it no heed. She looked at the brave apprentice knight through the cracks between the des of grass.


    The scent of soil and grass lingered around her nose, and des of grass scraped her cheek. Crickets would crawl past her arms, tickle her fingers, and dart across her legs. She wanted to scratch herself, but Triss held the urge down. She kept holding on despite the chilly night.


    Now she finally realized what Keira was talking about. A mage had no need to get herself into this mess. <em>I''m lying down in a field like some sort of beast waiting for someone to rail me. But I guess this is the price I should pay for excitement.</em>


    Her eyes shone, and her breathing became quieter. A team of knights in ck armor and equipped with shields, swords, and crossbowsy beside her. The look on their faces was solemn, and they too were staring at the bait. An odd light shone in their eyes, perhaps because they had ingested a special potion beforehand.


    They had taken a stance that would ease them into battle. Should the killer show himself, they could swoop in for the rescue right away.


    ***


    The night grew darker. An hour had passed, but nothing happened. The silvery moon was slowly heading toward the end of the river. There were no signs of the werewolf yet, but the young apprentice was still tense.


    He gnashed his teeth and went on with the second part of the n. He unsheathed a short sword and put his hands into the cool river. A bass was pulled out shortly after, and the young man cut its belly open. But for some reason, he overexerted himself. The de cut his finger, drawing a drop of blood. It fell to the ground, its scent wafting across the quiet air.


    The young man sucked on his wound and kept on cutting the fish up, his gaze still rmed. Even though Roy was on the other side of the river, he could hear the young apprentice''s heartbeat.


    The knights tensed up even further, not unlike a panther tensing up for a hunt. Sweat glistened within Triss'' palms. Her eyes glinted, and she pinched a lock of her hair tightly.


    Even the air seemed to have frozen up, and yet nothing happened. Silence still reigned, save for the gurgling of the stream.


    "It didn''t work, huh? Guess the guy saw through his acting." Roy heaved a sigh and shook his head. "That vamp is not going to fall for this trick. It''s smarter than this."


    Just when he was about to relive his memories of boat rowing with Coral, his medallion started to tremble. The quiet air was now filled with a weird scent that smelled like abination of blood and butter.


    Roy held his medallion, his body tensing up. His blood was starting to race through his vessels, and he looked around cautiously. He was the only one who knew about the arrival of an enemy.


    Until a burst ofughter tore through the air. There was mockery in thatughter, and yet that was not the terrifying part. Aside from mockery, there was nothing but indifference. Indifference predators would show to prey.


    It could have been a hallucination, but Roy thought he saw a pair of crimson, cunning eyes hanging in the air, but beyond that, he saw nothing.


    Everyone felt the air around them freeze. Even their blood seemed to be curdling. A shiver ran down their spines as if someone had just breathed down their necks. Yet they did not move. They still tried their best to capture the killer with their eyes.


    All the color had drained from Triss'' face. "No, this is no werewolf." She held her breath and clenched her protective talisman tightly with one hand while caressing her ring with the other. She was ready to rain down destruction on the monster the moment it showed up and tear it apart.


    And then¡­ silence. Deathly silence, but this time, it was the calm before the storm. Tension hung in the air. The knights hoped they were just hearing things, but that was no hallucination. Their hearts raced, and their stomachs churned.


    <em>That vamp is trying to y with them?</em> Roy thought.


    The patch of grass was starting to rustle. One of the knights stood up, but his eyes were dead. Like a puppet, he stiffly unsheathed his de and thrust it into hisrade.


    Roy saw blood spurting across the air in an arc. And then another knight stood up. Without hesitation, he stabbed the knight beside him. Roy heard the dull stab, followed by a scream and a grunt.


    And the silence was broken.


    "Enemy attack! To formation! For the order!" a stern voice shouted.


    The knights split into three factions. One went ahead and pinned the out-of-control knights, one went to the rescue of the injured, while the remaining ten unsheathed their des and held up their shields with one hand. They formed a circle around theirrades, keeping them safe.


    The apprentice had returned to the fold as well.


    Triss was chanting as quickly as she could. Her hands were doingplex gestures, and her talisman shone. The light of magic soared into the air and flooded the knights. The hypnotized knights trembled, and their eyes regained rity.


    Roy was still watching the events unfold. To his surprise, he saw a silhouette moving within the patch of grass behind the knights. A ck silhouette of a gigantic bat. Its wings were featherless and made of membrane as thin as cicada wings. It had a naked body, its skin covered in slime. The monster had the head of an oversized mouse, but its ears were as big as fans, and the sight of its nose almost made Roy hurl.


    Its maw was filled with sharp, canine teeth, with a few that were long enough to be fangs. And they glimmered under the moon.


    ''Mocha aep Gruffyd


    Age: Two hundred and ten years old


    Status: Higher vampire (Apex predator of the vampires. Unlike their lesser counterparts, they possess humanlike behavior.)


    HP: ? (Requires higher Perception)


    Mana: ?


    Strength: 30


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 13


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 10


    Spirit: ?


    Skills:


    Crimson Hunger Level 5: Higher vampires do not need to drink blood, but they can develop an addiction to it. They can heal regr injuries quickly through the consumption of blood.


    Hyper Regeneration Level 7: Higher vampires are immune to garlic, fire, and wooden stakes. Their lifespan extends to centuries, and they possess incredible regenerative abilities. They can survive losing their heart and even decapitation. And they can slowly heal over time. Some of the more powerful higher vampires can resurrect themselves even after they''re burned to ash.


    Hypnosis Level 6: Whispers beguiling promises into their victim and turns them into puppets that will do their bidding.


    Invisibility Level 6: Higher vampires can change their skin color and camouge with their environment. Most people cannot see them in this state.


    Spread Level 6: Turns into a group of bats. Allows for fast movement and evasion.


    Scarlet Summoning Level 4: Allows a higher vampire tomand nearby lower bloodsuckers like bats and bruxa to fight for them.


    Crimson Vessel Level 6: Unleashes all energy within a higher vampire''s body. Shapeshifts into a gigantic bat. Gains an increase in all stats in this state. Gains the ability to fly. Fangs and ws grow exponentially. Filled with the desire to kill in this state.


    Blood Magic Level ?: A kind ofplex magic created by fusing blood and mana.


    (Requires higher Perception to view more.)''


    ***


    Roy watched as Mochanded in silence and approached one of the knights. All the knight felt was the wind brushing his face, and he lost bnce.


    What happened next was shocking to the knights. One of them was pulled off the ground by an invisible force and hung upside down sixteen feet in the air, but nobody saw what caused this.


    Nobody but the witcher. The humanoid bat was covered in smoke and blood. Over the knights'' head it circled, appearing and disappearing as if it were teleporting. A weird sound resembling an owl''s hoot escaped its lips.


    The monster was ying with its prey, but it got tired of them in mere moments. And the monster hurled the knight down like a cannonball. Hisrades shouted, but s, they could do nothing as their friend fell into their formation.


    The formation broke. Knight rolled into knight, howling and shivering in pain. Their limbs were bent at unnatural angles, and a hole was formed in the defense line.


    "Hold the line! Cast thes!" Clevnd''s shout tore through the air. "For the order!"


    A team of knights quickly tossed a metallic imbibed with silver into the air. It glimmered under the moonlight, and then another flew as well, but none caught their quarry.


    The monster let out a derisiveugh as it circled the knights.


    Triss shouted and shot a bolt of purple light into the night sky. And it broke through the vampire''s invisibility. Though when it was revealed who their enemy was, the knights were horrified. They felt goosebumps all over their skin, and by instinct, they raised their shields.


    "A higher vampire?" Horror filled Triss'' eyes, but she quickly shot a purple lightning bolt at the vampire.


    "For the order! Kill the bat bastard!"


    Bolts flew into the air and fell like rain. Roy took the chance to take his shot as well, though his bolt was made of dimeritium and greased with vampire oil. One clean shot would be enough to take the monster down.


    And yet none of the attacksnded. The bat turned itself into a crimson cloud, where countless microscopic bats pped their wings and screeched like the world would end in mere moments.


    The bolts flew through the cloud like it was air. Even Triss'' magic was nullified the moment it hit the cloud. Unharmed, the vampire roared furiously, and the cloud changed once more. A rain of blood fell upon the knights like a torrent. The force created a crater in the ground, and the knights flew backward.


    The formation was fully and totally broken.


    The knight who received the hit head-on was turned into mincemeat. A puddle of blood and flesh formed on the ground, crimson liquid wriggling and growing within it. In mere moments, the mincemeat was turned into a screeching humanoid bat.


    Triss sped up her incantation and hurled a fireball at it, but the smoke and blood around the vampire deflected it. Triss'' magic was ineffective against it.


    A roar came rushing out of the vampire''s throat as it swung its sharp ws at one of the knights. The vampire''s ws were sharp enough to cut through steel, and the knight did not manage to hold his shield up in time. His armor was destroyed, and blood gushed out of him like he was a fountain, especially from his sliced belly.


    The vampire had wings as hard as any shield. They blocked all attacks and sent the knights flying. It leapt into the air and evaded Roy''s guided bolt. Then it turned around and shot Roy a look of mockery and warning.


    And then it pounced at Triss.


    "For the order!" Fritz roared and stood before Triss. His face was red with fury, and he valiantly held his shield up in an attempt to fend off the monster. But he was sent flying away with a single smack.


    Once again, the vampire covered itself with its wings and deflected a fireball. It took the lightning bolt head on and didn''t even slow down. The only mark the bolt left was a charred patch on the monster''s skin. Already the monster was inches away from Triss. The sorceress could see its maw and taste the bloody scenting from it.


    Its breath billowed her hair, and she let out a scream. A shockwave emanated from her and undted across the battlefield, destroying thendscape around her.


    Despite that attack, the bat only swayed for a moment. It easily cut through Triss'' magic shield and, with one wing, picked her up. It spread its other wing and lifted into the air. The vampire stood up straight, but it stared down at the humans with its ruby-red eyes.


    A dark smile curled its grotesque maw.


    <em>"Morvud va faill!"</em>


    The announcement of victory roared across the air, and the bat took off with its prey.


    ***


    "Sir, we lost a few men, and Triss has been captured." Fritz, with difficulty, stood back up. And he stared at his captain with worry in his eyes.


    "You, Jesse, and Chris areing with me. Everyone else, stay here and tend to the wounded!" A bloodied Clevnd looked at hisrades. There was sadness in his eyes. And also fury.


    Five knights lost their lives in the battle, and the boy who was supposed to lure it out died from a gash in his throat. His eyes were wide open, but there was no life behind them. And seven of the survivors suffered grievous injuries.


    "Damn that bat! I''ll make it pay!"


    But humans could never catch up to a vampire, not when it had wings. The knights lost their target just a few hundred yardster, and they gave up on the chase.


    ***


    But one man was keeping up. The witcher tore through the expanse ofnd, blinking in and out of existence from time to time. Miraculously, he managed to keep up with the higher vampire, trailing behind by only a little.


    He summoned a yellow winged beast the size of a buffalo from the void. Once again, Gryphon made its appearance, and it tilted its head.


    "No time to exin! I''m counting on you!" Roy took off his cape and hopped onto the griffin''s back. He sat astride and tugged on its mane. The higher vampire was fast disappearing into the night. There was fear and fury in Roy''s eyes, but he told Gryphon to go after the monster nheless.


    And Gryphon roared.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 414: A Great Battle

    The bat showed no signs of stopping, and neither did the griffin. Sixteen milester, the batnded before a cave under a hillock. It shapeshifted into a gaunt man in a blue silk shirt and took the sorceress into its abode, seemingly unaware of the witcher.


    Roy made hisnding and whipped out four decoctions: top-quality ck blood, Thunderbolt, Petri''s Philter, and Blizzard. Down his throat the decoctions went, and all the color was drained from Roy''s face.


    And then a hue of crimson washed over his face, ck veins popping all over his chin, cheeks, and eventually his face. Even his breathing felt like it was scorching his throat.


    First, he felt the world spin around him, and then his heart thumped like thunder as the decoctions coursed through his body.


    ''Strength: 14.5 ¡ú 17.5


    Dexterity: 15 ¡ú 18.''


    He whipped both des out and greased them with vampire oil, the five stars on their fullers gleaming brightly. He checked his equipment onest time before he made the leap and patted Gryphon''s head.


    With reluctance, the griffin stole into the night.


    He then turned his attention to the cave. If he hadn''t given Adda the idea to establish the church, Temeria''s consultants wouldn''t have had to patrol rural Vizima so frequently in their attempt to quell the growth of the church. Triss wouldn''t have had to look into this matter and run into that monster.


    Now she was caught, and Roy shouldered part of the me. He cast Quen and Heliotrop on himself once more and tiptoed into the cave like a cautious cat.


    ***


    A long, winding passage covered in sharp rock formations awaited Roy. The smallfort he had were the colonies of glowing mushrooms growing on the walls, providing some light in the otherwise pure darkness.


    Roy kept himself hidden in the shadows of the cave''s entrance, his eyes drawn to the main chamber. The cave''s master was none the wiser to his presence thanks to his cape and Signs.


    ***


    The fire of the brazier shone upon the face of a young woman. There was fear and ridicule in her eyes. The woman was lying on a stone bed, unable to lift even a finger from theck of strength. And yet her mind was wide awake.


    <em>This is ironic, </em>she thought. She followed a team of knights to challenge a werewolf all for the sake of entertainment, but their assessment was grossly erroneous. Instead of a werewolf, they ran into a higher vampire. Something they could never hope to defeat.


    <em>What will happen to me now?</em> She turned her gaze to her right with what little strength she could muster.


    The monster in human skin was rummaging through all the decanters lying on top of a stone table, shaking a few of them from time to time.


    <em>What the hell are those? </em>Triss sniffed the air, and all she smelled were the scent of ketchup, pepper, basil, cloves, nutmeg, and other spices.


    And then she heard a tune. A happy but eerie tune that came from the monster. It almost sounded like a delighted chef who was preparing his dinner. Sometimes it would even sing a line.


    <em>No, that''s not Northern Realm''smon speech. Isn''t Elder Speech either. It''s¡­ It''s Nilfgaardian!</em> An inkling of truth struck her, and so did fear. If she were at full strength, she''d be shivering like a woman standing in a freezingnd.


    <em>It¡¯s a higher vampire from Nilfgaard? And by the gods, is it trying to turn me into some sort of dish?</em>


    What color she had left was drained from her face. She tried to summon her mana and send an emergency signal to someone, but her mana wouldn''t budge. Left with no choice, she prayed for a miracle within her heart.


    "I still haven''t witnessed the truth of magic. And I haven''t found my soulmate just yet. I can''t die! Please, someone, save me!"


    "No, none wille. Your fate is sealed," a voice told her. "And the reason for your death shall be your own folly and arrogance."


    ***


    The vampire approached her, holding a bowl of spices in its hands.


    She could see its face now. No longer did it resemble an oversized bat. It was now a regr man with short ck hair, a long face, and a big nose. Its face was sickly pale, but its lips were as red as blood. Its chin was wide, and an icy smile curled its lips. It looked just like a crazed, maniacal noble.


    Its eyes were crimson, and it looked at her like how a lion would look at a gazelle.


    ***


    "<em>Visse hael</em>. I am Gruffyd, part of the great higher vampires of the south. I have to say, your beauty exceeds that of the night and blood itself." It bowed at Triss and scooped some crimson spices with its fingers. Then it brushed it across her cheeks and chin.


    Triss shivered uncontrobly. The greed and ferity in its eyes did not escape her.


    "I believe this is the first time I''ve run into someone as gorgeous as you ever since I crossed Yargue and stepped onto this¡­ backwardnd. You''re as beautiful as the nobles who live in the Golden Towers. And you possess an incredible reserve of knowledge." The vampire leaned over and sniffed Triss'' neck, its eyes narrowing in enjoyment.


    "Your blood¡­ It''s filled with the sweet scent of magic. It''s so much more enticing than the blood of virgins. I shan''t kill you, no. No, that would be a waste of great material. You deserve better. I swear to the underworld, every part of your body will be used to their utmost potential."


    The vampire licked its lips, and what came out of its lips next terrified Triss. "Not even an inch of your flesh or drop of your blood will go to waste."


    Triss started blinking furiously, and she made muffled sounds of fear.


    But the vampire only drew one nail across her neck, drawing blood. "All your emotions¡­ All your pain and fear¡­" It sucked on that particr nail. "They shall be the best seasoning for the best dish I''ve ever encountered. This must be divine providence. To think I''d get to enjoy a delectable meal right before I travelled to the next city. Worry not. A long and beautiful journey awaits you." It dipped its finger into the bowl of spices and drew a line down Triss'' forehead, neck, and lips.


    The sorceress'' eyes went wide with horror.


    "And now the ride begins. Please, I hope you''ll enjoy every moment of it." A hue of sickly crimson dotted the vampire''s cheeks. "Howl, moan, sing. Sing the song of pain. I want nothing less than a song thates straight from your quivering soul!"


    It put its bowl down and spread its arms, its nails extending into what seemed like two rows of scalpels. The monster sharpened its nails by scraping them against one another, and sparks flew in the air. A grin broke out on its lips, its cheeks turning grey, not unlike a mouse.


    Triss held her breath.


    And then the sound of something breaking tore through the air.


    A cloud of white smoke rose from the ground, ck stardust gleaming within it, chaining the monster''s mana.


    "You incessant insect!" A roar escaped its lips as it charged straight at the cave''s entrance.


    A silhouette¡ªwith a de in his hands¡ªcharged straight at the vampire.


    The fighters shed, and dull thuds rang through the air. Crimson tentacles shot out from the void and held the monster up into the air. Smoke billowed as they ate through Mocha''s skin.


    Gruffyd was held in ce by the tentacles. Its eyes went wide with fury and fear, its fangs gleaming from the light of the mushrooms. And yet it could do nothing more. Inexplicable fear overwhelmed its heart, stopping its body and even its mind from even moving.


    But the witcher wasn''t in too good a situation either. Fear went through to the vampire, but he sustained an attack on his chest before he couldnd a hit on Mocha. Quen was destroyed easily like it was facing off a forktail, and Roy was sent flying into the wall.


    The debris slid down to the ground with him, and the agony made him wince. He felt somethinging up his throat, and some of his ribs felt broken.


    When he got up and tried to cast another Quen again, Mocha had already escaped Fear''s grasp. It turned into a gigantic humanoid bat and let out a scream as it pounced at Roy with incredible speed.


    Its ws went straight for Roy''s throat, but the vampire wasn''t quick enough. Yrden slowed it down, and Roy quickly rolled away from the attack. He got back up and produced Aerondight out of nowhere.


    But just when he was about to attack, Gruffyd changed into a cloud of crimson bats and disappeared into thin air.


    The de went through the monster, and Roy swung it behind him by reflex, but there was only air.


    Gruffyd appeared on his left, where Roy''s defenses were the weakest.


    Heshed out and held Roy up by his neck. The young witcher''s face was turning red from theck of oxygen.


    He tried to blink away, but the higher vampire had torn through his armor and chest, and blood gushed out of his wound.


    Poison blood.


    It sttered all over the vampire''s face and neck. Smoke billowed from its skin as the blood ate through its flesh. In a moment, the vampire''s face was covered in holes, and blood flowed freely out of them.


    The witcher was released. The vampire covered its face and howled in agony.


    Roy knelt on one knee, huffing and puffing. He cast Activate, and a glint of crimson shed in his eyes. His chest was killing him, but he ignored the pain and swung Aerondight straight at the vampire''s neck.


    Gruffyd noticed the danger in time to back out of the way, but a wave of energy burst forth from the swing and cut through a part of its shoulder easily.


    The wave of energy hurtled ahead and left a deep gash on the wall behind. All the runes on Aerondight dimmed, and one arm fell to the ground, yet motes of golden light were slowly pulling the chopped arm back to the vampire''s shoulder in an attempt to heal it.


    Roy quickly cast an Aard to push the vampire away, but he never finished that Sign.


    A livid Gruffyd let out an ear-piercing scream, and an invisible shockwave tore through Heliotrop. The monster stopped Roy''s casting with the only arm it had left, sending the witcher into a stupor.


    Gruffyd charged ahead like a roaring rhinoceros.


    Quen was shattered. Roy was mmed into the wall behind him, and big cracks started to form on it.


    Agony. That was all Roy felt. Every bone felt fractured, and every cell was screaming. Roy¡¯s head had smacked against the wall, and he was stunned for a split second.


    A split second was enough for Gruffyd to finish the battle. The higher vampire spared him an icy look andshed out three times at his neck. The first two attacks were fended off by the ring''s powerful shield, but the third pierced through Roy''s neck.


    Blood gushed, and Roy felt himself flying through the air. He felt the void engulfing him, robbing him of his strength.


    He died.


    The veryst thing he saw was a headless corpse with blood gushing out of its neck. And Roy fell to the void.


    ***


    Roy woke up with a jolt, his forehead drenched in sweat. His eyes went wide, and vessels popped within them. With trembling hands, the young witcher touched his neck, but it was unhurt. "I-I''m still alive? What was that?" Roy then noticed one thing on his character sheet blinking furiously.


    The Elder Blood.


    "It''s warning me?" <em>This is a first. </em>"That thing outsses me too much. I can''t fight it up close and personal. Which means I have one chance at this. Three seconds. I have three seconds to end the battle. When Fear still has it under control." Roy realized what he had to do. "Either I win, or I die. Or I can run away." The sight of his death still made him shudder. Yet he turned his attention to the main chamber.


    The situation was dire. Already Gruffyd was raising his ws. He almost looked like a butcher trying to see which part of themb he should cut first.


    <em>Yeah, good luck running from that thing.</em>


    ***


    A loud roar shook the chamber, and mana ran around like huge, crashing waves.


    Gruffyd''s face contorted in rage. Impatiently, he turned around and saw a sword-swinging silhouette slowly and stiffly approaching him. The vampire epted the challenge. It would tear this annoying insect apart and make it its appetizer, but then a bolt flew straight at it.


    The vampire easily deflected the bolt, but a surge of strange energy prated its shield, stunning it for a moment.


    The man charged straight ahead and gave the vampire a bear hug, much to its surprise.


    Roy shot a scorching fireball to the vampire, igniting the y bombs on the clone. Oddly enough, the explosion was restricted to a one-meter radius. A blinding sh of light shone through the chamber, apanied by gusts of icy wind.


    And then a crimson light shone. The vampire was forced to take the whole explosion''s impact. The cave rumbled from the explosion, stctite falling from the ceiling.


    ***


    And then, a deafening scream tore the air apart. A gigantic bat emerged from the explosion, but it looked worse for wear. Its wings were torn to pieces, and mes licked its body, refusing to die down no matter what. Its body was charred, but its flesh was wriggling and writhing.


    The vampire red at the witcher with hate-filled eyes, and it pounced. Like a crimson meteor, it mmed down onto the witcher, but the monster had slowed down considerably after taking that big hit.


    Roy was prepared for this. He fired a bolt at the other end of the cave and blinked away from the vampire''s trajectory.


    And not a moment too soon. The bat mmed into the ground like a crimson erupting volcano, and it left a crater.


    Roy cast another Sign and let out another roar at the top of his lungs. The roar echoed within the chamber, and Roy bled from his face from the mana recoil. But he made it. The second clone appeared and stopped Gruffyd.


    In all its fury, the vampire hurled a crimson spear at Roy. It passed through the illusion, hurtling toward Roy''s head.


    The witcher held Aerondight up and brought it down on the spear, cutting it in two. Quen shielded him from the rest of the impact.


    At the same time, the clone had run into the vampire and was crushed in a moment. Yet it did its job. Frosty winds covered the bat, slowing its speed down by another considerable degree.


    With his left hand, Roy cast a Sign, and with his right, he fired a bolt.


    A bolt of electricity arced through the air. The bat''s bloody shield deflected it, but not before it was numbed for one moment. A bolt flew through the air and hit its forehead. It failed to pierce through the monster''s hardened skull, but the momentum made it take a step back and stunned it.


    The witcher was gone. He reappeared beside the bat while it was still stunned, and now came the decisive move.


    Tentacles. A sea of tentacles appeared from thin air and drowned the vampire like a sea of blood. They covered every inch of its skin and held it up in the air.


    Mocha couldn''t shapeshift or be intangible. It harkened him back to that moment many years ago, when it met the Unseen Elder in Vicovaro. <em>No, this is much worse!</em>


    Failure to defeat the witcher meant death for the vampire, because the witcher¡ªat the moment at least¡ªresembled the reaper himself. He was an executioner waiting to im the life of his victim.


    His face was tense, and his eyes were aze with fury and murder. As he raised his de high up in the air, the tentacles opened an infinitesimal crack for him. Just enough to cut through the vampire.


    The light of mes projected his shadow onto the walls, and his murderous intent, for some reason, took the form of crimson, iling tentacles. With all his might, Roy swung his de down on the vampire''s neck, cutting down his fear and hatred.


    The crimson de cut through the monster''s neck, and its head rolled over to the witcher''s foot. Aerondight''s runes dimmed, and blood sttered Roy''s face. He switched the de out for Gwyhyr and went in for another attack. He brought his de down and cut the headless body in half.


    A gigantic, ethereal bat emerged from the corpse. It roared at the witcher and raised a sea of blood, but then the tentacles behind the witchershed out and wrapped themselves around the vampire''s soul like boa constrictors.


    And then they devoured it, though not before the vampire let out one final scream before its death.


    Strings of blood protruded from the dismembered corpse, entwining and pulling one another closer until Gruffyd waspletely covered, but this body was a mere shell. Nothing more.


    ''You have devoured Mocha aep Gruffyd. EXP +600.''


    Far away in Vicovaro, a deep, dark, ancient cave stood. A humanoid figure with pale skin and tattooed runes hung upside down from the ceiling, and it opened its eyes that looked like mercury. A sigh escaped its lips, echoing in the chamber. "That''s one less of us."


    ***


    The Queen of the Night was in her establishment. She felt the death of a higher vampire, and she put her ss of wine down. She stared in the direction of the cave in rural Vizima, shock filling her eyes. "Someone killed that cunning bastard?"


    ***


    At the same time, Triss'' eyes went wide with shock. All she could see was two silhouettes fighting at top speed around the wall. One was that bat, and the other¡­ she had no idea.


    In the end, an octopus managed to wrap its tentacles around the bat and devoured it. At the same time, it was spitting out many things around it. One of them was the element of time itself.


    The squid let out a sigh of satisfaction and wriggled around once more before it quickly swam away into the void.


    And then a bloodied young man appeared before Triss, his cape billowing in the air like a pair of wings. The sudden appearance of this supposed hero suffocated her, intoxicating her.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 415: Gruffyds Journal

    The sorceress'' face glinted from the mes'' light. There were some lines on her face, which were the spices the vampire dabbed on her before Roy''s intervention. Rather than a sorceress, Triss looked like a princess from Zerrikania.


    She was captured by an evil beast and trapped on a stone bed. Eagerly, she waited for a prince to swoop in and rescue her.


    The prince dide, but he was not what she expected. He was wearing bloodied armor and a pair of tight pants. The prince was muscr, and two swords were strapped behind his back. His eyes were heterochromatic, and she knew what he was. <em>A witcher.</em>


    He was a young and handsome witcher. He had short ck hair and slightly pointy ears. His nose was aquiline, his brows were thick, and his eyes were gleaming like stars in the night. <em>And I feel like I''ve seen him before. But where?</em>


    "Who are¡ª" To her surprise, she noticed the disappearance of the magic that was binding her. Triss sat up, but the prolongedck of movement numbed her whole body.


    Her legs gave out. She stepped on her right foot and fell straight into the witcher''s arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. She resembled ady who was ecstatic to see her lover after a long hiatus, and she buried her face in his chest for a long, long time.


    <em>Gods, this is embarrassing. Already I''m hugging him before I can even finish my sentence? You''re a slut, Triss! You should be ashamed of yourself!</em> Her ears were red, and her cheeks were burning. The smell of blood on him permeated all her senses, and her heart raced furiously.


    She looked up and met the witcher''s gaze, but he had a weird look on his face. There was confusion and also feigned calmness in his eyes. For some reason, Triss eased up, and a desire welled within her. The desire to lean onto the witcher for a while longer.


    "We meet again, Miss Triss Merigold." Roy helped her sit back down on the stone bed and smiled, though it was a weary smile. "I''m Roy of the Viper School. Do you remember me?"


    "Oh, yes, of course." Triss quicklyposed herself and whipped a handkerchief out to wipe the spices off her cheeks. And to hide the blush underneath. She said, "Roy, the Ender of Filth and the Sewer Butcher. Vizima''s opera would put that show on from time to time. And you''ve changed a lot."


    She sat up straighter and raised her head. Quickly enough, she regained some of her old serenity. <em>You weren''t as manly back then. </em>She crossed her legs and extended her hand at the witcher.


    "Oh, alright. Sewer Butcher it is." Roy kissed the back of her hand and sighed. "And you''re still as gorgeous as ever. But how did you end up in a dangerous ce like this?" Roy feigned ignorance.


    He stared at the sorceress. Her cheeks were unusually red, and there were tears in her eyes. If this were Coral, Roy would have quickly checked for a fever. "Are you alright? I have some potions if you need them. Sorry if they aren''t really great though."


    Triss shook her head and took a deep breath. Thest bit of electricity coursed through her hand, and then it was gone. She felt great and was enjoying this moment.


    Triss twirled a lock of her hair in an attempt to stop the shivers that came from the witcher''s touch. Her fluttering heart calmed down a little, and she thought of the knights, whom the vampire wounded. <em>I wonder what happened to them. Are they getting proper treatment?</em>


    She recounted her tale and stared at the witcher with gleaming eyes. "You killed that monster, didn''t you? How did you do it? And what was that big squid?"


    "Oh, it was already badly injured when I fought it. It was pure luck. I think the squid was an illusion it created to scare me." Roy lied as naturally as he breathed.


    Triss didn''t think it was possible for the higher vampire to be hurt. She saw how formidable it was. It took her magic spells head-on and tore through the knights like they were kids. And it even hummed while it was trying to make a dish out of her. <em>There is no way that thing could be injured. </em>She wanted to read Roy''s mind, but that would be offensive to him.


    The look on her face did not escape Roy. He added, "There''s another reason. A famous alchemist by the name of Kalkstein sponsored me. He wanted me to track the vamp down and kill it. Even decked me out with a lot of magical equipment. Like thetest bomb he invented. Can even kill a dragon. And that''s how it was injured."


    <em>Sorry, Kalkstein. I didn''t wanna drag you into this, but I have no choice.</em>


    That exnation was believable. Triss knew about Kalkstein, and she wasn''t surprised he would ask someone to hunt down a higher vampire. Most people would give those monsters a wide berth.


    "Lady Triss, I have a request," Roy blurted, his gaze still on Triss.


    <em>And there''s that feeling again. </em>A wave of excitement washed over Triss. Her palms were sweaty, her breathing ragged. Her heart was thumping, and her cheeks were rosy. Anxiety and anticipation filled her heart. <em>Wonder what kind of request it''s gonna be. If it''s too bold, I might have to think about it. </em>She sped her legs and tensed her cheeks, her chest jiggling from all the excitement she was feeling.


    Roy noticed the state she was in, and he shook his head. <em>Must be the wounds. </em>"I need you to keep this fight a secret for me." He circled around and made a serious plea. "Do <em>not </em>tell anyone about this. If that monster''srades find out I killed it, they''ll hunt me down. Neither me nor Kalkstein want to be hunted down."


    "Huh?" Triss trembled, and her jaw dropped a little. She hung her head low like a disappointed child. "I-I swear to the goddess of magic, I will keep this fight a secret, or I shall be turned into a hideous hag."


    "Thank you."


    "No, I should be the one saying thank you, Roy." Triss held her talisman. Her face was still pale, and she shuddered. "You saved me from that man-eating monster. Had you not stepped in, I would be nothing but bones by now. I owe you my life." She stared straight into the witcher''s eyes. Her cheeks were red, her eyes were glistening, and she was smiling. "How can I ever thank you?"


    <em>Come to Novigrad and help me out with the Trial recipe, </em>Roy said in his mind. However, in reality, he answered, "I was just following the path Destinyid out for me. And Destiny will present me with a reward. That responsibility does not lie on your shoulder."


    "You''d refuse a mage''s gift? Even after you''ve saved her life?" There was discontent in Triss'' voice. She pushed herself up and wobbled over to the witcher. Her strength had not fully returned just yet.


    The scent of roses wafted in the air, but it wasn''t as strong as Coral''s. It was more¡­ refreshing. Invigorating. "I didn''t mean that." Roy shook his head in resignation. "Just¡­ let me think about it, okay?"


    "Sure, take your time. Money, items, anything. As long as I can do it." Slowly, she wobbled past the witcher and looked around the chamber, but all she saw was the rough aftermath of the battle. She blinked in confusion. "Where''s the corpse?"


    Roy stood by her side. Her hair was even more lustrous than Coral¡¯s. "Turned into a puddle of blood and disappeared after it died."


    No, he was lying again. Roy tucked the empty shell of a corpse into the coffin Kalkstein gave him and hid it in his inventory space. It was an important item for a request, after all.


    And Roy had gotten the second item for his Elder Blood''s power up¡ªa higher vampire''s essence. Now all he needed was the essence of a dragon, and he could make a potion to evolve his bloodline.


    A frown furrowed Triss'' forehead. Suspiciously, she turned around. "But higher vampires are immortal. Are you sure they can die¡ª"


    The sentence was never finished. Triss was standing too close to the witcher, and the moment she turned around, she found her chest pressing against him, and her forehead was touching his lips.


    It looked like she <em>wanted </em>him to kiss her. Once again, Triss lostposure. <em>You''re so dead, Triss. You horny old virgin! I-I hugged him a moment ago, and now I made him kiss me!</em>


    "Are you hurt, Triss?" the witcher asked softly.


    He held her arm, and for some inexplicable reason, she fell into his embrace. The sorceress gave him an apologetic look, her eyes glistening with tears. With a weak voice, she said, "Sorry, I think I hurt my leg." She sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the witcher once more.


    Roy shot her a look of suspicion.


    ''HP: Very healthy.''


    <em>Hm? </em>"I''ll hold you, then." Roy brushed his nose across Triss'' hair, and he tasted a familiar scent. A scent that was present in Coral''sb. The smell of mandrake.


    It was a kind of aphrodisiac. A strong one. The higher vampire crushed it into dust and mixed it in with its spices. The sorceress had absorbed it after the spices werethered on her face. <em>Oh, no wonder she''s acting so weird. </em>Roy did not say that out loud, however. He feigned ignorance and held her back with one hand and her elbow with the other.


    The two of them were millimeters away from each other. Past the table of spices they went, and slowly, they arrived at the other end of the cave. There, they saw a few human skeletal remains, a grill, a cauldron, and a bup sack. That was everything Gruffyd had.


    It was but a short journey, but a weird feeling filled Triss'' heart. As if she were affected by an overdose of anesthetic, she felt currents of electricity coursing through her body.


    And she loved it. She couldn''t help it. A feeling of love welled within her, and a desire to do something took over her mind. It was her wish to fill the void in her life. She wanted to do something to bring life to her dried-up heart.


    Triss stared at the ground, where the moss sat. A bold, insane idea took over her mind. <em>So we have moss here. </em>She stood on her tiptoes and raised her head to approach the source of that scent she so loved. <em>Come, sleep with me. The moss shall be our bed, and the night shall be our nket.</em>


    But then Roy suddenly pped his hands, ending her train of thought. He ced her on the table of spices and quickly untied the bup sack in the chamber, and then he pulled out a leather book. "The guy kept a diary? Boy, was he unorthodox."


    He turned around once more. "Are you sure you don''t need anything, Triss? You''re as red as an apple. You''re probably down with a cold."


    Triss hung her head low. Her hair covered her face, keeping Roy from seeing the look she was making. "No, it''s alright. Read what''s in that, okay?" She rubbed her burning cheeks. There was a hint of embarrassment and disappointment in her voice.


    Roy cleared his throat and opened the brown leather book. The first line was written in Nilfgaardian.


    <em>Mocha aep Gruffyd''s travel log</em>


    <em>***</em>


    <em>January 1262</em>


    <em>Dammit! Dammit! I am the world''s apex predator. A noble among nobles. And yet, I, the great Gruffyd, is subject to the whims of an inferior creature.</em>


    <em>Forced to hide within the house of a declining noble family. Forced to disguise myself as a nobody. Forced to suck the disgusting blood of that dying old man like a careful mouse.</em>


    <em>All because of </em>him<em>. I am to control myself and my desire to feed. Do they expect me to suffer? I have had enough of this. I will leave the south and move to the north alongside the Nilfgaardian troops.</em>


    <em>Once I leave that old git''s turf, I shall no longer be under his control.</em>


    <em>And things have gone swimmingly. I sessfully became a pawn of the central army. Now I shall be marching to war and feasting on the blood of the fallen. The warzone is a feasting ce.</em>


    <em>***</em>


    <em>April 1262</em>


    <em>The central army has rendezvoused with the third group''s Alba division, Deswen division, and Aad Feyn division at Amell.</em>


    <em>Two months. That''s how long it has been since we set up camp. And every day is the same. Training, training, and more training.</em>


    <em>"Sync your steps! Sync your direction! Keep the ranks tight! Move with your team!"</em>


    <em>"Now thrust!"</em>


    <em>"Thrust!"</em>


    <em>That''s what they kept saying. The act of swinging this measly spear around angers me. And I have to lower my strength to these mortals'' level. This is torture.</em>


    <em>But the silver lining here is that Emperor Emhyr takes this war seriously. He spared no expense in keeping his troops well-fed. We have meat every day. Pork, venison, beef¡­ Most people would be on their knees and thanking the emperor for his generosity.</em>


    <em>Not me. I''m a great higher vampire. Meat isn''t enough. No. I require blood! War cannote soon enough. And I can''t hold on without blood much longer. This is driving me mad.</em>


    <em>Eventually, I ripped two of myrades apart and sucked them dry. These¡­ perverts tried to assault me, but they made one fatal mistake: I do not y with my food.</em>


    <em>That very same night, I flew away from Amell and traveled across Yaruga. Inded in Sodden and deserted the army.</em>


    <em>Hah!</em>


    <em>They say the blood of northerners feels cooler. And the Elder isn''t here to keep me down. Time to see if the rumors are true.</em>


    <em>***</em>


    <em>June 1262</em>


    <em>I''ve stayed in a barn for two months. Finally, I can release everything I''ve repressed so far. I killed and drank to my heart''s content. And I conclude that the blood of virgins and magical creatures possess the sweetest taste.</em>


    <em>If you add fear into the mix, then it makes an already great drink into something perfect. Every time I drink, the world opens itself up to me. Life feels¡­plete. The two hundred years I spent in Vicovaro was a waste of my precious time.</em>


    <em>I was nothing but a maggot squirming in a shithole, waiting for humans to feed me nothing but disgusting food. The elder''s pervasive oppression is nothing but a waste of my life.</em>


    <em>But now life has a purpose once more. I''ve decided to switch up my feeding area every month. The Northern Realms have a lot of different drinks out there waiting for me.</em>


    <em>***</em>


    <em>August 1262</em>


    <em>Temeria''s capital. Worse than a remote province in the south. The oue of this war is evident.</em>


    <em>But this also begs a question. If the Northern Realms were to fall into Nilfgaard''s hands, will the Eldere to exert his control over me once more? And the answer is, he might.</em>


    <em>And so, I started going all-out. To my surprise, one of us is living in Vizima. A beautiful female, but she leads a life not even dogs would envy. Still, she''s older than me, and I''m not about to cross her.</em>


    <em>Onest meal, and it''s goodbye to Vizima. Great underworld, bless me with the good fortune of a feast before my departure.</em>


    <em>***</em>


    Roy and Triss exchanged a look.


    <em>The guy came to the north because he couldn¡¯t stand the south? What was he, aedian? </em>Roy thought to himself. He noticed something important in the journal. The elder who resided in Vicovaro, the one who restricted Mocha, must be the south''s Unseen Elder.


    <em>Wonder if he''s stronger than his northern counterpart. </em>Roy would meet these two eventually, so he made a note of it.


    Triss had snapped out of it. Working as a royal consultant taught her to seek out important clues, and she noticed something in this journal. No, she didn''t care about Mocha''s rant. "Everyone knows Nilfgaard is amassing its troops at Amell in an attempt to march forth into the north." <em>But I never knew Emhyr wasn''t just setting his eyes on Cintra. ording to this journal, he wishes to conquer the entirety of the Northern Realms.</em>


    "And this journal alone talks of the central army and the third group. Judging from that alone, there are more troops we don''t know of. We''re facing an army of tens of thousands. And that''s a conservative estimation. This is more than what His Majesty has nned for."


    Triss did not look happy at all. She was clenching a lock of her hair tightly. "Can Cintra even hold them off?"


    The concern in her eyes did not escape Roy. "You''re going to sell that information to Foltest, aren''t you?"


    Triss hesitated. <em>Perhaps I should hand this to Keira. She wants to gain the king''s favor, after all.</em>


    Roy tossed the journal to her, and she took it, albeit surprised. She didn''t understand why Roy would give her something so valuable without any hesitation.


    "I am a witcher. That thing is of no use to me. You may do as you please, but leave me out of this."


    Roy wanted to try something. He wanted to see if Adda''s dissuasion and the evidence Triss had could convince Foltest to change his mind and send some reinforcements to Cintra. He''d like to see if his actions could dy Cintra''s annihtion for a bit longer or even alter the course of history. The chance was slim, but it was worth a try.


    Triss pursed her lips. She held her talisman tightly as she stared at the witcher. Moved, she said, "You saved my life <em>and </em>gave me something valuable. H-How should I thank you? Have you decided on your request?"


    <em>***</em>


    A smile tugged on Roy''s lips. <em>Alright. Trust is built. Now''s the time for the request.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 416: Promise

    In the high heavens hung a silvery moon, cold night winds howling across the cave''s passage and spreading through the main chamber.


    Triss held her shoulders and shivered.


    Roy produced a ck nket out of nowhere and covered her with it. Then he gave her a smile.


    <em>My, isn''t he caring? </em>The only people who would do that were men who called themselves noble. Men who wore posh clothes and put on a civilized act but who were actually nothing but perverts underneath.


    But a witcher doing this was something she never experienced before. A surge of warmth coursed through her body, and something welled in her eyes.


    "This might sound unbelievable, but mying to this cave is no coincidence," Roy said seriously. "Have you heard of the mutation witchers have to go through? Every witcher gains different abilities from that mutation, and the one I gained is the power to glimpse into the future. I felt where the vampire was hiding, and I knew I would rescue an important figure if I killed it. So I came prepared and killed that bastard. But imagine my surprise when the one I saved turned out to be a lovelydy like you," he praised.


    "You <em>felt </em>all of this happening?" Triss stared into his eyes and pursed her lips. Obviously, she didn''t believe him at all. "Are you sure you''re a witcher and not a seer?" She grinned. "You have a sense of humor."


    "Remember what I said earlier? Destiny guided me here. It led me to this very cave, but you don''t seem convinced." Roy stared at her face.


    "So Destiny heard my prayers and sent you to my rescue? So this is fated to happen?" she whispered, staring at the ground. <em>Is he confessing to me?</em>


    "I believe you require more convincing. Pardon me, but I need to put on a demonstration. I shall show you how I can glimpse at your fate through the fog of time." Roy stepped forward and held her hand in his. And then he closed his eyes.


    Triss tensed up, her other hand still clutching her hair as tightly as possible. A crimson hue painted her whole face, but delight welled within her.


    And then surprise took over her. She felt the light of magic shining in the air, and chaos energy was starting to swim around. The witcher seemed to be performing a special kind of magic somehow.


    Gryphon was lying on a big tree outside the cave. It felt a surge of manaing from its master, but it purred. <em>Huh? No orders this time? That''s odd. </em>Confusion filled its eyes.


    "You are allergic to magic potions, aren''t you?" Roy stopped casting the spell. He wore a look only doctors would when they were diagnosing their patients.


    "How did you know?" Shock overwhelmed her. She felt herself snapping out of a stupor and ignored her earlier embarrassment. She was sure the only people who knew that were the teachers who taught her back at the academy, and her best friends. <em>So how did he find out? Is he actually telling the truth? He can see the future?</em>


    "I glimpsed into a future encounter of yours. You were lying in a carriage, surrounded by dwarves and humans. One of them was a little girl with ashen hair. You were sick, and your talisman was lost. You couldn¡¯t consume any magic potions and almost died." Roy''s hold tightened like he wanted to merge with her. "And I saw something else."


    Triss kept staring at Roy.


    "Triss, you will be joining our organization in the future." Roy raised his voice and put on a big smile like he was weing an old friend. "You will be working with me in Novigrad. Yes. You will be one of the best researchers in our organization."


    "What kind of organization?"


    "The brotherhood of witchers. It''s an organization we established in Novigrad. Our goal is to improve the living conditions of witchers."


    Triss paused for a moment. <em>What''s the deal with this organization? And he''s making a weird face. He''s nervous. He was lying.</em>


    For a moment, she snapped out of her fantasy and pointed out what Roy wanted to do. "So everything you said was bait for me to join the brotherhood?" She pursed her lips, trying to see through Roy. Triss held his hand, anxiety welling within her. "Is this the request you want?"


    "This is not just a request, but also your future." Roy admitted it right away. He made it sound like what he saw had happened and not something that was just in the distant future.


    Triss took a deep breath. There was hesitation on her face. From the day she joined her brotherhood, she vowed to never be a double agent. Before she was clear about the deal with the brotherhood of witchers, she would never join them.


    Roy noticed her hesitation, and he sighed in silence. <em>Gotta amp up the persuasion.</em>


    Once more, he closed his eyes and moved his hand further up her arm. Slowly, he said, "Your future forks into two paths. If you do not travel to Novigrad, then you shall be embroiled in a crisis. A war, so to speak. A bloody war."


    Triss'' heart skipped a beat.


    "A war between Nilfgaard and the Northern Realms," Roy said vaguely. "Your fate is uncertain as of yet. Perhaps you might die, or perhaps you might live with dire consequences. Your body and mind will be scarred, forever unhealed."


    "I''ll be dragged into a war?" If this were in the past, Triss would only see this as a mere joke. But not after she saw the journal. Not after she read about part of the Nilfgaardian might and discovered the ambition of Emhyr.


    If Cintra were to fall, then Nilfgaard would certainly make their way further up north. She could imagine them crossing Sodden Hill, the crucialndmark that connected Yaruga, Lyria, Rivia, and Temeria. If that were to pass, a battle would certainly break out there.


    ***


    She sorted her thoughts out, and it threw her in a dilemma. If what Roy said was true, all the more reason not to join the brotherhood. Running from a war was not her style. Just like how she stupidly meddled in this hunt, she too would join the war to fight back against the Nilfgaardian invaders.


    ***


    "If the south were to invade, would your organization lend a hand to the people?" She stared at Roy with solemnity in her eyes.


    "That, I cannot decide. Our members must vote on it." It was regrettable, but Roy did not wish to lie. "Humans have waged wars for centuries, and yet most witchers remain neutral. Do you get what I say?"


    Triss hung her head low, and she said nothing more.


    "Perhaps we might help the victims," he added. "War brings death, gue, destruction, and famine. Without their parents, the homeless children will be nothing but food for the monsters. The brotherhood will do its best to bnce the destruction wrought by war."


    <em>So they still won''t join the war? </em>"Thank you for your help and the reminder, then." Triss looked at him. The weird sense of excitement within her was slowly fading away. A hint of disappointment and guilt filled her eyes. "Sorry, but I cannot join the brotherhood. I need to stay in Vizima." She was reluctant to refuse him, but she had to. "I''ve joined Temeria''s royal council alongside Keira and Fercart. One of our jobs is to prevent wars from happening. And if pushes to shove, how to defend ourselves. War looms over us like a vulture waiting to peck at the corpses of the fallen. And this journal proves a disaster is upon us.


    "The brotherhood might be able to stay out of this and set out on an adventure of charity after the war, but to me, thising disaster is a matter of life and death. I am a part of the royal council and the brotherhood. I have no choice but to see this through." She said, "I shall stay and watch how the war unfolds. I will witness how Nilfgaard will attack us. If they fight under the banner of injustice, then I shall charge into battle alongside the Temerian forces."


    A pregnant pause hung in the air, shadows dancing on the walls.


    Roy heaved a sigh, but for some reason, he was relieved. "You are an honorable woman, Lady Triss. I might have exaggerated some parts of the prophecy, but they are not false, for the most part. Should you join the battle, only great pain awaits you. Have you made up your mind about it?"


    She held her talisman tightly. The silence was answer enough for Roy.


    "I knew you''d refuse the proposal." He stared into her eyes like she was an old friend. "It wouldn''t be you otherwise."


    Unlike most people, Triss was kind, strong, and almost naive. "Then that brings this business to an end,dy." Roy straightened his cape out and shifted his gaze to the cave''s exit. "I should see Kalkstein and finish the request now. And you should return to yourrades. They must be worried sick."


    "No, don''t leave!" She suddenly grabbed his arm, her nails almost digging into his flesh. "I still haven''t given you your reward!" she said hurriedly.


    "No need for reward." <em>Take it as a little assistance for the righteousdy who loves the Northern Realms with all her heart.</em> Killing the higher vampire was the biggest reward he could hope for. At least he couldplete Kalkstein¡¯s request now.


    "I-I don''t like owing anyone any favors," she said.


    "Then let''s make a promise. Once you''ve done your duty of sacrificing for this kingdom and its people, you cane to Novigrad. If you still feel like it after the war, you cane to us. Our doors are always open for you."


    Triss'' lips trembled. She had a feeling if she refused this offer, then this would be thest time she would see Roy. The sorceress clenched her lips. "If that dayes, then I shall travel to Novigrad."


    "Very well. See you then, Triss. Take care and don''t run around like you did today. Your luck will eventually run out."


    "How should we stay in touch, then?"


    "We will meet when the time is right." Roy hesitated for a moment, and he said, "Or whenever youe to Novigrad."


    "Oh, I have an idea!" Triss weaved aplex gesture with both hands, and her talisman shone with magic. She waved her hand and produced a beautiful diamond-shaped crystal.


    With anticipation and diffidence, she said, "Take it. We can stay in touch through a telescope."


    Roy froze. <em>Hey, this looks familiar.</em>


    But before he could say no, Triss mustered her courage and stuffed the crystal in his hand. At the same time, she gave him a tight hug.


    Triss felt soft and supple, and her hair smelled like roses. And he felt her pecking him on his lips. It made him freeze for a moment.


    Before he could say anything, he saw a portal appearing in thin air. "Call me, Roy! You must!" Her hair swayed as she ran into the portal like a fawn.


    The portal disappeared, and Roy stared at the crystal. "First things first, Coral must not know of this crystal. And second of all, Triss, you should have opened a portal for me as well. Vizima is miles away from this ce."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 417: Three Days

    Roy had returned to Kalkstein''s vi. He and the alchemist were standing under the living quarter''s magicalmp, looking at the coffin.


    Kalkstein, especially, had the look of a fanatic in his eyes. The coffin''s base was made of silver and was embedded with precious items like obsidian, zircon, and dimeritium. The insides were covered in sealing circles made of infused dust, aether, and specter dust. Not even a dragon could escape, if it tried.


    Lying in the coffin was the body of a male. His skin was pale and lifeless, and not a scar was left on his body. The look on his face spoke of peace. It felt like the man was just sleeping, not dead.


    "Incredible job, Roy." A shocked Kalkstein stared at the witcher like he just met him for the first time. "How did you do it? You subdued a higher vampire without so much as harming a single strand of hair. Did someone assist you? You didn''t even use my emergency items.


    "Ahem. Thanks for the concern, Kalkstein. This is all thanks to your y bombs and Cape of Silence. The bombs left grievous injuries on it, and the explosion was done with incredible precision." Roy paused for a moment. "Can I¡ª"


    "It''s all gone!" Kalkstein''s face fell, and he shook his head violently, dandruff flying out of his hair. "You took everything. I have nothing left in my reserve, but since you''ve helped me out big time, I can sell the bombs for a thousand orens apiece. It''s how much the bombs cost to make."


    And now it was Roy''s face''s turn to fall. <em>The bastard still makes a ton of profit at a thousand apiece.</em>


    "Now let me see this specimen." Kalkstein managed to scare off Roy from purchasing the bombs. He rubbed his hands and ced them on the cold, dead corpse. It felt as chilly as a popsicle. Quickly, the alchemist summoned a ray of blue light and scanned the corpse from top to bottom.


    Everywhere the magicalmp scanned, the insides of the vampire would be shown. Its vessels, arteries, bones, and even its unharmed innards.


    "This is¡­ curious. I thought his body would at least struggle, but no. He''s quiet. Too quiet." Kalkstein circled the coffin, his eyes never leaving the corpse. Something started to shine within it. "And not even a scar from the battle. Not even a hint of bleeding. By all ounts, this should be a living being, but I sense no consciousness at all."


    He pried the vampire''s eyelid open with his thumb and index finger, revealing a crimson, unfocused eye underneath. "Intermediate dtion of the pupil. And its brain seems to be damaged."


    Kalkstein held the body up and let its calves dangle over the coffin. Then he knocked on its knee. "Knee-jerk reflex is still there. It''s like he''s in a vegetative state. How <em>did </em>you take it down?"


    "Hey, you''re the expert. If you don''t know how this happened, how should I know?" Roy wouldn''t tell him he could devour souls, of course. He tucked Gryphon between his arms and tickled its belly. Vaguely, he said, "I cut it up with my sword and tucked him into the coffin. And this happened. I can''t wake it no matter what. Like it''s asleep."


    Roy whipped out a dagger and cut the corpse''s arm. Crimson strings formed at the gash and closed the wound. Five secondster, it was all healed. Not even a scar was left.


    "By the elements, this is a marvel!" Kalkstein clicked his tongue. "That regenerative ability exceeds most, if not all species we know. Including ghouls and ogroids." He rolled his eyes around and muttered to himself, "But can it regenerate its innards?"


    "Not sure, but my bet is on no. It can''t replenish its energy now. Once the reserves run out, it will lose its regenerative abilities as well," Roy exined. <em>Or the body could be an endless supply ofponents. Like a certain superhero character.</em>


    "Well, we''d have to conduct more experiments toe to that conclusion. I shall make sure to not waste even a drop of its blood." A moment of silenceter, the alchemist, with regret in his voice, said, "A pity this is a shell without any consciousness. I can''t observe how a regr higher vampire works in this condition."


    "Be thankful you even <em>have</em> a specimen to observe." Roy rolled his eyes. "If this thing retains its consciousness, I bet myst oren it would summon a group of lower vampires and attack yourb, sucking you dry."


    "True. Now I need to prepare this specimen. Help me out and push this thing into theb." Kalkstein smiled at him.


    "How long will preparations take? A month or two?" Roy said, "Kalkstein, I risked my life to bring you this. Now it''s your turn to hold your end of the bargain. Come to Novigrad and help me out with the Trial."


    "Calm down, Roy." Kalkstein patted his shoulder. "I need to cover the specimen in a protective membrane. It''d be a big loss if the specimen were to start exhibiting any strange behavior. If it starts to rot, selfbust, or regain its own consciousness, I''d be seeing a big loss here."


    Roy pushed Gryphon down from his head and flicked its belly. "You can take it to Novigrad. Research it however you want, as long as you don''t let it get in the way of the Trial¡¯s improvement."


    And he was reminded of Letho and Kiyan, both of whom were fans of alchemy. "Some of the brotherhood members are interested in the specimen. You have heard of our decoctions, haven''t you? Some of the members will be more than willing to develop a brand-new decoction if you''d help. We''d call it ''higher vampire decoction.''"


    Kalkstein mused over the suggestion. "I did say science should be open to discourse. I ept the proposal. Three days. Once I am done with my job, I shall travel to Novigrad with you."


    And thus, an agreement was reached. Roy stayed at Kalkstein''s ce for three days while the alchemist spent all his time dealing with the specimen.


    Every morning, he would enter hisb at six o''clock with a gentle smile on his face. And he would emerge from theb at six in the evening looking excited and content.


    Roy thought the alchemist was developing some sort of fetish for the corpse. <em>If I didn''t know better, I''d think he was dating the body.</em>


    He didn''t waste his time loafing around either. First, he reflected on the battle with Gruffyd, the mistakes he made and the experience he earned from it. It might look like he came out unscathed, but it was a perilous battle. One wrong step would have meant the death of him.


    There were three reasons Mocha lost. One, he was only two hundred years old and weaker than a lot of his brethren. Two, Roy had the element of surprise. The ambush severely injured Mocha. Three, the vampire underestimated Roy''s powers. He had no idea Roy had skills like Fear and Mirror Image, nor did he expect Roy to have the ability to devour his soul.


    On the other hand, Roy knew it well. The victory only came because Roy knew his enemy, and because he had the edge in the battle. This was nothing to be proud about. In a real battle, Roy would have died ten times over.


    And once Roy devoured Gruffyd''s soul, he had cut the connection between him and the Unseen Elder. It was unlikely that the elder would cross so much distance just to retrieve the corpse. Its job was to keep an eye on the portal leading back to the higher vampires'' home, and that portal was in Vicovaro, a ce miles and miles away from Vizima.


    Still, Roy would keep an eye out and return to Novigrad as soon as he could.


    ***


    Besides reflection, Roy would use the items at Kalkstein''s ce to practice his alchemy. By day, he would make new potions to replenish his inventory, and by night, he would voice his questions regarding alchemy to Kalkstein.


    Even though he was busy with a lot of work, Roy didn''t stop practicing his alchemy. Letho aside, Vesemir and Coral had given him some tips as well.


    By now, Roy had mastered all the basic decoctions for witchers. Swallow, Cat, Golden Oriole, ck Blood, White Honey, Thunderbolt, Blizzard, Full Moon, White Raffard''s Decoction, Tawny Owl, Maribor Forest, Petri''s Philter, Killer Whale, and Drowner Pheromones.


    His Alchemy was already Level 3, and he could make good quality Thunderbolts and Petri''s Philters. Everything else left a lot to be desired. And the next step was to learn how to make oils and bombs, aside from increasing his mastery over basic decoctions.


    ***


    Roy went full speed ahead with his training.


    At the same time, Triss took a few days off after her return to the castle. Her mood was not good at all. The higher vampire''s corpse went missing, so Triss used some ash and blood to make some katakan dust to answer to the king.


    That brought the serial murders to an end, but the order lost a lot of members. Five were dead, and more than ten sustained injuries ranging from minor to major. That was not what she wanted.


    ***


    Triss tossed and turned, but sleep never came. She bit her lips, and her cheeks turned rosy once more. For some inexplicable reason, she kept remembering the moment she fell into Roy''s embrace.


    For once, she had erotic dreams for nights on end, and it was always her and Roy. They would be going at it on a bed, a boulder, a stack of hay, and even theyer of moss on the ground. But dreams were a poor substitute for reality. It never satisfied her.


    A surge of warmth always coursed through her, and with it, sorrow and fury. She also felt excited for the future, and that excitement made her dreams hornier.


    "Wonder if he''s back in Novigrad. I should call him. Yeah. I should use the telescope now." <em>No, you thirsty virgin. Give it a moment.</em>


    She had to shift her attention elsewhere, and luckily for her, she did have something else to focus on. "I need to see Keira and hand this journal to her. She can gain the king''s favor and maybe get him to sleep with her."


    <em>But I don''t think that stubborn man would believe the records of a measly journal. I need to tell the brotherhood about theing war. We need to prepare for this.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 418: Twist

    Lammas arrived not too long ago. The shops in Novigrad were still decked out with festive decorations, and the people''s houses had garlic and mistletoe hanging within them. A gust of sea breeze blew in from the port and crossed the Golden Sturgeon.


    Lund took a deep breath and downed his Vizima stout. Its foam sttered, filling the air with the scent of malt. The sun shone on his bloodshot eyes and glimmering, yellowing teeth.


    "Ye made a ton o'' money, didn''t ya? Ne''er seen you orderin'' a stout." The wrinkly bartender filled Lund''s ss with more stout. He ced his arms on the table and rested his chin on the back of his hands. "Care to share some o'' ye secrets?"


    "No secrets at all. I''m still doing the same old spice business. The captain struck gold and got himself one big deal. Got somemission out of it. Made enough money tost me for years." Lund wiped off the foam on his beard. His face was red and rough from having to face the seas all year long. "But I ain''t as young as I was. Gonna retire after this gig. ''Tis why I wanna drink summat good for once. You got any problems with that?"


    "Not at all. Retirement''s a big thing. Ye can''t treat it like it''s nuthin''." The bartender thumped his chest. "Drinks are on me when yee back."


    "I''ll be taking that offer, thanks. Don''t regret it, though." Lund mmed his ss down and turned around. He noticed a new customering in. The man was cloaked, and his nose was broken, but the air he radiated spoke of war and battle. And the man took a seat in the right corner of the inn.


    "Till next time, bud. The boys are still waiting for me. Time for me to go." Lund straightened out his greasy jacket''s cor, grabbed his hat, and put on his cloak. He stood up and wobbled to the exit, wiping his hand on the cloaked man''s table when he went by him.


    He emerged from the inn and whipped out a slip of paper. A smile curled his lips, and he made his way to the circr port in western Novigrad.


    Carefully, he walked, his cloak and hat covering up his hunched body. Lund went into remote alleys, twisting and turning around the corners, and yet he kept looking around him as if he were worried something might happen.


    He muttered a prayer under his breath. "Almighty Freya, let me pull off onest one. I shall tithe every month. Please let this go well."


    Perhaps his prayer worked. Aside from a few beggars, Lund didn''t run into anyone. Not the fearsome Eternal Fire guards nor the meddlesome witchers.


    The great sun shone upon Novigrad''s luxurious port. Glimmering were the seas, and upon it stood rows of ships, their masts swaying in the face of the breeze. Seagulls squawked in the air. Some swooped over the sea''s surface to hunt, some hopped on the reef beside the shore, while some basked in the sun on some ship''s deck.


    Lund''s eyes were set on a blue barge. He went around the sailor pushing a cart and approached the rightmost warehouse on the port. A pair of guards in brown chainmail armor, grey hats, and swords stood sentry. He nodded at them and entered the warehouse.


    Within it stood two dozen sailors, all lean and equipped with weapons. And two women were seen standing among them.


    The man in the center wore a hooded cape that covered most of his face, but Lund could vaguely see his thick hair, dark mustache, and amber eyes.


    "Lund, you son of a bitch. You took your sweet time in that inn. I thought you went and got yourself killed," the man beside the hooded figure cursed. He had a red face covered by a horned helmet. "You''re getting punished for this. No bonus for you."


    "And no deal for you then, Hammond. I risked my life getting intel for everyone," Lund said darkly. "If you wanna punish me, then all bets are off."


    "Alright, stop it." The hooded man raised his hand and turned his attention to Lund. "So, what did you get?"


    "Everything''s fine, boss." Lund grinned toothily and handed the slip of paper to the man. "We can do it tonight."


    The hooded man nodded, a look of ease on his face. "Everyone, get in the carriage. We''re gonna wait for the cargo on the ship. This is going to be perfect. Once we return from Skellige, everyone''s getting a twenty percent bonus."


    "Oh, nobody''s going <em>anywhere</em>." A voice spoke solemnly, and everyone''s face fell.


    Someone kicked the warehouse door open, and in came a burly man in tight leather armor and two swords strapped behind his back. His head shone under the sunlight, and the look on his face was tense.


    He tossed a man onto the ground. That man had a broken nose and was hidden in a cloak. The same man who gave Lund the information he needed. And Lund looked horrified.


    Two more men came in after the first, but these two were slightly slimmer than the first. They wasted no time in tossing the unconscious guards onto the ground. The door was closed behind them, and the men crossed their arms, staring at the group with mockery in their eyes.


    These men had onemon trait: their wild, amber eyes.


    "Witchers?" The group took a step back, their eyes filled with caution. They held the hilt of their weapons, but none tried to make a move. Their boss was as powerful as a witcher, and now they were facing three of them at the same time.


    "Who are you? Do you not know the rules here?" The hooded man took a step forward and swung his hands down, telling his men to stay calm. "Trespassing on private warehouse property is a serious offense, and I''m good friends with Novigrad''s Judge Shayd." He announced, "Once I take this to court, you''ll be paying a hefty fine. You do not want this."


    "Are you stupid, mate? You¡¯re a witcher. Haven''t you heard thetest news?" The witcher with a receding hairline picked his teeth with his pinky. There was disdain in his eyes, and he shook his head. "You know who we are."


    "The church has requested us to arrest any and all human traffickers in Novigrad. They''re trying to crack down on human trafficking," the man with crimson eyes and a scar on his chin continued. He shook his head. "Just when I thought we were going to rid this city of its human trafficking problem, you show up. Why wouldn''t you take on requests like most witchers? Why did you fall so far? This is a disgrace, Cat!"


    Lambert added, "Why do you think he did this? Everyone else is scared of us, but not a witcher."


    "I am no human trafficker." Jad Karadin pulled his hood off, revealing a rough, hairy face. Calmly, he said, "This must be a misunderstanding. My crew and I strictly deal with legal business. We sell Novigrad''s local produce to Skellige ande back with the isles'' spices and herbs. Legal business. Viper, Wolf, and Cat. How may I address you?" Karadin quickly looked at the witchers'' medallions.


    Aiden remained silent. He had no idea who this man was.


    Karadin didn''t mind. "Now states a witcher can''t do business." He turned around and pointed at the cart behind him. "If you don''t believe me, then search this ce. There''s nothing but legal products and supplies for the journey."


    "Ye might be enforcers fer the church, but that doesn''t give ye the right to nder us." Hammond thumped his chest in fury. "Yer gonna make life hard fer us."


    ***


    Letho shot the human traffickers an icy look. "We aren''t going to find anything in the cart, but I have a question. The amount of supplies grossly outweighs the number of crew members. There''s enough for you to survive a whole year." He hissed, "Unless most of the supplies are for theing ves."


    Lambert''s eyes shone, and what came out of his mouth after that horrified the human traffickers. "Your real cargo will be shipped to that blue barge tonight at ten."


    Aiden went in for the final kill. "Number two hundred and sixty in the slums. Twenty-five boys and sixteen girls. Your friend told us everything. We shall apprehend you now. Lay down your weapons and surrender. Await the court''s order. Perhaps you may live."


    Jad took a deep breath and exchanged a look with his partners. He curled up, taking the stance of a hunting cat.


    "Witchers, you''re doing this all for money, aren''t you? I can pay you double what the church is offering, but in return, you''ll turn a blind eye to this. Easy money, don''t you think? And I swear the cargo contains no Novigradian. Theye from othernds. No harm done, so why don''t you let us off the hook?"


    "Double isn''t enough." Lambert grinned toothily. He looked at everyone like they were objects. "There''s like twenty of you here. Ten times the payment at least."


    The half-elf fired an arrow at Letho, but it was as slow as a tortoise to the witcher. Letho easily swatted the arrow aside, and it ricocheted into the chest of one sailor.


    The unlucky bastard clutched her chest and fell back down.


    "Vienne''s dead! Avenge her!"


    <em>This is not going to end well. </em>"Attack! Kill them all!" Jad roared.


    His men charged at the witchers, swinging their weapons.


    "Leave Karadin to me." Aiden held his de by his cheek, assuming the ox stance. He stared at Jad, and the witcher looked at him as well.


    Sparks flew in the air.


    Lambert blocked the exit like a guardian swordsman, while Letho crossed his dual des before his chest and charged at the sailors.


    There were three of them, but all they saw was a blinding sh of light, and they lost all consciousness. They didn''t even see how Letho moved. Blood gushed out of their neck and chest as they fell forward like puppets who lost their strings.


    Letho turned around and leapt into the fight like a tiger jumping into a pack of sheep. He spun around like a tornado of death, tearing his victims apart inch by inch.


    Two sailors charged at Lambert, and the Wolf took one step ahead. With a twist of his de, he cut one sailor''s throat open. He shoved the second sailor down with Aard and pierced through his eyeball and brains.


    As he wiped the blood off his face, two more sailors snarled and approached him. He let themnd attack after attack until Quen was finally destroyed. And then he swung his de around.


    The sailors clutched their throats in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding, and they fell, knees first. Then their heads hit the ground.


    Lambert leapt into the fray, slicing and dicing the sailors and burning them up with magic. A symphony of des, mes, shockwaves, blood, and screams yed in the room.


    Blood drenched the hay. In less than twenty seconds, Letho and Lambert had killed all the regr humans here.


    The Cats were still fighting in the other end of the warehouse. And what a fight it was. Every time their des came in contact, loud ngs would echo through the warehouse. The speed at which they battled even conjured up a wind strong enough to make the hay shiver.


    "Not bad." The Cats took one step back. Karadin''s shoulder was injured, and his breathing was ragged. He looked at his fallenrades, his eyes filled with fear and sorrow. "But why? Why do you work for the church and fight your own brethren?" he roared. "What about the code of neutrality?"


    "You''re asking that when you''re breaking the code yourself?" Lambert interjected. "Novigrad''s our second home. It''s natural to protect it from evil forces. To hell with neutrality."


    "Good and evil are subjective." Karadin slowly took a step back. He asked, "You think there''d be no more human traffickers after you get rid of us? You think the poor children can escape a fate worse than death because you helped them leave? Perhaps they''ll live a better life in Skellige! I''m just trying to survive. I''m only trying to make some money. Is that so wrong?"


    The witchers were unfazed.


    "That is enough twisting of the story." Aiden parted his legs and took a defensive stance that resembled a crab, and he swung his de around. "You''re the first witcher we''ve seen in Novigrad in months. We''ll give you another option. Lay down your weapons and surrender. Now. Do so, and perhaps you may live."


    "Enough deception." Jad shook his head. "The only thing waiting for me in the church''s prison is torture and the stake. I have a proposition." He gritted his teeth and opted for another way out. "I worked hard my whole life and saved up a lot of money. About twenty thousand crowns. I was going to retire, marry, and adopt some kids with it."


    With longing in his voice, he said, "I can bid this dangerous life farewell. No longer will I have to be a despicable witcher or criminal, but then if I were to die, the money would be of no use to me. I''ll give you all my savings, but in return, you have to let me go."


    He unbuttoned his shirt and revealed his medallion. Then he held it up. "On the name of my life, my dreams, and my ambition, I swear. I shall leave Novigrad and I will never return. Nor will I seek vengeance. And I will wash my hands of these illegal dealings. Should I lie, then I shall die a death of great agony and humiliation."


    "Please, spare me. You know how many of us lost our minds andmitted countless crimes after we took the Trial. Your mentor included. What''s his name? Schrodinger? Joel? Tell me. I might know them."


    Aiden kept his silence.


    "And you. You must havemitted some crimes." Karadin stared up at the witcher. Hoarsely, he said, "Just because I made one mistake doesn''t mean I deserve to die. I deserve a second chance. I will give up everything for a chance to live."


    Jady down his weapons and knelt before the witchers, his body shivering.


    Aiden narrowed his eyes. He turned his de around and contemted his choices, while Letho and Lambert crossed their arms in silence. They would leave the decision to Aiden.


    ***


    The Pike''s Grotto. Novigrad''s most famous and beloved entertainment center.


    The witchers had taken up a table in the corner, empty sses covering it. Letho and Lambert were still sober, but Lambert smelled like alcohol, and his face was red.


    "Enough, Aiden!" Lambert threatened, "Drink one more ss and I''ll throw you to the pigs!"


    "He knelt. I told him to stand up only to kill him. But he knelt." Aiden stared at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused. There was a hint of depression in his eyes.


    Monsters, he killed a lot of. But a Cat? That was his first time. It was not supposed to be happy, but when Jad fell down, dead, Aiden felt a weight lift off his shoulders. It felt like he just ended a terrible threat and escaped a terrible fate.


    Aiden was reborn, and he wondered why.


    "It is how it is," Letho blurted. There was a reassuring force in his voice. "He lost in a fair battle and paid the ultimate price. At least he didn''t die at the stake. That''s as good a death as any for witchers. You showed him mercy, but he refused it."


    "Ah, so what if you killed him? We killed off his mates. If we¡¯d let him go, he might¡¯vee back someday with a vengeance." Lambert downed another mug of wine and exhaled. "This is what fate had in store for him. Not everyone deserves a second chance."


    That was what all witchers said. They would leave everything to Destiny.


    "To that bastard, Destiny!"


    "To that bastard, Destiny!"


    The sses clinked, and foam flew everywhere.


    Aiden finally put his ss down.


    "You should change shifts tomorrow. Stay at the orphanage. Take over the ssroom. Just leave the Eternal Fire matters to me." Lambert patted his shoulder and winked. "And go around with Eskel. Subi have their charms."


    "And Eskel would kill me." Aiden shook his head, smiling. For some reason, he felt a lot better. "And I''m not you. I don''t steal anyone''s woman. I don''t have that kind of fetish."


    "That''s enough drinking, people. Let''s go home." Letho stared out the window and saw a young man with heterochromatic eyes walking on the street. Standing beside him was a mousey man who walked like he owned the ce. "On second thought, let''s wee our guests."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 419: Ritornello

    The morning sun shone down upon an alder forest, covering the orphanage in a nket of gold. Five boys who were naked from the waist up leaned against the stakes, smiling at the shimmering light in the air. Even the trees and crops started to dance in the wind.


    The other fifteen children were working away in theb, the ssroom, the smithy, and the fields. A griffin glided across the blue, blue sky, and cicadas chirped as loudly as they could.


    Ten witchers and a mage took their seats around a long table, weing a mousey, unkempt man in a blue robe.


    "Allow me to do the introductions, brothers. This is Kalkstein, a master alchemist from Vizima. He''s a figure of authority in the field of alchemy." Roy pointed at the guest and looked at everyone. "Kalkstein and I have reached an agreement. From now on, he shall be working with us for a year. He will be working on the Trial recipe."


    "Wee to the House of Gawain, friend." Lambert extended his hand, a grin curling his lips. He had a feeling Kalkstein would be an interesting man.


    "It''s an honor to meet you." Felix nodded, but there was doubt in his eyes. Kalkstein looked more like a maniac than an alchemist. Most alchemists took pride in how they presented themselves. The only thing he shared with them was the perpetually upset face.


    "Hello, Kalkstein. I am Vesemir. I hope we''ll get along for the year." Vesemir smiled. He extended his hand, and Kalkstein hesitated for a moment before he shook it.


    Letho and Kiyan had delight on their faces. They could improve their skills if they had the chance to work with someone like Kalkstein.


    Everyone else nodded as well. They needed some time to evaluate the new mage Roy brought, but they had confidence Roy wouldn''t pick the wrong guy for the job.


    "Don''t tell me that kitchen is yourb. It really doesn¡¯t meet my expectations. I can''t even do most of my experiments there. Barely any research can be done in these conditions," Kalkstein grumbled.


    Roy smiled. "The realb is in Novigrad. It''s on par with your personalb, if I do say so myself. I''ll take you there in a minute, but now you should get to know your colleagues."


    "Ah, I can introduce myself." Lytta let Roy''s arm go and extended a hand to Kalkstein. A smile tugged on her lips. "Hello, Kalkstein. Your reputation precedes you. I am Lytta Neyd of Aretuza. I''ve heard about your stories back in the academy." She stared at hisckluster attire, unkempt goatee, and greasy, balding hair. "I can see you have a deep love for the industry. It''s an honor to work with you."


    Kalkstein shook his head. He didn''t even hold back when it came to a woman like Coral. The alchemist pinched his beard and reminded her, "I wouldn''t call working with me an honor. Just don''t drag me down, Lytta. I expect you to keep up with me. If you can''t, then you should leave. If you think of yourself as a true researcher, that is."


    And the smile on Lytta''s face froze.


    Roy quickly grabbed her hand. "Don''t mind him, Coral. He''s a straightforward man."


    "I''m fine. I''ve seen my fair share of talented people in my life. And this is his specialty we''re talking about. Of course he feels proud about it." She shook her head, but then she turned around and pinched Roy''s arm as hard as she could.


    Roy''s lips twitched. <em>What did I do? Why is she doing this to me?</em>


    "I like your style!" Lambert stared at the alchemist with respect in his eyes. "I prefer guys like you. I don''t work with snakes. But tell me something, kid. How did you do it? How did you manage to trick someone of his caliber into working with us?"


    The witchers turned their attention to Roy, waiting for his exnation. It was a wonder how he managed to create so many miracles.


    "I didn''t trick him." Roy shot Lambert a re. <em>I risked my life for this.</em>


    "Oh, no. He didn''t trick me." Kalkstein, for once, defended Roy. "I came willingly. Roy helped me out big time, you see. I don''t think anyone else could have done what he did. Including you guys."


    "And what did he do this time?" Even Letho''s curiosity was piqued.


    Roy''s face froze. He was about to lie his way out, but Coral harrumphed.


    She noticed what he was trying to do, and before he could say anything, the mage covered his mouth. She gave him a look that said, <em>Shut up</em>.


    Kalkstein ignored the couple and answered, "Roy killed a higher vampire all by himself and gave me its corpse. Never have I seen a witcher with that level of capability."


    ***


    And the temperature seemed to drop a dozen centigrades. It was summer outside, but the room felt like it had entered winter. Even the breeze that lingered in the air felt chilly. Someone shivered.


    A long silence ensued.


    Serrit shook his head. "Is that a joke, Kalkstein? I''ve sparred with Roy, and he''s the weakest swordsman out of all of us. There is no way he could have killed a higher vampire."


    Geralt stared at Kalkstein. "Are you sure he killed a higher vampire? Perhaps it was a katakan, an ekimmara, a fleder, or even a bruxa."


    Kalkstein refused to exin. Instead, he waved his hand and produced a coffin on the table. It was covered inplex runes, and the lid was made of crystal. "See for yourself, then. You should know what this is."


    The witchers gathered around the coffin, staring at what was lying within: a pale, seemingly unconscious man.


    A whileter, Eskel said, "Either this is a human¡­"


    "Or a higher vampire," Kiyan added quietly.


    "Or a doppler. But I can''t be sure unless I can be more hands-on." Felix pushed his sunsses down. "But judging from how Roy''s acting, I''d say Kalkstein isn''t lying. This is a higher vampire."


    "Which begs the question." Letho grabbed Roy''s nape like a mother cat holding her kitten up. "Did you intend on keeping this a secret from us forever? How did you kill this thing?"


    "This isn''t the first time you hid something from us. We''re members of the brotherhood, but you never tell us anything." There was disappointment and fury in Serrit''s eyes. "You just had to face this alone. You could have asked us to work with you."


    Geralt''s hair billowed, and with a solemn voice, he spoke. "Do you even think of yourself as one of us? Higher vampires are nigh immortal. Not once in my lifetime has any witcher managed to bring one down. Not even the first ones." Vesemir asked, "How <em>did </em>you do it, Roy?"


    "Mmmh, mmmh!"


    "Lytta, you might want to let him go. He''s going to suffocate from all the love you''re showing him," Lambert jealously interjected.


    "Oh, sorry. He can be a bit annoying sometimes." Awkwardly, she let him go, but not before she stomped on his foot and shot him a nasty re.


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief, but then he felt a chill run down his spine from all the looks he was getting. He sighed. "I wasn''t going to keep this a secret forever, but Coral¡ª"


    "Coral what?" she asked.


    "No, it''s my fault. I should havee clean." Roy gave Kalkstein a look. He was sure the alchemist could understand why he needed to involve him in this exnation. "I didn''t do it alone. Kalkstein helped. I snuck up on the thing with his cape and heavily injured it with the bombs he gave me."


    Coral nodded. Kalkstein was a great inventor, no doubt about that. She wasn''t surprised he coulde up with something that could threaten a higher vampire.


    "I had a great advantage. The win was pure luck." He pursed his lips and stared at everyone, especially Letho and Coral. "And I possess an ability that can heal my wounds quickly. It''s like having a second life. I had to use that in the battle, and even then, I only barely won." He shuddered. "If it were a head-on battle, I would have died."


    Coral frowned, while Letho seemed like he believed Roy''s exnation.


    The next part was a bit of a lie, but Roy continued. "There was a reason I had to fight alone. That thing kidnapped an innocent bystander, and it was going to kill her. I just happened to run into it, and my conscience wouldn''t let me ignore it, so¡­"


    Letho shook his head in disapproval.


    "I couldn''t contact you guys in time, so¡­" He paused for a moment. "It''s possible to defeat a higher vampire, but killing it is something else entirely. I managed it thanks to another ability I have."


    "You''d bettere clean, kid." Lambert put his hands on his hips and cocked his eyebrow. "Don''t lie to us. How did you manage it?"


    "To be honest, anything I kill loses their soul. Entirely. Reduced to atoms. That''s what happened to this guy. Nothing but a shell." Roy half-joked, "So don''t get on my nerves, Lambert."


    ***


    "Is that so?" The witchers fell silent for a moment. They were reminded of all the feats Roy showed them since they met. He had Elder Blood flowing within his veins, he had the power of irvoyance, and he could bounce back from the brink of death itself. His powers were too numerous to list, and killing a higher vampire didn''t seem too surprising now.


    Having a powerful ally was a good thing, and they epted Roy''s exnation. Still, they gave him weird looks. Roy might be trying to stay humble, but the fact remained that he was already stronger than the weaker members of the brotherhood like Aiden and Lambert.


    They were happy for Roy, but at the same time, a sense of pressure weighed down on their shoulders. They too had to improve and keep up with everyone.


    Roy felt Letho''s grip loosen, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He changed the subject. "Besides the Trial, Kalkstein will be researching this body with us and creating a potion or decoction that will grant us a part of a higher vampire''s abilities. I''m sure you''re interested." He looked at Letho and Kiyan.


    "Don''t change the subject, kid." Letho thumped his chest and solemnly said, "We''ll let you off the hook this time, but I''m giving you an ultimatum. Next time you charge into danger, you tell us, or else I''m going to kick you out of the brotherhood."


    "That''s right. Next time you do this, you''re doing guard duty at Kaer Morhen and Gorthur Gaved." Serrit patted the back of his head.


    Everyone else ruffled his hair and cheeks.


    "Next time you do this, you''re gonna be homeless."


    "Yeah, and you can open up a stall and be a fortune teller."


    "Or you can just live in a shithole."


    "Or trick someone else into joining your new organization."


    Geralt pinched Roy''s chin and thought about what he should say. "Or fuck your sorceress?"


    "And here''s a warning from me." Lytta yanked his cor and pulled Roy over. Her chest pressed against his, and their noses touched. She stared into his eyes, her hair brushing his cheeks. "Next time you run straight into death without telling me, I''m dumping you."


    And then she kissed him.


    "Ahem, get a room, you two."


    The witchers coughed, but Coral ignored them, and Roy couldn''t break free.


    Geralt was reminded of his past, and he turned around just in time to see the kids quickly hide underneath the windowsill. "You kids wanna get turned into girls again?"


    Only Kalkstein was unperturbed by the show of affection. He was caressing the coffin, his eyes filled with affection like he was staring at the woman he loved.


    "I don''t know how to improve the Trial, but I can make potions and decoctions." Letho and Kiyan huddled closer to the alchemist. "I think we should concentrate on hyper regeneration."


    "No. Flight and intangibility are imperative for battles," Kiyan argued hoarsely.


    Kalkstein joined in the debate. "I say webine the three. This body is perfect, and we have enoughponents to find the perfect bnce for the decoction."


    Five minutester, Coral let go of Roy, satisfied with the kiss. And she wiped his lips. "Wipe it off, you. You smeared my lipstick all over me." She produced a small mirror and lipstick out of thin air and turned around to reapply her makeup. At the same time, she started humming.


    "So, learnt your lesson yet?" Serrit raised his head.


    "Fine, I''m sorry." Roy turned to the witchers. The flippant look on his face was reced by a look of solemnity. Everyone stopped talking, and Roy said, "Brothers, Coral, I promise to tell you guys if something like this ever happens again."


    Everyone nodded.


    "That''s right,d." Vesemir patted his back. "Don''t do everything yourself. It mighte from a good ce, but you¡¯re still running away. You need to ept the fact that not all oues will be perfect."


    "Yes." <em>I can''t keep them out of my operations just because I''m worried they might die.</em>


    A momentary pauseter, Vesemir frowned. "Did you see him?"


    The Wolves turned their attention to Roy, anxiety written all over their faces.


    "Sorry." Roy shook his head. "He was already gone when I arrived. For two months, to be exact. Adventuring somewhere else."


    Vesemir nodded, though the disappointment in his eyes was palpable.


    "I''ll seek him out when I have the chance next time. Some day, I''m going to bring him back."


    Roy then tossed a fat bup sack onto the table. "And I got us something good. Remember the Church of Virtue and their patron goddess? I made an agreement with them. They''re now our allies."


    "You managed something big without telling us again." Serrit shook the sack around. The clink of the coins within made him smile.


    Lambert grinned sycophantically at him. "Say, minister of finance, care to give me some coins for drinks?"


    "Shut up. You aren''t getting even one copper. You''re not in charge of finances. You have no idea how hard it is to run this ce. The food, shelter, and research cost more than you think. And coins don''t grow on trees like leaves."


    ***


    "That''s all for today." Letho said, "Lytta, take Kalkstein to theb. Everyone else, we''re going back to the children. Some of them need some walloping."


    Coral hugged Roy and whispered something into his ear before she led Kalkstein away from the conference hall.


    Everyone left, and only three remained in the conference room.


    "I don''t see Auckes and Dandelion anywhere," Roy said.


    Geralt shook his head. "They''re still having fun in Toussaint."


    "I don''t see Coen either," Roy added.


    Vesemir looked at the sunset outside and shook his head. "Affairs of the heart. Common problems among pups. Coen and Igsena''s rtionship is in trouble. It''s been days since we saw him. You''re about his age, Roy. You should counsel that little Griffin when you have time."


    "There''s still a year from Cintra''s fall. I have time," Geralt agreed. "Counsel the guy. Teach him your moves."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 420: Affairs of the Heart

    It was another bustling day in Gildorf. Sunlight shone upon the people going down the streets, purchasing the merchandise sold by peddlers and merchants who set up stalls along the street.


    A pockmarked witcher with a beard stared at the bulletin board standing under a tree, his ponytail swaying in the breeze. His eyes seemed unfocused. Vacuous, even.


    "So that''s where you were, Coen." A young man with heterochromatic eyes appeared from the corner of a street, greeting Coen happily. He turned his attention to the empty bulletin board and frowned. "Wait, you took all the requests? So you''re waiting for someone to post new ones?"


    "I can''t just sleep my days away, can I?" Coen answered matter-of-factly.


    Roy shook his head. <em>He''s trying to numb himself with work and run away from his troubles.</em> "Why aren''t you at the ballroom? Igsena''s performing."


    Coen remained silent, but he seemed forlorn.


    "Okay, let''s change the subject." <em>Yeah, not the best question. </em>"So tell me, what kind of requests have you been taking?"


    "Everything." Coen answered with nothing but monotony in his voice. "Missing pets, missing persons, catching someone''s spouse in an affair, exorcism, delivery, you name it. Did about twenty or so."


    "Wow, you''re a traditional witcher, aren''t you? But you aren''t a trash collector. Why did you take all the requests?" Roy shook his head. "And you should let loose once in a while. Come with me. Take a break. Get some drinks, or we can go for a round of Gwent. You decide."


    "Thank you, Roy, but I''d like to remain here." Coen stubbornly shook his head.


    "You should look in the mirror, man." Roy looked at the Griffin and cut straight to the chase. "You look like a sad sack of shit who''s suffering from abandonment issues."


    Coen paled, and he clenched his fists.


    "You''re wasting your time standing around taking requests." Roy paused for a moment. "If you still think of me as a friend, tell me your worries. Perhaps I can solve them." Roy cleared his throat and confidently said, "You see how Coral and I get along. I know how to turn feisty girlfriends into good girls."


    Suddenly, Roy thought he heard someone harrumph, and then he felt something pinching his arm and holding his hand. And a chill ran down his spine.


    ***


    The witchers found themselves a spot in the Gorgon Inn.


    "I-I just feel so useless." Coen sped his hands and hung his head low like a defeated rooster. "Ever since Igsena joined the ballroom, she''s been obsessed with it. Poetry, opera, music, you name it. That''s all she ever talks about, at work or at home. First she''d ask me weird questions, like how many stylistic devices Dandelion used in Winter, or what kind of socialmentary Tarentino did in his newest work, the House of Grief, or why Franken''s Good Night is touted as the gem of northern music."


    Coen shook his head. "I am but a witcher. I can read and write, but most of what I learn is how to survive a battle with all kinds of monsters, alchemy, and the virtue of knights. I can recite them verbatim if you''d like." He sighed. "But not things like art. It''s even moreplex than an ancient tome written in anguage I don''t know. I don''t have the talent to appreciate art. I just don''t have the interest for it."


    <em>Can''t say the same for Auckes, </em>Roy thought. <em>He has no talent at all, but he writes stupid poems every day in an attempt to woo those nobledies.</em>


    "I tried my best to ept her hobby. I tried to learn art in hopes that one day I could talk with her without any barriers, but I just can''t master it."


    There was surprise and doubt in his eyes. "I had no idea what she was talking about in the beginning, but the novelty kept me going. It wore off, and trying to learn only jumbled my mind up. Every time I hear her talk about art, my head hurts. And my stomach churns."


    He rubbed his cheeks like he med himself for not having the talent to understand art. "Every day, shees home, eager to talk about art and performance, but I can''t even hold a discussion with her. I can feel her disappointment."


    He looked up at the sky and reminisced about the good old days. "It''s so different from how she used to be. She wouldin about how her chores would make her feet sore and hands freeze. She''d talk about the local thug harassing the widows, and I joked and alleviated her worries. But not now. We''re starting to talk less. I worry we might run out of things to talk about one day." He froze for a moment, a hint of fear lingering in his eyes. "She might not need me anymore."


    Roy rubbed his chin, his eyes glinting. He was looking at Coen in a new light. <em>The guy is almost fifty, but he''s so insecure. He''s like a silly girl blinded by love.</em>


    "Pardon me for asking, but how many rtionships have you been in?"


    "Um¡­" Coen froze, and he tugged on the edge of the table. "Does this have anything to do with our discussion?"


    "Yes, and it''s important."


    "Very well." He hung his head low for a moment, his back stiffening up. And then he raised one finger sheepishly, rubbing the pockmarks on his chin. "I don''t have the looks, and I''m not outgoing. I don''t have many friends either, nor am I an interesting guy. I don''t really know how to please people."


    "Don''t sell yourself short, buddy. You''re better than most men." Roy was shocked, however. <em>Whoa, first rtionship in fifty years? And Igsena''s his first love. No wonder he''s so stubborn about this. </em>"You tried to learn more about her hobby, and that''s good." Roy started out by acknowledging his intention. "But don''t force yourself. If a rtionship does nothing but tire you out, it has no reason to exist."


    Shocked, Coen asked, "You''re asking me to split up with her?"


    "What I''m saying is to be yourself. You are Coen of the Griffin School. You have your own beliefs and way of dealing with people. Remember what Keldar said? Don''t just agree with everything everyone says."


    Roy didn''t have much experience to draw on in reality, but he tried his best. "Giving in and relenting isn''t going to keep a rtionship going strong. Try to remember why she started seeing you in the first ce. Remember the qualities that attracted her to you."


    "You want me to tell you why she likes me?" Coen looked bemused. He was too honest to understand what Roy was talking about. Gingerly, he said, "She probably started going out with me because I saved her life. Out of gratitude, I think."


    "I disagree. You''re honest, brave, and kind," Roy praised him, and Coen blushed. "You''re the rare kind of man who possesses the spirit of a knight, and you''re a witcher. You can perform better than most men on the battlefield. And more than one kind of battlefield. Igsena chose you because of that. She told me about it." Confidently, he said, "She''s crazy for you, no doubt about it."


    "In the past, maybe." Coen looked dejected. "She''s crazy for art now."


    Roy stared into Coen''s eyes and said cryptically, "Then you''ll have to prove that you''re more attractive than art. Rekindle the fire and passion." A proud Roy said, "I don''t have to suck up to Coral. She can''t leave me now."


    ***


    "I have a present for you, Coral."


    "What is it?"


    "A pearl ne I picked for you. You''re the only one worthy of it."


    "Oh, never took you as a surprise person. Come here and let me reward you."


    ***


    "You know how to make a woman crazy for you? First you gotta conquer her heart, and then her body." Roy paused for a moment. <em>Yeah, that''s the order of things. </em>"You gotta be brave. You need to give her a gift she likes."


    Coen fell silent.


    With disbelief in his voice, Roy said, "You''ve never given her any presents?"


    Coen struggled with himself for a moment, but he answered, "I have no idea what kind of present she would like."


    "You''re too honest for your own good." Roy shook his head in resignation and annoyance. "This is a good chance for a gift. You know what she loves most. Think about it. What kind of gift would she like?"


    "An anthology? A lute?"


    "There you go, buddy." Roy gave Coen a look of approval like he was his mentor, and he patted Coen''s shoulder. "First, you make her open up to you with the presents, and then you take the high ground and make sweet love to her. She''s going to be as sweet as amb once you show her your strength in bed."


    Coen was a little tempted, but he said, "But she doesn''t really talk to me now. Shees home looking tired all the time. All she wants to do is sleep." He asked, "Can one present really help with this?"


    "When''s thest time you guys did it?" Roy asked.


    Coen wondered why Roy would ask that, but he realized it a momentter. His cheeks turned red, and he whispered, "Not since we came to Novigrad. She needs to perform during the day, and it takes a lot out of her. I can''t force it, right?"


    Roy had a solemn look on his face. <em>This feels like the onset of an eventual affair. So this is the root of their problems. </em>"Does she have anyone she''s close with at the ballroom? A partner she performs with frequently? Someone she has lunch with all the time? Someone she''s close with? Are they a man or a woman?"


    "Yes," Coen blurted. "She''s close to all the performers in the ballroom. Everyone loves her."


    Roy rolled his eyes.


    "I know what you''re getting at, but she''s not that kind of woman," Coen added.


    Roy looked at him. <em>God, you don''t know how tempting this world can be. </em>"Fine, buddy. Here''s an idea. Auckes keeps a few anthologies of romantic poems in his room. He''s not in Novigrad, so I''m giving you one of them. Give that to Igsena when shees home from work and tell her what you really want. Tell her what you''re worried about. And don''t try to talk about art when you have no talent for it. Tell her the three little words; you should know what to do next. Oh, and you need a perfect candlelit dinner."


    It had been a while since Roy cooked, and he was itching to show his skills. "I''ll supervise your cooking. Be brave. Griffins never turn back, whether it''s in love or battle. Don''t dawdle around like some indecisive buffoon."


    "Huh?" Coen was a little surprised. He thought this was taking it a little too fast, but he couldn''t say no, not when Roy was giving him that look. He took a deep breath and nodded.


    ***


    The sun was setting, filling the skies with beautiful hues of color before it gave way to the moon. Igsena was walking back to her home, a gust of wind kissing her. She was wearing thetest bard attire: a tight blue shirt with orange sleeves and a pair of tight pants with one leg yellow and the other leg blue. It was paired with leather boots that had golden points on their ends.


    A calm, confident smile curled her lips, and sometimes she would spin around on the street like she was dancing. Only a few months had passed since she joined the ballroom, and already she had changed from a country bumpkin into a fashionabledy.


    She was more confident and cheerful. And she could save some money every month for the house she would buy in Novigrad. A love nest for her and Coen. Her life was getting better.


    Except for one thing.


    She no longer saw her boyfriend smile as much as he used to. Ever since they came to Novigrad, Coen had been more isted and quiet. He spent his days taking all kinds of requests. Finding missing pets and taking care of lonely old people.


    He tried to learn music, poetry, and theater, but he wasn''t built for that. He was losing more and more of himself. He wasn''t like the man she loved. Yes, she was moved that he would put in the effort for her, but unlike in the past, she only felt a little tired and bored about their love life. It used to be so passionate. She wanted to see the old him. The one who could confidently talk about how he vanquished monsters.


    ***


    Igsena crossed a few streets and passed the canal of Novigrad. Eventually, she went back to her home in the slums. Not even the light of an oilmp was seen in the house. The only thing illuminating the living room was the light from the setting sun. There was not a soul in the house, no. There was only a table, a worn-down sofa, and the cutlery hanging from the walls. The house looked cold and uninviting.


    A sigh of disappointment escaped Igsena''s lips, and she plopped down on the sofa, feeling nothing but exhaustion within her. A sense of darkness and powerlessness assailed her. <em>This is nothing but a cold, empty house. Not a ce of warmth and love. </em>She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. <em>I should talk with Coen and end this whole thing.</em>


    But then someone emerged from the room on the second floor. A burly man descended the stairs, holding a gigantic tter in his hand. On the tter sat a plethora of food: fried eggs, gnhi, stewed beef, grilled rabbit head, beef sausage paired with beet and goat''s cheese, fresh crab, oysters, lobsters, and more.


    Candles stood in the center of the te, forming a heart shape. And Coen looked so different from his usual self. Gone was his usual leather armor. He changed into a tight silk jacket, and his hair and beard were trimmed. He looked cleaner than he ever did. His cheeks were red, but the look in his eyes was warm and filled with love.


    When he looked at her, she thought he was staring at his whole world. It took her back to the day they first met, and it made her heart flutter. She held her hands before her chest, and her cheeks were red. She was anticipating what was toe.


    "I''ve gone about this the wrong way, Igsena. I''m a witcher. I shouldn''t have tried to be a bard. It made my life hard, and it''s made yours hard as well."


    Coen ced the tter on the table and whipped out an exquisite copy of Dandelion''s <em>The Adversities of Loving</em>. He handed it to Igsena. "I almost lost myself out of my fear of losing you, but not anymore. I am Coen of the Griffin School, student of Keldar, and the man who loves you. I hope you''ll ept my apology for my disappointing behavior as ofte."


    Coen was being genuine, though there was the scent of alcohol in his breath. He had to drink a lot of dwarven liquor to build his courage up. "But most importantly, I want you to know that I love you, and I always will."


    Igsena held the gift and took a deep breath. Then she leaned on Coen''s chest. She felt a surge of warmth overflowing from her heart, and all the exhaustion and sadness was washed away by tears. "I''m the one who should apologize, Coen. I spent too much time on my work and hobby, and I neglected you. I trampled on your love." She rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes filled with tears. With a sobbing voice, she said, "Can you give me another chance? Restart in Novigrad?"


    "Of course."


    The couple stared into each other''s eyes, and the barrier that had stood between them vanished. They remained in each other''s embrace for a while before they finally enjoyed their candlelit dinner in delight.


    Roy was leaning on the windowsill outside. He patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. <em>Good thing that went well. Guess I''m an okay wingman. </em>"Happy ending. Time to go home and see my family." <em>And Coral.</em>


    ***


    It was a gentle but crazy night. Roy found himself awake on a big bed in a luxurious room. He held his breath and carefully pushed Coral''s arm and leg away from him like a little prey avoiding its predator.


    He slowly got out of the bed and looked at thedy who was still sleeping on it. She was as gorgeous as usual, and only when she was asleep would she be as quiet as a kitten. He sent her a flying kiss and got up, but Coral pulled him back into the bed.


    Half an hourter, Roy wiped the kiss marks off his face before he left Coral''s room and stepped out into the sunlight.


    Not too longter, he ran into Coen on his way to the orphanage. He was wearing new clothes and looked happier than ever before. The air of depression hanging about him was nowhere to be seen, and his smile was as warm as the sun.


    But there were dark circles under his eyes.


    "Roy, you are a master of love. That was a wonderful idea. You saved my rtionship." An excited Coen went ahead and grabbed Roy''s hands. "How can I ever thank you?"


    Roy shook his head. "Just a favor for a friend and brother. No need for a reward."


    "No, no. You have no idea what this means to me. Keldar''s gone, and if Igsena were to leave me¡­" Coen shuddered. He insisted, "Griffins always repay their debt. That is our creed. Tell me what you''d like."


    <em>Well, if he insists, refusal would be an insult. </em>Roy mused for a while. "Can you share the first part of the Griffin Arts with the brotherhood?"


    Coen''s smile froze. He hesitated, but it wasn''t an outright refusal.


    "The first part, as in Dual Sign. Not including the mutation and Wingp." Roy showed understanding to the dilemma Coen was facing. "Go with what the voice of your heart tells you. It''s alright if you don''t want to." Roy winked at him and suggested, "Juste over and talk to the kids and witchers more often."


    Roy vaulted over the fence and entered the castle.


    Coen stared at him and the orphanage for a while. He then took a deep breath and made a decision.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 421: Another Visit to Cintra

    <strong>Chapter 421: Another Visit to Cintra</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was mid-September of 1262. Roy had been in training in Novigrad for a month.


    Kalkstein had solved one of the problems regarding the Trial that had stumped Lytta for a long time. If they kept this up, they could administer the improved pre-Trial to the reserve apprentices early next year and increase their survival rate. And they didn''t have to worry about which school''s Trial should they take.


    The higher vampire decoction research was also in progress. Every day, Letho and Kiyan would travel to theb after ss and work with Kalkstein until the wee hours of the night. But the creature''s body was filled with mysteries. Its blood, organs, and even its tissues wereplexbyrinths that needed time to figure out. It would be a while before a breakthrough was made.


    And Coen also brought a surprise for everyone. The old boy had broken free of the affairs of his heart and rekindled the passionate mes with Igsena. Out of gratitude and some other reason, he agreed to share Dual Sign with the brotherhood. Every afternoon, he woulde to the orphanage and teach them all about it.


    Nobody could refuse the call of the Griffin Arts, and so, all the witchers went to ss, including Roy. Dual Sign wasn''t something only the talented could do. Anyone who could cast Signs well could do it. Serrit, Vesemir, and Geralt mastered it the fastest.


    On the other hand, the most talented but youngest member slowed everyone down, and Lambert would take every chance he could tough at Roy.


    One monthter, Roy barely managed to master all seven Dual Signs and leveled Griffin Arts from Level 5 to Level 6. Dual Signs were doubly more powerful than one-handed Signs, but the mana consumption was doubled as well. And casting it took more time than with one-handed Signs. Roy still needed a lot more training if he wished to use it in battle.


    ***


    Two months had passed since Dandelion and Auckes left for Toussaint, but still there was no news of them. On the surface, it felt like they were captivated by Toussaint''s culture, but everyone thought otherwise, and they were worried.


    ***


    Another morning dawned on Novigrad, dark clouds hanging overhead. Willow branches swayed, their dewdrops shivering in the breeze.


    Geralt and Roy were standing in the orphanage''s courtyard. They were in tight blue clothes paired with equally tight but red pants. Their feet were covered in a pair of boots, and crocodile-hide belts hung around their waists. Their weapons and medallions were tucked away, and they were well-groomed. Aside from their peculiar eye color, Roy and Geralt looked like a pair of aristocrats, aristocrats who looked fitter than those who lost themselves in booze and women.


    Coral was handing a one-time portal to Roy and whispering something into his ear.


    Roy nodded and pretended to listen, but he was thinking of something else.


    Over thest month, Triss contacted him through the telescope twice. He told her to do it between one to five in the afternoon, so there was no way Coral would see them. The mandrake''s effects had worn off, and Triss had finally returned to normal. She talked to Roy like a friend and told him what happened on her endtely.


    Adda got news about theing war and told Foltest about the threat Nilfgaard posed, and Keira handed Gruffyd''s journal to the king as well. That was enough to catch Foltest''s attention. After consulting the royal council, he made an unprecedented move. He would send out scouts to Amell and see what Nilfgaard was up to.


    The news came as a surprise for Roy, but it was still unknown if Temeria would join the battle.


    ***


    The Wolves stood before Geralt.


    Lambert slicked his hair back and said seriously, "Geralt, you should take me with you. If that hag says no, I will sneak Ciri back with us. Not like Cintra''s gonnast long anyway. You won''t make an enemy out of them."


    Eskel shook his head. He argued, "Cnthe''s going to die soon, and you want to kidnap her granddaughter. We don''t need to y any tricks on that poordy. There must be a better way."


    He was reminded of how he got his scar. "We cannot force the Unexpected Child to do anything, or Destiny will fire back at us."


    "Didn''t you hear Geralt? That hag is as stubborn as a mule. Let''s make a bet. If Cnthe lets him take Ciri, I''ll give you all my entertainment money for this month. You give me yours if it''s otherwise."


    "So what''s your n?" Vesemir looked at Geralt. It wasn''t until recently that he found out Geralt had an Unexpected Child. He never told anyone about it.


    Geralt stared at the clearing beside the alder woods beyond the fence. Cleaver''s dwarves were swinging their tools around and making a new house for theing year''s new kids. They had built the foundation of three new houses.


    "Roy and I have talked, and we''ll be seeing Cnthe first. If we know what will happen to her and keep it a secret, it will not sit well with Ciri when she finds out. And we''re doing this alone. A group of witchers is cause for concern in most cities."


    The White Wolf looked at the overcast sky and raised his right hand to feel the air. <em>No wind. Slightly hot and humid. The air''s feeling heavy. Like something''sing. </em>"We should go now. Before the raines."


    A gust of wind appeared within the courtyard, and a square door with golden sides appeared out of thin air. The children leaned on the windowsill, staring outside.


    Roy and Geralt waved everyone goodbye and leapt into the portal.


    ***


    Three dizzying secondster, the witchers opened their eyes and found themselves standing in a luxurious room with a big bed, a resplendent dressing table, tons of lipstick, and a huge closet.


    Geralt bent over and retched. Once the nausea was gone, he looked around andmented, "How many safehouses does Lytta have?"


    Roy pushed his fringe aside and put on his sunsses. Then he patted the sparrowhawk in his hood. "Yennefer has a lot of safehouses too, if I remember correctly. And you guys meet up in more than one of them."


    "Alright, that''s enough. You should use your premonition on better things. Stop talking about her and let''s go."


    ***


    Cintra''s streets were wide. Their roads were as sturdy as Novigrad''s, but their buildings were simpler. The walls were made of robust stone, the houses tall and hardy. There was not an inch of redundant decoration on the windows either.


    A refreshing sea breeze blew into the city, bringing with it the smell of sea salt. The witchers crossed the streets and looked around the city.


    Cintra was a kingdom that stood by the sea, and they were great allies with the Skellige Isles. The culture of Skellige rubbed off on the locals, and burly men with headbands and sleeveless shirts weremon sights on the streets. Their cheeks were rough from the assault of the sea winds, and their faces were red.


    The women were well-built and had a straightforward attitude as well.


    The pair of witchers went straight for the pce that was standing on the cliff in the north, though they noticed something different on their way there. There were more armed soldiers patroling the streets than usual, their cautious eyes looking in all directions. It looked like they were protecting someone important.


    They found out why there were so many soldiers around when they arrived at the drawbridge of the pce. A multitude of gs hung at the drawbridge''s sides, billowing in the air. But Cintra''s emblem wasn''t the only one on the gs.


    There were gs that showed Sodden''s emblem of an octagon ruby, Verden''s g that contained ck and yellow squares, Brugge''s green-and-white-cross g, and there were even gs of Lyria and Rivia, and Toussaint.


    "So the talks about an alliance aren''t over yet." Roy stared at the row of soldiers standing before the gates. "We need to sneak in."


    Geralt straightened his cor and the crest on his chest. It was a coat-of-arms that had a bear with a girl in a blue shirt on its back. "Allow me, Ravix of Fourhorn, to do the honors."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 422: Sneaking In

    <strong>Chapter 422: Sneaking In</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    "Halt, who goes there?" A soldier in grey chainmail and halberd stopped Geralt. His face was inscrutable, and his gaze was interrogatory. "What business do you have here?"


    "Ahem." Geralt cleared his throat and looked around the gates. There were other soldiers around, and using Axii here would be unwise. "I am Ravix of Fourhorn, a guest of the queen. This is my servant. We are here for an official visit. And we bring important news. The urgency of the matter cannot be overstated. Please tell the queen about this."


    The soldier froze for a moment and exchanged a look with his colleague, a soldier with a nose that resembled garlic. They had never heard of anyone who went by the name Ravix of Fourhorn, but Geralt was calm, and he imed to be a guest of the queen. The guards were a little nervous. He wondered if refusing to tell the queen about this would be a great crime.


    "Master Ravix, the queen is in a meeting with a group of kings and ambassadors. If you do not have an invitation to the conference, you will have to return after the meeting is over. I shall bring your message to the butler by then. I apologize, but we cannot allow anyone without an invitation to enter. Please leave."


    They held their halberds back up and resumed their positions, paying Geralt and Roy no attention.


    ***


    The witchers left with nothing to show.


    Roy teased, "So, Ravix, they don''t recognize you. Are you gonna take me along for the ride next time?"


    "Roy, this is not a fake title." Geralt''s eyes shone with reminiscence. "Many years ago, I joined an event at the pce with the very same title. She was choosing a husband for her daughter back then. But it has been many years. These soldiers probably don''t remember me anymore. Just wait. The queen will summon me once she hears of this."


    "Or she might chase you away. You know she''s worried you might run off with Ciri. I have a better idea." Roy stared at the pce''s window. The one that was facing the sea. "Stay here. I''ll sneak in for some intel." <em>Wonder how the negotiation is going.</em>


    Shocked, Geralt quickly tried to dissuade him. "Don''t do anything stupid, Roy. If you get caught, it''ll be over for us."


    "Oh please, like I''ve ever let you down. It''ll be fine, Geralt." Roy produced a grey cloak and wore it over his shoulder, then produced a hand crossbow.


    ***


    The pce was draped in a nket of golden sunlight. A sparrowhawk flew through the air and perched atop the open window surrounded by old, vine-covered pce walls. One silver bolt leapt up from the reef underneath andnded beyond the window.


    The silhouette standing on the reef disappeared only to reappear within the pce. He found himself standing in the corridor, a beautiful red carpet unfurling beneath his feet. On his sides hung expensive oil paintings and the heads of animals like deer, tigers, and crocodiles. In the corners stood gigantic vases and armor exhibits, while beautiful patterns painted the ceiling overhead.


    Gryphon hopped ahead, scouting the path for Roy.


    Roy changed into the sticky gloves and boots Kalkstein made for him, then he cast the twin shields over himself. A little dashter, Roy climbed the walls like a lizard and stuck himself to the ceiling, scurrying away along the pirs.


    The cloak and shields covered his smell and sound, and he moved as quietly as a scuttling spider. If anyone was around to patrol, all they could see was a ck silhouette dashing past the ceiling.


    With Gryphon''s help, Roy went past ten patrolling soldiers, guards, and the dizzying paths that led to who-knew-where. The pce was like a maze. Only those who knew theyout could navigate it easily. But Roy had been here once. During the month he spent with Ciri, he had already memorized theyout in case something like this happened.


    Navigating the ce was child''s y to him. He didn''t even have to use Axii. All he had to do was go where his witcher senses told him to. To the ce where sounds and smell congregated.


    Halfway through, he came face to face with a gorgeous, green wooden door. It was a familiar door, and Roy fell silent. The light of reminiscence lit his eyes. He was here about a year ago, and the young witchernded in silence, then he stuck his ear to the wall.


    ***


    A petite figure sat on a gigantic chair with golden sides, her legs swinging in the air. She was scribbling something down with a quill, but all of a sudden, the girl stopped writing. Her beautiful emerald eyes were filled with exasperation. "I have had enough of this, Coria!" She swiveled around and raised her head haughtily. And then the girl approached her servant, her eyes set on her. She threatened, "Imand you to write this letter of repentance right away."


    "But I can''t mimic your handwriting, princess." The servant held her hands before her chest. With a shivering voice, she said, "The queen specifically said you had to finish it yourself, or she would have my head. Please, o brave, kind, and beautiful knight princess, have mercy on me."


    Ciri puffed her cheeks like an angry squirrel. "This again? She keeps holding you hostage just because you''re my only friend." She puckered her lips like a sad little cat. "I won''t keep giving in. Someday I''ll make it big, and Cnthe''s gonna regret it!"


    "Please, Your Highness, be quiet!" The horrified Coria begged, "If Her Majesty''s men were to hear you, she''d have you write a second letter of repentance!"


    "Well, I dare them to snitch on me!" Ciri raised her voice shrilly, tears filling her eyes. "That hag locked me up for more than a year, forcing me to read, write, and learn how to be ady, but I won''t do it! I wanna go out! I wanna see the ocean, I wanna ski, I wanna race, and I wanna fish for crabs! I''ve written a thousand of these stupid letters! How much longer does she want to keep me captive?" She leaned on the desk and wiped her tears. "Damn Cnthe! At least let me see my friends! I can''t even remember what Hjalmar and Cerys look like now!" Ciri''s voice was weak. Her shoulders trembled, and she covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    "Please don''t cry, Your Highness. You''re going to fall ill if you cry too much." Coria rubbed her cheek against Ciri''s and wiped her tears away.


    "And the witchers! Those liars said they''de back for me. Said they''d take me along for the ride, but I bet they''ve forgotten about me. I haven''t heard from them in a year! They think I''m a three-year-old or something!"


    She stared at the blocked window, her reflection looking back at her. Tears streamed from her cheek and fell to the ground. Her brows frowned, and she gnashed her teeth. "Wolf School, Viper School, it''s all a lie! They''re nothing but a School of Bluffers!"


    Someone knocked on the door, and Ciri stopped crying. She sat up like a current of electricity just coursed through her, and the girl nervously wiped the tears off her face.


    Coria quickly pulled her apron up and wiped her face. She regained herposure and carefully approached the door. A deep breathter, she tried her best to say calmly, "The princess is writing her letter of repentance. Come back in an hour."


    "I''m not the queen''s henchman," a young, warm voice said.


    It was not a voice Coria had heard before, but for some reason, she thought the man behind that voice must be a charming one. "Who are you?"


    The princess was still scribbling on the paper, but she listened closely to the answer.


    "I am Roy of the School of Bluffers, here to apologize for the great princess knight. Sorry for the wait, Ciri."


    Ciri let out a cry and leapt out of her chair.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 423: Reunion With Ciri

    <strong>Chapter 423: Reunion With Ciri</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The door was opened, revealing a young witcher in a grey cloak and beautiful attire under the magicalmp. He was bowing at Ciri.


    The girl stared at his face, but then she stopped walking, her surprise turning into confusion, and she sniffed the air. "Who are you?"


    A resigned smile tugged at Roy''s lips. "Ciri, it''s only been a year, and already you can''t recognize me? I''m Roy of the Viper School."


    Ciri frowned. She stared closely at the young man standing before her. He looked familiar, and yet very different from the boy she had in mind. "No." She said seriously, "Roy''s eyes are dark gold, and he''s much thinner than you. And he doesn''t have that viper medallion. You can''t fool me."


    Coria stood before the princess and spread her arms like a hen protecting her chick. "Don''te closer. Leave. Or¡­" She puckered her lips and puffed her chest. The girl almost cried, but she said, "Or I''m yelling. And then the soldiers will take you off for execution."


    "Everyone grows and changes." Unfazed, Roy produced his medallion out of thin air and showed it to the girls. "You grew taller, Your Highness. And I remember telling you The Professional, a revised Rapunzel, The Ugly Duckling, and The Little Red Riding Hood. You two cried a few times."


    He smiled. "We drew tortoises on Coria''s face and adventured in Brokilon. You hid in a tree hole because a giant centipede was hunting you down. And Eithne witnessed us as we drank the Waters of Brokilon. I don''t think you can call those experiences a lie." Roy suggested, "And you should look closer at me."


    "Princess, I¡­" Coria suddenly turned around. Solemnly, she said, "I think he <em>is </em>Roy."


    A sob escaped Ciri''s lips. Like a cannon, she shot herself at Roy. Roy held her up and spun around, then he raised the girl high into the air. Amused, she finally smiled.


    "I was busy, my friend. Pardon me for noting, but I didn''t lie. I am just a bitte."


    "You liar!" Once Roy put her back down, she stopped smiling and bit his arm like an angry kitten, but she felt like she just bit into hard wood. The recoil from Quen made her teeth hurt. "You lied, and you''re resisting me?"


    Roy pulled Quen back and smirked at Ciri. She was wearing a beautiful princess dress, a pair of stockings, and a pair of pointy shoes. A gorgeous pink ribbon was tied in her hair. She looked just like a doll, not the tomboy Roy had in mind. It was amusing to him. Her Elder Blood was still in its early stages of awakening, and Ciri couldn''t keep it under control just yet.


    "Now try again."


    Ciri put her hands on her hips and tensed up in her best attempt to look grown-up. Angrily, she said, "I won''t fall for it twice. Now tell me what happened to you. I almost couldn''t recognize you just now." She poked the witcher and raised her chin haughtily like she was angry at Roy, but she couldn''t hide the smile that was curling her lips.


    "Because I''m more powerful now." Roy exined it to her in terms she could understand. "Thest time we met, I could kill two wolves at most. Now I can kill a pack of them. And lions, tigers, and grizzly bears."


    Coria''s jaw dropped. The news came as a shock to her. Not even the knights in the novels had that kind of power.


    Surprise filled Ciri''s eyes, and she gave his arm a pat of approval. She was only at Roy''s chest, but the girl was acting like a general who was giving praise to her soldier. "Well done, my dragonyer. You''ve worked hard over the past year. Now you shall take me and leave this pce. That is an order."


    Shemanded, "And we shall begin our next adventure, never to return."


    "No, please!" Coria tugged at Ciri''s sleeve, an unspoken plea filling her eyes. She then turned to Roy. "Witcher, you can''t take her away, or the queen will have my head. Please, have mercy on me."


    "Ahem, we''re in no hurry to leave, Ciri. That time wille."


    "Hmph!" Ciri shook her head in disdain. She grabbed Roy''s hand and waved it around like a fan. "I know you''re scared of Cnthe. Fine, but you''re not leaving that easily this time. You''re staying here. I''ll talk with her and have you be my sword instructor."


    She counted her fingers and listed the things she wanted to do. "And I wanna see Wilt. It''s been a year. Did he grow a little? I will ride him as much as I want to this time. And you have to y a dragon for me. A real dragon, not a wyvern."


    Roy''s smile froze, and he wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    Ciri paused for a moment. She was reminded of the man with white hair. He reminded her of herte parents, and a surge of warmth filled her heart. "And you gotta take me to Geralt. Is he here?" She shook Roy''s arm, staring at him nervously.


    Roy patted her head. <em>The Law of Surprise in action again. </em>"Geralt has always msised you. He''s right outside the pce, just waiting for your grandmother to summon him. You will see him soon, I promise."


    "Yay, Geralt''s here too!" A smile curled Ciri''s lips, and she ran around the room like a happy pony. She stood on her tiptoes and held her dress up. "We can all y together, then."


    Coria smiled. She too was happy to see the princess so delighted.


    "But I can''t wait anymore. I''m seeing Cnthe and will have her let Geralt into the pce."


    "Your grandmother is seeing some important people. Don''t disturb her." Roy shook his head. "And you need to keep our meeting a secret. Pretend you never saw me."


    "Wait, did you¡­"


    "Yes."


    Excitement turned Ciri''s face red. <em>Now things just got a lot more exciting. This is like hide and seek. </em>"I promise I won''t tell her. And you too, Coria! Keep this a secret, or I''ll cut your head off!"


    Coria shivered and nodded as quickly as she could.


    But then Ciri grinned, and a cunning look overtook her features. "But I must see Geralt by tonight, or all bets are off, and I''m telling Cnthe you snuck into the castle."


    "As you wish, princess. I shall be leaving now."


    "Come back soon."


    Roy held the door''s handle, but then he turned around. "Ciri, a question. Please answer honestly. Would you be willing to leave this pce and move to a witcher''s base?"


    "By all means, yes. I''ve had enough of this prison." Ciri''s eyes shone. "But is your base a fun ce?"


    "A ton of kids your age live there. You can learn swordy, horseback riding, archery, reading, writing, alchemy, and poetry. You can y with the kids, sing and dance, and you can even ride a griffin." Roy told her the truth.


    "Oh my gods." The princess held her hands before her chest, her mouth forming aical ''O''. "This is heaven! You must bring me there after tonight!"


    Roy did not answer that request just yet. He asked another question. "Will you stille with me even if it means you will never return to Cintra?"


    Roy posed the question calmly, but Ciri noticed the solemnity hiding under that question. She froze for a moment and twiddled her thumbs. Her face scrunched up, and she timidly asked, "Can''t I stay for six months or a year ande back when I want to see my grandparents? I''d cry if I didn''t see them for that long."


    Roy fell silent for a moment and shook his head. "No, I don''t think you can do that."


    Ciri paled, and anxiety filled her heart.


    "Take your time, Ciri. We''re in no hurry for an answer."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 424: Meeting

    <strong>Chapter 424: Meeting</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roytched onto the ceiling once again and climbed like a lizard. Down two stories he went, until he came to a door big enough to fit a carriage. The door was covered in Cintra¡¯s coat of arms.


    Two servants in white robes stood outside, spaced out and oblivious to the witcher hanging on the ceiling.


    A sparrowhawk flew in andnded on the ground. It hopped over to the servants, pping its wings and nodding at the servants as if telling them to pet it.


    That caught the servants'' attention. They smiled and watched the little animal as it pranced around.


    The servant on the right suddenly scratched his head and looked up. The first thing he saw was a green triangle, and he shivered only to stand up straight like a puppet.


    The servant on the left was still staring at the sparrowhawk. The critter was looking at him in disdain and pecking at its feathers. Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder. He turned around, and his eyes were filled with confusion at first, but then rity returned to them.


    ***


    Roy stuck his ear to the door and activated his witcher senses, but the servants acted as if he wasn¡¯t there.


    ***


    A rectangr table stood in the center of the hall. Around it sat about a dozen people. All of them were in the best attire money could buy. Silk shirts, leather boots, and rings and nes.


    Eist Tuirseach. King of Cintra, a man with a tanned face and a crooked nose. He wore a thick cloak made of bear hide, and at the moment, the man was leaning back in the main seat, his face inscrutable, but the fury in his eyes was unmistakable. Underneath his calm fa?ade slept a volcano that was ready to erupt.


    His queen sat to his left. She had the face of a stubborn woman, and she was fiddling with her emerald ne. The smallest emerald on it was the size of a ho. Her eyes were on the guests around the table, but they were filled with resignation and exhaustion.


    Mousesack, a druid and Skellige''s magic advisor, sat on the king''s right. He was wearing a ck hat adorned by three antlers. The man was burly, and his beard extended until his chest, his face chiseled. His eyes were glinting with unease and worry.


    Mousesack looked outside the window. The sun was still shining bright, but a strip of pitch-ck darkness was already spreading across the great azure. <em>A storm ising.</em>


    "Guests, the meeting has gone on for two months. I trust you have had enough of the sea breeze and sunshine. Today is the day we reach a conclusion." Eist tapped his armrest. "Let''s start with Skellige''s ambassador.


    Mousesack stood up and bowed to everyone. He announced, "Your Majesty, your brother, the ruler of Skellige, King Bran Tuirseach, has agreed to the coboration. Once the southern barbarians make their move on Cintra, he shall release Skellige''s impregnable naval fleet to assist you in the battle."


    The other guests nodded, but they didn''t seem surprised at all. The king of Cintra and the ruler of Skellige were brothers. Skellige people were straightforward. Naturally, they would help one of their own.


    Eist smiled at his queen and turned his attention to the bald, pudgy, mustached man. "ude, what is your decision on the matter?"


    "I am honored to be here, Your Majesty, Your Highness. You have shown me nothing but generosity over thest two months. I shall try my best to convince King Ervyll to send our troops out to fend off the southern invaders."


    "Can''t you give us a straight answer, ude?" Cnthe frowned, and a hint of anger shed in her eyes. "It''s been two months. Is that not enough time for your king to think it through? Is he still cross about what happenedst year?"


    Cnthe shook her head, and she sighed in silence.


    For a long time, Verden was Cintra''s vassal state. They were under Cintra''s protection, but following their recent development, Verden was slowly breaking free of Cintra''s control. But they were still being vague about this matter because of one thing that happened the year before. Ciri went missing while she was on her way to get engaged to Prince Kistrin.


    Mousesack brought her back eventually, but Cnthe formally called the engagement off, bringing the marriage to an end. At the same time, Freix, a rtive of Ervyll and the one tasked to pick Ciri up in Nastrog was still missing. Everyone thought he was killed in Brokilon. It was because of this that Ervyll refused Cintra''s call-to-arms.


    "No, of course not. His Majesty has always been grateful for your generosity. He would havee himself had he not been unwell." ude hung his head low and knelt on one knee. He kept exining their difficulties and even tried to cry over it. "But we''re finding it difficult to defend ourselves at the moment. Internal strifes need to be quelled, and we need our soldiers to deal with the bandit¡ª"


    "Enough exnation." Eist waved ude down. There was disappointment in his eyes. <em>Thesendlubbers are so dishonest. </em>"Tell Ervyll we''re a team. If we fall, then Verden will fall as well. We trust he won''t give up his kingdom over one little incident."


    Eist turned his attention to another guest. His hair was greying, but the man still looked handsome. The man''s name was Fyodore, the representative of Lyria and Rivia.


    "I am honored to be a part of this talk. It is a pleasure to have seen Queen Cnthe. And listening to you has been an honor, King Eist. But my decision still stands. Lyria and Rivia is too far away from Cintra. Making the trip alone would prove to be a difficult task. Queen Meve won''t expend our kingdom''s resources for an uncertain threat, even if you''re her rtive, Queen Cnthe."


    Eist leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. He looked upset. Cnthe instead smiled at Fyodore. She knew Meve. Meve was as stubborn as she was. There was no use in trying to change her mind.


    But then Fyodore said, "Unless¡­ Unless our kingdoms shared a closer bond. Prince Villem is still single, and he''s about the same age as Princess Ciri. They''re a perfect match for each other."


    The mention of Ciri''s name caught everyone''s attention. Cnthe''s husband was getting old, and Cintra only acknowledged a male monarch. Sooner orter, the control of this kingdom would fall into the hands of Ciri''s future husband. Most of the smaller kingdoms sent their representatives over just to see if they could have a chance to take the princess'' hand in marriage.


    "If you agree to the marriage, Queen Meve will of course assist you all she can." Fyodore bowed.


    Eist held Cnthe''s hand and shook his head. "Ever since the identst year, Cnthe and I have decided to choose Ciri''s husband when she turns fifteen. There are still a few years before that."


    Eist made his decision clear, and he scanned all the guests. Most of them stared down at the table, and a moment of silence fell on the room.


    Eist asked the remaining guests about their decision, but their answers were vague. They did not refuse nor ept the proposal, but the king knew they could not be relied on.


    Some of them imed the invasion was uncertain. Should Nilfgaard try to advance north, they would have to pass Marnadal Valley in the southeast of Cintra. All Cintra had to do was fend them off, and there would be no need for this alliance. They would only send their troops out if they lost.


    Cnthe sneered in silence. <em>If Cintra falls, these bastards will only cut all ties with us and watch us fall.</em>


    But no matter how much the Cintran rulers tried to convince the representatives, everyone remained vague. Cnthe was sure they wouldn''t convince their rulers to send in any reinforcements. Furious, she cursed in silence. <em>These fools. Do they have no shame? They enjoyed our generosity for two months and won¡¯t even lift a finger to help?</em>


    Esit turned his attention to thest guest¡ªRaymund of Toussaint. He was a handsome man with ck hair and a muscr body. And he was the only ruler to join the meeting.


    "Sorry, but I can''t help you, Your Majesty. Toussaint used to belong to Nilfgaard. In name only, maybe, but we still can''t go against our patron state. And my wife is a rtive of the current Nilfgaardian emperor."


    "That wasn''t what you said a week ago." Eist pinched his beard, his anger beginning to show. "You said if Nilfgaard were to invade us, you would renounce them. You promised you wouldn''t help them."


    "I can''t call the shots here," Raymund said calmly. "Half of Toussaint is under my wife''s governance. I need to discuss this with her before I can give you my answer."


    ***


    "Excuses," Cnthe snapped coldly. No longer could she stand these fork-tongued politicians. A smirk of mockery tugged on her lips. "If you care about your wife so much, then why did you find yourself five lovers in the two months you were in Cintra?"


    "Your Highness!" Raymund blushed in embarrassment for a moment. He raised his voice. "I will not allow anyone to doubt my loyalty to Anna!"


    "I can get all your lovers for you if you want. You can take them back to Toussaint and have fun with them."


    Raymund''s face turned crimson. He looked around him, but everyone''s eyes were filled with a look that said, <em>Look at this guy. He relies on his wife for everything he has, and now he''s fucking around with other women.</em>


    "I, Raymund of Toussaint, stake my honor and status on a duel!" He shot up, his eyes filled with a hint of insanity. The man shouted, "A fair duel with your husband!"


    And then the guests erupted into discussion. Some shook their heads in disdain, some sighed, while some were whispering amongst themselves and thumping on the table. They could not believe a duke from another duchy would challenge a king in his home kingdom.


    <em>Is he mad?</em>


    Everyone wasughing at Raymund, wondering how much longer he could live after issuing that challenge.


    "Are you sure?" Eist stood up. He looked like a bear standing on his hind legs, especially with that cape hanging on his back. He was more than six foot six, and his muscles looked like boulders.


    The king stared down at Raymund like a beast who was preparing to kill its prey. The duke of Toussaint was nothing but a chicken in front of this beast of a man. "Are you sure you''d like to duel me?"


    "No, let me exin. I shall send out my best knight to duel the best you have," Raymund exined stiffly. "If you lose, then Queen Cnthe must apologize to me. Ambassadors, be our witness." He looked around and announced, "Let this battle draw the conference to a close. Nobody can deny this bet. Not when there are so many witnesses around."


    "What if you lose then?" Cnthe askednguidly, her eyes filled with fury.


    "Then I shall apologize and return to Toussaint. Never again will I return to Cintra." He gulped. "And on my name I swear I shall convince Anna to refuse to help Nilfgaard in their brutal invasion."


    Eist looked at Cnthe, and the queen nodded.


    "Skellige men will never turn down a fair challenge. Very well, you have your duel."


    Raymund was shivering, but he heaved a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty, I have to remind you that my knight has been the reigning champion for Beauir''s knight tournament for three years. Please send the best knight you have for this battle."


    ***


    <em>Oh ho. The best they have, eh? </em>Roy snuck out of the pce as quickly as he could.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 425: Grimm Sigurd

    <strong>Chapter 425: Grimm Sigurd</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The guests were led to the open-air garden on the castle''s second floor. There was a ring in the center of the flowerbeds, and the guests could enjoy the battle on the observation deck. The rulers of Cintra took the center seats, while Mousesack sat on their right.


    Everyone else formed a circle and engaged in hushed discussion.


    The servants would go around distributing wine and fresh fruits.


    "You will have to give me some time to summon my champion. He''s back at my abode." Raymund had resumed hisposure. There was a smile on his face, and he looked like he had won the match.


    Cnthe nodded. "Raymund, after the battle, I hope Toussaint will join the right side of the war."


    Raymund bowed. "If I were to win this battle, then I hope you shall apologize, Queen Cnthe."


    Cnthe held her husband''s arm and craned her neck proudly, her eyes filled with confidence. "I might be a woman, but my promise carries as much weight as a man''s."


    Raymund nodded and left the pce.


    "So, who are you going to send in? Firenze, Magosivan, or Reinhart?" Cnthe sped her hands and rested her chin on them. She stared at her husband''s face with worry in her eyes. "Beauir''s knight tournament is world famous. A three-year reigning champion must be formidable. We need to send in our finest."


    Eist smiled at his wife, his eyes burning with the me of determination. "I was a two-time reigning tournament champion back in the Skellige Isles. My opponents hailed from the seven families of the six inds. A knight tournament is nothing but child''s y for us. I shall im victory for you myself," he promised. "Cintra needs this victory. We shall show our strength to these indecisivendlubbers. We will make them see that an alliance with us is good. And that cheating dog has to apologize for his rude behavior."


    Cnthe shook her head. She spoke gently but firmly. "I do not wish to be a widow yet again. Not even if there''s a slight chance of that."


    While the rulers were talking, a servant in a white robe approached Eist and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, someone requests an audience with you."


    "Who is it?"


    "He calls himself Raxis of the Fourhorn."


    Eist frowned. <em>I don''t remember and with that name in Cintra.</em>


    Cnthe looked surprised, then conflicting emotions of dislike, fear, and a hint of gratitude filled her heart. Memories flooded her mind.


    Ten years ago, the one named Raxis went against her request during Pavetta''s blind date and ruined Cnthe''s n of marrying Pavetta to someone from the Skellige Isles and had her beautiful daughter marry that cursed man who went by the name ''Duny.''


    Duny was grateful for Raxis'' help in lifting the curse. He wished to reward the man, so he invoked the Law of Surprise. The man wanted something Duny didn''t know he had¡ªDuny''s unborn daughter. The very same daughter Pavetta carried in her belly. He wanted Ciri as the reward.


    Four years ago, Raxis came to the pce once more as agreed. Worried he might take Ciri away by invoking the Law of Surprise, she tried her best to dissuade and even threaten him, but the man left without even asking Ciri''s name or gender. He didn''t even look at her.


    Last year, he met Ciri for the first time in Brokilon and saved her life, yet he sent her back to the pce, much to Cnthe''s confusion. <em>And now hees again to haunt me. It''s like he shares a bond with Ciri. </em>The mere thought of that shocked the queen.


    <em>Send him off! </em>Cnthe screamed in her heart, but she changed her mind a momentter. Raxis was more powerful than most humans. <em>Winning a battle against a knight should be no problem for him. And I did grant him the title. Well, in name only. No ceremony or actual benefits, but he''s a Cintran knight. He fulfills the duel''s conditions. And now hees to us all wrapped up like a present.</em>


    "Let him in." Cnthe smiled at Eist. "Our knight is here."


    ***


    The witchers were led into the pce by a knight. After twisting and turning around the corridors, they eventually reached a clearing. What met their gaze was an open-air garden. The witchers raised their heads and saw the observation deck on the second floor. Standing there were the tanned, burly king and the queen. A beautiful, familiar woman with a golden cape on her back.


    The witchers went up to the deck.


    "Raxis of Fourhorn, and¡­" Cnthe was surprised to see Roy. "Roy of the Viper School?"


    "A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty, Your Highness. Yes, I''m Roy." Roy bowed to the rulers, but by no means did he look subservient.


    Eist nodded and smiled at them. He could see their perfectly sculpted, muscr bodies even through their shirts. They were a lot better on the eyes than all the pot-bellied aristocrats standing around him. And he let his wife take over.


    "It''s a pleasure to see you. I don''t know how you got together, but I can guess why you came." A mysterious smile curled Cnthe''s lips. "But before that, I must tell you something. There''s a great challenge ahead of us. A fair, honorable duel. One that requires a skillful knight. The honor of Cintra is on the line here. Defeat will not be tolerated."


    She turned her attention to Geralt and teased, "Raxis of Fourhorn, will you join the duel under Cintra''s banner and defeat the champion from Toussaint? We shall reward you handsomely should you emerge victorious."


    She added, "And my granddaughter shall only meet the victor."


    Geralt and Roy exchanged a look. It had been a while since the White Wolf fought anyone. <em>Time for a warm-up.</em>


    "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Raxis of Fourhorn, Geralt of Rivia, is at your service." He bowed to the rulers and nodded at Mousesack.


    "I see you''re still in one piece, Geralt. d you took my advice." The druid let out a heartyugh and patted Geralt''s shoulders. He then turned his attention to Roy. "And you changed a lot. There''s something about you." A frown furrowed his brows, and suspicion shed in his eyes. He felt something familiar resting within Roy, and he wanted to bring it up, but he stopped himself.


    Roy didn''t borate. Now was not the time to have a chat with the druid. He turned around to look at the representatives. <em>Let''s see where Raymund is.</em>


    Then in came a fair, handsome man. Standing beside him was a knight in armor.


    "Allow me to introduce you to my champion." Raymund led his knight over, a hint of pride shining in his eyes. "This is my bodyguard. Toussaint''s knight and three-time reigning champion of the knight tournament¡ªGrimm. He once cleaned out a group of bandits that terrorized Toussaint for years all by himself. Fame and fortune are nothing for him. I was lucky enough to win a bet in a round of Gwent, and he''s doing this as a favor for that win."


    Everyone was surprised Raymund had a knight like that up his sleeve, while Roy remained silent.


    He was observing the knight. Grimm was a tall knight d in armor. Every step he took, his dark gold armor would ng loudly. He had pauldrons, chest armor, cuisses, gauntlets, and vambraces. The cracks between his armor were filled with ck leather armor, and a ck leather skirt decorated the part underneath his belt.


    His helmet was also dark gold, and a pair of wings jutted out from its sides. A Y-shaped hole cut through his visor, revealing his sharp eyes and pursed lips.


    But the most eye-catching thing was his sheathed de. He was holding it with both hands. The sword was nearly five feet long, and it drew a line across the soil with every step he took.


    ''Grimm Sigurd


    Age: Thirty-five years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Champion of Beauir knight tournament, wandering knight (Heroism is his duty)


    HP: 100


    Strength: 10


    Dexterity: 10


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 6


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 7


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Sword Mastery Level 10, Polearm Mastery Level 10, Horseback Riding Level 8, Basic Ranged Attack Mastery Level 6, Military Training (Passive).''


    ***


    "Your Majesty King Eist, Your Highness Queen Cnthe." The knight took his helmet off, revealing the face of a handsome, mature, and battle-hardened man. He had golden hair and brown eyes. The man knelt on one knee. "It is an honor to meet you." There was energy in his voice. And genuine respect as well.


    "A wandering knight, eh?" Eist nodded. Grimm was big enough to be the kind of warrior Skellige people like him had in mind. "Can you tell me your real name and crest?"


    Grimm thumped his chest with his fist. "On my honor I swear that no wandering knight may reveal their real name and crest."


    Eist nodded, but he did not insist.


    "If I may, I would like to battle the strongest knight Cintra has. ''Tis nothing but a spar."


    "You have courage, Grimm the wandering knight. As per your wish, you shall fight the strongest swordsman of Cintra." Eist turned to Geralt. "Raxis of Fourhorn."


    The representatives'' eyes shone. They had heard of Toussaint''s wandering knight, but none had heard of Raxis of Fourhorn. Surely none had ever seen someone with skin as pale as paper and hair as white as snow. Nor did they ever see a fighter with a face as stiff or eyes as amber or wild as Raxis¡¯.


    Nobody knew who he was, though they wondered why the rulers of Cintra would name a witcher as the lord of and.


    "Raxis too is a swordmaster who roams thend, vanquishing evil." Cnthe smiled, her eyes burning with the desire to win. "Countless bandits have died by his hands. And he has taken the lives of many bloodthirsty monsters."


    Grimm''s eyes shone. He stared at Geralt, his eyes ring with the desire to battle, but he didn''t make any provocative gestures. He and Geralt nodded at each other. One look at Geralt and Grimm knew this was a different fighter than those he met before. "Do not hold back. Going in at full power is how you respect a wandering knight. On my honor, I swear I shall fight with my full strength as well."


    "Very well."


    A referee led the fighters into the center of the garden. But before that, Grimm took off all his armor and ced it outside the ring for fairness'' sake.


    Raymund sat beside Mousesack, and Roy took the seat on Cnthe''s right. She asked him to. He then turned his sights to Grimm''s de.


    It was a special sword. The de was gold, wide, thin, andcked a fuller. Its hilt was the size of three fists, and a ck weighted ball hung on the end of the hilt. About thirty centimeters of the de was unedged.


    <em>The guy probably uses it to thrust when he charges at his enemy. And judging from the structure, its main form of attack are shes.</em>


    Golden sunlight shone on the ring, and Grimm''s de reflected its brilliant light upon the knight''s face.


    Geralt swung his sword, his hair billowing in the air.


    The fighters stood five meters apart, measuring up their opponent.


    Geralt held his de by his side, pointing the tip at Grimm''s throat. He assumed a plow stance.


    Grimm held his sword on his shoulder like it was ance. He parted his legs and crouched a little. The man resembled a bow that was ready to shoot an arrow.


    ***


    The fighters circled each other, closing the gap with every step they took.


    Roy thought Geralt would finish this in one blow, but the White Wolf seemed solemn, not unlike he was fighting a man of equal skill.


    Grimm made the first move, and he let out a terrifying roar. He swung his sword right down at Geralt, stirring up a small gust of wind as he tried to smash his target apart.


    Geralt made a small leap backward and swung his de down as well, though he was targeting Grimm''s left arm.


    As if anticipating that, the knight changed his attack into defense by holding his sword up on his right like a shield.


    Metal shed, and sparks flew, but the fighters backed off right away. None had an advantage.


    The look on Geralt''s face changed. He did not anticipate this much strength from Grimm. It felt like he was attacked by another witcher or a chimera, not a human.


    But the veteran witcher quickly found his tempo. He circled the knight like a panther eyeing his prey. Time and time again he kept trying to hit Grimm''s hand, elbow, and shoulder to force him to relinquish his de and surrender.


    But Grimm blocked all his attacks every time.


    Once again, Geralt tried to attack, but this time, Grimm took a deep breath, and an invisible whirlpool swirled behind him. He began to retaliate. The first few times, he defended himself like an impregnable fortress, but now he had relinquished his defense and switched to offense.


    And what an offense it was. There was nothing but pure strength and speed in Grimm''s retaliation as he cut and shed his way to Geralt. The ring was filled with the sounds of metal shing, fighters roaring, sparks flying, and des flying across the battlefield.


    Like a treembasted by a gale, Geralt kept blocking and rolling around, barely able to keep his bnce. The witcher did not look happy. He wasn''t reacting like how a witcher should. There were more than ten times when he could exploit Grimm''s weakness, but his body wouldn''t listen to him. And he would be one step too slow tond the attack. The pressure he felt in his chest almost made him suffocate.


    Roy had been keeping an eye on Grimm, and he noticed something wrong. Every time he swung his de, the knight would undergo a weird change. His Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution would double, bringing him well over the limits of an ordinary human.


    Through his witcher senses, he saw golden mesing forth from the de and surrounding Grimm like fiery blood. For a moment, Roy thought a golden humanoid creature was roaring behind Grimm, its hair billowing in the air like a lion''s mane. Every time Grimm swung his de, so too would the creature.


    Grimm looked like a powerful god, and the mes that hung in the air would lock onto Geralt, restricting and pressuring him. Grimm got stronger the longer he fought. He was fighting on a level beyond what he was supposed to, while Geralt''s own strength was restricted.


    Roy had a grim look on his face. <em>This is no ordinary sword.</em>


    He cast Observe on it.


    ''Sword of Justice¡ªSigurd


    Type: Phctery


    Components: Adamantine, magma, meteorite ore, leather, pine wood, soul.


    Specs: Weighs 6.06 pounds, hilt measures at 1 foot, de measures at 4.26 feet.


    Affixes:


    Ancestor''s Strength: Summons a Sigurd ancestor to possess the user. Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Will receives a dramatic increase. This skill consumes a lot of stamina.


    Shapeshift: Sword of Justice¡ªSigurd can change into Lance of Courage¡ªSrion.


    Restore: This weapon can automatically repair itself.


    Horn of Victory: The user will receive minor healing upon the defeat and death of an enemy.


    Judgment: Any enemy the user sees as evil or heretical shall be judged by Sigurd. The more sin the enemy hasmitted, the stronger the effects of Judgment will be.


    Burning: ?


    Note: This phctery was created by the founder of the House of Sigurd. Only those of the Sigurd bloodline can use this weapon.


    From the moment a user uses this weapon, they can never wield another weapon in their life. And their soul shall be a part of Sigurd after their deaths. Such is the price of power.


    Justice and courage shall prevail.''


    ***


    Roy gasped. <em>That thing is about as powerful as my bound weapons. But¡­ Damn, it''s as scary as the Book of Shadows.</em> <em>I wonder if it''s a blessing or a curse.</em>


    Roy licked his lips, and he was starting to get an idea, but then he took a deep breath and held his urge down. <em>I am in control of my mind, not the other way around.</em>


    ***


    The battle was raging on, and the spectators were discussing as well.


    "Seems like my knight is the superior one." The one-sided situation pleased Raymund, and he touched his mustache as he let out a heartyugh. He could imagine the moment when this lioness of Cintra would have to apologize to him.


    Held by excitement, he decided he would summon all his lovers and have all the fun he wanted after he imed victory.


    Fyodore and ude nodded as well.


    "You speak of conclusions before the battle is over." Cnthe shook her head. She still looked confident. "Nobody can be sure of the oue until the dust has settled. The knights have different styles. One is aggressive, while the other is defensive. There is no clear winner as of yet, but Grimm''s aggressive attack cannot hold on for much longer.


    And just like a signal, the mes around Grimm vanished. He shivered, and sweat poured forth from his forehead. <em>Shit.</em> Grimm quickly held his sword up like a shield.


    But Geralt saw through his weakness and jumped back at an incredible speed. He circled the knight like a phantom, but to the spectators, the White Wolf was performing a beautiful but deadly tango.


    His de arced through the air as he danced through the battlefield, and then the edge of his sword found itself millimeters away from Grimm''s throat.


    The knight felt goosebumps rising up on his skin, and he relinquished his weapon.


    "Winner, Raxis of Fourhorn!" the referee shouted.


    The spectators stood up. There was praise in their eyes, and a thunderous apuse ensued.


    "On the name of my honor, you are the strongest swordsman I have ever fought." Grimm bowed to Geralt, but he was shivering, and his breathing was as ragged as a patient with pneumonia. His hair and face were drenched with sweat, and his strength was leaving him, but his eyes still shone. "It was an honor to battle with you."


    "You are powerful as well. Never expected a regr human to back me into a corner." Geralt shook his hand, though he shuddered a little. <em>I could have lost. </em>"But I was wondering how you gained so much power."


    Grimm showed Geralt his sword. It was still shimmering under the sun. "This is a family heirloom. It possesses incredible power and should not be underestimated."


    ***


    Raymund plopped back down in his chair in disbelief. He couldn''t understand why his knight would lose all of a sudden when he had all the advantage. He thought Grimm would win. <em>Is this his n? Is he trying to humiliate me? </em>Suspicion got hold of his heart, and Raymund looked at Grimm with darkness in his eyes.


    A big smile curled Cnthe''s lips. She had gotten what she wanted, so this time, there was no mockery. "The battle has ended. Time to do what you promised."


    Raymund noticed the looks everyone was giving him. Despite how humiliated he felt, the duke bowed to the rulers of Cintra. "I apologize for my rude speech, Eist, Cnthe. Please, forgive my ignorance."


    "Very well." Cnthe was still staring at him.


    "I shall depart Cintra this very night. On my name, I swear I shall convince Anna to never help Nilfgaard. If they dounch an invasion, we will not lend a hand."


    "And I hope you can hold up that promise. Everyone''s watching."


    Raymund said nothing.


    "The meeting has concluded, and we have witnessed a great battle. It is time for us to leave." Fyodore and the other representatives bowed to the rulers of Cintra.


    Raymund sternly summoned Grimm, who was chatting happily with Geralt.


    "Take care, Your Majesty."


    "We shall convince our kings to send reinforcements your way."


    Eist extended his hand only to pull it back. <em>I couldn''t convince them over thest two months. Not like talking will do anything good.</em>


    And just like that, only a few people were left in the garden.


    ***


    Cnthe held her husband''s hand and consoled him. She then smiled at the approaching Geralt, her earlier frustration gone with the wind. "Come with me, witchers. It is time for me to hold up my end of the bargain. I think you have a lot to talk about."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 426: Only Ciri

    Chapter 426: Only Ciri


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The rulers of Cintra were once again back in the conference room, but this time, only five people were around. Three candbras shone on them. The rulers took the main spots, while Mousesack sat on their right and the witchers further back.


    "Now we can talk about the reward." Cnthe nodded at Geralt. She praised, "You won the battle and saved me from indignity. I shall try my best to give you what you want. Coins, treasure, even a piece ofnd. No longer will you be a lord in name only."


    "Anything I want?"


    "Except for Ciri." Cnthe shot him a warning look. "Geralt, she might have bonded with you through that Law of Surprise because of her father, but she''s my granddaughter and the princess of Cintra."


    "A pity." Geralt shook his head, but he wasn''t discouraged. "We''re here for her. Only her."


    "We? He wishes to take her away as well?" Cnthe looked at Roy. "You are not tied to her. What makes you think you can take her? Because you spent a month with her? Or did you read too many stories where a poor boy meets a rich girl?"


    "Because Geralt and I helped her," Roy exined.


    Cnthe took a deep breath. "But you''re just¡ªno offense¡ªyou wander between viges, swamps, forests, and even garbage dumps. Can you imagine a princess living in those ces? If word gets out, Cintra royalty will be a joke. A world-ss joke!"


    "Still better than getting locked up like a prisoner," Roy retorted.


    "What do you know?" Cnthe shot him a look of displeasure. "She''s still young. Still cheeky. She has no idea I''m doing this for her own good. But she''ll know once she''s older. And witchers always involve themselves in deadly battles. Ciri will be dragged into that mess if she goes with you. Perhaps one day she might die somewhere in the wilds." Cnthe was trying to get through to Geralt. "Do you want that to happen?"


    Mousesack wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. Eist looked solemn, and he held his wife''s hand.


    Geralt said, "Your Highness, to be quite frank, what you talk about is in the past now. Our conditions of living have changed. Drastically."


    "borate."


    "It might sound unbelievable, but we''re no tramps anymore. We have an estate in Novigrad. We have a shop and a home to shelter us from the elements. Of course, we can''t provide a luxurious life thatpares to the pce, but we can provide a life most regr families can," Roy said. "Ciri''s going to be much happier if shees with us. At least she won''t spend her days locked in this castle."


    "This is not the time to joke around, Roy." Cnthe shot them a look of suspicion. To her knowledge, Geralt was a stubborn conservative. He made a living by taking requests and risking his life while killing monsters. On top of that, he had to endure the insults of the people. He would have changed a long time ago if he could. So why now?


    "Times are changing. Everyone, whether they want to or not, is affected."


    "That''s not like you, Geralt," a warm voice said. Mousesack looked at Geralt calmly. "I''ve known you for decades. Ever since I saved you at the tournament, I''ve known you as a stubborn man. You won''t change, not even until the end of time."


    Geralt looked at him. With sincerity in his voice, he said, "I used to be a stubborn man, but only because I didn''t feel enough pressure. I go with the flow and take what Destiny has to offer like a wandering passenger. But no longer can I stay passive."


    He borated no more on that. "If you doubt me, then send your scouts to Novigrad and see the truth for yourself. Ciri won''t starve or go homeless if shees with us. And she can take requests if she wants to. Doesn''t matter if she doesn''t."


    Cnthe clenched her fists. "Even if we ignore your infamy and hazardous work environment, I still can''t let Ciri go with you. I know how witchers are made. You make the children take those horrifying decoctions and perform inhumane experiments on them. They are subjected to a long period of torture, and five out of ten kids die in the process. Two turn into monsters or lose a limb because of the mutation gone wrong. Only three be witchers."


    "And where did you hear that?" Roy asked. Didn''t know witcher mutation ismon knowledge.


    "Mousesack told me about it."


    The druid nodded. "Only a rough outline about it."


    "This is no training." Eist held his wife''s shoulder and looked at the witchers coldly. "If that is what you want to do to Ciri, then I must ask you to leave. We can reward you handsomely, but you must leave. Cintra does not wee perverts who would subject children to torture, nor will we let themy a finger on our family."


    Geralt turned around and shot Roy a look of gratitude. You predicted this.


    "You worry too much. We never had that n. We never would put Ciri through that torture."


    "You lie!" Cnthe stared into the witchers'' eyes, but she only saw calmness.


    "Ciri doesn''t have to be a witcher," Roy said. "Even if she really wants to, we will modify the mutation and reduce the death rate, making sure she can pass. We''re already looking into the case as we speak."


    And Cnthe was confused. "If you won''t force her to take the Trial and turn her into a witcher, why do you wish to take her away? Because of the Law of Surprise? You just have to take her with you? Do you think we cannot provide for her?"


    The rulers and druid looked at the witchers.


    The witchers exchanged a look.


    "We''re doing it for her safety."


    A mocking smile curled Cnthe''s lips. "Am I hearing things? Did you cast a spell on me? What makes you think a princess of Cintra will be safer with you? She''s guarded by troops of soldiers behind the sturdy walls of the pce."


    Roy looked at the rulers calmly. "You know why she''s in danger."


    "What do you mean, witcher? Do not test my patience."


    "The danger lies in Amell."


    And the look on Eist and Cnthe''s faces changed.


    "The danger¡­es from the Nilfgaardian troops."


    ***


    ***

 Chapter 427: Crisis

    <strong>Chapter 427: Crisis</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    "This is new. A witcher who''s concerned about politics."


    "What we''re concerned about are the people affected by it. Ciri, to be exact," Geralt answered.


    "Thank you foring all the way to Cintra just to see my granddaughter." Cnthe bit her lip and tugged on the blue strip over her shoulder. With her best effort, she tried to stay calm. "But your worries are, I''m afraid, unfounded. Cintra has at its helm the bravest king it has ever seen." She held Eist''s hand and smiled at him. "The most determined royal family and the best warriors in thesends. Should Nilfgaardunch an invasion, they shall find nothing but bloodshed on their end. Our warriors will beat them back the way they came."


    Geralt answered calmly, "Your Highness, there is no need to hide your worry. We''re not here tough at you or make a mockery out of your predicament. We too loathe Nilfgaard forunching this war."


    "Shouldn''t you be happy?" Cnthe, like someone who got triggered, mocked, "War means death, and death means more monsters. To put it simply, you''ll get more requests."


    "Taking requests is not the only way we make a living now, Your Highness," Roy rebutted. "Our business creates more wealth than any request ever can, and it''s safer. Requests are nothing but something we take for fun. Like seasoning, we don''t need too much of it."


    "I see." Eist shot his wife a look, telling her to calm down. "I would like to listen to this crisis you talk about."


    Geralt answered, "You''re in a more significant predicament than you imagine. I''ve seen the representatives. I''ve lived long enough to tell you neither they nor their kings want to join this battle. If I''m right, only King Bran of Skellige Isles will help, and he''s your brother."


    The rulers of Cintra exchanged a look of surprise. It was a shock that the witcher could guess the oue of the conference despite not being there themselves. Or so they thought. Neither of them expected Roy to have listened in.


    "It''s only been a year since we met, and already you''re sensitive to the political changes of thesends, Geralt." Mousesack caressed his beard, his eyes twinkling with suspicion. "I almost thought you went through spy training and quit being a witcher."


    Geralt took a swig of wine, but his face tensed up. Fortunately, the rulers dismissed Mousesack''sment as a joke.


    "So what about it?" Still filled with confidence, Eist said, "Even if we only have a single ally, our warriors are more than enough to trample Nilfgaard''s soldiers. The children of the sea fear no death or blood. We shall decorate our saddlebags with the heads of the enemy generals."


    "Very well. Have you sent your scouts to Amell then, Your Majesty?"


    "Of course. Nilfgard''s troops number fifteen thousand. That''s about the same as our troops." He continued, "But their security is tight. Our scouts failed to gain more information on them."


    "And how long ago was that?" Roy shook his head, sighing. "I bring bad news. Nilfgaard''s troops number <em>over </em>fifteen thousand. Their sights aren''t just set on Cintra, no. Not even just the southern shores of Yaruga."


    The rulers and Mousesack looked shocked, but what came out of Roy''s lips next shook them.


    "They wish to conquer the whole of the Northern Realms. Their troops will march up north, eventually numbering two to three hundred thousand. And they have nned this invasion for twenty years. Now they have taken over Nazair. Their troops have trained for years just for this invasion alone. All of them, including their generals, are masters of variousbat arts." Roy paused for a moment. "Now do you think your troops can fend them off? Do you think Ciri can still be safe in the face of so many soldiers?"


    Silence swooped down on the conference hall.


    A nervous Cnthe was starting to bruise her husband''s arm from how hard she was holding it. "To hell with that, witcher. That is a lie." Cnthe forced herself to calm down, a hint of disdain filling her eyes. "I know what you''re getting at. That''s a lie to make me give up Ciri. You think I''d fall for that? No. No, I tell you! Now get out of my sight! You''re pardoned for your lies only because of your earlier achievement, but you can forget about any reward. And don''t ever try to disturb Ciri again! Guards!"


    "Hold it, Cnthe," Eist said. He was staring straight into Roy''s eyes darkly, but there was no hint of deception in the witcher''s eyes. There was only rity. Indifference. Like he was a spectator narrating a historical fact.


    Mousesack added, "Your Majesty, my instinct tells me thed isn''t lying."


    "Very well then, Roy. And how did you get your hands on this piece of information? Are you Emhyr''s rtive or a child of his general who wishes to defect?"


    "You might not believe this, but let me finish my tale." Roy shot up from his seat and ignored the look of disdain Cnthe was throwing at him. "I used to catch glimpses of odd urrences. Of different events. I used to think they were nothing but figments of my imagination. I used to brush them off, but when I thought about it, everything I saw either happened in the past or they would happen in the future. No exceptions.


    "For example, I saw Ciri running away from her engagement and scurrying off into Brokilon, so I ventured to the woods in search of her. That''s where I ran into Geralt. Mousesack can prove that. You can ask Ciri if you want to prove the veracity of my tale."


    Mousesack nodded at the rulers. He ran into Roy, Ciri, and Geralt a few yards away from Brokilon. "Your Majesty, I do know some people are born with the power of a seer."


    Roy shot the druid a look of gratitude, though he wondered why Mousesack would help him.


    "But that could be a coincidence," Cnthe retorted.


    "I saw your conference. It ran for two months." Roy raised his voice. "The representatives either provide nothing but vague answers, or they demand Ciri''s hand in marriage as a prerequisite for their help. Some, like Raymund of Toussaint, went back on his word, and it backfired on him."


    "So that was what you told Geralt." Cnthe looked at Roy in a new light. There was disgust and admiration in her eyes. "Cunning beyond your years."


    "Or you wouldn''t have spared us a moment of your time."


    "Did you see Nilfgaard''s troops with your premonition then?" Eist tapped the table with his finger lightly. He trusted fate and prophecies thanks to a certain event in his life.


    "Yes." Roy paused for a moment. He tensed up and gave Mousesack a solemn look. "What I''m going to say concerns the future of Cintra. It''s going to be hard to ept. Offensive, even."


    "Speak. I trust Mousesack''s judgment." Eist was still asposed as ever. "If what you say is the truth, then there is no offense made."


    "The Nilfgaardian troops shall attack Cintra in July next year. The battle shall happen in Marnadal, and Nilfgaard pulverizes Cintra without much effort."


    "That is preposterous!"


    "Patience." Eist patted the back of Cnthe''s hand.


    Magic glinted in Mousesack''s eyes. He tried to see through Roy, but nothing appeared. Then he tried to divine Roy''s future, but nothing showed up either. <em>Thed has immunity against divination. He''s beyond the eyes of fate.</em>


    Geralt leaned back and sipped some wine as he watched the conversation unfold. <em>He convinced me the same way he''s convincing them. Wonder if they''ll fall for it.</em>


    "In a single day, the Nilfgaardian troops will surround the very city we''re in. King Eist and his troops defended the gates for four days and four nights, but eventually, he fell." Roy''s tone was dark. For some reason, his tale sounded believable.


    "The troops will invade Cintra, looting and plundering everything they can. Cintra will be turned into a living hell, drenching the seas and skies in the color of blood. And Cintra will be no more."


    Eist took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He leaned on the back of his chair, silence taking over him.


    "You can glimpse the time, location, and the oue like you''re there yourself." Cnthe was in disbelief. She couldn''t believe the troops she was so proud of would fall so easily. It was easier to think that this was something Roy made up.


    Fury red in her eyes. Shrilly, she asked, "Did you see what happened to me and Eist then?"


    Roy remained silent. He wondered if he should say it out loud.


    "It''s fine. Just say it." Eist waved at Roy and gave him a look of encouragement.


    For some reason, Roy saw, through Eist''s exhausted eyes, a hint of light and relief. <em>It''s like he knew.</em>


    "King Eist charged into battle like a furious sea monster, but he was shot by an arrow and lost his life. Your final resting ce lies in Skellige, your homnd."


    "What about me, then?" There was a tremor in Cnthe''s voice. From fear and fury. Nobody expected to see the lioness of Cintra to shiver and tear up.


    Eist held her in his embrace, just like how he once did when he defended her from the falling rocks.


    "None of the royal family would submit. Everyone and their family poisoned themselves and died. You were pierced by a spear while you were defending the kingdom, and yet you dragged yourself all the way back to the pce and cut your own wrists open."


    Every time the witcher paused, Cnthe would shiver in her husband''s arms.


    "You crawled all the way to the window and leaped from the highest tower. And you perished." Roy looked at her again, but this time with respect. Cnthe might be cantankerous, but she was tough. Bravely, she faced off against a hopeless situation.


    But the witcher didn''t spare them from the cruel truth lying in wait for them. "Your corpse went missing. King Eist wasid to rest all by his lonesome."


    ***


    "Enough! Silence!" Cnthe wiped her tears off. She sat up and forced a smile. "That is enough, witchers. I shall give you your reward, and you may leave."


    A frown furrowed Eist''s brows. "There''s another thing you haven''t told us. Where did Ciri go?"


    "You would believe his lies?" Cnthe turned around, her eyes glistening with tears and confusion.


    "Seek deep within yourself, my love. You know the answer." A long sigh escaped Eist''s lips. "I trust him."


    Eist had a secret of his own. Back when he was just a seafarer, he would look to the stars and keep his ship on track. But one night, when he was lying on the deck and observing the stars, he noticed a secret that was hiding within them. A secret he only found out.


    That discovery changed him. It reced his humor and outward attitude with solemnity and silence. The stars told him of a dark future. It wasn''t as clear as Roy''s depiction, but most of it agreed with Roy''s prophecy.


    For the longest time, he had to carry this nightmare alone, but now so many people were sharing his burden. That fact alone unshackled him.


    "Do you think so too, Mousesack?" Cnthe turned to the druid. There was anticipation in her eyes. She wished for him to say no, but s, reality disappointed her.


    Part of a druid''s job was to observe natural phenomena like storms, waves, lightning, and the stars. They would then conclude what they saw from it, and most of the conclusion would point to the omen heralding a specific future.


    He had no idea how Roy managed to glimpse into the future, but his experience and lie detecting told him Roy was telling the truth. Darkly, he said, "I cannot be sure if he''s telling the whole truth, but nature is telling me at least most of it is."


    All of Cnthe''s strength left her. She plopped back into her chair and stared at the ceiling nkly. Then she closed her eyes. It was hard to admit this, but the witcher''s depiction of the future was just like what she would do.


    If she were forced into that kind of situation, Cnthe would throw herself into death''s embrace, but what Roy said next destroyed her.


    "Before you perished, you asked the knights to escort Ciri to safety. They tried, but the Nilfgaardians soldiers killed them. Ciri hid between the corpses and watched as her kingdom burned to the ground."


    The rulers held their breaths and sped their hands tightly, holding each other up. Geralt was paying attention as well. Roy had never told him about that part of the prophecy before.


    "Ciri relied on her wits to escape the Nilfgaardian army and managed to survive. But the journey that awaited her wasden with hardships and starvation. She endured more pain than she ever had all her life."


    A pregnant pause ensued. Only the sounds of ragged breathing filled the air.


    A long, long timeter, Cnthe took a deep breath and rposed herself. She took her handkerchief out to wipe her tears. When she looked at the witchers again, the disdain and disgust in her eyes were reced by understanding and respect. "I see. So you wish to spare Ciri from the pain of losing her kingdom."


    "That''s right." Geralt said, "We''re finally seeing eye to eye. We can''t do anything to change Cintra''s fate, but at least we can save Ciri. We''re telling you this in case she mes us for keeping it a secret."


    ***


    "Oh, I think you can change Cintra''s fate, even if just slightly." Cnthe held her husband''s arm and exchanged a look with him. "Assuming you''re telling us the whole truth, you''ve given us information on a war one year before it will happen. Do you know what that means?" Cnthe''s eyes shone with a sliver of hope. "We have a year to prepare. Yes, the oue might remain the same, but we''ll try to lessen the impact of defeat."


    "Let''s not talk about Ciri for now. Roy, you''ve seen a lot of things we haven¡¯t. I think you are still hiding something. Some suggestions, for example." Fate might have crushed Eist, but determination red within his eyes. Now that he wasn''t carrying the burden of knowledge alone, he would fight until the bitter end to ensure his wife¡¯s survival. Even if death were to im him, Eist swore he would make Nilfgaard pay the price. "How should we deal with the threat Nilfgaard is posing? What do you think we should do to defend ourselves?"


    Roy mused over it for a while and heaved a sigh.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 428: Some Suggestions

    <strong>Chapter 428: Some Suggestions</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A drop of rain fell into the sea, signaling theing of a rainstorm. And then Cintra was covered in a great silver curtain. Winds howled, lightning arced, and thunder boomed across the skies.


    A thunderbolt tore through the air, shining upon the conference room for a moment, draping Roy''s face in silver. "Can I take Ciri with us if I give you this suggestion?"


    ***


    Cnthe said nothing.


    Mousesackmented, "The Law of Surprise is a product of Destiny. Ciri cannot escape her fate of being an Unexpected Child."


    Eist said, "Cnthe, I was there when Geralt invoked the Law of Surprise. Duny made that promise. He and Pavetta might have died in an ident, but a promise is a promise."


    "I cannot make any decision for her." A long whileter, Cnthe sighed. "She must make the choice on her own."


    Roy turned around and exchanged a look of surprise with Geralt. Cnthe relenting was already a big step toward sess, all things notwithstanding.


    "Very well. Your Majesty, Your Highness, Mousesack, I will only say this once. You may interpret it how you want."


    Roy stared outside the window, where the sky was covered in dark clouds. "Cintra''s defeat in the Battle of Marnadal wasn''t only because of the difference in numbers. Nilfgaard''s troops are unbelievably trained. They can rally faster than you think. Nobody saw theming, but all of a sudden, they broke through Amell and sped across the north, destroying any army that stood in their way. Cintra''s troops were forced to defend without any preparation. They fell into the south''s trap and were surrounded by an army with a few times their number of soldiers. Retreating was not an option, and so they battled.


    "You''ve led troops in battle before. I trust you know how to deal with an ambush." Roy looked at the rulers. "But please be careful on the day of that particr battle." And then he stopped.


    Eist mused. He was imagining theyout of Marnadal in his head. <em>We need to take some time ande up with a strategy against this.</em>


    "Before the Battle of Marnadal, the Skellige Isles sent fifty battleships to aid Cintra. Once they docked, the Skellige troops were ready to help Cintra fend off the invasion."


    Surprise filled Mousesack''s eyes. <em>Right down to the number of battleships. His seer powers are incredible. </em>Being the advisor, he knew how many soldiers King Bran had. "Fifty battleships is a reasonable estimate," he whispered.


    "s¡­" Roy shook his head, and everyone''s hearts skipped a beat. "The ships ran into a terrible storm on their way, stranding them on the ocean. There were no reinforcements, and Cintra was forced to fend off the invading army alone."


    "A storm right at the start of the war? That sounds fishy." Cnthe tensed up. "I don''t think that''s nature''s doing."


    "I do not exclude mages, of course. The storm might not be a coincidence," Roy said mysteriously. "Nilfgaard has powerful mages who can change the weather." But he didn''t tell them more. Theplexity of the situation prevented him from doing that.


    "The battle happened in July 1263. If nothing else happens, the Nilfgaardian troops will leave Amell in July next year." Roy continued, "My suggestion is for the Skellige reinforcements to depart about one month before the war. In June, to be exact." Roy turned to Mousesack. "In case they run into any unpredictable storms, I''d like Mousesack to step in."


    Druids were the unequivocal controllers of weather. Suppressing or dispelling a storm was easy for them.


    "And that will open the way for Skellige to step in."


    Cintra''s troops managed to defend the castle for four days and four nights. If Skellige were to step in as well, they could change the tide of war or at least keep Cintra afloat for a while longer. Nilfgaard would have to sacrifice more of their soldiers to take Cintra down. <em>That''s the most I can do for them.</em>


    Mousesack caressed his beard. Druids would stay out of wars in most cases, but he couldn''t sit this one out, not when his friends would perish. He could stop a storm. "I will step in should the need arise."


    The rulers gave Mousesack looks of gratitude.


    Roy continued. "And the battleships should give Sedna Abyss a wide berth."


    The look on Cnthe''s face changed. "That''s where Pavetta and Duny perished!"


    Ten years ago, Duny and Pavetta''s ship sank in Sedna Abyss, and the two of them went missing. Ciri only survived thanks to her staying in Cintra.


    "That ce is evil," Roy said. But he didn''t tell them who was controlling the ce. The rulers didn''t survive the battle, so there was no need for them to know too much. "Stay away from it just in case."


    Eist nodded. Even if Roy wasn''t telling the whole truth, giving that ce a wide berth wouldn''t result in Cintra''s loss anyway.


    "And one more thing. The battlefield changes at the snap of a finger. I do not know if there are spies hiding in this kingdom." Roy turned to Eist and Cnthe. "The Nilfgaardian intelligence might notice what you''re nning andunch the war before Skellige can even help. What I said is nothing but a mere suggestion. Take it however you will."


    ***


    Cnthe gave him a look of approval. <em>At least he''s not being arrogant with his powers. Wars are living things. Nobody can be sure about everything, not even if they''re a seer. </em>She asked slowly, "Anything else you''d like to add?"


    Roy took a deep breath. "You should get another ally."


    Cnthe shook her head. "You saw how everyone reacted. Those short-sighted buffoons refused our call-to-arms."


    "What about Temeria, then?" Roy asked.


    "Foltest is an arrogant man. He refused our invitation. He will never help Cintra unless we submit to him. Aedirn and Redania are the same as well. They''d love for Cintra to fall so they can take over. It''s a miracle they''re not helping Nilfgaard out."


    "I''d suggest you send another envoy to Temeria." Roy said, "Things are different now. My sources tell me Foltest acknowledges the threat Nilfgaard poses. To an extent. Your envoy must tell him about Nilfgaard''s ns to conquer the north. Once they take over Cintra, they will have established themselves in the north, giving them ample time tounch a war of attrition."


    Roy continued. "Perhaps things will be different this time. Even if they aren''t, what''s another rejection going to change?"


    "Very well." Eist said. "I shall send an envoy to Temeria."


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Mousesack, that''s all I know. I''ve given you all the suggestions I have."


    To conclude, there were five things they had to do. First, look out for Nilfgaard''s traps and ambush in Marnadal. Second, tell King Bran to send his troops out before the war broke out. Third, Mousesack would help the Skellige ships evade all the storms on the sea, and they should give Sedna Abyss a wide berth. Fourth, the rulers should keep an eye out for Nilfgaardian spies hiding in Cintra, and finally, they should send another envoy to Temeria.


    ***


    "Thank you for the suggestions, Roy." Eist sat up and rested his chin on his hand. "If Cintra manages to survive the war next year¡­" He exchanged a look with Cnthe. "...then I shall grant you a piece of Cintrannd. You will bevished with all the honor, prestige, and wealth thates with it."


    "<em>If </em>Cintra still stands, of course." Cnthe nodded at Roy. There was a hint of respect in her eyes. "But of course, in case we don''t survive, we''re giving you a reward for your work in advance."


    ***


    Roy bowed to them. He would ept the reward.


    Geralt had a weird look on his face. <em>There it is again. He bullshits everything up and gets an actual reward, but I had to fight a weird knight and almost lost to him.</em> The disparity annoyed him a little, and he took a swig of the liquor.


    "So, can we see her now?"


    Cnthe summoned a servant and whispered something in her ear. And then the servant left in a hurry.


    "To be very clear, witchers, I''m not doing this because of the Law of Surprise. I do not believe in lies like that."


    "Your Highness, those who try to trick Destiny will be punished by it," Mousesack interjected.


    Cnthe ced her hands before her belly and raised her head. Mousesack''s advice was ignored, and she said, "Duny''s promise is nothing but snow for me. Snow that has melted and disappeared into the sea. Now all that''s left in the ce of that promise is a storm."


    Eist smiled bitterly and held his forehead.


    Cnthe then said, "But you have a point. Ciri is young. She''ll be ten next year, but she''s still a child. I will not have her suffer this kind of life." Cnthe took a deep breath. There was sorrow in her eyes. "Just the thought of a princess like her having to wander thends aches my heart. I will never allow that to happen." She nodded. "If you''d be willing to, I shall send some scouts to appraise your home. If what you said is proven to be true, then it shall be a backup for Ciri. Should Cintra fall, Ciri will make the choice to join you or escape somewhere else."


    "What if she wants to leave with us right after this?" Geralt asked.


    Roy added, "And even if she goes somewhere else, everyone''s just going to use her as a puppet to gain more power over thend."


    "No! How can you even say tha¡ª"


    Someone opened the door, and a petite face looked inside carefully. When she saw the witcher with white hair inside the room, Ciri''s eyes went wide with surprise. She held her dress up and happily hopped over to Geralt. She hugged his leg and buried her head in his chest, rubbing it like a little puppy.


    The White Wolf held her shoulder, a hint of mncholy filling his eyes.


    Ciri looked up and smiled sweetly at him. Gone was the trepidation in her heart. The storm was still howling beyond the castle, and waves were crashing violently against the reef, but only warmth filled Ciri''s heart. "You''re finally here, Geralt! I knew you''de! It''s been so long!"


    Roy shook his head. <em>She really likes him, huh.</em>


    <em>Ciri, </em>Geralt thought. He held her up and spun around, then he looked at Roy. <em>You''re my fate. No, you''re more than that. More than that.</em>


    "Get down right now, Ciri!" A stern voice interrupted their reunion. "This is unbing of you!"


    "Oh, Grandma! I forgot you were here." The smile on Ciri''s face froze. She scrunched her nose up and reluctantly left Geralt. Then she moved over to Cnthe, her hands held over her rear. Withint in her voice, she said, "I thought you were going to ask for another letter of repentance."


    Cnthe shot her a look, and the girl froze. "You''re still oblivious to your mistake, girl. I''ll stop the punishment once you act more like ady."


    A sheepish smile tugged on Ciri''s lips, and she darted off to Mousesack. "Hey, Mousesack." She gave the druid a hug.


    "Lighter, princess. I told you many times not to pull on my beard. It''s not a carrot."


    "Hmph!" She turned to Eist and rubbed her face against his stubble, and she chuckled. "You''re the best, Eist."


    "Well, you''re one of the few girls we have in the family." A smile curled Eist''s lips, and he patted her head. "Boys should train themselves up since they''re kids. And Ciri''s a model girl. She''s not as spoiled as the other princesses, but she''s not a total boy either."


    "Eist! You keep spoiling her and she''s going to cause a lot of problems someday." Cnthe shot her husband a look, and he put the girl down. "Cnthe,e here. I have something to ask."


    The girl stood by her grandmother, but she made a face at the witchers.


    The queen heaved a sigh, but she didn''t bother correcting her granddaughter. "Geralt and Roy made a suggestion. They would like to take you to Novigrad. Where the witchers reside."


    "Huh?" A smile of surprise curled Ciri''s lips, her eyes shining with happiness. "You''re finally letting me out of that pri¡­ room?"


    "No, I¡¯m not," Cnthe answered, and Ciri''s lips puckered. "But I can''t control everything. I can''t lock you up forever." The queen patted Ciri''s head and stared at her. "Someday you''ll leave the castle. It''s fine even if you leave sooner?"


    "What happened, Grandma?" Ciri noticed the sadness lingering in Cnthe''s eyes.


    "Tell me, will you go with them?"


    The surprise came too suddenly for Ciri. She looked to her grandfather and Mousesack for help. The men gave her encouraging nods. "C-Can I really go?" Ciri bit her lip. She was then reminded of the question Roy posed.


    "If you''d like to."


    "Can Ie back then?"


    No answer to that.


    "Don''t scare me, Grandma." Anxiety grasped the girl''s heart, and she held her grandmother''s hands. "Are you kicking me out of the castle? Are you abandoning me?"


    "You will always be my baby. I won''t kick you out, but other things will."


    Ciri turned to the witchers. She gritted her teeth, and tears filled her eyes. Thoughts started racing in her head. On one hand, she wanted to go with her friends, but on the other, she wished to stay with her family. She quickly picked her family. "No, I''m not leaving. I''m staying here."


    "I don''t want to force you, Ciri."


    "No, I''m staying. Willingly." She had a feeling she would never see Cnthe again if she were to leave. The girl buried her head in Cnthe''s chest and started sniffling.


    The queen held her tightly, and she gave the witchers a smug look. <em>Destiny wishes her to stay.</em>


    Roy shook his head and massaged his temples. <em>Man, she can act.</em>


    "You see, witchers? Ciri doesn''t wish to leave at the moment."


    Geralt looked at the girl and heaved a sigh. "We respect her choice. But we shalle once the dust has settled. I do hope you won''t stop us again."


    The rulers nodded.


    "On my name I swear, if pushes to shove, Ciri shall leave with you."


    "Geralt, Roy, don''t leave!" Ciri darted over to her friends and held their hands. She pleaded, "I can''t leave Grandma, but you can stay with me."


    "Ciri is right. You can stay around and y with her." The queen was in a generous mood after winning her granddaughter''s favor. "You can im your reward when you leave."


    "Might as well. We can stay for a couple of days." Roy nodded at Geralt and turned his attention to Mousesack. They had received the blessing of Cintra''s rulers. Should the nation fall, they coulde to take Ciri with them. The obstacles to that path were cleared, which meant Roy had one goal left.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 429: A Deal With the Druid

    <strong>Chapter 429: A Deal With the Druid</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Once the servant cleaned up a guest room for the witchers, Geralt went to y with Ciri, while Roy returned to the garden. There, an old man with a big beard, an antlered helmet on his head and a wooden scepter on his back awaited him.


    "You''vee." He pointed at the empty seat beside him and pinched his beard. "We''re alone now, so let''s cut to the chase." Mousesack took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You possess something that radiates the power of nature. If I didn''t know you were a witcher, I''d have thought you were an apprentice druid."


    Roy smiled. <em>Alright. Now''s the time to reap the rewards of sealing Kunguran. God, that memory still gives me chills.</em> Instead of answering the question, Roy asked, "Mousesack, how many druids are there in the world?"


    "I do not know the exact number. The number of members in every circle changes. Some return to nature, some go missing. But we have more than two hundred members left so far." Mousesack looked into Roy''s eyes. Once again, he tried to see through the witcher, but once again, he failed. "Why do you ask?" He half-joked, "Are you abandoning the path of a witcher and embracing nature? No witcher has done that before, but magic is alive within you. Perhaps you have the talent to be one. I can be your mentor if you''d like."


    "Thank you, but I''m just asking out of curiosity." Roy shook his head. "I''m still trying to be a proper witcher. But I''ll branch out once I finish my study in this line of work." Roy paused for a moment. "I disagree with part of the druid creed. I am willing to coexist with nature, but spending my whole life learning it isn''t what I want. I would not devote myself to it, nor would I allow nature to restrict me. I have other goals to chase. It will be impossible for me to reach your level of understanding when ites to nature."


    "Alright, I get it. Stop with the ttery." Mousesack looked at him. "If you''re not nning to be a druid, then you''d have no use for that item, I suppose?"


    "You mean this?" Roy opened his hand, revealing a beautiful crimson gemstone. Within it, a sliver of ck smoke was rampaging, but try as it might, it couldn''t break free of the prison that trapped it.


    "Is that a¡­ soul?" Mousesack''s hand froze, and his eyes went wide with shock. For once, he lost hisposure. The trapped soul felt familiar. It felt like his old friend from Skellige¡ªEgill. But it also felt unfamiliar. "Where did you find this?"


    Roy smiled and closed his hand. "Patience, Mousesack. Another question. How many Druids'' Circles are left in the north?"


    A frown creased Mousesack''s forehead. He tried to remember, and a sigh escaped his lips. "Humanity has been developing at a blistering speed for thest few centuries. More and more animal habitats have been taken up for the sake of their development. Nature is losing ground, and forests are disappearing by the acre. Druids don¡¯t have a lot of space to live anymore. Only six remain. One in Skellige, one in Caed Dhu, one in Bleobhoris¡­"


    A hint of disappointment filled Roy''s heart. "Is there a Druids'' Circle in Velen, then?"


    "Not a single druid has stepped foot in Velen for decades." Mousesack stared at the overcast sky. Rain was still falling upon them, and reminiscence filled his eyes. "But some of the veteran druids told me that a circle existed in Velen centuries ago. The members protected the woods and swamps of Velen, keeping the bnce under control.


    "But then a major shift happened. Nature was furious, and it poisoned thend with humanity''s negative emotions. No druid could hope to live or train under that circumstance, and the circle was no more. Velen became what you call No Man''s Land."


    ***


    <em>Hm, that''s what Kunguran said.</em> "Pardon me, but are all druids human? Human as in humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings." He and hispanion dug out the body of something resembling a lizard back when they were doing the ritual, and Roy had to get to the bottom of this.


    "Hm?" Another frown furrowed Mousesack''s brows, and surprise filled his eyes. "So you know? Roy, humans aren''t the only creatures with sentience. Some are naturally attuned to nature, though you witchers would call those creatures monsters. Knockers, sylvans, and even leshens. If a powerful enough druid showed them the way, they too could be druids. But the conflict between monsters and humans has worsened. Most creatures have lost themselves to their desire to kill. No longer can they merge with nature."


    Roy stared at the ground in silence.


    Mousesack stayed silent as well, though his gaze never left the hand that was holding the gemstone.


    "Thank you for your answer." Roy pursed his lips. "This gemstone is a gift from a certain entity. The soul within belongs to one Kunguran from Velen."


    "Kunguran." Mousesack took another deep breath. He muttered, "That means <em>child of the oak </em>in druidnguage."


    <em>Okay, that confirms it. </em>"I can lend you the gemstone, but you can''t take it. Do we have a deal?"


    Mousesack nodded. "In the name of nature, I swear I will not take this gemstone or meddle with the soul within it unless given prior permission by Roy."


    As he wished, Roy gave him the gemstone. Mousesack held it up under the sky, where lightning bolts arced across the clouds. The light of the bolts shone upon the garden, illuminating the gemstone. As if assuaged, the soul within calmed down. No longer was it agitated.


    Mousesack closed his eyes.


    A surge of energy washed over Roy, and the witcher held his trembling medallion. Green magical light shot out of Mousesack''s antlers and his scepter. Just a whiff of it was enough to wash away all exhaustion.


    The flowers in the garden bloomed under the storm thanks to the invigorating powers of the druid, glistening brightly despite the rain.


    The druid seemed to have changed into a sea of trees,municating with the soul in his hand.


    Roy watched this scene in silence.


    ***


    A long, long timeter, everything returned to normal, and the nts bent down before the rain once more.


    Mousesack opened his eyes. A hint of surprise shed within them, and he handed the gemstone back to Roy reluctantly.


    "Thank you, Roy." Mousesack nodded. "I''ve verified your story. Kunguran didn''t lie. She''s an actual member of the circle, and she''s a Velen garden lizard, a species that has been extinct for centuries. The crones deceived her and destroyed her body. Her soul escaped andtched herself onto the oak of the Whispering Hillock."


    Mousesack was looking at Roy, but there was no admonishment in his eyes. "And then she met you. That was the best choice you could have made under those circumstances. I can understand why you did it."


    "She can''t. I lied to her. She must hate my guts." Roy held the gemstone, and the sliver of ck smoke started rampaging once more.


    "No. She''s been trapped for a long time. And there''s nothing but vengeance on her mind. But she noticed you heavily injured one of the crones before you left. You avenged her, and that assuaged her spirit. She won''t take revenge on you even if she leaves the gemstone."


    "Is that so?" Roy was reminded of the Brewess'' limb.


    "On nature''s name, I swear that was no lie," Mousesack answered solemnly. He then said, "Roy, should Kunguran return to the isles with me, the bnce of its ecosystem would be kept under a firmer grip."


    "How are you gonna deal with her?" With anticipation in his voice, Roy asked, "Can you revive her?" <em>Not even Vivienne could revive her believers. All she could do was turn them into water spirits. Wonder if the druids have a way around it.</em>


    Mousesack said, "This involves the circle''s secrets, so I''m just going to make a rough description of it. She will live her life in another form. When nature washes off her fury and rage, a new druid shall be born on the isles. Or an oak. It shall keep the bnce of nature. The winds shall be our guide."


    Roy''s eyes shone. "You know I won''t hand this over easily."


    "Then state your terms. What would you want from me?" Mousesack knew this would happen. "A reward is due. Equivalent exchange is also one of nature''sws."


    Roy took a deep breath and stood up. He straightened out his drenched cor and stared up at the sky, a smile curling his lips.


    It had been a long time since he left Velen, and now his n wasing to fruition. "Druids understand the power of nature deeply, and they possess incredible powers. Powers like weather control, nt growth boosting, crop boosting, animalmunication, and even shapeshifting. Is that right?"


    Mousesack straightened the antlers on his helmet with his right hand. "Yes. Are you proposing to learn the way of nature?"


    "I told you I''m trying to be a proper witcher. I have no time to deal with any other fields." A momentary pause fell between them. "But I need a druid to help me out with nts. I need to grow a lot of rare, valuable herbs."


    Mousesack''s eyelid twitched.


    Roy raised his voice. "I shall hand you Kunguran''s soul, but in return, I''d like a druid to work with my organization for twenty years. I need them to build us a garden that contains all kinds of nts. And I''d like them to help us out with potion research."


    Mousesack''s face froze. "That''s a bold request. You would want a child of nature, one who values freedom, to give up twenty years of their life just to ve away at your organization? Sorry, but I can''t do this." He swung his fists and argued, "Every creature is a tree. Life goes on, and seasons pass, but freedom always remains invaluable."


    "You misunderstand me." Roy gave Mousesack a calm smile. "I do not need the druid to work all day or be on standby. We can make a schedule. Like work hours are from nine to nine, and they can spend the remaining hours how they want. Enjoy nature, go around the city, y a round of Gwent, drink, have fun with the pets, or they can even raise some livestock."


    "That is unnecessarily cruel! Not even vampires cane up with a schedule that evil, and they''re <em>bloodsuckers</em>! One year. At most. Eight hours a day, and one day to rest and connect with nature." Right after Mousesack argued back, he shook his head. "No, by nature, I haven''t even said yes!"


    "Face it, Mousesack." Roy winked at the druid. The young witcher heaved a sigh of relief. "You''ve wavered. Now all we have to do is hash out the details. Let''s talk benefits."


    The druid shot Roy an angry look, but in the end, he relented and shook his head. "You''ve given me a hard question to answer, Roy, but we need Kunguran." He said, "I saved Geralt when he was a kid, though. Give me a better deal. He''s your friend, isn''t he?"


    ***


    And then the witcher and the druid started a heated debate. Voices were raised, points were made, and cors were grabbed.


    Half an hourter, the two of them signed a magical contract. Roy made amand, and the prison dissolved. Kunguran''s soul circled the air like a happy bird before it fluttered into Mousesack''s hand and turned into an acorn.


    "It is done. We shall send a member who''s an expert in botany to Novigrad''s ballroom in a month. They shall join your brotherhood." Mousesack emphasized, "They shall work for your organization eight hours a day, six days a week. Their service will go on for five years, while you shall provide food and amodation. You may not force them to do anything that goes against the druid''s creed, including but not limited to: battle, bringing harm to nts and animals, and ruining the ecosystem. If you force them to do anything of the sort, then this contract will be voided."


    Mousesack stuffed the acorn into the top of his scepter and handed the witcher a crystal. "You may contact me through this crystal should the druid break any rules. I shall teach them a lesson."


    "Happy doing business with you." Roy tucked the empty gemstone into his inventory space and shook Mousesack''s hand.


    A sigh of relief escaped Mousesack¡¯s lips, and a smile curled his lips. "It is done. I shall bid Eist and Cnthe goodbye, and then off to Skellige I go. Kunguran can''t wait to take her first steps of freedom."


    "I have a question, Mousesack." Roy was reminded of Geralt''s wish. <em>I need to help him. </em>"Do you know a female druid who goes by the name of Visenna? She''s also a wandering herbalist."


    "Hmm¡­" Mousesack stared down at the ground and paced around the garden. Eventually, he smacked the antler on his helmet. "I saw her thest time we gathered. She''s a beautiful woman. But she''s pale and gaunt. Not as healthy as everyone else."


    Roy listened closely.


    "She is a kind soul who wanders the world, providing free treatment to nature and the poor." Mousesack stopped for a moment. "But I can sense sadness in her heart. The kind of sadness that can never be wiped away. The kind someone hides deep within them. When we connected our dreams during that gathering, the dream she presented was different from everyone else¡¯s."


    "Our dreams are filled with the songs of stones, the dance of gales, and theughter of water. There''s life and happiness within them. But hers¡­ Her dream was empty and dark. Filled with sorrow," he said hoarsely. "Visenna has a painful past. Poor woman."


    "Can you contact her?" a nervous Roy asked.


    "Sorry, but she''s not a citizen of the isle, nor is she a member of Caed Dhu. Druids travel the world, and it has been more than ten years since I heard from her."


    "Is there no way to establish contact?"


    "Why do you wish to find her, Roy?"


    Roy massaged his temples. <em>I should keep the truth a secret for now. </em>"Visenna is the rtive of a friend."


    "Is that so?" Mousesack caressed his scepter and tried toe up with a way. "There <em>is </em>a way to establish contact. Aside from the isle and Caed Dhu, you can visit the other four circles. One is in Kovir, one in the south of Temeria, a ce called Mayena, one is in the south of Sodden, a ce called Loch Monduirn, and one is in Bleobheris. Find the hierophants of these circles, and you can contact Visenna through them."


    "But I heard some druids despise humans." There was an unspoken plea in Roy''s eyes. "Especially witchers."


    Druids were protectors of nature, and monsters were an important part of the ecosystem. To some hierophants, monster hunters like witchers were destroyers of the bnce.


    "Very well." Mousesack pinched his beard. <em>I see what he''s trying to do. </em>He said mysteriously, "I shall help this <em>friend </em>of yours in his quest to reunite with Visenna."


    He handed Roy an acorn. "This is proof of Skellige Isles'' circle. Show the hierophants this, and they shall help you once. And now, I bid you goodbye." Mousesack waved his hand and left the garden in a hurry.


    Roy saw him off for a moment, then he turned his attention to the skies. The storm had stopped, and the ck clouds were slowly disappearing. A golden ray of light pierced through the sky, shining on thend.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 430: Return

    <strong>Chapter 430: Return</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A nket of mist covered the cattails of Kaer Morhen''s river. Not even a whisper of the winds was heard. The air itself seemed to have stopped moving.


    Within the mist stood a young witcher. Carl stood with his back against a tree, one foot in front of the other. His body was bent over, and the boy assumed the ox stance. His de stood by him, its tip pointing at the deep mist.


    Carl''s wild eyes flickered around, watching out for any iing danger. A yellow shield covered him, and beads of sweat trickled down his soil-covered face. They fell down his chin, absorbed by the earth.


    A ball of yellow light shone in the mist. It was warm and saintly, not unlike a beacon in the dark. Like a lighthouse, it guided lost travelers to the right path. The light clouded Carl''s mind, and a weird sensation welled within him. It felt like a long-lost friend was waiting for him within the mist, and he slowly advanced into the mist.


    The voice of a child spoke. "Get back here! It''s dangerous there!"


    "Monti?" Carl froze for a moment. <em>Why is he here? We''re in the wilderness.</em>


    "You gotta help us, Carl. It''s Vicki. She hurt her leg. Bad!"


    Panic filled the boy''s face, and he hastened his steps. Gusts of wind blew as he ran, and the boy saw the silhouette of a human standing within the mist. Its back was hunched, and it was beckoning him over.


    Carl held his sword behind him, seemingly relinquishing all defenses. But when he got within three yards of the silhouette, the confusion on Carl''s face turned into determination, and he shoved his de ahead.


    A surge of mana sted ahead, tearing the mist and that silhouette apart, revealing the monster hiding within. It was naked, its arms were long, and its nails were as ck as obsidian. Carl''s Sign made it tumble backward, and it was struggling to get up.


    Like a cat, the boy gripped the ground tightly with his feet. He leapt into the air andnded on the gaunt belly of the green humanoid creature. Carl swung his de forward, its edge glinting like the fangs of a predator.


    And then he brought it down onto the creature''s neck. Blood sttered everywhere, and the creature turned into a ball of mist. Screams of fury, agony, and horror hung in the air.


    The young witcher cursed under his breath. He swiveled around and swung his de backward, but his judgment proved erroneous. The creature reappeared on the opposite side. It scurried close to the witcher''s back and held him in a crushing hold.


    Quen was shattered. The impact of the attack sent Carl flying away, rolling on the ground. He hit the ground headfirst and hastily tried to push the monster back with Aard.


    s, the monster would not grant the young witcher this opening. It slunk back into the mist, turning into a gust of intangible wind that circled Carl. It would howl and roar at the young witcher in an attempt to cloud his judgment.


    Carl looked around him, beads of sweat drenching his eyes. His cheeks were taut, and his breathing was ragged. The young witcher wanted to hit the monster with Aard, but he had no idea where to cast it. This was a gamble, and his life was at stake. He would not throw caution to the wind.


    The monster''s wshed out from the mist and attacked Carl from a spot he never expected.


    A gash appeared on the back of Carl''s hand. The young witcher''s hand shivered, and he dropped his de. Out of instinct, Carl shot Aard at the spot where he was attacked, but he was one moment toote. His attacker had slipped back into the mist yet again.


    Carl''s heart raced, and fear welled within him. Without any hesitation, he rolled on the ground. And not a moment too soon.


    He felt something w away at his nape, and another gash formed. And then, he was met with the maw of a monster. Within it, only death remained.


    Carl couldn''t react in time. His eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped. <em>Is this it?</em>


    ***


    A surge of magical energy welled in the air, and then sounds of de cutting through flesh filled the surroundings.


    A silver gleam of light arced through the skies, and then a headless body mmed down on Carl, blood spurting from the stump where the body''s head was supposed to be.


    Miraculously, the mist that surrounded him disappeared. White sunlight shone upon thends, and the river of Kaer Morhen gurgled beside him. A small hill and forest stood on his other side.


    A witcher in a pair of sunsses was fiddling with the monster''s head. He shook his head in disapproval. "You failed, kid. Go back to drowners and nekkers." Felix took his sunsses off. His eyes narrowed, and a smirk tugged on his lips. Then he tossed Carl a bottle of Swallow.


    The young witcher gulped it down, and ck veins crawled over his little face. A cool sensation washed across the wounds on his nape and the back of his hand, then a sigh escaped his lips.


    "That was a decent performance, but you made at least three fatal mistakes. You should have gone for the eye at first, not the neck. You failed to recast Quen as soon as it was broken, and you forgot to cast Aard."


    "I understand, sir. I won''t repeat the same mistakes next time." Carl hung his head low. He wiped the blood off his face as he apologized to his mentor.


    "Good. Foglets are beyond you for now." Felix patted the boy''s back. "Don''t get cocky just because you killed some drowners and won a fight against the boys. The world is a lot more dangerous than you think. Choose your battles. Prepare well. You won''t get lucky every time."


    "Yes, sir!" Carl nodded and took a deep breath. He hunkered down to cut the foglet''s body up, taking its teeth and nails. A momentter, a smile tugged on his lips. "Quintus and Fyodor can make some arrows out of these, and then I can go hunting with Oreo at night."


    "What are you mumbling about? Pick up the pace. You''re as slow as an old man."


    "Yes, sir!"


    ***


    Felix and Carl went by the giant cave that used to hold a trial for the Wolves. Old Speartip, thete trialmaster, was nothing but a gigantic skeleton that slept within the cave now.


    Carl stared at the skeletal remains in disbelief. The skull alone was about as big as him. If the monster was still alive, Carl had no doubt it could crush him like a little chick. "Sir, who felled this creature? He must have been a powerful witcher." Carl quietly picked up a joint the size of his fist. <em>Cool. I can show the other kids this.</em>


    "Not just one witcher." There was a bit of disappointment in Felix''s eyes. "Four Vipers and three Wolves. Seven of them did this. Poisoned it with puffer fish toxin first. It was a pity I wasn''t there. This could have been a legendary battle, remembered for centuries. Ahem."


    ***


    "Don''t worry, sir. Next time we''ll kill an ogroid together. And not just a cyclops. We''ll kill an ice giant too!" Carl promised confidently.


    "You little brat." Felix smacked his head jokingly. "Tell me that after you get your thousandth drowner kill."


    And Carl looked as sad as a little, bitter cat.


    ***


    They arrived at the troll''s hill, and the family of trolls almost smashed their heads open with a rain of stones. Fortunately, Felix whipped out some Novigradian vodka and mentioned Roy''s name.


    The trolls showed delight and invited the two witchers to a feast made up of snails, frogs, and slugs. It smelled¡­ pungent. With resignation and determination in his heart, Carl gulped down the unsavory concoction. Two servings of them, in fact. Felix refused to eat.


    Before they left, the trolls gave them some gemstones and ores they found in the mountains. That managed to assuage Carl. A big grin broke across his lips. <em>I bet Vicki will love this.</em>


    ***


    And then, the final part. Kaer Morhen''s Elemental Circle. Carl meditated within the circle, while Felix lit up the candles that represented the four seasons and four elements.


    He crossed his arms and leaned on a stone wall, staring at the ins. A thousand thoughts raced through his head.


    Never did Felix expect to stay in a fixed spot, especially when that spot was Novigrad. It was loud and boisterous. And the orphanage was filled with people as well. The old him would have preferred ces like Kaer Morhen. It was quiet, secluded, and close to nature.


    Felix stared at his student. This life he led felt like retirement. The kids were always ready to run around, and he never felt bored around them. <em>But I wonder how long this peace canst.</em>


    "I feel great, sir!" A happy Carl stood up and quickly made a blue triangle in the air. A gust of air mmed down into the ground. Grass and soil flew in the air as a crater formed from the impact. "Yeah, my Sign got stronger!"


    Felix smacked his head. "Nothing to be proud of. Roy and Geralt''s Signs mutated. Now, as promised, you''ve killed ten monsters and reached the Elemental Circle. You can pick a medallion."


    He opened his hand, revealing six pendants that shone brilliantly under the sun. There was a pendant that resembled a wolf''s head, one a cat, one a griffin, one a manticore, one a bear, and thest a writhing viper.


    Carl''s eyes shone. He took all the pendants and rubbed his little hand all over them. A big smile curled his lips. He looked like a girl who just got her favorite doll. "C-Can I have them all?" The boy pursed his lips.


    "These medallions don''te cheap. Only one per person. The rest are for your friends," Felix lied. "You have an advantage. You have six options, but everyone else only has five. Theter they pass the Trial, the fewer choices they¡¯ll have."


    "Really?" Carl tilted his head. He thought something was wrong, but that little thought was thrown away quickly. His eyes were set on the medallions, but now he was in a dilemma. "I took the Manticore Trial, but¡­"


    In the end, he saw Felix''s pendant, and he made his choice. "I''m your student." He picked the cat pendant and wore it around his neck.


    "Good choice." Felix nodded, a big grin cracking his lips. And then he tore a portal open. A square door appeared out of nowhere, cooking up a storm around it. "Let''s go home. Time to introduce a new Cat."


    ***


    Already there were people in the yard''s center when Felix and Carl came out of the portal.


    Auckes was in a silk shirt and a muffin hat. Traditional bard attire. And he was bragging to his friends about his travels.


    Carl left his apprentice friends to their practice and darted into the alchemyb to show Vicki what he got from the trip. First, his pendant, then the cyclop''s joint, and then the troll''s gemstones.


    Felix approached the crowd, and he finally heard what Auckes was talking about.


    "The people of Toussaint are crazy motherfuckers. There''s another festival they celebrate right after Lammas. It''s called the Festival of the Vat."


    "I''ve heard of that." Vesemir wiped his hands on his apron, reminiscence glinting in his eyes. "Toussaint has been extracting grape juice with machines since days of yore, but there''s one ancient tradition they never abandoned."


    "Hah! I bet you know all about it, you old flirt!" Auckes smacked Vesemir''s chest and winked at him. "During the festival, all the people of Toussaint gather in the za of Beauir. Nobles, knights, ministers, merchants, even peasants. All gather to enjoy music and acrobatics. And here''s where the fun part starts."


    The witchers listened intently, imagining the scene of the festival. Even Felix listened closely as well.


    "There was a big vat in the middle of the za, filled with grapes just waiting to get their juices extracted. But they aren''t using any machines. No tools either."


    Auckes paused. Everyone shot him dangerous looks, and he grinned. "What they do is they send women into the vat. And these women¡ªreally beautiful women¡ªstart smashing the grapes with their bare feet. Those women were scantily d, and I don''t mean that lightly. Saw everything. <em>Everything</em>. And one of them was Anna Henrietta, the duchess herself."


    Auckes made the shape of a gourd with his hands. "And by the gods, she''s perfect. Has a bit of a buck tooth, but otherwise, she''s perfect."


    He suddenly walked around and moved his body around like he was dancing. Then he started to sing. A song he heard during the festival, judging from the lyrics.


    That awakened some memories, and Vesemir hummed a little too.


    Auckes continued. "Everyone sang and cheered. Lady Henrietta and herpanions stomped the grapes to their hearts'' content. And the ritual wasplete."


    "The duchess showed her bare skin in front of her people. And she wasn''t wearing anything?" Eskel tilted his head. <em>That''s a wild ritual. And heretical. </em>Disgust filled his eyes. "And then everyone drinks the juice her feet soaked in?"


    Kiyan, Aiden, Serrit, Felix, and Coen shook their heads. They were more on the conservative side. However, Vesemir, Lambert, and Letho nodded.


    "What do you know? Toussaint is a passionate, free, and romantic kingdom. That''s its charm," Auckes argued.


    "He''s right." Lambert flung his hair, his eyes filled with anticipation. <em>The duchess is a married woman if I''m right. </em>"Someday I''ll travel to Toussaint and witness this festival with my own eyes."


    "But wasn¡¯t the duke jealous?" Kiyan chose his next words carefully. Hoarsely, he said, "After all, the eyes of the people did besmirch his wife."


    "That''s tradition. Not like he can argue with it." Auckes shook his head in disdain. "Besides, he wasn''t in Toussaint for the duration of the festival."


    A bit of respect filled Auckes'' eyes. He muttered under his breath, "And that''s why someone managed to date his wife. Probably fucked her too. I think he''s gonna be a father soon."


    "What did you say?" His mutterings failed to escape the witchers'' ears, and all of them wanted to know the story behind it.


    "I promised I wouldn''t tell," Auckes dered, but then he shook his head. "Forget it. Everyone in Toussaint knows. Not like I can keep it a secret much longer. Dandelion made the duchess fall head over heels for him. They''ve been going at it in Toussaint for two months. Like they''re an actual couple. He was going to spend the winter there, but I dragged him back."


    "That yboy." Coen shook his head. "Roy told him to never cheat on Prisci, and he promised him."


    "Well, can''t change our nature." Some of the witchers sighed. Dandelion was incorrigible, and they knew it.


    "Forget it. Let''s pretend we never heard this," Lambert suggested. "We''ll help him this once."


    Auckes changed the subject. "Thedies in Toussaint are passionate. Really passionate. And incredibly charming, too. Tried to charm me all the way to their beds even though it was the first time we met. Their husbands probably can''t get it up, or they''ve never seen a man in a decade." A stupid grin curled his lips.


    "They came to me like moths drawn to fire. Naturally. I''m a man among men. I''m handsome, powerful, talented, well-read, and most important of all, I¡¯ve got a lot of stamina."


    "Oh, shut it." Serrit smacked Auckes'' crimson cheeks. "You had too much to drink. You look more like a farmer than a bard, you know?"


    "Hey, you might not believe me, but they were crazy for me. They were head over heels for yours truly. The poems I came up with finally had their use. They cried because of them. Laughed because of them. Can''t even forget about them even if they tried. Boy, these two months sucked me dry of everything I had." Adamantly, he said, "If I were a normal man, I''d have fathered at least twenty kids."


    "Ahem, that is quite enough." Letho interrupted his friend. "What about your work?"


    "Hey, don''t sell me short. Women are fun, but my work is more important. I''ve marked three spots. Mont Crane Castle in the southeast of Basane Farm and the northeast of Fort Ussar Ruin, Valley of the Nine located in Sansretour Marsh, and the church cave Serrit and I stumbled upon once. Mont Crane used to be the base of a group of bandits, but a knight cleared it out and left it in ruins." Auckes looked at everyone.


    "And now we wait for Roy''s return. Time for our next big adventure."


    Everyone nodded.


    "Oh, I checked my stuff, and one of my books is missing. Dandelion''s The Adversities of Loving. Anyone seen that?"


    The look on Coen''s face changed.


    "Did you take it, Coen?" The change on Coen''s face failed to escape Auckes. He came onto the Griffin.


    "Um, sorry, man. Roy gave it¡­ I thought it was his¡­ I gave it to Igsena."


    "Why, you¡­" Auckes solemnly yanked Coen by his cor. The Griffin hung his head low like a child who was caught stealing, and he gulped.


    "Next time we go to Toussaint, you''reing with us." Auckes patted his shoulder and straightened out his cor. "Roy said the secrets of a Griffin named Jerome Moreau are buried there. You interested?"


    Coen froze for a moment, but then he balled his fists and nodded.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 431: Illusion

    <strong>Chapter 431: Illusion</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was night. Cnthe sat before the vanity in her resplendent room, removing her makeup. Her reflection showed a woman whose skin was still smooth and supple. Her body was as slim as ever, with not a hint of fat on it. Still, her skin no longer glowed as it used to, and wrinkles appeared at the corner of her eyes. Stress lines appeared on the sides of her nose, and strands of grey hair hid in her hair.


    Mncholy shed in the queen''s eyes. She was already forty-four. No longer young, and no longer rich in time. After the witcher''s speech earlier, she had a rough guess of what her future would be. Something deep within her soul told her that no matter how much Cintra struggled, it would face certain doom.


    She turned around to see her husband sitting before the war map beside their bed. He was thinking about the moves he could make. His chin rested on the back of his right hand, and his beard extended down his chest.


    None of the fake scenarios ended well. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing was ragged.


    Cnthe looked away and sighed. It had been a rocky life for her. Miscarriage, widowship, and the curses of her people. But at the same time, she had enjoyed the greatest glory anyone could ever have. She ran a kingdom for decades, and in herter life, she found a man who loved her deeply. And she also had a cheeky granddaughter.


    They were her family, but Cnthe always had one regret in her life. It grew after she had multiple miscarriages in her first marriage, and it grew even more after Pavetta''s death. When Roy told her she and Eist would die while Ciri struggled to live, the idea to fill that void in her heart mounted to a breaking point.


    She wanted to change something. For her and her family. "Eist, we still have time. Don''t overwork yourself. Come here and rest." Cnthe was wearing a translucent robe. She leaned on their bed, her chin resting on her hand. Her cheeks were red, and she beckoned her husband over.


    Eist was beguiled by his wife''s beauty, and the mes of desire red in his eyes. But then he shook his head, his desire reced by determination. "I''m going to pull an all-nighter ande up with a viable strategy. Then I''ll run it through Paris tomorrow."


    "Get in here right now."


    "Very well, my queen." Eist smiled dryly and put his pawn down. Without wasting a moment, he got into the bed and wrapped his arm around Cnthe''s shoulder. They were millimeters away from each other, enjoying each other''s embrace.


    "Eist, I have something to say."


    "It''s not like you to hesitate."


    "Why don''t we have a child?" Cnthe looked at her husband gently, and she touched his face. "I''ll give you a child of your own."


    Eist cocked his eyebrow and gave his wife a look of surprise. The passion in the air was quickly doused. "I thought we agreed not to have a child."


    "Nobody expected Pavetta to die, and now we have no children of our own." Sadness filled Cnthe''s eyes. "If I''m right, you never had a child of your own. Don''t you think that''s the kind of regret you want fixed?"


    "Ciri <em>is </em>my granddaughter."


    "If the witcher''s prophecyes to pass, we will both perish. Ciri will have no one to call her family. She will be forced to live her life alone. That''s a fate too cruel to even think about. And she''ll have to face the world all by herself. The witcher ims the Law of Surprise is unbreakable, but I''d rather ce my trust in true familial bond."


    "No. On the name of Skellige, I swear¡­" Eist held her tightly in his arms. He promised, "I will not let anything happen to you. You <em>will </em>live. My family on the isles will treat Ciri as their own. Hjalmar shall be her brother, and Cerys her sister."


    Cnthe shook her head. "I''m already in my forties, and I''ve miscarried two times, and yet I''m willing to try. What are you afraid of?" She stared at her husband, demanding, "Why won''t you ept your bloodline? Tell me the real reason."


    She put on a look of sadness. "For years I''ve respected your decision and allowed the ministers and nobles to call me a barren woman. They call me Cnthe the Barren."


    Eist''s face turned red with shame, and his beard trembled. His wife was called all kinds of names because of his own selfish desire. After hearing the witcher''s prophecy, he realized if he didn''t tell her the truth, this secret would be taken to the grave. <em>I can''t let everyone think Cnthe is barren until the very end.</em>


    He said honestly, "I''ve seen how Pavetta lost control of her mana. And since your mother''s generation, Cintra''s royalty has possessed magic in their blood. Elder Blood. If our child is born with that kind of power, then¡­"


    He took a deep breath and enunciated, "Then should my wild bloodline join the equation, the child would be a disaster for Skellige, Cintra, and even the whole world."


    Cnthe was surprised. That was the first she had heard of this. She never realized her husband was carrying a burden of this magnitude, and she held his hand. "Eist, think about it. Will fishermen stop going to sea just because they''re scared of storms? Will the farmers stop farming just because they''re worried about bad weather and pests? No. So why would you abandon your own bloodline for something so uncertain? Eist, children are a blessing from the gods, not disasters."


    Eist stared at the ground, his eyes filled with guilt.


    "We don''t even have a child of our own. We can''t possibly know what the future holds for them," Cnthe said. "We can''t take away their right to be born just because of something so intangible."


    "But it''s toote now. There''s less than a year before the war begins," Eist said. He finally spoke of the secret that had been kept for so long, and he apologized. "I''m sorry. I failed you."


    "No. It''s never toote." Cnthe stared at her husband, her eyes shining. "And you should apologize to the unborn child." She pressed her hand on his chest and shoved him back onto the bed. Eist felt his blood roaring just from staring at his wife. "And now, you''re going to work with me¡­"


    What happened next needed no exnation.


    ***


    Dawn broke through the horizon as promised. Cintra''s princess, at longst, had escaped from her prison. She was wearing a pink cloak and running around the streets like Little Red Riding Hood. Standing around her were her servant, Coria, the witchers, and a group of soldiers in disguise.


    The group entered Cintra''s bustling marketce. The people in the crowd jostled against each other, merchants selling their products all along the streets. Sellers hollered into the air, hoping to attract more customers. Cows mooed, sheeps bleated, chickens clucked, and ducks honked.


    The cacophony of voices made Ciri''s head spin, but she stubbornly grinned and hopped into the crowd.


    A customer was holding up his fish, haggling with the seller. Yet the seller was filing his nails, standing his ground calmly.


    All of a sudden, Ciri mmed into the customer, and his fish fell to the ground. The girl stepped on the fallen fish and¡ªto her wide-eyed shock¡ªskidded ahead like she was skating. She crashed into a chicken cage and pulled off the belt of a fatdy.


    All the excess fat on thedy''s waist poured forth, and she pulled her pants up. She opened her mouth as wide as she could, but just when she was about to let out a scream sure to shock everyone, a handsome man appeared before her and took his sunsses off. And then he smiled.


    The sight of his wild eyes made the woman swallow her scream.


    And then the witcher went after the cheeky little girl.


    Ciri was profusely apologizing to the merchants and their customers, paying for their losses.


    "Slow down, Ciri! Run off again and you''re not riding the griffin tonight!"


    "No, please, I''m sorry. Please don''t do that to me!" Ciri returned to the witchers, holding Roy''s hand with her left hand and Geralt¡¯s with her right. She stared at the ck cat in Roy''s hoodie and looked around her.


    She saw a halfling with furry legs swinging his dagger at a blinding speed, carving beautiful patterns on the goat''s leg cooking over the spit roast. She saw a half-elf sucking on a long, circr wooden pipe before puffing out circles of white smoke.


    "That smells special. What''s that?"


    "Something only adults can do."


    "I''m hungry." She rubbed her belly and scrunched her face up. "I can''t ride the griffin on an empty stomach."


    "We''ll take three." Roy took three golden fried squid rings from the seller and shared it between him, Geralt, and Ciri.


    Ciri wolfed her squid ring down like a hungry cat and gobbled an apple pie infused with grape juice. Only then did she lick her fingers, though she didn''t look content.


    "That should be enough, Ciri. You''re ady. Try to stay slim," Roy joked. "Besides, the pce chef can make better food."


    "As if!" Ciri shook her head. "Grandma won''t let me eat anything. There''s barely any salt in the food I eat. I wanna eat all I can this time!"


    "Kids grow fast. They can eat however much they want." Geralt patted the girl''s head and nodded.


    Ciri dragged the witchers and the soldiers around the marketce. She followed her foodie instinct and went to a stall that sold beef stew. The girl sniffed the air, and her face lit up. "I want one!" She sat down, ignoring the stains and grease on the bench.


    Roy and Geralt sat beside her, but their eyes were on another table.


    A blond, muscr man in casual grey attire was wolfing down his beef stew. Noticing the look the witchers were giving him, the man turned around, though the look on his face spoke of surprise. "By the knights, this must be fate!" He picked his bowl up and shared a table with the witchers. "Good morning, witchers."


    "Morning, Grimm."


    Geralt served a hot bowl of stew to Ciri, and she scooped up a spoonful only to shove it all into her mouth. And then she closed her eyes and purred.


    "I thought you and Raymund returned to Toussaint." Roy looked around, but Grimm''s armor and sword were not with him.


    "By the knights, I lost my job." Grimm smiled. There was not a hint of sadness on his face. "The duke thought I lost on purpose. Infuriated, he terminated my services and left me in Cintra."


    "Sorry."


    "Oh no, Geralt. This isn''t your fault. It''s just right. I''ve killed just about every bandit around Toussaint over thest ten years. It''s time for this knight to expand his patrol territory." He took his beef out and cut it into smaller pieces for easier eating. "Time for an odyssey. The northernnds are my goal. I shall spread justice and battle evil''s henchmen to train myself."


    "That''s a respectable goal. And you''re a respectable man." Roy''s cheeks twitched. There weren''t many men as naive and innocent as Grimm. But of course, in this world, that kind of innocence could only mean one thing. "Pardon me for asking, but do you have a clear goal for this trip?"


    Ciri let out a burp and snatched Coria''s blueberry juice, then she took a big swig.


    "Making a n before any operation is the basics of being a knight." Grimm nced at Ciri, her servant, and the soldiers in disguise, and he nodded. "I shall be traveling to the east of Cintra, passing through Temeria and Aedirn. Then I shall turn around and make my way through Kaedwen, Redania, and eventuallye back to Cintra. It''s going to take a year or two," he said. "Once I''m back in Cintra, I shall board a boat and sail to Skellige, where I can spar with the men of the sea."


    <em>So he''s going to travel across the continent, huh? </em>Roy was a little envious. <em>Once the brotherhood settles down, I''m going on a continent-wide trip as well. But his trip is going to end in failure. The war will have started halfway through his trip, and Cintra will be no more.</em>


    "You should stay awhile when you get to Redania." Geralt invited, "Come to Novigrad''s ballroom. We''ll treat you."


    "I''ll be taking you up on the offer, then." Grimmughed heartily and wiped the remains of the stew from his mouth. Then he bowed. "I shall be looking forward to our sparring session in Redania. I''d like you to test my mettle then."


    They nged their bowls, and the scent of meat wafted in the air.


    "I shall be waiting."


    The three of them were chatting happily. While Roy wasn''t looking, Ciri managed to lure Gryphon out and stuff it full of beef stew. It kept protesting, but Ciri kept feeding it.


    "Grimm, you were born and bred in Toussaint, and you''re apetent knight. You have also ventured into dangerousirs." Roy paused and turned around to shoot Ciri a look of warning. The girl stopped pulling Gryphon''s whiskers. "Have you ever run into any other witchers?"


    Toussaint was a ce of misfortune. Merten the Manticore and Jerome the Griffin met their lives'' turning points there.


    "Geralt is the first witcher I''ve ever fought, but before that, I encountered something off in a ce called Mont Crane Castle. I was on my way to clear the ce of bandits." A momentary pause swooped down on them, and a weird look overtook Grimm''s eyes. "A man in tattered clothes darted out of the castle''s basement. He had wild amber eyes and a griffin medallion. The man ran as fast as a stallion, but he seemed crazed. Gone into the wilderness before I could even stop him."


    "Mont Crane''s basement?" Roy''s heart skipped a beat. <em>That''s the ce I told Auckes to set up a waypoint in. </em>"Are you sure it was a madman with a griffin medallion?"


    Roy knew Grimm was talking about Jerome, but as far as his memory went, this particr witcher had been locked behind a one-way portal for a hundred years. <em>So how did he escape?</em>


    "And this is the weird part. I scoured the whole castle, but the guy was gone. Like he disappeared into thin air."


    "When did that happen?"


    "About five years ago."


    <em>If that''s the first time Jerome broke out of his trap, then how did he manage to survive in the underground for so long? </em>Roy took a deep breath. <em>Guess I''ll have to travel to Toussaint for the truth.</em>


    ***


    After they bade goodbye, the group led Ciri across Cintra, only returning to the castle when she was sweating and huffing.


    That night, Roy apanied her on a griffinback ride. She had always wished to ride a griffin and fly through the air. For the next two days, the witchers yed with Ciri. Hide-and-seek, make-believe duels, storytelling, and fishing. Everything Ciri loved, they did with her. And it made her a happy princess.


    It was an overcast morning. Ciri was saying her goodbyes in the garden. She was in typical princess attire that day, and the girl was wiping her tears. With a plea andmand in her voice, she said, "You have toe to see me. At least once a month. And you gotta bring Gryphon with you, Roy. I wanna ride him."


    "We''lle when the time is right." Roy pinched her cheek. "And a serious warning. No matter what animal Gryphon turns into, do not pull its whiskers, or you''re not allowed to y with her."


    Ciri hupped. "You meanie!"


    "What did you say?"


    "Fine, fine. I won''t do it." She puffed her cheeks like an angry squirrel, then she turned her attention to Geralt.


    Before she could say anything, Geralt promised, "We''ll hunt a dragon when you turn eighteen."


    "You''d better not forget that!"


    "Thank you for your concern, witchers." Cnthe put her hands on her belly, and she beamed. "Once Mousesack''s student makes her way to Novigrad, she shall evaluate your base as well. If it proves to be a good ce, Ciri might stay there for a few days."


    "Really, Grandma?" Ciri raised her head in surprise.


    "As long as you''re good."


    "I promise I''ll be!" Ciri puffed her chest out and swung her grandmother''s arm around.


    "Here''s a little gift for you, witchers."


    A servant presented the witchers with an exquisite wooden box. Roy opened it, and the first thing he saw was the gleam of gold. It was allid out neatly and was worth about twenty thousand crowns.


    The witchers exchanged a smile.


    "This is goodbye, then." Eist was in a bear hide jacket. He pinched his beard and waved the witchers goodbye. "I hope this won''t be ourst meeting, witchers."


    Roy smiled and was about to open a portal back to Novigrad, but then he froze. Everything around him started to spin faster and faster. Elder Blood was blinking furiously on his character sheet, and time seemed to stop.


    Weird ripples spread out around the rulers of Cintra and their granddaughter. Like bubbles floating on water, they quickly popped and faded away.


    What reced them was another silhouette. She was wearing a veil, and Roy couldn''t see what she really looked like. The petite girl had ck hair and eyes as green as the trees of a forest. She seemed to be chuckling at Roy, and the girl was extending an arm to him.


    Roy felt a sense of familiaritying from the girl. It was an unstoppable bond borne from the heart. It felt like there was an inexplicable knot that tied them together. A knot woven by Destiny.


    "Roy?" Geralt asked.


    The girl and everything around her shattered like ss. Once again, Cnthe and her family reappeared, still smiling.


    "Sorry, I was thinking about something else."


    "Did something happen?"


    "No. Everything''s fine."


    ***


    The witchers leapt into their portal. Overcast was the sky, threatening to engulf Cintra''s pce in one fell swoop. It seemed to herald theing of a tragedy.


    ***


    End of arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 432: Under the Lake

    In the east of Beauir stood a ce with a panoramic view. In the era of elven rule, this ce was known as Dol Naev''de. But Sansretour River had engulfed most of the area, leaving only the Valley of the Nine behind.


    Within the valley''s center stood a beautifulke. Ripples spread across the surface as the autumn breeze whispered across the valley. And then six silhouettes appeared on theke''s surface.


    Five had twin swords strapped behind their backs and leather armor covering their bodies. Their eyes were as wild as beasts¡¯. One was a beautiful woman in a tight ck dress. She was twirling her fiery red hair as she stared at theke with sea-blue eyes. Her lips were pursed, her eyes filled with anticipation.


    "How goes the research, Lytta?" Kiyan raised his head, basking in the sunshine. A year had passed, and the scars on his face had lessened to the point where he looked like the victim of a fire ident and not a ghoul.


    "Don''t worry. Things are going as nned. With Kalkstein on our side, our efficiency has gone up by a lot." Lytta smiled at him. "Two more months and the boys can take their pre-Trial."


    "You''re trying to get a new student, Kiyan?" Eskel patted Kiyan''s shoulder. "I call dibs on Charname. He''s the best sessor I can hope for. Don''t you get any ideas."


    "I prefer Acamuthorm." Kiyan''s eyes glinted. "He''s innocent, and he learns fast."


    "I''ll take Monti, then." Letho rubbed his head. "I like the kid."


    "Aiden and Lambert want him as well." Auckes said, "You already have an excellent student. Leave some kids for the others."


    "Once we build the new houses and take in new kids, everyone will have a student."


    Coen was listening quietly, envy shing in his eyes.


    ***


    While the witchers were chatting away, Roy was swimming across theke, encapsted in a beautiful bubble. Every time the young witcher pulled the trigger on his hand crossbow, a drowner would lose its life and sink to the bottom of theke.


    Seven drownerster, Roy found a green portal on the edge of the underwater castle ruins'' center. The portal was turned on, and magical energy stirred around it.


    The young witcher darted into the portal, and at the same time, Lytta nodded. She then opened a portal as well.


    ***


    Everything around the witchers spun. A momentter, the witchers and Lytta found themselves in a dark and ustrophobic chamber. The zing brazier before them shone on a pointed arch, while a portal leading to the depths of theke stood behind them.


    Letho took a deep breath, but his face was twitching. Eskel, Kiyan, Coen, and Auckes didn''t look too well either. Their breathing was ragged, and some of them were retching. Only Roy and Lytta were fine. In fact, they were chatting away quietly.


    "Damn the portals. I had to go through it twice! Sooner orter it''s gonna be the death of me." Auckes retched. "We should have swum our way here."


    "You should see the look on your faces. You look like a virgin who just had his first time. Come on, it''s just a portal." Lytta grinned and snapped her fingers. The talisman before her chest shone, and a ball of light appeared around her. It lit the chamber up and followed Lytta wherever she went.


    "This is probably a side effect of the mutation."


    "Well, <em>he''s </em>fine." Lytta smiled sweetly at Roy, and they entered the door.


    "We did some research regarding this issue." Coen trotted behind them, his hand on the strap before his chest. The Griffin exined, "Our mutation strengthened our senses beyond human limits. Because of that, we experience stronger nausea after portal traveling. Any witcher would know how disgusting portal traveling feels. Roy is an exception."


    "Coen, that''s a good exnation." Auckes patted his shoulder. "But I hate portal traveling because of a specific memory. It''s traumatizing. Ever saw a friende out of a portal without an arm or a leg? Sure, it''s one in a hundred, but the more you portal travel, the higher your chances of losing a limb."


    The witchers nodded and descended the spiral staircase behind the door, watching out for their surroundings.


    They were now in the corridor of an ancient castle. Patterns of leaves and vines were carved on the pirs nking the corridor. Ancient runes dotted the dpidated walls, and even the patterns on the brazier screamed of elven architecture.


    This ancient castle was a part of a great civilization that used to rule thisnd¡ªelven civilization. Much like most great buildings in the north, they shared the same roots. Unfortunately, during the expansion of Sansretour Marsh hundreds of years ago, the marsh buried this castle in the depths of ake, turning it into ruins.


    The floor was covered in dust and potholes. Signs of caving in and footprints were strewn across the ground. At the end of the spiral staircase stood a passage leading to a circr za. It was here that Roy came to a stop. He turned his attention to the feline statues nking the corridor.


    ''Possessed Guardian


    Status: Puppet (An extra-dimensional demon has taken over this statue, turning it into a killing machine.)


    HP: 200


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 20


    Constitution: 20


    Perception: 10


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 10


    Skill(s):


    Cryptic Strength (Passive): An unknown energy has modified this creature. HP and Mana are increased. +5 to Constitution and Spirit. Loses all sense of pain. Does not have to eat. Replenishes its energy by absorbing the elements lingering in the air. Gains powerful regenerative abilities.''


    ***


    "Something''s off with those statues."


    "Something feels familiar." Letho rubbed his chin. "I think I''ve seen them somewhere."


    "The undergroundb." Anger shed in Kiyan''s eyes. "Hieronymus summoned the demon hiding in that statue, and it possessed my body for twenty years."


    "Looks like you can get your revenge then." Auckes rubbed his hands, his eyes glinting with ice-cold fury. The witcher covered himself with two magical shields. "There are seven of us here. We''ll tear these bastards apart!"


    Everyone nodded. They cast their Signs and wiped their des clean.


    The light of Yrden shone beneath Roy, and magical shields swirled around him. He looked like a magicalmp.


    Lytta weaved a gesture in the air, and blue light shone from her talisman, covering her in a magical shield.


    And then the witchers charged straight into the za. Roy, Letho, and Lytta took the left, while everyone else took the right.


    Something seemed to have activated, and crimson light shone from the statues. They turned into sleek, living creatures and leapt off their stands. Yrden was waiting right there, and the trap mmed into the monster, bringing it down a little.


    Letho swatted the monster''s ws away with his de and joined the fray, spinning around like a whirlwind of death.


    His de cut the guardian open, and it backed off, howling in agony. But that was not the end.


    Lytta sternly produced a fireball and shot it at the monster, carving a hole into its back. And then a bolt of electricity flew from Roy''s hand, tearing through thend.


    The guardian let out another howl, but before it could do anything, another bolt of lightning sted away at its head. The smell of charred flesh filled the air, and the guardian fell down, numb.


    A crossbow bolt flew through the air. The guardian was sent flying right into the energy shield, and it hung there.


    An eerie smile curled Letho''s lips. He charged straight at the incapacitated guardian andunched another whirlwind of chaos at it.


    The monster was overwhelmed by the bolts of electricity, ming fireballs, crossbow bolts, and Letho''s de. Ten secondster, Roy''s bolt pierced through the monster''s head, turning it into nothing but pink dust.


    ''Guardian statue killed. EXP +300. Level 9 Witcher (5200/6500).''


    The battle on the other side hade to an end as well. Four witchers surrounded the remaining guardian. It was brought down low and dealt a heavy blow.


    Coen''s hands looked like a blooming flower, and his Sign radiated a beautiful glow. A barrage of Dual Signs kept the monster pinned to its spot before it toppled over.


    The remaining witchers circled it, swinging their des at the monster. Not once could the monster leap back at the witchers. All it could do was struggle until the bitter end. Onest howl of frustrationter, it was nothing but debris.


    Auckes shook his head. He wanted more.


    "You want a one-on-one with it?" Eskel wiped his de.


    "You think I''m an idiot?"


    Roy picked up the loot. To his surprise, there were powdered monster tissues lying in the dust. "The demon must have changed it fundamentally. It was no longer a simple statue. Coral, do all mages summon demons in private? I thought it was supposed to be taboo."


    "Some of us do." Lytta smiled and gave him a kiss. It was a reward for his performance. "The stronger a mage is, the harder it is to contain their curiosity. It''s a dark path."


    Roy was reminded of that mage who was hiding behind all this chaos. The group left the bodies behind and moved forward.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 433: Arrive

    The group explored as carefully as they could. Tomas Moreau built aplex chamber to prevent any intruders froming in. It had a lot of forking paths and was split into multiple stories. Some were covered in beautiful marble tile, while some were dark and dank, not unlike the abode of shaelmaars. Some ces had a deep, dark hole in them. They were about ten meters from top to bottom. Even a witcher with Quen on would stter across the floor if they were to fall from this height.


    And to make things worse, the ce wasden with booby traps. Spikes that shot out of the ground, poisonous mes thatshed out from the walls, crossbow bolts that aimed for the victims'' heads, and sharpened wood and boulders that fell from the ceiling.


    Fortunately, witchers were no simple humans. They were explorers, adventurers, and hunters. One of them was a master of traps. Auckes disarmed at least a dozen traps on their way to the depths of this chamber.


    They also collected a lot of mushrooms, longrube, and bloodmoss for the druid. It would make kickstarting the garden easier. They ran into another guardian, but it was defeated easily. And then they came to a dead end.


    ***


    Auckes stared down at the cliff. Only a dark abyss awaited them underneath. Gusts of icy winds blew up into the air, and the witcher almost got vertigo from just looking at the abyss. A wooden stake with a rope that extended downward stood beside them. The rope extended across the abyss and was connected to a dimly lit prairie on the other side. Behind that prairie was a tall wall.


    "I''ve been in the game of caves for decades, but this is the first time I''ve seen so many booby traps. You sure Tomas was a mage? Looks more like a maze fan to me." Auckes frowned. "Like building a chamber in the depths of ake isn''t safe enough. This is overkill."


    "You say it like it''s bad news. The tighter the security, the better the loot," Kiyan said. "Now I''m sure the chamber contains the secrets to powering up witchers."


    "So who''s gonna go first?"


    "Nobody." Letho flipped open a yellowing book. He got it from the remains of a graverobber while they were on their way here. "See this? We need to find four square tiles and activate all of them."


    He looked up and saw protruding tiles on the ceiling and walls. Then the bald witcher approached a shut stone door beside the cliff. "And the door would open. We need some ranged attacks here. Lytta, if you may." Letho looked at the mage.


    But Roy patted her hand. He smiled and blew on his hand crossbow. "Just watch, people."


    Roy fired a few bolts into the air. A few triester, something rumbled in the air. Dust and debris fell from the wall as a staircase was slowly revealed before the group.


    ***


    "Be careful, people. I have a feeling we¡¯ll have a tough battle ahead of us. The panthers weren''t the only guardians Professor Moreau had." Roy whipped out a dimeritium bomb, recast his magical shields, and unsheathed his de. He then led the team into a circr, semi-enclosed chamber.


    It was split into three stories. In the center of the bottom story stood a great statue of a saintly woman. Surrounding that statue were about a dozen statues of monsters. Fat monsters with round bellies and a pair of petite wings disproportionate to their bodies. They must have weighed a ton. And these monsters felt like the golem the witchers had fought before.


    The moment the group entered this chamber, their pendants started vibrating. One of the statues wobbled around like a drunken creature and woke with a startle. It roared, "Intruder alert! Intruder alert! You are not wee here!"


    "Ah, shut the fuck up!"


    ss shattered, and dimeritium powder covered the monster. Five witchers charged straight ahead, while Roy pressed on his hand crossbow''s trigger.


    ''Gargoyle


    Status: Guardian (It protects thisnd, chasing away and killing any and all intruder)


    Age: A hundred and sixty-four years old


    HP: ?


    Mana: 200


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: 12


    Consitution: ?


    Perception: 6


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 20


    Skill(s):


    Stone Wall (Passive): Made of marble and granite, gargoyles possess great resistance against physical attacks. Immune to poison and bleeding. They possess great strength and defense. +10 to Constitution and Strength. Gargoyles have no need for sustenance. They can absorb any elements lingering in the air to keep them running.


    Blink Level 5: Expends a minor amount of mana to perform a short-range teleport. Perfect for evasion and ambush. Gargoyles can teleport to the air and m down on their enemies, turning them into mincemeat.


    Acid Spray Level 6: Expends a minor amount of mana. Sprays a jet of acid at its targets. Gargoyle acid has powerful corrosive abilities. Can easily break down flesh and armor.''


    ***


    A Stun Bolt hit the gargoyle square in the head. The stun effect and momentum sent the monster flying backward. Its fall felt like a little earthquake. The chamber rumbled, and dust flew into the air.


    Silver glints gleamed within the dust smoke, and sparks flew. The light of Yrden shone within, and wild eyes flickered. The witchers kept swinging their sword down at the monster, giving it no chance to attack.


    Lytta chanted as fast as she could, then she pointed at the ground behind the gargoyle, creating ayer of grease on what was otherwise a rough patch of floor.


    And the gargoyle was in a predicament. The dimeritium bomb locked it out of its mana reserves, preventing it from blinking away. It tried to get back up, but the floor was too slippery for it to even push itself up. All it could do wasy down and il its arms in a futile attempt to block the witchers'' attacks.


    Roy hid behind the front lines, firing bolt after bolt at the gargoyle. They only managed to graze its skin, but the impact and barrage of Aard made sure the gargoyle was pinned on the ground.


    Thirty secondster, the witchers sheathed their des all together. One final bolt whizzed through the air and buried itself in the gargoyle''s eye, robbing it of its life.


    And then only a cold corpse remained.


    ''Gargoyle killed. EXP +300. Level 9 Witcher (5800/6500).''


    ***


    "This is what you get foring at the brotherhood, fool." Auckes hunkered down and smacked the dead gargoyle''s head.


    "This is why teamwork matters." Roy crouched and picked up the loot. "Elemental essence, gargoyle dust, gargoyle heart¡­"


    "Oh, I''ll take that." Lytta huddled closer to Roy and took the gargoyle heart away. She then tucked it in her storage ring, and a smile curled her lips. "Kalkstein and I will research this thing. Maybe we can create a gargoyle. Then we''ll have an absolutely loyal guard for ourb."


    The witchers'' eyes glinted. This would make their work in Novigrad more secure.


    "Good idea." Aside from the gargoyle feet¡ªthat was the trigger for the entrance¡ªRoy handed everything else to Lytta.


    She tucked it away in her storage ring, her smile broadening. She then held Roy''s cheeks and gave him a kiss.


    "Ahem. Lytta, Roy''s not the only one who killed the monster." Auckes sheepishly said, "You can''t just reward him."


    "Auckes is right." For some reason, Eskel joined in. "ording to the creed of fairness, you should give all of us a reward."


    "Oh, you want a reward? You''ll get a reward." Lytta let Roy go and wiped her lips clean. Then she shot the witchers an icy look, and a ball of fire appeared in her hand. "A fireball for each one of you."


    "Oh, whoops. I just remembered I made a promise to a Toussaintdy. I need to stay loyal. No dating other girls." Auckes turned around and searched for an exit.


    "I-I prefer horneddies." Eskel nodded. He whispered, "She''s waiting for me back in Novigrad. I gotta save some energy for her."


    "Hmph!" She dispelled her fireball and helped Roy up.


    Letho and Kiyan exchanged a look of relief. And they shook their heads. "Women."


    Coen chuckled, though he was a little envious.


    ***


    Roy ced the gargoyle''s feet in the little hole before the statue in the center. Something rumbled, and all the staircases shone blue. Portals appeared one by one, standing neatly on every story. In the end, eighteen portals appeared. Six for every story.


    There were no stairs leading to the other floors, and every story was a tall climb. Should they wish to travel to the next floor, they had to choose the right portal.


    "Tomas Moreau!" Auckes was infuriated. "You damned maze fanatic!"


    Kiyan gave it some thought and blurted, "So if we''re unlucky, we might have to go through the portals 216 times before we get the right ones."


    And the witchers'' faces fell. They would rather fight the gargoyle ten more times than run around like a headless chicken in this maze.


    "No." Roy shook his head. He pointed his crossbow at the third floor. "Six times at most."


    A bolt flew through the air. Ripples spread around Roy, and the witcher disappeared. He then reappeared on the third floor.


    Most witchers weren''t surprised about this. Lytta had a mesmerized look in her eyes. She was reminded of something, and her cheeks blushed.


    Coen, however, was surprised. Roy never showed this skill to him before. <em>Did he get that from his mutation as well?</em>


    ***


    Luck was on Roy''s side. Twice he was sent back to the first floor, but on his third try, he took the right pointed arch, and he was led to a room. A room bigger than all the others he had seen. Old, dusty books littered the ce. There were also crates and alchemical tools. He also saw a circle of telescopes as well as metallic containers about the size of a human. Some were shaped like gourds, some had their tips and base connected.


    "This should be the ce." Roy whipped out a crystal. It was supposed to be a waypoint.


    A magical light shone around Lytta as she summoned another portal.


    "No! Not again!" The sight of the portal made Auckes scream in terror. "I''d rather go through this maze 216 times!"


    "Get in there!"


    "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"


    Letho put his leg behind him. He took a deep breath, braced himself, and leapt into the portal.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 434: New Secret Base

    Countless candles lit up in the corners of theb. Whispers of the wind fluttered into the chamber.


    Auckes was clutching his stomach. He hurled and hurled until there was nothing left in his stomach. "Do we have any more portals to travel through? Give me a day of rest before that, yeah?" He wiped his mouth and shuddered. "At this rate, I''ll die from portal travel sickness."


    "You won''t. You sell yourself short, Auckes." Roy looked at the other witchers. They too looked unwell. "Perk up, people. Let''s look for some records,ponents, and crystals. But don''t leave this ce. I have a feeling there¡¯s nothing but danger anywhere else.."


    The group split into four directions. About five minutester, Lytta found some telescopes. They had runes on them and were in the form of a triangle. She fiddled with them and found something. "The owner must have used these to record his experiments. Five crystals, so five entries."


    Lytta snapped her fingers. Her fiery red hair billowed in the air, and mana flowed from her pendant into the first crystal. The ss of the telescopes shone and converged in the center, forming a blue screen the size of a human. A bespectacled man in wizard robes paced within the screen, muttering to himself, "Year 1102, eighteenth day of Yule. Today, the biggest n of my life is put into action. This shall be the greatest experiment of my life. This experiment is important for my son."


    He was speaking slowly, and yet the excitement and anxiety in his voice were unmistakable. His eyes were shining. "Fifteen years ago, I was attacked by a beast while trekking through the forest. A witcher saved my life, but I didn''t know the price I had to pay for that. I paid for it with my son''s future. If I could rewind time, I''d rather lose my life than hand my son to the man named End. Since that day, I have sworn to return my son to how he used to be. Years of research and preparationter, I''ve finallye up with a device that allows me to research witcher mutations. Should Kreve help me, I shall be able toe up with a way to reverse the mutation and grant Jerome a normal life."


    The screen blinked, and the recording disappeared.


    "Yule? That''s what Nilfgaardians call the third month." Letho rubbed his head. "In the year 1087, Tomas was subjected to the Law of Surprise, and a witcher took his son away a few years down the line. In 1102, he started researching a way to reverse witcher mutation. It''s been more than a hundred and sixty years since then. Wonder if he''s made it."


    "He''s a Nilfgaardian mage." Lytta pulled her hair back and exined, "I remember all the graduates of Ban Ard and Aretuza for the past two hundred years, but this one isn''t on that list. He must have hailed from an academy in the south."


    "Still, he''s a good father." Eskel crossed his arms. "I think most parents who lost their children to the Law of Surprise would want their children to return to normal, but they do not have the technical skills to pull that off."


    "I don''t think he''s doing it only for his son." Kiyan noticed the bizarre tone Tomas took in the recording. "I think he was treating his son like an experiment. A challenge he''s interested in."


    Roy nodded. The experiment Tomas did was exceedingly cruel. It didn''t look like anything a father would do. The reason might sound righteous, but his actions spoke otherwise.


    "He talked about End, if I heard it right." Coen gulped. There was worship on his face.


    "Yep." Auckes teased, "Your grandmaster came all the way to Toussaint, saved a mage, and took his son."


    "End was a powerful man. And famous too. That''s why Tomas didn''t break the Law of Surprise. He could have easily evaded thew if he wanted to. He''s a mage." Roy asked, "Coen, have you ever heard of the name of Jerome Moreau?"


    Coen shook his head in confusion. "He was probably active before that avnche." He paused. "I cleaned the graveyard every year, but not once had I seen the grave of Jerome. Wonder if he''s still alive."


    That was a question nobody had any answer for.


    ***


    Lytta lit up the second and third crystals. Once again, the blue screen appeared. This time, Tomas looked cold and sounded like a machine that cared only about his research.


    "Twenty-second observation. Even after a great overdose of poison, subject still shows no sign of poisoning. I believe this is one of the mutation''s effects. It increases Jerome''s resistance to poison. Thirtieth observation. The mutation didn''t happen right away. It will only show after a set amount of time. And a sessful mutation must be paired with the consumption of suitable mutagens. Subject¡¯s condition does not look encouraging, but I have found a way to lessen the pain brought by the mutation. I''ve added the protein of a mutated pale widow''srva to the mutagens. This concoction shall be fed to the subject."


    "Is that a normal mutation process, Coral?" Roy asked. "Is the protein of a pale widow''srva part of the process?"


    "It''s the base for the mutagens for witchers."


    Roy frowned. She rested her head on Roy''s shoulder, her eyes twinkling. "But the protein he used came from a mutated pale widow. Something must be different. That was irresponsible of him. His subject would mostly die." She said, "Or it might lead to a breakthrough. Fact is, Tomas spared no expense in getting his experiment this far. Probably a few dozen humans died. Wonder where he hid the bodies, though."


    "We have one right there." Coen turned to the experimentation area, his face ck as thunder.


    A shriveled corpse hung on a steel pole that resembled a stake. Its cheeks were sunken, and its eyes were nothing but empty sockets. The victim must have experienced a horrifying nightmare before they died.


    "I checked the victim. It was a regr human, but they passed half of the Trial." Kiyan sounded livid. "I see Tomas didn''t manage to procure any Trial recipe. He didn''t use any Mother''s Tears, Wildrye Juice, or Speargrass Sap. Those are the staples. He mixed the mutated protein with the mutagen and forced the mutation. Most people would die from taking that concoction."


    Everyone felt a chill run down their backs. <em>He tortured and sacrificed countless innocents to make his son normal again. The guy''s a demon.</em>


    ***


    Lytta lit up the fourth crystal. "Fifty-eighth observation. I have discovered a transmutation form. Some mutagens can be transmuted into another mutagen ifbined with certain materials. This is an important discovery."


    Lytta covered her mouth in surprise. She of all people knew how difficult it was to research mutations. "Tomas might be a cruel man, but he''s a genius. He''s an expert in the field of mutation just like how Kalkstein is an expert in the field of explosions."


    "We must find that form." Letho''s eyes shone. Even he was excited. "Then we can put a lot of unused mutagens to good use."


    "We can kill all themon monsters and transmute their mutagen into red, blue, or green mutagens. That form will enable mass production of pre-Trials and Trials," Eskel added.


    "Well, looks like we found something big." Auckes shot Roy a look of approval. "Is that the secret you were talking about?"


    "Keep watching."


    And thest crystal was lit up. Tomas was seen plopped down on the ground, looking dejected. There was no rity, wisdom, or calmness in his eyes. Despair was all that remained.


    "Years of experimentation and research wasted. I failed to achieve my goal. The reversal failed to affect Jerome like it did my subjects. I thought I could cure him of his witcher mutations and give him a normal life, but all I did was worsen his mutation. He now possesses greater speed and strength. He''s barely human now." And then he shook his head. "Perhaps a witcher is all my son can be. It is time to return to Lydia. Perhaps she will ept me. I have failed in my endeavor. I leave the form and mutagen here. May they rest in peace, just like my dreams of getting my son back."


    ***


    The recording fizzled out. Roy and Coral exchanged a look, their emotions conflicting. They sympathized with Tomas, and yet what he did was inexcusable.


    "So that''s what you were talking about." Eskel looked around. He noticed the steel barrel in the experimentation area, and his eyes lit up. "You''d put witchers through a second Trial by concocting something special. And through that Trial, they would gain a drastic increase in strength, speed, and reaction speed."


    "Jerome was a proficient signcaster to begin with." Letho mused. "Now that he''s gone through a second mutation, he¡¯s a perfect warrior."


    "Well, what are we waiting for then? Tomas might have failed, but I don''t think we will." Auckes was raring to go. "Now let''s find the form and mutagen."


    ***


    The group split up once more to search the whole lobby. A momentter, Letho found two dozen perfectly-kept mutagens, including red, blue, and green mutagens. Most of them were regr mutagens, while one out of four were greater mutagens.


    Roy found the form for mutagen transmutation, while Lytta found records for mutation and gics around the bookshelves. Some of them included records for the second Trial. <em>This is going to help our research. A lot. </em>She tucked them all away in her ring. The mage couldn''t stop smiling, for the rewards she had gotten far exceeded her expectations.


    It was a happy trip, but the group also found something harrowing. Tomas had set up a prison at the rear end of theb. Countless innocents used tonguish in this ce, tortured beyond what they could endure. One of them was his son¡ªJerome.


    There was a wooden rack near the prison. On it stood ss containers filled with formaldehyde, and human organs floated within them. Yet another proof of Tomas'' tyranny.


    "Hey, do you think Tomas released his son after he failed his experiment? I mean, he wouldn''t kill his own son, right?" Coen was excited. This discovery pointed to the possibility of another Griffin out there somewhere.


    "It''s weird, but there are no traces of Jerome in thisb. Perhaps we''ll find our answer at our next destination." Roy paused for a moment and looked at the hole in the wall. "Now we need to get some mutated pale widowrvae and try out a second mutation."


    Auckes unsheathed his de. "And it needs freshrvae, so that means we have a pale widow nest nearby. Let''s hunt them all down."


    "No. That''s unwise. We''ll leave all of them alive." Roy shook his head. He looked at hisrades and said solemnly, "There''s about a dozen of us and probably less than ten of them. Mutated pale widows, that is. And we need theirrvae for our second mutation."


    "And you need a lot." Coral cracked open a book titled Second Mutation. She tensed up and exined, "Every mutation requires tworvae. And nature dictates that mutated creatures are in far fewer numbers than their regr counterparts. This is not good."


    "So we can''t kill any of them." Letho nodded. "So thievery it is."


    "I have an idea." Kiyan and Eskel exchanged a look. Kiyan said loudly, "Don''t you think this is a perfect spot for a secret base? It used to hold second mutation experiments, and there''s a nest of mutated pale widows here, <em>and </em>it''s filled with all the tools we need for any experiment. This is on par with the undergroundb. And it''s filled with deadly booby traps. All we need is for Lytta to deactivate that portal in theke¡¯s depths and build one that leads to Novigrad, and we''ll have ourselves a new secret base. As long as we have the mutatedrvae, we can let everyone go through a second mutation."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 435: Second Mutation

    The hole in the wall led to something like a cavern. A dark, dank cavern. Roy hung from the ceiling, staring down at the cavern''syout. Narrow paths littered the ce, and all of them were set on different levels of elevation. The cavern''s structure kept it in a warm bubble. This ce felt warmer than theb.


    Bizarre stctites hung from the ceiling. Between the debris and soil on the ground stood little mounds that resembled volcanoes. They were proof pale widows dwelled here.


    Mutated pale widows spent most of their time either creating underground tunnels or resting. Only when they sensed danger or an intruder did they break through the ground. They would attack with their poisonous limbs or spray venom that could corrode even granite.


    But these abilities couldn''t even harm Roy. He climbed across the almost perfectly vertical walls like a spider. His sticky gloves and boots granted him the ability to climb walls like it was nothing. He could move as fast as he did on ground.


    A grey cloak covered him, minimizing the sounds he made every time he moved. Quen and Heliotrop surrounded him, keeping his scent away from the monsters'' detection.


    And there was anotheryer of protection. Coral cast a spell on him that made him weightless. If anyone were to see him right now, all they could see would be a silhouette running across the ceiling and wall. Roy moved through the dangerous terrain easily.


    ***


    About an hourter, he had scoured the wholeir and finally found threervae in one corner. Thervae were covered in yellow pus and tumors. The air was filled with a sickly sweet scent. From afar, theservae looked like hedgehog cacti.


    ''Mutated pale widowrva


    Gestation period: Two months


    Habitat: Warm, humid, and dark ces.


    ??''


    Roy wouldn''t take all of them. He tucked two of thervae into his cloak and went back through the path he came from.


    ***


    "Damn, this is disgusting." Auckes touched thervae, and he shivered. "Don''t tell me you want us to eat this raw."


    "It''s filled with poison that can even kill witchers. You can eat it if you have a death wish." Coral smiled. She circled a metal container, reading the journal while touching it. "I think I got how this works. Tomas is a genius. This device will turn thervae into a ball of mist, and then you can absorb it. The proteins within theservae will fill in the gaps of your mutated genes. Tomas thought it would¡¯ve reverted the mutated genes back to normal, but it did the opposite. ording to this journal, anyone who absorbs the mist will see a marked improvement in their strength, speed, and reaction speed."


    "What about the sess rate?" Roy asked the most important question. Hisrades, unlike him, didn''t have a second life. "Will any dangere to them?"


    "This is my guess, but¡­" Lytta looked up and exined, "The second mutation won''t create a new chain of genes. It''s an extension of what is already there. A lot safer and more reliable than the Trial."


    She tapped the device. "And I''ve checked this device. It can still be used, so the chances of failure are close to none. Even if it fails, the participant won''t die. At most, they won''t see any effects from the mutation. But I''ll need concrete data to prove my hypothesis."


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, but then they were faced with another dilemma.


    "We don''t have infinite resources. Tworvae is only enough for one person." She looked at the witchers and shot Roy a look of warning. "Who wants to go first? Not you, Roy. You need at least four of these."


    Roy fell silent. <em>Why? Because I''ve gone through two Trials?</em>


    "You wanna steal some more, Roy?" Eskel asked. There was anticipation in his voice.


    Roy shook his head. "I''ve searched the whole ce. There''s only one left. You have to wait until the next mating season if you want more."


    Coen was a little envious, but he didn''t ask if he could have the chance. He wasn''t a member of the brotherhood, after all. All he wanted to know was if Jerome was still alive.


    "Alright, prophecy time." Auckes winked at the young witcher, telling Roy to pick him. "Roy, Roy, on the wall, who''s the best candidate of them all?"


    "I am not a magic mirror." Roy shook his head and peered at his character sheet.


    ''Level 9 Witcher (6100/6500).''


    <em>Okay. A few more monsters and I''ll have another Full Recovery. This is for the best. </em>He closed his eyes. "Alright, I''ve seen the future, and <em>I''m </em>the best candidate."


    "Piss off, kid. Didn''t you hear Lytta? You''re not on the list. Don''t push it." Letho shoved Roy away and thumped his chest. "I''ll do it!"


    "What? Why you?" Auckes'' eyes went wide. Unhappily, heined, "You''re one sly motherfucker." He was a little worried.


    "Because I''m stronger than you." Letho waved his fists around and quickly took off his armor and pants, leaving only a pair of white shorts on. His body was covered in scars, and his biceps were on par with a troll''s. His shoulders were as broad as a mountain range.


    Lytta weavedplicated gestures in the air, and magic needles buried themselves in Letho''s chest, taking a sample of his blood.


    The device''s lid slowly moved away. Letho walked into it, and he looked like someone standing in a vertical casket. His eyes flickered, and he looked calm. "I''ming back better and stronger." The lid closed over the device, and thest thing the witchers saw was his smile.


    "If you don''t make it, we''ll bury you in the pig pen!" Eskel shouted.


    "You fucker!" Letho shouted.


    Coral ced thervae into a fusiform container beside the metal box, and magical mes burned underneath. Thervae melted right away and turned into smoke. Not too longter, the gusts of smoke flowed into the ss pipe.


    ***


    "Alright, now''s the time to talk about who gets the next mutation," Auckes said.


    Kiyan shook his head. He wasn''t that desperate for power. "I''ll gost."


    "Don''t let Lambert know anything about this." Eskel said, "Or he''s gonna fight you for it."


    The witchers joked and bantered, but they never left the device. Time passed, and the light in theb dimmed.


    An hourter, the blue mes of the burner disappeared.


    The metal device vibrated, and something fizzled in the air, the sound akin to someone opening a can of soda.


    White smoke billowed from within the device. It disappeared into the air eventually, revealing a muscr silhouette within. He knelt on the ground, his breathing ragged. Sweat drenched his body, and ck veins covered his face.


    For just a moment.


    The silhouette stood up and clenched his fists, his bones cracking.


    "How do you feel, Letho?" Auckes'' eyes went wide with anticipation.


    "Never better." Letho rubbed his head and grinned. He looked delighted. Delighted because he got a new life.


    Roy nodded and cast Observe on Letho.


    ''Letho


    Age: Eighty-two years old


    Status: Viper School witcher, member of the brotherhood of witchers.


    HP: ??


    Mana: 100


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 19


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 10


    Skills:


    Alchemy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 10, Meditation Level 6, Viper School¡ªDual Wielding, Witcher Signs Level 8, Griffin Arts Level 3: Dual Sign.


    Second Mutation (Passive): Mutated pale widowrva protein has extended his mutated genes. Permanently increase Strength and Dexterity by twenty percent.''


    ***


    Roy froze. Letho''s Perception was a lot higher than his, so he couldn''t see the veteran witcher''s offensive stats. But ording to his calctions, Letho''s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution were about twenty-three before the mutation. Now that they were all increased by twenty percent, Letho''s offensive stats were almost at rank three. That was the highest the brotherhood had at the moment. <em>The guy''s a beast now.</em>


    ***


    "Wanna spar?" Auckes beckoned Letho over, and then Letho disappeared. His inner rms screamed at him, and he tensed up like a bristled cat.


    Auckes leapt backward, but he was one step too slow. Lethoshed out at him and grabbed Auckes by his nape like he was a kitten.


    "Dammit!" Auckes broke free of Letho''s grasp and cursed.


    "Haha!" Letho moved his neck and joints around. "Looks like I''m still the head of the school."


    Kiyan, Coen, and Eskel looked shocked. Letho moved even faster than they could see.


    "Alright, Letho. Sit down right here." Lytta stood beside a wooden operating theater, her arms crossed. She nodded at Letho. "I need to check your body and make sure there are no side effects."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 436: Mont Crane

    The witchers stayed in theb for two days. Lytta took a lot of blood samples from Letho, almost draining him dry. After rechecks and rechecks, Letho was confirmed to be fine. The mutation went perfectly.


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Lytta then deactivated the portal in theke¡¯s depths and rebuilt one that would lead to Novigrad. She was a clean freak, so the witchers had to clean theboratory for her. They cleared the trash and redesigned theyout. Books, experiment tools, and necessities were separated, and the ce looked brand new.


    At this point, the secret chamber finally looked like something that belonged to the brotherhood, but the group didn''t stay for long. They went on with their search for Jerome Moreau, and thus it led them to the second waypoint in Toussaint¡ªMont Crane.


    ***


    Mont Crane. A ce located between Basane and Fort Ussar. The sun had climbed to the zenith of the skies, shining on the beauir oaks and a circle of ancient stone walls that reflected the light.


    These walls were created by order of Roger the Reveler. They were supposed to stop the invasion of the barbarians. But there were no barbarians around Mont Crane, nay, the whole of Toussaint. In the end, Roger built a castle in the center of the walls and had as much fun as he wanted.


    The history of these walls spanned a long stretch of time. Mont Crane had seen multiple rulers throughout its days, from nobles to bandits. In the end, it became nothing but a deserted ce. Most of the buildings remained intact, however.


    The group emerged from the portal and found themselves standing before the castle''s gates. Silence surrounded them. The whispers of the autumn breeze and the rustles of rhododendrons, roses, and grape vines were present. Besides that, only the chirps of birds hung in the air.


    "Sheesh, this looks bad. Even Kaer Morhen is better than this ce." Eskel trekked down the sandy path and entered the fort. He looked around only to be greeted by disappointments of towers and turrets. Kaer Morhen''s buildings were more impressive than this.


    "You can''t expect much. This isn''t theb. We don''t have to take it over." Kiyan waved his hand and followed Roy into the castle. The young witcher went into the center tower and descended the stairs. "We just have to loot this ce."


    Roy descended the dusty stairs that led to a dark underground chamber. He found nothing on his way down. The bandits had taken everything of value. Eventually, he reached the basement and came face to face with a shut door. The switch was small, but Roy easily found it. He flicked it, and the underground chamber rumbled as a stone door slowly slid into the sides of the walls.


    It had been a while since anyone opened this door. Dust and debris fell upon the group like rain. Lytta''s makeup was ruined right away. She scrunched her nose up and snapped her fingers. A gust of wind blew the dust off her and Roy. Once again, they looked clean.


    "Hey, you can''t just help Roy, Lytta. Give me some wind too."


    "Either you shut up, or I''m tossing a fireball." A smirk curled Lytta''s lips and she held Roy''s arm as they entered the dark passage.


    "A word of advice. Don''t get on her nerves." Eskel patted Auckes'' shoulder like he had seen this many times. "Don''t you get it? Lytta loves to show her love. It''s her¡­ hobby."


    "As far as I know, couples who keep showing off their rtionship always break up." The light of wisdom glinted within Kiyan''s eyes. And then a quiet harrumph sent a chill down his spine.


    "I see you don''t need my treatment anymore."


    ***


    Roy darted down the dark tunnel and found a crate of ancient books in the corner. They were all about witchers and golems. Roy glimpsed some titles and saw books like ¡®Golems: Humans'' Most Loyal Servants¡¯, and ¡®Witchers: Not As Evil As You Thought¡¯.


    Lytta happily tucked them away in her ring. <em>And now I have more tools to recreate that gargoyle.</em>


    Aside from that, Roy also found a book titled ¡®The Journal of Tomas Moreau¡¯.


    Coen huddled closer, worried that this book might contain news of Jerome''s death.


    ''Year 1121, twelfth day of the ninth month. I am certain Jerome has taken the bait and is now in Fort Ussar¡­''


    The entry spoke of Tomas'' conspiracy. He posted a request that promised a bountiful reward as bait. He wanted his son to travel here. He posed it as a negotiation when it was in fact a trap to paralyze Jerome and lock him up in the prison. Jerome was then transported to theb under theke, and Tomas forced him to undergo the reversal experiment.


    "That old fucker. He''d even trick his own son." Roy sighed.


    Obviously, Jerome had no ns of returning to a normal life, but his father insisted. For Jerome''s own good, he said.


    Not long after they found the crate, they saw a crystal sleeping within a wreath. Roy activated it with Aard and summoned a portal that led to the ce where Tomas first locked his son.


    Lytta, Roy, Coen, and Letho went to investigate. No one else could take the nauseating feeling that came from portal traveling anymore. They were adamant about standing sentry.


    ***


    The moment theynded, they received a warm wee. A golem stood up in the corner and swung its thick arms down at the intruders'' heads.


    Winds howled as the golem clumsily swung its arms down. If the witchers didn''t escape, then only death awaited them.


    A grin curled Letho''s lips, his eyes glinting icily. He covered himself in Quen and unsheathed his de. To everyone''s surprise, he didn''t dodge. Instead, he charged at the golem head-on.


    Metal and stone shed, and sparks flew. The whole chamber rattled, and yet Letho remained firm and steadfast. He held his des up in a cross, protecting him from the arms of the golem.


    Coen cast Aard and shoved it at the golem''s right nk. It was pushed to the side from the impact, even when it weighed tons. At the same time, Lytta''s pendant started shining, and the patch of ground where the golem was standing was covered in ayer of grease.


    It was the perfect strategy against big, clumsy enemies. The golem slipped and fell with a great thud. Clouds of dust stirred in the air, and the ground shook. And then magical lights illuminated the dark chamber.


    Lytta tossed icicles at the golem, slowing it down. Coen kept the golem on the ground with a barrage of Aards, while Roy numbed it with his lightning bolts and kept sending crossbow bolts at it.


    Letho was in the vanguard, performing a dance of destruction. He spun his des, carving off the golem''s stone skin. No matter how much the golem tried, it could not reach Letho.


    And then the golem fell.


    ''Golem killed. EXP +50.''


    Roy pouted. <em>Yeah, soulless enemies are worthless.</em>


    Lytta waved her hand, tucking all the loot into her bag. Once she extracted everything she could from the golem''s core and elemental shards, the brotherhood would have themselves a gargoyle and a golem.


    ***


    The group ascended a flight of stairs and entered a room far more dpidated than the one they found in the chamber under theke.


    Aside from a few rotten crates and racks, there were no essories or alchemical tools anywhere. The only rest spot was a brown, rotten mattress topper.


    The carcasses of critters like mice and lizards were piled in the corner. Anyone who was imprisoned here would either die of starvation or madness.


    The group exchanged a look and scoured the whole ce. Eventually, they found the diagrams for the Griffin armor, pants, and silver sword. They were different from the diagrams Geralt and Kiyan collected in Velen, however.


    "This is top-tier stuff." Letho''s eyes glinted with surprise. "An upgraded version of the diagrams we found. Moreplex designs. If someone could make a whole set, we''d be looking at something better than anything we''re wearing. Vesemir will go crazy for this."


    "This isn''t just a diagram." Roy turned the diagram around, revealing written text behind it.


    ''The paralyzing spell is gone. I have undergone the terrifying reversal experiment, and yet the portal remains closed. The old git set me up. Most of my gear is still in Fort Ussar. Without my gear, I can never escape this ce. This will be the spot where I meet my end.


    You took my weapons and my lingering love for you. I don''t even have proper paper to write this letter on. Before I die, here''s a message¡­''


    The writing was wobbly, and it almost pierced the diagram. Roy could imagine how furious the writer must have been.


    ''You are an obsessed madman who never listens to what anyone has to say. You are a cold-blooded killer who has brought harm upon countless innocents. I feel nothing for you. Nothing but hatred. I hope one day you''ll pay for the crimes you havemitted.''


    And the letter came to an end. The witchers and Lytta fell into a pensive silence.


    "Even his son despises him." Letho shook his head. "Kiyan''s right. This man is arrogant, and I don''t mean it lightly."


    "He ims these experiments were done in order to revert Jerome back to normal, but the truth is, it''s just his obsession. An obsession he wishes to unravel." Roy nodded.


    "Okay, so where <em>is </em>Jerome?" Coen looked around in unease. He didn''t see Jerome''s body in theb, and there were no signs of him in this dingy room either. Not even his medallion was around. "Tomas said he returned to someone called Lydia. That''s probably his wife, but there''s no word about his son. And all Jerome left was this letter."


    "We obviously came through a one-way passage. The portal can only be opened from the outside." Lytta rubbed her chin, her eyes glinting. "Any regr human would never escape this ce once they were locked inside."


    "You forgot something," Roy said. "Most Griffins are born Sources. They''re different from most witchers. And Jerome''s father is a mage, making it possible that he''s a born Source as well. Perhaps he knows how to cast a portal, and that''s probably how he escaped."


    "If Jerome does have that kind of power, then why did he write this suicide note? And he didn''t take the diagrams with him either," Letho said. And then they found themselves at another dead end.


    Nobody could answer that question.


    It was then Roy remembered his meeting with Grimm back in Cintra. He mentioned something bizarre back then.


    "I encountered something off in a ce called Mont Crane Castle. I was on my way to clear the ce of bandits. A man in tattered clothes darted out of the castle''s basement. He had wild amber eyes and a griffin medallion. The man ran as fast as a stallion, but he seemed crazed. Gone into the wilderness before I could even stop him. I scoured the whole castle, but the guy was gone. Like he disappeared into thin air.""


    ***


    <em>Could that madman be Jerome? The one who escaped this chamber? Another Griffin?</em>


    ***


    "We need to find Jerome if we want more answers." Roy circled the room and said, "If we want to find out where he is, first we must make an assumption. If we were Jerome, what would we do after we broke out of this prison? The first thing we''d do. The one thing we want to do most."


    "Seek Tomas out and take his life," Letho said.


    "No. Jerome''s letter said he wishes for Jerome to pay the price for his crimes," Lytta said softly but firmly, and she drew circles on Roy''s arm. "Instead of vengeance, I say he would leave Toussaint and stay far, far away from his demon of a father. Destiny will punish him, like you always say."


    "And aside from the Bears and Cats, the people all witchers care about are their mentors, not their families. They''d want to return to their fortress. I say he''d have gone to Kaer Seren to see End," Coen whispered, and a frown furrowed his brows. "But Keldar never mentioned his name. Didn''t see his name on any of the gravestones either."


    Roy and Letho were equally silent. If they were locked up and managed to escape, the first thing they would do was to return home and see their friends and mentors, but Coen''s story removed that possibility.


    ***


    "Kaer Seren is in ruins now. We can''t do anything about it." Roy paused for a moment. "We can only assume Jerome did return to Toussaint and seek his father out. So our next step would be to seek out Tomas. He''s in Beauir of Toussaint."


    "You know where he is?" Coen asked, and then he smacked his face.


    Roy smiled. "Time to go." He knew where Tomas'' final resting ce was, just like how he knew where Valley of the Nine and the underground prison of Mont Crane Castle were.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 437: Beauclairs Cemetery

    Cold winds blew atop the snowy caps, dancing across the great ins. Eventually, it kissed a beautiful city decked out in gorgeous houses, an incredible pce, a breathtaking lower city, and a lively port.


    Beauir, the capital of Toussaint.


    Lytta and the witchers strolled down the lower city''s streets. She was wearing a tight, red dress that showed off all her curves. Delight showed on her face, and she introduced slowly, "Beauir''s pce is one of the most well-kept buildings of the era of elven rule. Framont, a famous Nilfgaardian architect, used to reconstruct and rebuild part of the pce, and now we''reying our eyes on his work."


    Lytta turned around, and everyone looked at where she was looking. The pce was located on the top of a hill outside the city area. To be exact, the whole mountain was part of the pce. A meandering path surrounding the pce connected the top and bottom sides. Petite pavilions stood along the path big enough for two carriages to walk together.


    The roofs of the pce towers were colored orange, shining warmly under the sun. Some rooftops were conical, while some were prismatic. It was breathtaking.


    "Toussaint''s duke and duchess live in the pce." She looked around them. "And the ce we stand in is called the lower city. It''s mostly upied by the abodes of workers and workshops."


    Roy looked around at the people crossing the streets. These houses all had orange prismatic rooftops, granting the city a sense of uniformity.


    "The biggest market in Toussaint is filled with all kinds of stalls. Merchants from all over the world sell their wares here. If you can''t find something you want in Beauir, you won¡¯t find it anywhere. The port is the trade center of Beauir and greater Toussaint. It''s astonishingly bustling."


    "More than Novigrad''s port?" Roy asked.


    "Beauir''s location isn''t as strategic as Novigrad''s." Lytta held his arm, smiling at him. "But it''s more closely connected to the south. The volume of its trade is on par with Novigrad''s port."


    ***


    "Thank you for the introduction, Lytta, but if the tour gets any longer, it''ll be night before we can do anything." Letho looked at the people on the streets. Beauirians looked different from most people in the north. They seemed to be more rxed, as if they had wine in their blood. They weren''t walking too fast either. "Now can you tell us where Orl¨¦murs Cemetery is?"


    "It''s in the southern part of the city. Five-minute walk. We''ll get things done faster than those dolts."


    Auckes, Eskel, and Kiyan refused to portal travel. They were tasked to search the remaining diagrams in Fort Ussar. It wasn''t far from Mont Crane anyway.


    ***


    Across the Gate of Lebioda and a deserted path they went. Orl¨¦murs Cemetery was located beside a gurgling river. It had no clear lines that separated it from the outside world. The weed grew as much as it liked. Nobody had cleaned this ce in ages. The wind made the alder trees sway. When night fell, these trees would look like humans waving at someone in the distance. It was creepy.


    The cemetery had hundreds of gravestones, most of which were lying on the ground. Graverobbers exhumed the coffins, leaving the remains of the dead exposed to the elements. All they took were the valuables. Unfortunately, not even the infamous Tomas Moreau could escape this fate.


    The four of them found his final resting ce under a gigantic banyan tree in the center of the cemetery.


    ''Professor Tomas Moreau


    Born 987 ¡ª Died 1155


    K''havani allder aen Dol Naev''de, allder n''corrason. Glorsann a''Aelirenn.''


    ***


    "Salvation lies not in Dol Naev''de, but in our hearts." Lytta tried to trante the epitaph. "Glory to Aelirenn."


    "He started the experiment in 1121, and he died in 1155? That''s barely after he gave up on his experiment. Could his death be divine retribution?" Letho asked, "So what kind of clue can we get from his grave?"


    Roy fell into silence.


    "Since Tomas is dead, Jerome should have left Beauir after he escaped that prison." Coen''s eyes glinted. "And the coffin''s exhumed and stripped bare. We lost our lead."


    "This epitaph¡­" Roy circled the gravestone, his eyes set on a gaunt woman not far away from them. She was paying tribute to two gravestones that neighbored each other. Obviously, they were the final resting spots for two very close people.


    And inspiration struck Roy. "Dol Naev''de is Valley of the Nine. Don''t you see? This epitaph is trying to console someone. It''s like someone''s telling Tomas'' soul to let go of his failed experiment. He needs to give something up if he wants to find inner peace. So the one who made this gravestone must know about his experiment. They know a lot about his life, so we''re looking for someone close to him."


    "And?" Lytta''s eyes glinted, and she bit her lip.


    "If you still remember the recording, Tomas told us where he would go after he was done with the experiment." Roy tried to mimic thete professor. "It is time to return to Lydia. Perhaps she will still ept me."


    "The one who set this gravestone up and carved this epitaph must be Tomas'' wife and Jerome''s mother¡ªLydia."


    "So our job is to find thisdy." Everyone''s eyes shone, while Roy hunkered down to check the remains. The bones showed signs of magical modification. <em>A mage alright. </em>And the teeth were neat and smooth. Unlike most humans, there were no canine teeth.


    "It''s been more than a hundred and fifty years since their era. Lydia is most probably dead as well. Resting somewhere in this cemetery. Not sure why her grave isn''t right beside her husband''s."


    ***


    Everyone started another search, and Lytta asked, "So what''s the deal with the epitaph? Why did she bring Aelirenn up?"


    Aelirenn, or the White Rose of Shaerrawedd, was a female elf born more than two hundred years ago. She led the younger elves in a desperate battle against the encroaching humans and died valiantly. She was the symbol of elven resistance.


    "Tomas is part-elf. He doesn''t have the ears, but his teeth are the same as an elf''s. He identifies as an elf.


    ***


    Ten minutester, the group found the gravestone they wanted in the west side of the cemetery.


    ''Lydia Moreau


    Born 1070 ¡ª Died 1155


    ''Just a little longer, child. Hold on. I aming to save you¡­


    A loving mother, an incredible love.''


    ***


    The writing of this epitaph looked haphazard. Dried drops of blood were smeared on the stone. The carver must have felt agitated when they wrote the epitaph. Weirdly enough, the surroundings of this grave were clean. The weed was cleared, and the coffin was still intact. Obviously, someone cleaned this ce often.


    The group stood silently at the gravestone, the looks on their faces bizarre.


    "So this is the grave of Jerome''s mother?" Coen felt his throat getting dry, and he gulped.


    Roy picked up the white carnation beside the grave and held back his suspicion. "This is fresh. Someone left it here about a day ago. At most."


    Sleeping beside the carnation were dark, withered flowers. Coen nced at it and took a deep breath, but his fingers were trembling uncontrobly. More than a hundred years had passed since Lydia died, but still someone came to pay tribute to her. <em>Which means¡­</em>


    "There''s someone''s scent on this."


    Roy handed the flower to Letho, whose senses were the best. The veteran witcher sniffed the air, and a colorful ribbon appeared. It extended beyond the cemetery, pointing at Hauteville, a vige standing on the fringes of Beauir.


    "We''re counting on you. Find the one who paid Lydia tribute."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 438: Jerome

    Hauteville was connected to Beauir''s lower city area, though it was closer to the outer ring of rural Beauir. Hauteville might be a vige, but its houses and streets were as clean as the ones in Beauir.


    The four of them followed the carnation''s trail, and it led them to the west of Hauteville. The skies had turned orange, heralding theing of dusk. Under an arch bridge slept a man on a thin haystack. His clothes were ck and tattered, he reeked, and his body was gaunt.


    The man was about five foot five, and his hair was unkempt, though the tips of his ears were subtly pointy. This man was part-elf. Grime and soil covered most of his face and body, covering him in natural camouge. Still, it failed to hide the scars and calluses underneath. The man failed to notice the iing group of four. He was sleeping soundly.


    Roy cast Observe.


    ''Jerome Moreau


    Age: One hundred and seventy-five years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Gryphon School witcher


    HP: 150/260 (Weakened)


    Mana: 200


    Strength: 24


    Dexterity: 23


    Constitution: 24


    Perception: 13


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 20


    Skill(s):


    Witcher Signs Level 10, Alchemy Level 8, Meditation Level 8, Gryphon School Swordy Level 7, Witcher Senses Level 8, Griffin Arts Level 5: Dual Signs and mutated mp, cksmithing Level 9


    Second Mutation (Passive)¡¯


    ***


    Letho exchanged a look with everyone. He then crouched and hollered, "Hey, Jerome Moreau!"


    His voice echoed like thunder, shocking everyone who heard it. Even those who were unconscious would wake if they heard Letho''s shout, but this man remained still. His snores were still audible.


    "Did we get the wrong guy?" Lytta pinched her nose in disgust. She looked at the witchers for a moment and turned her attention to him. "Is he really a Griffin?"


    The man looked like a beggar, but he didn''t even have a bowl with him. Even a tramp led a better life. He could have lived better if he would just take requests.


    "The magic around him tells us the truth." Letho''s eyes shone. "It''s thicker than most witchers¡¯ but weaker than spellcasters¡¯. His magical talent lies somewhere between a regr human and spellcasters."


    Coen crouched down beside Letho and pulled back the hair of the ''beggar.'' It reached his chest, infested with fleas, tied up in clumps, and smelling rotten. And Coen froze.


    He saw the griffin medallion hanging quietly before the man''s chest. It still gleamed like the man regrly cleaned it. It was a stark differencepared to his gaunt body and darkplexion.


    A long sigh of relief escaped Coen''s lips. He fell back down, a silly smile hanging on his lips. Finally, he was no longer the only Griffin left on thisnd.


    <em>Oh, here''s an idea. </em>Lethoshed out at the medallion, but a hand blocked Letho''s way.


    The veins on the hands popped, and the hand was barely skin and bones. Roy could see the joints protruding from the skin as well as the calluses hanging from it.


    The witcher pretending to be asleep opened his eyes. The pupils were vertical, though the irises were as blue as the sky. A dead sky. If Roy didn''t know he was alive, he would have thought there was nothing behind those eyes. They spoke of despair and forlornness. Jerome smacked Letho''s hand away and held his pendant, then he closed his eyes again.


    The group exchanged a look.


    "He''s pretending to be asleep?"


    ***


    "We know who you are, mate." Roy crouched down so he could see Jerome at eye level. He stared at Jerome''s indifferent face. "You are the son of Tomas and Lydia Moreau."


    The mention of Lydia made the witcher twitch.


    "And you are also a witcher of the Griffin School." Roy announced, "A student of End. We''re sorry about your traumatic experience. As a member of the brotherhood, we''re willing to lend you any help you need. To lift you out of this squalor and change your life for the better."


    Roy whipped out soft, bouncy bread from his inventory space and handed it to Jerome. "Eat something, then we''ll talk. We''ll listen to your troubles."


    Jerome ignored the offer. He turned around, resting his cheek on one hand and putting the other one on his hip.


    "Very well. But at least talk to a fellow Griffin." Roy shot Coen a look, and Coen quickly took off his medallion.


    He stuffed it in Jerome''s hand so he could feel the shape of it. "Jerome, I am Coen of the Griffin School. After tragedy struck Kaer Seren, for a long time, only Keldar and I remained in the ruins of our home." A bitter smile tugged at Coen''s lips,mentation filling his eyes.


    Jerome''s hand shivered.


    "A few months ago, another tragedy struck, and Keldar passed. I thought I was the only Griffin left, but now I''m d I met you." And then he started singing the hymn of the Griffins.


    ***


    "Keldar survived? And you say he only passed recently?" a weak voice said. It sounded like the voice of someone dying from a terminal illness, though his frustration and shock were unmistakable. "Impossible. I saw his grave.""


    Coen looked at hispanions, and they seemed encouraged to see this stubborn man finally responding.


    "Before I answer your question, can you answer ours? What happened to you in Mont Crane? And how did you escape?"


    "Who are you people? How do you know about Mont Crane? And how did you find me?" His voice was dry, hoarse, and sounded like knives grating against a ckboard.


    "By chance, we found Tomas Moreau''sboratory in the depths of ake in Valley of the Nine. He left a journal, and we followed the clues left behind. And here we are," Roy exined. "The emptyb, the gravestones in Orl¨¦murs, and the flower you left at your mother''s grave told us everything we needed."


    A sigh followed, and silence engulfed them. Then Jerome spoke.


    ***


    "You wish to know how I escaped Mont Crane? Well, I assume you know what happened to me, so I''ll spare you the details." Jerome stared at the top of the arch nkly. With a voice as quiet as a whisper, he said, "Tomas locked me in Mont Crane. I was alone for many years. If I got hungry, I hunted down roaches, mice, and lizards. If I got thirsty, I created ice-cold water with mp."


    <em>Oh, so that''s how he managed to survive until someone came to his rescue.</em>


    "But I didn''t run. I would¡¯ve alerted that golem. I couldn''t win in a fight against it, and humans can''t endure as much as stone can. Even if I were to die and turn into a pile of bones, the golem would still guard that damn portal. So I meditated. It was all I could do. Boredom almost drove me insane."


    Roy put himself in Jerome''s shoes. If he were to be locked in a dark, ustrophobic ce for years and could do nothing but meditate and train his body, he might go mad. It was a great challenge for the mind.


    "I tethered myself to sanity with what good memories I had. The celebrations I had in Kaer Seren, my adventures across the continent, the expectations End had for me, and his words of encouragement. I thought I would die in that room. Thought my life woulde to a bitter end."


    It was a painful past, but Jerome looked like he was talking about a regr Tuesday. "I was going to provoke that golem and die in battle like most of my brethren. And yet I kept debating over that decision. Time passed. A long time. Just when I was about to go mad, a portal opened right beside me. On the wall. Could you imagine it? I swore even if the portal would lead me to a volcano or even the abyss of death, I would still jump into it."


    "And that was what I did, so I escaped." Jerome paused. It was a long pause. Everyone could see he was trying to get into the flow of the story. "I found myself in a vi in Beauir''s lower city, and it was there I saw my savior. It was my mother¡ªLydia."


    ***


    Everyone finally understood why the epitaph on Lydia''s gravestone read, ''Just a little longer, child. Hold on. I aming to save you¡­''


    She had her wish fulfilled, and the group finally found out who saved Jerome.


    ***


    "On the day we met, she told me I had been locked up for thirty-three years. I was sixty-seven then, and Lydia was eighty-five. She was just a regr woman. Old, hunched, and her hair was grey."


    Roy cocked an eyebrow. <em>If she was a regr olddy, how did she activate the portal and save Jerome?</em>


    "The moment Lydia hugged me, her life started to wilt." A sliver of emotion finally showed in Jerome''s voice. He was still whispering, but there was sadness in his voice. "I''ve never gone back to her since I left home at six. I never knew she missed me dearly. Could never forget how she cried when she saw me. And she called my name. If I could turn back time, I would have gone back to see her more."


    He suddenly took a deep breath. "And so I reflected on myself. I thought I might have been too cruel to my family."


    Aside from Roy, everyone else was unfazed. They didn''t feel too much about the story, Lytta included. Everyone left home when they were young children, and it had been decades since then. They had forgotten what their mothers looked like. Or they just refused to remember.


    ***


    "But still, she asked me to forgive Tomas for his acts of evil. She imed he did it so she could have a normal son. So I could return to the family. But witchers don''t have a deep bond with their families."


    "And you believe her?" Letho asked.


    "Doesn''t matter. No matter the reason Tomas did what he did to me, it still wouldn''t erase his sins. He killed countless innocents."


    "But he changed his mind before he died and assisted Lydia in aiding you." Roy still didn''t forget that Tomas and Lydia died in the same year.


    Jerome fell silent for a moment.


    "Yes. Before his death, he finally told my mother about the second exit of my prison as well as the trigger for the portal. He never thought I''d still be alive after more than thirty years."


    Everyone respected Jerome a bit more. Not everyone couldst for more than thirty years in a hell like that.


    ***


    "That''s all for Tomas. After my escape, Lydia talked to me. For fifteen minutes. And she died in my arms. The reaper took her away from me, forever." A deep sorrow filled Jerome''s voice. "I buried her in the cemetery, far, far away from that bastard. He doesn''t deserve to stay by her side. Not after what he did."


    ***


    The group listened to Jerome''s tale intently. In the end, they finally sorted out Jerome''s story. Everything started when End lent Tomas a hand, but the me was not on the Law of Surprise alone.


    If End hadn''t helped Tomas in the forest, then the family would¡¯ve lost a father and a husband instead of a son. This was an impossible dilemma, no matter the family member that could¡¯ve been lost.


    Roy took a deep breath and crossed his arms. He spared Jerome a look of sympathy. <em>His father tricked him, and he watched his mother die. That''s why he fell so far. He''d rather live a reclusive life. But I don''t think that''s the end of his share of tragedy.</em>


    ***


    Jerome finally turned around. He leaned on the wall and wriggled to sit up straight, mockery filling his eyes.


    "After Iid my mother to rest, I followed my heart''s desire and returned to the coast of Poviss. With longing in my heart, I entered Dragon Mountains and stepped on the snowy path that would lead me back to my true home¡ªKaer Seren. I wished to tell my brothers my tale." He forced a sad, crazed smile. "But when I got there, I saw nothing but a snow-cappedndscape. The fortress was buried underyers of snow, and nothing was left of my brethren. Nothing but a row of gravestones. I searched and searched, but I found no survivors. And End was missing. So, Coen of the Gryphon School, now that I have answered your question, it''s your turn to answer mine. What happened to Kaer Seren?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 439: News of Erland

    "A hundred years ago, around 1150, the mages who were eyeing our secretsunched an ambush on a winter night. A huge wave of snow cascaded down the mountains, burying Kaer Seren in a freezing grave. Aside from End¡ªwho was observing the stars that night¡ªno Griffin lived. After End buried his brethren, he left."


    "What about Keldar?"


    "He came back to life thanks to a phctery named Book of Shadows. His life was extended by about a hundred years. Not too long ago, he realized the book imprisoned all the souls of the brothers he lost in that avnche, so he destroyed it. With its destruction, the souls of the trapped were freed, and Keldar passed into the afterlife." Keldar''s death was still raw. Coen had tears in his eyes when he recounted that tale.


    "So I was still imprisoned during that avnche." Jerome hung his head low in disbelief. "So that''s why only ruins were left when I came home. But I scoured the whole fortress, and yet Keldar was nowhere to be seen. Even stayed for two years, but nobody came back, so I left."


    "Keldar locked himself in the fortress for years after his resurrection just to research that phctery." Coen licked his lips. <em>This is a cruel joke fate yed. </em>"In 1154, he ventured thends for years in search of End. Never came home."


    "So I went back at the wrong time and missed meeting the onlyrade I had left?" Jerome stared at the sky, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "What did I do to deserve this?"


    Everyone felt for Jerome. It was hit after hit for him. Little wonder he broke down. A solemn pause ensued. Everyone gave Jerome some time to process his emotions.


    A whileter, dusk descended, and a campfire was lit under the bridge, its light shining upon the faces around it.


    "So, Jerome, where did you go after leaving Kaer Seren? Never heard any news about you."


    Jerome wolfed down the bread. His eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks puffed up. He looked like a starving refugee. "Kaer Seren and End were the pirs that kept me sane during my imprisonment."


    Lytta held Roy tightly.


    "For thirty years, they were the only things that kept my mind intact. I clenched my teeth and held on because I wanted to see them once more. But then I came back to a ruined Kaer Seren. I¡ª" He coughed violently.


    Letho handed him a bottle of Est Est to wash his food down.


    "And my world shattered. Only one thing lingered in my mind. Since the fortress was no more, I had to find End. I knew he was still alive."


    ***


    "A few months before I broke free¡­" Jerome took a deep breath. "I vaguely felt End somewhere¡­"


    "WHAT?" Coen roared. He shot up and, with an unbelievably loud voice, asked, "How did you do it? How did youmunicate with him while you were locked up?"


    "It wasn''tmunication. He was sending messages to me. During my incarceration, I spent my time finding food, training my body, and meditating. Spent most of the day doing just that."


    Roy nodded. <em>No wonder he''s Level 8 in Meditation.</em>


    "I heard a familiar voice calling out to me from afar. It was a voice carved deep in my soul. Something I grew up with. I concentrated and realized it was a summon from End." A hint of life returned to Jerome''s face. "He used to tell me when someone reaches the pinnacle of meditation, they can shed their mortal vessel ande in contact with their heart. Like opening a door to freedom for their spirit and soul. We can explore the outside world even during meditation. We can search for familiar footprints."


    Everyone leaned forward, listening intently to the story.


    "I am his student. It''s been many years since I was lost. He must have been looking for me, and he finally did. I saw him in the world of meditation. Everything''s vague, but I concentrated and tried to gravitate toward him. And shadows appeared around End.


    "His voice was weak, and his face was blurry. He was as stiff as a doll. Seemed to have no idea what he was doing." Jerome put his empty bottle down, a frown appearing on his forehead. "End seemed to be under something''s control. Something brainwashed him. It took him a lot just to gain freedom for a moment."


    Curiosity gnawed away at Coen''s soul like a mouse nibbling at cheese. He blurted, "Who even has the power to control End?"


    "I do not know. End only told me one thing." Jerome paused, and everyone''s hearts skipped a beat.


    "Do not search. <em>Do not search!</em>" Jerome''s hysterical shout pierced through the night, the campfire flickering from his breath.


    "I saw a great ckke behind his soul. I felt nothing but fear in it. That was his warning for me, but he said nothing else. Didn''t even talk about my predicament. He was gone after a moment. I think something must have pulled him back into the void. I kept meditating, waiting for him to contact me, but nothing. One hundred years went by, and there was still no news about him."


    Roy massaged his cheeks. <em>Oh, shit. Things just got bad. Real bad. Griffin school''s founder and one of the strongest witchers in the world fell into a trap he can''t even get out of. Who or what is controlling him?</em>


    Roy knew this world enough toe up with a list of suspects. There was a prime suspect, but he wasn''t sure if it was the mastermind.


    Letho mused. He was reminded of the archnemesis the Viper School had fought against for a century. The ghostly knights that reigned in the skies, appearing before the night of the war. Many times these knights had abducted Vipers and turned them into one of their own. <em>I wonder if this has something to do with them.</em>


    Hoarsely, Coen asked, "But what did he mean? Does he want us to stop looking for him?"


    "That was what I thought, but I had lost everything. I didn¡¯t give up." Jerome said, "After I left Kaer Seren, I scoured the whole Northern Realms. Even got as far as some districts in the south, but I found nothing. It''s like End disappeared into thin air."


    Darkly, Jerome said, "And then the whole world seemed to have left me behind. I lost all my goals and motivation. So I returned to Beauir and stayed with the person who saved me¡ªmy mother. Guarded her grave like a tramp."


    "You never returned to Kaer Seren after that?"


    "I didn''t have the courage to."


    Everyone fell silent.


    Jerome said, "Sometimes, when the pain became too much, I''d return to Mont Crane and run around like a madman. A madman who cared for nothing."


    Roy nodded. <em>Alright, that exins Grimm''s encounter.</em>


    "If I had broken free ten years earlier, my whole world could have changed. The fates of the people I cared about could have changed." He closed his eyes. "Perhaps I should have died with my brethren in that avnche."


    "Don''t say that, mate. You were alone. You couldn¡¯t have saved everyone." Coen held Jerome''s shoulder, consoling him. "But you''re not alone now. There''s still you and me. We''re the Griffins. We should work together and find out where End is."


    Jerome looked at the group, and he shook his head. "Do you know why I told you everything? I''m trying to dissuade you from the search. I do not care what organization you belong to, and your goals do not interest me.


    "It has been a hundred years since I held a weapon. I lived my life as a tramp. Long have I tossed my school''s creed behind me. Long have I forgotten about the way of the witchers." Jerome put his hands behind his head andid back down on his haystack. Once again, he looked forlorn and uninviting. "All I wish for is toy down and rot away. Please, leave me in peace. And thank you for your food. Thank you for listening to my rant."


    ***


    Everyone exchanged a look.


    "Jerome, you''re lying to yourself," Letho said. "If you threw away your identity as a witcher, why don''t you give your medallion to Coen, then? Not like you have any use for it. Why don''t you give it to someone who still has dreams and passion? Contribute to your school. It might be thest contribution you''ll ever make."


    Coen wanted to say something. He thought Letho was being a bit cruel, but Roy shot him a look.


    "Even dying patients have the right to reminisce about the past. This medallion is my only reason to keep on living." Jerome trembled. "You would strip me of this right as well?"


    "Jerome, be honest with yourself. You still miss your school, so why not take up arms one more time?" Letho said, "If you keep hiding under this bridge and living like a tramp, you''ll change nothing."


    "It''s useless. I couldn¡¯t find End no matter what. Decades, centuries¡­ Time has proven that Destiny cannot be challenged," he roared, his voice filled with despair. "We cannot escape fate!"


    Letho shook his head and sighed. He could understand Jerome''s frustration, but he had no patience to convince him.


    "There''s one fundamental aspect you got wrong." Roy gently pulled Coral''s arm away. "You couldn¡¯t change fate because you were alone. But if youe with us, we''ll show you what a team can do." He clenched his fist and raised his voice. "The brotherhood might not be as big as your school in its heyday, but we have a dozen members at the moment." Roy said proudly, "We have Vipers, Wolves, and even Cats among our ranks. Coen''s not a member yet, but we''re working together."


    Jerome was inscrutable, but his breathing was ragged.


    "And I have a mage with me." Roy looked at Coral. Coral looked dazed. She covered her mouth and yawned, then she gave Roy a tired smile. She should have been asleep at this hour.


    "A team is always more powerful than one person. Just because you can''t find End doesn''t mean we can''t!"


    Jerome turned around.


    "You said everything could have been different if you had just escaped ten years earlier, so don''t let history repeat itself." Roy said confidently, "If you refuse us, you might end up thinking that things could have been different if you had joined us. If you want to find End, thene with us. Stop pitying yourself. Don''t wallow in the past. What would End think if he saw you in this state?"


    Roy extended his hand. The night breeze made his hair flutter, tickling his cheek. This time, he got no reaction. Jerome was still facing him with his back. A long waitter, he shook his head in disappointment. "Opportunities don''te knocking every day, Jerome Moreau. You have two days."


    Coen was the real Griffin Roy cared about, not this pitiful shell of a former Griffin who hadnguished for a century. He wouldn''t force Jerome into joining the brotherhood if he didn''t want to. "If you keep letting yourself go, you''ll die in a few years. Think about that."


    ***


    A sigh echoed in the night. Letho, Roy, and Coral returned to the secretb under the Valley of the Nine, while Coen stayed back.


    He sat on the ground across from Jerome, the campfire still burning between them.


    Crickets chirped, and bugs screeched, but Jerome remained silent. A long whileter, he asked, "Why didn''t you leave?"


    "I''d like to give it a go." Coen smiled. He looked up at the moss-filled walls and the twinkling stars in the night. "I want to see how it feels to live as a tramp. You didn¡¯t change for a century. There must be something charming about it."


    He took his armor off, only wearing a shirt underneath. Then Coen smeared his exposed skin with soil, turning himself into a dirty tramp.


    He closed his eyes and took a little nap, a long sigh escaping his lips. "Feels better. Like I don''t have any shackles anymore. I don''t need to care about anything. Reviving the school, the virtues of a knight, End, Book of Shadows, Igsena¡­ None of them have anything to do with me. I just wanna lie down and do nothing. Why don''t Ie with you and wander the continent, Jerome?"


    "Who''s Igsena?" Jerome answered with a question.


    "My girlfriend. A country gir¡­ No, she''s a city girl now. She stayed by my side during my darkest hour. I guess I''m luckier than you were. I had Igsena in my darkest moment, but you had nothing. If I were in your spot, I might have sunk even further."


    Coen grinned, and then he said, "But she was <em>this </em>close to leaving me. Thanks to Roy and the brotherhood, she didn''t. Roy does everything with a goal in mind, and he shoots straight. Real straight, but he upholds his promises."


    Over his long life, Jerome had ventured across countless ces and heard many things. Most of the time, however, he was just a spectator of the events that were happening around him. For many years, no one bore their souls open to him.


    Coen might not be the best orator; he might stutter and stammer and think a lot before he spoke, but his genuine style reflected the teachings of the Griffin school.


    Jerome let down his guard ever so slightly, and his empty eyes had a sliver of light within them. Before he knew it, he was listening to Coen the whole night.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 440: Stay

    The witchers made their way to the west of Beauir, south of the pce. Into the Cavern of Trial beside the river they went, and through the misty ponds they swam. The path led them to a dimly-lit cavern surrounded by bizarre rock formations. Wilted tendrils of vines extended from the ceiling, swaying like the tentacles of a hidden monster.


    They kept going ahead, and what stood before them was a spacious hall. The mist thickened, and the air was filled with a weird, dizzying scent. A few silhouettes swayed within the mist. Naked, voluptuous women were found sitting on the cold, moss-covered ground. Silveryughter filled the air, and these women beckoned at the witchers.


    Letho, Auckes, and Kiyan held their trembling pendants, tensing up. It was impossible for a deserted cavern like this to even have any inhabitants, much less gorgeous women.


    "Looks like alps to me," Letho said. He quickly cast Quen and Heliotrop, covering himself in their protective light. And then he swung his sword around. "I can see why you two retreatedst time."


    Back when Roy was still in Vizima, Auckes and Serrit had trekked across Amell and came to Toussaint on a search for Manticore gear diagrams. It was there they ran into this cavern. Had they pushed themselves and tried to do battle with these alps, they might have died. Even with two more helpers, fighting these alps would prove to be dangerous.


    "Should we fight?" Auckes gulped, and Kiyan looked wary.


    Roy shook his head. There was magical energy whizzing around in the air, but he didn''t see any information regarding these alps. <em>Which means¡­</em>


    He whipped out a bottle of Golden Oriole and gulped it all down. ck veins crawled all over his face, and thedies disappeared.


    "What are you doing, kid?"


    Much to everyone''s surprise, Roy walked up to the edge of the mist and shot a st of Furyfire at thedies A pir of crimson light roared up to the skies and ignited the hallucinogenic gas lingering in the cave. And thedies were no more. The young witcher turned around and beckoned at hisrades.


    "That was an illusion?" Auckes blushed in embarrassment. He couldn''t believe he and Serrit fell for the tricks of a mere illusion. <em>This is humiliating.</em>


    The witchers followed Roy through the dark, meandering cavern. They ascended a slope and came to another chamber. Just like the first chamber, this one was filled with hallucinogenic gas. Roy¡ªwho was immune to poison thanks to Golden Oriole¡ªwent in first. Hispanions stayed behind to observe. This time, the illusion showed beggars who were kneeling before them, begging for scraps.


    Roy freed them of their misery with another st of Igni. And then they saw kikimores attacking a group of humans, but Roy destroyed them with another fireball. Then a feast. Then crates of gold and jewelry. But Roy didn''t even flinch as he destroyed all of them with his mes.


    "This cave is something." Letho and hispanions had a discussion. The illusions they saw were almost the same, and highly realistic too. "The alps is a trial of lust, the beggars is a trial ofpassion, the kikimores are a trial of courage, and the feast and gold is a trial of avarice. If you lose yourself in any of them, you will never escape their grasp. The only way to reach the end is to keep moving forward."


    Eventually, they arrived at thest chamber and saw thest illusion beside a stone dais. A sagely old man in a long robe was sitting cross-legged on the dais, deep in meditation.


    "Oh gods. That looks like Lebioda himself! But he''s been dead for centuries. This is impossible!" Auckes gasped.


    Roy approached the old man, and he stood up. He was trying to talk to Roy, but no words came out. All he did was look at the young witcher. It was nothing but an illusion, but the old man seemed real. The look in his eyes was of encouragement and pride.


    Any other man would have thought Lebioda was showing himself, and they''d dly convert. But Roy ignored the illusion and picked up a bag at its feet. And he grinned. <em>Sess. Manticore silver sword diagram and Merten''s notes.</em>


    ***


    <em>17 Feainn 1203.</em>


    <em>It is done. I have reached the Cave of Tribtions¡­ Praise be to Lebioda¡­</em>


    ***


    The notes spoke of Merten''s change. He passed a lot of trials in the cave, some of which included monsters like drowners, endregas, fire-breathing creatures, and humanoid creatures with the faces of beasts. Naturally, he ran into the trials the witchers met earlier as well.


    With his de and iron will, Merten passed the trials and met Lebioda the prophet. The prophet gave him a look of encouragement, and in his eyes, Merten saw thest station of his pilgrimage¡ªthe Lake of Cleansing. It was the ce where he would be cleansed of his past and his agony. The ce where his body and mind would be baptized. The ce where he would truly be one of Lebioda''s worshippers.


    Merten was not rted to Jerome at all. The only trait they shared was the fact their lives were changed in Toussaint.


    ***


    The witchers had odd looks on their faces.


    "Serrit and I were tricked because we didn''t even fight." Auckes grinned. "But this guy didn''t even hesitate? He never suspected foul y?"


    "I see you haven''t taken one thing into factor." Letho paused for a moment. "Haand is and abundant with herbs. Manticores are expert potionmakers, and they''re expert alchemists. They''re reliant on decoctions from battle to daily life. Overly reliant. Most of them are junkies. Merten is probably one of them. He sunk too deep into his own hallucinations, so he couldn''t even realize what was true life and what was fantasy. It''s why he converted."


    "So technically, this is a scam Lebioda set up?" Auckes proposed.


    "Watch it, mate. This isn''t just an illusion." Kiyan shot Auckes a warning look. "You think a natural cave can create illusions of this level? There''s even magic involved. We''re no believers of any god, but it''d be best if we gave them a wide berth."


    Auckes'' nonchnce was reced by solemnity, and he nodded.


    The witchers left the cave in the direction they came in. Through the clues Merten left in his notes, they reached the Lake of Cleansing, which was just a regr, petite, and clear pond.


    There was nothing much to say here. They found the diagram for the Manticore gloves in the depths of the pond. Adding that to the four diagrams Auckes and Serrit found, they now had aplete set of Manticore diagrams. On top of that, they also procured the upgraded Griffin gear diagram in Fort Ussar.


    ***


    Their Toussaint trip was nearly done, and two days had passed. They returned to the bridge in Beauir, but Coen was alone.


    "Sorry, mates. I couldn''t convince him. He refused to leave." Coen hung his head low, his eyes dim.


    "I thought that might be the cae." Roy smiled. "The guy has been wandering from ce to ce for a hundred years. It won''t be easy for him to change his mind. He can have all the time to consider our proposal, though. Now let''s go home."


    "I''d like to stay." Coen took a deep breath. There was determination in his eyes. "Tell Igsena I wille back in three months. At most."


    The witchers were surprised. It wasn''t every day they saw Coen so determined.


    "I''ve made up my mind to wander along with Jerome. I''ll try my best to convince him intoing to Novigrad. This is the fight of my school."


    "Sure, you can try." Roy agreed to it. "Tell him we think we can find End. I have a clue or two to go on, but I''ll need the Book of Shadows."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 441: Contact

    The crystalmps of Vizima''s castle sprinkled dreamy rays of light upon the ground. Sitting before a wooden table draped with a beautifully-embroidered cloth was the king of Vizima¡ªFoltest. A crown sat atop his head, and a cape billowed from his back. His taut muscles stretched out his white clothes, and he sat up straight like a man filled with power.


    His chin was resting on one hand, and he tapped on the table lightly with the other. His face was covered in the shadow of his hair, his jaw tense. His eyes were filled with fury, and stubble grew on his chin.


    He had someone else at the table. A woman in a white dress. Her eyes were nted, her nose was aquiline, and her lips were lustrous.


    "What are you thinking? Amell''s scout has sent back news. Nilfgaard''s troops amount to more than twenty-thousand, and it''s growing as we speak. Thedy''s prophecy and that journal Keira gave you are more than enough evidence that Nilfgaard''s conquest will not stop at Cintra." Adda tensed up. With worry in her voice, she said, "If we keep twiddling our thumbs and let Nilfgaard take over Cintra, they will set up base at its port andunch another attack on the eastern shores of Yaruga, where yournd stands. You must act, for the sake of the kingdom."


    "Adda, I told you Nilfgaard is an ambitious kingdom. Temeria is not the only one in trouble should itunch an invasion; Aedirn is as well. I''ve sent a letter to Demavend, telling him of this predicament. We shall make a decision once he gives us his reply."


    Foltest smiled at his daughter, but that smile was quickly wiped off. "And don''t bring thatdy of yours up with me. I respect her vision, and I am thankful that she was generous enough to share this prophecy with me despite what I did, but Temeria and Vizima do not belong to her. Do you understand? I have given her reward enough. The Lake of Vizima. She can spread her gospel without obstruction in the surrounding viges as long as she doesn''t break thew or challenge the unwritten rules. But that is all. No expansion. And don''t even think about breaking into Vizima. I will not let anyone cross that line. Unless, of course, she''s willing to lend a hand in this war."


    "I understand." Adda sighed. Vivienne wouldn''t interfere with the war, so she changed the subject. "Did you only contact Aedirn? What about Kaedwen and Redania? We need everyone to fend off Nilfgaard."


    "Adda, don''t spend too much time on the church. You''re a princess. At least be more aware of the state of politics." Foltest crossed his hands and rested his chin upon them. He advised, "We have no confirmation of the strength of Nilfgaard''s troops. Should the prophecye true and Nilfgaard destroys Cintra, Vizimir and Henselt will send their troops into the fray even without our reminder."


    And then his face fell. "But if Nilfgaard''s troops aren''t as powerful as we think, if it shows even the hint of struggle against Cintra, the northernnds will not think of it as a threat. And that will be terrible news for us. We will be the vanguard in this war. Not only will we have to fend off the south, we will also have to look out for a possible betrayal from Kaedwen and Redania. Kaedwen, especially. Henselt is a great warrior but an infamous oathbreaker."


    Adda tensed up for a moment. "So we can''t count on them, then?"


    "We can try." Foltest stared at his daughter and shook his head in disappointment. "I''ve asked Triss and Keira to contact Philippa Eilhart of Redania and Sabrina Glevissig of Kaedwen. The Brotherhood of Sorcerers lean on the idea of uniting the northernnds to chase off the invaders. The <em>noble </em>mages would rather work with royalty than be their ves. Thedies should make a convincing case to their kings."


    Adda pulled her hair back and pursed her lips. "But if they still refuse to send their troops in, will Temeria reinforce Cintra, then?"


    "Is that yourdy''s question for me?"


    "No, it''s my question for you." Adda sped her hands together. "I have a bad feeling about this. We cannot let Nilfgaard''s invasion of Cintra go through."


    Foltest clenched his fists. Before this, he could still lie to himself and think that Nilfgaard wasn''t all that strong. But now? After he saw the journal? If he sat this one out, he would be foolish. Cintra was standing right next to his kingdom. If it were to fall, Temeria would be next.


    "I will send reinforcements Cintra''s way. It''s for the kingdom, but we must wait." Foltest said curtly, "They will negotiate with us. Worst case scenario, we lose all the troops we send. And we shall demandpensation. "


    "But I thought you refused their invitation once."


    "And they wille to me again. Cnthe and Eist are on the cusp of disaster. They have no choice."


    ***


    A vi stood beside the castle. Triss'' room had a bed covered in crimson sheets, veils, and curtains. She was in a blue silk dress dotted with starlight, and her red hair was tied behind her head.


    She touched her telescope, and magic shone from it for a moment. A blue screen appeared in the air, and a sorceress huddled closer to the screen. Her face was handsome. Her jaw was wide, and she seemed unassuming among her sisters. Her ck hair was braided and tumbled down her shoulders. A white cor stood from her shoulders to the nape of her neck. She wore a tight brown leather dress that showed off her arms and generous bosom.


    Her eyes were fixed upon Triss, passion ring within them. "You''re finally seeing me, dear little Triss." Philippa gave Triss a flying kiss, the passion in her eyes almost palpable. "So, how is Vizima? Getting used to it?"


    "It''s a pleasure seeing you, Lady Philippa. Your concern warms my heart." Triss sat behind her dimly-lit table and smiled at Philippa, though a hint of fear welled in her eyes. "I am fine."


    "Ah, you don''t seem fine, my dear little Triss." Philippaughed, her teeth showing on the screen. "Oh, don''t look at me like I''m some man-eating monster. I won''t force anyone to do anything. All of it was for fun. And the past is in the past now. Unless someone wants to relive it, of course. I''d be more than willing to indulge." She grazed her chest and chuckled. "But I¡¯m just teasing. Now tell me why you''re really here."


    Triss patted her burning cheeks, and her chest heaved as she took a deep breath. "His Majesty King Foltest wants me to contact you. It''s about the troops in Amell."


    "I''ve heard of that. The south ising on hard." Philippa touched her chin with an index finger, and she sighed. "Poor Cnthe. Hard times ahead for her. She''s going to agonize over this."


    "She''s not the only one." Triss fiddled with her pendant. She told Philippa about the journal entry and what Foltest''s scout saw at Amell. Every single word of it.


    And Philippa swiftly turned serious. "The g of the ck sun billows in Amell. Twenty thousand of them, huh? That is important news. Thank you for the reminder, Trissy." She smiled. "I understand your concerns, and you have my full support. We will not allow the barbarians and southern mages to invade our homnd. That is against the rules. I shall tell Vizimir about this, but he''s a paranoid king. He will send his own scouts to verify this fact. Even if the veracity of your im is confirmed, he won''t do anything unless the problem is right in his face."


    "Just try your best." Triss sighed. "And about the brotherhood¡­"


    Triss and Keira were still rtively young and inexperienced in the brotherhood. They had no way of contacting the real core members of the brotherhood, and Fercart was out on the king''s orders.


    "I understand. I shall contact the Chapter of the Gift and the Art. Tissaia, Hen, and Vilgefortz included. We shalle up with a n to deal with the iing danger. That is the role of the brotherhood." Philippa put her hands on her hips. "Trissy, Cintra is just a river away from Vizima. Look out for yourself, and don''t charge into danger."


    "Thank you for the advice." Triss nodded, but obstinance filled her eyes. She made small talk for a while and cut the contact offter.


    ***


    Not too longter, Keira came to see her. She was still wearing a revealing silk dress. "How goes your conversation, dear? That bitch Sabrina told he she won''t let Henselt fuck her for a month if he refuses to send his troops to Cintra. I bet she''ll beg him to fuck her ass in three days." Keira shook her head. "But I don''t think we should count on Kaedwen. They''re too far away to help."


    "Same with Lady Philippa. We''ll tell His Majesty once we get their reply."


    Thedies held hands and talked about the situation in the northernnds.


    "Let''s not talk about that. You haven''t been calling your saviortely." A smirk curled Keira''s glossy lips, and she pinched Triss'' cheeks.


    Triss hung her head low in embarrassment. <em>Damn that mandrake root. </em>Just the thought of what happened back in the cave made her blush. She wanted to hide in a hole. Triss couldn''t believe she would show that side of her to a man she barely knew. Fortunately, Roy was a gentleman enough to put that behind him.


    The sorceress held her inexplicable disappointment down and took a deep breath. <em>Now is not the time to think about a rtionship. I must focus on theing war.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 442: Development

    Fallen leaves draped the streets of Novigrad in yellow, and shimmering sunlight shone upon the buildings that stood tall in the city. It was not yet afternoon, but already there were a few tables upied by customers in the ballroom. Upon the stage, a y named ¡°An Unexpected Journey¡± was shown.


    "So the south''s invasion is all but certain now. Cintra is in danger." Gawain twirled his mustache. "We need to make haste. Take this opportunity to make some money."


    "I agree." Serrit nodded. He grumbled to Roy, "Our finances are in dire straits. Most of our profitse from the apothecary shop and this ballroom. We have made more moneytely, but that only amounts to twenty-six hundred crowns per month."


    He shook his head and sighed. "Expenses are sky high. We have more than thirty people in the orphanage, and the meals we provide are far better than what most families can afford. The kids can really eat, and we are even bigger eaters than them. Food alone costs six hundred crowns per month, and misceneous costs run up to a hundred. Alchemy and cksmithing require five hundred in total, but that''s not our biggest expenditure. Kalkstein and Lytta require at least two thousand crowns per month for their research. If we run out of supplies, Kalkstein might stop working. And that''s not including the new decoction Letho and Kiyan are developing.


    "On top of that, the one-time portals Lytta makes don''te cheap. Two hundred per portal. The permanent portal that links to thekeb costs two thousand. All paid for by us. She''s already working for free thanks to your services. We can''t ask her to fork over the costs for these items. That''s all for now. So now you know how much we spend."


    Roy was aghast. Not even the light could make him look happy. It had been a while since he managed finances. Before he knew it, the brotherhood was already spending a lot of the money they had.


    A hint of worry shed in Serrit''s eyes. "The orphanage''s expansion is done. We will be taking in all the orphans who are living in the church in two days. All thirty of them. By then, we will have fifty kids in the orphanage. More than double in number, but I''d bet myst crown the costs will not just double. We''re going to spend even more money than ever."


    "How much do we have saved?" Roy heaved a sigh and wiped the sweat from his hands.


    "For now? Enough. We started out with twenty grand. Then you brought back ten grand from Vizima, and Geralt made twenty grand in Cintra. A part of it is already spent, so we have about forty-five grand. About the cost of a big business."


    "Don''t worry too much, witchers." Gawain caressed his hair and smiled. "I''ll cover the costs for the new orphanage wing."


    "I know you wouldn''t let those children down, Gawain!" Serrit''s face lit up. He shook hands with the doppler, and Roy gave Gawain a look of gratitude as well.


    "Alright, now let''s get back to this money making business." Chappelle rubbed his fingers together, his eyes glinting with the dark light of wariness. "May Eternal Fire shine on the path of the victims of war. Naturally, we can''t hoard essential war resources like some other merchants."


    Everyone nodded. Some lines shouldn¡¯t be crossed.


    "So we''ll need to run a simple business." Serrit said, "We''ll buy Cintra''s local products in bulk. Cintran spirit and some Skellige spices that can only be bought in a Cintran market, for example. After Cintra''s destruction, a lot of northerners will start to miss it. These local products will be the best way to relive their memories in Cintra. It''s going to be a big hit. Even if Cintra does manage to rebuild itself from its ashes, things will change. And the stock we will have will be authentic Cintran products. High sentimental value."


    "I have a suggestion," Roy interjected. He looked at the actors on the stage, who were sping arms and dancing happily. Igsena was there as well. Roy had told her about Coen''s decision to stay back in Beauir.


    Dandelion was arguing quietly with Prisci at the edge of the stage. The bard was trying to exin himself, bowing at Prisci sometimes. He looked just like a man who got caught cheating by his wife.


    The witchers didn''t sell him out. He probably let something slip by ident.


    Prisci''s arms were crossed, and her head was raised high. She turned away from Dandelion, the look on her face dark. And she asionally muttered something under her breath.


    Roy noticed what she was saying. It was along the lines of ''You cheater,'' ''You lying bastard,'' ''Uncouth,'' and ''I''m going to find myself a lover too''.


    <em>Goddammit, Dandelion. You had one job. I told you not to cheat on her, but you just had to learn your lesson the hard way.</em> He sighed. "Cintra''s coat-of-arms is three lions over a blue background. What¡¯s the cost of the paint needed to recreate that coat-of-arms?"


    "It¡¯s cheap. Not much demand for them." Gawain''s eyes shone, and a business n hatched in his mind. His cheeks blushed as excitement filled his heart. "We can get the best prices if we buy them now. Once the war breaks out, the northerners are going to make a lot of Cintran gs as a sign of solidarity. The prices of those colors are going to skyrocket. Three to five times, in fact. And we''re doing this for justice. It¡¯s not against our creed."


    "Alright, so we have ourselves a business n." Serrit mmed his fist on the table and huddled closer to the dopplers, his eyes gleaming. "Now let''s talk investment ratio. But to be honest, the brotherhood isn''t as rich as the church or the gang. We can''t provide that much money, so can we pay inbor instead?"


    The dopplers exchanged a look.


    "It''s all thanks to you that we managed to eradicate Novigrad''s human trafficking problem. And my men need their training. We ept your terms."


    ***


    mes of the brazier shone on the alchemy workstation in the undergroundb. Racks containing bags of dried herbs, mutagens, and monster organs stood along the wall.


    A hunched figure stood before the bookshelves, going through books like ¡°Mutation¡±, ¡°Secrets of Mutation¡±, and ¡°Demons in the Blood¡±. All books from the underwaterb.


    A beautiful silhouette stood before the workstation, fixing up the broken heart of the gargoyle. mes from the burner sizzled, and green liquid in the beakers bubbled.


    The figure before the bookshelves started breathing heavily. Eventually, Kalkstein mmed the book down and held what little hair he had. "Genius. Pure genius." He was astonished. "These records are perfect references since we can''t conduct human experiments. These mutagens and their negative reactions just gave me a lot of ideas. Now I can partially change the Trial and remove the negative mutations from it. We just saved at least ten years of time."


    Kalkstein was shivering, not unlike a patient who was having an episode of fits. Even his beady eyes and dark circles were trembling. "My brain feels like it''s connected to a power source. Inspiration just won''t stoping. Manticore Trial, Viper Trial¡­ By the elements, I have at least four ways to improve the Trials. Three months. I''m sure I can create a safe and reliable Trial in three months. Yes, it''s not as potent as the original form, but at least it''s safe," Kalkstein promised.


    Delight filled Lytta''s eyes. <em>Finally. After so long.</em>


    "Oh, and who might this Tomas Moreau be? Can you introduce me to him?"


    "Sorry, but he''s been dead for a century at least. All you can do is pay tribute." Lytta put the gargoyle''s heart down and shook her head.


    "Oh, how unfair fate can be!" Kalkstein shook his head in sorrow. It almost felt like he was mourning his family.


    "What do you think of this second mutation idea? Can you improvise it to the point of possibly recing the Trial?"


    Kalkstein cocked his eyebrow and shot her chest a look of ire. "Did your chest get all the nutrients that''s supposed to go to your brain, woman? How in the elements'' name did youe up with that idea anyway? Think about it. You''re asking me to create a new Trial, and the risks outweigh the reward!"


    Lytta narrowed her eyes, enmity shining within them. She said icily, "Kalkstein, I might respect you, but that doesn''t mean you get to insult me how you want. That''s yourst warning. One more disrespectfulment, and¡ª"


    "Alright, fine. Roy''s totally under your spell, and I don''t wanna lose his help, so that''s it. I won''t give up. I''m going to make something out of this." Kalkstein took a deep breath and gave her an apologetic smile, though there wasn''t an ounce of true apology in that smile. "Sorry, Lytta. I''m a straightforward man, especially during research. I''m prone to opening friendly fire. Just ignore what I said."


    Lytta looked a little calmed down after that.


    "Now, back on track. The Trial''s improvement and my research of the higher vampire has eaten up too much of my time. I don''t have enough time to spend on a third project. Here''s an idea. The second mutation only works on witchers who have passed their Trial. We''ll take some mutated pale widow eggs every few months, and once we have enough witchers who have gone through their second mutation, we''ll start research."


    Kalkstein rubbed his hands in a crass way. "Now let''s begin, Lytta. Stay the night and we can work on the first improvement idea."


    Lytta pursed her lips and shook her head.


    "Lytta, is something wrong with your head? If you wish to work with me, at least show some professionalism."


    Lytta clenched her teeth, but then an idea hit her. Her fury melted, and she mocked, "Fine, but just this once. Staying up the whole night isn''t good fordies. I''m not an uncharismatic man like you, nor am I forever alone. I have a sense of fashion and ss, unlike you. There''s a reason you''ve been single for nearly two hundred years, you know."


    That hit Kalkstein where it hurt. For once, his face fell. Delighted, Lytta patted her cheeks and put on a pair of white gloves.


    ***


    Back at the House of Gawain, a sparring session was going on under a tree. The witchers held the hilts of their des and unsheathed them at the same time. Both of them took one step forward and a step to the side. Sounds of metal swinging around filled the air as the witchers swung their des.


    Felix leapt ahead like a silver spear. His de approached Letho''s shoulder, almost touching his magical shield. But before Felix could break his shield, Letho flicked his wrist, and his de formed a semicircle in the air.


    Metal shed, and sparks flew. A pair of silhouettes pounced at each other for a moment and broke off, only tounch another attack. In one single moment, the fighters had shed more than a dozen times.


    And then Letho swatted Felix''s de away with his. He held Felix''s de down with his crossguard and tried to push his de toward Felix''s throat.


    That didn''t escape Felix. He put his back into his wrist and spun his de around Letho''s, but Letho kept his de close to Felix''s. The swords kept spinning in the air, and sparks flew everywhere.


    The witchers'' eyes met, and they moved at the same time. They spun, moved horizontally, and changed directions. They moved as fast as phantoms, and all the apprentices could only see were two silhouettes changing positions on the battlefield as they performed a bizarre dance.


    Eventually, the sparring slowed. Felix''s wrist buckled. No longer could he defend against the power that was pushing him back. His de flew out of his hand and embedded itself in the tree''s trunk.


    He rolled around, but Letho quickly shoved his hand onto the ground, and a dull thud tore through the air. The kids froze, their eyes going wide. Gryphon had been observing, and it hooted and pped its wings.


    A visible air current undted around Letho and shot across the battlefield like the impact of a detonated bomb. Dust flew into the air, and everything in a five-yard radius was affected by the shockwave.


    That included Felix. Even though he managed to dodge Letho''s de, the Aard shockwave got to him. He felt his back rumble, and then Quen shattered.


    The witcher fell sideways, and then he felt metal touch the nape of his neck.


    When the dust finally settled, Letho was seen holding his de against Felix''s neck.


    The kids cheered.


    "Letho won!" Monti chuckled.


    "Was that Aard?" Acamuthorm asked.


    "Looks different than Carl''s Aard, though," Lloyd added.


    "Whoa, Carl''s mentor lost." Charname shot Carl a look.


    Shaken, Carl stared at the ground. To him, Felix was an unbeatable man.


    Felix pulled his de out of the three and swung it around before sheathing it. He didn''t look miffed from the defeat. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked at Letho.


    "What did you do in Toussaint? Your speed and strength improved by a lot." Felix was a great swordsman, but even his skills paled inparison to absolute strength and speed. "And your Sign is different now. Did you read the Book of Shadows and get it mutated?"


    Vesemir was in the smithy as usual, and he let go of the Griffin gear diagram. Geralt put his chalk down, Auckes let his hoe go, and Kiyan put his alchemical tools down. All of them looked at the battlefield and listened closely to what Letho had to say.


    "This is all thanks to the second mutation." Letho cracked his neck. "I thought it was just a simple strengthening process. Never thought it would change Aard as well. It''s not only a single-direction shockwave. Now it travels in a circle around me. You saw how it went. It''s great for surprise attacks or getting out of a pinch. Roy called it Aard Bonepiercer. And I think something else inside me changed, but I still have no idea what."


    Felix nodded. He was a little envious. "We have no talent in the elements. Can''t master any mutated Signs, so this is another way to gain that kind of power. Looks like I have to make a trip to Toussaint."


    "Talk to Auckes. Second mutationponents don''te easy. He''s already got the next slot. Lambert and Aiden are waiting too. You gotta convince them first."


    Felix scoffed and wore his sunsses. "I''ll fight them for a slot."


    ***


    Letho and Felix chatted as they returned to the stakes and sat down with the children. The kids started asking them about the mutated Sign and things about their Trial.


    Letho looked to the other side of the fence. Three new wooden houses stood there. Through the open door, he could see the bedroom within it. It was clean and filled with clothes, nkets, and mattresses.


    For once, the girls in the ssroom turned their attention away from their studies and stared at the new houses in anticipation.


    "Are you ready, kids? Your new friends will be here in two days."


    "Can we move in to the new house then?" Monti asked shyly.


    "And why do you want to do that?" Felix asked coolly.


    "I¡­ I¡­"


    "Ah, we just wanna stay with the new guys," Carl said. He thought his friend was being too sheepish. He grabbed Felix''s hand and swung his arm, but then he let it go when he realized Felix was looking at him like he was a young girl trying to persuade her father to do her a favor. "And um¡­ we wanna make some new friends. Living in the same space makes it easier to make new friends."


    "Yeah. Can we do it, please? We wanna move in with them." The kids put their hands in a praying position and gave the witchers puppy pouts.


    "Yeah right. You just wanna show off your bottle of drowner teeth." Letho saw through the boys, and they puckered their lips. "But you <em>can </em>move in." And he grinned. "As long as you dance during the orientation. In skirts."


    "No way we''re doing that!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 443: New Kids

    The light of dawn broke through the night''s veil, and purple light lit the firmament. The autumn breeze blew through the alder woods and fence before tiptoeing across the bedroom.


    A girl with golden hair sat up and stretched her arms. She purred like a cat, and a lively smile curved her lips. She then looked around at her friends, who were still sleeping. Some slept with their hands on their bellies, not unlikedies. Some turned to their sides and put one leg on the girl beside them just like how boys would sleep. Somey on their backs and were as stiff as a stick.


    The one beside her was lying spread-eagle. Freckles dotted her face, and a bubble of snot hung from her nose.


    A smile curled Vicki''s lips. One year ago, she was still roaming a squalid vige, sleeping on nothing but haystacks in a pig pen. But now she was living a dream, and it was all thanks to the witchers. "I need to work hard. Can''t let the teachers down." Vicki tensed up and swung her little fists. "Rise and shine, girls!"


    Her freckled friend shot up, apparently shocked by the shout. Her mouth was open, and some of her teeth were missing. She didn¡¯t look amused. "Vicki, are you mad? It''s only five. It''s not even time for exercise!"


    "Vicki, please just let me have five more minutes." The other girls were shocked as well. They covered their heads with their nkets in an attempt to drown out Vicki''s voice.


    "The new kids are gonnae today, and we need to clean the ce up."


    The girls shivered like they were drenched in cold water. Everyone opened their eyes wide, and no longer did they feel sleepy.


    "Yeah, they did say we''re gonna have thirty new kids."


    "Yep, so get up and get dressed. We want to look perfect in front of the new kids. And clean the rooms. Not a speck of dust."


    The girls chatted away as they changed into colorful clothes. Their tops were all blue, as were their skirts. They were made of cotton and silk, and all of them extended to their knees. Every set of clothes had a unique emblem on it that showed the girl''s name and their student number.


    It didn''t take long for the girls to emerge into the courtyard. The morning breeze brushed across them, and they shivered, though it also woke them up.


    The boys'' room finally lit up, and the kids broke out into a little tussle.


    "Hey, don''t step on my feet!"


    "Which of you took my shoes?"


    "Ow, my back! Did someone sleep on me again?"


    "Where are my pants? Give me back my pants!"


    Five minutes of chaoster, the boys came out wearing grey jackets and sturdy boots, and they met the girls.


    "Hi, Vicki. Hi, everyone." Carl happily waved at the girls. He noticed the obsidian pendant Vicki was wearing, and it delighted him. He made that ne from the obsidian given by the trolls, and it was given to Vicki as proof of their love. Well, his love, mostly.


    Vicki nodded, and the kids stood in a formation of four rows by five columns. Silence swooped down on the children, then Vicki started lecturing, "We will be receiving thirty homeless children this afternoon. Our teachers have given us food, shelter, and an education. They have saved us from an otherwise dark life, and now it is our turn to return the favor. Aside from the fatdy, no teacher will be taking part in this orientation. It is up to us now. As ''masters'' of the house, we need to put on a smile as we wee the new students into their new homes. Now it''s time to know your job."


    Vicki called all the children''s names. The girls picked up the mops and brooms to clean the rooms, workshop, and courtyard. Some of them helped the fatdy with cooking. The boys darted into the house and moved the tables, chairs, and ckboard into the courtyard. Then they set them up neatly.


    The que on the door had a red banner hanging over it. The words ''Wee to the House of Gawain'' were emzoned on it. The girls made it, and Vicki was the one who wrote it. She had beautiful handwriting.


    In case the new kids couldn''t read, everyone even sewed a little, smiling guy on the banner. They wanted the new kids to feel weed.


    The kids hummed and sang as they worked away.


    Wooden signposts stood by the sides of the path in the woods. One every ten yards. The stakes had wooden nks installed on them, and the pendulum had ropes tied to it. For that day, they were modified into slides and swings. The orphanage now looked like a little amusement park.


    The kids wiped the sweat from their foreheads and started rehearsing in the clearing. The kids taking literature sses recited poetry, Carl and the apprentices performed swordy, while Vicki and Renee practiced their duet.


    ***


    Slowly but surely, the sun found its ce over the heads of the children. Monti was standing on the path, waiting for the new kids to arrive. All of a sudden, his eyes were filled with delight, and he shouted, "They''re here!"


    Everyone stopped their work and huddled around the fence, waiting for the arrival of the new kids.


    And then a nervous child popped out of the woods. She had brown hair, grey eyes, and a yellow face. Her features were small, and her face was freckled. The girl looked about seven or eight, and her grey clothes were covered in patches. She looked gaunt, like she¡¯d never had a decent meal in her life.


    The warm wee shocked her. She stared down at the ground and fidgeted for a moment like a newborn fawn. A whileter, she carefully entered the yard.


    "Wee to the House of Gawain, friend. I''m Renee, and I''m eight years old. What''s your name?" Renee happily approached the new girl, while everyone gave the girl looks of encouragement. Some of the bolder boys were even waving at her.


    "I-I''m Corynne." Corynne felt better seeing Renee''s smile. She nervously shook Renee''s hand and followed her to the table, listening to her as she happily talked about the orphanage.


    And then the second child came. Then the third. Soon, all thirty of them entered the yard. All of them were in shabby clothes, and all looked gaunt.


    Carl made a rough estimate, and surprisingly, there were more girls than boys. <em>Sixteen girls, huh?</em>


    The children were reacting differently to their new home. Some were shivering in trepidation, while some looked around in excitement. The kids'' hard work didn''t go to waste. Everyone felt wee seeing how inviting the orphanage was.


    About noontime, all three tables were filled with children. Every new kid had an old kid help them segue into their new life.


    All eleven witchers were there, of course, and so was Lytta. Dandelion and Prisci showed up. Moore, Susie, and Mino were there too. Kanti took a break from shopkeeping to attend the event, and Gawain was there as well. He seemed happy. Even Kalkstein was there, though against his will. He looked impatient and couldn''t wait to return to his research.


    ***


    "Alright, alright, silence!" A young man stood up. He was handsome and had heterochromatic eyes. His armor was gleaming under the sun, and a warm smile curled his lips. He scanned the children calmly and announced, "Kids, wee to the House of Gawain. I am Roy, one of the teachers here. For now, I represent the orphanage, and I have a few words to say. I know you have lost your home and family to the disaster. You have wandered the streets and lived a life of suffering. Of starvation. Of loneliness. But I promise, all your suffering wille to an end, now that you''re here.


    "From now on, we will be a family. Everyone here are your brothers and sisters. We shall live in unity and help one another out. No longer will you be yelled at. Nobody will step on you just because they''re stronger, or else." Roy shot Carl a warning look.


    Carl froze in confusion and puckered his lips, tears welling in his eyes. <em>Do I look like a cheeky kid? Is that what Roy thinks of me?</em>


    The girls and the apprentices chuckled.


    "No longer will you be chased away like dogs for trying to fill your belly. No longer will you have to scavenge for rotten scraps. We will provide you with clean, delicious, and nutritious food. You will not live your life without purpose here. Here, you will gain invaluable knowledge. Here, you will learn how to train your body and stay healthy. You will find purpose in life. You will be someone useful to the family, to the orphanage, to the society, and even to the kingdom."


    Most of the new kids were surprised and shocked. Roy was describing a life different from the ones they had led so far. It felt like heaven. Still, they wanted to hear more.


    "If you need more proof, then look around."


    The new kids looked at the older kids. All of them looked lively and lean. They looked healthy, and the light of hope glinted in their eyes.


    "These children used to be just like you, but one year in the orphanage, and they''re already free of their past. Look at them. They''re happy! Carl, Monti, Vicki, Acamuthorm¡­" Roy called the names of the first twenty children who came. "Do you like the House of Gawain?"


    "Yes, we do!" the children roared, their faces filled with pride and delight.


    All the new kids froze for a moment. Some of them had been wandering the streets for six months, and some had been living that kind of life for two years, traversing cities and viges. Dangers always lurked around every corner, but fortunately, they survived.


    And yet no orphan they ever came across had that kind of smile on their faces.


    "Kids, once again, wee to the House of Gawain. You will know what I was talking about soon." Roy noticed the children''s eagerness to eat.


    The food was a lot more sumptuous than anyone imagined. Fresh crab, lobster, squid, eggs, bread, pickles, corn, beef stew, fresh apple juice, and more. Delicious and filled with nutrients.


    The kids started to gulp, their stomachs rumbling.


    "And now, you may feast. Dig in, but remember, don''t waste any food, but don''t overeat. You don''t want your bellies to burst," Roy announced.


    But the new kids didn''t move. They stared at one another, but when Vicki speared a roasted squid and ced it in Corynne''s te, everyone started taking their portions. And then they feasted.


    Carl and his apprentice friends exchanged a look, and they too dug into the food. The veteran witchers, however, ate slowly. They were observing the new kids.


    "I see some good ones." Auckes looked at the boy on his left. He lowered his voice until it was barely a whisper. "Look at how he eats. If he''s that fierce during his training, he''s gonna be a good apprentice."


    "The girl has deft fingers. She can be an alchemist." Letho nodded. He, Kiyan, and Vesemir were picking potential new students.


    ***


    Dandelion was still in colorful attire. His shirt was purple, his hat was olive, but he was trying to cheer hisdy up like a sycophant. He cracked open a crab and ced it on her te, but she gave it back to him right away, then she turned her gaze to the other side of the table.


    ***


    Roy watched them in silence. Lytta cracked a lobster open and opened her mouth a little, whispering into his head with magic.


    All of a sudden, Roy felt someone touching his leg. At first he thought it was by chance, so he shrugged it off and kept flirting with Lytta. But then thedy kept touching his boots. Eventually, she took her shoes off and rubbed all over his pants. Apparently, she was trying to seduce him. Roy shot Lytta a look that said, <em>Stop that.</em>


    The sorceress was eating her steak. She noticed the look Roy gave her, and her eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped a little and confusion filled her eyes. <em>Now? That''s a bit risky, don''t you think?</em>


    <em>Oh, shit, it''s not her! </em>Realization struck Roy, and he turned around to Kanti. The Zerrikanian was wolfing down her grilled meat. She noticed the look Roy was giving her, and she grinned at him.


    <em>Not her either.</em> When Roy turned his attention to Prisci, she turned her head away in a hurry like she was electrocuted.


    Mistaking that for forgiveness, Dandelion delightfully held her hands and recited a romantic poem quietly.


    Roy noticed Prisci''s shoulder shivering. And then he was reminded of what she said to Dandelion back in the ballroom. <em>She did say she wanted to find herself a lover. </em>"That was a risky y. Feel lucky I''m not Lambert, Dandelion. That''s all I can do for you ."


    ***


    Lunchsted for about half an hour, and all the food was gone. Previously tormented by hunger, the new kidspped up everything, including the gravy. All the tes were as shiny as mirrors, and smiles appeared on the children''s lips.


    The old kids led the new ones into their new homes¡ªthe new houses. After that feast of a lunch, the kids were starting to make new friendships.


    Roy made a new rule. Every old kid would have to help one or more new kids out in adapting to the orphanage''s rules. At the same time, they would also have to help them adapt to the sses and daily life in the orphanage. At the end of every month, the old and new kids would score one another, and from there, they would choose the best new kid and the best study partner.


    Vicki obviously was popr with the new kids. She was the study partner of three new girls. On the other hand, the quiet Lloyd was almost left with no new kid. Fortunately, Carl pushed a boy named Takuma to him. The new bow had a bowl cut.


    ***


    The new kids got their beds, and they changed intofortable uniforms. After that, it was their first afternoon nap. The old kids, on the other hand, cleaned the tables up. They did the dishes, buried the refuse in the fields, and cleaned the yard.


    Naptime was almost over after that, though most of the kids were too excited to even sleep. Everyone returned to the yard for an exciting performance from the old kids.


    Golden rays of sunshine shone upon the yard, and the literature ss kids went up to the stage. They performed Dandelion''s new work that went by the title of Friend. Dandelion and Prisci yed the lute, and a tune meshed together with the children''s recital.


    "A bottle of wine you are, my friend.


    The longer our friendship, the better it is.


    O''er open fire we drink, a toast to our kin¡­"


    ***


    Corynne listened intently to the recital, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and excitement. Like most new kids, she never had the chance to watch a recital. She was illiterate, but still she could feel the warm wee given by the old kids.


    Once the recital was over, everyone gave them a standing ovation.


    And then it was time for the swordy. All the boys were using practice swords, and they performed all five basic stances, from ox to plow. It wasn''t exciting at all. The girls almost fell asleep.


    And then it was time for Carl and Monti''s sparring. Even though they were using wooden swords, the boys had enough practice to make it look like a real battle. They shed at a blinding speed, their des banging against each other. Most of the new boys were whipped into a frenzy just from watching the show.


    Carl held himself back most of the fight. Eventually, he smacked Monti''s de away, and the wooden sword buried itself in a tree. "I dedicate this triumph to Vicki!"


    The boys from the old kids'' batch jeered, while the girls were teasing Vicki. She blushed quickly and shot Carl a look.


    "You can always challenge me, new kids." A proud smile curled his lips, his face gleaming like a piece of opal.


    Some of the new girls'' eyes shone.


    "I shall be waiting at the stakes."


    "Ah, to be young," Lambertmented. "Kids this era are precocious, aren''t they?"


    Felix tried his best to put on a terrifying smile. <em>And that''s your and Auckes'' fault!</em>


    ***


    And then came the most anticipated show of the orientation: Vicki and Renee''s duet. Dandelion was their teacher, and he wrote them the song. It was named Autumn.


    The children sang their hearts out, their voices silvery and filled with innocence. Dandelion even said they had the potential to be singers. He once proposed that the girls perform at the ballroom, but they declined.


    "Glories of morn, violet curtains they call. Into its arms, autumn will fall¡­"


    The kids hummed along, and some of the new kids even sang along.


    Things were getting hyped, and then Auckes suddenly shouted. He stepped onto the stage, much to the children''s shock. The witcher opened his mouth, and then a funny scene followed. He puffed his chest out and bent his knees as he circled around the singers with his arms tucked to his side, not unlike a duck.


    "Follow me, kids!" Auckes beckoned at the audience, and the rowdiest five stepped on the stage. They followed Auckes around, looking like ducklings waddling along with their mother.


    Some of the cheekier girls went onto the stage as well, and then things got out of hand.


    Vesemir wore his prized hat and waddled along as well. He grinned and made a lot of impossible faces. Eskel followed him and shot another group of kids a re, beckoning them to follow him. Letho dragged his finger across his throat.


    Some of the new kids were dragged onto the ''dance floor'' by their friends. They followed the witchers as they waddled around and honked like ducks. The sounds of honks, ragged breathing, shouts, and screams of delight filled the yard.


    The orphanage, in this moment, was filled with nothing but happiness. Roy crossed his arms and watched them y, a small smile tugging on his lips. <em>I wish everyone could be this happy forever. </em>But an inexplicable sense of unease made him frown. That sensation slithered down his back like a viper ready to strike.


    "You seem uneasy, Roy. Why?" Lytta turned his head to the side and pressed her lips against his. The scent of roses was all Roy could smell for a moment. Her eyes gleamed, and dimples appeared on her cheeks.


    She held his hand and took him to the dance floor. And the otherdies followed. For some reason, Roy was surrounded. Lytta was holding his hand, standing in front of him. Kanti was behind him, and Prisci and Dandelion stood by his nks for some reason. Moore and Susie held the gurgling Mino up and rubbed him against Roy''s face.


    And the day passed by, filled with nothing butughter and happiness.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 444: Level Up and Limitation

    It waste at night. A gust of wind zipped past a cave standing beyond Novigrad. mes flickered, and their shadows contorted like a beast trying to pounce on its prey.


    A silhouette stood within the chamber of the cave, drowning in the howls of the winds and the sounds of its incantation. The cave started to rumble, as if it were going through a catastrophic earthquake.


    And then the incantation stopped. The silhouette of a crane swooped down from the air. Its beak was as long as a spear, and it pped its wings like they were motors propelling it forward. The crane let out a loud sound and pounced at its target.


    But before it could hit the witcher, a gigantic, terrifying squid appeared from the void and pounced at the crane. It wrapped the crane in its tentacles, its suckers sticking to the crane. Shadows danced on the walls, and sounds of chewing filled the air.


    And then silence.


    Roy heaved a sigh, his eyes filled with satisfaction. The witcher sat in a meditation position. Before him stood the statue of a panther and a magical white circle made of specter dust. And then he concentrated on his character sheet.


    ''You have devoured a Demon Crane. +340 to EXP. Level 9 Witcher (6540/6500).''


    "I''m summoning stronger demons now. Devouring them takes more time. Gotta rest." Roy concentrated on the plus sign behind his level.


    ''EXP bar filled. Do you wish to level up? Y/N.''


    <em>Yes.</em>


    Level (9 ¡ú 10) Witcher (40/8500)


    +2 to main stat (Will): 21 ¡ú 23.''


    "Now I gotta farm two thousand EXP to level up. That''s double what I used to do. So the EXP requirements go up every five levels. Leveling up is going to be harder."


    And the next thing he gained from leveling up made him feel conflicted.


    ''You gained a new skill.


    Avarice (Passive): Your witcher level is now at rank one. Low-quality souls do not meet your level-up requirements now. Any soul that grants you less than 10 EXP will give you no EXP at all. But they will heal your HP and Mana instead (Stackable. Can heal minor injuries).''


    "Whoa, so I can''t level up by killing beasts and livestock anymore." It had been a while since Roy farmed EXP that way, but still he shook his head. "Guess I''ll have to kill a drowner or a human at least if I wanna gain EXP now."


    But the recement passive skill surprised him. "At least I can heal my HP and Mana with low-quality souls now. One more way to ensure my survivability. I have one more trump card to use in dire situations."


    He turned his attention downward. Months had passed since he took his second Trial, and some of his lower stats had increased as well.


    ''Roy


    Age: Sixteen years old


    Status: Viper, Manticore, honorary Wolf, knight of Lake Vizima, member of the brotherhood of witchers.


    HP: 310


    Mana: 290


    Strength: 14.5 ¡ú 15


    Dexterity: 15 ¡ú 15.5


    Constitution: 23


    Perception: 11.5 ¡ú 12


    Will: 23


    Charisma: 9


    Spirit: 21


    ¡­


    Massacre Level 7, Observe Level 2, Meditation Level 8, Crossbow Mastery Level 2, Sword Mastery Level 2, Alchemy Level 3, Witcher Signs Level 3, Witcher Senses Level (1 ¡ú 2).


    Griffin Arts Level 6: You now know mutated Signs, Wingp, and Dual Sign.


    Elder Blood (Passive), Trial of the Grasses (Passive), Avarice (Passive).


    ***


    ''(1) skill point remaining. (1) stat point remaining.''


    Roy fell into his thoughts. <em>Jerome said top-level meditation could grant some incredible powers. </em>And Roy''s meditation level was on par with Vesemir¡¯s. Naturally, his skill point would be allocated to Meditation.


    And that was what he did.


    ''Meditation Level (8 ¡ú 9)


    Constitution: 23 ¡ú 23.5


    HP: 310 ¡ú 315


    Spirit: 21 ¡ú 21.5


    Mana: 290 ¡ú 295


    Activate: You now possess a deep grasp on meditation. You havee to see its core.


    A full cycle of meditation (five hours) grants you a charge of Activate. Activate heals you for (50 ¡ú 60)% of your HP and Mana. Activate can heal minor and regr injuries.


    Note: Activate is not stackable and will expire in a day.''


    ***


    A loud explosion rang out in Roy''s head. His pupils dted, and his body felt light, not unlike a snake that had shed its skin. For some reason, excitement welled within his heart. He could hear the song of the stones, the dance of the winds, and theughter of the water all around him.


    All the light around slowly disappeared. Roy wasn''t meditating, but for some reason, he entered the world only meditators could see. He heard the sound of chaos energy. Its slow, stable beat as its particles rubbed against one another. Roy realized this was how elementsmunicated through space and time.


    Colorful particles of elements swam within the void like little fish. The elemental dimensions, once so far, were now pulled ever so closer to him. Temperatures ebbed and flowed, and seasons changed within the dimensions.


    And Roy saw the elementals roaring into the heavens. The godlings were round like balls, the djinns looked like balls of lightning, the nymphs were blue and almost transparent, and the ifrits basked in streams of fire surrounding their bodies.


    He tried to touch them, but then everything disappeared, reced by a yellow ball of light. As Roy stared at it, a sense of familiarity welled within him. He could feel a bond tying him to this ball of light. <em>Is that Letho? He''s meditating?</em>


    Roy approached the ball of light, but then everything went dim. The world around him spun, and the torch''s flickering me hung overhead.


    Cold night winds crossed the cave he was in, waking him up to the real world. Roy felt something missing within him. It was a magical feeling, being in that kind of world.


    "Level nine meditation. End''s meditation is about one level higher. I can''tmunicate with anyone." But it was good enough. Another level up and Roy would achieve Level 10 Meditation, a feat only a select few had achieved.


    ***


    He then allocated his stat point to Will.


    ''Will: 23 ¡ú 24.''


    The three-point increment in Will didn''t bring about any drastic change. All he felt was the air getting thicker. Still, Fear and Suppression had a bit of a powerup.


    ***


    Once again, he turned his attention to his character sheet. <em>Bound weapons.</em>


    Roy grasped the air, producing an exquisite hand-crossbow out of nowhere. It felt as warm as flesh, and its weight was perfect for Roy.


    ''Gabriel


    (You have powered-up Gabriel for the seventh time. You may power up one of the five following affixes [Not including Guided Arrows].)


    Affixes:


    Guided Arrows (Elevated): Costs 20 Mana. Fires an arrow driven by mana. Effective range and armor pierce are increased moderately. Guided Arrows will lock on to your targets. Able to change directions within forty-five degrees.


    Simplify, Blink, Stun Bolt, Ogre''s Fury.''


    ***


    Roy shook his head. After leveling up during the ambush at Kaer Seren, all Gabriel got was a strengthened Guided Arrows. <em>And still no new affix. Do the number of affixes get bottlenecked by theponents that make the weapon?</em>


    <em>But no point agonizing over that. I need to focus on the now. If I power up Simplify, I¡¯ll probably just reduce the weapon''s automatic loading time. </em>It would be a waste of a power up given Roy''s current Dexterity.


    <em>On the other hand, Blink''s power up would probably save me more Mana, but I have nearly 300 Mana, and Activate can heal me for sixty percent of it. That''s more than enough for most battles. Not gonna power this up. A Stun Bolt powerup is probably gonna increase the stun time. An Ogre''s Fury powerup will probably increase my effective range and armor pierce.</em>


    Gabriel was a crucial part of his ranged battle tactics. The weapon didn''t cost much, and its Mana cost was negligible, <em>and </em>its burst damage was great. It was more important than Furyfire or Staticshock. <em>Top of the list of priorities.</em>


    And Roy made his decision.


    ''Ogre''s Fury (Elevated): Gabriel has absorbed and extracted a cyclops'' special tissues. Effective range permanently increased by (50 ¡ú 70) meters. Draw strength permanently increased by (60 ¡ú 80) pounds.


    Draw strength: (120 ¡ú 140) pounds.


    Effective range: (123 ¡ú 143) meters.''


    ***


    "Not bad." Roy tossed Gabriel into the air and tucked it back into his inventory space. "You can break chainmail now."


    ***


    He grasped the air and produced a gleaming de with five star-shaped runes embedded in the center of its fuller.


    ''Steel sword¡ªGwyhyr


    (You have powered-up Gwyhyr for the seventh time. You may power up one of the six following affixes [Not including Suppression].)


    Affixes:


    Cirction, Ignite, Painful Strike, Teleport, Devour


    Suppression (Elevated): You now have twenty points in Will. Suppression can now alter reality on a bigger scale. Every time you swing Gwyhyr, the will of the kill can affect your target''s mind and soul.


    Enemies that have a lower Will than yours will be continuously affected by the will of the kill. Their stats will receive a (minor ¡ú moderate) decrease. Their focus will be exhausted at a faster rate, causing them to lose concentration easily. They will also be afflicted by anxiety, fear, and terror.


    Suppression ignores all defenses, and its effects strengthen over time.''


    ***


    Roy strengthened Devour this time. Gwyhyr started shining blue like it was spitting blue mes. Once the light died out, the de gleamed like it was liquid metal. A sixth star appeared on the fuller, forming the shape of an ouroboros.


    Devour (Elevated): Gwyhyr has absorbed part of the Brewess'' abilities. Every time you damage a target, part of its life force is stolen and stored within the filler.


    When all (5 ¡ú 6) stars are fully lit, you may exhaust them all to cast a powerful energy sh.


    You may also exhaust the energy within these stars to heal yourself for (25 ¡ú 30)% of your HP and heal minor injuries.''


    ***


    Devour''s energy sh was powerful enough to slice off the head of a higher vampire. Now Roy was confident he could cut open draconid hide and bones. <em>I can kill off basilisks and gliding dracolizards easily now.</em>


    ***


    He chose to strengthen Aerondight''s Devour as well. And with that, his level up wasplete.


    Roy looked outside the cave. The skies had darkened, and he stretched his arms. He teleported himself miles away and found himself on a soft bed covered in purple sheets.


    Gryphon let out a mew of surprise and delight. It escaped Lytta''s suffocating embrace and hid behind its master.


    A nasal, drawling voice said, "So, where did you go? It''ste. But if your story''s good, I won''t punish you."


    "I¡ª"


    "Come in here right now." Lytta yanked Roy closer to her.


    ***


    The next morning, Roy quickly left Lytta''s room. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his steps were weak. But he came to the orphanage nheless.


    It was the noisiest time of the day for the orphanage. The kids had just finished their morning exercise and were having breakfast around the table, chatting happily.


    After the new kids had settled in, the orphanage was as bustling as the city''s marketce, though of course there were no screeches of livestock or the performances ofckluster musicians.


    Roy snuck into the crowd and had his breakfast, all the while observing the new kids. Two days had gone by. The new kids were still a little reserved, but Carl and hispanions kept talking to them, and the kids were reacting a lot better now.


    A few of the brotherhood members were around. Vesemir, Letho, Geralt, Kiyan, Felix, and Serrit. Either they were still single, or their lovers were somewhere else on the continent. They spent their days in the new ssroom.


    Lambert, Eskel, Auckes, and Aiden, like Roy, would stay at their lovers'' ce during the night and return when it was time for ss.


    ***


    After breakfast, the children went in different directions. The kids who had been educated for a year went to Geralt''s ss. Geralt wasn''t exactly a man who could produce flowery works, but he was experienced enough to teach the kids basic vocabry andmon sense.


    Once the children had a solid foundation a few years down the road, the witchers would consider sending them to Oxenfurt Academy for further studies.


    The new kids went to the new ssroom, where Kiyan would teach them northernmon speech. Literacy was everything in studying, and nine out of ten new kids were illiterate.


    One good thing about wandering kids was their sense of gratitude. Even though Kiyan looked like something that came out of a nightmare, the kids still respected him, much to the witcher''s delight.


    ***


    Letho was in the alchemy workshop, teaching Vicki, Renee, and Conrad basic alchemy. The kids could make more than ten types of potions themselves, including but not limited to marigold potions and potions that could treat colds, fevers, and coughs.


    They would also help Kanti out in the apothecary shop. Vicki made it her dream to be a potionmaker. A few years down the road, they would either travel to the temple of Melitele to learn from Nenneke or work as assistants in Gorthur Gvaed branches in other cities.


    The witchers had decided on the best spot for the branch¡ªLan Exeter, the capital of Kovir and Poviss. It was a city untainted by the ashes of war. But the witchers had a shortage of manpower, so the branch would have to wait.


    ***


    Vesemir was in the rickety wooden shack. He was wearing his usual grey apron, showing Quintus and Fyodor how to make new items. Months had passed since the children took up cksmithing. They had grown in strength, their arms thicker than their peers¡¯.


    They were Vesemir''s pupils and apprentice cksmiths tutored by witchers. Their skills were just beginning to blossom, and their main job was to work the bellows and do some menial jobs. They were still a long way from bing true cksmiths who could make weapons and armor.


    ***


    Serrit was in the fields, teaching Oreo, Terry, and Bhim how to speed up the process of turning cornstalks into fertilizer for the crops. They were the main providers of the orphanage''s veggies. Most of the crops were for the kids. The remaining corn and beans were used to feed Wilt, Scorpion, and the other horses.


    Their archery and trapmaking wereing in handy. A lot of times, Serrit would take them hunting in the woods. They would get themselves rabbits and other critters. Extra food, so to speak.


    ***


    Roy went to the training spot and saw the apprentices bragging to Felix.


    "We found seven reserve apprentices from the new boys. They''re really interested in swordy, battles, and monsters. They aren''t scared of the stories of drowners, foglets, nekkers, and zeugls. They wanna be a witcher like me. Used to be abused back on the streets, so they wanna grow strong. Their stamina sucks, but that''s because of malnourishment. Their will is strong."


    Carl puffed his chest out and put a hand behind his back. He circled his mentor like he was some sort of grandmaster. "I guarantee they''ll be witchers if you just teach them."


    "Half of the new boys, huh?" Felix took his sunsses off, the light of approval shining in his eyes. He then patted Carl''s head. "Well done, Lemur. Once the boys start training, I shall reward you."


    "Can I join the brotherhood?" Carl pleaded. He stared at Felix and Roy. "I wanna join in on the discussions."


    And Felix gave him a flick on the forehead. "Have you killed a thousand drowners?"


    Carl puckered his mouth and tried to cry.


    "Alright, stop that. I''ll teach you somthing new. A new Sign."


    And Carl''s tears were reced by a smile. He held his mentor''s hand and swung it around before going back to practice with his friends.


    Roy walked along the fence, observing the buildings. The orphanage was perfect. Nearly perfect. <em>All we need is a garden for rare nts. It''s been almost a month since we parted ways with Mousesack. His druid should be here soon.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 445: Evelyn the Druid

    Sunlight shone upon a patch of alder woods. A bald, burly man in sleeveless leather armor crouched over the ground, holding a nt with elongated, bluish-purple leaves and a coro shaped like lips. He shot the apprentice alchemists a questioning look.


    "Verbena. Perennial vascr nt. Commonly found in the wilderness." The light of knowledge shone within the eyes of a blond-haired girl. "Can be crushed and used to stop itching, repel insects, and make antitoxins."


    "Good job, Vicki. I see you haven''t cked off."


    "Can''t you let us have one, Vicki?" A freckled girl stomped her foot, her braids swaying in the air. And she swung her friend''s hand around. "You''ve gotten five questions right. Consecutively. At least give Conrad and me a chance."


    Conrad was a beautiful and fair-skinned boy, and he stared at the ground sheepishly.


    "Oh, sorry. I''ll leave the next one for you." Vicki smiled.


    "No need to apologize." Letho shot Renee a stern look. "Take a page out of Vicki''s book. If you didn¡¯t ck off, you would have known the answers to these questions."


    "But Letho, I''m stupid. I''m not as smart as Vicki."


    "Then all the more reason to work twice as hard. Or do you want to be a farmer instead?"


    "Aww¡­"


    "Next question." Letho whipped out a round, yellowish-brown root. The kids stared at it, but none could recognize it. Not even Vicki. A frown creased her forehead, and she tried to figure out what it was.


    "Um¡­ Umm¡­" Her fists were balled. She noticed the look of anticipation in Letho''s eyes, then she looked at the herb once more. The girl clenched her teeth. "It''s berbercane."


    A hint of disappointment welled in Letho''s eyes. He shook his head and was just about to say the answer, but he never got the chance.


    A silvery voice said, "It''s a crow''s eye."


    Letho tensed up and shot up. He looked behind him, while the kids hid behind his back, looking around cautiously.


    And then two silhouettes appeared. One was in Manticore armor and had two swords strapped to his back. It was a familiar face. Roy.


    But the other was someone the children had never seen before. She was in a green shirt made out of tree bark, her grey hair tumbling down her shoulders. A mistletoe wreath crowned her head, and thedy was slender and as toned as a man.


    An oaken staff was strapped to her back, its tip swaying with every step she took. The scent of nature filled the air around her, attracting all nearby bugs. A moth was perched on her hair.


    "Crow''s eye. Commonly found in wet, humid ces. Improves blood flow and helps with bruises. Can be used to create a substance akin to marigold''s potion."


    Thedy was already a couple of yards away by the time she finished exining. Her face was long, and her skin was fair. Like a dryad, she had green tattoos on her face, but that didn''t cover up her beauty. Even her sweat smelled like fresh grass and old trees.


    "Good morning. I am Evelyn of the Skellige Isles, here in Novigrad on a promise. I shall be helping the brotherhood."


    She extended a hand to Letho without fear or fervor, and the veteran witcher shook it.


    "Wee to the House of Gawain. I am Letho, and these are my apprentices in alchemy: Vicki, Renee, and Conrad."


    The children gave her friendly, curious smiles, and she smiled back at them. The druid signaled to them that she came in peace.


    Letho shot Roy a look, and the young witcher nodded. "Come with me. Everyone will be excited to see you."


    ***


    The other witchers told their apprentices and students to stay put while they went to the conference hall for a weing session.


    A short introductionter, Evelyn found herself to be the center of attention of these witchers, and she frowned.


    ''Evelyn


    Age: Forty-two years old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Druid


    HP: 150


    Mana: 160


    Strength: 14


    Dexterity: 13


    Constitution: 15


    Perception: 13


    Will: 8


    Charisma: 16


    Spirit: 16


    Skills:


    Feral Change Level 4: Druids spend their days observing nature. Eventually, they perfectly grasp a certain animal''s habits ande to possess the ability to transform into one of them.


    Breath of the Wild Level 4: Druids possess incredible perception. They canmunicate with nature and soothe berserking beasts and nts. This ability allows them to induce growth or guide them into attacking any target.


    Regeneration Level 3: Costs a minor amount of mana. Heals minor wounds.


    Elementalist Level 1: Druids are capable ofmunicating with nature. They can tap into nature''s energy, using it to control the weather. They can summon rain, stop storms, rain down hails, and bring down lightning bolts.


    Staff Mastery Level 8


    Others: ?''


    "Incredible." Auckes slicked his hair back and got into casanova mode. Roy had no doubt he would¡¯ve used hair gel if it were avable. "I thought we''d be getting some mustached, crook-nosed, and uptight schr. This is a pleasant surprise. Lytta haspetition now. That''ll show her not to brag about her looks."


    Roy shot him a look.


    "Oh, don''t give me that look, mate. Fine, I won''t talk about her when you''re around," Auckes promised. And then he turned around. "Toote to save him."


    "What''s on the outside matters not," Evelyn said calmly. "What matters is the soul. As long as they love life and nature, we can be friends."


    The witchers exchanged a look. <em>I don''t think we''re gonna get along with her too well.</em>


    "Evelyn, are you a member of Skellige''s circle of druids?" Vesemir asked. He had seen many druids in his life. They were scattered all over the northern realms, and most of them were ancient, but most of them were male. It was rare to see a female duid.


    "Yes. My mentor is Egill. It is through him I learn the ways of nature."


    Roy''s lips twitched, but he held back the urge tough out loud. He knew Egill. In fact, that druid left a deep impression on him. Back in his old world, Roy went through a lot just to make Egill scream in shock.


    Evelyn said calmly, "If it weren''t for your request, I would have remained on the isles for ten more years before I could¡¯ve embarked on my journey across the world to experience the ways nature works in different circumstances."


    She bowed to Roy. "Ah yes. Thank you very much for returning Kunguran''s soul."


    "That''s alright. This is just a transaction. A fair transaction." Roy said, "I hope you won''t get angry at me for making this request."


    A hint of respect welled in Evelyn''s eyes. Fearlessly, she said, "If she is able to be reborn, this much is nothing."


    Everyone else exchanged a furtive look.


    "You seem young." Lambert happily changed the subject. "Younger than thirty, I wager?"


    "Ah, I''m sorry, but it has been more than thirty years since I passed my trial. I am now forty-two." She unstrapped her staff and let it lean on the table. The tip of it was made of polished amber. It gleamed under the light.


    A druid''s staff was no decoration or a mere tool to cast spells with. It could be every bit as dangerous as a witcher''s de. Should a druid wish to, they could crush the skulls of their enemies easily. To an extent, druids were both warriors and spellcasters. Evelyn had higher offensive stats than most spellcasters.


    A certain mage used to train in the circle of druids. Eventually, he came to possess enough power to best even Geralt inbat.


    She looked at the witchers. "This is my first time training outside the circle. I am not as gifted as my peers, but I know my way around botany. Building a botanical garden for rare nts shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Everyone nodded.


    "But you <em>did </em>sign a contract with Mousesack. As such, I have a few requests to make. I hope you can honor that."


    "Of course," Roy said.


    "First, I shall be working from nine to five from Monday to Saturday. I''d like the brotherhood to stay out of my business outside of working hours."


    "Of course. What about amodations then?" Roy looked at everyone, and he nodded.


    "I''m fine either way. The woods, moss, grass, and boulders are the best beds I can ever hope for."


    "Still, we will leave a room open for you. You cane back whenever you like." Roy massaged his temples.


    "Second, I will not allow any interruptions to my work unless there''s reason enough. Any interruption will affect my workflow." She looked at Lambert and Auckes, seemingly seeing through them.


    And the witchers grinned nervously.


    "Hear that, mate?" Aiden shot Lambert a look. "She''s talking about you. Don''t say anything stupid, and keep that affection of yours in check."


    "Ahem. This is a misunderstanding, Evelyn." Auckes and Lambert exchanged a dry smile. And they promised, "We mean you no harm. All we wish is for you to feel wee."


    "Your passion burns hot enough to turn an oak into cinders. Nature prefers bnce, and I prefer a quieter work space."


    The witchers nodded sheepishly and kept quiet.


    "Will you be epting any questions regarding alchemy or herbology then?" Kiyan asked hoarsely, his eyes shining with an almost blinding gleam.


    Evelyn straightened out her crown. She then looked at Kiyan and smiled. "I will answer anything regarding nature."


    ***


    "Third, I believe Mousesack has brought up the creed of druids. I cannot do anything that goes against that creed, and you will not force me into it either, or the contract is void."


    "We do not go back on our word. You can rest easy, Evelyn."


    "That is all, then. I hope we''ll have a happy five years together." Evelyn smiled, but that smile was quickly reced by a stern look. "Now let''s talk business. How would you like the garden to be? The size, the type of nts you want it to contain¡­"


    "We were going to take you on a tour around the orphanage."


    "There will be time for that."


    "Very well." Letho beckoned her. "Thene with me."


    Everyone left the conference hall. Most of the witchers returned to their positions, while Letho, Roy, and the apprentice alchemists led the druid into the woods. About a hundred yardster, they arrived at a two-acrend cordoned off by a circle of wooden fence.


    Most of the weeds were crushed, and the soil was tilled, waiting to be nted with seeds. The corners of the ce were littered with two dozenmon herbs, including arenarias, ribleaves, white myrtles, and marigolds.


    Evelyn went around thend, her frown deepening, and she pursed her lips. "I thought you''d prepare a house or at least a cave. <em>This </em>is your idea of a garden?"


    "Every herb has a different taste for habitat. Some prefer darker ces, some require the sun. We''re amateurs. If we tried setting up a garden without the know-how, we''d end up doing more harm than good." Letho shook his head. "We thought we''d wait for a professional to tell us what they need. <em>Then </em>we can start nning. We have five years to work with, after all."


    "You have a point." Evelyn extended her arm, her fingers weaving through the air. She felt the humidity around her and scooped up a handful of soil. It was then crushed, and she mused, "This makes the cut. Barely. Half a month of cultivation and it should be good enough to house about fifty types of herbs. But first, we need a greenhouse. A good one. The roof must be made of crystal that can filter the sun¡¯s harmful parts out. And the walls need to be at least half a meter thick. But you don''t need to do anything about the ceiling. I''ll make a nt-based one with magic."


    The witchers and the kids nodded and made a mental note of the requirements. All of them were raring to go to work.


    "And we''ll need a pond for aquatic nts."


    Evelyn listed out a dozen requirements, most of them for herbs that required different habitats. Eventually, the framework of their greenhouse started toe alive.


    Letho whipped out a small pouch from his bag of decoctions. "We foraged about two dozen rare herbs'' seeds. Here."


    The witchers hand-picked these herbs. They could be used to make decoctions.


    Evelyn weighed the pouch in her hand and poured the seeds out. Her eyes glimmered, and she sniffed them. "Blood moss, buckthorn, allspice, mandrake¡­ They make the cut. And they can survive in this habitat. But here''s a bonus."


    She spun the amber on her staff around and whipped out a pile of seeds. The children looked at them curiously, and she smiled at them. "A few rare nts from the isles. Perfect for the greenhouse. A meeting gift, so to speak."


    "Thank you."


    "Onest question." She strapped the staff behind her back and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Solemnly, she asked, "Why do you wish to make a garden of rare nts? I need an honest answer."


    Letho tapped the ground with his boots. "To be honest, there''s only one reason a witcher needs herbs¡ªto make healing potions and decoctions we can use inbat."


    Roy said seriously, "Evelyn, we''re no conservationists, nor are we druids. We have no obligation to conserve rare nts."


    Evelyn froze.


    But then Roy said, "But as long as it doesn''t hurt the brotherhood, we can work with you ande up with a n to conserve these nts. It¡¯ll be the minimum, though."


    Evelyn''s eyes shone, and she extended her hand, "In the name of nature, I shall assist the brotherhood in the establishment of this garden."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 446: Work Done

    Dark clouds hung over Cintra, and cold winds blew through its streets. A man in rugged sailor attire twisted and turned within the alleyways of the city. Eventually, he emerged into its marketce, stopping before the stalls that had barely any customers around.


    With a radish in his hand, the man approached the livestock seller. He pretended to munch on it as he eyed the bustling crowd and listened to thetest rumors.


    The livestock merchant¡ªa man with a perpetual squint¡ªsucked on his pipe. "''Tis an odd day. Those soldiers''re starin'' round like the whole street''s filled with robbers an'' the such. Yeh, Midinvaerne''s ain'', but this? I reckon it''s too much. Wonder if we''re gettin'' any more ambassadors."


    "Oy, quiet, you!" The fishmonger put his finger against his lips, a cryptic smile breaking across his lips. "Ya don''t want anyone to hear ''at."


    "What kinda peeps yer talkin'' about?"


    "Use that noggin a'' yours, dipshit! E''er since the South made their move, some suspicious bastards''ve been showin'' up in Cintra. Parasitical bastards. Ain''t got enough guts to fight the troops, so ''ey resort to trickery and lies. I say their punishment is long overdue. To the stakes, I say. Oh, bless His Majesty''s heart. Finally made the right decision."


    ***


    The sailor finished munching his radish. He wiped his sweaty hands on his shirt and scurried away from the marketce.


    On his way to the city gates, he saw armed soldiers patrolling the streets. Every single person who looked and sounded foreign was stopped and interrogated. He saw a few groups of soldiers after traveling a short journey of a few hundred yards. And he saw a skulking hooded man and a merchant with a white hat, gold-rimmed sses, and a Nazairian ent get taken away.


    <em>Dammit.</em> The sailor cursed silently. He then turned his attention to the city gates.


    There, a ck, regal carriage stood. On its sides was a proud Cintran coat-of-arms. A group of knights stood around the carriage. They were muscr and equipped with te armor. And the knights had stares as sharp as a falcon''s.


    The sailor saw¡ªthrough the gold-dotted curtain¡ªthe profile of a regal man. He knew that man. His face was printed on every Cintran coin.


    Security around the city gates was tighter than ever. Before there were only five guards, but now there were fifteen. Even the crossbowmen on the city walls increased by quite a bit.


    Every single person who went in or out was subjected to a thorough check. Any sign of suspicion, and they would be taken to prison like a criminal.


    The sailor mused. <em>Odd. </em>He rubbed his chin and quickly hid under the overhang of the houses standing beside the streets. Through a dark alley he went, and eventually he came to a dpidated two-storey bungalow.


    Just when he was about to go inside and hide for a while, amotion broke out, and his heart sank.


    Three soldiers in chainmail armor were talking with a red-faced man with a beret on his head. The old man was gesticting frantically, obviously describing the looks of a certain person.


    The moment the sailor showed his face, one of the soldiers on the second floor fixed his eyes on him. "He''s there! Get him!"


    The soldiers came after the sailor like wolves. Shocked, the sailor darted into an alleyway. It was rancid and filled with trash, but he didn''t care. The sailor ran for his life, but he couldn''t escape. The soldiers who came after him roared for reinforcements, and their allies on the streets joined the hunt for the sailor.


    "Halt, you scoundrel!"


    "Curse you, spy! May you be cursed with mria!"


    The man''s chest was heaving, and his breathing was ragged. Sweat poured like rain, but eventually, he managed to escape to the port.


    But then a crossbow bolt whizzed through the air and bore a hole on the ground. It grazed his thigh, drawing blood.


    The soldiers at the port came for him, their des gleaming coldly despite the overcast skies.


    Panic welled within the sailor''s eyes. He surveyed his surroundings, but the ships belonged to Cintra. Should he try to escape on one, he would be caught immediately. And the soldiers were closing in. He had no way out.


    No way but the vast ocean stretching before him.


    The sailor clenched his teeth, steely resolve recing the panic in his eyes. "May the gods bless me."


    He charged straight at the port and flung himself into the deep blue. Bubbles popped on the surface for a few moments, and then everything around him disappeared. Slowly but surely, the sailor plunged into the sea, its icy chill engulfing all his senses.


    ***


    A man with gold and grey eyes looked back at Roy in the mirror. Roy wiped the water off his face with a towel, and a smile curled his lips.


    The gorgeous Lytta popped up. She rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed her cheek against his, her arms wrapped around Roy. A simr smile tugged at her lips. Her fiery-red hair brushed across Roy''s cheeks, filling the air with the scent of roses.


    "Going to the orphanage?" She chuckled and wriggled around like a young girl.


    "Yeah. Evelyn''s going to set up the ceiling today. I might have to help her out." Roy leaned back and cushioned himself in Lytta''s chest.


    "I can''t believe you''re going to be a botanist."


    "I have nothing to do right now." Royughed. For the past month, Roy did nothing but build the garden up. He spent most of his time at the orphanage, helping Letho, Evelyn, and the kids out with the fields, pond, and greenhouse.


    Eventually, the fields were modified ording to Evelyn''s vision. Sometimes he would take over the ssroom and tell some stories to the new kids.


    "It''s been a month. What do you think of the druid?" Lytta asked curiously,thering Roy''s face with ayer of cool cream.


    "She doesn''t act like ady, that''s for su¡­ Coral, can you stopthering my face with cream?" Roy turned around,ining. His skin was smoother than most women''s, thanks to his Full Recovery. There was no need for the cream.


    "No. You gotta keep yourself young when you still have time. It will be toote when you¡¯re older. Look at your friends. Their faces are as rough as a cksmith''s whetstone.


    Roy rolled his eyes and gave up arguing with Lytta. There was no point.


    "Back to Evelyn," Lytta happily reminded.


    "She''s more determined than most men. And she''s hardcore, strong, and full of energy. But she doesn''t seem to be interested in anything besides nt stuff. Auckes and Lambert tried to woo her, but you know how that went."


    The overzealous pair tried to ask the druid out for a drink outside working hours, but Evelyn refused. Eventually, she couldn''t stand them anymore. She smacked the witchers with her staff and even posted an announcement outside her abode, prohibiting Auckes and Lambert from getting anywhere near her.


    And Roy remembered something else. Sometimes, Evelyn woulde to the orphanage and observe it in silence. <em>Must be Cnthe''s request. Here to observe the ce, I see. If it passes her evaluation, Ciri cane here to y.</em>


    "That pair of fools aside, <em>you''re </em>staying away from her, got it?" Shethered another type of cream on Roy''s face.


    "Yes, mdy." Roy grinned.


    "You''re still a witcher, don''t forget that. So take these. The boys must be eager to take these."


    Roy received a row of tubes filled with colorful, translucent liquid. "Is this¡­ the pre-Trial?"


    "Yes. Took Kalkstein and me a few months. Once the boys finish all twelve pre-Trials, it''s on to the next step."


    Roy''s heart leapt. <em>So it''s finally time for arge-scale Trial.</em>


    "And bring back some mutagens. We''re running low. The gargoyle heart and transmutation concoction need a lot of mutagens."


    "Thanks for all your hard work, Coral."


    "Oh, someone''s sweet today." Lytta chuckled. A hint of approval shone in her eyes, and she kissed him. "Keep it up, and we can try it out in a tree hole next time."


    <em>Can we even do it in a tree hole? I''d rather do it on a roof at night, or on the balcony in the morning. Or even on a boat on the sea.</em>


    ***


    Roy returned to the orphanage and gave the four boys their pre-Trial. They happily showed it off to the new recruits and gulped the pre-Trial in one go.


    And then they started spasming and foaming at the mouth like patients who had an episode of fits.


    Felix would take care of the rest, while Roy walked through the alder woods that would lead him to the garden.


    The garden had changed a lot,pared to how it was in the beginning. Seeds were nted in more than half the fields, and sprouts were already growing. Roy could imagine them growingpletely in the near future.


    A few wooden stakes stood tall in some spots, providing a ce for climbing nts like conynha and purple living bone to stick to. The lower parts of the stakes were covered in herbs that preferred darker spaces. They would need nothing more than dappled sunlight to survive.


    Roy turned his attention to the pond in the corner. It was more than ten meters in diameter, and nts like sweet g, eelgrass, rough bugleweed, and fish wort were slowly growing within, not unlike baby fish swimming through water.


    The center of the garden, where light shone the most, stood a greenhouse made of wood. It took up a quarter of the garden, and it was home to the nts hardest to grow.


    "Come here, Roy!" Vicki was at the greenhouse''s entrance, waving at Roy. Her hair swayed, her sweat glistening under the sunlight.


    Renee, Conrad, Oreo, Terry, and Bhim were staring at the top of the greenhouse in excitement.


    Roy approached the greenhouse, and Letho nodded. Kiyan, Auckes, and Serrit were around. The young witcher looked into the greenhouse.


    <em>It''s spacious.</em>


    Evelyn was standing under the roof, her eyes closed. Her arms were spread, and she looked like she was feeling something. The druid looked like an oak covered in vines, surrounded by mountain Apollos, pale owl butterflies, and bees.


    Beneath her feet stood petite boxes filled with soil, and sprouts grew within.


    Roy took a quick look and saw five-leaf melilotes, a cluster of puffheads, sawcuts with ck, arrow-shaped leaves, pondblood mosses that resembled feathers, raven''s eyes with gleaming tubers, mousetail-orchids that had striped petals, reachclusters, which were the best ingredients for antidotes, and more.


    There were about thirty types of them there. "A few more years, and we''ll have all the ingredients we need for most decoctions."


    And Evelyn suddenly moved. She swung her arms backward like a crane fluttering its wings. A few seeds fell to the ground, and the witchers'' medallions hummed insanely, not unlike birds trying to flutter away.


    Lights of magic blinked furiously, and a gleam of green flowed from Evelyn. The kids'' eyes went wide, and their jaws dropped.


    A web of magic spread through the greenhouse, the druid acting as its center. The web rained down on the seeds she just nted. Green threads connected her to the nature around her, and something magical happened.


    Nature''s magic blessed the seeds with the power of growth. In but a single moment, sprouts broke through the soil, reaching for the air. It was just a blink of an eye, but already the seeds had aplished a few years'' worth of growth.


    Green vines broke through the ground, reaching and soaring into the sky. An invisible hand pushed them toward the walls at the top of the greenhouse, burying themselves within the cracks of the wood, merging the two of them together. With that done, the lower parts of the vines were pulled out and shot into the air. They met in the center, forming a green canopy with small cracks between the vines.


    Evelyn heaved a long sigh of relief. She tensed up and knelt on one knee for one moment. And then she fell forward, her forehead drenched in sweat.


    Roy cast Observe. He then found out Evelyn''s Mana was exhausted after that short process. Now she was in a state of stupor.


    The kids and Kiyan held her up. Evelyn gave them a smile of gratitude and started meditating.


    Auckes and Lambert shook their heads, sighing in disappointment. "I can''t believe it. She won''t even give us a second of her time, but she''d happily chat with the ugliest of the team?"


    "Ah, shut it, gruesome twosome. Kiyan''s soul shines, and that''s what she cares about. Now get these crystals up there." Letho whipped out a bunch of diamond-shaped crystals. The four witchers climbed up the walls like spiders and embedded these crystals within the cracks of the vines.


    It was the best they could do. Covering the whole top of the greenhouse with crystals would waste too much money. The next best thing was to have a druid make them a magical vine roof they could adjust anytime they wanted.


    These crystals would filter the harmfulponents of the sun out and provide the nts with enough light to grow and prosper.


    ***


    Everyone looked around the greenhouse, happy with how it turned out.


    "Thank you, Evelyn. Thanks to you, our garden finally looks presentable." The witchers thanked Evelyn, and so did the children.


    "This is my job. And growing nts is training for me as well." She leaned on the wall and took a deep breath. The scent of nts made her lips curl in delight. "And now we''ve finished the hardest part. All I have to do now is cultivate and expand. For convenience''s sake, I shall be staying in the garden."


    "Evelyn, can Ie here, then?" Vicki requested.


    "Of course, kids. Learning more about nts helps with alchemy. And you too, Kiyan. You''re always wee." She beamed at Kiyan. A hint of¡­ something else shone in her eyes. She didn''t mind his grotesque look. "As for everyone else, do not disturb me unless absolutely necessary."


    Kiyan rubbed the back of his head and smiled dumbly. He looked sheepish for once.


    "Let''s go, kids. Nothing to see here." Auckes and Serrit exchanged a look. <em>Well, not much we can do here. </em>They picked up their hoes and led their apprentices back to the fields at the orphanage.


    Roy and Letho exchanged a look. They reached the same conclusion.


    Fate was amusing in its own cryptic ways. A disfigured witcher found himself a possible soulmate in the druid.


    ***


    And that was the end of the garden''s affairs. Once Roy returned to the orphanage, he and Felix set up a training regime. The boys had recovered from their pre-Trial. They, the new recruits, and Carl were taken to the marsh in Toussaint. First, the witchers had to hunt for mutagens, and second, they wanted to train these newbies.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 447: Training

    Ponds of Sansretour Marsh, glimmering under the great blue sky. Mountains stood on both sides, surrounding the sanctuary belonging to the wilderness. Beasts basked in the kiss of the gentle breeze. A fawn was drinking from a pond, but all of a sudden, it looked around cautiously, its ears twitching.


    A sound. A quiet sound. And yet enough to break the silence of this haven. The fawn crouched and turned around to escape.


    Two muscr witchers with two swords on their backs walked across the soft earth, closing onto the river shores.


    Twelve shorter silhouettes carefully followed them, never stepping off the trails they left behind. Despite there being fourteen of them, there were only a couple lines of footprints.


    The children stared around, anxious and curious. "Are we there yet?"


    "Calm down, Lemur." Felix took his sunsses off and gave his student a warning look. "Your job is to look after these kids. Keep quiet and don''t let them run off on their own."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Felix grinned, a hint of resignation shing in his eyes. <em>If Carl hadn''t killed all the nekkers around Novigrad, I wouldn''t have to open a portal to Toussaint just to train these kids. And I even had to ask Roy for help just in case.</em>


    ***


    A tiny grey speck appeared in the sky, and it closed the distance at a blistering speed. Eventually, Roy saw a fatughing kookaburra with a brown head flying toward them. It circled overhead,ughing loudly as if trying to say hi.


    Roy''s lips curled, and he turned around. The boys noticed a cryptic smirk tugging at his lips.


    "Your quarry is here, and more than one."


    The kookaburra guided them about two hundred yards east. Eventually, they tensed up and quietly moved from the cattails to the willow tree.


    A ck, rotten log slept in the marsh. Around it were three bizarre, hideous humanoid monsters, walking aimlessly. They wore not an inch of fabric, their greenish-ck skin gleaming under the sun. Their limbs were covered in scales, and webs filled the cracks between their fingers and toes.


    Sharp nails extended from the end of their fingertips like knives, and their teeth were as sharp as broken ss. Their eyes were bulging and white, not unlike cataracts.


    A boy with a bowl cut looked horrified. His teeth were chattering, and his body was quivering. "I-Is that¡­"


    "Quiet. Don''t alert them." Roy cast a sign on the boy, calming him down. "Carl, preparations."


    "Yes, sir!" The boy nodded. He then whipped out a dose of Thunderbolt, hispanions staring at him curiously.


    The boy gulped down his decoction, and ck veins popped on his face. A reddish hue took over his face, and his breathing turned ragged. His fists were balled, his eyes filled with determination.


    Half of the kids were envious, while the other half looked respectful.


    ***


    "Sir, are drowners what dead humans be?" a green-eyed boy asked.


    "No. They''re far more terrifying than that. Drowners live near bodies of water and move in groups. They will attack anything thates remotely near them." Felix curled his fingers up and put on a fierce expression. There was a growl in his voice when he spoke, sending chills down the children''s spines. "These monsters will drag their prey into the water and drown them before they tear them into tiny, digestible chunks. Then they''ll eat them like snacks."


    The kids gulped. Most people went their whole lives never even seeing a drowner once, and these kids were already experiencing something so nightmare-inducing.


    "What if they spot us?"


    Felix shot Carl a look, and the boy exined, "All of you have just started training. If you run into a drowner, run."


    Carl spoke in a whisper. "But remember, drowners can move as fast as an adult onnd. They have fangs and talons, and they aren''t scared of pain. Immune to most poisons and won''t bleed even when wounded. They have shit for brains, so don''t even try talking to them. They''ll turn you into lunch given half a chance. But they have weak eyesight. If you''re about twelve yards away from a drowner, it''ll still lose sight of you. Even in daylight. And they''re scared of fire. Once you learn Igni¡­"


    The kids nodded.


    "Theory without practical work is only half the fight. You''ll see how a drowner fights real soon." Roy smiled gently. "It''s a newbie killer, so watch out. But first, let''s see how many of these we''re dealing with."


    Roy grabbed a rotten piece of wood and shot it in the drowners'' direction. It fell into the water, and the drowners stared at it for a moment before they pounced on it. At the same time, bubbles appeared on the surface of the marsh. Two more drowners broke out of the water and ran around like headless chickens. But their eyesight was so bad they couldn''t even see the humans standing about twenty yards away from them.


    "Five, maybe more." Roy and Felix exchanged a look. With them around to protect the kids, their safety should be no problem.


    "Carl, you deal with the ones on the left."


    "Leave them to me." The boy held his sword.


    "Monti, Acamuthorm, ude, Charname, you guys deal with the ones in the center. Use what you''ve learned in your training. You passed your pre-Trial¡ªpissed your pants doing so, but that''s not the point¡ªso this should be no problem for you."


    The reserve apprentice took a deep breath and nodded. They too held their swords.


    "And you guys are taking down the one on the right."


    "I-It''s a little too fast, sir. It hasn''t been a month since we came." The new recruits were pale as bone. Their voices were breaking, and all of them almost cried. The oldest of them was only nine, and these monsters were a nightmare to them. It took them everything just to stay around.


    "You know, just think of them as the bullies who kicked you down before. Now you guys can take them down. Seven to one. Nothing to be worried about. You''ve grown a lottely. Gained a dozen pounds. You can take on that bastard. Or are you too chicken to even fight back?"


    Felix''s pep talk worked. The boys regained some color. They <em>did </em>run into a lot of bullies during their days of wandering. Fights were part and parcel of that life, though most of the time, they were nothing but punching bags.


    "Alright. The drowner''s my enemy. The drowner''s my enemy."


    "It''s that bastard who called me names¡­ That bastard who called me names¡­"


    The newbies muttered and held their practice swords so tightly their joints paled. They tried to assume a stance, but there were still ws from theirck of training. These practice swords were more like bats to them.


    "I''m going in." Carl pursed his lips. Even after facing and killing more than fifty drowners before, he still took these enemies seriously. Carl clumsily made a Quen sign and covered himself with a shield.


    And then he stood up. "Come get me, shit-for-brains!"


    The drowners turned around and pounced at him like panthers attacking their prey.


    Carl unsheathed his de and swung it around. With one hand holding the de, Carl slowly approached the drowners on the left, ignoring everything else on the right. Orders were orders, and he trusted that the veteran witchers would deal with any emergency.


    Carl''s friends tailed behind him, holding their swords tightly. Their attention was focused solely on the two drowners in the middle.


    The other kids stared at one another. Eventually, the tallest one shouted mommy for some reason before he charged straight in.


    Carl approached his targets and shoved Aard into their faces. An air current mmed into the head of the one on his left, and it fell back down. <em>One left.</em>


    The one before him was about his size. It opened its maw and tried to tear Carl apart. The rancid stenching from its mouth almost made Carl hurl, but he held it in. The boy thrust his sword up like it was a spear. A white sh zipped through the air, and Carl''s de charged into the drowner''s brain.


    The de was buried deep within the monster''s head, but Carl pulled it back out with ease. <em>First one down.</em> Carl remained calm. He ced all his weight into his right foot and swung his de from left to right.


    The drowner got back up just in time.


    To die.


    Carl''s de sliced through its neck, and the drowner fell. It spasmed and wriggled, but death would im it soon enough. Carl stepped on its belly, holding his sword up high.


    ***


    The two drowners fell back down screaming and shouting. Roy pulled his hand back and shook his head. "Your target is here."


    He moved away and let the apprentices enter the battlefield. Two of them took the vanguard position, while the others were in the rear guard. It was a dangerous battle, especially for Monti and the apprentices. This was their first true battle against a monster, and their fear made them throw all their training out the window.


    They kept swinging their swords around randomly in hopes to get a lucky strike, but nothing. Luck didn''t stand with them. All they managed to do was graze the monster''s torso and legs.


    The monsters pounced, their ws extended. Screeches and shouts filled the air, greed contorting their faces.


    Acamuthorm and ude froze in fear, and the monsters pinned them to the ground. Their des had flown away and were buried in the ground, and their backs were covered in soil.


    The monsters wed away at their armor. They failed to hurt the boys, but the boys couldn¡¯t break free of them either. These monsters were far too heavy for them to handle.


    Ever so slowly, the drowners got closer to the boys, their teeth grinding together. Rancid drool fell on the boys'' faces, horror filling their eyes.


    Acamuthorm and ude tried to stop the drowners with their arms, but that barely did anything. For the first time in their lives, they felt death breathing down their necks.


    Just when they thought they were done for, Monti and Charname brought their des down onto the drowners'' necks and clung onto them like little boa constrictors. It took a lot of effort, but they managed to break the drowners'' grip on their friends.


    The boys gulped for air and backed away like terrified puppies, but then a thunderous roar boomed, "Don''t retreat! Attack!"


    And the boys calmed down. Eventually, they recollected themselves and searched for the drowners'' weaknesses. They retrieved their des and got back up, and by instinct, the boys assumed a stance. Two shes of silver arced through the air and sliced the drowners'' eyes.


    ***


    "Hm?" Roy turned his attention to the deeper parts of the marsh. There, something else stirred. Something that made his medallion hum.


    Violent ripples spread across the marsh, and a creature broke through the mud''s surface. An ancient hag with spikes on its back. Its skin had patches of green and red on it, its teeth were broken, and it had talons for nails. And it had a face not even a mother could love.


    "We have a water hag here. Sorry, but no drop-ins allowed for this ss." Roy''s face fell.


    Something zipped through the air, and the water hag froze. A crimson patch of blood bloomed on its forehead. It let out a scream as it teetered backward.


    The water hag turned into mud and tried to escape, but Roy teleported to it right away. Crimson tentacles appeared from behind him and charged right at the water hag. They pulled it up into the air, and Roy swung his de through the air.


    It sliced the water hag''s neck like it was butter, and only a headless corpse remained. The water hag''s head rolled over to his feet.


    ''Water hag killed. EXP +180. Level 10 Witcher (580/8500).''


    ***


    Thest drowner was surrounded by the seven new recruits. Its jaw dropped, and it turned its head around, trying to decide which kid to attack first.


    The children were observing it as well. There was fear and anxiety in their eyes, but they tried to unsheathe their des nheless. Oddly enough, unsheathing their des was a simple thing to do before the battle, but now they couldn''t do it no matter what. It felt like their des were stuck in their sheaths, and all of them were shivering like it was negative twenty degrees.


    Even a grown man would lose his mind when he was met with a drowner, let alone children. They were petrified, and their fingers were trembling.


    "Save me!"


    The first boy to attack the drowner broke down the fastest, and he ran. His friends backed off slowly, using their practice des as mere crutches.


    The drowner''s eyes shone, and it leapt on the boy who ran away first, easily catching up to him. Children were a lot slower than drowners, after all. Then it pounced on the child like he was a chick, and the boy fell face first to the ground.


    "Mommy!"


    An air current mmed into the drowner. It tumbled back and was stunned for a few moments.


    "Stop shivering and attack!" Felix stood by the boy. He gave the child the sternest stare he could muster and slit his neck with his hand.


    Takuma thought the witcher was even more terrifying, so he mustered his courage and approached the drowner.


    He tried to attack, but all he managed was a weak hit, and then he became the next victim. The drowner pounced at him, but Felix sent it flying with another st of Aard.


    This became a cycle. Two minutester, all the kids had been attacked by the drowner, and all were bruised and covered in soil. Their fear slowly faded after the drowner attacked them. Now they had made up their mind to attack the monster instead.


    They gnashed their teeth and growled like wolves. Then one of the children hollered, and all of them went in for the kill. They hugged the drowners like kos hugging an eucalyptus tree, and their sheer weight was enough to make the drowner fall.


    It fell backward, but still it tried to break free. The drowner kicked the soil and breathed heavily, but that was thest thing it did. Felix''s barrage of Aards had destroyed its innards, and finally, the boy who ran away first became the one who ended its life.


    Felix shot him a warning look, and the boy¡ªwith trembling hands¡ªburied his de in the drowner''s eyes.


    The moment it died, the drowner actually smiled a little.


    And the children let it go. They plopped down on the ground, retching away. They were covered in sweat and mud, their tears streaming down their cheeks, but they were excited. And they were also shuddering.


    Eventually, the realization of what they did dawned on them.


    "We did it! We killed that bastard!"


    "Congrattions on your first blood, chickens." Felix smiled. "A bit of a rocky start, but you did it. Barely. Now do you get it? The moment you buckle, you die. But if you work together, you can still bring this thing down."


    "W-We get it¡­"


    "Can we go home now? I need to shower. My clothes are dirty."


    "I''m starving."


    The kids rubbed their bruises and pleaded with Felix.


    "No." Felix turned his attention to the other side of the battlefield. There was a pile of monster corpses beside him, and he was teaching the apprentices how to loot them for spoils. "This is far from over. We have a few more things to teach. Nowe with me. We''re ying a game." He whipped his short sword out and swung it around as he cut open the drowner''s belly.


    And then the children were exposed to the insides of a dead drowner. The steaming hot, disgusting, rancid insides.


    They puked.


    "The more you puke now, the more you can eatter."


    ***


    The next few days would be a bizarre adventure for the children.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 448: Away and Return

    Vizima basked in the dim rays of dawn''s sunshine. Humidity hung in the air, filling it with the scent of petrichor and cool morning mist. A carriage came from the far west. It traveled across rural Vizima and the suspension bridge over theke. Into the trade quarter it went, and a group of fully-armed soldiers escorted it to Foltest''s castle in the north.


    A muscr, hook-nosed man in a blue coat emerged from the carriage and looked around him. Lake Vizima unfurled before the man, glimmering peacefully under the sun. <em>But there will be a great battle awaiting me in that castle.</em>


    ***


    The king of Temeria took his ce behind the long table. A crown sat atop his head, and a cape billowed behind his back. He held the armrest with one hand and rested his chin on the other as he stared at his guest arrogantly.


    Adda stood on his right, keeping her silence.


    "Cintra is home to the bravest people on the continent. Your soldiers are famous for their unyielding spirit. You and the Lioness of Cintra are more than capable of leading your army to victory in any battle against those southern ruffians."


    "Your Majesty, you tter me." Eist looked at Foltest, trying to see through him. "You must have already sent your scouts to Amell by now. It is obvious the Nilfgaardians are far more powerful than we imagined. I believe you are wise enough to realize Cintra isn''t the only kingdom they''re after."


    "And what of it? The Nilfgaardians will see that passing Yaruga is an impossible task. That river is under <em>our </em>control. We control the riverbanks and all its routes. Skellige, Cidaris, and Verden surround us, keeping us safe. Those Nilfgaardian¡­ runts, should they try to cross the river, will soon find out it''s a path of no return. If we stop their kingdom from providing any supplies to them, then that will be it."


    Foltest spoke with confidence, like he didn''t care about Cintra''sing disaster. Like their fall would not affect Temeria at all.


    Eist looked outside the window and took a deep breath. Raindrops started falling, pelting the window. The sound of it frustrated the king a little. "I am a man of the isles, and we don''t like beating around the bush. I''ll cut to the chase. Cintra might be home to the bravest people on the continent, but ournd isn''t big enough. We do not have enough soldiers to fend off Nilfgaard''s iing army. We are simply outnumbered."


    "But you still have Skellige on your side."


    Thunder boomed across the firmament, bolts of lightning swimming among the dark clouds.


    "<em>Only </em>Skellige," Eist said loudly. "To be honest, even with our troops, the possibility of Cintra falling remains high. You should know that Temeria can''t sit idly by as this happens." Eist paused for a moment. It was a hard task to do, but in the face of that dark future, he must do it. "Cintra is a strategic location for the southerners. We too control part of the river. If the Nilfgaardians were to take us, it would be a threat to all the northern realms. They will have a base to operate. To send in countless soldiers to battle us. They wille for yournd, people, economy, and even culture. But if Cintra''s defenses are strong enough to hold them off, the southerners can never gain any ground in the north."


    "I do not deny that." Temeria frowned. "That''s why despite my council''s repeated protests, I agreed to this meeting."


    "I''ll save the formalities, then." Eist said, "It is my wish that you send your troops to reinforce Cintra."


    "You do understand that I do not have any reason to agree to that." Foltest''s eyes shone. "I''ve heard of your conference with the other kingdoms. Toussaint, Cidaris, Brugge, even your vassal state, Verden, and even Lyria and Rivia, the kingdom under Queen Cnthe''s rtive''s rule, refused to form an alliance."


    Eist''s face fell.


    "Redania, Aedirn, and Kaedwen didn''t even bother replying. I too have sent them letters borating the severity of the situation we''re in, but still they refused to work with me. So tell me, why should I ask my soldiers to sacrifice themselves for a war that gues any other country that is not Temeria? For some potential threat?"


    And Foltest finally got to the chase. "Our kingdoms are not friendly enough for me to send any reinforcements. Unless you choose to be our vassal state."


    "Your Majesty!" Eist''s face turned red with anger, and he balled his fists. "Cintra is a free, sovereign kingdom. We will not submit to any other nation, be it Nilfgaard or any other kingdom. But we are not averse to a partnership. You have to understand that the people of Cintra will not acknowledge any ruler that isn''t a part of the royal family. As of current, my only heir is Ciri, my granddaughter. And as far as I''m concerned, Princess Adda is your only sessor."


    And then Foltest turned red with anger as well.


    "But I would never have you help for free. We''re willing to pay for your army." Before Foltest could fly into a rage, Eist said, "I would like to hire your troops to help us fend off the Nilfgaardian army."


    "I would have kicked you out of this room had you made that offer one year ago." Foltest switched positions. He put one hand on his knee and rubbed his chin with the other, a pensive glint glimmering in his eyes. "But I''d be willing to consider that offer, given our current situation. So how much are you willing to pay, and how many soldiers do you want?"


    "Ten thousand. Cavalry and infantry. We will be paying for all the expenses during the war. All ording to Temeria''s military expenditure. And we''ll also be bearing all indemnity. And on the name of my family and kingdom, I swear, as long as Cintra stands, the southerners will never step foot in Temeria."


    Foltest shook his head without even thinking. "That''s a bit too much, don''t you think? Ten thousand is not possible. The war hasn''t even reared its head. I cannot give away that many soldiers. Three thousand, at most. And I decide what kind of units will be sent. And since you''re treating my soldiers as mercenaries, they should be paid ordingly. Generously. But we''ll go into detailter."


    Eist heaved a sigh of relief, but he put on a solemn look right away. <em>The real battle ising. I need to hold my ground. Cannot let Cnthe down.</em> He looked outside the window. The winds had stopped howling, and the dark clouds were slowly disappearing.


    <em>***</em>


    "Triss, Keira, Fercart, have a seat." Foltest spoke, his voice delighted. The king was rubbing the amber on his ring, and it glimmered the way Foltest''s eyes glimmered with excitement.


    On the other hand, sweat was pouring down Eist''s forehead, and he looked like he was flinching.


    Sitting before them was a copy of the agreement they made.


    "Eist and I havee to an agreement. I shall be sending my troops to Cintra soon," Foltest announced. "If the southern runts wish for war, then war is what they will get. I am a proponent of peace, but if violence is what they choose, then we shall show them what we are made of. s, now wee to the difficult part. Aside from the soldiers, we also require a mage to go along. Does one of you wish to undertake this task?"


    Temeria shot a look at Eist. "This is quite the difficult task, and you will be paid handsomely. Eist will not spare any expenses in this, you have my word."


    The mages fell into silence. Any sane mage would never have offered to fight in a war. Even if they wanted to, at least they would send a man. Or that was what Keira thought.


    She had been keeping an eye on Triss. <em>Oh god. She''s pursing her lips. And she''s looking straight at Foltest. I have a bad feeling about this.</em>


    And then, Triss took a step forward. She pinched the edges of her dress up and curtsied. "Your Majesties, I am willing to undertake this task. I shall assist Cintra in fending the southerners off."


    "Are you sure, Triss?" Foltest looked at Triss''s chest. There was a hint of regret in his eyes. <em>Shame. Haven''t gotten to kiss her yet.</em>


    Triss nodded, memories flooding her mind. <em>Roy told me I would fall in the Battle of Sodden Hill. If his prophecy is true, then this war in Cintra should not be the end of me. </em>It was stupid reasoning, but that was all Triss had. <em>I wonder how he''s doing.</em>


    <em>***</em>


    Roy was in the undergroundb, watching Lytta perform her experiment.


    The light of the brazier shone upon a moss-covered, round-bellied gargoyle with a pair of disproportionately small wings. It was circling a dried fountain slowly, its eyes glinting green. Every step it took was slow. Heavy. Clumsy. It made the ground shake a little.


    But all of a sudden, it fluttered its wings and disappeared into thin air. A momentter, it reappeared near a wooden dummy ten yards away. The gargoyle sliced it in half with its ws easily, then it crouched and spat a burst of green acid at the remaining half of the dummy.


    The wood hissed and roiled. Smoke billowed in the air as the corroded wood melted.


    A p echoed in the air, and the gargoyle waddled to the corner of theb, where a woman in a ck dress stood. It crouched down and let her pet its head, then the woman pped her hands again. This time, the light in the gargoyle''s eyes dimmed, and it plopped down onto the ground.


    "Never thought you''d be an expert in gargoyles." Roy approached the mage and held her in his embrace, his eyes twinkling. "That was stronger than the one in theke."


    "That gargoyle had existed for a century. Its heart was heavily damaged, which then impacted the gargoyle''s strength." A smile curled her lips. "But this one¡­ This one I made from scratch. It''s as good as new. Cost me two thousand crowns, but it''s more than worth it. The gargoyle can run for a hundred years at no extra cost. The best and most reliable bodyguard you could get."


    Roy carefully approached the gargoyle and tapped its skin, but the statue didn''t move an inch.


    "Don''t be nervous. I''ve whitelisted everyone in the orphanage. It won''t hurt you no matter what. But tell the more¡­ hyperactive ones not to treat this as a training machine. It''s not a kid''s toy."


    They talked about the transmutation concoction for a bit before Lytta returned to her research, while Roy hurried back to the orphanage.


    ***


    Eskel was staring at the surprise guest who hade earlier. He had eyes like a witcher. Wild eyes the color of indigo. But his clothes were tattered like a tramp¡¯s, and he smelled like sweat and rotten food. A gleaming griffin medallion hung around his neck. He took a look around the ssrooms and workshop, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. All the kids frowned when they smelled the odoring from him.


    <em>I can''t believe this is a Griffin. I thought they were supposed to be knights. But this? This looks like a tramp.</em> Eskel turned around. Coen was standing behind the man. It had been two months since he left, and now he too looked like a tramp. His clothes were tattered, and he smelled rancid. And yet he looked energized, his colorful eyes dazzling like stars in the sky.


    <em>If Igsena finds out her boyfriend looks like a homeless guy, she''s probably gonna kill that old Griffin. And she''s the future star of the ballroom. Might bring her friends along for the beating too.</em>


    "You did it, mate!" Roy shouted with delight. He waved at the witchers and looked at Jerome, a smile curling his lips.


    And then the witchers took a seat beneath the stakes. All the apprentices were taken away for training. Felix was leading them. After killing some drowners and swimming in pools of excrements in Toussaint, they were a lot braver now.


    "So, where have you been thesest two months, Coen?" Roy looked at Coen. <em>Man, his face is covered in soil and grime.</em>


    "I took Jerome to Kaer Seren. Then I came all the way back here."


    "Long trip." Eskel cocked his eyebrow.


    "We spent all our time making the journey. Except during meditation." Coen said, "At least it amounted to something.


    He exchanged a look of camaraderie with Jerome.


    "We thought things through, and we decided to pick ourselves back up."


    Jerome nodded. This time, his eyes were not filled with despair and death. There was a hint of life in them, and sometimes, Roy swore he saw determination shing in them. And no longer was Jerome skin and bones. He had more flesh on his bones now.


    Roy nodded.


    "Did we get new kids?" Coen balled his fists.


    "Yep. Thirty of them. We have fifty kids now."


    "There are boys and girls here." Jerome asked, "You gonna train them all to be witchers?"


    "Only twelve are undergoing witcher training at the moment." Roy and Eskel exchanged a look of pride. "But we promise there''ll be more soon."


    "Didn''t think there''d be a witcher organization still expanding today." Jerome shook his head, but he was praising them. "You''re creating a miracle."


    "So, what is your decision?" Roy looked at the Griffins.


    "I''ll join the brotherhood. So will Coen." Jerome held his right fist with his left hand tightly. He then gave Eskel and Roy a look of plea. "But I hope you will search for End," he requested hoarsely. "I don''t care if you fail. And Coen told me you have a clue about his whereabouts."


    "Yes, but we''ll need the Book of Shadows for that. And you''ll have to help us out, Jerome."


    "Are we starting right now?"


    "My suggestion? Rest for the day. Get changed." Roy looked at their tattered clothes and shook his head. "If Igsena sees you in this state, she''s going to put you through the wringer."


    Horror filled Coen''s eyes.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 449: To Amell

    Jerome was lying in his bed. At the moment, he was staying in a two-story house in Novigrad''s slums. His room was stark, but it was clean. And his eyes were on the dimly-lit skies outside. It took five big buckets of hot water and a lot of shaving to wash off his stubborn grime and perk him up.


    He could pass for a regr human now, but his gaunt visage and wild eyes told everyone he was a seasoned monster hunter. A man filled with sorrow.


    For the first time in forever, Jerome changed into clean clothes. No longer was his bed made of cold haystacks and flea-ridden, tattered bedsheets. He spent many nightsmenting the machinations of fate.


    All his life, he abided by the knight¡¯s code. Since he left Kaer Seren at fifteen years of age, Jerome traveled thends alone. He killed many monsters for the people of the continent, and some he did for free. Mostly, he took reduced payment. Drastically reduced payment. He never did anything evil, yet he was the one who took all of fate''s punishment. He was tortured, his home was destroyed, and his friends and family were taken away from him.


    And then he asked himself, <em>Is this what kindness gets in return? </em>He started questioning if his past acts of kindness were right. His faith in the creed started to waver. Jerome even started questioning if good or evil had meaning. The conflict between his doubts and faith tortured him even until this day, but in the two months he spent with Coen, he knew there was one thing he must do.


    He must find End and seek the answers he wanted.


    "Don''t look for me." That was what End told him.


    "Sorry, End." Jerome sighed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "But sometimes, answers are more important than survival."


    ***


    The orphanage was draped in a nket of mist. A sliver of dawn had broken through the darkest night, and five witchers trekked down a quiet street in Novigrad. They made their way to the southwestern area of the business district. The area ruled by Gawain.


    "So, Coen, did Igsena kick your buttst night?" Lambert pressed down on his hairline, as if it would stop receding if he did so. "You smelled like trashst night. If I were her, I''d have broken up with you."


    "Roy told her about it, and I didn''t break my three-month promise." Coen had changed into a beautiful jacket, and a bag was thrown over his shoulder, swaying with every step he took. "And Igsena''s a gentle soul. She understands what I had to do."


    "Then cherish her," Letho said. "Don''t be like Dandelion."


    "What happened to him?"


    "Heard Prisci wouldn''t talk to him for a week."


    Everyone stayed silent, then they turned their attention to the row of houses before them. The houses stood in a line, their roofs pointing to the skies like mountains.


    "Are you sure thatdy can divine End''s whereabouts?" Jerome¡ªwho was in grey armor¡ªasked nervously.


    "Fifty-fifty chance." Roy looked at Coen''s bag. "Book of Shadows is written by End. He brought it along on his adventures for a hundred years. That things shares a bond with him. Even if it doesn''t work, we still have you. You''re his Unexpected Child. You too share a deep bond with him. Probably why he contacted you. The Book of Shadows and you are the two things that can help him out. It''s like a lighthouse on the sea. It makes the search a lot easier."


    Jerome calmed down a little.


    Roy had a third n in mind. A n he hadn''t told anyone. <em>Empathic probe. Jerome became End''s student thanks to the Law of Surprise. There''s a bond between them. I can use this as a backup n.</em>


    ***


    Corinne was doing the split on the second floor''s balcony, a yoga mat spread underneath her. And she bent to the sides, her clothes tugging on her curves. Her curves made a beautiful S shape, something that was sure to attract most men''s eyes. Sweat hung on her face, and her cheeks were as red as blooming roses.


    She then bent her body to the left, her ribs almost sticking to her thigh, her fingertips touching her toes. And then she looked down and saw the witchers who appeared before the alleyway in front of her door. Her first reaction was to gasp in shock, but then she shook her head. <em>Things are different now. I don''t have to live in hiding anymore, even if I''m an oneiromancer.</em>


    ***


    "Good morning, Corinne. It''s been six months, but you''re more beautiful than ever."


    The oneiromancer came to the first floor, where the witchers were. She had changed into a low-cut orange dress with some flowers embroidered on its sleeves and hem. It showed most of her skin, and her grey hair tumbled down her shoulders.


    Just like a sorceress, she wore clothes that showed off her body, but the magic on her felt a lot weaker. Lambert kept giving Roy weird looks, but the young witcher ignored him.


    "I can see you''ve be stronger, Roy." She extended her hand for the young witcher to kiss, then Corinne served some tea and looked at her guests gently.


    "How''s life? Is work going well?" Roy sipped some tea.


    "Thanks to you, Gawain has been nice to me. Nobody harasses me anymore." Corinne took the seat across the witchers and crossed her legs. Then she gave the witchers a smile of gratitude. "The business district is home to the wealthy. Work''s easy, and I make even more money than before. Life''s pretty good."


    "Good to hear." Roy smiled. It was delightful to hear that someone''s life turned for the better because of him. Doubly so when said person was a beautiful and gifted woman like Corinne. "If you run into any trouble, you know where to find us."


    Corinned grinned toothily. She stood up and bowed deeply at the witchers, revealing her deep cleavage in the process. Coen looked away. Roy, Letho, and Jerome were unfazed, but Lambert looked like he could stick his eyes in her chest.


    "You must be here for my services. Speak away." Corinne pulled her hair back and offered, "It''s on the house."


    "Services, eh?" Lambert muttered.


    "I''ll cut to the chase. We need you to find the whereabouts of a certain man," Roy said. "We have here his diary, something he has kept by his side for decades. And we also have his Unexpected Child."


    "Do you know what an Unexpected Child means, Corinne?" Lambert''s eyes shone. He volunteered, "I can exin if you want to."


    Corinne smiled and shook her head. "The Law of Surprise isn''t exclusive to witchers. Zatret Voruta the legendary hero and Mad Dei are also Unexpected Children. Oneiromancers observe the flow of fate as well, and the Law of Surprise is something I have also learned. The strength of a bond forged by Destiny is enough for me to divine."


    She took the Book of Shadows. One touch and she knew this was no mere diary. "Even so, there is no guarantee of finding your quarry. I promise I''ll try my best. Now, let me prepare."


    ***


    About an hourter, everyone entered the bedroom with Corinne. All the windows were shut, keeping out all rays of light. The only source of light came from the flickering mes of candles standing atop wooden sticks.


    Jerome was lying on a soft couch, the Book of Shadows in his hands. Everyone else leaned on the door, their arms crossed. All of them watched silently.


    Corinne stood behind Jerome, massaging his temples gently. Scented smoke wafted from the censer on the left, making Jerome drowsy.


    "Deep breaths. Now rx." Corinne stared at Jerome''s sleepy eyes and blew one candle out, dimming the room even more. "I shall guide you, but we must build a connection. There will be some questions, and you must answer them. Honestly."


    Jerome took a deep breath and shoved away the uneasy feeling from this divination. It took him about five minutes to let his perpetual guard down.


    "Alright. Now tell me about one memory you have about End. The mostplete and vivid memory you have of him. If you can tell me about the time he invoked the Law of Surprise and took you away, that''d be the best."


    Jerome looked into the distance, memories flooding his mind. "In 1087, End saved the life of my father¡ªTomas Moreau¡ªin a forest. It was then he invoked the Law of Surprise, demanding something he already had but didn''t know about. That something was me. I was still in my mother''s¡ªLydia''s¡ªbelly. In 1093, I met End for the first time. I was six. It was then Lydia told me I would be living my life with him."


    The recount took about fifteen minutes. Jerome closed his eyes, getting lost in his memories.


    "Control your emotions. Do not wallow in the sadness of that memory." Corinne tapped Jerome''s forehead calmly. "Now lie down and rx. Hold my hand. Tell me more about End. What do you think happened to him? Why did he go missing? Where do you think he is right now?"


    Corinne lit the censer on her right, and white smoke that smelled like grass filled the air, covering the room in a veil of smoke.


    The smoke hid Jerome''s face, and all the witchers could see was him muttering something. The smoke clouds roiled and shifted, and Jerome''s voice got quieter and quieter, until it was¡­ gone.


    "Now try to connect with this book."


    Jerome closed his eyes and breathed. Rhythmic breathing.


    Corinne stood up and observed Jerome to confirm that he was asleep. She then took a half-finished sweater from her dressing table and started knitting. mes shone upon her, painting her shadow upon the walls. Corinne was knitting a sweater, but that gigantic shadow on the wall resembled a goddess weaving the web of destiny.


    The smoke twirled and engulfed the shadows on the wall.


    ***


    Half an hourter, Jerome awoke from that bizarre dream. He opened his eyes, but his pupils were dted. Unfocused. Corinne snapped her fingers, and rity returned to Jerome''s mind.


    "So, how was it, mate? Did you have fun?" Lambert looked at Jerome and shot a passionate look at the sexy oneiromancer. Carefully, she ced the almost finished sweater into the box behind her. A sigh escaped her lips, and she plopped down on the other sofa in her room. Exhaustion filled her eyes, and sweat covered her forehead.


    "Not the time for jokes, you dolt!" Letho shot Lambert a withering re and turned his attention to Corinne. "Take a break,dy."


    "I am."


    "I think I saw something," Jerome blurted. "But I''m not sure what it was. What they were. They were two unrted things."


    "Tell us," Roy said. "Five heads are better than one."


    "A¡­ A majestic and ancient castle, hidden in the quietest area of a mountain range. Nestled within the icy rocks of the mountains and hidden under steep, snowy cliffs. Half of the structure was covered in snow."


    "You just described Kaer Seren." Roy looked at Coen, and the Griffin narrowed his eyes.


    "I''m sure it wasn''t Kaer Seren." Jerome pushed himself up, a frown creasing his forehead. There was a thought racing through his head. "But they share some simrities. It felt¡­ It felt like a witcher training center." He raised his voice, "That''s it! I dreamt of the castle''s insides. Stark, simple lobbies, Trial apparatuses, operating theaters, test tube racks¡­ I saw those when I was younger, but they were ancient. One touch, and poof. Dust clouds everywhere. Feels like they haven''t been used in decades."


    "If what you saw was a witcher fortress, then we''ve narrowed it down to a few choices. Kaer Seren and Kaer Morhen are out for obvious reasons." Roy looked at Letho. "Any chance it might be Gorthur Gvaed?"


    "No snow in Gorthur Gvaed," Letho answered.


    "Any other clue?" Roy asked nervously. "Did you see End?"


    Jerome shook his head. "I <em>became </em>End. Saw things from his perspective. Watched how his past unfolded. The castle aside, he had also gone to somewhere high a few miles away." A look of shock filled Jerome''s eyes. "And it was filled with countless soldiers. Thousands and thousands of tents scattered everywhere. ck gs with a silver sun in the middle billowing in the wind."


    "Wait, I know that g!" The look on the witchers'' faces changed.


    "Yes, Nilfgaard''s g," Jerome said. "I''m sure that''s the emblem of the south."


    And now they had a dilemma.


    "From what I know, Nilfgaard''s army is in Amell, and more soldiers are on their way." Roy was conflicted. He never expected the war to be involved in this search. "So the castle you told us might possibly be in Amell. And what you saw probably happened very recently. Past couple years, maybe three."


    The Griffins started breathing heavily, their cheeks turning rosy with excitement. <em>So if we make our way to Amell, we might have a chance of finding End.</em>


    "Does Amell even <em>have </em>a witcher fortress?" Lambert shot Roy a teasing look, but he requested, "Any tips, seer?"


    And the witchers turned their attention to Roy. He looked at them for a moment. "There''s a fortress there that goes by the name of Haern Caduch. Used to be a base for the Bear School, but the Bears don''t really have any attachments or desire to kill, and for some reason, they left the fortress and never came back. Eventually, the fortress became deserted."


    "So why did End stay in an abandoned fortress?" Coen looked at everyone curiously. "Jerome said that End is under the control of some entity."


    "And he has never contacted you nor shown his face for a hundred years. That''s proof enough that he''s under someone¡¯s control." Roy said, "So the question is, why did the entity make End stay in an abandoned fortress?"


    The Griffins looked at each other, dazed.


    Wariness and hatred creeped up onto Letho''s face. "Before we came, I¡­ had a suspect. Of who or what the entity might be. It''s the Vipers'' nemesis¡ªWild Hunt. They invaded Gorthur Gvaed several times, abducting our apprentices and turning them into their puppets. Their phantom knights. The turned will don their damned armor and ride skeletal horses across the skies, appearing during the nights when war is waged. The Wild Hunt spreads cmity and misfortune. I thought they got to End as well. Enved him, but the Wild Hunt moves in a pack. So he couldn''t have appeared in the castle alone."


    A momentary silence took the group.


    Coen took a deep breath. "This is our only lead. If we want to seek End and find out what''s controlling him, we have to travel to Amell. Start our investigation there. Roy, Lambert, Letho, thank you for your assistance. From now on, it''s the Griffins'' battle." He held everyone''s shoulders thankfully. "No matter how our search ends up, we''ll join the brotherhood."


    Jerome shot up and nodded at everyone, but he moved too much and almost flipped the chair over. It was natural. He could practically feel End just inches within his reach. <em>I''ve lived a long life. Time to meet my destiny.</em>


    "Hey, why the ominous tone?" Lambert thumped the Griffin''s chest. "You''re one of us now. We''re going to that fortress together. The brotherhood won''t let any member face any danger alone. Just saying, but if you do this alone, even if you manage to find End, all you''ll achieve is getting yourself under that entity''s control."


    The Griffins fell silent. They did need assistance, but dragging the brotherhood into their school''s affair wasn''t what they would like to do.


    "That settles it." Letho mmed his hand onto the sofa. He announced, "We were going to find the Bears and their Trial form anyway, so this is a trip we''d have to make eventually." Letho''s eyes glinted, and he enunciated, "And your grandmaster isn''t the only one missing. Viper''s Ivar has been missing for more than twenty years. And the Wolf''s Elgar is missing as well. I need to find out if this <em>entity </em>is behind their disappearance."


    Letho''s words sank in, and the witchers finally saw a bigger picture. <em>Every school''s grandmaster is missing? Could they all be under that monster''s control?</em>


    ***


    We need to make preparations. Decoctions, potions, bombs, portal items. Just in case anything bad happens," Roy said. "We''re going back to the orphanage and calling a meeting."


    "A second," Lambert interrupted. He turned his attention to Corinne, who had been taking a break and listening in to the conversation. "My lovelydy, can you lend me a hand? I am searching for a certain person as well."


    "And who might that be?" Corinne sped her hands and ced them before her belly. She sat up straighter and narrowed her eyes, for Lambert''s passion was burning a little too bright.


    Lambert grinned. "Someone very important. My girlfriend in the future."


    <em>Huh.</em>


    "Hah, no need to trouble thedy. I can tell you the answer." Letho sneered and cracked his knuckles. "You''re gonna stay single your entire life."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 450: Number 22

    1st of January, Year 1263, Morning.


    Another year had gone by, and the witchers had a celebration just the day before. And now, Coen, Jerome, Roy, Letho, Geralt, Lambert, and Aiden found themselves stepping through a portal leading to Amell.


    They did all the preparations they could. Food, water, one-time portal items, decoctions, and bombs. All the things they could carry, they carried with them. Just in case anything bad happened.


    ***


    A wind-swept, snowy mountain stood tall over thendscape, glimmering under the sun. The cloaked witchers hid at the back of these mountains, trekking across the treacherous mat Pass like it was nothing. A griffin flew overhead, keeping watch over the whole mountain. Keeping an eye on the elusive Haern Caduch.


    Unlike Blue Mountains and the Dragon Mountains, Amell wasn''t abyrinthine range. The trekkers wouldn''t feel like they were trapped forever in a maze. Even so, Amell''s temperature was dangerously low. There were barely any beasts to be seen. Even the witchers had to keep moving in order to fight off the invading cold.


    They spent days trekking across the range. On the fifth day, Gryphon led them to the highest vantage point of this icy mountain. The solemn, precarious peak they called Mount Gorgon. It sat atop the mountain range, gleaming like an obelisk. And in the midsection of that mountain stood a wall. A Z-shaped wall. Four of the tallest towers and some intricate, smaller structures stood atop the walls, forming a line. And the walls were covered in snow.


    The griffin pped its wings and descended upon the top of the center tower. It then crouched, watching its surroundings cautiously.


    The witchers stepped past a small slope in the ground and came to the fortress'' entrance. A bunch of icicles had bonded the steel gates to the wall, with no hope of ever separating them.


    "Haern Caduch. Fortress of the Bear School," Coen said. "As majestic as Kaer Seren in its glory days. Now reduced to ruins."


    The fortress was supposed to have spacious training grounds, but now it was buried underyers of snow.


    "Our age hase and gone." Jerome shook his head.


    "Oh, stop with thatment." Lambert shook his head as well. Unlike Jerome, he was excited. "Think about the orphanage. Our age hasn''t even started yet."


    "Enough with the pep talk." Aiden put a finger to his lips and whipped out a bottle of Cat. Then he gulped it down. Hispanions followed suit.


    A momentter, seven pairs of shining eyes stared straight at the gates. The witchers ventured through the walls, the gates, the corridors, and finally, the stairs.


    ***


    Eventually they arrived at the great hall. What was once a majestic ce was reduced to an abandoned building. Yet the remnants of its heyday were still evident. Its decor was simple, just like how most witchers loved it. The only decorations were some trophies hanging on the walls. Nothing else.


    ck pirs stood within the hall, supporting the roof. Cold winds whistled through the cracks between the pirs with nothing stopping them. The witchers explored the hall as fast as they could. Aside from some dusty furniture, couches, and candbras, there was nothing else. The firece was long since extinguished. Even the chimney had ayer of solid ice blocking it.


    This fortress had been deserted for quite some time now, unlike what Jerome''s dream suggested. Everyone heaved a sigh of disappointment, but they split into three teams and kept looking for clues.


    Roy and Geralt took the corridor on the left, and they ascended the ce.


    "So, do you think we''ll get anything this time?" Geralt asked hoarsely. "Will we find End? Even Elgar, perhaps?"


    Vesemir tasked him with something important this time. The search for all witcher school founders was important.


    "Perhaps." Roy scanned the corridor. It was dim and empty. "There must be some clue lying around. Jerome didn''t have that dream for no reason."


    They arrived in one particr room on the second floor, and the witchers tensed up. A green ribbon hung in the air, and it smelled like a living being. They sniffed the air and caught a nice scent lying in it.


    "Smells like a bug."


    Roy and Geralt exchanged a look. They then cast twoyers of magical shields on them and unsheathed their des. Like cats, they curled up a little and walked on their toes, slowly closing in on the bedroom. The bedroom had its door wide open.


    Carefully, the witchers took a look inside. Unlike the corridors and the great hall, this room''s walls were covered in ayer of moss and fern. As if they were keeping this ce warm. And on these wallsy a monster. A monster as quiet as a specter. It had eyes asrge asnterns, legs as slender as sticks, and its torso resembled that of a dragonfly''s. The monster looked like a living, breathing candbra, and it wriggled out of the crevices on the wall.


    ''Koshchey


    Age: Thirty-six years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 250


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: 28


    Constitution: 25


    Perception: 10


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 8


    Skills:


    Exoskeleton (Passive): Koshcheys have hardened exoskeletons. They are nigh unbreakable. Grants a considerable amount of resistance against physical attacks.


    Corrosion Level 6: A koshchey''s ws are covered in corrosive venom capable of eating through flesh and bones.


    Regeneration Level 5: Koshcheys are extremely resilient. They can regenerate most of their organs, except their vitals.''


    ***


    The witchers stood in silence, and then Geralt slit his throat with his hand. Roy extended his hand. His de disappeared, reced by an exquisite, dangerous hand crossbow. And he started casting Aard.


    A crossbow bolt zipped through the air, followed by a bolt of electricity. The bolt reached the monster''s eye, and the impact from the shot pierced through it. Unlike most of its body, this monster''s eyes had no protection. And so, it was smashed open like a watermelon.


    Green liquid sttered all over its body, glowing eerily. Hisses of agony escaped the monster''s maw, and all its legs tensed up. All thirty-six of them. But before it could do anything, a bolt of electricity arced through the air and hit the monster''s torso. Yellow arcs of electricity danced across the monster''s limbs, turning its screeches into howls of pain. It was frozen in ce, spasming.


    Geralt seized the chance and charged ahead. Then he tried to bring his de down on the monster''s tentacles.


    But the monster quickly recovered from its shock and swiped Geralt''s de away. It leapt off the walls and pounced at Geralt, its limbs spinning around like fans of a windmill. Even the air itself screamed under the pressure of the monster''s spinning limbs.


    Geralt slid under the bug right after it broke his Quen. It tried to injure Geralt, but that was never to be. The moment Geralt got back up, he made a deep cut in the monster''s belly. Green blood rained down on the ground, corroding it. Smoke billowed, and the floor hissed.


    The bug tensed up once again. It let out a howl and leapt around once more to swing its tentacles at Geralt.


    And that was its fatal mistake. It showed its back to Roy.


    A silver sh whizzed through the air, and a fireball exploded on its rear end. The explosion and the bolt''s momentum sent it flying straight to the wall. It shrieked, but there was nothing it could do.


    Geralt stabbed his de into the monster''s left eye, robbing it of its sight. Roy then joined the battle, his de in hand.


    It was not much of a battle. Five secondster, the monster was no longer howling.


    It was dead.


    Slowly, the bloodied, menacing monster slid down to Roy''s feet.


    ''Koshchey killed. EXP +280. Level 10 Witcher (1000/8500).''


    ***


    "Ever seen this thing before?" Roy hunkered down and cut its body open. <em>There''s probably a greater mutagen inside. </em>"Never saw it in the witcher manual."


    Geralt shook his head. "We''re monster hunters, not experts on rare monsters. But I get a weird feeling from it. It''s not an endrega, nor is it an arachas. It just feels¡­ unnatural. Artificial."


    The witchers sliced the corpse apart. Aside from a greater green mutagen, they also found a te inside. It was embedded in the cracks between the monster''s flesh and exoskeleton. And something weird was engraved on it. <em>UL Ex IX 0022</em>.


    "Number 22? You mean there are more?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>I have a bad feeling about this. Did the monster gobble someone up and identally swallow this? Or is it something else?</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 451: Jar and Djinn

    Roy and Geralt did a thorough search of the room. But aside from some animal skulls and bones, they found no human ones. Nor did they find any other clue. The witchers¡ªwith suspicion in their hearts¡ªexplored the remainder of the second floor. To their surprise, it was spacious. Too spacious.


    "Honestly, this is the most rundown witcher fortress I''ve ever seen." Geralt looked around the deserted corridor. And hemented, "Even Kaer Morhen has some beds lying around. And we have portraits of our predecessors hanging on our walls. But this ce has nothing. It''s like the wilderness, except the wilderness has life in it."


    "Bears aren''t that attached to sentimentality. They have no need for mementos," Roy said. <em>Sounds a bit forced, really.</em>


    They then rendezvoused with everyone else, but they didn''t run into any bugs or monsters. However, they did find something else.


    Geralt and Roy were led to the underground chamber. Flickering candlelights shone on bizarre metal containers and ss containers that had mutagens in them. There was even an oven lying around. This was the ce Jerome saw in his dream.


    "Tools for the Trial. This proves it. This fortress belonged to witchers once upon a time." Letho brushed his hand across the oven''s rough surface, and he noticed some rust on it. "But these things have seen better days. Been a while since they were used. About a decade. Maybe more. And the mutagens have been here for even longer than that. Almost useless now."


    But Letho''sment only added more questions to the mountain of queries they already had. <em>End came to this ce, but he didn''t use any of these tools. So why did hee here?</em>


    "Oh, we found something. You might wanna take a look." Roy showed hispanions the dog tag he found.


    And then Lambert proposed something bizarre. "I don''t think it belonged to anyone. That monster didn''t eat this by ident. I bet End ced this in that monster. As a tag of some sort."


    Aiden rubbed the dog tag. "This is probably akin to cors people put on their pets'' necks. That monster could''ve been the guard dog of whatever''s controlling End. Keep an eye out, everyone. If we find more of these, we might find a clue leading us to End."


    "That''s a bold assumption." Letho nodded. "Only a mad scientist or a sicko would rear something like that."


    "Actually, I found something else too." Lambert led Roy and Geralt to a corner, and their medallions hummed, though not violently. The elemental particles hanging in the air were all but gone at this point.


    But the surprising thing was the item that was radiating mana. It was a yellow, unassuming, porcin jar in the corner. It was covered in dust and looked almost ancient.


    Roy stared at it.


    ''Sealing jar.


    This jar used to be a prison for a powerful elemental. It has been a while since the elemental broke free of its prison, but there is mana left in this jar still.''


    ***


    <em>An elemental was trapped here? </em>Roy froze, his breathingboring. <em>No way. No. Way.</em>


    "I still think this is some mage''s chamber pot." Lambert crossed his arms. He seriously joked, "This thing might be ancient, but the magic remains after he peed in it. So that''s why our medallions hummed. Perhaps this mage is the one behind all this."


    "Enough with your crude jokes." Geralt hunkered down and picked up a copper cap that was lying beside the jar. The witcher dusted it off, revealing the broken cross and an enneagram on it. <em>Just like how I remembered it. This settles it.</em>


    The cap reminded him of someone special, and a hint of tenderness filled his otherwise calm, collected eyes. Then it was reced by mncholy. He and Yennefer first met because of this bottle. But that was a time long past, and its memory served but to remind Geralt of his destitute loneliness. "I know this jar. Saw it once in Redania."


    "Why the long face, mate? Wait. Is this a magic jar?" Lambert looked at the ss bottle, and a smirk curled his lips. He puffed his chest, and¡ªwith confidence soaring in his heart¡ªhe announced, "Don''t tell me there''s a fairy inside it that can grant us our wishes? That only happens in fairy tales."


    "For once, you''re spot on. Three wishes, and restricted to the one who opened the bottle. And there are a lot of conditions for the wishes you can make."


    "What wishes? What''s with the sentimental talk all of a sudden?" Jerome and Coen entered the underground chamber as well.


    "We found a jar. Something that used to have a djinn in it." Geralt raised his voice. "But it''s gone now." He held the bottle in his hand."


    "A djinn? There used to be a djinn in there?"


    Everyone got solemn. Even Lambert. He didn''t believe in magicalmps or genies, but he had heard of djinns in his line of work.


    There were a lot of extra dimensions residing within this world, and between those dimensions stood thends of the elementals. Water, earth, fire, and air. Some witchers or mages could¡ªif they possessed enough skill in meditation¡ªastral project into the void and approach thesends.


    Everynd was home to one of the four elementals. Djinns were air elementals. Ifrit was fire, Nymphs were water, and godlings were earth.


    Ifrits were beings of destruction capable of leveling anything in their sight; nymphs presided over weather and had control over it; and godlings possessed immense strength. They could move mountains.


    But djinns¡­ Djinns were special. A lot of mages would love to capture a djinn. Should they manage to enve one, they could use it as a medium to extract pure elemental energy from the space between dimensions and increase their own magical prowess. But djinns were potent creatures. Almost nobody had managed to capture one before.


    Djinns possessed the power of air, and air was everywhere. Rumors said that they were omnipotent and had the power to grant any wish.


    "Sounds incredible, huh?" Reminiscence shed in Geralt''s eyes. "But ten years ago, Jaskier and I got this bottle when we were fishing in Rinde."


    "Wait, what?" Coen gulped. "You guys went fishing and got yourself a <em>djinn</em>?"


    Lambert was envious. "Geralt, I can''t believe Lady Luck smiles upon you so much."


    Everyone was staring daggers at Geralt, and the White Wolf smiled dryly. "Jaskier and I had no idea that the bottle was a fairy tale brought to life. It wasn''t until muchter that we realized it." Geralt paused for a moment, his hold on the cap tightening. He wanted to relive the past, and this was the only way he knew how to do it.


    "We can find Endter. Geralt, we''re friends, aren''t we?" Lambert urged, "So tell me, what kind of wish did you wish for?"


    "I think this jar is an important clue." Aiden nodded. "We should know as much as we can about its background and abilities."


    "Fine. It''s just a little episode in my life anyway. Wasn''t going to keep it a secret. My first wish was for the djinn to fuck back home and go fuck itself."


    The witchers'' jaws dropped, respect filling their eyes.


    "So did the djinn kill you?" Letho said.


    "I held this cap. I was the wisher. It couldn''t harm me. Or the rules said it couldn''t. And that ''wish'' I said to it was something a sorceress told me. Some sort of exorcism spell. That was an ident. And the djinn couldn''t grant me that wish. Couldn''t fuck itself, so to speak."


    Jerome shook his head, a hint of envy shing in his eyes. "If I were in your ce¡­"


    And everyone started thinking what their wish would be. Wealth, power, women, the brotherhood''s future, the children''s wellbeing, and more.


    Geralt looked at hispanions. "For my second wish, I told it to st the head of a guard off. I didn''t realize I was a wisher. That was just something I said in a fit of anger, but it granted the wish anyway."


    "I see Destiny yed a trick on you. Gave you the best thing anyone could ever hope for only to see you fail to take advantage of it." Lambert winced. He could feel the pain even though he wasn''t there to witness it himself. "Wasted two wishes from the get-go. I''d probably bang my head against the wall if I were you."


    "Ahem. The third wish was the only one I actually used for the right thing, but it''s a private matter, so I can''t tell." Geralt was reluctant to speak.


    "Oh, I saw your third wish." Roy gave Geralt a mysterious smile. And he mouthed, <em>Yennefer</em>.


    Horrified, Geralt quickly grabbed his arm, and he shot Roy a warning re. "Don''t use your seer powers to look into my private matters."


    "What''s the big deal, Geralt?" Lambert wrapped his arm around Geralt''s shoulders. "We''rerades. What''s a secret or two betweenrades? Not like I keep <em>my </em>secrets from you."


    "I still won''t tell." Geralt shook his head, his hair swaying.


    Lambert''s face fell.


    "Fine, I''ll let you off the hook." Roy smiled. Geralt''s third wish was the one that started his rtionship with Yennefer. Back then, Yennefer set up a magic circle in Rinde in an attempt to capture a djinn and have it give her fertility. It was there she met Geralt, who was holding the wishing cap.


    From the moment Geralt saw Yennefer, he fell for her. Her beauty captivated him, and it yed with his mind. Unwittingly, he became her puppet. One who would do all her biddings.


    Eventually, Yennefer battled the djinn, and the elemental''s unbridled energy destroyed half of Rinde. Yennefer was on the brink of death, and Geralt wanted to save her. Thus, he used his third wish to bind Yennefer''s fate to his forever. That bond gave Yennefer protection, preventing the djinn from harming her further. And then the elemental disappeared into thin air.


    Their bond was created, and the two of them copted upon the ruins left in the djinn''s destructive wake. But their rtionship was filled with obstacles. Separation and reconciliation happened more times than Roy cared to count.


    ***


    "Then we''ll skip over this topic." Letho said, "This is no coincidence. The bottle showed up in the very ce End visited. It must be connected to him. But we don''t know <em>why </em>he came. Perhaps he was here to search for the jar, or perhaps he was searching for the one who was controlling him. But one thing''s for sure: someone used this jar and made three wishes."


    "Don''t forget about this dog tag." Roy opened his hand. Within it slept the cap and the dog tag.


    There was a connection between the monster, the jar, and End, but for the moment, the witchers had no idea what it was. The information they had was far too limited. No matter how much they stared at the items, no answer woulde to them.


    Lambert blurted, "Mates, I have a question. If djinns are so powerful, then who or what managed to seal it in a jar? That''s gotta be a god or something."


    Geralt was reminded of Yennefer''s battle against the djinn. "Either it''s a god, or we''re dealing with an incredibly powerful mage here. Roy, we need you to ask Coral or Kalkstein about this. Maybe they''ll have the answers."


    "Sure."


    "We''ll talk about thister. Come with us." Coen made his way to the stairs. "Jerome and I found a weird mural in the other tower. It probably has something to do with End. You should have a look."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 452: Mural

    It was a spacious hall. Torches stood between the pirs holding up the hall''s ceiling. The light of the torches shone upon the glimmering mural. A tree, or something resembling a tree, was depicted on the mural. Upon closer inspection, this tree was made of gold-colored numbers and addresses written in Elder Speech. There were at least hundreds of them.


    Roy stared at the mural.


    ''Mural (Use unknown)


    ?''


    ***


    "1150, Dol, 20000¡­" Someone read the bottom line out loud. The witchers recognized the ce as Dol thanna, but they had no idea what the numbers meant.


    ***


    "1170, Vizima, 12000."


    "1186, Tretogor, 5000."


    "1198, Oxenfurt, 1000."


    "1220, Kingdom of Kovir and Poviss, 5000."


    ***


    A few linester, the witchers finally figured out what the numbers meant.


    "The first number must be the year," Lambert said smugly. "The words in the middle must be locations. Locations of what, I''m not very sure. Third number must be the money they made in those locations. For example, in 1150, these people made 20000 ducats in Dol thanna."


    "Oh, shut it. Is money all you care about?" Letho asked. "You think they spent the whole day carving a mural just to keep their ledgers in check? Would''ve been easier if they just wrote it down on parchment. And there''s not even a currency mentioned. If this <em>is </em>a ledger, maybe it could''ve been crowns, or orens, or farthings."


    "Letho''s right. The third number couldn''t have been the record of how much money they made," Aiden said. "A witcher who loves business so much he''d hide in Haern Caduch and write these numbers down just to show off his aplishments? C''mon, that''s ridiculous."


    "So what do these numbers mean, then?"


    "Not sure. Not for now."


    "Hey, look at this. It''s not just the north." Geralt pointed at one particr line. It read, ''1230, Nilfgaard, 3000.''


    "Nilfgaard''s City of Golden Towers."


    "Maybe the businessman has friends all over the continent?" Lambert joked.


    "Enough with the business talk already." Roy shook his head. "If we wanna find out what these numbers mean, we have to seek out the one who carved them. Maybe it was the Bears, the people who robbed this ce, or maybe it was End. Or perhaps it could''ve been the entity that''s controlling him."


    "The ink doesn''t feel too old." Jerome wiped off the dust and kept quiet for a moment. "Feels a little wet too. Probably two¡­ three years since it was created. Tops."


    "Good eye," Coen praised.


    "Back when I was in Kaer Seren, I''d ask Keldar everything about inks and quills. He was the expert in these things."


    The mention of histe mentor saddened Coen for a moment.


    "So this could''ve been End''s work." Roy held his hands together and circled the hall. "This can be a clue. A clue to the entity that''s controlling him."


    "No." Letho argued again, "Making this mural is no easy job. If he had that much time, he could''ve contacted someone. Anyone. And this mural is a bit too conspicuous. The entity wouldn''t have let End leave any clues this obvious."


    "Then we can assume that the one who left this mural was that entity," Geralt said. "The years, location, and numbers mean something to it."


    "So this is a diary of some sort? A diary that talks about its control over End and the reason it stayed in Haern Caduch."


    ***


    "I think we should give up, people." Lambert stared at the mural, but he still gained nothing from it. "We''re not smart enough to figure out this diary. Not when it belongs to a godlike existence. C''mon, we''re not seers."


    The witchers had a stroke of inspiration, and they turned their attention to Roy.


    "You''re the brotherhood''s seer, Roy." Geralt could finally get back at Roy for threatening to expose his third wish to everyone. He teased, "You''ve used your power to look into everyone''s personal affairs up until now. So can you tell us what the lines on these walls mean?"


    Roy gulped. He could see the anticipation in everyone''s eyes, especially Coen and Jerome. And he breathed a little faster. <em>I''m not a seer. </em>Roy shrugged. "Can''t do it. My irvoyancees and goes. It''s random." Roy closed his eyes and touched the door. "Empty." He shook his head.


    "Your power fails at a moment like this? Oh, how disappointing." Lambert winked. "Now you gotta ask Corinne to go out on a date with me."


    Geralt interrupted. "We''ve scoured the whole castle, but all the clues we have are cryptic at best. I''d rather try my luck at cracking the code of this mural than researching the dog tag and jar cap."


    ***


    They had no choice. This was the best lead they had. The witchers sat cross-legged and stared at the mural as hard as they could. Then someone found a clue faster than they imagined.


    While everyone was still parsing through the other lines, Roy turned his attention to the topmost record, and he froze.


    ''1263, Marnadal, 17000


    Cintra, 4000


    Sodden Hill, 48000.''


    Roy fell into his thoughts.


    "Holy shit." Lambert noticed where Roy was looking, and he shifted his attention to the topmost line as well. He screamed, "Hey, we''re already in the first day of 1263, aren''t we? Whoa, he made 17000 crowns in Marnadal in a day? And 4000 crowns in Cintra? <em>And </em>48000 in Sodden Hill? He made all that money in less than a day and came back to record it?"


    "Can you shut it, you moron? Marnadal is a valley. A remote valley. There''s no money to be made there! And even if they could make money in a valley in the middle of nowhere, there''s no way they can make four times the profit they did in Cintra. And Sodden Hill is even more remote than Marnadal. There''s nothing but a few military fortresses there." Aiden smacked the back of Lambert''s head.


    Lambert rolled his eyes, and he stopped joking. Surprised, he said, "Yeah, 1263 has barely just begun. Nothing has happened yet, so why are there records of it?"


    A grim Geraltmented, "There shouldn''t be any records, unless this entity is a seer as well. Either that, or this is its n for the future."


    "Marnadal¡­ Cintra¡­ Sodden Hill¡­ and 1263¡­ We might be dealing with a seer¡­" Roy muttered. "Hey, fes, don''t you think these things sound oddly familiar?"


    "How so?"


    "Back in Cintra, Geralt and I predicted Cintra''s future right in front of its rulers'' faces." Roy approached the wall, his eyes filled with disbelief. "There will be a great battle between Cintra''s main troops and Nilfgaard''s troops in Marnadal, but Cintra''s troops will be wiped out. Three days after the battle in Marnadal, Nilfgaard will invade Cintra and bring it to its knees. And then the Northern Realms will finally see Nilfgaard as a threat and band together and duke it out with Nilfgaard at Sodden Hill."


    Surprise shed in Geralt''s eyes. "So you mean these are records of theing wars? I think I have a guess of what thest number means. War always takes it toll in the form of human lives."


    "Wait, if you''re saying what I think you''re saying¡­" A look of horror crept up on Jerome''s face.


    A gust of icy wind whispered across the halls, sending cold shudders down the witchers'' spines.


    "So it''s the number of casualties?" Roy had a bitter look on his face. "Cintra''s troops mostly died in Marnadal. That exins the 17000 casualties. And there would be more than a hundred thousand soldiers fighting it out at Sodden Hill. That''s where the bloodiest battle will take ce. War will sweep through thends like locusts by then. That exins the 48000 casualties. There we have it. The year, the location, and the number of casualties. If all the lines here follow that order, then¡­"


    Everyone turned their attention to the lowermost record to find some confirmation about their guess.


    "20000 casualties in Dol thanna during 1150. What happened back then?"


    "They call this ce the Valley of Flowers. Located in the east of Aedirn. A valley at the base of the Blue Mountains. Lyria and Rivia neighbors it," Lethomented. "Gulet, my hometown before I joined the Viper School, is nearby. When I was a child, I heard stories about the valley. About how it used to be the elves'' home, but a great battle took ce, and humans chased the elves out of their homes so they could take it over. And that battle happened in 1150. Aedirn sent its troops to conquer the valley and massacred the elves."


    Another shudder ran down the witchers'' spines.


    "That has to be a coincidence."


    They turned their attention to the next few records.


    "Fifteen thousand dead in Vizima in the year 1170."


    "Ah, I think I know this." Coen licked his lips. "Keldar brought it up before. A gue broke out in Vizima that year. They called it the ck Death."


    "That gue imed <em>fifteen thousand </em>lives?"


    ***


    Most of the witchers there were veterans. The only one who wasn''t a veteran knew a lot of lore about the witcher world thanks to his previous life. And they had witchers from the south, the north, and one who had a teacher that had lived for centuries. They knew the history of this continent, and all the records on the wall were rted to at least something they knew.


    "Kovir and Poviss had a change in its politicalndscape in the year 1220. They call it the Secession of Poviss. Lost control of the eastern area of the kingdom. Audoen seized the chance to announce Hengfors'' independence and created a minor sovereignty at the coast. The civil war imed five thousand lives."


    "In 1226, Aedirn''s troops defeated Temeria''s army in Hagge. Thanks to that, Aedirn seized control of the valley of Pontar. Eight thousand dead in that war."


    "In 1230, Nilfgaard witnessed a coup. One of the nobles toppled Fergus var Emreis and usurped his throne. Three thousand people died for that."


    "Cnthe ascended the throne in 1233. In the same year, she led her troops in the first important battle of her queenship. The Battle of Hochebuz, as they call it. More than six thousand soldiers lost their lives in that battle, but not a word about that is spoken. Only praises about the queen''s glory remains."


    "In 1239, Nilfgaard engulfed minor kingdoms like Ebbing, Metinna, Maecht, and Nazair. It was then the curtains drew on the Northern War. Twenty thousand dead."


    "Emhyr var Emreis returned to Nilfgaard in 1257. Executed the usurper and ascended the throne. Cleansed the kingdom of dissenters. More than six thousand dead."


    "And now¡­ The year 1263, the war in Marnadal, Cintra, and Sodden Hill¡­"


    ***


    A grim silence descended upon the hall, clutching the throats of the witchers like an invisible hand. This mural was the record of all the wars and cmities over thest century or so. In other words, these numbers showed the death tolls that had taken ce over the years. Realization finally sunk in, and the witchers stiffened up.


    "Why did it record this?" Geralt asked hoarsely.


    "There''s no way it did it for posterity. Like we said, these records mean something to it." Letho''s breathingbored. He then made a bold assumption. "Perhaps the entity had yed a hand in these cmities."


    Just the possibility of it made the witchers shudder. <em>What is it trying to do?</em>


    "And it might be a seer as well. And perhaps even more powerful than Roy." Coen turned his eyes to thetest line on the mural. The wars that had yet to happen. "Can you predict the number of casualties down to the nearest thousand should a cmity happen?"


    Roy shook his head. He wasn''t a seer, but only he knew that at the moment.


    "What is going on? Seers are popping out left and right. They used to be rare, dammit," Lambert said. "Is this a sign of the end days?"


    "Wait. It''s possible this isn''t the entity''s prediction. Remember the magic jar?" Roy waved his hand and produced the cap once more. "Djinns can probably see the future too."


    ***


    The witchers paused for a moment. They factored that into their equation, and then another more usible guess popped up. "So the entity released the djinn and used its wishes to see the future? The wars that will happen?"


    "If that''s true¡­" Lambert took a deep breath, his eyes filled with trepidation and excitement. "Then this is big. Very big. For more than a hundred years, an entity has been hiding in the dark, observing all the wars and cmities that have happened or will happen on this continent. And it has a Griffin grandmaster under its control."


    "Spection," Geralt said.


    "That aside, this record of theing war must mean something else for it. It didn''t just do it for mere observation." Roy announced, "Think about it. We''re in a remote area in Mount Gorgon, while Nilfgaard''s troops are gathered in Mag Turga not too far away. And Marnadal lies past the ridge and Erlenwald in the north. And yet in the dream Corinne made for Jerome, he saw End in this fortress and not anywhere else. I have a feeling he was¡­"


    "Scouting," Jerome said. "Look at these records. Time and location are understandable, but why the number of casualties? Why not the number of participants? Why did it write that down? Does the number of casualties mean anything to it?"


    "Perhaps End, or to be precise, that entity controlling him, wishes to y a part in this war." Even Coen was shocked by the possibility, though he was the one who brought it up.


    But the witchers nodded.


    "We didn''t find anything in this fortress." Coen shouted, "But we know where End will go next." With a trembling finger, he pointed at the wall once more. To be precise, at the word <em>Marnadal</em>. "No matter where he is right now, he <em>will </em>appear in Marnadal on the day of the war. Or in its vicinity, at least. We find him, we''ll find the entity that''s controlling him. And we''ll know if Elgar and Ivar are with him."


    ***


    The witchers'' breathingbored.


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa, fes. Calm down." Lambert said, "This is a <em>war</em>. Not a monster hunt, and certainly not a sparring session either. Even golems will be crushed easily in a war, let alone us. Even if we assume your hypothesis to be true, searching for someone on a battlefield is a deathwish."


    And just like that, Roy and Letho''s passion was doused. Jerome, however,ughed. Resolve showed on his face as he epted his fate. He would seek End out, even if that meant his death.


    "You''ve done enough for me, brothers." He bowed to everyone. "Once we return to Novigrad, I shall join the brotherhood. If you need anything, just tell me. But do not stop me from going to Marnadal. That is my only wish." He looked at everyone. With resolve in his voice, he said, "And I am going alone."


    "No. Griffins leave no men behind." Coen shook his head.


    "You do that this time and that''ll be the end of our school." Jerome stared at Coen, plea filling his eyes. "And you''ll be leaving Igsena behind. Alone."


    Coen paled. He was struggling with himself. This was a hard decision to make.


    "You talk like you''re going to die in this mission." Roy shook his head. "Things aren''t so glum. We still have some time before the war," Roy said, though his voice was tinged with hesitance and doubt. He made no promises to the Griffin. Even if he wanted to join the war, he still needed the brotherhood''s approval. This wasn''t a one-man show.


    "He''s right," Letho said. "You''re a part of us now, so you''re bound by the rules. This calls for a meeting. We''ll talk about this after we return to the orphanage. We''ll take your wishes into ount, of course."


    ***


    "I¡­" Jerome stammered.


    "Leave this to us, mate." Lambert wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Trust us. We''lle up with the best arrangement we can."


    ***


    They stayed at the fortress for two more weeks and made sure they scoured every inch of it. Regrettably, everything had been taken. Everything but theb equipment. The witchers didn''t manage to find the Bear Trial''s recipe. And End didn''t show up either.


    Before they made their return, Roy cast another Transfiguration spell on Gryphon. This time, it was turned into a beautifulughingthrush with feathers the color of olives. It flew across Mount Gorgon by itself, patrolling the ridges and zipping past the heads of Nilfgaard''s soldiers. None noticed the little bird who was keeping an eye on them.


    Gryphon then flew to the south of Amell and shared its sight with Roy. The sun was slowly setting into the horizon, and darkness started to drape the snow-capped woods. Winds blew through the ridges, and Nilfgaardian''s gs billowed like swimming fish.


    A great and terrifying creaturey atop Mag Turga, covering the whole hignd. Countless tents formed its body. Twelve thousand soldiers, clearly in formation, became its limbs, while the group of mages was its eyes, ever so sharply looking out at its surroundings. And the sea of knights became its fur, eager waiting to pierce its enemies.


    The monster that was Nilfgaard sat atop the hignd, waiting for its enemy to appear.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 453: The Strongest

    "War should not be taken lightly. Risking your life just to seek someone out is unwise, to say the least," Vesemir objected. "I miss Elgar as well, but we shouldn''t risk our lives for this search."


    "He''s right," Eskel agreed. "The war between Cintra and Nilfgaard isn''t our business. Our job is to take Ciri in. That is all. Taking part in a war will be a vition of the code of neutrality. And it''s going to set a bad precedent. Our priority is to stay back and assist the kids with their Trial. We need to bolster the number of witchers."


    Most witchers nodded.


    "Danger is rtive," Lambert argued. "We''ll only be moving around the edges of the battlefield to search for End. If we''re careful enough, we''ll be fine. It''ll be like dipping a finger into a hot pot for less than a moment. We''re faster and stronger than most people. It''d be okay."


    "Not your call to make," Letho argued. He seemed to be experienced with meddling with a country''s affairs. "You won''t be dipping a finger into the pot. You''ll be thrown into sizzling oil. War will grind you up and spit you out into little pieces. You''d be nothing but food for the beasts that''ll inevitablye after the end of the battle."


    "Your concern is appreciated, but I must go," Jerome insisted. He then mmed his fist onto the table. "Marnadal, Cintra, Sodden Hill, I don''t care. I''ll keep going until I find End."


    Roy wanted to stop him, but Jerome added stubbornly, "I have to do something. This is my only reason to live. If I am not allowed to find him, I won''t have any reason to go on anymore." He was already so close to finding End. Jerome refused to sit around and waste another century.


    The air froze for a moment.


    "This calls for a vote, then," Serrit said. "We don''t have to meddle with Cintra''s war. It''s entirely possible to join another war after the brotherhood has grown enough. If the mural is true, the entity will be joining most wars in the world. There''ll be more of that after Cintra''s battle. We still have our chances. And besides, everything you said about the mural is just spection. A conspiracy theory. It can''t be trusted just yet."


    "All the more reason to seek out the truth. I can''t wait any longer, friend." mes of eagerness red in Jerome''s eyes.


    "That''s a deathwish," Serrit said coldly. "You''re in the brotherhood now. Follow the rules and control yourself. You know what you look like? An addict who can''t wait to get his next fix."


    "Sorry, sorry. I''ll serve the brotherhood, but once I return from my search," Jerome said.


    Roy looked at hispanions. Jerome''s wishes were in conflict with the brotherhood¡¯s. He would love it if Jerome could stay calm and think for the future, but the world didn''t work that way.


    "Go, then." Geralt just shaved, and he looked a little pale, but he had a toothy grin. "We''ll be going as well."


    "Took you long enough." Felix shook his head. He thought this was the right call. "We might follow the code of neutrality, but we won''t stand for it if anyone tries to harm one of us. It''s a war, but so what? We''re not about to abandon our member."


    "Yep." Aiden and Kiyan nodded.


    "Thanks. I appreciate it." A grateful smile tugged on Jerome''s lips, but he shook his head. "But you have the children to care for. You have your schools to revive. You have a future. I will do this <em>alone</em>. A hundred years I''ve wasted. I have no future left. This is the only thing I have left now, but you guys are different."


    "You''re not doing this alone." Coen stood up. "I''ming with you."


    "The warzone isn''t a yground. If we move as a group, we''ll get killed too easily. Even if all thirteen of us move out, we''d still be no match for the tens of thousands of soldiers. Yeah, we''re faster and stronger than most people, but we''re still humans. At most we can kill a few hundred, and then what? We''d run out of strength and die soon enough."


    "This is just a search and rescue mission." Coen looked at Jerome. "We''ll be enough."


    Silence swooped down on the witchers. A long silence. A little debate started sparking in their heads. Jerome might have joined the brotherhood, but he had a clear personal goal to achieve. The witchers weren''t that close to him, so they wondered if he was worth the time and risk.


    ***


    "Fine." Serrit looked inscrutable. He said calmly, "If Jerome insists, then we''ll send one of our members on this mission with him. End, the entity, Ivar, and Elgar <em>might </em>show up." He didn''t think these people would show up. Serrit still objected to their meddling in the war, but he didn''t want to make things too tense.


    "We''ll have to send our best member on this mission. It''s a war, after all. We''ll give him the best gear we have. Up his survival chances."


    "You guys stay back. The kids need you." Something glinted in Kiyan''s eyes. "Coen, I''ll take your ce. Jerome, I''m going with you."


    "As if."


    "Listen to me!" Hoarsely, Kiyan said, "Cats are the most agile witchers out of all six schools. We''re masters of evasion and survival. And I''m a lot better than Aiden and Felix."


    "Yeah, you wish." Aiden sneered, and he shot Kiyan a re.


    "Hey, I''m agile too, you know," Lambert said.


    "Same here," Auckes added.


    "I have a scar on my face, but I can still run around like nothing. I can take a lot of hits before I go down," Eskel said.


    "Look at me, mate." Kiyan pulled his sunsses off. "You think your scar is a big deal?"


    "You''re brave,ds. But skills aren''t everything. Experience matters as well. A veteran can go around a warzone with rtive easepared to amateurs," Vesemir said. There was resignation in his voice, but also a bit of delight.


    "Alright, enough." Jerome shook his head, but nobody listened.


    The witchers erupted into heated discussion, tension filling the air.


    Letho mmed his hand on the table, silencing everyone. He cracked his neck and scanned hispanions. "That is enough. I went through a second mutation. I''m the strongest member around, so I''m going." His eyes red with confidence, and he would brook no dissent.


    Everyone he looked at stiffened up and muttered something under their breaths. Then they turned their heads away. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Letho was telling the truth. After his second mutation, he could fight any witcher off with rtive ease in closebat.


    "Then that''s settled. I¡ª"


    "No. I''m the brotherhood''s leader." A young voice spoke. Lytta was trying to pull him back, but Roy ignored her. His eyes were on Letho, and there was a glint of challenge shimmering in them. "And Letho, you''re not the strongest member here."


    The two witchers'' eyes met, and sparks flew. Once, they were teacher and student, but now, they would have to fight.


    ***


    The sun was shining overhead, but its light was pallid and almost cold. Letho and Roy stood five yards apart in the woods. The young witcher looked like a childpared to his mentor.


    Roy crouched and held his fists by his side, his eyes set on Letho.


    The witcher slowly unsheathed his de and swung it around slowly. He put his left leg forward and held his sword up to his cheek, assuming the ox stance. The light of the sun was reflected on his de, and his armor was covered in twoyers of magical shields. A smile cracked his lips.


    "Very well. It''s been two years. Let''s see how much you''ve grown. Wonder if you can surprise me."


    Letho darted ahead like a bolt of lightning, stirring up the leaves around the clearing. As he brought his sword down on Roy, the younger witcher produced a weapon of his, but it wasn''t a sword, no. Instead, it was a hand crossbow. Letho was like a weak higher vampire at closebat. Roy wouldn''t be so stupid as to engage in closebat with him.


    Roy fired off a bolt, and at this close a range, the bolt hit Letho''s sword arm. The impact shattered Quen, but more surprisingly, the remaining force of that bolt threw Letho off bnce, and he fell to the side.


    That momentary loss of bnce was still enough for him to swing his de at Roy. He was a master swordsman, after all. One hit was all it would take for him to win. Roy was still an amateurpared to him. There were at least five openings he could use.


    However, there was something else on that bow. Something that stunned him for a moment, and that power pierced through his magical shield. Letho was stunned for less than a moment, but that was all Roy needed.


    He lost control of his de. Letho tried to swing it down on Roy''s left shoulder, but the young witcher saw through it and easily evaded the de. He then sent another bolt flying away.


    Letho shook off the stun at the same time, but he didn''t swing his sword at Roy. Instead, he made a Sign and mmed it on the ground. A great st tore through the air, and a circr shockwave undted around Letho, sweeping everything in a five-meter radius of him away.


    Mulch, soil, sticks, and leaves flew into the air, leaving behind only ck soil. Surprisingly, the shockwave hit¡­ no one.


    Thirty meters away, the air rippled, and Roy reappeared. A smile curled his lips, and Roy raised his hand crossbow.


    But Letho managed to dodge the attack thanks to the wall of fluttering leaves. He charged to the side and quickly recast Quen. At his speed, not even Roy''s bolt could catch up to him. Not even when it was a guided bolt.


    Then Roy produced a fireball and shot it at Letho. Like the bolt, the fireball was a guided one as well. Eventually, the fireball mmed into an alder tree and broke it into small pieces, smoke billowing from its branches.


    Surprisingly, Letho was unhurt. He somehow found a way to dodge those attacks. And it was time for his counterattack. The veteran witcher moved in a zigzag motion, slithering across the alder trees like a viper. He closed in on Roy at a blistering speed, leaving nothing but afterimages behind.


    A bolt of electricity tried to hit Letho, but all it aplished was the destruction of an oak tree. <em>No use. Gotta change my tactic. </em>He leapt at Letho like a flying spear, roaring as he did so.


    And then the air itself stopped. All the mana around them fell under the control of Roy''s roar. They condensed into a ball before the young witcher and sted open. Something resembling Roy leapt out of the raging wave of mana,ing to its summoner''s defense.


    Letho''s de charged into the illusion and destroyed it, but the moment he destroyed it, a gust of cold white air charged ahead, freezing Letho.


    Icicles formed on his body, slowing his speed down by one-third. A kaleidoscopic halo shone underneath Roy, and the young witcher held up his de, the gleam of it separating his face into two halves. One half looked as cold as ice, while the other burned bright like a ball of me.


    The witchers charged ahead like two bolts of lightning, their des whizzing through the air and finally shed in a roaring standoff. Even the air itself shuddered.


    For a few moments, they could only hear the sounds of Signs sting off, metal shing together, and thebored breathing of the fighters.


    Eventually, Letho''s Sign hit Roy, and he swung his de down at the young witcher.


    The final stretch of the battle, and the audience was watching intently.


    But Roy wasn''t going to lose. A bloody octopus leapt out of nowhere,shing its tentacles out at Letho and wrapping him up like they were boa constrictors. Some tentacles danced in the air, weaving horror into this ne of existence. One look at it was enough to induce nightmares for anyone.


    Letho was out ofmission, and Roy held Gwyhyr against his throat.


    ***


    Everyone formed a circle.


    "You''ve grown a lot, kid. More than I expected." Letho leaned on a tree to catch a break. He wasn''t miffed by the defeat. In fact, he was happy for Roy, and the witcher patted his prot¨¦g¨¦''s shoulder. "You far exceeded my expectations."


    "You''re still my mentor no matter what happens." Roy bowed a little.


    Every other witcher felt a bit conflicted about this. Letho went all out in the battle, but the results were not what they had expected. Before they knew it, Roy had grown to be the strongest member in the group.


    Lytta still had her arms crossed, the look on her face furious. She was still angry at Roy for taking the mission, but every time she stole a nce at him, there was concern in her gaze.


    Kalkstein rubbed his balding head, interest twinkling in his eyes. <em>Hm, there''s a good specimen. Maybe I should stay back for a bit. One year might not be enough.</em>


    "We''re stronger, faster, and more experienced, but he managed to win nheless." Lambert sighed. He looked a little dejected. Even the strongest witcher lost to Roy. If he had gone into battle with him, Lambert knew he''d lose even faster than Letho did. "Alright, next in line for the second mutation is me. Anyone who wants it has to fight me for it."


    "What was that blink you used just now?" Jerome was a little envious of Roy''s short-range teleportation. That was the first he had seen Roy''s teleportation, and it was unique. Nothing like anything he had ever seen before. <em>This is going toe in handy for escapes, hunts, or even anti-mage tactics.</em>


    "Think of it as some sort of ability he got from his mutation," Serrit calmly lied.


    Vesemir pinched his beard, his eyes set on Roy. Like most people there, he was wondering about Roy''s ability. <em>If Roy had used that ability right off the bat, Letho might have lost. Was he trying not to embarrass Letho too much?</em>


    "About the octopus¡­" Jerome didn''t finish his sentence. Everyone ignored that as well. <em>As long as he''s one of us, </em>they told themselves.


    "I see how you managed to kill the higher vampire now." Eskel sighed. "So that''s why you''re the leader despite your age."


    Roy held Letho''s hand and pulled him up. "Then that settles it, fes. I''m going with Jerome."


    "Very well." Letho said, "But you have a lot of people waiting for you. Us, the kids, and Lytta. Safety alwayses first."


    "I know. Escaping the battlefield won''t be a problem for me. I still have some tricks up my sleeve." Roy calmly looked at his friends. When his eyes met Lytta''s, Roy gave her a look of apology.


    Lytta was then reminded of his second Trial. <em>He glowed for a moment, and all his wounds went away. </em>The mage pursed her lips, and her worries were slightly alleviated.


    ***


    "There''s still some time before the war. You should make all the preparations you can." Kalkstein looked at Roy and Jerome. "If you''d like, I could make some offensive and defensive items. Cloaks of Silence, talismans, bombs, you name it. Just provide the funds, and I''ll make them for you."


    "I''ll help." Lytta shot Roy a look. "I''d like someone to stay alive. Don''t want to be single again."


    "Thank you," Geralt said.


    "Money''s not a problem. Make sure they''re good," Serrit said. He winced a little just thinking about the costs.


    "Brothers, this is <em>our </em>fight, not yours." Coen looked at hispanions. He still wanted to make a case for himself, but everyone shot him res.


    "Hey, we''re brothers, aren''t we?" Lambert wrapped his arm around Coen''s shoulder and gave him a look of warning. "But if you want to go with Jerome, you can always fight Roy for it."


    "I¡­ I¡­" Coen stared at the ground, his cheeks burning.


    "It''s a yes or no question. C''mon, give me your answer."


    "No need for that. This matter is settled. Now let''s talk about something else." Roy whipped out the dog tag and the cap for the mages to see.


    And he got the answer he wanted.


    "Oh, I think I''ve seen this before." Kalkstein grabbed the dog tag, his eyes twinkling with reminiscence. "Reminds me of some old gits in the brotherhood. They used to look into¡­ unique topics. Experts in creating unnatural monsters. Structures, chimeras, mutants¡­ But that was two centuries ago. That kind of research is taboo now. And these people are probably dead or holed up somewhere now. Can''t believe you ran into one in Haern Caduch."


    "So this <em>was </em>a guard dog." Jerome asked nervously, "Do you know these researchers?"


    "Sorry, but they''re not in the same field as me. I only remember a few. Ortn, Bilta, Tarwicks, and Idarran, to name a few. But their names are all I have."


    Lytta frowned. She had never heard of these people before. <em>Must''ve been at least a century since they showed up. </em>"I''ll be reestablishing connection with the brotherhood after this year. I''ll ask them," Lytta said.


    Everyone exchanged a look. <em>Guess that''s the only avenue we have now.</em>


    "As for your second question, there''s only one person I know who can trap a djinn." Respect welled in Lytta''s eyes. "Geoffrey Monck, among the first batch of northerners who have mastered the magic of ancient races, an erstwhile member of the Novigradian Union, and one of the Brotherhood of Sorcerer''s founders. He''s famous for his hobby of capturing djinns. Geoffrey would trap the djinns he caught in jars and extract three wishes from them. With their power, he could cast hurricanes and storms, and he could even fly. And he would leave the mark of a broken cross and an enneagram on his jars."


    The witchers exchanged a look. <em>So he''s a powerful spellcaster who can probably control a grandmaster. Could he be the entity we''re looking for?</em>


    But what Lytta said next dashed their hopes.


    "Unfortunately, not even djinns can make a man immortal. It has been more than a century since his death. The jars you see are the ones he had tucked away all over the world. Someone eventually came across a few of those. Before his death, he said something regarding these jars. It was weird, but it went, ''My treasure? If you want it, you can have it. Find it! I left everything this world has to offer there!'' If I recall, Geoffrey left a magic jar in the brotherhood''s library. Called it <em>Treasure Map</em>," Coral added.


    Just when the witchers wanted to ask if it was still there, she said, "But some unknown individual has stolen it. Probably wanted to do something evil with it."


    "Nobody knows who that person was?"


    "From what I know? No."


    "I see. So our trails went cold." Roy took a deep breath. "Which means we''ll have to travel to the battlefield if we want to see End."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 454: A Beautiful Misunderstanding

    Dark clouds hung over Cintra, filling the air with a heavyyer of humidity. In the endless wilderness beyond Cintra stood Eist, Cnthe, their royal council, and a sorceress. They were waiting for the soldiers to congregate.


    An elderly, sprightly, gray-haired man in blue armor spoke. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, our troops are ready. About twenty thousand of them. Nine thousand of our men and three thousand Vizima soldiers led by Jan Natalis."


    Standing before the rulers were their soldiers. The Cintran army took up one side, while the Viziman army took up the other side. All of them were d in armor and equipped with every kind of weapon avable. Every time they took a step, the ng of metal would roar into the skies.


    Two thousand of these soldiers were cavalry, their eyes always fixed on the space ahead of them. The air of solemnity made their horses neigh and stomp their feet.


    The sounds of drums and flutes echoed in the air, ying a tune to send the warriors off into war.


    "On your word, we shall make our way to Marnadal and build up our defenses. The fuel and otherponents have been sent to the base in the woods of Erlenwald. Our soldiers are ready to give themselves for this battle. Once Nilfgaard''s troops pass through Amell, we shall receive news of it.


    Eist pinched his beard and took a step forward. Once he raised his hands, all the soldiers fell into silence. Even the tune from the instruments died down. All that remained was silence.


    The king scanned his soldiers silently, his eyes filled with the explosive power of a volcano. "Brothers, I trust you know why we are gathered here today. For years now, Nilfgaard has been invading numerous countries, beginning with Ebbing in 1239. And since then, it has set its sights on our homnd. Now their soldiers have made base in Amell. Their invasion is only a matter of <em>when</em>, not <em>if</em>. They wish to conquer our kingdom, burn our houses, kill our families, take our wealth, and sully our women! Men of Cintra, we shall not stand for their transgressions!"


    "Fuck those sons of bitches!"


    "Kick their asses back to Nilfgaard!"


    "Off with the southerners'' heads!"


    The soldiers responded with a furious roar, rumbling the air and shaking the earth.


    "My soldiers, you are heroes today. We shall battle in Marnadal." And then, with grim resolve in his voice, Eist spoke. "I will not lie to you. Nilfgaard''s troops outnumber us two to one, and they are all well-equipped. Once the battle begins, we can and <em>will </em>die." Eist''s voice broke. "For some of you, you may never see your family again."


    "But death does not scare us. Never will wey down our weapons and grovel before the invaders! Cintran men shall fight to the bitter end!" Vissegerd roared, his hair and beard shivering. "We will never surrender!"


    "To battle!" The soldiers thumped the ground with their weapon, their faces red with fury, their eyes ring with the mes of rage.


    "To the bitter end!"


    "We shall win or die trying!"


    Eist swung his fist, roaring, "If Nilfgaard wants war, then we shall give it war! These bastards fight for evil. For their ambition of conquest! We are the allies of justice. We fight to defend our home! Our conviction will triumph over theirs! We have with us the blessing of Freya and the seas!"


    "We stand with Cintra until the very end!"


    "Justice will prevail!"


    "To victory!"


    "To victory!"


    Eist peered at his enraged soldiers, his heart swelling with pride. Veins popped on his fists, and he nodded.


    Beautiful Cnthe was in men''s attire that day. A sigh escaped her lips. She looked at her soldiers, then her husband, and resolve red in her eyes like a shining sun.


    Standing beside her was Triss. Her hair was tied to the back, and she was in hunting attire. Her fingers were trembling uncontrobly.


    "Vissegerd, tell the soldiers to keep their eyes out. We will make our way to the battlefield right now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Vissegerd left.


    Mousesack took a step forward. He had a staff on his back, and his head was covered in a helm with stag antlers jutting out at the top. And his beard was as thick as usual. "Your Majesty, King Bran has prepared fifty battleships housing a hundred Skellige soldiers each. They might be soldiers, but every single one of them can take on ten men easily. They are progressing at full speed and shall arrive at the port in five days. I have also asked for a favor from my friends on the ind. They shall be calming any storms that might happen."


    The Cintran royalty perked up, and Mousesack nodded. A pauseter, he said, "And the druid I sent to Novigrad has given me news. The orphanage is just like Roy and Geralt described. Children are well taken care of. Education is free, and abuse or unfair treatment does not exist. If they can care for children whom they are not rted to, I trust they will not mistreat their Unexpected Child."


    Eist held Cnthe''s hands, and their eyes met. A hint of tenderness flitted across their eyes before resolve reced it. <em>We shall not let the southerners taint the bloodline of Cintra.</em>


    They must ensure their only family¡¯s survival before they could face the war without worries. Letting Ciri go was the only way to make sure one little part of Cintra survived. Should they lose the war, at least they could entrust the hope of a revival in Ciri.


    Cnthe rubbed her belly, sighing in silence. She and Eist tried for a baby multiple times, but months had gone by, and yet there were no signs of a pregnancy. It felt like Destiny didn''t want them to have another child.


    ***


    An owl flew across ake on a cliff. Beneath it was the ins said to be haunted by the souls of those who died in a shipwreck. But she ignored that and flew into the window of a dpidated castle.


    Lights shone, and smoke billowed. What used to be an owl a moment ago turned into a woman. Her face was covered in ayer of ever-changing light, her body covered in a red silk dress. Every step she took would make her dress rustle.


    The ceiling was held up by magnificent pirs, a chandelier hanging from the top like a gigantic spider overseeing the hall.


    Standing before Lydia van Bredevoort was a man. A man who had been waiting for her.


    He sat atop the throne. The man was muscr, handsome, and regal. He was d in a short-sleeved shirt worn by knights, and the man smiled gently at her. He didn''t seem to mind her bizarre looks. "Come closer, Lydia. Now tell me, what did you find in your exciting travels?" He stared into the woman''s eyes.


    His voice was as velvety and beautiful as ever. Lydia loved it every time he talked to her, but s, she knew he had no love for her. Lydia talked, but there was no sound. Her throat, much like her destroyed chin, was ruined in that experiment. The only way for her to speak was through magical vibrations.


    The man closed his eyes and listened to her. "This is a surprise. Eist changed a lot" He cocked his eyebrow. "From what I know, it¡¯s not like him to turn his kingdom into some sort of prison just to catch a few spies. And he even went to Vizima to ask for help? That''s not like him. What made him realize the threat Nilfgaard is posing?" he muttered to himself.


    "Henselt, Demavend, and Vizimir are keeping their hands out of this, so why did Foltest send help? What prompted him to do that?" The man rubbed his chin. "Mag Turga is under the protection of the southern mages. Even if he did send his scouts, the information he could have gotten must be limited. Twenty thousand soldiers isn''t enough of a threat to rm him, so who''s convincing him to help? And he sent three thousand soldiers?"


    Lydia talked again.


    "There''s <em>more</em>? Skellige''s battleships are on their way and could be here at any minute? This is surprising. I thought they''d at least dy their deployment by six months. The extra soldiers will undoubtedly slow Nilfgaard''s invasion."


    Coldly, the man said, "And this is going to throw a wrench in our ns."


    The man was a crucial member of the brotherhood of sorcerers in the north, but all he wanted was to work with Emhyr and try to get more benefits for himself. War was profitable, after all. "If Nilfgaard can''t take Cintra down at a speed rming enough for everyone else, I won''t have an excuse to gather the brotherhood''s forces to fight the Nilfgaardians."


    The man needed a catastrophe to happen so he could pass his bold and almost insane idea. He wished for more power in the brotherhood. "I care not who the interloper is, but if they think they can change thendscape and stop my ns, then they are fools."


    He stood up and made his way across the corridor beside the hall. Then he entered a passage with a statue in it. A bright bedroom stood beyond the passage, and the man entered it. Books. Books everywhere. This bedroom looked more like a small library. Rows and rows of bookshelves housed exquisite, valuable tomes. Some of them were the books written by the three great mages. The Invisible World, Natural Magic, and The Magic of the Elder Folk.


    Before the desk stood a big tank filled with blue seawater. The ss was covered in glittering runes written in Elder Speech. A dark gold, metallic cap the size of a banana leaf floated over the tank. There were holes in that cap.


    Within the tank was a ck model ship slowly cruising ahead. The man approached the tank and cast a spell beyond the woman''s sight. He weaved his fingers through the air, and a cool sensation welled within the room, filling it quickly.


    A blinding sh of magical light covered the man''s back, forming a halo over his head. He looked just like a god, and Lydia found herself drawn to him. Never had she seen anyone with this volume of mana reserves and level of mana control.


    Even the oldest mage in the brotherhood, Gerhart of Aelle, was no match for this man. Not to mention this man was a lot more adept at closebat than all the mages. His fingers kept dancing in the air, and mana raged around him, summoning a gale that howled across the room.


    Countless ripples appeared in the tank, and bubbles popped up across the surface. Waves roared and crashed across the surface, resembling a stormy sea.


    Eventually, the ripples and foam congregated and formed a whirlpool in the center of the tank. A thunder boomed from the metallic cap, and dark clouds appeared from the holes on it.


    The man''s hair and shirt were billowing in the wind, and he sped up his incantation. An arc of electricity came forth from the cloud and mmed down onto the sea like a jellyfish''s tentacle.


    The whirlpool, the dark clouds, and that arc of electricity formed a trifecta and created a tornado of water. It engulfed the model ship, taking it high up into the sky, where the dark clouds were.


    A great explosion pierced the air. Like a signal, the simted storm in the tank came to an end, and the water''s surface returned to peace. But one thing was missing. The model ship. It looked like there wasn''t even a ship there to begin with.


    But then something crashed outside, and a great boom traveled across the air. Lydia hurried to the window for a look. Underneath the cliff slept a dried-up river, and now there was a shipwreck on that dry river.


    The ship was crushed, its deck filled with charred spots. Lying around the shipwreck were dozens of torn up, mangled corpses. Feast for the vultures. The birds screeched in delight and descended upon the corpses for a feast.


    Lydia looked further ahead. Lying on the sands were dozens of shipwrecks. The resting ce of countless damned souls.


    "Everything seems to be in order." He heaved a sigh. "Lydia, I need you to tell the mages in the south to summon some storms. Stop the Skellige battleships. Or at least get them to Sedna Abyss."


    Lydia nodded. She looked at him with eyes filled with respect and love.


    "And tell the king¡­ No, I''ll write a letter to him myself. Leave me."


    Lydia was reluctant to leave, but the man no longer talked to her. He took a seat behind his desk and curled his finger up.


    ''Your Majesty King Emhyr var Emreis,


    I, your most faithful ally, has uncovered some unsettling situation. Vizima has sent reinforcements to Cintra¡­ Skellige is currently sending out their battleships¡­ I fear they shall pose a threat to Nilfgaard''s n. You will have to bring forward your ns of ambush to an earlier time. Should you dy the n any longer, then this war might prove to be troublesome even for you¡­''


    The parchment rustled as the quill wrote upon it. Fascinatingly, there was no one holding the quill. The light from the magicalmp shone upon Vilgefortz'' sickeningly handsome face. A smile curled his lips, and his eyes red with ambition.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 455: Ambush

    First of January, 1263. The light of dawn broke through the horizon, shining upon thend. A gust of chilly wind descended the slopes of Amell and sauntered across the great ins before it scurried into the woods of Erlenwald.


    A pair of guard posts and spiked obstacles were the only things that made Cintra''s base in the woods. And the people there were talking in hushed whispers.


    "My girl, she grows up quick. Been thirteen months since Ist saw her. Last time I went home, she was already walking and running around. To think she used to be nothing but a little ball. She looks like Mary, really. Especially her nose and mouth. Ain''t lying. You should see her. She''s adorable," a young man said gently. The flickering candle light shone on his stubbled face, his eyes tearing up. "A pity I can never see her again."


    "Worried about my ma. She''s alone and without many friends. After I''m gone, I just don''t know how she''ll get on with her life." A bearded man covered in armormented, "Nobody''s gonna massage her legs when her conditiones up again."


    A gust of wind blew across his clumped-up hair.


    "About a year ago, I was traveling on Yaruga. A witcher on my boat killed a monster octopus. And I helped him rescue my brat back then." Adonismented, "That''s a legendary boat. Was gonna leave it for little Reggie, but I had to sell it. I just wished I could helm it again and take it for a few spins around the river. Then I''d die happy."


    The other guards reminisced about their past as well. They knew full well the goodbyes they said this time would be permanent. Only memories were driving them on. Memories and the desire to protect their home.


    "Alright, you can stop bragging now. I''m a widower, you know." Gaspard stood up. With his warm, callused hand, he patted his soldier''s shoulder. And he looked at the remaining men he had. <em>Eight left. </em>"His Majesty has promised to care of your family until the day they die. Don''tin. If Cintra falls to those bastards, they''re going to ruin it. Our families will be nothing but refugees. Trust me, it''s worse than death. There are a lot of things worse than death. Cintran men are no cowards." His voice broke. "We''re just¡­ returning to Freya''s embrace a step sooner than everyone else."


    Something exploded in the air, and a blinding sh of yellow light burst into the skies in the distance, lighting up the firmament.


    "That''s Feur''s signal!"


    The look on the soldiers'' faces changed. Their eyes glinted with despair, but they clenched their fists and gnashed their teeth. All of them exchanged a look, and they nodded. Gaspard rushed into the sentry tower and opened up a beautiful wooden box with a key he had kept close to his side all this time.


    A petite paper crane fluttered out of the box. It zipped past him and flew into the sky, where it turned into a living, breathing crow. Then the crow whizzed through the skies as it headed toward Marnadal.


    Gaspard saw the flying messenger off, and grim resolve red in his eyes. The old soldier picked up a torch covered in an oilcloth and a bucket of oil. He then left the tower and entered the woods.


    Gaspard sprinkled his oil all over the trees around him and lit the trees up with his torch. The spark quickly spread through the woods, growing into a wildfire. One by one, the trees were burned down, and the other soldiers were doing the same thing as well.


    ***


    mes and smoke engulfed the woods, filling the air with the smell of oil, resin, and burning wood. The mes licked all the fallen leaves and branches, and the morning winds stoked the mes further, turning it into a roaring wildfire.


    It wouldn''t take long for Erlenwald''s woods to be a sea of fire. The soldiers stood behind their cover, staring at the burning woods before them. They unsheathed their des, resolving themselves to fight until their veryst breath. It was impossible for them to stop Nilfgaard''s cavalry, but if they could at least buy some time for Cintra, then perhaps their beloved homnd could have a chance at survival.


    The horns of war were blown, shaking the ground and bringing down the leaves. Then the hooves of horses trampled across the wilderness as knights charged straight at the guard posts. All of them were armored and equipped with des so sharp they could probably cut through steel with ease. Their helms had wings, and their eyes were devoid of any emotion. Only cold, ruthless violence remained.


    Winds howled, and Nilfgaard gs billowed.


    The guardians were terrified, and yet they wished to go into battle, albeit how hopeless it was.


    The knights in the vanguard came to a sudden halt as their horses were tripped over by the ropes in the forest. Their mounts fell ahead facefirst, the horses'' heads buried in the ground. They fell over and neighed as they struggled to get up. Try as they might, all they stirred up was a cloud of dust.


    But these horses were luckypared to their riders. Some flew into the air and fell down with a sickening thud. Their necks were snapped, and their limbs were bent at unnatural angles. Of course, that killed them. And some were tossed into the mes, their flesh getting charred in just a moment.


    "Get these bastards, boys!" Gaspard swung his hand down. He roared, "Fire your arrows!"


    Fear and fury contorted their faces, and the soldiers whipped out their hand crossbows. They rained down hell at the fallen knights, iming their lives right away. But that was the most they could do. Their rope was broken, and no longer could it stop the iing knights.


    The cavalry charged ahead like a great wave. Some swung their swords around, while some readied their crossbows. The obstacles were nothing to them, and soon enough, the guards were surrounded.


    The first hail of arrows were fended off with shields, but only barely. The Nilfgaardian troops outnumbered the guards at least one hundred to one. This meager defense was nothing to them, and the knights tore through it easily.


    Yet the guards, ever so defiant, swung their des and roared to the high heavens as they charged straight into their enemies. But they were overwhelmed easily. The knights brought their des and spears down on the guards, drowning them with death.


    Just one momentter, all the guards were out ofmission. Somey in the pool of their own blood, some were covered in bolts and arrows, while some were tossed away as they charged toward the knights.


    Gaspard was holding on, but barely so. His chin and half his face were gone, and his spine was broken by the enemy''s morningstar. His legs were crushed under the hooves of the horses, and his heart was stabbed by his ribs. Slowly, the valiant guard fell.


    With thest of his strength, he turned around to see his friends one final time. Just moments ago, they were talking about the past, but now they were all dead.


    The soldiers of Nilfgaard stood over him and tilted his head up with their swords.


    Agony, sorrow, and sadness overwhelmed him, while blood and tears blurred his sight. Through the corner of his eyes, he looked at the burning forest and the knights who were surrounded by the sea of mes.


    "We did it! Glory to Cintra! Victory to Cintra!" The ghost of hisstugh forever etched on his face, a tear falling down his cheeks. His arms slowly went limp, and his fingers extended themselves.


    At longst, he and hisrades could finally rest. Gaspard closed his eyes and didn''t see the despair that wasing next.


    A downpour fell upon the woods, dousing the mes in but a few moments. Steam rose into the air, and winds blew it away.


    ***


    The Nilfgaardian troops numbered so many, they could form a line that went for miles. Their armor was pitch-ck, and hanging over them was a forest made of their kingdom''s gs.


    A dozen mages in ck cloaks sat atop the horses in the center of the formation, heavily guarded by the Nilfgaardian soldiers.


    They weavedplex gestures with their hands, and magical light flowed across the woods. The mes were doused, clearing the way for the troops to march on.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 456: The Battle of Marnadal

    Marnadal basked under the scorching sunlight, a heat wave dividing the valley into two battlefields. One was at the valley''s entrance, and the other was on the valley''s slopes. Standing before the valley''s entrance was Cintra''smander¡ªVissegerd. His army came with him.


    Vissegered lowered his head, and a few arrows whizzed through the air, raining down on his troops. "Men, attack! Attack!" Vissegerd roared like a lion. "Crush these southern bastards! Crush them!"


    The war horn boomed, and two armored troops ran down the mountain like an avnche. Then they shed on the battlefield. The soldiers'' eyes glinted with a fierce fire, and they threw themselves into the battlefield.


    Deafening roars echoed in the air around them, and shouts of war rumbled through the air. Metal gleamed under the sunlight, shing on the battlefield.


    One Nilfgaardian soldier roared to the heavens, and the veins on his face popped. His helmet trembled as the soldier swung his sword upward, slicing the neck of an iing Cintran soldier.


    The soldier covered his neck and howled, but he did not fall. Despite the pain, he charged toward the soldier. A scuffle ensued, and he stabbed the Nilfgaardian soldier with a dagger. Blood spurted, sttering the Cintran emblem.


    Both soldiers drew theirst breath together, their eyes still wide open and ring at each other. It didn''t take long for the war to rise in tension. People would die with every passing moment, and a lot of the Cintran soldiers would bring their enemy down with them even if that was thest thing they did.


    ***


    Part of the Nilfgaardian troops circled around the valley in an attempt to attack from behind, but the Cintran army was fighting them there as well.


    "Attack! Kill the sons of bitches!"


    "Sync up your direction! Don''t sway from the formation! Stay in your group!" Jan shouted. "Vanguard, kneel! Rear guard, stay up! Stab your spears into the ground."


    Jan looked around him. The battle was going strong in the valley. He could feel the heat from here. The Nilfgaardian troops looked like a sea of ck, but Cintran''s soldiers stood their ground defiantly. They huddled together, shields held close to one another. Spears and halberds would pierce through the cracks and charge straight at the iing Nilfgaardian troops.


    The Nilfgaardian soldiers were unrelenting, just like waves crashing against reefs. Eventually, one of the knights managed to break through the wall of shields. He sat on the back of his horse and swung his morningstar down at the soldier who was stabbing at him. The soldier died, but another soldier struck the Nilfgaardian, slicing his head off.


    A small victory, but it couldn''t stop the Nilfgaardians'' footsteps.


    ***


    Themanders looked grim. This attack came too suddenly. Nilfgaard''s troops left Amell without anyone knowing. The soldiers in Erlenwald hadn¡¯t managed to light up the woods either, for the enemy soldiers didn''t seem to be stopped at all. Cintra had just started building up their defenses, but now they had to give up.


    The trenches they dug at the entrance of the valley slightly slowed the cavalry down, stopping their army from fully surrounding the Cintran forces. But everything else they did failed to create much of a ripple.


    Nilfgaard had with them a group of mages. They weaved a sturdy magical shield with mana and stopped Cintra''s first wave of attacks. And since they were heavily guarded, the mages could cast hail, fireballs, lightning, and gales at the Cintran army without care.


    The only sorceress Cintra had couldn''t help much, and because of that, the Cintran army suffered great casualties. It wasn''t until they sent out crossbowmen armed with dimeritium bolts did the mages stop attacking. They were forced to leave the battelfield lest the bolts kill them.


    Even so, the mages would still seize every opening they could to harass and trip the Cintran army up.


    ***


    Eist rode through the battlefield beside the valley, slicing off the head of a Nilfgaardian soldier. His hair billowed in the wind, the king roaring into the heavens. The king stood behind his cavalry, swinging his de at any enemy who came close. It was his wish to enter the valley and fight with his brethren, but now he was forced to stay behind his troops to order them around.


    "Your Majesty, you must stay calm." Captain Keh wiped the blood and sweat from his face. "You mustn''t risk your life. You''re the heart and soul of the troops."


    "Eist, everyone has a role to y here, including you. Your existence is a huge morale boost for our soldiers." Cnthe lost her usual elegance. She looked a bit worn down. Her face was drenched in sweat, and her hair was sticking to her forehead. Her skin looked oily and wrinkly. Stress lines extended from the sides of her nose, and grime covered her face. She looked like a scrawny man in that attire of hers.


    The queen stared into the battlefield. Blood had drenched thend, and screams of death and battle shook the firmament. Still her soldiers charged headlong into the battlefield, even though they would die in the end. The queen teared up.


    This battle ran from morning until afternoon. Nilfgaard outnumbered Cintra two to one. By now, thendscape was covered in corpses. Cintra and Nilfgaard had abined casualty of eight thousand, and Nilfgaard had a slight advantage at the moment.


    But even though Cintra''s army managed to go toe-to-toe when they were at a disadvantage, that situation would soon change. Cintra had lost more than one-third of its army, and reinforcements had slowed. On the other hand, Nilfgaard''s troops didn''t seem to diminish at all. That could only mean one thing: Nilfgaard still had reinforcementsing their way.


    "I see we couldn''t trust the witcher''s prediction entirely. Nilfgaard''s invasion started six months earlier." The light in her eyes dimmed. "Is this fate?"


    If Cintra had enough time to prepare, they might have actually stopped Nilfgaard''s footsteps, but now defeat was only a matter of time. Even if Skellige managed to arrive the next day, all they could do was defend their kingdom''s gates. "But Nilfgaard will pay a heavy price. Cintra will make sure of that, even if that''s thest thing we do."


    ***


    Triss was wearing conservative attire. Her cor was sped shut, and all her curves were covered under fabric. She kept looking around the battlefield. A troop of shieldbearers protected her, and the soldiers manning the mangonel would shoot wherever she was pointing. Wherever she pointed was where the Nilfgaardian mages hid.


    These mages were cunning. They would disguise themselves as soldiers, hide themselves with an invisibility spell, or make themselves lighter. All so they could traverse the battlefield at a greater speed and attack the Cintran army easily.


    Only Triss could see through their tricks.


    Another rain of arrows thumped against the shields around her.


    ***


    The sorceress was breathing heavily, sweat trickling down her cheek. Her eyes were wide, and her chest was trembling. She was exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally as well. She had never felt this tired before. Sweat kept pouring all over her, and her heart was thumping thunderously in her chest.


    A hint of regret filled her heart. <em>Am I going to die? Under this hail of arrows? </em>She shook her head and stubbornly gritted her teeth. With her sheer will, the sorceress held herself up. And it was then she saw a silhouette whizzing past her, fast as lightning. All she managed to see was something grey.


    It wasn''t a mage, nor was it a sorcerer. But for some reason, that silhouette looked familiar. He was weaving through the edges of the Nilfgaardian army. His head was covered in a hood, and a cloak shielded his body, billowing in the air like dragon wings.


    <em>Wonder who that guy is.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 457: Weaving

    Roy swung his de through the air, deflecting an iing bolt. Four Nilfgaardian soldiers came charging at Roy, their des and armor gleaming. But Roy paid them no heed. He leapt into the air and ran across the walls of the mountains, never going into the fray.


    A few boltsnded behind him. They entered the walls, and debris fell, but Roy was unharmed. Roy kept running across the walls. He touched the talisman hanging over his chest, his eyes on the battlefield.


    The armies were like two fierce beasts engaged in a great battle for the control of this valley. Every sh brought with it untold death and blood.


    ***


    The war came earlier than he expected. <em>Six months earlier. Why? Because I meddled and told the rulers of Cintra about what was toe? Great, now this just threw a wrench in our ns.</em>


    Geralt was making his way to Cintra. The city was still standing, and Ciri was there as well. He needed to pick her up. Roy took the protective talisman Coral made for him and hurried into the battlefield with Jerome. They split up to cover more ground.


    ***


    Roy eventually slid down from the walls and stepped onto the blood-drenched grass. And he heaved a sigh. Then a few pairs of bloodshot eyes fixed their gazes on him.


    A few Cintran and Nilfgaardian soldiers noticed this uninvited guest. He wore a grey cloak, and his head was hidden under a hood. He also had a mask covering the rest of his face. All they saw were a pair of wild eyes. This intruder was weirdly dressed and hid well. If they hadn''t taken notice of him, they''d have subconsciously ignored him.


    A Nilfgaardian soldier charged straight at him, holding his sword up high.


    He tried to swing his de down, and Roy cocked his eyebrow. This time, however, he didn''t run away. Instead, he took three steps forward and spun around to evade the attack. A blinding white sh arced through the air. Before the soldiers realized what had happened, the Nilfgaardian soldier fell backward, the eyes staring through the slit of his helm, devoid of any emotion.


    ***


    Roy charged toward the second soldier. He thrust Gwyhyr ahead, and the soldier tried to block it with his sword, but all he hit was air. Then a gash appeared on his neck. The third soldier swung his de down at Roy''s shoulder, but the witcher kicked him in the chest. He flew backward and crashed into his iingrades. Then he bounced back and fell, blood covering his cold, hard armor.


    Before the witcher could catch his breath, five more soldiers charged towards him, swinging their weapons down on him. Roy pirouetted like a top, leaping around the battlefield. The soldiers'' weapons were enough to break Roy''s Quen, and a few patches of blood drenched his cloak, but Roy was unfazed.


    Gwyhyr gleamed like a diamond as it arced through the air, taking a life with it every time it hit a soldier. Two Nilfgaardian soldiers backed off, covering the hideous wound on their bodies. They fell forward in the end, their heads hanging low, and blood drenched their faces.


    In the next moment, the remaining soldiers found their necks and chins stabbed through with a de. They fell in their own pools of blood, curling up like dogs. Blood spurted from their arteries, sttering Roy''s legs.


    ''(8) Nilfgaardian soldiers killed. EXP +160. Level 10 Witcher (1400/8500).''


    Roy flicked off the blood and flesh hanging on his de, and he bent over to catch his breath. These soldiers were leagues apart from regr swordsmen. They moved like beasts, only attacking and never defending. The urge to kill was the only thing spurring them on, and all of them were armored. Despite Roy''s superior stats, he still found defeating them a challenge.


    The Cintran soldiers finally realized Roy was their ally. And a strong one at that. The outstanding battle boosted their morale, and they charged at their enemies, roaring like lions.


    Some Nilfgaardian knights noticed the little aberration happening here, and they came running.


    Roy switched his sword out for Gabriel and fired a shot at a knight in the vanguard. The bolt pierced through his helm and skull easily, its momentum sending the knight flying back into his troops, bringing a few knights off their horses on the way.


    The horse that lost its rider galloped out of the battlefield, but another knight had taken the ce of his fallenrade. Like the other knights, this one was fully armored, and so was his horse. Roy didn¡¯t back off, despite facing a living and moving fortress of steel.


    He leapt into the air and swung his de down with a force strong enough to break anything. All the runes on his sword were blown out, and a crimson energy sh measuring nearly seven feet sliced through the air.


    A spear broke, and a line of red extended from the head of the knight to his horse. Like a b of butter cut open by a hot knife, the knight and his horse were split into two, their blood and innards spilling onto the ground.


    Roy darted through the corpse of this knight and stepped on it, his gaze as cold and sharp as the winter winds. His attack didn''t just kill this knight. The two knights behind him were cut in half as well before the energy attack disappeared into the air.


    The soldiers who witnessed this gory scene froze for a moment, then their counterattack came as fierce as the waves of a raging sea.


    Some decurions led their soldiers over to the witcher, abandoning their original path. Bolts rained down on Roy before the decurions came, but all of their attacks missed.


    Roy fired a shot and disappeared from his spot. He blinked to a boulder beside the cliff a hundred yards away from those soldiers. Nobody noticed this remote area, and nobody saw Roy drenched in sweat. He gritted his teeth and pulled the bolts out of his thigh and shoulder. <em>Shit. Poison arrows.</em>


    Only cutting the shaft off would hinder his movements, but pulling it out altogether took away chunks of his flesh, revealing a big wound underneath. Roy gritted his teeth and finished a bottle of Swallow. ck veins popped on his forehead and temples, a cool sensation coursing through his wounds. The four stars that just lit up on Gwyhyr''s fuller dimmed, and a healing light covered Roy''s wounds, keeping the pain down.


    The witcher hastily bandaged his wound and took Petri''s Philter, Thunderbolt, and Ekhidna decoction. The veins on his face bulged, and now resembled ck vines. He crouched on the boulder, staring at the battlefield underneath.


    The battle between Cintra and Nilfgaard was reaching its breaking point. The line extended about five hundred meters long, and the valley was a hellscape filled with corpses and the howling injured. Blood drenched the once-verdant ins crimson, painting this idyllic scene a hellish red.


    Nilfgaard''s troops showed no signs of weakening, but End was still nowhere to be found. "Very well, Cintra. That¡¯s all I can do for you."


    ***


    Roy moved even more cautiously than ever, only searching for his quarry at the edges of the battlefield. Anytime Nilfgaardian soldiers noticed him, he would fire off bolts at them before they could even surround him.


    Gabriel''s multiple power ups granted it great range and armor-piercing power. Coupling that with Massacre and Crossbow Mastery''s damage increase, and Roy could pierce through any armor in a hundred-meter range.


    The hand crossbow could fire bolts at a rate of 2.5 per second, making it the perfect weapon to kill. At most, Roy only had to fire twice to kill one soldier. He moved like the wind, always managing to escape before he was surrounded. His presence was trouble for the nk of the Nilfgaardian troops.


    Eventually, Roy had gone through one-tenth of his bolts, and more than half of his mana was gone. In return, he managed to kill fifty Nilfgaardian soldiers. But then, someone finally caught him.


    A fireball flew through the air and exploded behind the witcher. Heliotrop was destroyed in mere moments, the impact pushing Roy forward, and he fell headfirst into the ground.


    A purple arc of electricity came rushing at him, and Roy rolled away in a hurry. He managed to dodge the bolt of electricity, but then his body started feeling heavy, like he was cuffed.


    Before him stood a group of Nilfgaardian soldiers and some mages cloaked in ck. They were weavingplex gestures in the air, raining down spells on the witcher.


    The fireballs exploded around the witcher, stirring up the corpses, soil, blood, and dust, covering the witcher.


    ***


    Fringi Vigo stood in the center of these mages, staring at the dust cloud worriedly. She was ready to hurl another electric bolt should their enemy show up once more. Her cloak kept her perfect curves covered.


    The sorceress was breathing heavily. Shouts from the battlefield and the stench of blood assailed her, tormenting her. She despised war. It was ugly, sinful, and cruel. But she couldn''t retreat. Emhyr forced all of Nilfgaard''s mages to make a choice, to either serve the country, ornguish in prison.


    Fringi served Toussaint, and she had no choice but to submit. Thus, she was sent to the front lines, acting as nothing but a butcher. An executioner. It was the job she despised the most, and yet she could afford no mercy, for she might have to pay with her life.


    Ever since they left Amell, she and her fellow mages were unstoppable. Until moments ago. Until that cloaked phantom killed dozens of Nilfgaardian soldiers. He moved at inhuman speeds. The mages had kept an eye on him for a while, and finally, they had their chance to attack.


    They hurled electric bolts, gales, and hail at the phantom, and the soldiers swung their des down on him. All the mana destroyed that phantom, but not a drop of blood was spilled. Instead, that person disappeared into thin air like he was a bubble.


    <em>That was an illusion?</em> A chill ran down the mages'' spines, but before they could process the sight, another bolt whizzed through the air and imed another life. This time, the soldier''s eye burst with a spurt of blood.


    An unkempt man in tattered clothes stood atop the dead man''s body and hunkered down. His mask was torn apart, revealing a toothy grin underneath, and his eyes were glinting with ice-cold indifference.


    With a wave of his hand, a ss canister with colorful gas within it exploded in the army''s formation. So strong was the impact that even the ground rumbled. mes licked the air, and the explosion engulfed half the troops.


    Howls tore through the air, and a dozen men on fire charged out of the mes. They rolled around in agony, and some soldiers put them out of their misery right away.


    The explosion didn''t faze Fringi that much. She wobbled for a moment and regained her bnce. Just like her, the other mages'' magical shields protected them from the mes and explosion.


    Even though the dust hadn''t settled just yet, the mages were already instinctively recreating their magical shields, but another ss canister shattered near them. This time, it held white smoke within. The dimeritium powder snuck into the couple of mages closest to it, locking up their mana.


    Both mages had looks of horror on their faces, and one of them tried to touch his ring, but a silhouette appeared behind them out of nowhere. The mage cast a ring of fire to push Roy away, but that didn''t stop Roy from swinging his de down on his head, even though he was still suspended in the air.


    The energy sh flew into the distance, but not before cutting the mages in two. Their innards spilled onto the ground, their tattered hood revealing faces as pale as ghosts.


    Roy knelt on one knee, sweat and blood trickling down his chin. He was exhausted, and his mind was in turmoil. In that single moment, another pair of magesunched their attacks.


    One shoved an air bullet at Roy, mming him up into the air, while the other mage cast a pir of mes. It rushed through the air, but Roy managed to pull the trigger right before he was hit, and he blinked away from the mes.


    The bolt took him to the nearest mage. It passed through her magical shield, and the stun effect made her wobble for a moment. A gust of wind blew her hood off, revealing a beautiful blonde woman.


    The witcher held his de against her. He saw the plea and fear in her eyes, but Roy paid it no heed.


    Everything around the sorceress spun. Thest thing she saw before she died was a headless corpse with blood spurting from the wound on its neck.


    ***


    The remaining mages tried to attack Roy again. His body felt like lead, but he dragged himself and rolled around. Something exploded around him, and a surge of searing pain shot up his right shoulder. <em>Crossbow bolt.</em>


    The sound of wind whirred around him as five soldiers brought their des down on him, but their attacks were cut short. Bloody tentacles burst forth from the pool of blood beneath Roy and leapt out at the soldiers.


    They felt their souls being dragged down to the deepest depths of the coldest hell, and a hallucination was weaved right before them. To their horror, they saw the enemies they cut down turn into wraiths,ing at them, screeching and screaming.


    The soldiers felt their heart and flesh getting devoured, and they let go of their weapons. Fear had taken over their souls, and it made them quake.


    That happened in the span of less than one moment. Roy got up and pulled a trigger again. The air rippled, and Roy swung his de the moment he reappeared, slicing off the head of another mage. <em>Two left.</em>


    The soldiers were quickly closing in, returning to protect their mages. <em>I still have a chance.</em>


    Thunder boomed, and the mage sent another magical spell at him. The ground where Roy stood broke into little pieces, forming a big hole underneath. The witcher blinked to the mage. He was pushed away by a halo, but it was toote. Roy''s octopus was already constricting him. The witcher swung his de down and cut off the mage''s head easily. None could escape thisbination.


    <em>Last. One.</em>


    Fringi was filled with shock and fear, her face as pale as a tombstone. If anyone had told her someone had the power to destroy six heavily guarded mages all by themselves before this, she would have called them mad, but now she just saw the impossible happen. <em>And his eyes¡­ Those aren''t human eyes. He doesn''t even move like a human. I''ve never even seen teleportation powers like that. And his crossbow bolts have enough power to send a fully armored soldier flying! No way that''s a human.</em>


    She grabbed the talisman around her neck and muttered, "He''s a demon." She didn''t do anything. What could she do in the face of an invincible demon? <em>Make peace with the gods, I think.</em>


    Roy charged straight ahead and swung his de down, but all he cut was air. It was still a few inches away from her head. The witcher shook his head in disbelief, and he slowed down for a fraction of a second.


    A crossbow bolt pierced through his shoulder, and Fringi sent him flying with a fireball, charring his chest. A Nilfgaardian soldier swung his de down at Roy''s neck.


    All seemed lost for Roy, but the air rippled all of a sudden. The knight pulled on the reins of his horse, and the animal raised its front legs, hissing loudly. The soldiers and Fringi exchanged looks of confusion. They couldn''t believe the man who killed dozens of soldiers and five mages all by himself had just disappeared into thin air, and this time, he didn''t even pull his trigger.


    ***


    The witcher reappeared a hundred yards away, leaning on the walls of Marnadal''s cliff. Not an ounce of energy was left in him. Hey on a jutting boulder, gasping for air like a fish out of water.


    Gryphon came and licked its master''s bloodied cheeks. Roy''s HP and Mana were less than ten percent of their max value, and he was riddled with more than twenty wounds. Burns, electric attacks, cuts, shes, and more. His armor and cloak had been destroyed in battle.


    "That was close." Roy shuddered. This was the first time he sustained so many injuries. <em>And just the fringes of the battlefield. If I charged straight into the fray, the cavalry would have killed me.</em>


    "Activate! Devour!"


    Roy''s healing skills took effect right away, replenishing his HP to ny percent and Mana to sixty percent. The minor wounds formed scabs, while the heavier wounds were reduced to nothing but minor gashes.


    Roy closed his eyes to feel the power he just gained. <em>Five mages and a dozen soldiers. </em>His EXP was now 3800/8500. The young witcher jumped back up to move his limbs and joints around. His eyes red with fighting spirit. "That''s as much as I can do for you, Cnthe, Eist, Ciri."


    If the mages hadn''te after him, Roy wouldn''t have tried to kill them. "Wonder how Jerome''s doing." He stared at the battlefield, concern filling his eyes. And then he turned on the messaging crystal in his hand.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 458: Not Your Fault

    The sun shone upon Marnadal. Blood-soaked Marnadal. Screams and shouts filled the air, and a gaunt figure was found darting through the corpses on the west side of the warzone. Quen covered his cloak, the look in his eyes as sharp as a falcon. He kept looking out for any magic signal that could appear.


    A few hours had psed since he entered the battlefield, and Jerome had gone around the warzone twice. His clothes were drenched, and steam rose from the top of his hood. He managed to dodge countless bolts and even noticed the mages from Nilfgaard skulking across the battlefield, but End was still nowhere to be found.


    "Did we decipher the mural wrongly?" A hint of disappointment filled his eyes. "Perhaps End won''t show up after all."


    A bolt whizzed past him, grazing his cheek, but Quen deflected it. And Jerome charged onward. "No, I have to go deeper." As if by Destiny''s machination, a stroke of inspiration hit Jerome. <em>The number. </em>"The death toll. That must mean something to him. Don''t tell me he''s only going to show up in the thick of things. He''s going to show up where there are the most corpses, isn''t he?"


    The fray was where death would descend on anyone at any time, but Jerome took a deep breath and steeled his resolve. He charged straight into the front lines, where Nilfgaard and Cintra were shing the hardest.


    The Nilfgaardian troops were trying to break through the wall of shields, but the moment they did, Cintra''s infantry would close in on them and take their lives with the stab of their spears. These soldiers were like beasts ensnared in the swamp. It was only a matter of time before they were devoured.


    The battlefield was filled with weapons, armor, and horses. He could barely find any ce to stand. <em>Guess I have to do this. </em>And so, Jerome leapt across the mountain of corpses like a dancer leaping across a stage made of blood and flesh.


    A Nilfgaardian soldier attempted to stop him, but he didn''t even get to make a single move. Jerome shoved a Sign at him, and mana gathered in his palm before it charged toward the soldier in the form of an air current.


    The soldier felt himself mming into an invisible wall, and he toppled over. Jerome leapt over him and kept advancing into the fray. Just a momentter, a bunch of bloodied, armored soldiers tried to stop him. There was a split second when their attention was fixed on their real enemies, but that split second was all he needed.


    Jerome crouched and weaved past the web of steel like an eel. After his second mutation, he could move at speeds faster than what the human eye could catch. The soldiers felt a grey silhouette zipping past them, but when they tried to have a closer look, there was nothing behind them.


    The screams, the rain of arrows, the shing metal, the corpses¡­ None of those could stop Jerome''s footsteps. None could make him slow down. He naturally sustained a few injuries along the way, but he finally came to the center of the battlefield.


    Nilfgaard had essentially turned their soldiers into a siege weapon. Their troops kept barging at Cintra''s line of defense, sacrificing their own with every attack. A path of blood extended far beyond that battle in the middle. Both sides had sustained casualties, countless corpses lying around them. Not an inch of empty space could be found.


    Every time someone fell, another soldier would take their ce. There was no way to retreat now.


    Jerome had no ce to stand, so he leapt onto the top of a Nilfgaardian soldier''s head and lightly tapped on his helm with his foot. Before he could feel anything, Jerome had leapt onto the head of another soldier. Just like that, he made his way across the death zone of the valley.


    War was¡­ cruel. Healthy men went in, and mangled corpses came out. The soldiers noticed Jerome, eventually, and they roared at him. The crossbowmen trained their weapons on him, for he was the perfect target to kill.


    A rain of bolts came down on him, and swords were swung against him. Jerome managed to evade most attacks, but even the few that got through managed to break his shield. He was equipped with Kalkstein''s item, but even that was only enough to fend the attacks off for two seconds. And Jerome had already stopped making any Signs.


    All he felt was the rain of arrowsing down on his back. First there was agony, but then there was nothing. He heard the murmurs of darkness echoing in his head, and exhaustion washed over him. He just wanted to let go of everything. To sleep. To sleep an eternal sleep, but the remaining drive in his mind kept him moving onward like a living corpse.


    And then his medallion hummed. That woke him up from his stupor. Jerome felt his head freshen up, and a surge of life sprang forth in his body. He looked ahead only to see a silhouette in a purple cloak making his entrance. The silhouette stood among the troops, his cloak billowing in the wind.


    Jerome couldn''t see his profile clearly, as it was covered by a hood, but the tense outline and wild amber eyes were familiar to him. He was the one Jerome had spent his life searching for. No matter what, Jerome would never forget him.


    The cloaked man pushed his hand ahead, and a little earthquake rumbled the battlefield. A magnificent air current greater than anything Jerome had felt pushed away everything that stood between him and that cloaked man.


    All the soldiers and horses in a ten-meter radius were blown sideways, clearing the immediate vicinity.


    And then the cloaked man ran. Jerome followed closely, the gale almost cutting his face. The blood flowing from his wounds was creating a crimson path in his wake, and yet Jerome held on. He felt the crystal in his hand humming. <em>Roy''s contacting me. </em>But he let go of the crystal, refusing to answer. <em>This is my destiny. I should face it myself.</em>


    ***


    The cloaked man kept casting Aard at the oing soldiers, sending them flying. At the same time, he cast another Sign with his right hand, holding up a golden, elliptical shield that protected him and the one who wasing after him.


    Jerome followed him all the way across the lines of war. They broke through the valley and entered an unsullied forest.


    ***


    When all signs of war had ceased, the cloaked man finally stopped and turned around.


    Jerome stood three yards away from him. He was hunched, and his body was bloodied. His hands hung by his sides, balled into fists, and his eyes were filled with trepidation, but also anticipation. "End?"


    "Jerome, my child. It has been a hundred and forty years since we met, hasn''t it?" a man''s voice said. He heaved a sigh and pulled his hood back, revealing a face Jerome was familiar with.


    He was a man in his forties. Handsome, muscr, and he had a Mohican hairstyle that swayed in the wind. The tattoo of an eagle extended from the back of his head to the entirety of the right side of his face. His brows were thick and long, and his nose was aquiline. There was a stubble beneath his nose and on his chin. But the most striking feature was his eyes. It seemed to hold an ocean in them. An ocean of knowledge and love. Nobody would think he was under anyone''s control.


    ***


    "I knew it. I knew you were alive. I knew you''d show up here. We got it all right!" Jerome let out a guffaw. An almosticalugh. But then his legs gave out, and he fell forward.


    End quickly stepped forth and held his arms, keeping Jerome up. He stared at the face of his bloodied prot¨¦g¨¦, and conflicting emotions welled within him.


    "We tried to look for you. For a long time. Coen and Keldar did as well." Jerome started sobbing. He was more than a hundred years old, and yet now he was acting like a child who just wanted to vent everything to his father. "Where have you been all these years?" Jerome stared into his eyes, fury swelling in them. "Tell me the name of the bastard who kidnapped you!"


    A moment of silenceter, End shook his head. And he gave Jerome a shocking answer. "I used to be under someone''s control, and I did try to warn you through meditation, but for a long time since then, I was free. I did everything of my own volition. Even now. Nobody''s controlling me, much less imprisoning me."


    Jerome was in disbelief. The answer solved one question, but two more took its ce. <em>If no one''s controlling him, then¡­ </em>"Then why didn''t youe back to Kaer Seren?"


    "Because that ce of Power is no longer my goal." End stared past Jerome. His eyes were on the sky beyond the woods. The sun was hiding behind the clouds, slowly moving down to the west.


    End sounded aloof when he spoke next. "The witcher schools are limited in power. They are nothing before our creed and mission."


    "<em>Nothing</em>?" Jerome shook his head. Kaer Seren was the ce where he spent the best days of his life. It wasn''t nothing. "But the school needs you. Without you, it''s just rubble. There are only two of us left. Almost nothing is left of the Griffin School now. Come back. Coen and I need you," he pleaded.


    The light of reminiscence shone in End''s eyes, but then it disappeared quickly. "I can''t go back."


    Jerome froze, his heart filled with the pain of abandonment. And then he shook his head bitterly. "Even if you refused to return, why didn''t you contact me after that one time? Or Kelder? Or Coen?"


    "My work has taken up all my time and energy. And I do not wish to drag you into this. Destiny has been cruel to you. It is unnecessary to put even more burden onto you. I meant it when I told you not to seek me out." End spoke with a hint of regret in his voice. "You shouldn''t havee."


    ***


    "It''s just like you to take on all the worst dangers. That''s why you wouldn''t tell me. You didn''t want to rope me in," Jerome said confidently, but his voice was barely a whisper, and he was wobbling. "But I wish to learn of your work. Your new goal."


    "My goal has never changed. The only thing that''s changed are my methods. Child, think back to the first lesson I taught you."


    "The code of our school? The virtue of knights and the mission to save the world. To make the world a better ce." Jerome asked, "So you traveled all these battlefields to achieve your goal? You''re the one who went to Haern Cadush, left the dog tag, opened the magic jar, and drew the mural?"


    "Yes. Or to be precise, <em>we </em>did," End confessed, but he didn''t borate.


    ***


    "I''ll help you," Jerome pleaded.


    End kept his silence. A hint of disappointment shed in Jerome''s eyes. He felt his strength leaving his body, and his mind was getting slower. "Am I not good enough to join you on your crusade?" Suddenly, he started talking about the past. "You''re right. I just graduated from the school a decade or so ago when my father managed to trick stupid little me and locked me up in his prison. I spent half my life in that hellhole, but when I finally got out, I didn''t know what to do."


    He held End''s hands tightly, worried End might disappear should he let go. He pressed his forehead against the back of End''s hands. Like a repenting sinner, he muttered, "My faith in the creed wavered, and I wasted my time like a fool. Decades of my time." Blood trickled down his chin. "I''ve let you down. I''ve given up on the virtues of a knight."


    End listened silently. He passed no judgment on the repenting Jerome. All he had for him was eptance. "No." He held Jerome''s medallion. "All you need is time to heal, but Destiny didn''t give you that."


    Jerome sobbed, his negative emotions disappearing right away. The witcher fell forward and hugged End just like how he did the day he arrived at Kaer Seren. Just like how he did the day his brethren weed him with open arms.


    He was muttering under his breath, his voice barely a whisper now. "I''ve given it a lot of thought, but the answer still eludes me. I did all the good I could¡¯ve done, and yet misfortune still falls upon me. If that''s the case, then why do we put our faith in the creed? If justice does exist, then why do good people get punished, while the viins get to live their lives infort?"


    End listened quietly, and then a gigantic cloaked man appeared behind Jerome. End shook his head.


    "Did I do something wrong? Is that why the gods punished me so?" Jerome whispered into End''s ears. His pupils were starting to dte." Please, tell me."


    ***


    "Jerome, you are a Griffin. There''s no doubt about that." End''s gaze pierced the woods and reached the valley of Marnadal. Then his eyes became bloodshot. It was almost like he could see the humans who were battling it out in the warzone, and that reminded him of something else.


    Once again, he was reminded of that fateful night. The night where his home was buried underyers of snow. The night where he had to bury more than sixty of his brethren. He was reminded of the foolishness, the greed, and the grotesque malice shown by the mages, the church, and the peasants.


    "The fault is not on you."


    Jerome finally got his answer, and tears streamed down his cheeks. A smile curled his lips, for he finally had closure. And that was hisst smile. His pupils were dted, his eyes losing their light. His head rested on End''s shoulder, but he was no longer breathing.


    ***


    End held the battered, tattered corpse of his student, and a tear rolled down his cheek. The grandmaster put Jerome''s corpse down and raised his hand.


    A crimson shard half the size of a human palm slept in his hand, its shape irregr. A gust of wind blew past the woods, and a sliver of ck smoke rose from Jerome''s corpse. Then it housed itself in the shard.


    "We shall realize the dreams of our school together, Jerome." End opened a portal and leapt into it. Hispanion followed swiftly, then they both disappeared into thin air.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 459: The Law of Surprise

    Slowly, the sun was setting on Marnadal. Dusk fast approached, robbing the air of its warmth. Thends of Marnadal were turned into a hellscape. Tattered and covered in blood. Even the skies looked crimson.


    Vizima''s soldiers were on the left nk, but they fell. Even though they fought valiantly, the overwhelming numbers still engulfed them. A crack appeared in the wall of shields, but no new soldiers came to fill it up. The Nilfgaardian troops charged into that opening, surrounding the injured soldiers and iming their lives.


    One by one, the infantry units howled in agony. Thest sound they made before losing their lives. The southern soldiers went after the soldiers on the slopes, who were alone and without reinforcements. But most of the southern troops circled the mountain, attempting to surround the army of Cintra.


    The war horn of Cintra could no longer produce its reinvigorating sound, and the troops had gone far beyond their limits. No more reinforcements woulde, but the southern troops could still go on.


    ***


    Triss could only watch as the soldiers around her fell. It didn''t take long until the corpses of herrades were surrounding her. She was worse for wear as well. Blood trickled down her lips, and a bruise covered her face. Her body was trembling, sweat drenching her shirt and hair.


    Only two crossbowmen were escorting her. Desperately, they tried to make their way to the king, but then a southern troop showed up, the soldiers sneering. They stared at Triss like she was their prey. A prey ready to be gobbled up. And the troop changed directions. Now they set their sights on her.


    The crossbowmen who were escorting her felt a surge of paining from their backs. They let out a grunt of pain and fell forward. Triss gritted her teeth. She turned around and passed a bolt of electricity between her hands before shooting it at the iing soldiers.


    The horses trembled the moment they were hit by electricity, and the rider was hurled down to the ground. The remaining knights swiftly went around theirrade and closed in on Triss. She tried to cast another spell, but a howl escaped her lips, and she fell back down. Blood once again trickled down her lips. Her magic backfired on her.


    The consecutive casting of spells in this battle was finally taking a toll on her. No longer will mana listen to her. It was all she could do to push herself up. She felt a gust of winding at her, and the sorceress closed her eyes in fear.


    But the pain didn''te. No matter how long she waited, the pain just didn''te. So Triss opened her eyes. For some reason, the knights who were trying to attack her were sliced in half. Even their horses were cut up as well. The cut was clean, and what remained of the knights were still, in a bizarre and horrifying way, alive. Though that didn''t stop them from howling in agony. The sh showed no mercy.


    A lean figure in tattered clothes leapt into the air and kicked thest knight off his horse so he could take over. And then he cast a Sign to the mount. That calmed the struggling animal. It even licked the witcher''s hand like he was its master.


    "Witcher? What brings you to the battlefield?" Triss recognized the Sign. It was Axii. She wondered what a witcher was doing here.


    The witcher turned around. His face was covered in blood, dust, and wounds, but she¡¯d recognize those eyes anywhere. He was the one who saved her from the clutches of a higher vampire.


    "Roy?" The sorceress'' jaw dropped in surprise, but her voice was barely a whisper. She sounded like a terminal patient.


    Roy waved at her and rode over to the sorceress. She could smell the stench of sweat and blooding from him, but Triss extended her hand, and he pulled her up to the horse''s back.


    "Hold tight," he said curtly.


    And Triss wrapped her arms around him. She felt her heart thumping furiously, and a sense of safety welled within her. The sorceress rested her head on his back, listening to his heartbeat. <em>He saved me again. Perhaps this is fate, </em>she thought. <em>This is no coincidence.</em>


    Roy took a break after killing the mages. He then hopped back into the battlefield to search for End, but he failed. Not only that, but he also lost contact with Jerome. He tried to call him many times, but he found nothing.


    The witcher spent the whole afternoon scouring the battlefield. A few times he even tried to teleport into the fray, but the moment hended, the soldiers around him would rain down attacks, forcing him to retreat. "Dammit, Jerome. At least talk to me!" Roy didn''t want to die. There were a lot of people back home waiting for him. He had no choice but to retreat. And then he remembered seeing Triss on the battlefield.


    <em>But she shouldn''t be here! Dammit, the course of history changed because of my meddling. </em>Roy wouldn''t let the potential resident mage for the brotherhood die, so he came.


    The horse neighed. Roy held the reins with his right hand and cast Quen over their heads with his left. The golden shield covered them and reflected three arrows. They then rushed all the way to where Eist was.


    ***


    "Your Majesty, Your Highness."


    "Speak."


    "We''ve sustained heavy losses. Jan Natalis died in battle, and so did Kurian. Vizima''s troops have been annihted, and our troops can''t hold on much longer. We must retreat, Your Lordships," Vissegerd said grimly. "Thest of our troops will ensure your safety. We''ll hold the enemy off until you and the queen have returned to Cintra. And we must do it right now. If the southerners manage to surround us, there will be no escape for any of us!"


    Eist teared up and shivered, his fists balled up. He could still hear his soldiers screaming and howling. His men were still fending off the Nilfgaardians, but they couldn''t hold the line much longer. And yet Eist shook his head. "I told you we were no cowards. If I ran away here, I would have let all my warriors down. Time for me to die for my kingdom."


    Cnthe said nothing. She breathed heavily and held her husband''s arm.


    "No, no, no! No, Your Majesty!" Vissegerd kept trying to persuade Eist to leave. His eyes were bing bloodshot. "You''re not running away! You need to go back. Cintra''s people need you! Skellige''s reinforcements will arrive soon. With their help, at least we can still defend the kingdom. But they need the heart and soul of the kingdom. Your Majesty, think about it. These Nilfgaardians are cold, cruel bastards. Should Cintra fall to them, your people would be subjected to untold horrors. Pardon me for this, but if you decide to charge ahead so you can ''face your brethren,'' that''d be nothing but cowardly."


    Eist stayed silent for a long time. Eventually, he nodded.


    ***


    A great fireball mmed into the lines of Cintra''s infantry, destroying it. The incredible heat burned the soldiers, charring their skin. Their armor turned into ovens, cooking their wearers until they died.


    Finally, thest line of defense was broken. A southern knight broke past the line, and the Cintran soldiers tried to stop him, but they were engulfed by the other Nilfgaardian knights.


    The line fell. The knight shot an arrow straight at Eist''s head. Before anyone could react, Eist had fallen from his horse. He shook his head for a moment, and rity returned to his eyes. There was a dent in his helm, however. Since the witcher told him he would die from an arrow, Eist made it a point to always wear sturdy armor and a sturdier helm.


    Some of his personal guards charged toward the knights. Metal shed, and they managed to bring down some of the cavalry. But then more Nilfgaardian knights came.


    "Eist, we need to leave." A plea filled the queen''s eyes. Eist heaved a sigh and got onto the back of his horse. Under the escort of Vissegerd and a group of ten knights, the rulers of Cintra quickly left the valley''s pass.


    The sun was quickly setting, but a group of horses were galloping through the wilderness, dust clouds forming behind them. A group of two dozen knights had given chase, their targets the rulers of Cintra. Apparently, they recognized Cnthe and Eist, and they would do anything to im the lives of these two.


    The knights held their reins with one hand and reloaded their crossbows with the other. Bolts zipped through the air as the knights kept firing at the escaping Cintrans. One by one, the knights who escorted the rulers fell, and they took down two of the pursuers with them.


    But now, the backs of Eist, Cnthe, and Vissegerd were exposed to their pursuers. Their cloaks billowed, and their lives were on the line.


    But then one of the knights had his head shot. A burst of blood spurted into the air, and he fell. Before anyone realized what was going on, another knight fell in the same way. A terrifying roar pierced the air, and everyone''s heart sank. Even Cnthe turned around.


    Two blinding arcs of electricity flew through the air. One passed through the pursuers, while the other came straight from the skies. Three more knights were hit, and they fell from their mounts, electricity jumping on their helms.


    Finally, the pursuers noticed the threat that was behind them. He was a man in tattered clothes. His eyes were wild, and his face was bloodied. Yet he grinned at them toothily, and the Nilfgaardian horse he was riding charged straight at them. The witcher was alone, but he was determined to hunt these bastards down.


    Another smirk curled his lips, and he raised his hand. The witcher pulled the trigger, a bolt flying through the air. The bolt found itself buried in the eye of a knight, and he was sent flying through the air.


    Shocked by the witcher¡¯s impable archery, they trained their crossbows on him, but s, it was useless. Three bolts were deflected by his golden shield and the witcher tilted his head to dodge another one, but one pierced his right arm. Yet the witcher ignored the pain. The bolt didn''t even make him wobble.


    Triss held him tighter, however.


    The sun was almost fully set, the air itself turning chilly. Yet the chasing game still persisted. Twelve pursuers remained. They kept going after the Cintran rulers and shooting at the maniac behind them.


    Another knight fell. Then a furious roar came raining down from the heavens. A griffin the size of a buffalo appeared from nowhere. Every time it pped its wings, a gale would stir. Its eyes glinted with ferocity. The ferocity of a predator ready to hunt.


    It flew through the knights, mming three of them out of its way. The impact made them roll around like high-speed tops, and then they stopped moving. The winds were blowing against Gryphon''s cheeks, and it picked up a fourth knight only to toss him down at a fifth knight like he was some sort of human ammunition.


    The remaining knights tried to shoot it, but the griffin covered itself with its wings. They acted like shields. Despite the knights'' best efforts, Gryphon was unharmed.


    While the enemies were distracted by the griffin, Roy fired three more shots. Under the guidance of Guided Arrows and Massacre''s added damage, the bolts pierced through three helmets and crushed the heads of their wearers with ease.


    Ten seconds had gone by since the start of the chase, and only five of the eighteen pursuers remained. Unlike how they felt earlier, now the pursuers only had horror in their hearts. All they wanted to do was run.


    But they underestimated the speed at which the witcher could fire. They underestimated how far he could fire. And thus, they made thest and fatal mistake of their lives. The knights split in five directions and tried to run away, but the witcher wasn''t worried. He looked at them coldly as he fired three shots at the escapees. All of them found their mark, and the knights were killed.


    Gryphon tore apart the remaining knights limb from limb.


    Eist, Cnthe, and Vissegerd could finally escape without worries. They had been looking back all this time. After the knights were killed, they slowed down so Roy could catch up to them.


    All of them galloped to Cintra together, while Gryphon flew high up in the air, checking for any pursuers who mighte.


    Not far ahead slept the sea. It was glimmering under the remaining rays of the sun. They could finally see the walls of Cintra standing atop the cliffs.


    "What brings you two together, Roy?" Cnthe''s sideburns billowed in the wind. She leaned closer to the horse''s back and rode it like a pro. There was surprise and gratitude in her eyes. She didn''t think Roy had the power to defeat all their pursuers by himself, but he managed it.


    "Your Highness, Your Majesty, and marshal, Roy here saved my life." Triss showed her face.


    <em>So he saved our lives and killed those Nilfgaardian dogs at the same time? Well done, Witcher. </em>Cnthe wanted to reward Roy, but Cintra was in a predicament. Any promise of a reward would soundughable, so she held her tongue.


    Roy saw through her, and he smiled. "Just doing it for Ciri. You might not believe this, but I have another business to settle here. Wasn''t going to meddle. Not like I can change the tides of war all by myself."


    He yanked the reins. "And you should arrive in Cintra within a day or so. This is as far as I go. I need to go back." <em>Jerome is still missing.</em>


    "You want to <em>go back</em>?" Triss raised her head, her eyes filled with worry.


    "I must, but I''ll be careful. They can''t bring me down. Not those Nilfgaardian soldiers."


    The sorceress hung her head low, keeping her silence.


    "Calm down. Witchers follow the code of neutrality. You shouldn''t have joined this battle." Eist pulled on the reins. His hair and beard looked unkempt, and his back was hunched. The once mighty king looked a little dejected. "But still you came. And you saved our lives. I owe you. Destiny wills it."


    The riders rode into a forest, and Eist sighed. "How should I thank you? Speak, for this is yourst chance."


    Roy shook his head. He was about to say no, but then an inexplicable feeling swelled within his heart. Almost uncontrobly, he said. "I would like¡­"


    Surprise shed in Triss'' eyes. She felt mana flowing in the air. Subtle, but it felt ancient.


    "Something that you already have but still aren''t aware of."


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment there, he felt like he wasn''t control of himself. And then silence followed.


    Cnthe paled. She was reminded of a sad past, and her eyes went wide. Sadness and fury contorted her face. "I-Impossible. You invoked the Law of Surpirse? Witcher, I''ve agreed to let Ciri go with you! You can''t invoke thatw once more!"


    "Calm down, Cnthe. We failed." Eist shook his head. Calmly, he spoke, "I''m sorry, Roy, but we have no children. She just checked itst month."


    "Just a random thing I said. Wasn''t expecting another Unexpected Child." Roy shook his head in disappointment, but when he looked at Cnthe again, he froze.


    ''Cnthe


    Age: Forty-five years old


    HP: 50 (Pregnant)''


    ***


    Roy was reminded of something. Something he had seen before. A petite, ck-haired girl with eyes as green as an ancient forest. She was looking at Roy, seemingly giggling in delight. And the girl was even extending a hand to him. "Your Highness, I''d suggest you talk to a priest of Freya once you return to Cintra. They mighte up with a different result this time."


    "Are you kidding me? I didn''t know witchers were doctors. And you just took one look at her. No way you can be sure she''s pregnant." Eist''s eyes widened, his face filled with solemnity, and he held his reins tighter.


    "That''s Destiny. You might not believe it, but it is what it is. Congrattions. Both of you."


    The rulers exchanged a look. They were filled with delight, shock, sadness, and grief all at the same time.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 460: Reinforcements

    A river of stars hung high in the heavens, staring down at the bloody, death-soakednds of Marnadal and the woods west of it. The woods where Jerome met his end.


    Roy stared at his deadrade''s battered body or what remained of it after the beasts were done feasting on it. And he sighed. A diamond-shaped crystal hung in the air, projecting a light blue screen upward. There, beyond the screen, stood hisrades. Silence swooped down on them all, gnawing away at their hearts.


    "This is¡­ unbelievable, and not in the good sense," a voiceden with disbelief and grief said. "Jerome died from¡­ from arrow wounds? Impossible. I thought we gave him an acorn. Why didn''t he use it?" Coen hung his head low, muttering to himself, stricken with sorrow.


    "Never contacted me once." Roy shook his head, sighing. "I had a feeling he did it on purpose. Maybe he didn''t want to drag me into whatever business he was dealing with." Roy¡ªand the whole brotherhood, for that matter¡ªknew Jerome saw himself as an outsider. An outsider who loathed dragging unrted people into his business.


    "My condolences,ds," Vesemir said, his eyes welling with sadness. "Death through battle is but one of a witcher''s many ends. And you might have noticed this, but Jerome was already prepared to meet his end. Destiny had tormented him for more than a century. He must''ve been exhausted."


    Another stretch of silence engulfed the witchers, the air hanging with bereavement. It hadn''t been too long since Jerome made his appearance, and their bond hadn''t deepened too much. Yet, this was still the first death experienced by the brotherhood. A bad start to a grim mission. Everyone had a foreboding feeling of what was toe.


    "I shouldn''t have let him go." Serrit shook his head. "But I have a question. Why is his corpse miles away from the battlefield?"


    "Serrit, the cause of death is the crossbow bolts puncturing his organs. No sign of magic or any other type of wound. The killer was a random soldier. And Jerome died with a smile on his face." Roy was observing Jerome''s pallid, lifeless face. Rigor mortis had kicked in, his facial muscles rxing, and yet the smile on his lips remained.


    "Then the answer is clear." Letho said, "He saw End."


    Despite the tragedy, this conclusion served as somefort for the witchers. Jerome spent all his life searching for End, and moments before his death, his wish was granted. It was, so to speak, the silver lining.


    "He <em>was </em>a member of the brotherhood. I won''t let him die for nothing." Lambert clenched his fists, his breathingbored.


    "You expect us to kill off the whole Nilfgaardian army?" Auckes cocked his eyebrow.


    "Lambert, he was in a warzone. It was possible a <em>Cintran </em>soldier killed him." Serrit shook his head. "Once you get yourself involved in a war, there''s no turning back. Either youe out alive, or you don''te out at all. That''s the price he was ready to pay the moment he broke his code of neutrality."


    "At least we gotta find out what happened to him before his death." Icy fury glinted in Lambert''s eyes. He suggested, "Now that the battle at Marnadal is over, we can all go to Cintra and drag End out kicking and screaming. His student died, and that bastard left his corpse out in the wilds. I need to find out what he told Jerome before he died. Jerome could have saved himself, but he didn''t. I need to get an answer."


    "No!" Two members spoke at the same time. Roy¡­ and Coral.


    "I have a bad feeling about this. I''m doing this solo," Roy said.


    "And <em>I''m </em>surprised you know this is dangerous." Coral peered at Roy, her eyes ring with mes. "Go to Cintra, find Geralt, pick Ciri up, and get back to Novigrad on the double. Do <em>not </em>seek End out. This is your final warning." There was an overtone of threat, and she snarled, her lips glistening dangerously. "Ignore it, and there will be hell to pay."


    "I''m fine, Coral. And Jerome''s case¡­" Roy''s voice trailed off.


    "Oh, look in a mirror, will you?" Coral''s chest heaved, ice-cold fury tinging her face. For once, she roared, "I can barely recognize you! Your head''s almost double its usual size, and your clothes are tattered. You keep this up and you''re gonna end up dead like your friend!" Coral stared intently at her lover. "Take his corpse back and bury it in Kaer Seren. That''s it. That''s the end of this. We''ll seek End out, but only <em>after </em>the brotherhood grows stronger."


    "Lytta''s right." Coen inhaled deeply. He would have wanted to seek the answers out as well, but they were in no condition to do that. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Jerome is dead. We cannot allow any more members to die."


    "Contact Geralt." Letho added, "And take him and Ciri back."


    Roy stayed silent. A long whileter, he heaved a sigh, his eyes glinting. "Understood." Then he tucked Jerome''s remains into his inventory. "I''ll pick Ciri up." <em>And I''m taking a few more guys with me, </em>he added silently.


    ***


    It was a quiet night in Cintra. Nary a soul prowled the streets. The people of this great city had retired for the night, or they would have, should this be a regr night. But nay. War was at hand, and the lights in every house were turned on.


    Rows of torches hung from the towering city walls, shining upon the city and lighting it like a beacon. The city gates observed a hundred soldiers patrolling it, and guard posts stood everywhere. Security was tight.


    Some of the more cowardly citizens had deserted Cintra in the face of theing war, but most of them stayed back. The people of Cintra were born warriors. Proud warriors. Never would they allow any outsider to invade their homnd. Not on their lives.


    A solitary castle stood on the cliffs north of the sentries. Within a room filled with dolls and bookshelves, a girl in a regal dress and long stockings was crouching in the corner of her room. She held her legs, her face buried between them, and she shivered like a scared little duckling.


    "Your Highness, I thought you¡¯d be looking forward to the Novigrad trip." Coria was in her regr maid attire. A sycophantic smile hung from her lips, and carefully, she said, "Geralt''s going to give you the grand tour, and your grandparents have approved the trip. So why aren''t you going? Your Highness, you really need to give Geralt a reason. He''s been waiting for you. If Her Highnesses back and sees you still dawdling around, she''s going to whip you again."


    That threat used to work on the princess, but not that night. Ciri remained unconvinced. Her body was quaking in terror, sobs escaping through her nose.


    Coria looked to Geralt for help, but the witcher shook his head. When he came to see Ciri earlier that afternoon, she gleefully epted his invitation and promised to go with him after lunch. But then she changed her mind all of a sudden.


    Since afternoon, the girl had been crouching in the corner, refusing to do anything. Geralt was about to take her by force, but he relented when he saw the look of sorrow on her face. And thus, our witcher found himself spending the whole afternoon trying to cheer a child up. The one thing he disliked the most. And the very same thing he had no idea how to handle.


    "You keep crying, and you''re gonna hurt your voice, diva. Remember your promise to put on a show for the kids? There are fifty of them, all waiting for you. Waiting to y with you. Jump ropes, hide and seek, and even the more boyish games that you love so much," Geralt goaded. "If you''d like, you can pick any witcher to teach you. They''ll assist you in your hunt for drowners, nekkers, and even a dragon. We also have a beautiful sorceress who can teach you magic. It''s a lot better than being cooped up in this little room learning all about etiquette. And Roy is there as well. You want to see him, don''t you?"


    The mention of Roy triggered something within the princess, and she cried even more. "Roy''s¡­ Roy''s going to die soon. And Grandpa too!"


    "What do you mean?" Inexplicably, Geralt''s heart sank, but then he dismissed it with a smile. "Was that a nightmare you had?"


    "That <em>wasn''t </em>a dream. It wasn''t. I saw it. I saw everything!" Finally, Ciri found someone she could vent to, and she leapt into the White Wolf''s embrace, crying out loud. Through her sniffles and sobs, she finally told Geralt of the dream she had. The girl raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears, her cheeks and nose rosy. "Roy and my grandpa¡­ They''re gonna die. Both of them!"


    "Calm down, Ciri. That was jut a nightmare." Geralt patted the girl''s back. "And dreams are the opposite of what will happen in the real world, alright? Calm down."


    "Y-You''re not lying, are you?" The girl stared into Geralt''s eyes.


    "I promise they will be fine. But tell me more about this dream you had. Every detail you can remember."


    ***


    Dark clouds hung over the seas between the isles and the Northern Kingdoms. Lightning crackled, and thunder boomed. A torrential downpour mmed into the seas only to be engulfed by gigantic waves.


    Fifty battleships formed a circle, bravely sailing across the high seas. Their destination? The port of Cintra. Waves crashed against the hull, their sails billowing in the gale, their emblem ring straight ahead.


    A man as burly as a grizzly bear stood upon the deck, wearing a gleaming jacket made of seal hide. He issuedmands to his crew and blew his whistle as loudly as he could. The sailors pulled down the sails and mast, then they scurried off into the cabins calmly.


    Six burly, bearded men with antlered helms on their heads and ancient staves on their backs stood on the bows of the ships, unfazed by the storm, like their legs were rooted in the deck.


    Despite the howling winds, these men did not move a single inch. Instead, they closed their eyes and chanted an ancient incantation. The magical incantation seeped into the winds, tangled with the lightning, and danced with the waves.


    Nature''s magic burst forth from the druids and gathered over the battleships. A green dome sprang from the ball of energy, covering the ships in a protective shield, fending off the storm raging on outside.


    The chant reached a crescendo, drowning out all other sounds. Drowning out even the roars of the storm. A surge of nature''s magic shot up into the air, into the dark clouds hanging ominously overhead. Nature''s magic caressed the dark clouds, soothing the anger and calming the storm.


    And it worked. A little crack had formed within the stormy skies. Then, a sliver of silvery moonlight shone through, illuminating the dark, dark sea.


    Just when the storm seemed to have calmed, a great arc of lightning darted across the skies, blinding the seas for just a moment. And then, booms of thunder bellowed in the firmament. Cloaked silhouettes appeared behind the ck clouds, chanting a bizarre incantation. It sounded as if men and women were chanting together, shing with the druid''s magic.


    The storm resumed, the moonlight covered. Once again, dark clouds formed overhead. Winds howled, and lightning streaked through the heavens. Thunder bellowed, and the storm raged. The druids stopped chanting for a moment only to resume at an even greater intensity.


    Their magic charged into the skies once more, forming the silhouette of a monumental oak tree that connected the seas to the skies. A canopy of leaves hung from its many branches and a green, soothing light shone upon its bark, its energy calming the souls of those who bore witness to it.


    Even the fury of nature was assuaged by its power. Then, grunts of pain came from within the clouds, and the cloaked silhouettes disappeared. Gone with them was the storm that had raged over the seas. As if by some sort of miracle, the skies cleared up, giving way to the silvery moon hiding behind the dark clouds. Orion shone upon the seas, smiling at the reflection of the moon.


    Thus, the battleships could travel in safety.


    "Glory to Mousesack!"


    "To Egill!"


    Fn of Skellige emerged from the cabins. The man held up a mug of liquor with his hairy hand and took a big swig, and he burped.


    "To Tarjik!"


    "To the druids!"


    The army of sailors gave their hurrahs to the druids, who were standing on the bows of their ships. These allies of nature exchanged a look and took their helms off to pour the seawater out. They then bowed at the cheering sailors, and five of them slowly disappeared into thin air.


    Mousesack was the only remaining druid. He stood atop the bow, gazing far into the distance, where Cintra''s port stood.


    Crach an Craite, a burly man with unkempt red hair, swung his arm down, his eyes ring with fighting spirit. "Sails up, ye scurvy dogs! We be passin'' around Sedna! Ter Cintra we go! Tha'' storm ain''t gunna stop us! Off with the Nilfgaardian dogs'' heads!"


    The sailors put up the mast, unfurled the sails, and pulled the anchor back up. And then, once more, they returned to their journey. And the sailors started singing a sea shanty.


    "Beneath the raging storm we row, into the tidal waves she goes.


    Through the winds and the seas we brave, heave her up and away we''ll go.


    The rich and blue blood fear us wherever we may go, yo ho ho.


    Along danger''s coast we ride sure, in the seas we find our peace."


    The sailor''s singing was carried by the wind, and onto thends it traveled.


    ***


    "Bad news. A group of six druids were present on the Skellige battleships. All powerful maniptors of weather. They destroyed the storm easily. Our men''s mana backfired on them, and they sustained heavy injuries." A woman in a fox mask appeared on the xenovox''s screen, speaking in a voice filled with dejection. "And the battleships are going around Sedna. If I didn''t know better, I would''ve thought we had a spy among us."


    On the other side of the xenovox was a man in a wolf mask. He looked at the tank and metal cap behind him. <em>That didn''t work? </em>His face fell. "Will they meddle with the war? The druids, I mean."


    "I don''t think so. Storms are a force of nature, but wars aren''t," the woman said. "But once Skellige''s men enter Cintra, His Majesty''s victory will undoubtedly be dyed. It''ll be a problem if he still wants to take Upper Sodden after this failure."


    The woman''sints didn''t stop just yet. "And bad news from Marnadal too. The empire''s warriors came out triumphant, but they paid a heavy toll. More than ten thousand dead. That''s about all of Cintra''s warriors. Every single one of them took down one of our warriors before they met their end. And to think they did it when <em>we </em>had the numbers advantage. Unthinkable."


    The woman paused for a moment. "And a mysterious phantom made his appearance on the battlefield. He has a unique teleportation skill and killed five of our mages in one fell swoop. The only sorceress who survived is still in shock even as we speak."


    The man stared into his correspondent''s eyes. Grimly, he asked, "Is that supposed to be a joke?"


    "No. But if you need details, that''ll have to wait. The sorceress needs to be assuaged before we can extract any more details out of her. It''s possible that she''s traumatized. First war for her, after all. The point is, this war is proving to be more of a challenge than we expected. Sir, you might need toe down to the field once more."


    "I''ve already put myself at enough risk and paid a heavy price as it is," the man snapped. "And yet you still disappointed me. But no use dwelling on what has happened. I shall call you after the war in Cintra hase to an end." He snapped his fingers and cut off the call. "Lydia!"


    "Yes, sir. Anything you might need assistance with?" A woman in a red dress and a dreamy mask appeared.


    "Establish contact with Riens. Make sure our quarry is safe and sound even after Cintra has fallen." The wolven mask disappeared into thin air. Behind that mask was the face of Vilgefortz.


    Even if Nilfgaard''s n went awry, even if he were to fail in his attempts to gather the brotherhood''s strength and ascend to absolute power, he would not let that one particr prey of his go.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 461: Siege

    The semi-circr port of Cintra basked under the first rays of dawn. Approaching it were the battleships of Skellige, their sails tied up, the emblems upon them gleaming. The masts stood up high like trees of a forest popting the coast of Cintra.


    A group of armed, burly men swiftly and quietly disembarked from the ships. Unlike thendlubbers, these men were wearing dark-colored capes, and elbow guards and leg guards that looked like they were made of the hide of all manners of beasts. Wooly, patterned belts hung from their waists, and circr shields were strapped to their backs. Swords hung from their belts, and a battle axe was held in their hands. Some wore horned helmets, while some wore regr helmets. But all of them had a piece of metal guarding their nose, lending these warriors a fierce look. Their beards and chest hair that protruded from their armor swayed as they walked ahead.


    "Crach, Tkacik, Dona¡­" Eist hugged the leaders of these sailors. "Freya bless you. Thank you for lending a hand to us."


    "Uncle Eist, it''s only been a year, but you look like you''ve been through hell. What happened?" A burly, unkempt red-haired man looked at Eist with worry.


    "I suffered a defeat." Eist shook his head in despondence. His eyes were bloodshot after Eist stayed up the whole night, and a perpetual frown was covering his forehead. Strands of grey hair hid on his scalp, and he seemed to have aged years in a single night. "I failed my people. All my soldiers perished in the battle. All ten thousand of them." Eist hung his head low in disgrace. "And yet I returned to this city with my tail between my legs like a coward."


    "Ye be the three-time reignin'' champion back on the isles. If ye be a coward, then wha'' bout yer lessers?" Sea Boar shook his head. "Ain''t ye fault ye lost. Them Nilfgaardian dogs are ter me fer this. An'' we''re here ter help. We''re gonna kick those sons o'' bitches back to their momma''s asses."


    "Ter hell with them Nilfgaardian dogs!" the other leaders shouted in unison.


    Crach asked. "Speakin'' of which, where be Aunt Cnthe?"


    "Back at the castle, healing up. She''s not in the best of health." A hint of worry filled his eyes. "But this is not the time to talk. A crisis is upon us, soe with me."


    The next battle was drawing closer, and Eist''s scout brought back with him a piece of bad news. After their victory in Marnadal, the troops of Nilfgaard were making their way to Cintra unabated. Not once did they stop to take a break. It was obvious they wished to take Cintra down in one fell swoop. At best, they would be at Cintra''s doorstep in half a day.


    ***


    Eist and Cintra''s royalty led forty-five hundred Skellige sailors¡ªfive hundred were left on the battleships lest the enemy attack through the waters¡ªthrough the road leading back to the gates of Cintra.


    Windows of the citizens'' abodes were wide open. Standing within the houses were people with eyes filled with untold sorrow. Women and children, all of them. Most of the men in Cintra had gone to war, and all perished. All became food for the vultures no doubt still circling the skies of Marnadal. Orphans and widows, these people were.


    The influx of soldiers bolstered their confidence, albeit only marginally. Their sadness could never be soothed, their nerves still tensing up with every passing second.


    ***


    Cintra was surrounded by a vast sea. The city walls stood high and mighty, and all were made of sturdy granite. They stood as a defense against any intruder, facing the great wilderness extending beyond the walls. Not too far beneath the walls, a deep moat slept. The soldiers stood atop the walls, keeping an eye out for their surroundings. All of them were ready for war.


    Crackling hearths were aplenty on the walls. Sitting over them were pots and cauldrons filled with oil just ready to be heated up. Rows of basalt boulders and logs big enough to require two men just to hold them up sat around. All weapons to hold off the invaders who would invariably try to climb the walls.


    The looming gates standing in the center of the walls were mmed shut. Bestowed with magic, the gates were a lot sturdier than any mortal steel. It was nigh impossible to break it from the outside.


    Standing before the gates was a young, red-haired sorceress. Triss had her hair tied up in a ponytail, and she was weaving aplex gesture in the air. A necessary move to enhance the defenses of the gates.


    Beyond these walls, the wilderness stood. There on the horizon, an army of ck-armored soldiers was making its way to Cintra like a wave of darkness. Nilfgaard''s infantry and cavalry were swiftly closing the distance to Cintra, the silver sun on their gs billowing in the wind.


    "Look alive,ds. Got a tough battle ahead of us." Crach turned around. He unsheathed his de and held it high above his head. Solemnly, he said, "The House of Craite''ll face these mangy curs first. E''eryone else, rest up. We need ya to tag in soon enough."


    ***


    Cnthe sat in her resplendent room, silence her onlypanion. She was on her bed, thinking back to what the priestess of Freya told her, and she was¡­ conflicted. Excited, yes. But also terrified. <em>I have a child. An Unexpected Child. This is not the time to get pregnant. </em>For the first time in her life, Cnthe was at a loss as to what she should do. A great battle was taking ce within her. <em>What should I do? Should I fight alongside my husband? My people? My kingdom? Or should I live for my unborn child?</em>


    And then, the voice of Ciri broke Cnthe''s train of thought. "Grandma! You need to get Grandpa here right now. We need to leave for Novigrad!" Willful Ciri leapt to her grandmother, shaking her arm. "I don''t wanna go alone. I''m scared."


    "Now is not the time to be selfish, Ciri. You must leave with the witchers." Cnthe gave the witchers a look.


    Geralt was still in a daze. The news of Jerome''s death hadn''t yet settled inpletely. But by instinct, he patted Ciri''s head.


    "I''m not going anywhere!" Ciri burst into tears, her cheeks crimson. "They say we lost the war, and everyone''s dead! If I leave, I''m never gonna have the chance toe back. To see you anymore. I''m not going!" She sobbed. "Not unless youe with me!"


    "Who told you that?" Cnthe''s face fell, fury and sadness weling in her eyes. She wanted to lie to Ciri once more, but the queen decided against it. "Ciri, I do not wish to lie anymore. Our kingdom is faced with a predicament even as we speak, but we will not be defeated. Once wey im to victory, Eist and I will travel to Novigrad. To see you. Now, be a good girl and do as I say, alright?"


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>Thest part was very much a lie, Queen.</em>


    "If you can win this, then why can''t I stay? I saw it. I saw everything. Everyone''s gonna die. Grandpa, Roy¡­ Everyone!" Ciri muttered in sorrow.


    "What did you see?"


    "Grandma, the people of Cintra are no cowards. I''m a Cintran as well, and I am no coward. I will stay with you until we win this war!"


    "Silence! Geralt, Roy, take her away!"


    "Grandma, I swear, if you make me leave, I''m just going to sneak back to Cintra. I''d rather die with my people than escape a battle!" The girl turned around to face the witchers, and she snarled like a bristling kitten. "You take me away and you''ll be my enemies for life."


    Geralt''s heart skipped a beat, and the witchers exchanged a look. Roy resigned himself and stayed silent, though he was also feeling some excitement bubbling within. He did promise the brotherhood to bring back Geralt <em>and </em>Ciri. <em>If Ciri wants to hang back, then all the more reason for me to stay as well.</em>


    The girl rested her head on Cnthe''sp, staring at her grandmother with tear-filled eyes. "Let me stay, Grandma. I''m not leaving unless you''reing with me."


    Cnthe stared at the girl, but she said nothing. Her hand was on her belly, her mind filled with the affairs of her baby. <em>What should I do with the baby?</em>


    "Let her stay, Your Highness." Geralt spoke. There was a hint of dejection in his voice, and he touched the one-time teleportation crystal in his pocket. <em>As long as we''re in the castle, I can take Ciri to safety.</em>


    Cnthe exhaled a long, long sigh. "Geralt, I''ll need you to keep an eye out for Ciri over the next few days. Thank you."


    "I''ll chip in as well." Mousesack entered the chambers, still wearing his antlered helmet as usual. And a wooden staff was strapped to his back. "We''ll keep the girl safe. Until she meets her destiny."


    Cnthe stared at the young witcher, her eyes filled with resignation and a hint ofint. "As for you, Roy, you may attend Triss if you wish. Keep her safe. She''s imperative to the upkeep of Cintra''s gates. As long as the gates remain unbroken, the Nilfgaardians shall never break us."


    "d to be of service." <em>Hey, EXP farming time.</em>


    "Be careful, mate. Stay out of danger." Geralt tensed up and patted Roy''s shoulder.


    Roy nodded. <em>Huh. Odd. Never took Geralt as someone who shows concern that outwardly.</em>


    ***


    In the horizon, the sun set, and dusk took the ce of light. As if on cue, the Nilfgaardian troopsunched their assault. It was supposed to be a silent night, but the air was filled with shouts and screams, not unlike a marketce in the morning. A chaotic, bloody marketce.


    The torches on Cintra''s wall shone upon the busy soldiers. The Nilfgaardian troops were split into dozens of divisions, pushing their wheeleddders over to the wall. Thesedders were equipped with grapples and shields, and the soldiers easily pushed past the moat. Onward to the walls they went, and they attacked from different directions.


    The archersunched a hail of ming arrows down on the city, but most of it was fended off by the Cintran forces. Soldiers of Skellige stood behind thedders that had grappled themselves onto the wall, their axes gleaming from the light of the mes. As one soldier held his shield up, two more picked up a log. The moment a Nilfgaardian soldier reared their head, they would let the log slip.


    And down thedder they went. A sickening crunch echoed through the air as the Nilfgaardian soldier was sent tumbling down thedder. Hey on the ground, his breathing shallow. Every breath he took would end up with him coughing up more blood. His chest had caved in, and his limbs were bent at unnatural angles.


    Yet his sacrifice failed to stop the falling log''s momentum. Down and down it went, until it mmed into the ground like a giant, smashing a few soldiers into pancakes.


    ***


    Some of the more aggressive Skellige soldiers opted for the brutal basalt boulders. The rain of these boulders was nothing less than a disaster for the Nilfgaardian vanguard. The ones who were hit only managed to let out a howl, and then theyy on the ground, unmoving, their helmets caving in.


    Some were hit on the back or chest. The broken bones of these soldiers punctured their internal organs, killing them slowly and painfully.


    ***


    Some of those soldiers opted for a hotter solution. These soldiers were covered in brigandine, their arms shielded with thick gloves. They pushed the cauldrons of sizzling hot oil like it was some sort of carriage, and then¡­ They poured the scalding oil down on the invaders.


    This was a nightmare.


    Any Nilfgaardian soldier, if they were sshed by the oil even just a little, would start to cook. Smoke would billow from their flesh, rotting and melting them. The oil was not as destructive as the logs, but one little drop was enough to make a soldier roll around in agony, taking them out ofmission. Only those who had shields managed to defend themselves against the oil.


    ***


    But that wasn''t the extent of Cintra''s defenses. Two hundred Cintran infantry units¡ªthe soldiers in blue armor with the emblem of Cintra emzoned on their chests¡ªfired off at the invading Nilfgaardian forces.


    But most of their arrows were deflected by the enemy''s sturdy armor. Even if some of them were unlucky enough to be hit, there would be more soldiers taking their ce as they were taken back to the enemy base for treatment.


    Bows and crossbows couldn''t do much damage, especially at night when vision was impaired. Well, for most people, weapons like these couldn''t do much. But there was someone very special among them that night.


    A man, slender and lean. With eyes as wild as a beast''s. Though he was wearing Cintran armor, he insisted on pairing it up with a pair of tight pants. Odd, most people would think.


    The man paced back and forth. The walls were great for both offense and defense. Already he had fired multiple shots at the iing invaders, his bolt arcing through the air like silver shes of death.


    Every shot he took would im a life, and it did not take the Nilfgaardians long to notice they had a superb marksman among the enemy. Thus, the young man found himself having to face the brunt of this army''s attack.


    A Nilfgaardian crossbowman who was hiding behind the moat set his sights on Roy, and he fired off a shot.


    The bolt barely grazed Roy, but that was enough to smash Quen into pieces. The witcher ducked behind the walls right away to recast Quen. Once Quen''s protective light shimmered around him once more, Roy pulled the trigger of his Gabriel.


    A bolt tore through the air like a silver thread, and it turned a corner. Not a momentter, the bolt found itself piercing the crossbowman who had tried to take aim at Roy earlier. And the crossbowman dropped dead.


    "Alright. It''s hunting time." Roy inhaled sharply and stuck his head out, assuming his firing position. His eyes shone in the night, not unlike a cat''s. Even through the darkness, our young witcher could see the hidden archers and crossbowmen of the Nilfgaardian troops. Then the world was quiet. All the shouts and screams, all the sounds of steel cutting through flesh and oil cooking the enemy soldiers, all the crunching of bones being shattered¡­ All of them, gone.


    He pulled the trigger once more, and a bolt sent one Nilfgaardian crossbowman flying into the wall beside the moat. The crossbowman crashed into the granite with a sickening crunch. As he slowly slid to the ground, what was left behind was a blooming flower painted on the walls with the blood of the enemy.


    "Nice shot!" The Skellige soldier closest to Roy whistled. He lifted an obsidian boulder, veins popping on his arms. His face turned red, his nose twitched, and with a bellow, the soldier tossed that boulder into the distance.


    Two Nilfgaardian soldiers fell, their helmets caved in.


    "You aren''t half bad either."


    A rain of arrows fell upon Roy. At longst, Nilfgaard''s archers found their quarry. One of the arrows whizzed through the air, going past the marble stones, and then it finally reached Roy. Yet this time, the witcher did not move. Instead, he pulled the trigger once more.


    A gasp of agony rang into the night skies only to be overwhelmed by the shouts and screams of war. One archer slumped to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut. His brain matter and blood sttered all over hisrades, and they rained down even more arrows on Roy.


    Yet another bolt hit Quen, but it was deflected. Roy blew a lock of his fringe away and pulled the trigger again. Another deadly bolt flew through the air, and one of the archers let out a scream of horror. He clutched the bloody hole the bolt bore through his chest, and the archer knelt in Roy''s direction like a devout believer meeting his god.


    The death of another archer sent the enemy into a panic. There were nearly ten of them, and Roy was alone. But still he managed to hit them, even though there were nearly thirty yards between them. Even after raining down a hail of arrows on Roy, he still was unhurt.


    And his bolts were incredibly powerful. A single hit was enough to take their lives, unless they were shot in their limbs. And to the enemies'' horror, Roy''s bolts were guided. They could change directions if needed.


    Two of the remaining archers were starting to feel fear. They hid beneath the moat, losing their courage to fight Roy. But theirpanions felt their fighting spirit roar. They wished to keep on their battle with Roy.


    That was a mistake they would never do again.


    A whileter, what used to be a cover for a group of Nilfgaardian archers was now decorated with the cold, lifeless corpses of the very same archers who were taking cover there.


    And the only injury Roy sustained was on his right arm. He pulled the arrow out without flinching at all. The young witcher heaved a sigh and poured some liquor on the open wound. Without warning, Roy swiveled around and fired another shot. This time, the bolt found itself buried in the face of a Nilfgaardian soldier who was about to slice off the head of a Skellige soldier.


    Blood burst forth, and the soldier slid down thedder.


    "By Freya! I owe ya one. Name''s Jorn Ettusack." The bearded man rubbed his nape, a shudder running down his spine. He grinned toothily, his teeth yellow. Gratefully, he said, "Wouldja tell me ya name? Would like ter treat ya ter a drink or two af''er the war''s o''er."


    "Auckes. See you after the battle."


    The little episode was swiftly brushed aside, and our warriors jumped back into battle.


    ***


    Well, Roy was mostly firing off bolt after bolt. Every moment, at least one Nilfgaardian soldier would drop dead, their corpses dragged into the darkness.


    Hours had gone by since the night assault. Once again, dawn slowly rose over the horizon. The Nilfgaardian troop had sustained heavy casualties, but Cintra, on the other hand, only sustained one-fifth of Nilfgaard''s death toll thanks to their defenses and high ground.


    Roy hid behind the city walls, exhaling in delight. His cheeks were rosy with euphoria. <em>Six hundred shots. More or less. Man, I wore my finger out. </em>The witcher''s charge of Activate was used to replenish his lost stamina from the prolonged battle.


    At some point, the witcher lost count of the number of Nilfgaardian soldiers he killed, though it certainly weren''t a few. He killed so many, it was enough to fill his EXP bar, and then some.


    ''Level 10 Witcher (9000/8500).''


    A sense of satisfaction welled within his heart. For once in his career, he managed to bump into an easy EXP farm. <em>I just kept shooting, and it just kept working. Things cannot be simpler.</em>


    And Roy felt no guilt killing the Nilfgaardians. He had a justification ready. <em>They </em>are <em>the invaders, after all.</em>


    But before dawn could fully break through the horizon, Nilfgaard made a change to their approach. A few gigantic machines, ck and horrifying, stood within the enemy base far in the distance.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 462: For the Unborn Child

    A glimmer of purple broke through the horizon, heralding the end of the night. Cintra had switched out the defending soldiers multiple times, and yet the invasion did not stop.


    Two hundred yards away from Cintra was where Nilfgaard''s army stood. A great catapult loomed over the soldiers, glimmering from the light of the bonfire''s mes. A surveyor stood beside it, holding up a telescope. And then he put it down. Then he raised his hand once more. "Two and a half degrees."


    The soldier who was behind the catapult turned the winch and ced ammunition in the throwing arm.


    And then the boulder was let loose.


    A spherical boulder of destruction tore through the air, hurtling at the walls of Cintra. Its arrival sent ripples across the defense line, to say the least. Debris and ster powder shot off in all directions, and the boulder that came mming down like a meteor sent three Skellige soldiers flying into the city. Their chests caved in, and they coughed up blood and chunks of their innards.


    That was thest thing they did. One momentter, the soldiers died.


    "Take cover!" shouted a soldier. s, it was toote.


    Nearly ten ballistae and catapults fired at the walls at the same time, raining down ming arrows and boulders on the defense line.


    And then, an explosion screamed into the night, shuddering the walls. Howls tore through the air as dozens of soldiers were smashed into little pieces, painting the walls red with their blood and flesh.


    A gigantic ming arrow whizzed past Roy and broke Quen without any effort. The witcher was sent flying like he was hit by a wyvern. He hit the wall with a sickening thud. A gasp of pain escaped his lips as he fell down to the ground. His arms felt like they were on fire, and his shoulder was dislocated.


    But he was the luckier one. The Skellige soldier who promised to treat him to a drink after the battle was no more. The witcher turned his eyes to the wall behind him. There, a patch of mincemeat sat on the ground, and the only thing remotely recognizable was its head. Its eyes were wide with fury, its face contorted with rage, speaking of the agony the victim felt before he met his end.


    A dozen soldiers near Roy had fallen as well, suffering the same fate as this man. The mes from the ballista bolt licked the carts within the city. The same carts that were filled with resources for the war.


    The fire caused panic among the citizens. Those who were watching the war ran away, shouting in fear.


    And just like that, the defense line on the wall was destroyed, giving the invaders an opening.


    "Praise the sun!"


    "Glory to the emperor!"


    The horns of war were blown, and the soldiers of Nilfgaard rained down on the city, their eyes glimmering with cruelty and malicious glee.


    "Your emperor''s ass, shithead!" a Skellige soldier roared as he brought his axe down on the soldier''s head. Blood sttered the Skellige man''s face, dripping down his cheeks.


    But before he could even pull his axe out, another Nilfgaardian soldier charged toward him from the side and thrust his de into the Skellige soldier''s waist. It skewered him like a kebab, blood smearing the Nilfgaardian soldier''s de, trickling down to the ground.


    The Skellige soldier wobbled, but he didn''t falter. Instead, he let out a guttural roar and, with what remained of his strength, held his attacker as they fell to their ends together.


    The crunch of bones whimpered, and they both died. Their bodies were stepped on by the oing invaders who were swiftly climbing up thedders. That attack from the ballista took out a chunk of the defending soldiers, lowering their number to the number of invading soldiers. And now they were fighting to the death on the walls.


    The light of mes shone upon the crazed, furious faces of these soldiers, and then, another bolt flew through the air, piercing the heart of a Nilfgaardian soldier. There was a hole in his chest, and he fell from the walls.


    Roy''s shoulder crunched as he swung Gwyhyr. He leapt ahead, thrusting his de into the back of an invading soldier. Before that soldier could even relish his kill, he had already fallen back, rigor mortis taking over.


    Blood sttered the witcher''s face. Like a fisherman, he held up the body of his prey and charged ahead. The de pierced the back of yet another Nilfgaardian soldier, and then he shoved the corpses to thedders.


    Howls filled the air as soldiers fell to their deaths. The witcher heard something crackle behind him, and one Nilfgaardian soldier¡ªwho was trying to shoot him¡ªspasmed and fell, arcs of electricity dancing on his armor.


    There, beneath the walls, stood Triss. She beamed at Roy, arcs of electricity jumping between her hands.


    Roy nodded at the sorceress for a moment, then he turned his attention to the ravenous invading soldiers who were unleashing carnage atop the walls. The runes on Gwyhyr''s fuller shone brightly, even in the backdrop of mes and blood. Its de tore through the air, hissing like a snake.


    Roy charged into the fray like a gale, attacking the Nilfgaardian soldiers engaged in battle. Every thrust and every cut mowed down the vitals of his enemies. The sheer impact of his force plowed down any resistance these soldiers tried to put up. Their power paled inparison to the witcher''s. Every time he struck, one life would be imed.


    Blood and entrails spilled upon the walls of Cintra, crimson tentacles wriggling and slithering through the shadows of the mes.


    Not too longter, a pile of Nilfgaardian soldier''s corpses were shoved down the wall, and Cintra once again reimed lost ground. But that victory was short-lived.


    Roy''s face fell, for he saw the siege weapons once again setting into motion.


    ***


    Crach stood with Eist in the tower not too far away from the walls, roaring, "Damn the dogs! C''mon,ds! Give ''em a beatdown! Force the dogs outta their shitholes! Don''t let ''em arm their whatchamacallits! Them assholes tearin'' ye down like yer nuthin''! Don''t let yer brothers die in vain!"


    "We¡¯re in a predicament. If we relinquish the walls, they''ll tear it down in mere moments." Eist shook his head. "And the southerners are no pushovers either. Even if we mber to fix the vanguard, we can''t get close enough to destroy their siege weapons."


    "Wha''bout the druid and tha'' sorceress? Ain''t got no idea?"


    ***


    A rock whizzed past the witcher, turning a pair of Cintran soldiers into mincemeat. <em>That is enough. </em>Resolve red in the witcher''s eyes. "Got a lot of them now. Might as well go all in this time."


    He turned his attention to the siege machines, his mind calcting the mana consumption required to take down all those weapons. <em>The closest siege weapon is about two hundred yards away. Two Blinks should be enough to take me there. So forty mana there. And every weapon is spaced less than a hundred yards apart. Nine Blinks should be enough to make one round. Two more Blinks for the return trip. That makes thirteen casts of Blink. Gonna take two hundred and sixty mana. Reserves are enough. I have thirty-five mana left and one charge of Activate to save me in case I get into any hairy situation.</em>


    The air around Roy rippled, and he disappeared into thin air. One momentter, the witcher was seen leaping midair a hundred and forty meters away. Beneath him were the troops of Nilfgaardian and the gs of the kingdom.


    Despite his awe-inspiring appearance, none paid attention to the phantom. Their sight was hampered by the lingering shadows of night.


    And Roy fired another shot. The bolt hurtled into the vicinity of Nilfgaard''s catapult, and the witcher flew with it. The moment he hit the ground, Roy curled up like a cat and hid in the shadows, his eyes fixated on his surroundings. Thebat engineer was reloading the catapult, while the surveyor peered through his telescope, eyeing the walls of Cintra and reporting the numbers he estimated to hisrades.


    Miraculously, none of them noticed the witchers'' presence. This was a chance Roy seized. The witcher swung his de, and Gwyhyr sliced through the throwing arm, cutting it in two. Caught by surprise, thebat engineer fell backward, the rock in his hand falling to the ground.


    When he snapped out of his stupor, he was greeted by the surveyor slowly falling forward, his shirt drenched by the blood spurting from his neck. Thebat engineer tried to call for help, but it was cut short. Roy had silently sliced his head off.


    "Even if they can fix this, they have no professionals to handle this gizmo. Should be fine now." Roy fired another shot at the ballista on the left.


    ***


    He appeared near the ballista one momentter. The weapon looked just like a crossbow, only a hundred timesrger. A wooden stand stood underneath, supporting this menacing weapon. A group of four soldiers was reloading the ballista. Two were spinning the winch, pulling the string back, while the others were docking the bolt.


    And then, something odd happened. A bizarre man appeared. He was wearing Cintran armor, his face covered with a piece of ck cloth. All they saw were his eyes. His wild, golden-silver eyes.


    And that was the secondst thing they saw. Roy cast Fear on them, and crimson ripples spread through the air. A gigantic, crimson octopus wriggled out of the void, blood spilling all over the ground. It wrapped the soldiers tightly with its tentacles, turning them into bloody cocoons. A sense of dread and terror filled their hearts, stiffening their flesh and soul. For a moment there, even their breathing stopped.


    And then it stopped forever. Gwyhyr poked through all their necks at once, taking their lives right away.


    "We have an enemy in our midst!" The shouts of a Nilfgaardian soldier shattered the peace and quiet of the Nilfgaardian army.


    Struck by fury and concern, the Nilfgaardian soldier beside the ballista tried to do something, but Roy fired a bolt through his head and cut through the ballista''s string.


    Then the witcher tossed a Dragon''s Dream into the army. A pir of mes shot up into the sky, the roaring explosion catching the attention of all Nilfgaardian soldiers. To the ce ofmotion they went, expecting to find a battle, but all that awaited them was a charred ballista and some lifeless corpses, their blood still trickling out of their wounds.


    By that time, Roy had made his way to the third siege machine and promptly destroyed it. And less than five minutester, Roy had taken down all the siege machines even before the Nilfgaardian army coulde up with a n to take him down. Thebat engineers were all taken down as well. None could hurt the witcher, and he came out of that mission unscathed, thanks to his Blink ability.


    None could escape the wrath of his weapons, and both his swords'' runes were lit up. His mana reserves aside, Roy was in nearly perfect condition. His EXP was already fifteen hundred points over the required amount to level up. <em>I farmed more EXP in two days of war than I did in months.</em>


    Despite his missioning to an end, Roy was in no hurry to return to Cintra. The witcher stood before the broken siege machine, his eyes set on a particr tent standing about two hundred yards away from him. Surrounding that tent were the gs of Nilfgaard and a group of soldiers.


    <em>That should be themander inside. </em>Before Roy knew it, his greed and desire to kill even more Nilfgaardian soldiers had taken over his heart. "I''ve killed a ton of their soldiers and destroyed their siege machines. I broke the code of neutrality a long time ago. Might as well go that mile further. Here''s a gift for you, my Unexpected Child."


    Roy disappeared into thin air, blinking his way to the tent.


    ***


    Eist remained in the tower, his eyes filled with exhaustion. "Something is off, men." Surprised, he said, "Why aren''t the Nilfgaardians using their ballistae?"


    "Well, I''ll be¡­ Some o'' those dogs'' ballistae''re on fire." Crach put his telescope down. "Somethin'' bad must''ve happened."


    The Skellige representatives, Eist, and Vissegerd had delight on their faces. "By Freya, this is a boon! We won''t have to send any more of our brethren on that suicide mission!"


    "You got one thing wrong, men." Eist said grimly, "If the gods did want to help, we wouldn''t have lost the battle at Marnadal. Someone else is doing this. A brave warrior we yet not know of. Might it be Mousesack? Or the other druids, perhaps?"


    Crach answered, "Tha'' ol'' druid is in the castle. Keepin'' an eye on ye lil'' grandkid. The druids have gone back to Skellige. An'' even if they <em>were </em>here, ain''t no way they can take down a buncha siege machines quietly."


    <em>If they didn''t do it, then who¡ª </em>Eist was reminded of someone. The same person who told them about their future and saved his family''s life. The same person who cruelly asked for his unborn child as a reward for his services. The king approached the window, his eyes gazing far into the distance.


    The red-haired sorceress stood beneath the city gates, tirelessly reinforcing the defense enchantments, but the witcher was nowhere to be seen. <em>It can''t be. The witcher? How did he do it?</em>


    ***


    A dark silhouette whizzed past the brightly-lit tent where the Nilfgaardianmander stayed. None within the tent seemed to have realized this unwanted visitor hiding among them.


    On the table sat a sandbox depicting theyout of Cintra. Beside it stood Menno Coehoorn, themander of the Center Army Group. He was biting his nails, ruminating over the next order he should issue. <em>Oh, someone''s watching. </em>Then he pulled his hand out of his mouth immediately.


    "We''ve sacrificed many lives just to take down a single city," he said calmly. The loss of so many lives in this merciless war did not seem to faze him. "And Cintra must pay for this. Once we take down their city, we shall massacre all of them. For three days. To appease the souls of our heroes. Now summon the mages. We''re going to tear down their measly defenses."


    "The mages are busy with something else. They can''t make it," Xiphos said cryptically. He gave the hooded figure beside him a look, and that person quickly clutched the obsidian pendant hanging around his neck.


    "The hell you talking about? Just tell me the truth," Menno snapped.


    "Sir, you''ve been focusing entirely on the ns of the war. I am sure you have missed a detail, but that''s normal." Xiphos said solemnly, "That phantom has killed five of our mages in Marnadal and destroyed all our siege weapons earlier. I think he might¡ª"


    The sentence never ended. Something whizzed through the air, but a golden shield appeared on Menno, deflecting the bolt away. The bolt managed to shatter Menno''s shield, however, and he fell back, gasping.


    Every soul in the tent was on high alert. Then, a silhouette tore the top of the tent open and descended upon them like the reaper himself. In his left hand, a de, and in his right, a hand crossbow. He was wearing Cintran armor, his face morphing and changing with every passing moment. Obviously, he was covered in a magical mask.


    His eyes were set on Menno, murder filling his gaze. At the same time, the hooded figure leapt at Menno, pushing him under the table. And yet Roy didn''t care. Once again, he cast Fear, and countless tentacles came wriggling out of the void. They wrapped around four people right away while the witcher stood tall among them.


    He held up Gwyhyr and swung it around, attempting to take the life of Menno. But then a magical st hit his chest. The witcher was sent flying backward, his attack losing momentum. The energy sh missed its target, instead cutting the tent open and flying into the night.


    Five cloaked silhouettes emerged from the darkness. The intensity of the mana that was swirling around them made the witcher''s medallion vibrate so violently it looked like a bird trying to escape its cage.


    The light of magic shone and blinked in the tent as all five mages fired off their spells at the witcher at the same time. This time, however, they were no fireballs or bolts of electricity. One of the mages¡ªgaunt and hunched¡ªassumed a bizarre stand. He grasped at the air.


    Roy fell back down and crouched. Once again, he fired a bolt at the mage, but it was deflected by their magical shield. <em>No matter. I can blink. </em>But then, his armor gleamed, and all the mana in his body froze up, refusing to do as he told it to. <em>I can''t blink? Dammit. They''ve been waiting for me.</em>


    He produced a dimeritium bomb, but before he could toss it at the mage, four of them shot pirs of mes at the witcher.


    Roy hurled the bomb up into the air and rolled away. mes licked it, igniting it, but the mages were out of its range. And Roy only managed to dodge the first fireball. The rest of them hit him like a sledgehammer.


    The witcher flew backward once more and skidded all the way back until he crashed into a tentpole, breaking it in two. His chest was burned, charred, and his blood was almost boiling. The agony held him down, stopping him from moving.


    But the witcher wouldn''t fall that easily. The charge of Activate was used, and a cool sensation washed over him as his wounds healed up. He produced his hand crossbow and fired a bolt at the mage who was assuming that bizarre stance. But another mage extended his hand. Blue light swirled on his fingertips, then a blue, diamond-shaped shield appeared before hispanion.


    The bolt hit the shield, destroying it, and then the mages spread their arms. Roy felt an invisible force fielding down on him, and he gasped in pain. An invisible hand held his neck, choking him and pulling him off the ground.


    Roy tried to blink once more, but all he managed to do was make himself glimmer. <em>That silencing spell is still there, dammit.</em>


    The mages sped their hands together and exerted enough force to make them tremble. It seemed like they were wringing a piece of wet cloth, and then Roy let out an ear-piercing scream as his joints started bending at unnatural angles.


    As the crunch of bones started whispering into the air, Xiphos whipped out his hand crossbow, and a smirk curled his lips as he pointed the weapon at Roy''s forehead. "Say your prayers, bastard."


    But his bolt hit nothing. Golden light shed in the tent, and to everyone''s shock and horror, the ambusher who was supposed to be under control was nowhere to be seen. Gone. Disappeared.


    ***


    Gryphon was perched atop a tower hundreds of yards away, where Cintra stood. The air around it suddenly rippled, and out came its master. His knees were on the ground, and he wiped the sweat off his forehead. At the tent in the distance, he stared, a shudder running down his spine. "Dammit, that was close."


    <em>Never seen that kind of binding spell before. Good thing I had Full Recovery. sted off all the debuffs, or they would''ve gotten me. </em>"Blink''s not invincible. There are spells out there that can hold it off. Gotta be careful from now on."


    He concentrated on his character sheet, going through the power-ups he gained after the level up.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 463: Fallen

    Roy sat cross-legged on the tower, staring at the rising sun climbing through the horizon. And he turned his attention to the character sheet.


    ''Level (10 ¡ú 11) Witcher (2000/10500)


    Main stat (Will): 24¡ú 26


    Remaining points: 1 skill point, 1 stat point.''


    Once again, Roy allocated his stat point into Will.


    ''Will: 26 ¡ú 27''


    The shadows of an octopus appeared on the walls behind Roy, its tentacles dancing around as it swam along the walls in delight. For a moment, it felt like the creature would break free of the wall''s confines. But a momentter, the octopus vanished as abruptly as it appeared.


    Roy closed his eyes to feel the surge of power coursing through him. And then it was time for his skill point allocation. Only one more level remained until the peak of Meditation. The choice was obvious.


    ''Meditation: Level 9 ¡ú Level 10


    Constitution: 23.5 ¡ú 24


    HP: 315 ¡ú 320


    Spirit: 21.5 ¡ú 22


    Mana: 295 ¡ú 300.''


    Roy felt something change within him. Something magical. His body shuddered, and everything turned ck, but then beautiful lights shone in the air, leading his soul far, far away from the battlefield and into the world of meditation.


    It was a gigantic world. The elements, as if attracted by something powerful, gathered around Roy like he was their king, their confidant. All the secrets they had, they told him. Enveloped him. Through his soul, the elements poured forth into his body, replenishing his mana and stamina, soothing his tired soul and body.


    Before this, Roy would feel something nketing his mind every time he meditated. The world around him, veiled behind something. His mind would work slower than the world around him, but things had changed. Now that he had reached Level 10 in Meditation, no longer was his mind veiled. He could remain awake and fully conscious, even during meditation.


    <em>And I can do what I want even when I''m in this world. Let''s try Aard out. </em>And then, a mysterious roar echoed throughout the dimension. The elements around him, as if onmand, gathered before him and formed a bolt of electricity and hurtled into the skies. Roy did not even need to make any gesture.


    A great silver bolt of lightning ran through the dimension before disappearing forever in the distance.


    ***


    Bolts of lightning danced through the air at speeds blinding enough to create an illusion of a web. All thanks to Roy. The witcher cast thirty Staticshocks in a row. All of them imbibed with the power of Roar. If this were the real world, thirty casts of Staticshock would cost six hundred mana. Twice the total mana he had. And Roar would backfire on him after two consecutive uses. Yet that limit did not exist in this dimension. The elements would replenish his mana at all times, and Roar would never backfire on him either.


    <em>So I can practice the Signs and Griffin Arts nonstop in this dimension. </em>"Alright. This is good news for Sign practice."


    Roy held his excitement down, his eyes staring ahead. A pair of yellow balls of light blinked like candlelights. Roy glided over to the ball of light on the left and touched it with his ethereal hand. And then, a scene unfurled before him.


    A stern, bald, and burly man was sitting on a wooden bed, deep in meditation.


    "Letho?" Just like how End could reach out to Jerome through meditation, Roy could also contact his close friends through the world of meditation as long as his correspondent was meditating as well. <em>Like a xenovox, but a lot better and more convenient. </em>"Wonder what kind of rtionship counts as ''close.'' Master and student? Law of Surprise?"


    The ball of light beside Letho''s burned brighter, and Roy touched it as well. The first thing he saw was Lytta''s perfect face. Her eyshes fluttered, and her nose was held up high, while her lips bloomed lustrously. She was meditating on her bed. Her attire for that night was a ck nightdress that showed off all her curves. Her fiery-red hair tumbled down her shoulders, swaying lightly.


    "Guess being in love counts as a close rtionship too. Or maybe it''s because our mana shed together once." Roy tried to hold the ball of light in his arms, and he thought, <em>Sorry, Coral. I might have to stay back for a bit.</em>


    The ball of light blinked and disappeared like a frightened fish swimming away into the depths of ake.


    The young witcher stared into the void, and he shook his head, smiling. "Guess I should warn her next time. Wonder what dating in this dimension feels like."


    In faraway Novigrad, a gasp of shock rang out in the room of the sorceress. Lytta crossed her arms, her eyes darting around her room. <em>No one''s there. </em>Eventually, she realized there was no one around, and the sorceress heaved a sigh of relief. "But that sounded like Roy." <em>Must be missing him too dearly.</em>


    She caressed her neck, her cheeks turning rosy. "I have to make hime back soon."


    ***


    Letho and Lytta were the only ones Roy could see. The dimension was devoid of any other balls of light. Mayhaps they were not meditating, or perhaps their bond with Roy wasn''t strong enough.


    And then, Roy tried to approach the great balls of light hanging high up in the skies. The homes of the elementals. He set his sights on thends of the air elemental. The home of the legendary wish-granting djinns.


    He posited that Geoffrey only managed to capture a djinn thanks to him entering this dimension through meditation. Roy, however, did not risk entering the home of the elementals. Just the act of approaching them rang rm bells in his head. A sense of doom lingered over his head, telling him not to contact the elementals. Not when he had no experience at all.


    ***


    The elemental particles that drowned him earlier were slowly dissipating. And Roy''s eyes snapped open, colorful lights swirling in his eyes for but a moment. Then they went away. Once again, he concentrated on his character sheet.


    ''Meditation Level 10


    Focus (New): You are now a grandmaster of Meditation. You possess a great understanding of the elements and chaos energy. Your elemental affinity is slightly increased. You can nowmunicate with the elements at a higher efficiency. One full session of meditation is now two hours instead of five.


    Activate: Whenever you meditate, your body will absorb and store the essence of all water elements around you. A full round of meditation (two hours) grants you one charge of Activate. When used, Activate can heal you for (60 ¡ú 80)% of Mana and HP. Activate can also heal regr wounds and lessen heavy injuries.


    Note: You may not stack Activate. A charge of Activatests for twenty-four hours before it disappears entirely.''


    ***


    "Higher elemental affinity. Greater sign intensity, I guess. And I only need two hours of rest to replenish all my mana and stamina. This is superhuman. Lytta''s going to be horrified when she finds out I can go for longer now." Roy was happy with the powerup. It wasn''t useful forbat, but on the side of utility, this was a good enhancement. Our witcher now had more time to train. "And now Activate can even lessen heavy injuries." <em>That includes amputation, broken arteries, and even internal injuries. </em>"It''s like a backup for your life."


    ***


    Roy then shifted his attention to his bound weapons. None of his weapons received new affixes. <em>My hypothesis is correct. The potential of a weapon is limited by itsponents. If I can find some specialponents for my weapons, they might get new powers the next time they power up.</em>


    Roy picked some of the powers his weapon already had for the level up this time.


    ''Gabriel


    Blink (Elevated): Costs (20 ¡ú 15) Mana. You can teleport to the area where Gabriel''s bolts are.


    Gwyhyr and Aerondight


    Teleport (Elevated): Costs (50 ¡ú 30) Mana. You may teleport to the location of your sword. No distance limit.''


    "Alright. Less mana on my escape skills. More survivability unless I run into that binding spell again."


    And that was it for his level up. Time for our witcher to leap back into the warzone once more.


    ***


    With the siege machines destroyed, the Cintran warriors finally had their hard-earned respite. The Nilfgaardian troops could no longerunch any more heavy attacks on the walls. At least not at the moment. Their only way forward was to sacrifice more of their men to create a humandder that would eventually overwhelm the defenders.


    But invading a kingdom was vastly harder than defending one, especially when Cintra was a kingdom situated in a special location. And to make things harder for the invaders, all of the Cintran soldiers were battle-hardened, grizzled soldiers who feared no death. Every time the invaders reared their heads, the Cintran defenders would rain down rocks, logs, and sizzling oil on them, sending them to their deaths. Every single one of these soldiers could fend off ten invaders by themselves.


    Perhaps unbeknownst to some Cintran soldiers, they had a phantom helper among them. Across the walls he ran, firing off bolts at the invaders, thinning their numbers at a rapid pace. Some of the louder Cintran soldiers would announce Roy''s kill count with glee, bolstering their troop''s morale while diminishing the invaders¡¯.


    The announcements, however, were drowned out by the shouts and bellows of war, but when the number of the invaders killed by this phantom stranger reached two hundred, it filled the invaders¡¯ heart with humiliation and fury.


    To deal with this phantom archer, the invaders made a squad of crossbowmen. They hid behind the moat, trying to snipe the phantom down. And the squad managed to slow Roy''s footsteps.


    But that was the only thing they managed. Most of the invaders died even before they could reach the city walls. A thousand Nilfgaardian soldiers died before they finally retreated to their base.


    Then, on the third day, the invaders went with yet another approach.


    ***


    A chilly morning in Cintra. Sea winds swept across the battlefield, and the invaders, all of a sudden, stopped attacking. Ten cloaked mages approached the walls of Cintra under the protection of the ckguards, chanting the same incantation under their breaths.


    The skies of Cintra darkened, ck clouds looming overhead, heralding theing of a disaster. Cold winds blew across the city, then pellets of frozen rain as big as eggs pelted the roofs and walls of Cintra. So torrential was the hail that even the walls and streets of Cintra were frozen in ice.


    The soldiers who did not manage to escape in time found themselves pounded mercilessly by the hail, destroying their helms. Try as they might, these soldiers would slip and fall every time they tried to run.


    Not a single soul on the streets was spared mercy. Not even the women and children. They keeled over and rolled in agony as the frozen rain kept pouring down on them. Left with no choice, the people huddled together under the overhangs of their homes, bloodied, but still alive.


    Yet not everyone had their luck. The defenders of the walls had no shelter from the hail. The shield-bearers at least could fend off the hail, but everyone else faced the brunt of this hail. In agony they rolled, blood covering the icy ground.


    Once again, Cintra''s defenders were dwindling at a blistering rate. At the same time, the Nilfgaardians¡ªfrom the safety of their base¡ªwatched as the city fell to this hail.


    A bolt flew through the battlefield, ripples spreading through the air. One lean figure in Cintran armor blinked into the center of the disaster. With his right hand, he held up two shield-bearers who were desperately holding off the hail, and with his left, a golden shield.


    His shield faltered in the face of the frozen rain, but Roy gritted his teeth and dragged the shield-bearing men back to the castle, where safety was provided. The witcher leaned on the heavy steel gates, his chest heaving. Even his breath was visible in this cold. He touched his head and felt warm blood on his hand. "Man, that was close."


    The witcher picked up some liquor and tossed it to the soldiers. "Here, warm yourself up."


    "Thanks,d." The man''s armor was covered in ice, and bruises filled his face. Fn took a swig of the liquor, but he pulled the wound on his face, and the soldier flinched, sweat pouring forth.


    He tossed the wineskin behind to a simrly bruisedrade of his. Therade leaned on a wall, sipping the liquor.


    "Name''s Fn. Came with Crach. Thanks fer saving me, Lad." Fn leaned on hisrade and put his hands together on his belly. "What''s yer name?" He peered at the witcher. "Once this whole hubbub is over an'' we get back to Kaer Trolde, I¡ª"


    "Imma stop you right there." Roy''s heart thumped nervously. <em>Thest guy who wanted to treat me to a drink is mincemeat now. </em>"We can have a drink whenever we want,rade. These Nilfgaardian dogs ought to be killed anyway." He changed the subject, "By the way, is Kaer Trolde that citadel on Ard Skellig?"


    "Aye,d. Toughest baddie on Skellige. Belongs to me captain, now."


    "If there''s an <em>Ard </em>Skellig, then I assume there''s an <em>An </em>Skellig?"


    "Oy, ya know yer stuff, dontcha?"


    "A word of warning, Fn. Do <em>not </em>go to An Skellig. An ice giant has taken residence there, and it might just wake up someday."


    Then Roy disappeared, revealing a red-haired sorceress who was behind him. She was crouched on the ground, facing the city gates. The sorceress looked worse for wear. Her hair was clumped up, drenched with sweat, and radiated a pungent smell. Her white ribbon extended down to her chin, covered in blood, decorating her face with a macabre ent. The sorceress was staring right ahead, muttering something under her breath. Despite her current look, Triss looked like she was in love.


    "Are you alright,dy?"


    "I just need some rest. Sorry I failed to stop this hail."


    "It''s alright. They have a dozen mages with them. You did your best."


    "Thank you." It was not every day that Triss felt this frustrated, but the war was stirring up her emotions. It was bad, and that was not a statement to be taken lightly. Ever since she was saved back at Marnadal, Triss had hoped to have a long talk with Roy, but s, that was not to be. Roy spent thest two days fighting atop the walls of Cintra, barely taking a break.


    The only time he talked to her, he talked about the brotherhood and its future. Not a word of love was brought up, but Triss was sharp. Whenever Roy was looking at her, she noticed that bit of desire ring in his eyes. And every night, while they were taking a break from the war, Roy would let her rest her head against his back, just like what he did just now.


    <em>I think he has some feelings for me, but damn this war for robbing us of our time together.</em>


    Fn stared at the skies. "Spells be damned." The hail was worsening. Arcs of lightning ripped through the clouds, thunder booming overhead.


    The foundation of the houses were starting to shake. No, even the ground itself was starting to rumble. Cintra''snds were brought low by this onught of hail, and the people hiding under their houses felt a sense of sorrow filling their hearts. Even Eist, even the people of Skellige, even Cnthe, and even Ciri¡­ All felt sadness welling within them.


    "Is this it for Cintra?"


    A golden silhouette darted through the hail. Roy dragged a bloodied Cintran soldier back to the city gates, but this time, he was toote. The red-faced Cintran fell. Before their very eyes, he coughed up blood and drew his final breath, his eyes still wide open.


    Roy heaved a sigh, a glum look decorating his bruised face. At first, he didn''t see these soldiers as his friends. He killed the Nilfgaardian soldiers all for the sake of gaining EXP. But two days of battle built a sense of camaraderie between them. Now Roy was willing to risk himself a little just for them. Watching hisrades die was a depressing matter. A huge boulder of depression and despondency weighed down on his shoulders, suffocating him.


    Triss held his hand, trying tofort Roy. To her surprise, his hands didn''t feel callused or tough, like most fighters. Instead, they were smooth. Supple.


    "Ya think we can win this?" The pale Fn was at a loss. "Don''t matter. Those dogs will have ter pay!"


    Then, the skies cleared. A sonorous chanting came from the castle, and rays of sun broke through the dark clouds. At the height of the hail, Mousesack finally stepped in and cleared the skies. The remaining pellets gleamed under the sun, but no longer were they a threat. And with every passing moment, their threat was diminishing.


    Their work done, the mages retreated, and once more, the Nilfgaardian army charged onward.


    ***


    Roy and Fn exchanged a look, then they ascended the walls, holding their weapons.


    ***


    That day onward, Cintra was subjected to the assault of weather spells, though the time of their casting was unpredictable. Sometimes a hurricane would assault them in the morning, sometimes it would be a downpour in the afternoon, or sometimes it might be a hailstorm in the night.


    Yet the Cintran soldiers were prepared. Not too many died from the spells, but these disasters wrought untold havoc upon the structures of Cintra. Every time the spells were cast, all of Cintra''s defenses would be ruined, and the Nilfgaardian soldiers would swiftly climb up theirdders.


    To make things worse, the enemy was already wary of Roy''s abilities. No longer could he teleport to the enemy base or assassinate their mages. And for some inexplicable reason, Roy had a feeling someone was keeping an eye on him. His medallion would shiver for no reason a lot of times. <em>Must be that guy with the binding spell. Or someone else. </em>The sense of danger hung over him like the de of Damocles, keeping him bound to the walls of Cintra.


    All he could do was fight on the walls like regr soldiers. For the next seven days, Roy spent most of his time shing and shooting away at the enemies. Sometimes he would get hurt too. Only two hours were spent meditating. Luckily got him, two hours were all he required. Even meals were taken during the momentary lulls between battles.


    Once again, his EXP bar was filled up.


    ''Level 11 Witcher (10900/10500).''


    Many a soldier did the witcher kill. So many that he lost count. He killed more in this war alone than he did in years after departing Kaer.


    And then the eighth day came. The stench of blood was almost overpowering. Nauseating. Pieces of flesh and innards hung on the walls of Cintra, a sea of corpses lying beneath them.


    And thus came the final assault of the Nilfgaardian mages. Despite theirbined efforts, their spells failed to break through the enchanted castle gates, and so they turned their attention to the walls.


    After a week of preparation, the mages finally cast their forbidden spell.


    Roy¡ªdrenched in sweat and reeking of blood¡ªblinked to the city gates, where Triss was. And he stared up into the skies.


    A meteor the size of a house pierced through the clouds, burning and shining brightly as it crashed into the walls. The firmament shook, and the earth rumbled. Debris flew in every direction, and dust clouds flew up into the air. Countless Cintran soldiers were smashed into mincemeat with this single attack alone. Those who didn''t die were ignited by the mes of the meteor. They screamed and rolled around like animals, and some ran like headless chickens for moments before they finally sumbed to death.


    Dark smoke covered the city of Cintra, and behind that screen of smoke stood the walls of Cintra, broken and tattered. One single meteor tore open a big hole in the defense line.


    Blood and flesh tainted the beautiful blue skies, and an ominous blow of the horn echoed through the air.


    For eight days, the Nilfgaardian army was denied entry, and now they swarmed the city like locusts flying through a field of paddy. Their winged helms swayed as they charged into the city, their gs billowing in the air.


    ***


    Tattered and broken, the city was. All her strength left her body, and Triss fell backward. She spaced out, her eyes losing focus, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Someone held her. Stopped her from falling. It was Roy. He was saying something, his voice trembling with rage and frustration. Before Triss could say anything, our witcher put her on his back and ran away, his footsteps filled with urgency, and yet his rhythm was steady.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 464: Change

    Cintra. A once serene and bustling city. Now a hellscape of madness and chaos. Smoke and ash billowed in the alleyways while mes licked and engulfed the abodes and cadavers of the people.


    Only a thousand Skellige and Cintran soldiers remained. Still they held their weapons up, swinging them down at the invaders, trying to fill the hole in their defenses with nothing but their flesh and bones. And yet it was futile. The neverending assault had worn them down, culling their numbers and energy. It did not take long for the Cintran forces to fall.


    An army of armored horses trotted into the weak links of their formation like wraiths, their riders slicing off the defenders'' heads. The invaders easily split up into different teams and went around what remained of the defensive line. Into the houses they went, looting and piging everything they set their eyes on. Every living being they saw was brutally ughtered, and then they burned everything.


    Triss was in an alleyway in the east not too far behind the first line of defense. A whip of white mes sprouted from her fingertips,shing out at a Nilfgaardian soldier trying to assault a woman. The mes burned him, making him roll in pain. Blisters bubbled and popped over his face, arms, and torso, his flesh giving off the stench of charred meat.


    Roy charged at a soldier in the alleyway, cutting through his spear and fingers easily. The witcher spun, swinging his sword at the soldier''s neck. A gash formed, and blood spurted out into the air.


    "Let''s go, Triss. Killing these small fries won''t do anything." Roy flicked the blood off his sword and looked around. One woman was lying in a nearby ditch, dying and gasping for air. Yet every time she breathed, the woman would cough up blood and chunks of her innards.


    Standing beside her was a house on fire, the bodies of children hanging on the stakes and rafters.


    "Cintra has fallen. Time to leave. We''re going to the castle and opening a portal to Vizima. You did your best. We need to leave now, or it''ll be toote."


    "No." Triss shook her head and charged ahead, shouting at the top of her lungs. Her hair swayed behind her, mes shooting out of her hands. A Nilfgaardian soldier was sent flying, but Triss did not stop. She bellowed as loudly as she could, attacking any enemy she could see. And yet for every enemy she killed, two more would take his ce. The Nilfgaardian soldiers were leering at the sorceress, no doubt having dark ideas for her.


    A bolt whizzed past her, and another hit her leg. She felt all her strength leaving her, then a warm embrace held her. She closed her eyes, tears welling within them.


    Roy picked the sorceress up and darted through the alleyway like a bolt of lightning. On his way out, the witcher killed off any stray Nilfgaardian soldiers, saving the suffering Cintrans, though for but a moment. Eventually, our witcher found himself a ck horse, courtesy of a dead Nilfgaardian soldier. He rode the horse and charged toward the castle on the cliffs. Triss was in his arms.


    ***


    Eist and Crach were leading two dozen soldiers in a battle with the Nilfgaardian soldiers on the streets, retreating to rtive safety as they went.


    "Come back ter Skellige, Eist." Crach cracked the head of an enemy open, blood drenching his cheeks and beard. He looked at the castle from the corner of his eye. The only ce that was yet uninvaded. "Listen ter me. We be getting back at ''em, but not today. ''Tis the best we could do. A miracle,d. We held ''em off for a week. Ya die now, and it''d mean nuthin''. Ye be destroying the Cintran bloodline, tha''s whatcha doin''."


    Eist kicked the sides of his horse and sliced off the head of a Nilfgaardian soldier. He looked around him, but all he saw was carnage. Chaos. A city on fire, his people howling in agony. Blood and corpses drenched the streets. Corpses of women and children, and beside them were houses d in mes.


    Not too far from where Eist was, a group of citizens was standing up to the invaders with nothing but pikes. The invaders easily crushed their meager resistance and killed all of them.


    Shouts and bellows. Screams and howls. All tormenting the soul of the king. Tears welled within Eist''s eyes, and with a gravelly voice, he said, "Cintra has fallen. I have no reason to live. I have failed my people."


    "Ya still ''ave Ciri an'' Cnthe. Are ya telling me yer gon'' dump them? At least see them before ya leave¡­" Crach gave his men a look. A dozen knights changed directions and made their way to Cintra''s port. The Skellige soldiers back on the ships had put up the sails and were ready to leave at any moment. The invaders tried to board their ships, but all were taken down by the sailors.


    "You''re right. This is my sin. I shall pay for it myself." Eist pulled on the reins, resolve ring in his eyes. "Cnthe must live on. Ciri too. And my child." And Eist set off for the castle.


    ***


    The city was still screaming in agony. A troop of Nilfgaardian soldiers led by a burly man in a ck cloak was riding toward the castle. The man rode a ck horse and had a helmet with wings as big as a beast''s.


    A man with gleaming, ck eyes, a sharp nose, and thin lips donned the attire of a mercenary. A pendant made of zircon hung around his neck. He moved around thendscape like a phantom, avoiding the areas where people were fighting and hovering before the castle of Cintra. Then he entered through the window on the second floor.


    ***


    Beneath the ck beams of the great hall hung a long row of shields on the wall. And on the shields were the emblems of all Cintran royalty. This royalty now stood before their emblems, wearing nothing but pure ck attire. Everyone¡ªfrom the young to the old¡ªwas solemn and grim.


    The women were holding their husbands'' arms, their faces pale as ghosts, and they shivered in fear. The girls fiddled with the hem of their dresses, confusion and questions swirling in their young, gleaming eyes.


    Some were covering their mouths, breaking out in sobs. Their shoulders shook, their eyes tearing up. Some held their heads up high, putting a look of proud solemnity. These people were ready to die.


    Cnthe stood before the royalty, wearing a long ck dress. Sorrow crept up her face, her eyes speaking of untold sadness. Untold agony over what she was about to do. Quietly, the queen took out a petite ss bottle from the basket behind her. Inside it housed some liquid, green and gleaming dangerously.


    She solemnly handed the bottle to the brave royalty and held a man¡¯s ice-cold hands. The queen gave him an encouraging look, and the man nodded silently before he backed off.


    Coria, the servant, was following her queen, distributing the poison to the other royalty. Her face was as pale as a tombstone, however.


    A few minutester, everyone was holding a bottle of poison. Including the children. Then, the men led their families into their assigned rooms, and theyy down closely together on the beds. The wives smiled at their husbands and patted their children''s head, whispering into their ears as they fed the children poison. Then thedies hugged their children for a moment before they, too, took the poison. Before they did, however, thedies kissed their husbands goodbye, one final smile etching their lips.


    Finally, it was the men''s time. They hugged their families onest time, staring at them as the poison started ravaging their bodies. And then, with resolve in their hearts, they finished their poison as well. Not a single drop was left.


    Despite the carnage and destruction happening outside, the royalty calmly took their poison and smiled as they greeted death. <em>Lady Freya, we''re returning to you.</em>


    Slowly, the royalty met their doom. Cnthe and Coria returned to the room on the top of the castle, a few doses of poison remaining in the basket.


    ***


    "Where''s Grandpa?" Ciri¡ªwearing a silver-grey cloak¡ªtugged on her grandmother''s sleeve, her eyes wide with demand, her cheeks puffed. She shouted, "I thought we''d go to Novigrad together!"


    "Your grandfather is carrying out his duty. His duty as a king, a man, and a husband." Cnthe stood before the window, staring out at her burning city, tears filling her eyes. "Now listen to me and leave, Ciri. Geralt will take you."


    "No!"


    "Cnthe, I suggest youe with us for the time being." Geralt rubbed his teleportation crystal, staring at Cnthe seriously.


    "Surely that must be a joke." Cnthe shook her head, smiling bitterly. "The invaders are killing my people down there, and I do not know where my husband is. Yet you expect me to run away? To hide in Novigrad with you? Do not insult me, witcher." She leaned out the window, her eyes fixating on the moat''s drawbridge. A squad of Skellige knights were advancing to the castle, and in the lead were two familiar faces.


    "You actually have another choice." Mousesack pinched his beard. He advised, "Crach, King Bran, and I have talked about the worst-case scenario, and we''re ready to wee you should Cintra fall. King Bran is more than willing to provide his assistance. As long as you live, there is always hope to take back lostnd and avenge your people. The ships are ready, and we may depart anytime."


    Cnthe froze up a little.


    And then to her horror, she saw a troop of twenty armored, Nilfgaardian knights charging out from the east. They went straight to Eist''s troop, stopping htem in their tracks.


    Cloaks whirled and billowed as metal shed against shield, and horses screeched into the air.


    "Mousesack, you have to save them!"


    Geralt came to see what was going on.


    "As you wish." Green light glimmered, and a cloud of white fog appeared in the room. A raven flew out the window and made its way to the drawbridge, turning back into its human form as he descended to save the king.


    The druid held his staff tightly and waved it around, smacking one of the enemy knights off his horse and cracking his skull. Then, the druid leapt into the enemy squad and stirred up a green storm, easily pushing the enemy knights back.


    Cnthe heaved a sigh of relief, but Geralt still looked grim.


    "Your Highness, stop right there!" Coria suddenly shouted. To everyone''s concern, Ciri was gone. The bedroom door was wide open, inviting the biting cold of the wind inside.


    "<em>Ciri!</em>" Cnthe''s face contorted, and she clutched her belly, fury welling within her.


    Coria went after Ciri, and so did Geralt. He was angry at the girl. It did not take long for the witcher to catch up to the girl. He held her up by her cor like she was a little chick.


    "Let me go, Geralt! I wanna be the first to wee Grandpa." Ciri''s cheeks turned red, and she iled around like a puppy trying to break free.


    Coria shook her head in resignation.


    "You almost ruined everything, you know that? That is enough, girl." And Geralt no longer hesitated. He rubbed the crystal, and it gleamed with magic. Something boomed, and a square portal appeared in the air, howls of winding from within.


    Just when Geralt was about to toss Ciri inside, a blue light came from across the corridor. Then, a silhouette appeared out of nowhere. His lips were thin, his eyes filled with malice. At the same time he made his appearance, the man cast a spell. A blinding sh of blue light shone on everyone in the corridor, catching them by surprise.


    Mana rushed through the air, and Geralt fell back, roaring like a lion. The girl fell beside him, while the air bullet''s impact shot Coria into the portal, making her the first to reach the orphanage.


    ***


    "Get in, <em>now</em>!" Geralt kicked Ciri''s rear. The girl moaned and fell down right before the portal. Her lips puckered, and tears fell down her cheeks. <em>Dammit. Just a bit more.</em>


    The man who appeared out of nowhere produced a ball of fire in his hand and hurled it at Geralt. The White Wolf held his sword straight up, cutting the fireball in two. Somended on him, but Heliotrop fended it off. All seemed well, but that moment of dy changed things forever. The portal''s time was up, and it disappeared into thin air.


    "Damn the gods!" Geralt cursed for the first time in a while, murder filling his eyes, and he quickly cast a ck shield with his left hand.


    Ciri got the message from Geralt, and she waddled into the shadows of the corridor.


    The man looked at Ciri darkly, then he turned his sights to Geralt. Something clicked, and a sneer curled his lips. A bright bolt of electricity appeared within his hands. It plowed through the ground as it charged at the witcher.


    Geralt tried to roll away, but the lightning grazed him, shattering Heliotrop into pieces. He got back up right away and swung his de down, charging ahead at the mage in a zigzag pattern.


    Then, metal and magic shed.


    ***


    Eist blocked the enemy knight''s de and smacked his forehead with the pommel. The slight concussion dazed the enemy, flinging him off his horse. Then Eist''s mount raised its front legs and stomped on the fallen knight''s ribs, cracking a few of his bones.


    Calmly, the king of Cintra surveyed the battlefield. His side had an overwhelming advantage. Mousesack was raining down the wrath of nature on the enemies. The druid alone cracked open the heads of nearly ten enemy knights. <em>He''s a tough warrior, that''s for sure.</em>


    And the remaining knights were mercilessly ughtered by his soldiers. Eist looked up at the castle, where his wife was staring at him lovingly. Their eyes met, and he felt a surge of affection warming his heart.


    The king charged straight at one of the remaining knights. Before the enemy could hit him, the king blocked his attack andunched a counterattack of his own, mming his pommel into the enemy''s head repeatedly.


    Then, something whizzed through the air. Eist tried to block it with his sword, but it was toote.


    ***


    Roy once told him seriously that a crossbow bolt would be his death. Back at Marnadal, Eist thought he had changed his destiny. No longer would he die from a crossbow bolt, but s, he was wrong. Destiny never changed. It was always waiting for this one fateful moment. <em>Cnthe¡­ Ciri¡­ my child¡­ Farewell. </em>That was Eist''sst thought, and then¡­ darkness engulfed him.


    A crossbow bolt that appeared from nowhere pierced through the left eye of Cintra''s king. And he fell. Right before his lover''s eyes, he fell.


    ***


    "NO! <em>No!</em>" Cnthe''s face was contorted with rage and agony, a heart-wrenching scream escaping her lips. She felt great destion welling within her, taking her soul and tearing her heart apart. Everything had ended, so why was the battle still raging? Everything lost its color, and yet her lover still bled red.


    Everything was taken over by grief. By bereavement. For a moment, nothing mattered. The death of her kingdom, her cheeky granddaughter, and her unborn child¡­ Nothing mattered. She shuffled like a living corpse, standing atop the window. Her heart was telling her to do it. To leap off to her death. She felt a gust of cool sea breeze brushing across her cheeks, taking away the broken kingdom beneath her. All she saw was death.


    She spread her arms and fell forward, where her husband waited beyond the veil. The winds howled and screamed, desperately trying to tether her to life.


    ***


    And then, the embrace of something warm, soft, and almost rancid. <em>Eist, is that you? </em>The queen''s eyes snapped open. Before her were the great blue skies and the port of Cintra overseeing the glimmering seas. Everything around her seemed to be zipping past her at inhuman speeds.


    <em>Wait, this is¡­</em>


    Gryphon let out a little roar as it flew through the skies. Those still standing beneath the castles looked up in awe and horror.


    The griffin circled the air andnded before the castle. Once the queen came down from its back, the griffin roared once as a goodbye, then it pped its wings once more, taking to the skies.


    Cnthe sat upon the bloodstained ground, staring ahead dumbly. Around her were the people of Skellige, and she muttered, "I''m¡­ alive?"


    ***


    Roy came down from the horse, holding the half-unconscious Triss in his arms. He nced at the countenance of the lifeless king and looked at the dispirited queen. <em>There''s nothing in her eyes. </em>He shook his head sadly. <em>I tried so hard, and got so far, and yet destiny didn''t change. Good thing Gryphon was keeping an eye on the queen. It''d be really bad if she died.</em>


    "Cnthe, His Majesty is no more. If you had actually died, then there would be no reminder of him left in this world. There would''ve been no reason for hising back to protect you."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465 ¨C Origin


    Chapter 465: Origin


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    mes crackled, dark smoke billowing in the air. Cries of the dying citizens and the remaining shes of metal echoed through the broken streets of Cintra. What was once a great city was reduced to rubble. And before the drawbridge of the castle, the body of a burly, bearded many.


    Crach, Mousesack, Cnthe, and Roy remained in silence.


    ¡°My condolences, Aunt Cnthe. Eist once told me tha¡¯ the worth of a Skellige¡¯s child is not weighed by what they did in life, but by how they died.¡± Crach looked at the griffin that was flying away. ¡°Eist died in a war for his home. His soul will find eternal freedom on the seas. Tha¡¯ griffin must¡¯ve been Freya¡¯s emissary. If the gods themselves¡¯re tellin¡¯ ya not to die, then ya should listen ter them.¡±


    Cnthe shook her head, her eyes set on the witcher and the mage he was holding in his arms. She felt conflicted about the whole matter, but there was also gratitude in her eyes. He¡¯s the master of that griffin. She held her husband¡¯s body in her arms, her fingers brushing across his face, eventually touching the bolt that took his life. Tears welled within her eyes, and memories of their rtionship flooded her mind. But that was what they were now. Memories. And she sighed, hiding the pain deep in her heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Once again, the Lioness of Cintra picked herself back up, bing the strong and powerful queen everyone knew. ¡°I mustn¡¯t die here. Now, to Skellige, everyone. We shall give Eist a proper burial in his homnd. And once we are done, Nilfgaard will have hell to pay.¡±


    ¡°A wise decision.¡± Mousesack looked at Eist¡¯s lifeless corpse and heaved a sigh. Silently, he kicked the body of Eist¡¯s killer into the moat, wiping the blood and brain matter off his staff. ¡°Is Ciriing?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if Ciri has gone to Novigrad like Geralt said they would.¡± Concern welled in Cnthe¡¯s eyes. Now the only person she worried about was her granddaughter. ¡°I need to seek her out.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Oh no. You¡¯re not risking my Unexpected Child, Cnthe. ¡°Your Highness, you should depart for Skellige now. I¡¯ll deal with Ciri. And take care of yourself. Remember to care for the baby. I¡¯ll be seeing her eventually.¡±


    Crach froze for a moment, and then his eyes shone with curiosity. Cnthe was about to say something, but Roy cast a Sign and knocked her out. Slowly, she fell back into Crach¡¯s arms and started snoring.


    Roy nodded at the Skellige men and Mousesack. He wanted to put Triss down so she could go with them, but for some reason, the sorceress was still holding onto him tightly like an octopus. Left with no choice, Roy took her into the castle as well.


    ***


    Flickering candlelight shone upon the corridors of the castle, sounds of footsteps echoing in the air. A petite, cloaked figure was trotting across the corridors. Ciri knew a secret passage hidden in the walls of this castle. She used to sneak out into the city through the very same passage. Of course, Cnthe caught her and gave the girl a good spanking. But now¡¯s not the time to y. Grandpa needs me. If we¡¯re leaving, we¡¯re leaving together. I¡¯m not leaving anyone behind.


    But when Ciri came to the end of the passage and opened that door, she froze. Her eyes were filled with fear, for beyond that door stood a tall, burly man. He stood up straight and took off his wet cloak. His hand was holding the hilt of his de, and his winged helm hung from his waist. The man flung his ck hair back, revealing a pair of blue eyes embedded on a handsome face.


    The man tried to get a hold of Ciri. A scream escaped the girl¡¯s lips as she tried to escape the man, her hood swaying behind her. The girl was making her way to Cnthe. Roy and Geralt must be there. They¡¯ll protect me.


    But she did not make it far. Sounds of metal footsteps nged behind her, and the man held her up in the air.


    ¡°Let me go, you meanie!¡± The girl bit and kicked the armored man, but all she managed was hurting herself. And thus, the man abducted Ciri, the girl powerless to stop him.


    That Nilfgaardian knight ced Ciri on the back of his horse, forcing the girl to pull on the reins. She felt the horse racing past the burning city of Cintra, and the shouts of battle assailed her incessantly. Yet the horse did not stop. Her home, the castle she knew, everything was quickly leaving her.


    Every bump, every pull, and every jump of the horse would send a surge of pain up her hands, yet she was forced to hold the reins. She could feel the skin on her inner thighs scraping away, but her legs couldn¡¯t reach the stirrups. The smoke and mes irritated her eyes, making her tear up, and the armored arms that were holding her almost suffocated the princess.


    ¡°Where is he taking me?¡± the girl cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Geralt. I should¡¯ve listened to you.¡± A tear fell down Ciri¡¯s cheek, and the horse galloped even faster. ¡°But I¡¯ll run away. I swear I¡¯ll find you. Geralt, Grandma, Grandpa, Roy, I swear.¡±


    ***


    Roy pushed the castle¡¯s doors open. The witcher passed the deserted halls and corridors, listening for any sound that might stir the air. When the witcher made his way to the second floor, he felt a sense of unease looming over him. The same feeling he felt back on the battlefield. Like someone¡¯s staring at me. With malice.


    But Roy pretended to be oblivious to it. Every time he turned the corner, the young witcher would look through the corner of his eye, but there was no one to be found anywhere. Eventually, he finished scouring the second floor, and he moved on to the next.


    Roy¡¯s shadow darted through the walls as he searched for Ciri. ¡°Ciri!¡± he shouted. With every floor he ascended, the sense of foreboding intensified. Just when he came to the top floor and heard the sound of battle, that sense of foreboding and dread finally manifested itself in the form of some people.


    A sh of light appeared, and two mysterious figures stood before Roy, stopping him in his path. Our witcher turned around only to find two more silhouettes standing behind him. They were all in purple cloaks. Some were gaunt, some were burly, but all were powerful.


    Their countenance was hidden beneath their cloaks, but their wild eyes flickered dangerously, setting their sights on Roy.


    Roy felt his body bing ten times heavier, and the air itself seemed to freeze. He tensed up and backed Triss up to the wall. Our witcher scanned the gaunt figure. The figure with a long face. And he gasped. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡®Ivar Evil-Eye


    Age: Three hundred and forty-two years old


    Status: Viper, ?


    HP: ?


    Mana: 120


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: ?


    Will: 12


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 12


    Skills:


    Alchemy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 10, Meditation Level 9, Viper School¡ªDual Wielding Level 10, Witcher Signs Level 10, Griffin Arts Level 5, cksmithing Level 10.


    Evil Eye (Passive): After surviving the first experiment, Ivar¡¯s mutation granted him superhuman dynamic visual acuity. His eyes can capture infinite worlds, predict enemy movements, and see moments into the future.¡¯


    Ivar Evil-Eye. Grandmaster of the Viper School and Letho¡¯s mentor. He¡¯s still alive.


    The founder of the Viper School was crossing his arms. His fiery eyes burning with white-hot mes were fixated on Roy.


    Waves of shock overwhelmed Roy¡¯s heart, but he forced himself to be calm. Then he turned his sights to the burly man beside Ivar, whose shoulders were the length of nine palms.


    ¡®Arnaghad


    Age: Three hundred and fifteen years old


    Status: Bear, ?


    HP: ?


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 16


    Will: 20


    Charisma: 5


    Spirit: 15


    Skills:


    Alchemy Level 10, Witcher Senses Level 10, Meditation Level 8, Ursine Swordy Level 10, Witcher Signs Level 10, Griffin Arts Level 6¡­


    Solid Ice (Passive): After surviving the first experiment, Arnaghad lost almost all human emotions. What little emotion he has left is suppressed greatly. What he paid in his humanity, he earned in great stamina and recovery. Greater than most witchers. He also fears no pain or stimtion. Immune to all skills or spells that affect the mind.¡¯


    ***


    An ice-cold void was the only thing in Arnaghad¡¯s eyes, and he kept his silence. So we have a Bear and a Viper grandmaster here, which means¡­


    Roy took a nce and gulped. One of the remaining two was End. The man with an eagle tattoo on his cheek. Thest one was a regr-looking guy with ck hair and brown eyes. He was the one who left those blueprints in Kaer Morhen¡ªElgar, grandmaster of the Wolf School.


    They¡¯re also the first batch of witchers. One¡¯s a Source, and the other¡¯s a master cksmith. Aand¡­ yeah, they also have their own special abilities.


    ¡®Mana Sense (Passive): End¡¯s mutation granted him a special skill. He can sense the chaos energy lingering in the air and bring it under control, helping him create and improve spells.¡¯


    ¡®The Path of Bnce (Passive): After surviving the experiment, Elgar¡¯s overall stats received a substantial increase. +10 to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Perception, and Spirit.¡¯


    ***


    A heavy silence hung in the air, the grandmasters setting their sights on Roy. Our witcher bowed a little, sweat drenching his forehead. He felt like a panther forced into a corner by four starving lions. The legendary grandmasters. They¡¯re still alive, but why are they seeking me out? What are they trying to do?


    Roy could escape right away. Gryphon was on the top of this tower. All he had to do was teleport, but he had a lot of questions he wanted answered. Especially about the disappearances of these grandmasters. And he couldn¡¯t just leave Triss behind.


    He could feel her shiver. The hot breath of hers blowing on his back. Her breathing got heavier. She¡¯s awake. Roy could imagine how shocked she must be. Must have frozen her in ce. He pursed his lips. They¡¯re not attacking me. Probably not Nilfgaard¡¯s allies. I can try talking to them.


    And then, a whisper akin to a breeze said, ¡°Calm down, kid. We just wanna talk. Need to confirm something.¡±


    ¡°Who are you people?¡± Roy slowly looked at all of them. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever crossed you. We¡¯re all witchers here. So can I leave after I answer your question?¡±


    ¡°Depends on you. If you¡¯ll work with us, then yes. You can run, but you can¡¯t run forever. So, answer me, which school are you from?¡± Ivar looked at Roy with approval in his eyes. ¡°I saw you fight during the battle. There are hints of Viper, Wolf, and Cat swordy in your style. A bit of everything, but it¡¯s rare in this era.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Viper.¡± Roy heaved a sigh. As long as we can negotiate. He showed his medallion to the grandmasters with one hand and patted Triss¡¯ cheek with the other. ¡°Letho of Gulet inducted me.¡±


    ¡°That baldy, huh?¡± Ivar stared outside the window, spacing out. The light of reminiscence filled his eyes. ¡°He found a good one for the school. Young, but powerful.¡±


    ¡°You know Letho?¡±


    ¡°Used to teach him for a few years.¡± A momentary pause swooped down. ¡°That short-range teleportation of yours¡­ Is that a result of your mutation?¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart sank. They¡¯ve been observing me since the beginning? He stayed silent. Roy had no idea if these men had seen more of his abilities. If they did, and he lied to him about his powers, that would incur their wrath.


    Ivar shook his head, smiling.


    Just when he was about to say something, the aloof Arnaghad interrupted, ¡°Not the time to reminisce, Ivar. Tell us, kid. Do you know Sasha? Sasha Crawford, or to be precise, Carthia van Canten. A graduate of Nilfgaard¡¯s academy. A thief and a seductress.¡± Arnaghad had a powerful voice, not unlike rolling stones that wereing down a mountain with incredible force. ¡°She stole something important from us. For years we¡¯ve been trying to find it, but it¡¯s an unpredictable item.¡±


    Sasha Crawford? Confusion filled Roy¡¯s eyes, and a frown creased his brows. He was trying his best to remember who that woman was.


    Then, Geralt¡¯s shouts came from the corridor¡¯s corner. End snapped his fingers, and the air at the corner rippled like the surface of ake brushed over by a gust of breeze. The White Wolf held his humming medallion with one hand and a silver sword with the other. He walked sideways like a crab and went to the next floor as if he didn¡¯t see Roy and the grandmasters.


    Roy saw him off in silence. He wished for no more sacrifices.


    ¡°Good move, kid.¡± Arnaghad nodded. ¡°Now continue.¡±


    ¡°Before I answer your questions, I have some of my own.¡± Roy took a deep breath and looked at the grandmastes once more. He asked, ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯re important figures among withcer schools. And I¡¯ve befriended Letho, Auckes, Vesemir, Geralt, Keldar, Jerome, and more. If their descriptions are right, you¡¯re Ivar, Arnaghad, Elgar, and End, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°A hundred years we¡¯ve been gone, and yet someone still remembers us,¡± Elgarmented.


    ¡°Why have you never returned to your school? What have you been doing all these years? Have you really abandoned the very school you built? The creed you¡¯re so proud of? The students you taught?¡± Roy shot End a quizzical look. ¡°Jerome, for example.¡±


    ¡°The schools represent obsolescence. Their code of neutrality, their creed¡­ None of those are needed in our mission. We¡¯re chasing the future.¡± Something stirred in End¡¯s eyes. ¡°And Jerome has fulfilled his dream moments before his demise. He left with no regrets in his heart.¡±


    ¡°Our dream and ambition are top secret. It¡¯s a bit shocking to most people,¡± said Ivar, his eyes glinting. ¡°We do not entertain mediocrity, nor will we tell you the answer for nothing. So tell us, where did you meet that girl? Sasha, that is.¡±


    Roy fell silent for a moment. He could hear the grandmasters¡¯ heartbeats, and they were steady. They¡¯re not afraid. Must have something up their sleeves. And that woman¡¯s not even my acquaintance. No need to keep secrets. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve seen her. About two years ago.¡±


    Sasha Crawford was a name that existed in the deepest recesses of his memory. A twist of fate led them to a near-meeting. Let¡¯s turn back time to about two years ago. Where the very first chapter of this book took ce.


    A young man in Kaer of Aedirn fell into aa after a horse bumped into him. When that young man regained consciousness, the soul of a man from another world merged with his and became the young witcher we know. And that same young man awakened something he called the character sheet.


    The rider who knocked Roy out was none other than Sasha. She stole One-Eyed Jack¡¯s prized Gwent card and rode away, escaping the clutches of that innkeeper. And that little ident gave birth to Roy¡¯s subsequent adventures. Had that ident never taken ce, Roy would have married someone in his vige and raised a family while working as a farmer.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never talked to her at all. She almost killed me. I have no idea how she crossed you people.¡±


    The grandmasters exchanged a look, and a hint of regret filled Ivar¡¯s eyes. ¡°You do not understand. You have crossed paths with her, and you might possess the very thing we are searching for. And after witnessing your powers, I¡¯m sure of it. You¡¯re a young, talented, and incredible witcher. This is why we¡¯re telling you this, but we¡¯re sorry. You cannot remain.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? What did she steal from you?¡± A cold shudder ran down Roy¡¯s spine, and a sense of dread filled his heart. He gently wrote a few letters on Triss¡¯ back, and magic glimmered beneath the sorceress¡¯ jacket.


    ¡°You¡¯ve merged with it, haven¡¯t you?¡± That was a rhetorical question from Arnaghad. ¡°And the bonds of destiny will reunite the shards eventually.¡±


    ¡°Merging with it is a foolish way to utilize that power,¡± Endmented matter-of-factly. ¡°Though that item does grant the one who merged with it some special power. The mana of a mage, for example, though I am inclined to believe that power has some connection to the soul.¡±


    ¡°If a mediocre soul had tried to merge with that item, it would have devoured their soul, yet you still have a mind of your own. You must possess something special.¡± Elgar pointed at Roy¡¯s chest.


    I have something special? Wait. The seed of power. Are they talking about the character sheet? But I thought this came with me after I was transported to this world. Now they¡¯re telling me I got it by chance when Sasha bumped into me? This is ridiculous. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, kid¡ª¡± Ivar backed off right away without finishing that sentence.


    Once again, Roy cast Fear, and bloody tentacles wriggled out of the ground. Immediately, they wrapped End, Elgar, and Arnaghad up, lifting the grandmasters high up into the air. At the same time, Triss shoved a st of blue air current and forced Ivar to retreat.


    Roy darted backward. He didn¡¯t hurt the grandmasters. Instead, the young witcher produced a teleportation crystal, but before he could summon a portal, Ivar came after him and kicked his hand.


    The crystal fell and slid away. Furious, Roy swiveled around and sent Ivar flying with a st of Aard. Behind him, Triss crossed her hands, and a storm of mana swiveled around her, billowing her maroon hair, brushing Roy¡¯s cheeks. She looked just like a goddess, but the blood that trickled down her cheeks and her ghostly pale visage spoke of a woman who had been through too much.


    Another portal opened, and Roy leapt toward it with Triss on his back. s, he did not manage to escape. A translucent wall made of air appeared before the portal, blocking Roy¡¯s escape. He rammed into it just to fall backward, a hint of blood trickling down his forehead.


    Triss grunted and fell, agony filling her eyes.


    Yet another cloaked figure appeared ten yards away. His face was as pale as a cadaver¡¯s, the look in his eyes dark, and magic flickered in his hands.


    Roy took a quick look at him.


    ¡®Idarran


    Age: Three hundred and fifty years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Mage, ?¡¯


    ***


    ¡°So you¡¯ve merged with a shard of the Most High, ignorant to the fact that no two Most Highs can exist in this ne of existence.¡± A dark smile curled the man¡¯s lips.


    The grandmasters are working with a mage notorious for his hybridizing work? What kind of organization are they in?


    Roy whipped out Gwyhyr and sent an energy sh hurtling at Idarran, but the sorcerer quickly created a crimson cross before him. A gigantic centipede with a greenish-grey crab shell hopped out of the portal and came to its creator¡¯s defense. It had a pair of pincers, and its many legs were scuttling around. Its conical maw and feelers were waving around disgustingly.


    The energy sh hit the creature and swiftly cut it in half, but then it disappeared, and Idarran was unhurt. The light of surprise glinted in the mage¡¯s eyes. He quickly weaved some gestures, magic flowing around him.


    ¡°Leave me, Roy!¡± Triss leaned on the wall. With one hand, she held the blood-soaked bandage on her leg, and with the other, she quickly cast a spell. ¡°Run!¡±


    But Roy didn¡¯t. A roar echoed across the corridor, and gales howled in the air. Roy cast a Sign, and an illusion leapt out of the magical wave. It put Triss on its back and charged ahead, trying to break through the grandmasters.


    And then Roy charged toward Idarran. He was betting on the possibility that the grandmasters would leave Triss alone. After all, Roy was their quarry here.


    But his gamble failed. Ivar deftly dodged Triss¡¯ fireball and swung his de through the air. The illusion was destroyed, and its frost nova froze both Ivar and Triss, but the grandmaster still extended his hand and pressed down on the sorceress¡¯ neck.


    At the same time, End¡ªwho had recovered from Fear¡ªcrossed his hands and shoved a st of Aard at Roy¡¯s back.


    The young witcher flew up into the air, but he summoned his Gabriel and fired a bolt into the distance. The air around him rippled, and he teleported to where the bolt was. And not a moment too soon. Idarran¡¯s bolt of lightning would have struck him had he failed to dodge.


    And then, a gust of wind came whizzing at Roy. Arnaghad was holding his greatsword up high, charging at Roy like a human tank.


    Roy reacted quickly enough. He switched his hand crossbow out for a sword and turned around to block the iing attack.


    The sh of metal and tearing of air boomed across the corridor as two silhouettes moved at inhuman speeds. Their des glinted beneath the lights of mes, the winds produced from the shes threatening to blow the fire out.


    The battlested for but two seconds. Roy and Arnaghad split up, standing back to back with only a distance of less than a meter between them. A gust of wind entered the corridor, and the aloof grandmaster sheathed his greatsword.


    A crimson line appeared on Roy¡¯s neck, and the skin on the base of his limbs started to crack. Blood spurted as Roy¡¯s head, neck, limbs, chest, and torso were cut open like they were tofu. And then his blood spilled all over the ground.


    The young witcher¡¯s head rolled over to Arnaghad, while his limbs were strewn all over the ce, and his innards spilled out to the floor.


    The grandmaster whipped out a beautiful box and opened it up. As he held it up high, the mysterious shard lying within shone a beautiful crimson.


    The lights in the corridor flickered, and the illusion of a gigantic octopus appeared on the ceiling. It let out a delighted roar, its countless tentacles dancing and swaying like monsters ready to feast.


    And then the monster charged right at the witcher¡¯s corpse. A smaller, identical version of that octopus leapt out of Roy¡¯s body, snarling at its bigger counterpart, and yet it could do nothing but stay on his body.


    There was anticipation in Idarran¡¯s eyes, while Triss could do nothing but scream. ¡°No¡­ No!¡± She shivered, trying to break free, but to no avail. And tears fell down her cheeks.


    A sigh escaped Ivar¡¯s lips, and he knocked Triss out.


    Lytta was admiring her reflection in faraway Novigrad when all of a sudden, she clutched her chest. An inexplicable fear grasped her for a moment, a tear falling down her cheek. Worried, she took out her crystal and tried to activate it, but nothing happened.


    And then, there was news from the witchers at the orphanage.


    ***


    ¡°Arnaghad, you merciless executioner! Haven¡¯t the countless betrayals taught you anything? Haven¡¯t they taught you about humanity?¡± Ivar roared at hisrade, his face contorted with rage. ¡°He should¡¯ve destroyed you from the beginning!¡±


    Arnaghad ignored the lecture. Suddenly, he muttered, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    The octopus that was going to devour Roy slid back into the crimson shard like it was snow meeting the sun, and then something bizarre took ce.


    The chunks of Roy¡¯s body glowed golden, and as if by a miracle, they started gathering and slowly healing themselves.


    ¡°Whoa, he¡¯s still alive after all that? I can¡¯t believe he powered that shard up so much. I¡¯d love to let you go and see how far you can take the power, but s.¡± Idarran¡¯s eyes shone with excitement, not unlike how a starving cat would react when it saw fish. But his excitement was dangerous.


    Ivar, however, stepped in before he could.


    ¡°Hold it right there. I¡¯ll handle this. He could have killed all of you right away, but he didn¡¯t. This calls for mercy. He shall depart this world, but not in the form of death.¡±


    Arnaghad¡¯s face fell, but End held his shoulder. Elgar stopped Idarran before he could do anything, and the mage sneered. ¡°You¡¯re exining this to him when we get back.¡±


    ¡°I know what I have to do.¡±


    Ivar put down the unconscious sorceress and whipped out a yellow jar. Then he took the cap off the lid. The cap with a cross and enneagram. Crimson gas flowed out of the jar, beating rhythmically as if it were a heart. Eventually, it formed an irregr ball, hovering before Ivar calmly.


    The ball had a distorted head measuring six-foot tall. There was no nose, but the creature had gigantic eyes and the beak of a bird, while silver bolts of lightning danced within its body.


    Ivar held the cap, his eyes fixated on the creature. And he saw countless illusions. Eerie towns covered in a nket of fogs and gue, towering volcanoes hiding in ins shrouded in darkness, caves and mountain ranges upied by dragons that hoarded all their riches there, tundras where mammoths and giants fought to the death, and neon lights shing in a city of night upied by creatures of flesh and steel.


    ¡°Wygnanie!¡±


    A stream of light flowed from the cap Ivar was holding, and the creature¡¯s head shone a blinding sh of white, covering the healing witcher.


    A momentter, the light went away, and Roy was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°This is farewell, boy,¡± Ivar muttered.


    ***


    Not too longter, all the witchers showed up. All of them drenched in blood. Lytta and Geralt came as well, but they were toote. All they saw was an unconscious Triss and a deserted corridor.


    Roy was nowhere to be found, and Geralt was reminded of Ciri¡¯s prophetic nightmare. The same nightmare he took as a joke. For he never thought Roy would leave them, and yet here they were. Even you left. And his heart was plunged into a freezing hell.


    End of Arc

 Chapter 466 - 466: Execution Site

    Chapter 466: Execution Site


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A yellow ball of mes hung high in the horizon, raining down rays of warmth onto thend. A horse carriage¡ªfilled with passengers¡ªslowly clopped through a stony path set between shrubbery and low walls.


    But perhaps calling it a horse carriage was a resplendent overstatement. It was little more than a cart used to carry hay and wood. And what an ancient cart it was. Its paint had peeled off, its body was filled with broken splinters, and the wooden boards on the sides had cracks on them. As its wheels rolled across the ground and gravel, grating screams would re up into the air, perhaps telling its passengers that this old cart could go on no further.


    The coachman was in a brown, sleeveless leather jacket, and a leather helm hung on his head. He had a stern look on his face, a sword hanging from his girdle.


    Five criminals sat in the back of the carriage, their hands tied with sturdy ropes. One of them even had a piece of white, tattered cloth tied around his mouth. Among these criminals was one man named Flynn. Sturdy Flynn. With ck hair and brown eyes, but a nondescript face. Much like his looks, Flynn was a boring¡ªyet honest¡ªman.


    And Flynn had a question. He was but a regrd from a regr vige. All he did that day was stroll around the wilderness, but then a group of armed empire soldiers arrested him and chucked him onto a carriage, taking him gods-knew-where. Where are they taking me? And why?


    ¡°sted Stormcloaks! If it weren¡¯t for them, Skyrim would¡¯ve been a sanctuary. Nobody¡¯s gonnae for us. Would¡¯ve been a good life, but it¡¯s all ruined!¡±


    An unkempt, angry man across Flynn was going into a tirade. His clothes were in tatters and had patches, and so were his pants. Gaunt was his face, but fury had the energy to creep into his eyes nheless. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for them going around searching for rebels, I would¡¯ve gotten myself a horse and run away to Hamemrfell. Could¡¯ve reached there soon, but st that. Hey, you. Yeah, you and that sleeping kid beside you.¡± He looked at Flynn. ¡°None of us should be here. It¡¯s the Stormcloak the empire wants.¡±


    Flynn nodded. For most of his life, he had been a lonely tramp, wandering from one ce to another. News of the Stormcloaks went around these parts of thend, but not once had he seen a Stormcloak.


    He thought the rebels would nevere all the way to Skyrim, not at least in his lifetime. But he thought wrong. In a twist of fate, he ran into the rebels and was caught by the Imperial Legion under the suspicion of being an aplice. They look no different from themon folk. Why¡¯d they even rebel against the empire? Shoulda stayed home and became a farmer.


    Flynn turned his attention to his left. There, a bizarre young man was resting on his shoulder. He was incredibly handsome, to say the least. His skin was smoother and more supple than the most beautiful woman in their vige. And this young man had peculiar ears. Pointy ears. Ears that most definitely did not belong to a Nordling.


    Unlike his beautiful countenance, however, thisd shared the same misfortune as Flynn. He was found unconscious in the wilderness, perhaps from an illness. And the soldiers took him to make up the numbers.


    A man with unkempt blonde hair and a chiseled face scanned his fellow criminals. He was a bona fide Stormcloak, and this man chastised, ¡°We¡¯re in the same boat now, thief. Instead ofining about your life, try making some friends. Might be yourst chance doing so. Name¡¯s Ralof. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°Lokir.¡± The thug nodded up at Flynn. ¡°What¡¯s your name, country boy?¡±


    ¡°Flynn.¡±


    ¡°And that one beside you? Wake him up.¡±


    Flynn patted the cheek of that young man, but he did not wake.


    ¡°Fine. Let him sleep. It¡¯s probably better for him in this situation. What¡¯s his deal, then? He looks even worse than us.¡± Lokir looked at the man in silver chainmail and a ck cloak. Despite his mouth being gagged, the man radiated regality.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, cur,¡± Ralof berated. ¡°You are in the presence of the revered Jarl, Ulfric Stormcloak.¡±


    ¡°The legendary Jarl of Windhelm? The leader of the rebels? Even he¡¯s captured?¡± All the color was drained from Lokir¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯re in thepany of the empires number one fugitive? Where are they taking us? To the execution site?¡±


    Calmly, Ralof said, ¡°I can feel the Sovngarde awaiting my arrival.¡±


    ¡°O Thor, Mara, Dibe, Kynareth, Akatosh¡­ Gods, please, deliver me from this fate!¡±


    ***


    Flynn inhaled sharply, his mind buzzing in disbelief. ¡°We¡¯re going to the chopping block?¡± Shocked, he said, ¡°No! I¡¯m innocent. I¡¯m not even a part of the rebellion! I¡¯ve done nothing but live my life abiding by thew! What did I do wrong?¡±


    ¡°Right and wrong don¡¯t matter to the Imperial Legion.¡± Lokir heaved a sigh of resignation. ¡°I ain¡¯t gotten married yet. Single and no kids. I have it worse.¡±


    Lokir and Ralof started a conversation, but Flynn did not register a single word in his head. His eyes were staring into the distance, but there was not a glimmer of light within them.


    The carriage moved into a narrow passage nked by stone walls and wooden shacks. Soon enough, they entered a stark, quiet vige surrounded by stone walls and fields of vegetables. Here and there, houses made of hay and wood stood.


    Up the slope went the carriage, slowly taking the criminals into the center of the vige, where the cylindrical tower loomed. Children who were engaged in a game of chase with their dogs stood before their houses, talking about the carriage in curiosity. The criminals had no doubt these children would hurl any pebbles or greens they could get their hands on. Fortunately for them, these children had nothing to pick up.


    ¡°Ah, Helgen. Got an old me here. Wonder if Vilod¡¯s still making his special mead. It¡¯s got juniper berries mixed in.¡±


    ¡°Not like you¡¯ll ever get the chance to taste it again,¡± Lokir snapped.


    And then the wheels stopped turning.


    ¡°H-Hold it.¡± Fear crept into Lokir¡¯s voice. ¡°Why¡¯s the carriage stopping?¡±


    ¡°You know why.¡± Ralof stood up, a smile curling his lips. ¡°Come. Sovngarde awaits.¡±


    Ulfric hopped off the carriage first, earning him the attention of all Imperial soldiers. They wore sleeveless leather armor and faulds covering their knees. Their calves were exposed to the elements, and a sword hung from their girdles, while a bow was strapped to their backs.


    Two soldiers stood near the carriage. The one on the left was the captain. A woman. She donned a shier armor and a pair of long iron boots. On her right stood a man. He crossed out a name in his book. As the Jarl of Windhelm approached him, the man announced, ¡°Ulfric Stormcloak!¡±


    The Jarl strode past the soldiers, making his way to the chopping block before that looming tower, the resolve in his eyes never wavering.


    ¡°It has been an honor serving you, Jarl!¡± Ralof stopped talking and shouted after his leader, sending him off to his demise.


    ¡°Ralof of Riverwood!¡± The clerk gazed at the blond man, but Ralof ignored him. Like a man about to be bestowed upon the highest honor, he held his head high as he walked toward his death.


    The clerk shook his head imperceptibly and continued, ¡°Lokir of Rorikstead!¡±


    The thug¡¯s eyes darted around him nervously. ¡°This is a big mistake! I¡¯m not a rebel. You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Lokir let out a guttural, hysterical roar and charged into the distance, thinking he could escape.


    And then he fell headfirst to the ground, an arrow buried in his back. With every passing moment, his breathing weakened.


    ¡°Anyone else want to have a taste of my arrow?¡± The captain sneered, her gaze as cold as the winter winds.


    And Flynn dashed his idea of escape. He gulped nervously, a look of struggle creeping onto his face. Getting shot by an arrow looks like a painful way to die. Perhaps a clean death is better. He turned his attention to thed who was resting his head on his shoulder. His breathing was clearly getting heavier, and his eyshes fluttered. He¡¯s going to wake soon. Perhaps I can use him to fend off these soldiers?


    ¡°Hey, you. Raise the head of that man beside you.¡± Hadvar cut off Flynn¡¯s train of thoughts. He scanned through his list and looked at Flynn and the young man once more, his eyesden with surprise. ¡°Captain, they¡¯re not on the list. Should we let them go?¡±


    ¡°The list matters not,¡± the captain said. ¡°Take them away. Off with their heads.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Hadvar gave the men an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But at least you¡¯ll die in your homnd. Hold your friend steady, but do not wake him up. Just let him go in peace.¡±


    He¡¯s not my friend! I need to run! Flynn roared silently. s, a dozen soldiers had their eyes on him, their bows ready to fire the moment he tried to escape. A pallid, terrified Flynn followed the captain to the execution site. There, a dozen death rows stood in a circle, and Flynn stood at the end of the line, still holding up the sleepingd.


    Standing before Ulfric was an old, balding man with a face resembling the moon¡¯s surface. With a victorious tone, he judged, ¡°Ulfric Stormcloak, some misguided souls in Helgen call you their hero still, but a hero would never have used their Dragon Shout to usurp the throne of our exalted emperor. Yet that was a crime youmitted.¡±


    The burly Jarl of Windhelm snarled like a dog who was held by his nape, with no way to escape.


    ¡°You are the reason this civil war came to be. You have plunged Skyrim into chaos, taking the lives of countless innocents. Words alone are insufficient to epass your crimes. And now I announce your and your aplices¡¯ execution! May your deaths return peace to Skyrim!¡±


    All of a sudden, some of the audience stared up into the skies, though there was nothing there. And yet, they heard something rattling in the distance.


    Hadvar looked into the heavens, muttering, ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It matters not. Nothing can save Ulfric. Resume the execution!¡± The old man swung his arm down and hurried to the edge of the execution site, where a burly executioner stood. In his hands was a long axe. And the hooded priestess in a gold silk robe chanted her prayers sonorously.


    ¡°I pray to you, the Eight Divines, that these souls shall march peacefully into the afterlife. You are the salt and soil of Nirn, O our beloved¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Nine Divines! The great Talos is one of them as well! That¡¯s enough prayers. Just get it over with!¡±


    To Flynn¡¯s surprise, a blue-cloaked rebel strode past the death-row inmates and stood atop the stage of the chopping block even before Ulfric could. It almost felt like he was in a hurry to die. Thed doesn¡¯t even look older than twenty. Is he in a hurry to die? Or is he trying to do something else?


    ¡°My ancestors are waiting for me with open arms. What about yours, Imperial soldiers and betrayer of Talos?¡± Even though the Stormcloak¡¯s neck was already resting on the chopping block, the man gave a brave speech.


    And then the executioner brought his axe down onto the rebel¡¯s nape. A decapitated head fell to the ground, its eyes still wide open, and blood spurted into the trough before the chopping block.


    ¡°Gods, no!¡±


    Despair welled within the hearts of Flynn and his fellow death-row inmates, and they made peace with the gods, though they wondered who would be next.


    Suddenly, Flynn felt his shoulder shudder. The unconsciousd was pushed ahead, and a soldier led him to the chopping block. Guilt filled Flynn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sorry, mate. I can¡¯t save you. Not when I can¡¯t even save myself.¡±


    The executioner held up his axe, sucking in as he prepared himself to take yet another life. Just when he was about to swing his axe down, something stopped him. Something terrifying.


    ¡°Fus Ro Dah!¡± A great and terrible roar shook the firmament, assailing the townspeople¡¯s minds with a thousand invisible knives.


    The executioner stopped midway through the execution. He put his axe down and looked around. Everyone in the site raised their heads as well, their eyes filled with confusion.


    ¡°What in gods is that?¡±


    Gasps and shouts echoed in the air. A gigantic silhouette reared its head from behind the clouds in the skies. It unfurled its wings¡ªdark as night¡ªand swept across the heavens, covering thends with its shadow. The silhouette pped its wings once, twice, and then it shot into the skies only to plummet down at devastating speeds.


    Its shadow loomed over everyone¡¯s hearts, and the air itself seemed to freeze, making the townspeople¡¯s teeth chatter.


    ¡°What do you see, sentry?¡± the old general bellowed.


    A dull thud boomed across the air as dust and debris fell from the stone tower. A scaly, terrifying creaturended on the top of that tower, crouching upon it. The sentry was smashed into a pancake under its tremendous weight, and the creature¡¯s spiky wings covered half of the tower underneath.


    It craned its serpentlike neck forward, revealing a terrible, reptilian head covered in tough ck scales and horns. Its eyes were wild, feral, and primal.


    ¡°A dragon!¡± some of the soldiers shouted in fear.


    The dragon responded with a roar, sending cold shudders down everyone¡¯s spine. There was¡­ incredible power within that shout. That shout couldmand all the powers of the world. Even the skies. And the skies changed. Crimson clouds filled the firmament, mes licking thend, spiraling like whirlpools.


    A rain of meteors fell from the clouds, hurtling down at blinding speeds. The meteors crashed into the ground, sending sparks and smoke flying everywhere. A beautiful hamlet started burning, the mes surrounding all the inmates, soldiers, and townsfolk within the execution site.


    And they were the fortunate ones. Many were smashed and charred by the falling rocks.


    ¡°Ro Dah!¡± The dragon opened its maw and screeched at the people. Shockwaves undted across the town, toppling the soldiers around the execution site. What was once a solemn, somber ce was now in shambles.


    ¡°What are you waiting for,ds? This is our chance! Come with me!¡± Ulfric led Ralof and their rebels into the tower beneath that dragon.


    Flynn wanted to follow as well, but that strange man was still lying unconscious on the chopping block. If he were to abandon the man, only death would await him. ¡°Dammit!¡±


    And thus, Flynn did something he would brag about for many years down the line. With his tied-up hands, Flynn held the man by the neck and dragged him into the tower like he was deadweight.


    Once he reached safety, Flynn let the man go, huffing and puffing. The exhaustion he felt almost knocked him out. Dammit, this is going to be a long day. A dragon showed up out of nowhere, summoned a meteor rain, and now I followed the Stormcloaks into this tower. And I risked my life saving a stranger. Flynn could imagine how his life would look decades down the line. He would be sitting beside a firece, telling his grandchildren about this fateful day in his life. That¡¯s going to make for a great story. That much is enough. Any more of this, and I might actually die.


    ***


    When he finally saw whosepany he was in, Flynn was horrified. Ralof of Riverwood, Ulfric, the Jarl of Windhelm, and a group of Stormcloaks were there. But not a single Imperial was seen.


    An unsettled Ralof asked, ¡°Jarl, you¡¯ve seen a lot in your life. Was¡­ Was that really the creature of legends?¡± He picked up a sword and cut off the rope tying Flynn up.


    ¡°Dragons don¡¯t level towns,¡± Ulfric answered, his voice deep, his gaze calm. ¡°That thing is going to destroy this tower soon. This is not a safe ce. We need to escape this town.¡± And he ascended the tower.


    Ralof turned around, smiling at Flynn. ¡°You¡¯re Flynn, aren¡¯t you? And what¡¯s your friend¡¯s name?¡±


    Flynn didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°I saw everything. You¡¯re a good man. You were in as much danger as he was, and yet you still saved him.¡± Ralof patted his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re leaving this ce.¡±


    Ralof ascended the spiral staircase. Flynn deliberated over the decision and realized he had no choice but to follow them. And the Stormcloaks have no reason to hurt me. I¡¯m a nobody. He held the stranger up and, with difficulty, climbed the stairs.


    The rocky climb, the shouting, the pelting of meteor, and the rustles from the tower¡¯s top finally woke the stranger. He grunted, and his eyes snapped open. Flynn looked at the man, and he was greeted by a pair of dark gold and silver eyes.


    The stranger said something iprehensible, and then a silhouette appeared beyond the hole on the wall, its shadow covering Flynn and the stranger.

 Chapter 467 - 467: Escaped

    Chapter 467: Escaped


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A dragon¡¯s head the size of a hill covered the hole in the wall, its crimson eyes¡ªdevoid of any emotion¡ªstaring down at the humans. One look from the dragon was enough to make Flynn¡¯s blood go cold. His body refused to move. Not even one finger could be lifted.


    The dragon opened its maw, the spikes on its jaw unfurling, revealing its scarlet gums and a pair of sharp teeth. Flynn could feel death looming over him right now.


    And then, a gust of air billowed from the dragon¡¯s maw. A deafening shout pierced through the tower, shaking it down to its very foundation.


    ¡°Yol Toor Shul!¡± A scorching stream of fire breath swiftly turned the rocks around the hole into magma, but its prey was nowhere to be seen.


    The stranger was firmly dragging Flynn as he leapt into the air and dove behind the wall, barely evading the deadly fire breath. Then the stranger let go of Flynn, the rope around his hands already broken. He stared at the melted wall and made anotherment. It was not an ent Flynn had heard before.


    ¡°Thanks, mate.¡± Flynn shuddered in fear and excitement. ¡°You saved my life!¡±


    And yet the man shook his head. He too, hadn¡¯t the faintest idea of what Flynn was saying.


    ¡°Not the time for catching up, you two! Now jump!¡± Ralof looked out the hole only to be greeted by a burning town with nary a single unbroken building in sight. The only safending they had was the inn beneath them. Its roof had flown somewhere from the attack, revealing a dpidated chair and a wooden crate on the second floor.


    Flynn and the stranger started running and leapt down the tower. Flynn fell and tumbled away clumsily, while the strangernded on his feet like a cat. He let the impact from the fall travel away before swiftly standing up, not losing even a bit of bnce. This was a special man, Flynn thought. Powerful man.


    They jumped down the hole in the ground and came back outside. Ralof was nowhere to be found, but Hadvar the clerk appeared. He was holding a sword and standing guard outside a dpidated house.


    The terrible dragon was lying on the ground a few dozen yards away, breathing fire at its vicinity, turning everything¡ªhumans, buildings, structures¡ªinto ash. What took their ce was a sea of mes.


    ¡°You there! Come here if you want to live!¡± Surprisingly, Hadvar called out to them. There was not a hint of hostility in his eyes. He did not seem to see them as death-row inmates, nor did he worry about the dragon¡¯s attack.


    The stranger¡ªby now everyone should have guessed that it was Roy¡ªwas staring at the towering creature in the center of town.


    ¡®Alduin


    Age: ?


    Status: Dragon, ?


    HP: ?


    Mana: ?


    Stats: ?


    Skills: ?


    Dragon Shout Level ?: A special branch of magic involving the soul, voice, resonance, and time.


    Includes Storm Call¡ªA shout to the skies, a cry to the clouds, that awakens the destructive force of Skyrim¡¯s lightning.


    Unrelenting Force¡ªYour Voice is raw power, pushing aside anything¡ªor anyone¡ªwho stands in your path.


    Fire Breath¡ªInhale air, exhale me, and behold the Thu¡¯um as inferno.


    ¡­


    ??¡¯


    ***


    What kind of creature is that? ¡°Where the hell is this? What did the grandmasters do after they killed me? Why¡¯s there a dragon here? Coral, Geralt, Triss, Ciri¡­ Everyone, I hope you¡¯re alright.¡± Questions and concerns welled in his heart, and Roy tried to teleport back to Gryphon. s, the reliable skill no longer functioned for him. He could vaguely feel the presence of Gryphon, ascertaining that she was alive. Yet there was a veil of fog standing between them, blurring Roy¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Thenguage that guy spoke¡­ It wasn¡¯t Northern Common Speech, nor was it Nilfgaardian or Elder Speech. Wait. No¡­ It can¡¯t be.¡±


    But before he could form a full thought, the guy from earlier grabbed his arm and followed Hadvar. Roy did not fight back. The man did save him when he was unconscious, after all. Not like I can change anything. Might as well find out where I¡¯m at.


    An Imperial soldier, a country boy, and a stranger who¡ªunbeknownst to everyone around him¡ª traveled from another world. A strangebination, yet they ran toward the walls of Helgen in silence, passing through scores of burning houses.


    ¡°Gods, what are the soldiers doing?¡± Flynn took a swift nce around him and saw the Imperial soldiers firing away at the soaring dragon. ¡°They¡¯re going to get themselves killed.¡±


    The hail of arrows rained upon the dragon, and yet it did nothing to the creature. Not even a scratch on its skin. Then the creature breathed down a stream of mes, turning the soldiers into ash.


    Roy was staring at the creature, wondering if his energy sh could even cut the dragon¡¯s scales open. Wonder if Gabriel can even hurt it. But that was not the kind of questions he should think about. The witcher failed to even glean one of the dragon¡¯s attributes. If I tried to fight this Alduin creature, I might never live to tell the tale. This monster is leagues stronger than Villentretenmerth.


    The blood of a dragon was required for Roy to make his potion. The potion to evolve Elder Blood. In his possession, he had the blood of a mage and a higher vampire. The blood of Alduin would be just what he needed, but engaging it inbat was unwise, at least in this situation it was. I need a n.


    Flynn was staring at Hadvar, huffing and puffing. ¡°W-Why¡¯s¡­ the dragon doing this? It¡¯s killing innocent people¡­ Burning their homes down.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it intends to rescue Ulfric. A bond it shares with the Stormcloak, maybe,¡± Hadvar answered without hesitation. ¡°They are born to bring cmity upon order, after all.¡±


    Alduin remained high in the sky still, raining down mes and destruction upon the already demolished town.


    Eventually, the trio made their way to the other end of Helgen. It was there they met Ralof of the Stormcloaks, who was holding an axe. ¡°We¡¯re escaping, Hadvar!¡± Ralof bragged, though it was more provocative than anything. ¡°And you¡¯re not stopping us this time.¡±


    Hadvar did not stop them. He merely mocked, ¡°I hope the dragon sends you all to Sovngarde.¡±


    ¡°Oy, you two. Yeah, you. Why¡¯re you standing there?¡± Ralof beckoned at the men behind Hadvar. ¡°You really wanna follow this guy? He almost got you executed. I have a better idea. You twoe with me.¡±


    Hadvar ain¡¯t that bad, Flynn said in his mind. There was nary a hint of enmitying from the clerk, but the same could not be said for his captain. Her cruel, merciless disposition earned Flynn¡¯s disfavor. And not to mention her tendency to twist stories to fit her narrative. On the other hand, the Stormcloaks at least were proud, honorable warriors who fought fervently for their cause.


    The country guy gritted his teeth and gave Roy a look. They then followed Ralof into a sturdy fortress.


    ***


    ¡®Twas an empty hall. A prison made up of nothing but steel fences. Strewn about were a few lifeless corpses and some dpidated chairs and tables.


    ¡°We shall meet again Sovngarde, brother.¡± Ralof solemnly closed the eyes of a deceased Stormcloak, a sigh escaping his lips. ¡°Guess we¡¯re the only ones who made it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ulfric?¡± asked Flynn.


    ¡°The Jarl is favored by the gods. They shall watch over him. No doubt he has escaped safely,¡± Ralof answered, though it sounded like he wanted to convince himself that Ulfric was still alive. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you managed to drag this guy all the way here. Unscathed, even. And he¡¯s been asleep for the whole day.¡±


    Ralof looked at the both of them, especially Roy. No, it was not because of Roy¡¯s outstanding looks, but because of his peculiar eyes. His calm, collected, demeanor, and his upright posture. This is no ordinary man. He thought Roy was a good person for no discernible reason. And Ralof had also noticed the armor this man was wearing. Blue chainmal and a blue emblem with three lions on it. I don¡¯t remember any leaders bearing that crest.


    ¡°He saved my life.¡± Flynn gave the stranger a look of gratitude. ¡°This might sound unbelievable, but I just met him today. And he has a strange ent. Doesn¡¯t sound like he¡¯s from Skyrim at all.¡±


    The looks of curiosity shining within the eyes of these men did not escape the witcher. And so he tried greeting them in Elder Speech, Northern Common Speech, and even Nilfgaardian.


    ¡°Ceadmil¡­¡±


    But the gentlemen exchanged a look of resignation and shook their heads.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound Imperial either. Perhaps the tongue of some other race?¡±


    ¡°No. Doesn¡¯t sound like the tongue of Redguards, Argonians, Mers, or even Ka Po¡¯ Tuns.¡± Ralof shook his head. ¡°And he looks¡­ pretty good. Bit like I was when I was his age. And exotic, too.¡±


    ¡°Told you these Imperial soldiers have no sense of right or wrong. They make up imaginary crimes for us and mistake this foreigner as a Stormcloak.¡±


    Roy was observing these strangers as well.


    ¡®Flynn


    Age: Eighteen years old


    Status: Farmer


    HP: 90


    Strength: 8


    Constitution: 9


    Dexterity: 6


    Perception: 5


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 6


    Skills:


    Dragonborn: ?


    Frost Resistance (Passive): Nordlings are resistant to cold weather and ice magic.


    Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Lady (Passive): Those born in Hearthfire (September) are friendly, resilient, and patient. +1 to Constitution and Will.¡¯


    ***


    You call this a peasant? He¡¯s almost as strong as an elite soldier. And he even has special skills! For the better part of two years, Roy had been traveling the north, and he had yet to see a peasant as powerful as Flynn. And Ralof too had resistance to cold, but he also had a few more skills of his own.


    ¡®Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Lord (Passive): Those born in First Seed (March) are born with superior constitution and health. +1 to Constitution. They are more resistant to injuries than most people. Healing speed increased by twenty percent.


    War Cry (Passive): Atent talent sleeping within Nordlings. Can only be awakened by those who have endured many battles. Their war cries can boost the morale of allies and send enemy steeds running.


    Basic Swordy Level 4: Ralof has mastered eight basic attacks, three ways of holding a sword, four offensive stances, nine defensive stances, and twenty-four tricks of swordy. He¡¯s a veteran. Barely.


    cksmithing Level 7, Horseback Riding Level 5.¡¯


    Ralof doesn¡¯t have the power of a Dragonborn. No idea what that skill does. But it seems unique. Probably has something to do with that dragon. Roy was lost in his thoughts. Maybe this Flynn guy is actually special.


    ¡°Not our problem. We¡¯re still not outta the woods. First we gotta leave Helgen.¡±


    s, luck was not on their side. Just then, the steel gates on the wall rose, revealing a pair of Imperial soldiers behind. The one in the lead was thatdy captain, her eyes ring with the mes of fury. ¡°Die, Stormcloak rebel!¡±


    ¡°In the name of Talos, grab your weapons and kill these Imperial dogs!¡± Ralof shouted into the heavens and shed with the captain. Even though his enemy was severely outssing him in terms of armor, the Stormcloak knew no fear. Despite the disadvantage, Ralof held himself well.


    The other soldier went around his captain and swung his sword down at Flynn¡¯s shoulder.


    Flynn was unarmed. A hint of fear glinted within his eyes, and he rolled away. When he stood back up once more, he saw his new friend producing a sword out of nowhere. And that friend of his charged ahead, shing with the soldier.


    Metals nged, and sparks flew. Roy stepped ahead, pushing his de upward and deflecting the soldier¡¯s sword before it could hit him. Then, at the same time, he pushed his de ahead into the soldier¡¯s throat.


    The soldier¡¯s face fell, and he took one step back. A correct decision, but one that was made toote.


    Blood sttered Gwyhyr¡¯s de, spurting from the soldier¡¯s neck. It drenched his chin and armor as he took another staggering step backward. The soldier put his hand on his throat, desperately trying to stop the blood, but to no avail. He fell forward, his eyes wide with shock.


    ¡®Fruuz killed. +40 EXP. Level 12 Witcher (740/12500).¡¯


    Roy flicked the blood off his de as usual, but there was a grim look in his eyes. That was a regr human, but I got double the EXP. And his swordy was solid. If his stats were higher, he would¡¯vested a whole lot longer.


    Flynn¡¯s jaw dropped. That regr-lookin¡¯ guy is a swordsman? And a powerful one at that?


    And now it was three to one. Flynn picked up the sword of that fallen Imperial soldier, but he knew naught about swordy. All he could do was pace around like a cat on hot bricks. Roy, however, did not help. Instead, he watched the battle in silence.


    Ralof and the captain were engaged in a deadly battle. Every swing, every thrust, and every jab was aimed at their enemy¡¯s weak points. A dozen feints would swing by before any of the fighters wouldnd a real attack. And yet they remained steadfast. Unfazed. Their battle seemed more like a dance, a waltz of death.


    Their attacks were careful. Meticulous. Filled with power and elegance. Their defense was perfect. Immacte. Every time they moved, the fighters would ce themselves in a position most advantageous to them.


    Powerful fighters, Roy thought. And their swordy is a lot moreplex than mine. I have a feeling there¡¯s an even deeper system beyond their swordy.


    Once again, Ralof shed with the captain, and Roy seized his chance to swing his de down on the captain¡¯s nape. All of a sudden, she let out a roar. A roar magical enough to strike fear into anyone¡¯s heart. It was a roar akin to those of lions. Of bears. Of all fearsome creatures.


    Ralof slowed for a moment, but the roar was useless in the face of Roy¡¯s overwhelming Will. His de swung down without pause, and the captain grunted. That was thest sound she produced before she fell. Forever. And her blood drenched the earth.


    ¡®Imperial captain killed. EXP +40. Level 12 Witcher (780/12500).¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Not bad,d. Unlike this guy over here. Wait, your sword¡­ the craftsmanship¡­ it¡¯s¡­ Where did you get this? May I have a look? Ah, pardon me. Forgot we had anguage barrier.¡±


    Roy showed Gwyhyr to Ralof.


    ¡°Thanks. Good sword. Very sharp edge.¡± Ralof held up the hilt with one hand and caressed the fuller with the other. He looked at the crossguard, the hilt, and the pommel closely, then he moved on to the star-shaped runes and cloud-shaped patterns. ¡°This is not Skyrim cksmithing, obviously. A soft core and a hard edge, eh? The core gotyered a few times, and the edge is made of iron. And it has more than one extra effect too. Did you loot Tullius¡¯ body for this? Lucky bastard. Keep it close.¡±


    Ralof tossed the de back to Roy and hunkered down to loot a bag of coins from the Imperial soldier, then he entered the gates.


    Flynn looked a little sheepish. Fortunately, his new friend did notugh at hisckluster performance. Instead, he smiled at him.


    Roy touched the dead captain¡¯s body, and her armor disappeared. I¡¯m in a new ce. Gotta stock up on some good stuff.


    The trio passed through an underground passage. During their little journey, they ran into a few Imperial soldiers, all of which were promptly dealt with. And they ran into some Stormcloaks as well. Roy seldom helped. Even if he did, he would just kill off the soldiers with one swift swing of his de. He chose not to use his Signs or Gabriel. Before he knew what was going on, it was best to keep his cards secret.


    But he did Observe a lot of the enemies and allies they came across. Stormcloaks and Imperials were both Nordlings. Both had simr talents that included resistance to cold, war cries, and Blessing of the Stars. Their basic stats were a lot higher than most adults he knew.


    So far, Roy hade across four blessings. The Warrior, The Lady, The Steed, and The Lord. All had different effects, though they mostly increased offensive stats and helped with faster mastery of weapons. Yet that simple effect piqued Roy¡¯s interest. He wondered what kind of ce would have something that could bless its people with great talent from the moment they were born.


    During their short journey, Flynn finally started swinging his weapon around all thanks to Ralof¡¯s threats.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let any Imperial escape!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not killing them? You do know they¡¯re going to cut your head off and use it as their chamber pot, right?¡±


    ¡°You have strength, but that¡¯s the only thing you have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t swing a sword. Just treat them like your crop. And your sword is your hoe. Hey, a farmer¡¯s stance resembles an offensive stance, you know? Now till the soil!¡±


    All of the above were Ralof¡¯sments on Flynn.


    The trio battled their way through the passage, and blood had gotten all over their body. Fifteen minutester, they tiptoed their way past a sleeping grizzly bear and finally left the underground chamber. The sun greeted them with a smile.

 Chapter 468 - 468: A World of Difference

    Chapter 468: A World of Difference


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Alduin was still raining down meteors on the burning town, but our friends had already escaped the vicinity of Helgen. Now, they were safely standing behind a mountain that blocked off the burning town. A gust of breeze sauntered through the air, and the veils of dusk slowly came down upon thend, staring at the view of the mountain.


    The trio that had just escaped their predicament heaved sighs of relief.


    ¡°Praise to be Talos, we got out of that safely.¡± Ralof patted Flynn and Roy¡¯s shoulders in gratitude. ¡°And thanks to you two too. Or those Imperial dogs would¡¯ve gotten me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not at all.¡± Flynn waved his hands sheepishly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t of much help. You guys saved me, really.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re all friends now. You don¡¯t get out of a life-threatening situation together and say nothing about it. So what¡¯s next for you two? Anything you have in mind? You cane to Riverwood if you want. Lay low for a while. My sister has a sawmill there. It¡¯s not far from here.¡±


    Flynn nodded and stared over the river at the mountain¡¯s base. ¡°I¡¯m a homeless tramp. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re willing to take me in. But what about our new friend? We don¡¯t even know his name.¡±


    ¡°Thenguage barrier proves to be a problem.¡± Ralof rubbed his chin. ¡°Pardon me, but I¡¯ll give you a nickname. Your eyes are really striking, so why don¡¯t I call you Goldeneye?¡±


    Roy frowned in curiosity.


    ¡°No shaking of head. I take that as a yes, then. Goldeneye¡­ Yeah, you might not understand me, but you don¡¯t talk much, so I assume you¡¯re used to loneliness. A fellow homeless person, huh?¡± Ralof wrapped his arm around Roy¡¯s shoulder and winked. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Flynn followed Ralof, while Roy looked at the lush woods around him for a moment before he too followed them. The passage of the mountain was home to a big patch of purple flowers with thorny stems and leaves.


    ¡®Thistle


    Perennial


    Habitat: Found in low areas.


    Effect: Increases cold resistance, ?


    Slightly poisonous.¡¯


    ***


    The thistles back in the world of witchers had a different look and effect than these thistles. If the strange constetions, Nordlings, and dragons failed to give it away, these thistles now practically told him he was in another world. And the barrier between worlds is what¡¯s stopping me from contacting Gryphon.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what Evil-Eye meant when he said I couldn¡¯t stay. He exiled me to another world. Unbelievable. How the hell did they do it?¡± Fury red in Roy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Grandmasters, Idarran, I¡¯ll remember this. Payback is due.¡±


    ***


    The trio descended the mountainside and stopped before a circr teau. Standing before them were three stone altars the height of a regr adult male positioned in three points that would form a triangle if linked.


    The altars were cylindrical with a hole in the middle of them. And on their surface were three different images. One was a man with a sword, another was a person with a dagger, and thest was someone with a staff.


    ¡°Seen these before?¡± Ralof crossed his arms. ¡°Standing Stones. Thirteen of them in Skyrim. Corresponds to the number of constetions we know.¡±


    Skyrim had nine administrative divisions. Itsnd was vast and rich with secrets. Flynn was but a young wanderer. This was his first time seeing a Standing Stone.


    ¡°And these three are known as the Guardian Constetions. The Warrior, The Thief, and The Mage. If any of you are born in their season, they¡¯ll strengthen your talent if you touch them. Lasts for a month or so.¡±


    Flynn was born in the season of The Lady. That was one of The Warrior¡¯s constetions. He closed his eyes and approached The Warrior¡¯s stone.


    Roy felt his medallion hum, and he looked at his new friend. Once he put his hand on the Standing Stone, the stat he gained from The Lady changed from one point to two. Then the witcher took a step ahead and stood within the circle¡¯s center, his eyes on the Standing Stones.


    ¡®Stone of The Warrior


    You have no constetion. But if youe in contact with it, you shall receive Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Warrior (Passive). Lasts for one month. Those born in Last Seed (August) are tough and quick to temper. They are masters of weaponry. +1 to Strength. You master weapons at a twenty percent increased speed.¡¯


    ¡®Stone of The Thief


    Blessing of the Stars (Passive): Those born in Evening Star (December) are adventurous and sensitive to danger. They are masters of evasion and concealment. +1 to Perception. Your stealth receives twenty percent increased effect.¡¯


    ¡®Stone of The Mage


    Blessing of the Stars (Passive): Those born in Rain¡¯s Hand (April) are prone to pride and arrogance. They possess better talent for magicka. +1 to Spirit. Twenty percent increased efficacy for the learning of magic and meditation.¡¯


    ***


    A surprised Roy looked at The Mage¡¯s stone calmly. So everyone who¡¯s born in Rain¡¯s Hand in this world can master magic? But he denied that assumption right away. None of those Imperials were mages. Magic is still a privilege open to a few in this world. But that¡¯s probably not because of itsplexity. Roy had a feeling it was something else. Magicka. Wonder how much different is it from chaos energy.


    Roy touched The Mage¡¯s stone without hesitation. A sliver of magicka flowed into his fingertips. White light gleamed on the stone¡¯s surface and flowed to the top. Then, a string of white light shot into the heavens, connecting with the constetion in the skies.


    Roy felt a surge of energy flow into his body, and a message popped up on his character sheet.


    ¡®You have received Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Mage sts for one month).¡¯


    Roy closed his eyes. Aside from the one-point boost to Spirit, he felt nothing else. Maybe it¡¯ll show when I meditate.


    ¡°Goldeneye went with The Mage, eh?¡± Ralof arched his eyebrow. He looked a little surprised and disappointed. Roy exhibited great skill inbat during their escape earlier. He wasn¡¯t a great swordsman, but he was faster and stronger than most Nordlings. Ralof thought he was a warrior. And an outstanding one at that. But now he thought perhaps Roy¡¯s strongest skillsety in the path of magic.


    Mages were mysterious, powerful, and yet fragile at the same time. They would spend most of their time hiding in their own institute, doing abhorrent research. Nordlings thought of mages as weaklings and allies of evil. Aside from healers and mages who yed the role of support, all other sorcerers were nothing but pests in the eyes of the Nordlings.


    ¡°If he is a mage, then I guess he can¡¯t be a part of the Stormcloaks.¡±


    ***


    Once done with the stones, the trio descended the meandering path. Roy harvested all the new nts he saw along the way. Nirnroots, thistles, water caltrops, and everything else. They ovepped with the herbs he was familiar with, but at the same time, they were also different. If I can bring these back with me, maybe we cane up with some new alchemy items. Or even potions.


    ¡°Why are you harvesting these nts anyway, Goldeneye? Are you perhaps a healer? Or an alchemist?¡±


    Roy grunted.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. Forgot you can¡¯t talk our tongue. But don¡¯t stuff those into your mouth. We got no doctors here. Nobody can save you from food poisoning.¡±


    The trio walked for half an hour before they eventually came to a small town.


    Riverwood stood at the mountain¡¯s base. On its right was a gurgling stream, and the vige was surrounded by old stone walls. It wasn¡¯t a big vige, and its stone houses were strewn haphazardly. About a hundred families were living in that vige. Like its name, Riverwood had an abundance of wood and streams.


    On the left side of the stream was a pile of wood. Upon a simple wooden bed was a circr saw driven by the power of a water mill, and it was cutting the wood that was passed through it.


    Helgen stood in mes and ashes, though it was on the other side of the mountain. On this side, Riverwood remained tranquil and safe, its vigers blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked right beside the mountain. They went on with their lives, toiling on the fields, cutting wood, hunting, and cksmithing.


    The trio was greeted by a pair of men with bows, presumably the guards of this vige. Flynn fell into nervous silence, while Ralof nodded at the guards and went around them.


    Before the first house of the vige stood an old woman, excitedly shouting out the story of a terrible dragon flying past the mountain. Her only audience was her son, and he shrugged his mother¡¯s tale off, thinking it was her eyes ying tricks on her. The man kept trying to calm her down.


    Flynn shook his head, sighing. He had a feeling Riverwood would soon share the horrible fate that befell Helgen. He would love to help, yet he was but a simple tramp. The only thing he could do was leave this ce as soon as possible. And then Flynn saw a proud rooster strutting around the vige path, pecking away at the wildflowers without any fear or fervor. Annoyed for no reason, Flynn felt like cooking the fowl.


    Roy held him back, giving him a look that warned him against killing the rooster. It was but a bird, and yet Roy had a feeling harming this creature would bring untold danger to them. Weirdly enough, Observe showed no special message.


    Reluctantly, Flynn shifted his attention away from the rooster.


    An old whetstone stood beside the sawmill¡¯s entrance. ¡°Praise Mara!¡± And then, a blonde woman in a green dress came out looking surprised. ¡°You¡¯re finally home, dear brother.¡±


    The woman held Ralof¡¯s hand and stared at him with concern in her eyes. She had the same sharp chin and jutting cheekbones as Ralof did. ¡°When I heard of Ulfric¡¯s capture, I thought something might have happened to you.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Gerdur. Talos and the heroes of Sovngarde have decreed that it was not my time to die. I¡¯m fine. Oh, I have some friends here. Notrades just yet, but they saved my life. This is Flynn, an¡­ adventurer. This one¡¯s Goldeneye. Comes from and far, far away from the Empire. He doesn¡¯t speak our tongue. The Imperial¡¯s wrongful usation robbed them of their homes, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Gerdur looked around. She told her son and her dog to go around town and keep an eye out for any iing Imperials. Then she called her husband, Hod, who was working the saw. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the house,¡± she said carefully.


    ***


    The light of a candle shone upon Gerdur¡¯s house, one that was roughly decorated and had the air of a primitive cave. Yet it had its charms. A lot more unique than the dpidated shacks Roy had seen. The floor and walls were made of stones of different sizes, and the roof was made out of hay.


    The house was filled with a lot of items. Cauldron on the firece, cut wood, shelves, wooden buckets, wooden crates, a table made of some pieces of wood mmed together, and some food on the table. There were potatoes and grilled fish there.


    All the walls had random items hanging from them. Dried meat, garlic, or just decorative hides. It was a messy abode, and Roy felt a little dizzy.


    ¡°Ralof told me everything. Thank you for all you have done for him.¡± Gerdur served Roy and Flynn some hard bread, goat¡¯s cheese, and hot stew. She uncorked a bottle of Alto Wine and poured a couple of sses for them.


    Roy sniffed the air. It was filled with the smell of fermented malt. The scent of it was almost intoxicating. Feels like the craftsmanship is older than Vizima stout¡¯s. He and Flynn exchanged a look and wolfed down the food, while Ralof was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Slow down. They¡¯re all yours. Take your time.¡± Gerdur was apparently happy with how much her guests were enjoying her food. She then made an offer that moved her guests. ¡°You can stay here for as long as you want. But if you have time, send a message to the Jarl. Tell him a dragon has appeared in Whiterun. Tell him we need more soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ralof?¡± Flynn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was nning to leave in a couple of days. This little quest was not what he had in mind. ¡°Can¡¯t he send the message himself?¡±


    ¡°Ralof has set off for Windhelm to join forces with the rebellion. You have witnessed their cruelty firsthand. Even the evil dragon came to vanquish their crimes against Jarl Ulfric.¡±


    Oh gods, Ralof. Flynn rubbed his temples. You weed us to your home and left us alone. I can¡¯t believe you set us up.


    ¡°Nordlings pride themselves on our faith in our ancestor and the real divine¡ªTalos. But the Empire forbids us from practicing our faith just because they signed the White-Gold Concordat. A concordat of humiliation, I say. And they assigned Thalmor, our sworn enemy, to supervise us!¡± Gerdur turned red. With fury in her voice, she hissed, ¡°No Nordling worth their salt would stand for that manner of humiliation. The Stormcloaks are no rebels. They¡¯re allies of justice working to revive our true faith.¡±


    The woman was an ardent supporter of the Stormcloaks. Flynn sighed. The Empire and Stormcloaks were supposed to be allies, but Thalmor managed to corrupt the Empire and start a civil war.


    ¡°Warriors, you must be¡ª¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ve killed Imperial soldiers.¡± Flynn shook his head. ¡°If we go to Whiterun, they¡¯ll arrest us again, this time for the murders of Imperial soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. Balgruuf the Greater is no supporter of either faction in this war. He¡¯s neutral. You should be fine as long as you follow his rules.¡±


    ¡°But why me?¡± Still confused, Flynn asked, ¡°Do I look like an errand boy to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way.¡± Gerdur quickly exined, ¡°You¡¯ve witnessed the tragedy firsthand. Your word makes for a more believable story.¡±


    ***


    Flynn had no more reason to refuse, but the worry was taking over him. The food lost all taste to him. He should¡¯ve refused the request, but whenever he imagined the fate that would befall Riverwood, a voice in his mind told him to do something about it. It felt like this was his destiny. Then he looked at Roy. If I want to do this, I need some professional help. I¡¯m taking Goldeneye with me.


    ¡°Wannae with me, Goldeneye? To Whiterun tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Roy gave him a questioning look.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t shaking your head. I take that as a yes.¡± That¡¯s one good trick, Ralof. A big smile curled his lips, and he wrapped his arm around Roy¡¯s shoulder, thinking that he was safe now that he had a professional on his side. ¡°Thanks, friend.¡±


    ***


    Flynn had a long day. An escape from a burning city and a dragon, tormented by fear and worry, and then he had a hot meal in a safe vige. Exhaustion eventually caught up to him, and he slept on the wooden bed in a room, snoring.


    Roy stared outside the window, where the moon shone high up in the sky, hanging between the foggy, snowy caps. Silvery moonlight rained down onto thend, draping it with a glimmering sheen of ivory.


    But Roy was staring at the moon in a stupor, not registering its beauty. Their beauty. This world had two moons, and they both had halos shining around them.


    What a magical world. Nordlings, Imperials, Stormcloaks, dragons, constetions, and two moons. Wonder how many secrets are still waiting for me to uncover. He sat on a bed cross-legged, his attention on his own stats. Before he came to this world, Roy had leveled up, but he didn¡¯t have the time to sort things out. For obvious reasons.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: Sixteen years old


    Status: Viper, Manticore, honorary Wolf, knight of Lake Vizima, member of the brotherhood of witchers


    HP: 320 (+80 from the Trial)


    Mana: 310 (+80 from the Trial)


    Strength: 15


    Dexterity: 15.5


    Constitution: 24


    Perception: 12


    Will: 27 ¡ú 29


    Charisma: 9


    Spirit: 22 ¡ú 23


    Skills: Massacre Level 7, Witcher Signs Level 3, Sword Mastery Level 3, Griffin Arts Level 6, Witcher Senses Level 2, Observe Level 2.


    Meditation Level 10, Alchemy Level 3.


    Elder Blood (Passive), Trial of the Grasses (Passive), Avarice (Passive)


    Level 12 Witcher (840/12500)


    1 skill point and 1 stat point remain.¡¯


    ***


    Roy allocated his stat point to Will once more.


    ¡®Will: 29 ¡ú 30.¡¯


    And then a long wall of text popped up on the character sheet.


    ¡®Your Will has now reached Rank Three. You gain¡­


    Massacre has yet to reach Level 10. No abilities gained.


    You can now bend more creatures to your will and tame more mounts. +1 to mount slots.


    You have bound Gryphon to one slot. 1 slot remaining.¡¯


    ***


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I thought Massacre would be powered up, but I got a mount slot instead? Wait. Can the character sheet actually hear my thoughts? It just solved my immediate problem. Language barrier is a pain for me. If I can tame a local, I canmunicate with them through telepathy. Nonguage barrier in telepathy. A living, breathing trantor.


    He couldn¡¯t unbind Gryphon. She was the only thing that could lead him back home. And now an extra slot just solved his problem. Then he was reminded of the grandmasters¡¯ conversation back at the fortress.


    ¡°I merged with a shard of the Most High? Could it be? Could this shard be evolving ording to my needs?¡±


    One slot left. Roy opened his eyes and turned his attention to the sleeping Dragonborn. He would be a good candidate, but Roy couldn¡¯t possibly turn someone who had saved his life into his mount. That was evil. And he would never tame a human. I need a better target.


    ***


    Roy tried to allocate his skill point to Meditation, but s, nothing happened.


    ¡®Meditation has reached max level. Requires more information for further level up.¡¯


    Okay, so I need more information about Meditation if I want to keep leveling it up. So what should I do with my skill point?


    Observe was an important skill, given that he needed as much information about this new world as he could. But Massacre could evolve if it were Level 10. His Will was high enough for that skill¡¯s evolution. Roy wanted to level that up as well. What should I do? Spend it on Observe? Or do I spend it on Massacre? It¡¯s already Level 7.


    Roy couldn¡¯t decide. After killing so many people in the war, Massacre was already on the precipice of leveling up. Spending a skill point on it now would be a waste, so he kept it.


    His weapons still gained no new effects. He could only strengthen the powers they already had, but none was what he needed. He saved the chance to power up his weapon like he did with his skill point. Let¡¯s see what happens if I save up two powerup chances.


    ***


    That was it for his level up. And for the first time in this new world, Roy closed his eyes to meditate. It took mere moments for a sh of light to leave his body and enter the darkness that was the world of meditation. Unlike the witcher world, there were no colorful particles of elements here. Nor was there any chaos energy. But there were particles smaller than the elements.


    These particles were like seeds of a fruit, surrounding him calmly. Beyond the horizon should be where the elementals¡¯ dimension stood, but they were absent. What took their ce was a great, shining hole that burned as brightly as the sun. Surrounding it were countless holes that hung in the skies like stars.


    Just like how the elementals¡¯ dimensions would produce elements and chaos energy to replenish Roy¡¯s mana, these holes spurt out energy particles to replenish Roy¡¯s mana, and they were fast. Eventually, Roy was getting drunk on these particles.


    The energy back in the witcher world was like beer, but magicka was like liquor. Absorbing it could make Roy drunk.


    Two hourster, Roy stopped meditating. He was done. The night was still dark, and the moons still shone down on thends. Our witcher felt energized, but there was a hint of surprise in his eyes, the light of awe glimmering like stars within them.


    Through meditation alone, Roy managed to absorb a small amount of souls.


    ¡®+24 EXP (+4 from Blessing of The Mage)


    Level 12 Witcher (890/12500).¡¯


    ¡°I see. Magicka¡¯s no mere elemental energy. It has souls and something else in it.¡± So I don¡¯t even have to kill anything in this world to level up. I can do it if I have enough patience to meditate all the time. Twenty-four EXP in two hours. That¡¯d be 288 EXP if I meditated the whole day. A lot more efficient than leveling up in the witcher world. But not the right time to do that.


    ¡°Magicka¡¯s a lot purer and smaller than the elements. I suppose I can turn them into elements and cast spells with them.¡±


    He tried to cast Staticshock, Furyfire, and all the other Signs in the world of meditation. To his surprise, they were thirty percent more powerful. But when he imbibed Roar in his Signs, they showed less potency than they did in the witcher world. Roar was a skill connected to the elements, yet there weren¡¯t a lot of them in the air of this world. Nor could Roar manipte magicka that easily either.


    ¡°The magic system here is a lot different than the one back in the witcher world. I¡¯d love to witness it.¡±


    Roy whipped out the bloodstone given to him by Vivienne. After he released Kunguran, the stone had been empty. The witcher meditated once more and tried to guide his magicka into the bloodstone. One of the elements in the magicka disappeared into the air, while another flowed into the stone. They were slivers of purple light, but unlike human souls, which were arrogant and fierce, the purple light stayed within the gemstone, filling it up.


    A few hourster, the crimson bloodstone had turned light purple. A bloodstone filled with souls.


    ***


    Roy observed it for a while. This mighte in handy someday. I might need a mage to appraise this. The witcher tucked the bloodstone away and stayed silent for a moment.


    Silvery moonlight shone upon him, illuminating the sadness on his face. Unfortunately, he did not see the balls of light that represented Letho or Coral here. The distance between worlds was too vast for his spirit to pass. ¡°Coral, Letho, Geralt, Triss¡­ I wonder what everyone¡¯s doing.¡±

 Chapter 469 - 469: Find Them

    Chapter 469: Find Them


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Pallid sunlight shone into the conference room of the orphanage in rural Novigrad. Not a single decoration of the room had changed, but there were two less people in the meeting. And everyone else kept their silence. There was a grim pause hanging in the air.


    ¡°Cheer up, people. Things aren¡¯t as glum as you think. There are so many unknowns. It¡¯s not the time to cry.¡± Lambert slicked his hair back and turned his attention to Geralt, who looked to be in a stupor. ¡°Geralt, I can¡¯t believe you let your Unexpected Child slip through your fingers. Are you getting old?¡±


    ¡°That was carelessness on my part. I was too lenient with Ciri. I should have taken her with me by force.¡± There was guilt in the White Wolf¡¯s voice. ¡°But I¡¯ve memorized that kidnapper¡¯s face. Left a mark on him. I swear I will take Ciri back from him.¡±


    ¡°Tell us about that mage.¡± Vesemir sounded a little down. He had always wanted to see Geralt¡¯s Unexpected Child. He liked these orphans, but to the grandmaster, only Unexpected Children were truly loyal to the witchermunity.


    ¡°Brown hair, glistening eyes, sharp nose, thin lips, about six feet tall. Not fat, but not thin either.¡± A momentary pause swooped down on Geralt. ¡°Had a zircon talisman and knows a bit of magic. Not a master mage, though.¡±


    ¡°A third-rate mage plunging Geralt of Rivia into so much trouble, he lost his own Unexpected Child?¡± Lambert asked, his expression exaggerated.


    ¡°He¡¯s not only a mage. He¡¯s a decent swordsman too,¡± Geralt said. ¡°And judging from his attire and the way he moved, I think he must¡¯ve been a spy of some kingdom.¡±


    The conference¡¯s attendees mused over the description for a moment.


    Serrit stared at the table solemnly. ¡°We¡¯re assuming the worst-case scenario. That spy might have been Nilfgaardian. Invaders won¡¯t kill off the whole ruling bloodline after they conquer a kingdom. If they did, they¡¯d have to take over a kingdom by force. Convincing the locals to ept new rulership would incur an astronomical cost, and rebellions would appear in droves, especially in kingdoms like Cintra, where the people are quick to temper.¡±


    ¡°But if they were to capture a legitimate heir¡­¡± Eskel piped up, ¡°The invaders can make her a puppet ruler and rule the kingdom through her. They¡¯ll have enough reason to loot all the treasures of this kingdom. They couldn¡¯t make Eist or Cnthe submit. Those two would rather kill themselves. But Ciri is young. She¡¯s a good choice to be a puppet queen.¡±


    Felix pushed his sunsses. ¡°I bet Emhyr¡¯s spy kidnapped Ciri while his army was looting the kingdom after it fell.¡±


    And another stretch of silence fell upon the conference hall, suffocating everyone. If the Nilfgaardian army did take Ciri away, it would be hard to take her back. They couldn¡¯t possibly jump into the sea of soldiers and kill them all.


    ¡°Perhaps the knight has taken Ciri down south, where the City of Golden Towers stands. She¡¯s probably on her way to meet Emhyr.¡± Auckes shook his head, sighing. ¡°Saving her is going to be a hard task.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just sad talk, people. Remember, we¡¯re just specting here.¡± Kiyan shook his head. ¡°Geralt, did you see, with your own eyes, the mage taking Ciri away?¡±


    Geralt shook his head. ¡°I chased after her scent, but the track ended in an underground passageway leading to the city. Someone took her away. On horseback. At this point, I hope that¡¯s the truth.¡±


    The alternative would be Ciri running into the Nilfgaardian-infested, fallen city of Cintra. It was a hellscape too much for a child to handle. ¡°I will find him. Ciri¡¯s my Unexpected Child. She and I are bound by Destiny.¡± A bright light gleamed in Geralt¡¯s eyes. ¡°And Corinne can help me. Once I find out where she is, I will take her back.¡±


    ***


    ¡°And now, our second agenda.¡± Aiden tapped the table lightly,manding everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°We lost Jerome in the Battle of Marnadal. And I¡¯m sorry to say, we lost yet ano¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The usually collected sorceress let out a roar akin to a raging lioness. She turned her attention to the window, where a listless griffiny. The griffin perked her ears up, staring at the alder woods like a pup waiting for its master¡¯s return. But s, her wait was rewarded with nothing. The light in her eyes dimmed, and it growled weakly.


    ¡°Look at her. Roy once told me she shares an unbreakable bond with him. And Gryphon is still with us. She listens to us. Roy must be alive!¡± Lytta puffed her chest. She was adamant, yet her voice trembled.


    ¡°Calm down, Lytta. We know he¡¯s just missing. We will find him.¡± Letho hung his head low. He looked calm, but his fists were balled, speaking of the fury and worry he was feeling inside. He then turned his attention to the neer¡ªa sorceress with fiery-red hair. Said sorceress was spacing out at the moment. ¡°What happened back there, Triss?¡±


    Lytta looked at Triss, a frown creasing her forehead. She did not like this neer.


    Triss stared at the table. ¡°A Nilfgaardian soldier shot me in the leg. I couldn¡¯t move, so he took me and ran into the castle.¡±


    ¡°Gods, Triss.¡± Lytta peered at the mage. ¡°You are a sorceress. You know a little something called magic.¡±


    Triss shut up for a moment. She could feel the fury that was mounting within Lytta, and it was obvious she shared a special rtionship with Roy. Thest face made her a little green with envy. And I thought he was single.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage. Why did you run around on the battlefield with a witcher? You should¡¯ve opened a portal and run back to your room.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to help,¡± said Triss guiltily. ¡°I thought I could somehow ease his burden a little.¡±


    ¡°YOU FOOL!¡± Lytta roared, shocking a few witchers. They took a collective step back, and Geralt wondered if he should leave for Corinne right away. ¡°Why did you risk your life for him? Is he your boyfriend? Why did you ask him to take you all the way from the castle gates to the grounds? Couldn¡¯t you have walked by yourself? Or were you shocked? Did they cut your legs off? Answer me. Don¡¯t just sit there looking like a damsel in distress.¡± Lytta was giving the younger mage a killer look.


    ¡°I¡­¡± A pallid Triss clutched the hem of her dress. Finally, she blurted, ¡°He¡¯s myrade. And he saved my life. He¡¯s my savior.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cut the crap. I can see through you. Do you actually think you did all that out of gratitude?¡± Lytta shook her head. ¡°I know the real reason you did all that, and I¡¯m telling you to give up on your delusions. He has a girlfriend, and that¡¯s me. I¡¯m putting my foot down on this. You think just because he stared into your eyes and saved your life that he likes you? He¡¯s just using you!¡± Lytta said adamantly, trying to convince herself that was the case as well.


    Triss shivered.


    ¡°Or did he confess to you? Sleep with you?¡± Lytta asked, a little nervous.


    Triss stayed quiet, and Lytta quickly continued. ¡°Even if he did, it means nothing. He was just hunting for novelty.¡±


    Triss remained silent. Enraged, Lytta roared, ¡°He¡¯s mine! Only mine! And I¡¯m not generous enough to let another womane near him! Even if he¡¯s missing right now, I won¡¯t let you fantasize about him! Don¡¯t even try to think about him, get it?¡±


    ¡°Lytta, do not intimidate our witness. She¡¯s crucial to our investigation. Our priority is the search for Roy,¡± Serrit said. Lytta kept staring at Triss for a long time, then she harurmphed and sat back down. ¡°Triss, you may continue. What happened after you guys entered the castle?¡±


    ¡°We scoured the great hall, but Ciri was nowhere to be found. Then we went through the second floor, then the third¡­¡± Triss took a deep breath and gulped, swallowing her feelings for Roy and the frustration she felt after finding out he had a girlfriend. ¡°And then I forgot.¡± She scratched her hair. ¡°I can¡¯t remember what happened on the third floor.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Lytta mocked, ¡°What? Were you not modified enough? Or did the chaos energy fry your brains? Showing signs of dementia, are we?¡±


    ¡°No. I just can¡¯t remember what happened.¡± Triss held the hem of her dress with one trembling hand and massaged her temples with the other. A look of agony crept onto her face. ¡°I forgot something really important.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take a deep breath, Triss. Rx.¡± Serrit shot Lytta a look. ¡°We believe you. We found a bruise on the back of your head. Someone knocked you out, and they did more than that. They tampered with your memory, making you forget everything that took ce on the third floor.¡± Serrit looked at the mage with pity. ¡°And they cleaned up all traces of their crimes.¡±


    ¡°They tampered with a mage¡¯s mind? That¡¯s hard to do. Not something the mage who fought Geralt could pull off.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re specialists?¡±


    ¡°He was out to kill Geralt. He could¡¯ve killed Triss as well, so why did he go with memory modification? Because he wanted to be kind? No. Someone else must have taken Roy.¡±


    Auckes and Lambert had a lot of questions, but none were answered. They barely had any leads to go on, nor could theye up with any conclusive answers. They couldn¡¯t imagine someone else besides that mage showing up in the castle on the day of Cintra¡¯s fall.


    ¡°Can you recover your memory?¡± Aiden asked.


    Lytta turned her attention to Triss, her chest heaving rapidly. She couldn¡¯t believe this woman was trying to look like she was the victim. This is all her fault. Why did Roy have to face the consequences of her actions?


    ¡°I shall discuss the matter with Kalkstein and conduct the necessary research. But anything concerning the brain and memory will beplex. Triss must work with us all the way. Take it as redemption for all the things she did. It¡¯s obvious you dragged him down, so you mustpensate for our loss. Before he is found, you are going to stay at the orphanage. Even if the brotherhood calls for you, you will ignore their call. And you¡¯re going to quit your position as royal consultant.¡±


    Redemption? But Nilfgaard¡¯s invasion has yet to stop, and you expect me to just sit around? Triss hadn¡¯t contacted Foltest or Keira since she was rescued. If she were to remain silent, they might think she died in the war.


    Triss stared at the ground and took a deep breath. She wanted to argue, but a feeling of pain and guilt welled within her. Fine. For Roy. She nodded in silence.


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°And we should find other ways to search for Roy.¡± The light of wisdom shone in Kiyan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Gryphon shares a bond with him, doesn¡¯t she? We can use that to divine his location.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something.¡± Letho shook his head, sighing. ¡°The kid¡¯s a special one. No divination can find him. He¡¯s resistant to that kind of magic. And mind reading too.¡±


    ¡°No harm trying.¡±


    And then the air turned somber once more.


    ¡°Look alive, people.¡± Vesemir pped his hands, announcing, ¡°I have an eye for these things. Roy won¡¯t die that easily. He might be absent, but we have to go on with our work. Lambert will go through his second mutation tomorrow. And we should start preparing the Trial for the kids and the new recruits¡¯ pre-Trial.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but¡­ I can¡¯t do it.¡± Lytta clutched her chest and gritted her teeth, a sickly hue of red painting her cheeks. Sorrowfully, she said, ¡°I just can¡¯t hold any Trial before we find him.¡± She only came to the brotherhood because of Roy. If he wasn¡¯t here, she had no reason to stay. ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± she muttered. All she could think of were the happy times she shared with Roy, and tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°You are a strong woman, Lytta. You can¡¯t fall just because of a little obstacle,¡± Letho consoled. ¡°He¡¯ll be proud of you if he knows what you did after hees back.¡±


    Triss derived a modicum of delight from Lytta¡¯s sadness, but then it was reced by shame and guilt.


    Lytta took a deep breath. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°Gawain and Chappelle will send their men on a search as well,¡± Serrit added. ¡°They made a ton of profit from this war.¡±


    ***


    Beside the dried-up river stood an ancient castle where Vilgefortz lived. ¡°You utter failure!¡± he roared at the man with a scar. ¡°You had the perfect chance to take the girl, and all you have to show for that is a scar on your face? Rience, the girl isn¡¯t the only thing you lost. You¡¯ve lost my trust as well.¡±


    ¡°Please, calm your fury, sir. I had my reasons.¡± A man with brown hair, glistening eyes, and a sharp nose pleaded, ¡°A white-haired witcher stopped me. He¡¯s a lot stronger than any other witcher I¡¯ve seen. I almost got myself killed trying to take the girl.¡± He pointed at the scar that extended from his forehead to his cheek. The memory of that battle alone sent shudders down his spine. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t escaped the moment I did, he would¡¯ve killed me off.¡±


    Vilgefortz rose from his seat and paced around the room. A white-haired witcher. Back when Emhyr, the emperor of Nilfgaard, was still Urcheon of Eldenwald, Vilgefortz manipted him into joining the selection of consort for Pavetta. And a white-haired witcher helped them out. That memory was still fresh in Vilgefortz¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Geralt of Rivia. I thought he¡¯d given up on Ciri, yet now he gets in our way. Humans, mutants, they¡¯re all the same. Oathbreakers. You reckon the witcher took Ciri away?¡±


    ¡°No. He looked exasperated. I¡¯m sure someone else did that.¡± Rience¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°When I left the castle, I saw a group of armored soldiers running at the drawbridge. They were trained professionals.¡±


    Oh, Vilgefortz thought. I see. The emperor sent his men on a search for his daughter. He does have ample reason to seek Ciri out. But if Ciri had returned to Nilfgaard, my spy would¡¯ve given me the word.


    ¡°This is yourst chance, Rience. Scour Cintra, Upper Sodden, Angren, and Brugge for the princess, but keep it discreet. I don¡¯t want anyone to find out I¡¯m searching for the girl.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sire.¡± Rience bowed, heaving a sigh of relief in silence.


    ¡°And be careful,¡± Vilgefortz said. ¡°Nilfgaard is making its way to Upper Sodden. Steer clear of them.¡±


    Another war was on the horizon. Despite his losses, Vilgefortz managed to glean something from the war. The bloody torment Nilfgaard subjected Cintra to shocked the Northern Realms. The big four and a dozen smaller kingdoms had banded together and summoned their troops to fend off the invaders.


    And the act of Nilfgaard using their mages to destroy Cintra¡¯s walls was seen as a serious provocation by the northern Brotherhood of Sorcerers. Vilgefortz¡¯s suggestion of gathering the brotherhood¡¯s members up to reinforce the Northern Realms was passed.


    The mage straightened out his cor. My time to shine.

 Chapter 470: Whiterun

    The blue, gentle light of dawn draped over the tranquil vige of Riverwood. Not a soul was present in the fields or sawmills. Most vigers were still asleep, but Flynn and Roy were already having breakfast that was filled with meat and mead.


    Roy thought he was about to start another adventure in Riverwood, but Flynn gesticted at him for a while, asking him to go on a trip. Since the witcher was trying to look for a good ''mount'' to solve thenguage barrier, he agreed to it. Unless he had absolutely no choice, Roy wouldn''t tame thew-abiding vige folk of Riverwood.


    The men changed into the furry gauntlets, boots, and broken horned helm given by Gerdur. They were also equipped with chipped swords, and now they looked like battle-hardened Nordlings. Then the men left Riverwood, making their way to Whiterun.


    The teau slowly unfurled before them. Riverwood and Whiterun were located on the southern side of Skyrim. It had a warmer climatepared to the northernnds Roy was used to. Shrubbery grew all over the ins, dotted by beautiful mountain flowers, water caltrops, and purplish-bluevenders that swayed in the wind.


    ''Twas a ce where flowers bloomed and weed grew. Sometimes the men woulde across a clear stream gurgling between two patches ofnd. Mirelurks scuttled across the pebbles, and nirnroots swayed their leaves around near the riverside.


    Foxes would sometimes stick their head out from behind rocks, ncing at the pair of travelers like they were fools. They then ran back to the ins and had fun by themselves.


    "I wish we didn''t have this civil war¡­ this attack from the dragon." For once in his life, Flynn got himself the perfect listener, and he vented to him. "I could''ve stayed back in Whiterun and enjoyed all it has to offer. The weather''s really great."


    Worried, he said, "I''m already eighteen. It''s high time to find a woman and settle down. If I keep wandering from ce to ce, I''m never gonna find a partner. Goldeneye, you''re obviously single. Never had a woman in your life, have you?"


    Having no idea what Flynn just said, Roy just nodded. Flynn apparently liked talking to himself, so Roy yed along.


    "We gotta find somedies at an inn if we have the chance. Oh, and you''re the most amazing fighter I''ve ever seen. Knocked out an Imperial in mere moments. Ralof brags, but I bet he''s no match for you. Honestly, if you were a tad bit darker, you''d look like a Redguard from Hammerfell."


    "Hm?"


    "Redguards are great fighters. As great as us Nordlings. Proficient sword users too. I think they know some sort of skill system in swordy. A legacy, they say."


    Roy shot the talkative Dragonborn a look that said, <em>Shut up.</em>


    "You saved my life, and I don''t know how to thank you. But I''ll try to. We''ll work together and get the right to own a house in Whiterun. Maybe Balgruuf will give us that if we send this message to him."


    ***


    Slowly, the sun rose high into the sky, and Flynn kept talking to himself. A great city unfurled at the end of this path. A city built on a stone mountain. It was draped in ayer of golden light, its ancient walls standing tall under the sun, tranquil and yet brimming with life. But it wasn''t as exquisite as the cities built on the ruins of elven civilization. Helgen, Riverwood, and even Whiterun looked a lot more primitive than the cities of the witcher world.


    A stable stood within the greenery at the mountain''s base, the owner cutting up alfalfa for his horses. Roy took a quick nce. The equines were ponies with majestic manes. They were about three feet tall and had sturdy bones. Decent adaptability and stamina, making them perfect for trekking through hard-to-navigatends and deliveries, but their short stature limited their speed.


    But when his gaze shifted to the left and met the thing that was lying beside the road, Roy hastened his pace, and Flynn followed. What they saw made their eyes go wide.


    Beside an oval bouldery a gigantic creature. Its skin was pale, and it measured about sixteen feet tall. But surprisingly, it looked slender, not fat. Its skin was covered incerations and punctures. Its hair was slicked back, revealing a big forehead, and its eyes were deep-set. Its nose was aquiline, and a beard extended from its chin.


    It wore no clothes. A leather strap extended from its shoulder, connecting to a primitive furry dress probably made of animal fur. And the creature reeked of the stench of beasts. Its feet were big enough to squash any regr human into pancakes, and shinguards surrounded its ankles.


    Its enormous body aside, this creature looked somewhat kind.


    ''Corpse of a giant


    Age: Fifty years old


    Gender: Male.''


    ***


    "Mate, this is a giant." Flynn made a big circle with his hands, trying to gesticte to Roy. "In most cases, they''re gentle creatures. Peace-loving. Won''t attack humans unless we go near their territory. Or if we prompt them. This one probably crossed the line and got shot down by Whiterun''s guards. Probably saw it as a threat."


    Roy took a deep breath. <em>Are all creatures in this world supersized? First we have a dragon, and now a cavemen? What''s next? A giant wolf? Bear? Or even a tiger? Gods, this world is more dangerous than I thought.</em>


    "What are you doing? First you harvested a bunch of wildflowers, and now you''re cutting this giant up." Flynn watched in awe as his friend hunkered down and cut off parts of the giant''s corpse elegantly, like he was putting on a performance. Roy was like a butcher, while the giant was a piece of meat on the chopping block.


    Sunlight glinted off his short sword, leaping across his fingers. Flynn almost couldn''t catch Roy''s movements. A few momentster, Roy had cut off a few toes, some teeth, and both of the giant''s eyes. He tucked them in a sack and tossed them into his inventory space. <em>Gotta loot everything. Maybe this big guy can inspire new items for alchemy.</em>


    Flynn retched, waving off the air that was filled with the stench of blood and urine. He looked at Roy, surprised that his sleeves weren''t bulging. He wondered how many pockets Roy had. <em>They don''t seem to fill up at all. </em>"Mate, a reminder. Giants are sentient creatures. Do <em>not </em>consume its meat. Don''t sumb to your hunger."


    Roy shrugged and climbed up the slope. Through the deep, wide moat and the drawbridge did the witcher traverse. Eventually, he came face to face with the city gates. s, they were shut tight.


    Flynn was about to step forth and talk to the soldiers, but a thunderous boom echoed across the firmament. As if struck by lightning, Flynn shuddered, a distant, ancient call booming in his mind,ing from the peak that was touching the heavens. He froze up, then he turned around and stared southeast. There, a snowy cap hidden between the clouds was vaguely spotted.


    "Halt!" An armored soldier with an axe broke his train of thought. "Whiterun is closed to the public. A dragon has been spotted nearby. Only officials are allowed passage."


    "I represent Riverwood, sir." Flynn shook his head, pushing out the weird thoughts he was having earlier. "Gerdur''s request. They need reinforcements."


    "What? Riverwood was attacked as well? Go. Go to Dragonsreach and seek out Jarl Balgruuf."


    ***


    The buildings looked slightly better than the walls of the city. All had pyramid-shaped roofs, and the buildings neatly nked the city''s streets. Obviously, someone nned this. Across the smithy and Breezehome were troops of armored soldiers patrolling the streets. The ground was clean and free of refuse or excrement. There was weed around the houses, however.


    The soldier led Roy and Flynn through the Wind Area, then the bustling marketce of Whiterun. It was filled with petite wooden pavilions where merchants were peddling their merchandise. From meat to wine, they had everything. It was noontime, and the people of Whiterun were making their purchases.


    They ascended the stairs nked by streams and entered a tranquil za that resembled a garden. A circr fountain and vine-covered, wooden racks surrounded a lush maple tree the size of a house. A gust of wind sauntered across the za, and the tree''s crimson leaves swayed.


    A few benches sat underneath the tree, where weary people could sit and enjoy the view. A few children in colorful, washed out clothes were ying a game of chase around the tree. It was a peaceful view.


    Flynn and Roy followed the soldier to the greatest height of Whiterun, where Dragonsreach stood. It was a beautiful, solemn structure befitting the ''dragon'' dub. Its halls were wide and tall enough to fit even Alduin, the Bane of Kings. And that dragon could even stretch its wings easily as well.


    There was a legend associated with Dragonsreach. Many, many years ago, f One-Eye, a powerful Nordling, defeated Numinex the dragon and imprisoned it in this fortress until it died of old age. Balgruuf, the current Jarl, was the direct descendent of that dragon-defeating hero.


    A bonfire burned in the center of the hall, and a rectangr table with a hollowed-out center sat beside it. At the end of the hall sat a burly, cloaked man on a throne. He was in resplendent attire, with a circlet with a ruby embedded in it on his head, and his hair and beard were golden. His chin was resting in his hand, his mind no doubt engaged in a furious battle about the decision he should make regarding thetest crisis.


    An armored, dark-skinned woman with dark gold hair unsheathed her de and stood before the neers. She was obviously no Nordling, and Flynn told her why they were here to see the Jarl.


    Roy cast Observe on her. <em>A dark elf. Irileth, the housecarl of Balgruuf. </em>Like the Nordlings, dark elves had two talents unique to their race.


    ''Fury of the Ancestors: Costs a moderate amount of stamina. Inflicts a minor amount of damage to the enemies around the user. Lasts for sixty seconds.


    Fire Resistance: Dark elves have great resistance to heat. Gains an additional 25% resistance to fire magic.''


    ***


    "What are your names, warriors? Are you the ones who witnessed the destruction of Helgen wrought by that dragon?" A majestic voice came from the throne.


    "I''m Flynn, and this is my mate, Goldeneye. He''s not from Tamriel, so he doesn''t speak our tongue. Pardon him." Flynn gave Roy a look, and the witcher bowed at Balgruuf calmly.


    "We were to be executed at the chopping block." Flynn bowed. "Ulfric and his Stormcloaks were going to be, really. We were just in the wrong ce at the wrong time. But then a dragon came from the clouds. Big as a mountain, scales as ck as night." Flynn recounted their tale expressively. "It can breathe fire, turn humans to ash, and even summon a hail of meteors. That destroyed Helgen almost right away. And Riverwood, as you know, is right beside Helgen. The dragon might go for it next."


    A frown furrowed Balgruuf''s brows. The mention of a particr name seemed to anger him. Irileth stood on his right, and she suggested Balgruuf send his troops to reinforce Riverwood. But on Balgruuf''s left stood a balding man in long robes. He was Proventus, the Steward of Balgruuf, and he objected to it.


    Riverwood was located on the borders of Whiterun and Falkreath. Sending out an army might anger the Jarl of Falkreath, for he would mistake the move as Balgruuf showing support to the Stormcloaks.


    "Mynd and people are being attacked by that monster. I will not ignore that." The hot-tempered Jarl made his decision after a moment of contemtion. "Irileth, send a troop to Riverwood."


    "Yes, sire."


    Flynn heaved a long sigh of relief. <em>Well, I did my job.</em>


    "Flynn, Goldeneye, you have contributed greatly to Whiterun. What form of reward would you desire?"


    Flynn gulped. "Generous, merciful Jarl, I am but a tramp who has been without a home for years in Skyrim. A house I can call my own is what I wish for."


    "A house in exchange for a mere message? Bold. Too bold. I cannot give you a house, but I can give you the right to own one," Balgruuf answered calmly.


    Flynn was delighted. He thought he finally got what he came for, but then the Jarl continued. "Yet you need to contribute more if you wish to gain that right. For your next task, you shall be helping Farengar, my court wizard. He''s researching the dragon in an attempt to hatch a n to erase the threat it poses."


    "Jarl," Flynn said carefully. "I am but a humble man who knows a bit of swordy. Any of your soldiers can defeat me easily. I apologize, but I cannot fend off one dragon by myself, much less multiple." He''d rather give up the house in Whiterun if the alternative was death.


    "I''m not asking you to kill a dragon. All I need is information on them. My soldiers will be supporting the towns in Whiterun Hold. We''re short on manpower, and you''re just being modest at this point." Balgruuf rose from his seat and pinched his beard. "You managed to escape the empire''s chopping block and a dragon attack. Then you came all the way to Whiterun on top of that. You are no ordinary humans. Luck, you might call it that, but luck is sometimes what differentiates a great warrior from a regr one."


    Balgruuf calmly turned his attention to the witcher, a look of approval glinting in his eyes. "And look at your friend. He''s calm, collected, and cool. More than meets the eyes, I would say. I reckon he''s a smart and powerful warrior."


    "Jarl, Goldeneye does not speak our tongue. He looks calm because he''s confused."


    "Do not underestimate your friend. Especially one who has gone through a life-or-death situation with you. Now, you shall assist my court wizard." Balgruuf led the two of them to a chamber on the right side of the hall."


    Flynn looked at Roy, but the witcher only shrugged. <em>Man, Goldeneye. This is your fault, you know.</em>


    ***


    The chamber had a desk with a map on it and another strange table around it. It was there the men met Farengar the court wizard. The man was gaunt, shady, and hidden under a ck cloak, unlike his muscr, manly brethren. And yet Farengar was a Nordling through and through. Flynn could imagine how much other Nordlings must despise someone like Farengar.


    "Warriors, I need you to explore a dangerous ruin and retrieve a stone tablet from its depths." Farengar had a weak voice, and his eyes were bloodshot, not unlike someone who had insomnia. That, or he was a mad scientist who spent all his time on research.


    "Um¡­ Uh¡­" Flynn fidgeted for a while, then he gritted his teeth. "Just tell us what we need to do." <em>I''m doing this for my home.</em> He looked at Roy. <em>And I''ll leave the more dangerous matters to you, mate.</em>


    Roy was staring at the mage. The messages that were flooding his brain were moreplex and bizarre than he expected. Through Farengar, he saw the magic system of this world, and it was divided into a few schools.


    ''Farengar


    Age: Fifty-six years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Whiterun court wizard, graduate of College of Winterhold


    HP: 80


    Magicka: 250


    Strength: 6


    Constitution: 8


    Dexterity: 6


    Perception: 8


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 25


    Skills:


    Frost Resistance (Passive): Nordlings are born with resistance to cold weather and ice-based magic.


    Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Apprentice (Passive): Those born in Sun''s Height (July) have a special connection to magic. +1 to Spirit. Twenty percent increase in all spells. Take twenty percent increase on magic damage.


    Destruction Level 6 (Destroys a target''s health and stats through the elements or spells. Some spells can even damage weapons and apparel): Currently mastered twenty-two destruction spells, including mes, Fireball, Chain Lightning, and Blizzard.


    Restoration Level 1 (Restoration spells are the antithesis of destruction spells. It can heal and clear the target''s negative statuses. Some spells allow for the strengthening of the target''s stats): Currently mastered Healing, Fast Healing, and Close Wounds.


    Conjuration Level 5 (Conjuration spells can summon weapons, apparel, and living beings even from a different dimension to this ne of existence. Mages who are masters of Conjuration can sense and summon one another. They can also teleport to the other mage''s location): Currently mastered twenty conjuration spells, including Conjure Familiar, Conjure me Atronach, and Banish Daedra.


    Alteration Level 5 (Allows for altering of the target''s physical and magical status. Handy school of spells and is used for a wide variety of purposes): Currently mastered ten alteration spells, including Candlelight, Stoneflesh, Ironflesh, and Waterbreathing.


    Illusion Level 1 (Allows for altering the target''s mind. Enables the user to force their target into doing their bidding): Currently mastered Courage, Fury, and Fear.


    Mysticism Level 2 (Aplex school of magic. Maniptes Magicka): Currently mastered Detect Life, Reflect Damage, Spell Absorption, and Soul Trap.


    Thaumaturgy Level ? (This school of magic does not change the target''s stats, structure, or appearance. It alters thew followed by its target for a set amount of time)


    Enchanting Level 5: Expends soul (usually in the form of soul gems) to allow for the enchanting of weapons or some items with magical properties. Currently mastered twenty-seven enchanting spells, including Fortify Magicka Regen, Fortify Health, and Absorb Magicka.''


    ***


    "I like your style. You shall be traveling to a ce called Bleak Falls Barrow. There will be a dragonstone in that sanctum, and on its back will be the Map of Dragon Burials. Retrieve that dragonstone¡­ Hm, your friend seems odd. Doesn''t look like a Nordling at all."


    Upon noticing the mage''s unfriendly look, Roy quickly turned his attention to that bizarre table behind him. It waspletely ck and had a pentagram in the center. White candles burned from both ends, connected by a human skull in the center. Mysterious and terrifying.


    ''Arcane Enchanter


    A workstation that allows for the enchanting of items through the use of soul gems andponents. Also allows for the destruction of items to extract enchantment forme.''


    <em>Whoa. We don''t have these back home. Gotta get one for research purposes.</em>


    ***


    Farengar added, "It''s a gigantic structure belonging to a time long past. It belonged to the Nordlings of yore. Perhaps a thousand years old. It''s located on a mountain a few miles south of Riverwood. You can ask the locals for more specifics when you get there."


    "Any dangers there?" asked Flynn nervously.


    "The Empire''s rule can''t reach that ce effectively. Bandits run rampant there, and there will be traps in the sanctum," Farengar said matter-of-factly, as if he knew Flynn could do it.


    Roy turned his attention to the purple crystal on the mage''s left.


    ''Soul gem (Lesser)


    A crystal that can store pure soul energy. Can be used to enchant items or replenish Magicka.''


    ***


    <em>Looks like my bloodstone. </em>He touched the soul gem.


    "Oh, interested, are we? I''ll sell it to you cheap. 199 gold."


    Flynn took up the mantle of a trantor. He pointed at the soul gem and gesticted for a while. Roy got the meaning eventually, and he shook his head, smiling. The witcher then opened his hand, revealing the bloodstone he filled with souls the night before.


    "A lesser soul gem. Spoils of battle?" Farengar took it and had a closer look. "Are you selling? Why, of course I''m buying. Since you''re helping me out, I''m willing to relieve you of this gem for a hundred gold."


    Roy spent a lot of time exining, and Flynn guessed his meaning, then he told Farengar that he was open for item exchange.


    Farengar might be a court wizard, but he was also selling his own magical merchandise. Soul gems, enchantment forme, and the things that Roy was most interested in¡ªspell tomes.

 Chapter 471: Conjuration

    Roy''s instinct told him to get that glimmering spell tome from Farengar. The writing was iprehensible to him, but he could Observe it.


    ''Spell Tome: Conjure Familiar


    A record of Farengar''s experience with this spell. Should you possess an aptitude for magic, you will acquire this spell after using the tome.''


    That one was the cheapest in Farengar''s collection of novice spell tomes.


    "A hundred gold for one spell book. Are you sure that''s a good transaction, Goldeneye?" Flynn shook his head in disapproval like he was the one spending the money, not Roy.


    Farengar Secret-Fire held the lesser soul gem. "If you don''t have the aptitude for magic, that tome would be a waste of money. But if you do have the aptitude for it, you should join the Mage''s College in Winterhold. They''ll teach you magic. Systematically."


    "He can''t understand you, wizard."


    "Pity I don''t have telepathy."


    Roy ignored their advice. He tore the book in two, and a cloud of blue smoke rose into the air, brushing across his face. Roy inhaled all of the smoke through his mouth, and a tingly sensation coursed through his head. A mountain of words, sounds, and scenes welled in his mind. They weren''t shown in thenguage of this world. Instead, they were shown to his heart. No understanding ofnguage was needed.


    Farengar was standing in the void, his hands and legs split apart, and he assumed a bizarre stance. His robe and locks billowed in the winds of magicka, but the mage was unfazed. With his hands, he made a gesture in the air, and magicka converged on his fingertips.


    The exnation for the moves Farengar was making boomed through the void over and over again, but the witcher¡ªwho had never learned this world''s magic¡ªdid not understand.


    But he could understand Farengar''s gesture, how magicka flowed in his body, and most importantly, the translucent rune covered in spindly patterns. It resembled a door of green mes, and three numbers were engraved on it.


    Roy saw it all, and he injected magicka into that rune, much like how Farengar did. It felt like he was opening a door leading to a world hitherto unknown to him. And his soul entered the door, just like his mana did.


    For one moment, he saw countless balls of light shining beyond the door, responding happily to his call like lively creatures.


    Farengar and Flynn didn''t see anything just yet. All they saw was Roy standing with his eyes closed, and they felt his breathing slow. All of a sudden, the witcher extended his left hand and pointed at the clearing in the center of the room.


    Magicka gathered before him. Five secondster, a spinning blue sphere scurried forth out of nowhere. At first, it was but the size of a fist, but it quickly expanded and enveloped the room. Then, finally, that ball of blue light disappeared.


    What took its ce was a bizarre ck wolf the size of a calf. Its muscles were sturdy, and its eyes burned like ming rubies. Its teeth were sharp and dangerous, strips of flesh dangling from them, and its rancid drool dripped onto the rug of the room. The monster looked as if it had just returned from a hunt.


    ''Hell hound


    Age: Eight years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Familiar, Daedroth (Resides in the nes of Oblivion)


    HP: 80


    Magicka: 80


    Strength: 5


    Constitution: 6


    Dexterity: 9


    Perception: 9


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 6


    Skills:


    Fire Spit Level 2: Costs a minor amount of magicka. Combines magicka with a sulfuric gas within its body to produce a stream of me. Can inflict burning.


    Daedroth (Passive): Hell hounds reside in a ne that has more magicka but is also more brutal. +20 to magicka and HP.''


    ***


    "I¡­ I did it?" Roy''s gaze flickered quickly between his familiar and his fingertips. Back in the witcher world, he could never cast any spells. At most, he could use Signs, but those didn''t count. But that limitation didn''t seem to exist in the world of Tamriel. The special attributes of magicka and Conjuration seemed to have closed the gap between Roy and a real mage.


    Aside from spending fifty points of mana on the summoning, Roy also lost five EXP. The mana was used to open the door, while the EXP was payment for summoning the hell hound. After performing that spell, the rune for it seemed to grow a bit more solid in form, as if it had just gone through a bit of training. Every time Roy cast the spell, the rune would grow more solid, and the spell would eventually level up.


    And there was a new skill in the character sheet.


    ''Conjuration Level 1: Currently mastered Conjure Familiar. (Conjured Familiar: Most basic Conjuration spell. Expends 50 Mana and 5 EXP [pure soul]. Summons a hell hound from Oblivion that follows your everymand. Can hunt down your target or join you in battle. The familiarsts for five minutes. You may only have one familiar at a time. You may banish it before its time is up. The more proficient you are with this spell, the less mana you will expend, and the longer your familiar can linger.


    Note: Do not hurt your familiar. Constant abuse of your familiar will eventually render this spell useless.''


    ***


    A bluish-purple light glowed around the hell hound, weakening little by little. Once that light was fully extinguished, the hell hound would return to the ne called Oblivion. Roy could feel a connection between him and the hell hound. The creature was submitting to him and would follow his everymand.


    "Come here and lie down."


    The hell hound stuck its barbed tongue out andy beneath Roy''s feet, licking his boots. And then it got up, turned around, and barked a little. All on Roy''s orders, of course. It performed everything perfectly like a good littleckey. And it made Roy happy.


    Realization shone in Flynn''s eyes. "So Goldeneye is both a good warrior and a mage. No wonder he picked The Mage."


    "Congrattions on your first sessful Conjuration. You''re a born Conjurer." Farengar nodded approvingly at the delighted witcher. He then pointed at the hell hound, and a stream of magicka poured forth.


    A sh of light surrounded Roy''s hell hound. It let out onest howl of frustration before disappearing into thin air.


    Roy''s lips twitched. <em>Was that an exorcism?</em>


    "Conjurers are looked down upon by the Nordlings in Skyrim, Goldeneye. Some of the more short-tempered ones won''t hesitate to beat you up if you perform a Conjuring. Do <em>not</em>, under any circumstances, show anyone this skill. Unless absolutely necessary." A hint of mncholy filled Farengar''s eyes. "And Dragonsreach has a no-magic rule. But I won''t punish you for your first offense. Flynn, do remind him constantly."


    "I''ll do my best." Flynn said, "I don''t look down on mages, though."


    Farengar nodded. Then to his surprise, that Goldeneye fellow was whipping out a small pile of herbs. Common herbs seen everywhere, however. "Ah, it seems I have misjudged you. You already have a storage bag. No wonder you managed to master a Conjuration spell. But what are you doing? Trying to sell me this garbage?" Farengar''s lips twitched, but Roy only shrugged. "Fine. I can use these. Two gold. An offer made to friends."


    Despite the low offer, Roy nodded. Two gold wasn''t enough for another spell tome, but he could always save up. Farengar had a lot of items Roy really wanted. And these herbs were justmon things Roy found by the roadside. He could use Observe to get some valuable things to sell.


    "That''s all for business. You have your task and location. Chop chop," Farengar was chasing them off. "If you''re fast, you might make it back by tomorrow. I''m open to doing business if you have any soul gems or valuable spoils. Common herbs don''t count."


    "Wizard, did the Jarl give you permission to send out some soldiers with us?" Flynn asked nervously. "Or better yet, did he give you permission toe with us?"


    Farengar slowly scanned the two of them, and he sighed. Then the wizard whipped out a couple of crimson bottles from his rack, the liquid within glimmering beautifully.


    "One healing potion for each of you, on the house. That''s the most I can do."


    ''Potion of Minor Healing.


    Heals 20 HP upon usage. Can heal minor wounds.''


    Roy handed both potions to Flynn. Activate and Swallow were a lot more potent than these potions, after all.


    ***


    Roy and Flynn left the city almost as soon as they came. When they arrived back at Riverwood, Irileth and her soldiers were already patrolling the area. They asked around and got the exact location of Bleak Falls Barrow, and the duo set off for their mission. Through the stone bridge in the west of Riverwood did they cross, and then, they passed a small hill.


    ***


    A bolt flew through the air, hitting the wolf hiding behind the bush of thistles. It leaped out of its hiding spot, howling in pain. The bolt destroyed its left front ankle, but it valiantly hobbled backward, leaving a trail of blood behind.


    It was then, a burly, honest-looking man in leather armor charged right at it with a steel sword, cutting away at its rear and torso. And then, the wolf fell, taking itsst breath in a pool of its own blood.


    Flynn heaved a sigh of relief, wiping off a drop of sweat from his forehead, but a look of excitement red openly in his eyes. He wasn''t skilled enough to fight a soldier, but what skill he did have was enough to handle a beast.


    Roy went past hispanion, holding a hand crossbow. He nodded at Flynn before they resumed their journey to the mountaintop. The higher they went, the fewer nts they saw, and the temperature dipped fast.


    Snow was starting to cover the ground, and barely any beasts were prowling around this area. But even though he was wearing sleeveless leather armor, Flynn was unfazed. Nordlings were born with a thick hide and great resistance to cold weather, after all.


    Roy was a lot sturdier than most people, so the cold failed to affect him as well.


    Once they reached the mountainside, a structure made of gigantic ck stones began unfurling before them. It was a temple seemingly made in ancient times. Roy curled up a little, resembling a cat on high alert. He came to a stop, giving Flynn the signal to stay quiet.


    They tiptoed to the wide, ancient stairs and hid in a bush beside it, observing the temple. A few men in furry armor, arm guards, and boots stood beneath the temple''s pirs. Some had warhammers strapped on their backs, some were equipped with swords, while some had shields on their arms.


    Another man with a bow on his back stood atop the temple''s roof, staring at his surroundings sharply, much like a falcon.


    The witcher patiently surveyed his enemies, confirming that there were six of them guarding the ce. All possessed simr stats of those Imperial soldiers in Helgen.


    "They''re the bandits?" Flynn held the hilt of Gwyhyr¡ªhe borrowed that from Goldeneye¡ªtightly, his body shivering, his eyes gleaming with anxiety and excitement. If this were the old him, Flynn would''ve run as far away as possible from any bandit, but that line had long since been crossed.


    The Dragonborn had taken a path hitherto unimaginable to him. <em>For my home in Whiterun!</em>


    Roy produced an exquisite hand crossbow and stared at the roof of the temple. He pointed at the bandit on the right¡ªthe one with an axe¡ªand pointed at Flynn''s chest.


    The Dragonborn nodded and tensed up, preparing for what was toe.


    A bolt hurtled through the air and bore a hole through the bowman on the roof. Blood sttered everywhere, his body flying backward.


    The remaining bandits shouted and roared as they unsheathed their weapons and charged at the intruders.


    Two more bolts were fired. Two of the bandits were sent flying backward, a hole boring through their bodies. The moment they fell to the ground was the moment they drew theirst breath.


    Flynn was awestruck. <em>I haven''t even drawn my sword yet, and he''s already taken out half the enemies? He''s a swordsman, a mage, and an archer?</em>


    But there was no time to indulge in his thoughts. A gust of wind came as the bandit with a warhammer swung his weapon down at him.


    Flynn swung Gwyhyr up, shing with the warhammer''s metal, and the de was swatted away. The Dragonborn felt a great surge of power coursing through his hand. He almost lost his grip on the weapon, but for some reason, he held on. And the Dragonborn quickly retreated.


    Yet the bandit did not relent. To Flynn''s horror, the warhammer was brought down on him once more.


    ***


    A blue rune shone in the air. The gust of air that darted out of it mmed into the chest of the bandit trying to swing his greatsword down on the witcher, and the bandit fell backward.


    Roy took a half step back, easily dodging the shield bash of another bandit. He quickly made a rune in the air and shoved it into the bandit''s eyes, plunging him into a stupor. Then Aerondight drew an arc across the air, beheading that bandit.


    A headless corpse with a shield and sword in its hands fell before the witcher.


    Once again, the bandit with a greatsword leaped back into the fray, swinging his sword up diagonally. Roy took one step forward, evading the de easily.


    The bandit, all of a sudden, lost sight of the witcher, and then he felt his calves being severed by the witcher''s de. He lost all bnce and fell forward, and thest thing he felt was a sting on his nape, then he fell headfirst into the snow. And he stopped moving.


    The bandit with a warhammer was still engaged in battle with Flynn. Despite hisck of experience with weaponry, Flynn was talented with them. He was growing at a blistering speed. With Ralof''s teachings and Roy''s demonstration, the young Dragonborn already had a vague grasp of the basics of swordy, his movements slowly bing more streamlined, though only barely.


    And he had higher stats too. Even though it might look like the bandit was overpowering him, he had yet to injure Flynn even a little. On the other hand, Flynn would dish out counterattacks of his own every time the bandit showed an opening. Gwyhyr easily cut open his leather armor and left deep wounds on the bandit.


    The bandit''s movements became slower and slower as he lost more blood, yet Flynn remained healthy, and his eyes were gleaming. His strength was still abundant. Then, for one split second, there was an opening Flynn could exploit, and exploit it he did. The Dragonborn cut the warhammer''s handle in two, stunning the bandit.


    And that was his fatal mistake.


    Flynn swung the de across his neck, slitting his throat. Blood spurted out into the air, and the bandit gurgled as he fell to the ground.


    "That felt good." Flynn wiped off the blood from his cheeks, a smile of delight curling his lips.


    "He''s improving. Fast." Roy was a little surprised. Barely two days had gone by, and Flynn already had Basic Swordy among his repertoire. <em>Is he actually a genius?</em>


    They cleaned up the battlefield and looted the bandits for everything they had. And then they found a wooden crate in the bandit''s nearbyir. Roy swung his de down on the lock and opened the crate, revealing fifty gold and a Potion of Minor Healing within it. <em>Alchemical items are really widespread here, huh?</em>


    "You basically took all of them out yourself. Take the gold." Flynn took the potion and turned his head away after ncing at the gold coins for a moment.


    Riches and wealth. Wars were waged over less, and yet Roy still shared the gold with Flynn, and he would not take no for an answer.


    Flynn was grateful for that gesture, but unbeknownst to him, Roy had already taken all the bandits'' weapons. He could sell them all to the cksmith in Whiterun and spend his gold on Farengar''s merchandise.


    Flynn cracked a smile and opened the doors to the temple.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 472 - 472: Bleak Falls Barrow

    Chapter 472: Bleak Falls Barrow


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: hibiki]


    Flynn lit up a torch, illuminating an ancient, spacious hall before the adventurers. Stone pirs with a hue of green covering their surface held up the cobweb-filled ceilings. It was a grave for many unfortunate critters and bugs, all of which were dried, empty husks of their former selves. Vines slithered out of the cracks in the walls like snakes, extending across the ground to reach the other side of the hall.


    The Dragonborn shifted his attention to a corner of the hall. There, behind a pir, stood a single silhouette¡ªthe silhouette of a beast half the size of an adult man. Oblivious of the adventurers¡¯ intrusion, the beast crouched low to the ground, wing away at the air.


    Upon seeing the countenance of the beast, Flynn almost leapt in surprise. Yet he remained still and calm, exchanging a look with the witcher. An understanding was reached, and the adventurers slowly closed in on their quarry.


    It was then the beast finally noticed the intruders. An ear-piercing shriek rattled the great chamber as the beast emerged from its hiding ce.


    A skeever. Rodents the size of a hunting dog. Covered in gray fur, and its ws were sharp enough to tear through flesh easily. The beast red at the intruders with its crimson eyes, the feral desire to hunt welling within them.


    Even though its enemies were armed, the skeever charged right at them without fear or fervor, a screech escaping its snout.


    s, that was thest thing it would do in its beastly life.


    The Dragonborn brought down his sword on the iing rodent, easily slicing it in two. Blood spurted out of the two halves of its corpse, covering the ground in red. The dead skeever writhed and spasmed for a moment. Then it went dead. Unmoving.


    ¡°What is this ce? Or to be exact¡­ What was?¡± Flynn surveyed his surroundings. ¡°We got bandits guarding the gates, and the first thing we run into is a rat the size of a dog. How did it even get so big anyway? Not like there¡¯s anything to eat here. Gods, that thing could kill a cat easily. Saber cats aside, anyway.¡±


    Then, a momentary pause swooped down on Flynn. ¡°Mate, I have a bad feeling about this. Something more dangerous slumbers in the depths of this ce.¡±


    But the witcher paid him no heed. Instead, he hunkered down and cut off the skeever¡¯s tail. To his surprise, this tail was also an alchemicalponent.


    Flynn¡¯s lips twitched, though he said nothing about the witcher¡¯s odd behavior. It was not the first time hispanion exhibited an almost bizarre curiosity about all manner of beasts and greenery. Oftentimes, he would stop for a moment just to harvest leaves and vines and animal parts, tucking them away in his seemingly bottomless sack.


    And then they were off again. This time, they came face to face with a dark, narrow passageway. The witcher harvested some luminous mushrooms off the walls before he followed hispanion into a room that was almost fully closed off.


    ¡°These must be the traps Farengar talked about.¡± Frustrated, Flynn massaged his temples. Standing at the far end of this chamber was a steel gate. A lever sat before it, and on the left side of the temple were three obelisks they could spin. ¡°Gods, we¡¯re not even mages. Cracking this is going to take a whole day.¡±


    No. Flynn was wrong.


    The witcher scanned his surroundings, especially the two stone bs over the locked gate and the lone b on the first floor, seemingly fallen from its ce. And the witcher stepped ahead, spinning the obelisks on the room¡¯s left side. Before long, the obelisks showed, from left to right, the pattern of a snake, a snake, and a dolphin.


    Then the witcher pulled the lever, and as if by magic, the steel gate slowly rattled upward, revealing a path behind it.


    Filled with awe and shock, the Dragonborn gawked at hispanion, a hue of ashamed red tingeing his cheeks. I looked at the chamber and all I saw was a chamber. He looked at the chamber, and he solved a puzzle. Am I stupid? The Dragonborn shut that thought down almost as immediately as it arose. Nah. Goldeneye¡¯s just too smart. I¡¯ve seen him do great things. Probably nothing he can¡¯t do.


    Despite the clear path ahead, Roy was in no hurry to pass. Instead, he put one leg forward and extended an arm, assuming a weird spellcasting stance. Then, the witcher pointed at the ground, pouring part of his mana into the rune of Conjure Familiar that was deeply embedded in his mind.


    Five points of EXP were deducted as well, but in exchange, a ball of blue light emerged from his fingertip. As if it were a key, it opened the door to an unknown realm, summoning a hell hound bigger than the skeever they ran into earlier. The creature was sitting on its hind legs, letting out anguid yawn that revealed its terrible, gleaming teeth.


    The creature was resting when Roy summoned it to this chamber. Its summoner gave it an order, and the hound stood up, shaking his body. Happily, it charged into the path beyond the steel gates to check for any threats. It did not take long for the hound toe back. It barked softly, telling its summoner the way ahead was clear of any danger.


    Only then did the witcher tell hispanion to go through the gate. And they were greeted by dusty wooden racks and porcin jars. ¡°This ce gives me the creeps. And it looks like a tomb. Are¡­ Are these jars grave goods? And the smell of these cloths¡­ Phew. Smell like shrouds to m¡ª¡±


    The sentence was never finished. Roy shut him up by showing off a gold coin he found in a jar. Galvanized, the adventurers went to work, scouring the chamber for every single valuable they could get their hands on.


    ***


    Two streaks of silver arced across the air, mming the corpses of two skeevers into the walls of these chambers. A hole was bored through their heads, iming their lives almost instantly.


    The hell hound chomped down on the throat of a third skeever. The rodent screeched and screamed, but there was nothing it could do. Eventually, death came for it.


    Flynn swung his sword down, cleaving a fourth skeever in two. He then flicked his wrist around, his eyes fixated on the maze of paths that was unfurling before him. Sleeping around him were droves of ck, ancient caskets. I knew it. This ce is a mass burial ground. Or was a mass burial ground.


    Some were embedded in the walls of the chamber, while some stood upright. And these caskets were not empty, no. Something slept within them. Corpses. Hideous corpses.


    These corpses must have been dead for years now, yet streaks of flesh hung off their bones like they were dried cadavers. The skin and muscles of the corpses were all but rotten, leaving behind a visage so gaunt, it could traumatize a child should oney their eyes on them.


    The corpses donned sleeveless metal armor as if they were warriors, and within their hands slept their rusty weapons. Greatswords, battleaxes, longswords, axes, shields, and even bows and arrows. Had they been alive, the adventurers could imagine just how majestic these corpses would be.


    And then, realization struck Flynn. He knew who these corpses were, and he spared them a look of respect. ¡°Ancient Nordling warriors.¡±


    He wished to pay them due respect, but Roy held him back. The witcher shook his head and turned his attention to the hound.


    With its orders made clear, the hell hound charged at the caskets, but before it could reach any single one, the dead sprang to life, ready to cut down those who would dare wake them from their long slumber.


    The sound of bones rattling and grazing off one another echoed through the hallway as the seemingly dead corpse was rising back to life. It cracked its neck and held its weapon tightly as it stood, ready to face the living.


    And yet before it could cut down the intruders, a crossbow bolt was flung through the air. It mmed into the draugr¡¯s chest like a sledgehammer, and the monster crashed back into its casket, stirring up a cloud of dust in the air of the hallway.


    Half of its head was blown off, bits of crimson flesh hanging from its skull. Sickly green brain matter oozed from the wound on its head, and yet it hung on to life. Or unlife, in this matter. The light of all that was unholy glinted in its remaining eye, tethering it to thend of the living.


    Roy stared at his adversary, once again casting Observe to glean more information.


    ¡®Draugr


    Status: Ancient Nordling, member of the Dragon Cult


    Strength: 9


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 9


    Perception: 4


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    War Cry.


    Chains of the Unliving (Passive): Draugrs are creatures under the influence of a special spell. Bound to their mortal shells, these creatures fear no pain or wound. They possess no exploitable weaknesses either. With no bodily limitations chaining them down, these creatures can use all the strength that is locked within the human body. But in exchange, they move and react slower than they did in life. +1 to Strength and Constitution, -1 to Dexterity.


    Frost Resistance, Basic Swordy Level 8, Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Warrior.¡¯


    ***


    The hell hound leapt into the air and chomped down on a draugr¡¯s neck, breathing mes upon its body. The snake of mes slithered up to the draugr¡¯s head, pinching out the fire of unlife within its eyes.


    More draugrs were on their way. Flynn crouched a little, holding his sword tightly. Another draugr came charging at the Dragonborn, swinging its axe around viciously.


    Roy fired a bolt and destroyed its head without a moment of hesitation.


    ¡®Draugr killed. +40 EXP.¡¯


    The witcher arched his eyebrows. Too slow. This is going to take forever to settle. Hound, you¡¯re up.


    The hell hound darted forward like a bolt of ck lightning, passing through the draugrs¡¯ legs. Into the dark passage, the hell hound ran, loud barks echoing through the stale, dank air.


    The provocation worked. Draugrs slumbering within the ancient, dusty caskets shuffled and turned. They tore away the cobwebs lingering above their caskets, rising back to life for a singr purpose¡ªto kill those that had woken them from their slumber.


    The armed draugrs huddled together as they slowly gave chase after the hell hound. Armor and weapons nged, and bones screeched as they mashed against one another.


    More than twenty draugrs went after the hell hound, jostling and shuffling. Blue mes of undeath shone within their eyes, seemingly drifting through the air as the undead walked toward their quarry.


    Try as they might, the passage failed to fit more than two corpses, and the undead bodies were forced to stand single file. Yet, that did not deter them from their hunt. Even though the hell hound tried its best to run away, wounds were steadily umting on its body. Eventually, one draugr brought its sword down on the creature and sent it straight back to Oblivion.


    Roy¡¯s face fell. He shot the nervous Dragonborn a look, telling him to stay back. With his hand, the witcher made the sign of mp. A ck rune floated in the air, stirring up a wave of Magicka. Then, an entity that bore the same appearance as the witcher leapt out of the rune.


    It took the hand crossbow Roy tossed over and fired off at the iing draugrs.


    Shock and awe took over Flynn¡¯s mind, his eyes darting between the two Goldeneyes standing in front of him. What is going on? Why are there two of them? Is this some kind of magic?


    He had a lot of questions, but Roy wasn¡¯t nning to answer any of them. The witcher produced Aerondight and held it in his right hand. Golden light flowed upon the surface of his skin, and the kaleidoscopic halo of Yrden glimmered beneath his feet.


    Into the path of the oing draugrs, the witcher leapt. Standing before the passageway, the witcher tossed a bolt of electricity over the head of the leading draugr. The bolt of electricity had gained great strengthpared to how it was in the witcher world. Purple electricity leapt and danced between the undead corpses, electrocuting them.


    Five draugrs were sent into a fit of spasms and convulsions, stopping short of the witcher. The witcher swung Aerondight down, and all of its runes dimmed. In exchange, a great energy attack hurtled across the passageway.


    The moment it touched the draugr¡¯s armor, the energy attack sliced through them as easily as a hot knife cutting through butter. As the attack disappeared in the distance, all the iing draugrs slowly came apart, their blood and innards raining down on the ground.


    Two halves of their bodies fell, the mes of undeath flickering for a moment before they disappeared forever into eternity. And then¡­ silence.


    ¡®(20) Draugrs killed. EXP +800. Level 12 Witcher (1900/12500).¡¯


    Roy flicked off the blood on his de, breathing heavily. Once again, the runes on Aerondight shone and brimmed with the life of all the undead it had killed.


    This ce is crawling with draugrs. But they¡¯re slow, and these narrow passageways are the only ce they can pass through. So¡­ it¡¯s another EXP farm.


    Roy flicked his de and deflected an iing arrow as he darted off to the nearest pair of draugrs. And he thrust his de forward.


    At the same time, Flynn and the illusion were fighting off three draugrs that were trying to surround them from behind.


    ***


    The battlested for about five minutes. Our adventurers managed to loot two hundred gold from these monsters, and once again, they split it evenly. Roy looted all the monsters¡¯ weapons and tucked them away in his inventory space. I¡¯ll deal with them once we get back to Whiterun. Rusty, but they just need a little touch up. Must be worth something. And I still have space for more. Inventory can probably keep about a few hundred of these.


    ***


    In most cases, exploration of these tunnels would be dangerous, but with Roy in the team, it was nothing but a cinch. The witcher would summon his hell hound and send it off to scout out the path yet unknown to them. Traps were aplenty, but Roy could easily blink away and solve all the puzzles required to deactivate the traps.


    Nothing could stand in their way, though the hell hound only could stay in this ne of existence for a limited amount of time. But it was no matter to the witcher. All he had to do when the hell hound was sent back to Oblivion was to conjure it once more.


    A small amount of his EXP would be sacrificed for every conjuring, but it was nothing in the face of what Roy could gain in return.


    Every time Roy went through a quarter of his mana reserves, he would meditate for half an hour to replenish it, while the Dragonborn would keep an eye out for any potential danger.


    With every conjuring, the rune in Roy¡¯s head was steadily solidifying.


    ***


    The adventurers, illusion Roy, and their hell hound made for a fearsome team in these tunnels. The hell hound would act as bait and attract a big group of dumb, slow-moving draugrs into the narrow tunnels, forcing them to stand in a single file. Every time a new group of undead showed up, Roy would cast Quen and swing an energy sh down the tunnels, killing off the living dead easily before they could evene near the witcher.


    Flynn and the illusion Roy took up the rear guard, killing off the corpses that would try to surround them.


    Five hours flew by, and our adventurers managed to gain a good haul in these dark tunnels illuminated by nothing but sconces. Roy gained more than fifty weapons and three hundred gold. Flynn too gained three hundred gold from the adventure. And by sheer luck, he found a lesser soul gem on their way. It took a lot of convincing on his part before Roy would take it.


    And with that, all the draugrs were killed off.


    Covered in blood, Flynn huffed and puffed, looking around him. On the ground were the fallen draugrs, and he was merely nicked in the battle. The wounds on his shoulder and legs went away with a health potion.


    And after all these battles, the Dragonborn grew from an inexperienced country boy into a slightly experienced adventurer. One who could hold his own in minor battles. And it filled him with a little pride. The Dragonborn turned his attention to hispanion, who was not out of breath at all.


    It was all thanks to him that this journey was a smooth one, the Dragonborn thought. Or I would¡¯ve been dead ten times over. And he¡¯s a noble man. I barely did anything in battle, but he still shared half the earnings with me.


    A hint of worship flickered in the Dragonborn¡¯s eyes. In his very limited life experience, none could measure up to Goldeneye. His friend was a noble soul and a master of magic, swordy, and archery. He¡¯s probably stronger than Ulfric Stormcloak, who was rumored to have killed High King Torygg in a fair duel.


    And then, a sudden thought popped in his mind. Perhaps Goldeneye might be able to kill the dragon that terrorized Helgen. The Dragonborn clenched his fists. And I¡¯m going with him.


    ***


    Through the winding tunnels our adventurers went. Before long, they were faced with a chamber. A chamber withyers of cobwebs covering its entrance. The adventurers stopped in their tracks, and Roy put a finger to his lips.


    The witcher stared at the thickyers of cobwebs extending from the low ceiling that hung overhead. They were gleaming a menacing white, and each strand of the web was as thick as a rope. The weaver¡¯s huge.


    With his witcher senses activated, Roy saw a pair of colorful ribbons hanging in the air, passing through the cobweb. One of those ribbons spoke of the scent of a human, while the other¡­ was of something else. Something that smelled of blood. Hurt. Injured. And it smells like a bug. Weak scent, though.


    With ease, the witcher cut through the cobwebs and gesticted in the air. Yet another illusion of him leapt into existence. It took the hand crossbow and followed Roy¡¯s hell hound as it charged into the cobweb-infested chamber.


    A thick, ropelike strand of spider silk cascaded into the hall, and a furry spider the size of a buffalo slid down its silk. The spider was grayish-white, with eight legs spread about it, supporting its gigantic body. The spider held up its two front legs, swinging them around like a grim reaper wielding its scythe.


    There was a maw attached to its head, and a pair of pincer-like fangs¡ªbigger than its head¡ªjutted out at the maw¡¯s end, sping together like someone snipping a pair of scissors.


    ¡®Frostbite spider


    Gender: Male


    Age: Twelve years old


    HP: 210


    Strength: 15


    Dexterity: 17


    Constitution: 21


    Perception: 12


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Poison Web Level 5: Shoots out a ball of web at a target. The web is resilient, sticky, and hard to destroy. Contains paralyzing poison that activates on skin contact.


    Curse of the Frozen (Passive): Gains an increased fifty percent resistance to deep cold and ice magic, but takes fifty percent increased damage from fire attacks.¡¯


    ***


    The spider hurtled down toward the petite hell hound, but the creature deftly leapt to the side and evaded the attack. But the spider was not done. It shot out a ball of white goo at the hell hound, and the goo exploded like a little bomb. The web rained down on the hell hound, wrapping it up tightly like a cocoon.


    Before the spider could do anything, illusion Roy fired off a bolt straight at the weaver¡¯s abdomen. An explosion of blood sttered the ground, and it staggered to the side.


    While the monster was distracted, the hell hound burned the web off with a stream of fire. The creature regained its freedom, but now its skin shone an eerie green. The green of poison.


    The hell hound did not have much longer to exist. A guttural growl escaped its snout, and with thest of its strength, the hound pounced onto the spider¡¯s head. It wed and chomped away, drawing blood with every strike, sttering the walls and ground with smatterings of the spider¡¯s blood.


    The spider let out an ear-piercing shriek and quickly climbed up its silk. The hell hound was crushed against the ceiling, leaving only a patch of blood behind. Once again, it returned to Oblivion.


    Illusion Roy fired two more bolts, both mming against the ugly head of that spider. The monster fell, howling in pain. But it quickly bent its legs and pounced at illusion Roy, trying to destroy it with all the strength it could muster.


    But then, another blue ball of light illuminated the air. Then, a second hell hound was summoned, and right away, it shot a ball of fire at the pouncing spider. At the same time, Roy finally made his move. Quickly, he madeplex gestures, and a crimson rune bloomed like a rose. The mes of fury burned across the air and crashed into the spider¡¯s abdomen once more.


    And the spider¡¯s belly sttered. It sttered into tiny little pieces like an exploding watermelon. Except the things that rained down were no rind or melon. They were, instead, the innards and blood of the spider.


    Even with half its body sted to bits, the spider still lived, but not for long. Roy¡¯s mes slithered up to its head, and the spider, in its death throes, tried to move away, but it was for naught. Barely a momentter, it fell motionless. Yet the mes burned on.


    ¡®Frostbite spider killed. EXP +200. Level 12 Witcher (4300/12500).¡¯


    ***


    Roy whistled, and his hell hound¡ªcovered in green¡ªquickly approached him and rolled around like a good little pup. The witcher gave it some belly rubs to reward its performance, then he cocked his eyebrow.


    ¡°Help! Save me, please! Let me out of here! Please!¡± A desperate shout for help arose from the corner of the chamber.


    Flynn approached the source of the cry, while Roy quickly cut off a bulging venom sac and harvested a white spherical item that resembled a mutagen before reconvening with the Dragonborn.


    Like most of the room, this corner was covered in cobwebs of the dead spider. But within these cobwebsy a gaunt-looking man. Aside from his face, every inch of his body was wrapped up in the spiderweb, and naught a finger of his could be moved.


    The sight of these neers delighted him, but then he froze. One of them¡­ One of these adventurers looked different. His eyes were multicolored, and he possessed better looks than most if not all beings he had seen. And he was staring at the man weirdly. The man had a feeling he was being stared at like he was prey. The thought of that alone sent a cold shudder down his spine.

 Chapter 473 - 473: Word Wall

    Chapter 473: Word Wall


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: hibiki]


    The adventurers met the stranger¡¯s eyes, the light of curiosity and doubt flickering in the former¡¯s gaze, while worry and panic red in thetter¡¯s.


    ¡°Please, let me out. I can help you with the temple. Even open that door for you,¡± Arvel begged like a poor, little peasant. His whole face was almost scrunched up as if he was trying his best to put on the act of a pitiable, ensnared man. Yet the strange man with a horned helmet shook his head and spoke in anguage only he knew.


    ¡°If I save you, you¡¯ll be my servant until I leave this world. No headshakes? Good, that¡¯s a yes.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Who are you? Why did youe to this ce? And how did that spider catch you?¡± Flynn had his arms crossed, and he stared suspiciously at the stranger. He had a mousey face, jutting cheekbones, and a little mustache. How in Tamriel did this¡­ strange man get past all those bandits and draugrs?


    ¡°P-Please let me out? I¡­ I can¡¯t breathe. S¡­ Suffocating. Please!¡±


    And his voice came to an abrupt halt. Arvel felt the strange man¡¯s handying atop his head as he closed in. The master thief could see the witcher¡¯s eyes¡ªeyes of gold and silver gleaming bright.


    As if electrocuted, Arvel stiffened up. Even his breathing stopped for a moment. A looming silhouette overwhelmed his mind, looking down at him as if he were nothing but a maggot. The silhouette looked just like a god. There was nothing in Its eyes. No sympathy nor scorn. There was only indifference. And a message.


    Submit. Open your heart to me. Do not resist.


    Crimson tentacles swayed and danced behind that silhouette, not unlike bloody boa constrictors eager to wrap him up like the prey he was. Arvel could see the sharp teeth gnashing in the suckers of the tentacles, and they were spreading fear and darkness. One nce at the horrifying creature, and Arvel felt his blood run cold. Suffocating him was the stench of blood arising from the abyssal crimson sea underneath him.


    And in his mind, the same message yed.


    Submit.


    Arvel never stood a chance. Roy possessed a far stronger will than the master thief could ever imagine. Any resistance Arvel tried to muster was crushed, if there was even any resistance in the first ce.


    The internal battle was, naturally, invisible to the Dragonborn. All he saw was hispanion holding the head of this ensnared stranger, and the stranger spaced out all of a sudden. Then, he started convulsing, the look of fear etching itself deep in the stranger¡¯s eyes. Veins on his neck and temples popped, and his breathingbored. Flynn thought the stranger must have seen the darkest horrors, and he gulped.


    What¡¯s Goldeneye doing? Is he¡­ Is he reading the stranger¡¯s mind? But I thought that spell was lost.


    It was but an instant, but for Arvel, the horrors he saw seemed tost an eternity.


    Roy finally let go of the thief and began cutting the cobwebs open. All of a sudden, the sweat-drenched stranger fell limp, free of the bindings that trapped him in this chamber. The stranger rubbed his wrists and ankles, checking himself to see if he was fine. Then he heaved a sigh of relief.


    When the stranger turned his attention to the witcher again, there was respect and fear in his eyes. The same kind of fear a servant would have for their master. Hunching his back a little, the stranger quietly stood beside the witcher. He then cleared his throat andunched into a little introduction.


    ¡°Thank you for the save. I am Arvel the Swift, but you can call me Arvel. I¡¯m a solo adventurer who¡¯s always on the hunt for treasure. ¡®Twas an ancient book that told me of this here temple, and so, mypanions and I snuck in. You might ask how I managed to give the monsters a slip. Not to brag, but once I go into my stealth mode, barely anything can detect my presence. Eagles, hunting dogs, bats, you name it. But well, mistakes happen, and that sted spider ensnared me in its web, and the rest is history.¡±


    Flynn narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°You¡¯re awfully cooperative all of a sudden.¡±


    Roy telepathically told Arvel what to say, and the thief answered, ¡°Well, you saved my life, and I always repay my debts. So now, I shall work with you and crack the mystery of this temple.¡±


    At the same time Arvel was answering the Dragonborn¡¯s question, he was quietly tranting what the Dragonborn told him in his mind. All for his master, of course.


    A strange feeling welled within Roy. He had a feeling Arvel could never disobey him. If Roy wanted him to take his own life, the master thief would do it without any question. If he tried to resist, his soul would be destroyed by the crimson will residing within Roy.


    Tame was an unfair ability if used right. The ability to control the life of anyone was powerful, yet Roy would never try to control anyone if he could. He preferred a partnership. Like the one he shared with Gryphon back home.


    ¡®Arvel


    Age: Thirty-five years old


    Status: Thief


    HP: 80


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 8


    Constitution: 8


    Perception: 8


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    War Cry, Frost Resistance, Basic Swordy Level 5, Basic Archery Level 4, Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Thief, Horseback Riding Level 5.


    Stealth Level 4: This ability allows the user to quieten their movements and steer clear of enemy sights. High-level Stealth allows the user to blend into their surroundings. Some can even stand right in front of their enemies and remain undetected.


    Lockpicking Level 4: A master lockpicker can pick even the most intricate of locks with nothing but a set of lockpicks.


    ***


    ¡°A wise choice. We¡¯re here for a dragonstone. Know where it is?¡±


    ¡°I reckon it¡¯s behind that Golden w Gate along with the power of the ancient Nordlings.¡± Arvel took a torch and burned away the cobweb before him. He bent down and advanced into the next chamber. A simrly ustrophobic chamber with barely any lighting.


    ¡°What kind of power?¡± Flynn quickly followed after the thief.


    Arvel asked for Roy¡¯s permission to answer that question. Once his master gave his blessing, Arvel exined, ¡°The power the heroes used to defeat the dragons.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve defeated dragons?¡± Flynn shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s a joke. Have you ever even seen a dragon? They¡¯re as big as mountains, and their hides are tougher than granite. Nothing can pierce them. And they can breathe fire. Turns their enemies to ash like nothing. Can even summon a hail of meteors, too. We saw that not too long ago, and Helgen¡¯s already a town of mes now. And now you¡¯re telling me these ancient Nordlings defeated a monster like that? That¡¯s just a legend.¡±


    Despite all his denial, a voice in the Dragonborn¡¯s head was confirming the thief¡¯s story. And it urged him to gain that power as if it was in a great hurry. As if that power was his birthright.


    Roy brushed his finger across his de, injecting his mana into the rune of Conjure Familiar. Once again, another hell hound leapt out of the gateway and scouted ahead for the adventurers.


    ¡°The legends are no lies. Once we open that gate, we¡¯ll find all the answers we want,¡± Arvel promised. ¡°And I have the key to unlocking it.¡± From his knapsack, he whipped out a curio, golden and in the shape of a dragon w.


    Then he handed the w to Goldeneye, much to Flynn¡¯s surprise. Everyone loves Goldeneye, I see. Dang. I hoped he¡¯d have given that to me.


    Roy caressed the w and turned it around. There on the w were engravings of animals. From bottom to top, they were a bear, a moth, and an owl. The sight of these engravings reminded him of the lever puzzle. Wonder if this is a clue to another puzzle.


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my proudest moment, but I stole it from Riverwood¡¯s general store¡¯s keeper. Just a habit I picked up from my job.¡±


    ***


    With the thief by their side, the adventurers found their journey to be far smoother.


    The draugrs were remarkably powerful and were immune to pain. Those that wielded two-handed weapons were especially threatening. One clean hit was enough to send shudders down their enemies¡¯ spines, and these draugrs still possessed the same level of skill they did in life.


    If Roy were to face these creatures in closebat, he would very quickly find himself in trouble. s, despite their numbers, these creatures were moving too slowly to even threaten the witcher and hispanions.


    The five of them¡ªtwo familiars included¡ªeasily overwhelmed the draugrs. Illusion Roy would fire off at the draugrs, while the real Roy stood before the entrance of a passage, cutting down the oing monsters with his energy sh. Arvel and the Dragonborn took up the position of rear guard, picking off any enemies that Roy might have missed.


    Despite his profession, the thief was a better swordmaster than both Roy and Flynn. The draugrs rained down a barrage of attacks at the thief, and yet he managed to escape them all, although barely. Then he would go on the offensive, exploiting the openings of the draugrs after their assault as he thrust his de into their necks and eyes, iming their lives in a single blow.


    Flynn had picked up a shield somewhere. With a de and his new protective gear in hand, the Dragonborn held his own, suffering barely any injuries.


    Two hours and a few dozen draugrster, the adventurers finally came to the gate, hardly a scratch on them.


    The gate was gleaming golden, but it was sealed. Intricate patterns slithered all over it like vines climbing around a tree. In the center of the gate were three small holes, perfectly aligning with the golden w.


    The w was the key, but that alone wasn¡¯t enough. Three stone wheels were attached to the gate, each with animals engraved on them. The adventurers must find the correctbination of animals, and only then would the key unlock this gate.


    ¡°So all we have to do is spin these wheels so the patterns align with the ones on the w?¡± Flynn asked. ¡°The answer¡¯s right here. Why¡¯d they go to this much trouble making a puzzle if they¡¯re just gonna hand us the answer right away? They might as well ditch the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Arvel said, ¡°And the lever puzzle¡¯s really simple, don¡¯t you think? Anyone could¡¯ve solved it. All they have to do is look. Well, anyone but idiots, really.¡±


    Flynn blushed and argued, ¡°No. That lever puzzle is a lot harder than this one.¡±


    ¡°This puzzle isn¡¯t some kind of lock.¡± Roy thought he figured something out, and Arvel tranted his thoughts for the Dragonborn. ¡°It¡¯s just something to confirm that those who stand before this gate are still alive. Only the living can easily crack these puzzles. The dead¡­ Well, you¡¯ve seen the draugrs. They¡¯re no different from idiots.¡±


    ***


    Arvel was surprised, but he thought Roy had a point. ¡°So this puzzle is just a little something to keep the draugrs out? Well, whatever the reason, the treasure is ours now. Ready, you two?¡±


    Dust rained down as the gate yawned open for the adventurers. Behind the gate stood a spacious chamber, and at its end was a stone wall filled with markings that resembled w marks and lightning bolts.


    In front of that wall slept a ck sarcophagus. An excited Flynn was about to approach the wall, but Roy held his shoulder. He cast mp once more and summoned his clone. Armed with a hand crossbow and Dragon¡¯s Dream, the clone approached the sarcophagus, and a hell hound followed suit.


    A few momentster, the clone opened up the sarcophagus as ordered. Within the sarcophagus slept a draugr. An axe and a shield were lying atop the monster¡¯s chest, and the light of magic swirled around them.


    Noticing the disturbance, the monster opened its eyes. Like all draugrs met by the adventurers thus far, it had icy blue eyes. It growled like an enraged beast and held the sides of its sarcophagus as it slowly sat up.


    But before it could even do anything, the clone shattered its tomb. The tendrils of smoke within slithered around the corpse, and the clone darted back. At the same time, the hell hound spat a st of mes at the corpse, igniting it.


    A pir of fire roared into the air, rumbling the chamber. Stctites rained down like pellets of hail, and miniature mushroom clouds sparked and shone.


    The clone fired two bolts into the cloud of mes, and blood burst into the air. The bolts¡¯ impact staggered the draugr, forcing it to take a few steps back. A furious roar escaped its throat, and it held up its shield. Without fear, it stepped through the wall of mes, gleaming crimson like a demon from hell.


    With a single strike from its axe, the clone was vanquished, but the witcher quickly cast another mp. Another clone leapt into existence and did battle with the Draugr Overlord.


    The witcher tossed a fireball and a bolt of electricity at the same time. The spells hit the Draugr Overlord squarely in the chest, mming it sideways.


    The bolt of electricity slithered into the monster¡¯s armor, electrocuting it for a moment. For a split second, it froze, and the clone and hell hound regrouped with Roy right away. The trio formed a triangle and barraged the monster with a flood of attacks.


    Flynn watched in awe as hispanions fired off simultaneous lightning bolts, fireballs, and crossbow bolts at the Draugr Overlord.


    Draugr Overlord, huh? More than twenty points in Strength and nearly thirty points in Constitution. Max level in One-Handed Axe Mastery, but it¡¯s slow. If it can¡¯t get near us, it can¡¯t do any damage.


    The battlested for a mere fifteen seconds. For a moment before the overlord¡¯s death, it stood tall within the wall of mes, its eyes going wide. The monster held its weapons by its side and took one deep breath. And then, it charged, bellowing to the heavens.


    Roy thought he heard something strange echoing through the air. It felt like something was burning that very air, creating a current.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    And then everything around Roy seemed to change. The roar he heard contained enough power to smash boulders and tear through the heavens. Even the earth rumbled, heralding theing of an immense force. The force turned into a gale of air that could tumble anything and anyone that stood in its way.


    And the clone was the first to be hit. It was sent into the air and torn apart by the power contained within that shout.


    Roy quickly snapped out of it and fired off two bolts at his target. That, finally, was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. With the mes in its eyes extinguished, the Draugr Overlord finally fell.


    ¡®Draugr Overlord killed. EXP +260. Level 12 Witcher (5400/12500).¡¯


    Even in death, the Draugr Overlord held on to its axe and shield tightly, never to let them go.


    ***


    ¡°Crisis averted.¡± Arvel gave his master a look of deep respect. ¡°Let¡¯s go, people. Time to collect our earnings.¡±


    ¡°Hold up. Did you hear that shout just now?¡± Flynn approached the wall, his cheeks tinted with a hue of crimson that almost looked sickly. And he felt his heart thumping with such force, it was almost deafening. ¡°Such power¡­ I remember that shout. The dragon in Helgen produced the same sound.¡±


    ***


    The adventurers found their dragonstone lying near the sarcophagus. It was the shape of a hand, and an intricate map was engraved upon it. Lying idly nearby was about a hundred coins and another lesser soul gem.


    There was also a one-handed axe with a hilt wrapped in leather, making it easy to hold.


    ¡®Ancient Nordling Honed War Axe of Cold


    Type: One-handed axe


    Components: Steel ingot, leather, logwood, soul gem.


    Specs: Weighs 2.06 pounds, hilt measures 20 inches¡­


    Affix:


    Frostbite: Target takes a minor amount of cold damage. Target has reduced reaction and movement speed.¡¯


    ***


    A delighted Roy thought, Wonder if I can upgrade my weapons with this. He tucked the war axe into his inventory space and looked at Flynn. The Dragonborn was standing before the stone wall, staring dumbly at the writing upon it.


    The stone wall was reacting to his presence. Strongly. Runes shone as brightly as the sun and flew off the wall. In the air they danced and swirled before they swam into the Dragonborn¡¯s body.


    There was a solemn and determined look on Flynn¡¯s face. A frown creased his forehead as he concentrated on something. Something holy. Something only he could hear.


    What¡¯s happening to him? The witcher turned his sights to the wall and cast Observe, but he received a message instead.


    ¡®Your Observe does not meet the requirement needed to view this information


    -1 skill point


    Observe Level 2 ¡ú Level 3.¡¯


    Right after Roy leveled up, his character sheet was flooded with new information.


    ¡®You have Observed a special Word Wall. In it records a tonal magic by the name of Unrelenting Force (Force [Fus]).


    You are not a dragon, nor are you a Dragonborn. You are unable to understand Dragon Tongue, but your soul is powerful enough to learn this magic. Your Elder Blood (the blood of space-time) shares some simrities with the bloodline of dragons (the shards of time).


    You may attempt to Observe the Word Wall and how the Dragonborn absorbs the Word of Power by spending 2000 pure souls (EXP). You may memorize the Word of Power and understand Unrelenting Force this way.¡¯

 Chapter 474 - 474: Wager at The Bannered Mare

    Chapter 474: Wager at The Bannered Mare


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: hibiki]


    Two thousand, huh? Not even half the EXP I have. Alright, I¡¯ll go with it.


    ¡®Level 12 Witcher (5400 ¡ú 34000/12500).¡¯


    Another wave of magical information flooded the witcher¡¯s mind.


    ¡®Thu¡¯um is a kind of magic known only to dragonkind. Through the resonance between theirnguage and the earth, they can summon the strength of the Bones of the Earth (Remnants of the All-Maker) and call forth incredible power to aid them in battle.


    Most people are only granted ess to this power through years of rigorous training. Through meditation, they ameliorate their souls, pulling them closer to the power of dragons for a short while. They are then granted ess to the power of the Bones of the Earth.


    But these people, though trained and experienced, do not possess the soul of a dragon. Learning Thu¡¯um will be excruciatingly difficult for them. They can and will go their whole lives mastering only the simplest of Thu¡¯um.


    Unrelenting Force is the most basic of Shouts. It has three Words of Power.


    You have gained Fus from the Word Wall. You have listened to Alduin utter Ro and Dah in the destroyed town of Helgen. These words mean Force, Bnce, and Push, respectively. Together, they can push anything¡ªand anyone¡ªthat stands in your path.


    To enhance your soul, you must meditate like this¡­


    To activate Shout, you must do this¡­¡¯


    ***


    ¡°¡­eneye, Goldeneye! Are you alright?¡±


    A shout snapped Roy out of his stupor, though his mind was still buzzing from the influx of information.


    Nervously, Flynn asked, ¡°Did you see anything?¡±


    Arvel tranted the Dragonborn¡¯s question to Roy. The witcher gave Flynn a weird look and nodded.


    ¡°I knew I wasn¡¯t the only one who saw those runes.¡± Flynn heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°These words¡­ they¡¯re the power that draugr was guarding. Dragon magic. Thu¡¯um¡­ Shouts, so to speak. I remember that dragon back in Helgen shouting something like this.¡±


    The Dragonborn cleared his throat and roared, ¡°Fus Ro Dah!¡±


    Nothing happened. Nothing but a gust of breeze brushed across the cheeks of the adventurers.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m missing something. Can¡¯t use the Shout.¡± Flynn rubbed his temples awkwardly. The influx of new information was making his head buzz too. ¡°And I just learned a lot of new stuff. Need some time to get through everything.¡±


    And then the witcher tried to do the same Shout as well. ¡°Fus Ro Dah!¡±


    But nothing happened. Neither the earth nor space moved for him. His soul was yet to be enhanced. At this point, even Aard packed a bigger punch than this Shout did.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t get it.¡± Arvel approached the Word Wall and touched the runes softly. There was a look of surprise and bewilderment on his face. ¡°Howe I¡¯m the only one who didn¡¯t see a thing? You¡¯re telling me these unintelligible runes contain the power to fell a dragon?¡±


    ¡°You know, that¡¯s an excellent question. I¡¯d like to know the answer myself.¡± Roy heaved a sigh. I spent two thousand EXP and I barely managed to understand it. Still a long way off from mastering it. How on earth can this power defeat a dragon? And how did Flynn learn the Shout without any guidance? Because he¡¯s a Dragonborn? He¡¯s some sort of descendant of a dragon? The runes did shine and swim into his body.


    Roy had another guess. Maybe he¡¯s rted to the dragons. Or maybe he¡¯s born with their power sleeping within him.


    Dragonborn¡­ Shouts¡­ Thu¡¯um¡­ Roy telepathically asked Arvel, Hey, you¡¯re an adventurer, aren¡¯t you? Been to a lot of ruins and tombs? Ever heard of the words Dragonborn and Thu¡¯um?


    A frown furrowed Arvel¡¯s forehead as he tried to remember those words. It¡¯s an ancient legend. Thousands of years ago, dragons were alive and active in Tamriel. The Dragonborns would y them and take their power for themselves.


    And then the thief smacked the back of his head, a stroke of inspiration striking him. Oh, right. That shout that destroyed your conjuration? The one that draugr used? It¡¯s called Thu¡¯um. This is just a rumor, but only Dragonborns can master Thu¡¯um.


    Roy shot Flynn a look of surprise, and the Dragonborn got a little nervous.


    So he¡¯s a yer of dragons and the heir of Thu¡¯um. He¡¯s practically a legend. Maybe I¡¯ll need him to get my hands on some dragon blood.


    ¡­


    The thief looked at hispanions and was about to say something, but Roy told him to keep quiet. They then looted the chamber and came across some locked chests.


    The witcher was about to cut them open with his de, but his servant stopped him. ording to him, some chests would destroy their contents if their lock was forcibly destroyed. He took over and picked the lock of the chests, easily unlocking them.


    The cheststed our adventurers about a hundred coins and a lesser soul gem. The coins were split between Arvel and Flynn, while Roy took the soul gem.


    And now I have three lesser soul gems. I¡¯ll keep some for myself. Four hundred coins. Should be enough to buy something from Farengar.


    They exited through the chamber¡¯s right door and returned to the hill outside. Dawn just broke through the horizon, and a gust of breeze sauntered through the air. It reinvigorated the adventurers.


    One whole day and night had gone by since they entered the temple.


    ¡°We got the stone. Time to go back to Farengar.¡± Flynn took a deep breath and grinned. ¡°This is goodbye, Arvel.¡±


    Arvel held the sword on his girdle and looked at Roy with respect. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do, so why don¡¯t Ie with you guys?¡±


    Flynn¡¯s smile disappeared, and he exchanged a look with hispanion.


    The witcher pretended to give it a thought, then he nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We did get through a whole dungeon together. This calls for a drink.¡±


    ***


    Once again, the adventurers¡ªthis time with Arvel by their side¡ªreturned to the antechamber in Dragonsreach.


    ¡°I can see why you survived the attack. Efficient. It¡¯s only been a day, and you¡¯ve already gotten the stone. Oh, and thanks for your help, Arvel.¡± Farengar observed the intricately-engraved stone. ¡°I shall inform the Jarl of your deed. As promised, you shall have the right to own a house in Whiterun. But beware, houses do note cheap in this city. Oh, and one more thing. Goldeneye, I¡¯ve assessed the soul gem you sold me, and it is no lesser soul gem. It¡¯s a ck soul gem, one that can be used repeatedly. It¡¯s worth six hundred gold, so I still owe you five hundred. Here.¡± The mage handed Roy a purse of coins.


    Arvel tranted Roy¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Farengar, what does this stone do anyway? And how do you intend to fight the dragons with it?¡±


    ¡°s, I have no answer for that just yet. All the more reason to find its secrets as soon as possible. My associate is on their way.¡±


    ¡°What about the draugrs, then? They just came back to life all of a sudden,¡± Flynn asked curiously. Back when they had returned to Whiterun, he had heard that strange summon once more. It came from the looming peak standing in the southeastern direction.


    ¡°Ah, about that.¡± Farengar organized his words and answered, ¡°I do not know the details, but in a time long past, there existed a dragon-worshiping cult. They call themselves the Dragon Cult, and they ruled Skyrim.¡±


    Tamriel was a world where the strong ruled over the weak. The weak among humanity loved to worship those stronger than them.


    ¡°But the dragons, in all their cruelty, imed the lives of countless innocents. Their heinous act sparked a rebellion among humans. And then, the Dragonborn among the Nordlings led their brethren in a valiant battle. They exiled almost all dragons from Skyrim. But before the dragons met their extinction, the priests of Dragon Cult mummified a great deal of their cultists, binding their souls within their mortal shells and connecting them to the object of their faith¡ªdragons. Their creed states that these slumbering cultists will return to life as draugrs when the dragons make their return. And Helgen¡¯s destruction heralds theing of the dragons.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is!¡± Roy and Flynn finally pieced the puzzle together. So that¡¯s why Alduin showed up. That¡¯s why the draugrs came back to life.


    ¡°So who was that Draugr Overlord anyway?¡±


    ¡°I am not too sure. Needs more investigation.¡± Farengar shook his head. ¡°And now, I believe you need some rest. I suggest you have a drink or two at The Bannered Mare, rent some rooms, take a nice, hot bath, and find yourselves some women. Just rx for a few days before youe back.¡±


    ***


    The Bannered Mare was an inn in the ins district of Whiterun. Like most structures in Whiterun, it looked rough around the edges. A bonfire crackled in the center of the establishment, and the ivory candbra hanging from the ceiling swayed.


    Roy stood before the counter, his eyes scanning over the establishment. Men and women of Whiterun sat around the bonfire. Some had capes, some had old, sturdy leather armor, and all were here for booze.


    Nordlings were born fighters. Even the patrons of The Bannered Mare had abat skill or two, and their stats averaged a respectable seven. That was a lot higher than the civilians of the witcher world.


    Some were on the floor, some leaned on the wooden pir supporting the ceiling, while some sat in a half-circle, raising toasts to theirpanions. Foams of beerthered the beards of the male patrons and fell to the ground.


    A sweet scent of alcoholic nectar wafted in the air of the inn, intoxicating the patrons. The fewdies in the inn swayed along to the singing of Mikael, the in-house bard. He was performing a tune by the name of Age of Aggression, and true to the name, thedies swayed violently, as if they were trying to vent something.


    Roy noticed the instrument held by the bard. It looked just like the lute back home. Ah, art transcends time and space.


    ¡°Ah¡­ That hit the spot.¡± Flynn took a big swig of the amber-colored liquid in his mug and looked away from the chest of the well-proportioned innkeep. His face was flush, and his mind¡ªwhich was filled to the brim with Dragon Tongue¡ªfinally calmed a little. Once again, the Dragonborn could y around, and he spoke earnestly to his friend.


    ¡°Goldeneye, we¡¯ve escaped a dragon¡¯s wrath, went through a deadly temple, and killed a powerful draugr. That makes usrades, but still I know nothing about you. Well, aside from the fact that you¡¯re a skilled adventurer, I know nothing. I don¡¯t even know where your home is.¡±


    Flynn stared at his friend, and Roy murmured something.


    Arvel took his hat off to wipe the sweat off his face. ¡°He says he¡¯s from a ce beyond Tamriel.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I have a talent fornguages, believe it or not. I can guess what he¡¯s talking about, and we did talk about his home before.¡±


    Roy nodded.


    Flynn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Hey, but I¡¯m supposed to be Goldeneye¡¯s first friend. Howe this thief knows him better? He looked disgruntled. ¡°So where¡¯s his home if not Tamriel? Arcadia? Or is it Yokuda, home of the Redguards?¡±


    ¡°Neither. Hees from¡­ um¡­ a ce called Novigrad.¡± Arvel too looked surprised hearing that name. ¡°It¡¯s an even more bustling ce than Whiterun. They have a big port there, and dozens of ships woulde to trade every day.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. He¡¯s no peasant from any old hamlet. So what did he used to do? Can you ask him?¡±


    Arvel gulped down the piece of grilled potato he was eating. ¡°He used to be a mercenary. Made a living by taking requests. Monster hunting and puzzle solving. Oh, and he¡­ he used to run an orphanage, but then tragedy struck. Other mercenaries attacked him during one particr request, and he was exiled to Skyrim. A long way away from Novigrad. He doesn¡¯t even know if he can go home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, Goldeneye. Didn¡¯t know you had a rough ride.¡± Flynn sighed. ¡°But an orphanage¡­ Wow. I¡¯d be thanking the gods if I could make enough just to support myself and my family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re an orphan?¡± asked Arvel.


    Flynn took another swig of his beer. ¡°I was born in Cyrodiil, the center of the Empire located south of Skyrim. After my parents¡¯ passing, I came to Skyrim. To where my home is. I am a Nordling, after all. Been four years since then, yet I still have nothing under my name. Just a lowly tramp. But then the soldiers came for me, thinking I was a rebel.¡±


    A smile curled the Dragonborn¡¯s lips. ¡°But I s¡¯pose I should thank them. Without them, I would never have run into Goldeneye. Would never have embarked on this adventure. Here, a toast to the Imperials.¡±


    They nged their bottles together, and foam sprayed everywhere. Then the adventurers gulped down their booze.


    ¡°Your turn, Arvel.¡± Flynn wiped the beer off his mouth. ¡°Why did you go to the temple? You¡¯re a decent fighter, but trying to go through that ce all by yourself would be a suicide mission.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go in there alone. The draugrs and bandits killed mypanions.¡± Arvel touched his mustache, his eyes filled with mncholy. ¡°And I have a reason to venture into that temple. I promised I¡¯d get my hands on the strength that can fell dragons and prove myself to her, but now I see I¡¯m not cut out for that job. You two got something from that wall, but I didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think I can ever master a Shout.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh. He would like to help, but not even he managed to master a Shout. Flynn might be a Dragonborn, but he too needed time to go through all the information in his head, even if he did absorb everything in one go.


    And then a hardened, furry hand mmed itself on the adventurers¡¯ table. The man behind that hand had the hard look typical of Nordlings. His beard was braided, and his blonde hair was tied back. With a roaring voice, he asked, ¡°Did you just raise a toast to the Imperials? You an Imperial supporter?¡± He wobbled and swayed drunkenly.


    ¡°Enough, Jon Battle-Born. You¡¯re drunk. Lie down somewhere andy your hands off my customers.¡± Hulda¡ªthe innkeep¡ªput her hands on her hips and shot Jon a withering look over the counter.


    ¡°Just a few questions for our friends, Hulda.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not Imperial supporters.¡± Flynn wiped the drool off his face and shot Jon an icy look.


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re with the rebellion!¡± Jon tensed up and snarled at the adventurers, shoving Flynn¡¯s chest with an empty bottle.


    ¡°I see you dislike the rebels as well. We do not acknowledge their actions either. We¡¯re not supporters of either faction,¡± Arvel tranted Roy¡¯s thoughts. Though he too had the same thought. He was no Nordling. If possible, he would stay away from this civil war. If anything, he despised Thalmor the most. They were the ones who incited this war.


    ¡°Yes. We take no sides in this war.¡± Flynn stood up. ¡°We share the Jarl Balgruuf¡¯s opinion. What will you do now? Force us to change our minds?¡±


    Jon took a deep breath and shook his head. ¡°No. Neutral¡¯s fine.¡± He looked at the adventurers and¡ªat longst¡ªrealized some of them were survivors of Helgen¡¯s dragon attack. ¡°You must be the survivors of the dragon attack on Helgen. Obviously you¡¯ve never heard of the Battle-Borns and their greatness. You show no respect to us, and I do not like that. Someone needs to teach you a lesson. I challenge you to a duel! By drinking!¡±


    ¡°Are you challenging all of us at once?¡± asked Arvel mischievously.


    ¡°If you feel no shame in using your numbers advantage, Nordlings, then I ept the challenge.¡± Jon stood up straighter, ring at the adventurers.


    Flynn was raring to go, but Arvel held him down. ¡°Fine. Our leader epts your challenge. We just got back from an adventure. He wishes to wind down with a drink or two.¡±


    Roy approached the drunken Nordling and smiled at him.


    ¡°I assume we¡¯ll have a prize for this contest, Battle-Born.¡±


    ¡°But of course. If I lose, I will do anything you ask of me. As long as it¡¯s within my power to do so. The Battle-Borns are famous in Whiterun, after all. But if this¡­ Goldeneye were to lose, then he must show proper respect to the Battle-Borns every time he sees us. In the form of a proper bow.¡± Jon swung his arm down. ¡°Drinks are on me regardless of the oue.¡±


    Roy nodded quietly.


    And then, a young man with ck hair and golden eyes sat down before the counter with a battle-hardened, burly man. Arvel folded his arms confidently, while the Dragonborn stood behind him, looking a little nervous.


    A few of the tipsier patrons craned their necks to watch this little wager with interest.


    Jon nodded at the innkeep, and Huldaid out a row of alcohol before the contestants. Alto wine, Nordling mead, ale¡­ everything she had.


    But Jon sobered up for a moment and scoffed. ¡°Hulda, I can¡¯t believe you aren¡¯t serving up any brandy or ck-briar mead. This is an important contest. I have more than enough coins to pay for the best you have. Give us the Argonian ale.¡±


    ¡°I do not have Argonian ale!¡± Hulda crossed her arms and obviously lied. ¡°This is the best I have, you battle-crazed oaf.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I guess we can work with these.¡± Jon smirked at the witcher. And then, as if he was already victorious, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, kid. If you do anything stupid when you¡¯re drunk, I¡¯ll whoop you into next week.¡±


    Roy only smiled. I¡¯m twice as sturdy as you are, and I have Activate to clear any debuffs. This is going to be easy.


    ¡°Hold on¡­¡± A burp echoed across the air. ¡°A second, please.¡± A husky voice spoke. ¡°Sam Gunvenne, wine connoisseur. You have an interesting contest going on here. Mind if I join?¡±


    The neer was a tall, slender man with slicked-back hair. He was in simple attire not unlike those belonging to schrs or mages. The man let out augh. A nonchnt, flippantugh. ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s the best drinker. Last man standing gets an enchanted sword. Oh, you don¡¯t need to give me anything if I win. This is just for fun.¡±


    He whipped out a gleaming sword. It had a cross-shaped crossguard and a ruby pommel. Its de was as thin and supple as a moth¡¯s wing, its runes gleaming like stars under the candlelight.


    There was a name carved on the hilt, but before Roy could have a closer look, the mage sped his hand, and the de disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°That sword is wasted on a weakling like you.¡± Jon looked at the frail mage and shook his head scornfully, then his eyes burned with desire. ¡°I¡¯ll happily take it off your hands. Challenge epted. What about you, Goldeneye?¡±


    Arvel tranted the conversation for Roy. The witcher looked at this neer and realized he, like Farengar, was a mage. Though Farengar was a far more powerful mage than Sam was. A mage who¡¯s also an alcoholic. Odd. Roy nodded nheless.


    Happily, Sam took the seat on Roy¡¯s right side. He tapped his finger on the table, and Hulda served him a row of alcohol as well.


    ¡°Well, bottoms up.¡± The mage picked up a bottle of ale and bellowed inughter, signaling the start of this drinking contest.

 Chapter 475 - 475: Redmount

    Chapter 475: Redmount


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: hibiki]


    An unconscious man stirred, his eyshes fluttering. With difficulty, the man opened his eyes. He then pushed himself up, rotten leaves squelching underneath his hands. He looked around and found himself in a forest. Dappled sunlight shone through the leaves, and whispers of beasts and chirping of beetles came from the depths within the trees.


    At first, the man was confused, but then he was surprised. ¡°Where am I? What happened?¡± Roy massaged his temples and freshened his groggy mind up. Then he stood, wobbly like a drunken man just waking up with a hangover. ¡°I remember the drinking contest back in the inn. So what¡¯s the deal with this forest? How did I get here?¡±


    Roy turned his attention to the character sheet. He was now drunk. To his surprise, all his gear was still with him. ¡°Must be a prank. Jon and Sam must¡¯ve dragged me all the way out here when I was drunk. Wait, that couldn¡¯t be.¡± Jon fell after fifteen bottles. Sam and I were left. We went on and on and on. Roy could feel his belly filled to bursting point with alcohol, but not once did he use his inventory to cheat. He wished to vent all his frustration through the contest, though he did ask Arvel to keep an eye on him.


    Roy could hear the crackling of the inn¡¯s bonfire even though he was groggy. Just when he was about to fall unconscious, Sam sumbed before he could. He fell on the counter, snoring away. And then the air was filled with cheers and apuse from the Nordlings.


    Then everything went ck. ¡°It was dusk back when I was in the inn. And it¡¯s still dusk now.¡± Was I out for a whole day?


    Roy tried to contact Arvel, but there was no response from his servant, nor could he teleport away. It felt like some strange power had locked this space he was in. A frown creased Roy¡¯s forehead, and a sense of unease took over him. Most people don¡¯t have this kind of power. Heck, most mages don¡¯t have this kind of power.


    He was suddenly reminded of that mage who joined their little contest back in the inn. The one with a nonchnt smile. And then, as if the witcher had pulled a trigger, he heard something speak.


    ¡°Find me. Hold me. Take me. Find me. Hold me. Take me.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Who is this Sam guy? He¡¯s more powerful than I thought. And why did he pull this prank on me? Just because I won that contest?¡± Hm, but he meant me no harm. Or he could¡¯ve just killed me when I was drunk. So why did he bring me here?


    ¡°Fine, if that¡¯s what you wish for, then that¡¯s what you get. Let¡¯s find out what you are.¡±


    The bizarre, disembodied voice that echoed through the air did not scare the witcher. He had seen many strange events in his life. Quickly, heposed himself and walked in the direction his heart was pointing him. Through the ins, the witcher walked. Time and time again, he tried to teleport back to his servant, but s, all his attempts ended in failure.


    And then he ran into a wooden fence. Roy walked through the fence and ran into a Nordling.


    ¡°Hello, friend. It¡¯s getting dark. What brings you here?¡± A man in hunter attire with a bow strapped to his back greeted Roy. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go around at night. The beasts will eat you.¡±


    Roy scanned the man. A regr Nordling. Nothing special about him¡­ Hey, wait a minute. At this point, the witcher¡¯s mind had sobered up, and he realized something weird. Arvel¡¯s not here, so how did I manage to understand this guy?


    It was a situation Roy had never met before, and he took some time to process it, though he still had no answer to any question he had. And so he said, ¡°Sorry, buddy. I was looking for someone, but I got lost. And¡­ well, tried to run around, but now the sun¡¯s setting. What is this ce, anyway?¡± There must be a reason why he left me here. Maybe this ce holds some clues to his whereabouts.


    ¡°Redmount.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for one Sam Guevenne. Have you seen him?¡±


    The guard shook his head. ¡°No idea who that is, but maybe someone in the vige does.¡± He looked at Roy again and let out a heartyugh. His beard trembled, and he warmly invited, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark,d. Staying out alone is dangerous. Why don¡¯t youe in and look around the vige? Kelly¡¯s got some good ale. Maybe it¡¯ll jog your memory.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath. Well, when in Rome¡­ Show me what you got, Sam. ¡°Appreciate the invitation, but spare the booze.¡±


    The guard let his guard down, and then Roy quickly cast an Axii. A shudder coursed through the guard¡¯s body, and his face nked. Now he was as obedient as a puppet.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s start with an introduction.¡±


    ***


    Roy gained nothing from the questioning. Five minutester, the guard led him into the vige, then he returned to his post.


    Roy looked up and saw a mountain standing behind the vige. The vige was surrounded by lush greenery. Houses made of mud, wood, and stones were strewn everywhere, and fields of bountiful crops stood at the sides of the vige. A clear stream gurgled in the west side of the vige, and a watermill turned round and round in the corner, stirring up a nket of wet white fog.


    Goats stampeded and rampaged around the alleyways, while vigers strolled down the streets,nguid smiles hanging from their lips.


    ¡®Twas a typical, peaceful vige of farmers.


    On the east side of the vige was a beach covered in golden sands, and a great ocean unfurled beyond it.


    Roy said hi to a viger.


    ¡°Oh, you must be an outsider.¡± The man wore a friendly smile as he looked at Roy. ¡°Never seen you before.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m from Whiterun. You ever heard of it?¡± Roy was looking at the man closely, hoping he would have clues leading to the mage¡¯s location.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s in the far north, isn¡¯t it? The journey alone takes a month, and that¡¯s with a carriage. Heard it¡¯s a lot colder than Redmount. So what brings you here? Some sightseeing?¡±


    Roy shook his head, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m looking for one Sam Guevenne. Ever heard of him?¡±


    ¡°I think I have. Oh, right. Sherry mentioned that name before.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Sherry?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s a wonderful girl. The vige only got this good by virtue of her. Thanks to her, we¡¯re all living happy lives.¡±


    ¡°She must¡¯ve done a lot for the vige, then.¡± Okay, this might be a clue.


    ¡°Yep. She¡¯s beautiful and kind. Ever since she found that mine in the woods, life has gotten a lot better for us. Everyone loves her.¡± The man had a big grin on his face. He seemed to have nothing but love for the girl, and he kept on with his praise, ¡°And she knows a lot. You should go see her. Maybe she can help you. Just walk down this street until the very end. She¡¯s in the house right by the mountain. Knock on the door before you go in. She lives with her mother, Caroline. Thedy¡¯s as kind as her daughter.¡±


    Roy rubbed his chin. Hmm¡­


    Warmly, the man continued, ¡°Or you can try your luck at Firefalls Inn. The innkeep probably knows what you¡¯re looking for. She knows a lot of stuff, too. Eleventh house down this street. If you need supplies, you can find Balrog¡¯s general goods store in rural Redmount. Or you can buy some stuff from Tharken in the marketce. Have a nice stay. We don¡¯t get a lot of visitors here in Redmount.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your help.¡± Roy nodded and slowly walked down the street. He was in no hurry. Like a tourist, he looked around the vige, soaking in its scenery. Smoke billowed from the chimneys of Redmount¡¯s houses, glimmering under the sun like stars shining in an ethereal river.


    The vigers here didn¡¯t seem to close their doors. Roy could see the cauldrons bubbling over the fire pits within these houses. The scent of meat and fruits wafted through the air, tempting those who took a whiff to sit down and have a meal.


    Some of thedies waved at the witcher and invited him in to dine. Roy rubbed his belly¡ªstill filled with wine¡ªand shook his head.


    As he walked down the street, a few more vigers smiled at him. He asked them a few more questions, and the vigers¡ªdriven by their curiosity¡ªpatiently answered the witcher¡¯s questions. Though they either had no idea who Sam was, or they told him he should talk to Sherry about it.


    Eventually, he came to the end of the street, and here, a short little house stood. In the yard was a ck-haired woman in a red apron swinging her axe away at the firewood. She looked to be in her thirties. Beautiful face, rosy cheeks, and a plump body. Beads of sweat hung from her chin, dazzling like a drop of liquid rainbow gleaming under the sun.


    ¡°Ahem. Might this be Sherry¡¯s home?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And who might you be? I don¡¯t remember seeing you in the vige.¡± The woman put down her firewood and held her axe with one hand as she wiped away sweat with the other. ¡°How may I help you?¡± She smiled.


    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m a traveler from Whiterun. You can call me Goldeneye. I¡¯m here for a girl named Sherry. Let me guess, you¡¯re her mother, Caroline.¡± Roy looked at her hand. An ugly scar stretched across the back of her hand. Wonder if that¡¯s from all her lumberjack work.


    The woman nodded. ¡°Yes, but why do you ask? How do you know of her?¡±


    ¡°The vigers told me she might be able to help me. I¡¯m looking for one Sam Guevenne. It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, you are a guest.¡± Caroline smiled gently. ¡°Her room¡¯s on the left right after you go in. She¡¯s practicing her dance, and you might be the perfect audience for her. Go.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want me to watch your daughter dance, ma¡¯am? I¡¯m a guy.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You seem like a decentd.¡± Caroline beamed. ¡°You won¡¯t hurt her, will you?¡±


    ***


    Sherry¡¯s room was hidden behind a reddish-brown curtain. It was a simple, clean, and neat room illuminated by candlelight. On the left side was a pink bed standing close to the wall, with a doll in a red dress lying quietly by the pillow. On the right was a bookshelf filled with romance novels and poetry.


    In the center of the room was a girl in a yellow dress. She stood up straight, pirouetting like a top. Her left foot¡ªcovered in a shoe¡ªrested against her right knee. She held her hands up and spun along with the rhythm just like a dancing swan.


    Her skin was as white as snow and as smooth as silk. Her beautiful, lustrous hair was tied up in a ponytail, gleaming under the candlelight. She had a petite face and a pair of eyes the color of bright emerald. Her eyshes were long and her nose aquiline, her lips were as soft as flower petals, and her ears were hidden beneath her hair.


    The girl looked sweet and slender in form. And young. She was only tall enough to reach Roy¡¯s chin. Like a blooming flower, she seemed fresh and full of life.


    ¡®Sherry


    Age: Thirteen years old


    Status: Redmount viger.¡¯


    ***


    After three more spins, the girl finally stopped and opened her eyes, surprised to find a stranger in her room. ¡°Who are you?¡± And then a hint of delight filled her eyes. ¡°Oh, a visitor?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you must be Sherry. Call me Goldeneye. The vigers told me you¡­ know a lot. And your mother told me I coulde in.¡± Roy turned his sight away. Thestdy to impress him this much just with her looks alone was Vivienne. A girl this beautiful, living in a vige like this. I can see why she¡¯s loved by the vigers. ¡°You¡¯re a great dancer, Sherry. Especially for someone your age,¡± Roy praised. I need her help, so gotta make her happy.


    ¡°Really?¡± The girl stared at the witcher with anticipation twinkling in her eyes. She held her beautiful hands before her chest, and excitement welled on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been dancing for a long time now. I love to dance.¡±


    She had a voice as warm and soothing as a spring breeze. Roy felt his heart melt just listening to her speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s an art of expression. An expression of your feelings through movement. I¡­ I feel happy when I dance.¡±


    ¡°Good opinion. You¡¯d be a marvelous dancer if you could perform in the city. Why didn¡¯t you dance on the streets anymore? I¡¯m sure everyone would love to watch you dance,¡± Roy said. ¡°They love you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ve danced plenty. They¡¯re bored of it now. I need toe up with some new moves. I need¡­ inspiration.¡± And then she hung her head low like a despondent little cat abandoned by her friend. ¡°Oh, and you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Goldeneye.¡±


    ¡°So why did youe? I know it¡¯s not just because of my dancing,¡± she asked cutely.


    ¡°This might sound strange, but I¡¯m looking for someone named Sam Guevenne. He tossed me into this¡­ quaint little vige,¡± answered Roy. ¡°I wish to go home, and he¡¯s the key to it.¡±


    ¡°I see. I think I know who you¡¯re talking about?¡± Sherry stared at the ground again, musing over the matter. She looked a little reluctant at first, but then for some reason¡ªperhaps because she was being helpful¡ªshe bit her lip and looked at the witcher. ¡°I can take you to him, but I have three favors to ask.¡±


    The witcher hesitated. Should I just cast Axii on her and make her talk? But he couldn¡¯t. She was too sweet and frail. Even a battle-hardened witcher like Roy couldn¡¯t take advantage of her. But more importantly, this could be a test from Sam to see if he was worthy. Gotta be careful.


    ¡°Name them. But I make no guarantees. And three favors is a lot to ask. I can do one, so what do you say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re simple favors. Help me, and I¡¯ll take you to him. They¡¯re really fun, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Sherry stared at him again with anticipation in her eyes, her eyes glimmering like stars. ¡°So do we have a deal, Goldeneye? Can I call you Goldie? I¡¯ve always wanted a brother, and that sounds like a brotherly name.¡±


    Roy extended his hand and shook hers.


    Sherry beamed, and gorgeous dimples formed on her cheeks. ¡°Wait for me at the watermill to the northwest. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Roy frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a bitte, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we can make it.¡±

 Chapter 476: Three Wishes

    In the northern area of Redmount stood one watermill. An ancient, ck watermill. It turned ever so slowly, stirring up water from the river and scattering it all across the air. The droplets of water glimmered like gold under the sun, and the gurgle of the river drowned out the sound of the gearturn.


    Roy was wading through the patch of dandelion, purne, and foxtails beside the watermill, searching for something.


    "For my first wish, I want to get six butterflies. Three blues and three monarchs."


    <em>Yeah, she''s a child, alright. </em>Roy shook his head. <em>I can''t believe I''m ying a child''s game here. Me, a witcher. I didn¡¯t even do this back at the orphanage. Gods, if those guys find out, they''re gonnaugh at me. But at least it''s better than literal crimes, I guess.</em>


    With his witcher senses activated, Roy stared right at the slender path hidden between the tall grass, searching for his quarry. He couldn''t catch a butterfly if there were no butterflies to catch.


    A while had gone by since he started this little hunt, and yet there was not a single butterfly to be seen. Behind him, Sherry was waving her around, happily pouncing at the butterflies fluttering within the grass and giggling in glee.


    Golden sunshine rained down upon her, draping her in a sheen of gold. Roy would look at her with admiration for a while, and then Sherry shouted, "Goldeneye, there!"


    She ran over to Roy, swinging her around. The witcher set his senses to Sherry''s vicinity and saw a yellow butterfly with ck lines on its wings fluttering across a patch of thistle. <em>A monarch butterfly.</em>


    It leapt from one purple flower to the next, as if saying hello to them. Roy crouched among the grass like a cat ready to pounce at its prey, while Sherry stayed by his side, carefully standing on her tiptoes. Roy could feel her ponytail brushing against the nape of his neck, and he could smell the scenting off her.


    Slowly, Roy moved closer to the monarch butterfly. When they were only a few inches away from the butterfly, the girl hopped ahead and swung her down, but the butterfly flew away like it was blown by a gust of wind, easily evading the girl''s.


    The girl pouted, but then she saw another zipping past her. It was so fast, she almost couldn''t see it clearly. A momentter, Roy had already caught the butterfly, and he winked at her.


    "Awesome, Goldie!" Sherry spun around in delight and carefully tucked the butterfly into a cage she brought. And she beamed like a girl who had just gotten her favorite toy. "So, shall we continue?"


    "Very well."


    Quite a while had gone by, but the sun was still shining in the sky, and the watermill turned on and on.


    Giggles andughter echoed in the air, and then the witcher and the girl finally stopped their little game. They sat underneath the watermill, golden rays of sunset raining down on their shoulders. They swung their feet in the water, letting its cool wavesp away their exhaustion.


    "Thank you, Goldie. It''s been a while since I had this much fun." Beads of sweat trickled down her cheeks. She stared at the blues and monarchs in her cage, a big smile curling her lips, her eyes gleaming little stars. "Look at them. They''re beautiful."


    "They are." Roy enjoyed the view. Fluttering butterflies, blooming flowers, a gurgling stream, and an adorable youngdy having the time of her life. For a moment, he felt his soul settling. And he smiled. "So why are you collecting these butterflies? Are you going to make them into specimens?"


    Sherry shook her head. "It''s just for fun." Sherry kicked away at the water, her legs glimmering like beautiful pearls under the sunshine. "It''s been a long time since someone came with me on a butterfly hunt."


    "Really?" Roy doubted that. "Caroline and the vigers seem to love you. I think they''ll be happy to y with you."


    "It''s¡­ different," Sherry whispered. Then she smiled sweetly at Roy. "Let''s talk about the butterflies. We caught them together, Goldie. You can decide what happens to them."


    "I see." Roy stared into Sherry''s eyes, and he shook his head. "I can go with anything. You decide."


    Sherry mused over her decision, and then she said loudly, "Why don''t we let them go, then? Butterflies are the best when they can fly around freely."


    "Good idea."


    ***


    Sherry saw the butterflies off, and then she smiled mysteriously at Roy. There was a hint of a plea in her eyes, as if she was worried he might refuse her next request. "As for my second wish, I want to y a game of hide-and-seek. You''re It. I''ll hide somewhere around the vige. If you catch me, I''ll give you a surprise."


    Roy looked at the setting sun and frowned in hesitation. But he nodded in the end.


    "Let''s do this! Face the banana tree and count to one hundred. Count loudly. I have to be able to hear it." Sherry huddled closer to the witcher and held his hands. Cutely, she said, "No cheating. Cheaters get punished."


    She then stood behind Roy and blew at her bangs. "I''m great at hiding. If you can''t find me, you can always ask the vigers for clues."


    ***


    The vige smiled upon the setting sun. A witcher stood on the vige''s streets, staring at the ground dumbly. Countless ribbons intertwined in the air, leading into the vigers'' houses. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t find the ribbon belonging to Sherry. Yet her scent still lingered around his nose.


    Even so, he could find no trace of Sherry. It felt like she had disappeared into thin air. <em>Okay, this almost never happened. </em>"Weird. I can''t cheat, so I''ll have to find her manually."


    ***


    <em>Wonder where she''s hiding.</em> He searched the vige, but there was no sign of Sherry anywhere. In the end, he went to her house, but only Caroline was around.


    "She''s ying hide-and-seek?" Caroline was in the kitchen. She pushed her bangs back and smiled. "I see she has taken a liking to you."


    "I think she feels lonely. Don''t you guys y with her?" Roy asked. He was still wondering why Sherry made those wishes. It felt like she wanted a ymate. "Everyone loves her. They won''t refuse her, will they?"


    "The vigers used to be harsh on her. Nobody would go near her except for me."


    "Why?" asked Roy. "She''s a beautiful and gentle soul. Why would the vigers hate her? And why did they start liking her?"


    "Our vige used to be abysmally poor. That was the only thing everyone ever talked about." Caroline stopped talking for a moment, and she tensed up. But then she smiled. "But one day, Sherry stumbled upon a silver mine when she was ying in the mountains. And things changed for the better. The vigers were starving no longer, and everyone started making money. They feel indebted to Sherry, so they started harboring affection for her."


    <em>So Maslow''s hierarchy of needs, then? First their physical needs are met, and then they can afford kindness.</em>


    "She knows everyone in the vige now." Caroline smiled. "Maybe she thinks you''ll be a better ymate. Perhaps offer her a challenge."


    "Do you know where she''s hiding, then?" Roy whispered. He felt a little embarrassed. <em>I''m an expert tracker. Can''t believe I have to ask an average woman for help. </em>"Or her usual haunt?"


    "Try the beach. She loves to see the sunset alone."


    ***


    To the west of Redmount was a vast forest filled with lush greenery, a waterfall thundering down a cliff, and a watermill. On its right was a slope leading to the golden sands facing the vast, glimmering ocean.


    Beyond the horizon was the setting sun, saying its goodbye before passing the torch to the night. Dazzling colors swam and swirled in the skies and sea, and beside the waters, Roy saw an old man. He wore a straw hat and held a rod and an empty wooden bucket, his skin red from exposure to the elements.


    "Ah, visitor. Here to find Sherry, I s''pose?" He grinned toothily at Roy, wrinkles scrunching up his face.


    "Have you seen her? Is she hiding here?"


    "Oh, I can''t break the rules. Sorry, visitor." The old man pinched his goatee.


    "What will make you change your mind?"


    "I can give you a clue, but we''ll have to make a deal."


    "I make no guarantees."


    "Just try your best, then."


    "Fine." Roy heaved a sigh. He thought the vigers were a bit odd, though he felt no maliceing from them.


    "Sherry had a bad past. She''s keeping her feelings bottled up." The old man sighed. "Try to cheer her up. y along with her if you can."


    "What kind of past?" Roy asked, "Can I have more details?"


    The old man wouldn''t tell him anything. "You''ll know. If she is willing to tell. So, do we have a deal?"


    "I will try my best, but I make no guarantees."


    The old man patted his hat and stayed quiet for a while. "Fine. But remember, she likes poetry. If you can''t find her, try reciting a poem or two."


    ¡­


    "I see you, Sherry!" Roy shouted into the air and quickly stepped on the sands, pacing back and forth. But he received no response no matter how long he shouted. "Weird. Why isn''t she taking the bait? She should''ve fallen for that easily."


    But no matter how long Roy searched, he couldn''t find Sherry. "Did they lie to me? Am I searching in the wrong direction?" <em>Gods, at this rate, I''ll have to go with </em>that.


    Embarrassed, Roy paced around. Finally, he saw no way out, and he sighed. "Not like anyone I know is here. I''ll just take a leaf out of Dandelion''s page. Let''s name this poem¡­ Sherry." <em>I hope this''ll work.</em>


    Roy coughed and took a deep breath. He puffed his chest out and looked into the distance, where the ocean murmured.


    "Into the sand I tread


    The vige behind me


    Quaint and quiet


    The setting sun waves


    And beyond the sands I see


    Sherry,ing to me


    Her hair, golden as the sun


    Her lips, red as a cherry


    Gently she goes


    Through the sands


    To me shees."


    The sound of Roy''s recital echoed across the air. It wasn''t professional, nor was it filled with too much emotion, but Roy made sure it was loud. And his voice echoed through the air.


    "Her hair, golden as the sun


    Her lips, red as a cherry


    Gently she goes


    Through the sands


    To me shees."


    Roy felt the sand beneath him shiver, and then a petite figure broke through the surface. It was Sherry. Her face was red, and tears glistened in her eyes. The water in the sand drenched her dress, and now her dress clung tightly on her skin. Her shoulders trembled, and she started to cry.


    "Sorry, Sherry. Have you been waiting long?"


    "No." The girl wouldn''t stop crying. "I just never thought someone would write a poem for me." She stared at the witcher, moved. "Thank you, Goldie. This is the happiest day of my life. A-And am I really that beautiful?" She muttered. "Hair golden as the sun and lips red as cherries."


    "Of course. You''re the most beautiful girl in Redmount." <em>Did I go too far? I probably shouldn''t have learned from Dandelion. </em>He said, "Like everyone in the vige, I adore you."


    "Can I record that poem?"


    "Of course. It''s yours."


    The girl stared down in excitement. A momentter, she stepped into the shallow seas and scooped up some water to wash the sands off her, and her skin seemed to glisten. Yet Roy had a feeling she looked lonely. Like she never had someone in her life who cared for her before.


    Roy sighed. <em>Wait. Something''s off. </em>He turned around and saw a lot of vigers standing behind the fence beyond this beach. They were smiling at the both of them, not unlike parents seeing off their daughter before she got married.


    And yet, Roy couldn''t shake the unease he was feeling. The smile, the glimmer in their eyes, their expressions¡­ <em>They all look the same.</em>


    "You''ve granted two of my three wishes. I''m really happy. I don''t know how to thank you," Sherry spoke. "But now it''s time for my third wish. Please,e with me. To¡­ the ruins at the mountain''s base."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 477: Don’t Leave Me

    Roy followed the girl back to the vige. Surprisingly, she had a pair of steady feet, not unlike an experienced hunter. And yet her feet were perfect and wless. They went through the patch of thistles on the west side of the vige, passed through the ancient watermill, and crossed the gurgling stream.


    Eventually, they came to the base of a cliff, where the ruins of a temple stood. Vines crawled upon the pirs and walls of the ruins, and the air was filled with a sense of destion. No mortal soul was to be found here. The only residents were foxes, mice, and other critters. This was their home.


    And in the spot where the falls and ruins met, a ck stone door stood. Sherry slowly opened the door, revealing a sanctuary within. First, Roy saw an abundance of nts growing around the space behind the door, and a brightly-lit corridor stood before them. It felt warmer inside, and the air tasted fresh.


    "Whoa. Is this your secret base?" Roy looked around. <em>Seems lived-in. There''s a bed made of hay and nket, a doused bonfire, a rack, and a simple bookshelf.</em>


    "Yes. I''de here for some peace and quiet." She held the witcher''s hand. "As promised, I''ll show you a surprise."


    She took him through the corridor, and they entered the inner chamber of the mountain. Standing before them was an indoor garden bustling with greenery. Flowers bloomed, and streams gurgled down the surrounding walls of stone, slithering around the garden before flowing out of the cave.


    A hole opened up at the top of the cave, letting rays of sunshine rain down upon the garden. Roy felt like he just barged into a magical space, and then he saw a staircase made out of white marble standing within the garden.


    Sherry took him upstairs, and then Roy noticed an oil painting perched in the center of the mini za. It depicted a scene of two people sitting beside a stream, basking in the sunset. And standing beside them was a watermill. They were huddled close together, their arms held high up in the air as they waved the butterflies goodbye.


    Roy could see the smiles hanging on the lips of that pair in the painting. The girl was sweet and lovely, while the boy was handsome and dashing. They looked like the perfect couple.


    Sherry stood before the painting, her eyes twinkling with delight. "This is the surprise. It''s a painting of us catching butterflies beside the watermill. Do you like it?"


    Despite his impatience with her childish behavior, Roy still felt a little moved. Nobody else would do something like this for him. Not even Coral. And then he was reminded of the request the old fisherman told him. <em>Make her happy. Well, she''s a likable girl. </em>And he smiled. "I love it. Didn''t think you''d be as good a painter as you are a dancer. It''s beautiful. I love it. Thank you, Sherry." He looked into her eyes.


    The girl clutched her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. She then spun around in delight once more, dancing beautifully like a ballerina. "Good to hear. Now can I make my third wish?"


    "Of course." Roy looked at the painting and the girl in delight.


    "I¡­" She hesitated for a moment, then she swung her fists to bolster her courage. "I''d like you to move into Redmount and be a part of the family. Everyone''s more than happy to wee you. Even Caroline. And then we can y all day. We can have breakfast together just like a family. Then we can y at the beach. And the falls. Then you can try toe up with some new dance moves for me at night. You came from the world beyond. You must have seen a lot of things in your life. So, how about it?"


    Roy''s smile froze. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Sherry, I can''t. I told you I must find Sam. I have to leave this ce. There are people out there waiting for me. They''re important to me. I can''t leave them behind."


    "But why? Redmount is the best ce in the world. There''s no sickness or hunger here. Everyone''s kind, and the weather is always sunny." All the color was drained from Sherry''s face, and she took a step back.


    "Sherry, I¡ª"


    "It''s me, isn''t it? I''m just a stupid brat everyone hates. Just a stupid brat who thinks she can have everything she wants. You think my games are stupid and boring, don¡¯t you?" Suddenly, she raised her head, and with determination in her voice, she spoke. "But I promise I''ll change. I''ll make you happy."


    "Sherry!"


    The girl hugged her shoulders, shivering as if she was assailed by a chilly gale. "I-I just want you to stay. If you leave, I''ll be alone again. And I don''t want that. Please, don''t leave me."


    Roy remained silent. But when he heard the girl''s thundering heartbeat, he changed the subject, "Sherry, I have a few questions for you. Ever since I came into the vige, something has felt off. You know what I''m talking about. The perpetually setting sun, the vigers who somehow act the same¡­ And why would you be alone without me?"


    "I have something to tell you." Worriedly, she said, "But I don''t want you to hate me. They did."


    "I won''t." <em>What is she talking about? </em>"And everyone likes you, don''t they?"


    "They weren''t like this a long time ago. I changed them." She hung her head low, whispering, "I never wanted to keep them here. But this is the only way to make sure they love me. I-Is that believable?"


    "Wait, what do you mean ''keep them here''?" Roy''s heart sank. <em>I think I know why I can''t teleport away now. </em>"What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "I''ll exin." The girl let out a sigh. A moment of silence swept down on them, and then, with a shivering voice, she recounted her past.


    "A long time ago, everyone in the vige hated me. Every time I¡¯d walk down the streets, the men would give me weird stares. Stares filled with lust. Like they wanted to tear my clothes off and gobble me up. And the women would give me hate-filled looks. Called me a whore behind my back. They would spit at me every chance they had."


    Roy was in disbelief. <em>That''s how the vigers used to treat her? But they''re so kind. This sounds impossible. What happened?</em>


    "All because I looked different from them. Caroline said I was too beautiful."


    Roy interjected, "I thought they started liking you because you found a mine for them and enriched their lives."


    "That''s what they think. What I want them to think."


    <em>Wait, what? </em>Roy had a sinking feeling in his stomach.


    "Everything changed after that old man died." Sherry crouched and held her knees with her hands, and she rested her chin on her knees, her eyes spacing out. With sorrow in her voice, she said, "An old man went by my house one day. I was basking in the shade by the front of my home when, all of a sudden, he grabbed my hand and started touching my legs. In all my terror, I shoved him away. And he fell. The moment he did, his heart stopped beating. But everyone said <em>I </em>murdered him. used me of using witchcraft on him. Called me a whore."


    Roy massaged his temples. He couldn''t imagine the kind, helpful vigers were nothing but beasts controlled by their lust and envy in the past. <em>They used to be nothing but an ignorant mob. Wait, maybe that''s the truth. That''s what most vigers are supposed to be like. The kindness they showed was nothing but a mask.</em>


    Sherry started trembling, and when she looked at Roy again, there were tears in her eyes. Sadly, she said, "They knew it was a lie. I would never hurt anyone, but they framed me. They had¡­ ns for me."


    "And? What happened?"


    "They took the body away and barged into my house at night. Caroline and I were sleeping, and then they tried to take me away by force. I screamed. I cried. Caroline came to my defense and pped the man who tried to take me away, and¡­ and he whipped out a knife. Mother tried to hold it, but she was too weak."


    "And then he killed your mother?" Roy asked calmly, but the mes of fury burned in his eyes.


    "No. He stabbed her in the stomach, but he did it again and again. And all of a sudden, I saw blood everywhere. The floor, the walls, my clothes¡­" Tears trickled down her cheek. "And then, realizing what they had done, the vigers ran away. Then they lit our house up. I held Caroline and hid in the corner. All I could smell was smoke. My lungs felt like they were on fire. I couldn''t breathe, and¡­"


    "And then Sam, the statue on the ne I took, spoke to me."


    "Wait. Sam is a pendant? And you''ve been wearing it all this time?" Roy''s eyebrow twitched, and he held his fury down. <em>No wonder he told me to take the ne.</em>


    "Yes. I saw it in this very garden. It was lying in the center of this za." Sherry''s eyes shone with reminiscence. "I fell in love with it the moment Iid eyes on it. Ever since then, I''ve been taking it around with me."


    She touched the center of her chest, and Roy saw something bulge. "I didn''t tell you because I was worried you might leave the moment you have it."


    "What did it tell you that night?"


    "That it could change everything for the better. That it could grant all my wishes. All I had to do was open my heart to him."


    <em>Wait. Did he possess the girl? </em>Roy had a grim look on his face. <em>What </em>is <em>Sam? And what did it do to the vige?</em>


    "I agreed, and then everything turned ck. I fell asleep, it seemed." The light of delight and disbelief shone in her eyes. "And when I woke up, I saw my home, still bright and beautiful as ever. Mother was no longer bleeding. Instead, she was sitting on my bed, holding me in her arms. She told me I had a bad dream. Said I should look around now. And I did. It was how I found out that things did change. Nobody was calling me names anymore. Nobody hated me anymore. They saw me as family. Everyone loved me. I was happy."


    "What about the mine?"


    "A figment of my imagination. Everyone then thought I did find one. It just made for a more believable story, don''t you think?"


    Roy was happy that things changed for the better for her, but he was also worried. "So the perpetual sunset is your idea too? You control everything in the vige?"


    Sherry buried her chin deeper in her knees, and she pursed her lips.


    "So why are you still not happy?"


    "Redmount is perfect, but it''s different from the outside world. The statue controls all the people in Redmount. Everyone is just doing what I want them to do." She stared down. "Just like puppets do. It''s perfect. Too perfect. I keep telling myself that nothing is better than this. That I''m going to live a happy life with everyone forever. That I''m happy."


    But then she said, "Still, I eventually realized something was off. Everyone does what I tell them to do. Even Caroline." She took a deep breath, and with a breaking voice, she whispered, "It feels like I¡¯ve been ying with myself all this time. Until you showed up. I noticed you the moment you came into the vige." Sherry stared at Roy, her eyes filled with passion. "You aren''t the first outsider, but everyone else loses their individuality after a while. They turn into puppets, but you didn''t. You still have a mind of your own."


    <em>No. Perhaps I''ve been influenced as well.</em>


    ***


    "Can you return everything to how it was, then?"


    "If I plead with Sam, perhaps. But everyone''s going to disappear if I do that. They''ve lived many years without going sick or growing old. They''ve probably lived longer than a normal human should," she said. "Or maybe they''re going to hate me again if I return everything to normal. And you''ll leave me. I''ll be alone again. Sorry, but I can''t do it. Stay with me, Goldie."


    "Sherry¡­" Roy scanned the garden once more before he turned his gaze to the girl. And he sighed. "Ask yourself. Do you <em>want </em>to live in this utopia of your own imagining, or do you want to end everything and see the world for what it is? Yes, it''s going to be a lot harsher than Redmount, but it''s going to be a lot more interesting," Roy said. "If you can''t do it, then take Sam''s ne and leave this ce with me."


    ***


    "I-I''m scared¡­" The girl was hyperventting, her fingers and teeth chattering, and she hissed in fear. "What will happen to Redmount if I dismantle everything? Everyone will be gone. What if you leave me too?"


    "I won''t." Roy stared into her eyes, and he promised, "If I can leave this ce, I''m taking you with me. I swear, on my name as a witcher."


    "Maybe you''re right." Sherry found a sliver of courage within her, and she muttered, "You''ve been kind to me. Patient, too. Helped me with my wishes and gave me the happiest day of my life. But you might disappear once I give Sam to you. I''m scared. I don''t want you to die."


    "I won''t, I promise." Roy extended his hand again.


    "Okay. I trust you, Goldie." The girl slid her hand into her shirt and held her ne. And then she froze. "Sam spoke to me again."


    "What did he say?" a nervous Roy asked.


    "That Redmount will change if I give it to you."


    "A minute, please." Roy changed his mind. All because the girl said she trusted him. "I''ll stay around for a while. See if we can leave this ce without changing anything."


    Sherry remained silent for a long time. Then she raised her head and smiled at him. It was a beautiful smile, like a flower growing into full bloom only to wilt momentster.


    "It''s alright. I''ve made up my mind." Even though she was smiling, tears couldn''t stop streaming down her cheeks. With a trembling finger, she wiped them away. "You''re right. I shouldn''t live in my own lie anymore. I should see the world."


    She huddled closer to Roy, her ponytail swaying in the air. And with anticipation, she stared at him. "You will take me with you, won''t you?"


    "I will."


    She handed the pendant to Roy and stuffed it into his hand with enough force to almost bury it in his flesh. The girl decided to put all her trust in the witcher.


    Roy opened his hand and saw the statue of a strange man. It was the same mage he saw back in the inn, but then, the statue changed into a grotesque humanoid creature filled with bony spikes and a hardened hide. shes of red and ck shone upon it, and its goat horns were curled to the back, the pattern of a ck rose adorning its face.


    A devilish smile curled the monster''s lips. "You got me. Well done. Here''s your reward, but hold her tight. Don''t let her run away." It winked at the witcher.


    As if struck by lightning, the witcher was trembling all over.


    ***


    "I don''t feel so good, Goldie." Sherry frowned, and she started losing her strength.


    Roy tightly held the pendant and quickly held her in his arms. Nervously, he looked at her. "Where does it hurt?"


    "Everywhere. Help me. Something''s burning me. It hurts. Help me!" Her face was contorting at a blistering rate, her skin starting to crack like it was porcin. And then blisters started to form. Then the blisters broke into burns and formed scabs.


    The girl let out a scream of agony.


    <em>No! </em>"Hold on, Sherry. I''ll save you!" Roy held her tightly in his arms, even though she was scalding hot. A hint of madness welled in his eyes, and he quickly opened up his inventory. <em>The acorn. </em>He fed the acorn to her with reckless abandon and waited with bated breath to see if it would work.


    It did not. The girl changed even further. Her skin became blood red and started melting away, revealing the ruined muscles and bones within.


    Sherry''s screams echoed across the air, and the pendant unleashed a stream of white-hot fire. It engulfed them, and everything around them rumbled.


    The witcher heard an explosion in his head. <em>Is this the end?</em>


    Everyone around was shaking, melting away. Something squeezed the witcher''s heart, suffocating him. He felt like he was trapped on a cliff, surrounded by roaring waters. The only thing he could do was to hold the girl tight in his arms. And he curled up, not even moving, not even looking.


    The only thing below him was the abyss. And howling gales of death. He felt the winds cutting through his skin, tormenting his spirit. And yet he held on to the girl in his arms.


    An eternityter, the pain slowly went away, and around him was raucousughter.


    ***


    "Who are you? What did you do to her?"


    "I am Sanguine. As per her wish, I returned her to her original form. Part of it is thanks to you. Most of it is her greed, though. If she had just stayed in the vige, then none of this would have happened. She could''ve lived a happy life until my power was exhausted. But you awakened her greed and pushed her to destroy everything. I expected no less from the champion of our drinking contest. Now you may im your prize. She is yours."


    The white light faded away, and the witcher opened his eyes. He could feel himself bleeding all over his face. Even after he used his charge of Activate, he only had less than ten percent of his HP and Mana remaining.


    <em>What is this ce? </em>He was in a deste ruin. Weeds grew everywhere, and the house around him was charred. And all the buildings around him were broken down. Before the dpidated door were piles of human bones. Bones that had existed for years. Most of them were gone, leaving thin, spindly remnants behind.


    <em>This ce must have been abandoned for a century. It''s nothing but ruins now. So that vige¡­ All those vigers¡­ Were they just an illusion?</em>


    He looked at the pendant before him, and for some magical reason, the pendant turned into a sword. It had a cross-shaped crossguard, and its de was covered in runes. <em>That''s the one I saw in the inn. Wait. Why didn''t my acorn save Sherry?</em>


    Sherry was still lying in his arms, and she was dying. Like the vige, she was almost destroyed. Burns covered her whole body, and her face resembled something from a horror show. Only her left eye remained. It was still gleaming brightly. "I remember now, Goldie," she whispered. Thest of her life was quickly leaving her, and this flower of youth would soon wilt. "I died the night my house was burned down.


    She extended her left hand and ced it in the witcher''s hand. With her other hand, she feebly touched the witcher''s cheek. And she whispered, "Don''t cry, Goldie. Don''t¡­ Don''t leave me."


    "I won''t."


    And her arm went limp. The girl closed her eye as she drew herst breath. And then, her body broke into shards of light. Like butterflies, they fluttered into the sword. A silhouette appeared above the de. Roy recognized her. It was Sherry, and she looked as beautiful as she was before the tragedy. She leapt around as if she was trying to catch a bug, and the spirit smiled at Roy.


    As if given life, the sword glimmered and shone. There was a name engraved on the hilt. Roy didn''t recognize it back at the inn, but now he knew what the sword was called.


    Sherry.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 478 - 478: Daedroth and Soul Weapon

    Chapter 478: Daedroth and Soul Weapon


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: hibiki]


    A gust of wind traveled across the ranch, danced through the top of Whiterun, and whispered into the room of Dragonsreach.


    ¡°Sanguine? Why do you wish to know of it?¡± Farengar looked at the trio grimly, rubbing his hand on the dragonstone.


    ¡°I think we ran into its avatar in The Bannered Mare.¡± Arvel gulped. ¡°He disguised himself as one Sam Guevenne and joined a drinking contest. Then he spirited the winner¡ªGoldeneye¡ªaway. We have no idea what Sanguine did to him. He¡¯s been a bit off these few days.¡±


    Farengar turned his attention to Roy. The mercenary seemed to have gone through something traumatic. He seemed out of it, and his eyes were dim, unlike what they used to be. And he saw a sword strapped to his back. A sword with a pommel made of ruby. He didn¡¯t have that sword thest time we met.


    ¡°I used to study at the College of Winterhold. Looked into magic and all kinds of stories and legends. I have heard of the name ¡®Sanguine¡¯.¡± The mage said, ¡°Our world is not home to only humans, monsters, and dragons. Something even more powerful resides in our ne of existence.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the Nine Divines? Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time, Dibe, the Goddess of Beauty and Freedom, Arkay, the God of the Cycle of Birth and Death, and our god, Talos.¡± Flynn straightened his cor out, a hint of worship glimmering in his eyes. ¡°Temples and altars dedicated to these gods exist all over Skyrim, and altars can grant blessings for believers. The believers of these Divines possess incredible power. That is proof of the Divines¡¯ existence.¡±


    ¡°Sanguine is not a Divine,¡± Farengar said. ¡°But in some ways, it is simr to a Divine, so it is a god as well. But these gods have jurisdiction over things that are unsavory to most people. Some are even downright evil. Deception, conspiracies, gue, madness, oaths, and curses. Sanguine is the Prince of depravity and corruption. These gods are called the Daedric Princes, and as far as I know, there are sixteen of them.¡±


    Stress lines appeared on Farengar¡¯s cheeks. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which kind of god you ran into. They are not the kind of existence we can fight. Daedric Princes, especially. Divines rarely appear before mortals, but Daedric Princes don¡¯t follow that rule. They live in Oblivion primarily, yet they can manifest themselves in different worlds¡ªincluding Tamriel¡ªthrough their avatars. But outside of Oblivion, their power is limited.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, so you¡¯re saying a Daedric Prince came to the inn, got into a drinking contest, and lost to Goldeneye?¡± Flynn paled.


    ¡°Perhaps it was just trying to entertain itself. Gods aren¡¯t as distant as you think. Sanguine is the Prince of Corruption and Depravity. It loves to travel through worlds, have some fun. Immortality tends to bore you out, and it loves to y.¡± A pauseter, Farengar added, ¡°Some people worship it, though. And there are altars to Sanguine. Wherever it appears, danger follows. And riches. Sanguine has left many stories in thends of Tamriel. It would pick a few lucky ones and put them through a series of trials just to entertain itself. Should the chosen ones pass, they would receive valuable and special rewards. Weapons, armor, or something else.¡±


    ¡°And if they fail?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. No records of it.¡± Farengar sighed, and he looked at Roy. ¡°Goldeneye came back in one piece, so that¡¯s the good news. Wanna tell us what you saw in Sanguine¡¯s domain? And is that weapon you carry its reward?¡±


    ¡°I ran into one of the Daedric Princes?¡± Gods can manifest themselves in this world? Back in my world, gods have disappeared for eons. Roy took a deep breath, and his eyes began to twinkle. ¡°It sent me to that happy vige and made me destroy a girl¡¯s dream just for fun?¡±


    Roy was reminded of a certain entity he met back in the witcher world. The Master of Mirrors. Roy wondered if that girl and Redmount actually existed. No. The ruins I woke up in must be where Redmount used to be. And Sherry¡¯s strapped to my back. But how much of the story is true? Is the whole story about the vigers¡¯ harassment of Sherry and her mother¡¯s murder real? Or is it just something Sanguine came up with to torture me? If it was real, then that meant I destroyed Sherry¡¯s peaceful life.


    ***


    Roy looked at hispanions, who were eager to hear his story. A while of hesitationter, he recounted his tale through Arvel. The story came as a harrowing surprise for hispanions. They were in disbelief, shock, and awe. And in the end, they sighed.


    ¡°So Sherry died in that fire, but Sanguine revived her and made a utopia for her?¡± Flynn asked, ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°An experiment, perhaps. The Princes treat humans like how we treat insects.¡± A hint of sorrow shed in Farengar¡¯s eyes. ¡°But no matter what, Sanguine did help the girl. It revived her and kept her locked in that vige. Created the perfect cage for her and observed her life like she was its pet bird. And then, on a whim, it tossed Goldeneye into this game.¡±


    ¡°What did the vigers go through, anyway?¡± asked Arvel.


    ¡°Probably killed off,¡± said Flynn. ¡°They deserved it. They had no right asking for mercy when they showed none to an innocent girl. Especially not mercy from a Prince.¡±


    ¡°Pity Sherry was dragged into this. She was kind and beautiful like a princess from a fairy tale.¡± Arvel shook his head. He was reminded of someone, and he fell silent for a moment. ¡°She had received nothing but pain in this world.¡±


    ¡°I think I know how you feel, Goldeneye.¡± Flynn patted Roy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you should me yourself. You granted her wish. She¡¯s tired of her boring life in Redmount. Tired of her fake utopia. It was why she wanted to release the butterflies. She, too, wanted change, and you released her from her cage.¡±


    The Dragonborn peered at Roy¡¯s de. ¡°And you fulfilled your promise. You took her with you.¡±


    ***


    Roy looked at the Dragonborn. He was surprised that this honest man had a sensitive heart beneath that rugged exterior. The witcher held the hilt of Sherry and unsheathed it, then he presented it to hispanions.


    ¡®Sherry (a sword made by Sanguine in its boredom)


    Type: Ebony de


    Components: Ruby, bear pelt, ebony ingot, soul


    Specs: Weighs 3.06 pounds, hilt measures nine inches, de measures thirty-five inches.


    Affix:


    Guardian: Whenever you hold this de, you gain Sherry¡¯s protection and assistance in battle. +10% to all stats under twenty points.


    Levels up any skill you have (Level 4 or below), or elevates one of Aerondight¡¯s affix that have not been strengthened more than twice.


    Soul gem at full capacity. Energy will be reduced ording to usage.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°This is a marvelous enchantment. Powerful, too,¡± Farengar said. ¡°Not even the best enchanter in Cyrodiil can do this.¡±


    ¡°But how did she turn into a sword? How did a human body turn into metal?¡± Arvel asked. ¡°How does this work?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility I know,¡± said Farengar. ¡°Every time you use this sword, you¡¯ll have to spend its energy. And this sword is powered by Sherry¡¯s soul. Do you know what this means? Every time you swing this de, you¡¯ll be exhausting the girl¡¯s soul.¡± Farengar looked at the witcher. ¡°Goldeneye, will you use this de until Sherry¡¯s soul is erased, or will you use it as a decoration? Thetter will keep the girl¡¯s soul intact.¡±


    A long silence fell upon them.


    Roy stared at the runes on the de. He didn¡¯t spend much time with Sherry. There was no love or romance between them, but she did show him great kindness and warmth during the short time he was in that vige surrounded by a perpetual sunset.


    She felt like a fairy untainted by this world. Like a little sister Roy wanted to protect. The witcher took a deep breath and asked, ¡°If I destroy this de, will her soul be free? Or will she go somewhere else?¡±


    Arvel voiced that question out.


    Farengar mused over it. ¡°Nordlings can only go to Sovngarde if they die in battle. Beastmen can only travel to Hircine¡¯s hunting grounds after they die. And only those who thirst for knowledge can enter the library of Hermaeus Mora. The Divines and Princes can be picky about who they let into their domain. Only Arkay, the God of the Cycle of Birth and Death, epts everyone. Most people go to Arkay after their deaths, and they will be sent into the cycle, reborn in Tamriel or elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°So Sherry has a chance to be reborn?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. She opened her heart to Sanguine before her death, and he has left a mark on her. Even if you destroy the sword, she might just return to Sanguine and once again be its toy. And her soul might power another de, turning her into yet another prize for the next yer. And then they¡¯re going to use that sword until nothing is left of her soul. I¡¯d advise against destroying the sword.¡±


    ¡°You need to buy a house.¡± Flynn held Roy¡¯s shoulder. Excitedly, he said, ¡°Use her to decorate your home. Then she can watch over you forever!¡±


    ***


    Roy brushed his hand across the de, and he felt goosebumps all over the back of his hand. There was something talking to him through the de. And he saw a girl with blonde hair and green eyes standing before him. She had a big smile on her face, and the girl spun around happily.


    Roy held the de up and mused over his decision.


    Flynn and Arvel exchanged a look.


    ¡°So, anything new about the dragonstone?¡±


    ¡°Still deciphering.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the inn. See you once we settle this matter.¡±


    ***


    Roy returned to his room in The Bannered Mare and plopped down on his bed, then he concentrated on his character sheet.


    ¡®Bound weapons:


    Aerondight, Gwyhyr. You have one unused powerup.


    You now have two more enchanted weapons: Ancient Nordling Honed Axe of Cold, and Sherry. You also have a soul that has full trust in you.


    You may now choose from the following options:


    1. Absorb Ancient Nordling Honed Axe of Cold and increase an affix slot for your bound weapons. You will also gain a new affix. Frostbite: Every time you hit a target, you have a low chance to deal cold damage, slowing the target¡¯s speed and reaction.


    2. Spend 3000 pure souls (EXP) and 300 Mana to merge Sherry into your weapon, creating a special space that can house a soul weapon. Your bound weapon will receive a soul, granting it a hint of life.


    The weapon will also gain a soul power¡ªGuardian: Whenever you hold this de, you shall receive Sherry¡¯s aid in battle. +10% to all stats lower than twenty points and level up any single skill lower than level four/power up an affix that has only been strengthened twice or less. You may swap the level up once per day.


    Note: Every time your weapon powers up, its soul will grow as well, but at the cost of more pure souls.¡¯


    ¡­


    Roy was surprised at the new options. He did wonder if his weapons would gain a mind of their own if he kept powering them up, and now his hypothesis was proven to be true, though in a different way.


    So, it¡¯ll gain a soul. No doubt from Sherry. Then Sherry can stay with me forever and grow as I do. ¡°Wonder what she¡¯s gonna think. Will she do it? What if I find a way to revive her? What if I find a way to let her live? If I merge her with Aerondight¡­¡±


    Sherry suddenly shivered. She was sending a message to Roy.


    She wants to stay with me, huh? I did make that promise back at Redmount. But do you really want toe with me? I¡¯ll be traveling thends of different worlds.


    Sherry trembled again.


    Very well. Roy touched the de with both hands.


    ¡®EXP: 3500 ¡ú 500.¡¯


    A pair of swords appeared around him. One had a glimmering de and intricately-carved crossguard, and its fuller jutted out, forming a long and sharp pyramid. The other was as crimson as blood. Unlike Gwyhyr, it had no ornaments or decoration. It was as simple and quiet as an undisturbedke.


    ¡®Gwyhyr (Ancient Nordling Honed Axe of Cold absorbed)


    Affixes:


    Cirction, Ignite, Painful Strike, Teleport (Elevated), Suppression (Elevated), Devour (Elevated), Frostbite (New).


    Aerondight (Ebony sword absorbed)


    Soul power: Guardian (Stat and skill unpicked)


    Affixes: Mana Reduction, Aqua Blessing, Aqua Summoning, Teleport (Elevated), Suppression (Elevated), Devour (Elevated).¡¯


    ¡­


    Roy touched both des, and he felt a surge of warmth flowing into his fingertips. The warmth then coursed through his veins. It felt like someone was hugging him gently, supporting him with their power. And then, he felt strength welling within him.


    ¡®Strength: 15 ¡ú 16.5


    Dexterity: 15.5 ¡ú 17


    Perception: 12 ¡ú 13.2


    Charisma: 9 ¡ú 9.9.¡¯


    Ten percent increase. A single stat increase would be nothing, but this skill affects every stat under twenty points. And if I keep leveling up, the skill¡¯s restriction would be loosened. And I can also level up one of my skills or affixes.


    ¡®Devour (Elevated).¡¯


    Let¡¯s do this.


    ¡®Devour (Elevated Rank 2).¡¯


    White light enveloped the de, and a seventh star appeared on the fuller. Now the stars truly resembled an ouroboros.


    Devour was Roy¡¯s strongest offensive ability thus far. At this point, he knew Devour alone could sh through a dragon¡¯s hide and gravely injure it. And he could also switch the powerup to any other skill that was below Level 4. Including but not limited to Sword Mastery, Crossbow Mastery, Witcher Signs, and Witcher Senses. And just like the stat restriction, the limits of this skill would loosen as he leveled up.


    Guardian was an impressive skill, though it required a lot of EXP to level up. Now I have two ways to spend my EXP. Either I level up, or I level Guardian up.


    Roy swung his de around and crouched a little. Then he swung his sword in a way the people of this world would. The air hissed, and shes of light arced through the air.


    Aerondight felt livelier than usual. It would correct the witcher¡¯s every movement, perfecting it and making it easier to perform. Another swingter, the de trembled like the wings of a butterfly.


    And then he heard someone talking to him.


    ¡°Sherry? I promised I wouldn¡¯t leave you. We¡¯re going on an adventure together. I¡¯ll take you across worlds. Show you all there is to see.¡±


    And he heard a silveryughter travel across the air. Roy smiled. He then whipped out some grease and a piece of cloth, then he slowly wiped the grease on his de. From now on, he wouldn¡¯t tuck his de away in his inventory unless absolutely necessary.

 Chapter 479 - 479: The Path of Thu’um

    Chapter 479: The Path of Thu¡¯um


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: hibiki]


    The twin moons of Tamriel traveled across the night, raining down silvery light upon thend.


    Within the inn sat a witcher, his expression calm. Lying beside him was his beloved weapon, Aerondight. With Sherry¡¯s matter out of the way, he now focused his efforts on the issue of Thu¡¯um. I¡¯ll get Farengar to appraise Aerondight tomorrow, but now this takes precedence. It¡¯s been a hectic few days, but I should get back to the Shouts now. It¡¯s as powerful as a soul weapon.


    Since Roy was no dragon or Dragonborn, he had one hurdle to ovee if he wanted to learn a Shout¡ªamelioration of his soul. He needed to close the distance between his soul and a dragon. And I have to find out what Bones of the Earth means. Gotta learn how to use its power.


    Once again, he was in the world of meditation, and a ck hole asrge as the sun hung in the skies, spilling out Magicka everywhere. Standing beneath the skies was a minute silhouette. A silhouette belonging to the witcher.


    Just as the manual taught him, Roy constructed a great being in his mind. A creature as monumental as a mountain. One with scales and ws as dark as night. Its elongated head had two ws protruding at the front, curling backward, and its jaw was lined with teeth sharp enough to tear anything to shreds. The creature¡¯s eyes were devoid of emotion yet filled with crimson violence.


    It pped its wings, and its shadow covered thend in fear. The creature was none other than Alduin, the dragon Roy saw in Helgen. It was the only dragon Roy had seen, so he had no other references.


    Fortunately, the fear Alduin struck in his heart also left Roy with a perfect photographic memory of its appearance. Roy calmed his mind and imagined himself slowly changing into a dragon. First, it was his fingertips. He imagined a sharp, curled talon protruding out of the end of his index finger. Then it was his middle finger, then his ring finger¡­


    All of a sudden, the witcher stood on all fours on the bed like a beast, his shoulders, torso, and legs trembling like he was a butterfly trying to break out of its cocoon. Like a falcon breaking free of its egg. Like a snake shedding its skin.


    Dark shadows covered the witcher, his legs slowly turning into ws, his mouth elongating into a snout. Horns jutted out of his forehead, and Roy¡¯s head turned into a dark dragon¡¯s head, his golden eyes reced by a crimson gleam.


    A pair of spikes tore through the skin of his arms, slowly pushing outward into the air, and an unspeakable agony enveloped Roy. The pain came not from his skin, his muscles, nor his bones. The pain came beyond his flesh. It was his soul. His soul cried out in agony.


    It was as if a thousand knives were cutting away at his soul, but Roy would not falter. He must stay awake and make sure his soul slowly turned into the shape of Alduin, and he was the only one who could do that.


    His bones were growing in size, and a pair of wings made of bones reced his arms, fleshy webbing slowly covering the gaps between each bone. Finally, his dragon wings came into form, and his Elder Blood filled the little holes within his soul. Just like that, a miniature Alduin was born.


    Even with Roy¡¯s extraordinary will, the agony still took everything his soul had. The little dragony on the ground, huffing and puffing.


    A long, long whileter, the little dragon turned its attention to the hole that was still pouring out Magicka. It could feel the particles in the air swimming in, as if its body were a magic ma. ¡°So this is the soul of a dragon?¡± No. I¡¯m only wearing the skin of a dragon. Ick its bones. Its essence. I must observe dragon bones up close.


    Even though it only had the shape of Alduin, Roy could feel a great change stirring within him. He could use the Magicka in this void like they were a part of his body. Once again, he produced the Shout he saw at the Word Wall.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    A wave of power surged from the dark ground beneath Roy, but all he managed to create was a gust of breeze.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    Not enough. Even now when my soul looks like a dragon, I still can¡¯t unleash a Shout. Ick something. But he gained some knowledge from this attempt. The force unleashed by Unrelenting Force came not from Magicka, but from the ground.


    The miniature Alduin slowly sank into the dark ground below. It was something Roy had never done before. All this time, he chased after the things floating above his head, thinking he would find the source of magic there. The dimension of elements and the hole were the things he had been chasing after, but never did he try sinking his soul into the ground beneath him.


    In Dragon Tongue, this ce was called the Bones of the Earth. What are the Bones of the Earth anyway? Skyrim? Or Tamriel?


    ***


    The further he sank into the ground, the more the light was blotted out. Roy¡¯s soul kept sinking further into the depths. Around him was nothing but darkness. Even time itself came to a halt in this space. Fear welled within Roy, but he held it down and kept sinking deeper.


    Eventually, the light was fully blotted out, and he felt a connection welling within. It felt like something hade in touch with his soul, and through it, a legacy swam into his mind. A legacy that told of an ancient story.


    In the beginning, there was nothing. Nothing but chaos and the void. Then, a bright ball of light engaged the void in a violent sh, and in the end, the ball of light split into three parts. One tore through the void and created a great hole that spilled Magicka endlessly. In the skies it sat, shining brilliantly like a beacon that guided all things in life. Another flew into the ever-changing nes of Oblivion, while the final part stayed and formed a great sphere in space. Surrounding the were eight of the brightest stars in space and a pair of beautiful moons.


    This was the world where Tamriel stood.


    Looks a bit like the story of Creation. Eight stars. That aligns with the Eight Divines. Talos is the manifestation of humanity. He doesn¡¯t count. So the Divines created this world. Then what of the light that flew into Oblivion? The Daedric Princes? And what of the light that flew into that bright world?


    Roy had a lot of questions, but he was not sure if he wanted to know the answers.


    And then the scene disappeared like a bubble, reced by skeletons the size of mountains. What manner of creature these skeletons used to be in life was indiscernible, and yet one thing was clear. These skeletons were thousands of timesrger than dragons themselves, and these bones had merged with the very earth.


    Roy felt a sense of sorrow and sadness well in his heart, and he understood what these skeletons belonged to. These were the Bones of the Earth. The remains of the Eight Divines after they sacrificed themselves to create the world. And then, he saw Sanguine in crimson, spiked armor.


    The sh of the lights he saw told him of a shocking truth. The Daedric Princes and Divines are one and the same. And Alduin shares some simrities with them. The three of them were kin, but they battled over their differences and broke their bond. Yet the power they possess are the same. Alduin¡¯s a bit weaker, though. Dragons using the power of the bones is just them using their own power. Of course ites easily to them.


    And the miniature Alduin opened its mouth.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    This time, Roy seemed to have found the secret to the Shout. A minuscule part of the great skeletons resonated with the Shout, and it vibrated. Though it was so small, Roy almost missed it. Yet this little vibration brought with it a violent air current powerful enough to smash through the void.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    Roy grunted, and his eyes snapped open. The rays of dawn shone upon his face glistening with sweat. He was breathing heavily, his eyes wide with shock, and the veins on his neck popped. For a moment, he thought everything he saw was just an illusion, but he knew that wasn¡¯t true.


    Roy felt as if he was inches away from death, and he remained on his bed for half an hour before he finally turned his attention to his character sheet. Then a smile curled his lips. Good. At least I didn¡¯t go through that for nothing.


    A new skill glimmered on his character sheet.


    ¡®You have ameliorated your soul. For a brief moment, you closed the gap with Alduin and saw the truth of the Bones of the Earth (The remains of Divines. The verynd you stand upon). You have sessfully cast a Shout.


    Thu¡¯um Level 1: You have learned Unrelenting Force (Force). Every time you shout, the Bones of the Earth will unleash its energy and push away anything or anyone that stands in your way, knocking them off bnce and destroying them. This skill costs no Mana to spend, but every time you Shout, your soul will enter an exhausted state. Only time can heal your soul. How frequently you can use this skill depends on how powerful your soul is.


    You are now Level 12. Your soul has gone through twelve powerups. Thu¡¯um¡¯s cooldown is now twenty-four minutes.¡¯


    ***


    Thu¡¯um doesn¡¯t need any Mana or EXP? Wait, so the power of my soul is the only thing it requires? Roy was surprised that a skill this powerful expended almost nothing, and it told him valuable information hitherto unknown to him. So every time I level up, my stat and skill points aren¡¯t the only thing I gain. My soul gets powered up too. After twelve powerups, his soul was already a lot more powerful than most people¡¯s. And he had Level 10 Meditation, and his Elder Blood had some simrities with dragons. Only then could he ameliorate his soul.


    But now, after that sessful Shout, he had another concern. Shouts utilize the power of the Bones. The remains of those who created this world. Does this thing even exist in other worlds?


    Roy wondered if he could still use Shouts after he went back to the witcher world. Can I use the Bones through space? Best not to think about it. Not my biggest concern right now. He hopped off his bed and stretched his arms. I can¡¯t wait to try the Shout out. But I don¡¯t want to destroy this ce. Don¡¯t want to wake everyone up either.


    Roy strapped Aerondight to his back and left his room. Then he descended the stairs. It was about three or four in the morning, and Whiterun was in a deep sleep. The charcoal in the center of the inn had no embers left, and the servants and guests were nowhere to be seen. Hulda¡¯s probably sleeping too.


    Roy left the inn and walked down the street, passing a few patches of mountain flower. He took in the morning¡¯s air and came to the inn¡¯s backyard. There, he saw someone practicing his swordy, and it was a familiar someone. Roy smiled.


    ¡°Flynn.¡±


    The Dragonborn was swinging his sword and shield around. He hid behind his shield and charged ahead into an imaginary enemy. As if his enemy had faltered, the Dragonborn thrust his sword forward and quickly hid behind his shield once more.


    He then listened closely, as if his enemy was moving. Stepping aside, he swung his de again. The Dragonborn then quickly held his shield up and turned around to charge ahead. He swung his shield around him and turned around once more, this time to step aside. Then he swung his de forward again.


    He was clumsy, and his basics were poor, yet there was determination in his eyes. His movements were filled with energy, and his attacks were swift. Roy thought he could easily deal with a couple of Whiterun¡¯s soldiers at this stage. He sneaks away to practice while Arvel and I are asleep. Time to teach him a little thing in life.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Goldeneye? You¡¯re early.¡±


    The witcher stared at him, saying nothing.


    A nervous Flynn stared at the ground, fidgeting. ¡°I wanted to train. You and Arvel are a lot more powerful than I am. I can¡¯t keep dragging you guys down, or we can¡¯t go on adventures together anymore. So I thought I should train hard.¡±


    At least he¡¯s earnest. Roy patted Flynn¡¯s shoulder and nodded, telling him to continue. Then he summoned his loyal servant.


    A few minutester, Arvel showed up all decked out in leather helm and armor, though he was yawning.


    He and the Dragonborn started training, and it was intense. Only when both of them were sweating profusely did theye to a stop.


    ¡°So what are you going to do with the sword, Goldeneye?¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    The trio sat on the patch of grass behind the inn. The witcher showed Aerondight to hispanions and told them what he did with Sherry. He didn¡¯t lend the weapon to them, of course. Soul weapons were a warrior¡¯s closestpanion. They wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch it.


    ¡°What kind of ce is Novigrad? I can¡¯t believe they can enchant without soul gems.¡± Arvel fiddled with his sword.


    And Roy smiled.


    ¡°Man, I wished Sanguine had picked me.¡± Flynn swung his sweat off. ¡°I had a strange dream, and in that dream, I was the one who went through the trial. And I was given a crimson staff.¡±


    ¡°It was just a dream. Goldeneye¡¯s a lot smarter and more skilful than you are. And handsome too.¡± Arvel shook his head. ¡°The Prince had no reason to pick someone like you when Goldeneye is around.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°We should see Farengar now.¡± Roy felt guilty for some reason. It felt like he just took something from Flynn. And through Arvel, he asked, ¡°So what next? Are you going to stay in Whiterun until Farengar deciphers the stone?¡±


    An excited Flynn gushed, ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the things I got from the wall. It¡¯s a Shout called Unrelenting Force, and it¡¯s engraved in my soul. Like I was born with it.¡± And then he looked confused. ¡°But I stillck something. If I want to use that Shout, I will have to get close to a dragon once again. And Whiterun is at risk of another dragon attack.¡±


    The Dragonborn had changed. At first, he wanted nothing to do with dragons, but now he was chasing after them. His eyes were gleaming with a certain desire. ¡°Once I have that power, Jarl Balgruuf is going to reward me handsomely. And I can find myself a wife!¡±


    Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead. Flynn doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s a Dragonborn just yet. And Dragonborns should have higher ambitions than this.


    Arvel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve spent my whole life chasing after dragons, though I don¡¯t think I can ever master a Shout.¡±


    Flynn said, ¡°Hey, maybe I can teach you once I figure out the whole deal with Shouts.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be great.¡± Arvel grinned. ¡°We should drink up at The Bannered Mare more. Maybe we¡¯ll run into another Prince. Farengar did say there are sixteen of them. I¡¯ll stay with you guys.¡±


    And the thief swung his arm happily. ¡°And perhaps they will call me Arvel the Dragonyer. That¡¯s the promise I made to my child.¡± And he trailed off. There was sadness and longing in his eyes, then he teared up a little.


    But after that, he looked at Roy with respect. Even without his child¡¯s wish, he couldn¡¯t go anywhere unless his master told him to. Good thing he¡¯s a reasonable master.


    ¡°Pardon me, but can you tell me more about your child? Didn¡¯t hear it back in the inn. But it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to share.¡±


    ¡°I had a daughter back when I was in Solitude. But she died of an illness years ago. Still had a wish, though.¡± The thief lived in Solitude back when the High King was still alive.


    ¡°What kind of wish?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rted to a festival in Solitude. It goes by the name of the Burning of King f.¡±


    ¡°f?¡± Flynn thought he knew what the festival was about.


    ¡°Yes. f One-Eye, the first Jarl of Whiterun, Dragonyer, and the ancestor of Jarl Balgruuf.¡± Arvel smirked. ¡°A long time ago, the Bards College of Solitude thought the story of f¡¯s dragonying was nothing but a lie. Thought he was a liar, so every year, there is be a day dedicated to the burning of a strawman made in f¡¯s image. It¡¯s the way they show contempt for liars.¡±


    Roy and Flynn exchanged a look. Why did Skyrim¡¯s ruler let this festival go on? It¡¯s disrespectful to Balgruuf. Wait. Perhaps that¡¯s why Balgruuf chose no sides in this war. It¡¯s his way of showing discontent.


    ¡°But not everyone in Solitude thought f was a liar. Fran thought of him as a real hero who yed a dragon.¡± A gentle look welled in the thief¡¯s eyes. ¡°But she couldn¡¯t prove it. Afterall, dragons have been gone for thousands of years. The story of f the Dragonyer is just a legend. A myth. Even when she was dying, still, I couldn¡¯t find proof of the story¡¯s veracity. All I can do now is venture through ruins to search for the power the Nordlings used to defeat dragons.¡±


    Arvel took a deep breath. ¡°And now dragons are making their return. I must stay in Whiterun and witness the heroic act of dragonying. I must fulfill my daughter¡¯s dying wish.¡±


    Flynn patted his shoulder with respect. ¡°Didn¡¯t take you for a more courageous man than I am, Arvel. But here you are. I¡¯m going with you on this hunt.¡±


    ¡°Dragonying is no easy feat. We need help from Whiterun¡¯s soldiers, and even then, it¡¯s not enough.¡± Roy was reminded of Alduin. The soldiers there kept shooting it with arrows, and yet it was to no avail. Barely a secondter, Alduin had turned them into a crisp. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up with Farengar, then I¡¯ll talk to Jarl Balgruuf. Find out what Whiterun¡¯s strategy is. We can¡¯t just get swept into the flow of things. And perhaps we can get a little something for ourselves out of this. A house or something, perhaps.¡±


    Roy told hispanions to make their way to Dragonsreach, while he fired off some bolts and blinked away. A few blinkster, Roy left the mountain where Whiterun stood, and he arrived at a big oak in the ins. It was about a hundred years old, and its canopy was far-reaching enough to cover a small vige.


    The witcher concentrated and cleared his mind. His hands were ced on his waist, clenched into fists. And he bent his knee a little as he inhaled. In his mind, he imagined the shape of a creature of destruction. At the same time, a sliver of light slowly enveloped his armor, and his eyes turned a violent crimson.


    Slivers of ck light surrounded him, and within that light was a ck dragon, ready to let out a roar.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    Roy roared at the oak tree, and the dragon within the ck light opened its maw as well. A minuscule part of the skeletal remains slumbering beneath the earth opened up, sending a surge of energy up to the surface.


    A violent wave of wind mmed away at the air before Roy. Roy took a deep breath and finally rxed.


    ¡°I have my Shout and twice-elevated Devour. I should be able to fight a dragon now.¡±


    Roy turned around, and the oak behind him broke off through its center, revealing the ancient rings within the trunk. The remainder of the tree was uprooted, while the top half was sent flying into the distance. Its branches and leaves mmed heavily to the ground, ying a tune for the departing witcher.

 Chapter 480 - 480: Partnership

    Chapter 480: Partnership


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The towering keep of Dragonsreach basked under the golden sunshine of the morning.


    ¡°So Sherry¡¯s soul has been transferred into this sword? Unbelievable. I¡¯ve read countless books on enchantments, and more than twenty of them im that the injecting of souls into a weapon is irreversible. Transferring a soul into another weapon is impossible.¡± A look of astonishment filled Farengar¡¯s eyes, and he tried to touch Aerondight. The witcher cocked his eyebrow and held back the urge to smack the mage¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°How did you manage this, Goldeneye?¡±


    Roy remained silent, but Farengar wasn¡¯t angry. His eyes were still on Aerondight, and he was astonished by what he found. ¡°These runes¡­ They¡¯repletely different from what I know. It¡¯s different from the enchantments in Skyrim¡­ No, the whole of Tamriel!¡±


    Obviously. The inscriptionse from another world, and it¡¯s improved by my character sheet. This weapon is one of its kind. I¡¯ve had it almost since I started adventuring, and it¡¯s gone through a lot of powerups. I¡¯m much stronger with the sword than I am without.


    ¡°Most enchanted weapons channel their souls and unleash it upon their target. It¡¯s how they unleash their power, but your weapon doesn¡¯t even have to use any souls at all. Wait, so that means every time it strikes, it takes energy from its user. Or perhaps its surroundings. This is akin to the permanent enchantments we usually find on armor. This proves that weapons don¡¯t need soul gems to recharge! It¡¯s a breakthrough! Oh, but then that makes triggering its effects a matter of chance, but if you use souls, the effects are always guaranteed. It¡¯s a tradeoff for a permanent upgrade. Pros and cons, I say.¡± Farengar pinched his beard.


    ¡°Soul gems are for the rich,¡± Arvel said. ¡°Most people¡ªlike me¡ªprefer Goldeneye¡¯s style. Saves a lot of time and money.¡±


    ¡°True. Oh, but that¡¯s not all about this sword.¡± Lost in thought, Farengar muttered, ¡°There are about six or seven enchantments on this sword at the same time, and yet they coexist peacefully. No fighting at all. The professor of enchanting back in College of Winterhold told me a weapon can only have two enchantments at most. Even the best enchanter in Tamriel can¡¯t break that rule. If they try to do that, they either render all enchantments ineffective, or they break the weapon. I bet not even Hermaeus Mora¡¯s library contains knowledge of multiple enchantments on a single weapon. So who did this?¡± Like a fanatic, Farengar grabbed hold of Roy¡¯s hand. ¡°Might you be a master enchanter?¡±


    ¡°Goldeneyees from anothernd called Novigrad. It¡¯s probably something the people over there know.¡± Flynn looked at Aerondight, a look of astonishment filling his eyes. This sword is as powerful as Gwyhyr. He could still remember how easily Gwyhyr sliced through his enemies back in Bleak Falls Barrow. It was a shame Roy only lent him Gwyhyr that once. He has two powerful swords. Man, I wish I had two powerful weapons too.


    ¡°A shame I have to put all my efforts into deciphering the stone. We have to find the dragons as soon as possible.¡± Farengar sighed. ¡°Otherwise I would¡¯ve taken my time to research this de. I¡¯m sure I can create a new school of enchantment eventually. May I have the sword for a while, Goldeneye? For research purposes?¡±


    Roy shook his head and caressed his sword before sheathing it. This is my sole weapon. No way I¡¯m letting you touch it. And Sherry won¡¯t agree to it either. Maybe next time, if I get more enchanted weapons. Roy was nning on getting more of the better armor here and paying Farengar to enchant them.


    Farengar looked at the sword and reluctantly calmed himself down. ¡°Sorry. I should¡¯ve known you wouldn¡¯t tell me something so important so easily. Let¡¯s put the conversation to rest. So what next for you three?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay at Whiterun,¡± said Flynn. ¡°Until you decipher that stone. Until you find a weakness of the dragons.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be waiting for a while, then.¡±


    ¡°I have a question.¡± As per their earlier discussion, Flynn asked, ¡°If a dragon were to attack Whiterun, what would the Jarl do? Just have his soldiers fire away at the dragon? And how many soldiers do you have? A few dozen? Hundreds? Honestly, if the dragon is as powerful as the one we saw in Helgen, everyone is going to die. But I don¡¯t think it will be as powerful as the one we saw, though it will still prove to be trouble.¡±


    ¡°And why are you interested? None of you are citizens of Whiterun, as I recall.¡±


    ¡°We saw a dragon butcher a whole city. Killed a bunch of our brethren. We can¡¯t sit this one out,¡± Flynn said. It was an excuse Roy suggested earlier. ¡°Besides, if we can kill a dragon, we¡¯d be as famous as f One-Eye, founder of Dragonsreach. No one can resist that kind of glory. And once our names make it across Skyrim, every Jarl will wee us with open hands.¡±


    Farengar shot them a look of surprise. It¡¯s like they¡¯re different people. ¡°I¡¯d expect no less from heroes like you. Most people would be eager to run away from dragons after one attack, and yet you¡¯re running toward them. Very well,e with me to the lobby. Only the Jarl knows how we are going to deal with the dragon. Since you¡¯re lending your hand, you should listen to him.¡±


    They entered the main chamber, and Farengar whispered to the Jarl.


    The Jarl shot the adventurers a sharp but approving look. ¡°We don¡¯t receive heroes every day here. Our soldiers are scattered across a few towns and viges. Some will have to stay back to defend the keep. If another dragon attack is imminent, we can only send out thirty¡­ maybe forty soldiers at best.¡±


    Farengar bowed. ¡°I despisebat, but I am the court wizard. Once the dragon makes its appearance, I shall join the front lines as well. Killing a dragon is out of the question, but at least we can destroy its body.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What do you mean we can¡¯t kill a dragon?¡± asked Flynn.


    ¡°Unlikemon beasts, dragons are not affected by time. They are immortal. The most we can do is destroy their flesh,¡± Balgruuf boomed. ¡°Only those who are called Dragonborns can irrevocably destroy a dragon. They are the only ones who can kill a dragon¡¯s soul. But s, it has been many years since west saw a Dragonborn.¡±


    Roy looked at Flynn, and the Dragonborn scratched his head. Even now, he had no idea he was a Dragonborn. But with him on our side, we have a chance to take down the dragon. Yet Roy chose to keep Flynn¡¯s identity a secret. Nobody would believe an honest Nordling like him was a Dragonborn. Not without proof.


    And Roy wanted to find out if his character sheet had the special ability of the Dragonborn: to absorb a dragon¡¯s soul.


    Flynn scratched his head. ¡°Is Dragonborn an important person, Jarl?¡±


    Balgruuf smiled. ¡°Dragonborns are worth nothing when the dragons remain in hiding. But now they are resurfacing, and Dragonborns might just be the saviors of Whiterun¡­ nay, the whole of Skyrim. They shall be treated as guests of utmost importance no matter where they go.¡±


    Balgruuf continued. ¡°And it is all because Dragonborns can strengthen themselves through the absorption of a dragon¡¯s core. And they are granted the talent to master something called Shouts. They can use these Shouts to fight even dragons.¡± Balgruuf seemed to know more about Shouts than he let on. ¡°Humans can master Shouts as well, but we have to work on it hundreds of times harder than a Dragonborn.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Interested, Flynn asked, ¡°Jarl, as far as your knowledge extends, is there anyone else who knows how to cast these Shouts?¡±


    ¡°Of course. There is a group of people in Skyrim who saw it their duty to pass down the art of Thu¡¯um through generations, yet they keep to themselves.¡± And then he sighed. ¡°In my youth, I made a pilgrimage. Tried to see if they would teach me Shouts, but all I did was waste my time. I wasn¡¯t cut out for the job. But Ulf¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish the sentence. There was envy, disgust, and respect in his eyes.


    Wait. Someone else in Skyrim has mastery over these Shouts? Wonder if I can get some pointers from them.


    Before Roy could say anything, Flynn asked, ¡°So how can we find these people, Jarl?¡±


    ¡°No need for that. They will summon the Dragonborn to them and teach them the way of Thu¡¯um. All to fend off the iing dragons,¡± Balgruuf said mysteriously. And then, mockingly, he added, ¡°As for people like us, we should just keep to ourselves. Do not chase after what is not ours, or the only path that will lead us to is that of destruction.¡±


    Roy fell into silence. Even if I showed my Shout, I can¡¯t prove that I¡¯m a Dragonborn. And Balgruuf might find me detestable. Besides, I still have a lot to learn about Unrelenting Force. Not in a hurry to find the next Shout.


    And then, through Arvel, Roy said, ¡°Jarl, steward, Farengar, pardon me, but fending off a dragon with only a few dozen soldiers is insane. You expect to take down a dragon with nothing but arrows and magic? It¡¯s a dragon! It can burn your soldiers to a crisp easily. And it can tear us apart easily with its fangs and ws. And it can breathe fire. And summon a meteor rain.¡±


    Balgruuf fell into silence, and Proventus tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Farengar exined, ¡°Not all dragons are as powerful as the one in Helgen. ording to my research, dragons are split into five tiers, each more powerful than thest. Dragon, Blood Dragon, Frost Dragon, Elder Dragon, and Ancient Dragon. The one you met in Helgen no doubt was at the top of the hierarchy. I suspect it was Alduin, the Bane of Kings, and the one who appeared in the first era. That was a rare dragon. While the dragon we¡¯ll be facing is on the lowest rung of the hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°No harm making more preparations. Do you have a n?¡± asked Arvel.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Balgruuf raised his hand, telling the thief to continue.


    ¡°Contact the other Jarls and form an alliance against these dragons. Falkreath, for example. It¡¯s the nearest hold.¡±


    ¡°We have gone through that conversation.¡± Proventus shook his head, sighing. ¡°The only sighting of a dragon was in Helgen. No news from the other holds. We don¡¯t know how many dragons will be attacking, nor do we know when they will attack. And we don¡¯t know why they¡¯re attacking either,¡± Proventus said. ¡°They¡¯reing in full force, and the Jarls prefer to keep their soldiers in their territory. We don¡¯t have any manpower to spare.¡±


    Arvel took a deep breath and bowed to the people around the throne. ¡°I apologize. I did not think that far ahead.¡±


    ¡°That is alright. Arvel, is it? Did youe up with those questions yourself?¡± asked Balgruuf. There was a look of approval for Arvel in his eyes.


    Goldeneye asked me to do it. Arvel hung his head low. ¡°It¡¯s what the three of us talked about.¡±


    Flynn blushed.


    ¡°Not every day that I see a regr man keeping his cool in the face of an impending dragon attack. Most would either run away with their tails between their legs, or they would charge into battle recklessly.¡± Balgruuf nodded. ¡°It is still too early to work with the other Jarls. Any other ideas?¡±


    Arvel looked at Roy. ¡°If we can¡¯t ask for help from the outside, why don¡¯t we turn to the people inside? We ran into Jon Battle-Born in the inn. He said his family is a powerful one. They should be helping out, seeing as they are a part of the city.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Balgruuf shook his head, though he was obviously tempted by the idea. ¡°The Battle-Borns are my people, and I am the Jarl. I have a duty to protect them. I cannot ask my people to fight when my soldiers and I are still standing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think,¡± Proventus exined. ¡°Things areplicated. Unless the dragon attacks Whiterun itself, the Battle-Borns have no reason to take to the front lines, nor do we have any reason to make them fight. But if Talos wills it, they might just send their troops to fight with us.¡±


    Proventus continued. ¡°The Battle-Borns own a lot of farms and people, but the Grey-Manes possess the best gear, though they are stubborn and traditional. And then there are the Companions, who are connected to the Grey-Manes. We have no power over them.¡± Proventus shot the adventurers a weird look, and he said, ¡°Goldeneye and Flynn have seen firsthand how the dragon attack in Helgen went down. If you can¡­ persuade the families of Whiterun to lend their forces to us¡ªbetter if you use your experience to do so¡ªor even supply the soldiers with gear, you¡¯d be heroes of the city. And you¡¯ll have clearance to do a lot of things here.¡±


    The adventurers exchanged a nce. Alright. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for.


    ¡°We shall try our best.¡±


    Now that Roy had a trantor, mastered a Conjuring spell, owned a soul weapon, and learned a Shout, it was time to prepare for the fight with the dragon. The lowest tier, of course. He had to make sure he could collect some of its blood. And once the dragon was defeated, everyone would see that Flynn was a real Dragonborn. That alone would make traveling Skyrim damn easier. This partnership is essential to our n.

 Chapter 481 - 481: Battle-Born and Grey-Mane

    Chapter 481: Battle-Born and Grey-Mane


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Whiterun¡¯s garden was as lovely as ever. The great maple tree swayed along with the breeze, its crimson leaves raining down on the ground, decorating the earth alongsidevenders and mountain flowers.


    Underneath the tree was a bench, and four men stood around it. Roy, Flynn, Arvel, and a man they met in the market. He had white hair and a wrinkly face, but he was dressed resplendently, and a cape made out of elephant skin draped his shoulders. Pendants made out of expensive gemstones hung around his neck, and this man was none other than Olfrid Battle-Born, patriarch of the Battle-Born n, and father of Jon Battle-Born.


    ¡°Olfrid, I hear your family has power over this keep?¡± Arvel asked politely.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not all.¡± Olfrid looked around the garden like he owned the ce. ¡°Battle-Born is a legend. The stories of my n have been made into epics and poems for a century. We¡¯re the most powerful entity in the keep, bar the Jarl. As for the Grey-Mane Clean¡­¡± Olfrid harrumphed, and something stirred in his eyes, then he raised his chin and scoffed. ¡°I¡¯d like to not talk about them.¡±


    ¡°Then you will lend a hand should the keep find itself in danger?¡± Arvel asked.


    Olfrid froze for a moment, then he said matter-of-factly, ¡°The Jarl will send out his troops. We¡¯re busy dealing with our farms. Our job is to provide for the whole keep and make sure the people don¡¯t starve. That¡¯s already a type of assistance in itself. And with the Stormcloaks running amok, things have been unsafe as ofte. Bandits roam thesends, robbing us of our crops. We¡¯re already stuck dealing with them.¡± There was hatred and disdain in his voice.


    Ah, so that¡¯s why the Battle-Born n supports the empire. It¡¯s all because they¡¯re losing money.


    Arvel said, ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. You know what happened to Helgen. It was a heavily guarded ce, but one dragon¡¯s breath, and poof, it¡¯s now a pile of ash. Do you really think the doors of Whiterun can fend off something like that when ites hovering over the keep?¡±


    ¡°Should that daye, my n will fight, but now is not the time.¡± Olfrid cocked his eyebrow. ¡°And you¡¯re not getting to the point. I only came because you were of assistance to the Jarl, but now you¡¯re wasting my time. Time I could use for work.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d rather not wait until the dragones before we do anything.¡± Arvel paused for a moment, staring at the old man. ¡°Preparation is key. You should gather your troops and join the army. Find out what the dragons¡¯ weakness is and hit it where it hurts when it doese. The dragon might go for your farms and barns. If you¡¯re not going to send in your own troops, don¡¯t expect the Jarl to help you.¡±


    Olfrid shot him a look of displeasure. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the Jarl¡¯s spokesperson. Honestly, you don¡¯t even have a house of your own. You¡¯re not even one of us, you peasant. You should be worrying about yourself more. This is beyond you.¡± He paused for a moment and got up, circling the maple tree. ¡°Instead of wasting your time with me, you should bring this up to Vignar Grey-Mane. Their n too has established themselves firmly in this keep, and they¡¯re arms dealers. Thanks to the rebellion, they¡¯ve made a mountain of coins. They have a group of powerful Companions, and they should be the ones helping the keep in its time of need.¡±


    ¡°What are The Companions anyway?¡± Flynn asked.


    ¡°Think of it as a guild of fighters based in Skyrim. They¡¯re made up of powerful warriors who love to hunt for all manner of dangerous beasts. Some of them would be interested in killing a dragon or two. Eorlund Grey-Mane is their cksmith, and he works the Skyforge. Vignar, their n leader, is a member of The Companions. The Grey-Mane n is close to them.¡±


    Roy nodded. First we need to take care of the two ns, and then we¡¯ll take the negotiations to The Companions.


    ¡°Olfrid, I know the two ns are at odds, but in the face of an impending cmity, shouldn¡¯t we put aside our differences and work through the disaster?¡± Arvel paused for a moment.


    ¡°You have a point.¡± Olfrid sneered and looked at the trio. ¡°If you can convince the Grey-Mane n to help, then I will send in my own troops as well. But if you can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll hold you to that promise.¡±


    ¡°On the name of my n, I will not go back on my word.¡±


    The trio went for the other family.


    ***


    ¡°Oy, Battle-Born, give me some coins.¡± A girl in a green jacket was impatiently smacking a scrawny, hunched boy under the roof of the Temple of Kynareth, and she scoffed. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve taken all my coins, ise. Please, just let me go,¡± the boy argued softly, his eyes darting around, and then he broke off into a run.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you, or you¡¯re dead!¡± the girl screamed. She then turned around and saw three men underneath a tree staring at her, then she swung her fists as fiercely as she could. ¡°What are you looking at, you perverts? Just because you¡¯re adults doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m scared of you!¡± She went after the escaping boy like a lively mare.


    The trio saw her off, shaking their heads.


    ¡°That child is a menace!¡± The young Dragonborn felt like teaching the kid a lesson.


    ¡°Ah, forget it. You aren¡¯t going toy a hand on a kid, are you?¡± Arvel shook his head, and he teasingly said, ¡°Hey, maybe that¡¯s how she shows affection to that boy. Perhaps she just wants to y.¡±


    They then came to a beautiful two-story house, and then one of them knocked on the door. Someone opened it, revealing a grey-haired, wrinkly woman. ¡°And who might you be? What business do you have with us?¡±


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. We¡¯re new residents of Whiterun, and we¡¯ve heard of the Grey-Mane n¡¯s name, so we¡¯re here for a visit.¡± The Dragonborn put on a lovely smile. ¡°I¡¯m Flynn. This is Goldeneye and Arvel. Pleased to see you.¡± He looked past the old woman¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, I remember you. Avulstein told me about your story. You escaped from Helgen, didn¡¯t you?¡± Realization struck Fralia Grey-Mane, and she looked at the trio. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumorsing from the Bannered Mane. You don¡¯t support the empire or the Stormcloaks, do you?¡±


    ¡°That we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good. The lot of them are traitors of tradition and honor. Come in.¡±


    ***


    The Grey-Mane n¡¯s house was set up like an inn. There were two stories and a lot of rooms. A bonfire crackled in the center, and everywhere else was filled with all kinds of items, though it didn¡¯t seem messy at all. An old, rickety staircase near the bonfire led to the second floor, but the trio and Fralia took a seat on a long chair.


    ¡°I am Fralia Grey-Mane. Call me Fralia. So what brings you here? And don¡¯t give me any flimsy excuses. I don¡¯t know you people, and Nordlings do not visit people they don¡¯t know well.¡± The old woman¡¯s eyes had a sharp look in them.


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± The trio exchanged a look, and Flynn said, ¡°The keep is under threat. A dragon will be attacking soon, and we want to prepare for that. Your family is a maker of Skyrim¡¯s finest weaponry, and we need that for the fight against the dragon.¡±


    ¡°What did Balgruuf promise you? Why are you working for him? We don¡¯t have time for this. Our family has our own business to worry about.¡± Fralia shook her head. ¡°And protecting the keep is Balgruuf¡¯s duty. His soldiers are still holding out, aren¡¯t they? We¡¯re not needed.¡±


    ¡°We like this keep. It¡¯s filled with a lot of greenery and farms, and the people are friendly to everyone. Not many keeps in Skyrim are this nice, and we don¡¯t want to let it be ruined, so we want to help,¡± Arvel said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t see Nordlings this passionate these days, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± Fralia spoke sadly, and she stared at the ground, her wrinkles getting deeper. ¡°We¡¯re in a lot of trouble ourselves, and we can¡¯t help the troops.¡±


    Roy sighed. I see both families are stubborn.


    ¡°Pardon me, Fralia, but¡­¡± Arvel stopped for a moment, then he said, ¡°They say your family are arms dealers, so I presume the trouble you speak of is the bandits? Perhaps we can help with that.¡±


    Fralia paused for a moment, then she looked at the trio. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your deeds. You helped the Jarl, didn¡¯t you? Perhaps you¡¯re more than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was just luck.¡± Flynn scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. ¡°But we can deal with the undead and a trap or two if we want to.¡±


    ¡°And what about investigating work?¡± Fralia crossed her arms and nervously asked, ¡°Are you experts in finding out the truth behind mysteries?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯vee to the right ce.¡± Arvel smacked his knee. ¡°This is up Goldeneye¡¯s alley. He¡¯s a right breaker of mysteries, this guy is.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°In Talos¡¯ name, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Then that is good news indeed!¡± Fralia shot up and circled the bonfire. ¡°If you can help us with a certain undertaking, then our family will offer the supply of our finest weaponry from the Skyforge itself. We shall assist the keep in fighting the dragon off.¡±


    ¡°But can you really make that decision, Fralia?¡± Arvel asked quietly.


    ¡°My husband is the most revered cksmith in all of Skyrim¡ªEorlund Grey-Mane. He¡¯s in charge of the Skyforge as well as one of the decision makers of the n. Should you help us out, we will be in your debt, and we are more than willing to put aside our differences to help the keep.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the case?¡±


    ¡°This is about my son, Thorald Grey-Mane.¡± Fralia was getting agitated for some reason. ¡°Everyone says he¡¯s dead, but I have a feeling he¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Can you borate?¡±


    ¡°You should have heard of our allegiance. We¡¯re in favor of the Stormcloaks, not the cowardly, traitorous empire.¡± Fralia nodded proudly. ¡°But a while ago, my son was taken away during a protest, and the empire locked him up somewhere.¡±


    Flynn coughed. ¡°Sorry, but I have to ask¡­ What makes you think the soldiers would keep him alive instead of executing him right away?¡± He was reminded of the execution back in Helgen.


    ¡°A mother¡¯s intuition. You¡¯ll know when you have kids. The Battle-Born n is a supporter of the empire, and they¡¯ve been in contact with a certain sly old fox in the empire¡¯s top brass. They must know where Thorald is kept,¡± said Fralia.


    The trio exchanged a look. Wait, how¡¯d the two families live in peace for so long when their grudge runs this deep?


    ¡°May I know the history between your n and the Battle-Borns?¡± asked Flynn.


    ¡°Bah, a simple story. They support the empire, think they¡¯re better than everyone, and demand everyone pay them respect.¡±


    The trio nodded. Jon was an arrogant man when they first met, and his father was even more so. The old git even called them peasants.


    Fralia was starting to get even more agitated. ¡°Yeah, they have coins, but they¡¯re scum, the lot of them. No respect for honor and tradition. They¡¯d toss morality and tradition out the window if it meant they could make more coins. They¡¯d bow to the empire, but not us. We¡¯ve been righteous. The moment Ulfric founded the Stormcloaks, we¡¯ve been supporting him. Since then, the bastards finally showed their true colors. Cut ties with us just so they could protect their business with the empire.¡±


    Arvel shook his head. The Stormncloaks weren¡¯t exactly all heroes either. They might be against Thalmor, but they too looked down on anyone who was not a Nordling, trying to chase them out of Skyrim. Even Goldeneye wasn¡¯t spared from that.


    ¡°The Battle-Borns kept the location of my son¡¯s prison a secret so they could torment us. I bet they have records of where my son is kept. They¡¯re always on guard against us, and their men have been keeping a close eye on us too. Balgruuf¡¯s neutral in this matter, so he won¡¯t be meddling with the feud. We tried our best, but still we couldn¡¯t get our hands on the records.¡± Fralia took a deep breath and looked at the trio, her eyes glistening with tears. ¡°Please, help us. Find Thorald for us, and we shall help the keep. I will personally ask my husband to make a weapon or armor with the Skyforge for you.¡±


    Arvel and Flynn were tempted by the offer. They didn¡¯t have any bound weapons like Roy after all. Roy had weapons, but ever since that battle in Cintra, his armor had been broken into pieces. He needed new armor, and he could ask Farengar to enchant it too.


    ¡°You have a deal. So what kind of lead can you give us?¡±


    ¡°The clue might be on one of the Battle-Borns. That, or it¡¯s hidden in their residence.¡±


    ***


    The door swung open, and golden sunshine shone on the trio.


    ¡°So what now, mate? Jon owes us one, so why don¡¯t we make him repay his debt by telling us where the clue is?¡± Arvel walked down the stairs, staring at the beautiful nts around the house.


    Roy telepathically said, This involves the grudge between two families. Brute force won¡¯t work. He then shot Arvel a weird look.


    ¡°Oy, why¡¯re you looking at me like that?¡± Arvel shivered, a chill running down his spine.


    Realization struck Flynn. ¡°Oh, remember that time we shared a drink? You did tell us that stealthwork is your strongest suit. Even managed to steal something off Solitude.¡±


    ¡°Steal is a strong word.¡± Arvel looked awkward. ¡°I was robbing the rich to help the poor, but I¡¯ve quit. Now I¡¯m just trying to search for any ruins involving the dragons. And helping Goldeneye of course.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you steal one more time?¡± Flynn winked. ¡°This time from the Battle-Born.¡±


    Arvel gulped. ¡°But they practically rule this keep. You saw how arrogant that old git was. If they catch me, they¡¯re going to skin me alive. This is risky.¡±


    Don¡¯t worry. Roy had a skill that could summon his mount from anywhere. Tell me if you run into any sticky situations. I¡¯ll make sure youe out in one piece.


    ***


    The Battle-Born n¡¯s residence was built in the same area as their rival n¡¯s. A silhouette skulked around, hiding within the shadows and evading the patrol¡¯s gaze easily. He snuck to the west side of the garden. It was the back of the Battle-Born n¡¯s residence, and he looked around. Coast is clear. The silhouette then whipped out a grey cloth and covered his face, then he took out a steel thread to pick the house¡¯s lock.

 Chapter 482 - 482: Let Me Slip

    Chapter 482: Let Me Slip


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    While Arvel was sneaking into the residence, Roy and Flynn came to a smithy called Warmaiden¡¯s. A young, tanned, and beautifuldy was working on something. She was wearing a grey leather skirt, and her curves were perfect. The Dragonborn was stunned the moment he saw her, and Roy had to make him snap out of it.


    ¡°Wee to Warmaiden¡¯s. I¡¯m Adrianne Aveni.¡± The cksmith wiped the sweat off her forehead and grinned toothily at the duo. Flynn was mesmerized. Nice skin, beautiful body, big rear. Good for getting many kids. By Talos, this is the perfect woman I¡¯ve always wanted. If I get a residence here, I¡¯m going to court this woman, but¡­ ¡°Aveni?¡± Flynn paused for a moment. He was reminded of a brooding old man with a balding head. That¡¯s the Steward¡¯s name. ¡°Deardy, is the Steward¡­¡±


    Adrianne looked at the humble Dragonborn. ¡°He¡¯s my father.¡±


    Whoa. And you¡¯re doing cksmith work? With your father¡¯s power and your beauty, you could¡¯ve made it big in life.


    Noticing his question, Adrianne smiled. ¡°I like my work, no matter what my father can give me. I just want to prove that I¡¯m every bit aspetent as any other cksmith. So, what would you like? Weapons? Armor? Crafting materials? Warmaiden has everything.¡±


    ¡°Um, we found a ton of ancient Nordling weapons when we were adventuring. Do you buy these too?¡± Flynn put on his best smile and tried his best to hide his desire to woo this woman.


    Adrianne mused over it for a moment. ¡°Any samples I can see?¡±


    Roy whipped out some ancient Nordling weapons andid them out on the workstation, then he gave the Dragonborn a look. Ah, to be young.


    ¡°Where did you find these? They¡¯re almost corroded all the way through. I¡¯d call these antiques, but they¡¯re really just junk. I can probably salvage them and extract some materials. If you really want to sell these, they¡¯re going to be worth a lot less than most weapons.¡± Adrianne looked at them. ¡°Seventeen coins for two-handed weapons. Thirteen for one-handed weapons, and forty-five for bows.¡±


    ¡°Um, what if we have a lot of them? Can we get a better offer?¡±


    ¡°How many are we talking about?¡± Adrianne put her hands on her hips, and the look in her eyes turned a bit more solemn. Her curves showed off even more too.


    ¡°About a hundred.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Thirty two-handed swords, sixty one-handed swords, and ten battle-bows. Can you buy all of them?¡±


    Adrianne¡¯s jaw dropped, and she had a look of disbelief on her face. ¡°Come in. I need to talk to my husband and see if we have enough funds.¡±


    Thunderstruck, the Dragonborn paled. A husband? She¡¯s married? By Talos, why must my love be ripped away from me so soon? He trudged into the shop like a defeated rooster.


    ¡°Just a moment, customers.¡± A short, stocky man with a full beard stood behind the counter. He had a war-hammer on his back, and he smiled at the duo.


    Adrianne was quiet and docile in the presence of this man, and Flynn was envious. She¡¯s the daughter of the Steward. Beautiful, curvaceous, and a hard working cksmith. Why¡¯d she marry a man this ugly? Is there something special about him?


    A whileter, War-Bear spoke, and the lightning-shaped scar on the corner of his left eye glinted. ¡°This is going to sell for at least seventeen hundred gold coins. It¡¯s about half a house in this keep. Good thing the patrol captain bought a ton of weapons and paid a lot of coins. We¡¯ll take this business, and we will pay a bit more too.¡±


    Roy went to the corner of the shop and waved his hand in the air, then a ton of ckened, rusty ancient Nordling weapons covered the ground. Among them was a full set of armor. The armor he got from that empire soldier when he first came to this world.


    Adrianne and her husband quickly did the inventory, and it took them half an hour. By the end of it, they were sweating buckets. ¡°The weapons are worth 1740 coins, and the armor¡¯s worth two hundred. We¡¯ll put in a bit more and make it two grand. If that¡¯s fine with you, we can make the payment right away.¡±


    Roy and Flynn pretended to hesitate for a while.


    Adrianne quickly gushed, ¡°If you think you can ask for more, then consult Eorlund. I bet he¡¯s not going to offer as much as we do!¡±


    ¡°Adrianne!¡± War-Bear shot Adrianne a look, and his wife stayed silent.


    ¡°Fine. Twenty-one hundred. How about it? That¡¯s all the coins we have.¡± War-Bear sighed, and he seemed to wince a little. ¡°If you want more, then I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to decline this exchange.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± With that out of the way, Roy now had twenty-six hundred gold coins (including the ones he gained from the adventure in the temple) and three lesser soul gems.


    ***


    Flynn was still eyeing Adrianne, and Roy was trying to split the earnings with him, but he refused. ¡°Goldeneye, you made these coins fair and square. Keep it, or I¡¯ll be taking it as an insult. When you make enough to buy a house, just let me crash for a few days.¡±


    Roy smiled and took the coins for himself. Adrianne then talked to the duo about how weapons and armor were split into different qualities. Mostmoners in Skyrim wore regr clothes, but those with a bit of money could make themselves some leather armor and iron weapons. Anything more than that would be expensive. Then there was also steel armor and protective gear made of fine leather. That was only avable for soldiers like the empire¡¯s army or Balgruuf¡¯s guards. te armor was exclusive to high-ranking soldiers. That, or the owner must be really rich.


    Then there was beastmen armor, elven armor, Falmer armor, and armor made by Dwemer out of special metals. They were stronger than most steel gear, but they were heavier too. Then there was ss armor. They were beautiful and powerful, and they were the standard armor for Thalmorians. An enchanted ss sword was rare and valuable enough to be a family heirloom. Everyone in Skyrim would love to have one.


    And then there was ebony ingot. That was the hardest ore in Skyrim to work on. Most cksmiths couldn¡¯t use it to make anything. Only a grandmaster could make ebony items, and they were proud of that.


    The sword that merged with Aerondight was an ebony sword, and Sanguine made it just to y a game.


    Everything Warmaiden had were cheap items. Leather armor, iron armor, and engraved iron armor took up most of the shop. There was only a set of steel armor. Roy needed more. He asked Adrianne to keep an eye out for rare materials. After all, he still had Gabriel to power up.


    The duo then left the smithy and met up with Arvel.


    ¡°There¡¯s a woman going around the residence, so I couldn¡¯t find any clues about Thorald.¡± Arvel shook his head, and then he narrowed his eyes. ¡°But on my way back, I took a letter from our drinking buddy, Jon.¡±


    ¡°You took a letter from him?¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine, I stole it from him. He clearly had something on his mind, and since he¡¯s a Battle-Born, I struck when he strayed off into a remote corner.¡± Arvel whipped out a yellowing letter andid it out in front of hispanions.


    ¡®Jon, I know it¡¯s hard on you, but please, hold your longing in. We must keep our love hidden especially at a time like this. If our ns find out, no, if they even suspect us of having a rtionship, we will both be ruined.


    But I promise you that the day wille where we do not have to hide our love anymore.¡¯


    The trio looked excited, and Flynn¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Arvel, you¡¯re a talented bastard. If the dayes when we need more money, perhaps you can¡­ steal for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I am not a member of the Thieves Guild, mate. In most cases, I will not steal,¡± Arvel quickly said.


    ¡°Whoa, just kidding.¡± Flynn shrugged. ¡°So this means Jon is having a rtionship with someone from the Grey-Mane n. That must be it. The content tells us all we have to know, but gods this reads like some drama-filled love story. Two young members of rivaling ns falling in love with each other and meeting up in secret.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know it¡¯s the young ones?¡± Arvel smiled. ¡°Jon might be dating an olddy. Some people love older women, especially people like Jon. He¡¯s a drinker. He could¡¯ve started this rtionship in a drunken episode.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where you got his alcoholism wrong. He only became an alcoholic because he couldn¡¯t embrace his lover openly. That triggered some form of depression, and he had to push it down.¡± Roy was reminded of Coral, and he sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t say I me him. Before Ulfric betrayed the empire, the ns were not enemies. They were as close as two families could be, so it¡¯s possible that some of their members married each other.¡±


    ¡°Not now, though. Marriage between members of these ns is taboo.¡± Arvel nodded. ¡°So why don¡¯t we use this as leverage? Jon owes us one anyway.¡±


    The trio exchanged a look and nodded.


    ***


    Jon was standing right outside Arcadia¡¯s Cauldron, his arms crossed, the look on his face dark. Things had not been going well for the Battle-Born. He lost a drinking challenge to some scrawny brat, and all the drinkers in Whiterunughed at him for that. Even the useless man of a bard mocked him. To make things worse, the meeting with the lover he¡¯d been looking forward to was canceled, and for some reason, he lost the letter she wrote to him. I hope no one from the n sees it.


    A gentle voice spoke from behind. ¡°You seem troubled, friend.¡±


    ¡°I lost my le¡­ I made a big mistake!¡± Jon said, liquid courage egging him on.


    ¡°You mean this letter?¡± A slender hand appeared beside him, and in its palm was a letter he was very familiar with. The handwriting on it was one he knew too well, and his eyes went wide. The moment Jon tried to take the letter, the hand pulled back.


    ¡°Goldeneye? Arvel? Flynn? What is the meaning of this?¡± Jon stared wide-eyed at the grinning trio, and he followed them to a quiet corner, filled with frustration. ¡°How¡¯d you get that letter?¡±


    ¡°You really need to be careful with your possessions, mate.¡± Arvel straightened out Jon¡¯s cor and lectured, ¡°It fell right out of your clothes. You should not hide something so important in a ce so unsafe.¡±


    ¡°If we hadn¡¯te across it, someone else might. And it might¡¯ve been someone from your family too,¡± said Flynn. ¡°Jon is a rare name in Whiterun, and the content of this letter could¡¯ve incriminated you.¡±


    ¡°The second son of the Battle-Born having a sordid affair with ady of the Grey-Mane n. Wonder if they¡¯re going to dere war.¡± Arvel said, ¡°Might kill off a lot of people if that happened.¡±


    Jon paled, then his face turned green, and then red, but it was not the time to question these people on how they got their hands on the letter. He looked at them and heaved a sigh. ¡°Fine, what do you want? What do I have to do to get that letter back and keep your mouths shut?¡±


    ¡°Easy.¡± Arvel smirked. ¡°Just tell us where Thorald Grey-Mane is locked up.¡±


    ¡°And how should I know about that?¡± Jon looked surprised, then he shook his head. ¡°It was a shame. Could¡¯ve been fine with supporting the rebels in secret, but he just had to join the protest. That was just asking for it. If you want answers, ask the Imperial soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. We all know your n contacts General Tulius and is close to him.¡± Flynn looked into his eyes. ¡°You must know something. Tell us, and we¡¯ll pretend we never saw this letter, and you¡¯ll have repaid your favor from losing the drinking game. In the name of Talos, I swear.¡±


    ¡°You swear by your god¡¯s name?¡± Jon was tempted, and he had a conflicted look in his eyes. ¡°Why do you help them? Have you finally decided to break the code of neutrality and join the racists? Goldeneye is no Nordling. The Stormcloaks will kick him out of Skyrim.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arvel mused for a moment, then he put on a noble act and repeated what Roy told him. ¡°What we care about is Whiterun¡¯s safety. We¡¯ll do everything we can to protect it from the dragon¡¯s attack. Grey-Mane n is willing to make a trade with us, but your father¡­ Oh, that man is an arrogant git.¡±


    Jon sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, perhaps. I¡¯ve had enough of this. This difference in political views has caused too much pain between our families. Olfina, my childhood friend, is forced to stay separate from me. Even when we show up in a room together, we¡¯d still be too scared to hold hands.¡± Heughed and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I support the Empire, but I despise Thalmor. Thorald wasn¡¯t taken away by the Empire; he was taken by Thalmor¡¯s envoy, and a small group of soldiers is taking him to Northwatch Keep. It¡¯s in northwest Skyrim. They¡¯ve just departed Rorikstead and are somewhere near Whiterun. Tell the Grey-Manes to make their move soon, but be careful. Don¡¯t sacrifice themselves just to save one man.¡±


    A moment of silence ensued. Jon took the letter back and tucked it away in his clothes, then he patted it. ¡°Do please keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°If my guess is right, you guys have been trying to find Thorald¡¯s whereabouts,¡± Flynn said, his eyes glinting. ¡°You only kept it a secret from the Grey-Manes so they wouldn¡¯t send their members on a suicide mission.¡±


    Jon¡¯s face twitched, but he said nothing.


    ¡°You guys had a falling out on the surface and would start a fight every time you met, but the friendship between your ns can never be erased that easily,¡± said Arvel.


    ¡°Thorald¡¯s my childhood friend.¡± Jon smiled bitterly. ¡°But this feud is bigger than us. What the young ones think mean nothing to the feud.¡±


    He was going to leave, but Roy told Arvel to stop him. ¡°Do you really love Olfina?¡±


    Jon looked at the overcast sky and harrumphed. ¡°She will be the mother of my children.¡±


    ¡°Does she love you as much?¡±


    A hint of warmth filled Jon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Of course. If it weren¡¯t for love, a woman would never go against her family just to fall in love with the enemy. If she¡¯s found out, she risks exile.


    ¡°Very well. Will you take a risk for once, for your wife?¡± Arvel looked at Jon with shining eyes.


    ¡°What are you trying to say? Battle-Borns know no fear, especially for our love.¡±


    ¡°We have a n that might give you a chance to be reunited with your lover.¡± Arvel said, ¡°But there are sacrifices to be made. Your family might see you as a traitor, but this is all for love.¡±


    ¡°All for love?¡± Jon hesitated. ¡°But why are you helping me?¡±


    ¡°We just don¡¯t want to see a loving couple get broken up,¡± said Arvel nobly. Nah, it¡¯s just because my boss wants to do this.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Jon licked his lips, and his eyes reflected the shape of an inverted triangle. Then emotions took over his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fanning the mes.¡± Roy grinned.


    ***


    Flynn came back to the Grey-Mane residence. He knocked on the door, and Fralia weed him in, but hispanions were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°So?¡± Fralia had concern in her eyes. ¡°Any proof that my child is alive?¡±


    Flynn looked around and saw, near the bonfire, a pretty, curvy youngdy picking out potatoes from a basket. That woman was none other than Jon¡¯s lover¡ªOlfina. She was about twenty years old, and she was beautiful, and she was listening to the conversation.


    ¡°Calm down, ma¡¯am. Thorald is still alive, but he¡¯s in danger. He could die at any moment.¡± The Dragonborn said with concern, ¡°He was taken by Thalmor¡¯s envoy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Fralia shot up and paced around the lounge. ¡°How¡¯d those disgusting elves get their hands on him? Where did you get the news?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯ll say next might sound incredible, but do you know one Jon Battle-Born?¡±


    The old woman got solemn. ¡°Olfrid¡¯s second son? That brat is a chronic drinker. Why¡¯d you bring this up? Wait¡­¡±


    Olfina stopped working and held her breath.


    ¡°Yes. Jon told us about the clue. Thorald¡¯s already taken to Rorikstead, and he¡¯s on his way to save him.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Fralia was in disbelief, and Olfina huddled closer, tugging on her sleeves nervously. ¡°He¡¯s a Battle-Born. Why would he risk his neck to help us? He supports the Empire, so why¡¯s he foiling their ns?¡± That was not what Fralia expected to hear at all. She thought the Battle-Borns were behind Thorald¡¯s kidnapping.


    ¡°Jon¡¯s been keeping an eye out for Thorald. They¡¯re softies really, and you have to talk to your daughter.¡± Flynn looked at the pale Olfina. ¡°Jon wants to give her a gift and ask for her hand in marriage.¡±


    ¡°By Talos! Olfina, you¡¯re seeing that Battle-Born boy?¡± Fralia¡¯s eyes went wide, and she pointed at her daughter angrily, her chest heaving. She couldn¡¯t believe her daughter was fornicating with the enemy.


    Olfina teared up, and her lips trembled, but there was worry in her eyes, though not just for Thorald. ¡°Not the time to talk, Fralia. I¡¯ll call Avulstein and Eorlund back right now.¡± She left the house, muttering, ¡°Please let them be fine, Talos. Please¡­¡±


    ***


    Olfrid was proudly patrolling the shops in the ins District. He was eyeing the rear of the woman selling ivory, and just when he was about to tease her, one of the trio showed up. It was the gaunt man with an eternal leer¡ªArvel.


    He was muttering about Jon, Thorald, and Rorikstead as he went by Olfrid. ¡°Hey,d. Marvel, correct? What are you muttering about? Wanna tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Master Olfrid. I ran into your son at the Bannered Mare. He had a bit much to drink and was talking about saving some guy named Thorald who got locked up in Rorikstead. And he said something about killing the Thalmors. Thought he was just being drunk, so I followed him, but he was already riding west.¡±


    ¡°That fool! I¡¯ve told him to never meddle with this matter!¡± Olfrid¡¯s face fell, and his arrogance disappeared, then he punched his fists together. His knuckles cracked. ¡°I have two sons. That bastard can die for all I care.¡±


    Even though that was what he said, Olfrid still hurried off as fast as he could. A whileter, the Battle-Borns and Grey-Manes ran into each other at the keep¡¯s entrance, and they cursed all the way to Rorikstead. Some of them were ready to fight too.

 Chapter 483 - 483: Killing Thalmor

    Chapter 483: Killing Thalmor


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sun was setting, and darkness slowly swooped down on Whiterun. A gust of cold wind hurtled through the woods, bringing with it ayer of fog, and the silence of the dusk was broken by the sounds of the footsteps of horses.


    A group of six knights trod upon the meandering path. Unlike the burly, blond Nordlings, these knights were slender, and the one in the lead wore a ck silk robe. His face was long, and his cheekbones were prominent. His chin was sharp, as were his ears, and the look in his eyes was cold and arrogant. His entourage was equipped with swords and light but durable elven armor, and they were looking around cautiously.


    In the middle of this entourage, a short horse was pulling a wooden cage, following the knights. Locked within the cage was a Nordling, his hair dirty and unkempt, and his face was covered in grime and soil. Underneath his clothes, the man¡¯s skin was covered in bruises from the interrogation he underwent. Hey in his prison, staring ahead with despair in his eyes. He would¡¯ve looked dead if not for his heaving chest.


    On a verdant alder tree yards away from the knights, a silhouette stood on its branch, staring at them, and cold fury glinted in his eyes. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s the Thalmor.¡± The ones who made the empire sign the White-Gold Concordat and forbade the Nordlings from worshipping Talos. The one who riled Ulfric up into a rebellion and defected from the empire. The ones who caused the infighting in Skyrim.


    All the Thalmor here were High Elves, and they had a different set of talentspared to Nordlings and Dark Elves.


    ¡®Regality: High Elves are born with immense talent for magic. Maximum Mana increased by fifty points. Regality can be used as an active skill. Recovered fifty percent of mana over one minute. Can only be used one time per day.¡¯


    They were talented in magic, and yet only two were spellcasters: the one in the lead, and the one on his left. ¡°Two spellcasters and four swordsmen. Good. I can test out my new skill.¡±


    Now that the witcher had decided to meddle with this affair, he would not falter anymore. Right away, he summoned his hand crossbow, and he aimed it squarely at the Thalmor who knew healing spells.


    A bolt arced through the air, and a thud reverberated within the group. Caught by surprise, the Thalmor on the left was hit in the waist. His armor caved in, and he fell from his horse. As if by coincidence, he hit the back of his neck, and it bent at an unnatural angle. Just like that, the Thalmor died.


    The other elves leapt off their horses in shock and took cover behind the beasts, but then another bolt was fired off, and this time, it hit the Thalmor in the lead. However, the bolt was deflected by a green shield, and the spellcaster leapt into the air before falling, gasping and screaming.


    Then his eyes went wide as a slender figure in fur armor and a mask tore open the space before him, appearing out of nowhere. The spellcaster¡¯s battle instincts pushed him into action. Without hesitating, a ball of magic appeared at his fingertips, and heunched a magical ball at the assant.


    Roy felt heavier, and the ck light on his skin disappeared as Heliotrop was crushed. At the same time, a surge of resilient magical power subdued him. It felt like a great hand was closing in on him, crushing his limbs. Every inch of his skin felt numb, and he couldn¡¯t even move a finger.


    The witcher went red, and breathing felt hard, but he still looked calm.


    The swordsmen unsheathed their des and charged at the witcher, swinging their weapons down on him. The spellcaster fell on his rear, and he crawled backward like a scared little toddler. At the same time, he gesticted frantically, forming a white rune the shape of a snowke.


    The rune was tossed at the witcher, and a surge of frost nova burst open, bringing the temperature down drastically. A freezing chill came from Roy¡¯s feet, and he saw icicles forming on his boots and pants. His teeth chattered, and he gasped for air.


    The swordsmen were near enough to attack him, and they swung their des down on their enemy.


    The witcher¡¯s face fell, and he cast Fear. A great shadow bulged from the ground, then an octopus with crimson tentacles appeared from the void. Blood dripped from its tentacles, and their suckers expanded and contracted as the tentaclesshed out at the iing attackers.


    The Thalmor were wrapped up easily, and the tentacles ate up their weapons, then they held their victims up, bringing them closer and closer until they merged into some sort of meat shield protecting the witcher.


    The spellcaster was already five yards away, and he chanted an ear-piercing incantation. Even though he had fear in his eyes, he gesticted as fast as possible, then he pointed a finger at the nightmarish creature.


    An arc of white electricity danced out of his palm and turned into an electric snake thatshed out at the octopus, and one of its tentacles burst into pieces. Balls of me leapt and jumped across the night skies as the Thalmor danced and pranced around. They yelled and screamed and rolled in a desperate attempt to put out the mes, but s, it was not to be.


    The witcher appeared from behind the mes, holding a fireball in his hand, then he locked eyes with the spellcaster.


    Roy tossed Furyfire at the spellcaster, but the mes were stopped by the same green shield once more. The spellcaster responded in kind, shooting out a stream of mes from his hand, burning the area before him in a conical shape as he slithered backward, keeping the mes up.


    The burning hand was an offensive and defensive mechanism. If Roy wanted to get close, he had to pass the stream of mes and endure the heat. Most people would die before they could even get close to the spellcaster.


    However, Roy took a deep breath, and then space itself seemed to ripple as the silhouette of a gigantic ck dragon appeared behind the witcher. And as the witcher opened his mouth, so did the dragon.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    The ground trembled and rumbled, the mes blown back to the spellcaster by a screaming gale, burning the caster himself. Before he could even scream, he felt a great impact crashing into him, and he was sent flying into the distance.


    Then he fell with a sickening thud, but he did not move. He couldn¡¯t. His face was swollen, and his body was mangled. Blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth, and chunks of his innards fell out, while his bones and flesh were crushed by the roar. mes licked the spellcaster¡¯s corpse, burning his remnants silently.


    ¡®Foltalo Ieven killed. EXP +200. Level 12 Witcher (1020/12500). You have killed enough living beings. Massacre (Level 7 ¡ú 8).


    (Bloody Aura: Any enemy that is within three yards of you has a twenty percent chance of being Feared by Massacre. If the enemy¡¯s Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for up to three seconds.


    You now permanently deal (30 ¡ú 35)% extra damage to creatures you have hunted before.


    Fear: You may use Bloody Aura as an active skill to Fear single, multiple, or all targets within three yards of you. Mandates a Will check. If the enemy¡¯s Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for up to three seconds. Cooldown (2 ¡ú 1.5)minutes.


    Note: This skill levels up the more types and number of creatures you kill.¡¯


    ¡°Gods, I killed so many back in Cintra, and it only levels up now? I¡¯m going to use a skill point to level this thing up next time.¡±


    Roy stomped his feet and shook the frost off his pants. He could feel the chill from his knees down, and he thought he had a little frostburn. Quickly, he summoned his hellhound, and it spat fire, burning up all the corpses with Furyfire. Even the grass was charred at the end of it.


    Roy broke a few alder trees and the carriage with Aard, then he mmed the ground a few times. Dust flew in the air, and a vague shape of a dragon footprint appeared on the ground. Alright, this¡¯ll make it look like a dragon attack.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Thorald held the bars of his cage, his eyes wide. With delight in his voice, he said, ¡°Save me! I will reward you!¡±


    Roy smiled and cast a Sign. Thorald spaced out, and all he saw in his mind was a cruel and horrifying scene. A momentter, he fell unconscious. Roy looked at the elven armor the Thalmor was wearing, and then he left. Shame I can¡¯t loot that.


    ***


    ¡°Alright, deep breath.¡± A momentter, Jon hopped off his horse. He stared at the broken bodies of the Thalmor and the wreckage of the battle. The air was filled with the scent of blood, charred flesh, and burning wood. He noticed that the alder trees around the path were struck down. ¡°By Talos, did a god finally punish these bastards?¡±


    He charged toward the cage and found its key, then he opened it up and dragged Thorald out, and he smacked Thorald¡¯s face. ¡°Oy, wake up. I¡¯m here, mate!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon! A dragon!¡± Thorald leaned on Jon¡¯s knees and swung his arms around. There was genuine fear in his eyes. ¡°I saw a dragon!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. You¡¯re safe, Thorald. The Thalmor can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡±


    And then he heard sounds of clopping hoovesing from Rorikstead. Two groups of people armed with battle-axes and battle-hammers closed in, and the pair in the lead were the sullen Olfrid and the silver-haired Eorlund, keeper of the Skyforge.


    They looked around and froze for a moment.


    ¡°Thorald! Thank Talos you¡¯re alive. I knew it!¡± Fralia held up her dress and ran to her son, crying. She then held her boy in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we camete. Are you hurt? By the gods, you¡¯ve lost so much weight. Those bastards must¡¯ve tortured you hard!¡±


    ¡°Fralia, Eorlund, Avulstein, I¡¯m fine. I just feel a bit weak¡­¡± Thorald forced a smile and looked around, then everyone checked the dead bodies.


    ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re alright. Do not do anything like that ever again, brother.¡± A beautiful young woman came ahead and hugged Thorald, then she turned to Jon, her eyes glistening with tears. ¡°And how dare youe alone! Are you stupid? Do you have any idea how worried I was? What would I do if you¡­ if you died?¡± Olfina stared at her lover and pounced into his arms, not caring if she was seen by the ns. Jon hugged her tightly and patted her back.


    Olfrid did not look happy at all. ¡°Have you forgotten the family rules, Jon?¡± Olfrid charged ahead and grabbed his son by his cor, his eyes ring with fury. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to never bring trouble to the family? Haven¡¯t you listened? How dare you attack the Thalmor? You think you¡¯re smart enough now? Or did all the ale get to your head? How dare you turn your back on the n. I hereby ex¡ª¡±


    The burly Eorlund pushed Olfrid¡¯s hand away and interrupted. ¡°So you knew where my son was going to be taken to, and yet you kept it a secret! As if being the empire¡¯s dogs isn¡¯t mortifying enough, you¡¯re bowing to Thalmor? So what if your son killed them? I say he did good. Now no one can use us of anything.¡±


    Eorlund patted Jon¡¯s shoulder, his eyes glinting with approval for him. ¡°Jon, I used to think you were a coward like your n members. A merchant who cares for nothing but coin, but you changed my opinion. You killed six Thalmor on your own. I confess I did underestimate you. You¡¯re a true Nordling.¡± Eorlund looked at the couple. ¡°Now that you¡¯re exiled, why don¡¯t you join my n? We have room for one more, and I¡¯ll marry Olfina to you.¡±


    The youngdy was delighted, but Jon looked bemused. He had no idea why he came after the Thalmor. He was like a man possessed by nothing but his repressed rage.


    ¡°Enough, Eorlund! You¡¯re trying to convince my son to join the enemy right in front of me?¡± Olfrid red at Eorlund.


    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t had enough on the way here? Hey, you said you¡¯d exile him.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t finish.¡± Olfrid looked at his son, who was hugging the enemy¡¯s daughter, and he sighed. What will we do now that he¡¯s gotten on the bad side of the Empire and Thalmor? ¡°You must pay the price. You are not allowed to leave the residence for a year. Think about what you did.¡±


    ¡°Olfrid, Eorlund, you¡¯re missing something. I¡­¡± Jon hung his head low, but he hugged Olfina tighter. ¡°The battle was already over when I came. I didn¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He speaks the truth.¡± Thorald looked at everyone. ¡°Take a closer look.¡±


    Everyone looked around the battlefield as well. It was covered in mes, holes on the ground, and broken trees. This was not something a human could achieve.


    Thorald looked into the night sky, his eyes ring with fear, and he started to shiver. ¡°It was a dragon. It swooped down from the skies and killed all the Thalmor. It was as big as a mountain and as ck as the darkest night. One breath. One fire breath, and it killed most of the knights off. And it breathed fire at the spellcaster, a-and the dragon shouted something strange. That shout blew the spellcaster away, burning him to ash.¡±


    Olfrid and Eorlund froze. They were veterans of the keep, and they knew what that shout was. Thu¡¯um.


    Avulstein said in awe, ¡°The envoy¡¯s bones are all crushed, and by some sort of special power.¡±


    ¡°I was still in the cage, and the dragon probably thought I was dying, so it didn¡¯t kill me.¡± Thorald shuddered. ¡°In any case, I survived.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much of a coincidence. Why¡¯d the dragon attack Thalmor?¡± Eorlund frowned.


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t you, boy?¡± Olfrid heaved a sigh of relief. He bought the story of the dragon attack.


    ¡°In Talos¡¯ name, I swear I did nothing.¡± Jon looked at his father with determination.


    ¡°Good. You can still make up for what you did. Nowe back here.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± Jon exchanged a look with Olfina and smiled at her gently. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding this secret anymore. I¡¯ve been seeing Olfina for years, and I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m marrying this woman. This is what Talos has decreed. We will no longer hide our love. ¡°Eorlund, Father, please give us your blessing.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Eorlund and his wife exchanged a look. They were in a dilemma. They thought Jon had betrayed his family and the empire by killing the Thalmor, so it was fine if Olfina married him, but now they knew that wasn¡¯t the case. The real killer was that mysterious dragon. Still, Jon risked his life to save Thorald, and that meant he was serious about the marriage.


    ¡°You want to marry a Grey-Mane? Do you have any idea what that will do to us? Our rtionship with the empire will be irrevocably ruined.¡± Olfrid shook his head adamantly. ¡°If you still see yourself as one of us, you¡¯ll give that n up.¡±


    ¡°Come back, Jon. You¡¯ve already made a mistake once, so don¡¯t do it again,¡± someone in the Battle-Born group said.


    ¡°The Grey-Manes are our enemies.¡±


    ¡°Marrying one of them is just going to make you suffer.¡±


    ¡°Enough! Stop with your political standings! I will not stand for a life of secrecy anymore, and I can¡¯t live without Olfina!¡± Jon roared, his face red. ¡°I came all the way to bust Thorald out just for her, and I might do even worse things just for her!¡±


    ¡°You think you can live after this?¡± Olfrid looked at them coldly, and he clenched the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Father,¡± Idf Battle-Born said, ¡°give him some time. He¡¯s still affected by the ale.¡±


    Olfrid harrumphed and put his de down, then he fiercely shouted, ¡°You have one day! I want to see you at home and kneeling after that, or else!¡± He shot Eorlund a look and asked his men to retreat.


    ¡°Please, Eorlund, we need your blessing.¡± Olfina¡¯s eyes glistened with tears.


    ¡°Your mother and I need to think about this.¡± Eorlund picked Thorald up and helped him into the carriage. ¡°That old git has a point. If my daughter marries an empire supporter, what would the Stormcloaks think? That we abandoned our honor and values? Come home. When tomorrowes, you can do what you want. This is yourst chance. Seize it.¡± Eorlund looked at the couple.


    Jon and Olfina hugged each other, determination ring in their eyes. They then hopped onto a horse and followed the group back to the keep.


    ***


    ¡°We¡¯re really just going to let the bodies rot?¡± Fralia stared into the night.


    ¡°Bah, not like we killed them. We did nothing, and we know nothing. That¡¯s the dragon¡¯s fault, so if Thalmor wants someone to take responsibility, tell them to talk to the dragon. Ah, but this is also a warning to us. Rorikstead isn¡¯t that far from Whiterun. The dragon appeared out of nowhere and killed these a*stards. It could¡¯ve been our house it attacked.¡± Eorlund added, ¡°Theds are right. We should be helping the keep with its defenses. Once we get back, I¡¯ll start the work.¡±

 Chapter 484 - 484: The Love in Whiterun’s Air

    Chapter 484: The Love in Whiterun¡¯s Air


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°To what end are we doing this for, Golden eye?¡± Flynn asked. ¡°So Jon can die?¡±


    ¡°Ah, he won¡¯t die. He spoke his mind like a man, and he mighte out of this with a woman in his arms too. And the ns will finally realize how serious the dragon attack is.¡± Roy didn¡¯t tell anyone he killed the Thalmor and made it look like a dragon attack. He rubbed his knees and looked at the keep gate. The Grey-Manes were flooding back into the keep, looking at ease and a little tense at the same time. ¡°Come. Time to reap our rewards.¡±


    ***


    A group of people stood around the bonfire of the Grey-Mane residence. Fralia was holding Thorald¡¯s hand, looking at the trio gratefully. ¡°The one who saved my child was a dragon, but your news proved to be true.¡±


    ¡°We are a family of our word. From now on, for a year, the Skyforge will be reopened for the keep, and its soldiers will be supplied with its finest creations.¡± Eorlund held his beard and spoke solemnly. The Skyforge belonged to The Companions, and anything that came from its forge was solely for The Companions. However, he was the keeper of the forge, and it was possible for him to open the forge for the public for a year. ¡°But on one condition. The Jarl must know of this. Anything made in the Skyforge is solely for the purpose of defeating the dragon. The soldiers must not use them against Nordlings, understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Flynn rubbed his hands together, anticipation ring in his eyes. ¡°Revered Fralia, may we have our reward now? Our own weapon or armor, if I recall.¡±


    Fralia froze for a moment, and she was reluctant to give the Dragonborn his reward. Now that she thought of it, these people didn¡¯t do much in this whole ordeal. Even without them, Jon would¡¯ve still brought Thorald back.


    However, Eorlund thumped his chest. ¡°Just tell me what you want. Aside from ebony and ss items, I can make anything for you.¡±


    The trio exchanged a look and whispered among themselves. In the end, Flynn went with a steel sword, while Arvel requested for a pair of steel daggers. Roy asked for a set of steel armor. Since the cost for that was considerably higher than weapons, he forked two hundred coins out of his own pocket, but he didn¡¯t mind. Good weapons and armor meant survival for adventurers.


    Eorlund checked Flynn and Arvel¡¯s dominant hand and took Roy¡¯s measurements. ¡°Come back in a week.¡±


    ¡°Ah, we still have a request, if you may.¡± Arvel said, ¡°We heard that The Companions are all powerful warriors. If they can help the keep with the¡ª¡±


    Eorlund shook his head. ¡°The Companions are independent of the keep. Not even Balgruuf canmand them. I am but a cksmith they hired, so I can¡¯t convince them to help either. You¡¯ll have to go to the mead hall in the east of the garden if you wish to talk to them.¡±


    The trio nodded. ¡°We wish Thorald a speedy recovery.¡±


    They bowed and left the residence, then they came to the Battle-Born residence. Olfrid looked calm on the surface, but there was fury ring in his eyes. He obviously was sullen, but since the Grey-Manes had agreed to help with the attack, he had no choice but to uphold his promise as well.


    After seeing the dragon¡¯s attack on Thalmor, Olfrid¡¯s mind changed a little. The dragon attack was closer than he¡¯d liked. If that monster had attacked his farms, they would lose a lot more than a few people. Perhaps theds are right. It¡¯s time to n ahead. He promised he would send a small army to help out the next day.


    ***


    Once the trio gained the ns¡¯ promise to help, they returned to Balgruuf and reported their sess. Overjoyed, the Jarlmended them and promised a reward after the crisis was over. Roy then sought out Farengar and spent six hundred coins to buy a few spellbooks. One was Conjure me Atronach, one was Burning Hand, and thest was Healing.


    To his dismay, after he absorbed the three spellbooks, he realized he only had affinity for Conjuration spells. The Destruction and Restoration spells did not respond to his summons. The Conjuration rune in his consciousness changed a little. A second string of numbers appeared on the burning door. It was a different rune from Conjure Familiar. Must be some kind of waypoint in Oblivion.


    ¡®Conjure me Atronach:


    Costs 100 Mana and 10 EXP. Summons a me Atronach from Oblivion that can assist you inbat. The atronach can remain in this ne for 5 minutes. The higher the skill level is, the longer the atronach can stay, and the lower the Mana cost is.¡¯


    ***


    Their business done for the day, the trio returned to The Bannered Man and retired for the night. Before dawn broke, Flynn and Arvel were already practicing their swordsmanship. Roy left the keep to try out his new Conjuration spell.


    Roy imagined the atronach to be something like a ball of mes or something akin to the ifrit he had seen, but no. It was a beautiful creature with the body of a female, but it was covered in mes and sulfur. The atronach had about the same HP as a regr human, but it stood on a cloud of mes, gliding around in midair like a phantom. Roy thought the atronach was slow, however.


    The creature had barely any defense at all, and she was weaker than most spellcasters. She didn¡¯t seem too gifted in the intelligence department either. All it could do was follow some simple orders. And even though the creature was immune to fire damage, it was more susceptible to cold damage. Yeah, probably on the lowest rung of the hierarchy.


    The creature only knew one offense skill: Fireball, and it was worse than Furyfire. But she had her own edge. She could cast her Fireball once every three to four seconds, and it traveled further than Furyfire could. Not to mention her Mana seemed to be infinite. She could fire off Fireballs until her time was up. She¡¯s a great ranged attacker, and she can be more useful than the familiar in some cases.


    If the atronach and his clone (equipped with a crossbow) were to work together and fire off at an enemy, even a witcher grandmaster would have to be wary.


    The atronach had a passive skill as well, and it was akin to the one the clone summoned by an empowered mp had. The moment the creature was destroyed, it would explode and create a big ball of me, turning most enemies near her into ash. She was theplete opposite of his clone, and Roy noticed something important when he was casting the spell.


    The soul gems he had could act as recement for the EXP cost. A lesser soul gem had about 100 EXP in it, providing Roy with enough resources to cast 20 Conjure Familiars or 10 Conjure me Atronachs. I have three lesser soul gems. If I cast Conjuration spells twenty times every day, I can level Conjuration up after a while.


    ***


    After their morning practice, the trio walked along the edge of the garden, nning to pay The Companions a visit, but then a certain couple came asking them for help.


    Jon was unkempt, and he had a worried look on his face. ¡°Goldeneye, Arvel, Flynn, you have to help us!¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°You risked your life to save Thorald, and the Grey-Manes still won¡¯t ept you? You can see Olfina now, can¡¯t you?¡± Flynn stared at the couple¡¯s hands that were tightly intertwined. He was envious, for his dream of love was just crushed earlier.


    A worried Jon said, ¡°Olfrid only gave me a day. He¡¯ll separate us again tomorrow, but I know you¡¯ve helped me once.¡±


    Roy smiled. I changed his memories with Axii, though.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember what you did for me, but my gut tells me that you¡¯re the reason I gained the courage to go after the Thalmor.¡± Jon pleaded, ¡°Please, can you help us again?¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± The silver-haired Olfina held her hands before her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll give you all my coins and valuables as long as I can be with Jon.¡±


    ¡°Reward aside, I think you can just take it one step further now that you¡¯re in this predicament.¡± Arvel crossed his arms. ¡°I say you elope. Leave the keep and settle somewhere else. You can be happy that way too.¡±


    Olfina looked horrified, and she nervously said, ¡°My n¡¯s people are always guarding the gates. We can¡¯t leave without them finding out, and¡­ and I don¡¯t want to take the path of betrayal for this. I want my family to bless our union, or it won¡¯t beplete.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is a dilemma indeed,dy.¡± Flynn said, ¡°You guys know how at odds your families are. Unless the feud between the empire and the Stormcloakses to an end, the differences can never be bridged.¡±


    ¡°There is a way.¡± Roy looked at the poor couple, and he was reminded of a familiar scene. I have an idea. ¡°But how much do you love each other?¡±


    Jon and Olfina held their hands tightly, staring into each other¡¯s eyes, and they spoke at the same time.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t be with her, I¡¯d rather die.¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t be with him, I¡¯d rather die.¡±


    ¡°Good. The only way to bridge the differences between your family is death.¡± Roy smiled mysteriously. ¡°Now, tell me, will you die for your lover?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Will you give up your life and your family¡¯s honor for your love?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Fralia, this is bad!¡± Avulstein charged into his mother¡¯s bedchamber.


    ¡°Avulstein, you¡¯re nearly thirty years old. Stop acting like a child.¡± Fralia shot her son a dirty look, then she blew on the stew and fed it to Thorald. ¡°Your brother needs his rest!¡±


    ¡°And my sister¡¯s in trouble!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Olfina¡¯s dead!¡± Avulstein¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Her body¡¯s in Arkay¡¯s Temple. You¡­ you should see her while you still can.¡±


    The bowl fell to the ground and broke into pieces, the shards cutting through Fralia¡¯s calves, and the stew drenched the hem of her dress, but she felt nothing. Her face was pale as a tombstone, and her lips trembled, then she fell ahead. ¡°My girl! Quick, take me to her!¡±


    ***


    Hurried footsteps approached the Battle-Born residence, and Idf strode into the yard, looking sorrowful. ¡°Olfrid, it¡¯s Jon. Something happened to him.¡±


    ¡°Bah, what now?¡± Olfrid¡¯s eyes were ring with rage, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°One more toe out of line and I¡¯m sending him to Sovngarde myself!¡±


    ¡°Shut it, Olfrid. It¡¯s your incessant yelling that made him like this.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to do that, Olfrid. He¡¯s already in Sovngarde.¡± Idf was reminded of his brother again, and he teared up. ¡°He¡¯s no longer with us.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ***


    It was a special period for Whiterun. The day before, groups from the most powerful ns in the keep charged into the wilds, and even the Jarl was notified of this. And then, the heads of the ns led their nsmen into the Hall of the Dead. It was located on the west side of the garden under Dragonsreach. The hall was an underground chamber housing dozens of rickety wooden racks, and it was overseen by a priest of Arkay. This was the first stop of every deceased being in Whiterun. Arkay¡¯s believers would guide their souls into the afterlife so they could start anew.


    ***


    Candlelights shone upon the faces of the weary and bereaved, and the air was filled with shrieks and cries of sorrow.


    ¡°Jon¡­ Why? Why did you do this?¡± Bergritte touched her son¡¯s cold, lifeless face with her calloused hand. He looked peaceful, and he almost looked like he was asleep, though he wasn¡¯t breathing at all. He was holding the hand of his lover, and a ring adorned their fingertips.


    ¡°No, Olfina! Why?¡± Fralia was sobbing and shivering. Even the weakest gust of wind could topple her. ¡°Right after we saved your brother! Why did you leave us?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Enough. We can¡¯t bring back the dead. There¡¯s no use crying.¡± Olfrid looked at his son¡¯s corpse, his eyes filled with fury and a hint of sorrow. He couldn¡¯t understand why his son wanted to torment him, and he waved his arm dismissively. ¡°He left a letter, didn¡¯t he? Read it, Idf.¡±


    ¡°Olfina left one too!¡± Avulstein shouted.


    ¡°Then read it together!¡± Eorlund closed his eyes, and his lips trembled.


    The letters were written in exactly the same way, and the only things that differed were the names and some small details.


    ¡®To my dearest nsmen, I¡¯ve lived my whole life with Jon, and we¡¯ve made a promise of union with each other. It is a promise we would never break. If it weren¡¯t for the political differences wedged between us after Ulfric¡¯s defection, we could¡¯ve had our own children now. But our differences stand between us like an insurmountable mountain, keeping us forever separated.


    Do you know how it feels to see your lover standing before your very eyes, without being able to even touch him? You see him every time you leave the house, and yet you can¡¯t even smile at him, or the family and the people of the keep would drown us with their admonishment.


    We had no choice but to hide in the shadows like a pair of despicable mice, hoping and praying that the light would one day shine on us. No, we¡¯re less than that. We live in agony every day, hoping we could be with our lover, but that was never to be. This torture is worse than death itself.


    I numbed myself with the endless chores, but yesterday, our hearts finally woke from the illusion they gave themselves into, and no longer could they ept this falsehood as truth. My heart told me that Jon is the one I will spend my life with. If that is not to be, then death is our only reprieve.


    And thus, we came to a decision. We shall be together forever. We¡¯ve taken the oath, and not even death can do us part now. My nsmen, I have but one final wish: please, give us your blessing, and bury us in the same coffin.


    We couldn¡¯t be together in life, but we can rest together in death.¡¯


    ***


    There was nothing but sorrow and silence lingering in the air. Eventually, Fralia broke into a cry again. ¡°Y-You wouldn¡¯t believe me, my girl? Please, wake up. Please, just tell me you wish to marry Jon, and I¡¯ll bless it, I promise!¡±


    ¡°Damn the political infighting! Damn it all!¡± Eorlund was furious, and he mmed his fist into the wall, but his skin cracked, and blood trickled from his fingers. ¡°What has it given us? Hatred, pain, and now death! It¡¯s pathetic!¡± Eorlund touched his daughter¡¯sst smile, staring at the man who used to be his closest friend. ¡°We¡¯re all fools, Olfrid. The children should never have been involved in this inane bickering! They¡¯ve taken their own lives, and Sovngarde shall never open its gates for them!¡±


    ¡°Your family prides itself on honor and values.¡± Olfrid looked at his son and shook his head. The world around him spun for a moment. ¡°Would you really let your daughter marry a supporter of the empire?¡±


    The Grey-Manes couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    ¡°Toote for regrets, people. You could¡¯ve said yes to their request when they were alive, but we can¡¯t do anything now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can. We can still bless them.¡± Idf looked around. ¡°Not even a demon would separate two lovers, and yet we did something not even evil incarnate would do. We can never turn time back, but we can honor theirst wish.¡± Idf looked around, and he saw the guilt glinting in everyone¡¯s eyes, though they wouldn¡¯t meet his gaze. ¡°Or do you want to keep this mistake up even though someone has taken their own lives and paid the price?¡±


    Everyone took deep breaths, and a pregnant pause hung in the air. The only sound filling the silence were the sobs of the bereaved. The heads of both ns stared at each other, then Olfrid, Eorlund, and their families kissed the cheeks of Olfina and Jon, blessing their marriage.


    ¡°My son, you¡¯ve betrayed the family and its honor. You¡¯re a coward and a deserter.¡± There was no hint of arrogance on Olfrid¡¯s face, though it was contorted with pain and sorrow. ¡°But you are my son. Since the burden of the n is too heavy for you to bear, then you are hereby no longer a part of the n. If there¡¯s a next life, I hope you can be together with Olfina. You have my blessing.¡±


    ¡°My girl, the Nine Divines shall bless you. I wish for your love to bloom and blossom in a more peacefulnd.¡±


    ¡°Jon, please, please wake up. You can marry whoever you want, but please just wake up!¡±


    ¡°Olfina¡­¡±


    Everyone was blessing the couple, and then some among the crowd whistled. Three long whistles, and two short whistles. It was desecration, but then the couple lying on the stone bed blinked, and their fingers trembled. Their hearts started to beat, and stronger and stronger did their heartbeats be. Color returned to their faces, and life came rushing back into their lifeless bodies.


    Olfina and Jon sat up, and everyone took a collective step back like they¡¯d seen a ghost.


    ¡°The dead came back to life! It¡¯s a demon! A demon!¡± One Battle-Born boy cried out of fear, and he held his mother¡¯s leg tightly.


    Olfrid and Eorlund¡¯s eyes went wide, and they stopped breathing for a moment. Everyone¡¯s eyes were set on the revived lovers, then they saw smiles curling Jon and Olfian¡¯s lips, tears glistening in their eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for your blessing. Thank you.¡± Jon looked at everyone, his voice weak. It was almost lifeless, but there was hope lying within it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more Olfina and I can ask for.¡±


    ¡°By the Divines, y-you¡¯re alive? How?¡± Jon and Olfina¡¯s mothers quickly went ahead and checked on their children.


    ¡°You little gits. You faked your deaths, didn¡¯t you?¡± Olfrid clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth, but there was a relieved smile on his lips.


    Olfina smiled gently. ¡°It is all Talos¡¯ decree. He taught us the meaning of love and family in death. Now that we¡¯ve returned from thend of the dead, I do hope you won¡¯t separate us again. You made an oath in front of the Divines, as I recall.¡±


    The n heads exchanged a look, then they sighed and nodded. ¡°Alright, get down from there. We can talk this through.¡±

 Chapter 485 - 485: The Companions

    Chapter 485: The Companions


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The skies brightened up, the rays of the morning sun shining upon the keep. A sheet of gold draped upon the happy couple, brightening their smiles even more.


    Jon¡ªwho finally got his wish¡ªhad changed into new clothes, and he was holding his wife¡¯s hand. His face was brimming with delight, and a big grin carved itself on his lips. ¡°Thank you, for all you did for us.¡± His wife blushed, staring at her husband.


    ¡°I see your family has agreed?¡± Flynn crossed his arms, looking at the newlywed couple with pride.


    ¡°Well, they had to make some changes.¡± There was a hint of regret in Olfina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Rumors can make or break people. Fralia didn¡¯t want anyone to think that the ns changed their allegiance, so we were exiled on the surface.¡±


    ¡°Same thing with Olfrid. From now on, I am no longer part of the Battle-Born n, and I¡¯ve moved out of the house.¡± There was not a hint of sadness on Jon¡¯s face. In fact, he looked relieved. ¡°Olfina¡¯s no longer a Grey-Mane either, but we¡¯re allowed one visit every month. We¡¯re now meremoners of Skyrim,¡± said Jon with a smile. ¡°But it matters not. As long as I¡¯m with her, nothing will be a challenge we can¡¯t surpass. Perhaps one day we¡¯ll leave Whiterun and see what the other keeps have to offer.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions on your marriage,¡± Roy said. He was happy he could help a couple get together, and he was a little mncholic, since it reminded him of his own lover. ¡°But if you do leave Whiterun, please always be careful. With the Stormcloaks running about, things are no longer safe.¡±


    The couple exchanged a look and took something out of their bags. ¡°We have a few presents for you.¡±


    It was an ancient book with a ck cover, a diamond-shaped crystal, and a pouch. They shook it a bit, and the clinking of coins came from within.


    ¡°Eorlund gave me this talisman when I was a child. Made from gold and a wless gem. It¡¯s worth a thousand coins, but I¡¯m fine with the ring Jon gave me.¡± Olfina said, ¡°And I bought this book from a certain¡­ sorcerer. It¡¯s something to do with magic, so you might find some use for it.¡±


    Jon rubbed his ring. Sheepishly, he said, ¡°Sorry we can only offer this much. The ring cost a lot of coins, and we need to keep some for our future.¡±


    The trio smiled and epted the gifts. Arvel and Flynn split the coins, while Roy took the book from the couple and checked it out. Arvel told him the title was On Oblivion, and Roy tucked it away in his inventory space. The moment he touched the crystal, something flickered in his eyes.


    ¡°So what now for you two?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get a room in the Bannered Mare for now. Once the dragon attack blows over, we¡¯ll move to Riverwood. They say the weather¡¯s always great there, and it¡¯s a beautiful ce.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s get a drink when we have time.¡± Flynn waved the couple goodbye.


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± The couple bowed at the trio and saw them off. ¡°May Kynareth protect you.¡±


    ¡°Feels good working as the emissary of the goddess of love sometimes.¡± Flynn smiled.


    Arvel was in a good mood too. He would never have done any charitable deed before, but he had to say it felt great to be thanked by someone. Once they said goodbye to the couple, the trio made their way to the stone staircase in the eastern side of the garden.


    Roy¡¯s attention was on his character sheet.


    ¡®You are in possession of a special crafting material¡ªa mysterious wless gem.


    Gabriel is eligible for the following upgrades:


    1. Level up any current affixes: Simplify, Stun Bolt


    2. Consume the gem and gain one new affix:


    Mark of the Gem: Costs 20 Mana. Any sessful hit by Gabriel¡¯s bolt will mark the enemy. The marksts for 24 hours. As long as the mark exists, Gabriel deals 10% increased damage to the marked enemy. Gabriel can track and search the marked target¡¯s location until the mark disappears.¡¯


    Most monsters can¡¯t even take one hit from Gabriel. This skill is obviously for hunting downrge beasts, and I¡¯m now in a world where dragons exist. Alright, this is what I want.


    And Gabriel¡¯s appearance changed. On top of its flesh-like appearance, ayer of skin made of beautiful gem dust showed up, and it sparkled under the sun. The weapon was now beautiful. ¡°A bit too beautiful. And it stands out too much.¡±


    ***


    The mead hall was like a big circr te standing on the mountain, facing the elements without fear. It was only slightly lower than Dragonsreach, making it the second highest spot in Whiterun. The hall was brightly lit, and the first thing that met Roy¡¯s eyes was the bonfire. That was practically a staple in all of Whiterun¡¯s households, but the bonfire here was in the shape of a rectangle and much bigger than most bonfires. Three rectangr tables surrounded the bonfire, and all kinds of alcohol lined the table. Alto, mead, beer¡­ Anyone could take a mug off the table and drink any moment they wanted to.


    Roy could imagine the guests surrounding the crackling open fire during feasts and drinking the night away, their faces red with delight. The air was merry. He then looked around. The hall was tall and spacious, and it had a rough kind of decoration. Ivory, shields, and trophies hung on the walls, and four gargantuan pirs held up the ceiling that was high up in the air. The hall was not split into two floors, and thanks to that, it looked majestic. Roy noticed a staircase in an inconspicuous corner leading to the basement, and the witcher posited that The Companions¡¯ bedchambers must be in there.


    A few people were roaming the hall, looking at ease. Two were in grey steel armor, and they had broad shoulders. The other one was a huntress sitting in a corner. She had maroon hair and tattoos on her face. She was decked out in sleeveless iron armor that entuated her curves.


    Even within the hall, the men still had their weapons with them, and one made it a point to keep his de strapped to his back at all times. All three of them had a circle of ck dye around their eyes like eyeshadow, just exaggerated. It lent them an air of ferality.


    Roy stared at the man with a sword on his back, and he cast Observe. At the same time, he buffed Observe with Guardian, turning Observe to Level 4.


    ¡®Farkas


    Gender: Male


    Age: Thirty-two years old


    Status: Member of The Companions, member of The Circle, ? (Protected by a simr kind of special energy Sanguine has)


    HP: 150


    Strength: 14


    Constitution: 15


    Dexterity: 13


    Perception: 18


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 6


    Skills:


    Basic Swordy Level 6, War Cry, Frost Resistance, Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Warrior, Horseback Riding Level 6, ?¡¯


    ***


    He wasn¡¯t the only one with secrets. The huntress and the man named Vilkas had extraordinary stats, at leastpared to the other Nordlings, and they were shrouded in a veil of mystery. Roy wondered what kind of trick they had up their sleeves. The energy they have is like the energy Sanguine has. Perhaps they¡¯re rted to a Prince?


    The intrusion of the trio garnered them the attention of the Companions.


    ¡°You¡¯re from Dragonsreach? What business do you have here?¡± Farkas asked. His voice was grating, and yet it was piercing.


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve heard that this hall is home to the most powerful warriors in Whiterun, so we¡¯re here to make some friends.¡± Flynn grinned at the Companions.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. We¡¯re the best drinkers around.¡± The man who looked a bit like Farkas stood up. He was holding a one-handed weapon, and the man tossed a bottle of booze at the trio.


    Arvel took it and uncorked the bottle. He downed a swig and handed it to his friends, who took big swigs as well.


    ¡°Nice drinking. Come, sit. Name¡¯s Vilkas.¡± The man waved at the trio. ¡°And this hunk of junk here is my brother, Farkas. This lovelydy here is A. She might be beautiful, but she¡¯s deadly. That¡¯s how nature works. Most men can¡¯t even get close to her in a fight.¡±


    The trio introduced themselves and sat with Vilkas. Farkas raised them a toast, and Roy sniffed the air. He tasted the scent of a wild animal lingering in the air, and he frowned. The Companions have pets?


    The group clinked their mugs together, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of mead. They downed their booze and leaned into their chairs as they let out a burp.


    ¡°You three drink well. Must be warriors as well.¡± Farkas grinned toothily, and his incisors were prominent. ¡°I can see how you escaped Helgen, so tell us, how powerful was that dragon? I heard it turned the whole city into ash with a single breath. There was a look of interest on his face, like he was picking his prey.


    ¡°That is not how you treat our guests, Farkas.¡± Vilkas pulled a chair back and plopped down across the trio, staring at them with a quizzical look in his eyes. ¡°I presume you¡¯re here to join the Companions and share in the four-thousand-year-long honor?¡±


    Roy froze. Four thousand years? That¡¯s even older than when the first witcher was born. The Companions are ancient.


    ¡°Kok is more than happy to ept any and all warriors from the corners of thisnd. Pass the trial, and you shall be one of us. The Companions aid their members always. We have each other¡¯s backs, and this world can never harm us from the shadows.¡±


    A approached the table and pressed her hands down on the surface of the table, then she leaned over, ring at the trio sharply like she was a panther staring at her prey. At the same time, her generous bosom was in full view.


    Arvel had to do his best to seem interested in the organization. ¡°We can join as long as we pass the Trial? Even if we¡¯re not Nordlings? Even if we can¡¯t fight well?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not an exclusive organization. Not strictly speaking. You can join as long as you want power and aren¡¯t afraid of challenges.¡± Farkas joked, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be declined if you¡¯re a vampire or a Dremora or something like that, of course. No problem if you can¡¯t fight well. As long as you want to learn, everyone can be your teacher.¡±


    Arvel tranted everything to Roy, but the witcher still looked uninterested. Still, he was surprised to find out there were vampires in this world. That¡¯s just like the witcher world. And what¡¯s Dremora? Servants of the Princes? This ce is a lot bigger andplex than I thought.


    ¡°So what kind of rules or responsibilities are we bound to?¡± asked Flynn.


    ¡°Not many. No infighting, no meddling with politics, no bullying the weak, and fight with honor at all times.¡± Vilkas punched his left hand. ¡°You¡¯ll need to ask Kok Whitemane for more details. But first, you¡¯ll have to make a good first impression. Most Nordlings have a soul that passes that anyway.¡±


    Arvel caught an important message. ¡°So you mean the Companions have always been neutral in this feud between the empire and the Stormcloaks?¡±


    ¡°Yep, and that¡¯s how we survive.¡± A tapped on the table and sat down in front of the trio, her legs crossed. ¡°The only way for an organization to survive is to stay out of politics, or else it¡¯s going to crumble in no time. From what I¡¯ve heard, you three are neutral as well, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The trio nodded, and the Companions gave them friendly looks.


    ¡°Sorry, but onest question.¡± Flynn paused for a moment. ¡°What exactly do you mean to this keep? What kind of work do you do?¡±


    ¡°The Companions have been here far longer than the keep has,¡± said Vilkas proudly. ¡°We¡¯re not Balgruuf¡¯s servants, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. And we make our coin by settling the keep¡¯s people¡¯s problems. Bears, sabertooth tigers, you name it, we take out the threat. And we settle small arguments and feuds. The Jarl employs our services sometimes, and so do the people in the keep. Mostly mercenary work. And we also sell things made in the Skyforge.¡±


    Roy nodded. So they¡¯re more or less a mercenary group, only the members are more like a team, and they¡¯re neutral when ites to politics.


    ¡°So, will you take the trial?¡± Farkas looked like he wanted the trio to take the trial, and there was obviously some kind of fun to be had if that were to happen.


    ¡°Um, we¡¯re actually here for something else.¡± Arvel looked at thepanions. ¡°I believe you¡¯re interested in Helgen¡¯s dragon attack, Farkas?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Farkas stood up and circled the bonfire, his chest puffed out, and he said loudly, ¡°It¡¯s been more than twenty years since I joined the Companions. I¡¯ve hunted many creatures in Skyrim. Sabre cats, bears, mammoths, and even giants. I¡¯ve lost interest in hunting regr creatures. Now that dragons, that have disappeared for a thousand years, have made their return, I would love to witness their glory with my own eyes.¡±


    The trio was delighted. Good. This negotiation might go easier than expected.


    ¡°And you¡¯re in luck. You have the perfect chance to witness a dragon up close.¡± Arvel finished a mug of beer and wiped the foam off his mustache. ¡°The dragon attacked Helgen first, and it assaulted the Thalmor near Rorikstead yesterday. If we¡¯re right, it might attack the keep next.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be working with the keep¡¯s soldiers, the Battle-Borns, and the Grey-Manes to take down this dragon soon.¡± Flynn extended his hand. ¡°Join us in battle, and you¡¯ll have a glorious history to speak of in the future.¡±


    ¡°They will call you¡­ the dragonyer. Think about it, mate.¡± Arvel had a look of worship on his face. ¡°There was only one man who had that honor, and that was already a few eras back. If we can defeat or even kill the dragon, then the whole of Skyrim¡­ No, the whole empire will worship you.¡±


    Farkas¡¯ breathing becamebored, and he clenched his fists. He was tempted, but his brother said nothing.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what you were thinking. You want the Companions to work for free.¡± A sneered, and she looked at the trio sharply, seeing through their n. ¡°Putting honor and risk aside, shouldn¡¯t you be making an offer if you want us to work? We aren¡¯t running a charity here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I apologize for that.¡± Arvel heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°The Jarl will reward the warriors of this battle greatly. He is more than willing to pay you a mountain of coins. You can see this as a request if you will.¡±


    Farkas and Vilkas exchanged a look, but A shook her head and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m not as sturdy as theds. You want to y a dragon, that¡¯s your business.¡±


    Arvel looked at Farkas and Vilkas. ¡°Care to introduce us to more members?¡±


    ¡°Not now.¡± Vilkas stared at Flynn for a moment, then a bit longer when it came to Arvel. When heid eyes on Roy, he froze. Or to be exact, he noticed Aerondight, and that took him by surprise. ¡°We¡¯re interested in the dragonying business, but we must test your skills. Try to gain our acknowledgement, friend.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re suggesting¡­¡±


    Farkas held his nape and smirked. ¡°Care to spar in the arena? It¡¯s behind the mead hall. No magic allowed. Only swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Flynn¡¯s courage red. ¡°But this is just a sparring session, yes?¡±


    ***


    A group of six walked into the yard, and Flynn stepped into the arena¡¯s center, wearing nothing but fur armor. He held an iron sword in his right hand and a leather shield in his left, starting a sparring session with a well-equipped Vilkas.


    They circled around each other for a while, trying to gauge their opponent¡¯s level. Through Flynn¡¯s slightly clumsy footwork, Vilkas could see that he was a beginner, and he eased up a little.


    Flynn charged ahead like a bolt of lightning, hiding half his body behind his shield. He mmed into Vilkas, but the Companion did not budge an inch. Flynn swung his sword down on Vilkas¡¯ shield, but the metal deflected it. Before Flynn could pull his de back, Vilkas hit Flynn¡¯s corbone with his pommel. The sword was forged in the Skyforge, and even the pommel alone had power behind it.


    Flynn grunted, and his corbone swelled as pain surged through his head. Beads of sweat poured forth from his forehead, but he clenched his teeth and went in for another attack. He tried his best to block, sidestep, and counter, but he was no match for the veteran swordsman.


    Ten secondster, Flynn found the de of Vilkas firmly held against his throat. ¡°Flynn, correct? I can see you just started swordsmanship.¡± Vilkas tossed a bottle of potion to him. ¡°But you have a strong will and great courage. Even at a disadvantage, you still pressed on. You¡¯ll be a fine warrior.¡± He shook the dumbfounded Dragonborn¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re acknowledged.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s my turn, then?¡± Arvel spun his daggers around, and another battle began.

 Chapter 486 - 486: It’s Coming

    Chapter 486: It¡¯s Coming


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Metal nged against each other, and sparks flew as the iing witcher kept up his attack. He swung his de down, its edge glimmering under the sunlight, and he danced like a deadly fighter prancing across the battlefield.


    Yet his sparring partner did not budge. In his left hand, he held a shield, and in his right, a sword. No matter how much the witcher attacked, the enemy could easily deflect and exploit the witcher¡¯s openings.


    Roy quickly took a step back and retreated, barely evading the de that was charging straight at him, and he heaved a long sigh. He held his sword up to his cheek with both hands, pointing it at the enemy hiding behind his shield. This was the first time he had encountered someone so hard to deal with. His stats were about the same as Roy¡¯s, but his skills were far more polished. No wonder Flynn and Arvel lost.


    It took Roy his all just to circle around the warrior, attacking his back and legs. Every other part was covered in armor, and he couldn¡¯t touch Vilkas.


    The moment he retreated and stopped his attack, Vilkas roared and raised his shield up, then he charged in. Even the air itself trembled as the warrior charged ahead. It felt like he had turned into a fierce rhinoceros, its eyes set on its enemy.


    Right before Vilkas could hit Roy, he leapt into the air and mmed his shield into the witcher¡¯s de. The momentum pushed Roy back, but he had to hold his ground, or he would be pushed out of bounds.


    The shield hit the sword, but Roy failed to neutralize the impact. His de was pushed away, and his hand felt numb. Vilkas thrust his sword ahead like a small ballista attacking a city gate. If Roy wasn¡¯t careful, the de would pierce through his chest.


    With all his might, Roy held up his de and stopped his enemy¡¯s weapon from going further, but he failed to stop the shield, and he was pushed out of bounds.


    Silence fell upon the arena. Flynn was in disbelief. The invincible Goldeneye¡­ lost? No. He shook his head. This ce doesn¡¯t allow him to fight at his best anyway. The field isn¡¯t even that big, and he can¡¯t even use magic or ranged attacks. All he¡¯s left with is his swordsmanship, and that¡¯s his weakness. His enemy is someone with a sword and shield after all. And he didn¡¯t even use his own sword. For fairness¡¯ sake, he could only use a regr de. Of course he lost.


    The witcher bowed and handed the sword back to Arvel, then the thief put it back on the weapons rack.


    ¡°You¡¯re young, Goldeneye, but you have a mighty strong body.¡± Vilkas put his weapons down. Even after three battles, he was still breathing easily, and not a bead of sweat was broken. This man was a monster. ¡°Technique is your only weak spot. I can see you learned how to fight from countless battles. You do not hesitate when you attack, but youck variety. If you run into someone who¡¯s on par with you in terms of physical prowess, you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage if the enemy fights defensively.¡±


    Roy nodded. Swordsmanship was his weakest spot, but it was a different story if he were to use Aerondight.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Farkas gave the witcher a look of approval, and he said, ¡°You¡¯re brave and skilled enough to be part of the Companions. Once you¡¯re part of us, there¡¯s going to be a lot of veterans more than willing to teach you a move or two.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring this to Kok when we arrive at a decision. So, what about you two? Care to join the fight against the dragon?¡± Flynn asked.


    The brothers exchanged a look and smiled, then they nodded. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to fight alongside warriors. We¡¯ll ask the other Companions if they want to join. Of course, not for free. You¡¯ll be billed once we tally things up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°So, care for another round?¡± Farkas unsheathed his broadsword, and its edge glinted. ¡°With me this time.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting a dragon? That¡¯s going to expose you, you know.¡± A whispered to Vilkas while watching the sparring session.


    ¡°You think Balgruuf does not know that?¡± Vilkas shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s been hiding this secret for us. Now that we¡¯re risking this to help him, he¡¯s bound to reward us.¡±


    ***


    Dusk arrived, and the rays of the setting sun slowly sunk into the horizon. The trio left the mead hall, huffing and puffing. Flynn and Arvel were drenched in sweat, and their limbs were shaking, convulsing. Their eyes were dead, and they seemed geriatric. Even Roy looked tired despite his great constitution.


    Vilkas and Farkas, however, seemed to know no exhaustion. Even after a whole day of training, they were still excited, and their eyes turned a little red. It was with some reluctance they let the trio go.


    ***


    The trio came to see the Companions over the next two days, drinking and sparring. Flynn and Arvel kept losing, of course, but they were learning how to fight better. Roy felt like he was taken back to the early days of training with Letho. He kept losing, but he could feel his swordsmanship improving under Farkas and Vilkas¡¯ training.


    The trio got to know everyone in the Companions. There were only nine people in the mead hall. It was fewer than Roy had in mind, and yet the Jarl was wary of these people. Roy guessed that the Jarl was wary because the Companions had a trick up their sleeve. A trick not even the Jarl knew much about.


    Through Observe, Roy noticed there were five Companions with hidden identities. Vilkas, Farkas, A, Skjor, and the Harbinger, Kok Whitemane. Kok was a man of few words. Since the trio was not part of them just yet, he wouldn¡¯t speak too much to them. All the other members were just Nordlings who had experience in battle. They were around and about the level of regr humans.


    With Arvel¡¯s help, Roy tranted On Oblivion into the witcher world¡¯smon tongue, and he learned a bit of the Nordlingnguage too. Roy could see that this book talked about the bizarre adventure a conjurer had in Oblivion. It would help with Conjuration spells, but the content was esoteric, and Roy felt his head spin a lot. He could only read a bit every day.


    ***


    Two dayster, Farkas and Vilkas came back with news. Aside from them, a man called Torvar¡ªa grumpy fighter with a shield and sword¡ªagreed to join for the coin. Everyone else either refused, or they had other things to do.


    Roy thought it was a shame. He thought A would be a better pick for this battle, but thedy was adamant about not joining until the dragon set foot in the keep itself. And thus, the Battle-Borns, Grey-Manes, and a few Companions were finally convinced to join the fight.


    ***


    They came back to Dragonsreach. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the dragon¡¯s attack on the Thalmor. The crisis is drawing close. Thanks to you, we found ourselves among powerful allies. Thebatants are ready for battle. I say we strike before the dragones to us. Once the scouts find any trail of the dragon, Irileth will lead a team of thirty soldiers, ten Battle-Borns, five Grey-Manes, and three Companions to take down the beast,¡± Balgruuf announced.


    ¡°Once the crisis is over, you shall be rewarded. You may take the time you have left to prepare for the uing fight. Enchant your weapons, prepare your potions. Farengar can assist you with that. As gratitude for your assistance in this uing fight¡­¡± Balgruuf waved his arm. ¡°I shall pay for all your enchantment expenses.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. Good. At least we got something for our work. They met up with Farengar and purchased two lesser soul gems (100 EXP each), one regr soul gem (200 EXP), and one greater soul gem (500 EXP). That alone cost them more than thirteen hundred gold coins, but Roy still had about that same amount of coins left.


    Out of curiosity, Flynn bought Burning Hand for a hundred coins or so, and he learned the spell right away. Apparently, the Dragonborn was not just a melee warrior. He too had an affinity for spells, making him a potential ranged fighter. However, he had no prior training, and he had no idea how to meditate. His paltry Mana could onlyst for twenty seconds of Burning Hand before it was depleted.


    The free enchantment promised by Balgruuf would be used when Eorlund was done making their new gear. Enchanting was difficult work in this world. It would require a seasoned sorcerer and an Arcane Enchanter to bind the enchantments to items. If the user had no affinity for magic, they couldn¡¯t do something like that.


    Roy guessed that his Conjuration had to be at Level 3 before he could even attempt to enchant a Summon Familiar to his weapon. Every enchantment, including ones on armor, had to consume one small soul gem. You have to have coins to learn enchanting.


    Roy and Flynn didn¡¯t have enough coins to do that, and they couldn¡¯t master that art in a short time, so they let Farengar do it for them.


    ***


    Flynn bought seven Potions of Minor Healing and three mana potions as well as three resistance potions that would give him ten percent fire resistance. Every dragon knew how to breathe fire. More resistance meant more chances of survival.


    Alchemy in Skyrim was surprisingly simr to that of the witcher world. The base was made up of herbs and a ton of weird items, including the ash of the dead. And the process was done in a ton of test tubes and apparatuses, distilling and purifying the concoction until it was ready to be used.


    Skyrim¡¯s potions were the enhanced version of the witcher world¡¯s concoctions, and it was thanks to their abundance of alchemy items. The potions here had a ton of different effects. Mana recovery, healing, stamina recovery, resistance buff, stat buff, or even more than one effect at once. Unlike decoctions, Skyrim¡¯s potions didn¡¯t need any mana to work. Even regr humans could learn and use the potions. Most of the side effects were within an eptable range and would disappear after sleep anyway.


    Roy¡¯s Alchemy was already Level 3, and he was a veteran at this. The witcher world had all the apparatuses the Skyrim world had. Under Farengar¡¯s supervision, Roy easily learned how to make a Potion of Minor Healing. Farengar even wondered if Roy was a herbalist.


    Roy¡¯s only weakness was hisck of knowledge of the herbs, since he just came to this world. However, thanks to his Dexterity, he could move more deftly than most potioners and perform every step correctly.


    Farengar apuded Roy¡¯s skill, and he generously gave Roy a copy of Herbalist¡¯s Guide to Skyrim by Aa Falia. This book had records of fiftymon herbs, including Bleeding Crown, Deathbell, Hagraven w, and Luna Moth Wing. It listed out their appearances, habitat, and effects, and this book opened up Skyrim¡¯s world of alchemy to Roy.


    ***


    The days went by in rtive peace. Arvel and Flynn would spar with Farkas and Vilkas at the mead hall every day. Roy didn¡¯t think he could improve his swordy much in such a short time, and practicing that right now wouldn¡¯t help with the uing battle.


    The witcher would leave the keep during the day and night, hunting down saber cats, wolves, and other beasts for EXP. If he were to be given a title, Roy thought it would be something among the lines of Destroyer of Beasts. The smaller animals¡¯ EXP would be taken by Avarice anyway, so he didn¡¯t kill them.


    He had also seen some giants and mammoths roaming thend. They were about as tall as Old Speartip back in Kaer Morhen, but they were pale andnky, and they were not as strong and fast as Old Speartip. Judging from the stats and skills, Old Speartip could easily take on two of them, but the problem was that these monsters often roamed in pairs, and their mammoths would always huddle around nearby.


    In theirrge, rickety camp were a few hills of cheese made of mammoth milk. Giants feed on mammoth cheese, while mammoths feed on nts. These were terrifying creatures, and yet they were herbivores. Once, Roy came close to the giant, and yet he was not attacked. The witcher would never attack sentient, peace-loving creatures, so he let them go.


    ***


    Beast hunting gave him 200 EX per day. While hunting, he foraged for the herbs outlined in the book Farengar gave him and practiced his Conjuration spells. The me atronach was great at attacking flying enemies. Most of the EXP Roy gained from hunting was used on his Conjuration practice.


    In the afternoon, he came back to Dragonsreach¡¯s enchanting room and made a couple of Potions of Minor Healing with the herbs he foraged. The workstation was provided by Farengar, of course. And he could also make crude resistance potions as well. He couldn¡¯t make more potions without research, so he would just buy them off Farengar.


    At the same time, Roy had collected more than thirty types ofmon herbs found in Whiterun. I¡¯m going to get the druid to nt these for me once I get home. nts from another world. Sounds nice.


    ***


    And just like that, two weeks went by. Roy¡¯s Alchemy was now Level 4, Conjuration was Level 2, and the runes for Conjure Familiar and Conjure me Atronach were getting clearer. The minions could now stay in this ne of existence for ten minutes, and their cost was reduced by ten percent. His EXP was now 2400/12500.


    There were two dozen Potions of Minor Healing, ten fire resistance potions, and more than one hundred bolts thered with frostbite spider venom sleeping in his backpack. On that same day, Eorlund had finished the items the trio requested from him.


    Flynn got himself a one-handed sword and a shield, while Arvel got himself a pair of steel daggers. Roy got himself a set of steel armor, including chest armor, a helm, a pair of greaves, and a pair of bracers. Skyforge items were more durable and resilient than regr steel items.


    The armor weighed about forty pounds, which was a bit more than he wanted, but everything else was fine. This was the best armor he could hope for in this situation. Since they were going to fight a dragon, Roy asked Farengar to enchant the armor with fire resistance. Once he wore it, he could feel a cool sensation flowing into his body. It felt like a slightly wet hand was caressing his skin, and the air around him cooled down a little.


    The armor provided him with forty percent fire resistance. Coupling that with the potion, he would have fifty percent fire resistance in total. There¡¯s no way the fire breath can kill me right away. It¡¯d take at least a few seconds, and I can blink away easily.


    ***


    Flynn¡¯s shield was enchanted with ten percent fire resistance, while his sword was enchanted with heal-on-hit. Every time he hit an enemy, he could heal himself for a small part of his HP. Arvel had his daggers enchanted with life steal. With how fast he could attack, the dragon would find itself badly hurt before it could realize what was happening. Of course, that was assuming Arvel could evade the dragon¡¯s attack every time.


    Roy had enough resistance, but hispanions didn¡¯t. To prevent the worst case scenario from happening, he asked Farengar to enchant their armor as well.


    Farengar shook his head, sighing. ¡°I don¡¯t have any soul gems left. It¡¯ll be a week at least before the next shipment arrives.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Goldeneye.¡± Flynn shook his head. ¡°This much is enough for us.¡±


    Roy gritted his teeth and whipped out all his soul gems and paid a thousand coins. Despite hispanions¡¯ protest, Roy insisted on enchanting their armor. Flynn¡¯s armor was enchanted twice, while Arvel got his armor enchanted thrice. Their armor now had thirty percent fire resistance. Roy gave them five Potions of Minor Healing and three fire resistance potions each.


    ¡°Alright, friends.¡± Flynn wrapped his arms around their shoulders. After all that training, the Dragonborn had lost a bit of his innocence and gained the air of an adventurer. ¡°We did all we could, and now everything is in Talos¡¯ hands. We might live for a bit if he wills it, or we might go to Sovngarde at the end of this.¡±


    Arvel looked at Farengar. ¡°Farengar, do the soldiers have enchanted armor as well?¡±


    Farengar shook his head. ¡°The only things they have are Skyforge¡¯s finest items and their courage and will. We don¡¯t have enough soul gems or coins to enchant everyone¡¯ armor. And the Jarl only paid for your enchantments because you did the keep a great service.¡±


    Flynn hung his head low. He felt upset for some reason.


    ***


    A petite, hooded silhouette in exquisite leather armor came into the room, and she looked at Farengar sharply.


    Roy looked at the woman. She was not young anymore, but she had her own charm. A woman, huh?


    ¡®Delphine


    Gender: Female


    Age: Thirty-eight years old


    Status: Owner of the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.


    HP: [Unspecified]


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 8


    Constitution: 8


    Perception 8


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    War Cry, Frost Resistance, Basic Swordy Level 7, Basic Archery Level 6, Blessing of the Stars¡ªThe Thief, Horseback Riding Level 5


    Stealth Level 4: Allows the user to silence their movements and stay out of anyone¡¯s eyesight. Proficient Stealth users can blend with the environment and blind their enemies to their presence even if they are in front of the enemy.¡¯


    ***


    What? She¡¯s the owner of an inn in Riverwood? Roy froze. He stayed in Riverwood for a night, and he had no idea this woman existed. Why¡¯s she involved in this battle? Is she some sort of powerful woman hidden among the crowd?


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Delphine looked at the trio and stopped for a moment at Roy.


    ¡°They¡¯re guests.¡± Farengar smiled and exined, ¡°This is the partner I told you about. She knows more about dragons than I do, and she¡¯s the one who found out that the stone was in Bleak Falls Barrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Firona.¡± Delphine lied without missing a beat. ¡°Can you leave me and Farengar alone? We need to talk in private. It¡¯s about the dragonstone and the return of the dragons.¡±


    The trio exchanged a look and was about to say something, but Irileth interrupted, ¡°Farengar, heroes,e with me. The scouts have sighted a dragon.¡±


    ¡°A dragon?¡± The trio exchanged a look of excitement and trepidation.


    Roy took a deep breath, his eyes glinting. Everything has been for this moment.


    Delphine pulled her hood over her head and slipped away, while Farengar was buzzing with so much excitement, he looked ten years younger. ¡°Where is it? What¡¯s it doing?¡±


    ¡°All in due time, and calm down. The keep is in a great predicament. If ites for us, we might not be able to stop it.¡± Irileth beckoned everyone, and she led them to the throne.


    Balgruuf was talking to a scout. ¡°It¡¯s at the west watchtower,¡± the scout said, his voice trembling. ¡°It¡¯s faster than anything I¡¯ve ever seen. Grey-ck scales the size of my palm, and its eyes¡­ its eyes were terrifying.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the weakest type of dragon! We can do this!¡± Farengar pped his hands.


    ¡°It was circling over the tower when I came back. Still hadn¡¯t attacked us. I thought it¡¯de after me and burn me down.¡±


    ¡°Well done,d. We¡¯ll be taking over now. Go back to the encampment and fill your belly. And get some rest.¡± Balgruuf patted the soldier¡¯s shoulder and turned his attention to everyone else.


    Irileth stood up straight and answered loudly, ¡°I¡¯ve told the soldiers, the Battle-Borns, the Grey-Manes, and the Companions to rendezvous at the keep gates. We are forty strong.¡±


    Balgruuf nodded, the look on his face grim. ¡°My friends, this is an inevitable battle, and we must face it head-on. You have escaped a dragon in Helgen. You know how to deal with a dragon more than we do, and I implore you, please assist us in this battle. Should youe back victorious, you shall be weed as the keep¡¯s heroes¡­ and its residents.¡±

 Chapter 487 - 487: Slaying a Dragon

    Chapter 487: ying a Dragon


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sky was overcast, with nary a ray of sunshine piercing through the clouds. Cold winds howled across the ins, ravaging thends. A few miles west of the keep stood a watchtower, and a great beast circled overhead.


    Its back and head were grey, covered in thick, rough scales. Its belly and underwings were almost white, and the ps of its wings roused a gale as it moved through the air. A pair of horns protruded from its forehead, curling backward. Its head was elongated and resembled the visage of a crocodile, only more menacing. It growled and hissed, revealing its haphazard, drool-covered incisors.


    The dragon stopped and breathed a stream of orange fire at the ground. The fire¡ªhot enough to melt metal¡ªignited the shrubs and trees around the ground. The mes grew as the wind blew, spreading across the ground. A stream of mes blew from a window on the watchtower, and ck smoke billowed into the skies.


    The dragon pped its wings and took off higher into the air. At the same time, the keep¡¯s army came to the watchtower.


    ¡°The fires are still burning. It must be nearby. Take cover!¡± Irileth unsheathed her sword and solemnly shouted, ¡°Prepare for battle!¡±


    The soldiers quickly took cover behind the rocks and boulders as they made their way toward the watchtower. The trio was among them as well, their armor glittering.


    The witcher, once again, cast Heliotrop and Quen over himself. He then uncorked Thunderbolt and Petri¡¯s Philter and downed both of them. ck veins crawled up his cheeks, turning him into something that looked almost inhuman.


    Flynn turned to him and saw what was going on. ¡°Are you poisoned?¡±


    Roy shook his head and looked at the sky. ¡°No. I¡¯m feeling great. That was something to excite me for the battle.¡± That was his first time taking decoctions in this world, and his witcher senses kicked in, battle lust ring in his eyes.


    Even back in the witcher world, only Geralt had experience in ying a dragon, and the dragon he slew was far weaker than the one Roy would be facing.


    ¡°Can I have some too?¡± Arvel crouched behind the stone staircase of the watchtower.


    Irileth and a few soldiers went into the watchtower to search for survivors, while the Companions held their weapons up, staring at the skies cautiously. The keep¡¯s soldiers quickly drew their arrows and surrounded the watchtower, their eyes filled with trepidation and anticipation.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Not my fault if this takes you to Oblivion right away.¡± Roy grinned and held down on his crossbow¡¯s trigger.


    Arvel shuddered and quickly downed his fire resistance potion. ¡°I¡¯d rather die fighting a dragon. Sovngarde is a damn sight better than Oblivion.¡±


    Farengar¡ªwho¡¯d changed into light attire¡ªcast Courage on the soldiers, light raining down upon them. Courage could increase focus and a bit of Strength and Constitution.


    ***


    A roar came from the skies as the beast came hurtling down at the tower. It had apparently seen the new insects that appeared on the scene, and it could finally vent its fury at them. A great gale blew across the field, and shadows loomed over the watchtower.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Farkas shouted as he hid himself under the staircase. Farkas and Vilkas couldn¡¯t do anything to the dragon until it came closer.


    The soldiers quickly retreated and fired off at the dragon. Arrows arced through the air, raining down on the enemy, but s, they failed to inflict much damage. Some missed their mark, some were deflected by the dragon¡¯s scales, and only a few managed to graze the dragon and remain lodged within it.


    Roy concentrated his mana into his fingertips, and the Conjuration rune in his head glowed brightly. He then pointed at the ground beside him. A purplish-blue ball appeared out of thin air, and it melted away, revealing a beautiful yet deadly me atronach within.


    The atronach spun around and waved its hand. A beautiful fireball flew across the air and mmed into the dragon, charring part of its scales. The dragon screeched to a halt and glided parallel to the ground, breathing fire at the soldiers.


    Its mes burned the ground, its light blinding the eyes of the fighters. Even though they weren¡¯t even close to the mes, the heat it radiated still almost suffocated everyone. Three soldiers caught fire, and they rolled around, screaming and shouting in agony. And a few minutester, they were nothing but charred corpses.


    Roy pulled the trigger, and a silver bolt arced through the air, hitting the dragon squarely in its wings. The bolt exploded, and a patch of blood shot up high in the air. The impact from this attack forced the dragon to stop and hover in the air as ayer of beautiful gem dust covered its body.


    Roy tossed his crossbow to the clone. The clone kept up the attack while Roy himself cast Observe on the dragon.


    ¡®Mirmulnir


    Age: ?


    Status: Dragon


    HP: ? (Mark of the Gemstone)


    Mana: 230


    Strength: ?


    Dexterity: 18


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 14


    Will: 15


    Charisma: 6


    Spirit: 23


    Skills:


    Dragon Shout Level ?: Knows Unrelenting Force, Fire Breath¡­


    Tail Attack Level 5: Attacks with its barbed tail. Its impact is enough to crush steel and most living beings¡¯ bones.


    Bite Level 6: When Mirmulnir is enraged, it will tear its enemy apart with its teeth.


    Dragon¡¯s Eternal (Passive): Dragons have incredible life force and strength. +20 to Constitution, +10 to Strength. When dragonse of age, they gain incredible defense against physical and magical attacks. +50% physical resistance, +30% magic resistance. Dragons cannot be destroyed easily. Even if it loses its physical body, its soul can remain on this ne for an extended period of time.


    ?¡¯


    ***


    ¡°This one¡¯s a lot weaker than the one we met in Helgen.¡± Roy heaved a sigh of relief. He was worried this dragon might be able to summon a meteor rain right away. We¡¯d stand no chance against that.


    The me atronach fired off fireballs at the dragon, the clone fired off bolts, while Roy went with lightning. He made his Sign, and an arc of white electricity jumped off his hand before slithering over to the dragon.


    Farengar was hiding behind a great boulder, and his oversized me atronach was shooting fireballs like a gatling gun. At the same time, the court wizard fired off lightning bolts from his hands. It almost looked like an invisible giant was whipping the dragon with a metal whip.


    At Irileth¡¯smand, the soldiers remained hidden behind their cover as they fired off at the dragon. No one was stupid enough to charge ahead for the dragon to kill. A round of attackster, a few dozen bolts hit the dragon on its belly, drawing blood. Still, that damage was nothing to this beast.


    Gabriel was the only thing dealing considerable damage. Thanks to the damage increase of the new affix and the bolts¡¯ great impact, not even the dragon¡¯s scales could stop the bolts. Another bolt flew and hit the dragon in its chest, the impact creating another explosion, taking with it chunks of flesh.


    Beset by pain, the dragon flew higher into the air and turned its back toward the insects.


    ¡°Good job, Goldeneye!¡± Vilkas gave Roy a thumbs up, his eyes ring with fighting spirit. Arvel and Flynn wished to fight as well. They wanted to cut the dragon down, and yet the beast would notnd.


    The dragon flew higher and perched atop the watchtower like a lizard hanging from a wall. Its barbed tail mmed down on the window, deflecting the arrows attacking it. The dragon covered its sides with its wings, and its belly was firmly protected by the tower. The arrows that hit it couldn¡¯t even graze the dragon, and even Gabriel¡¯s bolts only managed to pierce its scales.


    The dragon looked at its enemies coldly, and it roared, ¡°Fus!¡± Its roar shook the skies, and debris fell from the top of the watchtower. The shockwave from its shout ran across the battlefield, blowing away five Battle-Born n members.


    The impact grazed Farengar, and he rolled over, but his robe shed, and the wizard¡¯s silhouette disappeared as he escaped into the air.


    The dragon then breathed fire at the fallen soldiers, and once the mes started to lick them, their bodies were ame, and fire red from all the openings on their faces. They pranced and ran around in desperation as they tried to put out the mes.


    The scent of burned flesh filled the air. Just like that, eight soldiers went down. Roy turned his attention to the people hiding behind their covers. Their faces were filled with fear and excitement, but Roy was worried. A few more attacks like that and we¡¯ll be out of soldiers.


    While Roy wasing up with a n, Mirmulnir flew down the tower and circled it, breathing fire along the way. The mes formed circles, and the circles became paths of demise drenched with blood and licked by mes. Just like that, five more soldiers went down. None of the arrows anyone fired could inflict any damage either.


    ¡°Dammit, at this rate, not even Sovngarde can house all the dead!¡± Farkas stuck his head out from behind a boulder, his eyes filled with fury. ¡°I shall strike that lizard down!¡± Or we can¡¯t even hit it!


    ¡°Leave this to me! You guys get ready to attack!¡± Roy shouted imperiously. He held up Aerondight with his right hand and aimed at the dragon with his crossbow. Then he pulled the trigger, infusing the bolt with Guided Arrows and Stun Bolt.


    The bolt flew and, for some inexplicable reason, spun in the air before it hit the dragon right in its belly. Roy crouched and disappeared into thin air. The air itself rippled, and then he appeared right before a greyish mountain. No, it was not a mountain, but the dragon¡¯s belly. He could feel the gusts of wind wing around him, and it was suffocating.


    However, the witcher was prepared for this. With all his might, he¡ªunbelievably¡ªcurled backward and leapt ahead in midair, thrusting Aerondight ahead, and the edge of the crimson de buried itself in the creature¡¯s stomach.


    Dragon blood spilled from the gash, drenching Roy¡¯s head. Some even trickled into his mouth, and his stomach felt like it was on fire.


    Pain shot up the dragon¡¯s head, and it stopped breathing fire, yet it stubbornly flew, trying its best to w out the de from its belly.


    Quickly, the dragon descended and flew around the tower. Roy¡¯s world started to spin faster and faster, and the wind almost made him lose his grip.


    In disbelief, Flynn pointed his sword at the sky. ¡°Goldeneye!¡±


    The soldiers, Irileth, Battle-Borns, the Companions, and Farengar stared at where Flynn was pointing, and they too couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. The silhouette of a human¡ªsmall as an insect¡ªflew along with the dragon, wobbling and shuddering like it would fall from the cliff of the belly at any moment. The only thing tethering him to life was his de.


    ¡°How did he do it?¡± Vilkas roared. ¡°Can he fly?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! He put himself in danger to create this opening!¡± A hint of excitement red in Irileth¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fire at the beast!¡±


    ¡°Get ready, people!¡± Farkas was reminded of Roy¡¯s message, and he mmed his sword on his shield. ¡°That lizard¡¯snding soon!¡±


    Right on cue, Mirmulnirnded. No longer could it hold on against the pain, and it growled, rubbing its wound against the ground. Crimson blood drenched the thistles, but the witcher was not killed.


    Right before the beast couldnd, the witcher let go of his de and rolled to lessen the impact. The moment he got up, he clenched his fist, and Aerondight returned to his hand, then he held himself up with his sword, kneeling on one knee. His chest was heaving, and his limbs shook uncontrobly. Beads of sweat poured down his chin, drenching the ground.


    The dragon turned its head to Roy, its eyes filled with venom and fury, and it opened its mouth. mes charged ahead at the witcher, but he quickly made a Sign, and a light shield surrounded him, keeping the mes out.


    Even though Roy had high fire resistance, blisters still formed in a mere moment, but the barrage of arrows, fireballs, lightning bolts, and attacks stopped the dragon¡¯s breath.


    Heliotrop disappeared, and Roy could barely hold himself up. His whole body felt like it was on fire, and a deep-seated exhaustion kept him from recovering.


    ¡®HP (180 ¡ý/320) (Dragon blood mutation, soft tissue injury, fire breath injury)¡¯


    Roy downed a dose of Swallow and stopped his HP from falling further.


    ¡°Fus Ro Dah!¡± Mirmulnir roared Unrelenting Force, and the three soldiers attacking it were sent flying away. They fell with a sickening thud and stopped moving, but that didn¡¯t stop anyone¡¯s attacks.


    The remaining warriors surrounded its head and left nk, giving their all with every swing and thrust. Arrows rained down on the dragon as well, assisting the warriors in the front line. Still, even with the Skyforge¡¯s best items, it was hard to break through the dragon¡¯s scales, much less inflict any damage.


    Only Farkas, Vilkas, Arvel, Flynn, and Torvar managed to damage the dragon, and it was thanks to their extraordinary skill and strength.


    Mirmulnir looked at the quartet before it, and it raised its neck before mming it down. First, it went for Flynn. Noticing the dragoning at him, Flynn held up his shield, but the dragon easily mped down on it, and he held the Dragonborn high up in the air.


    The Dragonborn shouted and thrust his sword ahead, puncturing the beast¡¯s left eye. Arvel quickly thrust his dagger into the dragon¡¯s neck, and Vilkas mmed his de into its chest, while Farengarmanded his atronach to st the dragon¡¯s wings with some fireballs. Farkas held his de high over his head, ring at the dragon, and with all his might, he swung his de down.


    A gash opened itself on the dragon¡¯s neck, and blood spilled forth, while sparks flew. In pain and anguish, the dragon flung Flynn away and pped its wings, pushing the other warriors off it. At the same time, it raised its tail.


    Roy shouted, ¡°Look out for the tail!¡±


    Toote. The dragon swiped its tail across the battlefield. Like a great hoe, it left a deep mark on the ground, and five soldiers were hit. They flew into the distance and fell with a thud, coughing up blood and innards. Their bodies were bent at unnatural angles, and they had not long to live.


    The dragon breathed fire again, and the moment the mes touched anyone, they screamed, blisters breaking out on their bodies. Quickly, they downed healing potions and scrambled to take cover.


    Now that the insects were gone, the dragon turned its eyes to Roy again.


    ¡°By Talos, why me?¡±


    The dragon held itself up with its wings and hind legs, then it leapt a great distance ahead, but Roy fired off a bolt and blinked out of the attack. However, the soldiers behind him were not so lucky. Before they could do anything, the dragon had mmed them into the watchtower¡¯s walls. The ground rumbled, and the soldiers exploded like tomatoes getting mmed to the ground, and the walls were painted with their blood and innards.


    ***


    Roy¡¯s breathing wasbored, and he quickly made two Signs with both hands. A clone leapt out of the void and took the crossbow from Roy to keep up the attack. The atronach was still firing off fireballs, yet that wasn¡¯t enough to kill the dragon.


    When Roy was done, the injured dragon turned around again. It flew into the air and dive-bombed the witcher. The dragon¡¯snding created a crater on the ground, and dust flew high up into the air.


    Irileth roared at her soldiers, telling them to shoot, while Flynn and the Companions rushed to Roy¡¯s aid.


    The dragon turned its attention to the witcher, who was recovering from the attack, and it opened its mouth. At the same time, the witcher took a deep breath as well, the power of Thu¡¯um rising in his mouth, and the silhouette of a ck dragon appeared behind him, breathing at the enemy.


    The witcher met the dragon¡¯s eyes, and sparks flew.


    At the very same moment, at the very same time¡­


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    The earth itself rumbled as its bones resonated with the Shouts. The shockwave went hurtling by each other, and the witcher felt like a siege weapon just mmed into his chest. He flew high into the air, coughing up blood, and his armor caved. The moment hended, the life in his eyes seemed to disappear, and pain filled his body. His bones and innards felt like they¡¯d been crushed, and the only sound he could make were hisses. The pain was killing him.


    Activate. A surge of warmth swam across his body, and his life¡ªthat was so close to zero¡ªclimbed back up to ny percent. His innards and ribs were healed by the element of water, stopping the damage from worsening. The witcher¡¯s eyes refocused, and he got up.


    The dragon was suffering from the Shout as well. It didn¡¯t get blown back, of course, but the dragon was lying on the ground, stunned and unable to move. Knew it. Shouts are effective.


    The warriors who came quickly attacked the stunned beast, especially its head. They knew the dragon had shouted, but they didn¡¯t realize that Roy had used a Shout as well.


    Farkas and Arvel made it a point to attack the dragon¡¯s eyes, and its eyeballs started to bleed. The pain woke the dragon from its stupor, and it chased the maggots away with a p of its wings.


    Roy blinked again, appearing beside the dragon¡¯s throat, but this time, the beast did not notice him right away, and Roy¡¯s eyes shed crimson. Fear.


    Crimson tentacles danced and wriggled, this time, their numbers far higher than thest time they appeared. It looked as if a red forest had appeared right where the dragon was standing, and the tentacles quickly turned the beast into a big, red ball of tentacles. Even the beast looked friendlier than this horrifying scene, and the fighters were stupefied.


    The tentacles dragged up their deepest, darkest memories, and Roy leapt into the air. He swung his crimson de down, the stars on the de¡¯s body losing their light. A red beam of energy appeared on the edge of the de as Roy swung it down on the dragon¡¯s neck.


    The energy cut through its scales, skin, and even its flesh, but the bones stopped its progress. Still, the dragon¡¯s neck was cut open, and blood spilled like a fountain, and the soil was drenched with hot liquid.


    The dragon roared and howled, struggling to break free of its entrapment, and yet the octopus was far stronger than it was. No matter how it tried, it couldn¡¯t break free.


    Roy switched his de out for Gwyhyr and cut down at the same spot again. The attack eventually came to a stop, but the dragon¡¯s bones were still standing strong, yet there was barely anything left of Mirmulnir¡¯s neck.


    Roy felt a chill run down his spine. This was the first time his energy attack failed to cut down something. These bones are a lot harder than I thought. He held up both swords, ready for the final strike.


    The tentacles kept the dragon ensnared, and the beast red at his killer with bloody, hate-filled eyes, cursing him with the worst agony possible.


    Roy mmed his swords into the dragon¡¯s eyes and pierced its brains, and all life was snuffed out of the dragon. Mirmulnir¡¯s head slumped as it fell before Roy, seemingly prostrating itself at its executioner.


    Blood from its neck and eyes flew into the air and rained down on Roy. Mist floated up from the ground, and Roy stood proudly in the mist of blood. The dragon¡¯s blood was pricking his skin, searing it, but he quickly collected the blood and tucked it away in his inventory.


    His character sheet seemed to be bugging out. There were a lot of messages jumping around, though the first one read, ¡®You have killed a legendary creature¡ªMirmulnir the dragon. You¡­ You have gained¡­¡¯


    And the Dragonborn charged at hisrade.

 Chapter 488 - 488: Dragon’s Blood, Dragon’s Soul

    Chapter 488: Dragon¡¯s Blood, Dragon¡¯s Soul


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The dragony in a pool of its own blood, not breathing nor moving. A mysterious power was guiding Flynn toward the beast¡¯s corpse, and he charged ahead. A surge of desire welled in his heart, and the dragon¡¯s corpse became something of a feast to the Dragonborn, inviting him to dig in. He gulped and looked at hispanion who was standing in a pool of blood. ¡°Are you alright, Goldeneye?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± said Roy, though he wasn¡¯t fluent in thenguage. He then tensed up. As Flynn drew near, he noticed a gust of green wind flowing out of Mirmulnir¡¯s corpse. There were countless ancient runes hidden within it, and they flew right into the Dragonborn¡¯s body. This was just like the scene back in Bleak Falls Barrow.


    Flynn stood in silence and closed his eyes, then he opened his arms like he was enjoying this. Like he was embracing his power.


    Roy was reminded of what Balgruuf told him. That only Dragonborns could truly kill dragons and solve their problems. ¡°So he was saying that the only way to truly kill a dragon is to consume its soul? I was the one who killed it, and I got badly hurt because of it, but Flynn gets all the reward instead?¡± Roy wiped off the blood from his lips and clenched his fists. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t the character sheet work on the dragon?¡±


    His refusal to ept this truth changed something. Something in the air crackled, and as an arc of crimson lightning danced, a red octopus the size of a lion leapt out of the void, bobbing around. Quickly, it wrapped its tentacles around the dragon¡¯s head and pulled its soul out. The dragon¡¯s soul was a lot smaller than its body, and it looked almost ethereal under the sunlight. Its eyes were devoid of its venom and fury, reced by an empty look. It felt like the soul had epted its fate and gave up struggling.


    Two forces were fighting over this soul. One came from the Dragonborn, turning the soul into runes, absorbing them into itself. The other came from the octopus. Its tentacles covered half of the soul, devouring and swallowing its pieces.


    Irileth and her soldiers carefully approached the scene and saw Roy and Flynn standing beside the corpse quietly. They seem to be in some sort of weird state. ¡°Is the dragon still alive? What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡± A hint of surprise and doubt appeared in Farengar¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do not disturb them. A Dragonborn is¡­ absorbing the dragon¡¯s power.¡±


    ***


    Ten secondster, the dragon¡¯s soul was shrinking quickly. Roy had consumed one-third of the soul, and the Dragonborn had consumed the same amount. The witcher wished to continue, but then his heart was filled with great fear. The air around him seemed to turn into a vacuum, and he couldn¡¯t breathe. Everything around him, even space and time, seemed to see him as an enemy, telling him that he was making an enemy out of this universe just because he was consuming a dragon¡¯s soul.


    Even without turning around, he could feel a pair of gigantic, golden eyes staring at them through the void. When it looked at Flynn, there was approval in its gaze, but when it turned to the witcher, there was warning and threat in those eyes. The gaze pricked the witcher, and pain enveloped him. A cold, invisible hand pierced his skin and flesh, holding his heart tightly. Every cell in his body was shivering in fear, and he had only felt this fear once: when he Observed the statue of Melitele in her temple, and she stared back at him. So who¡¯s the one warning me? A Prince, or a Divine? Is this scene of Flynn absorbing the dragon¡¯s soul something out of its arrangement?


    Realization filled his heart. He knew that if he were to keep taking from the Dragonborn, this hand would destroy him. Very well. This is the world you made, so I¡¯ll follow your rules, but I¡¯ll get back at you someday, and I¡¯ll start with your precious Dragonborn. Roy heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, then he slumped.


    The octopus got itsmand, and it let go of the soul before disappearing into the air. The glitch on the character sheet finally came to an end, and a message popped up. ¡®You have killed a legendary creature¡ªMirmulnir the dragon. You have devoured part of the shards of time. +5000 EXP. Level 12 Witcher (7300/12500). You now understand more about the power of time. Unrelenting Force¡¯s cooldown is now 21 minutes. Your Elder Blood is slightly affected by this change, but not enough to cause a great shift.¡¯


    Roy heaved a sigh and opened his eyes, then he noticed he now had a special connection to Flynn. He could find Flynn¡¯s position anytime he wanted. How did this happen?


    ***


    A few momentster, the dragon¡¯s soul was all absorbed by the Dragonborn. Once the soul was consumed, the dragon¡¯s corpse underwent a great change. Decades, if not centuries, seemed to pass in what were mere moments. The scales and flesh decayed and disappeared along with the wind, leaving only a great skeletal structure behind. The skeletal structure of a winged lizard.


    Roy calmed down and observed the dragon bone, memorizing each and every detail of this construct so he could meditate even better next time. At the same time, he touched the skeleton and carefully tucked the bones and scattered scales into his inventory. A whileter, he was delighted to find himself in the possession of a dragon tendon. It was more than sixteen feet long and had the girth of an adult¡¯s forearm. The tendon looked yellow and was resilient to the touch. Alright. Got myself another upgrade material for Gabriel. He happily tucked the tendon away in his inventory space.


    Flynn opened his eyes. For a moment, his eyes looked like ones only a dragon would have. The look within them was cold, majestic, and arrogant, but the eyes turned back to normal in a moment, though they still shone like the sun. Flynn was absorbing the soul slowly, and all his stats increased a little. The increment would continue until his body was done absorbing the dragon¡¯s soul. ¡°Hey, guys. I¡­ I think something popped up in my head again.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Flynn? How are you connected to the dragon anyway?¡± Vilkas, Farkas, Torvar, and Arvel stared at the bemused Dragonborn. ¡°Are you really the legendary Dragonborn?¡±


    They didn¡¯t expect the fledgling adventurer whom they easily defeated in training every day to be the legendary Dragonborn himself.


    ¡°He must be.¡± Farengar nodded. Everyone noticed Flynn absorbing the dragon¡¯s soul, but no one saw the octopus that appeared. ¡°Only a Dragonborn can absorb the strength of a dragon and turn its body into nothing but skeletal remains.¡±


    What? But I¡¯m just a regr guy. I can¡¯t be a Dragonborn. Flynn looked at his excitedrades and stared up into the sky. For some reason, his throat started itching, and the itch grew uncontrobly. There was no way to stop it, and a surge of warmth flowed through his veins. He opened his mouth and, as if driven by instinct, roared at the skies, ¡°Fus!¡±


    The air exploded as he shouted, and everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. A shockwave radiated from the Dragonborn and shot up high into the air, as if it would crush the sky.


    ¡°By the Divines, that¡¯s a Shout. The very same the dragon used. The one Ulfric used to kill the High King!¡± A soldier gasped, and his hand trembled.


    Farkas and Vilkas huddled around the Dragonborn and touched him all over.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? I¡¯m not a girl.¡±


    ¡°Just trying to see how different a Dragonborn is from us. Feels the same to me,¡± Farksa said proudly. ¡°Um, now that we¡¯ve killed a dragon, what should we kill next? Nothing stronger than a dragon.¡±


    ¡°We can always kill a stronger dragon. We have a Dragonborn on our side.¡±


    Arvel suddenly went down on his knees, his face trembling, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He roared, ¡°Do you see this, my girl? I did it! We killed a dragon! That¡¯s a Shout! The same Shout f used to y a dragon! The legends are true! To Oblivion with the Burning of King f!¡±


    ¡°By the mercy of Talos, Kynareth, and Arkay. We had a Dragonborn with us all along? Wait, I was fighting with him?¡± Another soldier gushed, ¡°The Divines have blessed us! This victory was already certain!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll kill any dragon that tries to attack us!¡±


    Everyone was red with delight.


    ¡°We shall be known as dragonyers from now on!¡±


    ¡°The Dragonborn isn¡¯t the only one to thank.¡± Arvel wiped his tears away. ¡°Goldeneye.¡± He stared at the witcher with worship, and Roy quickly stopped collecting his loot. ¡°We only managed to kill it because he took it out of the skies and injured it enough.¡±


    Roy gulped his blood back and said with stiff empire tongue, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ all¡­ everyone¡¯s effort.¡± Without the sacrifice and them whittling down the dragon, he couldn¡¯t have taken down the creature, much less killed it. It could¡¯ve killed him instead.


    ¡°Well said. Don¡¯t justy all thepliments on them. This victory belongs to all of us, especially the fallen! May they rest in peace!¡± Irileth turned around, looking at the charred and bloody remains of the fallen. With sorry, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve honored your souls with the ying of a dragon. Sovngarde¡­ No, the Hall of Valor will open its doors for you!¡±


    Forty-three warriors joined this battle, and yet only eighteen remained, most of them injured too. More than half of them died in this battle alone, and their enemy was the weakest type of dragon.


    ¡°I shall be reporting this to the Jarl. Every warrior who has taken part in this battle shall be greatly rewarded.¡± Irileth looked at the dragon¡¯s remains. ¡°But now, we must collect ourrades¡¯ remains and give them a proper burial. They deserve that much. And then, we shall haul the skeletal remains of this beast back as proof of our victory.¡±


    The survivors, despite their sorrows, perked up and carried out their orders. Roy was impressed. Nordlings really are born for battle. He seized this chance to quickly collect more bones and scales. Not even my energy attack managed to cut it. This is going to be the best crafting material I could ever hope for.


    Farengar was doing the same thing too. He touched the dragon¡¯s skeleton, and one of its bones disappeared, then he stared at Roy and whispered, ¡°Goldeneye, are you a believer of Dagon? Or Vaermina?¡±


    Arvel tranted that for Roy, and the witcher realized that Farengar must¡¯ve seen the whole battle, including the part where the octopus showed up, so he shrugged.


    Farengar sighed. ¡°I saw what you did, and you were the reason we even won the battle in the first ce. We could all be dead if not for you. I am indebted to you, and you can employ my services for free once we get back. Only once, however.¡±


    ***


    Dusk had descended when the soldiers returned to the keep, and darkness draped over the buildings. Most people had gone to sleep, but the soldiers carried on, bringing the mangled remains of theirrades into the Hall of the Dead. Some went to inform their families of the sad news, while some returned to the watchtower to bring the dragon¡¯s bones back. No Jarl worth their salt would leave something this valuable lying around unattended.


    Irileth led Farengar, the Companions, and the trio into Dragonsreach.


    ¡°You did well. Killing a dragon and recreating the feat only f had managed. This is a miracle!¡± Balgruuf paced around quickly, and his voice was trembling with excitement. He looked almost sorry he couldn¡¯t join the fight himself. ¡°You saved the keep, and for that, you shall be handsomely rewarded. Goldeneye, Arvel, and Flynn. Ever since you stepped foot in the keep, you¡¯ve been working tirelessly to deal with the dragon crisis. I hereby decree that you three shall henceforth be the Thanes of Whiterun. You may employ your own servants, but if you can¡¯t find any good ones, you cane to me. I¡¯ll get a few for you, though you¡¯ll have to pay them from your own pockets. And there are three empty houses in The Wind District. They now belong to you. Your thousand-coin reward also awaits you there.¡±


    The trio exchanged a look. Roy looked calm, since the house wasn¡¯t useful to him anyway. Arvel and Flynn¡¯s breathing got heavier, however, and they were delighted. They now had a big house in the center of the keep and were made Thanes. It was like a dreame true, but not even this wasparable to the title of Dragonyer.


    Nordlings respected the strong. With that title, they could go anywhere they wanted in Skyrim, and everyone would respect them.


    Balgruuf was happy that the trio was satisfied. He gave them a lot, but as long as he could keep these three in the keep, they would be bound toe in handy. Not to mention they were neutral. Unlike the Battle-Borns or Grey-Manes, these three wouldn¡¯t fight among themselves. ¡°Vilkas, Farkas, and Torvar, thank you for your help. My men shall take the rewards to the mead hall.¡±


    The Companions bowed and smiled at the trio. ¡°Come over for a drink or two tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about, especially about the battle.¡± The Companions left in a hurry, refusing to stay in the fortress.


    ¡°Irileth, thepensation for the family of the fallen will be increased by half. Make sure they receive the coins.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jarl.¡±


    ¡°They deserve it. Theyid down their lives for the keep, and we will not let their families suffer,¡± said Balgruuf. ¡°They are heroes, and Sovngarde will be more than pleased to have them.¡± He stood with his head hanging low. Everyone was silent for two whole minutes.


    ¡°And I have a question. I heard we have a Dragonborn among us?¡±


    Farengar looked at Flynn. ¡°Jarl, he absorbed the dragon¡¯s soul at the very end, and he performed a Shout.¡±


    ¡°I see. I knew there was something about you when I first saw you,d.¡± Balgruuf looked at Flynn with approval. ¡°Did you hear a summon when you first killed the dragon?¡±


    ¡°A summon?¡± Flynn scratched the back of his head. When he came back to the keep, he once again heard a thunderous shout, just like he did the first two times, and it called him¡­ ¡°Dovahkiin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is it. Dovahkiin. I see.¡± Balgruuf returned to his throne. ¡°The Greybeards are summoning the Dragonborn.¡±


    Roy was interested, and his gut told him to listen in. At the same time, he told Arvel to trante every single word.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Flynn asked.


    ¡°The Greybeards are a small hiddenmunity of schrs specializing in the art of Thu¡¯um, and they only teach very few people that art.¡± Balgruuf exined patiently, ¡°They reside in the most secluded area of the world¡ªHigh Hrothgar. I shall provide you with the map soon.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d they summon me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Balgruuf said sternly, ¡°Dragonborns are born with unique talents. They can channel their energy into Thu¡¯um and unleash powerful Shouts. That¡¯s why you learned the Shout faster than anyone could. They¡¯re summoning you so they can teach you how to use your talents.¡± He said, ¡°The dragons have returned, and one just tried to attack the keep. The Dragonborn is our only hope to quash this crisis before it can get any worse. The Greybeards are duty-bound to teach the Dragonborn how to use Shouts, and you, Flynn, are the only Dragonborn since Tiber Septim. We have gone hundreds of years without a Dragonborn, and now is your time to fulfill your destiny.¡±


    Flynn was shocked and horrified. ¡°But Jarl, that¡¯s a bit too much. You¡¯re painting me like I¡¯m a savior.¡± He looked at Roy sheepishly. ¡°Goldeneye¡¯s ten times stronger than I am.¡±


    ¡°Do not discount yourself, Dragonborn. You are still young, and there is much potential within you to be discovered,¡± said the Jarl. ¡°Once you have rested up, I suggest you travel to High Hrothgar at your first convenience. No one can resist the call of The Greybeards. This is an honor.¡±


    Reminiscence filled his eyes. ¡°But be prepared for a seven-thousand-step ascent. I tried to pay them a visit in my younger days, and the ascent alone took my breath out of me. Spent a few years trying, but s, I failed.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Flynn hesitated for a moment, then he looked at Roy and Arvel. ¡°Can I take a few people along with me?¡±


    Roy gave him a look of gratitude. Good show,d. Looks like I didn¡¯t give up that soul for nothing. Still, I can¡¯t go with you. Sorry.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good friend indeed, Dragonborn.¡± The Jarl smiled with approval. ¡°You can bring some friends along should they desire, but be warned. High Hrothgar might not be a blessing for regr humans. That¡¯s all I can say. You must be tired after the battle.¡± Balgruuf shot the Steward a look, and he handed three keys to the trio. ¡°The deed and coins will be waiting for you right after you enter the house. They are all equipped with the furniture you might need. Tell me should you need anything more.¡±


    ¡°Now, Thanes, return home. Your beds are waiting.¡± Proventus smiled, a hint of approval shing in his eyes. ¡°And the houses are right beside one another. You shall be neighbors from now on.¡±


    Arvel and Flynn looked at Roy, and the witcher nodded. He was checking out his inventory. This battle gave him a lot of useful items. Dragon bones, dragon scales, dragon tendon, dragon soul, and most importantly, the blood that filled up half of his inventory.


    He had prepared the sorcerer¡¯s blood (he got it from Coral), the essence of a higher vampire (that was from Gruffyd), and everything else he might need to strengthen his Elder Blood. He then started going through the potion recipe given to him by the Master of Mirrors. Time to make the potion and level up my Elder Blood. ¡°Hang on, you guys. Coral, Letho, Ciri, Geralt, Triss¡­ I¡¯ming home.¡±

 Chapter 489 - 489: Potion and Evolution

    Chapter 489: Potion and Evolution


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The house was smaller than Roy had anticipated, but it had everything he needed. A hearth sat in the center of the lounge, and a big cauldron hung over the mes. A store room stood beside it, and the racks within were empty, waiting for the house¡¯s master to fill them up.


    Roy stepped onto the creaking stairs,ing to the second floor. He looked around and saw two bedrooms standing by the narrow corridor. They were both decorated in an astonishingly simr manner. A wooden bed with hay and skin sheet and a chest at the end of the bed. There was a candbra standing on the nightstand, but not much else. Moonlight shone into the room through the window, lending it a quiet feeling.


    The moons were shining beautifully in the night. ¡°This is going to be my base in Skyrim from now on.¡± Royy down on his bed and smiled. He was reminded of the excitement Flynn felt when he saw his house. He looked like a guy who was going on his first date. Arvel looked calm, if not a bit confused. He had carried out his daughter¡¯sst wish, and now he had nothing to live for.


    Roy¡¯spanions had gone to sleep, but Roy held his throbbing chest and wiped off the blood from his lips.


    ¡®Hp: 100/320 (internal injury, fire breath injury, dragon blood mutation)¡¯


    The injuries were serious. Most people would¡¯ve lost consciousness by then, but Activate managed to stop the condition from getting worse, yet it couldn¡¯t solve the root of the problem. Roy sat up and meditated for two hours until his Mana had recovered, and his spirits were high.


    Three bottles appeared on the wooden table before the window, and they were filled with liquids of different shades of crimson. One was dark red, the other was bright crimson, and the other was light red. These were the essences of Mirmulnir, Gruffyd, and Coral. The bottles glistened and glimmered under the pale moonlight, magical bubbles moving and breathing within them.


    The dragon¡¯s blood was different from the other essences. The mana in it was made up of soul and light, while the other essences¡¯ mana was made up of chaos energy. It was a little different from the recipe the Master of Mirrors gave him, since he made it with the witcher world¡¯s dragon in mind, but Roy had no choice.


    He stood in front of the table and put his hands on the surface, his eyes glimmering with determination, then he took a deep breath and quickly moved his hands. The blood was poured into a special ss cup the size of a fist, and not a drop of the blood was spilled. The essence was split into three differentyers. From top to bottom was: Coral¡¯s blood, Gruffyd¡¯s blood, and Mirmulnir¡¯s blood. There was a silver line between eachyer of blood.


    Like an artist painting a picture, his hands danced across the herbs and ingredients, picking the colors he needed and adding them into the blood. Merigold, buckthorn, longrube, and more. He stirred the mixture, and a whirlpool appeared on the surface of the liquid, bubbles quickly surfacing to the top. The mixture quickly changed colors. First it was multicolored, then a deep crimson, then a bluish-green. The more the colors changed, the less the liquid remained. Slowly, it evaporated, and only half a bottle was left. After ten color changes, the liquid condensed into a deep-gold concoction that was only a finger deep. An inexplicable, irresistible sweetness came from the cup, filling the air with its scent. Roy thought he could hear something whispering in his ear, telling him to drink the concoction.


    The witcher gulped and held the cup in his hands, then his mana flowed out of his fingertips, pierced the ss, and merged with the liquid within. If he had a microscope, Roy could¡¯ve seen the reaction between the minuscule particles, and it was violent. As violent as a meteor crashing into the earth, burning everything around it.


    Ten minutester, Roy was out of mana, and the concoction took another form once more. This time, it was as silent as the water in an old well, as deep as the sky without light. He raised the cup and swirled it, but the liquid lost all scent and was as in as water. Through the moonlight, Roy checked out the liquid, and that was all it took to get lost within the scenery.


    ¡®Tempering Potion


    Components: Blood filled with mana and life (dragon, sorcerer, higher vampire), longrube¡­


    Effect:


    This potion contains incredibly condensed mana and life force from other types of living beings. They can react with the user¡¯s blood and change regr bloodlines into something with a higher affinity for magic, strengthening the user¡¯stent potential and talent.


    Your Elder Blood can evolve should you consume this concoction.


    Note: Tempering Potion is an unstable concoction. The effect grows weaker with time, and it will lose all powers after an hour. Consuming this concoction will purify your bloodline. However, this process will be apanied by a sense of difort and a chance of death.¡¯


    Roy shook his head, smiling. He had gone through two Trials, and that was the worst thing he had ever encountered. Nothing more could scare him, and besides, he had no choice. He hesitated for a moment and reluctantly unstrapped his des and ced them on his chest. He then engraved some simple message with the empirenguage he just learned. Should he die from this ordeal, the des would be given to Flynn and Arvel.


    Then Roy gulped down the concoction. It slithered down his mouth and dropped into his belly. Feels a lot betterpared to the dragon blood. He let go of the ss and sat on the bed with his eyes closed, and he tried to feel the concoction taking effect.


    A surge of warmth came up from his belly and enveloped his whole body. For a moment, it felt like he was in a hot spring, and the water was massaging his whole body, delighting his every cell. A few momentster, thatfortable feeling was reced by difort and a prickly sensation. Everywhere there was blood, there was a battle raging within. The fighters were his own blood and the concoction. They battled and shed vigorously, while Roy felt like a thousand steel needles were piercing his skin, cutting his blood vessels, muscles, bones, and skin. He quietlyy down on the bed and curled up.


    Blood flowed out of his pores and openings, drenching the sheets in red. His face was covered by sweat and blood, and pain made his veins and vessels pop, contorting his very visage. The only sound he could make was a gasp, and his cheeks were puffed as he gnashed his teeth so hard he could break them.


    Still, the witcher did not roar. The pain he felt from taking the second Trial was worse than this. The concoction destroyed the defenses his blood created, consuming and assimting them into itself. The witcher¡¯s blood was consumed, and bit by bit, some golden blood appeared. The Elder Blood.


    It was not threatened by the concoction, instead, it retaliated fiercely, gobbling up the concoction that consumed Roy¡¯s blood, taking in all its power, including the mana and life force. The Elder Blood was nourished, and it quickly expanded within the witcher¡¯s body.


    Five minutester, the witcher heaved a sigh, and his cheeks rxed. The Elder Blood had consumed all the concoction, and twenty percent of the witcher¡¯s blood was now Elder Blood. As if by choice, they took up residence in the most important organs of the human body, including the brain.


    When the Elder Blood was nothing but a small part of Roy¡¯s body, it refused to even move an inch, but now that it was one-fifth of Roy¡¯s blood, the Elder Blood was slowly creating more of its own kind. Still, without the concoction as nourishment, this transmutation would take probably a few centuries toplete.


    The witcher opened his eyes, and they shone like the moons in the sky. He leapt out the window and disappeared from the keep.


    ***


    Roy washed himself of the blood with water from the stream. The stream around Riverwood reflected the face of a handsomed, and he looked a little different from the previous Roy. He was looking more like an Aen Seidhe. His ears looked like a half-elf¡¯s, and his lines were more pronounced, then he touched his teeth, and a bitter smile curled his lips.


    He lost his incisors. That was a prominent feature of Aen Seidhe. Still, he gained a lot from this.


    ¡®You have consumed a Tempering Potion. Your wounds are healed. HP: 330/330 (Healthy)


    You have consumed and bathed in dragon blood. Your body has been modified. You gain Blessing of the Dragon¡¯s Blood (Passive): +1 to Constitution and Strength. +20% Fire Resistance.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Your Elder Blood has evolved.


    Elder Blood (Passive): The most ancient bloodline of the Aen Elle race. Those who possess this bloodline possess a multitude of powerful skills.


    Your Elder Blood is now partially awakened. You have a higher affinity toward the elements and mana..¡¯


    ***


    ¡®Your instinct and battle sense are powered up even more. You have awakened a new power.


    Child of Fortune (Passive): Should you face an important junction in your life, your instinct will guide you to the best path possible.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®You can control space even more now, and some abilities have been improved.


    Blink¡¯s Mana cost is now (15 ¡ú 8), Teleport¡¯s Mana cost is now (30 ¡ú 15). These abilities cannot be used across different worlds. Conjuration spells¡¯ Mana cost is reduced by half.


    The barrier between worlds cannot stop you from your exploration now. You have awakened a new ability.


    Worldgate Level 1: Costs 200 Mana. Utilizes the spatial ability of your Elder Blood. A door that can cross to a random or designated waypoint will be opened in a random location within a two-yard radius from you. This door allows you to cross dimensions. The door will remain for five seconds.


    Note: Please make sure the waypoint is reliable. Should any mistake ur, the user might be trapped in the space between dimensions. This space contains untold and unpredictable horrors.


    Cooldown: One day.¡¯


    ***


    ¡®The shards of time (dragon soul) you consumed has merged with the awakened Elder Blood. You have awakened a unique ability.


    Ring of Time Level 1: Costs 200 Mana. Utilizes the temporal ability of your Elder Blood. With ¡®the present moment in time¡¯ as anchor, you may travel into the past or future within a two-yard radius around you. You may only travel up to twenty seconds into the past or future.


    The state of things within the ring of time will also change depending on which point in time you travel to.


    Only the user¡¯s memory will not be affected by the Ring of Time.


    Cooldown: One day.¡¯


    ***


    Child of Fortune, Worldgate, and the Ring of Time. Roy was surprised and a little confused. If he was right, Ciri¡¯s Elder Blood was also partially awakened, but her abilities were: Child of Fortune, Lady of Space and Time, and Source. Two are different. ¡°Did the character sheet modify the Elder Blood to suit me?¡±


    Most of Ciri¡¯s abilities were uncontroble. She could only activate her prophetic and space-time travel abilities when she was in danger, and the results of that were disastrous. Her spatial and temporal abilities were merged together.


    On the other hand, Roy¡¯s abilities could be activated at will. His spatial and temporal abilities were separated, but he also had to use a lot of Mana just to cast them.


    ¡°Blink, Teleport, and now Worldgate. The distance I can travel increases. Worldgate can exist for five seconds. Wonder if I can take anyone with me through the gate. Hm, I need to try out the Ring of Time, but I also need to contact Gryphon. Shame I didn¡¯t get to be a Source.¡±


    ***


    Roy washed his face and stood up, cheering himself up. He then turned his eyes to the sky, and the constetion of The Warrior shone beside the moons, swinging its des around. Roy closed his eyes and felt the air closely. His mind went into the void and passed through the walls between dimension and universes.


    Eventually, he reached a ce he knew very well. Gryphon.


    ¡°Rawr?¡±


    Gryphon!


    ¡°Rawr, rawr!¡±


    Billions of miles away, a beautiful griffin raised its head from the branch it was napping on, its eyes wide. The beast opened its beak and roared in delight. It leapt off the tree and wagged its tail so hard it might fall off its rear, and then it rolled around the fallen leaves, revealing its belly. It was almost trilling, and there was a hint ofint in its voice.


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t call, but I had no choice. Everything¡¯s fine here. I¡¯m traveling, but I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Roy spun around and swung his fists happily. That vague connection with Gryphon now felt a lot more concrete. The griffin was the waypoint his Worldgate needed. The key he needed to get back home.


    He then changed his vision and looked at the world through Gryphon¡¯s eyes. The river around him disappeared, changing into a patch of alder forest standing under the darkness, and the only source of light was the moon above.


    ¡°The House of Gawain. Go there, and don¡¯t wake anyone. I just want to take a look.¡±


    ***


    Ten minutester, Roy finally saw the orphanage. The walls were filled with graffiti, and the children were sleeping quietly within the house. Roy heaved a sigh of relief. The grandmasters left them alone, but this doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re safe.


    ***


    He closed his eyes to feel something again. Aside from Gryphon, he felt three more concrete bonds. One was from Arvel, and another was from something he didn¡¯t know. It was in the same world as Gryphon, but Roy thought it felt really weak. Who could it be? I¡¯ll figure it out when I get back. The third one was from Flynn.


    The witcher didn¡¯t move, but two hundred Mana had been taken from his reserves, and a ck door tore open the space before him. It was big enough for one person to pass through, and Roy stepped into it. He was greeted by a dark corridor. There was darkness within, but the void was filled with rivers of stars. Every star would lead to a different ce. A different world. The waypoint of his world stood right before him, and it shone bright like a beacon.


    The witcher leapt at it, and he jumped into a clean, albeit stark room. The first thing he heard was a loud snore, and when he took a closer look, he saw Flynn sleeping soundly on his bed. He was having a nice dream, perhaps, a big grin curled across his lips, and his stubble was drenched in his drool.


    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s dreaming of Adrianne. Lambert¡¯s going to love having someone with the same interest in women.¡± He looked at the Dragonborn. After taking in the dragon soul, the Dragonborn¡¯s body was still undergoing a change. His Constitution, Strength, and Dexterity was already at rank one (ten points per rank). Even his Spirit and Charisma were increasing. And his injury from the dragon¡¯s breath was healed as well.


    Do Dragonborns gain their strength from consuming dragon souls? Hm, that¡¯s a bit like my character sheet. Oh, I see. So that¡¯s why we¡¯re connected. Because we consumed the same dragon soul. My mount counts as a waypoint, and this soul is a waypoint too. Even if Flynn dies, as long as his soul lives, I can still find my way back here. ¡°Alright, thanks to him, I can fulfill my promise to Arvel before I go home.¡±


    ***


    Roy left Flynn¡¯s house and teleported out of the keep¡¯s walls, charging ahead on the ins to work off some of his excitement, then he meditated under a big tree. The sky was his nket, and he meditated until his Mana was restored fully, then he summoned his me atronach. Roy looked at his minion and mused. If I can use the dragon¡¯s soul as a waypoint, then can I use this minion as a waypoint and grant me ess into Oblivion? It did take a bit of my EXP as payment. He dispelled the minion and let it return to Oblivion, then Roy tried to feel the creature, and a smile curled his lips. Knew it. Through the bond, he crossed the clouds, the stars, and the moons, and he entered an eerie ce that was ever changing. Roy felt mes and magma roiling around him.


    Compared to the bond he had with Flynn, Arvel, and Gryphon, this was a weak one. It was almost nonexistent, like the dying light of a candle. If he used Worldgate on this bond, he might end up somewhere else in Oblivion.


    The atronach took too little EXP. Which means the only way I can have a reliable waypoint in Oblivion is to get myself a stronger and greedier minion. Roy wasn¡¯t in a hurry to explore the domain of the Princes. He would put it off until he could understand On Oblivion fully.


    ***


    Roy went around the ins and caught himself a wolf who tried to attack him. He knocked it out with Axii and cut off a part of its tail, then he beheaded the wolf. Roy tossed the tail five yards away and ced the head and body together. He then held his breath and looked around in a circle that covered him and the carcass.


    He then, without chanting or making any movement, cast another spell. Two hundred Mana was taken from his reserves, and the world around him spun. The power of time stepped in, and Roy¡¯s dizziness disappeared, and his Mana was restored to its full capacity. The hands of the creator stitched the carcass up together, and the wolf returned to life, though he had no tail left.


    Once again, it pounced at the witcher, forgetting that it had died once. The witcher didn¡¯t take long to pin it down again. He looked up and saw the tail he cut off lying on the cold, hard ground alone. ¡°Everything in the Ring of Time changes depending on the stage of time I leap into. It can even reverse death, but things outside the ring aren¡¯t affected.¡± Roy mused. Hm, twenty seconds is probably not enough for Arkay or the Princes to take the deceased¡¯s soul, or the Ring of Time can only revive an empty shell.


    ¡°If I use this well, this can save my life in a lot of sticky situations.¡± Roy imagined a scene where hispanion was shot in the head during battle, and then he would cast the Ring of Life to revive them. Wait. I can use this on more than one ally. As long as they¡¯re in my ring, I can revive them. I can revive an army if they can fit in the ring. And if I¡¯m also in the ring. I can restore all my Mana too. It¡¯s a free revive. Still, the twenty-second limit and 200 Mana cost is a bit too steep. And I can only use it once a day. No, wait.


    Roy whipped out Aerondight and caressed the de. Sherry sang a hymn, and Guardian¡¯s blessing was now ced on the Ring of Time.


    ¡®Ring of Time Level (1 ¡ú 2): Costs 180 Mana. You may use this skill 2 times per day.¡¯


    I have more leeway now, and this should work on Worldgate too. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Guardian can buff abilities stemming from Elder Blood. This is more useful than I imagined. But these abilities only level up through the ingestion of Tempering Potion. Wonder if the second dose can make it stronger. Gotta see if Gruffyd¡¯s blood can help.¡±


    Roy looked at the horizon. Dawn was breaking through, and just like that, the night went by. He patted the head of the terrified wolf, and he said, ¡°You escaped with your life. Treasure it.¡± He tossed a bone to the wolf and let it run off into the wilderness. And then he thought about his friends in Skyrim as well as the court wizard. ¡°Time to say my goodbyes and get some answers.¡±

 Chapter 490: To Return Home

    Chapter 490: To Return Home


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The morning breeze came in from the mountains, brushing across the roofs of the keep, flowing into the west side of the garden, and finally, it kissed the Hall of the Dead.


    ¡°By the mercy of Arkay, may you be reborn into wealth. May you be delivered from the agony of poverty, war, and pestilence. May Sovngarde open its halls for your brave souls. May you rest in peace in the eternal kingdom.¡±


    The prayer came to an end, and the priest waved his arm, covering the mangled bodies on the stone tables with ayer of magic light. The charred remains of the soldiers were crushed by a great force. Light from the candle shone upon sorrowful and solemn faces. The bereaved went up to say their goodbyes and condolences, then they left.


    The trio called Irileth to a corner and said, ¡°Irileth, here¡¯s a thousand coins. Please, give these to the bereaved.¡±


    Irileth was surprised. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Irileth shook her head. ¡°The Jarl willpensate them adequately. They can live well enough with the coins they receive, and for a Nordling, there¡¯s no higher honor than dying in battle.¡±


    Flynn shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s what we want. We just want their families to live better lives. Please, take it.¡±


    Irileth was silent for a while, and she nodded. She then looked upon the trio more favorably. Not many could be as noble as these three in a time of chaos. ¡°Thank you for your kindness,¡± she said. ¡°As Thanes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be staying in Whiterun for a long time. Do pleasee to me should you need anything. I shall help wherever I can.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Forgot to ask,¡± Arvel said, ¡°What¡¯s a Thane, anyway?¡±


    Irileth smiled. ¡°The Jarl granted you this title as thanks for your great contribution toward the keep. The soldiers will be more lenient to you should they know you¡¯re a Thane, and Thanes have a certain degree of immunity too. They also enjoy a lot of benefits when they¡¯re in the keep. You¡¯ll understand soon. Should you need a housecarl, you may request it from the Jarl. He shall grant you someone perfectly loyal. You choose the gender.¡±


    Flynn was a little tempted. A housecarl. They¡¯re even curvier than the cksmith. ¡°It¡¯s a pity Goldeneye can¡¯t have a housecarl.¡±


    ¡°Is he going somewhere?¡± Irileth asked.


    Arvel and Flynn looked at the witcher. He risked his life to kill a dragon, and just when he gained fame and glory from it, he bade his goodbye. Just when everyone¡¯s lives were about to get more interesting, their leader wanted to leave, and the adventures woulde to a halt.


    Arvel and Flynn were more than a little mncholic, of course.


    ¡°Home,¡± said Roy. ¡°Somewhere far, far away from Skyrim and Cyrodiil. My friends, business, family,rades, and lover are there.¡±


    ¡°Will you stille back?¡± Irileth looked a little down too. She had witnessed Roy¡¯s battle prowess in that fight against the dragon. Without someone like him, it would be hard for them to fend off another dragon should ite.


    Roy smiled and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯lle back for visits, but first I need to settle some problems.¡± Roy was worried about the being who warned him after that dragon ying, and he needed to go home just toy low.


    ***


    They left the Hall of the Dead and came to the enchanting room beside the main hall in Dragonsreach. Roy wanted to know if he could still use his powers he gained in Skyrim back in the witcher world. The Shouts and Conjuration skills, to be exact. Farengar was a wizard, and people like him did extensive research on different worlds and dimensions.


    ***


    ¡°So how far is this Novigrad you speak of?¡± Farengar put the dragon bone down and arched his eyebrow. ¡°It must be really far for you to be this worried.¡±


    Roy clenched his fists. He saw no reason to hide his secret anymore, so he said, ¡°It¡¯s another world entirely.¡±


    Flynn¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Ah, no wonder you kept saying it¡¯s a faraway ce. That also exins why you can¡¯t speak Skyrim tongue or understand its culture. You¡¯re not from Tamriel, nay, you¡¯re not even a resident of this world.¡±


    Arvel said, ¡°Calm down,d. He only ran into us because an enemy of his tossed him into a portal, and he was thrown into this world.¡±


    Farengar didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. ¡°I had my suspicions. The unique enchantments your sword has is proof, but I had no concrete evidence, until yesterday, that is. The moment you summoned those tentacles, I knew you came from a different world.¡± A hint of interest red in Farengar¡¯s eyes. ¡°So your enemy tossed you into a portal, eh? Then they must be powerful Conjurers indeed. How did you cross them, anyway?¡±


    Skyrim¡¯s magic system was deep andplex. The Princes or Divines probably put a limit on things, so no regr sorcerers could open up portals. None but the strangest Conjurers could do that.


    Roy smiled bitterly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Farengar looked at the witcher. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone from a different world. Can you tell us more about your world? How does its magic differ from ours? You¡¯ve cast some sort of telepathy spell on Arvel before this, haven¡¯t you? That¡¯s why he can understand you.¡± Farengar asked him a lot of questions.


    Flynn shot Arvel a look of displeasure. Hey, why does he get to have telepathy with Goldeneye but not me? He¡¯s a thief. Wait, is it because I¡¯m stupid?


    Roy shook his head. ¡°It could take days just to answer those questions. Days I can¡¯t afford. My friends and family are in danger. I need answers.¡±


    ¡°I did promise you a favor, and I¡¯m repaying that. I think you can use your Conjuration in your world.¡± Farengar rubbed his chin. ¡°It is, after all, a branch of magic that specializes in spatial maniption and contracts. The contract is already embedded in your head. Seems rough, but all the terms and conditions are there, right down to the most minute detail. Unless you wipe it off yourself, it will always be there.¡±


    So the runes are contracts, huh?


    ¡°And Oblivion is a vast ce. So vast, words aren¡¯t enough to epass it. The Princes only live in a corner of it. Conjuration is already a branch of magic that touches crossing different nes. Tamriel and Oblivion exist on different nes of existence after all. If you can control space, distance should be no problem for your minions. You can summon the gate no matter where you are. Tamriel, another continent, even another world, it matters not. The only thing that changes is the price you have to pay.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. Elder Blood¡¯s partly awakened, and its spatial ability¡¯s changed a lot. I should be able to summon the atronach and hellhound back in the witcher world. Probably going to expend more Mana though.


    ***


    ¡°Another question. What about Thu¡¯um? Can I use it in another world as well?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Farengar looked stern. ¡°You wish to learn a Dragon Shout? Not even a Nordling can learn that easily. The Jarl¡¯s been jealous of those who can. You¡¯re someone from another world. I don¡¯t think you can do it, so you should give up.¡±


    Roy turned around and shouted at the door. He didn¡¯t take any time to store his strength, and the shout only had one-tenth of its full strength. A small shockwave sted ahead and blew the door away.


    Farengar was in awe and shock. ¡°By Mora, you¡¯re a Dragonborn as well? No. You didn¡¯t absorb any dragon soul.¡±


    ¡°His soul is powerful enough, so he learned something from the stone back in Bleak Falls Barrow,¡± Arvel said.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Farengar didn¡¯t believe thatpletely. A whileter, he licked his lips. ¡°That door¡¯s worth twenty coins. You¡¯ll be paying for that. As for your question¡­ The college hasn¡¯t done any research on this, but I can hazard a guess. First, an exnation on the magic of our world. It¡¯s split into two parts. One takes its source from Aetherius, the ne that provides us with light and souls. Souls without a sentience, of course. Aetherius is the antithesis of Oblivion and is home to beings as powerful as Daedric Princes.¡±


    Aetherius. So that¡¯s what the big hole and the small holes I see in the world of meditation in this ne is.


    ¡°Aetherius provides us with magical energy, and most sorcerers rely on that to cast spells. However, Dragon Shouts originate from the other branch of magic, and its source is the Bones of the Earth. Dragons have been done for a thousand years, and before Flynn, thest Dragonborn died a few hundred years ago. Still, the college has never stopped its research on Thu¡¯um and The Greybeards.¡±


    Farengar continued. ¡°The Bones have merged with the verynd we stand on, and it is the we live on. They have always been dormant, and yet within them, great power sleeps. Dragons can invoke that power through theirnguage, and so do Dragonborns.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Regr humans need to take on the disguise of a dragon¡¯s soul through the sheer strength of their own spirit before they can even invoke this power. You can use this power whenever you¡¯re on Nirn, of course, but this is the only ce with Bones of the Earth. You can¡¯t use a power that only exists in this world in your world. The source for that power does not exist there, understand?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I can summon the Bones through the door leading to my world?¡± Roy asked.


    Farengar shuddered and looked at the witcher like he was a fool, then he sighed. ¡°You think the Bones are lowly minions like your atronach and familiar? Not even the Daedric Princes can summon them to Oblivion even if they were to band together.¡±


    ¡°Of course they can¡¯t. Nirn is a whole.¡± Roy asked, ¡°But what if all I summon is its strength?¡±


    Farengar froze for a moment, and then sweat drenched his back. Flynn was fiddling with a soul gem, his cheeks twitching. The Dragonborn had no idea what they were talking about, and he felt a chill run down his spine. I understand and don¡¯t understand them all at once.


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll only be using the Bones¡¯ power? But who¡¯s going to lend that kind of power to you?¡±


    Roy looked at the naive Dragonborn. After they shared that dragon soul, the two of them had a deep bond, and Roy could use Flynn as a waypoint to lead him back to this world. I know one.


    ¡°This is hitherto unheard of. That¡¯s an odd¡­ no, a genius idea.¡± Excitement filled Farengar¡¯s eyes, and he rubbed his chin, circling the witcher and the Dragonborn.


    ¡°Alright, stop moving around. You¡¯re making my head spin.¡±


    Farengar paused. ¡°The fact that Goldeneye can learn Conjuration spells means that he has talent in spatial magic, and Dragonborns are born with the talent to master both martial arts and spells. Flynn must have a talent for spatial magic as well. If we use the contract the college came up with to build a bridge between you two¡­¡± Farengar pped his hand. ¡°I think it¡¯s worth a shot.¡±


    ¡°Wanna do it?¡±


    Farengar, Roy, and Arvel stared at the Dragonborn. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that kind of look. I¡¯m still single. W-What do you want?¡±


    ***


    Farengar switched into his mad scientist, or to be exact, mad wizard mode. He whipped out a ck tome and parchment drenched with magical energy, flipping through the pages, discussing with the witcher, and writing down everything his mind came up with. Before the sun was down, he came up with a contract and made two copies of it. ¡°Alright. Drop some blood on this, sign it, and tear it apart, then the contract will take effect.¡±


    Farengar stared at the witcher and Flynn with anticipation. ¡°Goldeneye will gain a rune akin to the ones you will gain from using a spellbook. Channel some magical energy into it, and the rune will be activated. You can then use one of Flynn¡¯s powers, but only the most basic, and ites with many restrictions. It¡¯s fundamentally a kind of Conjuration spell, though the thing you summon is the power of the Bones that the Dragonborn activates.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I don¡¯t get it. Flynn whipped up the contract and was about to sign it, but the witcher smacked the back of his head.


    He doesn¡¯t even know he¡¯s being used, thed. ¡°Think about this, Flynn. You sure you want to lend me your power? This contract brings you no good.¡±


    Flynn smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Goldeneye. I¡¯d have been dead in Helgen if not for you. I don¡¯t mind doing this.¡±


    He took a copy of the contract, and the two of them signed their own copies. They then dropped some blood onto the parchment and tore the contract. Right away, the parchments turned into ash and flowed into their bodies.


    Roy saw another string of numbers showing up on his Conjuration rune. Aside from his atronach and familiar, he now saw a ck dragon on it. It felt weirdly beautiful.


    ¡®Conjuration Level 2: You have learned Conjure me Atronach, Conjure Familiar, and¡­


    Conjure Shout: You have signed a contract with the Dragonborn. Through him, you can summon the strength of the Bones of the Earth. This skill costs 1 Mana at least (this skill costs 60% less mana. The further you are from the Dragonborn, the higher the Mana cost will be. This skill can only summon Unrelenting Force¡ªFus.


    This skill is activated in the same way you would use a Shout. You will expend your EXP as well.


    Cooldown: 21 minutes.¡¯


    ***


    In business terms, Flynn had an exclusive supply source, but he didn¡¯t make any profit from this, while Roy was his customer, and the Bones of the Earth were the manufacturer of that power. Roy would expend his EXP, and Flynn would use that energy to purchase some power from the Bones of the Earth and supply it to Roy so he could use a Shout. The Mana was the delivery cost for the Bones. This rune wouldn¡¯t get in the way of Flynn using his Shout.


    ***


    Roy could feel that Conjure Shout was vastly different from a real Shout. The energy woulde from the Dragonborn instead of the very earth itself in the former. After this contract was established, he could feel his bond with Flynn growing stronger. Before this, he could only vaguely sense where Flynn was, but now he could feel Flynn¡¯s status vaguely.


    Roy had a feeling if this went on, he could eventually feel what the Dragonborn was thinking. Perhaps he could use more of Flynn¡¯s power or even his items. And maybe I can summon him to my world. The moment that thought was formed, Roy felt queasy. It was a warning from the Elder Blood, and he quickly dashed that thought.


    Arvel looked at the two of them, a bit envious. Still, he was just a regr human, so he would never dare to dream about getting into an exchange with someone like Goldeneye. He wasn¡¯t worthy enough. Besides, he was already grateful for Roy¡¯s help.


    ***


    ¡°Thanks for the help, Farengar. This is alright.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re creating a miracle here. Using this world¡¯s power in another world is nothing less of a milestone.¡± Farengar looked serious, and he said hesitantly, ¡°But don¡¯t count your eggs before they hatch. Whether this works or not hinges on what happens after you return to your own world. Thews that govern our worlds are different, after all.¡±


    ¡°Still, I owe you one,¡± Roy said. At least this experiment inspired him a lot, and he realized that even Conjuration could be used extensively and creatively.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that. When youe back to Skyrim, you have to tell me how it feels using a Shout in your world. That¡¯s the only payment I¡¯m taking.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Farengar checked on the two of them to make sure he didn¡¯t miss anything.


    Roy then spent all the coins he had. He bought five lesser soul gems, and adding that to the soul gems he had, he now had five lesser, two regr, and one greater soul gem. Then he spent five hundred coins to buy an arcane enchanter. He was sure Kalkstein and Coral would be interested in this, and this could be the bargaining chip to keep the alchemist around the orphanage permanently.


    He then spent thest of his coins to buy a third Conjuration spellbook. ¡®Conjure Frost Atronach: Costs 60 Mana (Level 2 decreases the cost by 10%. Elder Blood reduces that by 50%) and 15 EXP. Summons a Frost Atronach from Oblivion to aid you in battle. The atronach can exist for 10 minutes in this ne of existence.¡¯


    ***


    Roy didn¡¯t have time to try out his new skill. He took a deep breath and checked his inventory. The herbs from Whiterun, arcane enchanter, dozens of Potions of Minor Healing and Potions of Minor Magicka, a hundred pounds of dragon blood, dragon bones, dragon tendon, soul gems¡­


    ***


    And I learned some new skills, like Dragon Shouts, Ring of Time, Worldgate¡­ This has been a fruitful journey. Time to return home.


    ***


    The trio left Dragonsreach and went to the maple tree in the garden.


    ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want to see The Greybeards, Goldeneye?¡± Flynn reluctantly gave Gwyhyr back to Roy. ¡°You can stay until you learn the whole of Unrelenting Force. We¡¯ll set off tomorrow.¡±


    Roy shook his head. Flynn hugged him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget toe back soon,rade. Perhaps I¡¯ll have a surprise for you.¡±


    ¡°And I will be waiting.¡±


    ¡°So how are you leaving? A carriage? A ship?¡±


    ¡°I have one thing left to do.¡± Roy looked at Arvel, and the honest gaze made the thief tear up.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Goldeneye. This has been the happiest time of my life. Once again, I found my reason to live. I never felt pressured or enved.¡± And he smiled bitterly. He couldn¡¯t believe he wanted Goldeneye to keep that contract. He was worried that if the contract ended, he would turn back into a regr adventurer who might die in a measly trap in an unnamed ruin. All his titles and estate would mean nothing to him, then.


    ¡°Sounds like a syndrome to me, friend.¡± Roy grinned. ¡°I promised I¡¯d give you freedom before I left. You should enjoy your life, but we¡¯re still friends, got it?¡± He hugged the two of them and patted their shoulders. Then he handed them a sack. ¡°I won¡¯t be around for a while, but you two can adventure together. This is everything I looted from the dragon. Seek out Eorlund and have him make something out of this in the Skyforge. Maybe he can make some dragon bone gear. A parting gift, if you will.¡± Roy winked. He would not leave without giving them anything, not after Flynn generously lent him his power.


    ¡°And now¡­¡± Roy snapped his fingers, producing three mugs of mead in his hands. ¡°Onest drink. To a glorious journey for the both of you.¡±


    The adventurers raised a toast, and foam flew everywhere, glinting under the sunlight. It rained down on the falling maple leaves, hovering and fluttering away into the distance, and the scent of honey filled the air.


    The adventurers downed their mead, and their cheeks turned red. This was the time tough and sing and be merry, and yet Arvel and Flynn had nothing but mncholy in their hearts. Arvel, especially, felt something was missing. That bond he shared with the witcher was gone.


    The witcher opened a ck door out of nowhere and leapt right into it. Then¡­


    He was gone. Not a trace was left, like he had never existed in this world.


    ***


    End of the Skyrim Arc

 Chapter 491 - 491: Reunion

    Chapter 491: Reunion


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The crips sound of footsteps rang across the neatly-tiled street as a beautiful woman emerged from her house in Gildorf. She was wearing a ck,cy dress, and the frills were adorned with small decorations. Her dress clung closely to her skin, showing her beautiful curves.


    A gust of sea breeze blew from the west, caressing her fiery-red hair, and her hair brushed across her perfect, albeit listless face. Elegantly and quickly, she walked, the pearl ne and obsidian talisman she wore glimmering under the sun. The merchants, florists, and even the pedestrians stared at her with admiration in their eyes, but she paid them no heed as she walked across the bustling street, a frown furrowing her eyebrows.


    Her eyes were vacant, bereft of any emotion, and she had the air of a person so lonely, this world could walk ahead, and she would be left behind. She was a stark contrast to the street around her that was brimming with life. The woman went north, where the bridge leading to the Temple Isle was.


    The bridge had the perfect scenery. Anyone who came here could see the beautiful houses in the trade district and the resplendent temple standing atop the ind. Beneath them was the boundless sea, where ships sailed. The sun hung over the horizon, burning the skies with red hot mes.


    However, there were a few beggars lying around the bridge. Bem¡¯s men would only beg in remote corners. They would never step into the heart of the city, or the guards of Eternal Fire would give them a beating. But today, there were people kneeling around the bridge. The old, the children, and the women, all begging for money. All were gaunt, like they hadn¡¯t eaten in days.


    ¡°Please, have mercy, good sir! Fairdy, please!¡± A woman with a mud-caked face banged her head against the ground, her tattered clothes shivering along with her. A red mark appeared on her head, and blood started to trickle. Her voice was weak, like she would die at any given moment. ¡°Please, we just need some coins to eat. We¡¯ll starve to death!¡±


    The look on Coral¡¯s face did not change, and the woman shouted with what little was left of her strength, ¡°The Nilfgaardian bastards invaded our kingdom, took our houses and coins away, and killed our family! Please, help us. Freya, Eternal Fire, please, have mercy on us poor Cintrans.¡±


    The woman took a deep breath, and sadness shed in her eyes. She then clutched her chest. The man she loved went missing after that battle, and his whereabouts were still unknown. She didn¡¯t stop walking, but the woman brushed her hand across the air, and the pearl ne she wore gleamed with magic.


    To the beggars¡¯ disbelief, a few crowns suddenly appeared before them, and delight overtook their hearts.


    ¡°Praise the Eternal Fire!¡±


    ¡°Praise be to Freya!¡±


    The beggars picked up the coins and rushed into the slums to purchase their food. The nd ¡®food¡¯ given by the church could barely fill their bellies up.


    ***


    The woman stood outside the temple for a while. Everywhere she looked, be it the pirs, the fountain, or even the za, tents took up every inch of thend, and within it were the refugees from a war-torn Cintra.


    At the suggestion of Chappelle and Gawain, Novigrad and the northern kingdoms generously took in some of the refugees, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Most of the Cintrans were still roaming thend, surviving the elements and living without a ce they could call home.


    ***


    The woman came to a hidden cave behind a weed-filled path. She stood before the innermost wall and waved her hand. The wall disappeared like a mirage, revealing another path with crackling braziers nking its sides. She went into it and dispelled all illusions and traps. Halfway through, she came to a dry fountain and patted the gargoyle like it was her pet, then she stepped into ab.


    Lights illuminated every corner of thisboratory that was big enough to house a hundred people. Theb was split into three differentpartments, each for a distinct use. One was for everyday life, one was for experiments, and thest was for item storage. Theb was filled with all kinds of containers, beakers, a big oven, and one operating theater.


    The woman looked at the two residents in theb. One was a man with a balding head. He had a mousy face, and his goatee was clumped up and tied together. The man¡¯s extraordinarily small eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles hung heavy under them. He was now smacking the back of his head, looking frustrated.


    Standing beside him was a woman with maroon hair tied behind her head, and her blue eyes were filled with confusion.


    ¡°Triss, Kalkstein,¡± said Lytta nervously like she was a patient waiting for the doctor¡¯s checkup results. ¡°Any progress?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Coral.¡± Triss hung her head low and tugged on the hem of her clothing. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything. Everything that happened in the castle was a blur. I remember a few cloaked men surrounding Roy, and then¡­ nothing. They fought, but I don¡¯t remember what they talked about. It¡¯s like my memory was deleted.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Lytta. Her memory loss is more than what it seems.¡± Kalkstein pinched his beard. ¡°This is nothing like a hypnotic suggestion. She was fed a special kind of drug that exacerbated her condition. It¡¯s not possible for her to regain her memory anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°But can Roy afford to wait?¡± Lytta leaned back on a bench, looking defeated, and she held the hem of her dress tightly. ¡°It¡¯s been two months. We have no clues, and the research yields nothing.¡± Lytta held onto hope in the beginning, then she was hysterical, and then she started losing hope, and now despair was starting to set in. ¡°If he¡¯s still alive, he could¡¯ve told Gryphon to give us the news. No divination would work on him. Gawain and Chappelle sent their men to look for him, but they found nothing!¡± she roared. ¡°Why isn¡¯t heing back? He knows there¡¯s a lot of people waiting for him! Worried for him!¡±


    Triss trembled, and she pursed her lips, a hint of fear shing in her eyes. She then shook her head and approached Lytta, then she held Lytta¡¯s hand and stared into her listless eyes. ¡°He¡¯s alive somewhere, trust me.¡±


    Being with Lytta these days had changed Triss a little. She was afraid of the aloof, irascible, and hostile sorceress at first, but now she acknowledged and pitied the sorceress a little. Lytta¡¯s longing for Roy exceeded Triss¡¯ expectations. She wouldn¡¯t go a moment without thinking about it, unlike her colleague, who would change partners every two weeks.


    Compared to her, Triss¡¯ infatuation that stemmed from gratitude and her¡­ needs was childish. She was a woman, and she knew women. Slowly but surely, she found a way to get along with Lytta. As long as she didn¡¯t show too much concern toward Roy, things would be fine. ¡°If they really wanted to get rid of Roy, they could¡¯ve killed me instead of getting rid of my memory. This must mean they want something from Roy, and they don¡¯t want to risk a falling out just yet. Roy must have his reasons to stay out of contact.¡±


    Lytta was silent for a moment. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°Ladies, you shouldn¡¯t worry so much for ad. Men are nothingpared to the vast sea of knowledge and experiments,¡± Kalkstein bbered. ¡°Magic is what we sorcerers should strive for. Love and thrills are nothing but small excitements in our lives. Just when you two are finally acting like professionals too. You should keep it up and leap into the sea of experiments with me.¡±


    Thedies shot the alchemist looks of disdain.


    ¡°Do not give me that look. Being single is not a crime.¡± Kalkstein was angry at first, then he chuckled. ¡°Fine, I was kidding. Of course he¡¯s worth your time. He¡¯s young and filled with energy. I do not think he¡¯ll leave his lovely lover behind. He¡¯sing back soon, you¡¯ll see,¡± the alchemist guessed. ¡°And perhaps he brings gifts.¡±


    Thedies calmed down a bit.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s not just talk about Roy. What about the kids?¡± The alchemist asked with anticipation, ¡°Did they show any difort?¡±


    A hint of light red in Lytta¡¯s eyes. ¡°They¡¯re healthy. The Trials went well. The modified version of the Trials is much safer than the traditional version, but the downside is that the mutation¡¯s effect is about twenty to thirty percent weaker than the regr Trial. The new witcher apprentices are all slightly weaker than Carl.¡±


    The trio did their best. After all, the original recipe was the culmination of a hundred years of work done between dozens of sorcerers. They had only been working on it for a year, so the improvements were still small. If they wanted safety, they must sacrifice efficacy.


    ¡°The fact that the children passed the Trial without a hitch is the biggest breakthrough of all. Those idiot men were looking at us like we were gods.¡±


    Kalkstein plucked a strand of hair out of his already thin hair. Why do they drag me into that crowd?


    ¡°There are more than sixteen witchers who have passed the Trial. Letho, Lambert, and Coen have gone through their second mutation, and that¡¯s a miracle. If Roy saw that¡­¡±


    Kalkstein quickly changed the subject. ¡°He¡¯s going to reward you.¡± Hearing that name made him queasy. ¡°You mentioned Coen? He said he¡¯d join the battle of Sodden Hill? So he survived?¡±


    After Nilfgaard took over Cintra, the knight of the organization was already incensed. When he saw how the Southerners crossed Yaruga and tried to invade Sodden and killed innocents along the way, no longer could he sit still. In his naivete, he wanted to join the army in Vizima and battle the invaders. Perhaps he too wanted to search for clues of End on the battlefield. It took the collective effort of all the witchers to persuade him to take Acamuthorm as his student before he would quash the idea of joining the army. Coen wasn¡¯t Roy after all, and he could never escape the battlefield that easily.


    ¡°It was fortunate he didn¡¯t go.¡± Triss shuddered at the mention of that battle. ¡°Or he might never havee back.¡±


    One month ago, the shocking Battle of Sodden Hill broke out just like Roy had predicted, though five months earlier than he said. After Nilfgaard took over Cintra, they quickly defeated the allied army on Yaruga¡¯s south coast and conquered Upper Sodden.


    Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, Aedirn, and most northern kingdoms quickly came together and formed an alliance, battling the southern army at Sodden Hill before they could cross. This was the most violent war over thest one hundred years. More than a hundred thousand soldiers were involved.


    The armies fought over the span of days, covering the hill with mountains of corpses, and the surroundingnd became scorched earth.


    ¡°Honestly, I have Roy to thank for this.¡± Triss held her hair, looking glum. ¡°I only managed to escape because he told me not to go, or I would have died like the other sorcerers.¡± He saved me twice, and I couldn¡¯t even help him once.


    ¡°He told me not to go as well. I took a two-year leave from Aretuza and the brotherhood for that, and I escaped the war.¡± Lytta smiled. ¡°We were the casualties he predicted.¡± There was excitement in her voice.


    ¡°But only eight sorcerers died instead of fourteen. Four more escaped their fate.¡±


    The battle took a great toll on the alliance. Rumors said that the blood that flowed from the hill dyed the river crimson for two months. While the armies were fighting, groups of sorcerers jumped in and duked it out on the hill. However, five of the Nilfgaardian sorcerers were killed in Marnadal. They were outnumbered, and their fate was already sealed when they came to battle.


    In the end, the northern kingdoms¡¯ brotherhood suffered eight deaths, and the people of the north named their resting ce as Hill of the Eight. Nilfgaard sustained sixteen sorcerer deaths. The victory of the north wrested the triumph of the war from the hands of fate. The Nilfgaardians left the bodies of their fallenrades behind and retreated to Yaruga¡¯s south coast.


    ***


    Since both sides had sustained heavy losses, the war came to a halt. Only small groups were roaming the range from Upper Sodden to Cintra, but they could do no harm.


    ¡°The South won¡¯t attack for a while now.¡± Coral looked rxed. ¡°They might sign a truce not long after this.¡±


    Triss was d, and she heaved a sigh, a hint of guilt filling her heart. Her home was invaded, and yet she was trapped in Novigrad, trying to revive her memories and find out where Roy had gone to. Thanks to that, she escaped the war, but she had also betrayed her job as a royal consultant. For some reason, she never contacted the brotherhood or Vizima¡¯s royal council. Foltest, Keira, and Fercart probably thought she had died in Cintra, and Triss had no idea how to exin things to them.


    ***


    ¡°Wait, since I came out of this whole ordeal alive¡­¡± Coral twirled her hair, and she mused. ¡°I can end my ¡®experiment¡¯ soon and return to the brotherhood, then I can ask them to help me find Roy.¡±


    ¡°I do not think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Kalkstein swirled a tube filled with green liquid, and bubbles formed on the surface. ¡°The one who took him away might just be part of the brotherhood. You don¡¯t want to alert them to anything and expose the whole orphanage.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that? Who do you think would do that?¡± Coral looked at him coldly.


    ¡°Vilgefortz of Roggeveen. If we want to base our suspicions on power levels and tactics alone, he¡¯s the prime suspect. He could have taken thed without anyone knowing.¡±


    Coral looked at the alchemist. ¡°Roy and Vilgefortz had never met. There¡¯s no possible reason for him to do this, even though he is standing out a lottely.¡±


    Vilgefortz was a powerful sorcerer in the north. Young, handsome, talented, powerful, and had mastery over a multitude of powerful spells. He was one of the members managing the brotherhood. He was the one to suggest the formation of a support team and led the sorcerers to victory against Nilfgaard¡¯s spellcasters.


    After that battle, his name was known throughout the north, making him the one who gained the most out of this war. Still, he did risk his life for this, and Coral didn¡¯t think he would kidnap Roy.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t ask for their help, it¡¯ll be hard to find him.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Give it a month. Trust him. He alwayses through, doesn¡¯t he? He predicted the war, and he might¡¯ve predicted his disappearance as well,¡± Kalkstein said. ¡°Two months isn¡¯t too long, and stop worrying about him. You keep worrying and you¡¯ll get old soon. Just think about happy things and watch over the kids. And the nts. Protect his home.¡±


    Lytta held the pearl ne hanging from her neck. That was the first gift he gave her.


    Kalkstein smiled and handed Triss another bottle of that green liquid. ¡°Drink this and see if you can remember more.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ***


    Time went by, and soon it was night. A meteor darted through the skies of Novigrad, lighting up the darkening sky for a moment. Lytta was on her way back home, and she closed her eyes, holding her hands close to her chest, then she muttered something to the meteor. Please, let hime back safe and sound. I will take any punishment for him. No, I¡¯ll sacrifice a hundred years of my life for him. She heaved a sigh, and the sigh trickled into silence.


    The sorceress was not one to trust in superstitions like this. Only ignorant children would do that, but Roy¡¯s prolonged disappearance had pushed her to the brink of desperation. She then trudged back home and walked up the stairs.


    She pped her hands, and the magicalmp hanging overhead lit up, shining on a spacious and luxurious living space. The dressing table was filled with all kinds of makeup products, the cab was huge, there was a storage chest lying around, and her purple bed had a feather nket covering it, while curtains surrounded it.


    The sorceress kicked her heels off and strode ahead, then she sank into her bed, burying her nose into her neatly-folded nket. Suddenly, she turned around, her eyes sparkling. Then she ced her hands against her nose. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m tasting his scent.¡± It¡¯s been two months since he left. There¡¯s no way this is happening. No matter how much I miss him, I can¡¯t be hallucinating. ¡°Perhaps Kalkstein¡¯s right. I should calm down a little.¡±


    But the more she told herself that, the more she turned around and rolled on her bed, trying to calm herself down. But suddenly, she stared at the ceiling, and her eyes went wide, then her face fell. ¡°Wait a minute. I didn¡¯t fold my nket before I left!¡±


    ¡°Reset.¡± A sigh came from underneath her bed.


    Lytta quickly attacked her bed, smashing it into pieces. And then a surge of magic draped over the room.


    Time started to rewind, the countless feathers picked up by the invisible hands of time, reassembling them into a perfect nket. Things went back to how they were before, and silence fell upon the room, as if that st earlier was just a dream.


    Confusion shed in Coral¡¯s eyes. She knew something was off, but she couldn¡¯t remember what it was. But then, a familiar smell caught her attention. She sniffed the air and chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m tasting his scent.¡± It¡¯s been two months since he left. There¡¯s no way this is happening.


    Unlikest time, she heard the mewls of a cating from outside. Lytta walked over barefoot, and a fat orange cat was sitting beside the pots of blossoming purple roses on the windowsill, meowing at her.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s spring, but you¡¯re still barely a grown cat. Do you know what that urge is like?¡± Lytta could never resist anything cute. The mncholy in her heart was healed a little, and she picked the cat up, but then she noticed something. The cat was hiding a letter underneath its belly. And a rose too.


    The cat broke free of her hold and leapt down to the windowsill, swaying its tail. It pointed at the letter with its paw, telling her to continue.


    Lytta looked into the night sky, the stars suddenly brightening up, and it lit up her cold, dark heart. Her eyshes fluttered, and with trembling hands, she picked up the rose and letter.


    I failed to say goodbye


    But as I turn around, I wipe away the tears


    Streaming down your cheeks


    The handwriting wasn¡¯t beautiful, but it was touchingly familiar.


    As fate pulled me away


    On my fingers I count


    The days remaining until my return


    Two months went by


    Only two


    Yet my heart flutters


    My mind snaps


    As it tries to remember


    To recall what it has forgotten


    To remember the thing it is missing.


    Tears glistened in the sorceress¡¯ eyes. She felt someoneing up to her, and like a drunken woman, she fell into his embrace. It was warm. If this is a dream, please let me stay here for a while longer.


    The voice she had missed so much whispered, ¡°Even in another world, I yearned for but one wish. To stand here with you, in my embrace.¡±


    She felt someone wrapping his arms around her hips, and his lips kissed her neck, his breath traveling down her nape. A gust of wind blew into her room, and her hair brushed against the man¡¯s face.


    She turned around, and she saw the face of the very man she had been yearning to see once more. It was a little different, but her heart fluttered all the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Coral.¡± Roy smiled at her gently and picked her up in his arms.


    <center>Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you very much!</center>

 Chapter 492 - 492: Gathering

    Chapter 492: Gathering


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The light of dawn shone upon the petite houses of the orphanage. Letho held up the bottle of white liquid under the light, peering into it. ¡°Vicki¡¯s almost as good as a regr potioneer now.¡± He patted the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Teach these idiots in my ce. I have somewhere to be.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Letho. Leave it to me.¡± The girl thumped her chest, and a sweet smile curled her lips. Vicki was already able to concoct more than a few dozen potions by herself. She interned at the potion shop in Novigrad many times, and Kanti praised her.


    Renee tied her hair up in pigtails that day, and she harrumphed. ¡°Hmph!¡± She grinned and looked away. ¡°I want a headpat too, Mr. Letho.¡±


    Letho put his hand against her forehead. Just when she was closing her eyes to enjoy the pat, Letho flicked her forehead. Renee gasped and puckered her lips, trying her best to put on a puppy pout. But Letho was unfazed.


    Conrad tugged on the hem of Letho¡¯s shirt nervously. ¡°Where are you going, Mr. Letho?¡±


    ¡°Ask more relevant questions, boy. Now go back to practice.¡±


    ***


    Letho straightened his shirt, took a deep breath, and left the workshop. Over thest six months, the workshop had been renovated, and the walls were painted blue. The facilities inside had an overhaul too. It now looked more like a properb, and that was more than enough for the apprentices.


    At the same time, Eskel put his book down and left the ss. Vesemir took off his apron and handed his hammer to three muscr boys. Auckes and Serrit, who were in the field, handed the hoes and bows and arrows to three boys with soil-caked faces. Kiyan came back from the botanical garden in the woods, looking lively. Lambert, Aiden, and Felix left the apprentice witchers at the training field.


    The witchers left their posts and came to the fence wall behind the yard. There, the beautiful Coral, Triss, and the alchemist were waiting.


    The sounds of recitaling from the ssroom slowed to a whisper, and the boys were starting to ck off on their training. ¡°Hey, Carl. Where are they going? Seems serious.¡± Monti stared at the people in the backyard, his eyes brimming with anticipation. ¡°We passed the Trial, and I¡¯ve killed more than fourteen drowners.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen for me.¡±


    ¡°Thirteen here.¡±


    ¡°A hundred and twenty for me.¡± Carl sighed.


    ¡°Um, doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is we¡¯re more capable than most adults, so why aren¡¯t they taking us along for the mission?¡± Charname grumbled, his pupils contracting.


    Lloyd rubbed his head, his green eyes filled with determination. ¡°Obviously they¡¯re doing it for our own good. We just passed the Trial, and we need time to calm down. There¡¯s a long road ahead of us. We¡¯re going to have to work for their approval.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. You haven¡¯t even taken the pre-Trial yet. This isn¡¯t some conversation you can overhear.¡± Acamuthorm lectured them sternly, ¡°Now put your backs into it! You¡¯re weak! And run faster!¡±


    ¡°What? We¡¯re all running as fast as we can. He¡¯s not going on the drowner hunt next time!¡±


    The newbies trying to listen in looked horrified, and they quickly went back to training.


    ***


    ¡°Why the sudden summon, Lytta? There are two months left before the pale widowys more eggs. Not enough for a second mutation.¡± Lambert put his hands on his hips and sized up the sorceress sharply, his buttons shining under the sun. ¡°Did Triss remember something?¡±


    The witchers looked at the freckled and confused Triss, hoping she would have answers.


    ¡°Sorry, but I still can¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    Lytta looked at the witchers grimly. ¡°I found something important at the Valley of the Nine, and I think we should see it together.¡±


    ¡°How important is it? You summoned all of us here.¡± Auckes looked at the sorceress in the crimson dress, and he asked, ¡°You can¡¯t be tricking us, can you?¡±


    Lambert noticed something different about Lytta. ¡°Why¡¯d you change your clothes, Lytta?¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°You¡¯ve been wearing a ck dress for thest two months like a widow. What made you change your outfit?¡± He looked at her and noticed there was a slight blush on her cheeks. It was different from what she used to be like. ¡°And you look a lot better now. Did you bathe before you came?¡±


    ¡°Shut it. I¡¯m not a widow. You¡¯ll get your answer when we get to the valley.¡± An angry Lytta waved her hand, and Lambert clutched his throat, his eyes bulging, but he couldn¡¯t say a word.


    The three sorcerers waved their hands at the same time, and the talismans on their necks shone brightly with magic. They then extended their arms, and three portals appeared in the air, winds howling around them. The sorcerers stepped into the portal, while the witchers winced, but eventually, they too leapt into the portals.


    ***


    The underwaterb in the Valley of the Nine was brightly illuminated by the braziers in the corners and the multitude of torches hanging on the pirs. It was a quiet ce in a certain marsh in Toussaint, and suddenly, winds howled in the lobby, then thirteen silhouettes leapt out of the portals.


    Most of the witchers were breathing heavily, their chests heaving, and their faces pale. It looked like they had just gone through an intense battle.


    ¡°Now can you tell us why you took us here, Lytta Neyd?¡± Lambert asked. ¡°Why¡¯d you put us through that much torture? Something valuable must be here.¡±


    The sorceress looked at the witchers, and she crossed her arms, a smile curling her lips. She had never smiled once over thest two months. Every second was torture for her, yet now she smiled, and the witchers could think of only one reason for that.


    ¡°Roy?¡± Letho spoke with a trembling voice, and he looked past the sorceress¡¯ shoulder. Sounds of firm footsteps came from behind the wall near the abode of the pale widow, and a silhouette strode out of the shadows.


    The light of the mes shone upon a slender man in steel armor with a pair of swords strapped to his back. His hair was slick, and one of his eyes was dark gold, while the other was silver-grey. A few red marks were imprinted on his cheeks, and a smile hung on his lips. ¡°Morning.¡± Roy opened his arms and looked at hispanions eagerly. With a trembling voice, he announced, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    An eerie silence fell upon theb. Everyone held their breaths, and their faces fell. Light shone in their eyes like they were wolves eyeing their prey.


    ¡°Kid!¡±


    ¡°You brat!¡± Letho crouched and charged ahead like a beast, and he swung a st of Aard ahead. The air exploded, but Roy rolled away, barely dodging it. However, he alone was no match for the group of witchers.


    Nearly everyone stepped ahead, including Vesemir himself, and they surrounded the young witcher. The air was filled with the ngs and bangs of metals and punches. Eventually, Auckes, Lambert, Letho, Felix, and Serrit took off Roy¡¯s armor and held him by his limbs and head, then they held him up in the air.


    Roy was wearing nothing but a silk shirt and short pants underneath, and he was iling around like a duck. Coen, Felix, and Aidenughed in relief.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how much we¡¯ve worried about you?¡± Serrit angrily smacked Roy¡¯s rear.


    Roy winced, but he didn¡¯t fight back. It was a weing party, even if it was a little bizarre.


    ¡°You little pervert.¡± Letho¡¯s eyes glinted coldly, and he pressed his fist against Roy¡¯s cheek, caving it in. ¡°You went to her first instead of us? What are we, chopped liver?¡±


    Kalkstein smirked and pinched his cheek, watching the show. Triss felt conflicted. She covered her mouth in surprise at first, but when she looked at Lytta and Roy, the light in her eyes dimmed a little. Lytta was the one Roy wanted to see the most. He cared about her the most.


    ¡°Look at him.¡± Lambert pinched Roy¡¯s cheek and chest. ¡°He¡¯s all fine and dandy, except for¡­ the ws and bites. Of a certain woman. And you¡¯re a lot stronger than you were two months ago. No wonder Lytta looks so refreshed. You¡¯ve been living a good life, huh?¡±


    ¡°You too, mate. You went to the Spear¡¯s Pit twice a week,¡± Aiden interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ve been living well too.¡±


    Lambert smiled awkwardly and pulled his hand back.


    ¡°And I thought you went missing. Have you been watching us from the shadows?¡± Auckes asked sternly, looking at Roy sharply. ¡°You never even showed up. We were worried sick, you little pervert.¡±


    ¡°Gentler!¡± Roy was happy, but he was also in pain. ¡°Put me down. I¡¯ll exin myself.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast. You have to be punished.¡± The witchers exchanged a look, and Lambert did the motion of slitting his throat with his hand.


    Then the witchers mmed Roy against the pirs and ground into him repeatedly, until Lytta said, ¡°Enough!¡± She waved her hand, and theb was covered in the light of magic.


    The witchers let Roy go, and he fell, but before he hit the ground, he held himself up a little, then a gentle magic pushed him toward Coral.


    ¡°That is enough.¡± Lytta held Roy¡¯s arm and dusted his pants off.


    Roy could feel his arm sinking into her chest, and he smiled stiffly. His whole body was starting to hurt again. She hasn¡¯t had enough after a whole night?


    ¡°What? We haven¡¯t done anything to him yet.¡± Lambert cocked his eyebrow, a little frustrated, then he slicked his hair back. ¡°Fine. For Lytta¡¯s sake, we¡¯ll let you off the hook this time. Now tell us where you¡¯ve been these two months, and why didn¡¯t you make a grand entrance?¡±


    Roy changed into his armor and straightened out his cor, then he looked at everyone sincerely. ¡°This might be unbelievable, but I was somewhere millions and millions of miles away from Novigrad.¡±


    ¡°How far are we talking?¡±


    ¡°Another world. A called Nirn, a ce called Tamriel. I was in Skyrim, and there was a keep called Whiterun¡­¡±


    The witchers red at Roy and cracked their fists.


    ¡°Let me exin.¡±


    Auckes shook his head, apparently not believing Roy. ¡°Nirn? Tamriel? Is that a joke you came up with? You don¡¯t have to. As long as you¡¯re back in one piece, that¡¯s all we hoped for.¡±


    ¡°I am serious.¡± Roy looked around and took a deep breath, then he said, ¡°You¡¯ve all lived for nearly a hundred years, so you must have heard about the existence of other worlds and universes.¡±


    Triss pursed her lips, displeased. I¡¯m not even fifty yet. And Lytta tightened her grip on Roy.


    To convince everyone, Roy used this world¡¯s history to illustrate his story, ¡°Fifteen hundred years ago, gigantic celestial bodies appeared in the skies of this world, and countless worlds merged with one another for a while. The creatures from all those worlds came into our world through the passage created by that conjunction. Vampires, banshees, nekkers, and even humans. This proves that there are other worlds that exist out there.¡±


    ¡°That is possible.¡± Serrit calmed down a little, but everyone was still doubtful.


    ¡°I have proof.¡± Roy opened his hand, and lying in his palm was a big item that looked like a thick rope.


    ¡°Is that a toe?¡± Kalkstein took the item and stared at it with great interest. ¡°This is a few times bigger than any human¡¯s toe. The creature must¡¯ve been at least thirteen-feet tall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Old Speartip¡¯s toe, isn¡¯t it? The one we killed in Kaer Morhen.¡± Letho shook his head. ¡°The kid has a lot ofponents lying around. This can¡¯t fool us.¡±


    ¡°No. This toe does not belong to an ogroid. The bone feels different from the one in Oxenfurt Academy,¡± said the alchemist. ¡°Thises from another type of creature.¡±


    Everyone looked at Roy.

 Chapter 493: Paring Things Down

    Roy waved his arm over the empty workstation before him, and five herbs appeared. "See if you can recognize these herbs."


    Letho, Kiyan, and the sorcerers picked one herb each and tried to find out what kind of herbs these were. They observed them closely and smelled them, and five minutester, they froze.


    "And I thought I knew every single type of herb out there." Kalkstein held the blue herb tightly. "But not even I recognize this, which means¡­"


    "That''s deathbell, and it''s poisonous, so be careful." Roy looked at the rest of the herbs. "Nirnroot, blisterwort, bleeding crown, and bloodthorn vine. They''re all Whiterun''s herbs."


    "I need to research this." Kalkstein was starting to spasm like he had an episode of fits, and an almost manic grin cracked out on his face. "This is something from another world, and its properties must be vastly different. This means newbinations. New potions. We can create something truly unique to thisnd!"


    Letho and Kiyan were starting to breathe heavily too. Anyone who loved alchemy or nts would be greatly interested in new herbs. Remembering something, a sweet smile curled Kiyan''s lips. "Evelyn will be interested in this."


    "Slow down, people," Roy said. "That''s not just it. I have more to spill."


    "You have more of these?" Kalkstein was shocked.


    Triss, however, was thinking about something else, and she looked at Lytta with a bit of envy. "So you knew he came back from another world?"


    "Of course." Lytta nodded, her hair dancing on her shoulders, and a smug smile curled her lips. "He told me <em>everything </emst night, or I wouldn''t have let hime."


    Triss took a deep breath and stared down, holding her talisman sadly.


    ***


    "Fine, we buy that story," Coen said. "But how''d you manage to get into another world?"


    "It happened in Cintra''s castle, didn''t it?" Felix''s eyes glinted. "Triss remembered a few men attacking you. They were the ones who sent you to¡­ Tamriel?"


    Roy looked at Triss. <em>She looks fine. </em>And he nodded. Noticing the look from him, Triss smiled. "For some reason, they only erased my memories instead of killing me." There was bitterness behind that smile.


    Roy fell into silence for a while, then he said, "No need to remember it anymore. I''ll fill in the gaps. Triss and I were searching for Ciri in the castle when four men came to stop us. And¡­" Roy was starting to hesitate, like he didn''t want to talk about that memory.


    Coral quickly held his hand,forting him.


    "And they''re incredibly famous people," Roy said grimly, like he was angry. "And I''m sure you''ve heard of them. All of you. I was worried they might attack the orphanage, so I called a meeting here. They still do not know I have returned. I was fortunate enough to enlist the help of a powerful sorcerer in Skyrim. Thanks to his spatial magic, I managed toe home."


    That was a lie. Roy came back home all by himself, but the Worldgate was something rted to the Elder Blood, and that was aplex matter he didn''t want to tell anyone just yet.


    ***


    "It''s not like you to hesitate, kid." Letho patted Roy''s shoulder and encouraged, "You killed the projection of an evil god in Vizima and faced off the legendary devil in La Valette''snd. You shouldn''t be so wary."


    Auckes frowned andined, "You promised you''d never keep secrets from us. You promised you''d never face any danger alone, so what''s with the holdup? You want to break that promise?"


    "No, I''m just trying to figure out how to exin this." Roy took a deep breath and looked at the witchers who were filled with anticipation. "The people who attacked me were End, Ivar Evil-Eye, Elgar, and Arnaghad."


    An eerie silence fell upon them. The witchers'' smiles froze, and they clenched their fists. They couldn''t speak, as if they were grabbed by their throats. The only sound was the beating of their hearts.


    A long timeter, suspicion red in Serrit''s eyes, and he staread at Roy, hoping the young witcher would show a hint of nervousness. "Ivar? But that''s impossible." Yet there was only determination in his eyes.


    "Elgar¡­ That''s a familiar name, though one I haven''t heard in years." Vesemir closed his eyes, and a conflicted look rose on his face. There was shock, but also relief. "The diagram we found in Kaer Morhen was derived from the gear he left us. I have met Arnaghad once a few hundred years ago. He''s the founder of the Bear School. A burly man with eyes devoid of any emotion."


    "Ivar Evil-Eye defected from the Bear School and founded the Viper School in Gorthur Gvaed." There was respect in Letho''s eyes. "A few decades ago, he told Kolgrim to search for the school''s diagrams and promptly disappeared. Berengar said he was sighted in Aedirn once."


    "After Kaer Seren''s destruction under that avnche, End left Liber Tenebrarum at the ruins, and then he started roaming this world alone," Coen said. "He met with Jerome during the battle of Marnadal once."


    "All the first generation witchers have gone missing, as far as I know," Serrit said. "They''re incredible fighters, no doubt about that. After all, they had gone through a Trial far deadlier and more painful than the one we went through. But why''d they gather in one ce? And how can Ivar and Arnaghad get along? They''re enemies. And if he''s alive, why didn''t theye back to us?"


    "Simple." Letho mmed his hand on the table, looking around confidently. "When he showed up at Marnadal and met up with Jerome, we guessed that someone or something was controlling him, and we posited that the other grandmasters from every other school might be under control too. And now the kid''s testament proves that our guess is right."


    Everyone froze. They could see a big puzzle being assembled piece by piece, and a grand answer was starting to show up, prompting them to chase after it.


    ***


    "But what''s their reason for doing this?" Kiyan couldn''t understand. "They showed up on the battlefield in Marnadal and attacked Roy in the castle of Cintra? What kind of entity could be powerful enough to control them?"


    "Letho got one thing wrong." Roy shook his head and added, "The grandmasters were never under something¡¯s control, and they confessed that. They willingly joined a secret organization, and the reason they showed up at the battlefield was because of the souls of the dead. And they attacked me because they thought I inadvertently took a divine artifact away."


    Roy was reminded of what they call the shard of the Most High. He didn''t care where it came from, but it belonged to him and was bound to his soul. No one could take it from him.


    "They worked together and leapt into warzones just to collect souls for some organization?" Auckes blurted, then he curled up a little. It felt like a gust of wind just blew down his neck, and he muttered, "Sounds evil, but that doesn''t seem like something Ivar would do. What''s his end goal?"


    "No idea," Roy said. "They thought I was in the way of their goal, so they did something to kick me into another world." Roy had been in the middle of reviving, so he didn''t see exactly how the grandmasters sent him away.


    There was a hint of pity rising in everyone''s eyes. Exile was worse than death in some cases, and they thought Roy must''ve gone through something bad.


    "A spell of exile?" Triss frowned. "Sounds like goetia, and the brotherhood has forbidden that."


    "Perhaps they used some tool to do that," Coen said. "We found a bottle in a fortress in Amell that used to house a djinn. If djinns can predict wars, they can exile people too, can''t they?"


    ***


    "They told you that much?" Felix cocked his eyebrow. "If I were them, I''d have killed you right away."


    "Ivar was polite at first. He wanted to negotiate." Roy heaved a sigh. "So was Elgar and End. They held themselves back."


    Letho, Auckes, and Serrit heaved a sigh of relief. If Ivar, the celebrated witcher who swore to chase the Wild Hunt away and bring peace to the world, became a monster that ughtered innocents, it would be a hard reality to face.


    "But Arnaghad went for the kill right away." Roy could still remember how it felt to have his body sliced open, and how death descended on him. He didn''t care what Arnaghad was, and he would make him pay for that.


    "I''ve heard rumors about the Bears being cold-blooded, heartless bastards." Lambert shook his head. "I am not surprised Arnaghad did that, but don''t you worry. We''ll avenge you. The grandmasters are nothing but relics of the past. They should''ve been buried in the annals of history. Now that he''s attacked you, we have reason to cut him down."


    "He''s right." Auckes said. "He''s our enemy."


    Coen said, "Are you sure that''s the right decision to make right away? You want to antagonize the grandmasters and the organization they work with?"


    And the witchers fell silent.


    "We should try to get in touch with them," Aiden suggested, his scar glinting for a bit. "We''ll pretend we don''t know Roy and see what they''re up to. Find out if they''ll be a threat to us and the orphanage."


    "First, you''ll have to track them down, and then?" Felix shook his head and scoffed. "Make them realize what they did was wrong and apologize to Roy? You think that''s going to happen? The moment they attacked Roy, they became our enemies," he said coldly, but Roy thought it was sweet. "They will not escape us."


    "We need toe up with a n to deal with them." Roy looked at the sorcerers and added, "And they have a powerful sorcerer with them. His name is Idarran. Anyone know him? Who is he? I remember him using a double cross to summon mutated insects."


    Idarran was the one who interrupted the casting of the portal, plunging Roy and Triss into imminent danger.


    Coral mused over the question. Something clicked for Triss, and she went red with excitement. "Idarran of Ulivo! I''ve read about him. He''s an expert in crossbreeding, mutation, and gics. He has created numerous terrifying creatures, including cross breeds of insects and amphibians and gigantified monsters."


    "Remember this, people?" Coen whipped out a dark-gold dog tag. "We killed a mutated insect in Haern Caduch and found this buried in its flesh."


    Triss took the dog tag and observed it closely. "He likes to leave dog tags within the creatures he creates."


    "So you mean this guy gathered the grandmasters?" Eskel asked.


    Roy thought back to the time he met Idarran. <em>He''s a dark guy. </em>"He''s not that impressive from what I''ve seen. And he has this despicable feeling about him. Doesn''t look that lovable either. I don''t think he''d be able to convince the grandmasters to join him."


    "He''s not famous at all. It would more closely resemble infamy. The creatures he''s created still exist in all corners of the world, terrorizing innocents, but he is also known as the student of a certain sorcerer." Triss paused for a moment, and she said with respect, "Creator of the double cross, Alzur."


    <em>Alzur? </em>The look on the witchers'' faces changed, like something important was mentioned.


    Coral suddenly tightened her grip on Roy''s arm, and she turned red with excitement.


    "And Alzur also bears another name. He and his mentor, Cosimo Mspina, are the creators of witchers."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 494: Plan

    To the sorcerers, Alzur was one of the greatest sorcerers to have ever lived. "Alzur is a legend, and he has left a lot of stories among the pages of the north''s history." Coral''s eyes shone with worship. "One being him creating the first witchers alongside Cosimo in the tenth century."


    Reminiscence shone in Vesemir''s eyes. He had lived for more than three hundred years, so he''d seen the creator before. That man was special, and everyone was inclined to trust him. Pity he had only seen Alzur once.


    "And he has created many incredible spells. Alzur''s Shield, a powerful protective spell, Alzur''s Thunder, an offensive spell that can be cast in a wide range, and perhaps the most famous, Alzur''s Double Cross. It can summon a terrifying creature called myriapodan. Myriapodans are a few dozen timesrger than dragons, and they can destroy a city by themselves easily."


    <em>A summon spell that can call forth a creature that can level cities? Sounds stronger than regr dragons in Skyrim. </em>Roy rubbed his chin and made a mental note to know more about that spell. After all, he knew a bit of Skyrim''s Conjuration spells, and the power of Alzur''s Double Cross was tempting.


    "Is that for real?" Serrit frowned. Dubiously, he said, "If that''s true, then he can control the world if he can control the myriapodan."


    Coral shook her head. "ording to the records of the brotherhood, Alzur was a man of virtue, and he didn''t like having power. His dream was to save the people. They created witchers in the first ce to save the people from monsters."


    A hint of respect shed in Coral''s eyes. "And there''s another story to prove that. From the ninth to eleventh century, the Prince of Maribor and the Duke of Ender were engaged in a war to fight for the throne of Temeria. Because of their simrly-matched strength, the people of theirnds were plunged into peril. To end this war, Alzur unleased his Double Cross on the battlefield and called forth the Viy of Maribor. Ender''s troops were demolished, forcing them to surrender. Maribor gained rulership over Vizima, and the people were delivered from war."


    "That is true." Coen said, "Keldar told me that even though End was the one to set up the knight''s virtue as the basis of the Griffin School, the source of that came from Alzur. He might have been a sorcerer, but he was trained as a knight in his younger years, and the spirit of knights influenced him."


    "Oh please, don''t paint him as a saint," Letho said. He, for some reason, didn''t like Alzur that much. "I remember him and Cosimo putting countless innocents through horrifying experiments and killing them in the process of making witchers."


    Coral nodded. She had been researching witcher mutations, so she knew some history. "ording to the history I know, Alzur and Cosimo alternated between experiment areas hidden in ancient castles and performed experiments on adults. Kaer Seren was one such fortress. Their experiments failed, and it killed many innocents in the process. Once they realize that they couldn''t turn adults into witchers, they turned their attention to children before they finally created the first witcher. But then they abandoned the group of witchers they created and turned their attention to something else."


    ***


    "Idarran''s skill in modifying and summoning his creatures obviouslyes from his mentor." Serrit said, "If what Roy said is right, and that Idarran appeared with the grandmasters, then I posit that the ringmaster of this operation might be the creator of witchers himself."


    Everyone stopped breathing for a moment.


    "That is usible. The grandmasters might still respect their creator," said Felix. "And he used that to convince them into helping him. He has a goal we do not yet know of."


    Coen paused for a moment, then he said, "End left the fortress after it was buried under all that snow, but the book he left spoke of his destination. He wishes to find Alzur."


    Auckes raised his voice, "And he did." The light shone on his excited face. "And Alzur convinced him into joining the organization."


    Roy added, "Jerome said that End told him not to search. I think that means something else. End gave all his heart and soul to the Griffin School and searched for Alzur without rest when he had time. He wanted to convince Alzur into helping humanity, and he seemed to have found his goal. Could this be fate?"


    "End might have been the first to join," said Kiyan. "Then Elgar, then Arnaghad, and then Ivar. Alzur and his student, Idarran, are the core of that organization."


    The witchers had no idea how to feel about it. After a lot of discussion, they realized that the enemy they had to face might be their creator. Every witcher knew of that name, and they were even more wary of himpared to their grandmasters.


    ***


    "You have a point." Kalkstein caressed his beard, shook his head, and smirked. "But you missed one important point, and that pokes a big hole in your guess."


    "What do you mean?" Eskel asked.


    "Alzur has been dead for more than a hundred years," said Kalkstein, and the witchers were dumbfounded. "And it was an ironic death. More than two hundred years ago, the monster he summoned ended the war and helped Maribor gain rulership over Vizima, but for some reason, that tragedy struck again, and Alzur once more summoned that monster, and it destroyed half of Maribor. Even now, its ruins still stand, speaking of its bloody history. And Alzur met his end in this chaos." Kalkstein stopped for a moment. "The monster he summoned killed him."


    "I was born in Maribor." Triss paled a little, as if she was reminded of something bad. "It was a tale I''ve heard for many years before I became a sorceress. The monster Alzur summoned destroyed half of Maribor and killed countless innocents. He too was killed by that monster, and people from my homnd fear giant centipedes even now, and they despise Alzur with all their hearts."


    "What happened in Maribor?" That was the question everyone wanted the answer to. They had no idea why a powerful sorcerer would attack innocent civilians.


    "That was what Alzur really was like," Kalkstein said, not bothering to hide his disdain. "He was aplex character and very hard to pin down."


    Everyone''s hearts sank. "Alzur might be dead, but what about his mentor, Cosimo?"


    "He died before Alzur did." Kalkstein shook his head.


    "So our enemies are just Idarran and the grandmasters?" Roy muttered. <em>That''s going to be a relief.</em>


    "Cosimo is dead, there''s no doubt about it." Lytta clenched her fists, and she rebutted, "But Alzur''s death is still debatable. The brotherhood ims he''s dead, and Maribor''s people think he''s gone too, but nobody ever saw his corpse. For a time, I was obsessed with the mutation of witchers, and I delved deeper into history just to find out more. There were a lot of rumors iming that Alzur''s remains were found, but they were just bodies of regr humans with no mana in them at all. And so, I came up with a bold supposition." She looked at the silent witchers. "Alzur faked his death after he summoned the monster, and he escaped. Then he started creating his masterpiece to realize his dreams. Many of the first generation witchers and grandmasters have gone missing until now, but they''re not dead. They''re just hiding."


    "Hey, show some respect, Lytta. You''re saying Roy is a ''masterpiece'' too?" Auckes interrupted.


    "Yes, he is." Lytta smiled proudly and puffed her chest out. "I made him myself, and I''ll make him better."


    Roy wanted to pull his hand away, but Lytta shot him a re and held him tighter. Everyone shivered, and goosebumps broke out all over them. Triss looked away.


    "They keep their true goal under wraps, so I think their goal might be uneptable for many. Perhaps it is even a transgression. Heresy," said Lytta. "So they went with a secret operation and stayed away from the public for more than a century. And they cut off contact from the brotherhood, showing up on battlefields to collect the souls of the dead." The mural in Haern Caduch that recorded the time, ce, and the number of deaths was proof that this was the right guess.


    ***


    "This is not to be taken lightly." Vesemir knocked on the wall and snapped everyone out of it. "The grandmasters and Idarran might be working for Alzur himself, and Alzur is the strongest sorcerer in the world. We must be prepared for the worst."


    Everyone''s hearts skipped a beat. The grandmasters alone were powerful enough, and if Alzur was added into the mix, this would make them a formidable enemy. The looks on everyone''s faces were grim, and the air felt heavy.


    "Hey, kid." Lambert wrapped his arm around Roy''s shoulder. "Why don''t we surrender and help them out with their work?"


    Everyone shot him with icy res.


    "Just kidding. They won''t escape after what they did to Roy."


    "They didn''t hurt Triss or the orphanage," said Serrit. "So the orphanage''s operation isn''t getting in their way."


    "That is correct." Roy looked at everyone. "They''lle after me and only me."


    Everyone fell into silence. They knew Roy had a secret of his own, and it was thanks to that he grew to an incredible level of strength in a rtively short time. It had been but three years since he became a witcher, and yet he had already defeated Letho in a one-on-one battle. If he wasn''t restricted in any way, he would be one of the most powerful members among the brotherhood. They wondered if the grandmasters and Idarran were hunting Roy for his secret.


    ***


    "I can''t show up anywhere conspicuous, and that includes the orphanage and Novigrad. In case they find me. I can''t let them find out I''ve returned." There was a sharp look in Roy''s eyes, and he grinned. "I need to find out where they''re operating from and what their goal is. Then it''s time to pay them back for what they did to me. Especially Arnaghad. There''s a score to settle."


    As of now, the brotherhood was in the shadows, while the grandmaster and their organization was under everyone''s scrutiny. They had the advantage.


    "You sure you''re not going back?" Kiyan sighed. "The kids have been asking where you went for two months. I can hear them even when I sleep. They miss you, and the kids we brought back first have passed the Trial. They took the modified version, so nothing bad happened. It won''t take long until they strike out on their own."


    Roy was d the organization was growing fine, and it reaffirmed his decision to stay in hiding. "I''ll see them when this is over. For now, just tell them I''m traveling."


    "You seem to have a n." Letho turned to Roy. Thed had changed over thest two months, and Letho felt a bit of pressureing from him.


    "From what we know now, the grandmasters usually show up during wartime." Roy cracked his fingers, and everyone looked at him. "The Battle of Sodden had just ended, and both sides sustained heavy losses. There shouldn''t be anyrge-scale battles for years."


    "Your gut tells you that?" Triss asked.


    "Yes. It is now the fifteenth of the third month, year 1263. Nilfgaard and Cintra will sign a treaty in six months and bring this war to an end." ording to his memory, Cintra was given to Nilfgaard once the treaty was signed, signaling the end of the first war. "The grandmasters will wait in hiding after the war is done." Roy grabbed the air, and dozens of portraits flew into everyone''s hands.


    "Coral made these ording to my description. Keep an eye out for these people, especially if anyone suspicious shows up around the orphanage."


    "Easy. Get Gawain and Chappelle to help us out. Chappelle''s an important member of the church anyway, and they have branches all over the Continent. If they can help us, I think we can find these people soon enough," Auckes said.


    "Are you mad?" Serrit shook his head, his eyes filled with wariness. "You think the grandmasters are some sort of weaklings? Have you forgotten about Ivar''s skills in stealth and hiding? If they wish to hide from us, none can seek them."


    "Jerome was the only one tied to End, and he is dead. We can''t divine End''s whereabouts with just the Book of Shadows," Eskel said.


    Letho nodded. "If we search for them too conspicuously, they''re going to suspect something."


    "I can help." Triss licked her lips and volunteered. "Since Roy''s back, there''s no need for me to stay in Novigrad to recover my memories."


    Roy wanted to say something. He risked his life so Triss could finally stay here, and he wouldn''t let her go that easily until she became their mage.


    "I need to return to Vizima and seek an audience with Foltest, then I need to establish contact with the brotherhood. I''m going to stay in the brotherhood and find out some clues for you." Her eyes shone with determination, and her voice echoed in the air. "The grandmasters are hard to find, but Idarran is fascinated by mutated beings. He won''t stay put in one ce. I think we can start with him."


    "Good idea," Coral praised. "Idarran''s not the only one in the brotherhood with an interest in mutated beings. Some people might have clues about him. Some might even stay in contact with him still."


    Coral let go of Roy''s arm and held Triss, smiling at her like she was a good friend. "You can alwayse back when there''s time. The kids like you, and we''ve gotten along well." Lytta was happy about Triss'' change. After two months, she couldn''t even look Roy in the eye, let alone steal him away. She was a good girl now.


    "Sure. I''m going to miss you guys," Triss said, and she tried her best not to look at Roy. He had saved her twice, and it was time for her to repay the debt.


    The other witchers watched on with interest, staring at Roy and thedies. Their looks sent chills down Roy''s spine. "I''m counting on you¡­ Triss. Keep yourself safe," said Roy. He didn''t try to make her stay, and he changed the subject. "There won''t be any big battles for a while, so I''m going to search around Sodden, where skirmishes are bound to happen. The grandmasters might snatch up what little souls they can find." Roy looked at Coral. He spent the whole night convincing her of this. "And I''m doing it alone." Then he stole a nce at Triss, who was spaced out and tugging on the hem of her dress.


    The events in Cintra were enough to teach him a lesson. With him as the bearer of the Elder Blood, he couldn''t possibly bring any deadweight with him. He worked better alone. "And you guys¡­"


    Lambert announced, "Nothing from Chappelle and Gawain yet. Aiden and I have nothing to do, so we''ll see if Kaedwen has anything on the grandmasters. Aiden knows that ce better than me."


    "Eskel and I are going to Aedirn," said Auckes.


    "Then everyone else, keep this ce safe. That''s all I ask from you."


    Vesemir''s eyes glinted. "If you''re going to Sodden, contact Geralt on the way. He can help."


    "I was wondering why he wasn¡¯t here. Why''s he in Sodden?"


    "To search for his daughter," Lambert answered solemnly. "Two weeks ago, Corrine divined the location of Ciri, and she''s around Yaruga. Specifically, the stretch in Sodden. The war''s aftershock still rings out, and there are skirmishes happening everywhere. He went alone and refused our help in case we were to affect the machinations of Destiny."


    Roy nodded. <em>There should be a Druid''s Circle nearby. Perhaps his mother is there too. </em>"Very well. I shall seek him out on my way."


    ***


    "So when are you setting off?" Letho whipped out a bottle of dwarven liquor from his ring. "It''s been a while since we gathered around. Let''s have some drinks and share some stories. What kind of ce is Skyrim anyway? And what happened while you were there?"


    Roy looked at Coral, who had anticipation in her eyes. "Fine. I''m going to set off in two days anyway, so I have time. Oh, and I have presents." He waved his arms, and an arcane enchanter appeared, decked out with two full-charge soul gems. "Coral, Kalkstein, and Triss, this is for you. An arcane enchanter from Skyrim."


    Coral had the biggest smile on her lips, and she kissed Roy, then she observed the new tool from another world closely. A curious Triss approached it too.


    "Letho, Kiyan, this is for you." A pile of herbs filled up another countertop. "Skyrim''s herbs. Thirty-six types of them. You can research them ande up with new potions. Or you can use them to improve the Trial."


    The witchers breathed heavily, as if they had just seen a gorgeous woman.


    "Here''s your chance, Kiyan," Letho teased. "Get some seeds for Evelyn and see if she can nt them."


    "Sure."


    And finally, Roy filled thest table with a pile of bones and scales that radiated incredible power. That was only a quarter of his stock. He would take out more in time.


    "And what''s this?" Auckes, Serrit, and the remaining witchers stared at them.


    "The bones and scales of a powerful beast." Roy smiled at Vesemir. "See if you can make them into weapons or armor."


    "What kind of beasts?" Vesemir caressed the scale and flicked them. It made a curious sound, and his eyes shone.


    "Oh, they call them dragons back in Skyrim."


    Someone spat his liquor out.


    "You have five seconds! Wipe. It. Off." Auckes quickly wiped the liquor off Lambert''s face, and Roy smiled at his shockedpanions. Everyone''s attention was grabbed by the mere mention of dragons.


    "I have time." Roy took a sip of his wine and wrapped an arm around Coral''s hips. She looked a bit confused, and he kissed her. "My adventure in Skyrim wasn''t too long, but it wasn''t short either. I''ll answer everything."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 495: Preparation

    An Skellige was located on a mountain surrounded by an abundance of trees. There, the castle of the ruler stood. Within a resplendent bedroom, a silhouette with two swords strapped to its back stood before a soft blue bed. The crackling mes in the room shone upon his face. There was a conflicted look in his eyes, and in their reflection was a woman fast asleep.


    The queen of Cintra looked more harried than she was when they parted ways. Wrinkles appeared in the corners of her eyes, and her cheekbones were protruding. Her hair tumbled down her back, though it was unkempt. Her lips were pale and parched. She had lost her beauty. For now, she looked just like any regr woman, and the queen was steeped in a nightmare. Her brows were furrowed, her cheeks were tense, and her body was stiff. Her hands were clutching the nket before her tightly.


    Roy looked at her. For some reason, he felt a sense of closeness to her. During hisst moments in Skyrim, he felt a life form besides Gryphon tightly connected to himself. Earlier, he pinpointed the location of that life form and leapt through the Worldgate, and it brought him to Skellige, where Cnthe was. She came to her brother for refuge. Roy could feel the connection between him and that life form getting intense, and he held his buzzing pendant, feeling excited.


    A small, little life was leaping around in Cnthe''s belly, speaking of its delight, and Roy could feel its incredible reserves of life and magic. "So your child has been calling out to me." <em>Her unborn baby is saying hello. Like Ciri, this child also has the Elder Blood, and it resonated with mine. </em>Roy wasn''t sure if this was a blessing or a curse. "The bonds created by the Law of Surprise are magical."


    Geralt had Ciri as his Unexpected Child, and now Roy had one too. But he was a young man who still wanted to see more of this world. He had no idea how a father should act, but he did feel happy. Then he knelt and huddled closer to the queen, his face millimeters away from her belly, then he gesticted in the air like that would reach the baby. "Grow big and strong, child." He shook his head, smiling, then his eyes shone.


    "You lost your father and kingdom even before you were born. I''m not letting you live alone. When I get to Sodden, I''m bringing Ciri back to you." He said goodbye and disappeared into thin air.


    Cnthe stirred and opened her eyes, then she looked around, bemused. "Was someone here?" she muttered. The only answer was the whisper of the warm sea breeze sauntering into her room, and her heart skipped a beat. "Is it you, Eist? Did youe to see me¡­ and the child?" she asked, her voiceden with surprise, but silence was her answer.


    ***


    The light of dawn pierced through the horizon, shining upon the dazzlingke in the center of the Valley of the Nine. Letho, Auckes, Serrit, Lambert, and Lytta woke up and called Roy, then they came to the clearing beside theke.


    Lambert''s cheeks were red, and he was still drunk. He beckoned Roy over. "Come at me, kid. Show me what you learned in Skyrim. Let me see your Conjuration spells, and that Shout you used to defeat the dragon."


    "You sure?" Roy chuckled. "I don''t want to bring down your self-esteem."


    "Don''t be too confident about that." Lambert grinned and swung his sword around. "I went through my second mutation, and I have a few new tricks to show. No ranged weapons, however. It''d be boring if you just fired off arrows."


    "Do as he says, Roy." Coral gave Roy a look. "Teach that uncouth mongrel a lesson. I too wish to see the magic of Skyrim."


    ***


    Roy nodded and focused on the Conjuration rune in his mind, then he summoned something, and a purplish-blue ball appeared between him and Lambert. 15 EXP and 135 Mana (Skill Level 2 and Elder Blood reduces the cost by sixty percent, but casting it in another world increases the cost by fifty percent) were deducted.


    A white, burly elemental appeared. It was more than six-foot-six in height, and its muscles were big and made of frost. Its limbs, torso, and nape were covered in a greenish-grey armor, and its head was triangr in shape with a pair of blue, beady eyes. The atronach was looking at Lambert coolly.


    Everyone tensed up, and the air turned solemn. The witchers were all veteran hunters, but none of them had ever seen elementals like this. Compared to the frail me atronach that attacked from a range, frost atronachs had great defense. Aside from their weakness to fire, they had great resistance to everything else, especially physical resistance. Every time they attacked, they could chill and slow their enemies. <em>This is a tank, alright.</em>


    Roy wasn''t done yet. He cast mp, and mana gathered before him. At the same time, he took a deep breath and cast something he hadn''t used in a long time. <em>Wingp.</em> A roar pierced the air, and Roy''s clone leapt out of the stream of mana. Lambert did the same thing and summoned his clone as well. He then swung his sword and charged ahead like a beast running toward its prey.


    Roy calmly gave hismand, and the clone stood before Roy, facing off Lambert''s clone. They started their fight, and glints of metal on metal filled the air. The shing did notst long, and a few momentster, Roy''s clone easily defeated Lambert''s. After all, the clone did have all of Roy''s stats and battle prowess, but Lambert''s clone could only be used as a distraction.


    Lambert fended off the frost atronach''s attack and quickly made a red sign. Igni''s me slithered around the frost atronach, sizzling and filling the air with white smoke and vapor, but the frost atronach kept attacking Lambert. However, Yrden restricted it, and its movements were as slow as a tortoise. It couldn''t evennd a hit on Lambert. At this rate, the fire would melt it in mere moments, but then the clone leapt into the fray.


    It swung Aerondight down on Lambert''s back, and at the same time, the frost atronach raised its leg and brought it down into the ground. Shards of ice exploded, flying everywhere, and some of them hit Lambert.


    The witcher rolled away from the area of attack, then he pushed his left hand onto the ground. A st of Aard undted around him, stirring up a storm of dust and grass.


    The atronach staggered backward, but it was heavy enough to stay still, though the clone was sent tumbling away. Lambert charged ahead and cut off the clone''s head, but a gust of frosty air flew out of the clone''s body. The frost nova was triggered, and Lambert failed to get away in time. The left side of his body was drowned by the cold air, and icicles formed on his armor and skin.


    Just like that, Lambert''s speed slowed dramatically. The frost atronach lumbered ahead, swinging its arms down at the witcher. Roy smiled at him and quickly summoned another clone from the stream of mana. However, the quick session of summoning took its toll. Without the power of Wingp, this clone looked more transparent than the first.


    "Dammit!" Lambert circled around the frost atronach and swung his de down. He managed to cut it, but this creature had no weakness to speak of. Physical attacks couldn''t do anything to it, and Lambert wasn''t the best at Signs. "Stop!" he shouted.


    Roymanded his minions to stop, and they came back to his side.


    "You were going to go for a war of attrition? Dammit." Lambert sighed. He could kill the atronach and clone eventually, but Roy would just summon them again and again. The young witcher still wasn''t using his full strength, and Lambert was already unable to keep up. Before he knew it, Roy was already leaps and bounds ahead of him, and he shot Roy a look ofint. "Have you no respect? At least let me win once."


    "You wanted to challenge me first."


    Lambert grumbled and sheathed his sword, then he joined the crowd that was fiddling with the frost atronach. They were curious about this creature.


    "Perhaps it''s rted to trolls," said Lambert.


    "No. Trolls are a lot stronger than this thing." Lambert patted the back of the atronach''s head, but the creature didn''t even move. "And smarter too. I think it''s more like a golem."


    "It''s normal," said Coral. "Elementals aren''t known for their intelligence. Even djinns are stupider than you¡¯d think, or no one could''ve even trapped them in a bottle."


    "How did you do it, though? It''s only been two months, and you''ve mastered something this powerful." Serrit looked at Roy. "Everyone here only knows how to cast Signs."


    "Tamriel''s magic system is different from ours. I have a bit of talent in one of those branches. And they have something called spellbooks," said Roy, though what he said next was shocking. "Rip it up and you can skip the learning process of a spell. If you have the talent for it, of course, and I have the talent for this."


    Coral pushed her hair back, a look of longing shing in her eyes. "Their system seems to be a lot more advanced than ours. The arcane enchanter you gave me is moreplex than I imagined. It''s different from the enchanters I know."


    "That is correct," Roy said. "There are gods in that world. Eight Divines and sixteen Daedric Princes. I came in contact with one of them." And Roy stopped talking. He didn''t tell anyone about Sanguine and Sherry the night before.


    Not even Lambert and Auckes asked more. Witchers didn''t put their faith in gods, though they respected them.


    "You should''ve brought a spellbook back with you, kid," Serrit said, almost regrettably.


    "That was an oversight on my part, but I''ll take you to Skyrim once we have the chance." <em>Maybe I can use the Worldgate to bring a few people with me to Skyrim and gain some power, but not now. I''m stillying low, and there''s something I need to do.</em>


    ***


    "And what about that Shout you used to bring down Mirmulnir. Shoot it off at me. I''d like to see how you took down that dragon," Lambert shouted.


    Roy looked at his excitedpanions, but he wouldn''t use the Shout on Lambert. At this range, even metal would be destroyed, let alone flesh. He focused on the rune. Using a Shout in this world cost fifty more manapared to when he was in Skyrim, but he could afford it.


    Roy faced theke and took a deep breath, then he lit up the rune. "<em>Fus!</em>"


    The roar made everyone''s hearts skip a beat.


    High Hrothgar, Skyrim.


    A gaunt, mousy man covered in snow was ascending the seven thousand steps alongside ad. Suddenly, thed felt electricity course through his veins, then he turned around and stared into the abyss behind him. "Goldeneye?"


    A surge of great power charged across space, raining down onto Toussaint. A ck gash tore up the space before Roy, and the power of the Bones of the Earth came flooding out of it, crashing down onto the quietke.


    As if something incredibly heavy had hit it, the icy-coldkewater shot up into the air like a geyser, and it rained down on the group. A hole with a three-meter radius appeared on the surface of the water, and bubbles shot up from under the water. A momentter, dozens of fish floated to the surface of theke, their bellies facing the sky.


    "So that''s a Shout¡­" Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Coen said, "Hm, that feels like a Roar. Or Wingp, if you will."


    Roy heaved a sigh, his sweat glistening in the sunlight. "The Roar of the Griffin School is used to control elements, while Shouts are used to manipte something else." <em>The Bones of the Earth.</em>


    "You''re fighting less and less like a witcher now, kid." Letho crossed his arms, staring at his student. "Your swordy is passable, but you have a lot of weird abilities."


    Auckes, Serrit, and the Cats nodded. They couldn''t pin down Roy''s style. He had a lot of random skills, but all of them were deadly. <em>I wonder how many tricks he has up his sleeve? </em>They could no longer teach thed.


    "So what?" Lytta raised her head and proudly held Roy''s arm. "It doesn''t matter how he fights as long as he can keep himself and the people he cares about safe. And he''s never abused his power."


    Everyone nodded. If they were Roy''s age and had his power, they''d be roaming the Continent doing whatever they wanted. Witchers were infertile, so they could sleep with as many women as they liked without any worries, and yet Roy stayed loyal to Coral even when he was only barely twenty.


    The veterans exchanged a look, and for some reason, they feltfort in knowing that Roy might never have the chance to sleep around like they did.


    ***


    Roy spent the next two days staying in theb with everyone. With what little knowledge he had, he helped Coral and Kalkstein with the arcane enchanter, and he gave them a few soul gems. It didn''t take long for the sorcerers to turn the arcane enchanter into something they could use. By then, they could enchant the armor of everyone in the brotherhood.


    After a reluctant goodbye, Triss made her return to Vizima. Letho and Kiyan were going through the tranted version of Herbalist''s Guide to Skyrim, losing themselves between its pages. The herbs from Skyrim could work incredibly well with the local herbs, having infinite potential to create new potions. ording to them, these herbs could greatly influence the existing recipes of potions, decoctions, Trial, and the anti-higher-vampire decoction, but to figure out things like that took time.


    Evelyn was starting to figure out how to nt the Skyrim herbs in the garden as well. Fortunately, Novigrad''s climate was simr to Whiterun''s, and it was highly possible for the herbs to thrive here. Eventually, the brotherhood would have an infinite supply of herbs.


    While Roy was absent, Kiyan and Evelyn got closer at a blistering speed. The druid didn''t seem to mind Kiyan''s disfigured visage, and they had built a great rapport between them. All they had to do was make things clear, and they would be a couple. Roy loved this. It would be best if Kiyan could convince Evelyn to stay and work for the brotherhood.


    ***


    However, not all was good. The dragon scales and bones couldn''t be made into usable gear, not even with Vesemir''s skills. He couldn''t do anything aboutponents this rare. "I do not know what manner of beast Skyrim''s dragons are, but their scales are filled with mana, and they are harder and more resilient than anything I''ve ever seen, yet they are also unbelievably light. This is something that only exists in fantasy. All the gear we know now, Viper, Manticore, Wolf, Griffin, none of them can fully use the power of these scales. Dragon bones can be made into incredibly powerful heavy armor, but they can also be made into sharp, magical weapons. We need at least two master cksmiths and an Ofir enchanter to make something out of theseponents. That, or we can wait for Coral and Kalkstein to figure out how to use that arcane enchanter of yours. It''d be a waste of goodponents if we tried to make something out of them before that."


    ***


    The modification of the dragon parts was put aside. Roy was still keeping the dragon blood a secret. They still had to figure out the new alchemicalponents, herbs, and the higher vampire''s body. Putting more on the te would not help.


    Roy snuck back to the orphanage to see the kids and made sure his family and friends were okay. Then he asked Kalkstein for some vampire blood as well as his own. He didn''t want Coral to bleed for him again. Once again, with the dragon blood, he made another Tempering Potion, but unfortunately, the Elder Blood became picky. It refused to subsume the second dose of Tempering Potion, and its effects were greatly diminished. <em>Probably something left by the Master of Mirrors. I''ll have to find another way to strengthen the Elder Blood.</em>


    ***


    Two dayster, Roy bade everyone goodbye and leapt onto Gryphon''s back. It was time to search for Geralt, Ciri, and clues about the grandmaster''s whereabouts.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 496: A Little Barn

    An overcast sky loomed over thend, cold winds howling across the mountains. Roy was d in armor, and a cloak was draped over him. The mountain path came to an end, widening up into a road that meandered through the wilderness of Sodden.


    The scenery was as much as he''d expected. He''d seen a lot of this since he stepped foot into Kalkanor, a town near Sodden. A group of unkempt, gaunt, and malnourished refugees trudging around, resting in the grass beside the path, and some even slept on the path itself. Destroyed carts were strewn all over the ce, and horsesy unmoving in pools of their own blood. Sacks and baskets of a myriad of items rolled around, and rotten corpses decorated the wilds. In just a single day, Roy had seen more than thirty corpses.


    Some were Cintrans who ran from their fallen kingdom, refusing to live under Nilfgaard''s rule, though most of them were Sodden''s natives. Some corpses were covered in a swarm of flies feasting on their rotten flesh and bones. Some still had fresh blood pooling around them. Apparently they''d just died not long ago. Some were killed by swords, some were smashed by morningstars and hammers, while some were shot through the heart. The killers were obviously the smaller groups of soldiers wandering through this area.


    After Nilfgaard retreated, most of their troops went back to Cintra and set up camp there, but they''d send out some small teams to harass the alliance. Some of the corpses, however, had wounds caused by hoes and farming tools. Some were killed by branches of trees, while some¡­


    Roy stopped before the body of a young boy. A rotten apple and a baskety beside him, the contents of the basket nowhere to be seen. The young witcher adjusted his sunsses and checked the boy''s neck. <em>Signs of asphyxiation. Someone throttled him, and the killer wasn''t strong. He must''ve suffered before he died. </em>Even when the boy was dead, his eyes were still wide open and bulging, the ghost of hisst scream forever etched on his face. <em>iled around and got a lot of skin and soil in his nails. Wasn''t a soldier who did this. </em>Roy dusted his hands off and heaved a sigh.


    <em>Wars. Every time that happens, the only casualty will be the people. </em>Concern started rising in his heart. <em>Who knows if I¡¯ll one day see someone I know among the dead. </em>"And where would Geralt be?"


    The White Wolf rode to Sodden all alone to find his Unexpected Child. He imed that Destiny was guiding him, and he declined all offers of help to make sure nothing would get in Destiny''s way. In the original timeline, Geralt''s mission would end with him finding Ciri and taking her home, but in this timeline, the events took ce five months earlier because of his meddling. He was worried something might go wrong.


    Of course, small teams would pose no threat to the White Wolf, but if he were to run into a big army¡­ <em>And Ciri might be in danger. </em>Roy hastened his pace. He rode past a stream, drenched in red by the blood of the dead, and an empty sack of horse feed lying beside the river.


    Roy prayed that the feed was fed to Roach. He turned on his Witcher Senses and followed the trail of the scent leading off the main path, and he jumped into a patch of ancient shrubbery. Thend behind it slightly sloped downward. Roy followed that trail for five minutes and was greeted by the sight of a patch of uprooted trees. Standing behind that was a clearing with a few wooden houses, warehouses and huts.


    A dpidated fence circled the yard. For some reason, the yard managed to escape the ravages of war. It was rundown, but the ce was mostly intact, but then Roy''s heart sank.


    He heard a dull thuding from the yard, and the witcher crouched, looking through the cracks between the trees, then he fished something out of his hood. The owl was woken up unceremoniously, held by the nape of its neck. Gryphon swayed around and pped its wings reluctantly, then itnded on the roof of the barnhouse. It hooted and looked around, sharing its vision with its master.


    A terrifying creature was prowling outside the house, mming on the door with its purple, stubby ws, and it was growling. The monster looked a lot like a ghoul. Its maw was filled with yellowing teeth, and its skin was grey and thick. It moved on all fours, not unlike a beast, and three bone crowns the size of a human hand adorned the top of its head, swaying as it attacked the door.


    ''Graveir


    Age: Eight years old


    HP: 220


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 16


    Constitution: 23


    Perception: 8


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    gued w Level 8: Graveirs are carriers of a myriad of germs, viruses, and poison. Anything that they attack wille down with symptoms like fever, weakness, and rotting wounds.


    Devour Level 7: Graveirs can heal regr injuries and HP through ingesting flesh and blood.


    Madness (Passive): Graveirs will store a part of the energy of their food in their body. When its life falls below 20% in battle, they will consume this energy and regain some of their HP. When that effect takes ce, +4 to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They will also enter a berserk mode. Lasts for one minute.''


    ***


    A pair of smaller ghouls stood a few dozen yards away from the graveir, standing guard around a pair of young corpses. They wereid in a shallow hole, their limbs and forehead chewed out, their bone marrow sucked dry.


    "No wonder there are no soldiers here. So we have ourselves some guard dogs."


    After every war, gue and bandits would spread like wildfire, but something more terrifying would be born as well. Nekkers and ghouls, the monsters that feed on corpses, would multiply. Like flies, they chased the stench of blood and corpses. Roy asked Gryphon to fly around and make sure there were no other enemies, then he whipped out his crossbow and red up some mana.


    A frost atronach came out of the door of Oblivion. As its mastermanded, it bravely charged toward the ghouls. The graveir stopped attacking the door and turned its attention to the iing frost atronach. A growl escaped its lips, and it pounced.


    Roy fired a shot, and the bolt pierced the head of a ghoul behind the graveir. As if mmed by a charging carriage, the ghoul flew into the air and was sent flying backward from the momentum. It fell with a thud, and its body glowed red, its grotesque brain in full view thanks to its head being crushed. Roy fired another shot, and the ghoul''s brain exploded like a tomato, then the monster fell.


    ''Ghoul killed. EXP +100. LEvel 12 Witcher (7400/12500)''


    ***


    Roy blew on the crossbow and turned his attention to the battlefield. The frost atronach slowed the graveir, keeping it trapped in the clearing before the house, and its armor managed to keep the monster fromnding any good hits. Thanks to it being an elemental, it was immune to poison. <em>Perfect to deal with ghouls.</em>


    The graveir circled around its enemy, trying to injure it. But despite its speed and power, it couldn''t break through the enemy''s armor. Instead, the cold was starting to affect it, and its movements were slowing to a crawl.


    Roy was happy about how the frost atronach was doing, and then he noticed the other ghoul trying to join the fray. "Ah, ah, ah, you''re not ganging up on it."


    A shot was fired, and blood blossomed on the ghoul''s forehead. It fell backward like a tree trunk had hit it, and then the air rippled.


    Roy appeared seemingly out of nowhere and brought his sword down in an arc. The ghoul''s head was lopped off, and it rolled to the witcher''s feet. A rune on the sword lit up.


    ''Ghoul killed. EXP +100.''


    Roy swung his sword around, flicking the blood off. After his Elder Blood''s awakening, a Blink only cost him 8 Mana, and with how much Mana he had right now, he could Blink a lot of times. Heshed his sword out at the graveir''s back. <em>Fear.</em>


    The tentacles lifted it up into the air, and Roy pointed his sword at the monster''s neck, then he swung it down. ck blood poured forth like a fountain, but the sword was stuck in the bone. The monster let out a howl, and Roy brought his de down once more. His sword, after so many blessings, could cut through steel like it was nothing.


    The graveir''s head rolled over to his feet. ''Graveir killed. EXP +260. Level 12 Witcher (7760/12500)''


    The battle didn''t evenst twenty seconds. "Fifteen EXP for the atronach''s summoning, but I made more than twenty times that for killing these monsters. Nice."


    Roy patted the atronach''s head and sent it back to Oblivion, humming happily. The witcher cut open the bodies of the monsters, picking out their eyeballs, tongues, innards, teeth, nails, and as a bonus, he found a greater red mutagen. The orphanage had a dozen witchers trying to grow stronger, and the need for dotions and Trials had multiplied. He must seize every chance he could to get more resources.


    ***


    A few minutester, the corpses were all dealt with, leaving nothing but skeletal remains. A happy Roy slowly cleaned himself and his sword, then he whistled loudly. Part of it was to summon Gryphon, and part of it was to tell the house''s owner that it was safe toe out.


    Gryphon flew back into his hood, and Roy turned around. The door was still closed, but Roy wasn''t nning to wait. However, suddenly, the door creaked open, and a wizened man stuck his head out. He looked at the corpses of the ghouls and called out to the witcher, "You killed them, sir?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.


    "They were yelling at me, so I thought I should cut them down." Roy looked at the old man. He was small, but his back was not hunched. His clothes, including his dirty pants, were made of the cheapest fabric.


    "Thank you for killing them, sir. Erbert thanks you for saving him, and you have avenged Mill and Rina." The old man stammered and slurred when he spoke. He had big teeth, and they grew in every direction.


    "Erbert, eh?" Roy changed his mind for some reason and went up to the old man, holding the door. "I have a question for you."


    The sudden movement from Roy filled Erbert with fear.


    "Don''t worry. I only kill monsters, not regr people, get it? So how long have you stayed here? Have you seen a man pass by? White hair, looks like he''s in his mid-thirties. About six feet tall, lean, has amber eyes, and decked with a pair of swords. And have you seen a girl? About nine years old, grey hair, green eyes, very beautiful, but she''s not even the height of my chest?"


    "I''ve lived in this ce for more than twenty years." Erbert frowned and shook his head. "That''s a very conspicuous look for anyone. I would''ve remembered them if they had passed by, but no, I do not remember them. The Nilfgaardian army has been piging the ce for months. I escaped thanks to me hiding in the woods. But after they left, those monsters came, and I hid in my house. I have no idea what goes on outside."


    "I see." Roy heaved a sigh and looked around the yard. "Is that your son and his wife''s corpses out there?"


    "Poor Mill and Lina. They were making firewood two weeks ago when these monsters came out of nowhere and killed them." Erbert nodded and wiped his tears, roaring, "The bastards killed my family and tried to eat me! If you hadn''te in time¡­" He had a look of sorrow on his face. "Freya would''ve invited me to her kingdom."


    "Two weeks? Has anyone elsee by then? Aside from your son and daughter-inw? Injured people or animals?" Roy asked slowly, looking into the old man''s eyes.


    "No. Only I am left. Poor old Erbert¡­"


    Roy looked at the corpses again. "I''ve been going on for many hours without food. Can I go inside and have something to eat and drink before I leave?"


    "Huh?" Erbert''s face fell, and he nced at the witchers'' swords. He was in a dilemma, and he said, "I''ve been cooped up for days to stay alive. Most of the food''s eaten. The only thing I have left are the turnips. You can take some if you want."


    "Can I have some water then? I''ll leave after that."


    Erbert reluctantly moved away so the witcher coulde in.


    The house was every bit as messy as the yard. Obviously, it had been a while since someone cleaned this ce up. Something akin to the hide of a stray dog decorated the wall. There was a short table and long bench in the center of the house. An oven made with stones and y stood right beside the wall. A big cauldron sat over it, but it was empty inside.


    "Just a moment. I''ll get some water for you."


    The witcher sat down and watched the old man as he went into the other side of the house. He then looked around and saw crimson ribbons floating in the air. Some were entangled, some drifted out of the house, while some went into the other side of the house.


    <em>Alright, this confirms it. </em>He stood up and followed the ribbon into where Erbert was. The old man was scooping some water from an old vat. The water was almost out, and it took his all just to scoop some up. Unbeknownst to him, Roy was slowly closing in.


    The witcher noticed a piece of wood with an axe embedded in it, and there were marks of dried blood on it. The ground on the right side of the vat had a certain tile with a darker colorpared to the rest of them.


    Erbert picked up the bowl and turned around, then the first thing he saw was a Sign.


    "Are you the owner of this house, Raul?" asked Roy. That was the real name of this man.


    "No."


    Roy''s face fell. "And where do youe from?"


    "Riverdell. Southeast of Sodden."


    "And what''s with the monsters and the corpses?"


    "I passed by this ce a week ago, hungry and tired. The couple took me in, seeing that I was but a frail old man. When they slept that night, I took their axe and slit their throats, then I tossed them out and dug a hole for them. Was going to sleep and deal with them the next day, but then the monsters came."


    "What did they do to you? Why did you kill them?"


    Erbert struggled for a bit, but he couldn''t break free of Axii''s power, so he shook his head. "The Battle of Sodden Hill had just ended, and this chance wouldn''te by every day. If I had dyed¡ª"


    A crimson sh arced through the air, and the eyes of the man named Raul went wide. He tried to cover his throat, but there was no stopping the deluge of blood. He hissed and pounced at Roy, but he missed and fell to the ground. The man spasmed for a while, and he stopped moving.


    "I kill monsters, especially those who are worse than ghouls." Roy shook his head. <em>War brings out the worst in us. </em>He regretted killing the ghouls as swiftly as he did. <em>I should''ve let them torture this guy.</em>


    Roy wiped his sword with the shirt of Raul, then he quickly went around to search the ground. It didn''t take him long to find the handle, and he pulled it up. The wooden tile swung open, revealing a dimly-lit underground chamber.


    He walked down the rickety stairs. The air here was slightly cooler, and themp shone on baskets of dried greens, carrots, turnips, and pickled vegetables. A few barrels of liquor sat in the corner of the cer, filling the air with the stench of alcohol.


    Roy carefully walked past the racks and made his way to the innermost part of the cer. A workstation¡ªpresumably to dry and pickle the vegetables¡ªstood near the wall, and a petite bodyy on top of it.


    She was a young girl, presumably the daughter of the house''s owner. She had just taken herst breath when Roy happened upon her, her bruised face filled with fear and pain. Her body was covered in wounds, and she looked like a doll who''d been turned to rags. <em>So young. And she and her parents managed to escape the war, but because of their misced kindness, they paid the price.</em>


    Roy took a deep breath. Once again, he regretted killing the old git that easily. He was about to pick the girl''s body up and bury her with her parents when something behind the workstation barked. A ck puppy came rushing out. It had a rope around its neck, and the dog was but a few months old. It bristled and shook rigorously, barking at Roy, biting him as it tried to keep him from taking the girl away. Despite how much Roy was trying to calm him, his efforts went unnoticed.


    "It''s your lucky day, you loyal cur. You''reing with me." This little pup was a surprise, and it lit up the witcher''s heart, even though only for a bit.


    He cast Axii on the puppy, and confusion filled the pup''s eyes. The little creature whimpered andy down, wagging its tail, then Roy patted its head. "Once I find Geralt and Ciri, I''m taking you back to Novigrad. The kids will love you."


    ***


    Roy dug a grave for the kind family and buried them, then he lit up the wooden house, burning the tragedy down forever. A pir of light shot into the air, and the witcher emerged from the woods, holding a ck dog in his arms. An owl flew overhead, following the witcher as he traveled ahead.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 497: Group of Refugees

    "Do you still recall what the dragon told us back in Kestrel Mountains?"


    "Borch Three Jackdaws? Yes. He said we''re a perfect match."


    "That we''re meant for each other." Yennefer rested her head against Geralt''s chest, her raven-ck hair tickling his neck. "But our rtionship will never blossom. The one who created us didn''t think it through. There''s something missing between us. Something that can sustain our rtionship. That is why we must part, lest we end up wounding each other."


    Sadness welled within Geralt''s heart. He wondered why that must be. They had faced many challenges, death and interlopers included, yet they would lose to fate. <em>The rtionship will never blossom, huh? Perhaps. We''re blessed with long lives, but there will never be a good end to our story.</em>


    "Go to Cintra, Geralt. Do not relinquish your destiny. Bring the child back. The age of disdain is upon us, and danger hunts for her. She needs you. No one can break the Law of Surprise."


    Geralt froze, and realization dawned upon him. Even though the rtionship might not blossom, he still had his Unexpected Child with him.


    "But for now, stay and enjoy thest glow of Belleteyn," Yennefer said, her voice dripping with honey, and she pressed her lips against the White Wolf. Then she ended it with a deep kiss.


    The White Wolf found himself lost in her affection, but the sorceress seemed to forget to hold back. She bit his lip, and pain seared.


    Dawn slowly broke through the horizon, dappled sunlight shining down upon the woods, waking up the harried witcher lying on a branch of an oak tree.


    Geralt''s heavy eyelids slowly snapped open, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes hiding underneath. The sweet, mncholic dream hit his head like a sledgehammer, making everything around him spin, but the pain on his lips quickly snapped him out of his stupor, and he swatted the creature away.


    The critter squeaked loudly in protest and scurried down the tree. The witcher leapt down and touched his lips. Drops of blood decorated his fingertip, and a dry smile curled his lips. <em>Perhaps I''ve been having it too easytely. I can''t believe a mouse got near enough to bite me. Auckes and Lambert would have a field day if they knew.</em>


    Geralt approached Roach, who was tied to a nearby tree. He patted his mount and basked in her breath, and he calmed down. "You should''ve warned me, old friend." He looked around the woods. Nothing but alder trees and short shrubs. Three little mounds decorated the distance. They were graves of the bandits Geralt killed the night before.


    One month had gone by since he entered Sodden. He set off in Brugge and traveled west, passing through Trava and Ina on his way. The witcher scoured the center of Sodden, where mountains of corpses piled around, tainting the air with the stench of blood and rotting flesh. He ran into refugees, bandits, robbers, and even necrophages born among the corpses. But thanks to the brotherhood''s supplies, the witcher got over the crises fairly easily.


    It was a pity he found no news about Ciri. The people he asked either had no idea what he was talking about, or they demanded coin and food. Some even tried to kill him. It had been but a month, but the White Wolf found himself exhausted both in body and mind. For once, he was dreaming almost every day, but he could not stop. He must find Ciri, and this time, he would not let go of her again, no matter the reason. He must do it for himself and Yennefer.


    The witcher peered at the boundless south, hiding behind the veil of the river''s fog. This was Yaruga, the river that split thend into north and south. Riverdell stood on the other side of the river, while on the north stood a ce called Mayena.


    <em>I wonder if the Law of Surprise is deep enough to lead me to Ciri. </em>He took out a crown and tossed it into the air. Itnded on heads, and a smile curled Geralt''s lips, then he rode ahead. <em>Roy said there''s a druid circle in Mayena. Perhaps they know something. Perhaps the one rted to me by blood is there as well. </em>His pupils contracted, and his heart started to beat in nervousness and anticipation.


    ***


    Roy had searched the blood-soakednd of Sodden for nearly a week. Now he found himself standing under a drizzle, staring at the woods ahead. There was a path set between the trees, and corpses were strewn everywhere.


    Commotion came from the other side of the woods, and not too long after, a group of misfits trudged over, the muddynd squelching under their boots. There were about fifteen of them. Refugees. Surprisingly, this group was made up of mostly gaunt, shriveled up women and children. They had nothing but tattered clothes keeping them warm, and everyst one of them had something in tow. They trudged ahead, shivering in the cold.


    Twods stood in the lead, presumably the leaders of this little group. They were equipped with nothing but rusted swords and worn down fur armor. Their bow and arrows were made of crude wood, and they looked around cautiously. A mule stood beside them, its back burdened with a mountain of cargo. The oversized saddle housed a big cauldron and a few steel crates.


    The man with a scar on his face noticed the witcher standing quietly by the path, and he raised his hand. The group came to a stop. He then put a hand on his sword, while his other arm was akimbo. "Morning. And who might you be?" he shouted from afar. "Why are you guarding the exit?"


    Roy put on what he thought was a nice smile. "I am Auckes, a mercenary. I wish to find someone in Sodden. Just came from Kalkanor."


    The man stared at the witcher. He was lean, and the hilts jutting out of his back did not go unnoticed. The man wondered if the witcher was going to hurt them, but then he noticed a yawning dog lying beside the witcher, and his face softened. <em>If he''s really a bandit, he wouldn''t have taken a pup in. They do nothing but waste our food.</em>


    "I''m Frik, and this is my brother, Bavi. These people are refugees from Willow Vige. Women, children, and the elderly, as you can see. Said there were more of them, but the southerners caught them a week ago and killed most men. Did whatever they wanted with thedies. My brother and I ran into them in these woods, so we''re traveling together now."


    "I admire your courage. You might run into the southerners or bandits again, you know, and these people can''t even fight." Roy looked at the men and the refugees. "Monsters are born in wars. They''re far more evil than the vultures flying overhead. Even if you''re dead, they will not stop until they suck out thest of your bone marrow."


    The refugees cringed, and the kids hid behind their mothers, though they peeked from their mothers'' backs, staring at the handsome young man curiously. He had a special air about him, and there was something about his voice that soothed their minds. They found this man to be reliable and trustable. And the puppy circling around him looked so adorable they wanted to y with it.


    The scar-faced man heaved a sigh. "That''s how it is with wars, but you can''t expect me to leave them alone. Yaruga''s already far behind, so the southerners won''te after us. And you don''t run into bandits or monsters everywhere. If we do, well, then that''s Destiny then. If death wants us¡­" He looked at the rotting corpses around the trees. "It can take us."


    Silence swooped over them. "Ah, sorry for that sad talk. Forget about it. So who are you looking for, Auckes?"


    Roy adjusted his sunsses. "A white-haired man and a girl with green eyes. They¡ª"


    "Never saw them, but take my advice and don''t go any deeper into Sodden. You''ll find nothing but blood, fire, and the dead. It''ll take the alliance a month at least to clear the dangers on this path. Nilfgaard has retreated, but they have set up camp in the south. Who knows when they''ll cross the river and mount another attack. Any man, woman, and child are running to the north, or at least they''re nning to. I bet the people you''re looking for are in the north too."


    Roy nodded. He had the exact same idea. It had been a month since Geralt entered Sodden. He must''ve scoured the entirety of ground zero, but still there was no news from him. And there were barely any marks of battle on his way here. Roy wasn''t certain if the grandmasters would show up, but they were not his priority. First, he must find Geralt and bring back Ciri. "So where are you taking these people?"


    "We''re going to the refugee camp in Mayena. They say a healer is giving their services to refugees for free. Some of thedies are getting unwell, so we''ll be staying there for a bit. And then we''ll set off for Maribor or just settle in the north. Ah, you cane with us if you''d like. Course, if you don''t mind us going slower, that is. You know how these people are."


    Roy hesitated for a moment. He looked at the poor refugees, and he nodded.


    ***


    The group of misfits pressed on, the ground squelching under their feet. Greenery and flowers grew along the path leading to the north, and the sky was still overcast, drizzle falling over thend. The air among the refugees was not lively at all. The women barely talked, and even the sight of bloated, rotting corpses failed to evoke any response from them.


    Their journeys had exposed them to too much death, numbing them to it. The only thing that still kept their fires going were the children prattling around them. The witcher didn''t take long to get to know the brothers.


    Frik and Bavi were twins. Eighteen years old, short and stocky, and they looked alike. Their noses resembled beaks, and their hair was brown, unkempt, and smelled like they hadn''t washed it in days. Their eyes were grey, the gaze in them sharp, and their mouths were gigantic. A thickyer of callus grew on their hands. They looked alike, but one of them had a scar on the left side of his face.


    Before the war, they were hunters in Upper Sodden. On the day of the south''s invasion, they were hunting in the woods, and they hid in a cave, escaping imminent death. Still, they witnessed the army trampling across the warzone, bringing down their homes. It was then they realized Upper Sodden had fallen. And so, the brothers left their childhood home, stole a boat, and crossed Yaruga to hide in Lower Sodden.


    After the Battle of Sodden Hill came to an end, the brothers ran around and sniped Nilfgaardian soldiers that walked alone, avenging their home in their own way.


    Roy thought they were stronger than most people. Nimble and had great stamina too. "People like you don''t show up every day, especially in times of war," Roy said. Most people would kill their benefactors just to gain more supplies for themselves.


    He then looked at the dirty, snotty kids behind him quietly. There was something about his gaze that could pierce through everyone, and the scrawny kids quickly stood up straight and put down the pup. They were having too much fun with it.


    The pup howled and hobbled over to Roy. It then shivered, and the witcher tucked it into his hood.


    Gryphon the Cat was woken up unceremoniously and tossed to the kids like it was a ything, and the children wasted no time in getting it dirty.


    "Ah, you tter us." Bavi, the more talkative of the brothers, patted the mule''s back and grinned toothily. His teeth were yellow, but his smile was genuine. "We never nned on taking these people with us. Grew up in a godforsaken area, see. Never even seen one woman in our lives. At first we ran into Yugni of Willow Vige. Promise she''d marry Frik if we took her away from Sodden, and then we ran into her cousin, and then her cousin gathered even more rtives, then the group grew. All of them widows with their kids trying to survive. Our old man told us that men should protect women, so we had no choice but to see his order through."


    Roy''s lips twitched, and he looked at the brothers in a new light. <em>They''re risking their lives to marry a woman? </em>"And are you sure she''ll marry you?"


    "Of course. She''s a good woman. See for yourself. Fifth woman from where we''re standing." Frik''s eyes glowed with delight.


    Roy checked out the woman he mentioned. She was blond, curvy, and beautiful, even though the beauty was hidden behind herckluster clothes. She was holding an adorable baby in her arms, and the infant was crying.


    Noticing Frik''s look, Yugni smiled at him gently and nodded, dimples forming on her cheeks. She radiated the air of a good wife and mother.


    "I''ve asked her. Her husband was a Sodden soldier, and he died in the first attack, so she''s a widow now. I can make a family with her if I marry her. The kid''s healthy. I bet he can get through this without a hitch and grow up fine," said Frik proudly. He was happy about being a father for the child, and there was even a spring in his step.


    "Guess that''s hunters for you. You have¡­ different taste," Roy said, though with a bit of difficulty. "So what about you, Bavi? Anyone you like?"


    "Yes." Bavi was making a wooden sculpture of a girl with a ponytail using his knife, and he looked around cautiously. "My family matched me up with the girl of another hunter when we were kids."


    "And who''s the luckydy?"


    "Maria Barring. Pity her father died not long after we were betrothed. Her new father abused her so much, she left for the north." Bavi looked solemn. "Once we leave Sodden, I''m going to stay around until Frik settles down, then I''m looking for Maria. This is the token she gave me when we were kids."


    "Maria Barring? Are you sure that''s her name?" Roy paused for a moment. <em>I saw that archer back around Brokilon. </em>It was on the same day he found the victims of Artifact Compression and provided Coral with the ammo she needed to threaten the queen of Kerack. Then she was paid a handsome sum of coins.


    "I think you should look around Kerack and Brokilon," Roy half joked. "She''s the daughter of a hunter. Perhaps she might eke out a living near the woods. But be careful. The dryads do not take to humans kindly."


    "I had the same idea." Bavi nodded, clenching the wooden sculpture tightly.


    ***


    The journey went on without too much trouble. Roy asked the refugees, but none had seen Geralt or Ciri. Still, he found himself bing fast friends with the brothers. As the only men in the team, they split up all the heavy-duty work among themselves.


    Frik was in charge of keeping the refugees calm and orderly. Every twelve hours, they would stop and find a dry ce to set up camp. Then he would boil some water with the cauldron to keep the refugees warm. Bavi would look around them, checking for hazards. Sometimes he would run far, far away and gesticte funnily to tell everyone that the coast was clear. It was thanks to his conscientious attitude and survival skills that the team managed to pull through a few crises safely. He would sometimese back with some fruits, berries, and misshapen but tasty roots and split them among the children to cheer them up.


    Roy had a task of his own. It had been more than a week since these people left their homes. They were scared, terrified, and had to live without a roof over their heads. Some of them were down with a cold, and some were afflicted by coughs. That included Yugni. If they were lucky, nothing big woulde of these minor illnesses. But if they were unlucky, these illnesses could turn into pneumonia if left untreated. Treatment would be arduous at that point.


    Roy would slip some herbs into the food to cure the refugees. He would also lead his pets into the woods or wilderness for a hunt. Every time they came back, there would always be game, and he would make stew for everyone.


    Bavi and Frik were impressed. Most of the animals had been hunted by the other refugees, leaving barely anything for them. They tried hunting as well, but they gained almost nothing from it. Roy used his Witcher Senses to hunt, though he wouldn''t tell anyone about that, of course.


    ***


    Witchers were proponents of fair trade. Everything they did muste with a reward, but Roy kept telling himself he was just doing it because it was convenient. <em>First we get to Mayena, and then I look for the circle. Perhaps Geralt will be there. Then we will rendezvous.</em>


    Every time he saw the brothers and their smiles, he wanted to help them. This was a cruel world, so he wanted to show kindness whenever possible.


    ***


    The journey went smoothly. With Roy''s help, the refugees'' illnesses were slowly disappearing, and smiles returned to their faces. The corpses were slowly thinning out, and Roy''s pets were already used to the children''s petting.


    Sodden was already far, far behind them. Everything was looking up, but on the fifth day, they ran into a situation that forced them to stop.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 498 - 498: Godling

    Chapter 498: Godling


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sun was setting in the distance, coloring the sky in shades of red and purple. And then a scream pierced the air. Bavi unsheathed his de and charged ahead, but the witcher had already set off before him. Frik whipped out his bow and arrows and quickly followed hispanions. Trailing behind were a fewdies with bats and torches.


    A whileter, they came to the source of the scream: a boy from Willow Vige. He was gaunt and wore nothing but a tattered, yellowing shirt. He was shivering in fear, screeching like a scared little squirrel, and the boy was pointing at the hole of a tree a few yards away. It was about one and a half feet tall and sloped downward into the ground.


    Roy darted toward the boy and turned him around so they faced each other. He quickly and subtly cast an Axii. That soothed the boy and stopped his screams, then the witcher frowned at the hole. Another childhunter? He took a step back.


    Bavi held up his sword, raring to go. Frik was already pulling his bow back when he noticed something was moving inside the hole. And then a pale face appeared.


    Noticing the creature, Roy heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! Put away your weapons. Frik, Bavi, and you too,dies.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± a freckled woman asked, her voice almost shrill. ¡°Foxes, rats, or rabbits?¡±


    ¡°With the size of that hole, I bet it¡¯s a boar.¡± Bavi crouched a little and rubbed his hands together. ¡°More meat for dinner. Boars are a delicacy. Been a while since I had one. Damn the Nilfgaardians.¡±


    Thedies quickly stepped back. Boars were fearsome creatures. If one should go on a rampage right here, it would spell disaster for them.


    ¡°Stay quiet.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a boar or any animal for that matter. But it¡¯s harmless. Just leave it to a professional.¡±


    The hunters exchanged a look and stared at Roy¡¯s swords, deep in their thoughts.


    Roy handed the terrified boy to a woman who was probably his mother, and he held his hands up, saying that he came in peace. Slowly, he moved toward the hole. ¡°I saw you, mate. Don¡¯t be scared. We¡¯re just refugees passing by.¡± Roy put on a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Auckes. Can you tell me your name?¡±


    The crowd was stunned. There¡¯s someone in the hole? And they held their breath.


    ¡°Donny of the tree hole. I¡¯m a good guy,¡± said a nervous, throaty voice, and then a little head poked out of the hole.


    There was not much light left, but the crowd could still check out the creature. Its hair was unkempt, yellow, and dry as hay. It had the face of a child, and its skin was pale yet slightly grey. A bit bloated, and he had a big nose, thick lips, and chubby cheeks, though his skin was rougher than children¡¯s. His eyes were bedazzlingly golden, and he looked at everyone sheepishly. There was curiosity in his gaze, but also panic.


    A bit ugly, but a bit cute too. No one can hate a creature like this.


    ¡®Donny


    Gender: Male


    Age: Eighteen years old


    Status: Godling (Godlings are remarkable creatures who live in caves on the outskirts of human settlements or holes in trees. They coexist with human viges and are highly sensitive. They possess a few minor but incredible spells. These creatures will protect the people and animals around their abode.


    HP: 60


    Mana: 8


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 6


    Constitution: 6


    Perception: 10


    Will: 5


    Charisma: 12


    Spirit: 8


    Skills:


    Dream Invasion Level 4: Godlings can enter the dreams of the people living near its abode. It can alter the dreams of those people using their memories and emotions. This can either help or hinder the dreamer.


    Nature¡¯s Friend (Passive): Godlings can befriend animals around its abode easily, including carnivores. They can heal the animals without having been taught anything, and sometimes they can summon the creatures to help them out.


    Instinct (Passive): Godlings are born with great perception. They can easily find edible mushrooms, greens, juicy insects, and water. They are keen to danger and can stay out of hazardous situations easily. They approach those who are kind easily and will prank or punish those who are evil or those who would try to use it.


    Burrower (Passive): Godlings can move swiftly in their caves using the ground underneath them.¡¯


    ***


    ***


    ¡°Well, so much for that.¡± Bavi sheathed his sword and approached the witcher, then he smiled at the godling. ¡°And I thought there was something dangerous. Boards, lizards, vipers, things like that. Even a southern soldier too. But this is just a lutin. The old man told me about it before he died.


    ¡°Yeah. This is a big world, ain¡¯t it?¡± Frik waved at the godling and shouted at thedies, ¡°Crisis averted. Everyone calm down!¡±


    ¡°Lutins live in mountains and caves filled with ore, not tree holes, swamps, or the woods. This is a godling,¡± Roy corrected. ¡°But you got one thing right. In most cases, they¡¯re friends of humanity. Loves innocent children, so it was probably trying to say hi to the boy.¡±


    The godling paused for a moment and swung his fists. Quickly he asked, ¡°You¡¯re really refugees, not the friends of those meanies? Don¡¯t lie to me, or I¡¯ll give you nightmares.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re refugees, alright.¡± Bavi pointed backward. ¡°Look at them. You think these women and children can even hold a sword? We were just passing by. Didn¡¯t mean to scare you. If the boy disturbed you, I¡¯m sorry about it.¡±


    Donny looked at everyone with hesitation and realized the women were quibbling about him.


    ¡°By Melitele, he can talk!¡±


    ¡°Looks different from our kids. It¡¯s like he grew in the wilderness. Did hee from beyond the Blue Mountains?¡±


    ¡°Bah, nonsense. There¡¯s only desert there. The people beyond those mountains are as ck as soot. Bet he¡¯s from the sea.¡±


    Donny let his guard down. He knew those pilfering soldiers would never bring women around. Even if they had women among their ranks, those women would be stoic and silent. ¡°Fine, I trust you, friends. And you need to help me, Auckes!¡± the godling shouted.


    ¡°What? How?¡±


    Donny crawled out of the hole. He¡¯d been staying in the hole for too long, and he was hunched over like an old man. He crouched and put his hands on the ground, looking like a toad. Donny was petite, just like a young child. His ribs were prominent, and he had weird tattoos in the shapes of feathers and insects drawn over him. His lower body was covered with nothing but pants made out of hay, hair, feathers, and simple cloth.


    Despite his abode, Donny did not smell foul at all. In fact, he smelled like nts and soil. ¡°You have to save Dorothy!¡±


    ¡°You want me to save someone?¡± Roy cocked an eyebrow. He had a bad feeling about this, and so did everyone else. They were just a bunch of ragtags. There was no way they could save anyone.


    ¡°Tell me more. Did a monster show up, or is it something else?¡±


    ¡°A bunch of knights on ck horses barged through this ce, holding morningstars, axes, and swords. They besieged Mud Vige! That¡¯s right ahead! And blood was everywhere. So many dead!¡± Donny scratched his head, stammering, ¡°I-I was scared, so I came back. Came back to find help, and I saw you guys. Dorothy¡¯s in danger. Please, you must save her!¡±

 Chapter 499 - 499: Bandits

    Chapter 499: Bandits


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°How many are there, and what do they look like? Were they in full-fledged armor or just leather armor?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°There were about twenty of them. All on horses,¡± said Donny. ¡°And they wore colorful clothes. Their equipment wasn¡¯t uniform. Surrounded the vige Dorothy is in.¡±


    ¡°Bandits, then.¡± Frik paled, and he held his sword tighter. ¡°Auckes is right. Bandits are worse than hyenas. They¡¯d even sell excrement for coin if they could. Everywhere they go, destruction follows. Donny¡¯s reminder came in time. We need to hide until the bandits are gone.¡±


    Frik refused to help. Instead, he said, ¡°Donny, can you stand guard for us? We¡¯re just some poor refugees trying to leave. Can you tell us once the bandits are gone? I can trade some food with you.¡± He was going to hand the roots to Donny, but Donny backed off and scurried into his hole.


    He hid himself in the shadow and red at everyone stiffly, frustrated.


    ¡°See? You refused our request even when it¡¯s infinitely simpler than what you asked of us.¡± Frik shook his head. ¡°We just met, and you¡¯re asking all of us to fight a group of bandits? We¡¯re just three men and a bunch of women and children. Are all godlings that naive?¡±


    Donny hung his head low, a hint of defeat filling his eyes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we set up some traps and mount an ambush? Maybe that works?¡± Bavi said. He still had some sympathy left in his heart.


    Frik hadn¡¯t said anything yet, but Yugni held his arm. Worried, she said, ¡°You¡¯re going? Just because you killed some soldiers doesn¡¯t mean you can deal with riders. They¡¯re a lot tougher than beasts that can only fight with their ws and fangs. And smart enough to evade traps too. One attack, and you and your brother will be in Melitele¡¯s court right away. I will not let you die.¡±


    Thedies held their children¡¯s hands, staring at them imploringly.


    ¡°I promised I¡¯d marry you once we got to Mayena.¡± Yugni held Frik¡¯s hand and raised her head. ¡°And you¡¯re going to make me a widow again? Even before we marry?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Frik was in a dilemma.


    Suddenly, the witcher turned around and patted the brothers¡¯ shoulders, then he looked into the distance. ¡°Frik, Bavi, you guys find a hiding spot andy low. I¡¯ll handle this case. Donny can lead the way.¡± Hey, free EXP is free EXP. He gave the godling a look. ¡°You heard me.¡±


    ¡°Can you do this alone, Auckes?¡± Donny was starting to hesitate, and he looked at the witcher closely. He¡¯s lean, but not tall or strong. Can he even do this?


    ¡°Try me?¡± Roy grinned toothily. There was magic behind that smile, and Donny¡¯s confidence surged. So did his courage.


    ¡°I know why you want to do this, Auckes,¡± Frik said, ¡°but Donny said there¡¯s twenty of them. That¡¯s too many to deal with. You¡¯re signing a death warrant here. You still have a girl waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know what I¡¯m doing. If it¡¯s too dangerous, I¡¯lle back right away,¡± said Roy calmly, imperiously.


    ¡°Save Dorothy, and you shall gain a friend in me.¡± The godling climbed back out and beckoned at Roy before he could change his mind, then he darted into the bush ahead. Even though he was petite and hunched over, he was nimble, and he ran as fast as a hare.


    ¡°You guys should hide in the bushes and start counting the time. I will be back in two hours at most. Do note out from hiding, you hear?¡± Roy looked into the brothers¡¯ eyes. He whistled, and a sparrow hawk flew down into his hood. He left the dog with the kids for a while.


    ******


    Roy followed the godling, darting across the shrubs, leaping through the fallen logs, and wading through the waist-deep grass. They ran like beasts, and Donny let out a guttural roar from time to time. Every time he did, beasts would appear from the woods, following him around. Stray dogs, deers, and stags. Some sparrows even nestled themselves inside his hair.


    He was like a beastmaster ying with his pets.


    Fifteen minutester, they came to a vige. It had a few dozen wooden houses, a warehouse, and a big circle of fence surrounding it, though the fence was mowed down by horses. Around the vige were fields filled with turnips and greens, ready for harvesting.


    Hoof marks covered the mud path leading into the vige, and the corpse of a many at the entrance. He wore nothing but a grey shirt, and a bloody gash adorned his back. The witcher looked into the distance and saw a trail of smoke billowing into the air, floating past the hay. He tasted the scent of flesh and blood. Must be holding a barbecue, those bandits.


    The beasts around Donny started to growl.


    ¡°Tell your pets to pipe down.¡± Roy leaned into the grass.


    A group of riders came to the entrance. They were equipped with swords, spears, axes, and hammers. Their heads were covered with nothing but crude leather helms, and their outfit was almost gaudy. It was obvious they looted their gear from fallen soldiers of the north. These bandits were whistling and yelling as they circled the vige. Then they charged into some random houses. This went on for a while.


    Behind their horses were bloodied people tied together. Judging from the clothes, they were regr vigers. Some had died, while some were barely hanging on. The horses dragged them across the ground, the friction almost burning their flesh, and they whimpered.


    The riders did nothing butugh and cheer. This was but a game to them. The sight of this cruelty riled the godling up. His face fell, and he gnashed his teeth, his body shivering in fury, and he wed away at the ground, as if that alone could crush these bastards. ¡°Viins! Cankers! Animals! Auckes, what can we do? We must save them!¡±


    ¡°You think your girlfriend is still alive?¡± Roy calmly grabbed the air, producing a steel sword. ¡°You know what you should do? Avenge her.¡±


    And then a woman¡¯s scream cut through the air. A youngdy with a ponytail came running to the vige¡¯s entrance, shouting in terror. A rider was chasing her, teasing her. He catcalled and leaned over to grab her. Then hey her out on hisp like she was some trophy. No matter how much she fought, she could not break free. The riderughed loudly, the look in his eyes cruel, and then he turned around.


    Ecstatic, Donny whispered, ¡°She¡¯s alive!¡± He gave Roy as many looks as possible.


    Roy pointed beside him, and the me atronach leapt out of the portal of Oblivion. At the same time, the clone of Roy appeared beside the witcher, taking Gwyhyr from him. The minions along with Gryphon the Sparrowhawk quickly got in the way of the riders. ¡°Keep an eye on the exit and don¡¯t let anyone escape. I¡¯ll kill that guy and save your friend.¡±


    ¡°Are these your friends? And who are you killing?¡± Donny looked dumbfounded, but he gained no answer.


    Roy disappeared into thin air and appeared on the roof of a house a few dozen yards away, crouched and observing his surroundings.


    Donny watched on in stunned silence, then he looked at the critters around him and gulped. ¡°How am I supposed to guard the entrance?¡±


    ******


    Roy looked around. About two dozen riders spread across the vige. Some are having a barbecue in the center of the vige. The riders were spinning their meat over open mes, turning the skin golden brown. Fat dripped into the mes, and the aroma of meat wafted into the air.


    A few other riders were dragging the girl into a house. They tore off her apron and tossed her onto a haystack.


    ***


    An excited Fahdina was breathing heavily, much like a dog in heat. This was the peak of his life. He joined the Battle of Sodden Hill, and it was then, the Nilfgaardians burned down his house, took his wealth away, and killed his family.


    Fahdina was just a soldier who wanted to protect his homnd, but when he came home from the war, he was left with nothing, but it mattered not. The nadir of his life put his mind in the right ce, freeing it from all the shackles and fetters. This war-tornnd, covered in the blood of so many people, was where he would rebuild a life of wealth. He unleashed his inner beast and gathered simrly cruel people among the refugees, and they started looting and piging the people.


    He swore he would take back what the southerners took from him. Once he was free from the repercussions ofw and morality, Fahdina saw a different life. He enjoyed it. He had all the women, coins, wines, and meats he wanted. These weaklings who can¡¯t even defend their own homnd have no right tond or family. We fought for thisnd. We faced death, and yet we gained nothing from it? That is not fair.


    Over the course of a month, Fahdina and his bandits had looted three towns, making more coin than he could ever imagine. Before order came back to Sodden, they could do onest thing. After that, he would leave Sodden a rich man. Perhaps he would go to a city and restart his life. Buy a house and build a family.


    With dreams lingering in his mind, he smiled, and he pounced at the woman on the hay.


    And then his dreams were cut short. Fahdina was sent flying backward, the smile on his face wiped off. No, his face was destroyed. Smashed apart like a watermelon. The liquid within drenched his sneeringpany, and they too were dumbfounded.


    Their faces fell, but there was nothing they could do. A crescent moon arced across the air, tearing their flesh apart. Blood fell from the halves of the bandits¡¯ corpses, and their innards rained to the ground. Their blood sttered everywhere, but Quen deflected it.


    The youngdy¡ªwho had a mark on her face¡ªwatched in shock, her jaw dropping. She stared at the man who stood tall among the corpses. And then the headless corpse of Fahdina fell, his pants halfway taken off. A pool of blood spread underneath him like a flower.


    Roy held up Aerondight and said, ¡°Lay low.¡± He charged ahead and vaulted over the wall like a phantom. Then sounds of footsteps reached him.


    ¡°Who goes there? Halt!¡±


    The bandits beside the grill heard the cries of theirpanions, and they turned around only to see a silhouette closing in on them at a blinding speed. Shocked, they picked up their weapons and charged at the attacker like madmen, trying to cut him down. They had massacred this vige, and this ce belonged to them.


    Halfway through, a bolt flew through the air, and a breeze whistled past the bandits, raising goosebumps. And then they came face to face with the different-colored eyes of the witcher. There was murder in those eyes.


    The witcher put his weight into his left leg and spun. The bandits tried to bring their steel down on the witcher, but a golden shield swatted them away. A crimson sh arced across the air, and cold steel sliced through the bones of the never-do-wells. Pain seared through their veins, and their bodies fell apart. The upper part flew ahead and fell facefirst, while the lower half of their bodies fell to their knees, facing the vigers they killed.


    Roy made sure they atoned for their sins. Blood drenched the ground, the corpses¡¯ innards slowly sinking into the soil. The bandits, in their death throes, wed ahead, trying to cling on to dear life, but s, death would not let them break free of its grasp.


    ***


    The riders going around the vige saw the bloodbath, and they roared in indignance, swinging their spears at the witcher. The witcher raised his crossbow, pulled a trigger, and disappeared right before their very eyes.


    A silhouette zipped through the air, and the riders felt a cold chill whizz past their backs. Even their mounts felt impending doom raining down on them. A crimson moon flew past the air, slicing three riders into six like they were nothing. Their flesh could not stop the ever-advancing de.


    The horses and their riders were cut open like presents, blood and innards bursting into the air. The witcher stood among the carcasses, blood hanging onto him like glue, flowing down his skin. There were great and terrifying suckers behind him swinging around, and the witcher turned to the remaining bandits.


    The riders stood in the clearing, pulling their horses away in horror. And they ran for their lives, their wish to battle extinguished by the horrifying deaths of theirrades. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the sight of those tentacles was enough to drive them mad.


    They didn¡¯t even retrieve their stolen coins, lest this monstere after them. But no matter how fast they ran, the bolt was faster.


    Roy fired off another bolt and followed wherever it took him. When he reappeared, it was before one of the riders.


    The rider gritted his teeth, but he charged ahead, hoping he could trample the witcher. The horse ran ahead, stirring up a storm as it tried to mow down the witcher.


    And then the witcher opened his mouth.


    ¡°Fus!¡± The shout was powerful, like currents of waves crashing against the reef. The rider ran headlong into the Shout, and he and his mount were sent flying backward. Everything around him spun, and then darkness imed him. Forever.


    ***


    The Shout made Donny shiver in fear, and he hid deeper in the shrubs, staring into the distance. Three dogs and that sparrowhawk were attacking a rider. The ming woman managed to take down two riders with some fireballs, but she was mowed down by another rider. The clone with the de disappeared right after he killed one rider, and the remaining bandits ran away.


    ***


    The rider attacked by the dogs was dragged down from his mount, and he kicked the air, but it couldn¡¯t stop his death.


    ***


    The witcher appeared out of nowhere, shocking Donny, but when he noticed the girl beside him, delight filled his heart. ¡°Dorothy! I knew you were alive!¡±


    The girl who escaped her would-be assant was firmly held by the witcher. Roy put her down, and she embraced the godling, crying. ¡°Collie and Gregory¡¯s gone. Everyone¡¯s dead! I-I was hiding in the cer, but they managed to find me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here. Donny¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone escape?¡± Roy asked coldly.


    ¡°Four of them. They went into the woods.¡±


    Dammit. Roy pulled the trigger and blinked toward the group of refugees, and when Donny blinked again, Roy was already a few hundred yards away.


    ¡°W-Who is that man, Donny? Is that magic?¡± Curiosity and fear lit up Dorothy¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s strong, but he¡¯s kind.¡± The godling nodded, as if to assure himself that was the case.

 Chapter 500 - 500: Fury

    Chapter 500: Fury


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A silhouette blinked through the expanse of the wilderness, guided by the dim moonlight. He was faster than the bats. Faster than a phantom. Every time he disappeared, he would reappear a hundred yards further ahead. In less than twenty seconds, he had moved five hundred yards.


    After the twentieth blink, the witcher stopped in his tracks. He saw the corpse of a bandit lying in the middle of the weed-filled ground, an arrow buried in his eye. One of the bandits who ran away. Who killed him? Roy looked around and saw the bandit¡¯s horse braying under a nearby tree.


    A young corpse was lying nearby, facing the sky. His forehead was struck by a blunt object, and it was caved in, blood and brains flowing out of his skull. When Roy realized who it was, he froze. His heart got heavier, and everything around him spun for a moment, and the witcher almost teared up.


    ¡°Yes. My family matched me up with the girl of another hunter when we were kids. Maria Barring. Pity her father died not long after we were betrothed. Her new father abused her so much she left for the north. Once we leave Sodden, I¡¯m going to stay around until Frik settles down, then I¡¯m looking for Maria.¡±


    ***


    That wish would never be fulfilled. Bavi¡¯s dream was shattered along with his life, and his body was growing colder under the moon. Even though all life had been snuffed out of him, Bavi¡¯s eyes were still open wide, perhaps getting ready to take aim at his enemy. But there was nothing behind those eyes. Devoid of emotions. His beloved bow sat beside him, broken by the horse.


    Roy took a deep breath and cast the Ring of Time, but unfortunately, thed was dead for twenty minutes. The Ring of Time was not powerful enough to bring him back. A deadly silence fell upon the air. Roy massaged his numb cheeks and closed Bavi¡¯s eyes.


    He then tucked the body of thed and his weapon into his inventory space. The crimson ribbon in the air trailed off behind him, disappearing into the woods afar. Roy looked at it, his eyes ring with fury.


    ***


    Frik and the refugees were hiding in a bush of flowers near the godling¡¯s abode, hoping that the night could shield them from the enemies. Frik was keeping a close eye on the woods¡¯ entrance, worried about his brother. Not long after Roy was gone, Bavi followed him on impulse, trying to check out the situation. Even though they hadn¡¯t known each other long, the brothers had a feeling thed with sunsses was a man with a kind heart.


    This world was riddled with war and strife and apathy. Those who held kindness within them should never be left to die. They should be getting out of this crisis safe and sound, sharing a drink in Mayena.


    Frik looked at the worried Yugni, and contentment filled his heart. Soon. Once I get through this, I¡¯ll have a wife, and Bavi can find his own happiness. It¡¯s almost time. They should be back.


    Clopping sounds came from the entrance, and they sounded hurried, but it wasn¡¯t Roy or Bavi who came. A rider in blue chainmail, grey cloak, and iron helm was charging into the forest, looking panicked.


    Frik¡¯s heart sank, and he put a finger against his lips. A single rider could take out all of them, and he hoped they could at least stay out of his sight. Thedies were used to dealing with dangers like these, so they quickly covered their children¡¯s mouths, whispering into their ears and calming them down.


    However, one didn¡¯t. Yugni¡¯s child was but a year old, and the gentledy couldn¡¯t do it, worried that she might suffocate the boy. The cloppings of the horse¡¯s hooves were like the thumpings of a drum, and it woke the child.


    Then his cries pierced through the woods, and the rider froze. He pulled on the horse¡¯s reins and turned around, glowering in the direction of the baby¡¯s cries.


    ¡°Run!¡± Frik shouted, pulling his bowstring back.


    Thedies ran off in different directions. The arrow shot straight at the rider¡¯s face, but he tilted his head, and his helm deflected the arrow. He swayed for a moment, but the rider remained firmly on the back of the horse. He held his mace high up in the air, its edge glinting menacingly. The rider¡¯s horse neighed, his eyes ring with madness. With his eyes locked on to his target, the rider charged ahead, and winds howled.


    Frik rolled out of the way, barely dodging the horse and its rider¡¯s attack. The horse charged ahead, leaving the rider¡¯s back wide open. Firk stood up and fired off an arrow, and it buried itself into the horse¡¯s rear.


    Blood spilled, and the horse whinnied as it raised its front legs up high. The rider¡¯s haphazard way of riding and hisckluster boots proved to be his downfall. He was flung off the back of the horse and fell into theyer of mulch. Then he rolled away, leaving his helm and mace behind.


    Frik whipped out his sword and charged at the rider. The edge connected, and if it weren¡¯t for his chainmail, the rider¡¯s back would¡¯ve been split in two, but s, the blow was not fatal.


    The rider let out a roar and pounced at Frik like a tiger. He pinned down the hunter¡¯s limbs and whipped out a short sword from his buckle. The rider swung his weapon down, and a sh arced through the air.


    The knife found itself buried in the flesh of Frik, the rider cruelly gouging out his flesh. Gashes and wounds carved themselves on Frik¡¯s body, and blood spurted high in the air, drenching his shirt before slowly seeping into the leaves on the ground. Pain seared his soul as strength left him.


    A few scenes shed in his head. One in particr, was Yugni sitting with him beside the bonfire, holding their children and smiling at him. His brother, Bavi, would be right across, and beside him was his wife, Maria. They were talking about a bright future, but that was only an unreachable dream for the hunter now.


    And then the rider fell backward. Yugni was holding a bloodstained stick behind him, her eyes wide, and her body shivering. No longer was Frik pinned down. With thest of his strength, he got back up andunched himself at the rider. Without any weapon in his hands, he only had his teeth to rely on. Like a feral beast, he leaned down and tore through his enemy¡¯s throat, cutting off his windpipe. Blood drenched the hunter¡¯s mouth, but he didn¡¯t stop until he tore out the rider¡¯s throat, and his face contorted with rage.


    Still the hunter went on tearing through his enemy. The rider spasmed for a moment, but eventually, he was still. A few momentster, all the strength left Frik, and he fell beside the bloody corpse of the rider. He was panting heavily, and his pupils were dting.


    ¡°Frik! Frik!¡± Her child behind her back, Yugni quickly tried to push down on the wound on Frik¡¯s belly, trying to stuff his innards back in. Thedies and children huddled around him, tearing clothes off to make bandages, but no matter what they did, the blood would not stop.


    Some of them sobbed. ¡°He¡¯s done for. His insides are broken.¡±


    ¡°Bavi, my brother, have you found Maria?¡± Frik suddenly asked, and he was stammering. He was staring at the air, as if he could see his brother waiting for him.


    Yugni held his hand against her cheek. Frik felt a hint of warmthing from his hand, but still he stared at the air, asking quickly, ¡°Will you¡­ marry me¡­ Yugni? On my life, I swear¡­ I will¡­ protect you¡­ and the child.¡±


    ¡°I do! We¡¯ll marry! We¡¯ll marry once we get to Mayena!¡± The blond widow nodded quickly, shouting as loudly as she could, tears glistening in her eyes.


    Her child stopped crying, staring at the pale, bloodstained man. For some reason, he was unafraid, but his courage could not stay Frik.


    His hand fell, limp.


    ***


    Roy returned a few minutester, and his dog happily came to him, barking. The blinks had exhausted all his mana. He used Activate and downed a few mana potions. That gave him a headache.


    When he came back to the woods, he was greeted by a crackling bonfire and chaos. A dozen helpless women paced around. Some were praying under their breaths, some were crying, and the children looked red, crying and ring at the corpse of a man in chainmail with hatred.


    Yugni was on the ground, holding a blood-drenched Frik. She was pale as a ghost, staring at the night sky vacantly. The air around her reeked of despair and confusion.


    Roy heaved a long sigh, mncholy filling his heart. This rider was but a weakling to him, and yet he was a lethal threat to these refugees. I told you to stay put! Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?


    ¡°Auckes is back!¡± A gaunt, wrinkly woman came to Roy, crying. Everyone else huddled around him too, seekingfort and safety. They needed someone to lean on. To talk about their fears with. ¡°Frik is gone. He¡­ he went down with the bastard to protect us! He was a noble man! He shouldn¡¯t have died!¡±


    A woman with a bloated face screamed, ¡°Melitele! Why did you take from us the one who followed your teachings?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bavi?¡± another woman asked quickly. ¡°He went to help you. Why¡¯d youe back alone? Where is he? Answer me!¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯s dead? What should we do?¡±


    Silence fell upon Roy. He then cut through the crowd and came to Frik¡¯s corpse. Then he waved his hand, and another corpse appeared on the ground.¡±Once again, and for thest time, the twin hunters from upper Sodden were reunited. All life was gone from them, and so were their smiles.


    ¡°Bavi¡¯s dead!¡± The cries became louder and louder, until the whole forest was drowning with them. Until the howls of the wolves were drowned out. The refugees were plunged into chaos.


    Some women realized something was off. Wait. How¡¯d he produce the body out of nowhere?


    ¡°Auckes, you shouldn¡¯t have helped that brat.¡± A fatdy with a red face shouted, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t left and fought those bandits, they wouldn¡¯t havee to us! Bavi and Frik wouldn¡¯t have died!¡±


    ¡°This is all that lutin¡¯s fault!¡±


    ¡°No. If Yugni¡¯s child hadn¡¯t cried, the rider wouldn¡¯t have seen us, and Frik would¡¯ve lived!¡± another woman said.


    Yugni¡¯s shoulders shivered, and she held her baby tightly, curling up.


    ¡°Silence!¡± A magical roar undted across the woods, silencing the women, and they stood petrified.


    A breeze blew through the woods, and only the crackles of open mes could be heard.


    ¡°Sorry, Auckes. We didn¡¯t mean to me you. We¡¯re just terrified. We have no idea what to do now. You won¡¯t leave us, will you?¡±


    ¡°Please, stay. We¡¯ll go to Mayena together.¡±


    Roy said nothing. He looked at the women with cold indifference, and a pregnant pause fell upon the woods.


    A beautiful, busty woman puffed her chest out. ¡°Name your request. We¡¯ll do anything. We have nothing but our children and bodies left. You can marry one of us if you¡¯d like. Just pick anyone you want, and she¡¯ll marry you once we get to Mayena.¡±


    The women quickly made offers, worried they might lose Roy if they didn¡¯t.


    The first woman asked, ¡°Do you like Yugni?¡± She approached the tearful widow, holding her shoulders down and pushing her toward the witcher. Yugni quickly grabbed the witcher¡¯s leg, but Roy pulled her up.


    ¡°Her would-be husband has died valiantly. She is once again without anyone to rely on. Will you ept her? We are not forcing her to do anything. Ask her. She¡¯s more than willing to marry you.¡±


    Roy said nothing. Yugni looked at her child, her eyes filled with sorrow and pity. She then gritted her teeth and held the witcher¡¯s arm. ¡°Take us to Mayena, and I am yours.¡±


    A frown furrowed Roy¡¯s brows, and absurdity shot up within him. Then it was reced by fury. He then clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. If you marry me, then what about your promise to Frik? You¡¯re just going to abandon that? After all he did for you? He red at Yugni with fury.


    ***


    The re made Yugni¡¯s heart skip a beat, and she thought she saw a bloody tentacle swinging around behind the witcher. A scream escaped her lips, and she scurried backward with her child in arms. But then she tripped on a vine and fell.


    When she snapped out of it, the illusion was already nowhere to be seen. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want deadweight, Auckes.¡± She held the baby, kneeling to the witcher. The boy was sucking on his thumb, staring at Roy with big, beautiful eyes. The woman pleaded loudly, ¡°But the child is innocent. We¡¯ll be at the camp in about four days. Please, help us.¡±


    ***


    The kids hid behind their mothers, looking at Roy with fearful eyes. The fury he presented earlier was different from his usual self. There was danger within him, and he was not the same person they knew.


    Everyone thought Roy would leave them to fend for themselves, but Roy¡¯s fury abated like the waves of the sea, then he sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll set off tomorrow.¡± There was exhaustion in his voice, as if he had just healed from a grave illness. The women heaved a collective sigh of relief. ¡°For now, we rest.¡±


    He took the corpses and wandered into the depths of the woods, and the witcher quickly dug a big hole in the ground with his des. He took the statue of Maria from Bavi and held it firmly, then the witcher made a decision.


    He put the brothers in the hole and buried them. A stretch of wood was cut into a que, and Roy attached it firmly before the brothers¡¯ final resting ce. With a small knife, he etched the words, Here lies Bavi and Frik, hunters of Sodden Hill. They have lived their lives honoring the creed of kindness and valor, helping those who needed it. May they find peace.


    ***


    A cry came from behind the witcher. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± Yugni went past the witcher and knelt before the grave, holding her child in her arms. She was shaking from sorrow. ¡°They would¡¯ve gotten to Sodden a long time ago if not for us.¡± She brushed her hand across the wooden que.


    ***


    Roy didn¡¯tfort her. He quietly led his pets up the oak tree and sat on one of its branches, keeping an eye on the woman and child underneath. Something in his eyes darkened. Why, you two? We were just talking about the future yesterday, and now you¡¯re gone. ¡°Humans. Their lives are so fragile.¡±


    Something rustled around the grave, and more women and their children came to the grave, kneeling and praying. Roy watched in silence.


    Before dawn came, the godling came back with Dorothy, who had changed into new clothes.

 Chapter 501 - 501: Refugee Camp

    Chapter 501: Refugee Camp


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Another day dawned upon thend, dappled sunlight shining down on the tents in the woods. The women were still sound asleep, holding their children tightly in their arms, their faces greasy and covered in tear tracks.


    Roy leapt off the oak tree andnded without making a sound. The godling and the girl followed him.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait, friend. Dorothy, I, and my furry friends buried the vigersst night. Leaving their corpses out might attract unnecessary danger and turn the whole ce into a monster den. Thank you for chasing off the baddies and saving Dorothy.¡± Donny held Roy¡¯s hand and swayed it around happily, his eyes shining with hope and delight. ¡°How can we ever thank you?¡±


    Dorothy was behind Donny. She had changed into a clean dress. Grey in color, and the fabric was cheap. Her eyes were red and puffy, but there was gratitude in her gaze. And worship. The memory of the witcher killing off the bandits effortlessly had left asting impression on the girl, and she felt nothing but the satisfaction of revenge seeing him do that. She kept bowing to her savior.


    Since Roy wasn¡¯t saying anything, Donny whipped out a ck nut and handed it to the witcher. The witcher popped it into his mouth despite the nut being covered in soil and grass. His eyes looked a little vacant, and silence fell upon them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too happy, friend. Did something happenst night?¡± The godling noticed the look on Roy¡¯s face and realized he must be sullen. ¡°Did the banditse back? I saw a bunch of women and children on my way back. But the men are missing. Where are they?¡±


    Roy looked at the woods behind him, and Donny peered into them as well. He saw a grave staring back at him, and the light in his eyes dimmed. He stared at his feet, feeling guilty. ¡°I did this to them. If I hadn¡¯t asked you to help¡­¡±


    ¡°Their murderers are dead. They shall face judgment soon. And this is not your fault.¡± Roy shook his head and chortled. ¡°The fault is mine. I should¡¯ve been more prudent.¡± Frik could¡¯ve lived. If he¡¯d left Gryphon or his sword around, he could¡¯ve teleported back right away. If he had drilled the warning of danger into Bavi¡¯s head, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to help, but Roy neglected that. He thought he could easily kill the bandits and leave no man alive. He thought they were nothing but training targets and EXP, but his arrogance proved to be a fatal mistake. ¡°I should¡¯ve been more careful.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to pay our respects.¡± The godling and the girl came to the grave and knelt before it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my friends. I promise I¡¯lle here every week and tell you all the stories I¡¯ve seen. My friends will keep a watchful eye over you. No one will disturb your rest.¡±


    Dorothy sniffled and whispered a prayer for the souls under her breath. The trio stood before the grave for a long, long time.


    The sun shone brightly overhead. The refugees had woken up and started to move around. ¡°We still haven¡¯t thanked you for your help, Auckes,¡± Donny said.


    Roy took a deep breath. ¡°Godlings know a lot about their turf, right? Have you seen a man with white hair and a pair of swords like mine pass through your turf? And there should be a girl with green eyes and mouse-grey hair.¡±


    ¡°A white-haired man?¡± Donny¡¯s sadness was reced by a look of musing, and he scratched his head.


    Dorothy raised her head. ¡°I-I¡¯ve seen him. It was nine days ago, and a big, strong man came to ask for directions. White hair, eyes like a cat¡¯s, handsome, and had two swords strapped to his back. And he had a ck mare with him. He asked the exact same question.¡± Dorothy continued, ¡°He was looking for a green-eyed girl, but no one saw her.¡± She stared at the ground, tearing up. ¡°The bandits hadn¡¯te back then. The chief told him to search in Mayena. The girl perhaps had gone with the refugees. He should be at the camp by now.¡±


    I knew it. Roy nodded, heaving a sigh of relief. Pity Geralt couldn¡¯t find Ciri.


    ¡°So what now, friend?¡± Donny asked. ¡°Will you go to Mayena?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave these people to fend for themselves, can I? What about you?¡± Roy looked at Dorothy. ¡°Her friends and family are gone, so care toe with us? You¡¯ll be homeless if you stay here. What if more bandits show up? Or worse, beasts and monsters?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not leaving.¡± The girl looked up and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m staying with Donny.¡±


    Roy stared at them in surprise, wondering if he¡¯d heard them wrongly. A human staying with a godling? He had never heard of humans and godlings getting into a rtionship. They were too far apart in terms of gics. Even witchers are closer to humans in terms of genes.


    ¡°I know how to survive the wilds. I¡¯ll make sure she eats well.¡± Donny counted his fingers. Happily, he said, ¡°If she¡¯s bored, I can take her fishing or swinging or riding boars and catfish. This whole ce is our yground. I¡¯ll protect Dorothy this time. I won¡¯t let any bandit hurt her.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Dorothy smiled and held the godling¡¯s hand. ¡°I know you¡¯ll take care of me, just like you¡¯ve been doing. I trust you.¡±


    ¡°But have you ever considered your future?¡± Roy said, dousing their enthusiasm. ¡°Can you survive the wilds? What will happen when you grow older? Will you keep staying in the wilds? You won¡¯t be marrying anyone or raising a family?¡±


    ***


    The seemingly callous questions marred Donny¡¯s mood, and he hung his head low, but Dorothy didn¡¯t hesitate. She held the godling¡¯s hand firmly and, with determination, said, ¡°Everyone was just living their own lives, doing honest work, but then the baddies came and took all our coins. And then they tortured everyone. Dad, Mom¡­ everyone! Everyone died!¡± She raised her voice. ¡°Human scum are worse than the most ferocious beasts or monsters. Even if I do go to the refugee camp, we don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll run into there. Just thinking about it makes me shiver. I¡¯d rather live my whole life with Donny. At least he won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    Roy was silent. He couldn¡¯t me Dorothy for having this change in perspective after the harrowing tragedy. That was her choice, and he wouldn¡¯t persuade her to do otherwise. ¡°Very well. Then I wish you happiness and peace.¡± Roy woke his pets up. It was time to leave.


    ¡°A minute, friend. I haven¡¯t given you your reward.¡± Donny whipped out a bag of crowns from his pockets. Roy estimated that there were at least two hundred crowns in it. ¡°The bastards didn¡¯t take this in time, and Dorothy won¡¯t be needing this anyway.¡±


    The girl nodded.


    ¡°So you can take this, friend. I insist. You¡¯re a kind witcher. You can use this to help more people.¡±


    Oh, so he knew. The sunsses didn¡¯t fool him. And I thought taking only one sword with me could fool him. Roy didn¡¯t refuse the offer.


    ¡°Oh, a mule alone won¡¯t be enough for all these people and cargo.¡± Donny mped down on his fingers and made a loud whistle.


    A pair of long, straight ears popped out of a thistle bush, and a long, yellow face appeared. It was a wild donkey over six-foot-six tall, and the donkey happily came to the godling. Donny held its ear and whispered into it.


    The donkey whinnied and approached Roy, hanging its head low. It was ready to work at any moment.


    Donny said, ¡°I¡¯ve told her to escort the cargo to Mayena. Smack its rear eight times when you get to your destination, and it¡¯ll run straight home. Do please be kind to her. Don¡¯t let anyone capture her, or she¡¯s going to be skinned alive.¡±


    Roy smiled and patted the donkey¡¯s head. ¡°Goodbye, you two. I¡¯lle back if I can.¡± He wondered how far a godling and a human could take their rtionship.


    ***


    Roy came back to the campsite and woke the refugees up, then they continued north. With the extra donkey providing a ce to rest for the exhausted refugees, they were moving faster than before. They used to move at a snail¡¯s pace, but now they were moving like rabbits.


    ¡°You had no reason to escort us, but you did,¡± said Yugni. ¡°I know you¡¯re a kind person.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to Bavi and Frik. I¡¯d rather not be kind.¡±


    The widow shut up and backed off.


    ***


    ¡°Auckes, they say refugee camps are filthy and smell like arse. Filled with thieves and perverts.¡± The beautiful, busty woman came to Roy, swaying her hips. Uneasily, she said, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for a bunch of women to stay with the refugees. Can you take us into the city? If you can¡¯t take all of us, then take me alone.¡±


    ¡°And I suggest that you quit while you¡¯re ahead. Be content.¡±


    Failing her negotiations, the woman left.


    ***


    Even though Roy took over the twins¡¯ ce, he refused to talk much to these women. Even though the widows would frequently loiter around him and show off their curvy bodies as a token of gratitude, Roy refused to warm up to them. Their enthusiasm could not warm the heart of the witcher.


    ***


    The journey went on for a week, and more and more people showed up on the path. Sometimes Roy would see horse carriages lugging cargo around, the wheels creaking against the ground.


    Still, that did not mean they were safe. Roy had to fight off a bunch of nekkers at night once. And he had to fend off three waves of peasants-turned-robbers. They were armed with nothing but farming tools and crude armor. If it were only these women and children, they would have died on this path a long time ago.


    On the fourth day, they saw a great, magnificent stone wall unfurling before them, and thedies knew they had arrived at their destination. Roy took off the saddlebag from the donkey and smacked its rear eight times, then he saw it run off into the woods.


    ***


    Mayena was a military fortress located in southern Maribor. Dozens of Temerian soldiers were stationed on the walls and outside the entrance. They were armed with bow and arrows and crossbows, checking the people who came into the fortress. A line of merchants and peasants formed outside the entrance.


    It had only been ten minutes since Roy and his group came, but already he saw groups of refugees who tried to sneak into the fortress getting pushed away. They cursed under their breath and came back out to the filth where they called home. The space outside the walls were filled with putrid waters and rancid air. This was where thedies would settle: the refugee camp.


    Roy backed off quietly and stood at the end of the line, keeping a bit of distance between him and thedies in case he got any unwanted attention. The refugee camp smelled like rotten vegetables and manure. It was made of carriages, wooden shacks, and tents. A few campfires sat around the ce.


    The refugee camp housed more than four hundred people, andmotions happened everywhere. The cacophony of noises rang out in the air and yed a horrifically off-tune symphony made worse by the shrieks and squawks of livestock.


    Order was nonexistent here. The filth of human nature was on full disy, with people cursing and cussing however they liked. A few gaunt men with tattered clothes and dark circles were swaying and dancing erratically in the clearing before their tents. Perhaps they were performing some kind of art hitherto unknown to mankind.


    Or perhaps they were just mad.


    Thedies weren¡¯t beautiful, but put them all together and toss in a mule, and they became an attraction. Unkempt, scious men peered from within their tents, leering at thedies, catcalling them. Their desires could not be more obvious.


    Some of the tents housed skeletal women. Their eyes were vacant, the looks on their faces hollow. Every time a man came in, they would pull down the curtains, and the tent would start to shake. This was how the refugees released their stress.


    Roy looked around, hoping to see Ciri or Geralt. There were no rules in this camp. If anyone wanted a spot, they could mark it with their tents, provided that no one else was there. All the clean spots were taken up. Thedies had to set up camp around the outer ring of the settlement. The gazes the men were giving them made thedies uneasy, and they wanted to run.


    But they could not. They must learn how to get used to this.


    Three rounds of checkingter, Roy confirmed that Geralt and Ciri were not in this camp, so he turned his sights to the wall. I gotta go inside.


    Thedies found a pleasant surprise. Friends from a vige neighboring Willow Vige came to them. There were a lot of them too, and not just women and children either. The friends shared their sorrow andmiserated, crying their hearts out.


    If everything went well, these people would take in the widows, and they would make this ce their home. Roy stood in the distance, watching this unfold, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Finally. I did what the brothers wanted to do, and now I can ditch these people.


    ***


    He thought it was a bit of a shame. He thought thedies would at leaste and say their thanks and bid him goodbye, but delight had taken over their hearts. They drowned in it, forgetting everything else.


    ¡°Do you see, you two?¡± Roy patted the heads of his pets. ¡°Some people only know how to take and not give. Let this be a reminder to stay in our ownne next time.¡± And he left.


    But before he could go far, a voice quickly called out to him. The blond widow came after him, holding her baby. She was breathing heavily, wiping the sweat off her forehead. With glittering eyes, she looked at Roy. ¡°Thank you.¡± She repeated solemnly, ¡°Thank you for taking care of my friends and family. Thank you for putting up with us.¡±


    ¡°I ept your gratitude.¡± Roy nodded, the look in his eyes softening. His dissatisfaction toward this woman had melted considerably.


    ¡°Auckes, you might not want to admit it, but you¡¯re a good man. You¡¯re more of a man than the cowards and perverts who only know how to take it out at people weaker than them.¡± She stared at the witcher, longing ring in her eyes, and then it was reced by dejection. ¡°But I have nothing to give you.¡± She then gave him a hug.


    The witcher caught the whiff of sweat and¡­ something else, but he was unfazed.


    ¡°Goodbye, Auckes.¡± Yugni retreated, holding her baby in her arms, waving goodbye. She teared up, and through sobs, she said, ¡°I will pray for you. When Harry grows up, I¡¯ll tell them about your story. The tale of Bavi, Frik, and Auckes.¡±


    Hesitation shed in Roy¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared right away. ¡°Here.¡± He went ahead and held Yugni¡¯s hand, stuffing a bag of coins to her. ¡°Take it. May it bring you luck. Live well, you two.¡±


    ***


    Yugni saw the witcher off, then she came to a quiet corner and opened up the sack. What she saw made her tear up again. There were twenty crowns inside, just enough for her and her baby to find their footing in this unfamiliarnd.


    ***


    ¡°I stepped out of myne.¡± Roy saw Yugni off and smirked. He had held back, however. He would¡¯ve told the woman to seek him out in the city if she needed something. After all, she was the only one who showed gratitude to him. But s, he couldn¡¯t make that promise. There were a lot of people who needed help, but he was just one man.


    Time for business. Roy circled the walls of the fortress a few times and came to a rtively quiet and remote spot. There were barely any guards here. He pulled Gabriel¡¯s trigger. The sound alerted the guards, and they looked around cautiously, though there was nothing to be found.


    Roy had blinked into the city. Through the ever twisting alleyways he went, and eventually, he arrived at the streets before the fortress.

 Chapter 502 - 502: Prison

    Chapter 502: Prison


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Mayena, at least to Sodden and Brugge, was the stop between those two cities and Temeria¡¯s second biggest city¡ªMaribor. Despite that, Mayena was a lot smaller than Vizima, Ender, and Cintra. There was a single path in the city, with alleyways branching out all around it, leading to the civilian area. Behind those alleyways were the walls and turrets overseeing the wilderness.


    Thanks to its geography, Mayena¡¯s trading scene was quite lively. Shops lined the streets, selling a hundred different kinds of merchandise. Flowers, perfume, necessities, and more. Sellers and merchants happily waved at the onlookers, hoping to gain some sales.


    Roy walked around, but there was no sign of Geralt. And so, he went to the hub of information: the inn.


    Most inns would be quiet in the morning, but the Slug Inn¡ªthe biggest inn in the city center¡ªwas merry and rowdy. Dim light swayed, the scent of alcohol filled the air, and the sprightly tune of a lute yed out for the patrons.


    Roy sat in front of the counter and listened for a while. Drunk patrons wriggled and writhed on the dance floor, their beer bellies swaying rigorously. Despite their best attempts, these people could only manage something that resembled wriggling caterpirs, trying to dance, only to have their feet go in different directions all at once.


    Some of the men were holding waitresses in their arms, hiding in the corners of the inn and cracking jokes. Thedies would let out a chuckle and smack the men¡¯s hairy chests and arms. Some men leaned on the windowsill, arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. They looked like death row inmates having theirst drink, though they were just dozing off, and their drool fell onto the street outside.


    The round tables of the inn were upied by its many customers. Tan, brooding men¡ªwho spoke in an obviously Maribor ent¡ªwereining about the intion that had happenedtely. Three times in a month! That was what they said. They weren¡¯t making enough to even put food on the table, and for that, they med the refugees, whom they imed to be eating for free.


    Another pot-bellied man who obviously came from Cintra bragged about his glorious past to his friend. He was obviously drunk, and he talked about how he had carriages, a beautiful wife, and a healthy son. But all of that was taken from him after the war. Nilfgaard took away his estates, and he was alone. The coins he had with him were given freely to the inns of Mayena. Once he spent hisst coin, the soldiers would kick him out of the city, and he would have to live with the refugees like he was one of them, subsisting off of crude food and disgusting water.


    A burly Sodden man was downing mugs of dwarven liquor. His face was red, and his eyes were filled with fury. Roy thought he might start a fight at any moment. He cursed the Nilfgaardian troops, iming that if he had joined the Battle of Sodden Hill, he would¡¯ve kicked those soldiers back to the south and reimed Cintra and married the missing princess. Unfortunately, he imed, he was sleeping during the day of the war. When he woke up, most of Cintra had fallen. The King of Sodden had died, and his nephew¡ªthe king of Temeria¡ªwould annex Sodden into his kingdom. The manined further, this time about Foltest. He med the king for acting too slowly, wondering why he still hadn¡¯t sent any soldiers to attack Sodden.


    ***


    The inn was filled with people from the northern kingdoms, but they shared the same fate: discement by war. They were depressed, angry, enraged, and sad, and the inn provided a ce for them to vent their feelings.


    The overly muscr bouncers who stood at the entrance made sure no one caused any trouble, and all it took was a look from them.


    ***


    The bartender looked at the customer sitting before the counter. He was slender and decked out in leather armor and a pair of sunsses. Calm, collected, and as handsome as the boy toys kept by the aristocrats. The customer looked deadpan, and the bartender noticed the muscles in his arms. Lean, powerful, and dangerous. This is no ordinary man. ¡°What would it be, guvnor?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°Cherry wine, please,¡± thed said. He had a nice voice.


    The bartender wiped his hands on his apron and poured the pink cherry wine into a big mug. Then he ced the mug before the witcher, waiting for him to ask a question.


    ¡°Anything memorable happenedtely?¡±


    ¡°You a merc? Trying to get a job?¡± The bartender cleaned the bottles on the rack. ¡°Came to the right ce. They¡¯re trying to rebuild Sodden after the war, and the merchants are hauling supplies around. They¡¯re looking for bodyguards. If you¡¯d like, I can hook you up with someone.¡±


    Roy stared at the bartender quietly.


    ¡°Oh, pardon me. There are a lot of things happening around the world every day, especially Mayena. Sodden ain¡¯t that far away from us, as you know, and it¡¯s the center of all themotion. Heard all the kings of the north¡ªFoltest, Demavend, Henselt, and the lot¡ªare going to see an emissary from the south soon. That meeting is going to decide the future of this war.¡± The bartender cleared his throat and refilled Roy¡¯s mug.


    ¡°The refugees are going to balloon in numbers, but we can¡¯t take in any more of them. We¡¯ve requested financial aid from the king multiple times. Two days ago, a female corpse was found in an alleyway. She was the daughter of a local merchant, allegedly killed by Sodden immigrants. The merchants¡¯ guild are going to pressure the head of security and find out who the killer is. They wish to put them to death.¡±


    The bartender stopped talking, and he stared at the witcher, requesting more money.


    ¡°Another mug, please.¡± Roy paid him three crowns and ten coppers.


    Happily, the bartender tucked the crowns into his apron¡¯s pocket, and he filled Roy¡¯s mug again. ¡°A week ago, a merchant from Outer Rivia abducted Ains, the honorary ambassador. And, perhaps he was very brave or very stupid, but he came back. The soldiers captured him. Took him to the dungeons for interrogation.¡±


    Outer Rivia was the area between Lyria and Rivia and the east side of Sodden.


    ¡°Curiously, the merchant had with him a powerful mercenary. A white-haired mutant. He too was captured.¡±


    ¡°A white-haired mutant?¡± Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I don¡¯t think there are any other witchers with white hair out there except for Geralt. ¡°About six foot two, lean, and had two swords with him?¡±


    The bartender smiled.


    ¡°Another.¡±


    The bartender shook his head and raised five fingers. Roy pushed the stool back and stood up, blocking the bodyguards¡¯ line of sight, then he quickly made a Sign. Axii rooted itself in the bartender¡¯s mind, and he answered Roy¡¯s question.


    ¡°That mutant is Geralt of Rivia. Obviously came from the same ce as the merchant. Must¡¯ve hired him to kidnap the honorary ambassador together. They had nothing to prove their innocence, so they made up a story. Said Ainz was melted. They are used of kidnapping. Some even said they came from the fallen Cintra. used them of being Nilfgaard¡¯s spies. Serious crime, if you ask me. Ainz is one of the food suppliers of this fortress. He¡¯s a big reason a lot of the refugees have something to eat. Now that he¡¯s gone, prices are about to inte again. As if the people aren¡¯t having it hard enough. The head of security is livid, and he locked them up in the dungeon. It¡¯s right under the tallest tower on the north side of the city.¡±


    Gods, Geralt. Why¡¯d you run into this mess? Couldn¡¯t you focus on finding Ciri? Roy drank some of his wine. You¡¯re a witcher. Why¡¯d you let the soldiers catch you? You could¡¯ve fought back. Or just Axiied them. He looked at the bartender. ¡°How can I get into the dungeon?¡±


    The bartender paused for a moment, and his eyes shone. ¡°Money makes the world go round.¡±


    ***


    A torch that smelled like charred wood was stabbed into the sconce on the cragged wall, and its light shone on two silhouettes, their shadows dancing on the ground.


    The white-haired witcher stirred and woke from his meditation. The paining from his body had subsided, and he wiped his face, looking around. The prison opposite his housed two unkempt criminals, breathing quietly. Lying beside Geralt was a ball of flesh covered in tattered robes, blood, and whip marks.


    That ball of flesh used to be a pudgy, kindly merchant. It had been but a week since they were sentenced to jail, but already the merchant was on the verge of breaking down. ¡°Still hanging in there, Yurga?¡± Geralt patted the merchant¡¯s back.


    Yurga grunted and woke up. ¡°Ow, my back. Are we still in the dungeon, Geralt?¡± Yurga rubbed his eyes with his dirt-covered hands. He thought that all this darkness was just a hallucination.


    ¡°Yeah, and we¡¯re going to stay here until kingdome if no onees to save us. That, or we¡¯ll be burned at the stake,¡± said Geralt calmly.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Yurga pushed himself up and leaned on the cold, wet wall. His face was wet, and frustration welled in his beady eyes. ¡°Sorry, Geralt. I dragged you into this. You saved my life, but instead of paying you for your work, I dragged you into this whole mess. There¡¯s no way we can hand Ainz back to them. We¡¯re going to rot in this ce.¡± Yurga held his pale, bloated face and sobbed. Then he held his head and squealed like a pig. ¡°I¡¯ll never see Goldencheeks again. She¡¯s still young. Not even twenty-five, and now she¡¯s going to be a widow! No¡­ no, she might take my wealth and remarry. By the gods, our sons! Nadbor and Sulik are still young, and they¡¯re going to be facing an abusive stepfather in my absence. What should I do?¡±


    Geralt shook his head. How is it possible for someone to have so many emotions that they have to let it out every single day? ¡°Yurga, save your breath.¡± The White Wolf spat, a metallic taste spreading in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt a lot more if you can¡¯t scream when you get whipped.¡±


    The steel door of the dungeon¡¯s entrance opened by an inch, allowing some light to pour into the darkness. The opening of the door was nothing less than the demon¡¯s summons, and Yurga shivered. ¡°They¡¯re here again. Freya, Melitele, Lebioda, Eternal Fire, gods, help me! Please let me be invincible just this once!¡±


    Sounds of light footsteps closed in, and the pair held their breaths. However, there were no barks of the guards, nor was there any opening of the door. Instead, a chuckle was heard ringing in the air. The light of the torch shone on a familiar figure.


    ¡°Roy?¡± Geralt looked at his grinning friend, and he heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°How¡¯d you get in here?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. But I can¡¯t stay for long. Fifteen minutes, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡± The White Wolf held the steel bars, and something within him stirred. ¡°You knew I¡¯d get in trouble, so you came to save me.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the angle you want to take, fine by me.¡± Roy looked at Geralt. He was filthy, smelled like a nekker, and his skin was covered in scabs and scars. Even his hair lost its usual sheen. He chided, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d let them capture you without putting up a fight. What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°You know this man, Geralt?¡± Yurga quickly squeezed his face against the steel bars, and it almost distorted his face, parting his brows apart. Then the fat merchant grinned sycophantically at Roy. ¡°Can you help us out of here?¡±


    ¡°Slow down, friend. This is Roy, mypanion.¡± Geralt looked at Roy. ¡°You know that Destiny hasn¡¯t been kind to me. She loves to put me through trials, and this is but one of them. I must get through this trial if I wish to find Ciri. Any form of cheating or giving up is going to end with punishment.¡±


    Roy shook his head in disdain. He then turned his gaze to the fat merchant, and he kept his arguments to himself. This¡­ pudgy merchant was more than met the eye. Roy knew him. He was an important figure in Geralt¡¯s search for Ciri. Roy thought that Geralt would never meet this man with the war breaking out early. The butterfly effect might have changed things, but instead, their meeting happened in a different way.


    Geralt had a point. Destiny, or to be exact, the Law of Surprise, made sure that Geralt would cross paths with Yurga no matter what. ¡°I¡¯m going to bust you out, but first, I need to know the whole story. What happened?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Let me exin, Roy.¡± Yurga straightened out his tattered cor. ¡°I was there for the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Make it quick, Yurga.¡±


    ¡°One week ago, Mayena¡¯s food supplier and honorary ambassador, Ainz, met with me in the northern woods for a negotiation. He was going to purchase the supplies Rivia and Sodden needed, while I would use my connections in Rivia to get him the food he needed.¡±


    A negotiation in the woods? That was surprising, but Roy let the man talk.


    ¡°Negotiations broke down right away. Ainz wanted to purchase moldy grain and infested flour. If we used that to make bread, it would kill whoever ate it. I didn¡¯t even have to guess who would be the ones eating it. The refugees are already poor enough. What Ainz had in mind for them was far more than cruelty.¡±


    Oh, he was going to buy rotten food for the refugees?


    ¡°The deal could make me a mountain of coins, but I refused. I would not sell out my conscience for wealth.¡± Yurga tensed up, his eyes filled with justice, though his chubby face was trembling in an amusing way.


    Roy looked at Geralt, and the White Wolf nodded. He had verified this with Axii.


    Didn¡¯t expect that from this guy. Roy had another question. But Ainz was Mayena¡¯s honorary ambassador. There¡¯s no reason for him to do something that evil.


    ¡°It was on the return trip that all hell broke loose. We were passing through the woods when a blinding sh of red light appeared. It felt like a thousand red candles were lit up at the same time, and their light surrounded the forest.¡± The merchant had a weird look in his eyes. There was fear¡­ and longing. ¡°That was a red sun. And it shone magnificently.¡±


    And then Roy had a weird look on his face.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, I, Brofi, Ainz, and Mateo went into the red light. We searched around for five minutes, but there was nothing to be found. The light seemed to appear out of nowhere. And so we tried to leave.¡± He paused, staring at the corridor for a while, and then an eerie light glinted in his eyes. He clicked his tongue at the sleeping inmates across them, and he raised his voice. ¡°But Ainz disappeared!¡±


    ¡°He disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Like a melting candle. He was lit by a red fire, burning him up from the inside.¡±


    Is that supposed to be a horror story? Roy looked at Geralt, but the White Wolf nodded.


    ¡°I had no idea where the fire came from. It burned and burned, but there was no smokeing from Ainz. He managed to let out a scream, and then he was burned to cinders and disappeared into thin air. Even his clothes were turned to ash. Not a single strand of his hair was left.¡±


    Roy¡¯s face darkened. He thought this was just a simple missing persons case. He could¡¯ve just used his Witcher Senses to deal with it, but now he knew things were not that simple. This is big. This is nothing I¡¯ve heard before. Red light covering the whole woods and something like a selfbustion. It takes a lot of heat just to burn someone down to ash. Not even the dragons in Skyrim can do that. I don¡¯t think most of the sorcerers in this world can either.


    Roy tried to search his memory for any simr case, but there was nothing. This was even more unbelievable than Flynn absorbing the dragon¡¯s soul. The young witcher turned to Geralt. ¡°Yurga could have been high on something. Alcohol, or maybe the drugs the aristocrats love so much. Could¡¯ve been a hallucination.¡±


    ¡°I checked him, but there were no traces of any substance in his body.¡±


    ¡°So you think he¡¯s telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Geralt said. ¡°Though I do not know why that happened.¡±


    ¡°Roy, I don¡¯t mind you calling me ugly or conservative, but do not question my integrity. Businesses are built on that.¡±


    ¡°Shut it. Finish the story.¡±


    ¡°Brofi, Mateo, and I were shaken. Worried that we might be next, we scrambled out of the woods. I was too fat, see, and the rascals left me behind. I was tired, scared, and my muscles felt like they would kill me. When I was passing by a log over a chasm¡ªthat was the path I had to take toe back¡ªI slipped and almost fell.¡± The memory of that filled Yurga¡¯s eyes with pain. ¡°I¡¯m over two hundred pounds heavy, and I was hanging on nothing but a log, a chasm waiting for me beneath. I was like a fish out of water, struggling to breathe. Every moment of that was torture.¡±


    ¡°And Geralt passed by, so he saved you,¡± Roy guessed.


    ¡°Exactly. I was dying, so I promised I¡¯d do anything for him. Then Geralt saved me.¡± Yurga smiled at the White Wolf and added, ¡°I know what witchers want, and I¡¯d love for any of my sons to be taken under his wing. It¡¯s a chaotic world. Wars happen all the time. If he bes a witcher, he can probably live longer and better than his old man.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Roy. It was the first time he¡¯d seen someone willing to give their children to witchers.


    ¡°But the White Wolf thinks that¡¯s not in line with the Law of Surprise. When he saved me, he did talk about using that Law to get his reward, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯d have another child I don¡¯t know. When I went back homest time, Goldencheeks wasn¡¯t pregnant, and she wouldn¡¯t cheat on me,¡± said the merchant.


    Roy smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about business.¡±


    ¡°I saved him and told him who I really am,¡± said Geralt. ¡°I went to the woods with him, but the light was already gone, yet my medallion shivered.¡± Geralt¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Remnants of some sort of energy lingered there.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more about the forest. The exact location.¡± A whileter, Roy got what he wanted.


    ¡°I got saved, but I was nervous. Very nervous, so I went back to the city with Geralt toe up with a way to deal with it. An honorary ambassador just died to supernatural causes. We¡¯d be in trouble if we didn¡¯te up with a good n, but the moment we got to the city, a bunch of soldiers surrounded us.¡±


    ¡°Ainz must¡¯ve told his servant what to do if something were to happen to him, and that bastard stirred up this whole mess. Too many people saw me going out of the city with him.¡± Yurga sighed bitterly. ¡°The disappearance of an ambassador is a scandal, and someone must take responsibility for it. We tried to exin ourselves, but the head of security thought we abducted Ainz, so he sentenced us to prison.¡±


    ¡°I can understand why he did it,¡± Roy said. ¡°Red lights and mysterious mes that turn people to cinders in moments? That¡¯s unheard of. Not to mention the light is long gone, leaving you with no evidence to prove your innocence. Anyone would think you¡¯re a criminal. A criminal who¡¯d already killed their hostage and burned his remains.¡± There was no way anyone could find Ainz after his body was burned to cinders.


    ¡°We need an opening,¡± Roy said. ¡°Your servant, Brofi, can prove that the incident was real. He can prove that Ainz did die under those circumstances.¡±


    ¡°That git is hiding gods know where. The soldiers didn¡¯t catch him.¡± Yurga looked indignant but also d. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s working for me. Even if he shows up, the soldiers are going to think he¡¯s our aplice.¡±


    ¡°What about Mateo, then?¡±


    ¡°Missing. The soldiers have no idea where he is, and he was¡­ off to begin with. Looked like he had a breakdown. Wouldn¡¯t stop screaming as he ran away,¡± said the merchant.


    ¡°Tell me what they look like. I¡¯ll search for them,¡± said Roy. ¡°Ainz¡¯s servant should lend some credibility to your story should he show up.¡±


    ***


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t change a thing.¡± Geralt shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? The head of security needs to appease the public, especially the refugees. The word of some servants and a merchant would no doubt look like desperate attempts to get out of jail. No one will believe us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dumping a real problem on me right now.¡± Roy mused for a moment. ¡°So aside from Mateo, we need someone reputable to help you guys. To prove that the light that burned Ainz down did exist.¡±


    Someone who lives in the woods. Someone reputable. And Roy had an idea.


    ***


    Geralt and Yurga noticed Roy muttering something and fell silent.


    Then someone at the gate¡¯s staircase shouted, ¡°Your time¡¯s up, kid!¡±


    ¡°A moment, please!¡± Roy replied, then he told Geralt, ¡°I think I have an idea to get you out of here. Just wait for me. But one question before I leave. Why¡¯d the light only burn Ainz down after he touched it? Why didn¡¯t it burn you, Mateo, or Brofi?¡±


    ¡°That I do not know.¡± Yurga shook his head. ¡°But it¡¯s not like nothing has changed. I think something inside me is different.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Roy cocked his eyebrow. Aside from minor injuries, Observe showed nothing special about him.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin, but my body feels so much lighter than before. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve put down something that¡¯s been weighing down on me.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Okay, so here are the leads I have. Red light in the forest, a burned ambassador, and two escaped servants.¡± Roy waved his arm and tossed Gwyhyr into the prison. ¡°Keep this hidden. Geralt. If you guys run into something you can¡¯t handle while I¡¯m out investigating, tap the sword three times. I¡¯ll bust you out right away. Your safetyes first. If danger arrives, to hell with thew.¡±


    He tossed two Potions of Minor Healing to Yurga. His back was filled with scabs, and he looked listless. Obviously, he had gone through a lot of torture, and Roy would not let him die just like that. ¡°If the pain gets too unbearable, down a bottle of this.¡±


    The merchant tucked the potion away carefully. He¡¯d always been interested in witcher potions.


    ¡°Take care, you two. I have a feeling good news ising.¡± And Roy smiled at Geralt. ¡°And perhaps we might see a surprise.¡±

 Chapter 503 - 503: Place

    Chapter 503: ce


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sun hung high up in the air, burning red. Roy came out of the dungeon, his mind upied by a few thoughts. Even though Geralt and Yurga had told him about the red light, he still thought he should check out the spot himself. Maybe I can find something. He blinked out of the fortress¡¯ walls and darted to the bridge over the valley a mile north from the city.


    Despite how deep the valley went, Roy could vaguely see skeletons and broken carriages lining the ground of the valley. Weed was abundant, and elliptical fern grew on the rotting bridge.


    And the look on Roy¡¯s face changed, then he stopped in his tracks. A gale howled from the valley, shaking the bridge. The wooden nks and chain rubbed against each other, screeching in the air and swinging around. Roy easily held on despite how much the bridge was shaking. No, the danger came from somewhere else. The Elder Blood told him so.


    Roy bent over a little, holding his crossbow. He was like a beast lying in wait, wondering if it should fight or flee. Ebony¡ªthe dog¡ªwas lying around Roy¡¯s feet. It stopped howling and barking so its master could think in peace. Gryphon the ck Caty around Roy¡¯s right foot, eager to get into a fight and help its master.


    Roy didn¡¯t let the cat do anything. That would be a suicide mission. He stared at the space across the bridge. His blood told him that something fatal was hiding across the bridge. What awaited him was an abyss. A maw that would gobble him up and grind him into pieces should he take a step forward.


    Roy waited for ten whole minutes, and the danger lingering in his heart slowly disappeared. The witcher heaved a sigh of relief. This case is probably hiding something big. I need to be careful.


    He then came to the shrubs sitting across the valley, and the second threat came. A guttural growl thundered in the air, and Roy thought it was just the buzz of mosquitoes in the shrubs, but a momentter, he knew he was wrong. Horribly wrong.


    Pairs of amber eyes shone through the shrubs and woods. They were looking up at Roy with bloodlust.


    Roy quickly unsheathed the crimson sword and crouched a little, holding the de against his waist. The de glinted a dark red under the sun, but it did not deter the attackers. Another growl pierced the air, and out came a dozen wolves.


    The witcher froze for a moment. These wolves were a lotrger than their regr counterparts. These were about the size of a calf, and their fur was nearly ck. Their limbs were covered with muscle, and their ws were the size of scythes. Their shoulders looked like small hills, and strips of bloody flesh hung from their fangs. Their eyes were fixed on Roy, their prey.


    Roy was still cautious, but he stood still like a statue. Observe told him what happened to these beasts. ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why they¡¯re attacking in the daytime. These beasts have mutated.¡± Their stats were 50% higher than regr wolves. Most humans would die easily to these beasts.


    Roy held up his left hand and quickly made a Sign, the yellow shield of Quen covering his armor. He then made another Sign, and the kaleidoscopic circle of Yrden appeared underneath his feet.


    Angered by his actions, the alpha wolf roared. As if on cue, foul winds and ws charged ahead at Roy. A wolf bared its fangs, pouncing at its prey, and itspanions followed.


    The witcher spun, and an arc of light flew through the air. The wolf who attacked from behind found its head flying high up into the air, and a stream of blood shot from the stump where its neck should¡¯ve been.


    Unfazed, Roy leapt high into the air and charged into the pack of wolves. He swung his de like it was a whip,shing out at the wolves before they could get close. A rain of mes scattered across the battlefield, enveloping the beasts in its fiery embrace. Roy was dancing among the beasts, but his dance was deadly. Brutal. Lethal. Every swing took away one life, but Roy didn¡¯t stop. Again and again he swung. Again and again he danced. Flesh was torn asunder, bones were broken, cries of pain were cut short, and then, finally, something fell with a dull thud.


    The battle barelysted thirty seconds. By the end of it, silence had returned to this ce. Even the leaves stayed still. Once again, sparrows started to sing and dance. Cats began to mewl, and dogs started to howl.


    Roy stood among the sea of corpses, slowly wiping the de with a piece of fur. A thin gash decorated the witcher¡¯s cheek.


    ¡¯10 Mutated Wolves killed. EXP +200. Level 12 Witcher (8500/12500).¡¯


    ***


    Roy crouched. Despite the stench, the witcher pulled out the dead wolf¡¯s insides and did a close check. ¡°No signs of human intervention. So this is a natural mutation? Same reason as to why the red light appeared?¡±


    He tucked the least broken corpse into his inventory space and buried the other bits and pieces in a big hole he dug up. The witcher tossed a fire ball into the hole and burned the corpses into ash. That¡¯ll make sure no necrophage shows up. Among the corpses were three human bodies. Unlucky sods who were eaten by the wolves when they tried to pass the bridge.


    And then Roy was met with no further attacks. The patch of woods where the red light showed up was located a mile and a half north of Mayena. A week had gone by since the case happened, and the red light was no longer there.


    The only thing left was a patch of woods with trees undting across thend, their leaves swaying under the gentle caress of the breeze. It was quiet and beautiful, but the moment Roy stepped into the woods, his medallion started to buzz. ¡°Knew it. Remnants of the energy.¡±


    Even after a week, the lingering energy was still intense enough to elicit a reaction from the medallion. Roy scanned the trees around him, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. That puzzled him. Why¡¯d three of them manage to survive while Ainz got burnt to a crisp?


    When Roy came to the center of the woods, his medallion was vibrating so hard he thought it would fly away. The witcher surveyed thend. The red light enveloped an area that had a thirty-yard radius, and there was a line separating it from the othernd. Within that line, an abundance of flowers bloomed. There were meandering vines, purple oleanders, and daylilies on the outer edge. Underneath the witcher¡¯s feet were roses and orchids. His pets were frolicking around, chasing butterflies. They were getting a bit too excited.


    Animals seemed to like this ce. The flowers outside the line weren¡¯t as beautiful as the ones within, nor did they shine like stars. It was obvious something was different. Roy looked around and realized that every nt within the line, including the trees, looked bigger and stronger, like they were blessed with some special force.


    And then Roy was reminded of the mutated wolves. ¡°Perhaps they stayed around and were affected by the red light.¡±


    But if the light brought life for animals and nts, why did Ainz get burnt to a crisp? The red light affects humans, nts, and animals differently? ¡°How does this work?¡±


    Ebony barked hurriedly. Gryphon was holding the dog by the nape of its neck, running around wildly. ¡°Stop it at once! Did the light get to you, Gryphon? Get over here. I need to check on you.¡±


    ***


    Roy searched the forest a few times. Aside from the beautiful nts, he found nothing else. In the end, he scooped up a big sack of soil, cut a branch of a tree, and plucked a few flowers as evidence. Then he set off for the next destination. That light has affected thews of nature and changed thisnd. The druids should be able to recognize the reason. There¡¯s a circle around Mayena, but first, I need to find out more about the ce.

 Chapter 504 - 504: The Druid’s Whereabouts

    Chapter 504: The Druid¡¯s Whereabouts


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Another day, another merry day at Slug Inn. Once again, the bouncer was met with thed who came the day before, but he looked different somehow. There was a scar on his face, and the air around him smelled of blood. Seems like he just came back from a battle.


    Even though the air reeked of the stench of alcohol, the patrons of the inn still caught the whiff of dangering from this young man, and they stayed away from him.


    Eventually, only Roy remained before the counter. ¡°Mug of apple cider, please.¡± Roy tapped on the table.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve found a request?¡±


    ¡°In the middle of clearing it, but this is more¡­plex than I thought. I¡¯ll have to deal with it slowly.¡± Roy took a sip of his cider, the liquid sparkling red under the light. ¡°Have a question for you, mate. Heard there¡¯s a druid circle somewhere near Mayena.¡±


    The bartender smiled. Information cost money, and he was going to name a good price, but then his heart skipped a beat. Somehow he had a feeling he would be in for something terrible if he did not answer thisd¡¯s questions. Not even his burly, grizzled bouncers could save him from that fate. ¡°Two, actually,¡± he said, simpering. ¡°One in the east of Sodden, and it goes by the name of Caed Dhu.¡±


    Roy cocked an eyebrow. Caed Dhu? That means ck Forest in Elder Speech. Geralt passed that ce in his search, but that can¡¯t be the ce I¡¯m looking for. It¡¯s miles away from Mayena.


    ¡°And the other one is in the woods west of Mayena. The asional beekeeper gets a drink or two from me.¡± The bartender paused for a moment. ¡°Told me about his adventures, one of them being the encounter with druids. Barbaric and feral, most of them. Adorns themselves with all kinds of nts. Marigolds, tree leaves, and all kinds of greenery. Hangs over their skin like appendages.¡±


    Roy was amused. Sounds different from Mousesack or Evelyn. Maybe druids are divided into different schools as well. ¡°Tell me more about the circle. And give me another shot of apple cider.¡± Roy mmed three crowns and ten coppers onto the counter, and the bartender, having learnt his lesson, didn¡¯t raise his price. He beamed.


    ¡°Most druids are territorial. They think the whole forest belongs to them. If anyone enters uninvited¡­¡± A hint of fear red in the bartender¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, ording to the beekeeper, if they as much as ruin a bit of the nts, the greenery and beasts are going to kick them out of the woods. If they hunt or even cut down a tree, the druids themselves will turn the hunters into nutrients for the flowers. That, or feed for their pets. Special treatment, they say.¡±


    Roy wiped off the sweat on his forehead. Just like the nymphs in Brokilon. But he wasn¡¯t worried. With the token Mousesack gave him, it should grant him safe passage to the druids.


    ¡°I used to take the beekeeper¡¯s story as the truth.¡± The bartender¡¯s pitch got a little sharper as he tried to imitate the way a girl would speak. ¡°Thought druids were killing machines. But the war taught me a lot of things. The news about druids stem from nothing but fear and prejudice.¡±


    ¡°borate.¡± Roy dipped his finger into the cider and stuck it into his hood, then his pets quickly licked the liquid off his fingertip.


    The sudden appearance of Gryphon and Ebony shocked the bartender, and he almost screamed, thinking that Roy was a druid. There was no other reason for him to keep two critters in his hood.


    ¡°The misunderstanding melted away after the battle of Cintra.¡± A hint of dejection welled in the bartender¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ever since Cintra fell, its refugees started traveling north to Brugge or Sodden. Cintra¡¯s general, Vissegerd, escaped with his life. He¡¯s in Brugge, rallying the remaining people of Cintra to form an anti-Nilfgaard army. Rumors, of course. Haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes.¡±


    Roy was reminded of a certain old man with graying hair. He had seen Vissegerd. If he did survive the war, then it would be a big morale boost for Cnthe and Ciri. He nodded.


    ¡°Nilfgaard didn¡¯t attack Sodden first, and that made it the top choice for refugees to stay in. But well, it¡¯s not easy finding refuge after your kingdom¡¯s fallen. A third of the refugees die on their journey, either to monsters or bandits. Even if they live, life¡¯s hell for them. Diseases and wounds won¡¯t give them respite. Lives are worth nothing in this world.¡± And the bartender was possessed with mncholy, much like a bard who was worried about the people.


    Roy¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°Just when all hope was lost, a group of saints stepped up. They are no ordinary people. They possess magic. Extraordinary magic. The temple of Melitele in Ender sent a group of their priestesses out to help the refugees, healing those in need,¡± the bartender said. ¡°But that much is to be expected. That¡¯s what Melitele is like. They are worshipped and revered. Mountains of donations go to their temples every year. They are duty-bound to help the ailing people.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath. He was once again reminded of the days he spent in Ender¡¯s temple.


    ¡°Aside from the temples, some sorcerers and druids decided to lend a hand too.¡± A twinkle of astonishment red in the bartender¡¯s eyes. ¡°It was surprising, mercenary. As I¡¯ve told you, sorcerers and druids are not particrly treated with respect or kindness among the people. They have every kind of insult hurled at them every day. If I were them, I¡¯d rather watch these people die than help, but they didn¡¯t seem to mind.¡± The bartender looked impressed. ¡°In their magnanimity, they lent a helping hand to the refugees, and some of them are druids from the woods I told you about.¡±


    A pauseter, he continued. ¡°One of them was a gorgeous woman with hair as crimson as cinnabar. They¡¯re nothing like what the beekeeper told me. Not feral at all. She was clean, dressed decently, smelled like nts, and was slender as a lily.¡±


    ¡°You seem fond of her.¡±


    ¡°Not just me, mercenary. The whole Mayena and the refugees are fond of her, get it?¡± Displeased by the witcher¡¯s frivolity, the bartender took on a solemn attitude. ¡°She helps the refugees every week for free, curing them of their illnesses. Everyone knows she¡¯s a lot better than the thieving doctors who can¡¯t even cure a simple cold. She can cure every kind of illness and wound. Except for death.


    ¡°And she wasn¡¯t just using herbs. She even used magic on us. Do you know what that means?¡± A hint of reminiscence shed in the bartender¡¯s eyes. ¡°I had a stomach upset, and she healed me with magic. Magic feels¡­ warm. It courses through your veins like some sort of warm shower, and she¡¯s fair to everyone. Respects everyone. Merchants, soldiers, nobility, she doesn¡¯t care. Well, the nobles wouldn¡¯t deign to visit the slums,¡± the bartender muttered. ¡°She¡¯s a respectable woman. She sees every life as equal. If we could vote for Mayena¡¯s next leader¡­¡± The bartender lowered his voice to a whisper and huddled closer to Roy. ¡°Thatdy would win in andslide. The nobles have no chance.¡±


    Roy nodded. This woman knows nature well and is respected by themunity. The very person I need to find out about the red light and clear Geralt¡¯s name. And she¡¯s closely tied to Geralt too. She¡¯s the best choice for this job.


    ¡°She cares not for coin and fame. All she cares about are the people and all living beings.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Roy held his excitement down and went in for the confirmation. He sipped some cider and let his pets have a bit of the liquid too.


    ¡°Told no one about it. She needs no fame, remember?¡± The bartender took a deep breath, finally finishing his lecture. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding. Bet you¡¯re hurt. If you need some healing, she should be here soon. There¡¯s a white tent beside the refugee camp. That¡¯s where she stays in. You can¡¯t miss it.¡±

 Chapter 505 - 505: Mateo

    Chapter 505: Mateo


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Two days left until the druid was open for business. Roy went around the fortress and put a random Mayena guard under Axii¡¯s spell (in a quiet corner, of course) and asked him about Mateo and Brofi. These people were instrumental in clearing Geralt¡¯s name.


    However, the guard didn¡¯t know much about the case. Ever since Ainz¡¯s demise, the servants had gone missing. Just their luck, the head of security saw them as aplices, so they could nevere back to the city. Right. Guess I should try my luck out at the refugee camp.


    ***


    An old cripple was sitting on his bench before his old canvas tent housed on the hill, smoking with his pipe. The afternoon sun shone upon his dirty clothes, a surge of warmth surging within his limbs. He looked down at the refugee camp, as noisy and infested with people as usual. His eyes were murky, but they had emotions ring within them.


    And then, a friendly voice asked, ¡°Sir, may I ask you a question? I¡¯m looking for a few people.¡±


    The cripple looked at the young witcher and smiled. ¡°Been here since the day this camp was founded.¡± The old man¡¯s beard twitched as he spoke, and he shook his chibouk around. ¡°Might be old and crippled, but my mind¡¯s as sharp as ever. I know every single person who came in, who left, and who never came back. Know every single thing that¡¯s happened in this ce, to be honest.¡± The old man nodded, and wrinkles formed on his forehead. ¡°But remembering things is a¡­ tiring endeavor. Gotta have something to motivate me, or I can¡¯t do it.¡± He stared at the witcher with anticipation.


    Yeah. Money makes the world go round. This was the fifth refugee Roy asked, and he was the oldest by far. ¡°Of course. Here¡¯s for you. Get a drink for yourself.¡± Roy handed the old man ten coppers.


    Happily, the old man tucked the coins into an empty bottle of booze beside his foot, then he hid it under his chair.


    ¡°So, what are their names? And what do they look like?¡±


    ¡°They are Mateo and Brofi. Here are their portraits.¡± Roy whipped out a couple of portraits. He made it based on what Yurga told him. Without Coral with him, he had to do it himself, but he was not an artist. He couldn¡¯t even draw. The ¡®portraits¡¯ were nothing but stick people and unruly lines.


    The old man stared at the¡­ interesting artwork, and his brows furrowed. He clicked his tongue, revealing two rows of yellowing teeth. They look like humans, but I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re humans inside. Well, lucky for him, he made sure he drew out the birthmarks and some prominent parts.


    ¡°Brofi. Lean. Six feet tall. Different from the refugees, I see. And he has a mole on his left cheek. Rare.¡± The old man tapped his chibouk on the table. ¡°Easily recognizable. One week ago¡­¡±


    Roy listened closely. That was when the red light shone.


    The old man smacked his knee and gave Roy another wide-eyed look. ¡°Sorry. I have had nothing to eat since this morning. Well, just a free bread, but ck bread isn¡¯t filling. My belly¡¯s rumbling. Bile¡¯s burning up my throat and head. I can¡¯t even move much. Leg¡¯s starting to hurt. I can¡¯t remember what happened.¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Like magic, the young witcher whipped out a grilled chicken thigh covered in spices.


    The old man gulped greedily, and he looked at the grinning witcher. He took the thigh and wolfed it down, much like how a young man would eat. One whole minuteter, the old man licked the grease off his fingers and smacked his belly. He let a rush of satisfied air out. The thigh was devoured, bones and all. ¡°I remember now. A week ago, Brofi came to the southern part of the camp and left a few hourster, looking a little panicked. Guess he was going on a long trip.¡±


    Sweat was starting to drench Roy¡¯s palms. So that means Yurga¡¯s servant must be on his way back to Rivia.


    ¡°Mateo. Slightly pudgy, has a long face, short beard¡­ Wait, this is Ainz¡¯s servant. I could recognize him anywhere.¡± The old man had a solemn look on his face, but he didn¡¯t ask why Roy wanted to know about this man.


    ¡°Is he famous?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in this camp knows him. He and his master would give out food to us.¡± A pauseter, the old man said, ¡°But I heard Ainz was kidnapped a month ago, and Mateo went into hiding because he¡¯s an aplice. The city¡¯s hunting him down right now. Haven¡¯t seen him for days.¡±


    Roy looked a little disappointed. If Mateo isn¡¯t around the camp, it¡¯s going to be hard just to find him. Hm, the old man was mocking Ainz. Why? ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like Ainz. Why?¡± Roy stared into the old man¡¯s eyes. They were filled with disdain. ¡°Thought he gave you guys food.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve never been in the camp before, have you?¡± The old man stroked his beard. ¡°He didn¡¯t give the food for free. The fortress¡¯ leaderpensates him. He sells it at a slightly lower price than the market. Ainz isn¡¯t the only one helping us. Some other merchants are helping us too. And they said we¡¯re eating for free. Bollocks. Still, the food Ainz gave us¡­¡± The old man trailed off.


    ¡°Something wrong with it?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°No need to find out so much,d. I¡¯ve told you what I know about these men. Sorry I can¡¯t help further.¡± The old man shook his head, telling Roy to leave.


    Roy could see that the old man knew more, so he gave the old man one whole crown this time.


    The old man bit down on the coin to see if it was real, then he tucked it into his bottle. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s going to pay for a lot of my luxuries.¡± He huddled closer to Roy and spoke in a whisper. ¡°The bread Ainz gives us is made of the worst flour. Probably expired flour. That bastard mixed soil and sand into the flour too. Everyone who has the food he gives ends up having a stomach upset, especially old gits like me and thedies. And the kids.¡± The old man shook his head, shuddering. ¡°I was this close to Lebioda¡¯s kingdom. But I either eat or I starve. Theds have it better though. They can eat even though the bread¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Roy rubbed his chin. He was reminded of Yurga¡¯s testimonial. The one where Ainz wanted to strike a foul deal with him, but the righteous merchant refused the deal. The old man¡¯s testimonial backs that up. Ainz was an unscrupulous bastard. ¡°What about the fortress¡¯ leader? Won¡¯t he deal with this? Hasn¡¯t anyone reported this fraud to him?¡±


    Sadness and sorrow filled the old man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Know the kind of people this world detests most? The kind where even if they die, no one would care? Us? Refugees who lost their homes and are looked at like dirt by the powers that be. The act of feeding us alone, no matter how bad the food is, is already kindness in their eyes. They couldn¡¯t care less about the quality of the food. Not like we get to air our grievances either. The only hope we have is for Foltest to rebuild Sodden, then we may go home.¡±


    Roy turned around in silence, staring at the jostling refugees down below. They were pale, gaunt, and almost cadaverous. Hunger besieged them every day. Some were in heated arguments, some were sobbing by themselves, while some sat on the ground like puppets, all light in their eyes lost. The air itself reeked of the rancid air of despair.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all Ainz did. He abused his status and power to rape a few of the prettier women in the camp.¡± The old man spoke with vitriol. ¡°I heard that one of the women got pregnant with his kid, but he wouldn¡¯t even take her into the city. No, called her a whore and used her of getting knocked up by another man. Sent his people to abuse her until she had a miscarriage. That was unfair to her. No man in the camp would try toy a finger on Ainz¡¯s women. He would make sure they starved.¡±


    The old man sighed. ¡°The abuse drove that woman to madness. Ran from the camp one day and never came back. People go missing every day. Deaths mean nothing to these people. Except for the druid, no one else would take pity on us.¡±


    The witcher stared at his feet in silence.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, this reminds me.¡± The old man stood up and hobbled around the chair. ¡°Ainz isn¡¯t the only one having affairs with the women; his servant, Mateo, has rtions with one of the women too, but thed¡¯s a lot more careful than his master. And a lot better too. Treats the woman like his wife. He¡¯s going to take her into the city and live with her soon too. I know he¡¯s missing now, but maybe his lover will have news about him.¡± A momentter, the old man added, ¡°Her name¡¯s Ririn. Came from Birch Vige back in Sodden. You¡¯ll find her in the southern part of the camp. Purple tent.¡±


    Alright. Lead reconnected. Roy heaved a sigh of relief. He was a little impressed by the old man. The guy knows everything about this camp. Hm, but Birch Vige sounds familiar. ¡°You know a lot.¡±


    ¡°I have a good memory. Before Sodden was taken down, I was the steward for the nephew of King Ekkehard¡¯s military minister. Had to record half a ledger for the entire day¡¯s arrangements and trivial matters.¡± The old man rubbed his balding head with glee. ¡°I love to observe and listen around. The widows and crones love to gossip, and I give them encouragement when they need it.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s to a happy life.¡± Roy gave the old man two crowns and left.


    ***


    The witcher descended the hill and crossed the narrow path. The scent of onions, potatoes, cabbages, and excrements assailed his nose. On the left side of some tents, a cauldron stood, and within it was a stew made of potatoes. On the tent¡¯s right, a pile of dung stood. The stench was carried by the wind, falling into the stew and piling ayer of¡­ a powerful scent onto it.


    Ebony loved the rancid stench. He circled the witcher¡¯s feet, barking quietly as it chased its own tail. Gryphon the Cat followed its master closely, swiping its paws deftly at its new, rambunctiousckey, teaching him a lesson


    A few sallow heads poked out of their tents, their eyes filled with greed, staring at the pets of the witcher, licking their lips. They were fortunate their master looked tough, so no one tried to snag them up for a little snack.


    ***


    Five minutester, Roy came to the southern side of the camp, where colorful tents stood side by side. Scantily-d women crossed through the spaces between the tents, holding pots and pans, gibbering happily with their friends. The clearing in the center had a cauldron, and a stew of turnips and carrots was cooking within.


    Oh, I remember now. It¡¯s the vige near Willow Vige. The widows¡¯ friends lived there.


    For some reason, the blond widow noticed Roy right away, and she came out of her sky-blue tent, holding her baby. ¡°Auckes!¡± She approached the witcher, smiling sweetly, her braided hair jumping on her shoulder. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Ririn from Birch Vige.¡±


    Yugni didn¡¯t even ask why the witcher wanted to look for Ririn. She quickly led him through the scores ofdies in the encampment.


    A freckled woman said with jealousy, ¡°When did she hook up with him?¡±


    ¡°Hey, she¡¯s prettier than you, has a bigger chest than you, has a plumper behind than you, has a smaller waist than you, and she has a good son too. Perhaps she¡¯ll be leaving this godforsaken ce tomorrow and moving into the city,¡± a tall, muscrdy said. ¡°Just hope she won¡¯t leave us for dead.¡±


    ***


    The witcher and Yugni made small talk. A momentter, they came to a purplish-red tent with a rose embroidered on the fabric. The tent looked morevish than the others. A curvy, beautiful woman was sitting right outside the tent¡¯s entrance. She was in her early twenties, donning a clean orange dress. The woman was beautiful, at least among the refugees.


    ¡°Ririn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yugni. And this is?¡± Ririn snapped out of it and looked at her friend and the witcher suspiciously.


    ¡°This is Auckes. Told you yesterday. He escorted us all the way here.¡± Yugni gave the witcher an appreciative look. ¡°We¡¯d have died ten times without him.¡±


    Ririn gave Roy a gentle smile, a look of approval shing in her eyes. ¡°So what brings you here, Auckes? I don¡¯t do any business, if you catch my drift.¡±


    ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t worry. I came here to clear your lover¡¯s name.¡± Roy looked into the woman¡¯s eyes and spoke with sincerity. ¡°Mateo, if I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°Mateo? Who¡¯s that? What do you mean you¡¯ll clear his name? I don¡¯t understand.¡± A hint of panic shed in the woman¡¯s eyes. She crawled backward and huddled against the tent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t beat about the bush. You know what happened to his master, Ainz. The head of security has charged Mateo with the crime of being an aplice. He can¡¯te home now, and my friend¡¯s imprisoned. We need his testimonial to help us out.¡± Roy announced, ¡°And I promise I¡¯ll clear his name.¡±


    Ririn turned around and finally said, ¡°You got the wrong person. It¡¯s been two weeks since he came here. I have no idea where he is.¡±


    Yugni went ahead and held her friend¡¯s arm. ¡°Auckes has protected us on our journey. He never tried to harass us, and he¡¯s a man of his word. You can trust him. You can trust me. I¡¯ve never lied to you.¡±


    Ririn looked at them for a moment, then she hung her head low and bit her lip, falling into a dilemma.


    Roy held Ebony in his arms and rubbed its belly. ¡°Mateo is in a dangerous situation. Keep this up and the head of security will sentence him to punishment. And he can nevere back to you. Will you let that happen? After all you¡¯ve gone through with him? If he¡¯s sentenced to punishment, you will no longer have anyone to rely on, and you know what happens to women like you in this encampment if they have no one backing them up.¡± The witcher said no more than that.


    ¡°Enough! I know where he is. I¡¯ll talk!¡± Ririn shivered and looked at the witcher with tearful eyes, her lips trembling. ¡°But can you promise he will be safe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to clear his name and keep him alive.¡± Roy took his sunsses off, revealing his heterochromatic eyes. ¡°On my name as a witcher.¡±


    ***


    Five minutester, Roy said goodbye to Yugni, who was reluctant to see him go, then he went with Ririn, leaving the encampment. They journeyed west, heading into a shrub-filled wilderness. About an hourter, they met Mateo in a wooden house tucked between the woods, covered in moss and vines.


    He had a long face, short beard, and his sweater was covered in grime and pieces of nts. His pants were grey and made out of cotton and hemp. Obviously he was living well before tragedy struck. Only a week had gone by, and he had lost so much weight he turned gaunt. His cheekbones were prominent, and his face was sickly red, his eyes bloodshot.


    When he saw his lovering in, he eased up and forced a smile. Just when he was about to greet her, the witcher came in, and he tensed up again. ¡°Who is he? Did you betray me, Ririn? And to think I gave everything I had to you.¡± Mateo was breathingboriously, pointing at the two of them in fury, and then his face turned ashen.


    Roy made a sign, and Mateo calmed down, his breathing slowed. He leaned on the wall, looking at the witcher cautiously.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Roy looked at Ririn, who was eyeing him suspiciously. ¡°Just made him snap to his senses. Mateo, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Yurga asked me to clear his name. You know he never kidnapped your master, Ainz. The culprit was that red light, and you saw it yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The mention of that red light horrified Mateo. Terror red in his eyes, and his face turned redder as he shivered uncontrobly. It looked as if a nightmare had grasped him. ¡°The light¡­ The light¡­¡±


    Fortunately, Axii¡¯s effect was still in ce, so he didn¡¯t lose all control.


    ¡°Auckes, every time we bring this up, he starts breaking down. You have to help him,¡± Ririn pleaded.


    Roy cast Observe on Mateo and checked on him, but to his surprise, Mateo showed no symptoms other than increased body temperature. Odd. When Yurga told me about the incident, he brought up the light a lot of times, but nothing happened to him. So why¡¯d Mateo fall into a panic attack? And why did his master get burnt into a crisp? What¡¯s the difference between these people? Is this nothing but a psychological phenomenon, or is there something more to it?


    Five minutester, Mateo calmed down and took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. Yurga and the white-haired guy are innocent, but the pain¡­ Every time I think about the light, my whole body burns up. It¡¯s like a fire is consuming my head. I can¡¯t help him.¡±


    ¡°The fire¡¯s in your head?¡±


    Mateo gulped, and Ririn went ahead to hold his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my love. We¡¯re all here. I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The man spoke with a trembling voice as he slowly recalled that event. ¡°The red light¡­ When we first entered the woods, things were normal, but three minutester, something started feeling off for me. All my painful memories started bubbling in my head, and I couldn¡¯t stop them from taking over.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean painful memories? Any details?¡± Roy tried to speak as calmly as possible to not agitate Mateo.


    A drop of sweat fell down his cheek. ¡°As Ainz¡¯s aplice, I¡¯ve dealt with the more¡­ unsavory side of business. Hurting innocents and rivals, selling expired food, buying more expired food from partners¡­ The red light took me back to those days, ying the memories in my head over and over and over again. It was torture, and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Mateo¡¯s voice was getting a bit sharp, and fear trickled into his heart. ¡°Then the light started to burn. Hotter and hotter it burned, until it felt like I wouldbust from within.¡±


    Agitated, he shouted, ¡°It wants to burn me down! It wants to burn a sinner! Do you know what I think this is? That this light is punishment from Melitele and Eternal Fire. The light punishes those who carry sin on their shoulders. The light will burn through the darkness of the world, punishing us for our sins. Ainz¡­ Ainz¡¯s sins were many. Too many to count. Too terrible to speak of, and that was why the light burned him to ash.¡±


    Realization struck Roy, and he thought he had a clue about the light, but he wasn¡¯t sure if his guess was correct. He did not see the light and its power for himself, after all. Observe showed that Mateo was perfectly fine. Aside from a slight fever, that is.


    ¡°The light is gone now, but every time I¡¯m reminded of my past sins¡­¡± Mateo held his head and sobbed. ¡°I burn up. The fire won¡¯t leave me. It¡¯s stuck to my soul. Even now I can feel it hiding inside me, watching me. Every time the memories of my sins start to boil, the fire slithers out from its hiding ce just to burn me. Nothing but pain is left for me. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll keep burning until I turn into a pile of ash.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Do you regret your actions, then?¡± Now that he knew what he wanted to know, Roy spoke of his true goal. ¡°Do you wish to atone for your sins? Once I¡¯m ready, you¡¯reing with me to see the head of security and testify for Geralt and Yurga. You will testify against Ainz, recounting all his crimes. If there¡¯s any way for you to regain your freedom from the pain you¡¯re feeling, it¡¯s this. You must face your past and rectify it.¡±


    Mateo¡¯s chest heaved, and his breathingbored, but he hesitated. A momentter, his face contorted, and he gritted his teeth. With conviction, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ririn said, ¡°Youmitted crimes in your past too. You might get dragged into this. What if you get captured? What will happen to me?¡±


    Mateo hesitated once more. He couldn¡¯t just let go of this rtionship.


    ¡°Talk to me, mate.¡± Roy looked at Mateo. Gently, he said, ¡°What kind of crimes have youmitted.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ririn hid Mateo behind her like she was a hen protecting her chick. ¡°Don¡¯t torture him any further! Didn¡¯t you see how much pain he was in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Mateo pulled Ririn behind him, his eyes ring with mes. ¡°If this moment of pain gives me peace and relief, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ***

 Chapter 506 - 506: Visenna

    Chapter 506: Visenna


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Night draped its cloak upon thend of Mayena, silvery moonlight shining down on the inns and houses in the fortress. A sliver of its light shone upon a young witcher meditating on his bed. Within the world of meditation, the young witcher¡¯s soul was lying on the ground, his whole body wriggling, like he was a buffalo who came out of a pond and was shaking off the mud from its body.


    Every time the soul wriggled, glimmering ck scales would appear and cover its skin. The soul grew in size quickly, its limbs contorting into a different shape, its muscles turning into little hills, and curved ws jutted out from the ends of its toes. An invisible force tore at the soul¡¯s shoulder des, and a pair of bulges popped on its skin, breaking out into a pair of ck wings.


    Despite all themotion, the reaper remained calm. This was not his first time ameliorating his soul. His face jutted ahead, forming a snout that belonged to a dragon, and hooks extended from his chin, while a pair of horns curled back from its forehead.


    The witcher¡¯s soul had taken on the form of Alduin. It was as titanic as a mountain, and its scales were dark, resilient, and sharp. The horns that jutted out of its head curled backward, and it snarled, revealing rows of canine teeth hanging from its maw. The look in its eyes was cold, but the dragon¡¯s eyes shone red.


    ¡°Fus!¡± The Shout broke through the silence of the space, piercing through the endless skies. Like fishes to bait, beautiful particles of elements swarmed the witcher, swimming into his body and replenishing his Mana and stamina.


    The big balls of light hanging in the sky were pulled toward him as if guided by an invisible hand. Chaos energy surrounded the elemental nes like four great rings of power, swirling without stop. The witcher had a feeling he could enter the nes and meet the elementals should he wish for it, but he did not act on that impulse.


    His Elder Blood was ringing rm bells in his head. Roy would save up EXP until he could level up before he would enter any of these dimensions. After the ying of Mirmulnir in Skyrim, Roy Observed the dragon bones as much as he could, absorbed a mountain of dragon blood, gained its blessing, and devoured one third of the dragon¡¯s soul. In a sense, he had gained, in some form, the powers of a dragon. The amelioration of his soul had turned into a quick process thanks to that.


    After his return, he would meditate every night as usual. Aside from his Sign training, Roy would include soul amelioration in his routine, and almost a month had gone by since then. The training confirmed his suspicion. Amelioration could slowly strengthen his soul. Thanks to his training, his Shout¡¯s cooldown had shortened by a few more seconds.


    Besides that, his Sign had also improved thanks to his relentless training during meditation. They leveled up by one level. After all his training and battles, his swordy and archery finally saw a breakthrough as well.


    ¡®Sword Mastery Level 2 ¡ú 3: You have mastered the basics of swordy. Whenever you use swords or des, you gain a (10 ¡ú 15)% increase to your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. You are now more proficient in blocking, defending, dodging, and attacking when you use swords.


    You may cast this Skill as if it were a spell. You will gain double the effects, but you will also expend double your stamina when you fight. This buff canst for at least 30 seconds.¡¯


    Coupling that with Guardian would give Roy a 25% increase in closebat stats.


    ***


    ¡®Crossbow Mastery Level 2 ¡ú 3: After relentless practice, your mastery over crossbows and handcrossbows have increased. When you use these weapons, you gain a (10 ¡ú 15)% increase in uracy, effective range, shot power, and piercing power.


    You may cast this Skill as if it were a spell. You will gain double the effects, but you will also expend double your stamina and lose 50% movement speed when you fight. This buff canst for at least 30 seconds.¡¯


    ***


    Meditation was a powerful skill, and Roy had a lot of ideas on how to use this Skill. Back in Skyrim, it was thanks to Meditation that he could turn his soul into a dragon and search thend underneath. Thanks to that, he came in contact with the Bones of the Earth and saw the story of creation. Thanks to that, he managed to master a Shout.


    And that brought with it another question. He wondered if he could do the same thing in the witcher world if he burrowed deep into the earth. Perhaps I can find some clues about this world¡¯s creator.


    s, all his attempts at that discovery ended in failure. He tried burrowing through the ground with his witcher and dragon form, but he couldn¡¯t prate it. A barrier kept him firmly locked outside. And so Roy wondered. Aetherius is the counterpart for these elemental nes, and they¡¯re the source of magic for the world. The Bones of the Earth would be the counterpart for this world¡¯s core. I have to find something that¡¯s the counterpart for dragons and ameliorate my soul into its form if I wish to gain ess to the earth. Wonder what a dragon¡¯s counterpart is.


    Roy¡¯s first instinct told him that it was the elemental that had existed since time immemorial. The elementals that controlled the elemental nes. When I get my chance, I¡¯m going to Observe the elementals. Perhaps I¡¯ll enve or even kill one. Then I¡¯ll see if I can ameliorate my soul so it¡¯ll take their form. I must find out what secrets lie beneath the earth.


    ***


    The light of dawn poured through the window, and Roy exited meditation, smiling. He loved the feeling of slowly getting stronger. The witcher picked up Aerondight and carefully caressed it. Its silveryughter rang around him, and he strapped his de onto his back.


    His pets were cuddled together at the end of his bed, sleeping and jostling around like balls of fur. Gryphon was turned into a lemur the size of Roy¡¯s palm, and it was sleeping on Ebony¡¯s neck, holding onto him like an octopus. It buried its head in the dog¡¯s mane like it was its pillow.


    Ever since Ebony joined the gang, Gryphon would bully him every day. Even in its adorable critter form, Gryphon still had the air of an apex predator, and that was strong enough to scare the poor puppy. With a new victim under its reign of terror, Gryphon was happy as ark every single day.


    Roy tucked his pets into his hoodie and looked at the grandfather clock in his room. It was eight in the morning. He strode out of the inn and made his way to the encampment. The druid would open for business that day. Now that he had convinced Mateo to help him out, Roy had a n to clear Geralt¡¯s name. All he needed was a respected druid to make that n a sess.


    ***


    The usual rowdiness, rancor, and tension hanging around the encampment had disappeared, reced by a rare peace. For once, the refugees were following the rules and forming a line. Some had bandages around their arms and heads, some were coughing violently, while some were clutching their chests, howling in pain.


    ¡°New kid?¡± The former butler of Sodden¡¯s king sat on a stool beside the line, tossing a ball of mud at a young man who was trying to cut into the line. He had an upset stomach. ¡°There are rules here. Get to the back of the line. Ain¡¯t the ce for you to get rowdy.¡±


    Humiliated by the former butler¡¯s castigation, thed cursed under his breath and refused to move. Five men emerged from the line and surrounded him, ring at thed dangerously. If he didn¡¯t move, they were more than willing to use force.


    ¡°Nobody gets to cut the line to the doctor, unless they¡¯re dying. Want our help with that?¡±


    Thed cringed and quickly went to the back of the line withoutint.


    That was a small episode in the encampment. With the refugees and the former steward keeping the order, no one tried to mess up the queue. The refugees would nce at the hill at the front of the queue, their eyes lighting up with hope.


    A discolored white tent stood in front of the queue, buzzing with the light of life. Roy observed for a moment and took his ce at the back of the line. The healer was skilled, and most of the refugees were only slightly hurt or ailing, so Roy arrived at the tent in just an hour. The former steward even winked at him when he passed by.


    ¡°See you, doctor. Yugni, Patricia, and Sabrina, thank you! May Lebioda bless your souls.¡± Ad with a crutch and a bandage on his left calf emerged from the tent, waving at it with gratitude.


    The witcher froze for a moment. A ribbon on his bandage? Alright, who did that? He bowed a little and entered the tent, then he heard women talking.


    ¡°He¡¯s a newbie.¡±


    ¡°What might you need,dy?¡±


    ¡°Get me scalpel number one. Disinfect it. We¡¯ll need it.¡±


    ¡°Of course,dy.¡±


    The stench of rotten flesh hung in the air, merging with the scent of alcohol and the strong smell of herbs. Roy sniffed the air and identified a few herbs. Mint, mandrake roots, button grass¡­ The witcher saw an operating theater, and it was gleaming white, the bucket underneath filled with disgusting refuse.


    Tools of surgery stood beside the theater, clean and without a speck of dust on them. Vessels of surgery, tripods, and bandages were sitting around. A doctor and three assistants from the encampment were busying around the tools.


    Yugni was moving stiffly, and beads of sweat poured from her face. Her colleagues were moving a lot faster than she was, obviously experienced in this matter.


    The doctor was tall and lithe, a green robe adorning her body. She was different from the other druids, who wore nts or animal fur. Her hair was red with a tinge of orange, just like cinnabar. Her face was gaunt, fair, and beautiful. Her nose was petite, her chin sharp, and her eyes were beautifully green. They were filled with wisdom and serenity only a forest could have.


    She had incredible beauty, her skin was fair and almost glistening, but for some reason, Roy found this woman familiar. Geralt looked a bit like her. And then Roy cast Observe on the druid.


    ¡®Visenna


    Age: 240 years old


    Gender: Female


    Status: Druid, sorceress, healer


    HP: 140


    Mana: 220


    Strength: 10


    Dexterity: 13


    Constitution: 14


    Perception: 13


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 18


    Spirit: 22


    Skills:


    Source (Passive)


    Breath of the Wild Level 8: Druids canmunicate with animals and nts with their extraordinary senses. They can soothe raging beasts and nts, promote their growth, or whip them up into a frenzy.


    Cure Level 4: Costs a moderate amount of mana. Protects the target with the power of nature, strengthening their bodies for a short while, curing them of minor illnesses like coughs, colds, or fevers.


    Elementalist Level 8, Feral Change Level 4, Rejuvenation Level 10, Alchemy Level 10, Meditation Level 9, Staff Mastery Level 8, Bow Master Level 10, Fireball Level 8, Firestorm Level 5, Teleportation Level 8¡­¡¯


    ***


    It¡¯s her. Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he clenched his fists. I knew it. Geralt¡¯s mother is in the druid¡¯s circle around Mayena.


    Noticing Roy¡¯s stare, the druid turned around and looked at him for a moment. Shrewdly, she noticed the chaos energy slumbering in his body. Lean, slender. This must be him. She froze for but a moment, and something flickered in her eyes, then she calmed down. ¡°You seem healthy, witcher.¡± She spoke, her voice sweet, but her tone was cold and uninviting. ¡°Why are you blocking the line?¡± The druid cleared the tools away. ¡°You should leave and tell the next patient toe in. Don¡¯t waste our time.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Auckes. We meet again,¡± Yugni trilled. She put her bandages and scalpel down, took off her gloves, and wiped her hands on her apron. Then she approached the witcher and helped him out a bit.


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one I¡¯ve told you about,dy.¡± Yugni mentioned the witcher¡¯s deed once more, not seeming bored in the slightest. She pulled her hair back and gave the witcher a look of gratitude. She then told him that she came to work so she could make some coins. Her son was left with the other vigers in the meantime.


    Once she was done with her story, the look in Visenna¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Since you helped thedies without asking for anything in return, then I shall give you a chance to state your business. I don¡¯t remember posting any request.¡±


    Visenna put her potion down. Roy felt his medallion buzz. That potion is enchanted. ¡°This is a misunderstanding, Lady Visenna. Just like druids don¡¯t just take care of nts and beasts all day, witchers don¡¯t just carry out requests all day either.¡±


    A deep silence fell upon them.


    ¡°I do not recall telling you my name, witcher,¡± said Visenna coldly, her eyes filled with judgment, and magic flowed beneath her robes.


    Yugni¡¯s colleagues looked surprised as well. They¡¯d been helping the doctor for months, yet they didn¡¯t know her name. So how¡¯d this stranger find out?


    A smile curled Roy¡¯s lips. This was what he was aiming for. ¡°To be honest, your appearance resembles a friend of mine¡¯s, and he told me that his mother¡¯s name is Visenna. That¡¯s why I said the name. Guess you¡¯re his mother, then.¡±


    Did he just¡­ Did he just say I¡¯m his friend¡¯s mother? Visenna froze, and she frowned, her face falling. What Roy said came as a shock to her.


    The people around noticed her hair shivering, and she got a few shades whiter. The nervousness was settling in, and her lips trembled. ¡°Wh-What is the name of your friend?¡± Her voice turned hoarse and weak. That question alone took everything she had.


    Roy smiled at the druid. ¡°He hails from Kaer Morhen and is a student of Vesemir. Geralt of Rivia, that¡¯s his name. Just to make one thing clear¡­ Do you still remember him?¡±

 Chapter 507: Journey Together

    The morning sun rained down its gentle warmth on the encampment. The tent was illuminated by a lone oilmp, its light shining on a pale, tense face. Visenna was distracted for a moment, her mind going back to a moment decades ago.


    She was holding a baby swaddled in a nket. Though the journey was long and perilous, she traveled to the fortress of Kaer Morhen, handing her child over to a grizzled witcher to raise. From that day onward, Visenna thought she would never meet her child again, yet fate brought his news to her. <em>Geralt.</em>


    Everyone fell into silence, and Visenna''s assistants held their breath.


    A long whileter, the druidposed herself, and she took a deep breath. "Auckes." She pursed her crimson lips.


    "Ah, to make one thing clear: my name is not Auckes," Roy interrupted, and he turned to Yugni, who was covering her mouth, and gave her an apologetic smile. "I am Roy, a Viper. I know what you''re trying to say. You wish for me to forget all about this and pretend we never met, correct? But let me say something. Those who Destiny have bound together will meet again. Even if you run away today, there''s always tomorrow. Dying the inevitable will only make the eventuality harder to face."


    Visenna clutched her towel tightly.


    "And Geralt''s in a predicament. He is now a prisoner of Mayena, and he might die soon." Roy sighed, a solemn look creeping into his eyes. "Still you refuse to see him?"


    <em>Geralt''s a prisoner? But he''s a witcher. </em>Visenna was reminded of the story a patient told her. That a merchant from Rivia kidnapped Ainz, the honorary ambassador, and he had a white-haired witcher as his aplice.


    She shrugged that story off at first, but now she was breathing heavily.


    Roy smiled. <em>No mother would leave their child for dead. </em>"You''ve been going around the fortress. You must''ve heard of Yurga and his story, but I assure you, there''s more to it. They didn''t kidnap Ainz. They are innocent, but I need a bit of time to exin everything."


    Visenna looked out the window. "I have dozens of patients waiting for me."


    "I''ve checked on them. Minor wounds and ailments. They can wait, but Geralt cannot. The head of security might torture them at anytime."


    ***


    The assistants left the tent reluctantly and reassured the refugees that the doctor would tend to them soon, while Roy exined everything to the druid. Then the witcher showed her the corpse of the mutated wolf and a few of the mutated nts to the druid.


    "I''ve noticed the flow of energy within you. It''s strong. Are you a Source?" <em>He just grabbed something out of the air.</em>


    "Just a little trick. You should be focusing on the wolf."


    Visenna brushed her hand across the wolf''s mangled body and checked its teeth, then its pupils, ws, limbs, even its reproductive organs. The look on her face turned solemn. "Something supercharged its body, causing its bones, muscles, and ws to grow at an abnormal rate."


    "I think it''s the light," said Roy. "They must''ve been affected by it."


    "I am not dismissing that possibility. The remnants of this untold energy is far too obvious to ignore, but it is different from the chaos energy we know." The druid scooped some of the soil up and had a sniff, then she stuck a few oleanders, roses, and azaleas on her forehead. The druid cast Breath of the Wild and listened in silence, while Roy observed her.


    A surge of green light swam out of the druid''s robe and flitted into the oleanders. A breeze kissed her hair, and ayer of light covered her face, blinking with life. A connection was formed between her and the nts, and she entered a mysterious state. A smile curled her lips as she felt the emotions swirling within the nts.


    Five minutester, she cut off the connection and carefully ced the oleander on the ground beneath her. "Your guess was correct, witcher."


    The oleander slid into the soil and grew a lot in mere seconds. It slithered up a stick, blossoming in pink and green. "Thanks to the red light, the nt absorbed a lot of life force. It''s why it grows so well. That effect extends to animals too, including this wolf. It''s stronger and more feral. That''s why it attacked during the day."


    Roy observed the oleander and confirmed that it was just a regr nt. <em>They canmunicate with nts, eh? Druids are something. </em>Nervously, he asked, "Did the flower say something else? About Ainz, I mean."


    "Killed by the red light." A hint of relief filled Visenna''s eyes. "Geralt and that merchant <em>are </em>wrongly used."


    Roy heaved a long sigh of relief as well. "But why''d nts get nourished by the light, and the humans get burned instead? How''d that happen?"


    "Well, the power that nourishes the nts has toe from <em>somewhere</em>."


    "You''re saying¡­" Roy''s pupils contracted. "That the red light turned Ainz into ¡­ into nutrients? But he''s just one man. There''s no way one man''s energy is enough to feed the woods and animals. That''s not an equivalent exchange." <em>One person''s energy fueling the growth of a patch of woods and a pack of wolves?</em>


    Roy was a little uneasy. This spell hurt humans to benefit nature. It almost sounded like an evil spell exclusive to druids.


    Visenna shook her head, and a conflicted look crept into her eyes. "Not the only one. The flowers told me there were twelve who came before him."


    Roy froze.


    "I am not sure if they went willingly or if they were forced. nts are limited in terms ofmunication. Ainz stepped into the forest at the wrong time and was burned to a crisp, leaving nothing behind. Their life force is absorbed and nourishes thend. This is not natural, however." There was a hint of iciness seeping into Visenna''s tone. "The process is too simple. Itcks fermentation of the fungi and bacteria. Itcks the process of breaking down the flesh. This is nothing natural, and it must not be allowed to go on."


    Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead. <em>So she means if the process is natural, humans deserve to be turned into nutrients?</em>


    "Anyone who breaks nature''s rule will be punished by the circle." Visenna extended her left hand and held her palm up, then a ck wild pigeon flew into the tent and fluttered down to her hand. She held the fowl up and whispered into its ear, then the pigeon flew westward.


    "Mypanions will search the whole of rural Mayena to find more about this red light."


    Roy nodded. <em>As expected of a druid. </em>Roy asked one crucial question. "So how''d Yurga, Brofi, and Mateo escape unscathed?"


    "That I do not have an answer to, but I do have a conjecture. The light is seeking something only certain people possess. Humans, I mean. Something nts and animals do not contain. Do you understand?"


    <em>It''s seeking something humans have. </em>Roy was reminded of what Yurga, the former butler, and Mateo had to say about Ainz. <em>A sinner. And Mateo''s suffering for his past sins. Is the red light looking for sins? The filthy memories engraved in the souls of mankind? So the creator of the light is some sorcerer of justice? </em>Roy took a deep breath. <em>No use focusing on that.</em>


    "So what is your decision, Lady Visenna? Will youe with me to convince the head of security to release Geralt?" Roy put on an exaggerated look. "If you won''t do this, he might die."


    Visenna was quiet for a long while, the look on her face stormy. Roy could see that she was in a dilemma. She hadn''t seen her son in nearly eighty years, and now she was told he was in the fortress and in danger. Of course she was nervous. Perhaps she had something else she must consider as well.


    Visenna hesitated for a long while, and she heaved a sigh. The hesitation melted, reced by determination. "We''ll see the head of security." She draped a red cloak over herself and pulled the hood over her head.


    "Should we check out the forest? I can lead the way."


    "There is no need for that. They have told me everything." Visenna came out of the tent, greeted by a loud crowd cheering and praising her.


    "Good morning, doctor. Where are you going?"


    "Are you hungry, doctor? I just made some potatoes. Would you like to try?" The former butler came up to her, simpering as he handed her a dark, wrinkly potato.


    "Thank you for your kindness, but please give me some time. I have a pressing matter to settle. More than one innocent life is awaiting my help. You know I would lend my hand to those who need it. This is how I live."


    Visenna spoke softly, but her voice was soothing. The patients quickly calmed down and showed their support.


    "Go, doctor. They need you."


    "We can wait."


    Roy went past them and quickly followed the druid. "A minute. I''ll need to summon the witness."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 508 - 508: Red Flames

    Chapter 508: Red mes


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    An office stood on the second floor of Mayena¡¯s penitentiary, the light of its dimmp shining on a bald man with a beard as thick as the fur of a boar. Ritt¡ªdeputy of security affairs of Mayena¡ªleaned against the steel window, looking down at the pedestrians on the street. In a mere five minutes, he saw a few citizens spitting in the direction of the encampment outside the fortress, their eyes filled with disgust and contempt.


    He could understand them. The refugees were like parasites sucking all the nutrients from Mayena, bringing the already malnourished city down with them. Things got worse after Ainz¡¯s disappearance. Food shortage was rife, or to be precise, the shortage of cheap food was rife.


    Foltest paid a lot ofpensation after the war, and yet with the influx of refugees, Mayena¡¯s treasury was running out of coins. The lord was panicking. He was enraged, and yet he had no avenue to vent that fury. Ritt was worried he might be out of a job at this rate. He had a family to feed. Fortunately, he found the ¡®culprit¡¯ of the kidnapping to appease the lord.


    Ritt mmed his hand on the wooden table beneath him. In two days, I¡¯ll parade the merchant and the witcher around, then I¡¯ll sentence them to death. That¡¯ll calm the lord down. That¡¯ll answer the people¡¯s questions as to who stole their food. But that¡¯s just a stopgap measure. Without more coinsing in, Mayena is headed for damnation.


    ***


    Sounds of footsteps and metal nging came from the corridor, and a fully-armored soldier knocked on the office¡¯s door. ¡°Sir, someone wishes to have an audience with you.¡±


    ¡°Working hours. I will not see anyone but the ambassador, though he¡¯s missing, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the encampment¡¯s doctor. She has with her Mateo, the servant of Ainz,¡± said the soldier, adamant. It was thanks to Visenna that his knee was still intact, and he wanted to help her. ¡°She ims to have new clues about the ambassador¡¯s disappearance.¡±


    ¡°She knows where he is?¡± Ritt rubbed his head, his face quivering, and he suddenly got into a dilemma. Druids were not bound by anyw. Should theymit a crime, all they had to do was scurry off into a random patch of woods, and no one could catch them. Not to mention this particr druid was respected by the people of Mayena and the refugees. She had lent her helping hand to all those in need, after all. I can¡¯t cross her. ¡°Very well. I¡¯d like to see what she can bring to the table.¡±


    ***


    Ominous clouds trudged across the sky, and the sunlight that shone into the room was cut off. Roaring thunder sted across the skies, and blinding lightning bolts arced through the air like winding snakes. The first drop of rain fell.


    Roy looked away. Mateo, Visenna, and he were sitting on the pew leaning on the wall. Hanging behind them was a portrait depicting the ever-burning mes of the Eternal Fire.


    The bald deputy slowly paced around his desk, staring at his guests. ¡°Mdy, and¡­ you two. The truth is indisputable. One week ago, Yurga, a merchant from Rivia, conspired with his bodyguard, a witcher named Geralt, to kidnap the ambassador and kill him in the woods. And they burned his body. There are many eyewitnesses who saw them leaving the city together, and they came back looking panicked and hurried. They must be the killers. No other exnation can be epted,¡± said the deputy. ¡°To confirm, we are at an agreement about this story, yes? And that¡¯s the narrative on which our negotiations will be resting.¡±


    ¡°Ritt, the innocent must not be punished for crimes they did not do.¡± The druid looked at the deputy with determination, and she spoke firmly. ¡°We have a witness who can debunk your story.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡± Mateo stood up. He had changed into a fresh set of clothes. He looked gaunter than he was, and his cheeks were sickly red. The poor man was down with a fever. ¡°I served Ainz for ten years. One week ago, I went for negotiations with him, and I saw everything that happened. I swear I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± He held his hand up, the look in his eyes genuine and fervent. ¡°Yurga never abducted or killed the ambassador, and the witcher wasn¡¯t in the woods at the moment of his death. There was no possible way for him to harm my employer. Ainz was killed by something else. He¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence! Know your ce, Mateo!¡± Ritt grabbed Mateo by the cor, ring at the servant almost ferally, and he held Mateo up in the air. ¡°You dare besmirch the name of the gods with nder? Are you not fearful of their retribution?¡± The deputy was spewing drool all over Mateo¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a fugitive. You¡¯re Yurga and that white-haired bastard¡¯s aplice. Your word carries no weight.¡±


    ¡°Patience,¡± said Visenna, her voiceden with the magic to soothe hearts. Like a breeze, her words cooled down the deputy, and he let go of the suffocating Mateo.


    Roy¡¯s eyes glinted. Huh, that¡¯s a lot more subtle than Axii, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Let the witness finish his testimonial, Ritt.¡±


    ¡°Then speak.¡±


    Mateo clutched his chest and heaved a sigh. ¡°Ainz and Yurga¡¯s negotiations broke down.¡±


    Ritt harrumphed. That gives the merchant a reason to kill the ambassador.


    ¡°We went by the woods on our way back, and then ¡­ and then a blinding red light burst forth. Dangerous and beautiful light shone from within the woods.¡±


    ¡°That delusional story again? Do you take me for a fool?¡± Ritt interrupted harshly. ¡°No one has seen that red light you im to be the killer.¡± When Ritt told the fortress¡¯ lord about this story, the lord flew into a feral rage and roared at him like he was a puppy. He was a hair¡¯s breadth away from losing his job.


    ¡°I can testify for him.¡± Visenna stood up and looked into Ritt¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am not just a doctor; I am also a druid. Nature is my friend. Every change that takes ce in the woods beyond Mayena is under my supervision.¡± She raised her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into the story. There is a distortion of nature¡¯s energy field in the ce this man ims the death of Ainz took ce. The animals and nts nearby have undergone a most abnormal change. In the name of druids, I promise that the red light did manifest. Even though it is gone now, the remnants of its energy remain. It¡¯s as conspicuous as tracks left by the murderer in a murder scene. If anyone wishes to question me about it, I¡¯m more than willing to answer them.¡±


    ***


    Ritt gulped. He was put between a rock and a hard ce, and he couldn¡¯t yell at the druid. She was far too respected. ¡°Mdy, I trust you are telling the truth. I have, after all, received your help. But it matters not. The lord and his people will never believe this far-fetched story, not even if you¡¯re the one backing it up. Not without proof.¡±


    ¡°I have the proof right here.¡± Roy waved his hand, and a bloody corpse of a wolf the size of a calf appeared out of nowhere, shocking the deputy.


    ¡°What in gods¡¯ name is this supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°That, Ritt, is the animal that the red light had shone upon. Thanks to the light, it has mutated.¡±


    Ritt crouched and patted the monster¡¯s head carefully, then he slid his hand down the corpse¡¯s furry back, and then the deputy checked its ws. He looked astonished. ¡°This contradicts your story. You im that the red light incinerated the ambassador, and yet these beasts grew stronger because of it. They, like humans, are life forms, are they not?¡± Ritt smiled at Roy and Visenna smugly. ¡°Druids think that all life forms, be it nts, humans, and animals, are supposed to be treated with the same respect. Which brings us to this question: why did Yurga and Mateo escape unscathed, and yet Ainz was killed?¡± Ritt pped his hands and shook his head, sighing.


    ¡°Next time you make up a story, make sure it¡¯s a coherent one. You have holes all over the ce.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Equality among life forms is an undisputed right, and yet you cannot deny that there are differences between humans and everything else,¡± Visenna answered without missing a beat.


    ¡°And I have an answer for that, sire,¡± Mateo added quickly. ¡°You¡¯ve not seen that light, but it¡¯s not normal. It¡¯s ¡­ it¡¯s sentient. It picks and chooses its target. Unbelievable, but you¡¯ll know once you see it.¡± Mateo sobbed, his face shivering, and fear crept into his eyes. ¡°It was divine retribution. It burns those who have sinned heavily.¡±


    Ritt stopped breathing for a moment.


    ¡°Beasts are not sentient. They, by all ounts, have primitive minds,¡± said Roy, his eyes glimmering under the light. ¡°They live for nothing but survival. The concept of sin does not apply to them. And nts are even more primitive than beasts, so the red light did not harm them. Instead, it gave them strength. Humans, however, are different. Some are allies of justice, like Visenna, Mateo, and you.¡±


    Ritt reddened a little. He was not an ally of justice by a long shot.


    ¡°And some have lost their souls to the path of evil, deriving pleasure from the suffering of the people. Ainz was one of them.¡±


    ¡°Why you¡­¡± Ritt pointed at the witcher, stammering, yet he couldn¡¯t argue. He was a believer of the Eternal Fire, so he couldn¡¯t say anything that was too far from the truth. He knew that Ainz was no saint. He tampered with the food for the refugees, but so what? The food he provided was cheap. As long as the refugees had something to eat, it was better than dying, even if their stomach got upset because of it. Not even the fortress lord was cracking down on this. What Ainz did was just a minor crime. Nothing big.


    ¡°Ainz¡¯s crimes did not stop at that. He did not just sell expired and tampered food.¡± Mateo¡¯s face was red and contorted with pain, still he continued. ¡°He had also lured many of the more beautiful women in the encampment into his honeyed lies. Those women were kind and innocent. Made a living by washing clothes for the people, but Ainz, in all his lust, coerced and threatened the women to sleep with him.¡±


    Mateo took a deep breath. He was in a lot of pain, but still he held that down. ¡°Spied on them, tracked them, lured them with food and clothing and jewelry. Promised he¡¯d take them into the city and marry them. I ¡­ I was involved with one of his dealings in this matter.¡± Mateo covered his face, sobs escaping his lips. ¡°I saw how he yed with their feelings. How he treated them like toys. How he dumped them after he was tired of the women. He killed a woman who was pregnant with his child, drove two to madness, and turned two into prostitutes.¡±


    Ritt did not look too disturbed by that. If the refugees didn¡¯t prostitute themselves, they would never survive in this environment. They were just doing business with Ainz. Bah, this isn¡¯t even serious. It¡¯s the women¡¯s fault. They¡¯re naive and greedy, thinking they could get a good life by sleeping with Ainz. ¡°Any more sins?¡± The deputy yawned, starting to get bored.


    ¡°H-He¡­¡± Mateo started stammering, unable to form a coherent sentence. He clutched his chest, his breathing ragged.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Roy held his shoulders.


    Visenna touched his forehead, and it almost scalded her hands. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Take a break.¡±


    ¡°I can still go on. Let me finish.¡± Mateo shook his head. ¡°H-He¡¯s a murderer. A bandit. For thest ten years, he¡¯d connived with the bandits outside the city walls, robbing the wealth of small merchants to enrich himself. First, he¡¯d pick a target and promise them a lucrative contract. The target woulde to Mayena and give him what he wanted. When the target left the city with payment, the bandits would attack them, taking the cargo and money before killing the merchant. That was how he got rich. That was how he grew from a small merchant to an ambassador.¡±


    Finally, Ritt looked serious. Criminals who would attack merchants were public enemy number one of Mayena. It would make trading hard and lose the city a lot of taxes. That crime alone would warrant a death sentence for Ainz. The lord himself would rain down his fury on the dead ambassador.


    ¡°And Yurga was one of his targets?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°That was the first time Ainz saw someone rejecting the temptation.¡± Mateo nodded, respect filling his eyes. ¡°Ainz realized war was brewing, and he thought consumables would be profitable. It was at the same time he started the trade of expired food products, and that too made him a lot of coins.¡± Mateo started retching, much to everyone¡¯s shock.


    Visenna held his shoulders and pulled his eyelids back, revealing wriggling blood vessels underneath.


    ¡°Any proof?¡± Ritt asked, not caring whether Mateo was fine or not. ¡°You can¡¯t use an honorary ambassador of that level of crime with no evidence.¡±


    ¡°Ainz had a habit of recording all his transactions. Every single one of them, every single day. He¡¯s done that for more than ten years,¡± Mateo warbled. ¡°There must be clues hidden in his ledgers. Search his estate, and you will find it.¡± The servant gurgled and hacked, veins throbbing along his neck, and his face was red as blood.


    Then he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± His contorted face eased up.


    Roy stopped casting Axii.


    ¡°The crimes of Ainz were many, and so the red light incinerated him.¡± A hundred thoughts swam through Ritt¡¯s mind, and then he found a contradicting point. ¡°You were his aplice, and you confessed to the oppression of the refugees, so why are you fine?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? I too was affected. The red light is within me, torturing my soul, yet my sins are not severe enough for it to burn me up. I have a feeling the gods are giving me a second chance. A chance to atone for my sins, so I came to you today.¡± Mateo peered at the deputy, his eyes filled with devotion and determination to atone for his sins. Even Ritt was moved by it.


    Over his years of presiding over the affairs of security, only one kind of person would have that kind of look: death row inmates during thest moments of their lives. The look in their eyes spoke of nothing but repentance.


    And he trusted Mateo.


    ¡°Gods above, hear my confession!¡± Mateo broke free of Roy and Visenna¡¯s grasp, and he went on his knees, staring at the rug on the wall with the portrait of Eternal Fire embroidered on it. He put his hands together in a prayer and prayed loudly like he was having an episode of fits. ¡°I shall take your lesson to heart. I confess my sins, and I acknowledge their weight. I shall repent, and so, deliver me from this suffering. Prithee, grant me mercy!¡±


    He was hoarse, loud, and almost hysterical. ¡°Grant me release! Deliver me from the mes and agony!¡±


    ¡°You have saved yourself, mate. You have achieved salvation.¡± Roy took a deep breath and patted his shoulder. ¡°If the gods above can hear you¡ª¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s still so much pain in me. So much heat. Wait for me, Ririn.¡± His eyes turned red, and he rasped quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll marry you once I get back, I swear.¡± Tears streamed down his cheek. Crimson tears. Tears as red as the mes.


    And then a wave of incinerating heat undted around the room. Visenna, Ritt, and Roy took a step back, looking grim. A momentter, slivers of crimson mes slithered out of the eyes and mouth of the fallen Mateo. Like vipers, they swam down his body, enveloping him in a cocoon of mes.


    It was but a split second, but the red mes were already dancing around, casting eerie shadows onto the wall. Before anyone could do anything, the top half of Mateo¡¯s body was turned to a ball of crimson gas, leaving only the lower half of his body burning quietly as it fell to the floor with a thud. Just as Yurga had told Roy, the mes could burn, but it would not produce smoke.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s the fire?¡± Ritt looked bbergasted, and he leaned against the wall, shivering in fear.


    Visenna pointed at the fire and shot out a serrated stream of light. Streams of water rained down on Mateo, but they couldn¡¯t put out the mes. ¡°The fire is showing no mercy. This is not something a god would do.¡±


    If it infects its victim, it will not stop until it burns the flesh of the possessed. It¡¯s a constant hazard. Realization hit the witcher, and his face contorted. The Elder Blood was screaming out to him, and he cursed in silence. You¡¯re not taking anyone away again, bastard. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are, but you¡¯re not killing Mateo.¡±


    Ritt was still quaking with fear, and Visenna was focused on her spell, while Roy pointed a finger ahead. A ball of light illuminated his fingertip, and it quickly ballooned, covering the room and its inhabitants. The Elder Blood writhed and boiled, unleashing the power of time upon the room.


    Flesh and blood returned to the fallen corpse, reforming his chest, neck, head, and even clothes, bringing him back to life. The crimson mes disappeared, and a breath of life came back to Mateo. His eyes were bright, and he was muttering under his breath.


    Once again, his hysterical confession rang in the air. It was the same scene that happened twenty seconds ago. ¡°Ainz had a habit of recording all his transactions. Every single one of them, every single day. He¡¯s done that for more than ten years. There must be clues hidden in his ledgers. Search his estate, and you will find it.¡±


    Oblivious to the reversal of time, Ritt and Visenna were listening in silence, forgetting the scene where Mateo was burned away. Their memories had disappeared along with the reversed time.


    Roy quickly cast Axii on Mateo, cutting him off. The servant closed his eyes and fell with a thud, snoring.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, witcher?¡± Ritt questioned.


    Roy did not answer. Twenty secondster, Mateo was still asleep, the red mes silent. Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? He¡¯s in a bad state. If he had kept talking, we¡¯d have a mess to settle. Let him rest.¡± Roy smiled at Visenna and Ritt. ¡°I¡¯ll handle things from now on. I¡¯ve known what I needed to, and it¡¯s thanks to him. Deputy, I¡¯ll deal with your problem if you¡¯ll clear the names of Geralt, Yurga, and Mateo.¡±

 Chapter 509: Win-Win

    Ritt watched as Mateo was taken to the couch, and then he turned to Visenna, ignoring the witcher''s proposal. "Mdy, I do not wish to lie or disrespect you by keeping the truth. To be honest, so what if Ainz was a criminal? The fact remains that he still died, and we have no supplier who can sell us cheap food or consumables. The refugees will starve, and the people of this fortress will be facing another round of intion." He said solemnly, "Even if we pass the verdict on Ainz, our problem is still not solved. The lord has been worrying over this matter for a week. Lost sleep over it. He''s not going to believe some sort of red light killed Ainz, even if you <em>are </em>telling the truth. This might be a case of murder, but the underlying problem runs a lot deeper than that, understand?"


    "So you mean the lord and his people need someone to vent their frustration on?" asked Visenna coldly, her eyes gleaming venomously green. "Even if you sacrifice the innocent, that will still not solve your problems."


    "But it can buy us time. I''m sorry, but Geralt and Yurga cannot escape this. This is what Destiny has led them to."


    A pregnant pause descended upon the office. Visenna''s shoulders were trembling, and she stood up straighter. No longer was she gentle and soft-spoken. Her tenderness was taken over by something more feral. No longer was she the wise schr. Now she was a dweller of the woods, filled with the power of nature''s forces. She stared at Ritt fiercely, like a beast ready toe up with a n of revenge.


    "Ah, but we actually have a win-win solution right in front of us, deputy." Roy broke the ice and raised his head. Confidently, he said, "We can solve Mayena''s predicament, clear the names of our suspects, and punish the wicked."


    "Is that supposed to be a joke witcher? You''re going to pull your hypnotic tricks on me, aren''t you?" A mocking smirk curled Ritt''s lips. He had far lower respect toward the witcher.


    "Seems like you''re still blind to the situation, <em>deputy</em>." Roy crossed his arms, smirking at Ritt as well. The mockery in his smirk irked Ritt. Just when he was about tounch into a tirade, the witcher spoke again. "There''s only one reason Mayena can''t afford their cheap consumables: coins. If you have enough coins, then you can buy anything you want."


    "Bah, empty talk''s cheap, witcher." Ritt scoffed. "You think we can get money that easily? It''s not like money''s pinned to bulletin boards like request, witcher. Think coins wille rolling just because you swing your sword around and cut off a monster''s head?"


    "Do you have nothing but muscles in that big, empty head of yours, <em>deputy</em>?" Roy snapped. He had had enough of the deputy''s snide, ignorant attitude. <em>If it''s the hard way you want, then the hard way we''ll use.</em> "Or are your eyes blinded by rage and ignorant prejudice?"


    "Why you¡­"


    "You have an opportunity for coins ripe for the taking right in front of you." Roy took a step ahead, closing in on the deputy. He shot Ritt a look as sharp as knives, and the tension in the air around him grabbed Ritt by the throat, shutting him up.


    Ritt had seen his fair shares of terrible criminals. He''d seen many death-row inmates, but none had an air as terrifying as the witcher. He had a feeling that the thing watching him was no human. No, it was a beast as titanic as the Blue Mountain, ready to engulf him should he make one wrong step. Fear made him take a step back.


    "Ainz was a criminal, and a heinous one at that. All the wealth he umted, he gained through uwful means." Crimson light red in Roy''s eyes. "ording to Mayena¡ª no, thew of the north, the punishment for his crimes must be heavy. You know what I''m talking about."


    Ritt had a stroke of inspiration. His cheeks red red, and his breathing became ragged. "His wealth will be confiscated."


    "Ainz was Mayena''s honorary ambassador. That title alone gave him enough power to amass a mountain of coins, let alone the wealth he plundered from the merchants over ten years. Let alone the coins he made by selling expired and tampered necessities after the war''s breakout. Use whatever''s left of your brain and think about it. Think about the mountains of coins you''ll find." Roy paused, the light shining on his hard, icy face. "Take it, and Mayena will be loaded for at least a few years."


    Ritt gulped. He''d made a rough estimate of Ainz''s wealth, and there were about two hundred thousand orens to be made. <em>If we loot¡­ No, that man made those coins through criminal means. We''re justified in confiscating it. If we take the coins, I can help the lord with his immediate crisis and gain something from it. This''ll make promotion that much easier.</em>


    "I am such a fool."


    Ainz used to be powerful. Too powerful, so he had no reason to try and take him down. But now that he had Mateo''s testimonial, he could tear away the protection Ainz had. Double the chances once he found the evidence pointing to Ainz''s crimes. He was sure the lord would support this idea. <em>Ainz''s heir? Bah, nothing but a distant rtive. To damnation with him. </em>Ritt clenched his fists, his cheeks red, and he trembled with excitement.


    Visenna looked at the witcher, impressed by his quick thinking and proclivity toward persuasion. Relief flowed into her heart. <em>Geralt made a smart friend, and I didn''t have to do anything either.</em>


    "I see you''ve gotten the gist of it, Ritt. No time to lose." Imperiously, Roy said, "Clear the names of Geralt, Yurga, and Mateo. Then tell the people about Ainz''s crimes. The evidence for that <em>must </em>be in his estate, get it? And we have a witness to tell everyone about it. I have to admit that you got one thing right. Telling everyone that a beam of red light killed Ainz would incite public terror, so I have a more usible exnation in mind."


    Roy shook his head. There was a reason he wanted to go with this: so Mateo wouldn''t selfbust again. Roy pointed at the mangled wolf corpse. "On his way back from his negotiation, Ainz was attacked by a pack of mutated wolves. The beasts tore him apart and ate him up. If they wish to see parts of the corpse, I''m sure you can find them. If anyone asks about the red light, tell them Geralt, Mateo, and Yurga spouted nonsense due to the shock they received. The truth was that Ainz was killed by beasts, not by a red light."


    He continued. "The innocents are released, the wicked are punished, Mayena''s coin problem is solved, and the people will not have to face starvation and intion. Everyone''s happy."


    The witcher looked at the ck-jawed deputy, and a smirk curled his lips. Visenna''s jaw dropped a little, and she stared at the witcher in awe. For two hundred years and more she''d lived, but never once did she see any witcher who could persuade as well as Roy. <em>He can twist any story in his favor. No, to be exact, he just reassigned the roles of the characters in his story. The wolves </em>did <em>eat someone, and Ainz </em>was <em>a criminal. Yurga and his servant were shocked too, and the red light did its job of punishing the wicked. </em>Things looked so¡­ reasonable in this version of the story, like that was the truth of this whole thing.


    Ritt took a deep breath, holding his excitement and urge to leap to action down. "I might have underestimated you, witcher. That is a tempting idea. Ainz was a criminal, and a heinous one at that. I must tell the lord about this and confiscate all his wealth. And then we will expose his crimes to the people, subjecting him to condemnation." But then he red at the witcher with fury, coldly asking, "But why should I release Geralt and Yurga? Why should I do that after the attitude you showed me? After all the ordering around you did?"


    Roy took another step closer and stood before the bald, foolish deputy. He smiled, his teeth glinting like stars. It was a warm and friendly smile, but despite that, Ritt still felt a mountain of pressureing from the witcher, even though he was the shorter one here.


    And then he saw crimson light shing behind the witcher, and tentacles leapt out of the void, constricting his arms, legs, neck, and torso. All the air was pushed out of him, and his face turned purple, goosebumps undting all over his body.


    A wave of fear screamed from the depths of his soul.


    "Ritt, I gave you the idea to save you from your multiple predicaments, and all I ask in return is that you release the innocents. That is a fair trade and very in line with the witcher code. I trust you won''t go against that, or you <em>will </em>pay the price. A price heavy enough to silence you." The witcher opened his arms and took a few steps back.


    The deputy bent over, hands on his knees as he took a deep breath. Before he knew it, his sweat had drenched his shirt, and beard. He looked at the witcher in fear, and an epiphany struck. <em>Don''t go against him no matter what. </em>He dashed all his ns of tripping the witcher up.


    Visenna cocked her eyebrow. She noticed the scent of a familiar existenceing off Roy just now, but then she shook her head. <em>Must be my imagination.</em>


    ***


    "You win, witcher." A whole minuteter, the deputy stood up, wobbling. "I''ll do as you say. I shall release Geralt and Yurga. Once we clear things up to the people, take them and <em>leave</em>," he hissed.


    Roy shrugged. "Sure. I do not look forward to another visit here."


    ***


    Ritt summoned the soldiers and whispered something to them.


    "A minute, you two. Geralt and Yurga will be here shortly. Do as you please. I need to see the lord now."


    Visenna looked d at first, but then she felt conflicted, and she clenched her fists.


    "Do as your heart tells you to, Lady Visenna. You can''t be trying to run away at this point."


    Visenna took a deep breath and approached the window, staring outside stiffly. She wouldn''t even look at Roy.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 510 - 510: Forgiven

    Chapter 510: Forgiven


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Firelight from the torch cast shadows upon the wall. Shadows that danced in the dark.


    ¡°You sure Roy can do this, Geralt? It¡¯s been three days, and still we¡¯re receiving no news. That bald tyrant¡¯s men are getting more brutal with their punishment. I thought we¡¯d be skinned alive.¡± Yurga leaned on the wall of the prison, gulping down a Potion of Minor Healing. A cool sensation soothed the wounds and pain on his back. The merchant closed his eyes in enjoyment.


    ¡°Let me put it this way.¡± Geralt stared at the corridor outside his prison, and a sense of frustration welled in his heart, like some kind of unknown future was going to descend upon them. With slight trepidation, he said, ¡°From the day I knew him, he¡¯s never let me down. He¡¯s been creating miracles time and time again.¡±


    Yurga smacked his pot belly and smiled. He joked, ¡°Good to hear. Looks like we¡¯ll have to n for our future after leaving this godforsaken ce. Maybe we¡¯ll have sunny days and Goldencheeks will be pickling the greens or drying the fish. Hey, that count as the Law of Surprise too? Oh, I have to prepare something for Roy too. Please, gods, let him not invoke the Law of Surprise.¡± Yurga had a mischievous look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll just give him one of my sons. The fact he can bust us out of this ce is testament of his skill. I bet he can train the kid into a good man.¡±


    ¡°We might have to wait for a bit before we get back to your ce, Yurga. I need to find someone,¡± Geralt interrupted, the nervousness squeezing his heart tighter.


    ¡°Who? Your daughter?¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡±


    ¡°Geralt. Yurga.¡± A soldier opened the steel door and approached the two of them, hollering. There was disappointment in his eyes. ¡°Lucky bastards. I don¡¯t know how you befriended the doctor, but she convinced Ritt to let you go. Now take your medallions and shirt. Time to meet your savior.¡±


    ¡°Geralt. You were right. We¡¯re saved. Are you a seer or something?¡± Yurga was prancing around happily.


    A doctor? The White Wolf¡¯s trepidation worsened by a bit. Who could it be?


    ***


    ¡°So, how does freedom feel, mate?¡± The witchers exchanged a hug, filling the air with dust and the stench of sweat. Roy looked at the White Wolf. His stubble was unkempt, his cheeks were sullied with blood, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Roy thought, Man, he gets locked up wherever he goes.


    Geralt smiled at hispanion thankfully.


    ¡°How did you do it, Roy?¡± The merchant¡ªwearing nothing but strips of silk¡ªgripped Roy¡¯s left hand and simpered, his face wrinkling up. The sweat on his hand was forming a film that glistened under the sun. ¡°I thought the lord and his deputy for security affairs were going to kill us.¡±


    ¡°I talked sense into them. They¡¯ll clear your name soon.¡±


    ¡°And who is she?¡± Geralt turned his eyes to the window of the office, where a silhouette stood with her back turned to him. She was tall, lithe, and beautiful despite her slightly masculine outfit. She was silent and serene as a tree. Geralt felt like he just walked into a patch of old woods just by looking at her.


    He tasted the scent of grass, trees, and the refreshing fragrance of mint and button grassing from her. The woman then turned around, revealing her beautiful, pale, and gaunt face. She looked a bit like Geralt, and if he didn¡¯t know better, the White Wolf would think he was looking into a mirror. She had green eyes, and they shone with shock, tenderness, and relief.


    Geralt wished she would show one more emotion. The one he wanted to see. The one she was holding back. The White Wolf¡¯s pupils dted for a moment, and he froze, his heart skipping a beat.


    Roy covered Yurga¡¯s mouth so Geralt and Visenna could have some time alone. He then dragged the merchant out of the office and looked at Geralt and Visenna before closing the door.


    Gryphon the Chipmunk swayed its bushy tail and scurried down its master¡¯s cloak. It snuck into the corner of the office and listened in on the conversation.


    ***


    Silence fell upon the office, leaving only the sounds of breathing and fast heartbeats ringing out in the air. A tall, white-haired witcher stared at his mother, a beautiful, serene doctor. There was little distance between them. One step, and they could hold each other, but neither of them spoke.


    There was something almost agonizing brewing in the air.


    ¡°You saved me?¡±


    ¡°Just lent a little hand. It was your friend who did most of the talking. He came up with the perfect n and convinced the deputy of security affairs to change his mind,¡± said the woman, her voice sweet and clear. It was so different from the old, raspy, and cold voice of what Geralt imagined woulde out of his mother.


    From the moment he saw this woman, he knew she was his mother. The one he¡¯d spend many years thinking of. His throat started to itch, so he coughed. ¡°You saved me, nheless.¡±


    ¡°They interrogated you?¡± Visenna¡¯s face fell, and she checked on her son. She raised her hand, trying to touch him, but then she put her hand down. ¡°Your lungs. They¡¯re hurt. You need treatment.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Geralt shook his head, looking at his mother coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll heal in a week. This isn¡¯t much. You know witchers have to go through a lot of mutations when they¡¯re still children. Viruses, bacterial infections, all the good stuff. I survived those. Well, I was one of those who survived. Seven out of ten died. I was lucky. This is nothingpared to that.¡±


    There was aint within that. An unspokenint. Visenna froze and went a shade whiter.


    ¡°Still, you saved me.¡± Geralt looked deadpan. He had no idea what kind of look he should put on. ¡°Thank you for your help,dy. May I know your name?¡±


    ¡°Visenna,¡± she said honestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you, Lady Visenna.¡± Geralt¡¯s voice was starting to crack a bit.


    Visenna wanted to talk about how much this event was a coincidence, but she swallowed her words and stayed silent. With a little self-depreciation seeping into his voice, he sharply said, ¡°You generously lent a hand to an evil, filthy mutant you¡¯ve never met in your life. How should I thank you?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. You know witchers are no filthy beings. And don¡¯t talk to me about that.¡± Visenna turned around and took a deep breath. When she turned back again, she calmed down, the look in her eyes as serene as the morning woods. ¡°I will lend a hand to those who need it. No exceptions. That¡¯s how I live.¡±


    She looked at the scar spanning from the left of Geralt¡¯s forehead to his left ear. Gently, she said, ¡°Witchers are stronger than regr humans, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re invincible. You have to keep yourself safe and stay away from danger as much as you can.¡±


    Geralt let a rush of air out and stared at Visenna for a few moments. ¡°Thank you for your concern. Really.¡±


    And then he found a hole in her answer. Finally, he could vent his years of repressed rage and sorrow. ¡°But I have a question. You im to lend a hand to those who need it, but why didn¡¯t youe to Kaer Morhen when I was crying myself to sleep after days and days of arduous training? So I¡¯m worth less than a stranger to you?¡±


    A wave of memories crashed and screamed in Geralt¡¯s mind.


    You¡¯re different, Geralt. All the kids had their mothers by their side until they were about eight. They were only handed over because the Law of Surprise was invoked. However, your mother abandoned you when you were just a child, and she¡¯s a sorceress who has more money than most humans can ever dream of.


    ¡°No, Geralt. I¡­¡± Visenna shook her head, trying to argue.


    A smirk curled Geralt¡¯s lips, and he pointed at his eyes. ¡°What do you think of my eyes? Got them in Kaer Morhen after all the mutations I went through. Look at them. Tell them what you can see in them.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Geralt! Enough!¡±


    The druid¡¯s loss ofposure was thest straw. Geralt had had enough of his mother¡¯s neglect. He had enough of repressing his rage, and he asked the question that had been haunting him for years. ¡°Fine. We can skip the other questions, but answer me this: why did you leave me at Kaer Morhen? Vesemir told me he didn¡¯t invoke the Law of Surprise. You owed him nothing.¡±


    A tear fell down the druid¡¯s cheek like rainwater drenching the surface of a pearl. ¡°Enough, Geralt. Do not ask any further, I beg you,¡± she answered gently, her voice almost ethereal as the clouds. ¡°The answer you seek will do nothing but hurt the both of us.¡± I am a failure of a mother. I abandoned my child, and no matter the reason, I must be punished. I am not worthy of forgiveness, nor should I seek it out.


    Geralt continued, his mother¡¯s almost indifferent attitude hurting him, ¡°I know a sorceress. She¡¯s not even ny, but because of Aretuza¡¯s sted rules, she can never have her own children. She¡¯d do anything to have the ability to conceive. Killing a green dragon, capturing a djinn¡­ Almost died a few times, but still she could not conceive. Children are gifts from Destiny herself.¡± Geralt asked, ¡°So why did you abandon yours?¡±


    ¡°I need to leave, Geralt. My patients await me. Please, take care.¡± Visenna wiped her tear away and draped her cloak over her shoulders.


    She tried to go around Geralt, but he held her arm. Her skin was as soft and smooth as a youngdy¡¯s. Visenna quaked, but she didn¡¯t struggle. Instead, she turned her head away, afraid to see her own child¡¯s face. Afraid to see the hatred in his eyes.


    Geralt noticed tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered what I should ask you should we meet. Wondered how you would react. I thought I¡¯d glean some sort of satisfaction from this revenge, but no. The fact that you cry for me means you¡¯re at least not a heartless mother. At least you still think of me.¡±


    Geralt saw through her, and she almost sobbed. Of course mothers loved their children, especially sorcerers who had long lives. Aside from family, everything else would rot before them. In the end, only their loneliness would remain. She did everything she could to save the helpless so she could perhaps fill the cracks in her heart, stifling the guilt that would wash over her mind during sleepless nights.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to find Geralt. She was worried if she might find her son already dead in battle. He was cursed with the fate of being a witcher because of her, and she didn¡¯t deserve forgiveness for that. Yet she had one humble wish. She knew that she perhaps had one surviving member of her family somewhere out there, and she prayed for him always.


    ¡°I can guess why you left me with Vesemir even without you saying it.¡± Geralt paused for a moment, staring at his mother¡¯s face. If he didn¡¯t say what he wanted to say, he might never get this chance again. ¡°It was because of my father, Korin, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Korin. She was reminded of a strong, blond swordsman. Thunderstruck, her eyes went wide, and she leaned closer to Geralt, losing a bit of her strength.


    Geralt held her, albeit a little stiffly, not unlike a boy who wanted to protect his mother. He told Visenna what Roy told him, and it too was a message tofort himself. ¡°Before he died, Korin saw the prophecy of a white-haired witcher ying monsters across thend. The phantom told him that his name was Geralt of Rivia. You loved Korin, and you thought that was a guide from Destiny. From that moment on, you decided what you would do with the child in your belly. Witchers, sorcerers, and druids believe in the power of Destiny. We know how powerful it is.¡±


    Visenna tried to say something, but she kept quiet and rxed herself. She buried her face in his shoulder, tears drenching his shirt and armor. For that moment, she was but a vulnerable woman.


    ¡°Destiny separated us, and now it brings us back together.¡±


    The tears Visenna shed had the answers Geralt had been searching for. ¡°I thought I¡¯d feel happy seeing you heartbroken, but I too share your sadness, for I still think of you as kin. If you truly have lost all affection for me, you would not have saved me, nor would you have agreed to this meetup and interrogation. Thank you, Visenna.¡±


    Geralt looked at the sobbing woman, and a sliver of warmth seeped into his tone as he eased up. ¡°Now I know that aside from Vesemir, myrades, and my lover, there¡¯s another one out there who cares for me, and she¡¯s my mother.¡±


    Geralt was reminded of the few cases he interfered. The princess of Vizima who was cursed to be a monster, a man by the name of Nivellen who shared the same fate¡­ Love is the only thing that can lift curses, pain, and bridge the gap between estranged family members. A smile curled Geralt¡¯s stiff countenance, and tears streamed down his cheeks. ¡°You are forgiven, Visenna. Forgiven.¡±


    Visenna let herself go and cried her heart out. Finally, after decades of separation, mother and son were reunited, sharing a long-overdue hug.


    The chipmunk swayed its bushy tail and scurried out of the window.

 Chapter 511 - 511: Before the Departure

    Chapter 511: Before the Departure


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The rain hade to a stop, a rainbow bridge galloping across the skies of Mayena, draping the fortress with a nket of rich colors. Mayena¡¯s za, a ce where people seldom gathered, saw half the city¡¯s citizens swarming the ce.


    Hundreds of civilians were gathered in this ce, curious about what would happen. Whispers and discussions broke out everywhere. Standing on the wooden stage of execution were Yurga, Geralt, Mateo, Visenna, the bald deputy, a mangled, maggot-infested human corpse, and the carcass of a gigantic wolf.


    ¡°Citizens, for eight days we¡¯ve investigated the death of our honorary ambassador, Ainz. After eight painstaking days, we¡¯ve finally discerned the cause of his death,¡± Ritt announced. Long gone was his panic and dejection, reced by delight and excitement.


    Some of the civilians were whipped into a frenzy, their faces red, and they roared.


    ¡°That merchant of Rivia killed him! He and the witcher!¡±


    ¡°Hang them!¡±


    ¡°No, tie them to the stakes!¡±


    ¡°Burn them!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not witches, you buffoon!¡±


    The people swung their fists, roaring and shouting for the murderers to be put down, their overzealous rage scaring Yurga. Geralt, however, folded his arms, looking unfazed, and he looked at his mother.


    ¡°Silence! Let me speak. The investigation veered the wrong way from the start. Ainz was in fact not kidnapped at all. This feral beast here killed him.¡± Ritt pointed at the wolf¡¯s corpse.


    The people turned their attention to the corpse, and a collective gasp pierced the air.


    ¡°By Lebioda, are the end days upon us?¡± A heavily freckled man spoke in astonishment. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a wolf this big my whole life.¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t go around enough.¡± A potbellied man scoffed. ¡°Oversized beasts exist. Just gotta travel to the northmost part of thends and venture into Dragon Mountains.¡±


    ¡°This beast took up residence in the bushes behind the wooden bridge of the valley in the north, ambushing passing townspeople.¡± Ritt looked at the concerned people. ¡°Ainz and Yurga were on their way back from the woods when the wolf ambushed them. Ainz was killed on the spot, his corpse devoured. We sent a troop of soldiers into the woods for a search, and a lot were injured before we found the corpse and killed the beast. Yurga and everyone else, shocked by the horrible encounter, conjured up a delusion and spouted nonsense when they came back.¡±


    ¡°What proof do you have?¡± anky man shouted. Like most people, he believed the conspiracy theory about Ainz being kidnapped and killed by hispetitor. That made for a more intriguing story than a mere beast attack.


    ¡°Mateo¡ªAinz¡¯s servant¡ªis our witness. Along with our beloved healer.¡±


    Visenna took a step forward and nodded at the people, giving them a smile. Her smile alone soothed their doubts and rage. ¡°I have ascertained that this is the corpse of Ainz. He was torn to pieces by this beast, and I have also found pieces of his flesh in the beast¡¯s belly.¡±


    ¡°The healer¡¯s right!¡± ad with a crutch shouted. He had the look of a devout believer on his face.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what the healer says, then that must be the case,¡± the other civilians agreed. Visenna had helped them before, so they were indebted to her.


    Some people voiced their doubts, but their suspicion was drowned out easily.


    ¡°Which makes Geralt, Yurga, and Mateo innocents!¡± Ritt shouted.


    ¡°Release them!¡±


    ¡°That is what I shall do right now. I hereby pronounce that their usations of kidnapping are dropped. We shall dulypensate them for our wrongful usations against them.¡±


    ¡°What a fool!¡± a young boy mocked. ¡°Spent eight days, and this is what you found? And you used three innocents.¡±


    The crowd burst intoughter, and Ritt¡¯s face fell, but he held his fury back. ¡°This is no foolishness, boy. This is what the gods had in store for us. This is what the Eternal Fire wanted for us,¡± said Ritt righteously. ¡°This mistake led us to Ainz¡¯s well-kept secret during our investigations.¡±


    ¡°What kind of secret?¡±


    ¡°Despite his status and power as our ambassador, Ainz not only did not uphold his duties, he abused his power andmitted a list of heinous crimes. One, the food he purchased for the refugees is made of moldy and expired ingredients.¡±


    The people inhaled sharply.


    A short, pudgy man with a face full of e held his belly. ¡°No wonder my stomach gets upset for the whole day every time I have food Ainz bought.¡±


    His friend teased, ¡°You go into the refugee encampment?¡±


    ¡°Hey, free food is free food. Don¡¯t tell me you aren¡¯t tempted.¡±


    ¡°Shut it. I am not done yet,¡± Ritt continued. ¡°Two, he has forced more than five women in the encampment to serve him in bed. He promised them heaven and earth, and yet he left them to fend for themselves.¡±


    ¡°The bastard!¡± That riled the crowd up. ¡°He has the looks of a shit-eating maggot! Forced women into servitude just because he had money? Damn him!¡±


    ¡°That scum! That beast did well, it did!¡± The men roared with indignity and jealousy.


    ¡°He got it easy. If it were up to me, I¡¯d have hung him in the za and cut his junk off!¡± an effeminate man hissed.


    A in-looking man sighed. ¡°The gods are unfair. I¡¯ve been honest all my life, but I¡¯ve never even held a woman¡¯s hand before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have no gold to your name,¡± a minor aristocrat scoffed.


    Ritt was happy about the people¡¯s reaction. Their rage was finally redirected to Ainz. ¡°Three, for thest ten years, Ainz had been in cahoots with the bandits terrorizing the wilds beyond the walls, robbing and killing the merchants that got into a contract with him, taking their cargo for free. Up until his death, he had killed no fewer than a hundred merchants.¡±


    A soldier walked up to Ritt and handed a thick ck tome. ¡°This is the ledger we found in his estate. Every single illegal transaction he made is recorded in these pages. There is no denial of his crimes now.¡± Ritt did his best to wag the tome around, riling up the people more. ¡°Do you know what this means? Ainz fattened himself up with the coins he gained from killing his partners, but in turn, Mayena lost a huge number of businesses, taxes, and job opportunities.¡±


    Like a conductor for an orchestra, Ritt swung his arms down and made a circle. ¡°Thanks to Ainz, all of you are making less money than you should.¡±


    ¡°The bastard!¡± a young aristocrat in a green scarf spat, crossing their arms before their chest. ¡°So he¡¯s the reason things are getting pricier while profits get lower?¡±


    ¡°That is correct!¡± Ritt continued loudly. ¡°Ainz was nothing but a parasite. A bloodsucker. As long as he was there, the people would¡¯ve lived nothing but miserable lives.¡±


    ¡°The corrupted, evil bastard!¡± a bald man roared.


    ¡°A demon in human skin!¡± the farmers shouted.


    ¡°Yay, yay, he¡¯s dead!¡± A girl sitting on her father¡¯s head pped merrily.


    The people were cursing and spitting at the dead ambassador.


    ¡°His death is divine retribution and a chance for this city to change. Our wise and revered lord, Scorpi, will be taking advantage of this change to breathe new life into the city.¡± A pause ensued, and Ritt turned red with excitement as he was reminded of the encouragement his boss gave him.


    Animatedly, he announced, ¡°From next month onward, Lord Scorpi will lower the prices of all items in this city. He has promised that prices will not rise again. Within six months, prices will keep going down until they hit normal levels. The details will be posted on the bulletin board in town hall. Everyone¡¯s invited to check it out.¡±


    ¡°Hail Lord Scorpi!¡±


    ¡°Long live Lord Scorpi!¡±


    After so much suffering, the people finally got some good news, and they shouted and cheered in glee. On top of that, they could vent their frustration at the snobbish and arrogant ambassador, and that was cathartic for them.


    With that, the whole fiasco surrounding Ainz¡¯s death came to an end.


    ***


    ¡°If you run into any trouble, Yugni,e to the ballroom in Novigrad¡¯s business district and tell them Roy sent you. I¡¯ll help however I can.¡±


    ¡°Auckes ¡­ I mean Roy, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. You¡¯ve helped me out too.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ritt gave you some gold, didn¡¯t he, Mateo? I have a suggestion. Take Ririn and leave Mayena right away. This ce does nothing for you. You have to leave to escape your past. Don¡¯t think about them. Try your best to distract yourself and perhaps sire a child. This is important. Your life depends on this, got it?¡±


    ***


    sses nged, and the aroma of malt red in the air, the foam glistening like pearls.


    ¡°Thank you, Roy. Got out with my life intact thanks to you.¡± Yurga had changed into cheap, oversized clothes, and he was grinning. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my ce. Pick any of my sons you¡¯d like. Train him up to be a witcher.¡± The merchant thumped his chest.


    Roy looked at the excited merchant, amused. It was his first time seeing someone willingly give up their children to a witcher, but the orphanage was in no need of more kids. ¡°So how old are they?¡±


    ¡°Twelve. Both of them are.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but they¡¯re a bit old. The Trial will be dangerous for them,¡± Roy said.


    Ebony was under the table,pping up some dwarven liquor. He was listening to the tune of the lute, shaking his leg like he was under a spell.


    Yurga looked slightly disappointed. ¡°They¡¯re twins, so I guess both of them are my firstborns. If you won¡¯t take them with you, inheritance is going to be a problem when theye of age.¡±


    ¡°If you love them equally, then split their inheritance equally between them.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. I¡¯m going to make a lot from this deal anyway. For some reason, the deputy became a lot more agreeable. Waived me two years¡¯ worth of business tax in Mayena.¡± Yurga looked pleasantly surprised.


    Roy smiled. At least the deputy is not a total idiot. He turned to Geralt. ¡°What did the deputy give you?¡±


    ¡°Two hundred orens.¡± Geralt gulped his beer down and wiped off the foam. ¡°All I had to take were someshes. It¡¯s a good deal.¡±


    Roy raised a toast, staring at Geralt with interest. ¡°This is none of my business, but how did your talk with Visenna go?¡±


    And a short pause slid itself into the otherwise merry asion. In the original timeline, Geralt was heavily injured when he met his mother. Visenna kept running away from the questions Geralt posed. When Geralt passed out, Visenna ran away, and Geralt never saw her again until the day he died.


    This time, Geralt had the upper hand thanks to Roy¡¯s intervention, and Visenna didn¡¯t manage to run away. It would¡¯ve been a shame if Visenna and Geralt had gone their own paths and never talked again even after the conversation.


    Geralt let go of his ss and leaned in his chair, staring at the magicalmp on the inn¡¯s ceiling. ¡°You might think I¡¯m a joke. Being a witcher means cutting off our old lives, including our old families. That¡¯s what Vesemir had told me so many times. Eskel and Lambert followed that rule, or to be exact, this path didn¡¯t give them any chance to contact their family, but I could never seem to forget about my mother. I had always wished to see her. That¡¯s not what most witchers would do.¡± He finished his beer, a shade of red painting his pale cheeks.


    ¡°No such rule in the brotherhood, Geralt,¡± said Roy loudly. ¡°We¡¯re moving with the times. How we work, mutate, and deal with world affairs are changing too. We¡¯re dealing with family affairs differently too.¡± Roy said seriously, ¡°Take me for example. I¡¯ve been in this line of work for three years, but have I estranged myself from Moore or Susie?¡±


    Geralt shook his head.


    ¡°Have their lives been badly affected by my presence? Or is it the opposite?¡±


    The opposite, Geralt thought. And they gave you a brother too.


    ¡°The rule of cutting off your family and taking on the fate of cold loneliness after you be a witcher is in the past now.¡± Roy smiled proudly. ¡°We should look forward and go after new dreams. We do not just exist to help humans with their monster infestations or personal affairs. Not like we have a serious monster infestation either. We should work for one thing only: to change the lives of ourselves, our families, our friends, and our lovers.¡± Roy raised his voice and fervently said, ¡°So everyone can be happy.¡±


    Yurga¡¯s jaw dropped. He couldn¡¯t believe a witcher would say something so unbelievable. It sounded so impossible, but so inspirational. That was the goal most people were working toward, not just witchers.


    ¡°Visenna¡¯s your mother. She had a reason to leave you, but she¡¯s been missing you. It¡¯s normal that you want to get close to her.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s fine if I stay in contact with her?¡± Geralt looked at Roy.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Rot patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯d be confusing if you left without saying a word. Puerile and melodramatic.¡±


    Geralt looked sheepish. He did n on leaving without saying a word.


    ¡°You finally found her. Reconnected with her. Don¡¯t let go so easily,¡± Roy encouraged. ¡°Spend some time nurturing the connection. Don¡¯t have to keep an eye on it all the time. Just asional visits to let her know you¡¯re fine would be good enough.¡±


    The look of dilemma melted off Geralt¡¯s face, reced by a smile. He then patted the head of Ebony, and the pup stopped shaking his leg for a while. Then Ebony pranced around happily, howling quietly with the screaming and dancing patrons on the dance floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always loved your analyses. Straight to the point and motivational.¡±


    ¡°Analyses? No, this is a prophecy.¡± Roy beamed. ¡°You should be thankful, because those who have heard my prophecies will gain happiness.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Yurga rubbed his hands and grinned. ¡°Can you give me a prophecy as well?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have another child.¡±


    Yurga¡¯s jaw dropped, and liquor rattled in his throat, about to be spewed. Royshed out and covered the merchant¡¯s mouth until the red-faced merchant gulped his liquor down.


    ¡°Kidding. You¡¯ll have a surprise waiting for you at home nheless.¡±


    The merchant burped and shot Roy a look ofint. It took him a long while to calm down from the shock. ¡°Can we set off tomorrow? I¡¯d like to make some purchases for Goldencheeks and the boyster.¡±


    Geralt said nothing. He only brought up the Law of Surprise on a whim. He wasn¡¯t nning on taking his son or any of his pickled greens or dried fish. ¡°I have to find Ciri, so I can¡¯t go with you, Yurga. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anywhere better to be?¡± Roy smiled. ¡°You never invoke the Law of Surprise on a whim. The Law carries with it the power of Destiny. You did say that should you pass this trial of imprisonment, you¡¯ll have passed the trial of Destiny. Now it¡¯s time to receive your reward,¡± Roy said mysteriously. ¡°Perhaps what you¡¯re looking for is right there. Outer Rivia isn¡¯t far from Mayena.¡±


    Anticipation red within Geralt¡¯s heart, and he didn¡¯t argue anymore.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Roy downed a ss of alcohol, and he turned red with excitement. ¡°We¡¯ll set off with Yurga tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°One thing I don¡¯t understand.¡± Yurga smacked his belly, and it jiggled. ¡°What was that light? Are we really going to just ignore it? Smells like trouble.¡±


    Roy said, ¡°It shone on you for five minutes. Feel unwell?¡±


    ¡°The opposite, actually. I feel a lot lighter. Stronger. It healed my arthritis too, or I couldn¡¯t have survived life in prison.¡± Kindness is rewarded.


    ¡°Maybe that light really is some sort of divine spell. Punishment for the wicked and blessing for the kind. Couldn¡¯t find anything even when I tried to look around the woods.¡±


    Roy had a wary look in his eyes. The memory of Mateo getting burned by the light was fresh in his head, and he felt something familiar from the light too. ¡°The druids of Mayena are starting their search. They will contact me once they find something.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s it going to be?¡± Geralt cocked his eyebrow.


    ¡°The lovely Visenna. Exchanged contacts with her.¡± Roy whipped out a magic crystal, ignoring the dark look on Geralt¡¯s face. With anticipation in his voice, he said, ¡°Perhaps I might ask her a lot about the path of nature.¡± And try to get her to be a part of the brotherhood¡¯sb members.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you learned a thing or two from Lambert. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t try anything funny with her, or I¡¯m telling Lytta about it. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll give you a piece of her mind.¡±


    ¡°Just kidding, Geralt. You know I¡¯m chasing power. And I¡¯m not interested in someone two hundred years older than me.¡±


    ***


    The beautiful wilds of Mayena sheltering the druids¡¯ circle saw something peculiar happen that day. A druid draped in bear hide, a pair of antlers coupled with mistletoe wreaths took a mountain flower off his forehead, his face covered in feral tattoos.


    Once he sorted out the nts¡¯ message, his eyes burned with mes hot enough to immte anything he set his eyes on. ¡°A second energy field, this time fifteen dead. Someone¡¯s experimenting on our turf. No matter who they are, they will pay the price.¡±

 Chapter 512 - 512: Ciri’s Journey

    Chapter 512: Ciri¡¯s Journey


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Night fell upon thend, shimmering stars lining up in the skies, converging into a silver river.


    The wilds were silent. Underneath a great boulder stood a Nilfgaardian warhorse d in ck. A gentle breeze brushed across the crackling mes, sparks and smoke billowing in the air. A girl was sitting beside the bonfire, d in a silver cloak, shivering and sneezing. A tear glistened in her eyes.


    ¡°You have to eat, Your Highness,¡± the raspy voice of a man said, and his shadow loomed over the girl. He extended his hand, a glistening, golden-brown rabbit¡¯s leg sleeping within his palm. The meat was not seasoned in the least bit, but the girl was at her growing age, and even an unseasoned rabbit¡¯s leg was a delicacy for her.


    The desire to eat shed in her eyes, and she licked her lips, but she snorted and turned her head away, curling up even more.


    The man crouched before the girl. He had ck hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face. He observed the princess carefully, the light of excitement glinting in his eyes. She was a perfectly beautiful specimen, and he wished to protect her. ¡°You can¡¯t go on like this. Not eating or drinking anything is going to kill you before we get to our destination. You might not know how it feels to starve to death, but I can tell you. It¡¯s painful.¡±


    The man stared at Ciri and started depicting a gory scene. ¡°Bile¡¯s going to burn through your belly and travel up your digestive tract and shoot straight into your throat.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    ¡°And then it¡¯ll eat through your tongue, teeth, and lips. Then it¡¯ll ruin your pretty little face and burn your body.¡±


    Ciri shivered, and she turned a shade whiter, then her face turned green, but she clenched her teeth tight and refused to talk.


    ¡°You do not have to do this, Your Highness.¡± The knight heaved a sigh and wrapped the rabbit leg in parchment paper. Then he whipped out a waterskin from the saddlebag and ced it on the fern beside her. ¡°You¡¯re still young. You shouldn¡¯t be suffering out here. You can live asfortably as you want, and in the name of knights, I promise that if you do as I say and don¡¯t try to run away, you¡¯ll be living in luxury once we get back to Nilfgaard. You¡¯ll still be as respected by the people, and you¡¯ll have the most powerful man backing you up. No one will ever harm you again.¡±


    Nilfgaard? The mention of that nightmarish ce incited fury within Ciri, and she clenched her fists. She gnashed her teeth, and her cheeks puffed. ¡°You viin! Nilfgaard invaded my home!¡± Ciri leapt from the boulder and stood as tall as she could, facing the gigantic Nilgaardian soldier that was d in a muddy ck cloak. She swung her fists at him. ¡°You burned my home, killed my friends, murdered my family, and now you¡¯re taking me back to your kingdom to¡­ to make me a puppet?¡±


    Fury red in the girl¡¯s eyes, but she posed no threat at all, no matter how menacing she tried to be. ¡°I will not let you do as you please! I¡¯d rather die of starvation if the alternative is to be taken back to Nilfgaard!¡±


    The princess¡¯ roars did not faze the knight a bit. Instead, he tensed up, and the look on his face hardened. His ck eyes flickered coldly, the light of the bonfire failing to warm up his face.


    ¡°That look again?¡± After her threats failed, Ciri took a step back and cowered, covering her face as she cried. ¡°Grandfather, Grandmother, Geralt, Roy¡­ Someone save me!¡± Her cries echoed into the night, traveling across the wilds.


    Cassirer massaged his forehead, frustrated but also d at the same time. He was an aristocrat and an elite of Nilfgaard¡¯s intel department, yet he was being plunged into a problem because of a child.


    If the king had more trust in the spellcasters, they could¡¯ve just opened a portal and brought Ciri back, but if that was the case, he would never have had the chance to approach the princess. She might be young, but there was great charismaing from her, captivating the attention of those around her. Cassirer never regretted this trip.


    ¡°Be quiet, Your Highness.¡± Cassirer tried his best to speak softly. ¡°Don¡¯t push me. I do not wish to use force to make you quiet.¡±


    ¡°This again? You¡¯re all liars, you bastards! Grandfather, Grandmother, save me!¡± In an act of rebellion, the princess cried even louder.


    And then the woods behind Cassirer rustled. He tensed up and turned around, holding his scabbard with one hand and the hilt of his sword in the other, his eyes fixed on the bushes.


    The princess too had noticed the tension in the air, and her cries came to an abrupt halt. She rubbed her puffy eyes and quieted her breathing, stealing nces at the bushes behind them, her eyes gleaming with cunning.


    Cassirer crouched and slowly approached the bushes, then he froze.


    There was the screech of metal dragging across the ground as a burly knight in armor came out of the bushes, his de glinting under the mes of the bonfire. He wore a dark gold helmet with a pair of wings jutting out of its sides, and a Y-shaped gap adorned its visor, revealing his sharp gaze and pursed lips.


    The helmet resembled the ones Nilfgaardian soldiers wore, and he had a greatsword behind his back. With every step the knight took, the sword would drag out a line behind him. ¡°Knight of Nilfgaard, release the child right away. If you do, then in the name of a knight¡¯s honor, I shall let you live,¡± said the knight righteously.


    ¡°And who might you be? Where do youe from?¡±


    ¡°I am but a wandering knight from Toussaint, here on a journey to explore the north. My name bears no weight. You seem to be a knight from Nilfgaard. Pray tell, why did you abandon the virtues taught to us to kidnap a child?¡± the knight questioned sharply.


    Cassirer frowned. He was wondering why a knight from Toussaint would show up in the wilds out of nowhere, but that wasn¡¯t the point. This knight was a veteran, and he had incredible control over his body and strength. This was not an opponent he could trifle with.


    ¡°I am here on orders of Nilfgaard¡¯s royal steward. Do not obstruct my duty, knight of Toussaint.¡± Toussaint was Nilfgaard¡¯s vassal state. This knight shouldn¡¯t be stopping him. ¡°Or you shall be punished for obstruction of military work, and that crime is punishable by death.¡±


    ¡°Toussaint will not lend a hand to evil. Very well, if you refuse to be apprehended, then we shall duel.¡± The knight with the golden helmet swung his broadsword. ¡°Have at thee!¡±


    Cassirer cursed, but the knight didn¡¯t care. He swung his broadsword down at the Nilfgaardian¡¯s head. The air roared, and a wave of power rained down on Cassirer, trying to slice him in two. The Nilfgaardian¡¯s eyes went wide, and suffocation was setting in fast.


    His cloak billowed in the air, and Cassirer quickly rolled away from the first swing. The other knight¡¯s sword hit the ground, stirring up a small storm, leaving a mark on the ground. Once again, he set his eyes on Cassirer.


    Sweat drenched the Nilfgaardian¡¯s hair and back. ¡°What a madman. By Eternal Fire¡¯s name, is this where I die?¡±


    A horse¡¯s shrill neigh pierced the air, and the knights¡¯ duel came to a stop. To their surprise, the girl had climbed up the horse¡¯s back, leaning on the saddle as she tugged on the reins. The girl then looked at them. She was ghostly white, but her eyes were filled with excitement and smug delight. Ciri had seen a lot of those winged helmets before. They were Nilfgaardian helmets, so these men were both viins. Well, she didn¡¯t mind that they were fighting each other, though.


    ¡°Farewell, fools!¡± A surge of magic flowed into the saddle, and the horse calmed down. It was now following Ciri¡¯s orders, ignoring its master¡¯s shrill whistles.


    The beast charged into the bushes with the princess on its back, and it galloped into the distance, leaving the knights behind, confused.


    ¡°Curse you, ye mongrel! I shall bring this to Raymund and demand that he behead you!¡±


    ¡°Raymund has relieved me of all duties. In the name of knight¡¯s honor, if you do not tell me the whole story of how you came to possess the child and confess your sins, I will make you pay.¡±


    ***


    The horse¡¯s gallop echoed in the night as the beast zipped through the wilds. Ciri leaned as close to the horse¡¯s back as possible, holding its mane and sping her legs around its back as tightly as she could. The ride was a bumpy one, and the horse did not slow down. Gusts of wind cut across her face, draining even more blood from the already pale princess.


    The violent bumps were threatening to throw her off the horse¡¯s back, but Ciri gritted her teeth. You can do this, Ciri. Farther. Even farther! Even her breath was turned into mist, fogging her vision. Her arms and legs were getting sore at a blistering rate, but the horse kept galloping, taking the princess to a destination yet unknown.


    And then, the girl¡¯s strength failed her, sapping her of her consciousness until everything turned ck.


    ***


    A groan permeated the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, child.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? A-And where am I?¡± Ciri woke up in a trundling cart, and the first thing she saw was an old, wrinkly woman with thin, blond hair. She tried to push herself up, but a stab of pain seared up her arms, and she flinched. Her arms quickly swelled.


    Her legs were screaming out in agony as well. Moving them even an inch felt like hell. Her legs felt like lead.


    ¡°Do not move, child. You fell from a horse¡¯s back and bruised yourself hard. Frankly, it¡¯s a miracle you got out of it alive and without broken bones.¡± Thedy smiled at her, revealing an almost toothless mouth. ¡°Call me Suha. We¡¯re a group of refugees trying to make it to Sodden.¡±


    Suha looked ahead. They were in a long line of refugees made up of people who lost their homes to the war. People of Cintra. Most were women and children. The women were holding their children and saddled with a lot of packs on their backs. They looked exhausted and vacant.


    Less than one in five refugees were men. Most men had died in the war.


    ¡°What about Cintra? What happened to it?¡± Ciri quickly asked. The Nilfgaardian soldier told her nothing while she was his captive, nor did she hear anything about her grandparents.


    Suha heaved a sigh, the look on her face filled with sorrow, and her hair swayed. ¡°The great Cintra has fallen. Nilfgaard broke through the gates, burned our city down, and killed many of our brethren.¡±


    ¡°What about the queen? And the king?¡±


    ¡°Dead. All Cintran noblesmitted suicide by poison. None bowed to the southern bastards. The king and queen died in battle, valiantly preserving what was left of Cintran pride.¡±


    My grandparents are dead? Ciri became whiter than a ghost, and her eyes went wide, sobs of fear rushing out of her mouth. But Grandmother was still in the castle, alive and well before I was taken away. N-Now she¡¯s dead? Impossible. Tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°You must be a Cintran too, child. Did you get separated from your family?¡± Suha lovingly patted Ciri¡¯s unkempt hair. ¡°I used to have a granddaughter, but¡­ Oh, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m here. I promise I¡¯ll take you to Sodden and find your family.¡±


    No, I don¡¯t think you can ever find them again. The tearful princess looked around, but all she saw was a brokennd and unfamiliar faces. The air was heavy with despair, and loneliness and fear filled her heart. What should I do? Where should I go?


    ¡°What is your name, child?¡±


    ¡°C¡­ Falka. I¡¯m Falka.¡±


    ***


    Visenna had moved her tent back to a clearing in the woods, and Ciri was standing before Suha, who was lying on a rug made of hay. She was wearing clothes made out of cheap fabric, and there were holes in her pants. Her shirt was heavily patched, while her shoes were so worn out her toes were peeking through. She looked like a boy.


    Her face was filthy, and gone was her usual look of delight, reced by bruises and wounds. Her eyes weren¡¯t as clear as before, riddled with stories she kept a secret.


    ¡°Fighting with the boys again, Falka? Never back off. Anyone tries to harm you, you fight back. Bite them, scratch them, use any weapon you have, but never give in. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t go on with you any longer.¡± Suha coughed. ¡°I should¡¯ve listened to you and went to Novigrad instead of Sodden. We¡¯re in a right mess now. Didn¡¯t find your family, and I got you into another mess.¡± Suha was having difficulty speaking, and her chest heaved. Her voice was hoarse and raspy, and her hair had lost its luster.


    She was cadaverous, the air around her smelling like decay and death. The olddy held Ciri¡¯s hand, and she weakly said, ¡°I¡­ I wanted to give you¡­ a home, but¡­¡± She coughed. ¡°Who¡¯d¡­ have thought that¡­ Sodden would¡­ fall as well¡­ Damn the southerners!¡± Another cough escaped her throat. ¡°Falka¡­ You have¡­ you have to¡­ take care of yourself now¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Suha! Don¡¯t leave me alone here, please!¡± Ciri held her hand, her eyes glistening with tears


    ¡°I¡­ am sorry¡­ Zayna¡­ will take care ¡­ of you now¡­¡± And those were herst words. Her eyes and mouth remained open, as if she wanted to see Ciri as long as she could, and she drew herst breath.


    Ciri held the woman¡¯s rough, dry hand against her face and sobbed. Why? Why does everyone leave me? What did I do to deserve this?


    Zayna was sitting on the other side of the rug. She was in blue attire, and there was a mysterious air about her. She closed Suha¡¯s eyes and looked at Ciri quietly. ¡°Falka, you¡¯re still young, and you¡¯re a good child. You deserve a second chance at life.¡±


    ¡°Lady, please take me and her to Novigrad, please. I know Geralt and Roy can save her.¡± The girl stared at the druid with tearful eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not even gods can bring back the dead. There are too many casualties here in Sodden, and so many need my help. I cannot take you all the way to Novigrad.¡± Zayna shook her head and turned to the east of the vige. ¡°I can only¡ª¡±


    Amotion broke out outside the tent, interrupting the doctor. She and Ciri took a peek and saw a man in a ck cloak checking out all the tents, apparently searching for something.


    The dim lighting from the skies above shone on that mean, revealing a pair of ck eyes, sharp nose, and thin, ugly lips. Ciri stopped breathing for a moment and curled up in the corner, fidgeting. She knew this man. Thest time they met, he didn¡¯t have a scar, but this time, he did, and the scar extended from his forehead to his chin.


    Yet Ciri would never forget that face. He was no Cassirer, but he too was a viin. Back in Cintra, he was the one who cast the spell that stopped Geralt from taking her away. Obviously, he had ns for her.


    ¡°You know this man, Falka?¡±


    Ciri nodded and sped her hands before her belly, her face riddled with fear and nervousness.


    ¡°Is he your enemy? Fear not, child.¡± Zayna held down on the girl¡¯s shoulder and motioned for her to sit in front of the rug. She had an assuring gaze, and the druid said confidently, ¡°As long as I am here, he will nevery a finger on you, not even if he is a sorcerer. Well, he¡¯s also blind now.¡±


    Zayna waved her hand, and ayer of green light enveloped Ciri, calming her heart down. The girl held her breath lest any sound gave her away.


    The man with the scar eventually came to their tent and looked inside. He observed the corpse on the rug, and his gaze went right across Ciri, as if he hadn¡¯t seen her. Then the man went away, his footsteps eventually disappearing into the distance.


    ¡°Falka, you are a special person, and so is the energy residing within you. Still, you are not to be a part of nature or the woods. I cannot take you back to the circle or teach you anything.¡± The druid shook her head regrettably. ¡°However, I will take you to a well-off family on the border between Sodden and Rivia. Thedy of the house is one named Goldencheeks. She is a beautiful, gentle, and sympathetic soul. Her husband is a righteous man, though he is always out and about making trades. They also have a pair of healthy sons, though they¡¯d always wanted a daughter. You can be their adopted child, Falka. There, you will find a new lease on life. There, you will face your destiny. Once you¡¯re more capable, you can travel to Novigrad, but not before the war draws to a close.¡±


    Ciri was silent for a long time, and she looked at her deceased Suha. The girl quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve, and she nodded.

 Chapter 513 - 513: Something Else

    Chapter 513: Something Else


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The center of Sodden was a ce draped in a nket of fog, and a young witcher was standing within it, staring at the base of the Hill of the Eight. He was covered inyers of golden and ck light, while a beautiful, fluorescent circle sat under his feet.


    He stared around the fog, searching for the ethereal grey ribbon floating in the air. He turned his sights to the side of the hill and noticed a bush of blooming yellow flowers, then his medallion started to buzz.


    The witcher made a sign, and a crimson rune appeared in his palm. His mana conjured up a ball of me, and the fireball hurtled out of his palm, arcing across the air and tearing apart the fog that was blurring his sight.


    Shrill screams pierced the air, shattering it like ss. The humanoid creature within the fog was forced out of hiding from the impact of the explosion, and it fell facefirst to the ground.


    The monster had a hunched back, but its limbs were slender and long, and it resembled a misshapen, disfigured pregnant womante in her gestation period. The mes slithered up its skin like a viper, burning it, yet the monster was blinking in and out of reality, threatening to disappear at any moment.


    Roy fired a bolt, and the creature fell to the ground, a blotch of red spurting from its head. The impact crushed half its skull, and its brains drenched the grass beneath. The creature fell headfirst, and it never got back up again.


    ¡®Foglet killed. EXP +130. Level 12 Witcher (8850/12500).¡¯


    Roy approached the mangled corpse and started cutting it up. His pets poked their heads out, looking around curiously. At the same time, the fog that was covering the hill went away, revealing a small hill surrounded by lush greenery. It was a lot less impressive than the hill in the stories.


    ¡°You got faster, Roy.¡± Geralt approached the young witcher, leading his faithful mare.


    ¡°You gotta work hard, Geralt. Don¡¯tg behind too much.¡± Roy whipped out a blue mutagen from the monster¡¯s corpse, wiped the mucus off it, and tucked it into his inventory space. ¡°Try to get the slot for the next second mutation.¡±


    ¡°Can I go through the mutation too, witchers?¡± Yurga, who was driving the carriage, simpered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even a witcher, and you¡¯re too old to even learn new tricks. For people your age, only one in one hundred cane out alive. You¡¯re wee to try.¡± Roy smiled warmly, and the merchant cringed.


    ¡°Forget it. Should we check out the obelisk for the martyrs on the hill?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What about the carriage?¡±


    ¡°Gryphon and Ebony will keep an eye on it. All the potential hazards nearby have been cleared, so there shouldn¡¯t be much trouble.¡± Gryphon the Cat held Ebony by the nape of its neck and climbed up to the coach¡¯s seat, then it waved the three humans goodbye.


    One week had gone by since their departure from Mayena, and Yurga was used to the pets¡¯ extraordinary intellect. He thought it was all thanks to the witchers¡¯ training. The three of them climbed up the mountain and got to the top in ten minutes. A breeze blew across the teau, the grass and flowers swaying in the wind.


    An obelisk sat in the center of the hill¡¯s peak. It was made of granite and weighed ten tons. The obelisk looked like a small tower with a sharp, pointy top much like a pyramid¡¯s. The base was wide enough that it would require a few men to even surround it.


    The moment Royid eyes on the obelisk, he knew his earlier guess was wrong. This construct was not made by the people of Sodden to keep the martyrs in memoriam. They didn¡¯t have that kind of ability, and they were seeking shelter after the war took their homes. Far too busy to even make an obelisk.


    Which meant it must have been the sorcerers who made the obelisk, or at least they magically transported the obelisk here. Under the obelisk were eight graves with marble gravestones, and vibrant flowers slept nearby. Rhododendrons, forget-me-nots, and more.


    Geralt scanned the first few names engraved on the obelisk. Lawdbor, Gorazd, Axel¡­ Reminiscence twinkled in his eyes, but his gaze looked sad.


    ¡°You know them?¡± Roy heaved a sigh of relief. There were six fewer deaths than he remembered. Coral and Triss¡¯ names were not found here. Obviously, history had changed thanks to him. He called out the first name on the obelisk. ¡°Lawdbor? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Used to be a gambler and a sore loser.¡± Geralt shook his head, amusement ring in his eyes, then it was reced by a solemn look. ¡°There was this one time where I yed dice with him back in Vizima. He was so scared of losing, he used magic to control me and cheated his way to victory.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so even sorcerers cheat? They¡¯re even worse than us merchants.¡± Yurga puffed his chest out and spoke in disdain. It wasn¡¯t every day he got to take the high ground against sorcerers.


    ¡°I ran into Gorazd two years ago. A madman, he was. You know what he wanted to do?¡± Geralt paused for a moment and forced a smile. ¡°Said he¡¯d give me a hundred crowns if I would let him check my eyes. If I was willing to go further, he¡¯d give me a thousand just to cut my eye open for a check.¡±


    Yurga cringed a little like he was stung by a bee. Sweat drenched his face, and horror crept into his eyes. ¡°Are they mad? Are all sorcerers like that? They¡¯d perform autopsies on live humans?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what a long life gets you. Twists your heart and mind a little.¡± Roy shook his head, thinking it was a shame. ¡°What a pity. You should¡¯ve told me about him. If I¡¯d known about that guy, I¡¯d have inducted him into the brotherhood. He could have done all the experiments he wanted on mutations. At least he was willing to follow the rules. He was willing to pay and even asked for your consent.¡±


    ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re going a bit too far, Roy. You have Lytta, Kalkstein, Triss, and Evelyn on your side now. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°The first witcher brotherhood had a dozen sorcerers working with them back in their prime. Top sorcerers.¡± Roy shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re just starting out. We still have a long way to go.¡±


    Geralt shook his head. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would¡¯ve thought Roy was a dictatorial maniac who was trying to create a new world order. Unbeknownst to Geralt, what Roy was aiming for was something much bigger than the world.


    ¡°So, friendly neighborhood witcher Geralt, do you know the other names of those who died?¡± Yurga asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. The stories of these sorcerers would work wonders should he want to regale the other merchants or his family with wondrous tales. Or he could use them to negotiate for some favors.


    Geralt fell into silence, a hint of fear shing on his face. He scanned the first few names and turned away awkwardly, fear and worry flitting in his eyes. He was too scared to check out all the names, lest he find the one name he didn¡¯t want to.


    Roy hatched a n. A small smile tugged on his lips, and he sighed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gotten in that fight with her, Geralt.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Geralt forced himself to ask that question. He wobbled a little and tensed up, clenching his fists.


    ¡°I was going to have you introduce me to Yennefer of Vengerberg sometime. You know, the woman you have aplex past with, but you wouldn¡¯t stop changing the topic, said you guys are over and would never talk again. Well, toote even if you want to talk to her now.¡± Roy paused for a moment and grabbed a bouquet of purple bellflowers out of thin air. ¡°Take this, Geralt. And say a proper goodbye this time.¡±


    The White Wolf held his breath, and a strangled gasp escaped his throat. His eyes were filled with terror, his hands and lips trembling, and he went a shade whiter. The witcher hunched over, life flying out of his body. The light went out of his eyes, and his face slumped.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t scare me, mate.¡± Roy quickly grabbed Geralt¡¯s shoulders and pinched his sagging cheeks, then he put on an awkward smile. ¡°Just kidding. Yennefer¡¯s not on the list. They¡¯re all nameless sorcerers. Isn¡¯t that right, Yurga?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea about the name you just said, Roy.¡±


    The sorrow on Geralt¡¯s face was wiped out, taken over by fury. He quickly made a sign and mmed Aard into Roy¡¯s chest.


    The impact sent Roy tumbling down, and he rolled, howling in pain. The young witcher rolled into the path of grass and fell down the hill, his screams cutting through the air.


    Yurga looked at the furious White Wolf carefully and gulped. ¡°He will be fine, won¡¯t he, Geralt?¡±


    Geralt shook his head in disdain. He survived two months of disappearance after Cintra¡¯s fall and came back stronger. Not even a higher vampire could kill him. This little roll won¡¯t even leave a mark on his skin. The fury disappeared as quickly as it came. Geralt eased up, and a smile curled his lips. Knowing that the most important person of his life was still alive perked him up.


    A gentle voice spoke from behind. ¡°So, calmed down now?¡±


    Geralt and Yurga shivered and turned around. Roy stood about five yards away, his face covered in dust and soil, and he smiled apologetically at Geralt. He lost his left shoe, revealing his foot to the ground underneath. The young witcher probably lost the shoe on his way down the hill.


    Yurga rubbed his eyes and turned his sights to the slope, then he whirled around. How did hee back so fast?


    ¡°I can always roll down the hill again if that¡¯s what it takes for you to calm down, Geralt.¡±


    Geralt massaged his temples. Roy¡¯s changed a little. Is he in his rebellious phase? Well, he is at that age. Must be the reason. ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me about Yennefer, Roy.¡±


    ¡°No next time,¡± Roy swore, raising his hand. But then he said, ¡°She might¡¯ve survived the battle, but she did not leave unscathed.¡±


    Geralt cocked his eyebrow. He wouldn¡¯t fall for Roy¡¯s tricks this time.


    Since Geralt wasn¡¯t taking the bait, Roy continued, ¡°You know Yennefer. She has her own ambition. She must¡¯ve joined this battle, and she did not walk away unhurt. Coral and Triss were supposed to join this battle. ording to my prophecy, they were supposed to die on this very hill, but thanks to my guidance, they escaped their demise and came out unscathed.¡±


    Geralt crossed his arms, watching Roy continue his show.


    ¡°The northern brotherhood of sorcerers has taken part in this bid for power between the south and the north. From now on, they¡¯ll be more involved in the fields of war and politics. From what I know, Yennefer is going to be one of the two administrators of the brotherhood and the youngest council member. Whether she likes it or not, she can never escape this long war. The dangers she will have to face run deeper than you can imagine. One wrong step, and she is done for.¡±


    Geralt¡¯s breathing got heavier.


    Roy said, ¡°Compared to her, Coral¡¯s having it easy. All she has to do is work on her research all day, every day. Working with us witchers is a good path to go forward.¡±


    Realization struck Geralt, and he was partly amused by Roy¡¯s suggestion, and he was partly annoyed. ¡°All that just to convince me to lure Yennefer into joining us?¡±


    ¡°Luring? Why, you¡¯re not luring her. You¡¯re just concerned about her.¡±


    ¡°No one can change Yennefer¡¯s mind, Roy. Not even me. Besides, we cut off contact a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell me you still believe that. Ask yourself, do you still love her? You¡¯re the man, so make the first move.¡± Roy said imperiously, ¡°Stop acting like a young couple in love who won¡¯t evenmunicate their problems. Write a letter. Ask her if she¡¯s fine. Tell her how you feel about the separation, then talk about Ciri. Tell her you¡¯ve found her, but you have no idea how to deal with the girl. Tell her you need her help. She¡¯ll be very interested in it, I promise.¡±


    ¡°First, Ciri¡¯s whereabouts are still unknown. Second, even if we find her, the orphanage has enough people to handle her,¡± Geralt argued, but he was obviously tempted by the prospect.


    ¡°You know how much Yennefer wants a child.¡± Roy stared into Geralt¡¯s eyes. ¡°She can¡¯t conceive, but the bond created by Destiny is every bit as close and powerful as the bond between real parents and children. Think about it, Geralt. Take all the time you need.¡±


    ***


    A freckled, pudgy boy was charging down the clear stream, iling his arms around like a boar ying with water. The radiant sun shone upon his brown, neatly-cut hair, granting it a lustrous sheen. He pointed at a sharp-nosed boy who was as thin as a bamboo, shouting, ¡°You¡¯ll be the drowner, while I¡¯ll be the witcher!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± The thin boy swung his stick and hit the pudgy boy¡¯s chest, and the pudgy boy tumbled into the water. ¡°Witchers aren¡¯t fat and clumsy. You¡¯re the drowner in this case.¡±


    Sshes broke out across the stream as the brothers started tussling and rolling around, though they were all staring at the riverbank.


    A scrawny girl with grey hair sat beside the pebbles, swirling her feet in the streamwater. There was a dazed and vacant look in her eyes.


    ¡°y with us, Falka!¡±


    ¡°Nadbor, Sulik, you got it all wrong! Witchers aren¡¯t as dumb as you guys are!¡± Falka picked up two sticks and crossed them before her chest like they were swords. She charged into the water, swinging her wooden sticks around, beating the ¡®drowners¡¯ until they ran around howling in pain.


    The children were eventually drenched, and they went home, huffing and puffing. Falka was covered in sweat and streamwater, but at least she looked a bit happier, and a silvery chuckle rang across the path.


    Sulik and Nadbor would turn around to steal a few glimpses of the girl. She was beautiful, her skin was fair and glowed a healthy pink, and her eyes were radiantly emerald. The girl was still young, yet she had beauty far more exquisite than anyone could imagine. She was like a princess, someone leagues ahead of the country girls.


    The boys were at the age where they were interested in girls. The first time they saw Falka, they took a liking to her. They did everything they could and spent almost one month just to pull her out of the pit of sadness. It wasn¡¯t much, but at least she would smile sometimes now. And the boys would die for her smile.


    ¡°You sure know how to wield swords, Falka.¡± Sulik looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Did you really practice with a witcher before? How¡¯d you know they have two swords?¡±


    The mention of witcher reminded the girl of a sad memory. Her face fell, and she sped her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ve seen witchers and gone on adventures with them. Killed a giant centipede in a forest too. It was a monster called yghern.¡±


    The brothers were agape. The kids then saw a circr fence slowlying into view, and a woman in a yellow floral dress sat within the yard, washing clothes. The foam from the soap drenched her hair and sleeves, radiant sunshine raining down on her gentle, kindly face.


    ¡°And I rode on a griffin before. It¡¯s a beast bigger than a buffalo and more dangerous than a lion.¡±


    Nadbor asked, ¡°Falka, I heard witchers would sometimes steal children. Are you one of those children who got taken?¡±


    Falka nodded. With a sob, she berated herself, ¡°I should¡¯ve left with them, but I ran away. That was stupid. I put myself in danger. Geralt said there was a connection between us, but he hasn¡¯t even shown up after so long.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Falka. Even without the witchers, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Sulik thumped his chest, his eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation. ¡°You¡¯ll be our sister now, but in time, you¡¯ll be¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°Yurga!¡± The woman¡¯s surprised gasp snapped the children out of their conversation. Goldencheeks staggered out of the yard and pounced at the carriage, crying.


    Yurga smiled at the witcher and leapt out of the carriage, walking toward the wife he had been longing to meet. ¡°I¡¯m back, Goldencheeks. I¡¯m back!¡±


    ¡°Yurga!¡± Goldencheeks was in the middle of doing theundry, and she smelled like soap. She leaned into her husband¡¯s embrace, resting her head on his chest as she took in his warmth. After a prolonged period of separation, the couple moved around the yard together, refusing to be apart.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± From the other side of the yard, Falka noticed the pudgy man that wasing toward them, and her heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she was getting nervous, but the man looked friendly enough.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Father. Father¡¯s back. Quick, let¡¯s ask him for some presents.¡± The boys took Falka and darted toward their father.


    ***


    ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re back. I lost sleep just waiting for you. Here, touch my heart. It¡¯s almost jumping out of my chest. By the gods¡­ Hold on, who are those people? They have swords. And the one on the left is really handsome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter. And don¡¯t fall for someone other than your husband. Where are the kids? I¡¯d like to see them. How are they doing?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing great. At the riverside, but they should be back by now. All three of them.¡±


    ¡°Three of them?¡± The merchant looked horrified, like he was betrayed, and he was starting to imagine how his wife cheated on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. A druid led a girl to our home. She lost her family because of the battle at Sodden, so I took her in. She¡¯s industrious. Willing to feed the chickens and water the flowers. She¡¯s beautiful too. Looks like a princess when she dresses up, but she¡¯s always so sad. Yurga, are you angry because I made this decision without asking?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ By the gods.¡± Yurga smacked the back of his head and whirled around to look at the witchers. They heard the conversation and wereing over slowly, looking nervous and a bit excited.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the thing I have but I do not know I possess. The third child. That¡¯s the Unexpected Child. And it¡¯s a girl! But now I have to give her away! Oh, why couldn¡¯t it be a boy?¡± the merchant screamed in distress.


    ¡°Father!¡± The boys jumped into Yurga¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You little rascals. Did you get fatter, Nadbor? Open your mouth, Sulik. Hm, teeth are fine. Picky eater, aren¡¯t you? Your brother¡¯s double your size at least.¡± Yurga then looked kindly upon the girl in a drenched grey dress. Her eyes were the shade of lively green, and she had the looks of a doll.


    He gave her an encouraging smile. ¡°And what might your name be?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I¡­¡± Falka was starting to stammer. Her heart was racing, and she stared at the pair of witchersing over. The man in the lead had white hair, a pair of swords, and eyes that spoke of a long history. He was the only thing she had her eyes on. The world itself seemed to disappear.


    The witcher and his Unexpected Child locked gazes.


    ¡°Geralt!¡±


    ¡°Ciri!¡± Geralt gasped, and he darted to the child.


    Yurga and his family were dumbfounded. They had never seen someone move as fast as the wind, but Geralt showed them the impossible.


    The father and child bound by Destiny finally met in the yard of a humble merchant. Geralt went down on his knees, and the girl wrapped her arms around his neck, her hair tumbling down his shoulder.


    Yurga mused, and he held his family in a tight embrace.


    Roy watched on with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Geralt.¡± Ciri sobbed. ¡°I knew you¡¯d find me. It¡¯s been months. They say Grandfather and Grandmother are dead. Suha¡¯s dead now, and Cintra¡¯s fallen. You¡¯re the only one left.¡±


    And me, Roy added quietly, but he didn¡¯t pipe up.


    ¡°This is the Law of Surprise. Just like what you told me. I¡¯m your destiny, aren¡¯t I? Just like how you¡¯re mine. We¡¯ll be together forever, won¡¯t we? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not just my destiny.¡± Geralt whirled, looking at his smilingpanion, then he looked at Yurga and his family, who were giving them encouraging looks. He then looked to the sky, where he could almost see a haughty woman with ck, curly hair and a beauty mark at the corner of her lips.


    The whispers she told him during Belleteyn so many years ago rang in his mind. Should a witcher and sorceress wish to build a long term rtionship, a granted wish by a djinn alone was not enough to guarantee sess. They needed something else.


    An Unexpected Child was that something to tie the witcher and the sorceress together forever. Finally, Geralt looked at Ciri. She was that something they needed to tie their bond together. ¡°Time to go home.¡±


    End of Arc

 Chapter 514 - 514: Yennefer

    Chapter 514: Yennefer


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    My dear friend,


    Ever since ourst meeting at Belleteyn two years ago, I¡¯ve never gotten any news of you. But in the aftermath of the Battle of Sodden, rumors are making the rounds. Rumors that the northern brotherhood has sustained heavy losses.


    Unable to hold my worry in, I have scoured the Hill of the Eight myself. When I saw that your name was not among one of the ones who died, I was overjoyed. Words alone aren¡¯t enough to paint a picture of my feelings.


    I can never forget about you Yen. In my years of dull, uninteresting life, you¡¯re one of the rare sparks that make life worth living. Without you by my side, I find myself spacing out more times than I care to count. Your face keeps popping up in my head. I can never forget the smell of lc and gooseberries. I can never forget the curls of your hair or the beauty mark right at the corner of your lips.


    One thing I wish to know is if you¡¯re fine.


    I have caught wind about your participation in the war. Are you hurt? If you are, is it bad? Do you need someone to take care of you?


    Say the word, and I¡¯lle to you.


    But my dear friend, if you¡¯re in the pink of health, then will you be gracious enough to meet me at my home? I have found the gift of Destiny as you mentioned and took her home. Ciri is her name, but now she goes by the alias of Falka.


    I do not know many sorcerers, and you¡¯re the one I trust the most. I trust that you can keep this a secret. Please, doe over and take a look at the gift Destiny has given us.


    I eagerly await your arrival.


    Your friend,


    Geralt


    ***


    Yennefer was sitting before her dressing table, and she closed the letter. She was in a ck dress and a white shirt withce sleeves and hem. The sorceress stared into the mirror, where a pale, sharp face looked back at her. Her violet eyes shimmered with allure, and her lips curled with a smile.


    Geralt¡¯s not one to speak or express his emotions. He hides it well, only showing it very rarely, like tortoises peeking their heads out during sunny days. And even if he does speak, he does it in a very roundabout way. He never is this straightforward and daring. It¡¯s one step short of those three words at this point. ¡°I wonder who¡¯s the one who taught you how to write this letter, Geralt.¡±


    Still, Yennefer was delighted by the letter. That headstrong witcher finally bowed his head, and he actually found his Unexpected Child like she suggested. I should grant him his little wish. And the girl¡¯s name is Ciri, huh? She frowned. That¡¯s a name I¡¯m very familiar with. The one name talked by the management of the brotherhood and kings of the northern kingdoms.


    Yennefer quickly dappled her lips with glistening lipstick and slid a pair of ck gloves over her hands. She stood up and pointed her finger behind her, the light of magic shooting into the air. A bang rumbled the room, and a square portal appeared in the center of the resplendent bedchamber. Yennefer stepped into it.


    ***


    The carriage trundled through the muddy path behind Seven Cats Inn, stopping before a patch of alder woods. A pair of ck heels hit the ground, and the petite sorceress sauntered down the path in the woods, her eyes glinting with curiosity. Despite being a path in the woods, it was covered with bluestone bs, unlike the squalid paths most viges had.


    There were human-shaped signposts every few yards, pointing in the right direction so no one would get lost. Along the path, beautiful flowers bloomed in the wind, their scent filling the air with the beauty of life. The scenery was beautiful, and the short journey alone wasn¡¯t enough to soak in the entirety of it.


    Yennefer came to her destination and looked at the signboard that read ¡®House of Gawain,¡¯ and she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Is this really a witcher fortress? Shouldn¡¯t it be more¡­ deste?


    Thepound was circled by a fence, and a few wooden houses stood tall under the beaming sun. A mural of a blue sky and white clouds adorned the walls, and doodles of children holding hands in a dance stood under the sky.


    A ck wiener dog was happily darting around the yard, its ppy ears pping about as it ran around, barking quietly. A pair of witchers she had never seen before were toiling in the fields, teaching three kids archery.


    The gray-haired Vesemir stood in a shack that looked like a smithy, swinging his hammer around, tempering the base of a chest armor. Sounds of recital came from the ssroom, and the sight of students in the ssroom almost made Yennefer think she came to an institution for nobility.


    There was a willow tree on the right side of the yard, and seven kids who were no older than ten years old were engaged in one-on-one swordy training or dodging the spinning pendulum. These children were far more agile than kids their age.


    A terrible rumbling crashed overhead, and Yennefer tensed up as she witnessed a griffin charging out of the woods, spiraling overhead. It pped its wings, stirring up a storm as it let out a happy roar.


    What is this ce? Monsters roaming about in broad daylight? What are the witchers doing? An icy look took over the sorceress¡¯ face, and she held her obsidian pendant, ready to battle. Runes shimmered and covered her in a barrier.


    ¡°Might you be Lady Yennefer? Worry not, Gryphon will not hurt you.¡± A gaunt witcher in a cloak and leather armor approached her from the fields, giving her a friendly smile. ¡°Wee to the House of Gawain. I am Auckes of the brotherhood.¡± The witcher extended his arm.


    The sorceress daintily extended her fingertip and brushed his hand. At the same time, a hook-nosed, brooding witcher and the kids they were training set their sights on the sorceress.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Geralt?¡± Yennefer was still tense. She noticed the griffin called Gryphon making itsnding, then the beast charged toward the training square beside the willow tree. The kids happily jumped at the beast, hugging and nuzzling it.


    Gryphon looked more like a pet than an apex predator now. It growled a little as it carried the children on its back, resignedly running around the wooden stakes.


    Yennefer¡¯s lips twitched, but she held her magic back. She¡¯d never seen any griffins this agreeable before. For a moment, she thought this was another beast in disguise.


    ¡°Geralt does not know of your arrival. He and the kids are out on a job.¡±


    ¡°A job?¡±


    ¡°The kids have passed their Trial, so now they¡¯re learning how to fend for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for asking, but¡­¡± Yennefer went into the conference room in the western building with Auckes. A bald, intimidating witcher and a man with a grotesque scar on his face nodded at her on the way. More witchers. ¡°What is this ce? You have a big group of kids and a team of witchers running around. Not just Wolves either. I think I saw Vipers?¡± Yennefer noticed the viper pendant hanging around Auckes¡¯ neck. She couldn¡¯t understand how witchers from different schools could get together. This was unheard of.


    ¡°Oh, did Geralt not exin this to you? Ah well, a letter alone isn¡¯t enough to paint the whole picture. The story of this establishment isn¡¯t exactly a simple one that can be told over the course of a single letter.¡± Auckes shook his head. ¡°Think of it as a luxury orphanage. Kids who lost their parents and home can learn a trade and pick up the skill of reading and writing. The witchers are teachers here.¡±


    ¡°The kids training under the tree look different from everyone else. They seem a bit too¡­ healthy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good eye,dy.¡± Auckes said honestly, ¡°They¡¯ve taken a dosage of potion that enhances their bodily functions. Our secret form, so to speak, but they aren¡¯t quite at the stage where they can undergo proper mutations.¡±


    ¡°Witchers don¡¯t strike me as the charitable kind, so why are you doing this?¡± Yennefer looked into Auckes¡¯ eyes, pursing her lips. ¡°I think you¡¯re building a secret academy just to raise new witchers.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I take it you haven¡¯t noticed? The children in the ssroom have not undergone any mutation or modification.¡± Auckes pulled on the string of his cloak. ¡°We respect the children¡¯s choice, and we would never force them to go through the Trial. Only a fraction of them would choose this path. You do not have to worry.¡±


    Yennefer shook her head, but she held back her curiosity. ¡°So which one among them is Ciri?¡± asked Yennever, a hint of nervousnesscing her voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the ssroom, learning. I¡¯ll take you to her.¡±


    ***


    Ciri was in a light blue blouse, her hair tied up in a ponytail. There was a smile on her lips, and she rested her chin in her hand. She looked at Kiyan and the children around her, who were listening to the teacher intently.


    It had been a month since she left Goldencheeks¡¯ house and joined the House of Gawain, but she¡¯d fallen in love with this ce. She had dozens of friends to y and learn with, and she was fed hearty meals every day. When she had time, she could y around with Ebony and Gryphon too. Or she would train with the boys.


    This was her dream life. Still, she wondered when she could go to Skellige to see Cnthe. Ciri pursed her lips and turned to the left. She saw an unfamiliar but beautiful sorceress standing outside. She was petite, and her head was held high, giving her an arrogant look.


    There were a dozen kids in the ssroom, but Yennefer set her sights on the girl with gray hair. She knew who Ciri was right away, as if they had a bond between them. An invisible but powerful bond. At the same time, she was filled with the desire to approach and protect the child.


    ***


    By recess, Ciri was summoned to the conference hall alone. The girl blinked at the sorceress curiously, asking, ¡°Who is she, Auckes?¡±


    Auckes looked out the window, where the children were ying with Ebony and the roosters. ¡°Geralt told you about her. Yennefer of Vengerberg. She¡¯s here to help you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Ciri drew out that sentence, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Yennefer blushed, like the child had seen through her embarrassing past. ¡°Geralt told me¡­¡± The girl darted toward Yennefer and held her hand. Clumsily, she lied, ¡°Geralt told me he¡¯s been missing you. He won¡¯t stop thinking about you all day. He calls out your name when he sleeps at night.


    Yennefer burst intoughter, breaking her cool, aloof fa?ade, and she gently hit the girl¡¯s head.


    Ciri held her head and blinked at the sorceress innocently.


    ¡°You sure know how to talk, but you can¡¯t lie to me. Dandelion can teach Geralt all the tricks he knows, but he still wouldn¡¯t be able to make Geralt say anything like that.¡±


    Ciri¡¯s lie was seen through, so she kept quiet.


    Yennefer turned to Auckes. ¡°So what ns do you have for her? She¡¯s ¡­ in a delicate position, so she now goes by the alias of Falka.¡± The sorceress sized the girl up. Ciri saw flickering mes, howling gales, rumbling earth, and roaring rivers in her eyes. She was a little scared of her gaze.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why we invited you. We need your input on this matter.¡± Auckes patted the package on his jacket. ¡°The brotherhood¡¯s sorcerers have too many projects on their hands to deal with this matter. They do not have any time to teach her, so we turn to you.¡±


    ¡°You have other sorcerers here?¡±


    ¡°Lytta Neyd, Triss Merigold, and Kalkstein. Triss, however, is not with us currently.¡±


    ¡°Triss has been in contact with you people? Then surely my friend has seen Geralt, and she¡¯s kept it a secret all this time?¡± Yennefer clicked her tongue in astonishment. ¡°And if I¡¯m right, Coral has been absent from the brotherhood for more than a year, and she didn¡¯t answer Vilgefortz¡¯s call for battle. I see she¡¯s been conducting experiments here.¡±


    Auckes wiped his forehead. Oh snap. Perhaps I¡¯ve told her more than what I should. ¡°You may question them when you get the chance.¡±


    ¡°Lady Yennefer, do you know a lot of powerful magic? Are you stronger than Granny Lytta and Grandpa Kalkstein?¡± Ciri blurted.


    Auckes buried his face in his hands.


    ¡°Am I hearing it right?¡± Yennefer covered her mouth, chuckling. ¡°You called Lytta granny? Who made you say that?¡±


    ¡°Lambert did.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that exins a lot. That man¡¯s tongue is going to be his downfall someday. And yes, I do know magic.¡±


    The girl blushed and sheepishly asked, ¡°Th-Then can you use some of that magic to turn me into a boy?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Yennefer shot the girl a sharp look.


    ¡°If I¡¯m a boy, I can train my way up to be a witcher and train with Monti and the boys. Then I¡¯ll get to kill drowners in the future. That¡¯s a lot more fun than reading.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Yennefer cut in sharply, her hair jumping around. ¡°Witcher mutations will do nothing but soil your power and bloodline. I can teach you something better.¡±


    Auckes was displeased. How low does she think of us? How does bing a witcher soil Ciri¡¯s talent?


    And then amotion in the yard attracted Yennefer¡¯s attention. Five boys with steel swords and dirty leather armor came out of the woods and entered the yard. They were slender, and the muscles on their forearms were taut, strong, and brimming with power.


    The oldest of these boys was only thirteen. He looked lively and young, but there was an air of solemnity in his eyes not even adults had. Their eyes were amber, dark gold, and red in color. All had vertical pupils, much like the eyes of a beast.


    They had pendants hanging around their necks, but the patterns were different. Some were cats, some were wolves, some were griffins, and some were vipers. All glittered with the light of magic.


    They were like heroes who came back from the battlefield, victorious and triumphant. The kids who were in recess and those in training quickly huddled around the boys who came back, asking for gifts.


    And then they were passing around small trinkets like the fangs or ws of wild beasts and monsters.


    Even Ciri wanted to join in, but Auckes held her by the nape. ¡°Sorry you had to see that. Theds just passed their Trial. Can¡¯t manage more than searches for missing animals and a bit of drowner and nekker hunting. Geralt went along just to make sure they stayed safe.¡±


    The White Wolf appeared from behind the children, looking deadpan. He scanned the boys who were bragging to the other children, then he turned to the left, and surprise filled his eyes.


    He saw the woman he¡¯d been dreaming about for years, and he noticed the scent of lc and gooseberries wafting in the air.


    Yennefer smiled at him.


    ¡°Yen, you made it. Still the same person I know.¡±


    ¡°But you, my dear friend, have changed a lot. Lost a bit of your wrinkles. You look younger too. Perhaps it¡¯s because of your mingling with the children?¡± She pulled her bangs back. No longer was her hair tucked in her golden snood. Instead, it tumbled down her shoulders, and her clothes were the usual ck and white.


    An awkward look crept onto Geralt¡¯s face, and he cursed himself. Roy vehemently told him to address Yennefer as ¡®My dear,¡¯ but Geralt, in all his obstinance, just had to add ¡®friend¡¯ after that. That was the only part where Geralt pushed through with his opinion, and that came to bite him in the ass.


    Yennefer pursed her lips and pulled Ciri over. The girl stood between her and Geralt, then Ciri held Geralt¡¯s hand, forming a connection between them.


    ¡°Your letter brings me endless joy, so I came to return the favor of that joy,¡± said Yennefer cryptically. ¡°You did the right thing. Ciri ¡­ I mean, Falka is in a delicate position. You need a trusted confidant to teach her, naturally.¡±


    Ciri looked at Geralt and the sorceress. She had a feeling Yennefer had the advantage in the rtionship, and Geralt felt like he was bowing to her. A cheeky smile curled the girl¡¯s lips as she came up with an idea to deal with Geralt if he tried to put her in a hard position.


    ¡°But first, tell me: what is it with this witcher brotherhood? To what ends does this organization serve?¡±


    ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°Patience is not in short supply.¡±

 Chapter 515: Search

    A dark, dank cave stood in the middle of nowhere. Bizarre stone formations lined the walls, jutting and protruding at weird angles. A puddle in the center of the cave''s ground gleamed grey, a cloud of fog floating over it.


    Like a cat, Roy walked on his tiptoe, quietly skulking through the cave. Thanks to Cat, Roy''s eyes were shining in the dark, and he saw ribbons of green intertwining and entangling among themselves in the air. At the end of the ribbon was a patch of bizarre flowers with diamond-shaped leaves and buds as big and bloody-red as human hearts. They were also beating like live human hearts.


    Underneath the stctite on the other side, an old stroller, tattered cloth, and a petite skeleton belonging to a baby slept. "Lives in dark caves, grows mutated nts, kidnaps babies¡­ I know what you are now."


    Now that he knew what the monster was, Roy delved to the deepest part of the cave, where a dark chamber stood. A patch of yellowing vines covered the entrance, wriggling and writhing slowly like pythons. These nts were abnormally alive. A chilly gale whispered through the cracks between the vines, as if a beast were hiding behind the nts, whispering to the witcher.


    Roy cracked open a bottle of Thunderbolt and downed it. ck blood coursed through Roy''s veins, creeping up his face, and his slow, quiet heartbeat started picking up pace. The young witcher quickly covered himself with twoyers of magical barriers. One yellow, one ck. Underneath him, a magical circle of different colors shone, and he injected mana into the rune sleeping in his mind.


    A purple ball leapt into existence, and then a beautiful maiden made of crimson mes stepped out of Oblivion, hovering above the ground and spinning around.


    ***


    Snaps of fingers broke the silence of the cave, and streams of mes burst forth from the witcher and his minion, burning up the monstrous flowers hiding in the corner. The flowers shivered in the face of the fire, filling the air with weird sounds that resemble the scuttles of insects when they moved. In a moment, the flowers were burned to a crisp.


    When all eight flowers were burned, some contraption was triggered. The vines blocking the deepest chamber''s entrance parted away and shrunk back into the crevices of the boulders.


    And then, a burly, humanoid creature emerged from the darkness. It resembled a leshen, its groin covered by a pair of yellowing, tattered boxers. The creature had a gray, slender torso and spindly limbs. Upon its body, green ferns and moss grew.


    Leshens had sticks jutting out everywhere on their bodies, but this creature had no antlers or bones on its skin. Its head and torso seemed like they were made out of flesh. Instead of a leshen, this creature looked more like anky old man with sharp ws and gnarly legs.


    ''Spriggan (Modified)


    Age: 126 years old


    Status: Modified creature (This creature has undergone a modification process, granting it abilities that surpass regr spriggans.)


    HP: 300


    Mana: 120


    Strength: 25


    Dexterity: 18


    Constitution: 25


    Perception: 16


    Will: 16


    Charisma: 18


    Spirit: 20


    Skills:


    nt Whisperer Level 6: Costs a minor amount of mana. Grows a few nts. Range: anywhere the user can see.


    Vampiric Vines: Fast, resilient, and powerful vines. They can coil and kill the spriggan''s enemy, absorbing their blood and life force to nourish the user.


    Acid Weed: A nt filled with corrosive liquid. Whenever an enemy appears, the weed will self-destruct, spraying the target with acid, burning through their armor, flesh, and bones.


    Venus Flytrap: This nt sways and tears apart its target with its canine teeth, injecting paralyzing poison into its enemy''s veins.


    Greenpath Level 5: Costs a minor amount of mana. The user can teleport to any nearby nt or location infested with seed. 20-second cooldown.


    Camouge Level 7: The user can blend in with the nts around it whenever they are in the woods, hiding themselves from sightpletely.


    Child of the Woods (Passive): Spriggans are the guardians and chosen ones of nature. They are blessed for their protection of nature. Whenever spriggans are in the woods, their recovery of stamina, mana, and wounds are doubled.


    Modification (Passive): This spriggan has undergone an unnatural modification. It possesses an abnormally great life force and recovery ability. +10 to Constitution, +50 to HP. In exchange for these increased stats, this spriggan is filled with bloodlust and aggression.''


    ***


    The spriggan had an almostically big nose, but the dark eyes hiding behind its unkempt hair were filled with violence and malice.


    Roy fired up Gabriel''s enchantment and marked the spriggan with a gemstone mark. As another bolt flew through the air, the witcher and his minion''s fireballs hurtled toward the spriggan.


    The creature quickly turned into a mirage and shrank into a ck atom, then it disappeared. Without any target to hit, the bolt and fireballs mmed into the cave''s walls. Debris rained to the ground, and sparks flew.


    The creature reappeared nearby and raised its arm. As it swung its arm, a curtain of magical light shimmered in the air, and a wave of earth element surged within the cave. The witcher''s medallion buzzed violently, and rm bells rang in his head.


    Roy leapt to the side, and a gust of wind grazed him. When he stood back up and had a closer look, the spot he previously stood on was taken over by a patch of vines that broke through the ground.


    The vines were nearly ten feet long, and their tips were sharp as des. Thorns adorned the vines from tip to base. If Roy was hit by those, his flesh would be torn off. These vines charged straight from the ground. If Roy hadn''t escaped fast enough, he would have been speared.


    The atronach wasn''t as agile as her master, and the vines needled her body. The mes around her dimmed until they were barely sparks, and the atronach was nearly see-through.


    Roy gathered up his strength and swung his de down, cutting the vines into two. He then made a sign and let out a roar, filling the air with the element of water as mp was cast, buffed by the power of Wingp.


    His clone leapt out of the void and took Gabriel, then it fired away at the spriggan standing at the corner twenty yards away.


    Despite its lifeing to an end for now, the atronach didn''t stop tossing fireballs at the enemy.


    Once again, the ground rumbled, and a row of vines broke through the ground, forming a wall before the spriggan. An imprable wall that kept the bolts and fireballs away from their master.


    The creature stood behind the wall, casting its spells without a care in the world.


    With Aerondight in his hands, Roy charged straight at the monster, puddles sshing across the ground. A gigantic Venus flytrap rose before him, swaying in the darkness. The monstrous nt opened its maw, revealing rows of sharp incisors within. Sickly green drool trickled down the cracks between its incisors, corroding the ground.


    And then it lunged at the witcher. A sh of light flew across the air, and a spurt of verdant blood shot into the air.


    The witcher quietly stepped past the Venus flytrap, the nt''s stalk and its bud falling down with a thud behind him.


    A roar escaped the spriggan''s mouth, and a row of terrifying nts rose into the air, yet the witcher did not stop. He crouched and charged ahead, swinging his sword again and again and again, crimson arcs of light shimmering across the battlefield.


    The young witcher wasted no time in cutting the nts in two, but his shield was broken in the process of the battle. Roy stopped for a moment and cast another sign, but something unexpected happened.


    A big patch of cabbage-like nts burrowed out of the ground and ballooned in size, stopping Roy from getting any closer to the wall of vines. Roy grabbed the ground underneath with his toes and leapt ahead like a tiger pouncing at its prey. The young witcher jumped high up into the air and arced across the battlefield like a dancer.


    Dull bangs thundered across the patch of nts underneath as the they exploded, spraying green liquid everywhere. The liquid ate through Roy''s Quen and made his boots sizzle.


    The atronach and clone let out a howl before they disappeared into shards of light as the acid hit them.


    Roy finally made hisnding, standing right ahead of the wall of vines. He stared at it, and the spriggan too returned the witcher''s stare, but its eyes were devoid of emotion.


    Roy swung his de horizontally, a crimson sh cutting through the vines. The resilient nts were torn apart, but the de''s attack did not stop.


    The spriggan, however, had teleported to the other side of the cave. Roy fired a bolt and teleported to the monster right away, mming down to the ground like a meteor crashing into the earth. His sword was raised high up in the air, and he brought it down at the creature without mercy. The de sliced through the spriggan''s grotesque face, gouging out its flesh and leaving a deep gash.


    Green blood spurted from the wound, but the injury was already starting to heal. The spriggan howled, swinging its lethal ws around. So fast it swung, the monster left afterimages. It mmed its ws against the ground, leaving craters in its wake, but the witcher didn''t defend himself. He moved out of the monster''s attacks, slowing it down with Yrden. Without much difficulty, Roy escaped the monster''s attacks. All three of them.


    When the spriggan raised its ws for the fourth time, its arms froze, and something pulled it off the ground. Crimson tentacles wriggled out of the void, coiling and constricting it in a cocoon as it raised the spriggan high up into the air before presenting it to the witcher like a present.


    Silence reigned for three seconds, the only sound a sickening squelch as Aerondight was plunged into the eyeball of the creature. Roy mmed the edge into the creature''s face, bursting its eyeball in a spectacr show that gained him a ssh of green blood and white, gooey brains. Quen deflected the liquid, and it slowly slid to the ground.


    Again and again the witcher stabbed, until the crack of a bone rang out clearly through the air, and the stabbings stopped. Roy pierced his de through the skull, charged through its brain, broke through the back of its skull and peeked through the back of the monster''s head.


    The young witcher let go of the hilt and heaved a sigh of relief. The de pinned the monster on the wall behind it like it was some fish ready to be grilled.


    ''Spriggan (Modified) killed. EXP +300. Level 12 Witcher (11200/12500).''


    ***


    The monster''s corpse quickly shattered into motes of green light and melded with the air, leaving the skull, the ws, and a greater blue mutagen that was brimming with mana behind. Roy quickly tucked them into his inventory, and he wiped his de clean.


    "The leshen was stronger."


    A moment of restter, the young witcher went around the mess and entered the abode of the dead spriggan. On his way into the abode, he lit up the brazier, and the light from the mes shone upon a small but fully decked outb. Vials and jars and vesselsmonly seen inboratories lined this chamber.


    The most prominent aspect was the cage in the center of theb. It was made of alloy with dimeritium mixed in it, and something tore a hole in it.


    Not far from the hole were the remains of a blond, adult man with dried hair. The cadaver sat with its back leaning against the wall. The blue robe it wore was torn and filled with holes, chaos energy lingering around its bones, an obvious sign that the corpse was a sorcerer when it was still alive.


    "Algernon. An expert in gic modification. Dead for at least two and a half years."


    Roy scoured theb and found a diary with its ck cover covered in soil sitting near the corpse. Most schrs loved to jot down the details of their experiments.


    <em>May 1258. I, freckled Axel, Gorazd, cruel Ortn, and Idarran reconvened for an exchange. All experts in the field of gic modification, of course. And it was a wonderful conversation between geniuses. The brainstorming brought with it countless inspirations. In the end, we came up with a stringent gic modification process. The subject? The leshen subspecies I caught: a spriggan. I cannot wait to see the results of this n. We shall be creating a new species of creature.</em>


    <em>March 1259. After copious amounts of experimentation, we have found something. Spriggans are more nts than they are animals. Their body contains the chlorophyll necessary for photosynthesis, but they can also hunt for sustenance like all beasts do. I n to weaken the nt side of this spriggan and stir up more of its animal side.</em>


    <em>August 1260. My experiment is almost done. I have created a brand-new kind of spriggan. I cannot wait to contact my colleagues so they can witness my work. They will be surprised, I''m sure. Still, I am concerned. The cage seems unable to stop the spriggan''s increased strength. I''ll have to reinforce it.</em>


    <em>September 1260. </em>Some of the words were covered by blood. <em>So this is how it feels to be absorbed by a spriggan. Unlike leshens, who absorb the life force of their believers slowly from a range, this spriggan utilizes vines to suck out blood and mana. </em>More words were covered by blood.


    <em>At the same time it absorbs my strength, the spriggan injects a paralyzing toxin into my body, numbing the pain and killing my resistance. I even feel a sense of delight. s, I cannot use even an ounce of my magic. The bloodsucking vines coil around me like a cocoon. The creature only allows freedom in one hand, and so, with this hand, I shall write thest entry of my life.</em>


    <em>To die at the hands of their creation is bliss for a schr. ~Algernon.</em>


    "Hm."


    The journal ended there. Apparently, Algernon''s reinforcement of the cage went awry, and he was killed by his own creation. There was also a lot of experiment data in the journal. Roy tossed the book into his inventory space and took quite some time to dismantle the dimeritium cage. He then took the parts away as well. Dimeritium was worth a lot, after all.


    Once he was done looting, Roy whipped out a diamond-shaped crystal and rubbed it thrice. The light of magic blinked, and a diamond-shaped screen was projected in the air. A momentter, a beautiful sorceress appeared, nervously pulling her bangs away, strands of hair tickling her nose. She looked adorable.


    "I found Algernon near the address you gave me, Triss. Well, what''s left of him anyway. Killed by his own creation. A feral spriggan. Nothing more than a skeleton now, and he''s been dead for more than two and a half years."


    Triss gasped and huddled closer, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at the witcher. "Are you hurt, Roy? Did the creature injure you?"


    "Thanks for your concern." Roy smiled brightly at her and flexed his biceps. "But do I look hurt? That monster wasn''t even enough for a warmup."


    Triss held her hands together before her belly and gave Roy an adorable smile. Almost dazzled, Roy quickly said, "Oh, found some names in his journal too. Axel, Gorazd, and Grandmaster Ortn."


    "Ah, I was just going to tell you that." Triss stared into Roy''s eyes. "ording to my investigation, those people are experts in the field of gic modification, Ortn especially. He''s one of the assistants of Alzur back in Rissberg, when the experiment was going on. Gorazd, Axel, Ortn, and the missing Idarran are fanatics of the field of gic modification, and they are close friends. They would periodically hold conversations about that matter. However, two of the quartet have died in the Battle of Sodden Hill, their names engraved on the obelisk. It has been years since Grandmaster Ortn showed himself in the brotherhood. Rumors say that he is conducting the experiment of a lifetime."


    "Another gic modification, perhaps?" Roy mused. <em>That''s the only lead I have left that can lead me to Idarran. Ivar, End, Arnaghad, and Elgar are proving to be too elusive. Auckes'' team failed to find anything that could lead us to them.</em>


    "I''ve asked Tissaia, and she''s given me an address. It''s a house Ortn used to live in. That house is in Hindarsfjall of Skellige Isles. You can take a look when you have time."


    "That''s really helpful, thank you." Roy stared into her eyes and said, "Once I figure out this whole mess and deal with it, I''ll be certain to thank you personally."


    The witcher''s gaze was a bit too aggressive, and Triss blushed. She stared at the ground and smiled. With her best effort, she tried to stay rxed, and she said, "It''s alright, Roy. I owe you my life. Twice. If you need my help, just say the word. But this is the most I can do for now. If I go any deeper, it''s going to backfire and gain some unwanted attention."


    "Then you should stop for now, Triss." Roy said, "Come back when you have time. See the kids."


    "Sure." Reminiscence filled Triss'' eyes, and she looked a lot more at ease. "But I have a lot of royal duties to deal with. Within two months, the north and Nilfgaard will be signing a ceasefire. Vilgefortz will be spearheading the effort."


    Roy''s pupils contracted. <em>Vilgefortz. Like the original timeline, he has gained fame after the battle and climbed up the hierarchy in the brotherhood. He''s a formidable enemy indeed. Ciri''s under our protection, so Vilgefortz can''ty a finger on her. </em>Roy wanted to find the grandmasters first, or he would never rest easy.


    He was surprised that the north and south were going to sign a ceasefire. Northerners all thought Cnthe and Eist had died in the battle of Cintra, but not too long ago, Roy had just ascertained that Cntha was alive and pregnant in Skellige Isles. <em>So why didn''t she stand up and rally the Cintrans?</em>


    ***


    "Oh, Keira''s calling me. I have to go now." Triss smiled and twirled her hair, her eyes glistening with delight. "Stay in touch."


    "Yeah."


    The screen dimmed.


    ***


    Roy sorted out theb and teleported himself back to the undergroundb in rural Toussaint. He picked up Gwyhyr and shared Gryphon''s vision. The young witcher saw a white-haired witcher and a beautiful raven-haired sorceress having a talk in the conference hall, and he smiled.


    He gave Gryphon an order, and the beast shook off the pestering whippersnappers, then it craned its head closer to the conference hall''s windowsill, keeping its eyes wide and ears pricked up, ready to gain intel for its master.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 516 - 516: The Plan for Ciri

    Chapter 516: The n for Ciri


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Unbelievable. For a hundred years, the witcher schools have been in constant decline, yet now you band together for a young man. Seventeen witchers, two sorcerers, and a member of the Skellige Isles¡¯ circle of druids. This is a formidable force. One that is to be reckoned with, and you are still getting stronger with the influx of new witchers.¡± Yennefer was impressed by the story Geralt told her. ¡°Roy is a visionary. His eye for the future is something you fossils will never learn. So where is he?¡±


    Ciri looked at Geralt too. Ever since she left Goldencheeks¡¯ home, she hadn¡¯t seen Roy, and she missed him. Only when he was around could she ride on Gryphon without any worries.


    ¡°Roy has a lot to do,¡± Auckes answered before Geralt could, holding his shoulder down. He didn¡¯t want Geralt to tell everything to this stranger just because she was his lover. The fewer people who knew about the grandmasters, the better. ¡°His presence here would put us at risk. And please do not talk about his name when you¡¯re out and about.¡±


    ¡°I promise. But when the time is right¡­¡± Yennefer shook her head. What a shame. She was curious about the brotherhood, but she was new here, so she should stop before she went too far. ¡°Now let¡¯s get back to business.¡±


    Yennefer patted Ciri¡¯s head and snapped her fingers. The witchers¡¯ medallions buzzed, and a gust of wind closed the curtains, keeping prying eyes from seeing in and making sure no sound went out.


    Roy frowned, and the griffin that was hiding under the windowsill charged into the conference hall. Once it squeezed into the room, the beast swiped its tail and shut the wooden door.


    It then raised its furry head at the sorceress, the look in its eyes saying, ¡®Alright, you have your peace and quiet now. Continue.¡¯


    ¡°Gryphon! Here, let me hug you!¡± Ciri happily leapt onto the griffin¡¯s back and nuzzled herself against its mane. She narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Ignore them.¡± Geralt massaged his temples. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°How did you find Ciri, Geralt? Rumors have it that the princess of Cintra has died during her escape from her fallen nation.¡± Yennefer gave the griffin a look. ¡°From what I know, all the northern kingdoms are sending their intelligence teams out to find her. The kings wish to gain the princess so they can gain the support of Cintra¡¯s people and enrich themselves with the wealth of the nation that Nilfgaard has toppled. And Nilfgaard wants to get their hands on the girl as well. They need a member of the royal family who¡¯s malleable so they can rightfully take over Cintra¡¯s rulership. Menno Coehoorn, Cintra¡¯s current governor, is agonizing over this matter.¡±


    Yennefer continued. ¡°Vissegerd, who survived the war, is taking in the refugees with the support of the king of Brugge. He¡¯s gathering an army to reim their lost home, and they too are searching for Ciri.¡±


    The princess¡¯ smile disappeared, and she felt trepidation setting in her heart. Quietly, she leaned against Gryphon, feeling its warmth and heartbeat.


    ¡°I know, Yen. Even without those people, there are already two men out there searching for her. A knight from Nilfgaard and a sorcerer who looks like a mercenary, but what of it? Destiny still led me to the girl.¡± Geralt looked at the princess, his face softening up. Ever since he found Ciri, he had decided to never let go of her. Relenting would only invite an even harsher punishment from Destiny, but it would only fall on the girl.


    ¡°My brothers and I shall protect her. She can grow without worries under our wing.¡±


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re not going to hand her over to anyone?¡± Yennefer had a look that said, I knew it.


    Yennefer looked at the girl on the griffin¡¯s back, and pity filled her face. ¡°So what¡¯s the n? Will you raise her like she¡¯s a regr human so she can live her life in peace? Or will you turn her into a witcher like the children? Will you let her take the ridiculous potion made up of proprietary decoctions, special fungus, and shrooms? What then? She¡¯ll undergo that deadly Trial and go through hell for a measly chance at survival? Only three out of ten manage to be witchers, as I¡¯m sure you know.¡±


    ¡°I-I want to be a witcher!¡± shouted Ciri. She leapt down from the griffin and quickly approached Geralt. The girl held his hand and swayed his arm, pleading, ¡°I want to be a swordsperson like Geralt. A monster hunter!¡±


    ¡°You foolish girl!¡± Yennefer narrowed her eyes and held Ciri¡¯s other hand, pulling her closer. ¡°You do not know what this means at all. You are still young, and you require proper guidance to train your powers. Taking potions and decoctions to gain strength is not the best way to go about this!¡±


    Shocked by Yennefer¡¯s imperiousmand, the girl took a few steps back until she could barely smell the lc and gooseberriesing off her.


    Geralt fell into a dilemma. After a discussion with the brotherhood, he did consider having Ciri undergo witcher training and be the first girl to go through the mutation. The dangers awaiting her were many and lethal. She must have enough strength to protect herself, but they hadn¡¯t started preparations yet.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the potions. After Lytta and Kalkstein¡¯s modifications, the Trial is perfectly safe now.¡± Auckes crossed his arms, puffing his chest out. He was a little displeased, and he looked at Yennefer quizzically. ¡°You seem to have a deep-set prejudice against witchers.¡±


    ¡°I am just stating the facts.¡± Yennefer smiled arrogantly and held the edges of Ciri¡¯s cheeks gently. ¡°Open your mouth and say ¡®Aahh¡¯.¡± The sorceress checked Ciri¡¯s teeth like she was a horse.


    Ciri quickly shook her head free of the sorceress and harrumphed, trying to bite her hand. Yennefer grabbed the girl¡¯s cheeks and pulled on them like they were balls of dough. ¡°She¡¯s just ten. Barely starting to grow. Your potions will affect her body¡¯s growth, akin to forcing a chick to grow into a chicken in mere weeks. Yes, she will grow faster, but at the expense of her potential, just like you, Geralt.¡±


    Yennefer looked at her long-lost lover and sighed. ¡°You used to be a Source, but that mutation back when you were a child destroyed your potential. Witcher potions will scramble her hormones and fry her endocrine system. Heavy physical and swordsmanship training will also change theposition of her body and muscles. It¡¯ll also take away her feminine physical traits. Ciri will grow up hating you for this, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°She has a point.¡± Auckes stole a nce at Yennefer¡¯s generous bosom, then he looked at Ciri. The witcher imagined a woman with a cute face but paired with an overly muscr body with pecs instead of a soft chest. He shivered. She thinks a lot further than we do.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not toote. Ciri¡¯s as healthy as she can be,¡± said Geralt, looking at Yennefer. ¡°Any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Appropriate training.¡± Yennefer raised her chin and circled Ciri, sizing her up like she was merchandise. The girl shivered in fear. She had to convince herself that Yennefer meant her no harm. ¡°General sses and some self-defense sses. It¡¯s a tough world out there. These training sessions wille in handy should she find herself in sticky situations. You¡¯re not her nannies. You cannot keep an eye on her at all times.¡±


    ¡°We were already nning on doing that.¡± Geralt nodded.


    ¡°Oh, so I can jump around the stakes and have the juice the boys are taking?¡± Ciri jumped around, happy as a rabbit, her eyes glinting with anticipation.


    ¡°Oh, those concoctions are no simple drinks. They¡¯re special medicines made to strengthen the body. Bitter as a gourd.¡± A bloodthirsty smile curled Auckes¡¯ lips. ¡°And you¡¯re going to beg us to stop training you eventually, Ciri.¡±


    Ciri curled her spindly forearms. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. I¡¯ve fought the crybaby, tilled the fields, and reared chickens. I¡¯m not as weak as you think.¡±


    Yennefer held Ciri¡¯s shoulder tightly. She couldn¡¯t imagine the pampered princess going through the kind of hell a child like her shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Two. She can¡¯t just stay here forever. This is a good ce to raise children into decent human beings, yes, but Ciri¡¯s in a delicate position. She can¡¯t stay in one ce for long, or the intelligence teams will find out where she is. You, Geralt, have to be careful. There are people out there who know of your connection with Ciri. They might get to her through you.¡±


    Yennefer said coldly, ¡°You need to show her the wider world sometimes. Show her what this world has to offer, and make sure to stay out of trouble.¡±


    Ciri held Yennefer¡¯s hand tightly and looked at her with worship and gratitude. I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, Lady Yennefer. So you do know my wish. Thank you for telling Geralt to take me on adventures.


    ¡°I will, but only after the war has ended. The paths will be less dangerous then.¡± Roy told him the same thing before, so Geralt hadn¡¯t left Novigradtely. Still, it was time to contact their allies and set up some defenses against the spies. ¡°We¡¯ll be going sightseeing. The Temple of Melitele in Ender, for example. But first, we¡¯ll be taking her to Skellige Isles. There¡¯s someone she must see.¡±


    Ciri sped her hands to her mouth, delight ring in her eyes. We¡¯re finally going to see Cnthe? She didn¡¯t say that out loud, however. Geralt had told her to never leak the secret that her grandmother was still alive.


    ¡°Why Skellige?¡± Yennefer asked.


    Geralt said nothing. Displeasure shed in Yennefer¡¯s eyes, and she raised her head, but she didn¡¯t press further. ¡°Three, and this is the most important point.¡± Solemnity painted Yennefer¡¯s face. ¡°You might have missed this, but I didn¡¯t. As a sorceress, from the moment I touched Ciri, I knew what kind of existence she must be.¡±


    ¡°What is she?¡± Geralt asked.


    ¡°A Source.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Geralt shook his head. ¡°The medallion didn¡¯t react to her, nor did she disy any magic.¡±


    ¡°Because she does not know of her potential, let alone use it. Her talent has been dormant all this time, never showing itself. Yet that does not change the fact that hertent potential has been slowly and safely mingling with the chaos energy around her. Her talent for magic might be one of its kind. Surely you still remember who her mother was. What her mother was.¡±


    Geralt fell silent as he was reminded of an event that happened ten years ago. During the ball Cnthe held to pick a potential partner for Pavetta, thete princess hovered in the air and let out a scream, her magic knocking everything over in the whole ballroom. Ciri inherited her mother¡¯s talent for magic? I wonder if that¡¯s a blessing or a curse.


    ¡°Lady Yennefer.¡± Auckes¡¯ gaze took on a hostile hue. ¡°You aren¡¯t taking the girl to Aretuza, are you?¡±


    ¡°Your worries are unfounded.¡± Yennefer frowned andbed Ciri¡¯s hair with her fingers. ¡°The sorcerers have long since stopped scouring for sources and children with a proclivity for magic. They have long since stopped snatching children away from their parents. The people who are smart enough will enrol their magically talented children to our academy. I will not take Ciri away from you, and I will keep everything a secret.¡± Yennefer looked solemn, and she spoke softly but firmly. ¡°That I can promise you, Geralt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never doubted you, Yen.¡± Geralt finally had a chance to show his feelings for her.


    ¡°In case our little Source¡¯s magic goes out of control and hurts the other kids, I¡¯ll be staying around to guide her.¡± Yennefer finally said her goal. ¡°Until she masters the rudimentary control over magic.¡±


    ¡°Lady Yennefer, can I use magic to fly in the sky like Gryphon?¡± Ciri¡¯s eyes shone.


    ¡°No. At most you can hover a few feet off the ground. A sorceress needs at least decades of training. At most, you can learn a trick or two over the course of your training, and that¡¯s only when you work for it. But if you keep it up, someday you will be an illustrious sorceress yourself.¡± A pauseter, a hint of respect shed in Yennefer¡¯s eyes. ¡°Just like Vilgerfortz.¡±


    ¡°I promise!¡± Ciri looked ecstatic. In her naive mind, sword and sorcery were interesting games.


    Geralt nodded and looked at the dazzling sorceress. ¡°We¡¯ll be arranging a magic ss for Ciri on top of her general ss and physical education. But will this get in the way of your work?¡±


    ¡°So what if it does? Will youpensate me in any way?¡± Yennefer gave the White Wolf a look, her lips glistening lustrously, inviting the witcher toe closer.


    Geralt looked away.


    ¡°My only job is to educate Ciri. If you don¡¯t mind, how about I start her first session right now?¡± Yennefer looked at the witchers and held Ciri¡¯s hand. ¡°You can introduce the other members and the kids to me at dinner.¡±


    ***


    Roy was done watching the exchange. He cut off the vision and descended the staircase that led into a brightly-litb.


    A curvaceous sorceress in a ck dress stood before the Arcane Enchanter, colorful chaos energy swirling around her fingers, runes covering a perfectly shining te armor in the center of the table.


    That was the te armor Eorlund made for Roy back in Skyrim. The one birthed by the Skyforge and came with 40% fire resistance.


    ¡°Ah, just in time.¡± Noticing Roy¡¯s presence, Lytta motioned at him toe closer. ¡°Try your new armor on. I changed the enchantment into Halo of mes. It¡¯ll cover you with ayer of an invisible barrier of mes once activated. Anyone who gets close to you will be damaged over time. You, of course, are exempt from this effect. Whenever the effect is not in use, the armor will absorb the chaos energy lingering in the air. Once fully charged, the armor canst for half an hour.¡±


    ¡°That is outstanding enough, Coral.¡± Roy took off his leather armor, and Lytta straightened out his cor for him.


    ¡°Evelyn has rented thirty types of Skyrim herbs, but she¡¯ll need to grow them for a year or two before they can be used in any concoction.¡± Coral straightened out his sleeves and cor as she gently told him what the brotherhood¡¯s members were doing.


    ¡°Letho and Kiyan have made modifications to Thunderbolt using the herbs you brought back. That¡¯s the first decoction they worked on. Its effect is now raised by twenty percent. Vesemir has almost figured out the process behind the making of this set of armor, but we do not have the skills to recreate it, let alone turn the dragon scales and bones into anything usable. We are in dire need of a master armorsmith.¡±


    Time to seek out Berengar, I guess.


    Noticing the look on Roy¡¯s face, Coral said, ¡°While you and Geralt were searching for Ciri, Vesemir had taken off to Vizima to search for Berengar, but the lone Wolf is still traveling across the continent. He will not return for a year or two.¡±


    Roy rubbed his chin and tried his best toe up with the names of any possible swordsmith and armorer. Since the timeline wasn¡¯t there yet, he had no idea where Hattori, Novigrad¡¯s famed elven cksmith, and Yoana, the cksmith of Velen, could be found.


    The only ce he knew that housed master armorers was the Skellige Isles. On the isle of Undvik, a n by the name of Tordarroch stood tall. They had the most talented cksmiths and the best forges on their side. Just as well, Roy was traveling to Skellige soon to investigate Ortn and find a lead on Idarran. He could deal with two matters at the same time, so he told Coral about his n.


    ¡°Visenna had news for us. Suspected sightings of the red light in the druid circle in Mayena and the one near Sodden. The culprit is still unknown.¡±


    Roy nodded. The cleansing light was not a threat to them just yet, so he was not worried. ¡°Ah, almost forgot. Yennefer has arrived at the orphanage. You can talk to her when you see fit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the raven-haired woman from Vengerberg.¡± Lytta¡¯s eyes glinted.


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°Acquaintances, I¡¯d wager, but she¡¯s an arrogant woman. Hard to approach.¡± Lytta brushed a finger across Roy¡¯s cheek. ¡°Heard it¡¯s because of her modification. Went too far into the deep end and modified her personality. First me, then Triss, and now Yennefer.¡± Lytta took on a quizzical tone, her eyes fixed on Roy. ¡°What are you thinking, dragging us all into your brotherhood? We know each other.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way.¡± Roy shook his head quickly. ¡°Yennefer and Geralt had some entanglements between them to settle, so ¡­ so I lent them a hand.¡±


    Coral bought the story, though only just. ¡°Now that the Battle of Sodden Hill is over, can I go back to the brotherhood and Aretuza?¡±


    That shocked Roy. ¡°Why are you going back?¡± The witcher was a little uneasy about her departure.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sell myself to the brotherhood. Even witchers get to enjoy a hot bath and good wine during their downtime. Sorcerers get to take a little break to enjoy the sess of their experiments, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Rou couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going to see some old friends, then I¡¯ll be back. They¡¯re alldies.¡± Coral rested her head on Roy¡¯s shoulder.


    Roy looked at her soft, wless face. ¡°Don¡¯t get into any of the organization¡¯s ns. Don¡¯t jump into anything political. And stay away from Tissaia. She¡¯s a stubborn one. Same goes for Philippa Eilhart and everyone in the brotherhood. Especially Vilgefortz and the Daisy of the Valleys.¡±


    ¡°By that you mean Lady Francesca Findabair?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a gorgeous woman, as I¡¯m sure you know, but she¡¯s hiding a big secret underneath her beauty. You¡¯d best stay far, far away from her.¡± Scoia¡¯tael should show themselves soon. ¡°I¡¯ll exin next time.¡±

 Chapter 517 - 517: Skellige Isles

    Chapter 517: Skellige Isles


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A silver line extended across the horizon, heralding theing of dawn. A cloaked silhouette leapt out of the Worldgate, appearing within the bedchambers of Bran, ruler of Skellige. Roy looked at the bed. A plump Cnthe was sound asleep, and the witcher made his way to the windowsill. He fired a bolt into the air and reappeared right beside the bed. As Roy reached his destination, he let off another bolt, this time hurtling toward the top of the building.


    The witcher disappeared and reappeared beside the second bolt,nding on the roof, and he stared into the distance. What greeted him were the six isles of Skellige. On the west coast was the lush ind of Spikeroog, its fanglike outline and cliffs standing tall against the waves, the top of its mount hidden behind the nket of clouds.


    In the south was Ard Skellig. The southern part of Ard Skellig was made of evennd, while its northern part was a deep fjord. The conical ind of Hindarsfjall sat in the southeast. ording to the clue Triss gave him, that was where Ortn was residing.


    Standing behind Ard Skellig was a lone ind by the name of Faroe, isted from the other isles. It looked like the exposed back of a whale. In the west was the isle of Undvik, the other destination Roy wanted to visit. It was home to n Tordarroch. Roy peered further beyond and saw seagulls, cormorants, and swallows congregating on the cliffs.


    ¡°This is going to be a big undertaking, so I should start with the simple tasks.¡± The young witcher fired a bolt and disappeared from the roof, reappearing on ground level a momentter. He couldn¡¯t teleport right away to Undvik, so he needed a boat to ferry him across the strait.


    He could use Aerondight¡¯s power and walk on water, but Roy wanted to ride a boat. Sailing on a boat alone while watching the endless seas churning and crashing was an interesting thing to do. And he could farm a bit of EXP while he was at it.


    Through a path between the serene woods Roy traversed. The young witcher made his way toward Uria Harbor, a ce located in the southern part of An Skellig.


    The isles were located far, far away from the main continent, greenery covering almost every single ce. Colorful flowers blossomed in full bloom everywhere, apanied by a great stretch of bushes and woods that were home to centuries-old oak and pine trees.


    There was the asional house tucked between the woods, bizarre fishesid out on the wooden rack in the houses¡¯ yard to dry. The inders¡¯ skin was red and tough, courtesy of their constant exposure to the sea breeze. Most draped themselves with the skin of seals. All of them had some form of weaponry tucked at their buckles. These people would not shy away from a fight.


    The witcher noticed an abundance of a certain goddess¡¯ statue standing around the isle. The statue of Freya. Ladies of all ages, even pregnant ones, would stand before the statues. They wore oversized robes, standing straight up. Roy couldn¡¯t see much of their faces. Thedies would bow their heads and put their hands before their chests in a prayer. The young witcher also noticed that they were wearing a ne around their necks.


    A stone vat sat on the altar before the statues. Around it were smaller statues. Statues of animals sacred to Freya: cats and eagles.


    Like how most people in the northern part of the continent worshipped Melitele, the people of the isles and kingdoms neighboring the sea mostly put their faith in the goddess, Freya. The goddess was the patron saint of fertility, romance, beauty, and harvest. She was the guardian spirit of oracles, fortune-tellers, and spirit mediums.


    The Continent¡¯s people thought Freya and Melitele were one and the same, but that statement was sacrilege in the eyes of the inders.


    ***


    Roy suspected that Freya might be blessing him, since he wasn¡¯t attacked by any of the local monsters. He thought he¡¯d run into armored arachas, werewolves, or even harpies, but no. He didn¡¯t even run into any bandits. The witcher arrived at the harbor without so much as a scratch.


    His first thought about the harbor? It was rundown. A far cry from the bustling port of Novigrad. There were only a dozen regr houses, inns, smithies, and warehouses dotting the wooden port. The buildings looked rugged and had no intricate patterns adorning their walls. These structures were built with practicality in mind. Like its people, aesthetics weren¡¯t something they cared about.


    A few ships were docked at the harbor. Some of them were drakkars, ships made for the military. The bronze shields that hung by their sides shimmered under the sun. There were also barges used to carry shipment. Those were employed by merchants who came all the way to Skellige Isles for trade.


    Guards with horned helms and brigandine armor patrolled around the ships, peering sharply at the people walking around, and they paid special attention to Roy, who was covered in a ck cloak. The guards kept an eye on him until he went into The Cane Toad.


    A circle of old, rectangr tables surrounded a big bonfire in the center of the tavern. Patrons sat around the tables, drinking and feasting away. This ce reminded him of the inn back in Skyrim, but unlike Skyrim, there were no bards around ying decadent tunes with the lute. The inders did not take particr interest in poetry. Thought they took a long time to get to the point.


    They were far more interested in boxing matches.


    ¡°A mandrake cordial, please.¡± Roy sat before the counter and whipped out ten coppers. Skellige Isles had a trade route that led to Novigrad, so they epted crowns here. The cheapest alcohol around these parts would be mandrake cordial and cherry cider.


    The bartender with a bush of grey mustache tucked the coins into his apron and filled a mug to the brim with mandrake cordial for Roy. The inders loved their alcohol, partly because it could help with the biting winds from the seas. Thanks to that, they had bigger mugs than most ces, and they didn¡¯t cost more either.


    ¡°First time ¡®ere in Skellige? Ye gotta try our famous pickled auk. ¡®Tis sulent.¡± The bartender grinned.


    Roy shivered and shook his head, then he mmed five coppers onto the counter. ¡°Got a question for you. Heard there¡¯s a n called Tordarrach on Undvik. Everyone¡¯s a cksmith there, correct? Some of them master cksmiths too, right? Capable of making great weapons and armor?¡±


    ¡°Aye. ¡®Tis as ye say, n Tordarrach has the best cksmiths and forge in Skellige¡­ nay, the whole world.¡± The bartender¡¯s eyes gleamed, his mustache swaying. Proudly, he proimed, ¡°They made the sword His Majesty uses. Ter be honest with ye, e¡¯eryone in Skellige would love ter have a weapon made by one o¡¯ ¡¯em. Ain¡¯t all sunshine and roses with ¡¯em, though. Numbers been dwindlin¡¯tely, an¡¯ so are the good cksmiths. Limited production e¡¯ery year, so they cost a fortune. An¡¯ ye can¡¯t buy them just cause ye got coin. Ye have to be privileged too. Only those who pass their test can purchase one of them gear.¡± The bartender smiled mysteriously. ¡°If yer interested, ye best be prepared.¡±


    Huh, that¡¯s odd. Didn¡¯t know they had that kind of system in this world. Roy nodded and downed the tart cordial, then he grinned. ¡°What about the ships? Need to board one to get to Undvik.¡±


    ¡°Aye, bad timin¡¯,d.¡± The bartender cleaned a mug, looking downcast. ¡°Tourism only gets a boost in them summer days. ¡®Bout five ships taking them tourists round the isles every day. Off season now though, so ship onlyes once in three days. An¡¯ it just left yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Cherry cider, please. Can I rent a boat, then? Just by myself.¡±


    ¡°Laddie, that ain¡¯t worth it, ter be honest.¡± The bartender looked at the young witcher. Ain¡¯t lookin¡¯ like them rich kids. ¡°Yer gotta spend at least a hundred crowns.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not what you think. I won¡¯t be using anything big.¡± Roy held up his right thumb and index finger, and he smiled. ¡°Just a fishing boat for one. And an oar.¡±


    The bartender froze, and he warned solemnly, ¡°Yer not jokin¡¯, are ye? ¡®Tis a long way away from Undvik. Even drakkars gotta take a whole day an¡¯ night just to get ter Undvik from the port. Ye gotta brace for undercurrents, reefs, an¡¯ thunderstorms on yer way, but that¡¯s not all. Ekhidnas. An army o¡¯ ¡¯em on the sea. E¡¯er seen those monsters?¡±


    The bartender animatedly described, ¡°They ¡®ave fishlike tails and scales, evil wings like them bats, maws filled with incisors, an¡¯ ws so sharp, they can tear leather apart like they¡¯re nuthin¡¯. They can fly and travel underwater. Loves attackin¡¯ boats that travel by. Ain¡¯t picky ¡¯bout their food, that¡¯s fer sure. Fish and freshly decayin¡¯ human flesh? Feast fer them. Ye try sailin¡¯ alone to Undvik, and I guarantee ye that the ekidhna¡¯s gonna swoop down on ye and gobble ye up ¡®fore ye can even make it one-third of the wa¡ª¡±


    The bartender stopped talking as Roy took his sunsses down and revealed a pair of multicolored eyes. His gaze was sharp and almost blindingly bright, like gold and silver shimmering under the sun. It was almost terrifying. ¡°Should theye for me, then they best be prepared to die. Just as well that I need them for some decoctions.¡±


    ***


    A golden sun hung high in the blue, blue skies, its rays piercing through the thin nket of fog swaying on the surface of the seas, the silhouette of a long wooden boat slowly emerging from the mist. The vessel was alone on the vast sea, small and seemingly weak against nature.


    The witcher sat in the center of the boat, his back straight, and he pulled his oar back with all his might. The wooden oar swept through the water, pushing Roy away from An Skellig, slowly driving him toward Undvik.


    Rowing a boat was more tiring than the witcher expected. It was far easier when he was with Coral, since she would drive the boat forward with magic anyway. The sun was shining down warmly, but the winds of the sea were howling and cutting across anything they set their sights on.


    Icebergs of different shapes and sizes bobbed around the sea. Some were too small to even let anyone stand on, while some were as big as a drakkar. Islets dotted the seas like houses on a street, seagulls perching on them and making weird noises.


    Sailing in the fog were silhouettes of ships, their sails reflecting the sun¡¯s shine. Barrels trapped in a floated around the sea, perhaps a shipment of a vessel long sunken. Roy rowed his boat closer to the barrels and knocked on one. The first thing he heard was the sloshing of liquiding from within.


    A smile curled his lips, and he cut the open, then he took a barrel onto his boat and summoned Aerondight. The witcher poked a hole on the top of the barrel, and the scent of wine wafted into the air, filling the air with a tinge of sourness. ¡°Wine, eh?¡±


    Roy leaned on the bow and put a hand behind his head, holding up a ss of wine, then he took a sip. The witcher basked in the whispers of the sea breeze, enjoying the show of dolphins leaping across the waters, their jumps a perfect performance. The boat swayed along with the waves, and Roy felt like he was on a swing. I could do this all day.


    But he didn¡¯t. Half an hourter, the witcher, finally having his fill of food and rest, kept rowing toward Undvik. The ind looked close, but it was still far away.


    Eventually, the sun reached its zenith, and Roy¡¯s peaceful trip came to an end when his boat started to violently shake. The witcher paused for a moment, his eyes going wide, hisnguid demeanor reced by excitement.


    Roy tucked his oar away and quickly covered himself with Quen.


    A screech came from beneath, and the silhouette that had been ramming the boat broke through the surface, taking to the air. The sun shone on it, revealing a green, slender body. It was like a cobalt serpent, fully decked out with wings as big as a vampire¡¯s. On the tip of its wings, curved des protruded.


    Its upper body resembled a woman, but only just. The ws on its elbow were curved as well, and ck fur covered the back of its paws. The monster had a petite nose and an incisor-filled maw, its ck hair covering its ears and eyes of bloodlust. The lower part of its body was a long, slender, and sharp tail, its green scales smooth and gleaming. Triangr fins jutted from both sides of the midsection of its tail.


    ¡®Ekhidna


    Age: Five years old


    HP: 150


    Mana: [Not stated]


    Strength: 13


    Dexterity: 14


    Constitution: 15


    Perception: 12


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Chimera (Passive): Like harpies and erynias, both of which are close rtives to the ekhidna, this creature possesses the strengths of eagles and fish. They can fly and move in water, possess a powerful gut, giving them the ability to consume rotten and fresh meat. That includes human flesh. +4 to Dexterity, Constitution, and Perception.¡¯


    ***


    The ekhidna charged at the witcher like a gust of wind, the air howling as itunched into the offensive.


    A sh of white hurtled across the air, then the bolt rammed straight into the ekhidna¡¯s chest, sting a bloody hole through its body. With a howl, the ekhidna fell. Roy bent down slightly and leapt at the falling creature, swinging his crimson de down.


    Blood fell like a little downpour of rain, and the parts of the monster¡¯s corpse fell into the sea, drenching it red.


    ¡®Ekhidna killed. +150 EXP. Level 12 Witcher (11350/12500).¡¯


    Roy held up Aerondight, its enchantment allowing the witcher to walk on the sea. He then picked up the upper part of the dead ekhidna and hauled it back to the boat. Before he could cut it up, a st echoed across the waters a few dozen yards away, where the undercurrents were. And then a group of ekhidnas appeared.


    The scent of their kin¡¯s blood whipped them into a frenzy, and they charged right at the witcher without any care for their safety.


    Roy held Aerondight in his right hand and Gabriel in his left. He stood on the surface of the sea, unmoving and unfazed, facing the monsters as they came. One, two, three, four, and five.


    The five ekhidnas let out horrible shrieks, their eyes glinting crimson as they surrounded the witcher.


    Roy fired a bolt and disappeared into thin air, plunging the monsters into confusion. And then a howl pierced the air, as the blossom of a bloody flower tainted the air. The ekhidna in the center of this group had a hole in its chest, and a de was buried in its skull from the top.


    Like a rider, Roy stood on its wings and pulled his de out. He flicked the blood off Aerondight, swaying as the monster struggled in its death throes, his hair billowing in the winds.


    Once again, the witcher disappeared, and another ekhidna had its life taken away before it could even do anything. A bolt pierced through its body, and a de sliced into its flesh. Like a kite without a string, it slowly fell into the sea, leaving nothing but blood and feathers behind.


    The remaining monsters couldn¡¯t even react to the witcher¡¯s movements. They tried their best to attack, but none could predict where the witcher would appear. They wanted to escape, but the bolts were faster.


    Another fell, then another, and another. Blood filled the air with quick session as Roy darted around the monsters, quick as a bolt of deadly lightning. The witcher¡¯s attacks even left afterimages from the sheer speed he was moving at.


    An invisible stage stood beneath the witcher and the ekhidnas. Like a reaper of souls, the witcher danced around, swinging his de of death at the souls of the damned, taking them into the afterlife.


    ***


    The battle, or to be exact, the massacre, came to an end in five seconds, and a few bloody corpses were floating on the sea.


    Roy stood on the surface of the waters, cleaning the blood on his body slowly, then he picked up the corpses and looted them, gaining three blue mutagens from the ekhidnas.


    ¡®(5) ekhidnas killed. +750 EXP. Level 12 Witcher (12100/12500).¡¯


    Roy sat on the bow of his boat and let out a loud whistle as he rowed the boat ahead again. ¡°At this rate, I should be able to fill my EXP bar before I get to Undvik.¡±

 Chapter 518 - 518: The Trouble of Clan Tordarroch

    Chapter 518: The Trouble of n Tordarroch


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The door and windows of the conference hall were shut tight. A trio of candbras shone gently upon the room, but the look on the sorceress¡¯ face was icy. Her arms were crossed, and she was looking at a girl in a green floral dress who had a morose look on her face.


    A stack of papers with bizarre patterns on them as well as a quill sat on the table. ¡°We¡¯re going on with the magic test, you ugly duckling.¡± Yennefer looked at Ciri, her violet eyes filled with solemn warning. ¡°Same requirement. Answer them with honesty and resolve.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go through the test anymore!¡± Ciri fidgeted, the overly-hard stool hurting her behind. Stubbornly, the girl protested, ¡°It¡¯s been three days, and the test takes up the whole afternoon. I keep having to draw stars, moons, animals, and houses that look like mazes. What does that have to do with magic, Lady Yennefer? I wanna learn how to light candles with nothing but my hand; I want to learn how to breathe underwater; I want to learn how to make bread and water out of nothing when I¡¯m hungry. And I want to learn how to fly like Gryphon, not sit here drawing random art. Are you a sorceress or an artist?¡±


    The test had gone on for three days, and Ciri was getting stiff and sore from it, the soreness getting worse with each passing day. Yennefer¡¯s sses were a lot more boring than what she had in mind. She swore she was seeing stars at one point, but Yennefer wouldn¡¯t allow her to even lose focus. That was ridiculous. She was a child, so of course she would be distracted.


    Ciri was starting to miss the days she could y with her friends in the yards, messing around with the chickens and Roy¡¯s dog. She missed seeing Kiyan and taking naps in the ssroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say this once more: magic is a multifaceted subject. It is an art and a form of science.¡± Yennefer held Ciri¡¯s delicate hands and pried her fingers apart. ¡°If you do not learn how to draw, you¡¯ll be left with clumsy fingers. You¡¯ll be making gestures uglier than a toad. The other sorcerers will beughing at you.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know I have the talent for magic even before I am tested?¡± Ciri crossed her arms and harrumphed, swiveling on the stool and showing her back to Yennefer. The girl let out a childlike roar. ¡°I don¡¯t want to draw these stupid animals. I¡¯m saying it. I don¡¯t have any talent for magic, and I don¡¯t want to learn magic anymore.¡±


    ¡°Vetoed.¡± Yennefer shook her head. Matter-of-factly, she said, ¡°You are fated to walk the path of magic.¡±


    ¡°No! I wanna learn how to swing a sword like Carl and Monti!¡± And then the girl let out a gasp, clutching her reddening forehead. She sniffled, tears glistening in her eyes.


    Yennefer massaged her index finger. ¡°Have you forgotten what you promised Geralt and me? You¡¯ll do as you¡¯re told even if the assignments are arduous. You¡¯ll keep pushing on in earnest no matter how hard things get. It¡¯s just the third day now, and you¡¯re already going back on your word? Everyone¡¯s going to look down on you if they know. The witcher apprentices, the soon-to-be alchemists, the fledgling cksmiths¡­ You¡¯re a Cintran. You¡¯re known for facing challenges head on. Show that spirit.¡±


    ¡°This is child abuse, Grandma Yennefer!¡±


    The air in the conference hall dropped a few degrees, and Yennefer shot the girl a dangerous look.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just order me around.¡± Ciri leapt out of the chair, looking up at Yennefer. She then realized she had a few points she could exploit, so she put her hands behind her back in an attempt to look more mature. Stubbornly, the girl stared into Yennefer¡¯s eyes and seriously said, ¡°First creed of the brotherhood: equality. You want me to listen to you, then you have to follow that rule too.¡±


    Yennefer chuckled. ¡°You have one thing wrong. I am not a part of the brotherhood, but I¡¯ve been genuine with you, you ugly duckling.¡±


    ¡°And stop calling me that! The girls say that I¡¯m the prettiest one around this ce. I¡¯m as pretty as Vicki herself! There are boys out there who like me. Stole nces at me while I was moving around in the yard.¡±


    ¡°Because they pity you.¡± Yennefer pinched the girl¡¯s nose, her eyes shing with sympathy, and Ciri caught that. It made her nervous. ¡°They were thinking how could someone look so ugly. Nose as big as a boy¡¯s, lips too thin, weird green eyes, and squiggly brows. They were wondering if you could marry yourself off someday.¡±


    ¡°Um, be honest with me. Am I that ugly?¡± Ciri sped her hands together before her chest and stared at Yennefer wide-eyed, her voice dejected.


    ¡°You can cry if you want, but you don¡¯t have to feel bad about it. Maybe someday you¡¯ll grow up to be a swan.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t cry. You¡¯re trying to trick me again, aren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re really genuine with me, then answer my question. If you do, I¡¯ll go back to drawing.¡± Mischief flitted within Ciri¡¯s eyes. She was reminded of a certain something Roy told her.


    ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°I heard you have a wooden statue of a unicorn? I¡¯ve had a go with a griffin, so can you magic the statue away and give it life so I can ride it?¡±


    ¡°No! And you¡¯re going to forget about that! You are not allowed to mention it ever again!¡± Reminded of a¡­ more colorful past, Yennefer¡¯s cheeks turned pink. ¡°Now go back to your seat. Take the quill andy out the paper. You¡¯re drawing the obsidian I¡¯m wearing around my neck now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that wasn¡¯t very genuine, Lady Yennefer. Howe you and Geralt get to ride the unicorn but I can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°That bastard told you the story? Geralt, she¡¯s just a child!¡±


    ***


    Geralt was in the woods, watching over the children as they dug up potatoes. He sneezed and rubbed his nose, a feeling of unease welling in his heart.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten old, Geralt. She¡¯s just one sorceress, and already you couldn¡¯t handle her?¡± Lambert winked at Geralt. ¡°Might want toe to the Pike¡¯s Grotto with me and change things up.¡±


    ¡°Sod off.¡± Geralt winced a little, and he was starting to wonder what he did wrong to annoy Yen.


    ***


    Waves crashed against the reef of the Skellige Isles, and Roy¡¯s boat slowly waded through the freezing waters, bumping into the golden sands gently. The bow broke through the soft sand, lodging itself into the ground. Golden rays of sunshine shone on the witcher, lending a bit of glitter to his cloak.


    The witcher had been rowing for two days, and the air around him was filled with the stench of blood and sweat. Roy quickly pulled the boat to a nearby bush and hid it there. He then dragged his feet across the sands and disappeared behind a row of weeping golden willows.


    Undvik was still a beautiful ce untainted by the ice giant that would rampage across itsnd ten yearster, leaving nothing but destion and dens of beasts in its wake. Thanks to its good geolocation, Undvik was the second most popr isles among the six, attracting a huge number of tourists every year to marvel at its beautiful scenery and feast on the best seafood and local delicacies.


    Roy sauntered down a path within the woods, signposts pointing where he needed to go. He ran into a wolf on his way to his destination. Well, the body of a wolf that was cleaved in two. Must be the handiwork of the locals.


    He noticed tourists ambling down the sides of the path. Judging from their fashion style, there were people from Redania, Temeria, and Aedirn. These tourists were even outnumbering the locals.


    An hourter, Roy finally came to a human settlement in the northern part of the ind¡ªMarlin Coast. The roads of the coast were huge, and around it were dozens of houses made of stone bricks. Along the streets, merchants of Skellige Isles trundled along, selling their wares. Some were homemade marlin pies, some were selling smoked whale meat, some peddled the isles¡¯ herbs, while some were selling colorful and beautiful trinkets. Useless stones and mementos.


    The witcher noticed one half naked Skellige man with a hat made out of auk feathers selling pickled shark meat. The stench from the fermented urine alone almost made Roy think there was a monster nearby.


    There were of course real and valuable merchandise, like ambergris and premium sturgeon caviar. On the flip side, there were also numerous types of bizarre products, a couple of them being erynia jerky and ekhidna jerky. These monsters were abundant around the isles, and Roy felt slightly amused seeing them. These monsters are slightly poisonous. Guess the inders have great poison resistance.


    ***


    Roy came to a stop before a gaunt and tanned merchant. He spent ten coppers on a piece of pickled shark meat. It was gray and the size of his palm. The young witcher held his breath and tucked it away in his inventory space. Hope you like this present, kids. ¡°So how can I get to n Tordarroch¡¯s turf?¡±


    ¡°Their n lives in Cod Town. It¡¯s in the south near the mountains. Just follow the signposts and head south. Ye can¡¯t miss it.¡± The merchant sized the witcher up. ¡°Ye wanna buy somethin¡¯ off ¡¯em?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Buy some smoked whale meat and I¡¯ll give ye an advice.¡±


    What do you know, kids? More presents.


    ¡°The Tordarrochs are proud fes, that I can tell you. Only sells the finest weapons to true warriors,¡± said the merchant proudly. ¡°¡®Tis why they always require potential clients ter pass their trial. Only those who can pass the trial and prove their bravery can purchase their wares. Heard their family ran into some sorta troubletely. Quite a few of their nsmen died. Reckon the trial¡¯s going to be tough.¡±


    ¡°Can I buy my way through it?¡±


    ¡°Ye can try, certainly. The n¡¯s been ¡®ere for generations. Loves the art of cksmithing as much as them Mahakam dwarves. Spent all their lives improvin¡¯ the art. Coin ain¡¯t mean nuthin¡¯ ter ¡¯em.¡±


    ¡°I see. May Freya bless you. See you around.¡±


    ***


    Cod Town was a more bustling cepared to Marlin Coast. They had everything here, and tourists were amon sight on the streets. In the center of the town stood a building. Underneath the granite overhang was a blower and a forge with zing mes within. A cksmith with a leather apron and burly arms stood before the forge.


    In his left hand were a pair of tongs. The cksmith used it to hold a long piece of metal on an anvil, hammering away at it while turning it around. ngs of metal hitting against metal rang out in the air, his sweat glistening from the shine of the forge¡¯s mes.


    Sparks leapt onto his skin and stubble, but he was focused and undeterred, the pain failing to faze him. There was a rhythm to his work, like he was a conductor creating a new masterpiece. Roy was captivated by his movements, his heartbeat almost syncing to the beat of the cksmith¡¯s hammer.


    ¡®Chamir Tordarroch


    Age: 45 years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Master cksmith (Possesses cksmithing skills on par with the dwarves. A master in armoring and weaponsmithing).¡¯


    ***


    There was a forge, anvil, whetstone, and workstation around him. Aside from that, there were also gardening tools and necessities like nails, a plough, bolts, rims, a hoe, a scythe, and pots and pans.


    A few mercenaries and warriors stood around the smithy, covered in chainmail, brigandine, or fur armor. The men were decked out with all manners of weapon or carrying a circr shield on their backs. They were also wearing winged helms.


    The men¡¯s eyes were glued to the master cksmith, their harried and tired eyes filled with anticipation. Anticipation for the creation of a new, powerful weapon.


    And then the final strike. Chamir took away the metal that was starting to look like a sword.


    The witcher stepped into the smithy, passing by all the men outside. The mercenaries did not stop him. Instead, they gave the witcher looks of mockery and disdain.


    ¡°Hello, Chamir. My name is Auckes, here on a visit. The reputation of your n¡¯s cksmithing skills precedes y¡ª¡±


    Chamir took his cotton gloves off and turned his attention to the witcher. With a voice as firm as the movements of his work, he said, ¡°Sorry, but the foundry¡¯s been inflicted with a heavy blowtely. We can¡¯t use the best forge to create the best weapons. No good item, I¡¯m afraid. Only regr ones, and you have some rules to follow. Get to the back of the line.¡± There was a hint of exhaustion in his eyes.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not here to purchase anything.¡± Roy shook his head, and he requested, ¡°I¡¯d like to employ the services of your n¡¯s better cksmiths¡ªyou, for example¡ªand have them work in another ce. I can pay handsomely.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s not possible. There are only three good cksmiths left in the family right now. For generations, we¡¯ve lived in Undvik. Used to everything this ce has to offer. From its environment to the food. Can¡¯t go anywhere else,¡± Chamir refused adamantly. ¡°The king himself and Crach of n Craite has tried to employ our services, but we refused. Not to mention two of our kin are missing.¡±


    A man with a big forehead and an even bigger nose roared raucously. ¡°Am I hearing things? The sted punk thinks he can employ a master cksmith¡¯s services? He¡¯d be lucky to even purchase any of n Tordarroch¡¯s items!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,d. Yer making a fool outta yerself,¡± a monster hunter said.


    Another burly man with chainmail armor and a warhammer roared, ¡°Yer skinnier than me arm. Betcha can¡¯t even swing me hammer, and ya think ya can pass Chamir¡¯s trial? Get outta here before ye make a fool of yerself!¡±


    The men outside were jeering and mocking the young witcher, but he ignored them. ¡°I am of course not as influential as King Bran himself, but I also have a few cksmiths back at my ce. They would love to talk about the art of the trade over a few mugs of beer. And I am in possession of a precious cksmithingponent. Undvik, no, the isles, no. Not even the whole Continent has ever seen something quite like that, and I believe any cksmith worth their salt would be interested in what I have to offer.¡± Roy clenched his teeth and opened up his hand, revealing a piece of bone the size of his fist and a scale with a hue darker than night. The bone was covered with minute and exquisite runes.


    Chamir¡¯s unfazed expression was wiped off. He then carefully and nervously took the dragon scale and bone from Roy, holding it millimeters away from his face. Momentster, the master cksmith was breathing heavily.


    The men outside the shop stopped bickering among themselves too, and then another man came out from a room within the smithy. He had golden hair that tumbled down his shoulders, and he donned expensive clothes. A young, lithe girl bobbed up and down while on the man¡¯s back, her ponytail swinging happily.


    ¡°What is it, Chamir? Another troublema¡ª¡± And the man¡¯s eyes were fixed on the items hispanion was holding, unable to look away. As if caught in a spell, he tried to figure out what manner of beast the scale and bone were gleaned from, and he muttered under his breath, ¡°Ore? No. Is it a bone? Not that either. Or is it alloy? No, no, no. I¡¯ve never seen something quite like this. This needs a more thorough inspection. We need a more professional tool for this. A moment, please, Auckes. We¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    The cksmiths quickly went into the room with theponents even before Roy could give them permission.


    Roy shook his head. He then turned his attention to the youngdy, and his eyes shone, a little smile curling his lips. Yoana. Roy knew this girl. Nine years down the line, she would be working for a dwarf in Crow¡¯s Perch. Nine yearster, she would be a master cksmith. Now she was but a fifteen-year-old girl. She would have a slightly freckled face in the future, but now her skin was as smooth as porcin. Despite her youthful looks, her cksmithing was already at Level 8. Talented. Very talented. She¡¯ll be a master cksmith for sure.


    The witcher¡¯s passionate gaze did not scare the girl. Instead, she puffed her chest. ¡°Trying to get your hands on the world¡¯s best gear, Auckes? Then you must first prove your caliber as a warrior, or you¡¯re nothing but another scallywag who can only buy the regr items.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Curiosity red within Roy¡¯s heart. ¡°How should I prove my caliber, then? I heard your n alwayses up with a trial?¡±


    Yoana turned around and pursed her lips, worry flitting in her eyes. ¡°The best cksmith of the family, Farik, led four warriors into the foundry and mine in the northern mountains. They were supposed to make something out of theponents, yet they never came back. And then Ok gathered another team to search for them, and they didn¡¯te back either. I suspect we have a monster infestation there.¡±


    She took a deep breath and raised her voice, ¡°If you can find my uncles and take them back, dead or alive, then we will create a piece of the best gear you can ever find, free of charge. But of course, should my uncles be dead, then you must avenge them.¡±


    The hunter outside interrupted, ¡°I say ye stay outta this,d. Two fully-armed teams charged into the mine in search for them missing Tordarrochs, and none came back. From what I¡¯ve heard, them warriors are veterans. Experienced. Powerful. Killed even ekhidnas and erynias too, but they ain¡¯t even got a chance toe back with news. That mine in the north is a danger zone now. No one in Undvik¡¯s gonna go there. Think it through. Them gear might be great, but it ain¡¯t worth throwing your life away for.¡±


    Roy mused over it. From what I know, the ice giant hibernating in the mountains won¡¯t wake until a few yearster. Only then will it start to attack human settlements and kidnap the people and their livestock. That¡¯s the reason this whole ce turned into hell. If the ice giant had woken up at this point, the coast and this whole vige would¡¯ve been destroyed. ¡°Perhaps they ran into something else.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Auckes.¡± Chamir¡¯s father and Yoana¡¯s father came out of their room, reluctantly handing theponents back to Roy. ¡°What manner of beast did you get these from? They¡¯re of better quality than anyponents I know.¡±


    ¡°If I give you the answer and let you do whatever you want with theseponents, will you let one of your cksmithse with me to Novigrad?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°A tempting offer, but we¡¯re sorry.¡± The cksmiths exchanged a look and shook their heads. ¡°Our n is getting smaller by the day, and we can¡¯t afford to lose any more members.¡±


    Roy scanned his EXP bar. Filled. He had confidence, and he asked, ¡°What if I were to search for Farik and Ok ande back with them? I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯ll be alive, but I¡¯ll bring them back.¡±


    Chamir froze for a moment. In disbelief, he asked, ¡°Is that a joke? That is reckless bravado, not bravery. Charging into the mountains alone is nothing short of a suicide mission.¡±


    ¡°Unparalleled bravery. That¡¯s what the Isles are famous for. If I were to die, then I have nothing but my own weakness to me.¡±


    Chamir and Yoana¡¯s father exchanged another look. ¡°If you insist, then we shall only say this: you have our gratitude.¡± f gazed at the witcher. ¡°This is the map leading to the forge, Auckes. If you can single-handedly return with Farik and Ok, then in the name of my n, I shall travel to Novigrad with you and take up the mantle of your personal cksmith. I think that¡¯s a fair enough arrangement, even with my n¡¯s esteem.¡±


    ¡°We have a deal.¡±


    ¡°May Freya bless you.¡±

 Chapter 519 - 519: Ice Troll, Bear, Blacksmith

    Chapter 519: Ice Troll, Bear, cksmith


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Undvik¡¯s mountains were not as vast as the Dragon Mountains or the Blue Mountains. To be exact, the whole ind was smaller than any great city of the four northern kingdoms. The mountains were draped in ayer of snow, yet there was no perpetual fog shrouding itsnd, nor did it have any lush greenery. There was nothing but hard, protruding stone formations. The afternoon sun hung high in the skies, shining down upon no man¡¯snd.


    Roy was ascending a narrow, meandering stone staircase. Given its distance from ore-rich ces like Mahakan and Poviss and Kovir, the imported ore¡¯s prices skyrocketed to exorbitant levels. More than a century ago, n Tordarroch found a mine to satisfy their cksmithing needs, though the reserves weren¡¯t as abundant as they¡¯d hoped.


    Every year after spring, the cksmiths of the n would enter the mountains for three months, creating the best weapons and armor with their ancestral forge. They would be apanied by those who wished to purchase said items.


    Until now, the rulers of these isles changed multiple times, but this tradition of the n had never changed.


    Until now.


    Hours had gone by since the young witcher ascended the staircase, the woods and buildings underneath nothing but specks now. He could barely see them clearly. The temperature had reached freezing point, and the air was getting thinner as the altitude got higher.


    Then the witcher froze. The path leading up to the mountainside had a crimson-brown patch on it. Judging from the shape, it was a projectile stain, and it¡¯d been here for at least a week. The witcher scooped up a bit of the bloodstained soil and sniffed it. ¡°Human blood.¡±


    Fits Yoana¡¯s description. Probably from a member of the search party. Haphazard footsteps were sighted near the bloodstain, all belonging to different types of boots. And there were also sets of non-humanoid footsteps.


    It was obvious that the feet of these creatures had paw pads, and they were a lot heavier than the average humans. That would exin why the prints were deeper embedded into the soil. Roy fell into his thoughts. No. Not a giant. More like a bear. Judging from its size, it¡¯s about ten feet from head to toe. About five-foot-three in height if it¡¯s walking on all fours. Alright, it¡¯s a giant.


    ¡°Could this attack on the cksmith be a bear assault?¡± The witcher followed the trail of blood and footprints, and they led him into a dark mine. The mine was deep and gigantic. Sturdy pine logs were made into wooden scaffolding to hold up the chamber¡¯s roof and walls. The paths in the mine sprawled around, weaving and winding into a maze.


    On the sides of the walls were clear marks of digging. Sacks of refuse and rusted pickaxes were strewn across the path. Every few yards, there were torches hanging from the wall, and the witcher snapped his fingers, lighting them up.


    Illumination filled the passage. The mine wasn¡¯t exactly stuffy or closed in. Roy could feel a gust of cold airing from the other end of the darkness. He followed the faint smell of blood down the trail. Footprints were all over the paths, and they alternated between the different levels of the mine.


    Roy also noticed w marks on the walls. Bear ws. About half an hourter, he found another patch of dried blood on an inky ore. There was also a sliver of frozen mincemeat on it. Roy poked at it and took a whiff. Human male. Dead, more than probably. There were marks of a fight around the mincemeat. Shards of smashed boulders, tattered clothes, and weapons that were cleaved in half. The enemy¡¯s strength and defense must be incredible.


    ***


    To the witcher¡¯s surprise, there was a third set of footprints, or hooves, as the witcher thought. Three toes, elliptical¡­ Just like an ogre. Could there be an ice troll here? If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s no wonder the search parties got wiped out.


    Roy came up with a n. He sat down cross-legged and whipped out a bottle of ogroid oil and a bottle of frostbite spider venom he got from Skyrim as well as a bottle of paralyzing potion. Hethered it over Aerondight, and the de started to gleam and shine.


    Roy brushed his finger against the de, and the metal sang. Like a cat, the witcher crouched a little, following a little trail that the creature left behind. A whileter, Roy was met with a bright light, and the air was filled with some weird stench. He slowed his breathing for a moment.


    A giant furnace the size of a pond stood beside the walls of the cave, and a bonfire was burning brightly beside it. A gigantic pine tree stood beside the fire, a great cauldron hanging from its branch. So big was the cauldron, a regr adult could sit in it easily. Something was stewing in the cauldron, filling the air with heat and aroma.


    Roy hid behind a boulder and sniffed the air. ¡°Meat, mandrake roots, basil¡­¡± Bizarre herbs, roots, buts, ale, and a ton of different ingredients inside. Whatever was cooking within smelled like great food and socks that¡¯d been in the gutter for weeks. It made Roy¡¯s stomach churn on more levels than one.


    Further on the left of the cauldron were a pair of silhouettes standing together, the light of the bonfire projecting their shadows onto the wall.


    The creatures were about eight feet tall, most of their bodies covered in green ice. Their bellies, however, were round, yellow, and protruding, not unlike pregnant women. On their backs was armor as big as a tortoise¡¯s shell. Their heads were bald, their eyes beady and listless. Their noses were almost ttened, their fangs yellow.


    These creatures looked almost silly, but¡­


    ¡®Ice Troll


    Age: 89 years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 300


    Strength: 30


    Dexterity: 12


    Constitution: 30


    Perception: 14


    Will: 9


    Charisma: 3


    Spirit: 8


    Skills:


    Regeneration (Passive): All ogroids possess powerful self-regenerative abilities. Their metabolic rate far outstrips a lot of species. Any non-lethal wounds heal up in the blink of an eye. Immune to bleeding. Unlike rock trolls, ice trolls have no outward weaknesses.


    Stone Toss Mastery Level 8


    Freezing Physique (Passive): Ice trolls have great strength and sturdy bodies. Highly resistant to physical attacks. Sharp weapons are ineffective against them and will dull easily. +10 to Constitution and Strength. Battle power increases in cold weather.¡¯


    ***


    Even from afar, Roy looked solemn. There were no bears around, but the ice trolls alone were formidable enough. They had thirty points in Constitution, effectively giving them sturdy armor. And with their Strength, Quen would break in one hit, and then his ribs would be broken too. With how ustrophobic this ce is, these trolls just became that much more dangerous, and we have a pair too. The female¡¯s obviously bigger, and she¡¯s on par with her mate.


    The ice trolls were staring at the cauldron of stew, drool dribbling down their disgusting teeth. They couldn¡¯t wait to dig into their feast.


    Roy stared past the trolls and looked at what was behind them. There was a circr stone table surrounded by skeletons. Even from ten yards away, Roy could see that the skeletons belonged to animals of different types. Wolves, foxes, goats, falcons, and even humans. About a dozen humans. A few frozen human corpsesy beside the skeletons. Their flesh was intact, but one of them had lost an arm and a leg. I think I have an idea where the missing parts are. Roy looked at the cauldron.


    A steel cage sat by its lonesome in the other corner of the chamber, taken up by one unkempt man. His golden hair was greasy and clumpy, covering most of his head, revealing only his wide, taut jaw. His oversized hands gripped the steel bars with all their might, his face squeezed against the bars as his eyes were fixed on the cauldron.


    He seemed tremulous, perhaps from fear, the witcher surmised. He wore a greyish-white jacket, his body shivering. A steel te covered in frost sat outside his cage. Looks like he¡¯s been treated as a pet.


    ¡®Farik Tordarroch


    Age: 48 years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Master cksmith


    HP: 40/80 (weakened, starving¡­)¡¯


    ***


    Oh, that¡¯s one of Yoana¡¯s uncles. Man, he has a mountain of debuffs. Delight red within the witcher¡¯s heart, but he frowned. It¡¯s been more than a month, and this guy is still alive, but everyone else is gone. Didn¡¯t find anyone in the foundry or mine. Something¡¯s off. Why¡¯d the trolls lock him up in a cage?


    ***


    The stew was starting to simmer, its juice sloshing around, vaporized the moment it touched the fire, and the scent wafting in the air turned a shade richer.


    Roy stared at the roaring ze, and he fell into his thoughts. If these were rock trolls, he would¡¯ve gone out with his hands raised so he could start a negotiation. Serrit¡¯s wonderful work of literature on trolls would be enough to tide him through the pinch.


    Ice trolls, however, were different. The unforgiving climate and terrain they lived in further impacted their already unimpressive brains, turning them into mindless beasts who were driven by the feral desire to kill and feed. They were creatures of impulse. The only way to survive an encounter was to do as they were told, or else. These beasts are harder to get through than the trolls on Kaer Morhen.


    ***


    ¡°Me smell some¡¯n bad. Summat small people came?¡± the male troll muttered, but his voice boomed, the tenor of his voice filled with a special rhythm. ¡°No! Not same as small people!¡±


    He¡¯s sharp. Shocked, Roy slowed down his breathing even further, then he quickly cast Heliotrop on top of Quen to hide his presence more.


    ¡°Yer starvin¡¯!¡± The female sniffed the air and shook her head, then she let out augh that came from her belly. She scooped up a handful of snow to douse the fire, then she rolled the crank to lower the cauldron. She then pulled out a long metaldle from the furnace and stirred the bizarre stew, happily singing a weird tune.


    ¡°One, two, three.¡± She chuckled. ¡°One, two, three.¡± She chortled. The troll, for some inexplicable reason, counted out loud for eight rounds before she sprinkled a hearty amount of some weird green powder into the mixture. She took a deep breath, an ugly smile cracking across her grotesque lips. She looked content with herself, like she¡¯d just made some gourmet food.


    The trolldled the yellow stew and filled two steel bowls up, the scalding juice sttering all across her belly, but she didn¡¯t react to it. The bowls were filled with oval hearts, long intestines, and a few sulent ribs. They did not look like animal ribs, however.


    Unfazed by the stew¡¯s scalding heat, the female troll dipped her ice-covered hand into the stew and pulled out a piece of rib, and she munched into it. The beast sat on the ice-cold floor, chomping down on the ribs, strips of muscle pulled apart at the joints of the bones.


    Roy covered his mouth. He¡¯d seen a lot of things throughout his adventures, but this was nauseating.


    The male troll, however, was in no hurry to indulge himself. Instead, he took the te at the cage anddled it full of the stew, then he handed it to Farik, and the cksmith picked up a key from beside the cage, then he unlocked it.


    Roy frowned. The trolls didn¡¯t lock him up. He did it to himself.


    ¡°Eat, big one. Snailies, deer, foxies, small ones, carrots inside. Smell bad and good.¡± The male troll pointed his pudgy finger into his maw, a terrifying smile cracking his lips. He motioned to Farik, telling him to dig in. ¡°Eat, big one. Get bigger.¡±


    Roy gulped. The trolls must think he¡¯s one of them. Can¡¯t exin why they¡¯d call a shrimp like that ¡®big one.¡¯


    Farik pulled his fringe back, revealing a cadaverous face and eyes filled with hunger. With a trembling hand, he took the te into his cage, and hesitation flickered in his eyes.


    It onlysted for a moment. The cksmith heaved a long sigh and picked up a rib, then he munched into it. There were tears glistening in his eyes.


    ***


    Roy froze at the sight of that, and a conflicted look crept onto his face. The cksmith had given up part of his humanity to survive, and theplex rtionship between him and the trolls was hard to understand.


    Roy slid his de back into its scabbard. First, I¡¯ll find out what happened here, then I¡¯ll make my move. He crouched further and waited for an opening.


    The ice trolls led simple lives. After a hearty meal came the highlight of the day: sleeping.


    Once they cleaned out the cauldron, the trolls leaned on it and dozed off, their snores almost rumbling the whole cave. The cksmith sat in his cage, a vacant look filling his eyes, and he looked into the air numbly, where the mes flickered.


    All of a sudden, something cold sped itself onto his back, and someone covered his mouth. Farik¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he tried to break free.


    ¡°Hold still. Chamir and f sent me.¡±


    The mention of his nsmen eased the cksmith up. He was then swiveled around and met with a young man.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk, but first, we need to get out of here,¡± Roy whispered.


    Light shone through Farik¡¯s dead, murky eyes, but only for a moment. Fear took over, and he shook his head.


    Roy didn¡¯t give him any chance to dawdle. He quickly cast Axii, and the cksmith followed him like an obedient pet. He couldn¡¯t leave just like that, so he locked a frozen corpse in the cage and had it pretend to be Farik. I¡¯ll buy us as much time as possible. Worried that Farik might get too loud and wake the trolls up, Roy took him on his back and tiptoed around the beasts.


    Reminds me of that trip in Mahakam. Roy nced at the troll, fury ring in his eyes. He had half the mind to use his energy attack to take one of the trolls out, but he gave up on that n.


    ***


    Instead of going back through the path he came, the witcher delved deeper into the mine, seeking the spot where the wind blew in. Ten minutester, they emerged from the dark chambers and entered a snow-covered clearing in the back of the mountains.


    A rickety wooden shack stood by the cliff, and Roy took Farik into the house. He started a little fire to warm things up. Once Farik had healed up, it was time for a long talk.


    ¡°W-Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Auckes. I¡¯m a witcher, and your nsmen sent me here.¡± Roy looked into Farik¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know it¡¯s a long story, but I need you to make it short. What happened after you and the warriors went into the mountains a month ago? Did the trolls attack you guys?¡±


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t it.¡± Farik paused for a few moments, but then Roy cast Axii, and he answered honestly. ¡°As per the n¡¯s tradition, the warriors who wished to purchase Tordarroch items and I came into the mountains for some metal casting. Things went well at first, but one dayter¡­¡± Panic red in Farik¡¯s eyes. ¡°One of the five warriors went missing.¡±


    Roy massaged his temples. Something¡¯s off.


    ¡°We searched the whole mine and its vicinity, but we found nothing. No blood nor corpse. We thought he got lost in the mountains, so we gave up on the search a whileter. The cksmithing must go on, after all. And then came the third day, and another warrior went missing. No sign of blood or corpse either. It was then everyone realized something was wrong.¡±


    Curiosity flickered in Roy¡¯s eyes. Did the trolls get into a game of hide and seek with them?


    ¡°The Redanian warrior had a feeling we were in grave danger. Something terrible had set its sight on us. He gave up on his purchase and wished to descend the mountains immediately. But the moment he made that suggestion, Ibayre, a warrior from Ard Skellig, turned¡­¡± Farik¡¯s voice trembled, and he almost failed to finish his sentence. He stared into the air, his eyes flickering with fear, and he shivered. ¡°He turned into a bear.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t hallucinating?¡± Roy cocked his eyebrow, and he was reminded of the w he saw during his investigation. ¡°Someone from Ard Skellig turned into a bear?¡±


    ¡°I am sure of it. It had crimson eyes, and everything about it smelled of violence. Smacked the Redanian warrior¡¯s sword away with a single swipe of its w, and then the beast ripped the warrior open, spilling his guts everywhere. Then it roared and chased us deeper into the mine. The remaining Kaedwenian warrior and I hid around the furnace, fearing for our lives. We had not the courage to face the bear, no. Lost even the guts to swing our swords. The beast was far bigger than anything I¡¯ve seen. As big as a carriage when it stands on all fours. Paws big enough to hold an adult man. Maw filled with sharp incisors, and eyes red as blood. Nightmare fuel, I tell you.¡±


    ¡°So if the bear killed the first team, what¡¯s the deal with the man-eating trolls?¡±


    Farik froze for a moment, his eyes flickering with confusion and hesitation, then he adamantly said, ¡°The trolls only came after the bear. Probably smelled the blood and came to im the mine for themselves. Took us as prisoners and locked us up, then they wanted us to solve a riddle.¡±


    A weird look red in Farik¡¯s eyes. There was gratitude, but there was also fear and distance. ¡°A shame the Kaedwenian warrior said the wrong answer, and they made him into frozen meat.¡±


    ¡°So you answered correctly?¡±


    Farik nodded. ¡°Yes, but they didn¡¯t release me. Locked me up and treated me like one of their own.¡±


    Roy cocked his eyebrow, sizing the gaunt cksmith up. He does not look like a troll at all. ¡°So why¡¯d you lock yourself up instead of running away when the trolls are asleep?¡±


    ¡°Because I was scared. I was scared the bear mighte back. I had no other way to protect myself.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the bear is hiding somewhere nearby? How are you so sure of that?¡±


    ¡°I can feel it, don¡¯t you understand? I can¡¯t run, or Ibayre the Bear will find me and tear me apart. I must stay in the cave. Only under the trolls¡¯ protection can I be safe.¡±


    Roy looked at the cksmith again. That bear must¡¯ve scared the guy out of his wits. Trying to ask for a troll¡¯s protection? They¡¯re going to end up eating you.


    Farik took a deep breath, sorrow filling his face. ¡°And I remember two rescue teamsing in to save me, one of them led by my poor brother, Ok. They attacked the trolls right away, thinking they were enemies. The trolls killed them with boulders and ice, then they became food.¡±


    Farik looked grim, his eyes filled with regret, and he shook his head. ¡°I had no choice. I am but a regr cksmith. I am just a human. I could never fight a troll. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± The trolls can attack from a range. No one can stop them.


    ¡°You saw them too, didn¡¯t you? They see me as one of them, and they stubbornly think I have to eat the same things they do, and I was starving. So¡­ So¡­¡±


    Roy pursed his lips. He was in no position toment on the actions of a human trapped in a desperate situation. ¡°I have a question. Why¡¯d they call you ¡®big one¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure myself.¡± Farik looked bemused. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t this gaunt a month ago. Toiling in the forge for years gave me a powerful body.¡±


    Roy scanned the bonfire and the house. ¡°Fine, I get it. You locked yourself up because you¡¯re worried the bear mighte back for you, but you still got out of the mine safely now. It¡¯s been more than a month. It should be gone now, soe back to town with me.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s going toe for me! It¡¯s going toe for us before we can even get home. A-And it¡¯ll tear me apart!¡± Farik cringed and looked around nervously, as if he could see a bear hiding in a dark corner, keeping its eyes on him. ¡°Please, let me go back to my ca¡ª¡±


    Roy smacked the back of Farik¡¯s head. The cksmith¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.


    The witcher mused. His fear for the bear has turned into a phobia. Something¡¯s off, but he shouldn¡¯t have been lying, given that Axii was in effect. Roy came out of the house and ced Gwyhyr on the door. Should somethinge in contact with his sword, he could teleport back right away.


    Then he looked at the cave. There are a lot of holes in Farik¡¯s story. This might be risky, but I need to look for the truth myself.

 Chapter 520 - 520: Shapeshift

    Chapter 520: Shapeshift


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The light of the forge¡¯s mes shone upon the solemn countenance of a witcher. A cork plopped to the ground, and Roy downed a dose of ekhidna decoction and Thunderbolt. His strength went from 16 to 20, and ck blood flowed within his veins.


    Roy then uncorked Skellige Isles¡¯ specialty: cherry cider, and the scent of the alcohol spread across the chamber around the forge. The ice trolls sniffed the air and smacked their lips.


    A momentter, they wobbled and opened their eyes an infinitesimal amount. The first thing they saw was a cloaked figure standing at the entrance to the mine. ¡°Who you, ugly? Out! This troll home!¡±


    The trolls stood up and mmed their overgrown arms against the ground.


    ¡°Or troll cook you!¡± the male troll bellowed, his voice thundering like a war drum.


    ¡°No. He smell delish.¡± The female troll drooled and licked her lips, then she grabbed a boulder as big as a punching bag and got into a throwing stance. ¡°No run! Come, I bite you!¡±


    ¡°So should I just run or nah?¡± Roy muttered. You pigs fell asleep after a meal. Heck, you look like pigs, and you¡¯re calling me ugly? Have you ever looked into a mirror? He raised his hands, telling them he came in peace, then he pointed at the frozen corpse in the cage. ¡°Take a deep breath and calm down. I¡¯m a friend of ¡®big one.¡¯ Here¡¯s a little gift.¡±


    Roy rolled the spiked cider over to the trolls. Trolls could never resist alcohol. The monsters exchanged a look, and the male troll picked up the bottle without even hesitating. However, his fingers were too stubby for him to even uncork the bottle, so he ripped the bottle in two and gulped down the cider.


    His partner quickly snatched the other half.


    ¡°You had my wine, so we¡¯re friends now, and I have a question¡ª¡±


    ¡°Piss off!¡± The troll shot Roy a re and refused to ept the gesture. Adamantly, it said, ¡°You smell funny. Not friend. No wine, no questions!¡±


    ¡°Wine, or be meat!¡± The female troll was drooling, and a guttural growl came from her throat. She was holding back her desire to feed.


    Roy tossed another bottle of wine. ¡°So how long have you guys been living in this ce?¡±


    The female troll downed the cider and licked the empty bottle, then she counted, ¡°One, two, three¡­ One, two, three¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop. Another question. Big one said there¡¯s a bear in this mine. Where is it?¡±


    ¡°Bear! Friend! Eat small ones!¡± The male troll howled in delight and looked at the cage. When he noticed the frozen corpse, he gave it a look of suspicion. Big one looks different.


    Noticing the look in the troll¡¯s eyes, Roy froze for a moment. What does the bear have to do with the cksmith? ¡°You got into a fight with the bear? Trying to eat its paw?¡±


    ¡°Bear paw bad. Small ones better. Bear friend. No fight.¡± The troll burped. ¡°Kill small ones together. Make stew.¡±


    Roy got the gist of the matter. The trolls aren¡¯t enemies with the bear; they¡¯re partners. That¡¯s a lot different from what Farik told me. ¡°Where¡¯s your bear friend? Take me to him.¡± I can get all of them at once. Roy rolled another bottle of liquor over to them.


    ¡°Bear friend hiding.¡± The dazed troll looked at the cage, then it turned its attention to the witcher, its eyes zing with desire and hunger. ¡°Onlye out after taking drug. Kill small ones together. Eat them together.¡±


    ¡°What kind of drugs?¡±


    The troll scratched the back of its head, looking at the pile of misceneous items around the cage, muttering something under its breath. There was impatience in its voice, as if it were on the verge of letting something loose.


    The witcher looked where it was looking, and he noticed a bottle of mead and a few freezing, crimson psilocybe mushrooms around the cage. One of them had bite marks on it. And that reminded the witcher of a certain race living in Ard Skellig. Vildkaarls. Berserkers. Could the bear be¡­


    The female troll finished the liquor. Finally having its fill, she turned her bloodshot eyes to the witcher, misty breath ring from her nostrils, and drool dribbled down her teeth. She then gripped a boulder, and her muscles bulged. ¡°Had a lot frozen meat. Change food. Fresh small ones!¡±


    The boulder whizzed through the air like a lightning bolt, charging at the witcher.


    Roy anticipated that. He sidestepped it and leapt onto a protruding boulder. The projectile mmed into the cave¡¯s wall, and it crumbled from the impact, leaving a hole on the wall.


    As if on cue, the troll charged at Roy, swinging his arms around. The air was filled with its stench, and it mmed into where Roy was standing, creating a human-shaped hole in the wall.


    Debris and stones flew everywhere, the troll hammering away at the wall. At the same time, its partner stood on the sidelines, hurling boulders and ice shards through the air, almost creating a gray rainbow.


    So powerful was the impact of the projectiles, they left a row of holes in the wall.


    The witcher ducked, dove, dipped, and dodged the iing projectiles, spinning and pirouetting around the cave as if he were dancing in a rain of stones and ice. Then the witcher grabbed his hand crossbow and pulled the trigger.


    A bolt flew through the battlefield, ramming straight into the female¡¯s left eye, the impact sting her left socket into a crater. Most creatures would have had their heads sted clean off, but the troll only let out a howl of agony as it lost sight in one eye. That only served to stoke its mes of vengeance further.


    But before she could do anything, the witcher disappeared into thin air, taking with him the golden light and crimson mes flickering on his skin.


    The air rippled, and Roy reappeared right before her exposed torso, murder ring in his eyes. I gave you liquor, and I got murder in return. Very well. If this is what you want, then two can y the game. Roy made a sign, and the troll froze for a moment.


    That split second was all Roy needed.


    He sliced his poison de across the troll¡¯s waist, the stars on the sword losing their light. A wave of crimson energy darted ahead, slicing through the troll¡¯s belly, cutting through its innards and crushing its spine. Even its sturdy shell was cut open by Roy¡¯s energy sh.


    The troll let out a howl of agony. Moments before its death, it swung one punch at Roy. So fast was its attack, Roy failed to escape, and the punch grazed him. It broke Quen, caved his armor in, and broke his right arm, bending it at an unnatural angle.


    He was sent flying across the air and was only stopped when he mmed into the wall. His de fell from his hand, and Roy plopped on the ground, the pain from his broken bones turning his face red. The witcher pressed down on his right shoulder, and an audible crack rang in the air.


    Ring of Time. His Elder Blood raged and boiled as the power of time enveloped the witcher. He turned back time around him by twenty seconds, healing all the damage done by the troll. His missing health, his hit points, and his limping right arm returned to full health. Roy spun his shoulder and checked the battlefield out.


    The female troll was in a bad state. Two halves of her body slid and fell like slices of expired and overgrown meat. Blood spilled from her wound, drenching the ground and filling the air with a rancid stench, yet she did not die just yet. Her unbelievably abundant life force tethered her to thend of the living. In agony, she wed away at the ground until her nails started to peel away, and the debris was sent flying.


    As it raged and iled and screamed in pain, its mate charged at the witcher, the sight of the female troll¡¯s agony whipping him into a rage.


    Roy pressed his left hand against the ground and cast his Conjuration spell. A blue frost atronach leapt out of Oblivion and crossed its arms, standing before its summoner like an ardent shield.


    The troll mmed into the immovable atronach, and the cave shook from the shock, a dust storm swirling in the air. Icicles fell from the roof, and the howling gale almost blew out the mes in the forge.


    Unbelievably, the charge left an infinitesimal crack on the atronach¡¯s armor. Driven by bereavement, the male troll drew heavily from its well of strength, but instead of going after Roy, it charged right at the frost atronach and mmed its fists into the minion again and again, its face contorted with rage.


    He hurled his punches until they left afterimages, the roar of the battle¡¯s impact rumbling across the cave. The atronach could not hold out against the troll¡¯s relentless attack. It tried to defend, but the troll proved to be too powerful. Eventually, cracks spread across its body, and shards of ice sttered across the battlefield.


    The witcher hiding behind the minion cast another spell, and his eyes turned red. Crimson tentacles bloomed in the air like a flower of death, swaying in the gale. They stopped the troll¡¯s attack and coiled around it until it was a cocoon, then the tentacles raised the troll into the air, revealing its belly and eyes to the witcher.


    Roy held his sword up and stabbed away at the troll¡¯s eyes and belly, while his minion mmed its fists into the troll¡¯s head.


    In just a moment, the troll was covered in bruises, its eyes bursting into a gooey mess, and its stomach a wall of bloody gashes. Its innards were torn, and two halves of its guts spilled out to the ground. The poison from the de and the mes from the armor cut into his wounds further, leaving deeper injuries, and blood spurted like a fountain.


    Yet even so, the troll was regenerating at inhuman speeds, especially in a climate as cold as the caves. The wounds on its belly were quickly closing up. These wounds were not enough to kill the troll.


    Right before Fear¡¯s effect wore off, the witcher gritted his teeth and held the troll¡¯s shoulder down. He then pulled the troll¡¯s head closer, and the witcher took a deep breath.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    A gash tore itself in space as the power from the Bones of the Earth descended into this world. A great current of air and sonic waves sted into the troll¡¯s ear canal. As if mmed by a siege weapon, the troll hurtled across the air, but even before it couldnd, its flesh ricocheted in every direction.


    A bloody scene unfurled before the witcher¡¯s eyes as something exploded in the troll¡¯s ear. The impact from the blow sted its ear and half its face off. Its flesh was sliced off by an invisible knife, revealing its bloody flesh within.


    The impact destroyed the eardrums and charged straight into its head, destroying its bones and brains before leaving a gaping hole behind. Blood and brains trickled down its body as the troll fell, its pupils dting while itsst breath left its body.


    Not even its regenerative abilities could heal up its mess of a brain now.


    ¡®(2) ice trolls killed. +600 EXP. Level 12 Witcher (13800/12500).¡¯


    Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at the mangled corpses of the trolls. He shook his head. ¡°You deserved this. Taking over the mines alone was bad enough, but you just had to kill and eat all those people. Can¡¯t believe you tried to eat me too.¡±


    The witcher took a deep breath and cut the trolls¡¯ bodies up. Time to get the loot. The trolls¡¯ hides were as tough as steel. If it weren¡¯t for their soft bellies, Roy would have to cut through their corpses with his energy attack.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the witcher to gather all the innards, bones, and corpses, then he tucked all of them away in his inventory space. And the trolls also dropped a couple of ogroid mutagens. These were on par with greater green mutagens.


    Roy searched the forge¡¯s vicinity, but he still found no other living humans. He then collected some trinkets off the corpses. Statues, hats, daggers, hair clips with names engraved on it¡­ All things that could prove the deceased¡¯s identity. And coins worth more than five hundred crowns.


    The trolls hid the coins in a sack. They probably had the hobby of collecting shiny items, much like how dragons would. And Roy also found the bottle of mead around the cage. It was supposed to be pure mead, but there were traces of dried blood at the bottle¡¯s throat. A few psilocybe mushrooms were strewn around the cage. Maybe someone found these around the mountains. Mushrooms and mead. Anyone who has thisbination would have an insane trip.


    ¡°Psilocybe mushrooms, human blood, mead, and a bear. My guess is right on the money. Farik probably inadvertently ingested the threeponents and awakened his hidden strength.¡± Roy rubbed his chin. Maybe that¡¯s why he was so scared. He then went back to the shack outside the mine.


    The sun was slowly descending on the west coast, the snow-capped mountains reflecting thest beautiful rays of sunshine as dusk slowly closed in.


    Roy patted Farik¡¯s cheek. The cksmith muttered and woke from his slumber. ¡°Auckes! D-Did I fall asleep?¡± He was curled up, his eyes bloodshot and filled with fear. Carefully, he looked around, fearing something might be keeping an eye on him, ready to pounce at any given moment.


    ¡°I searched the ce, but I didn¡¯t see any bears.¡±


    ¡°Because it hides well.¡± Farik looked into the witcher¡¯s eyes solemnly, almost spewing all over his face.


    Oh gods. This man feasted with the trolls before. Disgust welled in the witcher¡¯s heart.


    ¡°It¡¯ll appear when we least expect it and kill us all.¡± He put his hands in a prayer, pleading, ¡°Please, witcher. Take me back to the cave and lock me up in the cage. Only the trolls can protect me now.¡±


    ¡°You sure taking you back home won¡¯t work either?¡± Roy looked into his eyes, trying to find a trace of guilt. ¡°You¡¯d be far from the mountains and with your family. Yoana, Chamir, and f will keep you safe. The bear can¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think.¡± A bitter look filled Farik¡¯s eyes. Worried, it said, ¡°It can track me down through my scent and invade my home. It¡¯ll kill my family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but¡­¡± Roy waved his arm and produced two ice troll corpses beside the bonfire, their innards cleaned out. ¡°Your guards are gone.¡±


    The cksmith¡¯s eyes went wide, and he was in disbelief. Well, more horrified than in disbelief. He pointed at the corpses, unable to form a coherent sentence, and he inhaled sharply.


    ¡°I killed them. They tried to eat me, but I¡¯m a tough customer, so their heads got busted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done for, Auckes. I¡¯m done for!¡± The cksmith started crying like a jilted woman. ¡°No one can save me now. I¡¯m dead! And I still haven¡¯t raised a family yet! Gods, I¡¯m still single.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. If that bear shows up I¡¯ll make bear stew out of it.¡± Roy tossed a few pieces of firewood into the bonfire, shing his hand around. Coldly, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve not just killed trolls before. Nekkers, ghouls, and even a higher vampire too. Killed them all. And bears as well. Brown bears, grizzly bears, or even believers of Svalblod. So called Vildkaarls. Berserkers.¡±


    ¡°You will die if you do that, Auckes,¡± Farik rebutted, then he gave Roy a confused look. ¡°What do you mean Svalblod?¡±


    ¡°Think harder. You must have the answer.¡± Roy smiled at him mysteriously.


    ¡°Svalblod¡­ Vildkaarls¡­ berserkers?¡± Farik stared at the ground, muttering. A frown furrowed his brows, and confusion filled his eyes. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    ¡°Can¡¯t remember anything? Let me jog your memory.¡± Roy produced a bottle of mead and uncorked it. He crushed a psilocybe mushroom and poured the shroom into the mead. The witcher let the vors get to know each other for a moment and handed the bottle over to Farik.


    Farik frowned, the look in his eyes turning vacant as he fell into a memoryne. Without thinking, he took the bottle and had a sip. As the liquid merged with his body, the cksmith tensed up. He bit his lip tightly and held his breath, his teeth clenched together.


    All his timid and cowardly nature was gone, reced by an icy look of cruelty. A sickly red tinged his ghostly pale skin, the airing out of his mouth hot, as if he had a fever. Veins popped underneath his skin.


    Even with the bonfire, the climate was still deathly freezing, but Farik seemed to be in a swelteringnd, tearing away at his coat to feel cooler. His bony torso was revealed, and hey on the ground like a beast, shivering.


    Roy¡¯s pupils contracted. ck fur slithered out of the cksmith¡¯s pores, slowly covering him, turning the man into a beast. His cadaverous figure ballooned, and ws extended from the tips of his limbs. His pupils contracted, their color deepening. Farik¡¯s mouth elongated into a snout, his teeth giving way to thick, yellow fangs with crimson strips around their tips. A pool of drool was starting to form on the ground.


    The beast gnashed its teeth, its eyes shining with crimson bloodlust, then it whirled and looked at the snow-capped ground with eyes devoid of any emotion.


    Roy had exited the shack, standing far away, blending into the night. A terrible roar rampaged across the air of the mountains, and within the bear, the urge to battle and destroy awakened.


    A beast ten feet tall emerged from the shack, growling.

 Chapter 521: The Story of How It Happened

    <h4>Chapter 521: The Story of How It Happened</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 521: The Story of How It Happened</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Night descended upon the mountains, wintry gales howling across thend. A pair of crimsonnterns floated around the darkness outside the mines, and then a ten-feet tall bear came out of the wooden shack.


    Roy cast Observe again, but this time, things were different.


    ''Enraged brown bear


    Age: 48 years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Svalblod''s believer (Svalblod is the avatar of bear and human. He is the symbol of unrelenting conflict)


    HP 220


    Strength: 22


    Dexterity: 14


    Constitution: 22


    Perception: 10


    Will: 10


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 6


    Skills:


    Bloodlust (Passive): An enraged bear knows no exhaustion, nor is it scared of pain. It desires blood and has lost part of its mind. Before it kills, feasts, or moves enough, it cannot revert to human form. It can quickly heal wounds and regain stamina by ingesting the flesh and blood of its enemies.


    Berserk (Passive): Injuries will draw out even more power from the bear. The deadlier the injuries, the more powerful the bear will be.


    Mark of the Fallen (Passive): Believers who ept the mark of the evil god, Svalblod, shall be granted strength. +5 to Strength and Constitution.''


    ***


    <i>A Vildkaarl. Ingests some sort of concoction and turns into a werebear. </i>Realization finally struck Roy. <i>There is no Ibayre to begin with. There was no fifth warrior. Farik himself </i>is <i>the bear. But he didn''t seem to know he had this strength within him, and Axii failed to extract the truth. What''s the deal with him? Schizophrenic? If that''s the case, then the induction for Svalblod''s cult is more evil than I thought. </i>Roy had a few thoughts going through his head.


    <i>Well, if I want to, I can easily kill this bear, but then how am I supposed to exin this to the cksmiths? Hm, then let''s go with the alternative route. I''m going to turn you back into a human.</i>


    The bear stood on its hind legs, looming over the ground. It tore its ws through the air, roaring in fury.


    Roy quietly took out his hand crossbow and fired a bolt. Itnded on the ground beside the bear, snow sttering on its fur. The witcher beckoned at the bear, smirking at it.


    The taunt worked, and the bear felt rage welling within it. It charged across the snowy ground like a war machine hurtling at its target. The ground rumbled, a trail of footprints embedding itself into the soil, and walls of snow fell off the cliff.


    Another bolt flew through the air. The bear was closing in, but Roy blinked, and he reappeared behind the bear, where the broken shack was.


    The bear skidded to a halt, its limbs dragging a long trail across the ground. Fog formed around its mouth, and it turned around. Seeing the witcher still in one piece raised its fury further.


    Once again, it roared and charged ahead. The witcher went with his old trick, evading the charge with his Blink. The bear whizzed past the witcher and crashed into the shack''s wall, leaving a big hole. Shards of wood, fog, and ice flew into the air. The roars of the bear came from within the fog, and the beast stood up, still facing the witcher.


    Roy thought the beast would change its tactics, but the shapeshifting seemed to have taken more intelligence from it than he expected. The bear lost all judgment and stubbornly charged at the witcher again.


    Roy started ying around with the beast, kiting it around the battlefield. Bolts flew across the air, and the witcher fluttered around the field like a phantom. One moment he would be standing before the broken shack, waving at the bear, and the next, he would be whistling right beside the mine''s entrance. Sometimes he would appear between the high cliffs, pping for the beast, and sometimes he would appear beside the snow-capped tree standing near the staircase, firing off at the bear.


    Relentlessly, the witcher probed and prodded the bear. At the same time, a silvery moon was slowly climbing up the sky, raining its silvery light upon the battlefield. Heavy thuds hung in the air as a beast tirelessly charged across the battlefield, turned around, charged again, turned around, and charged again. Over and over and over.


    All the running around left circles on the ground, the rushes of airing out of the beast''s snout frozen by the chill in the atmosphere, and icicles were forming around its snout and fangs.


    The battle had turned into some sort of mockery with the bear being the main show. The witcher was just like a beastmaster leading his pet for a show. All he had to do was whistle, p his hands, fire off some bolts, and motion at the beast, and the bear would charge at him stupidly.


    ***


    Half an hour went by. Roy had used his charge of Activate and a few mana potions. Thanks to the incessant blinking, he was unhurt.


    Steam was billowing from the bear, ayer of frost covering its fur. It was wheezing so loudly, Roy thought it might cough up its lungs. The beast looked at the silhouette in the distance that was standing proud and tall. No longer could it even make a sound. Like a big dog, it plopped down on its hind legs and stuck its tongue out.


    "What''s the matter, bub? Can''t take it anymore. That''s all a Svadblod believer could do?" The witcher smirked, sitting on the beam of the broken shack. "Come on. Come catch me. If you do, I''ll let you take a bite."


    No matter how much he tried to rile the bear up, the beast ignored him. It hung its head low in defeat and shivered. All its fighting spirit was gone, and nothing interested it anymore. It shrank at a blistering speed, shriveling up until it became a human. A gaunt, naked man lying on the messy ground, unconscious.


    Roy rubbed his eyes. A momentter, he approached the cksmith and confirmed that he had only passed out from exhaustion. <i>Let''s see anyone else y with a bear until it''s too tired to even walk. </i>Roy whipped out a clean fur coat and draped it over the cksmith. "Hope you''re happy with this, bub. Not even Coral got this kind of treatment." He put the cksmith on his back and leapt down the path he came from earlier.


    ***


    Daybreak would note for at least an hour, and yet there were already a few people walking about in town, readying their fishing equipment. The smithy was brightly lit as usual. f hammered away at the metal and picked it up with a pair of tongs, then he ced it in the forge to burn it further.


    Yoana was stepping on the blower. "Wonder if Auckes cane back with Farik and Ok."


    "Worry not, Yoana. I have a feeling his confidence is not misced." f sat beside the anvil, wiping his sweat away. "I just hope that the crisis with the mines isn''t caused by Farik."


    "What? What does Farik have to do with this?"


    "Long story. You weren''t even born yet, and he hasn''t caused any trouble in more than twenty years. I reckon he''s not the source of our dilemma this time."


    Yoana puckered her lips. "If Auckes doesplete the assignment, will you really leave with him? You''ve lived on this isle for decades. Can you really throw everything away? Why don''t we just make him some good gear?"


    "Rules are rules, girl. Integrity and honor, remember? I will not go back on my word," f said tersely. "If he does manage to rescue them, then that''s a sign from Freya. Farik and Ok shall take over my position."


    "B-But I don''t want you to leave. I still have so much to learn about cksmithing, and I need your guidance. Chamir''s an impatient guy, and he and his wife won''t stop trying to marry me off."


    "My dear child, none on this isle is worthy of you." f smiled and looked at his daughter. "I''ve thought about it for a long time. If you''re willing, you maye to Novigrad with us and see the greater world. You''re a girl. You do not have to bear the responsibility of shouldering the n''s future. The n''s reputation might be something of a badge of honor, but it is also a curse."


    Anticipation red in Yoana''s eyes.


    ***


    Sounds of hurried footsteps broke the serenity of the town. Yoana and f looked outside the smithy. The skies were turning purple over yonder, and a cloaked figure was charging toward the town full speed ahead.


    <i>Auckes?</i>


    He had someone on his back. Gaunt, disheveled golden hair, and a big, taut, jaw. All so familiar to the cksmiths, and they froze for a moment.


    "Kalf, Yoana, I need your help. <i>Now</i>."


    "Auckes? Praise Freya, my brother is still alive!" Overjoyed, f helped the witcher get his brother back to the bedroom and ced him on the bed.


    An excited Yoana woke up the sleeping Chamir and his family.


    "Thank the gods you''re back." All of n Tordarroch, two cksmiths, a youngdy, a plump woman in a big coat, and a boy who was about six years old, huddled around the sleeping man.


    Chamir held the witcher''s hand, his voice trembling with excitement as he said, "I have no idea what to say, Auckes. You saved a prominent member of the n."


    "Is Farik sick?" the young boy asked. "Why''s he not awake? Should I get the doctor?"


    "Worry not." Roy stretched his arms. Running for about seven hours with a hundred-pound man on his back made him sore. "Exhausted himself too much so he fell unconscious. Don''t believe me? Check him."


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, and f quickly asked, "Is he the only one? What about Ok? And the warriors who went to save them?"


    Roy shook his head, a hint of sorrow in his eyes, and the n members felt an ominous air hanging overhead.


    "I am very sorry, but he was the only living person in the cave. Everyone else is dead. About a dozen corpses when I checked. The search parties have died in battle." He waved his arm, and a pile of mementos appeared on the table beside the bed.


    f recognized one of the badges. It had the pattern of a hammer and an anvil on it. "That''s Ok''s badge!"


    "Found it on a frozen corpse."


    Everyone teared up, and the woman pulled the tearful boy into her embrace, while Yoana tugged on her father''s sleeve. "Ok''s gone? What happened?"


    "As you suspected, something attacked the mines." The witcher crossed his arms and looked at everyone quizzically. "What I have to say is incredibly heavy. Women and children should stay out of this."


    "I will not. n Tordarroch''s women are every bit as brave as the men." Yoana puffed her chest out and red at the witcher indignantly. With adamance, she said, "I can take this."


    Chamir looked at his wife. The woman took her child into their room and closed the door.


    Roy nodded and gave a short summary, "When I delved into the deepest part of the mines, I saw a couple of ice trolls cooking something around the forge. The ingredients? The warriors sent to rescue your people."


    Yoana sped her mouth and retched. f and Chamir had a grim look on their faces. "Ice trolls? Mean looking monsters with long fangs and whole bodies hard as rocks?"


    "You''ve seen them? Anyway, they''re dangerous. If they so much asnd a punch on you, you''re mincemeat. Literally. If they toss a boulder at you and you got hit, your bones would be crushed."


    "There''s something else the elders have told me about. In the depths of the mountains of Undvik, humanoid creatures covered in ice live. And then there''s the ice giant, a monster far bigger than any house on this isle." A grim f clenched his fists. "We''ve always followed the rules our ancestorsid out, never leaving the foundry and mining area. Never venturing deeper into the mountains, and yet disaster struck all the same."


    "But something''s off." Chamir said, "The ice trolls might be powerful, but it''s impossible that all of our search party members got defeated. And they didn''te back with any news either. So how did you escape the trolls ande back with my brother?"


    "Ah, but I <i>didn''t </i>have to escape." Roy smiled and pointed at the ground, producing a mangled troll corpse. "I''ve avenged the dead."


    Yoana turned as white as a ghost, but she forced herself to stare at the corpse.


    The cksmiths gulped and looked at the towering ice troll. Their arms were thicker than an adult''s waist. Compared to it, the witcher looked almost frail. <i>How did a human kill something like that? They''re far more terrifying than the ekhidnas.</i>


    Somehow, the witcher looked a lot stronger than he was before.


    "You got one thing right. The trolls didn''t kill all the rescue squad''s members." The witcher added, "But they had an aplice. I found traces of an enraged bear''s activities in the mines."


    <i>Enraged bear? </i>Yoana was bemused, but the cksmiths looked horrified for a moment.


    "What might you be talking about?"


    "Oh, I am sure you know the story." <i>They know. </i>Roy ced a bottle of wine on the table. The concoction was made of mead, human blood, and psilocybe mushrooms. He then uncorked the bottle.


    When Chamir and Kalf noticed the scent of wine and mushroom, they tensed up, their breathing stopping for a moment.


    "I spent a lot of time just to find that bear, and then I ran into this bottle of wine." Roy stared at the cksmiths in the eyes, then he ominously added, "So I gave it to Farik, and¡­"


    "That is enough, Auckes!" Kalf blurted, then he hung his head low. "I see you know everything. Ask away. We''ll answer your questions to the best of our abilities, but we promise that transformation is not done of his own volition. He is not responsible for all the murders. Someone else is. That thing inside his body is responsible for this."


    Chamir looked into the witcher''s eyes. With sincerity, he said, "It has been more than twenty years since thest disaster struck. We thought that <i>thing </i>was gone forever. Never did we expect him to ingest this poison. His colluding with the trolls came as a shock as well."


    <i>Um, maybe because they like to eat humans, are stupid, and love to talk about food? </i>Roy thought.


    "Hey, I thought we were talking about the ice trolls. What''s this about liquor and bears?" The innocent Yoana scanned her family and the witcher.


    "Silence, Yoana. This is not something you should ask. Get inside and stay with your aunt."


    "No. I am already fifteen. I have the right to know everything. What are you hiding from me?" Yoana was red with indignation, and she shook her head, her ponytail swaying. She then scurried over to the witcher and hid behind him.


    Feeling her breathing, Roy cringed a little. <i>Why do you even trust me so much? If you don''t leave now, you''re going to stay with me forever.</i>


    "Alright, enough. So Farik''s a Vildkaarl and a believer of Svalblod?" Roy asked, memories flooding his head. There were seven families who presided over the Skellige Isles, including n an Craite, n Drummond, and n Tuirseach.


    ***


    Most people lived under these families'' protection, but there was a group that lived independently from the families. They were called Vildkaarls. This group was morebative than any inders. They lived for battle and were not affiliated with any families on the isles. They secretly worship the evil god, Svalblod. It was an entity the isles'' powers had been forbidden from worshipping.


    The cult would add to their ranks through the performing of a cruel ritual. The evil god of the cult loved tomand its believers to conduct sacrificial rituals with live humans. Through Svalblod''s blessing, the Vildkaarls would gain the power to turn into bears, but they had to first ingest a hallucinogenic concoction made of mead, human blood, and psilocybe mushrooms.


    If Roy''s memories were still urate, then Bran would die in about nine years. During the banquet for the selection of a new king, a group of Vildkaarls attended the banquet. Because of the queen''s conspiracy, they ingested the hallucinogenic concoction and transformed into bears, bringing a bloodbath to the banquet.


    Geralt would start an investigation and point out the queen''s crimes. She was then punished, and the new king ascended the throne.


    ***


    "He was forced."


    "How so?"


    With bitterness and resignation, f said, "Farik became a grandmaster at twenty years old, and his fame spread through the isles. It was also the very thing that invited disaster to him. A bunch of Vildkaarls took him to Ard Skellig by force, and they made him take part in the bloody sacrificial ritual. In order to survive, he killed his opponent during the ritual and allowed the bear to consume him. Since then, he became a Vildkaarl, a human with the powers of man and bear."


    Roy remembered the rough process. The ritual would involve two participants, and they would fight to the death in the Ring of the Bear. The one who survived would have tother themselves with some inciting potion and ingest the shrooms. They would have to lure an enraged bear from a cave so the beast would tear them apart and feast on them. The bear would then shapeshift, losing hair and turning into something more¡­ human. Eventually, they would be the Vildkaarls they consumed.


    Vildkaarls were known by another more infamous title¡ªthe berserkers of the Skellige Isles. Their leader was a fallen druid who defected from the isles'' circle of druids, and they were a master of shapeshifting.


    "The ritual forced Farik to ept the powers of shapeshifting, but he wouldn''t use it unless he was in extreme anger. Or if he took some special concoction indeed."


    f shook his head. "He could feel something evil taking up residence within him, and he despised it. Farik had been against unnecessary bloodshed. He hates the god those berserkers worship, for It keeps inciting fights everywhere. One day, while the berserkers were distracted, he escaped the Ring of the Bear and hopped onto a vessel leading straight back to Undvik. He''s told me everything. Thanks to ourpanionship and the distraction of work, Farik''s been keeping his darker side under control well enough. Eventually, he slowly forgot that he even had a bear hiding within him. And then he eventually forgot he was a Vildkaarl. We thought Svalblod took back his powers as punishment for his betrayal."


    Roy frowned. <i>He forgot about his past? Man, so he </i>is <i>a schizo.</i>


    f took a deep breath and raised his voice. "You might not believe this, but we''ve never seen him transform into a bear over thest two decades or so. He doesn''t think he''s rted to the berserkers at all."


    Roy nodded. <i>If they''d seen the bear, the whole n would''ve been decimated at this point. </i>Then he looked at Farik, who was peacefully asleep. <i>The guy lied even under the spell of Axii, and that could only mean one thing: he thinks the lies are the truth. He has two personalities. One is Farik the cksmith, while the other is Farik the Enraged Bear.</i>


    Roy could just imagine the trolls barging into the cave and fighting with Farik the Bear, tearing all the humans they saw. Deep down, Farik knew he had a monster within him, but he wouldn''t admit it. That was why he came up with a fictional character called Ibayre and insisted that he was the one who shapeshifted into a bear and killed theirrades.


    He locked himself in a cage and refused to leave probably because his brain told him to. It was his cksmith persona telling him to do it in case he were to turn into a bear and hurt his family. <i>But he couldn''t stop the beast from escaping the cage.</i>


    Yoana was in shock, her jaw ck.


    "Witcher, have mercy on him." Chamir looked at the mangled corpse of the troll. "In the name of my n, I swear I will keep a close eye on him. He will never shapeshift or harm anyone."


    f dragged the ck-jawed Yoana from Roy. "You saved Farik, killed the trolls, and avenged our brethren. It is time for me to fulfill my end of the bargain and work as your personal cksmith. Let''s pack things up and get ready to leave for Novigrad. What do you say?"


    "Great idea, but we''re not in a hurry. I have one more errand to run in the isles." Roy shook his head. "Don''t worry. If I really wanted to kill him, he would''ve been in Freya''s kingdom by now. I have a suggestion." Roy paused for a moment, his eyes flickering with some sort of excitement. "Perhaps I can try to get rid of Svalblod''s influence over Farik and erase the evil god''s mark that''s in his body."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 522 - 522: Purification

    Chapter 522: Purification


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Dawn was almost breaking through the horizon, a line of white light appearing in the distance. However, the smithy of n Tordarroch was still dimly lit, the door and windows shut tightly.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not joking? You can free him of a god¡¯s influence?¡± f was delighted. ¡°That¡¯s something that hasn¡¯t happened since he was branded.¡±


    ¡°Svalblod can only grant his followers the powers of a bear because It branded their souls. It¡¯s through that mark that It can influence its followers. That means the soul of any Vildkaarl belongs to Svalblod, and that god will gobble them up once they are dead. However, I know a spell to wrest control of a soul and purify it.¡±


    Forced Taming. I can mark Farik¡¯s body and soul with my brand, effectively taking away Svalblod¡¯s control. How about that? Just like a cuckoo. One of his mount slots had Gryphon bound to it, while the other slot had been empty since he cut off that bond with Arvel. He could use that slot. Even if he couldn¡¯t get rid of the evil god¡¯s mark, it was still worth a shot. He could always cut off the bond and give Farik his freedom back.


    Roy thought a lot beforeing up with this n. From what he knew, the cult of Svalblod was very small among the isles. It only had a few followers and was banned by the seven families due to their overly cruel and violent ritual. Not to mention Svalblod wasn¡¯t even as powerful as the weakened Dagon or its peer, the Lionheaded Spider.


    The young witcher was a lot more powerful as well. It was just the cleansing of a mark, not a frontal battle. Full Recovery was enough to get him out of any situation, and thanks to all those factors, he could try out his theory.


    ¡°But I will have to pay a heavy price just for this.¡± Roy put on a solemn look like he had to give up a lot just for this attempt.


    ¡°If you can change him back to how he used to be, you can name any terms, and we¡¯ll do our best to fulfill it.¡± f clenched his teeth.


    ¡°f, you already owe me one for saving Farik. You have toe to Novigrad with me,¡± Roy said.


    ¡°That is true. I do not have any right to negotiate now.¡± f smiled bitterly.


    Roy looked at Chamir. He really wanted more than one cksmith working for him.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, Auckes, but I can¡¯t go with you, I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s barely any Tordarroch left. If I were to leave, then we might as well disband.¡± Chamir shook his head glumly.


    Roy sighed, but he didn¡¯t push further, then he turned his attention to the young cksmith.


    As if stung by a bee, f fidgeted. ¡°What are you suggesting, Auckes? Not Yoana.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± The girl went around her father and looked at the witcher, blinking. She forced herself to stay calm and answered, ¡°If you can lift the curse from Farik, f and I will be your personal cksmiths.¡±


    The witcher gave her a satisfied smile. The girl might not be a master cksmith, but I know her potential. She¡¯s going to be a famous cksmith in The Crow¡¯s Perch. This is a good deal. ¡°I won¡¯t exploit you two. Equality is what I strive for, and I¡¯lle up with a fair contract for you.¡±


    f looked a little more at ease. He was really worried Roy might be an exploitative man.


    ¡°We can talk about thatter. Not like we can run away anyway,¡± Yoana cut in quickly. ¡°You have to save Farik, now.¡±


    ¡°I need you guys to get me a sturdy chain.¡±


    ¡°For?¡±


    Roy looked at the sleeping Farik. ¡°I need to chain him down.¡±


    ***


    Fifteen minutester, the unconscious Farik was chained to a chair, courtesy of his brothers. However, he was unaware of it. He was asleep and pale.


    ¡°You sure this can work, Auckes?¡± Chamir frowned, his eyes glinting with suspicion. ¡°Nothing bad wille to him, right?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll live, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The witcher cracked his fingers and circled the chair. ¡°But make sure you¡¯re absolutely quiet. No matter what happens, no matter how much he screams and cries, do not step in. You might ruin everything. Worst case scenario? He ends up dead or crippled. Not my fault if that happens.¡±


    f and Chamir exchanged a look, and they nodded with resolve.


    ¡°You saved him anyway. Just do what you have to.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath and gazed at his target, then he concentrated on his character sheet.


    ¡®Tame


    Mount (?): You have bound Gryphon to one of your mount slots.¡¯


    ***


    The cksmiths watched as Roy ced his right hand on Farik¡¯s forehead, the air around him taking a solemn and majestic feel. He was like an emperor staring at Farik, his eyes shining like suns, as if he wanted to see through the cksmith and all his memories.


    Then, a forceful gale stirred within the room, the mes of the firece flickering and swaying. Everyone¡¯s clothes billowed as the gale blew, and the witcher¡¯s cloak flew back into the air, revealing the sturdy chainmail beneath.


    An invisible power was forcibly creating a link between his and the cksmith¡¯s souls. The cksmith chained to the chair felt something crashing into him. His eyes snapped open, and he red at the witcher, the look on his face filled with hatred, disgust, and fear, as if the witcher were a beasting to take his life.


    The cksmiths were shocked by the sudden change, sweat drenching their palms.


    Farik¡¯s face contorted, and he convulsed as if he were having an episode of fits. Even his toes sprang straight. He snarled, revealing a row of yellow teeth, and he let out a guttural roar that was filled with pain. His family looked grim, and their hearts sank. He¡¯s in pain.


    And then the convulsions became struggles. Farik writhed and wriggled like a snake, the chair mming against the ground, the screech of the friction almost piercing everyone¡¯s ears. However, the chains of n Tordarroch kept him firm in his ce. Not even a bear could break free of its bondage, let alone a human.


    The witcher then shoved the cksmith, and he fell toward the ground, his forehead still attached to the witcher¡¯s scalding right hand. Roy¡¯s glimmering eyes met with the cksmith¡¯s, though thetter¡¯s eyes were rolled back into his head.


    Strong winds swirled around the witcher, blowing his hair back, and a bizarre whisper hung in the air, as if someone were chanting indecipherable incantation within the void, the voices echoing in the bedroom, slithering into the minds of all those present. Eventually, the voices and winds merged, forming a ball of red light, slithering and writhing before it charged into Farik¡¯s body.


    The cksmiths had never heard of thisnguage before, but for some reason, they knew what it was saying, and it was trying to say one thing.


    Submit.


    The voices affected the cksmith, and they looked at the witcher¡¯s back in confusion at first, but then it was reced by a look of worship. Roy was getting bigger and bigger until he wasrger than life. Larger than the seas and skies. Larger than the universe itself.


    Farik received the brunt of this spell, his mind turning into a fierce battlefield. It was a dark space akin to the world of meditation. A vague silhouette with Farik¡¯s face was pushed down by another silhouette. Its countenance was as dark as shadow, its eyes flickering crimson, the air around it rife with solemnity.


    The silhouette was pushing its will deep into the cksmith¡¯s soul. Submit. Open your body and soul to me. Offer them up. There will be no secrets or privacy. My word shall be thew you obey, and my will shall be the mission of your life.


    The cksmith felt humiliated. I¡¯m even worse than a pet. And he wished to resist, even if this silhouette was the one who killed the trolls and took him out of the mines. However, his resistance was futile. His body was chained, and his Will was abysmal. Roy¡¯s Will easily crushed his.


    It was just a few seconds, but the cksmith was feeling a crushing defeating on. Roy¡¯s will felt like a hurricane, a tsunami, a flood, and every manner of natural disaster. It was suffocating and destructive. No! And the cksmith¡¯s soul bowed.


    ***


    The cksmiths noticed that Farik had stopped resisting all of a sudden. The look on his face eased up, but he was drenched in sweat. It¡¯s done?


    And then the peace was broken as Farik opened his mouth to roar at the witcher. There was indignation and solemnity in that roar. Farik was rapidly shapeshifting, ck fur piercing his clothes, ws protruding through the tips of his limbs, and mouth turning into a snarling snout. He was slowly turning into a menacing bear.


    The cksmiths were once again horrified. Chamir tried to step ahead, but f held him back.


    The sh of wills was getting heated. As the cksmith¡¯s soul bowed to the witcher, another soul hidden within him was enraged. A few balls of fire red within the dark space and formed a circle with a five-yard radius. Standing outside the ring was the statue of a snarling bear, and behind that statue was a pair of crimson eyes and ghostly-white teeth.


    Invigorating drum beats came from within the darkness, riling up the urge to battle sleeping within the human heart.


    A stream of crimson light slithered out of Farik¡¯s body, screaming and roaring until it became the fusion of a man and bear. It had a human¡¯s left hand and leg, but on its right was a ck bear¡¯s paw. The creature had a bear¡¯s head, but within the maw was the face of Farik, locked behind the bars of the fangs.


    That face had not an ounce of serenity, its eyes red and filled with the desire to kill and destroy, the mes ring within screaming of battle and provocation. ¡°Svalblod! Svalblod! Kill! Kill! Fight! Fight!¡± the monster roared, challenging the witcher that had been pushing him down.


    This was a battle of wills. The witcher could feel a pair of crimson eyes appearing in the void, the silhouette of a fusion between man and bear standing outside, staring at his back. However, the silhouette was a far cry from Melitele, let alone the golden eyes that stared at him back in Skyrim. This god is no threat to me. ¡°You think you can drag me into your ritual? Dream on.¡±


    Roy channeled his power, and his soul shifted shape as well, ck scales covering every inch of his body, his limbs turning into sharp ws and a pair of majestic wings, his eyes turning crimson.


    Once again, Roy turned his soul into the form of Alduin. At the same time, a ball of crimson light tore through the void behind Alduin, and a bloody octopus wriggled out, charging at the roaring man-bear. The octopus went on top of it and coiled around its limbs, shackling the monster. No matter how it tried to fight back, it could not break free.


    The dragon walked ahead and pressed down on the evil god with its wings. Then it opened its snout, revealing its rows of fangs and a whirlpool of power swirling in its throat.


    Fus!


    The power behind that shout vaporized the bear, turning it into a cloud of blood.


    ¡°Svalblod!¡± the amalgamation roared onest time, but it was powerless to change the tide of battle, and it melted into a puddle of blood, just like how snow would melt into water once the sun hit it with its warmth. The blood melted away, revealing a dark,plete soul that had not an ounce of murder in it. This was the soul of Farik.


    ***


    Everyone in the bedroom was holding their breath. The winds, the incantation, and the shapeshifting were gone. Farik had returned to his human form. He shivered, and his eyes snapped open. There was not an ounce of violence within them anymore. There was only a look of submission.


    Roy pulled up the chair and heaved a sigh, then he wiped his sweat off. He then turned his attention to the character sheet.


    ¡®You have destroyed the mark of the evil god, Svalblod. You have tamed Farik. You have cut off the bond between you and Farik.¡¯


    What a weak god. He had a feeling Svalblod was actually weaker than It looked. Weaker than I thought. Didn¡¯t even use Full Recovery. Perhaps I should make a trip to Ard Skellig and fight It there.


    ¡°I-Is he alright now, Auckes?¡± f extended his hand, longing to hold his brother, and then he pulled it back.


    Roy nodded, smiling. He then uncorked the mead and poured it into Farik¡¯s mouth. The cksmith drank all he wanted and looked around, his family giving him looks of concern.


    All the worry and fear he¡¯d been feeling was gone. I¡¯m back.


    Everyone stared at him for a long minute, but the concoction of the Vildkaarls held no sway over him anymore. He was still human, and he was delighted. ¡°f, Chamir! I thought I¡¯d never see you guys again. Where¡¯s Tomy and Rahl?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping in their room.¡±


    ¡°Yoana! My sweet, little Yoana. Come, let me have a look. Oh, it¡¯s been a month, but you¡¯re already getting prettier. Wonder which lucky bastard gets to marry you. Hey, what the hell am I chained for?¡± Farik wanted to pat his niece¡¯s head, but then he realized he was chained down. ¡°Let me out!¡±


    He had no idea what happened earlier. Everything about Vildkaarls disappeared along with the mark of their evil god.


    ¡°Brother! Auckes saved you from the jaws of the bear and the trolls! No one can threaten you now.¡± f gave everyone looks that told them to keep this a secret. He patted his chest and heaved a sigh, then he quickly unraveled the chain. ¡°We chained you since you might be traumatized from the capture and start daydreaming.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Farik looked at everyone, but there was only concern in their eyes. He heaved a sigh of relief like he just got a weight lifted off his shoulder, then he turned to the witcher. ¡°I¡¯d still be in the cage if not for you, Auckes. How can I ever thank you?¡± Farik rubbed his bruised wound and thumped his chest, then he bowed.


    ¡°Still scared of the bear now?¡± Roy smirked.


    Farik mused for a few moments and shook his head in relief, his worry melting away, and he smiled. He seemed to have gotten a few years younger. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten rid of it, haven¡¯t you? I can¡¯t feel its threat looming over me anymore. It is no longer here.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity Ok and the warriors died because they wanted to save me. I must go back and give them a proper burial.¡±


    A heavy mood hung in the air, and the witcher was reminded of how this man shared a meal with the trolls. Yeah, you should thank them, or you¡¯d have starved to death. Roy was in no position to judge his past, but he would stay away from this man.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in the mines for more than a month. First you need to get some rest.¡± He then looked at f and Yoana, then they followed him out of the smithy.


    Chamir sat beside the bed, taking care of Farik.


    ***


    The exorcism was over, and the warm sun hung high in the sky.


    ¡°You¡¯ve saved my brother, who is an important n member. You¡¯ve held up your end of the bargain, and now it¡¯s our turn to do the same. Please give us some time.¡± f took a deep breath, resolve ring in his eyes, and a hint of worship flitted within them too. That taming process affected him irrevocably. ¡°Once Yoana and I pack our things, we shall board a ship and travel to Novigrad with you.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Yoana nodded, staring at the witcher with bright, sparkling eyes. He killed two ice trolls and got rid of an evil god¡¯s mark. Legendary feats, and he achieved them.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Roy grasped at thin air and produced a few contracts and a quill. ¡°Take a look and sign them.¡±


    f¡¯s smile froze, and he reluctantly took the contract. Hope it¡¯s not a very contract. He skimmed through it, and his worries melted away, a smile hanging on his lips.


    Roy made this contract based on the agreement he had with Evelyn. Theborers had rights ording to the contract.


    Nine to six were working hours, two days off every week, free amodation and employee meals. Their job was to research, improve, and create weapons and armor for the brotherhood. The rules for the working ce were lenient, to say the least.


    f would be paid two hundred crowns per month, while Yoana would receive fifty crowns every month. The contract would go on for ten years.


    They can¡¯t call me a bloodsucker this time.


    ¡°Ah, Auckes, are you sure this goes on for ten years?¡±


    ¡°Why? Too long?¡± Roy cocked his eyebrow.


    ¡°No, no. cksmithing is our life¡¯s work. The duration is irrelevant. What I want to know is, aren¡¯t you worried we might leave at the end of the contract¡¯s duration?¡± Yoana nced at the contract, and she felt relieved, a smile curling her lips.


    Roy smiled at her. ¡°You can leave if you want to.¡±


    f and Yoana turned around, looking at the bustling town waking up to the morning sun. Then they looked at their smithy, their slight mncholy turning into resolve, and they signed their contract.


    Roy carefully tucked the contract away and heaved a sigh of relief. We¡¯ll have our own cksmiths from now on. A vet and a newbie. Once we go back to Novigrad, it¡¯s time to start modifying the witcher school armor set as well as the research on the dragon scales and bones.

 Chapter 523 - 523: The Blacksmiths Join Up

    Chapter 523: The cksmiths Join Up


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The golden sun hung high in the sky, shining brightly on thend. For once, the ever-busy smithy was closed for a day, giving its members time to say goodbye.


    ¡°Chamir, Farik, the n¡¯s in your hands now. Remember to work together and stay fit. Don¡¯t push yourself at work, and don¡¯t ever cross another troll. There won¡¯t be anyone like Auckes to save the day next time.¡± f held his brothers¡¯ shoulders, the rim of his eyes red. ¡°Come to Novigrad when you have time. We can catch up.¡±


    Farik clenched his teeth and balled his fists. He looked at the silent witcher and raised his chin in solemn resolution. ¡°My brother, if you do not wish to leave this isle, then I can take your ce.¡±


    ¡°I made the promise, and our n does not go back on our word,¡± f refused, but the subtle twitch of his lips said he was actually willing to go. He¡¯d been dying to spice up his dull life a little, and now he had the perfect excuse to hoist the family¡¯s business onto his brothers while he was going on an adventure.


    ¡°Can Yoana stay?¡± Chamir looked at the excited girl outside the window. ¡°Your aunt has found you an excellent husband. The greatest fisherman of this town. Comes back with a spectacr haul of fish every time.¡±


    ¡°No. I remember that guy. Last time we talked, his breath almost killed me.¡± Yoana shook her head violently. She adamantly refused the arrangement. ¡°From that day onward, I swore to devote myself to the god of cksmithing, so I¡¯ll have to travel around the world to gain more experience. I don¡¯t care even if I have to be someone¡¯s apprentice. This adventure is very much needed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a big girl now. Guess you won¡¯t listen to anyone anymore.¡±


    Roy said mysteriously, ¡°Worry not, people. This isn¡¯t farewell. You can alwayse to Novigrad. My organization is always open to those with talent. That includes everyone here.¡±


    ***


    f and Yoana valued efficiency. Once they said their goodbyes, they quickly packed up their things. They only brought a few sets of clothes and their cksmithing tools. They then left the town and entered a remote forest. Roy ced Gwyhyr and Gabriel in their hands, while he hid Aerondight in the bushes.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d be boarding a ship at Marlin Coast. That¡¯s the only way to Novigrad, isn¡¯t it?¡± f brushed his hand across the de curiously. ¡°So why are you heading south? And why are you giving us these weapons? So we can defend ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Is this a present?¡± Yoana was in a yellow dress, and a big pack hung from her back. She rubbed her finger across the beautifully crimson Gabriel, her eyes twinkling with surprise.


    ¡°Ship¡¯s too slow. We¡¯ll be charging right to Novigrad.¡± Roy told them seriously, ¡°I¡¯m lending these to you just in case. Do not lose them.¡±


    Skellige Isles were a few hundred miles away from Novigrad. The journey alone would take more than a month if they went with a ship and carriage. Roy didn¡¯t have that much patience.


    ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re charging right to Novigrad?¡± f asked.


    Roy smiled, and he whipped out two cables, tying their front ends around his wrists. ¡°Stay close to me. To be honest, you guys are my first passengers. This might be a bumpy ride, so hang tight.¡±


    Roy did a few experiments before. Teleport and Blink were limited in scope. He couldn¡¯t bring anything too big with him. Humans, for example, couldn¡¯t be brought along for the ride.


    Worldgate, however, was different. That portal could linger for a few moments, which meant people aside from Roy could follow him through the Worldgate.


    f looked grim, and sweat drenched his palms. Yoana, however, was red with excitement.


    ¡°Calm down. Hey, f, ever heard of any stories about the ice giant?¡± Roy tied the other ends of the rope on f¡¯s and Yoana¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Why do you ask? There was a children¡¯s tale back in my grandfather¡¯s days. ¡®The ice-blue beast sharpens its teeth, first with flesh and then with ice. Its breath is icy, its eyes are red. The beast awaits the warrior with a big, gaping maw,¡¯¡± f enunciated. ¡°¡®An icy-blue giant sleeps on top of the mountains. One day it shall awaken and turn this isle into damnation.¡¯ Honestly, if there¡¯s an ice giant somewhere in the mountains, it¡¯s going to be a bigger threat than any ice troll or bear.¡±


    ¡°Did the prophecy tell you where the ice giant is hiding?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. No one has seen that monster before. It only exists in legends and children¡¯s tales. Why do you ask? Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Auckes, I¡¯ve heard the elders speak of this before when I was a child.¡± Yoana twirled her hair, interrupting, ¡°Deeper in the mines of our family lies a path leading to the cave on the topmost peak. The path stands between the ravines and cliffs of the mountains. No one knows who or what resides in the cave. My ancestors along with a few warriors ventured into that cave before, but none came back.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Something glinted in Roy¡¯s eyes, and he hatched a n. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Hold your breath, you two. On the count of three.¡±


    ¡°Three!¡±


    ¡°Two!¡±


    ¡°One!¡±


    The witcher pulled at the air, and something unbelievable happened. f and Yoana stopped breathing for a moment, for they saw the witcher tearing a gash in space with his bare finger, and the gash turned into a ck, diamond-shaped door big enough to allow one person to fit.


    Roy leapt into the door, and the cksmiths felt a surge of great strength pulling at the rope. Confused, the two of them were yanked ahead, and they followed the rope into whaty behind the door.


    It was a long and narrow corridor. There was no air or sound within. There was only the void and darkness. Around the path was a sky of stars, shining and glittering beautifully. The stars seemed to be waving at the cksmiths, asking them toe over for a visit.


    Somehow, f and Yoana had a feeling those stars meant grave danger. They looked up and stiffly followed the witcher ahead. He was towering and dark as a shadow, his cloak billowing in the wind. He was like a lone god charging ahead on the path of stars, heading to the end of time itself.


    The bizarre journeysted for no more than a moment. At the edge of darkness, the witcher leapt, bringing the cksmiths back into a world of light. The both of them gasped for air.


    ¡°What happened back there? And where are we?¡± f looked around. The alder trees were swaying at the beckon of the breeze. Thend underneath him squelched, and roots poked through the soil. The air was filled with the scent ofnd and greenery, and birds trilled on the branches.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the outskirts of Novigrad.¡±


    Roy crouched and patted a big, furry head. It belonged to a fierce beast, yet the beast was rolling around at the witcher¡¯s feet, revealing its belly for him like it was a cat asking for some pats.


    Even though the beast was trying to be cute, its deadly sharp beak, gigantic wings, and glinting ws still scared the cksmiths.


    f nervously stood in front of his daughter, and Yoana clung to her father¡¯s back, holding her breath. There was fear and curiosity in her eyes.


    ¡°Do not be afraid. Gryphon¡¯s a good girl.¡± Roy smiled at the cksmith and unraveled the rope, then he took back his weapons. ¡°She might be a griffin, but she never hurts her friends, and you¡¯re guests here.¡±


    The griffin had her orders. She got up and raised her head high, nodding at the cksmiths arrogantly, her eyes twinkling with something akin to human emotions, and she gurgled, as if saying, ¡®Hi, I¡¯m Gryphon.¡¯


    ¡°Auckes, are you really a witcher and not some sort of spellcaster or druid or some saint living amongst humans?¡± f followed Roy deeper into the woods, staring at the flying griffin curiously. The leaves and branches spun around in the air, and the griffin let out a happy roar.


    ¡°If it helps, you can think of me as a beastmaster.¡± Roy shook his head and looked ahead. Deep in the woods, Serrit was already waiting for him. His hair was tied, and his eyes shone brightly. ¡°I believe introductions are in order. This is the witcher brotherhood¡¯s financial officer¡ªSerrit.¡±


    ¡°Lytta said you were on a search for some cksmiths, kid. You came back fast. Who are these people?¡± Serrit shot f a sharp look, and the cksmith stood straighter.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not the seer for nothing. I came back fast because the matter was dealt with.¡± Roy smiled proudly. ¡°Feast your eyes on our guests. This is f, a master cksmith from Skellige Isles¡¯ n Tordarroch. He¡¯s an expert weaponsmith and armorer, and this lovelydy here is his daughter, Yoana. She¡¯s an outstanding armorer as well. For the next ten years, they shall be providing their services exclusively to the brotherhood.¡±


    Roy handed the contract over the Serrit. Serrit skimmed through them, nodding with approval. A smile curled his brooding lips, and he shook the cksmiths¡¯ hands. ¡°Wee to the House of Gawain. I assure you, you will be most pleased with the decision you¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°I do hope so. We¡¯re already part of the brotherhood, and I don¡¯t intend on leaving just yet.¡± f touched his stubble and exchanged a look of relief with Yoana.


    ¡°Vesemir¡¯s going to be really happy when he knows of this,¡± Serrit said. ¡°He¡¯s been wracking his brains for the blueprints and dragon scale modification. Guy¡¯s not exactly as young as he was. Overworking isn¡¯t the best thing to do, and now he finally has someone helping him out.¡±


    ¡°He went to Oxenfurt again?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, kid. Mignole herself came to Novigrad, and Vesemir threw a weing party for her at the ballroom. They¡¯re probably dancing right now.¡±


    ¡°And Geralt?¡±


    ¡°No idea where he is. Probably contacting his mother without anyone knowing.¡±


    Roy smiled, d for the White Wolf.


    ¡°Everyone else is either keeping an eye on the kids or feasting away at the ballroom.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s C¡­ Falka? Getting used to her new life? Any suspicious figures prowling Novigradtely?¡±


    The cksmiths listened to the conversation quietly. It sounded like a warm and regr chat. The witchers were quite different from the ones they had in mind.


    ¡°She can protest all she wants, but Yennefer has her nailed. Aiden, Lambert, and Gawain¡¯s men are keeping a close eye on the goings-on in the city. If anyone tries anything funny, they¡¯re done for.¡±


    ¡°I knew you guys would keep the ce running well.¡± Roy nodded. ¡°You¡¯re dealing with the cksmiths now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re noting with us?¡± f looked befuddled.


    ¡°I have unfinished business back on the isles.¡± Roy looked at the cksmith. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The brotherhood will take care of you.¡± He whipped out the loot he gained from his trip to Skellige Isles, including but not limited to ekhidna mutagen, troll mutagen, a mountain of organs and teeth and ws.


    ¡°Take these to Letho and Kiyan. They¡¯ll put these to good use.¡±


    Serrit¡¯s lips twitched. Did he strike down a whole monster den?


    ¡°Oh, almost forgot. Present for the kids.¡± A mischievous smirk curled Roy¡¯s lips. He whipped out a sopping wet sack, yellow liquid dripping from the edges. A rancid stench quickly filled the air.


    Serrit covered his nose and turned around, disgust filling his eyes. Even though he¡¯d seen his fair share of horror throughout his life, the stench of whatever Roy whipped out still almost suffocated him. ¡°What is in that sack? A shark¡¯s excrement?¡±


    ¡°What? No. It¡¯s good stuff. Pickled shark meat, whale meat, and pickled auk.¡± Roy grinned toothily, his brows wriggling. Mimicking the trolls, he said, ¡°It smells bad and good.¡±


    The smirk Roy wore made the cksmiths shudder. Do not cross this guy no matter what.


    ¡°Make sure every kid gets a piece, especially the new apprentices and backups.¡± Roy handed the sack over to Serrit, who was already twitching. ¡°Two pounds each. Tell them it¡¯s a witcher trial, understand?¡±


    Serrit shot Roy a re. ¡°This is going to kill them.¡±


    ¡°Still better than taking a dip in a shithole. Just do it. Oh, get me a bottle of ogroid oil and our school¡¯s pufferfish toxin. I need them for something important.¡±


    ***


    Yoana came into the House of Gawain. This was the first time in her life leaving the isles. Curious about everything, she looked around the wooden houses, her ponytail swaying. Some were reading and writing, some were fiddling with vials and vessels of ab, and outside the fence, a few boys with soil-covered faces were tending to the tomatoes and eggnts in the fields. On the right side of the yard, twelve half-naked boys were eyeing their new guests curiously.


    Then a lean man with sunsses showed up and barked at them. The boys quickly crouched. A girl with silver-grey hair stood in the center of the yard, tersely ordering a dog around like she was a beastmaster. The wiener dog rolled around, spun, ran, sauntered, and did everything it was told. Eventually, exhaustion got the better of it, and it barked.


    ¡°What is this ce, Serrit?¡±


    ¡°Roy didn¡¯t tell you? The House of Gawain is an orphanage run by witchers.¡±


    ¡°Wait, who¡¯s Roy?¡± f¡¯s heart sank, and he had a weird look on his face. ¡°Do you mean Auckes? The guy who left?¡±


    Serrit massaged his temples. Gods, what am I supposed to do with thatd? The damned brat goes around raising hell using my brother¡¯s name. One of these days, Auckes is going to pay for some of Roy¡¯s shenanigans. ¡°Thatd¡¯s name is Roy. He¡¯s in his rebellious phase and loves to pull pranks. The name of Auckes belongs to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Is that a joke? He¡¯s not even a full-fledged witcher, and he managed to kill two ice trolls?¡± f was in utter disbelief.


    Serrit smiled and shook his head, then he led the cksmiths to the smithy outside the fence. It was a small building made of rock and mud.


    Yoana and f were disappointed. The smithy¡¯s equipment wasckluster, to say the least. The forge, its mes, and even the anvil seemed haphazardly pped together, as if the witchers only needed something good enough for them. This was a far cry from the smithy back in Undvik.


    However, it wasn¡¯t totally useless. Serrit showed them a pile of diagrams that recorded the steps involved in making many incredible armor and weapons. There were even mentions of special alloy too. Even a veteran like f was impressed.


    ¡°We have Wolf, Griffin, Viper, Bear, and Manticore gear diagrams. You can start on whichever you want,¡± said Serrit. ¡°Make one set of each school¡¯s gear. We have most of theponents ready. If you have anything else you need, tell Vesemir. He¡¯ll be back at night.¡±


    ¡°These diagrams contain a few types of metalcasting I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± f mused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯ll take at least three months to figure it out.¡±


    ¡°You have the freedom to push the progress as fast or as slow as you like. I have faith in your skills. Vesemir will tell you more about the research on dragon bones and scales.¡±


    f clenched his fists, excitement filling his eyes. He¡¯d stayed in Undvik for decades, and rarely did he ever run into any challenge that could excite him. This was one of them. He had the privilege to research the mysterious witcher diagrams, but more than that, he was also privy to the development of gear made out of dragon parts.


    ¡°If you are less than happy with our smithy, we can go around Novigrad in the afternoon to make some purchases. It¡¯s time to fix this ce up. After all, this is going to be your workce for quite some time.¡±


    ***


    ¡°A-Are they learning how to read and write?¡± Yoana nced at the ssroom, where the children were writing away. She looked a little envious, yearning to be in a ssroom as well. She had never been to school her whole life. Herte mother was the one who taught her how to read, but it was only basic northernnguage.


    ¡°Yeah. General ss. My colleague¡¯s teaching them a bit of this world¡¯s culture. Yoana, correct?¡± Serrit fell silent for a moment. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can join the ss every morning. Aside from cksmithing, alchemy, and hunting, you may do as you please.¡±


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t in the contract. I¡¯m here to work, not to y.¡± Yoana shook her head nervously.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see what Roy wrote at the end of the contract? Just think of this ce as your home.¡±


    The cksmiths exchanged a look, and their tension melted away. The witcher was more approachable than they thought. They had a feeling this trip would be more vibrant and lively than they first thought.


    ¡°Get to know this ce for a bit. I¡¯ll introduce you guys to everyone else at lunchtime. They¡¯re more than happy to make new friends.¡±


    ***


    Roy teleported back to Undvik and made his way to the northern mountains. He passed through the mines upied by the dead trolls and climbed up a ravine, eventuallying to a triangr cave entrance. The slope led downward, and the stench of blood formed ribbons in the air that led deep into the cave.


    The witcher stood before the entrance, knocking on the air, excitement ring in his eyes. ¡°Hope you had a good sleep, ice giant. You¡¯re about to have a rude awakening.¡±

 Chapter 524: Ice Giant

    The cavern''s paths were twisted, with steep cliffs apanying them. Scores of hanging stone bridges stood between junctions, the deep abyss sleeping underneath. In the corners of the cave were skeletal remains of all manner of beasts, and the witcher glimpsed human bones too. Some smelled fresh, while some had been sleeping in this cave for centuries, acting as a bit of a spook for intruders.


    Roy darted through the darkness like a phantom, ascending the path leading to the top of the mountain. Bones crunched underneath his feet, his eyes glinting like a beast''s. The darkness did not rob the witcher of his sight.


    He passed through the suspension bridge and entered an enormous cave. It was the shape of a dome and perhaps bigger than any castle. Stctites hung from the ceiling, closely jumbled together. They almost looked like vines, and Roy''s sense of space was slightly skewed.


    Grey and green stgmites jutted from the ground, their base thick, but their tips thin. Some were even taller than Roy. Water dripped into the holes between the rocks, sshes echoing in the air.


    Roy felt something watching him. Quickly, he cast Quen over himself, and he slowed his steps, treading carefully.


    A pair of crimson eyes snapped open behind a stgmite in the corner and looked at him. Something rustled, and the creature hiding in the shadows opened its maw. The humanoid monster swung its arms and leapt out of its cover like a bird.


    Roy could smell a rancid stench of excrementing toward him. Eventually, the monster showed itself in its full glory. It had a body simr to a drowner''s, only more disgusting. Layers of skin hungidly on its head, forming a loose hat made of skin and flesh. The creature had crimson hair the girth of intestines, wriggling randomly in the air. Its muscles were red, its tendons were yellow, and they were hard enough to protect the creature. Its teeth were sharp and squalidly yellow, its ws deadly.


    The monster looked hideous.


    ''Zeugl


    Age: 20 years old


    HP: 100


    Strength: 10


    Constitution: 10


    Dexterity: 11


    Perception: 5


    Will: 6


    Charisma: 2


    Spirit: 5


    Skills:


    Corroding Venom Level 5: Zeugls live in ces with an abundance of corpses and rotting flesh. Their ws and teeth areced with a special type of venom. Targets who are attacked have a chance to be weakened and contract a fever.


    Strength in Numbers (Passive): Whenever zeugls go around in groups, they gain +2 to Dexterity and Will.


    Self Destruct (Passive): Before zeugls die, they will self-destruct and deal a great amount of impact damage and corrosive damage to everything around them.''


    ***


    Roy crouched, holding Aerondight with both hands, and he swung his de across the charging monster''s torso.


    The zeugl''s flesh was cut open, its innards spilling to the ground. A crimson sh flew through the air, and the witcher rolled ahead on the ground, leaving the mangled corpse behind.


    The zeugl burst open like an overblown balloon. Its blood and innards flew everywhere, drenching the stgmites with blood and flesh. The ground and walls sizzled from the corrosion. Some of the blood got to the witcher, but Quen kept it off, yet the shield broke after that blow.


    ''Zeugl killed. EXP +100. Level 12 Witcher (13900/12500).''


    "That self-destruct was something." Roy heaved a sigh and flicked the blood off his de.


    And then howls echoed everywhere around him. A group of humanoid monsters leapt from behind the rocks, charging at the witcher.


    Devourers.


    The witcher was trapped in ustrophobic space, and these monsters could self-destruct. If he were to kill them, the impact from the self-destruct would hurt the killer, but if they were not killed, they would kill their prey instead. Even witchers would find this to be a predicament.


    Roy, however, wouldn''t let them get near him. Even before the monsters could get within ten yards of the witcher, Roy had already changed to his hand crossbow, and he fired six shots almost without stopping.


    His first shot was fired backward, and he blinked away along with it, putting some distance between him and the suicide squad. Once he was sure he was safe, Roy fired five more shots, the bolts hurtling across the air. Some even turned an angle, and all bolts sted the monsters'' heads.


    The corpses were sent flying backward from the shots'' impact.


    Something incredible was happening. The five devourers flew into the air, and their heads burst open like watermelons even before they hit the ground. The bolt ignited the explosion within the devourers, and their corpses exploded into mists of blood, the rain of red drenching the walls.


    Roy stood in the distance, watching the bloody show unfold, and he blew at his hand crossbow. "Self-destruct won''t work on me twice."


    Why zeugls and devourers would self-destruct, Roy had not an inkling. One thing was for sure, however: this violent reaction post-death was a great hassle for the witcher. Their flesh and innards burst into little chunks, leaving nothing but ribcages behind. Their teeth, ws, and their flesh flew everywhere, falling into the abyss underneath the bridge.


    Collecting loot was nigh impossible, but fortunately, he found a devourer den behind the stctite. Most of the den was hidden underneath the ground, formed into a spindle. The surface looked like a little volcano made of snow, soil, and skeleton. Roy tossed a fireball into the den and sted it to smithereens. He gained a lesser red mutagen from it.


    ***


    On his way to the ice giant, two types of self-destructing monsters attacked the witcher. After witnessing their self-destruction first-hand, Roy would not let them get close to him. Either he shot them off with bolts, or he burned them with fire and lightning. No monsters could approach the witcher.


    ***


    The elevation was getting higher. The witcher came to a stop upon a great boulder, suspension bridges hanging from all sides. A great, gnarly tree stood in the center, its branches devoid of leaves, reced by balls of soil, mucus, and ck feathers. The pping of wings echoed from the branches, and the air was filled with hisses and cackles.


    A few slender erynia were perched on top of the branches, looking hideous as usual, yet they were cleaning their feathers with their beaks like they were the most beautiful fowls in thisnd.


    Apparently, these monsters had turned this tree into their nest. Around the root of the tree, skeletons sprawled. Skeletons of animals, beasts, zeugls, and even their own. These monsters saw everything as prey.


    And another one walked straight into their line of sight. Squawking and screeching with delight, the erynias dove at the witcher.


    And then their screeches became screams of horror.


    Bolts flew and fluttered across the air, and the witcher disappeared. He reappeared right beside an erynia like a phantom and swung his de away. One by one, the erynias fell with sickening thuds, their bodies carved by holes and gashes of the witcher''s attacks.


    Blood and flesh covered the ground, and a few momentster, the witcher stood on top of the treetop, smiling at the bright exit ahead of him.


    ''(8) erynias killed. EXP +640. Level 12 Witcher (15040/12500).''


    "Well, that was a good EXP farm."


    ***


    The witcher darted ahead and fell back down to the ground, swinging his short sword away at the erynias'' bodies, taking everything valuable.


    And he left the cave. Outside the darkness was a meandering path that surrounded the whole outside wall of the mountain, leading up to the top. Cold winds howled loudly, cutting the skin of those who were foolhardy enough to step foot into these parts of the mountain.


    It was fourteen degrees outside, and snow was falling down slowly, fluttering onto the witcher''s cloak, glimmering like stars.


    Roy pulled his cloak tighter and embarked on the slippery path ahead. Ten minutester, he came to his destination¡ªthe cave on the highest peak of Undvik.


    Years and years ago, the people of this isle piled a mountain of granite before the hole, almost blocking itpletely, leaving only one little slit on the top, allowing air to enter.


    The witcher sniffed the air, and he was greeted by a familiar odor. The same odor he caught from Old Speartip. <em>Yeah, that''s an ice giant inside alright. </em>"This exins why the ice giant hasn''t shown up for a hundred years. The entrance to its cave is blocked off, and with no one disturbing it, it fell into hibernation."


    <em>Sleeps for a hundred years. Only ogroids can do that. Still, as long as the giant is around, it </em>will <em>wake up someday, and that''s going to spell disaster for Undvik. </em>"Very well, by my endless grace and generosity, I shall deal with this matter for the people." <em>But I am not going to kill it.</em>


    Roy fired a bolt through the slit on the top, and he disappeared into thin air.


    ***


    The cavern was titanic. It was at least thirty-three feet tall, and pirs the size of tree trunks held up the ceiling. This ce was big enough for a horse to gallop. The perpetual freeze of the mountaintop had frozen the walls, icicles jutting out. Some of the walls had holes in them, linking them to the outside world, letting the chilly air in.


    In the deepest depths of the cavey a beast that was more than thirteen feet tall. Its skin was icy blue, its muscles were towering. The beasty with its belly on the ground, sound asleep and cradled by its dreams. Bear hide covered its back and chest, the same hue as its dark brown hair, and it swayed as the beast snored. With every snore, the snow around it would swirl as if onmand. Yellowing wooden armor covered its arms and legs. It looked ancient, as if it were made of wood torn off a drakkar and tied together with a stretch of rope.


    ''Ice giant


    Age: 280 years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: ? (Hibernation, weakened, starving)


    Strength: ? (Weakened)


    Dexterity: 15 (Weakened)


    Constitution: ? (Weakened)


    Perception: 12


    Will: 12


    Charisma: 4


    Spirit: 10


    Skills:


    Ogroid (Passive): Possesses an incredible amount of life force. +20 to Constitution. The ice giant''s thick hide grants it great physical resistance. Minor wounds heal right away. Regr wounds heal faster than usual.


    Pir of the Frozen (Passive): Ice giants share a mysterious bond with the harsh cold. The cold is their source of strength. Ice giants gain great strength whenever they are situated in cold weather. +20 to Strength. Imbues its attacks with the power of ice. Slows or even freezes its target''s blood flow.


    Monster Tamer (Passive): Ice giants have the talent to tame bird-type monsters (ekhidna, erynia, harpy). This ability is deeply ingrained within its bloodline. The types of monsters it tames will also follow its every beck and call so long as they''re in the ice giant''s territory.''


    ***


    "Hm. The erynias I fought earlier were probably the descendants of the bird this guy tamed." Roy peered quietly at the beastly creature. Even from ten yards away, he could feel the giant''s heartbeat and overflowing life force.


    If this creature had been in its prime, it would''ve been even stronger than Old Speartip. Roy alone would find it difficult to defeat this creature. s, it had been asleep for far too long, and the passage of time had robbed it of its strength. It was malnourished. <em>Which exins why it rampaged and ate all it could the moment it woke up. </em>"Sorry, but that won''t happen this time."


    ***


    Once he confirmed that the giant was in a deep slumber, the witcher sat down cross-legged and went into meditation to heal back up, then he prepared for the fight.


    First, he whipped a piece of cloth out and greased both of his swords with a brown paste. Part of it was ogroid oil, and the other part was the puffer fish toxin he asked from Serrit. He dipped two hundred bolts in a second bottle of ogroid oil, and he dipped them in poison as well.


    These items would be instrumental in his n of attack. Heid three bottles of decoctions out. Thunderbolt for strength, Petri''s Philter for Sign intensity, and ekhidna decoction for healing at the cost of mana.


    Roy uncorked everything and downed the decoctions. His heartbeat started to race, a sickly red hue tingeing his cheeks, and ck veins crept onto his face. He then whipped out a pair of bombs he hadn''t used in a long time: Dragon''s Dream. And then he took out a barrel of oil.


    The witcher made a Sign, and Quen covered him. His clone appeared before him and picked up the barrel and bombs, then it strapped Aerondight on its back.


    Roy saw it off as it slowly went around the snow, approaching the sleeping ice giant.


    And the clone sshed the oil all over the giant. The air was filled with the rancid stench of oil. The giant''s back and sides were covered in the liquid, but still it was deep in sleep.


    The clone then set off the bomb, and a cloud of white, inmmable smoke covered the beast. The ice giant''s gigantic finger moved, and its eyelids twitched. Finally it was stirring.


    Quickly, Roy summoned his minion, and an atronach of fire sashayed out of the doors of Oblivion, hovering beside its summoner.


    The clone, the atronach, and the witcher went into a triangle formation. Its orders received, the atronach pirouetted and tossed a fireball across the air. At the same time, the clone held up Aerondight. Crimson light red from the edge, and it swung the de down at the back of the giant''s left foot.


    Dragon''s Dream and the oil touched the fire.


    A pir of mes roared into the air, and an explosion rumbled the whole cave. The fires that covered the giant shook and danced, sparks flying in every direction, and air currents undted, shaking the very ground and air.


    Stctites fell like rain, smashing into little pieces. A towering silhouette stood up within the mes, and it staggered leftward. An ancient roar reverberated across the cave, and the mountainous figure trundled out of the mes.


    The monster almost resembled a misshapen and disfigured human. Its forehead protruded so much it was sagging. Its nose was wide, its mouth was a gaping maw, and its eyes were glinting like rubies. Its features were mashed together to form a jumbled and hideous face.


    Its dark brown beard extended to its chest, looking like an oversized broom. Thanks to the oil and Dragon''s Dream, the mes stuck to the giant''s icy skin, refusing to get off. The monster looked like it had an armor of fire on, but icy whirlpools spun in its pores, putting out the fire.


    The mes and cold were locked in an intense fight on the giant''s body, yet the giant''s ckened skin was quickly healing up. The giant charged toward the me atronach. Even though it was tilting left and wobbled with every step, it didn''t hinder its speed. The giant covered at least four yards with every step.


    The giant''s lumbering rumbled the cave, and a momentter, it was already before the atronach. At the same time, the witcher quickly fired off a volley of bolts. The bolts exploded, carving chunks off the giant''s back, and dust filled the air.


    The ogroid oil and toxin on the bolts seeped into the ice giant''s bloodstream. The giant froze in pain for a fraction of a second, then it bent over and grabbed the atronach, squeezing it between its palms.


    The atronach vanished into the air, turned into particles of mana. Roy fired off more bolts, and they hurtled through the air like a rainbow of death, falling on the ice giant.


    The monster held its muscr left arm before its chest. If it were any other monster, the bolts would''ve sted it away, but all they managed to do was leave small marks on the giant''s arm, and then they fell to the ground.


    The giant kept its arm held up as it rammed at the stone pir the witcher was hiding behind.


    The cave rumbled again, and the pir snapped, its lower half falling backward. Dust flew high into the air, debris ricocheting in every direction.


    Despite its best effort, it was for naught. Before it knew it, the witcher had reappeared somewhere else in the cave. This time, the witcher made an Aard sign and tossed a bolt of lightning across the battlefield. At the same time, another atronach and a clone with Gabriel appeared behind him, quickly running to their positions.


    ***


    The ice giant shouted loudly, trying to summon its own helpers, but Roy had killed all the bird monsters. It would have to fight all by its lonesome. Left with no choice, the giant charged around the cave, trying to attack the witcher and his allies.


    The enormity of the cave put the giant in an even bigger disadvantage. It spent too much time chasing its prey. Even though it had enough strength to pulverize any foe in a single blow, if it couldn''t even touch the witcher, its strength was nothing.


    The atronach, the witcher, and the clone hid in three different corners of the cave, tossing out a barrage of attacks at the giant. Lights of different colors shone and glimmered, explosions and the whizzing of bolts filled the air, the giant''s roars ying along like a cacophony of sounds.


    The fireballs hurled by the atronach flew through the air in an arc, charring the giant''s skin. The lightning bolts Roy cast carved gashes across the ground as it numbed the giant, and the clone''s bolts carved the giant''s flesh away, boring hole after hole in its body.


    The wounds were not much, but as they slowly umted, even the giant was starting to feel the heat. The ogroid oil hampered its regenerative abilities, while the pufferfish toxin ate away at its nervous system, slowing its reflexes, and the broken tendons of its left leg dragged its movements down even more.


    The witcher was not in a good state either. He was drenched in sweat, his face tense, his gaze nervous. This was a war of attrition as far as they were concerned. The incessant teleportation, summoning of his minions, lightning bolts, and asional Fear ate up all his mana, including the restored mana he received from Activate, and it had only been five minutes since the battle began.


    He only had five potions of minor mana restoration and one charge of Full Recovery left in his stash.


    The giant roared. For the seventh time, he destroyed the atronach. The beast thumped its chest and let out another long roar. The cry slithered through the cracks between the walls, echoing between the mountains.


    It staggered, almost falling down. The light in its eyes was starting to dim, and its breathing was ragged. With every breath it took, its body shivered. The burns, the gaping holes, and the ckened wounds from the electrocution were slowly tearing its body apart like it was a crumbling statue, and its hunger was helping them.


    The giant ignored the exploding bolts, and it strode toward the western corner. It yanked a ck, rusty anchor out of the wall, holding the anchor with one hand and the chain with the other.


    With its weight put in its right foot, the ice giant spiraled and swung the chain. It was the monster''s spin of death.


    The anchor barreled through the air, howling like the wind. It traveled five yards in a single moment, hitting the spot where the witcher was hiding. The anchor smashed into the ground like a ck meteor, snow and debris flying everywhere, and the metal left a crater behind.


    Roy managed to teleport to his clone in the nick of time, yet he looked white, and he shuddered.


    Before he could even heave a sigh, the spinning anchor loomed over him again, threatening to take his life away.


    The clone shattered into pieces, and Roy couldn''t manage to summon another one in time. The giant slowly moved closer, the shadow of its towering body looming over Roy, and it swung the anchor, the great metal charging across half the chamber.


    Roy grabbed his hand crossbow. Ripples scattered across the air, and he reappeared somewhere else with his bolt, but luck was not on his side this time.


    Even before he couldnd, he felt a gust of wind charging at his back, and a wave of power rammed through his back, breaking every bone in his body. The witcher hurtled ahead like a cannon before he could even let out a yelp, and he mmed into the wall.


    The wall crashed into pieces, and a mangled corpse slid down from a human-shaped crater, leaving behind blood and mincemeat.


    A smile of relief cracked across the ice giant''s lips. It let go of the anchor and plopped down heavily, its hands resting on its knees, its breathing still ragged. Pain and exhaustion seared and red from all its ckened and bleeding wounds. The oil and toxin exploded at the same time, sapping what was left of its strength.


    <em>I won. </em>That was the only thought left in its rudimentary mind. <em>That bug is dead. Woke me up and ran around so much, I couldn''t hit it. But it''s dead now. I want to skin him and chew him a thousand times before I gulp him up. I''m hungry. I want to eat everything. But first, let me sleep.</em>


    Its eyelids started to droop, and it hung its head low, its muscles rxing.


    And then a whizzing in the air swept away all its sleepiness. The bug that should''ve been quashed flew over out of nowhere, stepping down on an invisible staircase.


    The witcher''s hair was unkempt, a patch of blood and mincemeat hanging from his caved-in armor. His eyes were wide, and he opened his mouth, his throat trembling.


    "<em>Fus!</em>"


    The Shout mmed into the giant''s head, and it bled from its face. Dizzy, it fell back down and held its right arm up by instinct, covering its face, but it was too tired to fight. The toxin had seeped into its innards. Even its hands were shivering.


    Like a dancer, the witcher fluttered down onto the back of the giant''s hand. He crouched and held his de by his cheek, holding it out like a bull''s horn.


    The ice giant expended thest of its strength, holding up its hand in an attempt to squeeze the witcher to death.


    The witcher leapt ahead and dodged the hand. At the same time, he thrust his de into the giant''s chest, the edge ring crimson.


    The giant''s arm fell limp to its side, and it was coughing up blood and pieces of its innards. The witcher stood atop the dying monster, pulling his de up and staring down at it, his eyes glinting.


    The monster closed its eyes, falling into unconsciousness. <em>Am I finally dying? Lived for hundreds of years, killed by an insect?</em>


    ***


    Death did not im it. The witcher stepped ahead, crossing its neck and finally stopping on its nose. A smile curled his lips, and he pressed his right hand into the center of the giant''s forehead, and a red light shimmered around him.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 525: New Mount and Leveling Up

    <h4>Chapter 525: New Mount and Leveling Up</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 525: New Mount and Leveling Up</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The red sun perched over the horizon, half of it burning the yellow skies up, draping it with the hue of a great fire, the other half reflecting on the surface of the sea like a lone yolk in a bowl of seafood stew.


    A fishing boat was floating around the isle of Undvik, a basket sitting in the center, and a small school of slender sardines jumped around in it. Brock was sporting a sealskin jacket and a straw hat that day,nguidly sitting on the bow of his boat, fishing away while enjoying the touch of the sea breeze. He stared out at the sea, admiring the golden glimmer of its gently crashing waves.


    The night before, the goddess Freya appeared in his dream and gave him a foretelling. She promised a weather good enough for a fishing session, and that prophecy held true. It had only been a few hours of fishing, but he had made a few days'' worth of haul. <i>Good. Another seafood feast for my grandchild.</i>


    And his boat started to wobble. Hastily, Brock held down the boat''s hull and steadied himself. The waves started rising higher, crashing down with a roar, and whirlpools spun beside the boat, as if something were darting underwater at a speed so fast, it was stirring up a mess on the surface.


    Brock''s eyes went wide, and he saw a ck silhouette swimming underneath his boat. The silhouette was a marlin, and one bigger than any marlin he''d caught before. The golden sunshine pierced through the seawater, illuminating something uncannily humanoid, something sleek and slender.


    "Ekhidnas on a hunt for sharks?" Brock pulled his head back from the edge of his boat, holding his harpoon as tightly as he could. Frantically, he grabbed a sardine from his basket, cut a gash into it, and tossed it into the sea.


    Blood colored the seawater red, and the foams of the waves swallowed it. "By Freya!" Brock desperately rowed to the coast, tossing a bloody sardine every hundred yards or so.


    Yet he was too slow.


    An enormous, elliptical being pushed through the surface of the water, halting the boat. It was a humanoid head, yet it was roughly ten times bigger than any human head. Its features were scrunched up and jumbled into a hideous face, a protrusion sagging from its forehead. The head had a big nose and an even wider mouth. The marlin Brock saw earlier was snapped in its maw, blood trickling down the monster''s teeth. The monster had eyes as big as rubies, and they glinted with bloodlust.


    A group of half-bird, half-woman creatures pped their wings and pierced through the sea''s surface. They took to the air, droplets of water raining back into the sea, glimmering under the sun. The monsters held sardine in their beaks, circling the boat, screeching into the air.


    <i>Freya, have mercy. Two o'' these monsters will spell the doom of me. Five? An'' a ne''er-seen-before giant? I''m done for.</i> Brock let go of his oars and held his harpoon tight as he unsteadily stood up.


    Sea winds howled across the waters, resolution ring in the old man''s eyes. <i>These bastards might get the better o'' Ol'' Brock, but I ain''t gonna turn tail an'' run like a coward. I''ll die in battle, just like a man of Skellige.</i>


    Much to Brock''s surprise, the giant suddenly turned around and made its way to the beach, ignoring him. The bird monsters followed suit.


    Slowly, the group of monsters closed in on the shore, and Brock saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life. A blue-skinned giant in ackluster jacket walked out of the sea, heading toward the coast, a deste, ancient whistle escaping its lips.


    The ekhidnas circled overhead, screeching in response. The fisherman was ck-jawed, his breathing almosting to a stop. And then a cloaked figure appeared, sitting on the giant''s shoulder, the des on his back glinting under the sun. The figure held the giant''s sopping long hair with one hand, waving slowly at Brock with the other, as if saying goodbye to him.


    <i>Somethin''s sittin'' on the giant''s shoulder? What''s that? </i>Brock rubbed his eyes, but the giant had entered the lush mountains, disappearing into the woods. All his strength lost, Brock plopped onto the bow, a rush of air escaping his lips. Beads of sweat drenched his beard and hair.


    "By Freya¡­ A blue giant that can control those flyin'' monsters? Goddess, could that be? The slumberin'' giant in the freezin'' mountains? But why didn''t it kill me? And who''s the guy on its shoulder? No, first I got to tell e''eryone about this. They must know the giant hase back."


    ***


    Winds howled, the witcher''s cloak and hair billowing. He was sitting on the ice giant''s shoulder as it lumbered through the mountains of Undvik. Every step it took made the ground rumble, and the sound of its footsteps spread far and wide. Big flocks of snow buntings flew off the branches, seeking a quieter ce.


    Standing on a giant granted Roy a different perspective. The world felt different and new. The air was crisper, colder, and everything he saw was white. White ice, snow-capped trees, and snow covered branches. The witcher grabbed a frozen acorn, and a patch of snow fell to the ground, revealing a nest underneath. The hatchlings squawked, craning their necks, calling their mother to feed them.


    The hatchlings'' mother, however, was on the other side of the woods, scared off by the giant. The witcher patted the giant''s head, and it bent down obediently, huddling closer to the nest as its master tore a fish into strips. Roy then fed the fish to the hatchlings, and he snapped his fingers.


    The giant kept walking. In the bushes underneath, white foxes and hares carefully stuck their heads out, looking at the giant with curiosity and fear.


    The giant roared and emerged from the woods.


    "Start running, Leviathan."


    The ice giant started to run. Despite its hulking mass, the giant could sprint. In just five seconds, it cleared nearly a hundred yards. The monster was faster than the best horse this world could provide.


    The echoes of its footsteps spread across the air, an icy-blue mountain moving at high speeds across the snow-capped fields and woods. Everywhere the giant went, the earth would shake, and the mountains would rumble.


    The witcher stayed with the giant as it charged through the prairie, and they came to the cliff of a snow-capped mountain. The giant scaled the walls, digging its toes and fingers into the stone easily. Ice giants were born with the talent and instinct to climb, and the skin on Leviathan''s limbs shot out a surge of bizarre energy, sticking it to the snow.


    The ice giant leapt from the top of the mountain, crossing a valley that spanned at least forty yards, and itnded on a mountainside. Despite the mountainside''s uneven walls and jutting rock formations, the ice giant still climbed as fast as a lizard, holding a protruding boulder with both hands, swinging around like a gori.


    Despite its mountainous size, the giant didn''t feel slow. On the contrary, it was agile and had great bnce.


    ***


    Under the witcher''smand and the ekhidnas'' guide, the ice giant crossed the mountain range and climbed to the highest peak of Undvik''s northern mountains. It was also the giant''s old den.


    Excited, Leviathan thumped its chest and let out a roar, announcing its return.


    Roy stood atop the center of the giant''s head, looking up at the golden sun, then he looked down, but everything looked as small as insects. Everything in Undvik was right under his feet. Under his mercy. "I''m the king of Undvik!"


    ***


    They came into Leviathan''s old home, and Roy sat beside a bonfire, balls of cotton plugging his nose. Even though Leviathan just had a bath and a change of clothes, the odor it had was still pungent enough to make Roy nauseous.


    The ice giant sat on the other side of the cave, simpering. Resistance would bring it nothing but nightmares.


    "After I leave Undvik, you''re going to stay in your den and sleep, you hear? Only exception is when you have to hunt for food. Once every three days, you''ll be hunting for fish in the sea. You''re not allowed to attack humans. Good job staying away from the fisherman. Don''t worry if you''re seen. Juste back and hide in your den. If anything happens, contact me. You know how. And remember, tell your ekhidnas to stop hunting humans. The sea has enough fish for them to feed on."


    Roy was stern with the giant, and Leviathan didn''t try to argue. It nodded, a stark contrast from its old, belligerent self.


    Roy extended his hand, and the giant quickly bent down and huddled its head closer for the witcher to pat. The ice giant almost felt like a pet. Roy nodded, satisfied. He meditated countless times and endured the dizziness and nausea from the mana exhaustion required to save this giant.? Now, the giant was doing his bidding. No matter how powerful it was in the past, the beast now only followed his orders.


    And now the witchers finally had their weapon of mass destruction. The ice giant was nigh invincible, had great strength, and was the size of a? two-story building. It was enough to deal with an army.


    After taming the ice giant, Roy read through its memories and noticed that the giant had been in hibernation for a hundred and ten years. Before this, it lived the life of a pig, spending its days eating and sleeping. Sometimes the sleep wouldst for five to six years, sometimes a century or two. If Roy hadn''t woken it up, the giant wouldn''t have woken up for at least eight years. Still, that was a good point. At least Roy didn''t have to spend too much time keeping an eye on the giant.


    ***


    After the lecture, Roy concentrated on his character sheet, his mind bombarded by a mountain of new information. After that smashing attack from the giant, he had to level up, or he would''ve died.


    ''Level (12 ¡ú 13) Witcher (100/14500) [3000 EXP spent on leveling up Sherry.]


    Main stat (Will): 30 ¡ú 32


    (1) skill point remaining. (1) stat point remaining.''


    Level 10 Meditation had been a big boon for Roy, and now his first task was to get his second Level 10 skill. There was only one skill to spend the stat point on, then.


    ''Massacre Level 8 ¡ú Level 9


    (Bloody Aura: Any enemy that is within a 3-meter radius (should they attack) has a 20% chance (locked) to be Feared by the aura of Massacre. If the enemy''s Will is the same or lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for at most 3 seconds.


    You now permanently deal (35 ¡ú 40)% extra damage to species of creatures you have hunted before.


    Fear: You may activate this skill and Fear single, multiple, or all targets within a 3-meter radius around you. Performs a mandatory Will check. If the targets'' Will are the same or lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for at most 3 seconds. Cooldown: 1.5 ¡ú 1 minute.


    Note: This skill will level up as you kill. The higher the number and type of creatures you kill, the higher this skill''s level is.)


    "Massacre''s corresponding stat is Will, and that''s 30 points now. Once Massacre reaches level 10, it should power up once more."


    Roy didn''t spend his stat point. His highest stat was already 32, and that was enough for him for now. An increment would barely help him right now.


    ***


    The young witcher turned his attention to his bound weapons. Once again, Gabriel''s appearance had changed. What was once a crimson hand crossbow covered in gem dust had turned into an ivory weapon that was almost bonelike to the touch. The bowstring had changed into a greenish-grey tendon. One little pull, and the string would slither like a viper.


    ''Hand crossbow¡ªGabriel


    You have dragon bones and dragon tendon in your inventory. Gabriel gains a special power up.


    The Obsidian Bolt: The bowstring made of cyclops tendon is now switched out for the tendon of Mirmulnir. Gabriel''s bolts gain more piercing power and effective range. Every tenth bolt, Gabriel''s newponents shall grant it more power, giving the tenth shot incredible piercing power.


    Components: Mulberry wood ¡ú dragon bone, hemp, mana, cyclops tendon ¡ú dragon tendon


    Specs: Weighs (9 ¡ú 15) pounds, measures at 0.9 meters long, draw strength (140 ¡ú 200) pounds. Effective range (143 ¡ú 200) meters.


    Affixes: Simplify, Guided Arrows (Elevated), Blink (Elevated), Stun Bolt, Ogre''s Fury (Elevated), The Obsidian Bolt, Mark of the Gemstone.''


    ***


    Roy fired off at the frozen wall of the cave, the bolts leaving dark blurs. As they exploded at the walls, icicles and debris flew around, revealing small craters in the wall.


    And then came the tenth shot.


    No longer did the bolt whizz sharp and loud. Instead, it produced nothing but a whisper. The witcher froze. Even with his sight, he couldn''t capture the arc of the bolt, and the impact didn''t produce any cracks of debris.


    The witcher went up to the wall and saw a small hole in it, and he felt a small gust of wind blowing into the cave, the rays of the sun forming a nted beam.


    The tenth shot pierced through the half-meter thick wall and flew into the air outside. <i>So that''s what it means by ''incredible piercing power.'' I can''t imagine what kind of substance can block this thing. It can probably shoot through dragon scales, let alone regr metal.</i>


    ***


    Half an hour of experimentingter, the witcher happily tucked the hand crossbow away.


    The ice giant was sitting on the ground, watching its master in confusion. It stared at Roy, frowning and falling into a stupor.


    Roy grabbed a sword out of thin air. Gwyhyr used to be smooth, level, and its de glinted white. However, now its de was swapped out for dragon bone, and it glimmered like white jade. It was slightly rough to the touch, the back and the edge of the de curving ever so slightly.


    It was a sharp weapon, and yet it looked so exotic.


    ''Steel sword¡ªGwyhyr


    You have dragon bones, dragon scales, and dragon blood in your inventory. Part of Gwyhyr''sponents have been switched out. You currently possess the power to ameliorate your soul into the form of a dragon. You have learned Sword Mastery Level 3. Gwyhyr ganis a special power up.


    Symphony of the Sword¡ªDragon: The amelioration of your soul grants you synchronization with the dragonponents of Gwyhyr. You canunch an attack that contains nearly the full power of an adult dragon. This skill''s strength will change ording to the level of Sword Mastery and the strength of your soul. You have undergone thirteen level ups and the meditation for a dragon''s soul. Cooldown: 20 minutes 54 seconds ¡ú 17 minutes 54 seconds.''


    The level up strengthened Roy''s soul as well, and the cooldown for Shout was reduced by three minutes.


    ''Components: Dark iron and pine wood ¡ú dragon bones, meteoric iron, magma, leather ¡ú dragon scales, powdered monster tissue ¡ú dragon blood.


    Specs: Weights (3.06 ¡ú 6) pounds, hilt measures at 9.3 inches, de measures at 36 inches.


    Affixes:


    Cirction, Ignite, Painful Strike (Elevated), Teleport (Elevated), Suppression (Elevated), Frostbite, Devour (Elevated), Symphony of the Sword¡ªDragon.''


    ***


    Roy held the hilt tight, facing the ice giant. He blinked, and then a visible stream of air rushed out of his armor, stirring up a small dust tornado, floating in the air.


    The ice giant tensed up, as if it would face a great enemy. It clenched its fists, staring at the witcher. Roy was still a puny human, and yet the ice giant suddenly saw something much bigger standing behind him.


    A ck, armored dragon, and it ovepped with the witcher. The dragon''s head and the witcher''s head ovepped, and it bared its fangs, its eyes filled with iciness, looking down at everything and everyone in this world.


    Roy held the sword tight and bent his leg a little. He held the sword up by his cheek, getting into the ox position. He stomped his foot and charged ahead, thrusting his sword at the open air. The de tore through the air with a buzz, and then a dragon''s roar echoed throughout the cave.


    For a moment, the Strength stat on his character sheet jumped from 16 to 30. The dragon''s phantom swiped its impressive barbed tail across the ground, its scales undting as the witcher charged ahead. Then it pped its wings and pounced ten yards ahead into the air, tearing and snarling at whatever the edge of the de was pointing at.


    A dark silhouette hurtled across the air, crashing into the wall, and it left a big hole behind for the snow and fierce winds toe in from.


    The silhouette disappeared into the air.


    A smile curled Roy''s lips. The dragon might be an illusion, but it could interact with the world around it. The moment he cast Symphony of the Sword¡ªDragon, for a few moments, Roy would possess enough strength to face an ice giant head on.


    ***


    The witcher unsheathed Aerondight, its once-crimson de possessing a tinge of gleaming ivory, as if small patches of snow had found their way into a pool of blood.


    ''Silver sword¡ªAerondight.


    You have spent an extra 3000 EXP to level up Guardian: Whenever you wield Aerondight, Sherry shall join you in battle, increasing all your stats by (10 ¡ú 15)% (limited to stats not higher than [20 ¡ú 25] points). This skill can also level up one of the user''s skills by one level (limited to skills not higher than Level [4 ¡ú 5] or an affix by one rank (limited to affixes that have at most gone through [2 ¡ú 3] power ups). The user may swap between these power ups once per day.


    Note: Every time this weapon is strengthened, its sentience shall grow as well, but at the cost of more pure souls.''


    Roy flicked the de, and it let out a crisp sound, and then a slender, translucent silhouette leapt into the air, dancing behind Roy, and a silveryugh rang in the air. Sherry looked even more corporeal than ever, her smile beautiful and almost lively.


    Roy watched her dance without saying a word, then they exchanged a look, and he saw her off as she disappeared into thin air


    The details for Aerondight changed.


    ''Silver sword¡ªAerondight


    Components: Tearstone, dark iron ¡ú dragon bones, cured draconid leather ¡ú dragon scales, powdered monster tissue ¡ú dragon blood, nymph blood, silver


    Specs: Weighs (6.06 ¡ú 9) pounds, hilt measures at 11 inches, de measures at 40 inches


    Soul Power: Guardian (the power up is now applied to Devour)


    Affixes: Mana Reduction, Aqua Blessing, Aqua Summoning, Teleport (Elevated), Suppression (Elevated), Devour (Twice Elevated), Symphony of the Sword¡ªDragon


    Note: This sword is a gift from the Lady of the Lake¡ªVivienne to Roy. Only you who have passed the trial can wield this sword.''


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath, tucked his weapons away, and gave the ice giant¡ªthat was cowering in the corner in fright¡ªa reassuring look. "Time to leave."


    The level up this time just added a few more trump cards up Roy''s sleeve. <i>Fear, The Obsidian Bolt, Shout, Symphony of the Sword¡ªDragon, Ring of Time, and Worldgate. </i>Roy looked out the slit on the wall to the far east, where Hindarsfjall was located. <i>My preparations areplete. </i>"I''ming for you, Ortn."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 526: Rience

    <h4>Chapter 526: Rience</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 526: Rience</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Back in Novigrad, Ciri had once again resumed her arduous life of magic education under Yennefer''s tutge. The sorceress was strict and almost spartan-like in her teachings, never letting her take a nap. Whenever Ciri would lose focus, Yennefer would whip her into shape, speaking to her in an almost beguiling manner.


    "Focus, you ugly duckling. Control your middle finger and pinky. Curl them up at the same time, but the ring finger stays <i>up</i>! Did you sleep badlyst night?" Yennefer heaved a sigh of resignation and ruffled her hair. "You did well yesterday, but this is awful."


    "Sorry, Yennefer, but I have a question. Until I get my answer, I can''t concentrate. Why can''t anyone else learn how to draw the patterns you made me draw? And why can''t they make these gestures either?" Ciri was wide-eyed and curious. "I taught Vicki and Renee more times than I cared to count, but they just couldn''t seem to get the hang of it."


    "I told you that the gods themselves granted you a gift, and the other sniveling brats aren''t that lucky. You''re effectively trying to teach them how to pluck the stars out of the skies, which is impossible. Save your breath and spend more time improving yourself. Don''t fool around with the brats or try to train the dog to pee while standing on its hind legs. That''s not going to happen, and it''s animal abuse."


    "Oh, so you know? Then why does the magic I learn differ from the witchers''?" Ciri licked her lips. "Before they learn their spells, Carl, Monti, Acamuthorm, and everyone else first learn how to meditate, and they talk to colorful tadpoles while they do that. The tadpoles will nestle themselves in the boys'' bodies ande back out when they cast their spells."


    "That''s chaos energy, not tadpoles. Meditation''s only for those without much talent. It''s a shortcut for them to get to their goal. Fine, it also helps with calming the mind. For Sources, however, meditation''s not exactly needed. You don''t need meditation to replenish your mana. You can take it from the convergence points in the earth, the waters, the fires, and the air. And remember, the things witchers cast are not spells. They are Signs. Far easier to cast, but weaker as well."


    "So you''re saying I''m going to be stronger than them? Even with the fire?" Ciri''s eyes shone, a grin curling her lips.


    "Do as I say, and you''ll be strong enough to shock them within a year."


    ***


    Driven by her urge to win, Ciri started putting in hard work in hopes of one day besting the witchers. The girl was smart enough to learn a dozen basic gestures, poses, and movements. As Yennefer instructed, Ciri would move to her luxurious room in Gildorf when night came. There, she lit up her magicalmp and started reading the basic tomes of magic Yennefer prepared for her. Dialogues on the Nature of Magic, Natural Magic, and Elemental Energy were some of the few references she must read.


    Ciri started yawning after she was done with her reading. The sorceress would hold her in her arms as they slept, trying to prove that she had no unicorns lying around, and Geralt never had the chance to ride one, since it never existed.


    Ciri wasn''t really curious about it. She would fall asleep right after shey down on the bed. Her training was exhausting, and she fell into a deep slumber, oblivious to the fact that Yennefer would get up after she fell asleep and go around gallivanting.


    ***


    The children noticed Ciri''s moving out, and it hadn''t been that long since the lively girl joined them. She was no longer there in the dorms, and things got a little lonely without her. However, their attention was quickly turned to Yoana, the neer in their ss.


    The girls would surround the young cksmith, asking her a lot of questions. One was why she spent her days in the smithy toiling away, while another was why her chest, unlike most girls, looked like a pair of mountains.


    Some of the more precocious boys would steal nces at the curvaceous Yoana, even those who used to steal nces at Ciri. Carl once got too distracted staring at Yoana, he ran straight into the stake and got a bump on his head that took three days to heal. He became the butt of everyone''s jokes for two weeks.


    Ciri felt down about that for a long time. "They only care about the new girl now, hmph!" Just like that, the young girl decided to give all her time to magic, with Yennefer as her tutor.


    ***


    "Keep on walking, you ugly duckling. Vort caelme. Hold your hands out in front of you. Rx. Keep walking ahead."


    Frustrated, the girl stomped her foot. "Where is the stream supposed to be?"


    "The stream is everywhere, and keep your temper in check."


    Ciri awkwardly held her hand before her chest, stiffly going into the bushes. "There are four elements, aren''t there? Why can I only take mana from streams instead of the earth or fire or the air?"


    "Manaes in different ways. You do not have enough strength to take mana from the earth; you do not understand magic enough to glean mana from the air; you do not have enough control over your will or mana, so you won''t be ying with fire unless you want to get burned and turn yourself uglier."


    "Hey, I felt something over there! Right behind the flower!"


    "Good. Now focus your mind and hold your excitement in. Slowly move toward the stream, find out its location, and point it out to me."


    "It''s right here!"


    "Well done. You should feel your index finger twitching now. See how it''s bending downward? That''s a sign you found a convergence point. Yes, that''s a stream right there. Perfect for an aspirant. Now, take this slow and capture¡ª"


    "Can I absorb mana now?" The girl swiveled around, staring at her teacher with excitement in her eyes.


    "Hold on. I need to check the mana leve¡ª Dammit, stop!"


    "Bear witness, Yennefer!" Ciri cupped a ball of blue water in her hands, ripples spreading across its surface, and the water reflected the golden sunlight. She turned around, cackling. "I, Ciri Fiona Elen Riannon, hereby announce that I have captured mana! I am now a proud sorceress! I am the queen of monster hunt¡ª"


    Yennefer quickly held the dizzy Ciri in her arms. Blood was spurting out of the girl''s nose.


    "I''m seeing stars, Yennefer. And there''s blood everywhere? Am I going to die? Am I seeing Grandpa soon?" Ciri looked green, and she shivered in fear.


    "Why the queen of monster hunters instead of the queen of magic? Here I spent so much time teaching you everything I know, but all I get in return is an insult?" Yennefer plugged Ciri''s nose with some cotton wool and checked if she was fine. She heaved a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. "You ungrateful duckling. Now tell me yourst words."


    "L-Last words? I-I saw something just now. It¡¯s like a kind of vision."


    Yennefer arched her eyebrow, her face tense. <i>What''s going on? Some divination from overstimtion?</i>


    "I see that scar-faced sorcerer. The same one who wants to catch me. He''sing!" Ciri said, her voice quavering, and she held Yennefer''s hand tightly.


    "What? Where is he?"


    "He''s with Aiden, Lambert, and a man with a mustache and fancy clothes."


    ***


    The sun was setting into the horizon, burning the skies red. Dandelion was in a house in the slums of Novigrad. He stood up, pulled his belt tighter, changed into his gaudy jacket and purple hat, then he said goodbye to thedy in messy clothes, who was still swaying around.


    The bard passed through the squalid and ustrophobic alleyways, swiftly making his way to the trade quarter in the north, where the ballroom stood. Memories of the time he shared with the woman earlier delighted him, and he hummed a tune. The bard spun around under the beautiful sky, bowing at the imaginary woman before him.


    "Your beauty shines brighter than even the moon and the stars above, mdy. Just like a perfect poem. I actually have a poem for you. Shall we take this to a quieter ce so I can recite it to you?"


    Heughed. Dandelion touched his face and tidily-kept mustache as he sauntered back to the ballroom, his heart full. Ever since the ballroom was opened, his life went into the fastne. His business grew, and the number of customers who came to his establishment didn''t diminish in the slightest.


    In just a single year, the ballroom managed to surpass Pike''s Grotto and became the city''s most well-received entertainment establishment. Not only did Dandelion make enough money to afford his luxurious hobbies, he also had a ce where he could express all his frustrations and talents in their full glory.


    Over thest year, Dandelion had created more than ten remarkable works of art, some of them poetry, and some of them theater shows. His fame had spread to all of Novigrad and everywhere the city had influence. People in the industry and the bards and actors working for him praised him to high heavens. Beautiful women took interest in him in droves. From the daughters of merchants to the aristocratic widows, all fell for him.


    Prisci might have kept a close eye on him, but Dandelion was a smart man, partly because he saw art and poetry as his ultimate goal in life. He had cleared Prisci''s doubts more times than he could care to count.


    Women were sources of his inspiration, especially women from different walks of life. He must''ve been under the spell of alcohol when he promised he would stay loyal to the female bard, but eventually, the spell was lifted, and Dandelion knew he would never settle for a single woman. The bard managed to enjoy the life of many men''s dreams, and the delight of his gallivanting was turned into his source of inspiration.


    <i>Now that''s what I call a positive feedback loop. </i>The bard had a spring in his step, his smile growing bigger.


    And then it froze.


    The dying light of the sunset shone upon the men in the alleyway''s entrance, lending a darker shade to their already dark looks.


    The man in the lead, a mercenary in a gray leather jacket, loudly proimed, "I''m very sorry to stop you in your path, Dandelion, and in a ce like this too." Slowly, the man closed in on the bard.


    Dandelion might not know an ounce of martial arts, but his adventures with Geralt had opened his eyes to the more violent side of the world. Thanks to that, he could see that this man before him knew how to fight, and he knew how to fight well. The air around him was tense, and he had an imposing presence. There was also a hint of mystery surrounding him too.


    Hisckeys were regr thugs, however.


    "But I do admire your work. When I caught wind of your opening a ballroom in Novigrad, I came as fast as I could just to talk to you myself. Worry not. If everything goes well, we''ll all go home happy. I won''t waste much of your time, either."


    "It''s a delight to talk about poetry with a fellow enthusiast, but this is no ce for that. Talking about art in the slums is going to hamper my inspiration." Dandelion stomped his foot, flinging away the mud on his boots, and he slowly looked at the men.


    The one in the lead had glistening ck eyes, a sharp nose, thin lips, and a hideous scar across his face. "Let''s take this to the ballroom. It''s big, luxurious, and there are nice chairs we can sit in. And since I''m happy to receive new guests, drinks are on the house."


    "Oh, don''t be nervous, Dandelion." Rience took one step closer. He could grab the bard by the neck if he just extended his hand. "Why don''t you listen to what I have to say first?" He gave hisckeys a look, and one of them went around Dandelion, cutting off his exit.


    "Your work is unique, indeed. Came up with a fresh new genre, eh? An ode to the mutants. That''s sacrilege and a transgression, I reckon. Can''t believe no one cursed your guts for that. No, the Novigradians seem to enjoy it as well. Your talent''s remarkable. You managed to turn something reprehensible into something enjoyable," he praised.


    And then he started the actual conversation.


    "To be honest, I''ve taken an interest in a particr character in The Unexpected Journey. An ode to a white-haired witcher, eh? That witcher''s the one I''m interested in. Poetry takes inspiration from real life. The fact that you know so much about how he fights with a sword, how he never really means his callous remarks, and hisplex past tells me that you two are the best of friends."


    Rience stared into the bard''s eyes sharply, trying to see through him. "Do you know where that witcher is right now?"


    <i>He''s talking about Geralt? </i>Dandelion mused over it for a moment and realized this man must be plotting against his friend. Geralt was an old friend, and it was also partly thanks to him that Dandelion could run this ballroom show. He must not betray Geralt. "What''s your name, good sir?"


    "Rience. It''s expected that the famous bard does not know about me. You have a legion of admirers, and I am but one of them. Still, will you generously lend me your help?"


    "Sorry, but I can''t." Dandelion shrugged and shook his head. "This story came from another bard. It held my interest, so Imitted it to memory and made some modifications of my own. To tell you the truth, I have no idea about who that white-haired bloke is."


    "Please, think harder, Dandelion." Rience whipped out a bag of coins and shoved it into the bard''s hands.


    Dandelion weighed the coins, and he scoffed silently. <i>Not even a month of profit. You think this is enough to bribe me?</i>


    "You must know him. There''s no reason for you to sing an ode to a witcher otherwise."


    "Some other witcher saved my life from a band of elven bandits, and he almost died for that," Dandelion said seriously, putting on an act of gratitude. He had perfected the art from acting all his life, and he could y any emotion as if it were real. "Since then, I vowed to change how people view witchers. I vowed to clear them of their infamy."


    "Nice story." The look on Rience''s face turned icy cold, and he no longer showed the bard any respect. "Think long and hard, bard. This question is an important one, both for you and me. Where is the white-haired witcher? If you give me an honest answer, then I will not have to use any violence. Don''t want to hurt your precious little body." He looked at the leering, freckled thug behind him, and the thug licked his lips. "Some people are <i>very </i>interested in you."


    Dandelion shivered and held his buttocks, putting on a look of dilemma. He hung his head low and stayed in silence. A long deliberationter, he heaved a long sigh, a look of dejection painting his face. As if he had given in, he said, "Fine, I remember that bard telling me that the white-haired witcher would make frequent appearances in northern Aedirn somewhere near Dol thanna."


    Rience''s frown deepened, and an eerie smile curled his lips. "Still lying? Guess it''s death for you."


    Dandelion whirled and tried to run, his hat falling to the ground, coins spilling all over.


    Rience shot a bolt of blue light at the bard, then he opened up his left hand and sped his index and middle fingers together.


    Dandelion was lifted off the ground, an invisible power holding him up in the air by his shoulders. He kicked and shouted, but he was not let go.


    Rience curled his pinky, and Dandelion''s scream was cut off, reced by muffled cries. He couldn''t speak, and he started to hyperventte. His face was turning red as theck of air kicked in.


    The sorcerer kept his left hand held up, slowly walking toward the bard. "Very well. If you choose the hard way, then the hard way it shall be."


    Five secondster, the power that was grasping the bard''s neck let go of him, but he was still suspended in midair. The bard''s breathing was ragged, and he gasped in pain. His left wrist was bent backward at an unnatural angle, his bones almost breaking, and he tasted metal in his mouth.


    "You useless, phndering fool. You just had to go the extra mile to lie to me, and what did it get you? Nothing but humiliation." Rience looked at the bard, the gaze in his eyes as cold as the winds on the ice giant''s mountain.


    There was a hint ofssitude in his voice. "Now you''re going to answer my questions honestly. Lie, and you can say goodbye to your hand. I can promise that you''ll never y the lute again, nor can you ever flirt with the foolish women who adore you. I can see through your lies easily. Any made-up stories, any hesitation, and I will read your mind and turn you into a moron. You won''t even be able to recognize a single word, let alone make poetry. You''ll spend the rest of your days mucking in the mud and ying with your excrements like a pig."


    Dandelion was held up in the air with his buttocks rearing up. It was humiliating. His face was red, then it paled, and then he nodded in fear.


    "Good. Now tell me everything about the main characters of The Unexpected Journey. The white-haired witcher and the other girl, Ciri. Their whereabouts, where they might show up, what they might be doing, I want everything. No omission."


    "They''re in Kovir and Poviss. The Dragon Mountains near the bay, to be exact," Dandelion muttered, almost having a breakdown. "In a witcher fortress called Kaer Seren."


    Rience listened closely, his face tense. <i>A witcher fortress? That''s possible. </i>"Continue."


    "They''re at¡­" Dandelion suddenly grinned as he looked up the walls of the alleyway. His eyes went wide, and tears welled within them.


    "I said, continue."


    "Hey, Rience." Dandelion sneered at the sorcerer, his eyes filled with mockery and pity. "You have no idea who you just messed up. I''m not the kind of man you can cross and then get away with."


    "You bastard!"


    ***


    Someone tossed a ss container from behind the walls. It smashed right beside Rience''s foot, and dimeritium dust filled the air like glittering fog, covering the sorcerer. He gasped in surprise. Chaos energy flickered like bolts of electricity around him, and then they fizzled out.


    The bard yelped as he fell to the ground head first. Noticing the sudden change, theckeys closed in. Four silhouettes leapt down from the walls. Two had eyes of beasts. They were lean, well-built, and carried a pair of longswords on their backs. The other two were much shorter and younger. Obviously, they were still teenagers.


    The moment the witchers leapt onto the battlefield, they knew what they had to do. The grown monster hunters surrounded Rience, their des shing through the air.


    The apprentice witchers dealt with theckeys. Carl stood before the stronger thug and mmed a left uppercut into his chin with all the might he could muster.


    The thug flew through the air and crashed into the alleyway''s wall. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.


    Monti faced the remaining thug. He was charging at the apprentice, but thed wasn''t afraid. He quickly held his hand out and chopped at the thug''s throat. While the thug was holding his throat and gasping for air, Monti swung his leg at the thug''s crotch.


    The thug let out a shrill scream as he curled up and keeled ahead, convulsing as he fell to the ground.


    ***


    The tables had turned.


    Rience''s vast experience on the battlefield saved his life. The moment he was hit by the dimeritium powder, he swiftly retreated, clutching at the obsidian talisman under his shirt with one hand. At the same time, he brushed his right thumb at the ruby ring on his right index finger, then he raised his hand.


    A pir of blinding mes shot to the sky, illuminating the rundown alleyway. A fireball hurtled ahead, leaving a red trail behind.


    The ball of mes charged toward Aiden. The witcher stopped mid-charge and leapt away. The fireball whizzed past him, and his Heliotrop disappeared. In the end, the ball of mes hit the wall, leaving a charred mark on the bricks.


    Lambert leapt ahead, thrusting his de forward with both hands, but he hit a wall of air. A loud thud resounded throughout the alleyway, and he was pushed back by the rebound. While he was in the air, Lambert quickly made a bizarre Sign. A wave of mana charged out of the blue triangle, and a st of Aard hit the sorcerer.


    Rience grunted and staggered backward, bumping into the advancing Aiden. The point of the witcher''s sword was aimed at his waist, ready to carve a hole in the sorcerer.


    The sorcerer''s shield broke, and a patch of crimson bloomed on Rience''s armor. He quickly rolled across the ground, looking messy, but he managed to dodge Aiden''s attack.


    And then Lambert''s attack came.


    A blinding golden light shed across the alleyway, and an elliptical object appeared before Rience. He held his left side and jumped into the air like a fish struggling for water, then he jumped into the elliptical object and disappeared.


    The golden light dimmed, and the sounds of battle quieted. It had been but ten seconds, the battle was done.


    "Dammit. He escaped? Now how am I supposed to exin myself to Geralt?" Lambert muttered as he tucked his sword away in frustration.


    "It''s not our fault. He was already affected by the dimeritium. I have a feeling that portal wasn''t his doing." Aiden rubbed the scar on his chin. "Maybe some other powerful sorcerer, his aplice, or even his employer did it. Opened up a portal somewhere far away and took him away. At least we got a couple ofckeys, though."


    "Yeah, and that''s <i>real </i>nice." Lambert said, "Wanna bet that they don''t know anything about that bastard?"


    "Yeah, sure. Challenge epted. Loser pays for the next Pike''s Grotto visit."


    "Help me!" the bard howled, interrupting the witchers. "Lambert, Aiden, you have to help me, or I''m done for!" He held up his swollen, misshapen, and contorted wrist, almost tearing up, and his lips were trembling. "I can''t let anything happen to my hand. How am I supposed to work if it''s broken?"


    Carl came over, yanked the bard''s dislocated wrist, and snapped it back in ce. The bard let out a yelp of surprise.


    "Stop yelling, sir. Can''t believe you''re so scared of a little dislocation, and you''re so much older than us. Our training''s a lot more painful than this." Carl and Monti shook their heads in disdain.


    Lambert, however, had a little change of opinion about Dandelion. "Didn''t think a bard would be that brave, Dandelion. You wouldn''t tell them anything even when you were tortured. Thought bards only flirted around with women and did nothing else."


    "Of course I wouldn''t." Dandelion rubbed his wrist and stood up. He patted the dust off his clothes and righteously dered, "I''d rather die in agony and humiliation than betray my friends."


    That was a little lie. Had Rience kept on with his interrogation, Dandelion would''ve spilled everything.


    "Ah, shut it. You did this yourself this time." Aiden smirked. "We''ve been keeping an eye on you in secret. Can''t believe you''d sneak out of the ballroom ande all the way to the slums just to sleep with a widow. You duped Prisci <i>and </i>us, and you see what that cost you? For the love of all things good, use your head a little. The head up there. Your gallivanting ways aren''t more important than your safety, get it?"


    "You insult me. My love for Prisci is true, and that will never change." The bard swung his fists as he exined himself indignantly. "I was just trying to find some inspiration for better works. All for the business and your reputation."


    "You were finding inspiration while sleeping around with women? Yeah, whatever you say," Lambert retorted and held one unconscious thug on his shoulder. Aiden took the other one, and they went to the Collector''s vi. Theds followed them, focusing on their every movement to sharpen their stealth tactics.


    "Oh, right. What did the guy say his name was again, Dandelion?"


    "Rience." Dandelion shivered. With fear and hatred in his voice, he said, "He was looking for Geralt and the Unexpected Child. Wonder why he was doing that. Could he be a Nilfgaardian spy?" As if nonchnt, he asked, "So you know where the Unexpected Child is?"


    The witchers exchanged a look and shook their heads. "We''re searching for the princess too, and this is none of your business, Dandelion. For your sake, the less you know, the better. Now go back to the ballroom and don''t run around again."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 527 - 527: Countermeasures

    Chapter 527: Countermeasures


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    An ancient castle stood on the cliff overseeing a beach. A muscr man in ck stood before the window of the library, a calm expression painting his handsome face, and he was staring at the shipwreck on the beach.


    ¡°My apologies, sire. I fell into their trap.¡± Rience knelt behind him, his head hanging low. His hand was held against his waist, his voice filled with hatred and exasperation. ¡°The witchers know that I¡¯m searching for Cintra¡¯s princess. They told the third-rate bard to sing odes to them to lure us in, and they were waiting for us. If you hadn¡¯t saved me in time, those filthy mutants would¡¯ve taken me in for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°They?¡± Vilgefortz asked tly, but there was unbridled rage under his voice. His hand that was holding the window¡¯s pane had veins popping on it.


    Fear shed in Rience¡¯s eyes. ¡°Four other witchers ambushed me. Two of them were older. Skilled and experienced. Must be more than fifty years old. The other two were young. Couldn¡¯t have been older than teenagers. Perhaps they had just passed the Trial. Geralt didn¡¯t show himself, but it¡¯s highly probable that he¡¯s hiding in Novigrad. Only he knows me and my goal.¡±


    Vilgefortz fell into silence, gently fiddling with the thumb ring on his left hand. He was not interested in subpar magical creations like witchers, but he did hear of them during his chats with other practitioners of magic. He knew witchers fought alone. Two appearing in one ce was rare, and four showing up together was nigh impossible.


    Not to mention that it had been decades since the witcher added fresh blood to their ranks. They should¡¯ve been in steep decline and on the brink of extinction. And yet two new witchers showed up. This is clearly different from what I¡¯ve been told.


    ¡°Sir, I have a feeling that there are other witchers in the city aside from Geralt and the four who ambushed me. They¡¯re hiding in the shadows, scheming and plotting against us.¡± Rience gnashed his teeth. ¡°Because of their protection, that lowly bard cursed me. Threatened me. Me, a sorcerer. That is preposterous.¡±


    Vilgefortz stepped away from the window and circled around the kneeling sorcerer calmly, his hair swaying in the wind. ¡°Mutants are no threat by themselves, but if enough of them band together, they¡¯d be as annoying as a bunch of drowners. You are not to be med for this failure.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Rience heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. With conviction, he said, ¡°Even though the princess managed to escape Emhyr¡¯s useless knight, where could she even go? The only thing she could do was join up with Geralt in Novigrad. That witcher is bound to her by Destiny, after all. Now that they¡¯ve attacked us, that¡¯s effectively telling us where they are. I believe that Geralt and the princess are hiding in Novigrad somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Your previous operation has alerted them to our presence. They¡¯re as cunning as foxes, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯reing up with countermeasures right now.¡± Vilgefortz mused. ¡°Rience, listen to me. Make sure you keep yourself hidden well enough. Do not alert the witchers again,¡± Vilgefortz ordered.


    ¡°Contact Schirru and hire some trusted individuals. Powerful individuals. Money is of no concern. I want you to investigate Novigrad as much and as carefully as you can. I want you to find out where the witchers are hiding, how their forces are spread, and their allies in the city. I want everything. Come back with a report once you¡¯re done, and do not disappoint me this time. Do not reveal yourself and alert them either.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Rience touched his chest with his right hand.


    ¡°They¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t have time to deal with them. I have something more important to do. They can live their happy little lives for a while longer.¡± A cold smirk curled Vilgefortz¡¯s lips.


    Something more important? Rience bowed his head, his eyes glinting with admiration and worship. Vilgefortz was an incredibly young sorcerer, yet his talent for magic was unmatched. He knew countless powerful spells not even the brotherhood¡¯s top brass could cast. Rience would be taken out in five seconds should they get into a fight.


    And this man was smart and cunning. Just a while ago, he helped the northern kingdom¡¯s alliance take down Nilfgaard¡¯s sorcerer in the Battle of Sodden Hill, dealing a heavy blow to the emperor of the south and gaining most of the northern brotherhood¡¯s trust and support.


    And now, thanks to his efforts, the kings were about to sign a ceasefire. This time, he would take Emhyr¡¯s side. A carrot and a stick, as they always said. Vilgefortz would make Emhyr see that he was more important than the emperor had imagined, and he would need something much more valuable if Emhyr wanted his support.


    This man had everything under his control. Even a ruler like Emhyr had to walk right into his trap. He had no choice but to do so. Still, that was good news for Rience. Once Vilgefortz had ensured his victory, hisckeys¡ªRience included¡ªwould be reaping great benefits too.


    It was his dream for this future that drove him to risk being a double agent, even though being found out meant heads would roll. Even so, he would help Vilgefortz with the search for Ciri.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the witchers once I¡¯m done with my current matter. What belongs to me will be mine. The swallow can fly around for a bit longer. Only through trials can she grow. The stronger she is, the more valuable she bes.¡± Vilgefortz paused for a moment. ¡°And don¡¯t even think about leaking anything to the empire¡¯s intelligence department. If you¡¯re trying to appease Vattier de Riveaux, then I advise you to discard that thought immediately.¡±


    ¡°From the moment you saved me from Cintra¡¯s dungeon and cleared my debt, I have sworn fealty to only you.¡±


    ***


    Rience had his orders, and he slipped into a portal, disappearing.


    Vilgefortze left the library and descended a big staircase, then he walked down a corridor with statues filling the niches in the walls beforeing into aboratory. Theb was clean and brightly lit. It had a long metal table and racks filled with ss items. Vials and vessels and tubes and curios of all kinds stood atop the rack.


    And there was a fetus sealed within a certain ss bottle.


    The pervasive stench of alcohol, ether, and formaldehye filled the air. A poor test subject with unkempt hair was tied to a steel chair equipped with all kinds of exquisite yet cruel contraptions, her wrists bound to the armrests with metal. Her head hung low, and she didn¡¯t move an inch. The air around her smelled of fear and terror. She was like a rabbit forced into a corner by a rabid dog.


    A cruel and excited smirk curled Vilgefortz¡¯s lips. He picked up a ss syringe about half a foot long, the needle slender and curled. He went ahead and gripped the test subject¡¯s chin in a vice grip. The lights of theb projected the syringe¡¯s shadow on the wall, held by the shadow of a demon.


    And then the screams started.


    ***


    At the same time, a discussion had started in theb underneath Novigrad¡¯s Temple Ind. The light from the brazier shone upon the participants, all of which looked solemn. Geralt, Vesemir, Letho, Auckes, Kiyan, Coen, and a lot more were there. They were staring at a blue screen hanging in the air.


    The screen showed the face of a man. Short ck hair, dark, cruel eyes, thin lips, and a scar on his face.


    Yennefer¡¯s finger danced through the air like she was crocheting a jacket. With every movement she made, the portrait looked livelier and more lifelike. ¡°That¡¯s the man?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s stupid-eyes Rience. Got his waist carved out.¡± Lambert crossed his arms and nodded in frustration. ¡°I¡¯d know that guy anywhere. He almost destroyed that gallivanting bard¡¯s arm.¡±


    Yennefer turned to the White Wolf. Geralt¡¯s eyes shone sharply. ¡°He was the one who stopped me from taking Ciri away back at the castle. When Ciri came back to Novigrad with me, she mentioned him, and she looked serious. This sorcerer was the one who¡¯d been hunting her down, aside from that Nilfgaardian knight.¡±


    ¡°So who¡¯s his master?¡± Serrit rubbed his stubble, staring at the ambusher. ¡°Nilfgaard¡¯s emperor? Foltest of Temeria? Demavend of Aedirn? Henselt of Kaedwen? Vizimir II of Redania? Or Hengfors¡¯ League? What did the thugs say?¡±


    Aiden shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but the thugs are residents of rural Novigrad. They followed Rience into the city after he put them under a mind-control spell. They went along with the abduction n to make some coins for themselves. They have no idea about Rience or his past at all.¡±


    ¡°So we don¡¯t even know who the enemy is?¡± Kiyan adjusted his sunsses, a hint of frustration shing in his eyes.


    ¡°If any of the northern kingdoms¡¯ kings were behind this, they wouldn¡¯t have to send any sorcerer out. That was nothing but a skirmish,¡± Letho exined, shaking his head. ¡°I think it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s serving Nilfgaard like the knight. One¡¯s working in the shadows, one isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Rience is a spy for the empire¡¯s intelligence agency. That¡¯s why he operates from the shadows.¡±


    Lambert said, ¡°But his ent sounded northern.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aiden continued solemnly. ¡°And from the sound of it, Kaedwen ent.¡±


    Everyone fell into silence. With Rience escaping, the enemy might eventually find their Novigrad base.


    ¡°Rience was arrogant,¡± Yennefer said, scanning everyone in the room, and a smile curled her lips. ¡°A sorcerer with a scar and speaks with a Kaedwen ent. I think I know a bit of his past.¡±


    Everyone looked at her, and the sorceress circled the witchers quietly. ¡°Most of the northern sorcerers hail from magical academies. Either they¡¯re from Thanedd¡¯s Aretuza or Kaedwen¡¯s Ban Ard. The former¡¯s for sorceresses, and thetter¡¯s for sorcerers.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Coen scratched the pockmark underneath his beard, interrupting, ¡°Why are the academies based on gender? Are the magical modifications different for the genders?¡±


    ¡°Witchers are split into schools based on their philosophy. Why can¡¯t sorcerers go to different academies based on gender?¡± Yennefer said crisply. ¡°Men and women are different. From how they carry themselves in their lives to the talent they express during their magical training. Using Margarita¡¯s words, magic requires patience, an eye for detail, wisdom, keen judgment, an iron will, humility, a calm mind, and the ability to endure obstacles and failure. Ambition is the bane of you men. You love to chase after things you know you can never have while ignoring the things you can have.¡±


    Yennefer continued, ¡°In other words, men are blessed with a bold mind and the spirit of innovation, but arrogance is your downfall. You¡¯re scattered and hard to manage. Women, on the other hand, are humble. We devote ourselves to the research, and we know how to serve. We¡¯re more well-equipped for the art of magic. Over the years, during magical tournaments, Aretuza wins by a lot. That¡¯s a fact.¡±


    ¡°A moment, Yennefer.¡± Auckes shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re praising women too much. Counterargument: why aren¡¯t there many women who can pass the Trial and be witchers?¡±


    ¡°Ignore the fool.¡± Serrit shot his brother a look of disdain and nodded at Yennefer. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°Because of men¡¯s ego, students of Ban Ard who fail to graduatae aren¡¯t that umon. These dropouts can never join the brotherhood, and the intelligence agencies of the north see them as valuable resources. They¡¯ve been recruiting dropouts of magical academies, training them to be spies and assassins. These agencies now have agents who know magic and hand-to-handbat. They can carry out difficult missions most people would have a hard time with.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying Rience is working for Kaedwen¡¯s intelligence agency?¡± Vesemir stroked his well-maintained beard, It was tied into a neat bunch by a blue hair tie, courtesy of Mignole.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve foolishly exposed ourselves to a nation¡¯s spy?¡± Eskel rubbed his nose.


    ¡°Oh, stop with the pessimism,¡± said Yennefer calmly. ¡°I¡¯m going to contact someone I know in Ban Ard and find out what¡¯s the deal with Rience. Once I have the lead, I¡¯ll find out who he¡¯s working for.¡±


    ¡°Someone from Ban Ard? Oh, a sorcerer, eh?¡± Lambert looked at the suddenly tense Geralt and Yennefer, a hint of schadenfreude filling his heart. ¡°Please don¡¯t go too far. You know the White Wolf is still around.¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around,¡± Geralt cut in. ¡°If Rience does serve a kingdom, then I¡¯m afraid we cannot stop their ns. We can never persuade them to give up their search for Ciri. They will not stop until their political goals are met. So we can only¡­¡±


    ¡°Send Ciri away,¡± Kiyan finished, his crimson eyes glimmering coldly. ¡°The girl should go somewhere quiet and undisturbed andy low. Geralt as well.¡±


    Everyone got an idea, and they turned their eyes to Yennefer.


    Yennefer flicked her hair, and it slithered around like a viper. ¡°My, you¡¯re heartless. The ugly duckling hasn¡¯t even been here for that long, and now you¡¯re sending her right back to a life of loneliness? Even if you wish for her to soar, she first needs enough love and care.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand us, Yen.¡± Geralt looked at her, his eyes glinting, and a hint of guilt appeared on his face. Guilt for hiding a secret. ¡°Ciri¡¯s been dying to leave. Has she ever told you that she wishes to see someone in Skellige?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s she trying to see?¡±


    ¡°Mdy, please keep whatever we have to say next a secret,¡± Vesemir said. That was the thing Geralt couldn¡¯t bring himself to talk about. ¡°This piece of news is¡­ unusual, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°Very well, grandmaster. I swear I will never tell anyone about what you are about to say, or I shall live out the rest of my life by my lonesome, never to conceive my own child.¡±


    The witchers exchanged a look, and silence grasped at them for a moment.


    Geralt answered, ¡°Ciri¡¯s grandmother, Cnthe, is still alive, and she¡¯s currently staying in Bran¡¯s castle as a guest.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yennefer stopped breathing for a moment, staring into Geralt¡¯s eyes, shock filling her soul.


    ¡°You heard that right. Cnthe is in Skellige as we speak.¡±


    ¡°By the gods¡­ The queen of Cintra, alive?¡± Yennefer held her forehead, shaking her head. ¡°I need some time to process this. This is unbelievable. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    A thousand thoughts flew through the sorceress¡¯ mind, entwining and entangling with each other. The northern kingdoms and the empire are going to sign the treaty soon. If news of Cnthe¡¯s survival makes its way to the kingdoms, what happens to the treaty? Will they still sign it? And if Cnthe¡¯s alive, then why didn¡¯t she announce it to the world? Skellige should be powerful enough to help her on that front. What is she worried about?


    ***


    ¡°Yen, I know you have a lot of questions, but you can ask her once we take Ciri to her. Yes, you¡¯reing with us. You¡¯ve been the one caring for hertely, and she trusts you a lot. Every time she tries to say something, she tells us what you told her about the subject matter.¡± Geralt sounded a little envious, and he looked at his old me, requesting, ¡°But I hope that you will be visiting Cnthe as Ciri¡¯s tutor, friend, and family, not as a member of the sorcerer brotherhood or a royal consultant.¡±


    Yennefer took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and she cleared her throat. ¡°I understand. You can trust me, witchers. I will not let anyone harm the ugly duckling or her family. I swear.¡± Memories of the happy days she spent with Ciri shed through Yennefer¡¯s mind, and a resolute smile carved its way across her lips.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s a suggestion.¡± Letho mmed the table with his right fist, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Yennefer, you¡¯re taking Geralt and Ciri to Skellige, where you¡¯ll meet up with Cnthe. And then you guys are going toy low until this blows over. And use a portal. Don¡¯t want anyplications to happen. Remember to contact that Ban Ard sorcerer and find out more about Rience.¡±


    Letho looked around at hisrades. ¡°As for us, well, we can¡¯t just up and leave because someone¡¯sing for us. We poured our heart and soul into this piece ofnd. This orphanage and the kids are what we¡¯ve worked so hard for. We¡¯ll stay and keep this ce safe, but first, preparations must be made. We¡¯ll deal with Rience and hisckeys should theye.¡±


    Lambert stopped smiling and thumped his chest solemnly. ¡°I think we¡¯re overreacting. Rience is just some irrelevant clown. We scared him off, but still, leave this to me. Aiden and I will keep an even closer eye on everything that¡¯s going around the city. Gawain¡¯s men have been polishing their swordy with us over thest year. It¡¯s time for them to bare their fangs, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯re willing to help. This time, I¡¯m keeping a very close eye on Dandelion. He¡¯s not going around sleeping with any random woman again.¡±


    ¡°Leave the orphanage¡¯s vicinity to us.¡± Auckes rested his chin on his sped hands, and he exchanged a look with Serrit. ¡°The apprentice hunters will set up traps with us. Any invader tries toe in, and they¡¯re never going back out alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Get Gryphon to keep an eye out in the woods. The beast is incredibly smart. It can understand us,¡± Kiyan added. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Evelyn to lend a hand. Her nt and beast friends can guard the perimeter as well.¡±


    Letho looked around again. ¡°Come over to theb to get a set of potions. The research Kalkstein and I have been conducting has been a bit of a sess. Came up with a few improved potions and decoctions. And we also have the healing and mana recovery potions Roy brought from Skyrim. There¡¯s enough for everyone.¡±


    The light of reminiscence filled Vesemir¡¯s eyes, and he smiled. He loved to see a group ofrades banding together to fend off a threat. ¡°I¡¯m going to help as well. Tomorrow I¡¯ll tell f to stop the research for the time being. We¡¯ll put all our efforts into the making of the witcher school armor. Everyone will be getting the best we have to offer. You will not go into this battle underprepared.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Everyone nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling Igsena we¡¯ll be staying in the orphanage and keeping the kids safe from now on.¡± Coen, Eskel, and Felix exchanged a look. ¡°We¡¯ll be thest line of defense. The apprentices can deal with some small fries as well.¡±


    ¡°I have a suggestion should things go south.¡± Yennefer looked at everyone, astonished and impressed. She wouldn¡¯t have believed witchers from different schools could band together despite their different philosophies. ¡°Now that Triss and Coral aren¡¯t around, before I take Ciri and Geralt, I¡¯ll be setting up a portal in the conference room leading to thisb. Should dangere for you, the kids can use the portal to escape to safety. You¡¯ll be paying for the portal, of course.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Get ready for some bumps, people. Things won¡¯t be easy.¡± Serrit put his hand on the center of the table. He looked at everyone and announced, ¡°If Rience and his master try to hurt us, we¡¯ll show them what we can do. Make sure the guy doesn¡¯t leave in one piece. Or make sure he does, but not alive, that is.¡±


    ¡°Should we contact Roy and tell him about this matter?¡± Coen asked.


    ¡°The kid has something else to do, and it¡¯s a lot worse than what we have on our hands.¡± Letho said, ¡°Wonder how he¡¯s doing. Maybe he¡¯s found the target?¡±

 Chapter 528: Hindarsfjall

    For three days Roy rowed his boat upon the icy waters, and he finally arrived at the eastmost isle¡ªHindarsfjall. Hindarsfjall was the smallest isle in Skellige, made up of a few viges, bushes, and a few forests.


    Still, this quiet isle was the source of the isles'' culture. Altars for Freya were erected everywhere, and a beautiful temple sat in the center of the isle, towering atop a long flight of stairs. Verdant ferns crawled across the walls, apanied bymon ivy and Boston ivy. A falcon was perched atop the overhand, dozing off. It was perhaps a sacred animal answering the call of the goddess.


    A sacred garden circled the temple, flowers in full bloom all year around, and the small trees were beautifully trimmed. Underneath the dazzling sun and within the temple of life, young priestesses in long white robes were spread across the yard, feeding chickens, tilling the fields, or chatting with the believers and tourists. A few local guides stood by their side, apanying them.


    The believers of Freya residing in faraway Kovir and Poviss had gone into a long-term agreement with the priestesses. The priestesses would provide tour packages to the people of Kovir and Poviss at reasonable prices.


    Roy realized that at this point in time, the infamous, cruelest pirate ever known to thisnd, Morkvarg, hadn''tnded on this ind just yet. The pirate had yet to destroy the temple and kill the priestesses. He still was not yet cursed to live his life as a wolf, plunged into eternal hunger.


    Everything was in a serene peace, but he wasn''t here for that. The witcher left the temple and swiftly came to the vige of Lofoten. Triss told him that Ortn was hiding in that vige.


    The vige was surrounded by a wooden fence, housing about three dozen stark wooden houses. It was still morning, and the men were out fishing at sea, leaving the women in the yard, drying the fish under the sun. Some were out with wooden buckets doingundry, their skin tan, their muscles as taut as men''s.


    The elderly were on their rattan chairs, basking in the sun, and the brats were running around with their dogs.


    The vigers tending to the carrots noticed the witcher, but they were used to entric tourists anyway, so the sight of Roy did not faze them one bit.


    While Roy was observing the vige, a young man with the pelt of a red fox around his neck approached him. He had a stubble, and a smile hung from his lips. "By Freya! Good morning, good sir. Might you need a guide? I''ll give you the best price. I''ll take you around the isle and enjoy the best sceneries this ce has to offer. We can visit the temple and pray to the goddess herself. If you''d like, we can feast on the local delicacies. All that for two crowns a day."


    Roy looked at the young man, musing over his options. Triss had no idea if Ortn had taken an alias, so he had to search for the man himself. "Then we''ll start from Lofoten. Care to talk about the vigers? Every household if possible."


    Surprise shed in the young man''s eyes.


    "I''m Linus Pitt, a professor of social rtions and environmental biology in Oxenfurt Academy." Roy lied as naturally as he breathed. "I''m very interested in the isles'' culture, the locals'' way of life, and how their family units work."


    "You''re a professor from the academy?" The young man was shocked. <em>A professor in a ck cloak and walks around like a shadow? You look more like a mercenary than a schr.</em>


    "I am currently researching the rtionships in the family units on Skellige, the inders'' eating habits, and the numbers of the precious bluefin tuna. I''ve recently finished my research on Undvik. Talked to the cksmiths from n Tordarroch, and it''s not a pretty picture."


    "Stop!" The young man was starting to get dizzy. As if he was put under a great spell, he obliged Roy''s request. "Very well, Professor Linus Pitt. For two crowns, I''ll take you on a tour around the isle."


    ***


    Krott cleared his throat and pointed at the house on his left. There were two trees in the yard. "This is the abode of the most esteemed person in Lofoten, the head priestess of Freya¡ªUva. The head priestess has devoted her whole life to the service of the goddess, never marrying or having children of her own. She spends her day praying for the people of Hindarsfjall. A wonderful and respectable woman."


    Roy looked at the white robes hanging from a rope in the yard. "Everyone on this ind worships Freya?"


    Krott gave the ''professor'' a weird look. <em>A professor asking that question? </em>But he kept up his smile. "Of course, professor. Otkell, the ancestor of the inders, ran into a storm while he was at sea. Death almost imed him, but Modron, in all her magnanimity, granted him a set of pipes. He blew on them, and the storm died, allowing him passage to this verynd we stand on. It was here he procreated, and the people of Skellige were born. Since then, my brethren have put their faith in Freya."


    The respect in Krott''s eyes was reced by disdain. "Disbelieving the goddess is akin to treason. People like those have turned their backs on their very own ancestors. No, they''re no longer human, I say."


    Roy smiled and asked, "I hear Skellige''s fleet often loot and plunder the bountiful temples belonging to other gods. Gods like Melitele and Kreve, for instance."


    Krott grinned toothily. Matter-of-factly, he said, "That''s just the people''s tradition, and Freya''s the only goddess we trust. The other gods mean nothing to us."


    "And if any inder were to spheme the goddess?"


    "Then they shall suffer the disdain and enmity of their brethren. A curse that torments them for life shall be rained down upon them."


    ***


    "And this is the house of Lofoten''s cksmith. Guy''s name is Manshure."


    "How are his skillspared to the Tordarrochs?"


    "Oh, you tter him. n Tordarroch is the pride and joy of these isles. Not to insult him, but Manshure can at most sharpen our harpoons, repair thes, and make some gardening tools."


    ***


    "This here is Michdi''s house. Has a great wife, he does. Gave him five children at once. Lord Dona an Cinda will provide for her every month until her kidse of age. ''Tis a reward for her contribution to this isle."


    Krott looked at the kids ying with the mud, envy ring in his eyes. He then thumped his chest with his right hand and bowed at the yard. "But it''s a pity. Michdi went into battle a few months ago with Lord Crach, aiding our Cintran brethren in their fight against the Nilfgaardian invasion. Never came back since. His remains are defiled by the southern bastards." Krott solemnly said, "But his soul must have returned to the arms of Freya."


    Roy just remembered that Skellige sent a fleet of drakkars to Cintra during the war, and they sustained heavy losses too. Fewer than one in ten soldiers made it back alive, but even so, he felt barely any sadnessing from the inders. Perhaps dying in battle wasn''t something to feel too sad about. <em>Just like the Nordlings in Skyrim.</em>


    ***


    Krott led Roy to a rundown house in the east part of the vige. The yard was overgrown with weed, gleaming cobwebs hung on the walls, and cracks formed in the wooden walls. This house was obviously abandoned for a long while. "Ortn used to live in this ce."


    "Sorry?" The witcher''s pupils contracted.


    "Ortn used to live in this ce."


    Roy clicked his tongue. <em>Man, that sorcerer is arrogant. Doesn''t even use an alias when he''s in hiding. But yeah, these fishermen and farmers can''t really know who he actually is.</em> "Can you tell me more about him? What he looked like and what he was like as a person?" The witcher walked into the rundown house. The beams and ceiling were covered in dust, and there was nothing in the house but a few racks eaten out by maggots. There were barely any pots and pans either.


    "You know him, professor?"


    "I have a friend who shares that name." Reminiscence red in Roy''s eyes. "So I''m curious."


    "He looked like he was in his forties. Gold hair, ck eyes, and he was handsome." Krott caressed the rough, moss-covered wall. "About six-foot-one, lean, loved to wear a grey robe. Had a trimmed mustache and goatee."


    Roy nodded. <em>That''s the same as Triss'' description.</em>


    "From the first time I saw him, I knew he was different. He dressed, talked, and acted differently from any Skelliger I knew. Spoke like he was real educated too." Krott paused, and something glinted in his eyes. "Is he really your friend? A friend of an Oxenfurt Academy professor?"


    "Ortn is a talented man. Did a speech in the academy. It was about biology, and the speech was special enough to leave an impression thatsts until this day."


    "Wow, he sounds like a bigshot." As if finally having an answer to a question that had been bugging him for a long time, Krott waved his fist in excitement. "That exins his snobby and distant attitude. Must''ve had nothing to talk to us about."


    "He was an entric man?" Roy crouched in a corner and activated his Witcher Senses. Aside from the usual critters and insects, he found nothing else here. That worried him. If Ortn left this vige, then the lead would go cold.


    "He''s only stayed here for less than a year. Barely talked to anyone. Spent most of his time in his house or somewhere else. Never came back untilte at night. No one knows what he did during the day."


    Roy noticed something else in that answer. <em>So he went out during the day? Perhaps there''s a secretb somewhere on this isle. </em>"Do you know where he went, then? Or any possible haunt of his? Anyone else know where he is?" Roy patted the sand off his hand and looked at the young man, his eyes glinting imperiously.


    "Sorry to disappoint you, but on one lovely morning, Ortn left and never returned. It has been one year and two months since then." Krott shook his head, sighing. "Didn''t even leave a message to his wife."


    ording to Triss, Ortn had lived for more than three centuries, but he was indifferent to everyone. The sorcerer was used to being alone, giving all his life to the experiments of gic modification. He was a mad scientist, and the news that he had a wife caught Roy by surprise. "So where''s his wife?"


    "In a red house on the other end of the vige. Her name''s Eva." Krott started gossiping. "Not long after her husband''s disappearance, lonely Eva remarried Fahd, a local fisherman. It''s been a year since then."


    Roy thought, <em>She cheated on a sorcerer? Boy, she might get sted to bits when he finds out. </em>"Is Eva a local?"


    "Skelliger. Heard she was born in Ard Skellig. Ortn took her here to settle in."


    "How was their married life?"


    "What''s the purpose of that question, if you don''t mind me asking?" The guide was getting confused. <em>Is he here for a tour or investigation?</em>


    "Just wondering what kind of woman caught my friend''s fancy."


    "Eva''s a beauty." Krott sounded envious. "Tall, lithe, has a pretty face. Comes from the vige, but she ain''t as crass as the other girls. Ortn doesn''t know how to treat her, though. Everyone knows he was cold to his wife."


    Roy sighed silently. He had a bad feeling about it. <em>I hope he didn''t ditch her because he got tired of the marriage he wanted on a whim. Still, those who live long enough and sleep around a lot do this. They want novelty.</em>


    The witcher searched the house thoroughly and confirmed that there were no trapdoors or underground chambers. Then he followed Krott to Eva''s abode.


    ***


    A blonde with blue eyes stood outside the red house, her hair tied in a ponytail. Despite her oafish jacket, she still looked beautiful. The woman was twenty years old. Her skin was smooth, her nose was small, and she had beautiful lips. Her eyes twinkled with a smile only those blessed with a happy life could have, and she had a beautiful voice. There was a beauty mark on the corner of her lips, lending her a hint of allure.


    Even the witcher, who had seen his fair share of beauties, stared at her a little. Using Observe, he confirmed that she was just a regr human with no hidden identities.


    "This is Professor Linus Pitt, from¡ª"


    "Oxenfurt." Roy smiled, extending his hand. Eva froze, intimidated by Roy''s dark getup, especially his cloak and sunsses. She extended a finger and barely shook Roy''s hand. "I''ll make it short, Eva. I am best friends with yourst husband, Ortn, and I''d like to ask you a few questions. If possible, can we take this into the yard?"


    "Ortn? What Ortn? I don''t know anyone who goes by that name," Eva denied, her smile freezing up, but Roy caught a conflicted look that shed for a moment in her eyes.


    Eva tried to close the door, but Roy quickly kept it slightly open with his foot, and he kept Krott''s sight blocked as he cast Axii on Eva. "Calm down,dy. I just want to have a little chat. No matter the oue, I''ll leave once the talk is done."


    "Come in, then." Eva turned around and entered her house, the look in her eyes vacant. Roy followed closely, then he closed the door, keeping Krott outside.


    The guide smiled dryly and guarded the entrance.


    ***


    The house''s interior was simple but clean. Aside from a shark''s skull and a rug made of bear hide, there weren''t a lot of other things. Most of the space was filled with necessities, and this looked like a warm home.


    "Why''d you deny it right away? Did he leave you with some bad memories?" Roy asked as he caressed the bench he was sitting on.


    "Yes." Her emotions strung by Axii, Eva''s face turned red with fury. "Yes. I never want to be involved with that disgusting cheater, no matter how rich he is."


    "Has he ever told you about his job? His real job."


    "I thought he was a merchant. Made a lot of coins in Lan Exeter during his trading days. Retired early and decided to take it slow," said Eva adamantly.


    Roy shook his head. <em>Oh no. The man is a famous sorcerer. Used to assist Alzur in Rissberg during the witcher experiments. Poordy. She knows nothing.</em>


    "Where did he go, then? If I can find any leads, I''ll leave you to your own devices."


    "He left a year ago without leaving any message to me." Eva stirred the fish stew in the cauldron as hard as she could, her arms shuddering with rage. She then plopped down on the couch across from the witcher and rested her chin on her sped hands. Then, as if finding a reason to let her rage flow out of her, she sighed. "Left and never came back."


    "Did he act weirdly before he left?"


    Eva was silent for a moment, a hint of struggle flitting through her eyes. "Plunged me in pain and broke my heart as usual."


    "Details?"


    Eva was silent. The answer to that question would obviously hurt her. Not even the power of Axii could make her speak. Roy changed the question. "Aside from your home, has he ever gone anywhere else? A usual haunt?"


    Since there were no traces of magic in the abandoned abode, then there must be a secretb on this ind somewhere.


    "He''d leave the vige frequently, probably wandering somewhere out there." Eva shook her head, resigned.


    Roy smacked his forehead. <em>At this rate, I''ll have to scour the whole isle. </em>"Let''s take it from the top. How did you guys meet?" <em>Perhaps I can find some clues if she tells me the whole story.</em>


    "It happened two years ago on Ard Skellig. ''Twas a shining noon. I was pulling up my haul on a boat. Heavy, and my fingers were killing me, but that was proof I hauled a lot of good stuff. Pushed myself over the hull quite a bit so I could use more strength, but then a wave crashed into me, and I was pulled out into the sea. Fell unconscious and had a dream that I fell to the bottom of the sea. The fishes fed on me, tearing me up until I was nothing but a skeleton."


    Eva shuddered, and she balled her hands into fists, her knuckles turning white. "I should''ve gone back to Freya back then, but then I woke up beside the reef on the coast, throwing up seawater. Ortn stood before me like a knight in shining armor. He smiled and held the weak little me up, then he draped a warm jacket over me and took me home."


    Eva''s eyes were shining. She was like a teenage girl depicting the man of her dreams, but that was only because Axii was making her drag that memory up. That feeling of love was suppressed by her hatred.


    "And then it was a simple love story. Started seeing my savior. He was not young and wasn''t nice to anyone. Spoke in a cold manner, but he was generous. Bought a lot of gifts for me and my family. I could feel that he was genuine. He was probably in love with me."


    <em>Yeah, that''s how sorcerers work. They always ditch their lovers for someone new. Coral''s the exception.</em>


    "I married him two weeks after that," Eva said. "He thought Ard Skellig was too bustling, so he took me to remote Hindarsfjall and settled in Lofoten. The first four months were bliss. We were always together. I could see the love in his eyes, and he did everything I told him to."


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>That''s not how I imagined the mad scientist. He sounded like a man madly in love. </em>"He was with you all the time? Never went around and disappeared on you for days?"


    "We spent most of our honeymoon in bed, if you know what I mean."


    Roy''s lips twitched. <em>The old git sure could thrust.</em>


    "But happiness didn''tst." The light in Eva''s eyes dimmed. "Perhaps all men love novelty. After four months, he started disappearing without any reason. At first, he would leave home two days a week, then three days, then he would onlye back once a week. I wanted to talk to him. To tell him of my worries, but he always had no time for me. Never had the chance to see him," Evained, the look on her face dark. She looked like a woman who wasn''t satisfied in bed. "Do you even know how that feels, Mr. Pitt?"


    Roy shook his head.


    Eva tilted her head andined, "He left me to myself four months into the marriage. Whenever I was alone in bed, I would often wonder where he could be and why he wouldn''t exin anything to me. I would wonder why he wouldn''t respond to my concern and if he had fallen out of love with me. My thoughts overwhelmed me, and I felt lonely, alone, and so, so abandoned. I could scream from how upset I was."


    The woman took a deep breath, pain ring in her eyes. "I started losing sleep, but even if I did fall asleep, I would have nightmares. I saw scenes too horrifying to even speak of. I was terrified, and I wanted to talk to someone, but he wasn''t home. And then he came back. I thought he would change, but I was horribly wrong. He tormented me even more."


    Eva took another deep breath, despair filling her blue, blue eyes. "He started sleeping around with other women."


    Roy heaved a sigh. <em>How could he hurt a beautiful woman like her, who''s so loyal to him? </em>He was then reminded of what Algernon wrote about Ortn in his journal, and Roy got his answer. <em>No wonder he''s the cruel Ortn. Algernon was right about that.</em>


    "Who were the other women?" Roy asked, as softly as he could.


    "I do not know. I have never seen them before, but a viger¡ªEji who works at the port in the north¡ªsaw him leading a beautiful woman down a tourist''s ship from Lan Exeter, and not just once too. He betrayed me."


    <em>Alright, so I have to get in touch with this Eji guy and find those girls.</em>


    "I confronted him when I had the chance, and he said nothing. That was an answer itself. I wanted an exnation, but all he did was smile at me." Sheughed sadly. "And that''s the man I missed. The man I loved. He betrayed me time and time again. My heart hurt. I couldn''t take his betrayal anymore, so I tried to take my own life."


    She pulled her left sleeve up, revealing her porcin-white arm and an ugly scar on it. Roy''s heart skipped a beat. <em>Wow, she''s devoted to love.</em>


    "And then he did something more terrible. I finally saw his true colors and gave up on him." A long rush of air escaped Eva''s lips. She looked outside the window, where the flowers bloomed. And she choked. "His disappearance is a gift from Freya. The goddess had delivered me from nightmare and pain. My current husband is a caring, honest, and wonderful man. I am happy."


    She teared up and buried her face in her hands, then she started to cry. At the other end of the living room, a baby''s cry came from the cot beside the window, feeling sad for his mother.


    Roy shook his head. <em>Ortn has hurt her. Bad. </em>"Very well. You need some peace and rest. I''lle backter." The witcher gave her ten crowns and left the house, the warm sunshine clearing the dark clouds in his heart. <em>First, I''ll find Eji and have him tell me about the prostitutes who got in touch with Ortn.</em>


    "Why do I hear a woman''s cries, Mr. Pitt?" Krott stared at the witcher''s eyes.


    "Ortn hurt her badly. Reliving the past stirred something powerful within her. Now I''ll need you to take me to Eji."


    "The guard working at the port in the north, you mean."


    "That''s him. Lead the way."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 529 - 529: The Cheating Husband

    Chapter 529: The Cheating Husband


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Golden waves crashed against the nks of Hindarsfjall¡¯s northern port. They were rotten from their longtime contact with the seawater. A pair of boats were moored at the bay, swaying with the waves. The seagulls perched atop the mast swayed along as well, the yellowish-brown emblem on the sides of the boat gleaming under the sun.


    A burly man with oversized brigandine armor and a steel axe patrolled the port. A horned helm covered his head, his mustache fluttering with the wind. He was exhausted, his eyelids drooping. If he could, he would fall asleep right away.


    ¡°Oy, small-eyes Eji, dozin¡¯ off at work?¡±


    ¡°Arr, sod off, ye. Ye shout like that again and I¡¯ll make sure ye don¡¯t get outta bed for half a year!¡± The burly man rubbed his fist, ring at his coworker fiercely.


    ¡°Ye do that an¡¯ I ain¡¯t gonna buy ye any more booze.¡± The young tour guide puffed his chest out and shot Eji a challenging look.


    ¡°I¡¯m the bigger man. I can let this slide, ye oaf, but ye owe me a bottle o¡¯ mead now,¡± the man snapped, but he hugged the young tour guide, then he looked at the cloaked witcher.


    ¡°This is Mr. Linus Pitt, Oxenfurt Academy¡¯s professor of¡­ romantic rtions and anatomy.¡± Eji gave the witcher a look of respect. ¡°He has something he needs to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Professor of social rtions and environmental biology,¡± corrected the witcher, then he shook Eji¡¯s hand.


    Eji felt the witcher sliding him a coin, and a grin broke across his lips. He thumped his chest and guaranteed, ¡°The people of Hindarsfjall are very weing and kind. ¡®Tis my duty to help you. Ask away.¡±


    The trio walked past the dimly lit inn and turned into a shadowy alleyway on the right.


    ¡°When I went to Lofoten earlier, I heard news of my old friend Ortn, but his whereabouts are unknown right now. Do you have any clues that can lead me to him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never talked to that man.¡± Eji shook his head. ¡°I do remember that he ditched his wife an¡¯ went missin¡¯ for a year. Even the head priest, that¡¯s our chief, doesn¡¯t know where he is right now, let alone me.¡±


    The guard¡¯s chubby face jiggled, the look in his eyes filled with disdain.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like him very much.¡± Roy noticed the disdain, of course.


    ¡°Skulked around all the time. Ain¡¯t very Skelliger, and certainly a failure of a husband too. I ain¡¯t the only one who finds his attitude annoyin¡¯.¡± Eji didn¡¯t even hide his contempt now. ¡°Only good thing is that he knew he ain¡¯t a good match for Eva, so he pissed off to where the sun don¡¯t shine.¡±


    The guard looked at the vast blue sea and continued with relief and jealousy. ¡°Eva escaped her nightmare and found her own happiness. An¡¯ that bastard Fahd must¡¯ve been blessed by Freya herself to even get his hands on a woman like Eva. Oh, ye lookin¡¯ fer ¡®im? Me thinks the bastard ran back to Lan Exeter after he got tired of Eva. Left her alone while he sleeps around with any woman he likes.¡±


    Roy nodded. If I can¡¯t find hisb here on the ind, I¡¯ll have to look around Lan Exeter. ¡°I heard you witnessed Ortn¡¯s infidelity with your own eyes.¡±


    Eji nodded, and he started reliving that memory. ¡°¡®Twas that guy¡¯s great luck he got to marry a beautiful and gentle Skelliger. Didn¡¯t treasure it, though. I can still remember how he betrayed his wife, fresh like it happened yesterday.¡±


    Yeah, because you¡¯re jealous of him, Roy added quietly, then he motioned at Eji to continue.


    ¡°Two months before his disappearance, I was guarding this ¡®ere port, an¡¯ I saw him taking a woman with heavy makeup off the ship. They were close, aye. Bastard had his arm around that wench¡¯s waist, and they whispered all the way through. Gotta be blind to think they were innocent.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that woman, then?¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t never seen ¡®er before, but I¡¯ve seen a lot of things in my life. Was sure that wench was a prostitute,¡± said Eji. He sounded like he¡¯d seen this more than once. ¡°An¡¯ I was furious. Furious, I tell ya.¡± His eyes red with crimson fury. ¡°How could he do somethin¡¯ like that? The bastard. Just married Eva for four months, then gave her the cold shoulder. Then he started sleepin¡¯ around?¡±


    Roy nodded. That¡¯s about the same as Eva¡¯s story. Four months after the marriage, he started staying out for extended periods of time, giving his wife the cold shoulder and started cheating on her.


    Krott leaned on the wall, his legs crossed, and he nodded. ¡°If I was the one who married Eva, I¡¯d probably stay loyal for at least three years or so.¡±


    ¡°If I was the one who married her, I ain¡¯t gonna stop until she¡¯s given me at least ten kids. She ain¡¯t leavin¡¯ the bed for years. Can¡¯t believe a loyal guy like me is still single until now.¡± Eji thumped his chest in sorrow. ¡°That oafish Fahd who ain¡¯t know a lick o¡¯ romance married her instead. Unbelievable.¡±


    The witcher looked at the men and shook his head, then he interrupted their fantasizing. ¡°So where¡¯d he bring that woman to?¡±


    ¡°Least the bastard had a sliver of morals left,¡± Krott added. ¡°Didn¡¯t take her home to Lofoten. Least he didn¡¯t humiliate Eva that much.¡±


    ¡°Morals! The bastard was just scared, I tell ya,¡± Eji retorted. ¡°Anyone who betrays their marriage on this ¡®ere ind will be punished by Lord Dona an Cinda himself. Cheating ruins families. Ain¡¯t what Freya teaches us either.¡±


    Whoa. These pirates actually have a better philosophy on familypared to the northern kingdoms.


    ¡°Betcha he brought the whore to some other vige or even the wilds. If ya catch my drift,¡± said Eji. ¡°Never seen ¡¯em before in any inns.¡±


    Hmm¡­ Ortn might have taken her back to his secret base.


    ¡°As someone from the same vige, I couldn¡¯t have the bastard keeping his extramarital rtions a secret from Eva, so I told her about the news. And she was devastated. Spent four months in loneliness, waiting for her husband toe home only to find out he betrayed her. Cried the whole night too.¡± Krott said, ¡°A fewdies tried to soothe her, but it was no use.¡±


    ¡°An¡¯ I thought Ortn wouldy low after he got exposed, but nay.¡± Eji¡¯s eyes red with fury, as if he wanted to confront Ortn and demand to know why he betrayed his wife. ¡°He knew I was working at the port, but he still brought back woman after woman. Wouldn¡¯t even bribe me either. Won¡¯t pay for me to keep a secret.¡±


    ¡°He brought back more than one prostitute?¡±


    ¡°Two months before his disappearance, I ran into him cheating three times.¡± Eji suddenly widened his eyes as much as he could, ring at the witcher, but his heavy dark circles only made him look like a sleepy turtle. ¡°An¡¯ this was how I red at him. The cruel, lootin¡¯, pigin¡¯, nefarious Marokvarg used to send his crew to Hindarsfjall for some scoutin¡¯, an¡¯ one look from me, the bastard went back running.¡±


    Roy¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°Oh, you gotta believe me, professor. My eyes are blessed by Freya herself. One look, an¡¯ I can scare off evildoers,¡± said Ejis seriously. ¡°But what Ortn did wasn¡¯t evil. I could do nothin¡¯ to ¡®im, so he did whatever he wanted. Brought three women to frolic around the isle right under my nose.¡±


    ¡°How long did they mess around?¡±


    Eji gave it some thought and shook his head. ¡°No idea. The whores probably went back to ship at midnight.¡±


    ¡°All of them came from Lan Exeter?¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t sure.¡± Eji shook his head. ¡°Never had the chance to talk to them. I hate their taste in men, even if it was just business.¡±


    Roy massaged his temples. ¡°What do they look like? And what¡¯s their figure? Any birthmarks or moles around the lips or brows? Think closely.¡±


    ¡°Well, they certainly looked human,¡± said Eji cryptically.


    The witcher understood what that meant. He produced a crown out of thin air and gave it to the guard.


    Eji narrowed his eyes and chuckled. ¡°Ain¡¯t been in school or taught to read, so I can¡¯t describe them well. But they were pretty. And they shared one thing inmon.¡± Eji paused for a moment and frowned. ¡°They all looked like Eva.¡±


    ¡°You sure you got it right?¡± The witcher cocked his eyebrow, and a chill ran down his spine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve liked Eva all this time, an¡¯ anythin¡¯ that has somethin¡¯ to do with her, you bet I¡¯ll keep an eye on it,¡± said Eji adamantly. ¡°The whores ain¡¯t as beautiful as Eva. Skin¡¯s worse too. Ain¡¯t as innocent, and their eyes didn¡¯t have the light of love. Them smiles are as fake as theye. Whores care for nothing but money and profit. But if ye just look at their profiles, they look like Eva. Specially when they held Ortn¡¯s hand and left with him.¡±


    ¡°Professor Pitt, is somethin¡¯ wrong with yer friend?¡± Eji blurted. ¡°He left his beautiful wife at home just to pay to sleep with some whores who look like her? What kind of sickness is that?¡±


    Krott shrugged. Even he had no idea about that detail Eji just mentioned.


    The witcher started musing. What¡¯s the purpose of him doing that? He cheated on his wife with women who look like her, leaving her to stew in despair at home. Is the master of gic modification some sort of pervert?


    ¡°Me thinks he should be treated with contempt, so I told everyone about his betrayal, aye. But I never thought that would crush Eva,¡± Eji roared, then he hung his head low, guilt filling his eyes. ¡°Broke down one night and tried to take her own life.¡±


    Roy was reminded of the scar on Eva¡¯s wrist. The one that gleamed crimson under the firelight. ¡°And Ortn saved her?¡±


    ¡°Aye, and to everyone¡¯s surprise,¡± Krott said. ¡°Can¡¯t believe he made it back in time to save her life even when he was messing with another woman. And he did something and healed Eva in three days. Not even Uva¡¯s good enough to do that, and she¡¯s a healer. For three days, Ortn stayed with her until she calmed down. Eva only told the mother of five about the attempt when they had a chat. It was after that we were told of it.¡±


    Yeah, Ortn probably used magic to heal her, Roy thought. Probably left some sort of surveince item back at home to keep an eye on her. It¡¯s obvious that Eva¡¯s life is something important to Ortn.


    ***


    ¡°Three dayster, he disappeared. The man saved her from the brink of death only to abandon her to the grasp of loneliness,¡± said Krott, perhaps a bit more poetically than he could usually muster. ¡°He brought her back to life only to push her back into agony. Oh, the torment.¡±


    Wait. So he swung Eva¡¯s emotions between two extremes, tormenting her. Roy had an idea, and it was a terrifying one. From what Triss found out, Ortn is a cruel and almost robotically logical researcher. There is no way he¡¯d fall in love with some sort of bumblingdy. Could it be? He married her and flirted with so many women because he has some sort of goal he wants to fulfill?


    ¡°And this time, Ortn didn¡¯te back,¡± said Eji. ¡°Leftpletely. And he took away the pain he gave Eva. Slowly, she got over it. An¡¯ two monthster, she married Fahd. Been livin¡¯ happily ever since.¡±


    ***


    Roy shook his head,ughing at himself for the idea he just got. He¡¯s a sorcerer. If he¡¯d wanted to use Eva, she would have ended up a lot worse. He would use her like a test subject. Yet now she has a husband, a child, and a home of her own. Perhaps I read too much into it.


    Roy used the leads he had as of current tob out the whole case. Two years ago, Ortn saved Eva, who fainted from the waves crashing into her. They got married and moved to this ind, living a loving life for four months. And for the next four months, Ortn started leaving home for days. His wife had to endure long periods of loneliness. And for the following two months, Ortn¡¯s infidelity worsened, though his affair partners looked like his wife.


    Unable to take the hit, Eva tried tomit the unthinkable, but Ortn rushed back in time to save her. And then he disappeared, their old home falling into disrepair. Two monthster, Eva remarried, and one year had gone by since then.


    That was the story so far.


    ***


    Roy took a deep breath and massaged his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I know, Mr. Pitt.¡± Eji looked at the port outside the alleyway, noticing a man in armoring. ¡°An¡¯ that¡¯s the cap¡¯n. I gotta go back to my post. If ye have anythin¡¯ more to ask,e find me at Lobster Inn tonight.¡±


    Eji punched Krott¡¯s shoulder, and the tour guide winced. ¡°Do you still wish to find Ortn, or should we go to other viges now, Mr. Pitt?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to Ortn to question a few more people.¡±

 Chapter 530: The Missing Father

    The warm ball of light slowly slid down to the skies in the west. Aftering back to Lofoten, the witcher wasted no time in asking all the vigers about the case, but everything they knew was everything Eji and Eva told him.


    And then he ran into a young man.


    An old oak tree with entwining roots and a huge canopy stood in the eastern part of the vige, and it was there ad of about fourteen years old came to see them.


    Compared to the average Skellige man, thisd was scrawny. He only donned a rough x shirt and greyish-white jacket. He looked so weak, a gust of wind was probably strong enough to blow him all the way to Ard Skellig. His hands were covered in calluses and frostbite. Obviously, the boy came from a poor family.


    He had freckles on his nose, his hair was short, unkempt, and grey. His face was red from all the sea breeze blowing on him, and his eyes were blue, but he had this sheepish look to him. He was fidgeting, hesitating to speak. "Krott, Mr. Pitt, are you trying to find Ortn?"


    Roy smiled at thed warmly. "What is your name, child? Do you have news about Ortn?"


    Roy wasn''t that much older than thed, but his smile was so inviting and warm. Thed trusted him for some reason. "My name''s Yank, and I need your help, please. If you find Ortn, can you ask him where my father is?"


    "Can you give me more details?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. "What''s your father''s name, and what does Ortn have to do with him?"


    Noticing Yank''s hesitation, Krott shook his head, sighing. He exined, "His father''s a man called nden. They live in Ivy Vige just east of Lofoten, but nden''s not a reputable man. Never works and gambles all his coins away. Never cares about his family either, but it''s been a while since he showed up. Sorry, Yank."


    "It''s alright. That''s the truth anyway." Yank shook his head, looking dejected. "My father used to spend all his time in Ard Skellig''s gambling dens. Gambled all our money away, and ma got so angry, she fell ill. But about a year ago, my father went missing."


    Roy stared into Yank''s eyes. "And what makes you think Ortn took him away?"


    Yank pursed his lips and stared at the nearby vige, where smoke billowed in the air. "It was about a year ago, at midnight. I woke up and had to pee, so I went outside. Then I saw nden and some guy talking under the roof. They then left into the wilds. ''Twas a bit far from where I stood, so I couldn''t hear them, but that man didn''t look like a Skelliger at all. Acted like them snobbishndlubbers. When I came to Lofoten to see my friend, he told me that the man''s name was Ortn. When he came home the next day, he started acting weird. Would never talk to me or ma unless he wanted money, nor would he show us any pity, but the way he looked at us that day¡­"


    There was surprise in Yank''s eyes. "There was guilt in his eyes, so I wondered what he did with Ortn that night to make him change so much. So I pretended to fall asleep for the next few days while I was actually keeping an eye on him, and I found out they went out for a week. Then came that fateful day. He took me over to ma''s sickbed and talked to us about a lotta things, something he never did. Repented on what he did and started cryin'' so loud, I could go deaf. An'' he made me promise I would take care of ma. He then left some money on the table and left. Never came back since."


    "Why didn''t you tell us about it?" Krott smacked Yank''s shoulder, admonishing him.


    "Ma didn''t let me. I mean, the money is¡­" Yank fidgeted.


    <em>Ah, I see, </em>Krott thought. <em>Their gambler of a father left and gave them a sizable amount of money. There was no need to tell anyone about it, or they might get jealous. </em>"So why are you telling us now?"


    "Ma got better, and we''ve almost used up the money anyway. And the more I thought about what happened that week, the more I thought somethin'' was off." Yank looked at them again. "Back when nden left, the way he talked, he looked like he was, he was¡­"


    "Leaving hisst will and testament," said the witcher grimly.


    "Exactly! nden might be a gambler who doesn''t give a rat''s arse about his family, but he''s still my da." Yank ruffled his hair and took a deep breath. "I want to find out where he''s gone. Ma''s getting better and can start doing chores now, and she misses him sometimes too. Ortn must¡¯ve had somethin'' to do with it."


    <em>Yeah. </em>Roy nodded. <em>Meeting up at night for a week, leaving some money for his family, and going missing. Of course Ortn took him away. </em>"I guess that the money''s from Ortn as well?"


    Yank nodded.


    Pity shed in Krott''s eyes, and he consoled, "Maybe that''s money for your father''s services. nden might be a gambler, but he''s a strong guy. He can be a good bodyguard."


    "Really?" Yank''s eyes shone with hope.


    Roy shook his head. Judging from the story, that money was payment for nden''s life. The life of a chronic gambler. nden must be dead by now, but he didn''t want to crush thed''s hope. "Do you remember how long it''s been since your father''s disappearance?" Roy asked.


    Yank answered without hesitating, "I made a record every month after his disappearance. It''s been a year and four months since then."


    Roy''s eyes glinted, and he quickly plugged that info into the timeline of this story. <em>Two years ago, Ortn and Eva got married and had four months of fun on this ind. Then came four months of neglect. Then two months of Ortn''s infidelity, and then he disappeared. Eva remarried two monthster, and it has been one year since. Which means thed''s father disappeared between the period of neglect and infidelity.</em>


    <em>Ortn first took nden away and led three women who look like Eva to the ind. Two seemingly unrted cases, but perhaps they share a connection? </em>Roy started wondering about a question. <em>Is Ortn actually a casanova, or is he just using these people to achieve a goal?</em>


    He had a strong feeling that the answer to these questions were hidden in Ortn''s secretb somewhere on this ind.


    "You have to help me, Krott, Mr. Pitt. I just want to talk to nden," thed pleaded.


    "Tell me more about your father. His age, looks, height, everything," said Roy.


    "He''s about six feet tall and a hundred and eighty pounds heavy. Muscr, gray hair, has a faint mustache, and he''s thirty-five this year."


    "I see. I''ll tell you once I have news." Roy patted his shoulder and saw thed off.


    He then looked at the skies. The sun was setting, and ayer of crimson light was draped over the houses of the vige. "Let''s go. Eva should''ve calmed down now. We should see her again." <em>If I want to find Ortn''s secretb, I''ll have to start from his wife. She used to be the closest person to him, after all.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 531: Necklace

    "I''m just a poor woman who finally escaped my nightmare. Can''t you just leave me alone?" Eva stood before the bonfire, the me''s light illuminating her face, but the look in her eyes spoke of sorrow. "I told you everything I know."


    "After this time, I swear I won''t disturb your peace, madam. Unless it''s a life-or-death situation." Roy sat on the long bench across from the bonfire, his hands sped over his knees, and he stared into Eva''s eyes. "Yank told me that Ortn took his father away. A gambler by the name of nden. Did you see them going around together?"


    Eva sped her hands tightly and fell into silence. Then she said, "One night, I awoke from a nightmare, and I saw nden and Ortn at home."


    "What were they doing? What did they talk about?"


    "I didn''t hear it too clearly. Ortn only told me that it was something important. I thought it was weird that a rich merchant like him had something important to talk about to a gambler."


    "How long ago was this?"


    "About a year ago." Eva stared at the ground and pursed her lips. "He was starting to neglect me back then, but he still hadn''t started sleeping around."


    Roy tapped his knee lightly. <em>That matches Yank''s testimonial.</em>


    ***


    "Another thing. Eji from the port told me that the women your former husband slept with were prostitutes."


    "And what about it?" Eva scrunched her nose up, her voice dripping with disdain.


    "The prostitutes resembled you. Anything you have to say about that?"


    "Are you trying to say that he still loved me?" A smirk curled Eva''s lips, and she said shrilly, "So he slept with some recements while leaving me alone at home? Don''t you think that''s a tad preposterous? I do not care about how beautiful the women he slept with were; betrayal is betrayal. If he still loved me, he would never have neglected me. He would never have given me that much pain!"


    The baby inside the bedroom let out a loud wail. Quickly, Eva went and picked him up from the wooden cot, and she patted the infant''s back. "It''s alright, Arthur. Shh¡­ Mother''s here. Mother''s here."


    Roy nced at the adorable, chubby infant, and he froze. He noticed a grey ne hanging around the baby''s neck. A stone the shape of a diamond was embedded in it, and a petite pattern was carved into the stone.


    The light of the mes obscured the stone, and it seemed unassuming at first. However, when the witcher came within one meter from the infant, his medallion started to buzz. Chaos energy was swirling in the air.


    The witcher''s breathing turned heavier. "Unusual ne your child has there, madam," Roy said as calmly as he could, hiding his excitement.


    Eva held her baby in her arms, a sacred gleam lighting up her face, and a loving smile curled her lips. "It''s a gift from Fahd."


    "Oh no. If I may, I''d say it''s a memento from Ortn." Roy stared at them, his eyes twinkling.


    Eva tensed up, and she went a shade whiter, but she didn''t argue. "Fine. Yes, it''s a gift from Ortn. It didn''t seem valuable, so I let Arthur have it."


    <em>Doesn''t seem valuable? </em>Roy roared inside, <em>It''s more valuable than you think. </em>He cast Observe on the ne.


    ''Ne of Warding


    Components: Obsidian, silver, mana, zircon, specter dust, infused dust, iolite¡­


    Affixes:


    Physical Damage Protection, Energy Damage Protection, Evil Spirit Warding, Ailment Resistance.


    Every time these effects are activated, the talisman will absorb chaos energy from the surroundings to replenish lost energy.''


    ***


    It was Roy''s first time seeing an enchanted essory this powerful. It had quite a few practical effects, and it could self-recharge. <em>This ne is worth a few dozen crowns at least. </em>"So this child''s father is Ortn?"


    "I was already a few months pregnant before his disappearance. Gave birth to Arthur after I married Fahd. He doesn''t mind that." Eva looked gently outside the window, where the sea was facing them, and she smiled sweetly. "He sees Arthur as his own."


    Roy could see that the baby was just a regr human. He had no magical talent at all. <em>Didn''t inherit that part from his father.</em>


    ***


    Thanks to his mother''s cajoling, the infant''s crying stopped. He sucked on his mother''s finger and stared at the witcher curiously.


    The witcher in question was having conflicting feelings. Sorcerers might be rich, but they would never give something this valuable to anyone. He sighed, staring at the ne and trying to get a closer look at the pattern on it. "Ortn must have cared about Arthur deeply. He loved the child, and the fact you kept his ne around means you still think of him."


    "No, you understand <em>nothing</em>!" As if having a trigger pulled, Eva let out a guttural roar, and she red belligerently at the witcher. "I loathe him! This ne is just¡­ is just a memento. He doesn''t love me or Arthur! What he did before he disappeared was unforgivable!"


    "What did he do to you?" Roy asked softly.


    "I told you that he did something worse than betraying my love." Eva shook her head. Finally, she spoke of the final lead Roy needed for this case. "After his infidelity became public knowledge, the weight was too much for me, s-so I broke down and tried to take my own life. He saved me and helped me recover as soon as possible. I thought he would change."


    Eva pursed her lips, his eyes ring with fear. "But that night, I woke with a start and saw him standing before my bed, holding a butcher''s knife. He was staring at me. With a look I saw in pirates'' eyes when I was a child." She curled up and held the baby tighter in her arms. "I could feel that he wanted to kill us both."


    Eva started crying, the beauty mark on the corner of her mouth colored crimson by her glistening tears.


    Feeling his mother''s sorrow, Arthuir started crying as well.


    "I begged and begged, and he finally left. He said nothing, but I could see that he was hesitant. He was reluctant to leave. He''s Arthur''s father! How could he try to kill him? That was even worse than his sleeping around. He spared me and Arthur, but I never wanted to see him, and he granted my wish. He went missing."


    Roy held his silence until Eva was finished venting out her sorrow and fury, then she wiped her tears away.


    <em>Stayed in a loving marriage for four months, neglected her, then slept with someone else. Left an invaluable ne for his child and then went away without so much as leaving a message. Never came back to see them either. Saved his suicidal wife and tried to kill her.</em>


    ***


    Everything Ortn did sounded contradictory, or at least that was what Roy thought. <em>He took the gambler away, slept with the prostitutes who resembled his wife, and then he tried to murder Eva. And to what end? There must be a goal, but he got cold feet in the end. There''s only one way to get to the bottom of this.</em>


    "Eva, I have a request. Can you lend me this ne?" Roy asked. "I promise I''ll give it back by tomorrow at thetest. Or I can do you a favor."


    "Yes, one." Eva held her baby tightly and turned back to look at the witcher, her eyes shining with tears. Hysterically, she pleaded, "Do not talk about that man or disturb my family again. I beg you."


    ***


    The wooden door creaked open and shut as quickly as it was opened. The witcher held up the ne, the vague light shining on the impable engraving on it. It was a star-shaped pond surrounded by three willow trees. His gut told him that this was rted to Ortn''s secret base.


    Krott had been waiting for a while. He said, "Mr. Pitt, I have gotten you a ce to crash for the night. It''s at the Lobster Inn. There''s wine, food, and special service should you need it. You''ll love it."


    "Hold on, mate. You''re a tour guide, aren''t you? Surely you must know the entire ind?"


    "Oh, not to toot my own horn, but¡­" Krott smiled, and he pointed at his head. "I''ve memorized this whole ce''s map."


    "Seen this ce before?" Roy showed him the ne.


    Krott stared at the ne for a few moments, and the look on his face changed a little. "Ah, I remember this ce. It''s in the woods near the northern parts of this ind, which is a no man''snd. Fished there a few years ago."


    "Lead the way."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 532 - 532: Behind the Mask of Cruelty

    Chapter 532: Behind the Mask of Cruelty


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The curtain of dusk was slowly drawing upon the isle of Hindarsfjall, the whispers of the sea breeze fluttering across the bushes and woods in the northern parts of the isle. A pair of ghostly eyes flickered within the forest, and something crunched near the floor.


    The witcher had broken a twig, and he pulled back the nket of leaves before him, revealing a glimmering pond behind it. The night was silent, save for the crickets of the bugs and the rustles of the willows beside the pond. Okay, this is the ce carved on the ne.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Mr. Pitt, but make haste. The wilds are dangerous at night. If we run into any wolves, bears, or even arachases, we¡¯re never going to live to see tomorrow¡¯s sunrise.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. As long as I¡¯m around, no one can hurt you.¡± The soil underneath squelched as Roy took the first steps toward the pond, and he circled it. He then came to a stop before a willow tree, for his medallion had started buzzing.


    The witcher poked at the air ahead of him, and a ripple spread, refracting the dim light that swam underneath. It¡¯s an illusion?


    ¡°What are you trying to do, Mr. Pitt? Are you on a treasure hunt?¡±


    ¡°Shut it and stand aside.¡± Roy whirled around and quickly made a sign.


    Krott shivered and walked stiffly toward a willow tree. He hugged the trunk and struck a pose not unlike a dog trying to pee, and he squirmed.


    The witcher nodded and made the sign of mp, but this time, he didn¡¯t summon his clone. Like a needle, the ck rune poked a hole in the illusion, and everything melted away. Theyer of soft mulch before the willow tree disappeared.


    A trapdoor with a handle appeared in ce of the mulch, and the witcher pulled it open. He stabbed Gwyhyr on the ground outside and cast two magical shields on himself. Carefully, he descended the woodendder into darkness.


    Roy came into a dark, ustrophobic space with empty walls. Before him was a tightly shut door gleaming with the light of magic, and a groove was carved on the door. A groove that was probably a keyhole.


    Roy hesitated for a moment, and he pushed the ne into the groove. It was a perfect match, and something creaked. The witcher opened the heavy door and snapped his fingers. A sprout of mes danced on his fingers, illuminating the chamber.


    The chamber was the size of a single room, but it was spacious. The walls were sturdy, and the insides were barely decorated. There was only a table in the corner, a silk bag, a xenovox for telmunication purposes, and a magicalmp hanging on the ceiling.


    Besides that, the room was empty. There were no vessels or machines for gic modifications either, unlike what the witcher expected. The most conspicuous thing was the hexagram on the yellowing wooden floor, and ancient runes for sealing were drawn in every corner.


    The moment Roy stepped into that hexagram, the mana in his body felt sluggish and chained. It felt like all the veins in his body were clogged, and his mind slowed to a crawl. At the same time, he was assailed by the stench of rotting flesh.


    The witcher bit the tip of his tongue and furrowed his brows. He tried to stay as awake as possible and held his buzzing medallion. He then crouched and scooped up some of the white powder from the hexagram, and he took a sniff. Infused dust. ¡°Is this a formation to seal some sort of powerful being? It¡¯s already here for a year, and it¡¯s still in effect.¡± Why did he create this chamber? What did he seal?


    Roy turned on his Witcher Senses and saw a grey ribbon hanging in the air. A ribbon made of the stench of blood and rotting flesh. He followed the trail of the ribbon and came to the center of the hexagram, where the stench was the most intense. He then knocked on the ground, but a hollow sound came back.


    ¡°It¡¯s hollow.¡± Roy made a blue Sign, and a st of air crushed the wooden floorboard underneath. Splinters flew everywhere, and dust leapt into the air. As if stirred, the stench was getting stronger and stronger. The witcher thought he would hurl. He held his breath, and his eyes went wide.


    What met his eyes was a skeleton, and a highly decayed one. A Skellige fur coat was draped around it, and only strips of flesh remained around the skeleton¡¯s skull, its empty eye sockets staring back into the witcher¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s been dead for at least a year and three months.¡± Roy took the skeletal remains out of the hole and checked the skeleton¡¯s teeth and pelvic bones. There was still rotting flesh hanging off them. ¡°Male, thirty-five years old. About six feet tall, grey hair. Fits the description of Yank¡¯s father. Ortn must¡¯ve killed him not long after he took the guy away. Knew that money was payment for his life. And there are fractures around his calves, ribs, arms, and nose. More than a few dozen in total.¡±


    Roy clicked his tongue. ¡°Must¡¯ve gone through unimaginable torture before he died.¡± Roy¡¯s face fell. Anything involving torture when it came to magic meant at least an evil ritual. ¡°Guess I should¡¯ve expected nothing less from a master in the field of biology.¡±


    Roy shook his head and sighed. He bent over deeper into the hole and hauled another corpse out. This one had an orange blouse draped over it, and a cape made of fox fur covered her shoulder. ¡°Twenty-eight years old. About five-foot-six. Female. Bone fractures in many locations as well. This one was tortured before she died too.¡±


    The third corpse wore a verdant jacket. ¡°Thirty years old. About five-foot-seven. Female. Tortured before she died.¡±


    The fourth wore a white jacket made of fur and a nightgown made of velvet. ¡°Twenty-nine years old. Five-foot-seven. Female. Tortured before death.¡±


    Roy gazed at the broken, decaying remains in the hole, and he inhaled sharply, falling into his thoughts. ¡°Ortn tortured and killed the gambler and prostitutes. All of them. I can imagine how they must¡¯ve felt before they died.¡±


    Roy looked around, his eyes ring with alert, and something popped in his head. ¡°Could he have used human agony to create some sort of monster and locked it in this chamber with that hexagram?¡± But the door was tightly shut. No signs of it being broken. Roy was sure he was the only one in the room. There was nothing else in here with him.


    He then looked at the silk bag on the table as well as the xenovox on its side. An image crystal was embedded on the tripod. The witcher approached the table and touched the crystal gently, giving it a surge of mana.


    And then the same thing that happened in the undergroundb happened again. The crystal glimmered and formed a screen in the air, and then a man appeared on that screen. He was in a grey schr¡¯s robe, and he was in his forties. His hair was golden and cropped short, his eyes were filled with wisdom and history, and a perfectly-kept mustache and goatee hung around his lower face. He looked nothing short of a university professor.


    The look on his face was icy, however.


    No one would believe that this man killed four innocent souls. He then started to speak, his voice deep. ¡°It was the year of 1261. I had bade goodbye to Rissberg, where I spent more than two hundred years working. It was in this castle I achieved numerous glorious achievements, including but not limited to: assisting Alzur and Mspina in the creation of witchers, researching the elixir of eternal life with fifteen colleagues, and creating and improving a hundred and twenty-five types of creatures. I thought I would live my whole life researching magic until the day I died of old age or a workce hazard. However, on my three hundred and fiftieth birthday, I felt a sense of exhaustioning deep from my soul. I was tired of all this. I had a feeling death wasing for me. At most, I have forty years left to live, and so, I made my boldest decision ever. I left Rissberg and returned to my childhood home¡ªArd Skellig. I was born on the isles and grew up as a regr human until I was eighteen. It was in this ce I met my first love, and it was something I could never forget. When I saw the scenery of this isle once more, I knew this shall be my final resting ce. No more experiments and no more research. I shall live a peaceful life as a lonely old man. I shall enjoy my days of sunshine and beaches. And of course, surfing the seas and feasting on seafood.¡±


    Light started to shine in the man¡¯s eyes, and no longer was he speaking with a monotone voice.


    ¡°It was June 1261. I saw her when I was fishing on the shores. A youngdy hauling her catch of the day. She was young, beautiful, and in the pink of health. Her skin was perfect, wless, just like a diamond shining under the sun. For a moment, I was harkened back to a time when I was much younger. To the moment I first met Eledy. They looked the same, Eledy and this youngdy, especially their beauty mark. I felt life surging in my wasting body, and my heart which had numbed after so many experiments started beating quickly. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I, a three-hundred-year-old man, the cruel and merciless Ortn, finding himself falling for someone? If Algernon or Idarran caught wind of this, they¡¯d think someone altered my mind.¡±


    A self-deprecating smile twisted Ortn¡¯s lips.


    ¡°But it was fate. A great chance appeared. The waves took her under the sea, and I cast a spell to save her. Without hesitation too. I then took her home, and it was there I found out that her name was Eva. I can¡¯t remember why I smiled at her warmly. A wish welled within me. My only wish was to marry her. It was to give back what I owed to Eledy. Despite not many years remaining in my body, I started courting her.¡±


    ***


    ¡°July of 1261. The innocent Eva couldn¡¯t resist my advances. I have money, inexhaustible stamina, and a deep well of knowledge. I am, as I have told her, a rich but retired merchant from Lan Exeter.¡± There was confidence brimming within Ortn¡¯s body.


    ¡°She married me, and I¡¯ve decided to move to Hindarsfjall. It is quieter there, and no one will interrupt our quiet life. November of 1261. Four months had gone by since the wedding, and life was like a dream. I felt so much younger, my body filled with vitality and vigor. We stayed in a stark but clean house, and we spent so much time together on that little bed, but it never seemed like enough.¡±


    The ice-cold look faded, reced by a small smile. ¡°We merged in body and soul, and I knew her more and more with every passing day. She was an innocentdy who trusted me with all her heart and soul, and she melted my ice-cold heart. She looked just like Eledy, but I was starting to realize that she was not Eledy; she was Eva. She was a special and unique woman. And I epted her truly. Then came December. I took notice of her bizarre change in emotions. Her smiles were fading, and sometimes she would stare vacantly into the skies, a depressed look coloring her face.¡±


    Ortn¡¯s face fell, and his voice took a chilly turn, as if dropping the temperature around him by a few centigrades. ¡°I found the reason. She was infected by the datt. That was a great mistake of mine. The datt must¡¯ve left Rissberg along with him. The datt was a special evil spirit. A modified hym, so to speak, and it was cunning. It never showed itself after I left, for it knew it could not triumph against my soul. However, when I saved Eva, her soul and will were at their lowest points, so the datt possessed her and started whispering doom into her heart.¡±


    He exined, ¡°From my repeated experiments, I found that the corruption was slow but steady. In a year at most, the corruption would drive her to insanity, and her symptoms were worsening, yet I could provide her no relief or exnation. The more she knew, the more holes it would create in her heart, and the datt would fill those holes with nightmare and agony. The more concern I showed her, the more the datt would torment her. The spirit loathed me, its creator, after all. And so I started neglecting her in an attempt to make the datt mistake that I was already tired of her.¡±


    Ortn shook his head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eva. The only thing from me that¡¯ll be with you from now on shall be the ne.¡±


    ***


    ¡°March of 1262. For four months I¡¯ve been going back and forth between Rissberg and home. I¡¯ve used more than twenty types of elixirs to goad the spirit out. I¡¯ve used the exorcism contraption, but none of them worked.¡±


    Ortn looked exhausted, and his voice wasced with dejection. ¡°We¡¯ve made the datt too powerful. Not even the ne could stop Eva¡¯s depression and agony from getting worse. The hallucinations have started. Left with no choice, I went with the ancient ways the witchers usually employ against hymns. I used another weak soul driven by negative emotions as a lure for the datt, and I have set my eyes on a certain man. A gambler called nden who lives in another vige.


    ¡°He gambled all his family¡¯s money away and hurt his wife and son badly. For that, he¡¯s always felt guilty, but he never showed it. Instead, he gave up on his own soul and fell into the depths of darkness. I gave him a chance to redeem himself, and he, like a drowning man, grabbed onto that chance. I used magic to intensify the guilt festering in his heart, and while Eva was asleep, I brought him to her.¡±


    Ortn shook his head, sighing. ¡°I did that for nearly a week, but the n didn¡¯t work. The datt didn¡¯t care for nden¡¯s soul at all. It didn¡¯t care about ordinary souls. The reason it possessed Eva was to torture me, its creator. It was only interested in my soul.¡±


    Ortn¡¯s face fell, and he said cruelly, ¡°I might have some affection for Eva, but I am the cruel Ortn, not some knight guarding over a princess. It is time to leave. Time to move somewhere else and live the remainder of my days out.¡±


    The footage disappeared, and a long bout of darknesster, the screen lit up again. ¡°Her stomach churned, and she retched today. I checked on her.¡± The look on Ortn¡¯s face was peculiar. He stared vacantly at the air, a smile cracking his lips. His voice started to shake with nervousness and surprise.


    ¡°And she¡¯s already a few months pregnant. I¡¯ve been working around too much thest few months to notice. When I first embarked on the path of magic, I went through a magical neutering so as to empower my resolution. It was supposed to be an irreversible process. The impregnation should¡¯ve been impossible, but I checked with magic again, and the child she bears is rted to me by blood, but I¡¯m not sure if it is blessed with a talent for magic. This is nothing short of a miracle.¡±


    Ortn¡¯s eyes were starting to shine brightly, his usual serenity reced by a big smile. ¡°Life is full of wonders. Creating a child with a woman is akin to expanding my own life and soul. I am the cruel Ortn, and I have created more than a hundred types of modified creatures. Every time I made a new type of creature, I would always be filled with delight and a sense of achievement, but this time, I feel bliss and happiness.¡±


    Something red in his grey eyes, and he solemnly swore, ¡°Nothing can hurt Eva or my child.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I gave nden a sum of money. A payment for his life. I then summoned him to this chamber and murdered him. Broke every single one of his bones before he died. He screamed and howled for two hours, begging for mercy. s, his cries and death did nothing to elicit any emotion from me.¡±


    The blissful smile on Ortn¡¯s face was reced by a frigid expression.


    ¡°I was too naive. Torturing and murdering a regr human could never make me guilty or sad. All my human experimentation should have been enough to prove that I am a man with a heart of stone. The only people I care about are Eva and the child. For the first time in my life, I feel like having a steadfast soul is a sin.¡±


    ***


    ¡°April of 1262. I was in Lan Exeter¡¯s library, searching for a way to save my family. I ran into a prostitute on the streets, and at first nce, I mistook her for Eva. The look from her back, the outline of her face, her nose¡­ Everything was just like Eva, and thus, I came up with an idea to lie to myself. I gave her a huge sum of money so she could leave it to her family, then I took her back to the ind. I spent two weeks with her and gained a sliver of affection for the prostitute. A lot of times, I mistook her for Eva, and I knew it was time to act. I took her to this chamber and murdered her after putting her through torture.


    ¡°And in that moment, for the first time in a few hundred years, I felt guilt and pain and anguish. The more guilt and pain I felt, the bigger the hole in my heart would be. When I went home that day and approached Eva, the datt was tempted. I felt the chaos energy hanging in the air stirring along with it. However, it was not enough. The spirit wouldn¡¯te out, fearing it couldn¡¯t conquer my soul and spirit.¡±


    ***


    ¡°May of 1262. I called in a lot of favors and spent most of my savings, but in the end, I found two more fake Evas. How foolish of me. I was supposed to be a sorcerer searching for magic and the ultimate truth, and yet I started lying to myself.¡± A bitter smile hung on the lips of Ortn, but the look in his eyes was of determination and calmness. ¡°As usual, I spent some time with the two of them, taking them as Eva. Once I built up enough affection for them, I tortured them and took their lives.¡±


    The screen dimmed, and it red up again, but this time, Ortn looked different. His hair was unkempt, his face filled with grime, and his clean robes looked creased and covered in soil. Ortn would cry at one moment and grin the next.


    Heughed with sorrow. ¡°I¡¯ve killed ¡®the person I love the most¡¯.¡± Heughed again. ¡°And I feel sorrow. Guilt. Every cut I make on her skin is like a cut I make to myself. And I killed my own child! I got back home at my lowest, and Eva tried to take her own life. Fortunately, the ne helped me keep an eye on her. And my n worked. I was weak enough, and the datt left Eva without hesitating. It possessed me instead. Me, the creator it hated the most. I did it!¡± Heughed.


    ¡°The sted spirit can never threaten Eva or my child anymore. I don¡¯t feel anything special this time. Perhaps the datt can¡¯t control me due to my already dark emotions.¡± He cackled maniacally, but a tear welled in the corner of his eyes. ¡°And I started healing Eva with magic. If I can hold on and keep the datt¡¯s corruption at bay, I can live with her until my child is born. Until they grow up. Decades are nothing to me. No longer do I have to neglect Eva, and I¡¯ve even told her what we¡¯ll name the child. If it¡¯s a boy, he¡¯ll be Arthur, but if it¡¯s a girl, she¡¯ll be Dora.¡±


    ***


    Ortn was sickly, and his eyes were bulging. He caressed the air lovingly, making a cradling posture as if he were holding a baby. He looked almost mad. ¡°Please, Eva, let me stay with you just for a moment longer. And you too, my child. A pity. I was delighted when I created the datt, and now it¡¯s tormenting me beyond my darkest imagination. My will was already crumbling to begin with, and it crushed itpletely. Created hallucinations and controlled my dreams, striking at my mind. The guilt and dark emotions I feel are boiling over like hot water.


    ¡°Only three days had gone by since I came back to Eva, and already I couldn¡¯t control my actions. When I woke from my meditation, I was standing before Eva, knife pointed at her belly. I was an inch away from killing her and my child, and I would have, if it weren¡¯t for my unease waking me up. The datt read my mind and knew my weakness. It wished to inflict more pain on me, forcing me to take the lives of those I love the most.


    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t let that wretched spirit win.¡± Ortn bared his teeth and roared hysterically, ¡°I¡¯ll destroy it myself! So I left home and came back to this chamber, intent on sealing myself along with the datt. As its creator, I know full well there are only two ways to destroy it. One, I purge it from my body forever and kill it, but it would never let go of its grasp on me. Nothing is more enticing to it.¡±


    Ortn sat down cross-legged, then he raised his head, his sickly-white face filled with despair and determination. ¡°That leaves the second avenue: I shall disappear along with it, but suicide is not an option. If my flesh crumbles, the datt will be free to engulf my spirit. It¡¯ll be stronger. Strong enough to leave this circle and go back to harm Eva. I must destroy my own soul along with it. Three hundred years is more than enough for me. I¡¯m just ending my retirement, but I have to find a good way to carry out this n.¡±


    ***


    ¡°June of 1262. Idarran contacted me. He imed to be in possession of a way to destroy souls, and it was fitting for a sinner like me.¡± Ortn no longer had the serenity of a sorcerer. He was gaunt, his cheekbones protruding, and he had nothing but strips of cloth covering his body. He was like a ghost haunting this darkb. Still, there was tenderness in his eyes. He stared at the screen and spoke softly.


    ¡°My child, if you can find this pond, see through the illusion, and enter this chamber, then that¡¯s a testament to your intelligence. Should you be able to turn on this crystal, then you would have inherited my talent for magic as well. You may take the talisman and register yourself at Ban Ard in Kaedwen. You may use the check in the silk bag to im ten thousand crowns in any Vivaldi¡¯s Bank. It should be enough for five years¡¯ worth of tuition. Or you can use it to live a normal life should you want that.¡±


    Onest message. ¡°Oh, and onest thing. If there¡¯s one thing I did right in my life, that would be marrying your mother, Eva. She should have remarried by now and made a happy family for herself. Quite a fewds in the vige fancy her. Eji and Fahd are among them, but judging by her character, she should marry the more honest Fahd. She deserves a better husband.¡±


    And he broke into cries andughter again, but then he swooped down and stuck his face as close as possible to the screen, leaving mere inches between him and the witcher. His eyes were bloodshot, but he was staring intently ahead for at least ten seconds, as if he wished to see his yet unborn child.


    And then two tears streamed down his cheeks.


    Roy held his breath.


    ¡°My child, you¡¯re forevermore, the greatest creation I have ever made in my life. My time is almost up. I should be going now. Forever loving you, the cruel Ortn signing out.¡±


    And the screen fizzled out, plunging the chamber back into darkness.

 Chapter 533 - 533: Conjecture and a Guest in the Night

    Chapter 533: Conjecture and a Guest in the Night


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The chamber was plunged into darkness, and Roy was staring at the crystal in the xenovox, his mind elsewhere.


    ¡°The cruel Ortn, a master of gic modification, and a sorcerer who¡¯s lived for more than three centuries, sacrificed himself for his wife and child. That¡¯s ironic.¡± That waspletely different from his conjecture. He did not expect the story to take this turn.


    ¡°Well, conjectures are always just conjectures. The truth can always be different. Lesson learned.¡±


    He still felt conflicted about this man. In order to save his wife, he cruelly tortured and killed four innocent people. Ortn found salvation, but it was based on the despair of innocent lives. Roy thought that was wrong, and it was a twisted way to express love.


    However, another voice in his head told him that Ortn had given those people payment for their lives. It was nothing but a fair transaction.


    Money can¡¯t be equated to a life, no matter how much the amount is. Roy shook his head and tossed out the jumbled up thoughts in his head. He then focused on the task at hand. He came for an important goal: to find clues about Idarran and his whereabouts.


    ¡°ording to thest part of the testament, Idarran provided a way to destroy souls. Ortn must¡¯ve left Hindarsfjall to see him, but he didn¡¯t give any concrete locations. I wonder if Ortn got his wish in the end.¡±


    Did the sorcerer destroy himself alongside that evil spirit? And what was the way Idarran provided? A way to destroy the flesh and soul of a sinner¡­


    Roy thought that felt familiar. Just a few months ago, he came across something simr in Mayena. A sinful food provider was vaporized by a red light, and his servant, Mateo, was almost burned up right before Roy. It was possible that these cases were connected.


    The grandmasters¡¯ tracks were hard to find, and the red light appeared out of nowhere. Even the druids from the circle failed to find the source of it. ¡°I¡¯ll assume that everything that happened in Mayena was the work of Idarran and the grandmasters for now. If I extrapte, then the reason for their joining the battlefields and reaping souls would be for the cleansing of this world¡¯s sins.¡±


    If that¡¯s true, then their way of thinking is naive and idealistic. Where there is good, there is bound to be evil. They are two sides of the same coin. Leaning into the extremes of either side would cause an imbnce, Roy thought. He took a deep breath and stopped thinking about it. Before he found Idarran, his hypothesis held no worth.


    ***


    Five minutester, he tucked the corpses away in his inventory and took the silk bag, but he hesitated for a moment and ced it back where he found it. He then took the ne on the magical door and left the chamber.


    A crescent moon was ascending into the night sky, the pond in the woods reflecting its dappled light.


    ¡°Oh, my baby, my mead. Come here and let me kiss you.¡± Krott was still hugging the willow tree, giving it kisses and trying to sweet talk it, snot and slobber dribbling down his face. The young guide was imagining the tree as the woman of his dreams.


    Roy shook his head, a smile curling his lips. He dug a big hole nearby with Gwyhyr and buried the dead. Then he snapped his fingers.


    ¡°Huh? Wh-What happened to me?¡± Krott wiped off his drool and snot. He almost caught a cold being blown on by the night breeze. He then stared at the moon, bemused, then he scratched his sore crotch.


    ¡°You had a good sleep,d.¡± Roy nodded at the guide. ¡°Fell asleep sitting by the pond. Fast asleep too, so I left you to it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, very sorry about that. Went around with you too much today, and my legs were going to break, so I was a tad panicked. So did you find anything, Mr. Pitt?¡±


    Roy gave it some thought and nodded. ¡°I found a mark Ortn left. He¡¯s gone back to Lan Exeter and resumed his ce as a wealthy merchant. Probably found another wife.¡±


    ¡°I knew that guy was a cheating, disloyal bastard.¡±


    ***


    Silvery moonlight draped itself over Lofoten, a thinyer of fog slithering around the houses and streets. The barks of dogs and crickets of bugs yed within the vige, lending it an air of serenity.


    Once again, Roy came to the red house, but this time, the witcher didn¡¯t knock. Instead, he looked inside through the window. The bright light of the warm mes illuminated a warm family. Eva had her hair tied and was wearing a grey apron. She was happily stirring the cauldron hanging over the crackling bonfire, the scent of meat and greens wafting out the window.


    Standing beside her was a tall, muscr man in a simple jacket. He was holding an infant high up in the air, a happy, blissful smile curling his lips. The man looked honest.


    ¡°Do you miss Daddy, Arthur?¡± He poked the infant¡¯s nose and tickled the baby¡¯s face with his chin¡¯s stubble.


    The baby gurgled.


    ¡°Gentler!¡± Eva chastised. ¡°You¡¯re going to ruin Arthur¡¯s nose. What if he can¡¯t find a wife?¡±


    The manughed. ¡°If he learns how to fish from me, he¡¯ll never have to worry about never finding a wife.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what good will it do fishing forever? You were single when you were thirty, and you¡¯re the stupidest guy around the vige!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I still married a beautiful wife like you. You¡¯re a great housekeeper, and you have deft hands. This is all as Freya has nned.¡±


    A pink hue tinged Eva¡¯s cheeks, lending her more beauty than usual.


    ¡°Oh look, my love. The little one¡¯s smiling at me. He¡¯s so cute. Oh, are you trying to make me stay? Ah, I promise I¡¯ll stay home tomorrow and y with you.¡±


    The baby gurgled again.


    Roy watched the happy family in silence, staring at the smiles of the couple. He felt sadness stir within him, and the breeze felt slightly colder than usual. ¡°You¡¯ll never know what the man you hate and can never forget has done for you and your child. You¡¯ll never know the price he paid, but I hope you¡¯ll live on happily without knowing that.¡±


    Arthur was just a regr infant with no talent for magic. There was no need for him to find out about Ortn¡¯s story. The witcher had no ns to ruin their peaceful lives. A momentter, he carefully slid his right hand into the wooden window, cing the unassuming yet valuable ne on the windowsill, and then he left.


    ***


    ¡°Oh, where¡¯d his ne go, my love?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I think I took it off and gave it a wash. Probably on the windowsill. I¡¯ll find it.¡± Eva looked around the window and found the ne. ¡°Ah, found it. Knew it was here.¡± She held up the ne and patted her chest, heaving a sigh of relief. She then noticed a pair of silhouettes hurrying into the darkness of the night. One of them had a ck cloak, and he looked alone and ethereal.


    Fahd approached his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, and he kissed her neck. ¡°Who¡¯s the guy that¡¯s with Krott?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him. Probably a tourist. And stop getting touchy. Let me go. It¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to eat you first.¡±


    ***


    The foam of alcohol sprinkled into the air. A bonfire roared in the center of Lobster Inn, the sparks shining on the red faces of the inn¡¯s drunken patrons.


    Three mugs mmed together in the air, glistening foam dancing in the air, spreading the fragrance of mead across the inn. Audible gulps rang out around the table. A man with big, hairy hands held his mug upside down. Eji narrowed his eyes at the witcher and his sweating old friend.


    ¡°Thanks for the booze, Mr. Pitt. Come to me if ya need anythin¡¯ around Hindarsfjall.¡± Eji thumped his chest. ¡°Well, anythin¡¯ ¡®sides Ortn¡¯s matter. Told ya everythin¡¯ I knew. An¡¯ you!¡± Eji shoved Krott¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Take him on a tour, an¡¯ just a tour. Don¡¯t try to dupe him into buyin¡¯ anythin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t insult me!¡± Krott burped, and he roared, ¡°I provide nothing but the best services for my clients.¡± He looked at the witcher carefully.


    ¡°Oh, since you¡¯ve found Ortn¡¯s whereabouts, how much longer are you going to stay, Mr. Pitt?¡± Krott looked at him, the stench of his breath reeking of garlic and lobster. ¡°Continuing your tour tomorrow? Once we get around Hindarsfjall, we can go around Faroe, Ard Skellig, and An Skellig. I know those isles well.¡±


    Roy shook his head, the look on his face dark. ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow, but before that, I¡¯ll see Yank and his mother. I have good news for them.¡±


    Even in the bustle of this inn, all he could think of was that demon of a man. What he did was cruel, and yet he had enough love in his heart to sacrifice himself. More importantly, the fact that he still hadn¡¯t found Idarran was weighing down on his mind. It was annoying, and he needed to vent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be too happy. Is this because of Ortn? If you ask me, you should forget about that phndering merchant. It¡¯s going to be the twenty-first of June in a few days. On Midaete, the isles will be holding a dance. It¡¯s tradition.¡± Krott was gesticting. ¡°Someone as handsome as you can probably hook up with a few richdies from the capital, and all for free. Or you can flirt with some of the Skelligedies too. Yes, ourdies might have bigger bones so they¡¯re not as petite as the northerners, and their skin¡¯s not as smooth because of the constant exposure to sea winds, but they¡¯re wild and plump. You¡¯ll never forget the taste of them once you try it. Stay awhile and listen. You won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    The guide was trying his best to gain more business. Roy nodded. Coral came from the isles, after all.


    ¡°Ah, ya don¡¯t have to wait ¡¯til the festival for some women.¡± Eji leered at the counter on the other side. Three waitresses in brown aprons were standing there, smiling around, giving potential customers seductive nces.


    Compared to the otherdies in the inn, they were taller and curvier, and their smiles were broad. ¡°If yer generous enough, ya can sleep with ¡¯em right now.¡± Eji fanned the air and scratched his hairy chest. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough things in ma life, an¡¯ I think thedy in the middle, Mary, suits ye the best. She¡¯s hot and not as wild as the otherdies. Ye might be small, but ye can take her.¡±


    Roy shook his head and turned his eyes to the circle beside the bonfire. The circle had a five-yard radius, and two burly, red-faced Skelligers were engaged in a fistfight, their courage bolstered even further by the alcohol. Every punch sttered blood and sweat and alcohol.


    The fistfight was a thrilling one, and a frenzied crowd had formed beside the circle. There were about a dozen of them, and all of them were burly Skelligers who reeked of alcohol. These patrons swung their mugs at the circle, roaring raucously while they tossed coins into the circle, encouraging the fighters to put on a better match.


    The inn¡¯s liveliness was at a high point, the air filled with cheers and curses, the shouts almost flipping the roof over.


    A man who seemed like a judge stood beside the circle, gesticting frantically at the participants or breaking up fighters who were entangled like a ball.


    ¡°Are they having a match?¡±


    ¡°Ye never heard of it? ¡®Tis the Fists of Fury of Skellige Isles. Hindarsfjall selection. Winner¡¯s goin¡¯ to Ard Skellig¡¯s Kaer Trolde Harbor for the next round.¡± Eji was staring at the ring with passion. ¡°Any warrior worth their salt ain¡¯t lettin¡¯ this chance go. Every victory takes ye one step closer to Queen Birna¡¯s Arena, where ye fight in the finals. If yee out victorious ¡®gainst f the Unbeatable, ye¡¯ll be Skellige¡¯s hero. Isted two rounds before I got eliminated, though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡± Krott shook his head. ¡°Fistfights are out of my depth. Those fighters are going to rip my head off.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath and downed his mead. A rush of air escaped his nose, his eyes glinting coldly. He then took off his sunsses and cloak, revealing a lean body underneath. It was covered with brown leather armor. The enchanted armor was caved in from the encounter with the ice giant, and it needed to be repaired.


    ¡°Keep an eye on my stuff.¡± Roy raised his head.


    A burly man grunted and held his ck eye, plopping outside the ring. He was howling in pain, while the winner in the ring held up his bandaged fists. He was naked from the waist up and covered in sweat and oil. The fighter red around him, daring someone to step into the ring.


    The crowd¡¯s shouts calmed down a little. None took up the challenge. The witcher then stepped into the crowd.


    ¡°Professor Pitt, fight defensively, and good luck.¡±


    Krott and Eji noticed the unique eyes, and they shuddered. The professor¡¯s a witcher? Someone¡¯s going to be crushed.


    The inn¡¯s bonfire was burning strong, and the crowd¡¯s cheers were still thunderous. Then something astonishing happened. A burly, hairy man with a red nose flew into the air like a punching bag and fell outside the ring, a yellowing tooth spinning in the air.


    The crowd¡¯s jaws dropped.


    Skelligers might generally be stronger than northerners, but they were no match for witchers. To the crowd, Roy moved as swiftly as a phantom, and his strength rivaled that of a rock troll. The fight was already unevenly skewed toward the witcher in the first ce.


    ¡°Winner, Professor Linus Pitt of Oxenfurt University. And he¡¯s also a witcher. Any challengers?¡± The judge half-crouched and waved frantically at the crowd. ¡°Stand up, men of Skellige! Are ye going to hand over the honor of victory to a witcher? Or are ye scared o¡¯ his beastly eyes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight!¡± A hook-nosed man entered the ring.


    Two secondster, he held his swollen left cheek and fell with a thud, his consciousness lost.


    ¡°Come on, children o¡¯ the seas! Men o¡¯ Skellige, don¡¯t ye just stand there like a coward. Show ¡®im what we¡¯re made of. Knock ¡®im out cold!¡± the judge roared, wishing someone would defeat the witcher.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna let a mutantugh at us!¡± A towering man seven feet tall and more than two hundred pounds heavy stepped into the ring. He roared, ¡°Freya bless me! I¡¯ll be ye rival this time.¡±


    The man was ready to fight, and as soon as the judge finished counting down, everyone saw a blur whizzing past the ring. The witcher darted ahead, leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind. He easily passed through his opponent¡¯s defense and mmed his fist against the man¡¯s torso.


    Like a cooked prawn, the burly man curled up and spewed projectile vomit consisting of alcohol and half-digested lobster and salted fish. His barf drew an arc across the air, drenching the judge and the audience.


    ¡°Ah, ¡®at¡¯s better.¡± The drunken man burped.


    The air was filled with the slightly acidic stench of vomit, and roars and curses filled the inn.


    The witcher stood beyond the pool of mess, staring at the crowd sharply. The Skelligers were furious, of course, but when they met his eyes, they hung their heads low. These men worshipped the strong.


    ***


    ¡°Ye bunch of scallywags. Any more challengers?¡± The irritated judge wiped the barf off his face. No one came ahead. ¡°Fine. Today¡¯s winner is Linus Pitt! Congrattions, matey. Tomorrow ye can make ye way to An Skellig for the next round of challenge.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Pitt!¡± A red-faced man in a fur robe held up a barrel of mead and mmed it on the counter. ¡°Ye might¡¯ve won the fistfight, but do ye dare have a drinkin¡¯ match with me?¡±


    ¡°Rules?¡±


    The Skelligers exchanged a look. ¡°We¡¯re goin¡¯ to challenge ye. All of us against one of ye.¡±


    ¡°Challenge epted.¡± The witcher stared back at them fearlessly. He wanted to toss everything aside and drink himself drunk just for one night.


    ***


    At the same time, a pair of drakkars stood on the seas dozens of miles away from the bright inn, hiding in the dark like monstrous sea creatures quietly swimming across the surface of the sea, slowly wading toward the isle of Hindarsfjall.


    Silvery moonlight shone upon the ck ships. The edge of des, axes, and the metal of armor reflected its glint, shining icily.

 Chapter 534 - 534: Morkvarg

    Chapter 534: Morkvarg


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The northern coast was draped in a silveryer of moonlight, and the sailor on the drakkar hurled the anchor over the hull.


    Waves crashed on the sides of the drakkar, and chains rattled as the boats hanging from the sides of the drakkar fell into the waters.


    A group of Skelligers in colored and assorted armor quietly rowed the boats, hedging toward the nearby coast. These men were equipped with an assortment of weapons and shields.


    One towering, burly man stood on the bow of the boat, a star-shaped tattoo inked on his muscr arms. His nose was big, his lips were thin, and his mustache was short. He had a ck metal helm, and his dark eyes stared at the shining Hindarsfjall, a sneer curling his lips.


    ¡°Ya sure we should be lootin¡¯ Freya¡¯s temple, cap¡¯n?¡± Morkvarg¡¯s second-inmand, a man with a mustache, said worriedly. ¡°Most of our sailors pray to ¡®er before they sail. This sphemy will not go unpunished.¡±


    The men rowing the boats nodded.


    ¡°Scared, are ye, Einer?¡± the burly man asked shrilly, his voice cutting through the cold air. ¡°Ain¡¯t nuthin¡¯ like Freya exists. Have ye even seen ¡®er before? Betcha not even her most pious believers have seen the goddess showin¡¯ up before. Gods are nuthin¡¯ but lies and jokes made to fool the gullible. I, the great Morkvarg, and my men ain¡¯t scared of those lies.


    ¡°We are known. We are infamous. Even the ships of Novigrad, Lan Exeter, and Nilfgaard fell to us.¡± Morkvarg looked at his crew sharply, and everyone looked up at him. ¡°We do every evil there is under the sun. Killin¡¯ soldiers, women, children, and the elderly. We ain¡¯t scared of nuthin¡¯! All of Skellige knows Morkvarg¡¯s the most brazen pirate of ¡¯em all!¡±


    Morkvarg¡¯s roars were drowning out the crashing sounds of the waves. ¡°Aye, but those scallywags have sumthin¡¯ bad to say ¡¯bout us. Said we ain¡¯t scared of nuthin¡¯ but the gods made up by the people who are long dead. Said we¡¯d run away in fear when we see ¡®er priests. I¡¯ve had enough o¡¯ those insults. Tonight, we¡¯ll show them we¡¯re fearless. Tonight we¡¯ll shows them they¡¯re wrong! We¡¯ll loot the temple of Freya!¡±


    Morkvarg stood atop the bow, mming his sword into his shield. ¡°An¡¯ I shall drink the blood of the priests and the believers! An¡¯ I shall do sumthin¡¯ that¡¯s never been done before! We shall topple the statue those fools pray to an¡¯ piss on it! Not even the king or the seven ns have dunnit! After tonight, we shall be Skellige¡¯s most wanted!¡±


    The moon shone on the boats, and the seas saw quite a few pirates that were red with excitement, yet quite a few looked hesitant.


    ***


    It was a silent night, and the boats were slowly approaching the coast. A group of more than thirty pirates hadnded on Hindarsfjall¡¯s no man¡¯snd, quietly advancing toward the temple in the center of the isle.


    A small team went to the south, keeping Dona an Cinda from sending his troops in to fend them off.


    ***


    While the pirates were advancing toward the temple, it was still standing quietly. Even in the night, dim lights shone within the temple. A row of candles lent their sacred light to the silent and spacious great hall, illuminating its simple carpet, golden curtains, and crimson pirs.


    The moonlight that shone from the skylight rained down on thin, white-robed Uva, caressing her gently. She knelt before the marble altar, her hands put together in a prayer as she silently meditated and prayed to the goddess. A golden light shimmered around her.


    Before her stood the statues of the sacred cat and falcon. Atop them was a stone dais with shells made of stone. It was something made for the believers who gave thanks to their granted witches. Upon the stone dais stood the goddess Freya, the Great Mother.


    She had a maternal light surrounding her, her robes billowing in the air, and she had a baby bump. Freya was staring down, her face covered by a piece of cloth, and her hands were sped before her chest. A golden ne hung around her neck, a blue diamond cut in the shape of a rose embedded in its center.


    Uva opened her eyes, feeling something. She then turned to the Cat that sees and hears secrets and the Falcon that watches from far above. And something unfurled before her very eyes. A group of muscr evildoers stood in a long line, holding torches up in the air, and they were charging through the bushes. The man in the lead was strong and powerful, and he had a sneer on his face.


    The group disappeared into the woods.


    A hint of panic filled the priestess¡¯ face, and she turned to the goddess¡¯ statue. What was a holy and invible statue a moment ago was lit with crimson light.


    ¡°Might this be your warning?¡±


    Uva then saw the stone-cold eyes blinking at her, pity welling within them, almost as if the statue were looking at her suffering child.


    Change out of your robes and leave the temple. Quickly!


    A voice spoke in Uva¡¯s mind. Uva fell to her knees, clutching her chest, but she shook her head. ¡°Your humble servant will not leave you unattended. I shall protect the temple for you.¡±


    Uva stood up and quickly came to the priestesses¡¯ rest area. ¡°My children!¡± Her voice, amplified by the power of a goddess, reached the priestesses¡¯ hearts. The priestesses exchanged a look and put on their robes as they got up. ¡°Just a moment ago, Freya showed me a premonition. The temple shall be facing an assault soon. A group of sphemous beasts wish to defile this temple, bringing it to the ground!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The priestesses found the news to be unbelievable, and shock filled their faces. They had no guards protecting this temple, for no one would be brazen enough to mount an attack on the temple. All the inders respected Freya and saw her as their mother.


    ¡°Listen to me and leave, quickly. To the south. Tell Dona an Cinda to send his troops to the temple. Perhaps we can still make it!¡±


    ¡°What about you, Uva? Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± A young priestess with big eyes and brown hair stood up. ¡°I wish to stay back and protect the temple as well.¡±


    That was a signal, and the priestesses quickly stood around Uva. Even though they were young and inexperienced, they were ready to die as martyrs.


    ¡°This is a test of our faith. We are the priestesses of Freya!¡±


    ¡°We shall never turn our backs on the goddess!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop the baddies together!¡±


    ¡°When they bathe in the light of the goddess and listen to her teachings, they will recognize their transgressions.¡±


    ¡°You silly girls.¡± Uva heaved a sigh and looked at everyone. The youngest of them were about twelve. Nothing but children. The oldest were only in theirte twenties. Hindarsfjall was the center of the belief in Freya. They were priestesses-in-training, and they should¡¯ve been going to the other isles after they graduated, taking up the posts of priestesses, herbalists, midwives, and teachers, but now¡­


    ¡°Very well. If you are unafraid of what is toe, then we shall protect this temple together. To the entrance.¡±


    ***


    Lobster Inn was still brightly lit as usual, and the air was filled with thundering snores. A dozen Skelligers were sprawled on the ground around the bonfire, some even lying in the muck of their own vomit.


    They were piled on top of one another like a flesh mountain of alcohol and fermented seafood. Krott and Eji were entangled in a hug, their faces mushed together.


    Among these drunken inders was a slender figure in brown leather armor lying on a table alone. His brows were ck and thick, his nose was aquiline, his lips were perfectly thin, and his chin was perfectly sculpted.


    Thed was sleeping soundly, but then he stirred, and a frown furrowed his brows.


    Within the darkness came a hurried call. ¡°Witcher! Child of the Elder Blood! To the temple, quickly!¡±


    The witcher managed to open his eyes with difficulty and sat up on the table, massaging his drowsy head. He looked around, and a happy smile curled his lips.


    The whole mess started out as a challenge. The Skelligers and the witcher were engaged in a drinkingpetition, and then everything careened out of control. The patrons started drinking like their lives depended on it, and then everyone got drunk.


    The mead was great, but the consequences were not. The witcher let himself go and didn¡¯t cheat in thepetition. He drank as much booze in one night as he would in a year, and it cleared up the clouds in his heart.


    Thanks to his high Constitution, the effects of the alcohol subsided quickly. He got up and looked out the window. The moon was hanging high in the sky, and silence covered thisnd in its embrace.


    Even so, something unsettled the witcher. Who¡¯s the one that called me? And why to the temple? He looked at the drunken men around him. And why me?


    The witcher stretched his arms and strapped Aerondight to his back. Driven by curiosity and the push from the Elder Blood, Roy decided to check things out at the temple.


    ***


    Balls of firelight passed through the woods of Dona an Cinda, and rustling footsteps surrounded the temple of Freya. Light of the mes glinted off metal, and the owl near the entrance to the temple flew high into the skies, circling the temple and hooting in panic.


    All thirty-five priestesses ignored that. They stood before the entrance like a wall of human flesh. Some were nervous, some were scared, and some were resolute. They clenched their fists, their eyes darting around. They were white as bone, and the girls gulped in fear.


    Some were even shivering, and they held hands with their sisters, attempting tofort themselves. The priestesses muttered prayers under their breath, their nervous countenance a stark contrast to the high priestess standing in the center.


    The nefarious Morkvarg led his team of snarling, scowling men up the staircase covered by mistletoe,ing face to face with the priestesses at the entrance.


    The pirates looked at them and froze. What? What¡¯s with the priestesses standing here?


    ¡°Halt, intruder!¡± Uva shouted, her shrill voiceshing out at the air of the night, and the heads of the intruders buzzed. They stopped in their tracks. ¡°Weapons are prohibited in the halls of the great Freya. If you wish to pray, then throw your weapons to the ground beside the stairs. That is basic respect to the goddess.¡±


    Uva did not have any fear in her eyes. She stood up straight, her eyes ring brighter than any torch, and the pirates exchanged looks.


    As if he¡¯d just heard the most hrious joke, Morkvarg burst intoughter, revealing his yellowing, rotting teeth. ¡°An¡¯ what are ye standin¡¯ at the entrance for on this beau¡¯iful night, lovely priestesses? Shouldn¡¯t ye be sleepin¡¯? Or are ye tryin¡¯ to seduce some poor sod in the vige?¡±


    ¡°Silence, you sphemer!¡± A grey-haired girl with a ponytail stood forward and pointed at Morkvarg. Shrilly, she used, ¡°How dare you speak of something so vulgar in the face of the goddess¡¯ temple?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Morkvarg. Be good if ye remember that name. ¡®Tis the name the whole Skellige will talk abou. The pioneer of destroying foolishness and superstitions. The most courageous man of Skellige!¡±


    Morkvarg swung his sword and shook his head in contempt. ¡°An¡¯ ye can stop with ¡®at stunt. If ye goddess does exist, tell ¡®er to show ¡®erself. Tell her to show ¡®er power. Shower us with ¡®er teachin¡¯ an¡¯ stop us from what we¡¯re about to do, or else¡­¡±


    Morkvarg harrumphed. ¡°Shut up an¡¯ take your clothes off. Spread yer legs. I¡¯ll let ye die happy. Judgin¡¯ from yer looks and really straight legs, ye must be virgins, all of ye. Betcha never had a taste o¡¯ men. My brothers and I are very happy to help.¡±


    Furious and fearful, the priestesses were as red as blood. Uva, however, was still unfazed. She looked at the invaders, and then with conviction as hard as steel, she said, ¡°Put that brain of yours to work and think why we¡¯re herete at night. The goddess has shown us the destruction that shall befall you for this action.¡±


    She looked at the sailors, and the men hung their heads low in respect, as if they had just been scalded by holy light.


    ¡°But the goddess is merciful. She knows that you are but blinded by your greed.¡± A hint of warmth seeped into her voice. ¡°And she is willing to grant you a chance to repent. Put down your weapons and enter the temple. Pray for her forgiveness, and she shall grant you mercy. She shall give you her blessings, and your ships shall sail through the high seas with nothing to stop you.¡±


    Einer and some of the pirates were tempted. They would pray to Freya every time they went on a looting spree. Not once did they imagine they would be spheming against the goddess.


    Uva put her hands in a prayer and closed her eyes, then she hung her head low. There was no prayer or incantation, but then a blinding ray of golden light shone on the stairs. It flowed out of Uva and draped itself over one of the pirates. It was a man with a bandage over his face.


    The man gasped and scratched his face, taking off his bandage in the process.


    Hispanions then eximed.


    ¡°Oy, ye got shed a cou days ago, didn¡¯t ye? Yer wound¡¯s already healin¡¯.¡±


    The light from the mes was shining upon the pirate. A long scar that extended from his left eye to his upper lip was already starting to heal.


    The pirates were all astonished. As regr people who didn¡¯t belong to any of the seven ns, the healing prowess of Freya¡¯s priestesses was nothing but a rumor to them. They didn¡¯t have the chance or privilege to witness a priestess¡¯ healing powers up close. If they were hurt, they only had bandages and crushed herbs to heal themselves.


    Part of the pirates were starting to waver, slowly letting go of their weapons.


    ¡°Silence, ye wench! Do not fool the sailors! Hindarsfjall be the source of the religion of Freya, an¡¯ ye supposed to be her high priestess, but healin¡¯s all ye can do?¡± Morkvarg sneered and slowly looked at the priestesses. ¡°This ain¡¯t divine grace. If Freya¡¯s real, then tell ¡®er to smite me with sum lightnin¡¯. Turn me into ash. Can she even do that?¡±


    Uva took a step closer to the snarling pirates. ¡°Freya is the Great Mother of all Skelligers. Unless pushes to shove, she will never hurt her own children. She would prefer to shower you with love and protection. That is why I used the healing arts. However, if you stubbornly continue on your quest to spheme the goddess¡­¡±


    Her voice was thunderous, her eyes ring with golden light. ¡°Then I have a warning for you. Your journey shall be filled with storms and hidden reefs. Your drakkars will be haunted by the spirits, and you shall be drenched in blood and sin. You shall live days of loneliness and disease, and¡ª¡±


    Morkvarg darted ahead and thrust his longsword into the priestess¡¯ belly. He then held her up high like she was a cooked lobster on a stick. Uva grunted, blood spurting from her wound and drenching her robes, sptering all across the wall. She curled up, her eyes bulging.


    Morkvarg cackled. ¡°Look ¡®ere,ds. The so-called priestess of the goddess! All their¡­ magic, belief, and creed are nuthin¡¯ but pathetic jokes. I gave ¡®er a chance. Let ¡®er spout rubbish as much as she wanted, but what happened? Nuthin¡¯. The only thing reliable is our sword. Pathetic Freya. Can¡¯t even shield her believer from one puny attack.¡±


    Morkvarg put on a cold, cruel smile, the light of the mes projecting his shadow onto the temple walls, and it flickered like a phantom. ¡°If she is a goddess, then I shall ughter a god tonight! Kill them!¡±


    ¡°Charge!¡± Excited by the prospect of blood, the pirates felt brash bravado swelling within them. They whipped out their weapons and pounced at the poor priestesses, raring to tear them apart.


    Some of the girls were petrified in shock, and a pirate took one on his shoulder, taking her to the nearest bed.


    Some fell to their knees, praying to the goddess. The pirates shed those down, drenching their robes with crimson blood.


    Some were scared out of their wits from the bloodshed, and they ran into the temple¡¯s garden, screaming and hollering. The pirates sneered and followed them, ying a game of cat and mouse.


    Morkvarg swung his de down and stepped on Uva¡¯s belly, staring at the priestess.


    She was coughing up blood, and with a trembling finger, she pointed at Morkvarg, speaking in a whisper so silent, it was almost inaudible.


    ¡°Freya¡­ the Great Mother¡­ She hath decreed¡­ A protector¡­ You are cursed¡­ The sphemers shall¡­ live their lives¡­ as beasts¡­ Forever¡­¡±


    The legendary pirateughed the curse off and slit her throat, ending the priestess¡¯ life.


    A few of the pirates remained behind Morkvarg, refusing to attack. One of them was Einer. They gave the high priestess¡¯ corpse a look of pity and turned to their captain. A struggle took ce in their souls, and they silently touched the wolf fang ne under their brigandine.


    ¡°What are ye waitin¡¯ for,ds? Charge! Destroy this temple!¡±

 Chapter 535 - 535: The Emissary of the Goddess

    Chapter 535: The Emissary of the Goddess


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The roaring mes and the screams and howlsing from the temple tore apart the silence of the night, and a pir of crimson charged into the skies. The flowerbeds of the temple were overturned, the flowers crushed underneath the feet of the pirates. Some of the priestesses fell before the temple¡¯s entrance, drenched in a pool of their own blood.


    The blood soiled their white robes and the marble ground, thest scream of terror forever etched on their faces. Fires licked the golden curtains of the temple¡¯s buildings, the light illuminating the messed up hall. A group of men were charging around, piging whatever resources they could find.


    The beds, candbras, tables, and chairs were strewn on the ground. Greedily, the pirates scooped all the silver and gold items into their bags. Even the coins in the donation box were not spared from their looting.


    They tore the scriptures and tomes that recorded the holy words and acts of the goddess. These torn papers were tossed into the air and gleefully burned into cinders. Some of the invaders were cruelly viting the defenseless priestesses in the corner, smiling delightfully at their screams.


    A dozen priestesses were trying to escape the pirates in the garden, but the pirates were ying the game slowly, as if they were lions trying to hunt a few gazelles. They relished in the screams of terror and despairing from thedies.


    ***


    Morkvarg stood before the freshly-dead body of Ulve, scanning his surroundings. The once solemn and peaceful temple was brought to its knees, turned into a shadow of its former self. An¡¯ all because o¡¯ me. A sense of pride swelled within him. ¡°Freya, the Great Mother, nuthin¡¯ but an insect before me, the great Morkvarg!¡±


    He whirled and red at his remaining crew. ¡°An¡¯ what are ye just standin¡¯ there for?¡± There were five of them who didn¡¯t join the piging, and all stood behind Einar.


    ¡°Stop this, Morkvarg! We ain¡¯tinin¡¯ if ye tell us to fight Nilgaard or the seven families!¡± Einar held his battleaxe, staring at his captain fearlessly. ¡°But this pigin¡¯ ain¡¯t right! Didja forget? We pray to Freya every time before we set sails. She protected us! She¡¯s the mother o¡¯ all Skelligers, an¡¯ I ain¡¯t gonna spheme ¡®er like ye did!¡±


    ¡°Cap¡¯n, the priestess just showed us the power o¡¯ Freya!¡± The pirate with a scar shook his head. ¡°sphemers will be punished! Freya ain¡¯t gonna let sinners go free!¡±


    ¡°Ye fools! Even a Skelliger woman would fight back against an invader, but what did the goddess do? Look at her priestesses!¡± Contempt and disdain welled in Morkvarg¡¯s eyes. ¡°They ain¡¯t nuthin¡¯pared to even andlubber! The strong rules, that¡¯s what I believe. Freya has no right bein¡¯ a goddess for these isles. I can do a better job than she did.¡±


    Morkvarg looked at his erstwhile sailors. None of them would charge ahead. They were holding their weapons and shields tightly, ready to defend themselves. An icy glint red in Morkvarg¡¯s eyes, and he tensed up. ¡°Arr, so be it, ye cowards. Get off me drakkar after tonight. Ye ain¡¯t the toughest pirates ¡¯round these isles no more. But if ye like it, ye can stand ¡®ere like some fools while I raze this ce to the ground.¡±


    Morkvarg raised his bloodied sword and charged into the resplendent hall of the temple. The crazed pirates were destroying the candbras on the sides, trampling the overturned flowerbeds, and ruining the statues of the sacred animals.


    The only thing left standing was the statue of the Great Mother. Morkvarg strode up to it and gave it a stare, and then he felt the statue blink at him.


    A storm sted away in his mind, the roars of thunder ripping through his head. Pain red in every cell of his head, and Morkvarg wobbled. He held his hand to his nose and felt something warm trickling down it.


    Blood.


    The pirates stopped their destruction at once. ¡°Y-Yer bleedin¡¯, cap¡¯n!¡±


    Morkvarg shook his head and roared inughter. ¡°Whatcha scared of? Keep it up. Don¡¯t stop!¡± He wiped the blood off with his sleeve and sneered at the serene goddess. Unafraid, he leaned closer to the statue. ¡°That¡¯s all ya got, Freya? Ain¡¯t enough for me warmup. C¡¯mon, hurt me more! Show me what ya can do!¡±


    The statue did not respond any further. Morkvarg¡¯s attention was grabbed by the thing hanging from its ne: a blue diamond cut in the shape of a rose. It was the size of a fist and shone as brightly as the blue summer skies.


    ¡°Ah, the legendary Brisingamen. Freya¡¯s treasure.¡± Morkvarg narrowed his eyes and licked his lips, staring at the diamond greedily. ¡°Mine now.¡±


    And he kicked the statue down to the ground. Morkvarg pointed his de at Brisingamen and tried his best to pry it out.


    ***


    ¡°What now, Einar?¡± Back at the temple¡¯s entrance, a pirate with a gray bandana red at his pigingrades with fury. ¡°Should we stop ¡¯em?¡±


    ¡°Ye gone outta yer mind?¡± Another ashen pirate shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s only five o¡¯ us and fifty of ¡¯em. An¡¯ they¡¯re feral! Yer crazy if ya think we can win! We should leave. Wasn¡¯t us who defiled Freya. She¡¯s generous enough to forgive us. Einar, it¡¯s now or never.¡±


    Einar rubbed the wolf fang ne hanging around his neck. It was his family heirloom, and the ne had the power to curse. He hadn¡¯t used it even once. ¡°Leave just like this an¡¯ Freya¡¯s going to look unkindly on us. Ain¡¯t gonna let us live our lives easily. We need to do sumthin¡¯ to repent. Can¡¯t kill these foolish sphemers, that¡¯s for sure, but their leader, Morkvarg, must be punished.¡±


    The pirate on the lowest rung of the staircase looked back, and his eyes went wide. ¡®Oi,ddies, look there. There¡¯s someone, there!¡±


    ¡°Will ye quit it with the shoutin¡¯? It¡¯s in the dead o¡¯ the night. Ain¡¯t no way anyone¡¯s here for a pilgrimage!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a guy in a ck cloakin¡¯ closer!¡±


    A breeze brushed across the pirates. One moment ago, the silhouette had just stepped onto the staircase, standing twenty yards away from then. And then, they saw something blur past them, and the silhouette was already standing before them.


    It had a ck cloak that shrouded it in darkness, and a pair of unique longswords were crossed behind it. The figure¡¯s eyes had different colors, and they flickered with a shivering chill.


    ¡°Einar?¡± Roy wondered what the pirate was doing here, and then he remembered why. He understood what was going on now. It¡¯s the night Morkvarg invaded the temple of Freya. The pirates were split into two factions. One went ahead with the plundering and piging, but the other stayed away from it. And this guy¡¯s the reason Morkvarg was turned into a wolf. I think I know who that voice belongs to. So I¡¯m here to help a goddess, huh?


    ¡°W-What are ya? How didja know me name?¡± Einar bristled like a cat and unsheathed his weapon, pointing its edge at the witcher.


    ¡°I am Freya¡¯s emissary, here to cleanse the temple of the taint of sin,¡± the witcher said with righteous fury, staring at the pirates.


    A powerful pressure rained down on the pirates, and they felt their palms getting sweaty, their throats held by something invisible.


    ¡°Einar and hisrades. Since you have neverid a finger on the goddess¡¯ priestesses, you shall be spared. Stay here and let no one escape.¡± Roy pointed a finger ahead, and a frost atronach leapt out of the gates of Oblivion, standing before the temple¡¯s entrance. It put its hands on its hips, standing sentry, its eyes devoid of any emotion.


    Roy fired off a bolt, and the air itself rippled, then the witcher disappeared without a trace.


    The pirates gulped.


    ¡°Hear that,ds?¡± Einar looked at the frost atronach, his eyes ring with hope, and he raised his arms. ¡°The goddess¡¯ emissary is here! We shall stand our ground an¡¯ atone for our sins!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Keep runnin¡¯,dies. Oh, why can¡¯t ye run anymore? Haven¡¯t had enough fun.¡± A burly man in brigandine armor sneered, swinging his de around as he closed in on the corner of the yard.


    The curtains hanging under the roof crackled as mes licked it up. Sigrdrifa opened her arms and stood before a petite, shivering clergywoman. With a trembling voice, she cursed the pirate. ¡°Halt, you sinner! You are impugning the authority of the goddess yet again! You shall be punished for it! Touch us, and I shall curse your soul to fall to hell!¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t stop. I be waitin¡¯ for yer curse. Music to my ears, ya see. Makes it more fun for me.¡± Delighted, the pirate¡¯s face scrunched up from the grin. ¡°Perhaps one day Freya¡¯s curse will be a mark of glory like me scars. Come on, then. Give me glory. Your goddess ain¡¯t gonna help ya. She¡¯s useless. Nowe to me,ssie!¡±


    The pirate grabbed Sigrdrifa¡¯s robe and tore the fabric off, revealing the priestess¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Get off!¡±


    And then something pierced through the flesh of the pirate. Something sttered everywhere. Sigrdrifa and the girl behind her stopped breathing for a moment. The pirate¡¯s grin froze. A sword had pierced through his neck, its ivory de glinting coldly under the light.


    The silhouette pulled its de out from the pirate¡¯s neck in one fell swoop, and blood sttered all over the clergywoman¡¯s face.


    Gurgles escaped the pirate¡¯s bloody mouth, and he fell to the ground head first, his legs twitching.


    Sigrdrifa clutched her hands to her chest, and then the silhouette before her blurred. She saw something horrible happening right before her eyes.


    The pirate who was assaulting a priestess in the left flowerbed froze as a de pierced through his lower back. Like a mouse that was speared, his limbs tensed up, and he drew hisst breath.


    The silhouette darted across the temple, and the burly pirate chasing a horrified priestess in the western corridor shivered. A momentter, his head flew high up into the air and rolled away. Blood spurted from the stump like a fountain, and the headless corpse took a few more steps toward the clergywoman, driven by thest puff of its momentum, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.


    The body then fell to its knees andy on the ground.


    The golden-haired girl who escaped the ordeal fell into a stupor, and all she could see was the glint of a de dancing across the garden like a star. A ck silhouette pirouetted and fluttered across the grounds, bathed in the light of mes. Its cloak billowed in the wind stirred by its dance, pping like the wings of a garuda.


    The silhouette would crash like a meteor and take flight like an eagle, filling the air with the buzz of its de and the music of its bowstring, ying a symphony for the pirates who would die by its hands.


    Everywhere it went, a pirate would fall before they could even scream for help. In just mere seconds, a dozen pirates had fallen without knowing what hit them. The priestesses quickly gathered in the corner of the garden, standing back to back like little animals searching for security.


    A crying priestess asked through sobs, ¡°Are you alright? What happened? Who saved us? Is it the goddess?¡±


    ¡°The goddess is saving us! She¡¯s punishing these evildoers!¡± a priestess with swollen cheeks hissed.


    ¡°But Ulve¡¯s dead! And so many have died! We¡¯re the only ones left!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you cry! Their souls are in the goddess¡¯ kingdom now!¡±


    The priestesses clenched their fists, their facesced with sorrow, fear, and excitement.


    The pirates piging the temples noticed something wrong. Theirrades had gone eerily quiet, which was something that shouldn¡¯t happen. They charged into the yard, but the moment they did, a gale howled across the grounds. The roof creaked, and the windows mmed.


    The pirates¡¯ hearts thumped.


    A ck cloak tore through the air, and a phantom appeared out of nowhere. It bent down a little, holding the hilt of its sword with both hands, and the phantom drew a line across the pirates, the de cutting through chainmail and brigandine.


    Crimson flowers bloomed as flesh fell apart.


    Another team of pirates came charging out of another house, holding weapons and shields. The phantom disappeared and rained down on them, heralding their death.


    It held its de high up in the air and swung it down. A red crescent moon zipped ahead, tearing the pirates apart. Like firewood, the pirates¡¯ bodies were cut in half. Their guts spilled to the ground, drenching it in red.


    The people behind them had their faces sttered with blood. Before they could do anything about it, the witcher pulled the trigger, and something whistled over to one of the pirates. He froze, and his eyes lost focus.


    His head had a hole in it. The pair of pirates behind him had holes bored through their heads as well, the ghost of theirst snarl etched on their faces. Somewhere behind the hole, a bolt was buried in the wall, the feathers on its end quaking.


    A gust of breeze blew across the grounds, and the pirates fell.


    The witcher took the lives of six pirates with a single blow and a single shot. Not one pirate was left standing in the yard, and the air distorted by the heat of the mes saw itself tinged in red, a silhouette standing within it. The silhouette held an ivory sword, blood trickling off its edge and seeping into the ground.


    The priestesses could finally see the face of their savior. He was a young man with a deadpan look, but he was handsome, and his eyes were like whirlpools that shone silver and gold. Their savior was wiping the blood and flesh off his de with the clothes of the dead pirates, the crescent moon hanging in the skies behind him glowing crimson.


    Noticing the look of the priestesses, Roy gave them a reassuring look. ¡°It¡¯ll be over in a moment.¡±


    A burly man with a big beard came charging out of the great hall, holding a big sack over his shoulder. Parts of a golden pot poked from the sack, and the man looked delighted, as if he¡¯d just been smoking drugs.


    He raised his head and saw the man standing among the sea of corpses. Their eyes met, and the witcher stepped into the pool of blood with his sword held up.


    Then he appeared right before the man who came out of the great hall.


    The pirate swung his axe down at the witcher¡¯s shoulder, but the attack was stopped by the witcher¡¯s de, and the axe shattered into pieces.


    The witcher went past the pirate and swung his sword at the pirate¡¯s neck. He tore the pirate¡¯s neck open, cutting the pirate¡¯s artery. The pirate¡¯s head was hanging on by an inch of the nape¡¯s skin.


    He fell with a sickening thud, and his head rolled away like a ball. The sack of coins and valuables fell from his back.


    The witcher dragged his bloodied sword and charged into the great hall like a dragon swinging its tail.


    Einar and the defected pirates stood before the temple¡¯s entrance, battling alongside the frost atronach. Four bodiesy underneath them, and the fifteen clergywomen in the corner slowly followed them.


    ***


    The once beautiful and resplendent great hall was now torn down and pilfered. A dozen pirates were destroying it, and a muscr man with a star-shaped tattoo on his arm was taking off his belt, trying to piss on the statue of Freya.


    ¡°Morkvarg?¡± The witcher looked at the man in the middle, and he was filled with disappointment and curiosity. This is the legendary, infamous, and arrogant pirate? He¡¯s just a little better than regr humans in terms of fighting skills. You¡¯re telling me that Freya, the goddess every Skelliger believes in, can¡¯t do anything to a dozen regr humans? She could only watch as her own priestesses got ughtered? And she even had to ask a nonbeliever like me to help out? Why?


    ¡°Who the fuck are you? Where¡¯s me crew?¡± Morkvarg quickly pulled his pants up and pointed at Roy angrily.


    The pirates red at the witchers and whipped out their weapons. They snarled and came closer to the intruder, but Roy only waved and smiled warmly at the pirates.


    ¡°They¡¯re in hell right now, where you¡¯ll be soon. Shall I send you there?¡±


    ¡°Cut ¡®im up,ds!¡±

 Chapter 536 - 536: Three Questions

    Chapter 536: Three Questions


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sacred falcon circled overhead, letting out a screech. The priestesses stood outside the main hall, fourteen of them on their knees, their hands in prayers. Their eyes were closed, and they muttered Freya¡¯s name under their breaths as if they were doing their daily prayers.


    They were, however, shivering from the sounds of howls and grunts, and metal cutting into fleshing from the main hall. Sigrdrifa, the most senior and calmest of them all, looked into the great hall, and she was met with the sights of fire, swords, and blood.


    A golden silhouette was dancing through the pirates like a beast charging around at high speed. Like a war machine, the silhouette stirred up a storm of blood and flesh, its de cutting through the pirates¡¯ weapons, armors, and bodies like they were nothing.


    He was but a single man, and yet he fought like an army. There was an eerie element to the silhouette, however. A crimson tentacle was coiled behind him, pouncing at the enemies like a boa constrictor every time the silhouette swung its de.


    The pirates who were attacked would stand petrified, their necks craned for the witcher to cut.


    Momentster, the sounds of battle quieted down. The ground was filled with flesh and blood, the air tinged red. Only two remained in the hall.


    Lying before the statue of Freya was Morkvarg. His face was tense, his eyes darting around. He couldn¡¯t summon an ounce of strength, and it took his all just to hold his sword and shield tight. ¡°W-Who are ya?¡±


    Moments ago, his crew members were all alive and happily plundering this temple with him. All hisds that had gone through so many battles with him nowy dead on the ground, their corpses mangled. Morkvarg had never seen someone who could fight like that. This man was like a nightmare incarnate. Fear grasped his heart tightly. He knew he could never win this battle.


    There was a crimson tentacle behind the witcher. Every time it swung, Morkvarg swore it was singing an elegy, and it stirred up the memories he had hidden deep in the recesses of his mind. Every time it sang, Morkvarg¡¯s mind would be filled with horrific hallucinations. The corpses of his past victims would crawl out of their graves, grabbing his feet with their bloody hands as they tried to drag him into hell with them.


    Morkvarg hung his head low, his arrogance and contempt reced by fear.


    ¡°Who am I? The emissary of the goddess you just contemptibly insulted. You wanted to cut me up, didn¡¯t you?¡± The witcher motioned at the pirate to move. He mocked, ¡°Well,e on. Don¡¯t disappoint me, sphemer of Freya. You aren¡¯t afraid of a mere sword wielding mortal, are you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just craven bastards who only take on the weak? You guys were happy as ark when you went around tormenting the clergywomen.¡±


    The witcher tossed a de to Morkvarg.


    ¡°¡®Tis w-was a joke.¡± Morkvarg gritted his teeth and tossed his weapon away, and he forced a smile, but it was an ugly smile. ¡°We won¡¯t ever fight people like you, sir.¡±


    Morkvarg took a step back and cleared his throat. ¡°¡®Twas just a warmup to see how you could fight.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Morkvarg peered at the witcher¡¯s face, trying to see if he was enraged.


    ¡°An¡¯ ye be stronger than I expected. Yer worthy enough to join me crew. Me right-hand man on Terror! If ye join us, me crew¡¯s bound to be more fearsome. If we work together, we can take over Skellige¡­ No, the northern seas¡­ No! Even the seas of Nilgaards! But what can Freya give ya?¡±


    Taking the witcher¡¯s silence as agreement, Morkvarg continued. ¡°You saw it with yer own eyes. Can¡¯t even take down a dozen pirates like us, an¡¯ she calls ¡®erself a goddess? She can¡¯t give ye anything!¡±


    Morkvarg put on a big smile and extended his hand to the witcher. ¡°If ya work with me, I¡¯ll give ya all the loot we got today, and tomorrow, the whole world will know yer name.¡±


    The witcher smirked. There was disdain in his eyes.


    ¡°An¡¯ I can give ye more!¡± Morkvarg quickly raised the ante. ¡°I run a moneylendin¡¯ business in Novigrad and Lan Exeter. I¡¯ll give that business to ye if ye work with me. Ye be makin¡¯ more money than ye can spend your whole life! A-An¡¯ I can give ye Brisingamen!¡± He whipped out the beautiful diamond. ¡°This thing be priceless.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the greatest pirate of all isles indeed. Trying to buy me out? Sorry, but I¡¯m not a sellout. If I want anything, I¡¯ll work for it.¡±


    Roy swung his de and drew a circle on the ground with the blood he flicked off. ¡°Now tell me how many men you have left, and where¡¯s your ship? You¡¯re the greatest pirate of Skellige. Don¡¯t tell me you only have a crew of thirty?¡±


    Morkvarg¡¯s eyes darted around, but he answered honestly, ¡°I only took less than one-fifth of me forces in case Dona an Cinda found me out. Me other ships are docked at the north. I can take ya there right away. Spare me, an¡¯ I¡¯ll tell me crew that yer the new cap¡¯n. I can be yer right-hand man. What do ya say, new cap¡¯n?¡±


    Roy tilted his head like he was listening. ¡°Tempting, but sorry. The goddess has chosen not to forgive you.¡±


    Morkvarg saw something blur, and then a Sign glowed in the air. He stood petrified, staring at the air.


    Roy took Brisingamen from him. ¡°Come in, everyone.¡±


    Sigrdrifa, who¡¯d been peeping, led her sisters into the hall. When they saw the carnage left by the witcher, their eyes went wide, but there was delight in their eyes. Delight that they and their sisters were avenged.


    ¡°W-Who are you, sir? Are you a believer of the goddess? Why did you help us?¡±


    ¡°You may regard me as an emissary of Freya, here on orders to execute the sinners.¡± Roy sheathed his de and pushed the statue back up, embedding the diamond back into its groove.


    ¡°The captain of the pirates is temporarily incapacitated. You may do what you wish to him, but his sin is heavy. Do not grant him a quick death.¡±


    ¡°What about you, sir?¡±


    Some of the girls carefully picked up the bloody weapons lying around, clumsily surrounding the pirate. Some grabbed a stretch of thick rope and started tying Morkvarg¡¯s limbs up.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m going to cut off this evil at its roots.¡± And the witcher strode out of the main hall.


    The clergywomen saw him off with respect and gratitude in their eyes. The witcher¡¯s cloak billowed in the air.


    The emissary is so powerful and charming. They then turned to the tied-up and dumbfounded Morkvarg. Their gentle looks were gone, reced by fury and hatred, and the priestesses gnashed their teeth.


    ***


    ¡°You did well to atone for your sins.¡± The witcher came to the entrance. Einar and the other pirates were huffing and puffing, their weapons and armor covered in blood. They looked fierce and yet dazed at the same time. Lying around their feet were the bodies of theirrades that sphemed against the goddess.


    The frost atronach had disappeared, its time limit up.


    Roy gave Einar¡¯s shoulder a pat of approval. ¡°Keep this up. Stay here and take out any stragglers. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±


    ***


    The witcher blinked through the bushes and woods, disappearing into the night. Eventually, he came to the bay in the north, standing on the reef overseeing the edge of the ind. He stared as hard as he could and saw two dark drakkars docked at the port, hiding silently like beasts. Their masts swayed along with the night breeze.


    Roy once again blinked through the air andnded on the ram of the drakkar on the left. What met his eyes were fifty fully-equipped pirates standing sentry on the deck.


    Noticing the whistling in the air, the quartermaster stared at the ram, and he rubbed his eyes. A bolt then pierced through his open mouth and sted his brains out. The quartermaster fell with a thud.


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡±


    Shouts and the bellows of horns tore through the night, and someone lit the torches up.


    The light from the mes shone on the dark silhouette, and it sneered.


    ¡°Freya¡¯s punishmentes for you now, sinners.¡± The witcher fired off three bolts, sting the heads of three pirates.


    And then came the fourth. A ck bolt. It pierced more than a few bodies before it bore a hole through the deck.


    The remaining pirates swung their weapons down at the witcher.


    ¡°ying the numbers game, eh?¡±


    Roy summoned another minion of his, and a bang exploded through the air, the drakkar shaking violently.


    The pirates¡¯ eyes went wide with horror as a towering figure mmed into the center of the other drakkar.


    The light of the moon and mes shone upon it. The monster was hideous and about 13 feet tall. Its muscles were hard as boulders, and it was holding an alder tree in its right hand. The weight of the giant alone shook the drakkar and the pirates on it.


    One of the pirates gasped, ¡°An ice giant!¡± And his shouts were drowned by the winds.


    The ice giant swung its tree and cleaved the mast in two. The mast fell, mming on more than a few pirates. At the same time, the ice giant¡¯s rancid odor spread into the air, and the stench made the pirates stammer.


    ¡°M-M-Monster! ¡®Tis a monster! We can¡¯t win! Run!¡±


    The pirates shouted and screamed, but Leviathan leapt across the air, traversing all the way from the bow to the stern. It quashed three escaping pirates into mincemeat, and Leviathan let out a roar as it thumped its chest. A gust of icy gale howled, and the pirates shivered in fear.


    Leviathan turned its eyes to the group of pirates frantically swinging their weapons, and it sneered.


    The giant charged.


    The drakkar shook violently, as if it had run into a storm. The pirates who stood in its way were mmed into the air, their bodies mangled, and their bones broken. They fell into the sea, never to rise again.


    The swords and arrows barely grazed Leviathan. Its hardened skin kept them all out. It was like a wolf that was hunting freely in a cage of cattle.


    ***


    After that assault, the stragglers¡¯ fighting spirit was crushed, and they leapt into the sea. They thought they had a chance to live if they could get to the shore, because if they stayed, they would die.


    Leviathan didn¡¯t stop them. It picked up a pirate and held it before its mouth. Just when it was about to eat the pirate, the giant looked at the witcher. Reminded of the witcher¡¯s rules, it reluctantly closed its mouth. Leviathan shook its head and hurled the screaming pirate into the sea like a rock.


    A flower of blood blossomed on the surface.


    It then swung its tree violently, smashing the deck. Splinters of wood flew in every direction, and the hull had numerous holes in it.


    ***


    The pirates on the other drakkar were charging at the witcher, swinging their weapons at him. A frost atronach stood before Roy like a shield, stopping the pirates¡¯ attacks. One punch was all the atronach needed to knock these pirates out.


    The witcher fired off at the pirates. The bolts whizzed through the cracks between the atronach¡¯s limbs, killing two pirates with every shot. The witcher made blue Signs with his left hand, and a white lightning bolt brightened up the dark night, hurtling across the ship.


    The pirates who were hit would sizzle and burn, and they fell to the ground. That was not the end. A fireball flew through the air andnded with an explosion. The pirates were tossed high up in the air, the deck charred.


    One of the pirates who were set ame ran at the hull, screaming in pain. He crashed into one of hisrades and fell into the sea.


    Finally realizing this was a losing fight, the remaining pirates stopped their attacks and jumped off the ship in a bid for survival.


    The frost atronach moved away as per its orders, and Roy grasped at the air, producing Aerondight in his hand. He stood with his legs separated, his de held to his cheek, pointing at the scampering pirates like a horn.


    The illusion of a ck dragon appeared behind him, and as the witcher tensed up, the dragon pped its wings, its scales undting. The howling winds blew over the pirates¡¯ clothes, and the dragon dug its talons into the deck, boring holes in it. It opened its snout and roared into the air.


    Symphony of the Sword¡ªDragon!


    A ck silhouette charged across the ship. The witcher had turned into the dragon, traversing twenty yards in the blink of an eye. The dragon¡¯s ws bore holes through the deck, and the head broke the mast in two, the broken part falling into the seas along with the sails. The dragon¡¯s wings smashed the bones of all who dared stand in its path.


    The witcher stopped at the stern, and the dragon disappeared, but there was barely anyone left alive on the ship. He leapt off the drakkar and held Aerondight high up in the air. Pointing his attention at the drakker, he swung the de down, and a crimson crescent moon charged straight ahead, lighting up the night.


    The energy sh tore through the hull, keel, gunwale, and ribs. Cleaved in two, the broken ship allowed the freezing seawater to fill it up, and it slowly sank into the seas.


    The witcher stood upon the surface of the sea, seeing the drakkars sink into their watery graves.


    Leviathan, who had torn apart its toy, happily swam to its master, growling at the pirates swimming to the shore.


    ¡°They have witnessed the fury of Freya. There is no need to pursue them. Dona an Cinda¡¯s troops shall await them on the isle. Now hide in a cave and wait for my further instructions.¡±


    ***


    When Roy came back to the temple, he was met with a hundred armed soldiers surrounding it. Their des and shields had the emblem of n Heymaey on them. These were the reinforcements of the isle¡¯s lord.


    Sigrdrifa was talking to what seemed to be the leader of these soldiers. She looked solemn, and a film of sweat glistened her forehead. The tied-up and beaten Morkvargy beneath their feet.


    When the priestess noticed the witcher, she happily came to wee him. ¡°Y-You¡¯re back, sir.¡± There was reverence in her voice, and she was staring at him like he was a true emissary. ¡°If it were not for you, the temple would¡¯ve been defiled, and me and my sisters would¡¯ve died.¡±


    ¡°Freya summoned me here to cleanse this ce of filth. Thank her.¡± Roy shook his head, stopping her from talking. ¡°We shall talkter. I need to report this to Freya.¡±


    ¡°You wish tomunicate with the goddess? M-May I spectate?¡± The priestess trembled, and she went red with excitement.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sigrdrifa whispered something to the leader and led him through the curious soldiers, and they entered the temple.


    Roy looked around and realized that the corpses around the grounds and houses had been cleared away, but the deceased priestesses were covered in a white cloth,id out in the center of the grounds. Everyone was mourning them, praying for their souls.


    The surviving priestesses had changed into new sets of robes. Noticing the emissary¡¯s return, they stared at him with curiosity and respect. Some of the teenage priestesses were sizing up the tall, cloaked witcher.


    They whispered among themselves, talking about ¡®the emissary of Freya.¡¯


    Roy shook his head and entered the main hall. The marks of Morkvarg¡¯s invasion remained. The burned furniture, books, and ornaments were not repaired yet, but the statue of the goddess and her sacred beasts were erected once more.


    Roy approached the statue of Freya, and he felt the space around him change subtly. A nket of fog swirled around him.


    ¡°Do not resist,¡± a woman¡¯s voice majestically said.


    Roy obliged. Everything around him was leaving him, including the priestess behind him. The witcher was taken into a strange world. Beautiful colors found on oil paintings swam around him like waterfalls, warm golden light swirling within it.


    ¡°Roy.¡±


    The witcher turned around, but there was nothing to be found.


    ¡°Witcher, the child of the Elder Blood, you have rescued my believers and prevented further humiliation on me. I shall answer what doubts you might have,¡± the voice said. It was right in front of Roy, and every sound it made was filled with the power of this world¡¯s rules.


    The light of an aurora shone in the air, changing ever so often. Liquid golden eyes appeared behind the mystical lights. They were the same eyes Roy saw in the temple of Melitele. He saw the silhouette of a woman with a slightly lighter shade of gold standing within, nodding at him.


    He couldn¡¯t see her face, but her golden eyes were filled with wisdom and love as vast as an ocean. The silhouette alternated between the shape of a nubile girl, a pregnant woman, and a hunched crone.


    Roy didn¡¯t use Observe on her. He had not the courage to. Instead, he slowly stepped forth. ¡°M-Might you be the goddess?¡± Roy tried his best to stay calm and look peaceful. ¡°The goddess of fertility, love, beauty and harvest? The guardian spirit of seers and irvoyants?¡±


    ¡°That is what my believers call me, but now¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Now I am just Freya.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was in the temple. Where am I now?¡±


    ¡°This is my domain. Think of it as a ce somewhere above the skies. It is rare to see humans with souls of your level of strength. Most people, my priestess included, only see this ce as a vague dream. They can¡¯t see or remember anything of this domain. To them, my voice is but a whisper in their dreams. But right now, you are notmunicating with me through anynguage or sounds. We aremunicating through our souls,¡± Freya said gently. There was encouragement in her voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ cool. Great Freya, may I ask you a question? Why didn¡¯t you drag the pirates and their captain into this realm, then?¡±


    ¡°Those arrogant fools are not worthy of this privilege, and they would have resisted my call.¡±


    Roy thought he noticed disdain creeping up the silhouette¡¯s face.


    ¡°Now, child of the Elder Blood.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Roy,¡± the witcher said.


    ¡°You should know why I summoned you, Roy. Time is of the essence, so I shall cut to the chase. As thanks for your assistance, I shall answer three of your questions. Use them wisely. You only have three chances,¡± said the goddess, her voice ethereal.


    Roy was delighted. That was exactly what he had in mind, and he mused over what question he should ask.

 Chapter 537 - 537: Freya’s Enlightenment

    Chapter 537: Freya¡¯s Enlightenment


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The beautiful aurora borealis swirled and swam and leapt around Roy and the goddess. The witcher stared at the golden-eyed woman, and he fell into silence. He knew he would get rewarded for helping the goddess, given that he was not her believer. That was the way of the witcher.


    ¡°Esteemeddy, before I ask, I would like to confirm that this is a no-holds-barred privilege?¡± asked the witcher carefully.


    ¡°I can only answer questions pertaining to the ces where temples and altars dedicated to me exist. Or ces neighboring the sea, such as Skellige, Cintra, and Kovir,¡± said Freya.


    Ah, so she¡¯s not omniscient. ¡°Where is Arnaghad, the grandmaster of the Bear School?¡±


    Freya said, ¡°Ask another question.¡±


    Roy sighed. ¡°You know what I¡¯ve been up to since I came to this ind. Can you tell me where Ortn is? I¡¯d like to know where he went after he left Hindarsfjall.¡±


    Freya nodded, and Roy was presented with a scene. It was a dark chamber, and a hexagram was drawn on the ground, with six corpses hidden underneath. Roy also saw a xenovox. It was the same chamber Roy had seen when he was looking for Ortn.


    Except this time, Roy saw Ortn himself. He was gaunt, unkempt, and wore nothing but tattered clothes. His eyes were bulging and bloodshot, his cheekbones jutting like the horns of a demon. Ortn¡¯s breathing was ragged, and then he tugged on his spindly right hand.


    A gale howled in the chamber, and a dark portal the shape of a whirlpool appeared in the air. Through Freya¡¯s help, Roy saw what was behind the portal: a narrow alleyway.


    The alleyway¡¯s ground was covered in squalid liquid, and mountains of garbage were piled at every corner, while the walls were covered in moss. Standing far away in the distance was a resplendent pce, and beside it was a sorcerer¡¯s tower with a red roof.


    There were at least a few dozen cities with these kinds of buildings scattered all over the world. Judging from its style and beauty, Roy thought it was located in a city in the north. Perhaps it was in the capital of a kingdom too.


    ¡°Maribor,¡± the goddess said, her voice ringing in Roy¡¯s heart.


    Roy clenched his fists in excitement. ¡°That means the base for Idarran, the grandmasters, and Alzur might be in Maribor. Perhaps it¡¯s in the city destroyed by that overgrown centipede. And that tower belongs to Triss Merigold.¡±


    Alright, now that we have an address, things got a lot easier. Time to start preparing for the battle. I have to at least pass the third trial and arm all myrades with the best gear we can muster.


    Then I¡¯ll go to Maribor, find out what the grandmasters are up to, and take revenge for what the grandmasters did to me. Especially Arnaghad. This time, Roy would not hesitate or show them any mercy.


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance.¡± Roy held his left hand to his chest and bowed at the goddess, heaving a sigh. Now that he had news of the grandmasters¡¯ whereabouts, he should focus on getting stronger next.


    He had the next question in mind. ¡°I already know what I wish to ask next. You first called me Child of the Elder Blood. Given that a goddess like you has heard of the Elder Blood, may I know how I should strengthen this bloodline?¡±


    The potion given to him by the Master of Mirrors had lost its effect, so he needed to find another way to power up.


    For some reason, the goddess felt happy, like that was the exact question she wished for the witcher to ask. ¡°The Elder Blood, Hen Ichaer, is the blood of the sacred, the blood of the cursed, the blood of the yer, the blood of the savior, the blood of birth, and the blood of death.¡±


    The goddess spoke each term in aplex and ancientnguage. The witcher felt his heart thumping furiously, and his vessels were starting to contort as blood flowed through them at inhuman speeds, gleaming golden.


    ¡°This is not the power you¡¯re supposed to wield. You are not the descendent of Lara Dorren. You¡¯re not even an Aen Elle by birth, and Elder Blood is a recessive gene in males. Even so, you, against allmon sense, have control over that power.¡± The goddess muttered to herself, ¡°What kind of secrets do you hold? How did you take the Elder Blood and polish it to this degree?¡±


    Lara Dorren was the daughter of the ruler of the world of Aen Elle¡ªAuberon Muircetach. She had the power to cross space and time. Lara fell in love with a human sorcerer of this world and came as one, giving birth to Ciri¡¯s ancestor.


    Through that ancestor, the Elder Blood lived on for generations.


    The witcher did not answer the goddess¡¯ question.


    ¡°You are the spare. Your Elder Blood is not something born of nature. It is nigh impossible for you to strengthen it beyond this point. Even if you train it every single day, it would take a hundred years or two to reach the level of Lara Dorren.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. But I thought my Elder Blood was partially awakened. And Ciri¡¯s in the same situation too. She didn¡¯t even spend ten years to control this power and advance to the next stage. I possess power unknown to most people, so why¡¯s it so hard for me?


    ¡°This is perhaps the arrangement of Destiny,¡± Freya said, staring at the shimmering sky, her eyes glinting. ¡°Not too long ago, I sensed aing storm. Three bearers of the Elder Blood¡ªCiri Fiona Elen Riannon, the unborn child of Cnthe, the Queen of Cintra, and you¡ªhave appeared on Skellige Isles, the territory well within my domain.¡±


    Ah, so Ciri¡¯s already here to see Cnthe.


    ¡°Those two shall be the key to your Elder Blood¡¯s evolution.¡±


    What Freya said next made Roy¡¯s blood go cold.


    ¡°All you have to do is steal their Elder Blood. The more it¡¯s awakened, the more control you¡¯ll have over space and time.¡±


    What? I have to take their bloodline to strengthen mine? That reminded Roy of Vilgefortz¡¯s actions. He too had a n to steal Ciri¡¯s blood, and it was inhumane. If Roy had to harm Ciri and his own Unexpected Child to strengthen his own blood, he would be as reprehensible as Vilgefortz himself.


    No! Roy shook his head and dashed that horrifying idea.


    ¡°You seem to share a deep bond with them, witcher. Worry not. You do not have to kill them or take every single drop of their blood.¡± Roy¡¯s look of horror didn¡¯t escape Freya. She said, ¡°As long as they trust youpletely and submit to you and your Elder Blood, you can easily take one-third of their blood without harming their lives, and that¡¯s the best way to prevent any tragedy from happening to them.¡±


    Freya said cryptically, ¡°Why do you think the Elder Blood is also called the blood of the cursed? Because its bearers will never find peace even in death. The stronger their blood, the more gruesome their deaths will be.¡±


    Roy was reminded of Lara Dorren and Pavetta. The former was chased down by her own n members and died of exhaustion after she gave birth to her daughter in the wilds. Thetter was set up by her husband Duny, aka Emhyr var Emreis, and Vilgefortz. She then died in Sedna Abyss.


    ording to the original timeline, Ciri would also live the life of a tramp and suffer all the way, meeting her end in loneliness. So the blood hasn¡¯t cursed me yet?


    ¡°The stronger your Elder Blood is, the more this world is going to reject you,¡± said Freya, her voice booming through the space, and there was not an ounce of emotion in it. ¡°The blood of death will not just curse its bearer; it will also bring destruction to the world. We thought we had ten years left, but we have less than a decade before doomes for us all. The wolf shall engulf the sun, and the moon shall fall into an eclipse. The ouroboros shall once again bite its own tail andplete the circle. Once the loop of time isplete, the world shall fall into the age of the White Frost. The Wolf¡¯s Blizzard wille for us all, and this world shall enter a deep winter.¡±


    Oh, the universal threat¡ªWhite Frost, huh? The ender of worlds.


    If the timeline went as it should, the disaster would only strike more than a decadeter, but now Freya proimed that it woulde in less than ten years. Given the clues Freya had told him, Roy had an epiphany, and it was a terrifying one.


    The Elder Blood attracts the White Frost? Wait. The White Frost was supposed tond more than ten yearster because Ciri was the only bearer of the Elder Blood, but now that I and Cnthe¡¯s child exist, things just changed for the worse.


    ***


    ¡°The bearer of the Elder Blood is a savior. They have a duty to take on their destiny,¡± Freya said, snapping Roy out of it. ¡°That goes for you, understand? If you are willing to sacrifice, then you can end this disaster. Are you prepared, Roy?¡± Freya asked, her voice filled with anticipation, and she came closer.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why should I prepare?¡±


    ¡°Use those eyes of yours and observe.¡±


    Everything around Roy started shaking. He felt something grabbing him, taking him off the ground. Higher and higher he went, passing through the aurora and the stratosphere. Eventually, he came to the deep, dark vacuum of space, staring down at the minuscule underneath him.


    The witcher world.


    Roy held his breath, his heartbeat stopping for a moment. Dark particles filled the vacuum of space, swarming through the vacuum like a horde of locusts threatening the ins, and they blocked out the sunlight.


    A deep freeze descended upon the world, and an icy blue light was reflected on the blue underneath. Like a gue, the ice quickly spread, freezing the seas, the lush greenery, the yellow mountains, and the dark-brown soil.


    The frost and blizzard entombed everything in blocks of ice, freezing all life. It was but a moment, but the underneath turned from something teeming with life to a big, icy sphere of death.


    The endless particles swam across the universe once more, seeking the next.


    ***


    Something in the void beside him moved. It was a voluptuous woman in a frilly dress. She was frozen and curled up, and Roy could recognize that face anywhere.


    ¡°The world shall face its end sooner than expected. Are you prepared for it?¡± the frozen Coral asked. ¡°Are you ready to sacrifice?¡±


    Sacrifice what? Roy¡¯s face stiffened up, and he pursed his lips in hesitation. A momentter, everything around him fell, and so did he.


    Secondster, the scene he saw disappeared, and Roy came back to that mysterious domain, but his mind was still captivated by the terrible frost that took over the world. He was a little angry. I was just trying to ask questions, goddess, and you want me to sacrifice myself to save this world? I am no messiah.


    Roy shook his head. He knew that there was a way to deal with the White Frost. Even if itsing was brought forward, he still had about eight years toe up with a n. I can¡¯t rush this.


    Freya shook her head, sighing. ¡°Are you not yet prepared? We do not have much time left.¡±


    ***


    A long whileter, Roy finally managed to process the new information he got about the Elder Blood and theing cmity.


    ¡°That is all for the second question¡¯s answer.¡± Freya shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°My third question might be a bit forward.¡± Roy took a deep breath to calm his raging heart down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you punish Morkvarg and his goons yourself? You could¡¯ve struck them down with lightning or crushed their ships with storms before they even stepped foot on Hindarsfjall.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand why a legendary god couldn¡¯t deal with mere pirates, nor could he understand why she would watch as her most loyal priestess was ughtered. He couldn¡¯t believe she would ask a mortal like him to help her out.


    ***


    Freya said solemnly, ¡°That is not an easy question to answer. It¡¯s far more than what I have promised you. If you wish to gain this knowledge, you must give something more in return.¡±


    ¡°What would you like?¡± Roy sighed silently. Knew it.


    ¡°Be my believer. Patrol all my temples in Skellige and punish those who would disrespect or spheme me. Do that until the day the White Frost arrives.¡±


    Roy shook his head. ¡°Sorry, Lady Freya, but I can¡¯t do that. I do not n to stay for long. My home is in Novigrad.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to lock himself up in one ce and work as a goddess¡¯ thug. ¡°I have another suggestion in exchange. Would you like to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Speak,¡± said Freya calmly.


    Roy closed his eyes to feel where Leviathan was. The ice giant was hiding in a cave between the reefs of the coast. It was a space covered in mud and seawater, and the creature was sound asleep. ¡°Back on Undvik, I triumphed against an ice giant through sheer luck, and it has sworn fealty to me. If you would like, I can have it patrol your temples on Skellige and serve your priestesses. Of course, there are a lot of years left until the cmity strikes, so I can only lend it to you for a year. It shall devote itself to the protection of your clergywomen and deal with all sphemers. However, if I am to run into something I need help with, I¡¯ll summon it to my side.


    ¡°The ice giant is a lot bigger, stronger, and more destructive than I am. Even its appearance inspires more fear and respect. Its existence should be enough to scare the sphemers and spread your light to the corners of the world, attracting more believers for you.¡± Roy was imagining a scene in his head. A scene where Leviathan would be snoozing in the garden while the priestesses would bathe the big guy andther perfumed powder on him.


    Oh gods, the scene is just¡­


    ***


    ¡°Two years. That¡¯s the lowest offer I can give you. Have your ice giant serve my temple for two years. And without my permission, you are not to tell anyone about the answer I will give. Swear on your soul, and I shall answer your final question.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Roy felt himself tremble, and something mysterious welled within him.


    Freya smiled at him, and she took on a gentler attitude.


    Leviathan was gnashing its teeth in its sleep, unknowingly bing a merchandise for its master to trade favors with.


    ***


    ¡°There is a reason I didn¡¯t smite Morkvarg.¡± Freya turned around, and Roy felt a sense of resignationing off her. ¡°I wanted to, but I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as simple as I said, witcher. You mayugh if you want. I used to be the religion for all kingdoms neighboring the sea. I used to be the ruler of Skellige and the goddess who would stir up storms at a whim, but I have grown old and weak. It is taking me my all to even keep my powers of irvoyance and second sight. All that started from the Conjunction of the Spheres fifteen hundred years ago.¡±


    Freya waved her left hand, and an ancient scroll unfurled through the aurora strip on her left. Within the goddess¡¯ palm, numerouss spun and coiled around the darkness of space, countless threads connecting them, and one of thoses was the world of the witcher.


    Swarms of creatures swam from one to another through these threads that connected the spheres, and thus, the life forms from other worlds descended upon the witcher¡¯s world.


    Roy spun and scanned the rapidly changing scenery around him. Never-seen-before species descended upon his world through the threads and quickly positioned themselves in the ecosystem of the witcher world, multiplying in numbers.


    Roy saw ghouls and higher vampires adapting to his world, and then the scene changed once more. The entanglement of thes had stopped, and most worlds had returned to the void, where they once were. Only one remained in ce, spinning slowly.


    Thanks to its momentum, the endless ribbon of energy coated every inch of the beautiful left in the chaos. The where the witchers resided. It was now an auroral zone that shone beautifully.


    Freya touched thatyer of light. ¡°The Conjunction might have disappeared, but the energy strip that was born from it was left behind, coating our world and cutting off my connection to the material realm.¡±


    ¡°Your kingdom stands outside of this world? Where do you live?¡± Roy was reminded of Nirn, the Skyrim was on.


    The eight Divines who created the world floated in the space beyond Nirn, forming eight of the brightest stars that shone in the skies. To a degree, the stars were the kingdom of the Divines.


    And Freya¡¯s kingdom was also beyond the. Roy felt something magical well within him. Despite being different worlds, the higher beings shared some simrities.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one locked outside. Melitele is as well.¡± Freya plucked at the auroral zone, but her movements were sluggish and slow. ¡°The zone has gained more strength and chaos with time. The faith and support given to us by the believers are mostly gobbled up by this zone, but that¡¯s not the only reason. For the past one thousand years or so, humanity has been exploring this world at a blistering rate, creating new technology and knowledge as they go. New creations and facts pop up fast. Poems, theater, food, and entertainment have taken up most of their time.¡±


    She continued, ¡°No longer are they focusing on work, rest, and reproduction. Most humans¡¯ faith isn¡¯t as pure as it used to be. It flickers out before it can even pass through the zone. Thanks to that, even though we have more believers now, the support we receive has dwindled. Since a few hundred years ago, I¡¯ve been receiving less energy than I expend. I only make enough to maintain my kingdom and the souls of my believers who live in it. That, and granting my most devout priests some level of magic and second sight. I can never interfere with any of this world¡¯s affairs. That¡¯s why Melitele and I have never shown ourselves to the world.¡±


    There was resignation in Freya¡¯s voice. ¡°We wish we could, but we can¡¯t.¡±


    She can only grant her priestess a degree of magic and second sight and maintain the souls residing in her kingdom. Roy was reminded of what he saw in Vizima. Specifically, where Vivienne turned the souls of the dead into water spirits living in the Lake of Vizima. Freya managed to lead the souls of her believers out of the and induct them into her kingdom. That was indisputably more powerful.


    And he had another question. ¡°But other gods and religions have shown up since the Conjunction, haven¡¯t they? Kreve, Lebioda, Eternal Fire, Lionheaded Spider, Svalblod, and Vivienne, for example.¡±


    Freya shook her head. ¡°They are not real gods. Powerful aberrations, yes, but not real gods. They¡¯re lucky their domains and cores are located within the world. Thanks to that, the zone does not affect them, but their potential is limited. They are confined to this forever, unable to do anything bigger.¡±


    The witcher took a deep breath. ¡°Is there no way to deal with the zone?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not. Perhaps the next Conjunction will create an impact powerful enough to destroy the zone, or perhaps it¡¯ll strengthen it and cut off my connection permanently. It doesn¡¯t matter after the White Frost descends, though. Once the people who revere and worship me are gone, I will have nothing to exist on.¡±


    ***


    A pregnant pause fell upon the space.


    ¡°And that makes the final question. Remember your promise, witcher. I have to leave, and tell the girls that the priestesses who died have entered my kingdom. They have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hey, can Ie back if I have more questions, Lady Freya?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my believer, so that will call for an equivalent exchange. Should you have questions,e to my temple or altar and chant my name. Pray to me, and I shall decide if I will answer your question.¡±


    Freya¡¯s voice was getting more distant, and the aurora disappeared like smoke.


    Roy felt everything losing their footing, and he shook his head. The light from the candles before him was suddenly looking bright. He had returned to the great hall and was met with Sigrdrifa.

 Chapter 538: The Ice Guardian

    "What did the goddess tell you, emissary?" Sigrdrifa blinked, her eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.


    "Call me Linus Pitt. The goddess offers her condolences to those who died tonight. Ulve and the priestesses who passed away have been inducted into her kingdom. You do not have to worry about them." Roy paused and looked outside the temple, where the young priestesses were staring. He said loudly, "She shall grant you a¡­ um¡­ powerful guardian that will keep this ce safe."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "You''ll know soon enough."


    ***


    Roy saw Dona an Cinda in the yard, surrounded by his soldiers and holding up a torch. He had a sword strapped to his belt. This man was the leader of n Heymaey. He was an elderly person with white hair and a beard that extended to his chest. Despite his advanced age, he was tough and lively.


    "You must be the emissary of Freya," rasped Dona, his voiceced with excitement. "How should I address you?" Dona stepped forward, a big smile hanging on his face.


    "Linus Pitt." The witcher wore his sunsses and covered up his eyes. "I am no emissary. Just a man serving the goddess."


    "Ah, you''re being modest. The goddess has told me about the events earlier through a dream, but my castle and soldiers are stationed on the other side of the ind, and I failed toe in time. It''s all thanks to you, or these bastards would''ve defiled the temple. That''d plunge my n into the pits of shame. The whole ind would¡¯veughed at us."


    Fury red in Dona''s eyes, and he gave his soldier a look. The soldier dragged Morkvarg over and made him kneel before everyone.


    The face of the arrogant, spheming, and legendary pirate of Skellige was filled with bruises and p marks. His head looked more like a balloon than a regr human''s head. His clothes were torn from all the wing, and he looked more like a beggar on the streets of Novigrad than a feared pirate captain.


    Roy looked past him and saw two dozen captives in the same situation as their captain. They were on their knees, their clothes drenched with blood or seawater, their faces almost green from the exposure to the night winds. Some seemed crazed, and they muttered things like ''giants'' and ''divine retribution'' under their breaths.


    Everyone present was giving them death stares. If looks could kill, these people would''ve been dead.


    "Morkvarg. You crazed, incorrigible sphemer. <em>How dare you.</em>" Dona held the pirate''s neck with his callused hand, roaring into his ear, as if that would blow his brains out. "How dare you try to defile the goddess and attack her priestesses! Do you really think you''re invincible just because you managed to escape the soldiers after your looting and murders? We''re going to punish you for every single one of your crimes now. You. Are. Unforgivable."


    The lord whirled, scanning his underlings and the remaining priestesses. He raised his voice. "We shall mourn for the dead tomorrow, and those bastards are going to pay for their sins in blood. They will never return to the embrace of the seas. Their corpses shall be thrown into the wilds, exposed to the elements and starving beasts."


    The silent pirates went white, and they quickly pleaded for mercy. If they were not allowed to return to the embrace of the seas, then that was nothing but hell for them.


    "Come at me, ye scallywag." Morkvarg raised his head and red at the lord. Death woulde for him one way or another, so he had nothing to fear anymore. "Least I''m tougher than ye fools. I exposed Freya for what she really is. She ain''t a goddess. Couldn''t even fight off mere pirates like us."


    He turned to Roy. "An'' she needs an emissary to help ''er. Ain''t an emissary. Just a <em>filthy </em>witcher."


    Furious, Dona whipped his sword out and smacked the back of Morkvarg''s head. The pirate grunted and fell unconscious.


    "Take him to the port and send our men to tell the inders that the sphemers will be sentenced to death at daybreak in three hours."


    "Help me, emissary!" A shrill scream came from the end of the crowd.


    "Einar?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. He was surprised the repentant pirates were taken in as well.


    "Please, help us. We never defiled the goddess. We killed the sphemers. We repented. We ain''t no sinners!"


    "Dona, can you¡­" Roy didn''t like to turn his back on someone who''d proved their allegiance.


    The lord stroked his beard, looking a little troubled. "They''re Morkvarg''sckeys. If we don''t kill them all, the people will never rest easy."


    Sigrdrifa stood up for them. "Milord, they never hurt any of us. All they did was attack the sphemers. Freya is a generous goddess. She will not rain down her wrath on them."


    "Very well. Lucky bastards." Dona gave his soldiers a look, and they untied the pirates. "You''re spared, but just because the emissary and the priestess said so."


    The pirates heaved a long sigh of relief and gratefully huddled around the witcher.


    That assured Roy. <em>Alright, I can go ahead with my n for him.</em>


    "Emissary, priestesses, dawn shall break in a few hours. Let us move to the port. We shall give the deceased a sendoff and witness these sphemers'' executions," Dona invited warmly. "Once this is done, we shall talk about the temple''s reconstruction and your reward."


    "Oh, hold on a minute." Roy looked at the priestesses and Dona. "I''d like you to see the gift the goddess has left for you."


    ***


    A sliver of golden light shone upon the dark ends of the sea, brightening the icy sky. The light red from behind the clouds, burgeoning and rising until it rained down a sheen of golden light on the raging seas.


    A great crowd was gathered at the za before the northern port of Hindarsfjall, an air of festivity spreading around. Everyone was watching the gallows on the stage. The soldiers were carrying out a ritual of old. A ritual of cruelty.


    The pirates who invaded Freya''s temple were standing in a long line. In groups of three, nooses were hung around their necks.


    Standing before the gallows was the legendary pirate, Morkvarg. He was made into a human g, buffeted by the wind as he awaited divine retribution. His mouth was stuffed in case he spouted anything sacrilegious.


    The crowd was red with fury, spitting and cursing at the pirates all the while throwing stones, mudballs, salted fish, and even excrements at them.


    "sphemers!"


    "Sinners!"


    "Ye whale shit!"


    "How dare ye hurt ye own mother?"


    The gray-maned Dona waved his hand, and the soldier beside the gallows pulled the lever. The wooden board underneath the pirates disappeared, and they hung in the air. Two of the more muscrly endowed Skelligers had their necks snapped from their own weight.


    The remaining pirate went red as an apple, grabbing away at the noose, iling and kicking. Nearly a minute went by, and then the pirate''s head lolled, his tongue sticking out.


    ***


    "To the gallows with ''em!" the crowd roared.


    "Are your eyes actually that powerful, mate?" Krott looked at the hungover Eji. "The legendary pirate came to assault the temple at midnight, and his ships sank along with his crew."


    "Aye,d. Toldja Freya blessed my eyes." Eji''s tongue hung out, and he stared at the pirates, the air around him smelling like alcohol. "E''ery evildoer I stare dies. Watch."


    And another pirate was sent to his death.


    "Wonder where Mr. Pitt went. He won in that drinkingpetition and woke up before any of us.


    ***


    Roy looked at the shuddering pirates standing beside him. "I have saved your lives, and I have a request. I hope you''ll grant it."


    "Of course, Mr. Pitt." Einar and the pirates exchanged a look. "We''ll give up our lives if need be."


    "Nothing that serious." The witcher shook his head and looked at the pirates. "Freya told me you possess a cursed item. It''s dangerous for a mortal to take it around with him. It''ll bring misfortune for you and the people around you. In case of danger, you''d better hand it to me."


    Einar looked shocked, and then he fell into his thoughts. Realization struck him, and he noticed a hole in the witcher''s story. "Ye have a point, but won''t it harm ye too, Mr. Pitt?"


    "I am Freya''s emissary. I have my own ways to seal the curse of that ne."


    Einar hesitated for a moment, then he looked at the captain tied on the gpost who was drowning in salted fish, excrement, and stones. He gritted his teeth and nodded, then he took off his ne.


    Roy was then in possession of a uniquely-carved ne. The string was greyish-ck and made of wolf fur, and the pendant was a fang nearly the size of a human hand.


    ''Ne of the Cursegiver


    Components: Werewolf fang, werewolf hair, mana, werewolf heart blood.


    Unique item: This ne is the masterpiece of a deceased sorcerer. They locked a werewolf in a small chamber, torturing and tormenting it day after day. The werewolf was starved until it started consuming its own flesh, and the flesh it lost would grow back thanks to its regenerative abilities.


    After the thirtieth time, the blood from this werewolf''s heart was extracted along with its sharpest fang and best fur. With the use of magic, a powerful ne containing the werewolf''s grudge and curse was created.


    Effect: Cut the target with the fang of this ne, and the power of the curse will pump itself into the target''s body. On the first night of the full moon from when the target is hurt, they will be forever changed into a werewolf and imprisoned in a five-hundred-yard-radius circle of the ce the transformation took ce.


    The target will fall into the hell of eternal hunger, unable to satiate itself no matter how much it eats. No matter the kind of damage they sustain, they will be brought back to life within the ce of their imprisonment.


    Cure: Cut the werewolf with the fang, and the ne will take back its curse.''


    ***


    The witcher held the ne closely, impressed by its power. In the original timeline, after Morkvarg destroyed the temple of Freya, the goddess-fearing Einar surreptitiously cut him and trapped the werewolf within the garden, damning it to an eternal life of starvation.


    During Geralt''s search for Ciri, he released the pirate from his misery.


    Yes, the curse was not cast by Ulve, but this ne. That was also proof that Freya''s power had diminished greatly.


    ***


    <em>But now the ne belongs to me. </em>Roy took a moment to think back on his adventures. Ever since he came to this world, he''d encountered a few cursed people. n of the Sea Scorpion Troupe, Nivellen, a cursed man in rural Vizima who was helped by Geralt, and Adda, the princess of Vizima.


    These curses might have differing effects, but the main ones were always transformations that would change the target into beasts. On the flip side, this transformation could strengthen the target''s body by quite a bit, giving them bodies powerful enough to rival witchers. They would never be victims to any illnesses, and they would possess superhuman strength and speed.


    Even now, Roy had no idea what the crux of curses were. Still, no one could deny that the power of curses couldn''t be used to strengthen a witcher. "Kalkstein''s going to be interested in this. I''ll see if he can make something out of this." He tucked the ne away into his inventory.


    And then a rumbling came from afar. Everyone at the execution site held their breath, their eyes going wide. They stared at the source of the sound, and it came from the reef beyond the port.


    Dona an Cinda stroked his beard, anticipation and astonishment ring in his eyes.


    The rumbling was getting more intense, and a rancid stench was carried to the site by the sea breeze, and the crowd held their noses.


    The dawn light eventually rained on the wet reef, and a head stuck out from behind. The head had a protrusion hanging from its forehead, its eyes red as rubies, its nose blocky and fleshy and as big as a regr human.


    The head grinned at the crowd, revealing two rows of yellowing teeth, and a fat fish was stuck between its teeth. It held up its muscr, blue-cloth-covered hand and held onto the reef. The ice giant pushed itself onto the reef, revealing itself fully to the crowd. The sun shone on its glimmering blue skin, turning it into a ghastly ice statue.


    The crowd gasped.


    A young boy tugged at his father''s hand tightly, tensing up. He was going to cry. "Is that the ice giant, Pa? Are we dead?"


    "But I thought it was in Undvik, sleepin''," a tall man muttered.


    "''The ice-blue beast sharpens its teeth, first with flesh and then with ice. Its breath is icy, its eyes are red. The beast awaits the warrior with a big, gaping maw,''" an elderly man recited the child''s song, tears glistening in his eyes. "I-I can''t believe I got to see the legendary beast! I have no regrets now!"


    "Run! There''s a monster!" Most of the crowd shouted and screamed, and chaos ensued. They ran around like headless chickens, some unsheathing their swords, and a lot screamed.


    "Run!"


    One of thedies was about the size of a big barrel, and all the running took everything she had. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fell unconscious.


    "Alright, calm down! Calm down, people!" Dona shouted from the stage, his reassuring voice calming the chaotic scene down. "The ice giant is no enemy of ours." Dona grinned. "It is an emissary. One who came to protect the temple at the summons of the goddess. Its name is Leviathan!"


    <em>The giant is an emissary?</em>


    The crowd looked at Dona and the giant dubiously. This was certainly something they''d never seen before.


    "It''s the one that destroyed the drakkars of the great sphemerst night!"


    Morkvarg felt like screaming. If he''d known the witcher and this monster were here the night before, he would never have invaded the temple. In fact, he would¡¯ve stayed ten thousand nautical miles away from it, but s, he couldn''t turn back time.


    "In her generosity, the giant is now stationed on Hindarsfjall as a protector of the temple, preventing any more sphemers like Morkvarg from showing up!"


    "Praise be to Freya!"


    The crowd whooped and cheered, but some had questions.


    "It''s staying?"


    "What''s it gonna eat?"


    "It won''t attack us if it gets hungry, will it?"


    "It smells so bad!"


    The giant thumped its chest and roared, then it stepped onto the port, slowly making its way to the execution site.


    The crowd could feel their hearts racing faster with every step the giant took. When it was ten yards away from the site, it stopped and touched the back of its head.


    Sigrdrifa was beside Dona. She gritted her teeth and did her best to keep her smile up, then she rolled her sleeves up and slowly lugged a wooden bucket full of fish toward the ice giant. The stench from the ice giant was stronger than any fermented seafood she''d ever smelled, and she almost fainted from it.


    <em>I''m going to set up its home downwind from the temple, or no believers are going toe. </em>She whipped an icefish out of the bucket, and Leviathan looked at the cloaked figure in the crowd, licking its teeth.


    <em>Master said listen to priestess. No eating human. Eat fish. </em>The giant extended its left index finger, took the fish, and popped it into its mouth, and it chewed on the fish.


    "Bear witness! I promise that the guardian appointed by the goddess will not attack her believers!" Sigrdrifa stood tall, her face gleaming golden. "It shall keep us safe, and from now on, Leviathan will stay near the temple."


    The crowd said, "But the legends im that ice giants kill indiscriminately."


    "This is the power o'' the goddess!" some believers were shouting in fervent devotion. "Who else can tame it but the goddess?"


    "Oh, can we touch it? Can I visit it?" the crying boy from earlier asked with excitement as he sat on his father''s neck.


    "Respect it like how you respect the goddess. You may see it from afar, but do not disturb its rest."


    "Aye, havin'' an ice giant we can stare at every day ain''t bad," a local said. "Not like ya can see this anywhere else."


    Dona smiled. As the lord of the isle, he wasing up with ways to make profit through this. The ice giant could attract a lot of tourists, especially since it was harmless and listened to the priestesses'' orders. With it around, Hindarsfjall would see a great influx of tourists, surpassing the other isles in terms of tourism. <em>Which means taxes. A lot of taxes. That''s going to be enough to cover the reward for the emissary.</em>


    To thank Roy for his assistance, Dona gave him the coins of the moneylender in Novigrad. It was a secret he pried from Morkvarg. All Roy had to do wasy im to it.


    ***


    "The time hase, and the leader of the sphemers shall meet his end now." Sigrdrifa turned to Morkvarg sharply, and shemanded Leviathan, "Do it, Leviathan!"


    Leviathan came to the gpost, its shadow looming over Morkvarg. It yanked Morkvarg off the gpost and grabbed his limbs with both hands. The giant then held the pirate up in midair, showing him off like a crab.


    "Morkvarg! You have enraged the goddess, killed her priestesses, and destroyed her temple! Your sins are many and unforgivable!" Sigrdrifa exchanged a look with the priestesses in the crowd. Coldly but sacredly, she announced, "By the power vested in me, I sentence you to amputation! And you shall be left to dry under the sun!"


    A cruel smile curled Leviathan''s lips, and it pulled.


    A fountain of blood spurted into the air, and Morkvarg''s limbs fell to the ground. Without his limbs, Morkvarg looked like a human bat, and he fainted from the intense pain and loss of blood.


    The punishment was far from over, however.


    Golden light flooded Sigrdrifa''s finger and draped over the fainted pirate, staunching the bleeding. The giant swaddled the pirate in a white cloth and hung him on the gpost.


    Over the next few days, the pirate was exposed to the elements, his flesh pecked by the birds. Bugs bit away at him freely, and the punishment continued until his soul had fallen to hell. All the while, he was closely watched by some soldiers.


    After his death, his corpse would hang on the port forever as a deterrent for anyone who would try to spheme against the goddess.


    Once the punishment was done, the soldiers took the corpses of the pirates away. The lord, surviving priestesses, and the crowd held up torches, pushing mistletoe-covered rafts to the beach.


    On the rafts were the bodies of the priestesses who were sacrificed in the invasion. They would be set alight along with the raft and float into the endless sea.


    "Time to see Ciri and Cnthe." Roy looked away. The witcher had gained the goddess'' enlightenment and a ne from this trip. It was great, and he left without saying goodbye.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 539: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 539: Reunion</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 539: Reunion</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Juu was a burly man with red, ruffled hair. He had a room decorated with seal skins and shark bones located in the fort of Kaer Trolde on Ard Skellig. The sun shone upon the sturdy boulder, raining into Juu''s room.


    He sat before the windowsill, smelling like salt, seawater, tar, and exhaustion, yet he stared at the golden seas with shining eyes.


    Faces appeared on the raging seas. Faces fierce as roaring lions. The warriors were donning fur armor and horned helms, charging into the army of ck soldiers, swinging their axes away. Caught by surprise, the cavalry charged into them, the knights slicing their backs open. The warriors fell in the pools of their own blood, drawing theirst breath.


    So many people who grew up with him fell in that battle. People like Verkul and Tarant, who grew up with him. Even his uncle, the king of Cintra, Eist, fell in that war. Cintra was burned, its walls torn, its grounds filled with mountains of corpses. mes licked them up, burning everything to ash.


    "My brethren!" Crach an Craite''s eyes were red with fury, and streams of white air came out of his nose. He clenched his fist and mmed the table. "I swear I''ll avenge ye. Nilfgaard will pay!"


    Once a few months had passed and things had settled down, he would ride his drakkar to the waters of Nilfgaard and raise hell on the high seas. The silver lining in this whole mess was that Cintra''s royal bloodline managed to leave two¡­ no, three offsprings. Crach was d about that, but then he was worried.


    Cnthe was resting in Bran''s bedchamber in An Skellig, and Crach wondered where his son''s childhood friend was hiding. "Please bring Ciri to us safely, Freya. Reunite her with us an'' I''ll refurbish ye temple."


    As if hearing Crach''s wish, a gale howled in his bedchamber. A ck square door appeared before his desk, and crisp footsteps came from behind the door.


    A heel made of lizard skin cked against the ground, followed by a long, fair leg.


    Crach held his breath once more, and he was met with a petite beauty in a ck leather skirt and coat. Her skin was pale, her chin was sharp, and her ck curly hair tumbled around her shoulder like ck snakes. Her lips were luscious, and a beauty mark decorated its corner.


    She was holding a little girl by her left hand, but she wasn''t dressed like a typical girl. The girl was dressed in a gray jacket and leather pants, her short hair shining grey in the sunlight, and her eyes gleamed as green as a prairie. There was excitement and delight in her eyes.


    "Yennefer of Vengerberg? Ciri? Thank the goddess!"


    "Good morning, count of Ard Skellig, Crach an Craite." Yennefer smiled and bowed a little at Crach.


    "I''ve missed you, Uncle Crach!" The gray-haired girl leapt into the arms of the burly count.


    The count held her up by her arms, spinning her around andughing. "Ciri, my daughter. I knew ye woulde back safely. Let me see ya. Been years, and ye be a big girl now. Praise be to Freya. Praise be to the sea and our ancestors."


    "Where''s Hjalmar and Cerys? I wanna hike and ride horses and fish and ice skate and go on boat rowing rides with them. I can''t wait!" The girl smiled, dimples forming on her cheeks. "But first, I want to see Grandmother."


    "They''re fishin'' in Faroe. Gonna take a few days. Yer grandmother''s fine. Stayin'' in an absolutely safe ce." Crach put her down and held her hand, but he was staring at the sorceress, passion ring in his eyes. "It has been years, Yennefer, but ye be shinin'' as ever. Why''d ye show up in me room? It''s like a dream."


    Crach sighed silently. Yennefer was old enough to be his grandmother, but she was more beautiful than she was before their breakup.


    "And you''re looking more heroic than ever." Yennefer pursed her lips. She was feeling a little awkward. The reason she had the coordinates for Crach''s bedchamber was due to their past, and this was the only coordinates in Skellige she had.


    Ciri noticed the weird air hanging between them, and a cunning glint red in her eyes. She rubbed her chin, hatching a cheeky n.


    Crach patted Ciri''s head. "So tell me, how''d ya know the girl? And why are ya two together? Thought she went missin'' after the war."


    "We''ve been in Novigrad for months." Yennefer smiled. "I brought her here this time to see Queen Cnthe and escape the people trying to take her."


    "A Nilfgaardian spy?" Crach''s eyes turned icy.


    "One of them. Spies from all northern kingdoms too. Skellige''s far, far away from the Continent. It''s a good ce toy low."


    "Aye, smart move."


    "So can you take us to An Skellig for a visit to the queen? We can talk on the ship."


    ***


    "So the White Wolf found her?" Crach was seated around the table in the cabin, sucking on a cockle. He stared outside at the crashing waves. A school of marlins leapt out of the sea, swimming alongside the drakkar.


    "That''s how the Law of Surprise works." Yennefer took a sip of the mead and frowned. No matter how many times she had mead, she couldn''t get used to the sickly sweet taste.


    "I belong to Geralt." Ciri was beside Yennefer. She bit off the head of a lobster and munched on its flesh. The girl put on a stern look and adamantly said, "Geralt belongs to me too. That''s fate. That''s why he could find me anywhere. Even back in Brokilon, and even in outer Rivia."


    "Alright, ye cheeky girl. Yer right." Crach glossed over the topic and looked at Yennefer. As if nonchnt, he asked, "So ye got back together with Geralt? Stayin'' at the witcher''s¡­ um¡­ base now?"


    Yennefer was silent for a while and pulled her hair back. When Ciri didn''t exist, every time she met Geralt, it was either on the bed, in a fight, or a session of silent treatment. However, when they reunited at the orphanage, she had one more thing to talk about with that white-haired guy: Ciri.


    Yennefer looked at Ciri. She ced the lobster shell away and started feasting on the mint and salt grilled sturgeon and mashed carrots. The sorceress pulled a napkin and wiped the grease off the girl''s lips.


    Ciri smiled at her sweetly. The girl was a lubricant in this rtionship, minimizing the fights that happened between her and Geralt. They were like parents trying to raise a child. It was clumsy and hard, but they would happily take care of the cheeky girl.


    She enjoyed this peaceful life, but¡­ "No. Not yet. I haven''t forgiven him for his foolish and selfish behavior."


    "What do you mean not yet? You''re still observing him?" There was anticipation in Crach''s voice. Even though he was married and had a family, he would feel lonely sometimes, and he wished he could relive the short affair he had with the sorceress.


    What Yennefer said next dealt a great blow to him.


    "Technically, yes. What happens next depends on him."


    <i>That''s just like getting back together. </i>The count hung his head low and took a deep breath, his beard trembling. For a long time, silence reigned. The only sound was the waves crashing against the hull.


    "I''ve been curious, Crach. Since Queen Cnthe is still alive, why didn''t she¡­"


    "I know what yer tryin'' to say, but she thought this through. She has her own reasons. Well, a surprise, more like. A gift from the goddess."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    Crach looked outside the window. The drakkar was closing in on the coast of An Skellig. The few seagulls standing on the dark, hard reefs leapt into the sea.


    "Congrattions, Ciri. In a month or two, ye be havin'' a new aunt. Your grandmother''s going to have another child."


    Ciri lost all her appetite, her eyes as wide as saucepans. The fish and drool dribbled down her mouth, and she fell into a stupor. "A <i>baby</i>? I''m the youngest <i>again</i>? I don''t want to call a <i>baby </i>auntie!"


    Crach and Yennefer teased Ciri, and the girl sobbed.


    The Ringhorn slowly closed in on Uria Harbor, a port with evennd situated in the southern part of An Skellig.


    The count led Yennefer, Ciri, and a group of bearded, armed warriors down the drakkar, entering the dark, ugly, and mud-covered port. They made their way north, quickly reaching the fortress of Bran the Conqueror.


    Despite being the ruler, Bran''s abode was a far cry from the resplendence of Kaer Trolde. The fortress was petite and only housed two towers and a yard. Bran received the news once Crach''s ship had docked, and he was out here weing them.


    Even though the king was already in his seventies, he was still lively and in the pink of health. His hair was white as snow, and he had a body as powerful as any young man. The king had a red cloak draped over his shoulder, and chainmail armor was hidden beneath his shirt.


    He thumped his fist on the chest of his heavyweight nephew, bellowing inughter. He then turned to the girl beside Crach, a hint of affection ring in his eyes. "It has been a while, Ciri. Finally here to see me, eh?"


    "Grandpa Bran!" The girl sprang into Bran''s embrace, burying her head in his chest. She avoided his beard and looked up at him, shedding some tears. "Grandpa Eist is gone, and my home''s fallen. I only have you and Grandmother left!"


    "I knew Destiny could never hold you down, the Lion Cub of Cintra and the Swallow of Skellige Isle. You will always return to us safely, but I did one thing wrong. I should''ve led the undefeatable fleet of Skellige myself and crushed the southern bastards."


    Bran held the girl tightly, his eyes glinting with icy fury. With steel-like conviction, he said, "But I swear that as long as you''re in Skellige, none can harm you."


    The girl cried.


    "And this is¡­" Bran looked at Yennefer quizzically.


    Yennefer nodded at him, smiling.


    "Yennefer." Crach exined, "For quite a while now, she has been teaching and protecting Ciri."


    "Thank you, Lady Yennefer." Bran held Ciri''s hand tightly, leading the group into the castle. "Come. Let''s see her. She''s dying to see you."


    ***


    The group walked past the beautiful hall and traversed the staircases spiraling around the hall. They were led to a bedroom on the second floor. It was bright, and warm mes crackled in the firece.


    A plump woman was standing beside the window, her hair tied in a ponytail. Her face was a little round, and the love of a mother shone in her eyes.


    She was wearing an oversized and warm blue cotton jacket that acted like pajamas, her baby bump conspicuous. She caressed her belly and stretched her arms. Feeling something, she turned around.


    The moment she met Ciri¡¯s eyes, surprise burst onto her face, and tears glistened. "Ciri, my dear granddaughter!" Cnthe slowly moved toward the door. "Come, let me kiss you."


    "Grandmother!" Ciri let go of Bran and ran toward Cnthe. Right before she came in contact with her, the girl skidded to a halt and stood before the queen of Cintra, looking delighted and curious.


    Cnthe held Ciri''s hand and kissed her forehead, and Ciri kissed her cheek.


    The jarl of the isles and Yennefer watched the scene in silence.


    "My dear Ciri, I was worried sick when I was told of your disappearance. I was so scared that something might happen to you. I''d be alone if that came to pass."


    "No, that won''t happen." Ciri turned around to look at Yennefer. "Geralt, Yennefer, and everyone in the House of Gawain protected me well. Took care of me like I was their family." There was light twinkling in Ciri''s eyes. And gratitude as well.


    "They didn''t force you to be a witcher?"


    "I wish. They wouldn''t agree to it."


    "At least they held up their promise. It''s good to see you here. We''re finally reunited."


    "We''ll never be separated again, Grandmother. And I''m sorry for being so cheeky. I''m sorry for making you mad all the time," said Ciri resolutely.


    Surprise found its way to Cnthe''s eyes, and then she patted the girl''s head, feeling d. d that the Lion Cub of Cintra had finally grown through the war. Now she was being understanding towards her, and for that, she thanked the witchers.


    Ciri extended her hand, trying to touch Cnthe''s belly, but she was worried about hurting the baby within. She raised her head and whispered, "Is my¡­ aunt in there?"


    "Just touch it." Cnthe held her hand and ced it on her warm belly, gently drawing a circle on it. Ciri held her breath, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.


    She stuck her tongue out, gasped, and made a lot of faces she learned from Auckes, then she stuck her ear close to the belly. "Oh, I hear her heartbeat." A smile curled her lips, and she felt a bond forming between her and the baby. An inexplicable delight filled her heart.


    At longst, she had another family member besides her grandmother, Geralt, Yennefer, and Roy. On top of that, she felt a special bond forming between her and the child. There was great power within this bond. It was simr to the ties she felt with Roy. It was something they shared. Something that pulled them closer.


    Yennefer, however, saw something different. The moment Ciri hugged Cnthe, the chaos energy around them started spiking and moving at a blistering rate. The elemental particles quickly swam around them, as if summoned by something. The energy piled and piled until it was enough to unleash a powerful and destructive spell, and it was still gaining more momentum.


    "Ciri!" Yennefer stepped ahead and yanked the girl''s arm. To everyone''s shock, she took her away from Cnthe, and the ball of chaos energy dispersed. The sorceress heaved a sigh of relief and gave the queen an apologetic smile.


    "Your Majesty, just for your safety, Ciri shouldn''te anywhere near you."


    "What is the meaning of that?" Cnthe arched her eyebrow. Imperiously, she asked, "I cannot hug my own granddaughter?"


    "No, you''re taking this the wrong way. That''s not what I''m trying to say. You should know that the Fiona and Riannon line of your family carry an ancient and noble bloodline. A bloodline with enough power to topple the world as we know it. Ciri and the child you carry, if I''m right, have inherited that bloodline, and they do not have the power to control that bloodline even now. Should they gather in one ce, their bloodline will resonate and cause an unpredictable change that will end up harming you."


    "What?" Cnthe had a look of horror on her face, and she was reminded of an old memory. One where herte daughter, Pavetta, was hovering in the air, sting off magic. "But Ciri hasn''t disyed that kind of power, and my child is yet unborn. I haven''t felt anything from her."


    "The girl''s magical talent is outstanding." Yennefer looked at the setting sun and added, "It''ste, everyone. Let''s talk over dinner, shall we? I have a lot of questions to ask, Your Majesty."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 540: Calanthe’s Plan

    "So you''re keeping the news of your survival a secret on purpose?" Yennefer asked, a little surprised. She pulled her hair back and massaged her temples. "Because you''re pregnant?"


    Cnthe leaned back in the spacious chair, caressing her belly. She fell silent, a little nervous from the questioning, but her silence was answer enough for the sorceress.


    Everyone else enjoyed their food in silence.


    Bran was chomping on the roasted piglet on his te, tearing it apart like a warrior digging his fingers into an enemy¡¯s throat. His queen stood behind him, cing a peeled lobster into young Svanrige''s te. The boy looked resigned, and he put the lobster back into his mother''s te defiantly.


    Crach an Craite looked outside the window, his profile filled with frustration. Ciri was seated across from the crowd, munching down on the seafood. She stared around the room, the conversations everyone was having moments ago making no sense to her young mind.


    Mousesack, consultant of magic to the king, stroked his long beard, and he broke the awkward silence. "That was not a decision Cnthe made alone. Her Majesty wishes to cleanse her home of those invading curs even now. She yearns to rebuild Cintra to glory." Mousesack''s voice boomed across the room. Patiently, he exined everything to Yennefer. Evelyn had told him everything. This sorceress had the backing of a brotherhood of witchers, making her a force to be reckoned with.


    "She wishes to destroy the dark soldiers and avenge her fallen home. Her people. Her family. And the men of Skellige. All who have valiantly fallen in battle." The druid looked at the queen, whose face was ashen and dim. He had spoken loudly of the queen''s intentions. "When she first arrived on our shores, she was beside herself. Oftentimes she would be found crying before the grave of thete King Eist, and she lost sleep, day after day. The torment took a toll on her health. She came down with a cold, a fever, and even anemia. Her Majesty almost lost her child."


    "What?" Ciri put her cutlery down and looked at her grandmother with concern. "Are you alright, Grandmother?"


    Cnthe had a smile dancing on her lips.


    "It might have missed you, Ciri, but I''ve nourished myself back to full health and then some."


    "We got news from Evelyn back during the war. The witchers didn''t find Ciri. She escaped the castle and went missing," Svanrige interrupted.


    Ciri''s face burned up a little. She was a little uneasy about the mention of her cheekier past.


    "We thought she might have died, so that means Cnthe''s child was her only living family left in the world. The only child her husband, Eist, had left for her before he so valiantly fell in battle. Should the news of Cnthe''s survival make it to the Continent, she will be buffeted with a slew of troubles. The refugees of Cintra, the sorcerers of Nilfgaard, and the spies of the northern kingdoms will alle to her. It would prove nigh impossible for her to keep her child if she were to shoulder that much stress. We had to create an environment where she could carry the child to term without worry."


    Yennefer was beginning to put herself in Cnthe''s shoes. If she was stuck between avenging her fallen country and keeping her unborn child safe, she would choose thetter without any hesitation. That was her maternal instinct speaking to her. Something a lot of women had.


    "And that''s why we convinced her to stay." Crach shook his head, his frustration turning tomentation. "To set aside her vengeance. ns can wait until her child is born. Ain''t gonna let those dogs run free, though, that''s for sure. We ain''t lettin'' our brethren die for no reason. Drakkars ''ave been waitin'' to taste blood too."


    "He is right." Bran wiped the grease off his beard. "Cnthe carries the future of the Cintran bloodline. I must keep her and her child safe. Can''t face my fallen brethren otherwise."


    Birna agreed with her husband, and she speared a piece of pig''s hoof for him.


    Yennefer, however, saw Birna''s eyes glint with a hint of cunning. <em>The queen is up to something.</em>


    ***


    "Surely that is not your only concern?" Yennefer asked.


    "Hm, you <em>are </em>a representative of the esteemed witchers. Ciri loves and trusts you as well. Very well, if I¡¯m being frank." Bran stroked his beard. Coldly, he said, "Cintra has been overrun andpletely taken over by the south. We cannot change the situation, at least not for now. The south has begun constructing defenses in Cintra''s vicinity, all the while spreading the religion of the Great Sun and the culture of Nilfgaard. They have also changed the local currency into floren, admittedly a coin with higher gold content. They are also sparing no expense in garnering support from the people left behind in the local towns and viges.


    "ording to our sources, the tradesmen and farmers who stayed in the upied Cintra assimted and are leading better lives than ever. They enjoy more freedom and wealth. The merchants now have more privileges as well. At the empire''s behest, the people of the south are trekking across Amell to settle in the north and pioneer expansion efforts. Soon, their resources,bor, and production chains will be used to create more items so they can take over our market share."


    Wariness red in Bran''s eyes. "This might sound like a tall tale, but in a mere six months, Nilfgaard, with their cultural and economical strength, has overwhelmed Cintra and Upper Sodden, conquering them effectively. Even if Cnthe were to appear and rally the people against Nilfgaard, will they, who have submitted to the empire and are reaping the benefits, risk their lives to join Cnthe''s cause?"


    The night was falling, and it brought darkness with it. Cold winds howled, shivering the hearts of those in the dining room.


    <em>No. </em>Yennefer shook her head. <em>Nilfgaard knows how to conquer a nation. They''re experienced. They''ve been experimenting with the philosophy of conquest since the days of invading minor kingdoms like Ebbing, Maecht, and Nazair, and they know how to take over kingdoms.</em>


    "Which gives us this conclusion: There is no need for Cnthe to make her appearance and risk exposing herself to the kingdoms," said Bran.


    "Most of the northern kingdom''s kings are having a peace talk with Menno Coehoorn, governor of the <em>province </em>of Cintra and representative of the Nilfgaard emperor. As well as the hieronymus of the Eternal Fire. The conference is taking ce at a castle in the center of Sodden, north of Yaruga. Vilgefortz, who performed outstandingly during the Battle of Sodden Hill, is leading the negotiations."


    Bran gave Svanrige a look of encouragement, and the young prince added, "The agenda is simple: to bring this war to a stop. It has cost both sides a lot of men. And to talk about who gets whichnd after the war. It might seem that the North has emerged triumphant, but they''ve also sustained heavy losses. Redania, Temeria, Kaedwen, Aedirn, and Lyria and Rivia are reluctant to wage war for much longer. The one who goes first in battle stands to lose the most men, after all."


    Yennefer nodded. The northern kingdoms had always been fractured. Eventually, they would fight among themselves, and Nilfgaard would be there to reap the rewards.


    "On the other hand, Nilfgaard''s high-speed expansion might havee to a halt, but they still possess a great army, and they all have the same goal in mind. They know what they want. With Emhyr, the uncontested emperor, leading them, they can do battle again and again. They have the upper hand in this negotiation. Should theye to a ceasefire¡­"


    Svanrige scanned the room. "The most likely oue is that the alliance will give away Cintra so they can rest and heal."


    Silence swooped down on the room.


    "Cnthe has lost her kingdom and army, and our drakkars cannot sail deep intond. Should Cnthe join the conference, she will only be taken hostage by the northern kingdoms, forced to be their puppet. Or the south might keep her imprisoned. Even if hermbasting of Nilfgaard''s atrocities could tilt the scales in the North''s favor and help her gain Cintra back, it would only make Cintra a vassal state of the <em>North </em>instead of the <em>South</em>. It is still at someone else''s mercy. It can never return to its former self. Not much difference from getting conquered by Nilfgaard. Hiding is a much better choice. She can bide her time."


    Yennefer looked at Cnthe. <em>Even under this much pressure, Cnthe is still as ambitious as ever. To raise Cintra back to glory and never be any kingdom''s vassal. How?</em>


    Svanrige''s analysis came to an end, and Bran gave him a nod of approval.


    "Still, it¡¯s not all bad news. Once Nilfgaard sets up Cintra as the base of operations for their expansion to the north, they will develop it aggressively and shift their military there, which means they''ll ''ave fewer soldiers guardin'' the South. Ain''t no way around that. The defenses for the City of Golden Towers'' coastline will be weakened. The moment Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms resume war, the drakkars of Skellige will strike."


    A vicious sneer curled Crach''s face. "Our drakkars will be strikin'' Nilfgaardian waters and cuttin'' off their trade routes. Oh, they''ll feel the heat, I''m sure."


    <em>Ah, so that''s why Skellige has been silent even though their sister kingdom is felled. They''re setting up a gambit of their own as well.</em>


    ***


    Cnthe sped her hands over her stomach and stared at the crimson tapestry hanging on the pir. The tapestry depicted a scene of a hundred warriors standing on two drakkars, spreading a that covered even the skies. It was just like the scene of the n they came up with.


    A hint of resolve slipped into Cnthe''s gentle voice. "Aside from Bran and Crach, my family and closestrades, we had also established contact with Vissegerd a few years ago. He is creating an army in Brugge in secret as we speak."


    Yennefer asked, "Ah, the general whomanded the army in the Battle of Marnadal?"


    "Yes." Cnthe was getting red, and she gushed, "Praise Freya. He survived the war and moved to Brugge. King Venv, in all his generosity, epted him and took in the refugees who ran from Cintra."


    "Venv is an honorable man," said Yennefer. "He is just, epting, and a peace-loving king. Two years ago, he sent Geralt into Brokilon and signed a peace treaty with the queen of the dryads. Verden and Kerack, however, still see the dryads as their enemies."


    "Vissegerd is doing well in Brugge. When we exchanged newsst month, I was told that the army was at four thousand strong, and they were still expanding at a blistering rate."


    Everyone had smiles on their faces. Yennefer was a little surprised to hear that. Four thousand soldiers was nothing to be sneezed at. The fact they joined the army even though there was no hope of reiming their kingdom given the speed Nilfgaard took them down meant their will was stronger than iron.


    "So Vissegerd knows where you are?"


    "He has always been a loyal minister to the kingdom. We''re like siblings. There is no need to hide anything from him. We exchange news and information every month." Cnthe looked at Ciri, who was wolfing down a grilled squid. "He too spared no efforts in the search for Ciri. Once my child is born, I will have nothing holding me back anymore. I can once more give myself to the work of reiming my kingdom. Once the North and South start their war once again, my chance will show itself. The army Vissegerd is rallying in Brugge and Skellige''s men will strike the soldiers that have taken over Nilfgaard. We will stop at nothing to reim what is rightfully ours."


    Cnthe had a captivating smile on her lips, and her eyes twinkled a bright emerald. "When I escaped Cintra with my tail between my legs, I made an oath to those who had fallen in the war. The people of Cintra, the warriors of Skellige, and Eist. One day, I <em>will </em>reim our lostnd, and the dark soldiers will pay the price. Just you wait."


    Gusts of gale mmed upon the windows. Everyone around the table had light shining in their eyes. For a moment, the fires of ambition red in Yennefer''s eyes. Should she seed in helping a queen reim her lost kingdom, she would gain an unimaginable amount of wealth. She then looked at innocent little Ciri, and she shook her head, smiling.


    <em>To hell with ambition. I have to take care of Ciri.</em>


    ***


    "So, Yennefer, ya mentioned someone chasin'' Ciri? Took her to Skellige to stay outta the hunter''s sight?" Crach wiped his greasy hands on his deerskin coat.


    "Yes. Rience, a sorcerer and a spy," said Yennefer. "I suspect that he works for the king of Kaedwen."


    Cnthe pursed her lips. Her mind was conjuring the image of a white-haired witcher and his younger, heterochromatic-eyedpanion. She still hadn''t thanked them for all their help. With her kingdom taken over, she could never give Roy the reward she promised. "If he''s noticed Ciri, then the witchers might be at risk."


    Ciri looked at Yennefer. The sorceress shook her head and confidently said, "Danger is part of their lives, and they can handle it."


    "The Novigrad witchers are more than meets the eye." Mousesack stopped fiddling with his antler headpiece. He praised, "Evelyn, a member of the Isle''s circle, is now in service to them. She has nothing butpliments for the witchers, especially one named Kiyan." <em>Felt like a wife praising her husband too, if you ask me.</em>


    "She ims that the witchers brought back seeds of nts she had never seen before. They im that the seeds were prizes from their exploration of an unknown territory. I do not know how they procured those items, but with such power at their disposal, a spy is nothing to be afraid of."


    Bran turned to his side so Birna could wipe his beard better. "In any case, the witchers have protected Ciri, keeping her out of the kingdoms'' grubby hands. That makes them our friends. Our brethren."


    He looked at Yennefer. "Should they need help, ask. We can always spare a few hundred Skellige men for them."


    Yennefer gave him a grateful nod.


    "Yennefer, there is another pressing matter at hand." Cnthe stared at her granddaughter. "What do you mean Ciri and my unborn child possess an ancient bloodline? Does that mean I can''t even kiss my dear little Ciri before the child is born?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 541 - 541: Chain Reaction

    Chapter 541: Chain Reaction


    [TL: Asuka


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°The prophecy of Ithlinne describes the bloodline of your family in detail, Your Majesty.¡± The light from the candbra on the table shone upon Yennefer, her eyes twinkling. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have heard of it.¡±


    ¡°There are dozens of versions of the prophecy, and it is included in Encyclopedia Maxima Mundi, which is an ongoing work. Humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes know about it.¡± Bran stroked his beard. He lowered his voice. ¡°Ithlinne urately prophesied the decline of the elves and the war that just happened.¡±


    ¡°I do not think anything rted to bloodline would be pretty, yes?¡± Mousesack looked at Ciri and Cnthe, concern flitting in his eyes. ¡°The Elder Blood is the blood of the cursed, and it¡¯s involved with something regarding the end of days.¡±


    Curse? The end of days? Cnthe shook her head. Eist came to know of the Elder Blood that flowed within the royal family because he witnessed the power Pavetta possessed during the selection dinner. He refused to sire a child with Cnthe, thinking that this power would be ipatible with the explosive nature of a Skelliger.


    He only agreed to sire a child when the kingdom was facing its imminent doom, and Cnthe¡¯s fervent requests helped. She did not expect her daughters and granddaughters to all carry the Elder Blood, nor did she expect them not to be allowed toe in contact with each other.


    She nched, fear welling within her heart. I lost my kingdom, two husbands, a daughter, and the whole royal family, and that¡¯s without the blood of the cursed. What will be of Ciri and my child, then?


    ¡°You do not have to worry, Your Majesty. Prophecies are but foretelling of one possibility of many futures.¡± Yennefer shot everyone a look of reassurance. ¡°And humans can always strive for a better future. I have always believed that we can control and use the power of blood for our own good.


    ¡°We¡¯re all born as crying, helpless infants, but we, by instinct, learned to walk. Much like walking, the Elder Blood is something akin to instinct. Ciri and your child have just awakened the power. Like toddlers learning to walk, they will fall and fail. However, should they be given proper guidance and training¡­¡± She looked at Ciri. Reminded of her grueling magical training, the youngdy put on a scared smile. ¡°They will be able to control their power one day. They will learn to walk, run, and even fly in the end.¡±


    Mousesack looked at Yennefer, and he raised a question. ¡°Yennefer, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you are a student of the arcane arts, and it derives its power from chaos energy that is scattered across the world. You do not possess the Elder Blood, so how can you train them?¡±


    ¡°That is a brilliant question, Mousesack. ording to my checkups on Ciri, part of the Elder Blood is made up of mana. She was born to be a sorceress, and I am a student of the arcane arts. That is why I can teach Ciri how to channel that part of her bloodline.¡±


    ¡°So you mean she is a Source?¡± Mousesack¡¯s hand froze.


    Everyone had a concerned look on their faces, and they turned to Ciri, who was furtively gulping down a third ss of blueberry juice, against Cnthe¡¯s orders. Ciri smiled awkwardly, her teeth gleaming blue.


    ¡°No!¡± As if stoked by a poker, Cnthe seized the chair¡¯s armrest and tried to stand up. ¡°I will not hand Ciri or my child to Aretuza. They are of royal bloodline, and I will not allow them to be turned into barren sorceresses.¡±


    ¡°Worry not, Your Majesty.¡± Yennefer sidled to Cnthe and put her hand on the former queen¡¯s shoulder. Cnthe calmed down. ¡°They do not have to attend the academy. I shall be teaching them on the isles. If I prove insufficient as a teacher, we still have Mousesack.¡±


    The druid nodded and patted Ciri¡¯s head. ¡°The path of nature is intertwined with the application of chaos energy. Come to me should you need any help.¡±


    ¡°Sorceresses are barren not because of the power we possess.¡± A hint of sadness flickered on Yennefer¡¯s face as she was reminded of a somber memory. ¡°It is because of the cruel and unnecessary arcane modification. I promise that Ciri and the unborn princess will not have that problem.¡±


    Cnthe took a deep breath and eased up a little.


    ¡°Under my guidance, they wille to grips with their own power and find their own ce in this perilous world.¡± Yennefer spoke softly, but there was power in her voice. ¡°They will gain enough strength to fend for themselves. To defend their loved ones, and even help you reim your kingdom. Ciri¡¯s talent is unmatched. She¡¯ll grow up to be an incredible sorceress, and you should know how instrumental the sorcerers were in the Battle of Sodden Hill.¡±


    ¡°You wish for Ciri to learn the arcane arts and assist me in the remation of Cintra?¡± Cnthe shook her head and turned her attention to the youngdy. She might have grown a bit from the adversity, but she was still a cheeky little girl. Cnthe was imagining Ciri standing amongst an army, shooting out fireballs and lightning bolts at the enemy.


    And then a hail of arrows came raining down on them, plunging them into danger.


    ¡°No!¡± Cnthe spoke with raw emotions. ¡°The remation of Cintra is my responsibility. Mine and mine alone. No one else¡¯s. All I wish is for them to grow up happy.¡±


    Since her granddaughter went missing, Cnthe did a bit of soul searching and had an epiphany. ¡°I do not wish for more.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Yennefer nodded. She gave Ciri a loving look. ¡°If they learn how to utilize their talents well, regr soldiers can¡¯t even hope to touch them. Even without me by their side, they will be safe.¡±


    A moment of hesitation seized Cnthe, but she asked, ¡°Why do you go so far for Ciri, Yennefer? There must be a reason.¡±


    Crach gulped down some mead. Jealously, he said, ¡°Cnthe, Yennefer shares a close rtionship with Geralt, and the white-haired witcher shares a close rtionship with Ciri. Law of Surprise, as they say. Yennefer is extendin¡¯ her love to everything her lover cares about.¡±


    ¡°The Law of Surprise again?¡± Cnthe was a little annoyed, but she was also relieved. Geralt had proved that he was a worthy guardian for Ciri, and destiny was a better bondmaker than blood.


    Yenneger held Ciri¡¯s hand and turned her attention to Cnthe. ¡°He¡¯s not the only reason.¡± Cnthe was reflected in her eyes. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been modified by the academy and lost my ability to conceive, I would have gotten married and had a daughter as adorable as Ciri.¡±


    Ciri harrumphed. ¡°Yennefer, that¡¯s not what you call me in private. Adorable? You wouldn¡¯t stop calling me an ugly duckling!¡±


    Yennefer was speechless.


    ¡°I can¡¯tment on Ciri¡¯s looks. Everyone¡¯s opinion is different, but she¡¯s definitely a troublemaker,¡± Bran teased. ¡°She used to spend summers and winters on the isles, and the isles were always lively when she was around pulling her pranks. She turned Birna¡¯s favorite bodice into a fishing once. She, Hjalmar, and Cerys had the kitchen cook a bighead carp.¡±


    Bran held Birna¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Birna almost fainted. She must¡¯ve given you a lot of trouble too.¡±


    Yennefer smiled.


    ¡°I leave things in your hands then, Yennefer,¡± said Cnthe. ¡°Do your best to train Ciri and my child.¡±


    Yennefer nodded with a smile.


    Bran took notice of Ciri¡¯s constant yawning. ¡°The journey must¡¯ve been exhausting. Let¡¯s retire for the night, shall we? We¡¯ll visit Eist¡¯s grave tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Can I sleep with Grandmother? I wanna feel the baby.¡± Ciri blinked.


    ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with me, girl,¡± said Yennefer. ¡°That¡¯s if you don¡¯t want to hurt your aunt.¡±


    Ciri humphed.


    ***


    A small, golden ball of mes hung in the skies of Skellige the next morning. The air was stifling and humid, a nket of viscous fog draping the seas. A ray of sunshine shone upon a hill in the north of the castle.


    Cnthe, Ciri, and Yennefer traveled up a long flight of stairs and came to a stop before a white marble grave.


    Ciri went down on her knees and caressed the stone epitaph with one hand, wiping her tears with the other. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandfather. I shouldn¡¯t have run around so much. If I¡¯d been there with you, you would never have died.¡±


    ¡°Do not take this upon yourself, child. You would¡¯ve been no match for the army regardless.¡± Yennefer shook her head.


    ¡°I me my weakness,¡± Cnthe cursed herself, holding her belly. ¡°Roy had told me of the future, and I had months to prepare, yet the oue remained the same.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What do you mean he told you the future?¡± Yennefer cocked her eyebrow. Over thest few months of her stay in the orphanage, she¡¯d heard the mention of the mysterious witcher a million times. They imed he was the strongest witcher, that he tamed a griffin, and that he started the idea of the brotherhood. More absurdly, he went into another world and killed a dragon. ¡°Is he a seer? Capable of seeing the future?¡±


    Cnthe nodded and caressed the thick jacket over her belly, grateful and worried at the same time. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I would¡¯ve thought it was a fairy tale. The ramblings of a madman. A witcher, predicting the whole war of Cintra, as well as Eist¡¯s demise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s far too detailed to be any regr fortune telling.¡±


    ¡°Roy has lent a lot of help to Cintra, but we failed him. Still, I owe him something even now.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°He asked for my daughter, invoking the Law of Surprise.¡± Cnthe heaved a sigh, feeling conflicted. She wasn¡¯t as averse to the Law now, given that it was the same thing that saved her dear Ciri.


    Yennefer froze for a moment, scanning Cnthe¡¯s face. You¡¯re deeply entwined with the witchers, you know that? Geralt asked for Ciri, and Roy asked for your unborn daughter to be his Unexpected Child. It almost feels like you¡¯re a babymaking machine for them.


    Yennefer thought she smelled something more insidious brewing behind these apparent coincidences.


    Ciri swung her fists. ¡°Two years ago, Roy and Geralt saved me from Eithn¨¦, then he helped Geralt find me when I was staying at Yurga¡¯s house in outer Rivia. But he couldn¡¯t show up anywhere near the orphanage, since some bad guys are hunting him.¡±


    The surprised Yennefer stared at the shimmering sea undting beyond the hill, and she muttered, ¡°Odd. That couldn¡¯t have been any simple coincidence. You are not bound to him by the Law, so how¡¯d he find you every time?¡±


    ¡°I feel connected to Roy. We get on like¡­ like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a house on fire.¡±


    A frown furrowed Ciri¡¯s brow, and she nodded. ¡°It was like the first time I met the baby. Like we¡¯re connected by blood.¡±


    Hm?


    The olderdies had a look of shock on their faces. Ciri might have not realized the gravitas of her words, but they did.


    The princess sharing a bond of blood with a witcher?


    Thedies were going to rebuff the girl for even suggesting that, but then something happened. A great gash opened up in the air, and a silhouette cloaked in a ck cape leapt out of the portal,nding before the trio.


    The morning sun shone on him. He had short ck hair, bone-like swords on his back, a viper medallion hanging before his chest, and a big pair of sunsses covering most of his face. The silhouette stared at the trio before him and looked bemused for a fraction of a second, then a smile cracked his lips, though it was an awkward smile.


    ¡°Good morning, Cnthe, Ciri. And Yennefer.¡±


    The stranger turned to the petite but curvy sorceress. Roy could smell the lc and gooseberries in the air, and he was transfixed for a moment. The sorceress had skin white as snow, lips lustrous as blood, and a face even the gods would envy. She had an air of mystery hanging around her. Roy could see why the White Wolf couldn¡¯t forget this me of his.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Yennefer crossed her arms before her chest and made a gesture to cast a protective spell. The light of magic swirled over her head. ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re a witcher, aren¡¯t you? How¡¯d you conjure that portal? Did you use Eist¡¯s grave as a waypoint?¡±


    Ciri suddenly let out a burst ofughter, and she jumped into Roy¡¯s arms. ¡°Roy!¡±


    This is Roy? Yennefer was surprised, but she let her guard down. So this is the founder the brotherhood¡¯s been yammering about every day? He¡¯s younger than I thought. Not even twenty years old. Clean and handsome too. Unlike Geralt, who never grooms himself. That guy has the ¡®smell of men¡¯ on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ciri. I see you¡¯ve gained a few pounds. Guess the guys back at the orphanage haven¡¯t started your training yet.¡± Roy looked at Yennefer and exined, ¡°Yennefer, that portal¡¯s an ability I gained through my mutations. Just leave it at that.¡± He held the smiling Ciri¡¯s hand and strode to Cnthe.


    ¡°How have you been, Your Majesty? Well, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Yes, all thanks to you. Now all I have to do is wait for my child¡¯s birth.¡± Cnthe extended her hand so the witcher could kiss it.


    Roy bowed a little. He held Ciri¡¯s hand in his left and lifted Cnthe¡¯s hand with his right, then he gave it a light kiss.


    The moment the three of them had skin contact, the Elder Blood flowing within Roy, Ciri, and the unborn child resonated and triggered a powerful reaction. Yennefer was watching everything. She saw a gigantic surge of chaos energy bursting through the void, swirling around the trio, and a blinding white light flooded out of them, charging into the skies above.


    Roy¡¯s medallion was buzzing and shrieking like a sparrow caught in a.


    ¡°No! You have to get away from each other, right now!¡±


    A bolt of lightning shed through the cloudless skies. Yennefer leapt ahead, but all she caught was air. The rippling space before her refracted the sun¡¯s rays like it was a shattered mirror.


    ¡°I am a fool!¡± Yennefer froze for a long time, and a bitter curl twisted her lips downward. ¡°I should¡¯ve known. He has the power to tell the future and cross space. That witcher possesses the Elder Blood as well! But three of them? Three of them share the same blood?¡±


    Yennefer stared at the empty space before the grave, and she muttered, ¡°Great. How am I going to break this to them?¡±


    ***


    Darkness as far as the eye could see. ck, gentle darkness, devoid of any light. The trio¡¯s heads were buzzing, and their sight was robbed from them for a moment. A gust of icy gale howled across their skin, cutting through them like iron des.


    A worried Cnthe gasped, ¡°By Freya, where are we? Ciri! Ciri, where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Grandmother! Roy? Yennefer? Where are you? I¡¯m scared!¡± Ciri cried.


    Ciri and Calthen shivered and huddled closer to Roy for warmth.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here. I swore I¡¯d protect you, and I¡¯ll take you both back unharmed.¡± Roy grabbed his cor. First things first. What is this ce, and what happened? Was that teleportation?


    He focused on his character sheet and was met with a blood-red message.


    ¡®Your Elder Blood resonated with its kin, causing a chain reaction.¡¯


    The Elder Blood triggered a chain reaction and transported us to a random ce?


    Roy had his answer, and his sight was slowlying back. The first thing he felt was vertigo. They were standing atop a tower nearly a hundred feet tall, the frigid morning air whistling at them. The tower¡¯s roof had a slope of thirty degrees, and it was made of red tiles.


    Underneath the tower were rows of houses and rundown alleyways. Scores of human silhouettes as small as ants prowled the streets. Standing behind them was a resplendent castle.


    Roy stared as far as possible, and he saw a great ravine cutting through half the city sleeping outside the mountain of refuse. It almost looked like a titanoboa slithering in the wilds, and the witcher felt a familiar feeling snaking into his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this in the vision the goddess showed me. Maribor. This is Maribor. That ravine is proof of the centipede¡¯s assault.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Roy?¡± Ciri narrowed her eyes. So nervous was the girl, her nails were almost digging into Roy¡¯s flesh.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. This is just a chain reaction triggered by our blood.


    ¡°You mean the Elder Blood?¡± Cnthe held her bulging belly with one hand and the witcher¡¯s arm with the other. She looked down, and her legs buckled. ¡°Yennefer did tell me that I am not to stay in close proximity with Ciri, or it would cause some reaction. What should we do now?¡±


    Already there were people taking notice of the strangers atop the tower. They stopped in their tracks and discussed what was going on.


    ¡°Hold my hand,¡± Roy said, seemingly unfazed, but his heart was thumping nervously. A great weight pushed down on him, and his temples were throbbing. This is where Idarran and the grandmasters are hiding, and we¡¯re standing out like a sore thumb. If they find us¡­


    The sense of danger that pricked Roy¡¯s mind told him that his enemies were right here. He couldn¡¯t leave Cnthe and Ciri behind, so he had to make a desperate y. ¡°Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Visualize Eist¡¯s grave in your heads and think ¡®I want to go there.¡¯¡±


    Roy spoke softly. Cnthe and Ciri closed their eyes.


    Roy¡¯s medallion trembled. The space before the trio started to contort, and white light slowly unfurled.


    The trio went into the light.


    A momentter, a burly man in a grey cloak appeared on top of the tower. He had amber, feral eyes, and they were devoid of any human emotion. The man was as towering as a mountain, and his presence alone was suffocating. ¡°Wave of special energy here just now.¡±


    ¡°And I say you¡¯re overreacting, Arnaghad.¡± A man with skin as pallid as a corpse and face as gloomy as a dark cloud appeared beside Arnaghad, seemingly out of nowhere. ¡°Time to leave. We do not want to leave the master waiting.¡±


    The man looked at the ravine, his sickly, bulging eyes bloodshot and filled with excitement. ¡°I have a feeling it will be stronger after this experiment. We¡¯ll be one step closer to our goal.¡±

 Chapter 542 - 542: More Power

    Chapter 542: More Power


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    On the northern part of the lonesome ind of Faroe, ad and a youngdy were on a ck reef of Harviken Port, the sun shining upon them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Hjalmar. Ain¡¯t gonna catch a fish standin¡¯ ¡®ere like a statue. Move somewhere else, for Freya¡¯s sake.¡± A freckled girl with short red hair and a hard jawline sat on the reef, staring at the empty basket. She chuckled. ¡°Ya keep fishin¡¯ in the same spot, and yer not gettin¡¯ anythin¡¯ ever.¡±


    ¡°Stop yammerin¡¯, Cerys. Yer my sister, so ya listen to me! Ya gotta work with me ¡®ere!¡± Thed was tall, had broad shoulders, some stubble, and a scar under his right eye. ¡°Now toss ¡¯em pickled shrimps and fish, Have a feelin¡¯ some marlin¡¯s gonna bite soon.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯ll listen to ye, ya big oaf. Tide¡¯s dippin¡¯ soon. You¡¯d better not waste any time. And we¡¯re at the coast. Ain¡¯t no marlins ¡®ere. Minnows, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Ye sharp-tongued tomboy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the sparrowhawk o¡¯ Crach!¡±


    ¡°No, ye a tomboy!¡±


    ¡°And ye a big oaf!¡±


    The siblings stopped arguing abruptly. Like bristled cats, they leapt high into the air, then they turned around. A sh of white light burst in the air, and three silhouettes appeared out of nowhere.


    Sunlight shone on the silhouettes, revealing who they truly were. In the center was a cloakedd. On his left was a pregnant woman, and on his right, a beautiful girl. They met eyes with the siblings.


    ¡°Cnthe? Aintcha at Bran¡¯s ce?¡± Cerys¡¯ jaw dropped. ¡°What¡¯s goin¡¯ on ¡®ere?¡±


    Cnthe smiled bitterly. My. The girl¡¯s not even born yet, and already she¡¯s pulling a prank on me.


    Their teleportation failed. They deviated from their intended destination.


    Hjalmar noticed the girl on the left. She had eyes as verdant as prairie grass, and her features looked oddly familiar. Hjalmar¡¯s breathing was getting ragged. ¡°Is that you, Ciri?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hjalmar! Cerys! Been years! You¡¯re so tall now!¡± Ciri released herself from Roy¡¯s grasp and trotted toward the siblings. She stood closer to them andpared their heights, then she gave them a hug. Proudly, she held her head high. ¡°That was a teleportation spell I learned. So, are you impressed?¡±


    ¡°Wait? Ye can cast spells now? When did that happen?¡± Cerys looked surprised.


    ¡°Long story. Now I¡¯m a magical princess! So what were you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°Fishin¡¯petition. Hjalmar lost, obviously. By a wide margin.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to ¡®er, Ciri. So, ya here to finally marry me like ya promised?¡± Hjalmar stared at the beautiful Ciri, his eyes burning with passion.


    A few years ago, he and Ciri had an ice-skatingpetition, but he ended up breaking both his hands and legs, and he got himself a scar on his face. After the ident, Ciri stayed by his side, reading books out loud and chatting with him.


    They promised to get married eventually, but his father, oh, in all his cruelty, broke apart the lovers.


    The ever fearless magical princess, Lion Cub of Cintra, blushed. She was mortified by the childish promise she made.


    ¡°Ah, shut it, ye mangy cur. That promise o¡¯ yers is nothin¡¯ but shit.¡± Cerys stepped in to clear the awkward air. ¡°Wanna y, Ciri?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, yes. Loser drops down for a thousand squats.¡±


    Roy was a little miffed. What am I, chopped liver? ¡°You can have yourpetitionter. Come here, Ciri. You were thinking about other stuff just now, weren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why we came here instead.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Roy. Couldn¡¯t help thinking about them.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy? Why¡¯s he orderin¡¯ ye around?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my good friend. See ya around. I gotta go back.¡± Ciri waved the siblings goodbye and retreated to the witcher¡¯s side. She held his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying with Bran for the time being. Come over.¡±


    Roy held Cnthe¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, you two. Close your eyes. No distractions this time. Eist¡¯s grave. Remember, his grave.¡±


    ¡°Roy, can we go anywhere if we just link hands? Anywhere we can imagine?¡± Something glinted in Cnthe¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve never had any experience with teleportation of this level. It¡¯s incredibly fast, and there¡¯s no spell or waypoint needed. You can go anywhere you think. Aside from the slight dizziness, this is perfect.¡±


    Roy was a little shocked by the potential three bearers of the Elder Blood could have. Perhaps this is the higher power Freya mentioned. So I don¡¯t even have to steal their blood. Ciri¡¯s like a sister to me, and the unborn baby is my Unexpected Child. We just have to work together if we want more power. Not like they¡¯re going anywhere.


    Waves crashed upon the reef. The trio was swallowed by another burst of light. Hjalmar and Cerys stared at the air, bbergasted.


    ¡°Well, whatcha waitin¡¯ for? Leave yer stupid fish. Get Falc. We¡¯re gettin¡¯ to An Skellig right now. I¡¯m goin¡¯ to get my chance at marryin¡¯ Ciri. Bran and Crach are gonna witness that too.¡±


    ***


    Just as Roy suspected, they still weren¡¯t at their destination. Instead, they were in a corridor. A brightly-lit corridor. A castle¡¯s corridor.


    The ground was draped in a luxurious red carpet. On the wall were two kinds of gs. One, gs with ruby pendants, and two, gs with the white lily of Temeria¡¯s emblem.


    Ciri¡¯s eyes shone with excitement, but she quickly shook her head at the stern witcher. ¡°Not me this time!¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Roy. That was me.¡± Cnthe stared at the gs. ¡°We are now in the center of Sodden, the castle of the previous king, Ekkehard. It is now under the rule of Foltest, of course. This is also the ce where the negotiations are taking ce. I came here once a few years ago, so¡­¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t call you the lioness for nothing. I should praise you for sheer bravery alone. You¡¯re practically giving yourself away to the kings who would hunt you down should they know you¡¯re alive. And not just giving yourself away too, in this case. Pray there are no other people around here.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to see how the talks are going. I won¡¯t rest easy until I do.¡± Cnthe pursed her lips, longing ring in her eyes. ¡°It was just a fleeting thought, but now we¡¯re here.¡±


    Roy put a finger to his lips and took thedies to a storeroom in the corner of the corridor. He leapt into the air and hung on the ceiling like a lizard, then he climbed away swiftly.


    A soldier was approaching the corridor, but then someone loomed over him. He saw a green triangle, and his eyes lost focus. The soldier murmured something to the witcher.


    ¡°All ten kings of the northern kingdoms and their consultant for magic are gathered here in this castle along with Nilfgaard¡¯s emissary? And Vilgefortz is present as well?¡±


    Roy gazed at the conference room at the end of the corridor. Eight armored soldiers stood sentry. Judging from the crests on their crests, they were from different kingdoms.


    An urge seized the witcher. If I were to summon Leviathan right now, I wonder if I could tten all the leaders of the Continent in one go. Roy then shook his head, chuckling at his foolish idea. Vilgefortz and the sorcerers would take Leviathan down easily.


    The witcher tried to approach the conference room, but halfway through the journey, he felt the cirction of his mana slowing down to a crawl. Something invisible in the air was stopping his mana¡¯s cirction.


    The whole door¡¯s made of dimeritium. Of course there would be anti-magic mechanisms for a summit like this. Teleport and Blink won¡¯t work, then. Roy gave up on the eavesdropping and went back to Cnthe.


    ¡°Sorry, but this ce is dangerous. We can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    Cnthe looked a little disappointed, but she nodded in understanding. ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll reim my kingdom through my own efforts.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They linked hands again, and this time, Roy was the one who was distracted. The silhouette of a certaindy appeared in his mind.


    The trio flew off as a blinding sh of light.


    At the same time, the meeting was still going on, and the kingdoms were split into three factions. On one side, it was the alliance of the northern kingdoms, where rulers with crowns and different capes sat.


    The most handsome of them was Foltest of Temeria. There was also the king of Redania, Vizimir II, the beautiful Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia, pot-bellied Demavend, king of Aedirn, and mustached, burly Henselt, king of Kaedwen, all sitting in the first row.


    Standing beside them were the consultants for magic, though they certainly looked like they were dressed for a beauty pageant rather than a peace talk. Among them were Keira, Triss, Philippa, and Sabrina.


    The second row was for kings from smaller kingdoms like Brugge, Kerack, and Verden. The hieronymus for Eternal Fire was present as well.


    There was but a small group of people representing the South. Current governor of Cintra, Menno, who was in ck armor, emissary of Nilfgaard, Shrd Fitz-Oesterlen, who was writing furiously, and a few sorcerers. One of them was Fringi Vigo, whom Roy almost killed. They were unfazed and calm.


    Compared to them, the North had the numbers, and yet they looked grim and solemn.


    Menno was smiling, smug and gloating. ¡°Your Majesties, after two days of meticulous negotiation, we have finally reached an agreement. Allow me to reconfirm the main agenda of the agreement.¡± Standing in the hole in the center of the round table was slender, ck-shirted Vilgefortz. He cleared his throat, his voice booming enough for the leaders to hear.


    ¡°First, Nilfgaard¡¯s army will retreat from Upper Sodden and return thend to its ruler, King Foltest.¡±


    Meve fiddled with her ruby ne, her bee-stung lips contorting. Temeria gets the advantage again?


    ¡°Two, from the day of the agreement¡¯s signing, Cintra and its vassal states, Verden and Attre, will belong to Nilfgaard, bing its northern province fully under its rule. Brugge, however, has already been cut off from Cintra, bing Temeria¡¯snd instead.¡±


    Foltest smiled, but the other kings looked dark, especially the kings of Aedirn and Kaedwen. They stared at Foltest¡¯s profile, fire flickering in their eyes. He can have it. He¡¯s the nephew of Ekkehard, after all. Not to mention Brugge is right in the middle part of Temeria. Not like any other kingdom can have control of it.


    ¡°Third, Nilfgaard muste up with rpense for all Northern Kingdoms save for Temeria. The amount will be based on the number of men who have fallen in battle, and the standard payment has been written out in the agreement¡­¡±


    Menno nced at the amount written on the agreement and stroked his bushy beard. The amount was nothing for the powerful empire. If it weren¡¯t for the fact the kingdoms wanted to melt the florens and turn them into another currency, he¡¯d be happy to pay them more and double down on the economic takeover.


    The rulers looked a little better now. At least they had some constion prize.


    ¡°Fourth, Nilfgaard¡¯s soldiers and fleet are not allowed to take even one step across the northern coast of Yaruga. Verden will have its own army to defend its borders. And more importantly, Nilfgaard cannot have more than thirty thousand soldiers stationed north of Amell, or the North has the right to view it as a precursor to a full-blown invasion, giving them full right tounch a preemptive strike.¡±


    Shrd heaved a long sigh. That¡¯s going to be problematic.


    ¡°Fifth, from the day of the agreement¡¯s signing, the North and the South agree to a ten-year ceasefire. Should any sideunch an attack, then the agreement is null and void.¡±


    The kings sat up straighter.


    ¡°And now it is time to sign the agreement, Your Majesties.¡±


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? I¡¯ll go first, then.¡± Foltest straightened his crown and unfurled the agreement, then he signed his name. Aside from Nilfgaard, Temeria gained the most from the agreement. Now Brugge and Sodden were under its rule. However, Temeria had also paid the heaviest price in the war, losing ten thousand men in the process.


    The other kings exchanged looks with their consultants, and rustles of quills over paper scratched the air.


    ***


    Vilgefortz slowly scanned the kings. With a powerful, booming voice, he said, ¡°If the bloodshed caused in the Battle of Sodden has taught us one thing, it is that peace is always hard-earned. Please treasure it, Your Majesties. Should anyone dishonor the terms of the agreements, then they will make an enemy of all the rulers here.¡±


    The strongest member of the brotherhood of sorcerers then also issued a warning to the rulers of the kingdom. ¡°And they will also make an enemy of me and the North¡¯s magicalmunity. I am the one who spearheaded this conference, and should any of you renege on the agreement, then I apologize, but you will not leave unscathed.¡±


    Most kings shrugged the warning off. The northern brotherhood would help the North anyway. All of their consultants for magic were part of the brotherhood.


    Vilgefortz heaved a sigh of relief. He was happy with the rulers¡¯ actions. Suddenly, he looked at the room¡¯s entrance, and the sorcerer massaged his forehead. Inexplicably, a feeling of loss filled his heart, as though he just missed something important enough to change his destiny.


    ***


    This marked the third teleportation, and Roy found himselfnding in the ce he wished to go. It was an ind filled with nature¡¯s gifts. It was like a gigantic pir jutting through the waves of the sea. The ind was filled with ziggurats, spiral paths, meandering stairs, tforms, lush gardens, and beautiful woods.


    Majestic white towers were scattered across the greenery, leaning on rocks. There was also a building with a circr top surrounded by galleries.


    Standing on top of the ind was an ancient tower stretched into the skies¡ªTor Lara, or Gull¡¯s Tower.


    The trionded in the lower part of the ind, where a quiet courtyard stood. Lily pads sat in the pond across them, dewdrops sliding across them. A gust of breeze danced across the courtyard, and the droplets of water scurried into the pond below. An old willow tree was swaying its slender leaves over the pond.


    Roy looked past the low walls, where the greyish-green seas crashed. The waters reflected the sunlight, shimmering under the skies, and white sails dotted the watery expanse. The other side of the ind had a bridge. Beyond that bridge was a stronghold of high walls and towers with sharp, shining tops.


    ¡°Gors Velen.¡± Roy let go of Cnthe and Ciri, then he looked around the quiet courtyard. So where¡¯s the person I had in mind? The mountainous structure extending from the sea is Thanedd, then.


    ¡°The ce Yennefer studied the arcane arts? Then the towers must belong to Aretuza.¡± Ciri stared at the white towers, her interest piqued.


    ¡°Why did you bring us here, Roy?¡± Cnthe nervously held her granddaughter. ¡°Yennefer is teaching Ciri herself. My granddaughter will not join Aretuza.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just here to see ady.¡± Roy said, ¡°You two got to go to where you like, so I should get my turn. No sexism in this household.¡±


    Cnthe could not argue with that.


    Ciri, however, pouted and shot the witcher a re. ¡°Hey, you got your turn first. I know you did, Roy.¡±


    ¡°No, I did not. Now hold your grandmother. We¡¯re going to the aca¡­ de¡­¡± The witcher found himself tongue-tied. He turned his attention to the swaying willow tree and the pond before it.


    Four naked arms suddenly popped up from the pond. Two were tanned, while two were white as snow. Glimmering droplets of water trickled down the arms and drenched the ground, then two beautiful faces appeared through the surface, situated between the arms.


    One was petite and oval and looked no older than sixteen. She was fair and had a lovely face. Her hair was brown, drenched, and stered to the back of her head. Her eyes were big and shining with childish innocence. Her nose was petite, and so were her luscious lips. She had a little baby fat in her cheeks, lending a hint of cuteness to her.


    That face dragged up some memories. Ah, the girl from Aldersberg has grown up as well.


    ¡®Casiga/Toya


    Gender: Female


    Age: Sixteen years old


    Status: Student of Aretuza


    HP: 70


    Mana: 180


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 7


    Perception: 7


    Will: 7


    Charisma: 8


    Spirit: 8


    Skills:


    Source (Passive), Meditation Level 2, Frozen Arrow Level 2, Icicle Armor Level 2, Fireball Level 2¡­¡¯


    ***


    The other woman had rose-red lips and eyes as blue as the deep sea. Her crimson hair danced like wildfire under the shine of the golden sun. She was as beautiful as a goddess.


    ***


    Noticing the look on Roy¡¯s face, Ciri felt like pulling a prank. ¡°Grandma Lytta!¡± she shouted.


    Thedies in the pond had their attention grabbed, and they turned to Roy. Casiga gasped and shrunk into the pond. The other sorceress, however,ughed and got up, making a ssh.


    Lytta came out of the pond.


    Ciri stared at the lovelydy before her. Her skin was smooth, her body more curvaceous than any nymph¡¯s or statue¡¯s. It was like staring at a sculpture made by the gods, the lines as voluptuous as could be.


    The girl looked at herself, then she turned her attention to her pregnant grandmother. Ciri bit her lip. Oh wow. I am socking in these departments.


    At the same time, a ck dress covered Lytta up. ¡°Roy, Ciri, and this must be Queen Cnthe.¡± Lytta approached them and held Roy¡¯s arm, her hair brushing his cheek. It had a unique scent, and Lytta¡¯s gaze was curious.


    ¡°Trust me when I say this is an ident.¡± Roy turned around and smiled awkwardly.


    Lytta didn¡¯t even blink.


    ¡°Alright, fine, I came to see you. Tested out some new abilities with Ciri and the queen.¡±


    Cnthe held her lower back and frowned, a hint of exhaustion tingeing her face.


    ¡°What new ability?¡±


    ¡°Long story.¡± Roy turned to the pond and met eyes with the young sorceress who was staring at him furtively, half her head still hidden underwater. ¡°Toya? Or should I call you Casiga now?¡±


    ¡°Y-You still remember me, Roy?¡± Dimples formed on Casiga¡¯s cheeks as a smile stretched across her lips. The rims of her eyes went red, her voice trilling with delight, and also cracked from joy.


    ¡°We made a promise, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Come on out, Casiga. You¡¯ve missed him so much, haven¡¯t you? And you even made a promise. Come out and meet your dear lovely Roy.¡± Lytta smiled at Roy, but there was fire in her eyes.


    Roy tried his best to stay unfazed, and he turned away from Lytta¡¯s death stare.


    Lytta let him off the hook.


    For now.


    ¡°The queen seems to be worn out. Come. We should find a better ce to talk.¡±

 Chapter 543 - 543: Reunion with Casiga

    Chapter 543: Reunion with Casiga


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Thanks, Coral. Take care of Cnthe and Ciri.¡± Yennefer was on the other side of the xenovox, sighing in resignation. ¡°But don¡¯t let them stay for too long. Make sure they return by today, or Bran will skin me alive. If they know I let a witcher take those two away under my nose, the Skellige brutes will feed me to the sharks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yennefer. I¡¯ll make sure they return this afternoon. In one piece.¡± Lytta covered her mouth and giggled. Ciri popped up behind Coral and huddled closer to the xenovox, her eyes glinting, and her lips curled into a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you run around again, duckling.¡± Yennefer stared at her charge and crossed her arms. Sternly, she said, ¡°Take your grandmother and Roy when afternoones, and use your¡­ Elder Blood¡¯s power to return immediately. If I have to go all the way to Thanedd to take you back, you¡¯ll be drawing the patterns two thousand times.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, ma¡¯am.¡± The girl curled up, a little scared, but she giggled as well. She then darted to the bedroom¡¯s firece andy on the settee like a pony resting from galloping. She rested her chin in her left hand and scanned the room.


    Casiga, the girl who was only a few years older than her, was seated with her grandmother on the same settee, staring at the witcher across from her, her cheeks red.


    Roy had an interesting look on his face. He was stiff, and he sat up straight, but his butt was fidgeting around, and his smile was as stiff as a statue¡¯s. Through the corner of her eye, Ciri looked at Coral, who was talking to Yennefer.


    Roy and Casiga were about the same age, judging from their looks. The young witcher was handsome, and the young sorceress was adorable. They¡¯d make a great couple. Or so Ciri thought. She nodded, looking like realization had struck her. As if nonchnt, she asked, ¡°Hey, Roy, is she your girlfriend?¡±


    Everything came to a grinding halt. Casiga froze, her jaw dropping a little. Coral turned off the xenovox and whirled around with so much ferocity, she might burn something.


    Cnthe caressed her belly gently, a small smile twisting her lips. She watched on with interest. Given her experience in life, she knew the young witcher shared an interesting bond with these women. Still, it was surprising to see the witcher, once so confident in giving her and Eist advice, looking so awkward. She was more than happy to see Roy in a pickle. A joke or two would work wonders for her baby.


    Roy put on a forced smile. A few momentster, he pinched Ciri¡¯s cheeks and pulled on them, as though he was trying to make pizza. ¡°You shut your mouth if you have no idea what¡¯s going on, Ciri.¡± He then pushed her away in case the Elder Blood decided to trigger another chain reaction. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend. Casiga¡¯s a good friend of mine, got it? Just like you and Cerys and Hjalmar.¡±


    Casiga patted her chest in relief, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Lytta had been helping her a lot with her education, and earlier, she was told that Roy was Lytta¡¯s romantic partner.


    That quashed Casiga¡¯s dream of bing Roy¡¯s girlfriend.


    After Coral turned the xenovox off and whirled around, she ced her hand on the back of the chair and rested her chin on the back of her hand. She stared at Roy and Casiga, her face deadpan, as if she were trying to see what would happen.


    Roy pretended not to notice Coral¡¯s death stare. He gently asked, ¡°It must¡¯ve been a couple of years, Casiga. How¡¯s life in Aretuza?¡±


    ¡°Roy, I¡­¡± Casiga felt her heart swell, and she stammered, her voice cracking, as if a lump had formed in her throat. The rims of her eyes turned red, and tears glimmered within them.


    She shot up from the couch and spun around, showing herself off to Roy. An expression of delight and sadness adorned her face. ¡°I¡¯m all better now. Normal as a human can be. The insults are no more. No one¡¯s pushing me to do menial chores every day, and no more stones either. I have new clothes all to myself, and I can feast on food most people only dream of. And I made a lot of friends.¡± She sobbed. ¡°And I know magic too.¡±


    She weaved her fingers in the air like she was ying an invisible lute. Flickering mes, glistening droplets of water, arcs of electricity, and fluorescent lights of magic fluttered across her fingertips, illuminating the ceiling with strobing lights. Illuminating the tears that were streaking down her cheeks.


    The young sorceress was putting on a performance for the witcher. ¡°What do you think? I still remember the moment you showed me magic back at the pond, and I¡¯ve kept the Gwent card you gave me close by my side. They¡¯re the very first things that taught me hope.¡±


    She produced a beautiful card in her other hand. The face of the card was a red-haired woman in a crimson dress. She was fiery, mysterious, and beautiful. She was Sabrina, Kaedwen¡¯s consultant for magic.


    ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you, Roy. You saved my life and took me to Aretuza. If it weren¡¯t for you, those scum would¡¯ve killed me, if the rampaging mana didn¡¯t do it first.¡±


    Casiga spoke a lot, and it took a big weight off her mind. Her chest heaved, and a long rush of air escaped her lips. She looked at the witcher, her eyes glimmering with tears. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see you again, Roy. So I could say thank you.¡±


    She gazed at the witcher, a hint of aggrieved sadness possessing her voice. ¡°But you never came. You didn¡¯t write back to me either. I thought you¡¯d forgotten about me. About your friend.¡±


    Cnthe heaved a sigh. The older queen could glean the gist of the young sorceress¡¯ earlier life, and it did not paint a pretty picture. Ciri¡¯s smile was wiped off. Inexplicably, she felt sorry for the young sorceress. Lytta looked sympathetic, as though she saw her younger self in Casiga.


    She strode over to them and held Casiga in her embrace, caressing her hair like a mother would her daughter. Casiga¡¯s tears were drenching Coral¡¯s shirt, but the sorceress let her cry.


    And she directed a scorching re at the witcher.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte, but I¡¯m here now.¡± Roy sighed. What he did two years ago was nothing but an innocent presentation. He never thought it would leave that deep an impression on Casiga. Saving her was an easy task for him back then, and he thought he could use the favor someday too. His less-than-innocent rescue attempt didn¡¯t deserve an earnest thank you.


    Roy looked at the sobbing girl and sincerely said, ¡°As your friend, I¡¯m d to see you living the best life you can in Aretuza. It¡¯s good to see that our efforts haven¡¯t gone to waste. And I¡¯d like to congratte you, Casiga.¡±


    Lytta raised her head and humphed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to give her any presents? Just empty congrattions?¡±


    A frown furrowed Roy¡¯s brows. What¡¯s up with you? I can¡¯t give another girl a present right in front of you.


    Roy stood up and approached the sorceresses. He nced at Coral, and the veteran sorceress returned an encouraging look.


    Roy opened his arms, and Coral pushed Casiga into the witcher¡¯s embrace. Casiga buried her face in Roy¡¯s shoulder and took a deep breath. She looked up at his perfectly sculpted face, reminiscence twinkling in her eyes.


    She had always wanted to just cuddle up with Roy in silence. She had always longed to just be close to him, tasting his scent and gulping in everything that was Roy. I was just an ugly, insecure bumpkin who grew up in filth. Now I¡¯m a healthy student of magic who¡¯s living her best life. I have everything a girl can hope for in life. I shouldn¡¯t ask for more. Not when something more means breaking Lytta¡¯s heart.


    Casiga kept telling herself that, but she was on the verge of crying. She was hugging the witcher, and so tight was her hug, her knuckles were turning white. She was imagining something in her head. Casiga and Roy, seated in a boat on the pond, the light of the full moon and the branches of the weeping willow gracing them.


    Nothing but a shattered dream now. All she could cling onto were what little memories she had with Roy. She cried. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t cry, but¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just let it out, Casiga.¡± Roy held the young sorceress, his left arm wrapped around her shoulder, his right patting her back. He was like an older brother trying to calm his inconsble sister down. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. Proud and happy that you found a fresh start in life in Aretuza. Proud that you found a new goal in life.¡±


    The queen of Cintra watched from the settee, a hint of mncholy flitting in her eyes. She was reminded of her younger and more passionate years.


    ¡°I pray that you¡¯ll work hard for your new life, but I also have a gentle reminder. Should you someday be a celebrated sorceress, don¡¯t forget to lend a hand to those in need. Never let go of that sliver of kindness in your heart.¡±


    Roy looked at Coral. The sorceress¡¯ crimson lips were glimmering more than ever, and she looked pleased. Good. He didn¡¯t try anything with her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget that, Roy. I promise.¡± Casiga tightened her hug once more, then she backed out of his embrace. She wiped her tears away, determination and repose nestled back in her eyes. The young sorceress put on a smile. ¡°Sorry you had to see that, everyone. I¡¯m a bit of a crier.¡±


    ¡°Earnest passion is worth its weight in gold. Its beauty shines more than any poem. Do not lose that, child,¡± Cnthe remarked. She picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. ¡°I see that the rumors of magical training whittling its practitioner¡¯s humanity down to oblivion is nothing but a lie now. I have no more worries about Yennefer teaching Ciri now.¡±


    ¡°Magical training does not take away humanity; time, however, is a different story. Especially when it stretches for so long.¡± Lytta hugged Casiga from behind and rested her chin on the young sorceress¡¯ shoulder, a hint of guilt flickering in her eyes.


    A sigh escaped Roy¡¯s lips. ¡°So, how much longer will you be studying in Aretuza, Casiga?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m in my third year now. The fundamentals will take five years toplete. Another ten years for advanced magical training.¡± Casiga rubbed her cheeks with her smooth, silky hands. Like her hunchback, her calluses were waved away by magic.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories of graduates serving the academy for decades.¡±


    ¡°Students who receive their education for free, yes. They¡¯ll have to work for Tissaia and Margarita for decades. I¡¯m not included in that list, of course.¡± Casiga whirled and gave Lytta a smile of gratitude. ¡°Lytta paid off my tuition every year, so I¡¯m a free girl. I can quit my studies and leave Aretuza anytime I¡¯d like.¡±


    Roy gave Coral a questioning look. Lytta had never told him about that. Why¡¯d she financially support Casiga in secret?


    Lytta held Roy¡¯s arm, the light of remembrance twinkling in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to have someone like Casiga. Once she finishes her education, she can assist me with my research. Innocent, grateful apprentices like Casiga are rare now. Most students who receive free education in Aretuza have a traumatic past. They¡¯re either vengeful, extreme, narrow-minded, or downright twisted. They may never heal from that.¡±


    Childhood trauma follows you forever.


    ¡°Casiga¡¯s a very likable girl. We can trust her. The teachers love her too.¡±


    Casiga hung her head low sheepishly, holding the hem of her skirt.


    ¡°And then you wanted me to move my base of operations to Novigrad.¡± Lytta let go of Casiga and straightened out Roy¡¯s cor. ¡°You then went on a quest to look for more spellcasters to join us. First, it was Kalkstein, then Evelyn, then Triss, and now Yennefer has shown herself. She hasn¡¯t joined us yet, but she¡¯s an ally. I know you¡¯re looking for more spellcasters to carry out your dream. Given that I am your lover, I will help you with it.¡±


    A smile curled Lytta¡¯s lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Casiga would make a perfect addition to the brotherhood?¡±


    For a moment, everything around Roy disappeared. It was as if everything were gone. Everything but the smiling sorceress. She¡¯s been helping me out in secret. A surge of warmth caressed his soul, and he held Lytta¡¯s hand tightly.


    Casiga forced a smile and sniffled. She held her hands to her chest. With anticipation, she asked, ¡°Lytta told me there are a lot of kids at the House of Gawain. You have alchemists, cksmiths, and even a griffin. Is that true? Can Ie over? Can I stay there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always wee, Casiga.¡± Roy took a deep breath and sifted through his memories, calcting how much time was left until the political upheaval in Thanedd. ¡°But you should stay in school and keep learning magic. At least for a year or two. You can always take a few days off, though.¡±


    Coral nodded at the young sorceress.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Casiga¡¯s eyes red with joy. I¡¯d die happy if I could go to Novigrad and see Roy more.


    ***


    ¡°Alright, I told you everything. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡± Lytta stared into Roy¡¯s eyes, trying to pierce through him. ¡°Howe the Elder Blood flows in you? You¡¯re just a farmer¡¯s child in Lower Posada.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so he has the ancient bloodline as well?¡± Realization struck Cnthe. ¡°That exins why Ciri said she felt a connection. And it also exins why we can traverse space when we¡¯re together.¡±


    ¡°So you mean Roy¡¯s my family too?¡± Ciri stared at the witcher. She puckered her lips, worry flickering in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s my uncle.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like cheeky nieces either.¡± Roy flicked Ciri¡¯s forehead. No more lies. ¡°My Elder Blood is different from theirs.¡± He looked into Lytta¡¯s eyes. ¡°When Letho and I were exploring a mine in Mahakam, I ingested a Child of the Sun. Thanks to the herb, I awakened a sliver of the Elder Blood. Then I followed its guidance and traveled to the woods of Brokilon. There, I, along with Geralt and Ciri, drank the Waters of Brokilon, bolstering the blood¡¯s strength. I was not born with it.¡±


    Lytta¡¯s eyes twinkled with a bit of envy. ¡°Still, it¡¯s remarkable that you managed to cross through space with your bloodline¡¯s power. I doubt any witcher can reproduce that feat.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that reaction, however. When Ciri, Cnthe, and I came in contact, it felt like the power of our bloodline merged into one.¡± Roy scanned Cnthe and Ciri. ¡°I was transported here the moment I thought of you. And Casiga.¡±


    ¡°I saw Hjalmar and Cerys!¡± Ciri quipped.


    ¡°It¡¯s not limited to just humans either,¡± Cnthe added. ¡°You can travel to any ce you¡¯ve been. Just like how we traveled to Sodden¡¯s castle moments ago.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You can travel anywhere in an instant just by conjuring up an image of a ce or a person in your head.¡± Lytta¡¯s eyes glimmered, and she praised, ¡°Not even the legendary Geoffrey Monck, who captured a djinn, possessed that level of teleportation powers. Have you ever tried taking someone along with you on these teleportations?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been experimenting a lot.¡± Roy shook his head.


    ¡°I do not have time to perform any dangerous experiments, Roy.¡± Cnthe was concerned. ¡°Once we return to Skellige, I will not perform any teleportation before my child is born. Aren¡¯t you awash with vertigo every time we teleport? Besides, how can you be sure that teleportation will not overexert my unborn child and leave anyplications?¡±


    ¡°True. For safety purposes, this will be ourst teleportation for the time being.¡± Roy conjured a bizarre mental image. Two months down the line, he would be holding a baby in his left hand and a girl in his right, traveling all around the world, arriving anywhere he wanted in an instant.


    ***


    ¡°Grandmother, Roy.¡± Ciri¡¯s eyes were tinted with anxiety as well. ¡°We should be going back now. Anyter, and Yennefer¡¯s going to have me draw those patterns two thousand times.¡±


    ¡°Take them home, now.¡± Lytta understood their predicament. She approached the witcher.


    Roy felt something press against his lips. Lytta left him a kiss.


    ¡°See you, Roy.¡± Casiga stood with Lytta, waving at the witcher.


    Roy held Cnthe¡¯s hand with his left and Ciri¡¯s with his right. They closed their eyes, and then a gust of wind blew across the room. A blinding light filled the air, and sunlight refracted like it was trapped in a room of shattered shards of ss.


    Motes of dust fluttered like balls of light, and the silhouettes disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m off to the library, Lytta.¡± Casiga swung her fist, looking determined.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I need to learn quickly so I can help you guys one day.¡±

 Chapter 544: Ominous Clouds

    "Roy, what is the purpose of this brotherhood? Why''d you gather these witchers, sorceresses, alchemists, and orphans in one ce?" Yennefer leaned on the balustrade, staring at the endless seas far from the castle. Blustery gales from the wilds blew upon her, billowing her hair. Her curves were as perfect as an hourss.


    Behind her, a room stood. Cnthe was seated beside the firece, wearing an oversized cotton jacket. She was flipping through To You, My Child, immersed in the pages.


    Ciri walked around with her rear held high like she was a hen, trotting around the room to search for convergence points, the light of magic strobing from her.


    "Simple." Roy crossed his arms beneath his chest and leaned on the railing as well. He stared at Cnthe and Ciri, a smile curling his lips. "So witchers can survive and thrive in this world."


    "You''ve done that, haven''t you? You''ve raised a few new witchers among the children, and everyone''s doing well." Yennefer scanned Roy. "What next? The number of monsters are dwindling, and so is the need for witchers, yet your numbers are increasing. Are you suggesting that new witchers take up jobs as mercenaries or form a racketeering gang?"


    "I don''t remember any rules restricting witchers to violent or deceptive vocations. We can always run a business. Or a smithy. Or a potions shop. Or offer swordy sses." Roy shook his head. "We''re a new organization. If we don''t grow fast enough to fend for ourselves, we''ll be crushed sooner orter. We need more allies. Worry not, however. We do not have any ambition to overthrow the current regime of the world. The expansion of our organization is all so we can survive. Novigrad is an exception, but the world atrge is still prejudiced against witchers."


    Yennefer nodded. She was reminded of the prejudice Geralt had to endure. "That is true. The House of Gawain is facing a crisis even as we speak."


    "Hm?"


    "I take it Letho didn''t tell you? A sorcerer named Rience came to Novigrad, searching for Ciri. Lambert chased him away, but his employers will not stop until they find her."


    Roy cocked his eyebrow. <em>They didn''t tell me? That''s important news. They''ll have an earful when I get back. Rience, huh? Vilgefortz''s proxy. We missed each other back in Sodden''s castle. Should''ve stayed that way, but you just had toe knocking. What kind of host would I be if I didn¡¯t answer that knock, eh?</em>


    ***


    Seven Cats Inn stood on the outskirts of Novigrad, open for business as usual. Sunlight shone through the window, watching the rundown lobby and a round table in the corner. Two mercenaries equipped with leather armor, swords, and dagger sat face to face.


    "I got one of Cleaver''s men drunk, and he spilled some info." A hook-nosed man with a sharp chin and bandana said in a whisper, "A few months ago, the Cleaver, King of Beggars, and the Eternal Fire received an anonymous report that witchers were setting up a human trafficking joint in the outskirts. They charged to the witchers'' base of operations, screaming for blood. It''s an orphanage called House of Gawain."


    The half-elf, a creature over six foot tall, listened closer.


    "That orphanage is in a patch of alder woods about six miles away from this inn. Them witchers are smart. Consummate survivor of the wilds too. Must''ve set up a ton of traps in the woods. Best stay out of it if I were you. That drunk bastard said there''s about fifty kids in the orphanage, and it''s home to about ten of them mutants."


    "<em>Ten</em>, you say?" The half-elf tugged on his ponytail, caution tingeing his eyes, and the look on his face turned gloomy.


    "And that was more than six months ago. Bet myst crown there''s more of them now." The hook-nosed mercenary spoke adamantly. "They wouldn''t set up an orphanage for nothing. Must be something evil they''re doing. Like training up more of their kind. For some reason, Cleaver, the King of Beggars, and even the Head of Security were fooled."


    The half-elf''s muscr shadow flickered on the peeled walls as he sat up straighter. "So what about the mutants'' aplice?"


    The mercenary took a sip of his liquor to wet his throat, and umbrage filled his face. "Oy, you call this liquor? This is nothing but juice!" He whirled and red at the hunched innkeeper, but the innkeeper ignored him and caressed his swaying cat.


    "That''s why your inn''s closing down." The mercenary sucked in air and held his vexation down. "I lost a few brothers just to map out the witchers'' connections and background. The bastards are smarter than any fox I''ve met. Noses sharper than a hunting dog''s. Nothing gets by them. The moment my friend got close to their territory, they went missing. I bet they used their darn Signs on them for interrogation. And he wasn''t the only one. A few more went missing. No news came back. But I never told them about you, so the witchers couldn''t find anything useful. Still, losing three of my men is a huge blow, and we came all the way from Rinbe too."


    The half-elf silently tossed a grey pouch the size of an adult''s fist. "Here. Rpense for their deaths."


    The mercenary''s jowls shuddered, and he opened up the pouch, his eyes glinting with golden greed, and a smile scrunched up his face. "Thank you. I have one more piece of information for you. The biggest ganglords of Novigrad, namely the King of Beggars, the Collector, and the Cleaver have all signed a peace treaty with the witchers, with the Collector being their closest ally. Most of the coins needed to run the orphanage are covered by the Collector. Everyone in the city hall knows that. He''s also hired two witchers to teach his men swordy. I''m sure they''re working together."


    The half-elf started tapping his finger on the table.


    The mercenary paused for a moment. "Their second aplice, well, it might sound far-fetched, but they say it''s the church of Eternal Fire. To be precise, it''s their Head of Security, Chappelle. From what I know, the witchers have helped Chappelle run a city-wide anti-human-trafficking operation. Captured more than thirty human traffickers and got in the way of many people''s moneymaking. Helped Chappelle¡¯s reputation among the people, however. After the Battle of Sodden Hell, two witchers helped him take in the refugees who came from Cintra. One of my men lodged an anonymous report to the church, but it gained no response. This can only mean one thing: Chappelle and the witchers are in cahoots, and they are not just business partners."


    ***


    "There''s also the ballroom. Even a blind man can see that it''s run by a witcher apologist. The damn bard writes odes to them like his life depends on it. Praise their ''selfless acts'' in an attempt to brainwash the citizens to ept those mutants. They''re close too. And the potion shop next door, Gorthur Gvaed, wholly belongs to them too. A Zerrikanian woman is running the show. They have a few bestsellers too. The spirit potion, for example. Men love it. It''s an infinite supply of coins," said the mercenary, his voice dripping his envy.


    "Seen the orphans working there in their spare time too. And before his disappearance, one of my men noticed the witchers keeping an eye on a veggie kiosk in the market. The owners, Moore and Susie, must be more than meets the eye too. I am not sure how you n to bring the mutants down, but these are the people you have to look out for. You can ignore the ballroom, the potion shop, and the veggie kiosk. Nothing to worry about. Chappelle and the Collector, however, are prominent figures in Novigrad. You have to be very careful if you wish to deal with them."


    "I can see why they call you Rinbe''s best sleuth. The intelligence you''ve gathered is crucial for our operation." The half-elf nodded and whipped out another pouch of crowns, his eyes glinting coldly. "Now I have another request for you. Will you work with me to get rid of these evil, human-trafficking mutant scum? I''ll give you ten times the reward once the operation is done."


    The mercenary was red with excitement. <em>Ten times the reward? I can retire and get myself a mansion in Kovir or Toussaint.</em> He gritted his teeth and shook hands with the half-elf. "You have yourself a deal."


    "Good. Now keep going around Novigrad to gather more intel on the witchers. I want a report every two days. And try your best not to die." The half-elf patted his shoulder. "I don''t want to lose an importantrade before the fight even begins."


    ***


    Five minutes after the mercenary went on his merry way, the old man behind the bar counter perked up, his eyes glinting. His rough, wrinkly face was starting to change and contort. Momentster, the innkeeper transfigured himself into a man with thin lips, gleaming eyes, and cropped hair.


    The half-elf approached the counter and poured a ss of cherry cider for himself. "You can''t brew alcohol to save your own skin, Rience. So what now? We''ve gotten all the information we need on the witchers. Should we start?"


    "Did you forget what he said, Schirru?" Rience shook his head and snapped his fingers. The inn''s doors snapped shut, and the curtains closed, blotting out the sunlight. "We wait for his orders. It has been three days since the conference in Sodden. The kings should have arrived at a decision."


    A magical music box appeared in Rience''s hand out of nowhere. He spun the ring, and the knight in the music box slowly spun. From the tip of the knight''snce, a beam of colorful light shot ahead, weaving a blue screen of light in the air.


    Momentster, a devilishly handsome man with ear-length brown hair appeared on the screen. He scanned his underlings imperiously. "Rience, Schirru."


    Rience and Schirru tensed up like soldiers who were called upon by their superior.


    "This is sudden. I take it that you''ve found all the information you need about those witchers?"


    "Yes, sire, and it is moreplex than we thought." Rience took a deep breath and told Vilgefortz what the mercenary had ryed to Schirru earlier. "The witchers are deeply involved with the Collector and the Eternal Fire, two of the most powerful entities in the city. They have also signed a peace treaty with the remaining gang lords. Should we try to mount an attack on the orphanage, the church and the Collector will join hands, and we''re talking about arge-scale battle here."


    A hint of surprise flickered in Vilgefortz''s eyes. He rubbed a finger on the emerald ring on his index finger. "If my memory does not betray me, witchers are lone wolves who abide by the code of neutrality. They would never work with any organizations. However, you''re telling me that these witchers, all from different schools, havee together and made allies out of local organizations. If I didn''t know better, I''d have thought they were thugs, not witchers."


    Vilgefortz muttered to himself, "But to what end? Are they helping the princess to regain her¡ª No. That''s absurd." He shook his head, a chortle escaping his lips. "The fact they allied themselves with the witchers makes them our enemies. First, we''ll deal with them. We''ll deal with the witchers'' allies and pile on the pressure against them. Rience, the witchers must''ve been on high alert after your previous failure. It is too much of a risk to try attacking the bard again. The potion shop and kiosk might seem unprotected, but they''re the hardest to tackle of them all. You''re going to go for someone else this time."


    Vilgefortz said coldly, "You will be abducting the Collector. Lydia will be working with you on this one. The Collector is a highly vaunted man in Novigrad. Heavily guarded, which is both an advantage and a chink in his armor. He hasn¡¯t been plunged into danger for far too long. A pair of sorcerers should be able to abduct him easily. As for you, Schirru, continue your recruitment efforts around Novigrad. Find those who''ve been persecuted by mutants or non-humans. Recruit powerful ones who have a grudge against all non-humans, or anyone who can go toe-to-toe with a witcher. Better yet, find those who had their homes ughtered by witchers. Fatten them up. We have a use for them."


    Rience nodded. With reverence, he asked, "What about the church, then, sire?"


    "Chappelle is but a head of security. Him ruling over Novigrad along with the witchers is an affront to the hieronymus. The conference ended yesterday, and the hieronymus has yet to make his return."


    Vilgefortz walked around, his eyes glinting with wisdom. Confidently, he said, "I will convince him to get rid of the pest called Chappelle. The witchers will no doubt be seized with panic once news gets to them. When that happens, you and Lydia will go in and abduct the Collector. Your next order wille once chaos is well underway."


    ***


    The xenovox sputtered and flickered out. Vilgefortz left the bedroom and gave the masked assistant outside some orders. He ambled across the meandering corridor and came to a stop before a metal-rimmed oak door. He knocked on it. "Hieronymus Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart? It''s me, Vilgefortz."


    The door creaked open, revealing a wise, elderly face. He was in a white top with red sleeves, and red stripes adorned his cor. A long robe that resembled the colors of a burning sun was draped over his shirt. "Ah, Vilgefortz. Come in. I have you to thank for the peaceful conclusion of the conference. What brings you here, however?"


    "Oh, long story. Arade of mine ran into something rather bizarre during his travels in Novigrad. It is about Chappelle and the witchers. I am no believer of the Eternal Fire, but I have only respect for it. I do not wish to see the fire tainted by the filth of the mutants."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 545: Tighten the Perimeter

    A gust of sea breeze sauntered across the streets of Novigrad, blowing into the potion shop. The shop''s entrance was framed with a set of blue curtains. Standing underneath it was the Zerrikanian shopkeeper. She stretched her arms, her mohican hair swaying with the breeze. Golden sunshine shone on her long, beautiful legs, her bountiful chest and tanned, slender waist covered by a striped leather shirt. The shopkeeper glimmered like a panther ready to hunt.


    She put her hand to the scimitar hanging from her waist, staring sharply at the port, a hint of longing flitting through her eyes. Before she knew it, it had been a year since she left the troupe and started working for the shop. Now she had about six hundred crowns stashed away. Her hands that used to swing her scimitar around were getting used to handling the vials, vessels, and tools involved in alchemy.


    She shook her head, her eyes glinting. "You''re a child of the dragon, Kanti. Do not lose yourself in this life, no matter how peaceful it is. Never abandon the tradition of seeking a challenge and a hunt. Yes, I should go out and hunt to my heart''s content tonight."


    "Kanti!" an adorable voice called out to her. A young, beautiful girl with a golden ponytail approached the Zerrikanian woman, a sweet smile hanging on her lips. The orange potion pouch hanging around her waist was bouncing around like a ball.


    "Vicki!" Kanti patted Vicki''s head and took the pouch. She checked the contents of the pouch. Aside from a row of neatly wrapped spirit potions, which was their bestseller, there were also two tomatoes, plump and glistening. She felt like taking a bite.


    <em>She''s so lovely. </em>Kanti smiled, her eyes twinkling with delight. "You''re early today. Wait, no. Your apprenticeship is tomorrow, not today!"


    Vicki pursed her lips and shook her head sadly. "I don''t think I cane over after today. Not for a long time."


    "What? Why?"


    "We''ll take this inside, Kanti." A cloaked man with a mask approached the shop. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunsses, and they were crimson. His face was filled with hideous burn scars, but he was a lot betterpared to how he was before. Evelyn''s herbs helped his condition.


    ***


    "Something''s afoot in Novigrad." Kiyan took a seat on the stool before the counter, scanning the herbs and potions on the shelves. He was happy with how things turned out, and that was all the more reason he was reluctant to leave. "About three weeks ago, a sorcerer tried to abduct Dandelion, but we managed to severely injure him before he made his escape. Last week, we managed to capture three suspicious individuals. Strangers from the looks of it. Mercenaries from Rinbe. Experienced too. Been in their line of work for more than ten years."


    He looked into Kanti''s eyes and told her without reservations, "They were paid handsomely to look into our business, contacts, andwork. And they did a thorough job with it."


    "So you''re saying someone''s trying to attack you guys?" Kantiall cocked her eyebrow, her hand slowly reaching for her scimitar, a glint of excitement ring in her eyes. "But who in their right mind would do that? This is your turf."


    "No answers to that question, I''m afraid. Their employer made sure we couldn''t find any clues, but we bet it''s rted to Rience, the sorcerer who tried to kidnap Dandelion."


    "So where are the bastards now?"


    "Gone. Their souls returned to the seas, their flesh nourishment for the fish," Kiyan answered, his face deadpan. "I can''t guarantee this is the furthest Rience would go to get what he wants. He might go lower. There are hundreds of peopleing in and out of Novigrad every day, and we can''t keep an eye on everyone. For your own safety, today''s the potion shop''sst day of operation. At least until this blows over."


    "If it were up to me, Kiyan, I would say we take them head on." Kanti shook her head, an icy smile curling her lips. She unsheathed her scimitar, its edge glinting under the light. "They try to attack us, I''ll lop their heads off with this. It''s been a while since my de has tasted blood."


    Kanti touched the wyvern fang ne hanging from her neck, grumbling, "Roy promised he''d take me on a hunt, but then he goes missing for months on end. I only stayed because of him. Boys are the same, no matter the age. Liars, all of them."


    "If it''s a challenge you need, the House of Gawain might be the best ce you can hope for." Kiyan scratched his nose. <em>I won''t lie. </em>"The kids have too much energy to spend. They''d love to spar with you. Just close up shop for now and move in with us. It''s quick and easy. And Vicki''s there too."


    Vicki held Kanti''s callused hand, her eyes filled with the light of anticipation.


    "You mean the little ones who just passed your Trial?" Kanti looked a little apprehensive. The oldest of the kids were but thirteen years old, and yet they were a lot fitter and faster than she was. They would make for a good challenge. She pursed her lips and looked around the shop, reluctant to leave, but eventually, she nodded. "What about everyone else? Dandelion, Prisci, Moore, and Susie?"


    "Everyone''s going to be together."


    ***


    Lambert belched and picked at his teeth with a finger. He smacked Dandelion''s shoulder, ogling Prisci, who was ying her lute on the stage. Beautiful Prisci. Prisci, who had a great voice; Prisci, whose body was to die for; Prisci, who was, most importantly, scantily d. He also looked at pretty Igsena with interest. Thatdy was tap dancing with the crowd on the dance floor.


    "You, Prisci, and Igsena are moving to the House of Gawain starting tomorrow. Leave the day-to-day business to your men."


    "Is that supposed to be a joke?" Dandelion was ying with the feather on his hat, but his hand froze, and he almost yanked the feather off. "Things have been going swimmingly, haven''t they? With you and Aiden around, no one is stirring up any trouble. There is no need to move, is there?" Dandelion shook his head furiously. <em>How am I supposed to look for inspiration if I''m expected to live in the woods?</em>


    "It''s just for the time being. Don''t tell me you want to be a permanent resident." Lambert gave him a side-eyed nce. "I''d rather not run into a cheating manwhore like you all the time."


    "A tad bit hypocritical, I daresay." Dandelion shook his head and scanned the gallivanting witcher. He questioned, "Have you ever not slept with anyone besides your romantic partner?"


    Lambert chortled and blew his bangs. He promptly answered, "I do not have any regr partners. To a degree, every woman in this world is my partner. Which means I have never cheated on anyone before. Oh, but Prisci still doesn''t know of your affair, does she? If you do not hold a woman like her dear, someone will eventually steal her from right under your nose."


    "Please don''t." Dandelion relented. He then turned to his wits to extricate himself from this sticky situation. "They do say that life is like a ball. Refusing to drink at all is nothing but spurning a good time; drink too much, and you make a buffoon out of yourself. Please put your faith in my self-control. I will never go too far. To be too invested in my affairs is disastrous. They are nothing but a mingling of the flesh. I would never surrender my heart or soul to them. As long as I do not cross that line, I will never hurt Prisci."


    "And now you''re making a buffoon out of yourself, Dandelion. It''s just a yes or no question. You didn''t have to buffet me with a whole saga."


    "But if I were to move, how should I express my skills and talents?"


    "Perform for the children, then. You''d be a fine relief from all the boredom. We have more than sixty adoring viewers there."


    "Fine. I''ll exin it to themter." Dandelion sighed like he just lost all sources of inspiration.


    "Don''t give me that face. This is for your own good," said Lambert solemnly. "Didn''t Rience''s attack teach you enough? Novigrad''s a big city, and we''re spread too thin as it is. If he kidnaps you again, you might lose more than your hands. Maybe he''ll cut your tongue off. Or probably your member down there."


    "Alright, I get it." Dandelion nodded, his face somber, his mustache trembling.


    "And tell your bards to stop any ys concerning witchers." Lambert raised his voice, "Or they might get dragged into this mess."


    "Not even if it''s the audience''s request?"


    "Not even if it''s the audience''s request."


    ***


    Crippled Kate''s, a brothel tucked away in a dark alleyway nestled within the slums of Novigrad. Eskel was in the third room, half naked. The room was filled with warm, pink light, and the witcher was lying on a red, heart-shaped rug with a towel on it, his head resting on his right hand, and a sigh left his lips.


    Within his arm was a woman. She had eyes ck as night, staring at his profile, and she gently touched the witcher''s impressive pecs. Instead of regr human legs, she had a pair of goat hooves covered in grey fur. Her skin was a healthy mocha, her looks mesmerizing, her eyes amber like a cat''s, a pair of curled ck horns jutting from her lustrous hair. She was uncanny and exotic at the same time.


    Any experienced witcher would know who, or what, this woman was: a subus.


    Subi were new creatures introduced by the Conjunction of the Spheres. They were born with incredible charm, looks, and bodies. These creatures could easily turn the hardiest of men into their ythings, sucking them dry of life and vitality.


    Some did stay in line, but those were rare.


    "Have you been busy with your requests, my love?" Pashia purred, her voice nasal, and it made Eskel''s heart flutter. "You''ve onlye once in three weeks. I thought you''d gotten tired of me and found yourself a new lover."


    She plucked at the witcher''s chest hair with her perfectly manicured crimson nails.


    "I would never." Eskel wrapped his arms around Pashia''s waist, staring into her eyes. There was love and a bit of resignation in his gaze. Even a sturdily-built witcher would find it hard to satisfy a subus for a prolonged period of time, but it was Eskel''s burden to bear. He loved subi.


    "I do not have the strength to deal with any other woman with you by my side. My absence is caused by the recent change in Novigrad''s activities. I have to be careful."


    "Someone is trying to attack witchers? In Novigrad? Didn''t you sign a peace treaty with the ganglords and the church?" Pashia only submitted to Eskel because of the brotherhood''s influence in the city. The monster hunter''s skills and abilities also helped as well.


    Fate was a mischievous mistress at times. Pashia had been seeing this scarred, burly man for more than six months, and she felt some feelings stirring for him. For a long time, she''d been only sleeping with him. She was a saint among subi.


    "These are no ordinary people. They are spellcasters, and more than one of them is out for us."


    Pashia bit her lip and twirled her icy fingers on Eskel''s chest. "Do you need my help? I can charm some intelligence out of them. No one can keep any secrets from me."


    Eskel frowned. "Don''t do that." There was anger flowing in his voice. If the brotherhood knew he sold his lover out to deal with his enemies, he''d be stripped of his membership. "I am no pimp or cuckold. We''ll deal with the sorcerers ourselves. Still, thank you for your offer."


    Touched, Eskel held Pashia in his embrace. "Once we get over this, let''s find somece to stay."


    "Really? But you''re a witcher. Won''t your mentor and colleaguesugh at you for staying with a subus?"


    Eskel harrumphed. "They''ll understand. They did more egregious acts before."


    Delighted, Pashia gave Eskel a kiss.


    "And you be careful too, Pashia. Stay in the brothel as much as you can."


    "Of course."


    ***


    "Moore! Susie!"


    "Ah, Letho!"


    The vendors quickly waved at the bald witchering through the throng. "What brings you here today?" Moore grabbed Letho''s hand. He asked, his voice tinted with anticipation, "Any news of Roy?"


    Susie was patting the infant in her arms. The baby boy was fiddling with a turnip.


    "Kid''s still out for a request. It''s going to take some time before hees back." Letho shook his head regrettably and straightened out his cor. He was in modified Bear School armor. Scaled tonlet, te spaulders, te vambraces, rows of knives and potions hanging from his belt¡­


    A few ck, diamond-shaped scales covered his chest. Dragon scales. The Tordarroch cksmiths and Vesemir''s research were not progressing at a great rate. They could only make rudimentary protective armor with the dragon scales. Viper School''s silver and steel weapons were strapped to his back.


    With the cksmiths'' unrelenting hard work, all the witchers in the House of Gawain had gained new armor, including the apprentices who just passed their Trial.


    The light in Moore and Susie''s eyes dimmed.


    "Hello, Mino. Oh, you''ve grown a little since Ist saw you." Letho poked the infant''s chubby cheeks.


    Mino stared at the poker-faced witcher and gurgled, hisughter echoing in the air. That cheered his parents up a little. <em>Well, at least we still have Mino around.</em>


    "It''s not every day you show up, Letho. Why dontchae over tonight?" Moore patted Letho''s incredibly big hands, a big smile wrinkling his face. "We''ll make stew for you. Taking care of the kids must be hard work. You should eat more."


    "What?" Letho looked flummoxed. <em>I could eat a horse every meal, and they want me to eat more? And why do I get the feeling they''re treating me like their son? I''m old enough to be their grandfather.</em>


    "Later, perhaps. I have a proposition for you. Why don''t you move in with us at the House of Gawain?"


    "Ah, thanks for the offer, Letho, but¡­" Moore scratched the back of his head and sheepishly answered, "We still have to run this business. There''s really not much time."


    "Put aside the business for a while." Letho''s eyes roved the couple''s faces. The solemnity on his face made the couple stand up straighter. "Mino''s about one year old, isn''t he? It''s the best time to start his early education. I would like for you to take him to the orphanage so he can join the sses as well."


    Letho raised his hand, stopping the couple from interrupting. "If you seize this chance, it is not impossible for Mino to enroll into Oxenfurt Academy."


    "An academy?" Moore''s jaw dropped, and he stammered, "A-An educated man i-instead o-of a peasant?"


    "Roy is a genius. I''m sure his brother is a bright child as well, but Mino''s still young, and he needs his parents. You''ll have to go with him as well. We have some fields around the orphanage. You can tend to them if you need anything to pass the time."


    "But we''ll lose our customers if we take a long leave of absence¡­" Susie said, a little reluctant to leave.


    "Which is more important: your business, or Mino''s future?"


    That struck the couple where it mattered the most. Mino mattered to them, and they nodded.


    Letho heaved a sigh of relief. <em>You owe me one, kid. A big one. And it''s almost time. Everyone else should be done with their assignments as well. We''ve made sure to hide all our loved ones. Now let''s see what the sorcerers are up to.</em>


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 546: Return

    A gentle breeze ambled across the alder woods. The alder branches swayed in the wind, dancing along with its blustery paramour.


    A burly man with not a strand of hair on his head was walking alongside a ck-hairedd in the woods'' clearing, a hyperactive griffin following them. The beast was scraping away at its master''s trousers.


    "This is sudden. I assume you''ve found the grandmasters'' whereabouts?


    "Maribor. They''re in Maribor. They won''t being to Novigrad anytime soon, so I''m safe for the moment." Roy''s recent escapade proved that he had been too cautious. If the grandmasters could sense his presence wherever he was, they would''ve hunted him down. Now that he knew where their base of operations were, he could feel more at ease on his own turf.


    Roy whirled and patted Gryphon. <em>She''s a little touchy. What''s going on? </em>"What happened to her?"


    "The griffin''s three years old." Letho grinned. "About time for her to get in heat. You know what to do."


    Roy scratched Gryphon''s chin, and he started musing over the matter. <em>I can''t actually get her a mate, can I?</em>


    "So when are we starting?"


    "We''ll have to deal with the orphanage''s problem first. I can''t believe you didn''t tell me Rience is after the orphanage. If Yennefer hadn''t told me, you guys would''ve dealt with it yourself, wouldn''t you?"


    Letho scratched his nose and retorted, "There are a dozen of us. We can do just fine without you. Besides, you''re the lone wolf among us."


    "Someone sounds confident. I''d like to see your defenses."


    Branches and leaves crunched underneath their feet. Birds and cicadas chirped in the air. The witchers walked down the path briskly. Roy scanned the surroundings and saw a dozen traps lying about.


    Deep holes hidden under piles of branches, wooden stakes tied to the trees, and bear traps. Thest one was Auckes and Serrit''s specialty. "Auckes had too much time on his hands, so he and his boys set up all kinds of traps around the woods. Two hundred and fifteen of them to be exact."


    Letho carefully skirted around the traps, and he led Roy to a pond. A sliver of icy breeze slithered across the cracks between the trees, and ripples swam across the pond, making the lotus leaves sitting on the surface shiver.


    A circle of wooden fence stood nearby, guarding a botanical garden. More than two acres ofnd sat within thepound. Bamboo fences split thend into more than a hundred squares, each housing a different herb. Mistletoe, ribeye, and raven''s leaf were some of them. Some spaces had a few different species of nts housed together.


    Heliophytes like ivy grew on the topyer, and underneath them were nts that did not need as much sunlight to grow. Dappled light was enough to sustain them.


    Roy scanned the garden and counted more than forty types of nts living in it. They were blooming beautifully, painted in rich shades of colors, the air tinged with their refreshing scent. The nts he took from the world of Skyrim were thriving as well, and some were already used for potionmaking.


    A wooden house sat in the center of the garden. Evelyn was working outside. She was wearing a dress made of flowers, mistletoes, and tree barks. The druid nodded coolly at the witchers and went back to her herbs.


    Roy had his attention caught by the guards standing sentinel around Evelyn. They had the shape of oak. Big oaks. Their skin was made of thick bark, and burls grew on it. A pair of greyish-green eyes were embedded in the upper part of the tree, rolling around. There were no blind spots for these eyes. A small beak protruded right underneath their eyes, and the beaks were snapping, producing sounds like wooden boards pping each other.


    The antler-like branches were these creatures'' arms. They swayed with the wind as if they were dancing to a slow tune.


    ''Treant


    Age: 158 years old


    HP: 240


    Mana: 50


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 18


    Constitution: 24


    Perception: 8


    Will: 12


    Charisma: 12


    Spirit: 15


    Skills:


    Whip Level 3: Treants can swing their arms andsh at their targets as if they''re using whips. They can immobilize their targets and keep them from escaping.


    Camouge Level 3: Treants can blend in with the greenery around them and hide themselvespletely.


    Nature Sense Level 4: Treants can sense everything happening in the woods in a 500-yard radius around them.


    Child of the Woods: (Passive) Treants are guardians of forests all around the world. They are blessed by nature. For their services to nature, they are blessed by the green itself. They can heal their wounds and regenerate their stamina and Mana at twice the speed whenever they are in a forest.''


    ***


    "Evelyn went through a lot just to get those treants from Skellige." Letho crossed his arms, his eyes flickering. "They''ll know if anyone steps into the woods. And they''re decent fighters too." A stiff smile cracked Letho''s lips. "Carl and the brats tried to challenge them, and they hanged the idiots on their arms. Took them for a run around the woods."


    "The traps areid out, the tree treants are keeping an eye on the woods, and Auckes and Serrit are patrolling the grounds." With determination in his voice, Letho said, "Our defenses are perfect. If anyone tries to invade our turf, they won''t be going back alive."


    ***


    The witchers came out of the woods and were met with an idyllic scene. The fields were home to cabbage and beets this time, and before it was the courtyard where everyone was gathered.


    The witchers, the apprentices, the bards, Igsena, the Tordarroch cksmiths, Moore, Susie, and Mino were there. The students in the ssroom were leaning on the windowsills, watching around curiously.


    The unkempt Kalkstein joined in the fun as well, which was a rare sight. Still, he looked cadaverous, and the dark circles under his eyes looked baggy. He could fall asleep any given moment.


    A ck dog was circling everyone, happily barking. Its tail was spinning around like a rotor de. Ebony had gained a few pounds since Roy brought it back to the orphanage. It looked more like a log of wood than a wiener dog at this point.


    Everyone had their eyes on the fighters sparring in the clearing. One of them was a woman with a Mohican hairstyle. She was swarthy, her body beautifully sculpted, her features exotic and pronounced. The woman was holding a scimitar.


    Standing before her was Carl, one of the new witchers. He was in a light blue leather jacket. The young witcher was a little bent, holding his wooden sword by his waist. The sword''s tip was pointed at the woman''s neck.


    The young witcher remained in this position as he circled the woman. A gust of breeze hurtled out of the woods and swayed the fighters'' hair.


    The fighters shed, the scimitar drawing a thin line of light as it charged toward Carl''s side.


    Carl twirled his wrist, his wooden sword drawing an arc and deflecting the scimitar''s impact. The muscles on his arms were taut, and veins popped as he unleashed a great force. He put his left foot forward and raised his sword, pointing it straight at the woman''s chest, and he thrust his weapon forward.


    The woman could barely parry the attack, then she bent her knees and pirouetted, going around the young witcher. She was now behind the witcher, and Carl, in a panic, tried to turn around.


    But before he could, the woman held her scimitar level against herself and sliced the air open. The back of her de hit Carl''s lower de.


    The young witcher grunted and fell forward, his head buried in the ground. Before he could get up, the scimitar was already touching his nape.


    "That''s far enough!" Lambert crossed his arms and looked around. Raring for a little mischief, he announced, "Kanti wins. That brings the total score to nine wins and one loss for Carl!"


    Kanti swung her scimitar around and sheathed it. A smile cracked her lips. After nine defeats at the hands of this young witcher, the Zerrikanian deswoman finally snagged a win.


    Everyone erupted into discussion.


    "Yay, Kanti!" The young apprentices huddled around Kanti, cheering for her. They were more than happy to see someone breaking Carl''s victory streak. They had enough of him lording them around just because he was the first one to be a witcher among them.


    Carl stood up in defeated silence. He held his de tightly, his face ashen.


    Acamuthorm grinned. "I''m no match for you, Carl, but I''d never lose to a regr human. I wouldn''t even give her a chance to spar with me."


    "Yeah, right." Monti shook his head and held Carl''s shoulder consolingly. "Of course he wouldn''t. He''d be suffering all the losses if he did."


    Felix took his sunsses off, his eyes twinkling. He finally had the chance to impart more wisdom to his prot¨¦g¨¦. "That''s the price you pay for your arrogance."


    "I''m sorry, Felix. That was embarrassing." Carl couldn''t bring himself to turn around. He could imagine his friends'' mockery and Vicki''s disappointment. Carl couldn''t believe he lost to a regr human.


    "Apologies are useless. Just because you gained more strength and speed from the Trial doesn''t mean skills aren''t important. You need more experience in battle. It''s better to lose a sparring session than to die in a real battle from ack of experience."


    "Yes, Felix." Carl turned to Kanti and clenched his fists. "I won''t let my guard down next time."


    "You better not."


    Vesemir stroked his beard and announced, "Resume your training. Monti, Charname, you two show these boys what a real battle looks like. Everyone else, leave the clearing and begin your second drill."


    The blond girl in the ssroom tensed up and ordered loudly, "Everyone, gather round!"


    The children in the ssroom, alchemyb, and smithy quickly gathered in the courtyard and went into formation.


    The beautifully dressed Dandelion rolled his eyes and stood beside the children, forming the ninth row. Prisci stood behind him, holding her lute. Moore, Susie, Igsena, and the Tordarroch cksmiths followed suit.


    "We''re not running away!" The apprentices looked at the witchers pleadingly.


    "You can stay if you can beat Acamuthorm." Serrit looked at them tersely. "If you can''t, you''re going to escape as you''re told."


    Aside from the witchers, only the apprentices who''d passed their Trial could stay and fight. That was the n.


    ***


    A snotty boy in the escaping team looked at the alder woods, and he shouted, "Roy''s back!"


    "Hey, everyone. Been a while. Miss me?" Roy walked into the courtyard with his arms open like a leader walking into his own wee party.


    Monti let out a howl. In the split second he was distracted, Charname smacked his face with his wooden sword, leaving a mark. Monti, however, ignored the pain and muscled through the throng, holding his cheek as he rushed toward the witcher who came back.


    The children had broken their formation and came to the witcher, surrounding him like adoring fans.


    "Roy!"


    "It''s the kid!"


    "He''se home?"


    The witchers stood in a line like a wall, and they were smirking.


    "Where''d you go, Roy? It''s been months! We''ve missed you!" Vicki held Roy''s hand and grinned, then she swung his hand quickly.


    Two of the boys hugged Roy''s legs, their snot and drool sticking to the witcher''s new pants. A few of the kids held his arm and squeezed their heads under his armpits, and they grinned.


    Acamuthorm, the bravest of them all, held down Roy''s shoulder and leapt onto his neck.


    "Get off me, you brat!"


    "I will not!"


    Acamuthorm cheekily ruffled Roy''s hair until it was unkempt.


    Ebony ran up to its master and licked his boots.


    Roy was like a tree, and the children were leaves hanging off his branches. <em>Fine, they can have this.</em>


    He looked around and saw his parents approaching him, their eyes tearful.


    "Hey, who''s biting my hand? Let go! I''m trying to hold Mino here!" Roy managed to fling off one of the kids hanging from his arm and took Mino from Susie''s arms. He pinched the infant''s cheek and stuck his thumb into little Mino''s mouth.


    And Mino cried.


    Roy scratched his nose awkwardly.


    "You''ve been away for too long. Mino can''t recognize you anymore." Moore smacked Roy''s arm. "You''re more muscly than ever. That''s my boy."


    "You have to stay for more than a few days this time." Susie held Roy''s hand and looked at him lovingly.


    Roy felt a little bad about leaving them alone for so long.


    "Hey, Roy." Kanti squeezed through the children and came up to the witcher, her eyes shining. "You owe me a hunt. So when are we leaving?"


    "Once we get through this crisis."


    "I can''t believe you lied to us, Roy." f and Yoanained to the witcher. "Why''d you say you were Auckes?"


    Auckes mmed his fists together and red at Roy. "You''re abusing my name again?"


    "I''m making you famous!"


    Reminded of something else, Roy whipped out the ne he got from Einar and handed it to the yawning Kalkstein. The alchemist got red with excitement, and his eyes started to shine.


    "A reunion is a beautiful asion. It deserves a poem." Dandelion took Prisci''s lute and yed away, then a soothing tune fluttered across the courtyard''s cacophony. "Roy, my bosom friend. I shine for you to see me better. I sing for you to hear me better."


    He had a smile on his face. "And my hands are big so I can hold you better. And my hands aren''t the only big thing I have. It''s true, and soon you''ll see."


    Everyone shot Dandelion weird looks. Prisci looked at the stupid bard and sighed. She then nced at Roy, her eyes flickering.


    "Why are you looking at me like that, Roy? Say something."


    Dandelion stopped ying.


    Roy sneered at the bard. "I''d rather stitch your big mouth up."


    Geralt covered Dandelion''s mouth. "Let''s talk business. The fact you''re here means you''ve settled matters on your end. As for the orphanage¡­"


    "Yennefer told me everything." Roy looked around. His friends and family are all around, and he smiled. "If Rience tries anything funny, he''ll be paying with his head. Now, get back to your drills, everyone."


    "Everyone, gather round!" Vicki raised her hand as she shouted at everyone. The children quickly went back to her as if they were put under a spell, and they stood in a formation once more.


    The bards and Roy''s parents joined in as well. The apprentices stood around the formation to keep things in order, then the children walked into the conference room. An archway drawn with purple paint stood in the corner, and a diamond-shaped teleportation crystal hung on the leaf beside the archway.


    Carl took a deep breath and fired a st of Aard at the crystal. A surge of mana swam into the dim crystal, and a sh of light burst from within.


    The archway shone with magic, turning into a portal with a ck whirlpool in the center. Little Koritz tensed up and mustered up all the courage he could muster, then he stepped into the portal.


    The kids were queued in the order of age from youngest to oldest. Once all of them had gone to safety, it was the adults'' turn, and Dandelion was up first.


    ***


    The portal led to a spacious hall underneath the Temple Ind, and braziers stood in all corners, illuminating the space with a warm ambience. This space could house a hundred people.


    Bedrolls lined the nks of the hall, and the kids went to their own spots without any hassle. This was not their first drill, after all.


    Vicki then told the adults where they would be sleeping.


    A big store room stood beside the hall. Fifteen shelves stood within, and they were filled with food that could be kept for a long time. Turnips, smoked meat, salted fish, pickled greens, ck bread, water, and more. It was enough tost everyone a month.


    "So, Roy¡­" Serrit said, "Why don''t you use your third eye and see if we''ve prepared enough for the crisis?"


    Roy knew better than everyone that Rience was working with Vilgefortz. The simplest way to deal with this would be storming Vilgefortz''s stronghold and taking him out, but it wasn''t as easy as that.


    Vilgefortz was the most powerful sorcerer in the world, but more than that, he was smart, cunning, and cautious as a fox. Roy tried to have Yennefer and Coral request a meeting with him, but Vilgefortz would never ept anymunication requests from anyone other than his trusted lieutenants.


    His stronghold, Stygga Castle, was located in the empire of Nilfgaard, a ce as vast as the North. It was nigh impossible to find the castle while keeping the orphanage safe at the same time. Roy would deal with Vilgefortz after they got through this crisis.


    "Now that our friends and family are safe, we have nothing to worry about." Roy turned around and faced hisrades. He gave them a nod and smiled. "Let''s give them all we have. And Coral''sing back soon. Take me to theb and show me the modified potions. And I suggest everyone take a few dimeritium bombs with them.

 Chapter 547: Gathered

    We turn our gaze to a resplendently decorated and warmly lit lounge. An enigmatic man in a knightly shirt was standing within the living quarters, and beside him was a woman as gorgeous as a field of flowers. She was draped in a cdon green dress that clung loosely to her perfect curves. Her hair was long and a lustrous gold, and a ruby ne hung before her chest. Her eyes were innocently blue, and alluring elven makeup covered her face.


    The woman was, at the same time, the image of innocence and seduction.


    "Thank you for inducting us into the grace of Emhyr var Emreis, Vilgefortz. Now we stand a chance to revive our kingdom. We are in your debt. Of course, we shall lend you our assistance. I shall send in a vanguard team of ten elves to Novigrad. Should you require more, I shall also dispatch five of our sorcerers to serve you."


    Vilgefortz stared at the flickering sparks in the firece, his face glistening red. This deal he struck was a win-win-win situation. Now that Nilfgaard had signed a peace treaty with the North, none could go back on their word easily, giving the Southern troops a chance to establish themselves in the North.


    Following that stunt, Vilgefortz inducted Francesca, who wished to revive her elven kingdom, to Emhyr var Emreis, installing members of Scoia''tael into Nilfgaard''s army. They would be the empire''s secret vanguard, harassing and taking down the northern kingdoms'' defenses, nting the seeds for future warfare.


    In this case, Nilfgaard would be able to tear down the North''s defenses while keeping their word. The treaty would not be binding to them. Once they took over the North, Nilfgaard would grant the elves thend of Dol thanna, where Francesca could revive her kingdom.


    Francesca''s army of Scoia''tael members detested humans, including the witchers. And in their years of battling humanity, Scoia''tael''s members had grown into formidable fighters, and given their spy identity, they wouldn''t tell anyone about Ciri''s news.


    Vilgefortz smiled at the elven sorceress. With the Scoia''tael vanguard working with Rience and Schirru, he knew he could take down the witchers easily.


    ***


    An unnamed inn stood in the southeast of Novigrad, neighboring Tretogor. White sunlight shone upon Schirru''s dried, shriveled ponytail that extended down to his waist. He tapped his finger on the rickety table, asking, "Why do you detest witchers, Tarika?"


    "I used to live in a vige in the west of Novigrad. It was in the outskirts of Tretogor." A gaunt middle-aged woman in a crude dress spoke, but she had a craven look in her eyes. "Five years ago, the local graveyard was ravaged by a monster. ''Twas like a human but with its skin peeled. It had ws like scythes and teeth as sharp as iron. Messed up our graveyard. Defiled the dead and munched on them. Attacked my neighbors too. Vulcan and Oliver died."


    "That sounds like a ghoul."


    "Aye, maybe that''s its name. Chief pped a request on the bulletin board. Two weekster, a ck-haired, green-eyed mutant came to us because of that request." The woman sped her rough hands together, and she was tremulous. "Called himself Brun. Had two strange swords strapped to his back. Some silver medallion hung around his neck. Shape of a cat''s head. Said he''d help us with our monster problem, but he wanted 200 crowns in return."


    The woman sighed. "That''s two years worth of coins for our vige, but safety''s important, so we agreed to his term. That guy went to the graveyard alone and came back with the monster''s head not even hourster. Chief gave him the payment."


    "All two hundred crowns of it?" Schirru stared at the woman, crossing his arms, a powerful air surrounding him.


    The woman froze up and licked her lips. "No. Twenty crowns short, but that was all the coins we had. That guy tucked everything away in his pockets without even counting. Didn''t leave right away, though. Came to my inn and drank away the night. Wiped us outta our reserves. And his eyes were red as blood. Everyone held their kids close that night in case the mutant stole them. Then the mutant flipped his table over and cursed. Left the ce looking like he wanted someone dead. Didn''t pay me either."


    "And¡­ and¡­" The woman hung her head low, her voice cracking. "Blood. That''s all I remember. He barged into one of the houses and killed everyone inside. Quick as a phantom wolf and deadly as a monster. The men tried to fight him, but they just died."


    The woman screamed, shivering in fear. "No one escaped. Not when his shot was perfect as a deadeye. I only got away because I yed dead. ''Twas terrifying. Mind was in chaos. Only got back up when the sun rose the next day."


    She wept into her hands. "But everyone''s dead. Even the kids. They were ughtered. That monster turned my home into a ughterhouse! And he went missing!" She sobbed. "He ain''t human! Mutants ain''t human. Nothing but devils! They should all burn in hell!" the woman hissed, poking the air angrily with her grubby hands.


    <em>You''re angry at him? When you broke your word first? </em>Schirru had nothing but contempt for this woman. Back in his mercenary days, he despised clients who went back on their word. He''d always wanted to kill them off like the witcher did. <em>I can see why Cats are infamous. Killed more than twenty people for twenty crowns. This is going to smear the witchers badly. Just what I need. Hope the Novigrad witchers love this.</em>


    ***


    "I am so, so sorry about this, Tarika. I too had been persecuted by those mutants before. They killed my family. We''re all victims of their brutality, and we must stand up against them." Schirru''s eyes were filled with warm concern, and he held the woman''s hands. He then stuffed a pouch of coins into her hand and gave the mercenary beside him a look. "Take these coins. You''ll need it. And we''ll give you a ce to stay. The witchers destroyed countless families, and yet they''re running a roaring business in Novigrad, lining their pockets with mountains of coins. They do not deserve this life."


    The woman gritted her teeth and nodded.


    "Then it''s settled. Once weunch our revenge against the witchers, you must stand up and expose them for their crimes. By the gods, I swear I shall keep you safe."


    "Y-Yes."


    Schirru nodded and gave the mercenary beside him a look. The mercenary took the woman away from the inn.


    ***


    It was Schirru''s lucky day. Following his gaining of a powerful witness, another surprise fell into hisp.


    A silhouette ambled through the inn''s entrance, the light behind him projecting a slender shadow upon the ground. The man was more than seven feet tall, covered in grime, sweat, and oil. His grubby leather jacket clung closely to the man''s ghoulishly gaunt figure, and a steel sword glinted by his waist.


    The man''s eyes roved around carefully, then he set his sights on the equally towering half-elf in the corner. The man sauntered up to Schirru and took his seat, the spurs on his boots nging against the ground. He took his suede gloves off and sped his hands together, holding his chin up. His beard cascaded down his chin, grey and almost catfish-like.


    The man had a skeletal face, and his eyes, much like a fish''s, were ssy and dead, yet there was unbridled arrogance within. The man had no eyshes or eyebrows. His sunken sockets had nothing but a pair of eyes within.


    Schirru tensed up quietly. Only one kind of creature had this man''s eyes. Serial killers. And those who had a grisly amount of victims as well.


    "I saw your request in Vidoff. Searching for skilled, and experienced warriors, bounty hunters, and mercenaries? Preferably those who have a grudge against witchers?"


    The man slurred as he spoke, and he had no northern ent at all. Thenguage he employed was closer to Elder Speech. Schirru realized he must be a Nilfgaardian.


    The treaty promised at least two years without war, and some citizens were already roving around the North and South for work.


    "Yes. Name''s Schirru. How may I address you? You''ve taken the request, I assume? We''rerades now. Comrades in punishing the evil witchers. You despise them too, don''t you?" Schirru extended his hand.


    A sneer curled the man''s lips, but he didn''t shake Schirru''s hand. "Leo Bonhart. That''s the name," said Leo slowly, his eyes flickering with excitement. "To answer yourst question, no, I do not despise witchers, though I do enjoy snuffing the life out of powerful enemies, especially in duels. Witchers make for the perfect duel partners. They''re stronger, faster, and deadlier than any warrior. Great dancers and wielders of the de as well. I always have more fun with them, given that they do not die as easily as anyone else."


    Schirru''s heart sank, and he looked at the man, doubt flitting through his eyes. <em>He thinks witcher hunting is a sport? Sounds like a big im to me. Must''ve never fought the mutants before.</em>


    The scorn did not escape Leo. He chortled, his grin as wide as his beard. He then rummaged through his chest pocket and took out three silver nes. The bounty hunter ced them on the table, revealing three different pendants. Three gleaming animal heads.


    One was a wolf, its eyes glinting like phantom mes. One was a cat, its fangs bared. One was a bear, its maw wide open.


    "But these are witcher medallions!" A long rush of air escaped Schirru''s lips, and he froze for a moment. "Where did you get these?"


    Leo snatched the liquor from Schirru and took a swig, and he stared into the half-elf''s eyes. "Found them lying on the ground. Somehow the witchers, who value their medallions as much as their lives, left them behind for me to find."


    "The sarcasm didn''t go over my head. So you mean to say you killed them in a duel?" Schirru''s face was painted with disbelief. <em>This criminally gaunt man killed witchers? But he''s just a regr man!</em>


    "Oh yes, witchers are inhumanly powerful, I admit, but that does not mean they are undefeatable. It doesn''t mean humans stand no chance against them. I was born to be their curse. Their killer. Their executioner."


    Leo spread his hands and took a deep breath, reminiscence glimmering in his eyes. It was as though he was reliving a great feast. A perfect orchestra. A wonderful performance. "The screams they produce before their deaths are riveting. These mutants have more piercing screams, and their eyes and tongues are more durable than any human''s. Even when they''re an inch away from death, they can still fight on for a long time. That''s what makes them fun."


    The bounty hunter slowly unsheathed his de and spat on the edge. He spun it around. "But seeing is believing. Care to put me to the test?"


    A breeze danced across the inn. Schirru knew something was off, and he touched his chest. His leather armor cracked, revealing the blue shirt within, but the shirt was not cut at all.


    "We can skip that." Schirru gulped. This man was right in front of him, and yet he couldn''t see how Leo moved at all. <em>That speed and strength control is inhuman. This is no ordinary swordsman.</em>


    "Good. So how much are you offering? Which school is the witcher from? What''s his name? You want him dead or alive? If you want him alive, you''ll have to pay me a lot more."


    "Ah, I apologize for not telling you this earlier, but we''re not just dealing with one witcher." Schirru''s eyes roved across Leo''s face. "We''re dealing with a group."


    "What?"


    "We''re dealing with a group of witchers. More than a dozen of them. Do you still dare to face them? We''ll be working as a team, of course. You are not alone, but you have to listen to our orders."


    Leo grinned toothily. For a moment, he almost looked like a ghoul. "This is interesting." He stood up and spun around with his de held to his chest. The bounty hunter danced a little, but he was moving like an infected tree that was about to die at any moment.


    And he was frothing at his mouth. "Give me enough coins, and I''ll join you. Oh, I can''t wait. I get to fight a bunch of witchers? This is magnificent. I can hear the music!"


    ***


    Schirru wiped his sweat away and sent Leo off himself. The bounty hunter''s dead eyes unnerved him. <em>This man is a wild card. An unpredictable hassle. To the witchers, of course. He''d better be their executioner as he ims.</em>


    ***


    Not long after Schirru left, a pair of bizarre men came into the empty inn. The one in the lead had golden hair and brown eyes. His looks were dashing, and his air had a grizzled feel to it. He was donned in dark gold knight armor, and in his hands was a greatsword.


    The man behind him had ck hair that billowed in the air. His eyes were blue and lively, his features were beautiful, and a short beard grew around his chin. Determination was stered all over his face, and an olive green cloak cascaded down his back. His cloak was paired with a tight-fitting jacket and a pair of breeches.


    The men were intimidating and powerfully-built.


    "Are you sure we can find her in Novigrad, Grimm?" The man with ck hair pulled a chair out and took his seat. He stared at the golden knight before him, a conflicting look ring in his eyes. There was a hint of fear within his gaze, and it was mixed with a hint of respect.


    Grimm ced his greatsword at the edge of the table, and a cloud of dust leapt into the air. The ground rumbled, and the wooden table creaked under the weight of the weapon. Grimm sat on the longbench and summoned the innkeeper. He asked for a mug of beer, and the knight took a swig.


    "By my honor as a knight, Novigrad is the likeliest ce she''ll be in. Cnthe and Eist are no more, and Skellige is more than a few nautical miles away from the Continent. The only person she cantch onto is Geralt, the witcher bound to her by the Law of Surprise. Didn''t you hear the stories on the way? There''s a ballroom in Novigrad that ys shows about witchers. You don''t see that anywhere else. If you want news about Geralt, that''s the ce to be."


    Grimm took another swig of his beer, and he looked at the ck-haired knight, his eyes glimmering with earnestness. "Remember what you promised. An apology from your heart and your greatest effort at patching up the damage you made. Return a regr life to her."


    "Of course. On the name of my family, I, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceach, son of Ceach, swear I will do anything to find Ciri." Cahir ced his right hand before his chest. "And I shall protect and save her as atonement for my sins. Should I renege on my promise, then I shall be plunged into darkness forevermore, where the light of the sun forsakes."


    Cahir looked at the golden knight. Gratitude flickered in his eyes, and a sliver ofmentation swam in his gaze.


    After Ciri stole his steed and ran away the second time that night, Cahir went after her, but Grimm emerged from the bushes and knocked him out easily. Cahir thought Grimm would take his life, but the knight showed mercy and took him along on his journey, teaching him as though he were training a fledgling knight.


    It was an arduous and bizarre period for Cahir. Many times Cahir tried to escape the humiliation, but Grimm managed to take him back every single time. It was then he realized how Ciri must''ve felt about her kidnappings, and Cahir realized that he felt something special for the princess.


    Over thest few months, Cahir followed Grimm and crossed Riverdell, passed Yaruga, and trekked north to Tretogor. Cahir epted his fate as a prisoner of war, and he started thinking that Grimm''s knightly lectures had a lot of merit to them. The lectures were changing his mind, and Cahir was slowly bing something like a friend to Grimm.


    He should''ve gone back to the South and faced Emhyr, repenting for him being unable to bring back Ciri, but he did not. He chose to desert his duties and travel to Novigrad. His father, the royal steward, Ceach Dyffryn aep Gruffyd, would be immensely disappointed in him, but all Cahir wanted was to see that grey-haired girl again. Once would be enough.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 548: Chappelle’s Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 548: Chappelle¡¯s Crisis</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 548: Chappelle¡¯s Crisis</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The church of the Eternal Fire stood tall atop Novigrad''s Temple Ind, its halls perpetually bathed in warm, weing light.


    Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart was seated atop a throne engraved with the emblem of fire. The Hierarch looked at the group of people gathered under the staircase before him. One was a man in a ck shirt and a leather cap. Chappelle. Standing around him were guards of the church.


    The Hierarch spoke, his voice old.


    "Under your management, Novigrad has changed into a safer city. The number of minor infractions have gone down by half, and the once notorious human trafficking ring is no more. The city is now more prosperous, and the people are taking to the church more. Thanks to you, we have twenty percent more believerspared to two years ago. This is a boon to the propagation of our religion."


    He looked at Chappelle, praise flickering in his eyes. "Your contributions to the church are undeniable."


    "You tter me, Hierarch. This is all thanks to you. With your blessed leadership, I am granted the strength to rid this world of evil and let it bask in the light of Eternal Fire." Chappelle bowed humbly. His metallic eyes were no longer cold and icy. Instead, he had nothing but respect for the Hierarch, as if he were a boy looking up to his brother.


    The Hierarch nodded. "You have been in our service for ten years. All my pastmissioners have turned to the path of corruption in mere years and abandoned the fire. You are different from them."


    Cyrus had a conflicted look in his eyes. He was reluctant to punish Chappelle, and he paused for a moment.


    "Do your prayers one more time, Chappelle."


    "Yes, Hierarch." The doppler raised his head, his face basked in holy light. He turned his sights to the tapestry of the Eternal Fire hanging on the golden walls further in the hall, and he, with passion, chanted his prayers.


    For a moment, Chappelle was harkened back to the night he was saved by the Eternal Fire. The night he was tormented by his raging mind.


    "Under the mes, we are protected. Under the light, we are delivered from evil. The fire cleanses the souls of those bathed in sin. The fire is sovereign. Those who stand in the fire''s way shall face reckoning. From ashes theye, to ashes they go."


    "The fire illuminates. Under its light, no darkness can hide. No evil can scheme. Those who conspire with the dark shall be burned to cinders. And so we pray. May the fire envelop us in its protection forevermore and deliver us from filth. May the fire warm the path of its believers. May the fire punish evil and burn it into nothingness."


    The guards loudly chanted with Chappelle, their voices echoing across the halls, bolstering the spirits of those who could hear it.


    The braziers sitting upon the stage leapt and crackled, as if they were inspired by something unseen by the eye.


    "You''re a goodmissioner, Chappelle, but you have one disappointing trait." Cyrus nodded, and then his face took on a stern expression. He crossed his hands before his chest, resting his chin upon them. The Hierarch stared at themissioner, his eyes twinkling with severity.


    "Under your management, Novigrad is seeing an increase in the number of non-human creatures. Dwarves, elves, half-elves, mutants, and even practitioners of magic have taken over southeast Novigrad. I see them everywhere. Their existence has broken this city''s bnce. How did this happen?"


    A pregnant pause descended upon the hall.


    Chappelle, without missing a beat, answered, "The non-humans have lived their lives abiding by the rules the church has established. They have never harmed anyone. They''re better beings than the gang members of this city. I see no need to oppress them. That would only push them into a rebellion. And the fire is supposed to be fair to everyone, no matter who or what they are."


    "Heresy, Chappelle!" Cyrus mmed his throne''s armrest, veins throbbing on the back of his hand. Heunched into a tirade, his voice scraping. "Non-humans will never be on our side. The dwarves owe their allegiance to Mahakam, and the elves are conspiring to revive their fallen kingdom. The followers of magic delight in ying with the human heart, and the mutants are the worst of the lot. Butchers who care for nothing but coin. They are the great connectors of every evil in thisnd. The witchers are the most egregious of them."


    Cyrus was agitated. "Their sin is written in their blood. They will never put their faith in the fire. All their allegiance is nothing but a facade. Once they gather enough of their kind, they will show their true colors and push for their heretical beliefs to be respected. They want nothing more than to put out the fire and turn the city into their stronghold, where their rules reign supreme."


    Cyrus clenched his fists, and he took a deep breath, his cheeks turning sickly red. "Chappelle, the fire has given me guidance. You have made a pact with the witchers and befriended the Collector, a follower of magic. You have abandoned the path of the fire. Your actions have infected this city with deep evil, but fortunately, it has not done enough damage just yet. It is not toote to repent. Given your contributions to the church, you are to retain your position and power asmissioner, but you must atone for your sins."


    Cyrus pushed himself up and gave Chappelle his orders.


    "Crack down on the Collector and Cleaver. Impose heavy taxes on herbalists, oneiromancers, and non-humans. Call it a non-human tax or magical tax or what have you. Bring down the number of non-humans in this city and reinstate bnce. Take it slow, of course. You have six months."


    .


    Cyrus took a deep breath, his age spots red from fury. The Hierarch thumped his chest and ordered, "But this next order must be carried out immediately. You must rain down punishment upon the mutants. Lead the guards on a crusade and take down their sacrilegious base. You must stop their evil deeds. I will not allow Novigrad to be a stain on the honor of mankind. And tell the bards to put a stop to their nefarious odes to the witchers."


    Cyrus turned to Chappelle, his eyes filled with anticipation and expectation. "Should you execute your duties perfectly, then you will be allowed to remain as mymissioner."


    ***


    "Hierarch, you have never been so extreme in your measures. You have always encouraged a peaceful coexistence between humans and non-humans. That''s the primary reason Novigrad became home to so many people. That''s why this city is as prosperous as it is." A confused smile curled Chappelle''s lips, and he had a conflicted look in his eyes.


    "That was a different time. That was then the number of non-humans was under control. They were no threat then, but things have changed. I do not expect you to kick them out immediately, so let us talk about the witchers first."


    Cyrus raised his head, his eyes glinting. He was reminded of that talk he had with Vilgefortz. They struck a deal. If he could get rid of the witchers and make sure Novigrad rejects them, Vilgefortz would assist him in spreading the influence of the fire, and not just in the North either.


    Vilgefortz had connections with the South. He promised to put in a good word and spread the word of Eternal Fire to the South, where the Great Sun reigned supreme. Nothing was more important than the spread of the gospel. Cyrus was of an advanced age, and his only wish before his death was to see the word of the Eternal Fire spread across the world.


    Chappelle tried to say something, but he shook his head and sighed, his face ashen. "Sorry, Hierarch, but I cannot do that."


    "What did you say?" The Hierarch''s eyes went wide, a look of disbelief hanging on his face. He could not fathom why his most loyal subordinate would go against his orders.


    "Hierarch." Chappelle looked at the old man he once respected. "What you want me to do will inevitably take the church into decline. You will be ruining the work we''ve been doing for thest two years. The non-humans and monster hunters have never broken anyws, and they have lent their assistance in the quelling of the ills that have been troubling this city. They have done nothing but help us. They should not be punished for their actions. Perhaps you have been tricked by someone who wishes to take out the witchers, but I am happy to take you to them should you need me to prove my word."


    He looked at the Hierarch with a plea in his eyes.


    Chappelle knew he could feign obedience and carry out his orders, then he could tell the witchers about Cyrus'' n and escape, but it would be useless. The witchers would not leave. And from the moment he assumed the identity of Chappelle, the doppler had sworn to never escape like a dog with its tail between its legs anymore. The church would be his final home.


    "You''re paying them respect? Have they gotten to you, Chappelle?"


    "No, Hierarch. I am merely telling the truth."


    "You are beyond salvation." Cyrus closed his eyes, his face contorted in pain, then he turned to the guard. "Shed his robe and relieve him of hismia. Take away his holy item. Chappelle, from now on and forevermore, you are no longer themissioner of security. You have no right to be the fire''s believer."


    Cyrus held his chest, his breathing ragged. He was severely disappointed in Chappelle. "Novigrad no longer wees you. You are to leave this city within the day and never return."


    Chappelle looked at the fire and spread his arms, letting his erstwhile underlings take his equipment away. A senile and addled Hierarch did not deserve his loyalty and trust. He started doubting if the Eternal Fire was actually a light in the darkness that saved him once.


    "Hierarch." One of the guards looked surprised. "Themissioner doesn''t¡­"


    "He is no longer themissioner. What''s wrong?"


    "He doesn''t have the holy item with him."


    "You flout the church''s rule this brazenly, Chappelle? You must have your holy item with you at all times. That has been mandatory for more than three centuries." The Hierarch walked down the stairs and approached Chappelle. He grabbed the doppler by the cor, his eyes ring with fury.


    Cyrus'' hands were callused down to the fingers. They almost looked like little hoes made of branches, and he held Chappelle down. "Where is your holy item?"


    Chappelle stood up straight and feigned calmness. "In my room."


    "You, retrieve the item," ordered Cyrus. He then turned his cataract-filled eyes to Chappelle sharply. Chappelle looked at him, seemingly unfazed, but the hand behind his back was sweating.


    "Hold on. Have you ever seen him with his holy item before?"


    The guards exchanged a look, then they shook their heads. "Now that you mentioned it, we haven''t seen his holy item for a year or two."


    "And that was when he started befriending the non-humans?"


    "Yes." The young guard beside Chappelle had a conflicted look on his face.


    A horrifying thought struck the Hierarch. His pupils contracted, his breathing got heavier, and he stuck his hand into his robe and whipped out a silver ne with a torch pendant hanging on the edge.


    "Capture him!"


    Chappelle''s face turned a shade of sickly red. He froze up for a moment and took a step back, fear flickering in his eyes for a moment.


    The guards, however, realized something was off, and they mped down on Chappelle''s arms and legs, restricting his movement.


    Cyrus held his pendant and squeezed it onto Chappelle''s head.


    Wisps of smoke billowed off Chappelle, and colorful lights strobed as his skin and bones bubbled like boiling water, then they shrunk. Chappelle''s human face melted away, bubbling and wriggling like a ball of dough going through a long kneading process.


    Not a momentter, Chappelle was gone, reced by a bizarre humanoid creature. He was wearing a pair of suspenders. The creature was the height of a dwarf, but he had a disproportionatelyrge head. His features were mmed together. His eyes were yellow and beady, his nose was round, his lips were thick, and his ears were pointy, though a bit shorter than an elf''s. And his face was covered with wrinkles.


    The creature had no neck, his head joined to its torso. His limbs were slender as a spider''s. His arms extended down to his knees. The creature''s hands were bigger than any human''s, and they were covered in ck fur. His equally gigantic legs had ck fur covering their backs as well.


    "You''re a doppler. A heretic! A sphemous creation! How dare you!" Disgust and contempt red within the Hierarch''s cataract-filled eyes. He mmed his foot into the doppler''s belly, and the creature fell to the ground, a howl of pain escaping his lips.


    The guards, though shocked, quickly propped the creature up, then they whipped out their holy items and held them against the creature.


    "Take him to the za." Cyrus sat atop the staircase, wheezing. He could barely hold himself up, and he was leaning against the stairs as he issued orders to his underlings. There was nothing but contempt in his eyes. He would love nothing more than to destroy this heretical creation. Fury had burned away his mind, and his soul was driven by contempt.


    "Gather our believers and the citizens. Pile up the firewoods and set up the stakes. I shall burn this despicable maggot before the eyes of the citizen and avenge my truemissioner."


    "Yes, Hierarch."


    ***


    Two handsome, shining knights left the ballroom, disappointed. They stared at the bustling streets and the blossoming flowers standing around, spacing out.


    "What rotten luck. Dandelion''s out when we need him. What now? Our lead''s gone cold," the ck-haired knight told Grimm.


    "Well, at least we''re in Novigrad. No harm waiting for a little longer." Grimm smiled. "We should go for some sightseeing while we''re at it. Oh, and one more thing. The more glorious a city is on the outside, the filthier the darkness it has on the inside. Toussaint might look peaceful, but even its people are conspiring with subi." Grimm caressed his greatsword, his eyes flickering with excitement. "Novigrad''s darkness will only run deeper. And that''s where wee in."


    He smacked Cahir''s shoulder. "We shall cleanse this city''s darkness as per a knight''s virtue."


    "You''ve been talking about virtues all the way, Grimm, and I''ve lost count of all the good deeds you''ve done." Cahir followed him to the street. "When is thising to a head?"


    "Have you heard of the legend of the Lady of the Lake? Once she appears before us and grants us the title of virtuous knights, our quest will beplete."


    "Which means we''ll have to travel to ake. But Novigrad only has ports."


    "Worry not. When the timees, it doesn''t matter if we''re at ake or the sea."


    The knights chatted along the way, then they stopped in their tracks. They saw a group of citizens moving toward the northern part of the city, where the bridge leading to the Temple Ind was. A group of men in ck jackets and shirts with the emblem of fire on them were traveling down the streets, hollering at those who would listen.


    "Citizens of Novigrad,e to the Temple Ind at once. The guards have captured a doppler that has been hiding in their midst, disguising himself as Chappelle, themissioner of security. The Hierarch himself will be setting the creature aze. You are all invited to witness this ceremony."


    The knights exchanged a look and strode toward the bridge.


    ***


    At the same time, Rience and a masked sorceress were waiting in a dark alleyway in Gildorf. Once they heard the shouting, they made their way toward Gawain''s house, and they disappeared into thin air.


    ***


    The gathering crow didn''t escape the young witcher''s attention. When he heard the guards'' hollering, concern red in his eyes. He quickly darted into a quiet alleyway and contacted hisrades.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 549: So It Begins

    <h4>Chapter 549: So It Begins</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 549: So It Begins</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The za of Temple Ind was a sacred ce where believers and pilgrims exchanged their experience with the religion, but now the za was filled with roars and shouts of the citizens filling it.


    The people''s eyes were set to the wooden stake in the center of the za. More precisely, they were staring at the bizarre, dwarfish creature tied to the stake. Its hands and feet were cuffed in silver fetters, its wrinkly face pale as a cloud, and its head hung low, its face out of the public eye.


    Firewood piled underneath it like a small hill. Men in ck shirts and ck hats and equipped withmia whips were sshing oil onto the firewood.


    A wizened man with white hair scanned the great crowd standing beyond the guards. He was in a white shirt with red sleeves, and crimson stripes adorned his cor. A robe that zed like the sun was draped over his clothes.


    There were more than two thousand people in the za, and everyone from peasants, to merchants, to nobles, and even to senators, were there. Non-humans like elves, dwarves, and half-elves were around too, and they were segregated. The elves stood with their kind, including the impure ones. Many of them were people who''d never appeared in the city before.


    Cleaver''s men, muscr dwarves who were armed to the teeth, huddled close around their brethren, and a few halflings stood with them. They were creatures built like dwarves but had a young-looking face instead.


    The non-humans stayed away from the humans, and the opposite was true as well. The humans were split into little cliques as well, with the nobles looking at the merchants with disdain. Armed mercenaries and soldiers stood in their own group, and peasants were gathered in the outer ring of the za despite them being the biggest group.


    "There is one thing I''d like to announce, citizens." The hierarch spoke, his voice wizened, but it prated the crowd easily. The cacophony stopped. "The real Chappelle, our respectedmissioner of security, was brutally murdered by this evil doppler two years ago. This creature has been assuming his position, usurping the power of themissioner for itself,mitting countless sins in our city.


    The crowd was in an uproar. The merchants were engaged in hushed discussions, while peasants had anger ring in their eyes. They¡¯d heard news of dopplers. Unsavory ones, and they despised dopplers for their stealing of someone''s identity. They looked around for something to throw at the doppler.


    Some of the smarter ones looked at the creature calmly as they came up with their own conclusions. They could see that Novigrad was bing better over thest two years. That was not something an evil creature would do.


    Schirru was hidden amongst the crowd. He patted the woman''s shivering shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.


    Grimm and Cahir looked shocked. This was their first time seeing a doppler, and this one took on the position ofmissioner for two years before it was discovered. It was a great oversight by the church. The knight tried to converse with a noble. He looked like a reasonable man.


    "What''d that doppler do to deserve this?"


    "Ah, hello, sir." The nobleman stroked his beard and shook his head. "It hasn''tmitted any crimes. Or nothing I''ve heard of, that is. Unless you count striking down human traffickers and criminals as a crime, of course. Perhaps its only sin is that it''s a doppler, and the church has always been on the hunt for creatures like it."


    Grimm frowned.


    "But by the grace of the Eternal Fire, we have finally torn its mask away before it could do any more harm!" Cyrus continued.


    Jiji looked at the Hierarch numbly.


    "Bear witness, citizens. It is due to my oversight and mistake that this animal has lived on for two years longer than it should¡¯ve." Cyrus had a look of regret on his face. "But praise the Eternal Fire, it hasn''t done any harm big enough to ruin the city, and now the undying mes shall purge this evil that has obscured the path of its believers."


    The believers put their hands in prayers and hung their heads low.


    Cyrus held up the gleaming silver torch hanging before his chest and began his judgment.


    "Bear witness. Every wrinkle on the face of this grotesque, sphemous creature is a symbol. A symbol of all the lives it has stolen."


    "Burn it!" the crowd roared.


    Jiji''s eyes roved through the crowd. He heaved a sigh, the light in its eyes dimming. He spent two years doing everything he could for the people, and they wanted him dead in exchange.


    "Hierarch!" A burly, red-faced cksmith with an apron around him spoke from the crowd. He''d been observing the creature, but unlike the agitated peasants, there was pity in his eyes. "You have been pinning generalized sins on the creature, but do you have any details? What crimes has itmitted besides taking Chappelle''s ce? And do you have any witnesses who saw it kill Chappelle?"


    "Darve, the Hierarch himself baptized you on the day you were born, and now you''re doubting him?" A towering guard grabbed his de and approached the cksmith.


    "I am not doubting him. I just want the truth." The cksmith spat on the ground and wiped his sweaty hands on his apron. He raised his voice. "As a Novigradian, I believe I should voice my concern. Our city has been doing better over thest two years. Take my shop for example. If I left a bucket out at night, it would''ve been stolen before the next day even came, but nobody''s stealing my stuff now. And business has been well. I had to hire a couple of apprentices, and even then, we''re still busy. It''s proof that we''re seeing more tourists now. Think about it. Would people really flock to a city with a bad reputation?"


    Everyone stared down and started musing over Darve''s words.


    "Darve''s right." A skeletal peasant spoke. "All my poor Tina wanted was to y in the fields, and she was almost trafficked off to Skellige so those pirates could marry her. But Chappelle never gave up on the search, and he saved my Tina. She''s at home feeding the chickens now. If the doppler <i>is </i>evil, why''d he help me then?"


    Jiji heaved a sigh of relief. He was d that at least some of these people had a mind of their own.


    "Because the creature is a cunning one." Cyrus spoke, his voice convincing. "If it''d done nothing but evil, I would''ve seen through its ruse and taken it down, but it''s a clever saboteur. A wily shapeshifting creature. It pretends to be an ally of justice and blind you to its real goal. Compared to the evil it did, its acts of justice are nothing."


    Cyrus paused for a moment and looked at the crowd. One-third of them were non-humans. If he were to rile up tension between humans and non-humans right now, it would end in a disaster. He''d have to take it slow with the purge of these non-humans. <i>First, the doppler must die.</i>


    "Its biggest sin is that it conspired with the mutants. They''ve built a secretboratory in the alder woods right beyond the walls of Novigrad."


    Cyrus dragged up the details of the orphanage Vilgefortz told him, and he circled the stake. "That ce ims to be an orphanage, but it is a mask. The truth is, it is aboratory where witchers conduct evil experiments in a bid to create their kind en masse. There are already children who''d fallen prey to their experiments. They have eyes like a beast''s, changed into filthy mutants. Should this doppler keep its position, its aplices would use the orphanage as a base to quickly expand their influence, turning this whole city into mutants."


    Terrified gasps came from the crowd.


    "How terrifying." Cahir shook his head. "The emperor has chased off all the witchers in the South. Are all witchers in the North as evil as he ims?"


    "No." Grim shook his head. He was reminded of the White Wolf. The one who had a fair duel with him in Cintra. "I promise the Hierarch is only lying. He''s speaking from his deep prejudice against the witchers."


    "Hierarch!" A bard spoke up, the look on his face solemn. As if he were professing the truth, he said, "Witchers are not as evil as you make them to be. They have saved countless people from the jaws of evil monsters, ridding this world of man-eating creatures."


    "But their fees are outrageous!" someone argued.


    "Your lives are worth more than the money you pay!"


    Some people were defending the witchers. Judging from their attire, those people were regrs of the ballroom.


    "They lifted the curse of Princess Adda of Vizima. They cleaned Novigrad''s sewers of its monster infestation, and they helped Princess Ciri escape the nymphs of Brokilon."


    The citizens quieted down. The bard''s work was bearing fruit. Listening to the odes to witchers nted a seed within the citizens'' minds, and they were led to think that witchers were benefactors and kind souls.


    Cyrus thumped his chest, his right hand shaking uncontrobly. "You''ve been fooled by the bards of the ballroom! They are sponsored by the witchers! They made those odes to elevate their image, and you fell for their tricks! Think, citizens! Not everything the bards say is the truth! Would you believe it if they im that the witchers are the creators of this world?"


    The people quickly shook their heads.


    "Go around and ask the people of any other city their opinion on the witchers. They''ll tell you a different story than what the bards are saying. Anyone in any hamlet can at least recount one violent act done by these mutants. They are unforgivable!"


    Cahir muttered to himself, "The Hierarch knows how to rile up the people."


    "Hierarch!" A knight spoke up. He was tall, muscr, and had a head of golden hair. His smile was as warm as the first rays of sunshine, and the people around him felt nothing but affection for him. "Then if we y by your rules and prove that witchers are no evil beings, does that mean the dopplers who lent them its assistance is a kind soul as well?"


    "They even got to you? But you''re a knight! There is no possible way that these witchers are not evil." The Hierarch turned his attention to Grimm. "Once we cleanse this creature, we shall depart for the outskirts and apprehend the ursed witchers. This doppler possesses a bizarre ability. Once we take away our silver items, it can shapeshift into any person and read their memories. All memories. And then it''ll take over your home, rape your wives, kill your husbands, and abuse your children. You''re not exempt either, knight."


    That spooked more than a few people, and someone shouted, "Burn it down!"


    Grimm looked solemn. He stared at the doppler, his eyes glinting, and he held his sword tight.


    "Dopplers are no creation of any gods. Their existence must not be allowed! It must die!" the hierarch bellowed, and he gave one of the guards a look. The very same guard who had been with Chappelle all this time.


    The guard hesitated.


    "Citizens!" Jiji suddenly spoke, his eyes roving across the people, his voice croaking and breaking. "I do not deny the allegations of impersonation, but I have done nothing to harm the people of this city. I have never taken any bribes or abused my power. I did everything I could to strike down crimes and the human trafficking ring all so we could have a better city. I am sure you know that very well. I swear to the Eternal Fire that I meant no harm." The doppler looked devout.


    The citizens didn''t know Jiji could talk, much less articte his thoughts well. Some of the citizens hung their heads low when Jiji looked at them, while some red at him.


    "You lie, heretic!" Cyrus swung his staff. His eyes were filled with contempt, and he shrilly castigated, "You have no right to be a believer. Your oath is nothing but sphemy to the Eternal Fire."


    The people knew why. The church of Eternal Fire had been hunting down dopplers all this while. They were sworn enemies.


    "Hierarch, the Eternal Fire is a symbol of salvation. A beacon of light for those stranded in the dark. All lives are equal to it. That''s what the scriptures wrote. And I am a living thing as well, am I not?" Jiji asked.


    Cyrus'' face fell.


    "So why am I judged? Because of the powers I was born with? Even when I''ve never abused my powers?" Jiji posed that question to everyone present. "Just because of your prejudice and unfounded worries, you condemn me to death? Even when I''ve done nothing wrong?"


    A moment of silence fell upon the crowd. The demihumans who had also suffered discrimination from the humans sympathized with the doppler.


    A dwarf with a warhammer stroked his beard. "If you im to be the speaker of truth, then everyone present would be a potential criminal from the moment they were born. In that case, are you suggesting that we burn down every single infant to cut down crimes?"


    His voice traveled far.


    "Burn that doppler! Don''t let it speak!" some people roared, hiding their embarrassment with fury.


    "Do it!" Cyrus red at the guard.


    Jiji suddenly smiled at the people, but there were tears in his eyes. He knew death wasing for him, and he weed it like an old friend. "Do it, K''dari," he told the guard. Jiji scanned the crowd calmly, and he spoke once more, his voice traveling across the za. "Burn me. If my death is what it takes to calm the people, then I shall dly give my life in the name of the Eternal Fire. I shall end their worries once and for all," he announced.


    "I shall be the beacon that leads the people, and I have but one wish. Once I am burned, I would like for the people of Novigrad to put aside their suspicion and doubts about their fellow humans and non-humans. Yes, even witchers too. I wish for nothing but a peaceful coexistence in the great city of Novigrad."


    A smile cracked the lips of the doppler, and his smile shone like the sun. "If I can have my wish fulfilled, then I shall dly give up my life."


    K''dari struggled a little, and he sighed. Cyrus gave another guard a look, and he tossed the torch at Jiji. The mes snaked across the oil and formed a ring of fire underneath Jiji. The zing light shone upon the creature''s face. He was unafraid, and he was smiling at the people, but the smile was contorted by the twisted air.


    ***


    For a moment, everyone in the za fell silent. They stared at the burning, their feelings conflicted. The only sound left was the crackling of the fire.


    Grimm grinned at hisrade, and he held his sword, determination ring in his eyes. "Get ready,rade. Time to carry out our duty as knights."


    And then something whizzed through the air.


    Something leapt into the pile of burning firewood, and it exploded. Firewood flew everywhere, and splinters rained onto the people.


    The air was lit up by countless sparks, as if the church were holding a firework show.


    Some of the wood fell onto the guards standing around, and they screamed in pain, for the wood was still burning. Some fell into the crowd, smoke billowing from them, and it stirred up chaos.


    One merchant, bless his soul, was knocked out by the wood.


    Cyrus, who stood beside the mountainous pile of wood, was mmed backward by a violent gush of air. He fell with a howl, and he tried to get up, but he couldn''t, not even when he was trying his hardest until his face turned blue.


    The wood eventually settled down, and the embers died out. Some semnce of order returned to the za, and the light disappeared. The stake was the only thing standing in the center of the za.


    Jiji was grimy and sooty from the mes and heat, and his already thin hair was burned offpletely, though he did not sustain any further injuries. His mind was straight, his body was healthy, and he was staring ahead.


    The crowd looked at him silently, but they were met with a cloaked silhouette standing before the doppler. A pair of swords jutted from his back, and the viper pendant hanging before his chest fluttered in the wind.


    The stranger was young, and his eyes were unique shades of gold and silver, though they glinted coldly with fury. He turned to Cyrus, who was getting up with the help of his guard.


    "Hierarch Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart. You think you have the right to pass judgment on my friend and all of witcherkind? Very well, you have an audience. Regale me with my sins, then. All of them. I. Beg. You."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 550: And So What

    <h4>Chapter 550: And So What</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 550: And So What</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The cloaked witcher stood proudly before the doppler, facing the contempt of the crowd, unfazed and unafraid.


    "Roy?" Jiji stared at the witcher, dazed, touched, and worried. "You shouldn''t be here."


    Roy, without turning back, said, "We''re allies, and witchers do not abandon their allies."


    The nobles around the stake yelled and cursed at Roy for his actions that inadvertently hurt them. Some of the peasants who escaped the impact broke into an uproar, while some of the younger rebels looked at Roy, impressed.


    "You know this guy, Grimm?" Cahir helped a beautiful young girl up after she was bumped into by the crowd. Thedy stared at the toughened knight, infatuated by his looks.


    "We met once in Cintra. Friend of Ravix of Fourhorn. Ravix is an alias for Geralt." There was excitement in Grimm''s eyes. "Find him, and we find Geralt. Then we find Ciri."


    Cahir let go of the girl and clenched his fists. "So are we¡­"


    "No. Not yet. Let us see how things unfold."


    The slender Schirru stood among the crowd, sizing up the witcher. A sneer curled his lips, and he whispered something into the woman''s ear.


    "You filthy mutant. I was going to capture you after I burned this sted doppler into cinders. You dare trespass into my domain?"


    With his guard''s help, Cyrus slowly stood up. He was trembling, and he spoke, his voice sharp and majestic.


    "You have defiled this sacred cleansing with your evil ritual. You have flouted thews of Novigrad and spat at the authority of the Eternal Fire! You havemitted grave sins! Guards, capture them and burn them at the stake!"


    "Burn the mutant!" someone in the crowd shouted, but then they curled up like the craven scum they were.


    "Did you not hear his request, Hierarch?" Cleaver roared, his voice thundering like a gong, and his greased Mohican hair glimmered under the sun. He red at the Hierarch and crossed his arms. Righteously, he demanded, "Regale him with his sins. Tell him every detail of them. And even if he''s a criminal, death by fire is a touch too far. A week in the dungeons should be enough. Not to mention you have no proof for your usations toward the doppler."


    "He''s right," one of the beggars said. "The church has to be fair. We''re all witnesses here, Hierarch. If you want to pass judgment, you''ll have to convince us first. And we have bards among us. I''m sure they''ll turn these events into a y, a story, or what have you. The North will hear of this. Your lies will never stop them."


    The bards and poets nodded.


    "You don''t want your reputation ruined, do you?"


    "Silence!" Cyrus knew he was in a pickle, but he stood up straighter and stared at the young witcher, meeting his gaze. "Very well. As you wish. Over thest two years, with the assistance of this filthy animal, you and your aplices have conducted evil experiments on the poor orphans, turning them into new witchers." Cyrus roared, "Do you confess?"


    The witcher approached Cyrus, and three guards quickly stood before him, cautious and on high alert.


    Roy seemed alone, but when he spoke, his voice traveled far and wide for everyone to hear. "Cyrus, if you think helping a group of orphaned children get back up on their own two feet is a crime, then you''re saying all cksmiths, teachers, farmers, and hunters who lend a helping hand to the children who need it are criminals as well. Should we burn all of them, then?"


    "That''s a different thing, witcher! Do not equate them with your crimes."


    "How is it different? Monster hunters are tradesmen as well, aren''t we? We are paid to get rid of any monster infestation after all." Roy gave the Hierarch a knowing look.


    The elderly Hierarch hissed, his face turning a shade of white, then it gained the color of grass. He shivered and almost fainted.


    A burly guard with a mustache snapped, "Don''t change the subject, witcher. And if that''s your argument, I take it that you confess to your crimes?"


    "I do not understand why we''re criminals," Roy answered coolly. "We take in children who have lost their parents and their homes. We give them food and a ce to stay when they have neither. We care for them and raise them to be better people. How is that a crime?"


    "If that makes me a criminal, then everyone here who''s ignored the children and left them to the mercy of the elements and kidnappers would be nothing but human scum." Roy skewered the crowd with a lethal look. Everyone he looked at hung their heads low, unable to counter his argument.


    "And the ims of evil experiments are nothing but a fool''s theory. We have never forced any children to walk the path of a monster hunter. They did it voluntarily."


    "And how can you prove that?" A portly mercenary in a jacket¡ªhired by Schirru¡ªasked, "If we don''t see them for ourselves, how can we be sure the children aren''t abused? Bring the children to us so we can ask them ourselves. Every child in the orphanage has a file in the church and city hall. Bring them to us. All 53 of them."


    Those who despised the witchers finally had a ce to vent, and they capitalized on it.


    "Bring the children to this za, witchers. Prove your innocence."


    "No evil can hide under the light of the Eternal Fire!"


    "Dare you take the challenge?"


    "It does not matter even if you don''t. The guards will cleanse your evil themselves."


    "Do you hear that? That''s what the people want." Cyrus finally found his voice, and he pointed at the witcher. "Dare you take their request?"


    "He does not have to do that." A beggar in tattered clothes spoke up. "We''ve seen the orphanage for ourselves. Some of the guards here did as well. We''ve seen the children, and they were as happy as the witcher ims. They didn''t force them to do anything. The children are living better lives than most of us here."


    "Who are you?" A guard charged ahead and dragged the beggar out of the crowd. "And why are you defending him? Are you his aplice? Answer me!"


    The beggar shook his head. This was as far as they could go for the witcher. Any more and they would be exposing themselves to danger.


    Cyrus turned around and scanned the guards around him.


    "Anyone willing to testify for the witcher? Come forth!"


    The guards exchanged a look, but they said nothing.


    "When I was themissioner, I¡ª" Jiji spoke.


    "Silence, heretic. You''re the mutant''s aplice. Your testimonial bears no weight. So what now, witcher? Everyone''s waiting for your answer. There''s no way out of this."


    The look on Roy''s face took on an icy tint, and he said nothing. The children had escaped to the shelter right underneath this ind. He wasn''t about to lead them into this mess.


    ***


    "Abduction isn''t their only crime." A gaunt woman in cheap clothes in the crowd let out a roar, and she red at Roy with hatred. "Their sins are far more grave."


    Cyrus gave his guards a look, and they made a path for the woman. She walked past the crowd and approached the Hierarch, her back hunched, and she fiddled with her fingers, her gaze devout.


    "Worry not, child. Talk slowly. Give us all the details." Cyrus held her hands gently and gave her a warm smile. He prayed to the Eternal Fire a thousand times for her. <i>Ah, just in time to extricate me from this mess.</i>


    "What is your name?"


    "Tarika."


    "And you have a grievance against witchers? They have brought untold harm to you? Tell everyone what they did. The Eternal Fire, I, and the citizens will bring justice to you."


    Roy''s calmness disappeared, and a frown furrowed his brows. He had an ominous feeling about this.


    ***


    "Yes!" The skeletal woman was shivering. There was anxiety in her sunken eyes, and a hint of excitement too. Excitement from finally bringing her enemy to justice. "Five years ago, I had a home in the outskirts of Tretogor. In a vige called Sweetwater. We had a ghoul problem, and one day, a passing witcher dealt with it for us and imed his payment, but he did not leave. That night, he¡­"


    The woman shivered, and she opened her mouth. She let out raspy gasps as if her chest were sliced open by a machete. "Like a madman, he ughtered everyone he saw. Dead, all of them. More than fifty families, killed by that monster. Only I lived."


    She red at Roy with unadulterated hatred, but the witcher was unfazed.


    <i>Hey, I wasn''t the one who killed your family. Don''t dump your hatred on me.</i>


    "And the bastard left without saying a word, as though ughtering a whole vige were nothing to him. He''s an animal!"


    ***


    "A monster indeed." Cyrus narrowed his eyes and gave the witcher a knowing look. He cleared his throat. "Now do you see? We have a witness. Tarika''s testimonial proves that witchers are born without any humanity. Their mercy was killed in their experiments. This witcher is lying. Everything he says, he says to gain your trust."


    ***


    "Tarika." The blond, handsome knight cut in, "Do you swear everything you say is the truth?"


    Roy looked at the person who spoke up, and it caught his attention. <i>Oh, it''s him. The guy who sparred with Geralt in Cintra. The guy with a powerful sword. Thought he went around the world after he was kicked out by the duke.</i>


    "I swear!" Tarika was furious about getting doubted by a knight. She raised her right hand and bellowed, "I swear to Melitele, Eternal Fire, Kreve, and all the gods up there! If a single word of that was a lie, then may the gods plunge me into oblivion!"


    The solemn oath garnered Tarika the crowd''s trust. Most of them had their faith in Melitele, after all, and an oath to Melitele would catch their attention.


    "Settle down, child." Cyrus smiled at Tarika warmly. "The Eternal Fire has shown me a vision. You are a loyal believer, and your word is true. And now¡­" He looked at the deadpan Roy. "Anything you wish to say for yourself?"


    "Witchers are evil! They have and always will be the same!" The men Schirru hired started spreading rumors among the crowd. "Witchers and that godforsaken doppler make a perfect match."


    The crowd watched on, and Royughed. Heughed as though he''d heard the world''s greatest joke being cracked. And hisughter drove a chill down everyone''s spine.


    Someone in the crowd roared, "Youugh in the face of death and condemnation?"


    Roy ignored the usation and looked into the crowd. He raised his voice. "People of Novigrad, I have a question for you. Do you think the soldiers of the South, the very same who invaded Cintra and destroyed countless families, should be condemned to oblivion?"


    "Is that a trick question? Of course they should suffer!" Cleaver roared loudly. He had no idea what Roy was trying to say, but he showed support, and his brethren chipped in as well.


    Some of the cheekier citizens added fuel to the fire too. "Nilfgaardian pigs should burn in hell! All of them!"


    "Good." Roy turned his attention to Cyrus and announced, "Then that condemnation extends to you as well, Cyrus."


    "You bastard!"


    The guards unsheathed their swords and whipped out dimeritium cuffs. They surrounded the witcher, the edge of their de gleaming icily under the sunlight.


    "How dare you? Beg for the Hierarch''s forgiveness immediately, ursed mutant!"


    "Hey, I was only speaking the truth." Roy looked down at the guard from high above. "You''re the ones who imed that all witchers should be held ountable for the killings done by a single witcher. I''m just extending your line of thinking to the invaders. If you''re condemning them for their actions, then shouldn''t anyone and everyone who works with them burn in hell as well?"


    Roy looked at the <i>esteemed Hierarch</i>, and a sneer curled his lips. "Well,e on, Cyrus. Defend yourself. Or do you think you''re exempt from that line of thinking? Only beasts get to escape that judgment, though I guess you''re no better than amon cur."


    Dead silence enveloped the za, the crowd astounded and bbergasted by the brazen usation thrown by the witcher.


    "That witcher has serious guts. This is nothing but trouble for him," Cahir praised quietly. "No one in the South would ever insult the Great Sun''s Hierarch. They''d be skinned alive at least."


    No one had ever dared to insult the Hierarch of the Eternal Fire, especially not in Novigrad, where the cult''s base of operations lie.


    ***


    Fury red within Cyrus'' heart, and his mind was clouded with rage. He patted his chest and took a deep breath, a pained look smeared over his face. Everything around him started spinning, and he fell backward.


    "Hierarch!"


    "I am fine! You''re twisting the story in your favor again, ursed mutant." Cyrus held the guards'' arms with trembling hands, veins throbbing on his face. "There are but fewer than a hundred of you out there in this world. The differences between your schools of thinking mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Do not equate yourself to us."


    Roy took a deep breath.


    "They have fifteen witchers at least," someone in the crowd said. "Tell ''em to gather round this za. Tarika will see if the butcher''s among you."


    Roy whirled and met eyes with a mercenary. Murder red in the witcher''s eyes, shining brightly like a crims smashing into the earth.


    The mercenary shivered. He felt his brain skewered by dozens of invisible knives. His pupils dted, his mind scattered, and he wobbled, but he snapped out of it and covered his bleeding nose as he ran into the crowd.


    "Do you? hear that, witcher?" Cyrus noticed the witcher''s ferocious expression, and heughed. The more he lostposure, the more afraid he was. "If you wish to prove your innocence, take all the children and witchers here for us to see. We will be the judge of your ims and decide if that orphanage is just a home for poor children. Why the silence, witcher? No more lies? Or are you scared? Trying to find your escape?"


    Roy was silent. He was now sure that this whole fiasco was a setup for the witchers. First, the enemy set Jiji up to lure the witchers out, then they ndered the witchers and tried forcing them to show the children in a bid to find Ciri. And now they came up with a so-called witness. All these just to make sure the witchers would leave their well-protected stronghold.


    Cyrus dismissed his guards'' help, and he approached the witcher, holding his crutch. Shrilly, he said, "Turn around and face your adoring defenders. They have heard of your odes. The fair witcher, the helpful witcher, the ally of justice. They have high hopes for you. You will not disappoint them, will you now? If you still have any misgivings, then I, Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart, swear on the name of the Eternal Fire."


    Cyrus held his crutch up and poked Roy. "Prove that you''ve never forced the children to turn. Prove that you are not harboring the butcher of Sweetwater, then I shall humbly apologize. And to sweeten the deal¡­" Cyrus looked at the doppler, a hint of reluctance flickering in his eyes. "I shall release this bastard. How about it?"


    "Witcher!" A beautiful girl in a green dress looked at the witcher, her eyes glimmering. She swung her fists, cheering him on. "Prove your innocence! I know you''re not evil!"


    Roy cocked his eyebrow.


    "Witcher." The beautifully dressed bards looked at him with anticipation. In their hands were their lutes. "Please, prove that our ys were telling the truth."


    The King of Beggars stood among the beggars, the hood of his cloak covering his head. Cleaver looked at the witcher, his hair swaying in the wind. The merchants, cksmiths, tradesmen, nobles, and people from every level of society, had their eyes on him.


    "You think he''d do it? Look at him, he''s scared."


    Part of the crowd jeered, while part cheered for Roy. The witcher crossed his arms, his leather vambraces rubbing each other. A sliver of frigidity slipped into the air around him. A long while of hesitationter, another voice broke the cacophony.


    "Very well. As you wish."


    A bald, burly man as towering as a bear pushed away the guards standing sentry.


    "Who goes there?"


    "Back! Back, I say!


    The guards pointed their swords at the neer and held their dimeritium bombs.


    A stiff smile cracked Letho''s lips. "You wish to see all the witchers of the orphanage? We''re all here."


    A group of witchers d in armor from different schools appeared, and the crowd made a path for them. The witchers'' medallions glinted under the sunlight, and with every step they took, the crowd parted for them. They looked around them, their swords swaying.


    Aiden and Kiyan of the Cat School, Vesemir, Lambert, and Geralt of the Wolf School, Letho, Auckes, and Serrit of the Viper School, Coen of the Griffin School, and all the boys who''d just passed their Trial were here. Monti, Carl, Acamuthorm, Charname, and Lloyd. Aside from Felix, Eskel, Evelyn, Coral, Kalkstein, and Gryphon who had to stay back and guard the stronghold, all thebatants were here.


    A sharp air of solemnity undted across the za, and the crowd held their breaths.


    "Life is precious. If you hold it dear, I suggest you do not make any sudden moves," Serrit said, his voice steely like iron.


    "Hierarch, Tarika." Lambert followed his brethren to the stake and bowed at the guards, the Hierarch, and the crowd, but there was not a smile on his face. His pupils were as sharp as a viper''s, determination ring within his eyes. "All the witchers you wanted are here. See if the butcher is among us."


    ***


    A pair of sorcerers stood in the second floor''s antechamber in the eastern za. Sunlight poured through the window, shining upon a man with a scarred face and a pair of razor-thin lips. He rubbed his chin, a smile curling his lips. An elegant sorceress stood beside him, her face shifting like the aurora lights. They were staring at the za.


    Beneath them was a man in purple robes made of silk. He was handsome, his skin was fair, and he had a beautiful goatee. The man was tied up, his hands cuffed, his mouth stuffed with a piece of cloth, and he was curled up like a shrimp cooked to perfection.


    ***


    At the same time, a group of elves swiftly slithered into the forest in the outskirts of Novigrad. They wore leather armor of different shades of colors, and they were armed with wooden bows, silver swords, and dimeritium bombs. Ornaments resembling a squirrel''s bushy tail hung from their waists.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 551 - 551: Spare No One

    Chapter 551: Spare No One


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The air was stultifying, filled with the scorching heat of the sun, but the witchers had expressions as frigid as ice.


    Some of the peasants wilted under the witchers¡¯ reproachful looks, and they hung their heads low, muttering and cursing under their breaths. Some of the nobles shrank in silence, while the guards, Cyrus, and Tarika red at them murderously.


    The bards and the patrons of the ballroom stared at the witchers, their eyes shining. The knights could see the White Wolf who was standing within the group of witchers. They exchanged a look and heaved a sigh of relief. With Geralt making his appearance, they were one step closer to finding Ciri.


    The mercenaries hiding within the crowd sneered, as if their n had finally worked. The mutants had to give in after all.


    The dwarves, elves, and part-elves had conflicted looks on their faces. The fate of the witchers was nothing short of a prophecy to them. They too were non-humans. If the witchers were judged despite their innocence due to sheer ignorance, then who was to say they would not fall into the same circumstance in the future?


    The za, once again, was plunged into chaos and cacophony.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here. What about the orphanage?¡± Roy muttered to hispanions.


    Serrit turned around and looked at him. ¡°Toote to backtrack, kid. We have to push on.¡±


    ¡°If they want peace, then we would¡¯ve left them alone,¡± Kiyan hissed coolly.


    ¡°But should they yearn for war, then they shall find themselves waking up in the burning hells,¡± Letho added tersely. He¡¯d had enough of these fools¡¯ unfounded prejudice. They wished for nothing but peace, but¡­


    ¡°All we wanted was to be left alone, and yet they wish to back us into a corner.¡± Vesemir looked at the crowd around them, his emotions conflicting. This scene reminded him so much about that battle in Kaer Morhen a hundred years ago. ¡°This time, I shall not run.¡±


    ***


    The guards surrounded the witchers, and Cyrus scanned them, delighted. They take the fight to us. To our turf. They¡¯ve lost their advantage. There was wariness in his eyes as well, and unbridled contempt. He had no idea a group of witchers had made their home near his abode, and seeing them gathered in the za only intensified the impact of that reality.


    He was old and experienced enough to know how dangerous these mutants were. They were unpredictable. Uncontroble. Should anything go wrong, these mutants could destroy Novigrad as it was. They must be eradicated.


    ¡°Fifteen of you, and one-third are nothing but children.¡± Cyrus clicked his tongue. Coldly, he judged, ¡°Witness their sins, citizens. This is proof of their evil experiments!¡±


    The boys snorted in disdain, refuting the Hierarch¡¯s im. They were young, wet behind the ears, inexperienced, and a little nervous. They¡¯d never been in front of this big a crowd before, and they were a little excited about this show they were putting on. They shivered, eager to go.


    ¡°Do not change the subject, Cyrus.¡± Roy stepped ahead. ¡°As per the citizens¡¯ request, my brethren are here. What are you waiting for? Come forth, Tarika. Find the butcher. See if he¡¯s among us.¡±


    ¡°Worry not, child. We have many witnesses here.¡± Cyrus sneered at the witchers. ¡°The mutants wouldn¡¯t try to butcher everyone.¡±


    If the witchers resorted to violence in this circumstance, then no matter the reason, the people would see them as evil incarnate. Novigrad would never allow them to stay.


    Despite the guards¡¯ protection, Tarika still shivered. She sped her hands and gritted her teeth, then she approached the witchers, scanning their faces.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes followed hers. When they saw Kiyan¡¯s scarred, disfigured visage and crimson eyes, the people gasped.


    ¡°Is that even a human?¡±


    ¡°Was he thrown into a fire?¡±


    ¡°No, must¡¯a been the mutation. Evil mutation.¡±


    Kiyan ignored the disgust and contempt shown by the crowd. He held his head up proudly. He had his brothers by his side, a bunch of students he must protect, and a woman who loved him. He cared not for these people¡¯s opinions.


    He was not the only one who held his head high. The witchers Tarika looked at all stared into her eyes, unafraid. They had never met this woman in their lives.


    ¡°Look closely, Tarika.¡± Auckes smiled at her. He thought it was a friendly smile, but Tarika shivered. She thought a beast was ring at her. ¡°Make sure your verdict is correct. Do not make any mistakes. We don¡¯t want to live our lives branded by a crime we never did. Remember your oath. One word of lie, and the burning hells will be your resting ce.¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± a guard roared. ¡°You dare threaten the witness before the crowd?¡±


    ¡°They be nervous!¡± some people jeered.


    Auckes snickered.


    ¡°Is the butcher among them, child? Do not let anyone slip.¡± Cyrus had a foreboding feeling welling within his soul. Tarika¡¯s expression was turning downtrodden, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Tarika looked away from Kiyan and Aiden, the only Cats among the group. She looked disappointed. ¡°Brun of the Cat School is not among them.¡±


    ¡°Are you positively sure about that?¡± Cyrus¡¯ face turned the color of clouds. He clenched his crutch tighter, his knuckles white.


    The guards did not look happy either.


    ¡°I swear to the Eternal Fire, I could recognize that monster anywhere.¡± Tarika pursed her lips. ¡°He¡¯s not among them. I cannot lie. Not when the gods are bearing witness.¡±


    Cyrus closed his eyes, disappointed.


    The bard near the za heard everything, and he happily yed a tune. He spun around, almost starting to dance. ¡°Told you we weren¡¯t making things up. The witchers are innocent. They deserve to have odes written for them.¡±


    Cyrus mmed his crutch down. Through ragged breaths, he roared, ¡°Too early for that, bard. They¡¯ve only proven they didn¡¯t wipe out Sweetwater. That¡¯s not the only crime they have to disprove. There¡¯s also the children.¡±


    Cyrus looked at the witchers, his eyes zing with fury. ¡°Why¡¯d youe alone? Where are the children? We must hear their testimony. They must confess that they¡¯ve never been abused or forced to be your test subjects.¡±


    ¡°Test subjects? That¡¯s the most ridiculous crockpot theory I¡¯ve heard.¡± Carl approached the Hierarch, his head held high. A few of the youngerdies were swooning because of him. ¡°Let me tell you this, Cyrus. Nobody forced us.¡±


    Carl turned around and spoke to the crowd. ¡°We lost our parents. We lost our homes. We had to fight for scraps. When this city treated us like dirt, the witchers took us in. Taught us how to fend for ourselves. We chose to be part of their order.¡±


    The other kids stepped ahead and stood with their brother, staring at the crowd. With their hearts soaring, they told their stories.


    ¡°We wish for more children to find a home among us. There are no evil experiments. Lies, all of them.¡±


    They turned to the veteran witchers, their eyes filled with gratitude and worship. ¡°They are our teachers. Our family. They¡¯re the ones who took us in when nobody wanted us.¡±


    The crowd was shaken by the children¡¯s ardent support for the witchers. They knew the kids must¡¯ve gone through unimaginable horrors for them to take witchers as their family instead of regr humans.


    Cyrus was unfazed. In fact, his fury dove deep into the freezing ends of hatred. They are beyond saving. They must die. They must be sacrificed for the good of the Eternal Fire.


    ¡°Look at ¡¯em! They have a beast¡¯s eyes! The experiments have taken over their minds! Standin¡¯ with the witchers is like standin¡¯ up for themselves! We cannot trust ¡¯em!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Show us all the children! All fifty-three of ¡¯em! They¡¯re the only ones who can prove your innocence!¡±


    A slight buzz hurtled through the air, and Roy disappeared. And then a man¡¯s howl pierced the crowd as a silhouette was sent flying across the row of guards. The man fell into the za, curled up like a cooked shrimp. His gut felt like it was mmed by a sledgehammer.


    The man was burly, mustached, and donned in brown, grimy leather armor. He was a mercenary.


    One of the guards barked, ¡°How dare you harm an innocent citizen, witcher? You are in the presence of the Eternal Fire! Cease this at once!¡±


    The guard swung his de, pushing the crowd away and making his way to Roy.


    Something moved. Before anyone could see what took ce, the guard¡¯s de fell to the ground, and he staggered backward, shoved by a great force. He retreated into the defensive line of hisrades, his face white with fury.


    The guard tried to curse the witcher, but he was met with a pair of beastly, furious eyes. The air around the witcher tensed up. The guard could feel a terrifying aura swirling around him, and then something worse happened.


    The remaining witchers red at the guard, their eyes filled with a raging storm. The air itself felt suffocating, as if the desire to murder had taken the form of a crimson wave, threatening to swallow those who stood before it.


    Not a single guard had the courage to take even a step ahead. Cyrus himself shut up, his heart thumping furiously. Something flickered in his eyes, and he slowly retreated.


    ¡°Got you, scum. Had fun riling up the people? Let¡¯s see if you still find this fun.¡± Roy approached the mercenary and pped him with enough force to swell his cheek. He then held the mercenary up by the nape, as though he were a puppy.


    He swung the man in front of the crowd, but the mercenary could not move a muscle. ¡°Hear my words, citizens. I shall bring this fiasco to an end. I swear to the gods that everything you see and hear is a conspiracy orchestrated by this man and his employers. They¡¯ve yed you like a fiddle and turned you against us all for their nefarious ends.¡±


    Some of the more rational citizens took Roy¡¯s defense into ount and mused over the whole affair. They realized that the whole thing seemed too much to be a coincidence.


    ¡°Tell them the truth.¡± Roy cast a Sign.


    The mercenary trembled, and he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s Kerls. The witcher nder was his order.¡±


    ¡°Do not use your spells, witcher. Show us the children if you dare!¡± someone else demanded brazenly, but their attacks were nothing more than a whimper.


    Roy said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see them. After this guy tells the truth.¡±


    ¡°The mutants killed someone!¡± A scream tore through the air.


    Chaos swooped in, and screams came from everywhere in the za, cutting Roy¡¯s interrogation short.


    The witchers looked grim. They crouched a little, their hands on the hilts of their swords.


    Crossbow bolts hurtled through the air. An unlucky guard standing beside Cyrus and the mercenary Roy was holding had their heads shot through. They fell headfirst, their bodies limp.


    Schirru sneered and put his hand-crossbow down. He and hispanions slithered back into the crowd. Mission aplished. All that¡¯s left is for the other side to do their job.


    A group of feral elven archers with bushy squirrel tails tied around their waists squeezed through the buffeting throng, approaching the witchers.


    ¡°The witchers attacked the Hierarch!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone mad!¡±


    ¡°By the gods!¡±


    ¡°The Eternal Fire has fallen!¡±


    Gasps and shouts echoed through the air, and any semnce of order was torn down swiftly as the crowd on the fringe stampeded their way to the bridge on the south side. The citizens jostled and pushed and stepped on each other all around the halls and za, and screams of bloody murder filled the air.


    The guards, per their training, went into formation and covered Cyrus, all the while making their retreat into the main hall.


    Grimm held his sword before him like a shield, covering for the escaping crowd. Cahir pulled the infatuateddy behind him into his embrace. Cleaver and his troop of dwarves huddled close and stood their ground like an oak tree facing the pummeling waves of the great seas.


    ¡°Tighten the lines!¡± Letho shouted. He spun his wrist, and his de arced like a white sh, deflecting a crossbow bolt. Nine witchers stood around him in a circle, covered in the protective light of Quen. They kept the doppler and the fledgling witchers in the center of their circle, standing tall like a beacon in the darkness.


    The panicking crowd crashed into them, but they allowed them no entry.


    ¡°Untie me!¡± Jiji shouted. ¡°I can help!¡±


    Carl swung his de and cut off the ropes, then he took off the cuffs and fetters.


    Colorful lights strobed from within the doppler, and he grew into a bald, burly man. A carbon copy of Letho was born.


    ***


    More than a handful of citizens were toppled and stepped to death from the stampede, and their cries hurtled across the battlefield.


    Within this stampeding crowd, a group of people were traveling against the current, slowly making their way to the center.


    A burly elf donning a bandana and green cape stood among the crowd, pulling his bowstring back to the side of his ear, his eyes trained on his target. And he let the arrow fly loose.


    The ck-haired witcher stood tall within the crowd. He flicked his wrist and cut the arrow in half, then he locked eyes with the elven archer. The sword in his hand was switched out for a hand-crossbow, and before the elf could even run, he fell backward, his body limp.


    And he was swallowed by the escaping citizens.


    ¡®Karaka killed. EXP +20. Level 13 Witcher (2520/14500)¡¯


    Roy pulled the trigger again, and a white haired elven swordsman let out a blood-curdling howl as he flew backward from the sheer impact of the bolt, and he fell with a sickening thud.


    Most of the citizens had escaped, leaving the Eternal Fire¡¯s guards and the witchers in the battlefield.


    Nearby, a group of elven fighters and archers charged into the battlefield, howling war cries into the air. They swung their weapons as they surrounded the witchers, giving them no reprieve nor escape.


    The guards who¡¯d snapped out of the initial confusion attacked the witchers from behind as well.


    The witchers were facing off an army that numbered more than three hundred strong.


    ¡°Kill the mutants! They¡¯ve assaulted innocent citizens and our fellow guards!¡±


    The devout guards charged into battle, fueled with rage and hatred and reckless abandon.


    The witchers were surrounded by enemies on all sides, and all they saw were hate-filled eyes and deadly shes of swinging des.


    ¡°Are you blind, you fools?¡± Lambert spun and smacked the cheek of a ck-armored guard, knocking him out. He swung his de around and blocked a mace that was about to smash his head in. Through the cracks of the shing weapons, he red at the young guard before him. ¡°The damn elves are the enemies here!¡± he cursed.


    ¡°Kill the mutants. Leave no survivors,¡± a wizened, imperious voice ordered from within the guards. Cyrus held his crutch, staring at the witchers like how we would look at ants. They must not be spared. I will never bow to these filthy mutants. This chaos is on their heads. Their deaths will be the fuel for the Eternal Fire to spread further into the Continent. This is Its will.


    The witchers came to a silent understanding. They too had their souls dyed red with fury, their eyes glinting with anger.


    ¡°Leave no survivors,¡± said Roy.


    He charged into the melee with his de in hand.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    The witchers roared into the high heavens, even the youngest of them. They wererades, teachers, students, and brothers-in-arm. The witchers held up their des and charged into the battlefield without any hesitation.


    And thus, a great battle began. Driven by rage and murder, the witchers broke free of the fetters of rules,w, and neutrality. Here and now, for this moment, they were but machines made to kill. The only thing they yearned for was the life of the enemy.


    ***


    Geralt leapt through the battlefield like a graceful dancer, his de fluttering to the rhythm its master was ying. With every swing, a guard would fall dead on the ground.


    Auckes thrust his de and skewered two enemies in one go. He pulled his weapon out and leapt into the air, then he brought his de down like a meteor. A bloody line parted an elf in two.


    The youngest witchers were like wolves trying to take down a lion. They exploited every opening in the melee, dashing and swerving and running around, mming their weapons into the vitals of the enemy.


    This would be their first killing of a human, and they had to think of the enemy as nothing but monsters. The fledglings went for the vitals. The throats. The eyes. The hearts. Again and again they swung, following the instincts gained from their rigorous training. There was nothing in their minds but this battle.


    This was their debut battle, and the children were performing remarkably. They traveled through the battlefield like a whirlwind of death, dicing the Scoia¡¯tael fighters, drenching the beautiful marble floor in red. Blinding red.


    Kiyan sliced the armor of an elven warrior open like it was butter. The elf didn¡¯t even see his killer¡¯s face as he died.


    Letho jumped into the crowd and crouched, then he mmed his left hand onto the ground. Aard¡¯s devastating air currentshed out around him, toppling five guards in one go, then the Viper swung his twin swords, ending the lives of the enemies around him.


    Coen conjured up twin Signs with both hands, and a stream of fire burst forth from his palms, blossoming like flowers of fire. The Griffin almost looked like he was holding a fire whip. Anyone who was foolhardy enough to take a step near him would be licked by the mes. Some tried to get closer only to end up running and screaming in agony.


    The doppler joined the battle as well, though he was almost fighting defensively, only knocking his enemies out instead of killing them.


    ***


    The za was draped in the bloody violence of battle. The ground was covered in blood and flesh, the air filled with screams and shouts and swinging weapons. Within the bloody battlefield, the witchers stood in a single file, tearing a hole in the wall of enemies around them like ance crushing the defenses of the enemy¡¯s forces.


    Roy was in the vanguard, facing the onught without fear. His swordsmanship couldn¡¯t be of much use here, so he relied on his instincts to battle.


    His magical barrier broke in mere moments, and blood sttered everywhere. Fortunately, his brethren stood by his side, watching his back so he could take out the enemies before him.


    Roy swung Gwyhyr around, and everywhere its edge pointed, a crimson crescent moon would charge straight ahead, shredding the flesh of all enemies standing before it.

 Chapter 552: Melee

    And then sounds of breaking ss slid into the air as the guards and Scoia''tael members hurled their stock of dimeritium bombs into the fray. Glimmering dust snaked and spread throughout the battlefield, and the protective light upon the witchers'' skin was quelled.


    From the corners of the za, sickly pale elves appeared. Layers of leather belts hung from their necks, their capes and pointy hats billowing in the wind. In their hands were wooden staves with engravings of leaves and flowers. These elves conjuredplex gestures and chanted magical incantations under their breaths.


    A spell was unleashed in the form of a red fireball. It burned like a small sun, crackling the air as it hurtled through the battlefield and mmed into the crowd. A pir of fire roared into the skies, filling the air with smoke. Debris flew everywhere, and a crater left its mark on the ground.


    Letho, Auckes, and Geralt were in the center of the explosion. Failing to dodge in time, they were thrown into the air and mmed into the army. They knocked out a group of soldiers and rolled around.


    The explosion didn''t tear through the armor reinforced by dragon scales, but it did hurt their innards. Letho and Coen held their chests as they spewed out blood, then they quickly whipped out a dose of Swallow and gulped it down.


    "Carl, Monti, you guys alright?" a bloodied Serrit roared, slicing open the temples of a guard trying to break through their defenses.


    "We''re fine!" Carl kicked the belly of a hook-nosed elf and pulled his sword out of the corpse''s neck. Blood spurted all over his face.


    No longer was Carl as calm and adorable as he used to be. Veins throbbed all over his visage, contorting his face. His fledglingpanions were furious as well. They were fortunate enough to escape the brunt of the explosion, and they huddled around the fallen Coen, fending off the swarming enemies as best they could.


    Vesemir, Kiyan, and the witchers who got away with lighter injuries kept an eye on theirpanions so they could heal in peace. With their mana sealed by dimeritium, the witchers were locked out of their Signs and magical barriers. They could only rely on their swordsmanship and battle instincts to survive the ordeal.


    The elven sorceresses did not rest either. They flung and hurled and threw every spell in their arsenal at the witchers, bombarding them with the wrath of the elements.


    The witchers¡¯ advance was brought to a grinding halt.


    ***


    The guards defending Cyrus were trembling in fear. They had never seen any warriors as fearsome as the witchers. In mere minutes, they''d taken down more than fifty guards. <em>Demons, all of them.</em>


    Cyrus held his crutch, staring at the witchers on the battleground, a confident smile curling his lips. "They might be formidable, but their numbers are limited. Vilgefortz''s reinforcements are here, and so are our guards. They cannot win."


    As if on cue, an army of guards armed to the teeth came from the southern bridge, swelling the enemy numbers to nearly a thousand. A few were stationed at the port and city gates, and the rest came charging to the battlefield evacuating the people and reinstating order however they could.


    And they attacked the witchers.


    ***


    A minor altar stood in the northern part of the za, licked by mes. A gigantic greatsword flew into the air and swung at the elves, cutting them in half.


    "Murder! Someone save me!" a pudgy spice merchant screamed.


    "Shut it. The knights are doing their best to keep us safe." A gaunt young man looked at the knights with worship in his eyes.


    Grimm wiped the blood off his face and took back his Sword of Justice. He stood before the defenseless citizens, fending off the elves that tried to attack them. Cahir kept an eye out for him, taking out any stragglers Grimm failed to catch.


    A while ago, the knights noticed a group of elves d in old fur armor snaking around the fringes of the za, tossing burning bombs at the citizens and the buildings around them. Everywhere they went, they killed.


    These elves were agents of chaos, and they were filled with hatred and malice. Hatred for humans. <em>Who are these terrorists? They attacked humans and used the witchers as their scapegoats. To what end do they do this?</em>


    Cleaver the dwarf stood by the knight, swinging his warhammer up. He leapt into the air and mmed his warhammer into the chin of an oing elf, embedding his weapon in his enemy''s head.


    As if hit by a siege weapon, the elf''s skull was shattered, and he fell backward, his head a mushy mess.


    Cleaver''s hair swayed, his eyes wide as saucepans. He saw the crimson squirrel tail on the elf''s waist, and his face went stern. He muttered, "Scoia''tael? Thought the bastards were hiding in Dol thanna and Mahakam. Why''d they attack Novigrad?" Cleaver looked around, the look on his face dark.


    The sanctified za was a mess of blood and flesh. mes burned away at the buildings around, tendrils of smoke billowing in the air, blotting out the sun and sight of the people. In the center of the za stood countless guards and Scoia''tael members, attacking the witchers like hyenas trying to tear down a pack of lions. At this rate, they would chip away at the witchers and eventually take them down.


    ***


    Roy held Gwyhyr before him and sliced at an iing fireball. The stars on his de shone, and something cut the fireball in half. The residual impact was absorbed by his armor, and the attack only managed to singe off a few strands of his hair.


    "Stay here. I''ll deal with the sorcerers." Roy gnashed his teeth and looked around. The witchers were rooted to their spots, buffeted by the fearless guards and elves and their relentless attacks.


    With their mana locked away, the witchers had nothing to shield themselves with. They were covered in wounds, their breathing was ragged, and it was all they could do to fend for themselves while slowly chipping away at the enemy, but for every fallen soldier, two more took their ce.


    "I''ming with you, kid!"


    "No. You''re staying here." Roy spat a cork out of his mouth and gulped another decoction. ck veins throbbed and spread from his chin, and he switched his de out for Gabriel.


    The witcher pulled the trigger, and a bolt flew through the air, eventually mming into an elven sorcerer before he could toss out another fireball. The magical barrier around him popped like a bubble, and horror flickered on his pallid face.


    He did not expect Roy''s bolt to pack this much of a punch. It would take at least three bolts to break through his barrier, or at least that was the case for regr crossbowmen. The sorcerer sidled away, and not a moment too soon either.


    Another boltnded in the very spot he stood in earlier, its force chipping off a corner of the marble wall behind. The ck-haired witcher charged ahead like the wind, the image of a great, terrible dragon appearing behind him, tearing and wing away at the soldiers standing in its way, smacking them off the path.


    The witcher was closing in on the sorcerer at a blistering speed, all the while pulling triggers and tossing a dimeritium bomb at the sorcerer.


    The bomb broke into shards, but the elven sorcerer jerked toward the pir of the church''s hall, hiding behind it in a bid to escape the anti-magic dust. He waved his left hand and shot out a purple electric bolt. The air crackled, and the bolt charred the ground between him and the witcher.


    The air was filled with blinding light for a split second, and the moment the bolt touched Roy, he exerted every ounce of his strength to jerk away. The arc of electricity grazed his left shoulder, and a great tendril of white smoke billowed from his armor.


    The skin of his arm was charred, and Roy stopped in his tracks, wobbling like a drunken man, his face contorted in pain, but eventually, he came to the sorcerer.


    The sorcerer''s eyes glinted with icy resolve. He would take Roy down with him even if it was thest thing he did. He held his left palm before his chest and quickly made aplex hand gesture. The sorcerer chanted something under his breath, then he shoved his hand at the witcher.


    An invisible force of magic hit Roy squarely in the chest, and he was blown back, but even though he was flying through the air helplessly, the witcher still pulled his trigger.


    The sorcerer thought he was safe behind the pir, but that bolt was far more powerful than the ones that came previously. It pierced the pir, the barrier, and the sorcerer''s skull.


    A bloody hole bore through the forehead of the elven sorcerer, and he fell backward, his face frozen.


    ***


    Roy rolled around and neutralized the impact of the sorcerer''s final spell, then he sprang back up to his feet, his body so much lighter than before. His mana was no longer locked. <em>If it is death you seek, then death is what you shall get. </em>Roy gnashed his teeth. <em>Come forth, Leviathan!</em>


    A thunderous rumbling exploded across the za, and a great shadow loomed over the smoking battlefield. In came a giant with mountainous muscles and a crude canvas jacket. Leviathan was holding an oak tree in his right hand, and he mmed it into his left as he let out a roar, his eyes gleaming with excitement.


    <em>Kill again! Kill everyone!</em>


    Another roar was let loose, and everyone in the battlefield froze. The ice giant leapt high into the air andnded in the south, facing off the guards trying to barge into the za. He swung his oak tree and sent countless guards flying through the air. They fell with a horrifying thud, their limbs broken, their chests caved in. They were an inch away from death, moans and groans of agony swimming in the air.


    ***


    "By the gods!" The citizens ran away frantically.


    "Is this a sign of the end of days?" a man cried in fear.


    The braziers of the halls shone upon the guards hiding within. One of the younger ones stared at the ice giant, agape. "What in the name of Eternal Fire is that?"


    "Could that be¡­ could that be divine retribution?" Hispanion was in disbelief as well, his hands shaking, his de almost falling.


    "But why''d the gods punish us instead of the evil witchers?"


    Cyrus looked scandalized, and he quickly whirled around. "No, this is another trick of the witchers! Kill that evil creature! We have the numbers!"


    And then hundreds of bolts flew toward the giant, trying to pierce it, but all were deflected by the giant''s hard skin. Dozens of armored knights rode across the bridge, charging at the giant with theirnces and weapons held high. Despite their best efforts, the giant squashed them into mincemeat easily.


    Leviathan''s strength and defense were to be reckoned with. Before him, humans were nothing but weaklings. Weaklings that could be taken out easily.


    ***


    With Leviathan joining the fray, a huge weight was lifted off the besieged witchers.


    "Must be Roy." Geralt was revitalized. He spun around and sliced the neck of a Scoia''tael member open, blood drenching his hair.


    "I am not surprised, given that he tamed a griffin." Letho swung his des and cut down a pair of guards. Now let''s kill these bastards, people."


    "Let''s go!" Carl and the young witchers roared.


    A breath of second wind was injected into the witchers, their morale boosted once more. Their attacks were swifter and deadlier, clearing the attacking army around them with lethal uracy.


    Leviathan distracted most of the enemies, and without their reinforcements joining in a timely manner, their line of defense was torn open. Like an unstoppable wave, the witchers crashed upon the guards and Scoia''tael members, crushing their bodies underneath their onught. Blood sttered everywhere, but then it was vaporized as soon as it was drawn.


    The witchers roared as they cut open a bloody path to the main hall of the church.


    ***


    A white sh of light shot through the air, heading toward the northeastern part of the church. An elven sorceress in green robes was making a great fireball, but then her magical barrier broke without a hint.


    She felt the crimson silhouette of death looming over her, and a scream escaped her lips, then she rippled and disappeared like an illusion, reappearing ten yards away in the next moment. She thought she had escaped death, and she heaved a sigh of relief, holding her staff tightly.


    But then the air before her shattered, and she felt the metal of a sword held to her cheek. A crouched silhouette came out of the portal before her, crimson tentacles dancing behind him. Murder red brightly in his eyes, but it was cold. Freezing. The witcher''s frigid gaze turned her soul to ice, and she couldn''t even lift a finger.


    "You shall die."


    Another white sh arced through the air, and the elf''s head flew high up into the sky.,


    ***


    Two down, three to go. The remaining sorcerers knew someone was out to get them. If they didn''t band together fast enough, the assassin would destroy them all eventually. Quickly, they made their way to the antechamber in the east, their cloaks billowing in the air, their steps quick as the wind.


    Still, their magic was no match for the speed of Roy''s bolts. A handsome sorcerer turned his head around in his escape, and his eyes went wide.


    The release of the bolt was the elves'' death knell. He saw the magical barrier of hisrade burst into pieces, and then a crimson octopus leapt from the air behind him and grabbed the elf with its tentacles and wrapped him up until he was a cocoon.


    It held the cocoon high up in the air, and the witcher appeared behind it mysteriously. He was holding an ivory de with both hands, and he thrust the de ahead.


    The tentacles slowly moved away, revealing the elf within. The de skewered him like he was meat, and blood frothed at his mouth. His eyes were wide, and whimpers of pain gurgled weakly from his lips.


    Roy held him high up in the air, as though he were offering a sacrifice to an evil god. He humphed and pulled his de out of the corpse, then he flicked the blood off its edge.


    The witcher locked on to an elven sorceress, his desire to murder freezing her soul.


    And then a few silhouettes appeared behind the sorceress, the magic radiating from them almost lighting the air aze.


    <em>Sorcerers. </em>Roy scanned all of them, and he stopped at two of those he recognized. He had no idea who the elves were, but the humans he knew. One was in the attire of a mercenary. He was in hunting gear, making it easy for him to move. His eyes were ck and glistening, his lips were razor thin, and a scar hung from his cheek.


    The man was holding a short knife against the neck of his hostage: a man tied up beside him. The knife had made a small cut, drawing blood.


    Rience had taken Gawain hostage, and the doppler was blinking furiously at the witcher, pleading for him to leave.


    Standing with Rience was a sorceress in a clean, blue dress. She was a gauntdy who radiated the air of an intellectual. There was a hint of sorrow in her silence, and Roy almost felt like she should''ve been an artist instead of a sorceress.


    She was far removed from this battle. Her cheeks were bizarrely stiff and almost uncanny. Lights of magic strobed upon her skin. She could see the witcher sizing her up, and her eyes were filled with displeasure.


    <em>Lydia van Bredevoort. And Rience. Vilgefortz''s most trusted lieutenants. Finally. These snakes are making their entrance. </em>Roy knew the true battle was about to begin, and he moved behind the pir.


    "Don''t move, or my hand might slip. Don''t want to get your friend hurt, do you?"


    Rience heaved a sigh of relief and stopped the elves from throwing their spells. The elves red at the witcher venomously, but they followed their orders. Francesca specifically told them to listen to Rience.


    ***


    And a conversation began.


    "You''re far stronger than I expected. Not even an army could take you guys down, and they lost a ton of them in the process. The church is going to find its reputation damaged significantly. And <em>you</em>. You possess the power to traverse space. A lowly witcher like you, possessing a power not even my master has, and he is the world''s greatest sorcerer. And to think you also have control over that ice giant."


    Rience clicked his tongue, part of it sarcasm, part of itpliments. "You are a respectable rival." Rience gazed at him. "It''d be a waste to kill you just because of your momentary ignorance. You have two options. One, surrender and give us that grey-haired girl. You know who I''m talking about. And I shall generously forgive your offensive behavior. I shall take you to my master, and you can swear fealty to him. That''ll bring this fiasco to an end."


    Rience proudly said, "My master is a powerful man. He can help you witchers gain a better footing in society. No longer will you be treated like scum. No longer will the people try to chase you out. If he''s feeling generous, you shalle to possess a plot ofnd for yourself. And where witchers could build their kingdom." Rience smiled, almost alluringly.


    ***


    "But if you wish to continue with your futile efforts at resistance¡­" He turned around and looked at the church. Leviathan and the army of the church were in a stalemate, but the ice giant was slowly having his stamina drained. The unrelenting attack had made its mark, covering the giant with wounds. Even its swings were getting sluggish.


    The witchers were engaged in battle with a group of guards before the entrance of the church. The guards were Cyrus''st line of defense.


    "Then the Collector shall die, and soon, so shall yourrades," warned Rience raspily. "Even if a few of them manage to escape, there will be no ce in this world you can call home. The armies of all kingdoms will chase you to the ends of this world."


    Roy kept his silence, holding his de tightly. His eyes were glinting. He must meet Vilgefortz and make him pay for everything he did.


    "Worried about your precious orphanage?" Rience smiled brightly. "Don''t worry, friend. Myrades are on their way to take care of the matter. The children should be all asleep by now. Don''t waste my time and give me your answer."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 553 - 553: In The Forest

    Chapter 553: In The Forest


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The trees rustled as they were buffeted by the wind. The scent of smoke and heat slowly seeped into the air, and lights of mes dotted thendscape. The trees, leaves, vines, and all greenery in the woods were burning, and bodies were strewn all across the woods¡¯ clearing. Bodies of elves in cheap clothes and squirrel tails hanging around their waists. Bodies of human mercenaries d in grimy armor.


    Some had their legs crushed by gigantic bear traps, their flesh torn to shreds, their bones exposed to the elements. They fell to the ground, holding their mangled legs in agony.


    Some were mmed by logs that swung out of nowhere, and they fell, their innards crushed. Their chests caved in, and they coughed up blood.


    Some had their feet grabbed by hidden ropes, and they dangled with their head upside down. Some were swallowed by the holes in the ground and skewered by the lethal stakes buried underneath.


    ***


    Even though they¡¯d lost a few fighters before they even saw the enemy, the ragtag group made out of Scoia¡¯tael members and mercenaries pushed on relentlessly.


    ¡°Craven rats.¡± Schirru broke into a small run, his ponytail swinging like a rotten branch. He rasped, ¡°Once we get the witchers, I¡¯ll torture them myself. They must pay for the murders theymitted.¡±


    As if on cue, the elves behind him were riled up, their faces contorted with rage.


    An eyebrowless, ghoulishly skeletal man sneered. ¡°Let me do it. I know how to hit them the hardest. It¡¯ll be an unforgettable experience for them. You can hear them scream. Free of charge, of course.¡± The man held the witcher medallions hanging before his neck tightly. ¡°You¡¯ll see how wonderful their screams are.


    Behind them was an elf with an abnormally high nose bridge. He growled quietly, ¡°Something¡¯s there! Look out!¡±


    They were met with a greenhouse, and ayer of fog was draped around it. Refreshing scent of the nts invigorated the elves of Dol thanna. Captivated, they took a closer look and saw more than forty types of nts living within the greenhouse. Cndine, crow¡¯s eye, sage, and nts they¡¯d never seen before were housed here, thriving and growing. Not even the Blue Mountains had a greenhouse with this kind of diversity.


    The fog surrounding the greenhouse seemed to have a life of its own. It swirled and thickened, blocking the invaders¡¯ line of sight, and then two burly beings appeared from within the fog. They charged ahead at terrifying speeds, the ground beneath shaking with every step the beings took. Leaves fell like rain, and sounds of cracking branches echoed from the ferns.


    The invaders stood back to back, pulling their bowstrings and whipping their weapons out.


    ¡°What in zes is that?¡± Schirru¡¯s eyes went wide, and he took a deep breath. Leo saw the creatures as well, and his beard shivered, his eyes ring with excitement.


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    The ground rumbled, and finally, the invaders got a good look at the creatures. They resembled a pair of oak trees with rough bark and numerous burls, but unlike oaks, which were usually docile and unmoving, these creatures were running around like lumbering elephants, swinging their arms wildly. Despite their size, they were fast, and in mere moments, they crashed into the invaders¡¯ assault squad.


    Everyone turned the color of clouds.


    ¡°Attack!¡± Schirru bellowed.


    Even without his orders, the invaders were already letting their arrows loose, the projectiles whizzing through the air. They fell upon the creatures, but they swung their arms and swatted ny-nine out of a hundred arrows away. The remaining arrows couldn¡¯t even puncture the creatures¡¯ bark deeply. All they did was draw a few drops of milky-white blood, but the creatures charged ahead, unfazed by the pain.


    They swung their arms and captured two of the invaders like cockerels hunting for centipedes and worms. The unlucky invaders found themselves wrapped by branches and held in the air. They wriggled and shimmied like snakes trying to escape their captors, and their screams haunted the hearts of theirrades.


    That was not enough to scare the invaders, however. They swung their des away at the treants like they were gardeners trying to trim their yard¡¯s bushes. A momentter, the treants were already covered in bruises and wounds.


    Still, they were stronger than any oak, and these invaders had no experience dealing with these creatures before. Despite their efforts, they couldn¡¯t even cut off the entirety of the treants¡¯ arms.


    While they were attacking, the treants had already wrapped up a few more of the invaders, and in mere moments, there was already a row of soldiers hanging from their branches. Like boa constrictors, the branches were tightening their chokehold.


    Panicked, the invaders iled their legs, but it was to no avail. Eventually, their eyes bulged, their tongues lolled, and their beards were drenched with their blood and vomit as they were suffocated to their deaths.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Within the howls came the excited shout of a certain ghoulish bounty hunter. Heughed and spat at his runic sword. ¡°Come, tree. Let us dance!¡±


    He pounced at the treant on the left, swift as a hare and quiet as a cat.


    The treant was suffocating a yellow-haired elf to his death, and it only spared one branch to fend this invader off.


    Leo swung his de down at the branch, and the sh sounded as if two pieces of metal were mmed together. Most metals couldn¡¯t do anything to the branches, but Leo¡¯s sword was different, and he had strength and speed that far surpassed any regr man. He sliced the monster¡¯s arm with ease, and the broken arm wriggled like a snake for a moment, then it went still.


    The bounty hunter closed in on the treant, and a dozen branchesshed out at him. Like a spinning top, the bounty hunter spun around. The whirlwind of death sliced off the branches, and they fell like corpses.


    Like a billy goat leaping across steep cliffs, he jumped around the battlefield, positioning and repositioning himself to avoid every single attack the treant threw at him. He did not suffer a single injury.


    The other invaders saw nothing but a curtain of shimmering metal dancing around the treant, gouging its skin and drawing blood.


    A few minutester, milky-white blood oozed from the burl that looked like the treant¡¯s eye, and Leo pulled his de out. The treant shivered for a moment, and it went still. It stood like a dead oak tree.


    ¡°That was fun!¡± Leo spun his de and went to the other treant.


    ***


    Evelyn was standing in the greenhouse, dressed in a green dress made of tree bark, her hair tumbling down her shoulders, a mistletoe gand crowned atop her head. A wooden staff was strapped to her back, swaying with every step she took. Green light strobed upon her as she put out the fires erupting across the woods.


    She then pulled back her magic and frowned. The guardian has returned to nature? A mortal killed it?


    Evelyn found this unbelievable. A storm raged in her eyes, her fury icy enough to freeze thend. Green light burst forth from the woods like waves, and the ground rumbled, the air shaken with deafening roars.


    ***


    Beasts of every shape and size charged from their hiding spots, their fangs bared, their eyes filled with cold-blooded murder. The invaders found themselves surrounded by beasts of all manners. Weasels, rats, vipers, lynxes, and even boars. They came by droves and charged at the invaders, ripping them into shreds.


    The invaders were shaken to the core. Before they could stage a counterattack, the beasts had already attacked them, and the air was filled with a cacophony of roars and swinging weapons.


    ¡°They have a druid on their side! Damn it all!¡± Schirru roared and sliced an attacking weasel in half.


    The invaders were scrambling to defend themselves. This was but the first bout of onught, and already there were people killed by the boards, but the smaller critters were the real trouble. The rats and vipers slithered and scurried everywhere, attacking the invaders where they least expected it. Spiders and lizards jumped down from the trees, sliding into the invaders¡¯ clothes and chomped away at their soft spots.


    A burly invader¡¯s eyes bulged, and he howled in pain, holding his crotch. He jumped around in pain, his cheeks purple. And then he rolled on the ground, his pants slowly turning crimson. The sight of the man sent chills down hisrades¡¯ spines.


    ***


    A freckled elf pierced a rabid dog¡¯s throat, but before he could do anything else, a lynx leapt through the air and sliced the elf¡¯s throat open, its ws glinting coldly.


    The elf¡¯s windpipe was shed in two, and he fell with a thud. Arge group of mice held him up and scurried off deep into the woods like they were carrying a broken siege weapon.


    The boars and wolves were working together, whittling down the number of enemies.


    And to make things worse, a terrible creature that was the amalgamation of a lion and eagle dove from the skies, a great air currentshing out at the invaders. It caught an invader between its talons and took him high up into the air.


    Momentster, crimson rain fell upon the battlefield, and a mangled corpse mmed into the ground.


    ¡°They have a griffin!¡±


    ¡°The witchers have a griffin!¡±


    A muscr invader with a narrow forehead shouted in terror, and he fired at the skies, but all his arrows either missed or were deflected by the griffin¡¯s wings.


    Momentster, the griffin flew back down and took with it another invader, sentencing him to his death.


    ***


    Roars and cries and screams and the swinging of metal filled the air of the woods. The invaders were fending off the beasts, but every time the invaders killed a beast, three more would take its ce. Eventually, the green of the woods was drenched with the blood of the dead.


    ***


    ¡°Damn these beasts! Get the firebombs! We¡¯ll burn them to cinders!¡± Schirru roared.


    The invaders quickly took the oil jars from their utility belts and pelted them at the iing beasts. A great pir of mes charged into the skies, illuminating the snarling invaders.


    The beasts¡¯ onught was stopped, cut off by the mes. The air crackled and sizzled, the aroma of burning flesh undting across the battlefield. Burning beasts ran and pranced around, bumping into theirpanions, spreading the fire further.


    The beasts¡¯ attack slowed, and Leo pulled his de out of the second treant¡¯s eye, killing it. He swung away at an iing boar, slicing it in half. Blood drenched his face, and a sneer twisted his lips. ¡°Who shall be my next partner, I wonder?¡±


    A round ss container shattered into shards, and the explosion sent more than five invaders flying away, burning like a pyre. Sparks flew in every direction, and the mes spread faster than the screams of the invaders could.


    Behind the army of beasts stood a mousey, balding man in grimy robes. He held up a special firebomb, a smirk curling his lips, and he blinked, the dark circles under his eyes sagging.


    ¡°Regr firebombs are nd.¡± Kalkstein invited sinisterly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a taste of my custom bomb? It¡¯s an all-you-can-eat buffet.


    Another bomb was set off, but this time, a cloud of freezing vaporshed out at the invaders, turning the closest pair of invaders into icy sculptures. On the other side of the beast army was a woman in long ck robes, and a ball of ice swirled within her palms. Her robes billowed despite theck of winds, and they clung tightly to her perfect curves.


    Sunlight shone upon her beautiful visage, her crimson hair billowing in the air, but her eyes were cold as ice. She was like a goddess holding the power of the whole winter in her hands.


    ***


    ¡°They have a druid, a griffin, and two sorcerers guarding this ce? Damn the witchers! We¡¯re in deep!¡± Schirru snarled, fear flickering in his eyes.


    The invaders were mmed into disarray. Schirru tried to fire at the sorcerer, but he quickly jerked away and behind a tree and cackled maniacally as an exploding dimeritium bomb missed him. At the same time, the sorceress disappeared into thin air.


    The sorcerers flickered in and out of the battlefield, shielding themselves behind trees and escaping with their spells whenever they had to. The invaders would find themselves bombarded by their spells from time to time.


    ¡°That ain¡¯t the only trouble here.¡± Leo dragged his de across the ground and walked past the group of invaders, making his way to the other side of the battlefield.


    Within the fog and fire stood two silhouettes, and in their hands were swords. One was burly and equipped with a pair of spiked spaulders. The medallion of a wolf¡¯s head hung around his neck, and a scar spanned the right side of his face. His gaze was filled with ice-cold fury, his face deadpan.


    The witcher held his sword high above his shoulder, slowly closing in on Leo, preparing to charge into battle.


    The other witcher had a pair of sunsses hanging from his nose. He was gaunt, and he donned Cat School¡¯s light armor. Hanging around his neck was the medallion of a cat¡¯s head. His steps were light and fast, and his razor-thin de swung around. The look in his eyes was as cold as hispanion¡¯s.


    They walked together, taking big strides toward the crowd, and they met the gaze of Leo, the bounty hunter with dead eyes, and sparks flew.


    ***


    Adrenaline pumped through Leo¡¯s veins, and he shivered uncontrobly. This would be his first time facing off two witchers at once. It would prove to be his deadliest battle to date, but it would also be the peak of his career.


    ¡°Come, witchers! Swing your de. Dance with me! This is a party for three!¡± Leo roared at his adversaries and beckoned at them, his eyes glinting darkly. ¡°Two on one. This shall be a never-before-seen performance, and heads will roll. Not mine, though. Before you draw yourst breath, I shall grant you thest ever joy you¡¯ll taste.¡±


    Leo drew a line across the ground as he held his de up. He thrust his left hand forward and charged toward the witcher, fast as a phantom. The leaves behind him flew high into the air. ¡°The tune begins!¡±


    Dimeritium bombs were tossed, and the witchers found their mana restricted. Felix and Eskel could¡¯ve dodged that, but out of their pride as swordsmen, they took the hit head on. This would be a duel with swords.


    The shrill shriek of metal shing ripped the air as the witchers nked the human arrogant enough to take them on at once.


    Leo didn¡¯t retreat, however. He leapt ahead and jumped through the crack between the witchers¡¯ attack. The de cut open his armor, but in exchange, he managed tond behind his adversaries.


    The bounty hunter whirled andshed out twice, his de shing likeets streaking through the skies.


    The first attack cut Felix¡¯s shoulder open, and the second hit Eskel¡¯s left rib.


    Blood spurted, and the witchers grunted, but they did not stop or slow down. One whirled and swung his de down at Leo¡¯s nape, while the other crouched and thrust his de at Leo¡¯s chest.


    Metal pierced the air, hissing like snakes. Leo rolled backward and dodged the attacks. Before the witchers couldunch another attack, Leo fought back, swinging his de again and again.


    Metal shed, and sparks flew around, creating a mini waterfall made of fire. It shone brighter than any mes dancing in the woods.


    ***


    Schirru pierced the head of a lynx with his sword and stopped it cold in its jump, but he was drenched with sweat, with not a smile on his face.


    mes and icicles were raining down around him, hispanions howling in agony. They were two hundred strong when they started this mission, but not even five minutester, they lost more than half of that, and their numbers were still dwindling at a worrisome speed. The forest grounds were now a hellscape of blood and cadavers.


    As if the sorcerers and griffins were not trouble enough, the druid decided to join the fray. She turned the invaders into cinders with her lightning bolts, sending them flying with her hurricanes only for them to fall back down and break their limbs.


    The beasts seemed to be endless, and they swarmed the invaders, keeping them away from the spellcasters. Most of the arrows and dimeritium bombs couldn¡¯t hurt them. They easily dodged those using their home advantage. The sparse arrows that hit them failed to break through their magical barriers.


    Schirru felt powerless. He might end up letting Vilgefortz down. If we can¡¯t even take down the witchers¡¯panions, their main team in Novigrad must be shaking the city itself.


    Schirru stared at the clearing, despair welling in his eyes.


    A trio of silhouettes were shing and breaking apart at blinding speeds, sparks flying everywhere. The fighters had strength and speed that outstripped regr humans, and their swordsmanship was on a level of its own.


    Schirru couldn¡¯t even see how they moved or fought. All he could make out was the sweat and blood that poured to the ground with every sh. And the crimson sparks of blood.


    ***


    Thirty secondster, a shrill hum of a swinging de brought the battle to an end. The witchers and Leo separated for onest time.


    Leo was hunched over, barely holding himself up with his sword as a crutch. His armor was tattered, his body covered in horrifying wounds.


    He was worn out, his snow-white beard covered in blood, and he stared at his adversaries with bloodshot eyes, but there was a satisfied smile on his lips.


    A bloodied Eskel grunted and fell ahead on his knees. A gust of icy gale sprinted through the woods, and a gash opened up the witcher¡¯s neck. Blood poured forth like a fountain, and Eskel fell to the ground, his life slowly ebbing away.


    He saw shes of his life ying in his head. Scenes of his early life as an orphan. Nightmares of the experiment. Then memories of his time with his brethren. All the dull moments, triumphs, and deadly battles ran through his head, ending with memories of the brotherhood and his time with the subus.


    My brothers, children, Pashia, I¡¯m sorry.


    Eskel¡¯s pupils started dting, and his consciousness was fading to ck.


    A wounded Felix spat out a wooden cork and gulped down a dose of Swallow, then he held up Eskel¡¯s body, his chest drenched with his blood. The Cat could feel hispanion¡¯s breathing slow down.


    ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day, mate.¡± He whipped out a prized possession he¡¯d been holding on for quite a while now. Felix intended for Carl to use it, but he passed the Trial without a hitch. Lucky him. Since then, he¡¯d kept this item on him.


    ***


    Leo roared withughter. ¡°Ain¡¯t had this much fun in a while. Witchers really are the best dance partners. Twice the fun if there¡¯s two of ya. Been a real st!¡± He grabbed the medallions before his neck and tore them off, then he tossed them at the witchers. ¡°Take this. It¡¯s your reward.¡±


    His dark, raspy voice was drowned out by the roars of battle, but his smile remained. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this day. Dying in battle is a lot better than dying in bed. Be it because of sickness or anything else. Better than getting feasted on by maggots.¡± He turned to the body of Eskel. ¡°And now I have my wish. One for one, ain¡¯t too bad.¡±


    He looked at the fallen Eskel, his eyes ring with battle spirit. ¡°We¡¯re resuming this battle when we meet in hell. Ain¡¯t gonna be a lonely trip with a battle partner with me. I have¡­ no regrets.¡±


    The ghost of Leo¡¯s smile was etched on his face, and death imed him. He drew hisst breath, still leaning on his de. The gash on his lower back cut deep, his bones exposed to the elements, and blood trickled to the ground.


    ¡°You were a terrifying adversary, Leo. The strongest human I¡¯ve ever fought.¡± There was praise in Felix¡¯s eyes, then he shook his head. ¡°But you didn¡¯t im Eskel¡¯s life.¡± He popped the acorn into Eskel¡¯s mouth. ¡°You died for nothing.¡±


    The acorn slid down Eskel¡¯s food tract, and the power of life radiated from his body, forming a green cocoon around him. It clung tightly to Eskel¡¯s wound, and as if the witcher had just taken the most brilliant healing potion in the world, the gash on his neck was healing up quickly. Like a snake, he shed his old skin, recing it with ayer of silky smooth skin. Even his scar was gone.


    Life swam into Eskel, and his eyes snapped open, shining like two small suns.


    ***


    The mes burst into an explosion, and Schirru felt everything spin. He flew into the skies, heat and agony drowning his mind. Exhaustion overwhelmed him from within, and everything faded into darkness. Sounds, smell, light, everything. His life was snuffed out, and along it, his ambitions.


    Before he fell to his death, Schirru saw Leo drawing hisst breath, their trump card fallen to the clutches of death. We lost. A crushing defeat. Vilgefortz¡­ Onest thought crossed his mind before he died. Avenge us.

 Chapter 554 - 554: Begin

    Chapter 554: Begin


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The battle at the za wasing to an end, though smoke still billowed in the air.


    Like a great dam in the river, the ice giant barred entry for the hundreds of guards who tried to prate his defenses. Still, the guards charged ahead relentlessly, prodding him with their weapons, shooting at him with their arrows, and burning him with their bombs.


    Even though their attacks did nothing but negligible damage, the umtion of their insignificant attacks could still wear Leviathan down. Before he knew it, the ice giant was already covered in wounds, his breathing ragged, his ruby eyes dim. His oak tree bat was already broken from the countless swings.


    Leviathan grabbed the stake that Jiji was tied to earlier and spun around like a whirlwind of death, the air crackling. Any guards who tried to even get near the ice giant, even the heavily-armored cavalry, was smashed into meat pies.


    The za was covered in blood.


    ***


    While the ice giant was distracting most of the guards, the witchers charged ahead, swinging their swords at anyone who would try to attack them. The guards fell by the droves, unable to match the witchers.


    The witchers stepped upon the bodies of fallen guards and Scoia¡¯tael members, carving a path through the northern part of the za. A path won through arduous battles. And finally, they came to the main hall of the church.


    Letho and Vesemir cut down the guards who foolishly still defended the entrance. Lambert, Auckes, Geralt, and Coen cast Aard at the same time, and a devastating current of air smashed into the golden doors.


    The doors yawned open, revealing the great hall behind. Braziers burned in the corners, illuminating the spacious chamber. The ceiling was held up by a few pirs made of gold, and a zing red carpet unfurled before them, leading to the dais further down the chamber, where Cyrus¡¯ throne stood. Where a crimson wall overlooked the hall.


    Cyrus stood with his staff in hand, protected by twenty guards. His robes were sullied by blood, his arrogance reced by fear, his beard shivering. The old man looked nervous and worn out. Never did he expect this day toe. Fifteen lowly witchers. Fifteen bloodied, wounded witchers with ck blood coursing through their veins.


    They were outnumbered, their potions almost depleted, but despite the disadvantage, these mutants tore down an iron-d defense line made up of five sorcerers and hundreds of guards. And they did it in Novigrad, the base of the Eternal Fire¡¯s operations. They carved a path through the bodies of their enemies and made their way to him, the Hierarch.


    This was a feat no human could aplish. Even with the ice giant lending them immense help, the witchers had proved themselves to be far more formidable than he had expected.


    The apprentice witchers closed the golden doors. They no longer had the air of children after going through that bloody battle. Their eyes radiated murder and determination, almost like they were full-fledged adults.


    With Letho in the lead, the bloodied witchers quickly closed in on the Hierarch. The blood that fell from their armor drenched the carpets in an even deeper shade of red.


    Jiji trailed behind them, and he felt conflicted seeing his erstwhile superior. He never thought he could escape death and face Cyrus in triumph. For that, he was d the witchers were his allies.


    Rivulets of sweat poured down the guards¡¯ faces, their hands shaking uncontrobly, and they prayed in their hearts. The demons. They¡¯ve arrived. Please, gods, deliver us from evil.


    ¡°Cyrus, you old fool!¡± Lambert mocked loudly, his voiceced with fury. He wiped the blood from his de with the cloth of his shirt. ¡°If you¡¯d tried to coexist in peace, you¡¯d never have this kind of trouble, but no. You just had to¡­ what did you say again? Ah, yes, leave no survivors. Well, wish granted, I think.¡±


    The witchers red at Cyrus, livid.


    Cyrus¡¯ heart skipped a beat, his face red with fear. His back was hunched, his beard drenched with foam. ¡°T-This is all a misunderstanding. Someone¡¯s trying to turn us on each other. A-And I fell for their trick. I swear this is a misunderstanding.¡±


    The Eternal Fire hasn¡¯t spread its mes far enough. I can¡¯t die here. At this point, I have to surrender and look for more opportunities. Cyrus took a deep breath. Once this crisis is over, I¡¯ll find a way to topple these bastards.


    Cyrus raised his trembling right hand and swore loudly, ¡°In the name of the Eternal Fire, I swear, if you cease this meaningless massacre at once, then I shall tell the citizens the truth of this chaos. It was the elves. Yes, the elves were the ones who brought this upon us!¡±


    This is enough, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m bowing to you. Me, the Hierarch. The head of all fifty churches in the North. Cease this at once, mutants.


    Lambert scoffed, and he dragged himself up the stairs. ¡°Oath? Your oath means nothing, you reneging scum.¡±


    Serrit¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°But we don¡¯t mind knowing who your partner in crime is. So who¡¯s the one you¡¯ve been working with?¡±


    ¡°Rience,¡± Cyrus answered without hesitation. Rience is just amon goon. Vilgefortz might get mad, but at least I still have a chance for a negotiation.


    ¡°And who might Rience serve?¡± asked Letho, his voice monotonous.


    Someone started mming the golden doors, the wooden beam blocking it shaking tremendously.


    Cyrus looked reinvigorated. Reinforcements are here.


    ¡°I do not know.¡± Cyrus tried to buy time. ¡°He despises witchers, and he proposed a partnership. I fell for his tricks, thinking it was a fair deal, but all is still not toote. Please, cease this at once. I¡¯ll exin everything to the citizens. You can still build a home in Novigrad, and I promise no one will get in the way of your¡­ project.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s toote for that.¡± Vesemir shook his head, a sigh rushing out of his lips. The moment theyunched the attack, they knew the consequences that awaited them. Too many people saw their onught. Too many guards died by their hands. The influence would spread far and wide. It would not be something easily mitigated nor diminished in a short span of time.


    The witchers couldn¡¯t deny all allegations either. Their home would never know peace for a long time. In response to Cyrus¡¯ feeble offer, the witchers unsheathed their weapons and flickered across the halls.


    shes of light drowned Cyrus¡¯ guard, and they fell without making a move, blood spurting from their throats, and they rolled down the staircase.


    Kiyan grabbed Cyrus by his hair and pressed him down on the cold, hard ground. The old man fell to his knees, too weak to even resist. He knelt before the very creatures he loathed the most.


    ¡°Repent. For the deaths your foolish decision has caused.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve won, witchers!¡± Cyrus¡¯ face was red with humiliation. Like a tamed dog, he howled. ¡°Please, have mercy. You cannot kill the Eternal Fire¡¯s priest before Its eyes. This is sphemy! It will rain down retribution!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re invoking the name of your god?¡±


    Fury red within the hearts of the witchers. If his god is nothing but a monster that torments those who only want to live peaceful lives, then that monster deserves no worship.


    ¡°Silence!¡± A carbon copy of Letho took a step ahead, ring at the once revered and sacred Hierarch. He once respected this senile man. ¡°Cyrus, under your leadership, numerousmissioners found themselves beguiled and lost to the allure of coin, lust, and power. For their abandonment of the path, you condemned them, iming that they were not devout enough to resist the temptation of worldly offerings.¡±


    Jiji hissed, ¡°But you¡¯re blind to your own pitfalls. You, despite being the Hierarch for so many years, are blind to your own corruption. For many years, you¡¯ve been consumed by your own greed. The power, title, and honor have gone to your head. You would do anything to reach your goal, no matter how nefarious the acts are. You¡¯d twist stories in your favor and condemn innocent souls to death, and you im it is done for the spread of the fire. That is nothing but an excuse. Excuse to cover up your own avarice. Your actions have brought nothing but the taint of darkness upon the sacred fire.¡±


    Jiji took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the golden emblem of mes behind the throne. ¡°Your actions have consequences, and now they have borne fruit in the form of divine retribution. God hath judged you.¡±


    Cyrus shivered, his face turning three shades whiter. His conviction that he held on for decades wavered for a moment, and tears streamed down his cheeks, as if he had a mental breakdown.


    Divine retribution? Me? Impossible. I spent my life spreading the glory of the Eternal Fire. I have given everything to it. For my mission, I¡¯ve remained celibate. I¡¯ve refused to sire my own heir, and I have no family to call my own. It cannot punish me! It cannot!


    Cyrus raised his head and let out an ear-piercing shriek. ¡°You doppler bastard!¡±


    The witchers exchanged a look and nodded. They gave Cyrus not a moment more, bringing down their sword on his nape. Blood streaked into the air, and the head of Cyrus rolled down the staircase, his face contorted in rage.


    Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart was venomous until the very end, but no longer could he do any harm.


    Letho touched the head, and it disappeared, tucked away in his ring. He then tucked the headless corpse away as well, cleaning up the crime scene. Silence fell upon the hall. Besides the witchers and the Eternal Fire, no one was privy to the death of the Hierarch.


    Jiji was surprised. He couldn¡¯t understand why the witchers did that.


    Letho said, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Jiji was confused.


    The guards were pummeling the door even harder.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the only corrupted official around. There¡¯ll be more like him ready to exploit this power vacuum, but do you really want another Cyrus to take the throne of the Hierarch?¡± Vesemir stroked his bloodstained beard.


    ¡°What we¡¯re trying to say is¡­ Why don¡¯t you take up the mantle of Hierarch and lead the church of the Eternal Fire? No, not just a single church. All the churches in the North. If you¡¯re Hierarch, no guards or believers would suspect you of being a doppler,¡± Lambert suggested adamantly. ¡°You can rewrite the rules and lead the church to a better path.¡±


    They want me to take over as Hierarch? Jiji shook his head. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing.


    The door was moments away from being taken down.


    ¡°This is your chance to realize your ambitions, Jiji. Miss it, and you won¡¯t have another chance.¡± Geralt patted Jiji¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Or would you rather suffer the citizens¡¯ prejudice and escape like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, all the while allowing ignorance to rule this city?¡±


    The witchers stared at Jiji, anticipation filling their eyes.


    Jiji gritted his teeth, memories of being tied to the stake, ndered by the people, and judged by their ignorance shing in his head. All his passion and uptight morality was cooled by his frustration, and he sighed. I will not run this time. Lights strobed from within the doppler, and his body contracted and wriggled like a ball of dough getting kneaded into another shape.


    One momentter, Cyrus reappeared among them, hunched and in bloodstained robes. He stared at his gaunt, gnarled hands, confused for a moment. He then took a deep breath and straightened out the golden crown atop his head, his visage taking on a solemn shade.


    He then felt the cool of a de touching his neck.


    Serrit looked at him apologetically. ¡°Sorry, but we have to do this if we want to look more credible. Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s all the elves¡¯ fault. And we¡¯ll always be allies.¡±


    If the witchers came out chatting happily with Cyrus when they were at each other¡¯s throats a minute ago, anyone would know that something was off. They had to appear like they were holding Cyrus hostage and ensure their future would be secure.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Time to bring this fiasco to an end.¡±


    The doors finally gave in, and they fell. Guards charged into the halls, roaring and swinging their weapons. And then they froze, their blood running cold. The sight they were served with was more shocking than the escape of the ice giant. It was unbelievable enough that the giant escaped through the sea, but now they were seeing something worse. The sted witchers were standing atop a pile of corpses, holding the Hierarch hostage while slowly approaching the guards.


    ***


    There was another battle going on in a certain antechamber, and it too wasing to an end.


    Roy scanned the sorcerers slowly. Rience, Lydia, and two Scoia¡¯tael sorcerers. Tension was running high. Should I kill them all? No. That won¡¯t help. The true mastermind is still free. As long as Vilgefortz draws breath, we¡¯ll never be at peace. I cannot allow him to live and scheme against us. This is for Ciri. For my Unexpected Child. And I cannot forgive him for ruining our hard-earned home.


    Roy wouldn¡¯t stop until he met Vilgefortz and took him out of the picture. He has to pay for his actions.


    ¡°You promise we¡¯ll have a plot ofnd of our own if I shake your hand?¡± Roy held Gwyhyr like it was a crutch holding him up. He wiped the blood off his forehead, a gentler air surrounding him.


    ¡°Yes, if you give in willingly.¡± A smile twinkled in Rience¡¯s eyes. ¡°I will take you to Vilgefortz, and you shall tell him where Ciri is. Vilgefortz is known for his generosity. Serving him is miles better than working for any king. And you¡¯d better get on it.¡± Rience nced at the za through the corner of his eye.


    At the end of his wits, the ice giant charged through the defense line and leapt into the sea under the ind. The guards charged into the great hall, raring to kill.


    ¡°Hesitate, and yourrades die.¡±


    Roy had hesitation in his eyes.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Throw down your weapon.¡± Rience stared at Roy, moving his knife around Gawain¡¯s neck. ¡°Get on your knees and submit.¡±


    Lydia was deadpan, but the Scoia¡¯tael sorcerers looked satisfied.


    He wants me to kneel? Roy shook his head, smirking, and he stared at the arrogant sorcerer. ¡°One little mistake, Rience. I do not take well to threats.¡±


    Roy pulled the trigger, and a Scoia¡¯tael sorcerer was sted through the air before the enemies could see what was happening. He mmed into the wall of the antechamber and fell limply, a big hole bore through his chest.


    Roy blinked through space and appeared before the corpse. Crimson light strobed, and the other Scoia¡¯tael sorcerer was drowned by the tentacles that leapt out of the void.


    Roy swung his sword and lopped off the enemy¡¯s head.


    Lydia fired a bolt of electricity at the witcher. The bolt leapt across the ground, but it only hit air.


    Roy blinked through space again and appeared before Lydia. The bolt he fired smashed her magical barrier, and the sorceress¡¯ arm flew into the air, sliced by the witcher¡¯s de.


    She grunted, and a burst of green light came forth from within her body, then she disappeared into thin air.


    Rience slit Gawain¡¯s throat and tossed him away, then he sent a column of fire flying at Roy, the mes burning up the air and ground.


    Roy appeared beside the dying Gawain and spun his de around, cutting the rope and cuffs off. His Elder Blood roared, and the power of time came rushing out of him, enveloping the dying Gawain.


    Just like that, Gawain¡¯s slit neck healed and was good as new.


    ¡°What happened, Roy?¡± Gawain sat up, touching his neck. He looked at Roy, surprised. He vividly remembered Rience slitting his throat, and then he fell into the darkness of death. So how did I live?


    Gasps came from the air.


    ¡°You have to hide. I¡¯ll exinter,¡± Roy said. He then made aplex gesture with his left hand and held it high up over his head. The shield of Heliotrop opened up like a ck umbre and deflected the iing fireballs.


    Roy summoned his minion, and a frost atronach came jumping out a maroon sphere. It stood before Gawain, protecting him.


    Roy fired off another bolt and appeared at the spot the fireballs wereunched. He took a deep breath and¡­


    Fus!


    The power of the Bones crossed dimensions and lent immense power to Roy¡¯s Shout. The antechamber rumbled from the waves of the Shout, as if it were hit by a devastating earthquake.


    A grunt came from nowhere, and Rience fell like a bird with broken wings, his invisibility spell dispeled. His face was bloody, his mind torn apart by a thousand knives. Everything was spinning, and a look of agony painted his face. All his bones were crushed, and not an ounce of strength would respond to his summon.


    Someone propped him up and held a de to his neck, drawing a line of blood.


    The witcher¡¯s icy voice hissed into his ear, ¡°Alright, Rience, I¡¯m not a generous man, so you have one option.¡± Roy looked around, trying to look for the masked sorceress, but there was only silence. Not a drop of blood was left behind. She¡¯s probably escaped, I think?


    He turned back to Rience. ¡°Contact your master. I¡¯d like to talk.¡±

 Chapter 555: Vilgefortz

    The frost atronach and Gawain were searching the corner carefully for the sorceress. At the same time, Rience had conjured a screen of light. A short-haired, burly man in a knight''s attire stood within the screen. Behind him were rows of bookshelves and a vat filled with water. Roy could vaguely see an endless beach outside the window behind the man.


    Vilgefortz looked at his subordinate, and he tensed up a little. Surprised, he said, "What happened, Rience?"


    A man was holding a de seemingly made out of bones to Rience''s throat. Rience''s face was contorted in pain, guilt and frustration filling his eyes. His pupils were slightly dted, and with a weak voice, he said, "I-I apologize, Master Vilgefortz. Th-The brat¡ª"


    "One more unnecessary word and my hands might just¡­ slip." The man stuck his head out. He had short ck hair and eyes of golden and silver hue. He seemed conflicted. The man warned Rience, "You''d better make peace with the gods when that happens."


    Rience froze and stopped talking.


    "Hello, Vilgefortz. Master sorcerer, member of the brotherhood, and beloved figure of the Continent''s rulers. Your reputation precedes you."


    Roy spaced out for a moment. After so many ordeals, he finally met Vilgefortz. The sorcerer who easily defeated Geralt and burned a higher vampire to cinders.


    ''Vilgefortz.


    Age: 68 years old


    Gender: Male


    Status: Sorcerer, Druid, Alchemist, Member of the Sorcerer Brotherhood.


    HP: 320


    Mana: ?


    Strength: 32


    Constitution: 32


    Dexterity: 25


    Perception: 20


    Charisma: 16


    Spirit: ?


    Skills:


    Source, Elementalist Level 8, Staff Mastery Level 10, Quickspell Mastery Level 10, Meditation Level 10, Teleportation Level 10, Mirror Image Level 10, Anti-Gravity Field Level 10, Chromatic Barrier Level 10, Shadow Escape Level 10, Empathic Probe Level 10, Astrology Level 5¡­ (more than three hundred skills hidden)''


    ***


    Roy inhaled sharply. He knew Vilgefortz was powerful, but this was beyond his imagination. The multitude of spells he knew alone vastly overpowered Roy''s repertoire, and his incredible stats meant he was also as much an experienced fighter as he was a sorcerer.


    In the original timeline, Geralt and Vilgefortz battled during the political shift in Thanedd a few years down the line. With his skill with the staff, Vilgefortz broke Geralt''s legs, and the White Wolf''s legs weren''t the same since then. In the game, this tranted to Geralt taking lethal fall damage if he were to jump off the height of a one-story building or more.


    In a real battle, Roy would be crushed in a few exchanges. Vilgefortz was the strongest enemy he had seen to date, but he would not run away. If he failed to take Vilgefortz down, this man would stop at nothing until he destroyed the witchers and the children.


    "You seem to have seen me before, but I can¡¯t say the same about you," said Vilgefortz calmly. He stared at the young witcher, particrly the viper medallion hanging around his neck. He didn''t remember ever seeing thisd before.


    "Name''s Roy. A nobody who got dragged into your schemes."


    "I see. What a surprise." Vilgefortz smiled. There was praise and mockery in his smile. "I''m impressed, witcher. You managed to escape despite the heavy assault from Scoia''tael and Eternal Fire''s guards. Not only that, you captured Rience and established contact with me. You''re a top-notch escape artist if I''ve ever seen one. Very well, name your terms."


    Vilgefortz crossed his arms nonchntly. "What will it take for you to let him go?"


    "Your rabid dogs have been running around attacking anyone they see. I wonder if you''re as mad as they are. If you have even an ounce of shame left in you, you''lle over right away." Roy sneered. "Then you''ll tell the people of Novigrad all about your conspiracy. And I demand you apologize to me and my brethren."


    Vilgefortz smiled mirthlessly. "That is an amusing request, Roy. Despite this being our first meeting, you''re already making unreasonable demands. If that insult is your way to get at me, then it is a lowly strategy indeed."


    "Someone''s mad." Roy smiled. "Didn''t think a member of the Sorcerer Brotherhood would be so fickle. Oh, but I''m not done. We''re not the only ones you owe an apology to. There''s also Pavetta. And Ciri, who lost her home and family because of your scheme. No, an apology isn''t enough. You will pay for your mistakes with your own life."


    "Ah, Pavetta." Vilgefortz smiled again, but there was surprise in his eyes. "How did you know of her? Are you a rtive of Emhyr? Or might you be the descendant of that ship''s sailor?"


    Memories were dragged up. It was back in the day when Emhyr was not yet emperor. He was still Duny, the husband of Pavetta and the son-inw of Cnthe. Cnthe kept an incredibly close eye on Duny, giving him no chance to escape.


    And thus, Duny contacted Vilgefortz in secret, requesting that he create a storm while he, Pavetta, and Ciri wereing back from Skellige. Pavetta, however, saw through her husband''s scheme, and she left Ciri in Skellige. When the storm hit, she refused to work with Duny and lost her life in Sedna Abyss.


    Duny made his return to Nilfgaard and emerged triumphant in his bid for the throne, and he became the emperor of Nilfgaard, the tyrant of the South, and the White me Dancing on the Barrows of His Enemies¡ªEmhyr var Emreis. Ever since then, Emhyr has been in close contact with the sorcerer.


    ***


    Vilgefortz knew that almost everyone on the drakkar died in the storm. Besides Emhyr and himself, no one knew the true story of that ''ident.'' Even Cnthe was kept in the dark. She was oblivious to the fact that her daughter''s husband and killer had be the emperor of Nilfgaard. In all his cruelty, Emhyr destroyed the kingdom of Cintra to hide this ugly past.


    <em>So how did the witcher find out? Pity I can''t read his mind through the screen.</em>


    "Oh, that''s not the only thing I know, Vilgefortz. Consider my offer carefully. Open a portal ande over so we can talk. Maybe I can talk some sense into you," Roy said. Rience, his hostage, was looking somber.


    "Roy, is it? You might have not realized this, but your hands are shaking. You''re nervous. Fearful." Vilgefortz''s eyes shone like beacons. "The witchers'' are infamous now. The people of Novigrad no longer think of you as heroes. Your brethren are all but dead. Submit and plead for my pity. Show your true self and release Rience. Be genuine enough, and I might find it in myself to spare you."


    Vilgefortz held his fingers together and ced them before his lips. "Your resistance is futile. It will only destroy you in the end."


    "You might not realize this, Vilgefortz, but there''s weakness in your voice. You''re too scared to show yourself." Roy pulled Rience closer to himself and held his chin up, forcing the sorcerer to look at his master. The witcher held his de tighter. "And to think you risked your life to start a war for this piece of human scum. Even if I were to kill you right in front of him, he will not feel an ounce of sadness for you. You are nothing but his pawn. A disposable piece in his game of chess. He can always rece you with something else."


    "No, please, have mercy!" Rience''s arrogance waspletely erased. He broke down and cried loudly, as though he was poultry trying to struggle for dear life before the butcher could kill it.


    "You still choose to go against me, witcher?" Vilgefortz questioned. He narrowed his eyes, his calm attitude gone, reced by icy fury.


    Royughed and slit Rience''s throat open. The sorcerer''s windpipe was shed, and blood spurted out like a fountain, drenching the screen in red.


    Rience the spy, the sorcerer, and servant of Vilgefortz, was killed in the face of his master. He gurgled, his eyes filled with the longing for life and frustration of dying before his time. <em>My master has yet to be the North''s ruler, and I have yet to im my reward. I cannot¡ª</em>


    Rience''s head went limp, and he fell to the ground facefirst, his breath gone.


    Roy let go of the corpse and stared at Vilgefortz. "That''s for the innocent lives lost to your schemes. And the lives of my brethren you ruined. This is but the beginning, Vilgefortz. You''re next."


    Vilgefortz harrumphed, and the screen went dark.


    A gale howled within the antechamber, and a dark portal opened up behind the witcher. Noticing that, Gawain hurled a fireball at the portal, and it hit the invisible Lydia.


    Lydia let out a scream and rolled into the portal, holding her sliced-off arm.


    A split second before the portal could close, Roy pulled his crossbow''s trigger, and a bolt hurtled into the portal. The air around the witcher rippled, and he disappeared into thin air.


    ***


    Everything around him changed. When he blinked back into reality, Roy found himself transported to a dim, dark hall. Looming pirs held up the arched ceiling, and a spindly, spider-like chandelier hung from above. On the walls of the four sides, gorgeous oil paintings hung.


    <em>First Landing, Insignia of the Chosen, and Novigradian Union. All important historical events, where sorcerers yed crucial roles in deciding the fate of humanity. So this must be Stygga, Vilgefortz''s stronghold.</em>


    Roy stepped ahead and pulled Lydia out of the pool of her own blood. He ced a pair of dimeritium cuffs on her and staunched her blood loss with a makeshift bandage.


    Lydia was in a sorry state. Her beautiful blue dress was drenched in the red of blood, she lost one arm, and Roy''s bolt sted her left leg to smithereens before she could get into the portal. Her leg was a mangled mess, and Roy could see the bones jutting out of it.


    Her shifting mask was still as deadpan as ever, but it was glistening from the rivulets of sweat covering it. Lydia stared at the witcher in icy silence. She couldn''t speak a word even if she wanted to. In a horrifying experiment, she lost her beauty, her chin, and voice. Since that nightmarish incident, Lydia concealed her true face behind a magical mask.


    She was Vilgefortz''s most trusted lieutenant, and Roy could see the concern and fear in her eyes. Even when her life was at stake, she was still putting her master before herself. Lydia was the only member of Vilgefortz''s clique that Roy did not hate. Her only sin was that she chose the wrong side and wasplicit in spreading his evil.


    Sounds of footsteps slowly descended the stairs, and the air echoed with Vilgefortz''s apuse. "You are a very brave man, witcher," said Vilgefortz, his voiceced with magic. Roy couldn''t shake the sorcerer''s voice out of his head for a while.


    Lydia''s eyes shone with hope and love.


    "Moments ago, you were insulting me, and now here you are. Alone."


    Vilgefortz came off the final step, the darkness obscuring his face. He was holding a six-feet-long metal staff in his right hand, his body at ease. The sorcerer took one step ahead, and he split into four identical copies of himself. The copies surrounded the witchers, each as real as the other.


    "Wee to my castle, witcher." The mirror images stood ten yards away, staring at Roy. They spoke at the same time, their voices echoing and ovepping. The look in their eyes was not icy or deadly. Instead, it almost felt like they were looking at an old friend.


    For some inexplicable reason, the sorcerer''s attitude toward Roy underwent a change. There was even a hint of passion hiding deep within his eyes. "I hope you came here for a good enough reason."


    "Finally we meet, Vilgefortz." Roy propped up the listless sorceress, looking around cautiously. Even with the power of Observe, Roy could not see which one was the real Vilgefortz.


    Still, he had to stay calm in the face of this formidable enemy. This was different from their short meeting through the screen. Seeing Vilgefortz for himself told Roy how powerful this man was. His mana was overflowing and shone like the sun, his magical barrier made of chromatic shades. Bolts and arcs of electricity danced around him.


    Roy couldn''t be sure which one was the real Vilgefortz, but his temples were throbbing, his Elder Blood yelling out a warning. This castle was home to a danger far greater than Gruffyd the higher vampire.


    "I have a feeling you know me and my story well." The mirror images looked at Roy curiously. "Can you tell me where we''ve met before?"


    Roy looked around in silence. The medallion before his neck buzzed. The mana in the air rippled for a moment and quickly disappeared.


    Vilgefortz was surprised. All the mind-reading spells he threw at the witcher were rendered ineffective. It was as though the spells had mmed into a wall that refused them ess. <em>He''s born with anti-mind reading abilities.</em>


    Roy did not answer. Vilgefortz turned his gaze to the moaning Lydia, and he changed the subject. "Be gentle with Lydia. She''s a good girl, and she deserves no torment."


    Vilgefortz was gentle, but not out of love. He was only caring for a good lieutenant. This was just him being professional. The mirror images smiled. "The fact you barged into my home and didn''t attack right away means there''s room for negotiations. If you release Lydia and allow her to nurse her wounds, I will let Rience''s death slide."


    The mirror images took a collective step forward. The sorcerer was genuine. "And then we can talk. Equally and fairly, without any grudge or bad blood between us. You have a lot of questions about me, and so do I about you. A witcher possessing this many abilities is unheard of, and I do love making friends with powerful people. If we set aside our prejudice, perhaps we can strike a deal."


    "Just because I''m young doesn''t mean I''m gullible, Vilgefortz," Roy refused. He knew this man was a cunning old bastard. "I don''t trust you, but you got one part right. Lydia''s the only one in your clique who''s sound of mind." Roy looked into Vilgefortz''s eyes. "Schirru and Rience are fucked in the head, more or less. If I''m right, Lydia is also a painter, isn''t she? Everything on these walls is made by her. I can see that she loves you deeply. She would do anything for you, even if it meant her death."


    "But you''ve never responded to her feelings." Roy stared at the sorcerer. He was trying to use words as his weapon, attempting to break Vilgefortz''s facade even a little, but the sorcerer was unfazed.


    "You''re the one who proposed a deal. I would like to see a gesture. Tell me, have you ever loved Lydia?"


    The witcherunched his second attack, and Lydia froze. She then breathed heavily.


    "Probing into another man''s private matters is a peculiar hobby."


    Vilgefortz''s pupils contracted for a moment before he fell into silence. A gust of icy wind howled through the halls, the fire in the hearth crackling. The light of the fire projected shadows upon the faces of the chamber''s upants.


    "Witcher, Lydia is a remarkable assistant. She''s reliable, caring, and selfless. I trust herpletely." He knew Lydia was staring at him, and he epted that stare. "But that is all. I am no longer young enough to be swayed by love. Women are on a lower level of evolution, and that''s why they''re more easily swayed by their feelings."


    Lydia hung her head low, the light in her eyes dim, her heart freezing over. Suddenly, she hated the witcher. <em>Couldn''t he let me at least hold on to this dream of mine? Why must he destroy my fantasy?</em>


    "I have a more important goal to reach." Vilgefortz was, to an extent, an idealist. His face was almost glowing golden when he spoke of his goal. "And I will sacrifice anything for that, even Lydia''s life. Do not attempt to use her as a hostage or a chip for your goals. It will not work."


    "Look at the skies above whenever you are making a decision, Roy." Vilgefortz then blurted his famous quote. "Do not mistake stars reflected in a pond for the night sky. You will find yourself in a predicament indeed."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 556: Ten Years of Scheming

    Sunlight shone into the dim chamber of the castle, the fire in the hearth flickering and crackling, illuminating the six silhouettes standing in confrontation against each other. Four were mirror images of Vilgefortz, donned in knight attire and equipped with a steel staff. They surrounded the witcher, who stood in the center of the chamber, right beside the settee. And he was holding an injured sorceress as hostage.


    "I have answered your question, Roy. Now it''s time to uphold your promise," said Vilgefortz calmly. " Release Lydia. At least let her not suffer."


    Roy mused over his options and didn''t argue. <em>I can act this out. I have to. I only have one chance, and I have to find out who the real Vilgefortz is, or he''s going toe back with a vengeance.</em>


    Released from the shackles binding her, Lydia leaned on the settee sitting before the hearth, though the air around her reeked of sorrow. She was heartbroken by Vilgefortz''s answers.


    Roy took a seat near her.


    "Good. I like people who hold their word." The mirror images smiled brightly, their gaze toward the witcher a little warmer. "And now it''s my turn to ask questions. Then you get a turn. Fair, don''t you think? So, how''d you know of the real story of Pavetta''s death?"


    "A Skellige sailor survived the ordeal. I ran into him, and he told me the truth," Roy said. He pretended to be thinking, as though that would fool Vilgefortz.


    Vilgefortz was displeased. A mere sailor could never have guessed that Emhyr and Duny were the same person, nor could he realize that Vilgefortz was the one pulling the strings from the shadows. <em>He''s hiding a lot of secrets.</em>


    "My turn. I''m very interested in your early life." Roy looked at the mirror image on the left. Sharply, he asked, "Were you born an orphan? Or did your parents abandon you?"


    If Vilgefortz was an emotionally sensitive person like Geralt, the question would hit him hard. He would either look sad or angry, but the mirror images were unfazed. They were as calm and collected as ever. This part of Vilgefortz''s life was nothing but a distant past.


    "You seem to have an obsession with my private life." Vilgefortz smiled. "But yes. When I was five, my parents, both of whom are Sources, abandoned me. I was left with a group of beggars in Lan Exeter''s slums. Like a poor stray, I had to beg for the citizens'' mercy and rummage through dumps for scraps. I had to fight scores of beggars sometimes just for a piece of moldy bread," said Vilgefortz, unashamed.


    "Though the food was scarce and rotten, I managed to survive for years"


    Lydia listened intently. Vilgefortz had never told her of his story.


    "And that''s how you answer questions, Roy. With honesty and detail. No omissions or secrets. Do not let your feelings alter how you look at your story. I expect you to follow this rule from here on out." The mirror images looked at Roy. "Simrly, I am interested in your story as well. Why did you walk the path of a witcher instead of a sorcerer? Does the mystique of magic not intrigue you? The mana you radiate is leaps and bounds higher than any witcher. That is proof of your talent." Vilgefortz took a deep breath. It was almost as if he could smell the taste of chaos energy. "If you''d attended Ban Ard, you could''ve been a brilliant magical apprentice. Then all you had to do was apply yourself, and you''d graduate as a full-fledged sorcerer."


    Roy looked around. The mirror images werepletely in sync. They even blinked at the same time. "Destiny steered me away from that path. I met a witcher first. A monster was on the verge of killing my family, and that was the only path to power I had, so I took it. I needed some form of power if I wanted to control my destiny," Roy said, his story mostly true.


    Vilgefortz nodded. "You are certainly different from a lot of people. First time I''ve heard someone willingly take on the trials to be a witcher. You saw an opportunity and seized it instead of resting on yoururels. Had you lived life like a normal person, your dreams and passions would''ve been crushed by the mundane lifestyle, but that''s not who you are. You have ambition, and you take action," the sorcerer praised.


    "It''s my turn now." Roy shrugged thepliment aside. "How did destiny set you on the path of magic, then?"


    "You''re stubborn, aren''t you?" Vilgefortz shook his head and caressed the staff he was holding. "Three years had gone by since I was abandoned. I was dying in a squalid ditch, starving and ravenous. Then a group of druids who hailed from the Kovir circle took me in and raised me. Druids are a bunch of misfits. Tramps and bizarre people who travel the world and worship oaks. My talent was then discovered during one of their rituals, and they taught me how to meditate, fight, and use magic. They taught me how to get along with nature and society atrge.


    "This itinerant life continued until I was twenty years old. I had no interest in the philosophy of druids. It makes no sense. They think understanding and getting along in peace is the way of life, but if I had followed their rules, the slums of Lan Exeter would''ve devoured me whole. Might makes right, that''s the only truth in this world," Vilgefortz dered, his voice echoing across the chamber.


    There was not an ounce of gratitude in his voice. There was only arrogance. "Despite their abandoning me, my parents left with me all their magical talents, and before long, I mastered all the spells the druids had. Tired of their incessant lecturing about nature, I refused their invitation into the brotherhood, and so I left to wander life by myself."


    Aside from his skills with a staff and nature magic, Vilgefortz was far detached from druids, who wanted nothing to do with fame or power. The sorcerer was never shy about making his desire for power known.


    "How did you build your organization, Roy?" Vilgefortz asked. "Witchers are lone wolves. They would never build an organization of their own."


    "Times have changed. The disunity of witchers was the reason they fell into decline. Eventually, everyone came to think of them as weak." Roy shook his head. "They nder and discriminate, pushing us further into the sidelines, and now, our numbers dwindled so much, we''re almost extinct. Being a part of this group means I must make some changes to get along with the times. That''s why I convinced my brethren to gain allies in witchers from different schools. The process has not been easy, but it has borne fruit."


    Roy''s eyes roved over the mirror images. "Or at least it was going well, until your schemes ruined it."


    "Don''t let your emotions sway you." Vilgefortz smiled. There was praise in his eyes. "If I''d known the witchers had someone like you in their midst, I''d have never let Schirru or Rience sabotage you. We could''ve had a peaceful talk and struck a deal. We''re alike, you and I. I''m a sorcerer; you''re a witcher. We both live long lives. We both have mastery over chaos energy. We both wander thend and bring change to it. We both have ambition," said Vilgefortz. "We both seek change."


    Lydia was staring at the men before her. Both were handsome and powerful. One was the strongest sorcerer she knew, while the other was the most powerful witcher on thisnd. No other witcher could ughter sorcerers as easily as Roy did.


    "We''re different." Roy shook his head. "All I want is to give my friends and family the best life they can have. I do not harm anyone else if I can help it, but you¡­ you destroyed a whole kingdom for your ambition. So many families are broken, all because of you."


    "And you think that''s a mistake? I disagree," said Vilgefortz. "It''s every man for himself. As long as it sits right with me, anything goes. Do not let any trivial matter stand in the way of your ambition. Mercy and emotions are nothing but obstacles on the way to ambition and sess."


    ***


    Roy was silent. He couldn''t convince Vilgefortz to stop his ambition, nor could Vilgefortz convince Roy to abandon his humanity.


    "And now it''s my turn. Why''d you join the brotherhood after your departure from the druids? Yes, they''re both spellcasters, but their philosophies are fundamentally different." One tried their best to diminish their influence on nature and society, while the other worked in a different and opposite direction.


    ***


    "As I''ve mentioned, I started wandering thend after my departure," Vilgefortz exined patiently. "At first, I was in a daze. Ambitionless, pathless. And so I tried my hand at multiple professions to see what kind of path was right for me. I was a soldier, a bandit, a spy, an assassin, a wandering merchant, and more. I saw what this world had to offer."


    Reminiscence red in Vilgefortz''s eyes. He looked a little dazed, and Roy tensed up, staring around. He clenched his fists but loosened up a momentter. He couldn''t destroy Vilgefortz in one go. <em>Then I''ll buy more time.</em>


    "I wasted nearly six years of my life before I came to the conclusion that none of those lives were what I wanted. In my younger years, I fell in love with a sorceress. It was the first time in my life that I poured my heart out for someone else."


    Roy narrowed his eyes. <em>Love? This scheming bastard used to love?</em>


    Lydia pursed her lips tightly.


    "But the sorceress was arrogant, vicious, cold, and heartless. I was but one of her many lovers. A weakling firmly under her control. There were times where she would have fun with me in the day only to spread her legs for another man at night. Tired of her licentious behavior, I left. I mused over the meaning of love." Vilgefortz smiled at Roy. "And I came to the realization that romance is nothing but a toy to pass the lull in our lives with. I couldn''t trust my own parents to care for me, let alone a woman I only fostered a rtionship with when we were already adults."


    The mirror images nodded and circled the witcher, as if agreeing with his own conclusion. "That was growth, I postted. And since then, I have not been the ve to my emotions." He looked at Roy. "Witchers are blessed in this regard. Your mutations eradicate your emotions in the process, granting you greater focus on self-improvement."


    "That is just one of many possibilities that might arise from our mutations," Roy exined. "I''d rather not be an emotionless cog. Let''s get back to you. What happened next?"


    "In my youth, I detested my parents who left me to rot. I detested the woman who slept with anyone she liked even when she had me. They were all sorcerers, and my hate drove me to curiosity. I wished to find out what sorcerers were really like."


    Vilgefortz grinned. "Herbert Stammelford, one of the brotherhood''s founders, took notice of my talents and extended an invitation to me. I took it and devoted myself to this organization. With my overwhelming talent, I picked up magic at a blistering pace. When I was thirty years old, I''d already mastered more magic than even the oldest fossils. And then everything I''d ever wanted opened up to me easily. Power, coin, women, status¡­ Even the sorceress I used to love answered to my every beck and call."


    Vilgefortz had a heart of steel, tempered by the hardships of his youth. And he had a soul of arrogance thanks to his talent. "What about you? How did youe to possess your abilities?"


    Roy feigned ignorance. "Whatever might you mean? I am but a regr witcher."


    "Honesty is the rule of this game, Roy. I told you all of my private affairs, and I expect you to be honest as well." Vilgefortz shook his head. "Lydia has told me everything about that battle. Telepathy, if you must know. You have the power of space and even¡­" Vilgefortz adamantly said, "This is not something granted by witcher mutation."


    Vilgefortz''s eyes shone brightly. "I am sure no mutation can grant the power of time and space, or the brotherhood would''ve been an unstoppable force. Do not try to lie, or this conversation wille to an end."


    Roy mused over his options and decided to give Vilgefortz a crumb of information to buy some time. "Child of the Sun. I ingested a nt of that name before. That''s how I came to possess the power of space."


    "You mean the dwarven affine? The devil''s tail? The one they call feainnewedd in Elder Speech?" The mirror images'' eyes shone like lit candles, and they stepped closer to the witcher.


    "Have you heard of it?"


    "Of course. One of the most coveted herbs of all time. Divine Beauty needs it, but dwarven affine is long extinct, from what I know."


    "Then I was extremely fortunate to find one in a forest. Only one was avable, however."


    A momentary silence fell upon the hall. Vilgefortz was taking an even bigger interest in the witcher.


    Roy took a deep breath and huddled closer to Lydia. The next question he asked was a monumental one. "I''d like to know about your rtionship with Emhyr var Emreis, the emperor of Nilfgaard. Every single detail of it from how you know him until your present day rtionship with him."


    Vilgefortz hesitated for a long time, his eyes twinkling. <em>Once again, the witcher brings up my rtionship with Emhyr. That''s supposed to be a secret. </em>Vilgefortz did not ask how Roy came to know of that secret. He had a guess at who this witcher was.


    "As mentioned, I used to be a merchant. Old habits die hard, and after I became a sorcerer, I still kept some habits from my trading days with me. Investing being one of them. Regr investments only yield coin and fame, however, and I was not satisfied with just that. And so, I turned my gaze to an ousted prince. Thirty years ago, The empire of Nilfgaard witnessed a political shift. Emhyr''s father, Fergus, was ousted, and the usurper cursed Emhyr, turning him into Duny. The cursed prince traveled to Marnadal, escaping with his life. Still, he was a prince. There was a chance he could reim his throne. The returns for that investment alone would be astronomical. Risky too, but I like risks.


    "And so, I invested in Emhyr." Vilgefortz looked proud, and he didn''t hide anything from Roy. "I gave him guidance. On a rainy night in 1237, he was to save Cnthe''s husband, Roegner of Ebbing. And he invoked the Law of Surprise like I told him to. Thew bound him to Cnthe''s unborn daughter, Pavetta. She became his Unexpected Child. The Law is unbreakable. Pavetta grew up, and she found herself attracted by Duny. They had an affair when Pavetta was in her teenage years. Eventually, Duny impregnated her."


    <em>And Pavetta''s child, Ciri, bes Geralt''s Unexpected Child. What a twist of fate. Difference is, Geralt only sees Ciri as his child instead of a concubine. Duny, however, married his Unexpected Child, and in a bid toy im to Cintra''s throne, he considered marrying Pavetta''s child too. Sick bastard.</em>


    "And the rest is history. The shipwreck at Sedna Abyss, Duny''s escape, his return to Nilfgaard, murdering of the usurper, reiming of the throne, regaining of his name, and invasion of Cintra. You know that fairly well, don''t you?"


    Roy nodded.


    "Emhyr''s sessful ascension to the throne gave me incredible returns, but the reward is yet to be imed. Not until his army has taken over most of the North, that is."


    Emhyr made a promise to Vilgefortz. Once the North became Nilfgaard''snd, Vilgefortz would be the highest ranking official of the province. He would be second to only Emhyr in terms of power.


    Roy wasn''t happy with that answer. "Honesty is the name of the game, Vilgefortz. You didn''t help Emhyr just to rule over the North."


    "What are you trying to say?" Vilgefortz crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Your saboteur in Novigrad forced us to make a desperate attempt at survival, but I know you only did it to get your hands on Ciri."


    The mirror imagesughed, their grins wide.


    "And why are youughing?"


    "Because you just proved my conjecture. This is a miracle." The mirror images looked at the witcher with passion. They gushed, "Yes, my assistance to Emhyr''s rule and sending Rience on a search for Ciri are for something else. Power and rulership are just the bonus thates with the job. My real goal is Ciri''s Elder Blood. The blood that controls time and space of countless worlds. Power and the ultimate truth. That is what us sorcerers seek. Human greed is never ending, and I am not excluded." Vilgefortz''s voice echoed across the chamber, filled with ambition.


    Lydia fell in love with him all over again, her eyes filled with infatuation.


    "I am tired of whatever this world has to offer. I wish to gain the Elder Blood and cross the barriers of space. I wish to witness what lies in the worlds beyond our own. The Northern Kingdoms are but specks in the infinite realms. And do you know why I tell you so much, Roy? Do you know why I am so honest with you?"


    Roy took a deep breath.


    "Because you are privileged." Vilgefortz looked at Roy. Lamentation and praise flickered in his eyes. It almost felt like he was seeing the ideal version of himself. "I do not believe the story of the dwarven affine. It is just an excuse. You have shown to possess the power of space. That''s how you blinked in and out of existence. You also have the power of irvoyance. That''s how you saw my secrets. And you used the power of time to heal that dying doppler, didn''t you? You too, possess the power of Elder Blood, Roy!"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 557 - 557: Battle of Stygga

    Chapter 557: Battle of Stygga


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°You possess the Elder Blood!¡± the mirror images dered, their voices shaking the dim chamber.


    Lydia froze and stared at the deadpan witcher in awe. Her master spent ten years just to get his hands on the coveted bloodline, and the witcher had it.


    ¡°You possess the power of Elder Blood.¡± The mirror images looked at Roy and brought up a certain past action of his. ¡°And you¡¯re friends with Geralt and Ciri. You went against Rience to keep her safe. That means you¡¯ve lent your assistance to Cintra before. Through your powers of irvoyance, you told them of Nilfgaard¡¯s invasion. You¡¯re the reason Cintra¡¯s kingunched arge-scale persecution of spies, asked Temeria for help, requested for Skellige¡¯s druids to clear the storms, and set up an ambush in Marnadal. You¡¯re the one who ughtered Nilfgaard¡¯s sorcerers in Marnadal. You¡¯re the one who ambushed Menno in the Battle of Cintra. You¡¯re the one who almost ruined my ns.¡±


    Vilgefortz¡¯s eyes were ring brightly.


    Roy took a deep breath, the hand behind his back shaking slightly. He figured out all my actions just from the scarce info Lydia fed him. As smart as I expected. Roy shook his head and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I cannot see through your mind nor your destiny. That kind of mind concealment is a hallmark ability of the Elder Blood. You cannot deny it. This is a miracle,¡± Vilgefortz gushed. ¡°All the tomes and books I scoured were adamant that the Elder Blood only flowed through the veins of Cnthe¡¯s bloodline.


    Roy interrupted, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you go for Cnthe or Pavetta? Why¡¯d you set your sights on Ciri?¡±


    The witcher had always wanted to know the answer to that. If Cnthe, Pavetta, and Ciri all had the Elder Blood, there was no reason for Vilgefortz to go for Ciri and let Duny marry Pavetta instead.


    ***


    ¡°Simple. Cnthe and Pavetta do not have as strong a bloodline as Ciri. Ciri¡¯s blood must¡¯ve gone through the atavism process, granting it more power. And she is at a ripe age now. Her firstborn will inherit the purest form of the Elder Blood, and that¡¯s what I am going after.¡±


    A chill ran down Roy¡¯s spine.


    Vilgefortz continued, ¡°But you. You¡¯re a witcher unrted to Cnthe or her bloodline. Yet you managed to get your hands on the Elder Blood. How did you do it?¡± Vilgefortz had an almost manic look on his face, desiring nothing more than Roy¡¯s answer. ¡°Tell me, and I shall give you anything your heart desires, be it status, coin, women, power¡­¡±


    Roy smiled. A certain entity tried to make the same offer before, and in the end, Roy put him under a self-imposed exile for ten years. ¡°Child of the Sun. That¡¯s what happened. That¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°Do not test my patience, witcher.¡± Vilgefortz slowly stepped ahead, spinning his staff around deftly, preparing for battle. ¡°If you wish to protect Ciri, then you will tell me how you gained the Elder Blood. And I shally my hands off her. There is an insurmountable difference between our abilities. If we do battle, you will note out alive,¡± said Vilgefortz arrogantly. ¡°Lend your assistance. Work with me, and once I gain the Elder Blood, this world shall be our oyster. And not just this world. We can go on a journey to the worlds beyond together.¡± Vilgefortz grinned brightly. ¡°Can you feel it? The strongest witcher and the strongest sorcerer journeying together? What a sight it will be.¡±


    Roy looked at the sorcerer with wariness and contempt. ¡°Sorry, but I refuse.¡±


    ¡°I sense contempt in your eyes. Did you find the secretb of this castle?¡±


    Roy said nothing, but that was as good an answer as it was for Vilgefortz. The sorcerer circled around Roy and patiently persuaded, ¡°Roy, people are divided into different castes since the day they were born. Those who have power not only have control over their destiny; they have control over everyone else¡¯s as well. That¡¯s the undisputed truth. The women in myb are weak, and many of them have died, but their sacrifice told me something important, and through them, I gleaned the method to extract the Elder Blood. They died for something noble.¡± Vilgefortz sounded so matter-of-fact.


    ¡°You have the Elder Blood flowing within you. Do not let mercy or emotions sway your will.¡±


    ¡°You make a persuasive argument.¡± Roy nodded and shook his head. ¡°But you are missing one important element.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± The mirror images cocked their eyebrows and leaned ahead, ready to listen.


    ¡°Humanity.¡± Roy looked at the image on the left, and he clenched his fists. ¡°You think of yourself as a god, Vilgefortz, but what makes you think you have the right to dictate the lives of innocent souls? You captured innocent women and forced them to bear children, putting them through torture just to prove your sick theory correct? You¡¯re out of your mind.¡±


    Vilgefortz wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he smiled, though sardonically. ¡°Am I hearing this right? A vagabond witcher talking about humanity with me? A sorcerer and a member of the brotherhood? Why, you have a noble soul, but don¡¯t you see? After that fiasco in Novigrad, you should know that those peasants care nothing about humanity. Talk sense to them all you want, and all you get in return is nothing but fear, prejudice, and curses. In that case, you should prove their fears right and destroy them. Humanity? That¡¯s an excuse for those too weak to seek power.¡±


    Vilgefortz¡¯s mirror images surrounded Roy. ¡°Do not let humanity bind you, Roy. This life is a game of chess, and you¡¯re a yer, not a pawn. Give the game your all. Do not let anything sway you.¡± The mirror images were dangerously close. One more step and they would be crossing the line. They were extending their hands to Roy. ¡°Join me, and we shall create an empire. Do not worry, you¡¯re no virgin, nor are you a woman. You cannot be impregnated. My theory will not work on you, and by extension, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ***


    Roy covered his face and took a deep breath. ¡°Very tempting offer, Vilgefortz.¡± He didn¡¯t bother hiding his hesitation. If he¡¯d run into Vilgefortz instead of Letho when he first came to this world, the arrogant sorcerer might have taken him down apletely different path than he¡¯d chosen, but destiny had made its choice for Roy.


    ¡°But I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I have friends, family, and those I love. Love is the foundation of humanity, and you ask for me to relinquish it. If I do that, I may cross the point of no return,¡± Roy said, struggling with himself.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re still young. Stillcking in experience. You are yet blind to the truth.¡± The mirror images stared at Roy. Imperiously, he said, ¡°You require a mentor, and I can take that role.¡±


    The witcher and the sorcerer locked eyes. One had a soul filled with desire and ambition, the other filled with fighting spirit. A gale howled within the castle, the fire in the hearth crackling along. A blob of crimson silhouette was projected onto the wall, and it was dancing.


    Then, a gigantic octopus leapt from beneath the witcher, iling its infinite tentacles around. The mirror images around Roy remained confident and collected.


    Then the tentacles wrapped them up, and something tore through the air. A crimson sh arced across the chamber and split the mirror images in two, but not a drop of blood was drawn. The images shattered and disappeared, melding into air like popped bubbles.


    They¡¯re all mirror images. Roy¡¯s heart sank, and he quickly covered himself with magical barriers. The kaleidoscopic circle of Yrden shone underneath him, and the witcher held his de tightly, scanning the chamber as hard as he could.


    The walls, the hearth, the candbra, the settee, the table, and Lydia. He checked everything, but Vilgefortz was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°As obstinate as ever, Roy.¡± Vilgefortz mocking voice assailed Roy from all directions, as if he had countless mirror images talking to him everywhere. ¡°Do you really think you can kill me just because you managed to kill Rience and the elven sorcerers? You are on my turf. I have the home advantage, but I¡¯m generous. I¡¯ll make you realize the gap between us. Why don¡¯t you show me how much of your bloodline¡¯s strength you¡¯ve awakened?¡±


    The boom of thunder roared across the air, and blinding shes of light illuminated the chamber, arcing through the air like electric snakes. The settee was sent flying to the wall like a capsized boat. Lydia was buried underneath, and she grunted before she wentpletely silent.


    Roy¡¯s magical barriers were shattered in an instant, but before the magical attack couldpletely numb him, he fired off a shot.


    The bolt hurtled through the air, and sparks flew as a steel staff hit it. The staff only appeared for a split second, but it managed to deflect the bolt.


    At the same time, Roy disappeared from the center of the explosion and reappeared at the staircase, tendrils of smoke billowing from him. He stood like a bow that was pulled, Aerondight held to his side like an arrow poised to shoot.


    The witcher held his de against a vague silhouette at the staircase. Crimson halos swirled behind him, and like a bloody boa constrictor, the crimson light slithered up the de.


    Vilgefortz was standing a few yards away. In his right hand was his staff, and he made a simple gesture with his left hand. mes roared forth, and mana howled. Hellfire exploded before the witcher, and the dragon made of mes engulfed him.


    The explosion shook the chamber, and debris rained from the ceiling. The witcher hurtled across the air as though he was hit by a siege weapon squarely in the chest. He crashed into the wall, and cracks spread across the granite. The painting of ¡®First Landing¡¯ fell to the ground, clinking.


    The rancid stench of smoke permeated the air, and the witcher fell to the ground, spewing blood. His limbs were trembling, his skin charred and red. White smoke hissed upon the witcher¡¯s flesh, as if he were cooked over open fire.


    His HP was reduced by a staggering two-third of its original value, but at least he found Vilgefortz¡¯s real body.


    He looked at the sorcerer and left a gem marking on him.


    The silhouette at the staircase shook his head, holding a lightning ball in his left hand. ¡°I told you, Roy. I know all about you, but you know nothing of my power. For more than thirty years, I have not met my equal in thisnd. There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m bored of this ce. I have mastered three hundred and thirty-five spells, and I can kill you in more than ten thousand ways. I can make your life a living hell. You could¡¯ve just worked with me, but you had to be difficult.¡±


    Roy grunted and jerked away before the lightning ball could hit him. The ball mmed into the wall behind Roy, and an arc of electricity touched his armor. He trembled.


    Activate. A wave of warmth gushed through his veins, healing Roy and returning his charred skin to its earlier state.


    Vilgefortz clicked his tongue.


    Roy quickly made the Sign of mp, and his mirror image jumped out of the magical stream, defending him.


    Before the mirror image could take the crossbow, however, the air boomed, and the ground shook. Vilgefortz fired off multiple spells, and the elements spun and spun, eventually forming a chromatic torrent of magic.


    The torrent swallowed Roy¡¯s mirror image and shattered it to pieces, but then a great silhouette appeared and took the torrent head on.


    The ck dragon tore the attack to pieces, and itshed its tail around, destroying the pirs holding the ceiling up. The ground was upturned and shattered like it was tilled by a gigantic hoe.


    As the dragon pped its wings, furniture, decor, and even the chandelier fell. Dust and debris flew in all directions, and the dragon opened its maw.


    The witcher charged ahead with his de in hand. His hair was burned, his face covered in blisters and ck veins. His eyes were firmly locked upon the sorcerer standing near the staircase, his ivory de humming shrilly, ready for battle.


    The witcher took a deep breath.


    ¡°Fus!¡±


    Ripples spread across the air. The beams cracked, the walls trembled, the window and ss objects shattered into pieces.


    The Shout hit Vilgefortz, or it seemed to be the case. His smile faded, and for a moment, he was dazed.


    That split second was enough for the dragon. It was already inches away from him.


    Fear. The witcher¡¯s eyes were dyed crimson, and a bloody sea raged in the air. Mountainous tentacles burst from the surface, and following those, a terrifying octopus came forth.


    The air was filled with viscous blood as the octopus wrapped Vilgefortz up,pressing him bit by bit.


    The dragon smashed a hole through the staircase, and Roy stabbed his de through the tentacles and pinned Vilgefortz on the stairs behind him. He whipped out Gwyhyr and swung it. A crimson arc of light charged from its edge, illuminating the chamber in red.


    The cocoon was split apart, and a great gash was left upon the stairs, but Roy was not delighted at all. His heart sank deeper and deeper. There was no indication that he killed Vilgefortz, and the marking he left on the sorcerer disappeared.


    He crouched and tried to roll away, but then a great wave of mana mmed down on him, keeping him pinned.


    Pale, rotten hands appeared everywhere around him. Howls from beyond the grave filled the air as the hands grasped Roy¡¯s legs.


    Roy felt a gust of winding from behind, and he exerted every ounce of his strength to move away, yet the staff hit him nheless. A stab of pain seared from his right cheek, and he fell to the stairs. His nose broke, and his mind was buzzing.


    The witcher slid down. Vilgefortz stood behind him, apparently appearing out of nowhere. He was swinging his metal staff with incredible dexterity, hitting Roy four times.


    Sounds of bones broken echoed across the chamber. The sorcerer broke all of Roy¡¯s limbs, and he flipped his hand, turning Roy around with a wave of invisible magical power.


    Royy limply, his face red, then purple, then green. The witcher breathed heavily, as if he were suffocating even though there was air all around him.


    ¡°Roy, my friend.¡± Vilgefortz crossed his arms, looking down at Roy with pity. ¡°That is all you have? Too little, I¡¯m afraid. You¡¯re far too green inbat. You failed to discern where the real me was, though I must admit that my spells are far better than what anyone can conjure.¡±


    He spoke with concern, as if he were just trying to teach a rowdy prot¨¦g¨¦ a lesson. ¡°Have you had enough? Do you realize how foolish you¡¯ve been? I do admire you, I must admit. Your vision, your bloodline, and your fighting prowess for someone your age. They are all top notch. You¡¯re as powerful as I was when I was your age. It¡¯s like seeing another me, but s, my patience is limited. If you refuse to work with me, then you will lose your privilege as a partner. I shall take you as an experimental subject.¡±


    Roy red at the sorcerer, and he transported a Forgotten Acorn from his inventory straight into his mouth, then he gulped furtively.


    The moment the acorn slid into his belly, a wave of life force enveloped the witcher. His character sheet shone a bright green.


    ¡®You have ingested a Forgotten Acorn. Your Constitution has exceeded 25 points. You are immune to the acorn¡¯s poison. You now gain 5 points for Constitution.


    Constitution: 25 ¡ú 30


    HP: 100/330 ¡ú 380/380


    Mana: 200/310 ¡ú 310/310


    You arepletely healed.¡¯


    ***


    Roy balled his fists and looked at Vilgefortz with murder in his eyes. And then a group of towering silhouettes came falling from the skies as they responded to Roy¡¯s summon.

 Chapter 558: End of a Dream

    The castle shuddered as the silhouettes made their appearance. A great figure appeared within the wrecked chamber. Listless Leviathan stood before the witcher, defending him. Only a crater was left in the spot Vilgefortz was standing moments ago.


    A shrill shriek tore through the air as a griffin the size of a buffalo hovered in the air, pping its wings. The gale it stirred up iled the furniture around, and the fire in the hearth threatened to go out.


    Griffin looked around the battlefield. Roy stood between his mounts, quickly casting his magical barriers again. Then a mirror image of Roy and a frost atronach made their appearance, standing by Roy.


    These were all the minions he could summon for now. The witcher downed a dose of Thunderbolt and Ekhidna decoction. Once again, ck veins crawled over his face.


    Then, a blinding sh of lightning tore through the night skies beyond the window, and thunder sted overhead.


    "An ice giant, a griffin, a mirror image, and a¡­ an elemental? Could this be a spell you created yourself? Color me impressed, Roy. You are perhaps a genius of Alzur''s level." Vilgefortz''s voice echoed in the castle. "You are far beyond any witcher, but it''s a pity your minions are too weak."


    Countless mirror images shed around the chamber. They swung their staves around, and magic red within their hands. Roy could feel the mark. It was right over his head and somewhere over the ceiling.


    "Allow me to demonstrate what a true summoning spell is like."


    Crimson light red from within the mes, and an invisible force pulled back the curtains of this realm, revealing a burning space behind. Waves of scorching heat poured into the chamber, raising its temperature by at least 80 degrees. Despite being under his minions'' protection, Roy still felt the heat eating away at his flesh and soul.


    The world behind those unveiled curtains was made of mes. Tall, looming ravines extended infinitely, and a river of steaming hotva sped down the mountains. Atop the river was a humanoid creature more than twelve feet tall. As if responding to someone''s summon, it crawled out of the firece.


    The creature had skin red as mes, back broad as mountains, arms slender as snakes, and an ethereal lower body made of gas. A pair of curled horns jutted from the creature''s forehead, and a crown of smoke andva adorned its head. It had big eyes and a bigger nose, a pair of fangs jutting from its maw. Tendrils of mes slithered from its eyes, nose, and cracks between its teeth. A fiery mane covered its neck and chest.


    ''Ifrit


    One of the four elementals


    ?''


    "Let the battle of the minions begin."


    The me elemental opened its maw and fired off a stream of mes at the witcher and his minions.


    Leviathan roared and picked up a broken pir from the ground. He hurled the pir at the ifrit and extinguished its mes before shoving it out of the window.


    Gryphon screeched and charged ahead like the wind, while the frost atronach held its fists before itself and hurtled toward the ifrit. Roy''s mirror image pulled the crossbow''s trigger, while the real Roy leapt into the air and swung his de high up into the ceiling. A crimson energy beam tore a hole through the ceiling, and the witcher went into it.


    ***


    The pir mmed into the window and tore arge hole in the wall. Sharp, biting winds sprinted into the chamber, arcs of lightning tearing through the skies outside.


    And then a whip of mes darted through the hole like a tentacle attacking its prey. The whipshed out at the flying griffin, and she let out a howl as she fell down the cliff like a broken kite, her feathers fluttering everywhere.


    The whip did not stop its momentum. It kept charging ahead, turning into a hurricane of fire. Roy''s mirror image was vaporized under the heat, and then the whip wrapped itself around Leviathan and the frost atronach''s legs.


    It yanked them backward, melting the atronach''s ice and sizzling Leviathan''s leg. The giant''s flesh was quickly cooked, and smoke billowed from the wound.


    The minions roared, but they couldn''t stop the whip from pulling them out the hole in the wall.


    ***


    They were pulled down the castle, and the creatures battled on top of the dried outke. The ifrit hovered over the cracked, parchednd. It held the giant''s neck and armpit, its ethereal legs wrapped around the giant''s lower body like a boa constrictor. It almost looked like a titanoboa was constricting a giant gori.


    The ifrit''s mes swirled and shimmered, and tendrils of mes slithered out of Leviathan''s pores, igniting him. As if they were alive, the mes snaked into the creature''s every single orifice, burning it from within.


    Leviathan''s eyes were red, droolthering his dry, cracked lips. He roared in rage and agony as he tried to m and pull the ifrit''s body away. Leviathan jumped and rolled around the ground, cracking it further, but it couldn''t break free of the ifrit''s bondage.


    Gryphon screeched to the high heavens and swooped in, trying to swipe away at the ifrit''s back and save Leviathan.


    The elemental, however, was not made of flesh. It had control over all particles of the element of fire, and it could blink in and out of reality at will. Gryphon could nevernd any attack on fire itself. As it plunged its ws into the ifrit''s body, the ifrit''s mes slithered up its limbs, burning its beautiful feathers.


    Gryphon roared and jumped into the pond to douse the mes.


    Only the atronach could stand against the elemental. The frost elemental surrounded itself with the power of ice, circling the ifrit. Like a boxer in training, the atronach punched away at the ifrit. Every time it did, sparks flew, and the frost atronach''s ice doused them.


    Still, the atronach was in dire straits. Slowly, its ice was melting. This was but the first bout of battle, and the witcher''s minions were at an overwhelming disadvantage. Defeat was a matter of time.


    ***


    Roy was in a maze like corridor.


    "I won''t hold back this time, Roy," warned Vilgefortz.


    Roy leapt away from the sorcerer''s web of electricity and hid behind a pir. He could feel his mark on the sorcerer standing vaguely beside the pir on the other side. The sorcerer was drawing mana from the convergence points all around him. Despite the barrage of spells he had unleashed, Vilgefortz showed no sign of exhaustion. On the contrary, he was speeding up.


    Roy tried to hurl a bolt of electricity at the sorcerer, but Vilgefortz''s chromatic barrier deflected it easily.


    The sorcerer hurled a blinding beam of light at the witcher. The sh of light sted through the pir Roy was hiding behind, and it grazed Roy''s magical barrier.


    The barrier of Heliotrop was shattered, and the wall around Roy melted away, revealing a big hole.


    Roy hastily rolled away and fired off a bolt. He disappeared and reappeared before Vilgefortz, the witcher''s eyes bloody red. Tentacles burst forth from the crimson seas and enveloped Vilgefortz, but Roy couldn''t do much more than that.


    A gust of dark gale moaned in the air, and countless hands of the dead appeared out of thin air. They dragged him into their midst and stopped him cold. Roy felt a wave of chill flow into his blood.


    The sorcerer and the witcher, both rendered immobile. Their eyes met. Roy''s were filled with mes of fury, while Vilgefortz''s were filled with mockery and ice-cold calm.


    A few momentster, the bindings were unraveled, and Roy charged at the sorcerer, spinning his de around.


    Vilgefortz spun his staff, readily epting the challenge.


    Despite the power of the decoction and Guardian buffing him and Yrden slowing his enemy down, it took all Roy had just to keep up with the sorcerer''s speed.


    A gust of wind blew down the corridor, the sconces flickering. The air was filled with the moans of mana, the bursts of exploding air, and the sh of metal. A pair of silhouettes leapt and jumped across the battlefield.


    Roy''s de swung against the whirling staff, their metal glinting coldly. The ground and paintings and ceiling cracked every time the witcher and sorcerer shed. Debris fell liberally like grey snow in a deadly winter.


    Another heavy hit from the staff. Roy could barely fend it off. He tried to strike back like a snake fighting off an eagle. Gwyhyr met the metal staff, and it was deflected. The staff hit the wall beside Roy, crushing the marble.


    A lightning arc streaked across the heavens, the momentary light shining upon the nervous witcher. Rivulets of sweat were pouring down his chin.


    A small bolt of lightning jumped forth from Vilgefortz''s hand, the air crackling in its presence. Right before the lightning arc could hit Roy, the witcher leapt and hung from the ceiling like a lizard.


    The sorcerer jumped andshed his staff out at Roy, but Roy managed to evade it milliseconds before he was hit. The staff punctured a hole through the ceiling, revealing the ominous skies above.


    "You''re fast, kid," Vilgefortz praised.


    Roy fired off a bolt, and it passed through the hole in the ceiling. The witcher blinked and reappeared on the top of the castle. He fired off another bolt high into the skies. The air was densely humid at this altitude, and the skies were dark as ink, with streaks of lightning pulsing and strobing within the clouds.


    From where the bolt stood, the castle of Stygga looked rickety and rundown. Roy was as insignificant as a speck of dust.


    Vilgefortz appeared at the other side of the castle, his shirt covered in chromatic lights. His force field held up the sorcerer in the air. Vilgefortz tucked his staff away and spread his arms as he moved up high into the skies, the rush of air current billowing his shirt.


    He pointed in a direction, and thunder boomed. An arc of lightning slithered across the skies, then it mmed down at the witcher''s position, but moments before the forked lightning hit, the witcher had blinked away with yet another bolt of his.


    "That was a good show, kid. It has been too long since I had a battle of this caliber, but this is as far as you get. You will fall from the skies, dead as a doornail."


    Thunder boomed in the clouds over the sorcerer''s head, and a sea of lightning rained from the skies.


    The witcher pulled his crossbow''s trigger a few times and blinked a few hundred yards away before the lightning could hit him.


    The sea of lightning thundered down upon the aridnd, basking it in a sea of blinding light. When the light slowly dimmed and faded into obscurity, all that was left were tendrils of smoke billowing from thend. The air was broken down into its different elements, and the stench of ozone filled the surroundings.


    Roy reappeared on the mountains, spared from the sea of lightning, and then he fired off another bolt at the sorcerer. He reappeared near the enemy and thrust his steel weapon at Vilgefortz.


    The sorcerer shoved the air, and an invisible force field undted around him. Roy thought a wyvern just mmed into him. Everything around him spun, and his sword fell out of his hands.


    The witcher flew backward, and then an arc of lightning mmed into the witcher. His body tensed up, his hair straight from the electricity. A gust of gale blew, and smoke billowed from his body.


    The witcher was numb, and he was falling to the aridnd thousands of feet underneath, but then his eyes snapped open. With the power of Guardian, he used the Ring of Time once more. The lightning''s damage was negated, and he pulled the trigger once more.


    Roy mmed into Vilgefortz''s force field once more with his sword in hand, and he jumped back almost immediately.


    The sorcerer stood high atop the skies like a god, controlling the lightning that ran through the clouds.


    The witcher hurtled across the high-altitude battlefield like a meteor, streaking in from all directions. He was moving at speeds high enough to leave afterimages even after the attack hadnded.


    Every time they shed, stardust would rain down to thend.


    And then, a drop of rain fell, covering the aridnd beneath with water.


    Then a torrential downpour followed, the curtains of water obscuring the sorcerer''s sight. The witcher was inches before him. He held his de high up and swung it down at Vilgefortz with every ounce of his strength.


    A crimson crescent moon splintered off the edge of the de and split the imprable force field around Vilgefortz in two.


    The crimson sea raged once more, and the tentacles swallowed Vilgefortz whole. Before the sorcerer was bound, however, he summoned the sea of dead hands again, binding the witcher as well.


    Roy had finally given up on killing Vilgefortz by himself. <em>I''m taking a page out of the enemy''s book. He''ll be exiled. You wish for a trip to another world? You got it.</em>


    Roy summoned the power of space, and a ck diamond-shaped portal appeared before the cocoon. The tentacle tossed Vilgefortz into the portal like he was a boulder on a catapult.


    The witcher''s heart sank, and everything around him went ck. The hands that captured him tossed him into the Worldgate as well.


    ***


    The void behind the door was dark, dead, and silent. Motes of light strobed and blinked around the path. The sorcerer and the witcher shed once more, ring at each other with fury. They spun around, their eyes still locked on to each other.


    A fraction of a secondter, both of them fell to a path leading to an unknown destination.


    ***


    The all-epassing darkness was reced by a sea of gorgeous aurora lights. Roy and Vilgefortz fell, but they were held up in the air as if the ce around them had no gravity at all. They were like two fish pushed ahead by a violent undercurrent under the sea, pushing them into an abyss.


    They couldn''t breath, the air was freezing, and frost formed on their brows and lips. Chromatic lights burst around them, particles of all shades of color and elements swirling and swimming in the sea of chaos around them.


    Underneath the witcher and the sorcerer was a blue slowly spinning around. They saw the seas, the undting mountains, and the lush greenery covering thends of the. It was a gorgeous sight, but they were not in the mood to sightsee.


    The mana within them would not obey theirmand. Under the disruption of the Sea of Chaos, neither fighter could use any magic.


    Roy couldn''t teleport away, and the ubiquitous chaos energy was eating away at the both of them like acid devouring its victim. Their armor yellowed and rotted, while their skin swelled and turned red. The sea was breaking them down, ready to nourish itself with their flesh and blood.


    "So this is the Elder Blood''s power of space travel. What is this ce, Roy?" Vilgefortz floated before the witcher, and he was iling his arms and legs in an attempt to get closer to Roy, though he resembled someone trying to swim poorly.


    No matter how much he tried, he could not close the distance. The Sea of Chaos was a ce of death. None could live or move in this strip of existence.


    Vilgefortz''s face fell. "I have to go back, kid. Let''s talk. We can make a trade¡ª"


    The sea swallowed his voice. Roy couldn''t hear a word, and the experience was remarkable for him. It was then he realized what this ce was. This was the same ce Freya showed him during their meeting. The strip of chaos energy surrounding the witcher world. A remnant of the Conjunction.


    <em>The Sea of Chaos. That random teleportation just pushed us to a world of death.</em>


    Theck of response from Roy infuriated Vilgefortz. He tensed up, his face pale, and a ball of fear grasped his heart. More than fifty years had passed since he left the slums of Lan Exeter, and not once did he feel as scared as he was at that moment.


    "Let me go!" He clumsily fought against the stream of chaos energy. The sorcerer made some gestures and tried to cast a portal, but he coughed up blood before he could even finish chanting his incantation. His mana was a pool of uncontrolled mess.


    There were convergence points everywhere, but the mana was wild and destructive. It could not be tamed. And then, all of a sudden, part of Vilgefortz''s fringe was cut off as if done by an invisible pair of scissors. It floated in the air and melted away as a ball of red light engulfed it.


    Roy was floating before the sorcerer, buffeted by the sea of chaos energy. Even though Vilgefortz was panicking in the face of imminent death, Roy did not glean any satisfaction from it. He just thought it was sad. No matter how powerful someone was, they were all the same in the face of death. Equally weak.


    He told himself, <em>Once we both die, there''s nothing to worry about anymore.</em>


    Still, he was frustrated. He hadn''t said goodbye to his friends, family, and lover. And he hadn''t met his Unexpected Child. <em>Is this where I give up? </em>He bared his teeth, his face twitching. The chaos energy was pricking away at him like a sea of needles prickling a human.


    And then Roy remembered something. <em>Those golden eyes. Wait. I have an idea. Freya''s kingdom is right outside the sea. It''s around the just over yonder. I wonder if she can save me.</em>


    <em>Lady Freya! </em>Roy screamed out to the goddess in his heart, but he gained no response. The suffocation was setting in, and the burning sensation was growing stronger.


    Roy was then reminded of Freya''s suggestion during theirst meeting. And her warning about the era of the end. The story about the ouroboros, and theing White Frost. And how those who bear the Elder Blood could save them all.


    Roy sighed. <em>Save me, and I shall carry out that duty.</em>


    And a certain goddess responded to that call. For a moment, the raging stream of colorful energy around Roy and Vilgefortz stopped. A mountainous golden hand appeared from the void of space. It was gigantic enough to blot out the sun, and it tore through the shell of the Sea of Chaos. The hand made its way to the witcher, going against the stream.


    "Help!" Vilgefortz screamed at the hand, expecting it to save him.


    The hand ignored him. Instead, it gently held the witcher in its palm, then it slowly moved toward the edge of the strip, as if it were a drakkar slowly taking its passenger to safety.


    The moving wave was slowly taking Vilgefortz to the outeryer of the strip. Vilgefortz turned his hopeful gaze to the witcher, who was meditating in the center of the golden palm. Moments ago, they were locked in a deadly battle, but now, Vilgefortz bowed and gave Roy a pleading look.


    <em>Please, take me with you.</em>


    <em>I''m sorry. </em>Roy shook his head. Roy was impressed by Vilgefortz¡¯s ambition, battle prowess, and cunning, but he had no reason to save him, not when this sorcerer would harm him and his loved ones at the first chance he had. <em>And Freya doesn''t have enough strength to¡ª</em>


    The golden hand shook and mmed into the energy sea''s reef. It stopped moving, and then the raging sea ate into it. Cracks formed on its surface before it eventually broke apart and disappeared into the air.


    The hand could not leave the strip of energy. Despair welled within the witcher''s heart. <em>Not even a god could save me? If I die here, there''s no chance ofing back.</em>


    Destiny was only fooling around with the witcher, however. Without warning, another golden hand barged into the sea. One that was bigger and more tangible than the first. The caster must be a being of more prominence than even Freya herself.


    The second hand held the first, and both pulled the witcher out of the energy strip at the same time. Roy was met with a sea of stars and the great darkness around it. Ayer of golden light covered Roy, keeping him out of the cosmic rays and unbearable cold.


    Roy turned his sights to the chromatic ss dome. Within it was a great energy strip surrounding the witcher world, spinning perpetually.


    Vilgefortz stood at the edge of the sea, despair filling his eyes. He was mming away at the dome, but without his mana, his strength alone could not break the dome. The hypothermia andck of air was turning his face purple. He was a man about to drown, and the raging chaos energy was quickly eating away at his flesh like a group of voracious bugs.


    The skin on his face wilted and broke down, revealing the bloody muscles underneath. No longer was Vilgefortz the dashing sorcerer he once was. This man was nothing but a grotesque monster. His arrogance was reced by agony and despair.


    The sorcerer stared at the one who had escaped the strip, and he extended his arm as far as possible. He wished to grab onto something, but only the void was caught.


    ***


    <em>Farewell, Vilgefortz. </em>Roy summoned his hand crossbow and fired off a bolt at Vilgefortz''s forehead. The ck bolt hurtled through the void and pierced the sorcerer''s forehead cleanly.


    Vilgefortz shivered for onest time. His eyes went wide, his muscles ckened, and his pupils dted. The light within them dimmed, and his fists loosened up.


    The sorcerer fell into the sea of chaos, his ambition fading away, much like his life. The top brass of the northern brotherhood, the legendary sorcerer, the man who assisted Emhyr during his ascension, had died. His body disintegrated, turning into particles floating in the Sea of Chaos.


    Vilgefortz was no more.


    ''Vilgefortz killed. EXP +8000. Level 13 Witcher (12000/14500).''


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 559: Aftermath

    Exquisite aurora strips rained around the witcher, and then they rose into the air above. A sea of golden souls stood behind the waterfall of aurora, praying like devout believers.


    Roy had escaped the nightmarish strip of energy and entered the realm of Freya once again. This time, however, he wasn''t here in soul only. And there was more than one goddess around.


    Two golden figures with obscured faces stood within the shifting aurora, near and far at the same time. They gave Roy an audience, and the witcher felt a little nervous in the presence of not one, but two goddesses.


    "Roy, bearer of the Elder Blood, I have responded to your call and risked great danger to save you from the Sea of Chaos." The voices of a youngdy, a pregnant woman, and a crone spoke at the same time. Roy heard them in his mind. "And you have promised to carry out the duty."


    Roy stayed silent. He did say that.


    "And my duty is to protect my believers. However, only the bearer of the Elder Blood can extinguish theing crisis. When the end times draw near, and the White Frost descends, remember your duty and grant salvation to the world, or fade into nothingness with it. And tell the ice giant to get back to his post as soon as you can," said Freya. "Then your debt to me shall be settled. And do not think you can run to another world in a bid to escape this cmity." A hint of warning seeped into the goddess'' voice. "The price to pay for a broken word is far heavier than you can imagine."


    Roy bowed at Freya honestly. "If you had not saved me, I would have died with Vilgefortz in the energy strip." No one could escape the Sea of Chaos. Not even someone as talented as Vilgefortz. He didn''t have the luxury to refuse his duty. "Witchers are people of our word. I will use everything at my disposal to solve theing cmity."


    Roy tried to exile Vilgefortz, but he was taken to a goddess'' abode instead. Perhaps this was what destiny wanted for him.


    ***


    "Freya alone could not have saved you. I, too, have incurred a considerable loss," another voice said, and it sounded more majestic and imperious than Freya¡¯s. Freya sounded like an affable elder sister, but this one sounded like a stern and arbitrary mother.


    Her visage was obscured, and her eyes were golden. Majestic, solemn, and deep. She was taller and curvier than Freya, and she resembled a female giant. Roy remembered her eyes vividly. Two years ago, he had a glimpse of her in her temple in Ender.


    "Melitele?"


    Melitele was a goddess far older than Freya, and most of the North put their faith in her.


    "Yes. You are not my believer, and so, this rescue does note without a price," she said.


    Roy''s lips twitched. <em>Oh great. Now I owe two goddesses a favor? </em>But he didn''t mind. Freya''s favor alone was already asking him to risk his life. What was one more? He bowed, ready to listen.


    Melitele softened a little. "As you have taken on the role of a savior, then this payment I require will not be as expensive. Until the arrival of the end days, you are required to protect the temple in Ender and my believers. Shield them from the ravages of war."


    "As you wish, mdy."


    The goddesses gazed at the witcher onest time.


    "Never forget your promise, child. We cannot speak to you for long. Every moment you spend in our kingdom is a great toll on the reserves of our faith energy. Leave."


    The golden goddesses waved at Roy, and the witcher quickly teleported away. The beautiful aurora disappeared as Roy found himself transported back to solid earth.


    The skies over Stygga were still ominous, and thunder roared overhead as lightning danced between the clouds. The torrential downpour drenched the parchednd underneath, muddying the soil. In the center of thend, far from the shipwreck of the drakkar, four towering beastsy unmoving.


    Leviathan looked like he was cooked like a steak. His icy-blue hair was burned to a crisp, and his skin was fiery red, covered in twisted burn marks and patches of blisters. The rain was pelting it, the air filled with a bizarre stench that was the fusion of cooked meat and body odor.


    Roy touched the ice giant''s arm and was scalded by the sheer heat on the creature''s skin. He tried to talk telepathically, but Leviathan did not respond. The severe burns had robbed him of his consciousness. <em>But he''s still alive. I can save him.</em>


    Roy''s mana was burning at a blistering rate, converted to the power of healing. Quickly, his mounts'' wounds were disappearing. Gryphon''s wounds were a lot less severe, though its thick, lustrous feathers were mostly burned off. It looked more like a vulture than a griffin now.


    Roy grinned and carefully patted Gryphon''s bald head. The beast humphed and opened its eyes. It saw its master, and that was the sign it could finally vent. Tears fell down its cheeks, and it grabbed the witcher''s legs as it nuzzled up to his chest.


    "I''m sorry, girl. Don''t cry. If I hadn''t been too weak, none of this would''ve happened."


    Ifrits were the most destructive of all elementals. Even their young had considerable strength. Not even Roy could confidentlye out triumphant from a battle with an ifrit, let alone his mounts.


    Fortunately, the moment Vilgefortz was taken to the Sea of Chaos, the ifrit broke free of his control and returned to the ne of fire. The mounts were still alive through pure luck.


    Roy whipped his hand crossbow out and fired off a couple of bolts. He blinked and returned to the wrecked chamber. He then summoned his mounts so they could heal up away from the elements. The witcher popped a dose of healing potion into his mouth. He was about to meditate and replenish his mana, but the couch Vilgefortz toppled at the start of the battle moved.


    Someone groaned in pain. Roy pulled the couch away and was met with Lydia, Vilgefortz''s most trusted lieutenant. She fortunately came out of the ordeal alive, though only just. Her dress was caked in blood, and she had a high fever due to her exhaustion and blood loss.


    Roy stared at the woman''s shifting mask in silence. <em>What should I do with you? Vilgefortz is dead. Should I kill her too? But she''s defenseless.</em>


    ***


    The crowd at Novigrad had dispersed, and the corpses of the guards who died in the battle were cleaned up. The downpour came without any warning, drenching the za in muddy crimson. Momentster, the blood was whisked away into the gutters and seas of Novigrad, erasing most of the mark of the bloody battle that took ce here.


    The bodies of Scoia''tael members, however, were hung on the za as a warning and announcement that they were the masterminds behind this confrontation.


    The witchers, after the bloody battle, congregated in a brightly-litb under the Temple Ind. They took off their broken and blood-caked armor, switching them out for loose robes. Most of them had bandages wrapped around at least one body part. It almost lookedical if not for the fact they almost died in the battle earlier.


    The witchers sat in a circle around a bonfire.


    "So Jiji¡­ I mean, Cyrus, med everything on Scoia''tael?" Felix adjusted his sses, surprise ring in his eyes. He thought the battle in the alder woods was hard enough, but hispanions went through something even more life-threatening.


    "The church didn''te after you, even when you killed hundreds of their guards?"


    "We wish." Vesemir shook his head. "Even with the Hierarch''s orders, the guards would kill us if given the chance."


    Serrit dipped a finger into the dwarven spirit in the mug beside him, and the witcherthered it across the wound on his face. He winced. "Most of the guards who died are locals. They have friends and families in this city. About a thousand or two are rted to them."


    "The reason doesn''t matter. Fact is, we fought, we killed, we made enemies." Lambert smirked at Geralt, who had a bandage around his left forearm. "Everyone saw it, and I am not exaggerating. By tomorrow, everyone''s going to call us ''Butchers of Novigrad.'' Try as they might, the bards won''t be able to salvage our reputation."


    Geralt scratched his nose. He was reminded of his other title. The Butcher of viken. He only ughtered the bandits to protect the townspeople, but he was charged with a crime in return. The butchering in Novigrad was even more egregious than what Geralt did. They would be cursed for this action.


    "Tension is at an all-time high. Jiji did everything he could to lessen the impact of the confrontation on our reputation. med everything on the elves and defended our running of the orphanage. With the King of Beggars, Cleaver, the Collector, and the knights helping us, the people''s hatred is mostly diminished. Save for the families of the guards we killed, of course. Can''t change the fact that they''re scared of us."


    Felix said, "Oh, Geralt, we have a couple of knights at the orphanage waiting for you. Grimm and Cahir, they called themselves. They''d like to see you, and they seem genuine. You should check it out once we''re done with the aftermath here. They put in a lot of effort to clear our name as well."


    Geralt nodded.


    Letho rubbed the salve on the top of his head. Unfortunately, for him, part of his scalp was shaved off during the battle, and now his head looked like an egg that wasn''t peeled perfectly.


    "It''ll take years to turn our reputation around again. We won''t be popr among the people, so we''d bettery low." Coen rubbed his chin. One of the attacks shaved off the pockmark around his beard. It was a pleasant ident.


    Eskel took a sip of his liquor, his eyes glinting. There was a hint of mncholy on his face. "So we can''t stay at the House of Gawain anymore? We must leave?"


    "The new Hierarch did not mandate an expulsion." Lambert looked at his friend enviously, to the point Eskel felt unnerved.


    Even Carl and the young witchers were staring at Eskel. With his perfect skin and the removal of his scar, Eskel was no longer the rugged witcher he once was. Instead, he was a dashing, sculpted, and muscr hunk.


    "But if we stay, we''re bound to be harassed. Incessantly. That''s going to hamper the children''s training and studies. I''ve had enough killing for a long while. With our infamy spreading far and wide, you know it will, no one is going to get any ideas. For a while, at least." Geralt held his hands over the open fire. He smiled bitterly. "I''d rather not fight again for a bit."


    Serrit scanned his brethren. Adamantly, he said, "We need to move. If we want any peace and quiet, that is."


    A deafening silence fell upon the room. The only sounds that remained were the crackling of the mes, and the young witchers'' heartbeats.


    Auckes snickered and dusted his bandaged arm off. He broke his arm in battle. "You''re joking. You''re telling us to move just because of the regr man''s distaste for us? We''ve been running this ce for years. We have a smithy, ab, a greenhouse, and the crops are almost ready for harvest. You''re telling us to abandon the whole operation and run away? We''re the victors here. We can''t run. I''d rather fight those bastards again than run away like a coward."


    "We''re not running away, Auckes," Vesemir said gently. "This is just a temporary relocation. It''s a good chance to let the kids explore a different ce and learn something different. We''ll move back in a couple of years. I''ve talked to Evelyn, and she''s volunteered to stay and keep an eye on the greenhouse and orphanage."


    "I''m staying too." Kiyan sped his hands together. He looked at his brethren apologetically. "Sorry, guys. I''d like to stay with Evelyn and help Kanti out with the potion shop."


    Auckes and Lambert stared at Kiyan. "I see," they drawled.


    "Treasure her," Geralt encouraged.


    Eskel thought he could stay as well, and he quickly said, "I¡ª"


    Vesemir shot him a withering look. "You''reing as well."


    Eskel shut up.


    "Yeah." Lambert smacked his shoulder. "And you can bring your subus along too."


    "Huh? I mean, won''t it reflect badly on our reputation?" <em>A subus getting along with a bunch of witchers and children? That''s an odd image.</em> He was staring at Lambert, especially, cautious and doubtful of his real intentions.


    "What''s with that look? You think I''d sleep with her?" Lambert was red and indignant.


    "Alright, shut it!" Letho raised his hand. He muttered, "But it''s not wrong to keep an eye out on Lambert. Now let''s get back on track. Kiyan and Evelyn are staying back, while the kids are moving with us. Dandelion and Kanti are staying too. They have to run the ballroom and potion shop. Coral and Kalkstein can go anywhere they want, given they have portals. But first, we need to settle on a location. So where are we moving to?"


    And then tension flew in the air. Aside from the nomadic Cats, everyone else shot res at each other, daring the other witchers to make a suggestion.


    Coen spoke first. "How does Kaer Seren sound? Kovir and Poviss are right beside it. It''s a kingdom as bustling as Novigrad, and there''s no non-human discrimination. The fortress stands under a snowy mountain, so no one''s going toe knocking either. And the seas are bountiful. Food won''t be a problem."


    "Yeah, no." Serrit shook his head. "If another avnche happens, we''re done for."


    "Aw." Coen''s face scrunched up. He was disappointed.


    "Gorthur Gvaed, then." Auckes backed his brother up. "It''s deep in the woods, so we''ll have our peace and quiet. And it''s near a cliff, so even if there are attacks, we can easily defend it."


    "No. Gorthur Gvaed is in the South, and Nilfgaard willunch a war again, I''m sure." Vesemir stroked his beard and shook his head. "And you''re the ones who told us Emhyr has his eyes on the fortress."


    Geralt and Lambert exchanged a look. They spoke at the same time. "That leaves us with one ce. The fortress in Kaedwen and home of the Wolves¡ªKaer Morhen."


    Their voices were trembling with excitement. Excitement of going home. And this time, they were bringing along a group of students with them. Their predecessors would be overjoyed if they knew.


    "Kaer Morhen is thousands of miles away from Yaruga. Nilfgaard''s troops won''t be attacking anytime soon."


    "And it''s a beautiful ce. Quiet too. And bountiful. And it has something crucial for the Trial¡ªthe Circle of Elements."


    Auckes cocked his eyebrow andined, "Now you''re just abusing your power to get what you want."


    "Someone''s jealous," Lambert mocked.


    "Si¡ª Brothers," Carl interrupted carefully. This was the apprentices'' first time joining a witcher meeting as an equal. After the battle, the veterans showed them more trust. "Roy''s not back yet. I think we should wait for him before we make a decision."


    The other apprentices nodded quickly. And then everyone looked worried.


    The concern in Letho''s eyes flickered for a moment. "I wonder if he''s fine." He then shook his head and smiled. "He probably is. Maybe he''s having fun somewhere out there."


    "I don''t know. Gawain said he went after that sorceress. He summoned Gryphon and that ice giant away too." Auckes massaged his temples. "He might have a tough customer on his hands."


    And then a gale screamed through theb. A ck portal tore through the air, and a slender figure leapt into the crowd, haggard and exhausted. Behind him was a vulture with all its feathers plucked.


    Gryphon hid behind its master, burying its face in his shoulders.


    Roy looked around, and a smile curled his lips.


    "Roy!"


    "Kid!"


    "You left the za out of nowhere. Where''d you go?"


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. "I had to deal with a certain guy. Would''ve been a thorn in our side if left unchecked. Good to see everyone''s fine. Had a bit of trouble, but he''s done for now. Rience and his master won''t be a problem anymore."


    "Wait, what''s that supposed to mean?" Serrit asked nervously, and the other witchers turned their eyes to Roy.


    "Long story."


    "Then take a seat." Letho tossed a bottle of dwarven liquor to Roy and beckoned him. "And give us all the details."


    "It''s a shocking tale, so let''s save it forst. Where are Coral and Kalkstein?" Roy sat in the center and held his hands over the open fire. His purlicue had cracked from overexertion. The witcher had a smile of relief on his face, d to find that all his brethren were in one piece. "Rience''s masters left a mountain of valuables, and I need an experienced sorcerer to deal with it. And there''s a little errand they have to run."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 560: Influence

    <h4>Chapter 560: Influence</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 560: Influence</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    In a quiet cave in Dol thanna, home of flowers and elves, Fvandrel and Francesca congregated.


    "The spies have news, Daisy. All the children we sent to Novigrad to assist Vilgefortz have died." Fvandrel was in white, and he stood before Daisy. There was a sorrowful smile on his face. "Not even the sorcerers made it."


    Francesca stared at the xenovox. She''d been waiting for a response, but so far, it was dark. Tears glistened in her beautiful blue eyes.


    "Cyrus, the Hierarch of the Eternal Fire, ordered for their bodies to be hung in the za as a warning and remembrance for those who died in the battle," said Fvandrel, his voice choking. "But the truth is, most of the guards were killed by the witchers, and yet the Hierarch pinned the me on the children. It''s like he''s gone mad. Not an ounce of me was pinned on the witchers."


    "The Northern Realms now know of this confrontation, and the kings have taken notice of Scoia''tael, the extremely anti-human organization." Fvandrel stared at Francesca, his gaze questioning. "This is vastly different from what Vilgefortz promised." He clenched his gloves tightly, his knuckles white. "Is this all a joke to him? Is our future nothing but his ything?"


    Francesca''s shoulder shivered. She caressed the xenovox''s crystal and stared at the screen in the air. It disappeared the moment it formed, and again and again and again the elf watched. Eventually, she said, "I can''t establish contact with Vilgefortz anymore." A tear fell down her cheek. It was shed for her fallen brethren.


    "He tosses us aside after we outlive our usefulness? What does he think the children are? Pawns?" Fvandrel''s eyes were filled with the mes of fury, his voice scraping and hard. "Did he betray us?"


    Francesca shook her head. "He has no reason to. We''re Nilfgaard''s allies. There must be something else."


    "Something more important than the children?"


    "I will demand an exnation. But not now. And I''ll be asking someone else for help down the line."


    "He put the children in the line of danger, caring not for their safety. Are we still going to antagonize the Northern Realms for him even after this?" The ex elven king stared into Francesca''s profile, hoping she would say no.


    "What we''re doing next is not for him; it''s for the future. For our children to have a ce they can call home. For them to never have to hide in the mountains and starve." Francesca extended her right hand. An Apollo butterfly fluttered into the cave andnded on her sleeve, its wings pping.


    "We have reached an agreement with Emhyr. The war shall begin soon. As the Eternal Fire has chosen to antagonize us and side with the witchers who have ughtered our children, we will burn them down with the fire of vengeance." Calmly, she ordered, "Tell Isengrim Faoiltiarna to lead a brigade to Brokilon. They shall work with the nymphs and attack humans as they see fit. Should they run into any danger, Eithne will provide them protection. Eveline, Toluvair, and Kenzafa will lead a brigade to the borders of Blue Mountains and gather allies among the discriminated non-humans. There, they will be engaging in skirmishes."


    "Is this worth it?" Fvandrel asked. "Most of them are going to end up dead. Perhaps staying at the Blue Mountains could give them a better chance at survival?"


    "Keeping to ourselves will only lead to extinction. We must strike out and at least reim Dol thanna. We must battle against the humans and stop them should they start preparing for war. This is the agreement we made with Emhyr, and we can''t break our word. I am sorry, Fvandrel."


    Fvandrel bowed. "I forgive you, Enid, but I do not know if the children who''ll sacrificed themselves will."


    ***


    A gale hurtled into the window of Stygga, rustling the countless tomes on the bookshelves. Lytta looked at the sh of magical light from the xenovox beside the vat, and she frowned. <i>This marks the tenth time. </i>She was more than surprised. <i>They''ve been trying to contact Vilgefortz for a while now. Probably doesn''t know he''s dead.</i>


    Lytta''s eyes twinkled. Even now, she still couldn''t believe that Roy killed Vilgefortz and reduced him to atoms. And he did it quietly too. Just like that, the top sorcerer and the Continent''s most desired man was gone.


    If Roy hadn''t taken her to Stygga and shown him Vilgefortz''s most trusted lieutenant being an inch away from death, she''d have thought he was joking about Vilgefortz''s death. Before this visit, she had no idea the dashing, talented, respected, and beloved Vilgefortz was a maniac who loved to torture the innocent.


    She saw hisb. It was filled with torture devices, syringes, a custom-made electric chair, and dozens of skeletons belonging to his test subjects. And to make things worse, he was already in cahoots with the South and betrayed the brotherhood. The man was nothing but scum.


    "He''s not in the top brass for nothing. His collection of books is almostplete. And they''re all valuable. Let''s see¡­ My estimation puts the number of books here at about one-fifth of what Ban Ard''s library has. It''s like a small magical academy here."


    The mousey, balding Kalkstein was holding a thick tome. He had a mischievous grin on his face, his robes swaying as he walked. "And this is an out-of-print edition of The Mysteries of Natural Magic.'' Once I''m done with this, I''m sure I can be a better alchemist. Pity that his most valuable items are destroyed. He wouldn''t keep it anywhere but his personal inventory space."


    Kalkstein thought that was a shame. He had no idea that Roy had told Coral to tuck away the files of Vilgefortz''s greatest and most terrible project of all: the extraction of the Elder Blood. That file was on the list of forbidden books.


    "This isn''t a bad castle, however. It''s right beside Ebbing''s stoneke. A remote ce, a no man''snd, a spacious spot, and ites with a fully decked outb. We have enough gemstones and magical materials tost us for decades. Why don''t we move ourb here, Lytta?"


    "We don''t have to." Lytta shook her head. "From now on, Stygga, the underground chamber of Temple Ind, and theb under the Valley of the Nine''ske will be the brotherhood''s shelters."


    "Good idea." Kalkstein flipped the tome open and skimmed through the pages. Nonchntly, he asked, "So how are you going to deal with Lydia?"


    Coral was in silence for moments. She did not expect Roy to keep Lydia around. She could be a problem. "Lydia''s not even fifty years old. She''s just a girl who fell for that conspirator''s brainwashing. I''ll lead her back to the straight and narrow."


    ***


    The evening sun drenched the skies in a warm shade of red. Gusts of breeze sauntered across the courtyard, dancing with the branches of the weeping willows like they were in a slow waltz.


    After the battle, the orphanage once again saw the children moving around its grounds. Vicki was within theb, holding bags of potions. She stared at the vials and vessels on the workstation, reluctant to leave them behind. "I-I don''t have enough space for my babies."


    "Stop crying, Vicki." Renee grinned, though she barely had any teeth. She quickly tucked a bunch of drieddines and buckthorns into her blouse''s pockets, filling them up until they were about to burst. She almost looked like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. "Letho said Kaedwen has everything. We''ll get whatever we want once we''re there. And it''s time we get new stuff, right, Conrad?"


    The boy beside the furnace nodded. He looked outside the window, mncholy flickering on his face.


    Everyone was busy outside. Acamuthorm was standing behind Felix. He had changed into a new set of armor, and the boy looked lively. He was holding a crate half the height of an adult as he slowly ambled toward the portal before the conference room.


    Carl grinned and kicked the butt of hispanion. The dozen or so apprentices were huddled around the young witchers, their eyes shining with worship. They wanted to know everything about the battle that took ce in Novigrad.


    Oreo, Terry, and Bhim were saddled with a few sacks of seeds, and in their hands were farming tools and archery gear. They were following Serrit around.


    Quintus, Fyodor, and the Tordarroch cksmiths donned their favorite apron, holding their hammers tightly. They were a little nervous about their new home.


    The bald Gryphon had a pile of luggage on its back, and it covered up its bald spots perfectly, or Gryphon would die from the embarrassment alone. Ebony was happily barking at it, all the while licking its beak.


    Eskel''s, Geralt''s, Roy''s, and Lambert''s horses were huddled in a circle within the crowd, whinnying and braying amongst themselves.


    The other students were in their bedrooms, excitedly tucking away their bedrolls, clothes, and notebooks. All were engaged in conversations regarding their uing travels. They were red with excitement, but they were also nervous and slightly reluctant to leave.


    Conrad muttered, "It''s only been two years. I can''t believe we''re moving already."


    "Ah, chin up. You''re a boy. Besides, Vesemir said we can alwayse back." Renee harrumphed, but she too puckered her lips, and the rims of her eyes were red. This beautiful littlepound had given them so many memories to treasure their whole lives.


    Vicki pursed her lips, determination ring in her eyes. "That''s why we have to grow stronger. Strong enough to keep our home safe. We''re not going to just hide and pray for them next time."


    "Yeah."


    The witchers were gathered outside the fence, saying goodbye to their friends and acquaintances in Novigrad.


    "Kaer Morhen is a long trip from Novigrad. Please, take care of yourselves." Dandelion looked at the witchers sadly. For once, he switched out his pretentious outfit for a more solemn grey jacket. "Don''t worry about us. My friends will be working with Cyrus to turn your reputation around as fast as they can. And with the coins Roy borrowed from the usurer, our next step will be opening up a branch in Redania. I promise that in a year at most, everyone will hail you as heroes again. That''s what bards do. Novigrad is home to more than thirty thousand people. A couple of thousand dissenters is nothing."


    "You and your bad habit of bragging." Geralt shook his head. "You don''t have to worry about us. Worry about yourself. If you run around and sleep with any random woman you meet, someday someone is going to cut off your junk."


    He looked at the beautiful Prisci. She was in a blue tight-fitting shirt with orange sleeves. "Stay loyal to your lover."


    "Don''t insult me, Geralt. And I can say the same to you. Do not desert Yennefer again. And stop sleeping around."


    "There are no other women in Kaer Morhen. It''s in the middle of nowhere. One more stupid reply and I''ll shut you up with Yrden."


    "Hey, Dandelion." Coen gave Jaskier a pleading look. "Take care of Igsena while I''m gone." He then turned to the woman beside him. She was dressed in thetest fashion. Igsena held his arm and stared into his eyes with love.


    "I''lle back once a month or so."


    Out of love for poetry and stage ys, Igsena stayed behind. Coen was a member of the brotherhood, and given his upbringing as a knight, he could not leave the kids or his brethren alone. And so, he chose to leave with them.


    "Don''t you worry." Dandelion patted Coen''s shoulder and gave him a wink. "Prisci and I are going to make her into a star. She''ll be the branch''s showrunner."


    Another couple was also present, though they were not exactly in the crowd. The handsome Eskel was engaged in a quiet conversation with a ravishing exotic woman. She had horns on her head, and her skin had a healthy tan. Her eyes twinkled with hope, and she was talking about building a home with Eskel in Kaer Morhen.


    ***


    Roy pulled back his hand from the cloth that swaddled Mino, and he found his palm drenched. His lips twisted downward.


    Mino blinked at his brother and gurgled, then he grabbed Roy''s finger and sucked on it. Moore and Susie were in the courtyard, saddled with cooking utensils. They smiled at their sons.


    Shortly after their arrival at the House of Gawain, they took up the menial jobs around the orphanage, including farming, cooking, and cleaning. They were indispensable stewards for the orphanage, and they too would be going to Kaer Morhen with the group.


    Roy''s goal was further beyond this, of course. The witchers shouldn''t limit their base of operations to the South and the North, though he would need the help of two other Elder Blood bearers to realize that ambition, and one of them was yet unborn.


    <i>Cnthe''s delivery is expected to be two months after we move to Kaer Morhen. I should be preparing for the third Trial too.</i>


    ***


    Rustling footsteps came from the woods'' entrance. Aiden stepped into the courtyard, followed by a pair of burly, armored, and motivated knights.


    "Grimm? Cahir?"


    "Hello, witchers. Geralt." Grimm smiled at everyone. He was excited to be met with more than a dozen witchers. "Finally, we meet. But before we talk, we have a humble request. Will you hear us out?"


    "I don''t see why not." Geralt stepped forth and nodded at the knights. He was more than willing to give them a chance, given how they defended the witchers and put in a good word for them. Still, he was wary about Cahir, given that he was a Nilfgaardian and Ciri''s former captor.


    "I would like to go on this journey with you. As a guest. And I would like to spar with everyone." Grimm leaned on his greatsword, his eyes shining as brightly as the sun.


    "I¡­" Cahir bowed. He was tense, and he stiffly requested, "I would like to see Ciri once more, Geralt. If that is possible with you."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 561: Birth

    <h4>Chapter 561: Birth</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 561: Birth</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Kaer Morhen. A towering fortress sleeping within the snow-capped Blue Mountains. It was almost deserted and in disrepair for decades, but now new life was breathed into it. The leaves and weeds piling up in the courtyard were cleaned away, and the training grounds saw new stakes, pendulums, and dummies installed in it. The rundown benches, observation deck, and walls were refurbished and repainted. The towers were gleaming under the sunlight.


    In a stark room, a pair of sorceresses lived. They leaned on the windowsill, staring at the snowy expanse beyond the fortress.


    "It''s been a month since you came here, Lydia. How do you feel now?" Coral looked at the woman on her left.


    She was slender, and her chestnut colored hair was tied in a bun behind her head. Lydia had taken off the mask she''d worn for twenty years, revealing her true face. The top half radiated intelligence and elegance. Her brows were light as ink dipped in water, her eyes bright and quiet as a still pond in a forest. Her nose was petite, and her lips were lusciously pink.


    However, from the chin down to her neck, Lydia''s appearance was a nightmare. Burn marks, scabs, and cysts were everywhere, and one of her arms was prosthetic.


    "I''m really sorry, Coral." Lydia''s voice was hoarse and scraping. Her vocal cords were severely damaged. "I''ve served him for twenty years. He was my master, my everything, and my reason to live." Lydia''s eyes were glistening with tears. "I-I can''t forget about him."


    "I know. Vilgefortz was an incredible man. Dashing, capable, and magically gifted," said Coral. "But he would never have fallen in love with anyone. He only loved himself. You heard his answer to Roy''s question. He never saw you as more than a tool. Youmitted evil despite what your conscience told you, all because of him. You have blood on your hands, but unlike Vilgefortz and his cohorts, you still have a conscience. That''s why Roy spared you."


    The mention of that witcher left conflicting feelings in Lydia''s heart. She looked at her almost lifelike prosthetic, and her heart swelled with hatred and gratitude. Roy brought an end to her life of servitude, but now she did not know where the futurey.


    Coral gazed at her fellow sorceress and persuaded, "He''s been dead for months now. No longer can he exploit you or your feelings for him. It is time to let go, Lydia. Live for yourself."


    Lydia looked at Coral, a little dazed. The older sorceress wrapped her arm around Lydia''s shoulder. "Kaer Morhen is a beautiful ce. We can look into the legacy Vilgefortz left behind. And with the children around, there''ll never be a dull moment. Now I need you to prepare some mutagens and herbs. He''ll need it when hees back," said Coral.


    "Okay."


    ***


    Eskel stood atop the wooden scaffolding overseeing the broken parapet. He pped bricks into the missing parts. Most of the walls had been filled in. The subus was by his side, donned in thick cotton clothes. She handed him a canteen.


    Eskel took a sip and smiled at the subus.


    The apprentice witchers stared at the couple, and righteous anger red in their eyes.


    "Stop staring, Monti. Focus on the job, and pick up the pace. You''re slow as a snail. Didn''t sleepst night?"


    "Last night? I haven''t slept well for two months. Carl hugs me every night like I''m Vicki. Almost suffocated me, the guy."


    Someone coughed.


    "I thought Kaer Morhen had everything." Monti had dark circles under his eyes. He grumbled, "There''s nothing but empty stone houses here, and we had to sleep on the same bed."


    "And we had to make it ourselves too," Charname grumbled.


    "Hey, this isn''t fair. Why do we have to work on the buildings?" Acamuthorm swung his wooden trowel in agitation. "We wanna go on a trip like everybody else."


    "Yeah. We''re not carpenters. We should be training. Casting Signs. Not cutting wood," Charnameined while he and Lloyd were pulling the saw back and forth in sync, cutting off the wood of the scaffolding.


    Serrit and Auckes were making a wooden bed about six feet six inches long. They had the base down, and the witchers were immersed in the job, as if they were professional carpenters.


    "We almost refurbished the whole ce in two months. Don''t you think this is the kind of achievement we should be proud of?"


    The apprentices were particrly annoyed about that. They''d been working on repairs and refurbishments for two months, and without any pay too. All the expectations they had prior to this trip were dashed.


    "And you''ve seen everything around this ce. Heard all the stories too. And you''ve visited your predecessors'' graves."


    Eskel shook his head, carefully sliding a triangr brick into a triangr hole. "The cyclop''s dead. Only his skeleton remains. Bears are in hibernation too, given the season. The harpies aren''t showing up either, and Carl''s dealt with the foglet. You can go sightseeing, but that''s just boring. Woodworking and masonry''s more fun to learn."


    Serrit tucked his knife away and took out a file from the toolkit beside him. "And you can at least have a job when you retire from being a witcher." The witcher cut the wood, creating a piece of art from the simple material he had.


    "But Roy said there''s a family of trolls on that mountain. He said you could talk to them if they get a bit of vodka. We didn''t get to talk to themst time." Carl looked at the confusing blueprints. He couldn''t make any sense of it for a long time. When he finally managed to at least glean a bit of knowledge, he made a simple circle on a log.


    "You want to talk to the trolls?" Auckes nced at the apprentices. "Yeah, no. They''re going to turn you into stew. Trolls are far stronger than the guards you fought. They have fists bigger than your heads, and their skin''s nearly imprable. Oh, and their favorite food is human children."


    The apprentices winced just from hearing that. The newbie witchers sneered, their eyes ring with fighting spirit.


    "You barely have enough experience in battle as is. Better memorize my thesis before you even think about meeting a troll," said Serrit proudly.


    Eskel wiped the sweat off his forehead. "If you''re tired of all this work, Grimm''s always happy to spar with you kids."


    The apprentices shook their heads vigorously, obviously not taking the idea well.


    "Why''s Grimm still around anyway?"


    The children were more than annoyed at this point. Grimm wouldn''t stop sparring with them for months. To make things worse, he''d try to inculcate the virtues of knighthood into them, despite their clear reluctance.


    They thought knights were supposed to be paragons of virtue, but Grimm took morality to another level and wouldn''t stop talking about it with them.


    ***


    Behind Kaer Morhen was a mountain. There was a cliff with a narrow path surrounded by a rickety wooden fence. The fence oversaw a snow-covered prairie, the swaying pine woods, and a fog-covered hill just over yonder.


    A wide river gushed through the ravine between mountains, the stream gurgling.


    Grimm sneezed and rubbed his nose. "By the honor of a knight, I swear someone is talking behind my back." He stared at the witcher ahead. "Coen, are you certain the Lady of the Lake is in this river? We have spent two months dueling before this river, and yet she has never shown herself to us."


    Coen nimbly climbed up the small slope beside the cliff. In the woods beyond the river, a group of children were happily whiling away their time. Some were foraging for herbs, some were drawing, some were doing poetry, some were fishing, and some were in a hide-and-seek session. The air was filled with the children''sughter.


    "Roy ims that you possess all the virtues of a knight." Coen pulled his clothes tighter, surreptitiously pouting. "But youck a certain element."


    "Which is?"


    "You''re a guest. First lesson you have to learn is to control your impulses. Don''t keep asking the children for duels, and stop lecturing them." Coen turned around and solemnly said, "They''re witchers, not knights. They''re not that easily brainwashed."


    Grimm held the hilt of his sword as he quickly sidled to Coen. "By my honor, this is just a bad habit of mine, and it dies hard. Despite my continued defeats, I can feel my skill growing."


    If Grimm didn''t use his weapon, he would have a more difficult time with the apprentices.


    "I need someone to measure my growth. Cahir will be a good sparring partner. Speaking of which, how is he doing? It has been months since he went to Skellige. Is there any news?"


    "For all we know, Bran might''ve lopped his head off." Coen smiled at Grimm. "Just joking. Perhaps Cahir found a new goal on Skellige and doesn''t want to return anymore."


    ***


    Cahir was in the stable of Bran''s castle. The knight had a ck apron tied around him, and his hands were covered with gloves. He brushed thest horse in the stables clean and patted the steed''s mane. A bitter smile curled his lips.


    His request to meet Ciri was denied by Geralt. The White Wolf could not find it in himself to forgive Ciri''s captor. When Cahir thought all was lost, another witcher gave him hope. That witcher was a peculiar one. His gaze was sharp, but there was trust in it. It almost felt like the witcher had known him for a long time.


    With Roy''s backing, Cahir made it to An Skellig, but before he could meet the princess, Bran sentenced him to the dungeons with the pretext of ''punishing a Nilfgaardian spy.'' For some reason, however, he was released and made a servant of the castle.


    Cahir became a stableman, and a mighty busy one at that. His days consisted of nothing but work and sleep. Work was nothing but feeding and grooming the steeds of Skellige''s lords, but his abode was almost undesirable. It was but a small hut beside the stables. The air reeked of the steeds'' stench.


    As an elite knight of Nilfgaard, Cahir had experience grooming horses, and he took to the job easily enough. However, he still couldn''t see the princess. Nay, he couldn''t even see the steward, much less anyone more important than him. The knight had a feeling someone was watching him, but he epted his fate. Shortly after he began his journey with Grimm, he was no longer a Nilfgaardian spy. He was but a humble sinner, seeking redemption.


    ***


    It was a special day. Dawn had just broken through the horizon, but the air itself felt tense. The cooks and servants around the castle were nervous and anticipatory at the same time. It was as though a storm wasing, but at the same time, the promise of warm sunshine followed.


    The ck horse licked the stableman''s neck. Cahir patted the steed''s neck and stared at the upper levels of the castle. "Something''s happening in that room. Perhaps someone important is inside."


    ***


    Cnthe''s room was firmly locked. Standing in the corridor were a group of people, nervous. King Bran was present, of course, with a bear hide cape draped on his shoulders. And Birna stood by him, her face caked in beautiful, gleaming makeup. Their son, Svanrige, was there as well.


    Crach an Craite and his children were there too, as well as Geralt and Roy. Ciri, of course, would not miss this event for anything. She was dressed in a light blue dress, looking as groomed as a princess could be. The young princess muttered under her breath, balling her hands and loosening them up quickly. She paced around the corridor, her eyes filled with concern for her family.


    "Can ya stop it, Ciri? Yer makin'' my head spin, an'' I hate that!" Crach grabbed his niece''s braid.


    Hjalmar rubbed the scar on his face, teasing, "It''s not ye givin'' birth, Ciri. Ain''t gonna do anythin'' worryin'' so much."


    Ciri harrumphed and cracked her fingers. Hjalmar brought his left hand to his mouth, covering it.


    "Alright, we know yer a good sorceress, but don''t use yer magic on yer cousin," Cerys pleaded.


    "Grandmother''s not young anymore. Did you hear how much she was screaming? And it''s not like I get a new family member every day. I want them both to be safe." Ciri approached Geralt and held his hand.


    Hjalmar heaved a sigh of relief, but he hung his head low. Ciri''s magical education was bearing fruit. She could easily take him down now. <i>How am I supposed to convince her to marry me?</i>


    "They''re not wrong, Ciri." Geralt stared at the shut door, patting Ciri. "This isn''t Cnthe''s first child, and your grandmother''s always been on the stronger side. And Yen is taking care of things inside."


    Geralt smiled. Never did he expect Yennefer of Vengerberg to be a midwife, and for a queen, no less. Still, given her age, it was not surprising that the sorceress knew about female medical care.


    Ciri pursed her lips, but she nodded.


    "Ciri''s calm enough, but I can''t say the same for <i>him</i>." Svanrige looked at the bench on the left of the door, where a ck-haired witcher sat.


    Roy would nce at the door ever so frequently, listening to the screams and shouts within, all the while having a tense look on his face. He would bury his face in his hands and take a deep breath before he got up for a worried walk. The air around him reeked of concern. It almost felt like he was the father of the infant.


    The Skellige royalty were looking at Roy with conflicted gazes. Cnthe had told them about the witcher''s bond with her unborn child through the Law of Surprise. If it weren''t for the inder''s faith in Freya and destiny, they''d have cut down the insolent witcher by now.


    And then a loud cry rang across the air. Everyone quickly huddled around the door. Ciri was in the front row, her eyes big as saucepans. She held her breath.


    Hurried footsteps approached them, then the door swung open. Yennefer stood before the bed. She was in clean,fortable white clothes. There was shock on her face, her hair swaying behind. The sorceress stared at the infant Cnthe was holding in her arms, her eyes twinkling with surprise.


    The former queen of Cintra''s eyes shone with the love of a mother. Love for the beautiful baby she was holding in her arms. The umbilical cord was cut. The baby had purplish skin covered in a whiteyer of fat.


    Bran stared at the infant, a big, fat grin stretching his lips. "Good job, Cnthe. Eist finally has a descendant!" He nervously wiped his hands on his shirt. "By Freya, she''s heavy. About 9 pounds, I reckon? A child of the sea, indeed. So, Cerys, do you mind her taking your title of Sparrowhawk?"


    Cerys was grinning as well. She nodded, captivated by the baby.


    Cnthe scanned everyone and nodded gratefully. She was too weak to even speak.


    "Ah, she''s marvelous." Brina chuckled. Her eyes were twinkling as well. "She''ll grow up gorgeous."


    "Of course she will. My aunt is¡­" Ciri frowned, surprised and a little troubled, muttering, "actually quite ugly. Her skin''s purple. And there''s white stuff everywhere."


    "Shut it, duckling!" Yennefer skewered Ciri with a sharp look. "Even gods start out as nothing but regr babies. You were a lot more grotesque when you were born."


    "T-That''s just a joke, isn''t it?"


    "Outta the way, Ciri. Lemme kiss the baby."


    "Don''t even try, Crach. Your hands are dirty as the dumpster. And your beard''s filled with alcohol. Ugh, I smell fish, and are those leftovers I see? Don''t kiss her. You''re going to make her sick."


    "Ah, she''s a Skellige girl. She ain''t that weak."


    And the baby cried.


    "See? You made her cry, you big oaf.


    Geralt frowned. He stared at Yennefer and Crach, thinking that they were a bit too friendly with each other.


    "Oh, let me do it. I just had a big serving of liquor. Perfectly healthy." Bran rubbed his gigantic hands together.


    And the baby cried. Again.


    "Sorry, Your Majesty. She doesn''t like you very much either. And stop ring, Geralt. You''re scaring her. Don''t poke her, Ciri! And stay away. I don''t want any more chain reactions happening."


    Yennefer was screaming and warning everyone. The air was livelier all of a sudden.


    "Roy." Cnthe turned around and looked at Roy. The witcher was standing far away, nervous but a little anticipatory.


    Yennefer sternly said, "Don''t just stand there, Roy. She''s calling you."


    "I¡­" The witcher came ahead and stared at the bald, wrinkly baby. Something magnificent welled within his heart. There was joy and a bond forming between him and the baby. A close bond.


    He wasn¡¯t even an adult yet, and yet he could feel a close connection to the baby as if she were his own child. The Elder Blood cheered in delight, resonating softly with the blood within the child. It made Roy tipsy, as though he''d drunk a bottle of liquor.


    Cnthe raised her head, her face glistening. She looked at Roy, her eyes twinkling with a smile. "Why don''t you christen her, Roy?"


    "What?" The news shocked everyone. None could believe that a queen would allow a witcher to name her baby. They wondered if Cnthe had gone mad.


    "Why does Roy get to name her? Why can''t I do it?" Ciri pouted.


    "Consider this carefully, Cnthe. Yes, he did lend a great deal of assistance to you, but¡­" Bran gently dissuaded.


    The queen and Crach and Crach''s family shook their heads as well.


    Cnthe told them softly, "This is what destiny has led us to. Destiny not even Freya herself will disobey." She was adamant about having the witcher name the baby, and she held her up to him.


    Strangely enough, the baby stopped crying the moment she got closer to Roy. She blinked at him and gurgled happily, then she extended her hands at him, her eyes twinkling with yearning.


    This was their first meeting, and yet the baby seemed to have known the witcher for a long time. She had nothing but trust in him. Roy extended an arm over the baby''s back, holding her head and part of her shoulder. He cradled her hips and waist with his right arm, holding her up carefully.


    mes flickered. For a moment, the infant took on another image. It was the girl Roy had seen in his vision. A thin veil covered her vague visage. She had hair ck as ebony and eyes green as a forest. The girl was petite.


    Roy''s boiling Elder Blood was slowlying down. Thanks to the baby''s trust, Roy''s Elder Blood and hers merged easily. The witcher knew he had permission to use her blood to strengthen his. Especially the bloodline''s space-time powers.


    "She shall be named Eileni." A word that meant beauty and luck in Elder Speech.


    And then a chain connected their hearts. Roy trembled for a moment as the bond between him and Eileni grew deeper. He closed his eyes. Aside from Eileni''s location, he could feel her breathing, heartbeat, and even physical condition.


    Cnthe quickly took her daughter back and gently touched her chest with a finger. "Do you like that name?"


    Eileni gurgled.


    "Very well, then, my dear. Henceforth, you shall be known as Eileni Fiona Tuirseach Riannon."


    Eileni''s happy gurgles echoed throughout the room. Everyone smiled.


    "I''m counting on you, Roy." Cnthe smiled at the witcher. "You''ve given Eileni her name. Do please take good care of her. Keep her safe."


    The bond in Roy''s heart felt warm and fuzzy. He smiled. "Eileni, my Unexpected Child. I swear I shall forevermore grant you my protection. On my name as a witcher."


    ***


    End of Arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 562: Long Lost

    <h4>Chapter 562: Long Lost</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 562: Long Lost</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was early spring of 1265. The skies had taken on the shade of maple leaves as evening descended upon thend. The air was cool andfortably humid. Dewdrops hung from the greenery beside the path. A carriage was traveling down this path. More than fiftyds and youngdies were within the group. They were all sporting clean, simple clothes and fur jackets. Every one of them had a blue rucksack, their eyes twinkling with excitement, curiosity, and exhaustion from their travels.


    The carriage towed nkets and utensils. All necessities for the travelers. The wheels creaked as it plowed through the freshly drenched soil. Some of the children were resting on the cart.


    More than a dozen witchers¡ªburly with eyes of beasts and draped in cloaks¡ªnked the group. A golden-haired knight trailed behind the group, leading a horse ahead.


    The red-haired sorceress riding Wilt would cast spells from time to time, directing her magic hawk to look around for any possible hazards.


    Everyone came on this trip. Only Moore, Susie, Mino, Pashia, and Gryphon stayed at the fortress. Roy was seated on a slow-moving carriage, thinking about the events that had taken ce over thest year or so.


    After the christening of Eileni, the witcher made his return to Kaer Morhen and, with Coral''s assistance, began his third Trial. This time, he went with the Wolf School''s recipe. The Trial took longer than he''d expected. Despite his absurdly high Constitution, the sh between three witcher schools'' Trials almost killed him. The witcher fought for dear life in Kaer Morhen''sb for fourteen months before the torment came to an end.


    The witcher turned his attention to the character sheet.


    ''Roy


    .


    Age: 18 years old


    Status: Viper School Witcher, Manticore School Witcher, Wolf School Witcher, Knight of Lake Vizima, Member of Witcher Brotherhood


    HP: 380 ¡ú 400


    Mana: 310 ¡ú 340 (+80 from Trial)


    Strength: 16 ¡ú 20


    Dexterity: 16 ¡ú 20


    Constitution: 30 ¡ú 32


    Perception: 12 ¡ú 17


    Will: 32 ¡ú 34


    Charisma: 9 ¡ú 10


    Spirit: 23 ¡ú 26


    ¡­


    ss:


    Level 13 Witcher


    Rank: Intermediate Witcher


    Requirement(s) for rank advancement:


    1. Consume the remaining Trials.


    2. y magical creatures with at least one stat at Rank 2 or above (10/10). You have in: Gruffyd, Lady of the Woods, Draugr Overlord, Mirmulnir, (2) Ice Trolls¡­ and Vilgefortz.


    3. Acquire greater mutagens (7/10).


    You have (1) stat point remaining.


    ***


    The third Trial didn''t yield as many stat increments as the second Trial did, but Roy saw an increase of 21 stat points in total. Hisbat stats had finally gone up to Rank 2, save for Perception. His Will, Spirit, and Constitution were higher than most of the brotherhood''s members, and that was before his second mutation. No longer was he deadst. Power coursed through his veins.


    With the Elder Blood flowing in his veins, his elven heritage made sure he was perfectly lean. The witcher was about six feet tall, and his muscles were taut. No longer did he look like a child. He looked more like ad in his twenties now. His golden and silver eyes had turned into a pair of perfectly silver eyes, lending him an air of regality.


    Roy had a feeling this would be his eyes'' final color change.


    Roy was not the only one who underwent great change. Carl was at the head of the group, cloaked in ck. He had the air of a reliable man after his training in Kaer Morhen. Standing behind him were the first apprentice witchers and the newbies who went through their Trials, thanks to everyone''s help.


    The Trial they took was the watered down version developed by Kalkstein, Coral, Triss, and Lydia, who had joined them, but not officially just yet. They didn''t gain as much strength as the witchers of old, but they didn''t suffer anyplications either.


    The witchers'' colorful eyes gleamed under the evening light. With the addition of these new witchers, the group now had a staggering twenty-four monster hunters in their ranks. They stayed in Kaer Morhen for more than one year,ing up with a meticulous n before they made their way to Ender.


    The temple, however, was not the destination Roy had in mind.


    ***


    "Are we there yet, Roy?" Acamuthorm took a seat beside Roy and swayed his legs back and forth, his fringe brushing across his freckles.


    "It''s been more than two weeks since we left Kaer Morhen. We passed Gwenllech, a few viges in Upper Buina, and Ard Carraigh. We''ll be entering Ender in a month at most."


    "Is Nenneke as kind as you say she is?" Carl leaned in closer from atop his horse. "And are there really more than a hundred girls in the temple?"


    "I see you''ve grown. Finally at that age, huh?" Felix smirked at his protege. "Does Vicki know you''re interested in other girls, though?"


    Auckes teased, "You just had to be a casanova like Lambert."


    Carl nced at Vicki, who was chatting quietly with the other girls. He smiled sheepishly and moved back a little.


    "Ah, shut it." Lambert sidled up to Auckes and smacked his horse''s rear. He grumbled, "So what about casanovas? At least I never hurt anyone''s heart. It''s always carnal."


    "You''re no different from a beast." Aiden scoffed.


    Letho smacked his fists. Once everyone''s attention turned to him, he shot them an icy look and sternly said, "Alright, shut it. Kids, the temple is a sacred ce. Don''t do anything stupid there. Follow their rules and do not disturb the priestesses."


    "But we''re full-fledged witchers now, Letho," Charname grumbled, "so can you stop treating us like we''re kids?"


    "Quiet!" Lytta tugged on her steed''s reins. Everyone looked in the direction she was staring at. There was an old stone bridge near the exit of the woods. It was a path they had to take on their way to the south. There was a bridgehead standing near the bridge. Kaedwen''s design. It was shimmering red under the setting sun.


    ***


    Regr bridgeheads usually had three soldiers, a toll keeper, a coach, and a dozen travelers around, but this one was packed with people. Roy''s eyes roved over it, and he saw at least thirty soldiers d in Kaedwen attire patroling the ce. There were also fifty peltasts around the fence. Most were resting around campfires, ready to deal with any emergencies.


    The gates were open. Flocks of people thronged around there. There was also a big group of soldiers resting within the fortress. Oxcarts and carriages were parked within the courtyard. Within the leaning watchtowers were two crossbowmen on high alert. When they saw the witcher''s grouping out of the woods, they gasped.


    "By the gods, where are you going, witchers?" The sergeant ran up to them, staring at the witchers. Their eyes alone struck fear into his heart, and he took on a more reverent attitude without even noticing it. "You have children with you. Are they your prot¨¦g¨¦s?"


    The witchers exchanged a knowing look, and the young witchers looked proud. On their way here, they met a lot of people, and everyone afforded them respect. The battle of Novigrad had spread far and wide over the previous year. Eventually, the stories took on a more mystical version. Some said they took down a thousand guards with just a troop of ten. Either way, the witchers found themselves to be feared and respected. No one dared curse or mock them anymore. It was a good sign, and the witchers were more than happy to take the gift.


    ***


    "We''re going to Ender." Roy stepped forth, his eyes roving over the ground around the fortress. There were not only footprints there; Roy saw signs of battle, albeit they were covered up. He also tasted a faint scent of blood hanging in the air. Not even the downpour the night before could clear the air up.


    The sergeant heaved a sigh of relief. He too had noticed the look on Roy''s face, and he managed to guess what Roy wanted to ask. "You''ve noticed it as well, haven''t you? Someone ambushed the fortressst night. If my troops had arrived one momentter, this ce would''ve been razed to the ground," answered the sergeant.


    He''d rather not cross these witchers. There were only about two hundred soldiers in this fortress. Strong they might be, the Eternal Fire guards were stronger, and yet they were decimated. The sergeant would rather let the witchers pass peacefully.


    "Who would dare attack a Kaedwen stronghold?" Grimm stepped forth. Staying in Kaer Morhen had robbed him of thetest news. "I thought Nilfgaard signed a peace treaty."


    "And it wasn''t Nilfgaard that attacked us. It''s the sted bandits, and the South''s supporting them." The sergeant spat. He was also perplexed as to why a knight was with the witchers. "Soiatael!" he hissed venomously, though that was not the correct pronunciation.


    The Kaedwen soldiers behind him were riled up as well at the mention of that name.


    Roy exchanged a look with hispanions. "The Squirrels, you mean?"


    "Yes. That''s what they call themselves. Some say it''s because they have squirrel tails tied to their hats or belts. Some say it''s because they take the woods as their abode and only sustain themselves on a diet of nuts. ''Course, elves aren''t their only members; they have half-elves, part-elves, halflings, dwarves, and every living being that despises humanity. Rumors had it that you ughtered these extremists in Novigrad."


    The sergeant was impressed. "Job well done. Only thing is you should''ve killed more."


    Serrit crossed his arms. "Sounds like they''re up to something again."


    "Yes. The terrorists have expanded their area of operations to Kaedwen. No, the whole Northern Realms, to be exact. Attacks have been sighted in Brugge, Kerack, Verden''s vicinity, the edges of Brokilon, Aedirn, Kaedwen, Temeria, and Redania. Those madmen wouldy their hands on any passing traveler as long as they''re humans. Merchants, soldiers, and even tramps. It''s even worse in Kaedwen. They spread around like wildfire. Everywhere they go, everything dies. Gueri warfare''s their strategy, and they''re more bloodthirsty than the bandits. They''re not out for coin; they''re out for blood. Human blood. Says gibberish like ''Human rule is over! Time for the old order to return. We''re kicking you back to the sea!'' See this bridgehead? They destroyed it."


    The witchers were grim as well. The scoia''tael were nothing but weaklings before, yet now even the Northern Realms had to be wary of them. This was less-than-good news. Scoia''tael and witchers were now nemeses, all thanks to the battle at Novigrad.


    "So you''re trying to say that it''ll be a dangerous journey to Kaedwen?" Vesemir looked at the covered corpses in the courtyard. They were starting to reek.


    "Shouldn''t be much of a problem for you guys. Scoia''tael members are nothing to witchers," said the sergeant unctuously. He then looked at the children. "But you have to be careful, especially when you have kids with you."


    He moved away and gave his men a look. The soldiers quickly cleared the path for the witchers. The youngest of them were raring to go, despite the dangers of Scoia''tael. They had had enough of the endless training and sparring in Kaer Morhen. True battle was what they desired, and Scoia''tael was the perfect target.


    "Oh, another caravan just went by as well. To the south too. You should run into them eventually. It''s getting dark soon." The sergeant bade the guests goodbye. "They would be stopping to rest for the night. You should rendezvous with them. It''ll be safer."


    <i>There''s a fortress ransacked by the Squirrels on the way to Ender. </i>A certain memory surfaced in Roy''s mind, and he got a little excited. "We shouldn''t be wasting time, then."


    Roy waved at the caravan behind him, and they quickly left the bridge. Only after the witcher caravan was out of sight did the soldiers and travelers heave a collective sigh of relief. "Chin up, men. Double the patrol efforts tonight."


    They respected the witchers for their culling of Scoia''tael and their remarkable fighting prowess, but they''d rather not share a room with the mutants. They were dangerous. There were only a little more than ten of them a year ago, but their numbers had almost doubled. They didn''t want to risk the witchers ughtering this whole ce.


    With the bards'' efforts at overturning the stigma on witchers and Cyrus'' new book that was Witchers: Misunderstood Community, the Northern Realms had a new policy toward witchers: leave them alone, and show them respect.


    ***


    Dusk fell upon thend once more. In the wilderness a short distance away from the south of the bridge, a group of carriages formed a circle beside the stone path. In its center was a bonfire, its fire illuminating the white canvas on the carriage.


    A group of people were gathered around the bonfire, engaged in a conversation.


    And then the braying of a horse broke the idyllic silence of the night. The people around the bonfire jumped, swinging their battle axes and warhammers away. Crossbowmen took aim and hid behind the carriages, taking cover.


    The crowd exploded, ready to battle, though some were smart enough to find out who the neers were before they went hostile.


    "Who goes there?" a dwarf bellowed, standing behind a carriage.


    "Calm down, dwarf. We''re friends." A witcher appeared from the darkness, leading a horse. He had hair white as snow and face pale as a ghost.


    "Ya look like a ghost to me, mate. Have you ever looked into a mirror?" The dwarf put his axe away, muttering under his breath. He flung his absurdly long beard over his shoulder. "Unless my eyes are deceiving me, yer Geralt of Rivia. Ain''t no one else looking more like a ghost than you."


    "Evening, Yarpen Zigrin." Geralt tossed a bottle of spirit at the dwarf, and he smiled. "Must''ve been ten years since I left Kestrel Mountains."


    Yarpen hastily uncorked the bottle of spirit. The air was filled with the aroma of alcohol, and the swarf took a big swig. He grinned, his teeth yellow, and his beard swayed. "That''s some true Mahakaman spirit. Alright, people, false rm. It''s a friend."


    The dwarves heaved a collective sigh of relief. A few dozen armed dwarves appeared from behind the carriages, and then the bonfire roared higher. With the light now brighter, they could see even more horses standing behind Geralt. The dozen or so pairs of beastly eyes did not escape them either. Nor did the big group of children.


    "By Maha- Mahakam, a-are my eyes de- deceivin'' me?" A stuttering dwarf put his hammer down. He looked at a certain ck-haired, grey-eyed witcher in the group, and his eyes went wide. He roared, "Oy, Reagan, I ai-ain''t seeing things, am I? H-He looks like h-him, b-but¡­"


    "No, yer right." The crossbowman strapped his weapon to his back. He stepped forth and approached Roy, then he sped his hand and gave him a hug. The dwarf could only reach Roy''s chest, however. It almost seemed like a child was hugging his father. "Roy, my friend. It''s good to see you here. What happened? Yer grown so much! And that baldy must be Letho!"


    Letho put on a smile and waved his hand.


    "Hello, Reagan. Hello, Barney." Roy looked at the familiar faces. He couldn''t hold back his excitement. It almost felt like he was back in Mahakam, adventuring through treacherous caves. "It''s been four years. How are you doing?"


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 563: Dwarven Caravan

    "Sorceress, witchers, and children, wee."


    The caravan''s size expanded a few times over, and one of the leaders, Yarpen, was seated in the center. "From left to right: Yannick Brass, Xavier, Moran, Paulie Dahlberg, his brother Reagan Dahlberg, and finally, Barney. He stutters a little. That witcher over there seems to know him."


    The dwarves were short and stocky, with beards thick as bushes. They were covered in thick cotton shirts, and all looked like they were made from the same mold. They had crossbows on their backs and were equipped with ck battleaxes or warhammers. Anyone could confuse them with one another if they didn''t look closely.


    As per usual, Roy cast Observe on them. They had far better stats than regr humans, especially in terms ofbat attributes like Strength and Constitution. Their stats were only slightlygging behind the new witchers, but they had vastly superior skills with weapons and morebat experience.


    There were about thirty human soldiers in the group, though they were seated on the other side of the bonfire, refusing toe close.


    Roy nodded, a smile curling his lips. "About four years ago, Reagan, Barney, and I fought a leshen in Mahakam and came out triumphant. We drank and bathed together. Reagan even taught me how to use a crossbow better."


    Roy took a small, grey notebook from his pocket. The cover read ¡®A gift to Roy. From Reagan Dahlberg.¡¯


    Reagan took the notebook and caressed it. He was happy to see the notebook he came up with taken care of well. "Ya changed a lot, Roy. I was about your chin''s height back then, but now I can barely reach your waist. Barney and I have wonderin'' why you and Letho left without saying goodbye."


    Letho and Roy exchanged a look. "We''re not used to big, merry asions." They had no idea about Brovar''s trap, so they kept it a secret. "Went into Smiack and left."


    "I see." Barney soundedmenting. "The elder c-credited us f-for the leshen''s d-death. Me, Reagan, Drew, a-and Dave. W-Women love us. C-Crazy for us. Think w-we''re heroes."


    Reagan proudly exined, "We ain''t gonna raise a family and settle down at this age, so we left the mountain and met up with Paulie."


    Paulie looked just like Reagan, except he had a bushier beard and skin ck as tar. "Worked for Yarpen since then. Been a good life. If yer find yourself outta a job, ya cane for us. We have enough booze to go around." Reagan smacked Roy''s shoulder.


    Coral chuckled, drying her wet hands over the open fire. The children were staring at the dwarves curiously. This was their first contact with an ancient race.


    Grimm caressed his greatsword, eyeing new sparring partners.


    "B-Been a while, R-Roy. W-We''re gonna d-drink till w-we drop!" Barney rubbed his hands, his cheeks red.


    "Ain''t got that much booze, mate." Paulie humphed. "It''s for the vanguard."


    Barney turned to the side angrily, facing Paulie with his rear.


    "Hm, there''s six of you here." Geralt scanned the dwarves, musing. "And there were six during the hunt for the dragon. The team''s here."


    "Not the whole team. Barney reced Lucas." Yarpen took a swig of the spirit and gave Barney the bottle. Barney held it happily, his annoyance gone. "Lucas got hitched and returned to Mahakam. Barney''s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he works hard."


    "Dragon hunting?" Their curiosity piqued, the apprentice witchers stared at Geralt expectantly. Even the girls were curious. Dragons were legendary creatures, after all.


    Yarpen smacked his pot belly, guffawing. He winked at Carl before he regaled, "We failed the hunt, Geralt, but ain''t humiliatin'' losin'' to a golden dragon. Don''t have to keep it a secret. It goes like this. Many years ago, we were in Caingorn, huntin'' for a green dragon. Female. We had with us the Crinfrid Reavers, Yennfer of Vengerberg, Dorregaray the sorcerer, and Dandelion the bard. The shoemaker''s trap of a dead sheep stuffed with poison nts worked. The dragon couldn''t even lift a w to fight. But just when we were about to capture her, one of Geralt''spanions attacked. He turned. Grew into the size of a small mountain. Turned into a creature with scales hard as steel. Fangs and ws sharp as the strongest weapons. Aye, ''twas a golden dragon. Crushed our team easily and took its wife and child away."


    The hunt happened more than a decade ago, yet the dwarves still shuddered every time it was mentioned. Still, they might have failed the hunt and escaped with their tails between their legs, but they befriended Geralt.


    Aiden muttered, "A dragon turning into a human? I remember an old folk song that talks about this. Golden dragons can turn into¡­"


    "Anything." Geralt nodded. "Humans included. Villentretenmerth, or Borch Three Jackdaws, taught us a painful lesson."


    Roy shot Geralt a knowing look. The White Wolf shuddered.


    Roy knew very well that Borch Three Jackdaws and Geralt had a long discussion in The Pensive Dragon. In the heat of their discussion, Borch Three Jackdaws invited Geralt to bathe with his Zerrikanian bodyguards.


    Zerrikanian women were not just great warriors on the battlefield. They were great warriors in¡­ something else as well. That night, Geralt and the bodyguards shared a big bucket. Cramped as it was, the White Wolf still had an incredibly enjoyable night.


    And then he had sex with Yennefer the very next morning, still full of vigor.


    ***


    The apprentices'' eyes twinkled. They were trying to imagine the battle that took ce so many years ago.


    The witchers, however, looked at Roy. Roy defeated a dragon in another world. One that went by the name of Mirmulnir, and it had a terrifying ability called Dragon Shout.


    Yarpen noticed the apprentices'' anticipation to fight a dragon. "Children, golden dragons are the absolute kings of dragonkind. It can kill us all fairly easily if it wants to. You still have much to learn in this line of work. Start by hunting some drowners, eh?" The dwarf roared withughter.


    The apprentices'' motivation was doused, their faces falling. Once again, they were harkened back to the unsightly days of drowner hunting. The air reeked of fish, and their minds were haunted by the growls and howls of the monsters.


    "Here. It''ll jump start your head." Yarpen tossed a bottle of liquor to Carl. Some of the alcohol spilled into the fire, spreading the scent of liquor into the air.


    Carl took a little sip, but he balked at the spirit''s scorching taste. He handed the bottle to his friends. The witchers had no problem with their prot¨¦g¨¦s drinking alcohol. They had gone through the Trial after all, and no alcohol was deadlier than that. As long as they kept it within reason, it was fine.


    "So, Geralt, how goes yer rtionship with thedy?" Reagan wiggled his eyebrow at Geralt. "Better?"


    Geralt''s face stiffened up. He was getting worried about Yennefer, who stayed back at Skellige with Ciri and Eileni. His concern was about Crach, who might get ideas about seeing Yennefer again. Still, he nodded. "Yes. Quite a lot so."


    "Congrattions. Get us some drinks when the happy asiones." Yarpenughed animatedly.


    "That''s all for adventure stories. Who''s that man over there?" Geralt turned his gaze to the man standing beside the carriage. That man didn''te over with the dwarves.


    "Steward of our caravan and a bailiff, Vilfrid Wenck," the dwarf raised his voice. "In service of King Henselt, the wise king who resides in Ard Carraigh."


    Vilfrid was an even more towering man than Letho. He was about twice the dwarves'' height, and he was in simple emissary attire. The group was staring at him with interest, and he nodded stiffly. He disliked these guests, but he was vastly outnumbered to say anything about it.


    Roy cocked his eyebrow, but not because of Vilfrid. He disagreed with the dwarf''s opinion on Henselt. That man was irascible and hostile toward nonhumans. During the second war, Henselt struck a deal with Nilfgaard and overtook part of northern Aedirn. He was a man of no shame or vision whatsoever. Roy also knew that this expedition led by loyal Yarpen was another trapid out by Henselt.


    ***


    "So you''re escorting this cargo by orders of the king?" Lambert looked at the carriage.


    "Yes. Regr cargo, however. Things like dried fish, feed, tools, horse items, and misceneous military needs." Yarpen heaved a sigh. "Ya know how things are with the Squirrels. All the soldiers need food and clothing. They desperately need these replenishments. As part of the kingdom of Kaedwen, we have to contribute."


    <em>The dwarves are serving Kaedwen to topple The Squirrels, an organization led by nonhumans? That''s kind of a race traitor.</em>


    The witchers fell into silence, though they were looking around.


    "Don''t give me that look, friends. Yes, I know there are dwarves among the Squirrels. They hide between bushes and kill off humans all in the name of freedom. And freedom from discrimination." Yarpen had a look of disapproval on his face. He shook his head. "But not every dwarf is the same. We spent more than a hundred years trying to gain an understanding with humans, and many of my nsmen have set up smithies, and breweries all around the world. Even the great Cianfanelli and Vivaldi were founded by dwarves. It''s proof that we can get together, humans and nonhumans. We came to Kaedwen and swore our fealty to Kaedwen to strengthen this bond."


    Roy was reminded of another dwarf who served Hereward. One who went by the name of Dennis Cranmer. He now had a clear rtionship structure of dwarves and humankind. Brovar of Mahakam was neutral, Yarpen''s team and Dennis were allies of humanity, while the Scoia''tael dwarves were on the opposite end of the spectrum. They despised humanity.


    "But the bastards are trying to rile up hatred between humans and nonhumans. They kill indiscriminately, even those who''ve never treated them badly." Yarpen shook his head and took a swig of his spirit. He loudly dered, "Their violence is going to tear down all the goodwill we''ve built. I will not allow that to happen. Never again will humans and nonhumans be enemies. That''s why we took a stand. To prove that there are still peaceful nonhumans around."


    Vilfrid had a look of approval on his face, and he nodded.


    Roy sighed silently. <em>With the Scoia''tael going around killing humans, the Northern Realms will only be more and more hostile toward nonhumans.</em>


    Silence fell upon the crowd. The only sounds left were the crackling of the mes, the belches and farts of the dwarves, and the breeze.


    "Right, that''s all from me. So where are you going this time, witchers?" Yarpen asked. "The Northern Realms are shaken by your actions over thest couple of years. The Squirrels hate your guts, but humans have changed their opinion about you guys. Heard some stories too. Fifteen witchers, swinging their des. Gleaming crescent moons of death, charging across the battlefield. Said you spat fire like dragons too."


    The dwarves looked at the witcher team and found more than twenty witchers among them. "Almost twice the number of you guys now. Not even elves or dwarves reproduce that quickly."


    Vesemir coughed. "Bit of an exaggeration, Yarpen. Nonhumans outnumber us at least a thousand to one. The expansion of our ranks will change nothing."


    "But yer excellent fighters," praised Reagan. "Where are ya really going, though? There''s a big buncha ya."


    "We''re going south. To Ender, where these brats can sharpen their skills and meet more people along the way." Roy tossed a piece of charcoal into the bonfire. "It''s a ten-day journey to Lix, and our paths won''t fork until then. Wanna travel together? Scoia''tael''s on the prowl, and it''s going to be a dangerous journey. We should have each other''s backs."


    If Roy''s memories served him right, Yarpen''s team would run into terrible danger on this journey. A few dwarves would die. One was Geralt''s old friend, and a few others would be Barney and Reagan. Roy couldn''t sit this one out. He liked these rugged, miserly, alcoholic, but loyal dwarves.


    Roy had a warm, reliable air about him. And he seemed to be trustable. Yarpen was about to nod, but then he looked at Vilfrid. "Sorry, but I can''t make the shot here. If we can''t get to our destination on time, the bailiff''s gonna be in trouble."


    "See these kids? We''ve trained them. Nothing happened during our trip. I promise they can keep up with any adults. They won''t slow you down." Serrit took over. He could guess what Roy wanted to do. He whispered, "And everyone knows we and the Squirrels are nemeses. We won''t backstab you."


    Geralt scanned the dwarves slowly. "And if you have time, you can teach the kids a bit about adventuring."


    Vicki, Renee, Oreo, Conrad, and the kids held their hands together, staring at the dwarves with anticipation. The dwarves, ever loving to teach, got a little tipsy, and they held their heads high, a smile curling their lips.


    Yarpen stroked his beard and took a deep breath, then he exchanged a look with hispanions. "By Mahakam, we can never leave women and children to the machinations of fate, can we? I''ll talk to the bailiff. And it''ste. You should get some rest. And dontcha re at me, Barney. Ya can''t chat with Roy now. Get some sleep. Any chattin'' can wait until mornin''."


    Roy looked at the night sky, where the constetion of Draco hung brightly. The gxy flowed across the skies like a silver, glimmering ribbon.


    ***


    The night was getting darker. The carriages and oxcarts stood in a circle around the bonfire, a piece of cloth splitting the space in two. The sorceress and the girls took up tents on the left side, while the boys took up the space on the right.


    The witchers spread a circle of beast-repelling feces around the campsite and slept outside the carriages, on the trees, hay, branches, and even boulders. The monster hunters only had microsleep, ncing at the caravan in the center.


    Geralt was lying on a branch, his cloak nketing him. His head pillowed on his hands. "Why''d you insist on traveling with them?"


    Roy stared at the stars in the skies and nced at Barney, who was patrolling the perimeter with a human soldier. He asked, "Would you help your friend if you knew they were about to run into danger?"


    Geralt tensed up. "So you''re saying¡­"


    "That this journey is more treacherous than you thought. Be careful. And get some sleep." Roy sat with his legs crossed and entered the realm of mediation. Once again, he tried to cast the spell he gleaned from the ifrit Vilgefortz summoned.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 564: The Eighth Sign

    <h4>Chapter 564: The Eighth Sign</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 564: The Eighth Sign</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Colorful elemental particles rained across the skies like chromaticets. The burning particles of mes were like ribbons shining with crimson light, and they surrounded the witcher, cocooning him


    The silent heart once again started to beat, reviving itself all the while ying a mystical tune. The element of fire burst forth from the dark space, along with the ne of fire hanging high up in the skies. The mes from both sides charged across the space between them, nourishing the crimson cocoon standing in between.


    And then, the cocoon was torn. A pair of shining talons wed their way out from within, then a male creature made of gaseous mes emerged. Its shoulders were broad, its back wide as mountains. Its nose resembled a lion¡¯s, and its mouth was like a maw. Its eyes were made of the most exquisite rubies in existence, and they burned with mes. Horns jutted from its forehead, ancient runes engraved upon their surface. Its red hair tumbled down its shoulder and wrapped itself around its neck and chest, forming a mane. Glimpses of fire red in its throat every time it opened its maw.


    ***


    Roy the ifrit stared at his fiery form, and a small smile cracked his lips. Compared to Mirmulnir''s form, the ifrit had a lower affinity toward the four elements, but it was the king of mes. The fire element, proud and arrogant, was now huddled close to Roy, talking to him, worshipping him. Roy held his left hand in a fist, and a whip of fire appeared, without need for spells or incantations.


    He cracked the whip, filling the air with mes and light.


    ***


    Roy had been ameliorating his soul for more than a month since he woke from his third Trial. With his powerful soul and incredible meditating skills, Roy could finally keep this form stable, and now it was time for the next step.


    .


    He conjured a thought, and the particles of mes quickly formed gigantic hands, taking him away from the elemental nes. Slowly, Roy descended into the ground. The earth that prohibited his entry was gone. The element of fire was part of the world''s foundation, and ifrits were part of this world''s system. The would not reject its entry.


    Just like how Roy could easily sink into the earth back in Skyrim with his dragon form, Roy the ifrit easily sank into the depths of the witcher world. The light was slowly getting dimmer and dimmer, while the air was getting thinner and thinner. Temperatures were declining, and the only thing that was constant was the all-epassing darkness.


    Roy rode his mes, prating the crust, then the upper mantle, then lower mantle. Slowly, he made his way to the center of the.


    A long, long timeter, a sliver of crimson light tore through the darkness, then the sliver became a beam. What was a flickering light a moment ago had turned into a great ball of mes like the sun hanging high above the skies.


    The temperature skyrocketed. A moment ago, it was a hundred degrees under zero, but now it was a thousand degrees. The rustling of elements had disappeared, reced by a sound far louder and stronger. The air hissed like steam, the water roared like a raging river. Roy had finally arrived at the outer core of the''s center, where liquid mes flowed.


    There were no Bones of the Earth here, unlike Nirn. There was a shell of an egg made of mes and magma. An egg a billion timesrger than its regr counterpart. On the top of the shell were a ceiling of red stctities. They were falling into the fiery ocean underneath, but the stctites were vaporized before they could hit the sea, filling the air with the stench of sulfur.


    Underneath the shell was a river of mes made of fire and magma. It roared, galloped, and charged downstream, spitting mes and magma in every direction. The outer core was a few thousand degrees hot, its air filled with enough particles of mes to rival that of the fire elemental ne''s surroundings.


    To Roy the ifrit, however, this was like home to him. He floated upon the river of magma, spreading his arms like he was embracing his mother, his conical lower body swimming around the river. He could feel a hitherto unfelt density of fire energy swimming into his body. The energy condensed into a ball and welled from his heart. They were stuck in his throat, yearning for release.


    The skill of Wingp, one that Roy gleaned from the book of the Griffins, merged with that ball of energy within him. And then something roared. The voice riled up the river of mes, and the sea of fire roiled. Bubbles popped endlessly upon the surface of the red river. Magma burst open, and liquid mes fluttered in the air over the river.


    A magma pir more than thirty feet tall hurtled forth from the sea. It slithered in the air like a snake, leaving a path of mes in its wake. Steadily, the snake became a dragon that destroyed everything in its path. The pir of mes kept flying upward, burning the mantle. It wished to break free of the core and leap into the surface.


    Roy gave it an order. The dragon broke into countless shards of mes that rained down upon the seas.


    The seven Signs shed in his mind. First, the Signs of Axii and mp, with the element of water being their source of power. Then the Signs of Quen and Heliotrop, with the element of earth supplying them with their protective strength. Then the Signs of Aard and Yrden, their source of power drawn from the air.


    And then, there was Igni. Sole Sign of the mes. It needed a partner, and Roy would grant it. Henceforth, the element of fire would have another Sign, and Roy dubbed it using his own name¡ªRoy Magma.


    A golden message popped up on the character sheet.


    ''You have created the eighth Sign and dubbed it after your name¡ªRoy Magma.


    Roy Magma: A Sign founded upon the force of a powerful soul and masterful meditation. With the soul turned into an ifrit and coupled with the mysterious powers of Wingp, you may resonate with the core of the world you are in and summon the roiling magma within.''


    Just like his dragon form summoning and Symphony of the Sword, Roy Magma had a cooldown of 17 minutes and 50 seconds.


    ***


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes. The night was getting cold, and silence was its onlypanion. Roy was on his branch, staring around. The skies were filled with a gxy of stars, while Geralt was sound asleep under his cloak.


    Roy felt proud of himself. Moments ago, he created his own spell. The eighth Sign. One that didn''t need any gestures. Akin to Dragon Shouts, it demanded the user bring forth the power of the earth with their soul and the power of sound.


    For now, he was the only one who could use this Sign. No other witchers managed to max out their Meditation level just yet, and their souls were not as powerful as his. Roy Magma was out of their reach. For now.


    Roy would tweak it until everyone could use it eventually.


    ***


    The witcher nimbly leapt off the branch. He ran off into the dark wilderness.


    ***


    A sliver of white broke through the skies as dawn tolled. Ayer of cold, humid fog hung in the air, dewdrops gleaming on the leaves of the greenery around the campsite.


    Roy had returned after a session of night training, leaving scorched earth in the wilderness miles away from the campsite, out of everyone''s sight. Or knowledge.


    The campsite was hearing its first noise of the day. The children were folding their nkets and tents, then they packed up their belongings.


    It was great to be young. After surviving the wilds for two weeks, the children could even sleep in the wilderness and wake up all refreshed.


    The dwarves were getting prepared for the journey as well. Their side of the camp rustled, and their steeds stomped and whinnied. The wheels turned and creaked, and the dwarves cursed.


    Yarpen''s voice rumbled the air, and he approached the witchers, leading Vilfrid.


    "I do not object to our traveling together, witchers," Vilfrid said. "I trust Vilfrid, and he trusts you." Vilfrid didn''t think the witchers would hurt them. If they wanted to, they would''ve taken out everyone the night before.


    The dwarf grinned at the witchers.


    "But there is one issue." Vilfrid scanned the children who were packing up. "I must arrive at my destination safely and on time, or it''s off with my head. It doesn''t escape my notice that you have a lot of children with you."


    "They''re as healthy as any dwarvend," Yarpen guaranteed. "I don''t think they''ll drag us down. And we''re passing through the woods leading to Lix. It''s home to a lotta evil monsters, that''s what I heard."


    "You make apelling argument." Vilfrid nodded. He looked the witchers in the eyes. "It is entirely possible to run into evil monsters in Kaedwenian woods. Monsters riled by something more sinister. They would attack any passing caravan, including yours. His Majesty has predicted this, and he has vested upon me the power to hire any passing warriors to join us. What do you make of that offer?"


    Roy and the witchers exchanged a look. Obviously, these monsters were the Squirrels. If this was before the ughter at Novigrad, the neutral Wolves would''ve refused Vilfrid''s offer. They disliked the Squirrels, though they would not hunt them down. However, things had changed.


    "We''ll make sure our traveling partners don''t get killed." Vesemir nodded.


    "That is excellent news." A small smile cracked Vilfrid''s quiet face. "And I shall be in charge of your personal well-being until we reach Lix. Happy partnership."


    Everyone went back to their caravans and shouted orders to leave. The coaches hopped onto the carriages and pulled on the reins. The horses cantered down the path, while the team of witchers closely followed them.


    The horses took two to three children each on their backs. Some were in the carriages, while the apprentices walked on foot. It was good training. Sometimes they would also sit down in the carriages and dangle their legs around.


    "Roy, when I-I was patrolling lst night, I-I heard some s-strange noises." Barney tugged on his reins and brought his carriage around a tree before him. He then took the bottle of Mahakaman spirit from Roy and hid it in his bushy beard. "''Twas from lte night t-till dawn. S-Sometimes it was a whisper, b-b-but sometimes i-it was a roar. L-Like a d-demon, I-I thought. R-Reminded me o-of the l-leshen. I-I tried to find it, b-but there was nothing. Y-You''re the monster e-expert here. A-Any ideas?"


    Roy was surprised. <i>What kind of hearing is that? I was miles away testing my Sign! </i>"You heard it right," Roy lied. "I found a ghoulst night a couple miles away, but it''s sleeping now. Forever."


    Barney''s eyes went wide with astonishment. "Y-You''ve grown. T-Taller, and s-stronger too," he stammered, his voice filled with pride. "B-But ''tis a-a shame you don''t have a-a beard. O-Or chest hair." He scanned Roy''s smooth chin and chest. Barneymented, "Y-Yer pretty. E-Even if you want to m-marry a dwarf, n-no one''s gonna m-marry you."


    Roy massaged his temples and shook his head, smiling. "I''ve said this once, I''ll say it twice. I am not going to marry any dwarven women. They''re not my style. And I have someone already."


    "Y-You mean t-the sorceress?" The dwarf looked at Coral, who was walking with the children. Her skin was smooth and supple, her dress frilly, and her curves beautiful as a mountain''s. Even on this journey, the sorceress made sure she had light makeup on. Her crimson hair billowed in the wind, covering part of her face. Noticing Roy and Barney looking at her, she smiled.


    She was gorgeous, but s, unlike dwarven women, shecked a beautiful beard. <i>A-At least i-it''s better than n-none. </i>Barney raised a thumbs up.


    Roy leaned on the back of the carriage and stared at the dwarf ahead. Paulie was wearing a red scarf around his neck, driving a carriage. Grimm was fiddling with his hand crossbow and hammer. There was an urge to battle ring in his eyes.


    <i>By Freya and Melitele, can he stop his obsession already?</i> "What about you, Barney? How''s life in Kaedwen?"


    Barney ruminated over that question. "Kaedwen h-has not many d-dwarves, b-but the people are n-nice. I like t-them. Straightf-f-forward. A-Ain''t gonna b-be t-two faced a-and..."


    Reminded of a certain someone, Roy smiled. "Backstab you?"


    "Yes!" Barney was spewing foam everywhere. It was like talking to a kin. "A-And when the w-weather gets cold, t-they love t-to get meat a-and drink a-and cuss a-and have a r-round of G-Gwent."


    The dwarf thought about his next words long and hard. "I-I think someone s-said this. H-Humans are all s-savages, but K-Kaedwen i-is the worst of the l-lot. It''s l-like someone dressed p-pigs up a-and taught them h-how to walk o-on their hind legs. S-Snorts all the time. S-Smells like a p-pig too."


    Barney tried his best to praise the people of Kaedwen. "T-They''re like us. L-Loves c-crude humor. C-Cusses like a d-dwarf too."


    ***


    "Been a rough year for you guys too, Yarpen?"


    Roy listened closely. That was a question asked by Geralt. He and Yarpen were engaged in a solemn political conversation.


    Yarpen was angrilyying out the rtionship between ancient races and humans and betrayal in general, then he sprinkled his opinion in too. He told Geralt that humans killed his mother''s mother, and yet he set that grudge aside and lent a human kingdom his services. All he wanted was peace. Still, his fury failed to fully cover for the worried tone in his voice.


    Vilfrid was further in the front of the caravan, and he too was listening in.


    "Ain''t got a good feelin'' a-about this." Barney hung his head low, staring at the soil and gravel on the ground. He muttered, "H-Henselt a-ain''t trusting us a-as much any-anymore. I-I can feel it. H-He''s distancin'' hi-himself from us. L-Like how B-Brovar distanced himself f-from Yarpen and Z-Zoltan. H-Henselt probably sent us on t-this journey t-to kick us out o-of the city. W-Wanted us to deal w-with the Scoia''tael p-problem. I-It saddens me."


    Roy clicked his tongue. He changed his opinion about Barney a little. The dwarf might look naive, but he could be smart if he wanted to. The witcher said, "More and more nonhumans are joining the Squirrels. Some look like they''re on the humans'' side, but the truth is they''re helping the rebels get away from the soldiers. Of course humans are going to think their nonhuman friends will someday backstab them."


    Roy said cryptically, "And it''s going to get worse. Sooner orter, the line between nonhumans and Scoia''tael members are just going to be blurred. At least that''s how it will look to humans."


    Barney fell into silence, his face green. The conflict between the ancient races and Nordlings had existed since time immemorial. It was nigh impossible to calm it down, especially after Nilfgaard''s promises to the nonhumans and riling up of their fury. The nonhumans had pledged their services to the South, bing their vanguard.


    This conflict would never end until all the ancient races were annihted, or if they had and they could call their own.


    Roy heaved a sigh. And then he felt a chill run down his spine. He turned around and saw Vicki smiling sheepishly at him from the oxcart, her hair billowing in the breeze that crossed the woods. Renee and Lilia were waving at him happily.


    Under Coral''s guidance, the girls were making a painting of the caravan to pass the time. Roy, being the most attractive man in the team, was the center of the portrait.


    "Barney, to be honest, what would you do if we ran into the Squirrels?" Roy looked at his friend.


    Barney fell into silence. Uneasily, he patted his horse''s tail.


    "Do you expect them to show you mercy? Just because you''re a nonhuman?" Roy changed his tactic.


    Barney whipped out the bottle of liquor in his beard and took a big swig. He said, "I understand. I-I''m a drinker, a-a gambler, and a c-crass guy, b-but I''m l-loyal. W-We''re on a mission f-for King Henselt. T-This is my duty. I-If anyone tries to t-take the supplies o-or trash the carriage, I-I''ll fight them."


    He patted the head of his warhammer. "T-They''ll have to f-fight me. A-Ain''t gonna take anythin'' u-unless they g-get over my d-dead body."


    ***


    The caravan traveled through the path in the forest, the air filled with the voices of witchers, humans, and dwarves.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 565: For Aelirenn

    <h4>Chapter 565: For Aelirenn</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 565: For Aelirenn</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A week of peace and quiet went by. The caravan had passed through the shifting wilds, clear, gurgling streams, short hills, and juniper woods, but no Squirrel showed up. The witcher''s prot¨¦g¨¦s were getting along with the dwarves well. Every night, they would gather around the bonfire, listening to the dwarves talking about their days of adventure, with Yarpen often in the lead.


    The children were regaled with tales of deadly battles with basilisks almost as towering as dragons, duels with ogroids that devoured at least two humans every meal, relentless drinking thatsted for days during a drinking contest in Ard Carraigh, and how they came out victorious against the sailors from Skellige. And how they gained the prize of free refills for life.


    Vilfrid would chip in as well and talk about his thoughts of Kaedwen''s situation as well as his opinions on Scoia''tael, but most of the time, he would listen quietly, much like the witchers.


    All dwarves could tell great stories. They would stroke their beard and speak of their adventures between mugs of liquor, their voices as lively and spirited as warriors going into battle. Even the stuttering Barney managed to regale the children with a few tales of his adventure.


    Compared to the more practical witchers and their straightforward way of telling tales, the children preferred the dwarves who used supetives and a lot ofparisons in their stories.


    On a few nights, the apprentices would sleep on the rugs beside the dwarves'' bonfire, even though the dwarves snored like thunder and passed gas a lot. It brought them closer together. Roy, however, would nce at the crates in the caravan and the wheel tracks on the ground. Then he would fall into his own thoughts.


    ***


    It was an overcast day. The air itself felt heavy and gloomy. Through a deserted forest the caravan went, then the dwarves and witchers pulled on their reins at the same time, slowing down. They came to a clearing. There were no trees. Only some sort of ruins was in its ce. Smooth granite and cracked marble were strewn across the ground, the engravings on their surface almost erased by the constant exposure to the elements. The freezing winters had cracked the stones, and roots slithered in, further breaking them apart.


    Deeper in the ruins, underneath the thickyer of greenery were broken pirs and white arches. On their surfaces, ivy and moss thrived.


    "What is this ce?" Vicki asked Lytta curiously.


    "Shaerrawedd."


    "Is it a castle?" Carl rubbed his chin, looking at Yarpen.


    "No, brat. Elves don''t build castles. This was a pce." The dwarf looked at the ruins solemnly. He was cautious but at the same time respectful.


    "Can we check it out, then?" Carl turned to the witchers. The prot¨¦g¨¦s and the children were looking forward to some sightseeing.


    It''d been nothing but barrennd for a while. They were sick of nts and muddy paths. This pce was one of the famous ces here, making it a good chance to delve deeper into thisnd''s history.


    Roy looked to Vilfrid for his opinion.


    "It''s a sacrosanct location for the elves and Squirrels." Vilfrid was refusing gently. "It''s a dangerous ce, so we should leave right away."


    "Ah, just a look won''t kill anyone. Ain''t wastin'' too much time either," said Yarpen.


    Vilfrid took a deep breath, a hint of resignation filling his eyes. "We''ll set off in half an hour. Horses can''t travel through rubble, so we''ll do this on foot."


    The children whooped and cheered. Roy, Coral, Geralt, Yarpen, Vesemir, and Felix followed them, while everyone else stayed back to protect the caravan.


    "Slow down, children. You don''t want to break anything here."


    Leaves squelched under their feet. They walked toward the ruins for about five minutes and ascended a flight of marble stairs. What greeted them afterward was a moss-covered stone path and ruins that looked distinctly elven.


    The children walked around, curious about everything. The witcher stood around them, keeping them safe.


    "This is a beautiful ce." Renee caressed the patterns of leaves and ivy engraved on the fallen pirs. Loudly, she asked, "Why was it destroyed?"


    "The elves themselves destroyed this ce. Before they left, though." Vesemir brushed his hand across the leaf pattern on the ground. Patiently, he exined, "More than two hundred years ago, after the abject defeat of the elves in their war against humanity, they tore down their magnificent structures and pces before they retreated into the mountains. It was done in a bid to prevent humanity from stealing their civilization''s gems. Gems like Valley of the Nine and Est Tayiar. All were destroyed."


    "Not all. Many of their civilization''s structures still stand." Yarpen had a conflicted look on his face. "And humans built their cities upon these elven structures. Vizima, the capital of Temeria, for example. Oxenfurt, the North''s beacon of academia. Aed Gynvael, the home of a tribe on the edge of the world. Maribor, Cintra, and the most famous city of all, Novigrad. All were built upon thend of the elves."


    Yarpen was envious, and a little sardonic. "You humans are gifted in the reproduction part. Not much else, I''m afraid. You breed like rabbits. No, more prolifically than that, I daresay. You took over the world with sheer numbers and killed most nonhumans. Chased elves into the barren Blue Mountains and holed most dwarves and gnomes in Mahakam and Tir Tochair. Kicked halflings into the remote wilds too. And in every city, humans have set up gathering spots for nonhumans. Like the discrimination isn''t tant enough."


    Roy shot Yarpen a re. "You should be watching your tongue. Talking about reproduction when children, witchers, and a sorceress are present? Talk about insensitivity."


    "Sorry." Yarpen shrugged, but he didn''t seem sorry at all. "Forgot you''re worse than dwarves when ites to offsprings."


    The witchers skewered Yarpen with res, while Lytta gave Roy a look. She knew he had an Unexpected Child. After his third Trial, he ran off to Skellige just to see her. <i>But I can''t ever have a child with him.</i>


    ***


    "Lotsa folk are suggestin'' that under Nilfgaard''s rilin'', the elves who got holed up in the mountains have made aeback. They want revenge." Yarpen waved his arm ahead, motioning at everyone to follow him.


    They stepped past the rough ground and entered the center of the pce. A bizarre fountain and deformed stone bs were separated by alder and birch trees. The ce almost resembled a gigantic flower made of trees and stones.


    Small shallow ditches flowed behind this patch of greenery. Some formed little streams on the ground, while some fell down the stairs, forming little waterfalls that washed away the leaves and debris on the structures.


    Behind the ditches was an arch made of marble and y, half buried in the ground. It still shone beautifully, as if it were newly built instead of buried for two centuries.


    The group formed a line and entered the archway. Greeting them was the most magnificent part of the pce. A relief stood in the chamber, and flowerbeds sat around it. Between beautiful chunks of y was a patch of roses. White roses. Dewdrops glimmered on its ivory petals like transparent pearls.


    The roses'' branches clung to a marble relief that depicted a regally gorgeous female elf. The gold and gemstones were all stolen, of course, but the elf still looked breathtaking.


    "Aelirenn. Or better known to us as Elirena." Yarpen pointed at the elf. He exined to the curious children, "She was the rebel leader in the war two hundred years ago."


    Even though it was just a relief, the depiction of Aelirenn stillmanded respect, as if it were magic.


    "After the elves'' defeat, their king, Fvandrel aen Fidhail led his people into the Blue Mountains, but Aelirenn refused to listen to him. She led the younger elves into a rebellion. They took up arms and challenged the human army. ''For Shaerrawedd!'' they would shout, and into the human army they charged. Despite being outnumbered one thousand to one, the elves valiantly brought the fight to humanity in a bid to reim their lost home."


    There was excitement in Yarpen''s eyes. For a moment, he took on the pride of a nonhuman. Despite being humanity''s allies, he still had respect for the predecessors whoid down their lives to defend their homnd.


    "Of course, they were defeated and culled. The same fate will befall the Squirrels if they stubbornly go ahead with their operations."


    The crowd stared at the beautiful Aelirenn in silence, wondering why she had so much courage within her. Their opinion on the Squirrels changed slightly. Everyone wondered if they were only terrorists who killed the innocents or liberation fighters who wanted to reim their lost home.


    "Aelirenn sacrificed herself for the freedom of nonhumans. She and the fallen pce of Shaerrawedd is now a symbol of resistance for nonhumans. Do you see these flowers? Know why they bloom throughout the year despite living in ruins?"


    Before anyone could answer, Yarpen continued, "Because all the nonhumans who pass this ce pay tribute to this ce, taking care of the roses."


    "So you''re saying Squirrels wille as well?" Carl asked.


    "That''s right, kids. What''d Wenck say? Right, this ce is dangerous." Yarpen looked around, warning, "That''s half an hour. Storytime''s over. Let''s go." The dwarf spun his axe and strode back the way they came.


    "Hey, you guys." Monti stiffly followed him, but he turned back to Roy and the other witchers. "Are Squirrels really terrorists who kill indiscriminately?"


    The other children had the same question as well. The story of Aelirenn and Shaerrawedd was a tragically heroic one. And now the Squirrels seem to have a reason to rain down vengeance on humanity. To the people who took away their homes. There was justification for even their attacks in Novigrad.


    The witchers and Lytta were silent.


    "This is why we have a code of neutrality. It gives us the liberty to take no sides in this war." Vesemir looked at the perplexed children and shook his head. He exchanged a look with Geralt. "Their hatred runs deep and ancient. It''s aplex issue with no exact answer."


    "But¡­" Felix''s eyes flickered coldly. He patted Carl''s head, staring at the caravan in the woods. With resolve, he said, "Scoia''tael, humans, I don''t care. Try attacking us or our family, and they''re dead."


    "Don''t think too much about it." Coral patted the girls'' heads. She said, "Nothing''s more important than your own survival. Do not show any mercy when none will be afforded to you."


    They left Shaerrawedd, following Yarpen. Roy stared up at the looming skies, then he turned his gaze to the caravan in the clearing. Solemnly, he said, "People, I have an ominous feeling. Something''s giving me the chills. Be on high alert tonight."


    ***


    In a shrub far away from Shaerrawedd, a glisteningly ck sparrowhawk flew down onto a petite elven woman. It perched upon her shoulder and chirped clearly.


    The elf was dressed like a bard, but she had a beautiful strip of cloth around her waist. The colorful cloth extended down to her knees. She tilted her head, listening to the sparrowhawk, and her face fell. "Eveline, Kenzafa, Varselie, listen. Caru just told me a group of people just went inside the ruins of Shaerrawedd." The elf''s braids swayed around her shoulders. "What are they up to? Are they going to destroy the ruins?"


    "How many of them are there?" The elf in the bush tensed up. She had mahogany hair, beautiful curves, and a pair of long, beautiful legs. The elf was equipped with yellow leather armor and long boots.


    "A caravan. About a hundred monkeys. Humans, dwarves, children, and¡­"


    "And what?" The male elf who''d been munching on his turnip greedily turned impatient. He rasped, "Did you get a cold, Toluvair? Stop stammering."


    "And witchers. More than twenty of them."


    "What? You sure about that?"


    The elves stopped breathing for a moment. Fear creeped onto their faces, and then hatred took over. How could they forget the humiliation these mutants rained down upon their brethren who valiantly died in Novigrad?


    The elf with mahogany hair pursed her lips. Her eyes flickered with remembrance.


    "What now, Eveline?" Toluvair nced at herrades nervously. "There''s only two hundred or so of us here. I don''t think we can win this."


    "So you''ll let them leave?" Kenzafa shook his head tersely. "They desecrated the relief of Aelirenn right in front of us. If we don''t do anything about it, we''ll be nothing but cowards. They have a heap of cargo with them. If their supplies reach the soldiers of Kaedwen, who knows how many of our brethren will fall? We cannot let them go!"


    "We just fought the soldiers at the bridgehead a week ago. We need rest." Eveline shook her head, hesitant. "And it''s odd that there''s a bunch of children with the caravan."


    "So? Do you think humans will spare our children?" Kenzafa''s face red with violence. "So many of them died in Novigrad, and they didn''t even get a proper burial. No, their bodies were hung for everyone to see! You cannot keep showing them mercy, Eveline!"


    "Kenzafa''s right." Varselie, a middle-aged female elf with pallid skin and long eyshes shook her head. Dubiously, she said, "The bards im that the witchers are powerful fighters. So did the Eternal Fire guards, but we''ve never seen how they fight."


    Layers of leather belts were wrapped around her neck, and a golden birch piece was skewered through the belts. A wooden staff withplex flower engravings on it sat beside her, blinking with magic.


    "Because everyone who fought them died," Toluvair muttered under her breath.


    Varselie ignored Toluvair. Adamantly, she said, "Humans and a part of our dwarven brethren love to exaggerate everything. Perhaps the truth is different. Perhaps they made up that story to hide their own weakness. We have ten times the number of the witchers and twice the number of this ragtag caravan. All our soldiers are elites, and we''re in the dark here. If we use the element of surprise, they''ll be dead before they know what is happening."


    The bushes behind these four leaders rustled, and hate-filled eyes poked from underneath. Two hundred Scoia''tael members had blended in with their surroundings. They were draped in cloaks made of tree bark and grass, their faces covered in green paint and patterns of sticks, preventing any light from reflecting off their skin.


    There were also bearded dwarves and petite, babyfaced halflings among the toon.


    "Give the order, Eveline. Follow that caravan. Once nightes and they fall asleep, we''ll strike. For Aelirenn. For our brethren. For Shaerrawedd!"


    "For Shaerrawedd!" A quiet, collective cheer came from the bushes.


    Kenzafa chomped on his carrot, his eyes flickering coldly. Toluvair held her wooden bow tightly, falling into her thoughts. Eveline was silent, concern ring in her eyes. <i>There''s a bunch of witchers there. Could he be there too? No. There''s no way he can be. And I cannot betray my brethren. </i>She took a deep breath to calm herself, and she nodded.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 566: Overwhelming Disadvantage

    <h4>Chapter 566: Overwhelming Disadvantage</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 566: Overwhelming Disadvantage</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was a silent night. Within a campsite made of carriages and a bonfire, soldiers, dwarves, and children slept, snoring and swaddled in rugs. Beyond the campsite, witchers slept with one eye open upon boulders, moss, and tree branches, listening to the night.


    A silver moon rose high into the skies, its light bathing upon the rustlingnds. Insects scuttled across the ground, and nocturnal beasts prowled, hunting for food. Trees swayed, briars bristled, and icy dewdrops fell to the ground.


    Verdant silhouettes flitted through the wilds under the moons, leaving whispers of icy breezes in their wake.


    And then they struck metal. A bear trap hidden within the bushes snapped shut as something hit it. A grunt and stifled gasps of pain echoed in the air. The flitting silhouette stopped and fell ahead like a tree snapped in two by a howling gale.


    The moonlight shone upon an elf, his face contorted in pain, his forehead drenched in sweat. He was flinching, foam frothing at his mouth. The great gash on his right leg, left by the bear trap, was gushing blood. His pants were drenched red, a stark contrast to his ivory bones.


    Hispanions'' hearts sank. At the same time, the air was filled with ghostly pairs of eyes. The witchers had woken.


    "Enemy attack!"


    An earth-shattering roar made the silent night tremble, waking all sleeping members. They shivered and stared around, dazed.


    "Look alive,ds! We gotpany! Scoia''tael bastards!" Yarpen leapt from the ground and pulled an axe from the tree. The edge glinted menacingly under the moonlight.


    Reagan and Paulie snapped up their hand crossbows, while Xavier, Yannick, and Barney took up their hammers. All gathered around their leader.


    Wenck''s men were prepared for this. They were in their armor even in their sleep. The moment themotion broke out, they took their hand crossbow and loaded it. Some unsheathed their swords and held their shields high, then they jerked behind the carriages, searching the perimeter with the help of the moon''s and torches'' illumination.


    In the other camp, the children calmly huddled around Lytta, covering themselves with nkets. Coral remained seated in the nkets, making aplex gesture with her hands. She had no time to deal with her messy makeup.


    The simple magical circle around the carriage was activated. Chaos energy burst forth, its light shining upon her face. An invisible barrier spread from Coral, covering the caravan. Eventually, it turned into a great blue dome that looked like an egg.


    A crimson bolt arced through the air and fell upon the carriages, but the magical barrier deflected it, and the arrowhead was crushed into pieces.


    Fiery bolts burst forward from the bushes like a burning raven. They flew toward the carriages, but the shield Coral erected deflected them all. They fell to the ground, and sparks of me lit the hay around.


    Some of the bolts struck the carriages outside the barrier. They scorched the canvas and buried themselves within the wooden boards, and fires broke out. Smoke and mes littered the battlefield.


    "For Aelirenn!"


    "For Shaerrawedd!"


    Shouts came from the darkness. The Scoia''tael members split into dozens of squads, charging the caravan from every direction.


    The witchers uncorked their decoctions and gulped them all down. They leapt from their hiding ces, faces filled with ck veins. Their des glinted dangerously, and they darted ahead like dark lightning.


    Yarpen held his axe in one hand and his hand crossbow in another. He and his five dwarvenpanions followed the witcher in their assault. The remaining members stayed back to guard the caravan and put out the fires.


    The fighters shed, and metal hummed. Blood spurted, and limbs flew. It was but a moment, and more than ten enemies fell to the witchers'' weapons.


    Roy tilted his head. A fiery arrow whizzed past his ear. He fired a shot, and the bolt hit the halfling crossbowman hiding behind a tree. He fell, a bloody hole boring through his chest.


    Roy switched his crossbow out for Gwyhyr. He dodged the iing steed and swung his de down. The cloak of the elven knight was tinted with red, then his spine was broken in two. The elf fell from his steed, and the horse stomped on him. The ck horse stampeded into the fighting crowd and separated it.


    An elf leapt and held the horse by its head, but it did nothing to stop the steed''s advancement. The momentum from its charge dragged the elf underneath the horse''s hooves, and then sounds of cracking bones filled the air.


    Roy charged at the Squirrelsing at him, dust billowing around him. His expression was as cold as ice, and he swung his de across the attacking squad. A crimson energy beam hurtled across the air, hissing like a rattlesnake.


    A sinewy elf held his de up in an attempt to block it. And the beam sliced through him, metal and all. The elf was cut in two, but the beam did not stop. It charged ahead, the blood of itsst victim spurting behind it.


    The remaining Squirrels held up their des, their sunken faces contorted. They snarled like beasts, but before they could even swing their swords, the energy beam cut through their torso. A crimson line appeared upon their skin, and then blood and guts spilled forth, drenching the soil.


    The blooming rose of blood almost gleamed, and Roy''s visage was tinted in red.


    Enraged elves came hurtling toward the witcher, but he easily leapt away and into the center of the Squirrels. His eyes went red.


    <i>Fear.</i>


    Bloody tentacles drowned the elves like they were trapped in a bottomlesske. The witcher put his weight into his left leg and pirouetted with his de in hand. He was like a swan dancing within a pool of red, with white wings turning and gleaming under the moonlight.


    Except the wings were his sword, and like a bolt of lightning, itshed out at the enemy. Seven roses of blood bloomed as Gwyhyr sliced the throats and chests of its enemies open.


    The tentacles disappeared. The elves fell into the ground head first. Their legs jerked for a moment, and then they went still.


    ''(10) elves killed. 200 EXP gained. Level 13 Witcher (15700/14500).''


    ***


    Roy wiped the blood off his de and looked around. The campsite was plunged into battle, torn apart by mes and fighting. The burning fires were spreading through the bushes, woods, and grass. Eventually, the dark smoke blotted out the light of the moon.


    The only sounds remained were the shouts of battle, the sh of metal, and the flurry of bolts hurtling through the air.


    With Roy reminding them of this possible attack, everyone was prepared. The dwarves had switched the regr canvases out for special ones. It kept the fires from spreading, and the dwarves put them out easily.


    Only a few carriages were unfortunate enough to fall to fire.


    The young witchers stood around the caravan, casting Axii to calm the spooked horses that tried to break free of their reins. Even with Coral''s shield, there were a few stray bolts that zipped ahead unchecked, but the young witchers fended them off and kept everyone safe.


    The other group of witchers were ughtering the Squirrels like nothing, stopping their advancement dead in their tracks.


    A trio of elves swung their des at Letho, but the bald witcher held up both of his weapons and spun like a top. The elves'' attacks were nulled, and they were sliced up and turned into bags of blood.


    Grimm leapt into the air and swung his de down at a dwarven Squirrel. He cut the enemy in half, then he swung his flesh-covered greatsword around. The gust of gale it stirred up smacked a pair of iing dwarves away.


    Felix thrust his de around him three times like a snakeshing out at its enemies with deadly precision. The elves that tried to charge him stopped in their tracks. They held their vitals, gurgling for a moment before their minds faded to ck.


    "Who else?" Felix licked the blood on his de. His eyes red with fury, and he roared, "Come and get it, Scoia''tael bastards!"


    "Look out, Geralt!"


    An arrow flew across the air, and Geralt''s magical barrier broke. His hair band was cut in two, and his white hair billowed in the wind. The White Wolf held his sword and bent down a little. Despite being under siege, the witcher started a deadly dance of des. His sword spun again and again as its master took forward steps. His de gleamed in delight as it drew the enemy''s blood, cutting their flesh.


    The elves that tried to attack him fell, broken into pieces.


    The veteran witchers were like a bloody boa slithering through the battlefield. The roars of their Signs and the mes of battle kept the night up.


    ***


    One of Wenck''s soldiers swung his de away at a dwarven Squirrel''s forehead. The dwarf gasped in pain, but he soldiered ahead and toppled the soldier. He sliced the soldier''s armor open, and his dagger buried itself deeply into the soldier''s belly. Guts and blood spilled onto the ground.


    The dwarf and the soldier rolled around, holding each other, and they lost their lives at the same time, hateful eyes locked with each other.


    An arrow found itself buried in a human soldier''s shoulder. The arrowhead fell off and broke into four hooked needles that buried itself in his flesh. The soldier grunted, his head covered in a film of sweat.


    He wobbled. A petite halfling leapt across him. The soldier held his shed artery, gurgling as he fell to his death.


    The soldiers and Squirrels were in a stalemate. However, the dwarves who followed the witchers into battle were immersed in the fight.


    Yarpen cursed as he crouched and evaded an elf''s iing attack. He then swung his axe at the elf''s belly. The elf roared in pain, and Yarpen kicked him down to the ground.


    Xavier and Yannick were doing their best to pull a horse spooked by the mes.


    A dwarf with a battleaxe was charging straight at Barney, a hat with a bushy squirrel tail adorning his head. His beard was braided, and his eyes red with hatred.


    Barney hesitated, but the enemy dwarf did not. He held his weapon tight and swung it down at Barney''s shoulder.


    Death wasing for him, and Barney held his breath.


    A bolt zipped through the air. As if he were mmed by a siege weapon, the enemy dwarf flew into the air. His skull was blown apart, and his brains rained into the battlefield. The dwarf''s headless body fell a distance away. His fingers twitched for a moment, and he went still.


    "Whatcha doin'', you idiot?" Yarpen stormed forth and pped Barney. Barney''s cheeks swelled. Still, that wasn''t enough to teach him a lesson. Yarpen grabbed Barney''s cor and swung him. He roared, "Ya hesitate next time and I''ll lop yer head off!"


    Barney snapped out of it and held his weapon with resolve.


    ***


    The ground was drenched in blood. Barely five minutes had gone by since the battle had begun, and already there were a hundred bodies strewn across the battlefield. Most of them were Scoia''tael members. The shouts and roars were getting weaker too.


    And then smoke billowed in the bushes. A bunch of Scoia''tael members went around thebatants and made their way to the carriage where the children were hiding. The elven knight in the lead was towing a burning carriage filled with hay, wood, and oil. He was charging into a suicide mission.


    Roy''s eyes glinted coldly. <i>Time to bring this to an end. </i>Roy stared at the burning carriage and took a deep breath. A rune shaped like a fire popped in his mind, and he took a deep breath.


    A war cry charged through the broken battlefield like a hurricane ravaging a city. The chaotic battlefield fell silent for a moment, the pressure hanging in the air turning everyone to lead for a moment.


    The temperature went a hundred degrees higher. Everyone felt their skin getting scorched. Even their breath felt like mes. The air was getting drier as the humidity within it evaporated.


    Sparks of mes burst from the ground beneath. Everything from the ground, the bushes, the air, even the weapons, were radiating impossible levels of heat.


    And then, a split secondter, the ground shook. The mantle rumbled, and cracks spread across the earth. Lights of fires shot through the gashes and roared into the night skies. Everyone stared.


    A gush of crimson magma shot out at the charging carriage. It was scorching and burning like melted metal. The magma drowned those standing on top of it. The elven knight, its carriage, and steed were burned into a crisp before they could even let out a scream. And then they were vaporized.


    Half of the horse''s head escaped the fate of being burned to cinders. It flew out of the magma and fell to the ground, charred and billowing with smoke.


    A dragon made of liquid mes drowned the carriage, burning and illuminating the air around it. It almost felt like it would rain destruction onto thisnd. The dragon hurtled ahead, scorching the earth, leaving cracks and smoke in its wake.


    The elves that failed to move away in time were swallowed by the dragon. There was but a moment of screaming, and then they were lit on fire, turned into elven torches. A momentter, they melted into the magma, with not a shred of them remaining.


    It was only a moment, and more than twenty Scoia''tael members were killed off. Having had its fill, the dragon of fire stopped and fell into slumber within the woods'' crater, forming ake made of pure fire.


    Like a machine malfunctioning, the battlefield grinded to a halt. The dwarves, elves, humans, and even witchers stopped at the same time.


    <i>No! </i>The Scoia''tael members around the battlefield could only watch as their brethren were swallowed up by that dragon. Some were on the verge of shedding blood tears. <i>What a cruel way to die. The witchers are demons!</i>


    The Squirrels roared like madmen, their raspy cries echoing across the battlefield. Throwing their lives away, theyunched theirst, valiant attack.


    The Squirrels were nothing but prey for the witchers. Their des danced and fluttered faster than the Squirrels could see.


    Flurries of bolts flew through the air, and magical barriers broke.


    On the edge of the battlefield stood an elven sorceress in a bush. Varselie held her staff up, then she pushed her hand forward. Wind billowed her robes. A swordsman was pushed away by the force field, but even though he was in the air, the silhouette still managed to fire a bolt easily.


    The sorceress held her pierced calf and fell screaming. A burly elf leapt out of the bush and swung his de down at the witcher''s back, but he flew back faster than when he leapt, a gash of blood opening itself on his chest.


    Roy deflected a bolt with his de and hurled a bolt of lightning at the attacker. The petite elf with braids who just jumped out of her hiding spot found herself charred, and her weapon had fallen out of her hands. She fell to the ground, spasming like she was having an episode of fits.


    Roy swung his weapon. He was about to kill these elves off, but then he heard footstepsing from the bush behind him.


    An elf with mahogany hair, a pair of slender legs covered with boots, and a curvaceous body donned in light armor closed in on Roy, holding her de.


    The witcher whirled and saw a familiar face. He froze.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 567: Suggestion and Trial

    <h4>Chapter 567: Suggestion and Trial</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 567: Suggestion and Trial</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The battlefield was like an ever-running death machine, iming life after life. The roars of fighters, the blood of warriors, and the zing mes of war were its fuel. As fires screamed and swords glinted, many fighters fell into pools of their own blood.


    At the edge of the battlefield, however, time seemed toe to a stop where a particr dark patch of the woods stood. Three Scoia''tael members were fallen and out ofmission.


    Roy held his de up and turned his head enough to look behind him. The elven warrior held her de up stiffly, pointing at his cloak.


    Her hair billowed in the night, her face covered in blood. Her eyes gleamed coldly as she stared at the beautiful profile of Roy. She knew that face. And those eyes. And those ears. Her heart skipped a beat. A familiar feeling welled within her heart. It was the same emotion she felt three years ago during that separation.


    Roy put his sword down. He had a conflicted look in his eyes, his magical barriers still swirling around him. The shouts disappeared into the background, and memories welled in his mind.


    Memories of his adventures in La Valette''snd. Of that goodbye with Eveline. Of that gentle kiss she gave him. Of how her hair felt as it fluttered against his cheeks. Of how sweet her scent was. Of how reluctant she was to leave.


    Three years had gone by, and yet Eveline did not age even a day. However, her tender soul had been reced by resolve and cold-blooded murder, all thanks to her days on the battlefield. He knew this woman, and yet, he did not know her at all.


    ***


    Roy looked at Varselie, who was almost knocked out from the pain. Toluvair, whose hair was raised, and smoke billowed from her skin. And at Kenzafa, whose chest was bleeding. These were the elves who took Eveline back to the edge of the world, where Dol thanna was. He had a feeling Eveline would join Scoia''tael, but he never thought they would meet on the battlefield as enemies.


    There was no joy to be spoken of in this reunion. Nor any drinking or reminiscing. There was only sorrow and depression.


    "R-Roy? Is that you?" Eveline held her weapon by her side, scanning her fallenrades nervously. Her voice was clear and sweet, but there was disbelief, and she was trembling.


    That gauntd she met a few years ago had grown into a powerful, deadly witcher. He was even more dashing than she remembered. His ears had grown pointier, and his features looked more like a part-elf''s than a human''s. Still, the blood that trickled from the edge of the blood he held belonged to many elves. Blood of his own kin.


    The truth was cruel. Once upon a time, Eveline saw Roy as family. As someone she liked. Yet now he murdered countless of his kin without even batting an eye. Something squeezed her heart. Her kin had died, and her erstwhile friend was their yer. This was a preposterous thing to think about, and yet it was reality.


    She felt tears trickling down her cheeks, and she couldn''t hold them back.


    "Yes, Eveline," Roy rasped.


    "Y-You''re with them? S-So you were behind the ughtering in Novigrad too?" Eveline asked tremulously. She approached him, her sword trembling.


    Roy''s mind was a mush. All the delight and excitement he felt during the battle was gone, reced by something bitter. Out of reflex, he blocked out the cracks between the woods with his back, just in case hispanions noticed this meeting. "No more questions, Eveline. Leave. And take them with you."


    The battle wasing to an end. Fewer than fifty Scoia''tael members were left on the battlefield, and their numbers were thinning out fast.


    "What''d you say?" Toluvair held up her spiky hair. She thought she heard it wrongly. The elf got back up on her feet, though with some difficulty. She leaned on the burl of the tree behind her, her chest heaving. She stared at Roy, and realization struck her. "That''s the monkey who saved you back in La Valette''snd, isn''t it?"


    Eveline smiled sadly and nodded at herpatriot.


    "No time to exin. You have to leave before they find you," Roy said sternly, his eyes glinting coldly. He sighed in silence. Back in the early days of his adventuring, Eveline had taken great care of him. He couldn''t kill her, not even if he had an iron will. He had to let her go.


    Kenzafa was leaning on a tree as well. He looked at the gash on his chest and tried to staunch the blood with his hands. "Drop the act, witcher." He mocked weakly, "You''ve killed so many of us. Both in Novigrad and this battle. You showed no mercy to them, so why start now? You sicken me. What''s your y? No, save it, I don''t care. Just kill me off."


    Kenzafa turned his bloodshot eyes to Eveline. "Do it, Eveline! He has killed so many of our brethren! And so many with that ursed fire of his! Do not forget, <i>noamekend¡­</i>"


    It meant "those who are not of my kin are my enemies".


    Eveline held her sword tightly. She crouched, poised to attack, but there was hesitation on her face.


    Roy swung his hand, and a sh of light hurtled forth from Gwyhyr. The witcher knocked Kenzafa out ofmission, and the elf fell into the ground head first. He then knocked out the howling Varselie as well. The witcher made a gesture, and Toluvair froze, her pupils dting. She stood frozen like a puppet.


    The witcher quickly took the elvendies on his shoulders and motioned at Eveline. "Come with me!"


    A gust of wind assailed Eveline''s face. She gritted her teeth and screamed at the top of her lungs as she swung her de at Roy. The attack was sloppy. Flimsy. Even a child could swing better than her.


    Quen deflected it easily. Roy shook his head, sighing. He then dragged Eveline away. A momentter, the witcher zipped away from the battlefield like a gust of wind.


    ***


    Ten minutester, the raging battle came to an end, the bodies of Scoia''tael members strewn across the ground. There were barely any who escaped, mostly thanks to the witchers'' efficient culling.


    "What are you looking at, mate?" Lambert patted Auckes'' shoulder, staring around.


    Between the cooled magma and smoke-covered carriages were Kaedwen soldiers patrolling the perimeter, clearing up the battlefield. The witchers'' caravan was still intact.


    "Roy took a few elvendies away." Auckes frowned.


    "He did not. He was just off to chase the stragglers."


    ***


    In a dank cave far away from the battlefield, the two asleep elven women were left lying by the wall under a torch. Eveline was in a corner, hugging her legs, her chin on her knees. Her face was half hidden in the shadows, and there was an exhausting sadness in her eyes.


    "I''m not going to lie to you, Eveline. I killed a lot of Squirrels. It was either them or me. I was only defending myself. Both in Novigrad and in the battle just now." The witcher stood in the shadows. He said solemnly, "But I don''t think any exnation is going to cut it."


    Roy stared at the elvendy. Eveline was spacing out at the ground, avoiding his stare. "Speaking as a friend, I''d tell you to stay in the Blue Mountains. Don''t get into this war. Scoia''tael''s uncontrolled attacks have done nothing but ce you and fellow nonhumans in a more precarious situation. Keep this up, and one day you and your friends will die."


    Eveline didn''t listen to him. Her face was as frigid as winter air. She gritted her teeth.


    The witcher crouched and stuffed a xenovox into her hand, then he stared into her widened eyes. "The Eveline I know is a kind and sympathetic woman. She would never stand by and watch as her brethren died for a useless attack on humans. She would never let any innocent die for a lost cause."


    Roy''s eyes twinkled warmly. "I can see you''ve been tormented by the battles thus far."


    Eveline shivered, and she almost teared up. None of her brethren saw through that part of her, but Roy did.


    "But it''s not like we can''t turn things around." And then he said something that shocked Eveline more than when she met him on the battlefield. "I know who your leader is. A member of the Northern Realm''s sorcerer brotherhood, Francesca <i>Findabair</i>."


    Eveline closed her eyes, her painted face nched and turned the shade of snow. <i>How did he find out?</i>


    The look on Eveline''s face told Roy he was right on the money. He mused over his options for a long while, a frown furrowing his brows. Eventually, he came to a decision. "Listen to me. Take your friends and get back to the Blue Mountains. Tell Findabair I have all the answers to her questions, including her missing partner, Vilgefortz. And I have a n for her. One that will free her and her brethren from indenturing themselves to Emhyr. No longer will they have to sacrifice themselves in this war. And I can grant the elves their wish to have a piece ofnd to themselves."


    Eveline looked at Roy. He was genuine, motivated, and his eyes shone. For a moment, he almost felt like a Squirrel fighting for the future of nonhumans instead of their butcher. Eveline spaced out a little, but she was tempted by the suggestion.


    "You must be tired of the barrennd at the edge of the world. You don''t need Dol thanna. There''s somece better. Somece that suits you more, but first, I must get to Francesca. You have to make her contact me. Use that crystal I just gave you."


    ***


    Roy pursed his lips and looked at Eveline onest time. He wanted to etch her face into his memories.


    Eveline almost told him to stay. She wanted to talk to him and clear up any misunderstanding they had. She wanted to catch up with him, but she couldn''t. If she did, she''d be betraying her kin.


    Roy stayed silent. He held Eveline''s soft, callused hand for a moment, and then he left like the wind, his cloak billowing. Then the witcher disappeared into the night.


    ***


    When Roy returned to the campsite, Auckes and Lambert gave him a knowing look, but they asked no questions.


    More than a hundred Kaedwen soldiers had appeared in the campsite. They came not long after the battle had ended. Roy didn''t find it weird. It was exactly the same as he remembered. He knew there were people following them when he was practicing Magma, but he didn''t say anything about it.


    The dead wereid out in rows within the center of the campsite. Dwarves, elves, humans, and everything else wereid out together. There were more than two hundred of them. More than a hundred and eighty were Scoia''tael members. The rest were all Wenck''s soldiers. Some died in a tussle with Scoia''tael members, while some had their vitals pierced by arrows.


    The witchers and dwarves were all intact. Even though they were covered in blood and their gear heavily damaged, they suffered nothing but superficial injuries. Roy heaved a sigh of relief. His interference had changed the fates of the dwarves, at least.


    Still, the air felt weird. They came out victorious, but there was depression hanging in the air. Not a hint of joy or delight was seen. The ground was a mess around the carriages and carts. The buckets were overturned, and some were crushed to pieces. The contents were spilled everywhere, and what the Kaedwen bailiff imed to be resources for the soldiers were nothing but stones. Even a dried fish was worth more than this.


    "Yer call this resource for the soldiers of Aedirn?" Yarpen hissed. He leapt onto a carriage and swung his axe down on a wooden crate. The gash revealed nothing but rough edges inside. There were nothing but rocks within.


    The dwarf red around. "This is the resource Henselt imed to be of great importance?"


    Yarpen''s team was in disbelief as well, and they hissed.


    The witchers finally got the answer to their earlier question. They had realized that the carriages'' wheels left too deep of a track for regr wartime supplies. The cargo they carried was extremely heavy. <i>Boulders and rocks. That exins everything.</i>


    The children were silent as well, though they were curious. They wondered why the dwarves were protecting crates of worthless rocks.


    Thenky quartermaster in ck-and-gold shirt came out. Not even a scratch was seen on his shirt. He had an icy look, but there was apology in his eyes. "I am sorry for keeping this a secret. To be honest, Yarpen, this escort duty was a trap."


    Wenck bowed at the dwarves. "We had nned to lure the Squirrels out of hiding, and we switched the resources out for rocks in case they were to destroy it."


    "This whole thing was a trap?" Paulie grabbed his crossbow tightly. He flung his beard onto his shoulder. "We could''ve died! If the witchers hadn''t helped us, that is." He looked at the witchers gratefully. "There were only fifty of us. The Squirrels would''ve wiped us out easily."


    "W-What did you do?" Barney was furious and embarrassed. He couldn''t believe he risked his own life for a pile of rocks. "D-Do you think we''re fools?"


    "Calm down, everyone. There are 150 of us, to be exact." A knight in shining armor stepped out. He calmly exined, "I am Friedgard. By orders of King Henselt, I and an army of elite soldiers have been tailing you, keeping you safe." There was nothing but cold formality in his voice.


    Yannickughed mirthlessly. He roared at the knight, "And you came just in time too. Right after the battle was over. Did nothing but clear the ce up. Big help that was, Friedgard." He made an exaggerated bow at the Kaedwen soldiers. "Thank you."


    "No, this is no trap for the Squirrels." Roy stepped out and skewered all the Kaedwen scum with an icy look.


    "W-What''s that supposed to mean, R-Roy."


    "It means I have a conjecture, Barney." The witcher tore apart the lie Wenck had been trying to maintain. "This <i>secret mission </i>of rock escorting is nothing but a test Henselt put you up to. To see if you''re traitors. <i>The wise king of Kaedwen </i>wishes to know if you''ve been in cahoots with the Squirrels."


    Dead silence fell upon the battlefield. The witchers looked at the dwarves with pity. The dwarves, who''d valiantly hunted a dragon before, who were part of the nonhumanmunity, turned their backs on their kin and lent their services to a human king. For him, they fought their own brethren. In the end, their reward was doubt and a deadly trial.


    "Tell me the truth, Wenck!" Yarpen looked at the quartermaster, hoping that this was a lie.


    "I''m sorry, Yarpen. I''m sorry, dwarves. Please, forgive us." Wenck held his head low, his face a mask of pain. "But it''s all over now. The crisis and doubts are no more. I shall tell His Majesty that you are no spies." He looked at the dwarves with genuine remorse. "On my honor, I shall see to it that His Majesty understands your loyalty."


    ***


    The dwarves stayed silent. Slowly, they scanned the battlefield. They looked at the soldiers, their fallenrades, and the bodies of the Squirrels. A moment of silenceter, Yarpen spoke.


    "Save it." There was exhaustion and disappointment in his voice. He ignored Wenck''s pleading look and turned to the witchers. "Sorry to be a bother, witchers, but we''d like toe with ya."


    "You''re always wee." Roy nodded.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 568: To Novigrad

    A long, long whileter, the air was filled with a loud moan as Toluvair broke free of Axii''s spell. She opened her eyes groggily, and to her surprise, she found herself within a dank cave. Varselie was lying inches away from her, the wound on her leg bandaged. Eveline was crouched beneath a flickering torch, staring at a crystal in her hand. There was sadness, gratitude, and hatred in her eyes.


    "Where are we, Eveline?" Toluvair pushed herself up, though she was sore all over. She approached Varselie and patted her cheek. The sorceress groaned and woke from her sleep.


    "He spared us," said Eveline, almost stiffly.


    "The witcher did? But wh¡ª" Varselie gasped in pain. She then cast a healing spell on her wound, her finger glowing green. "That butcher yed so many of our kin, and yet he spared us?"


    "Why?" Toluvair patted her charred chest, heaving a sigh of relief. She gratefully said, "Because of Eveline, of course. Seriously, it''s way better to be alive. Just don¡¯t ask questions."


    "This is mortifying." Varselie clutched her chest, her heart screaming out in pain. "Over two hundred of our kin, dead. And we''re the only ones left? How are we supposed to face Fvandrel? Or Francesca?"


    "I don''t want to say I told you so, but I told you so. Everyone who crossed the witchers died. I said, hey, we should retreat, but no. You just had to charge straight into death. If you''re that mad about it, you can slit your throat and say sorry to our kin in the afterlife." Toluvair dusted her clothes and hands off. She stood up and approached Eveline. "Eveline and I are still of some use, so we''ll keep on fighting. Once I confirm that the witchers are gone, I''ll go back and tell them that everyone''s dead. They''ll give you a proper burial."


    Varselie curled up in the corner of the cave, her face red. If she and Kenzafa hadn''t been adamant about the assault, no one would''ve died. The witchers were like an unstoppable army.


    "No, we''re not going back to them." Eveline shook her head and took a deep breath. She was reminded of Roy''s final message to her. He was the same person she knew years ago, and yet everything had changed. Still, he made a gamble and spared her, and he made a good point. These assaults were pointless. They were killing innocents. Eveline couldn''t be happy about it, not when her kin were getting thinned out as well. It was agony. <em>Very well, Roy. I''ll listen to you once.</em>


    "Open the portal, Varselie. I''m going back to the Blue Mountains."


    "Why?"


    "I need to see Francesca. The witcher has a message for her."


    ***


    Dawn had broken through the horizon, the witcher''s caravan slowlying away from the charred battlefield. Roy was seated in the carriage, staring at Wenck as he and his soldiers slowly disappeared from sight, along with their carriages filled with stones. "So what next for you? Going back to Mahakam, or are youing along with us to the temple of Melitele?"


    Barney and Reagan looked miffed. They came to Kaedwen and served its king all to gain glory so they could return with pride, yet now they ran away with their tail between their legs, their ambition yet unfulfilled.


    "W-We ain''t going back to Mahakam t-that soon. A-Ain''t wanna make a-a family a-and guard t-the barren m-mountains," Barney said.


    Yarpen shook his head and fiddled with his axe. His eyes were on the trees that they slowly passed by. "I told Brovar I ain''t ever going back."


    Lambert was on another carriage. "So you''re going to find another king to work for?" he joked, scanning the dwarves. "I heard Foltest of Temeria is great to his soldiers. He''s wise, generous, and industrious."


    No witchers argued with that. Working for Foltest was a damn sight better than serving Henselt. Unlike the other kings in the Northern Realms, Foltest had no hate for nonhumans. He could speak fluent Elder Speech and was a decent appraiser of elven poetry and dwarven beer. He would cull any Squirrel on sight, of course, but he trusted nonhumans in general.


    "And the kid''s friends with Adda, his princess," Letho boomed, his voice covering the creaks of the wheels and thronging of the horses. Everyone in the caravan heard him.


    "And he shares a close bond with the Lady of the Lake in Vizima," Auckes added, a smile curling his lips.


    Grimm, who was trying his best to make Oreo sit upright like a knight, froze. He then looked at Roy, his eyes zing with passion. <em>He knows the Lady of the Lake? Why hasn''t he told me before?</em>


    Lytta, who was straightening out Renee''s teeth, froze as well. She skewered the dumbfounded Roy with a quizzical look.


    Barney, Yannick, and the Dahlberg brothers pulled on their reins and slowed their steeds. They were tempted by the suggestion.


    "We''re nothing but allies." Roy cleared his throat.


    "Thanks for the suggestion, but ''tis alright." Yarpen stepped on the stirrup, greasing his hand crossbow at the same time. "This mission opened my eyes. If the king I''ve served for years would subject me to this kind of insult, the other kings will only be worse. They''re the same, kings. Ain''t gonna really trust dwarves. No reason to simper for them."


    Yarpen heaved a sigh, a weight dropped off his shoulders. A hint of a smile returned to his face. Hispanions nodded as well. The ever-optimistic dwarves once again threw their worries away. <em>We''ll find a ce eventually.</em> "Since yer goin'' to Ender anyway, we should be visitin'' our old friend Cranmer. We''ll talk about the futureter."


    "I have another idea. If you''re still keen on proving that nonhumans and humans can get along in peace, you can give this a shot."


    Yarpen was intrigued. "Well, spit it out. I ain''t wanna give up on our mission."


    A genuine smile curled Roy''s lips. "There is only one ce that can alleviate the tension between humans and nonhumans."


    "Where?" Barney looked at him curiously.


    "Kovir and Poviss?" Reagan smacked his head, his beard swaying. "You want us to piss off to Poviss?"


    The dwarves'' eyes shone.


    "Kovir and Poviss is located in the Continent''s northernmost corner, neighboring the Dragon Mountains. It''s a long distance from Yaruga. As a neutral kingdom, it is not threatened by Nilfgaard. It has a bustling sea trade and ore mining business. It''s an open kingdom near the sea and is epting of many races. Pioneering humans, nonhumans and sorcerers have found their homes there. It''d be a good choice to live your life in peace."


    Roy then added, "However, it''s a remote ce. It frankly cannot do much to change the Continent''s view toward nonhumans or influence any kingdom''s policies. The only ce that can exert that influence is Novigrad. It''s located in a strategic ce, houses many ports, and is home to all races."


    "Ya want us to make a breakout in the free city?" Yarpen cracked a whip at the horse. "Whatcha want us to do? Join a gang?" He cocked his eyebrow in disdain. "I''ve heard of Cleaver. Guy''s the one handlin'' all the Novigrad dwarves, isn''t he? Sure, he''s capable, but his mind''s narrower than a ditch and shallower than it too. He cares nothing aside from coins."


    Yarpenmented on the ganglords in Novigrad. "They ain''t gonna make it big, much less change the nonhumans'' situation."


    "I''m not talking about Cleaver." Roy turned around and looked at the dwarves in the carriage behind him. Slowly, he said, "I''m talking about Cyrus. The Hierarch of the Eternal Fire."


    Rattled, the dwarves stopped their horses. The steeds raised their front legs and neighed.


    "What?" Yarpen''s jaw dropped. He looked like he had seen a ghost. "Ya want us to work for the Eternal Fire? Are you for real?"


    "M-My faith is in M-Mahakam." Barney shook his head. "I-I don''t believe i-in E-Eternal Fire."


    "Roy, and you witchers as well." Reagan was in disbelief. He asked, "But I thought you ughtered hundreds of Eternal Fire guards. You should be at loggerheads with them at least, shouldn''t you?"


    <em>At loggerheads is putting it mildly. You guys are nemeses. The Hierarch isn''ting down on them, but this idea sounds more like a suicide mission.</em>


    "The truth is sometimes vastly different from what the rumors say." Roy said earnestly, "Yarpen, Barney, Reagan, and everyone else, if you have your suspicions, you can always go to the ballroom in Novigrad and tell Dandelion what I told you."


    Roy stared ahead. The caravan was moving into the vast wilderness. The expansive prairie dotted by verdant bushes, beautifully yellow soil, and gurgling streams cleared his head. "Dandelion will arrange a meeting with Cyrus. You''ll see who he really is once you get to meet him."


    Roy was reminded of how determined Jiji was at the stake. He was ready to die if it meant peace. He, more than anyone else, wished to eradicate the prejudice and discrimination against nonhumans. And now, he was the Hierarch of the Eternal Fire.


    There were more than a hundred temples and altars dedicated to the Eternal Fire in the Northern Realms. The cult''s influence was only second to the religion of Melitele. If any organization had the chance to get rid of the gap between humans and nonhumans, the Eternal Fire would be one of those organizations.


    Yarpen and hispanions had the same dream as Jiji. They would be the perfect partner for the job.


    "Dandelion? He''s just a second-rate poet." Yarpen fiddled with his axe. Confused, he said, "Why''d you think he can get the Hierarch to meet us? We''re a buncha no-names."


    "No names?" Auckes counted his fingers. "You hunted dragons, basilisks, and ogres." He smacked his steed. "You''re heroes. You have the right to have an audience with Cyrus."


    The dwarves were hesitant.


    "Even if you can''t meet him, Novigrad''s still a good ce to run around." Serrit had no idea what Roy was up to, but he would help. "Dandelion''s going to provide all the booze you could ask for."


    The dwarves tossed all their worries out the window.


    "Well, what a-are we waiting for? L-Let''s see Dandelion!" Barney couldn''t wait to go. He was looking to vent, and a tear hung from the corner of his eye.


    "Yeah. Sometimes you gotta y a little." Reagan nodded. "To Novigrad we go."


    Yarpen mused over it. He had no idea why Roy wanted him to go to Novigrad, but he knew the witcher wouldn''t harm him. If the witchers hadn''t intervened, his team would have suffered casualties. Yarpen owed him a lot. He would risk his life if Roy asked him to, let alone make a trip to Novigrad.


    Roy continued. "If you''d like to leave now, Coral can open up a portal to Novigrad right away."


    "''Tis alright." Yarpen exchanged a look with hispanions. "We''ll keep going until we get to Kaedwen''s borders."


    ***


    The remaining journey was a slightly quieter one. With the dwarves worrying over their uncertain future in Novigrad, they lost their interest in regaling anyone with their stories. The only dwarf who still was in the mood to fool around was Barney. He''d chat up the children and crack some jokes.


    The children and young witchers were weighed down by something else, however. They weren''t smiling that much anymore.


    "I know we won, Felix, but something doesn''t feel right." Five dayster, Carl couldn''t take it anymore. They''d killed many Squirrels in the battle of Novigrad, but it was an exciting battle. This time, however, something haunted his heart. He felt dragged down by some sort of sin.


    "Every time I close my eyes, I see the Squirrels ring at me." Monti winced a little. "They kept charging straight at me, shouting ''For Aelirenn'' and ''For Shaerrawedd.'' Every one of them died. And I see blood everywhere."


    The children in the carriages were looking around as well. Under the protection of Coral and the witchers, they were perfectly unharmed, but they saw and heard everything. The cries and howls of battle, the sttering blood, the zing mes, and the magma that vaporized everything it touched. It left an indelible mark on their hearts.


    Wars were far more terrifying than any street fight they''d been in.


    Felix didn''t chastise his prot¨¦g¨¦ for raising that question. He patted the boy''s head. The witchers looked at them, and the dwarves were observing in silence as well.


    "I''ve been waiting for that question since the battle in Novigrad. It''d be odd if you hadn''t asked. I''d wondered if the new and improved Trials had killed off some of your humanity." He scanned the young witchers, a small smile tugging on his lips. "But I''m d that you''re all still normal."


    Infected by his smile, the young witchers cracked slivers of smiles as well, and their hearts calmed a little.


    "The worst things you''ve killed before the battle in Novigrad were drowners. And then you made the jump to humans. Humans are different. In appearance, personalities, and how you fight them. But most importantly, they, like us, are sentient creatures. We feel no burden of murder during the battle in Novigrad, since we were doing it for survival. The previous battle, however, was a massacre. The Squirrels were at an overwhelming disadvantage. And before the battle, Yarpen told you of their raison d''¨ºtre. You acknowledge their reason to fight, so you regret killing them. It is a normal reaction."


    Felix acknowledged their feelings, but then he added, "Though you do not have to let it weigh on your minds. Think about it. Why do you kill? For fun? Or for some other nefarious goals?"


    Everyone shook their heads.


    "Yes. You kill for survival. Had you hesitated even once, you''d be joining the Squirrels in the afterlife. No one can judge you for the killings. Not even gods. And you''ll get used to the nightmares."


    The young witchers felt more at ease after hearing that.


    "Still, remember this well," Vesemir said, staring at the endless wilderness, heaving a sigh, "There are no victors in war. There are only losers."


    "The best way to win a war is through a nonviolent method. If one exists, anyway." Geralt once again brought up his philosophy about neutrality.


    The young witchers didn''t take that to heart, however.


    "I didn''t take you as a peacekeeper, Geralt. Asking your apprentice to employ the way of diplomacy is akin to cutting off their wings." Paulie noticed the look of dilemma on the young witchers'' faces. He said, "I say you don''t have to think so much about it. You have to do what you have to do sometimes."


    The young witchers nodded.


    "If y-you lost, t-then that''s all M-Mahakam''s n." Barney took a bottle of spirit out of his bushy beard and took a swig.


    "We do not put our faith in anything but destiny," said Letho calmly.


    "And destiny always points you in the right direction," Roy said, his eyes roving over the young witchers. Realization had dawned upon them. "If you have to kill, do not hesitate. Do not regret it. That is what destiny wanted you to do."


    The men bellowed inughter, while Lytta shook her head.


    "To sted destiny!" Yarpenughed and tossed Carl a bottle of liquor.


    "To destiny." Carl took a swig and handed the bottle to his friend.


    ***


    <em>There are no victors in battle. Go for a nonviolent method to resolve wars if possible. </em>The regr kids in the carriage carved that message into their minds. Little did they know, their futures were about to change.


    ***


    Two weekster, the witchers and the dwarves'' journey together came to an end. At the borders of Ender, they bade their goodbyes. They exchanged hugs, and the witchers saw the dwarves off as they went for Novigrad.


    Three days went by, and the witchers came to the temple of Melitele standing on the outskirts of Ender.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 569: Return to the Temple

    <h4>Chapter 569: Return to the Temple</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 569: Return to the Temple</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was the sixth of April. The year was 1265. Warm sunshine rained down upon the northern outskirts of Ender. An exhausted caravan was traipsing through the thoroughfare leading to the temple. A dozen structures stood between the steep rocks and boulders, gleaming under the sunlight. It was almost vague.


    Within the lively courtyards, priestesses in grey were going through their morning routines of watering the fields, harvesting the crops, feeding the chickens, and just general cleaning. The priestesses were young. Most of them were in their teenage years, while some were barely ten years old. A few of the livelier girls turned around and stared at the mighty caravaning through.


    The temple of Melitele saw many believersing to pray every day, but seldom were there so many people showing up at once. Even when they noticed the group of witchers within the caravan, the priestesses didn''t look at them with contempt or discrimination. Their eyes were clear, their gazes kind. It felt warm in their presence.


    The young men within the caravan felt a little embarrassed. Living their years in the outskirts meant they seldom had the chance to be stared at by so manydies their age. Vicki and the other girls smiled at the priestesses, nodding at them.


    Letho teased, "The temple of Melitele has an abundance of adorable priestesses. Every year, girls from all over the Northern Realmse to the temples, and priestesses graduate at the same time, taking up positions of seers, midwives, and healers of women and children in other temples."


    The children looked at the girls with acknowledgement. Like them, these girls left their homes at a young age.


    Roy looked mncholic. When he came to this temple for the first time, Letho told him the same thing as well. It was in this very temple that Roy passed his first Trial and became a witcher of the Viper School. In a sense, this was where everything started. The temple was serene and peaceful.


    For now.


    Eventually, the mes of war would raze it down to the ground. <i>And I will change its fate. This is a promise I made to Melitele.</i>


    "Letho? Geralt?" A curvaceous young priestess with an oval, freckled face came out of an antechamber. She stared at the cloaked witchers at the head of the caravan. First, her gaze was upon the bald witcher, but then she turned her attention to the White Wolf. Tears glistened in her eyes, and an embarrassing memory welled in her mind.


    So many years ago, she was still an innocent priestess holding up her vow of celibacy for Melitele.


    "Good morning, I. It has been a while, yet you are still as captivating as ever." Geralt bowed. He was trying his best to stay calm, but his trembling cheeks betrayed his true emotions.


    The children, smelling gossip, looked at Geralt and I with interest.


    Roy looked at the curious children and broke the silence. "We shouldn''t tarry, priestess. I believe Mother Nenneke should have received the news?"


    "You and your bad memory, Roy. I have told you not to call me Mother." A gray-haired, plump woman in maroon robes spoke loudly as she emerged from the antechamber.


    She looked about sixty years old, her wrinkles soft and gentle. The woman looked much like a mother who''d toiled for her family. Her chocte eyes shone brightly, like candles lighting up the lives of those who needed guidance. "It''s horrifying to think that I could bear a child at my age, don''t you know that?"


    She humphed, but there was a smile on her lips. Her steps were firm, and her robes billowed in the breeze.


    "Very well, Grandmother Nenneke. My humblest regards to you."


    "That''s more like it. Wee, child."


    Roy suffocated. Nenneke hugged him tightly for a moment before letting go. She looked at him lovingly like a mother, then Nenneke pinched his muscly shoulders. "The Trial''s gone well. It hasn''t been that long since you left, but look at you now. Strong and handsome."


    "All thanks to you." Roy bowed. "You gave me a ce to stay and taught me how to get through the Trial."


    Nenneke cocked her eyebrow. "Still, why did Melitele take interest in you? She gave me a message, telling me to wee your¡­ army of witchers."


    Geralt coughed.


    "Ah, Geralt. Is that a cold I hear? Or an inmed throat?" Nenneke whirled and red at the White Wolf, but she was smiling.


    Geralt looked at her with gratitude and anticipation. The White Wolf had a near death experience once, and Nenneke took him in and nursed him back to health. He had nothing but gratitude for the dame since then.


    "By Melitele, you''re still the same Wolf as ever. Smell like one too. How long has it been since you took a bath? I honestly do not understand why those girls can''t forget about you," Nennekeined, but she hugged Geralt anyway, and she looked at the people around the caravan. "Now, I need an exnation. What''s with the army of witchers? Are you going to pledge your allegiance to Melitele? And what''s with the children?"


    "Let''s take this inside, Nenneke." Lytta stepped up and held Nenneke''s arm. Despite their actual age, Nenneke looked just like Lytta''s grandmother. One was loving, the other was gorgeous.


    "Ah, so you finally came. What took you so long? Did your witcher lover hold you up?"


    "More or less."


    ***


    I hurriedly led the witchers to the backyard where they could settle their steeds and carriages down. Nenneke led everyone else into the antechamber''s corridor. The children looked around curiously. Within the open doors were quiet rooms lit by white candles. Believers were praying before the statues of Melitele. There were the poor, who were donned in cheap clothing, and then there were the wealthy, who were donned in exquisite clothing.


    Faith didn''t care which part of society''s hierarchy the believers were in. Some of them were even dressed in tatters. They were gaunt, skeletal, and almost cadaverous. There was worry and anguish upon their faces.


    "Are those Cintra''s and Verden''s refugees?" Roy asked.


    "The temple took in a few hundred of them right after the war broke out," Nenneke exined. She noticed where everyone was staring. "The war has calmed down for now, and most of the refugees have gone to Vizima. Thends that were granted to Foltest are mostly stricken by war, and they require much rebuilding. Temeria needsbor, and they''re taking in refugees en masse." Nenneke paused for a moment. "And Vizima''s new church is putting in the legwork as well, providing work and amodation for the poor."


    "You mean the Church of Virtue?" Roy was reminded of Adda and Vivienne.


    "Rumors im that a Lady of the Lake is the patron of this church. In the past two years, it has be an even more prominent religion in Vizima than even the Eternal Fire. It''s almost catching up to the faith of Melitele." Nenneke looked surprised. "Still, they have never expanded their influence beyond the borders of Lake Vizima."


    ***


    Roy stopped in his tracks as they went past a particr room. The candlelight shone upon the three figures within the room. One was in a schrly robe. He was young, and he was squinting at an encyclopedia to read better. The man was reading an entry about swallows aloud.


    A boy with short ck hair and a girl with pigtails were seated behind the desks in front of the young man, listening intently. They would nod from time to time, as if they were puppies following their master''s instructions. They were dressed in grey, as per the temple''s rules. Both were beautiful and fair, almost like dolls. They resembled each other too, obviously meaning they were siblings.


    The children reminded him of a certain werewolf. A cursed troupe master. A father named n. He could still see the werewolf in his mind, crying in the final moments of his life.


    "Jarre!"


    "Who''s there? I''m in a ss right now. We can talkter." Jarre the librarian stared at the handsome and dashing witcher. He wondered who this man was.


    "It''s Roy. Have you forgotten about me?"


    Jarre froze. He then looked up at the witcher, and his jaw dropped. "What happened to you? You grew so big. Any tips?"


    "Well, you''re not exactly young anymore, but if you''d like to take the risk, I can probably get you through the Trial of the Grasses. You''d get some muscles and white hair. Maybe I''s going to fall for you, then." Roy smiled.


    Jarre shuddered. His sses almost fell down his nose, and he shook his head violently.


    "Alright, just joking. This must be Art and Lily." Roy crouched before the children and held their hands.


    Art and Lily were surprised by the stranger''s overly friendly attitude, but they didn''t squawk or p their wings like birds anymore.


    "Who are you?" they asked at the same time, their voices clear and beautiful as a songbird''s. They stared at the witcher. "You know us?"


    Roy smiled and patted their heads. These children had been tormented by a curse for years. Now that they''d finally had their lives in order, he didn''t want them to relive the harrowing memories once again.


    "I should go now. Teach them well, Jarre. Impart on them some skills. And you should be on the lookout, especially about I." Roy huddled closer to Jarre and whispered something into his ear. The librarian got nervous.


    ***


    Once Roy was done chatting with his acquaintance, Nenneke led everyone to the deepest courtyard in the temple. Underneath its beautiful roof were more than thirty empty rooms. Every room had two wooden beds and a yellow rug on the ground. They were also decked out with old but sturdy desks and chairs, oilmps, and floral curtains that covered the wooden windows. Through the windows, the rooms'' inhabitants could see the priestesses working around the courtyard.


    "Witchers, children, this shall be your abode from today onward." Nenneke let go of her friend''s arm and looked around. "You may stay for as long as you wish, but I have two requests. One, follow the temple''s rules and follow the activities listed on the schedule. Two, don''t disturb the believers. Understood?"


    "Yes!" the children answered.


    Nenneke nodded in approval and looked at the witchers. "You decide who gets which room."


    "Alright. Vicki, you get to pick first." Letho nodded at Vicki.


    Vicki shook her head sheepishly and looked at her friends, but everyone gave her looks of encouragement. She''d been working herself a lot on the way here, keeping everything in check. Still, Vicki only picked a room at random.


    "Renee."


    "<i>Finally!</i> I wanna share a room with Vicki! And I''m sleeping with her for a day at least! No, three days at least!" Renee held her friend''s hand, shouting in delight. She hopped happily like a bunny and ran into the centermost room, her pigtails swaying.


    "The cheeky girl. Conrad, you''re next."


    Conrad made his choice.


    "Oreo, you''re up."


    The children happily went into their rooms. For nearly two months, they''d been sleeping in the wilderness, and their bodies were sore. Sleeping in tents was not a great experience.


    The witchers stood in different corners of the courtyard. They smiled at the children. If possible, they would like to see happy asions like this forever.


    "Carl, Monti, Acamuthorm, you guys have thest pick."


    "What? Why?" Acamuthorm leapt into the air like a bristling cat. He was shivering in anger. "This is discrimination!"


    "And this is a badge of honor." Serrit grabbed the medallion hanging before Acamuthorm''s chest. "You''re the oldest kids here. Let the younger ones choose first."


    The young witchers exchanged a look, their anger turning into delight.


    "You make a good point." Carl and his friends spoke. "We have a duty to protect the younger ones. Fine. They can have priority picks."


    "Good. Then you''ll be leading by example." Felix knocked Carl''s head. He wrapped his arm around Carl''s shoulders and walked him to the end of the corridor. The witcher picked the room right beside the toilet for his prot¨¦g¨¦, and the kids who followed themughed quietly.


    "Alright, shut it. You''ve made your picks, haven''t you? Now get to the courtyard." Felix had a stern look on his face, and everyone''s hearts sank.


    ***


    "You seem to share a close bond with the Church of Virtue." Grimm came to Roy, who was standing under the overhang. His eyes were zing with curiosity. "Is there really a Lady in Lake Vizima?"


    Roy whipped out Aerondight and extended his right arm. The de shot into the air like a spear and joined Roy''s arm. He then curled his arm, and the de was poised perpendicrly to his bicep. The dragon bone gleamed golden in the morning sun, shining upon Roy''s face. "Vivienne, that''s the Lady, gave me this sword as reward for passing her trial. Grimm, this might be goodbye. I can write a letter of rmendation for you. Take it to Adda, the high priestess in Vizima."


    Roy flicked his de and sheathed it. "And perhaps you''ll have an audience with a Lady of the Lake. Probably not Vivienne, though. Undertake their Trial. Be a Lady''s knight. It''s a great honor aside from your existing one. So, what do you say?"


    Grimm mused over it. "Are you kicking me out of the team?"


    Roy shook his head, smiling. "No. We have some private business to settle, but you can stay at the temple and keep an eye on the children."


    ***


    "I can see these children are as close as a family can be." Nenneke was standing in the shade of the roof with Coral. Curiously, she asked, "But as I recall, witchers believe in the rule of the jungle. They are grotesquely cruel with their prot¨¦g¨¦s, their training involving near-death encounters."


    .


    "That is a practice of the past, old friend. It is no longer in use. The witchers have written new rules." Coral smiled, twirling a few strands of her hair. Proudly, she said, "There''s a reason we`ve had a dozen apprentices in the past few years. It''s hard to believe, but we have not had a single failed Trial up until this moment in time. Nor have the children developed any faults in their personalities. Still, they are sterile."


    Nenneke fell silent, and her frown disappeared. <i>The gods are fair. They granted witchers power, but they took away their ability to sire children. If they could have children who could inherit their superhuman strength, this world would be doomed.</i>


    "So how long will you stay this time?" Nenneke massaged her temples.


    "We''re leaving right away."


    "<i>We?</i>"


    "Yes. All the witchers and I have to go. Besides the children, of course." Coral scanned the courtyard. The older witchers had gathered all the children who''d picked their rooms, sternly lecturing them. The lecture did not seem to be interesting, and the joy in the air was fading fast. Carl and the feistier young witchers were having heated arguments with them, but they were shut down easily.


    "Why are you leaving the children in my care? Will you be returning to Melitele''s kingdom?"


    "Not just yet, no."


    Nenneke looked at her friend with concern. "You are hiding a secret. Why? I can help if you just tell me."


    "That''s amusing, Nenneke. You''re younger than m¡ª" Coral looked at Roy carefully. He wasn''t listening. The sorceress patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. "I am not asking you to take care of them like they''re orphaned. See those young witchers? Don''t shrug them off. For a considerable period of time, they''ll be staying in the temple and keeping you and your priestesses safe. It''s a promise we made to someone. If you have time, please teach them how to navigate life more easily."


    "So you''re suggesting that danger ising to the temple? Who would be so bold as to attack Melitele''s ce of faith?" Nenneke mused. <i>Is this why the goddess told me to give them a warm wee? Because the young ones will be our guards?</i>


    "You will find out soon enough. As for us, we have a score to settle in Maribor." Coral''s eyes glinted coldly. "A bloody score."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 570: Maribor

    Roy the witcher stood before the trinity of Melitele statues. The statues glowed with sacred light, and a majestic voice boomed in his head.


    "I am pleased, child of the Elder Blood. As promised, you have brought a group of lively guardians to the temple. Your trip to Maribor will be filled with dangers. In order to prevent you from dying before this world''s crisis is averted, Freya and I have decided to bend the rules and lend you as much assistance as we can."


    An aqua blue crystal cut in the shape of a rose shot out of the statue of Melitele. It was the size of a fist and shone as brightly as the summer sky. Roy held it in his hand and tightened his grip.


    ''Blessed Brisingamen


    Components: Zircon, divine energy


    Affixes:


    Second Wind: This gemstone, blessed by Freya and Melitele, can block a fatal attack once. You may also activate it and cast Divine Healing, returning your body and soul to their best state.''


    "We shall lend this to you. Pray that you do not have to use it ever."


    ***


    "So, how did it go? Fine?" Letho was leaning on a pavilion''s pir in the garden''s corner, looking at Roy.


    "Yes. Grimm went to Vizima, and the goddess gave her blessing. And the children?" Roy looked at hisrades. Four Wolves, Four Vipers, and three Cats. Kiyan came all the way from Novigrad to stand with hisrades. Coen, the sole member of the Griffin School, then the sorcerers, Kalkstein and Coral. Fourteen of them in total.


    "They wouldn''t let up. I almost used Axii on them." Felix shook his head, then he clenched his fists in resignation and approval. "But we calmed them down and convinced them to stay."


    "With Nenneke keeping an eye on them, there''s nothing to worry," said Letho, rubbing his head.


    "Time to set off, people."


    Coral went up and held Roy''s arm lovingly. "Don''t let Triss wait for too long."


    A square portal cracked open the garden''s space, and the group of fourteen went into it.


    ***


    A sorcerer''s tower stood beside the pce of Maribor''s prince. Its walls were white, and its roof was red. In the topmost chamber of the tower stood a desk and a row of bookshelves, and a gale howled across the room, flipping the pages of the tomes open.


    Triss'' hair brushed against her cheeks.


    "Hello, my lovelydy." Lambert was the first toe through. He approached Triss with a smile and went down on one knee, requesting for a hand-kiss.


    Triss smiled and lifted her dress a little, then she curtsied at everyone.


    Aiden smacked the back of Lambert''s head. "Stop flirting with every woman you meet. If you''re in heat, find a mate in the pigsty."


    "Thank you for your hard work, Triss." Coral stepped ahead and put an arm around Triss'' waist, then she held Triss'' chin with her left hand as she stared into her face. "You got thinner. How I envy your body."


    "I haven''t gotten thinner, but you''ve gotten prettier." Triss shook her head, her hair swaying. She then looked at the witchers and nced furtively at the one with greyish-silver eyes. There was delight in her eyes. "You came just in time. I have a new discovery regarding the grandmasters."


    "Tell us more."


    "Come here." She approached the desk and curled her finger. The steaming teapot, teacups, and bottled tea leaves danced and swirled around in the air, but they moved with precision. Momentster, everyone in the room had themselves a cup of fresh, steaming jasmine tea. Triss gave them a smile and motioned at them to drink. At the same time, a map of Maribor unfurled itself on the table.


    The city had hybrid buildings, clear, spacious thoroughfares, a hundred narrow alleyways, city gates in the south and north, and many more. All of them were shrunk to a miniature scale and presented on the map, including the gigantic crack caused by that monster. The crack was in the abandoned old city wing.


    Triss twirled her finger around the outer rims of the map. "For the past year, I''ve been checking all spell vibrations across the city."


    Roy was touched and a little guilty. All he did was ask for her favor during the Trial, and Triss set all her work aside. She came to the old sorcerer''s tower in Maribor and risked her life finding the grandmasters'' trail.


    Coral frowned. She admonished, "You''re risking yourself."


    "Don''t worry. Everything I''m doing, I do it through this tower. Its special structure and the invisibility spell Tissaia taught me made sure I never reveal too much magic power. No one could''ve noticed me."


    Triss had a wary look on her face. Hatefully, she said, "And I''ve never left this tower for the whole year. Never showed up on the city''s surface. The bastards brainwashed me once. They would''ve recognized me." She was still bothered by the fact she lost some of her memories.


    The witchers gave her a look of gratitude. Triss stayed in this boring tower for a year just for one promise.


    "Don''t give me that sentimental look. I was just repaying a favor." Triss took a deep breath and nodded. "Yep. I was just repaying Roy for saving me."


    "Are you sure we can count on this scouting method of yours?" asked Vesemir.


    "Give or take one percent margin of error." Triss twirled her fingers, and ake as smooth as a mirror jumped into the air. "The whole city''s chaos energy was like thiske, calm and undisturbed. Regr people are like weeds in the depths of thiske, unable to stir any trouble. But if any sorcerer, magical apprentice, or witcher who has mastered Signse into this space, the bnce will be broken. All they have to do is cast one magical action. Any weak spell or simple Sign." Triss added nervously, "I do not mean to disparage you, witchers. Your Signs have room for innovation as well, and they''re on par with spells."


    "We''re not that sensitive. Continue." Roy smiled at her warmly.


    "Once the chaos energy in our bodies touches the energy in our surroundings, it will create a ripple, and my tower can capture that ripple. She twirled her middle finger, and a gale galloped by. Theke rippled like a frilly silk dress dancing about.


    "For about a year, the whole of Maribor has stayed calm. Calmer than anything. This is a city ruled by regr people, the monarchy, the church, andmerce. I thought I was the only spellcaster. Everyone else must''ve been scared off by the taxes the prince announced. Until a month ago, that was. Powerful magical ripples appeared in these ces."


    She pointed twice on the map.


    "Blue Whale, and the crack in the old city wing?" The witchers held their breaths.


    "For safety''s sake, I didn''t leave the tower." Triss made a beckoning gesture with her left hand, and a swarm of pitch-ck magical light flew in through the window, then it fell onto the back of Triss'' hand. That light was a magical crow. It tilted its head and cleaned the grime on its feathers with its beak, then it cawed, staring at everyone in the room like it understood them.


    "But my familiar has heard everything." A pauseter, Triss'' eyes red brightly. "Four individuals suspected to be witchers appeared in broad daylight. One was tall, burly, looked icy, and had a bear head medallion around his neck."


    The witchers were losing a bit of calm every time Triss spoke.


    "One was gaunt, had a long face, and his eyes were like a viper''s. He had a viper medallion around his neck. One had ck hair, brown eyes, and looked and was built like a regr man. He had the medallion of a wolf''s head. Thest was the most conspicuous of them all. He had the tattoo of an eagle on the side of his face, and the medallion of a griffin hung around his neck. The four of them drank the whole day away in Blue Whale. Their conspicuous appearances and forward attitude garnered a lot of attention. The bartenders, regrs, waitresses, and even the people who passed by the tavern could attest to that."


    "That''s impossible!" Coen shrieked, his pupils contracting.


    Everyone nodded. This was different from what they knew.


    "That''s odd." Roy took a sip of his tea. "Arnaghad, Ends, and Elgar have been in hiding for a hundred years. They wouldn''t break their longstanding rule after that stretch of disappearance just to show up and have fun without a care in the world."


    The witchers exchanged looks.


    Kalkstein, who''d been listening quietly, said, "Put yourselves in their shoes. ording to Roy, they abandoned their brethren and joined Alzur''s organization, staying in hiding for a hundred years, cooped up in the underground like rats. They risked their lives interfering with multiple wars. Their goal must be monumental. If you were in their shoes, would you let yourself go right when sess is in your grasp? What if you ruin everything?"


    Auckes touched his hair band. "You''re saying that they''re getting really close to their goal. They know they''ll seed so¡­"


    "So they went for some drinks to celebrate?" Serrit guessed.


    "Then we have trouble." Roy frowned. He was reminded of that red light that could purge sins back in Mayena. <em>Did the grandmasters and Alzur find a stable way to shape this world to their liking? </em>That thought sent chills down his spine.


    ***


    "The second ripple happened near the crack in the old city wind," Triss said. "There''s a sewer underneath that crack. It was made in the elven era and had dozens of entrances. I suspect that the grandmasters, Idarran, and Alzur have been hiding in this ce all this time." She flipped open another map that showed passages spreading out like a cobweb, then she pointed at entrance number thirteen. "So I''ve collected the blueprint for the old city wing''s sewers.


    ***


    "We can''t waste any more time. We have to go." Roy took a deep breath and sat up. He straightened out the straps of his weapons and looked at everyone. Solemnly, he said, "Be prepared, everyone. This is not our regr operation. This could be the most dangerous battle we¡¯ve run into since the brotherhood''s inception, and our enemies are the founders of witcher schools. The people our brethren worship and look up to. Are you sure you can bring yourself to fight them?"


    Silence fell upon the group. Coen looked conflicted and nervous. End, the role model Coen''s mentor had followed his whole life. Jerome paid the ultimate price just to see him. If they were to be enemies, how should he deal with him?


    Letho''s face stiffened up like a rock.


    Ivar Evil-Eye. The founder of the Viper School. The one who set their creed, and the pioneer in the fight against the Wild Hunt. His humor and wit still rang in Letho''s mind, and he could see the man''s eyes. They were like mes melting down silver. Ivar was the man who taught him.


    The light of reminiscence twinkled in Vesemir''s eyes. Elgar, grandmaster of the Wolf School. When he was still an apprentice, that man was already the strongest man of the first-generation Wolves. He was top-notch in swordy, Signs, andbat. The school''s blueprints were all his work.


    ***


    There were no Bears among the witchers. Everyone''s only impression about Arnaghad came from someone else. That man almost killed Roy. That debt must be repaid in blood. The Cats were interested in this man. The Cat School''s Trial amplified human emotions and created madmen, while the Bear School''s Trial erased emotions and humanity, creating cold-blooded monsters. They wondered what kind of man he was.


    ***


    "You think you can lecture us, kid? You''re just a fledgling." Lambert grinned, breaking the silence. He got up and put an arm around Roy''s shoulder. "So what if they''re the grandmasters? So what if it''s Alzur the creator? They''re just old news. Antiques. Dying. They should''ve been buried in the annals of history. If they try to fight us, we fight them, then." Lambert hissed, "We''ll chop them up and feed them to sewer rats."


    "We are prepared." Letho touched the dragon scale on his chest. The witchers had changed into lightweight, resilient armor. Over the year or so in Kaer Morhen, the Tordarroch cksmiths and Vesemir managed to embed dragon scales in all their armor and boost their defense as much as possible. Regr weapons couldn''t leave any marks on it.


    The weapons they carried were modified slightly by dragon bones, and they could cut through iron like it was butter. The group was equipped with Cloaks of Silence, and on their belts were potions that glimmered mysteriously. All of them had five mana and health potions each. The regr decoctions like Swallow, Thunderbolt, and Petri''s Philter were all there, of course, but they were also modified by adding Skyrim''s herbs into them. Those herbs enhanced the potions'' efficacy by 20%. Besides that, all witchers also had a ck, inconspicuous bottle of decoction, and the liquid inside glimmered red, like blood.


    This was a new higher vampire decoction developed by Kalkstein and Letho after they researched deeply into the body of Gruffyd. The toxicity was threatening, but the effects were powerful. The witchers who used that decoction could, temporarily, have healing abilities on par with a higher vampire.


    Aside from decoctions, everyone had ten dimeritium bombs, Dragon''s Dream, and other regr bombs.


    The brotherhood also spent big money asking Kalkstein to make everyone one secret bomb that could severely injure higher vampires. They also had teleportation crystals that would act as ast resort should they need to escape. They also had one Forgotten Acorn that could save anyone from the brink of death (they¡¯d had three, but Eskel and Roy used one each, leaving one lone acorn in their stash), and Blessed Brisingamen, which Roy acquired not too long ago.


    ***


    Compared to the fully-armed witchers, Coral was in a much more normal attire. She was in a frilly ck dress like she was going to attend a ball. She was also wearing an exquisitedy''s hat. The zircon pendant and magical rings on her fingers were glinting with magic. She was like a human-sized magical weapon.


    Triss wasn''t too bad either. She was also equipped with a lot of magical items. Kalkstein was standing with them. He was still in his grimy robes, his stubble was messy, and he looked mousy and groggy, like he just awoke. The morning breeze brushing across the garden made him shiver, and he kept rubbing his hands like a human-sized mouse trying to warm himself up, but he''d chuckle, and his eyes would glint mischievously.


    "Alzur is one of the most famous sorcerers in human history. More powerful and legendary than Vilgefortz, who''s already turned to dust in space. Well, I say famous, but it''s actually infamy. That man represents an endlesswell of esoteric magical knowledge. We take him and Idarran down, and the brotherhood will im a hundred years worth of magical supplies."


    "That''s right." Auckes grinned toothily and came over to hold Roy''s other arm. There was a conflicted look in his eyes. "We''ll make Arnaghad grovel and beg for your forgiveness, but we''re also going to find out what they''ve been doing for the past one hundred years."


    "I''ll ask Ivar why he abandoned us." Letho''s eyes shone.


    "I have the same question for End as well," said Coen quietly, the look on his face changing.


    "I''d like to know what Elgar thinks of Kaer Morhen, and if he still holds onto his principles." Vesemir and the Wolves exchanged a look.


    "My wish is simple. To see the Bear School swordsmanship performed by the cruel, heartless Arnaghad." Felix, Aiden, and Kiyan were rubbing their steel weapons, raring to fight.


    "Everyone''s in high spirits, but do not underestimate our enemies. Survival first," Serrit emphasized.


    "They have in their hands the light of purification. That thing is dangerous," Roy added. "No matter what, if that light shines on you, leave and teleport on the spot."


    Most, if not all, witchers carried sins on their backs. "I don''t want anything to happen to any of you. We''re not losing anyone in this fight."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 571: Mutants

    <h4>Chapter 571: Mutants</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 571: Mutants</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The twilight shadow loomed over thend, a crescent moon hanging high in the sky. The city underneath it, Maribor, was split into two halves. One sat within the towering walls, where beautiful buildings stood. They were brightly lit, and merry noises came from the taverns. Soldiers patroled the streets. The other half slumbered beyond the city walls. The houses were in ruins, and the ground was cracked. Weed slithered across the earth. Refuse and rancid beds left by beggars and tramps were strewn across the ce. Horrifying craters haphazardly covered thend. These were left by meteor strikes.


    Howls of wolves and rabid dogs came from the dark corners of this abandonednd, while bugs chirped among the bushes and scarce trees. A ravine measuring more than a hundred yards long crushed the old city wing. Not even the moon could shine on any of its crevices. It was like a titanic python quietly hiding in the darkness.


    Dark silhouettes hopped along the ravine, dropping silently like gazelles leaping through a valley. Their cloaks absorbed all the silvery moonlight, keeping them shrouded in darkness. Like phantoms, the silhouettes disappeared in a moment.


    A patch of crimson roses stood in the southwest of the crack. There, the silhouettes found a dark entrance.


    "Sewer number thirteen in the old city wing." Roy and hisrades exchanged a nce. They quickly cast their Signs, covering themselves in magical barriers of gold and ck. The monster hunters downed their supply of Cats, and their pupils expanded. They saw through the night easily, as if they were traveling in broad daylight.


    Roy walked down the rickety wooden stairs, and the steps creaked as he went. A couple of momentster, the young witchernded safely. His silver eyes glowed in the dark, shining on a dark and ancient passage. There were craters on the walls nking them. Weed and ivy slithered over their surface, while wet moss was draped over them.


    The old city wing was abandoned for many years, but the sewers were connected to Maribor''s. The city''s refuse and sewage flowed into these tunnels every day. The dark and humid tunnels kept everything cooped up, and now even the air was filled with a foul odor.


    ***


    The tunnel was split into different paths, all leading into the unknown darkness. Smell of rotting, festering refuse filled the air. A ck, gooey river flowed in the ditch sitting in the center of the tunnel. Garbage, rotting leftovers, excrements, and a myriad of items flowed through it. The witchers saw boots, tattered clothes, and bones of small animals floating around.


    A reluctant Kiyan was assigned to guard duty by Triss. He stood by the sewer''s entryway, just in case anything unpredictable were to happen. Eleven witchers along with Coral and Kalkstein, traveled both sides of the passage, their footsteps careful and soft. They tried their best to stay silent.


    Like a cat on the hunt, Roy crouched, and he turned on his witcher senses. Entwined, bright ribbons appeared in the air. These ribbons represented the trails of mice, lizards, vipers, roaches, and more critters, but none of them would lead them to any witcher or sorcerer, but Roy didn''t give up. The grandmasters were experts in stealth. They could easily erase their traces.


    The group made their way to the biggest area in the sewers. ording to the map, it was in the center of the connected tunnels. For fifteen minutes they traveled, and junctions would appear from time to time, but the witchers did not split up. That would be a deathwish in uncharted territory.


    The journey was quiet. Too quiet. There were no drowners or ghouls, who were regr residents of sewers. There weren''t many mice around either. nts that thrived in darkness were abundant, however.


    Auckes was in the vanguard on the left. He stopped in his tracks and held his buzzing medallion, then he raised a hand, motioning for everyone to stop. He then crouched and held his hand over the ground. Quickly, he made an Aard Sign. The wind blew away the dust and soil, revealing a magical circle. It was as small as a te.


    A few Elder Speech runes were carved on it, and they were structured in the shape of a stream of mes. Just looking at it made them feel the heat.


    Kalkstein took a look and said quietly, "Fire runes. Simplest magical trap in the book."


    "So that means we got the right ce." Roy held back the excitement in his voice, but the look in his eyes couldn''t lie.


    "Regr people, and a lot of witchers included, do not have the skill to set up this kind of trap. This must''ve been Idarran or Alzur." Serrit looked at his brethren solemnly. "We''ll have to be a lot more careful from now on. If things go wrong, teleport away immediately."


    There were untold dangers hiding in the darkness ahead. In just ten minutes, the group had found more than thirty traps. Fire, explosion, ice, and illusory magical traps aside, there were also regr traps like bear traps. Fortunately, with trap experts like Auckes and Serrit in the team and sorcerers like Coral and Kalkstein, the group managed to stay away from traps while making sure the traps stayed intact. Quietly but swiftly, they pushed ahead.


    The deeper they went, the more excrements there were floating along the gooey river. There were also half-digested mice, snakes, and carcasses of bigger livestock like cows and goats. Sewers shouldn¡¯t have this kind of stuff floating around. The question was, who brought these things in?


    The group was advancing even more carefully, then the vanguard stopped in their tracks and held the buzzing medallions hanging around their necks. They held their breaths, and everyone stayed silent. Everyone looked ahead and saw something.


    The shadow of a standing humanoid creature danced on the walls around the corner. They could see the outline of its back, legs, and arms. The silhouette was burly. Too burly. It was almost twelve feet tall, its head almost hitting the tunnel''s ceiling. Its back was hunched, but it was big, and its waist was smaller. The silhouette had taut, mountainous muscles. It had no neck, and its pointy head was attached to its back. It was bent forward, giving the shadow a conical shape.


    The group imagined an oversized mouse standing around the corner, and the changes in the shadow proved that. Every time it opened or closed its snout, the whiskers around its mouth would shiver like shaking iron needles. The shadow was holding something in its hand, munching on it.


    There was a quiet crunching sound whispering in the air. If the group hadn¡¯t been listening closely, they''d have missed it. The witchers had weird looks on their faces. From the shadow alone, they couldn''t imagine what kind of monster this could be. It was obviously not a ghoul, drowner, or fleder.


    This time, they couldn''t skirt around this.


    ***


    The group crouched a little and walked along the wall quietly. The Cloaks of Silence and double magical barriers covered up their scent and footsteps. They eventually saw the humanoid creature. It was a man-mouse. The burly man was wearing nothing, and his body was covered in a coat of thick, ck fur. Its snake-like tail was twirled around his left leg, wrapping and loosening up. The creature''s ws were like glinting daggers, and blood trickled from them. On the other end of its ws was a dead, rotting, ckening goat.


    The creature held the carcass in its arms, its crimson eyes glinting with greed and cunning. It opened its mouth and ripped a shred of meat off with its sawlike teeth. As it munched on its food, the creature licked the blood off its fur with a barbed tongue.


    ***


    Roy looked at the people behind him and grabbed a hand crossbow out of thin air, then he pulled the trigger without even aiming. A bolt hurtled through the rancid air of the sewers, drawing a straight silver line ahead.


    The moment the bolt touched the man-mouse, its fur stood on end, turning it into a little hedgehog. Itshed out with its tail, and the tail left afterimages in its wake. Just like that, the creature mmed Roy''s bolt away, but half of its tail fell to the ground. Before it could do anything more, a crimson light burst forth from the point of contact between the tail and the bolt, then it turned the towering creature into a red cocoon.


    The silhouette of a swordsman danced on the walls. Roy''s de pierced the air and buried itself in the man-mouse, but the witcher stabbed the creature multiple times to be safe. The red of blood, the silver of metal, and the glinting runes shone in the air. When the witcher was done, pieces of flesh fell to the ground, steaming. The man-mouse was cut up into pieces.


    Before it could even showcase its strength and speed, Roy had cut it down. The man-mouse''s hideous head rolled over to Roy''s feet, the ghost of its snarl etched on its face.


    ''Modified Man-mouse killed. EXP +300. Level 13 Witcher (17000/14500).''


    .


    ***


    Roy let out a rush of air and flicked the blood off his de. He bent down and put a pair of leather gloves over his hands, then he rummaged through the insides of the mangled body. A momentter, he found himself holding an oval greater red mutagen. And a metal tag.


    The tag was embedded in the man-mouse''s back. On its surface, a line of indecipherable characters and numbers were engraved. It read, ''ULExIX0008.''


    "Number eight¡­" Letho took another simr metal tag from his storage ring. "The insect we fought in Amell was number 22. Same letters."


    "These modified creatures belong to the same series, then." Geralt nodded. "If I''m right, either Alzur or Idarran did this. Both are experts of mutation and gic modification."


    "This is a grandmasters¡¯ product, but it''s not just regr stitching of different parts together. The reaction that happened in its body is simr to witcher mutations. It was probably a cute little mouse before it was put through the experiment." Kalkstein held up the creature''s head and observed its yellow, sawlike teeth. He grabbed a pair of tweezers and test tubes out of thin air and took some samples of its body fluid, whiskers, and body tissues.


    Coen was staring at the darkness behind the man-mouse. The tunnel still showed no end. It was dark and rancid. There was something eerily mysterious about it, almost as if it were an abyss. He tensed up.


    "I have a feeling this is the beginning, fes. There''ll be a lot of these disgusting experimental failures," said Eskel.


    Coral pulled her hair back, her eyes filled with concern. "We''ve killed their pet. Alzur probably knows of our presence now. He must have set up traps for us."


    "He might not be the one meeting us, though." Lambert smirked.


    ***


    Like Eskel predicted, when the group was traveling down a multi-tunnel junction, a wave of mutated creatures jumped out from the darkness.


    The silver glint of metal leapt across the air, shing into a thick appendage. The tail was covered in green scales, and winds howled as it swung down on the steel sword. They shed, and blood sttered across the air. The sword cut the tail open, but the impact from the sh pushed back the weapon.


    A humanoid creature stood up. It was over six-foot-six and had an elongated head. The creature let out a thunderous roar as it pounced in the direction of the sword. The creature''s tail swung around, stirring the gooey river into a pile of mess. The creature swiped its ck ws, and it met metal. The de and ws skidded off each other, sending blood and sweat flying everywhere.


    The sparks from the sh illuminated the dark sewers, revealing the face of a bald man. There was an icy look on his face, then he quickly made a blue Sign with his hand. Letho pushed the Sign onto the ground, and a wave of magical energy surged from the Sign. Aard''s power shoved the man-crocodile staggering backward, and a deluge spilled everywhere.


    Letho stepped ahead, holding his de up with both hands, then he swung it down on the creature''s chest. The de opened up a gash on the creature''s stomach, and blood spilled everywhere, but it didn''t seem to feel any pain. The creature wobbled for a while, then it opened its eyes wide. Like any cold-blooded predator, its eyes were amber. Once again, the creature swung its ws and almost metallic tail at the witcher.


    A gust of gale howled across the corridor as the enemies shed, spun, and shed again. Sparks flew, sonic booms exploded. The creature''s sturdy body blocked the sword''s attack three times.


    On the fourth swing, Letho grounded himself before he leapt high into the air, dodging the tail that was sweeping across the ground. Hended softly and thrust his sword ahead. The first strike hit the creature''s nose, where its defense was the weakest. The second strike pierced its left eye and stabbed its pathetic brain.


    Two towering silhouettes stood facing each other. A moment of silenceter, the man-crocodile fell to the ground with a thud, stirring up a little storm of dust and shit. By reflex, the tail twitched for a while, then it fell still.


    A bright light red around the corner. Coen was making rapid gestures with his hands, and a crimson inverted triangle floated between his palms. Scorching mes charged ahead, turning the immediate area before him into a conical area of fire.


    An irregrly shaped creature was wrigging before Coen. It was like a pile of mud with two sesame seeds shoved on its surface. The creature was burning in the mes. A foul scent of excrement came from it. The creature quickly shrunk and melted into a pool of ck, corrosive goo.


    ***


    On the other side of the passage, two Cats were surrounding a skinned creature with sharp bones protruding from its back. The creature resembled a graveir, but it had a pair of legs that were bent backwards like a fleder''s, and it could jump high into the air. The creature let out screeches that could puncture anyone''s eardrums as it leapt around the ustrophobic passage, but the Cats surrounded it in a web of deadly sword attacks, slowly drenching it in its own blood.


    ***


    The Wolves were surrounding a mutated rock troll. The troll had fangs, ws, and something akin to a tortoise shell on its back. The Wolves danced around, casting Signs and attacking with their des in perfect sync.


    The troll''s roars eventually turned into whimpers of despair.


    ***


    The witchers kept Coral and Kalkstein safe, keeping them in the center of the formation. They were on support and dealing with anything the witchers missed. The light of magic shone and swirled around them. The sorcerers cast their spells, harassing and stunning the creatures the witchers were fighting.


    ***


    Roy walked through a mountain of bloody corpses. Lying under his feet was a ground of corpses made up of chimeras and mutants. Some died from headshots, some were killed by having their vitals pierced after Roy''s crimson tentacles wrapped them up. Some were cut in half by his energy sh. Some were crushed by his dragon''s charge attack. None of these mutants couldst a second against him.


    The icy witcher held a hand crossbow in his left hand and dragged his sword with his right. He strode ahead, blood trickling down the edge of his de. The crimson light surrounding him was merging into mes, burning the air quietly. He crossed the dark, squalid, and evil passage without stopping. Eventually, he came to a dead end. A wall covered in moss and vines. The witcher cast mp and dispelled the illusion before him.


    Then a white bolt of electricity came hurtling through the air.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 572: Idarran

    <h4>Chapter 572: Idarran</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 572: Idarran</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A white bolt of electricity hurtled from beyond the walls, crashing down on the witcher. Goo and deluge flew into the air from the attack. Roy quickly cast Heliotrop with his left hand and held the Sign up high, covering himself with an elliptical ck barrier. The lightning bolt mmed into the barrier and disappeared into thin air.


    However, the witcher had no respite. The look on his face changed as hundreds of bolts came charging from the darkness like a deadly web. The bolts electrified him, and his hair stood on end. Right before the attack couldnd, Roy teleported backward along with his bolt. The web of lightning bolts that took up the space from floor to ceiling swarmed Roy''s earlier position, engulfing the corpses on the ground.


    The corpses spasmed as if they were alive, their eyelids twitching. From afar, it looked like they were rolling their eyes, and sneers curled their lips. The scene looked like it came out of a horror movie. At the same time, the pool of blood on the ground boiled like scalding water, and the scent of burned flesh wafted across the air.


    ***


    The web of electricity only died out a few momentster. Roy stared at the charred, smoking pieces of corpses on the ground, and he shuddered. Hispanions had killed off the creatures that attacked them and gathered around him. The mutants were only as dangerous as garkains. They had numbers on their side. The witchers¡¯ equipment and consumables were abundant. Aside from some stamina and mana, they lost nothing.


    "You were lucky, kid." Kalkstein gazed at the dark tunnel ahead. For once, he looked serious. "Lightning storms are a lot more powerful than the useless traps we''ve seen so far. If I were caught by surprise, I''d die too, but the more dangerous the traps are, the closer we are to our goal. Since they know about our operation, we should just knock on the door and announce our arrival." Kalkstein grinned with excitement, his eyes glinting. He then grabbed something out of thin air.


    A beautiful alchemical product appeared in his palm. It was like a wolf spider erged by a few dozen times, but it had no fleshy texture. Instead, it glinted like metal. It had three rows of green eyes on its head. The metal spider''s eight eyes rolled around coldly. There wasn''t any emotion in them. Its jaws were moving, and it radiated faint chaos energy. It had eight slender legs covered in metal fur. The spider leapt and fell to the ground softly. It scuttled off and disappeared into the darkness right away.


    The witchers collected their loot in the meantime, but a whileter,motion sted in the dark tunnel ahead. Sounds of explosions, roaring mes, sloshing water, falling stones, and crashing walls roared through the air. Crimson lights, purple bolts of electricity, dust, and smoke filled the air. The sewers were shivering from the impact of the traps, but despite the violent attacks, the elven architecture stood strong, even after the erosion of time.


    ***


    Fifteen minutester, themotion came to an end, and the metal spider came out of the smokescreen before the group. Its front legs were broken from the midsection, and small craters riddled its metallic shell. The critter looked hideous, its green eyes losing their luster.


    "Poor thing. You did good." Kalkstein held the spider in his hand and patted its back. The alchemist rubbed his goatee against the spider''s head like it was his pet, then he tucked the spider into his inventory space, cringing a little. "Alright, witchers. The traps are all activated. It''s safe inside now."


    Everyone gave him approving nods. One of their most brilliant ideas for this journey was to bring Kalkstein along. They had promised him a lot of things, but it was worth it. The witchers recast their magical barriers and went into the dark tunnel.


    "Your spider is a work of art. Can I¡­" Lambert raised a thumbs up for Kalkstein and looked at him curiously, wondering where he tucked the spider into.


    "Of course. I''m a fair businessman. Give me the coins, and I''ll make one for you." Kalkstein stroked his goatee, a smile curling his lips. There was cunning in his eyes, as if he saw a customer he could make a lot of money from.


    "How much are you charging?"


    "See its broken legs? Take requests all day every day and save up for a year, and you''ll make enough to buy its legs. And it''s discounted too, because you''re a part of the brotherhood."


    Lambert rolled his eyes. "Forget I said anything."


    ***


    The tunnel''s air was filled with dust and smoke. Like the ruins of war, the ground was covered in debris and dust. The walls and floor were scorched, electrocuted, and frozen in some ces. Besides the multitude of upgraded magical traps, there were also a lot of regr traps. The tunnel was only a hundred yards long, but there were more than twenty traps lying around. The group was almost worried as they passed through the passage.


    "Moser structure. This is our school''s secret." Serrit went down and observed a bear trap that was already snapped shut. He muttered, "Did Ivar make this trap?"


    The Vipers had conflicted feelings about it, and reminiscence filled their eyes.


    ***


    Momentster, their medallions started buzzing and struggling like sparrows trying to fly off into the air. At the end of the tunnel was a purple door. A cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere. It had a face white as a cadaver, its features dark and gloomy. The figure''s gaze pierced the mist and met the group of intruders. There was shock, mockery, and murder in that gaze.


    Roy jolted. A bad memory filled his mind. This was Idarran, Alzur''s student and master of gic modification. <i>You don''t have to catch me yourself this time. I''ll send you to the afterlife.</i>


    A bolt hurtled through the air, but it crashed into an invisible wall halfway through. The bolt fell to the ground, and the gemstone marking shattered, but Roy had teleported ahead.


    Idarran crossed his hands before his chest and made a dual crimson cross. The surge of manaing from the cross cut space itself open, and the cross expanded into a square-shaped gash, though Idarran didn''t do this to destroy anything.


    It was to summon something.


    A pack of horned bears leapt out of the gash, roaring and swiping away at their enemy. Roy was in the air, and he sent an energy sh towards his enemies. The attack sliced the towering monsters open, and Roy walked the path created by the two halves of the monsters'' broken bodies. Quen deflected all the flesh and blood that was raining down on the witcher.


    Idarran quickly split into a few clones and leapt into the door behind him. Roy teleported along with him, and everyone else followed.


    Everything changed. The smoky, misty ruins before the door was gone, reced by bright neon lights behind the door. Roy felt like he just came out of the squalid sewers and entered a beautiful greenhouse. The ce was nearly thirty-three wide and sixteen-and-a-half-feet tall. No longer was Roy surrounded by refuse, sewage, excrement, and stone bs. Colorful, fluorescent nts littered the ce.


    Roy saw morning glories, gourds, and nts that looked like corals, sea stars, and seahorses. There were trees the shape of pineapples. This ce was home to bizarre nts, but they shone like fluorescentmps, inviting the witcher to eat them.


    The air was filled with strong scents. There was the sweetness of fruits, the bitterness of herbs, and a pungent durian smell. Geralt sneezed and held his breath right away.


    He then looked up. Vines of different colors came slithering down from the ceiling. There was no wind around, yet they rustled anyway. The walls and ground were covered in a thickyer of bouncy membrane. It felt sticky and squelchy to the touch, and it had the temperature of a regr human.


    The walls were swaying ever so gently, as if they were alive. It reminded them of the belly of some titanic monster, and those bizarre nts were fungi that took root in the monster''s body.


    Roy hesitantly took a few steps ahead. Under pressure, the fluorescent nts underneath Roy shot out a cloud of spores, and they fluttered in the air like fireflies. They shone red on his face and turned the space around into an almost dreamlike ce.


    "Don''t take one step further, people. Something''s off." Roy frowned. His Elder Blood was starting to scorch and boil all of a sudden. Inexplicably, a vague scene appeared before his eyes. He saw four towering silhouettes standing with their backs turned to him. They were standing on the edge of a cliff. One step ahead, and they''d fall into an endless abyss. Over them was a staircase leading straight to the cloudy heavens above. At the end of the staircase, Roy could make out a colorful gxy and a crimson, squirming octopus. <i>What does this hallucination mean?</i>


    Something clenched Roy''s heart. It wasn''t just danger. This bizarre world had something extreme,plicated, and indescribable hidden in its depths. The young witcher didn''t dare step into that domain. Behind them, the door that connected this space to the ruins outside had closed up. Aiden and Coen were unleashing Signs and weapons at it, but aside from leaving scorch marks and shes, there was little effect.


    Fortunately, everyone''s mana could still run well. They could teleport away if needed.


    "Calm down, people. You don''t have to hold your breaths. These nts are harmless. Not poisonous." Kalkstein tucked away a silver jellyfish that was hanging in the air. He quickly put on a pair of white leather gloves and pulled out a fluorescent mistletoe. The branches and fruits were luminescent, their colors ever-changing. Sometimes they were red, sometimes they were ck. Sometimes they were like fiery clouds of the dawn.


    "I''m sure this isn''t any nt that exists in our world. Its effects are unknown, but if we can research it, we will be able to develop a lot of new potions. A hundred types at least. It''s a lot better than the herbs Roy brought from Skyrim."


    "So you''re saying Idarran and the grandmasters have gone to different worlds before?" Serrit looked solemn.


    "Without a doubt."


    "You have a good eye." A dark, venomous voice spoke. The voice felt close, as if it wereing from around the group, but it also felt far, as if it spoke from the heavens above. "If you''d arrived a few monthster, I''d have weed you with open arms and talked about research of nts from different worlds, but s, you came at the wrong time."


    The voice had shock andint in it. "Ivar''s a fool. He insisted on exiling him. We should''ve killed him, and now look at what happened."


    A pauseter, the voice praised, "You aren''t the controller of the shard for nothing, Roy. You passed through the world''s barrier and came back safely. I do not know how you managed it, but you made one major mistake. You should''ve gone into hiding after you escaped alive, but you had toe into my turf."


    The voice spoke with condescension. "You know, there are countless choices avable to men. Half of them bring luck, but you just had to make the worst possible choice at the wrong ce and the wrong time. You have buried all possibilities for a better future. And now your fate is doomed to fall into darkness and destruction. What fools. Allow me to teach you a lesson."


    The Vipers ignored the voice''s insults. The mention of Ivar excited them, and they couldn''t hold back.


    Auckes roared at the darkness ahead, "Where''s Ivar Evil-Eye? Why is a grandmaster like him hiding in the shadows? Summon him! We want to talk!"


    "You¡¯ve trespassed into the ce I spent countless hours working on and ruined more than a few dozen of my experimental subjects. They might be half-finished, but my heart bleeds nheless. You think you deserve a fair negotiation? No." The voice paused for a moment. "And they cannot make it anyway."


    "What do you mean?" Letho roared, the look on his face changing.


    The voice ignored them. A few thoughts were running through Roy''s head. He was reminded of the clues Triss found. The grandmasters celebrated at Blue Whale for the imminent sess of their goal, and now only Idarran was here to wee them. <i>Could it be that the grandmasters and Alzur can''t do anything else because they''re at a critical point? And they have another shard, probably. That''s why Idarran isn''t using the red light on us.</i>


    "You must''ve had enough of killing monsters. Have something else for a change," Idarran mocked.


    Roy pulled a trigger, and a bolt flew ahead, but it didn''t hit anything. It melted away after leaving a little ripple behind, and then gusts of icy winds blew across the battlefield.


    A great sense of danger hit Roy. He crouched and held his left hand up, covering himself and hisrades in Heliotrop. Coral and Kalkstein crossed their arms, casting their spells. A magical storm howled around them. The witchers held up their swords, ready to battle.


    However, there were no mutants at all. Silence fell upon them. Only a fluorescent nt was swaying, as if it were shaking its head and sighing at the group.


    <i>What''s that supposed to mean?</i>


    And then, all of a sudden, the eldest Wolf grunted. He clutched his neck and fell back to the ground, his weapon falling away. Vesemir curled up like a cooked shrimp. His face was red, his head was drenched in sweat, and his wrinkles curled up like wriggling worms. The Wolf let out gurgles.


    "Vesemir!" Geralt held Vesemir up and quickly checked him. "What''s the matter?"


    Bloody rivulets of sweat started covering Vesemir''s face. His face was contorted in agony, and his eyes bulged.


    "You can''t die, mate. What are we supposed to tell Mignole if something happens to you?" Eskel quickly cast Axii at Vesemir to alleviate his pain, but it was of little use.


    "Say something, people! What''s wrong with him?"


    Vesemir''s condition was worsening at a blistering rate. Ten secondster, his limbs were starting to spasm. He held Geralt''s arm tightly, his nails biting into the White Wolf''s flesh. Coral touched his forehead. It was scalding, then she pulled back his bloated eyelids.


    "It''s not just fever and convulsions. There''s internal bleeding."


    Lambert whipped out a health potion and shoved it down Vesemir''s throat, but the old Wolf mped his mouth shut. Most of the health potion trickled down to the ground. It didn''t do anything to heal him.


    Vesemir was getting worse by the second. Rivulets of blood were oozing out of his skin. There was not an ounce of his usual humor or wit left on his face. There was only pain and seizures.


    Geralt took out the higher vampire decoction that was supposed to be reserved for emergencies only. Letho was holding an acorn in his hand.


    "It''s useless, you two." Kalkstein shook his head. "That''ll only give him five more minutes. We have to get to the root."


    "Idarran, you cowardly bastard! You corpse-desecrating pervert! Come down here and fight!" the impulsive Lambert roared into the darkness.


    "Oh, you lost your temper just like that? But you were always patient with the people''s requests," said the voice merrily.


    Roy cast Observe on Vesemir.


    ''Vesemir


    Age: 307 years old


    HP: 180/250 (Possessed, bleeding, asphyxiated, feverish¡­)''


    ***


    <i>Hm? He''s possessed? </i>"I know a way out. Let him go. Let me do this." Roy went down and held Vesemir''s shoulder. <i>Fear.</i> His eyes went red, and then a familiar scene yed out once more.


    Countless crimson tentacles came darting out of the voice, iling andshing out at Vesemir''s back.


    Vesemir froze, his pain and soul freezing up. At the same time, a vague human silhouette surrounded by ck smoke was forced out of Vesemir''s body. It was gaunt, its cheeks sunken, and it was in nothing but tatters.


    The soul was like an evil spirit. The moment it showed up, the tentacles wrapped it up and took it away. Into a bloody cocoon the spirit was turned. The tentacles held it up in the air, far away from Vesemir. The only thing revealed was the soul''s face. It had short, golden hair, a gaunt, contorted face, and eyes that had a gaze as icy as the winter wind. There was pain in those eyes.


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. A familiar feeling filled his heart. He had seen this spirit before.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 573: Salvation

    Within the bizarre, fluorescent garden, a translucent, screaming, evil spirit was held in the air by a sea of tentacles. The tentacles unleashed crimson beams, scorching the spirit like acid, and ck smoke billowed.


    The spirit''s face was contorted in pain, blinking like malfunctioningmps. Sometimes it would morph into an even more bizarre visage. The face had no mouth or nose, and its eyes were filled with cunning and evil, much like a demon.


    The witchers tried to attack it with their des and weapons. Their attacks engulfed it, and yet they passed through it, hitting nothing but air. This thing was untouchable, much like a phantom. Roy''s tentacles iled and tore away at the spirit, but it couldn''t destroy it.


    ''Spirit of repentance


    Age: ?


    Status: The fusion of datt and the grandmaster of gic modification, Ortn.''


    ***


    Roy paused for a moment. Ortn the sorcerer. The man who married someone in Hindarsfjall. He, in a bid to save his wife and child, turned his body into a cage and imprisoned an evil spirit called datt. From the crystal''s footage, Roy saw that he came seeking sanctuary from Idarran. He sought true destruction of his body, mind, and soul. <em>So how did he end up like this?</em>


    The effects of Fear came to an end. The tentacles slithered away like water going back into the sea. The evil spirit screeched and disappeared into the air, hiding somewhere.


    ***


    "How do you feel, Vesemir?"


    The tormented witcher took a deep breath, and his chest ballooned, then it fell back. "Damn it all. I never knew I made so many unforgivable mistakes." He looked at everyone andughed at himself, his wrinkles loosening up, but he was still drenched in sweat and shuddering from the experience. "My insides felt so guilty, they started destroying themselves."


    With a trembling hand, he wiped the blood off and grabbed the hand that was about to hold his teleportation crystal. "Things aren''t that desperate yet, Geralt. This is a minor injury. I can still hold on."


    Geralt sighed, and Lambert shook his head. "You''re acting tough, old man. Your legs are shaking like you just came out of messing with a woman for three days."


    "Then it''s all fine. I canst five days at least." Vesemir popped open a bottle of Swallow and gulped it down. Color returned to his face. He then pushed everyone''s hands away and stood up, wobbling a little. The veteran witcher worked his limbs, and his joints cracked.


    Everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief. Letho and Kiyan quickly circled theirrades. They gestured and chanted, then a circle made of specter dust and infused dust appeared on the ground, shining like a sacred shield, keeping the group safe.


    "Brilliant performance, but it''s not enough. The spirit is still around you, seeking its next target," the voice spoke.


    "You''re not bad yourself, controlling an evil spirit. Those are the deadliest and most mysterious beings. It felt a lot stronger than any hym," Kalkstein praised, stroking his beard, and he looked around.


    "And you exceeded my expectations." There was surprise and wariness in the voice. "A mere witcher, injuring a formless spirit. It''s one of my most prized creations."


    A pauseter, the voicemented, "That sh of light must''ve been the ability given to you by the shard, Roy. It''s just like a double-edged sword."


    Roy scanned the air beyond the circle, trying to catch the spirit''s trails, but it was formless and couldn''t be tracked. "Did your experiments kill off your humanity, Idarran? I thought you''d free Ortn of his misery and st him off with your red light, but you captured your best friend and turned him into a monster. You kept him caged in this sted form and bound him to his personal hell."


    "Hm?" From within the darkness that disgusted Roy, the voice said, "You know a lot, kid."


    Roy mocked, "The grandmasters and your mentor cleansed Mayena of its sins with the mes of the red light. They should''ve cleansed you too, you disgusting, perverted freak. Oh wait, don''t tell me the <em>justice </em>they seek is nothing but a mask?"


    "Silence! Do not insult my teacher! You know nothing!" The voice turned furious and adamant. "The highest honor for a grandmaster of gic modification is to be as one with their creation. All I did was grant Ortn his wish. And it''s two birds with one stone. His wish was granted, and his family is no longer disturbed. They can live their lives out as normal humans."


    "Bullshit," Auckes retorted sardonically.


    "Suit yourself. Now enjoy the show, fools. You shall pay for your choice."


    "Shut it, you pervert!" Coral roared in fury and pointed at the darkness in the depths of the garden. As she chanted her spell, the air started vibrating, and the scent of ozone rose.


    A burst of blinding lightning charged ahead into the darkness, then the witchers cast their Signs, colorful triangles shining in the air.


    Then the elements followed. Kalkstein extended his right arm, and a spherical bomb flew out of his sleeve.


    A short earthquaketer, the vines fell and withered. Fruits, bushes, and grass burst into smithereens. The walls were broken and cracked, oozing green blood. The roaring explosions, screaming winds, and blinding light crushed a part of the fluorescent, swaying nts, burning them into cinders.


    Like an attacked animal, the garden sucked the nts on its skin into its cavity, hiding them. Recing the nts were the walls'' inner skin, crimson and filled with fibrous wrinkles. Just like that, the dreamlike garden was turned into a bloody, fleshy hell. The witchers were like food trapped within a towering monster''s belly.


    A howl of agony echoed in the air, but not even an attack of this magnitude could affect Idarran. He harrumphed, and a surge of ck light came forth. The circle around the group burned brightly. A humanoid cloud of smoke appeared out of thin air. The spirit of repentance dragged its obsidian tail and crashed into the protective circle. A patch of red light shone as it came into contact with the barrier.


    The barrier was crushed. The creature hurtled past the des and mes, screaming as it pounced at Coral.


    Coral was horrified. She could feel doom closing in on her, and she quickly gestured with both hands. A wave of magical blue light burst forth from underneath her dress. It surrounded her, forming a blue shield.


    Someone acted faster, however. Roy stood before her. He took a deep breath and let out a shout.


    <em>Fus!</em>


    A violent air current rampaged ahead, an invisible ring of sound waves crushing the air. The gale billowed everyone''s hair and clothes.


    A screeching sonic boom coursed through the battlefield, and the spirit froze. A st of energy pierced it, keeping it still. The Shout tore the spirit in half and hurled it at the walls, but the two halves quickly merged back, and the spirit hissed in fear before it hid itself again. It was already like a small sliver of smoke before it left. One little gust of wind, and it might be gone. No longer was it as odious as before.


    The voice clicked its tongue. "I''ve underestimated you, Roy. That attack can destroy souls. Voice magic? That''s not something the shard could''ve given you. You gained a new power in your exile?"


    A bolt flew through the air, but vines shot up from the ground and drowned it.


    "Alright, that''s enough. At this rate, you''ll destroy a lot of my creations. I''ve run out of patience, so let''s end this."


    Something popped. Idarran seemed to have opened a bottle. The cork fell to the ground. At the edge of everyone''s vision, a red cloud of smoke started to beat like a heart. In the end, the smoke coalesced into something resembling a sphere, floating in the air.


    Roy felt his temples throbbing, and a suffocating sense of danger filled his heart. What happened in Cintra''s castle was going to repeat itself.


    "Look out!" He crushed the teleportation crystal and triggered its magic. Winds howled, and a portal appeared before him.


    "Silint (Silent)!" Idarran uttered a word. A simple Elder Speech phrase, but it was filled with incredible magic, as if the gods themselves were ordering the world to carry out their orders.


    All the elements in this battlefield were changed into the element of air. The witchers who bore their weapons, the sorcerers who controlled chaos energy, and even Roy were caught by the great surge of air. They stopped moving, but the looks on their faces were solemn. They couldn''t lift a finger, blink, or even breathe. The magical energy within them could not even flow.


    The portal disappeared. It was as if a gigantic hand had put a pause on the time in this garden. All the group could do was watch as the beating sphere finally showed its true form. It had a tilted head about six-feet big. The creature had no nose, but it had big eyes and a beak. Arcs of lightning danced within its ethereal, cloudy body.


    This was a djinn in its full form. The air elemental of the elemental nes, and it was open for wishes.


    ***


    The djinn floated in midair, twirling its blue-ck ws, spinning a web of air as it closed in on the group. Something was controlling it. There was fury and dismay in its eyes. There was a storm within its eyes, but it had to follow Idarran''s orders, so the djinn vented its fury on the humans before it.


    "Exblo, hed (Explode head)," Idaraan said cruelly.


    The djinn extended its ws at the group like a reaper taking away its victim.


    Everyone''s heart thumped. They turned red, and moans escaped their throats. Their cheeks bloated and ballooned. Blood seeped out of their pores, and their faces contorted.


    Then, three witchers'' heads exploded, blood, bones, and brains flying everywhere. They fell, their limbs twitching.


    ***


    Roy roared in rage, blood spilling out of his eyes, and a stream of crimson mes surged around him. A crimson tentacle tore the space behind him open and came wriggling out, iling in the air. Countless tentacles danced on the walls, and something shattered. Roy broke free of his bondage. His face was red, his veins contorted and bulging. Behind the crimson tentacle, a river filled with light appeared. It was the stars that shone brightly above. A river of stars. Every star represented a point in time.


    Roy''s Elder Blood raced within his veins, and the silver river flowed backward. Starlight shone upon the dead witchers. Like puppets pulled by strings, the bodies of the witchers, astoundingly, stood back up, but their arms were limp. The blood, flesh, bones flew back to the bodies, forming their skulls. In what felt like an eternity, the witchers'' heads were reformed. Three souls that gleamed with mysterious lights were chased back from the corners and returned to their rightful bodies.


    The witchers opened their eyes, but there was confusion in them. This change, althoughplicated, happened in less than a fraction of a second.


    ***


    Idarran couldn''t make his third wish in time.


    ***


    <em>Fear. </em>Crimson light danced around Roy. The dancing tentacles appeared in the air, wrapping up the spirit before it could attack. They pulled on the spirit and tore it. Then they did it again. After the third tear, the spirit couldn''t stay corporeal anymore. It was torn into little pieces and scattered across the air. The tentacles'' suckers wolfed down the spirit''s shards, gobbling them up.


    A man in his forties in a grey, schrly robe appeared in the air behind them. He had short, gold hair, and his eyes twinkled with wisdom. A well-kept mustache surrounded the man''s lips. He looked like a gentlemanly professor from afar. The man bowed deeply at Roy. There was relief in his eyes.


    And Ortn''s soul was no more.


    ''Spirit of repentance engulfed. +1000 EXP. Level 13 Witcher (19000/14500).''


    ***


    The hidden Idarran couldn''t bask in the awe of Roy reviving the dead and killing the evil spirit all at once. He quickly shot his third word at the bound witchers.


    "Ver (Shapeshift)!"


    As soon as he finished uttering the word, the djinn swiped its ws at the group once more, and magic boiled in the air.


    A bolt hurtled across the battlefield. Roy teleported toward the djinn. It felt like he''d entered a field filled with storms. The young witcher brought Aerondight down and sent a crimson energy beam ahead.


    The witcher''s interference stopped the djinn''s casting, and it quickly defended itself. A web of lightning bolts burst forth from its ethereal form and cut down the energy beam, then it covered the witcher.


    Electricity sizzled. Heliotrop absorbed some of the lightning, but most charged into Roy''s body, and his hair stood on end. His face was charred from the attack, but there was still determination in his eyes.


    <em>Activate.</em>


    A wave of magical energy healed his charred body back to its best form. Roy''s Elder Blood raged once more, and a gash tore the air open. A diamond-shaped Worldgate appeared behind the djinn.


    Roy swung his de. A ck dragon appeared behind the witcher, ring at the djinn. As Roy swung his de, the dragon swiped its w away at the djinn and smacked it.


    Winds howled. The air was screaming from the force of the attack. Even the djinn, that was immune to most physical attacks, floated backward and entered the Worldgate.


    The ghost of itsst lightning bolt flickered in the air and faded along with it.


    The witchers and sorcerers trembled, then they heaved a collective sigh of relief. They''d regained their freedom.


    "Where''s my third wish? What''d you do to the djinn, kid?" Idarran demanded furiously, shivering in rage. "Why can''t I sense it anymore? You''re all going to die!"


    The flesh-like chamber rumbled. The creature had awoken.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 574 - 574: No Way Out

    Chapter 574: No Way Out


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A hole opened up on the ground beneath them, and a bloody vine covered in leaves and hooks pounced at Roy. The witcher swung his de and sliced the vine in two. Green blood sttered everywhere. The limb wriggled like a tentacle, the mouth on its end biting and gnawing away at the air. Blood trickled out of the vine¡¯s mouth and burned through the ground.


    The witchers swung their des, while the sorcerers sent mes and crimson mist flying in every direction. The vines that wereing toward them howled in agony, then they fell with a sickening thud.


    Just when the group thought they would have respite, the rumbling ground started shimmying like the waves of a bloody sea. Pockets the size of a baby¡¯s mouth opened up on the flesh, and scores of vines slithered out of the holes. They wriggled in the air and merged into a bloody cloud. The vines were eventuallyrge enough to crush the group, and they plummeted like bloody meteorites. There was not a single empty space between the vines.


    The group had no escape, and they were engulfed, but then, two elliptical beating hearts appeared within the chamber, and for a moment, only the sound of beating hearts echoed in the air.


    Momentster, a crack opened in the heart, and a blinding sh of light poured forth. The gash became bigger and bigger. The uneven, fleshy heart started cracking like a porcin object, then a dragon of mes came roaring out of the hole.


    A stream of mes leapt forth from Coen¡¯s palms, escaping its prison. The charred, shattered vinesy dead beneath his feet like remnants of a carcass.


    The witchers held up their des, shielding themselves with Quen. The sorcerers cast their protective spells, conjuring an imprable barrier, and they escaped their prison.


    Into the depths of the chamber they went, and a bolt flew through the air. A small hole pierced through the other heart, then the bolt flew to the other side of this bloody prison. Countless thorny vinesshed out at the air, iling away like tentacles.


    Roy appeared out of nowhere, holding a longsword in his hand. The ck cloak behind him billowed like the wings of a bird, and he charged ahead. His sword danced around him, slicing and dicing the vines up into little pieces. Underneath the young witcher, a river made of green blood formed.


    ***


    Roy traveled across the ground of carcasses and broke through all obstacles. He came to the other side, and there was something in his way. Something gigantic and connected to the ground.


    ***


    The thing resembled an alder tree that had been split many times. Its rough bark had turned into something fleshy, just like this chamber. Luminescent lights flowed through the tree¡¯s trunk, and its umbre-like branches were not unlike wriggling veins connected to the ground and ceiling.


    On the end of the tree¡¯s branches were fluorescent mushrooms that expanded and contracted. There were also leaves that were shaped like and were as sharp as daggers. Roy sighted crimson fruits as well. A contorted face belonging to a human protruded between the leaves and trunk. The face was made out of branches and leaves. Roy could see its features. A colorful beard shot out of its chin, and its eyes were made out of fluorescent mushrooms. The slit between two groups of branches formed a sneer.


    Roy could vaguely make this out to be an erged version of Idarran. He was staring at Roy with his luminescent eyes, and his gaze was filled with cunning and murder.


    ¡®Mutated treant


    Status: A fusion between Idarran and fluorescent nts.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re mad. You turned yourself into a monster.¡±


    A ck bolt charged toward the monstrous face, but a wall of vines shot up from the ground and stopped it. The bolt pierced the firstyer, but then a second wall stopped it, then a third, then it disappeared.


    The mutated treantughed from behind the walls of nts, and the ground underneath shook as itughed. The monstershed one of its branches at the witcher, and its leaves spun. They flew off the branch and charged at Roy like howling winds.


    Roy shoved a blue Sign before him, and it shone brightly. Aard destroyed half of the leaves, but the other half hit the witcher and cut through Quen easily. They left marks on the dragonscale armor. Roy held up his arms to protect his head, and the leaves left marks on his vambraces too. One of the leaves sliced through the back of Roy¡¯s hand and carved a bit of flesh off him.


    Roy couldn¡¯t find any openings to fight back.


    ***


    ¡°What a monster.¡± The witchers charged through the attacking vines and came to Roy¡¯s side, then they toounched the offensive. sts of magic and glints of silver cut through the air. They were quick, deadly, and urate, but Idarran was up to his old tricks again.


    The sea of vines shot up from the ground, slithered down from the ceiling, and came at them from every direction. They were at a stalemate. Auckes let out a roar of fury as he cut away the vines trying to tie his legs. Kalkstein shouted in excitement as he shot energy arrow after energy arrow at the vines. One was caught by a purple arrow, and it was turned into a fireball. The vine shrank back into the bloody sea, and itspanions wriggled, dousing the mes.


    Coral¡¯s dress fluttered, her hair billowing, and she sent off blue sts in a ring around her like a winter goddess. The frozen vines were crushed by their own swarm, shattered into pieces of ice, then more vines took their ce.


    ***


    Roy swung Aerondight in a horizontal line, and the winds howled. A crimson energy beam sliced many vines in two, but more took their ce. They seemed to be endless. Every time they cut down one, two took its ce.


    The witcher¡¯s de could cut through steel easily. His bolts could pierce through steel boards and dragon hide without a problem, and yet he was confined to a small circle by these vines, unable to make progress. These vines were unafraid of pain and death, and fire did not sway them. Instead, it only served to enrage Idarran further. He set more vines on the group.


    ¡°We¡¯re on his turf! Don¡¯t try to get into a war of attrition!¡± Coral hurled a st of blue light and crushed the frozen vines around her, then she sidled up to Roy.


    ¡°Focus all your strength on one spot. Show him what you got.¡± Vesemir pirouetted, spinning his de around. He cut off a circle of vines and crushed them with his left foot. Green blood sttered everywhere. ¡°Send him crying to his mama.¡±


    The group worked like a well-oiled machine. Letho, Coen, and Geralt kept their barriers up, securing their perimeter as they cut away at the vines. Everyone else was hurling everything they had at the center of the wriggling wall of vines. Chaos energy surged violently in the air.


    Burning Igni, surging Aard, purple electric bolts, and blue frost roared across the air. Green blood drenched the air, broken limbs flew, and leaves jumped. A big, smoking hole was bored through the green wall. Through the hole, the group could see half of Idarran¡¯s monstrous face. Its brows were furrowed, its face wincing in pain.


    Fungi strings grew from the edges of the hole, quickly wriggling closer to each other as they tried to patch the hole up.


    A bolt flew through the air, a sorceress cast her spell, and someone tossed specially-made bombs into the hole. A burst of me followed quickly and ignited the dangerous metallic contraption.


    ***


    Everything stopped for a moment, then a great river of mes roared. The sea of nts and bushes exploded and sttered the group with their blood, but the barriers deflected the attack.


    ***


    The group¡¯s attack worked. Severely hit, the treant felt great pain, and green tears spilled from its eyes. It let out a shrill roar, and for a moment, it was as if a million souls were howling in agony and sadness at the same time. Their howls could puncture anyone¡¯s eardrums.


    The group put their hands to their ears, but their faces were still contorting in pain. The ground felt like a raging sea in a storm, crashing and roaring as if it wished to kill.


    Then, the ground copsed. A gaping maw opened up, and a ground of green liquid glinted underneath.


    A bolt flew through the air, and Roy blinked away from the ground. He held his de, its edge pointed at Idarran, but then a sea of green walls stopped him once more. Coral and Kalkstein stepped off the air and hovered.


    They barely escaped the maw, but the other witchers fell into the green abyss, and the maw closed up. Sizzling sounds rang through the air.


    Roy held Aerondight tightly with both hands and somersaulted. With the momentum, the young witcher sent an energy beam flying at the ground. A bloody gash opened up, but it healed up right away.


    The sorcerers were quickly handling the iing sea of vines, all the while bombarding the ground with fire, trying to save the engulfed witchers, but it was for naught. Every time they made a hole in the ground, it would heal up right away. It almost seemed like the ground could heal infinitely.


    The mutated treant shook its branches again, and hundreds of fruits fell. The fruits quickly leapt back up the moment they touched the ground, morphing into red, agile, and deadpan soldiers. These soldiers were armed with leaves, and they melted into the ground underneath. A bulge appeared on the ground and pounced at the remaining fighters. Along with it was a sea of vinesshing out at Roy and the sorcerers like a boa constrictor.


    Roy had a solemn look on his face. He held his sword in one hand and cast a golden rune in the other, then the light of Quen covered him. The witcher took a deep breath.


    And then the core of the world trembled.


    The temperature went up by a hundred degrees. An unstoppable surge of strengthtore through the wriggling ground. A gash opened up, and the light of mes danced as scorchingva poured forth from the gash.


    The endlessly healing ground and nts fell into ruins from the destruction of the heat. They were charred and vaporized, filling the air with their rancid stench. Everything around them started to wilt and melt.


    mes soared, and sharp sulfur flowed. Smoke rose into the air.


    The chamber looked like a small volcano waking up from its slumber and erupting for the first time. Roy made a gesture, and a dragon made ofva rolled through the ground, burning everything in its way. It had eyes for the mutated treant only.


    Screams rose into the air as the fruit soldiers quickly leapt out of the scorching ground, then they melted away in theva. The chamber was destroyed without mercy from the sudden onught of the world¡¯s core¡¯s magma.


    Even Idarran, who¡¯d changed into a tree, was heavily injured by the attack. Its luminescent trunk was starting to crack like it was ss. The creature felt an impending sense of dooming for it. It screamed and pulled itself out of the ground. A pair of legs covered in fluorescent burls were pulled out of the ground, and the monster fled backward.


    The monster had cut itself off from the ground beneath it and everything around it. Without the lynchpin around, the fleshy walls turned around once more, revealing a sea of fluorescent bushes.


    The vines¡¯ attack was slowing down considerably, and the ground lost its source of healing.


    Roy kept teleporting, swinging his de away at the green walls and slicing down the fruit soldiers trying to tear down his armor and gnaw on his flesh. He went after Idarran like an unstoppable force of nature.


    After their relentless bombardment, Coral and Kalkstein finally destroyed the ground beneath them, revealing a sixteen-foot wide gash. They could see a few silhouettes floating on the corrosiveke in the abyss. Light flickered on their tattered sleeves, and dozens of ropes rained into the gash. The sorcerers made a gesture and pulled the ropes up with magic.


    The witchers came back to the ground, but they were breathing heavily, lying down to catch their breath, and they looked like hell.


    It¡¯d only been less than a minute since they fell into theke, but most of their clothes were gone, and their leather armor was nothing but a thinyer of fabric. The metal and alloy they had were gleaming like they¡¯d been polished. Only the dragonscales that protected their vitals remained intact.


    Pieces of rotten flesh hung from their bones. Holes and craters bore themselves through the witchers¡¯ bodies. Their muscles and veins were visible, and in some parts, the bones could be seen. All their hair was gone, including their beards and eyebrows, but under the influence of a powerful decoction, the wounds and rotten flesh were healing up at a blistering speed, leaving not even a single scar behind.


    Ten seconds after leaving theke, the witchers¡¯ wounds were all healed up.


    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± Kalkstein was a little nervous, but he was concerned and curious.


    ¡°This higher vampire decoction is marvelous. Felt like I got sliced up and mashed up again.¡± Lambert turned around and looked at Geralt. The White Wolf had no beard, and his stress lines were crossed with the ck vines on his face. ¡°And you look like a pervert, Geralt.¡± Geralt¡¯s scar was gone too. ¡°And you¡¯re hideous.¡±


    Geralt looked at the hairless Lambert¡¯s head and rubbed his hairless head as well. He mocked, ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about your hairline anymore, Lambert. You don¡¯t even have any hair.¡± The White Wolf¡¯s lips twitched. He could still feel the pain from being eaten up by acid. It was something he didn¡¯t want to go through again.


    ¡°I feel great. Never been better.¡± Kiyan looked at his nearly scarless hand, then he touched his smooth, supple cheeks. The witcher was so excited, he could cry. His whole body was eaten by the acid, but the decoction healed him back up. This ordeal was a blessing in disguise. The pain and horror and scars left by the inhumane experiments in his darkest days were gone. He had a regr face once more.


    Eskel observed the equally bald Vesemir andmented, ¡°You got younger, Vesemir. Less wrinkles. You look like you¡¯re in your forties. Does the decoction turn back your age too?¡± He grinned, and a pair of vampiric fangs were revealed.


    The witchers were surprised by theirpanions¡¯rgely different looks. Everyone lost their hair, but they¡¯d also lost their iconic scars. Their wrinkles lightened up too, and they looked ten years younger.


    It was a pity the decoction had extreme restrictions. They could only use it once a year, and only three times their whole lives. If they went past the limit, they would incur irrevocableplications.


    ¡°Now is not the time for jokes,ds. Get up. We have a score to settle with that tree.¡± Vesemir looked at his perfect and woundless hand. He quickly made a sign and toppled a fruit soldier that was attacking him. The old witcher stared into the distance, where a teleporting Roy was chasing after an oddly amusing running tree. ¡°I will cut him up to pieces and turn him into charcoal.¡±


    ***


    Idarran came to a stop before a ck stone door withplex engravings on it. He leaned his back on the door at the end of the corridor and breathed heavily, but his eyes were set on the lone figure charging straight at him.


    Roy sliced the iing fruits in halves. The soldiers spat out green blood and jamlike innards.


    The young witcher teleported once more and was five yards away from Idarran. He sliced the air and cut down all the vines. Idarran shook his branches again, and a storm of leaves came charging at the witcher.


    Roy did not dodge this time.


    Fus!


    The Bones of the Earth tore apart the storm of leaves, stopping its path of destruction. Idarran froze, as if he were thunderstruck. Crimson light bathed Roy, and the tentacles held Idarran up, wrapping him tightly. Only the trunk and his furious but downtrodden face were revealed.


    Roy looked at the creature, his gaze conflicted. If they hadn¡¯t prepared this much, almost all of the group would¡¯ve been taken out, save for him and a couple of others. Idarran wasn¡¯t a powerful sorcerer, but he was a cunning and tricky enemy.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you running anymore, Idarran?¡± A dimeritium chain wrapped itself around the treant. Roy pointed his sword at Idarran¡¯s eyes, less than an inch away. ¡°Tell me. Why aren¡¯t the grandmasters showing themselves?¡±


    Roy looked at the shut door behind Idarran, his eyes glinting. ¡°What secrets lie behind you?¡±

 Chapter 575: The Answer Lies Within

    A mysterious ouroboros was engraved on the ck door. A group of furious witchers surrounded a treant before it. The treant was tied up in circles of dimeritium chains, and its leaves, mushrooms, fruits, and gands had lost their vitality, hanging low.


    There was a sneer on the face of the treant. Idarran ignored Roy''s question. It was as if it were the victor here, despite being tied up.


    "Why aren''t you running anymore, you piece of rotten wood?" Lambert rubbed his bald forehead and swung his de around, then he cut off the treant''s arms. The branches fell with a thud, and green blood flew everywhere. The branches wriggled and writhed like vipers in their death throes, and then they fell silent.


    Idarran let out a gasp of pain, his eyes getting bloodshot, and he looked at the group manically.


    "What makes you think you can give us that look?" Auckes cast Igni and burned Idarran. The treant''s crown burned, and it writhed and howled like a crying baby. "When I was drowning in that acid pool, I swore you''d pay for it. That you¡¯d suffer ten times my pain."


    Idarran''s face contorted in pain, but there was still a sardonic smirk hanging from his lips.


    "Revenge can wait, people. Let''s sort things out first." Letho rubbed his head, his eyes glinting coldly. "You''re going to die, Idarran, but work with us, and you will have an easier death." Letho paused. "Or I''ll put you through something even more exciting than the Trial we had to go through."


    Idarran''s eyes rolled around, his green stubble quavering. "I have underestimated you. You have strength that rivals the grandmasters if you work together, but you have nothing in your heads." He looked coolly at the furious witchers. "A brawny fool will never change. You''re nothing but narrow-minded, shallow insects, forevermore caged in a boring, two-dimensional world. You can never feel the vibrance of a higher dimension."


    ***


    Kalkstein put his hands on his hips and cocked his eyebrow. "You seem to be very interested in body modification, and you spew a lot of shit. How about this? Turning yourself into a tree is boring. Why don''t I merge your head to a harpy''s butt? Then you''ll really be spewing shit all day like you want. It''ll be an improvement to your mouth too."


    Coral held a lock of hair between her fingers, her eyes burning with blue mes, as if she wanted to scorch Idarran''s trunk. "We''ll be nice. You <em>are </em>a good experimental subject. We have at least two thousand interesting experiments waiting for you. Acid isn''t even the entr¨¦e. You''ll be living a long life."


    Finally, fury and humiliation filled Idarran''s face. He gritted his teeth and averted his gaze, turning instead to his broken garden. The bushes and vines looked dead and beaten down. There was love and heartbreak in Idarran''s eyes.


    Roy had an idea. "Tell us the truth, or your precious garden gets turned into a sea of fire." He made a gesture, and a spark of fire danced between his fingers. The temperature rose a little. "We can find the answer after we get rid of you anyway."


    Idarran''s eyes went wide, and an animated look of fear flickered on its face, then he heaved a sigh of hatred.


    "Don''t test our patience." Eskel smacked Idarran''s crown with his de. "One more useless word from you, and I''ll cut off your arm."


    "What are the grandmasters and Alzur nning inside?" Roy asked. "To cleanse this world of its sins with the red light they developed through the shard of the Most High?"


    Everyone looked at the shut door behind Idarran.


    ***


    Idarran took a deep breath. "Promise me you won''t destroy the greenhouse, then I''ll tell you everything I know." He looked at Roy. There was madness, rage, and fury in his eyes, but there was also a hint of plea.


    Everyone exchanged a look.


    "You''re not included in that part of the deal," Roy said. "And what we do depends on how much you answer."


    "I gave up on escaping from the moment I was captured. Death is the end of life, but it is also another beginning. Make the oath, Roy. Promise you will not destroy this ce." Idarran looked at Roy calmly, without fear. "In the name of your precious honor of witchers. In the name of the shard residing within you."


    Roy mused over it and made the oath. Idarran closed his eyes and stayed silent. He gave up resistance and let go of his violent tendencies. The look on his face was serene, and his screeching voice turned into something more calm.


    "I must correct you on one point. The red light you said is called Cleansing me. It''s an extension of the shard. Unlike the soul-devouring tentacles you came up with, Roy, the me only cleanses those who have sin upon their shoulders."


    "What is the shard of the Most High?" Kalkstein interrupted.


    "The Most High presides over all dimensions. It controls the infinite branches and leaves of the world tree. That is what Alzur, the original owner of the shard said. I cannot exin further than that. I am unable to."


    ***


    "And why did you hide in the dark, dirty sewers for more than a century? Just to collect souls from different battlefields? Why?" Roy asked.


    "Simple. Souls are nutrients for the shard. It helps the shard grow. It makes the shardplete so it can awaken its true power. It is exactly the same process that happened to you. You should know that more than anyone." Idarran sighed, dismay appearing on his face. "If you hadn''t stolen one of the shards, our torment would''ve been over a few years ago, but we''re close to the end now."


    ***


    "Close to the end? The grandmasters and your mentor are in the final step?" Serrit guessed. "They''re going to use theplete shard and summon the Cleansing me like they did in Mayena? But this time, it''ll be one that can cleanse the whole world of its sins?"


    Everyone''s hearts skipped a beat, and they looked at Idarran. His answer, however, surprised everyone.


    "That is a pointless action. It''s simple. Even if we kill all the sinners in this world, it won''t change this world into a utopia. My mentor and the grandmasters have lived for more than a few hundred years. They are not that naive."


    Roy nodded. He didn''t think it was usible that they would cleanse the world. Alzur wasn''t that naive.


    "Even if we kill all the sinners, that does not turn back any tragedy that has happened," Idarran continued. There was mncholy in its voice, but its eyes were shining. "It is nigh impossible to rectify a wrong decision.


    "Get to the point, Idarran. Stop taking us in circles."


    The witchers were getting more uneasy by the minute.


    "Did the decoction fail to cure your stupidity, Lambert? It''s simple. They don''t want to cleanse the world," said Aiden.


    "Everything we''ve worked for, we did it toplete the shard and recreate the power of the Most High. To recreate a miracle. My mentor did not tell me the details, for I did not take part in the final process. I stayed behind as their protector."


    "Because you aren''t worthy enough?" Lambert mocked, rubbing his head.


    "I am satisfied with this world and myself. I do not need to make any changes to anything. I wouldn''t have taken part in this century-long operation if not for Alzur. If you wish to know the answer, if you wish to know the truth of the Most High, if you wish to know what the grandmasters and Alzur are going after, then go inside," Idarran said temptingly. His wriggling crown was brushing against the stone door behind him. "The answers are right in there, but be prepared. Observe and make your choice. Follow your heart."


    "Aren''t you worried I might ruin Alzur''s n?" Roy interrupted.


    "You are toote. His shard isplete, while yours is still not. The difference between you and him is staggering. You cannot change anything," said Idarran confidently.


    Three branches broke, and Serrit crushed a few crimson fruits underneath his feet. Idarran howled in pain.


    "I get it now. You''re saying all this just to trick us into entering that door. There''s Cleansing me behind that door, isn''t there? You''re trying to burn us to cinders."


    Idarran tensed up, his eyes roving over the people before him slowly. "I understand that most people in this world, everyone here included, are not innocent, but there''s not a sliver of the me within. In the name of thend underneath me, in the name of this beautiful greenhouse, and in the name of my sacred body, I swear. You have defeated me. Do you really want to give up at this point?"


    Geralt crossed his arms. He blurted, "If Idarran does have the Cleansing me, he wouldn''t use it on us."


    Idarran continued, "I see you as my enemy, but the Griffin, Viper, Wolf, and Alzur do not think so. They have never seen you as their enemy. They were adamant about not staying in touch or disturbing any of you. They would never set any traps for you."


    Everyone fell silent. They had conflicting feelings about the grandmasters.


    "Spare this ce, and I shall open this door for you. You shall have your horizons expanded. Alzur has, on more than one asion, emphasized that there is great danger beyond this door. Once you step inside, you cannot leave unless you reach the end. However, the riskes with its reward. You will have to seek that out yourselves, I''m afraid."


    Idarran''s crown that was leaning on the door was wobbling. Weakly, he extended a few branches and pressed down on the rings of the door. The ouroboros on the door sprang to life, spinning and turning slowly.


    The door shrank up and down, splitting in the center. Behind it was a grey, murky space draped in a thickyer of mist. The mist obscured everything, and anything beyond two yards was not visible to them."


    Roy''s temples throbbed. In this murkynd, he once again saw the vision he had. Four men with their backs turned to him, pacing around the edge of a cliff. Beneath them was an abyss, while the skies were covered in a crimson shade, the sun hanging high above.


    ***


    "You can''t be thinking about going in, Roy." Aiden rubbed his chin and patted Roy''s shoulder.


    Coral looked at Roy and shook her head.


    Roy took a deep breath and looked at everyone. "Something tells me that the answer is inside. We lose this chance, and we''ll never find the truth."


    Coen took a step ahead and stopped beside the tree. "End is inside. I must see him. For Keldar, for Jerome, and for myself."


    "What if something happens to you? What will happen to Igsena?" Eskel held his arm.


    "Take care of her in my stead, brother."


    Eskel was speechless.


    Letho took a step ahead. Adamantly, he said, "We shouldn''t let Ivar wait."


    "I''d like to spar with Arnaghad." Felix held his de and approached the door. He extended his hand and touched the swirling mist.


    "Elgar will need someone to talk to." A hint of reminiscence flickered on Vesemir''s face.


    "Count me in, then." Lambert sighed and walked up to Vesemir.


    "Get back, Lambert." Serrit pulled Lambert back. "One representative from each school. Everyone else stays here."


    "Hey, not fair. Letho and Roy are both Vipers."


    "Are you dumb? Roy''s obviously an exception."


    "Alright, shut it. We''ll do it this way. I, Letho, Vesemir, Felix, and Coen will be going in. Everyone else, stay back and deal with Idarran," said Roy. He then turned around and held Coral''s icy hand, then he patted her head with his right hand and touched her forehead with his. He stared into her eyes. "I promise I''lle back in one piece."


    "I know." Coral grinned toothily. The light of trust twinkled in her eyes. Roy had never let her down before.


    "What are you doing? This isn''t farewell." Auckes pped his hands and got everyone''s attention. He grinned. "We had our heads sted and our flesh eaten, but we still came back. It''ll be the same this time."


    He grabbed Roy''s shoulder and shook it. "We leave them in your hands, captain. Bring all of them back, or else."


    ***


    The five witchers eventually disappeared into the mist, and the branch pulled back from the ouroboros. The door rumbled and was sealed shut, the rings in the middle interlocking with each other, and then it was done.


    Auckes, Lambert, and Coral red at Idarran, raring to go.


    "Told you I''d cut you up and make you into charcoal."


    There was no fear on Idarran''s face; only the fanaticism and determination of a martyr. "Dying in a body I changed. My soul shall be forever with my proudest creation. Come. Release me, but do not forget your promise."


    The witchers unsheathed their des.


    "We can kill it off once theye back, people." Kalkstein smiled at Idarran with passion. "Idarran, for thest time, I shall address you as grandmaster. Now, let us talk about your research. I am very much interested in the sea of knowledge you possess as well as the tomes you have collected. It would be a shame if you were to die just like this, so why not be generous for once before you die and contribute to the world of magical academia?"


    ***


    The mist brushed against Roy''s skin. It felt like a stream of icy water. The door behind him crashed, and momentster, he was separated from hisrades, even though they held hands when they came in. Onepse in concentration, and there was only endless white mist around him. Even with his great eyesight, he could only see two to three yards around him. His witcher senses couldn''t pick up any ribbons, as though it had malfunctioned.


    "Letho! Vesemir!" Roy shouted, but his voice didn''t travel far before the wandering mist swallowed it up. For some reason, he couldn''t hear any echoes.


    Roy lost his direction in the roiling mist. He wandered around as his instinct told him to. Perhaps an eternityter, an inexplicable sense of disorientation filled Roy''s heart. Five balls of light shone in the mist ahead, with only a bit of distance between each of them.


    They were like lighthouses in a misty sea. The balls of light had different intensities. Roy shouted a few times, but he gained no answer. Following his instinct, he made his way toward the biggest and brightest lighthouse.


    At the same time, Letho, Vesemir, Felix, and Coen picked their own lighthouse to approach.


    ***


    The moment Roy made his choice, the mist around him pulled back for some reason. The young witcher found himself within a garden of blooming flowers. The sun shone in the sky, its golden light warming thend underneath.


    <em>What is this ce? I was in the mist beyond the door in the sewers. How''d I get back outdoors? Is this an illusion? </em>Roy tried to circte his mana through his body, and it ran well. He took a deep breath and caught the scent of flowers. A gust of breeze kissed his lips, and the sun gave him a healthy red tint.


    If this was an illusion, then the creator must be a god. Then he heard roarsing from a rose patch.


    "You son of a whore!" a childlike yet fierce voice shouted.


    Roy turned his attention to the direction of the voice. Three children no older than twelve surrounded the flower patch. Some were in beautiful suits made of silk, and their hair was primly cut. There was also a girl wearing a frilly dress and hair clip. She looked like a princess, but all of them were pointing at a deadpan boy, cursing at him.


    "You lowborn!"


    "You lowly, hideous creature."


    Roy slowly approached the children.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 576: The Beginning of Everything (1)

    <h4>Chapter 576: The Beginning of Everything (1)</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 576: The Beginning of Everything (1)</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    In the sunlit garden, three noble children were pushing a young boy around. The boy was gaunt, and had curly, bushy hair. His eyes were brown, and his nose was aquiline. He was handsome and dressed in equally beautiful clothes. Perhaps he was rted to his tormentors.


    The boy''s face was covered in red marks. He sat on the ground, dejected and downcast as he let his tormentors have their way with him. The boy would look up at times only to endure the humiliation further.


    A freckled, pudgy boy with a nose pointing high up into the sky grabbed his victim''s chin until it turned red. "Look at you. Not even your mother could stand your hideous face. She tossed you away likemon trash."


    "You''re not a part of the House of Burns." An arrogant boy with a chin as sharp as the point of an awl kicked his victim''s back, leaving a ck shoe print on his white suit. "Your mother''s a slut who''d sleep with anyone. You''re just a little bastard she had with a ghoul. Your father''s not in our house. You have no right to leech off us. Do not try to gain our aunties'' sympathy again."


    "You uncouth, uneducated, beastly lowborn." The girl in a frilly princess dress jabbed her nails into her victim''s chest, as if trying to stab his heart. "I shall exile you eventually. You should''ve stayed in the slums and begged for money."


    Then the girl felt someone pulling on her ponytail. She puffed her cheeks and whirled around, but the first thing she saw were dancing fingers pulling a string of purple electric bolts. The boys then fell for the same spell as well. Their eyes reflected the Sign of Axii, and their faces went limp.


    Something eerie yet oddly hrious happened after that. Like puppets, the little tormentors stood in a circle, pping each other as they counted numbers aloud.


    "W-Who are you?" The boy, released from his nightmare, found a cloaked silhouette looming over him. The silhouette was slender and had twin swords strapped to its back. Its eyes were silvery-gray like stars in the skies. He was lost in those eyes.


    "I''m just a traveler who''s lost my way. You may call me Roy." The witcher went down and pulled the boy up, then he dusted the soil off the boy''s back. "What is your name, boy?"


    "K-Kasss Burns." The boy curled up like a scared hedgehog. He was nervous, fidgeting, and he had no idea where to put his hands. He slowly observed the mysterious guest. The sun shone from behind the boy, illuminating Roy''s face. The witcher''s face shone like the sun itself. Kasis was captivated by the ivory swords strapped behind Roy''s back.


    "Pardon me, Kasis, but what is this ce, and what''s the date now?"


    "Huh?" The boy ruffled his hair and quickly answered, "We''re in Maribor. It''s Birke of 913 now."


    Roy froze for a moment. <i>So this is more than 350 years ago? The mist took me to Maribor as it was, or is this just an illusion?</i>


    "What happened to Orik and his friends?" Kasis looked at the kids who were still pping one another, and he was worried.


    Roy shook his head. "Those who oppress the weak should be punished, but don''t worry. They''re going to end up with nothing but swollen faces for a few days. Speaking of which, don''t you hate them?"


    "They are ignorant. Just a few spoiled children. I bear no ill will toward them. Besides, I should be going through some trials anyway."


    "What kind of trials?"


    Kasis'' eyes went wide, and with anticipation, he asked, "Are you a knight, Roy? Here to save me and punish the wicked?"


    "You may think so." Roy didn''t lie. He was a legitimate knight of Lake Vizima. The Lady of the Lake appointed him so.


    "But why do you carry two swords? That''s not how the stories go."


    "One punishes the wicked who have sinned. One punishes the monsters who have ravaged this world."


    Kasis'' eyes sparkled. He looked at the witcher in reverence.


    "You seem to worship knights a lot."


    "I don''t have any interests or friends. I like reading stories about knights, and I vow to be one someday." The boy was a fanatic of knights. He put his dirty hand into his shirt''s pocket and took out a grey, leather journal. The journal''s cover had something written in northernmon speech. It read, ''Virtue''s Guide, by Sir Matteo.'' The boy showed it to Roy like it was his most prized possession.


    Roy''s lips twitched. He was reminded of Grimm, who would talk about the knight''s creed all day, every day. The witcher took the book and flipped a few pages. This book must''ve been read many times. The spine of the book and the pages'' corners were all battered. Every page had a lot of notes written on it, but the book was well-kept.


    Kasis grinned, revealing some empty spaces. Even though he''d just been tormented moments ago, the boy had a genuine smile. Excited and happy, he said, "The book says that knights wander through cities and the outskirts, destroying evil and helping the weak wherever they go. They pass through trials to prove their valor to the people. Are you going through the same trials, Roy?"


    "In a way, this does feel like a trial," Roy said knowingly.


    "C-Can you give me some g-guidance, then?" Kasis held his book with both hands. He looked at Roy earnestly. "I want to be a true knight."


    "Even after the insults they hurled at you and the abuse they dished out, you''re still going to be a knight who''d help the people?" Roy asked curiously. He couldn''t understand this. The boy was abandoned by his mother, neglected by his possible fathers, and abused by his cousins, and yet he had a dream that shone brightly.


    "Because once I be a knight, everyone will acknowledge me," said Kasis with determination. There was longing in his eyes. "No matter where knights go, they''re weed, loved, and respected." He looked at the tormentors who were still pping one another. He then spoke, but his voice broke. "If I be a knight, they''ll never look at me like I''m scum again. Nor will they torment me."


    .


    <i>He wants to be a knight to prove his worth, huh?</i>


    And then, the rims of Kasis'' eyes went red. He clenched his fists. "And I¡­ I can protect those who are like me. Those who need to be protected. Those who are insulted because of misunderstandings."


    "Impressive." Roy gazed at Kasis, and the boy met his eyes.


    "Reading alone won''t make you a knight. You have to train your body." Roy pinched the boy''s arm. It wasn''t much bigger than a twig. "You''d be blown off your feet by a gust of wind. How do you suppose you can take on any evil if you don''t grow stronger? And you must fight back whenever someone tries to torment you. You''re not supposed to take the abuse quietly."


    "Can you train me, then? I promise I''ll train every day." Determination red in Kasis'' eyes. "Until the day my triales."


    "Are you sure? Wait, you actually have a better choi¡ª"


    And the world around Roy changed. The mist came surging back, flooding this beautiful garden and the determined boy before him. Once again, the world was plunged into gray.


    Roy sighed, but his mind was running fast. <i>If that was all an illusion, then it was almost too lifelike. What kind of illusion allows the invader to speak with its inhabitants?</i>


    Idarran''s message still rang in his head. <i>The answer lies at the end.</i> Roy moved deeper into the mist. As he thought, the lighthouse appeared once more, its light prating the darkness. The light guided Roy, but this time, there was only one lighthouse. He had no other choice.


    ***


    The sky was overcast. Chilly winds hurtled down a narrow alleyway beyond the bustling city. A well-builtd with short, curly hair wearing a knightly shirt stood in the way of three portly, pudgy thuds.


    "Give back all the protection coins you took." Thed was holding a wooden bat. There was righteousness in his eyes, and it twinkled with sanctity. There was unyielding determination in his voice, and he said, "The people have paid their trade tax. You have no right or reason to mandate any extra payment."


    The bald guy in the center clenched his fists impatiently. "The Burns bastard again. Haven''t you had enough of ying house? We only spared you because of your family. Do you really think we''re easy prey?" He flexed his biceps which were twice as big as thed''s, then he grinned toothily. "Kasis Burns. You''re seeking death once more, and I''ll grant you your wish."


    A hook-nosed man with a green bandana beside the bald guy asked, "So he''s the greenhorn?" He was new here.


    "Yes. Self-proimed apprentice knight. The oaf that''s been raising hell in the city area." A dark-skinned man mocked, "It''s only been two years, and I''ve already seen him unconscious in the streets and ditches more than ten times. Every single time, he was covered in blood. All because he wouldn''t mind his own business." The dark-skinned man clicked his tongue. "Beaten up more than a few dozen times, but he was never deterred. Got more excited too."


    "Are you born an idiot, or are you just a masochist?" The bald thug whipped out a wooden bat as long as a table''s leg from behind, then he tapped his palm with it as he approached Kasis. "Use your head and look around. No one needs you to uphold a joke like justice here. You can help them, but they''ll never thank you. Everyone isughing at you. Your cousins, your uncles, your aunts¡­ Everyone''sughing at you behind your back, and do you know why? Because every time you do something stupid, everyone in the inn gets new gossip to talk about. You embarrass them. Do you know what the bards say about you? ''The oaf of the Burns, neglected by his father, but taken in like a stray dog just in case he''s their pup¡¯," the bald thug mocked. "You could''ve just lived your life in peace with the family, but you just had to be a respected knight.


    The dark-skinned man persuaded, "Even if you want to be a knight, you should be spending your time training how to fight with a sword and ride on a horse, not running around town poking your nose in businesses that aren''t yours."


    The hook-nosed man asked curiously, "Is it worth sacrificing yourself like a fool for people who won''t care what you have done for them?"


    Kasis refused to budge. He took a deep breath and retorted, "A knight isn''t determined by their swordsmanship or skills on horseback. It is their valor. They do not acknowledge me because I have not done enough. I have not done nearly good enough. It doesn''t matter who someone is. They can be a knight as long as they have enough faith."


    Kasis'' face was glowing. As if encouraging himself, he raised his voice, "Pain is but destiny''s trial. The people I helped went on to live better lives, and one acknowledged me. That is why I do what a knight does."


    A beautiful face appeared in his mind. There was a look of gratitude in her eyes, and her ck hair billowed behind her. "You are but regr people working hard for survival, but you''ve taken the wrong path. Crime will never bring true happiness." A genuine and earnest look shone in Kasis'' eyes. A clear voice of justice echoed in the alleyway. "Return the riches you have pilfered, and I shall do my best to bring you back to the right path. In the name of a knight apprentice, I, Kasis Burns, swear."


    "I''ve had enough of this! Damn your valor! Kill him!"


    The thugs charged ahead, swinging their bats. Silhouettes crossed and shed. Dull thuds and grunts rang out in the air, and sweat rained on the squalid ground. In their first contact, Kasis managed to break the hook-nosed man''s leg, thanks to his experience in battle and relentless training in swordy, and he managed to dodge the thugs'' attacks.


    s, thed hadn''t fully grown up, nor had he received any formal training. He couldn''tst when he was outnumbered. They shed again, but this time, thed''s right arm was hit, and then someone kicked him in the belly.


    The pain made him stop, then the tanned, tattooed man mmed his bat into Kasis'' face.


    Blood trickled down Kasis'' forehead and turned his world red. He fell headfirst into the ground like a falling kite. But then, an invisible chain broke, and a surge of scorching heat charged along his veins.


    The bald thug flexed his muscles, holding his bat tightly. He swung his weapon down on Kasis'' head.


    Something buzzed. A sh of white light arced through the air. Like a stream of wind, a bolt bored a hole through the bald thug''s arm, and the impact sted his forearm away. Chunks of bones and flesh rained.


    Before Roy could teleport closer, a roaring stream of mes appeared on the walls of the alleyway. The fire licked the walls, ground, and it eventually surrounded the thugs. Burned by mes, the thugs rolled on the ground, howling in agony. s, it did nothing to soothe their pain. The magical fire stuck to them like goo.


    Like a sun, the fallen Kasis spread a sea of light and heat. The fire filled up the alleyway, and the light surged higher than the walls, piercing a hole through the overcast sky.


    Momentster, the mes shrank into Kasis, whose clothes were already burned. The young many in the alleyway, naked. Not far before him, a row of three charred objects could be seen. They vaguely resembled humans.


    ***


    "Kasis wants to be a knight, but he''s a powerful and untrained Source." Roy stared at the bastard of the House of Burns. He had grown into ad. Roy''s eyes went vacant. For some reason, he was caught in a stupor.


    Footsteps came from the alleyway''s entrance. A beautiful girl with a ponytail and a herb basket came running into the alleyway. She looked at the fallen Kasis, and she nched. The girl shouted for help while she held him in her arms, nervously checking on him. She almost looked like a girl in love checking on her lover.


    The mist came back once more. It cut off all light, but this time, it onlysted for moments. An ancient, stern voice spoke through the disappearing mist.


    ***


    "Do you know why your aunts and uncles hired me, Kasis?"


    "Because I have chaos energy within me. They''re worried I can''t control this evil power and might hurt someone."


    "Correction. Chaos energy does not have any distinction between good and evil. What it does, whether good or evil, depends entirely on the ones who control it."


    The mist had fully disappeared. Roy found himself standing within a quiet garden. An old man in a blue sorcerer''s robe was standing in the pavilion in the garden''s center, talking to a summery young man.


    "I want to be a knight. A knight that the people acknowledge. I''ve trained for seven years myself, and I do not want to give up halfway through."


    The old man had a wide forehead and eyes that twinkled with wisdom. He stroked his snow-white beard and smiled with approval. "You have a great talent for magic. Top talent, I''d wager, and you have a pure heart. Do not worry. The arcane arts do not sh with your ideals. During the First Landing, our ancestors sailed the seas and came to this continent. It was then they first discovered and utilized magic. The first thing they did with it was make watere out of a nearby boulder and they saved countless dehydrated sailors. Magic was found to save and educate the people."


    "You mean I can be a magical knight who can save the world if I learn from you?"


    "If you master the arcane arts, not only can you uphold justice and punish crimes like a knight, but you can alsoe up with a solution to the greatest threat to humanity: the monsters born from the Conjunction of the Spheres."


    "What''s the Conjunction of the Spheres?"


    "You will know in time."


    "Can I bring someone along?" Thed was thinking about the girl with the herb basket. The one who had long, flowing hair, and a beautiful face. She was the only one who acknowledged him.


    "Of course, but to make things very clear, fewer than one in ten thousand possess the talent to control chaos energy. Do not feel disappointed if she cannot learn the arcane arts."


    "Then I am willing to learn from you." Kasis took a few steps back and bowed to the old man.


    "Kasis Burns, once you begin your education in the arcane arts, you must cut off your past."


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "You must have a new name. One the world of magical academia knows you as." The old man paused for a moment, and he stared into Kasis'' face. "How does Alzur sound?"


    Kasis clenched his fists. With a determined look on his face, he said clearly, "Very well, Cosimo. From today onward, my name shall be Alzur."


    Roy emerged from the mist. What he saw earlier disoriented him strongly. The scene did not disappear this time, so the young witcher quickly made his way to the creators of witchers in this imprint of history.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 577: The Beginning of Everything (2)

    <h4>Chapter 577: The Beginning of Everything (2)</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 577: The Beginning of Everything (2)</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Roy looked at the creators, who''d just reached an agreement.


    ''Kasis Burns/Alzur


    Age: 14 years old.''


    ***


    ''Cosimo Mspina


    Age: 180 years old


    Status: Grandmaster alchemist, sorcerer.''


    ***


    The legendary creators were right in front of him. He could touch them. Their hair, their breathing, their slight odor, their billowing hair, and even the chaos energying from them all felt so real. It was as if this were the real world. <i>Is this really an illusion?</i>


    The robed sorcerer in the pavilion turned around, staring at the uninvited guest. "And who might you be?"


    The young Alzur was shocked. He did not realize that someone was standing with him.


    "I apologize. I didn''t mean to interrupt." Roy bowed a little and looked at Alzur. "I only wished to say hello. We have met before, in the garden of the House of Burns." Roy brought up the case of Alzur''s torment back in the garden.


    Cosimo looked at his new student curiously. Alzur opened his mouth, his hands rubbing the rough stone pir. The young Alzur stared at Roy for more than a few moments, and he shook his head. "You must''ve gotten the wrong person, Roy. I do not remember seeing you."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, Cosimo. I¡¯ve had a perfect memory since I was a child. I remember anyone I''ve ever seen, even if I have only taken a nce before, but I have no recollection of this man." He muttered, "But he had one thing right. I do like reading Virtue''s Guide."


    <i>Why doesn''t he remember me? These scenes in the mist are too real to be illusions. I thought I had gone back in time. First I talked to Alzur when he was a child, then I talked to him when he was a teen, but why doesn''t he remember me? There''s no butterfly effect at all. </i>Roy was perplexed, but he had a feeling the answer to that question would reveal the core of this misty world. "I apologize. I might have gotten the wrong person, then," Roy said, thinking that this was a shame.


    "Why don''t you have a seat and talk to us? There aren''t a lot of people who can control chaos energy in this world. Destiny must''ve brought us together." Cosimo invited Roy, smiling.


    Roy nodded and took a seat on the stone bench across from the witcher creators.


    "Pardon me, but do youe from thend east of the Blue Mountains?" Cosimo''s eyes roved over Roy''s attire, body, and the veil of chaos energy around the witcher. "I have seen a lot in my life, but I do not remember anyone in the North or South who has your attire. Custom-made magical leather armor and twin swords, silver beast medallion, and you have a lot of potions equipped. Your eyes are silver and beastlike."


    Roy thought this was bizarre. The creator of witchers asked who he was, but then he thought it was right. At this point in history, witchers hadn''t been created just yet. He had an interesting idea. "I live in the North, but I''ve wandered thends like a tramp for a long time. It is a big world, Cosimo. It''s natural you''ve never seen me."


    "Were you born with those eyes? A controller of chaos energy since birth?"


    "Just like me?" Alzur thought better of this intruding stranger all of a sudden.


    "On the contrary, I gained this after I went through some modifications. Mutations, so to speak." Roy grinned. He said honestly, "I changed from a regr human into someone with a slight talent for magic. I armed myself with these weapons and learned a few spells, then I started traveling thesends, dealing with the monsters that would attack humans. Drowners, ghouls, higher vampires, and the such. You know how chaotic the world is. Dangers lurk around the corner. Great evil that threatens the little men are always around."


    "You were modified? Went through mutations?" Cosimo caught something important, and interest red in his eyes. "That''s a bit like the project my colleagues in Rissberg are doing."


    "You kill monsters and carry out justice?" Alzur was getting red with excitement. He felt like he just found a partner who shared his ideals. "That''s the valor of a knight."


    ***


    "Cosimo, you mentioned your colleagues are doing a project in Rissberg?" Roy asked curiously, stopping Alzur''s and Cosimo''s trains of thought.


    "Very well, since you''ve given me honesty, then I shall respond in kind." Cosimo stroked his beard. "A group of sorcerers, with the funding of the Northern Realms'' brotherhood, has started conducting experiments on regr humans. Modification and mutation experiments in a bid to give regr humans some talent in magic to deal with the monsters roaming ournds. If possible, they can even be powerful fighters. s, we''ve made no progress at all. The subjects¡­ it does not end well."


    "They died?" Alzur interrupted.


    "Yes. All of them." Cosimo looked at Roy. "The fact that you imed to be a product of body modification and mutation is nothing less than a miracle. If it''s possible, why don''t we make a deal? Tell me the secrets to your sess."


    Roy smiled. He mused over this option for a while and told Cosimo about the thing Letho told him. The truth of the creation of witchers.


    "Time takes its toll. The older the y, the harder it gets. You cannot modify adults. That will only destroy them. Only young lives have options."


    <i>Options? </i>Cosimo was shaken. He rested his chin in his hands and fell into a trance, entertaining his thoughts.


    Roy looked at Alzur. "So, are you still getting beaten up? Still poking your nose into everyone''s business to gain their acknowledgement?"


    "How do you know that? Have we met? Did I forget about you?" Alzur frowned. He looked like he''d seen a ghost.


    "Answer me."


    Mist came rolling into the pavilion, obscuring the old sorcerer who was deep in his thoughts.


    "I will spend my life upholding the valor of a knight¡­" Alzur''s voice was starting to get cut off.


    "Have you gotten anyone''s acknowledgement?"


    "Lylianna." Alzur''s voice was a little sheepish. "She''s the first to acknowledge me. She saved my life and still supports my actions. She has a dream even bigger and more noble than mine."


    And then the mist covered everything. Roy remained seated in this world of mist, sighing. No matter if the illusion was true or false, one thing was for sure: this was rted to Alzur. Roy had another goal. He would witness history itself in this world of mist, and he would find out how Alzur''s life changed. He would witness how Alzur gained the shard.


    The mist soared higher, and then another scene showed up.


    ***


    A handsome man with short, curly hair was seated beside a clear stream. Beside him was a beautiful woman in makeup, and there was a herb basket beside her. They were soaking their feet in the stream. The girl stirred up some ripples with her feet. Her hair was shining under the sun, and she had a sweet smile on her lips. The man hung his head low, a gloomy look painting his face.


    "It''s not every day we see each other, Alzur. Cheer up." The girl patted Alzur''s cheek with her wet hand. "I like your smile. Tell me, what bothers you?"


    "Lylianna, Cosimo just told me that sorcerers can live extremely long lives because of the energy that modifies us."


    Lylianna tilted her head and leaned on Alzur''s shoulder. Cheekily, she blew into his ear. "How long?"


    "A few times longer than a regr person''s lifespan. Perhaps ten times longer." Alzur nched. With a shivering hand, he held Lylianna''s shoulder tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his flesh. Lylianna suffocated a little. "I worry. Do you understand that?"


    Lylianna pursed her lips and leaned in his embrace. She stared up at him. "It''s my fault. I''m not smart or talented enough to learn magic with you, but they say it doesn''t matter how long you live. As long as you have dreams, your life is never wasted."


    "It''s not enough." Alzur held her shoulder. A look of dilemma crawled onto his face. He was in a rut because of love. He muttered, "I can''t imagine life without you."


    "You''re thinking too far ahead. I''m still alive, aren''t I? As long as I''m here, I''ll never forget about you. I''ll always pray for you. Don''t worry about it. Come on, smile. Tell me something happy. How is your magical education going?"


    "Cosimo ims I''m a genius that only appears once in a century." Alzur quickly waved his left fingers around as if he were ying the piano. A big vortex formed in the gurgling stream, then water sttered everywhere.


    A ball of clear water the size of a punching bag emerged from the vortex and swirled before them. As Alzur moved his fingers, the ball quickly changed form. From dog to goat to cow to snake. It was like he was performing magic tricks. "Chaos energy is incredibly powerful, Lylianna. I have only been learning this art for ten years. I can destroy the scumbags who abused me with a single finger. I never realized that upholding justice and punishing the wicked could be so simple."


    Thed''s face was gleaming. There was a kind of confidence he never had shining through his eyes, but the persistence and passion he had even when he was beaten up by themon thugs years ago were slowly dying like embers.


    "That''s a good thing." Lylianna joked, "You''ll never be beaten blue and ck and waiting for me to save you from a ditch again."


    "No, Lylianna. I''ll always need you." Alzur quickly stared into Lylianna''s eyes. He held her hand and put it on his chest. "To me, you''re like my soul''s home, just like how the stories go. Without yourpanionship and encouragement, I''d have given up long ago and lived a decadent life like my cousins."


    Lylianna smiled again, and she rested her head on Alzur''s chest. "Tell me more about the brotherhood."


    "No one looks down on me anymore, nor do they insult me for how I came to be. They respect me. To be precise, they respect my talent and effort. I no longer have to work myself to the bone just to gain anyone''s acknowledgement. Yet the more I know about the arcane, the more insignificant I feel. There''s too much evil and injustice in this world. I can never solve them all by myself. The top brass knows what I wish to do. They have been adamantly inviting me and Cosimo to congregate in Rissberg to assist them in a project of human modification to deal with the monster problem."


    "Huh?" Lylianna tugged on Alzur''s sleeve nervously. "And you agreed?"


    "No. I still remember what you told me. If the price to pay for the happiness of someone is the torture and sacrifice of another group of people, then that action is fundamentally wrong. I do not wish to torment the innocent test subjects, and Cosimo respects that. He too thinks that the result of this experiment might be stolen and used in wars."


    Lylianna heaved a sigh of relief and gave Alzur a smile of gratitude.


    "How is work going for you? Smoothly, I hope?" Alzur affectionately patted the girl''s head.


    "The Eternal War is still ongoing. Every day, the temple''s hospital receives countless injured soldiers. And the monsters keep piling up. Nekker and ghoul attacks are getting more frequent." Lylianna''s eyes glistened with tears. Worried, she said, "The hospital is at full capacity every single day. We ran out of beds, so some of the injured had to sleep on the ground. It''s cold, hard, and venttion is bad. I can hear howlsing from everywhere in the hospital. Every day, there are patients who step past the line of no return, and they are thrown into the morgue."


    "I''m just a regr healer. I cannot change anything." Agitated, a hint of guilt appeared in Lylianna''s eyes. She grabbed Alzur''s hand and said, "Do you remember our dream?"


    "Of course. I have made it into my creed. We shall create a safer world and rid our brethren of the monsters hiding in the dark."


    "Good. Always remember, Alzur, that you are my hope."


    "I have something for you." Alzur took out an emblem the size of a fingernail from the pocket inside his shirt. A lifelike lily blossomed on the emblem, and chaos energy swirled on its silver surface. "Wear it and never take it off. It shall protect you."


    "Okay."


    Not far from the stream was a bush. A witcher hid within it, and then the scene before him blurred. The roiling mist took him somewhere else once more.


    ***


    The sky was overcast again, a silver curtain of rain covering thend beneath. A cemetery stood on the outskirts covered in weeds. Within the rain stood Alzur. He had matured, and a short beard grew from his chin. Sadness swirled around him. Cosimo, still looking wise as ever, stood with him before a headstone. A dying lily sat on the ground, drenched by the rain.


    "How did this happen?"


    "She went to the outskirts to forage for herbs, and she saved a man from a ghoul. The man survived, but she¡­ did not," Alzur said vacantly.


    "Where''s her protective charm?"


    Alzur paused for a moment. He went down and gently touched the headstone. The sorcerer opened up his other hand, revealing a chipped lily emblem within. "The fool gave her emblem to the man and saved him from the ghoul, but it''sughable. The man has never visited her grave once."


    "I do not understand." Alzur smiled at the headstone, but tears spilled from his eyes. Inexplicable agony, grief, and fury boiled his blood and seeped into his bones. "She said it''s wrong to grant someone happiness by tormenting another soul, so why did she hurt herself and me just to save an ungrateful stranger?"


    Alzur roared at the headstone, "Was it worth it?" His face was red and burning with rage. All the love he had was gone. Burned to cinders. He hung his head low, his rage morphing into guilt and dejection. "Why? Why wasn''t I there with her? Why didn''t I think that she would run into any danger? I''m an ipetent fool!"


    Alzur punched the ground. His skin cracked, and blood trickled down his knuckles.


    "We can''t bring back the dead, Alzur. My condolences. That''s what it means to be a sorcerer. You''ll face the death of loved ones more than once."


    "But she wasn''t even thirty! She should''ve lived!" Alzur roared in dismay.


    "I understand what you''re feeling, but do not channel your hatred to the wrong target. Neither that man nor you are the culprit." Cosimo patted Alzur''s shoulder. He gently said, "The monsters are, however. If that ghoul hadn¡¯t been there, this would not have happened."


    <i>A world without ghouls? </i>Alzur clenched his teeth. He took a deep breath and wiped his face dry. It was drenched in rain and tears. He looked at the lily emblem in his hand and saw Lylianna''s innocent, beautiful face appearing from within. Her childish yet determined dream rang in his mind.


    <i>Alzur, I wish to create a safer world and rid our brethren from the monsters hiding in the dark. </i>"It''s impossible. I can''t do it fighting alone." Alzur sobbed. He roared, "It was a little distraction. I was just learning a bit more magic, and¡­ and you''re already gone."


    "What are you talking about,d?"


    "I wish to travel to Rissberg, Cosimo. I want to join the experiment. She has proved that sacrifices must be made sometimes."


    "Have you made up your mind? The experiment has shown no progress thus far, and can you get over your morality?"


    "I will continue her unfinished work, but obviously, wandering this world alone and killing monsters with all my might will not rid this world of its monster infestation. Not even if you tag along. I need assistance."


    Alzur clenched the emblem. The edges cut through his flesh, and blood trickled down his palm. "If there is none, then I shall create some."


    ***


    A medium-sized castle appeared on a cliff behind the roiling mist. The castles were painted in bright colors. Four towers and some exquisite turrets adorned it.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 578: The First Witchers

    <h4>Chapter 578: The First Witchers</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 578: The First Witchers</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A witcher went through the mist, and Letho of the Viper School found himself in a small room within a dark castle. Empty crates, rugs, pots, pans, wooden buckets, and misceneous items were strewn about haphazardly. In the corner of the room was a gaunt boy in a cheap grey jacket. He stood on a bucket, his back turned to Letho. The boy was on his tiptoes, his hands tightly grabbing the steel bars of the window. He looked through the bars, staring at the bright sky outside greedily.


    "What are you doing, boy?" Letho rasped.


    Shocked, the boy almost fell from his bucket. He tensed up like a wooden bat and put his hands tightly against hisp. He stared at his feet, but he quickly looked at the intruder, and his eyes flickered with mischief.


    "I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t mean to hide in this ce. I''m sorry, please, forgive me."


    "Sir? What do you mean?" said Letho slowly. He forced a smile, but it was a little horrifying on his eternally deadpan face. He opened his hands up, telling the boy he meant no harm. The witcher looked like a big grizzly bear that meant no harm.


    The boy clutched his chest and heaved a long sigh of relief, then he looked at Letho precociously. "You thief. You bald, bizarre man. Where did youe in from? The door was locked tight. Did you sneak in through the window?"


    "What''s your name?" Letho asked.


    "Ivar." The boy harrumphed.


    Letho looked shocked. His cheeks tensed up, and his eyes were as wide asnterns. A sharp glint glimmered within them, then he grabbed the boy''s gaunt little face. <i>Looks familiar. </i>Letho could vaguely see the outline of Ivar''s face, but he didn''t have the iconic evil eyes. Instead, he had regr, brown, monolid eyes.


    Shocked, the boy leapt into a corner and crossed his arms defensively. He stared at Letho. "Your turn. What''s your name?"


    "Letho. What is this ce?"


    The boy had a weird look on his face. "Rissberg."


    "How is that possible?" Letho muttered, falling into his thoughts. <i>Did I go back to Rissberg as it was hundreds of years ago and see Ivar as he was when he was a bratty kid? Am I dreaming?</i>


    "Why aren''t you talking?"


    "How did you get here, Ivar?"


    "You ask so many questions. Like a dame." The boy pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment, then he said, "Cosimo brought me here." The boy had a conflicted look on his face. There was gratitude and fear.


    "And before that?" Letho looked at the boy gently.


    "How''d you even grow so big when you''re as stupid as a swine? Can''t you see? I''m a war orphan. I wandered around for a long time. Human traffickers got me and almost tortured me to death. Good thing Cosimo saved me in time." The mention of human traffickers made Ivar clench his teeth. His eyes red with hatred, as if he were a wolf ready for revenge.


    "Have you gotten used to this ce?"


    "I have food and water, but the teachers keep making me drink colorful stuff all day long. Made of herbs, but tastes worse than manure. I try to vomit every time I have them, but I can''t." Ivar''s face scrunched up. "And then there''s the injections, checkups, and physical training. We get punished if we don''t do as we''re told. Cosimo and Alzur keep bringing up talks about possibilities." Ivar cleared his throat and held an arm before his belly. Clumsily and amusingly, he mimicked, "Time takes its toll. The older the y, the harder it gets. You cannot modify adults. That will only destroy them. Only young lives have possibilities."


    Ivar added, "I''d have run away if it weren''t for the food we get at every meal."


    <i>Rissberg, possibilities, Ivar. </i>Letho was sure that this ce he was in was the legendary Rissberg Castle. He was witnessing the process of the first witchers'' birth. "Are there any other children here?"


    A warm smile flickered on Ivar''s face. "Thirty-seven of us. Madox, Jagda, End, Mishi, Elgar, ir, Arnaghad, and more. Some are orphans, some were sold by their parents. Now it''s my turn for questions, right?"


    ***


    The mist came rolling back in like waves, stopping the conversation.


    ***


    In another dark chamber, Vesemir found himself within a scene as bizarre as what Letho was experiencing. "You say your name is Elgar?" He looked at the boy on the wooden bed. He was pale, his nose and eyes were small, and he was feverish. Vesemir was in disbelief, but this boy did resemble the legendary Wolf.


    "So you mean you know someone else named Elgar?" The boy stared at the bizarre man before him in shock. He was ancient, yet he had no hair, beard, or brows, but he looked eerily wise.


    Vesemir fell into a stupor. He didn''t find Elgar in this misty world, but he saw Elgar when he was a child. Vesemir patted the boy''s head, just like how Elgar patted him so many years ago. "Where are your parents, Elgar?"


    "I-I''m an orphan. Wandered around Cidaris, and then Alzur brought me here."


    "Do you like it here?"


    Elgar nodded, excitement flickering on his face. "I have a lot of brothers and sisters here, and we can eat all we want. No one has to fight for a meal. Everyone has a few new sets of clothes. Once we take our medications, go through our checkups and training, we can y. We hide and seek, and draw and¡­ It''s a lot more fun than wandering around a city."


    Genuine delight filled Elgar''s face, but the left hand that was hanging outside the nket was covered in syringe marks and bruises. Vesemir shook his head. <i>Poor boy. You''re satisfied with just this? You''d die from happiness if you came to the House of Gawain. </i>"Won''t it hurt drinking the medicine?" Vesemir looked at the wounds on Elgar and sighed. "Can you endure it?"


    "It does hurt, but I''m happy. It''s never boring, since we share a big room. It''s just a little sacrifice. I am fine with it. I''m grateful for Cosimo and everyone. I want to stay in Rissberg forever if I can. I want to be with everyone forever."


    ***


    "You''re Arnaghad? Fucking hell." Felix adjusted his sses and looked at the ten-year-old boy before him.


    He was absurdly burly for his age, and his shoulders were wide as a bear''s. He had a buzzcut, and his eyes were almost perfectly circr. When he opened his eyes wide, the whole room would be lit up by the genuine happiness within them. He had bushy eyebrows, a round nose, not-too-thick lips, and slightly chubby cheeks. Even if he wasn''t smiling, he radiated happiness. When he grinned, the genuine happiness in it almost made Felix smile. This was an adorable boy.


    "Did I offend you somehow?" Arnaghad was lifting a dumbbell in his left hand, but he was still smiling, staring at this bizarre man in surprise. He appeared in the training room out of nowhere, and he called himself Felix.


    "Not yet. Never thought the heartless grandmaster of the Bear School looked like this when he was a kid." Felix''s pupils contracted. He sighed. "Didn''t ount for this. How am I supposed to spar when you''re just a kid? It''d be unfair."


    "Heartless? Are you talking about me?" Arnaghad paled, a hint of guilt filling his eyes. It could make anyone sympathetic.


    "No. I got the wrong person." Felix shook his head.


    "Perhaps you''re right. I left my father, mother, brother, and sister. They loved me. I''m a heartless boy."


    "What do you mean you left your family?" asked Felix.


    "The harvest this year was horrible. We made nothing from the fields, and the family would starve. The weather''s been unbelievably chillytely. At that rate, my siblings wouldn''t have made it." Arnaghad barely had anyone to talk to. He buried his face in his hands and spoke of everything that weighed down on him. "I had no choice. Someone had to make the sacrifice. I''m the eldest of the children, so I sold myself to Cosimo and left some coins for my family. It should be enough to tide them over a few winters and bad years."


    "You sold yourself? Aren''t you smart?"


    "It''s not that bad here." A big smile curled young Arnaghad''s lips. "At least it''s better than getting sold to Skellige. Maybe I can go back and visit my family after they''re done with their experiments. Won''t take a few years."


    "You have no idea of the fate that''s in store for you, do you, boy?" Felix shook his head. He went ahead and grabbed Arnaghad by his throat. The witcher lifted the boy off the ground, and Arnaghad iled his legs like a fish trying to gasp for water. Darkness flickered in Felix''s eyes, and murder welled within them. <i>If I take his life now, will he appear in the future? He had a heart before the mutation, but he took the Trial that robbed him of his emotions. Killing him might be a release in some form.</i>


    ***


    A magicalmp shone on a desk in the room''s ustrophobic corner. A ten-year-old boy was holding a small leather book, confronting the man before him. The man was burly, cloaked in ck, and was hiding in the shadows. He had an eye revealed, and his iris was three colors.


    "This is Rissberg? So you''re End?" Coen stared at the lifelike eagle tattoo on the side of the boy''s face. Goosebumps covered his body.


    "Are you our new teacher? I''ve never seen you." End held Virtue''s Guide before his chest, staring at Coen cautiously.


    <i>I''m your student''s student in the future, </i>Coen thought. He then held back the excitement of seeing his idol in his younger years, and he put on a big smile. "I''m Coen. So, tell me, End. How did you get here?"


    End spat on the ground and shook his head in determination and disdain. "You ain''t getting anything from me, fucker. Why should I answer your questions?"


    "Calm down. I just want to talk. Answer my question, and I''ll lend you a hand with something big. I''m an adult, you see."


    Coen''s earnest energy convinced the young End. "That''s a promise, or I''m going to ambush you every night even if it means I get no sleep." End muttered. Reminded of a bad memory, a hint of hesitation flickered in his exotic eyes. "How else did I get here? My mom''s a Skellige pirate. She''s ruder, angrier, and stronger than most men. Raised me on a ship until I was ten. Then I got my short temper from her, and she got tired of me. Thought I was a deadweight who leeched off her. Alzur passed by and gave her a good price like she asked."


    End looked at Coen, who was in disbelief. A hint of harsh gratification flickered in his eyes. "Yes. My mother sold me off. That hypocrite took me to this castle and tossed this stupid book to me. Told me to keep reading it. Said it''s good for nurturing my soul. Smiles at me every day. Fake smile, I know it. Says I''m just like him, but I know he''s up to no good. He''s trying to kill me with poison!"


    <i>This is End? The ally of justice and the knight of valor who establishes the Griffin School in the future? </i>Coen''s lips twitched. <i>Are you sure this isn''t just a rampaging boy in his rebellious years? Only thing remarkable about him is the chaos energy around him. He''s a Source.</i> "How are you getting along with the other kids, End?"


    "Besides Jagda of Aedirn, everyone''s a brat who''s sucking on their mother''s teats. Moronic idiots who know nothing. These people feed them poison every day and use them as test subjects, but they''re grateful for them. You want to know how I''m getting along with them? Take it this way. This castle''s a rundown chicken coop, and they''re the fowls who chirp to no end. They drive me mad."


    Coen was silent. End might have a sailor''s mouth, but he had a point. The Trial was akin to poison, especially when these kids were the first batch of test subjects. The Trial was iplete, and the children were taking on the biggest risk of death. "Who''s Jagda?"


    End tensed up and matter-of-factly dered, "A girl who''s like me. Best person in the world. Nicer to me than my piece of shit, heartless mother. When I leave this prison, I''ll marry her."


    "She''s a girl, and she''s joining the experiment? Taking medicines and going through checkups every day?" Coen remembered that there were no girls in the first batch of witchers. No female witchers until the Cats showed up.


    End took a deep breath and bit his nail. Worry filled his eyes. "Yeah. Twelve girls, in fact, and they sugar a lot more than the boys. There are twenty-six of us. The poison hurts them a lot more than they hurt us. It''s even more painful than giving birth."


    /p>


    End paused, then he looked at Coen. "Time for you to uphold your promise. You have to give Jagda some time to rest no matter what. Don''t let the sorcerers feed her any more poison. I beg you."


    "I will do my best."


    The mist drowned out Coen''s answer. The mist showed scenes in an erratic manner and would take the witchers through different points in history. This promise would nevere true.


    ***


    A drizzle was covering the fortress standing between the cliffs. The magical crystalmps hanging from the ceiling were shining brightly, illuminating theboratory on the top story of the castle.


    Alzur and Cosimo stood side by side before the windowsill, their eyes set on the graveyard underneath the mountain. Another grave was added to the sea of headstones. A hunched man was burying a petite, lifeless body. Her eyes were wide, her face was contorted, the ghost of herst scream still lingering on her face. She was put through hell before her death. Alzur took a deep breath and brushed his nail across the parchment journal in his hand. The name of Jagda was sliced in half. Ten broken names sat beside that page.


    "Do you regret this, Alzur?" Cosimo looked at his student wisely.


    "There is no regret to speak of. If I wish to rid this world of monsters and save my brethren, I must pay the price and sacrifice a few lives. This is their trial as well. They led dark, pitiful lives. Unimportant and insignificant. Ignored by the people as if they were ants, but should they pass the trial, they shall emerge with superhuman powers and stand a better chance at survival in this world."


    He tucked the journal away, and an old lily emblem floated in his palm. He slowly brushed his fingers across it. "I have a feeling someone wille out as a sess in this experiment," he said adamantly.


    Then screams filled the air.


    More than twenty adeptsy on two dozen operating tables. All of them were children younger than ten. Leather straps tied their limbs down. They were coughing, breathing heavily, shaking, and crying.


    Figures in surgical aprons and gue masks paced around the operating tables, pouring bottles of decoctions into the mouths of adepts. Colorful lights of magic flowed through the bodies of the adepts, and the sorcerers took note of the changes.


    ***


    Roy stood at the entrance of theboratory, his silhouette hidden in the mist. He''d seen the cruel experiments conducted by the sorcerers in this castle. Compared to the Trial in the House of Gawain, the Trials here were ten times bloodier and crueler. Horrifying, risky concoctions were poured into the adepts'' bodies. Sadly, he had no way to intervene.


    No matter how much he tried, he confirmed that whatever actions he took in a scene would not affect how the next scene would unfold. He had be an observer who was hiding in the darkness. He looked at the test subjects with sympathy and empathy. The young children were howling, struggling, screaming, spasming, frothing from their mouths, or crying silently.


    Aside from Alzur and Cosimo, Roy saw another familiar figure among the sorcerers. Ortn.


    "Cosimo! Alzur! It hurts! I''m dying! Save me! Save me!" Ivar howled, and then he roared, "I have not yet rid this world of human traffickers! I have not yet brought an end to wars! I don''t want to die!"


    "My Jagda! Give her back to me, you monsters! You fiends!" End''s snot and tears drenched his tattoo. He red at the ones experimenting on them, fury ring in his eyes.


    Elgar was wriggling and jumping around like a fish out of water. He cried, looking around at his tormented friends. "Hang in there, brothers!" Even though he was in agony, he still weakly provided encouragement. "Live! We''re all making it through!"


    Arnaghad tensed up, his eyelids twitching, his temples throbbing. The pain was making him lose control of his face. Sweat drenched his forehead, and he felt as if his flesh were being sliced off inch by inch. He then saw the scene where he bade his family goodbye. "Father, Mother, x, Cadur¡­ wait for me. Wait for me!"


    Roy heaved a sigh and turned his attention to the silhouette standing on the other side of the door beside him. He had a feeling someone was inside, but he couldn''t see who it was.


    At the same time, Letho, Vesemir, Coen, and Felix, who was hidden within the same mist, looked in the direction of theirrades. They were standing in front of the sameboratory, yet they couldn''t see even a single strand of theirpanions'' hair. It was as if a secret veil had separated them. As if they were not in the same world.


    ***


    The scenes in the mist kept morphing and changing. Time went by, and the first Trial in history was moving by quickly, the lights in theboratory still shining. Every time the witchers blinked, a few days would''ve gone by in the experiment. The sorcerers in gue masks kept feeding the test subjects medicine, checking on them, and moving the corpses away.


    More and more graves were erected in the graveyard under the castle. Fewer and fewer children were left on the operating tables. On the thirtieth day, all the girls had died, leaving twenty boys on the tables. They''d scratch away at their clothes, scream, or even stay eerily silent sometimes.


    Five more test subjects died on the fiftieth day. All the remaining boys had fallen into a deepa and rarely woke up. Even when they woke, they would only vomit until they had nothing more to cough up.


    Ten were left on the seventieth day. They had cases of seizures, bleeding from their faces, and vacant looks in their eyes. Over the next two weeks, five more names were crossed off from Alzur''s list, but the remaining subjects were settling down. Their breathing was stable, and their faces were red.


    Ny dayster, the remaining five out of thirty-eight children woke up from the nightmarish Trial, drenched in sweat. They opened their eyes, revealing colorful irises within. Their pupils were vertical and as sharp as beasts.


    The five first generation witchers were born before their descendants hiding in the mist. They were: Madoc, End, Elgar, Ivar, and Arnaghad.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 579: The Order

    <h4>Chapter 579: The Order</h4>


    <strong>Chapter 579: The Order</strong>


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The representative of the northern Brotherhood of Sorcerers was a man named Gildorf. He was gaunt, short, and had a Van Dyke beard. The sorcerer wore a long blue robe, and his eyes were roving across the children on the training field.


    The children were in leather armor, standing under the sun. They swung and thrust their des at the wooden dummies in sacks. Their movements were unbelievably fast, leaving afterimages wherever they attacked.


    "Their strength, constitution, and agility have increased remarkably. They have surpassed human limitations." The representative then shook his head regretfully. "And yet they have not awakened any magical talents. They cannot control magic. These mutants are second-rate products."


    "I disagree. End is an exception." Alzur looked at the boy with a tattoo on his face. "He can control magic if we give him guidance, and he possesses physical strength most sorcerers do not. He has resistance against diseases and lethal poison. It''s a unique ability that came from his mutation."


    "He was born a Source. He should''ve gone to Ban Ard, and yet you put him through an experiment with a one-in-ten survival rate just to gain a bit more physical prowess that''s useless for sorcerers? Do you wish for him to abandon his magical talent and swing a sword like a warrior instead?" Gildorf then looked at the most intimidating young man in the training field. He had broad shoulders, and his look was icy. "And the experiment brought with it severeplications. That Arnaghad boy has lost his emotions. He used to be lively, but now he''s colder than a block of ice."


    "We have found four recipes for the mutation. They''re a lot better in terms of quality." Cosimo frowned. "If we keep on doing this, we''ll lessen theplications soon enough. It will be possible to awaken the potential for magic within the test subjects."


    "For ten years, the brotherhood has invested a mountain of coins in this endeavor. We put all our faith in you two, and yet the results are disappointing. The top brass thinks any further experimentation will yield too little returns." Gildorf shook his head. Imperiously, he said, "They have decided to pull all funding and end the experiment. From now on, Rissberg will no longer house any projects regarding mutants. As for the mutants¡­" Coolly, Gildorf dered, "They shall be recycled."


    "Preposterous. They endured hell and barely passed the Trial. You cannot rob them of their lives." Alzur''s eyes went wide with fury, and he stared at Gildorf. "Cosimo and I are their creators. We will be in charge of them."


    "These mutants are hazardous. They are walking, living bombs. Do you understand me?"


    "Enough, Gildorf." Cosimo shook his head, then he looked at the young men swinging their swords in the field. "Alzur and I shall take them away."


    ***


    "Where are we, sir?" Elgar had a blue knapsack saddled on his back. He was on a mountainside, standing before a castle swirling in mist. The walls were covered in verdant vines, and the turrets were ancient and obsidian. This was a fortress.


    The four witchers beside him had conflicted looks in their eyes. They''d only followed Alzur for more than a year, and yet it felt like a lifetime. The countless torture they went through shed them of their naivet¨¦ and lively attitude. The young witchers were cautious and alert.


    "Kestrel Mountains. It is on the borders between Kaedwen and Kovir. This is Castle Morgraig." Cosimo stroked his robe, reminiscence ring in his eyes. "It was my home, and now it is yours."


    "We shall begin a new venture here." Alzur stared at the magnificent castle before him. He didn''t sound dejected despite being kicked out of Rissberg. Instead, he was filled with motivation. Only without the brotherhood''s interference could he do what he wanted. "We shall work for the same dream. To rid the world of the monsters hiding in the dark and make it safer."


    "You and what army?" End looked at Alzur, not bothering to hide his hatred and disdain. "I almost died just to pass the Trial, and I trained my ass off for a whole year. That''s more than enough to cover for the coins you gave my mother. I want to leave."


    "I will not stop you. You may leave whenever you want, but be warned." Alzur said nonchntly, "Your speed, strength, personality, and even looks are different from any human. If you leave the mountains without any preparation, all the people will think of you is that you are a monster. They will fear you. They will stay away from you. And youck experience. If you leave in a haste, you might run into the mountain''s cyclops or snake monsters. They will devour you."


    The witchers exchanged a look. For quite a long time, they never left Rissberg. They spent their days in theb, the training field, and the dorm. They knew little more about life beyond those ces, and even now, they were only eleven-year-olds. They would have no idea what to do if they were plunged back into society all of a sudden.


    "I have a suggestion," Alzur continued. "I can provide systematic training for you. You will learn how to efficiently use your strength and dispense justice. That is how you gain acknowledgement and return to society."


    "You were born from countless deaths, turned into powerful warriors from pitiful orphans. Your role as the survivors is to strike down monsters with the weapon in your hands and save humanity from their crisis," Cosimo added. "You are the perfect base to make a great weapon out of, but you need experience to temper your skills. Best if you remain in the castle and train for a few years. Then you may leave and hunt down those monsters. End the suffering they have rained upon this world. Then you may make a choice to either stay or leave."


    "From now on, you are to be called¡­ witchers," said Alzur.


    "Fuck whatever you just said," End retorted arrogantly. "You hypocrites put all the poor children through that experiment and killed them. You killed my Jagda, and you''re pinning their deaths on us? How low can you even go?"


    Alzur scanned the young witchers, and he earnestly said, "That was a Trial. Through the Trial, you have gained enough strength to control your fate. Let me reiterate. Should you wish to leave, I will not stop you."


    The boys clenched their fists, power flowing through their veins. "I didn''t ask for any power. I just want Jagda."


    "And there are a lot of Jagdas out there suffering under the tyranny of monsters. They are waiting for you to save them."


    End had noeback for that. He set aside his n to leave. <i>I''ll stay for a while, then.</i>


    Arnaghad fiddled with his sword. Calmly and almost monotonously, he said, "I don''t care about saving the people. As long as I don''t need to starve and have a roof over my head, I''m fine with anything." His face was sculpted, but his lines were cold as an icy de.


    "Of course." Cosimo nodded. A hint of guilt flickered in his eyes. Out of the five witchers, Arnaghad''s Trial left him with the worstplication. "You may return to your family for visits anytime."


    "There''s no need for that." Arnaghad shook his head. The passion for his family was gone from his eyes. The family he used to think the world of had lost meaning to him.


    "You want us to hunt monsters? I''m not interested." Ivar''s eyes were green, and they kept morphing like little kaleidoscopes. It was terrifying. Ever since he passed his Trial, he kept seeing weird hallucinations. He saw phantom knights on skeletal horses flying through the skies, sowing chaos all over the world, and their actions gave birth to hordes of orphans like him. "I will kill all those who trade in human trafficking."


    "Then you must be fast enough. Strong enough. You are far from that." Alzur looked at Ivar sharply.


    "Then I shall stay and train."


    Elgar looked at his brethren, then he turned to his mentors, and he sighed. "There were 38 of us, but only 5 are left. We must band together. Not split up."


    "Our numbers will grow. Soon there will be teachers from all fieldsing to this castle just to tutor you," Cosimo promised.


    Madoc was in the back of the line. He said nothing, and his face was hidden in his hood. Only his eyes were revealed. They glinted green like a beast''s in the night.


    Mist rolled over the walls of Morgraig, obscuring the vision of the invisible observers.


    ***


    Time was sped up once more, and the scenes before Roy flew past. With the arrival of the first witchers and their creators, the deserted castle found a breath of fresh air injected into its walls. As promised, the sorcerers spent a handsome amount of coins to hire experts from all fields. Healers, hunters, cksmith, traveling knights, and more. All just to teach the first witchers. The young witchers were like sponges, sucking up all the knowledge taught to them, and they grew.


    Ivar, Arnaghad, and Elgar showed great talent in swordy. At the same time, Cosimo spent a lot of his time creating something a lot simpler than spells for the witchers. This simpler system of magic was called Signs. End, the only Source among the witchers, expressed great interest. He would often practice the Signs untilte at night. When he had time, he would talk to the wandering knight called Llywelyn, or as everyone else called him, Griffin.


    Alzur would talk to him as well, teaching him about Virtue''s Guide without tire. End was in his teenage years. After losing his first love and getting lectured all the time by a knight and someone who used to aspire to be one, End found himself falling for the valor of knights.


    Elgar learned the art of cksmithing from a master cksmith. He showed great talent for the art of smithing, and eventually, he was in charge of making all the weapons and armor for his brethren.


    The witchers'' training went on without pause every day. Alzur would leave the castle from time to time to travel around the world. He took in orphans and kids from families too poor to raise them, and he led them back to the castle, where he went on with the experiment of the Trial.


    With the birth of a sessful first batch, the survival rate for the seeding batches was rising quickly. With the sorcerers'' teamwork, batches of witchers found themselves born within this castle, and more people showed up in the training field.


    When the number of witchers hit twenty, Alzur dubbed the team as the Order of Witchers. Their creed was to save humanity and rid the world of all monsters hiding in the darkness. Everyone in the order lived together, trained together, and built a deep bond over time.


    In the fifth year of their moving to Morgraig, fifty witchers were born. Fifty passed the Trial. Thinking that the children had gone through enough training, Alzur and Cosimo allowed the five from the first batch of test subjects to leave the mountains and carry out the order''s creed. They were to y monsters, protect the Continent''s people, and gain their acknowledgement.


    ***


    The witchers from the future were hiding beyond the walls, watching their predecessors¡¯ early lives, and a magical feeling welled in their hearts. They were reminded of their first time leaving the mountains. They¡¯d been filled with trepidation back then.


    ***


    The mist rolled in once more, and time flew by. On a winter day, ten yearster, a bonfire roared in the great hall of the castle''s first floor. A hundred members of the order were huddled around the bonfire.


    Vesemir, who was still in the mist, saw his younger self among the crowd. He looked so young, and yet so handsome.


    "So, how''s the world like outside, Elgar?"


    The witchers'' beastly eyes lit up the night. They turned their eyes to the most popr witcher among them all, though his looks weren''t outstanding.


    More than twenty young witchers were seated behind him.


    "It took me a lot of time, but Alzur was right. He did not exaggerate at all," Elgar told the young witchers. "Anyone who goes into the mountains only has a one-in-four chance of getting out alive. Everyone else would be killed off by leshens and basilisks. If they try to sail across the seas, ekhidnas will make sure they never return. No one would dare enter the woods or approach the coasts. Even so, wraiths, ghouls, spriggans, and kikimores will still attack any hamlets that stand near theirir, turning them into abandoned sites. These are dark times."


    "And the time for us witchers to prove ourselves!" a deep voice boomed through the night. The witchers looked at the man. He had an icy look and dark, dark eyes. Ten witchers stood behind Arnaghad. Those were witchers who went through the same Trial he did, and their emotions were stunted. Ivar, however, stood among the group as well. "They need someone to save them from the monster problem, but they do not have enough coins to hire sorcerers. They''re expensive. Mercenaries are not professional enough either, so we''re their best choice. We just have to go to a vige, and they''ll know we''re witchers once they see our eyes. They''re going to beg for us to help them deal with the monsters. They''ll offer us anything. Handsome payment too. Coins are nothingpared to survival."


    The people behind nodded. A young man with amber eyes asked, "What if they can''t fork out the coins?"


    "Then we take a different request."


    "Have you forgotten Alzur and Sir Llewelyn''s lessons?" End took a swig of liquor and shot Arnaghad a look of displeasure. He hated how Arnaghad kept talking about coins and profits and saw human lives as nothing but worthless toys. "We do not y monsters and take requests from the people just for coins. Even if they do not have enough coins to pay us, we should lend our hand as well." End stood up and looked around him. He told the young witchers, "Witchers live for one reason: to help the Continent''s people fight the evil that''s beyond them and gain their recognition."


    "Shut it. Do not take the moral high ground." Arnaghad shook his head in scorn. "How are we supposed to survive if we don''t have money? Even if we''re obligated to help them with their monster problems, they would never show us any gratitude. Madoc left us because of your attitude. You won¡¯t stop talking about virtue and valor."


    A long silence followed. Everyone was reminded of the witcher who left without a word of goodbye after he took three requests. His departure left a deep scar on the order. Alzur and Cosimo would bring him up a lot of times.


    "Arnaghad has a point." Ivar massaged his temples. "Since our return to society ten years ago, everything about witchers has been negative. All kings think we''re untrustworthy assassins. And aside from Alzur, Cosimo, and the experts in gic modification, all the sorcerers despise us. We''re nothing but second-rate products in their eyes, but we took over their job and dealt with the monster problem. No longer can they enjoy the reverence from the people."


    Ivar''s eyes glinted coldly. "And the churches are worse. The priests think we''re unnatural creatures born from mutations. We are not any god''s creation, so they think we''re heretics. Melitele, Freya, and Lebioda, the gods they im to be loving and epting, treat us like we''re less than refuse. Their believers despise us because of them. I say if humans treat us harshly, then we do business like professionals." Ivar raised his voice. "They give us the coins; we give them our services. I say that''s our first creed."


    "Ivar, Arnaghad, enough." End''s eyes twinkled coldly. "Stop teaching the order the wrong ideas."


    "You''re the one giving them false ideas, End. We''re witchers, not knights. Don''t talk to us about self-sacrifice."


    "Enough!" Elgar looked at the arguing witchers and shook his head in resignation. He stood between them. "I don''t care what you choose, just don''t influence anyone. Let them make their own choice."


    ***


    This argument was just a little episode among the order. Countless arguments of the same kind broke out in the decades following that. The witchers still thrived despite everything, and they followed an unwritten rule. Every spring, they would travel across the world and ept requests to y monsters and gain the people''s recognition. Every winter, the witchers would bring their haul, liquor, and monsterponents back to Morgraig. They would share liquor and tell stories of their adventures. If there were witchers who perished, they would mourn for them.


    The sorcerers would use theponents the witchers brought back to further their research. The talented Alzur managed to create a new spell from the remains of these monsters. It was a powerful summoning spell dubbed Alzur''s Double Cross. He would go on to take in a student named Idarran and gather a group of sorcerers interested in mutations and gic modifications. Then they would conduct experiments in hidden castles across the world.


    To garner more loyalty from the witchers, Cosimo taught them about the Law of Surprise. Throughout their adventures, the witchers took in new blood with the Law and put them through the Trial. The number of witchers grew all over the world. At the same time, the differences in opinion between End, Arnaghad, and their supporters were getting bigger.


    Before the conflict''s esction, however, the noblemen of Ender and Maribor''s war for Vizima''s throne ended. Alzur, one of the order''s leaders, returned to Maribor.


    Roy entered another misty space.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 580: Not Worth It

    The snaking walls of Maribor could be vaguely seen across the lush prairie. The clouds hanging high up in the sky blocked the sunset. Under the skies, an exhausted, worn out Alzur came to the slums in the eastern part of the city. He stood before an old, wooden house. An old woman dressed in tatters was lying on a rattan chair in the courtyard, almost dying. It was a winter evening. Thenterns hanging under the overhang flickered.


    The woman was gaunt, almost cadaverous. Her sunken cheeks were pale as a tombstone. She looked like a woman who was about to die. Alzur crouched before her, staring at this woman he saw every day when he was a child. Memories flooded his head. She was young, gorgeous, and kind. Out of all his aunts, she took care of him the most. She would joke about his hotheaded behavior and foolish knightley actions, but this woman resembled his mother the most.


    It had been twenty something years since hest saw her, and life had tormented her. Her hair, once ck and lustrous, was white as snow. "Aunt Odelle?" he called out to the dying dame on the chair.


    The dame woke up from her sleep, shivering. She stared at the handsome man who appeared in the dark. "W-Who are you?"


    "Have you forgotten? I am the oaf of the House of Burns."


    "Kasis? Impossible. That brat never came back since he left with Cosimo. It''s been more than twenty years. How is this possible?"


    "I am back, and I have another name now. Alzur." Alzur felt a little guilty. For a long time, his focus was on the order, and he''d neglected his family.


    Odelle froze in disbelief, then she carefully looked at Alzur. "You''re the sorcerer who summoned that centipede in the War of Daggersst year?"


    "Yes." The past year was when the order grew quickly. He came back from a visit to Lylianna''s grave and passed by the city he''d left for decades. It was then he noticed that the War of Daggers started by the dukes of Ender and Maribor to take the throne of Vizima was still ongoing, and it was getting worse.


    People from both kingdoms were forced to throw themselves into the war, and many died. The people were suffering. Alzur, who brought it on himself to save the people, could not ept this. For the first time, he cast Alzur''s Double Cross before the world and threw a terrifying monster into the battlefield. It was thanks to him that the bloody war came to an end.


    "So you helped the duke of Maribor gain Vizima''s throne." The dame looked at Alzur, her gaze conflicted. She never thought a foolish boy like Alzur could be someone so important. He was supposed to be in his forties, and yet Alzur looked no older than thirty.


    "Yes." Alzur nodded, a little exhausted. He was born in Maribor, so out of instinct, he helped the duke defeat Ender. "How did the family fall into¡­ this, Aunt Odelle? I paid the residence a visit, but there were only ruins waiting for me. Where''s everyone else? Where''s Orik and the others?"


    Ode sat up and rested her chin in her spindly hand. In an agonized voice, she said, "The House of Burns fell years ago. Orik and Tashk were drafted into the army because they were young. They died in battle before victory came."


    Alzur looked solemn. He was reminded of the cheeky boys. They would torment him, but he had no hate for them. There was onlymentation. <em>So they died.</em>


    "On the day Ender''s duke announced his surrender, the city celebrated. That night, bandits robbed us of everything we had and burned the residence down to the ground. Two of us died in the fire. I and five others survived, but barely. We lost all our wealth, so we moved into this rickety shack."


    Odelle''s voice cracked. "Three of them were too used to livingrge. They didn''tst long in poverty, and they died a few monthster. Sumbed to their illnesses. Only Zenina and I are left."


    "Did themissioner of security not arrest the criminals?" Alzur was pale. Even though his family thought lowly of him, they still raised him.


    "It was a celebration. A monumental one. Two hundred years of war came to an end. The whole city was enjoying themselves. No one could be bothered with security. A few other families faced the same fate that night. We lodged reports, but there''s been no response. And then¡­"


    <em>Maribor won the war. Why did this happen? Why? </em>Alzur''s heart was squeezed. Sadness filled the air around him.


    "To make ends meet, Zenina found herself a job in the outer ring of Melitele''s temple. She works in the infirmary as a volunteer and helps the injured in exchange for food. Shees back once a week." Odelle leaned on the icy wall behind her, crying.


    Alzur looked dazed. He was reminded of the haughty girl with braids billowing in the wind. It had been years since he saw her. <em>The spoiled princess working in the squalid infirmary and saving the injured? Destiny is a magical mistress.</em>


    Temple healer. Lylianna used to be one.


    Odelle took a deep breath and held Alzur''s hand. Her hands were skin and bones, and her skin was icy as the winter air. "Alzur, no, Kasis. You''re an important man now. The army, the duke, and even the priestess have to bow to you, don''t they? Please, go to the infirmary and see if Zenina''s fine. Help her. Make her job easier. Don''t let her suffer anymore. Help me, Kasis," implored Odelle, tears streaming down her sunken cheeks. "I cared for you."


    "Of course, Aunt Odelle." Alzur held Odelle''s hand in his hands and nodded. "Wait for me."


    ***


    The temple''s infirmary was in western Maribor. Because of the war that had gone on for centuries and the attacks of monsters, the infirmary would receive countless patients every day. It was the biggest building in this city, and the doors were brightly lit.


    Alzur met no resistance on his way here. Beyond the glorious temple, a forest of tents formed the outer ring. Believers, patients, and patients walked around. They saw Alzur. They saw his eyes and all the expensive rings and charms he had on him, and they were shocked.


    Quickly, they bowed. They were grateful, but also terrified. The War of Daggers hade to an end, but the people of Maribor would never forget how their nemesis, the army of Ender, was destroyed by the creature this man summoned. He was the great benefactor of Maribor.


    "Might you be Alzur?" A wrinkled priestess in a white robe came out, simpering. "What brings you here? I shall get someone to inform the duke right away."


    "Calm down. I''m just looking around." Alzur looked at him and continued his walk down the tent area. "Where''s the healing chamber?"


    "Are you injured? Let me take you into the temple. My sisters can heal better."


    "I wish to see someone. Zenina. She''s in the outer ring''s healing chamber."


    The priestess paused for a moment. She turned away and took a deep breath. "Come with me, please."


    A wooden house stood in the center of the tents. Alzur saw ten topless bandaged soldiers, children, and the elderly gathered around a table, happily ying Gwent, but they shut up when they saw the priestess and Alzur.


    "Where does Zenina live?" Alzur looked around, but an ominous feeling filled his heart.


    The priestess standing behind him did not have a good look on her face.


    "You mean Zenina Burns, the erstwhiledy of the House of Burns?" A man with scars on his face due to a nekker attack looked at the priestess.


    "What are you staring at? He wasn''t asking you," barked the priestess.


    "Zenina hasn''t shown up for two days." A soldier with a mole on the left side of his face quickly turned his back on Alzur and gave a look to the other soldiers, telling them to y along.


    "We thought it was odd too. Thought she quit her job."


    Alzur narrowed his eyes, his gaze chilly. "Do you think I am a fool?" He turned to the priestess, but she stammered and was tongue-tied. She had no idea how to exin this. "Tell me the truth. Where did she go?"


    His voice carried across the whole room, and like magic, it delved deep into everyone''s hearts. One of the soldiers had his left arm held in a cast. His expression was vacant, and his face stiffened up until it looked like a marite''s. Monotonously, he said, "Zenina is dead."


    And the air turned icy. Everyone stopped breathing for a moment, but then they returned to normal.


    Alzurughed, but everyone felt a chill run down their spines. "A noble, righteousdy who helped the injured, dead when the Temple of Melitele was in the vicinity?" He turned his attention to the priestess behind him, the look in his eyes sharp as daggers. "Exin this."


    The priestess held her hands before her belly nervously. She was as pale as a corpse, and she was in a stupor.


    "Zenina¡­ was vited by some patients." An old man with a ring of bandage around his head struggled. He looked at the shut door on the left side of the house. Stammering a little, he said, "To make it easier for her to care for the injured, she sleeps in the room beside this healing chamber. Three days ago, a couple of men were captivated by her beauty. Since she wasn''t a priestess, the temple''s protection did not extend to her, and they fell into lust. Late at night, they pried the door open, vited Zenina, and snuck away. Enraged and humiliated, she hung herself the very next day."


    ***


    A dire silence fell upon the healing chamber. "Where is her body?" Alzur said, a little too calmly. Too eerily calm.


    "In the morgue." The priestess stammered, "Y-You know casualties happen on the regr every day. The war''s over, but the monsters are still alive. Most of them died because of monster killings."


    "Someone harmed a healer right around the temple. It was a serious case, but why didn''t anyone speak of it?"


    "I¡­" Alzur shot the priestess a look, and the priestess spilled the truth. "The priestesses didn''t want to spread the news in case it hurt the temple''s reputation, so¡­ but themissioner of security is still investigating, though there are no results."


    "He''s still investigating? Your healer died, and yet you stay in this chamber, idly having fun?" Alzur sneered, searing all the patients around with his gaze. They hung their heads low. "There were so many of you in this room. So many of you could''ve seen it, and yet none noticed the criminals'' actions? None stopped them?"


    A patient with purple salve rubbed all over his chest muttered, "The two of them were as powerful as those sted mutants. They served Maribor''s military, and they threatened me. Swung their knives around and warned me. I was scared. I couldn''t say anything."


    Alzur threw his head back and closed his eyes. <em>The soldiers I helped killed a healer.</em>


    "Alzur, I¡­ I had no choice." A young man with his left leg held between two pieces of wood carefully looked at the furious sorcerer. "I didn''t want them to break my other leg."


    ***


    "Say no more. Bring Zenina''s body back."


    "Sir, but it''s toote. Why don''t we do it tomorrow?" asked the priestess.


    "Do it right now."


    ***


    Half an hourter, Alzur saw Zenina''s corpse as he wanted. She was no longer young, but having spent her younger years in luxury gave her looks that were a lot better than the people in the slums, but her beautiful face had ckened, the ghost of her terror etched forever on her visage. There were bruises all over her body, and her muscles must''ve convulsed. Obviously, she was put through inhumane torture.


    "Has she ever healed you?" Alzur asked slowly.


    Everyone stayed silent, but that was as good as an answer. They fidgeted like cats on hot bricks.


    "And this is how you repay her? By shrinking away like cowards when your savior was vited? Do you even have an ounce of humanity left in you?"


    No one answered.


    "Do you know that the permitting of crimes is an unforgivable sin in and of itself?"


    The men gulped with difficulty, and silence fell upon the room.


    Alzur gazed at the priestess. "This is the creed of Melitele?"


    "I am sorry, Alzur, but I couldn''t do anything. I am but a single priestess." The priestess nched. She had a mortified look on her face. "But you''re different. If you tell the duke, the investigations will yield results immediately. He will hand over the criminals to you. I heard he still wishes for your help in his crusade. He will need you."


    Alzur stared at Zenina, and he fell into a daze. He saw another person in his mind. She was a temple healer as well, and she too died a horrible death. The people they risked their lives saving abandoned them as well. <em>How simr they are.</em>


    For a moment, Zenina''s bruised visage ovepped with the face of a certain person who''d passed decades ago.


    The patients in the chamber exchanged looks of shock. The great wizard knelt before the corpse and gently held its ice-cold hand, then he held the back of that hand against his forehead. "Is it worth it, Lylianna? To save these people? To create a safer world free of monsters for them? Is it worth it?" Alzur stared at the woman in his mind lovingly. He shook his head. This time, he was adamant about the answer. "No. They do not deserve salvation."


    A stream of slow, chronic, and agonizing pain filled his soul. He grabbed the air and produced a chipped, yellowing lily emblem in his hand. "I tire of this. Let ite to an end." He muttered something under his breath manically.


    The patients were deathly silent, and then they felt chills running all over their skin. Magical energy swirled around the sorcerer before them, conjuring eerie hallucinations.


    The caws of jackdaws began as a whisper, then murmurs, then a screech. The screeching was woven into a cacophony, threatening to devour everything before it.


    "It has been decades, but I finally understand. Humans die to their brethren far more than they die to monsters."


    "Sir." The priestess cringed. Carefully, she asked, "What are you talking about?"


    "The endless wars, bottomless greed, hideous crimes, and human selfishness¡­ Those are the biggest cankers in this world."


    ***


    Everyone''s eyes went wide. The candlelight flickered and went out, plunging the house into deadly darkness. A pair of eyes shone in the darkness. mes crackled in the firece, illuminating the house.


    Brilliant lighting roared through the skies outside, shining the heavens with purplish-silver bolts. They shone on Alzur''s tear-streaked face.


    People in the healing chamber, the temple, and Maribor came out of their abode, staring at the phenomenon rolling in the deep, dark skies. The clouds leapt through the air. Heavier and heavier they became, until they were dark as night. The city under the looming clouds was thrown into a pit of gloom.


    And then a bolt of forked lightning sted through the clouds.


    "By the gods!" An elderly man with graying hair was stammering. "Is this the end of days?"


    A torrential downpour drenched the city. Dark clouds kept rolling overhead, and a tornado tore a hole in the skies. Bolts of lightning crackled and screamed, illuminating the sky.


    "Alzur, is that¡­" The priestess stared at the sky. Through chattering teeth, she asked, "Is that your portal? The one you used in the war a year ago?"


    The people in the healing chamber were shaken, and they nched. The man with an arm in a cast begged for mercy as he charged at the door. Filled by terror, countless people came running out of their houses and darted around like headless chickens.


    A cloud of mist burst outside the healing chamber, and a cloaked figure leapt out of nowhere. He swung his de around, and the man who tried to escape the room held his slit throat, falling to the ground head first.


    Blood spewed everywhere, and Roy was met with a familiar message.


    ''Acarin killed. EXP +20. Level 13 Witcher (2000/14500).''


    <em>These aren''t illusions. This is an actual world. </em>Roy looked at the sky. A terrifying, titanic creature covered the skies. The creature resembled a snake with a million legs, and it was slithering out of the tornado''s depths. It writhed in the heavens before falling into the city of Maribor. Falling onto the Temple of Melitele.


    The majestic, solemn temple was crushed under the weight of the monster. Dust and debris fell like rain, and the temple was crushed into ruins. The ground started to rumble, and countless humans were crushed into mincemeat.


    Even more were killed by the falling walls before they could even scream. The cross closed, and the blinding light disappeared, leaving nothing but the dark clouds, the dark city, and the many-legged creature behind. The asional bolt would illuminate it, but only its outline was visible.


    The creature destroyed the temple and left a terrifying ravine in the western part of the city, cleaving Maribor in two. With unstoppable force, the monster charged toward the military base in Maribor and the duke''s pce in the northwest.


    Every time lightning struck, Roy could see the great centipede rampaging through the city. It opened its double jaw and contracted its body as it ttened all the glorious buildings underneath its feet. Green poison rained down on the city, eating away at everything standing in its way. Only smoke and mud was left in the poison''s wake.


    The bustling western part of the city was turned into a living hell. Alzur took down his protective barrier and walked the broken thoroughfare of Maribor. Chaos energy swirled around him, lightning struck from the sky, and the monster he summoned devoured everything in its way.


    Screams, terror, and destruction wailed all around him, as if heralding his arrival as the emissary of the end of days. Alzur was crying, yet he was walking into the hell left behind by the monster. He was walking toward destruction.


    "Come back, Alzur."


    A sagely figure appeared. His sleeves billowed in the air, and an invisible wave of magic smacked away the boulder flying toward his student. Cosimonded behind Alzur and grabbed his shoulder.


    Alzur wheeled around, the lightning revealing his face that was contorted in pain. "Cosimo, everything I have done over the years meant nothing! The witchers can destroy monsters, but they cannot destroy the darkness hiding in the hearts of man! The selfishness, the greed, the cruelty, the apathy men are born with¡­ they''re more dangerous than any monsters out there."


    Thunder roared, and so did Alzur.


    "They do not deserve salvation! I tire of this, Cosimo. I wish to see her."


    "If you tire of this, then let it go. Let go of your shackles ande with me, Alzur. The legacy left by my teacher, Geoffrey Monck, might have something that will reunite you with Lylianna." Cosimo extended his hand. His eyes were murky, and his face was wrinkled. It was just like how he extended his invitation to Alzur so many years ago.


    Alzur stopped in his walk toward death.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 581: Breaking Apart

    The winds of winter assailed Kaedwen''s countryside. Snow covered the branches of the woods around, draping it in a silver nket. A monster the size of a hill was charging across the woods. It then crashed into a pine tree, breaking its trunk in two. The trunk fell with a thud, and the leaves stirred up a snowy storm.


    The snow flew into two men''s faces. They were in oversized cloaks and armed with silver swords. They stood on both ends of the broken trunk and exchanged a look. One was icy, while the other was simpering. They crouched, holding their sword in a plough stance. Cautiously, they looked at the chort before them. It had antlers all over its head and fangs sharp as daggers. Pungent, viscous drool dripped down its maw. Itsbored breathing was forming a sliver of white mist in the air.


    "Do you have any idea of what you''re doing, Riss?" Arnaghad''s de shone on his icy face and eyes. "The order''s rules. Firste first served. No one can steal another witcher''s request. I got the request to kill this beast from ckwater. Why are you interfering? Leave if you know what''s good for you."


    "Oh, calm down, Arnaghad. Calm down. We''re all brothers here. We can fight together, can''t we? Chorts are hard to handle. Fighting it alone is risky. You''re going to get hurt. You won''t being back to the castle for a warm winter if that''s the case." Riss smiled. "If we work together, we can kill this monster easily. I''ll take thirty percent of the reward, while you can have the rest. Then we can get back to Morgraig and feast."


    Riss stared at the monster, raring to go. The chort was infuriated by Riss'' scornful attitude. It roared in rage and left circr hoof marks in the snow as it charged at Arnaghad. The air was filled with its stench. The chort''s antlers were pointing at Arnaghad, as if the chort wanted to pierce the witcher and hold it high up in the air like he was a trophy.


    Arnaghad, however, moved with an agility his build shouldn''t have allowed. He leapt into the air andnded on the antler for a moment, then he somersaulted ahead, holding his de close to his chest. The witcher spun along with the momentum, and a silver ring formed around him.


    A bloody gash opened up on the chort''s dark, sturdy back. Blood sttered everywhere, drenching the white snow red. The monster howled as it lost control and crashed into a hundred-year-old pine tree. It fell, its head buried in the snow.


    Riss curled and darted ahead like an arrow, shing the left side of the monster''s back. He pulled his de out, and blood trickled into the ground. The witcher stepped on the monster''s thigh and quickly leapt onto its back. Riss quickly thrust his de and pierced the chort''s nape.


    But then metal shed, and someone flicked Riss'' sword away. That was an opening for the chort. It shook its body violently and made the witchers get off its back, then it charged toward a pine tree in the distance to catch its breath, staring at the witchers with caution. The cunning creature knew it crossed someone it shouldn''t.


    "Are you deaf, or did you drink too much?" Arnaghad pointed his sword at his erstwhilerade standing across the patch of blood, then he spat on the ground. "Last warning. The request is mine. I will not share the reward with anyone. Use your head. Because of your stupid valor and morality, the payment you demand isn''t even half of what I quoted. Whose standard are we going to follow when we take the money? And you want to split the earnings with me? Scram!"


    Riss was red and green with fury. "Arnaghad, I''m your brother, not your enemy! Is your heartless creed all you care about?"


    "Witchers who break the rules don''t get to call themselves my brother," said Arnaghad loudly, staring at Riss.


    "You bastard! You think you''re the leader just because Alzur and Cosimo left?"


    "Don''t talk to me about the old gits who abandoned us!"


    Riss ranted, "You''re a fool who only cares about your short-term profit! You''re nothing but a heartless executioner. You don''t care about valor or morals! You''d attack your own brother! Your mind is too narrow! End is ten times the man you are!"


    Arnaghad stopped hunting the chort. He darted over to Riss instead, then the air around exploded. Sparks flew from the shes of the des. Faster and faster the witchers swung their weapons, until the swords became silver bolts. The witchers shed, spun, and leapt across the battlefield.


    Aard rumbled, sting a hole in the snowy ground. Crimson Igni lit up the pine trees. The light of magic strobed, but it didn''tst too long.


    Someone made a sessful attack, and blood sttered through the air. Riss grunted and fell to the left. A gash spanned from his shoulder to waist. In fear, he rushed toward the chort.


    Still uninjured, icy Arnaghad held his bloodstained de. He leapt through the battlefield, intending to kill Riss, but then the chort screamed. The roar alone made the bushes in the woods bow. It ran past Riss and made its way toward Arnaghad.


    The witcher saw a looming shadowing toward him. He stopped in his tracks, his gaze icy. The witcher swung his weapon once more, and blood filled the ground.


    Injured, Riss had escaped, disappearing in the snowy expanse.


    ***


    Pale snow covered Castle Morgraig. Dummies and wooden stakes stood in the courtyard, and more than two hundred witchers were gathered around, though they were split into three factions led by End, Elgar, and Arnaghad and Ivar. For safety''s sake, a row of dummies stood between them.


    This time, there was no chatting or feasting or sharing of stories like the witchers used to do, nor were things merry. Everyone had fury in their eyes, and tension filled the air.


    "Arnaghad!" End clenched his fists tightly, ring at deadpan Arnaghad. Standing beside him was Riss, his chest bandaged. He too was ring at Arnaghad. "I know Riss shouldn''t have tried to take your request, but we''re members of the order. You could''ve talked things out. Why did you attack him? And you gave up killing a dangerous monster just to attack your own brother? Just to kill him? Did you forget that the order''s rules clearly state that we are not to kill each other?"


    "Arnaghad''s a madman." A young witcher behind End red at the icy brethren of his. "They used the wrong Trial and lost their empathy. Their faces are stupid, and they don''t even know tact. It''s like they think the world owes them."


    "Yeah. They aren''t loyal to the order, responsibility, or the brothers. They only care about themselves."


    ***


    "Shut it! Arnaghad warned Riss, but he didn''t listen. He broke the rules first." Another icy witcher came out from behind Arnaghad. "The prices we set would''ve been enough to feed everyone, but you lower your prices again and again because of your stupid valor and sometimes even work for free. Do you want everyone to starve? If Arnaghad had relented, should we be doing things your way and work without asking for anything in return? If we don''t make enough coins by winter, who''s going to keep the order running?"


    ***


    "Have you forgotten why this order was made?" End retorted righteously, "We exist to clean this world of monsters. To make it a safer ce for the people."


    "We have to see this goal through," someone among the crowd said. "We have to see this creed through if we want to stay true to ourselves."


    "Creed? Ideals? Bah." A burly witcher sneered. "That''s what Alzur and Cosimo shoved down our throats. It''s their ideals, but now¡­" He looked around and saw a lot of witchers looking dejected and furious because they were abandoned. "These <em>selfless </em>sorcerers abandoned us again because of their stupid ideals. They summoned a monster, destroyed half of Maribor, ruined our reputation, and they ran to hell themselves."


    "Alzur and Cosimo are no more!" More witchers spoke up. They exchanged looks. "Why should we follow the rules? They''re outdated, stupid, and make no sense!"


    "It is time for the order to make some changes." Ivar stepped up and looked around. Clearly, he said, "We shall no longer live for anyone else. No longer will we be bound toughable creed and valor. We will live freely. There will be adventures andrades waiting for us. There will be better days."


    A lot of witchers were tempted by that ideal.


    "No. Cosimo and Alzur are still alive. No one has seen their bodies," Elgar interrupted. He''d been neutral this whole time. "They are our teachers. Our leaders. They gave us strength to protect ourselves and bodies that will never fall to disease. They saved us from the fate of dying in the wilds like the other orphans. We should be grateful to them, notin about it."


    "They''re already dead, and still you''re sucking up to them." Arnaghad shook his head in disdain. "We gained this power by risking our lives. So many of us have paid the ultimate price, and so many are left withplications."


    "How long has it been? Ten years, and not even a single piece of news," Ivar said.


    "Stop changing the subject. Back to the meat of it. Arnaghad must apologize to Riss and gain his forgiveness before our brethren." End''s eyes shone, and a terrifying amount of chaos energy swirled around him. He was the only Source among the witchers. The Signs were nothing but circus tricks to him. "Swear to everyone you will never attack your brethren again, and we''ll let this slide."


    Elgar agreed, "Don''t let this be a precedent to start something bad. If we keep fighting over requests, someday we''re going to die at our own brethren''s hands."


    ***


    Everyone looked at the burly Arnaghad. He was at the center of this fight. End and his supporters were giving him warning res, while Elgar and his supporters were gently asking him to apologize. Arnaghad''s men held their breaths. Icy winds blew through the corridor, and Arnaghad''s cloak billowed in the air.


    "There will be no apology," he refused adamantly. If he bowed to these people, he would lose his supporters'' trust.


    "I''m not epting it anyway." Riss narrowed his eyes. Venom dripped from his gaze. "I want an eye for an eye."


    ***


    The sh happened just like that. Riss attacked Arnaghad''s knees with Aard, trying to make him kneel, but Ivar used his Evil-Eye and predicted that, so he held Arnaghad up.


    Arnaghad did not kneel, but his pride made him draw his de, and he swung it at his brethren. The bad blood and grudge they had exploded into hatred, and the fights of the past bled into the present.


    The battle began just like that. In the beginning, it was just the knightly witchers led by End and the revolutionists led by Arnaghad and Ivar. Elgar and the neutral witchers took up half the numbers, and they kept trying to stop the fight, but the violence was blind to everything. They were dragged into the mess by the people involved in the civil war.


    ***


    The battle red even further. The light of swinging swords, the illumination of magic, the sounds of battles, and screams of the fighters filled the courtyard. Four witchers, hidden in the mist and invisible to one another, stood on the walls, sighing as they watched the civil war unfold. The mist was unpredictable. They were but observers, and they couldn''t change anything.


    ***


    The civil warsted for a day and a night. When dawn came, blood had drenched the icy ground. More than half the witchers in the order would not wake up again. End''s group and Elgar''s team won in the end.


    Arnaghad led twenty supporters and two sorcerers and fled the castle, bringing with them two sets of Trial recipes. They went all the way south, arriving at the steep and dangerous Amell. To be precise, they came to a sculpted and almost obelisk-like mountain called Gorgon.


    A Z-shaped wall stood in this ce. Four towers and a few beautiful turrets were installed on the walls. Snow covered the fortress'' walls.


    "Haern Caduch." Arnaghad turned around to face his supporters, whose eyes were glinting brightly. Adamantly, he said, "From today onward, this is our home. We might have left the order, but we have to thrive as well. We will take requests and ept new blood, and we need a name to call ourselves. We are straightforward. We only take requests to survive. We will not be bound to any moral code. We are the most powerful warriors in thend of the snow. Our iron will is our most powerful armor. Nothing can harm or shake us. Henceforth, we shall be called the School of the Bear!"


    The witchers raised their hands and roared. Only Ivar was looking around, hesitant. He once again saw the phantom knights on skeletal horses spreading war everywhere they went. <em>Will the Bears fight those guys for us?</em>


    Felix was in the mist, and he cocked his eyebrow. Letho couldn''t believe this. He had no idea the Viper School originated from the Bear School. <em>Then they will split eventually. Ivar and Arnaghad do not share the same ideals.</em>


    ***


    The witchers in Morgraig, while victorious, were left with only a few members. Half died in the civil war, and Arnaghad took a batch away. Their faith in saving the people was hit hard. End shrewdly noticed that even though the ones who stayed behind said nothing, they still med him for fighting Arnaghad.


    Things in Morgraig took a turn for the worse, and glory among the witchers soon faded. End knew that thend of dreams could never go back to its former state. Because of Alzur''s destruction of Maribor and the nder and libel spread by the temples and sorcerers, the whole world despised witchers, making their lives harder than ever.


    And then, one night, End led thirteen friends who shared his ideals and a sorcerer away from the castle. As Arnaghad went south, he went northwest, eventually entering the bay of Kovir and Poviss. He found Kaer Seren, a castle standing on the cliff overlooking the coast. It was another ce Alzur and Cosimo used to conduct experiments in. They cleared the magicalnd of its skeletons and dered that they owned the ce.


    "Knights, do you remember the training we went through when we first became witchers?"


    "Whenever you swing your sword or cast a Sign, think about the glory of witchers and our creed!" thirteen witchers, noble and proud, answered.


    This was the teaching of Llewelyn, a wandering knight and their old swordy teacher. The man who called himself Griffin had unwavering will, and he was a perfect example of the spirit Alzur talked about. He influenced the lives of many young witchers, but s, the knight was only a regr human, and he''d passed a long time ago.


    "No matter how times change, we shall hold on to the ideals of saving the people. One day, they will throw away their fear and rumors and thank us for our services."


    Griffins were noble, loyal animals. Also, tomemorate the Griffin who taught them so long ago, End set up a school before his friends. "From here on out, this fortress, our home, shall be named School of the Griffin."


    Someone in the mist got excited. Coen''s heart soared, and he sang the school''s song of battle, though only he could hear it.


    ***


    After End''s departure, another group of witchers embarked on a journey without a destination. In the end, only Elgar and his twentypanions who chose the path of neutrality stayed behind in Morgraig. They stayed in the castle for years and searched for their brethren everywhere as they waited for Alzur and Cosimo''s return. They hoped to see their brethren gather once more, but s, their passion cooled down and was turned into disappointment.


    On one certain day five yearster, Elgar and his twenty brothers who''d stuck through thick and thin with him, marched into the northeastern part of thend, where Kaedwen''s Blue Mountains stood. They found the abandoned fortress standing within the wilderness of the mountains¡ªKaer Seren.


    "Brothers, we maintain a code of neutrality. We will not partake in any politics or wars between kingdoms. We only ept requests and y the monsters that harm humans. We shall band together forever." Elgar looked at his brethren, tearing up. "Every time we turn our heads and call for our brothers, there will always be people walking with you. Like wolves, we will never walk alone. Thus, we are the School of the Wolf."


    Vesemir watched his younger self swinging his fists around with Elgar. Tears spilled from his eyes, and guilt filled his heart. <em>I''m sorry, Elgar. I let you down. The school went into a decline in the end.</em>


    In a ce no one noticed, a half-elf that had gone through a mutation led a group of second-rate products on a mutiny against the sorcerers in Stygga, then they joined the faction of Aen Seidhe, serving the elves faithfully. They walked silently and with grace. Like cats, they were temperamental, and they called themselves the School of the Cat.


    ***


    The golden age of witchers thus began. The mist blinked, and Roy followed Alzur, who''d destroyed half of Maribor, and Cosimo. They came to the ever unfurling Dragon Mountains and stopped in a hidden valley.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 582: Dragon Mountains

    Dragon Mountains stood in the northernmost part of the Continent, hidden in the mist. The legendary sorcerer, Alzur, walked into the depths of the mountains with Cosimo. They came to a silent, snow-covered valley hidden in a remote area.


    Within the center of the valley stood a two-story tall ck obelisk. Mana swirled around it, and there were no beasts surrounding it. Alzur wiped the snow off the obelisk''s surface, staring at theplex, strange, and wriggling runes on it. "Not Elder Speech, not Northern Common Speech, nor is it Nilfgaardiannguage."


    "That''s thenguage of Dauk and Vorkers a thousand years ago." Cosimo looked at the map in his hands. "Geoffrey¡¯s notes wrote of the legacy of these extinct civilizations."


    "Cosimo, can the secrets contained within really let me see Lylianna again?" Alzur had a vacant look in his eyes, and he was dazed. The reason he kept on living was so he could see his lover once more, but she had passed decades ago. Not even necromancers could revive her.


    The djinn left behind by Geoffrey could only cast its magic on nearby targets, and it had a lot of rules to follow. It was far from omnipotent. It could not revive Lylianna, but there was another record left behind by Geoffrey, and it lit hope within Alzur''s heart.


    "Dauk and Vorkers were the first humans to descend upon this world after the Conjunction. They lived in the Dragon Mountains as neighbors and believed in a goddess named Niya. The goddess of the east and the demoness of night, Lilit. The runes they left behind were used by archeologists to create the infamous Curse of the ck Sun, condemning countless girls to damnation. However, these civilizations disappeared overnight more than a thousand years ago, including the goddess they believed in. There must be an incredible secret unknown to anyone hidden within."


    Cosimo held up his belly and circled the obelisk, musing. He read the runes. "A Dauk cksmith picked up a red star that fell out of the skies. Within the star, a voice spoke in thenguage of ancient gods. ''I can grant you any wish you desire, but I require a sacrifice in the form of fallen souls.''"


    The mention of a wish stirred something within Cosimo and Alzur, but they were worried they might get disappointed, so they held their anticipation back.


    "And so, the cksmith picked a target from his tribe and struck him down, subsequently turning him into a sacrifice. Not too longter, his actions were found out. He and the star were destroyed by Dauks and Vorkers. Or did they seal them?" Cosimo stomped his foot. "That''s all the obelisk says." The power that chased away all the valley''s beasts was right before him. "But ording to Geoffrey''s appraisal, the civilizations were destroyed because of this meteorite, and it might be right under this obelisk."


    Cosimo sadly said, "s, Geoffrey died because of a magical ident before he could explore the secrets of this meteorite, and he left his legacy to me, his student." Cosimo patted the listless Alzur''s shoulder. "We''ve collected twelve sealed bottles beforeing here. It''s enough to deal with most emergencies. If we can find the meteorite and harness its power, perhaps we can grant you your wish of seeing Lylianna again."


    ***


    "This power destroyed two civilizations." Alzur hesitated. "What if its source is a powerful evil god or even a demon?"


    "That''s what I''ve been worried about. What we''re about to do brings with it unpredictable dangers. We do not know if the thing we''ll unleash is a box of wishes, or a crate of disaster." Cosimo said, "Fortune telling gave me no results. Whether we go on with it or not depends on you."


    Alzur stared at his wizened, tired, but encouraging teacher, and he wanted to say something. For decades, Cosimo had been by his side, helping him, answering his doubts. He was Alzur''s teacher and a father figure. He was Alzur''s bestpanion in his experiments and his closestrade.


    "You do not have to say anything. You are my student." Cosimo patted Alzur''s shoulder, then he stopped talking for a moment. A hint of sadness, for once in a hundred years, flickered on his face. "I do not possess your courage. I could never have summoned a myriapodan in a city like you did."


    Alzur nodded. The feeling of despair returned once more, and he snapped his fingers. The snow underneath the obelisk was sted away, revealing a flight of obsidian stairs leading downward. The sorcerers descended the stairs and pushed the ck stone door at the end of the passage with their magic.


    ***


    "Ilre," Alzur said. A ball of orange light floated over the sorcerers'' heads, illuminating the chamber, showing them all its corners. It was a regr square chamber, and there were braziers in all corners, though they were dusty and covered in cobwebs. From the looks of it, it had been deserted for perhaps a millennium.


    The light shone on the few vibrant, primitive, and rough murals. They were depicting some kind of sacrificial ritual. From the left, the first mural showed a group of barbarians in hide jackets and gands holding up a huge tter filled with gutted grizzly bears, boars, and wyverns. They presented their sacrifice to a dark, naked woman in the center. Behind her was the depiction of a ck sun. Sixty girls with golden crowns on their heads knelt around her, fallen in a river of blood.


    The second mural showed a man holding up a diamond-shaped stone, then scores of holes opened up in the skies, releasing beams of crimson light. The red light shone upon the barbarians standing underneath a statue, and then they caught on fire. Eventually, they disappeared in the red light, leaving nothing behind.


    Between the murals, a statue kept everything under control. She was curvy, seductive, gorgeous, and wore a golden crown on her head. A pair of goat''s horns covered in runs protruded from her crown, and a pair of fangs were sped over her lip, while a pair of batlike wings hung from her back. She looked like thebination between a higher vampire and a subus.


    Even though she was just a statue, there was captivating magicing from her eyes. Any regr human would never be able to move their eyes from her once they had a look. But the statue had no warmth on her face. She was smiling, but it was a lonely smile, as if she was warning the intruding sorcerers.


    The sorcerers would not leave, not when they were already at the end. They turned to the item sitting underneath the statue. An ebony box the size of a fist stood on the altar, and chains tied it down. After hundreds of years, the chains were already covered in dust and had rust on their silver surface. Despite the seals, the box radiated strange and powerful mana. The space around it copsed and rebuilt itself from its influence.


    The light and breaking space wove together a little domain that vibrated at a high frequency. The air around the box was rippling like the surface of ake after it was kissed by a gust of wind. The box seemed to have a life of its own, shivering happily as the sorcerers watched it.


    Rings of red light radiated from the box, and something formed in it. The chick of a falcon was trapped in its egg, struggling for life, shaking its body, but it couldn''t break free. The chick chirped weakly, asking the sorcerers for help, but the sorcerers hesitated.


    Roy, who was held by the mist, stared at the red light as well, and he felt a sense of closenessing from it. It felt like he was looking at his twin, at his familiar yet unfamiliar reflection in a mirror. His heart, his soul, and his blood were shaking. <em>Is that the Most High? The shard?</em>


    The light called out to him, but Roy held back his urge to respond. The sorcerers made up their minds, and a bright light of magic burst forth from their robes. The power of their minds, made into a pair of invisible hands by the element of air, flew toward the box, but before they could reach the statue, ck light blinked, and an elliptical energy barrier appeared in the air, covering the statue and the box. Yellow bolts of electricity danced around the barrier.


    The invisible hands were destroyed right away. The sorcerers exchanged a look. rm bells rang in their heads, and they stopped attacking. Once again, Roy saw something familiar.


    Cosimo took a yellow porcin jar out and took off its cap. The cap had a cross and an enneagram on it. Electric bolts swam around, and thunder roared. Then, a silver thundercloud appeared. The djinn extended its left w at the altar of Lilit.


    The air itself sizzled, and a purple bolt of electricity mmed into the statue like a meteor hurtling through the air, but the barrier reappeared, burning the lightning bolt red, halting its advancement.


    The air screeched, and smoke billowed. Electric bolts writhed and thrust ahead at the ck barrier like a viper, but they came to a stalemate. White-purplish and red lights filled the chamber.


    The djinn opened its beak, letting out angry caws. It extended its right w, and another bolt hurtled away at the statue. The barrier once again dispersed the impact to the space around it, and the chamber rattled, rumbling as if it were hit by an earthquake. Even the ck box on the altar shivered violently.


    The sorcerers quickly made gestures. Their rings and nes shone, andyers of shields appeared around them. The only one unaffected was Roy, the eternal observer. Lilit''s statue gave him the same feeling he got from Freya and Melitele. This was a true god. She was the patron goddess of the legendary Dauk and Vorkers, but she was weak. Weaker than Freya or Melitele. Lilit felt like a mirage.


    The barriersted for thirty seconds, and then an explosion rattled the air as the barrier shattered from the electric bolts'' assault. Like a broken porcin item, cracks appeared on Lilit''s statue, and it quickly spread like a web. The statue shattered into pieces of debris, falling to the ground, and the box fell into silence.


    The sorcerers had no respite, however. A great wave of energy surged forth. ck light appeared in the air, weaving a lifelike illusion in the air. The creature stood in the air quietly. She had horns on her head, a body that was to die for, and lips crimson as blood, but fangs glinted on her lips. Her eyes were as silver as the moon in the sky, and she looked at the sorcerers.


    There was fury, despair, venom, and ice-cold power that could freeze the soul. An invisible wave of energy kept the sorcerers in ce, and winds howled. Lilit opened her beautiful mouth, and a mysterious, dark, hate-filled voice echoed in the air, piercing the minds of those around, cracking their heads.


    "Pot? piew¨®rzpude? ko, dobrzeumrze?!" A surge of ck light, almost impossible to catch with the eye, pierced the djinn, and the elemental exploded. The remaining light charged at Alzur, but for some reason, Cosimo broke free of his bondage and held up a barrier, then he stood before his student.


    The ck light rammed into his body, and the old sorcerer shivered, his face turning red. The chains tying the box down were breaking up, and a ball of crimson came running out. It was like a petite octopus iling its tentacles. The octopus pounced on Lilit and iled its tentacles, its suckers crunching like mouths, tearing away at the goddess.


    The illusion let out a scream of despair before it broke into pieces and disappeared. The octopus slowly waved its tentacles, floating around for a moment. There was joying from it, but more than that, it was listless and weak.


    "What is this thing? A meteorite?" Alzur said, his voice trembling. He held Cosimo up, but he didn''t move.


    The little red thing was like a blob of jelly, its almost transparent veins rolling around. It was almost adorable, and then the thing stared knowingly at the witcher hiding in the mist.


    Roy was shaken, and his character sheet glitched uncontrobly.


    The little blob of red''s tentacles fell limp to its sides, and then it fell to the ground. The light around it strobed, blinking in and out of existence, as if the thing would disappear soon.


    Alzur''s heart clenched up. He went ahead and scooped up the little red blob. The moment he touched the thing, the octopus melted into a puddle of mud and merged with Alzur, leaving nothing behind. Alzur closed his eyes, then he stood frozen in his spot, as if falling into a stupor. As if he were epting some message.


    "Alzur?" Cosimo held his chest, huffing and puffing. He leaned on the wall, still wobbling, and he looked at Alzur nervously.


    A whileter, Alzur opened his eyes. Confusion flickered in his eyes, but then he regained hisposure. "Worry not, Cosimo. I have never felt better. It feels like I¡¯ve been reborn." Alzur clenched his fists, a smile curling his lips.


    "What was that light in the box?" Cosimo stared at Alzur''s eyes, reconfirming that this was the same person he knew.


    "The meteorite that''s written on the obelisk, but it calls itself Most High."


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "Hard to exin. It now lives in my body and soul, akin to something like an appendage. It relies on me for survival. I can harness its power as I wish. Once it matures and awakens its true power, it can, with a special way, realize all our wishes," said Alzur confidently. "But this involves the mystery of the Dauk and Vorkers'' destruction as well as Lilit''s fall. I will exin it on the way back."


    "All our wishes? So Geoffrey''s testament is right." Cosimo''s voice was shivering, and his wrinkles seemed to wriggle. He bent over and coughed violently, pping his hand to his mouth. When he removed his hand, there was blood in his palm.


    "How do you feel?"


    "That illusion was probably the image of Lilit, goddess of the east. She stayed here to seal the Most High you talked about. Because of our sphemous actions, she cursed me." Cosimo frowned. "She''s weakening me continuously, but no matter. I can still hold on."


    The sorcerers tossed the shards away and left the underground chamber.


    "We need some assistance. It requires enough nutrients, and we cannot collect it fast enough by ourselves."


    "Let''s meet some old friends, then. They deserve closure as well."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 583: For Yourself

    In the snow-covered fortress of Haern Caduch stands a big courtyard and training field, but they were empty and quiet. Arnaghad, in his bear-hide cloak, stood silently like a thinker''s statue. His icy face and chilly eyes had questions in them. Once, there were more than thirty Bears swinging their des in the training field, but the merry situation onlysted a few decades. Now, there were only five Bears left in this castle. Aside from him, everyone else was outside, adventuring. Most of the Bears left this castle in spring years ago and never came back.


    Arnaghad lost badly. The oath he made during the founding of this school now sounded like a joke. He couldn''t understand. He followed the creed and didn''t get tied down by emotions or morals. He took requests as he pleased. So why did his school decline so much?


    "Don''t you understand?" a dark voice said from behind.


    Arnaghad turned around and saw a cloud of swirling mist. An unfamiliar witcher with greyish-green eyes appeared. He walked with the grace and bnce of a cat. Arnaghad and the other witcher saw a familiar sense of forlornness in each other''s eyes. The Cat School and the Bear School simrly broke apart.


    "Who are you?" Arnaghad held his de up, pointing it at the intruder.


    Felix didn''t answer. He asked, "Do you still not understand how or why your school fell into ruin?"


    Arnaghad mused over it for a moment. He took one step ahead, and he shifted his sword from his left to his right. The point of his sword was trembling, and Arnaghad said, "Because of Ivar''s betrayal. He gathered a group of traitors and ruined the school''s future." <em>And he injured me badly. </em>That left a deep mark on his back, and even now, it didn''t healpletely.


    "You me someone else for your failures, but have you ever wondered why he betrayed you?"


    "Because he refused to be someone''s second-inmand. I knew he was ambitious when I saw his eyes."


    Felix shook his head. "You know about the creed you set for the school. Heartless and cold. In the short term, your members of course feel great. They have enough freedom and personal space, but the severely wed Trial had sown the seeds of disaster long ago. Your members not only are heartless to strangers, but they feel no camaraderie among themselves either. Their lives revolve around nothing but requests. They do not cheer for theirrades'' triumphs, nor do they mourn for their deaths."


    Felix''s eyes were ring. Adamantly, he said, "Youck a sense of camaraderie. That is the soul of a team." He looked at the silver bear head''s medallion hanging from Arnaghad''s neck. "Aside from a cold, useless title, what does the School of the Bear bring for your members? Haern Caduch is nothing but a temporary abode for them. They will not find their true home here."


    Furious, Arnaghad leapt into the air, pointing his de at Felix, and he swung it down, drawing a silver line through the air.


    Felix spun like a top, his de spinning as well, drawing a silver ring around him. He dispersed most of the impact, and his de slithered closer to Arnaghad from the momentum, eventually piercing his wrist.


    ***


    Metal shed. Arnaghad swung his greatsword around and around, winds blowing around him. He stirred up a storm. Like waves in a sea, his attacks crashed and crashed again. Felix was a lone wooden boat in that sea, swaying and sailing at incredible speeds along with the waves. He was plunged into dangerous situations multiple times, but the Cat kept his bnce.


    The battle raged for a few moments, then the fighters broke apart. Felix crouched a little, clenching the hilt of his sword slowly. His hand was getting numb, but he kept on arguing, "Arnaghad, the iron will and the armor of your heart you depend on so much are the biggest ws you have. Without emotions, you can never show your true self to yourpanions. You will walk this life alone."


    Arnaghad remained icy. Quietly, he swung his de once more, but before his sword could hit, Felix disappeared. He looked around in a daze, and then a voice in his heart told him that the stranger was right. The advice from Alzur, End, Elgar, and Ivar rang in his mind. His erased emotions were his strength, but also his biggest w. Unfortunately, without any emotions, Arnaghad could never realize what it meant to feel. He could not turn back anymore. The School of the Bear was already broken. Even if he were to regain his emotions, nothing would go back to normal.


    "Arnaghad. Finally found you." A dark, swirling square portal appeared in the air. Three robed figures appeared from the portal andnded silently. Magic swirled around them like light.


    A handsome man with graying sideburns looked at him. "Come with me, my friend." Alzur smiled at his long-lost friend. "I shall help you regain your emotions and create a new Bear School. You will have the chance to patch up your regrets."


    Arnaghad held his sword cautiously, staring at his creators in disbelief. He also looked at the man behind them. The man named Idarran had a manic smile on his face. <em>The creators. They''re supposed to be dead, and yet they''re still alive? </em>"You abandoned us without a word, and now you want us back? What do you think we are? Pets? I''m not going back!"


    ***


    In the east of Kaedwen stood the Blue Mountains. Within it was the fortress of Kaer Morhen. Vesemir was witnessing the growth of the Wolf School under Elgar''s guidance. Every spring, the school''s members would travel the northernnds, ying monsters and taking requests. They remained neutral, not taking any sides in politics or war, nor did they break their moral code by taking any assassination requests just for coins. Yet they wouldn''t stubbornly stick to the so-called creed either. The Wolves would demand payment depending on their mood and the fluctuating prices in the market. That helped them adapt to differentnds.


    However, they had a mandatory rule. Everyone, no matter where they were, must return to Kaer Morhen every winter, bringing the coins, items, and even children they gained from the Law of Surprise. They would share their triumphs and defeats with their brethren. The Wolves'' casualty rate was always low. Unlike the Griffins, they wouldn''t throw themselves into danger for their ideals. They wouldn''t take any requests that were obviously beyond their capabilities, and they knew how to stay away from a lot of trouble.


    Thanks to the warm surrounding and great camaraderie as well as the assistance from the sorcerers Chird and Hieronymus, Wolf School quickly gained a hundred witchers, bing the school with the most number of members.


    And then the fateful day came. As the founder and master cksmith of the school, Elgar, in a bid to make better weapons and armor for his brethren, left the school to travel thend, searching for master cksmiths all over the realms. Six monthster, he returned, weary but smiling warmly. In his knapsack were blueprints he spent a lot of effort making. Once he made armor and weapons out of these blueprints, his brethren would have a safer time adventuring.


    However, his passion was quickly turned into despair. Despair worse than the falling out in Morgraig. The once bustling and noisy Kaer Morhen was nothing but ruins standing on steep cliffs, its walls torn down. The stair-like walls were torn in half, and bricks were strewn all across the ground. The barbican and city gate''s remnants had ck marks on them, proof that they were burned. The turrets had holes bored through them, as if they were hit by falling meteorites. Some were broken from the middle.


    Elgar could ept this. He could always rebuild if the castle was gone, but if the people were gone, then everything he''d brought back would mean nothing. Elgar knelt before the gates of Kaer Morhen, where bloody corpsesy. He saw familiar faces among the corpses. They''d greet him every time they saw him.


    They were dead now. Their faces were covered in blood, their bodies cold and lifeless, but their eyes were wide open, thest remnant of their rage and dismay etched on their visage. More than nine out of ten people of Kaer Morhen were dead. The swordmaster was stabbed by swords and pitchforks. Young witchers held their bellies, leaned against the charred tree in the courtyard. They weren''t breathing anymore, their dted pupils still staring at the broken castle. Some of the corpses belonged to young children who hadn''t even passed the Trial just yet. They were burned and electrocuted into cinders.


    The witchers'' corpses were strewn across the castle. Lying beside them were the corpses of peasants, soldiers, violent thugs, and some sorcerers. For one witcher corpse, ten bodies of their enemiesy beside them. Even so, that did not change the fact that Kaer Morhen was gone. Elgar buried his face in the mud, tears covering his gaunt cheeks. "What did we witchers do wrong? Why did they do this to us?" <em>We''ve always been neutral! We only minded our own business! Why did this happen to us? </em>"Why? Why? I should never have left!"


    Regret and fury red in Elgar''s heart. He was the founder of the school, and yet in theirst moments, he failed to stand with them and fight off the invaders. He would rather die valiantly in battle than live alone in this world.


    "Elgar¡­" Vesemir stared at the broken school, the rims of his eyes getting red. Memories of that fateful day flooded his mind like waves in a sea, but they were pushed down.


    His younger self was buried under the sea of corpses, unconscious. This would be goodbye to Elgar. He stared at the grandmaster and walked out of the mist.


    Winds howled over the castle, and a diamond-shaped portal appeared. Four silhouettes leapt out of the portal andnded before the wailing witcher.


    "Elgar." The voice Elgar vividly remembered rang out in the air. He looked up, his eyes still watery, but he saw a familiar face. "Come with us and end this monstrosity once and for all."


    Sagely Cosimo, Idarran, and icy Arnaghad stood behind that man.


    "It''s been years, but you''re still as weak as ever." Arnaghad shook his head. "Wipe your tears and make yourself useful if you''re a man."


    "They''re dead. All dead. They can''te back anymore." Elgar wiped his tears.


    "No." Alzur''s eyes twinkled with light that shone brightly. "You have a chance to right this wrong, trust me."


    ***


    Beneath the Dragon Mountains was the coast of Kovir and Poviss. Stars shone in the night sky above, while Kaer Seren stood silently on the cliff. It had a rough outline, looking like a beast devouring the stars'' light.


    A man in knight-like silver armor equipped with twin swords stood in the snowy night, listening to the waves crashing on the reef. He stared up at the changing stars silently, and memories that spanned a century filled his heart.


    Under the guidance of valor, the Griffin School grew, despite the difficulties. The Law of Surprise was rare to begin with, and they were bound by a lot of noble rules. Not everyone could adapt to their teachings. More than a hundred years had gone by, but they only had slightly more than 60 members. Compared to the other schools, however, the Griffins had a great advantage. Their reputation was good, and the people dly gave them requests and enough respect.


    End could feel the oath he made slowlying true. Alzur was no more, but the Griffin School inherited his will perfectly. He was confident that the world would eventuallye to respect those who cut down the dangers that attacked humanity, just like how they admired the stars in the sky.


    <em>Hm? </em>End cocked his eyebrow. The constetion of Centaurus, that stood brightly beside the silvery moon, suddenly shone crimson. Dangerously, bloodily crimson. The constetion hung over the castle overlooking the coast, and the red omen enveloped Kaer Seren. <em>Something''s wrong.</em>


    Horrified, End quickly made a blue Sign and shoved it at the castle behind him. A blue light charged through the air, and the rune shone bright. A screeching explosion rattled the air, spreading across the castle.


    "That''s the rm!" Keldar, handsome though he had a long face, snapped out of his meditation. He roared as he ran out of his room, knocking on the doors nearby. "Get up! Danger iing!"


    Unlike most witchers, his eyes did not inspire fear. Instead, they twinkled with wisdom.


    A burly, knightly witcher came out. His pupils were sharp. As he wore his armor, he asked, "What''s the situation, Keldar?"


    "The grandmaster sounded the rm. Wake our brethren. We have to leave immediately!" Keldar shouted.


    The witchers moved quickly, but orderly. End charged straight to the castle, but the ominous feeling in his heart hung heavier with every passing moment. His face was red, and he clenched his teeth. He quickly made gestures with both hands, holding them high over his head. A gigantic silver barrier of Quen expanded like a balloon, keeping the castle under its protection.


    ***


    But it was toote. Something thundered in the night, and it rattled the air. The roar was a hundred times louder than the rm End set off. The castle, the cliff, and the nearby sea were starting to shake. Behind the castle stood a steep, towering mountain. From beyond the skies, a terrifying roar came. The snow that had covered the Dragon Mountains for a thousand years, the snowy, ancientnd on the slope, started to crack.


    Like a tsunami, the avnche rumbled down the sides of the gash. Faster and faster it went toward the ancient castle underneath the mountain. Hurricanes screamed, plunging the world into darkness, and the avnche quaked the earth.


    End stood before the castle, and he saw through the night. He saw white steam rising from the mountain nearby. Rising, rising, until it reflected the sharp moonlight, then it tore open a hole through the dark skies.


    Endless snow galloped down the mountains like ten thousand stallions, bringing with it deadly chill and a destructive roar.


    When the witchers saw what was going on, when Keldar finally gathered his brethren and came to their mentor''s aid, it was all toote.


    The snow tumbled off the cliff and fell like a torrential downpour, crashing into Kaer Seren without fail. The barrier End held up onlysted for a moment under the assault of nature, and it broke.


    That night, beautiful snow tore off its mask, revealing the true, violent nature it had hidden for a thousand years. The castle was engulfed. Snow covered the ins, but it wasn''t enough. It rolled off the cliff overseeing the coast and filled the sea, forming countless bizarre ciers.


    The snow rolled off into the sea along with the pale, foaming waves, taking with it more than sixty lives. The castle was mostly destroyed by the impact. The only thing remaining was the top of a tower jutting through the snow-covered tomb. Everything else was buried underneath.


    The once vibrant, lively School of the Griffin was melded into the snow and turned into a great snow mountain overseeing the coast.


    ***


    A long, long timeter, one single hand pushed itself through the snow. It was End, and he was ashen. Like a madman, he dug and dug through the snow, but all he found were cold, lifeless bodies.


    A few dayster, the mountain behind Kaer Seren, which had grown more than a hundred feet taller, saw more than sixty graves dug in it. End had changed into traveling attire. He took out the journal he recorded his life''s adventures and knowledge in. The grandmaster buried Liber Tenebrarum into the grave of Keldar.


    Once again, he looked back at his destroyed home. Despair and agony flooded him like waves. His dreams, goals, and aspirations were destroyed once more. The grandmaster left, never to return.


    Coen was in the mist. He watched everything, his eyes red.


    Not too longter, a gash opened up in the mountain path End was taking. Five silhouettesnded before him. Alzur extended his hand, inviting the grandmaster to join him. Cosimo''s face was ckened for some reason, but he smiled at End.


    "End, my prized student. Join me. Your brethren have died in vain, but I swear I shall revive them."


    End took Alzur''s hand without hesitation.


    ***


    Further down south in Amell stood Tir Tochair, home to Gorthur Gvaed. A great spiraling staircase adorned the conspicuous tower of this fortress. Ivar was crouched on the castle''s walls. Beneath him was a moat a few hundred feet deep. Mist swirled over the moat, and the air was filled with the horrifying stench of poison.


    When he looked at the starry sky above, his eyes that could see through dimensions showed him terrifying scenes. Lightning leapt across the skies like snakes. Again and again lightning slithered, but he heard no thunder. Then winds howled, and Ivar''s fringe pped his cheeks. A white ribbon quickly lit up the night sky, and it wriggled like a maggot.


    Countless silhouettes appeared on the ribbon. They were vague and terrifying, but as they came closer, they got clearer. The knights had horned helmets adorned with feathers. They wore deathly gray masks, and the skin underneath was white as corpses. The skeletal steeds they rode wore grey, tattered rugs.


    Winds howled, and lightning cut through the ck sky. Hauntingly beautiful singing came from the ribbon, then the knights turned directions,ing straight to Gorthur Gvaed. The skeletal horses seemed to have crushed the walls beyond the moat easily. The king of the Wild Hunt was in the vanguard, charging straight ahead. It had a skull for a head, and its helmet was rusted. Greenish-grey mes red in its empty eye sockets, and its tattered cloak billowed in the wind. Its ne nged against its rusty armor.


    "Ivar Evil-Eye!" The king of the Wild Hunt kicked its horse''s rib, letting out horrifying, arrogantughter. "The Viper School belongs to us! They will join us and race toward the end of days!"


    "No, you bastard! Give them back to me!"


    "Thene at us. I await you in another world."


    "I swear, someday I''ll find your hiding ce and tear you down, you bastards! I will make you kneel before me!"


    A skeletal knight behind the king of the Wild Hunt took off its helmet. Its eyes were gray, and he stared at Ivar numbly. Something was ring in its heart, but it was pushed down. A silver viper medallion hung around the knight''s neck, gleaming. How ironic. Behind that knight were five more that had viper medallions hanging before their chests.


    Ivar leapt, unsheathing his sword, and he swung it high in the air. The cavalry''s illusion was cut in half, turning into smoke. The grandmasternded, clenching his teeth and shivering in rage. Ever since the Viper School''s inception, the Wild Hunt woulde and take its members away once every few years. They seemed to have considered the school a ce from which to steal new recruits. Time and time again, they took away Ivar''s students.


    The Wild Hunt was the Viper School''s nemesis, but Ivar was powerless to stop them. He had the power to see through dimensions, but not the power to conquer them. Under the attacks of the Wild Hunt and the growing greed of the Southern empire, the Viper School was weakening. They would go extinct at this rate.


    "Ivar." An icy voice snapped Ivar out of his rage.


    "Arnaghad, you icy son of a bitch! You''re still alive?"


    "I am not going to die before I pay you back for breaking my school up," Arnaghad retorted.


    Four figures came out from behind him. Ivar took a look, and his heart thumped. Elgar, End, Alzur, and Idarran showed up. Ivar rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.


    "Stop that, Ivar. It''s true. We''re still alive." Alzur smiled at Ivar. "Come back. We shall rid you of your problem once and for all."


    "You''ll deal with the Wild Hunt? Are you for real?"


    "I swear, in the name of my love." Alzur looked at the other witchers. "Do you see? Everyone has their own wish they want to be granted, but we must band together. This time, however, we will not rid this world of its monsters. We will no longer sacrifice ourselves for theughable people. We will only do things for ourselves."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 584: Who Am I

    Roy and the other witchers followed the blinking mist back to snow-capped Haern Caduch, hidden among the mountains. On the first floor of the castle stood an empty great hall. The ceiling was held up by multiple rough stone pirs, and sconces hung on their sides. The fire in the firece was crackling and burning brightly, illuminating the grandmasters and sorcerers around the table.


    Ivar joined the team a hundred years after the first three. He missed a hundred years'' worth of activities. With a conflicted gaze, he scanned his long-lost friends. The other witchers were still wearing almost the same clothes as when hest saw them, but time left some marks on them. They had scars on their faces and felt more storied, but aside from that, there wasn''t much difference, though there was a hint of numbness on their faces.


    Alzur, his mentor, was still as dashing as ever. He had not a single wrinkle on his face, but his hair was fully white, and his eyes had a tired look in them. Ivar smiled bitterly. "Like the gods'' believers said, we''re heretics cursed by destiny. That''s why the schools we spent our lives making crumbled in the end. The members either die or leave. Our efforts were for nothing. In the end, we''re alone."


    "Are you trying to show off, Ivar?" Elgar heaved a sigh. He looked at Ivar enviously. "You''re a lot luckier than us. At least your school has a legacy to carry on. My Kaer Morhen, End''s Kaer Seren, and Arnaghad''s Haern Caduch are barely left with anyone to carry on."


    A moment of silence froze the chamber.


    Ivar broke the silence. "Alzur, even you survived the disaster of Maribor. So why isn''t Cosimo around?"


    Alzur tensed up. The mes in the firece roared higher, the light illuminating Alzur''s sad, forlorn face. "He left fifty years ago."


    Everyone hung their heads low.


    "What? But he''s always been a healthy guy."


    "He was cursed."


    In their trip to the Dragon Mountains, Cosimo was cursed by Lilit''s image before its death. Not even his modified body could take on the dark, powerful, divine power. He wished for a few more years of life from djinns, but he didn''t make it to the end.


    "I will fulfill his wish," Alzur said solemnly. Cosimo''s dying message rang in his mind, steeling his resolve.


    "What a shame." Ivar rested his cheeks on his hands. Forwardly, he said, "To be honest, Alzur, the old man was a lot more likeable than you. Now back to the topic at hand. How are you going to help me deal with the Wild Hunt?"


    "We''re not helping you." Arnaghad shook his head. "We''re helping one another."


    "Aside from Idarran, everyone here has a wish and ideal so grand, not even djinns can fulfill," said End. "That''s why we''re gathered here, so we canplement one another."


    "How are we doing this?" The witchers turned to Alzur.


    "Ivar, what I''m about to say might be unbelievable, but I promise there''s not an ounce of lie within it. A great existence is sharing a body with me. You may call it the Most High." Alzur was silent for a moment. "Once it matures, it wille into possession of endless power. Power that can fulfill all our wishes and patch up our regrets. I came to you because I need your Evil Eye to search for more food so it can grow quickly."


    Ivar cocked his eyebrow and looked around. "Are you sure this isn''t a joke? You sound like the fool who''s been tricked by the devil in the bottle and the evil god from another dimension."


    "You do not know of its power." Alzur extended his left hand at Ivar, and an eerie red light bloomed in the sorcerer''s hand.


    Ivar saw something horrifying before him. A round, bouncy, crimson octopus leapt out of the void. As it iled its tentacles, it showed the witcher scenes that came out of nightmares. Ivar''s eyes went wide, and his expression took on a look of horror. The monsters he''d killed in his career leapt out at him from the void around him, snarling. The people he killed were wailing and screaming as they wed their way out of the bloody, bone-covered hell beneath him, dragging the witcher down.


    They tore at his flesh and cursed his actions. Ivar felt his muscles tense up so much, they started to convulse. His pupils contracted, and sweat drenched his head. Mysterious power seeped into his pores, covering his nerves. He couldn''t even move a finger. Ivar was like a pig ted for ughter, and he could do nothing about it.


    Alzur waved his hand, and the octopus leapt back into the void.


    Ivar wiped his sweat off with his mmy hands. He breathed deeply and took a step back, putting some distance between him and Alzur. There was caution in his eyes. "This¡­ Most High isn''t a kind entity. It''s shaped like something bizarre. Like an evil god born in the void. Its abilities are vicious. Horrifying. It can create nightmares from a person''s past and use it to attack them. I almost fell. Honestly, I think it''s using you to reach some kind of evil goal. You have to be careful, Alzur."


    "An evil goal?" Arnaghad retorted, "Are you sure it''s more evil than the thing that kidnapped your brethren and brainwashed them into pale, emotionless skeletal knights? Is helping the Most High worse than watching your own castle being burned down by the sorcerers, priests, and peasants? Worse than watching yourrades being buried under the snow and turned into icicles? Worse than watching your brethren stabbed a hundred times but you can''t do anything about it?"


    End and Elgar nched. Bad memories were stirred up.


    "Worry not. The Most High was in an extremely weakened state when it merged with me. I am still the dominant one here," said Alzur adamantly, red light strobing around him. "It cannot defy me."


    Ivar hung his head low. A long whileter, he shook his head, smiling. "You''re right. Even a knightly man like End took your invitation. Thinking about good and evil is just adding unnecessary problems to my te. If anything goes wrong, you guys are going to deal with it before I have to. If we can get rid of the sted Wild Hunt, I''m in. So what is it about food?"


    Alzur gave Idarran a look. Idarran got up and bowed to everyone like an actor. An excited grin curled his lips, then he approached the ck wall on the east side of the hall. He brushed his gnarly left hand from up to down. Like an expert painter making a portrait, a golden oak tree appeared on the wall, connecting the ceiling to the floor. However, the tree had nothing but a trunk. It didn''t have a single branch of leaf.


    "The Most High''s foodes in the form of human souls. The easiest and quickest way to gain souls would be to use forbidden spells and destroy a whole city. There''ll be thousands of souls to harvest from a destroyed city, and Alzur possesses the ability to level a city."


    Everyone was reminded of the time the myriapodan was summoned in Maribor. Its arrival meant destruction.


    "Or we can create a gue. Those killed by the gue will be fed to the Most High. I have devoted my life to the field of gic modification, and I think that''s a good way to go," said Idarran proudly. "I say that''s the best way. After all, the priests and sorcerers a hundred years ago imed that the witchers created the gue that razed Vizima. They summoned an avnche and destroyed Kaer Seren for that. We should y along and give them what they want, but s, Cosimo disagreed. He thought that we should have a moralpass even though we''re fulfilling our dreams. Alzur follows his teachings, and End refused to work with me as well."


    Ivar heaved a sigh of relief. If Alzur had agreed, then he would probably have been taken over by the evil creature within him.


    "And that''s why we went the slowest, clumsiest way. War. War is the deepest evil humanity can provide this world. It''s the most disgusting creation humanity has created, all for bloody politics. They''d kill their own brethren for profit. There''s nothing to be guilty about if we harvest those kinds of souls." Idarran whipped out a porcin bottle from his belt. A cross and enneagram was drawn on its cap. He tossed the bottle to Ivar.


    Ivar was stunned for a moment, but he grabbed the bottle. It felt warm to the touch, and the residual chaos energy was making his medallion buzz. "To harvest faster, Alzur used djinns to strengthen his soothsaying abilities. He can predict the time, ce, and rough number of casualties for every war that will happen on the Continent. The witchers, with their physical skills and alchemical tools, cross the battlefields and collect the souls of the dead."


    Idarran brushed a finger down the oak tree, and a line of words written in Elder Speech appeared on the bottom of the trunk. There were times, ces, and numbers. The line was like a branch on the tree.


    "1150, 20,000¡­" Idarran read the numbers out loud, a little excited.


    Ivar knew what the letter in the center meant. Dol thanna. He then realized that the numbers meant the year the war would happen in, as well as the number of casualties. "This is the legendary bottle of Geoffrey Monck? The one he sealed djinns in? Where did you get this?"


    "Geoffrey was Cosimo''s mentor. He left his student a record of some of his treasures'' locations. Alzur spent a lot of time finding them, and he managed to gain about a dozen of them. The Most High is the existence that appeared in Geoffrey''sst will and testament. s, we''ve used three bottles over a hundred years. We have to see the future again every few decades or so," Idarran exined, gesturing with his fingers. The light of magic kept adding leaves and branches to this tree of war.


    "1170, Vizima, 12,000."


    "1186, Tretogor, 5,000."


    "1198, Oxenfurt, 1,000."


    "1220, Kingdom of Kovir and Poviss, 5,000."


    The witchers in the mist realized what was going on. This was the mural they saw in Haern Caduch. This was the answer they guessed, and it was right.


    ***


    "If you''ve found a way to harvest souls, then why do you even need my eyes?" Ivar asked, confused.


    "It''s not enough," Alzur said grimly. "The frequency of wars that happen in this world is not enough to satisfy the Most High''s needs. I require your ability to see through dimensions precisely because I want you to find wars that happen in other worlds."


    "Other worlds?" Ivar was surprised. "But portals can''t cross the barrier of worlds." That was why Ivar could never cross into another world, or he would''ve gone to Tir na Lia and brought the fight to the Wild Hunt''s home.


    "I cannot make any portals that can cross the barrier of worlds either." Alzur turned his attention to the magic bottle. "But djinns can help us cross to and return from other worlds."


    That was what they did to Roy back in the castle of Cintra. They used Ivar''s eyes and a djinn to exile Roy to Skyrim.


    ***


    "Last question," Ivar said. "So what''s everyone''s wish? Djinns can help you regain your emotions, can''t they, Arnaghad?"


    Arnaghad shook his head. "They will also turn back the changes in my body, changing me into a regr man who''s more than two hundred years old, but I will never give up my power."


    Ivar nodded. As for End and Elgar, he knew what their wishes were. Idarran was just here to help as a friend. He then turned to Alzur.


    "This world, this era, is no ce for me to meet the person I want or to fulfill the dreams I have," Alzur said. "But the Most High has the power to turn things back and grant us all the dreams we have."


    "That kind of power exists?" Ivar said in disbelief. "Not even gods can do that."


    "Just because our world does not have that kind of power does not mean other worlds don''t. The parallel branches of the world tree are infinite. There will be one world that matches our wishes. That is as much as I can tell you. When the timees, you will know the truth."


    ***


    <em>Parallel branches? </em>Roy had an inkling of inspiration, but then the scenes changed once more.


    Haern Caduch was gone. Three grandmasters cloaked themselves in ck and stepped into an era of war without hesitation. Their figures cross through thends of blood and fire, drifting across crimson seas and mountains made of corpses. ck balls of light flew out of the broken, mangled bodies. As if drawn by something invisible, the souls threw themselves into the box the grandmasters carried.


    With Ebbing finally taken over by Nilfgaard, the empire in the South set its eyes on the Northern Realms. There weren''t many wars, but skirmishes were plenty. A few mysterious figures would appear on the battlefields, moving around.


    ***


    Ivar kept his eyes set on the changing skies. He saw different, bizarre worlds that did not belong to the realm he was in.


    On a snow-capped peak was a kind of humanoid creature. It had green skin, long fangs, and muscles as big as hills. The creatures rode frostwolves, screaming something that sounded like ''Lok''tar Ogar!'' as they battled soldiers in ck armor.


    On a riverside, fully-armed human soldiers were swinging their swords, fighting gurgling, slimy humanoid monsters with fish heads. In a mine, bearded, heavily-armored dwarves held up their hammers and axes, smashing fluorescent, humanoid fruits into jam. On a barren wastnd, a group of soldiers with barrel-like, long-ranged weapons and circr steel helmets were hiding in a ditch, pulling triggers and sending bullets flying everywhere. Ivar saw ck machinery as clumsy as carriages, shooting streams of fire at the enemy camp. The mes exploded, and the air itself roared.


    ***


    With the djinns'' assistance, Ivar traveled to more than ten bizarre worlds, then he came back to the sewers of Maribor, holding souls that died in wars that happened in different worlds. Alzur controlled the souls and absorbed them. The crimson silhouette behind him grew and grew, until it was vast and soul-shaking. The Most High was nearing its matured state.


    ***


    On a certain day in the year of 1260, Alzur had an encounter with a young and lovelydy in Maribor. She called herself Sasha Crawford, but her real name was Carthia van Canten. She radiated an air simr to Lylianna, so Alzur chatted with her. Unbeknownst to him, the Most High split a sliver of crimson light and swam into Sasha''s body.


    Then the mist rolled once more. The existence in the mist pulled Roy away from Alzur, then crimson tentacles shot out of the mist, pulling everyone into its depths. Only Roy followed Sasha. She went all the way south, eventually entering the vige of Kaer in Aedirn. He watched as the woman stole a gold Gwent card from Jack the old captain. She rode on a horse and ran into a weak, dumbfounded, and bumbling vige boy.


    Roy saw a rickety wooden shack. It was his old home. Moore and Susie were taking care of the boy who the horse bumped into. Crippled by exhaustion, they dozed off on the sheet of hay beside them.


    The unconscious boy, unbeknownst to everyone, let out one final sigh, and he drew hisst breath. His legs went limp, and thest dregs of life flowed from his face. The boy was already a corpse.


    ''Roy


    Age: 13 years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 0 (Deceased).''


    ***


    <em>Impossible. </em>Roy was shaken. <em>I crossed two worlds and merged souls with Roy in this world, but he was already dead before I got here? Then where did Ie from? Who am I? </em>In disbelief, Roy extended his hand toward the icy corpse on the bed.


    And then, for a moment, beautiful red mes red in the void. As if an invisible gate had opened, slivers of crimson light leapt out of the icy corpse, and it fell beside the body like a ball of sponge, weaving and converging. A momentter, to the young witcher''s horror, another Roy appeared beside the corpse. The boy was thin, had a clean face, big eyes, and regr lips. He looked just like the dead boy down to thest strand of his hair. The only difference was, this new body was breathing, and its heart was thumping.


    The crimson mes roared and drowned the corpse, turning it into wisps of shards, then the shards disappeared into the air. The new boy took the ce of the old Roy and became the son of Moore and Susie.


    That was the current Roy. <em>No. Impossible! </em>The young witcher reeled in shock. He felt goosebumps ring all over his skin, and every single strand of hair on his body rose. His soul was shaking, as if a shadow that loomed over the world anding down on him, suffocating him.


    <em>I was nothing but a clone this entire time? I was a life form created by the Most High?</em>


    And then, an ear-piercing sound screeched in the air. It was the sound of shattering ss. Everything before Roy cracked and shattered like a ss panel.


    Roy swayed, and everything around him spun. The mysterious mist that had gone on for a long, long time finally dispersed. Roy reappeared in a room that was warm as spring. The warmthing from the room was intoxicating. It almost felt like he was back in his hometown. Every cell in his body was screaming in delight.


    Yet¡­ yet the decorations that adorned this room was a scene of horror. Uneven balls of crimson flesh formed its walls, and the red lighting from it illuminated every corner of the chamber. Roy then raised his head, and he froze, his eyes going wide.


    Nine figures were embedded in the wall, forming a pyramid from top to bottom. On the top of the pyramid was Alzur. Beneath him was Arnaghad, Ivar, and End, though their eyes were closed as if they were asleep. The ones on the bottom of the pyramid were Elgar, Vesemir, Letho, Felix, and Coen.


    The witchers were like insects stuck to spiderwebs. An endless sea of crimson tentacles drowned them, engulfed them, leaving only their faces visible.


    A long sigh echoed in the room. "Roy, the final shard. In the end, you still came." Alzur looked worse for wear. His hair dangled over his forehead, and heughed at the witcher, but there was despair, dejection, and resignation in hisughter. It was theughter of a man who was eliminated from a grand race right before he could reach the end.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 585: Divinity’s Shadow

    The chamber was like the insides of a heart, only erged by a thousand times. The heartbeats of its captives beat at the same frequency as the chamber. The witchers were all in deep sleep. The only one who could speak was Alzur, and he sighed at Roy. "This is the most impossible path, and yet it is the destined path. The power of the Most High led you here, where the end point resides."


    Roy denied that im in his mind. If he didn''t do that, he might not be himself anymore. "I don''t care what the Most High is. I came here of my own volition to find out what you''re trying to do. Tell me, Alzur. What in the hell is this ce?" Roy stared at the sorcerer. He''d watched Alzur''s life that spanned a hundred years in the mist. The sorcerer''s hair was white, and his face was covered in wrinkles. It hadn''t been long, but he was a lot more wizened than he was in the scenes in the mist.


    "This is the maze and cage constructed by the Most High. It''s a cage for us."


    <em>A cage? </em>Roy''s eyes roved across the witchers. "What happened to them?"


    "Worry not. They are well alive." Alzur shook his head. "Though like me, they''re captives."


    "From what I saw in the mist, you''ve had the Most High under control. Your hundred-year n wasing to fruition. All you had to do was wait for the Most High to mature." Roy was perplexed. "So how did this happen?"


    Alzur looked at Roy, a hint of fury ring in his eyes. "I had the same conclusion you came to. I was ready to plunge into the new world, but I left one factor out of my equation: you. You came back, and much to my surprise, you were no regr shard. You weren¡¯t even a regr human. You are the piece that decides who willy im to victory in this game."


    "What''s this got to do with me?" Roy''s heart skipped a beat. "I couldn''t do anything. I was just an observer in the damn mist. Whatever I did could never affect reality."


    "Don''t you understand? You woke the Most High up."


    Roy fell silent for a moment. He was reminded of the scene where the red light created the clone, but Roy shook his head, chasing that memory out of his head. He remained adamant about his resolve and changed the subject. "What is the Most High, Alzur?"


    Alzur gave Roy a look of surprise. "Even when the end is nigh, you are still passing through the mist. I see you do not belong to itpletely. You are not connected to its thoughts." There was something glinting in Alzur''s eyes. Something called hope. With a tired, ancient tone, he exined, "The Most High was born before the descent of humanity from the Conjunction. Before the natives of this world, the gnomes and the elves had even risen to power."


    "Then it is a unique existence. Where did ite from?" Roy asked.


    "From sentient life forms. We created it." Alzur''s eyes glinted. "And because of one reason you know. The Most High feeds on the souls of sentient life forms, especially the dark side of humanity. That''s how the Cleansing me came to be. It was created to hunt. The Most High was born from humanity''s arrogance, greed, sin, and fear. Through the consuming of humanity''s pitiful darkness, it grew from a hatchling into a fully realized life form. At first, it would devour individuals that possessed twisted souls, then broken families, then towns clouded by darkness, then cities shrouded in sin, and then it would move on to consume a civilization ruled by negative emotions. Finally, it would consume a whole world."


    Alzur paused for a moment. "Ever since the Most High started sharing a body with me, I''ve witnessed part of its brethren''s terrifying activities. They would devour and purify anything they came in contact with. The birth, prospering, and decline of many civilizations are set in stone, because it decreed it so. Those who lost their sanity, those who begin wars, those who starve, and those who are driven by their desire, will slowly but surely cover any world in darkness, and that darkness is what strengthens the Most High. It feeds on that darkness, growing ever stronger. The more wars that happen, the faster it grows. Then, eventually, the Cleansing me descends and engulfs souls tainted by sin."


    "So¡­" With difficulty, Roy asked, "That thing was the reason the Dauk and Vorkers were wiped out?"


    "Yes. Both civilizations thrived from their sacrifices to Lilit, but those who were sacrificed had souls filled with negative emotions. The Most High captured those emotions, set its sights on them, and eventually purified them, wiping the Dauk and Vorkers off the surface of this world." Alzur had fear and respect on his face. "I''ll never forget the scene it showed me. A beam of bright light will tear through a great hole in the skies. In the span of hours, that beam of red light will prate the earth, the sea, the nts, every living being, and even metal. It will spread across the world, and everyone will feel its existence. Should anyone have even a bit of darkness hiding within their hearts, they will be cleansed."


    Roy''s lips were trembling.


    "To be honest, besides from unborn babies and infants, no one can escape the purifying light," Alzur continued. "Because negative emotions are a part of humanity. The difference is that criminals act on their darkness, while most people hide it deep in their hearts, never acting on it until the day they die. The mes slither into everyone''s bodies, igniting the darkness within their hearts, using it as fuel to burn the flesh and soul of everything it touches, turning it into food for the Most High. The me signifies the end of days."


    "So that''s the Cleansing me?"


    "It does not just burn sin. It''s powerful and heartless. Everyone has a darker side hiding in them, but that''s a moreplex emotion and a far cry from being a sin."


    Roy fell silent. <em>The Most High is something that ends worlds? It''s a universal-level threat like the White Frost. </em>"If the Most High is that powerful, then how did it get locked in a box?"


    "You have to understand that the goddess of the East, Lilit, was stronger than Melitele in her prime." Alzur had a conflicted look on his face. He was reminded of his mentor who died from Lilit''s curse. "Lilit witnessed her people and believers getting devoured and cleansed. She used all her divine power as fuel and severely injured the hatchling Most High, but she couldn''t finish it off. Then, with thest dregs of her strength, she sealed it under the ground for a thousand years."


    "So you and Cosimo released it?" Roy had a conflicted look on his face as well.


    Alzur nodded, sighing, but he had no regrets. "Cosimo was right. It''s a box of infinite wishes, and a crate of disaster. We paid dearly for our actions." Cosimo died, while he himself was turned into a captive.


    ***


    "So you''re saying the Most High is the devourer of civilizations and bringer of untold death and destruction." Roy scanned the faces on the walls. He still remembered the wishes the grandmasters had. "I do not understand. How can it grant you your wishes?"


    "You should have a guess at this point, Roy." Alzur said, "Think back on your experiences and the scenes you saw."


    "They were all real," Roy said. "The birth of the grandmasters, the creation and destruction of the order, the founding and decline of witcher schools, and the reason you destroyed Maribor. Was that the past we saw?" Roy asked. "Is time travel another power of the Most High, besides Cleansing me?"


    "What you saw was what happened to me, and these four. The stories were untouched. You are approaching the truth now." Alzur rasped, "Before anything reaches its end, it always has endless possibilities. Some might lead a story to a simr end, but some might turn everything on its head. Every element in the multiverse forms the trunk of the world tree, and every possible ending will split into branches on the same level on the tree''s trunk. These branches are infinite in numbers. Some are close to one another, while some stand on the opposite side of the tree, leading to different oues."


    He looked at the unconscious End beneath him gently. End was smiling, perhaps because he was immersed in a nice dream. "For example, when I first met End''s mother, her conscience would¡¯ve screamed at her, and she wouldn''t have sold him to me. End would then keep working on the ship as a regr sailor or pirate. Eventually, he would marry someone and raise a family like most people. That branch would have a lot of leaves growing on it."


    "No," Roy interrupted, "With how temperamental End was, the other pirates would''ve killed him off sooner rather thanter."


    "Which is another possibility, yes." Alzur turned to Ivar and brought up another possibility that was far removed from reality. "Ivar would¡¯ve gone through the Trial like he did in this reality, but his evil eye would not have awakened. He would not have been troubled by visions of the Wild Hunt, thereby losing his reason to start the Viper School."


    Roy fell silent. <em>If that was what had happened, Letho, Serrit, and Auckes would have been long gone by now.</em>


    Alzur then turned his attention to the simrly sleeping, but tense and icy Arnaghad. "He might have gone through the Trial without anyplications and retained his emotions. The order''s conflict regarding the difference in ideals wouldn''t have escted so quickly. Perhaps the order could have survived longer." Then he looked at Elgar. "And perhaps on the day he left Kaer Morhen to look for armorers, he would have a change of mind and stayed behind to face the threat of extinction with his brethren."


    ***


    "As for myself¡­" Alzur''s eyes shone. "On the day I met Cosimo, I would¡¯ve refused his invitation and never embarked on the path of magic. I would''ve remained a naive, reckless knight. I would''ve ignored the evesting problems of humanity and monsters and stayed with her instead. She would never have been killed by that ghoul, and we would raise a big family together. Then we would grow old as a couple."


    There was longing on Alzur''s face. After going through a whole lifetime and facing des and curses, the sorcerer finally knew what he truly wanted.


    Roy took a deep breath. "Those are nothing but conjectures. They do not exist in reality."


    Alzur''s eyes went red. He turned to Roy and adamantly said, "This is the truth. We live in a multiverse that epasses every possibility. Like the examples I brought up, everything we face can have different oues, and those oues are what create parallel timelines."


    <em>Parallel timelines? </em>Roy''s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes glinted.


    "These timelines,pared to ours, are different. Some might be in the past, some might be in the present, some might have gone further into the future, forming branches of different heights on the tree. Some are developing slowly, their leaves just breaking free of the branches. Some are going at their own pace, bearing fruits when they desire. Some developed too fast and wilted away. Some grow at the same rate, showing no difference between timelines. Some ran into great change halfway through, leading to apletely opposite resultpared to the original timeline."


    "So these timelines happen simultaneously but in different spacetimes, and some lead to different endings?" Roy rubbed his chin, and realization struck him. "So everything I saw in the mist happened in actual timelines, just parallel to ours?" <em>So that''s why the people I killed had souls.</em>


    "Yes. Those were the simr timelines I and the grandmasters have experienced, but they belong to different worlds. That''s why even though you and yourpanions saw the same scenes, you couldn''t see one another. No matter what action you took in those timelines, the next scene would not be affected. Every time the mist reappeared, it would take all of you to another parallel timeline."


    ***


    <em>Multiverse and parallel timelines. </em>Roy held his breath, sweat drenching his forehead, and thoughts ran through his head. <em>Could it be that the world I am in belongs to a parallel timeline? That would exin all the weird happenings. In some worlds, Alzur and the grandmasters are already dead. In some, Roy does not exist, or he''s just a regr farmer boy.</em>


    "In these parallel timelines, some took the path they desired, some ran as usual, while the rest took up awful routes. In this timeline, I''m held captive by the Most High, which means there must be a timeline where I still control it. In this timeline, Cosimo died because of Lilit''s curse, but in another timeline, he must have survived." Alzur looked at the ceiling covered in bloody tentacles, as if he could see brilliant sunlight behind it. A smile curled his lips.


    Loudly and with passion, he said, "Roy, there must be a timeline where all our dreamse true. Where everything happens as we wish them to. That is what I seek. A perfect world that belongs to me. A perfect world filled with endless dreams."


    ***


    <em>He wants to find a perfect world in all these parallel timelines. A big and special dream. </em>Roy was shaken, and he was at a loss for words. "So the Most High can cross parallel timelines as it pleases?" <em>That''s simr to the power of the Elder Blood, but the Elder Blood can only cross into worlds contained in the same timeline, while the Most High can cross to parallel timelines.</em>


    "The Most High is something that perches over the world tree. It can leap between branches as it pleases and even control them. Do you think it''ll stay in a world it has devoured and wait for life to take root and restart the next cycle?" Alzur shook his head. "It''ll leap into another parallel world to devour and cleanse and restart the cycle. Parallel worlds are infinite, and the Most High is eternal," Alzur dered.


    The whole chamber thumped, as if something was about to awaken.


    "When it first escaped the ebony box, it was at its weakest, and I swooped in at the right time. I had control over it," Alzur said, a little self-deprecating. "Time means nothing to the Most High. A hundred years is nothing but naptime for it. My n was to raise it to maturity and use its power to transport everyone into their perfect worlds and merge them all into one timeline, and then I shall break my ties with the entity. Everything you saw in the mist were the most vivid memories everyone had. Those memories happened in the infinite parallel timelines out there. They''re our reference for the search of our perfect world."


    Roy paused for a moment. <em>Can that really be the way for the grandmasters to gain their happiness? Are the friends and family in the parallel timeline really the ones they know? </em>This was, of course, a great cebo for those who desperately needed salvation.


    "The timeline we''re in is where Cosimo and Lylianna were born. I had no ns to let the Most High devour it. For the longest time, it could not defy my will. It remained dormant, snoozing off all the time. However, as it grew, I felt my grasp on it weakening, and I had to give all my power just to barelye close to the finish line. Just when we thought we were about to win, you came."


    Alzur stared at Roy, sighing. "You''re thest straw, roy. You ruined our ns when we were this close topletion. You''re the key for the Most High''s full awakening. The stakes that tip the scales in the Most High''s favor. Your sudden approach resulted in my abandonment. The Most High pushed me away. Perhaps when it finally merges with you, it will destroy this world and leap into another timeline to start the next cycle."


    "No! I did nothing!" Roy roared. "I''m not the key! I''m not a part of this!"


    "Even after all I''ve said, you still don''t understand?" Alzur said, too calmly. "The real Roy died years ago in Kaer. He died on the day of that ident."


    Roy felt his blood freeze, and once again, he was reminded of that image he saw. The boy drew hisst breath, but the red light created its clone right beside the corpse.


    ***


    "This has all been its n. The Most High recreated the body, mind, and soul of the dead boy, and it created you. It knows of your impulses. It knows how to drive you forward using your desire and curiosity. It knows of your longing for the Elder Blood and the endless worlds. That''s how it managed to predict your actions. It set you up, manipted you, and kept you out of my line of sight until the time was right to reunite. It used you as a timer to decide the right moment for the puzzle to be pieced together. That''s why you came today, at this moment, right on the cusp of its maturity. It led you here to wake it from its slumber, right when we were about to ascend to our perfect world."


    Roy tensed up and roared defiantly, "No! Everything I did, I did of my own volition! No one can control me!" Before he knew it, he was already covered in sweat, and a chill ran down his spine.


    "No. You just refuse to ept the truth, but at this point, you have to acknowledge something. You are a part of the Most High." Alzur gazed at Roy, and he enunciated, "You are the shadow of divinity."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 586: Descend

    <em>I''m the shadow of divinity? The shadow of the devourer of civilizations? </em>Roy was in a daze, thunderstruck, but then, inexplicably, he felt something within him loosening up. Something that had been locked for a long time.


    Before he could think deeper, the whole chamber started rumbling violently. The infinite tentacles on the walls contracted and copsed like quicksand, quickly devouring their captives.


    "Stay true to yourself, Roy." Alzur was getting drowned out by the crimson wave, but stubbornly, he kept shouting and screaming, "Don''t let it assimte you, or you''ll lose everything!"


    The legendary sorcerer''s honestly tipped the scales in his favor as well. Roy held his sword with both hands and leapt into the air like a hunting cheetah. He swung his sword down in a straight line. Crimson light burst forth, conjuring a red crescent, and the crescent cleaved a bloody gash on the walls. Hundreds of entangled, wriggling crimson tentacles were sliced in half, and they fell to the ground.


    But not a single drop of blood came out, nor did the entity scream. The sliced tentacles melted into the ground like snow. The gash on the wall was quickly filled in by more tentacles. Roy quickly made some Signs. Blue and red runes appeared on his palm. Purple bolts and scorching mes whizzed through the air, crackling and sizzling.


    The elements crashed into the copsing wall, and then crossbow bolts hurtled across the air. However, no matter how much Roy swung his de, shot his bolts, or cast his Signs, it was futile effort. The crimson chamber was unhurt in the slightest, and the captives were gone without a trace.


    The rumbling came to a stop, and the tentacles stopped wriggling. The sound of heartbeat was gone as well. Only silence remained. Eerie silence.


    Roy was alone. Feeling spooked, Roy frowned. Unease and danger were prickling him, giving him goosebumps. It was as if countless eyes were hiding behind the walls, staring at the young witcher with judgment.


    Roy took a deep breath and looked around, his senses tightly locked on his nape, the hardest spot to defend. Quickly, he made Signs, covering himself with golden and ck barriers. Underneath him, a kaleidoscopic ring of Yrden glinted and glimmered. He uncorked his decoctions, downing ekhidna''s decoction, Thunderbolt, and Petri''s Philter at the same time. ck veins crept up =his neck, eventually taking over his face, but it was of no use. The Elder Blood was still screaming, and the sense of danger did not abate in the slightest.


    Something popped. It was almost quiet, but Roy heard it. On both sides of the towering wall before Roy, swirling holes appeared. There was not a sliver of light in those holes. They were as dark as a moonless night sky. The silent void attracted Roy''s attention, and he felt the air of chaos pouncing at him. It was like a gigantic creature, bending down and huddling its face closer to a narrow little cave to see what was inside.


    The creature spun, taking all of Roy''s attention. Every time it spun, a flood of information would overwhelm Roy''s mind. He saw greens hanging in the endless void of space, and he saw scenes showing creatures of every race battling. Humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, fungi people, and beastmen swinging their weapons and sting magical energy away on the battlefield. These were wars. Battlefields filled with blood, death, and horror.


    When the wars reached their peak, a titanic, horrifying crimson octopus came out of the void, iling its tentacles. Every single one of its tentacles was gigantic enough to blot out even the sun. The creature wrapped its tentacles around the, sucking and slurping away. Humanity was devoured, and beasts grew in abundance on the. The greenery turned into something lusher.


    Having satiated its hunger, the creature let go of the. Like a jellyfish in the ocean, it swam away, red light strobing around its body, and it leapt into the next universe. The darkness of humanity was purged from the. Civilizations were devoured and destroyed, but thousands of yearster, human civilization would be born again. This was an endless cycle. Feeding on them was the Most High''s instinct and duty.


    ***


    The darkness blinked. The monumental creature just blinked. It opened its eyes, revealing a pair of gigantic crimson peepers. The creature looked around, its eyes red as perfect rubies, then it met eyes with Roy, and the creature radiated a certain emotion called joy. Like endless waves on a sea, the creature''s joy crashed down on the witcher''s numb little heart. Every single cell cheered for the reunion. The witcher rxed, holding his de in a more eased up manner. A small smile curled his lips.


    The creature behind those eyes and Roy were like long lost mother and son, or a pair of identical twins who were reunited after years apart. Roy''s worry, concern, and caution melted away. A loving voice called out to him, like a mother calling out to her son. Roy let his guard down.


    "Come back. Come home¡­" <em>And be one.</em><em>This is the immutable truth. The dark fate you cannot defy.</em>


    Drowned in warmth and joy, the witcher took a step toward the monster. A pair of tentacles shot out from left and right, wriggling in the air like titanoboas slithering among bushes. The tentacles wove their ends into a small tform. Roy stepped onto it and was taken into the air, until he was standing between the great creature''s eyes.


    A long slit spanned the chamber''s walls, but as the witcher came closer, the slit opened up, forming a deep, dark maw. It was like an abyss, and ancient winds of chaos came blowing out of it. Every incisor on the maw was glinting crimson. The maw remained open, waiting for the witcher who was lost in his joy to fall into it.


    Winds ruffled Roy''s hair, but the witcher didn''t notice. He leaned ahead, letting the tentacles take him to his death.


    The endless darkness within the maw sprang to life. A blob of ck goo pounced on the witcher, enveloping half his body. Ripples spread from the center of Roy''s body, and the witcher was like a piece of obsidian getting thrown into the sea.


    This was a process of cleansing. All of Roy''s memories, including his status, name, his family (Susie, Moore, Mino), his friends (Letho, Vesemir, and more), hisdy friends (Coral, Triss, and Casiga), were thrown deep into the abyss, disappearing as they fell into its depths.


    The countless consciousnesses devoured by the Most High resided in the depths of this darkness. They cleansed all feelings and returned it to chaos. Then, the consciousness of the Most High surfaced, gaining strength with every passing moment. At its core, the Most High was a ball of impulses. A ball that felt only hunger. It must feed. It must feed on greed, selfishness, arrogance, and weakness. It must feed on humanity''s darkness.


    The entity would devour this, all its civilizations, and sentience, even if one of those sentient minds was itself, a clone named Roy. It would devour Roy''s character sheet and the boiling Elder Blood. Everything would return to chaos.


    A voice screamed. <em>And new life wille from destruction! A new cycle shall begin! </em>The voice rang far and wide.


    <em>No! </em>The maw was almost done devouring Roy. Only a pair of feet remained, but the feet froze. And then, a flowing, roaring explosion sted through the chamber. Glimmering starlight shot into the air, and endless stars twinkled in the void behind the witcher. The grand light of the gxy filled every corner of this bloody chamber, forcing the bloody eyes to close themselves.


    The light mmed into the darkness swallowing Roy. As if it was burned by holy mes, the maw let out an ear-piercing screech, and it abated like waves going back to the ocean. Roy was spat back out, and he fell to the ground head first.


    His clothes were devoured, revealing his scalded skin beneath. Most of his body was corroded, leaving hideous holes and gashes. The witcher''s muscles, veins, and even bones were exposed to the elements, but his head was the most horrifying thing of all. It was like a ball of dough, and his features were kneaded together. Without a mouth, he couldn''t make a sound. Without his eyes, he couldn''t see what was before him. There was only white nothingness. His limbs were bent at unnatural angles, as if they were made of rubber. His back was slightly hunched, and he was wriggling on the ground like a maggot.


    He didn''t resemble Roy at all, but the gxy hanging above him draped him in ayer of magnificent colors, and he raised his head. Despite having no face at all, he stubbornly, furiously, hysterically screamed at the Most High. At the eyes and the bloody maw on the wall.


    "He thinks the Most High created me? He thinks I''m your shadow? A worthless appendage and a marite who can''t control my fate?" The mangled Roy screamed silently with all his might. With all his soul. "<em>No!</em>"


    Even identical twins would grow up to be vastly different people depending on the environment they grew up in. Eventually, they would end up as two different, independent entities. They might live their whole lives never meeting each other.


    "And I''m Roy." The melting body was wriggling even more violently. The entity could hear the voice of Roy''s heart. In response, its eyes went wide, and they looked like two crimson full moons hanging in the sky.


    The tentaclesshed out at the air, stirring the gxy up. Winds of chaos shot out of the dark maw, keeping the witcher pinned on the ground, forcing him to submit. An ancient voice, carried through endless time, spoke to him. There was doubt and admonishment in that voice, but all Roy felt was motivation.


    The roaring Elder Blood was not the only thing helping him in his fight against the Most High. All his emotions stood with him too. Sadness, delight, fury, everything good and bad, everything he gained from his experience. Be it monster ying, cold-blooded murder, his adventures in the Northern Realms, and the discovery of the truth behind so many mysteries¡­ All the memories he had, all the experiences he went through made him. It made Roy unique. It made sure he remained true to himself and would never be assimted.


    Roy took his stand, dering war at his erstwhile creator. "From the moment I descended on Kaer, from the moment I made my first choice, I no longer was tied to the Most High. The trace you left became my power. It became my character sheet! I am not you! I do not exclusively go after the darkness of mankind. I ept everything. I devour everything that stands in my way, but I do not destroy civilizations! I am a traveler who has gone through time and space!"


    The vibration of his soul sted throughyers andyers of obstacles. It echoed through space, rumbling it.


    The light of curiosity red in the eyes of the Most High. Liquid crimson mes were rolling within them, as if challenging Roy to prove his worth.


    "I am Roy! A witcher of the Viper School!"


    ''Level 13 Witcher (20500/14500)


    Do you wish to level up?''


    <em>Yes!</em>


    ''Level 14 Witcher (3000/16500 [3000 EXP taken away from the act of guarding your soul]).


    You have leveled up. Your health and mana are replenished. All negative statuses cleared.


    You gain (1) skill point and (1) stat point.


    Will: 34 ¡ú 38 (+2 to main stat. +1 from the remaining stat point. +1 from stat point gained through level up).''


    Crimson flesh started to grow on the broken, melted body. They wove themselves into new pieces of flesh, and skin grew over it. The bent, broken bones were cracking and growing and getting straighter, returning to their original state. The merged features started stretching out, revealing silver eyes and tightly pursed lips.


    In less than one fraction of a second, a determined young man stood up, barely wearing anything. In his hands, he held his swords, but that was not the end of his change. Far from it.


    Aerondight, Gwyhyr, and Gabriel all leveled up as well.


    ''Massacre Level (9 ¡ú 10)


    Bloody Aura: Any attacking enemy thates within 3 meters of you has a 20% chance to be Feared by the aura of murder. If their Will is not higher than yours, they will lose control of their bodies for 3 seconds at most.


    You gain a permanent (30 ¡ú 45)% damage increase to creatures you have hunted before.


    Fear: You may cast this skill and Fear single, multiple, or all targets within (3 ¡ú 4) meters around you and mandate a Will check. If their Will isn''t stronger than yours, they will lose control of their bodies for (3 ¡ú 4) seconds at most. 1 minute cooldown.


    Note: This skill will level up as you kill a higher number and species of creatures.''


    ***


    ''You now have 30 points in Will.


    Massacre has reached Level 10.


    You have awakened a new branch of power.


    Descend: Your will has shattered the walls between reality and fantasy. Once you activate this power, you will unleash your murderous will in its full state. The power of your will shall gather your emotions, desires, fighting spirit, all your skills, and the strength of your body, turning them into the form of the Most High.


    You may use all abilities of the Most High as you wish and break all limits. This form costs 10 souls/EXP per second. You may exit this form anytime you wish. Once your EXP reserves fall below 10, you will exit this form automatically. A long refractory period follows the usage of this form. You cannot use this form again during this period.''


    <em>Activate. </em>Roy felt a surge of burning warmthing from within his body. Strength filled his heart, and it roared down his limbs. The moment that familiar energy came rushing out of his pores, Roy almost screamed with ecstasy. He felt like he was floating in the void, and crimson energy was swimming within his body, shooting out like streams of fire burning brighter and brighter. The crimson mes wrapped around his body, iling around like tentacles. Within this ball of mes, Roy ballooned and changed his form, turning into a bloated, oval-shaped creature resembling an invertebrate.


    Beautiful star-shaped tattoos covered his skin. This was the power of the Elder Blood. His eyes burned with silver mes, and his tentacles drew a crimson sun above his gigantic head. The tentacles iled, and they fired off roaring mes into the distance.


    Roy had changed into the Most High, floating in the void, radiating starlight and crimson illumination.


    And he pounced.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 587: Celebration of a Birth

    There were still people in the room filled with fluorescent nts, and then the ground rumbled, shaking the group standing right outside the ouroboros door.


    "What''s going on?" Lambert pointed his sword at Idarran, who was bound in dimeritium chains. He saw a hint of excitement and fanaticism flickering on the treant''s face.


    "Alzur is nearing sess!"


    "Exin!"


    "I told you. The Most High has reached maturity!" he shouted. "The whole world shall be turned on its head!"


    Kiyan, Eskel, Coral, Kalkstein, and everyone else felt their hearts squeezing up. They were worried about theirrades, all of whom were still inside.


    "Where''s Roy?" Eskel asked, cutting off another of Idarran''s wooden arms.


    Idarran only gasped and winced a little. "Are you ready, people?" His mushroom eyes roved over the group. He held his pain down and roared, "Bear witness to a miracle!"


    A long, evesting wail echoed through the air, and then, an eerie red light followed. The light revived the nightmares hiding in everyone''s hearts. Horrified, they covered their ears, and they tensed up.


    The ground and walls were rumbling more violently than before, shaking like a raging sea, as if some titanic creature were shaking the outer walls of the sewers they were in. Shockingly, the ouroboros door sprang to life. Ity on the ground and was dragged backward. Like a python slithering out of its hole, the door left a deep, wide trail filled with crushed boulders and scalding hot smoke.


    The white light of dawn shone behind the living door. The elements were pelting down on Maribor''s old city area. The sewers that had been standing strong for centuries now had a great hole bored through them.


    A creature the size of a mountain was curled up outside the hole, red light shining around its body. The people hiding within the chamber couldn''t see the creature in its entirety. All they saw was the door dragged by the creature swiftly turning into a pair of crimson tentacles.


    What happened next almost killed them with horror. The tentacles split up, revealing a bloated head. One crimson eye the size of a pce opened up on that head. Burning, sawlike crimson light was embedded around the rims of that eye. It hung in the air like a burning red sun, and it unleashed a sea of nightmares to the world around it.


    A ck, sharp line appeared underneath the eye, and then it opened up wide, eventually turning into a bloody maw as ck and dark as an endless abyss. The creature let out another voice akin to the song of a whale, then the sewers shuddered, the ground rumbled. What little clouds were left hanging in the gray skies overhead ran away in terror. The creature''s voice could prate everything easily. It charged straight ahead at the wall before it and mmed into the city of Maribor.


    The time was dawn. The people of Maribor were still sound asleep, but they woke up with a start and pulled their clothes on tightly. Quickly, they went to their windows to see themotion that wasing from the old city area, and what met their eyes horrified them.


    A towering crimson monster was hovering over the ravine in the broken area. The ravine left by the nightmarish myriapodan a hundred years ago. The monster floating on it was obscenely gigantic, taking up the whole zone. It was like an octopus, but the tentacles that were supporting its body numbered far more than eight, and each of them was more than 100 feet long. The tentacles wove themselves into a crimson shadow underneath the monster. If the monster so wished, it could open up its tentacles and cover the whole city easily.


    Blinding, ominous red light shone from its body, painting the skies above in bloody red. It scared the people. The sky looked like something evil and demonic. The skies could shatter and copse at any moment, raining down on the city.


    ***


    "Gods, have mercy on us! Save poor Maribor!"


    Stricken by fear, the people of Maribor prayed silently. Some packed their possessions, ready to escape the city. Some fell unconscious from fear. Some huddled with their family, shaking in the corner of the walls, awaiting their demise. Even the soldiers of the city did not daree close. They paced around the city gates. Their armor and weapons meant nothing in the face of this colossal creature.


    Kalkstein was at the entryway of the hole, the light of magic shining on his robe. He hurled a string of fireballs at the monster''s head, but they were all doused out right away like crushed fireflies. "That giant squid in Flotsam''s just a maggot to this thing. How are we supposed to win this?"


    Coral looked icy. She quickly tied her hair in a ponytail. "We''re fighting it one way or another. Roy, Vesemir, and Letho are in there."


    The witchers quickly unsheathed their weapons and covered themselves in the golden barrier of Quen. They were solemn, and their medallions were buzzing. Without hesitation, they leapt out of the hole and approached the gigantic monster before them.


    "Fools. This is the Most High." Idarran, still locked in ce, stared at the leaving group. He looked up at the great creature before them, and a hint of fanaticism red in his eyes. "The devourer of civilizations and bringer of the world cycle!"


    The monster hanging in the air shot a tentacle across the battlefield. It hung in the air for a moment, then it swung down like a giant red bat. The ground was crushed, and dust flew into the air. Idarran, still in awe, was crushed into splinters, and it died.


    The tentaclended on the ground, and the prairie of Maribor shook. Even the walls were shaken. The houses started to rumble, and the people held their breaths. A ravine more than 30 feet deep spanned across the ruins. Corrupted, crimson mes tore through the dust like a dragon rampaging through brokennd.


    The vines, alder trees, and bushes burned. The debris that was sent flying into the air from the impact fell like meteorites, arcing down to ground. Part of them flew into the city of Maribor, crushing multiple houses in an instant. The mes on the meteors were like leeches. Some unlucky sods were infected by it, and before they could even scream, red light shone from every hole on their face, and they were burned into nothingness.


    Screams filled the air of the city.


    ***


    Some meteors fell onto the witcher and crashed into their barriers. The light on the barriers went dim. Kalkstein and Coral were shaken. Their mana recoiled, and blood trickled from their noses and mouths, but the meteors were deflected eventually. Then, as if struck by lightning, everyone stopped in their tracks.


    Before the gigantic creature, a ball of something that resembled it was moving at lightning-fast speed. That ball was not even a hundredth of the monster''s size, though it was more vibrant. There was ayer of starlight on its crimson skin. The creature hung in midair, expanding and contracting like jellyfishes in a sea. It blinked around, evading the tentacles that wereing down on it.


    The blob tensed up all its tentacles and pounced on the big octopus'' head, aiming for the left eye that was bigger than the little blob itself. It thrust its tentacle again and again. The air hissed, and the suckers on its belly opened up as much as possible. Crimson energy beams came pouring out like waves.


    Red whirlwinds screamed in the air, and a blinding sh of red and white shone in the air. The void was shattered like ss from the explosion of the storm of attacks, and it fell into the red eye.


    The Most High let out a deafening roar as its left eye was punctured by the little blob''s attacks. Crimson liquid resembling magma came spurting out of its wound. The monster mmed the ground with its tentacles, and the shaking of the earth ran far and wide. Winds howled, and everyone wobbled. Carefully, they evaded the iing debris and tried their best to stay bnced. Trees and patches ofnd were pulled off the ground and flew into the air along with screeching gales.


    Once again, Maribor was affected by the attack. Houses were destroyed and bathed in crimson mes.


    "Two Most Highs? What the hell is that little one?" Eskel roared, rolling away. The patch of grass beside him was burned in red. A searing wave of heat shot over his ear, and his skin prickled.


    "Must be something to do with Roy! Maybe it''s him!" Lambert held up his weapon and crouched, crossing the ditch deftly. He shrugged the patch of grass flying his way away from his shoulder. The witcher was like a soldier dodging iing projectiles on a battlefield.


    "That red energy beam is Roy''s signature attack! Now we know who the enemy is! Get that big squid, people!" Serrit quickly cast a Sign and covered himself with a golden barrier.


    Before they could do anything, however, the Most High mmed two tentacles down on its smaller counterpart. The tentacles were like twin towers crashing into the ground, and a cross was left in its wake. A burning dragon red, and its light shone upon the silhouette of the wriggling monster.


    It iled its tentacles around, crushing the ground and covering its vicinity in dust and mes. The world around it was plunged into a hellscape, and within this hellscape, Roy was like a dancer performing on the edge of danger, crossing through space like a phantom, again and again evading the Most High''s m attacks.


    Then, at one moment, Roy blinked in a direction that led away from Maribor. When he reappeared, he was a hundred yards away from the city.


    The Most High roared, expanding and contracting as it chased after its smaller counterpart, leaving the other witchers behind. The ground it touched was turned into a bloody hell devoid of any life.


    "By the gods." The people of Maribor, who''d been watching the battle in fear from afar, heaved a collective sigh of relief. They were in tears, and they were still worried. "Please don''t let ite back."


    ***


    Roy flew across the endless prairie. Every time he iled his tentacles, the woods, the ground, and the beasts would move back from his path. The power of teleportation given to him by the Elder Blood was transformed into his third tentacle, and he could use it as much as he wanted. Every time he iled the tentacle, he could appear anywhere within a few hundred yards of him, but in exchange, his EXP was burning away at a blistering rate. He didn''t have much time, but even fireworks would burn themselves up to the veryst moment. Even if he was destined to be destroyed and devoured by the Most High, he would fight until the veryst moment and leave no regrets behind.


    ***


    The Most High riled up a destructive crimson storm on the prairie. Cracks and gashes opened up on the ground, and countless beasts and greenery were burned into cinders. The air current high up in the skies was stirred up by the red light, conjuring a tornado shaped like a funnel, connecting ground to sky.


    Thunder boomed in the heavens, and purple lightning bolts swam in the clouds. The strobing lights of nature shone on a hunter and its prey.


    Dozens of tentacles would shoot out of the clouds, mming down on its smaller, escaping counterpart like red lightning bolts, but the smaller blob would manage to evade its attacks every time.


    Half an hourter, the whole of Maribor was already out of sight, and Roy screeched to a halt. He iled his tentacles and shot through the air, passing through the pair of tentacles shooting out at him. He saw the sawlike teeth in the tentacles'' suckers, and they could easily crush him if he was caught.


    A third tentacle was swung up at the little blob. The tentacle hanging on Roy''s side swatted away at him, and shadows of iling tentacles danced across the air.


    Rows of ck bolts shot out of the suckers on Roy''s tentacles, and they turned into a storm of arrows. The bolts pierced half of the tentacleing at Roy. The tentacle exploded into a blooming crimson flower of fire, then it was destroyed.


    The remaining tentacle wasn''t long enough to hit Roy. It thumped down on the ground, leaving a burning ditch. The Most High howled.


    Roy finally made it through the obstacles and seized the split second of opening. The blob teleported to the Most High''s eyes and iled its fifth, sixth, and seventh tentacle. The light of the stars above started to shine on these tentacles. First, a sword that could cut through everything appeared in the light, and then a great maw that could devour the heavens, then a rune thatmanded all fire.


    A ck dragon covered in spikes pped its obsidian wings and flew out of the void, charging straight at the direction shown by Roy''s tentacle.


    The dragon mmed into the Most High''s left eye and punctured its flesh with its horns. Blood spurted from the point of impact, and the dragon swung its ws, tearing and biting at the crystal embedded in the eye of the Most High. Its throat rumbled, and the dragon let out a shout that could destroy souls.


    <em>Fus!</em>


    <em>Fus!</em>


    The magnificent roar froze the Most High in ce, and its wriggling tentacles fell limp. The suckers on Roy''s sixth tentacle opened up in rage. They were like countless mouths, and behind those mouths were broken throats, but the breath of mes rose through the suckers.


    And then Roy shot off three bolts of his own unique Sign. The air was lit, and the temperature rose. Three gashes opened up in the void. Roiling magma came spitting out of the void, drenching the face of the Most High. White smoke of sulfur rose, bringing with it a sharp stench.


    The magma turned into flying dragons, and they engulfed half the octopus'' body before trickling down to the ground. A river of magma came into being, drowning the tentacles that were holding up the Most High.


    Smoke billowed in the air. The great octopus had holes over its body, and its skin was charred. Like a crumbling mountain and a sinking ship, it fell into the magma, and it closed its eyes.


    It let out onest song, and it was no more.


    Roy was floating before the carcass, wobbling as if he were drunk on something. His tentacles fell limp, and there was no satisfaction of victorying from him. The intense and neverending spellcasting took a toll on his soul and body, leaving him weak, and the starlight on his body dimmed.


    Then, a tentacle big enough to blot out the sun shot out from the magma and wrapped itself around Roy. The tentacle hurled Roy into the magma, and the crushing impact ttened Roy into a piece of mincemeat.


    ***


    Starlight swam, and the Elder Blood roared. Time was turned back. The piece of mincemeat gained volume, and Roy teleported away.


    Ten tentacles flew out of the magma, iling in the air like a great demon blocking out the sun. Once again, they wrapped Roy in their embrace, and this time, Roy could not move. Immovable strength came from all directions, crushing him.


    The tattered Most High came out of the magma, red light ring on its skin, and its wounds healed up in a matter of moments. The monster swung its tentacles, looking like a jellyfishing up from the deep sea. It took Roy up, up and away from the ground. To the skies they went, and into the thundering, rumbling clouds they swam.


    ***


    When Coral, Lambert, and everyone else came, all they saw was a patch of cooled magma and brokennd. They looked up into the skies and were met with forked lightning tearing through the heavens, and deafening thunder roared. One crimson tentacle slithered out of the clouds like a python and swung around the vicinity. Dark clouds rolled, and sharp gales howled.


    The tentacle returned into the clouds, and the light of lightning poured forth, revealing the insides of the clouds. Revealing the titanic silhouette of an octopus. The creature was hiding in the clouds like a god looking down at the world.


    There was another shadow inside the clouds. Weak and insignificant, and yet it defied its superior, challenging it again and again, raining down assaults from all every direction.


    Coral and the others could do nothing but watch from the ground underneath.


    Lightning crackled, and thunder boomed. Towering tentacles would slither from the clouds, iling around. Bloody light coursed and strobed like waves. Bolts flew through the air, and the hiss of swinging swords rang in the air. Crimson mes screamed, and bombs exploded. Blue currents of air roared, and colorful chaos energy blinked.


    At times, majestic, furious roars belonging to a dragon tore through the air. And then, wails followed.


    ***


    In a couple of minutes, the sky was nearly torn apart by the battle. Holes broke open. Red light and crimson, roiling magma came pouring out. Smoke billowed all over thend. The silhouette of the Most High blocked out the sun, creating a weird, bloody eclipse.


    The red light was piercing everything. The air was filled with heavy depression, suffocating everyone. Their skin was starting to prickle.


    "The Cleansing me? It wants to purify the world!" Eskel nched. There was pain in his eyes. "Roy lost?"


    "No. We can''t stand idly by anymore. Give me a hand, Kalkstein." There was a plea in Lytta''s eyes. "We''ll cast Alzur''s Thunder together and smite this beast."


    "Are you mad? That spell will kill us! We''ll explode on the spot!" Kalkstein snapped, but he quickly started casting the spell, and the sorcerers started chanting.


    The clouds were getting darker, and biting winds howled. Millions of silver bolts sizzled and covered the beast in the clouds.


    Crimson tentacles tore through the lightning bolts like titanoboas rolling around in the skies. They were more powerful than ever.


    The tentacles fell down, rolling around. This time, everyone saw the tentacles holding the silhouette of a falling human, before they took it high up into the clouds.


    ***


    Roy had failed. He had expended all his EXP and exited the form of the Most High. The status bar in his character sheet was shining bloody red. He was but a regr human now, and his refractory period would go on for a long time.


    The Most High, on the other hand, had nearly infinite power. No matter how grievous its wounds were, they would heal immediately.


    The winds in the skies were cutting Roy''s face. It hurt him, and the rims of his eyes were red, but there was still defiance in his gaze. Still, he was also shivering from great fear. <em>Am I going to disappear?</em>


    The tentacle took him to the Most High. The creature that stood tall like a god. Lightning illuminated its silhouette and the bizarre look on its face. The creature was looking at Roy, and there was a hint of approval in its eyes, as if it saw one of its own. "Roy, witcher of the Viper School."


    An androgynous voice spoke in the witcher''s mind. There was no emotion in that voice, but Roy felt connected to it for some reason. There was no anger or fury in the voice at all, unlike before the battle.


    "You have proven yourself enough moments ago," said the voice calmly. "From now on, you are no longer my shadow. You are no longer anyone''s marite or appendage."


    Roy was held in the tentacle, and his eyes went wide. He saw, in the creature''s big, crimson eyes, his face. What the Most High said next shocked him further.


    "You shall be a new Most High. One that I gave birth to."


    "How is that possible? I-I''m a Most High?" <em>I''m not a pitiful shadow anymore? I''ll be a monster that devours civilizations?</em> Roy was starting to suffocate, and he shivered uncontrobly.


    "Far from it. You have a long journey ahead of you. For now, you can enjoy the present to the fullest. But when enough time has passed, you will eventually tire of your erstwhile passion. Humanity''s hearts and feelings are fragile. They are transient in the face of eternal time. Fleeting and powerless. Eventually, you will understand that the one true cycle of the multiverse and all things in them is to feed, destroy, purify, and begin everything again. You will awaken your nature eventually. To celebrate your birth, I will give you this space-time, these people, and their wishes."


    The holes that broke in the sky were patched up. The dark clouds and lightning disappeared, and the titanic tentacle, for thest time, rolled down the clouds. Within it were Roy, nine unconscious figures, and five agate-like crimson crystals with circles of bands within them.


    The tentacle ced everyone firmly on the ground, and Roy''s friends came running toward him.


    The young witcher looked up stiffly at the giant creature swimming in the skies. This time, Roy saw through all the clouds. He witnessed the Most High swimming away, disappearing through the ozoneyer. Within the void of space, it tore a dark gash open and leapt into another timeline.


    Before it flickered away, onest tentacle hung at the edge of the portal to wave Roy goodbye.


    The creature was magnificent, and yet it was lonely.


    Roy fell into his musing.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 588: Recruiting and Terms

    The gentle morning breeze blew away the smoke of the battle, and the light of dawn shone on the brokennd.


    "How do you feel, kid?" Lambert tapped Roy, who was staring at the skies.


    Roy''s clothes were tattered. He fell to the ground, and dead silence graced the air. The young witcher was pale as a cloud, but his thoughts were pensive. There was something else welling up within his heart, and he did not look like someone who came out alive from an intense battle.


    "Still alive, don''t worry." Roy took a deep breath. The pain from his bones was relieved a little, then he turned his attention to the character sheet.


    ''Age: 18 years old


    Gender: Male


    HP: 50/100 (Locked. Weakened. Remaining time: 59 days, 23 hours, 50 minutes and 30 seconds).


    Strength: 5 (Extremely weakened)


    Dexterity: 6


    Constitution: 10


    Perception: 5


    Will: 38


    Charisma: 10


    Spirit: 6


    Level 14 Witcher (0/16500)


    You are currently unable to use Descend.''


    ***


    Three hundred seconds in the form of the Most High. All that power, and in exchange, he had a refractory period of two months. Roy sighed, smiling bitterly. The side effects were a lot worse than he thought. This form would, without a doubt, be hisst, desperate resort.


    And then he felt his cloak and the rough ground beneath him reced by something soft and warm. It was sofy, he moaned.


    Lytta was already on the ground, resting Roy''s head on herp. She massaged his temples gently with one hand and rubbed his forehead with the other, as if trying to soothe his wrinkles and worries.


    Roy looked back, and Lytta smiled gently, though Roy could see red tear tracks at the corners of her eyes. Blood covered her mouth, proof that her magic had recoiled. For a moment, holes covered the skies earlier, and the Cleansing me fell like rain. Lytta thought everything was over. She was ready to die with Roy, but then fate took a swift turn.


    Roy survived. Even though he was battered and weakened, this was the best they could hope for. She brushed her fingers across his cheek. Every single one of them survived this battle. He did what he promised.


    Triss was a distance away, but she was quickly approaching them. She sped her hands before her belly and pursed her lips. She wanted to say something, then the winds blew her hair across her face.


    She and Kiyan stayed at the sewers'' entryway throughout the whole ordeal, missing the whole adventure.


    "Had enough of thedy, Roy? You can breathe, can''t you? Then talk. So¡­ um¡­ that giant octopus was the Most High? The monster Idarran was obsessed with?" Lambert rolled his sleeves up. Felix was unconscious before a patch of ribleaf. Lambert pped him awake.


    The witcher woke up with red marks on his face. As though he had just awoken from a long dream, there was confusion in his eyes.


    Bald Eskel and Serrit woke Letho, Coen, and Vesemir up the same way Lambert woke Felix up. Auckes, Geralt, Aiden, and Kiyan quickly bound the sleeping Alzur and grandmasters with dimeritium cuffs and fetters.


    "To be precise, it''s the devourer of civilizations and bringer of the cycle. The traveler of parallel worlds," said Roy.


    "Tsk. Scary titles, yet it ran away anyway." Kalkstein had forgotten all about his condition. He crouched, staring at Roy with curiosity and the lunacy of a mad researcher. "So tell me, that little blob that won the battle was you, wasn''t it? You''re the Most High''s rtive?"


    Roy''s pupils contracted, and he answered curtly, "It''s a secret."


    The witchers exchanged a look and scanned the ce around them. The ground in a 500-yard radius around them was covered in crimson magma, caved in, and broken up by the tentacles. Thend that spanned miles from Maribor to the wilderness had a deep ditch carved into it. It was like a dried-up riverbed.


    Thisndscape was made by incredible power that exceeded the forbidden spell of Alzur. Not even a battle of twenty thousand soldiers could leave this deep a mark. The witchers knew they couldn''tst ten seconds in a fight with that monster. The cruel reality was that Roy was already miles ahead of them.


    "You were at a serious disadvantage. The tentacles almost ttened you, so how did you defeat that nightmare?" Serrit asked, surprised.


    Roy was silent for a moment. Should I tell them that the Most High has acknowledged me? That I am no longer its shadow, but a new Most High myself? That someday I''ll be an octopus that feeds on civilization across parallel worlds? Roy shook his head. He was still a Viper School witcher. At the very least, for the next few centuries, he had no interest in being a Most High.


    Roy slowly scanned hispanions. "We have agreed to a permanent peace treaty. From now on, our world will not be threatened by the creature anymore. The Cleansing me is no more." The Most High had given up feeding in this space.


    "So the problem is solved, and we can go back to the kids in Ender?" Geralt asked with uncertainty, but there was anticipation in his eyes.


    "Yes."


    Everyone was relieved, and smiles broke out on their tensed-up faces. "The brotherhood''s diplomat and top seer, now the world''s savior." Auckes crossed his arms. He looked proud. He knew Roy had kept a lot of details and secrets tucked away, but he wouldn''t ask too much. No matter how powerful Roy got, he would always be Auckes''s junior.


    "So should we thank you, then?" Lambert cleared his throat. Like a bard who was about to start performing, he bowed deeply to Roy, his head shining like a mirror and nearly blinding everyone. "Your act is too great for my thanks. If you run into any sort of monster like ''The Fearless'' next time, I''ll take care of your family in your stead."


    Someone harrumphed. "Will you shut it, you fool? You want to die?" Aiden snarled and smacked the back of Lambert''s head.


    Lambert smacked him back. Coral covered her mouth and giggled, then she winked cheekily at Roy.


    The sorceress smiled. "I have nothing to repay this favor with, save for my body."


    "Ahem, Lytta, we''re all single here, so spare our feelings, please." Serrit picked up a crimson agate from the ground. There were five of them. "And let''s talk business. What are these, kid?"


    Roy took a look, and a look of disbelief painted his face.


    ''Essence of the Most High


    Effect: When taken, the user will ascend to the perfect world and attain the best oue of all parallel worlds.''


    Roy was reminded of the Most High''s message before it left. "To celebrate your birth, I will give you this space-time, these people, and their wishes."


    "It''s an infinite wishing well."


    "A wishing well?" Everyone stopped breathing for a moment. They had a collective look of awe and surprise on their faces.


    Serrit''s heart skipped a beat. He knew how important this thing was, and he stuffed all the crystals into Roy''s hands.


    "It''s better than djinns?" Kalkstein''s eyes shone. He wanted to cut these up and research them.


    "No. It grants wishes in a very special way." Roy held the opinion that parallel timelines couldn''t bepared to their original world. After all, the family and friends living there weren''t the people he knew. "We don''t need these. We have a better choice."


    They were living in the present. There was no need to go after any parallel worlds.


    "You sure that''s right, kid?" Letho rubbed his shiny head and turned to their captives who were sleeping beside a tree. Five agates for five captives. "If these are not for us, then who''s it for? Them?"


    "Good question, Letho. People, we have an issue on our hands." Serrit raised his voice, looking troubled. "How should we deal with them?"


    The witchers'' creators and grandmasters were tied up easily by their juniors. Such a thing would have been unimaginable in the past.


    Aiden growled, "I say we kill them." He didn''t know any of these people. No Cats among them.


    "Grandmasters are no monsters. Killing them would be a waste. Akin to smashing a priceless treasure." Kalkstein was raring to go. "Why don''t we cut¡ª"


    "Get them on our side," Letho quickly dashed the idea. He stared at long-faced Ivar and blurted, "The creed does say we need to gather all the brethren worth gathering. Aside from collecting the souls of the dead on battlefields, the grandmasters have done nothing bad over the years. I think they''re worthy of the membership."


    Vesemir nodded, and he stroked his beard out of habit, though all he could grab was air. "We know Ivar, Elgar, and End mean us no harm."


    Coen looked at End, his eyes shining. He stared at the eagle tattoo and the grandmaster''s dried Mohican hair. "Every grandmaster is a living treasure trove. Their knowledge, experience, and skills in alchemy, swordy, and cksmithing will be valuable for the brotherhood."


    Liber Tenebrarum was something written by End. "If the kids know they''ll have legendary witchers as their teachers, they''ll go wild with glee."


    Letho added, "The grandmasters took this path for their own reasons. We''ve witnessed their past. Any other human would''ve broken down if they were put in their positions."


    Everyone fell silent. Once again, they were reminded of the vivid history. The grandmasters had never brought destruction to this world. This world and the people it protected, however, betrayed and ruined them. These witchers were idealists who wanted to save the world, but reality beat them back to their senses.


    "I say we kill just Arnaghad and avenge Roy." Serrit slit a finger across his throat, the look on his face solemn. Like a reaper hiding in the shadows.


    Felix shot him a re. He thought about the young boy who sold himself to Alzur just to save his parents. He thought about how Arnaghad stood in a broken castle with nothing but a sword in his hand. The butcher of the Bear School resembled him a little. Killing him just like that wouldn''t feel right.


    Roy looked at the icy, unconscious witcher, and his eyes red with anger. He was reminded of the battle in the castle of Cintra, where he was chopped up.


    Lytta noticed the anger in his eyes, and she quickly massaged his temples.


    "As for Alzur¡­"


    The sorcerer under the tree coughed, and he opened his eyes. He first scanned the space around him, disbelief filling his eyes. "Is this heaven or hell?" Alzur held himself up with difficulty. His whole body was sore, and his limbs cramped, like he''d just done three days and three nights'' worth of manualbor. "Or is this an illusion in the Most High''s body? How am I still alive?"


    "Alzur." Kalkstein crouched before the sorcerer and grinned toothily. "You think the dimeritium cuffs are fake? Try casting a spell. Just ept the truth. The Most High you dream of has escaped."


    "No! No one in this world can stop it!" Alzur growled, ck as thunder.


    "It is the truth!" Triss shouted.


    The grandmasters grunted and slowly woke up. There was confusion in their eyes, but they were hardened enough to stay calm quickly and realize what kind of situation they were in.


    Lambert looked down at them. Haughtily, he said, "From now on, you''re the brotherhood''s captives."


    ***


    "The Most High has gone to the next cycle? Then everything''s over," said Alzur weakly after he was brought up to speed. There was despair in his voice. "Who can grant us our wish, then?"


    The grandmasters nched, looking defeated.


    "How did you do it, Roy? You''re the Most High''s shadow. How did you defeat the original?" Alzur''s bloodshot eyes went wide with mania. He was speaking nonsense.


    "But that doesn''t mean a shadow will remain a shadow forever," Roy said, barely a whisper.


    "Don''t mutter, brat. Speak up like a man!" Arnaghad sat up, agitated.


    And then a sh of white light flew through the air. Letho smacked the burly witcher with the back of his sword and knocked him down. "Watch your tongue, mate. Roy''s not a brat. Without him, you''d have nothing but piles of sh*t in the Most High''s belly."


    "Living like this has no meaning," said End listlessly, his hair hanging down. The Most High had disappeared, and the avnche couldn''t be turned back.


    "End." Coen took a deep breath and straightened his cor out. There was respect in his eyes. "Keldar has passed, but the Griffin School still has me. The brotherhood has talented kids that''ll grow stronger in the future. If you join us, we can make a better future together and revive the order''s glory!"


    Coen was starting to get too excited. "No! Even better than that! There will be no sorcerer or mob who''d dare attack us, or they will be ripped apart!"


    End paused for a few moments and looked at the younger Griffin. He looked like an honest guy. "I don''t remember Keldar taking in you."


    "Long story short, Liber Tenebrarum, the book you wrote, gained some sort of power and raised Keldar from the dead. He kept on living, until a few years ago, that is."


    End had a conflicted look on his face. He was d to hear that, but he regretted it too, and he sighed. "You do not understand. My world has stopped turning since the avnche happened."


    ***


    "Elgar," an old voice said. It caught Elgar''s attention. He saw a fair, hairless, beardless, and browless old man. His eyes held stories within their depths, but Elgar thought this man looked familiar.


    "I''m Vesemir. Do you still remember me? I learned the art of cksmithing from you in Kaer Morhen."


    Ten secondster, realization struck Elgar. He blurted, "Oh, the guy who hooked up with five women in a year? You''re still alive?"


    All the witchers gave Vesemir looks. The sorceresses, especially, were looking at him like they were saying, ''Wow, didn''t know you were a pervert, Vesemir.''


    Even though Vesemir knew no shame, he still smiled awkwardly. "Just the past, just the past. I''m not the same person I once was. Back to business. Elgar, after that devastating battle at Kaer Morhen, I survived by lying underneath a corpse. Kaer Morhen did not disappear. He patted the shoulders of Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert. The Wolves nodded at Elgar with respect. The man deserved as much.


    "See these? They''re my students. We have a couple young kids back at the temple. They passed the Wolf''s Trial too. Join us. So what if the Most High is gone?" Vesemir said animatedly, like he had returned to his younger years. His eyes were shining. "You can rebuild Kaer Morhen with us and return it to its former glory. No, even more than that."


    Elgar looked like he was struggling with a decision.


    ***


    "You sure know how to hide, you old git. We''ve been searching for you high and low." Auckes was rubbing his fist, like he would punch his mentor at any given moment. "You dumped us without saying a word and went around living the best life instead."


    "Best life, my f*cking *ss! Can''t you guys put yourselves in my shoes? I did it to deal with the Wild Hunt problem!" Ivar roared at his students, but there was a smile on his lips. He was like an old man with the soul of a child inside him. "This is insubordination! Release me, now!"


    Letho narrowed his eyes and grumbled, "I think you should stay fettered. That''s what you get for dumping yourrades. Oh, and allow me to introduce you." Letho pointed at the young witcher who was lying in Lytta''sp. "Roy of the Viper School. He''s one of us too."


    "I saw him back in the castle of Cintra." Ivar nodded at Roy. There was praise in his eyes. "Young, skilled, loyal, and managed toe back from a different world. Loads better than you three. F*ck you do but drink and sleep around?"


    Triss had a conflicted look on her face. She pulled her hair back. These jerks wiped my memories, and I couldn¡¯t even get them back until now.


    "Still better than an old git who dumps his whole school behind," Auckes snapped, but he was grinning.


    "Think about it, Ivar. Don''t need to ask the Most High to deal with the Wild Hunt problem." Letho looked into Ivar''s horrified eyes. He dered, "Sooner orter, the brotherhood will fight the warmongers."


    Ivar looked at the cuffs around his hands. Aucked looked around and dered, "Look forward, people. Don''t wallow in your past. See into the future. The witcher brotherhood is the future."


    ***


    Everyone ignored Arnaghad on purpose. He tensed up and looked dark. The Bear pulled his shoulders closer, tensing up and putting on a defensive stance.


    "Where''s Idarran?" Alzur asked, his voice dead and weak.


    "The Most High''s tentacles ttened him." Geralt shook his head. "We couldn''t save him in time."


    Alzur heaved a sigh of relief. He had a look as icy as the winter winds, then he turned to Roy. "Someone died again. Kill me, boy."


    "Sorry?"


    Everyone''s hearts sank.


    "Kill me. Devour me." Alzur was ashen. There was pain and agony in his voice. "Without the Most High, I have lost my chance to see Lylianna. I can never fulfill Cosimo''s wish. There is no meaning in living."


    His hundred-year n was ruined. He hung his head low, hope in his heart snuffed out. "At least I can contribute something if you kill me."


    Chilly winds howled across thends, dousing everyone''s enthusiasm.


    With Lytta''s help, Roy slowly got up, and he showed the Most High''s essence to Alzur. The agate''s bands were glimmering under the sun. "Even without the Most High, this thing can help you ascend to the perfect world."


    "What is this?"


    "A gift from the Most High."


    Perhaps the creature left them these because they had ventured through countless battlefields over the years just to feed it.


    "What would you want in exchange?" Alzur''s eyes red with hope. It was like he found his saving grace.


    Roy slowly looked at the captives. They were looking a little fanatical. "I want all your knowledge, collections, and treasures. Including the djinn bottles.¡±


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 589: Perfect World

    The cataclysmic battle hade to an end. Part of the sewers lying under the ruins of Maribor were still standing strong. Alzur and the grandmasters led the group through the dark, squalid passages. At the end of the journey, they came to a chamber made of stone.


    The chamber was not grand in scale, but it was gorgeous, appearing to be a fusion of a library and an alchemicboratory. Bookshelves stood before the walls of the room with thousands of books lining the racks. Outside of the bookshelvesy agitators, centrifuges, and operating stations, as well as vials and vessels typical of aboratory. Each piece was beautiful and expensive.


    There were also plump couches as well as sses and tes made of gold and embedded with gemstones. Alzur did not live a frugal life. He pointed his chin at an ancient table beside a bookshelf, where one beautiful bottle stood.


    "The bottle of a djinn?" Roy''s eyes shone. He rubbed the bottle with his hand. A djinn wish came with a great deal of limitations, but it had many uses. One of which would be to grant a sorceress, whose womb had shriveled, the ability to conceive.


    "We have expended nine out of ten bottles. This is thest one we have." Alzur''s eyes roved across the expectant witchers. "Three wishes it contains, but beware. Once you have released the djinn, hold the bottlecap and make your wish as quickly as you can, or it might just pull a prank on you. These books are Cosimo''s, Idarran''s, and my collection." Alzur looked at the books with love and a sense of pride. "Magical training is not the only topic they cover."


    "Do they include the spells you made yourself?" Coral interrupted, her eyes shining. She could cast Alzur''s Thunder, but it was an iplete version. Even so, that spell''s power was incredible. So incredible, it was almost forbidden.


    Triss was curious as well.


    "Theplete Alzur''s Thunder, Alzur''s Shield, Alzur''s Double Cross, and my lifetime''s experience in magic are included within this collection. And that''s not all. These books contain many records involving gic modifications. The Trial for the first witchers, Idarran''s modified animals, and his mutated nts. I believe they can be of assistance to you."


    Kalkstein was grinning so widely, it almost seemed like a leer.


    Serrit, the one with the best sense of them all, found a few exquisite rosewood crates behind the bookshelves. He opened it up, and a beam of light shone into the air. Orens, crowns, and gemstones sat within the crates, almost blinding everyone with their splendor.


    "With these in our hands, the brotherhood will not have to worry about its finances for the next twenty years."


    "If we''re talking aboutparison by weight, gemstones and jewelry are the items with the least worth in this ce," Alzur said. "But from this moment on, they belong to you."


    The group exchanged a look. They were pleased. Pleased that their hard-earned victory was not in vain.


    End held his hands before his chest. Earnestly, he asked, "Now that you''re happy, can you have mercy and grant us our little wishes?"


    "Are you sure, End?" Coen clenched his fists. He looked dismayed. "Is the perfect world even more valuable than reality itself?"


    "My heart died the day the avnche fell." End shook his head, staring at the brazier in the corner, as if he could see familiar faces dancing within. "I kept on living until now just to change that day."


    Elgar and Arnaghad were standing with him, and they nodded. Vesemir thought it was a shame. He failed to change Elgar''s mind. Only Ivar changed his stance and joined the Viper School. He looked at his old friends,menting. It had only been just under thirty years since he worked for Alzur. His obsession didn''t run as deeply as the other grandmasters¡¯.


    After witnessing the brotherhood''s roster and Roy''s power to turn time back and chase the Most High away, his opinion had slowly changed. If he joined the brotherhood, he would eventually do battle with the Wild Hunt and reach his dream. There was no need to risk going to a perfect world.


    ***


    Roy took out four pieces of the Most High''s essence. "Alzur, once you ascend to the perfect world, what will happen to the Alzur of that dimension?"


    "We shall enter their bodies, and our souls will merge," said Alzur honestly.


    That''s just like how I descended. Roy scanned Alzur and the three grandmasters who were ready to go. In the end, he set his sights on Arnaghad, the burliest among them. "Then there''s onest thing to do. You and I have a bloody score to settle," Roy said. "I haven''t forgotten about that day in the castle of Cintra. I haven''t forgotten how you cut up my corpse."


    Felix tensed and tried to say something, but couldn¡¯t. Arnaghad hung his head low. He was always the most unwee and unrecognized person among the group. It had always been that way. He took a deep breath and looked at his old friends and mentor. Then the Bear looked at the agates in Roy''s hand.


    There was no fear in his eyes, and he looked ahead with sharp eyes. The brazier''s mes illuminated him. He was like a condemned inmate going to the gallows. "No need for talk. Do it, Roy. Make it quick." He held his head high, revealing his neck in full view. "I spared you no mercy. It is only fair that you wish to kill me, but I only have one wish." He looked at End and Elgar. As if saying hisst words, he said, "You two, we''ve fought together so far. Please save a spot for me in the perfect world. This time, let me be a regr witcher, just like how we nned."


    Elgar and End looked at Roy. "We will bear the weight of his crime."


    "Sorry, but I do not take payment from those who do not owe me."


    Roy unsheathed Aerondight.


    "Roy!"


    "Kid!"


    Gasps filled the air of the chamber, but the sh of silver light flew ahead faster. The air hissed, and blood spilled. Roy might be weakened, but his de was still sharp enough to cut through flesh.


    To everyone''s shock, the Bear''s body broke into pieces. His limbs were cut off, and only little stumps of his legs were holding him up, a pool of blood forming around his body. He was pitiful,ughable, and almost amusing. Even though Arnaghad had his limbs cut off, all he did was grunt and frown. He looked up at Roy, his face the color of clouds.


    The chamber fell silent. Some witchers had looks of pity on their faces. Some closed their eyes seeing a witcher harming one of his own.


    "Listen here, Arnaghad." Roy pulled his de back from Arnaghad''s neck and went down. He grabbed the Bear''s cor and stared into his emotionless eyes, as if he could see Arnaghad''s long and ice-cold soul within them. "We''re even now." Roy grinned and nodded at the Bear. The brazier''s me illuminated his face, and it was a look of relief.


    The grudge was water under the bridge. They were no longer enemies. What Roy did next shocked many of those present. Only Coral and Letho appeared to know this would happen.


    "And now, my brother, I shall grant you your wish, as a witcher myself." Roy held the piece of essence close to Arnaghad''s lips, and he gave him his prayers. "Find your humanity. Find your heart. Find that which you have lost. Find redemption, and turn a new page in your life."


    Roy''s voice echoed in the chamber.


    Arnaghad swallowed the priceless essence. At that moment, his cold, dead heart was starting to crack, and an ugly smile curled his lips. He looked at the weakened Roy and felt a surge of warmth swimming across his body.


    Crimson light burst forth from Arnaghad, the Cleansing me burning him. Red light illuminated the chamber, brilliant and dazzling. There were bizarre scenes ying in the mes. Scenes where Arnaghad was smiling, angry, grateful, and wallowing in sadness. Everyone closed their eyes.


    And then, Arnaghad broke into pieces, disappearing into slivers of smoke as the mes burned him, leaving nothing but a pool of blood and severed limbs behind.


    Auckes gulped. "You sure he went to a perfect world instead of getting destroyed? Are you guys sure you don''t want to reconsider this?"


    Alzur, Elgar, and End exchanged a look. As if they were going to celebrate a new lease on life, they smiled, hugging their sessors and bidding them goodbye.


    "I leave the Griffin School of this world in your hands, Coen. One word of advice. Do not forget about valor, but be sure to show it to the right people. Don''t be blind in your kindness. Most importantly, take care of yourself and the people around you."


    "Vesemir, never walk alone. Never abandon your brethren."


    "Roy, hold on to your humanity, just like how you did moments ago. Never allow the desire to consume to instead consume you."


    End, Elgar, and Alzur gulped down the crystals and shattered into pieces, swallowed by balls of crimson mes. A long silence ensued.


    Coral held Roy''s arm. With uncertainty, she asked, "Does a perfect world really exist among all the parallel worlds?"


    Everyone looked at Roy. The young witcher held thest piece of essence, staring at the air. For a moment, he thought he saw the Most High leaping between the world tree''s branches, its tentacles wriggling. "Yes."


    ***


    Within the void, time and space were born. Within chaos, they entwined. Within them, a perfect world was woven.


    In a brightboratory within Morgraig, a boy about the age of ten woke up from a longa. He had bushy eyebrows, a round nose, and lips that were not too thick. The boy was pale from malnutrition. He tilted his head, staring at his slender arms and gaunt body in shock. Awe etched itself on the boy''s face.


    "Congrattions, Arnaghad." A magical light shone upon a man before him. He was handsome, had ck, curly hair, and was wearing a blue robe. The man extended his hand, his eyes twinkling with delight. "You have passed the Trial without anyplications left within you. Now hold out your fists."


    The boy did as he was told. He could feel a surge of power flowing across his slender, pockmarked arms. Within his hands was strength that exceeded a normal adult''s.


    "Do you feel that? From here forth, no one will be able to push you around anymore. You shall use this power to protect yourself and the people. You shall chase the darkness away."


    "Alzur! I-Is everyone alive?" Arnaghad asked, his voice trembling. He was nervous. This would be their reunion after hundreds of years.


    "This is a miracle. It''s unlike the survival rates we calcted in Morgraig. A beautiful, curvy sorceress in a blue robe came up and held Arnaghad''s hand. "A hundred percent survival rate. Madoc, Ivar, Elgar, End, Jagda, and you. All six of you lived."


    Arnaghad looked around at the other kids who had just woken up around him. They too were on operating tables.


    "What a relief." The sorceress shuddered, but she was still looking at the boy with love. "Or I would live my whole life in regret."


    Alzur held the woman''s arm. Their eyes met, and love swam between them. Arnaghad grinned. This was just like how they nned. Lylianna survived and became a sorceress. She stayed with Alzur. The first experiment wasn''t done in Rissberg anymore either, but Morgraig. The thirty-two tragic deaths never happened here. They never existed. This was the miracle created by the Most High''s essence.


    He was the one who gulped it down first. End and Elgar shouldn''t have arrived just yet. As for Alzur, he went to another parallel world.


    Noticing Arnaghad''s look, Lylianna asked, "What''s the matter, child? Are you alright?"


    "I miss home." Arnaghad rubbed his cheeks, his eyes getting red. Sobbing, he said, "When I get better, can I go home? I want to see my parents. And my brother. And sister." There was longing in Arnaghad''s eyes. Reminiscence filled his voice. The emotions he''d forgotten and the memories of his family he''d locked away came back to him with full force, nourishing his cold, dead heart. "It''s been too long since I saw them. Feels like a few lifetimes."


    "I don''t remember you being one to exaggerate. That''s Ivar''s specialty. You''re only ten years old. Barely even a lifetime." Alzur patted Arnaghad''s head. He said, "We''re creating the strongest warriors, not cold-blooded butchers. Rest up for a couple of days, and I shall open up a portal home for you. But remember toe back." Alzur said sternly, "The next step of your training will begin soon. For our dream, understand, Arnaghad?"


    "To rid this world of the monsters hiding in the shadows. To create a safer world for humanity," said Arnaghad loudly. He grinned, and then he shed tears of joy. This time, I will hold on until the end, he told himself in his mind. I will not walk alone again this time. There was light shining in the boy''s amber eyes. Delight and hopes for the future filled him up.


    ***


    Years passed. A castle stood on the top of a lush mountain within the wilds of Poviss. Within the spacious courtyard, a bonfire red. Silvery moonlight shone upon the ground, where men with beastly eyes stood.


    "Do you know why Kaer Seren was moved from the cliff overseeing Kovir''s coast?" A long-faced witcher in knightly armor took off a piece of scalding, golden-brown roast pork from the grill. He radiated the air of a schr. The witcher slowly tore off a sliver of the pork and popped it into his mouth.


    "Don''t keep us hanging, Keldar. Talk!" a young voice urged.


    "Calm down, brat. You keep being impatient, and one day, a troll is going to teach you a painful lesson." Keldar shot the young man a look. "Many years ago, a group of evil sorcerers set their sights on Kaer Seren''s book collection. A collection they yearned for but couldn''t possess. They med us for the gue that spread in Vizima and nned to start an avnche on Dragon Mountains. On a scale hitherto unheard of. They nned to bury me and more than sixty brethren in icy graves."


    He paused. A young apprentice quickly turned on the barrel''s tap and filled a ss with wine. He handed Keldar the alcohol, and the witcher continued animatedly, "Fortunately, End observed the skies the night before and predicted this disaster. He then extinguished it."


    A group of young witchers sat around the bonfire, holding their heads high. There was excitement and worship in their eyes, and the medallions hanging from their necks were glimmering in the mes'' light.


    "End defeated a group of evil sorcerers alone?" Ad with tri-colored eyes and pockmarks on his chin asked.


    "Oh, that''d be an unbelievable feat, but no. End asked for some help in the form of legendary individuals. Alzur, Cosimo, and Lady Lylianna, so to speak. The creators have always been on good terms with us. They led a group of allies to the battlefield and beat those b*stards all the way back where they came from, but to prevent any disasters like that from happening once more, Kaer Seren was moved from the coast to this castle in the mountains of Poviss. Alzur and End used that chance to hold an extraordinary speech and turned our infamy around in thends of the north."


    Keldar sighed. "That''s why you almost never hear anyone calling us mutants or abominations now. Of course, discrimination and prejudice still linger, but the people are starting to acknowledge our efforts in helping the needy. They''re acknowledging our contributions to the world. Showing us the respect we deserve. We''re not just ying evil monsters now, but we''re also helping viges, towns, cities, and nations liaise and de-escte conflicts. If wars were to break out, we would be helping the people evacuate. The people before you built that foundation with their lives."


    "End, instead of drowning yourself in past glories, why don''t you teach the kids something more useful?" A towering man with Mohican hair and a tattoo on his profile came in with a curvy woman with graying hair. They stood around the bonfire as well. The light shone on the man''s face. There was majesty there, but also love.


    "End!"


    "Lady Jagda!"


    "Grandmaster!"


    "Why don''t you take the stage, then?"


    The young Griffins were buzzing with excitement, staring at End. End looked around. There were 120 witchers here¡ªhalf having gone through life, the other half young and inexperienced. This was the perfect world. The avnche had never happened here. A sizable portion of the poption had thrown away their prejudice. The Griffin School had made knights of themselves, ones worthy of respect and acknowledgment. Knights who the people did respect. He turned his head and smiled at the woman beside him. She had amber eyes and graying hair the length of her hips. He and his lover, Jagda, were finally reunited. Everything was going perfectly. Their ship was going to sail through the storm of life.


    "Children, only a few suggestions. Remember to protect yourself even when you''re trying to do good. Do not be like the old me. I was stubborn and foolish. Some people do not deserve any protection. As witchers, we must be responsible for ourselves and our brethren."


    An old witcher took a big swig of alcohol and roared, "When we fall and bleed, we care not for coin and deed."


    Then, Griffins both young and old sang loudly in their nest, safely tucked away from the world. Their collective voice echoed through the night, with the light of the bonfire and the scent of alcohol following in its expansive wake. The song they sang filled the air of Kaer Seren. Their voice flew high across the towers, and then, they traveled through the northernnds. In the end, they soared toward the world out there.


    ***


    Yearster still, a battle broke out at Kaer Morhen. Shouts and mes that danced across the walls were growing fainter. Elgar swung his sword as fast as possible, and he leaped into the mob without any hesitation. White light danced across the necks of the thugs, and blood sttered. The Wolf cut down three enemies in one instant. Another two came charging at him, but he crouched and got out of their swords'' way.


    As he blocked their attacks, a ball of fire sted their backs. A witcher with a tattoo on his face and a griffin medallion hanging around his neck burned an ambushing thug with Igni. Underneath the banyan tree in the center of the courtyard, a burly witcher with a bear medallion leaped into the air and swung his weapon down on a pair of thugs, splitting them in half.


    Atop of the watchtower, a slender witcher with changing eyes thrust his de backward, the viper medallionying across his chest swaying. The sorcerer who teleported to the back of the witcher had a ball of fire dancing on his palm, but he charged into the witcher''s de like he wanted to kill himself. The sorcerer held his neck, but blood was already spilling. He fell backward, his legs convulsed, and he stopped moving.


    Before the drawbridge of Kaer Morhen was a witcher in light armor. He had dark, catlike eyes and moved and reacted as quickly as a cat. The witcher swung a thin, bluish de that was sharp as a razor. He leaped across the drawbridge and swung his de three times. Three corpses rolled into the moat, their blood sttering the battlefield.


    Simr deaths happened across Kaer Morgen. Witchers from Wolf, Viper, Cat, Griffin, and Bear Schools as well as a dozen in-house sorcerers were battling together, weathering the storm of fire and blood. In less than two hours, the hundreds of thugs and sorcerers who tried to invade the fortress were all dead.


    Elgar led a group of muscly Wolves and stood on top of the mountain of corpses within the castle. He bowed at the grandmasters and brethren who came to his aid.


    "Don''t do that, mate. It''s not even a chore, dealing with these greedy, worthless fools. This isn''t even a warmup." End''s hair swayed in the air. He looked solemn. "This isn''t the other world. The order broke up because of the difference in our Trials, not because of our ideologies. We established our own schools for our group''s better development. Remember what we promised before we came to this world? Witchers work together."


    "Whenever anyone is in trouble, everyone''s going to help." Arnaghad was smiling brightly and happily. This was the perfect world they''d been trying to make. The n they''d been trying toplete for two hundred years.


    Elgar was at a loss for words. Everyone was here. He looked around, and the witchers who lived, a hundred of them, were tearing up too. "Clean this ce up, people. "We''re having a drink tonight. Let''s see who''s the best drinker among us."


    ***


    In another unknown space-time, birds were chirping within the woods of evergreen nts. Brilliant sunlight shone on the blooming roses and jasmines around the hill. A nket of mist swirled around the mountainside, and a patch of purple orchids cascaded from the ceiling of a cave, weaving themselves into a pleasant-scented curtain.


    Alzur woke up on a simple haystack within thisfortable cave. He looked around, dazed. Magical crystals shone on the two hundred strollers in the main chamber of the cave. Cosimo, beard long and graying as ever, was there. A lovely middle-aged sorceress and Idarran, Alzur''s protege, were casting spells along with Cosimo.


    The light of magic danced in the air, weaving itself into a beautiful river. ss bottles were turned into bees that had just returned from work. They buzzed around the air, feeding the gurgling babies in the strollers.


    "To the usual ce, Alzur." Cosimo noticed his student waking up. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. "She''s waiting for you there."


    She? Alzur''s heart skipped a beat. He quickly changed into simple clothes and pinned a lily emblem on his chest. Quickly, hurriedly, he left the cave.


    He saw her beside a roaring waterfall cascading off a cliff. She too was in simple clothes, but it didn''t take away from her beauty. The woman was dangling her legs off the cliff, the spraying water sshing her smooth, silky face. A hint of red flickered on her cheeks, and the golden sunlight draped her hair in a sheen of gold.


    She was like the statue of a goddess crafted from marble. Alzur was enthralled. He had waited for centuries for this. Had given up everything for this. Alzur held his breath and approached the woman. He carefully sat beside her, too scared to even make a sound, as if the faintest whisper would shatter this beautiful illusion.


    Alzur quietly looked down with her, enjoying the beautiful scenery unfolding underneath them. The flowers were blooming. Deers, storks, and dogs werepping up water from the stream. The beasts were double the size of their regr counterparts. They were stronger. More full of life.


    "My love, even now, I cannot believe that we and a group of children are spared from the Most High''s purification." Lylianna rested her head on Alzur''s shoulder and smiled sweetly at him. There was curiosity in her eyes. "Everyone was burned into nothingness. We''ve scoured the whole world, and we''re the only ones left."


    "Perhaps it took a nap and missed us. Or perhaps it spared us because we have a great dream," Alzur said, motivation steadily rising. "It wants us to educate these children and start another cycle. We shall be humanity''s pioneers and sow the seeds of civilization. We shall guide them and create a new world free of war. A human civilization free of sin. Under our guidance, humanity will change. The monsters hiding in the darkness, and the darkness hiding within humanity''s heart will all disappear. This is our perfect world."


    Lylianna stared at Alzur with worship and passion.


    "More importantly, we are together again." Alzur put an arm around Lylianna''s shoulder. "But now, we have an urgent matter awaiting our attention."


    "What is it?"


    "There are five more boys than girls among the babies. Do you know what that means?" Alzur gazed at his lover, trying to make up for the centuries they''d lost.


    "What are you trying to say?" Lylianna''s cheeks grew rosier, and there was embarrassment in her voice.


    "We need to make more girls."


    Lylianna giggled.


    The sprays from the waterfalls hopped into the air. Sunlight shone through them, and through the beads of water, a rainbow appeared, connecting the two silhouettes on the cliff, until time immemorial had passed.


    ***


    End of arc


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 590: Temple in the Wilds

    Roaring sea winds rampaged through the coast and stampeded up the snow-capped hills of Poviss. The skies burned red, shining upon long lines of hoof marks on the snowy ground. The clops stopped right outside the pine woods. A brown stallion, its fur gleaming, brayed and whinnied in excitement.


    On the horse was a knight with the beauty of a youngdy. He patted the horse''s neck, then looked at the building in the woods before him. These woods were nearly 100 miles away from Lan Exeter. The people who made a living from harvesting in these woods had set up viges in the wilderness. Some of those viges were settlements, while others were just small camps. Some viges were self-sustaining, while others were just little plots of wooden houses and obscenely big barns.


    Before the knight was a rickety temple in the wilds, the center of this ce''s believers. It was a good ce to rest. The rider turned to the part-elf on a ck horse. The part-elf had pointy ears and some stubble. He was chewing on a foxtail. "It''s gettingte, Acamuthorm. We''ll stop here. Don''t want to tire Wilt out, or we''ll have a lot of exining to do to Roy."


    The part-elf looked at the skies and smirked. "You''reining about exhaustion? You''re the one who asked Lydia to open up a portal to Kerack and told her we''d go back on horseback while training our swordy on the way back. It''s been two weeks. Aside from one boring drowner, we''ve done no training at all."


    Acamuthorm took out a piece of carrot from the saddlebag and stuffed it into his ck horse''s mouth, then he watched the steed munch on the food. "So tell me, genius, how are we supposed to tell them we created a record? ''We killed a drowner''? Please, just thinking about it is a joke. We should''ve been going into a city and having fun in the new ballroom Dandelion opened up. Or we could''ve gone to apothecary number two and caught up with Vicki, but all we did was waste time and ruin our ns. And then we''ll have to go back to Ender to train."


    The mention of training almost made Carl jump. Acamuthorm jolted, and he snarled. "That Ivar''s a madman. His torture methods know no end. ded, spinning dummies; enhanced killer''s path; sparrowhawk slope. I haven''t healed from the fallst time. You think that''s ever going heal up withoutplication?"


    "Shut it. This is the fourteenth time you''veined in as many days. It''s more annoying than your snoring." Carl rolled his eyes and tucked his Cat medallion underneath his leather armor. He led Wilt by the reins into the woods, where an icy building stood. "If you have time toin, you shoulde up with a n to convince the priestess. Or do you want to keep sleeping on stones?"


    ***


    The young witchers led their horses into the temple standing between the trees. It wasn''t majestic. Even a corner of Novigrad''s Eternal Fire temple was bigger than this ce. The temple here was just a small building made up of a fence, a few walls made of bricks, and a roof made of wood. Much to the witchers'' confusion, however, the old house beside the left barn was sealed shut with wooden boards. Daytime wasing to an end. In the courtyard, the dappled light of the setting sun shone down upon a marble statue. It was a sagely old man with a bushy beard wearing a short-sleeved shirt that cinched around his waist and extended down to his knees. The statue was holding the excess fabric with its left hand, while its right hand was stretched before it, as if sharing wisdom with its believers.


    The witchers were lucky. This was Lebioda, a figure known for his generosity and friendliness. Perhaps the figure would take them in for the night. Before the niche and altar of the statue was a group of boys and girls. The youngest were about seven or eight, while the oldest was about fifteen or sixteen. They were in simple, patched clothes and stood around dumbly, their eyes vacant. Their grayed, cotton jackets had snow hanging on them, and mist came fluttering out of their mouths and noses. Cheeks red from the cold, the group looked dazed, as though they had troubles on their minds.


    The witchers were reminded of the House of Gawain, though this ce was far more depressing. As if it was a pool of water that was absent of life. A youngdy in a simple white robe and leather cap came hurrying out with a pair of burly men apanying her. She looked at the witchers sharply. "Hi. You''re not residents of this area, are you? What brings you here?"


    The woman was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. She looked at the young witchers, her maroon hair swaying around her shoulders. Her skin was almost transparently pale, and a thinyer of hair was visible on her neck. She was tense, however, and her eyes were bloodshot. Obviously, she hadn''t been sleeping welltely.


    The witchers shrewdly noticed the stiff look on thisdy''s face. "Hello, sirs. Lady. I''m Carl, and this is Acamuthorm. We were just passing by. As you can see, it''s going to be dark soon, and the night''s chill is deadly. We''d like to ask for a ce to stay for the night and Lebioda''s protection, if possible."


    "I''m Daisy, the administrator and priestess of this temple. They''re the guards, Dino and Rumachi."


    One of the guards had a wide, protruding chin. The other sported shaved cheeks paired with a mustache and goatee as well as a brooding look. The guards smiled at the witchers, but they looked uneasy and rmed. Their eyes were locked on the swords behind the witchers'' backs and the silver bottles in the pouches around their waists.


    "Lebioda is merciful. He is more than happy to provide a warm resting ce for weary travelers, but you are armed. And you have swords. Swords can kill and hurt, and the temple has a lot of frail children."


    "Hoes, pitchforks, and scythes kill too. It all depends on who uses them. We make a living swinging our swords around, and our vocation demands that we keep our weapons close to us at all times. Do not worry, however. We will only point our des at monsters."


    Acamuthorm smiled, showing off the medallion before his chest. "We''re Griffin School witchers. We came from Kerack in the south, nning to seek out old friends in Lan Exeter. There are more job opportunities in big cities, you see."


    It was no secret that witchers had to travel thend to look for requests. Even after they made a name for themselves in Novigrad, that tradition would not be broken. The difference was that requests would now be nothing but zest to spice up the lives of witchers rather than their livelihood. The wealth left by Vilgefortz and Alzur was enough for the brotherhood to run for ten years.


    "It''s rare to see witchers your age now. Do you have any other evidence?" Even though the Trial made the boys look a few years older, sixteen-year-olds were still young. They were a far cry from bloodthirsty, scary mutants. The priestess was musing.


    "Then check this sword out. It''s not a regr sword." Carl grinned with excitement and put his hand over his back. He held his sword''s hilt, covered by leather. Silver light shed through the air.


    The priestess and her guards saw a bolt of white lightning flying ahead. Carl swung his sword, and the de bloomed like a white flower. Beneath the cross-shaped crossguard, a rune glimmered. Six bursts of blue light flowed in waves around it. A line of beautiful, stylistic Elder Speech inscription was inscribed underneath the rune.


    The sword was beautiful¡ªalmost like a piece of art. Carl brushed his finger across the de, which buzzed and glimmered. It was beautiful, and yet deadly. For some reason, the guards took a step back in fear.


    "The sword''s core is meteoric iron, the de silver, and it''s imbibed withyers of magic. Only witchers can swing them. Do not worry, you two. It is only deadly to monsters, not humans." Carl sheathed his de and grinned. The look of shock on the temple staff''s faces made him swell with pride.


    Acamuthom grunted. Dammit. That should''ve been me showing off, not Carl the narcissist.


    The guard with unkempt hair looked in fear, asking, "Carl, was there something inscribed on the de?"


    "You have a good eye. That''s a message from my mentor, Roy the legendary witcher. And then another grandmaster inscribed it during the high noon of Midaete. I''ll exin when we have time."


    "Beastly eyes, Griffin medallion, and a legendary silver sword. You''re witchers, alright. Please,e in." Daisy''s eyes shone, and her attitude turned in apletely new direction. She waved in the young witchers without hesitation and dragged them inside.


    The vacant kids in the courtyard looked at them, and a hint of life flickered in their eyes. Acamuthorm waved at them, smiling, but they ran into their houses like scared little foals, leaving messy footprints on the ground.


    Acamuthorm frowned. A weird feeling red in his heart, and he exchanged a look with Carl.


    "Lebioda, have mercy. He sent you two to our rescue. To end this temple''s disaster," said Daisy happily.


    "What disaster?" The witchers were interested.


    "Do you see the kids? Oh, sorry, they''re scared of strangers, and they get shy easily. There''s a reason why they look gloomy. Because something corrupted is haunting this temple, plunging our lives into chaos. A skilled monster yer is just what we need."


    ***


    ***

 Chapter 591: Bizarre Sounds

    The temple''s dining room was simrly rundown. Sitting in a corner were two snow-covered cloaks, and their owners were devouring their food quietly and quickly at the room¡¯s long wooden table. Carl wolfed down a stuffed scone into his mouth and let the fluffy, potato-stew-soaked bran puff up in his mouth. The scent lingered, unabating.


    Daisy sat across from them, sighing and wincing a little. "You''re professionals, witchers. yers of monsters and supernatural beings. You know countless monsters hide in these wilds. Kikimores, ghouls, spriggans, and things I don''t even know the name of."


    "On the contrary." Carl put his cleaned te down. With the air of a veteran, he said, "Monsters are dwindling in numberstely. Compared to them, bandits, robbers, mercenaries, and soldiers are the biggest threat to humanity. So you''re saying that there''s something unusual in the temple."


    Daisy put her hands on the table, sping them together, and she rested her chin on their copsed steeple. She looked at the bald guy beside her. The firece''s light was shining on her, and in her eyes, there was worry.


    "Six months ago, I started hearing eerie sounds every night. It upset me. Do you know what it felt like? It felt like a worm was wiggling its way into my ear. Like a tongue was licking my nape." Rumachi clenched his fists. He was animated in his description, wriggling around as he recounted the experience. "Sometimes it would sound like a baby''s gurgles, and sometimes it''d sound like a rat''s squeak. Sometimes I even hear lutes! We searched the whole temple, and the sounds came from the cer underground. That ce is filled with misceneous items and pickled food. Dino and I went to check things out."


    Acamuthorm listened closely and took a swig of goat''s milk. It was sweet. He quickly took a nce outside the window and saw a girl with dry, golden hair staring into the dining room. She was gulping. The night''s breeze was making her rub her hands as she shivered.


    The sun was setting, but the young witcher''s strengthened eyesight allowed him to see the girl''s face. She looked almost like the cheeky, beautiful, regal girl beloved by Geralt and Yennefer. That''s impossible. She should still be in Skellige. This must be a coincidence.


    "There was something corrupted hiding behind the pork jerkies!" The guard''s jiggling face was red, his voice trembling.


    "Calm down. One step at a time. What did it look like? We want every detail."


    Acamuthorm''s voice calmed the guard, as if it was infused with magic.


    "It was like a hag. Gaunt, hunched, rotten flesh hanging from her face. She was wearing a dress made out of gauze."


    Acamuthorm rubbed his stubble and frowned. "You sure you saw it right?"


    The guard was getting redder. He stammered, "I-I didn''t dare stay underground for too long. Just saw its outline. Vaguely."


    "Was there only one?"


    "Honestly, we''d probably be dead if there were two," said the man with the mustache and goatee.


    "That thing came after us, screaming. Dino''s fire blocked it for just long enough, or it''d have pounced on me. Lebioda, I''ve never been more terrified in my life. I got goosebumps. Almost pissed myself. Good thing our legs were enough to carry us back. We got back up, mmed the board on the hole, and sat down on it."


    Acamuthorm gave the bald guy a look. "You aren''t as brave as you look."


    "Brave doesn''t mean stupid. I wouldn''t try to bite on a rock and think it''d be crushed. Even veteran soldiers would run if they saw that thing."


    That was how most people would react to horrors beyond their understanding.


    "That thing didn''t break through the trapdoor?" Acamuthorm asked.


    Dino was surprised, but he also said with relief, "Thank Lebioda, that thing only screamed, still stuck in the cer."


    "Wait, so it''s a sitting duck. How''d you deal with it, then?" Carl looked at the temple staff members.


    "Smoked the entrance, chanted Lebioda''s prayers, tried traditional exorcism, tossed swine dders filled with virgin piss, virgin course blood, and blood of a ck dog, but they were useless. It''s weird. We saw nothing when we went into the cer during the day, but the sounds woulde at night. Not even cock-crows happen so consistently.


    "Tried fire before?" Carl asked.


    "Burning the temple is sphemy to Lebioda," said Daisy.


    "If you can''t deal with it, why didn''t you move?"


    "We have a lot of kids. No ce to house them. And Lebioda''s believers cannot be scared by a mere ghost," said Daisy adamantly.


    "Do you remember the time of night it shows itself?"


    "After the moon rises. When next the moon shines, we''ll hear it scream."


    Carl mused. It''s not scared of smoke, locked in a small cer, disappears during the day, and only shows up when the moon appears? "Does it do anything worse than scream?"


    The temple staff members shook their heads. With relief, Daisy said, "That evil entity only terrorizes the darkness of the cer. It cannot escape its prison and hurt the children. That''s why we stayed back and endured its screams, but I''m worried. One of these days, it mighte out and hurt everyone."


    Carl massaged his temples. That creature was humanoid. He considered a grave hag, a spriggan, a nekker, or a ghoul, but the habitat was wrong. Not to mention those monsters couldn¡¯t be stopped by a wooden board and a paltry few locks. The moment such things had to feed, the people in this temple would be its food. Not those monsters.


    Carl nodded. He asked, "Have you been having nightmares a lot over thest six months?"


    The temple staff looked at one another. Daisy mused. "Lost sleep for the first few days. Then everything was alright. Must be Lebioda''s protection."


    Carl''s eyes glinted. If this was a cheeky godling, then the temple dwellers would have nightmares chasing most dreams and many pranks pulled on them.


    "Last question. Has anyone died in the cer before?" Acamuthorm asked, slowly looking at the temple staff.


    Daisy froze for a moment, then she went red with anger. "This is a hallowed temple. You must not joke like that, witchers."


    "Are you sure no one died?"


    "I swear."


    A short silence fell upon the temple.


    "You have an idea, don''t you?" Rumachi asked.


    "We have a rough guess, but there''s something odd, so we need to investigate."


    The witchers were reminded of an earthbound entity they¡¯d seen in the Almanac of Creatures. It was humanoid, only came out when the moon appeared, and had an eerie voice. However, that thing could only be born of corpses and paths upon which the moon would shine, not a temple cer.


    "Daisy, this might be rude, but has Lebioda''s spirit never helped you exorcise the creature?" To witchers, ghost hauntings could happen in a great many ces, be it a city or vige, but not temples. Never temples.


    Even though Melitele hadn''t shown her power to the world for a long time now, her temple in Ender was still protected by her sanctity. Ghosts and evil entities would never do anything near something sacred. Even Kreve was a god on the good side, strictly speaking. His temple could ward off evil creatures and people, too.


    Daisy mused over it and sighed deeply. "Perhaps I''m too young. I''ve only been working in this ce for six months. Maybe the creature is Lebioda''s test for me."


    "So the children have only been here for six months?"


    "Ah, you do not know this." Daisy looked outside the window, her face filled with love and sympathy. "The children are mostly orphans who came from Cintra and Sodden a few years ago. Some were sent here because their families couldn''t afford them. Sinny was the priestess who took care of them. She eventually went around traveling, and I took over the job."


    Acamuthorm praised, "It''s not easy keeping so many mouths fed in the wilds of Poviss. This ce is freezing."


    "It¡¯s all thanks to the donations and aid from the people. We get by," said the priestess thankfully.


    Acamuthorm shook his head silently. During his days of wandering, he knew that the poorer the ce, the fiercer, stingier, and stupider the people. The farmers could barely support themselves, let alone help kids that weren''t theirs. But he didn''t argue.


    "You''re dashing, witchers. You must be kind, too," Dino suddenlyplimented the witchers.


    "Can you help us, for the children''s sake?" Daisy sped her hands before her chest, her eyes ring with a plea.


    "Witcher''s rules. Pay us, and we get rid of your problem. ording to your description, that monster in the cer seems to be hard to deal with," said Carl.


    Daisy looked troubled.


    "Have mercy, witchers. We don''t have money." Rumachi stood up, towering like a bear. He sped his fists, pleading, "All we have is food for the winter, and we''ve used up the best part to serve you."


    Carl and Acamuthorm rubbed their noses awkwardly. Should they refuse? No, all we did was kill a drowner on this boring trip. It''d be embarrassing just to get back like this, but if we work for free, Serrit''s going to yell at us. Why don''t we try the Law of Surprise and take a child with us? No, we saw them the moment we came into the temple. There is no surprise at all.


    As time passed in his contemtions, Acamuthorm brushed his finger across the griffin medallion before his chest. This is my trip. I call the shots. Time to prove myself and get some glory. He cleared his throat and got up, and then he circled the table. With justice in his eyes, he said, "You''re lucky you ran into me. Griffins are bearers of the valor of knights. Just this once, we will y this monster. You have paid for the job in the form of this meal."


    "Y-you mean that? You aren''t joking, are you?" Daisy heaved a sigh of relief, and she opened her mouth in surprise.


    "Witchers never go back on their word."


    Since Acamuthorm had made his promise, all Carl could do was hold his forehead and sigh.


    "Thank you, truly. May Lebioda protect you." Delighted, the priestess bowed at the witchers. As if worried they might break their promise, she quickly said, "What do you need us to do? How can we help? Just say it."


    "Take care of yourself and the kids. Let us focus on the monster." Carl looked outside the window. The sky had darkened, and the light of twilight shone on the snowy ground and the statue in the shadows.


    Ayer of darkness draped itself over the statue of Lebioda.


    "Give us some time to prepare. Once the moon rises, we strike.¡±


    ***


    ***

 Chapter 592: Cellar

    Decadent moonlight spilled into the window, shining upon the figures sitting cross-legged upon the icy ground.


    Carl¡¯s face tensed up. Like a general trying to order his soldier around, he smacked Acamuthorm''s shoulders. "Mate, I have an important mission for you. Stand guard outside the certer."


    "Piss off." The part-elf shoved his hand away in scorn. "We''re doing this together."


    "Don''t argue. My gut tells me something''s wrong with the guards. You have to stay back just in case anything happens." Carl stared outside the window, musing.


    "There''s something wrong with you. You killed the drownerst time, so this time, I''m dealing with whatever this is." Acamuthorm''s eyes were as wide as saucepans. He argued defiantly, "I''m the one who offered to do this for free. I''m taking the risks myself."


    "That''s a different matter. You can be the main unit when you beat me."


    That hit Acamuthorm where it hurt, and heughed mirthlessly. Knowingly, he said, "You''d be so selfless and thoughtful of someone else? Do it, then. After you die, I''ll take care of Vicki in your stead."


    Carl grinned toothily, his eyes icy. He held his hand up and aimed it at hisrade¡¯s crotch, gesturing like he was going to chop something off. "I didn''t know you picked up Lambert''s bad habit. Maybe I''ll cut that off first."


    "Try if you dare."


    The witchers bantered for five minutes, and they calmed down. Carl held the silver weapon on his left side and grabbed the hilt with one hand. He greased some specter oil on the de with his other hand. Then he smeared the de with the Viper School''s modified, colorless pufferfish toxin. Just to make things safer.


    The moment the liquids slid into the stylistic rune, Carl brushed his index finger across the back of the de like a swordsman going into a deadly dance. Like a sword maker making a sword. Once the oils were evenly spread, the de glimmered greyish-brown. He sheathed the weapon and grabbed two bottles from the pouch around his belt and chest. One was made of porcin, while the other was a long, silver container.


    The corks fell to the ground, and Carl gulped the decoctions. Cat enhanced their mutated eyes so they could catch light easier. Thunderbolt expanded their muscles, coursing power through their veins and awakening their potential. Carl was like a panther lying in wait for his prey. ck veins wriggled and throbbed, snaking from the neck to his temples. The veins spread through his face, contorting it until Carl looked like a demon. Slivers of white mist poured forth from his nose and mouth. As his eyes turned, lightning bolts seemed to flicker around.


    Carl stood up, his cloak billowing. He strode out of the doorway, and Acamuthorm followed. He rxed his muscles, livening up his body.


    Snow fell through thendscape. There was only silence around the temple, apanied by the chilly night wind. The priestess and her guards were holding up torches, standing before the sealed house beside the barn where the horses stayed. They were shivering.


    Carl took a few steps, and his ears wiggled. He heard soft moans and criesing from the darkness of the house, spreading through the night like icy winds. It reminded him of madwomen who stayed in cemeteries, whispering to themselves. Within the weak voice was chilly air that could seep into the bodies of those who heard it.


    When the torches shone on the witchers, the man with unkempt hair was shocked by Carl''s demonic look. Cautiously, he held the dagger around his belt. "Carl, are you sick, or did you get possessed?"


    "Calm down. This is just tattoo magic. It can scare ghosts off. And it works on humans, though only just a bit. Calm down." Acamuthorm''s face was covered in ck veins as well, and he smiled, but it was a terrifying smile. "Well, don''t just stand there. Open the door."


    Rumachi wheeled around and looked at Daisy. The moment she nodded, he pried the sealed door with a hammer and tossed the wooden boards onto the ground. They stepped into the house.


    It was a ce made of wood. Dark and empty, it looked like it''d been deserted for six months. Dust and cobwebs came flying at the intruders. In the center of the house was a piece of wood that slightly caved downward. The torches shone on it and the ball of chains that were wrapped up like a metal python. There was a lock on it.


    The priestess looked at the witcher and patted her chest. She took a deep breath, crouched, and took out some keys from her robe. One by one, she unlocked the chains. She had her back turned to everyone. Her hair swayed, inadvertently revealing a pattern on her nape. It was the pattern of a cobweb, and it was the size of a fingernail. Most of the pattern was hidden under the robe, revealing nothing but eerie ck runes.


    <em>A mark? A tattoo?</em>


    The witchers exchanged a look. They thought that mark looked familiar, but they couldn''t remember where they saw it.


    The guards helped the priestess pull the chains away and opened up the stone b. A flight of stairs that descended into the underground was revealed. The moans in the cer became a high-pitched scream, unnerving the hearts of anyone who heard it.


    Carl''s medallion was buzzing, and the mana hanging in the air was getting erratic. He quickly made a Sign and covered himself in ayer of golden barrier. Heliotrop followed quickly after. The witcher unsheathed his de and held it up. Holding his head low, he walked into the darkness like a crab.


    "Aren''t you going to help?" Daisy looked at Acamuthorm curiously. He was standing guard at the entryway.


    "He''s my leader. Strongest guy among the first apprentices of the brotherhood. Ruler of the drowners," Acamuthorm joked, then the look on his face changed. He spoke again, but there was a hint of excitement in his voice this time. "Shh. It''sing."


    ***


    The thick scent of dust, rotting items, and soil filled the air. Two green beads were floating in the darkness, shining like glow-in-the-dark balls. Beams of moonlight poured into the holes deep in the cer, weaving a beautiful silver web. Like a hunting panther, Carl bent over a little and held his breath. He stood on his tiptoes, quietly advancing into the depths of the cer, where the screech wasing from.


    His pupils had contracted into slits, and he looked through the darkness. The ground was a mess. Piles of stones, misceneous items, and pickled food were strewn everywhere. Right in front of him, a charred table leg was stabbed into the ground, standing like the mast of a sunken ship. The table and the half-buried marble table further away formed a triangr opening.


    A vague silhouette burning green charged through the darkness, stirring up howling winds. It charged at the intruders of the cer. Carl focused and quickly seized a bottle from his belt. He hurled it at the entity. The bottle broke, and a greenish-grey dust cloud filled the air, covering the entity from head to toe like a capturing its haul. Electric bolts flickered, and Moon Dust took effect. The entity''s translucent body turned corporeal, revealing itself under the moonlight.


    It was wearing a long, tattered green dress. In one hand was antern, while in the other was a rusty dagger. The entity was hovering an inch above the ground. It was spindly and skeletal. Its arms were gnarly, its face dried and covered with rotting flesh. The creature was like a corpse bride in a gown that just broke out of its ancient grave.


    In the books of witchers, this creature was called a nightwraith. It screamed and spun like it was performing a waltz. The creature''s dagger spun as well, just like a spinning gear. A green wheel spun around, but the witcher knew this wasing. He crouched and rolled away easily, just like how he evaded the spinning dummies thousands of times.


    The witcher escaped the edge of the attacking dagger until he was behind the creature. Before the nightwraith could do anything, Carl quickly made a purple Sign and pushed it ahead. The circle of Yrden gleamed on the ground, locking the nightwraith within.


    Its screams echoed through the cer. As if it was fettered to heavy chains, the creature sank like it was caught by a pool of mud. The light around it strobed, and its movement slowed to a crawl, yet it screamed and pounced at the witcher anyway.


    Carl smiled. He held his de up to his cheek, pointing it at the monster like it was a bull''s horn ready to attack. He put his left foot forward and thrust his de ahead, swift as lightning.


    A sh of silver pierced the air and stabbed into the nightwraith''s chest. The silver de and the oils on it worked their magic and melted the creature''s body like acid. Smoke billowed, and something sizzled. A hole was opened up on the monster''s chest. It screeched in pain and changed how it attacked.


    Carl easily evaded the dagger''s swing. He circled the creature like a phantom, swinging his silver weapon around. Bursts of air exploded in the cer. Every strike the witcher made would hit its target. With the oils on it, the witcher¡¯s weapon left craters on the nightwraith''s body.


    Trapped by Yrden and Moon Dust, the nightwraith could not turn itself incorporeal anymore, nor could it move as fast as its enemy who had taken decoctions before the battle. Eventually, the nightwraith was nothing more than an injured beast locked in a cage, unable to escape its destruction.


    Carlnded on his toes and dodged thenterning at him. Quickly, he thrust his de ahead three times, going for the monster''s waist and ugly face. The monster was still hovering in the air, the hem of its dress spinning around. It opened its mouth and howled, the underground chamber rumbling.


    The waves of its screams sted all around the monster, and debris flew everywhere. Carl swayed and the ck barrier coating him broke, but it fended off the sound wave. The witcher darted ahead, holding his sword before his torso. Like a plough, Carl swung his de up and pierced the monster''s left eye. He wanted to destroy it.


    And then a gust of wind charged from behind him. Another wraith came rampaging out of the darkness. Shocked, the witcher leapt left and hid behind the marble table, but he was one step toote. The dagger destroyed Quen, and the golden barrier shattered.


    The battle took a turn for the worse. The injured nightwraith and its screechingpanion came toward the witcher, nking him. Carl knew the battle wouldn''t be easy, but hisck of experience put him at a disadvantage, and he was caught by surprise.


    The injured nightwraith attacked Carl''s legs with its dagger. Carl leapt in time and kept his knees intact, but the new nightwraith swung itsntern. Sparks flew across the table, and it grazed Carl''s right hand.


    A gash opened up. Carl''s hand screamed in pain, and he almost let his sword fall. Fortunately, he''d gone through tons of hellish training in the brotherhood, so his endurance was remarkable. Quickly, he bent backward at the perfect angle. He evaded the monsters'' attacks and quickly swung his de in an arc.


    The nightwraith on the left howled, a corrosive wound opening up on its wrist. The one on the right had its belly hit by the de, and it screamed louder. Carl quickly cast Aard and shoved the left monster backward.


    The injured nightwraith swung its weapons like an insane beast. It hit the witcher''s left waist, but it only left a white mark on the dragonscale-reinforced leather armor. Carl only grunted. He spun around and leapt out of the monster''s attack range. Quickly, he moved to its side and swung his de at the monster''s back, then he thrust his weapon ahead.


    A stream of fire swam across the air. mes burned on the de, trying to pierce the nightwraith from back to chest. The monster shimmered, trying to be incorporeal, but it had no more strength for that. It let out one final, ear-piercing scream as its skin was peeled off from its whole body.


    As if the monster had been rotting for many centuries, it turned into dust, leaving nothing but a pile of green specter dust behind. Carl was breathing heavily, swaying like a clock, but he quickly leapt at the other nightwraith that had split itself into three, bombarding it with Signs, bottles, and his sword.


    ***


    "Do you hear that? The battle''s raging. Are you sure he can deal with it alone?" Daisy gritted her teeth. She looked at the dark cer with worry. "Are you sure you''re not going to help?"


    "Don''t worry. He''s not an idiot. He''d have asked for help if he needed it. Since he''s not saying anything, he can deal with it." Acamuthorm had a determined and confident look in his eyes. "Get ready to wee a victorious warrior."


    And then the sounds of battle came to a halt. The four standing outside the cer tensed up, holding their weapons and torches tightly.


    Ten minutester, a pair of gleaming eyes quickly ascended the staircase, and then, a young face covered in ck veins appeared from the darkness. The witcher was covered in soil and dust, sweat trickling down his chin. Carl was pale and exhausted, as if he hadn''t slept for three days. A small gash decorated his cheek. It was obvious he''d gone through a tough battle.


    Dino, Rumachi, and Daisy froze in shock for a moment, then they smiled brightly. "You won?"


    "Took everything I had, but fortunately, I dealt with the monsters." Carl wiped the sweat and blood off his forehead, then he smiled. "The cer is safe for now."


    Acamuthorm heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Speaking of which, your information is seriously wed." Carl frowned. He dug out a bottle of Swallow and poured it on the back of his bleeding hand. "There were two nightwraiths inside, not one. If I wasn''t prepared enough, I would''ve died."


    "Oh, sorry, Carl." Panicked, the priestess and her guards quickly bowed. "Please forgive us for our mistake."


    Carl leaned on the edge of the staircase and looked at the trio, then he turned to the angry Acamuthorm and shook his head. "Forget it. Now get some shovels and help us."


    "What do you want to do?"


    "I searched the cer, but I couldn''t find the source of these nightwraiths. They might be buried underground. We need to find the corpses and deal with the problem once and for all. We have a long night ahead of us."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 593: Skeleton, Big Cat, and Spider

    Chilly morning winds blew into the open doors on the west side of the temple, blowing across a pair of human corpses lying on the ground. They were covered in tattered, yellowing, molding strips of cloth. Between the skeletons was a dirty, patched-up ragdoll covered in blood. The doll''s eyes were staring into the empty ceiling, as if telling it a quiet secret.


    Carl wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to the astounded temple administrators. This was what they found after a whole night of digging. Five minutes of silence had gone by. The administrator''s shock didn''t seem fake. That, or they were perfect actors.


    Carl coughed and snapped the administrators'' attention away from the corpses. "As I guessed, there were corpses under the ground. This is how the nightwraiths were born."


    "Nightwraiths?" The priestess gave Carl a curious look.


    "If someone bears a great grudge and enmity before they die, and if they die in pain, their souls are turned into nightwraiths, and they appear over the corpse or something they were deeply attached to. They appear along with the first sliver of moonlight, standing sentry in a certain ce, releasing waves of hatred on everything around them. They torture and kill the people around them, creating more of their kind. As long as these corpses remained buried, the nightwraiths would never have been truly eradicated.


    Carl paused and observed the look on the administrators'' faces, but he saw no hint of guilt or nervousness. There was only fear. Regr fear.


    "I have to give it to the pros. Found the source of the problem in a single night. Even a moment of the monsters'' staying in the temple is sacrilegious toward Lebioda," said Daisy unctuously. She took a deep breath. "No time to lose. How should we cleanse them? Do we burn them or bury them in the woods or throw them into the waters?"


    "Calm down. Cleansing this thing isn''t as easy as you think." Acamuthorm sneered silently, and he exchanged a look with Carl.


    <em>They''re showing their true colors. </em>If someone found out they had a corpse in their house, the first thing they would do would be to ask why. And how. And a lot more questions. Daisy, however, couldn''t wait to destroy the evidence.


    "Before we do this, I have a few questions I need answering. This is a temple, not a grave scattered in the wilds. Lebioda isn''t a god of death either." And then his face fell, his eyes shining like lightning. He raised his voice, and it boomed like thunder. "So how did these corpses get into the cer? How are the deceased rted to you? And what''s with the doll? You denied everything when I asked you about the truth. You swore no one died in the cer."


    The administrators were shocked by the sudden interrogation. Daisy nched. She retreated to her guards'' side and answered solemnly, "But I don''t remember anyone dying in the temple. I don''t know these people."


    "Really? Well, I think you just don''t want to remember it. Why don''t I jog your memory?" Acamuthrom crouched and held up the pelvic bone of the corpse on the left. It was wide, short, and the walls were thin and smooth. The upper side was circr, while the front and back were wide. He knew the gender of this corpse immediately. "This was a woman."


    He observed the whole outline and picked up the skull. Acamuthorm brushed his fingers across the yellowing teeth, then he pointed the skull at the admins, as if trying to get it to interrogate them. "Between ages ten and fifteen. Time of death, uncertain as of yet." The time of death was affected by many factors. The witchers were still young and inexperienced, so they couldn''t make any conclusions.


    The admins said nothing. Acamuthorm went on with his investigation, and he murmured in surprise. "Ribs, legs, and hips are fractured in more ces than one. Cause, outside force. A row of circr paw prints are left on the chest, spanning from the corbone on the left to the right rib. Four paw prints, and not a canine beast. Not necrophages either, so it was a big cat."


    Acamuthorm looked solemn. Since the killer wasn''t human, then there must be more to this nightwraith haunting. "Left shoulder was crushed by incisors. From the marks left, there are about twenty-five to thirty incisors on the upper row. Incredible length and bite force too. The killer''s bigger than a cheetah."


    The admins took a deep breath and exchanged looks of awe and shock. The witchers took a deep breath, and they could imagine a bloody scene. A sleek, slender, feline beast crushing a gaunt girl under its feet, tearing her apart. The girl howled in pain as her bones were crushed. Her body convulsed, and the blood sttering from her wounds blossomed into roses of death, drenching her clothes and the ground. Her screams eventually quieted, and her blood became a crimson pool. In the end, she drew herst breath in agony.


    However, that was not the only trace on the body. Carl scanned the waist of the skeleton and touched it, then he pulled a stretch of string from it. It was mostly white, but parts of it were reddish-brown. Blood covered it and dried up. The string was about the thickness of an index finger. Upon closer inspection, there was a lot of hair on it. The string was sticky to the touch, and that was after the stickiness had disappeared a lot after being buried in the ground for so long.


    Carl pulled on both ends, and the string showed remarkable resilience. "What is this?" Carl looked at hispanion curiously.


    "Cobweb." Acamuthrom inhaled sharply. He guessed, "Regr spiders can''t make strings this thick. Perhaps an arachnomorph had taken up residence here sometime earlier."


    Arachnomorphs were about the size of cattle. It had great speed and jumping power. It could spit venom and incredibly sticky webs. Those creatures could easily hunt lions or even a Skellige man.


    Daisy tensed up. Her face was hidden in the shadows, her expression a mystery.


    "Impossible. Poviss'' weather is chilly. Arachnomorphs do not live in ces like this," Carl refuted. "Even if we set that aside, if an arachnomorph had taken up residence in a temple, the children would''ve been turned into breeding grounds for itsrvae. I think it''s some sort of mutated, gigantified spider creature."


    The admins¡¯ faces morphed. The mention of breeding grounds sent chills down the admins'' spines, and goosebumps appeared all over them. Acamuthorm observed those people through the corner of his eye, then he turned to the smaller skeleton on the left. "A girl. Younger, and her bones have the same cracks. Small amount of cobwebs on her."


    He fell into a long silence. First, they were killed by a strong, gigantic feline beast, and then a mutated spider creature took their bodies. <em>How much pain must they have gone through? That''s why they turned into nightwraiths and haunted this ce. But why were they the only victims while everyone else was spared? Creatures that size would never leave quietly after only killing two girls.</em>


    Acamuthorm had questions, but he couldn''t sort everything out yet.


    "Still can''t remember anything at this point, Daisy? You have two people dead in your temple, and none of you had any idea about it? That can''t be true. That''s a lie. Answer my question."


    "I did not lie in the slightest. I''ve never heard of any spiders or big cats." Daisy licked her cracking lips and shook her head stubbornly. "If they had appeared in the temple, they''d have created a big ruckus. Everyone must''ve seen them. The news would''ve reached every household in this area."


    Acamuthorm mused, falling into his thoughts. They''d never heard of anything about these creatures on their way here.


    Shocked and indignant, Rumachi asked, "Why do you insist on asking? Do you think we''re rted to the killers?"


    "Only gods know the answer to that," Acamuthorm muttered.


    Dino went red, and he argued, "Please, I swear that these poor children''s deaths have nothing to do with us. If we were the killers, we''d have never led you into this and helped you find the corpses. We''d only get ourselves in trouble if we did that."


    Carl nodded.


    "I''ve always thought of the kids as family. I give my everything to them and care for them the best I can. I''d never beat them or yell at them. How could I ever hurt them?" Daisy blinked innocently. "The number of children has always been eighteen since I came to serve Lebioda. Not a single one has gone missing."


    Acamuthorm mused over it and looked at Carl. He mouthed, ''Sign?''


    Carl shook his head. The young witchers practiced Aard and Igni the most, given their craving for battles. Axii, the Sign to control the heart, wasn''t as perfectly honed as the other two. They could use it to stun someone for a while, but it wasn''t enough for any interrogation. Not to mention Roy told them not to use Axii on any gods'' ardent believers, or they''d be in grave danger.


    "Calm down, you three. You took this the wrong way. We don''t believe you''re rted to the killer in any way. We''re witchers, not volunteers ormissioners of security. We have no obligation or interest to judge a human''s actions."


    Carl circled the ce. "We just want to finish the request and find those killer beasts and deal with them. That is the only way to cleanse these skeletons. If we can''t do it before nightfall," Carl threatened, "the nightwraiths will return."


    In reality, all they had to do was take the skeletons away, and the nightwraiths would leave the temple, but the admins didn''t know that, so they were horrified.


    "Let me reiterate. For six months, we''ve never left this temple. We''ve never seen the spider or big cat you mentioned." Daisy clenched her teeth. "So these must be remnants from Sinny''s tenure. She''s the previous priestess."


    "Then tell us about that priestess. Has she left any messages before she went on her travels? Or any written records? Make it fast."


    Daisy mused and started saying, "Grandma Sinny has always been a nice person¡­"


    Dino and Rumachi would add to the story sometimes. Acamuthorm listened for a while, and he thought asking these questions had no meaning. He gave Carl a look and looked at the kids outside, then he took the ragdoll. "You guys keep talking. I''ll take a piss and feed the steeds. Don''t want to leave Wilt and Scorpion thirsty."


    Daisy looked at the witcher as he went into the courtyard, and she continued talking as if she hadn''t seen anything.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 594: Angouleme

    Weirdly enough, the moment Acamuthorm left the great hall, the children whispering in the courtyard quickly fell silent, as if they''d seen some terrifying beast. Before he said anything, they darted into their dorms like frightened cats. The hardy pinewood door mmed into the frame, and someone locked the door from within. A few kids looked outside the window, sneaking fearful nces.


    Acamuthorm was standing beside Lebioda''s statue, and he grinned. Miffed, he touched his face. He''d never been so feared by anyone before. Not on his journeys. Thinking this was just some mistake, he went to the window and whipped out a few pieces of pork jerkies from his pouch and said hello to the kids, but that only made them react more violently. The kids shrank into the darkness in fear and stopped breathing.


    "What''s going on?" Acamuthorm turned around, looking annoyed, and then his eyes shone. In the stables not far from him, a girl seemed to have been separated from herpanions. She was crouching behind the head of a brown horse, unmoving, as if she were ying hide and seek with the witcher.


    Unbeknownst to her, Wilt had sold her out. Its tail was spinning like rotor des, telling the young witcher that a child was hiding around it. Acamuthorm walked on his tiptoes and stood beside the bucket filled with water. Through the side of the horse''s neck, he observed the girl. She was about fifteen years old and slender, her clothes made of cotton. They were gray and patched up, and the girl was half a head shorter than Acamuthorm. She was about five-foot-five, and her hair was dry, golden, and short. A few braids decorated her head, and a green headband was tied around her forehead, giving her a hint of heroism.


    Her features were beautiful, and her eyes were dark brown. Her nose was aquiline, and her lips were not big or small. She looked a bit like Falka, though this girl had a more prominent outline, felt more mature, and her skin wasn''t as refined.


    <em>Falka is probably on Skellige, taking lessons from Yennefer and Roy.</em>


    The girl didn''t notice themotion in the courtyard. She was immersed in breathing near the horse''s nose and patting its mane. A frustrated Wilt was snorting, shaking its head. If Roy hadn''t trained it to sharply sense threats from any iing entity, it''d have kicked this cheeky girl away a long time ago.


    Acamuthorm cocked his eyebrow.


    "Hey."


    The girl looked up, and she tensed up. She gasped and quickly held her right hand before her chest, then she pulled out half a bat from her left boot. The girl curled up defensively.


    Acamuthorm looked annoyed. <em>Only people attacked by drowners make that kind of face. Am I that scary? </em>"Calm down, girl. I''m not a bad guy. I won''t hurt you." Acamuthorm straightened out his fringe, cor, and sleeves. He forced a smile and handed a piece of pork jerky to the girl. "Ie in peace. I just want to make a friend."


    The girl stared at the witcher, wide-eyed, for half a minute. She stared at his face and t belly for a long time, as if she wanted to confirm something. Coldly, she asked, "Who are you?"


    "Acamuthorm, a kind witcher. I''ve rid this temple of the monsters lurking within, free of charge. Just to help you poor children."


    "Don''t call me girl, witcher. I have a name. Angouleme. You talk a big talk, and you im to have gotten rid of that howling monster?" The girl stared at the pork jerky the witcher was holding, her eyes filled with desire, but she licked her lips and held her desire down, then she forced herself to look away.


    "From now on, you can sleep easy. This is my gift for the temple''s children. Do you like it?"


    Angouleme didn''t answer. She remained crouched, and she puffed her cheeks like a squirrel, blowing at the horse''s nose.


    <em>Ungrateful brat, </em>Acamuthorm thought. He popped the jerky into his mouth and chewed loudly. "Ah, it''s good. What are you doing to Wilt?"


    Angouleme gulped and widened her eyes. Seriously, she said, "Haven''t you heard? Blow at a horse''s nose, and it''ll stay loyal to you for life. But you have to stay really close and get its trust patiently."


    "Where''d you hear that kind of horse taming tip? Weird." Acamuhorm smiled. This girl was interesting. At least she was more interesting than the scaredy cats who hid the moment they saw him. "Roy''s steed is loyal. It''ll never be bought. Will you turn your back on Roy, Wilt?"


    Wilt grinned toothily, gnashing its teeth. It sprayed the girl''s face with its drool and turned away in disdain, obviously trying to say it wanted to have nothing to do with Angouleme. Angouleme was deadpan, wiping the drool off her face. She kept blowing on the horse''s nose, and Acamuthorm could hear her whistling.


    "Alright, stop harassing the horse. It''s just a waste of time. So what if you somehow gain Wilt''s loyalty? What can you do?"


    Angouleme said nothing. Acamuthorm looked at her quietly. A few momentster, he sighed in resignation and changed his question. "Why are your friends so scared of me?"


    Angouleme pursed her lips, hesitating for a moment. Then, like an annoying brat, she said, "Haven''t you looked into the mirror? Amber eyes, vertical pupils, ears and nose pointy enough to stab someone. Of course you''re scary."


    <em>She has a short fuse and a sharp tongue. </em>Acamuthorm''s lips twitched. "Why aren''t you scared of me? Why didn''t you run?"


    "I''m terrified." The girl''s lips shivered. "But your legs are so long, and you have weapons, and your eyes are like a cat''s," she said. It sounded like she was talking about Acamuthorm, but she was looking into empty air. Her voice was barely a whisper.


    Acamuthorm thought she was talking nonsense at first, but then he realized she was hiding a message in there somewhere. "And your noses are¡­ as strong as a dog''s. You have fangs and ws and run faster than a horse. I can''t escape. Where can I even go?" she muttered, a little manic. The rims of her eyes went red, then she sniffled and rubbed her eyes.


    "At this rate, you''ll be making me out to be a god. So tell me, you want to ride Wilt and get out of this temple, don''t you? Is there something in here that scares you?" Acamuthorm asked quietly.


    Angouleme kept blowing, ignoring him. The witcher wasn''t discouraged. He had found out some ways to talk with this weird girl. He took the ragdoll out and swayed it in front of Angouleme. "Have you seen this thing before?"


    That gleaned a reaction. Suppressed agony and guilt filled the girl''s face, as if she was repenting for something too painful to even think of, but then she regained herposure. "No. The temple''s poor. We don''t have coins for toys."


    "You lie."


    The witcher''s answer made the girl shiver.


    "Forgot to tell you, but we found this ragdoll by a corpse." Acamuthorm was staring at the girl''s face. He confirmed that no one could hear them and he lowered his voice. "She was buried in the cer. No older than twelve years old when she died. And we found the remains of another girl simr in age. They died in pain. A big feline tore their skin and bones, and a terrifying spider caught them in its web, sucking their flesh and blood clean like vampires. They were tormented and died with rage, so they haunted the temple to find their killers."


    Angouleme turned the color of a headstone. She stopped blowing on the horse and gripped the doll tightly, her knuckles getting white.


    "Daisy ims she has no idea who the victims are, nor has she ever seen any big cats or spiders barging into the temple. Everything is the remnant of thest priestess'' management. They''ve only been here for six months. You''ve been here for longer. You know the truth, don''t you? Answer me honestly. Help me find the killers, and the dead will really rest in peace."


    Angouleme quietly wrapped her arms around the horse''s neck. She hung her head low, shivering, as if she were holding back an overflowing emotion. That unexpected reaction showed Acamuthorm the ck, web-shaped tattoo on Angouleme''s wrist. And he saw a row of small pincers.


    ck words were written in a corner of the web, and this time, the witcher saw what it was. It was written inmon speech.


    Grayba.


    <em>Grayba the ck. </em>Acamuthorm froze. Daisy had that tattoo on her back as well. <em>Does it have a special meaning?</em> "Angouleme, what''s that pattern on your hand?"


    As if electrified, the girl quickly pulled her sleeve down.


    "You won''t answer? Scared? Is someone threatening you? Tell me. I just want to help."


    Angouleme put her hands on her hips and spat on the ground. Her eyes were gleaming with fury, and she roared in hysteria, "Help me? You think I''m a kid? We''re barely acquainted. Why would you help me? I''ve seen too many people who never walk their talk. They''re perverts. Depraved and mad. No one can be trusted." She was like a hurt little hedgehog. Fiercely, she said, "Leave. Don''t try to lie to me."


    Acamuthorm frowned. He couldn''t understand why the girl was so sensitive and quick to anger. He stopped fooling around and said honestly, "Why? You think I like to butt into business that''s not mine? It''s all because you look like my friend. She has silver hair, and her eyes are green as lush spring. She''s not like you, unlucky enough to be trapped in a freezing temple, starving and without any good clothes." He turned around and looked at the room the priestess was in.


    "She used to attend a rural school in Novigrad. Everyone gets along well there, and we help one another. We can learn how to read and write, and we can y as much as we want. Falka''s my good friend, and you look like her. If I ignore you, she''d grumble about it."


    Acamuthorm smiled. "And ording to witchers, the meeting between people is a sign of destiny. Destiny led me here, to solve your problem. If you can help me find the monster, I swear I''ll free you and your friends from your predicament. No one can threaten or hurt you."


    Angouleme took a deep breath. She tried to say something, but then her features stiffened up. She had a vacant look in her eyes, and her pupils dted. "No. Daisy''s right. We''ve seen no lynxes or spiders. They never came to this temple."


    "Angouleme?" Acamuthorm stared at the girl behind the horse. She was blinking.


    A long silence ensued.


    "Stop hounding me. I told you, I don''t know." The manic girl''s chest was heaving, and her cheeks turned red. She tossed the doll over to the witcher''s feet. "If you have so many questions, ask the doll," she roared.


    Reluctantly, she smacked the horse''s neck, saying goodbye to it, then she ran out of the stables, leaving rows of footprints behind. She banged on the dorm''s doors.


    Acamuthorm and Wilt exchanged a look. The witcher picked up the dirty ragdoll, musing. Behind him, bald Rumachi approached slowly. He sniffed the air and had a look of disdain and fear on his face, then he put on a stiff smile.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 595: Departure

    "Did you find any clues?" The bald guard bowed at the witcher, simpering.


    "No. It''s a shame. The kids are a bit too shy. Like tortoises who don''t want to see anyone. Any little movement scares them. I couldn''t ask them in time." Acamuthorm carefully held the doll in his arms, and he looked at the bald guard. The morning sunlight shone on his face, but he didn''t have a look of relief at all.


    He wasn''t worried about the witcher asking the kids questions in private. "Carl has confirmed that Sinny is not a suspect. The monsters didn''t leave anything behind. So we can''t cleanse the corpses before nightfall, then?"


    "That depends on how much you''re cooperating with us."


    "Ask away. I''ll tell you everything I know."


    Acamuthorm mused. "I saw a girl just now. Fifteen years old, gold hair, brown eyes. She reminds me of a friend, so I wonder where shees from. How''d shee to this temple?"


    "Angouleme. Poor girl." Rumachi wondered why the witcher was changing the subject, but he answered, "A noblewoman gave birth to her in secret, but her mother''s lust for vanity outweighed her sense of responsibility. She refused to give her daughter any love, so she left her in a rtive''s house in Sodden when the girl was about six years old."


    "That exins why she''s so cautious." Acamuthorm empathized with her. Children without their parents were like boats without an anchor. Even if they had rtives taking care of them, they''d only be surviving on the bare minimum. If their rtives were the harsher type, the kids would be better off orphaned. Compared to her, he was lucky. The brotherhood took him in and raised him into a fine warrior, giving him the power to protect himself in this world. Giving him the power to exact justice to the extent of his strength.


    "Then Nilfgaard''s army invaded the North, and a battle broke out in Sodden Hill. The whole area was dragged into the mess. War''s an uncertain and fickle thing, so her rtive and their family moved to Kovir and Poviss."


    Rumachi looked at the patch of red kale outside the fence in the courtyard. The veggies bloomed in the snow like red roses. "They journeyed a long way, starving most of the time. When they passed this area, her rtives thought that they couldn''t afford to keep Angouleme even if they got into the city. She was just twelve back then. They dumped her at the temple''s entrance like deadweight."


    The bald guard wiped his nonexistent tears away. "Her family abandoned her, so she leapt into the arms of our savior, Lebioda, ending her wandering life." He opened his arms at the dorms, speaking animatedly. "Now she has a quiet life. I, Daisy, and Dino are more responsible than that failure of a mother and heartless rtives."


    "So she was abandoned twice?"


    "Is that so odd? All the kids here have gone through simr experiences. They lost their family in the war and became orphans. Or their families go bankrupt, and their parents can''t afford them anymore. They''re abandoned on the streets or in the wilds. More than one-third of the kids here were abandoned twice. One boy was abandoned thrice. But the temple, in all its kindness and generosity, took the children in."


    Rumachi continued adamantly, "If the children put all their faith in Lebioda, then this will be their forever home. I, Dino, and Daisy will be their family."


    Acamuthorm felt conflicted. His gut told him that Rumachi was speaking from the bottom of his heart, but Angouleme didn''t seem to like this temple. "I can see you have no talent in raising kids. They''re more cowardly than a mouse."


    "That is not our fault. Not totally." Rumachi slowed down. He rubbed his neck. "The children had gone through a lot before they came to this temple. The bad environment traumatized them too much, and that made them wary. Cautious. You know how it goes. Childhood trauma haunts you for life." Rumachi stopped and looked into the distance. Daisy, Carl, and Dino were done talking, and they''de out of the room. Carl was carrying a knapsack that had the skeletal remains in them.


    The young witcher shook his head at Acamuthorm regretfully. That long talk yielded no results, but then Acamuthorm gave him a furtive wink. Acamuthorm found some clues from Angouleme. The ragdoll she mentioned before she left, and the tattoo of Grayba the ck. There were a lot of questions to be answered, so Acamuthorm suggested they should tour the temple.


    Sinny agreed to it and apanied the witchers as they toured the buildings, the kitchen, the main hall, the bathroom, the toilet, and the prayer room. There wasn''t much to say about the tour. Even when the witchers had turned on their witcher senses to the best they could, they found no w marks or cobwebs.


    Everything was normal. And then thest ce to tour were the children''s dormitories. Acamuthorm took the chance to make a request. "I only talked to Angouleme for a bit and no one else. They''re scared of strangers. Daisy, I''ll need you to gather them around."


    Daisy pulled her hair back and said, "No problem, but please be gentle and understanding, you two. Destiny has given them too many hardships. They should not be harmed any further."


    "Do not worry. We were orphans once. We understand the pain," said the witchers.


    ***


    The courtyard gleamed white, and ten kids stood in a formation under the overhang. Acamuthorm saw Angouleme standing at the end of the line. The girl was still craning her neck, looking at the horses in the stable, ignoring the witchers. The other children were sallow and scared. They curled up a little, and under their old, patched clothes were skeletal and hunched bodies. The judgmental looks from the strangers were making them restless. They averted their gaze, twiddled their fingers, spun their feet, and gnashed their teeth.


    Daisy stood in the group, and some kids huddled close to her, holding the hem of her dress. They were friendly toward her, just like how children would get close to their mothers.


    "Children, for the temple''s safety, you must answer the witchers'' questions honestly. If your answer can help them capture the killer, you get an extra potato during dinner."


    That made the children''s eyes shine with anticipation.


    Acamuthorm didn''t waste any time. He held up the doll and looked around. "Anyone ever seen this before?"


    The kids shook their heads. Something rippled through them. Acamuthrom pointed at the child in the lead. He was a freckled boy and didn''t look too smart. The child was thin, like a weak chick. "You, answer me."


    The boy was thunderstruck when he was called.


    Rumachi pushed him out of the group. "Answer him like a man, Durant!"


    The boy''s forehead started glistening with sweat. Nervous, he scratched his head and ears and looked around. He shook his head. "I-I''ve never seen this," he said, his voice cracking. He looked to hispanions for help, but everyone took a step back and isted him.


    "Poor boy. Don''t worry. We won''t cut your head down. Come here and answer us." Acamuthorm pretended to be waving at the boy nonchntly. The boy reluctantly came near, and when he finally got close enough, and the temple admins were behind him, Acamuthorm quickly held down the boy''s left sleeve and grabbed his skeletal hand with his right. He swayed the hand as fast as possible and furtively pulled the sleeve up. Once he had a look, he pulled it back down.


    <em>Grayba the ck. That ck web-shaped tattoo again.</em>


    This was done subtly, and not even the boy noticed it. Everyone only saw Acamuthorm stuffing a piece of jerky into the boy''s hand. "Eat. This is a present for you. Do you feel better? What''s your name? How old are you? How long have you been in this temple?"


    "Lampaia. I''m twelve years old. Um¡­ I''ve been here for four years."


    "Have you ever seen anything invade the temple or attack it before? Think hard." Acamuthorm raised his voice, making sure everyone could hear him, "Perhaps you can''t name them? Let me give you some hints. Lynx, snow leopards, wolf spiders, or anything like that."


    Lampaia suddenly looked back at Daisy. He gained encouragement from her motherly smile. Fearfully, he said, "N-No. I''d have remembered if I''d seen those creatures. I''d never forget about them."


    Acamuthrom nodded and raised his chin, letting the boy go. He exchanged another look with Carl. "Anyone have any other answers?"


    The witchers scanned the kids. They looked at anky boy with gray hair, a stout kid with a t nose and buck teeth, and a silly girl with a big braid. The kids who were seen shivered and shook their heads like little birds who didn''t want to be eaten.


    "Now do you believe us?" Dino stroked his beard. "No one has ever seen any cats or spiders."


    Rumachi agreed, "That tragedy is long gone. No traces left behind. Let the past be the past. What''s important now is to cleanse the remains you''re carrying."


    "Perhaps you''re right," Acamuthorm said. "Or perhaps there''s another possibility." He paused, and then he raised his voice to a volume that could influence the hearts of people. "Children, are you threatened by something? Is something forcing you to not tell us the truth?"


    "Do you see the swords we bear? We have in hundreds of monsters with our weapons," Carl said, adamant. "Tell us everything. We''ll keep you safe."


    And then, silence fell in the courtyard. Only a gust of breeze crossed by, taking a pile of snow with it. The kids nched, and they held their breaths. They stayed silent and hung their heads low.


    "What do you mean, witchers?" Rumachi put on a look of incredulity. He was hurt by the question, and he no longer simpered. Fury red in his eyes. "We did everything you asked us to, and you''re still suspecting us? You doubt our love for the children?"


    "You misunderstand. I wasn''t talking about you. I was talking about something that''s hiding in the dark, get it?"


    "Why won''t you two believe us?" There was sadness in Daisy''s eyes. Tears glistened in her eyes, and her shoulders shivered. "Do witchers see everything in nothing but ck and white? Is everything either good or evil?"


    The children around Daisy looked like they were agitated. Their fear melted away. They tensed up, and their eyes were filled with contempt and fury. An invisible wave of strength was pushing them to approach the witchers slowly. The kids were ring at them, clenching their teeth.


    Angouleme was part of the group too, but there was a hidden plea on her contorted face. "Leave, witchers!"


    Childlike voices roared through the quiet courtyard. The branches shivered, and snow fell to the ground.


    "Do not nder our family!"


    "The temple does not wee you!"


    The kids roared with all their might.


    "Leave!"


    "Leave!"


    The witchers were in the center of this storm, and they nched. All they had to do was swing their des, and the children would fall like leaves, but they retreated as if they were facing a tsunami, and they were almost at the stables.


    They were reminded of something that happened a few years ago. Everyone from the House of Gawain stood before their teachers, facing off the mob made of the church members, the Beggar King, and the Cleaver. This was just like that day. They stood for their mentors back then as well. <em>But are the two scenes really the same? Is it wrong for us to find the real answers? Are we going to let the kids die in vain just like that? Is Angouleme''s struggle and hesitance fake? Are we going to give up just like this?</em>


    <em>No. We have another choice.</em>


    "I''m sore." Carl took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down, then he exchanged a look with pale Acamuthorm.


    "We''ll leave right now."


    "Right away."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 596: Grayba the Black

    Angouleme watched as the knights rode their horses into the woods. The light in her eyes dimmed as they disappeared. She leaned on the walls of the dorm, feeling the icy breeze cutting her skin as she sighed. She looked weaker than ever.


    The other kids stood around the statue of Lebioda, spacing out, as if the witchers never came.


    The bald guy beside the fence looked away. With uncertainty, he asked, "So we got through this without a hitch?"


    "Oh, don''t look so serious. Smile. Those amateurs took the bones and doll away. Even if more nightwraiths show up, it''s their problem." Dino picked his sharp teeth with his pinky.


    "Don''t let your guard down. You''ve never witnessed how much of a problem witchers can be. I have seen it firsthand in Vizima." There was wariness and hatred in Daisy''s eyes. She turned to Rumachi. "Follow them. Make sure they''re truly gone, but do not alert them."


    Rumachi leaned ahead and pounced forth, disappearing into the woods like a gust of wind. A solemn Daisy turned to Dino. "Dino, tell the kids to start the preparations. Someone from the city ising in a couple of days."


    ***


    Time went by. The sun was slowly moving toward the west, painting the skies with a shade of yellow. In the wilderness miles away from the north of Lebioda''s temple, a sliver of smoke floated from a boulder shaped like a bowl. Around the warm campfire, two horses were grazing away.


    Acamuthorm stiffly turned the gutted, golden-brown rabbit on the grill, frowning at the grass. Carl circled the skeletons on the ground, spreading white powder, chanting under his breath. When he was done making a circle, white light came forth, conjuring a hexagram. The witcher covered the circle with a piece of ck cloth and heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Acamuthorm, you bloody idiot! Why''d you push forward before you found any concrete evidence? That''s like asking a wolf if it''d eaten any meat before. Of course they''d get mad! Now we''re kicked out of that ce. Happy?"


    "Hey, I have evidence. And I gave you a look," Acamuthorm argued, his face red.


    "You think I''m a mind reader? How was I supposed to know that you had shit for brains?" Carl heaved a sigh of disappointment. He dusted his hands off and plopped down on the grass around the campfire. He tore off a steaming piece of meat and munched into it. "I''m not going to argue with an idiot. If you had evidence, why didn''t you show it?"


    "Baldy kept a close eye on me, and the kids looked like they were possessed. I had no chance to bring it up to you." Acamuthorm simpered. He knew he was in the wrong, so he handed over a canteen for hispanion to drink from. He told himself, "But now that we''re out of the temple area, no one can do anything to us. I call this a tactical retreat."


    "Stop talking nonsense and get to the point."


    "Alright, Carl. I saw a mark on the wrists of Angouleme and that boy I picked at random." He quickly drew the web-shaped mark and the words written on it on the ground. "I couldn''t remember where I saw this rune before, but I know it''s got something to do with religion."


    Carl stopped munching on his food. Quickly, he stood up and rummaged through Wilt''s saddlebag. A momentter, he took out a grey leather journal. It was the notes he would go through. This book recorded the essence of everything his mentors taught him. Carl flipped through the book. The campfire crackled, its light shining on the young witcher''s face.


    "Found it."


    "Let me see."


    The witchers stared at the pattern recorded in the pages of the notebook, and they were seized by shock. Within the cramped lines was an ancient, eerie drawing. Upon an evil altar was a gigantic, white, octagonal spiderweb. A creature with eight sharp legs covered in ck fur was silently lying on the web. Shockingly, even though the creature had the body of a spider, it had the head of a lion. The mane on its neck was bushy and ring like a ball of mes. Its maw was open, revealing the incisors within. The creature looked ahead, gazing at uncertain fate. Underneath the web was a mountain of skeletons. Skeletons of its prey. This picture was filled with evil and corruption. One look was enough to induce nightmares.


    "Lionhead Spider. God of omens," said Carl solemnly. "Grayba the ck, also known as Coram Agh Tera. It''s an ancient evil belief of the North. The great weaver that weaves the fate of humanity into a big web. This cult worships death and darkness. Like Svalblod, the evil god of Skellige, the one that merged humans and bears together, loves living sacrifice. Priests of the Lionhead Spider possess a powerful ability to curse."


    The campfire crackled, and the witchers fell into their thoughts. Wilt smacked their faces with its tail a whileter. Carl snapped out of his stupor and muttered, "Daisy had this tattoo on her back, that means¡­"


    "She doesn''t believe in Lebioda at all." Acamuthorm''s eyes shone, and he gnashed his teeth. "She''s a believer of the god of omens. She believes in the Lionhead Spider. And the muscle guys who go around with her¡­"


    "Probably believes in this spider too," Carl said. "Their emblem is probably hidden somewhere in the temple."


    "Damn those bastards. They yed us like fools and acted like they worshipped Lebioda." Acamuthorm was irked.


    "They yed <em>you </em>like a fool, you fool. I told you something was off with them. Told you to be careful." Carl shot hispanion a look of disdain, and he sighed. "Daisy kept swearing to Lebioda and lied to us because Lebioda has no jurisdiction over her."


    "That prophet''s kind of a coward," Acamuthorm mocked. "His temple got taken over, and his priestess was probably killed too. She didn''t go on any travels. And yet Lebioda did nothing."


    Carl tore off another piece of meat from the grill. "Legends have it that Lebioda was just a poor sod who would stand up for his believers even if he had no power to, and he was taken by a dragon as food. Eaten up in the end." The witcher mused. "Now I think those legends might not just be legends. He''s probably just a figurehead for knowledge. Lebioda himself has no divine power. That''s why the Lionhead Spider cultists picked his temple to take over. All eighteen kids are now under the evil god''s control."


    The witchers looked at each other in silence, musing over the matter.


    Acamuthorm was perplexed. "If they''re evil cultists, then why''d they allow us to get into the temple and clear the nightwraiths instead of kicking us out? They were doing something risky."


    "Lionhead Spider might have a powerful curse ability, but most curses can only hurt something with a tangible body. They''re ineffective against spirits. That means they have no power to take down nightwraiths that can shift into the void anytime they want. They would need a witcher''s help," Carl answered without hesitation. "They made one mistake, however. They underestimated the curiosity and sense of justice witchers can have. Especially one amateur who has no idea how the world works but would keep spouting things like knightly valor."


    ***


    "Oh, you think you''re so smart? Fine, answer me then. Were they the ones who killed the kids in the cer?" Acamuthorm was reminded of Rumachi''s talk about war orphans. He had a conflicted look on his face. "I think they do treat the kids well. They wouldn''t kill them. To be fair, they did stand up and face us. Lionhead Spider might not be as evil as we think."


    Carl sneered. "Do you really think a group of sheep would attack lions on their own? And didn''t you see the struggle and plea in the children''s eyes? I think their overreaction was influenced by something out of their control. The tattoo on their wrists, for example."


    Carl tossed a piece of firewood into the campfire. "Fine, even if you''re right, then how do you exin the big cat and spider? There were no signs or traces of them in the temple. The god of omens might be an expert in curses, but not even it can summon monsters out of nowhere."


    Carl took a swig of the chrysanthemum tea in the canteen, and he thought about that question. He thought about Rumachi and Dino and how they would sniff like beasts. He felt pressure from them, and they acted weirdly. He connected the dots.


    "I got it. We had it all wrong from the start. It''s something we overlooked. Those monsters never invaded the temple. They might have always been in the temple, so no one found out."


    "What? But we searched the whole temple."


    "Use your head. Think about it. Roy told us about his adventures. There''s something about the god of omens in it."


    Acamuthorm smacked the back of his head. His eyes shone, he got up, and he circled the campfire in excitement. "Nivellen, the bearheaded man in the outskirts of Vizima. Adda, princess of Vizima, cursed to be a striga. n, the leader of a troupe and a man cursed to be a werewolf. His children were cursed to be birds. They''re humans, and yet they live as beasts, because they were cursed by the priests of the Lionhead Spider. So curses can turn humans into powerful monsters. In a sense, curses are a form of power as well."


    Carl stared at the fire and said aloud, "What we should''ve looked for weren''t lynxes or spiders, but werepanthers, weretigers, or werespiders. If I take this further, the guys who are most possibly cursed would be Rumachi and Dino, the guys hanging around Daisy. They run the temple, so it''d be easy for them to erase their traces."


    The moon rose into the air. Silvery moonlight and crackling mes shone on Acamuthorm. The young witcher was shocked. "So the killers we''ve been looking for have always been right in front of us? And they misled us?" Acamuthorm smiled bitterly. Sheepishly. It was a preposterous andughable truth, but one that was reasonable.


    "That''s what I think happened."


    "But why''d they kill the kids in such a horrifying way? They used painful deaths to sacrifice to the god of omens?"


    "If they only wanted to sacrifice the kids, then those children would only be consumables. There wouldn''t be so many survivors." Carl shook his head. "The real reason is none of our business. We should think about our next course of action. I don''t like to say this, but we''re just amateurs. First lesson they taught us was to pick enemies who are on par with us. The god of omens clearly isn''t on that list. I suggest we go to Lan Exeter and contact the brotherhood."


    "Haven''t you had enough of drowners? This is the perfect chance to show your skills. Seize it. We have to figure this whole thing out." Acamuthorm cocked his eyebrow. He grabbed the horse''s braid and smacked Scorpion''s rear. He argued, "If we give up just like this, we can''t brag to our friends."


    "You do have shit for brains. Learn how to assess the situation." Carl shook his head. Worried, he said, "I don''t want Vicki to be a widow this young."


    "She''s not even fifteen. Hasn''t even held your hand. She''s not going to be a widow if she''s not married. Oh, and I have more proof." Acamuthorm took out the dirty ragdoll from the saddlebag. The light of the mes shone on its patches and dried blood. He was reminded of what Angouleme told him.


    <em>If you have so many questions, why don''t you ask them? </em>Acamuthorm smiled and pulled the patch away. "Perhaps the answer to the kids'' murder lies within here."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 597: Dark and Light

    A gash was torn on the back of the ragdoll. The witcher pulled out its insides like it was a chicken ready to be gutted. A big patch of colored, stench-filled tatters and cotton sat on the patch of grass beside the campfire. The witchers did a little search and realized that this insignificant patch of trash hid great secrets.


    The gray tatters were connected by a thread, and once unraveled, it revealed a big page of words scrawled in charcoal. The handwritingcked beauty, obviously a product of a child''s doodles and records. With the aid of the campfire''s light, the witchers saw the name written on the first piece of cloth.


    Pam.


    This was probably the owner of the doll and one of the girls who died. The message read, ''Pam''s doll.''


    The second piece read:


    ''First of January, 1264.


    By Lebioda, I was chosen. It was a nightmare, that experience. There was pain and blood and tears. My head almost exploded. Grandma Sinnyughed happily, though. She praised my bravery and gave me this doll, Odonna.


    I fear that this torture might continue. Someday, I might die. I''ve decided to start recording things from today on. I''m going to share this with my friends.''


    ***


    "She was chosen. What''s with the mention of pain and blood?" Acamuthorm frowned. A gust of a chilly breeze cut through his skin, sending chills down his spines. "Some sort of evil experiment?"


    "This happened about two years ago. She mentioned Sinny, the real priestess. That means Daisy hadn''t joined the temple yet." Carl warmed his freezing hands by the fire. He said, "Before the priestess of the god came, there were no evil experiments in the temple."


    "Could it be some sort of difficult training regime? Like the ones we went through?" Acamuthom guessed.


    "Do you think those kids look like they went through a training regime?" Carl shook his head. "And why''d Sinny feel happy when Pam was tortured?"


    The witchers had no good guesses, so they went on to the next piece.


    ''First of February.


    By Lebioda, it''sing again. In its pretty carriage. And it has a newpanion. Grandma''s grinning from ear to ear, but everyone''s terrified. I hid my face behind Odonna, praying for them not to pick me again. Cyria snuck to the kitchen to hide, but she was found and tied. Grandma said if she didn''t listen to her orders, she''d starve.''


    ***


    "What''s Pam doing, writing a novel? What''s with all the mysteries?" Acamuthorm rolled his eyes,ining. "And what is ''it''? Why were the kids so scared of it? Even hid from it."


    "What we know now is that it will pick an orphan every time ites to the temple," Carl said. "And its actions struck fear into the kids'' hearts."


    The witchers kept on reading. The following records were just regr ones. They mostly were just days of Pam''s boring life and lively imagination written down on paper.


    For example, some of them read like these:


    ''The sun''s out today. I feel a bit sunnier.''


    ''I yed skipping rope and hide-and-seek with Cyria and Angouleme in the courtyard.''


    ''I had a weird dream.''


    And then there were records about her dinner. Most of the time, she only had potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Meat only came once a month. Eventually, the witcher could imagine the kind of girl Pam was. She had ck hair, bright eyes, and a mncholic air around her, but she would have a strong heart. And she''d be holding a ragdoll.


    More importantly, Pam never started her records with ''By Lebioda'' anymore. She would talk about ''them'' every time it was the first day of the month. Pam''s records about them were filled with fear and disgust. Eventually, she called them pigs. It was derogatory.


    The pigs woulde to the temple on the first day of every month and pick a few children for something. The children who were chosen would go through a nightmare of a day. Pam''s records described the pain and suffering the kids went through. It was as if they''d gone through some kind of abuse. Pam was chosen the most out of the kids. Fortunately, she was a tough and rational girl.


    Ironically, it was also on the first day of every month the kids could get to have some meat. This was akin to divine blessing for them.


    ***


    "Notice anything?"


    "Yes. On the first day of every month, the pigse to the temple in carriages. Only on that day do the kids have meat to eat." Acamuthorm took a deep breath. His voice was trailing off. "So these pigs brought necessities for the temple. In other words, the temple didn''t manage to survive because of the donations given by the people like Daisy imed."


    Carl nodded solemnly. "Pigs. That''s code for the rich fat guys in the city. But they wouldn''t support the temple while asking for nothing in return. The pigs provided supplies. Something that made Sinny grin from ear to ear. Think about it, what would the chosen kids have to pay in return?"


    <em>What would the rich want from powerless orphans?</em>


    "They have no knowledge or survival skills. All they have are their¡­"


    Acamuthorm clenched his fists, arguing adamantly, "Stop. That''s just conjecture. We have no proof." The moon shone on his ashen face. He had a guess for that question. The answer was dark and putrid. Despite his young age, Lambert had told him a lot of stories. He knew about stuff teenagers his age shouldn''t know. Embarrassing stuff. "Lebioda''s priestess would nevermit a cardinal sin like that right in front of her own god. It''s beastly."


    "Let''s keep reading."


    ***


    ''Fourth of May, 1265.


    A prettydy and two men as muscr as boulders came to the temple and stayed around. They spent whole nights in Sinny''s room, talking to her. I eventually found out thedy''s name.


    Daisy. She''s soft-spoken and has a motherly smile. Her eyes twinkle with tenderness. She''s always concerned about us. Takes care of us. We love her. How great would it be if Sinny was like her.''


    ***


    "I see the god''s priestess didn''tpletely lie to us." Carl held his chin with his right hand. "They came to this temple about six months ago.


    "Yeah." Acamuthorm was getting a sliver of hope he knew would never be true. He hoped things would change, and the disgusting pigs would disappear from Pam''s records. He hoped the omen god''s priestess would extend a helping hand to the orphans and prove that they were not as evil as the legends imed, just like the witchers did.


    In a hurry, he went for the next strip of cloth.


    ***


    ''First of June, 1265.


    For some reason, the pigs took Grandma into the carriage when they left. Daisy, Rumachi, and Dino told us they''d be in charge of the temple from now on. Everyone was really happy. My tears drenched Odonna''s clothes.


    Long live Daisy. She cares for everyone like a mother. She''ll never let those pigs sully us again. I have a feeling Daisy will be our guardian.''


    ***


    The mention that the kids were sullied proved the horrid guess Acamuthorm had. His heart sank, and he inhaled sharply. The witcher mmed his fist into the ground. "Damn that Sinny! That hag''s an animal!"


    The orphans had no one to rely on, were abandoned by their families, sullied by the pigs, and used by the temple admin to make coins. The witcher could imagine how much torture Pam must''ve gone through for her to be numb to it all and write it down matter-of-factly.


    "She went into the city with the pigs. She''s still alive?" Carl was icy. This was not what they thought had happened. "Why''d she go into the city?"


    The witchers had an ominous feeling about that.


    ***


    ''Third of June, 1265.


    Daisy forcibly put a stop to the daily morning prayers to Lebioda. I''ve been wanting to stop this. Praying to the prophet is useless. No matter how devout you are, it never protects you.


    I didn''t think Daisy would start teaching us weird stuff, though. Stuff that talks about pain, misfortune, and webs. One thing stuck with me. To feel and endure pain while keeping yourself sane is a talent. Work on it, and someday, thebor will bear fruit in the web of destiny.


    I felt darkness and death from those teachings. Everyone got scared. We barely talked the whole day.''


    ***


    ''Fifteenth of June.


    The misters knock on Lebioda''s statue every night. I have no idea what they''re doing. And the look in their eyes gets scary. It''s like they''re feral dogs guarding their house.


    Daisy once again taught us a whole prayer. The Great Weaver, ruler of death and misfortune. We call upon your name, Grayba the ck, Coram Agh Tera. We beseech you, grant us passage into your infinite realm. ept these children of pain.


    She told us to pray like that to Lebioda''s statue. It didn''t take long for me to feel really drowsy all the time. My head feels woozy, and I keep seeing things. I see a scary spider calling my name in my hallucinations, and I have a weird ck tattoo on my wrist.


    I asked around. Cyria, Angouleme, and everyone else have that tattoo too. Something''s wrong, and I know it, but it''s bearable. I believe things will change for the better. As long as Daisy keeps us away from the sullying of the pigs.''


    ***


    "What is Daisy trying to do to the kids?" Acamuthorm snapped, his chest heaving. He stormed out of the boulder, breathing heavily. A stream of mist hurtled into the silvery night.


    "Quiet down, mate. Fury won''t help us. My guess is that she used some sort of hypnosis and brainwashing to guide the orphans into the cult of the god." Carl thought back to the moment before they were kicked out of the temple. "And it worked."


    ***


    ''First of July.


    It''s been a nightmaretely. A few friends have changed so much, I don''t even know them anymore. They''re more sensitive and cowardly than ever. Very jumpy. They see a lot of hallucinations, and they listen to Daisy''s every order.


    I know that the weird things she taught us are starting to change and affect everyone. I can feel that I''m losing what makes me, me. But to make things worse, all the dreams I had were fantasies. Daisy herself ruined it.


    A few carriages came in from the city today, and a dozen pigs came out. I''ve never seen so many of them before. They look at us with disgusting passion as usual. I wonder if Daisy''s warmth and tenderness was an act. She''s worse than Sinny. She tortures our bodies and uses something weird to affect our minds.


    Torment doesn''t scare me. Ack of hope does. I''m at my limit. At this rate, I''ll break. I''ve had enough. Angouleme and Cyria are right. We do not have to take this lying down.''


    ***


    ''Fifteenth of July.


    Damn pain. Damn the Great Weaver. Damn Grayba the ck.


    Angouleme, Cyria, me, and my beloved Odonna are going to sneak out of this ce. We''re not bringing any of those cowardly brats with us. We''re giving everything we have. It''ll happen after everyone''s asleep. We''ve sharpened the dining knives we stole. If anyone tries to stop us from leaving, we''ll kill them.


    In two days, we''ll be in another ce. It''s either Angouleme''s home, where there are beaches, the sun, and pretty sceneries, or the big city filled with shops and big ports Cyria told me about. We''re working hard to save up coins. I can''t wait to start our new lives.


    By Lebioda, I pray to you one final time. Please, protect us. For how devout we''ve been to you. Open your eyes, Lebioda, and grant us protection.''


    ***


    The winds ceased to howl for a moment. Even the horses stopped grazing. The witchers'' shadows stretched into the far distance, taken away by the light of their campfire.


    "Lebioda''s not worth trusting. This evil god is no savior either." Carl stared into the night, clenching his fists. Suppressed rage filled his heart, and a sense of powerlessness engulfed him. Three girls tormented by the wheels of fate, struck down by reality.


    "That answers some questions," Acamuthorm muttered, hanging his head low.


    "What question?"


    "Why Angouleme looked so sad and guilt-stricken when she saw the doll. So she tried to escape too, and she saw her friends¡­"


    The young witcher stopped, and his voice took on a hint of fury. "They''re just powerless girls. No match for Cursed Ones. They could never win in a fight. They could never escape."


    "And death was the punishment for their attempt," said Carl. Pam, Cyria, and Odonna, the doll that kept their secrets, were buried under the cer forever. "Only Angouleme survived. Pity Pam and Cyria couldn''t escape the temple, even though they turned into nightwraiths."


    "Did you forget?" Acamuthorm wheeled around and stared at the ck cloth covering the skeletons. Gently, he said, "We''ve taken them away from their prison, but it''s not enough. They haven''t been purified."


    "Calm down, mate. This is beyond us." Carl was solemn. He said, "We can''t do anything rash. We have to ask for reinforcements."


    "What''s the date today?"


    "Thirty-first of December, 1265."


    "Tomorrow''s the special date," said Acamuthorm darkly. "If we go to Lan Exeter for reinforcements first, the pigs will arrive at the temple before wee back. Which means Angouleme and the kids will be tortured again."


    "But¡­"


    "But what?" Acamuthorm interrupted, fury ring in his eyes. "But it doesn''t matter if they''re tormented one more time, because they''re used to it?"


    Carl couldn''t answer that. A lump was in his throat.


    "It''s different. Now I know about the ugly truth. Now I know of their sickening act." Acamuthorm held his griffin medallion tightly. Imperiously, he said, "I cannot ignore it when it''s right in front of me." He looked at the path they walked, where the temple stood at the end of that path. He looked into the night, his gaze sharp and unyielding as a griffin''s. "Look. Angouleme and the children are right there, standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for someone to help them."


    He turned his back on Carl. "Through my actions, I will tell them that this world isn''t just filled with people who abandoned them, nor is it just filled with evil, greedy priests, perverted pigs, or maniptive, evil gods. There''s still warmth out there." Just like how warmth was shown to them before. He waved his hand. "You can leave for Lan Exeter and ask for reinforcements if you want. I can understand that. Or, you can pull your weapon out and read the inscription on its de aloud."


    <em>The inscription. </em>Carl paused. Back when the apprentices were told of Alzur and the grandmasters'' stories, they asked their mentors for a quote for each of them while they were drunk. Carl never put much thought into that, since they only did it on a whim, but now that his mind and heart were at odds, he had to put that quote into the equation.


    He unsheathed his weapon. A silver sh of light hurtled across the night, shining on the de like silvery moonlight. Shining on the flowing pattern and the wavy inscription. Carl had a firm look on his face. He read the inscription out aloud. "Hold tight the de in your heart, and strike evil where it stands."


    <em>Hold tight the de in your heart, and strike evil where it stands.</em> Carl''s voice echoed into the night, crashing like waves.


    ***


    Another de, thin as a cicada''s wing, arced through the air, buzzing like a bee. Acamuthorm held the hilt with his right hand and brushed his left hand across his weapon''s inscription. He read his quote out aloud as well.


    "My de will not stop before ites to glory."


    The moonlight and campfire shone on his face. "I don''t have the ambition to save the whole world like Alzur did, but right now, my chance at glory is right in front of me."


    "I''ve always wanted to tell you something, Acamuthorm."


    "I''m listening."


    "Drowners have more brains than you do."


    "Thanks for thepliment. You too. And this time, I''ll be the vanguard."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 598: Do It

    The stars had already dimmed when the witchers made up their mind to fight. In a few hours, they would be witnessing the beautiful sunrise in the wilds of Poviss. Concerned that the pigs in Pam''s records mighte too soon, the witchers didn''t meditate that night. Instead, they carried the skeletons with them as they rode back to the temple. Pine branches were tied to the rears of the steeds, erasing the hoof marks from the snowy ground.


    The witchers rode until the first sliver of dawn was about to break the horizon. They stopped in the woods three miles away from the temple and dismounted from their steeds.


    "One of the Cursed Ones is a werebeast. Has a keen sense of smell. If we want to take the fight to them, we have to get rid of our scent to not rm them. Rub some scent remover all over yourself. Yes, including your dick." Carl poured a handful of yellow powder out of a long neck vial and rubbed it all over his palm. The witcher proceeded to spread the powder across his face, hands, whole body, and even armor and weapon.


    Even Scorpion and Wilt had to be subjected to this. Their glistening fur was turned into a shade of light yellow, and there was aint in their eyes.


    "You sure that actually works?" Acamuthorm had his doubts, but he didn''t stop moving. He rubbed the powder across his armpits and the insides of his thighs. He looked like a madman taking a bath outside on a winter morning.


    "Kalkstein never disappoints. With the scent remover, Quen, and Heliotrop, not even the best dog can sniff us out, even if we stand right in front of it." Carl carefully took the steeds to a thick kale bush. He cast Axii on the horses and covered them with more bushes.


    ***


    This wasn''t enough preparation to fight an evil god''s priestess. The witchers checked their supplies. It was the first time any apprentice went out on a solo journey in a kingdom this far from home. The brotherhood put a lot of importance on it. They gave these two all the usual decoctions, health potions, mana potions, bombs, and Cloaks of Silence.


    To make sure the trip went perfectly and that the kids wouldn''t be killed by any powerful enemies, they went above and beyond to make some higher vampire decoctions for them. Crimson liquid and the best decoction they had. And they also had the most powerful new-gen y bomb with them.


    Without these supplies backing them up, Acamuthorm wouldn''t even step into the battle, no matter how powerful his sense of justice was. However, the real reason they felt secure was because of another item they had.


    Carefully, Carl took out a small, diamond-shaped, multicolored crystal from the saddlebag. He raised the crystal up and looked at it shining under the light of dawn. A drop of red blood swirled within the crystal, as if it had life. The drop of blood reflected a shade of a dreamlike color. "Keep it well. Crush it when you think you''ll die." Carl handed the crystal to Acamuthorm.


    "No, you take it."


    "Then I''ll be the vanguard."


    ***


    Gusts of morning breeze tickled the snow-coverednds. A plump white hare stuck its head out of an edelweiss bush, looking around carefully. Seeing no predators around, the hare munched on the grass.


    And then a breeze flew past it. Thinking it was a predator iing, the hare froze up, its ears upright. It turned around to see what was behind it, but there was nothing. There were no sounds or scent. There were only two rows of vague footprints left on the ground.


    Beyond the hare''s line of sight, a pair of silhouettes, quick as panthers, hurtled across thend.


    ***


    The witchers stopped under a pine tree a hundred yards away from the temple. They hadn''t slept in two days, and the journey had been long. Even though they were mutants, they felt the slightest bit exhausted. Still, their passion for battle pushed down their difort.


    Acamuthorm leaned on the tree trunk, looking through the cracks between the woods. Three exquisite horse-drawn carriages stood in the clearing beyond the temple''s fence. They were ck in color, had gold roses engraved on them, and their windows had purple silk curtains hanging from them.


    Standing at the courtyard''s entryway was Rumachi the guard. He was in a thick cotton jacket and a wool cap. The guard stood guard with his back turned to the carriages, his arms crossed. He yawnednguidly, his eyes glinting icily, like a lion taking a short break after a meal.


    The witchers'' preparations came in handy. Rumachi had no idea he was being watched. The other guard, Dino, must¡¯ve been in one of the temple''s rooms along with Daisy, the people in the carriages, and the kids.


    ***


    "Let''s go through our n again." Carl patted hispanion''s shoulder.


    Acamuthorm''s face was tense and red. He was shivering from excitement and nervousness, his ears trembling. He could make a good speech, but he was still in fact an amateur. The young witcher whispered with a shaky voice, "We sneak into the temple, get Daisy as our hostage, force her to release the kids from the evil god''s sign¡­ We''re runningte, pal. We gotta make it fast."


    "Calm down. I''ll cause a diversion in five minutes and get Rumachi''s attention. You only have one chance, so seize it, mate."


    The witchers shook hands, unsheathed their weapons, and greased them in twoyers of oil. Then they downed their decoctions.


    Golden and ck barriers swirled upon the witchers'' armor, and ck veins crawled upon their faces. They split up, with Acamuthorm going around the back of the temple, while Carl tiptoed toward the entrance like a cat in hiding. He was holding his breath.


    ***


    When Carl was ten yards away from the carriage, Acamuthorm had leapt over the backyard''s fence, sniffing and listening for where the kids were. He went to the window behind the dormitories to have a check, and what he saw shocked him.


    A dozen gaunt children were huddled in a pile, looking dazed. They circled around slowly, chanting an eerie prayer under their breaths.


    "Destiny''s threads weave themselves into webs under your ancient gaze¡­ Pain and suffering begets growth¡­ misfortune and death are its servants¡­ your power is eternal change¡­"


    Acamuthorm only heard excerpts of the prayer, and already it made him frustrated and spaced out. What worried him more was that he could see ck ripplesing from the kids. The air itself looked like a perturbed surface of ake. The chaos energy in the air was moving erratically.


    Acamuthorm''s medallion was buzzing violently, like a bird trying to escape a web. "What on earth is Daisy trying to do?"


    Angouleme and a few other kids weren''t among the group. Acamuthorm left quietly and tiptoed to the prayer room beside this room. He could hear grunts and heavy breathing and painful moans getting louder and louder.


    Through the window, he saw a circle made of lit candles within the room. Children were lying on a crimson rug and in chairs. Five of them. Their limbs were sprawled limply, their eyes dead, their faces stiff. They were like soulless marites, the only proof that they were alive being the hint of pain and suffering flickering in their eyes from time to time.


    In stark contrast to the kids were the hairy, bloated middle-aged men in the hall. Their actions were¡­ despicable. Grotesque. Under the dim light, these men were like portly demons enjoying a feast.


    Beside the altar in a corner, a bald guy was pushing Angouleme down, throttling her from the back with both hands, keeping her head pinned to the ground. He watched her struggle like a fish out of water. A grin of excitement was carved on the man''s twisted face, and he cursed Angouleme. "Scream, you little wench. Scream!"


    Daisy, the temple administrator, stood at the prayer room''s entryway, not disturbed by these actions. She watched the acts of violence in silence, and an eerie smile curled her lips.


    Acamuthorm knew that smile. Every time he showed some improvement in his training, Coen would give him the same smile. He held the hilt of his sword. <em>Come on, Carl.</em>


    ***


    A deafening explosion roared from the temple''s entrance, and a pir of mes shot high up into the skies. One of the carriages caught fire, the mes licking it quickly. The steed whinnied and rammed the fence down, charging into the courtyard, dragging the ball of mes behind it.


    Rumachi leapt away from the horse''s deadly rampage like a big cat. The carriage mmed into the statue of Lebioda in the center of the courtyard and fell into the snowy ground.


    mes shone on Rumachi and his contorted face. He turned to the arsonist. The witcher was hiding behind a second carriage, beckoning at him challengingly. There was disdain on his face.


    Furious, the man bared his fangs and pounced on the witcher, agile as a lion. He covered five yards in a single jump, and the man had turned into a beast before he evennded. He was a bipedal monster with a lion''s head, his teeth reced by fangs and incisors, and he stood over six-foot-six.


    The moment itnded, Carl leapt far away to the side, holding his sword in one hand and a bomb in the other. The witcher and werelion stood face to face. Carl looked like a child in front of this monster, but the witcher was unfazed. He calmly assessed his enemy''s weakness.


    The monster''s golden mane billowed in the wind, its bloodshot eyes filled with bloodlust and cruelty. Its maw was filled with incisorsced with poison, the barbs on its tongue standing on their ends. "We''ve shown you mercy once, witchers. Why did youe back? This will be the ce where you meet your doom."


    ***


    Everyone in the prayer room was shocked by the explosion, and they froze for a moment. In that split second, Acamuthorm shoved a st of Aard and shattered the wooden window. He leapt into the room and walked ahead, spinning his sword around. As if cutting through butter, he sliced the nape of two men open, cutting their spines.


    Blood sttered into the air like fountains. The pigs'' eyes went wide, and they fell into pools of their own blood, gurgling.


    Most people were still shaken from the explosion. Only Angouleme barely managed to turn around. She saw someone.


    Acamuthorm tensed up and darted at the priestess like a bolt of lightning, his bloodstained weapon shing through the air.


    A bellow of shock and rage rang in the air. A big, furry w shot out from Daisy''s back and smacked the witcher''s weapon away. A second werelion leapt into the room and pounced at Acamuthorm.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 599: Slaying and Change

    The temple''s silence was broken. A saw of mes flew in the courtyard, burning the carriage, charring it. Snow on the ground evaporated, turned into mist. Sunlight shone through them, and rainbows formed. The statue of Lebioda was tilted, gleaming from the shine of the mes. A stalliony on the snowy ground, neighing in pain, despair filling its eyes.


    Not a word was exchanged. The witcher and monster were battling to the death. A Dragon''s Dream exploded beside the werelion, and slithering snakes of mes licked the tattered clothes and golden fur of the beast. A furious roar tore through the air, and the walls around rumbled. The beast leapt high into the air, its hair raised on ends, its ws pointed at the witcher.


    Flowers of mes danced in the howling winds, but they were extinguished by the air spraying out of the beast''s pores. Carl leapt away like a matador pulling a piece of red cloth away from a rampaging bull. With his left leg as a pivot point, the witcher quickly spun, and the werebeast crossed him just like that.


    Still, being a feline creature, Rumachi acted fast enough,shing its ws out the moment he passed the witcher. Quen shattered, and Carl staggered. The werebeast quickly turned and craned its neck. It opened its maw wide and snapped its poisonous incisors shut. They were only an inch away from the witcher''s throat, and Carl could smell the pungent breath spraying onto his face.


    The young witcher leapt backward and shoved a st of Aard at his enemy. The werebeast was sted away, leaving a line on the ground, but the werebeast was as agile as it was strong. Once again, it pounced ahead.


    Carl crouched, purple Yrden lighting up underneath him, and he pointed his de at the werebeast''s heart. The mes and sun shone on the steam drifting in the air. Carl''s face was covered in ck veins, and there was determination in his eyes. He faced the towering silhouette pouncing down at him, standing up to the intimidating attack.


    And the witcher darted ahead, thrusting his de at his enemy. Metal shed with ws, and sparks rained like waterfalls from the point of impact.


    The fighters split, but Carl staggered backward by three steps, and he almost lost his bearings. The werebeast barely took a step back.


    Next moment, the fighters once againunched into another round of attack. The werebeast swung its arms shut, riling up winds. It tried to catch the small witcher in its arms, but the countless evasion and Yrden practice saved Carl. He crouched and darted from the werebeast''s underarms to its back, like a ferret escaping a lynx.


    The witcher''s muscles tensed, and he thrust his de ahead. Blood sttered. Half the sword was buried in the lower back of the werebeast, but the tough muscles stopped it from going any further. Carl couldn''t pull it out either, but the silver hurt the beast, and the oil and toxin seeped into its bloodstream. Smoke billowed from its wound, as if it were on fire. The werebeast froze for a moment from the pain, and it couldn''t turn as fast as it wanted to.


    <em>It''s an opening! </em>The witcher let go of his de''s hilt, but he didn''t retreat. Instead, he did something risky. The witcher quickly circled in the direction the werebeast was turning in, like a cunning hyena trying to attack a lion from behind. He could feel the werebeast''s swaying mane almost touching his cheeks.


    Carl touched the werebeast''s back with his left hand for a moment, and he pulled back right away. A small marble the size of a thumb stuck to its back, pointing at its heart. He then quickly pulled the hilt out with his right hand, but he failed.


    He paid the price for his greed.


    A suffocating silhouette pounced at him, winds screaming around it. An arm, strong as a tower, mmed into Carl''s chest, and power exploded from the impact. As if blown away by an explosion, Carl hurtled across the courtyard and crashed into the statue. Already tilted from the carriage''s crash, the statue finally fell. Blood blossomed on the ground as the neighing horse was smashed into mincemeat.


    The witchery weakly in Lebioda''s open arms, his pupils dting. Blood and chunks of his innards flew out of his mouth and nose. His chest was caved in, and he was barely breathing. His face was the color of a headstone.


    The statue was split in two. On its base was a web, where the statue of a lionhead spidery. The statue''s mouth was open wide, greedily sucking in the blood of the witcher.


    "Breathe in¡­ breathe out¡­"


    "Foolish, powerless mutants. I told you this is where you would face your doom. But do not worry. Death is the only constant. I, generous Rumachi, will send you back to death''s embrace." The werebeast rubbed its head out of habit and let out a bizarreugh. He strode over to the witcher, thrusting its ws at the witcher, as if he were going to split a watermelon.


    Carl rolled off the statue andnded beside the werebeast''s foot, staring at its back in a daze. The werebeast raised its leg, but the weakened witchery on the ground, muttering something under his breath, and an ugly smile curled his lips.


    "Farewell." He clumsily raised his left hand, and the green of Axii hit Rumachi''s eyes. The werebeast was stunned for a fraction of a second, but the crimson Sign on Carl''s right hand was already shining like the sun.


    A stream of mes charged from the witcher''s palm, slithered up the werebeast''s left leg, and hit the y bomb on its back.


    The temple rumbled, and a crater was blown on the snowy ground. mes roared across half the courtyard, turning it into a forest of fire, but itsted for only moments.


    When the mes died down, a mangled witcher was standing in the crater, holding a crimson bottle with his mouth, pointing his de at the werebeast, though it was already out ofmission.


    Something was happening to the young witcher. The burns on his body were starting to grow new, perfect skin, just like a baby''s. His broken bones started to wriggle and mend themselves, while flesh grew from his many wounds, healing themselves in the blink of an eye.


    The werebeast, however, was in the opposite state. It was sted in half by the bomb, its body broken and shattered from the chest down. Its legs fell somewhere nearby. Yet the life force of a cursed one was strong. The werebeast was still hanging on to life, if only by an inch. Its head was charred from the mes, but it was staring at the witcher standing over it. There was no fear in its eyes. An icy smile curled its burned visage. "Don''t get too smug. The battle''s not over yet. I await you on the web of the Great Weaver."


    Carl sliced the werebeast''s head, and it flew down the ground, leaving a bloody trail behind it.


    "Until next time, partner." Carl looked at the prayer room and heaved a long sigh. He wiped the blood from the back of his sword. The words ''strike evil where it stands,'' were glimmering, as if it were nourished by something.


    ***


    Let''s turn back to a few minutes ago.


    The candlelight in the prayer room was flickering from the gusts of wind. Dino roared and smacked Acamuthorm five yards away. The witcher crashed into a wooden table, and the knapsack behind him fell to the ground.


    The pigs, snapped awake by the roar, quickly grabbed any clothing they could find. They covered their naked bodies and screamed for help like damsels in distress as they ran toward the door.


    The priestess stood at the entryway, staring at the invading witcher coldly, her gaze filled with hatred and venom, and she chanted a curse under her breath.


    The tortured orphans received theirmands. They got up from the sopping chairs and rugs like marites. Quickly, they huddled around Daisy. The pigs went stiff, and they hung their heads low.


    Only Angouleme remained stunned under the altar. Perhaps destiny had decreed it so, and the knapsack that fell from the witcher''s back rolled over to her, revealing a pair of skeletons within.


    <em>This is¡­ </em>Her hair, drenched with sweat, stuck to her shoulders, shivering. Her pupils contracted, and sorrow crawled onto her face. She clenched her teeth, struggling and fighting. Her face was contorted, and rivulets of sweat covered her forehead. It was as if the girl were fighting some invisible power.


    She bit her tongue, and the pain kept her awake. She held the knapsack in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Pam, Cyria, we''re together again. This time, I''ll take you two away from here." She tied the knapsack to her back and picked up a broken table leg. The girl hid it in her pants, determination ring in her eyes, and she hobbled quickly toward the entryway.


    Acamuthorm quickly made a blue Sign with his left hand, shoving the pouncing monster away with a current of air. The witcher looked around in dismay, breathing heavily. The ce was dim and dark, like a hellish prison. Pressure came swimming at him from all directions, crushing his head.


    The priestess and the children were giving him killer looks, and he almost suffocated from it. Dino the werebeast was snarling and iling at him. It stood before the priestess like an insurmountable mountain. The only way out of this stalemate was his bomb, but that would cost so many lives.


    A drop of sweat trickled down his chin. As if speaking directly into his head, the witcher heard an eerie voice talk.


    <em>Run. Escape. You have lost your chance. You cannot emerge triumphant.</em>


    The witcher leapt into the air, holding his sword with both hands. He swung the de down at the werebeast, the edge arcing down like a crescent moon. Acamuthorm heard a majestic roar echo through the air. The oil and silver sent agony screaming across its body.


    Once again, the werebeast flung the witcher away. He felt a surge of strength mming him away, and Dino tore a bloody gash on the left side of Acamuthorm''s face. The witcher''s weapon was sharp enough to cleave a lion in two, and yet it only left a small mark on Dino''s arm.


    <em>You will perish.</em>


    Acamuthorm''s palms were covered in sweat. Once again, the voice that egged him to his defeat rang in his head. The witcher saw Angouleme hobbling into the crowd. She hung her head low, the look on her face vacant. She too had been assimted.


    Without hesitation, he took out the crimson bottle from his pouch and took a swig. The veins on his face bulged further, and his blood roared in his veins. Finally, it pushed down the craven voice speaking into his head.


    Every disturbance he felt melted away. Only him, his weapon, and his enemy were left in his world. The witcher let out a roar as he held his de up and battled the werebeast.


    A feral battle began. The fighters did not attack with any grace or elegance. They only battled with their instinct. Acamuthorm spun and swung his de, opening a gash on the werebeast''s waist, and blood spilled from the wound.


    Dino shattered the witcher''s Quen and sliced the artery on his neck open. Blood sttered all over Acamuthorm''s mad, icy face. The witcher did not stop. As if he wasn''t injured, the witcher darted across the werebeast''s underarms like a cat and thrust his weapon up into the monster''s armpit.


    In pain, the werebeast turned and mmed the witcher into the ground, but to its shock, the wound on the witcher''s neck had already healed. Acamuthorm swung his de and closed in on his enemy.


    The fighters shed time and time again, leaving wounds on their enemy''s body, throwing away their safety and letting their enemy injure them. They were like ravenous beasts tearing away at each other.


    Every time they shed, blood, fur, and chunks of flesh flew everywhere. In a few moments, the witcher''s arm and shoulders were already torn away, revealing the bones within. Half his face was torn open by the barbs on Dino''s tongue, and his chest was caved in.


    The werebeast was like a waterskin filled with holes. Blood spurted from the wounds hidden underneath its fur. Blood and flesh had formed a pool and little streams underneath the fighters'' feet, and the rug was swiftly dyed red.


    The tables, however, had turned. The higher vampire decoction granted Acamuthorm powerful regeneration, and he remained as strong as ever, and the werebeast''s strength was quickly slipping away from it, affected by the oil and toxin coursing through its veins.


    Realizing things were getting worse, Daisy sped her hands before her chest and started praying with devotion, "Grayba the ck, I pray to you. I beseech you, epass my enemy in misery and misfortune."


    An invisible wave of magical energy swam through the prayer room. Angouleme had been hiding in the crowd, biding her time. Her eyes lit up. She quietly took out her weapon and squeezed through her stiffpanions.


    And she thrust her weapon into the priestess. Blood sttered everywhere. The table leg punctured Daisy''s belly. She howled and curled up like a cooked prawn, and she almost bit off her tongue. The prayer stopped.


    Angouleme grinned. She then thrust the table leg into Daisy''s eye, but one of the pigs stood before Daisy, though not out of his own volition. The table leg punctured his neck, and he fell into the crowd, howling.


    ***


    The priestess'' screams caught Dino''s attention. He gave up fighting the witcher and dragged his battered body away, running toward the priestess.


    It made one big mistake, however. The werebeast left its back wide open for the witcher, and Acamuthorm seized this chance perfectly.


    Every movement he made from that moment on stemmed from his battle instincts. They were precise, urate, and deadly. He quickly ran after the werebeast, channeling the strength from his hands, neck, back, lower back, and legs into one point, and the witcher thrust his most powerful attack ahead.


    His deshed out at the air like lightning, and it pierced the left side of the werebeast''s back. The witcher heard the werebeast''s heart being punctured.


    Dino came to a sudden halt. It covered the hole in its chest, as if it were trying to mend a hole in a boat. Its legs buckled, and it fell into the pool of blood.


    Acamuthorm pulled his de out and took another step ahead. A terrifying gasp exploded in the air. He swung his weapon, and the de shed silver.


    An ugly head, still spilling blood, rolled over to the priestess. Dino was bleeding from every hole on its face, its eyes still wide open, even though it was dead.


    For a moment, silence fell upon the prayer room, and then, green, shapeless mes burst into the air.


    The children''s faces were swaying violently in the icy mes, and the children themselves were spasming, as if they were having fits. Their limbs were straight, but their joints were turning and bending. Cracks rang out in the air. The children were going through some kind of eerie transformation, and Angouleme was not spared from it either. She stood in front of the priestess like a marite, spasming violently.


    Daisy held up the bloody lion''s head and ced it before her face, recing her beautiful mask. It was as if she had a lion''s head. And then, eight spider legs, sharp as swords, appeared on the wall behind her.


    The lion head started to blink. Green mes shot out from its eye sockets. It had a solemn, sacred look, staring at its surroundings apathetically, as if it were a god looking down at humans.


    When the lion head looked at Acamuthorm, the witcher stood still, as if he were thunderstruck. He couldn''t move, and breathing itself was a difficult task.


    "Pestilent witcher," the head said, a majestic voice ringing through the room. It was a voice made up of thousands of different voices, echoing in allyers of space. The spider legs stretched out straight, resembling an open web. "Repent in eternal pain."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 600 - 600: Appearance

    Chapter 600: Appearance


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Carl shoved Aard at his enemy. The spider-like monster flew back, but the moment it fell, it quickly flopped around like a fish out of water and jumped back up. Outside the dorm, twelve werespiders spread across the battlefields like a pack of wolves, attacking the witcher in every direction. Veins popped on their faces, ck slivers of smoke swirled around them, and they disyed speed and strength far beyond the capabilities of children their age.


    The werespiders¡¯ limbs were turned around, their heads and backs facing the ground, their eyes shifting between white and ck like old-school film. In a pose much like an arch bridge, they ran on all fours, their speed rivaling a steed¡¯s. As they ran, they muttered vague incantations under their breath, as if praying to something.


    Carl did not look happy at all. As the decoction¡¯s effect started to wear off, exhaustion from staying awake for two days washed over him like waves, robbing him of his strength. Even with his strength intact, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill the out-of-control orphans. He sheathed his de, smacking the turned orphans with the sheathed sword. He swatted off one with short ck hair and punched another assant away. The witcher gave him a kick that sent him flying into the air. The assant fell onto the fence, snarling and howling.


    Letting out a guttural roar, the witcher leapt through the crevice between two werespiders and rolled on the ground, picking up a pine tree branch as he went. The witcher charged toward the prayer room, swinging his weapons around.


    It was a short journey from the statue to the prayer room, but it felt like an eternity for Carl. Werespiders pounced on him from both sides. Carl managed to hit five with his weapon, but two managed to pounce on his back. One held his shoulders, while the other grabbed his leg.


    The iron-d grip numbed the witcher. He fell forward, his head hitting the freezing snow. As the witcher lost control of his body, five werespiders held his limbs and neck, holding him up.


    Carl was facing the roof, his eyes going wide. An invisible wave of strength blew the roof of the prayer room away. Out leapt a giant silhouette the size of half a house. It had eight legs, covered in ck fur and sharp as scythes. The legsnded on different parts of the roof, jumping around like springs.


    A few werespiders came rushing out the front door, prostrating themselves underneath the creature. The creature stood on the roof, looking down at its subjects.


    From where Carl was looking, the creature was like a wolf spider erged by a thousand times. Its spindle-shaped abdomen rested upon the beams of the roof. Patterns of gold-green rings gleamed under the sun. In the ce of what was supposed to be a spider¡¯s head was the visage of a misshapen lion¡¯s head. It had eight eyes, all gleaming emerald, like swirling whirlpools sucking in the souls of those who stared at them.


    Slivers of ck smoke billowed from the creature, spreading into the air around it. It felt as if an invisible hand in the skies were controlling the creature like it was a marite.


    Is that the omen god? The Lionhead Spider? Transfixed, Carl stared at the creature¡¯s maw. A thread was hanging between its fangs, and on the end of a thread was a white cocoon shaped like a human. ¡°Acamuthorm!¡± Carl shouted. ¡°Wake up!¡±


    The lionhead spider scanned the young witcher and quickly tilted its abdomen up, revealing three pairs of spinners jutting out of its rear end. The monster shot a patch of half-liquid thread at the witcher, but once the thread touched the air, it turned into threads as thick as ropes.


    As the thread started sticking itself to Carl, the werespiders let go of him. They prostrated themselves before their god, while Carl was dragged to the roof by the thread. His legs, torso, and head were getting drowned in threads. Stubbornly, he stretched his left arm out. As he closed in on the other cocoon, he quickly made a sign.


    Igni! Carl shouted with all his might in his mind before he was turned into a cocoon. The magical fire flew through the air and mmed into the cocoon. The spider¡¯s prison fell, its top half melted away by the mes, revealing a dazed Acamuthorm. In his shivering right hand was a crystal. Snapping out of his stupor, Acamuthorm held the crystal tight, as if he¡¯d taken destiny by its throat.


    ¡°Go to hell, you eight-legged monster!¡±


    And the crystal was crushed. A drop of blood flew into the air, spinning and hovering. It gleamed like a ruby, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. At the same time, on faraway Skellige, a silhouette woke from his meditation, his silver eyes snapping open.


    The lionhead spider sensed a disturbance in destiny. It was the scent of misfortune. It shot a thread at the drop of blood.


    But it was toote.


    Winds howled in the courtyard, and a ck doorway appeared. The thread flew into the square doorway, but it did nothing.


    Fu¡ª


    A deafening roar came hurtling out of the doorway, rattling the temple. The Shout was iplete, and yet its power could not be denied. The strength of Skyrim¡¯s Bones of the Earth resonated with the Shout. It had the power to shake the itself.


    ¡ªs!


    And the Shout wasplete. It thundered through the temple, freezing space itself. Everything within the temple froze in their spots, their heads buzzing as if they were bludgeoned by a sledgehammer.


    Even the titanic spider on the rooftop fell into a short stupor. It could only move its eyes, and it saw a silhouette leaping out of the doorway. The silhouette had ck hair, silver eyes, a slender figure, and a gray cloak billowing in the air like wings. Crimson mes made of the silhouette¡¯s willpower and desire to kill danced around him like a sea of blood crashing and roaring.


    The silhouette stood in silence, yet he was like a sword out of its scabbard, glinting and striking fear into its enemies. The lionhead spider recognized this face. It harkened back to the days in Vizima¡¯s sewers. This man was Roy of the Viper School and the one who brought ruin to the god¡¯s cult. The cult was forced to move to different abodes frequently. Without Vizima totch on as a safe haven, the cult¡¯s survival was an uncertain thing. In the end, due to the hunt of the Northern Realms, the cult was nearing extinction.


    The cult had to hide within remote viges, luring war orphans and merchants tainted by their desires to survive, and only barely so. The mes of hatred roared in the Lionhead Spider, but it could feel a hint of fear simmering underneath. Its instinct was giving it a warning.


    Roy was not the weak witcher he once was. He quickly scanned around, seeing the Feared werespiders and the apprentices who were trapped in cocoons. The witcher gave the Lionhead Spider a bit more attention, and he knew what he was dealing with.


    ¡®Lionhead Spider/Abigail/Daisy


    Gender: Female


    Age: 23 years old


    Status: Cursed one, priestess of the god, avatar of the Lionhead Spider


    HP: 400


    Mana: 300


    Strength: 30


    Constitution: 30


    Dexterity: 25


    Will: 20


    Perception: 18


    Charisma: 30


    Spirit: 30


    Skills:


    Curse of the Spider (Passive): The curse of the god is both a blessing and unimaginable agony. The victim will not gain release from their mortal coil that easily. +100 to HP. The heart is no longer a weakness.


    Curse Level 5: Curses are the dissemination and transformation of pain. As the only living priestess of the god, the user is granted unimaginable power from the existing faith of this cult. She can transfer her pain to the Eternal Web, where the Lionhead Spider changes that pain into misery and misfortune. The Lionhead Spider will then curse its enemy, raining them with misery for their whole lives.


    The user may also expend a considerable amount of pain and grant their followers the path to the next stage in life, where they will be gifted the shape of beasts. The more drastic the change of her followers, the higher the cost she has to pay. The werebeasts will be imprinted with the Lionhead Spider¡¯s mark. As long as they are alive, their pain will be absorbed, and once they die, their soul will enter the Eternal Web.


    Pain Absorption Level 6: Mark those who have been inflicted great pain by destiny. They are then turned into children of pain. Their agony shall be power for the user. The mark loses effect once the target falls into madness from agony.


    Admonition Level 5, Adhesive Thread Level 4, Charm of Violence Level 6.¡¯


    ***


    Abigail. Roy was reminded of something that took ce years ago. This was the priestess who controlled fleders and rekindled Adda¡¯s curse. A woman who was innocent on the outside, but¡­


    This is destiny, perhaps. Roy stared at the Lionhead Spider from afar. Abigail, priestess of this evil god, this is something you can never escape. Roy quickly flicked his fingers and crossed his hands. He shoved a gleaming double cross into the air, and a gleaming, humanoid illusion leapt out of the blue curtains. Then, a frost atronach, covered in icy armor, came out of the indigo doorway of Obsidian. Finally, a mutated longhorn beetle the size of a lion came out of the double cross. It was covered in ck exoskeleton, and its antennae looked like snakes.


    The minions quickly split up. The frost atronach knocked down the stunned werespiders, while the illusion and beetle darted toward the trapped apprentices. Roy grasped the air, producing Gabriel out of nowhere. He held down the trigger tightly, an ivory sword in his right hand. The sword¡¯s edge glinted icily, glimmering with the power of the many magic imbibed within it.


    Roy pointed his sword at the Lionhead Spider¡¯s head, aiming for everything down to its soul.


    Inexplicably, the Lionhead Spider felt a sense of crisis welling within its heart. It could not escape this danger, as if no matter what it did, it would meet its destruction.


    A bolt hurtled across the air, the crossbow string buzzing. The witcher disappeared in thin air.


    The Lionhead Spider quickly reared its front legs, shooting a sea of snow-colored threads into the air. The monster swings its legs around like scythes, beating off the iing bolts. It opened its maw, muttering the curses of fear, agony, weakness, and transfiguration. Green mes shot from its eyes.


    It was less than a fraction of a millisecondter, but fireballs charged across the battlefield, Furyfire melting the sea of thread. The witcher passed through the green mes along with his bolt, yet the shield of Heliotrop was destroyed by the power of curses. When the Lionhead Spider¡¯s curses tried to touch Roy, they were ripped apart by a phantom tentacle, their shards raining like snow.


    Compared to the witcher¡¯s flesh and iron will, the Lionhead Spider¡¯s agony was insignificant. It was not able to twist the witcher¡¯s body or soul.


    Abigail was horrified, its eyes turning around wildly.


    Roy held his sword high over his head and brought it down with the might of a thousand lightning bolts. A crimson beam of energy split off the edge of Aerondight, rampaging through the air like a stallion.


    The monster¡¯s legs were sliced off. Blood sttered the battlefield, and the monster writhed in pain.


    Fear. Roy stepped into the pool of blood and sliced limbs, his eyes gleaming crimson. A ball of wriggling tentacles jumped out of the crimson sea behind him, bloody light swirling around them. They pinned the Lionhead Spider onto the roof, wrapping its legs, abdomen and head.


    Tighter and tighter the tentacles constricted its prey, their suckers tearing away at the exoskeleton on the monster¡¯s back. The obsidian fur was eaten away, and in the battle of these gigantic creatures, the roof crushed under their weight, shattered into pieces.


    Dust clouds swirled. For three seconds, the Lionhead Spider was pinned between the debris, beams, and roof tiles. It tried to struggle, but it couldn¡¯t move.


    The witcher stepped into the ruins, raising the de of judgment upon this monster.


    The priestess¡¯ ambitions to revive the cult were destroyed. Under the gaze of the Most High, the priestess of the evil god, craven and devious, was vaporized.


    Howls of agony came from the Lionhead Spider as it shivered from the fear its soul felt.


    Roy swung Aerondight twice. Once across, once down. The head flew high into the air, and the spider¡¯s rear was cut in two.


    Could this be the end?


    ***


    Ear-piercing screams tore the air. As if they had their spines pulled out of their backs, the werespiders fell to the ground, spasming and frothing like they were having a fit.


    A translucent soul was pulled out of the Lionhead Spider¡¯s remains. Just when the tentacles were about to devour it, the bloodstained spider emblem sitting within the courtyard¡¯s center shone brilliantly green.


    The light pulled the witcher and his spoils of war. Everything around Roy started to spin. He was getting a sense of vertigo not unlike the sensation of traveling through portals. When he regained his bearing, he found himself standing within a dim, dark space that had the shade of chaos.


    Balls of green mes floated high overhead, strobing like ghost mes. They illuminated the sticky, infinite spiderweb underneath Roy, as well as the tens of thousands of cocoons piled up in different corners of the web.


    This was an insurmountable mountain, and Roy was standing at the bottom of it.


    ¡°sphemer. Soulstealer.¡± An androgynous voice spoke from the depths of the web, echoing in the witcher¡¯s heart. Every voice it made was filled with darkness, malice, and hysteria, as if it were a curse spat by a thousand dying people.


    ¡°Wee to my kingdom, the Eternal Web.¡±

 Chapter 601: Decide Part One

    Roy stood in the center of the infinite web, scanning his surroundings. He thought this ce felt a little familiar. It was as phantom-like and hard to grasp as the kingdom of Freya, only this was the domain of the Lionhead Spider, ruler of pain, misery, and unnatural deaths. Freya had told the witcher that besides her and Melitele, the other gods were not exactly seen as gods. Their domains were never raised into the skies beyond this world. They were tethered to the old world.


    Compared to the goddesses, these evil gods were nothing but heretical beings who had more power than the beings in this world. With Oxenfurt and Nilgaard''s academies working on the power of science and technology, all faiths rted to corrupted beings were getting weaker. The fact that the Lionhead Spider''s priestess was willing to hide in a remote vige meant the god''s power was a far cry from its prime.


    Roy held the hilt of his de in his right hand. He felt the connection between him and his weapon. He felt the magic swirling in his body. Feeling slightly more confident about what was toe, determination filled his eyes. He knew he had a chance to y this towering spider.


    "You''re moreposed than I would expect. Might you have seen ces like these before? The coliseum of Svalblod, the domain of Crimson Emperor, or perhaps the garden of Dana Meadbh, Queen of the Fields?" The voice sounded surprised at the witcher''s collected behavior.


    Roy ignored it and looked around, trying to search for any anomalies. There was only chaos around him, swirling and swimming like currents in a deep sea, splitting into countless streams. He couldn''t find where the spider was hiding, so he stayed still, observing.


    "Or perhaps your courage stands tall among your peers. Despite being in the presence of a world this grandiose and magnificent, you refuse to give it the proper respect it deserves?"


    Roy remained silent. He saw a few balls of golden light gleaming in the depths of the web. When he tried to have a closer look, they disappeared.


    The voice hidden in the depths chuckled. "You are being rmed for no reason. I did not drag you into this web to have you trapped for eternity. It would be a waste of the power and resilience you have presented. Let me give you a word of advice: Do not make an enemy out of an eternal god. It would be akin to a basilisk or a wyvern trying to enrage a real dragon. Let us be partners."


    A gust of wind blew across the balls of green mes. Roy caught the stench of death and rot, not unlike the scenting from graves or coffins covered in moss and soil. It would make any living being uneasy.


    "If you remain obstinate, you will face consequences far beyond your imagination. You will witness eternal pain. Before it, time and space are nothing."


    Everything around Roy melted away, reced by darkness and destion. Roy thought he was being turned into a cocoon, held upside down in this web. There was no sound, light, or warmth in the cocoon. Even moving a finger was difficult in a ustrophobic space like this. He was imprisoned within this eternal web like a mummy, struggling and screaming, though all his pain would be given to the ruler of thisnd. He would be singing praise to its name.


    The witcher harrumphed. Crimson light rippled behind him, and the illusion was crushed.


    "The path is underneath your feet, witcher." The voice raised its volume to a sonorous roar. Space itself shivered, and the cocoons residing within the web started to wriggle, huddling closer to Roy. On their surfaces were vague, humanoid faces, screaming in agony.


    "Will you be my enemy and fall into hell, or will you work with me and rule this world?"


    <em>What an arrogant spider. </em>"And what do I get from the partnership?"


    "You shall have my emblem. You shall be the shepherd of my believers and destroyer of heretics. You will make this world know pain and fear. You shall spread misery and death. You will rekindle the name of the omen god. You will possess wealth far beyond any emperor can imagine. You will share my eternal glory. I shall drink the pain of the living, while you will gain their souls after they die. We are the perfect partners, and the Eternal Web bears witness to this."


    Roy''s face was hidden in the darkness. A smirk curled his lips, and he sneered silently. <em>If the Great Weaver is as powerful as it ims, why would it tell its priestess to hide in a remote vige and torment poor orphans? Why would it only make its move after its priestess is dead? The fact that a god is trying its best to convince a mere mortal can only mean one thing. It''s weak.</em>


    "I just killed your priestess." Roy looked into the distance and took a deep breath. "And yet you wish to partner with me? I can''t say I''m worried."


    "Death is not the end in my creed, nor is it punishment."


    And a cocoon before Roy broke open. A naked arm came stretching out, its skin covered in something that looked like amniotic fluid. It was like a babying out of its mother. Another arm came out, and the arms tore the cocoon apart. A woman, gleaming and shimmering, came out of the cocoon. From the waist up, she was voluptuous and beautiful. There was a tattoo of Grayba the ck on her back. From the waist down, she had eight legs and the body of a spider. This creature was the priestess Roy fought not too long ago.


    ''Abigail


    Status: Songstress of Pain (imprisoned in the Eternal Web. Sings odes of agony to the Lionhead Spider until the day she disappears.''


    ***


    Roy shook his head. <em>This spider is really efficient. Not enough with the sacrifice its believers gave it while they were alive, so it wants them to sing praises even after their death. They have to work hard just to get nothing in the end. It''d be better if they were devoured by me. Putting their faith in something like that is preposterous.</em>


    The priestess looked at the witcher, with not a hint of hatred in her eyes. She showed her beautiful body to her killer and gave him a bow. "Thank you, Roy. You have given me death, and through that, I have gained the most remarkable gift of life. I now understand the truth of agony more than ever. I have now truly entered the eternal kingdom."


    It was genuine gratitude the priestess was showing, and tears glistened in her eyes. There was no individuality in those eyes, however. There was only self-destructing passion and fanaticism.


    "Now do you understand, Roy? We have no grudge between us. There is nothing standing between us and the partnership," the voice said.


    Abigail bowed and scuttled off into the darkness.


    "Witchers live long lives, but what are hundred of years to an eternity? Does it not destroy you, knowing that you have all this power only to lose it all in death at the end of your limited lifespan? Work with me, and you will step into eternity. Death will no longer be the end for you."


    <em>And I''ll be your marite instead? </em>Roy sneered in his mind, but he pretended to be hesitant and tempted on the outside. He clenched his fists, musing over his options, and then he spoke. "I have never built a connection with any gods before," he lied, "but I have seen a merchant by the name of Gaunter O''Dimm. He knows of a soul contract, and I think that can be used in our situation. Given that you are an eternal god, you can create that kind of contract as well, can''t you? Then let''s sign it. The contract with our souls on the line." Roy looked at the chaos above him.


    The voice fell silent. Even as a god, the Lionhead Spider could not see through Roy''s heart, nor could it discern how genuine this offer was.


    ***


    "Very well. You made a smart decision, but you know what happens should you deceive a god." The green mes shone brighter than ever, swaying in the dark winds that crossed them by. The cocoons wriggled as hard as they could, howling in pain to celebrate theing partnership.


    Roy''s pupils contracted. Dozens of yards away, a gigantic silhouette of a spider was projected into the endless space. It was clumsily descending from the skies, hanging on by the thread on its abdomen. The creature was ten times bigger than Abigail. Every single foot was like an arch bridge made of ck metal.


    The creature''s abdomen was as big as an ant queen''s. Every movement it made felt bloated, tired, and old. Its eyes were the shade of dark gold, but there was not a hint of magnanimity or sanctity within them. Instead, the eyes burned the hearts of those they looked at, excavating their souls for dark, painful memories.


    It fell upon the web, its abdomen pushing down on it, and the web swayed like a hammock.


    ''Coram Agh Tera/Grayba the ck


    HP: ? (Forgotten: Its believers and priests are almost all gone)


    Mana: ?


    Status: God of Omen (Creator of the cult that ces its faith in death, pain, and misery)


    Strength: 30 (Weakened)


    Dexterity: 30


    Constitution: ?


    Perception: 30


    Will: 36


    Charisma: ?


    Spirit: ?


    Skills:


    Agony Level 10: Pain inflicted upon the flesh and soul will be amplified by ten as long as the target remains in the Eternal Web. The Lionhead Spider can absorb energy from that pain.


    Misery Level 10: Those who defy the Lionhead Spider within its domain will be cursed by slowing, weakening, and transfigurative effects.


    Incubation Level 10: Releases the singers of agony within the cocoons. The user may control them and fight its enemies.


    Thread of Destiny Level 10: Every living being, at birth, will have a thread of destiny belonging to them. When that thread breaks, the living being dies. The Lionhead Spider can manipte these threads, partially modifying the life events of its targets, dragging it closer to death.


    Torment''s Bite Level 10: The Lionhead Spider, once close enough to its target, can inject its venom through its fangs into the body of its target. The target will be marked and sentenced to a deep slumber, where they will be tormented by an eternal nightmare of agony. They will be turned into the Lionhead Spider''s source of life.


    Immortal (Passive) : ??? (Forgotten)''


    ***


    The creature melded into the chaos, but it did not approach the witcher. Instead, it stared at Roy as if the witcher was its prey. The witcher and the spider looked into each other''s eyes, and an eerie silence fell upon the web.


    <em>It''s wary of something. </em>Roy knew something was off. He quickly produced Gabriel and hit the creature with a gemstone mark. A patch of gemstone dust gleamed upon its body, making it shine like a beacon in the dark.


    Roy pulled his trigger once more and blinked a hundred yards away alongside his crossbow bolt. His sword cut through the dark, a sh of silver light hurtling ahead. When the witcher reappeared, the Lionhead Spider was still thirty yards away from him. He did not close the distance at all.


    "Ah, a heartbreaking decision. You have denied the gift of fate. Thus, you will swim in the sea of agony. You will howl for me. Roar for me. Shiver for me. And you will sing my praises."


    The creature''s front legs scuttled around as it pulled itself back into the air. The web was starting to sway like the roaring seas during a storm.


    Hundreds of cocoons flew down from the skies like white meteors. Roy''s barrier was shattered, forcing him to retreat to the web. The cocoons broke, and bizarre silhouettes came out of them.


    Roy looked at the one in the lead, and he was stupefied. He knew this man. He''d never forget that face. The man had short ck hair and a muscr body draped in knight attire. He was none other than Vilgefortz himself. Standing beside him was a weird-looking human. He looked like an alder tree almost cleaved in half. A contorted face belonging to a human grew on its trunk. That face was made of branches and leaves. Roy saw it clearly. There was a colorful stubble growing on its chin.


    <em>Idarran the treant.</em>


    Farther on the right was a man in a ck suit. He had skin white as clouds, lips lustrous as blood, and fangs protruding from his mouth. The man had the air of a gloomy nobleman. <em>Gruffyd the higher vampire.</em>


    Behind them were creatures and monsters Roy had in. Basilisks, ice giants, fleders, ghouls¡­ All of them wereing out of their cocoons. They stood together like a squad of soldiers. They looked at Roy with ferocity, their faces contorted with pain.


    From within the chaos, the Lionhead Spider mocked, "You have killed countless creatures, witcher. Do you really think it''ll end once you have in them and devoured their souls? No. Their hatred, terror, agony, and helplessness they felt before their deaths wille back to bite you harder than ever. And now I have unleashed that pain. Savor it."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 602 - 602: Decide Part Two

    Chapter 602: Decide Part Two


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The web was now a terrifying prison. Hundreds of misshapen agents of horror dwelled in all corners of the web, howling and snarling. They rushed the witcher standing in the center of the web.


    Vilgefortz stood tall among them. He held his left hand up, and a colorful magical ball hurtled past the army of monsters.


    Roy made a Sign, and a beam of crimson light seared the darkness. Furyfire shot off from Roy¡¯s hand and mmed into Vilgefortz¡¯s magical ball. Sparks flew as Furyfire sted Vilgefortz¡¯s attack apart. It still had enough power to fly ahead and hit a bandit in tattered armor in the chest. Before the bandit could even howl, he was turned into a beam of ck light.


    Roy knew something was off. Vilgefortz¡¯s magic was not this feeble. I see. The Lionhead Spider cannot revive extinguished souls. It¡¯s already almost forgotten by the world. It does not have this kind of power. This is probably some kind of pain projection. They¡¯re far weaker than their original selves.


    That calmed Roy down. Even when he was surrounded by shades of his past enemies, he swung his hands around, leaping into the snarling creatures like a phantom. The light of magic strobed within the web. Roy recast both barriers on himself, and underneath his feet was the kaleidoscopic light of Yrden.


    The elements roared. The element of water swam, and the air rippled like a perturbedke. The frost atronach, Roy¡¯s illusion clone, and the mutated longhorn came forth, standing behind him, facing the army of swarming monsters.


    The frost atronach fought a few ghouls on its own, slowing them down with its freezing aura and tanking their attacks with its armor. It spun its arm around like the fantail of a windmill. Under its barrage of icy attacks, the creatures burst into bloody corpses and melted into the void.


    The illusion clone fired off bolts at the gurgling, scowling drowners. Every bolt crushed the heads of the drowners, destroying them before they could get near the clone.


    The longhorn beetle was a tough contender. Its exoskeleton was as hard as te armor. Even the fleders could only leave insignificant marks on the big beetle. The beetle charged around like a flying fortress, skewering a group of iing andregas. Once it was done clearing one area, the beetle opened up the shell on its back, revealing a pair of soft, see-through wings. It flew into the air and came crashing down like a meteor, turning a few nekkers into mincemeat.


    The monsters behind the witchers couldn¡¯t get near him. The witcher focused on the enemies standing before him. A purple lightning bolt ran through the air before him, crashing into the basilisk that was flying and screeching toward him. The basilisk froze, the feathers on its neck standing on end. Its scales were ckened from the lightning bolt, and the air was filled with the stench of charred flesh.


    The basilisk fell onto the web. Roy leapt over to the creature, holding Aerondight in his hand. He held its hilt with both hands, and, putting his weight in his left leg, the witcher spun. A silver light arced through the air, and the basilisk¡¯s head flew high. The zeugls that inadvertently barged into the range of his attack were cleaved in half only to pop like bubbles.


    Roy held his weapon by his side and cocked his eyebrow. There was not a single drop of blooding out of the monsters, nor did he gain any EXP.


    ***


    The witcher held Aerondight up straight, blocking a beam of dangerous light rushing at him. The runes on Aerondight gleamed and reflected the beam of light back where it came.


    The beam shot through the bodies of iing wraiths, and Roy swung his de once more, splitting a few fireballs in two. The witcher raised his head, seeing Vilgefortz standing in the center of the attacking monsters like theirmander. Once again, the light of magic gathered in the palm of his hand.


    The hatred in his eyes was almost palpable, and standing around him were a few elven sorcerers. The mana swirling around them felt dangerous. Further beside the sorcerers, Idarran was swaying violently. Round, crimson fruit warriors were shaken off its branches. They held up leaves shaped like swords and charged at the witcher, roaring.


    The most dangerous of them was Gruffyd the higher vampire. It leapt through the sea of monsters, blinking in and out of existence. Roy felt shivers running down the back of his neck.


    I¡¯m not wasting my time with these small fries. He produced Gabriel in his left hand and pulled the trigger, tossing Gwyhyr to his clone.


    A bolt flew through the air, and Roy teleported to the group of sorcerers. He swung his de, and a beam of crimson energy roared through the air, destroying the sorcerers. The energy beam flew further and decapitated a group of mouse-men, clearing a ten-yard radius area.


    Vilgefortz had escaped into a group of drowners and tossed a pir of scorching mes.


    Roy held up a ck barrier with his left hand, absorbing the mes. Once again, he fired a shot, but when hended, he could feel a gust of wind rushing at him from his back. A few serpentine vines slithered out of Idarran¡¯s branches, their ends splitting into incisor-filled maws.


    The vines tried to chomp on the witcher¡¯s back. The witcher wheeled around and sliced the vines into pieces, but then, something beside him screeched. A gigantic, batlike silhouette appeared out of thin air and thrust its ws at the witcher.


    Quen shattered, and Roy¡¯s waist was shed badly. Pain washed over him like a wave, and the Eternal Web turned it into a tsunami. Unbelievable agony stunned Roy for a moment, and he froze, as if a swarm of worms and locusts were wriggling in his body.


    The witcher felt goosebumps spreading across his body, and Vilgefortz seized that chance to bombard Roy with howling winds and azure mes. The attacks hit Roy and sent him flying away. The burning witcher fell into the sea of monsters, rolling around like a ball.


    His head was spinning, and he couldn¡¯t get up, but there was something more worrying. The pain he was feeling turned into a sliver of ck smoke. It flew into the air and was absorbed by the hiding spider.


    The hive of cocoons, still gestating, shivered violently, the singers of pain residing within them singing a chant. ¡°O Great Weaver, Grayba the ck, ruler of pain¡­curse thy enemy, curse thy enemy!¡±


    The hymn was almost boisterous, and the web swayed. A bolt of ck lightning cracked the skies open and hit the witcher. Roy leapt back up and tried to block the lighting bolt with Heliotrop, but it passed through the barrier and hit the witcher. Roy shivered, turning white as snow. For some inexplicable reason, the energy swirling around him felt like it was absorbed by the void. He felt sluggish, his hands shivering.


    And the witcher saw something on his status bar. Weakened. All his stats were lowered by a fraction of their original value.


    The omen god hiding in the dark sneered, as if it were enjoying the show.


    The big bat let out a screech, pouncing at the witcher. It wanted to kick Roy while he was down, and Idarran unleashed a whirlwind of leaves. Vilgefortz hurled a beam of blue light at the witcher.


    Roy snapped out of the pain thanks to his iron will, and he rolled down the web. The attacks missed, but Roy was still unlucky. A bloated demon by the name of Fugas was waiting for him at the end of the roll. It kicked Roy in the stomach, and pain erupted.


    Roy curled up like a cooked shrimp and rolled away from Fugas. His eyes were bloodshot, and he gurgled in agony. That was not the worst of it. Roy¡¯s pain was turned into power for the evil god. Once again, a bolt of ck lightning cracked the skies and hit the witcher with a slowing curse.


    Roy¡¯s reaction, movement, and attack speed were reduced by a quarter, and his HP was reduced by nearly half of its maximum value.


    Activate. The element of water swam through Roy¡¯s veins, alleviating his pain. It raised the witcher¡¯s Mana and HP. Roy quickly pulled the trigger and teleported hundreds of yards away from the monsters. He touched his eyes and found tears. The pain made him cry involuntarily. It¡¯s a miracle. Damn the pain.


    Shuddering, Roy quickly took a swig of some greyish-green decoction. The decoction numbed his pain receptors, and Roy couldn¡¯t feel any pain anymore.


    The big bat pounced at Roy once more, slicing the air with its ws. It wanted to grab the witcher by his legs and tear him in half. And it paid for its arrogance.


    Fear. A patch of red light burst forth from Roy¡¯s back. A sea of tentacles wrapped the bat into a cocoon and formed something like a parasol to shield their master from the attacks of Vilgefortz and Idarran.


    Roy swung his de twice and sliced the entangled higher vampire into little pieces. One down.


    A bolt hurtled through the air. Roy skipped past the sea of monsters andnded before Vilgefortz. Roy opened his mouth, swinging Aerondight at his enemy. Vilgefortz was unfazed. He stared at his nemesis and shoved him away with a burst of mana.


    The sorcerer took out his metal bat, once again trying to battle Roy with his weapon, but the Shout wasplete.


    Fus!


    Soundwaves rippled through the battlefield. The Shout froze Vilgefortz for a moment. He blinked once, and the de cut him up. The sorcerer tasted defeat once more.


    Roy could vaguely hear someone shouting in dismay, but the witcher was unperturbed. ¡°I killed you once, Vilgefortz. I can kill you again.¡±


    The shout was silenced. ¡°One left.¡± Roy sted the mountainous Fugas and stepped ahead. He spun his wrist around and stabbed his sword into the demon¡¯s eyes like he was tilling soil. The metal pierced the demon¡¯s brains, and it was no more.


    Roy blinked over to Idarran and threw a sea of mes at the treant. Idarran screeched, but Roy didn¡¯t stop. The witcher swung his de again and again, leaving gashes on his enemy¡¯s body.


    And Idarran was no more.

 Chapter 603 - 603: Decide Part Three

    Chapter 603: Decide Part Three


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The witcher gulped down a few health and mana potions. He looked around only to realize that his minions were all in. The sea of monsters around him had fallen into madness from agony. They jostled against one another, their faces contorted like fish out of water. They roared, charging at the butcher who once took their lives.


    Roy produced one Dragon¡¯s Dream in his left hand and fired off crossbow bolts with his right. He leapt through the monsters, his cloak billowing in the air. Whenever he found a spot where numerous monsters congregated, he would toss a bomb into their midst and set it off with a fireball. And then, only a sea of fire was left in his wake.


    When the witcher had gone through all fifteen of his Dragon¡¯s Dreams and ten Dancing Stars, the world of death, darkness, and misery were lit up by an ocean of fire. The web was nothing but a world of hellfire, and shadows of agony fell within the mes. Even the ceiling of chaos was lit by the fires.


    Roy raised his head, seeing the marked silhouette blinking away quickly. The creature could move anywhere it wanted as long as it was in this domain. Roy couldn¡¯t even touch it, let alone y it.


    God of Omen! Roy roared in silence. If tricks and schemes are the only way you do battle, then I shall burn this disgusting world of webs down! Roy took a deep breath. A rune shaped like fire popped into his mind.


    Winds roared, and elements spread across the infinite web. For a moment, everything fell silent. And then, the air was starting to scorch. Everything was heating up to unbearable temperatures.


    Sparks of mes burst forth from the bones under the web, quickly turning into roiling, steaming magma. Light, mes, and the air of destruction were filling the air. Like a live volcano, a dragon made of magma was about to soar.


    But then, the evil god within the darkness let out a sigh. A third bolt of ck lightning cracked the skies, going after the witcher¡¯s flesh and soul. The mes died. Roy stopped casting his Sign and blinked away, but the lightning bolt did not let up. In the end, the witcher was hit. He fell to the ground, convulsing, his hairs standing on end.


    A third curse fell upon the witcher. A curse called depletion. All the witcher¡¯s mana was drained, and every time he regained a sliver of it, a mysterious energy in the void would suck it away, giving it to the elemental ne.


    ¡°You have wasted too much of my precious well of pain. This is the end, witcher.¡± The evil god¡¯s voice was filled with exhaustion. And then the cocoons lying in the web started tobust. Roy saw the werespider still singing in agony, turned into a sliver of ck smoke. And he saw werebeasts converted into something simr. The slivers of smoke flew high into the air, and the spider hiding within the darkness opened its maw. Its nose contracted as it sucked in the nutrients from its followers. Its golden eyes were ring with fury and grief. The creature had given up too much just to deal with the witcher.


    Roy felt a crisis iing. He held up his sword and fired off his bolts, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn¡¯t close the gap between him and Corem Agh Tera. It was as if he¡¯d been walking in circles within a maze.


    Realization struck him. Unless ites closer to me or I break this web, I can never capture it.


    But before he coulde up with a n, a voice bellowed, and the voice echoed across the web, shaking the world.


    ¡°Destiny was born on the Eternal Web. It twists, turns, and weaves its way to misery, the only eternal constant.¡±


    A silvery-white thread descended from the skies and fell upon the witcher¡¯s head. It buried itself into the witcher¡¯s flesh, spine, and soul. The thread extended into infinity, hard to observe, just like the future.


    The Lionhead Spider stuck its head out from the skies, falling onto the thread gently. The power of pain flowed out of its legs and swam into the thread. Its ck fur lost its luster.


    Then it spoke, its voice icy, as if it were a god watching the pitiful lives of a human flickering across its eyes.


    ¡°Roy the witcher, your left leg was injured during the first battle of your life, stemming from your own inattention. You did not receive medical attention in time. Your wound festered and was infected. As a consequence, your left leg had to be amputated, and you have no avenues to heal it.¡±


    The voice echoed in Roy¡¯s head, and he froze. He felt some sort of power locking on to him, and he saw hallucinations. Something from the past, but also not from the past. A brand new memory formed in his mind. This was fate. Undeniable. Immutable.


    The thread gleamed, and Roy fell down for some reason. He tried to touch his left leg, but to his horror, there was nothing there. His left leg had disappeared. The decoction might have numbed physical pain, but it couldn¡¯t stop the shivers of the heart. Roy thought he¡¯d fallen into a nightmare, the impact of the spider¡¯s power suffocating him.


    The pain in his heart was turned into a sliver of ck smoke, and it flowed into the Eternal Web. The Lionhead Spider let out a sigh of satisfaction.


    Roy bit his tongue. A metallic scent filled his mouth, and he snapped out of his stupor. He¡¯d stared down death more than once in his life. Disability shouldn¡¯t have swayed his heart so easily. He pulled the leg of his pants up and looked at the healed stump where his left leg should have been. He mused.


    So this is the Thread of Destiny. One of the powers I saw earlier. This is how it changes its target¡¯s past and drags it closer to death? It can¡¯t change how an event ends, but it can alter its process and inflict more pain on its target.


    The Lionhead Spider was hanging upside-down over the thread of destiny hanging atop the witcher¡¯s head, its eight legs slowly rubbing the thread. With malice, the creature looked at its prey. It was also watching the scenes ying upon the thread, picking and choosing parts of the witcher¡¯s past and changing them.


    Still, it¡¯d never run into someone like the witcher. Roy¡¯s thread was obscured by a thickyer of mist. Most of his past was hidden in the mist, denying the spider information. But the remaining history is more than enough for me to work with.


    Slivers of ck smoke billowed from the spider¡¯s body. They swam into the thread of destiny, and the spider cursed Roy once more.


    ¡°When you were fifteen, you had your eyes shed by a ghoul, and you have been blind since then.¡±


    Everything went dark. The web, the bones, the sea of fire, the dark skies¡­ All of them, gone. There was only darkness. It felt lonelier than whatever curses or the void of space could throw at him. He knew he¡¯d lost his sight, but the gemstone mark was still there. He could sense a great threat sitting atop his head, far, far away from him.


    The power to change fate is a unique and broken ability. There must be a dear price to pay, especially when its target is someone like me. Someone with a powerful will and body.


    Every time the creature cast yet another curse, it would have that bit more of its strength taken away. Not to mention this spider was already severely weakened. The world had almost forgotten about it.


    Roy might look adversely affected from the surface, but he had a trump card up his sleeve. A trump card powerful enough to turn the tides of battle. Roy shoved all his negative emotions away and sat on top of the web quietly. He would not allow the spider to absorb any more of his pain. He would ept its curses. Roy wanted to be bait for that evil god. This was a psychological battle.


    Green mes swayed. The Lionhead Spider¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement and longing. His heart is strong. I wonder how much pain it will return once I break it.


    And the voice kept talking. ¡°You contracted a severe case of fever when you were fifteen and lost your hearing permanently.¡±


    The Lionhead Spider kept on cursing the witcher¡¯s fate, filling his life with nothing but agony. First it took Roy¡¯s left leg, then his sight, then his hearing, and then his sense of smell, sense of touch, sense of taste, then his remaining limbs. In the end, he took Roy¡¯s innards away.


    ¡°Because of the unstable nature of your mutation, the Trial of the Grasses left your heart with severeplications. You were afflicted by a serious heart disorder. Any strenuous exercise can trigger the condition and kill you.¡±


    That was the final curse, and the spider¡¯s voice went away. Roy was a mangled mess of his former self. He had lost his limbs and five senses. He was only left with a head and torso. Royy within the web like a human punching bag. He felt no light or happiness. There was only darkness, destion, the frigidity of life, and the torment of his illnesses.


    This was the worst ce any human could be in, but to the Lionhead Spider¡¯s irritation, it still couldn¡¯t absorb any pain from the witcher. It was as if the witcher had a heart of stone. The creature had expended most of its well of pain, and only a small pile of cocoons were left in its web. Its eyes were like dim marbles, with nary a hint of light within them, and it was smaller than it used to be.


    Coram Agh Tera had used everything it had. Now it had no choice but to think that Roy was a helpless piece of meat. A prey waiting to be eaten. The god scuttled carefully down the thread of destiny,nding on the witcher¡¯s back.


    The creature¡¯s eyes were as big as Roy¡¯s head, and within those eyes, greed and passion red. Its body was as looming as a pce, and Roy was a hapless king residing within the abode.


    The Lionhead Spider¡¯s nose wriggled, as if it had tasted the scent of pain. Its eyes were rolling around, scanning the pale prey lying in the web. Roy¡¯s eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping. The only hint that he was alive was the heaving of his chest.


    The creature had confirmed that its prey could not fight back anymore. Coram Agh Tera revealed its abdomen and shot out a patch of white web from its spinners. The web wrapped Roy¡¯s battered body up, and the creature held its prey up. Coram Agh Tera chomped down on the witcher¡¯s shoulder, and blood sttered everywhere.


    Thest dregs of its power of pain were injected into Roy¡¯s bloodstream as venom. A ck mark of the Lionhead Spider appeared on his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± A smile of relief appeared on the creature¡¯s face. Its fur was dancing, feeling the creature¡¯s delight. ¡°You are the most powerful singer of pain I have ever collected. Now, awake. And sing for me forevermore.¡±


    Just when the creature thought a wave of agony would burst forth, the witcher smiled. He didn¡¯t even let out any moan of pain.


    ¡°Got you,¡± he whispered. And delight pierced through the nightmare of agony. A wave of crimson ripped the web apart, and the battered body of Roy quickly expanded in the ball of red light. A wave of crimson energy coursed through his veins like mes roaring higher and higher. Eventually, the wave came charging out of his body.


    The Lionhead Spider felt its eyes prickling from the sudden burst of light. The ruler of misfortune was now feeling misfortune raining down on it. It quickly let go of the cocoon and tried to scuttle back up the thread, back into hiding.


    The sea of blood crashed, and a crimson tentacle came bursting ahead from the waves. It wrapped around the creature¡¯s abdomen, its suckers quicklytching themselves to the creature¡¯s skin. The suckers contracted, and patches of star-shaped tattoos appeared between the suckers. Smoke billowed from the ck fur, melting away in the red light like snow meeting the sun.


    No, no! What are you, witcher? To the creature¡¯s horror, it felt something it hadn¡¯t felt for eons. Pain. Coram Agh Tera sliced the tentacle apart and shoved the crimson cocoon away before it could finish its transformation, but it was toote.


    An invertebrate that should¡¯ve only existed in the seas leapt out of the crimson mes. It was half the size of the spider, and the octopus wrapped its tentacles around the evil god, pinning it down on the web.


    The Most High¡¯s eyes were burning with silvery-gray mes. There was nothing but theposure of a predator in Roy¡¯s eyes. I¡¯m your predator.


    Red and green shed, and everything turned dark for a moment. A ck spider and a red octopus were entangled in battle. Tentacles and spider legs fought and shed. The spider¡¯s sharp legs sliced one tentacle open, but then corrosive blood sttered the spider, sizzling the tough, rough, furry shell. And then another tentacle reced the one that was lost.


    The octopus was hanging on to its prey. As its tentacles wrapped around the spider tighter, the star patterns on its body started to shine, and beams of magic shot forth from the suckers, drowning the spider within a barrage of fire, lightning bolts, air currents, and red energy beams.


    ck blood spurted forth from the spider¡¯s wounds. Coram Agh Tera let out a howl of dismay. ck smoke billowed all around it, and it started to shrink like a block of ice being hit by the rays of the sun. It opened its maw and sank its fangs into the octopus, tearing part of it away, but the octopus¡¯ blood ate away at the Lionhead Spider¡¯s face.


    The octopus opened its maw as well, and it munched on the spider¡¯s flesh. Every time it bit off a chunk of flesh, the octopus would gobble it down and heave a sigh of satisfaction, just like how the evil god did to it earlier.


    No, no, no! The Lionhead Spider was struck with terror, as if it could see its eternal life wilting away like a dying flower. And it started running across its kingdom, trying to escape. It moved constantly. At first, it was on the west side of the web, and the next it was on the east. Sometimes it would be high up in the skies, and then it would be among the piles of bones underneath the web.


    No matter how much the evil god ran and teleported away, the octopus remained entangled with it, rolling through the web with its prey. They fought and tore off bits from their enemy.


    Red and ck blood rained, eventually merging into one. The Eternal Web was torn apart by the intense battle. The creatures left holes in this kingdom, and warm light from the world beyond shot into the kingdom.


    Coram Agh Tera¡¯s kingdom was starting to shake. Everything rumbled, as if it would crumble.


    ***


    Five minutester, the battle had reached its conclusion. The evil god had expended all its source of power, and the world had almost forgotten all about it. It was no match for the Most High¡¯s devouring.


    In the end, only a lion¡¯s head was left. All its eight eyes were on the octopus. It was like a bloody sun, shining red.


    ¡°Curse you, witcher!¡± The Lionhead Spider cast itsst curse in hysteria. ¡°You shall live the rest of your life drowning in pain! You shall¡ª¡±


    The Most High opened its maw and devoured the lion¡¯s head. A sensation of contentment covered its body. Its tentacles wriggled, shadows dancing across the web. Eventually, the web wilted and broke up, turning into a solitary ck fang.


    ¡®You have devoured the God of Omen. +20000 EXP. Level 14 Witcher (20200/16500).¡¯


    Darkness was torn through by light. The octopus returned to its human form.

 Chapter 604 - 604: Requiescat in Pace

    Chapter 604: Requiescat in Pace


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡®Level 14 Witcher (20200/16500) ¡ú Level 15 Witcher (700/18500 [-3000 for Guardian])


    You have leveled up. Your Mana and HP are fully restored.


    You gain 1 skill point and 1 stat point.


    Will: 30 ¡ú 40 (+2 to main stat).¡¯


    Gwyhyr and Gabriel were gleaming. They were waiting to be imbibed with treasures thatplemented them and gain more power. Sherry, the soul living in Aerondight, spun around, dancing happily for the witcher.


    The blob of evil energy cursing Roy¡¯s battered body disappeared. Flesh grew from the broken body, and bones mended themselves back together, forming aplete body. Roy¡¯s limbs grew back, his skin smooth as a baby¡¯s, and he regained his senses as well. He could see the light, hear the whispering breeze, taste the scent of soil and bush. He had missed this.


    Besides the weakened state from using his alternate form, Roy had never felt better. He held up the remains of the Lionhead Spider. It was a ck fang the size of a fist and the shape of a curved bead.


    ¡®Remains of the God of Omen


    Components: Fang of the Lionhead Spider, the power of pain


    Effect:


    The fang constantly absorbs the power of pain from its surroundings. You may injure a target with the fang. The power of pain stored within the fang will be injected into the target¡¯s body as a curse, changing them into a werebeast (their beast is influenced by the target¡¯s genes and personality).


    Werebeasts retain their sanity. They can change from their human form to their beast form as they please, but the process is irreversible. Werebeasts are sensitive to silver.¡¯


    ***


    This thing absorbs pain, curses its target, and turns them into werebeasts. In a sense, it¡¯s a kind of powerful mutation. Roy thought this fang had the same kind of effect that ne he got in Hindarsfjall had, but it was a more potent version. The cursed ones would not be afflicted with hunger, nor would they be bound to a certain spot.


    The werewolves and werebears were as tough as regr witchers. This curse was some sort of special mutation. And then Roy saw a new path. A path of witcher creation that deviated from the Trial of the Grasses. A path that focused on the power of curses. But now is not the time to dwell on that.


    He turned around, searching his surroundings. The Eternal Web was broken. The depressing sky was reced by a sunny backdrop. The sticky web was now snow-covered ground. The temple of Lebioda was as beaten up as ever. Its fence was still smashed by the carriage, and ruins stood between the beautiful houses. Beneath the statue of Lebioda and the God of Omen was a pool of blood. It was still not dried, and half the corpse of a horse slept underneath the statues.


    ¡°Roy! Why¡¯d you disappear all of sudden? You scared us!¡± one of the apprentices gasped. They quickly came over to Roy. The higher vampire decoction had healed them up, and they were red with excitement, their eyes gleaming.


    ¡°Worried? There was nothing to worry about.¡± Acamuthorm bumped Carl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know who he is. He¡¯s the seer of the brotherhood and the strongest witcher. Didn¡¯t you see the battle? It was marvelous. It was just a big spider. Roy must¡¯ve defeated it easily.¡±


    Roy shook his head, smiling. He looked past the apprentices, where a group of children stood. Then he stared at the apprentices until they were white in the face. ¡°You¡¯re not slipping away just because you praised me. You¡¯re lucky I had time toe over. The trouble¡¯s dealt with, and it¡¯s noting back.¡±


    The apprentices heaved a sigh of relief, and they swung their fists in excitement.


    ¡°But don¡¯t get cocky,¡± Roy said tartly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te over, you¡¯d have been in big trouble. Both of you.¡± The witcher was solemn. If he came one step toote, the evil god would have recruited two new singers of pain. Abigail would¡¯ve made her escape as well.


    The apprentices knew they¡¯d done something rash. They were ready to be punished, and they hung their heads low.


    ¡°Tell me, what happened? How¡¯d you cross the priestess of the omen god? And you used the higher vampire decoction?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t cross her.¡± Acamuthorm tensed up, putting both hands behind his back. He circled Roy and said righteously, ¡°We did an act of justice. As per the teachings of Coen, we lent a hand to those in need, just like how a Griffin would.¡± He turned to the scared orphans crouched outside the dormitories, then he red at the animals tied up beside the children.


    The young witcher told Roy about their story. Roy listened to him, observing the abandoned, abused, and brainwashed children. They were in a daze. They were fearful. Fearful of the future. And they were stealing nces at the witcher who showed up, their eyes filled with trepidation and longing.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Roy to notice the girl who looked like Ciri, and he paused. Angouleme? Angouleme was bruised. She noticed Roy looking at her, and she shot him a re like a bristling cat.


    ¡°Fate can be surprising,¡± Roymented. Angouleme was no ordinary girl. She left a mark on the original timeline of the witcher world. This girl had a dream of opening a brothel in Toussaint. In the future, she would join Geralt on his search for Ciri. In the end, she woulde to Stygga and be injured in the leg while saving Ciri. Eventually, she¡¯d die from blood loss.


    Before that event, Angouleme led a terrible life. She was tormented in a temple that provided service to pedophiles. Eventually, she would convince her friends to work with her to escape the temple. They killed a few people along the way.


    However, because of Roy¡¯s interference, Abigail the priestess left the sewers of Vizima early and took over this temple brothel by ident. That dashed Angouleme¡¯s hopes of escaping. If it weren¡¯t for the young and naive apprentices passing by, Angouleme would¡¯ve died from the butterfly effect.


    Roy looked at the apprentices gently. He thought they were adorable now.


    Acamuthorm happily held the hilt of his sword. ¡°We saved a ton of people from that spider. It was worth the risk.¡± He lived up to the quote on his weapon.


    Carl smiled, and he looked at Roy with longing.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Roy patted the boys¡¯ shoulders. He didn¡¯t chastise them too much. Everyone had the right to choose their own paths. Even if it were to end in death, it was still a choice they made themselves. Roy couldn¡¯t change that, no matter how much he could lecture them.


    The only teachers that could turn them into real men was time and experience.


    ¡°Only one thing I want to say, Acamuthorm. You shouldn¡¯t have riled Carl up. You should not have forced him to understand your point of view or make him ept it. Have you forgotten about history? Stubbornness and forcing someone else to do things they don¡¯t want to were the reasons the order broke up in the first ce. If the brotherhood wants to live, we must be more amodating, both of the members¡¯ opinions and the changes of time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roy.¡± Acamuthorm was red as an apple, and he bowed in apology to Carl. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that to you, Carl. I shouldn¡¯t have said I¡¯d take care of Vicki in your stead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Carl nched. ¡°You¡¯re forgiven, but don¡¯t bring that up ever again. The thought of it alone drives me crazy.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Back to the issue at hand, boys. Lebioda¡¯s temple is ruined. These children have nowhere to go, so what¡¯s next for them?¡± Roy asked, prepared to negotiate. He turned to the portly men tied up by the apprentices. ¡°And we have to do something about these pedophiles too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve checked the kids,¡± Carl raised his voice so everyone in the courtyard could hear him. ¡°The mark of Grayba disappeared the moment you came back. I promise they¡¯re all back to normal now. They¡¯ll never turn into those werespiders again. Can we bring them back to the House of Gawain?¡±


    Acamuthorm gave Roy a pleading look, and the children listened closely, waiting with bated breath.


    ¡°Some of the kids are a bit too old for the Trial,¡± Roy said with regret.


    A disgruntled Angouleme held herself up with a bloodstained table leg. She looked around, as if looking for something. Most of the children shivered, and some cried. They¡¯d gone through years of torture, never leaving this temple. The future, for them, was uncertain.


    ¡°But if you guide them and have them be a part of us, we can take them home. We have enough room for eighteen kids,¡± Roy said.


    The children felt their hearts soar, and cries of jubtion crossed the courtyard. A smile curled their lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even that old, Roy. Don¡¯t let the old gits¡¯ bad habit rub off on you,¡± Carl muttered quietly.


    Roy massaged his temples. ¡°As for the criminals¡­¡±


    Something icy glinted in Acamuthorm¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have the victims have their way with them?¡±


    ***


    The animals were taken to the children. The kids shrank away from their former tormentors like mice running away from cats. They were almost going to bury themselves under the snow.


    Angouleme, however, was an anomaly. There was great courage in her little body. She stepped up for herpanions. The girl picked up the bloodstained table leg and mmed it into the heads and rears of the pedophiles.


    She gave herpanions an imperious look. Driven by their submission and courage, a red-haired boy took the table leg and dealt some hesitant blows, though it felt more like a loving touch instead of punishment.


    And then the whole thing turned into a game of pinata. Every child did what the kid before them did. Eventually, one round was up, and all hell broke loose. The kids struck harder and harder. Some thought kicks and punches alone were weak, so they picked up bricks and smashed them on the bodies of their tormentors.


    The criminals, having their mouths stuffed, couldn¡¯t even howl.


    The children, faces red and eyes bloodshot, let out guttural roars. Just like how these men abused them, they dished everything back. Eventually, the criminals drew theirst breath, their bodies turning into a mangled mess.


    The children were crying andughing, tears hanging on their cheeks. They stood taller than before, and a breath of life was injected into their souls. Those who had been tormented by agony could only grow through resistance. Roy held the fang of Coram Agh Tera tightly. He had a feeling it would be put to good use in the near future.


    ***


    Acamuthorm approached Angouleme. He cooed, ¡°They deserved it.¡±


    The girl was silent. From the temple ruins, she dug out the remains of herrades, Pam and Cyria. Carefully, she put them on her back. It was time to do good by her promise. She would bring them on an escape from this ce.


    ***


    Carl and Roy were standing beside the statues. The younger witcher looked at the orphans, d that they were better. Expectantly, he asked, ¡°What next? Should we go back to the temple of Melitele in Ender?¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, boy. You¡¯re barely ad, and you¡¯re already dabbling with romance? You want to see Vicki, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Carl turned a shade of red. He hung his head low in embarrassment.


    Roy grinned, his eyes twinkling. ¡°You¡¯re getting your wish, but first, we¡¯re going to Lan Exeter. I¡¯m making Dandelion buy new clothes for everyone.¡±


    ***


    Balls of mes tore through the silence of the dawn. The corpses and statues in the temple of Lebioda burned away, taking with them the pain and sin buried within this ce. Light had finally crushed the darkness. Eighteen kids held each other up, their eyes filled with trepidation and uncertainty. They would be embarking on a new, exciting adventure far divorced from their lives hitherto.


    The apprentice witchers, leading the team, looked back. On the knapsack behind Angouleme, smoke and mes shone on the phantoms of two young girls. The one on the left was petite and adorable. She had long, golden hair and big, bright eyes. Her nose was aquiline, lending her an air of obstinance. Her blouse was old and bleached, and in her hands was a tattered ragdoll. The one on the right was slender and had short ck hair. She wore ayer of thick cotton clothes, her cheeks pink and freckled.


    The girls had gratitude in their eyes, and they bowed at the apprentice witchers for a long, long time. Tears spilled from the corner of their eyes, but the warmth of the sun evaporated it.


    Thank you, Carl. Thank you, Acamuthorm.


    The apprentice witchers could hear the girls¡¯ final messages.


    Farewell, Pam. Farewell, Cyria. We¡¯ll take care of the kids.


    The young witchers waved at the girls, the shadows of theirst moments slowly fading into the skies above. Carl and Acamuthorm exchanged a smile, the golden sun shining brightly upon them.


    And they shook hands.

 Chapter 605: Ciri and Eileni

    Roaring winds stampeded across the waters of Skellige. Waves crashed upon the isles'' coastlines, foam glimmering gold under the sun.


    A thirteen-year-old girl was standing atop a jutting reef by the sea, holding her infant aunt, listening to the young man before her recounting his adventures. The girl''s silver ponytail swayed in the wind, her seal hide cloak wrapping her slender body tightly. The girl''s face turned a shade of red from the excitement she gained listening to the story. Her eyes twinkled a beautiful shade of green not unlike a sea of trees.


    "You¡¯re not lying to me? From one witcher to another, a girl who looks just like me came to the orphanage?"


    "In the name of the Viper School, I, Monti, swear." Thed before her was in brown leather armor. His eyes were crimson, and he was thumping his chest. Tensing up, he said, "She looks like your twin. Only difference is that she''s older. Oh, her hair''s the color of hay, and her eyes are brown, and¡­ wait a minute. When did you be a witcher, Falka?"


    Monti squinted at the beautiful, regal girl before her. <em>She doesn''t have a witcher''s eyes. </em>"Yennefer told us you wanted to be the queen of magic. You''ve never gone through the Trial either."


    "Hey, I''ve gone through witcher training. And I''ve learned about magic under the guidance of Yennefer and Grandma Coral." Ciri spun once. She adamantly said, "They call me a genius, and being a witcher isn''t contradictory to being a queen of magic."


    She held Eileni tightly with her right hand, while the fingers of her left hand danced. Blue glints of magic shone in the air. Elements of water created a lifelike fish. The creature swayed its tail, swimming around Monti. Its gills pped, and bubbles came out of its mouth.


    The element of water was the most docile out of the four, and the isles stood around an abundance of water. Every spot was a convergence point. With all the assistance she could have, Ciri had shown great progress in water-based spells.


    And then the fish exploded. Water sttered everywhere, including Monti''s face. Resigned, he wiped the saltiness out of his mouth.


    Ciriughed. "Now let''s get back on track. What''s the girl''s name?"


    "Angouleme."


    "Interesting name. I have to talk to her someday. If she really looks like me, she can help me." Delight filled the girl''s heart, and she patted the baby in her arms. The baby''s eyes were closed. She had braids, and she was adorable. Thinking her niece was teasing her, the girl grabbed Ciri''s finger and sucked on it, letting out squelches as she did so.


    Monti looked at her, and heughed. When he came to Skellige, he found out Falka had a prominent figure as a grandmother and a baby as her aunt. When everyone saw that, they thought Falka had gotten married and had a child. She was mortified back then.


    "Don''tugh." Ciri red. She puffed up her chest and proudly said, "You''re about the same age as me, and Eileni''s my aunt. That about makes her your aunt too." She pinched Eileni''s squishy cheeks, and the little one gurgled happily.


    "You should respect her. C''mon, call her auntie. Eileni''s your mentor''s Unexpected Child too, and she''s part of the Lioness bloodline. She was born with the power to control chaos energy, time, and space. She can make your medallion buzz like a bee. What I''m saying is that she''s born to power. It''s not embarrassing to call her auntie."


    Monti froze up. He rubbed his nose and turned to his friends for help. Charname, Lloyd and the other young witchers were seated on the reef like statues, engaged in a fishingpetition with Hjalmar and Cerys. Unfortunately, the witchers couldn''t use any of their skills. They lost to the inders. Cerys alone got more fish than all of thembined. They couldn''t help Monti when they were in trouble themselves.


    Monti blushed and shook his head. <em>Gotta turn things around. </em>"Um, so what''s your grandma doing? She just left her baby to you."


    "Grandma is¡­" Ciri''s voice faltered. She held Eileni tightly, pursing her lips, and something glinted in Ciri''s eyes. After Eileni turned one, Cnthe shifted her focus to the battle that would happen in the future. The ceasefire between Nilfgaard and the Northern Realms was still in effect. Nilfgaardian troops had retreated to the southern coast of Yaruga.


    Yet battles still raged on in different parts of the Northern Realms. The non-humans had been assaulting human caravans without any end in sight. Thanks to that, the skirmishes and deaths in the Northern Realms were far higherpared to any peacetime. In Cnthe''s words, the whole Northern Realms was like a slumbering volcano. All it needed was for meteors to strike, and it would erupt.


    Once war resumed, the former queen of Cintra and king of Skellige Isles would seize the chance presented by the chaos, sending vessels to attack the coasts of Nilfgaard. They would then band with the liberation army led by General Vissegerd in Brugge to take back Cintra, avenging the fallen people and her husband, Eist Tuirseach.


    Cnthe had told Ciri all about her n. Under the witchers and sorceresses'' strict training, Ciri was no longer the cheeky princess who kept running away from home and did all she wanted. She smiled confidently. "Grandma has something important to do. Eileni is safe with me."


    She opened up her left hand, and a cocoon wriggled in her palm. She was holding the Elder Blood. Joined with the power of Eileni, all she had to do was think about it, and they would be transported to Roy, the other bearer of the Elder Blood. It was their n to evade the clutches of the legendary hazard, the Wild Hunt. They hadn''t shown up thus far, however.


    From Roy''s warnings, Ciri was told that these warmongers and phantom knights were searching for people with Elder Blood. If caught, she would lose her freedom. Ciri seared that warning deep in her mind. She then turned to the witcher before her. "Let''s get back to Angouleme."


    Monti gazed at Ciri. For a moment, she had a look of solemnity far beyond her age. "Carl and Acamuthorm almost died saving her from the clutches of an orphanage operated by the omen god¡­"


    ***


    "Dammit! They didn''t invite me on that adventure! And I thought they were my friends!" Ciri howled in disbelief, and Eileni pped her hands.


    "Honestly, you should feel sorry for them. They did that without consulting anyone else. Once they got back, Vesemir grounded them for a year. They couldn''te on this trip."


    "What about the poor children? Are they going to take the Trial? All of them?" Ciri looked at the reef. Lloyd was happily holding up a fat fish he caught. Hjalmar crossed his arms, giving disdainfulments.


    "No. Most of them are too old for the Trial, so Kalkstein''sing up with a trial that''s different from what we went through." Monti rubbed his chin. "Their tongue slipped when they were bragging about it to us. The new trial is dubbed Path of the Curse. If ites to fruition, then those kids are going to be a new kind of witcher. It''s a monumental project. They''re going to have two forms. One regr, one for battle."


    "Oh, can I also take that trial?" Ciri and Eileni widened their eyes at the same time, like they were cats that''d just seen a pile of fish before them.


    "You''ll have to ask Roy for that."


    "Which also means no." Ciri puckered her lips. "Let''s talk about something happier. So why''d only you guyse this time? Where''s everyone else? It''s been a while since I saw Vicki. And has Renee grown out all her teeth?"


    "The two of them are working in apothecaries now, along with Conrad. They''re running the new potion shop in Lan Exeter." Monti looked impressed.


    "What about that cow?" Ciri gritted her teeth. She looked at her chest. It was growing, but not much. She could see the tips of her boots.


    Monti''s cheeks puffed, but he held back his urge to burst outughing. "The cow? Oh, you mean Yoana?" Girls weren''t the only ones who wouldpare their curves. The young witchers wouldpare their sizes too. Of course, the mutation granted them strength that far outstripped the regr man. It waspensation for robbing them of their fertility.


    "She and her father, f, have moved to Novigrad. They''re running a smithy now. And mentoring apprentice cksmiths from the House of Gawain. Speaking of which, cksmithing probably toned Yoana''s body well. She got curvier thest time I saw her."


    Ciri stopped patting Eileni. She tensed up, her eyes gleaming dangerously. Monti felt shivers going down his spine.


    "She lugs that pair of melons around all day. She''ll get frozen shoulders and arthritis eventually," Ciri muttered. "And what about Calosi?"


    That was one of the students who took up general sses back in House of Gawain.


    "Thanks to Dandelion and Linus Pitt, that guy and about twenty other kids got to drop in on Oxenfurt''s sses. Oh, Dandelion''s a professor there, and Linus has a master''s degree in natural history. Back to the kids. They spend all their time learning about poetry, history, and politics along with the elites. They got their dreams fulfilled. Spent a mountain of coins too. Serritined about it for a whole month."


    Monti was more than impressed. He couldn''t believe those orphans, once starving and fighting for survival, were enrolled into one of the two best academies in the world. <em>The witchers can work miracles.</em>


    "Once Eileni is old enough to care for herself, I''m going to Oxenfurt too." Ciri clenched her fists. "Alright, so they couldn''t make it. What about Vesemir? Why couldn''t hee?" Ciri pouted and pulled back her billowing hair.


    "Lady Mignole''s not getting any younger. Her health is declining." Monti sighed. He was reminded of a loving dame. Marena extended her love to the young witchers, and she was nice to them. Still, she was just a regr human, and her constitution was weak. "Vesemir''s in Oxenfurt taking care of her. And the other guys."


    Monti saw the concern in Ciri''s eyes. He said, "Don''t worry. It''s just amon cold." A smile curled his lips. "But you know how mncholic people can get once they''re at that age. They need someone to talk to. I might as well tell you what everyone else is doing now. Lambert, Auckes, and Aiden went to Upper Sodden in the south coast of Yaruga. Someone contacted them through Triss and requested for their protection of some important person. Lambert told me about it before he left. You should''ve seen his face. Looked like he was going to the most expensive brothel in the world. I have no idea what''s so magical about Sodden."


    "He''s a perv. What else could he be excited about? Women, of course," said Ciri with scorn.


    Monti smiled. <em>Yeah, that''s it for Lambert''s reputation among the brotherhood. </em>He continued, "Coen is in Lan Exeter''s ballroom with his girlfriend, Igsena. Kiyan and Evelyn are guarding the botany in Novigrad''s outskirts. Eskel is in Kaer Morhen with his subus, Pashia. Moore, Susie, Mino, and Gryphon took up residence there too. Not everyone has a romantic partner, though. Serrit and Felix are hunting and farming around Ender''s temple. Letho and Ivar stayed back in Gorthur Gvaed, sorting out the records the school had collected over the years. Said it was just in case something were to happen."


    "The brotherhood got themselves two new sorceresses, didn''t they?" Ciri stroked Eileni''s braids. Eileni narrowed her eyes and gurgled in contentment.


    "Lydia and Casiga? They went back to Thanedd for official business." Monti paused for a moment. "That''s about it for us. Told you everything I could. Now it''s my turn for a question. What about Geralt and Yennefer? It''s been a while since I saw them."


    Ciri puffed her chest out, as if she''d done something incredible. "They''re made for each other, but destiny broke them up in the past. Thanks to my unrelenting efforts, they''ve patched things up. Now they''re going to the druid''s ring in Mayena. It''s a visit to Visenna. That''s Geralt''s mother."


    She winked at Monti and lowered her voice, "Perhaps we''ll see a grand wedding soon?"


    For thest two years, Yennefer stayed in Skellige, teaching Ciri about magic. She treated Ciri like her own, and Geralt would always visit his Unexpected Child. Like a bridge, Ciri slowly repaired Yennefer and Geralt''s rtionship. Thanks to her, the estranged lovers had rekindled old mes.


    Monti smiled. He was happy for them. "What about Roy and Lytta? He''s gone missing since he brought back the kids."


    Like a trigger being pulled, Eileni''s eyes went wide. She iled her legs, extending her arms to the sun, and she said something. "Roy, Roy! Huggies! Spin spin! Upsy daisies!"


    "Look at you! I bring you out to y every day, but all you care about is him!" Ciri rolled her eyes and pinched Eileni''s nose. She sighed.


    The Law of Surprise once again showed its powerful magic. Ever since Eileni was born, she was friendly to Roy. Friendlier than she was to her own niece. Jealous, she said, "They''re having some alone time under theke of the Valley of the Nine."


    ***


    In faraway Toussaint were the marsnds, haven of wild animals. Ab was tucked away under theke, and within it, a difficult mutation wasing to an end.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 606 - 606: Facing the Change

    Chapter 606: Facing the Change


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The great hall was brightly illuminated, the air filled with the scent of nts and flesh. In the middle of a pile of vials, vessels, and parchment paper, a bizarre contraption was working. The contraption was made of a container resembling an ostrich egg and a ck standing coffin enough to house an adult male. Something underneath the egg-like structure was heating it up. Between the egg-like structure and the coffin were three glistening ss tubes shaped like waves and spirals.


    A milky gas was swirling within the egg-like structure. They seeped into the ss tubes and slowly swam into the ck coffin. Lytta, wearing a ck, low-cut dress that day, stood before the contraption. The light from the heater shone on her face and voluptuous chest. Her lips were pursed, her brows were furrowed. She was picking away at her fiery-red hair. She stared at the contraption with concern in her eyes, as if she wanted to pierce the exterior and see what the subject within was doing.


    Over thest two years or so, the brotherhood¡¯s members had gone through their second mutation in this coffin. Unlike the Trial of the Grasses, this mutation would not add anything to their existing genes. Instead, it would extend them, making it safer for those involved. Everyone who went through the mutation gained more strength and power.


    The time they spent in the contraption was proportionate to the level of mutation they had. Before this, Ivar, a witcher who¡¯d undergone the first witcher Trial, took the longest to pass the second mutation. It went on for a week.


    But now¡­ Lytta held tight the pearl ne hanging before her chest. After going through the Trials of the Viper, Manticore, and Wolf, Roy made another record for longest mutation. It had been 29 days and 18 hours since the mutation began, and it was still ongoing.


    That wasn¡¯t the only peculiar phenomenon happening in this chamber. Lytta turned around and looked at the hole on the stone wall locked behind a steel fence. Something big was slithering and scuttling across the hole, its antennae swaying in the air. Its mandibles, sharp as scythes, were gleaming from the light, and its hundred legs scuttled quickly.


    Under the brotherhood¡¯s intensive care over thest two years, the mutated pale widow in the hole could procreate without any worries, and it had given birth to more than sixtyrvae. But if the mutation keeps going on, the reserves are going to be depleted, and then¡­


    A sudden sound ringing in the air stopped her train of thoughts. The sorceress¡¯ eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped. For a moment, she was adorably nervous, unlike her usual, seductive self.


    The blue mes of the heater fizzled and died out. Sounds of something resembling boiling water broke the silence of the chamber. The ck coffin rattled like sparrows trying to break free of a spiderweb. And then, the ck exterior cracked and was pushed open. A nket of white mist poured out of the coffin, drowning the sorceress and the apparatuses. A surge of warm, humid gas that tickled the nose quickly spread across the hall like vapor moving down a stream.


    Lytta tried her best to keep her eyes open, capturing the silhouette within the coffin. She quickly gestured before her chest, chanting under her breath. A few mini whirlpools tore the air open, sucking away the mist.


    And then she froze. She felt a wave of strengthing from behind, holding her waist. Someone pulled her off the ground, and she stopped chanting. Easing up, she fell into the arms of her captor. White mist came spurting out of the broken whirlpools, covering the hall and the two upants within it.


    Lytta gasped, and Roy chuckled. The sound of fabric tearing graced the air. Someone grunted, someone grumbled. And then the couple teased and chased after each other. It was like a romantic tune yed by a lute within the mist. The shimmering magicalmps hanging on the ceiling shone on the mist, turning it warm and mysterious.


    A long, long timeter, the mist faded away. Two silhouettes were upon the operating bed. Roy was only wearing a pair of white pants. Hey on the operating bed with a hand behind his head. A film of sweat glistened on his lean, well-toned body. The witcher was staring at the gray ceiling overhead.


    Lytta was resting her head in her left hand, holding a lock of her hair in the right. She brushed her finger across Roy¡¯s cheek, pointy ear, sculpted nose, jawline, beautiful eyes, and stubbly shin. Her eyes glinted. Roy was once a young man unsure of his ce in the world, but now he was grown up. Handsome too. The little rascal¡¯s a big bully now.


    He grew taller after the mutation. His skin was smooth yet resilient as leather, and the air around him felt sharp. Power was almost overflowing from him. ¡°How do you feel?¡± the sorceress asked, her voicenguid and content.


    ¡°Coral, I think I can take on the whole Wolf School by myself.¡±


    ¡°If Lambert hears that, he¡¯s going to ask for a fight.¡±


    ¡°Then let hime. I¡¯d like a warmup.¡±


    Roy leapt off the operating table andnded on the ground. He cracked his joints, and the sound rang through the air. The witcher leapt into the air, easily touching the ceiling more than 13 feet away from him.


    He then made a Sign, and a beam of red-golden light scorched the air. The beam covered the witcher, turning into armor made of liquid me. Roy checked his character sheet out.


    ¡®Roy


    Age: 19 years old


    HP: 440 ¡ú 470 (+120 from Trial of the Grasses)


    Mana: 380 (+120 from Trial of the Grasses)


    Strength: 20 ¡ú 30


    Dexterity: 32 ¡ú 35


    Perception: 17


    Will: 40


    Charisma: 10


    Spirit: 26


    New skills:


    Second Mutation: Using the egg whites of a pale widow¡¯srvae, you went through a second mutation. You have gained a permanent increase of 50% (30% from the Trials of the Wolf, Viper, and Manticore) for Strength and Dexterity. Thanks to the optimization of the gic mutation, your Constitution receives a small increase.


    Lava Quen: Your second mutation grants you the ability to use the elements of earth and fire at the same time. You may cast a mutated version of Quen. The barrier will have the power of fire attached to its surface. Attackers will be burned.¡¯


    ***


    The mutation granted Roy a total of 23 points in stats. It was on par with his first Trial. His Strength and Dexterity gained a 50% increase. Roy could fight a lot better at close range now. Besides Ivar himself, Roy was the member with the best strength and speed in the brotherhood.


    If he could use Guardian and decoctions, he could take on two higher vampires at close range at once. Of course, this increment was a result of his umtion. Regr witchers who¡¯d only gone through one Trial could only have a 20 to 30% increase in stats. Roy, on the other hand, had gone through three Trials.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve waited for a while longer.¡± Lytta pulled her drenched hair away from her forehead. ¡°You should¡¯ve only gone through this after your modifications were mostly done. It¡¯s been a month. You were only sustained by the pale widow¡¯srvae. I was this close to tearing that coffin apart and seeing what you were doing inside.¡±


    Lytta tilted her head, her eyes glimmering, her eyshes fluttering. ¡°Why were you in a hurry? What are you worried about?¡±


    Roy held Lytta¡¯s shoulder tightly. She had a point. If he¡¯d only gone through this second mutation after his fourth or fifth Trial, it would have yielded the best results, but time was of the essence. The Wolf Trialst time took him more than a year. His gut told him the fourth Trial would take more than three years. He¡¯d miss the most exciting period in this world¡¯s history if he¡¯d gone through that. The fifth Trial would take even longer. Not to mention the battle with the omen godst time worked as a warning. He couldn¡¯t keep turning into the Most High every time he ran into powerful enemies. The refractory period was one thing, but more worrying was that every time he reverted to his human form, he¡¯d stay in a weird state of being.


    Part of his emotions were taken away from him. He felt detached from everything in this world. Geralt, Ciri, Triss, Coral¡­ All his friends and family couldn¡¯t even make him feel anything anymore. He was like aposed observer, watching the world unfold from the sidelines. That reminded him of the Most High¡¯s message before it left this space-time.


    But when enough time has passed, you will eventually tire of your erstwhile passion. Humanity¡¯s hearts and feelings are fragile. They are transient in the face of eternal time. Fleeting and powerless. Eventually, you will understand that the one true cycle of the multiverse and all things in them is to feed, destroy, purify, and begin everything again.


    Roy knew if he kept using Descend without a care in the world, that power would slowly erode his emotions and change him as a person. He had to gain strength through the usual way. There were more dangers iing.


    ***


    ¡°The Scoia¡¯tael concern me.¡± Roy sniffed Lytta¡¯s hair. ¡°I asked Eveline to bring a message to the Blue Mountains, but I haven¡¯t gotten an answer yet. Francesca doesn¡¯t trust us, obviously. She refuses to even talk to us. I have to prepare just in case she tries to pull any more schemes.¡±


    The elf queen ignored Roy¡¯s request to talk. Scoia¡¯tael was still a menace in the Northern Realms, sacrificing themselves for the South.


    Lytta paled. She tried to contact the Daisy of the Valleys through the sorcerer brotherhood, but Francesca seemed to know of Coral¡¯s connection to the witcher brotherhood, so she refused. Triss and Yennefer tried to ask her out, but it was of little effect.


    ***


    ¡°And we still have the Wild Hunt to look out for. Ciri and Eileni both have the Elder Blood, and the Wild Hunt¡¯s been searching for people of that bloodline for centuries. They¡¯lle for the girls sooner orter. I need to power our people up.¡±


    Part of the reason Roy wanted to establish contact with Francesca was so Eveline wouldn¡¯t have to die fighting for the liberation army. Another part was so he could find the waypoint of the Wild Hunt¡¯s world, because the elf queen shared a deep connection with the Wild Hunt.


    The elves in the witcher world were of the Aen Seidhe n, while the Wild Hunt came from the Aen Elle n. Both of them shared consanguinity in the race of Aen Undod. They had the power of the Elder Blood. With that power, they traversed through space and time, twisting the multiverse and plundering worlds for their resources.


    In the wake of these traversals was the destructive White Frost. That cataclysmic event slowly but irrevocably carved a way forward in a chase after these elves, freezing the worlds they ran to into icy graves. It was like divine retribution for their abuse of the Elder Blood.


    Eventually, the two ns came to a junction in their long journey. They went down different paths evading the White Frost. Ever the plunderers, Aen Elle went to a world of alder trees. They cleansed that world and took over it. Ever the inventors and construction experts, Aen Seidhe came to the witcher world, leaving behind perfect and civilization-defining structures.


    Eventually, humanity chased these elves into the Blue Mountains. Their leaders were now Fvandrel and Francesca. Both elven ns had ways to contact each other, given that their elders shared a connection.


    After Roy plundered Vilgefortz¡¯ inheritance, he now had proof of Francesca conspiring with the South and betraying the northern brotherhood. He also knew what the elves were wishing for. If they could just meet, he was confident he could convince her into a partnership. Once he found the clues he needed, Roy could eventually figure out where the Wild Hunt was hiding.


    The witcher would then gather his forces andunch a preemptive strike, destroying the extremists who¡¯d been trying to steal the Elder Blood for themselves. That was how he worked. If his n went well, Aen Seidhe would have a dimension belonging to themselves. Eveline would no longer have to go to war with humans over an insignificant piece ofnd like Dol thanna.


    ***


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lytta was happy Roy could be honest. She sat up, her legs crossed, and she smiled. The light of magic shone all over her body, and it conjured a beautiful ck dress. ¡°We have twenty witchers and six sorcerers in the brotherhood. Decoctions, bombs, and enchanted items are aplenty. We also have multiple secret bases. Even if we suffer defeat, we can hide from our enemies. Now you just stay in theb for now. I need to make sure there aren¡¯t anyplications from the second mutation, okay?¡±


    Lytta was still on the operating table. She held her hand out imperiously.


    ¡°Of course, mdy.¡± Roy held her hand, kissing it.


    A week of regr life went by. The sorceress checked on Roy thoroughly, and the witcher spent most of his time getting familiar with his newfound strength and Lava Quen.


    On the eighth day, the peace was broken. Lambert and the other two witchers who went to Sodden for a request called through the xenovox.

 Chapter 607 - 607: Assassin From the Cat School

    Chapter 607: Assassin From the Cat School


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A vibrant green reflected from the diamond-shaped screen of light. Drooping branches of a weeping willow swayed in the wind, ayer of mist nketing the vast, rippling river.


    A grimy Lambert stood on the soft ground beside the river, his face scrunched up. Every inch of him spoke of depression. His hair was as unkempt as a bird¡¯s nest, and his M-shaped hairline looked dim. His greyish-brown armor was covered in blood. Obviously, he¡¯d just gone through a big fight earlier.


    On his left, Aiden of the Cat School stood with a sword in his hand. His face was gaunt, his cheeks sickly red, and he looked exhausted. On the right was Triss in a greyish-yellow hunting attire made out of beast hide. She waved her hands, and mana rained down, keeping the xenovox online.


    Auckes was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Roy crossed his arms, cocking his eyebrow. He teased, ¡°I thought you guys took up a bodyguard request. You look like you just fought a basilisk.¡±


    Lambert scratched his nose and smiled awkwardly. ¡°You were in istion for a month, kid. When we got here, we found out Keira Metz wasn¡¯t telling the truth. She said the job was to guard the mayor of Sodden. And there might be some exciting things on the side. I thought it was an easy job, so I took her up on the offer. Could make some money and have some fun, but s, you can¡¯t trust a woman¡¯s words. Even a demon¡¯s more trustworthy than them.¡±


    Coral shot him a scathing re from beyond the screen.


    Lambert quickly changed his tune, ¡°Of course, Lytta and Triss are the exceptions. Keira Metz lied, though. She wanted us to be bodyguards for Foltest, the new king of Sodden. I almost had a falling out right there and then, but Princess Adda and Triss are friends with you, so I stayed back for fun.¡±


    Triss¡¯s shoulders trembled. She held back the urge to p Lambert. Hey, you¡¯re the one who came all the way here to suck up to Keira and imed you¡¯d make her pregnant.


    Roy smiled wryly. He was a witcher. He wouldn¡¯t fall for such an obvious lie.


    Lambert pretended not to notice the look given to him by the sorceress. Instead, he shook his head,menting in regret. ¡°And then things went wrong. What¡¯s gotten into this world? Foltest was trying to raise morale for the beleaguered people through a speech, but then, an assassin came for him. In broad daylight.¡±


    Roy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No matter the era, regicide attempts were big. News of that magnitude could shake the world. Lytta was calm, but she was sinking her nails into Roy¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Who¡¯d be so bold as to assassinate the new king of Sodden and the ruler of Temeria?¡± Roy thought the timeline was wrong. ording to history, Foltest would only be assassinated after 1270, when he met the son Louisa La Valette gave him. And his assassin was Letho, who was disguised as a pilgrim. But it¡¯s only the summer of 1266 now, and Letho¡¯s already quit his assassination gigs after joining the brotherhood. So who¡¯s the guy?


    ***


    ¡°Who else but the Scoia¡¯tael madmen?¡± Lambert said. ¡°There were about fifty of them. Most of them were elves, some of them were dwarves and gnomes. Foltest was delivering his speech on the Blue Rose Concourse, rebuilt after the war. During his attempt to assuage the people, Scoia¡¯tael set off a thickyer of mist. While everything went to hell and the people were screaming and running around, they struck.¡±


    Hm, this is all rted to Foltest¡¯s policies and the Church of Virtue led by the Lady of the Lake in Vizima. Among the Northern Realms¡¯ rulers, Foltest is the only one who doesn¡¯t treat non-humans so harshly. That¡¯s what gave Scoia¡¯tael the opening they needed.


    ¡°So this was Francesca¡¯s n. She¡¯s going to follow Emhyr to the end no matter what.¡± Roy massaged his temples. This assassination is just the elf queen clearing the obstacles for Nilfgaard¡¯s second invasion. And the second war is not too far away. ¡°You didn¡¯t contact me just to tell me that, did you?¡±


    ¡°No. We have grave news.¡± Lambert put on a pained look. ¡°The ruler of Pontar and Mahakam and the protector of Brugge, Angren, Riverdell, and Ender, Foltest, has perished. He is now with his sister-queen.¡±


    Roy could hear Lytta inhale sharply, and he shot Lambert a re. ¡°You should take more sses from Dandelion. Your acting¡¯s lousy. Only kids would fall for that. Foltest isn¡¯t even your son. There¡¯s nothing for you to feel sad about if he died. And Triss doesn¡¯t have the right look on her face.¡±


    Roy looked at Triss. The sorceress pulled her bangs back and wiped the grime off her face. She smiled sweetly at the witcher.


    ¡°Oh, you seem to know Triss very well.¡± Lambert made a face at the sorceress. Triss flicked her hair back, ignoring Lambert.


    ¡°Fine. The assassination attempt failed. The high priestess of the Church of Virtue, Adda, along with Keira, Fercart, the army, and us witchers, kept Foltest under guard. No one could get near him. A few dozen attackers were nothing.¡± Lambert looked at the hill hidden in the mist across the river. Thirty-eight assassins died in the chaos. We captured eleven, but theymitted suicide by poison. A few spread out and escaped. Furious, Foltest sent his army after the assassins in the east. Auckes stayed back in Sodden to keep an eye on things. The three of us came all the way to Brugge, to this here Cho. If you¡¯ve gone through your second mutation,e over here and get that assassin, kid. We need to find him before Temeria¡¯s soldiers do.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Roy was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not going to help the king capture the assassin?¡±


    ¡°The guy who escaped was no regr man.¡± Aiden clenched his fists. He had a conflicted look on his face. Hoarsely, he spoke.


    Roy had a guess who that person was, and Aiden said, ¡°He was Gaetan, a witcher from the Cat School. Used to be myrade. I¡¯d never forget that face.¡± It had been a long time since he joined the brotherhood, and Aiden had almost forgotten that the Cat School made a living through assassination requests. He didn¡¯t think that another witcher would still take dirty jobs like that in this day and age. And it was no ordinary job; it was a request to kill a wise and mighty ruler of a big kingdom. If the assassination had seeded, Temeria would be plunged into chaos. Many would perish.


    Aiden emphasized, ¡°Gaetan was a rational man. The Trial didn¡¯t affect him too much, though he would have the asional outburst.¡±


    Gaetan? Roy realized who that person was. In his mind, he saw a bald man with a scar on his face, and a memory surfaced. Down the line, a leshen would terrorize a vige in Velen by the name of Honorton. Gaetan epted the request to y it. When he came back victorious, the vige elder refused to pay him his dues. He was led to the barn and was ambushed with a pitchfork. Enraged, Gaetan ughtered the whole vige. Geralt ran into him by chance, and the Wolf and Cat started a dangerous chase.


    This was the butterfly effect again. Because of Roy¡¯s meddling, the attempt on Foltest¡¯s life had been brought forward. The assassin, instead of Letho, was reced by Gaetan, now an ally of the elves. ¡°They say the Cat School has a lot of elven members. A sizable portion of that school served the elves of Blue Mountains in the past,¡± Roy said.


    Aiden paused for a moment. With worry, he said, ¡°An ancient tradition. Not many of them follow that now, but Gaetan does have elven blood. He obviously sees himself as part of that race. Gaetan was hit by Keira and Fercart¡¯s spells, and he sustained heavy weapon injury. We followed the trail of blood here, but the river cut it off. He can¡¯t be far. If he wants to live, he has to stop somewhere across the river to heal up.¡±


    Aiden looked at Roy, his eyes glistening, the look on his face one of genuine plea. ¡°I want to find thisrade who has been led astray and lend him a hand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lambert swung his fists. Excited, he agreed, ¡°Gather all the witchers worth making allies out of is why the brotherhood exists. It¡¯s our raison d¡¯¨ºtre!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep a secret,¡± said Triss matter-of-factly. ¡°I need to make sure that guy won¡¯t attack any other kings of the Northern Realms. If any kingdom falls into instability, the people will be gravely affected.¡±


    What the heck, guys? You¡¯re Foltest¡¯s bodyguards, but now you want to save an assassin? Roy fell into silence. They want to go against Foltest¡¯s orders and recruit this Cat assassin. Is that worth it?


    Everyone on both sides of the xenovox held their breaths. Roy eventually said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to find him first, and then we¡¯ll decide what to do with him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Lambert. Call Kiyan and Eskel. What do they say? Ah yes, two heads are better than one!¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down, kid.¡±

 Chapter 608 - 608: Missing

    Chapter 608: Missing


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was high noon. The nket of mist was torn apart by the bright sunlight. Winds blew from the river, knee-length water weeds swaying in the waters, bathing in its golden ripples. Cho had great scenery, but Lambert, Aiden, and Triss were in no mood to enjoy it. After Roy, Kiyan, Eskel, Felix, Coen, and Coral arrived through a portal, they exined the gist of things to theirpanions, and quickly searched the rivercoast.


    Witchers, the expert trackers, worked together. Not too longter, they dragged a wooden boat out of a patch of reed. Half of it was covered in white canvas and greyish patches. It was old, rotting, and rickety. The bloated bow and deck were dappled in patches of blood. The witchers sniffed the air. They tasted something refreshing and sickeningly sweet. It was the smell of herbs and monster innards. Pungent.


    That scent was familiar for everyone. It was the scent unique to Swallow, their regr decoction. ¡°Gaetan¡¯s injuries are worse than I thought.¡± Aiden licked the blood off his fingertip, his crimson eyes looking around. ¡°He rode from Armeria to Cho. That journey took a whole night, and he didn¡¯t rest for even a moment. Even with the decoction holding back the injury, he¡¯d lose too much blood, so he couldn¡¯t clean his tracks.¡±


    Cats were the most adept at hiding themselves, yet Gaetan left something so ring behind. It was worrying. Roy suspected that traditional methods might not be enough to save that Cat¡¯s life.


    ¡°He¡¯s weak. He could only go on through sheer will, so he can¡¯t be far.¡± Aiden turned around, looking at his tenserades. He gnashed his teeth. ¡°We need to find him before it¡¯s toote.¡± He took a deep breath, his face crimson, and he roared, ¡°A witcher must not suffer death during an escape.¡±


    Everyone fell silent. Dying like a defeated dog was miserable and ignoble.


    ¡°Lighten up, people. Destiny led us to this boat. Finding Gaetan is a given. That¡¯s how storybooks go.¡± Roy patted Aiden¡¯s shoulder and raised his head, looking in the direction the wooden boat was pointing in. He saw a crimson ribbon hanging in the air, smelling like the putrid stench of blood. The ribbon hung in midair, and bloody footprints on the ground led into the woods afar. The footprints were uneven, losing all elegance of a Cat.


    Time was of the essence the team ran along the footprints. Even the usually cheeky Lambert didn¡¯t crack a joke for once. Thedies knew they couldn¡¯t run too far, so they cast a spell on the witchers to make them faster and saw them off as they passed through the wet ins. Into the thick woods they went.


    Dappled sunlight shone through the leaves. Silhouettes shot ahead like lightning bolts, leaping across fallen trees and mulch and mushrooms like wolves on a hunt. Roy was in the lead. Lambert and Aiden nked him, looking around for the escaped Cat. The clues they found on their way unsettled them more and more. Blood aside, they found more items that proved it was a witcher they were searching for. Empty decoction bottles, three bombs, five short knives the length of index fingers, leather jackets filled with pockets, a pack of poison, and a torn, charred beast hide cloak covered in tree sap and blood.


    The witchers could imagine a wobbling man holding his injuries, breathing heavily as he traipsed ahead in his path. Every painstaking step he took would tear his wounds further, sapping more of his strength. Gaetan was at the end of his wits, unable to continue. He tossed off deadweight and used thest ounce of his strength to survive. s, this was the wilderness. There was nowhere to hide. Without anyone or anything to heal him, he couldn¡¯t save himself. It was possible he only kept going ahead out of instinct.


    Roy was in more of a hurry now. He told everyone he was going ahead and whipped his crossbow out. As bolts traveled through the air, so did Roy. Every time he leapt, he would appear a hundred yards further ahead, covering ground at a blistering speed. He¡¯d made up his mind. As long as Gaetan still drew breath, he would save him with a dose of higher vampire decoction.


    Not too longter, Roy¡¯spanions were far behind him. The witcher came to a junction at the woods¡¯ exit. A tilted wooden sign stood at the junction. The eastern path led to a vige named Kent, while the sign leading to the west had vague writing. Roy went down to check the pool of blood between the leaves. He dipped his index finger in the blood and sniffed it. Fresh. Been here less than three hours. More blood than the patches left behind on our way here. He must¡¯ve stayed here for quite a while. Perhaps even cked out. But where is he now?


    Roy pricked his ears up and breathed silently. Carefully, he searched the bushes and brambles and greenery around him. Sparrowhawks chirped on the branches, millipedes scuttled between mosses, rustling the ground. But no human breathing or heartbeat. Five minutester, a dismayed Roy had searched the whole ce, but s. Aside from the pool of blood, Roy failed to capture any trails of Gaetan. The witcher was nowhere to be found, as if he disappeared into thin air after falling into a pool of his own blood. That cannot be possible.


    Roy rubbed his chin, musing over this bizarre scene he saw. Not too longter, quiet footsteps came from behind. In the lead was Lambert, and the witchers came storming out of the woods. Quickly, Lambert scanned the area, and he held Roy¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, kid? Got lost in broad daylight? Or did you lose sleepst night? Why aren¡¯t you looking for Gaetan? Life is on the line here. You can¡¯t ck off.¡±


    Roy dusted the soil off his hand. ¡°The trail goes cold here. I can¡¯t find anything without a trail.¡± He looked at hispanions and shook his head. Sighing, he said, ¡°Sorry, but Gaetan is missing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous.¡± Eskel was doubtful. He said quietly, ¡°He was badly injured and dying. Couldn¡¯t even walk. How could he disappear just like that? He must¡¯ve left clues behind. You must¡¯ve missed them.¡±


    ¡°Then check the whole ce yourself.¡±


    Three minutester, the witchers exchanged looks of disbelief.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Aiden growled in disbelief. ¡°If a starving beast had taken him away, this pool of blood couldn¡¯t have been the only thing left.¡±


    Felix crouched beside him, his eyes twinkling with doubt. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t find any beast¡¯s footprints or excrements. No signs of battle nearby either, nor is there any flesh or sttered blood stains from any biting.¡±


    Roy held his unusually icy and quiet medallion. He added, ¡°The chaos energy here is unusually calm. No one has cast any spells here in the past week. He couldn¡¯t have used any portals to escape.¡±


    ¡°Gaetan¡¯s a Cat. He couldn¡¯t have grown wings and flown away or dug a hole in the ground and escaped through a tunnel.¡± Lambert was exasperated. ¡°This is more ridiculous than magic tricks.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, mate.¡± Kiyan punched Lambert in the chest and looked around. ¡°If you have time toin, you have time to use that head and experience of yours to figure things out. Think, everyone. Think.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible Gaetan was rescued.¡± Coen rubbed on the little cave-in on the fallen leaves. He had a bright air around him, warming everyone. ¡°Look, there are erratic footprints around the pool of blood. Someone else must¡¯ve passed through this ce. If they¡¯d dealt with Gaetan¡¯s injuries, there wouldn¡¯t be much scent or blood left behind. Perhaps Gaetan is in a safe ce now.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s eyes red with hope. Getting rescued was better than dying. Roy shook his head. They¡¯re lying to themselves. Even the most skilled warriors cannot bandage a wound so perfectly, with not a drop of blood. Nor could they hide the scent so perfectly from witchers. And there¡¯s an easy exnation for the footprints. If anyone wants to travel to Cho, they must take this path. Of course there are a lot of footprints here. More importantly, Gaetan¡¯s scent is gone.


    ¡°I know the chances are slim, but that¡¯s the most usible one. Or do you have any better ideas?¡± Coen said. ¡°No time to hesitate. I suggest we travel to the vige in the east and ask questions.¡±


    The witchers¡¯ eyes gleamed. A momentter, everyone nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split into two teams. Don¡¯t forget, the Cat is not our only matter to deal with. Foltest¡¯s army is on their way here fast. We cannot let them interfere with our business,¡± Roy said. He took Aiden, Coen, Kiyan, and Eskel, following the footprints outside the woods into Kent, the human settlement in the east.


    Lambert reluctantly stayed in the woods with Felix, keeping up their search for Gaetan and escorting thedies. And they¡¯d also have to mislead the iing Sodden soldiers. It was a good thing Lambert was Foltest¡¯s bodyguard.

 Chapter 609 - 609: Another Problem Arises

    Chapter 609: Another Problem Arises


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Golden flowers of turnips and cobs of corn danced with the breeze sauntering through the fields. Beyond the fields was a small vige. A group of farmers in straw hats toiled away in the fields, their faces glimmering red in the sun, sweat trickling down their cheeks.


    Within the fence were a hundred or so houses made of stone and wood nking the muddy street. A warehouse with hay on its roof decorated the edge of the hamlet. Chickens, ducks, and dogs jaunted down the streets happily. This was a peaceful ce.


    The witchers observed in silence for a moment. In the end, Roy and Aiden would be the ones to approach the vige, while everyone else remained outside, waiting for their cue to move in. It would cause unnecessary worry for the vigers if a group of witchers were to enter a vige at the same time.


    The witchers walked down the muddy street in the center. Eventually, they were passing by an oak tree with a canopy big enough to cover the skies. When they looked up, they froze. My word.


    Between the branches was a skeleton hanging from the trees. It was covered in nothing but tatters, and a wooden sign hung before its chest. It read, ¡®This be what happens to those who conspire with Nilfgaard.¡¯


    A gust of wind galloped through the tree, swaying its branches and the skeleton. The bones rubbed against one another, as if the ghost of the man¡¯s screams still echoed in the air. The North and South are really at odds now. He went over a pile of manure and went into the vige. The farmers and children on the fence looked at them. A boy in a pair of red pants let out a scream and ran away. A gray-haired elder enjoying his sunbath on a chair in his yard heard themotion.


    He held his crutch and led a team of stronger vigers to surround the witchers. ¡°Who are you? What brings you to this vige?¡± The vige chief¡¯s murky eyes were set on the witchers¡¯ sword hilt, his brows furrowed. The bags under his eyes bulged like a frog¡¯s peepers, and the wrinkles on his face looked like a pug¡¯s. There was, weirdly enough, some sort of expectation in his eyes.


    Roy showed his medallion. ¡°We¡¯re witchers. Chief, people, there¡¯s no need to worry. We¡¯re not selling anything, nor are we asking for free food. We¡¯re not going to tell Nilfgaard anything about thisnd either. We just want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Witchers?¡± the chief interrupted, his goatee shivering. His wrinkles eased up ever so slightly. In excitement, he held Roy¡¯s hand. ¡°The professionals who slew the striga of Vizima, the Scoia¡¯tael madmen in Novigrad, and eradicators of pests and monsters over the world?¡±


    ¡°Chief, we need some witchers,¡± a gaunt man interjected. ¡°Some flying dragon¡¯s been stealing my cow¡¯s milk every night. My cow¡¯s skin is swollen now.¡±


    More vigers voiced theirints. A portly woman put her hands on her hips, her eyes wide as saucepans. Sheined, ¡°There¡¯s a silverback turtle in Cho that steals my belongings every time I do myundry there.¡±


    ¡°The miller in the east mixes acorn powder in his flour. Can you teach that old git a lesson and show him what integrity is? I¡¯ll give you an oren.¡±


    ¡°That old witch Anan flies on her broom every night. I can¡¯t even sleep with all the noise she makes.¡±


    ¡°Shut it. Let me speak. There¡¯s something happening on the grave hill¡¯s ins¡­¡± The chief waved his crutch and roared at the vigers, though all he could muster was a whimper. He failed to stop his vigers¡¯ enthusiasm, and his voice was drowned out.


    ¡°Listen to me, everyone.¡± Roy frowned. If this was any other day, he¡¯d be interested in these stories about monsters that didn¡¯t even exist, but not today. He summoned something silently. A sh of red light shed around his body, and tentacles swam in the shadow under his feet. The air froze inexplicably, and something suffocating wasing.


    The rowdy vigers shivered and shut up like geese that had their throats grabbed. Aiden stood on the wooden stake at the vige¡¯s entrance, his face solemn. When he spoke, he raised his voice so the vige could hear what he had to say.


    ¡°Sorry, but business has been booming for us. Our schedule¡¯s booked until next month. We can¡¯t take on any more requests. We came here to give you an opportunity for some coins. We¡¯re looking for someone. Hended on Cho¡¯s riverbank this morning but went missing at the birch woods¡¯ exit. If anyone can give us any clue that leads to him, we¡¯ll reward you handsomely.¡±


    Aiden took out a scroll of paper from his pocket and unrolled it before his chest. He showed it around for the vigers to see. The paper was a portrait of a bald man with amber, beastly eyes, a scar on the left side of his face, and a dark, brooding look. The portrait was thedies¡¯ work. It was lifelike and was almost sneering at everyone.


    The vigers looked at it for a while and exchanged looks of bemusement, as if they¡¯d never seen this man.


    ¡°Tell us what the reward is!¡± ad with a red neck shouted curiously.


    ¡°Two hundred orens!¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t literate, but I ain¡¯t no chump either. Yer lyin¡¯. Sure it ain¡¯t twenty or fifty orens?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s two hundred. By the gods, we swear we will reward anyone who can provide us with useful clues.¡±


    The vigers went red with excitement. They gulped, clenching their fists. The edges of their eyes went red, and their breathingbored. Not once in their lives had they seen so many coins. The people hiding in their houses to watch could no longer hold their desire back anymore.


    They got onto the streets and craned their necks to check the portrait out. One woman, in her hurry, crashed into a wooden fence and keeled over. Blood spurted from her nose, but she quickly wiped it off with her dress and stared at the portrait, as if it was some priceless treasure. She roared, ¡°Get it closer! I can¡¯t see!¡±


    That was the power of wealth. It could always steer its user to their goal in the most efficient way. Roy thought this was a bizarre feeling. They were the ones who used to take requests, but now they were on the other side of the table, giving out a request to regr people. Find this guy for us and we¡¯ll pay you.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know this man. Never seen him before.¡± The elder took the scroll and looked closely. He shook his head, looking dismayed. ¡°And we¡¯ve received no guests for the past week. You might¡¯ve gotten to the wrong ce.¡±


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t be in a hurry. Look closely.¡± Roy raised his head. A pair of silhouettes quickly leapt across the houses behind the vigers, agile as cats. Eskel and Coen got their cue. They slipped into the empty houses to search for any scent or remnants of magic or underground chambers. If Gaetan had left trails of him anywhere in this vige, they would find it.


    Kiyan stood guard outside the vige, in case anyone who had information tried to slip away. Roy cleared his throat and bought some time for hispanions. ¡°He carries two swords on his back and has a cat head medallion hanging around his neck. Badly injured. Only witchers have the skills to heal him. He¡¯s big trouble for you guys. If you keep dallying around, you might find a corpse suddenly showing up in your house.¡±


    ¡°How did he get hurt?¡± a stocky man asked.


    ¡°Bandits and robbers hurt him.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s a good guy?¡± A young girl with pigtails sucked on her thumb. Innocently, she asked, ¡°Why do you look for him? Are you his friends?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s important to us,¡± Roy answered with a vague reply. He put his hand into his pocket and produced a fat pouch of coins from his inventory space. The open pouch revealed the golden gleam of coins within.


    The vigers were bewitched by what they saw. Roy generously gave one coin to the girl. The girl bit on it, and her lips cracked into a grin. She even started into a happy dance.


    ¡°Everyone, look at this portrait closely. Do not miss any detail. If any of you can give us actual clues, you can take this pouch.¡± Roy looked around. The enthusiasm of the vigers did not escape him. His pupils were nary lines, and he coldly added, ¡°But let me make one thing very clear. If you try to lie to us, we will cut you down where you stand.¡±


    The powerful air and the witcher¡¯s reputation of their past actions in certain cities stopped some of the greedier vigers from trying to lie to them. The portrait was then passed around. Aiden was staring at everyone. If anyone tried to lie, he would know. He had an eye for people.


    An hourter, the witchers finally came to a conclusion they expected, though in the process, a few women imed that they had seen Gaetan before. It was just a lie driven by their desire for the coins. The witchers refuted their ims.


    ¡°Now do you believe me?¡± The vige chief and the vigers looked at the witchers. Even though they couldn¡¯t get the coins, they were still huddled around. ¡°He never came here.¡±


    Roy raised his head. The silhouettes leaping through the roof hadnded in the corn fields. They too found nothing.


    Still refusing to give up, Aiden asked, ¡°Do you guys have any other settlements nearby? Any witch doctors or hunters in the woods?¡±


    ¡°The nearest vige is on the other side of Cho.¡± The chief stroked his beard. ¡°But in the vast cemetery ins northwest of here stands a wooden house. It belongs to a barber. It¡¯s June now, so he should be there.¡±


    A barber? The witchers exchanged a look. If anyone had any chance to save Gaetan, it must be people who knew how to heal. The barber was also a vige healer. He was a prime suspect, and he must be bold to even make his home near the cemetery ins.


    ¡°What do you mean he should be there?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°Godefroy isn¡¯t a local. He onlyes here every summer to harvest his herbs. And thanks to these brats cutting me off, I couldn¡¯t tell you everything I knew earlier.¡± The chief turned a shade whiter. ¡°Over the past month, some hungry gravediggers have shown up in the ins. Attacked any living human they saw. Godefroy probably escaped in terror.¡±


    Roy prayed that the trail didn¡¯t end here. He was getting impatient. ¡°Tell us what the monsters look like and where theye from.¡±


    ¡°I saw those monsters first.¡± A brooding, burly man came out of the crowd. Shuddering, he said, ¡°They were like people with leprosy who had their skin peeled off and gone through a burning house. Their voices were like night owls. Very grating. I was a few dozen yards away from it, and all it took was for me to meet its eyes, and I had nightmares for a week.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes went red. ¡°¡®Twas lucky they didn¡¯t chase me far. They guarded the ins, pushing headstones down and ruining the coffins. Defiling our loved ones.¡± Shuddering and enraged, the man said, ¡°This is all Vissegerd¡¯s soldier¡¯s fault. He had to hang the Nilfgaard spy outside the ins. Said it was a warning, but the corpse¡¯s stench attracted those monsters and got us in trouble.¡±


    The vigers nodded. Their pain and fear drowned out the enthusiasm they had earlier. Roy nodded. Kent was in Brugge, and Brugge¡¯s king supported Cintra¡¯s remation. Of course he would let Vissegerd do anything he wanted. And those aren¡¯t gravediggers. Those are ghouls. Not even a problem.


    The witchers had decided to see this barber.


    ¡°You think Godefroy saved the man in the portrait?¡± asked the chief pensively.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Aiden and Roy bowed at the vigers who lent them a hand. They took out fifty orens and gave it to the chief, asking him to reward the vigers. ¡°We¡¯re going to leave now. Thank you for your answers. This is a little present from us.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not taking the coins. I¡¯ll take you to the ins, but you have to get rid of those monsters so I can visit my poor daughter¡¯s grave again.¡± The old man ignored the vigers¡¯ desire and tossed the pouch back to the witchers. He poked the ground with his crutch and adamantly added, ¡°Trust me. That ce is like a maze. It¡¯ll take you forever to find the barber. I had to see him a few times every year back when my daughter was alive. He was her healer, and nobody knows him better than me.¡±


    Roy and Aiden exchanged a look. If this was another time, they would at least charge 200 coins for a ghoul-ying request, but witchers would do acts of charity sometimes. More importantly, time was of the essence.


    ¡°What are we waiting for? Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°This is too slow. Throw that crutch away. I¡¯ll take you on my back.¡±

 Chapter 610 - 610: Missing Corpse

    Chapter 610: Missing Corpse


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The sun was starting to set, and a nket of mist draped itself across the vast valley. The witchers and vige chief had arrived at the cemetery ins. Everywhere they looked, little mounds protruded from the ground. Mounds covered in moss and weed. Some had headstones, though it was little more than a rock, and some were just rotting wood.


    The bloodstained stake in the entrance only had a little stretch of torn rope hanging from it. There used to be bodies hanging from the rope, but they¡¯d been torn down and scattered on the ground. Some had their heads torn off. Some had their chests, torso, and legs gnawed away, leaving nothing but bones behind.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s toote tonight, witchers.¡± Dawo the vige chief held on to his crutch tightly. He stared at the setting sun, his face white, and he turned to the corpses strewn across the ground. It was then he realized he¡¯d been impulsive. He actually came to this ce during twilight. The horrendous sight doused his desire to visit his daughter¡¯s grave. Quietly, he suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the vige and rest for the night. We cane back tomorrow morning. If the gravediggers aren¡¯t the only ones here, we¡¯d be sitting ducks. What if there are bloodsuckers and ghosts?¡±


    ¡°Ghouls get stronger at night, but don¡¯t worry.¡± Eskel picked up a wooden sign that read ¡®Godforsaken Nilfgaardian spy.¡¯ He pointed at Roy with his chin. ¡°See that guy with the silver eyes?¡± Roy was checking the corpse before them. ¡°With him here, even if a dragon shows up, he¡¯ll y it.¡±


    Dawo didn¡¯t think so. Roy only looked like he was in his twenties. He was the youngest among the witchers and the scrawniest too. He¡¯s only good for scaring the vigers. Dealing with a drowner is going to be hard for him, let alone a dragon. Still, he felt relieved that Eskel would brag about hispanion¡¯s strength to that degree.


    ¡°Sorry, people. No dragon to see today.¡± Roy tossed a gnawed arm away and stepped into the cemetery hidden behind the mist and darkness. ¡°Only three ghouls going around desecrating graves. Let¡¯s finish them.¡± He uncorked a silver bottle, swirled it around, and a pungent scent came out of the bottle. It scattered deeper into the cemetery, baiting the monsters hiding within.


    Eskel, Aiden, and Kiyan unsheathed their silver swords and made a circle around Dawo. They grinned at him. ¡°Where¡¯s the barber¡¯s ce, Dawo?¡±


    ¡°First you go west. That¡¯s where Erin¡¯s grave is. Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Sit tight, old man.¡±


    The witchers held up Dawo. To the chief¡¯s amusement, they took him and darted into the cemetery¡¯s depths. He was shocked by how fast everything around him was zipping by. He saw graves that were dug up, the corpses defiled, leaving nothing but strings of flesh and tatters behind. Cadaversy on the ground, their limbs missing, their bodies gnawed, as if dogs had bitten their flesh off.


    ¡°Tell us about Godefroy. How old is he? What¡¯s he like?¡± The red-eyed man on his left broke Dawo¡¯s train of thoughts.


    ¡°He¡¯s about forty years old.¡± Distracted, Dawo rxed. He started describing the man named Godefroy. ¡°Lanky, gray hair, has a hook nose like most nobles. Loves wearing a ck leather jacket with dozens of pockets for potions sewn on. Doesn¡¯t even look like a vige guy. Have you ever seen the tax man before?¡± Dawo took a deep breath. He smiled, lines creasing the corners of his eyes, as if he were thinking of an old friend. ¡°That¡¯s what he looks like. Harsh on the outside, but get along with him and you¡¯ll see he¡¯s a kind person. All my life, I¡¯ve never seen anyone as kind and selfless as him. He only takes the coins for his herbs every time he heals Erin and the poor vigers.¡±


    Roy slowed down. He thought Godefroy felt familiar.


    ¡°He¡¯s a believer of nature or some kindly god?¡± Aiden picked up a torch and lit it up with Igni. The fire cleared away the darkness. To him, only priests and druids who left their houses of worship on pilgrimages would do acts of charity.


    ¡°No. He has never talked about anything rted to faith. He¡¯s a pragmatist¡­ Hold on. Now go north.¡±


    ¡°Any special attributes he has? Is he really agile or feels different from most people?¡± Only people with superhuman speeds can take Gaetan away without anyone noticing.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old to even race with him. I don¡¯t know how fast he can go.¡± The light of reminiscence twinkled in Dawo¡¯s eyes. Then, confused, he said, ¡°Every time I took Erin to him, he would disappear if I even took my eyes off him for a moment. When I would try to find him, he¡¯d show up seemingly out of nowhere. Felt like he was trying to scare me.¡±


    The witchers thought that was an amusing story, and they felt it was weird. Don¡¯t know any barbers who are pranksters.


    ¡°And he¡¯s also a great barber and healer.¡± Dawo ruffled his unkempt hair. Proudly, he said, ¡°This is the hairstyle I got from himst year.¡±


    The witchers stared at the chief. His sparse gray hair was cut into the shape of an orchid. He had beady eyes, a mousy look, and a wrinkled face. They thought the man looked like an albino rooster that had its feathers almost all plucked out.


    Eskel raised a thumbs up, praising, ¡°That¡¯s a nice look. Like it¡¯s made for you.¡±


    Dawo beamed, forgetting about the threat of the ghouls. ¡°Godefroy is an even more excellent healer. My girl came down with a bout of high fever when she was then. I took her to Brugge, and they diagnosed her with cancer. Not even the best doctors there could help her. They said she wouldn¡¯tst over a year. I prayed to every god in every temple I could find, but none took pity on my daughter. She wasted away.¡±


    The mention of that memory filled Dawo with sadness. ¡°Until eight years ago. I took her to the cemetery, picking out her final resting ce. But then I met Godefroy, who was here harvesting his mandrakes. The barber generously healed Erin. Every summer, he woulde over and check up on her. Heal her. I knew he only said he was here to harvest his herbs as an excuse. He didn¡¯t want me to feel guilty or thankful. Thanks to his skills, Erin¡¯s life took a turn for the better. Her condition calmed down. She lived for a year. Then another, Then another. And then she was eighteen. That was earlier this year.¡±


    Dawo was sobbing, tears glistening around his bulging eye bags. ¡°s, she was living on borrowed time. Last month, Erin¡¯s condition went into its final stages. There was no turning back. The pain was too much, she couldn¡¯t eat or speak. She didn¡¯t even get to see Godefroy onest time.¡±


    Tears fell down the chief¡¯s cheeks, drenching the witchers¡¯ hands. ¡°My girl was reunited with her mother.¡±


    The witchers stopped in their tracks, conflicted looks on their faces. They put the old man down. For most people, disease and illness were nightmares, but for witchers, they would almost never fall sick after they passed their Trial.


    ¡°Not long after Erin was buried, the sted ghouls took over the cemetery for a whole month. I didn¡¯t dare visit her. Sorry excuse for a father I am.¡± Dawo crouched. He plucked a fresh jasmine from the grass patch and tucked it in his shirt. Guilty and furious, he rubbed his crimson cheeks.


    ¡°My condolences, Dawo. Trust us. You will be visiting her grave soon.¡± Eskel was pensive. He tried to go through all the names he knew, but no famous healer in the North went by the name of Godefroy. Not even the Trial could cure or prevent cancer, so how did the barber extend Erin¡¯s life? Someone with that kind of skill must be famous.


    ¡°Godefroy must be rich. Royalty and aristocrats would beg for his help.¡± Roy¡¯s silver eyes twinkled.


    ¡°On the contrary. Godefroy was a simple man. He lived a quiet and secluded life. He told me that if fame ever caught up to him, the rich would steal his time away. He¡¯s a healer who cares for the world¡ª¡± Dowa stopped like he was strangled. His eyes went wide, and he stared at something nearby in horror.


    Within the dark mist was a creature the size of a buffalo, its eyes gleaming with carnage, its maw filled with incisors. ¡°Something¡¯s behind the headstone! A ghoul!¡±


    The quiet sound of a bolt darting through air stopped the old man¡¯s screaming, then the young witcher raised his hand and disappeared into thin air.


    The bolt mmed into the ghoul¡¯s head. Like a watermelon getting crushed by a trebuchet, the ghoul behind the headstone had its head exploded.


    Roy appeared in midair and swung his de at the headless body flying away. A silver sh of light cut through the bones and the darkness of the night. Half a bloody head flew into the air and fell with a thud, brains and blood staining the ground.


    That was not the end. Two more bolts were fired off. Before Dowa could see what was happening, through the corner of his eye, he saw blood sttering on both sides behind him. In horror, he spun. There were two ghouls hiding behind headstones, and he didn¡¯t notice them. Blood spurted from their necks, and they fell as headless corpses.


    Dowa¡¯s right hand shivered, his crutch falling down. Like a statue, he froze up, and his jaw cked for a long, long time. In mere moments, the monsters that had terrorized Kent for a whole month were dead, and they died before they could make a sound. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a god.


    ***


    ¡°The second mutation gave you a lot of power, Roy,¡± Kiyan praised. Aiden and Eskel nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even track your movements.¡±


    The disappeared witcher appeared nearby, standing between the graves and gleaming pools of blood. Elegantly, he wiped the blood off his de. The witcher seemed like he¡¯d just stomped on nothing more than ants. ¡°This is talent. Not everyone gets it,¡± he joked.


    Roy turned to the chief. ¡°Crisis dealt with. Now lead the way. You should be visiting your daughter¡¯s grave now.¡±


    Dowa nodded stiffly. He was now seeing this ¡®scrawny¡¯ witcher in a new light. A powerful light.


    ***


    Without the ghouls haunting this cemetery, silence fell upon the air. The group went west for ten minutes. Standing before them was a grave more luxurious than the others. A bouquet of shriveled jasmines sat before the headstone. The headstone was smooth and looked more like an obelisk. On it were a few words engraved.


    ¡®Erin of Kent


    My Beloved


    1248/4/20 ¡ª 1266/6/26¡ä


    Dowa crouched before the headstone and took out the jasmine he¡¯d been holding on. He ced it before the headstone and gently touched its engraving. Quietly, he muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte, Erin. I¡¯m useless, but thank goodness those sons of bitches didn¡¯t ruin your resting ce. I couldn¡¯t face your mother otherwise.¡±


    ***


    Five minutester, the old man was done mourning. He took a deep breath and wiped his tears dry, then he turned around and smiled gratefully at the witchers. What he didn¡¯t notice, however, was the witchers¡¯ looks of surprise. ¡°Sorry you had to see that, witchers. I¡¯ll take you to Godefroy right now. We¡¯ll be there in ten minutes. If we get to see him, I swear I¡¯ll try to convince him all I can.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s put that aside for now. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡± Roy looked around. All the mounds around were dug out. The dead were all desecrated by the ghouls and their remains were left to the mercy of the elements, but one ce was different.


    ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Dowa was bemused.


    ¡°There are ten graves around here. Aside from Erin¡¯s, the other nine are desecrated,¡± Aiden answered. ¡°Have you ever wondered why the ghouls spared your daughter¡¯s resting ce out of all the graves here?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Dowa froze, holding his crutch tightly. ¡°Is this not the blessing of the gods? This is luck, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Kiyan went to a pit on his left. It was circled by rocks. He scanned the headstone. ¡°This person, Brenda, has been dead for ten years. The body¡¯s nothing more than a skeleton now, but the ghouls still dug it out and sucked on its marrow. Your daughter¡¯s only been dead for a month¡ªno offense, I didn¡¯t mean to insult¡ªbut there¡¯s no denying that her body¡¯s fresh. Fresh enough to drive those ghouls insane. They have a great sense of smell.¡±


    Roy crouched before Erin¡¯s grave. He scooped up some soil and cocked his eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s like tossing a piece of fresh meat over to a pack of starving wolves. They¡¯ll never ignore it. It¡¯s in their blood.¡±


    ¡°W-What are you trying to say?¡± Dowa¡¯s heart sank, his voice quivering. He had an ominous feeling about this, and it sent chills down his spines. He was getting goosebumps.


    ¡°If I¡¯m right, your daughter¡¯s remains are no longer in that grave. To be precise, someone else took her away before the ghouls came.¡±


    Chilly winds of the night howled across the ins, freezing Dowa¡¯s blood.

 Chapter 611 - 611: Shocking Discovery

    Chapter 611: Shocking Discovery


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°Where¡¯s Erin? Where¡¯s my daughter? What kind of sick, perverted bastard would disturb her rest?¡± A heart-wrenching howl tore through the night. Dowa¡¯s hunched figure leaned against the empty coffin before the headstone. The corpse within was nowhere to be found.


    Aiden and hispanions exchanged a look. They had a feeling this corpse¡¯s disappearance was connected to the missing Gaetan. They were in a hurry, but they held that back and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been Kent¡¯s chief for years. You know everyone there. You should know who¡¯s the prime suspect, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, witcher?¡± Dawo wiped his tears and stopped crying for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s aplicated world. There are always evil people out there. People who loved your daughter but couldn¡¯t marry her when she was alive. Or outright necrophiliacs. They all have their own reasons to steal Erin¡¯s corpse. Reasons rted to their own perverted desire.¡±


    Dawo shivered like he was electrocuted. He shook his head. ¡°No. That is not possible. Erin was the most beautiful girl, or at least in my eyes, she was. She was as pretty as her mother, but the truth is she was tormented by her condition. She was nothing but skin and bones, and she was a timid girl. The vigers didn¡¯t like getting close to her. And I¡¯m sure no one in the vige is the kind of sick pervert you mentioned.¡± Dowa stared at the headstone. There was sadness in his voice. He took a deep breath and said something that broke his heart.


    ¡°Perhaps the damned beasts dug out her body.¡±


    ¡°Make one thing clear. Beasts are creatures driven by their instinct. They would never rebury the coffin and clean up the ce perfectly after they dug it out. This was human. Someone wanted to hide their crime,¡± Kiyan refuted, his eyes turning around. He was reminded of the hell he went through under the temple ind. With malice, he said coldly, ¡°Which leaves us with one suspect. The barber and healer you imed to be kind and for the people. Godefroy. He took the patient¡¯s body for medical research purposes. Maybe he experimented on her. Perhaps that was the real payment for his years of healing your daughter.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Dowa pushed down on the coffin and shot back up like a billy goat that got pricked by a hedgehog. He red at Kiyan, a film of sweat covering his face. ¡°He would never defile the dead. He adored Erin when she was alive. Treated her like his own. He would never do something so mad.¡±


    ¡°That was just a guess. Calm down.¡± Roy cast Axii. A green inverted triangle gleamed in Dowa¡¯s eyes. His agitation calmed down, and he rxed. Roy continued, ¡°Aside from that, there might be another possibility. Are you sure Erin is dead?¡±


    ¡°You think she faked her death and lied to her own father? No! I remember that day like it was yesterday. She had no breathing or heartbeat. Her skin was so white, I could almost see through her. And she was as cold as ice.¡± Dowa was in agony. ¡°The vigers saw her for thest time and confirmed her death. There were so many of us. We couldn¡¯t be all wrong.¡±


    Roy mused in silence. His gut told him that if things felt off, sometimes an apparent death did not mean actual death. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the house, then. I believe we¡¯ll get our answers once we find the barber.¡±


    ***


    The full moon rained its silvery moonlight on thisnd. On the westernmost point of the ins, far from any human settlement, stood a towering oak tree. Under that oak tree was a rickety house made of logs. Dowa called out to Godefroy loudly, but there was no response. He opened the ajar door and passed through the yellowing curtains.


    The witchers followed him, watching as Dowa lit up the kerosenemp on the wall. Themp¡¯s dim light illuminated a ustrophobic room. There was barely any ce to stand. The air smelled warm, humid, and a lot of other scents. Most of the scent came from the bunches of nts and herbs hanging on the walls. Mistletoe, myrtle, ribleaf, buckthorn¡­ This ce had everything.


    Compared to the abundant herbs, the house¡¯s interiors were stark. There was a simple bed, an old table, and vials and vessels for crushed herbs and alchemy. The most intriguing part of the room was the contraption in the center. It was a kind of oven made of an hourss-shaped furnace, ss tubes that looked like cobwebs, and oak barrels connecting everything. This was older than the one in the temple ind¡¯sb. It was obviously used for many years. Seems like the barber loves alchemy as much as Kalkstein does. Pity he isn¡¯t around.


    ¡°Sorry, witchers. I¡¯m afraid this is a wild goose chase,¡± said Dowa, bitter and disappointed. He felt relieved inside, however. The healer probably didn¡¯te to the ins this summer. Which means someone else took Erin¡¯s body. The man I trust the most didn¡¯t betray me.


    The witchers did not share his opinion. Kiyan approached the wooden barrels and took a beaker from the table. He scooped up a beaker¡¯s worth of transparent liquid, and he sniffed it. ¡°Dried mandrake, flour batter, bedonna, fifth element¡­ This is a high-quality mandrake distilled wine.¡± He swirled the beaker, observing the whirlpool with interest.


    There was praise on his face. ¡°Decent alchemy skills. This couldn¡¯t have been older than a week.¡±


    Aiden approached the quiet furnace on the other side and reached inside to take out a piece of charcoal the size of a nail. It still felt warm to the touch. ¡°This furnace was used within thest 24 hours. You¡¯re wrong. Godefroy came to this ce not too long ago, but he left. He¡¯s still a suspect.¡±


    ***


    Before the nervous Dowa, the witchers scoured the room. A whileter, Dowa was presented with a few items. A metal hair clip the shape of a jasmine, a silver, bloodstained medallion of a snarling cat head, and four used ss cups.


    Dowa took the hair clip with trembling hands, carefully grasping it. He had a dark look on his face. ¡°Why are Erin¡¯s possessions here?¡±


    ¡°Because my conjecture is right.¡± Roy¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°The barber excavated your daughter¡¯s body a long time ago and took her to this house. The hair clip fell by ident, but now he¡¯s already taken the corpse somewhere else. And not just Erin.¡± Roy stopped, rubbing the cat head medallion in his hand. ¡°The blood on this smells like a lot of decoctions. Fresh, too. No older than 24 hours. Which also means he took Gaetan away as well. And earlier this day too.¡±


    The witchers were excited. Their efforts finally bore some fruit. They finally found clues about Gaetan¡¯s whereabouts. Roy¡¯s cheeks were also getting rosy. He was now sure that the kind, interesting, and skilled healer who was also a barber who dressed up like the taxman Dowa mentioned was the same guy who didn¡¯t like the allure of fame Roy had in mind. Emiel Regis. One of the most important members in Geralt¡¯s search party for Ciri. And also a higher vampire that¡¯s over 420 years old. Higher vampires can turn into bats and fly away with Gaetan in their wings. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t find any traces at the woods¡¯ exit. And higher vampires are masters at hiding their scent and magical trails.


    Roy fell into a great disadvantage back in Ender a few years ago because of that.


    Only a higher vampire can make it look like Gaetan disappeared into thin air. Roy¡¯s heart was pumping with excitement, and he was getting a lot of ideas. But why did Regis take a dying Cat away? If he only wanted to save Gaetan out of the kindness of his own heart, why didn¡¯t he just set him up here in this workshop? It¡¯s filled with herbs.


    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t just one.¡± Aiden and Eskel held up the four ss cups. They gleamed a dangerous, mysterious glint under themp. The witchers could see four ribbons of distinctly different colors in the air. ¡°These cups were used not too long ago. For the mandrake distilled wine. And there are four different scents on it.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what that means, witcher.¡± Dowa was already numb to the shock.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? The barber-healer had threepanions.¡±


    Dowa had no idea what it meant, but Roy¡¯s heart sank. Are Regis¡¯panions higher vampires too? If four higher vampires join forces, they can level a whole town if they want to. What were they trying to do? Do Erin and Gaetan share some simrities that are worth the attention of higher vampires?


    Roy had a feeling he had gotten himself into something big, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. He barely had any contact with higher vampires, after all.


    ¡°Stay with me, witchers. We¡¯ll wait for Godefroy toe back. I want to ask him why he did something so evil. I won¡¯t ask for your help without any reward, of course.¡± The old man put his hands in a prayer before his chest, and he gritted his teeth. Earnestly, he said, ¡°I will leave all my life savings for you. Three hundred orens. For this request.¡±


    Dawo has no idea what he¡¯s up against. Roy calmed down. ¡°Let¡¯s set the reward stuff aside. We have a score to settle with the healer as well, but he¡¯ll nevere back if we stake this ce out.¡± Higher vampires have powerful senses. He¡¯s probably noticed four fully-armed witchers in his house, waiting for him. There¡¯s no way he and hispanions are going toe back. ¡°Does Godefroy have any other abodes nearby?¡±


    Dawo went green, and then white. He eventually shook his head and sighed. ¡°He never told me about his past or his life beyond the ins.¡±


    Knew that. Roy mused, then he gazed at Dawo. ¡°I have a n to find Erin¡¯s whereabouts, but it¡¯ll be painful for you. You¡¯ll have to go on a long journey. Will you do it?¡±


    Dawo was a little shocked by how bright Roy¡¯s eyes were gleaming. He held his crutch tightly and held his head high, his cheeks glowing red. ¡°If I can find my daughter and have her rest in peace, I¡¯ll do anything. But first I must ask: where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere serious. It won¡¯t kill you.¡± Roy exchanged a look with hispanions. The other witchers nodded. They knew what he was thinking, They watched as Roy took out a xenovox and rubbed it gently. A magical beam of light shot into the air and started making a blue screen. ¡°I¡¯ll contact a sorceress right away. She¡¯ll open a portal to Novigrad. You¡¯ll be looking for an oneiromancer by the name of Corinne Tilly. You will do whatever she says and find the answers you want in your dreams.¡±


    Gaetan only left a medallion behind. It wasn¡¯t enough for any oneiromancy. However, Erin, who was also taken away, left behind a jasmine hair clip and her father. That was enough to find out where Erin and Gaetan were taken to.

 Chapter 612 - 612: Fen Carn

    Chapter 612: Fen Carn


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    In an ancient, resplendent tomb, a pair of clean marble coffins sat in the center. The bottoms of the coffins rattled against the ground, filling the air with thunderous roars. Mana flowed from the cracks between the coffins like streams of water. The streams of mana turned into whirlpools, slicing the space around them like it was a mirror. Wrinkles crossed in the air.


    And then, dark winds blew from the inky passage in the east, brushing across the sconces hanging on the walls. The winds howled, and the mes flickered. Engravings of oak, vines, and leaves on the walls swayed. These patterns were gorgeous and felt bizarre to the touch, as if they were living nts that might jump out any time. They even had the smell of living nts, but s, the erosion of time had taken away part of these engravings. Cobwebs, cracks, and mice burrows split the walls up into countless pieces.


    On the wall on the other side, four silhouettes were projected on it. The one on the right was gaunt and had arms that extended further than its knees. It was holding the backpack strap on its chest with both hands. The creature was pale, and it had a big hook nose, sunken eyes, and a pair of thin lips. It looked like a miserly taxman.


    On its left was someone in a ck leather shirt. Its arms were crossed, and its back was straight. It had sharp, regal, yet dark features. The creature held its head high, observing the stone coffins. The air around it was tinged with a hint of arrogance. Its shadow was like a gigantic bat trapped in a cage, struggling and growling greedily, waiting to break free.


    The remaining pair stood closely together. One was in a bold, dark-red, low-cut, frilly short skirt. It was wearing a pair of smooth, ckce gloves. Its hands were on its hips, its curves astonishingly sultry. The creature had red, lustrous lips and a slightly aquiline nose. Its eyes were nted, its corners going up.


    The other one was in a long, sleeveless gown. Its hands were sped before its lower belly, and it stood like a dignifieddy. The gemstone embedded on the ne hanging before the creature¡¯s chest was big enough to gain the envy of any sorceress. She had a gentle face and an elegant but mysterious air. Not even princesses or queens could stand up to her. The mes flickered, their light shining on her slender fingers. On all ten of her fingertips were cross-shaped scars. Crimson blood pumped within them.


    The creature in ck turned to the elegantdy. When he spoke, his growling voice echoed in the chamber. Imperiously, he said, ¡°Once midnight passes, one month will have fully psed. The metamorphosis shall beplete. For the following year, you shall be teaching her the rules andmon sense of the new world. Do not let her sumb to her instincts. She will be nothing but an uncontroble madwoman like the people from the other factions. Do not ask her to abstain either. Before she has a taste of all the wonderful things this world has to offer, she will be unable to endure the loneliness thates after.¡±


    The elegant woman knelt and bowed her head. The taxman turned to the coffin on the left. Weak and frustrated, he interrupted, ¡°What about this new member? We have followed the n¡¯s rules and spent so much blood on him. We have even gone so far as to give him a precious slot. We should keep him in the n.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have drunk too much. Have you forgotten? A few years ago, an underling belonging to the elder in Vicovaro perished in the North and left nothing behind. Before his demise, he told the elder that he was burned by silver. The elder concluded that the killer must have been a witcher, and now it¡¯s time for them to pay the price. If you¡¯re unwilling to do that and keep him around¡­¡± The arrogant man turned to the other coffin and said, ¡°you¡¯ll be tossing a littlemb into a pride of lions.¡±


    The taxman fell silent, then he nodded submissively. The woman in red dress held his arm in constion.


    ¡°When the cusp of his maturationes in a month, I shall lead him to the South and request an audience with that person. There, he shall meet his fate.¡± The creature suddenly turned around, its eyes turning into inky abysses, staring at the one looking at him through the void.


    Everything around Dawo spun. He grunted and woke with a jolt. When he opened his eyes once more, the ancient tomb was no more. He was in a warm bedchamber with its air filled with calming incense smoke. He was holding the jasmine hair clip, and he held himself up on the couch, looking around.


    The gorgeous Corrine put her half-finished sweater into a steel box, and she smiled at Dawo.


    The old man felt a gust of wind tearing at his face as Aiden huddled closer. Quickly, he held the chief¡¯s spindly hands, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let you down, witchers. I saw Erin and the person you¡¯re looking for. They¡¯re both in coffins. Godefroy and three bizarre people were standing around, talking. They talked about¡­¡±


    Woda started off excited, but then he trailed off. The looks of the four and everything they said were starting to get foggy. The eyes with ck mesing out of them wiped away all of Dawo¡¯s memories about them. One moment had passed, and all Dawo could remember was the ancient tomb and the pair of coffins.


    ¡°Coffins? That¡¯s for dead people.¡± Aiden went white, and the light in his eyes dimmed. ¡°So Gaetan didn¡¯t make it?¡±


    Coral and Roy came ahead, patting his shoulder. ¡°Things are still uncertain. It¡¯s too early to draw any conclusions.¡± There¡¯s no reason for higher vampires to take two dead people away. He turned to the dazed Dawo. ¡°What¡¯s important is their location. Do you see it?¡±


    Dawo massaged his temples. Quietly, he said, ¡°It¡¯s an ancient tomb. Marble coffins. Engravings of leaves and vines¡­¡± Dawo¡¯s eyes shone, and he shouted in excitement, ¡°I know! It¡¯s not the ins! It¡¯s Fen Carn! The ancient elven gravesite further in the northwest!¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for, then? Lytta, open up a portal. We¡¯re searching for them.¡± Aiden swung his fists.


    ¡°Mate, before we do that, I have to tell you something.¡± Roy turned a lot more solemn than he ever was. ¡°My blood was roaring in my veins just now. It gave me a strong warning and vision of the future. The people in Fen Carn aren¡¯t just your regr barber and townsfolk. They¡¯re deadly.¡±


    Aiden felt a foreboding feelinging.


    ¡°At least one of them is a higher vampire. Perhaps all of them are, so prepare for battle.¡± Roy then remembered how Regis eventually turned to the side of good. ¡°Of course, if possible, we deal with this peacefully.¡±


    ***


    Three hours ago, a dragon of mes roared through the darkness of the birch woods.


    A burly knight with a longsword and silver armor with a white rose engraved on it turned around to his soldiers. More than a hundred of them, and all were bearing torches. Displeased, he said, ¡°Lambert, Triss, perhaps we should be switching ces now. We spent the whole afternoon scouring these woods. Aside from the vials, we didn¡¯t see any assassins. I suspect the assassin was leading us with a false trail, so I suggest we move forward.¡±


    ¡°You have a point, Rorin. The knights have worked hard. We¡¯ll tell His Majesty about this when we return.¡± Lambert forced a smile and nced at the red-haired sorceress beside him. She was nursing her lips, shaking her head subtly. Roy hadn¡¯t returned with news.


    Lambert took a deep breath. He had set up a whole trail and managed to keep Foltest¡¯s soldiers upied for hours. This was thest thing he could do for his part of the mission. ¡°Rorin, do you see that? What¡¯s that?¡± Lambert strode to the west of the woods¡¯ exit sign. He bent over and dug out a Cat medallion. Delighted, he showed it to the soldiers around.


    The exhausted soldiers were reinvigorated.


    Lambert shouted, ¡°The assassin went northwest!¡± Roy and the guys went to Kent in the east. I can¡¯t let these soldiers get in their way. ¡°Come with me, knights! We¡¯ll capture the assassin and im our reward from the king!¡±


    The dragon of mes marched deeper into the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 613 - 613: Night of the Demon Part One

    Chapter 613: Night of the Demon Part One


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    A full moon hung high in the night skies, shining on a dpidated pce standing in the shadows northwest of the cemetery ins. Fallen beams, broken birs, grass, oak trees, and patches of flowers decorated the ground. This ce was nothing but ruins, albeit lush ones.


    Before the pce was a ce hidden in darkness. A flight of stairs led down to an underground shaft. Echoes came from the shaft as night winds blew into it, like a beast gnawing on something in the darkness.


    In the camomile bushes standing on top of a nearby hill, a gaunt, armored soldier bearing a torch whispered in worry, ¡°Heard that, mates? What the hell was that? We¡¯re in the cemetery ins. Could it be¡­¡±


    The burly man beside him smacked the back of the gaunt soldier¡¯s head. ¡°Shut it, you fool. You¡¯re scaring yourself. It¡¯s nothing but some stray cats. Or mice.¡±


    Lambert was in the lead. He heard the littlemotion going on behind him, and he rubbed his face in resignation. Dammit. All I did was point in a random direction, and it just had to be an ancient elven burial site. What kind of rotten luck is this? I hope Gaetan¡¯s not in there.


    Rorin pointed at a few soldiers with his longsword. Quickly, he ordered, ¡°You and you. Sort out your equipment and bring your dimeritium bombs. You¡¯re leading four teams for the attack. We¡¯re having twenty soldiers guarding the burial site in case the assassin tries to escape.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry,¡± Lambert shouted. His eyes roved over everyone, his face tense. Solemnly, he said, ¡°Rorin, soldiers, I¡¯ve done a lot of field work. Ancient tombs like this are always rigged with booby traps, and the structures are, most of the time, unstable. If you lead too many people into it, you¡¯re going to make the whole ce cave in. Your soldiers will die. Also, elven tombs always have wraiths in them, and this is a big tomb. I bet myst coin there¡¯s more than just one wraith in it. Have you ever seen a wraith? They¡¯re invincible and can w through you like a knife through butter. And their screams? They can burst your eardrums and give you concussions.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Even if you¡¯re lucky enough to survive, you¡¯re done for. You¡¯ll be living the rest of your lives on a bed. Your whole face is gonna freeze up, and you¡¯ll drool like some mentally challenged guy. Your family will be disgusted with you. Trust me, that¡¯s a fate worse than death.¡±


    Lambert¡¯s threats scared the soldiers. Some were nning to back out of this operation. They were from Sodden, where the war recently hit. Nothing was more important to them than survival. They were only going to do the bare minimum in this chase.


    Okay. All the stupid chats and brags I had with Dandelion were put to good use. ¡°They¡¯re only susceptible to a witcher¡¯s silver sword or a sorcerer¡¯s spells. For your safety, you¡¯re all staying out here. Triss and I will check things out in the tomb.¡±


    Rorin held his word with both hands, his face filled with determination. The knight ignored his nched and terrified subordinates. Puffing his chest out, he said, ¡°His Majesty clearly gave us the orders to arrest that sted fugitive, or Temeria will be mortified. My men are ready to die for the kingdom. And the assassin¡¯s more cunning than a fox. More treacherous than a viper. We have strength in numbers, so let¡¯s each take a step back. I, you two, and twenty soldiers will be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s leaping around the pirs!¡± A soldier with an iron helmet shouted, ¡°Ghost! It¡¯s a ghost!¡±


    The soldiers unsheathed their weapons and looked around nervously, spinning like uncontroble tops.


    ¡°Hold your sword firmly! It¡¯s not a cactus! And we have an army with us! So what if it¡¯s a ghost?¡± Rorin roared at the gaunt man beside him. Then he said, ¡°Now tell me, where is it?¡±


    ¡°There. It¡¯s behind the rock that looks like a triangle.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it look like? How many of them are there?¡± Lambert asked.


    ¡°All I saw was a pair of gleaming eyes.¡±


    Gleaming eyes? Lambert¡¯s heart sank, and he exchanged a look with Triss. Their n was to cast a spell to blind everyone if that thing was Gaetan. While everyone¡¯s vision was blurred, they would take the Cat away.


    ¡°Go and capture that fiend!¡± Rorin pointed his de ahead.


    Lambert quickly cast Quen. Golden light shone in the night. Triss held out all her fingers, and three blue magical shields slowly swirled around her. Everyone slowly moved closer to the ruins, but halfway through, they heard something squeak.


    A silhouette leapt out from behind the pir and pounced at the army. Lambert quickly thrust his sword ahead and stabbed the silhouette like it was a fish. Moonlight shone on the silhouette. It was an adorable winged creature. The creature was covered in ck fur, and its head was the size of a fist. It was pping its wings and ears.


    The soldiers heaved a collective sigh of relief and exchanged a smile.


    Amused and annoyed, Rorin said, ¡°Take a look, you coward. You thought a bat was a monster? You scared everyone. Toilet duty for a month after we get back.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Solemnly, Lambert looked at the critter on his sword. Its eyes were crimson like blood, its teeth were like incisors, and its fangs were sharp as needles, gleaming under the moonlight. Even when it had a sword stabbed through its body, the creature was still struggling.


    It had incredible life force. Never seen a bat like this before. And then his medallion started buzzing. The air was filled with screams and the pping of wings.


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    That was all Lambert managed to say. A sea of red-eyed bats came swarming out of the ruins, surrounding the soldiers like dark clouds with red lightning dancing within them.


    The bats caught five soldiers before they could do anything, and they fell to the ground, rolling. One of them had the bad fortune of having a bat crawl into his mouth. He couldn¡¯t even let out a scream. The soldier clutched his chin, convulsing and rolling his eyes like he was having an episode of fits.


    Lambert swung a sh of silver light across the air and sliced three bats into two halves. Their bodies fell and spun, eventually falling into pools of their own blood. Quickly, he cast a blue Sign and mmed the air current into a patch of bats trying to tear through Triss¡¯ magical shield.


    The soldiers couldn¡¯t move as well as the witcher. All they could do was il their torches and weapons blindly about, but it was for nought in the face of this sea of bats. Every time they cut down one bat, two more took its ce.


    A few soldiers failed to protect themselves. Their necks and faces were torn through. Blood spilled everywhere, and their faces turned an eerie shade of green, their life force quickly sapped. Before long, they couldn¡¯t even hold their weapons.


    With Lambert protecting her, Triss finally finished chanting her incantation. She swung her hands around, and streams of mes shot through the air, lighting the darkness of the night up. The mes washed over the bloodthirsty bats, and their flesh sizzled. Hundreds of burning carcasses fell like littleets.


    Badly injured, the sea of bats screeched and retreated, hiding within the precarious rock formation and towering trees of the ruins. They were still staring at their prey, their bloodthirsty eyes gleaming in the dark. Before long, they would return.


    ¡°What the hell are those things? Everyone, pick up the wounded and tighten up our line of defense. We¡¯ll retreat into the tomb.¡± Rorin wiped the blood off his face. He made his way to the stairs, roaring orders at his men.


    Lambert objected, ¡°These are no ordinary bats. They¡¯re magical creatures. Something powerful is telling us to leave. Maybe a native of the tomb. Some of the soldiers are poisoned. They need immediate healing. I suggest we leave these ruins.¡±


    ¡°That just means we came to the right ce. They might be the assassin¡¯s aplice! Temeria¡¯s army has no ce for cowards! We cannot leave like this! Come with me!¡± Rorin roared, and then to his surprise, ayer of mist appeared around him.


    The mist started to spread at breakneck speed, covering everything around him in a moment¡¯s time. All Rorin could see was a nket of ck mist. Not even the torch¡¯s light could prate it. Hispanions should be by his side, but they were nowhere to be found.


    Rorin held his weapon tightly. He roared, ¡°Krauze? Ralph? Lambert? Can anyone hear me? Answer me!¡±


    No answer.


    Shocked and furious, he ran to his left. Five minutester, all he saw was more mist. There was no sign of hispanions. The mist was touching him, piling pressure on him, and slowly wearing him down. Eventually, the knight gave up running. He quickly scanned his surroundings and hissed, ¡°Come out. I know you¡¯re in there somewhere, you coward. Are parlor tricks all you know? Make it fast, or I¡¯ll blow you wide open.¡±


    ¡°Are you calling for me?¡± A woman¡¯s voice spoke from the mist behind him. It was sultry, seductive, and nasal. It was magical, enough to make someone heat up with anticipation to see the woman¡¯s face.


    Rorin turned around stiffly, and his breathing stopped for a moment. He saw a gorgeous, curvaceousdy with skin white as snow and hair zing like mes. Thedy was smiling at him, holding her arm out gently. The mist and darkness of the night knelt to her, like she was their master. Like she was the queen of the night.


    Her lips were red as blood, her brown eyes like captivating whirlpools, sucking in all the resistance from Rorin. Infatuated, he approached the woman.


    ***


    A private conversation rang in the darkness of the tomb. ¡°I got my answers. They¡¯re Foltest¡¯s army. Dregs of the newbie¡¯s past.¡±


    ¡°The metamorphosis is on the cusp ofpletion. It cannot be disturbed. Scare them off and wipe their memories. But the witcher and sorceress can be quite the menace. Queen of the Night, send yourdies in to wee our guests. If they refuse to cooperate, get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Detff.¡±

 Chapter 614 - 614: Night of the Demons Part Two

    Chapter 614: Night of the Demons Part Two


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Lambert saw her. She was standing within the mist. Her long, dark hair was draped over her back like a cloak, her face beautiful but pale as snow and calm as an unperturbedke. Her eyes were like starry skies. There was not an inch of fabric on her skin. The mist half-covered her naked body like it was an ethereal gown. It only made her more seductive. Words were not enough to encapste her beauty.


    But her hands, hanging by her sides, had nails sharp as needles and ck as obsidian. One little scratch was enough to cut open the flesh of humans. Lambert knew who this was, or to be precise, what it was. An alp or a bruxa. Creatures who can turn into beautiful women and seduce young men to suck the blood out of them. They have deadly screams, invisibility, the power of teleportation, and the ability to summon bats. Compared to ekimmaras who prefer to get close and personal and tear their prey apart, these creatures retain a bit of their sanity. Their killings are more elegant. Gentler.


    They wouldn¡¯t kill innocents. Most of the time, they would pick a lover and suck off him continuously, giving him the tenderness of a woman before they died. If their lover was powerful enough, their rtionship wouldst for a long, long time.


    Lambert would prefer not to deal with dangerous monsters like these, unless he had to protect himself. He took a deep breath and kept his attention on the Moon Dust in his pocket. Quickly but gently, he approached the creature standing five yards away from him.


    The youngdy in the mist was staring at the witcher, her eyes filled with desire. She licked her lips. If this were anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist her charm.


    The witcher held his hand on his chest and bowed slightly to the creature. Solemnly, he said, ¡°This is a misunderstanding,dy. I didn¡¯t mean to barge into your domain or disturb your rest. If I crossed you, allow me to apologize. And you should know that witcher blood contains lethal decoction elements. It¡¯s not a good drink. One sip, and you get your lifespan cut by ten years at least.¡±


    Half of that was a lie.


    The creature stood, unmoving and silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. Take down the mist, and I¡¯ll take those rowdy bastards where they came from. I swear we¡¯ll never return to this tomb and disturb you. In the name of the Wolf School, I swear.¡± Lambert showed the creature his medallion.


    The creature said nothing.


    ¡°Lady, we should take a step back amicably before anything really bad happens. Those soldiers are just carrying out their orders. Their blood ismon. It¡¯s not worth killing for.¡±


    The creature nodded, but then she tilted her head and looked another way, as if it was eyeing a shivering prey in the mist. A bright but creepy smile cracked its lips, and its fangs glimmered.


    ¡°Who are you looking at? The knight of the White Rose? That arrogant fool?¡±


    The creature shook its head.


    ¡°The sorceress?¡±


    The creature nodded quickly.


    ¡°If anything happens to her, I can¡¯t face the brotherhood. Can¡¯t you let her go, for my sake? And if you must know, she¡¯s working for someone powerful.¡±


    The creature smiled, its eyes twinkling with disdain, and it growled like a beast.


    Resignation filled Lambert¡¯s face, and he held a bomb. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to kill you to save her.¡±


    The Moon Dust arced through the air. Once itnded, a gray dust cloud exploded, but the creature had sidestepped the bomb. Its back arched like a big cat bristling, its smile turning into a snarl. It roared at Lambert, sound waves traveling through the air.


    Lambert was hit by something that felt like an invisible sledgehammer, but all it did was shatter the barrier of Heliotrop, and the waves were gone. Unperturbed, Lambert leapt ahead. He spat out a wooden cork midair, and ck veins filled his face.


    He raised his silver sword high overhead, its edge gleaming with poison and oil. The witcher brought it down like a meteor mming through air.


    The de was pointing at a gigantic bat that was once a beautiful woman. It had a pair of webbed wings, and it held his metallic ws before itself like a shield. Sword and w met, and the air screeched. Sparks flew, but the de that could cut through beasts like butter left nothing but a small wound on the creature.


    However, the oil wounded her. The gigantic bat screeched, pping its wings silently. Like a kite, it flew higher into the mist and reappeared in a ce most people wouldn¡¯t think of, going after Lambert¡¯s throat.


    The witcher spun, holding his sword. Once again, his weapon shed with the bat¡¯s ws. This time, the bat flew away and disappeared into the mist. Not even the witcher could catch a glimpse of the creature, but he calmly cast Yrden.


    The imprisoning magical circle glowed underneath his feet, covering a five-yard radius. He held his sword with one hand, standing in the center of the circle with one foot before the other. He closed his eyes, listening and feeling for his enemy.


    He stood silently, just like a statue. Winds blew around him, his medallion buzzing.


    And then, a pair of ws appeared in the purple circle, poised to attack Lambert¡¯s back. It was wide open, but the witcher, as if he knew what woulde, raised his left hand and made a Sign.


    The mutated Quen covered its master in golden armor and defended against the attack just in time. The armor shattered, but a powerful reflective burst of energy mmed the bat back. Another Moon Dust exploded around the iling monster, and dust flew everywhere.


    Lightning bolts jumped around the gigantic bat. Even though it had lost its special powers, the bat pounced at the witcher once more, and they brawled.


    At unimaginable speeds, the fighters leapt, jumped, darted, circled, and chased their enemies. Silver lights shed through the battlefield, cutting through the mist. Golden and purple light died and were reborn once more. The cycle went on and on.


    In just one minute, Lambert¡¯s cheeks were already drenched in sweat. The bat¡¯s body was covered in burning gashes left by the oil. Its eyes were filled with murder. Once again, the monster pounced at the witcher, long hair appearing behind its head, billowing in the wind.


    Lambert shoved a st of Aard in the bat¡¯s face and pushed it back. He held his sword level to his chest with both hands, and he took a big step ahead. The witcher thrust his de, and the bat screeched, pping its wings.


    To its surprise, the sword moved ever so slightly before it hit the bat¡¯s chest. The de swung through its wings and sliced through its face. A stream of blood flew into the air, and a pair of silhouettes crossed one another.


    Lambert rolled around and stood up. His left cheek had a small gash on it, blood trickling down his chin.


    The bat was in an even worse state. Its hoglike nose was missing, and half its face was minced, bones revealed to the air. Flesh was already wriggling and trying to reconnect, but the deadly oil was rampaging through the wounds, burning the monster until smoke wasing out of it. The bat wobbled, and it returned to its human form.


    The woman with a mangled face red at Lambert with venom in her eyes. She let out a horrifying scream, as if it came from hell itself. The scream pierced Heliotrop and made air feel like fire, but the witcherunched into his final attack without stopping, swinging his sword at thedy.


    It was a feint. The injured woman swung her ws at the sword, but that was what Lambert was after. He darted through her underarms and circled round her back. The witcher swung his whole arm and sliced his sword through the monster¡¯s limb. Blood sttered into the air, and one monster arm was sent flying.


    The woman let out a sorrowful scream and turned around. She tried to attack Lambert, but he was like her shadow, turning around before she could. He pointed his de at the other arm and swung his weapon once more.


    Another bloody arm danced in the air. The woman, both her arms lost, felt a surge of power crashing into her back. She fell forward, as if electrocuted, and her head was buried in soil. She felt cold metal touching her throat, and her soul almost froze up.


    ¡°Told you we should¡¯ve done this the easy way.¡± Lambert stepped on the woman¡¯s smooth, silky back, and he pressed down on the back of her head. He imperiously said, ¡°But I¡¯m merciful. I¡¯ll give beauties a second chance. Drop the mist and I¡¯ll spare your life.¡±


    The creature let out muffled noises, struggling under Lambert¡¯s feet.


    ¡°What a gentle person.¡± A praise came from behind. Lambert heard three pairs of quiet footsteps. He tasted perfume, and it had the scent of violet and rose and multiple herbs.


    The witcher turned around. What met his eyes was a stunning beauty in a red dress and a gaunt male with a hook nose who looked like a taxman. These people weren¡¯t muscr or strong. They didn¡¯t have the ws the bruxa had, but Lambert felt his blood freeze up. It wasmon knowledge that the more powerful a higher vampire was, the closer to humans their appearance was.


    These guys look even more like humans than the bruxa. Higher vampires. ¡°Is this just rotten luck, or am I cursed by some sort of evil god? I was just pointing in some random direction, and we were led into air of higher vampires?¡±


    Lambert felt bitter about this, but he wasn¡¯t despairing. He had one trump card in the form of a decoction. The witcher turned to the person standing between the higher vampires. It was Triss. She had a vacant look, her face the shade of clouds, and she looked like a doll who¡¯d lost her soul.


    She looked pitiful, but at least there were no visible wounds, and she was alive. We can still talk this out.


    The woman spoke, her voice sweet as honey and alluring as the night. She held Triss¡¯ arms and smiled at Lambert, inviting, ¡°Thank you for sparing my sister, witcher. Before things get too bad, why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡±

 Chapter 615 - 615: Night of the Demons Part Three

    Chapter 615: Night of the Demons Part Three


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Winds howled. The mist wriggled within the darkness. Lambert pulled back his foot from the bruxa¡¯s back, but his de was still on its neck. One little slip of his hand, and he could slice its head off, though he didn¡¯t think using an underling¡¯s life was enough to threaten its master. ¡°Out of courtesy, shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourselves before you extend an invitation? Let me show you how it¡¯s done. I¡¯m Lambert of the Wolf School, and I¡¯m with the witcher brotherhood.¡±


    The higher vampires were surprised to hear this new organization, but then they smiled.


    ¡°She¡¯s Natanis, the longtime showrunner of an inn, sister of the cheeky girl you¡¯re holding hostage, and the most gorgeous woman in the world.¡± The man looked at Natanis, love overflowing from his eyes. Natanis gave him a gentle look as well.


    ¡°A higher vampire who runs an inn and has unparalleled looks.¡± Lambert realized who this was. Roy told him about it. ¡°If I¡¯m right, you¡¯re the one and only owner of Vizima¡¯s House of the Queen of the Night.¡±


    The woman smiled and curtsied at Lambert, then she stood aside quietly.


    ¡°Not a bad eye, and you¡¯re a courteous man too. Unlike other witchers who call us blood-drinking freaks or bats in human skin the very moment they see us. I am starting to like you. As for me, there¡¯s nothing to hide. I am Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy.¡± Godefroy patted the pocket on his robe, and Lambert caught a whiff of herbs.


    ¡°I¡¯m a barber-surgeon from Dillingen who lived most of my life in viges. To be honest, for the past one hundred years, Fen Carn, the elven burial site, has been under my and mypanions¡¯ care. If you¡¯d arrived one year earlier, I¡¯d have weed you with open arms and asked you to enjoy a ss of freshly-brewed mandrake distilled wine.¡±


    Emiel was warm, reasonable, and had an air of amity around him. He was different from the bruxa who attacked them with bats and ws earlier, as if he was just a kind, regr guy. Even Lambert¡¯s medallion sat quietly, unresponsive to him.


    ¡°We could have talked about alchemy, potions, and the environment. Witchers are experts in these fields. I¡¯d have loved to engage with you, but s, it¡¯s not the perfect time now.¡± Emiel shrugged his hands. He said, a bit more solemnly, ¡°You guys came barging into privatend uninvited, wearing armor and bearing swords. You have caused trouble for us and almost ruined our n. To warn and slightly punish you¡­¡± Emiel paused, and he waved his hands.


    The skies cleared up, the mist fading away, and starlight shone on thisnd once more. Between the greenery and pirs of the ruins were soldiers strewn everywhere. Their eyes were closed, and they were obviously asleep.


    Rorin was lying in thep of one of his men, snoring thunderously. There was a weird smile on his lips. Probably having a really nice dream. Lambert did a rough headcount. There were a hundred of them when they came, and there were a hundred of them left now. Even the poor sods who were bitten by the bats were healed. They looked healthier now.


    Lambert cocked his eyebrow in surprise. From what he knew, higher vampires had incredible power. They saw humans as nothing but insects. They could easily wipe humans out if they wanted to. One faction even raised humans as cattles, akin to how farmers would raise livestock. They didn¡¯t care about the lives of regr humans.


    But there are always oddities in any group, Lambert thought. These two are no regr higher vampires. They seem to possess more humanity. Or they might be sly old foxes trying to get rid of the problem without hurting themselves in the process. Either or.


    Lambert pretended to soften up.


    Regis nodded. ¡°Do not worry. Everything¡¯s normal with them. After a good night¡¯s sleep, some good dreams, and wiping away some unimportant memories, they can leave this ce safe and sound. Of course, they will be avoiding Fen Carn instinctively from now on, just in case they make the same mistakes. Same goes for thisdy.¡±


    The Queen of the Night pped her hands. Triss approached the witcher, her head low, her gaze vacant. ¡°As you can see, we can easily take away the lives of these people, but we did not. One important reason for that is because we¡¯re trying to show that we are sincere about this.¡± Natanis crossed her arms before her lower stomach, her voice piercing Lambert¡¯s mind.


    Lambert smiled. In return, he pulled back the de from the bruxa¡¯s throat. The injured creature tried to hold itself up with its half-grown limbs, and it wobbled over to the Queen of the Night. It held Natanis¡¯ calf, like a girl who got bullied and was asking her mother to cheer her up.


    Natanis patted the bruxa¡¯s head and whispered something into her ear. The bruxa turned into a red-eyed bat and flew into a grave nearby.


    ¡°I like you more and more now. This is a perfect start.¡± Regis smiled. ¡°I prefer mutual understanding and assistance, not unnecessary battle and murder. The other two came up with a more secure n that would eradicate all our problems, but I thought their idea was a bit too harsh.¡±


    Lambert¡¯s heart sank. Is that a warning? There are two more higher vampires hiding in the shadows? He stood no chance against four legendary creatures. He had to try his best to negotiate and buy time for reinforcements toe.


    ¡°Now all we have to do is take one more step, and this ident will close its curtains on a happy note,¡± said Regis, full of emotions.


    Lambert bowed, as if he were listening.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy. Sheathe your de and take a deep breath. Rx your body and soul. Pardon us, but witchers are highly trained individuals. It¡¯s harder topletely hypnotize you than a sorceress. I promise that if you work with me, you will not be harmed. The hypnosis will only erase your memories of this night, Fen Carn, and us.¡±


    Lambert looked at his bloodstained sword. The de was showing his face. There was a sneer on his lips. That¡¯s just like hanging yourself at the gallows


    Regis could see the sneer. He started some kind of speech. ¡°I, Regis, have not drunk any innocent human¡¯s blood for more than three hundred years. The thirst for bloodshed and bloodlust is nothing but a sign of immaturity.¡±


    Blood was not essential to higher vampires. They could eat human food.


    ¡°I admire human science, technology, poetry, music, and innovation of every industry you came up with. I am more than happy to lend a hand to despairing humans and give you an opportunity. Higher vampires are not so different from humans, elves, dwarves, witchers, or any sentient beings. At least in terms of intellect, that is. You can trust me just like you trust your kind. In the name of the Gharasham tribe, I swear, I did not speak a single word of deception.¡± Regis held up his chin like a proud aristocrat.


    Natanis agreed, ¡°For more than two hundred years, I have never forced any humans to provide their blood to me. Every transaction we make is based on consent. My inn and my sisters provide joy for our patrons, and all they need to give in return is nothing but a little blood. A harmless amount, too. I have never given thought of abandoning my principles and ideals. Not even today.¡±


    She said, ¡°We can understand why you barged into our ce, so it is only fair that you also pay a little price.¡± The higher vampire took a step ahead, her hair dancing in the night, brushing against her cheeks. Her lips were crimson and lustrous, and her dress clung tightly to her body, showing off her perfect curves.


    She was gorgeous. Any regr man would fall for her seduction, save for witchers. Lambert thought it was odd. These oddities seem to have blended in with human society. They could¡¯ve taken me by force, but they wanted to reason with me instead. Lambert decided to reason with them too. He tried to remember all the things Dandelion said.


    ¡°I know you are no murderous monsters. I can trust you like I trust a witcher, but please, imagine yourself in my ce for a while. You ask a witcher to give you all their trust even though it¡¯s their first time seeing you? You ask a witcher to leave their own lives at your mercy? Do you think that¡¯s reasonable? I have a gentler suggestion, so to speak.¡±


    Lambert scanned the sorceress and sleeping soldiers. ¡°I¡¯ll take them away and nevere back. Until the day I die, I will keep everything that happened here a secret. In the name of the Wolf School, I swear, if I turn my back on this promise, then my soul will fall to hell for all eternity.¡±


    He said, ¡°Will you trust me, then?¡±


    The winds stopped howling, and even the bugs stopped chirping. An eerie silence fell upon the ruins. Regis and Natanis said nothing for a long time. The witcher quietly held the pouch before his chest, holding that decoction tightly.


    ¡°I apologize, but this is a difficult decision. If it were just Natanis and me, we would¡¯ve agreed to that proposition.¡± A long whileter, Regis sighed. He led Natanis closer to the witcher. It was just a single step, but a shadow appeared behind them, and it did not fade for the longest time.


    ¡°But ourpanions have short fuses and are impulsive people. If they find out about your proposition, it will only make things worse.¡± Regis sounded regretful. The air turned heavy and suffocating. The moon and stars had hidden themselves in the night skies, and inky darkness poured in.


    Lambert quickly made a Sign and covered himself with a barrier. Then he uncorked a decoction.


    Just when he was about to drink it, Regis froze, his nose moving, and his brows furrowed. He asked Lambert a bizarre question. ¡°What are you holding?¡±


    ¡°Witcher decoctions. Provides me with some extra healing powers.¡±


    Regis tilted his head, Coldly, he said, ¡°I meant itsponents. I am an alchemy enthusiast. I know it¡¯s not just herbs in there.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I confess.¡± Lambert smiled, still holding the bottle tightly. ¡°There¡¯s some fleder mutagen in it, but a mindless bloodsucker like that has no ties to an elegant and noble creature like you, does it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a fleder. Not even a katakan or an alp. It¡¯s something more ancient. Powerful. Familiar.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think it is?¡±


    The witcher and higher vampire met eyes. A moment of silenceter, Regis had a conflicted look on his face. He heaved a long sigh and brought up another story. ¡°Four years ago, a fool from the South by the name of Mocha aep Gruffyd traveled to the North. He perished in the outskirts of Vizima, and his remains, even now, are still unfound. We couldn¡¯t even find him through Resonance. Have you heard of that name?¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it.¡± Lambert knew who it was. That was the first higher vampire Roy ever slew. Even now, its remains were still in Katakan¡¯sboratory, turned intoponents for their decoctions, and it was thanks to Mocha¡¯s remains, the witchers managed to get out of many deadly situations.


    ¡°I despise the fool¡¯s murder of innocents to satiate his bloodlust. He was feral, and I wished nothing more than to get rid of him myself, but ever since our species descended onto this world, procreation has been nothing but a wish for us. Every member is a valuable asset. I have no right to judge his actions, and neither does anyone else. His death has invoked the wrath of an elder in the South. An elder from another tribe.¡± There was fear in Regis¡¯ eyes.


    Natanis nched as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s the source of our recent problems.¡± Regis took a deep breath, his shoulders shivering. ¡°You killed him, didn¡¯t you, Lambert? And you turned him into a decoction? What a genius idea.¡± Regis¡¯ voice lost its warm tint. It was sharp and filled with mockery.


    ¡°Will you believe me if I say this is just a misunderstanding?¡± Lambert gulped the decoction and spat the cork out. ck veins filled his face, and so did resignation. Why do I have to cover for Roy¡¯s mistakes?


    Regis and Natanis snarled, their fangs revealed.


    ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s a change of ns. You muste with us to the South and exin all this to the Elder.¡±


    The silhouettes attacked Lambert, darkness and crimson light swirling around them.

 Chapter 616 - 616: Night of the Demons Part Four

    Chapter 616: Night of the Demons Part Four


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Midnight was drawing near. The skies were a murky darkness, overwhelming the ruins. The soldiers, still in their dreams, had no idea what was happening outside. Within the ruins were two silhouettes quickly circling a lone witcher. The silhouettes¡¯ clothes were billowing, but they were quiet. Agile and elegant, the vampires leapt out of the shadows to attack the witcher and shrank back into the darkness right away.


    The grass, trees, and walls were crushed under the battle¡¯s impact. Blood and sweat spilled into the air, fused with one another. ws and swords cut through the night air. A fierce Lambert stood in the center of the battlefield like a reef under the assault of endless waves. With his right hand, he swung his de, and with his left, he cast his Signs, fending off his enemies¡¯ attacks.


    Higher vampires were far superior fighters than bruxae, however. They were incredibly fast, and Lambert couldn¡¯tnd any effective blows. If this was a one-on-one fight, he could at least defend himself, but he was outnumbered, and he couldn¡¯t fight back.


    ¡°Stop resisting. It¡¯s futile. You will only hurt yourself.¡± Natanis¡¯ voice slithered across Lambert¡¯s ears.


    The witcher felt goosebumps crawling over his body. Furiously, Lambert spun around, swinging his weapon. A silver sh arced through the air, but he couldn¡¯t even touch Natanis.


    The higher vampire moved backward and floated away, as if she weren¡¯t bound by any rules of physics. Her lustrous lips cracked into a sultry smile, her crimson hair billowing in the air. A gust of wind mmed into Lambert from the other side. Regis appeared out of nowhere, and he smacked Lambert¡¯s back.


    The armor of Quen shattered, and the remaining impact shoved Lambert ahead. Sweat flew everywhere, and he sneered. ¡°You say you prefer peace, and this is how you show it? By ganging up on me?¡± He swung his de at the w that wasing at him. Lambert mocked, ¡°Just you wait. My brothers will avenge me, and not just you two smack talkers. He¡¯ll find your sted Elder and kick its ass!¡±


    The higher vampires reappeared in midair and hurtled down like meteors. Lambert quickly made Quen, but the long battle had exhausted him, and he was one step too slow. Natanis smacked his de away and stopped his casting. Regis attacked from the back, grabbing the witcher¡¯s wrists. He pinned Lambert on the ground, just like how the witcher did to the bruxa.


    There was guilt in Regis¡¯ eyes. ¡°I swear I will do my best to keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°Eat shit, you hypocrites! Your Elder¡¯s a son of a bitch! Nothing but a coward who doesn¡¯t even have the guts to show his face!¡± Lambert cursed, his face tense. Regis pushed down on the back of his head, and Lambert¡¯s eyes went wide. He fell limp and went unconscious.


    Regis shook his head, sighing. He leapt into the air and turned into a swarm of bats. The higher vampire picked up the witcher and flew toward the tomb. Natanis turned into a swarm of bats as well and flew toward the soldiers. She had to uphold her promise and take these people away from Fen Carn.


    ***


    On the slope where chamomiles grew, six silhouettes came closer. One of them raised his hand, and his crossbow string hummed. Bolts hurtled through the air, traveling hundreds of yards easily, likeets.


    The swarm of bats going into the tomb exploded, and the unconscious Lambert fell to the ground. From the point of explosion, a man with ck hair and silver eyes emerged. He held an ivory, bonelike sword in his hand, swinging it down like a meteor, hacking it away at Regis, who¡¯d just reformed into his human form.


    Regis snarled, his fangs revealed. When the sword came after him, he felt like the world around him was crumbling away. The weaponing at him was something he could not escape. No one could, as if it were fate that he must die.


    But it was just an illusion. The older a higher vampire was, the stronger their powers were. Regis had lived for more than 400 hundred years. He could react a lot faster than most beings in this world. A split second before the de could hit him, he moved away. A lock of his hair was cut off, however, and mysterious energy burned it into cinders.


    The higher vampire let out a scream of fury and fear, the shadow of a bat surfacing on his face. As if electrocuted, the higher vampire leapt back ten yards, and he looked at the swordsman who attacked him. He was young. And handsome among humans. His face was covered in signs that he¡¯d taken at least some decoction beforeing into this battle. His eyes were gleaming coldly.


    Underneath his feet was the circle of Yrden, shimmering in luminescence. Behind him was a crimson outline that danced like mes. The crimson silhouette struggled and howled. One look was enough to fill anyone with despair, as if a mountain were raining down on them.


    Regis¡¯ opinion on witchers had changed. Such power. He¡¯s stronger than the first witchers who were born hundreds of years ago.


    Roy looked around. He saw Lambert unconscious and Triss sleeping among the chamomiles. They were breathing. He heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the higher vampire before him, his eyes twinkling.


    ¡®Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy


    Age: 427 years old


    Status: Higher vampire, barber-surgeon, alchemist, pilgrim (he has managed to keep his lust for blood under total control)


    HP: 300/400 (Weakened. Suffering from blood loss)


    Mana: 300


    Stats: Strength: 30/35


    Dexterity: 30/35


    Constitution: 30/40


    Perception: 18


    Will: 20


    Charisma: 12


    Spirit: 30


    Skills:


    Crimson Hunger Level 10: Higher vampires do not need blood to survive, but they will get addicted to it. If they drink any blood during battle, they can quickly heal any heavy injuries.


    Hyper Regeneration Level 10: Higher vampires are immune to garlic, fire, and wooden stakes. They possess incredibly long lives and self-regeneration. They can slowly heal even if they are decapitated or have their hearts dug out. Should they be burned into cinders, they can be reborn after a long passage of time.


    Spread Level 9: Turns into a swarm of bats. The user can avoid attacks and move at high speeds.


    Scarlet Summoning Level 9: Higher vampires can forcibly enve any low-level blood-drinkers nearby, including but not limited to: bats, bruxa, and ekimmara. They can send these minions into battle.


    Crimson Vessel Level 9: The user unleashes all its strength and turns into a gigantic bat. The user will receive a boost to all their stats and possess the ability to fly. They will grow ws and longer fangs, their minds filled with the lust for murder.


    Blood Magic Level 5: Aplex and deep branch of magic made by the blood and magic of higher vampires.


    Hypnosis Level 8, Invisibility Level 9.¡¯


    ***


    Regis, I knew it was you. Roy¡¯s eyes twinkled with delight, as if he were reunited with an old friend. The barber-surgeon of the cemetery ins and the human side of Geralt¡¯s search party. The White Wolf¡¯s good friend who eradicated one of his kind in Toussaint. Those were what Regis would have done in the original timeline.


    Regis¡¯ fury was held back by his curiosity. He didn¡¯t remember seeing this man, but it felt like the man had known him for a long time.


    Regis tried to speak, but before he could, Roy spun. Natanis, seeing her lover under attack, leapt at the witcher at a frightening speed, her ws going after his throat.


    And her rash actions pushed her into a pit of danger. The crimson light behind the witcher sprang to life, weaving the illusion of a grand sea made of blood. Infinite tentacles shot out of the surface, raising waves upon the sea. And then, the tentacles eventually became an octopus with the light of stars shining on its body.


    The creature swung its tentacles down and pounced at the pale Queen of the Night. The incisors on its suckers were starting to gnash, its eyes striking fear into Natanis¡¯ soul like she was seeing ck holes.


    For a moment, Natanis thought she¡¯d seen the Unseen Elder, the one leading all the blood-drinkers. This man was as majestic and powerful as the elder. Natanis let out a scream shrill enough to pierce the night. She turned into a swarm of bats and tried to escape through the cracks between tentacles, but it was futile.


    An imprable force field stood around the tentacles, blocking the swarm¡¯s way, and it tightened up, turning Natanis into a bloody cocoon, leaving only a crack where she could see the outside world. Her eyes were filled with fear.


    And then Roy held a beautiful sword against her neck. Natanis, a higher vampire, was a hostage, and it only happened in mere moments.


    ¡°No, stop! Do not hurt Natanis!¡± Regis snarled. He¡¯d lost his cool.


    ¡°Then stand where you are and don¡¯t move. To be honest, I¡¯ve in a higher vampire who broke the rules before. The immortality you pride yourselves upon means nothing to me,¡± Roy warned, observing thedy before him. A lock of red hair brushed against his cheeks, and he caught a whiff of fresh scent.


    The Queen of the Night was about two hundred years old, her stats lower than Regis. She too was weakened and suffering from loss of blood. Now she was under Fear¡¯s effect and couldn¡¯t move.


    Roy nodded. Behind him, a crimson cross, sea-blue whirlpool, and a purple ball appeared, all shining with mana. The mutated longhorn, frost atronach, and Roy¡¯s illusion clone appeared. Quickly, they took the unconscious Lambert and Triss to Roy, standing behind him.


    ¡°I am a fair person. Since mypanions are unharmed, I shall return your lover to you.¡±


    To Regis¡¯ disbelief, Roy pushed Natanis¡¯ silky back, and the higher vampire was reunited with her lover.


    ¡°Take my advice, you two. If I can defeat you once, I can defeat you twice. And more if I have to, but you will find mercy to be sparse should that daye. So don¡¯t make any rash moves.¡±


    Regis and Natanis exchanged a look, their faces turning a shade of green, purple, and red. No human had said something so brazen to them before. It was almostughable, but they knew this man could really kill them.


    ¡°Who are you? Why do you seem to know me? And why did youe here?¡±


    ¡°I am Roy of the witcher brotherhood. Some people are born with more knowledge than everyone else. Through the stars in the skies and the trajectory of life, they can glean information invisible to the naked eye.¡±


    Regis was still looking shocked. Roy smiled. ¡°If this were another ce, I¡¯d have shared a drink or two with you, but for now, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. I didn¡¯te to this elven burial site out in the wilds to make enemies out of you. I need you to hand over Erin of Kent and Gaetan of the Cat School. Don¡¯t worry, I will not hurt them.¡±


    The higher vampires were shocked. How did this man find out about that? It¡¯s top secret.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to cover it up or lie to me. You people would never go this far just to bring a couple of corpses back home,¡± Roy answered, seeing through their question.


    ¡°No.¡± Natanis pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°You do not know how important Erin and Gaetan mean to our ns. I cannot hand them over to you.¡±


    Roy looked at them calmly. ¡°Then tell me your secret and I will decide for myself what to do. I am a reasonable man.¡±


    A swarm of crimson bats came from afar andnded beside Regis. They then transformed into a man and a woman. The man had ck hair, a pair of blue eyes, and a face the color of clouds. He didn¡¯t have outstanding looks, but the gaze in his eyes left a deep impression on Roy. There was the wisdom of an elderly man and the obstinance and naivete of a young man. He felt¡­ like some sort of conflicted fusion.


    The woman had a ne hanging around her neck, a gigantic gemstone embedded in it. She was like a noblewoman. They stood with Regis and Natanis, ring at the witcher.


    ***


    Detff, the Beast of Beauir. Orianna, the noblewoman of Toussaint. Ah, so it¡¯s them. But I¡¯m not surprised. They¡¯re part of the Garasham tribe living in Toussaint, and they¡¯re either lovers or good friends. It¡¯s not surprising they¡¯re up to a conspiracy.


    Detff¡¯s back arched like a beast ready to hunt, and he snarled. ¡°Witcher, you trespassed upon privatend, pointed your weapons at us, and now you insult us? You wish to fight until death?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re ying a numbers game, are we?¡± A sarcastic voice traveled through the air, and four silhouettesnded beside Roy.


    Kiyan, Felix, Eskel, and Lytta looked at their enemies sharply. Felix caressed his silver de covered in gooey higher vampire oil. There was a desire to fight ring in his eyes. ¡°Never ran into a higher vampire once over thest few decades, and now we¡¯re facing four at once. This is big. If you¡¯re trying to gang up on mypanion, then you¡¯ll have to fight us too.¡±


    Everything fell into an eerie silence, like the calm before a storm. Tension was rising, and a battle was iing.


    ***


    Aiden took Dawo on his back, sneaking into the elven tomb to look for his daughter.

 Chapter 617 - 617: A Bloody Price

    Chapter 617: A Bloody Price


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Regis broke the stalemate first. He gave hispanions a calm look, soothing their emotions, then he slowly turned to the group of people before him. ¡°We have two paths ahead of us. One, you can summon all your brethren here, while we will summon the blood-drinkers from the wilderness and the night. This ce will be turned into a bloody hell, but that will be meaningless, and innocents will be harmed.¡± Regis looked at the sleeping soldiers. Earnestly, he said, ¡°We have a better choice. We can talk in peace.¡±


    Felix adjusted his sunsses coolly. ¡°Those sleepyheads have nothing to do with us. We¡¯re immune to that threat.¡± But he sheathed his de because Roy gave him a look.


    The tension eased up a lot, but then Detff added fuel to the fire. He red at the witchers, not bothering to hide his fury. ¡°Thene on! What are you waiting for? You¡¯re the ones in the wrong, mutants, and you dare act coy? What makes you think you have the right to do that? Because you have power? Then let me see if you are as strong as you think.¡±


    And heunched into an offensive. Like a gust of wind, he darted at Felix.


    A silhouette appeared in the air. Roy stood in front of hispanion, knowing where Detff would strike. Lava Quen covered his armor in a crimson barrier. His hands, like red-hot iron, sped Detff¡¯s ws. With Aerondight¡¯s Guardian, the decoctions, and Yrden¡¯s power, Roy¡¯s strength and speed had surpassed the higher vampire¡¯s.


    Detff screeched from the burn and the pain, his scream almost ear-piercing. Everything blurred, and the crowd saw a fiery humanoid creature and a bat flying into the skies, brawling and shing, hurtling through the air, attacking their enemy.


    The gigantic bat pped its wings, blocking the silver weapon¡¯s attack. It turned into a swarm of bats, evading the mes and air currentsing at it. The monster opened its maw and let loose a soundwave attack. Then it tossed a spear covered in crimson mes and swung its ws, leaving a trail of bloody marks behind.


    The witcher swung his sword, deflecting the monster¡¯s ws and fangs. And when he found an opening, he hurled an energy beam back at the monster. With his left hand, he kept pulling his crossbow¡¯s trigger, the bolts bursting into crimson flowers of blood every time it hit the monster.


    The Signs rampaging through the air was stirring up the chaos energy floating around. The sh went on. Where sword and w met, the darkness was torn through, and colorful mes painted the skies of Fen Carn, as if the fighters were putting on a fireworks show.


    The witchers and Detff¡¯spanions did not move. They stayed still, keeping this fight just between Roy and Detff. Thirty seconds went by.


    Fus!


    The ancient Shout ripped the air apart and hurtled through the night skies. Everyone¡¯s hearts stopped for a moment. Bearing the brunt of the Shout¡¯s power, the big bat froze and fell from the skies, as if it had its wing clipped. The moment it fell to the ground, the bat returned to its human form, but the remaining impact sent him sliding a few yards backward.


    The higher vampire¡¯s legs and left hand were holding the ground, and half of his right arm was missing. He was like a desert lizard basking under the night with its front legs held up. Detff was covered in sweat, his cheeks burning a shade of sickly red. His hands and torso were charred, covered in bleeding wounds. A few bolts were shuddering, buried in his flesh, though the wounds were healing fast. Even his missing arm was growing back.


    Roynded beside Coral. He gave her a reassuring look and cracked his neck. Aside from the white marks on his armor, he was unhurt. Even without using Fear, he could emerge triumphant from a battle with a higher vampire. ¡°Now am I strong enough to talk?¡±


    Roy stared at the worn-down Detff. Blood and Wine hadn¡¯t opened its curtains at this point in time, but he yed the game in hisst life, and he knew Detff. He had enough heart to fall in love with a human woman, give all his trust to her, and offer everything he had to her. He had enough fury to lead an army of lower blood-drinkers to ughter a whole city after he was deceived and abandoned. Detff was an impulsive man who loved and hated with passion, but unless things went to high hell, Detff could listen to advice.


    Detff quietly retreated to hispanions¡¯ side, his eyes flickering with respect and wariness. Respecting the strong was a tacit agreement across all species. Natanis, Regis, and Orianna were looking at the witchers in a different light. They acknowledged these people as their equals.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about culpability.¡± Roy looked around and loudly said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t taken Gaetan and Erin away, we wouldn¡¯t have barged into this little gathering of yours.


    ¡°You seem to be quite forgetful, witcher. A few years ago, you killed Gruffyd in Vizima on a whim. You killed a Southern higher vampire on my turf,¡± retorted Natanis gently, the air around her filled with seduction. ¡°The Elder of Vicovaro, furious, ordered that I apprehend the murderer, but years went by, and I brought no results. It wasn¡¯t until we, through a stroke of good luck, found the injured Gaetan, did wee up with apromise to patch up the South¡¯s loss and calm the Elder down. You are the one who started this, witcher.¡±


    A higher vampire died, so they captured a Cat to fill in the hole? How. And then Roy had a guess.


    Kiyan raised his head higher, his crimson eyes flickering coldly. ¡°That murderous bastard killed innocents and drank human blood all he wanted. So what if he died? Don¡¯t tell me you agree with how he worked?¡±


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have desecrated his remains.¡± Regis looked at the potion belt hanging around the witchers¡¯ torso. There were four bottles that had the gleam of blood in them. They have one higher vampire decoction each.


    ¡°Hah.¡± Eskel crossed his arms, snarling. ¡°Gruffyd fed on humans recklessly. He should¡¯ve known the day woulde where he would be used as food andponents. What happened to him was just the oue of his actions. His punishment from destiny.¡±


    The higher vampires looked solemn, but they nodded. Including Detff. They were birds of a feather. The males had broken free of their lust for blood. Even though they lived solitary lives, they fed on human food. Thedies would drink on asion, but they followed thew of equal trade. Natanis took blood from her customers, while Orianna sourced it from the orphanage she ran. What Gruffyd did was opposite to their ideals and the Elder¡¯sw. Death was just right for him.


    ¡°I agree, witcher. That¡¯s how things should be, but telling us that is useless. You¡¯ll have to exin it to the Unseen Elder face to face.¡± A hint of fear flickered in Detff¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even if you refuse to see him, it is toote now. The Elder will soon find the answers through our memories and know that you are Gruffyd¡¯s true killers. In the near future, he will leave his cave ande to you. Along with himes your destruction.¡±


    Detff paused, and he warned, ¡°You are powerful, witcher, but you are iparable to the Elder. He has lived for more than two thousand years. Words alone cannot describe the extent of his powers.¡± Detff clenched his fists, carefully choosing his words. ¡°He is the god of all vampires. One snap of his fingers, and we¡¯d be pulverized.¡±


    Aside from Roy, the witchers and Lytta were shocked. They¡¯d never heard of the Unseen Elder before. Two thousand years old at least. I can¡¯t believe something that ancient exists in this world.


    Roy stood up straighter. Without fear, he said, ¡°After this mess is resolved, I will answer to the Elder, but you¡¯ll have to lead the way.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll stay true to your word.¡± Regis gazed at the witcher, trying to see through him. He wanted to know if Roy was truly confident, or if this was just an act.


    Curiosity was flowing in Roy¡¯s eyes. The Unseen Elder could defeat Geralt easily, but I wonder if he¡¯s stronger than the Lionhead Spider. That was a literal god. And he had a bold n hatching in his mind. If it worked, the Elder would be a great help to the brotherhood.


    ¡°The Elder¡¯s matter aside, I have something else I want to ask.¡± Roy paused, staring into the higher vampire¡¯s eyes. ¡°Erin and Gaetan are alive, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    The witchers held their breaths. Their main reason for this trip was to save Erin and Gaetan.


    The higher vampires exchanged quiet looks. Orianna pulled her hair back and nodded. ¡°I expected nothing less from sleuths like you, witcher. That is correct, but even if you can calm the Elder¡¯s rage, it is toote now. The ship has sailed. Erin and Gaetan have cut all ties with their old lives. It is impossible for them to return to what was.¡±


    ¡°Make it simple.¡± Kiyan cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Are they imprisoned? Or are they so badly hurt, they cannot move?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not the case.¡± Roy slowly looked around, and he made a shocking conjecture. ¡°You¡¯re trying to turn Erin and Gaetan into one of you, aren¡¯t you? Through some special ritual, no less.¡± He was reminded of what Dawo saw in the dream. ¡°They¡¯re lying in the coffins because of their changes, and the process is irreversible, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roy said confidently, as if he knew that to be the truth. ¡°When a witcher kills a higher vampire, you¡¯ll turn another witcher into one of you. That¡¯s thepensation you meant.¡±


    Another bout of dead silence fell upon the ruins. Eskel, Felix, and Kiyan stopped breathing for a moment, and their eyes went wide in shock. Turning witchers into higher vampires sounded like an absurd joke.


    Coral¡¯s eyes were gleaming, and she twirled her hair with her finger. This is a miracle in the field of mutation.


    The higher vampires exchanged a look of disbelief. In the end, Regis heaved a long sigh, it almost sounded like a twisted whistle. In disbelief and awe, he stared at Roy. ¡°Roy, tell me the truth. You¡¯re a higher vampire disguised as a witcher, aren¡¯t you? How else did you find out about our ns?¡±


    ¡°You have a good sense of humor, Regis.¡±


    ¡°This is no joke. Your guess is half correct. We do not call this ritual ¡®turning.¡¯ Instead, it¡¯s procreation.¡± Regis sounded resigned, and he touched his missing sideburn. ¡°This is how our tribe extends our bloodline.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying higher vampires cannot procreate through natural means?¡± Lytta understood the implied meaning right away.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t share that information.¡±


    Refusing to give up, the sorceress said, ¡°I thought we wanted an honest conversation? If you don¡¯t tell us the truth and convince us, we¡¯re not going to give up on the rescue of a brotherhood¡¯s member.¡± Lytta touched her beautiful nails.


    ¡°You¡¯re powerful, and you stick to your principles. You¡¯ve shown mercy multiple times, so it¡¯s no problem telling you, but it¡¯s a heavy history filled with sorrow,¡± Natanis said. ¡°You have to swear you¡¯ll never tell anyone of this.¡±


    Orianna put her hands before her belly. Solemnly, she added a heavy price. ¡°Swear that you¡¯ll keep this a secret, or witchers will fall into extinction in the near future.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t enough to quench everyone¡¯s curiosity. They did as they were told.


    Winds whispered through the night, and then silence fell to the ruins once more. Until Regis¡¯ deep voice slowly spoke up. ¡°About fifteen hundred years ago, our n, or at least a thousand higher vampires and an army of lower blood-drinkers, were captured by the power of space-time during the first Conjunction. We were taken from our home and descended upon this world. The three Unseen Elders were filled with ambition when they firstnded, thinking their n would take root in the new world and expand in numbers, but little did they know, this was the beginning of their nightmare.¡±


    Regis paused, and he held Natanis¡¯ hand. ¡°Everything was as usual when they firstnded. Males and females could join, birth children, and raise the next generation. They could only have one child once a century, but at least the tribe¡¯s numbers could be maintained. However, as time went by, the water, food, nts, chaos energy, and everything else that was different from our world started affecting us. That affliction was irreversible. First, four out of five newborns would suffer from multiple organ failures and die in the first five years after their birth. One out of five managed to survive, but their mind would slowly twist as they grew. Eventually, they would be nothing but beasts driven by their desire to feed on blood. The Elders tried their best to change the situation, but s.¡±


    The higher vampires hung their heads low, the look on their faces sad. Natanis, ever a sentimental one, was shaking, and tears glistened in her eyes. If they had no family to walk with them through their long lives, they would eventually fall into loneliness. Orianna at least could y with her orphanage¡¯s kids, but Natanis barely had anyone beside her.


    ¡°But that was not the end. Over the next century, even the surviving children died. All higher vampires became sterile and barren, and because some parts of us are different from the locale, we cannot make any children with any sentient life forms in this world. Do you know what that means for a species?¡±


    Roy solemnly answered, ¡°Extinction. Without new blood, any species will eventually face extinction, including higher vampires. Even with your incredibly long lifespan, you cannot escape that.¡±


    Coral held his arm, her face a shade whiter. She could feel for the higher vampires¡¯ situations. They were just like witchers and sorceresses.


    ¡°Six hundred years went by. Owing to a lot of circumstances, the tribe¡¯s numbers dwindled from the original thousand to only five hundred. As extinction drew near, fate finally showed us a sliver of kindness. Through trials and tribtions, the Elders, using their power and experience, created a way to create new members of the tribe in this world. You call that process as turning. I, Detff, Orianna, and Natanis are products of the ritual. We used to be regr humans too.¡±


    Regis stopped talking all of a sudden, confusion flickering in his eyes. Roy was shocked. Not even a ¡®seer¡¯ like him knew of this. Higher vampires have this kind of history? No wonder the Unseen Elder wants to return to his home so much.


    ¡°Can you tell us more about the ritual?¡± The sorceress wanted to hear more. ¡°Witchers create their own kind through mutations, while higher vampires create offspring through a ritual. Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re simr?¡± Perhaps this is how the world punishes people who live long lives.


    ¡°They are not simr!¡± Detff scowled angrily.


    Regis patted his shoulder. ¡°We can tell you. You¡¯ll know it¡¯s futile to do anything then. First, there are a few rules to follow for the ritual.¡± Regis circled around a jutting rock. ¡°Every member can only make one new member every century. The reason for that? Once the requiredponents to turn someone into one of us is used up, it will only be replenished after a hundred years have psed. Second rule, the target must be someone with debilitating diseases or those who are heavily injured and dying.¡±


    Oh, so that¡¯s why they took Erin and Gaetan away. One¡¯s terminal, and the other was badly hurt, Roy thought. ¡°Can¡¯t you take a regr guy?¡±


    ¡°Unless the target is grateful for the change and epts it fully, they might not make it through the ritual. It¡¯s something the Elders concluded through many experiments. Three, two higher vampires must work together for the ritual, and their blood can only turn one target into another higher vampire. As you guessed, the main process for the ritual is the transfusion of blood. We change the target¡¯s blood out for ours. Four of us have enough blood for just two new members.¡±


    I see. Roy slowly looked at the pale higher vampires. No wonder they¡¯re suffering from blood loss.


    ¡°How does the blood transfusion work?¡± Lytta asked.


    ¡°First, we drain the targets of their blood. All of it.¡± Orianna showed the witchers her fingers. All fingertips had a cross-shaped scar on them. ¡°Then we press our fingertips against theirs, guiding our blood into their bodies at a gentle speed.¡±


    The witchers thought this was new. They¡¯d never heard of any blood transfusion process of that level. Only higher vampires could do that.


    ¡°Once the transfusion isplete, they need a month to change. Our blood will modify their bodies from the inside out, and then they will be reborn.¡± A hint of excitement red in Detff¡¯s eyes. ¡°To be honest, this is my first time making an offspring.¡±


    ¡°So Gaetan and Erin have started their transformation?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, and they did it willingly. If you take them away now, their transformation might fail, leaving you with nothing but a pair of lifeless corpses. Erin¡¯s transformation will beplete soon.¡± Regis turned around, looking at the sky. Midnight was fast approaching. He turned to the tomb far away, his eyes glinting with love, like a father thinking about his daughter. ¡°After tonight, one month will have psed. She will bid farewell to her disease and gain a new lease on life.¡±


    Kiyan cocked his eyebrow in disbelief. ¡°A regr human is turned into a higher vampire just like that. Our mutations are fraught with risks and pain. Doesn¡¯t your transformatione with any sort ofplication or price to pay?¡±


    The witchers stared at the higher vampires, and the higher vampires fell silent.


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s a price to pay.¡± Regis shook his head, and he said, ¡°Everythinges with a price. Think about it. You¡¯re terminal or dying from your injuries. Death ising for you, and you¡¯re trapped in weakness and agony, but then a chance presents itself to you. ept it, and you will be a new person. You will possess immunity, recovery, speed, and strength on par with gods. You will have the power to turn into bats, to summon monsters, to teleport, to turn invisible, and so much more. You will have near immortality. But this chancees with a price.¡±


    An adamant voice spoke through the dark. ¡°The price you pay is equal to the power you gain.¡±


    The witchers stopped breathing for a moment. An ominous feeling crept up their spines.


    ¡°First, the target¡¯s human blood will be drained. All of it. Their consciousness will only be kept alive through the blood we pump into their veins. They will be having a close brush with death and enter a special state. For a month after that, they can only spend their days in a coffin as their bodies are modified. The process is so painful, it will feel like their flesh is getting scraped off their bones inch by inch.¡±


    Regis took a deep breath, and he shivered. ¡°But that¡¯s not the heaviest price to pay. As the transformation happens in totality, the brain will be affected as well. In other words, the transformation will rob the target of all their memories, cutting off their old life. They will be born as something akin to a baby, chasing sweet blood as their instinct tells them to.¡±


    Detff continued, ¡°For the first year, the newbies are victims of their lust for blood. They have no memories and do not know what they¡¯re doing. Without an elder¡¯s guidance, they will tear apart every human theye across and suck them dry. And as if they¡¯re cursed, they go after the blood of their old self¡¯s family. Even a sliver of their scent drives the newbies crazy. Without their memories and self-control, the newbies will kill their family without mercy or hesitation.¡±


    Everyone felt chills going down their spines. They were starting to wonder if this rebirth was a blessing or a curse.


    Regis let out a long sigh. ¡°Once all their old family members are dead, they will step into a new life.¡±


    ***


    Aiden and Coen quietly took Dawo through the traps and sleeping bruxae in the tomb. Finally, they came to the resplendent burial chamber in the center, standing before two marble coffins.

 Chapter 618 - 618: Death

    Chapter 618: Death


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Dawo stood a distance away from the coffin, shivering uncontrobly. Even his hair and beard were swaying. Foam trickled down his lips, delight covering his face. I finally found you. My poor daughter. My little jasmine. Erin, wait for me. I¡¯ll save you from that cold, dark coffin, and then we¡¯ll go home.


    Aiden and Coen quickly held the excited old man back. ¡°Don¡¯t make any sudden movements. There might be booby traps here.¡± They looked at the ground underneath the coffins. Two magical circles drawn with blood sat on the surface, brown because of the dried blood. A hexagram sat in the circles¡¯ center, and chaos energy radiated around them. The witchers¡¯ medallions were buzzing.


    To their surprise, they could hear heartbeatsing from the coffins. Gaetan is still alive. There were two hearts beating. One fast, the other slow. Slower than the beat of a witcher¡¯s heart, but every beat was strong, telling the witchers that the owner of that heart was filled with life. Coen and Aiden exchanged a look. ¡°Dawo, we need to tell you something, but don¡¯t get too excited. Your daughter is probably still alive.¡±


    Dawo¡¯s pupils dted for a moment, but then he shook his head, smiling bitterly. ¡°Is that a joke, witchers? I am willing to sacrifice myself to bring her back, but I know she¡¯s already dead, unless Godefroy has the power to revive a corpse¡ª¡±


    The old man was cut off. The air of the quiet chamber exploded with a bang. The coffin on the left was starting to rumble, and a great surge of power burst forth from within, pushing the lid of the coffin. The lid screeched like ws were tearing through a ckboard. The coffin¡¯s underside kept crashing against the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Stronger and stronger it rumbled, and the coffin was almost going to fly into the air. As the coffin rumbled, the chaos energy in the chamber started to boil, and the witchers¡¯ medallions were buzzing so violently, they might gallop away like horses.


    The witchers quickly made Signs and covered themselves in yellow barriers. They unsheathed their swords, keeping Dawo safe behind them. The lid covering the coffin was flung away, and it fell into a corner with a thud, leaving a small crater on the ground. A gaunt woman leapt out of the coffin. She sat, unmoving like a statue, and the sconces on the wall shone on her.


    She was gaunt, and even through the ck silk robes she was wearing, the witchers could see that she was skeletal. Her arms were covered in ck-green veins. Her hair was ck and short, as if it had just recently grown out of her scalp. Her face was sallow, her cheekbones tall. Her eyshes were incredibly long, and her inky eyes were blinking fast, her gaze filled with confusion, as if she were a patient who¡¯d woken up from a longa. She was still adapting to the bright light of the chamber and getting to know what was going on around her.


    She had an overly-aquiline nose, and her lips were all white. She wasn¡¯t beautiful, but her skin was fair, and not a pore was seen. It glistened like pearls, radiating a charm unique to her.


    ¡°By the gods. Are my eyes deceiving me? Perhaps I¡¯m getting too old. Did the gods finally show mercy to a lonely old fool like me?¡± Dawo shook his head in disbelief, refusing to move his eyes away from the woman. ¡°My little jasmine is alive! This is a miracle! Don¡¯t get in my way, witchers!¡±


    Coen and Aiden stared at the vacant woman cautiously. ¡°You think a regr woman can toss that coffin lid away? That thing weighs at least a hundred pounds. She¡¯s absurdly powerful, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°So what? I raised that girl. She¡¯s my only family in this world. She won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    The witchers were hesitant, but they let Dawo go in the end. They had no reason to stop a father from reuniting with his daughter. Especially when his daughter was supposed to already be dead for a month.


    Excited, Dawo quickly darted to his daughter, the air echoing with the sounds of his footsteps. Her attention caught, the woman slowly turned around, and she sniffed the air. Her eyes refocused, and the first thing she looked at was the maning closer to her. Unbridled desire red from her eyes, like she was a cat who smelled fish.


    ¡°Erin, it¡¯s me, your father. Come, I¡¯ll take your hand. We¡¯ll be going home.¡± Dawo stood below the coffin, spreading his arms. He swung his daughter¡¯s favorite hair clip, his face looking slightly younger. He¡¯d lost sleep ever since his daughter fell ill. He was haunted by the nightmares of loneliness, where his family left him alone, but now the nightmare woulde to an end. They would be a family again. Come, my daughter.


    Erin grinned, her eyes glinting red, like a beast in the night. Fangs grew from her gums, jutting out of her lips. She breathed heavily, and the woman responded to Dawo¡¯s calls. Erin spread her arms and leapt down from the coffin like a falcon hunting for its prey.


    With passion, Erin jumped into Dawo¡¯s embrace, but then tragedy struck. Dawo was pinned to the ground, and Erin snapped her teeth shut around Dawo¡¯s throat. Flesh and blood sttered into the air, and the peace of the burial chamber was shattered by a bloodcurdling scream.


    A hole was torn through Dawo¡¯s throat. It was the size of a baby¡¯s mouth, and blood gurgled from it, filling the air with a foul scent. He convulsed like a fish out of water. Erin was drinking his blood greedily, her face and lips drenched in her father¡¯s life essence. Greed and satisfaction red in her eyes.


    Coen darted closer and sent her flying with a st of Aard. Aiden leapt after her, swinging his weapon at the patricidal beast. Fury red in his face.


    Damn you, animal!


    But Erin did not lose bnce. Even though she was staggering, she swung her right arm ahead, blocking the sword with her bloodstained w. And they fell into a stalemate.


    As they shed, Erin snarled, her face filled with ferocity, not unlike a predator that was interrupted during its meal. Blood and drool trickled from her fangs.


    There was not just one enemy she had to face, however. Coen quickly circled around to Erin¡¯s back and made a crimson Sign. He hurled a st of mes at Erin and burned her skin. She froze and let out a scream.


    Aiden swung his weapon again, the de cutting off her hair and left cheek, leaving a deep gash behind.


    The chamber¡¯s air was filled with Erin¡¯s screams of fury and agony. She fell to the ground, unable to move. All she could do was howl in pain. The silver sword and oil were injuring the new vampire badly, but the witchers did not stop.


    Aiden quickly cast Yrden and restricted Erin¡¯s movement. Sneering, Aiden stepped on Erin¡¯s shriveled stomach. He raised his weapon, aiming it at her throat, but he stopped the moment he tried to bring his sword down.


    The witchers held their breaths for a moment, staring at Dawo, conflicted. The old man appeared out of nowhere, defending Erin. Hey on top of his daughter like a shield. The witchers were surprised, for Dawo showed speeds that no wizened man could disy. Not even a young man could move so quickly.


    With difficulty, Dawo turned back. His face was the color of a headstone, stained with blood. The light in his eyes was flickering, but he stared at the witchers with one final plea in his gaze. He said something, and foam spurted into the air.


    Don¡¯t hurt her. Please.


    He held his daughter tightly, keeping her safe from the witchers¡¯ attack as much as he could. Erin was holding him tightly as well, but she was drinking greedily from the wound on his throat like an infant sucking on its mother. Her eyes were filled with bloodlust. Not a hint of love remained.


    ***


    The witchers exchanged a look. Their hands shivered, but in the end, they sighed. They stopped doing anything and only observed the events unfurl. The only sound left was Erin¡¯s drinking her father¡¯s blood.


    Before Dawo¡¯s death, he used thest of his strength and pinned the hair clip in Erin¡¯s hair. A smile cracked his lips, and he patted Erin. His whole life yed in his mind, all the happiness and sorrow disyed like scenes of a film. ¡°I raised a beautiful jasmine, but s, I failed to protect you. I made you suffer for years, and you almost wilted. This is thest thing I can do for you. After I¡¯m gone, you have to fend for yourself. Live, my little jasmine.¡±


    A spurt of blood spilled from Dawo¡¯s neck, drenching his face. He gazed at his daughter. She was tearing and sucking like a feral beast, but she was full of life. The disease had finally left her. ¡°Goodbye, my little jasmine.¡± A tear fell down Dawo¡¯s cheek, and his pupils dted. His arm limped, and he drew hisst breath.


    ***


    Natanis came toote. She saw the bloody scene, and sorrow and resignation filled her face. ¡®This is the fate of a higher vampire. This is the price we must pay. Dawo was a good father. Take him back to the ins and bury him there. He deserves to return to his home.¡±


    Regis and Detff sighed.


    ¡°Are all new higher vampires this merciless?¡±


    Aiden looked at the coffin. After Erin had her fill, the other higher vampires shooed her back into it, but he could never forget what that girl did to her father.


    ¡°I told you guys that new higher vampires are only driven by their feral instincts in their first year. They¡¯re like nk papers. They need us to engrave their new world¡¯s rules into them. Gaetan will be the same after a month.¡±


    Orianna didn¡¯t feel the happiness of weing a new member into themunity. The witchers turned their attention to the other coffin and dashed their ns of bringing Gaetan with them. They would not do it, not before he could control his lust for blood.


    Roy mused over the matter and handed the Cat medallion to Aiden. ¡°Give this to Foltest as evidence that the assassin is dead.¡±


    Everyone nodded. Gaetan was dead, but he would start a new life soon.


    ***


    A momentary silence fell on the burial chamber. ¡°And now, the meat of the conversation.¡± Roy took a deep breath and smiled at the higher vampires. ¡°Lead the way. It is time to have an audience with the Unseen Elder.¡±

 Chapter 619 - 619: Humility and Sacrifice

    Chapter 619: Humility and Sacrifice


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    It was a cave. A dark one without any light in it. The structure was like an archbridge measuring nearly 33 feet tall. Stctites hung from the ceiling like willow branches, as if they would dance with the darkness.


    A gust of wind screamed in the darkness, and a storm of debris flew. A crimson doorway in the shape of a whirlpool tore through the air. Two silhouettes leapt out of the doorway and fell to the gravelly ground. A sliver of light shone on them, illuminating their silhouettes. One had twin swords on his back, a viper head medallion billowing on his chest. His eyes were silver, and they gleamed brightly, piercing the darkness like a wolf staring through the air.


    The other was a pale, gaunt man with a backpack around his back. He was in a ck robe with numerous pockets sewn on it. The air around him smelled like herbs.


    ¡°Blood magic portals are a lot more stable than the ones sorcerers use.¡± Roy turned to the barber-surgeon, his eyes filled with praise. ¡°Felt no vertigo or nausea at all. Why don¡¯t we forge a partnership? You open up portals for the brotherhood, and we¡¯ll pay you every time we use your services. Rare herbs or blood of rare monsters, you name the price.¡±


    The offer tempted Regis for a moment, but he shook his head. ¡°I can do this once in a while, but I¡¯ll have to decline a long-term partnership.¡± He praised, ¡°Your courage is admirable. You¡¯reing to the abode with me alone and disturbing the Unseen Elder¡¯s slumber. Do you not fear death at all?¡±


    ¡°If the god of vampires wishes to kill me, does it make any difference whether it¡¯s one witcher or ten?¡± Roy kicked a piece of bone away and turned a corner.


    ¡°The only difference is you¡¯ll die with yourpanions.¡±


    ¡°And the answer is no.¡±


    Regis almost choked, and he was amused, his trepidation soothed a little. This was his first time seeing the Elder in fifty years. Every time he requested an audience, it was with great fear. The suppressioning from their bloodline crushed his resistance, and he was nothing more than dirt.


    ¡°To be honest, it would be a waste if a witcher like you dies.¡± Regis leapt down the 17-foot slope. The cave was already leaning downward.


    ¡°What kind of witcher?¡±


    ¡°Those who treat non-humans the same way they treat humans. I noticed that when I first saw you. You knew what we were, but you had no fear, discrimination, or loathing. On the other hand, yourpanion, the one with greenish-gray eyes, held hatred for us.¡±


    ¡°Because you followed the rules.¡± Roy paused. He confidently said, ¡°Non-humans who have principles are better than chaotic humans who kill their own kind.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Regis picked up his pace and walked with Roy, his eyes twinkling. The higher vampire took a deep breath and came to a difficult decision. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should die just like this. We are not at the Elder¡¯s abode just yet. It¡¯s not toote to turn back.¡±


    Regis put his hands behind his back. He looked at theposed witcher. Hesitantly, he said, ¡°You can leave this continent and take a ship to Ofir to hide from danger. Ofir¡¯snd is not suited for higher vampires to live in. The Elder¡¯s forces cannot touch you there.¡±


    Roy looked at Regis in surprise. He didn¡¯t think the higher vampire would go this far for him. ¡°If I leave, how will you answer to the Elder? By taking Gaetan here?¡±


    ¡°Gaetan is already part of the tribe. The Elder will not cull him that easily. He might take Gaetan to Tesham Mutna and lock him up for decades.¡± Regis shrugged. ¡°But you will die if you meet him. The Elder does not show mercy to other species.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Regis. You¡¯re a good person. Let¡¯s stay in touch after this. I¡¯d like to introduce some people to you. Decent people.¡± Roy put an arm around Regis¡¯ shoulder. The higher vampire tensed up and grinned awkwardly. He was not used to this kind of close contact, but Roy didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I came all the way here anyway, so I¡¯m not going to run. Just tell me what I should look out for after I go into his abode. I heard the Elder has a short temper, and I don¡¯t want to make him angry.¡± If he gets mad, I¡¯ll have to turn into the Most High to fight it, but that¡¯ll only make us enemies. It won¡¯t do well for my n.


    ¡°He¡¯s so sensitive, it¡¯s some kind of sickness. He¡¯s temperamental, and for thest 2000 years, he has adopted an imperious way ofmunicating. When you stand before him, you cannot show any aggression or hostility, nor can you be arrogant.¡± Regis¡¯ voice was shivering. He was trying his best to hold his fear down. ¡°You must be humble and honest. Respect him like you would a god. Once I open his abode and we enter his domain, I suggest you remain perfectly quiet. Do not say a word or make any movement. Stay far away from your sword and decoction. I will tell the Elder that you are here to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to grovel, then?¡± Roy had a weird grin on his face, and he pretended to kneel.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you express respect, then of course,¡± Regis said earnestly, meeting Roy¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Not even the God of Omen could make me kneel.¡± Roy shook his head. He said, ¡°Since I¡¯m dead anyway, why don¡¯t I go all in? What should I do if I want to strike a deal with him?¡±


    Regis looked at Roy, shocked, but he didn¡¯t pry. ¡°You killed Gruffyd of the Elder¡¯s tribe. You are a criminal in his eyes. It is up to the Elder to let you go after he listens to me. Or he might kill you right away.¡± Regis went over a puddle and picked one passage out of many to go in. ¡°But if you present it with a sacrifice and gain his favor, you might get the chance to talk to him. However, you must choose your words wisely. If you incur his wrath, he will tear your head off, drink your blood, and rip your body to shreds.¡±


    ¡°What kind of sacrifice?¡± Roy ignored the warning. He looked at the walls around them. To be exact, they were man-made marble doors covered in ancient engravings portraying sacrificial rituals. Poorly-drawn humans were holding up sacrificial items covered in banana leaves, praying to a man who was like a shadow.


    ¡°Ancient coins. They¡¯re hidden around the outer caves, but if you want to collect them, you¡¯ll have to get rid of some unruly critters.¡±


    ***


    A silver light shed in the air. A crossbow bolt pierced the dark cave, hurtling toward the ceiling. A cloud of blood burst between the stctite, and something gigantic fell with a sickening thud, its bones broken. The creature had a humanoid shape, but it had ws as tough as metal knives, and its maw had incisors. Its legs were turned back, just like a werewolf¡¯s, and it had taut muscles. This creature was a killing machine, but brains, blood, and bones were spilling out of the center of its head.


    The dying creature red venomously at the silhouettes in the darkness. The silhouette disappeared, and a silver crescent moon sliced through the dark. The creature was cut, its head flying into the air. Blood spurted from its neck, and its body fell back.


    ¡®Fleder killed. EXP +200. Level 15 Witcher (2300/18500).¡¯


    Roy flicked the blood off his weapon. Hemented this battle. Years ago, in the sewers of Vizima, he had to risk his life to kill a fleder, but now he could take one out easily. Once the monster was dead, Roy, out of habit, cut the corpse open like a master butcher. He skinned the fleder, taking its eyes, lungs, ws, and all useful parts of it.


    Regis watched on in horror as Roy tucked the remains of the fleder into his inventory space. ¡°Roy, you guys did that to Gruffyd¡¯s body too?¡± Regis was the color of paper, and he did not look happy at all.


    ¡°Higher vampires make for valuableponents. Can¡¯t waste them.¡± Roy gave Regis a knowing look. Regis felt himself shudder. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I do not attack my friends, so you¡¯re safe.¡± Roy crouched and rummaged through the pile of bones. It didn¡¯t take him long until he found a rough shell the size of a fingernail. A small half-portrait of a pale, gaunt man was etched on it. ¡°Where did these coinse from?¡± Roy asked.


    ¡°When our species descended upon thisnd, humanity was still a backwardmunity. Primitive. Some of them witnessed the Elder¡¯s strength during his hunt. In awe of his power, they started spreading the Elder¡¯s stories and treated him like he was a god. They engraved his portrait on their currency and even erected this abode for him, giving him livestock and humans as sacrifice from time to time,¡± Regis exined patiently.


    ¡°The Elder loathes being disturbed for no reason, but he enjoyed the respect and sacrifices the humans gave him. Ever since then, he reined his tribe¡¯s members in and made it aw that his tribe¡¯s members should not massacre humans. s, hundreds of yearster, despite not being hunted by higher vampires, that tribe of humanity died. Natural disasters. Ever since then, the Elder¡¯s name was no longer spread throughout humanmunities. Every time he slumbers, it will at least be ten years before he wakes.¡±


    Regis paused for a moment. ¡°You giving him the coin will remind him of this happy past. If he¡¯s pleased, he¡¯ll let you talk.¡±


    Roy nodded. Curiously, he asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Elder need to eat or drink? How does he slumber for a decade?¡±


    ¡°Do not try to limit the Elder¡¯s powers. He is strong beyond imagination. The Elder absorbs the elemental particles from the air around him all the time. Chaos energy, so to speak. It¡¯s a lot better than regr food. Still, every time he wakes, the Elder asks his men to bring him a mountain of game to relish the taste of blood and reminisce about his younger days. The corpses, drained of their blood, be fertile grounds for nekkers and lower vampires to breed in.¡±


    ¡°I see. All the older guys across all species love to reminisce about their past,¡± Roy said, his eyes twinkling. I bet he loves to reminisce about his old home. ¡°Let¡¯s find some more coins and please the Elder.¡±

 Chapter 620 - 620: Within the Abode

    Chapter 620: Within the Abode


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    At the end of the dark cave, an elliptical stone door stood. Regis lowered his voice to a whisper, and for thest time, he told the witcher, ¡°Proceed with caution, Roy. Just like I said.¡±


    ¡°I know, Regis. My mind¡¯s still echoing that message. I won¡¯t forget it.¡± Roy held the five ancient coins tight.


    Regis took a deep breath. With a trembling hand, he took a piece of basalt out of his pocket. There were runes on it. He slid it into the rock¡¯s crevice, and it fell in ce. The door started to rumble and slithered up. Dust crawled out of the cracks, and debris fell like rain, only to be deflected and crushed by red and silver barriers.


    A bone-chilling gust of wind pounced at the visitors. Regis and Roy froze, their breathinging to a stop for a moment, then they quickly went into the darkness. The inside of the abode was bigger than the caves outside. Pirs connecting the ground to the ceiling were seen everywhere. There were forking paths, subterranean rivers, hanging stone bridges, stctites with water dripping from their ends, fluorescent nts, and more. Every level of this ce had their own decoration.


    A gust of breeze came from nowhere, brushing past the witcher¡¯s cheek, and it brought with it an icy sensation. This ce was a few degrees colder than it was outside. Roy¡¯s medallion was buzzing like a rat trying to escape from a mouse trap. The chaos energy around him was abundant, and it was working in a peculiar manner, creating all sorts of different sceneries.


    On a stone wall, water that gleamed white was flowing up from the ground, ignoring gravity. The water slithered to the ceiling, meandering through the stctites. Some of the vapors that flew from the water formed bunches of beautiful, transparent coral. Over thest thousand years, the Unseen Elder¡¯s energy field had changed his abode to something different than what it was.


    No one spoke along the way. Regis led the witcher through an inverted waterfall, past a beautiful corridor, and then they arrived at the end of their trip. It was the core of this abode. The chamber was rough and spacious. Besides a few stone pirs and oilmps hanging from the chains slithering down the ceiling, there was nothing else.


    But the moment the two stepped into the chamber, they felt something clutching their throat. The air seemingly turned into something viscous. They had to try their hardest just to breathe normally. Their hearts were starting to beat faster all of a sudden, as if they¡¯d juste out of an intense training session.


    The darkness was silent, but Roy knew a pair of eyes was watching them through the shadows. The Unseen Elder, just like his name implied, hid within the darkness. The witcher calmed down. Like Regis demonstrated, he bowed humbly, hanging his head low, and he held his sacrifice high up with both hands.


    Dark winds scattered around the chamber, the oilmps swayed by an invisible force. mes were lit, and they swayed like will-o¡¯-the¡¯-wisps. Roy felt his hands getting lighter. The ancient coins were gone. When he raised his head, he was met with a gaunt profile. The figure was sickly, icy, and ancient. He was wearing nothing but a ck-brown fustane made of beast hide. Not an inch of hair was seen on his body. His naked skin was a deathly, sickly white. Hideous scars not unlike burn marks decorated his body. The figure¡¯s nails were a few inches long, hanging by his side like the roots of nts. Before his chest, a copper ne hung. Ancient magic radiated from it.


    His face was covered in wrinkles, especially on his forehead and sides of his nose. His lips were unbelievably thin, his sunken eye sockets housing a pair of yellowish-ck eyes. There was not a hint of emotion in them. He was cold, as if he were just a corpse that came out of a grave.


    The man was obviously unweing of anypany.


    ¡®The Unseen Elder


    Age: 2200 years old


    Status: Tribe elder


    HP: ?


    Mana: ?


    Strength: ?


    Constitution: ?


    Dexterity: ?


    Perception: 20


    Will: 30


    Charisma: 10


    Spirit: ?


    Skills:


    Higher vampire usual skills all Level 10.


    Crimson Domain (Passive): The Unseen Elder can control the blood of all living beings in his domain.


    Master of Shadows (Passive): Throughout his life, the Unseen Elder has witnessed the darkest depths and the chaos energy of this world. He has mastered them. The darkness is locked within his body. He can unleash it anytime he wishes and trap his target within forever. The target will not realize it at all.


    Leader: (Passive): The Unseen Elder stands at the pinnacle of higher vampire bloodline. One thought is enough for him to force all vampires from the lowliest to the top of them all to obey his orders. They cannot defy him.


    Immortal (Passive): The Unseen Elder will not decay with time. Instead, it will grow stronger until it breaks free of its mortal shackle.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Lien¡­ tohn¡­¡± Regis spoke in vampire tongue, and he broke Roy¡¯s concentration. Before his leader, Regis couldn¡¯t even control his body or voice. He was struggling and looking timid. He tried his best to express his humility, too scared to even look at the silhouette before him.


    ¡°Gesap¡­ drang¡­ inpll¡­ ttaweng¡­¡± the Unseen Elder replied curtly, his voice deep and impatient. It sounded like metal rubbing against sandpaper, and the tempo of his speech felt weird. He would stop after saying one word, as if the act of talking was torturous for him.


    As he spoke, a sliver of ck smokeshed out of the air and hurtled at Regis. The barber-surgeon was subjected to torture. The smoke kept Regis frozen, and he bent backward like a cooked shrimp. The higher vampire shivered, his face vacant, but there was a hint of agony flickering in his eyes. His eyes rolled back, and he seemed to have lost consciousness.


    The Elder looked at Roy coldly. ¡°Speak yourst words, murderer.¡±


    Roy felt great pressure seizing him from the inside out. He felt a stabbing pain shooting through his bones, and blood oozed out of his skin, as if he¡¯d lost control of it. His cheeks were drenched red soon after, but the bloodied witcher said calmly, ¡°Let Regis go, and I can get you home.¡± He stood up straight, staring at the Elder. He was a Most High, and he would not bow to anyone.


    ¡°The¡­then¡­ You know my home?¡±


    Roy turned solemn. The silhouette blinked into nothingness and appeared right before the witcher. Roy saw his teeth. He was close to the witcher.


    ¡°Fifteen hundred years ago, during the Conjunction, you and a few other tribes were transported to this world against your will. Your home is a far, far away on the other side of the universe.¡±


    Time paused for a moment. The air and chaos energy fell into silence. The mes flickering in themps froze up and were turned into crimson gemstones.


    The Elder closed his mouth and looked at Regis. Regis was released of his torment. He heaved a sigh of relief and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. The Elder turned to the earnest witcher. He spoke inmon speech, though it was stiff. ¡°How can you prove it, witcher?¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. Now he knew his n was feasible. The Unseen Elder could not resist the temptation of going home. He said, ¡°I possess the Elder Blood, a lost bloodline of the Aen Elle tribe. I, to an extent, control space. If I have a waypoint for your home, I can open the¡­¡±


    For some reason, Roy stopped talking. The Unseen Elder¡¯s gaze turned sharp, and he harrumphed in displeasure. The air rippled, as if it was going to be shattered like a mirror, but the Elder did not fly into a rage.


    Roy nodded. Finally, he said, ¡°I can open the Worldgate.¡±


    An invisible sliver of strength guided a drop of Roy¡¯s blood off his cheek, and it flew toward the Elder¡¯s finger. The Elder had a taste, and his eyes red with frightening intensity. ck mes roared, and he huddled so close to the witcher, he was millimeters away. ¡°Elder Blood. The blood of time and space. You are not lying. Tell me the n. In detail.¡±


    Roy took a deep breath. He chose his words, and he spoke.

 Chapter 621 - 621: Agreement

    Chapter 621: Agreement


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    ¡°I will need your essence. Your blood.¡± Roy stared at the sickly face. He said, ¡°You hail from another world. Your blood carries the scent of your homnd. It shares a deep connection with that. It¡¯s a waypoint.¡±


    The Elder fell into silence, and he stopped moving. He felt like deep winter personified. Regis had regained his bearings. He heard the conversation, and he nched in horror. A witcher is asking the Elder for his essence to send him home? That sounds like a horror story.


    ¡°If I can use the gate in this abode, I am confident I can get you home,¡± Roy said.


    The Unseen Elder cocked his nonexistent eyebrow. ¡°You know that gate?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a passage that connects your birthce to this world. Pity it shut downpletely after the Conjunction. I can reboot it, however. With it as a starting point, I can leap from this ce and reach your home easier.¡±


    The gate was an ancient and mysterious teleportation device. It could activate the Elder Blood¡¯s power to its maximum and increase the number of beings that could be teleported as well as keep the portal open for a longer time. From what Roy knew, a gate existed in the world of the Wild Hunt as well. As the Wild Hunt slowly lost the power to traverse different worlds, they had to rely on those who had Elder Blood as pilots to open the gate. They would then turn their brethren who¡¯d gone through the gate into phantoms and continue pilfering other worlds.


    ¡°And that is how the n will work.¡± Roy¡¯s exnation ended, and a long silence followed.


    The Unseen Elder was musing over his options, slivers of ck smoke dancing around him like jackdaws. In the end, he asked hoarsely, ¡°What do you desire?¡± His eyes twinkled, as if telling the witcher to keep his greed in check.


    ¡°I am a fair person.¡± Roy smiled. At this point, his n was halfway topletion, but it was not the time to rest on hisurels. Thetter half was the crucial part. ¡°Helping you return to your world costs a heavy price, so I have some minor requests of my own. First, no matter the oue, the case of Gruffyd wille to an end. You will not demand any more answers about his death from me or mypanions.¡±


    The Elder tacitly agreed.


    ¡°Two, if I do manage to carve a return path for you, then I¡¯d like¡­¡± Roy turned to Regis, who was eavesdropping, and smiled, then he said, ¡°for all the higher vampires in your tribe to serve me for fifty years. Just fifty years.¡±


    Just fifty years.


    Thatst part echoed in the air, and the mes swayed. The Unseen Elder stood petrified. Regis¡¯ jaw dropped, and goosebumps coursed through his skin. The arrogance. He wants to turn the Elder into his ve and humiliate him.


    ¡°You want me and my brethren to serve a witcher¡­ for fifty years?¡± Wrinkles spread throughout the Elder¡¯s face. Its maw opened up, and the windsing through the cracks between his teeth almost gobbled Roy up. ¡°Damn you!¡± A pair of arms, broken into multiple pieces shot out of the Elder¡¯s back. Webs with ck fur on it quickly formed on the arms, and they turned into a pair of gigantic bat wings a momentter. The wings pped, and ck smoke flew into the air before spreading out like a hurricane. Eventually, the smoke covered the whole chamber.


    ¡°Try me, if you dare.¡± A crimson barrier covered Roy. He grasped at the air and produced Gabriel. Without hesitation, he marked the Unseen Elder. A glittering gemstone marked the transforming body.


    ¡°Die!¡± The Unseen Elder opened his maw and let out a furious screech. Everything started to rumble. Debris flew, and dust swirled. Regis covered his ears in pain, blood flowing out of his face. He turned into a swarm of bats and flew toward the exit.


    The soundwave mmed into Roy¡¯s barrier like a sledgehammer, the impact throwing Roy through the air. Hended, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. When he raised his head, mes and light had died out, and everything around felt darker than the abyss itself.


    The Unseen Elder did not attack Roy right away. Instead, he circled the dark skies like a bird of prey looking at its target.


    The gemstone mark was nothing more than a bat-shaped blur. Roy fired shot after shot, but he couldn¡¯t even hit the Elder. He was moving so fast, it was as if he was teleporting. Unable to lock on to the Elder, Roy could not Fear it.


    Another scream screeched through the air. Bloody whirlpools appeared, sucking in everything around them. Roy shivered, and he lost control of his blood. His blood was turned into needles, piercing through his skin, armor, and finally, his barrier. It flew toward the whirlpool like moths to fire.


    From afar, it looked like countless chains of blood had appeared in the air, and they were all locking onto Roy. He was unable to move. His strength was failing as his blood was drained. Eventually, a gust of gale flew at Roy, a gigantic bat swooping down on the weakened witcher.


    Roy raised his head, golden light filled with life shining around him, suppressing the energy that was sucking his blood away. He raised Aerondight high over his head. A bloody sea roared. A crimson tentacle climbed up to Roy¡¯s shoulder, iling its tentacles. Behind Roy¡¯s head, a gleaming ck dragon appeared. It opened its maw andshed its tail. Its wings were spread, covering everything, and a scorching stream of heat came from its maw.


    Roy leapt and brought his sword down at the bating toward him. The ck dragon swiped its ws, tearing through the air and charging ahead. A red energy beam came charging out of the bonelike sword, and the dragon¡¯s shout tore through space.


    w and sword shed. The abode itself shook. An explosion of mana burst forth from the point of impact, turning into a ball of ck-red sun. The sun hung in midair, radiating light and heat.


    A hole was torn through the darkness as light came back to this chamber. In the center of the chamber, the sturdy rock ground had a crater carved into it, cracks spreading through its edges.


    On the east side of the crater, the witcher was thrown back where he came from, and he left a hole in the wall. He spat blood and chunks of his innards, then he fell, his bones crushed. On the west, the Unseen Elder fell to the ground and slid backward a few yards. The Shout had stunned his soul, and he¡¯d forgotten to evade Roy¡¯s attack. His wing was cut off by the energy beam, turned into a pool of blood. The tentacles were wrapped around him, eating away at his skin, leaving holes in it.


    But the most frightening thing was the wound left by the ck dragon. The dragon had hit the Elder¡¯s head and broken his neck. The tip of the Elder¡¯s bone jutted from his skin, and flesh fell from the wound. He was nearly decapitated, his head lolling over his shoulder.


    The Elder snapped his neck, and his head was the right way up again. ck smoke blinked, and flesh wriggled from the wounds, closing them up. In the blink of an eye, the Elder had healed the wounds that would otherwise be fatal for humans.


    Coldly, he looked at the witcher. Roy was supposed to be dying. His pupils were dting, but then, a sea of stars burst forth from his back. The stench of death was turned around, reced by life. The Ring of Time cured all of Roy¡¯s wounds, his broken armor, and exhausted mind. The witcher stood up and put one leg before the other, his sword held up parallel to his cheek.


    Roy pointed his de at the Unseen Elder, his eyes ring with the desire to battle. ¡°You ancient, stubborn, foolish, arrogant vampire. I tried to reason with you. I tried to strike a deal, but you just had to resort to violence. Thene at me. Let¡¯s see if you can push me to my true limits. I will bring an end to your boring, long overdue life. I will tear your abode apart.¡±


    Sparks flew, and the fighters met eyes, fire ring within their souls. The battle was once again about to resume, but then, a bloody doorway tore through the air, and a raspy voice came from within, breaking the battle.


    ¡°Elder of the Unseen, Sif, halt.¡± Slivers of ck smoke came out of the door and fell beside the Unseen Elder. The smoke quickly turned into another gaunt, sickly man. He had the same sallow skin and ancient air.


    Roy looked dark. A second Unseen Elder? Why¡¯d he show up all of a sudden? He looked at the two Elders, his mind racing. Judging from what he said earlier, he didn¡¯te for a fight. If he did, I¡¯d just take out both of them. But then he had another question. Regis told me there¡¯s supposed to be three elders. Why didn¡¯t the third just show up? And where is Regis, anyway? Roy looked around and found the barber-surgeon in the corner. He was grimy and unconscious. The power shown by the Elder affected his kin more.


    ***


    ¡°Trayche¡­ Elder of Garasham¡­ You invade my domain¡­ instead of staying¡­ in Toussaint? You¡­ question¡­ my decision?¡±


    The Elder who fought Roy earlier had an icy look, but he eased up a little, his rage held down by force.


    ***


    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ your personal desire¡­ This is¡­ my life¡¯s¡­ wish. It has been¡­ fifteen hundred¡­ years. The second Conjunction¡­ might note. Even if it¡­ does¡­ how long¡­ do we have to¡­ wait? Two hundred years? Three¡­ hundred? Or¡­ a thousand? I¡­ have had enough¡­ of waiting.¡±


    The Elders met eyes. Not budging, Trayche said, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it? The chill ising fast¡­ to this world¡­ The era of the White Frost¡­ ising.¡±


    Roy was engrossed in the conversation. He was surprised an Unseen Elder knew of the White Frost. ¡°If the White Frost¡­ descends before the¡­ Conjunction¡­ We will¡­ slumber within the cold¡­ never to return¡­ It has been more than¡­ two thousand years¡­ yet you still know not¡­ how to see the¡­ big picture?¡±


    Sif fell silent, crossing his chest. The smoke and wings disappeared. Trayche nodded and turned to the witcher. He was calm, but his eyes were icy, as if he wanted to see through the witcher. ¡°Witcher¡­ not everyone¡­ has the privilege¡­ to negotiate¡­ with us¡­ But you possess¡­ the Elder Blood¡­ You are no¡­ mere mortal¡­ You possess something¡­ I cannot see¡­ We can agree to your terms¡­ but you must make amends¡­¡±


    Roy was looking a little better. He put his sword down. That¡¯s how you negotiate. He nodded at Trayche, telling him to continue.


    ¡°Exclude me¡­ and Sif¡­ from the agreement¡­ Should we return sessfully¡­ the members of Unseen and Garasham¡­ will serve you¡­ for twenty years¡­ You may summon them¡­ anytime you wish¡­ They will follow¡­ your every order¡­ save for the killing¡­ of their own¡­ We will make a blood pact¡­ for you¡­ Once the pact is done¡­ you will have the rune¡­ tomand the higher vampires¡­ Should you break your word¡­ the rune will curse your bloodline.¡±


    Curses? I¡¯m not afraid of them. But I have questions. He looked at the Elder who just came. ¡°Twenty years is not a long time for you two. It¡¯s like taking a nap.¡± I can use the Elders to fight the Wild Hunt and White Frost then. ¡°Why did you refuse? Why did you want me to exclude you two from the contract?¡±


    The Elders exchanged a quiet look, and one of them exined, ¡°The Elders¡­ only obey¡­ those with superior¡­ bloodline¡­ And¡­ many years ago¡­ Faromir, Elder of Kovir¡­ made a deal¡­ with a cunning merchant¡­ to pioneer¡­ He was tricked¡­ by the loophole¡­ He never came home¡­ and we cannot feel him anymore¡­ That is why¡­ we do not enter¡­ pacts of the same nature¡­ anymore.¡±


    Roy was shocked. A cunning merchant? Who else but the Master of Mirrors? That skinhead devil actually tricked an Unseen Elder? So that¡¯s why only two showed up.


    ¡°So¡­ what do you¡­ think?¡±


    The Elders looked at Roy. The witcher could feel the anticipation and something else hiding within their gaze. If he said no, he would have to kill them both before he could leave this ce, but that wasn¡¯t what he came here for. He came to gather allies, not make enemies. Enving the Elders was just n A. Temperamental beings like them would only hinder more than help if he made them stay. He didn¡¯t mind giving that part up. What he needed was allies who would do his bidding. Obedient higher vampires, so to speak.


    He turned to the Elders and smiled, as if the conflict earlier hadn¡¯t happened. ¡°We have a deal. Now tell me in detail about your blood pact. And take me to the gate. We need to prepare for the teleportation.¡±

 Chapter 622 - 622: Return of the Shadow

    Chapter 622: Return of the Shadow


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    The group came to the depths of the abode, where a stone arched gateway that was big enough to let a few horse-drawn carriages pass stood. The liquid coral on the ceiling spilled rainbow upon the gateway, illuminating patterns of lightning, w, petals, branches, insects, andplex runes. Roy had no idea what went into making this gate. It was smooth to the touch, and chaos energy swirled around it.


    All Roy did was approach the gateway, and his blood was starting to respond. It started to dance and floated behind his shoulder, converging into star-shaped light. The closer he was to the gateway, the more lights were conjured.


    The moment he touched it, the stones around, the river above, the fluorescent nts, the witcher, the Elders, and Regis were illuminated by a beam of magical yellow light. The runes, in an ouroboros pattern, danced. The Elder Blood had activated them, and they flew out of the bright gate. The shimmering stars and runes danced in the air, and the four thought they were standing in the gxy, a scroll of beauty unfurling before them.


    In the center of the light was that gateway, and it felt solemn. Sacred. Roy let out a gasp of astonishment, then he turned to the Unseen Elder. He nced at the arm that was hanging outside the armor.


    dTarher¡­


    CienSiss¡­


    The Elders¡¯ blood pact was turned into a tattoo that clung tightly on the arm. Once they made a sessful return to their homnd, Roy could use this mark tomand all 328 higher vampires throughout the Continent. Once twenty years had psed, the mark would disappear.


    ***


    ¡°Trayche, Sif, are you ready? Do you need to pack before you leave or leave some messages behind for your kin?¡±


    The Elders looked calm. Almost aloof, even.


    ¡°We have nothing to pack.¡±


    ¡°We have left¡­ the important messages¡­ in their bloodline¡­ They will know¡­ naturally.¡±


    Roy wasn¡¯t happy with just that. He took this chance to ask all the questions. ¡°After your departure, will there be a new Unseen Elder to take over this ce?¡±


    Sif looked at him and answered impatiently. ¡°It takes¡­ at least¡­ a thousand years¡­ for life to evolve¡­ enough to turn¡­ into an Elder¡­ There will not¡­ be an Elder¡­ for a hundred years.¡±


    Roy heaved a sigh of relief. That means this ce and the gate belong to me after this. With this gate¡¯s power, I can team up with Ciri and Eileni and travel through worlds with a team of people. ¡°I yed a game with that cunning merchant a few years ago, and I won through sheer luck. Perhaps we can defeat it together,¡± Roy said, licking his lips.


    Trayche gave Roy a warning look. ¡°The mysterious merchant¡­ does not have¡­ a permanent address¡­ This world¡­ and the multiverse¡­ are its trading spots¡­ Once we return¡­ we will ask¡­ our kin¡­ to settle this score.¡±


    So sending these Elders back home is also setting that bastard up for a trap. Roy felt happier hearing that. He hoped these powerful vampires could teach that skinhead a painful lesson. ¡°So what¡¯s your homnd like? What¡¯s special about it?¡±


    ¡°You will know once you are there¡­ Do not push your luck, witcher¡­ No more questions¡­¡±


    Roy turned his attention to the barber-surgeon, still in awe and fear.


    ¡°Onest chance, Regis. Do you want to go with the Elders? I can¡¯t take the whole tribe back, but I can take one more passenger with me.¡±


    The Elders turned to their lowly subordinate. They didn¡¯t force or request for him toe. They were merely curious.


    Regis¡¯ lips twitched, and he froze. He¡¯d gone numb from everything he saw. The things he went through over thest two days were more dramatic than everything that had happened over thest fifty years. Go home? To the ce that gave birth to the most ancient and noble of this bloodline? To where the Elders were born? No.


    Regis shook his head quickly. He was born in this world, and he was used to the way of living here. Not to mention he¡¯d made friends out of Natanis, Orianna, and Detff, all of whom shared his ideals. And the girl he saw as a daughter, Erin, had just gone through a big change and gained a new lease on life. She needed guidance. He didn¡¯t want to risk going into a new and unfamiliar world.


    But most importantly, the two Elders¡¯ pressure was enough to make him nervous. Going back to the homnd of vampires would mean ten or a hundred times more Unseen Elders having power over him. The possibility of that happening froze his blood. He¡¯d rather die than face that.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Roy sighed. He scared Regis a little more, then he handed his silver sword and crossbow to the passengers who were ready to go, just in case the weapons got lost. He took a deep breath and made a push at the empty gate.


    Winds howled, and a ck diamond-shaped doorway tore through the air. It was only slightly taller than six foot six and enough for one person to pass through at first, but when the shimmering rune shone on it, the doorway turned taller and wider. In an instant, the doorway ovepped with the gigantic gate, cutting off the abode. Light came from the darkness within the gate. Dim starlight, azure aurora, and suffocating void came together and formed an infinite space where a sea of stars resided.


    Roy leapt into the gateway, his cloak billowing in the air. The Elders were linked by crimson chains to him, and they jumped into the gateway as well. One star among the sea of stars blinked brightly. The light in the chamber quickly turned into spinning runes and pulled back into the gate.


    When Regis regained his sight, Roy and the Elders were already gone. The only things left behind were this door and the dark, spacious abode. ¡°Finally gone. That guy is bolder than I ever imagined.¡± Regis snarled, and he fell on his knees, feeling weak. He half-cursed and half-prayed, ¡°Don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    ***


    The sunset burned through the skies, draping the mountains and woods with an orange nket. In the corner of the birch woods, a dark, tough boulder and a row of sharpened wooden stakes surrounded a rickety wooden house. A burly, broad-shouldered woman in a thick jacket made of birch bark, beast hide, and thistle was swinging an axe half the size of an adult man, chopping the wood between two stakes. She swung her braid, her mountainous muscles and the scars on them wriggling as she chopped the wood.


    The edge of the axe gleamed, and the air was torn open. The wood was chopped in two and fell into the trough. The woman wiped her sweat off and looked at the skies. Her face, skinned and scabbed, was filled with despair and exhaustion. She gritted her teeth and kept chopping wood.


    Suddenly, she heard something fall behind her. Shocked, the woman turned around, looking horrified. Three translucent silhouettes appeared before her eyes. At first, they were like reflections in water, vague and unclear. All she could make out were three silhouettes standing right there, but then, five secondster, the silhouettes turned sharper and clearer. Two were elderly men. They were naked from the waist up, their skin was gray and covered in bruises. Another was a young man with ck hair and silver eyes. He was in an outfit the woman had never seen before, and there were two swords behind his back.


    ¡°Elder?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes went wide, and she grinned, revealing her yellowing teeth, her fear reced by surprise. She trotted to the Elders and knelt humbly, prostrating herself. She then raised her hands, revealing her wrists. ¡°The mist attacked the East Fountain. Everyone died. I am the sole survivor. Please, Elders, take me away. I, Patricia, will present you with an offering. I humbly beg for your protection. Deliver me from the mist.¡±


    The Elders knew this ent. It came from their homnd. They took in the air. It was richer in oxygen. They exchanged a look, smiles finally cracking their eternally icy faces, like a sliver of light tearing through the darkness.


    They pointed their index fingers ahead and swiped it through the air. The women¡¯s wrists were cut open, and a pair of strings of blood flew into the Elders¡¯ open mouth. They closed their eyes, tasting the sweet blood in their mouths as if it was gourmet food. They had missed this for a thousand years.


    Roy crossed his arms, watching this bizarre scene quietly, musing about something. His medallion showed no response, which meant the Elders did not use any spells to beguile this woman. So why did this burly woman prostrate herself and give the Elders her blood like they¡¯re gods? And back in my world, these Elders can shake a nation, but this woman isn¡¯t afraid of them. In fact, she looks fanatical about them, like she¡¯s facing her gods. What kind of world is this?


    ¡°Wstawaj (Stand up).¡±


    ¡°Konsekrujdozaakia (Your offering is epted).¡±


    Trayche nodded at the woman. His finger, dabbed in his drool, wiped over the woman¡¯s wrists, and her wounds closed up and formed scabs.


    ¡°Zabierzu (We will take you to the nest).¡±


    The woman shivered in excitement, tears spilling from her eyes. She kept banging her head, gratitude and delight filling her face, as if she¡¯d escaped from the clutches of death.


    Sif looked at Roy. ¡°Do you think this is bizarre?¡± He could speak smoothly even though this was Common Speech, and there was no hint of suppressed pain in his voice, as if he¡¯d tossed away the shackles that had locked him down for so many years. He looked livelier too. ¡°This is the rule of our homnd.¡±


    He waved his hand. The woman darted back into the wooden house and quickly packed up her stuff. She only afforded Roy a single nce throughout the process. Roy¡¯s charm that was usually enough to captivate anyone, lost its magic.


    ¡°Most humans give us offerings, and we ensure their safety.¡±


    ¡°Humans need your protection? What kind of danger is out there?¡±


    And then a stream of freezing winds howled through the woods. White mist rose into the air, blocking the sun, the woods, and the house around them.


    ¡°Stand there and don¡¯t move, witcher,¡± Trayche and Sif said, as if they were facing a dangerous enemy.


    Roy could feel danger overwhelming him. He heard a thuding from the mist, as if something heavy had just buried itself into the soil. The woods and even the ground underneath were shaking. The air was starting to shiver, and beasts howled in panic and despair.


    The birds perched on the trees screeched and flew into the mysterious mist. Roy then saw something he would never forget. As if a ship were breaking through the sea, a gigantic silhouette appeared in the mist far away from them. Is that Behemoth?


    ***


    That was a monster hidden in the mist. It was nearly a hundred feet tall, and from afar, it looked like a mammoth in ancient times. It had six towering legs covered in gray fur holding it up. The monster, as a whole, felt asymmetrical, but there were countless tentacles on its head and its body. Upon closer inspection, the monster¡¯s back was covered in ayer of fur as strong as needles, and inside it was covered in something like an insect¡¯s maw, crunching all the time.


    The beast speared the mist with its tentacles and slowly pulled back. On the tentacles were the carcasses of beasts, and they looked like shish kebabs. The tentacles popped the corpses into the monster¡¯s maw, and the monster started to crunch on its food. The blood that flowed out of its maw spilled into the mist and drenched the earth underneath.


    ***


    Behemoth. It¡¯s scarier than an eldritch god.


    ***


    ¡°Child of the Elder Blood, the universe is a big ce. You were lucky enough to be born in a peaceful world where humans rule,¡± Sif said. Returning to his homnd unlocked his emotions, and he couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement. ¡°In your world, most human children can live through their childhood, despite its constant disasters and infighting, but things are different in our homnd. Humans are weak. They are born to the bottom of the food chain, and they must survive by bing the vassal of powerful species. Not even our tribe can make the rules here. The true rulers of this world are the sea of powerful monsters that came with this mist. If humans and us bloodkin are to live, we must fight since childhood. We must keep moving to safer ces and survive through deadly battles.¡±


    A crimson glint gleamed in Sif¡¯s eyes. ¡°Our homnd is a lot deadlier, but it¡¯s more interesting.¡±


    ¡°Now it is time for you to leave, witcher,¡± Trayche said. A patch of ck smoke covered the woman from head to toe and held her in midair. ¡°This is not your battle. Behemoth¡¯s saliva can harm even our immortal bodies, let alone mortal ones. We¡¯ll need at least ten Elders to take it down, so we have to set off and reunite with old friends. You do what you have to.¡±


    The Elders leapt and turned into slivers of smoke. They then darted deep into the mist. Roy held his breath and stared at the beast. As if feeling Roy¡¯s stare, the beast suddenly turned to the witcher. Within the tentacles was a pair of eyes as bright as white suns. Within those eyes was a desire to destroy and consume everything.


    ***


    It¡¯s an incredible and powerful beast. If I kill it, I can get tens of thousands of EXP. Dismayed, Roy took out a blue diamond carved like a rose. It was Brisingamen, Freya¡¯s treasure. The diamond was the size of his fist, and it shone as brightly as the summer sun.


    And it was also buzzing violently. Time to go home. If I stay here, Freya and Melitele will think I broke my word and ran to another world to escape the White Frost. That will cause unnecessary problems. Besides, the mark of the bloodline is a waypoint. I can first deal with the problems back at the witcher world before Ie back to this thing.


    Roy had made up his mind, and he opened a second Worldgate. He could do that twice a day with the power of Guardian. A tentacle fell from the sky, hurtling at Roy.


    A crimson beam shed, and the tentacle was split in two. It fell to the ground, turned into a cloud of smoke. Behemoth¡¯s furious roar pierced the mist. When it rumbled the ground and came to where Roy was, the puny prey was already nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 623: Invitation to a Meeting

    Chapter 623: Invitation to a Meeting


    In theplex of Loxia on Thanedd, Tissaia was seated in the chair beside a round table, her eyes closed. The obsidian talisman before her chest was shooting colorful beams, and balls that gleamed white appeared from the colorful light, floating over the round table. As she panted and finished chanting thest part of the incantation, the balls of light flew to the empty seats around the table.


    The balls of light turned into silhouettes. Eventually, the silhouettes turned into people. Zircon, obsidian, and silver talismans hung before their chests. They were all beautiful, in makeup, and wearing long dresses. The makeup, however, was drenched by the sorceresses'' sweat. They''d spent too much mana projecting themselves to this meeting, and their cheeks were flushed red.


    "Is everyone present and ounted for?" Tissaia asked.


    "Only Demavend''s consultant, Radcliffe, is missing." Redania''s royal consultant, Philippa leaned forward, as if nonchnt. She showed off her expensive jewelry and new dress to her colleagues, and she looked around, satisfied.


    Henselt''s consultant, Sabrina, raised her head a little, her fiery hair tumbling down to her beautiful cleavage. Triss was solemnly looking at Keira Metz, who was also a consultant to Temeria''s royalty,municating silently.


    Yennefer of Vengerberg was in a beautiful ck-and-white dress. Her violet eyes and pale visage were gleaming, and she looked better than ever. Perhaps she''d had some happy asiontely.


    The good friend of the queen of Kovir and Poviss, She de Tancarville, was in a ck velvet dress with a silver scarf around her neck. She crossed her arms, musing over the point of this meeting. Not far beside her was a sorceress who''d resigned from her job as Kerack''s royal consultant years ago and joined the brotherhood. Lytta''s lips were gleaming under the magical light''s illumination. She was staring at the elven queen, Francesca Findabair.


    She was in a crimson dress, elven rouge covering the corners of her eyes, and she was as elegant as a daisy, but the most captivating woman among them would be the blond beauty, Margarita Laux-Antille. She had smooth, perfect skin, perfect curves, and the air of a maturedy.


    "Radcliffe''s refusal to join this meeting is answer enough about her employer''s stance. We do not have to wait." Tissaia shook her head, sighing. "Back to the issue at hand. Wee, sisters, to Aretuza. I invited you to this long-distance meeting to discuss a matter of great importance. I believe you have heard of the congregation at Hagge back in September of 1266. Demavend, Foltest, Vizimir II, Henselt, and Queen of Lyria and Rivia, Meve, joined that summit. They had decided to take stronger actions against the rise of Scoia''tael''s terrorism. Their decision was to gather all the non-humans in one ce and manage them there."


    Tissaia paused for a moment, then she gave her colleagues a knowing look. "All non-humans in the Northern Realms will be in for harsher days, and I think the rulers'' decision is far too extreme. Not all non-humans are persuaded by the South to sabotage the unity of the North. On the contrary, all the non-humans aside from the Blue Mountains faction arew-abiding citizens. They should not be roped into this."


    "Are you showing them pity?" Sabrina''s eyes red. She screeched, "I say the non-humans deserve this! They did this to themselves. Look at what they did recently. Hiding in the woods and bushes and ambushing all the merchant caravans like madmen. They killed humans who were just passing by, even the young and the elderly. What they did is unforgivable."


    Sabrina''s voice echoed in the hall.


    "Calm down, Sabrina." Tissaia clenched her fists. "Let me reiterate. Not all non-humans are Scoia''tael''s butchers."


    The silent Francesca frowned. She didn''t like how Tissaia called them butchers. Sabrina flew into a bigger rage, and she disappeared from her projection for a moment. "I call bull! Even if the dwarves, elves, and gnomes didn''t join Scoia''tael, they''ve been helping their kin escape arrest and providing them with supplies! Keeping them all locked up is the only way to get rid of our problems."


    "I agree, and as if their violence isn''t enough," Philippa fanned the mes, joining in, "they tried to assassinate the kings of the Northern Realms. Foltest escaped with his life in Sodden through sheer luck. That reminded me to strengthen the defense around Vizimir II." And then inexplicable regret flickered in her voice. "Or Redania would''ve weed its new king, Radovid V."


    "Your king was almost assassinated too?" Triss pped her hand to her mouth in shock.


    "The failed assassination attempts enraged the kings, and that led to the summit in Hagge." Philippa grabbed her big braids, nodding. She raised her voice, "Tissaia, I know you and the members of The Chapter of the Gift and the Art, Hen Gedymdeith, Artaud Terranova, and the missing Vilgefortz, share mutual affection for elves, but I''m sorry. We''re just insignificant consultants for magic. We cannot change the minds of these rulers. No king can forgive the assassins who trampled on their dignity and tried to kill them."


    Triss twirled her hair in frustration. After that assassination attempt at Sodden, she was hypnotized by a higher vampire during the search and fell asleep for a whole day. The brotherhood''s members teased her about it for weeks.


    "Just because they''re kings doesn''t mean they can drag innocents into this." Francesca''s eyes were filled with mockery. "And have you forgotten about history? What Scoia''tael is doing is tamepared to what humans did to elves. A few hundred years ago, they massacred half of the ruling race, chased them into the barren Blue Mountains, and usurped the throne. This is nothing but an overdue revenge from the elves."


    Francesca added, "I am not trying to scare you. If the kings can bring themselves to kill non-humans because they''re different from humans, then they can and wille for you and me down the line. We must nip this in the bud."


    "Shut it, Enid Findabair." Sabrina shot a scathing re at Francesca. "Look in the mirror. Look at your ears. Look at your makeup. You look just like those mad elves. Of course you''d take their side, but don''t forget that you''re a sorceress too. Don''t forget the oath you made to the brotherhood of the North." She nced at Yennefer furtively. <em>She''s part-elf. It''s possible she might betray us.</em>


    Francesca took a deep breath and clenched her fists before her belly. She fell silent. Yennefer exchanged a look with Triss and Coral. They were close to the witcher brotherhood, and Roy had told them about Francesca''s n to conquer Dol thanna and revive the elven kingdom. She was the ringleader of Scoia''tael and the one who left her race''s fate in the hands of the Southern emperor, Emhyr.


    The trio did not say that out loud. Most of the brotherhood of the North were still in the dark about Francesca being a traitor.


    "Arguing won''t solve anything." The other Aretuza dean, Margarita, raised her head. She smiled and calmed the tension down. "This meeting was called in a hurry. Since we are unable to settle our differences, then why not meet in person and deal with them? I now extend an invitation to all of you. On the first day of the next month,e to Thanedd and join us in a great conference. If I''m right, all our colleagues from all organizations wille. One important agenda for the conference will be to discuss if the actions taken by the Northern Realms'' kings against the non-humans are appropriate."


    Margarita looked at thedies gently. "And things are getting worse. The second war ising soon. We must prepare for it. Sisters, you must attend the conference."


    A momentary silence fell. The sorceresses were getting ideas of their own. Francesca made a big decision. She''d decided to get rid of all obstacles during the meeting. Philippa gave her a nce. She had the same idea. <em>Time to get rid of these traitors.</em>


    "I''m really fine in Kovir," said She reluctantly. "I don''t want to take part in politics. It''s messy."


    "No. Chaos ising, and no one can stay out of it, especially not usdies. We must shoulder the responsibility and show our strength. We cannot let those men have all the power," Philippa said, emphasizing on dies.'' As a female chauvinist, She was convinced, and she nodded tensely.


    "You''re right. Women should be the one ruling the brotherhood. I''ll be there on time."


    "Can we bring guests with us?" Lytta interrupted.


    "Who?"


    "Witchers." Lytta looked at Francesca. The elven queen was icy, obviously miffed by how the witchers massacred Scoia''tael members twice. <em>But this time, she can''t escape.</em>


    "Whoa, you''ve been living a secluded life all these years, and now you have a lover out of nowhere?" Keira rubbed her chin, her eyes ring with passion. She was then reminded of the Wolf and Viper who were tasked to be Foltest''s bodyguards. <em>They did give me a good time. </em>"How old is he? Ad or an older man?"


    Coral smiled, staying silent. Triss turned away, sighing silently.


    "Not the only witcher too," said Yennefer. "I would like to bring a guest as well."


    "Geralt of Rivia, am I right? After years of separation, you two got back together?" She scoffed. She couldn''t understand how the squalid, rude, and boorish White Wolf managed to gain the love of an elegant sorceress.


    Hesitant, Tissaisa said, "This is an internal meeting among spellcasters. I don''t mind you bringing regr people whose interests are tied to the agenda, but mercenaries like witchers should not be here."


    "Oh, what''s the worry?" Sabrina licked her lips, putting on a passionate, beguiling smile. "You think mere witchers can influence the decisions of sorcerers? Let theme. They''ll bring some interesting things to the conference."


    Tissaia looked at Margarita. Margarita mused over it, and she nodded.


    "Very well. Coral, Yennefer, bring your lovers, but teach them about gentleman''s etiquette. Tell them to follow the rules of Thanedd.


    "Of course. We promise."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 624: Curse School and Preparations

    Chapter 624: Curse School and Preparations


    Willow branches swayed in the gentle breeze. Angouleme was bent over, standing in the courtyard of the House of Gawain. She formed ws from her fingers, staring at the gaunt man in ck-robes through her hay-colored fringe. She pounced at him, quick as a bolt of lightning. As she leapt through the air, ws shot forward from her fingertips, and ck fur that was tough as steel covered the back of her hand and her neck. A tail that was more like a whip grew out of her rear. Her head transformed into a wolf''s head, her eyes red, her fangs prominent.


    Her ws swiped through the air, going for the man''s shoulder, but he easily evaded it, as if he''d teleported away. Angouleme lost her target.


    And then, something like a night owl''s screech tore through the air. The corn fields outside the fence saw a golden ripple coursing through them. Angouleme stiffened up and slowly turned around. A surge of strength crashed into her ws that were crossed before her chest. She was thrown through the air like a sandbag.


    The wolf-girl did not lose her bnce, however. Like a feline falling from a great height, her back tensed up, and so did her limbs. She swayed her tail and fell to the ground gracefully. Angouleme touched herself and felt blood covering her fur. The gash on her nape was healing up quickly.


    Her rival wasn''t even breaking a sweat. He flung the blood off his fingertips and smiled, as if this was just warm up for him. His disdain angered Angouleme, her pupils turning into slits. She snarled and howled into high heavens. Her beastly body swelled up even further, her muscles growing until it tore her shirt apart. Crimson light swirled around her. She looked like a little rampaging giant.


    Angouleme leaned over and breathed heavily. Like a beast, she ran on all fours toward the man before her. The moment she hit him, the man turned into a swarm of bats and flew behind her, covering her as he took her into the air. The man shook her around, but Angouleme roared and howled.


    Her struggles stopped abruptly momentster. The bat swarm wriggled and reformed into a regr man. After being released from her bondage, Angouleme turned back into her human form, prostrated on the ground. She was exhausted, her jacket stained with blood and left with holes, revealing her skin underneath. The scars left by the bats were quickly healing.


    "How do you feel,dy?" Acamuthorm had been watching from the sidelines. He led a bunch of kids and surrounded Angouleme. The young witcher draped a big ck cloak over her, covering her almost naked body.


    Angouleme wiped the sweat off her forehead. She was pale, but she smiled at herpanions. "I''m fine. I''m so hungry, I could eat a whole cow." She then looked at the barber-surgeon, dismayed.


    "Be content, youngdy." Regis shook his head, smiling. "Aside from Signs, decoctions, and silver weapons, your physical prowess and regenerative abilities are far superior than fledgling witchers who''d just gone through their Trial. I''m not exaggerating when I say you can tear those who wish to harm you apart with your bare hands. That strength alone gives you enough power to keep you and your friends safe. I should be going now, but I will return at the same time tomorrow to train you again."


    Regis leapt into the air and turned into a sliver of ck smoke. He then disappeared.


    Angouleme clenched her fists quietly, feeling her strength. She was on par with an adult even in human form, and her dismay faded away, reced by a bright, confident smile. All the torment she suffered in the omen god''s orphanage finally paid off, and it was all thanks to the witchers'' generosity.


    "Congrattions, Angouleme. Or should I say, the first ever witcher of the School of the Curse." Kalkstein stroked his goatee,ing from theboratory. He eyed Angouleme like she was a perfect work of art. There was content in his eyes. And then he was reminded of the crazy months spent on this research. He fused the ne and Lionhead Spider''s fang, turning them into a Trial that could change painful memories into power.


    This sparring session proved that the Trial of the Curse was safer and more efficient than the Trial of the Grasses. The transformation would allow the user to change into a Cursed One. Aside from their easily agitated tempers and weakness toward silver weapons, they didn''t have any apparent weakness. When they turned back into their human forms, they would be like any other human.


    It meant they could have children, unlike the witchers who went through the Trial of the Grasses. However, the Trial of the Curse required more from the adepts. If the adept had not gone through inhuman amounts of pain and torment, they couldn''t activate the curse. For now, Angouleme was the only sessful case.


    "This is a huge breakthrough. The brotherhood now has another Trial beside the Grasses." Vesemir looked at Angouleme. Formally and proudly, "But more importantly, child, wee. From now on, you are part of the brotherhood as well."


    "I¡­ I¡­" Angouleme sobbed. She looked at the witchers around her, the rims of her eyes red.


    To witness this historic moment, Geralt, Felix, Ivar, Coen, and the younger witchers like Carl, Monti, and Acamuthorm came back. Everyone gave Angouleme looks of approval and eptance.


    Ever since she was born, no one had shown her the kindness the witchers extended to her. Nopanion of hers ever relied on or looked up to her. Angouleme clutched her cloak tightly, a lump forming in her throat. Words failed her. She teared up and sniffled. <em>I''m finally someone useful.</em>


    "Wipe your tears away. You''re part of us now. Do away with the formalities." Roy came out of the crowd, smiling. He solemnly handed a wolf head medallion that had its silver content taken out to Angouleme. Unlike the usual medallion that showed a snarling wolf head, this one looked calm, and its mouth was closed.


    If another Cursed One should appear down the line, the witchers would make another medallion for them, depending on the form they took on. Roy patted Angouleme''s shoulder encouragingly. "Remember, Angouleme. Fury that makes you stronger is good, but too much fury is not a good thing. Do not let your emotions take over your mind. Etch the face of this medallion into your head. Remember to control yourself. Witchers are not brutes. Sometimes, a cool head is more useful than violence."


    "I understand, Roy." Angouleme clutched her medallion and nodded. The other boys and girls looked at her enviously.


    "That''s all for fun, kids. Get back to the ssroom." Kalkstein nodded. "Angouleme will have to go through a total checkup to confirm she''s not suffering from anyplications." He held Angouleme''s hand and turned to the witchers. "As for you people, you''re going to the conference room. Don''t let thedies wait."


    ***


    The conference room''s magicalmp shone on the long table gnawed by maggots. There were people seated around the table, ten of them being young witchers. They were listening to the gorgeous sorceress talking about the long-distance meeting that happened a while ago.


    "And they''ve reached a decision. Early next month, Francesca will be attending the meeting in Thanedd. Tissaia has given me permission to take you into Loxia." Coral stood behind Roy, holding his shoulders. Her hair tumbled down to his cheek, and she blinked at everyone. "So, any ns for this uing conference, people?"


    "First, we''re seizing this chance to talk to Francesca¡ª Can you sit right here, Coral? I want to see you talk. I can''t get used to you standing over me."


    Lytta sat beside Roy, and the witcher continued, "For Ciri, Eileni, and my safety, we must ask Francesca for the Wild Hunt''s waypoint. We''ll then take down theirmander, Eredin, the sage, Avac''h, and King of the Alders, Auberon, ending all hunt for the Elder Blood."


    The mention of Wild Hunt made everyone solemn, especially the Viper School, the school that was a victim of the Wild Hunt''s terrors. And joining them were Geralt and Yennefer, who were worried about Ciri. It was weird that the Wild Hunt hadn''t appeared in years, however.


    "The elven queen has bad blood with us, especially with what we did to the Scoia''tael." Serrit shook his head. "It''ll be hard to talk to her. I suggest we prepare for any eventualities. If negotiations won''t work, then we''ll need something with more force to convince her."


    "You sure you want to threaten a sorceress on her turf?" Yennefer''s eyes twinkled with disdain. "The fireballs will turn you into a pile of ash."


    "There is no need for violence." Geralt touched his stubble. "Vilgefortz might be dead, but his assistant, Lydia, is on our side. She is in Gors Velen with Casiga as we speak, and she holds evidence of Francesca''s partnership with Nilfgaard through Vilgefortz. If the elven queen does not wish to be a viin scorned by all, she will have no choice but to work with us."


    "Calling her out during the conference means nothing." Roy shook his head, his eyes glinting coldly, and he scanned hispanions. "The Elder Blood has shown me another vision. This conference will be the herald for the chaos in the Northern Realms."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Everyone listened closely.


    Roy took a deep breath, his voice echoing around the room. "I see the light of magic rampaging across the ind. I see blood and fire everywhere. A great explosion will bring the pce to ruins. Francesca will have a falling out during the conference and eradicate anyone who opposes her. Her aplices? Scoia''tael and the sorcerers who have banded with the South. Redania''s consultant, Philippa, will band with the allies of the North and wipe out all traitors during the meeting."


    Roy looked at Triss. She was the color of clouds, her freckles shivering. "Trust me, Triss. It won''t be long before Philippa asks you and Keira to join her."


    Triss pursed her lips. If the Southern spies got their way, the Northern Realms would be plunged into war once more, and she would ept Philippa''s invitation without hesitation.


    Roy turned to Yennefer. "Because you''re a part-elf, Philippa will see you as a traitor."


    Yennefer froze up. Geralt held her icy hand tightly.


    Lytta shook her head in disbelief. "Daisy of the Valleys is a gorgeous woman, but she has a heart of stone. How dare she attack her colleagues?"


    Lambert rubbed his hand across his hairline and smirked. "Not out of the realm of possibilities. How many Scoia''tael members has Francesca sent to their deaths? And all to revive the elven kingdom. Nothing''s beyond her."


    "And?" Coral tapped her finger on the table. The air rang, and the shadow weighing on everyone''s hearts was dispelled. "What do you see? Did that traitor triumph?"


    Roy said, "My vision showed me carnage. After the battle, the Northern allies, the Southern traitors, and those who stayed neutral suffered great losses. The Northern sorcerer brotherhood was disbanded after this conflict. Nilfgardunched its second invasion. Which is why we not only have to get Wild Hunt''s waypoint from Francesca in the meeting, but we also have to consider our stance. Should we remain neutral, or should we take the Northern Realms'' side? I think everyone in the brotherhood should decide whether to meddle with this meeting."


    Roy''s old n was to punish the Wild Hunt and help the elves get away from war, finding a suitable piece ofnd for them to live. However, Francesca''s repeated refusal to grant him an audience wore out his patience. He would not beg for her attention.


    "Did you forget something, kid? When you killed so many Nilfgaardians back in Cintra four years ago, you have already taken a side," said Auckes calmly.


    Roy fell silent.


    Eskel shook his head. Gruffly, he said, "Then everything we do this time, we do it to protect Ciri and Eileni. I think we should just mind our own business. Just get the Wild Hunt''s waypoint and keep our sorceresses and their friends safe. Our enemy is the Wild Hunt. <em>Only </em>the Wild Hunt."


    Vesemir, Lambert, Serrit, Letho, Ivar, Kiyan, Felix, and Aiden nodded. Carl and his friends agreed as well. They were the more rational ones among the fledglings. The brotherhood was growing well because they never touched politics or war.


    Yennefer held Geralt''s arm, saying nothing. She was a supporter of the North, but Philippa saw her as a traitor, and she wouldn''t help them if that was the treatment she would receive.


    Triss shook her head violently, her hair swaying. She looked at everyone with a plea in her eyes. "But I can''t just sit by while the traitors kill my colleagues. I need to pin them down and crush their ns."


    Acamuthorm and Lloyd suddenly stood up, their eyes filled with determination. "Sirs," they said clearly, "we''re born in the North. We have a duty to contribute to the peaceful days of our homnd."


    "This is not your ce to speak, brats." Letho flicked his finger at their foreheads. "Just shut up and listen." But he was a little moved.


    This was the first time Triss made a request ever since she joined the brotherhood. The witchers had to pay importance to that.


    Coen, one of the knightly witchers, at Acamuthorm''s quiet persuasion, spoke up. "I despise destruction and ruin." His face was shining warmly under the sunlight. "The conflict in Thanedd will clear the path for Nilfgaard''s invasion. The ck-armored knights will once again raze our homes. Now that I know that''s the future we''re facing, I cannot sit idly by."


    Coen held his medallion tightly. "Even if we do not join the war, we should try to change the oue of this conference and avoid the Northern sorcerers'' doom. As long as we do not get too deeply involved, we''re not going against our principles. Let''s just help Triss out. And me."


    The witchers fell into silence, but their apathy was starting to change.


    Lambert crossed his arms, his eyes ring with envy. "I understand how you feel, mate, but don''t forget, Tissaia only let Roy and Geralt apany thedies. Which means they''ll have to face more than twenty traitors, a ton of deprived sorceresses, and a lot of Scoia''tael members. They''ll be wrung dry."


    "Wrung dry? Are dirty thoughts all you can think of?"


    Coral and Yennefer shot Lambert icy res, and mana roared around them. Lambert''s medallion buzzed furiously, as if it would throttle him.


    Aiden quickly held his stupidpanion''s shoulder. Lambert''s eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.


    "Why don''t I bring Coen with me, then?" Triss gave the Griffin a grateful look.


    "Three''s not enough. They''re facing the strongest sorcerers in the North."


    Letho and Ivar exchanged a look. Ivar nodded, and Letho said, "Here''s the n. I, everyone else, and the kids are going to Thanedd beforehand and hiding. We''ll be ready to help out when the timees."


    Triss sped her hands and bowed at everyone, her cheeks red.


    Serrit looked at Roy. "But since we''re interfering anyway, why don''t we go all in and get our <em>new allies </em>to help out."


    Everyone felt their heart skip a beat. They were reminded of that scene. The scene where a bunch of gigantic bats were flying in the skies. Ever since Roy sent the Elders home, the higher vampires in the North were under his control. No matter how arrogant they were, they were as docile asmbs when a bearer of the Elder''s mark appeared. They listened to Roy''s every order.


    It was also why Regis was dragged out of his istion just to train the new witchers. He felt really resigned over that.


    "Three hundred and twenty-eight higher vampires. Enough strength to level a kingdom." Ivar looked at the young Viper with praise in his eyes.


    "One hundred and thirteen, to be exact. Most of them are slumbering. Waking them up by force is going to cost, and it''s an unnecessary cost. Summoning higher vampires is something that costs a lot of mana and stamina." Roy got up and approached the window. He rolled his sleeves, revealing a crimson bloodline mark on his arms.


    The witcher rubbed his hand over it, and the mana in the air started to boil. The witchers'' medallions buzzed loudly. Crimson light burst forth like a nket of bloody mist. "But Serrit''s right. Only overwhelming strength can ensure the conflict of Thanedd is resolved quickly, safely, and thoroughly."


    Everyone looked outside the window. In the golden skies over the horizon, a patch of inky clouds appeared, crimson lightning swimming within. A great maw was torn open in the horizon, as if the end of days wereing.


    The dark clouds quickly approached them and enveloped the alder woods around the orphanage. Gales howled, clouds gathered, and ck rain fell into the courtyard. Eventually, the rain converged into silhouettes. Dark, gaunt, terrifying silhouettes.


    The crimson lighting from the skies above shone on the silhouettes'' faces. They were pale, their eyes scarlet. And all of them were bowing to the conference room, their hands at their chests.


    "Our new allies are ready to go. We''ll take this conference by storm."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 625: Winter Is Coming

    Chapter 625: Winter Is Coming


    In a world far far away stood the capital of the Aen Elle, Tir na Lia. A pce stood beyond the dancing willow branches overseeing the river. Unlike most structures built with marble and baster, the mainframe of this pce was built with long whitece. It was fluttering, exquisite, and light, as if it were a mirage floating in midair.


    A gust of wind blew. Willow branches swayed, mist swam, and ripples spread through the river. The pce felt like it could fly away at any time.


    ***


    The pce was decorated with drawbridges with ivy circling around them, openwork fountains, mosaic statues, rails with ivy engravings, corridors, great ceilings, and slim towers that looked like stgmites.


    In the center of the pce was a resplendent room with stained ss windows, mirrors, floral rugs, and a chandelier. A slender man stood within. He was in a ck jacket, paired with traditional elven boots. Gray hair tumbled down his shoulder and slipped down his back. His hands, holding the balustrade, were white and fair, his fingers slender as a woman''s.


    The man was watching swans gliding through the surface of ake. His eyes were the color of molten lead, and there was long history behind them. He turned to the blond elf before the desk. The sunlight shone from beyond the window reflected incredible light, framing the elf in a sacred halo. "Where are Aen Saevherne, Eredin, and Caranthir?"


    "Call me Avac''h, Your Majesty. The three of them have just finished a long mission. They are cleaning themselves up now. Once they are refreshed and calm, they will request an audience with you, and I bear great news." The elven sage smiled toothily. There was not an incisor in his mouth at all. "We carried out our task and stopped the White Frost, if only just. This world now has six months more of peacetime."


    "Avac''h." Auberon looked at Avac''h seriously. He spoke slowly, as if every word needed all his strength to be spoken. "I will remember the contributions and sacrifice all of you made for the tribe."


    "Your Majesty, this is just our duty." Avac''h then said, "s, safety is only momentary. I do not know what went wrong, but the White Frost is gaining in strength, crossing through the cracks in the universe at unprecedented speeds, closing in to the worlds of Aen Seidhe and ours. It''sing fast for us."


    Auberon was solemn, and he was listening.


    "For thest six years, Eredin and the Red Riders have given up on the act of piging. They ced all their efforts in having the pilot, Caranthir, cross through space-time and lead the White Frost away." Avac''h''s face darkened. He waved his hand, not even chanting any incantation, and cast a spell exclusive to elves. A bright screen appeared before him and Auberon, then it weaved lifelike scenes before them.


    There were sounds of whistles and the stampeding of horses. A group of riders were riding through chaos, their horned helmets swaying with the wind, their crimson cloaks billowing behind them like outstretched gs. Cracks with dim lighting out of them appeared before the riders. They went in and out of the cracks, going from a dark realm to unknown domains.


    An endless stretch of white ribbon was chasing the Red Riders. Death was always by their side, swift and unstoppable. The ribbon wrapped itself around their rusty armor and broken helm, covering them in ayer of white frost. The chill almost broke through the screen as the horses kept taking steps forward, rings of cold radiating from the riders, but they were determined.


    They led the White Frost ahead, riding on the back of their steeds. And then, finally, another crossing into a crackter, they escaped the nightmare behind them, but the dark skies were severely damaged from all the teleportation. It was like a broken mirror held together by nothing but glue. Cracks were everywhere, and the ce threatened to shatter and cave in. It felt like a great white creature was hiding behind the cracks, eyeing the riders with malice.


    "As you can see, the riders managed to lead the White Frost away, but they had to create more cracks. The more cracks there are, the quicker the White Frost can gather. This stopgap measure will result in destruction eventually." Avac''h picked up a chalice from the table and swirled its contents. "It''s like using a cup to stop rain from falling to the ground. Once the chalice is filled, the water will overflow and drown our world, freezing everything within it."


    Auberon nodded solemnly, his face filled with resignation and exhaustion. He looked older and more dejected than ever. "As I recall, the prophecy of the great sage, Ithlinne, proimed that no matter how much we fight the White Frost, it will eventually arrive. It is obvious the process has been hastened by a lot. Have you found out why?"


    "You have led the tribe of Aen Seidhe for six hundred years. You should know that the White Frost is only interested in one thing. Since the beginning, it has hunted our tribe tirelessly, traveling from one world to the other. All to end that bloodline."


    "The Elder Blood." Auberon rubbed his nose. His voice sounded even more dead now. There was resignation and exasperation in his eyes. "But Caranthir is the only pilot that was born to our tribe for thest one hundred years. And his bloodline is iplete. It does not present enough attraction for the White Frost. It couldn''t have hastened the process this much."


    Avac''h clenched his fists, his eyes flickering with passion. "We have enough reason to believe that the reasones from the world of the witchers, where Aen Seidhe resides. The prophecy states that Zireael, one who could revive the world when the era of the White Frost is upon us, will be born. And now, that Zireael has awakened their Elder Blood, and she has awakened the bloodline a lot. She possesses a hundred times the power Lara Dorren or even us possess. Her existence is what drove the White Frost crazy."


    "Zireael. You mean my daughter who was tricked by the brazen human sorcerer?" Auberon had a conflicted look in his eyes. There was tenderness and guilt. "Lara Dorren was supposed to be your betrothed."


    "To be exact, it''s her descendant." Avac''h had hatred and love etched on his face. Sex was the biggest source of elven frustration. Over the course of their immortal lifespan, love between people of the same race became boring and unexciting. Some elves would fall for humans. They would be attracted and deceived by them. Lara Dorren, heir of the Elder Blood, was one of those elves, and the most famous one too. She was the culprit who let another world acquire the Elder Blood bloodline that was supposed to be kept within the Aen Elle tribe. She was also Ciri''s ancestor.


    Avac''h heaved a long sigh. "Zireael is mature now. And besides fighting the White Frost, I''ve never stopped searching for her. Through many, many historical records, I''ve gleaned enough clues to find her whereabouts." The sage created another scene. It showed a family''s bloodline in the shape of a pyramid. On the top part of that pyramid was something that read, ''Lara Dorren aep Shiadhal'' and ''Creggenan of Lod.'' The bloodline showed a few generations, including the sixth generation, Cnthe the Lioness of Cintra and her husband, Roegner de Salm.


    The seventh generation was made up of Pavetta, princess of Cintra, and Duny (Emhyr var Emreis). The final line showed a name that read, ''Lion Cub of Cintra, Ciri Fiona Elen Riannon.¡¯


    Silence fell to the room. The ruler of the Wild Hunt and the sage who knew the Elder Blood most stared at that name, saying nothing. They fell into their memories.


    "I have looked into the war for Cintra. Cnthe and her granddaughter, Ciri, bearer of the Elder Blood, disappeared. People of that world imed that she had perished, but it¡¯s not true. Caranthir, on multiple asions, detected signs of the Elder Blood. In Novigrad, Maribor, and Skellige Isles. The strongest sign happened a few years ago, in Vicovaro in the South." Avac''h paused, then he stood up, his eyes ring brightly.


    "It was as powerful as the ripple we felt hundreds of years ago, when our tribe''s heir of the Elder Blood transported the Red Riders to other worlds. This is proof that our ancestor''s bloodline remains in this world, and someone has awakened it fully."


    Avac''h looked at Auberon. "But I had to work with Eredin to lead the White Frost away for thest few years, so I had no time to handle this matter. Now that our crisis is averted for the time being, Your Majesty, I implore you to send our best troops with me to Aen Seidhe. We will bring home the tribe''s long lost bloodline. We must spare no expense for this. Just sending the phantom knights of Wild Hunt through the gate is not enough. There are powerful humans who understand the value of the Elder Blood, and they will be our enemies."


    Avac''h pleaded, "I wish Eredin and Caranthir, our strongest pilot, to join hands and send the Red Riders over to that world in their physical forms. There, they will search for Ciri."


    Over a few dozen millennia, the Red Riders were the pioneers of finding new dimensions. They were also the strongest warriors among Aen Elle. Not only did they have powerful martial arts and spells (humans learned their magic from elves), but a few of their members had learned how to harness the power of the White Frost in their long years of escaping it.


    Once they used that power, everything would die. Auberon held the golden ne around his neck. It was the symbol of a ruler. In the Elder Speech, it was called ''tor''h.''


    A moment of musingter, Auberon''s cheeks flushed red, as if he were hit somewhere tender. "When the Red Riders bring her back, then what? Avac''h, don''t tell me you agree with Eredin''s idea of having me mate with a half-blood and create a new generation of Elder Blood bearers."


    Avac''h shook his head. "A shame, but the White Frost is fast approaching. It is unrealistic to impregnate her with your child on such short notice."


    Auberon heaved a sigh of relief.


    "The best option we have is to ask Zireael to work with Caranthir and take our tribe through the gate and move away from this world. We''ll move away from the world Aen Seidhe resides in as well. Away from theing ice age."


    Auberon heaved a sigh. Ever since he was a child, the whole tribe was terrified of the White Frost. He was tired of this.


    Avac''h saw through him. He said, "As long as we have Zireael, we''ll eventually find a way to deal with the White Frost once and for all."


    "Go then, Avac''h." Auberon turned around, facing the majesticke again. He looked at the sun hanging high above. "Return Aen Elle to glory. Take Zireael back to the path she is supposed to take."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 626: Meeting on Thanedd Island

    Chapter 626: Meeting on Thanedd Ind


    The conference on the ind was bigger than Roy had anticipated. And a lot more etiquette rules involved too. On the day after they passed through the bridge leading from Gors Velen to Thanedd, they made their preparations and spent the rest of the day in Loxia, the building set in the bottommost southeast section of the ind.


    Representatives of the North were gathered here, and not just sorcerers too. Some were the aristocrats and royalty. Temeria''s nobility, Redania''s ministers, and followers of the sorcerers. Roy saw a few familiar faces. Linus Pitt from Oxenfurt and the knights of the Order of the White Rose. However, before he could say hello, he, Geralt, and Coen were dragged away by the sorceresses to pick their clothes, clean themselves up, and get to know the banquet''s etiquette.


    Even though they knew this conference would end with a big showdown, thedies refused to allow the witchers to embarrass them at any moment. They demanded the witchers show enough pizzazz before the conference. It was something ingrained in their souls throughout their lives.


    The witchers were tormented for nearly a whole day. It wasn''t until dusk was setting in did they manage to escape Loxia. They went up a flight of stairs with a group of beautifully-dressed guests to Aretuza. The pce''s central hall was structured like an open fan, easily housing more than three hundred guests. And it was a remarkably elegant ce. The gigantic candbra, decked out with illuminating spells, shone on every corner of the hall.


    The lights even made the women shine. Literally. Their faces, earrings, jewelry, and even their skin were shining like stars. It was as if they were holding a beauty pageant instead of a banquet. Roy took a look and noticed a few unfamiliardies wearing well, barely anything. It was as if covering their bodies with fabric was an insult to their beauty.


    Most men would start to feel hot and heavy once they had a look of this, but Roy was not like most men. He stayed calm and held Coral''s hand as they went around the outer ring of the hall.


    They stopped beside a table, and Roy kept Observing the people around him, but to his disappointment, not even one out of a hundred sorcerers in the hall had power that rivaled Vilgefortz. The witcher tried toy low, but his well-defined body, crisp haircut, outstanding looks, and the air of mystery, experience, and youth swirling around him made him stand out like a beacon among the gentlemen.


    One portly guest, feeling jealous, was talking bad about him. Many sorceresses looked at him, though most looked away after a nce. Some of the bolder ones would get flushed and give him seductive looks. Some would try to read his heart. If Lytta weren''t a fiery woman, they''d have asked Roy to spend the night with them.


    Roy admired the view.


    Jealous, Coral said, "Someone''s having the time of their lives. Gorgeous, aren''t they?" She gazed at Roy and dug her nails into his arm.


    "So what if they''re gorgeous? It''s none of my business." Calmly, Roy pulled the cor around him. It almost suffocated him. This shirt was thetest fashion item, and Roy thought the shirt would crush his bones. He stared at Coral, gazing at her soft, luscious lips. "The most beautiful and elegant woman is right by my side. I would look at no one but you."


    He learned how to cheer thedies up from Dandelion. Roy then gently touched Coral''s fiery hair. The sorceress'' mood turned around. She then scooped up a spoonful of caviar bathed in lemon juice and fed it to him.


    Through Yennefer, she knew that Geralt was an unromantic person, and he would overthink a lot of things. Compared to him, Roy was young, strong, and eager to learn. And he was a caring man too. <em>He''s perfect.</em>


    "Oysters, crabs, lobsters The orphanage has better food than this. And there''s not even a chair for us to sit on." Roy felt the taste of salt spreading through his mouth. He looked at the tall, slender stained ss window around them. There were depictions of many characters, and the windows stretched up to the elliptical dome overhead.


    The windows were open, allowing the chilly night breeze to gallop across the halls. The tapestry, gands, and gs hanging on the wall swayed with the winds. "The winds are blowing everywhere. Won''t they feel chilly wearing almost nothing?"


    "The point of this banquet is to socialize. They don''t have chairs because they want you to go around and talk to people. You walk, and you won''t feel the chill. We''re already here anyway, my love. Rx ande with me. We''ll have some fun. Francesca is now with the sorcerer brotherhood''s top dogs. We won''t see her for now."


    ***


    Roy and Coral walked around the outer ring of the hall, chatting as they tried to meet up with familiar friends. Triss was nearby, holding hands with She and Margarita. Thedies were engaged in a quiet conversation. To everyone''s surprise, Yennefer dragged Geralt to the center of the hall. She puffed her chest out and looked around her confidently.


    The White Wolf felt uneasy getting so much attention. He looked so awkward, he might freeze up on the spot. If he wasn''t born with a face like a dead man''s, he''d be blushing right now. "Does Yennefer have to go that far?"


    "She''s trying to show everyone Geralt is hers." Coral smiled. "He''s not bad looking. Spruce him up, and he''s an older man with history behind him. Some of my colleagues dig that type of man. Some would want to be Yennefer''s partner. They might try to steal her just for the thrill. Yen''s a proud but short-tempered woman. She has made a lot of enemies in the brotherhood. And those men can''t keep it in their pants either."


    Roy kept quiet. He noticed a curvaceous sorceress in a ck silk shirt and deep-red dress that had a slit up to her hips walking toward Yennefer, smiling brightly. She gave Yennefer a big hug and kissed the air beside her cheek. They were smiling like good friends, but the air around them was filled with enmity.


    "And there''s your first challenger." Coral scoffed. "Sabrina of Kaedwen. A harlot with no shame whatsoever."


    Sabrina was talking to Yennefer, but she kept showing off her body to Geralt, flirting with him right in front of Yennefer. She was red as an apple, as if she could do it right away if she had a table to lean on.


    Coral and Roy watched the drama unfold. To make it easier to listen, Coral even cast a spell to get rid of the noise. What happened after them struck them with disbelief.


    "Geralt performed perfectly."


    Aside from kissing Sabrina''s hand at the start, Geralt only had eyes for Yennefer after that. Ignored, Sabrina eventually left. Some of the sorcerers who were watching the show even pped.


    "I am sure Yen has trained Geralt well. I bet if any shameless mind reader tries to read Geralt''s mind, they would see nothing but love for Yennefer," said Coral knowingly. She grabbed a lock of her hair and smacked Roy''s cheek.


    Roy''s heart skipped a beat. <em>Don''t even try that kind of training with me.</em>


    And then, someone greeted Roy, breaking his train of thought. "It has been a while, Roy. How are you doingtely?" Linus came from another table, holding a ss of vodka. He was still in a ck jacket with a circr brooch pinned to his chest. Linus adjusted his sses with the other hand, a genuine smile curling his lips.


    "Never better." Roy shook his old friend''s hand. "Oh, Linus, this is Lytta Neyd, my girlfriend and a sorceress."


    Linus smiled at Coral. His severe myopia and obsession with academia made him ignore the beauty before him.


    Roy said, "I''ve always wanted to thank you for helping the children. Without you, a bunch of orphans couldn''t have gotten into Oxenfurt."


    "All because of their diligence. What I did was just a little push." Linus shook his head humbly. "Eura and Orpheil, especially, have talent. So I hired them to work at my zoo. Do you mind if I use their days off for that?"


    "I certainly don''t. This is their opportunity," Roy said dly. He asked, "This is supposed to be a summit for Northern sorcerers, though. Why''d youe here? Thought you were an Oxenfurt academician."


    Linust turned to look at a sorcerer a distance away. He was a gentleman wearing a tight purple shirt. "I came with Dorregaray." Linus narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. "This is the grandest sorcerer summit in the North over thest few years. Of course protectors of endangered animals will be here."


    Linus'' eyes shone with fighting spirit, and he extended all his fingers. "Tomorrow, before all the sorcerers, we will suggest five animal protection ideas. I trust that controllers of chaos energy are all educated people. They will understand why we''re doing this."


    Roy was stunned, and Lytta chuckled, almost a bit toothily too. "Linus, I admire your spirit and the contributions you make for the bnce of nature, but your ideas are fundamentally wrong. I am sure most sorcerers are not interested in animal protection." She raised her head proudly and pointed at Sabrina and a red-haired sorceress in a white dress. They were stealing nces at Roy. "Do you see those harlots and the heels they wear? One pair''s made out of iguana skin, while the other is made out of pearl dace skin. To them, endangered animals are nothing but resources to make them look better."


    Linus red at the despicable women, but when he looked down and saw Coral wearing heels made of horned dragon hide, he shivered, unable to talk.


    The sorceresses noticed what was going on here, and they whispered among themselves.


    "Look, that hag''s talking smack about us again." Sabrina licked her lips. "And right in front of her lover too. He''s so young, handsome, and healthy. Much more charming than Geralt, and he''s dating Lytta. Marti, I''ve never felt my heart flutter this much before."


    "That hag has no shame. He''s so much younger than she is," the red-haired sorceress said. "She must''ve put him under a spell to make him fall for her. Look at how submissive he is to her."


    "Witchers do not fall for magic like that." Sabrina shook her head.


    "Perhaps he has a thing for sorceresses?" Marti puffed her voluptuous chest out. She whispered, "Do you think we have a chance?"


    "Oh, someone''s bold. You''re trying to steal Lytta''s lover? She''ll turn you into a block of ice."


    "What if hees to us instead?" Marti gave Roy a seductive look furtively.


    "I''d say yes right away." Sabrina''s eyes twinkled. She was like a starving lioness hungry for something. "I''d do it even if it were in the woods."


    Marti had passion in her eyes. Longingly, she said, "If it were me, I''d do it in a burning pyre if that''s what it takes."


    ***


    <em>Are all the sorceresses in the brotherhood this open? </em>Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned his attention back to Linus. By force. "As you can see, Linus, thedies are not interested in animal protection. You and Dorregaray will fail."


    "You never know if you don''t try." Linus was undaunted.


    "Very well." Roy held Linus'' arm and whispered cryptically, "Don''t run around, Linus. Be careful." This conference would end up being a dangerous event. Roy didn''t want a good guy like Linus to run into any danger.


    ***


    On the other side of the venue, an elegant, white-haired woman saw someone she knew. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly came closer.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 627: Francesca

    Chapter 627: Francesca


    Compared to a few years ago, the princess of Temeria had changed. Drastically. She was in a white robe, her curves showing off a little despite the size of the clothes she was wearing. Her hair, usually untied, was now tied and slithered down her back. Her sharp eyes, aquiline nose, and strong lips were gentler now. Friendly to the eyes. Even though she had no makeup on, her looks rivaled those of the sorceresses, and she had a different kind of charm to her.


    "Good evening, Roy." Adda extended her right hand, smiling. Her eyes were twinkling. Roy bowed, kissing the back of Adda''s hand.


    "It has been years, Your Highness. You look better than ever." He was getting numb to the surprise. This meeting was different from what he remembered. Linus and Adda were not supposed to be here.


    Adda looked at Roy''s partner. "Aren''t you going to introduce this lovelydy to me?"


    Roy tried to say something, but Coral held his arm before he could. She straightened out his cor like a gentle wife, but furtively, she puffed her chest out.


    Adda froze, but it was barely noticeable. The light in her eyes dimmed. She picked up a ss of absinthe on the table and took a sip. "You look perfect together. Oh, I almost forgot. I have someone I''d like to introduce you to."


    She turned around. A burly, blonde guy in gray casual attire crossed the crowd, approaching them looking surprised. "Hey, Loi" The man''s cheeks were puffed, as if he were a squirrel hoarding food. Roy could smell the scent of salmoning off him.


    With hesitation, Roy shook the man''s wasabi-coated hand. "Grimm Sigurd? Why are you here?"


    Grimm gulped down his salmon and thumped his chest so he could breathe. With excitement, he said, "Did you forget? You told me to seek Princess Adda out. I am now going through the Lady of the Lake''s trial, protecting the great priestess of her church. By the honor of knights, once I pass the trial and crowned knight of valor, we''ll be drinking Viziman Champion till we drop. My treat."


    "You have courage. I shall be waiting." Roy made small talk with the knight who kept making oaths. He then looked at Adda. "So what brings you here, Your Highness?"


    The princess puckered her glossy lips. "It has been years since you came back to Vizima. I''m here on behalf of the Lady of the Lake to capture her irresponsible knight."


    Roy froze. Adda covered her lips, giggling. Proudly, she said, "Now the serious part. Our church, at least at Lake Vizima, is bigger than the Eternal Fire now. Lady Vivienne is busy protecting her believers, answering their prayers, and showing her power. She has no time to see you. As for the reason I''m here Well, you''re not a stranger."


    Adda led the others to a quiet corner. She carefully made a gesture, and she made sure they were surrounded by a bubble that kept their conversation silent. "Keira told me about the second segment of this meeting. The one who sent assassins after my father and the traitor of Temeria''s royal consultant is in Aretuza. I shall be working with the allies of the North and capture her."


    Adda paused, her eyes twinkling brightly. "Even as we speak, a troop of White Rose knights are hidden in Aretuza. Once the night grows old, Keira and Philippa will give us the signal, and we will go on the offensive."


    Feeling humid, Roy took off one of his buttons. <em>Temeria''s army joined this mess too? Pity they won''t be of use.</em>


    Thinking the witcher was shocked by the magnitude of this affair, a concerned Adda said, "Roy, I know you''re skilled, but this isn''t something you can join. After this, just return to your bedchambers and stay there. Once the sun rises tomorrow morning, the bloodshed should be done. The dust will have settled."


    Roy wondered if he should tell Adda his allies, a hundred strong, wereing. But then, a petite, slender sorceress in a green gauze shirt called out in their direction. The sorceress had hair the color of hay.


    "Keira''s here." Adda waved. "I have to speak to her. See you two around." She raised her absinthe to the witcher and drank it all. Her cheeks turned red, and she wiped the booze off her lips. "Take care, Roy. Come back to Vizima when you have time." She went into the crowd, her hair swaying behind her.


    ***


    "You had a past with the princess?" Coral smiled gently, watching how Roy would respond.


    "No. I just lifted her curse, that''s all." Roy shook his head, holding his feelings down. "We''re just friends."


    "The princess might not have as good a life as it seems." Coral smiled. Knowingly, she said, "Rumors say that Foltest''s mistress gave him a son not too long ago. Should that boy ascend the throne, what will happen to Adda?"


    "Married off to another kingdom''s prince?" Roy fell silent. He shook his head and adamantly said, "Adda is the great priestess of the Church of Virtue. A powerful woman by her own right. The Lady of the Lake protects her. Not even the king can make her do anything."


    History had changed. Poor Adda no longer had to marry the bald, stone-hearted prince of Redania, Radovid V.


    ***


    A littlemotion broke out in the hall, capturing everyone''s attention. Coral''s smile faded. "The heads of the brotherhood are here."


    The sorcerers made a path for the people who descended from Garstang, bowing to them. The man in the lead was a middle-aged person, and he was in simple clothes, but he looked lively.


    "Gerhart of Aelle, also known as Hen Gedymdeith. As far as the brotherhood knows, he''s the oldest member around at about five hundred years old," Coral whispered into Roy''s ears. "His mentor was Geoffrey Monck. Strongest human sorcerer in history and also the one who trapped djinns in a bottle."


    Roy perked up, and data flickered in his eyes. <em>The guy has a rich reserve of mana and masters a few hundred spells, including forbidden ones never heard before. He''s on par with Vilgefortz, but it''s a pity he doesn''t have the martial skills Vilgefortz learned from the druids. And he''s troubled by a lot of diseases, his heart condition being one of them. His health is in jeopardy.</em>


    "But do not worry. He will never betray the North."


    A lithe, ck-haired woman walked with Gerhart.


    "Tissaia, headmistress of Aretuza."


    "The one who came up with the cruel rule that mandates all Aretuza students go through a magical process to make them barren?" Roy asked.


    "Yes, but she''s a neutral person and a schr of magic." Coral had respect in her voice. "She would never aid the South."


    Roy nodded. He remembered that Tissaia released the traitors tied down by dimeritium cuffs during the meeting because of her neutral standing. That was how the political enemies got into a battle and destroyed the Northern brotherhood. Out of guilt and despair, Tissaia took her own life after the incident.


    Roy clenched his fists. <em>But this time, her fate will be rewritten.</em>


    A short, stocky, hideous man with a jeer in his eyes followed the two. Artaud Terranova, one of the brotherhood''s members. Roy remembered he was one of the traitors. And then, a beauty radiating the air of a daisy came inst. Her golden hair and grey-green dress swayed and rustled with every step she took, her elven rouge sparkling under the light.


    Contrary to the merry hall, her eyes were clear and unusually quiet, as if she were a foal that had been born. As if she were a forest kissed by a breeze.


    ***


    Francesca saw the young witcher standing among the crowd right away. To Roy''s surprise, the elven queen did not run away. Artaud gave her a mysterious look, while Philippa gave her a judging one, but she went over to Roy. She nced at the witcher quietly. And then, as if she was talking to herself, she spoke. "Don''t bring anyone else."


    She went into the quiet corridor north of the hall. Roy gave Coral a look that said, ''Stick to the n.'' He then went with the elven queen.


    ***


    "Enid an Gleanna, leader of Scoia''tael and the enduring queen of Aen Elle. Finally, we meet." Roy looked quietly at the elf a few yards away from him. The dim light shone on her gorgeous looks. Her nose was aquiline, her lips lustrous, her eyes wide and innocent. It was as if the creator made a miracle. "I have been waiting for this day for a long, long time."


    "Dh''oine. Human, Roy of the Viper School, save your hypocrisy. Let''s cut to the chase." Francesca waved a finger across the air, and an invisible magical barrier twinkled, shutting them off from everyone else. "Tell me, how did you get your hands on so many secrets? How did you know of my ties to Scoia''tael and the deal with Emhyr?"


    Roy smiled. "I''m part-elf, so not exactly human. You don''t have to hold so much hostility against me. And witchers believe in fair y. Why don''t we answer one question for each question asked? To sweeten the deal, I''ll answer your question first."


    Francesca said calmly, "Your organization killed hundreds of my brethren over the span of two operations, and you im that''s fair?"


    "You mean the operation in Novigrad or northern Ender? Say, you remember who threw the first punch?" Roy sneered, his gaze turning icy. "So you''re saying we shouldn''t fight back when we''re threatened and instead should just let you kill us?"


    Francesca held her talisman tightly, but she didn''t feel as calm as she was. Roy stared at her for a while, then he nodded. "No objections? Then we''ll y by my rules. The answer for your question is Vilgefortz. I found out everything about you through the middleman. Like how you sent Scoia''tael members to attack the North in order to gain the trust and promise of Emhyr. All so he would help you regain Dol thanna and aid you in the rebuilding of the elven kingdom after the second war begins."


    "If you''re trying to turn us against each other, that is not working. He would never betray me." Francesca frowned, tilting her head. A hint of fury red in her eyes. It was as if she''d just heard her best friend ndered.


    "You''re right. He did not sell you out. His legacy, however, contains evidence of your conspiring with the South."


    "Legacy? You mean Vilgefortz is dead?" Francesca shook her head. "A regr witcher like you could not kill him."


    Roy shrugged nonchntly. "I was no match for him, but his ambition got the better of him, and he crossed a god. In the end, the universe''s aurora killed him, and not a shred of him remains. He would have never given up his grasp on the brotherhood if he were still alive."


    Francesca found this uneptable. She frowned, falling into her pensive thoughts.


    Roy waited for a moment. "Now it is my turn. Mdy, please answer my question honestly and in as much detail as possible, or this conversation will be difficult to go on."


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 628: Choice

    Chapter 628: Choice


    A sea of thoughts swam through Roy''s mind. It would be too sudden if he asked her about the Wild Hunt''s waypoint. So instead, he wanted to find an answer about a question that had been on his mind for a while now. "I am not interested in your fight, politics, and conspiracy against humanity. All I want to know is the rtionship you share with Aen Seidhe. Are you close, estranged, or hostile? I am sure Vilgefortz doesn''t know of that secret."


    Francesca was smiling, but her gaze remained calm.


    "It''s my turn to ask now. All you have to do is answer the question," Roy said.


    Francesca was silent for a few moments, and she answered, "It''splex. The fact you''re asking this question must mean you know of our history. I will not exin that. Ever since I was a child, the tribes'' leaders have never stayed in contact because of their differences in ideology. Only the Aen Saevherne, or what you humans call sage, still remain in little contact through long-distance magic."


    Roy nodded. <em>If there''s contact, there''s something to go on. </em>"Ideology differences?"


    "Aen Elle does not make anything for themselves. Instead, they prefer pilfering the resources and essences of other civilizations to bolster themselves. Aen Seidhe despises the endless invasions and wars. We are willing to coexist in peace with all races. We prefer changing the world into a perfect home through our wits."


    Roy looked at Francesca like he just heard the biggest joke getting cracked. "You prefer peace, so you ask Scoia''tael to kill the innocents?"


    "You are that ignorant?" Francesca shook her head in disappointment, her hair brushing her face. "More than five hundred years ago, Aen Seidhe was the true ruler of thisnd, but after their firstnding, the cunning humans pretended to befriend us. Under our aid, they survived, thrived, and learned magic. Through their beastlike ability to reproduce, they bolstered their numbers."


    Francesca sneered. "In the end, the humans spat in our faces and forced their saviors into a corner. They forced the dwarves to retreat into the caves of Mahakams. They took over the cities and infrastructures we built and chased us into the barrennds of the Blue Mountains. What we''re doing is nothing but payback for humanity''s actions. We are just taking back our homnd."


    She extended her left hand and clenched it. The elf said, "Aen Seidhe hates wars, but we are no cowards. We are just doing to the humans what they did to us."


    ***


    <em>Hah. You elves weren''t kind to the natives of thisnd when younded, </em>Roy thought. "So do you still think Aen Elle''s ideology to pilfer worlds is wrong?"


    "Aen Seidhe are rebels, not invaders." Light shed on Francesca''s face. "All we want is Dol thanna, a ce for Aen Seidhe to thrive. After that, we will stop our operations. We will never invade any kingdoms. If we do, then how are we different from those disgusting humans?"


    Roy stared at the elven queen. <em>She has her own brand of pride. </em>The witcher''s opinion on Scoia''tael changed, though only slightly.


    I have answered without reservations. Now it is my turn to ask." Francesca gave Roy a quizzical look. "A few years ago, Eveline escaped to the Blue Mountains and gave me a message. You imed you could find a piece ofnd for my kind to thrive, and they would never have to sacrifice themselves again. That was a brazen im. Not even the emperor of Nilfgaard can make that promise. You are at loggerheads with Scoia''tael, so why are you showing kindness to us? Because of the elven blood in your body, or because of Eveline?"


    "That''s part of the reason. Eveline is like a sister to me. I have good memories of her, and I do not wish to watch her kill innocent people. Her heart suffers because of that, and I don''t want to see her leave." Roy was honest. "And I''m not just doing this for free. I''d like to make a deal with you. I get a piece ofnd for you, while you"


    "I do not remember witchers having the power to give elves a piece of sovereignnd in the North," Francesca interrupted, her gaze icy. "I think I realize what you''re doing. You''re here on behalf of a Northern king. Is it Vizimir II or Foltest?"


    "Don''t take this the wrong way. I have no interest in being an errand boy for any king." Roy smiled proudly. "Thend I talk about is neither in the North or South."


    "It''s in another world?" Reminded of something, Francesca''s breathing stopped for a moment, her eyes narrowed.


    "You guessed it. It''s the world Aen Elle is in. All we need now is a waypoint, and I''m sure the sage in the Blue Mountains knows it. Find the waypoint and give it to me. That''s one of my terms."


    Francesca mused over the option. Roy put his hands behind his back and circled her, enjoying the view of the beautiful elven queen. "Aen Seidhe and Aen Elle descend from Aen Undod. Despite your long separation, you can still merge as one and change your rtionship. The world of Aen Elle is massive. The natives have all been killed off, and they have enoughnd to house ten Aen Elle tribes. There will be no humans there to conspire against you. And Auberon is wizened. The tribe he leads no longer has the Elder Blood required forrge-scale invasions. The only one fantasizing about a revival are the Red Riders. On the other hand, you are young, full of life, and descended from the same tribe as Aen Elle. You can travel to their world and take over their tribe. Then there will be no difference in ideology anymore."


    The witcher was like a demon, tempting the elven queen to make a choice. No elf of her tribe ever made such a unique point. Despite their distance, the two tribes could merge and live in the same world once more.


    "This is a pipe dream." Francesca smirked in disdain. "Auberon will never agree to this. The difference is almost impossible to bridge. And our worlds are separated by a distance bigger than the difference between our tribes. How can I even send my kind there?"


    Roy calmly but adamantly said, "Auberon, the Wild Hunt diehards, and the logistics are all on me. If you ept my terms, then after the conflict tonight is resolved, we can start making ns."


    "What makes you think you can settle this?"


    "The Elder Blood. Why do you think I know about the elven tribes'' secrets?"


    Francesca felt like she was stabbed. She stared at the witcher in disbelief, the look on her face changing. <em>The Elder Blood. Blood of space-time. The blood of prophecy, but how did a bloodline of that statute get entangled with a mere witcher? </em>She held down her questions and shook her head stubbornly. "No, there''s no need to do that. Why should I go through so many hoops to travel to another world? I have a better choice. Once the second war begins, Emhyr will give us Dol thanna as promised, and my kind will have our ownnd."


    "I agree," Roy said. "Emhyr is a man of his word. After all your kind did, you deserve a reward, but what about the time <em>before </em>the war? How many of your kind will die before you reim yournd? Nilfgaard does not have the element of surprise this time, and your attempt on the Northern kings'' lives has failed. The army of Nilfgaard will face resistance theyve never seen before. This will be a long war, and you know what kind of army Scoia''tael is?" Roy questioned.


    The elven queen''s shoulders shivered.


    "Call it a vanguard troop if you want. That''s a euphemism. They''re nothing but cannon fodder. No doubt Emhyr will ask Scoia''tael to do battle in the deadliest, most intense battlefields. ces like that are gigantic meat grinders. The only thing Scoia''tael can do is have theirst hurrah and die. When the war closes its curtains, how many of them will be left? Five out of ten? Three out of ten? One out of ten?"


    The witcher''s words pierced Francesca''s hearts like a rain of knives.


    "But that''s not the end. The remaining Scoia''tael members will have misfortune rain on them as well. Emhyr will ask them to disrupt the North''s defense line until every single one of them is dead. They will be nothing more than candles that burn themselves into wax and ash. When the wind blows, not a trace of them will be left. After Emhyr takes over the North, he will, for his reputation, ask the elven queen he appointed, to cut ties with Scoia''tael. And to gather the people''s confidence in him, he will ask you to hand over thest of Scoia''tael. The ones who killed the children, the women, and the elderly. The ones the people of the North hate more than the Nilfgaardian army. They will be scapegoats and sacrificed for the people''s fury. Thest sacrifice of royalty."


    Everything Roy said came from his memory. The more Francesca thought about it, the more she couldn''t argue. She nched.


    Roy looked at the elven queen quietly. There was pity in his eyes. "Enid an Gleanna, queen of Aen Seidhe. Once your deal with Emhyr is done and you take back Dol thanna, the lucky elven children will be breathing the air of freedom. They will have fertilends and woods to enjoy and thrive in. But what about the tattered bodies of Scoia''tael members who died in the war? Who will give them a proper burial and clear their name?"


    Francesca couldn''t answer that.


    "And where will their souls rest? In a stranger''snd that''s not even their home?"


    The question echoed in the air. Francesca looked at the dark night outside, tears streaming down her cheeks. <em>I am sorry, </em>she said in her heart, but the dead couldn''t hear her.


    "Choose Emhyr, and all the surviving Scoia''tael members will die horrible deaths," Roy said. "Choose me, and you can prevent more deaths from happening. Including today''s."


    "Today?" Francesca''s voice trembled.


    "You think your operation is that covert?" Roy stomped the ground beneath him. "The consultants of the Northern kings have set up a trap for you. You and the Scoia''tael members hiding in the cer are like mice in mouse traps."


    ***


    A long whileter, Francesca let out a sigh, her eyes filled with worry and dilemma. "Roy, which side are you on? The South or the North?"


    "I lean to the North, but I have no interest to interfere any more than necessary. I just want to strike a deal with you. If you take it,e into the hall with me in five minutes. Confess to everyone that you''re Nilfgaard''s spy and renounce Emhyr. And then Aen Seidhe will be released from the storm of politics."


    That was Triss and Coen''s request. They wanted to pull Scoia''tael out of the South''s side and get Aen Seidhe on the anti-Wild Hunt team. Francesca inhaled sharply and put on an exaggerated look.


    "I am impressed by your insight of war, but now you''re acting like an arrogant fool. What makes you think I would give up years of nning, end my operation, and betray Emhyr? He is my only way out. Just because you''re the bearer of the Elder Blood? Just because of a n that hasn''t even started yet? Or is there something more?"


    "I prefer to speak through actions. Just wait. You''ll understand in due time." Roy''s eyes shed like the sun, shining on the night sky beyond the corridor''s windows.


    In a ce far, far away, a sea of bats was quietly flying across the bridge over the seas, heading toward Aretuza, the building within the gigantic defense circle.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 629: Sudden Change

    Chapter 629: Sudden Change


    Philippa was hiding behind the crimson curtains in the corner, looking through the crack. She was observing the shadows of the witcher and the elven queen talking in the corridor. "Perhaps the witcher has banded with that Scoia''tael harlot. We should attack now."


    "You''re too sensitive. Witchers are neutral people. They never interfere with politics." Sigismund, the spy of Vizimir II, rubbed his head. He was over two hundred poundsrge and had skin fair as a pig that just got washed. "Don''t forget, they massacred Scoia''tael in Novigrad. The grudge between them runs deep. It''s very unlikely they would strike a partnership."


    "But it''s been a while since they talked, and they opened up a protective barrier. Don''t tell me the witcher is apologizing?"


    "Not courteous to talk about someone behind their back." Yennefer appeared quietly from behind the saffron curtains, staring quietly at Vizimir''s trusted ministers.


    <em>She heard us. </em>Philippa nched. A sea of thoughts swarmed her head, and she stared at Yennefer''s face. <em>No, she already knows about what will happen tonight.</em>


    Sigismund took a deep breath, his chest almost bursting his shirt''s buttons. He slid his left hand to his lower back, but then he saw the white-haired maning in with Yennefer. His face scrunched up, and he let his hand go. Trying to fight a weapons master was akin to suicide.


    "Calm down, you two. I might be part-elf, but I have no intention of helping the Scoia''tael attack my colleagues." Yennefer''s eyes shone with disdain. "Philippa, rx your pinky and dispel the mana. Don''t spoil this friendly event with your spell that''s perfectly uncalled for."


    Philippa heaved a sigh and exchanged a look with Sigismund. "Who leaked the secret? That loudmouth Keira, or was it Triss?"


    "Not important. The important thing is Thanedd is a sacrosanct ce for magic. It should not witness any bloodshed because of mere political differences." Yennefer swung her hair back and solemnly said, "And yet you''re trying to create a battle just to suck up to the Northern kings and their impulsive n. So many of your colleagues will be hurt. Even Aretuza, the pride of magical academia that has stood for a thousand years, will be turned into ruins."


    Philippa shot Yennefer a re. "Are you telling me what to do, Yen? You''re a smart woman. Why can''t you see what''s going on?" Philippa looked through the curtains'' cracks at the crowd in the hall. "More than half of the people here are my loyal allies and defenders of the North, even your old me, Dethmold. Once weunch into the offensive, we''ll capture the traitors right away. And you guys only have three witchers and three sorceresses on your side. The difference in power is obvious. What makes you think you can talk to me like that?"


    She chuckled and dusted Yennefer''s chest like a queen who was concerned about her minister. "You have two choices. Join us, or be apprehended. Once the dust has settled, I''ll give you a chance to prove your innocence before our colleagues."


    Yennefer raised her head, giving her answer silently. As if having his order, Geralt took a step back and turned a little, clenching his fists.


    "I know you can fight, but you''re not faster than magic." Sigismund put on a warning smile, his eyes turning into slits. "Make a move, and your pretty face will be charred worse than a burning pig."


    "One more word from you and I''ll break your leg."


    Sigismund''s face trembled. Yennefer patted Geralt''s shoulder. "I''ve told you we don''t support the South, but a word of advice: stop your operation while you still can."


    Philippa''s face fell. "If you love to take the moral high ground so much, why don''t you go into the hall and tell the traitors to submit?"


    "I was going to do that, but the process won''t be nice. If you don''t want to get hurt, stay with me and do as I say."


    Yen, you''ve long abandoned the council''s position, and you are no longer a royal consultant. You have no position or power. What makes you think you can talk to me like that?" Philippa sneered and shook her head in disdain.


    "The arrogant consultant of Redania''s royalty, I''ve always wanted to tell you this: you''re not the only ones with allies." Yennefer felt the thrill of vengeance coursing through her heart. She turned to the window, where ck shadows flickered through the night. No one noticed them.


    ***


    Footsteps echoed in the hall, ripples ring in the air. Fabric rustled as guests walked. The sorcerers were starting to smell like alcohol. Some were whispering to one another, while some wereughing.


    Gerhart of Aelle was wiping the sweat off his forehead, his cheeks green, as if he were suffocating. The old sorcerer was breathing heavily, clutching his heaving chest with one hand. Humans, unlike elves, did not possess long lifespans. Even with magic modifying their bodies, 500 years was already ancient for them. A few hours of banquet took all he had.


    Tissaia patted the back of Gerhart, looking at Lytta and Triss apologetically. "Sorry, but Gerhart''s heart isn''t in the best condition. He cannot chat for too long."


    "It''s alright. We just want to give a word of advice." Triss looked at Margarita, Tissaia, and Gerhart. The three highest ranking sorcerers in the brotherhood who chose to be neutral no matter what. "Just in case of a heart attack, summon Marti the healer over so she can help out if anything happens."


    Tissaia mused over it and did as she was asked to. "Thank you for the concern,dies, but why bring it up all of a sudden? Do you know something we don''t?" Tissaia lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is someone trying to break the rules andunch an attack?"


    <em>Not humans, though, </em>said Coral and Triss in their minds.


    "Wait, what is that? Seagulls?" Gerhart looked at the night skies outside the window. "Tissaia, I thought Aretuza''s protective barrier can stop all bats, bugs, and birds froming in. How did seagulls even get near the pce?"


    "No, I can feel that the barrier is working as usual. Are you seeing things?" Tissaia looked outside the window and stopped talking. She had a look of bemusement on her face.


    ***


    "I have a feeling weve been made." Artaud swung his head around uneasily, pacing around. He was like an oversized marmot bobbing his head around the ins. "Should we summon Francesca and make our move?"


    "Launching the attack now is too risky. Best if we wait until tomorrow, when everyone is in Garstang. Once the dimeritium barrier kicks in, our Scoia''tael allies can do what they do best." Fercart looked around cautiously, nervous like someone who''d just lit up a bunch of explosives.


    "Taking a risk is better than apprehension. Think about it. I''m one of the brotherhood''s highest ranking members, while you are Foltest''s consultant, yet we''re working for Emhyr as spies. Do you have any idea what happens if the n fails? It''s a straight walk to Tretogor''s gallows."


    "Quiet. That mutant with tri-colored eyes is watching us from under the pir on the left. What''s he trying to do?"


    "Ignore him. He can''t do anything when so many people are arou Hold on, what''s that sound? Do you hear that?"


    A thud and something akin to a scream came from outside the hall. The traitors looked out the window. The sorcerers who were killing time with Gwent, booze, chat, and making out heard the sounds too.


    "Something''s flying outside." Anky man in an oversized robe leaned on the wall, burping drunkenly. And then he was shocked. Something odd appeared before his eyes. It had crimson eyes, webbed wings, and fangs in its maw.


    "It''s a bat?" Dorregaray, the naturalist from Cidaris, put down his wine ss and praised, "I''ve never noticed this. Never knew Thanedd had a species of bat I''ve never seen before."


    Linus adjusted his sses. Passion red in his eyes, and he asked, "Can you capture a few of them so I can keep them in Oxenfurt?"


    "Peculiar interest you have there." The man burped. "This bat''s bigger than my head. Maybe it''s venomous too." The sorcerer shook his head, and then he had a weird look on his face. "Well, I''ll be. More bats? Wait, this isn''t normal. Everyone, look out!"


    A steam of crimson light shed through the night, and shadows swam through the darkness. The sea roared, and the waves shattered as they crashed onto the walls of Thanedd. The brightly-lit pce of Aretuza dimmed as an ocean of bats gathered in the night, blocking the moon''s light. They covered the shining stained ss windows of the pce, covering the structure in ayer of thick ck scarf.


    The bats came quietly, without even radiating a hint of mana. The sorcerers only realized what was happening when the bats were right before them.


    s, it was toote.


    Supersonic waves reverberated through the air like sledgehammers, and screams exploded everywhere. Destructive, hellish magic poured forth, and the windows shattered. The ivy and vines surrounding the walls were snapped into pieces, and they fell with the ss shards. Rumblings spread through the statues of a farmer and a nymph at the entrance, all the way to the hall.


    The chandeliers hanging above shook violently, and the mes on the magical candbras flickered, illuminating faces pale and in agony.


    Caught by surprise, the sorcerers swayed and wobbled as if they had drunk. Then they fell.


    Within the chaos, Tissaia shouted, "Marti, save Gerhart! He''s having a heart attack! He can''t hold on much longer!"


    <em>This is an opportunity. </em>Fercart and Artaud shook their heads. Since no one was looking, they quickly made gestures, and a surge of suffocating chaos energy sted forth from their hands.


    However, Coen, who''d been keeping an eye on these traitors, shoved a st of Aard forward and cancelled their spell. Like a jaguar, he leapt ahead and mmed an uppercut into Artaud''s chin. The sorcerer''s head jerked back, and he flew away, falling limply on his colleague''sp, blood spurting from his nose and mouth.


    "The witchers murdered someone!" Fercart hurled a fireball at Coen. The mes roared brightly, though it hit nothing but air. Eventually, it lit up a tapestry with a boat embroidered on it. Before he could cast another spell, a punch came to his face.


    Fercart saw stars, and he fell unconscious.


    Then the bats swarmed into the halls. A few sorcerers managed to react fast enough. They tossed beams and energy balls at the bats, but they passed through them like air. Eventually, the spells disappeared into thin air.


    Caught by surprise, the sorcerers couldn''t cast anyrge-scale spells, and they didn''t want to hurt their colleagues. Thanks to that, the bats could spread without fear. In the end, they became a gigantic cloud hanging overhead, and they fell.


    mes burst through the halls. Screams and gasps spread through the darkness. The light of magic dimmed. Thuds rang in the air. The sorcerers screeched in terror and grunted in pain. Tables flew everywhere, and the ground was covered in booze. The hall was plunged into chaos.


    And it onlysted for moments. The chaos came to an end, and deadly silence ensued. The whole of Aretuza was plunged into viscous darkness, robbing everyone''s sight, but then the wriggling darkness merged into gaunt silhouettes. All were cloaked in ck. All were sickly pale. All were slender and had lips red as blood. They stood behind all the guests silently, like shadows.


    Moments ago, the best sorcerers of the North were chatting happily, but now they were taken as hostage, unable to move. They couldn''t even move a finger, so all they could do was stare in horror.


    This was more preposterous than any nightmare they could conjure. Not even the horrific battle at Sodden Hill could hit the brotherhood this hard.


    And then, slow footsteps echoed in the air, scaring the sorcerers. Everyone turned to see who came in. Roy entered from a corridor, his hands behind his back. The witcher was calm, as if he were walking through his own home.


    The mysterious, powerful people in ck bowed to him humbly, making a path to the hall''s center for him. Francesca followed Roy quietly. She was calm on the outside, but her panicked footsteps and erratic breathing betrayed her true thoughts.


    <em>I prefer to speak through actions.</em>


    And she knew what the witcher meant.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 630: The Dust Is Settled

    Chapter 630: The Dust Is Settled


    Most sorcerers still thought witchers were the same thing they were a hundred years ago. Nothing but obsolete experiments that should''ve died out. Witchers had always been neglected by humans and sorcerers. They were treated with disdain and scorn. No matter where they were, witchers belonged to a lowly fringemunity.


    Despite their skills and frequent killings of powerful monsters across the world, all they had going for them was strength. They should not be treated as a sorcerer''s equal. Thetter could control chaos energy, after all. Despite years of effort, all the witcher brotherhood managed to do was to tten part of the mountain of discrimination thrown on them.


    However, as the sorcerers in Aretuza watched Roying in, their stereotype about witchers was shattered. Their pride and arrogance was destroyed by someone they used to look down on. This was a total defeat. If they weren''t locked down by invisible magic, some of the more arrogant sorcerers would''ve taken their own lives out of shame and fury.


    Roy ignored the looks he was given. He snapped his fingers, and someone breathed heavily. Linus, who was beside the vase in the east, Adda and Grimm, who were under the tapestry in the west, Philippa and Sigismund before the saffron curtains in the south, Tissaia, Margarita, and a few neutral sorcerers beside the golden pir in the north, were released from their bondage.


    They did not start screaming, however.


    Linus gulped. He turned around, looking at the cloaked figure in fear. "What is going on, Roy? How did the bats turn into humans?"


    "You''ll have your answer soon." Roy leapt onto the table in the center, where candbras and food sat. He looked around, making sure everyone could see him. And he raised his voice. "Sorcerers of the brotherhood and esteemed guests from all the realms, I''m sorry for interrupting your event and using a bit of your time, but by the name of the witcher brotherhood, we mean you no harm. Once this affair is settled, most of you will walk away safely."


    "I''ve heard of the five witcher schools, but what''s a witcher brotherhood? What do you want to do?" Annoyed by how Roy was acting even more pompous than a king, a sorceress stomped her foot, but she couldn''t even speak up strongly. "Working with the Southern sorcerers to hold us at gunpoint? Are you working for Emhyr var Emreis?"


    "The witcher brotherhood is just an organization made by nameless people so we can thrive." Roy met eyes with Geralt and Coen, his voice traveling through the hall. "But we serve no kingdom. Everything we do, we do to aid the brotherhood''s members."


    And then footsteps rang from the hall''s entrance. Eyes ring like balls of fire appeared in the night, then lean witchers came in, twin swords behind their backs. The oldest witchers, Vesemir and Ivar, took the vanguard. The youngest witchers, with Carl in the lead, took the rear guard. They passed through the crowd and came to Roy''s side, where they stared at the noble hostages around them.


    The sorcerers felt their souls freezing up when the witchers looked at them, and they shivered. <em>An army of mutants has been hiding right under our noses? But they''re almost extinct. Where did they get so many new members?</em>


    Roy nodded at hispanions and continued, "Our brotherhood isn''t just made of sorcerers and witchers. All of you are well-read. Do you know who the people behind you really are?"


    "Higher vampires?" Margarita answered hesitantly.


    Everyone froze, and they breathed heavier. Higher vampires. One of the strongest and most mysterious creatures in the world. The apex predators. The brotherhood had nothing but scarce information about them. They were as rare as dragons. Every time they appeared, they would leave disaster and death in their wake. Most sorcerers couldn''t even see one in their whole lives, yet today, they were listening to the orders of a witcher. It was unbelievable.


    The witcher standing on the table was feeling more titanic with each passing moment. Tissaia sped her hands before her chest. With a trembling voice, she asked, "So is this an honor? Should we thank you for not killing us? Witcher, I made an exception for you and allowed your entry to this banquet because of Coral and Yen. This is how you repay us? By capturing all the brotherhood''s members and humiliating us?" She looked at Gerhart in worry. "Your rude behavior has caused the greatest sorcerer in the North to suffer a heart attack. His life is at stake. Marti, keep up the procedure!"


    The red-haired sorceress on the ground gnashed her teeth. She pushed down on the elderly sorcerer''s chest with her lightning-covered hands. Gerhart''s chest jerked, and he grunted, his eyes snapping open. His breathing was still weak, but at least he survived.


    A collective sigh of relief spread through the hall. If Gerhart were to die, the brotherhood would be severely impacted.


    "Once again, I apologize. I did not mean you any harm. I told Coral and Triss to remind you of what might happen," Roy said. "But I have to say, a swiftmotion is better than an all-out battle that''ll take the lives of many and ruin Thanedd as well as the Northern brotherhood."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Philippa felt her eyes twitch.


    "Don''t y dumb, people. This banquet might look peaceful and happy on the outside" Roy said knowingly, extending his fingers. He felt a rush of air passing through the cracks. "But in reality, there''s deadly danger hiding within, all because of someone''s political differences. Tissaia, only neutral guys like you have no idea what''s really going on under the surface."


    Tissaia looked upset. No, more than upset. ''This is the sorcerer brotherhood, not any royal pce. Don''t drag any politics into this."


    "Tissaia, you have to ept the truth." Triss flung her hair back and went around her mentor. She looked at Roy, and the witcher nodded. "No one told you the truth before this, so I''ll exin everything. Once I''m done, you''ll understand where the witcher brotherhood stands, and why we do this. All the sorcerer brotherhood members here are split into three factions."


    Triss'' voice was silvery, and she looked cute as ever, but there was an air of imperious majesty around her. Everyone listened to her. "First, the royal consultants for the Northern Realms: Phillipa from Redania, Keira and I from Temeria, Radcliffe from Aedirn, and Sabrina from Kaedwen. We stand with the North and vehemently oppose the South. Phillipa is prepared tounch an ambush at midnight tonight and capture all the traitors."


    The conspiring sorcerers hiding in the shadows nched.


    "Is that true?" Margarita looked at the consultant for Redanian royalty and Sigismund in disbelief. "You''re going tounch a coup today and apprehend your colleagues?"


    "Whose side are you on, Triss? Why''d you tell everyone about our ns? You just ruined everything!" Philippa was red with fury. The mana raging around her was making the witchers'' medallions buzz, but then the higher vampires shot her killer looks. Philippa shivered and swallowed her words, feeling mortified.


    "I did not betray the brotherhood. Let me finish." Triss looked around. Unperturbed, she continued. "The second faction will be those who remain neutral in politics. The magical schrs. Tissaia, Gerhart, Margarita, Marti, Dorregaray of Cidaris, Cadouin of Kovir"


    The people she called nodded, agreeing that they were neutral.


    "And the third faction. The traitors hiding among us." She red at the stocky man. "One of the five highest ranking members of the brotherhood, Artaud Terranova."


    "You insubordinate, nonsensical harlot!" Artaud swung his dimeritium shackles, shouting at Triss.


    Coen mmed his fist into Artaud''s nose. The sorcerer''s nose broke, and blood spurted everywhere. He fell down screaming, curled up like a fat cooked shrimp.


    "Witchers, please do not torment my colleagues." Tissaia''s face was contorted in pain. She said solemnly, "Or I will make you pay no matter what." As the de facto administrator of Aretuza, she had mastered many powerful spells. She had enough power to crush any invaders, but if she cast any spells, all her colleagues would die as well.


    "He''s not innocent!" Philippa roared. She thought the witchers were on her side. "Redania''s spies have found evidence of Terranova''s conspiracy with the South. There''s a list of traitors hidden in his room!"


    Portly Sigismund bowed at Tissaia from a distance away. "If you''d like to see it, mdy, I can get the evidence and present it to you."


    Tissaia pursed her lips and turned away. Artaud was the color of a headstone, his strength failing him.


    Triss continued, "The second traitor is Fercart, former consultant for Foltest."


    The ck-haired man beside Artaud, simrly cuffed, shivered. He could feel the looks of suspicion his colleagues around him were giving him, and it pricked his skin. He was humiliated, and he flew into a rage. "Go to hell, you shameless slut! Don''t even try to sully my name!"


    "Shut it! His Majesty Foltest and I have already known of your disgusting actions." Adda shook her head, her eyes burning coldly. "The moment you turned your back on your conscience and took Emhyr''s gold, you should''ve seen this daying. Grimm, shut their mouths. I do not want to hear these traitors saying anything. They disgust me."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    ***


    "And the third traitor alsoes from the brotherhood. The deceased Vilgefortz."


    "Impossible!" Tissaia roared. "Vilgefortz led the resistance against Nilfgaard in Sodden Hill! He would never conspire with the South!"


    "You''re right!" Philippa spoke again. The more panicked those neutral sorcerers were, the happier she was. "Emhyr remembers that battle, so he made up his mind to wipe out all sorcerers from the chessboard. First, he contacted the hero of the battle, Vilgefortz. He then bribed him with glory and power. Once the South attacks the North, under the help of Fercart and Terranova, our hero would''ve taken over the new provinces of Nilfgaard."


    "Vilgefortz''s assistant, Lydia, has joined the witcher brotherhood. She is in a Gors Velen inn as we speak. I can summon her to attest to our statement."


    Tissaia said nothing more. The captured sorcerers were looking at her differently. Two spies were hiding in the council of five. They wondered if


    "Go on, Triss!" Philippa was rosy with excitement. She felt an orgasmic ecstasying out of her body. It was fun humiliating the hypocritical neutral sorcerers and allies of the South right in front of everyone. <em>Oh, witchers. You''re so lovable.</em>


    "The fourth traitor is Francesca." Triss turned to the elvendy beside Roy. She was elegant, her hair tied into a braid. "Emhyr promised freedom for elves and and to themselves. Thatnd goes by the name of Dol thanna, and so, Francesca betrayed the North."


    "So why isn''t she captured?" Philippa didn''t go on a frontal assault. She wasn''t sure how the witchers would deal with Francesca.


    "I do not believe she''s a traitor." Tissaia looked at Francesca expectantly, praying that she would deny the allegations.


    Margarita, the weakened Gerhart, and all allies of elfkind turned to Francesca, holding their breaths. Francesca met eyes with the witcher on the table, and she smiled bitterly. Now that she''d joined him in this event, her and her kind had no other choice. They had nowhere else to go.


    Locks of golden hair brushed her cheek. The most beautiful woman in the world, the Daisy of the Valley, Francesca, spoke in a singsong voice, telling everyone the thing Roy requested her to. "My brethren, the Scoia''tael, are hiding in the cer, waiting to ambush and kill all Northern sorcerers in Garstang tomorrow, where a dimeritium barrier will be erected. <em>Vavortame, Dh''oieadi</em>. That is all I can say to you, humans."


    Her voice was beautiful, but the things she said were chilling. Tissaia hung her head low, hope dashed. Gerhart held his chest and coughed violently, disappointment filling his face. What Francesca said hurt the hearts of all who stood with non-humans.


    "The irony. You guys started this meeting just to convince the royal consultants to pressure our kings into stopping the oppression on non-humans, but this elven bitch was plotting to kill her allies."


    Philippa grinned and turned to Roy and hispanions. "Witchers, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. If your higher vampire allies hadn''t interfered, the oue of this battle would still be uncertain."


    And just like that, Philippa snapped all the sorcerers out of their stupor. Not only were there consultants and spies of the Northern Realms in the hall, but there were also traitors and Scoia''tael hiding among them, ready to kill. The North and South would fight again, and only the ones who stayed neutral were in the dark. If the witchers hadn''t interfered and kept everyone under control, a fierce battle would''ve happened, and the results would be devastating.


    When they realized the horrifying truth that would''ve happened, the sorcerers thought it wasn''t bad being captured.


    With Marti''s help, Gerhart stood up. He had a weird look on his face, and he asked, "So this is your brotherhood''s goal, Roy? To stop the coup on Thanedd?" Over his long, long life, he''d never seen help delivered in such a unique way. It was annoying how pushy Roy was, but he had to thank the witcher.


    "Just in a day''s work." Roy nodded. "You should thank Triss, Coral, and Yennefer. If it weren''t for their reluctance to see your members killing one another and Aretuza turning into ruins, we''d never have done this. My brotherhood''s not interested in this matter."


    "Don''t you think this is a bit harsh? Couldn''t you have done it in a gentler way?" Margarita patted her chest. The sudden change was still making her reel. "Couldn''t you have told us about the dangers in secret so we could prepare for it?" She held the arm of Coral, her best friend and Roy''s lover. Mustering her courage, she said, "You''re just trying to show your strength and protest to the sorcerers who have been nothing but arrogant."


    Roy smiled, but he said nothing. The disgraced sorcerers felt their blood boil, but all they could do was turn an angry red.


    "Headmistress, you''re too obsessed with magic, and it''s fried your brain. Sorcerers only respect people with knowledge, status, or power. Of course the witchers have to demonstrate their power to keep things under control." Philippa roared inughter. She looked at Roy with passion and damiration. "I like how you do things. Straightforward and decisive. You nip all the problems in the bud so things will happen how you want them to."


    "Very smart," praised Tissaia, though she didn''t fully mean that. "You have seeded. I now see how precarious andplex a situation Thanedd is in. I understand why you did what you had to. So before any harm is done, can you release everyone? By the name of Thanedd''s headmistress, no one will get back at you. I will not allow that to happen."


    "They''d think twice before they try to do anything." Gerhart stroked his beard and smiled. He added, "If they do harm you, they''ll then have to figure out how to escape an army of higher vampires. And today''s experience is an interesting one. More than a hundred higher vampires standing with us."


    Roy fell silent, musing. The sorcerers were silent too, afraid Roy would refuse Tissaia''s request.


    "Hey, don''t release them just yet. You missed a group of people," Philippa quickly interrupted. "Cuff Francesca, the Scoia''tael guys in the cer, and all the remaining traitors. I, Sabrina, Radcliffe, Keira, and Triss are going to deal with them. No survivors will be left."


    Fercart and Terranova were horrified. If the Northern Realms'' consultants took them away, they would die.


    "What do you want to do? Tie them to the stake?" Tissaia retorted, arguing, "They will be judged by us. The affairs of magical academia should not have anyone''s political stance involved."


    "These traitors broke my heart, but they haven''t done anything that''s too big to heal. They don''t deserve death." Margarita shrugged, looking at Coral with a plea in her eyes, but Coral shook her head.


    She didn''t want to leave any potential hazards alive to threaten the brotherhood. Gerhart, an ally of elves, said nothing. He was tired of this incessant fighting.


    "You want the brotherhood to deal with them? What, you''ll lock them up for decades so they can <em>repent</em>?" Philippaughed mirthlessly. "And then these criminals will escape because of one small oversight, then they''ll go to the South ande back to us for revenge. They''ll destroy Aretuza."


    "Enough. Don''t try to destroy the brotherhood''s unity with conjectures." Tissaia punched the pir, her billowing hair covering her face. "Triss, you work for the Northern kings, while Fercart and Artaud are serving a ruler as well. They only picked the South because they were blinded by power. The North and South are nothing but political cesspools for the world of magical academia. They are both the same. Fercart and Artaud are a part of ourmunity. They should be given a second chance."


    The sorcerers fell into silence, musing over Tissaia''s speech.


    "People, I agree with the fact that magic should not be differentiated by borders." Sigismund suddenly bowed to the sorcerers, his eyes twinkling with justice. And then, he loudly said what he''d been trying to say, "But don''t forget, sorcerers do have loyalties to different kingdoms. All of you are a part of the Northern brotherhood. Every decision you make should be based on the Northern Realms and its people, who are about to face war! Traitors must pay dearly, or it will be unfair to our warriors who fight to thest breath to protect their kingdoms!"


    The roar echoed in everyone''s ears. Sigismund paused, heaving a worried sigh. "And earlier at midnight, I receivedtest intel speaking of arge Nilfgaardian troop gathering at the borders of Lyria and Rivia. They must be waiting for their allies on Thanedd tounch the coup, and that would be their cue to start the second war. That is pure evil. Do you still want to argue on how we should show mercy to these traitors?"


    The dim hall fell into a pregnant pause. Fercart and Artaud hung their heads low, despair filling their hearts. Tissaia said nothing, while Gerhart heaved a heavy sigh. He turned his attention to those who could make the shots here.


    ***


    <em>The time is ripe. </em>Roy broke the silence. "We will hand over most of the traitors to Aedirn, Redania, Kaedwen, and Temeria, but that does not include Francesca and the Scoia''tael members hiding in the cer. From today onward, Aen Elle will be the allies of the witcher brotherhood. They will be under our protection."


    The higher vampires, witchers, and the brotherhood''s sorceresses shot everyone warning looks. "Any attacks on Aen Elle will be seen as provocation. The brotherhood and all our allies will crush anyone who attacks the elves."


    Philippa and Sigismund''s jaws cked. <em>What? They''re going to let those traitors leave and terrorize the North? But things were going so well. Why''d the witcher change their minds?</em>


    The other sorcerers were surprised by the change, and they were bemused.


    Francesca suddenly spoke up, gently but adamantly exining Roy''s decision, "My colleagues, from today onward, I and my kind, the warriors of Scoia''tael, will back out from the agreement with Nilfgaard. We will no longer take part in any war between the South and the North." <em>I''m sorry. I cannot save the children who died, but I will not let any more of them sacrifice themselves. Aen Elle should return to their other homnd now, </em>she said in her mind, and the elven queenposed herself.


    Henceforth, Scoia''tael will not meddle with the Continents political or militaryndscape." Francesca''s voice echoed in the hall. "We are no longer involved in any more battles."


    ***


    The dramatic event sealed the fate of many, and the curtains of the would-be coup drew shut before it could begin. The waves roared, mming against the reefs. Once again, the pce was brightly lit. Light pierced through the veil of darkness, and dawn broke through the horizon.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 631: Wild Hunt Appears

    Chapter 631: Wild Hunt Appears


    Winds blew from the seas, trudging intond. On the east side of An Skellige was a small house so beautiful, it almost felt like it was made out of the morning mist itself. Flowers of every color bloomed in the al fresco garden.


    Cahir hid behind a bush of ckthorn, staring quietly at the petite figure basking in the golden sunlight. The princess of Cintra changed her beautiful long dress into a blue hunting attire suited for quick movements. Her hair, tied in a ponytail, swayed behind her head. Happily, she was chasing an adorable girl in a floral jacket. Ciri would go ahead and hold the girl by her waist, ticking the back of her neck. Sometimes she would lift her up with magic, and the girl would gurgle.


    A long whileter, the aunt and her older niece sat on a swing made of ivy. Their legs swam across a patch of maroon rose myrtles, and the golden sun draped the girls in a sheen of gentle gold. They were like characters from an oil painting.


    Cahir was observing them quietly, his eyes twinkling. For three years, he stayed at An Skellig, and he spent his days toiling away as stablemaster, servant, and guard. With Roy''s rmendation, he finally gained the trust of Cnthe and Skellige''s royalty. He was entrusted with the duty of quietly protecting Eileni and Ciri. His main job was to watch over them as they yed and trained in magic and swordsmanship.


    Cahir witnessed Ciri growing from a scrawny little girl into a blooming youngdy. His mission from Nilfgaard''s intelligence agency, the orders of Emhyr, and the wishes of his family None of those mattered anymore. He just wished to watch over Ciri quietly until the day came when he could appear before her as her knight and burn his life like a candle for her.


    "Oh, you still haven''t had enough even with me ying with you?" The youngdy on the swing sighed at the girl. "Cnthe is in a conference. She can only see you at night."


    "Roy, Roy" Eileni blinked, tugging at a lock of Ciri''s hair.


    "Alright, stop that. Roy, Geralt, and Yennefer are in a conference on Thanedd. You''re asking me where Thanedd is? Just don''t go there, or poor little me is going to be locked in Aretuza for years."


    Ciri ced Eileni on herp and held her chubby arms like she was ying with a doll. Lovingly, she pressed her forehead against Eileni''s. Solemnly, she said, "We have to train hard and grow up soon so we can help him. Do you understand me, my dear aunt?"


    Eileni gurgled.


    Cahir smiled. <em>The cheeky princess has finally grown up. </em>And then his smile froze.


    The weather took a sudden turn for the worse. Behind the dark clouds, the golden sun hid. Freezing winds cut through the air like knives, and the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling level, as if they were plunged from summer straight to winter. Cahir shivered.


    Ciri knew something was wrong. She stuff Eileni into the jacket, and the young girl could do nothing but look around curiously. "Mousesack said it would be sunny the whole day, so"


    And then everything around them rumbled. Something exploded. A storm roared from afar, silver lighting bolts tearing through the skies, illuminating the jagged coastline. The deafening boom was heart-pounding.


    And then rain fell, spreading vapor through thends. Winds howled, and flowers were uprooted, taken into the distance.


    Ciri quickly pulled her hood over her head and leapt off the swing. She ran to the castle nearby and quickly moved her fingers. A blue barrier made of mana covered her, deflecting the icy rainwater away.


    ***


    Cahir followed her, tugging on his canvas jacket with one hand. He wondered if he should go ahead bravely and shield the princess from the elements. And then, a looming shadow shed through his line of sight. Something suffocating clutched his chest. Cautiously, he stopped in his tracks, staring at the coastline. "What is that?"


    The winds roared louder, and the rain turned into a torrential downpour. Dark clouds hung ominously in the air, and waves crashed on the sea.


    An ocean of lightning connected the dark skies and raging waters, conjuring a mysterious silver ribbon. Sounds of stampeding horses and ancient singing came with the booming thunder.


    A few silhouettes rode through the storm, covering miles in an instant. They slowed down when they were about a hundred yards away.


    When Ciri realized what was going on, she could already hear the brays of the steeds. The horse nkets were glinting coldly, looking like metal.


    "Zireael!" the riders atop their steeds called out to Ciri, as if singing an ancient poem.


    Crimson cloaks billowed behind them. Under their feathered, horned helms, their eyes red like mes. Their chins were sharp, their cheekbones prominent, their lines sculpted. Their lips were cracked in grins, and there wasn''t even an incisor in their mouths.


    <em>What are they? The Wild Hunt? But they should be skeletons, ghosts, and the dead. These are living beings. </em>A lot of thoughts went through Ciri''s mind, and she was musing over the scene before her.


    As if captivated, she stared at the knight in the center. His obsidian armor looked like a ribcage. His helmet had a ring over it, and his mask was in the shape of a skeleton, but Ciri felt a blood connection to the knight. It was like she was facing Roy. <em>Does he have the same bloodline as me?</em>


    The Elder Blood started shivering uncontrobly. Starlight came gushing out of the youngdy''s body like a stream of water, piercing the veil of rain. The blinding light was like stars in the night, lighting up the bodies of all three bearers of the Elder Blood.


    In the vanguard of the knights was a burlymander. He tugged on the reins of his steed, a roar of eerieughtering from under his mask. "You seem to like our pilot, correct? He has the same blood as you, just not as pure."


    Lighting tore through the skies, illuminating the knights with skeletal masks before Ciri. Ciri shivered and woke from her stupor, and then the knight said something in Elder Speech.


    "What are you still waiting for, Zireael? Daughter of the Elder Blood and the reborn swallow. Come, join us. Come, let us travel to the world''s end, where the celebration of the hunt lies. Come and revive the glory of Aen Elle! Do not try to resist, for it is futile. You cannot escape!"


    <em>In your dreams! Go away! </em>Ciri gritted her teeth and shoved her hands ahead. The vapor in the air quickly formed icicles. The icicles tore through the air and mmed into the Wild Hunt''s knights'' armor. The icicles exploded, the shards blocking the knights'' sight.


    The knights were unharmed, but their steeds neighed in fear and shook their heads.


    Ciri quickly ran away. <em>Roy. Gotta get to Roy, </em>she screamed in her heart. <em>Do it, Ciri. You can do it. Help me, Eileni! Elder Blood, teleport us to the Isle of Thanedd!</em>


    Blinding starlight linked up between the girls and quickly covered the running Ciri like ayer of silk dress.


    Lightning tore through the skies, and the horses galloped as a few Red Riders charged out of formation. They extended their armored arms at Ciri, trying to capture her, but then, someone pounced out of the bush like a storm. Caught by surprise, the knight was mmed off the back of his steed, falling into the wet soil.


    Cahir was flushed crimson, roaring like a crazed man. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and strength he''d never known coursed through his blood. He sat astride the knight and rained punches on the hideous horned helmet. His fists were nothing but a mess of blood and flesh, bones jutting out of his skin, but his heart was swelling with excitement he''d never felt before.


    <em>Run, Ciri! I, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceach shall keep you safe, even if it costs me my life!</em>


    And then, a hand covered in a silver glove touched Cahir''s chest. Frost spread, and a bone-chilling freeze coursed through Cahir''s body, freezing his flesh and soul. Cahir pushed the hand away and swayed a little. He then fell to his knee, frost ring out of his jacket. The grass and soil underneath quickly turned into ice, as if it were a frozenke. He used thest of his strength to turn his frost-covered head around.


    The knights screamed and surrounded Ciri, but the young princess turned and looked at Cahir, her eyes glistening with tears. All of a sudden, she merged with the starlight and disappeared into thin air, escaping the Wild Hunt.


    <em>I did it. I upheld my word. </em>Cahir''s eyes were wide, and he cracked a smile. <em>Farewell, Ciri, but do not feel sad for me.</em>


    The icy abyss devoured Cahir''sst sliver of consciousness.


    ***


    "Stubborn Zireael. Your futile resistance will only cause more deaths." Eredin waved his hand, and the pilot with the ringed-helmet quickly swung his staff. Winds howled, and a gigantic doorway the shape of a ball appeared in the air.


    Steeds brayed, and hurricanes howled. The Red Riders flew into the doorway. Behind them space wriggled and rippled. A ck ship with twin masts appeared, the sharp bow piercing the skies. It was like a swordfish soaring through the air.


    Gold-haired Avac''h stood on the bow solemnly. Fully-armed Red Riders and Hounds of the Wild Hunt the size of calves and covered in blue icicles stood on the deck.


    "Zireael has mastered instant teleportation. What a surprise." The winds blew on Avac''h''s hair, and the ship sailed into the doorway.


    ***


    The storm stopped, and the raging seas calmed. The sun hung over the blue skies once more. The only proof that the Wild Hunt was herey within a frozen human statue kneeling on one knee outside the garden, its eyes wide.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 632: Clash

    Chapter 632: sh


    Tor Lara. Gull''s Tower. The building stood at the highest sea level on Thanedd. It was a ce left by the elves many years ago. After the meeting came to an end, the witchers gathered in the clearing before the building, surrounding a xenovox that was gleaming blue.


    "Enid, I can understand why you wish to keep the children away from war and death, but do not betray Emhyr. You shouldn''t have agreed to assist these people in the fight against Aen Elle." On the other side of the xenovox was a red-haired sorceress in a cave. She was draped in beautiful clothes and ornaments. She shook her head, the amber and pearl nes before her chest swaying with her, and they glinted.


    "Ida Emean, Aen Saevherne of the Blue Mountains, I have always respected your opinion. borate," said Francesca.


    "An army of more than a hundred higher vampires and two dozen witchers is enough to shake the whole world. If you wish to, you can protect Aen Seidhe from the furious Emhyr and even take over Dol thanna." Isa stroked the cat sitting on herp, scanning the witchers before the screen. "But you can never hope to fight the Wild Hunt."


    The ck cat swayed its tail and mewed, agreeing with its master.


    "That''s just a scare tactic." Ivar crossed his arms and shook his head. "For hundreds of years, the Viper School has shed with the Wild Hunt plenty of times. I know their power. They''re about on our level, speaking from each individual knight, and they do not have the numbers advantage. The witcher schools from before are not the same as they are now. We have weapons, equipment, and alchemy items far more potent than what we used to have."


    "The Wild Hunt you fought was nothing but phantoms and projections that could barely make it through the teleportation to this world," said Ida calmly. "They were only at half strengthpared to their full selves, and this time, you will be facing the Wild Hunt at its full strength. And you know the Wild Hunt mastered magic thousands of years before humanity did. They have explored and developed the skills to control chaos energy. Just from magical potency alone, the sorcerer brotherhood''s strength is akin to a toddler''s, but that''s not the scariest part."


    Ida crouched and let her cat go. She then looked at the sea of bats fluttering behind the witchers. "They possess forbidden powers this world will not tolerate. No one can escape it once they cast it fully. Not even the higher vampires. Not even dragons."


    "You''re talking about the White Frost?" Roy cocked his eyebrow.


    "The fact that you know of the ultimate disaster means you know it cannot be fought." The elven sage straightened out the hair around her neck. "Instead of giving you the waypoint and having you die in futility, I will contact the Aen Saevherne of the Wild Hunt, Avac''h, and act as a mediator. We can talk in peace. Enid and I will try our best to resolve the grudges and differences you have."


    The elven queen gave Roy a look. The witcher shook his head, smiling. He then gazed at Ida. "Can you convince the Wild Hunt to give up their pursuit for the Elder Blood?"


    "That is impossible!" As if pricked, Ida shrilly said, "Unless the ambitious general of the Wild Hunt, Eredin, perishes, they will stop at nothing to revive the glory days of old. Can''t you swap that out for another request?"


    "Can you get the Wild Hunt to grovel and apologize to my school, then?" A gaunt man with a long face huddled closer to the xenovox. Ivar''s pupils were nothing but slits. With hatred in his voice, he hissed, "These bastards that fly around like jackdaws cawing incessantly must pay the price for taking and brainwashing witchers of the Viper School. For the people they stole from this world. For the fear and disaster they spread. I bade farewell to my old friends and gave up my chance at a perfect world just to teach those sons of batches a lesson myself."


    Letho, Auckes, and Serrit stood behind Ivar quietly.


    "Taking down the Wild Hunt is our life''s dream."


    Ida heaved a sigh, resignation ring in her eyes. "I am sorry, Enid. Sorry, everyone. I hate hassles. This is out of my hands now. All I say is good luck. And onest thing. The Elder Blood"


    The screen glitched and turned unstable. Ida''s message screeched to a halt, and the screen disappeared into thin air. Chaos energy shook violently, and the witchers'' medallions shuddered.


    Lighting tore through the sunny skies, and winds howled, stirring waves on the sea''s surface. Everyone saw a blur, and a slender silhouette fell from the skies, falling into Roy''s arms. Ciri looked up, her face covered in tears. Within her blue hunting gear, a petite head rested. Her hair was drenched by rainwater, and she looked like a dirty little cat. The girl grinned at Roy.


    "Ciri? Eileni? What happened? Why''d youe here all of a sudden?"


    "Roy, Geralt, Yennefer." Ciri sobbed. "They''re here. They killed my poor guard!"


    "Slow down, child." Yennefer''s violet hair billowed. She wiped the tears off Ciri''s cheeks and took the gurgling Eileni from her shirt, then she handed the girl to Roy. "We''re all here. No one can hurt you."


    "But they came. The skeletal knights."


    "You mean the Wild Hunt? They killed Cahir?" Roy''s heart sank. <em>That noble knight failed to escape death?</em>


    "Yes, the Wild Hunt is here."


    "People, I put my faith in the sage. We cannot fight the Wild Hunt." Francesca sped her hands before her belly. Pleading, she said, "We must return to the Blue Mountains and n for the iing enemy."


    "Blood calls for blood!" Ivar turned his eyes to the skies. "And it''s toote to leave anyway. They''re here."


    ***


    Lightning arced through the skies. Tor Lara and Garstang were illuminated by the blinding light. The exhausted sorcerers in the pce had their attention caught by the bizarre event. A span of ribbon appeared in the area between the sky and sea, wriggling like a snake. Unease and fear spread through the air. The sea of bats behind Roy were getting restless, and eerie singing coursed through the air.


    A string of will-o''-the-wisps appeared. They were the burning hooves of steeds, and upon the steeds were knights in ck, heavy armor, sinister as ghosts.


    "The Wild Hunt!" Gerhart said. He was in Garstang. "Be careful, everyone."


    "Those bastards never came to Aretuza before, so why now?" Philippa shivered. "Dawn has just arisen. They can''t be spreading nightmares now."


    "This is an omen. The second war will be a terrible disaster," said Sigismund, unnerved.


    "No. Look at where they''re going. The Wild Hunt is after the witchers at Tor Lara." Adda turned around, telling the knight before her, "The witchers assisted Temeria in the apprehension of our traitors. They should not fight alone. Aid them."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Grimm took a deep breath. His face was convulsing from excitement. The Wild Hunt was a thing of legend. They spread disaster and war. They would be the perfect whetstone for his de.


    "The witchers have their higher vampire allies, don''t they? We''re insignificant, so we might as well just watch the show."


    The sorcerer, held captive and having gone through the night in fear, had nothing but mockery for the witchers. They wouldn''t get back at the monster hunters, but they were happy not to lend a hand.


    "I do not like how they trampled on our dignity either, but they averted the brotherhood''s disbandment. They did us a great favor." Tissaia was terse. She gritted her teeth. "And the Wild Hunt is the most evil entity in this world. We cannot allow them to ruin our sacrednd of magic. Volunteers,e with me."


    ***


    Lightning bolts shed through the skies. About twenty knights stampeded through the air andnded firmly on the peak, staring at the witchers a distance away from them. Beastly eyes met the icy gaze under the skeletal masks. Gales howled, and tension rose.


    Ivar quickly uncorked his decoctions and downed three bottles at once. ck veins popped throughout his face. Letho and Auckes did the same, but everyone else, including a dazed Francesca, looked at Roy.


    Roy frowned. The Wild Hunt appeared all of a sudden after their long disappearance, and it messed up his ns. He raised his hand, and the sea of bats rose over everyone''s head, swirling around, screeching. It was like a sea of dark clouds with crimson lightning swimming within.


    The Wild Hunt responded in kind. Someone whistled and roared. The Red Riders slowly approached the witchers. In the lead was a small giant wearing a horned helmet and skeletal mask. He was riding on a dark-brown stallion that resembled an earth dragon. The metallic horse nket was embroidered with the patterns of golden scales. Underneath the metal armor shaped like a ribcage was anotheryer of ck scaly armor. The jagged ring on the knight''s shoulders extended high up into the air, and on the knight''s buckle, a gorgeous two-handed sword extended so far down, it was almost touching the ground.


    ''Eredin Bre s


    Status: Commander of the Red Riders, Child of the Elder Blood


    HP: 300


    Mana: 200


    Strength: 33


    Dexterity: 33


    Constitution: 35


    Perception: 15


    Will: 13


    Charisma: 10


    Spirit: 20


    Skills:


    Greatsword Mastery Level 10: Eredin is a grandmaster in swordsmanship.


    Elder Blood (Fake): In the process of researching the gate with Avac''h, Eredin used the research''s results to steal a portion of the Elder Blood. He is able to teleport on a small-scale within a limited time.


    Glory of the Red Riders: When Eredin battles along with his Wild Hunt soldiers, he receives an increment of 30% to his stats at most.


    White Frost (Passive): Over the long battle with the White Frost, Eredin''s body was subtly changed. He can, to an extent, harness the White Frost to attack his enemies. Any enemy that''s within a certain distance to him will be eaten away by the power of the White Frost. Their speed and reaction will be slowed until they are fully frozen. He can also use this power at will to freeze his targets down to their soul, destroying their life force.


    ''


    ***


    "Vatt''ghern! (Put down your weapons, witchers!)" Eredin raised his hands and took off his skeletal mask, revealing a pale, sculpted elven face. He turned to the girl ring at him from Yennefer''s embrace. "Quezireael! (Hand over the swallow, and I shall spare your lives!)"


    The imperious, arrogant, pompous tone lit the fury within the witchers'' hearts. <em>You killed Cahir and demand to take Ciri away from us?</em>


    Murder red from their eyes. <em>Come then! To your death!</em>


    Roy waved his hand, and a sea of bats swarmed the knights like a ck storm.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 633: Fierce Battle

    Chapter 633: Fierce Battle


    Thanedd was like a stone pir jutting from the surface of the sea. It was covered in exquisite ziggurats, meandering stairs, lush gardens, magnificent pces, and sky-high towers. Before the tallest tower, Tor Lara, a witcher waved his hand.


    A sea of darkness churned, blocking the sunlight raining from above. It charged toward the Red Riders on the clearing before them, swift as lightning. What happened in Aretuza once more happened to the Red Riders. Caught by surprise, they and their steeds were surrounded, and the dark clouds moved them up into the air.


    ***


    The witchers watched from afar, but they were still uneasy. Tense. Their medallions'' unusual buzzing worried them. They took out a few decoctions and gulped them all down. ck veins crawled over their faces.


    Roy quickly madeplicated gestures with his fingers, conjuring the Sign of mp and a crimson double cross. The frost atronach, mutated longhorn, and Roy''s illusion clone appeared.


    Happy screeches tore through the air. Gryphon, after a long hiatus, appeared once more, pping its wings in jubnce. It swayed its furry tail around, circling over its master''s head. And then the mountains shook as Leviathan the ice giantnded before the army, swinging an oak tree in one hand and mming its chest armor made of rope and yellowing wooden boards. The cyst on its head was swollen with blood, shining crimson. And the giant roared into the skies.


    Triss, Coral, and Yennefer chanted their spells, protecting the girls. A blue, oval shield appeared, and the witchers'' unease manifested into reality.


    Lightning bolts roared, and silver snakes tore through the skies, creating a blinding storm. The storm struck the sea of bats, drowning the mountain''s clearing in a sea of light. The sh of light almost blinded everyone, and the stench of ozone filled the air.


    The lighting onlysted a few moments, and the sea of bats was already bubbling from the scorching heat. They fell, smoke billowing in the air, and the bats turned into ck silhouettes wearing nothing but tatters. They were covered in blisters and burns. Some sustained deep wounds, heat and purple electricity zapping through them.


    The higher vampires'' regenerative abilities were rendered ineffective, their wounds too ghastly, and they fell unconscious. The spell, powerful as forbidden magic, tore through the dark clouds of bats in the form of a shining runic sword. Biting winds soared from the edge of the de, and the vapor in the air was turned into flowers of frost. The flowers engulfed the cloaked figures, turning them into frozen statues, and the statues fell.


    Eredin and four Red Riders appeared once more, standing in midair, looking worn out. Their armor was covered in dents, their eyes flickering with murder. The twenty Red Riders had three quarters of its numbers culled, and even their steeds were wrung into mangled bodies. The knights and their stallionsy among the frozen statues and charred bodies of the higher vampires.


    The higher vampires were all taken out in one blow, and the Wild Hunt lost more than half its numbers. The witchers exchanged looks of horror.


    "Damn you!" Eredin roared.


    Roy responded by firing a bolt. His bowstring hummed, his bolt flickering through the air. Eredin held his greatsword before him like a shield, his weapon''s magic deflecting Roy''s bolt. But then, winds howled in his face, and the silver-eyed fellow appeared from nowhere, his face covered in ck veins.


    He held his ivory weapon overhead and brought it down on Eredin''s face. The air screeched, and a sh of white arced through the air. Jagged crimson light and Magma Quen swirled around Roy like a red sun. The octopus'' suckers opened up wide, tentacles holding on to Roy''s shoulder. And the octopusshed out.


    ***


    Eredin''s soul could feel the hitherto unknown dangering to him. The dancing mes had death and destruction within them, and he stopped breathing for a moment. Not even the White Frost spooked him so much.


    He no longer held back. White frost came spiraling out of Eredin''s weapon and armor, conjuring a sea of icicles in the air. The icicles charged at the image of the Most High, the crimson energy beam, and the iing Aerondight.


    Frost and mes shed. The icicles shattered, and the mes died. Eredin and Roy froze in midair. The king of the Wild Hunt was stunned by the effects of Fear, a crack spanning from the top to the bottom of his mask appearing. Eredin had a look of fear and horror on his face.


    Roy was covered in ayer of frost from head to toe, the freezing chill making his every cell shiver. He moved as stiff as a rusty machine, the flow of mana slower than sludge moving through rocky terrain. To make things worse, the frost was affecting his soul. Every skill rted to his soul was frozen and sealed, unresponsive to hismands.


    It was but a moment, and the knight with the ringed helmet behind Eredin let out a peculiar shout. He swayed his tower-like staff, releasing a bolt of blue electricity. Roy could barely produce Gabriel, and he couldn''t even make it in time to pull the trigger. He flew back ten yards, as if he were hit by a siege weapon.


    The stalemate was broken. Eredin pulled on his reins, swinging his greatsword. Caranthir followed him as they charged at the witcher. The air rippled.


    The moment the fighters shed, they disappeared into thin air. Silver shes of light and colorful Signs merged into a deadly spear hurtling toward the remaining Riders.


    Leviathan was in the vanguard, while the veteran witchers followed behind. The sorceresses and the girls were in the center of the formation, while the young witchers were in the rear. Gryphon was high up in the air.


    And then, a gash opened up in midair. A conical ram appeared from the portal and hit Leviathan in its chest. The momentum tore through its armor, icy-blue flesh, and iron-d bones. The ice giant had its heart pierced, and the ram pushed it a distance backward.


    The earth rumbled, two ravines left on its surface, but then waterfalls of blood filled them up. Leviathan roared in agony, grabbing the sides of the vessel with both hands. Its muscles exploded with strength as the giant tried to tear the ship in two.


    Hounds of the Wild Hunt, big as calves, climbed up Leviathan''s body through the ram. They moved with great agility, snarling and spitting breaths of frost. Despite feeding on the cold, Leviathan couldn''t devour the White Frost, and it was covered in ayer of ice right away. The ice giant''s movements slowed to a crawl, much like a broken wristwatch. It pulled some Hounds off its body and crushed them into shards of ice under its feet.


    In the end, the giant''s roars came to a stop, its ruby eyes losing their gleam. And then, it froze up, turned into a figurehead for the vessel.


    ***


    A silhouette flew through the air. Gryphon screeched, pouncing at a Hound. It grabbed the sturdy creature and flew high up into the air.


    Then the griffin let the Hound go. The Hound was smashed into smithereens, exploding like ss. But then, a wave of Hounds and Red Riders leapt off the ck ship and shed with the witchers.


    ***


    Ivar rolled across the ground, evading the frosty breath of a Hound. The grandmaster circled round the Hound''s back and leapt into the air like an eagle. He fell between the icicles and brought his sword down, the de piercing through the Hound''s nape easily. The Hound howled powerlessly before it fell and broke into a pile of ice.


    Before Ivar could even heave a sigh of relief, he felt a gust of winding from behind. The old Viper spun around and dodged the ambush in the nick of time. He shoved a st of Aard, and the Wild Hunt''s knight was sent flying into a pool of blood. He held his sword up again and leapt into the air, bringing his weapon down with ferocity.


    The soldier rolled away from the de. When he stood up, he quickly cast a golden barrier of Quen around himself. He then spun his elven-made shortsword, dancing around the old Viper. Ivar recognized this dance. "You are"


    He looked at the amber eyes under the helm, and he nced at the buzzing medallion before the knight''s chest. It was like a viper hissing at its prey. This was a Viper. One of Ivar''s kidnapped kin.


    Noticing the situation, Letho, Auckes, and Serrit stepped over the bodies of the Hounds and stood with Ivar. Three Wild Hunt knights wearing Viper medallions joined the fight.


    "Time to take these lost boys home,ds."


    Silver light shed through the air. The Vipers charged at their nemeses. Their erstwhilerades.


    ***


    Vesemir pirouetted with his de in hand. He feinted and quickly shed at a soldier''s chest. The te armor was as sturdy as a fortress. Vesemir''s attack was enough to crush anyone''s bones, but it only left a mark on the armor.


    The soldier brought his weapon down at the old man''s neck, but he had no idea of the agility of a witcher who had consumed decoctions. Vesemir crouched and slid through the opening between the des. He spun his weapon and buried his de into the soldier''s underarm, piercing the flesh revealed between the joints, and the sword came out from the other side of the soldier''s neck.


    Blood was spilled. The soldier grunted, his eyes going wide. With thest of his strength, he shoved a patch of frost to Vesemir''s back.


    Feeling the iing danger, Vesemir quickly let go of his weapon and moved away, but he was one step toote. The frost had frozen his left arm, and he couldn''t feel half his body. Bone-chilling iciness tore through Vesemir''s iron will. The veteran witcher staggered and gasped sharply. For a moment, his consciousness was fading.


    ws tore through the air as three Hounds attacked Vesemir from the back and sides, trying to tear away at his throat and lower back, but then, a magical air current mmed into the ground like a meteor, and the impact undted like waves. The Hounds were sent flying away.


    "Can you still hang in there?" Geralt pulled back his Sign and looked around. Lambert and Eskel were in an exquisite, deadly dance, dealing with a group of three ambushers.


    "Beware the White Frost." Vesemir held his sword with both hands and stood back up defiantly, though his voice and teeth were chattering uncontrobly. "It''s more threatening than any higher vampire."


    ***


    The battlefield was a mess. Fights of the same magnitude happened everywhere. The witchers were affected by the frosting from the Wild Hunt. Geralt, Felix, and the veteran witchers could kill their enemies despite their sapped strength thanks to their swordy, Sign potency, and decoctions. The younger witchers, however, had to team up with Roy''s minions in a formation in the rear guard.


    ***


    Carl and Monti, the most skilled among the younger ones, circled a moving fortress. They quickly moved their hands and touched the knight''s armor, sticking two blobs of something resembling y. They then quickly retreated and threw a stream of mes at the knight before them.


    A pir of me rocked the skies and rumbled the earth. A cloud of dust swirled, and a crater was left in the ground. The knight, along with his armor, were shattered into chunks of meat and steel.


    Carl and Monti heaved a sigh of relief, then they wiped the flesh off their faces.


    But then, gusts of icy wind came attacking as Hounds pounced from the shadows, breathing ice.


    Two purple bolts of electricity arced through the air, sizzling it. A pair of charred lines crossed the ground. Electrocuted, the Hounds fell, and a stream of roaring mes engulfed them.


    "Look alive,ds. Be careful and don''t do anything rash." Sabrina swung a fiery whip and a Hound tripped. The mes soared into the air, and so did clouds of smoke. Sabrina''s fiery hair billowed, and she looked like a goddess. "You don''t want to die and have your mentors hold your funerals."


    Philippa spread her hands, her dress billowing in the wind, and then furious owls came flying out of her dress, flickering through the air, pecking at the knights'' unprotected eyes.


    Tissaia, Radcliffe, Cadouin, Keira, and more than twenty sorcerers followed them, looking solemn. And they rained magic on the Wild Hunt.


    ***


    In the center of the battlefield, where Ciri and Eileni were protected, a bone-chilling voice echoed within the ears of the sorceresses. "I see there isn''t only one child of the Elder Blood. This is a miracle destiny hasn''t foreseen. I see."


    Avac''h appeared out of nowhere, wearing something withplicated patterns embroidered on it. He hung in midair, his eyes turning to Ciri, then to the young Eileni in her arms. The girl blinked.


    The air froze.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 634: A Knight’s Procession

    Chapter 634: A Knight¡¯s Procession


    "It has been one thousand years, and Aen Elle is still following the misguided path of pilfering? Leave, Avac''h. Stop making more mistakes." Francesca stopped the sorceress beside her from casting a spell, turning to the sage of the Wild Hunt.


    Avac''h shook his head. "I apologize, my kin that is oppressed by humanity. Taking the Elder Blood back to Tir na Lia has been my life''s goal, and both our worlds are in danger as we speak. This is the only way we can get a chance at survival. If you work with us and hand over Ciri and the child, I will tell Eredin to stop this battle immediately. You and the remaining witchers will survive. It is possible for you to escape theing disaster with us."


    Ciri held her young aunt tightly, her eyes filled with hatred. "Piss off, you lying murderer! Take your disgusting skeleton knights and leave! You are not wee here!"


    "I see foolishness and obstinacy are hereditary. Your mother, Lara Dorren, turned her back on her kind and mingled with a human. In the end, she was deceived and yed like a fiddle. Not a shred of her body was left."


    "What madness are you talking about? I don''t know of this Lara Dorren. My mother is Pavetta."


    Avac''h put on a lovely smile. "It''s aplicated story, but I shall exin everything once we return. Humans have a saying. The mistakes you make will be invaluable experience for you one day. I will not let this mistake go on any longer."


    And then, he imperiously ordered, "Come, Zireael."


    "Die, you bastard!" A blue energy ball hurtled through the air and hit Avac''h, but all it did was blow his fringe away, and then it faded. Four more sorceresses threw all they had at Avac''h. Fiery snakes, howling winds, and invisible hands made of energy.


    Chaos energy exploded in the air like fireworks, but all they did was dispel the illusion of Avac''h. A resigned sigh echoed in the air. "A foolish choice, but I will indulge."


    A portal opened in the air, and a pack of Hounds leapt out of it, roaring and charging at the sorceresses.


    Coral and Triss exchanged a look, the magical talismans before their chest reflecting colorful lights. A great blue energy shield surrounded her and expanded further, until all herpanions were covered.


    Francesca shoved her hand ahead, and the air around an iing Hound exploded in blue mes. Debris and soil flew everywhere. The Hound howled as the mes burned it.


    Yennefer chanted loudly, and the air shivered. A bolt of blue lightning struck the battlefield. The Hound charging from her left was turned into a pus-covered toad, croaking. And its kind crushed it underneath their stampede.


    ***


    But that was all for the sorceress'' spells. The Hounds were already near them, their maws open. The frosty breath was starting to eat away at the energy shield, and it didn''t take even a moment for the shield to shatter. The frost attacked, and the sorceresses went pale from the cold.


    "Ciri, remember your training? Lend me your mana."


    "Okay."


    Eileni grinned and nodded. Yennefer held Ciri''s hand, feeling the manaing from the Elder Blood. She bit her lip and extended a finger. The roars of three Hounds turned into chirps as three colorful kingfishers flew in the air.


    Francesca burned them into cinders with her fireball.


    ***


    The barrier was shattered. Triss and Coral shivered, blood trickling from their mouths and noses. They quickly rubbed their rings and talismans. An invisible force field undted around them like waves.


    However, one Hound escaped the attack, and it came near thedies, snarling. It was toote for thedies to react.


    But then, a golden energy beam cut through the air. Grimm roared, swinging his golden weapon down with great ferocity, cleaving the Hound in two. "Worry not,dies." The champion knight of Toussaint stood before thedies and children, pulling his visor up, his gaze sharp. There was fighting spirit within his eyes, and it was roaring. The Order of the White Rose quickly formed a protective ring around thedies. "In the name of a knight''s valor, I swear I shall keep you safe."


    A pauseter, he turned to Ciri. "And is Cahir alright, girl?"


    Ciri froze for a moment. She then realized that Cahir was the knight Roy said was protecting her. "The Wild Hunt killed him." She sobbed, looking like she was in agony.


    "Did he die in glory?" Grimm asked solemnly.


    "He died bravely. A true knight," Yennefer answered, her violet eyes twinkling with respect and gratitude.


    Grimm closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He turned to the sea of soldiers and Houndsing out of the portal, and the knight leapt into the air. As he fell into the barking Hounds, he spun his greatsword like it was a windmill''s fan. The wings on his helm fluttered in the air, and his greatsword tore through the battlefield, slicing the icy enemies apart.


    And then, three Hounds were decapitated. The knight had in three legendary creatures, a feat he''d never done his whole life.


    s, his spark onlysted for a moment. The knight had plunged himself into danger. He''d attracted the attention of many enemies, and the frosting at him from every direction froze his armor. The knight''s swings slowed down, and his fighting spirit cooled. He almost fell into a stupor, but he held his wobbly body up with his sword.


    From the corner of his eye, he saw terrifying, despairing scenes. The knights of the Order protecting the sorceresses fell in pools of their own blood, frozen after they fought the Wild Hunt for a moment. The Hounds stepped on their bodies, howling and tearing away.


    Humans were fragile as ss. They were no match for legendary creatures. <em>No. </em>Grimm bit his tongue, the metallic tang of blood and the sharp stab of pain awakening his soul, and his pupils contracted.


    A burly Wild Hunt soldier over six-foot-six tall appeared. The soldier had a horned helmet, and he was swinging his two-handed hammer down on Grimm.


    The air screeched wherever the hammer swung. The weapon could easily crush all armor and defense, turning its target into mincemeat.


    <em>This isn''t over. The heir of the Sigurds will never die in such an ignoble way. A knight''s life should burn as bright as mes.</em>


    Grimm held his de high. The golden edge shone under the sun, and ancient, majestic faces gleamed. A reinvigorating battle hymn echoed in his mind. <em>Souls of my ancestors, grant me your protection. I shall walk this path now. Burn, Sword of Justice!</em>


    mes grew from the sword''s hilt, and it didn''t take long until the knight was covered in fire. His eyes were now liquid mes, and around him was armor made of mes.


    Power surged through his veins, and it dispeled the chill of the White Frost. Grimm swung his de ahead, and it met the hammer.


    Sparks formed a beautiful waterfall in midair. The Wild Hunt''s knight, hit by the great momentum, staggered backward.


    Grimmunched attack after attack, swing after swing. He stepped forth like a god, chasing victory. Dancing mes filled the battlefield, reaping the cries and roars of its enemies. Faster and faster the sword went, until it was a blur. The knight tried to stop the attack, but he was like a wobbling tree facing the torment of the elements.


    A few Hounds were turned into cinders, mes eating away at them.


    And then, Grimm swung his de again, pushing the soldier away. He then changed his stance, holding the midsection of the weapon, the hilt under his armpit. The weapon was pointed at the chest of the enemy before it.


    An air of solemnity radiated across the battlefield. The Sword of Justice had morphed into ance over six-foot-six long. Grimm leapt ahead with thence held firmly in his arm, and a war horse made of mes appeared under the knight. Vague silhouettes wrapped in mes floated behind Grimm. They held up theirnces and let out war cries. Crimson cloaks and gs billowed in the howling winds.


    <em>Justice and courage! </em>Grimm, the knight who''d seen through the values of knighthood his whole life, shouted onest time in his heart. His whole life quickly reyed itself in his mind.


    And then, everything turned into one single goal. A goal that soared higher than any army.


    The fiery horse stampeded, taking its golden knight ahead into battle once more. The Lance of Courage sent the hammer flying and barreled through the enemy''s chest. The Wild Hunt''s knight iled on thence, roaring in sorrow, but the knight did not stop charging through the battlefield.


    <em>Onward!</em>


    A Hound was burned to cinders underneath the roaring mes.


    <em>Onward!</em>


    The enemy trying to ambush Felix and Aiden from behind was skewered.


    <em>Onward!</em>


    The White Frosting for Coen''s back was warded off.


    <em>Onward!</em>


    The Hounds pushing Vesemir down were turned into mincemeat.


    <em>Onward!</em>


    Every inch of the knight''s armor, hair, flesh, and bones was turned into fuel for the weapon. Grimm burned away with the mes, quickly turning into little more than a transparent ghost. Yet he pushed onward under the rain of magic, sword, and White Frost.


    His stallion left a trail of mes in its wake, and the Wild Hunt''s knights fell to hisnce. The knight saw smiling faces. The heroic souls of the House of Sigurd opened their arms for Grimm.


    Cahir, still an icy statue, waved at him. Moments before his passing, Grimm rode to the white-haired witcher and turned back for onest look. On his face was a smile of satisfaction. "Ravix of Fourhorn. You triumphed against me in the battle back in Cintra. I leave the treasure of my family to you."


    And Grimm''s smile froze. He was finally burnt away. Like a statue left to the mercy of the elements for a millennium, he crumbled into dust, taken away by the wind.


    His golden sword fell from the air, burying itself into the ground underneath.


    Eskel held up the pale Vesemir. With a trembling voice, he asked Geralt, "Who was that man? He saved Vesemir."


    "A true knight." Geralt wiped off the frost from his throbbing face, and he pulled out Sigurd from the ground. Grimm''s silhouette shed on the de, pouncing into the battlefield of blood, fire, and frost once more.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 635: Victory and Change

    Chapter 635: Victory and Change


    One moment, it was the void. Ethereal, freezing, viscous. The next moment, it morphed into the real world. Unlike the Isle of Thanedd bathed in the light of dawn, this ce was filled with stars and constetions. Three silhouettes crossed paths upon the darknd.


    Roy quickly made a blue inverted triangle with his left hand and shoved it away. Eredin, swinging his sword, was sted backward from the air current. Caranthir the pilot attacked from the other side, his staff tearing through the air, mming down on Roy''s head like a warhammer.


    The witcher quickly crouched, evading the attack. Putting his weight in his left leg, he spun, and Aerondight sliced away at the joints of the elves, but the White Frost, ever persistent, slowed the witcher down. Caranthir turned his staff, and sparks flew between the weapons.


    Roy''s attack was blocked. Ayer of frost spread through the de, and Roy shivered. He was about to cast Fear, but then every skill rted to his soul, like Fear, Shout, Symphony of the SwordDragon, and Descend, were locked out. He was in a stalemate with the White Frost.


    A gust of wind came from behind as Eredin once again swung his greatsword at Roy.


    Roy''s boystring hummed, and he disappeared. The next moment, hended a hundred yards away, holding his de with both hands, breathing heavily.


    "You half-blood bastard." Eredin held his greatsword up, staring at Roy''s pointy ears. There was arrogance and disdain on his face. "You have no right to possess the Elder Blood. You are a thief. You stole the treasure of Aen Elle. Once I reim it, I shall pulverize you."


    Roy mocked, "You''re the biggest bandits among worlds. Once I''m done with you, I''ll slice you up and feed you to the drowners."


    The fighters blinked once more, silver light and staff shing and bursting into mes in midair. Chaos energy exploded and roared. Starlight came rushing out of the shing fighters, and space itself rattled and cracked like a broken mirror. The darkness wrapped them up like ayer of suffocating fog.


    The fighters disappeared.


    ***


    Their next battlefield had the smell of soil and grass hanging in the air, dancing with the downpour. The blood on the fighters'' armor was washed away. A silver sh of light pierced the veil of rain, hurtling toward the arrogant Eredin. Eredin bowed his head, and one of the horns on his helm broke. He spun his greatsword and stepped ahead, roaring insults at his enemy, trying to rattle his mind. "Our tribe is a thousand times superior than any lowly witcher!" Howls and screeches tore through the rain. "We are your betters!"


    des flew in the air, but the rain kept pouring on. Eredin''s greatsword was almost a hurricane now. "You putrid, filthy, indecorous rat! Come out and die!"


    Roy''s drenched hair was billowing in the air, darting around the rain like fish in ake. The witcher dodged and darted and leapt and jumped, dancing a deadly waltz as he pirouetted his way out of his enemy''s attacks. He jabbed, stabbed, sliced, and thrust away at Eredin''s vitals, but his de could not prate Eredin''s armor. It seemed to be made out of something special.


    Caranthir was like a viper waiting for his chance. Knowing he was no match for Roy in close-quarterbat, he hid himself within the rain, disappearing and reappearing in random ces, out of Roy''s reach. Every time he reappeared, the elven sorcerer would hurl fireballs, howling winds, colorful beams, electric bolts, and the White Frost, all to disturb the witcher''s flow.


    After a long stalemate, Roy realized that to win this battle, first he must destroy the ranged fighter, Caranthir. He evaded the greatswording at his shoulder and showed an opening on purpose. Eredin sliced through the fiery Magma Quen, his de barely grazing Roy''s cheek. A lock of Roy''s hair was cut off, and the de went for his throat.


    It was then, a bolt of electricity hurtled through the air, charging at Roy''s back, trying to catch Roy between two attacks.


    Just like Roy wanted. <em>Got you. </em>He shoved his left hand ahead. A patch of the rain exploded, and a magical air current mmed into Eredin''s belly. The impact made the elf stagger backward.


    Roy held Gabriel with his right hand and pointed it backward, and the weapon took aim at Caranthir, as if Roy had eyes on the back of his head.


    Something flickered through the rain. The bolt traversed a hundred yards right away and hit Caranthir''s staff. Caranthir''s mana stopped flowing for a moment, and then, he saw something looming overhead. He couldn''t breathe. The only thing he saw was the glint of a de running across his eyes.


    <em>Die!</em>


    A stream of blood spurted through the air. Caranthir held his bloody left eye, howling in pain. Roy swung his wrist and thrust his de ahead, piercing Caranthir''s right eye. He wanted to stab through the elf''s brain, but he was one second toote.


    Eredin leapt out of the air and swung his de away at Roy''s back. Blood streamed like a fountain, revealing Roy''s bloody shoulderbone.


    Roy''s movement changed. Aerondight spun by half an inch, grazing the horned helm. Caranthir escaped death, and he quickly used his ability once more, as death was looming overhead.


    Starlight drowned the fighters once more.


    ***


    The Elder Blood within their bodies resonated and went berserk. Uncontroble, the blood forced the fighters to traverse the void again and again. They would stop in one ce for two minutes, and then they would be transported to another spot. The blood''s teleportation was not only limited to one world. They would be taken to bizarre ces too.


    But no matter the ce, the battle never ended. It only went on to be more dangerous and intense. When they were taken to the scorching sands, Roy quickly used the Sign he created and summoned ava dragon from the''s core and destroyed Caranthir''s leg.


    When they were taken to a ce with three moons hanging in the sky, Caranthir tossed a bolt of ck lightning and charred the witcher who failed to dodge in time. His flesh was cooked, and the air was filled with the scent of grilled meat. Fortunately, the higher vampire decoction saved him.


    When they were taken to a ce where the skies were overcast and the volcano was shooting crimson magma a thousand degrees hot, Roy hid behind the volcanic ash and pierced the nape of Eredin with his de, but Aen Elle''s powerful healing spell kept him alive.


    When they were taken to a ravine covered in a thickyer of ice and ravaged by blizzards, the exhausted pilot unleashed all the power of the White Frost in his body, freezing Roy. Eredin took the chance to slice off the witcher''s head, but before his consciousness could fadepletely, Roy cast Ring of Time to heal himself back up.


    ***


    Another world they came to, and another world they were taken to. The battle raged on and on, for no one knew how long. When their bodies, mind, and mana were finally at their limits, the berserking Elder Blood finally stopped. Onest time, they were taken to a ce in the opposite direction of Tor Lara. Theynded on an unusually steep cliffside. Seagulls were perched between reefs of peculiar shapes. Icy winds brought with them the stench of excrements left by the birds on the reefs.


    "Witcher, you are the most powerful opponent I have ever met in my life." Eredin held himself up by pushing down on his greatsword.


    Caranthir, blind and missing a leg, was holding on to his staff as well. Both the elves'' helms were missing, and more than half of their armor was chipped away, revealing their injured chest beneath. There was no longer any scorn on their faces.


    "You are worthy of the Elder Blood. One final sincere suggestion. Join us. You need a better stage. You shall write the story of your glory in the infinite worlds."


    "At this point, words are pointless. We''re destined to be enemies." The ck silhouette on the top of the reef shook his head, his cracked armor swaying as well.


    Roy had seen better days. His hair and eyebrows were burned off, his face was covered in scabs and wounds, his looks ruined. His whole body was covered in injuries. His eyes, however, were still filled with determination and fighting spirit. "Neither can live while the other survives. And now, I will end your evil lives."


    ***


    The fighters charged at their enemies. Eredin swung his weapon at Roy''s chest, and the witcher took a step back, letting Eredin''s weapon gouge his flesh. Blood sttered all over Erdin''s face.


    Roy shoved his right hand up, and Aerondightshed out like a viper, piercing Eredin''s shoulder.


    Caranthir held his wobbly body up with his staff, chanting a spell. He hurled a bolt of electricity at the witcher. Roy quickly rolled away, dodging the greatsword and electric bolt. The moment he stood up, he pulled the trigger.


    A bolt zipped through the air. Caranthir was too worn out to react. He flew backward and fell with a thud. A hole was bored through his forehead, brains and blood spilling out of the wound. And then, thest thing he saw was the witcher''s rising de.


    And Caranthir''s head was sliced off. His arteries were revealed, and they hissed. Blood spurted high up into the air, likeva roaring from a volcano.


    ''Caranthir killed. +10000 EXP. Level 15 Witcher (12000/18500). You have absorbed his Elder Blood. Your Elder Blood''s power is bolstered.''


    ***


    The sight of hispanion''s death made Eredin shed crimson tears. He let out a beastly roar and charged at the witcher, swinging his weapon. Roy''s weapon shed with his, and then theyunched into another bout of bloody assault once more.


    The fighters'' sense of pain had been numbed over the course of the battle and the numerous wounds they sustained. They wouldn''t evade unless their vitals were threatened.


    Roy pierced Eredin''s underarms, and Eredin sliced Roy''s belly open, revealing his innards. Flesh and blood fell, forming little streams underneath the fighters'' feet. It didn''t take long until the fighters were nothing but bloody silhouettes.


    And then, with thest of his mana, Roy quickly made a green inverted triangle.


    Eredin was captivated for a moment, unable to evade. And Aerondight sliced his throat. Blood came charging out, and Eredin roared.


    He smacked the witcher away with his de, then his weapon fell out of his hand, buried into the ground. And then he fell to his knees, surrounded by a pool of his blood.


    To really end things, Roy held himself up and hobbled over, swinging his weapon down on Eredin''s neck. But then the elf had a burst of unimaginable strength. He blocked the de with his left hand and held the crossguard and Roy''s hand with his right.


    He held them tightly. "Witcher child of the Elder Blood glory be to you"


    Eredin enunciated each word slowly, his green eyes turning wide. For a moment, through the witcher''s crimson-and-ck face, Eredin thought he saw the past glory of Aen Elle. It was something that happened eons ago, and Aen Elle''s glory was destroyed by a white disaster.


    Dismay filled his eyes, but that was it for him. All his ambition was gone.


    Roy stomped Eredin''s chest in and pulled his bloodstained de out. He thrust the weapon through Eredin''s chest and pinned him to the ground.


    Eredin''s hands went limp. Winds came in from the sea. And the King of the Wild Hunt drew hisst breath.


    ''Eredin killed. +12000 EXP. Level 15 Witcher (24000/18500). You have absorbed his Elder Blood. Your Elder Blood is now in its intermediate level of awakening.''


    Starlight radiated from Roy''s body, but he couldn''t control it. He could feel something within him change, but before the witcher could feel what the change was, his strength waned, and he fell forward.


    Something shattered. Winds howled around him. It was supposed to be summer, and yet the winds were bitingly cold.


    And snow fell.


    Roy, and everyone on the Tor Lara battlefield further away, be it sorcerers, witchers, the Wild Hunt, or Aretuza''s people, raised their heads.


    A hole was torn in the skies over the seas beyond. Snow and frost came rushing in, stirring up a literal storm.


    Thends itself were turned to a shade of deathly white.


    The end of the world hade.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>

 Chapter 636 - 636: At the End of the White Frost

    Chapter 636: At the End of the White Frost


    [TL: Asuka]


    [PR: Ash]


    Ciri held Eileni tight, looking around. All she saw was carnage. Tor Lara¡¯s battlefield was covered in corpses. Corpses of Aen Elle, the Hounds, the Order¡¯s knights, and the sorcerers. The blood had stained the air red, and its stench was nauseating.


    The only silver lining was that they suffered no casualties on their side, though the witchers were badly injured, and the sorceresses were the shade of the White Frost.


    And then Ciri looked at the coastline beyond. What she saw made her jaw ck. ¡°What is that?¡±


    A sea of seagulls and petrels were charging into the Isle of Thanedd. The shadows they cast even blocked out the sun in the skies. As they flew, their screams of despair filled the air. Behind the escaping birds, a ck hole was torn in the skies. It was like the void of space itself.


    Hail and snow poured from the hole, and they spun with the winds on the sea, turning into a gigantic hurricane of white. The hurricane was taller than the tallest peaks of Amell, and it connected the seas to the skies.


    The hurricane roared, slowly moving ahead. The seas and air it plowed through were turned into a world of frost, filled with nothing but ice and snow. All the living beings it touched were turned into frozen statues. Dozens of seagulls,gging behind, were turned into ice and dragged into the center of the hurricane.


    Fishing boats on the sea were pulled up into the air. As the hurricane wobbled and the frost swirled around, the boats were crushed into pieces. The hurricane was like a white bear traipsing along the sea, devouring everything that came in its path.


    But the nightmare did not end there. More frost was sputtered out of that hole in the skies, bolstering the hurricane¡¯s size.


    Ciri¡¯s mind was filled with a strange vision. She saw a white skeleton floating within the endless void and pale white frost for what felt like an eternity.


    ***


    ¡°This is no ordinary storm.¡± Coral clenched her fists, her heart aching, her fiery hair dancing in the wind. She knew that her lover would be leaving her soon.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Triss asked, her voice hoarse and solemn.


    Francesca clutched her chest, her face the color of the hurricane. In a singsong voice, she said, ¡°The Time of the White Chill and the White Light is nigh, the Time of Madness and the Time of Contempt: Tedd Deireadh, the Time of End. Ithlinne¡¯s prophecy ising true. This is Tedd Deireadh, thest era! We have an hour at most before Thanedd is frozen in ice forever!¡±


    ***


    At the back of the battlefield, the sorcerers were gazing at the hurricane in disbelief, and they stopped casting their spells. They had researched the ancient texts, so they knew of Ithlinne¡¯s prophecy. They knew what this hurricane meant.


    ¡°Why now? Just when we had ended the brotherhood¡¯s conflict. We were about to show what we could do, and now the legendary disaster is upon us?¡± Philippa was dismayed. In fury and terror, she hissed, ¡°This is the Wild Hunt¡¯s fault! They brought this upon us!¡±


    ¡°No. They too are terrified of the White Frost.¡± Tissaia shook her head, looking at the retreating Wild Hunt. Moments ago, they were fearless warriors who had a great advantage in this battle, yet now they were giving up on the offense. Instead, they took their Hounds and scurried away into the ck vessel in the air.


    Tissaia could see the fear in their eyes when they nced at the hurricane, as if they¡¯d been wounded by the same thing before. ¡°People, I suggest all of us open up a portal and escape Thanedd right now. We cannot stay here, or we¡¯re going to die.¡± Sabrina¡¯s hair was swaying.


    ¡°And where can we run to? If the prophecy is true, no one can escape the White Frost, no matter where they go in this world.¡± Marti wiped the sweat off her forehead. Romance was swelling in her heart uncontrobly. ¡°So why don¡¯t we find the ones we love and spend our final moments with them?¡±


    ***


    ¡°We chased the Wild Hunt away, and we have to face the White Frost now? Is this our destiny?¡±


    Eskel held up Vesemir. Geralt and Lambert were seated in a pool of blood, back to back. Their armor was covered in frost, their faces white as clouds.


    ¡°What¡¯d the prophecy say again? Everyone¡¯s going to be frozen solid? I¡¯m stupid. I should¡¯ve gone home and seen poor Pashia.¡±


    Lambert shook his head in disdain. With his frozen right hand, he slicked back his receding hairline that was cut off even more earlier, then he turned to his right. ¡°Does love turn you into a pessimist? Can you look on the bright side? Even the kids are tougher than you are.¡±


    ***


    The injured younger witchers were holding each other up, lining up like a fortress. They were exhausted, but their eyes were filled with the light of excitement.


    ¡°The evil Wild Hunt is defeated. The allies of justice, that¡¯s us witchers, won! Let¡¯s see who killed more, brothers. I killed a soldier and two Hounds,¡± Acamuthorm shouted happily. He had fangs thanks to the higher vampire decoction he took.


    ¡°So? I killed one more than you did.¡± Carl carefully touched the scar that spanned his brow down to half his face. It was a badge of honor, and he was excited. Now no one¡¯s going to say I look like a girl.


    ¡°I killed two more than you did.¡± Monti¡¯s left arm hung limp. He smiled weakly.


    ¡°So I¡¯m deadst again?¡± Lloyd looked upset. He was wiping his chipped silver sword, looking a little miffed.


    Felix, Coen, Kiyan, and Aiden smacked them on their heads. ¡°You ignorant brats. We have a disaster on our ass, and you¡¯repeting among yourselves?¡±


    A bone-chilling gust of wind howled across the ind. Everyone narrowed their eyes, as if the frost had hurt them. Theds looked at the skies beyond, and the excitement earlier died down. Sobbing, they asked, ¡°Are we all going to die? Will the hurricane eat us all?¡±


    No one answered.


    ***


    ¡°After two hundred years, the Viper School is finally reunited.¡± Ivar stared at the four unconscious Viper Wild Hunt soldiers tied in silver chains, a smile of satisfaction curling his lips. ¡°Pity I couldn¡¯t kill off that bastard, Eredin, myself. And now this sted White Frost is here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel down, oldie. The kid must have a way through this.¡± Letho rubbed his head. There was confidence in his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s never let us down before.¡±


    Serrit and Auckes exchanged a smile, and they turned their attention to Ciri.


    ***


    Ciri stared at Roy. He was charred, and his body was covered in wounds. The girl almost couldn¡¯t recognize him, and tears spilled from her eyes. ¡°No one would¡¯ve died if they didn¡¯t try to protect me. You wouldn¡¯t have been hurt either. And that hole wouldn¡¯t have shown up.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. And I can heal up in two weeks from this.¡± Roy patted Gryphon¡¯s head to calm it down. He then turned to the worried Coral, Triss, and Francesca. He smiled. ¡°This is a mistake destiny made.¡±


    And then, a sigh ofint, hatred, dismay, and resignation filled the air. Avac¡¯h appeared out of nowhere, staring at the witcher. ¡°The Elder Blood is a regal bloodline. Why does someone not of Lara Dorren¡¯s descent have it? How did you manage to y Eredin and Caranthir and absorb their bloodline? You triggered the White Frost before it should¡¯ve happened, and the Red Riders¡¯ efforts over the years are now for naught.¡±


    The witcher and sorceresses looked at Avac¡¯h with hatred. They answered, ¡°You killed Caranthir and Grimm. You wanted to force Ciri to mate with an old git over 600 years old. You do not get to take that tone with me.¡±


    Avac¡¯h was quiet for a moment. He then took a deep breath and bowed at everyone. ¡°Very well. I apologize. I had to do it for my tribe¡¯s continuation. But fear not. I swear I will noty a finger on you again. To be precise, there¡¯s no point in doing that now.¡±


    Thedies looked to Roy for his opinion.


    ¡°You have one minute. Tell me what your n is. Give me a reason not to slice you and the remaining Wild Hunt up like pieces of meat.¡±


    Avac¡¯h looked at thends beyond the bridge. That was where Gors Velen stood. The citizens noticed the iing disaster, and they took to the streets. The air was filled with screams of despair and fear. Some turned tail and ran. Some spun around in distress, while some fainted. Some even took the chance to cause destruction and mayhem, and some robbed the people around them blind.


    ¡°See? Before the White Frost, humanity is insignificant. That goes for all of you. It might be moving slow like a bear that¡¯s eaten too much more than it can take, but it will grow in magnitude and speed. And it will grow fast. That¡¯s the conclusion my tribe gleaned from seeing countless worlds getting frozen solid. If we do note up with a solution now, the world will be destroyed in a week at most. Trust me, if you stay here, there is nowhere you can hide. You cannot run from this disaster.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Yennefer gulped.


    ¡°The mistake has been made. We can do nothing but n our move with that in mind.¡± Avac¡¯h looked at Roy, Ciri, and Eileni. He extended an invitation, ¡°Bearers of the Elder Blood, bring your loved ones and return to Tir na Lia with me. With your power coupled with the gate, we can triggerrge-scale teleportations and leave these dying worlds. We can escape to somewhere safer. That¡¯s the reason for the Elder Blood¡¯s existence.¡±


    ¡°You escape to another world, hide for a few hundred years, then the White Frostes for you again, and you escape once more like a dog with its tail between its legs?¡± Roy stared into Avac¡¯h¡¯s eyes. With scorn, he said, ¡°Your tribe has escaped for eons. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°Running away is a disgrace, but it¡¯s better than death. And don¡¯t forget, you have friends and family.¡± Avac¡¯h could see that the witcher was the leader of this team. He was almost spewing drool around when he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay and die with them?¡±


    ¡°I do not n to sit around and die,¡± Roy said. He looked at Coral, whose gaze was filled with love. He then looked at Triss, then Yennefer, and the witchers who were huddled around him. ¡°I will not run away either. The White Frost will freeze world after world and destroy all living beings in its way. Only I can stop this disaster. I have mused over it long enough, and I will bring an end to this once and for all.¡±


    Avac¡¯h froze for a moment. And then, his elegance and serenity disappeared. ¡°No. No one can destroy the White Frost. Not even Ithlinne¡¯s prophecy came up with a concrete method to do that. This is a pointless sacrifice. A gamble with an astronomically low chance of sess. Please, just leave with us, witcher.¡± Avac¡¯h was almost pleading. ¡°You won this time. I will convince Auberon to agree to most of your terms. Even if it¡¯s having you, Ciri, the young girl, or even Francesca be Aen Elle¡¯s new ruler. Even if you wish to eradicate the White Frost, we need toe up with a n for it, but that takes time. First, you have to survive this.¡±


    Francesca was convinced. She sped her hands together, wishing to speak. I cannot let the bloodline of Aen Seidhe die out just like this. The elven queen was starting to hesitate, wondering how she should convince Roy to ept reality.


    Ciri suddenly looked at the ck vessel stopped far away from her, and she hissed, ¡°Even if my wish is to cut off these Red Riders¡¯ heads?¡±


    Avac¡¯h hesitated. He gritted his teeth, trying to make a decision.


    ¡°Forget it! I don¡¯t want to run!¡± Ciri argued loudly. ¡°Cnthe, Bran, Hjalmar, and Cerys are here. I cannot leave them alone with the hurricane!¡±


    ¡°Mdy, I told you, you can bring all your family and friends!¡±


    ¡°Even the Order¡¯s knights, the warriors of Skellige, and all the Cintrans who are still loyal to us?¡±


    Avac¡¯h shut up.


    Ayer of golden light appeared on Ciri¡¯s face. Naively but with determination, she said, ¡°Everyone in the North who hasn¡¯t done evil in their lives has the right to live.¡±


    ¡°Live! Live!¡± Eileni pped in excitement, though she had no idea what was going on.


    Avac¡¯h hung his head low, sighing. ¡°That is impossible to do. That¡¯ll be too many people to teleport. We do not have that kind of time.¡±


    ¡°Then you have your answer.¡± Ciri held Roy¡¯s charred arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go and get rid of the White Frost, Roy.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for asking, but do you have aplete and feasible n?¡± Avac¡¯h wanted to persuade Ciri to the best of his abilities, unwilling to see the hope of his tribe¡¯s continuation die.


    ¡°Freya and Melitele have told me of a way years ago. I must reach the end of the White Frost and eradicate it from its roots,¡± Roy said calmly. That was for Coral and the worried witchers listening in. For all thepanions concerned about him. And for himself.


    ¡°I had no confidence in this n back then, but with Eredin and Caranthir¡¯s gift, I can do this myself.¡±


    ¡°You are not.¡± Ciri held Roy¡¯s hands strongly, staring into his eyes. ¡°I have the Elder Blood too, and it showed me a vision just now. If I let you leave alone this time, we¡¯ll lose you forever.¡±


    And silence fell on the battlefield. Roy teared up. He didn¡¯t have total confidence in this n. Even though the Elder Blood in his body was stronger than it had ever been, the White Frost was fiercer than he remembered. Perhaps the battle with Eredin broke space, or perhaps the evolved Elder Blood was more alluring to the disaster.


    And this time, he wasn¡¯t going to distract the White Frost like Ciri did in his memories. He wanted to eradicate it.


    Lambert gave Roy a look. ¡°Is there no other way? Why don¡¯t we go back to the House of Gawain, heal up, ande up with a n?¡±


    ¡°Every minute we waste hesitating, morends will beid waste to by the White Frost. I am not sure how long I need to destroy the disaster. If I take too long, the whole world would¡¯ve been plunged into an ice age by the time I¡¯m done with it. I need to go right now.¡±


    Roy paused, smiling at the concerned faces. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This isn¡¯t farewell. I¡¯ve never let you down.¡±


    ¡°And I told you not to push yourself, kid. You have us.¡± Letho rubbed his head.


    ¡°Together! Together!¡± Eileni wrapped her chubby arms around Roy¡¯s arm and climbed to the top of his head like a ko. She didn¡¯t stay away from him just because he looked worse than a demon who just came out of purgatory.


    Roy shook his head, smiling. ¡°Cnthe will kill me if I take Ciri and Eileni with me.¡±


    Ciri said stubbornly, ¡°I will exin everything to Cnthe once we get rid of the White Frost. Please don¡¯t abandon us, Roy.¡±


    Coral held Roy¡¯s arm tightly, her fiery hair brushing his cheek, but she said nothing. She had always respected Roy¡¯s decisions.


    For some reason, Triss could no longer hold back her raging emotions. She held Roy¡¯s other arm and stared at him in silence, though tears were streaming down her cheeks. No one teased her this time, however.


    The elven sage put away his pride and bowed at the witcher humbly.


    ¡°Vatt¡¯ ghern, Zireael. If you can bring this miracle to fruition and return safely, you will be ruler of Aen Elle.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Am I hearing it right? Has that witcher gone mad? Is something wrong with his head?¡± A sorcerer shook his head in disdain. ¡°He¡¯s going to bring two little girls and get rid of the legendary White Frost?¡±


    ¡°Silence, you fool!¡± Tissaia roared, pping the sorcerer so hard, blood trickled from his mouth. Most of the other sorcerers red at him. ¡°When someone risks his life to save everyone, he bes a hero, no matter how feeble his attempt is. Instead of praying for him, you nder him? I will turn you into a statue for a hundred years! Reflect on your mistake!¡±


    ***


    This was the moment where humanity¡¯s future would be decided, but not too many paid attention to it.


    Only the witchers and sorcerers standing beside Tor Lara bore witness to this. They saw the ck-haired, silver-eyed silhouette off. His wounds had been cured by Brisingamen. He took Ciri¡¯s hand, and Eileni was sitting on the back of his neck. Starlight shone from within them, and then they disappeared.


    A bright star shone within the destruction hurricane on the sea.


    ***


    The White Frost was a long undercurrent traveling through space. It was dim, eerie, ufortable, and filled with endless frost, taking the heat from everything around them. Anything and everything within the White Frost would shiver from the cold. Even their souls would.


    However, the Elder Blood seemed to share some connection with this godforsaken ce. Ever since the witcher and the girls entered it, their Elder Blood started getting active. They could use its powers unbridled.


    Roy, Ciri, and Eileni sparked the Elder Blood¡¯s power and quickly traversed down the White Frost, going to its end. The Elder Blood morphed into ayer of warm, sturdy armor, insting them from the cold and frost hurtling at them everywhere.


    It started off smoothly. Too smoothly. Roy thought he could smell victory, but the White Frost was far longer than he and the girls expected. The darkness was like an abyss. A viscous swamp. They were trapped within the White Frost, blinking for what seemed like a year. Or was it a hundred?


    Eventually, the Elder Blood sumbed to the test of time. It could no longer stave off the dangers for Roy and the girls. Icicles hurtled away at the witcher, breaking his magical barrier. Again and again and again, until the witcher had exhausted his supplies and strength. Then the icicles tore through his armor and cut through his flesh.


    ¡°Are you alright, Roy? I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Take care of Eileni, Ciri. I won¡¯t let anything hurt you.¡± Roy curled up as much as he could, keeping Eileni and Ciri safe in his arms. He shielded them with his whole body, taking all the abuse of the White Frost for them, but he was only human, and he could not fend off a disaster on a universal level.


    It did not take long for the White Frost topletely eat him away, and he was nothing more than a skeleton with ayer of flesh clinging to it. His consciousness was fading away, but then he raised his level. Golden light red, and vitality surged from deep within his marrow. His wounds were all healed up.


    Reinvigorated, Roy resumed his traversal through the White Frost, until he was once again brought to an inch away from death. But then, a surge of strength came from the Lady of the Lake¡¯s sword, and a sweet voice revitalized his soul. He saw a smiling face before him. Her hair was green, vapor swirling around it, and her lips were luscious. ¡°Roy, knight of Lake Vizima. You never walk alone.¡± Vivienne¡¯s power healed Roy up once more.


    ***


    Roy was once again brought to death¡¯s face, but Brisingamen shone. The image of a youngdy, a pregnant woman, and a crone, all as one, pierced through the biting darkness. ¡°Roy, child of the Elder Blood, you have kept your word and gave your life for it. We shall walk with you.¡± The auroral light shimmered like a waterfall. Freya and Melitele walked side by side, waving their hands. They rained golden light upon Roy until they were vague silhouettes of themselves.


    An imprable golden shield kept the children of the Elder Blood safe and took them on a long, long voyage, but the darkness was despairingly endless.


    Roy was once again dying, and this time, he had no gods to help him.


    ¡°Roy, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    ¡°Roy.¡± Eileni gurgled.


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but bones now.¡± Ciri cried. ¡°Please, let us go. We¡¯ll protect you this time.¡±


    Eileni gurgled.


    Crimson light of terror tore through the darkness. A tentacle pierced through the chilling darkness and wrapped itself around the girls. The shadow of the Most High swung its tentacles around, swallowing the White Frost with its suckers, but the White Frost was endless. It swooped down on the shadow and froze it up like it was a prey stuck in an icy web. The shadow eventually slowed down and returned to its original self.


    ***


    ¡°Aha!¡± Someone suddenly sighed in the darkness. ¡°Roy of the Viper School, should you waste away in this matter, you will not havepleted our promise. That I cannot allow. You have yet to enjoy the game I have prepared for you. It is more spectacr and marvelous this time.¡±


    Lines of runes appeared on the skeleton¡¯s arm, conjuring the cackling face of a skinhead and the white-gold suns burning in its eyes. ¡°I, Gaunter O¡¯Dimm, shall assist you with thest leg of your journey.¡±


    ***


    Silver lightning shed through the darkness, and the witcher opened his eyes. With his de, he tore through the chaos of space, the blinding sea of stars, until he came¡­


    To the end of the White Frost.

 Chapter 637: The Beginning of the End

    Chapter 637: The Beginning of the End


    Chandeliers swayed on the ceiling of Novigrad''s ballroom, its light shining upon a bard on the stage. He was wearing a blue, notch-cored, puffy-sleeved shirt that tightly fitted him, and a feathered bird was perched on his head. His song wasing to an end, the tune of his lute slowing down.


    The song was done, and he bowed at the audience. The audience responded with thunderous apuse and cheers.


    One of them stood up. "Thank you, Dandelion." The dwarf was stout and hard as a boulder, his beard dense and extended to his belly. When he spoke, his voice was a bellow. "Allow me, Yarpen Zigrin, a guard of Eternal Fire, and a dwarf the witcher once advised, to give praise to your most wonderful voice. No one is better, and I believe everyone agrees with my opinion."


    There were more than two hundred people around the dwarf. There were humans and non-humans like dwarves, elves, and gnomes. There were also beautiful sorceresses and an alluring oneiromancer. Commoners in rags and blue blood in riches were gathered in this ballroom, filling it to the brim.


    The expensive members-only seats that no one cared to reserve not too long ago, were now filled with the most prestigious members of this city. The Collector, King of Beggars, Cleaver, and even the Hieronymus of the Eternal Fire were present. Some people, failing to get a spot in the ballroom, stood in the aisle, sat on the red carpet beside the chairs in the ballroom, and some even sat astride the banister.


    No one was angry at them for this uncouth behavior, however. They nodded at one another and whispered among themselves. Some half naked men even raised their mugs and cheered loudly. Somedies were still immersed in the epic y, sobbing and wiping their tears away.


    "The Brotherhood of Witchers is a marvelous y. You should spread to all thends across the world. Kaedwen, Redania, Temeria, Aedirn Even Kovir under the Dragon Mountains in the far north. All Northerners should see this y. They should know of the heroes behind the crises. They should apologize and repent for their ignorant nder against the witchers."


    Barney, Reagan, and Paul were beside Yarpen. Their faces were red, and they nodded. The peasants within the crowd looked ashamed of themselves.


    "But I have one gripe. When are youing up with the sequel? You can''t just leave us hanging. The witchers yed monsters and saved countless. They got rid of the menacing Wild Hunt, helped the Northern sorcerers avoid a coup on Thanedd, which indirectly pushed the Northern Realms'' alliance to join Meve in the war to protect Rivia. And they resisted the South. But then what? Did they get rid of the world-ending disaster? I heard people from Gors Velen say that the sea beside the isle is still frozen solid. It''s like a perfect miracle now. Those arrogant sorcerers even erected statues for witchers in Aretuza."


    "Yeah. Even if you don''t want to sing the story, you can tell us all about it." Corinne blinked. "What did the witcher and the lovely youngdies see at the end of the White Frost?"


    "How should I put this?" Dandelion put on a mysterious smile. "There are two sides to one coin. That''s always been the case. Where there''s good, there will be evil. Where there''s heat, there will be cold. Where there''s strength, there will be weakness. If you take the legendary Elder Blood as the head of the coin, then the White Frost is the tails. One leaves cracks in time-space, while the other repairs it. They were born at the same time and had fought forever, just twins destined to battle through time."


    "So did they make it? Did the Elder Blood win?"


    "Is that a trick question?" Cyrus, or Jiji the doppler, was on the second floor. He stroked his beard and loudly said, "If they failed, the disaster would''ve been upon us. We''d never be here having fun or praying to the great Eternal Fire."


    "Yarpen, Corinne, you must be drunk," Gawain joked.


    "No, you got it all wrong. The White Frost is gone, yes, but did the heroes return?" Yarpen stared at the bard with his puffy eyes. There was nervousness and anticipation in his gaze.


    The people moved by the y waited for the answer with bated breaths, afraid that Dandelion might shake his head.


    Dandelion smiled. Cryptically, he said, "Perhaps when you run into monsters during your forays in the wilderness and need someone''s help someday, you will know the answer to that question. For now, I take my leave. And for a month at least, I''ll be going on a long trip, so I can''t perform. I apologize for that." Dandelion bowed apologetically. He then turned to the entrance of the ballroom.


    A young, innocentdy with brown hair tumbling down her back waved at him. Her eyes were sparkling with naivete. Dandelion leapt off the stage, holding his lute. He waved at his adoring fans and approached the youngdy. "Is everyone ready, Casiga?"


    "They are, Dandelion. We''re only missing you. But is it a good idea leaving Prisci alone in Kovir?"


    Dandelion coughed and counted his fingers. Righteously, he said, "I''m doing some self-sacrifice. We have some couples waiting for me to officiate their wedding in another world. I''d never have left my wife or these adoring fans if not for my old friends. And think about it. Witchers, sorceresses, a subus, higher vampires, and the elves who almost never crack a smile are going to a strange and farawaynd. If they have no bard spicing up their lives, it''s going to be boring. It''s a torture for them. Wait. Shouldn''t we take the carriage to the House of Gawain and then the ship?"


    Casiga gesticted. The light of magic conjured up a diamond-shaped portal. "That''s too slow." She dragged Dandelion and leapt into the portal.


    Everything around Dandelion spun. When he snapped out of it, he was already standing on a gigantic brig. The bard looked down the rail, and he had vertigo. He was nearly thirty-three hundred feet in the sky. The buildings and people on the ground were nothing but specks, and they were zipping by fast.


    He looked around. The skies were clear as ake, and clouds decorated it, changing shapes every so often. Cold, suffocating winds blew in the air, and the sails extended like gs. The emblem of crossed des shone golden under the sun. In the center of the deck, familiar figures were chatting away.


    Ivar was swinging his right fist enthusiastically, depicting a bright future with Letho, Serrit, Auckes, and the new Vipers. Geralt and Yennefer were standing on the edge of the ship, enjoying the view. Vesemir and Mignole were huddled close together, whispering. Eskel had his arm around a chuckling subus. Lambert was happily flirting with Lydia and Kanti. Kiyan and Evelyn were researching a deathbell, while Igsena was singing a new y she learned. Coen was her audience.


    Felix, Coen, and Eskel were regaling the apprentices with their adventures.


    Coral and Triss, both beautifully dressed, were helping a group of Aen Elle sorcerers keep the ship''s magical barrier intact, fending the chilling winds off.


    A handsome yet charming youngdy in hunting gear snuck up on Dandelion. "You''rete, Dandelion. Sing us a song that fits the asion." A silver ponytail was tied behind her head, and the medallions of the Wolf and Viper dangled from her neck. A grin cracked her lips.


    "Why are you dressed up like a witcher, Ciri? And who gave the swords and medallions to you? Did your grandmother allow you to leave?" Dandelion plucked his lute.


    "Don''t you know? Not too long ago, Roy and I used the Elder Blood to meet up with the guy who abandoned his family. I''m talking about Emhyr."


    "What''s that got to do with my question?"


    "After Roy and I persuaded him, the emperor has finally realized his mistakes. He willingly returned Cintra to Cnthe. With her problem gone, she was delighted, so she gave me my freedom."


    Dandelion had a lot of questions about that. <em>The White mes Dancing on the Graves of His Foes and the ruler of Nilfgaard would never be convinced by words. The process must''ve been interesting. I could write a book about it. I have to extract it from Ciri and use it in my poems.</em>


    He even came up with a name. <em>The Young Lady Emhyr Sumbed To.</em>


    "Pity Cnthe kept Eileni behind. Said she wanted Eileni to assume the throne of Cintra."


    Ciri broke Dandelion''s train of thoughts.


    "But I''m not interested in that. Being ruler of Cintra or Aen Elle. I just like adventuring with you guys."


    "Very well, Ciri the witcher. Congrattions on regaining your freedom. Now back to business. Where''s our navigator, Roy?"


    "At the bow."


    A cloaked man was stepping on the conical ram with one leg. On his back were two swords, and a hand crossbow was tied between the des. "Get ready, people. Close your eyes. Hold your breath and count to ten."


    The ck ship froze, and then it moved ahead, its ram piercing the void. The whole vessel quickly sank into the void and disappearedpletely.


    A short and indescribable journey through the dark voidter, everyone saw the light once more. The ship had entered a new and strange world. Back in their world, it was the end of summer, but it was winter in this world. Icy winds howled across the air.


    Beneath the ship were endlessnds and snow-capped peaks. Hundreds of never-seen-before nts swayed beautifully. The people on the ship looked down and saw numerous creatures they''d never seen before. Foxes, badgers, mud crabs, sabertooth tigers, even grayish-white giants the size of a small building. They also saw wooly mammoths.


    Further ahead was a great city built upon a stone mountain. The golden sunshine draped a sheen of gold upon it, its walls standing tall and mighty, but the city felt peaceful and lively.


    "We''re in Skyrim?" Ciri''s face was red with excitement, and she was almost prancing.


    "The Bannered Mare in Whiterun has special ale made by Argonians?" Auckes licked his lips.


    "Daedric Princes are ying pranks on humans everywhere?" Letho and Felix exchanged a look.


    "The Companions can morph into powerful wolves? How much different are they from Cursed Ones?" Angouleme muttered curiously.


    "There are new magic and enchantment systems here?" Kalkstein''s eyes were shining brightly.


    "And another type of vampire here too?" Regis rubbed his chin.


    "And there are dragons destroying cities everywhere?" Ciri shouted. "Roy, I can''t wait any long. Take us on a dragonying mission!"


    Roy turned back. He saw familiar, smiling faces, and a smile curled his lips. "Calm down, people. First we need to find Whiterun''s Jarl, then we need to talk to my friends and see if we can rent a ce and shape it into the brotherhood''s Skyrim branch. This is a new beginning."


    "So we''ll have other branches in the future?"


    "Yes."


    "Then what are we waiting for?"


    ***


    The ck ship was filled withughter. The people on it rode into Whiterun, where a new adventure awaited.


    "Through the veil of darkness the silver light tears, away with the dark fog when the light of Signs shines."


    The sound of lute yed through the air. Dandelion''s singing rained from the skies.


    "The old story has ended, a new adventure awaits. And onward our legend goes."


    ***


    The End.


    <strong>***</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>


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